crackers

Don't forget the panko-crusted foie gras on top of those mini burgers.

I was there Wednesday evening for an 8pm seating and was greeted warmly by Jared, Eli, and Troy and had a chance to talk with them at the bar while the first seating cleared out. They started us out with a small plate of roasted nuts tossed with rosemary at the bar and I hope they keep them coming - yummm. Banco’s comments also were similar to my experience. We too had the agugula, fennel and pecorino salad and the grilled apple salad, and they were pretty wonderful- keepers both. All the ingredients were very fresh, and the grilled apples, even cold, were terrific, and probably would be even better if they arrived still warm off the grill. We especially liked both dressings. Presentation needs tweaking – apples on top of cress, a grind of salt and pepper, but otherwise delish! Next up was the wild boar sausage over bucatini, and the ravioli. The sausage was excellent! The pasta was perfectly al dente in both. The ravioli was my favorite course of the night - smokey, cheesy, mushroom goodness, with a good dose of oregano and thyme. Wished there was some good bread to mop up the sauce. For second course there was the salmon with pancetta leek compote, and the ribeye. The compote was awesome, and the salmon nicely cooked, again just needed a grind of salt (shakers/grinders had not yet arrived). The ribeye was cooked medium rare as ordered, very tasty, on the small side (our waiter Adam explained that there will be a choice of small or large). We wanted more roast garlic, and loved the potatoes - very sweet. The cheese course was a sampling of Humboldt Fog, gorgonzola picante and fontina baldosta creme primativa (sp?) - good choices all. They came with a small ramekin of wine pectin jelly that was perfect with the croutons. The pistachio ice cream was nice and creamy and I enjoyed the roasted pistachios that were sprinkled around it. Overall the dishes we had were nicely thought out and certainly different from the other restaurants on the Hill. The Chianti Adam suggested really did work very well with both salmon and ribeye - thanks Adam! We also really enjoyed a tour of the upstairs which is still under construction. There will be a lounge area in front facing the street scene, with a soaring ceiling and an attractive fireplace. A refined lounge space to have a nice glass of wine and a small plate of food will be a welcome addition to the Hill, which has a lot of bars, but most of them are on the dive bar side (not that there’s anything wrong with heading a few steps over to the Cap Lounge for a post-dinner Bass or two). Toward the rear will be more dining space, and there is even a loft space further up for more expansion. A return visit is a definite yes, and next time I’ll hope for some of those truffled peaches!

Problem? Disparage? I love the stuff! And I like Gruet and mini-burgers too!

Pork belly anything is heading up the list.

The Supremes at least said that wine is an "emerging and significant business" with more small wineries needing direct sales because of the consolidating of the wholesale business. They said that the Commerce Clause trumps the part of the Twenty-first Amendment that the state's were using to justify allowing in-state wineries to sell directly to consumers but not letting, or making it extremely hard, for out of state wineries to do the same thing. So, it's back to the drawing boards for the other states that were doing what MI and NY were doing. And Congress can try to amend its laws to carve out protections for intrastate wine shipments - but they're pretty busy with other silly stuff right now.

Whole Foods had it - still unopened in a box in the back until I asked. Good with mango chutney on peppery water crackers.

Thursday: Blue Agave in Federal Hill. Tequila dinner: Chilpachole, a spicy lump crab soup with charred tomatoes and jalaepnos, serrano-orange duck confit enchilada with mole xico, achiote grilled quail with salsa de huitlacoche, sauteed nopales and arroz verde, and a mango and chocolate empanada with vanilla ice cream and cajeta sauce. Margaritas with Herradura Silver, Reposado and Blanco. The best was with fresh lime, prickly pear juce and triple sec. Saturday night home with friends: coquilles St. Jacques, roast stuffed chicken with Eastern Shore asparagus, market salad with croutons and Humboldt Fog chevre, strawberries with sabayon. awesome lightning display, but the power stayed on. Sunday: Joss. nothing special, maybe even going downhill. Tempura shrimp and veggies, tofu salad, some pickled mackerel sushi (guaranteed to keep teenagers' chopsticks away) and beef negamaki.

Tomorrow (Sunday) preview dinners have been cancelled, so that the staff can regroup. Maybe that will help dr.com regroup at another preview as well.

Heads up to those of you who only read eG infrequently: Sonoma's Jared Rager posted on eG that they are planning to put together a special eG preview event for a later Sunday or Monday and they are asking that those who are interested in doing that (instead?) to let them know when they rsvp to be put on the "appropriate" list.

hmmm...good question....Mortons and The Palm do, Blackie's, Smith & Wollensky, Flemings (Sunday dinner), and Lewnes in Eastport, but I guess it could be more general - any restaurant?

