Lori Gardner

I have expressed interest previously in helping with outreach and am still willing. Let me know what I can do.

i will be at the convention center. don't mind taking a cab if it's not too far.

I was there on Sat. night for dinner. The food was excellent and we couldn't get over the value. I started with an aperol spritz for $6.00! The crostinis were a big hit- we had the tomatoes (also came highly recommended), the smoked ricotta crostini with brown butter and truffle honey- which was my favorite. But I am a sucker for anything truffle. We also had salt cod brandade with chives and garlic toast. This did not get a universal thumbs up, but it reminded me of smoked whitefish and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had garganelli pasta with braised duck, zucchini, tomato and black olives, which was filled with wonderfully tender, lean pieces of meat. loved the dish. The ambiance was charming but the noise level detracted a bit. Our server was impossible to hear and he had issues hearing us. it's funny that you mention Woodberry Kitchen. There is something about Red Hen that reminds me of a scaled-down version of that restaurant.

Atlanta board hasn't been updated in awhile. I'm looking for a recommendation for one dinner - in the city, not too expensive (entrees in $20 - $30 range) and great food (obviously). Any suggestions?

I took issue with much of what Mr. Furstenberg said about the dining scene. My current blog post about Ripple addresses this. But I point to this community as one example of how he is misguided: Most of all, however, Washington needs more discerning customers who care less about being the first to go to each new restaurant than about the quality of the food they are served. Here is my response: Admittedly, I rushed off to Kapnos in its first days, and have been making a valiant attempt to get to many of DC’s newest restaurants. This does not mean I don’t care about quality. Mr. Furstenberg should log on to www.donrockwell.com and he will see a vibrant and vocal community of DC area diners who are passionate about quality.

I can only tell you that it was awful when we were there about a year ago. When we saw the Janis Joplin show a few months ago, we had a very nice meal at Station 4 right across the street.

Schwarma at stadium over felafel, but it can't compare to what you get at the restaurant because they don't have all the toppings.

I was anxious to try out Mike Isabella's new Greek restaurant Kapnos, so gave it a try on day two of its being open to the public. First, I will say that I definitely had trepidation about Isabella opening another restaurant so soon on the heels of Graffiato and Bandolero. I have to say that my fears were unfounded and I think he's doing some pretty great things at Kapnos. First of all there is kegged lemonade. I had mine with Skinos, watermelon, tarragon, and lemon. It's a great drink for a hot summer night. The selection of spreads are all appealing, but we settle on tyrokaftari which combines spicy feta, smoked manouri cheese, and “grains of paradise.” The spread is beautifully adorned with radish, dill, and cracked pepper and served along with piping hot stone baked flat bread. Watermelon from the cold mezze section of the menu, is pickled and accented with ufra chili, rind, and fennel granité. It’s time to toss aside all previous notions of Greek food. These are unique Mediterranean flavors. We order the rest of our food all at once, with a promise from our eager-to-please server that they will be not be delivered simultaneously. I should learn never to trust servers who say this, because it’s usually a sure sign that we’re about to be handed a passel of dishes. This is the only service issue we have at Kapnos, and since it’s only night two, we have no cause to grumble. There is no question that my meal will include spit-fired lamb, although meat is only one part of the story at Kapnos. Nearly 60% of the menu features vegetarian items. The lamb is a divine plate of tender, juicy slices of marinated spring lamb atop a tangy grain salad and a dollop of mild harissa. My non meat-eating husband has poached cod with melted leeks, avgolemono, and dako crumbs. This is a fantastic blend of textures and intense flavors. We also have a luxurious phyllo pie filled with potato and garlic, and surrounded by red pepper almond puree. My husband is ecstatic about the duck egg perched on top, bringing back happy memories of his favorite Countryman pizza at Graffiato. Smoky hen of the woods mushrooms with kolrabi, graviera cheese, and oregano finishes out our array of mezze. This is the one dish that doesn’t register at quite the same level of the others, although it’s competing on a very tough field. For dessert, my husband has semolina cake with grilled figs and olive oil ice cream, while I enjoy an amply-portioned scoop of smooth apple and ginger sorbet. He insists I try the cake, and it is surprisingly light and beautifully crisp around the edges. Kapnos impressed us greatly and again- it was only night two. This is a place I will certainly return to and also recommend highly to others. The number of new restaurants on 14th Street are beginning to overwhelm. Kapnos stands out in this very crowded field.

Max's schwarma is one of my very favorite dishes of all time. This post is reminding me that it's been awhile!

I initially read this thread while holding my breath, until I could measure how guilty I am of using some of the language described as 'best to be avoided." was feeling pretty good about managing to steer clear of many of the catch-phrases that annoy readers both on my blog and on this board. Thanks to kmango, Don, and others for reminding us that the conversation is what is most important. (dare I confess that I'm still going to take note of the offending phrases when blogging).

I find Le Diplomate to be très magnifique. My one caveat is about the noise. It is part of the ambiance and the inescapable result of the restaurant’s success. A few favorites here: I think the onion soup is perfection in a bowl. The rich broth is laced through with onions, but my heart belongs to the thick crusty cheese oozing off the side of the bowl. I had the Saturday special- entrecôte de boeuf accompanied by a simple salad and a popover, for $38. I think it’s a reasonable deal, considering it is a hefty piece of meat and includes accompaniments. The popover doesn’t blow me away, but the meat is tender and juicy. I also loved the bread basket. I don't go out to brunch very often but Le Diplomate is on my short list.

