porcupine

Husband and I decided this morning to hit Palena for dins tonight. Then I open the Washington Post and find that little feature about the fries. Anybody else going?

Just popping this thread back to the top!

Date: Sunday, October 9

Location: Hollywood East on the Boulevard, 2621 University Blvd W

Time: ???

Wish I could join you this time, but I have other commitments. Perhaps the one after.

Another of my favorite sayings is "De gustibus non est disputatum*".

*There is no arguing with taste

Better I should just keep my mouth shut... except when I'm using that mouth to enjoy the tender arancini, the huge mozzarella panini, the perfectly aged proscuitto, the eternally pleasing cheese choices, the flavorful bigoi, etc. etc.

Jael

Maybe the review will keep out the hoi polloi, leaving more tables for us True Believers, right?

I thought I liked a painting when I was a teenager, at MoMA.  A Van Gough.  But I'd never taken an art history class so I'm sure I couldn't have told genius from cliche, and have never trusted my judgement on this one.

I like the Tulips when they come in spring.  My botany training, however, is sadly lacking, so it's likely that I am misinformed.

I got laid once.  I thought it was a pretty good time, but it was only like my third time, so I was likely only fooling myself.

I remember my first really good French meal. spectacular, it seemed.  But I waited for another 15 years or so to pass judgement, until I'd really studied the matter.

it felt like true love.  On the other hand, i've never checked it out with a trained and certified marital counselor, so I guess we're just muddling blindly along.

As for wine, I gave it up.  I liked the stuff, but I didn't have time to take the course.

For the last few hours, while running errands, I've been composing a rebuttal to Adler's post. You've saved me the effort. Thanks.

Seems like this is poetic license - how could you know if the wines you were served "complemented" the food in a way you "read about" if you don't know much about wine? 

I thought I made it clear that I don't know much about wine. What I meant was that the lingering taste of the wine made the subsequent food taste different, and better. And the lingering taste of the food made the wine taste better. Together they were something more than the sum of the parts.

Apologies if I can't write well enough to explain my meaning. Guess this is where the drubbing comes in.

I think a question that no one ever asks because they're too embarassed is if the restaurant has an experienced wine professional.

Yeah. And point number one was that the two experiences I described made me feel more embarassed. As does your post.

This has been a very useful thread up to this point. I really hope it doesn't degenerate into a cross-examination.

The Purple Haze is definitely my favorite of the cheeses - a wonderful texture with a a subtle but delicious flavor.

Cheesetique carries it. They also have a salami with fennel, though the name escapes me now.

Oh, this could be a fun thread...

Five etiquette peeves:

5. Don't kneel at my table

4. Don't park your elbows on my table

3. Touching me on the shoulder or back - or anywhere - is not going to get you a bigger tip

2. I'm not a guy ("What can I get you guys to drink?") -most people are clued in by the size of my rack, although I'd appreciate your not staring at it

And my (current) number one pet peeve:

1. Don't refold my napkin and place it back on top of the table.

Napkins are properly left on one's chair during one's absence, and placed back on table at the completion of the meal.

True story: dining with a group at a very nice restaurant, unfortunately had to extricate inedible portion of meat from mouth; said morsel ended up in napkin; later had to excuse self, so carefully placed strategically folded napkin on chair; returned to find the same soiled napkin refolded on table... where did the partly masticated meat go?! yuck.

[yeah, I know, it's supposed to exit the same way it went in, but I never got the hang of that]

So when the manager in an expensive restaurant  walks by and you say "Excuse me", and ask for wine advice/bread/water/more coffee/food, it is not complaining. It is making a request that can easily be filled, willingly. Get my point?

Got it. Thanks.

It's kinda interesting coming home after a 14-hour work day (no internet access) and reading eveyone's interpretations of what I wrote.

I am not a freeloader or complainer. I was genuinely baffled how best to handle two situations I'd never encountered before, so I asked the groups' advice. And I got some very good advice, for which I'm grateful. Especially yours, Mark, in post #27. Of course. It's that simple.

Although Don, you raise an interesting point in your reply. I think that's why I've never complained - it wasn't worth disrupting the meal.

And ScotteeM and CrescentFresh, you're right: no agenda, no foot-stomping. Just in search of good advice. And that's why I didn't state where the incidents ocurred - really immaterial to the discussion. This could've been an inflammatory and incriminating thread, but that does no good to anyone (except to trolls who find that sort of thing entertaining).

Thanks, all, for a good discussion and good advice.

And in case anyone's interested... both restaurants in question had outstanding food, and very good service, and I had no complaints otherwise, and I would probably go back to either one. And I did leave a tip (about 20% before tax).

