DaRiv18

Posted in the wrong thread, it belongs here . . .

Stopped by for my first visit just now . . . Closed by the Dept of Health on 6/14. Next to the official notice is a sign that says “Equipment Repair . . . see you soon!”

It would be a fantastic location for a family looking to spend 3-4 days.  The kids are close to Stanton Park, so if the kids are under 8, they have a playground where they can "live like a local" and play with other kids their age.  Plus Capitol Hill is a signature neighborhood, maybe only behind Dupont Circle or Georgetown.  

I no longer recommend families taking the Metro, the trade off between that and an Uber is just not worth any minimal savings for the combined fares.  I firmly believe families do not want to spend their scarce family time being uncomfortable on Metro.  That said, Pat is right, Union Station has a bunch of tour buses headquartered there, and the free Circulator, too.  

Plenty of grocery stores nearby.  After dinner, an easy stroll to the Capitol, which is gorgeous at night.  The Library of Congress is the most beautiful "museum" of them all, standing on the steps of the Supreme Court is fun.  Botanical Gardens is also very close, very family friendly.  

Here's an excerpt from my "Low-Key Local Adventures" guidebook:

Lunch and trains/post office

Union Station, 50 Mass. Ave. NE

• Food Court downstairs, more restaurants on main level, retail on main and upstairs levels
• Stroll the Main Hall and marvel at the gold-leaf ceilings
• Take the kids across the street to the free National Postal Museum (2 Mass. Ave. NE), very interactive and fun!

Regardless of where you sit, stop by the wine bar and check out the wine bar food specials that are out, towards the left side of the bar.   Take a mental note of what looks good to you, and order it.  

On 7/21/2017 at 3:34 PM, Mark Dedrick said:

There also continue to be a lot of new restaurants opening up, at most price points. In the past year we've seen Sospesso, Stable, Hill Prince (bar, but I'll include it), BAB Korean Fusion, Pow Pow, the Haymaker, Farmbird, Nandos, Mythology, Fresca, and I'm sure many others that I can't remember off the top of my head. I tend to think it's a neighborhood in transition, and that people are trying to figure out what works here and what won't. 

Oh, and on the question of whether H Street is lacking in sit down dining options anymore, I certainly don't think so. Just last night we were debating while walking to dinner whether to eat at Maketto, Sally's Middle Name or Sospesso. And all three of those are located on the same block. And we didn't even cover in that discussion Stable, Red Rocks, Imm Thai, Impala, etc that are all in the 1300 block of H Street. 

It appears that Union Market will become a corporate-account like destination (save for A. Litteri, hint hint) while H Street NE won't. There have been some really fine establishments on H Street NE:  Ocopa got Michelin recognition, Boundary Road had its fervent admirers here,  and  Sally's Middle Name will close next week despite for being one of five finalists for the 2019 "Upscale Casual Restaurant" Rammy.   The Atlas Room was a nice spot, too.  It is discouraging.  Nothing against cheap eats or the like, but H Street NE would seem to be able support a diverse crop of venues.  

Oh wow, this will be very convienent for me. Will this just be takeout?  Small space. 

19 hours ago, reedm said:

City Center?

I thought it was Centrolina at first, but you're too close to the street.  I think Shaho is right.

The restaurant is a reference to Sam’s sister. One of my favorite memories of the palace is when they invited the general public to celebrate their child’s first birthday with free cake. Keeping with the family motif, Chef presently resides at Brothers & Sisters, not surprising given their family’s closeness with the Bruner-Yangs. 

I am selfishly sad, but sounds like Sam and Aphra and genuinely excited for the future. They are good people and I think they are in a good place. 

Two weeks ago, Bread Furst remodeled a bit, and now the in-store traffic flow has been changed. The register is towards the back instead of in the middle. 

Havent been there during core weekend hours yet so don’t know how it has impacted the ordering experience.  

I was always impressed by the elegance of the simple table holding all the booze in the Eyes Wide Shut pool table scene.  

I am not trying to defend the tongue map itself, just saying that the component tasting is less about the UC Davis flavor wheel and more about understanding wine structure by learning how to identify acid, tanin, etc. 

yes, at that tasting we were shown that acid is more sensitive on the sides of the tongue. I don’t think those articles contradict that, they just don’t like the tongue map drawing.  

The component tasting was in some ways like this video, except we were not trying to evaluate any specific wines comparatively, it was more what is tanin and how do you taste it?

https://www.northernbrewer.com/blogs/wine-time/wine-component-tasting

1 hour ago, Count Bobulescu said:

UC Davis Wine Wheel

Actually, it followed more of a map of taste receptors on the tongue.  The seminar 's approach wasn't flavored based, which I agree is subjective and I am bad at identifying.  This was more about understanding how to appreciate a structure of a wine.  On what parts of the tongue do you best identify certain elements?  It sounded like an awfully simplistic exploration of sweet, bitter, acid, etc., but it was a really cool event.  

