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Lori Gardner

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Everything posted by Lori Gardner

  1. Lori Gardner
    The Washingtonian Magazine released its list of 100 Very Best Restaurants and as usual, there were some shockers. Most jaw-dropping to me is Rose's Luxury moving out of the #3 spot all the way to #21. Not even a top 20 restaurant? I have to think this is partly done for shock value. I was there last night for the tasting menu and the food was as awesome as always. I will admit that some of the extra-special service wasn't quite there, but still it was quite competent. But #21 is ridiculous. It's certainly a superior restaurant to Central and Garrison and some of the others in the top 20. Plume comes in at #6. I have to confess that I am unfamiliar with this restaurant- never hear it talked about. Am I missing something great? On the bright side, Convivial comes in at #4 with the fried chicken coq au vin noted as the "dish of the year." I approve! It's also nice to see newcomers Bad Saint, and Maketto on the list. Masseria too- although I still haven't been. I also really like Vin 909 Winecafe in Annapolis, but it would never occur to me to list it in the top 20. Other than the Rose's slap in the face as well as a Red Hen move down to #39, I like the list. I definitely use it to help inform dining decisions during the year. I'm curious what others think.
  2. Lori Gardner
    Bad Saint is challenging to get into- much like Rose's Luxury and Little Serow. And think twice about going with more than two people, as there are only two tables to accommodate you. But the payoff is delicious. The Filipino flavors are unique and bold. A couple of highlights- Ukoy is a sticky maze of sweet potato fritters infused with shrimp and accented with cilantro. A really fun and addictive dish. Ginisang Ampalaya incorporates bitter melon, farm egg, and preserved black beans into an interesting dish. I'm not sure that I loved it, but my friend said it was her favorite. Piniritong Isda is whole fried branzino, blanketed with spicy greens - which was a highlight dish for me. Here's my full post.
  3. Lori Gardner
    I didn't realize he was with Bombay Bistro in addition to Indique. We love Bombay Bistro! I have "Beat Bobby Flay" on my DVR - it was also a "Top Chef" night. Can't wait to watch.
  4. Lori Gardner
    I agree that his Ted Talk is inspiring, but if the food at Rose's wasn't any good it wouldn't be a successful restaurant. I don't think Aaron Silverman gives himself enough credit!
  5. Lori Gardner
    I actually wrote the Maketto post before dining at Yona. I'll be working on that post next. I didn't pay that much attention to the prices between the two- both restaurants seemed reasonable- particularly given the quality of the food.
  6. Lori Gardner
    Maketto received quite a bit of love on year-end food round-ups- particularly for the fried chicken. The fried chicken is absolutely delightful, but so is the scallion bread, crispy dumplings filled with gruyere cheese and braised beef, and wok fried noodles- to name just a few of the stand-outs. More insights on my recent blog post: 12/28/15 - "Maketto: A Super Supper" by Lori Gardner on beenthereeatenthat.net
  7. Lori Gardner
    Brightest Young Things published their 2015 round-up of best food in DC according to a number of local food writers. Each of the participants were asked to name their favorite food blog, web sit or column. Logan Hollers from BYT named this board as a favorite and had this to say: Don Rockwell. One of my favorite parts of DC is the incredibly robust food community. People here love to eat, and they know their stuff. If you think DC isn't a player on the national scene, food-wise, check out some of the forums on DonRockwell.com. You'd be hard pressed to find a more passionate, knowledgeable base of foodies.The post is a great and very comprehensive of the year's best (and not so great). Read it here: 12/18/15 - "2015 DC Food Round-Up By The Pros" on brightestyoungthings.com
  8. Lori Gardner
    I had dinner at Little Serow last week. It had been at least a year since my last meal here- when I found the heat a bit much on a couple of the dishes. I too found that it was toned down this time around, and as a result I enjoyed it more. This is still one of my favorite DC restaurants.
  9. Lori Gardner
    He's now competing on "Last Chance Kitchen," where those who are voted off Top Chef can fight to return to the on-air competition. He has already defeated two chefs. It's unlikely he will survive long enough to make it back on the show- he has a long way to go. I'm wondering about the quality of his restaurant "Barrel." Has anyone been?
  10. Lori Gardner
    DC Eater had a nice piece today about all the praise for Convivial - including comments from this board. Read about it here: http://dc.eater.com/2015/12/1/9818414/convivial-shaw-early-reviews-dc I also just published my full post on the restaurant here: http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2015/12/convivial/
  11. Lori Gardner
    I'm not sure how a chat on Facebook will work. It seems odd. But I have been trying to get on the live chat for a few weeks and have not been able to do so. It takes 20 minutes before anything loads at all on my computer, and then stalls again, so the chat is over and I haven't been able to get on it. I'm usually too busy at work to participate, but would at least like the technical ability to do so, if I'm able to take a break.
  12. Lori Gardner
    I had already read much about the coq au vin fried chicken at Convivial and so I couldn't resist ordering it on our first visit the other night. I agree that it warrants the raves. So incredibly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the sauce is perfection. I imagine this dish taking a spot on multiple wrap-up lists of favorite dishes of the year. It is certainly on mine. I also loved the latke with celery root and dry cured lamb. There's much to say about Convivial, and when I have time I will say more. I truly enjoyed the food, atmosphere, and the hospitality of Chef Cedric Maupillier- who should take great pride in his achievements here.
  13. Lori Gardner
    I really enjoyed my meal at China Chilcano. I've recommended the restaurant to others and they have all come back to me with nothing but positive things to say. I think the hiring of Chef Delgado is brilliant. I cannot wait to return.
