hmmboy

I'll have another tonight in honor of I'll Have Another's brilliant stretch drive in the Preakness. Special performance by this beautiful horse beating an awfully good Bodemeister.

I am a huge fan of the Source and Scott Drewno's cooking. There are a multitude of dishes I enjoy there, but one dish that I am totally addicted to are Chef Drewno's chive dumplings. I polished off 2 orders of these juicy round mounds of cracklike joy last night in a matter of minutes! I will not claim to have eaten at every good dumpling spot in the DC area, but I have certainly eaten at most of those that garner consistent positive mention on this site. Not to slight the area's other great dumplings (including others in Chef Drewno's arsenal), but I cannot recall ever having dumplings (or shumai Don) that I enjoyed more than these chive dumplings.

Honestly, I find all this Spike bashing distasteful and, frankly, a bunch of crap. He has opened up very successful restaurants catering to the masses and I think they were executed exactly as he envisioned. Why is his decision to pursue commercial success (which he has, by any measure, achieved) looked down upon? Because of a few inartfully phrased quotes in the press? Have all of you not uttered things you wished you had reflected further upon and wished you could retract. I dare say that the ditty scribe himself has retracted dozens, if not hundreds, of errant comments on this board after further reflection. I, too, had my favorite meals at Zaytinya when Chef Isabella was at the helm. But it is absurd to make comparative judgements on their respective cooking skills. I am in no position to do so and neither are any of you. The fact is that Spike cooked his ass off during his 2 seasons on Top Chef and made many dishes that looked scrumptious, and by the comments of Tom, Eric, etc., were just that. I am quite certain that he could cook circles around all of the bashers, blindfolded with one hand tied behind his back.

I suspect many people write off Sunday night at Palena, with its abbreviated menu of salads, pizzas and pastas, but doing so is a HUGE mistake. Last night neither Chef Ruta nor the ever present Kelley were in the house, but whomever was cooking should be awfully proud as the wife and I had one of our best dinners of the year. She had a simply amazing brodetto, some super fresh sardines, baby clams and a slice of what has to be the best garlic bread on the planet adorning the exquisitely flavored soup. She followed that with a bowl of spelt pasta w/ramps, goat cheese and smoked salmon. She declared it her favorite pasta dish of the year. In my mind it took second place last night behind the perfectly executed and wildly delicious linguine with rock shrimp. Add in the city's best Caesar and side dishes of the Northern Neck greens and roasted artichokes w/farro and you've got yourself a killer dinner that we were still talking about at breakfast. Bravo!

I'm at your disposal for a glass of vino....oh Lord of drunken 4AM posts. it is awkward for me to post about Estadio's beverage program on Boqueria's thread - I wish them nothing but the best - but I would be remiss if I did not supplement Don's much appreciated compliment with a clarification. Our wine program - 450 Spanish selections and ever growing - is the best selection of Spanish wines I have seen in the United states, save Casa Mono's glorious list. My darling Sebastian put together a strong opening list, but abdicated control of it to my son Max a few months after we opened. Max has not only done a sensational job expanding it, but he also runs the phenomenal beer, sherry, cider and Madeira lists - and is a fountain of knowledge on the floor for inquiring guests. I am extraordinarily proud of his efforts.

I had a stellar lunch there this week. Shrimp dumpling soup 1/2 Soy chicken and 1/2 lb of roast pork (I threw i/2 of it in the soup). Nothing too adventurous but all outstanding.

Had a late dinner at La Forchetta tonite. I am thrilled to have this place in my neighborhood. It is a great space with a big outdoor patio. I think they did a terrific job on the decor - big beautiful concrete bars with a large attractive pizza oven in the center of the main bar. Very attractive metal work and furnishings, including swivel stools that bear an uncanny resemblance to Estadio's (in all fairness they are much nicer - wider and more comfy and they return to the neutral position). Just overall a pretty place with good energy and a good vibe. I was not very hungry and I was trying not to be a terrible Jew (NO BREAD or PASTA), but I thoroughly enjoyed everything I ate, particularly the pasta fagioli, the house made roasted red peppers and anchovies, and an amazing cartoccio siciliano (basically a fried soft canoli shaped pastry stuffed with sweet ricotta) - OK, not such a good Jew.. The owner, Hakan Ilhan, came over to say hi - he strikes me as a serious restaurateur who will do whatever is necessary to make this place a success. Roberto was at work in the kitchen and say what you will, he is a beast of a chef. I predict this place will be a huge success and that with Hakan overseeing the business side this venture will not have any of the problems that plagued this great chef in the past. Welcome back Roberto - thrilled to see you cooking in DC again and wishing you and Hakan great success. You will see me again soon.

