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Lori Gardner

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Everything posted by Lori Gardner

  1. Lori Gardner
    Two new posts to share: a review of Bethesda's new Wildwood Kitchen: http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/02/wildwood-kitchen/ a summary of recent restaurant highs & woes including brief thoughts on Suna's closing (and a link to our discussion here), a woeful experience at Hanoi House, and some highs including a business dinner at Cedar, and a visit to Daikaya: http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/03/recent-restaurant-highs-and-woes/
  2. Lori Gardner
    This is indeed sad news. I was a big fan and planned to return in the Spring. I know that Johnny Spero and Sean Alves appreciated the support from this community. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to keep Suna in business.
  3. Lori Gardner
    What I ended up liking best about the finale was the chance to see all the past winners. But the time they spent on that part of the show really took time away from Brooke and Kristen and the actual competition. I didn't like the entire judging process and thought it perhaps forced some judges to vote differently just to keep the drama going. i.e. if everyone preferred Kristen's dishes after the first two rounds, it would all be over. Tom Colicchio tweeted that he didn't really like the format and they probably won't do it this way again. I think that's a good thing.
  4. Lori Gardner
    interested depending on the date. but sounds great.
  5. Lori Gardner
    I "dined" at Hanoi House last night and it was one of the worst meals I've had in a very long time. As soon as the food was delivered to the table, I knew we were in trouble. Vegetarian steamed buns looked dried out and ordinary and tasted even worse. They were not fully cooked, tough on the outside, dry on the inside, flavorless. It wasn't worth finishing. I had catfish in a clay pot, which also looked unappealing from the start. There were a few small pieces of overcooked fish, covered in a thick sauce that tasted more of salt than anything else. My friend had a cabbage salad with chicken. She was delivered a pile of cabbage with a few measly strips of chicken on top. Some limes and seasoning were on the side- she was instructed to mix this together and pour on the salad. The result was so salty that the dish was inedible. My husband had vegetable pho, a huge dish of broth with mushrooms and little else. The only dish that was passable was vermicelli rice bowl with grilled shrimp. My friend commented that the best part of her meal was the slice of cucumber on the side of the plate. Our server started out strong- she was enthusiastic and full of suggestions about what to order but once the food was delivered never asked how everything was. We debated about what we would tell her, so maybe that's a good thing. I left Hanoi House still hungry and I don't think I've ever said that at the end of a restaurant meal. Hanoi House may be a nice option for cocktails (the atmosphere is very nice) but don't go for the food.
  6. Lori Gardner
    I was at Daikaya last night and really enjoyed it. I am also a fan of Ren's based on convenience to where I live (which quite honestly is very important), but also because there are options that have some real kick to them - love the miso tan-tan. If Toki was closer and/or I didn't have to wait hours to get in, I would probably put it as my #1 spot. The homemade sriracha really kick things up a notch. This is not to take anything away from Daikaya. It's a great addition to the ramen scene- which seems to be heating up. I added chili oil to the broth because I do prefer some zing, but the noodles are pretty terrific. At 8:00 pm there were plenty of spots available but it seemed to get more crowded a little later. Hopefully Daikaya will do well, but not so well that it's impossible to get in.
  7. Lori Gardner
    I was there today and parking is no problem. there are plenty of spots nearby on the weekend at least during the day. I had a 4 meat grinder and it was unbelievably good. Half of it was enough for my lunch and dinner. unfortunately the bread won't be crunchy tomorrow but I still can't wait for lunchtime.
  8. Lori Gardner
    8407 Kitchen Bar in Silver Spring may fit the bill. You should be able to get there in 20 minutes, it has a nice selection of cocktails, and the food is quite good.
  9. Lori Gardner
    what a brilliant piece. anything else I say would be inadequate.
  10. Lori Gardner
    My latest post is about the new Range in Mazza Gallery. If you are familiar with my blog, it won't surprise you that I like it. But Chef Voltaggio isn't the only thing Range has going for it. http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/02/range/
  11. Lori Gardner
    Darkstar- I loved how you summarized your meal in section one of your post. detailed descriptions aren't necessary- sometimes a few descriptive words say it all. I have to get back here for the four course menu- sounds perfect. And I'll give the coffee another shot. (thanks for the shout out - appreciate it!)
  12. Lori Gardner
    I watched the first episode over a period of a week- at two hours I just wasn't motivated to sit and watch the entire thing in one sitting. I have episode two on my DVR but am not really compelled to watch it. I think it is fine for background noise but not much else. I had forgotten about Malarkey until a recent visit to San Diego. I went to one of his restaurants, which was great on atmosphere and meh on food. I haven't decided whether I will devote any more time to this show, but may also tune in after auditions to see if "The Taste" gets any better with some seasoning.
