fuzzy510

Even if your profit margin on what you're serving is extremely high, you won't make money if people aren't coming through the door. EDIT: Damn! Beaten to it.

My sincerest apologies; for some reason, I didn't think to send out a PM to those who were still on the "Attending" list to let everyone know of the change of plans. Doesn't make it better, I know, but I am sorry. First round's on me during the next event.

I'm willing to give the guy the benefit of the doubt and say that he's referring to the idea of putting it on the menu, but even if he's not, who cares? It doesn't change the fact that it's a damn fine milkshake, and it's not as if he's promoting it on his menu as "The Original Spike Mendelsohn Toasted Marshmallow Shake Created By Spike Mendelsohn and Not Influenced By Any Other Restaurant Ever."

To be fair, I don't think I've seen anywhere that he claimed that he DID invent such a shake.

Just an arbitrary ceiling for what I've spent for a good, but not terribly extravagant, lunch before. Cheaper is obviously better, but I didn't want to come in and ask for something absurdly cheap. Interesting places with counter service are a huge plus. Didn't realize that Taylor was right there on K Street, and that's not too far out of the way. I'll have to pay visits to Full Kee and Sweet Mango. I've been meaning to get to Proof to check out the lunch special, but I can never seem to get myself in gear to show up during lunch hours. My loss. The Andres places are certainly good, but I do terribly in trying to restrain myself when eating tapas/mezze. And I'm, uh, familar with Matchbox. Please do keep them coming if you've got them, and thanks a ton for all of your thoughts thusfar.

Oh, and please don't mention Pete's. I'm not that ill-informed.

Yeah, this is off, folks.

Started a new job recently that has me commuting down the Green Line during lunch, and it occurs to me that I'm not terribly familiar with a lot of the area. Is there anything in that stretch between Fort Totten and L'Enfant Plaza that I need to know about where I can pick up a decent lunch without spending close to $20 each time?

$20 for $40 at the Glover Park Sushi Ko. http://www.groupon.com/washington-dc/area/dc-metro/deals/sushi-ko-dc

For all the crap I give this place both here and in talking with friends, I should probably mention that the Vidalia onion petals ($3.49), while somewhat salty, were pretty enjoyable today, and the toasted marshmallow milkshake ($5.25) is still one of my favorite things ever. However, my Colletti's Smokehouse burger ($6.69) was unmemorable and was overshadowed by everything that wasn't beef. I'm really not sure that I want to order another burger from here. Oh, and the fries still suck. Hard. Each time I've been here, they've been limp and lifeless, and this is the point in the proceedings where we give up on them. I'm 100% convinced that the people who've gotten enjoyable fries from here either have caught them on a rare day when they're on, or (much less likely in the case of people here) don't know what a good french fry is supposed to taste and look like.

Just bumping this to the top to see if anybody else wanted to jump in as we approach closer to the date.

Yeah, they're definitely having a problem keeping up with demand right now. I keep looking in there every time I go past on my way to work, and I've twice now seen signs that they were unexpectedly closed for lunches or full days of service. It's obviously a great problem to have to start out, but I'd imagine not one that they can have for too much longer before people pass it up simply because they're unsure if they'll be open.

If the OMFG Dip is not the greatest sandwich in DC right now, I'd really love to know what is.

You don't think he's been making all of those laudatory posts for free, do you?

Just wanted to mention that as I've been walking by going to work the last couple of days, the Chesapeake Room appears to be fully open.

Wait, really? East River's been high on my to-do list for a while, but if the smoked fried chicken is really this good, it's moving from "I should make it out there sometime" to "I should make it out there next week."

Maybes are certainly fine! fuzzy510 DanielK Scott Johnston zoarster (+1?) sphere777 olivelady xcanuck Porcupine?

Tuesday, June 8th, 7:00 PM fuzzy510 DanielK Scott Johnston zoarster (+1?) sphere777

Apparently there was a fire last weekend which pretty well torched the place's interior. The running joke that I've heard is that it was torched for insurance money, as that was the only way it would be profitable in its current form. Is Nicaro really that bad now? Usually you at least have one friend who inexplicably likes-to-loves a garbage restaurant, but I've not found anybody who enjoys this place now.

Fair enough, and I wish the best for the new BOH staff, but it doesn't change the fact that I didn't enjoy myself at Jackie's as much as I have at other places in Silver Spring, much less the DC area. And I'm sure it can be hard to hear criticisms, but if somebody is reading the comments I or someone else makes, do they really want me to lie for a morale boost instead of saying when something's not likely up to the chef's standards? I would sincerely hope that nobody takes a "review" such as mine and extrapolates it to say "Diana Davila is a crap chef, and nobody should waste their time on her or her shoddy restaurant." Even with my feelings on my visit, I'd like to think that I alone would never end up turning away someone who otherwise had an interest in dining at Jackie's. That aside, I think it's also worth noting that tenure in the kitchen doesn't address the service (a problem that, from other accounts, seems to be a constant from even before Frank Morales took over), nor does it change my opinion that the menu currently offered at Jackie's is in direct conflict with the general vibe of the place. Even if the kitchen had been executing their dishes perfectly, the experience still wouldn't have been outstanding.

As frustrating as that is to hear, it's almost more upsetting to drive past Ray's The Classics on the way back and know that I could've eaten there for roughly the same price (or, if I went with the whole comfort food motif and got a Hell-Burger, much less). I'm just glad I'm not the only one.

We'll do the 8th, then. (Could somebody change the date on the topic?)

......I've been put on to work the night of June 1. Does June 8 work just as well? If not, I don't mind organizing and then just not going, as odd as that may be.

I finally made my way to Jackie's tonight, and I was rather underwhelmed with the whole experience. Started the meal with cornmeal-crusted green tomatoes ($7), which seemingly came out almost raw. I realize a green tomato should be firm before cooking it, but these were tough to get through with a knife and fork. The highlight of the meal was the skillet fried chicken w/potato salad ($16), but even this was uneven. Of the three pieces of chicken, the thigh was fantastic, the leg was alright, and the breast was dry in parts. The potato salad had more onion than I'm accustomed to, but I still enjoyed it. Dessert was a banana split ($7), which was good, if unremarkable. I had an issue, however, with the pieces of peanut brittle and toffee which were added. They were way too large to eat in one bite, and in some cases too thick to break up with a spoon. This led me to, with my fingers, dig into the soupy melted ice cream and pluck out the peanut brittle so I could actually eat it. I was actually OK with this; I can understand why others (including those dining near me) would not be. Service was also fairly lousy. I'm not sure if it took so long because we ordered the fried chicken, but it took two hours to get through three courses, in many cases with an uncomfortably long wait. All of this was compounded by our server saying that food would be out in two or three minutes, and having it not arrive for another ten minutes. I understand what he was trying to do, but don't give me a number figure if it's not going to be accurate. I know it may seem like a minor issue, but it really is a tease to prepare to receive your meal and then have to just continue waiting. All in all, I don't see myself coming back to Jackie's. I struggle with saying that, because I feel like it makes it seem that things were far worse than they were, but I'm not sure I can justify the cost ($60 for one app, two of the cheapest main offered, and dessert) for what I got. (One other note: I'm not sure if the menu's changed drastically since Diana Davila took over, but a lot of the mains just seem out of place. The whole space screams for a modern take on comfort food, and instead there's......bacon-wrapped rabbit loin? Korean "hot pot" tuna sashimi? I just don't get it. The decor portrays a very specific theme, and the current menu is not fitting that theme at all.)

11, I believe, and I think at that point you can order anything, not just the specific lunch items.