brian

FANTASTIC spirits column today, though. Probably my favorite one yet. A full bar laid out in a clear way, cost conscious without feeling at all dumbed down. Kudos to Jason Wilson.

Not if Chodorow's involved.

Regardless of how well cooked the fries at Beck were and how good the accompanying mayos, I can't support a belgian restaurant that makes fries that are thinner than McDonald's. It doesn't give them the chance to develop the fluffy center that makes frites great. At this point the frites at Central are much closer to what you'd get anywhere in Belgium than the ones at Beck.

They could have relocated to the O Street Market if the city had done any work there since its roof collapse four years ago. Hopfully this event will also make the city rethink the massive redevelopment being planned for the Florida Avenue wholesale market area.

It's a few sublevels in the postmodern office building on the south side of the street. They've got signs out at night.

There's a parking garage around the corner (on P bet. 16th & 17th), but you may want to check that they have a table for five available.

It's only free if you don't count the considerable cost of RAMW membership.

I've had very well made manhattans in DC at Temperance Hall, PS7's, Round Robin Bar at The Willard, Off the Record, Bourbon, and wherever Derek's working at the moment.

So would it bother you if Bouchon's website described it like this?

Congrats to Eric Ripert for inking the deal on his third Ritz Carlton restaurant!

Very true, and one of the many reasons that interacting with the owner of an establishment is great. Ask a typical server at The Reef what kind of hops are in a beer and you'll get a blank stare. Greg's done a great job taking over from Thor at BP, you may have better luck talking with him when he's tending bar as he's a real hop head.

I had a similar reaction when reading the review, but on FarrahOlivia's website it describes the cooking as "...American, French, and African cuisine", so it seems like more of a case of the restaurant trying to position itself that way rather than Tom ignoring the distinction.

If the goal is to incorporate as little water as possible to the gin when icing it, why not start with gin in the freezer? Or, if a small bit of water is desirable, find the perfect amount and add it rather than the imperfection of stirring or shaking the drink.

I'd like to hear that - my one experience at Moto (GTM) was probably the worst high end restaurant meal I've ever had, from the food (too many similar courses/presentation techniques/flavors) to the setting (cheap and unimaginative compared to the menu and prices) to the service (items listed as part of the $160 tasting menu being presented as "a gift from the chef"). Minibar simply served much better food at better prices in a more engaging setting. I've done the tasting menu at wd-50 a couple of times - the first was very personalized with great service, the second was assembly line.

Tim Carman did the Fogo/Greenfields/Malibu comparison a couple weeks ago in the CityPaper... http://restaurants.washingtoncitypaper.com...p?week=20061222

It's a restaurant as a licensing excuse for the nightclub upstairs. Which isn't to say the food can't be good, but that it's about as much of a priority to the owners as the food at Blue Gin or Chloe.

After staying away for a while due to inconsistent hours, inconsisent service, and inconsistent food, I've been back twice in the last month and both times the pizzas have been close to perfect - cracker thin and crisp but still chewable with airy crusts. Unlike some past experiences, the toppings were evenly distributed and not overloaded to sogginess. Maybe I've just caught them on their peaks, but it's definitely enough to put them back into my regular rotation (despite having possibly the least enticing interior of any restaurant to open in DC this decade).

Berlin Berlin report: Wonderful - I mean amazingly wonderful - schnitzel at Markthalle in Kreuzberg. The jaegerschnitzel is the best option. Also, breakfast until 5pm. http://www.weltrestaurant-markthalle.de/de/index.php?s=1 Semi Lasso - relaxed and decent Italian across the street from Markthalle. Reasonable prices, fresher and more variety of vegetables than most Berlin restaurants. http://www.semi-lasso.de/menue.php Cafe Einstein - one of the few decent and not expensive places in the sea of central government office buildings. Politicians, artists, writers, and the host knows everyone. http://www.cafeeinstein.com/home.php Meliá Tapas - I thought Moto would be the worst contemporary Spanish gastronomy-inspired meal I'd ever have. Wrong!

Despite the terrible name, the one in Annapolis is quite good! Reasonably priced casual fusion fare, but everything I've had there has been much better than one would expect.

Sign just went up today - Naan & Beyond taking over the former Quizno's at 2130 P St!

If you get a really good deal on rent in a space a few other restaurants have cycled through, there's usually a very good reason for it. Ask Agraria LLC.

