DaRiv18
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Everything posted by DaRiv18
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Reviewing a dive bar is something I've refused to do, but the lack of attention (here) of the Passenger threatens the legitimacy of this Board. Disclaimer: I average a visit a week here and they definitely pick me out of a crowd here, but DAMN, this is the place to booze if you have any loyalty to the local industy. Not sure if I've ever imbibed after 10pm here without meeting a front/back rep from some acclaimed restaurant on this board who gave me a realistic tour of their menu. And I'm anti-social in real time! Sunday brunches hold a special place in my heart as I try to hit it just at open (2pm) with my daughter, whom consumes the mocktail special as I explore the Sunday Soiree menu (CHEERS!). Biscuit and (sausage) gravy will satisfy any appetite, while the pork belly over rice is a fam fav. Apologies to insiders for ruining the secret. -
A bit disappointed that the cocktail list remains the same as when it first opened, BUT I did get a off-menu Bartender's Choice at the bar that delighted. Even with 3 minutes to go before kitchen close, I received a very tasty tuna appetizer with corn fritters that spanned the spectrum of textures. My random bar pal termed the restaurant as "somewhat stuffy" but that must be in the context of the H Street neighborhood. Hit yourself with H Street's best shot.
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My random visit today netted a Rickey, Old Raj Martini, and a MN Surly Beer (the Miss). I got Skewered (all 4 selections) at the bar, followed up with some grilled corn (recommended, and delivered) and a pork loin with local peaches and crispy kale. Folks, I estimated 104 offerings on the food menu alone. Beverages are crafted on demand here, and the beer I had that disappointed was not offensive. I think Proof is a better value but to judge Estadio by it is unfair. Something for everyone here and I'd order cocktail-like dishes here. Somehow undervalued.
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Well Hell. Hugs don't pay the rent, so tell me who's your best target audience Rocks.
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Aha! I didn't think the issue here was really about the money -- it's really about this contract. Maybe the cleaner alternative is just to require that you pay for the meal 72 hours in advance. That's it, no fuss, no ultimatums. If you want booze or extras, they bring you a check for those extra impulse buys to your table at the end of the meal. If you show up more than 30 minutes late, hey, there's still 12 or 20 courses to be had. This is probably a bigger power-play than a contract, but at least you don't deal with a lengthy document which I concede is off-putting (though probably justified). And it's definitely a more low-key approach.
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I would love to hear your take on airport security measures!
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Dining at restaurants with waitstaff (or some buffets) and getting my haircut are the only two services I can think of where I don't pay first before getting my goods and/or service. I don't see what the big deal is here. Why resent a business that acts how any other business (not in the hospitality business) would operate?
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If this policy somehow enhances the food, then I am all for it. I do not know how sourcing works, maybe they need the 72 hours to order their food for daily shipments so that they keep the freshest ingredients on hand. I am fine with blogging and cell phone restrictions. The contract also asks diners for their dietary restrictions and allergies, so it's not like these spots are totally transferable to any other diner on short notice. The 100% penalty for being 30 minutes late seems a bit draconian, and I can't imagine that affecting the food quality. It would affect the dining experience of the party waiting for your table, and I agree some penalty should be levied, but that seems a bit much. That all said, this arrangement would be extremely pretentious if the restaurant does not deliver an exceptional dining experience. Good to hear the rave reviews so far.
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If they can do The Darkside for you, then you should absolutely try this, it should be in the canon of DC cocktails. I ordered the Monster in the Parasol last week, which was fantastic although definitely challenging. First reaction was that it was conceptually akin to Bell's Hopslam which uses honey to temper the hops profile. Here, honey is the also the parasol but the monster is berbere-infused grappa. Apologies to Adam when I suggest the cocktail is probably not for everyone, but I am sure glad it is on the menu.
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No kidding?? I've seen speakeasies advertise more than this year's Rickey campaign.
