Roo
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The 72 Hour Short Rib that I ate at the bar this past Monday night may have been the best main course I've had in months. The "steak sauce" was super flavorful, so good as to be hard to describe with words. The meat was very tender, with just the perfect amount of char on the outside. And the creamy mashed potatoes were even better to soak up that sauce. I'd previously had the hanger steak and shrimp burger, both good, but not out-of-this-world good like that short rib. First single dish that I would put up on a par with Tom Power's scallops. I've never been to Citronelle, but eating at Central has made me consider starting a little side fund to put away money for a future trip.
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My girlfriend and I sat at the bar last Friday night and had a wonderful time. A big part of that was due to the friendliness of our bartenders - Rachel and Adam. At least I think those were the names. I will agree that the tuna sliders were my favorite thing to eat, especially the Parker House roll and the excellent mayo on the side. We intially ordered three, but soon realized that we needed three more. Don't think of shortchanging yourself. Second favorite dish would be the Sea Scallops Boudin. Very cool presentation, and a perfect scallop flavor in a totally unexpected form - sausage stuffing! We also tried the East meets West, with excellent Kumamoto oysters and a sort-a bland blue crab flan. Consistency and mouth-feel of flan, check. Blue crab flavor, check. How did they do that? Still, other than the novelty the dish wasn't that exciting. Lastly, the carpaciccio of mushroom was very tasty, with a beautiful presentation. We got a taste of a very interesting Hungarian white wine as well. I stuck with the Malbec by the glass and was very pleased. But might try that Hungarian stuff next time. Man, I'm thinking about those tuna sliders again. I liked the bar space, and again, had a lot of fun with the bartenders, so it probably won't be too long before I'm back.
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The celeriac soup that I had (described by NewFoodie above) was absolutely divine. I did not expect the lobster stock base but the choice was inspired. Certainly the best Power soup I've had to date. The celery flavor is subtle, as the lobster stock comes to the forefront. As well, the soup is the farthest thing from heavy, being much less thick than the cauliflower parmesan soup, for instance. I can't recommend enough, though the potato garlic soup that I tried was pretty good, too.
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The NY Strip-cut-like-a-filet special I had last night at RTC was tremendous. Also about the thickest steak (maybe 3" thick?) I've ever had. Will likely be one of the best leftovers I've ever had when I get home tonight, too. And can't get enough of those devilishly good eggs.
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Any thoughts on dry vs. wet brining? I was thinking that I don't have a big enough container to brine the turkey overnight in my fridge, so I was going to just go with dry salting the bird. Anyone have any luck with this method? Also, I have some chicken stock in my fridge, so I was planning on adding the turkey parts (neck, gizzard, wings, not liver, from the fresh turkey I'm picking up tonight), to the stock, and simmering that all for a bit this evening. Then I would use that to make the gravy tomorrow with the pan drippings when the turkey is done. I'm hoping that will be a good substitute for a true roasted turkey stock?