And to Todd Kliman for his nomination for the M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award for his piece on Authenticity in the inaugural issue of Lucky Peach

Congrats to Chef Trabbochi, his lovely wife Maria, and the entire Fiola team for a well deserved nod from the James Beard Foundation - a finalist for Best New Restaurant in America!!!

You should try the Laotian menu at Bangkok Golden. Hottest damned food I can recall eating (and liking), with the possible exception of the vidaloo at Haandi.

Chef and I along with Adam and Justin and a couple of others literally tried the entire Laotian menu last week - most of it excellent and spicy. The next day even spicier.

Impressive list of participating local and out-of-town chefs

http://2012suppers.eventbrite.com/

http://www.marthasta...org/tossns.html

There is also a Saturday night event at the Newseum

http://2012sips.eventbrite.com/

And a Friday night event at the National Portrait Gallery

http://www.npg.si.ed...ents.html#/?i=3

I'm pretty sure the wine list on the website is not up-to-date.

You are right Jake - we are actually in the process of updating it now and apologize for it being out of date.

the numbers speak for themselves: only 165 bottles of wines at this tapas bar cost more than $100........ so for the price-conscious customer (who has become used to scanning lists ordered from least-expensive to most-expensive, looking for their price point), it's a bit of a visual back-and-forth challenge

A primary inspiration for Estadio was Casa Mono, the brilliant NYC tapas bar headed by chefs Andy Nusser and Anthony Sasso. There are 475 wines on their extraordinary wine list and only 315 of those wines cost more than $100. Of that 315, 98 cost $500 or more and 40 are $1000 or more (at a tiny tapas bar Rocks). I recognize there is more demand in NYC for high end wine, and truth be told if we were starting from scratch in our space constrained cellar we would have less collectible and more 2 digit wines as there are many outstanding well priced Spanish wines that we sadly cannot stock because of storage limitations. The point, however, is that there are a LOT of great and correspondingly pricey Spanish wines, and my personal affliction has prevented me from staying away from them. As for the "challenge" of reading a list interspersed with pricey and less expensive offerings, I'm not buying that. I personally am repelled by dumbed down lists that mish mosh varietals, vintages and regions in favor of a low to high price ordering and my guess is that a wine knowledgeable patron like Mr. Food isn't looking for that either. Salud!

Jay, I know you are a very knowledgeable wine guy so I was a bit suprised by your comment on our wine list. My own personal sickness dictates that our all Spanish list contain a bunch of ancients, rarities, and collectibles. But of the 420 wines on the current list, 255 are in "2 digits" - that's over 60%. Of those 255 there are dozens and dozens of outstanding wines for less than $50 and I'm sure Max would be happy to help you find one on your next visit. Salud!

After two incredible meals this week, Fiola is raised to bold in the Dining Guide (this was nothing but a formality).

Could not agree more - the lunch I had here last week was simply extraordinary - even something as basic as the crab toast made me weak in the knees. During the startup phase, when it was taking some hits from the critics, I still thought it head and shoulders above any other Italian restaurant in the city. But now there is nothing even remotely competitive. Bravo to the great Chef Fabio, and to Maria and the wonderful Fiola staff!

Chef Andres is, IMO, one of the world's great culinary geniuses, and we are extraordinarily lucky that he chose to make his home in DC. He is a GREAT chef and he and his partner, Rob Wilder, are GREAT restaurateurs. Anyone who thinks otherwise is seriously misguided. Bitching about a bad dish or mediocre meal is fine - everyone is entitled to his or her opinion - if you don't like it, don't go. But after a mediocre lunch at DB Bistro in NYC last month I did not conclude conclude that Daniel Boulud was not a great chef and restaurateur - because I am certain he is both.

