eyedubya

Wanted to show this place some DR love. My wife and I are pseudo-regulars, and they really take care of us. They knew we were coming in this past weekend, and realized that they were out of our go-to red wine. So even though the owner was of for the night, he had worked it out in advance with the lead waiter to have a suitable replacement ready, reduced down to the price of our regular bottle! If you live in Northern Virginia and haven't tried this place, you must. The menu continues to evolve, but current favorites include some long-running staples: Put Roast sliders, Modern Korean Scallops, Boar Bowl and Bulgogi Beef. Cocktail list is solid and original without being over-the-top cheesy. Excellent beer and wine lists. Seriously, give it a shot, worth any drive you may have.

Thanks, but I'm not attached to the industry at all, so I don't have to worry about making friends. And since Starr is just a corporation, I don't feel bad piling on. As critical as your post may be, you're (mostly) criticizing companies, not the little guys trying to make a living. It will be interesting to watch 14UP in the coming years to see if it gets Clarendon'd (sure it's verb).

I am SO glad that I finally made it to Le Diplomate last night. So GLAD because now I every time I see it hyped in Washingtonian/whatever, I can relax and realize that I'm not missing anything. Don't get me wrong, it's perfectly adequate(ish) but in no way spectacular. Service - solid, if not robotic. Food - meh. As another poster said, not really any better than Mon Ami Gabi. Like that other corporate entity, Le Diplomate tends to 'Muricanize some of its more promising offerings (the aforementioned heavy mushroom tart, bland escargot with unnecessary puff pastries on top). Decor - yeah yeah, they spent $7 Million on it. Feels like Disney. Wine list - the only highlight in the sense that I was able to spot a few gems value-wise Just take this place for what it is - a corporate food factory (dropped into a neighborhood) printing money to pay off its build-out cost. Bland food that can be overlooked because there is so much else to look at. Not quite Cheesecake Factory, but same premise. And it's probably not going away any time soon. If you want authentic bistro food done adequately, without the crowds, why not just go to Bistro Francais? If you want a hot spot with a crowd, and more imaginative food, revert back to Central.

Am I the only one who thinks that some of the blame falls on the restaurants themselves? I have been to all the aforementioned failed high-end restaurants, and they have one common trait -- inconsistent service. Not always terrible, but never as good as the average spots in DC. Some cases in point: Twice -- not once -- but twice I had to walk out of Inox after simply not being served anything at all for extended periods of time after sitting down. If I sit for 20 minutes and no one stops at my table and I can't get any staff attention, I leave. Monterey Bay had all the charm and authenticity of a cafeteria at a third-rate theme park. And most of the waitstaff seemed as though they had never been in a fine restaurant before, let alone worked in one. Colvin Run had so much potential, but the service was just so spotty. Never had the same experience there twice, and I'm not talking about the food. And in the three times I visited Michel, it never got more consistent than my first visit. I have read perspectives talking about the difficulty in getting decent staff outside the beltway, given the limited public transportation options, relative to DC proper. But presumably a proper General Manager can train and retain good staff. That's why Cap Grille and Morton's have survived so long - they nail the service, with a deep bench of management. Same for Clyde's. I consider Passionfish fine dining, and they are crushing it b/c customers (myself included) come back again and again based on consistently good service. Stand up a fine dining spot in Tyson's or Reston or Vienna, and if you get the service right, it will work, I would bet money on it.

Walking to a company hour in Clarendon. Thought about grabbing a glass of wine at Ray's, but figure I should get to the company gig. Then I saw a sign for Ray's retro. Poked my nose in to see what it was, and now I find myself at the bar pummeling a hanger steak. Brewer-Clifton pinot for $56, that's just unfair.

Great meal here last weekend - my first time at the "new" Corduroy. For entrees, my table had Antelope, 2xTuna, Pork, Rib-eye, and Faux Rib-eye. Everyone satisfied, appetizers were spot-on as well. Tons of praise for Corduroy, but I would highlight a few nits from our dinner which, if addressed, could push this place even further up my list: Room-temperature red-wine by the glass at the bar. Buzz-kill (or buzz-preventer!?) This one just kills me... Tuna-Tomato tonnato appetizer -- great flavor, but it was visually bland, like a big bowl of red mush. How about a little garnish or a better serving vessel, or put it in or around something with some different texture. Not a chef, so take it for what it's worth... Service attentiveness -- I don't really mind a 3 hour dinner (which this was), but the staff seemed a little overwhelmed, or just maybe they were in slow-motion. Case-in-point: after we finished our appetizers, it took 30 minutes for the plates to get cleared. Look forward to going back to Corduroy, but hope they can tie up a couple of the loose ends...

