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genericeric

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Everything posted by genericeric

  1. genericeric
    Old Ebbitt and Clydes at Gallery Place actually get their shrimp from the same source, so it's likely that you just had a fluke of a few smaller ones at the Ebbitt
  2. genericeric
    The Dogfish Raison D'Etre has to be one of my favorite beers on the market today - it has a relatively light body for being a dark ale (still not wimpy by any means) and just enough of the sweetness of the raisin to make it interesting. Also popped a 4-pack of the Burton Baton over the weekend - not quite as complex of flavor, but they pack an ABV punch.
  3. genericeric
    Had a delicious, though quite rushed, Restaurant Week lunch at Bistro Bis today... I was initially apprehensive at seeing the number of up-chargers on the menu for RW, but there were still a number (about 4) of baseline options for each course, and the small to moderate upcharges expanded the selection we were able to choose from. Had the Steak Tartare Atilla (+$3) as an appetizer which was, IMHO, a very good rendition of the dish. I rarely complain about portion size (after all, you don't have to eat all of it, though I usually end up doing just that) but it seems commonplace that you get a lot more Tartare than is really needed, as was the case here. Plus 1 had the endive salad which was perfectly fine if a bit unexciting. Main course was a nice coq au vin, dessert was an excellent pear tart. The service, at least at the beginning, was downright dictatorial. The menu was presented as a 'four course', which included the wines by the glass (paid in addition to the RW charge), with the waiter insisting we order wine, and do so from the RW wine menu, as he whisked away the Bistro's normal wine list. We were then told that, since these lunches would normally have cost $70, we should try to be as fast as possible with ordering, then returned less than two minutes later for our order. Aside from the brusque service, it was a great deal for RW.
  4. genericeric
    I stopped in here for a drink and an app last week... Things ran pretty smoothly considering it was the second night of being open for business. There were a few rough edges in the service, but am looking forward to having it in the neighborhood. I'm sure it's probably this way at all the locations, but the mark up on that wine list... eek.
  5. genericeric
    Obviously not as conclusive as an SEC filing, but the truck that pulls up to the Chipotle across the street from my apartment to deliver that sweet sweet love in a soft tortilla shell is emblazoned with the golden arches and a giant picture of a big mac and fries. Having said that, McDonalds may have sold their stake and only be contracted for their supply chain at this point... who knows.
  6. genericeric
    They squirrel away special hot sauces that can be had via special request - not always the same, but they tend to have a milder jalepeno and an incindiary habanero if you want to amp up your dinner a bit...
  7. genericeric
    I find myself at the bar off to the side here (Called the Chevy Chase Lounge) from time to time, mainly because this and Senor Peppers are the only thing within an easy walking distance to the neighborhood. The prices have skyrocketed over the past few years with no discernable increase in food quality, but if you wind up here, the pork chops aren't bad. Bar service ranges from warm and cordial to virtually non-existent.
  8. genericeric
    I had lunch here earlier this week from the RW menu... mushroom crepes, mahi mahi with crispy vegetables on a red pepper sauce, and apple mousse with goat cheese and candied walnuts for dessert. Everything tasted ok, didn't blow me away, but the lack of ANY effort in presentation was noticeable. The crepes had a dark green filling, which when not presented well meant you had yellow-brown crepes with green filling topped with a murky brown sauce... it was not appetizing. Having said that, the crepes were very well done, but I couldn't get past the physical appearance of the dish. A few garnishes on the fish could have really spiced up an otherwise bland looking plate as well. I'm not normally big on how things looks, but the site of those crepes was a definate turn off.
  9. genericeric
    I was here for RW on Tuesday night - I second the excellent beet salad (served with a blue cheese cream, pistachios, walnut dressing), I especially thought the exotic fruit compote that came with it. I did, however, find the steak a bit too salty - however the portion (Especially considering restaurant week) was extremely generous. I'd also stick with the dark chocolate brownie over the passion fruit tart in the future.
