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Lori Gardner

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  1. Lori Gardner
    You know what I dislike about Rose's? It's spoiling me, and I am having a hard time with service at other restaurants. I was at a great new restaurant tonight, but my server was lackluster and knew very little about the dishes. I kept thinking back to Rose's where the servers are so well-versed on the food. I don't need servers to give me hugs, but on my second visit to Rose's I was greeted like an old friend. I want to see restaurant employees at other establishments excited about their employer and the food they are serving, as are the staff at Rose's. Rose's is a very rare place, and I'm hoping that the service culture that makes the place so special will endure over the long haul. There's no reason to believe that it won't, as it seems to be a priority for Chef/owner Aaron Silverman. A few notables about the food- the pickle-brined fried chicken is a dish I will be dreaming about for weeks. Moist chicken, perfectly crispy skin, and a touch of sweet honey. I alternated bites with hot sauce, as sometimes I wanted a kick and other times I wanted to taste the unadulterated flavors. Burnt romaine with avocado, poblana and cotija cheese is another dish that is beckoning me back- it's simple but oh so good.The pasta dishes are also notable, and its difficult to pick which is best. I love the strawberry pasta (off the menu for now) and thoroughly enjoyed a special of pasta with truffles. So decadent. I could go on and on.... My love letter to Rose's Luxury is on my blog if you want to read more: http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/11/roses-luxury/
  2. Lori Gardner
    I have been wondering about ETR and your write-up is just the push I need to get me here ASAP. I am a huge Rose's Luxury fan, and the comparison certainly attracts my attention.
  3. Lori Gardner
    I dined at Iron Gate last week and enjoyed a wonderful meal and experience. Considering the restaurant is so "new" at least in this iteration, everything was smooth and efficient. We enjoyed a four course tasting menu for $50, which I consider a great value for what it includes- an assortment of sharing plates, a dish from the garden, a choice of an entree from the water or pasture and finally dessert or cheese. Autumn squash tortelloni with crispy sage, pumpkin seed oil, and amaretti cookies is the kind of dish that you remember days (weeks) later- simply exquisite.The trio of lamb preparations is a standout, featuring a lamb chop encrusted with a Dijon coating, spicy lamb sausage, and a ragout with lamb. The shell beans and braised colllards are flavorful accompaniments. Congrats to Chef Anthony Chittum and the entire team. My full report is here: http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/12/iron-gate-inn/
  4. Lori Gardner
    I was at the media preview in Bethesda this past Tuesday. I really enjoyed the burgers- very juicy and flavorful. The smashing really works! They have a very nice partnership with Honest Tea- the owner was at the opening- pairing teas with the burgers. The event was very nicely done. Lots of food and you really got an understanding of what makes this chain unique. The veggie burgers are excellent, which is not usually the case at burger chains. Overall, I am quite impressed with Smashburger. Someone really should go!
  5. Lori Gardner
    I ate at the Pete's in Silver Spring last night and have to say that I really enjoyed the pizza. My husband and I had a large Coliseum pizza with crispy eggplant, olives, and roasted garlic. (The large is way too big for two people).I want my pizza crust to be crispy and the this entire pie was delivered crisp and stayed that way. The crust could have had a touch more flavor but it was good. All ingredients were fresh and flavorful. We also enjoyed a spinach salad with pine nuts and goat cheese. The Silver Spring location is large and roomy and while the decor isn't notable, it's pleasant enough for a pizza place.I welcome this addition to downtown Silver Spring= perfect for a quick bite after a movie at AFI.
  6. Lori Gardner
    Two new restaurants...two new posts. (and the key word here seems to be TWO). I made two visits to Doi Moi within a few days of each other, and had two sightings of Supreme Court Justices. http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/11/doi-moi/ I fell hard for Rose's Luxury, and am anxious for a second visit. http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/11/roses-luxury/
  7. Lori Gardner
    I'm curious. What do you mean?
  8. Lori Gardner
    Thanks, chef. Will definitely come by sometime soon!
