The Doctor

Just wanted to say thanks once again for everyone's advice and report on my trip for the record. Our busy schedule prohibited us from heading out to the Loveless Cafe, and the line at the Pancake Pantry made us forgo that as well. But the line was totally understandable, seeing as how every other place in town was closed. I did some research and came across this site: www.mand3.com. Ran down the best Meat and 3s in town, and one of his 10/10s was right across from our hotel. It was called Rotiers (http://www.rotiers.com/), and I couldn't have been happier with my meal or experience. Fried pork chops, hash brown casserole, sweet tea... Just perfect. The ambience was great. The place hasn't been updated in ages, but they keep it clean. We were waited on by the owner, and he had two waitresses helping out -- one in camoflage pants and the other a pregnant girl in a t-shirt with cut off sleeves. I knew I was getting the real deal. Saturday we stopped for breakfast at the Hermitage Cafe. No website, but highly recommended for breakfast. They open at 10 pm and close at 1 pm. I guess you have to go in the middle of the night for the true experience. But we got an authentic platter of biscuits and gravy, sausage, eggs, and hasbrowns for a little over $5. Sunday nothing was open except for chains and this place called The Noshville New York Delicatessen (http://noshville.com/). I was actually pleasantly surprised with the food, especially with what turned out to be the best corned beef hash I've ever had.

(is this the jaw-dropping emoticon?) I didn't see anything about the deal on the website -- is this every day of the week? If my group were to do it, it would be on a Friday night. Thanks for the input so far!

Anybody have anything else to say about Nashville? Headed there this weekend. BBQ and maybe some biscuits and gravy would hit the spot. Also, anyone ever heard of a place called the Pancake Pantry? It was recommended to me.

Corduroy for best quality, especially on the steak side. Outside of Ray's it's the only steak I really crave. Bistrot Du Coin for a better party atmosphere, and I might even give them a slight edge on the fries -- they're somewhat unique. Plus you have the option to drown everything in Bearnaise.

The normal price for the certificates is already less than face value, so the math is correct. Also note they add a $1 surcharge for all transactions. When I first discovered restaurant.com, I bought a ton (they used to even sell on ebay, often with a $1 minimum bid). Had good luck, but you had to be careful what you ordered and the choices aren't places I would normally go to. What is the entertainment book rewards program all about? To be honest, I think the only discount program that's worthwhile is opentable's point system. The 1,000 point bonus reservations are very easy to use and some of the restaurants are decent. The others all require too much effort as to when you can use them, what you have to order, etc.

Sorry for the ignorance (haven't been to Ray's in a few months ), but is the flat iron steak on the menu now? Is it likely to be in the near future? I've been craving it lately.

Thanks for the details. I just wanted to make sure the patio functioned as an extension of the Cafe. And do they have a new website? The old one is three years out of date -- at least take the thing offline if you're not going to keep it current.

Just to confirm -- the outdoor section is an extension of the Cafe right? So the same waiting list/cafe menu rules apply? Thanks.

Had my most recent visit on Friday night and decided it was finally time to rave about this place. I think it was the fried ipswich clams that did it. I've had some doozies in my day, but these were spectacular. Had my parents in tow too, who can be very picky, and they were satisfied as well. Their weekly meats and two has changed a little bit from the website, actually for the good. Flat iron steak is now on Fridays, and the lamb sirloin has been relaced by a chicken paillard. At prices the mid teens, these non-seafood choices are a steal. The pork on Wednesdays, the only one I've tried so far, is great. The lobster bisque is unique in texture (in being thin) but very flavorful. Whenever I'm considering going here, I get antsy about the prices when looking at the menu, but invariably I end up being happy with the final bill. It's definitely a neighborhood place you can pop into regularly without breaking the bank. Maybe that's because dessert isn't included, I don't know. I'm not really a fan of chocolate. I'd be happy with just a small dish of sorbet or something to cleanse the palate. p.s. I have been lured away from the lobster roll each of my few visits, but next time, ye will be mine.

Hit the downtown location tonight with some co-workers. The quality is still the same as when it first opened, in my opinion. The sushi's nothing to write home about, but it's definitely not below average. And the prices are right, for both sushi (during happy hour) and regular fare. The aformentioned gway tio is still one of my favorite dishes. I have to say I usually get it without the chiles, though. As for the decor, I hate sitting downstairs with the backless chairs only 2 feet off the ground. But those upstairs chairs are strangely some of the most comfortable I've sat on, considering their low backs.

That sounds like a great idea. I've found Rockland's to be hit or miss. Usually I find their ribs too chewy.

Well, there's the dive/carryout/inexpensive rotation, and the good table service rotation. My budget allows a good number of trips on the former circuit, a few on the latter. For example, I'm only hitting Corduroy maybe 3 times a year, but I still consider it in the rotation, since I go regularly. The upscale(ish) favorites: Corduroy Tosca Ray's The Steaks Dino (just went for the first time a few weeks ago, but I'll be back) Zaytinya Old Ebbitt Grill (oysters, oysters, oysters) Kotobuki (well, not necessarily upscale, but I'm putting it up here because a waitstaff is involved) The downscale: Oohhs and Aahhs (Ohhh, I'm rotating here all right) Amsterdam Falafel Shop Peking Garden (Chinese place around the corner, great lo mein and chow mein at least, other stuff so-so) Thai X-ing Kanlaya Urban BBQ Willard's Pit BBQ La Prima/Via Cucina (love their soups at lunchtime) Breadline (only once every couple months, really) Old Ebbitt Express Galileo Grill Five Guys (loyal to the Old Town location) Dairy Godmother

Only been for Happy Hour, but the space seems decent and the people good. However, I was scrolling through the val-pak coupons that came in the mail the other day, and saw one for Nage advertising "buy one lunch entree, get second at 50% off."