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The Inn At Easton - Still Closed
Roo replied to brr's topic in Baltimore and Annapolis Restaurants and Dining
I had a wonderful two nights at the Inn this past weekend. The place is a real treasure with unique little rooms and an atmosphere that is very welcoming and relaxing. Saturday night my girlfriend and I partook of the 4 course offer. The menu is divided in four sections with four selections in each section, but it turns out that one can order any four dishes from any section (slight upcharge if you order two entrees). However, we stuck with one course each from each of the sections and the meal had a wonderful progression, and I'm glad I didn't skip the desserts. My favorite was the green thai bouillabaise, with my only regret being that I didn't order it, so only managed to beg for a few bites. In fact, I thought the best part of the meal was the Asian influence throughout the meal. The sea scallops were excellent with just the right amount of cilantro, and the pork belly perfectly cooked and beautifully plated over a papaya salad. Expecting my entree of grilled prawns and lentils to not match the heights of my first two courses, I was pleasantly surprised to find it my favorite course. The prawns were not overwhelmed by tasting heavily of the grill, but came out perfectly juicy and flavorful. The sticky fig and ginger pudding was a great end to the meal, with the rich cream perfectly offsetting the tower of gingered pudding. We split a bottle of excellent Shiraz, I won't comment too much on the wine offerings because of my inexperience, but the list did seem well priced. Take advantage of the great weather to come this fall and spend a weekend at this lovely inn. -
Had a solo dine at the Tapas/Ceviche Bar at Stephen Pyles last night, and had a fantastic experience, along the lines of what Joe H describes. I saw the communal table, looks like an trend-worthy concept, but elected to dine right up at the Tapas Bar instead, with its sushi bar-like feel (easy conversation with the three cooks assembling tapas and ceviches in front of you) and great view of the open kitchen. I started with the Halibut Ceviche, with avocado and tomatillo, and it set a very high bar for the entire meal. Sushi grade halibut cooked in key lime juice, the fish was perfect and I loved the avocado/tomatillo mixture it was combined with. I moved on to probably my favorite dish of the evening, recommended by the friendly chef behind the bar. I had the Potatoes with Quail Egg and Foie Gras, a wonderful take on meat, eggs, and potatoes. Cooked right in front of me in the wood-fired oven, it was delicious, with the delicate egg slowly continuing to cook in the heat of the dish. My last two dishes were the Flatbread stuffed with Spicy Lamb and the Suckling Pig with Peach Empanada. The lamb was good but not up to the level of the Pork/Empanada, which was tremendous and the equal of the first two dishes I tried. I finished with their take on Coffee and Donuts, essentially home-made donuts with a coffee brulee and a cajueta sauce. The tapas I had were easily the equal and generally surpassed what I've had at Jaleo and Zaytinya. Not sure I'll be back in Dallas any time soon, but I would certainly make it a point to return here.
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I made a reservation for Friday, September 8 this afternoon. Looking forward to my first trip. They are closed Aug 26 or thereabouts until Sep 5 or so... don't recollect the exact dates but that is close.
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Zengo, Outpost of Denver-Based Restaurant - Closed
Roo replied to Joe H's topic in Washington DC Restaurants and Dining
I stopped in at Zengo last night for a quick solo dine at the bar, as Matchbox (my first choice) was packed to the gills with a wait even for bar seating. Not wanting to settle for Fuddrucker's across the street and only having about 35 min to eat before hopping on the yellow line, I wandered into Zengo. The space, at least downstairs, did not immediately call to me, but the upstairs dining room (which I explored later) seemed much more interesting. The bar was set near the back and had a few seats open for me to jump up to. I ordered two apps -- the Arepas de Puerco and the Thai Chicken Empanadas. I would say that I liked both quite a bit. The Arepas especially was a winning dish, with flavoful pulled pork and a spicy kick that contrasted well with the crema and guacamole. The empanadas were also very appealing, especially the chile-based sauce, but the mango salsa was rather scant and the chicken just hohum. Still, I cleaned both plates and was very satisfied. I would recommend both, but lean towards the Arepas. Bar service was fine, though I had to wait at least five minutes after sitting down without much of an acknowledgement. Some of the drinks seemed to be pretty timeconsuming - I saw a lot of mojitos being ordered. But once I got the bartender's attention he was quick and polite if not especially welcoming or friendly. I wouldn't say the crowd around the bar was my type - some NYC/euro-looking rockstars were already trashed off martinis at 7pm. Though it did seem to be a popular place for women to meet up by the looks of most of the tables/bar stools, I was probably one of four guys in the (downstairs) area. Not sure I'm going to rush back for dinner -- the entrees were pricy and not overly appealing, but the ceviches and appetizers looked very good. I didn't look at the wine list so can't comment on how overpriced or not it is. I'd head back for another trip to the bar if I was in the area. -
Colorado Kitchen - Vailed.
