The Doctor

Thanks for that report! Any word on takeout?

What is good and affordable in New Orleans these days? (Besides Cochon Butcher!) I was surprised to see that places like Commander's Palace and August have entrees in the high 30s.

On my last visit, Cochon and Galatoire's served top-notch stuff that didn't break the bank (entrees in low- to mid-20s). Coquette and Herbsaint are a little pricier but still doable for those of us on a per diem.

I'll be headed there next week for a work conference. Has anyone had luck with walking in anywhere on weekend nights? (I was hoping to hit Sylvain, for example, but they require a CC for reservation, and our schedules are too chaotic to know when we'll be free.) We're also willing to go anywhere within a short cab ride of the French Quarter, where we'll be based.

Thanks!

This is a picture I took of the bread and oil served before my meal on May 29, 2011.

Just a reminder (mentioned above) that things are 10% off here this month. I found that a pleasant surprise, and made up for the fact that service was pretty slow. A lunch with no dessert took 90 minutes. Our server did, however, walk us through the menu and did a good job of explaining all the menu items. The mixed seafood grill did not come in a dish like the one shown in ericandblueboy's picture, nor did it include mussels or clams. But it did include (I think branzino, monkfish, and dorade). Everything was tasty. The tomatoes and stracciatella, too.

Honestly, the only thing I thought was really worth returning for was the Singapore slaw, which is apparently Lee's signature dish; if that's an example of what he can create when he's on form, then there might possibly be something to the hype. The rest wasn't bad, it just wasn't particularly memorable (a couple of the maki, the veg dumplings, I think maybe the duck?)

The Post reports that whatever connection Lee had with the restaurant is now severed: http://www.washingtonian.com/blogs/bestbites/chefs/chef-shuffles-susur-lee-parts-with-zentan-jennifer-nguyen-takes-over.php

This also means that he took the Singapore slaw (among other things) with him.

This may sound really bizarre, but what about Wegman's? That location (click link) appears to have pizza, plus deli fare, etc.

That is a very worthwhile suggestion -- but the truth is that we're both from Wegmans country (western New York), so while we recognize them as being leaps and bounds beyond the quality of the nation's other grocery stores, we still consider it pretty mundane because we eat so much of their stuff back home.

So my cousin has a super long layover at Dulles on Saturday, and we're looking for somewhere nearby to have brunch. Or, perhaps, just a snack for breakfast and then a later lunch, as most places don't seem to open until 11 a.m. I should also say that she is the world's pickiest eater, so ethnic and seafood options are probably out the window. She is a big pizza fan, though.

I thought of Willow Creek Farm, but for some reason their Saturday menu is a really scaled down version of the Sunday menu. Clyde's in Reston Town Center is a possibility. Is Sweetwater Tavern any good? I see there's one in Sterling. Thanks for looking!

Their website doesn't list drink prices, but this is what Fritz Hahn's January write up had to say:

Cocktails are $12, except for the eggnog, which is $5. Beers are predominantly $6 or $7.

Maybe they've had a markdown? It would certainly make the place more attractive for an after-work happy hour.

The good news: donrockwell.com now has a definitive threat on where to find good rye bread, or indeed any bread, in the DC area.

The bad news: After calling Breads Unlimited yesterday afternoon and learning their stock of ryes was nearly depleted, and then several friends asking me to consider the value of bringing the freshest bread possible, I ended up going to the Firehook Bakery down the street this morning and picking up two loaves of Jewish rye. Happy Easter!

Breads Unlimited sounds like a good bet. Their website has a long list of rye bread options: Brooklyn Rye, Corn Rye, European or Pesant Rye, German Rye, Onion Rye, Seedless Rye, Rye, Walnut Raisin Rye, and Whole Grain Rye. Do they slice their bread? (Or at least on request?) I was instructed to bring a sliced, seeded rye.

Thanks to all for the suggestions. I'm in Adams Morgan, so I probably wouldn't venture to both Union Market and Bethesda, since they're in opposite directions. However the Jewish Rye at Lyon looks like it may fit the bill. Le Caprice, maybe.

I've been tasked with bringing a loaf of (preferably sliced) rye bread to an Easter dinner. After 13 years in DC I am embarrassed at my lack of knowledge about where to acquire baked goods. Any thoughts? I'd prefer something inside the beltway.

I was at Gallery place on Superbowl Sunday and had the 1/2 price hh.

Thanks for providing current information. Their website does list the happy hour again, but notes it's only available at the bar. Also interesting is that the deal is good on Sunday afternoons, which I don't think is the case at Old Ebbitt. Can anyone confirm that?

Hm, I was wondering if they still had the 1/2 price raw bar. I can find no mention of it on their website. Their oyster menu mentions 2 bucks off two or three items during "Oyster Hour", not half off, and there's no reference to any deal on the oysters. I certainly agree that the 1/2 price raw bar is the only thing that would ever draw me to Old Ebbitt. Since they don't seem to advertise it, maybe they don't want me to come.