I was there a couple of weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed the small plates, particularly smoked cod with citrus, cucumber, and toasted breadcrumbs. Farro salad with baby beets and beet greens and Roman artichoke were also quite good. We were not so fond of the pizzas, as they were completely soggy. I was happy to see the quote from Night Owl, indicating otherwise. Will have to try the pizza again.

As evidenced by the long list of restaurant openings on this board, it's hard to keep up. My most recent blog posts focus on the 14th Street additions of Le Diplomate, Ghibellina, and Etto. Le Diplomate http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/06/le-diplomate/ Ghibellina and Etto http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/06/four-new-dc-hot-spots/ plus...a welcome renovation to Persimmon in Bethesda. http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/06/persimmon/ Thanks for reading!

I dined here a couple of weeks ago and thought it was okay. I am not the biggest sushi fan so I had dishes off other areas of the menu. Mushidori- steamed chicken with shredded cucumber, served cold with sesame dressing was dry and not very flavorful. Corn tempura- identified as house specialty- was a little heavy on the breading and somewhat salty. The sushi I did have was just fine- although I am not the best judge. My dining companions thought it was good but not great. I do think it deserves another shot, and I would certainly encourage people in the area to check it out.

I was there recently for a birthday celebration and thought it was great fun. I agree that the drinks weren't any pricier than anywhere else in town (which my two kids- who know this far better than I- confirmed. I thoroughly enjoyed the banh mi burger and the grilled cheese. Extra bonus was getting a chance to chat with Johnny Spero, who was cooking in MiniBar but passed through. I would happily go back for cocktails and to sample more of the snacks.

I'm limited on time, but high on interest, so I would be willing to help with #3, #4, and maybe #6- although that one may be more than I can handle.

We went to the new Ghibellina on 14th Street last night. The good news: thoroughly enjoyed the bianca pizza with rapini, mozzarella, garlic, calabrian chilies,fennel seed, and pecorino romano. The crust was perfectly charred and flavorful. I prefer pizzas that retain their crispness, and this pizza did just that. It was one of the best pizzas we've had in awhile, and we've been eating pizza quite a bit lately. We also enjoyed the fresh ingredients in the Insalata Ghibellina - arugula, avocado, confit, tomatoes, emmenthaler, pine nuts, pesto. My husband and I shared Spaghetti Alla Trabaccolara. The menu listed the ingredients as tomato, white wine, cod, pollack, golden tilefish, and fennel. The dish arrived and I was a little disappointed in the fact that the pieces of fish were small and not very plentiful. Then I noticed that one of the fish had been replaced with squid. My husband keeps kosher and squid is not okay. We called the server over and she apologized and said that the chef frequently toys with the ingredients in this dish. I don't really think it's appropriate to add shellfish to a dish and not alert diners. There are people who are severely allergic to shellfish, not to mention others who don't eat it for religious reasons. Before leaving we asked to speak to a manager, and he echoed the server in saying that the chef had made changes to the dish. I was really enjoying Ghibellina until the squid incident. I still think it's a great place for pizza. But I feel that the staff minimized the situation with squid. Any kind of dietary restrictions require the diner to take responsibility for inquiring about ingredients. But a restaurant should also take responsibility when they substitute one ingredient for another- particularly if it's something that may have an adverse effect on their patrons.

Some new posts on Been There, Eaten That Last month's dining adventures included Alinea- the best meal of my life. I share my experience here: http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/06/alinea/ Also, I am guessing there aren't too many kosher participants on this site, but here's a kosher spot in Philly that merits a visit: http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/05/citron-and-rose/ and finally, my most recent post is about Daikaya in DC. http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/06/daikaya/

We also dined at Osteria Elisir recently and had a few of the same dishes as ericandblueboy. We thought the artichokes were very good, but pale in comparison to the stuffed squid- which is a dish that has me clamoring for a return visit. My friend had the linguine with clams and didn't particularly care for it. She thought the clams were a touch overdone. I tasted the dish and thought it lacked flavor. I had a much better experience with an satisfying black spaghettini with strips of tuna, green olives, capers, roasted garlic, and pepperoncino. Another great dish was rigatoni with creamy burrata, smoky mushroom ragu, and rosemary. A friend had pasta with a side of meatballs, which were overcooked and tasteless. All in all despite some of the misses, I liked the food and the more casual atmosphere.

Here are some updates. It's been awhile since I've shared these: Mosaic Cafe in Rockville: http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/05/mosaic-cusine-cafe/ Baltimore's Pabu: http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/04/pabu/ and two posts on NYC restaurants Empellon Cocina: http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/04/nyc-empellon-cocina/ Kin Shop: http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/04/nyc-rekindling-friendship-at-kin-shop/ Thanks for reading!

Hi Michael, as you know, I am a Quench fan. This board is a great place to help build visibility and support for your restaurant. Your effort to seek input is much appreciated. I'm hoping to get to Quench for brunch sometime soon! Lori

I was at Maryland Live about a month ago and the food choices are pretty abysmal. Bobby's Burger Palace had a line a mile long and was moving at a snail's pace. We didn't want Cheesecake Factory or Prime Rib. We ended up at the noodle place which was mediocre at best. My husband had fried fish from Phillip's Seafood, which was pretty awful. My recommendation is to eat before you go.

am just in the process of looking into a visit to Charlottesville this weekend so this is based on research and not experience. We are planning to visit Barboursville Vineyards, Trump Winery, and Jefferson Vineyards. We're dining at the Glass Haus Kitchen which was recently reviewed by Tom Sietsema. hope that helps a bit.

enjoyed your review of Range. I am headed back for my 4th visit next week. can't seem to get enough of this place!

Thanks for posting! I just followed you on Twitter and look forward to checking out your blog.