  10. genericeric
    I had a similar experience with a FRIGID bar a few weeks ago. I'm not normally one to consider myself a wimp with the cold, but this was unbearable - even with a coat and the heaters (it was the bar to the right as you enter in). Having said that, the french toast on the weekend brunch menu is leaps and bounds above the other options at the mall (just request a booth).
  11. genericeric
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/cityg...8/dining-guide/
  12. genericeric
    Tried 2 different 'celebrity chef' restaurants this weekend with 2 greatly different results. First up was Mario Batali's Enoteca San Marco in St Mark's Square at the Venetian. I know the Enoteca is supposed to be more casual food, but the bread arriving still encased in the commercial store wrapping that came off the shelf was a bit off-putting. I ordered the crispy duck, which I was thinking would be a duck breast with crispy skin... It was so over-cooked that I had a hard time cutting the meat, that, at that point, tasted nothing of duck. Emeril's New Orleans Fish House at MGM, on the other hand, was wonderful. A more comprehensive wine list with more choices that wouldn't totally bust the budget (had a nice pinot for 35$), a fantastic mahi mahi entree over an asian slaw with shitake mushrooms, mustard sauce, and wasabi sauce. The menu of 6 varieties of Espresso was also a nice touch.
  13. genericeric
    I recently had a very good app of sweetbreeds at 1789. I've also had good luck with these at Blue Duck as an entree in the past, though they aren't always on the menu
  14. genericeric
    Being from Iowa (though admittedly, far away from Souix City), I can attest that you really can occasionally find the fine restaurant among the chains. I was visiting earlier this week and had a fantastic Walleye Amandine with orzo and braised asparagus. But I also remember when the small town I am from got their first sit-down chain restaurant - an Applebee's. When the only other options are McDonald's and BK, you learn to appreciate the virtues of the Bee. While I haven't eaten at an Applebee's in years, I have to say I do occasionally still enjoy the over-dressed salad and breadsticks for a lunch at OG.
  15. genericeric
    I'm not sure why I'd never been to 1789, maybe in the back of my mind knowing that it was a Clydes restaurant kept me away (I'm not hating on Clydes, but I don't love them for this price point). So I can't really compare to Ris or Nathan, but based on last night's experience the kitchen is in very good hands with Daniel Giusti. Started with an amuse of cucumber sorbet with a thin watermelon sauce and itty bitty lime peel, followed by Sweetbreads over creamed corn - maybe not a dish I'd often order in August but a nice preparation. The lamb... well worth every penny of the $15 upcharge for the summer special. I wasn't as big of a fan of my shortcake for dessert, but the rest of the desserts at the table were all spot on - I especially liked the chocolate covered mint leave on the sundae. The summer coupon special from their web site runs through mid-September - I thought for 37$ this was a great deal (plus upcharge for the lamb, steak, and veal entrees)
  16. genericeric
    I was here last night for restaurant week as well. The service was very attentive, but while I enjoyed the wide array of menu choices, I wasn't as big a fan of the food. I seem to be having a bad run of luck as of late with softshell crab tasting only of batter and nothing of crab. But the crab cake on top was pleasant with a more mustardy flavor than most, and the succotash underneath was rich and fresh tasting. I do wish I'd ordered the balsamic shrimp rather than the somewhat bland gazpacho. Maybe I had overly high expectations, but based on this experience I think I prefer Acadiana or Ceiba over DC Coast in the world of Jeff Tunks.
  17. genericeric
    First experience at Westend on Saturday night with mixed results... The green beans supporting the Fried Duck Egg were really well dressed and seemed to pair well with the egg, but the egg itself was oddly lacking in flavor, like the kitchen didn't salt it when done frying the breading. The Softshell crab appetizer was more of a softshell crab extremity dish - the body was not included. I guess I can understand being with it just being an appetizer that this was a cleaner presentation, but I missed the earthy crabbyness (is that a word?) that you get from the body of the crab. The crab was on a very pleasant, almost nicoise-y style construction. The peach cobbler for dessert was nice, and the accompanying bourbon ice cream had really great flavor, but very odd consistency. It may be possible that, since this seemed to contain a pretty good amount of bourbon, the alcohol inhibited normal freezing. Service at the bar was very friendly, but often times was absent. Uncleared plates, empty glasses, missing silverware, etc. I expect casual service when dining at the bar, but this was getting a bit ridiculous for the caliber of restaurant. Bottom line was that overall, the meal was ok, but I'm not sure I'll be rushing back for the price point.
