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qwertyy

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Everything posted by qwertyy

  1. qwertyy
    I don't remember his name, but he did my friends' wedding cake--it was indeed delish and GORGEOUS (in a very interesting, not-even-a-little-traditional way).
  2. qwertyy
    I've been to B. Smith's for Sunday brunch a few times. It's not my first choice, but my friend likes it, it's a lovely room, and some of the food works well on a buffet. I'm not sure how much of this is relevant for a weekday lunch, but: The fried catfish strips are good, as are the biscuits, breads, and sausages. The shrimp pasta is gloppy and not flavorful. The fried chicken ain't bad. The service is... well, order a double because you might not see her/him again. Expensive.
  3. qwertyy
    I think you all are my kind of people!
  4. qwertyy
    Hi! I'm new! I'm embarrassed! ... Is Ray's near a Metro, or is cab-bage required? (I usually only leave the city by plane.)
  5. qwertyy
    Agree on the Spices ginger salad! Since we're going Asian, I'll add hearty support for the gado gado at Nooshi--cabbage, tofu, green beans, cuke, egg, bean sprouts, shrimp chips, and spicy peanut dressing. I'm utterly addicted to this dish, which is just a "sorta" salad--some ingredients are warm and some are cold, but it still is crunchy and salad-y. Gado gado appears to be highly variable--in a restaurant in San Francisco, it was served as more of a stir fry (and only cost $3!), and at a restaurant in Cambodia, it was more of a salad. Whatever. At Nooshi, get it to go so, when you get home, you can smash up the egg then shake it up in its little plastic container so that everything gets all mixed together. I guess I know what I'm having for dinner tonight...
  6. qwertyy
    "The Wedge" at Capital Grille is a salad in name only. The quarter-head of iceburg and tomato wedges are drowned in verrrry good blue cheese dressing and sprinkled with perfectly crisp bacon. Yummers. And, for others, without OP's seafood aversions, the Tabard Inn occasionally has a smoked trout, arugula, lemon, and parm (? hm. some such cheese. maybe pecorino) salad that is simply delightful.
  7. qwertyy
    Ah, yes--I did have the berries with cream. The Prime Rib does one too. Best. Dessert. Ever. I'm not willing to damn the place completely because, while the food was lackluster, I think that many of our problems could have been solved by a better waiter. The only problem is that, even for lunch, Capital Grille costs a pretty penny, and I'm not ready to roll the dice again yet.
  8. qwertyy
    Rice delivers??? How far? To Columbia Road? Do they have a menu online? This is exciting!
  9. qwertyy
    The first time I ate at Capital Grille I was sold. Great food, impeccable service, and a nice atmosphere. But that was about two years ago. I went back recently, only to find that either they had changed or first time had been a very good day, and the last time a very bad day. (Both were for long, late Friday lunches at the Penn Ave location.) At my first meal, the food quality and preparations (the wedge salad, med-rare strip, creamed spinach, mashed potatoes) were terrific, and the timing was perfect. When my companion couldn't decide on a grappa after the meal, our waiter brought him easily six different tasters. At my recent meal (same menu; I'm such a creature of habit), the waiter was reeeeallly casual (I thought he was going to sit down next to me) and my steak came IN THE MIDDLE of my salad (oh I hate that). When we were ready for the steaks, to their credit, we clearly got freshly cooked pieces, not the older ones that had been stuck-under-a-heatlamp. The side dishes were blah, and my meat had quite a bit of grisle. Afterward, the waiter couldn't help me at all with digestifs that weren't on the menu, and rather than letting me name a few options, cut me off after I mentioned one to run back to the bar and check. He did this twice, so I ended up just picking whatever to make him STOP RUNNING AWAY. And after the two of us racked up a $250 lunch bill, we still felt rushed out. Bummer. Back to the Prime Rib, I suppose.
  10. qwertyy
    The thought of restaurants reproducing like cancer cells based on ownership rather than customer service makes me dyspeptic. But then I'm just generally a curmudgeon.
  11. qwertyy
    I think that the only thing the now defunct Arbor (18th and Belmont) had going for it was its combo brunch: one slice of french toast, one scrambled egg, one egg benedict, two bacon, two sausage, small scoop of home fries, small scoop of fruit salad. For someone who could read a menu for hours and not make a decision (hi!), it was a dream on a, er, groggy Sunday morning. Oh, I also go running to beer-battered onion rings and Cheetos (not together).
  12. qwertyy
    We see here again that all stores--retail, food, or whathaveyou--fly or fail based on their customer service. A lot of restaurants in this town--chain AND dynamic local business--should learn that. I quite like Potbelly, but I only go the Dupont/Connecticut Avenue one after work from time to time. The folks in there are always *exceedingly* friendly and competant, and I always get the right sandwich (which is basically always a whole wheat wreck, no hot, no italian seasoning) (damn, that's a good sandwich).
