DaRiv18

Yes porcupine, are you over the canned locally sourced ingredients, or that they are putting peaches and apples into the ramen?

I prefer Daikaya too, had it for lunch today, waited about 20 seconds to be seated. I think the pork is better at TU, though. My main point stemmed from your comment that TU is not remotely worth a hour+ wait, which happens there for sure. Ive heard criticism of Little Serow for its flavors, I imagine some day a Rose's Luxery hater will emerge, but I have never heard griping about the waits at either place. But i hear it about TU all the time (not Marty L. here, but all the time). And TU is only a $20 visit to walk in the door, basically, compared to say $60. Isnt that striking? Am I the only one who sees this? As Mugatu said, I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!

A bit incredible to me that the legacy of Toki Underground won't be a young chef who really burst on the scene, the legacy will be this wait time (not trying to single out Marty L., this is a common refrain). I can name several no-reservation venues where it's fine to line up 45 minutes before opening and no one even mentions it, and you'll drop probably 4 times the dinero to eat there. I ate here when Alice Waters was slurping for her second consecutive night here. Think TU is somehow absorbing more than its fair share as the "is it worth it to dine here" punching bag. Hell, I've waited 45+ minutes for some of the darling hamburgers in the area, and I don't recall anyone complaining about those places. And I've waited 45+ minutes past my reservation time at restaurants that were strictly mediocre at best but still hit the wallet hard. I've waited an hour+ past my CARRY-OUT reservation at our darling Thai joint in town . . . for some reason, only here at TU does wait time get regularly factored in.

I am reading Modernist Cuisine by Nathan Mygevold. Volume 4 has a quick ditty on How to Hyperdecant Wine. Pour wine into ordinary blender (pic of Vitamix). Use highest setting to blend 30-60 seconds. Allow froth to subside and serve. A paragraph on shock value and how shocked wine experts prefer hyperdecanted wines in blind tastings. Most effective "on younger red wines, but it can improve some white wines as well." Oxygenation and outgassing are the two phenomena at play here.

Boundary Road: $18 Seared Foie with gingerbread blini, braised collards, crispy pork belly, and maple cherry gastrique. What a showstopper! I enjoyed it at the bar last night, probably should have brought a +1 with whom to share as it is as decadent as it sounds. Texture contrast is nice, and the spices in the gingerbread really helps balance all of the other rich elements. Headed to the Big Board later to try the foie burger, I've heard great things.

The $15 Fish Pie is a great value. Not much to add to Cizuka's account. Just wanted give some DR.com love to Julien, it's clear he is more than just a charcuterie pretty face. I understand that Southern Efficiency will soon share the same kitchen, so I look forward to that menu as well.

What was I thinking. Your friend would love the 1965 edition of Esquire's Party Book. Food, cocktails, music, games, and party themes--it advises on all. It suggests parties featuring sherry, and has cocktail recipes featuring ingredients that are just now available again (I am partial to the byrrh-cassis highball ). I see you can get it for $10.

You may think this is akin to getting dark socks as a gift, but I would suggest the Rosle ice tongs. They definitely don't take up space, and they address one of the worst cocktail party fouls out there, namely, the non-hygienic handling of ice. This is the only brand I know of that have teeth on the front of the tongs, so getting the ice cubes out of a Tovolo silicon mold is easy. Even oXo's ice tongs are too unwieldy for me, the teeth are spaced too far apart so handling cubes is a clumsy task. It's a neutral gift, sure. You can replace barspoons with chopsticks for stirring, you don't need a fancy mixing vessel, but IMO you'd be hard pressed to replace this particular tool for handling individual, slippery ice cubes. BTW, your friend sounds like she needs a punch bowl, except those are huge. You might also consider a basic boston shaker, it is very versatile, but I don't know of any 60s style ones that would be decorative.

This discussion reminds me of this discussion.

Should work. I would probably tamp down the amount of red vermouth a bit, or switch to a dry vermouth. Make it an Old Pal variant.

So, I wonder when something will move in. Is Clyde's the best fit for a venue this large? Even a Range would be cool I think.

