The Doctor

Thanks, that map is very helpful. For once I might be able to get in on the ground floor of a new restaurant craze! I am leaning towards the lobster roll as well. My plan is to be charming enough to steal a bite of my companion(s)' crabcakes.

Will attempt to have dinner here tonight. Is there any trick to getting to this place? The website says 101 Gibbs Street, but the map there, as well as on Mapquest, ends with directions on E Middle Lane. Are they one and the same?

Where did you find out about a new location? This is the first I've heard of it. I have been meaning to order from here for the longest time, but he only delivers on Friday and it hasn't worked with my schedule. I agree with you -- the place won't be the same once it expands.

I'm afraid I have to give DR.com's first less-than-glowing review of Thai Square. Thankfully, though, it has little to do with the food. I had dined there once before and found it the best Thai food in the area. That visit was during the middle of a Saturday afternoon, so there were no crowds to deal with. When planning my return, I pretty much ignored the service complaints in the feedback section on the Washington Post's site, because all the reports here are so positive. This time I had reservations for six people on Saturday night. With a waiting line out the door, we were actually seated with little hassle. Everyone in my party was very patient due to how busy it was. So when we had to ask for menus after being ignored for ten minutes, we just shrugged it off. After another long wait, we finally placed our orders just as another large party was seated next to us. And that led to the real kicker of the evening: This party arrived after we did and was out the door before all our entrees had even arrived. I could share my theory on why this happened, but it would be inappropriate without any further evidence. Another problem was that our food came out in three waves. The length of time between each was such that some people had finished their dishes before the next round was delivered - the last of which was a full 80 minutes after we were seated. Fortunately, this food is easy to share, so everyone was at least being partially fed. (It should be noted that everything was still top quality.) And I have to mention a minor rice issue. For being the most inexpensive and abundant thing they offer, they were very stingy with it. We had to ask for several refills of the tiny bowl they brought out for the six of us. On top of that, it was extremely dry - probably the worst rice I've ever had in a restaurant. To make a long story short, I still crave the food at Thai Square, but I'll only return during off-peak hours or for take out.

Came across this little number in the Washingtonian: Note: this is tomorrow, Thursday October 18th.

Thanks for the info! It's great to have non-diner food options at that hour. Also discovered the other night that Bar Louie, underneath the Gallery Place movie theater, has a kitchen that's open until 2 am, apparently every day. I had a grilled chicken salad that was definitely edible.

I do not think they are affiliated (no facts, just a hunch). Isn't the Farragut location one of those deli/pay-by-the-pound-salad-bar places? The one I go to is really a hole in the wall run by three people, possibly a family. In fact, the only signage calling it the Sunrise Deli is on the back door, which you can only see from inside the office building. (And I think maybe it's on the electronic readout of their ATM.)

I have to say I'm not personally qualified to answer that question! But I did discover they have a cache of salads in their refrigerators -- a filling side salad (with cucumbers, tomato, egg, broccoli and cheese!) only costs $2.19.

The neighborhood around 13th & L isn't the greatest for lunch options, but I've got a new most-frequently-visited place. In the office building at 1220 L Street (southeast corner of the intersection), there's a hole in the wall carryout called Sunrise Deli. Folks, no item is over $4.99. And I've never even ordered anything that expensive. Before I continue, I should say that nothing here is better than what you could make for yourself at home. The heart of the operation is just a simple griddle. But the selection is pretty good (mostly sandwiches), and as I said, the prices are extremely reasonable. Case in point: A grilled cheese sandwich ($1.60) and small soup ($1.45) is less than $3.50 after taxes. A stuffed tuna melt with bacon is $3.99. The gyro and a few other subs clock in at $4.99. The soups they appear to offer every day are chicken noodle, chicken rice, bean with bacon, and chili. They also do breakfast, where you can get a sandwich for ~$1.50, or just toast and jelly for 60 cents. Oh, and they have a small selection of pantyhose, too.

Several items for discussion today: The cart now advertises bibimbap and california rolls! Lines were considerably longer today, about 8 deep at 1 pm. But this isn't the most interesting development -- as I walked past L and Vermont, basically a half block away, I spotted another Korean BBQ cart! This one was white and had the word "BBQ" painted on the side. I was too stunned to investigate further.

Now closed??? How long ago did this happen? Truly a sad thing, but wasn't hard to see coming -- they modified their summer hours to close at 2 pm. As said a few posts above, these things are better for dessert than breakfast. I can't picture that many people eating that kind of confection so early in the day. If they were open in the evenings, I could have singlehandedly kept the place in business.

Walked by this moring -- looks like they're offering modest breakfast fare, too. The advertised egg&cheese, egg&sausage, and egg&bacon, though they didn't say in what form. The same sign also mentioned having "spice chicken" at lunch, so that may be a new addition, too.

Just got back from my first outing. I'm not sure why they painted the cart yellow. When they first started out, it was a shiny chrome and looked like the most high tech cart in the city. There is nothing wrong with the food to price ratio, but as was hinted above, $6.75 is kinda pricy for food you get on a street cart. This will definitely keep me from going back on a regular basis. But the quality of food was fine. The rice was definitely outstanding. And I came after the lunch rush, so I got some freshly cooked bulgogi meat. The salad is just nondescript iceberg lettuce, but the kimchee was great for those who don't like theirs terribly spicy (me). The beef was nothing to complain about. I'll go back, but only when I have a real appetite for it. The lure of inferior-quality-but-cheaper-priced options nearby (eg City Buffet of China around the corner) is strong.

