DannyNoonan
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Yorktown Bistro, North Arlington - Closed
DannyNoonan replied to Baccala's topic in Washington DC Restaurants and Dining
Maybe your many contacts among the lumberjacks will know -
80 oz of soda in a day? Dude, your dentist can't be happy with that intake.
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I went with my wife and kids to Harry's for the first time in quite a while last night and was pleasantly surprised. We both ordered turkey burgers with veggies on the side and really liked our meals. I have long thought that Harry's did a nice job with their turkey burgers and was reminded of why last night. The burgers are tasty, well seasoned, pleasantly charred, and (believe it or not) actually moist. The bun is light and airy too. Turkey burgers are often done poorly but this is one of the better ones in the area. What impressed us even more was the veggies we ordered. My wife ordered roasted beets, which tasted vibrantly of beets. A touch of salt and they were perfect. My spinach sauteed with garlic was equally good. Nothing complicated - it tasted like fresh spinach, olive oil, and garlic which is all this it was supposed to taste like and all it needed to taste good. Finally, the green beans sauteed with (I think) ginger and soy sauce were done very nicely as well. The beans were cooked to retain some crunch, not mushy at all, and the seasonings didn't overwhelm the beans. The thing that struck me about Harry's last night is that, they do a nice job in most things. They probably won't overwhelm anyone but most meals there are pretty solid. In another neighborhood, I think that they'd stand out as a top notch neighborhood restaurant but in Clarendon they have places like Liberty and Eventide setting a pretty high bar for neighborhood dining so places like Harry's get kinda lost in the shuffle.
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The biscuits do seem to vary from batch to batch as I have had them once not salty and twice too salty. Maybe it's just a consistency issue. A minor gripe, I still really like this place.
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My wife went by Bayou Bakery again this morning and tried the buttermilk biscuit again and found it to be really salty again. Maybe this is how the biscuits are supposed to taste but she said it was way too salty, which is what I thought last week when I tried the biscuit. Anyone else had this experience?
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I made my second visit to Bayou Bakery for breakfast last Sunday. So far, the results have been a bit uneven and I am not entirely sold on the pricing but I like the overall feel of the place and think it has great potential to be a unique neighborhood spot in Courthouse. I have sampled on my visits: Coffee - quite strong but overall quite good; not sure how many ounces are in the glass mugs are but I do recall both times feeling like I drained it awfully fast for a $2.25 cup of coffee Buttermilk biscuits - first go round, as noted above, they were awesomely flaky, buttery, and delicious; second go round, inedibly salty; they need to make these more consistent Beignets - completely delicious both times Steel cut oatmeal - warm, hearty, wholesome; maybe sized a little small for the price I am sure these folks are still ironing out some wrinkles and that consistency issues will be ironed out over time.
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My wife and I dined at a not-very-crowded Dino Saturday evening and had a wonderful meal. I know it was New Year's Day but I didn't expect the parking lot across the street to be almost completely empty. Good for us though as we were whisked by the friendly host to our comfortable window seats right away. I started, as usual with a selection from the negroni menu (the Bianco), which was wonderful as usual. I was intrigued by the description of the radici salad and decided to give it a try. Basically, thin slivers of radish, turnip, and kohlrabi dressed with a warm, garlicky bagna cauda. The warmth and flavor of the dressing elevated the lowly root vegetables and made for a fantastic dish. My wife had the beet salad with braised greens and enjoyed it as well. I ordered the canneloni verde as my entree and my wife had the pesto di Pomodoro. My canneloni were fantastic. Super tender sheets of pasta wrapped around cheesy greens and covered in a cheesy tomato sauce. It was worked wonderfully. My wife reported enthusiastically on her entree as well. Both entrees paired well with 8 oz pours of Bisceglia (her) and Arcangelo (me). Dessert was three scoops of gelati: impossibly chocolatey Valrhona chocolate, intense cinnamon, and pistachio. The amount of flavor in each creamy scoop is unreal and married perfectly with the moscato I was drinking. Dino is a gem. Food of this caliber, prepared with obvious care for the ingredients used, and served in such a warm, inviting environment seems like it should cost way more than it does here. How can you not feel welcome when Dean himself walks thru the dining room thanking everyone for coming out on New Year's Day? I am guessing not many of the out-of-town "celebrity" chefs that have flooded our town in recent years don't take the time to make that gesture.
