DC in DC

My understanding is that brunch is also served on Saturday and it is less crowded than on Sunday (where people do line up at 11am to get in). IMHO, I found the Sunday brunch to be too rushed for my taste (too many people, a line out the door, etc.). I prefer to go for dinner for a low-key and relaxing meal. With the return of the pot roast (which my husband still talks about, almost 9 months later), we will be back soon. FYI-I just called their number to find out whether they were doing NYE and there is a button to push for hours, etc. DC

How was it?

I had the scariest "pancake" at OPH last year. It was some kind of baked apple/ cinnamon/dough monstrosity. Seriously, it covered the entire plate. Friends of mine loved the place, but I suspect it had more to do with the portion size (for the ravenous husband). I am personally not a fan. breakfast-- maybe cafe deluxe in downtown bethesda? Also, there is a diner in Chevy Chase DC (Connecticut Ave near the Avalon Theatre) where I had OK french toast.

Going to some kind of function tonight at nightclub--Home at F and 9th? Never heard of this place, but of course, that doesn't mean anything.

Sonoma has a pretty cool lounge upstairs. During the week, it looked pretty dead when I was up there, but I'm sure it's happening on the weekend. There are modern couches, a fireplace, huge windows and a bar-- what more do you need? I think a nice first date could be dinner downstairs followed by drinks upstairs.

I definitely agree with this. I hate blowing money on a bad meal. I have a close friend who used to live here and did not have great taste in restaurants. Fortunately, there were a few that she did like that were good (e.g. Colorado Kitchen, Jaleo), so I could frequently steer us to those places. However, I never told her that I thought Mrs. K's (and this random Italian place in Bethesda), her favorite places, were totally horrible. The situation I was presented with was the out-of-town (close) friend who made faces during the meal, kept saying how bad her pizza was and pointedly dumped red pepper flakes on that pizza. The whole thing is pretty obviously rude, and while I was looking for affirmation of that (which I've gotten-- thanks bilrus and banco), I was also wondering where the line is drawn in criticizing restaurants.

New etiquette question: If you suggest a place for dinner, and the friend does not like the place, is it rude for the friend to go on and on about how bad the place is, especially after you have told this friend that it's one of your favorite places [place in question is 2 Amys]. Am I being oversensitive when I think this friend is being rude? (Friend was also from out-of-town, and visiting for the weekend, if that makes a difference). In general, if I am out with someone, and they have suggested the place and mentioned it as one of their favorites, if I don't like the place or my food was bad, I don't say much because I don't want to be rude and insult them. Likewise, if I am in casual conversation, and someone says, "my favorite place to go is Lauriol Plaza or [ ]" I don't respond by saying that the place is terrible because I don't want to be insulting. Certainly there are more diplomatic ways of responding, such as "I've never liked what I've gotten there, but what do usually get? Maybe I should try that next time." I also think the situation is different if the group is trying a new place for the first time, or if no one has staked the place out as one of their go-to/favorite places.

I am a person who loves extra cheese as well. Usually I order the 2 amys with basil and garlic, and this has been enough for me. Last time, however, I added gorganzola to the mix and it was exactly the boost of pungent cheese that my pizza needed.

Unfortunately, I will be en route to points north for Thanksgiving on the 22nd and won't be able to join the Ethiopian outing. However, I am definitely interested in the El Chalan outing on the 12/8.

I had a really excellent burger at Sonoma tonight. I requested medium rare and that was exactly how it came out. Perfect seasoning + gorgonzola cheese and onions = one of the best burgers I've had in a while. YUM.

The only place I remember from our SA trip five years ago is Rosario's...Mexican/ spanish cuisine with fantastic salsa and ceviche. We waited an hour to eat there on a Friday night, and then came back for lunch at the tail end of the trip. I was not a fan of San Antonio in general...I found the Riverwalk to be incredibly touristy. It was certainly festive and attractive, way too commercial and totally NOT my speed.

Went to Palena on Friday night for a late-night dinner. The place was pretty busy at 9pm, to our surprise, but after 30 min or so, we were seated. Our server pointed us to the new scallop ceviche dish, which was truly awesome. There was a dollop of a smoked salmon mouse (? not the right word, but maybe you get the idea). The scallops were perfect. I had the duck raviolini which were also great-- loved the chantrelle mushrooms too. Husband had the chicken, which he picked apart. We split the baltimore lemon cake with rasberry jam and lime sorbet--the lime sorbet was a great compliment to the richness of the cake. If someone asked me what my favorite place was in this city, it would have to be Palena.

