genericeric

It will be interesting to see which direction the company goes following the acquisition by Graham Holdings. It seems there has been a notable dip in quality and that 'fun' factor you mention in recent years across many of their properties (though Tom S seems high on Ebbitt right now), while competition is increasing. The Willow Creek location, for example, has seen a dramatic reduction in business (from my occasional observation but also in talking with the staff) as new rivals in the area (primarily Cooper's Hawk) have bumped into a market that Clydes once dominated. But it may not matter. It seems that many restaurant empires are built more on savvy real estate deals than anything else, and Clydes is no different. Laytham secured the land for Tower Oaks AND Willow Creek from the developers - free of charge. He got a long term sweetheart deal for The Hamilton along with financing from the District. These are some of the highest grossing restaurants in the country - unfortunately they don't have to be good. So many people have celebrated so many occasions at 1789, and the Graham's obviously have long ties to the community. Maybe they'll turn it around.

I've had trouble getting a stool at Andy's in the evening a few times recently. The usual bartender (I forget her name, female brunette) has great service skills and is super knowledgeable about beer. I think they would do well to structure the other side more, it isn't a friendly or familiar layout for someone who doesn't go regularly and signage is poor. Yes, I'm suggesting they make it more like a mall food court... but that's sort of what it is.

From my perspective, barrel aging should compliment the existing product, adding depth and complexity. In this year's rum barrel pumpkin, the rum flavor completely overwhelms the pumpkin, and the farmhouse ale is light enough that the body doesn't support it. The result is a strong rum flavor that tastes almost fake, while also having no finish.

I enjoyed the Pumking Nitro, which recently has been available in the singles section of Total Wine

Selling in large format at Costco for ~11$, most other retailers for ~$14, Hardywood has pushed a large volume offering of Rum Barrel Pumpkin this fall. I enjoy Hardywood's Farmhouse Pumpkin, their Cuvee Peach, Virginia Blackberry, etc that are sold in larger sizes at Costco. And I will tell you, it is rare that I meet a beer that I simply cannot drink. But I took three drinks of the rum barrel and couldn't do a fourth. The rum flavor was so strong as to drown out any other taste, the result being it tasted like a watered down rum that wanted to be something else but couldn't quite make it. At 12+% ABV, I was hoping for a richer, smoother pumpkin flavor with an aged rum complexity. Nope.

I put myself on the wait list at Longoven a few weeks ago, and subsequently got a reservation for L'opossum, which I've been trying to get into for years (our trips to Richmond are usually last minute and on busy nights). Of course Saturday afternoon Longoven called, but I chose to stick with L'opossum. Side note - Longoven handled the wait list very professionally, sending me a personalized email confirmation, and then apologizing for the late notice Saturday afternoon (which was unnecessary) - if you can't get in via Resy, try the wait list. Anywho, we weren't disappointed in our choice. I started with a Dark and Stormy Daniels - a strong version of the cocktail that came with a tiny cornichon on the rim. The pickle didn't fit in with the drink, but the restaurant left the meaning of the small member up to the drinker... My wife is sans dairy for awhile, so she started with Vegan Orgy on Texas Beach ($11) which came with large crisps and five different vegan dips. I went with the Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras ($18). Her Jumbo Lump Crab Cake ($34) with wilted spinach was good, but would have been better with the bernaise that had to be omitted by her request. My Rack of Lamb (was a special, don't remember the price) with blackberry, grilled peaches, and succotash was delicious and cooked as ordered. Shared the Composition of Seasonal Fruit with plums, sake, melon and finger lime for dessert ($9). The wine list here is very approachable. Glasses were in the $7-12 range, and many bottles available for $<50. 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, a shared dessert, a cocktail and quite a few glasses of wine, with tax and tip was ~$200. Sure, next time I'll take the Longoven reservation, but we thoroughly enjoyed L'Opossum.

This week's review of Cherry (not written by Tom S) is oddly timed at best, bordering on a cheap shot at worst. I agree with the written sentiment that restaurants need to provide the same experience whether the head chef is in the kitchen or not. That being said, it seems unnecessary to distribute a full length review of a new restaurant whose head chef is on a temporary medical leave instead of simply waiting a few more weeks for the chef to return. Was this restaurant so hotly anticipated, and the city so short of other review opportunities, that the Post felt compelled to rush? And what value does it provide readers a review of an experience that the publication acknowledges may be quite different in a matter of weeks?