As for Chef Andres' talent as a chef, I have been fortunate enough to have him cook for me in his restaurants, in my kitchen (a DC Central Kitchen auction item), and in his kitchen. And the food - and I mean every single dish - was always creative, beautiful, and flat out spectacular. Those of you who saw Chef Andres crush Bobby Flay on Iron Chef a few years back, laughing his way through the episode while Chef Flay was sweating bullets, saw a glimpse of what this man can do in the kitchen. And please don't tell me it was all Ruben Garcia - Chef Garcia is a wonderful talent, but Chef Andres is and was responsible for that culinary thrashing. It is easy and somewhat vogue to engage in bashing celebrity chefs who have opened lots of restaurants - to suggest that they are somehow no longer great chefs. But I will gladly have Wolfgang Puck, Daniel Boulud, Jean-Georges Vongerichten or Jose Andres cook for me - anytime, anywhere.

As for him being a great restaurateur, reflect for a moment on the unparalleled contribution Chef Andres has made to the way we eat. He is more responsible than anyone in the country for the way a significant number of Americans enjoy dining in restaurants these days - grazing on, and sharing, an assortment of small plates rather than the appetizer, entree, dessert routine of old. He is a risk taker, an innovator, and a marketing powerhouse. Moreover, there is no other chef in this country, French, italian, Asian, who dominates his native country's cuisine in the way Chef Andres dominates Spanish cuisine. And other than Abe Pollin, I don't think anyone can take more credit for the the revitalization of the PQ than Chef Andres (and Rob Wilder). The trailblazing Jaleo, a high risk proposition in so many ways, was and is a great restaurant. It was an inspiration to Chef Karoum and me in opening Estadio and for Estadio to even be compared to this seminal restaurant is a huge honor. Zaytinya was also a groundbreaking restaurant when it opened, unique and forward thinking on a national level. And serving delicious and accessible food that was entirely foreign to Chef Andres. It was and is to this day, through numerous changes in the kitchen, an outstanding restaurant and a place I recommend to out of towners without hesitation. I could go on, and on, and on.

When we opened Estadio, we told Chef Andres about it before going to the press. He got teary eyed and told us he would do everything possible to help us. This was not lip service - he personally spent hours helping us organize our R&D trip to Spain, provided contacts for us in various cities, and he and Ruben personally toured us around Barcelona when we were there. And we were opening what some would perceive as a competing restaurant! His tireless efforts for the DC Central Kitchen and MANY other worthy causes is, alone, worthy of accolade - but it is the frosting on an enormous body of culinary achievement that DC has never seen the likes of, and likely never will again.

Six of us shared a yummy dinner here last night. We had 2 orders of a very nice etouffee (served in a large styrofoam cup), a pound of clams (Spicy), 4 pounds each of crawfish and shrimp (2 medium, 1 spicy, 1 extra spicy - all w/Hot and Juicy seasoning), corn, potato, and sausages (which they put in the plastic bag along with the fish so it soaks up the spicy sauce), and some chicken wings. We consumed a 6 bottle assortment of Chablis, Riesling and Champagne (no corkage charge). The crawfish are good but the shrimp are definitely the way to go - nice, large, fresh shrimp. $150 for the 6 of us stuffing our faces (plus tip). A unique dining experience in DC, and downtown no less - I will be back.

Chef and I shared a sensational meal last night at Ripple - one of my top meals of 2011. Started with the seasonal veggie plate and the maitakes w/anchovies. The veggie plate was very well done and the maitakes delish. It would have been easy to overpower the mushrooms with the anchovies but Chef Cox balanced them beautifully. Next course we shared the quinoa and lobster mushroom risotto and the pistachio agnolotti. The pasta was lovely, the risotto was spectacular. Rich and seasonal but in no way heavy, we scraped the bowl clean and almost took the arm off the busser who tried to remove it before we had eaten every drop. Main courses were the fazzoletti w/quail ragu and the venison w/boudin blanc. The venison was cooked and seasoned to perfection (actually every dish we tasted was really well seasoned) and the combination of ingredients was exquisite, aesthetically and flavor-wise. However, as good as ithe venison and risotto were, my favorite dish of the night was the fazzoletti - a stunningly delicious pasta dish that I can't wait to have again. Other than an otherworldly pesto I had at Farina in San Francisco last month, it is the best pasta dish I have had this year - and at $17 it is a steal. Frankly, contrary to several previous posts, I thought the portion sizes were perfect and the prices extremely reasonable for this exalted level of ingredients and execution. Chef Ruta's shadow loomed large over several of the dishes, a great thing for sure, but Chef Cox is a star in his own right and I strongly recommend you getting yourself to Ripple soon. it is one of the best, and best priced, dining experiences in DC right now. Oh, and I second the shout out for those warm, gooey, and decadent chocolate chip cookies. Yum!