That's really pricey especially when compared to the cost of the fixed price menus at 1789 and Oval Room, and your place is in Georgia. Is this a place you already know is good or a place that you are gambling on? And you're treating? What are the other options?

I ate at Matchbox for 2 days in a row. Kind of a hike, but both days, I managed to find a seat at the bar and got back in time. Have fun! I enjoyed my jury duty a lot, but maybe that's just a lawyer's perspective. Don't know about WiFi--I'm pretty low-tech.

Yes, I know that New Years is one of the worst nights to go out, but I have friends coming into town and I don't feel like cooking. Any thoughts? Last year, I know Indique did a reasonably-priced dinner that we thought was a lot of fun, but one of the people does not like Indian food. I need to find a budget place that must also be vegetarian-friendly. Italian would be good-- Dino? Notti Bianche? Thanks!

That is how I view Fridays as well! I LOVE that sandwich. (Although my sandwich last Friday was mistakenly made without the remoulade sauce and I didn't want to fight the masses to go back and get some.)

I am going to take advantage of my day off and go to Eve. The lunch special is still available ($13 for any 2 items on the menu). If you are there, stop and say hi!

This is off the chain topic, but on the children in restaurants topic (new thread, perhaps?), but this article in the Times yesterday was very interesting. At Center of a Clash, Rowdy Children in Coffee Shops A cafe owner in Chicago put up a sign requesting that children use their indoor voices while in his cafe...which led to a huge backlash among parents in the neighborhood, who felt entitled to bring their rowdy children into his cafe. My impression is that the sign was done in a playful manner (it was placed at kid-level and had paint handprints on it). It reminds me of a little note that Gillian Clark puts on her menus, asking that parents keep their children under control. I don't see this owners' actions as anti-child (and neither did the many who wrote letters to the editor today), but apparently these parents did. I don't have children, and I have no problem with children dining at any restaurant so long as they are appropriately behaved.

I'm in too-- my response apparently got moved to the El Chalan thread

I might be interested in doing this...

My thoughts exactly (on all counts). It's actually only a 10 minute walk or so (I did it Sat night). ETA: I'm a Ventworm!!

As someone else pointed out, why wouldn't he just have a certain number of cupcakes, cake slices (whatever) that have warmed to room temp for sale? It seems ridiculous to sell something that is supposed to be ready-to-eat, and then told that I should wait until it has warmed up? Why hasn't that already taken place? (Especially if he is getting bad press about it such that he's made up those "cute" palm cards.)

Great thread! What I look for in bar dining is a place that is conducive to solo dining-- not a place where I'm going to be jostled about by people fighting to get to the bar, a place that's not too noisy (so I feel silly dining alone). I like places that are elegant, and just a bit dimly lit-- like Palena, my (and others' fave). I didn't realize that Notti Bianche had a bar. I would definitely go there more often if it was closer to my work or home. I had a really nice evening at Tosca a few weeks ago. Very elegant, great service, etc. (see my write-up in that thread). Do you usually eat at the bar solo only, or with others? I find it awkward if there are more than 2 people. I have not sold my husband on bar dining yet, so when it's the 2 of us, we get a table.

Of course the ideal is that everyone should receive the same service. However, I've certainly been to places where I've been made to feel kind of "cheap" for not ordering wine or appetizers, etc. (Others on Tom's chat have made similar comments on not ordering wine.) Comments like, "would you like to have anything to start with" after the table has already ordered, or "no wine tonight?"/ "nothing to drink tonight?" etc. Maybe it's my own self-consciousness back from our salad days, and others with thicker skin wouldn't take offense. These days, if we go out and are not having a full-out 3-course + wine meal, and I feel like we've been slighted, I just make a mental note not to come back when I do want to have that kind of dinner. Of course, as others have pointed out, from an economics point of view, the server needs to maximize his or her take-home-pay, so I shouldn't punish the restaurant for that.

If I'm in town, I'm interested too. Also: how does the ambiance of El Chalan compare with Costa Verde at Ballston? I like Costa Verde a lot, but the interior leaves me feeling kind of cold. I think the ceviche at Costa Verde is a great deal (or was, as I haven't been in about a year).