dmwine

I don't think San Vito qualifies as a "chain" for this thread - there are three, and they are all local. And good. You will have above-average to excellent food at a moderate price and fun ambience; appropriate for a "sorta first date". Not that I've had one of those in a few decades.

I highly recommend San Vito Ristorante Italiano, in Herndon, Ashburn and now apparently Springfield (in my old stomping grounds of Kings Park). Gian Piero Mazzi worked in several haute Italian restaurants before launching this local effort. They also do wine dinners. Web site here. My article about them here. Buon appetito!

Wednesday's NYT Dining section had an essay by Frank Bruni on restaurants slyly luring customers to spend more - and not just on bottled water. Things like supplemental charges to selections on a prix fixe menu, astronomical wine-by-the-glass prices, or menus broken into additional "courses" to suggest one should order more than appetizer-entree-dessert. Anyone see this happening in DC?

I didn't say that. I'm reserving judgment actually, until Todd's had time to get used to the vicissitudes of magazine publishing and editing, something very new to him and not nearly as easy as it sometimes seems to people who live on the boundless cyberfrontier of the Internet and can "publish" with the click of a Send button. He was thrown right into an unforgiving publication cycle that was probably well underway when he arrived. In his chats he alluded to the difficulty in putting together the Best 100 list, difficulty now confirmed by today's Reliable Source item. To make as many changes as he did, not just to the format but to the list, obviously required a lot of work. My comment was more to the defensiveness of his defense, as it were. Todd was the one who took his disagreements with Tom Head public, not the other way around.

The resentment may have been magnified by Todd's rather savage comments in his recent chats, when he defended the changes to the Best 100 by slamming the previous lists rather nastily - even though two of the writers now work for him. A more magnanimous and tactful defense from Todd could have been, "Well, I'm in charge now, and this year's lists reflects my palate and my view of the DC restaurant scene." Instead, he's "I'm right, you're wrong," like Dan Aykroyd's "Jane, you ignorant slut!" in the old days when SNL was funny. I agree that Tom Head's stewardship of the WashedOnion's dining pages was neither inspired nor inspiring, but he didn't deserve the humiliation (some of which he suffered willingly by staying). Todd's not making me hungry, either.

Interesting, though - as some of his "predecessors" are now working for him, this doesn't seem a good way to boost staff morale. There must have been some pretty contentious discussions there, which he merely hints at ...

There was a hilarious episode of Northern Exposure when one of the characters dropped the bottle of well-aged Ducru-Beaucaillou that Maurice was going to serve at his banquet. Eve, the wife of the hermit chef Adam, concocted an ersatz bordeaux out of various ingredients according to the taste profile. At one point she sticks her finger in, tastes, and says something like, "Needs more peat moss!" Naturally, Maurice waxed poetic about how it was the best bottle of his favorite wine that he'd ever had.

This is from my wine blog (at dmwineline.com) on my recent visit to L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon. You'll dine well even if you don't meet the chef. And if you don't believe me, there's a photo here.

Breaux Vineyards is up that way along Rt 9 and is also one of Virginia's best. Excellent Viognier, Seyval Blanc and an unoaked Chardonnay (though winemaker Dave Collins prefers the oaked version). Reds are improving all the time, too - best are the Lafayette Cab Franc and the Merlot. There's a nice tasting room and good views of the foothills.

Is this Pho Real? Oh sorry, that's in Burtonsville ...

If you're in this neighborhood again, try to stop by The Vineyard. It's an easy-to-miss tiny storefront right at the intersection of Chain Bridge Rd and Old Dominion. Emphasis is on quality wines from small producers, and while this usually means pricey, they have some good value wines, too. Jim Arsenault is an excellent and knowledgable tourguide through the labels.

Your husband's a lucky man. An excellent Chilean Cabernet is the Cousino-Macul Antiguas Reservas. 2003 is the current vintage and is very good. It should run you $12-15, depending on where you get it, and there are very few California Cabs that will compete in that price range. For Syrah, MacArthur's should have some of Bobby Kacher's inexpensive varietal Syrahs from southern France. Though as you like Spanish reds (assuming Garnacha), you may want to explore southern Rhone blends that feature Grenache and Syrah. There are any number of good ones. Chapoutier has one from the Cote de Roussillon called Bila-Haut. It's $10 at Wide World of Wines.

If you go to the "Print Edition" of the Food section, it has the article, but no link to the tasting notes. More disconnect b/w print and the online version.

The print version also mentions Kathy's job shift. We could get Mark and Michael buttons that say "I'm Not Mark Slater " and "I'm Not Michael Flynn"

Try Wide World of Wines on Wisconsin Ave.

I've had wine poured in my water glass! Or was that water in my wine glass?

I agree with the "speak up" admonition, but I also agree with Todd - too many wait staff appear too eager to empty the bottle before the food arrives, creating the need for another bottle. In a group setting, where people might be splitting the bill, it also rewards people who drink a lot and "punishes" moderation. I think his reference to high-end places implies that this is not so much of a problem there, not that he's too timid to speak up. Anyway, my 2 cents' worth ...

The rumor about the Indian place at White Oak Shopping Center is true - Bombay is excellent quality and value. The ambiance is casual, but you may not look too out of place. The Greek place mentioned is Chef Theo's - decidedly mediocre. I can also second Cuba de Ayer in Burtonsville.

Re dissing Bethesda: Nobody does it better than Eve Zibart in her review of Le Vieux Logis from August: You don't go to Bethesda to dine at Le Vieux Logis: You go to Le Vieux Logis to escape Bethesda. The post-Metro Bethesda, that is, that gold-rush restaurant town with its colored drinks, its BlackBerry dinks and its X-treme garage sports. 'Nuff said!

Any comments on the Post Food section's new wine coverage?