  14. Lori Gardner
    Ate at The Dabney last night. love the space - particularly the open kitchen and hearth- and the staff is genuinely enthusiastic. The restaurant is filled with hard surfaces and so it's very loud- I would have a hard time hearing with a party of more than 2-3 people. I really enjoyed my cocktail - Leather Britches with rum, Virginia maple syrup, lime, and The Dabney bay leaf bitters. My husband and I shared flatbread with caramelized onions, Appalachian cheese, garlic and herbs. The portion size of the flatbread was small and it was served lukewarm and somewhat soggy. The flavor was fine- but this is nothing special. I had the seared fluke mentioned above, and it was quite good. My husband had grilled swordfish with roasted beets, whey sauce and onion ($24). The flavor was good and the fish well-prepared, but the portion size on this dish was teeny. We would happily pay a bit more for dishes in return for increased portion sizes. For dessert, we enjoyed apple crumble with wood-grilled marshmallow (loved this element) and angostura bitters ice cream. La Colombe coffee is a plus. The small menu changes daily- I'm seeing items there now that weren't available last night. This is a great thing and reflects the concept of being super local and sustainable. I was dining with someone who doesn't eat meat or shellfish and this was a challenge. I would love to see more vegetarian/pescatarian friendly dishes available. I look forward to seeing this restaurant develop. I think it has great potential.
  15. Lori Gardner
    Just returned from 5 days in Portland. I absolutely loved Le Pigeon- despite the fact that my quail was slightly overcooked. But the flavors were so good that I overlooked the flaw. Pok Pok - as everyone agrees is worth the hype. We benefited from having a large group and so they took a reservation. I was disappointed in Voodoo Donuts- found them heavy and way too sweet. Fell in love with the much more creative and lighter version at Blue Star Donuts. The best ice cream I've ever had at Salt & Straw. We had an unfortunate experience at Imperial- the wood-fired oven was not functioning. Our server repeatedly told us about all the dishes we were unable to order. But the fried chicken was marvelous and I got a chance to talk with "Top Chef" Doug Adams. Highlights of this and more are on my blog at http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2015/11/portland-oregon/
  16. Lori Gardner
    I've been to Centrolina twice and truly enjoyed it both times- particularly the pasta dishes. Here's my take. Hope you all give the restaurant a try!
  17. Lori Gardner
    Thank you so very much Don..
  18. Lori Gardner
    So odd that you're posting about Chowhound. I used to visit the site regularly for out-of-town restaurants but haven't been there in ages. I actually forgot about it. I happened to check it out last night, and noticed the content has really waned. Not much happening. I will keep my restaurant comments and searches for content here.
  19. Lori Gardner
    Thanks Don. Apparently we weren't the only diners with the same comment, according to our server. I love that they corrected the dish moments later and sent it out vastly improved!
  20. Lori Gardner
    We had an interesting experience with one dish in particular during tonight's dinner on the patio. We ordered "imported burrata with summer melon and surryano ham." The melon served was honeydew. It was completely flavorless and a bit hard in spots. The burrata suffered from a lack of flavor as well. When the server asked how everything was, my friend gave her honest opinion of the dish. The server said she would pass our opinion on to the kitchen. She later presented us with a second version of the dish- this time the burrata was served on cantaloupe and there was a more generous sprinkling of sea salt on the burrata. It was delicious. Night and day. The cantaloupe was the best I've tasted in some time. Not sure why they served the honeydew. It's amazing how a couple of simple changes can transform a dish. To our surprise, the burrata was completely removed from our bill, even though we ended up with two servings. Nice gesture.
  21. Lori Gardner
    i have the same issue on my Ipad...and actually I do want to/
  22. Lori Gardner
    All Set manages to take the nautical theme- which can be kitschy- and make it appealing. The previously dark Golden Flame- is now light and bright. I really enjoyed the chickpea fries- light and crispy with a unique flavor. My tuna nicoise salad would have been much better had the lettuce not been drenched in dressing. I couldn't finish it due to the overdressing, although the tuna was nicely prepared. There wasn't much to distinguish this dish but I wasn't expecting anything unique. My husband had fish and chips and thought they were just okay- not at all crispy. My friend had an edamame burger, which she really enjoyed. I had a taste and it was surprisingly good. We really liked dessert- ice cream cookie sandwiches. One is a chocolate fudge cooke with sour vanilla ice cream, another a chocolate chip cookie with peanut ice cream. I can't rave about All Set, but I I liked it well enough to try again based on location.
  23. Lori Gardner
    I was impressed with the jerk chicken at Jammin Island Outpost. It was a large portion, tender, juicy, and a nice amount of heat. The only issue is that it's a little messy. But it's the ballpark- who cares!
  24. Lori Gardner
    dined here tonight and went absolutely crazy over the fried chicken. I'm thinking best I've ever had. The skin was light and crispy but not too thick, and the meat was so incredibly moist. It comes with waffles, which I could live without. They were really good, but distracted me from the main event. Fried green tomatoes were also a hit- again lightly fried so they weren't greasy. My husband and friend enjoyed a mackerel dish, but I was so enthralled by the chicken I couldn't stop to taste a bite. So thankful to have Barrel & Crow in Bethesda!
  25. Lori Gardner
    glad you enjoyed the view but highly recommend you stick around for dessert by Executive Pastry Chef Alex Levin next time around. He's one of the best in town.
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