brian

I went to Quince a year ago and it was brilliant; by far the best meal I had in SF. Resembled a dressed-up version of Komi more than any Italian restaurant in DC. Very intimate & elegant, with proper but friendly service and small menu where everything was a highlight.

Two exceptional burgers recently, one last night at Café Saint-Ex that easily surpassed the mediocre burger I last had there early into Barton Seaver's tenure. This one was juicy, had properly flesh scalding grease dripping off of it, and came with fresh and fully flavored shoestring fries. There was enough of a sear and meaty depth to the burger that for the next 15 minutes I was distinctly aware that I had just eaten a beast. The other was a bit more upscale, though not not in a more upscale environment. Temperance Hall in Petworth is a new neighborhood bar/restaurant about a block from the Georgia Avenue metro station. It deserves a fuller review, but the burger I had there last week as loosely bound as Palena's and just as rich. It was topped with a pungent roasted garlic mayonnaise and each of the normal side ingredients was tweaked in some way - I'm pretty sure this is the first time cornichons have made an appearance in an establishment Joe Englert's been involved in. The Saint-Ex burger was great, the Temperance Hall burger was craving-inducing.

Bereket

It's certainly an expensive restaurant, but the $240 rack of veal is meant to serve 6 people. Most of their entrees are priced from $27 to $30.

The new Temperance Hall on Georgia Avenue (a block south of the Georgia Ave. Metro station) has at least four different ryes available - didn't note which ones, though.

On currently at Birreria Paradiso and 51st State.

A little bit of "Who's On First?" going on in this thread... kstreet

Forgot to add RockBottom and Thoroughbreds. And Dogfish Head would fit into the Cap City category (but not the same quality).

District Chophouse Old Dominion Sweetwater Brewer's Art DuClaw Shenandoah Brewing Company (Sort of, more brew than pub. Supplier to Dremo's.) Ram's Head (Fordham) and The Wharf Rat (Oliver) count at least as much as Cap City - off premise brewing specific to the pub. DeGroens went under, too...

The comment is excerpted in this week's City Paper in a capsule review of Nora which is done in a Zagat-like fashion based on the website comments. The paper also introduces the comment: "... another cynically remarks, "If you can get beyond, or laugh at, the incredible pretentiousness of Nora's organic credo, the food is just wonderful."" I'll also note that one of the definitions of pretentious isn't strictly related to pretense, but is a synonym of ostentatious. While not the nicest term, I don't think it's unfair to say that Restaurant Nora's embrace of organic cuisine is ostentatious, given the focus of the restaurant's own website.

It was on at Saint-Ex for a bit, and for a few months at The Brickskeller. Not sure where else.

I agree - the only reason to make multiple reservations is if you're concerned that someone else might take that space - in which case you're inconveniencing someone. Booking far ahead and they're far from full? Then you shouldn't need to make a reservation at that point anyway. Unless you're trying to make sure that someone else doesn't get one.

Hennepin on draft is delicious stuff, but aside from that I think Allagash trumps Ommegang in just about every way for US Belgian-style brewing. A couple of years ago there was (to my palette at least) a dip in the quality of Allagash White, but based on a draft I had last month it's back up. And their smaller run beers are always right on. Just wish it was as easy to find their Double as their Triple.

The Toque-A-Scope was my favorite feature in the section. When you go to a restaurant known for its chef, I think it's fair to know whether or not the chef will be there. When an establishment is named after its chef, you're certainly setting up an expectation, true or not, that the restaurant revolves around that person.

I think it's the passive-aggressive attitude of the questioner that's a problem more than the desire to see their birthday recognized.If the restaurant asks whether it's a special occasion when you make your reservation then I think there's a reasonable expectation that they'll recognize it in some way. The same can't be said for mentioning that it's your birthday and then hoping they'll do something - unless you ask.

I liked part of the first caption.

It was. Probably one of their most successful designs, considering the awkwardness of the space.

I was wondering the same. I guess you could make an argument for the misspelling, or there's another restaurant on the list that doesn't really fit the question criteria (anymore).

Based on my first meal at wd~50, I'd say it was unmissable. Based on my last visit (May '05), I'd say skip it. Had the tasting menu and everything came out like it was off an assembly line. The server brought paired wines halfway through courses, the runners dropped off plates with no explanations, and there wasn't anyone working there who seemed interested in what was going on. Secondary ingredients in dishes far overpowered primary ingredients, temperatures were off, and a few of the dishes were just flavorless. The menu's a great read, but the food and experience don't live up to it. Maybe it was an off night, but I don't believe in off nights at $200/person.

Bartender extraordinaire Eugene has mentioned that one of Clark's former sous chefs is running the kitchen now. Based on my last couple of lunch visits it's going swimmingly. Not sure whether or not they're looking for a higher profile replacement chef.

I used to work in the Kitchen Planning department of the Potomac Mills IKEA, so I've heard all the good and the bad. They're certainly the best cabinets you can get without going to a custom place. Understand that with the low cost there may be some pieces missing, late deliveries, etc., but that can be fixed and I still wouldn't hesitate to use them. They'll have a list of suggested installers, all of which are independent and uniformly excellent (I think Doug Brooks was the best of them). You can save a substantial amount of money by assembling the cabinets yourself before having them professionally installed.

I'm sure it skews your perspective when your restaurant has appetizers that run over $30.

There are the Sweetwaters, the Gordon Biersches, the Capitol Cities, the innumerable bars with the same Dominion ale on tap. And then there is Shenandoah Brewing Company. It’s a small operation located in a strip mall just a few doors down from Nick’s country western nightclub (which WILL kick you out for bringing your beer onto the dance floor) near the Van Dorn metro station. The Post ran an article last week on brewing your own beer here, but I head over more often to pick up a few mixed six packs or fill a growler. They always have half a dozen or so beers on tap at their small corner bar (sometimes even a cask), they serve decent chili with some nice bottled hot sauces, and they’ve got a foosball table. The place smells like fresh beer in a tangible way that’s the polar opposite of the cleanser and mildew smell of brewpubs. Check the fridge near the end of the bar to see what’s available to go – they’ll have their core range (Big Meadow Pale, Old Rag, White Water Wheat) and some stuff they’re just playing around with. A few weeks ago I picked up a truly disconcerting Chocolate Donut Stout, an elusively sweet rye beer, and some of their very expensive and phenomenally rich Millennium Stout. You can buy a half-gallon growler jug for $6, and get it (or an empty growler from another brewery) filled or refilled for another $6. Overall they tend to shy away from the amped up hops that are so pervasive in American craft brewing today, focusing more on the malts and roasted flavors. I’ve only seen these beers on tap or in bottles a few places in the area, most notably at Dr. Dremo’s where they supply all the beers under the Dremo’s name (though it’s worth visiting the brewery to taste them from clean lines). While I don’t think their overall quality level is quite as high as Dogfish Head or Allagash, they’re exploring some pretty unique brewing styles and they present a great alternative to many recently maligned area brewers.

Seeing as the birdie's description of the t-shirts matches those on the website, I have an idea...

Last year on Christmas Eve I booked dinne for my family at Metrazur. It's a Charlie Palmer place on the mezzanine of the main hall at Grand Central, so you're really sitting in the terminal. The meal was pretty good, but the atmosphere (surely the most important thing for a Christmas dinner out?) was out of this world.