Roo replied to hillvalley's topic in Washington DC Restaurants and Dining
I had a fabulous brunch experience at Colorado Kitchen last Saturday. Took my mom and my aunt who were in town visiting, and I don't think we could have done better anywhere else in the city. Got there shortly after 11am, and was afraid we would find a line out the door already. Turned out not to be a problem, immediately got a table and doughnuts were in front of us shortly after. I'm not usually one who goes much for doughnuts, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend these to anyone. The honey-and-nut was my favorite, but the chocolate and dusted sugar were equally good. I managed to eat about half of my aunt's shrimp and grits in addition to my own soft shell crab and eggs benedict special. Both were fantastic, but I'm going to be salivating for the shrimp and grits next time I make it up there. Not being from the South, I don't have much experience with grits, but the garlic cheesy grits were as good a brunch side as I've ever had. Excellent texture, and really packed in the flavor. Robin gave us fantastic service and pointed us to Da Sto next door when we inquired about buying one of their cool coffee mugs. I really like this place and have never had a bad experience. I wish it was more metro-friendly, but I think the neighboorhood-centric feel of the place probably is to its overall benefit. -
I recall not being enamored of the calamari as well. Wasn't very easy to share as a tapas either. But man, that eggplant and garlic spread and the beef turnover...
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After my friend closed on her new U St condo, a few of us headed up to Tabaq last night, a first visit for all of us. Though it must have been 9:30 or so, I was suprised at how uncrowded the place was. After initially steering us towards the nearly empty main floor dining room, I asked if they could squeeze the six of us upstairs, as I had heard about the great view. I figured on a gorgeous night like last night the upstairs would be packed, but we were fortunate that it was maybe only half-full! The view is as good as advertised, with views of the Capitol and monuments clear in the distance. I was impressed with the food as well -- we split 10 or so dishes and nearly all were hits. The only real miss that comes to mind was the hummus. Our two other spreads, a roasted red pepper spread and (especially) an eggplant spread, were excellent. We enjoyed the basil olive oil as well, the twisty bread was certainly a highlight, and I don't think we missed having pitas at all. As far as the other dishes, ones that I thought were worthing ordering again would be the beef turnover, lobster risotto with pomegranate seeds (use the bread to mop up the creamy sauce!), the Albanian liver, and spinach borek. We didn't have any server problems in the slightest, though it never got to be incredibly busy at any point. Even with six people it was tough to pass around all the dishes with the limited table space. Overall, I'm excited that my friend lives up the street, and I'd come back for another weeknight when the weather is beautiful. I'd probably stay away on a Fri or Sat night, but for a Thursday, it was grand.
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Where did you end up?
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I would never dispute the superiority of Sonoma or Montmatre, but I'd second the earlier recommendation of La Lomita Dos, 2 blocks from the Folger. Order anything with steak -- I'd recommend the Carne Asada or the Burrito al Carbon. Their salsa is also quite good. Best of all for you, the service is generally very quick. Very friendly owners and I always run into lots of fellow Hill locals there. White Tiger is also good -- I like the Murg Makhani best.
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I recently purchased some tasso from one of the stalls at Eastern Market, probably the guys that Brendan is talking about. They don't have it in the display case, but just ask for it.
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I'm headed there around 1:30pm or so. Meat and cheese. Mmmmm. Be sitting with six or so other 20-somethings, probably with a bottle of red or two in front of us.
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Spezie did a nice job accommodating our group of 12 with a same day reservation on a Saturday night a few weeks ago. We were seated in the back room and I thought it worked great. We weren't drinking too much but I was surprised to get out of there at no more than $45 a person.
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I really enjoyed Notti Bianche this past Tuesday evening. Definitely straightforward enough for your guy but I'm sure you'd find something to tweak your interest. Small dining room, but seemed like it would be great for a date. One of my favorite date experiences was when I brought a girl to Nectar in the same space. Nice twenty minute walk home to Dupont as well. You might even be able to work in a pre-dinner show at the Millenium Stage in the Kennedy Center.
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Definately saw star anise at the Whole Foods on P St. last week as I shopped last week. Of course, my chicken was already brining by that point. I had gone to Yes Gourmet the previous morning but obviously didn't look in the right section. I only found half the needed spices so just omitted what I lacked. I was serving 11 people so I ended up brining two 6 lbs birds overnight and drying in the fridge from morning to early evening. The meat came out very moist but I didn't get the skin all that right. I am going to try again soon with a single smaller bird (probably cut in half) -- I won't be so overwhelmed trying to carve two big roasters. I was definitely impressed with how the meat came out but want to try and get the skin right...