Very similar to DC Prime in Ashburn is Eddie Merlot's, a smallish chain. They have pretty decent promotions from time to time (1/2 priced wine seasonally Sundays and Mondays, All-you-can-eat crab in the spring, etc.) and steaks are nice. If you enjoy carrot cake, bring a few friends and try theirs...

I used to meet a business contact for lunch at Yamazato nearby. I don't think we ever ordered Edamame (if they have it), but is the sort of pan-asian that would have the mix. Sushi wasn't bad if you could accept what it was, which was a little 'fussy'.

I believe Bambu on MacArthur Blvd has all three, the circular sushi plate is throwing me off as I remember always getting a square plate - though I'm not sure I've ever had a sushi order that large here.

Yes. I've spent more time than I'd admit thinking about where this may be. Lots of options that come close, but none that seem to fit.

Holy markup batman... that's a good $50-75 more than most places.

I've always thought there's a time and place for CF. But then they put the calorie counts on the menu. Now, I always knew they would be astronomical, but something about seeing them in print... I just can't do it. And whoever gave the light menu the name 'Skinnylicious' should be banned from any sort of marketing ever again. I have no idea how they get 1,340 calories into an entree of Miso Salmon, but daaaaaaaamn.

Opening in 2011, Wild Wolf seems to have become the sort of neighborhood brewpub for this part of Nelson County - a 2.5 hour drive from DC that is stocked with wineries and breweries. They're open later, friendly staff, have a full bar program, happy hours, etc. Blonde Hunny is their flagship bottling - a belgian style blonde with honey and some mild spice make it popular, though I find the flavor a bit muddled. At any given time, there are about 13 beers on tap, split half-and-half between mainstays and seasonal. Currently between summer and fall seasons, they have a refreshing 'Apricots Anonymous' (6.75%, 30 IBU) - not overly sweet or too much apricot, but just enough to balance the bitterness. They also just rolled out their Howling Pumpkin (7%, 20 IBU) which doesn't taste like you just poured a shaker of pumpkin spice in your tongue. One of the better pumpkin offerings around. What they haven't tackled is the smell coming in from their brewing facility. A beer decor collection that makes me jealous and smiling faces behind the bar almost make up for it, but the smell really smacks you in the face when walking into the bar area. Food menu is solid with gluten free noted and a farm-to-table focus (try the collard greens). All-in-all, worth a visit.

I'm not sure it's a good barometer to judge a restaurant group by their Vegas outpost - there seems to be a common drop of quality the closer you are to Paradise, NV. That being said, they put their name on the sign, so... I do hope the DC location more closely mirrors Don's experiences in Miami than mine at the Venetian which have been expensively forgettable - passable food for the convention-going, expense account-paying masses. Though I can't help but notice the location's proximity to the DC Convention Center. I will say I've had some solid cocktails there.

I'm not sure why every restaurant doesn't sell soup dumplings. But, the world is not perfect, and these little guys can be surprisingly hard to find. It's been said that RKFLSBR has the best soup dumplings in New York outside of Chinatown. Admittedly, I haven't eaten every soup dumpling IN Chinatown, but these are damn good. They also travel surprisingly well, which is good considering how cramped this little place is on 8th and 49th St. Continuing my recent 'Good Food, Bad Service' tour of New York, I strongly recommend ordering takeout online due to a language barrier that the staff has surprisingly little patience with. I also recommend being very careful about WHICH restaurant location you are ordering from (there are three in quasi-close proximity, all with slight name variations), lest you end up standing outside for half an hour in the August heat, left to figure out on your own that you are at the wrong location. Lastly, I recommend ordering in advance (they take 25ish minutes to make) and stopping into Lillie's Victorian Establishment for a drink around the corner while you wait. I'm told the hand-pulled noodles are fantastic, and the duck steam buns and scallion pancakes are great. I have a hard time getting beyond the soup dumplings.