Wow, I'm sorry I don't consider $25 to be a cheap lunch. There are a lot of inexpensive places in the city that are more than just fast food chains or corner hot dog carts -- Breadline, Greek Deli, CF Folks, Galileo Grill, etc. I wanted to know if they had any equivalents in the metro center area.

This Shelley's sounds interesting. But we don't seem to have a thread on it here and google didn't turn up much. What should I be ordering? What are the prices like? I'd love to do Ceiba or Tosca, but they're a little out of the price range for this particular lunch. And I'd do Ebbitt Express in a heartbeat, but I ruled it out because I felt it was too far to ask my friend to walk. edited to add Ohhh, it's Shelly's Back Room, no "e." Here's their website: http://www.shellysdc.com/

Hi all, I'm supposed to meet a friend for lunch later this week. I work at 15th and L, he at 9th and E. The mid point between our offices is probably close to 13th and G streets. I'm looking for something that will be quick and not too expensive. I'm aware of the National Place Food Court, which may have to be our default location. But I was hoping for something a little more, well, good. I'm guessing it would have to be a counter/carryout type place as opposed to table service, due to the usual lunch hour time constraints. Thanks for looking! Todd

Hello all, didn't see a thread for this place so I figured I'd start one. Within the last few months, Daniel O'Connell's Restaurant has replaced Bullfeathers at 112 King Street in Old Town Alexandria. I believe they have expanded the space as well. The owners (Mark Kirwan and John Brennan, I believe) have imported most of the interior directly from Ireland. Its handsome dark woods occupy multiple levels, some of which overlook each other. I stopped in on Saturday on the recommendation of a chef friend of mine. This is not your typical Irish pub fare. Here's a link to the restaurant's website: http://www.danieloconnells.com/ (The place is named after a 19th century politician.) The menu features haute cusine with an Irish flair. It was great stuff. After finishing a generously-sized cocktail, I dug into their carmelized onion tart with tomato and goat cheese. The crust was deliciously sweet. Each of the three entrees that came to the table were terrific. The scallion seared tuna was perhaps the best. Also got a sample of the butter-poached lobster with potato gnocchi. Every bite melts in your mouth. My curried diver scallops were great too, and the plate featured tastes both sweet and savory. I'll mention two nitpicks, but they're only personal problems -- that is, not eveyone will have an issue with them. First, the portions sizes of the main courses are not very big. For example, the aforementioned lobster dish was only accompanied by about 5 or 6 gnocchi. But I believe this is intentional, because the menu has a decent selection of sides that can be shared. The entrees range all the way from the high teens to the mid-thirties. If you go in there realizing that you should factor the cost of a side or two into your meal, you probably won't even pay attention to the portion sizes. The only other complaint I had was that the desserts really seemed to focus on the heavy. Again, this is just a personal opinion. I usually like something light and fruity, and the Irish would appear to like their final course to be warm, creamy, and chocolatey. I probably could have done their sorbet sampler, but instead of dishing out the $8, my party decided to hit one of the nearby ice cream shops instead. To end on a positive note, O'Connell's website says they have a $6 weekday lunch menu. Without having tried it, I'd still say that's a safe bet. And our service was outstanding. Our waitress was very attentive and the kitchen had a fantastic turnaround time for 8 pm on a Saturday night. Has anyone else tried this place yet? I'd like to see some other thoughts besides my amateur foodie opinion. edited to add:Ventworm status!! Amateur no more?

I got no info, but it ain't a Pollo Campero. I think it's going to be called "Las Canteras" or something.

Stopped by the Rockville location around 5 pm yesterday. It wasn't crowded, so luckily no one saw me pull out my little crib sheet of all the dishes mentioned here and in Tom S.'s review. Without a doubt the best thing was the mustard green and bean salad. I also give kudos to the pork and radish soup. My companion's spicy beef (thin) noodle soup was enough for a meal alone, but hardly spicy at all. She rated it just average, although maybe Porcupine's recommendation for the wide noodles could have made the difference. Beware the desire to overorder. You think because the prices are cheap, the dishes won't be filling. Not the case. I have to say my only complaint was that anything that was fried came out a little on the greasy side. The pork dumplings had a good flavor -- not the best I've had, but they're up there. And eight to an order is more than generous. Also tried the beef bun thing. Is that a finger food? I can't imagine how that could be eaten with chopsticks. Also enjoyed the smoked chicken, but again, it was pretty oily. We washed it all down with some selections from their bubble tea menu. They're pretty generous with the bubbles, too.

How long does it usually take to get a reservation in the tasting room? I have just become the very happy recipient of a RE gift certificate.

Thanks for the input. I love hitting Urban BBQ when I'm in this neck of the woods, but a little variety is always welcome.

Do they have a website? If not, what is the menu structured like? If I go in there, will all the choices be presented in English, or do I have to ask for a special Chinese menu?

Hi all, would someone be so kind as to report what Palena's current tasting menu pricing is? That is, when you go to the back room, what choices do you have and how much do they cost? Thanks.

You are not the only one to think this. It sounds like I'm the only one in Rockwellburg that would rather do without the chips.

Do I feel a separate Willard's thread coming on? I hope so. For the last year I have been locked in a debate as to whether Willard's or Urban BBQ is my favorite joint in the area. Willard's definitely wins for menu diversity and portion size. Has anyone ever eaten one of their platters in a single sitting? They must give you at least a pound of pulled pork when you order it. Sides are excellent too, but last time I was there a friend complained about the beans. Doesn't matter to me, since I'm not a beans guy.