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Margherita pizza at Pizzeria Orso Negroni menu at Dino
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Big night last night - after about a dozen visits I finally tried something other than the margherita pizza. I went with my old favorite - the fennel salad - to start and was pleasantly surprised by the addition of grapefruit segments to the mix. I love this salad. Then, I went with the ortaggio pizza, which I liked but I must admit to missing the margherita. The ortaggio was a fantastic pizza, don't get me wrong. The crust was perfect as usual but I longed for the simplicity of the margherita as I navigated thru the sweet peppers, onions, and eggplant of the ortaggio. Anyway, this is really splitting hairs as even the ortaggio was still so much better than pizza at just about anywhere else around here. The Peroni on draft tasted fantastic last night as well. This place is awesome.
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American Flatbread in Clarendon is Closing Christmas Eve
DannyNoonan replied to DanCole42's topic in Events and Gatherings
This blows. Flatbread makes good pizza. And I wholeheartedly concur, with dismay, at the Cheescake Factory-ization of Clarendon. -
Stopped in yesterday for a quick breakfast and was not disappointed. The coffee was great - nice and strong. The steel cut oatmeal was quite good with plump raisins and the interesting addition of cane syrup, though the portion was maybe a bit small. The oatmeal only costs $2.25 I think so maybe that's the right portion for that price but I would have liked to eat more. Also noteworthy was the buttermilk biscuit - our 1yr old pummelled it. And yes, the beignets are sinfully delicious. Truly outstanding. Anyway, this is a nice breakfast spot and a great addition to the neighborhood. I like the atmosphere there and would be interested in stopping back later in the day to sample the rest of the menu and some adult beverages.
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Thanks to the nice folks at Orso for accomodating me and 12 of my workmates Friday afternoon for a little holiday luncheon. Service was smooth, the pizzas even better. I was the only one to have enjoyed Orso before Friday but I think they won some converts. We ordered a wide variety of pies and appetizers and I don't think there was a dud in the bunch. Job well done.
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Fantastic evening at Eventide on Saturday. Drinks, apps, entrees, service all top notch. We started with cocktails - they reprised the Cooper Brothers Cocktail from a past cocktail menu for me, which was completely awesome of them because this is a fantastic drink. It combines Buffalo Trace bourbon, ginger liqueur, and elderflower liqueur and is served neat. Awesome. My wife's dirty martini with Plymouth gin was equally fetching. We both had the mixed green salad with roasted beets to start. Fresh, lightly dressed greens with candied walnuts and nicely roasted baby beets. Nicely composed, tasted great. For entrees, I had the sweet potato and ricotta tortellini. Served with green lentils and a light butter sauce, this dish was great. My wife had the seared cobia. The fish was cooked perfectly and tasted great but the best element of the dish might have been the accompanying roasted cauliflower kicked up with curry. Finished up the evening with some drinks - Frangelico for her and pomme eau de vie for me. Service was great. We were dining with our 1 year old and they were more than accomodating of her and provided us with a well-paced, relaxing experience. Another great performance by the folks at Eventide.
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Great dinner at Liberty last night with some colleagues. I started with the grilled octopus appetizer and liked it very much. The octopus was cooked well, not chewy, and pleasantly charred a bit in places. Fennel, green olives, mandarin orange, and lightly dressed baby greens made for a wonderful combination. I typically gravitate toward their pasta entrees because I have never been disappointed and last night's offering was no exception. The tortellini with autumn squash bolognese was fantastic. Handmade tortellini stuffed with a cheese and mushroom filling then draped with a sauce that looked like bolognese but was made with tomatoes, squash, and cheese. Just fantastic. Paired with a nice Spanish rioja and an even better Spanish Barbaresco and this was an excellent meal. Liberty hit the mark yet again.
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Hey, sorry for your less than perfect experience but we have heard your feedback and are working on refining numerous aspects of our operation. Keep in mind that District Taco started very small as a food cart so it has some wrinkles to work out as it grows. Hopefully you will give us another chance and we will have improved. Thanks again for giving us a shot.
