bookluvingbabe

1 hour ago, SilverBullitt said:

Coincidentally, I got a flyer today advertising the grand opening of Oh Mama Grill on Rollins Ave. (Rockville).  I think it is where there is or was a kosher market and the first version of Moti's (now al-Ha'esh).  Looks like they have a similar menu to al-Ha'esh.

Similar menu.  Similar logos . Lower prices!

We went back on Tuesday.  Food was just as good but we had a different server and the experience wasn't the same.  No water refills, wrong dessert for BL-5th grader, no descriptions of the salads at least one of which was different than the week before, and no check in so no refills on the salads.  We were full and in a rush but I would have eaten more pickles had I been offered them!

I have one dinner in SF.  One.  I will have flown in the night before and still be on DC time.  The only time I can get into Gary Danko is at 9:30 pm.  Is it worth doing it even if I'm going to be exhausted?  

Back and recovered from the red-eye back last weekend.

Rose Rabbit Lie at the Cosmopolitan was the hit of the trip.  At least until that moment that the divider right behind me was lowered and the band started playing jazz.  I skipped dessert and the apple ice wine and saved $50 by going back to my room...  Had the French Onion Popovers, a delightful scallops dish and the short rib stroganoff.  Plus a charming glass of champagne off their list of "we like to open bottles from tiny producers that you will love and never be able to find again" list.

Other dinners were at Scarpetta (duck and fois gras ravioli for the win) and Bouchon (really good leg of lamb, too mustardy deviled eggs.)

The timing didn't work out to explore off the strip for lunch the one day I was free and the other lunch day I was stuck at the Red Rock Resort and ended up at Rubio's for a surprisingly good fish burrito.  

I enjoyed the visit overall but the time change was hard.  Even trying to eat dinner at 6:30 felt weird when it was 9:30 body clock time.

We are seeing Hamilton the day after Thanksgiving at the matinee.  I do not expect us to be stuffed from the night before.  In fact, I expect us to be hungry and a bit deprived.  Looking for a really good lunch close to the Richard Rodgers (46th and Broadway.) Going with Mr. BLB and BL-5th grader so it can't be too fancy (mostly for the adult, not the boy...)  Had thought about db Bistro Moderne but open to other suggestions.

Thanks!

On 10/30/2017 at 3:56 PM, DonRocks said:

Or, perhaps the original advice is correct - I really don't know. In general, I'm just trying to think critically and not to assume that things are as they appear (or as they were). I'm also often wrong (but never in doubt). You know, like as of Dec 31, 2016, neither Federer nor Nadal are likely to win any more majors.  I guess I never actually said that, but the thought did cross my mind.

We don't get to NY the way we used to so it is hard for me to say.  I guess my hope is that while there might be better meals to be had in NYC, a Danny Meyer owned (non-Shake Shack) place is much less likely to screw things up service wise...  But I could be wrong

We found Al Ha'esh while looking for someplace near Garrett Park that wasn't crazy expensive, was vegetarian friendly and would be fun before a group went out trick or treating for Halloween.

We loved it.  Good service, excellent food and the salad selection delighted the entire party.  Several had the hummus which was wonderfully rich with chunks of chickpeas still in it.  BL-5th grader had the lamb kebob and I did a mix of the lamb shishlik and the chicken livers.  Another diner had the schnitzel.  We left happy and full with a ton of leftovers.  It didn't feel like the drab kosher restaurants of my youth and the other family, who is not Jewish, loved it just as much as we did.

Looking forward to going back and especially delighted to have another option in the North Bethesda, Rockville abyss.  (Also good to have a positive experience to report--we've had a bleak streak for a while!!!)

I went 2 or 3 times to the Pike and Rose location.  The best I can say is that it was completely unmemorable,  

I really like that Italian sub at the ballpark. I've never found it to be too mayo-heavy, and my husband (who doesn't like mayo at all) hasn't complained.  I like a little mayo on a sandwich like that, which is sacrilege for someone from the Philiy area. (But I do!)  It's particularly good for a ballgame, since it holds up to being made ahead of time and held. I'm sure it's fantastic freshly-made.   

Mr. BLB claims that Gemelli's in Gaithersburg has even better Italian subs.  He has yet to share so I'm not sure if that is true or not!

On 8/30/2017 at 9:13 PM, Pool Boy said:

I generally use OpenTable because it is easy and I have been using it for many, many years. That said, if I am forced to use a competing system or technology, I do. And there is always the phone. But the ease of click, click, clicking your way to a reservation is extremely appealing to me. It is not that I do not want to talk to someone at the restaurant, it is that clicking around is so much faster, easier and convenient.

Generally if it isn't on Open Table, I'm not booking it.  I'm not picking up the phone to call.  I hate the phone...

Going to Las Vegas next month for a conference.  Alone.  Without husband or offspring.   With good books to read.  