  18. genericeric
    The Clydes in Friendship Heights still offers this on Thursday night when classes are in session(the crab cake sandwich is also on the "Afternoon Delight" menu offered at various times throughout the week for 6 bucks). I guess I'm getting old when the throngs of students down there on Thursday night keep me at the outdoor bar or at home. ETA: I was 'sealed in' Ebbitt last night due to a suspicious package out front... I gotta say, if you must be sealed in anywhere, the back bar at the Ebbitt during half price raw bar time is not a bad place to be stuck.
  19. genericeric
    I mean this is no contest - take a regular salty oat cookie, eat with a chocolate salty oat cookie - takes out the only competitive advantage of the b/w.
  20. genericeric
    I've only ever been to the Friendship Heights location, but the Box Car (ham, egg, swiss, tomato, brown mustard on a bagel) is a pretty good breakfast sandwich. I'm also a fan of the Ace sandwich for lunch or dinner, but have always found the potato wedges to be cold and stale - I'd stick with the salads for sides.
  21. genericeric
    A dinner special at Central on Friday night was a soft shell crab. The waiter told us the dish could be ordered as a large appetizer or smaller entree... I'm a big eater but not sure I could have taken this on as just an appetizer. A large, plump soft shell in a beer breading, served on top of a somewhat creamy corn concoction. The crab itself was wonderful, and didn't have any of the chewy texture that sometimes accompanies softshells. The faux gras, fried chicken, and kit kat were great as always, but the crab was the real star of the evening (and at $19, a pretty good deal).
  22. genericeric
    Had a fantastic dinner at Oceanaire last night - the Grand Seafood platter, swordfish steak, and an addictive tin roof sundae. And those hashbrowns a la Oceanaire... I'm not normally a hashbrown kind of guy (too many other great choices) but after reading about them on this site we gave it a whirl... my God they are like crack. I'm not sure why I was expecting some sort of cheesy concoction, more of a hashbrown casserole, but what came was a crisp cake-ish giant round of hashbrowns with onion and great seasonings - definately will order again. Service was outstanding, and all washed down with great bottle(s) of the 2004 Quintessa Cabernet that was recommended by a companion.
  23. genericeric
    Has anyone else noticed an inconsistency issue with CP Steak? I've had some truly great meals here, interspersed with a number of mediocre experiences. Today at lunch, everything was oversalted coming out of the kitchen, the steak was overdone, the cheesecake had a giant thumbprint on the side, etc. On top of that, the service was absent-minded at best (forgot to give us menus, placed entree utensils for dessert, forgot the specials, etc). When paying 25$ for lunch it doesn't bother me as much, but at those dinner prices, I'm hesitant to roll the dice. Anyone else have similar experiences?
  24. genericeric
    Went to the Dino Easter Brunch today, and just made me wish they served brunch more often. Started with the always good Burrata and took our first swing at the fried artichokes, which were not what I expected, but were creamy and tasted wonderful. I have a hard time getting away from the Boar pasta for anything, but I tried another's fruit bread french toast, and it was amazing. A little crispy on the outside and incredibly creamy on the inside with a great syrup sauce and berries, I wished I'd ordered this. Another got the pork sausage - I admit I'm not much of a sausage fan but if Jimmy Dean made this I could become a convert. They handled our incredibly early arrival for our reservation time very well, and the service was as great as always. I only wish more of the tables had been full, I'd like to see this brunch option more often. The only negative of the brunch is one in our party really wanted eggs and there weren't any options, but I think the french toast won her over.
  25. genericeric
    FWIW according to the Clydes web site the crabcakes are the February special, so will be less $$ at Old Ebbitt than normal
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