  9. Lori Gardner
    does anyone know if Justin Bittner is now cooking at 8407? There is nothing on the restaurant's website to indicate this. I want to give it a try, but am hoping to do it when he is in the kitchen.
  10. Lori Gardner
    I had two occasions to visit Doi Moi within a week's time and walked away happy both times. This despite the fact that I am tiring of small plates. On my first visit I was with a party of nine and it was difficult to order and share- even when we doubled up on some dishes. But there were some standouts including sable fish, crispy whole fish, blue crab fried rice and grilled prawns. I also enjoyed the stir-fried lemongrass beef. My favorite of all the dishes I sampled at Doi Moi is the ground duck and duck liver salad. It's labelled phet mak or really spicy on the menu, which it is. But in a good way. I don't mind a dish that brings tears to ones eyes, as long as it doesn't burn so much that I can't taste anything that comes after. This dish stopped short of blowing out the taste buds. On both occasions service was lackluster. We received little guidance on ordering and there was no fanfare when dishes were delivered. I don't mind a bit of explanation from a server, if it's not too intrusive. But the food was delivered in a timely fashion and not all at once, which can be a hazard of small plates. The soft serve ice cream is a nice touch. I had peanut which I loved and Thai iced tea, which I wasn't quite as enamored with. It's a nice addition to the ever-growing selection of restaurants on the 14th Street corridor.
  11. Lori Gardner
    I too am saddened by this, particularly since it's less than a mile from where I work. The Blacks say they want to reopen it somewhere else, but not saying Rockville. if it is in DC and not in that cute house, it won't matter to those of us who appreciated the restaurant because it was so unique in MoCo. I haven't been to Addie's for at least a year, which now I regret. Will try and go before its final demise.
  12. Lori Gardner
    I assumed BV spent most of his time at Volt as opposed to Range. I am a longtime fan of his cooking and after watching him on "Top Chef Masters" I was impressed once again. The editors seemed to really focus on his laugh, which surprised me. When I've seen him cooking (in a restaurant as opposed to on TV) he is very intense. I'm hoping to get back to Volt sometime soon, as its been far too long since my last visit. I burned out on Range, going four times in the first two months, and now I can't seem to get motivated to go back.
  13. Lori Gardner
    sorry to hear that Wagamama won't open here, although it has been looking doubtful for some time. at there at Heathrow Airport last week and thoroughly enjoyed it.
  14. Lori Gardner
    dined at Thally last week and there were some things I really liked about it. +agave tequila with guava and elderberry. Smooth, slightly sweet, and packing just the right punch. No print cocktail menu yet, but our server reels off intriguing-sounding house made ingredients like a pro. + bread goes from good to great with a dab of lemon-infused butter with a touch of rosemary. + appetizer with watermelon, heirloom tomato, herbed goat cheese, and watermelon radish is fresh and flavorful (delivering on the restaurant's concept of simple, fresh, and flavorful) and playful. It looks just like sushi but tastes like watermelon. I can't argue with a dish that makes me smile. +the crab roulette (which Sietsema in his "First Bite" column calls "intriguing") is the don't miss dish at Thally. Spicy, crunchy, tangy, sweet. a few things I wasn't crazy about -service is a little choppy. Drinks take longer than seem reasonable, and our server takes her time in asking us if we are ready to order any food. - not all the dishes are consistent. Grilled Demonico steak with baby spinach, coffee dust, and bordelaise sauce gets a thumbs up, but the accompanying spinach not so much. Branzino feels like a light and healthy dish, but could use more pop. Pan seared rockfish is simple and fresh but the acidity of the relish overpowers the sweetness of the fish. Some of the dishes could benefit from the elements of interest exhibited in the watermelon salad, or the crab roulette. I give the restaurant credit for being active on social media and knowing how to take criticism. I posted a review on my blog and they responded on Twitter saying it was fair and balanced and "we'll do our best to keep improving." So classy!
  15. Lori Gardner
    Your post really makes me yearn for a return visit. I had the garganelli in the heat of summer (although it was with zucchini rather than peas) and loved it, but I think it would be even better now that there's a chill in the air.
