kirite

We had Christmas dinner at Corduroy. I had two of Tom Power's signature dishes: Shiso salad and seared tuna. My wife opted for the snapper bisque and six plump scallops. All were predictably fabulous. And although the restaurant was full, its tranquillity allowed us to have a quiet conversation. Professionalism par excellence.

We had Thanksgiving dinner here yesterday. The food was outstanding, but what made the experience memorable was the manner in which we were treated by the staff. When we arrived we were seated at a table close to the front door, and every time it opened a surge of cold air swept over us. Although we had already been brought bread and butter, we decided that it would be impossible to enjoy dinner in this environment. We asked the manager for a less exposed table, and after less than a ten minute wait in a restaurant that was almost full, we were given a booth by the  window and far from the front door. The hostess remarked that it was the best seat in the house.

My wife has a nut allergy and the menu featured a soup that contained nuts. When we asked our served if the nuts could safely be removed, he replied that they could, but that the base of the soup was made with a nut oil and advised against ordering it. And so she ordered the scallops appetizer instead.

In sum, the care and professionalism of the staff on a holiday when most would probably have preferred to be elsewhere was extraordinarily impressive.

Nourish will close both stores as of December 5. This is a real shame inasmuch as NV loses a much needed healthy eating outpost.

The small plates are quite inventive, but I wish they would ease up on the salt.

This is a terrific restaurant that receives almost no coverage. It's been running a Specialious deal for months--a sign of desperation. Is its somewhat off the beaten path location the problem?  On the other hand, it's only 1/2 a block from the Carlyle Café which is always packed and consistently mediocre.

And "Bistro" sounds French--as in Bistro Vivant, just up the road.

In 2006 Zachary Schrag, an urban history professor at George Mason, published The Great Society Subway (Johns Hopkins University Press) which is a fairly detailed history of Metro. In it he explains how decisions made by the Fairfax County BOS in the early 1970s directly led to the deformation of Tyson's Corner into the car-centric concrete jungle we've all come to love. Arlington planners were much savvier and envisioned a Rosslyn to Ballston corridor built around Metro stations.

I'd second Red Apron at Union Market, and add Neopol, also at Union Market. The smoked salmon BLT is fantastic. And then I don't get there enough, but I love Wagshal's.

Both branches of Nourish--Falls Church and McLean--make a variety of excellent sandwiches. Some are vegan and some are not.

If any aspiring chefs are looking for a change, contact Aykan on this website.

Has anyone eaten here since Katie Busch arrived? Thanks.

Ate at the Mosaic District location last week - I like that the front windows open so you can sit at the bar-like seating and be partially outside on a nice day. Don't remember which salad I had but it was delicious, fresh and free - it was my birthday, I mentioned that while the preparers were making my salad and they said "Lunch is on us!" Making me a customer for life.

As I was logging my five miles inside the Galleria earlier this morning, I noticed that the Sweetgreen there is very close to opening. Black Friday, perhaps?

We're going to the Janis Joplin show at Arena Stage. I know this place got panned when it opened, but I haven't read anything about it for quite a while. Has anyone been recently? Should I spend my money there? Thanks.

When I was in Philly last month, I had some delicious poached skate at a.kitchen, but I can't seem to find skate around here. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Bistro Cacao also has semi private booths that allow you to have private conversations.

There are a few semi-circular booths at PassionFish that could work.

I think this conversation is perhaps best suited for specific tables, rather than specific restaurants. Many restaurants have ultra-quiet areas, and I'll be interested in seeing what people come up with.

The booths at Bamian are nicely suited for a private conversation.

I can say the following nice things about Old Ebbitt, which is in the same building as my office. Their beer list has gotten more interesting. Their raw bar happy hour deal is good. They will put soccer on for me in the middle of the day at the back bar if I ask.

I would rank it at about the level of Roy Rogers. Perhaps a notch above Gene Autry.

Isn't that one of the mainstays at Nostos in Tyson's Corner?

Yes, Nostos has it and so does Bistro Vivant.