Have not yet seen anything reported here on an exciting new restaurant from Chef Daisuke Itagawa of Sushi Ko and restaurateur Yama Jewayni (Marvin, Local 16, etc.). The project just got a whole lot more interesting with the announcement that Chef Katsuya Fukushima of Minibar fame will head the kitchen. The space is being built in the empty lot next door to Graffiato and reportedly will be offering ramen on the ground level and izakaya on the second floor. Sounds awesome - anticipated opening early 2012.

http://www.washingto...going-out-gurus

I, too, had an absolutely sensational lunch there on Thursday. Every dish was singing. Fabio has hit his stride and it is great to see one of our city's greatest chefs once again playing at the top of his game.

I'm a big fan of Mark Kuller's. Also a big fan of Proof. And, I'm very glad that Estadio is here in DC. The gap between it and Jaleo, for example, is both large and obvious in Estadio's favor.

Last night I took a few visiting Spanish friends to Estadio. I'd been there 2 times previously but not in the past several months. Thought it a safe bet for a fun and delicious night with a few animated Spaniards.

HEADLINE

A Good Time Had By All. Some very good dishes. Wonderful staff. Definite opportunity for Estadio to do more on the food front if it so chooses. More fun than delicious but good enough food that we left happy.

FOOD

Safe to say we missed the boat here entirely. I love vegetables and many on the menu looked very interesting. But, my Spanish friends didn't want any so I ordered just one among the 8 or so dishes we had in total. And I chose wrong. I ordered a Red Kale w/ Garlic, Red Chili Flake and maybe Olive Oil. Judging from earlier reviews, I probably should have gone with mushrooms, pea shoots or shishitou peppers. I chose kale because it's a challenging green to work with and I wanted to see what Estadio would do with it. I love greens. Kale is sturdier and more bitter than most others whether chard, spinach or turnip greens. And nearly every preparation I ever see of kale involves sauteeing or pan frying with garlic, maybe some ham or bacon, and oil. This was no different. OK at best. Still fairly bitter in a not so great, uninteresting, non-arugula-like way. Just didn't taste great. Maybe ultra-healthy kale can't be made into a delicious dish without pureeing?. Maybe I just shouldn't have ordered this.

Other Dishes Ordered

- Manchego and House Marinated Olives: The manchego was disappointing. Though it seemed be a younger version, it simply lacked any sharpness or flavor for which manchego is famous. Maybe it was a problem with how the cheese was sourced or stored but not sure. It was almost bland. The olives were nice. We received a long dish of different types and finished them all.

- Gambas al ajillo (or "Sauteed Shrimp, Garlic, Parsley and Lemon" as appears on the menu): this familiar dish is a good example of the big advantage Estadio holds over the older and perhaps tired Jaleo. Larger, fresher, more flavorful shrimp. Good balance between the listed ingredients. I'm not sure whether it was intended but this dish also came out with some red chili flakes in it. Sure, added some heat but I felt that unnecessary. As a more general comment, I appreciate heat as much as the next person but felt some like too many dishes went to the chili pepper well. All said, the table enjoyed this and we finished it quickly.

- Bacalao Crudo, Jalapeno, Avocado, Orange & Olive Oil : all agreed this was great. While my Spanish friends didn't recognize it from home, they nevertheless enjoyed it. Except my one friend who, not recognizing the sliced jalapeno for what it was, downed a few slices and then finished the bread bowl in one fell swoop. Very generous portion of fresh cod. The avocado, orange and oil was applied in perfect amounts and proportions.

- Seared Leg of Lamb, Olivada & Roasted Shallots: also very good. This wasn't so much "seared" or a visible "leg" as it was cooked to a medium rare and served as slices/pieces but no matter as I'm not sure a truly seared version would be better. This was served on a crostini-type slice of bread. Like the bacalao and most Estadio dishes, it was generously portioned.