  13. Lori Gardner
    I was at Range twice in the last week. I was delighted that a new vegetarian pizza has been added to the menu with ricotta, meyer lemon, and arugula- simply outstanding! also really enjoyed the striped bass with bbq hazelnuts and sorghum and the leg of lamb with root vegetable puree. The bakers basket and spreads should not be missed. I have been working my way through the menu (have now been 3 times) and the only thing I would really steer away from is the pan roasted chicken and the special kampachi collar, soffrito and charred lemon. I found both dishes lackluster. I happen to like the setting. There is a back room that doesn't overlook the mall, but it seems out of the way to me. I would much rather be in the thick of things and able to look at the various open cooking stations. I actually haven't been terribly enamored with the desserts, but the chocolates look outstanding. I'm going to have to give those a try on my next visit.
  14. Lori Gardner
    I apologize- that was a generalization. The NY bagels I've had at Ess-A-Bagel, Murrray's Bagels, H&H and Pick-a Bagel have all been better the next day than a bagel from my local favorite, which is Goldbergs. I found an interesting article on Serious Eats about a NY bagel tasting http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2009/10/serious-eats-finds-new-yorks-best-bagel-1.html Their conclusion: A bagel's half-life, untoasted and unadorned, is no more than half an hour. It was far less than any of us had thought, but after more than thirty minutes, we saw a rapid decline in texture, crust, and even taste. Brooklyn Bagel's initial victory? Simply a matter of freshness.
  15. Lori Gardner
    Is he no longer affiliated with Peter Chang's China Grill in Charlottesville? Obviously it still bears his name.
  16. Lori Gardner
    I don't think Shalom bagels are worth the trouble- put them in the category with grocery store bagels. I've been to Kosher Pastry Oven in Kemp Mill several times and I've had bagel sandwiches but I don't recall them even selling bagels separately. and in my opinion, a day old bagel from NYC beats anything right out of the oven in this area. and I am not a NYer...just a lover of NY bagels.
  17. Lori Gardner
    I wrote a post about the chef's dinner at Suna including a brief interview with Chef Johnny Spero at http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/01/suna-2/ The staff at Suna is incredibly grateful for the support of the readers on this board. If you haven't been to Suna yet, I encourage you to put it on your to do list.
  18. Lori Gardner
    I have been anxiously awaiting these results. I am shocked to see that The Bagelry won. I used to get bagels here all the time because it is close by, but never thought they were anything special. I'll give them another shot. My favorites are from Goldberg's, which as you noted was eliminated from the competition because they are closed on Saturday. FYI- I have heard great things about the bagels at Buffalo & Bergen at Union Market.
  19. Lori Gardner
    You are right...Tom Collicchio has the power to put someone back in who he regrets kicking off too soon, which has to be Kristen. It's getting close to the final four, so we'll know soon enough. I've been craving fried chicken. really, really good fried chicken.
  20. Lori Gardner
    Last Chance Kitchen was introduced last season. Beverly came back into the competition from LCK and competed against the final four.
  21. Lori Gardner
    My prediction is that we will see Kristen come back via Last Chance Kitchen. Actually, it may be more of a wish than a prediction.
  22. Lori Gardner
    First of all, Alex- thanks for a beautiful description of your meal at Suna. It would have enticed me back for a return visit, had I not already been scheduled for one. I attended the chef's collaborative dinner with John Shields from Townhouse, Bryan Voltaggio from Volt,Range & Family Meal, Michael Voltaggio from Ink, and Alex Talbot from Ideas in Food, along with Suna's executive chef, Johnny Spero. Wow. Sometimes you need a little help from your friends and Chef Spero is fortunate to have some talented friends to help shed light on this gem of a restaurant. I was blown away by general manager/sommelier Sean Alves, who welcomed me back and mentioned they would be serving a wine I had enjoyed on my first visit. What a wonderful way to make a guest feel special. Each and every one of the ten courses was a work of art and a taste sensation. I will write more when I'm not feeling the effects of the wine quite as much. I had a brief conversation with Sean about the postings on this board and he expressed his deep appreciation for the support of this community. I strongly encourage anyone who hasn't yet visited Suna to get there as soon as you can.
  23. Lori Gardner
    Sharing a couple of my latest reviews which includes: Equinox (it actually appears from the website that Executive Chef Karen Nicolas is now gone. http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2012/12/equinox/ and Ink in Los Angeles http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/01/ink/
  24. Lori Gardner
    Thanks, Don. That's worth a lot! I thought about the fact that I had a scoop but ultimately chose to respect our server, who asked me not to say anything.
  25. Lori Gardner
    Todd Kliman broke the news on Twitter so now I can say it. New chef is Ed Witt, formerly of 701.
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