  16. Lori Gardner
    I was there last night as well. I really liked the coco-curry noodles which are (straight from the website) rice noodles with chicken, shrimp, scallops, eggs, bean sprouts, snow peas, onions, carrots, crispy shallots, peanuts, cilantro and a coconut curry sauce. very tasty. I actually liked the chork- clever and I thought easy to use. Not such a fan of the tuna bites but that's because they were overcooked. hopefully they'll get this resolved in the future. The picture on the website shows the fish nice and rare, which would make all the difference. I like this concept and hope that one of the future locations is in Rockville.
  17. Lori Gardner
    have heard very mixed reports. hope to see more feedback here.
  18. Lori Gardner
    I ate there a week or so ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, it's the kind of place that if someone asked me for a recommendation of somewhere with great food that is also casual and fun, I would send them here. I had fusilli with sheep's milk Cacio Cheese, black peppercorns, burrata, and basil, which I found to be simple but at the same time memorable. Every ingredient came together just the way it should- the texture of the pasta, the smoothness of the burrata, and the fresh aromatic basil. My husband had branzino al forno with red peppers, tomatoes, olives, and basil with a salsa verde on the side that added another layer of flavor. The fish was perfectly cooked, and my husband declares it the best branzino he has ever had. High praise indeed, as he eats a fair amount of branzino. I would head back to Casa Luca in a heartbeat, although in reality I'm sure it will be many heartbeats before I have another opportunity.
  19. Lori Gardner
    I have been dying to try GBD and finally got the opportunity tonight. I had a fried chicken breast along with a side of Greek yogurt potato salad and tomato and basil salad. I was sorely disappointed in the chicken. It was crispy but the inside was completely dried out. I kept dunking the chicken in chipotle barbecue sauce, hoping to salvage the experience but it just wasn't doing it for me. The sides were fine although nothing exciting. I couldn't leave without a donut, so I took home a raspberry ginger fritter. It was the end of the day so maybe the donuts are better earlier on. It was just too heavy and overly coated with raspberry. I did enjoy the ginger flavor. I am glad I can cross this off my to do list. Unfortunately, there's nothing to draw me back.
  20. Lori Gardner
    i just went to Casa Luca and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's much more casual than Fiola but more fun. Komi or CityZen can't be beat if money isn't an issue, although it may be too late for both in terms of reservations. I would throw Del Campo in the mix as well. Lots of wonderful grilled meats. The deciding factor at this point may be where you can get a reservation.
  21. Lori Gardner
    It's been a busy summer. Thought I would share some of my recent posts: My first post about Masala Art was three years ago and focused on some very incompetent service. On a recent visit, I was better able to focus on the food: http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/09/masala-art-2/ I also made a return visit to Trummer's on Main, where despite some literal bumps in the road we enjoyed some very good dishes: http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/08/trummers-on-main-2/ I loved the robust flavors of the food at 14 Global in Bethany Beach. I'm hearing great things from some readers who made visits after reading my review: http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/08/14-global/ I also wrote about restaurants in Atlanta and New York which can be found on my blog under reviews by locale, around the US.
  22. Lori Gardner
    A friend was there a week or so ago and said the chicken was not good at all (soggy coating and dry chicken). I was so disappointed to hear this. glad for a positive report.
  23. Lori Gardner
    I'm also watching. Excited to root for Bryan Voltaggio and his sous chef, and to support the charity Share Our Strength.
  24. Lori Gardner
    the place that I chose not to write about is a very niche restaurant. I don't think they are going to grow beyond their neighborhood/food restricted audience, so there wasn't a point to writing about them. However, I should write to the owner directly and provide feedback- I just haven't gotten to it yet.
  25. Lori Gardner
    I have the same philosophy. It's important to be fair. If I only write positive things, I think it's fairly meaningless. But I don't want to slam anyone. I was recently asked to write a review of a local restaurant. I went in anonymously and the food was pretty poor. I decided not to write a post. But if I can write something that shows both sides, I feel as if it has more credibility. I've actually had some chefs and restaurant employees tell me that they appreciate the honesty.
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