DC in DC

I liked how the site posts what should be done to remedy the problem right under the infraction. Very detailed stuff! I agree that you can't draw too many inferences from the mere fact that Restaurant X has 5 infractions...but it's nice that they give greater details so you can draw your own conclusions.

I also thought the Hanks "chairgate" complainer was way over the top. And her comments to the waiter were so obnoxious!!! Plus, her plans for the extra chair demonstrated serious inconsideration for her fellow diners. I'm all for customer service, but this "transgression" didn't rise to the level that she took it to.

I'll probably be at the bar at Palena Cafe tonight...

I agree that this has gotten a little out of hand, and am glad it has been resolved. However, I believe that one reason that the "incident" sparked so much discussion is because it struck a chord with some folks. Depending on the context, if one is a member of a minority group, one is naturally more sensitive to feeling welcome at a particular place. We've all read on Tom's chat about gay couples who go out to upscale places and are concerned that they won't be treated as a couple, etc. My husband and I look like we're college students, and sometimes are treated as such. My parents are immigrants, and while they have been here for over 30 years, they speak with accented English; I've certainly experienced condescending waiters who will judge them right off the bat. Thus, I did not think it was unreasonable for a potential patron to think about the reception he or she might receive there as a gay couple. Now, of course, given Charleston's ultimate resolution, I would hope that anyone who had such thoughts would put the restaurant on their short list. (I'm not condoning her being fired, although it seems like this was the straw that broke the camel's back, but approving of Charleston's affirmative response to the "incident.")

We are having a 60th birthday party for my mother next weekend, and am looking for a decent bakery in the Fairfield County area (specifically Trumbull/Fairfield/Westport) to pick up a cake. Unfortunately, we are flying up from DC, so no chance of bringing a homemade one up there on the put-put plane...and my parents don't bake (my husband almost died when he found that we had no measuring cups and the measuring spoons were all in chinese...). Thanks!

There are two possible interpretations. One, she unnecessarily informed the party that the table was only reserved for couples, indicating that the restaurant was only grudgingly acceding to their request. That alone, while rude, is not a sufficient reason to write the place off given the age of the hostess. The other is Foodand reason/skysplitters's interpretation, and that may be a reason to think twice about going if you were gay.

We were very excited to check out Taqueria Poblano (Del Ray location), and it really hit the spot after a leisurely afternoon at the Alexandria arts festival. We started with the margaritas, which were made with fresh lime juice and were great. Perfect for sitting outside and having a casual meal. We started with a dish whose name escapes me, but was grilled or roasted green peppers, onions, and cheese served with tortillas. It sounds pedestrian, from its appearance, looked the part, but was in fact quite tasty. There was some fresh herbs mixed in too. We had the duck taco and the fish taco, and were as advertised-- fabulous. I believe the duck taco had a dollop of guacamole on top and was very good. As others have noted, the fish taco was not soggy. Overall, I added it to the list of places I wish were down the street so I could dash in once a week for a quick dinner.

Thanks so much to Chef Armstrong and his team for a truly special evening. We had a great time last night, enjoying a wonderful meal and putting names to faces. Great company, including conversations only to be had in Washington, DC (Iranian hostage crisis, anyone?), and, of course, the delectable work of the Chef and his team made for a memorable experience. We are looking forward to putting more names to faces and meeting more of you in the future. [in response to Barbara's query, we did not do the wine pairings...though they looked fabulous and fun, I would've been on the FLOOR if I had that much wine to drink; I'd say we sat down by 8PM and were done by 11:15...] Dora

Timing question-- I do not typically commute by car; how long will it take during rush hour to get from downtown DC (15th and H) to Restaurant Eve? I had originally budgeted 30 minutes, but am now wondering if it could take even longer than that to even get to the FSB? Thanks!

Looking forward to meeting everyone!

We had a great meal at Vij, the long-standing Indian restaurant. I'm no expert on Indian cuisine, but I thought everything was very tasty and flavorful, plus the dishes were not the standard Indian fare at all. The service was very pleasant. Vij himself makes the rounds. They do not take reservations, but you can wait outside in this nice Zen-like space with ponds. Servers come out with plates of little appetizers while you wait. Alternatively, there is a bar area in the back with comfy, lounge-like seating. What did you think of C? We thought about dining there, but it looked suspiciously like a tourist-trap (location on the water, everyone there looked tour-isty), etc.

Not to take this thread OT, but how is Mantis? I've always thought about checking it out in theory (Asian tapas?), but never made the trip.