In the closing years of the last century during my introduction to wine, I recall attending a wine "component tasting" seminar.  Instead of wine, i was given like a dozen-or-so test tubes each filled with concentrated non-alcoholic liquids that represented the bare element of a certain wine trait.  The contents of one test tube represented what structure tanin provided, for example.  

Do "they" still do these types of tastings?  I recall some wine rep put this particular seminar together at the request of the wine bar's request.

I understand that Jake’s closed yesterday. 

Thanks everyone!  Whole Foods is a place that does not sell them (anymore).  Freshly grated nutmeg adds a nice nose to cocktails.  

I am sitting in their bar here where most of their local draft rotating beers are $4! (13 oz). It is a medium-sized market, equal parts booze, grocery, and prepared foods. I picked up some Route 11 Salt and Pepper chips that I have not found elsewhere, as well as some 3 Stars tall boys. (Guess i should get a salad later). 

Little Red Fox is my favorite small shop in the neighborhood, but if Glen’s was closer, I’d have a tough choice to make. 

Not sure if there is a thread for where to find ingredients, I don’t expect this one to go too deep. 

But I am now 0-5 for finding whole nutmegs at grocery stores, they are all pre-ground. When did that happen?  Has DC DonRockwellians seen it recently anywhere?

I do not think of myself as a donut connoisseur, either.  I do have some bias here, I cannot burn off the calories like I used to.  So, am more apt to condemn an oversized, tasteless donut than, say, a poorly extracted glass of kale juice.  So, if my review of Sugar Shack seemed a bit harsh, it's because not only did I dislike the donut, I also disliked myself for several hours after eating it. 

Brunched here, and I found most everything to be mediocre.  I had some italian sausages, grilled with peppers but still fairly dry, and served on a plain bun (no butter, mustard, anything).  The pastas I tasted from other people's plates were fine and very standard.  My son ordered eggs, bacon, and potatoes - it was a huge plate, but a bit sterile.  I felt we were visiting a Bob Evans or other chain-type restaurant, not a local chef-driven spot.  

What's the local wisdom for brunch nowadays?  I am used to many (neighborhood) places still putting out really nice plates for brunch, does the A Team here just work evenings?  I could have gone to Al Volo in Union Market at the same time and paid less for much more depth of flavor.  

Tried some donuts this weekend in Alexandria, not sure what the hype is about.  Granted, we got them around 3:00pm, so they were probably 5 to 9 hours old, but my chocolate glazed donut did not taste like much of anything.  Plus, these donuts are huge.  I have to agree wtih Simul Parikh's family, I prefer Dunkin better (as well as Krispy Kreme, District Doughnuts, Duck Donuts, and the late-but-great Fractured Prune).

I first wanted to applaud this new establishment (now several months old) for opening in one of the riskiest spots in the city for restaurants, given how PizzaGate affected so many businesses near Comet Ping Pong.  We ate here several weeks ago, and I would describe it as a safe-choice venue with some interesting specials.  Prices are fair for the value.  Ambiance is come-as-you-are comfortable, I like it.  Service is a strong point, they are very friendly.  

It is hard to provide any strategies for this place, as WYSIWYG menu-wise.  We did order from the larger format menu, and got the $45 Grigliata Mista - filet of mackeral, two head-on fish, and octopus.  Simple and tasty.  Our child ordered spaghetti and meatballs $16, it was a modest portion which she easily finished.  I also ordered a tripe dish in a red sauce, from the special menu, it was good.

We will be back, it is a nice neighborhood amenity, and the bar is well-stocked.  It will be in my rotation with Buck's and Sfoglina for last-minute neighborhood walk-ins.  My interest is peaked in that it seems to be food-centric without being Instagrammy or outwardly pretentious.  But I don't think they will capture an AU crowd like Comet Ping Pong or Medium Rare seems to enjoy.  It is a bit of a strange bird and I will enjoy tracking it.  

Has anyone been here recently?  Or at all?  Amazingly, it is still standing, looks empty everytime I drive by, and has managed to outlive countless other establishments that I would vastly prefer. 

Andy, thanks again for sharing your thoughts, this is really fun to have access to your experiences and opinions.  I wonder what your expectations are for cocktails in a three star restaurant.  Do they differ in that setting from your expectations in a highly rated cocktail bar/speakeasy?  Do you find successful pairings with food courses often, like wine or other beverages?  Many bartenders have had their profile raised in the past decade or so, and I wonder whether you find cocktails to be incidental to a great meal or play a more complex role in three stars.  

Here’s a thread that is relevant to breaking news. Also, I throw retroactive shade their way for renaming their place Pizza Parts & Service a month after Spike Gjerde announces the opening of Parts & Labor in Baltimore. 

Ferran Adrià’s “The Family Meal” is probably the best example so far of preparing meals using the siphon.  .