Everything is half-off during happy hour, save for the prices denoted in parentheses. It's sad that when they started, the lobster was also half-off, but now it's crept up to its almost normal price. They do advertise the happy hour on their oyster menus in the restaurant, but it's probably best that they don't do any further promotion. I went to the Gallery Place Clyde's late last fall for the happy hour, but was informed that they called it off because they were losing too much money on it. I would hate to see the same thing happen at Old Ebbitt.

There is a small bar area at Retro Ray's, but last time I was there on a Saturday evening, there was no one working behind it and the surface was covered with bottles and glasses, so I assume it's not being used for its originally intended purpose right now.

So it seems like a lot of places in DC that specialize in seafood are just getting slightly better than average reviews. For example, BlackSalt, DC Coast, and Pearl Dive aren't rated very high (although they're nowhere near the bottom) in the donrockwell.com dining guide.

So are there any other restaurants that may not be seafood-centric but have some noteworthy items on the menu?

Thanks for your time and attention.

Very much agree with this comment. The Atlas Room is aslo by far the best spot for cocktails on H Street, and has a very pleasant bar at which to enjoy them.

I'd like to reinforce both points. It's my favorite spot for cocktails, too. It seems like Church and State should hold that crown, but it doesn't. I've never been disappointed at Atlas, although there's only six seats at the actual bar, so you have to get lucky in snagging that real estate.

I know we're only 30 days in, but PS7's lobster hash is the tastiest thing I've eaten this year. Ingredients: lobster (both on top and in the hash), sunchokes, a fried quail egg, pearl onions, and rosemary hollandaise.

OK, it's now 334 days into the year, and that lobster hash is still in the running for the tastiest thing I've eaten in 2012. (See pic above.) They were giving some amazing deals on restaurant.com over the last year, meaning the signs of them needing to drum up business have been visible for a while. I agree that the bar was great, too, especially the happy hour and its half-price burger night.

Chefgunshow was quite taken with the cute bambi sake glasses that you get to take home after your meal. I was intrigued by the uni dish, how many pieces come on an order?

What does one have to do in order to get the take home glasses?

I was there last week.

Lion's Share had some great cocktails. The exotic sausage plate was good, if a bit greasy, and the bread very salty. The antelope sliders were FANTASTIC.

Neighborhood (which hosts Noble Experiment) had a good beer selection. Their steak frites was okay, but I wish it'd said that the steak was chopped up and mixed together with the fries and peppers. I wouldn't have ordered it if I'd known.

Noble Experiment was fantastic.

Thanks for the tip on Noble Experiment/Neighborhood. Their website landing page is somewhat ... sacrilicious?

I'm headed to San Diego on Monday, November 12, and leaving Sunday, November 18. I've received recommendations (from people whose food-appreciation credentials I know little about) for Kiyo, J Six, Searsucker, and Cucina Urbana. And one foodie friend said I had to try Roberto's for "Cali-style burritos," but now I have to double check Roberto's since a google search shows there may be more than one. Does anyone have any insight on these or other places I should try?

R^3 usually has both fried and hell chicken on the menu. The hell chicken has a spicy crust and is served with two hot sauces. I love the dish with the half-n-half option.

Thanks for the clarification! I guess I should have asked if the fried chicken is the same at both locations.

Two items for discussion today:

-Is the chicken served at Ray's to the Third the same as the chicken served at East River? The ER menu makes reference to it being smoked then fried, but from what I recall, the Third menu doesn't say smoked and calls it Hell Chicken.

-Is the Blue Devil no longer being served sliced? At my most recent visit to the Third, it was sort of a deconstructed version, with a full steak topped with diablo sauce, and the onions, bleu cheese, and garlic serviced on the side.

And as a final note, the sirloin skewers at the Third are an insane amount of food for the price. For $13/$14, you get a ton of steak and sides -- who says delicious meat needs to be served in one piece?

Ohhhh Society Fair -- why didn't I think of that? This weekend's cookout is in Alexandria.

I appreciate the specific Lebanese Taverna suggestions. They'll be used!

Thanks! It's a long summer so there will be plenty of opportunity to check all suggestions out. Please keep them coming!

KMango, do you have any particular recommendations for what to order at Lebanese Taverna?

Call me Eric Cartman, but I'm a firm believer that side dishes enhance any meal. This weekend, I'll be attending what will likely be the first of many summer cookouts, and I feel the need to bring a side dish or two. I would strongly prefer to outsource their preparation.

Does anyone have any ideas so I don't have to resort to industrial grade grocery store macaroni salad?

I'm open to all suggestions, but in this particular instance, something from lower DC or northern Virginia would be most convenient.

Thanks for reading!