- Tortilla Espańola, Alioli, Sweet Hot Peppers: I'm not sure why some items like this are listed in Spanish while others (like the shrimp) are in English but we ordered this to be able to benchmark with other versions. Didn't enjoy this. it stood out from the other dishes as one where an effort to be creative substituted for great flavor. This had more potatoes than a typical tortilla that were layered, rather than mixed, in. It had a strange, spongey texture. The peppers were pureed and, along with the ailoi, were more decorative than flavor enhancing. This a dish I'd like to see Estadio rethink.

- Baby chorizo sausages with seasonings I failed to note. An okay dish. Not distinctive but not disappointing per se. We received 6 to 8 mini sausages that tasted a bit more like hot smokes than chorizo but, nevertheless, we finished them. They came in a bowl of housemade potato chips. We all agreed that we liked the chips better than the sausages which I'm guessing wasn't the intent.

- Bottle of 2005 Muga Rioja: We asked the waitress to send over the sommelier to help us choose a good bottle and that's how we met Max Kuller. Big thumbs up on Max! He was great--Estadio's Ass't Mgr but nevertheless knew the wines on the expansive list and was incredibly friendly, genuine and helpful. We loved the bottle he suggested. Of course, Max has the unfair advantage of having no doubt learned from some great teachers also at the helm of the growing Proof/Estadio empire

VENUE

I don't have much to add here since many have already posted about and been to Estadio. Will just say that the decor is lovely, appropriate to the theme and very comfortable and functional. Will also say that I agree with Tom...

...but no complaints there since, well, the place is a tapas bar so expected to be a bit raucous. Estadio's atmosphere is fun and vibrant and a little noise reasonably comes with that. If you want formal and quiet, can go to spots like Eve, Citronelle, Tosca, City Zen or...even Proof which according to the Post's GOG, clocks in four decibels lower than its sibling.

One minor thing I'll put under VENUE for lack of a better place. I struggled a bit with authenticity given who my dining companions were. Everyone understood that Estadio is an American interpretation of a tapas bar (at least I think that' s the positioning?). Some dishes, like the bacalao crudo, really succeeded though not "classic" in preparation. We specifically didn't choose to go to La Taberna, the obvious more formal and classic alternative. But, with one in our party not an English speaker and also a food person, I was surprised and a bit red faced when I found out they had no Spanish language version of the menu. I know, the customer base is overwhelmingly American and/or English speaking. But, it's one of the best Spanish restaurant options in our area and I'd guess many of our Spanish residents or visitors find their way to it.

STAFF

I don't usually have a "staff" category when I writeup restaurant visits on DR.com. But, in this case it makes sense because, while our service was fine...friendly, efficient, etc, the dining room staff of Estadio really played a big role in making our night a success.

First, there was Max. Already described above. Max rocks. I'll have to meet Sebastian one of these days to compare

Next, the hostess. As others have written on this and other food boards, kind of a bummer that Estadio takes no reservations after 6pm. But, that's totally their right. I'm sure it's for logical reasons and so we went in ready to be waiting a long time. The hostess was very friendly despite being super busy. She gave us an estimate (maybe it was 45 min or an hour?) and, sure enough, we were seated even a few minutes sooner than whatever she told us. More than the timing though, I just really appreciated how hospitable and attentive she was despite all the obvious challenges inherent in her job. She suggested a few other bars nearby when we asked where we might grab a drink outdoors. Etc, etc.

Likewise, the bartender (whose name I didn't get) was arguably as nice and helpful as any other barkeep I've encountered in a packed restaurant and on a beautiful Saturday night in a long time. I'm sure he's incredibly knowledgeable and skilled; we didn't so much test that ordering just a few glasses of wine. But he seemed better organized and way more empathetic than whatever 'norm' exists. Oh, and no offense here to folks like Chantal at Tabard or Chris at Freddy's. Of course, they rock in the biggest of ways too.