Checked out the new H Street Wal-Mart today out of morbid curiosity. Upon exiting, decided that visiting the closest independent coffee house would be just as cleansing as (and much more convenient than) heading home for a hot shower. Double shot espressos are still one of the best in the city for me. I dig the clientele here too, a broader mix of neighborhoody/office/student/hipster than I've found elsewehere. Shop small, everyone!

Gallery Place: Clydes et al.

WaPo updated that story, the $150k lien on Stadium Club was paid off in full. According to the Wash Biz Journal, single $1 bills made up $40k of that payoff amount! Never thought I feel sorry for exotic dancers, but wow talk about bailing out your deadbeat boss so that you can continue to make your money.

Did the landlord successfully evict Redding yet? I didn't think he could sign new leases until that was finished. Also, that space has been generating interest from lots of brand name restauranteurs from what I hear from the grapevine, I'm bit concerned it will be an empire outpost instead of a owner operated spot. Then again, TruOrleans exceeded even my train wreck predictions, so anything would be an improvement, but that's not much of a standard.

I am enjoying my morning Biloya, and see that TU has moved yet again, occupying two stalls near Harvey's Market where Oh! Pickles, Mama's Organic, Bear's Honeypot, and a bakery whose name escapes me all have revolved thru. Looks like at the Oh Pickles spot they are setting up a bao station for quick carryout. In the other spot for sitdown there is a long bench with tables that could probably sit 6-8, so thats an improvement. There are no chairs opposite the long bench, so once again looks like a spot for the efficient luncher. I hope they stay there for the duration of the pop up.

Some of closed Dining Guide restaurants that were placed under the H Street NE heading weren't really on H Street NE (Casa Roma, Young's Deli, and arguably Capital City Diner). So that lowers the closure rate a bit, IMO. H Street NE is more unique in the city because there really isn't alot of hotels or office space on the strip, so a vast majority of people who go out are spending their own money. It doesn't strike me that many restaurants there are chasing corporate accounts, or get the traffic of travelers who are forced to eat out. That is different than pretty much the rest of downtown DC. Plus, the neighborhood isn't presently a "disposible income for dining" type of demographic. Mostly students, young families, interns, and legacy residents. That's changing big time, plus the neighborhood is growing vertically. So the demand should grow here pretty soon. But I do think that there is alot of unseasoned restauranteurs here, and I've heard as much from their (former) staff. One pizza spot with a gorgeous (and often empty) space just started advertising half-price pizza nights, so I wonder how much longer that venue will last. I think the main thing is that some venues just don't understand the H St NE market, and how it differs from most other DC commercial strips.

Went to TU pop-up at Union Market yesterday. Had a bowl of pho ($9) and spicy bbq pork bao ($2). The pho was nice, but I had my heart set on ramen so I couldn't quite get over it. The soup base was really good, had dried shrimp heads and beef. The bao were really good, hadn't had those before. So I'm glad they are mixing the menu up, just need to get my mindset right for it. Pop-ups are such a weird breed, I wonder whether I should adjust my expectations for them, and how. So now it's in a different stand at UM where the FreshFarms stand used to be (and Bazaar Spices used to be before that), instead of where the Border Springs stand used to be, and the seating/tables are much more comfortable and accommodating. The downside is that basically it only seats about 5 now, with no standing room. I think you can choose to eat at one of the common tables, assuming there is one. So, a winner for a loner lunch, I'll be back.

Just wanted to give props to my go-to carry-out lunch spot. I didn't think so until the other month where I was stuck in Food Hell for a couple weeks and I realized I really wanted a salad and I realized I really liked sweetgreen the best.

I went yesterday as well for ramen. I would suggest checking out their twitter feed to get the scoop before heading out there because yes it is somewhat mysterious, but it sounds you were there on other business. Chef Erik was there all by himself, along with about 6 stools and 4 additional standing spots at the two tables. This seating is a bit awkward to tell you the truth. This is definitely a hardcore "ramen is the focus" lunchspot, there is little room to socialize. Stand in line (10 minutes for me), there is no waitlist. Take your place when someone leaves, and leave any friends behind in the line while you slurp. I did my best to inhale my bowl as fast as possible, and there were about 8 patrons who were already eating when I sat down and were still eating when I left. $12 for a bowl, no discrepency in the quality offered at their permanent space.

