JimCo

She had quietly stopped selling gift certificates a while ago, which makes me think this was in the works (or in her thoughts) for a while. Good for her. Banana Pudding and Salted Caramel were my favorites. Still got a half gallon of Candy Cane in my freezer. Maybe it's now a collectors item?

We visited Nasime before Christmas. It's exciting to have a restaurant in Old Town that's exploring Japanese cuisine outside of sushi. I had left a message on the reservation line and received a return call on the same day. While I had requested a seat at the bar overlooking the kitchen, we arrived to find them all full. No big deal. The service was extremely friendly. We requested help in selecting a bottle of sake. I don't remember now what we chose, but it was terrific. It was described as being like a bold red and that was accurate. I also appreciated the beer is all genuine Japanese imports. Our menu that night consisted of the following: 1 - Sake Steamed Tile Fish w/ Uni. I'm not normally a fan of uni, but I enjoyed his. 2- Sashimi. Consisted of salmon, yellowtail and two other fish I hadn't heard of. This was some of the best sashimi I've ever had. 3 - Grilled Fillet Mignon w/ Eggplant Miso. This was the big miss of the night. There was no char on the beef and it was mushy. Combined with the eggplant miso, it was a one-note dish both in texture and flavor. 4 - Oregon Black Truffle & Turkey Ramen. I assume the turkey was a nod to the Christmas season. I thought the broth was pretty good, but the turkey meatballs were dry. 5 - Honey-Dew Ice Cream. I'm not a dessert eater, but this was a refreshing way to end the meal. Overall, I wanted to like Nasime more than I wound up actually liking Nasime that night. The fish preparations were clearly the strong suit with the meat dishes just a little off. I'm still anxious to go back however, because this is a small, unique restaurant that I think will only get better.

I visited Texas Jack's a few times early last year, and have been three times over the past month. I will say their consistency seems to have improved tremendously over the past year. Early on, I had some ribs that were undercooked and chewy. But I haven't had a bad experience lately and that's why I keep finding an excuse to go back. The ribs are excellent, and I've enjoyed both the moist and lean brisket. Surprisingly, both meats even reheated well the next day which is not something I'm accustomed to with barbecue.

I went Sunday evening for an early dinner at the bar. Enjoyed a terrific Old Fashioned sweetened with maple. Per the bartender's suggestion, I tried the hay-smoked oysters. Normally I don't care for cooked oysters but these were an exception. They were lightly smoked, but not cooked through and came with a brown butter mignonette and a homemade cocktail sauce. Both sauces were excellent, but the mignonette was my favorite. It was thick enough that you could put a few drops on the oyster without accidently dumping a tablespoon on and killing the brininess. Next up was the brisket chips, homemade potato chips topped with braised brisket, chive crème fraiche and pimento cheese. The components here were all delicious but the execution could be improved. It's served in a small but deep bowl, which results in the chips on the bottom getting soggy. Also, the pimento cheese was stone cold on the top and thus difficult to incorporate into the dish. The brisket was shredded and very juicy. The country fried steak was not round steak, but appeared to be a sirloin or strip steak. It was served medium rare and tasted good, but more like a steak than a country friend steak. (And to be fair, the bartender did explain that before I ordered). I took some peanut butter bars to go, but wound up eating one on my way out. These were the big disappointment of the meal. They were just doughy and bland, without much peanut flavor. Went back on Monday night for their fried chicken special. This was great fried chicken. Three legs with greens and grits for just $12. The breading is thick but crisp, and is well-seasoned. The grits were creamy enough to be mistaken for mashed potatoes, and tasted wonderful. The greens were very good, though seemed to have a lot of grit in them. Overall a very strong performance for a place just open a couple of weeks.

While Ethiopic may not be as authentic (or even as tasty) as some other Ethiopian places, I appreciate its crossover appeal. It was the first place I ever tried Ethiopian and learned how to eat with injera. We later introduced my parents to the cuisine there as well. I've gone on to eat at Abay Market and loved it, but not sure I would have tried it without previously being exposed to the cuisine. There's real value to places that perhaps eschew some tradition but help introduce the masses to new food and experiences.

Went there for lunch today and I thought the kitfo was outstanding. I enjoyed the spicing, but it also came with diced jalapeno and some ground red pepper which I sprinkled on for some added kick. So far, I've tried the kitfo at Abay Market, Meaza and Ethopic and I would declare Hawwi to be my favorite. Their injera was just slightly crispy on the edges which made for a nice texture. They take 30% off the bill for lunch (and it was clearly a dinner sized portion). I shall return.