I visited Mokomandy again this weekend, had dinner at the bar. Gained an appreciation for their craft cocktails -- the staff put some real work into making a couple in front of us for others in the dining room. For food: Gator croquettes: Nicely fried, and the sauce was a little spicier than I remembered.. "Kobe" carpaccio: Good use of pear, greens and pink peppercorns. This one goes fast, in case you are thinking about sharing it... Shrimp etouffe: Also a slight modernization of the original, but the flavor is spot-on. Steak Frites: As mentioned earlier, with sweet potato fries. The "large" sized entrees are great for sharing This restaurant is not typical for Loudoun county. It's obviously not a chain, and it's high-quality cooking with a solid wine list. And it's not part of the old-school establishment of the Leesburg standouts. Definitely worth going to, and I hope it's around for as long as I'm around the area.

You should be fine. Michel is more modern than formal; not to say it isn't classy, it's just not stuffy or overly quiet. I would take my four-year-old son (for lunch) if he were a better eater (and if I liked the restaurant more).

Good data point. My dining companion called it caviar; I didn't try it, but thinking about the appearance, it sure did look like Salmon Roe. And presumably it was the same as in the Tasting Room. Like I said earlier, I wasn't complaining about the food (all of my food was great, and I did like everything I tried from others at the table). My friend may have just been being picky or whatever... My questions are more around service and attentiveness to uneaten food. Regardless, my assumption is that the Tasting Room wouldn't be successful at Tasting Room prices without impeccable service.

Main dining room. Tasting room sounds fun, but our reservation was relatively (~3 weeks out) short notice, so no availability there.

In my humble opinion, it's tough to judge a place based on its sure-to-be-food-factory Valentine's Day specials. When I'm unfortunate enough to have to dine out on V-Day, I generally don't base the experience as a valid data point for my opinion of the restaurant in question. As others mention above, I would encourage you to try the Source again. It's certainly not "every-day" cheap, but V-Day is typically not a good indicator of a restaurant's quality, and like others, this place has grown on me after a few visits.

Can a waiter at a fine dining establishment realize when they cross the line between "fine" service and aloofness? Or, perhaps more tangibly, the line between respecting privacy and ignoring diners? As diners, can we put service in perspective, and not expect perfection just because a restaurant has a great overall reputation? And by the same token, can we be sure we're not blinding ourselves to bad service by obsessing on the hype of a restaurant? I found myself struggling with these questions last night during my long overdue first-time visit to Restaurant Eve. It's only fair to preface my comments with 2 disclaimers: 1. My food was excellent. I glanced at the menu only briefly and decided to put my fate in the chef's (or waiter's?) hands. Everyone in our group agreed that both my appetizer (Steak tartare) and entrée (pork belly with garlic/shallots/other goodness) were the best dishes ordered at the table. 2. I was really put-off by the contract that they sent the organizer of our 6-person party. It asked him to sign and fax back, agreeing that we would not be "rowdy" and that we would vacate our table by 8:45 (our reservation was 5:30). Asking for a deposit to avoid no-shows is one thing. And I fully appreciate management's desire to maintain a sophisticated atmosphere, but this was pretty ridiculous. Upon further research, (the R-Eve website, words on the front door), I started sniffing out an air of arrogance and stuffiness that I try to avoid at all costs. "As it should be, one will find the ladies that dine with us take the time look spectacular and dress in fine garments for dinner." I fully appreciate fine dining, but come on guys, act like you've been there. With that said, here's the rest. We arrived a few minutes early, and checked out the bar area. Loved it. Kind of an Old-Town-ized version of a North-Bay (SF) wine bar. Very chill. Friendly bartender who topped off my in-law's Kir Royale's with extra bubbly. Sat down at the table when everyone arrived; the dining room was cozy and nice, but perhaps a tad dated (colors, upholstery). The chairs felt a lot dated, definitely need to re-cushion or replace these soon. Our waiter was prompt to the table and attentive; we almost felt rushed to order -- in hindsight this was likely because we were under the pressure of our "contract." He made a great wine recommendation (a strong RRV Pinot), and responded well to my "let the chef choose" request upon ordering. As soon as appetizers arrived, he softly asked us if everything was OK -- I may have been the only one to hear him, as he was soft-spoken in general. Truth be told there were a couple of unhappy customers on the apps -- especially the Goat-en-croute (apparently "bland"), and tuna tartare (with "fishy" caviar on top). These are the comments of my dining partners; I didn't try them. But, no one ever asked us afterwards if we liked the appetizers, or why 2 of the plates were returned more than half-uneaten. Similar for the entrees. My pork was the winner; Big-eye tuna "special" was good; Veal sirloin was also respectable, if not spectacular. Same for the salmon. But both people who ordered the rockfish disliked it strongly. They were begging for scraps from the other diners. Here's the rub -- I didn't try their food personally, but no one (waiter, manager, whoever) came by at any time to check on our entrees. Then two plates were returned almost un-touched, and there was no recognition of that from anyone either. Then an unnaturally long lag before asking about desserts, but no offer for coffee or other beverages. Desserts came and were all good, but only the apple tartine was considered "great." I ordered cheese and was happy. Our bill included 19% gratuity -- understandable for party of 6. I normally tip 20%+, but in this case, 19% was not warranted by the lack of attentiveness. In the end, all left content that we had finally been to Restaurant Eve, but none of us have much desire to return. So question to all -- is this an anomaly, grossly out-of-character for R-Eve? Or are there others out there with the same impression -- of arrogance permeating the environment -- but afraid to speak up based on the otherwise over-the-top praise heaped on this restaurant?