  13. qwertyy
    I don't think people talk enough about the Tabard. Fair notice: I am somewhat of a regular. But they are still putting out some of the best food I've eaten there over the last several years. I had carnitas there the other night that were truly, deeply delicious. And if they ever have short ribs on the menu, GET THEM. Even if you only came in for dessert. Now, I do think their prices are a bit high across the board--beer, wine, and food. And the main dining room is incredibly loud even when it's half full. But even so--the food has just been delish.
  14. qwertyy
    This is true EVERYWHERE. I was in line at a market the other night, and the guy behind me, who seemed nice enough but was obviously stretching to impress his (I think) first date, started going on and on about my government agency and how every single person who works there is a terribly pretentious, incompetant poseur who has no interest in helping anyone but him or herself. I turned around and, laughing, said, "Oh, we're not ALL so bad..." Poor guy's face turned every shade of magenta. To make this post food-related, I'll add that I purchased a jar of dry-roasted peanuts and a bottle of grapefruit juice, my deadly caloric, go-to, post-bar craving.
  15. qwertyy
    Servers: When dining out, I value my drinks almost as much as I value my food. Please don't ask me before I've even sat down what I'd like to drink--it's a tough decision! red or white? cocktail or beer? girly drink or manly drink? maybe a bit of bubbly? And if I tell you I'm not quite sure yet, I likely only need 3-5 minutes to decide, not TWENTY. Speaking of drinks... I went to a popular neighborhood bar a few weeks ago to meet a friend of mine. Bartender asks what I want. I ask for the beer list. She gives it to me, then walks away. Ten (!) Minutes (!) Later (!), she came back and took my order. (It was not busy.) Five minutes later, she returned to tell me that keg was dry, what else would I like? Darn it, I really like that beer... Eh, I guess I'll take the $6 pint of Ho-Hum. So just as I got my beer, my friend arrives. The bartender pops over and tells her it's ladies night and all blah blah blah really, really cheap drinks. Note: I am ALSO a woman. On another occasion, same bar, I asked if they had any IPAs. The bartender recommended Pilsner Urquell. Sigh. I used to be a regular at this place, but not anymore!
  16. qwertyy
    When I worked at the Iron Gate Inn (N Street, between 17th and 18th), the owner told that it was the oldest restaurant in Washington. I can't remember the year it was established (early 20th century), but it's been continuously operating in the same location ever since. Its garden is also trellised by what are said to be the oldest grape vines in Washington.
  17. qwertyy
    I myself--usually a cheddar-bacon burger kind of gal--have been taken in completely by goat cheese as a topping. They put a big mound of it on, and the creamy texture and sourness are just such a great foil to dijon and onion. (I'm just now realizing why I usually read this site in the afternoons: because it's 9:15 in the morning and now I need a cheeseburger.) But there are no surly bouncers or women of the night at Angles. It's really more of a neighborhood bar, especially during the week.
  18. qwertyy
    Not really, Waitman. It's awfully smoky in there, too--which I never realized until I quit smoking a few months ago. But I'll sacrifice for 2-for-1 burgers....
  19. qwertyy
    Give Angles a try. I know, I know--total divey place, and few think they even serve food. And, sure, the burgers cost $9.95. But they come out of the Little Fountain Cafe kitchen. You have a choice of like ten special toppings--goat cheese, stilton, fried onions, and the like. The buns are fresh, the fries are good (and can be subbed with a salad), and the whole shebang is 2-for-1 on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. I hesitate to even mention my secret burgers, but all in the name of chow...
  20. qwertyy
    "Tuck into" "Napped" "Nestled" Ugh. Another three like fingernails on the chalkboard! Well, I feel a bit better that at least I'm not alone...
  21. qwertyy
    Five Guys is a revelation, and my life is fuller for having eaten there. At night, I dream about Five Guys cheeseburgers with bacon, mayo, ketchup, mustard, onion, lettuce, and pickle. When I walk within two blocks of the place, I find myself inadvertantly veering in its direction. (But I've only ever been to the Chinatown branch and clearly ought to keep it that way.)
  22. qwertyy
    I hate to make my first post on this board a curmudgeonly one (hi all!), but is Tom's writing style starting to get to anyone else? Much of it is fine, but, WOW--his modifiers are starting to make it to trash-novel extremes. "Fattened" "Flecked" "Brightened" "Draped" I'm as much for painting a picture as the next gal, but gracious. Is he not aware that sometimes you CAN just use the word "sauce"?
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