CityZen may be bigger, but it's got far fewer seats than Tosca and not too many more than Palena. I understand the concern over restaurant size - in a bigger restaurant the GM has more ground to cover, the chef is going to have less time on every plate, food crossing more distance between the kitchen and table, and a bigger staff means it's harder to find enough good people. On my last few vacations I've noticed a clear inverse relationship between restaurant size and the quality of the experience, even for places with similarly enthusiastic reviews.

Is it just me or has Tom been reviewing places sooner and sooner after they launch? Eamonn's hasn't even been open two months and PX even less.

The 2006 Dining Guide Breakdown: Upgraded: CityZen: 4 stars from 3 stars Palena: 3.5 stars from 3 stars minibar: 3.5 stars from 3 stars Jackie's: 2.5 stars from 2 stars Montmartre: 2.5 stars from 2 stars Huong Que/Four Sisters Restaurant: 2.5 stars from 2 stars Breadline: 2.5 stars from 2 stars Unchanged: Maestro: 4 stars Michel Richard Citronelle: 4 stars Inn at Little Washington: 4 stars Restaurant Eve's Tasting Room: 3.5 stars Inn at Easton: 3 stars 1789: 3 stars 2 Amys: 3 stars Komi: 3 stars Zaytinya: 3 stars Jaleo: 3 stars Cashion’s Eat Place: 3 stars Bangkok 54: 3 stars Sushi-Ko: 3 stars Rays the Steaks: 2.5 stars Oval Room: 2.5 stars Tabard Inn: 2.5 stars Colorado Kitchen: 2 stars A&J: 2 stars Layalina: 2 stars Downgraded: Buck’s Fishing and Camping: 2.5 stars from 3 stars Kotobuki: 2 stars from 2.5 stars Corduroy: 2.5 stars from 3 stars Le Mannequin Pis: 2.5 stars from 3 stars New additions (not appearing in 2004 or 2005 guides): Rasika: 3 stars Obelisk: 3 stars Vidalia: 3 stars Black's Bar & Kitchen: 2.5 stars Blue Duck Tavern: 2.5 stars Ray's the Classics: 2.5 stars Cafe Atlantico: 2.5 stars Bamian: 2.5 stars Kinkead's: 2.5 stars Artie's: 2.5 stars David Craig: 2.5 stars Del Merei Grille: 2 stars Hank's Oyster Bar: 2 stars Hitching Post: 2 stars Cuba de Ayer: 2 stars El Chalan: 2 stars Yechon: 2 stars Back on the list (included in 2006 and 2004 guides but not 2005): Komi Zaytinya Corduroy minibar Mannequin Pis Jaleo Cashion’s Eat Place Huong Que/Four Sisters Restaurant Breadline A&J Montmartre Perennials (included in 2004, 2005 and 2006 guides): Ray's the Steaks Restaurant Eve Maestro Michel Richard Citronelle Inn at Little Washington Buck’s Fishing and Camping 2 Amy’s Sushi-Ko Palena Inn at Easton Colorado Kitchen Not included (there in 2005, gone in 2006): Johnny’s Half Shell Samantha's Charlie Palmer Steak Thai Square Urban Bar-B-Que Company Bob Kinkead’s Colvin Run Tavern 2941 Circle Bistro Capital Grille Lewnes’ Steakhouse Al Tiramisu Amici Miei Osteria del Galileo Poste Occidental Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant Ceiba Delhi Club Aster Oyamel Cocina Mexicana Black Market Bistro Cafe Saint-Ex Gom Ba Woo Mandalay Etete Jerry's Seafood Taberna Del Alabardero Mitsitam Café Nirvana Vegetable Garden I may have miscounted or mistyped some things, if so let me know and I'll be happy to correct them. Note that upgrades/downgrades are based on previous dining guide ratings only, not regular reviews (for example, I've listed Rasika under new additions even though they were upgraded from 2 1/2 to 3 stars). Many of this year's changed ratings are to restaurants last reviewed in the 2004 dining guide, so some may be more a reflection of the 1/2 star update than of a change in quality. Jose is back in a big way. Though Oyamel drops off the list (expect to see it back next year, post-relocation), Jaleo, Zaytinya, and minibar are back on and Cafe Atlantico is a new addition. Apparently all three branches of Jaleo qualify as 3 star restaurants, giving Andres a total of 18 stars. Michael Landrum is the only other owner with multiple establishments in the guide.

Emerald 1 oz gin 3/4 oz green Chartreuse 3/4 oz sweet vermouth 1 dash orange bitters Serve chilled. A gin with a relatively clean profile will stay out of the Chartreuse's way, it's a potent but lovely after dinner drink. It comes out greenish-brown, though.