Chris Cunningham
-
Posts
337 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Articles
Dining Guide
Everything posted by Chris Cunningham
-
Their rent was $23,000 per month... Slightly bordering criminal and I don't think any restaurant can afford that spot and expect to stay open. Even though they will eventually be closing the first 2 blocks of King Street and make it into a pedestrian promenade , I doubt anything other than a chain like Bubba Gumps or Cheesecake Factory could sustain..... And that is only with more Hotels and shops opening on the future development of the waterfront area -
I've tried it here 3 times and think its grossly overrated and I just don't get the hype .... Maybe 10 years ago but I was just not impressed As I mentioned to Don , I thought Sushi Yoshi in Vienna is one of the best in the area. IMHO
-
Thats because I don't go in until about 3 PM Tuesday-Saturday Hope to see you there sometime
-
Must be nice to be clairvoyant..........I'll reserve my comments until after I actually dine there, and knowing Spero's commitment and professionalism, I'm looking forward to it. Haven't been enough times to Madison Park to be able to call it "Mad" yet, but hopefully Ill get there
-
More Burger Places!!!!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.......Now maybe a Gastro pub will open.....Perchance to dream
-
With the flurry of all the recent posts and board activity.....Grapeseed is poised to become the new Dino or Rays the Whatever on this board Congrats Jeff...hope the new hip is working cause sounds like business is good!!!!
-
I often stay at the Blackthorne with my GF and we love the food as well. We can always be found on the 1 leather couch facing the bar and tv whilst enjoying the fire, bloody marys and watching the peeps. They will place a wooden board across the stone railing that the couch sits so you can place your food and drink there.....Its extremely easy to just sink into the couch and go to sleep......So say hi or wake me up next time youre there .....just know that the couch has dibs already haha And I will be at the Red Horse today enjoying the weather and a great Cuban Sandwich....then will pick up my BBQ Gold at the Pit Stop to eat later tonight
-
Restaurants Open During Hurricane Sandy
Chris Cunningham replied to DonRocks's topic in Events and Gatherings
Willow will reopen on Wednesday....Gone Fishin till then -
I am always riding my motorcycle out that way every weekend and we stopped there a few weeks ago and had a great meal. 6 of us had a great table outside and pretty much shut it down on a Sunday night. Crab and chicken were very good and the setting is awesome....I expect to see Andy Griffith drive by I would def return and would love to be sitting there on a day like today. However, the best crab I've had in the area...and I mean I've been to every crab house within 60 miles...is Crossroads Pub in Dayton, MD......damn I want crab now!!!!!!!!!!!!! Methinks I shall take a personal day and ride out there
-
There's a name for those that like playing with vegetables
-
Touché !!!!!!!!
-
Got to be honest here....while the menu sounds ok, and I honestly doubt it will last serving till 5 AM...the name is BORING AS HELL...Seriously???? I never want to hear Bistro or Gastro EVER AGAIN
-
Well I'm at least happy that the Negronis I made hit their mark I discussed your issues with Debra and she acknowledged the missteps that were made last night and the attempts to rectify them Thanks for your candor and please say hi next time you return.
-
It's been a full month since I took over at Willow and I too was a bit confused with a dining room that shuts around 9 pm or 9:30 even on weekends... But it seems that this has been in response to the fact that most of the diners have wrapped up by this time. I personally don't usually eat till 9 or later . We just haven't had the demand to stay open later and serve and after talking with some regulars they expressed a desire to come in later but know we don't usually serve late. I would like to build a later food and at least bar business and want those regulars and new guests to be able to at least know we r open till 11-12 on Friday and Saturdays. It's a case of build it and they will come... Hopefully I hope to implement this in September and at least have a consistent time at the bar for you to eat and drink Let me know of youre interested
-
LOL...Yes, Tia Queda...I was thinking Al Queda as I had my first and last meal there that day last July. I have no idea who or what created those things...simply unfathathomable at how horrible those chips are
-
We ate here after the Yankees-Nats game which was there second day of service and even preparing for many issues that come with it The space was great and the rooftop bar is awesome. The food and drinks were another story. A sad story. I saw bags of tortilla chips purchased in bulk being brought from a car to the restaurant and then those were "reheated" to be served to us. Table side Guac is becoming very common yet still overpriced at every place... Ours was passable but needed salt and pepper. My Bloody Mary cocktail was in no way anything remotely like a true bloody Maria, as all they do is take a margarita and add a few drops of sangrita ... That's it. IMHO they should have a true Bloody Maria. Our other drinks were ok but I seriously almost walked up to the bar to offer my services for free to show them how to be better There is no excuse for a seasoned owner to allow an opening like this and to be unprepared I'd give it a 4 out of 10 on my first visit and might go back if I ever found myself up that way but it wouldn't ever be on my go to go radar. My prediction is that mediocre food, chips almost as bad as the Worst I've ever had from Ta Queda in Bethesda, and passable drinks at best will be a gold mine only because of location
-
They say traffic kills..and it does, but the commute can also make you crazy...that coupled with an amazing offer and a much shorter drive is bittersweet as I say goodbye to Freddy's Lobster and Bethesda. Its always hard to leave a place you've help build, but I'm leaving Freddy's confidently positioned to continue its beer haven for Bethesda. After a motorcycle walkabout for the next week taking me wherever I decide to ride, I'll be moving to Willow in Arlington as the Wine & Beverage Director/AGM. I will be behind the bar as usual also, so I look forward to seeing many of you there at some point. My best to Jeff, Freddy's and all the great people that I have had the pleasure to serve and meet.