We had two great meals in Asheville- Tupelo Honey Cafe for brunch. Extremely affordable and casual place. I had shrimp and goat cheese grits, which were so tasty and had a cajun kick and was only $10! My husband had catfish with a green salsa over grits. He loved the salsa. Meals came with homemade biscuits. All in all, a fabulous meal. Zambra for dinner, which is a Spanish tapas place. We were both very skeptical, and the menu wasn't that inspiring. To our surprise, everything was very well prepared and tasty! Medium-rare hangar steak that was nice and red inside; portabella mushroom with a nice olive tapenade; cornmeal-crusted oysters; and warm olives (only $3!!). The only negative was the mashed potatoes accompanying the steak....I had a very strong suspicion that they were out of a box, and even if they weren't, it was not a good sign that they tasted as such. It had a casual and eclectic vibe. Also, very reasonably priced. (the couple next to us, also from out of town, also privately expressed their plesant surprise at how good everything was.)

Firefly? As best I can recall, it has no thumping soundtrack but it's pretty loud and hopping (not in an Adams-Morgan sort of way, though). Rice on 14th Street. It had a pretty happening bar scene last time I was there and had a trendy, hipster feel. For $100, you could drink a lot of booze. (oops...just saw your "no asian" requirement).

How would you guys compare Bangkok 54 to Thai Square, down the street? We love Thai Square-- we usually get the spicy squid salad, the eggplant + tofu, and the chicken curry. I'd probably get take out once a week from there if I lived in Arlington. As a result, I can never convince my husband to check out Bangkok 54...he says he's waiting until he has an off night at Thai Square...

The one time we tried this place, the entrees came out RIGHT AFTER the appetizers, which has got to be one of my biggest dining peeves. It was so egregious (i.e. we had just started eating the appetizers), that my husband got up to complain to the manager, who took the entrees away and brought them out at the appropriate time. I don't recall now whether the entrees came back tasting re-heated, etc...in fact, my recollection was that the food was pretty good. Still, never been back.

We are planning to stop in Charlottesville on Monday night after a road trip down to Asheville, NC. Can anyone recommend a low-key but good place for dinner? Nothing fancy, but nothing too student-oriented either. Thanks.

We went to Notti Bianche for our second wedding anniversary last night. We were not disappointed. I loved that you could do half-glasses of wine, which allowed me (a lightweight) to sample two different wines, instead of just getting the one glass. We both started with whites to go with the littleneck clams and the bruchetta. The bruchetta was excellent. I would have easily eaten two of each. I loved the chicken liver one; my husband's favorite was the one with the squid. We also enjoyed the littleneck clams, particularly the rapini. For the entrees, my husband had the steak and I had the gnocchi. We were tempted by several of the other entrees, but unfortunately most that we eyed had pork (which we don't eat and generally don't think that asking for the dish to be made without it results in a good dish). My husband LOVED the steak, and I have to admit that I was eyeing the juicy red slices longingly. He ordered it medium-rare, and it definitely came out on the rare side---which is great for him (and me, when I managed to finagle 2 bites). The fingerlings that accompanied them were also excellent, he reported. I enjoyed the gnocchi, although it is not quite like it is at Palena. I am no gnocchi expert, but the two were almost different foods. While at Palena, they are small and rich, the Notti Bianche gnocchi were larger and had a nice parmasean flavor to them. My husband thought they were excellent, whereas I think a small part of me was still thinking of the Palena gnocchi. The dish was paired with fingerling potatoes and string beans over a light pesto sauce. It was all in all, a very nice dish. We split the trio of homemade gelatos, which came out is very tasty mini waffle-cones. The flavors were pistachio, nutella, and white chocolate. The service was a bit rocky at first (two different people asked us what kind of water we wanted, olive oil was poured for us, but no bread forthcoming until we flagged someone down, water glasses not filled promptly, etc.), but everyone was very nice and friendly and by mid-way through the meal, everything was fine. Probably our own fault for coming the week after Tom S.'s review---the place was pretty full. Overall, we had a very nice experience. The food was excellent, and reasonably priced. If you are on a tighter budget, the pastas and salads would make for an excellent meal. I also agree that it would be a good lunch place if you work in the area.

What I'd love to know, and maybe this belongs in the cooking thread, but why is it so hard to make guac at home as good as it is at Cafe Atlantico and Rosa Mexicano? Indeed, a dish that looks so simple can be utterly destroyed at other places. Is it that certain restaurants have better ingredients? Is it the recipe? I agree with JLK-- guac must be chunky and spicy...and also have cilantro.

I LOVE the chicken. However, my love for the chicken is only surpassed by my love for the gnocchi. I could definitely eat two servings of that stuff. It just melts in your mouth. The second time I ordered it, I didn't realize that it came in a different preparation...and came out with a pork ragu. Unfortunately, I don't eat pork and it was my own fault (i.e. I just ordered the gnocchi without even looking at the menu). The bartender asked me if I wanted it prepared a different way, and I said anything simple is fine. It back came out with olive oil and chives and was heavenly. I thought it was a very classy thing to do and certainly beyond the call of duty of a restaurant. When my husband's out of town, I go to Palena Cafe and sit at the bar, start with a glass of the Jessie's Grove Zinfandel and figure out what other menu item is going to go well with the gnocchi. (I think the chicken + gnocchi + one of dessert is way too much food for me, and dessert is certainly a must). I love the chocolate tart (though, for me, that generally needs to be shared) and the lime tart. I was there for dessert 2 weekends ago, and was SO disappointed to find that the lime tart wasn't on the menu. I was happily sated with the chocolate tart, though.