It was a yellow curry when I ordered it in December, but I don't remember the protein. It was fantastic. Very spicy, but not debilitating.

The owner stopped by the table at one point. He said there's been a run on beef ribs in Asia that has dramatically driven up the cost. Not sure of the whole story, but that was the explanation. Sort of like when Arby's single-handily raised brisket prices in 2014: 05/30/14 "Arby's Takes a Chunk of the U.S. Brisket Supply" by Daniel Vaughn on tmbbq.com

Sampled quite a lot this evening. The meats were very good. They served brisket flat, and I hadn't thought to ask for the point. Still it was nice and moist, perhaps a shade more tender than I would like. I thought it could have used a tad more smoke. The pulled pork didn't pick up any of the advertised chili rubs but was still decent. The pork ribs were great and probably the best I've had at a restaurant in years. They were perfectly cooked, providing a clean bite with none of the "fall off the bone" overcooked-ness that infects most BBQ joints. I liked the sausage which was pretty spicy tonight but I can tell it won't suit everyone's palate as it was a little greasy. The surprise here is the sides which were all fantastic. Charred brussel sprouts have a hint of lemon to cut through all the meat fat. The corn was delicious, basically a creamed corn with cilantro and some cheese. Cucumber salad was light and creamy. I would have loved to finish it off with some banana pudding but there are no desserts yet. We were told the chef is still working on them. But if they show the same attention to detail on desserts as they do on the sides then customers will be very fortunate.

I want to say thank you for all the good tips that folks provided for our one day in San Francisco, before our Napa trip. Saturday afternoon we went to Taqueria Cancun in the Mission District where I had the chicken burrito. It was delicious. Not a life-changing experience as I've heard some describe SF burritos, but very, very good. I'd eat there a lot if I lived nearby. But the main event of this particular trip was Coqueta. Thanks to Don for the recommendation. It has the vibe of sitting in a small warehouse or storage room, and let me emphasize 'small'. We were seated at an elevated table between the bar and the wall, and no one could walk by without bumping into us. It took a while for our server to come by, and between the cramped quarters and the lack of attention, I was getting anxious. I shouldn't have been. Once we were on the radar screen, we were treated to a fantastic dinner with warm, gracious service. The server was helpful without being bossy. I'm not a fan of small plates, yet he convinced us to concentrate on the small plates. Were I an Eskimo, I'd have bought his refrigerator. But his advice was spot-on. I had wanted to try their paella, and he steered us away. "The paella is great, but it's big and you'll fill up on it," he said. "Since you're not from here and won't be coming back soon, try more small plates and get the pork shoulder." Now I could tell you about the small plates... the Croquetas de Pollo which tastes like mini pot-pies... or the Gamas al Negro which are prawns with black garlic sauce and taste a little chalky but still very good. I could tell you about the "Sunny side-up Huevo" with crispy potatoes and chorizo dressing where I could have licked the plate. Or the Yellow Cauliflower Steak that was very good, but nothing you'd fly across country for. Or... I. Could. Tell. You. About. The. Pork. Shoulder. The pork shoulder is why you have servers. The good ones stop from you ordering what sounds good and tell you to order what is good. Ours was unequivocal: order the pork shoulder. Thank god we did. It was dropped off by a runner, who quickly disappeared. As we stared at the pinkish strips of charred meat, it was obvious there had been an error. They had brought us the beef rib-eye. Mistakes happen, and we flagged down our server to alert him to the mistake. "Sorry," he said. "I should have mentioned that. The pork is 100% acorn fed, so the finished result looks a lot like beef." Humbled and hungry, I dug in. It was the best pork I've ever had. Rich, meaty, and smoky. It has now put me on a mission to find more 100% acorn fed pork. (Not acorn finished dammit, It's not the same!) So if I can offer my own SF advice now. Go to Coqueta. Order the pork.

I was fortunate enough to reserve the rooftop deck last August, and I feel like I had a similar experience as yours. Overall, it was a lot of fun and had some great dishes but also felt like there were some clear misses. One of our first courses was tomatoes on white bread that I know was designed to be simple and delicious, but just felt a little too basic because the tomatoes weren't all that great. The popcorn soup (that I had read so much about) was served at room temperature and I think would have benefitted from being warmed up. And we finished with the pork shoulder with peach BBQ sauce that was very good, but felt a little lacking. I loved the service and the vibe. Some of the dishes (like the lychee salad) were incredible. If I could go again, I would probably do so. I didn't find it quite as transcendent as some, but it was a fun night. The problem is (at that price point) you have a tendency to remember the misses instead of the hits.