Finally, there was a waiter or manager that I intercepted while loitering surreptitiously by the kitchen. The place was packed with a ton of activity. All the staff were going full out. I wanted him to take my credit card, get it to our waitress and ensure that the bill would be charged to it so I could avoid a battle for the check later. Done--worked perfectly a couple of hours later following the meal when my card reappeared with the check already run. My friends didn't have a chance. Thanks whoever you were and big apologies I didn't get your name

I've read some fairly critical stuff about Estadio's staff on some of those other, inferior ( ), restaurant review websites. I don't get that at all. Estadio's front-of-house staff are a huge asset in my view.

To me , Estadio on a national scale isn't so much a "best" as it is a story of a strong regional restaurant with some real strengths and some inconsistency across its menu and food execution. It could be something really special, really unique...rather than just the best tapas spot in DC, which I guess it is with competition fairly lean. This was my third visit and surely there will be many more. There's so much to like about Estadio. I just wish they'd strive a bit more in the kitchen. Then again, they're packed all the time and my view is clearly a bit different from the James Beard Society so what the hell do I know?

Thanks for a fun night, Estadio. And, as always, thanks for listening

Really appreciate this long and thoughtful review. Trust me, when someone takes the time to write a thorough and balanced review, as your was, Chefs Karoum and Bautista, our FOH, and I take it seriously to heart. Thanks for taking the time to provide this valuable and critical feedback. We know we have much to improve upon and every single day we think about how to get better - its a process, and, in my opinion, one that takes a few years. Salud, MK

I have this vague, nagging feeling that people think Dr. Brown's sodas are some sort of "special thing." I had a Black Cherry soda for lunch today, and noticed that the top two ingredients were 1) Carbonated Water and 2) High Fructose Corn Syrup. I Googled it just now and saw that the company is owned by 1) Canada Dry which in turn is owned by 2) Dr. Pepper Snapple Group.

Very quaint name, however.

And neither Boylon's nor anyone I am aware of produces a celery soda. Clearly an acquired taste, I absolutely love Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray, especially with deli. I remember hoarding several cases of the he diet version when I learned they were stopping production. Dr. Browm's is special - especially to us Jews you snobby anti semite!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cel-Ray

I think my most recent experience tops all. I parked on Q St b/t 14th and 15th this winter and went into Estadio at 130 for an hour. Those streets have the 2 hour parking signs - no meters. I left Estadio and went to Proof where I spent a couple hours in meetings. I parked outside and got a 2 hour sticker from the f'in machines (who got paid off on that contract). At 430 I went back to Estadio for a meeting and parked on Q St b/t 14th and 15th again, but across the street and down the block from where I had parked earlier. Came out 30 minutes later and had a ticket "observed more than 2 hours". Furious I appealed. After 2 months it was rejected. Then I paid the $10 for the second appeal. In both cases I enclosed my parking sticker from my Proof visit as well as an affidavit from the person I was with at Proof. Again the appeal was denied. At that point my only recourse was to file in DC Court, which I would have done but for the fact I was traveling when the 15 day period elapsed. This is a legitimate class action. A system so flawed as to generate a ticket in these circumstances is not consistent with due process. I would really love to file that suit, but I just don't have the time or energy.

You got the the mustard right, but the bread? IMO, a really good pastrami sandwich has got to be on fresh rye with caraway seeds. With French bread, you are teetering on the brink of mayonnaise and sweet pickles.

I'm with you - good Jewish rye with seeds is preferred, but I've tasted no such animal in these parts. Rather than suffer through mediocre rye, I will opt for the best sandwich bread available and that would be Upper Crust's spectacular Pain de Campagne (which I suspect you have never tasted). The mayo, sweet pickles comment is just a mean thing to say to this Manhattan grown yeshiva boy.

I just finished an awesome sandwich of Red Apron's (Nathan Anda) pastrami.This salty, fatty, spicy beef is the best pastrami I have tasted outside of New York City. It is sold in chunks that approximate 6 ounces for $6 at the Dupont Farmers Market (and probably elsewhere). Sliced and heated, with the fat freely flowing - its great stuff. Also a shout out to the Pain de Campagne bread from Crest Hill (Upper Crust) bakery in Silver Spring on which the marbly meat was placed (with some Batampte Jewish deli mustard). This bread, which is par baked and sold at the local Whole Foods markets, is my favorite local bread and is especially superb for grilled cheese sandwiches.