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On the west end of H Street (or at least on my block), it's zoned parking 8am-6pm Monday-Friday. What you DONT want to do is park in the AutoZone lot, they will ticket your ass. Besides that, I haven't heard of any issues, you might be able to park on H Street itself. If you haven't visited in the last 2 months, H Street looks totally different. Two weeks ago around 8pm on a Saturday night, my 2 year old daughter was still pretty restless so I took her outside for a quick walk. We headed east on H Street, and I was pretty sure I'd tire her out in about 5 minutes. As we neared 7th Street, we heard some loud go-go music blaring nearby. We turned the corner to find about 300 people on a blocked-off stretch. A DJ had her booth set up, people were dancing in the streets, residents had tables set with BBQ & beer & and what-have you in front of their houses. Older black folks, young professionals, new families, soldiers in uniform, ethnic hipsters and Hill staff, people just waiting out at the bus stop who wandered over--everyone hanging out, laughing, swaying, just loose and chill. My daughter joined the go-go dancers, one of whom gave her a helium balloon. We mingled for about 45 minutes, walked back home. I dropped her off with her mom, looked for my flask, couldn't find it. Spying a 10 oz handle of Whole Foods Maple Syrup, I emptied the remaining half ounce and filled it up with rye and Benedictine and headed back to the party. Commentary ensued. One of the best nights I've ever had in DC, made alot of new friends.
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Their Facebook page posts today's lunch menu, and mentioned that they were open yesterday as well. EDIT: A FB post by them Monday afternoon states that "we are open for regular dinner service for the rest of this week." Also, someone points out to me that their Open Table is still taking reservations for the foreseeable future.
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With these ridiculous heat indexes, the family decided to play it completely safe and dine in a modern building that promised to have modern, flawless air-conditioning. We like dining out on H Street and supporting the neighborhood, but Watershed also advertises itself as a "community-centric" neighborhood spot, so why not? I agree with alot of what is said in these previous posts. Staff is very pleasant, the food is quite good. Our appetizer was the weakest part of the meal, fried calamari -- lot of breading, but very little calamari itself. I did like the sweet vinegar dressing that accompanied. Wife and baby enjoyed an egg fettuccine in a cream sauce. I opted for the entree soft shell crabs, which were fine. But when do a couple of soft shell crabs ever satisfy as an entree? Remembering the praise for the shrimp and grits, we ordered that and were very pleased. We did order somewhat heavy dishes even though we had medium-bodied tastes, so we will be back to try the raw bar and all that. Here's the part that motivated me to write in. Just as New Foodie counsels that you must ask for bread if you want it, I suspect you may have to ask for all the menus to make a fully-informed order. Our server did run down 2 or 3 specials of the day, none of which we ordered. I had learned of the soft shell crabs while skimming a separate "special" menu at the host stand. Reading the website now, I see that the raw bar does crudo, sashimi, and beef tartare, but we didn't get that menu either. Frankly, those items sound more targeted to our tastes than what we had, i.e. dishes which I would characterize as "safe choices" for the visiting gen-pop that probably make up a large portion of their clientele. Reading upthread, I see that no one here has reviewed anything from their raw bar, so I wonder whether anyone was offered an menu from that station either. PS -- their air-conditioning amply made up for whatever minor gripes I made. Server was very cool. We will be back.
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For $8 admission, $6 food, and $3 corkage, you can head to HR-57 down the street for live jazz, a plate of red beans and rice with fried chicken, and BYOB.
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I live in the neighborhood, but even if I didn't, I would drive across town for it. I'll share my trip from last night. Keep in mind that earlier in the day for lunch, I had enjoyed the ramen at Sushi Taro. Around 8:00pm, I had some unexpected "me" time, so I waltzed down the block to complete the head-to-head comparison. I started with a Duck Confit Taco ($3.00 daily special), downed an Asahi draft ($6), and went for the Hakata Classic ($10) with extra ramen ($2) and tempura duck sweetbreads ($6 daily special). Buttered duck livers were also on special, incidentally. IMO, the two ramens at both establishments are in the same class. I would probably prefer Sushi Taro's noodles (straight, a bit chewier) to TU's (kinda frizzy like dried ramen) by the slightest of margins. TU definitely has the nicer sous vide egg going on, compared to ST's hard-boiled. Ordering an extra egg though ($2) at TU is a bit annoying, as it comes in the shell and I'm not the best at cracking them open without making a mess. The pork loin is cut thicker at TU than at ST. I'm really surprised that I like this place so much, I guess I thought it might be the ramen equivalent of Sticky Rice, which I've decided is not my scene. TU is similarly hipster, and I was the only suit in the place last night, but I like what they are doing.