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It would be great if you could set an 'OpenTable alert' to notify you when a table at a particular restaurant becomes available due to a cancellation. Since giving up the Saturday night Corduroy res, I've been refreshing my request for Friday lunch or dinner for a couple of hours now hoping to strike gold, or strike scallops, as it were... As far as Notti Bianche goes, I don't know what more needs to be said to convince people to check it out, for RW or otherwise. Last night's dinner was fantastic and Danny B an incredible host, feeding my friend's parking meter was a great touch. The ricotta gnocchi was my favorite from among my table's entrees (luckily I ordered it!) but the chestnut papardelle was a close second.
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I very unfortunately have to cancel a reservation for 2 at Corduroy, Sat night, 9pm. I'll be cancelling at 12pm if anyone cares to grab it. Heading up to Philadelphia for the weekend instead...
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I wonder why any restaurant that accepts reservations would not use OpenTable? I realize that there is a cost involved with the system, but it would seem that the benefits (increased exposure) would outweigh those costs. Often I plug in a date and time into OpenTable, click on "All DC restaurants" and see who has room available. Restaurants that don't use OpenTable (e.g., Dino) wouldn't even enter my mind in that scenario. There are a few restaurants that are famous enough or highly respected enough for me to know about them and seek them out. But for a pretty wide swath of places, not being on OpenTable pretty much rules them out. For instance, colleagues visiting from out of town, I want to take them out to lunch or dinner. Surf over to OpenTable, plug in date and time, ah, "Circle Bistro -- I've heard good things about them." "Firefly, they seem to have quite a following on DR.com, let's go there." Restaurant Week is a similar situation. Given a choice between clicking through online or having to use the phone, online will get my business 90% of the time. Anybody else here feel similarly? I would imagine places like Ray's the Steaks and other will be busy enough without OT, but I wonder if I am missing something on why these restaurants go OT-less.
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My dinner at Corduroy last week with the parents and vegetarian brother and sister-in-law was a hit. I hadn't planned on returning to Corduroy for Restaurant Week (I really should try some new places) but I'm going to be sorely tempted. Chef Power is a remarkable talent. I wonder if Corduroy will continue the Restaurant Week special for an additional week, as they did back in August? I started off with the mushroom soup, with was quite rich but not too creamy -- it really highlighted the taste of the mushrooms. The scallop dish on the menu was unavailable, I believe it was with a Thai-style sauce, but to my great fortune, the version with mushrooms and mashed potatoes was offered as a special. My father had the lamb with that amazing goat cheese ravioli. And, true to Ferhat's word on this board, the vegetarian entrees that my brother and his wife ordered had everyone else eyeing them with envy. I wouldn't have imagined that a collection of different vegetables could look better than my scallops! I believe their favorite was the rice that Kanishka so aptly describes above. Thanks to Ferhat to treating us so well and recommending a great Pinot Noir that everyone enjoyed. I believe my parents chatted briefly with him about Michel Richard -- I had forgotten that Michel had spent so much time in LA (my hometown), and they recalled his outpost there.
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I'm especially excited about the $10 wine pairing at NB. Perhaps NewFoodie and I can recruit some future Rockweilders from our group. I miss the old Nectar, but I'm sure Notti Bianche will help me forget it.
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Thanks for all of the suggestions, folks. I should have assumed there would be some meat in the spring rolls, and they sound better for it. Are they generally available only on the bar menu or in the dining room as well? I suppose one could always request something off the bar menu... I'm definitely considering the pork belly considering the raves for it on this board. Is it a starter or an entree? Because it would be hard to pass up the scallops for an entree. I'm also hoping that halibut will be on offer, as I know that will make at least two in the party thrilled. But I've enjoyed all the fish I've tasted at Corduroy, so not too much loss if it isn't around. As for my vegetarian brother, I'll put him in the capable hands of Chef Power. I hope the rice is somehow involved...