I don't think anyone is saying that's a necessary step. One piece of sushi is less than an ounce, which is fairly unlikely to cause any of the noted gastrointestinal effects. You're already eating raw fish, which is itself a small risk.

I just wouldn't recommend escolar chirashi, or getting the 10oz filet at a restaurant, even if cooked.

We have reservations for the Ashby Inn and noticed that the only fish entree is escolar. Inasmuch as we don't eat meat, we either order the escolar or skip the entree. Any advice? Thanks.

So...

When I moved up here, I moved in with my brother and one of my oldest, best friends, Ed. After working a bit in politics, Ed got back into cooking, which he'd always loved, and soon found himself with a great wife and jobs in NYC.

This summer he and his wife Francoise moved back down to DC, and now he's let people know...well, I put it in his words:

"I'm the new Chef at Bistro Vivant in Mclean. Already working on a special wine dinner with La Bastide Saint Dominique February 19th."

I had a chance to try his food at his previous restaurant in Alexandria (which didn't work out, unfortunately, but the food was great though obviously I am biased) so I'll be excited to see what he does here - I've never been myself.

Ed will also be doing a couple of days in April down in Charlottesville at Glass Haus.

This could be good news. The last few times we've eaten here have been very disappointing.

My wife and I live in McLean and as age creeps up on us we find it increasingly difficult to spend a couple of hours every day preparing fresh food from scratch. We would like to hire a dependable person who would be willing to come to our house once or twice a week to help with dinner prep.

Bastardized hot & sour soup- rib tip broth, rice noodles, leftover London broil, & leftover onions & peppers from chicken ka prow...

A simple side tonight that we have made many times. Rough chopped carrots, red peppers, and onion plus fresh green beans with parsley, garlic powder, and a tablespoon of olive oil. Firmly wrap in aluminum foil, put on gas grill at 500 degrees for 18 minutes.

It was a hot dog. In the spirit of truth in advertising, the menu now identifies this as the Assorti Hot Dog. Maybe "sausage" means something different in Kazakhstan.

This item has been downsized and now is priced at $5.85. This seems like a smart idea to me as now the portion size is more in line with the rest of the savory pastries that they offer. This is still my favorite item at this place.

Has anyone been here since '09? We've traveled extensively in Eastern and Central Europe. Thanks.

Love this. Reminds me of a joke I once heard from a national team soccer player:

Q: Why do the Dutch have big ears?

A: Because when they're very, very young, their mothers take them to the border with Germany, pick them up by their ears and point, saying "look, junior, that's where the world champions live!"

Have to be a football fan to fully appreciate that.

During the Cold War De Gaulle famously said that he loved Germany so much he was glad that there were two of them. The biggest surprise for me in this neat article is that the French birthrate is now higher than the German.

Stan Musiel. The epitome of St. Louis baseball.

Not that they need my help, but to Barack and Michelle Obama.

Hi,

I know it says this under the Addie's Oyster Roast post, but I wanted to add the information about the dr.com promo code for members.

"Blacks Restaurant Group is offering a Promo Code to DR.com members for $5 off the ticket price. The promo codes are only valid until 10/20---so get your tickets before then! For the Pig Out the promo code is DRPIG and for the Oyster Roast it is DROYSTER. "

I hope to see lots of you there.

--

Jill

Has anyone been to Black Market Bistro since the most recent post in 2010?

I had different dishes, but this pretty much sums up my two experiences at Portabellos. Food seems ambitious and sounds quite interesting, but it has not lived up to the descriptions on the menu.

The nice part about Portobellos is the service and the neighborhood atmosphere, which I appreciate and respect. I think if they can ramp up the food quality and maybe lower some of the prices on a couple of the dishes ($12 for a salad with a couple strips of chicken and a small lump of brie and $10 for a small plate of fried calamari is not something that is going to bring me back), I think this will be a fine restaurant on the perimeter of the Ballston/Virginia Square area.

Has anyone been here since the most recent post in 2007?