No hard feelings.

Ok, kidding - what about "Harold and Kumar go to White Castle?"

Good call!

[am I clam yet? ...d'oh!]

This is no different from any other service problem, is it? The same advice Tom, and other people here have given is the same: speak up at the time, write a letter or call the next day. Then, of course,  there is always the internet ambush. 

The thing about her wording in the initial post was this: she mentioned 3 restaurant experiences. In one of them, Maestro, she praised the sommelier by name. In the next 2 examples of poor service she experienced, she named no names: not the restaurant or the sommelier. She mentioned that all the restaurants were at the same price level. That means exactly 4 places in the DC area: Maestro, Inn at Little Washington, Le Paradou and Citronelle. Do you see where I'm going with this........?

Naming names after the discussion is over to her satisfaction? Something here is not right.

I see. "In the same price range" - I ws being vague deliberately, though I guess not vague enough. I apologize for any confusion or consternation. I know you don't know me, but I m not the type to spring an ambush. ScotteeM read me right (thanks for the interpretation!).

I really was just wondering what the protocol is, so if such things happen again I can handle them appropriately.

BTW, I haven't jumped into this discussion so far because I'm not completely comfortable with the way the initial post was worded. Sorry.

Hmm. I was trying to be fair and impartial in my accounting. Sorry that I didn't succeed.

sweet, hot, milky Assam tea with cardamom, and stroopwafels!

I have to admit I rather like Memsahib, but that's because it's an event, not just a restaurant. I go about once every six weeks or so with a group of friends. Possibly we get great food and service because the friend who organizes the outing is Indian and on very good terms with the staff.

At any rate, they do wash your hands, but it's a ritual - warm water poured over your hands into a basin - rather than actual sanitation. You get a largish towel to place over your lap. The food is brought on ginormous platters and placed on the coffee-table height round table that you and your buds are lounging around (on banquettes). If the movie screen isn't down, it will go down soon, and you can watch hours of Best Of and Remix Bollywood video (including some fairly edgy modern ones, one of which has been dubbed Ass, Ass, Guns by our group). The screen goes back up when the belly dancing starts. Most of the dancers will try to get a few customers to dance with them. One time four of us women kicked off our shoes for an impromptu lesson, much to the amusement of everyone else. And I wasn't even drunk!

Anyway, for $22 (not including drinks, tax, and tip), you get the following: a salad course consisting of cucumber-tomato, spiced carrots, and eggplant; chicken kabobs; tandoori chicken (served whole but strategically scored to make dis-assembly easier); lamb curry or fish curry with rice; fresh fruit; kheer and chai. There are vegetarian options available, and they're delicious, but it's been too long so I can't remember the details. The chicken kabob is replaced by paneer, I think.

The reason it's been too long is that tandoori chicken. It's fantastic, spicy and crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside.

They also serve papadum with the salads, and naan with the curry. And various condiments, including pickled onions.

They make a very good mango lassi. And the chai is utterly unlike (and better than) anything you've had at a tea or coffee shop.

For some reason, it always seems better with at least six people. We've had as many as twelve at two adjoing dining areas. It is a good place to go with a large group.

Does Memsahib serve the best Indian food ever? No. But it is very good, and if you want to kick back on sofas for 2 1/2 to 3 hours with your friends and watch kitschy vids, and take in some belly dancing, and eat, too, well, it's pretty damn good.

So, Al Dente and DCFoodie - did you ever end up going?

Oh, one more thing - last night I got carryout lamb rogan josh from the regualr menu for my husband, who couldn't join us. It was excellent, very gingery. My Indian friend had to have a taste, of course, and pronounced it authentic and very good.

And, to be honest (porcupine, deangold), I wouldn't mind if you named names on the restaurants you are referring to.  The points you raise about the wine service in these restaurants is exactly the kind of information I rely upon donrockwell.com for to help steer me through the dining minefield!

I'm really in a bind, here. I don't want to be unfair to the restaurants in question, especially as I did not address the issue at the time. I'd rather this discussion stay focused on the broad issues. If I name names, this thread could easily degenerate into one of those nitpicking "but I've been there and always received excellent service!" tit-for-tat story telling threads, which does no one any good and leads to bad feelings all 'round.

On the other hand, you raise a good point: I, too, like internet forums for specific information about restaurants.

Hmmm... tell you what. Let's keep this discussion going, and once it peters out and I've gotten my questions answered, I'll pony up. Fair?

Thanks, everybody, for all the input so far. But please tell me, what would you do when 1) the sommelier won't come to you, or 2) comes too late?