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This is a bit OT but had to share. I'm waiting outside around 11:30 today, about to go into Sushi Taro for lunch. There's a woman standing outside KOMI, looking a bit puzzled. She finally approaches me and says, "My friend told me that there was a Cosi here, is it nearby?" When I told her no, she went on and on about how disappointed she was. I decided immediately that there was no use in trying to set her straight.
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PORC (Purveyors of Rolling Cuisine) Food Truck
DaRiv18 replied to chaofun's topic in Washington DC Restaurants and Dining
I tried a pulled pork sandwich for the first time yesterday, and I have no complaints about the portions of meat with that. Is it sometimes skimpy, in your experience? Skimpy is how I would describe the truck next to it yesterday, the Big Cheese. The one time I had the grilled cheese, there was barely any cheese on it at all. I know Cowgirl Creamery cheese is of a higher price point, but this was a letdown (and the tomato soup really disappointing too, more like a salsa). Probably would stick to the Breadline four-cheese grilled sandwich. -
The one I go to quite a bit is Best Equipment Corp at 413 Morse Street Northeast (202) 544-2525. In my experience they do not turn away paying customers. I bought all my coupes there too, and uncovered like 20 authentic 2 oz pousse-cafes that I snagged as well. I bet you'll find something, they probably have about 200 selections of glasses. EDIT: it's mostly the Libbey selection, in case that makes a difference.
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Another option is any restaurant equipment store. I got all my glassware at the one in Florida Market, on Morse Street. Pretty cheap, lots of variety, and they'll def have 4 dozen on stock.
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I briefly met Mr. Isabella and his team at his ANC Alcohol Licensing Committee hearing, and the concept looks great. He's going to bring some energy to that part of 6th Street, which desperately needs it. The most exciting part of it will be its open kitchen well into the AM, the New Big Wong has a stranglehold on that market right now.
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I understood B.A.R. to be talking about a collective freeze-out by produce and seafood vendors. I think the 21st A allows states to come up with pretty much any alcohol regulatory system, including allowing a collective freeze-out by alcohol wholesalers. I meant to say there isn't necessarily a slippery slope for a collective freeze out for those items he mentioned. Are you talking about individual food purveyors? B.A.R. was talking about how he can go from vendor to vendor to vendor, all with past due accounts, so I understood him to mean that there is no collective freeze-out agreements for seafood and produce currently.
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The thing to remember is that the 21st Amendment gives states (and I guess DC) broad powers to regulate alcohol. So there is no slippery slope necessarily for the other items you mention.
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Pretty much everytime I've gone to a Chinatown Chinese restaurant (particularly Chinatown Express), I've often seen a table leave and, seconds later, the server running after those customers. The Chinese server explains to the (usually European) diner that in America, you're supposed to tip 15%, and would you please give me another $5? I know that's off-topic somewhat, but had to share, it gets me everytime.
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After a shot at Chinatown Coffee yesterday, I have a different view. I don't think all the action takes place in the blending and roasting stage, but it still seems to me afterwards that is only a question of how much you mess it up. I ordered a double shot. The barista suggested that I try the bean du jour (it escapes me now) instead of the stalwart Black Cat. Sure. As she served my shot to me, she said, "Let me know if you don't like this, I can pull another shot for you." With words like that, how can one not be super-critical? I tasted it and it did seem bitter and sour, so I took her up on her offer. We got into a conversation as I sipped the second shot (much better extraction, a very bright varietal) about how she has to adjust the machine settings for a different bean than the Black Cat, how to dose a different portion than the Black Cat, etc. That conversation included how she has to make different adjustments depending on the weather, the humidity, etc. Just wanted to acknowledge that I ignored how intricate their craft is in my original comment, and how hard it is to deliver a consistent product with so many variables.
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Could anyone share the current availability of 3 Floyds in DC, please? I stopped by Churchkey but they don't carry it. I don't see it on Pizza Paradiso's website either . . .