Ooops, thanks for correcting me. BR's risotto goes for $17-18, btw.

That's a great question. Two factors are your relationship with the crew and whether you receive some acknowledgement of being a regular/neighbor, and also your own attitude and comfort when you dine there. Gotta think about this more.

You're putting several things out there, so I'll provide several random thoughts. RH is a great value. I am on the record for observing "price creep" for restaurants after the honeymoon opening phase. The extreme example is Fiola. So I would say let's revisit RH prices in another couple months. I will say I am trying my best to avoid acknowledging a "BR vs RH" showdown that I perceive you are constructing. I am a big fan of Red Hen. Also, I checked other restaurants such as Green Pig Bistro, Beucherts Saloon, and Mintwood Place. Similar concepts. No entree is less than $24 on those menus, unless you count burger/sandwich items. As far as frequent dining, I am the same but let's acknowledge they provide a higher quality product than other frequent diner spots. I think the value is certainly there.

I see 1359 H St NE.

An excerpt from George Pelecanos' FB page: "Lucas swung onto his saddle, put his feet in the clips, and took 14th all the way downtown, then cut over into Northeast via K Street, and over to the 400 block of H, where he locked his bike to a post and entered Boundary Road, a restaurant on the edge of the thriving Atlas District. Unlike the riot corridors of U and 7th Streets, which had benefited more quickly from the construction of the Metro and its subway stations, H Street had taken forty years to be reborn after the '68 fires. Lit-up business establishments and the sounds of conversation and laughter on the street said that it was flourishing now. Boundary Road was an airy two-story space: brick walls, a distinctive chandelier, low-key atmosphere. Lucas had a seat at the bar. The night manager, Dan, frequently played reggae and dub through the house system, an added attraction for Lucas. Plus, he could come as he was"”tonight, black mountain-bike shorts and a plain white T-shirt"”and not feel out of place. He ordered a Stella from the bartender, a friend named Amanda Brand, who had called and asked to see him. He had silent-bounced for Amanda in other establishments, so they had a history. She also knew of his side work and what he could do. *** He listened to the Linton Kwesi Johnson coming through the system and drank from the neck of his cold beer. At the end of the full bar he noticed a nice-looking woman sitting alone. Their eyes met and hers did not cut away. It was he who blinked and lowered his gaze. He was typically a man of confidence, but her bold nature disturbed him. The next time he looked back at her she was getting up off her stool. He watched her walk toward him, heading for the restroom. She wore black jeans, a black tank top, and brown motorcycle boots with a T-strap and buckle. Her chestnut hair was shoulder length with cognac highlights. She had a strong, prominent nose and as she passed he saw her bright blue eyes, brilliant even in the low light of the room. She was tall, curvy, and full-breasted, built like a sixties movie star imported from Sweden or Italy. As she passed he studied her shoulders, her arms, and her back, and Lucas's mouth went dry. He had a long pull off his beer. *** "I like to live a full life. Do you know her name?" "Grey Goose martini, rocks, three olives." "Maybe I should buy her one." "That's original." "I never said I was clever. Just determined." "Sure you wanna spring for the high shelf?" "Please ask her if she'd like a drink, on me." Amanda drifted. Lucas watched her make the pitch to the woman, and shortly thereafter the woman gathered her phone and shoulder bag. She left money and something else on the bar before she got up. Her eyes briefly found his as she passed by, and her lovely mouth turned up in a hint of a smile. And then she was gone. Amanda returned. "She politely declined your offer." Lucas spread his hands. "See? I don't always win." "But the thing is, you pretty much do." Amanda placed a beverage napkin on the bar in front of Lucas. "She left her digits for you, handsome." He looked at the name and phone number, folded the napkin, and stuffed it into a pocket of his shorts. "Sometimes a fella just gets lucky." "What is it with you?" "I don't know." And this was true. He was always somewhat surprised when a woman was interested in him. It wasn't like he was trying. Lucas stood and reached for his wallet. He left twenty on thirty. If Amanda wasn't going to take a bite of his fee, at least he could treat her right.