My wife and I had dinner at The Grill Saturday night. I knew going in the reputation - solid food but with prices that were hard to justify. I'd never been to the Four Seasons before it changed, nor had we been to The Grill before. Pleasant arrival and walk upstairs into the room that seems familiar from seeing so many cultural references over the years. Sure, it is the first weekend of August, but at 7:30 the restaurant was half full, and the bar nearly empty. I started with the Goose Terrine ($25 I believe), which was pleasant with olive and fig and a thin layer of foie mousse in the center. Wife had a special for the evening - Gazpacho, which may have been our favorite dish of the night. I intended to order the guinea hen, but ended up getting (my fault) the Larded Squab ($58), which is served partially de-boned along side its heart and liver separately wrapped in bacon. The flavors were spot on, but even for a squab, it seemed exceptionally rare. My wife ordered the Ham Steak with pickled pineapple, which was simply fantastic and certainly the best value (?) on the menu ($40). Sides of Wild Rice Pilaf, Golden Nugget Potatoes and Dressed Tomatoes ($15) were fine - the tomatoes were slightly cooked, which wasn't my thing but my wife enjoyed them and can be a hard sell on tomatoes. She finished with a scoop of plum sorbet, while I had the Strawberry Pistachio Charlotte ($20), which was fantastic. One very good Manhattan ($20), and 4 glasses of wine between us came to $445, tip included. The restaurant handled the wife's dairy challenges with ease. Squab: Food-wise, the restaurant was perfectly fine. But there were enough service slips that shouldn't happen at this price point that I wouldn't return. Overhearing two back waiters repeatedly arguing. A head waiter checking in on a table with the phrase "Ya good?" Wine ordered well in advance of entrees, but not arriving before the entrees. The waiter picking up the check immediately after I signed it, while we were still sitting at the table. None of these were cardinal sins (though the check being picked up is a pet peeve), but taken as a whole, are indicative of a service program that needs more professionalism. At the conclusion of the evening, I grabbed a manager and asked if we could visit the lounge in The Pool (formerly a separate room in the Four Seasons, now a separate Restaurant owned by the same group as The Grill). She went over and grabbed The Pool manager who came in, walked us over to the lounge, and was the exact kind of welcoming that I'd expected the entire evening. THAT is the restaurant I'm eager to return to.

Speaking of Des Moines... There are actually a few classic places that could fit the bill but I think Noah's Ark would take the prize. The food scene in Des Moines has gotten MUCH better in the last ten years - if you find yourself in the city, there are BETTER options, but not as 'landmark'.

I would put Venetian/Palazzo at the bottom of this list - their offerings were mediocre a few years ago, and they've declined ever since. I would say that I had a comically bad business dinner at Mott 32 this year, except after two hours the food hadn't appeared so we left the (very expensive) restaurant. The only saving grace here is Bouchon, which is a little hard to find but worth it if you're in this complex and hungry. I would put Cosmopolitan at the top of reasonably affordable and good. Wynn/Encore have some really good places if you're traveling on an (unlimited) expense account. Will have to give Costa di Mare a try!

Fair, though the company itself has admitted the French Laundry manager dropped the ball on how he handled the whole matter.

Jury clears Thomas Keller Restaurant Group of discrimination. Would've been interesting to hear the details at trial - while the jury cleared TKRG of discrimination, at best this was terrible communication that resulted in one of their top employees (presumably, due to her position) in getting completely screwed. A small window into some serious mismanagement.

Payment convenience also leads to increased revenue. By and large, people spend more on a card than with cash, not to mention that fewer of us are carrying sufficient cash on a regular basis. So even paying 1$ in processing fees likely leads to increased income.

This always seemed like a tough location to me. There is a ton of very similar competition around Short Pump, and the prices at Matchbox have recently outpaced a lot of those competitors. Median household income in Henrico County is about half of Loudoun and Fairfax counties, and significantly below Montgomery and DC.

A lot to unpack here. The Courthouse/Clarendon area of today isn't comparable to the business environment 17, and even 7 years ago. Rents have skyrocketed while numerous businesses have been forced to close. I would also suggest we need to separate East River - what many of us would consider to be a noble, albeit risky venture. I've never personally experienced the rushed service, but its a common enough refrain that it must've been present. But I do have to ask, are expectations the same for Rays the Steaks as they are for The Palm/Bourbon Steak etc. in terms of service and time spent? Landrum's intention appeared to be to cater to a different diner, with different expectations. It may be worth noting that another steakhouse down the street - Harry's Tap Room, which was more traditional, lasted only 5-6 years. I'm not defending Landrum's business acumen, but suggesting that his product was good enough to carry this restaurant far beyond that of many in the area, but ultimately succumbed to the dramatically changing dynamics of the neighborhood.

Larger points about the growing disparity between the quality of fine dining in the U.S. vs the price aside (which I agree with), I do think we owe the Inn fair comparison. $160 in 1999 is $245.42 today adjusted for inflation - one could argue the Inn has stuck to the price point with remarkable consistency. Though if given fewer choices than previously, that should be taken into account.