...and btw, aren't there some pros on this forum? I'd love your opinions!

Glad to know I wasn't the only one who was underwhelmed. But I thought that's just because Chinese food isn't my favorite. I was hoping for a culinary revelation; most of the food we tried was rather bland.

Just wanted to say how nice it was to meet those of you who were at the farm today, after months of lurking on this forum.

For anyone thinking of helping at future events - David Lankford is a very interesting and personable man, and Sharon fed us venison burgers. It was a pleasure helping them (even without the burgers).

I'm going to feel a bit embarassed asking this, but hopefully you all can teach me somthing.

I have rarely ever orderd wine in a restaurant, because my husband doesn't drink and I can't finish a bottle by myself. But in the past few years I've noticed more restaurants offering wine flights, or expanded selections by the glass, so I've started ordering.

A few months back I asked the sommelier at Maestro to put together a flight for my five course meal. He was wonderful, even pointing out that one dish wouldn't pair well with any wine, and the selections were amazing - truly complementing the food in a way I've only ever read about.

A month later we were at another fine DC area dining establishment (and in the same price range as Maestro), and as we were ordering several courses, and as the menu said something about wine pairings, I asked to see the sommelier.

I was a bit put off when the waiter returned about one minute later and said he'd take care of it. But okay, I'm new at this. I'll play. But he clearly was at a loss, umming and hedging alot. The first wine, nice as an apperitif, tasted...odd... with its food pairing. The next wine was serviceable, a reasonable complement to the dish, but not particularly outstanding. I made no complaints and gave the waiter a good tip, as he did a fine job otherwise. But I was disappointed.

So what's the verdict of you experienced diners/drinkers? Should I have said something, like insisting on seeing the sommelier? Or is a customer ordering two or three glasses just not important enough?

Scenario number 3: another month, another highly-regarded and very expensive restaurant, another menu touting wine pairings, specifically mentioning a three wine flight tailored to the three courses you choose. This time the sommelier did come by, but it was more than 20 minutes after ordering and asking for him, and by that time the first course had arrived, and I'd eaten it, because I didn't want it to get cold. I did politely point out that I meant to get the three-flight pairing, but the opportunity was gone. The sommelier offered "a pinot" to go with the next two courses.

Now, I don't know much about wine, but I did stare blankly as I thought "would that be noir, gris, or blanc?" Because the two dishes remaining could have been paired with either red or white. But after a few seconds he said "um, pinot noir, that is".

This one large glass didn't really work well for either of the two courses, though it was fine by itself.

Again, I said nothing, wondering if my ignorance of this game was the problem.

Is it? Do I need to learn how to play, or is this par for the course? Was my experience at Maestro an anomaly? Or is a sommelier's services reserved for those who order expensive bottles?

Trying not to be an ignoramus (and please don't give me a drubbing),

Why don't you meet at noon and that keep one of everything you order for Danialf or when you get there?  There was some concern that if you wait until 1 it will be too late.

Those who have expressed interest are:

DanielK

Heather

perri

porcupine

There is no need to rsvp so if you decide you want to join them at the last minute please feel free to do so!

Umm, silly question: assuming I get over my shyness and decide to join you all, how will I know you?

In addition, we have some new items on the menu--

Arancini

Thank you for putting the arancini on the regular menu!

I'm going to have to pass this week - a friend is celebrating his birthday tonight at the Irish Inn at Glen Echo (anyone been?). 

Have fun!

I've been. It isn't very good for the price, but it isn't bad. Start a new thread and let us know how it was.

Not a food movie, but one of my favorite food-related exchanges in a movie:

Vincent: Want a sausage?

Jules: Naw, I don't eat pork.

Vincent: Are you Jewish?

Jules: I ain't Jewish, man, I just don't dig on swine.

Vincent: Why not?

Jules; They're filthy animals. I don't eat filthy animals.

Vincent: Sausages taste good. Pork chops taste good.

Jules: A sewer rat may taste like pumpkin pie. I'll never know 'cause even if it did, I wouldn't eat the filthy mo**erf**ker.

Wild persimmons, now, that's another story!

Please do tell!

Where do you find them in the wild and what do they look like?  I've this fascination with gathering things in the wild but knowing my luck I'd eat something that I wasn't supposed to!

Check out: http://www.pawpaw.kysu.edu/ppf/about.htm

It helps to be taking slow nature hike with six year old boy. I just noticed a stand of the trees and started looking around for the fallen fruit while the boy tried to catch a toad. Sheer dumb luck, really. But the trees are quite distinctive, with obovate leaves up to one foot long; once you recognize them, they're easy to spot.

Thanks for the other tips, folks!