We went there 2 weekends ago...and I agree that the coconut shrimp was excellent. The breading was not too overpowering, and the shrimp was not overcooked. Unfortunately, I thought my fried oyster sandwich kind of missed the mark. It felt like there was too much bread, and not enough oyster. My husband felt the same way about the grouper sandwich--- it wasn't bad, but wasn't anything "to drive across town for." My sister-in-law had a tofu dish, which she kind of picked at. I think I'd go back and try something else (though I'd definitely get the shrimp again!). Nice casual vibe with friendly, helpful servers.

We went to Zaytinya for an early dinner on Sunday night. I've only been once, the summer it first opened a few years ago (deterred by the crowds), but my husband has been several times since. As a result, we ended up ordering most of his favorites, and had a great meal for about $40. Because the website is too annoying, I will try to describe the dishes we had from memory: The sauteed shrimp with cheese, onions and tomatoes. Great flavor, though I was initially skeptical of the shrimp and cheese combo. The beef tartare (kibbeh nayeh) was excellent. I have always wanted to try beef tartare because I love raw food (sushi, really medium rare meat, etc), and this delivered. Excellent seasonings and tasted great with the onions that accompanied it. The lamb with eggplant puree...loved it. The lamb was flavorful and not the least bit dry. Roasted eggplant stuffed with tomatoes...this dish was a bit bland to me, and my least favorite as compared to the others. It wasn't bad, though Squid with spinach and dill. This was also very good. the squid was very tender. We passed on dessert since my husband only wanted the olive oil ice cream with figs, which apparently has been taken off the menu (well, the ice cream is still there, but no figs). Service: I agree with the overeager busboys, a problem I have also encountered at Jaleo. do they not have enough plates back there that they need to get the used ones washed and back in circulation right away? When I see them coming, I quickly start eating from a dish they may be eyeing and they back off... Overall, very pleasant dining experience!

Last weekend, after a truly frustrating afternoon at Lowes, we finally got around to checking out Samantha's (according to the Post's website, it does have the apostrophe). We found it only by memory and luck ("I think it's on University"). It has a nice casual, family-friendly vibe. We were starving, and demolished the salsa and chips. The salsa was pretty good-- it's thicker than most (not too drippy or runny). We started with the chicken tamales (billed as a Salvadoran "treat") and the ceviche. I thought the chicken in the tamales was a bit dry, but I think almost all chicken is dry (except at Palena Cafe). Nonetheless, the tamales had a great cornmeal flavor to them, and had garbanzo beans and mushrooms, and we really liked them. This was certainly not a mass-produced glob of cornmeal, as tamales can be. The fish ceviche was also excellent. It reminded us that we need to get back to Costa Verde for their huge ceviche appetizers.... For entrees, I had the mariscos saltado, which was shrimp and scallops, assorted vegetables and onions in a "peruvian" broth. I didn't think it all came together that well (I am kind of picky about veggies and I didn't realize the dish would be predominately veggies so it was my own fault), but the sauce was nice. My husband had a dish that was chicken stuffed with peppers, mushrooms and spinach, which was recommended by the server. He was quite pleased with his dish-- everything was very fresh and flavorful. For the price point (low teens for entrees) and the authentic cuisine, we would definitely return. [edited to add a detail that I had forgotten]

I was at Breadline as well today. As I usually go on Fridays, and get the fish sandwich (which is awesome), I got to try something new today. After reading earlier raves about the tomatoes, I got the tomato, mozerella, pesto sandwich on a grain-y bread (can't remember exactly what it was). It had iceberg lettuce as well, which I hate and scraped it off. The sandwich was very tasty and fresh. Great pesto. The sandwich was messy (with the pesto and juicy tomatoes), but the excellent bread kept it all from soaking through. The only sub-par sandwich I've had there is the chicken with goat cheese. The chicken was dry and flavorless and didn't mesh well with the hunks of cheese. (I liked the chicken guacomole sandwich OK, but I think the dryness of the chicken was overcome by the guac, and I probably wouldn't order it again). Other good sandwiches are anything with their cole slaw or remulade sauce (e.g. fish sandwich or soft shell crab sandwich). Reading these posts makes me glad that I stick to my "usuals" and don't get tempted by the random sandwiches (e.g. the african chicken sandwich with plantains?).

We're thinking about checking Notti Bianche out tonight for our 2nd wedding anniversary. We're looking for something low-key, quiet, nothing too "over the top" or fancy, and it seems like it might fit the bill. If we go, I will report back... Otherwise, maybe Palena cafe? We go all the time though, so it's not as "special." Or, maybe Bistro Lepic, after Rocks' latest post on that place. [edited to reflect the move to this thread and our latest thinking...]