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Dined for the first time at Bistro Bis on Sat. evening with my wife and some friends. Overall, a nice experience but a couple things make me hesitate to rush back. First, the good - The Setting: nice, especially sitting at the bar. It didn't feel a bit like a hotel bar. The Food: quite good as well. I started with a salad of julienne endive and radicchio that was nicely punched up by tangy blue cheese. Walnut bits added some nice crunch as well. My wife's beet salad met with good reviews as well. The beets I sampled were nicely roasted, still maintaining a slight bite to their texture. My entree of sea bass served with artichokes, fennel, and carrots was highlighted by the perfectly cooked fish. A nice, delicate meal. It didn't fill me up so don't order this if you're ravenous but it was a nice dish overall. My wife described her halibut as perfectly cooked, though I didn't sample it. Now, the not so good - The Cocktail: As we settled in at the bar, the bartender approached and asked what we'd like. I asked if he could make a martinez. He replied "A what?". That told me what I needed to know so I ordered a Maker's Mark Manhattan. Just after ordering the drink and too late to catch the bartender as he moved to the other end of the bar, I noticed a Sazerac at the top of their cocktail menu. I kicked myself because I love a good Sazerac and would have loved one at that point. But, I contented myself with my Manhattan and planned to order a Sazerac next. I finished my first drink shortly after being seated at the table and quickly ordered a Sazerac. This is where things got weird. Like I said, I enjoy a good Sazerac and have ordered many fine ones over the years. What I was served was not that. I knew I was in trouble before I took my first sip - the drink was pinkish, almost red, and it was served on the rocks. My first taste confirmed my fears as what I tasted was watered down, dominated by bitters, and redoloent of none of the spiciness of the rye whiskey I expected. I am not a mixologist or cocktail critic, but this was not what a Sazerac is supposed to taste like. I asked the bartender if they normallly served these drinks on the rocks and he assured me that they did. Hmmm. Anyway, this was probably an anomaly and didn't really affect my level of enjoyment that night but you'd think that the bartenders would know how to properly concoct the cocktail that sits atop their cocktail list. The Service: Service was uneven at best, absentee at worst. Not sure if the guy was new or just overwhelmed but he seemed ill at ease and his prolonged absences did adversely affect the pacing of our meals. Again, maybe this is an anomaly but it didn't help.
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A group of us dined recently at Citronelle and my experience echoes some of the sentiments above. The kitchen sends out dishes that reflect a degree of precision, skill, and artistry that is hard to replicate. At the same time, the whole experience felt a little tired to me. The dining room is still pretty blah and the menu, as mentioned above, doesn't change much. Maybe it's just a sign of the economic times we are in but I need something more when the tab is that large.
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Fantastic evening at Dino on Saturday night that cemented this place as one of our very favorite places to eat and drink in DC. I started with the "spicy salad", which was a plateful of peppery greens, pecorino cheese, and a dressing loaded with garlic. It worked very well together. My wife started with the salad of beets and braised greens, which was beautiful to look at and to taste. The beets were so flavorful. I sampled two of the selections from the negroni menu - the Bianco and the Milano. I was partial to the Bianco as it was a bit more subtle and less assertive than the Milano but I have never had a bad negroni here. My wife was bowled over by her bellini and its powerful peach flavor. For entrees, I had the chanterelle risotto, to which Dean added truffles. Just a perfect dish. Earthy mushrooms and truffles, perfectly cooked rice, and nutty grana cheese throughout. Comfort food personified. My wife decided on the chicken under a brick, which is a moist, perfectly cooked half chicken served over swiss chard that had absorbed the briny flavor of the accompanying black olives. Again, homey but refined food. A real hit. Side dish of brussel sprouts and pork belly made us wonder how this little vegetable ever became so maligned. Dessert was a simple apple cake in which apple slices were nestled in a batter (that really did taste like pancake batter) and topped with an impossibly flavorful scoop of vanilla gelato. I can't think of a better dessert to serve in late October. Simply perfect. A glass of house infused raspberry grappa rounded out the evening. Service was again smooth, punctual and super friendly. It always is. My wife and I discussed over dinner a recent meal at Citronelle in which we were amazed both by the artistry on the plate and the size of our bill. After being equally amazed (though in a good way) by the size of our bill at Dino, especially given the quality of the food and drink we enjoyed, we both agreed that we'd rather spend a special occasion eating honestly prepared dishes made from responsibly sourced ingredients in the friendly confines of Dino than to "splurge" on someplace fancy. This place is a gem and deserved the accolades it gets.
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Congrats to the Orso team on their nice write up in the Post Dining Guide. Apparently word got around because the place was mobbed at 6pm on Saturday evening. We usually don't have to wait at that early hour but we did have a short wait that night. We ordered suppli al telefono, mixed greens salad, a bambino and two margherita pizzas. All were outstanding. Our server was clearly quite busy but he did a nice job keeping up. Overall, a quite enjoyable evening and satisfying to see a restaurant we really like getting recognized.