Seems like Bangkok Golden (the original Thip Kao) should make any top 10 list.

It's tough to add more about a place whose menu is so small and permanent, so I'll add a picture. This is the tere sega and kitfo, and it was delicious. Parking was not bad on a Tuesday evening, and the place was empty except for one other table. The service couldn't have been nicer or more gracious. When we ordered the tere sega, we did have to go through a once-over from the owner who just wanted to make sure we knew what we were getting into. I'll be back.

Ha! It was your post that made Slanted Door sound so good. So you'd say Boulevard? (We're staying in San Francisco that might).

So let's say you've never been to San Francisco. And let's say you're able to enjoy just one night there. And let's say the next night you're going to dine at The French Laundry, which will certainly check the box for exhorbitant fine dining/tasting menu extravagance. Where do you go? I was thinking I'd like to do something that SF does much better than DC. Perhaps Chinese food? But the reviews suggest Mission Chinese may have lost a step. What about Slanted Door? We have plenty of Vietnamese options in this area, but maybe that's worth trying. Or perhaps just a good burrito in the Mission District. Decisions, decisions. Any opinions?

A couple of weeks ago, a trip to Leesburg brought the family past Gypsy Soul and naturally we had to stop for Sunday brunch. The donuts were crazy good. Crispy with a soft, lemony center. I had the chicken fried steak with eggs. The gravy had a great sage flavor. Our two little boys (ages 5 and 6) ordered a Mac and Cheese, and an order of pancakes respectively. Both were devoured. After the meal, we pointed out RJ to our sons and said he was the chef. The 6 year old asked if he could go thank him. "Of course," we said. And he wandered over. The 5 year old said, "Can I thank him too?" We said sure, and watched them both walk over to RJ. I watched the 6 year old say something, and heard RJ thank him. I then watched the 5 year old say something... and saw RJ laugh and exclaim "Hanks???" Oh. Crap. The 5 year old is a maniacal fan of Hank's Oyster Bar and their Mac and Cheese, regularly declaring it the "best in the world." Before he returned to the table, I knew what had happened. But I asked anyway. "What did you tell the chef?" "That his macaroni and cheese was good, but not as good as Hank's." "That was really rude. Why did you say that?" "You guys said I should always tell the truth." A discussion (and some clarifications) ensued. Mortified, we walked by RJ on our way out to apologize and tell him that everything was fantastic as always. He laughed again and said "At least he was talking about someone I know" and then gave the boys some brownies. A real class act. (And for the record, I tasted the Mac and cheese and thought it was better than Hank's.)

Nice. I haven't been there, but guessed a pizza box and saltenas could only mean one thing.

Pike Pizza?

It merits italics. Had a sausage, egg and cheese biscuit on opening day. It was delicious. I'm already making plans for the fried chicken and pimento cheese biscuit. Hope they're ready for the farmers market crowds on Saturday.

We were there recently for brunch. I had the sausage biscuit with gravy. It was good, but was barely above room temperature. I noticed Sietsema had issues with temperature too. Sounds like they have a problem expediting.

Stopped in for lunch yesterday at the Old Town location, and enjoyed a Miniera (which is basically a plain cheese pizza with your choice of three-toppings). I had pepperoni, roasted garlic and oregano. The garlic was more toasted than roasted, but still very good. I'd say Paradiso makes a very good pizza, even if their authentic Neopolitan isn't very authentic. For the record, I would take a pizza from Vace over Two Amy's any day of the week, so my tastes probably don't run toward the authentic anyway. Paradiso doesn't get enough praise for their beer list. Their draught list isn't just large and varied, it's also accompanied by informative, vivid descriptions. Yesterday I had a Terrapin Mosaic Single Hopped Rye Ale and it was a shame that I got the last glass because I would have enjoyed another. It was a little bitter, but also incredibly smooth. It's always a safe bet that I'll try something new every time I'm there. I'm glad to have this place in Old Town.