What's this I hear about Cashion's staying open late on weekends?

Paid a visit today. While I won't go so far as to say I wish I hadn't, it was a pretty forgettable experience. The lines for the food vendors were nearly as long as those for the free food. The tickets-for-drinks system was strange (one color ticket for beer and some beverages, another color ticket for wine and some different beverages) and the food itself was kind of expensive. I ended up spending $26.20 for one bbq sandwich platter and a bottle of water. But that includes the admission, which supposedly went to a good cause. Out of all the people set up to be part of the BBQ competition, I only saw one guy prepare his goods where everyone could see them.

This weekend is the 2007 National Capital Barbecue Battle. Here's the website: http://www.barbecuebattle.com/ Has anyone been in previous years? I'm wondering what kind of food vendors they have. I see that Safeway will be giving out free samples of things, but I'd like to know if I'll have more options than just waiting in endless lines among people seeking a miniscule freebie.

This came to my attention today. I have no affiliation with either the restaurant or the charity, but since I've gotten a lot of good info from dr.com in the past, I thought I'd give something in return. Yin Yankee: http://www.dysfunctionalcuisine.com/index.htmlNew Restaurant - Tasting Benefiting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Monday, June 11th 7pm-10pm 4936 Fairmont Ave. Bethesda, Maryland 20814 Passed Hors d’oeuvres Duck Confit Spring Rolls, plum sauce Brazilian Tomato Soup, Thai grilled shrimp Truffled Risotto, micro greens- served on Asian spoons Sashimi Rolls- Norwegian salmon, avocado, ff roe, cucumber wrapper Mini Crab Chops, wasabi mashed potatoes Chicken & Ginger Potstickers, Thai dipping sauce Grilled Beef Yakatori, peanut sauce Spicy Tuna Mini Hand Rolls Vietnamese Chicken Rice Paper Wrap Thai basil, mango & peanut sauce Stationary Chef’s Selection of Cheeses cow, goat & sheeps’ milk cheeses, baguettes & fruit Happy Endings Kaffir-Kissed Cheesecake Spring Rolls, prickly pear ice cream House Made Chocolate Truffles Pistachio Brittle Cash Bar Please feel free to invite your friends Donations collected at the door suggested 25.00 or more- 100% benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. RSVP to Siu Cheung at scheung@myglobal1.com or call Siu at 301-806-8893. If you cannot attend, please consider making a donation online at www.siuLcheung.com.

I drove by this place on Saturday and they appeared to be back in business.

They're closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Is it just me, or are their hours not particularly convenient unless you want breakfast? Website says: Sun. - Thurs. 7:00AM to 3:00PM Fri. - Sat. 7:00AM to 7:00PM I know they sell bagels and sandwiches and things, but their brand of donut seems to be much more like a dessert thing. In other words, the kind you might like to enjoy after 3 o'clock in the afternoon. And why even bother staying open till 7 on Fridays and Saturdays? Because when you're approaching the dinner hour, the first thing on your mind is a sugary donut? I'd think they could make a killing in the summertime by offering a dessert spot, especially since one of their menu options involves a scoop of ice cream with the donut.

I only tried St. Hubert once, and I was about 7, so I can't comment. But that Chalet sauce is one of the unique food wonders of the world. As to the chicken preparation, one of the powdered packet products they sell is a chicken marinade, but I'm not sure if that even has anything to do with their in-house rotisserie. According to swisschalet.com, the only remaining American outposts are in the Buffalo area, which is where I grew up. If it was just the chicken, I wouldn't eat there. But it's the combination of the chicken, fries, and sauce (and sadly, formerly the buns) that make it worthwhile.

Perhaps this may be a bit of a long shot, but is anyone familiar with the rotisserie chain called Swiss Chalet? They're mostly in Canada, but have a few outposts in the States. I'd like to find someplace locally that matches their style and flavor. Bistrot du Coin's got nearly identical fries, and you can mail order the dipping sauce, but it's the chicken itself that's hard to duplicate.

Anyone doing/been to Wasabi this week? They have a pretty good deal for lunch (http://www.wasabisushi.com/rweek.html), but since it says "any" five plates, I'm afraid they'll pull the more expensive items they'd normally put out.

Stopped in earlier this evening, the place was busier than I've ever seen it. My companion had earlier informed me that Kotobuki was mentioned as a bargain destination in the recent issue of Oprah Magazine! There were about a dozen college students outside, who apparently decided takeout was the best option when they realized there were probably more of them than seats in the house. But despite the business, I'm ready to say it was the tastiest stuff I've ever had there. Rock on, Mr. Abe!

Which Heritage did you order from? I live 18th&U-ish, so the Dupont Location would be doable, but from Glover Park, could be a stretch. Although if they did Mt. Pleasant, I could be in luck. And how was the spice level of the makhani sauce? Every time I tell them I don't want it spicy, it still tastes like molten lava. Of course that doesn't stop me from shoveling it it because it's so damn tasty.