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We have dined at Orso numerous times and can echo NONE of the complaints registered above. I am sure they are legitimate and would never question their veracity but I would add that my quite numerous dining experiences at Orso have been overall quite positive. The minor missteps we have encountered have not been enough to prevent us from returning on a regular basis. I did notice the slimmed down menu last Friday. Any insights ? My wife really likes the marinara pizza and they seems to have gotten chopped.
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First visit to The Passenger last night and I was quite pleased. We were fortunate that it was a Tues night and there were seats at the bar and were thus able to chat with the bartenders. I didn't catch her name but the blond bartender was very nice and made me some excellent cocktails. It was a gin nigh for me so started with an Aviation - tart, but smooth with almost floral notes from the creme de violette. Then onto a Martinez, again perfectly concocted. I didn't see what kind of gin or vermouth she used but this was a fantastic drink. Then I got adventurous and asked her to make me something with gin, less sweet and more boozy. So, she made what I think she referred to as a Perfect Plymouth martini with Plymouth gin and I'm not sure what else but it was awesome. Soooo smooth. Finally, she made me a gin rickey which was like an awesome boozy limeade. This place is great. The bartenders were all very nice, very knowledgable, and clearly very skillled at concocting drinks. If I lived closer, I would hang out here all the time.
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Thanks for your response. We'll definitely be back.
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My wife and I wanted to try Pupatella on Sat evening but were discouraged from doing so upon walking in. We didn't see highchairs, which we needed for a 1yr old, and it was mostly the high tables available. So, we unfortunately had to go somewherre else, which stinks because we really wanted to try here.
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We got carryout last week and were pleasantly surprised. I ordered kung pao tofu and was pleased with the abundance of vegetables, the slightly chewy texture of the tofu, and the pleasant heat of the sauce. Much better than I had expected though I am not sure why my expectations were so low. My wife ordered shrimp tempura rolls, california rolls, and edamame. The shrimp rolls suffered from a heavy hand on the breading, which was a bit bland, needing salt. The california rolls were not memorable but the edamame were quite nice - well salted, plump pods. Very tasty. We'll be back. This place is a notch above the local competition based on my initial read.
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Mixed review from our first visit to West End Bistro last night. First the highlights: The tomato consomme: Go try this soup now. Clear, intensely flavored tomato broth poured over halved grape tomatoes and tiny cubes of feta and a dash of sherry vinegar. The broth itself has incredible flavor. They apparently blend tomatoes, jalapenos, pistou basil, and other things then drain it thru cheese cloth for a couple days. Fantastic. The Foggy Bottom market salad: fresh mixed greens, radishes, tomatoes and a few croutons tossed judiciously with a truffle vinaigrette. The halibut entree: well seasoned, well cooked pan seared halibut The roast chicken: perfectly cooked served over flavorful gravy. Warm beignets full of creme anglaise served with caramel ice cream: basically sugary donut holes and ice cream. Hard to go wrong with that combination. $8 valet parking at the Ritz The low points: The cold, corporate feel to the restaurant and bar: both my wife and I noticed how institutional the bar felt as we sat there with a drink. They really make you feel like you're in a hotel. Maybe it was the absentee bartender, maybe it was the sparse crowd. Not sure but it was the opposite vibe from what you get sitting at Eventide or Dino. The basil gimlet drink on the bar menu: tasting strongly of lime juice, there was nary a hint of the promised basil other than a faint whiff somewhere far in the distance. Even the Hendrick's gin was overpowered. They'd be better off reformulating this drink with less emphasis on lime, replacing some with soda water, so that the gin and basil can come through. I like tart drinks but this one was too much so. The pomegranate vodka/pomegranate juice/triple sec drink: waaaaay too sweet. My wife likes drinks on the sweet side and said this was like kool-aid. The view of a Walgreen's and an Exxon from our booth. Not much the restaurant can do to pick its neighbors but it's not a very scenic street corner. The root vegetables served with the chicken: oddly bitter baby turnips (i think) and broccoli. I mean so bitter they were inedible. Very strange. The corn/black bean mixture accompanying the halibut: maybe it was meant to be served cold but cold beans are just not that good. Glasses of viognier and sancerre served way too warm. In summary: we cross this one off our list but won't likely be back. Not worth the money when there are so many other places serving better food in a much more welcoming setting.