Last weekend I got a slightly different perspective on Central by dining in the private room with a group of 13 friends. Needless to say, I was as satisfied as ever. <Note: this was a personal party, not corporate/business event.> For anyone organizing a medium-sized group dinner away from the noise of a main dining room, Central is a great bet. I think the room probably maxes out at 16. You walk through the kitchen to get there. No real view of the dining room, but you do have a decent view of the kitchen. There was a $1000 required minimum, which shouldn't be an issue for the right-sized party. Good communication with the restaurant ahead of time to nail everything down, and they gave us customized printed menus with the "name" of our group party. There was a dedicated waitress, who was spot-on, and she was backed up by several other staffers. All-in-all, near-perfect service for a large table. For our group, they requested we narrow things down to 4 apps, 4 entrees, 4 sides, and 4 desserts. Plus we pre-ordered some starters snacks. Apps: Mixed green salad -- fine, I think; didn't try it. Crabcake with leek tartar -- consistent with above glowing reviews. Asian style tuna carpaccio -- fantastic, big enough to split by 2. The rice puffs give it a great crunchy texture and make a good conversation piece. Cherry tomato & burrata mozzarella -- the cheese had a firm outer "shell" and a creamy midlde. Nice texture contrast, and good flavore, too. Definitely worth trying. Entrees Hanger steak au poivre -- Very good; but I have never found a hanger steak I didn't like. Mussels with white wine and garlic -- didn't try but everyone who ordered seemed happy Fried chicken with mashed p's -- Just do it. And if you're lucky like me, just do it again for lunch the next day when someone else leaves their doggy bag behind. Lobster burger -- Honestly, a bit of a letdown. I think they have diluted this product a bit with fillers. I've recreated the original MRC version at home, using just scallop paste for the binding agent. There was something else going on with this one, taking away from the experience a bit. Not sure if it was fillers or if it was overcooked and dried out, but hopefully they will restore this to greatness in the future. Sides: All four of the following were great... French fries Brussel(s)-sic Sprouts -- Am I the only one who notices that even great restaurants mis-spell this? Creamed Spinach Macaroni and cheese Desserts Banana split -- The key word here is "split" -- as in, split it 4 ways. Michel's chocolate bar -- my typed words won't do it justice. Chocolate lava cake a la mode -- I strayed from the chocolate bar and was really glad I did. This is a gem. Cheesecake with raspberry sauce -- didn't try it, but those who did were uniformly satisfied. Of course, plenty of great mid-priced choices on the wine list. We came in at just about $140 per person at the end of the night (good bit of drinking), but no one felt like they hadn't gotten their money's worth. Looking forward to the next visit; hoping the new chef keeps the ball rolling.