It only took me five years, but took my maiden voyage at Toki last night. "Only" a 45 minute wait at a 6:30 on a Tuesday, but was gladly spent at the bar downstairs drinking a Port City Ways and Means. The stars were the pork dumplings and the fried chicken buns. The buns in particular are addictive with enough spice to notice but not enough to overpower. As it was my first time I stuck with the Classic Ramen and a side of the homemade hot sauce. It was very good. I think in the future I'll order the double order of noodles, and I'm also more inclined to try the Kimchi. The waiter warned me the Kimchi was very spicy so I stayed away. I don't ever get to H Street, but now I'm wishing I did.

Notes from my weekend trip to Vegas. Carson's Kitchen -- Probably the highlight of the trip was this little place (Probably 30-40 seats) located just two blocks from Fremont Street downtown. The vibe is relaxed, with most of the seats being at two bars and three or four small tables. You can sit at the regular bar, or sit in front of the open kitchen. We started with the chicken skins with smoked honey and the bacon jam. The chicken skins were crispy and addictive. I waited about five minutes to try the bacon jam and still managed to burn the crap out of the roof of my mouth. It was still fantastic. Sweet and salty, crispy and creamy. Short rib sliders were flavored with root beer and onion strings. Three great tastes that taste great together. Rainbow cauliflower was crisped with garlic and lemon, and the baked mac and cheese was transfused with truffle-y goodness. I'd go back here in a second. I imagine it gets packed at night, but they are open from 11am on. My advice is to go during the afternoon when they were nearly empty. The Griddle -- This is a breakfast spot at the new SLS Casino north of the strip. It's diner staples with a tex-mex twist. They serve French pressed coffee that is some of the best I've ever had. The average wait is about 20 minutes, but it's worth it. I didn't try the massive pancakes, but the egg dishes (huevos rancheros and a habanero hash) were very good. Heritage Steak -- At the Mirage, this seems like one of the better steak places in Vegas. I've sat at the bar twice now and the staff are very friendly and happy to make recommendations. They have a great ribeye, but try the spicy onion rings. You can't eat just one. or two. or twelve. Bazaar Meats -- This is Jose Andres new place also at the SLS Casino. It is an homage to meat, with a sales pitch about their wood-grilled ovens and the suckling pig and wagyu ribeyes. The server recommended their Lindsay Ranch ribeye (their most expensive), which he described as being 80% wagyu and 20% angus. I'm not sure how that works. Perhaps the cow's great grandmother had a fling with an angus bull? Whatever. I'll try it. We started with the classic beef tartare and the chicharrons. The chicharron is brought to the table in one massive piece that's about 18 inches long. It's then set on the table and the server begins smashing it with a mallet. Immediately, about 20% of ours went into the air and onto the floor. He politely picked it up and took it away. The serving is big enough that I couldn't finish it, even with the sacrifice to the floor. I noticed the table next to ours ordered it too, and similarly lost a hefty portion to the ground. Perhaps they should rethink the presentation. The tartare was the highlight, both creamy and spicy. I was surprised to read that Andres is going to open a vegetable themed restaurant because that was the weak point here. The charred asparagus were all tiny and soggy. The spicy baby corn had a little kick, but seemed dry. It needed some more sauce. The ribeye was good, but nothing about it felt particularly special. They serve it carved into strips which also has the impact of making it cooler in temperature than I would like. The worst part is that a busboy delivered the meat and then no one checked us on through the rest of the night. Had to flag someone down for more water and find our waiter to get the check. These are nuisances at most places, but pretty inexcusable in a restaurant where dinner reaches into the hundreds per person (before wine). I doubt I'll be back anytime soon. One of the most beautiful restaurants I've ever seen, but the food merely reaches to above average and the service is disappointing.

I'm headed to Vegas this weekend and will be near Lotus of Siam. I have never been there before, but have eaten at Bangkok Golden and Little Serow multiple times and always enjoy them. Is Lotus different/better enough to be worth the trip, or should I focus on trying some other things while I'm there? I know Lotus was an innovator, but also feel like we have a couple places locally now that may rival it for thai/Lao cuisine and there are a lot of other options in Las Vegas.

The Tasting Room at Eve is gone. I ate in the Tasting Room a couple of times and have eaten at Komi a few times. Komi was the clear winner in the challenge of the tasting menus. Eve was very good but not spectacular. Komi always takes things to another level. That said, the bistro menu at Restaurant Eve (which I've eaten at in the past few months) is fantastic. If you want a 'holy crap!" eight course tasting menu, go to Komi. If you want to order a phenomenal appetizer, entree and dessert, you can't go wrong at Eve.