Staying at the Cosmopolitan and will have a car.  Willing to spend a good amount of money but the budget is endless.  I think I have two dinners and one lunch slot.  Was thinking of Scarpetta for one dinner but can't decide on the second.  

Where should BLB eat?  

Mr. BLB and I went for lunch for our anniversary last week.  It is a lovely space and the food was amazing.  In fact, I think the only negatives I can say are that it isn't Palena (price point, menu variety and warmth of service) and Aggie, while terrific, isn't Ann Amernick. (Which may be another way of saying that it just isn't Palena...)

We split the gnocchi to start.  It was perfect. I wanted to lick the bowl.  It was that moment when I realized we had not received bread and I didn't see our server to ask if it was possible to get bread to wipe up the last drops of the sauce. 

I had the Belleburger, dry.  It isn't quite the Palena burger but it is lovely and tasty and almost as good.  Mr. BLB had the Bavette.  Which was good but not as good as the burger. (It is a universal truth after 13 years of marriage, 17 years together and 20 years of knowing each other--I always order better than he does...)

For dessert I had the Chocolate Concorde and he the assortment of confections, which was the only true disappointment as none of them were satisfying or on the same plane as the rest of the meal.

We are plotting a return over the summer while BL-almost 5th grader is away at camp.  It is too expensive to go more often and that makes me a little sad.

23 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Had you ever been? I was pretty surprised at how good it was.

I had not been.  I'd had a couple really dreadful meals at the Bethesda Jaleo and had reached the belief that I like the idea of Jose Andres more than I like actual Jose Andres restaurants.  But this looked interesting and it met all the specs. I liked it enough that I would go back.

We went to China Chilcano and had a perfectly charming meal.  

Thanks!!!

A twofer tonight.

To Chris Cornell, whose music brought my so much pure pleasure over the years.  

And to Tommy Bell, one of BLB-4th grader's favorite ock climbing instructors who was killed in a bicycle accident yesterday.  

Looking for a quiet (ish) spot to have lunch with an old friend in the Penn Quarter/Judiciary Square/Chinatown area.  I don't want to break the bank.  The only absolute no is Indian food and I'd like to try something new to me. So Proof and Fiola are out on both a checkbook basis and that I've been.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

So I had completely forgotten our issues from last time, aside from warning BL-4th grader that they don't always have the gooey butter cake.

No ants, indifferent service and still no pork belly.  There was corned beef but I wasn't in the mood.

The burger and pork loin are still good.  They did have the gooey butter cake and it is good.  

I'd skip it at this point but BL-4th grader was aghast when I suggested going snow tubing on Sunday when there wouldn't have been time before his rock climbing class to go to Chubby's.  My boy is a creature of habit.

I love the revival of this thread, which is probably my all time favorite DR thread.

I just checked my phone to see if I had anything I could post to keep it going but realized in recent weeks I seem to only take photos of my cocktails. 

Sigh.  We never went.  We would mention it to each other once a year and then forget about it, lost partially because it wasn't on my open table app (I'm lazy that way) and also because we never drive down that street in the Kentlands so we never had a visual reminder.  Plus with Wegmans just up the highway, we are in the Kentlands so much less than we used to be.  

We saw managers at other tables, dealing with problems, but even when we asked, we never saw a manager.  I think we probably hit an exceptionally bad night.

We went 3 times, including the final night of service.  The first time the food was average and the service was terrible.  The second time our meal was comped as a result of the terrible first experience.  The food was definitely below average that trip and the service was a shade above average.  Saturday the food sucked--the pizza was wet with grease and the service was actually good.  We won't miss it.

(I had missed that Met closed as well--what does it say that I can tell you we ate there following a screening of Secret Lives of Pets but neither BL-4th grader nor I can tell you what we ordered???)

We went in November for Mr. BLB's birthday.  The food was good, not great, but the service was god-awful.  We were there over 2 hours and it was just disheartening by the end.  It is so convenient for us that I wish we were willing to go back but I think it is off the list for now.

One of the best films I've ever seen. 

And I miss the Key Theater. 

I was sad to see Johnny's Half Shell leave Capitol Hill because I quite liked the little carry out place they had and once every now and then I would indulge in a spicy pasta dish with fried chicken.  It isn't the kind of thing that will appear on the menu in the dining room so I'm just going to have to kick myself for not going back one last time before it closed.  

Remembering to report back...

Mike's American Grill was a good lunch choice pre-train.  No brunch menu so  we did straight lunch.  Came in right on budget and got us to the train right on time. 

Heading back, we were tired and didn't want to do anything fancy.  Ended up at the closest Publix for a package of cold fried chicken.  While not the overwhelmingly friendly folks that the Publix we visit in Daytona beach has, it was good food and the price was right.  

I really, really do not need to do the auto train again though... 

Has anyone gone?  I loved Ten Pehn and then didn't go for the last 5 years it was open because it was too hard to do anything when BL-4th grader was small. 

(Not that it is easier now--I just drive in different circles...)

But I bet Mr. BLB would love to go check it out.