Just finished some leftover "Steak Frites" from dinner last night at Mokomandy so I thought I'd start a topic about it. Mokomandy stands for MOdern KOrean by MANDY. The menu is a combination of modernized Korean and modernized Cajun dishes...but not fusion. Everything on the menu is either Korean or Cajun, just not both. My wife has been a few times with friends, but this was my first visit. The space is relatively small, and somewhat modern, but it still feels cozy. Great liquor and wine selections, with a lot of wine options from less-well-known producers (US, South America, France). Wine bottle prices are reasonable, no complaints about the mark-ups. Service was great at all levels. The owner and several members of the wait-staff recognized my wife and even greeted her by name. Bartender was knowledgeable, friendly and professional. Same for the waitstaff. (Small but comfortable bar, could be a little less bright). The menu is organized by Small, Medium, Large, and $2 Sides. You can do a la carte, or, depending on the size of your party, order a couple of the large items to share and then mix in small and medium. Our group of four seemed to like everything we had: Gator croquettes -- awesome, with nice bacon and bechamel sauce. Fried pickles -- if you like pickles, you'll like these. I'm not a huge dill pickle fan, but it's hard to argue against anything fried. Fried Young Chicken -- very interesting with bacon, brussel sprouts (which were surprisingly good), onions, and more. Jambalaya -- Pork, Chicken and Cracklins. I didn't try (besides the cracklins), but my friend who ordered it seemed happy with it. Korean Pot Roast -- I told the waitress to have the chef surprise me, and this is what I got. Great variety of textures and flavors. Thin sliced pears in flower-like shapes atop beef, purple rice, sweet potato puree and more. Doesn't belong in the "Large" section of the menu. More appropriate for its own "Huge" list. Steak Frites -- Great seasoning on the tenderloin medallions, a very good sprucing up of a classic dish. As we were the last table to leave, the chef spent a few minutes chatting with us, and was genuinely interested in how we liked our food. This place has a good menu, good staff, and they are trying hard. I look forward to going back soon.

I thought I'd revive this thread since we've been eating (mostly take-out) from Taste of Burma at least once a month since we discovered it 2 years ago. It's a great alternative to the tired suburban Thai places, and much more interesting (in my opinion) than most Chinese places. Very generally speaking, Burmese food combines elements of Indian, Chinese, and Thai, but has its own unique tastes and dishes. More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisine_of_Burma. Taste of Burma owned and run by a very friendly family and it is the type of place that you like to see succeeding. The dining room is nothing special, nor is the wine list, but it's not overpriced. Good selection of beers, though. The appetizer section is probably my least favorite part of the menu. Most items are fried, and I've never loved any of them, but I also try to not to overload on fried foods. What you need to know is that the salads really make for more interesting starters. Some of my favorite salads: Fermented tea leaf salad is a good shared appetizer, with a nice variety of textures - peanuts, tea leaves, beans, garlic chips, in a nice lime dressing. Glass Noodle salad is outstanding; cold glass noodles, shrimp and chicken, other flavors and textures, and just spicy enough. Can be an entree. Crispy Bean Sprout & Shrimp Salad is basically a giant ball of fried shrimp and bean sprouts. If you're into fried, this is for you. Probably best shared. Grilled Beef Salad - essentially a higher-grade version of Yum Nua (Thai Beef Salad) Triple Layered Pork Salad: Fatty, spicy, tasty. Green Mango Salad: Mango is pervasive on the menu and this is a nice way to sample the fruit without going overboard. Noodles - good variety here. My favorites are Rangoon Night Market and Singapore Street. You can get most of these with your choice of meat/seafood. The Malaysian Style Noodles effectively amount to Drunken Noodles Thai-style. The rest of the entrees are grouped by Vegetarian, Chicken, Seafood/Fish, Beef, and Pork/Lamb/Goat. In each section you have a consistent curry option, with a flavor closer to Indian than Thai curry. Other entree highlights: Beef with Sweet Basil (as noted above) has a great flavor, and easy for someone timid about trying new flavors. Triple Layer Pork -- warm entree version of the salad Spicy Beef with String Beans - more great flavor, just try it. For dessert, try the Burmese Farluda, you've probably never had anything like it if you haven't eaten Burmese. Bottom line: If you live near-by, you have no excuse for not trying out Taste of Burma. Otherwise, find or make up an excuse to visit Sterling on the basis of trying one of the very few Burmese restaurants in the DC area. Try something that you have never had before or ask the staff for their recommendations.