What he said.Also, something you almost never see is that they will serve a medium end cut if you ask nicely. Almost worth eating (but not for me, tho I will pick at the crusty edges if my dining companion is very tolerant) Do any of the other steak places serve end cuts that aren't well done? Their potato skins are truly crunchy, salty addictive. ::lip-smaking smilie::

My recent experiences echo yours - and Sietsema's. It's hard to get a reservation, at least on the weekends They do the whole velvet cord and bouncer-with-headset routine at the door, kind of amusing in that neighborhood. Still with the very long bar and a big comfortable lounge area you don't have to sit at a table - you can order from the whole menu in the lounge - there are large cocktail tables to put everything on. If you show up early, like 5pm, you should not have any problem, even on Saturday. The inside is baroque/vaguely Spanish/Moorish decor, with giant clay amphoras separating the lounge area from the raised dining/dance floor. Lots of wrought iron with some Pottery Barn type fixtures. The kitchen is open and there is also a balcony area with more seating, it's quieter and has a good view of the whole space. Service has been efficient and friendly - but once the place is packed and people start coming later in the evening for dessert and dancing, the tapas can start arriving out of sync - too soon, too late. I've learned to order as I go - not all at once in the beginning of the meal. I've liked: *grilled prawns, chorizo and roast potatoes *grilled sardines *rabbit - can't remember, but think it was braised *grilled quail *grilled calamari (whole tubes stuffed with julienne of green apple) *shrimp with garlic, tomato, and chili pepper *grilled lambchops - on the small side but very tasty *beets with pancetta in orange vinaigrette *pappa fritta, (ripple potato chips) *whole wheat peasant bread *grilled mushrooms on greens (arugula?) *cheeses - very good selection *chocolate torte *fruit tart du jour *sorbets The roasted pork ribs are just so-so. The creme brulee was nothing special. They serve food until 1:00 a.m. but it's open until 2:00 am. ok, now the hunger pains are getting serious...

was thinking more along the lines of marron glace

deleted due to broken link...

Oh..oh..oh..a ventworm cake please? Decorations should be obvious.

Porcini is tiny - a typical nothing fancy Philly trattoria style byob. Try the grilled squid to start and the very simple pastas - bucatini with fresh tomatoes and shrimp, or their veal specials. The chocolate bread pudding is - eh - not so much, but the cheesecake is perfection. It can get really raucous if there are large groups - so the noise level might be problematic for some people - just depends on the night.

Was wondering the same thing. The website says the 9-course dinner is (a mere) $145. I'm no math whiz, but that sure seems to leave a whole lot of room for great wines, even after DC taxes and tip.

This girl would head over to Buddakan. Byobs Melograno, Porcini and Ava are not open for lunch, but Matyson (37 S. 19th), and Fork have lunch. If a really early dinner is doable, you can usually get a table without a reservation at any of them. Porcini has an upstairs waiting room where you can start drinking your wine.

Angelina's was sold at auction last week. Don't know who bought it or what they're planning for it, but I hope they don't change the crabcakes. Update: The person who picked up the phone today says that it will be at least two or three months before the new owners take over. They are planning "some changes" but she couldn't elaborate. She did say she doesn't think they're going to change the crabcakes, which has me thinking that things might not be so bad as all that.

I don't like anything to come between me and my soft shell - no bread, no tempura batter - the flavor and texture are too perfect to mess with. The best I've had at a restaurant recently was at the Boatyard Bar and Grill in Eastport, without the roll.

What a shame you won't be coming to the picnic with some of these for all of us to try!

Elias Hengst and Jared Rager sent email greetings telling us they are planning to open the downstairs "bistro" in the next "couple weeks" and the upstairs cocktail lounge and fine dining shortly after that. They are still promising 200 California and Italian wines, (40 by the glass) through their "certified Winekeeper Cruvinet." Still no details on preview events - but expect them soon too. And their menu is posted already - that spaghetti with venetian anchovy sauce has my name on it.

Anyone else been to Mike's Crab House on the South River? I still take out of towners to Cantlers - it is old time "crab-shacky" and they remember it forever, but Mike's crabs last summer were fresh and heavy, and they have a nice big deck that catches the late afternoon sun, with umbrella tables for shade. C'mon summer!

In summer Cantlers can be great - when the crabs and corn are local, it's warm enough to sit out on the deck with pitchers of beer, and it's a weeknight when there aren't as likely to be tour buses idling in the parking lot wafting diesel fumes out across the deck. But for now, they are still getting their hard shell and softies up from Louisiana, and at $55 for a dozen large hard shells, I'd want them fat, fresh and local.

Had a look at smoke stack last spring, before they fixed it up to make it a private dining room, when it was still musty and dark, without lighting and open to the sky. Even then you could tell it would be the most amazing space to eat in the city - except maybe the White House - looking straight up that narrowing brick stack to the stars at night, in a "secret" circular den - kinda spooky. Don't know about the food - good drinks at the bar though.