-
Taking the reins from Les Halles is more appropriate
-
Depending upon the brand Mezcal you had, he was probably correct.....Gusano Rojo is the swill mezcal of Mexico and sold not only at the airports and gas stations ......The lore of the worm being good luck or medicinal was a genius marketing ploy aimed solely at Americans to get them to buy this fuel. All Mezcals are tequilas, but not all tequilas are Mezcals.... Mezcal is made from a different speciaes of the Maguey and the Pina (heart) is roasted rather than steamed to impart that smokey flavor. No self respected Mezcal maker uses a worm I enjoy stoppiong by there every time I shoot at Blue Ridge Arsenal
-
I found the article quite interesting, if not a a bit puzzling in the amount of time he spent concocting his dough trials...might have been better to hire a pro to come up with the dough, but sounds like it was a labor of love and curiosity. Also was a bit peeved at a "number" guy not being so secretive about the number of pizza's and people that he serves.....but then again pizza is a huge cash cow , with low overhead and since there are only another 478 pizza places within 3 blocks, maybe silence is golden
-
Sunday was a beautiful day for riding, so I took the GF out on the bike and surprised her with lunch . We arrived around 3 PM and sat outside under the trees on the patio. I had hoped the fairly new Bistro was open, but it opens at 4 pm and I look forward to trying it another time. We did the 3 course Prix fee, with 2 choices for me having an additional fee of $7.95 each ( escargot and Roquefort salad) in addition to the $45 Choucrute I had that had sauerkraut, corned beef, duck, sausage, bacon on it....quite good. Gf had the chicken, which was amazing and like butter. One thing I love is cottage cheese, and they serve you their homeade version with chives....awesomely good. There were 2 chef amuse bouche that were sent out...one was a mushroom tart and the other was sorbet before the main course. Dessert was a caramel creme and cheescake that we chose. All in all a great meal in a perfect setting. Our server was very good, but a bit of a douche initially with me having to ask 3 times for something and him speaking french to another server nearby in response to my persistence....but I gave him a wake up call when I also, replied in French to his comment and watched him go white for a second, realizing that I am fluent in that language and caught his lapse in judgment He pretty much made sure there was no crumb within 1 mile of our table after that . Whats really very cool is that the restaurant has been there 58 years!!!!!! Their opening menu is posted downstairs outside the restrooms...and lists escargots for $3.50 and beef bourguignon for $8.00.....I wish they would revert prices for a week All in all meal was $165 with wine and I loved every moment of it, as I was 16 the last time I went there. I plan to visit more often, especially in the fall and winter.
-
Went this past Saturday for lunch before work at Freddys.....saw Karen the GM as we walked in and its good to see her in a more managable, stable setting that she can do her job and not worry about issues that we had in the past. Spoke with Roberto for a bit, who is sporting some sweet Ferrari red glasses, then joined my GF at a window table. The space is a blend of mostly modern, with some butt ass ugly black, plastic chandeliers that harken to the dark ages, mixed in with modern, high intensity lighting. The actual bar is small and hidden behind the pizza oven, while there are 2 counter areas, one around the pizza oven and the other sitting at the kitchen prep area, where you can dine whilst veiwing people at work. The menus kind of clash with the writing because of the background graphics on the menu paper and could be hard to read for some. Overall though, I like the space and color. The menu has decent heft and offerings, with Chef also having many specials that are verbalized by the server....and while I consider 3-4 items to be specials, I consider more than that to either be overkill or require an additional menu. They asked and I gave them my thoughts....While we know Roberto can cook, I think too many options can be overkill. We started with Burrata that was accompanied by a roasted tomato that had been ice cooled immediately after being removed from the oven and drizzled with olive oil and basil, and a spinach salad with pear and bacon.....both quite good and simple. Next we had a pizza with sausage, mozz and broccoli rabe that was cooked pretty darn well. Unlike 2 Amy's which is either spot on crisp or soupy ass wet , this pie fell in the middle with the best of both worlds. Dessert was a very unique twist on Tiramisu served as a huge moon size round and a side of hot chocolate that is to be poured in the center of the cake after making a hole in the top....was very good, but I think that the server should do this for the guest, rather than telling you how to do it. Then again, some may not want it done that way. Gf had assorted gelato and sorbet which was very good as well. All in all, I enjoyed it very much and look forward to trying the huge servings of pasta that I saw at neighboring tables being consumed by two men in their fiftys that reminded me of the old poster with the spaghetti bowl on top of the babys head while he was in a high chair They were messy but were seriously loving it. I'm glad its next to my Gf's place, I know it will thrive, and I will be back often.
-
Fish, Shark, or minnow.... Now we got some kinda expedition going on madness!!! Lol. But I wholeheartedly agree that the CP Tackle Box needed to just cut bait and run
-
What I do know is that I hate driving to Penzeys in Falls Church because that Speed Trap laden stretch of road from Koons Ford to Washington St is nuts
-
Perhaps ive confused my Bear Rock cafe's as I'm thinking of the one in Shirlington, which is clearly Arlington and there is no metro near it nor is Falls Church or any moniker aptly named falls church within a few miles.