durwoodx

I have been to Vernick's Food and Drink more times than I can count. I have never had anything less than an astonishing experience.

We dined at Vernick Fish this evening for the first time. While the service was excellent, of the 4 courses we sampled, only one rose to the level we would expect for anything with the Vernick name attached to it. This coupled with the premium price associated with being in a Four Seasons hotel makes this simply not worth the cost. Frankly, while I will certainly head back to the Vernick flagship anytime we can, it is unlikely we will ever return to Vernick Fish. 

I went once to Chuy's and it was awful - I can't imagine ever going again. This is how I picture Chevy's being.

Chuy's is actually significantly better than Chevy's (but I don't mean that in a good way.)

It's actually astonishingly easy to order $45 worth of food here. I agree with Don that it *IS* very good, but I'm just not convinced that it's that much better than Namaste (not that far away) to justify the price difference.....

If you are an anchovy fan you must order a bowl of fried anchovy bones.

They also serve as great garnish/seasoning for several of the small plates and pizze - we would just crumble them on certain dishes like salt.

Looks like this place is no more. Sign is down and brown paper is in all the windows with a notice that 'AL Saray Mediterranean Cuisine' is coming soon

Driving by today, I noticed this place was out of business and soon to be replaced by yep another pollo restaurant. Which is good, because we surely don't have enough of those yet.

Has anyone actually eaten at this fine establishment? I spied it across the street from Redrocks (which has slipped quite a bit and I cannot recommend for brunch, by the way) and was surprised to discover it had been open for at least six months. We had no idea the place was even a thing. (We should really get out more.)

I tried Walker's Grille & Osteria Marzano, which is right around the corner, at the same time & vastly preferred Osteria Marzano, so I never returned to Walkers Grille for a follow up visit.

I will agree with that assessment. Osteria Marzano is clearly the better of the two.

Any recent comments or are folks just passing it by? Somehow I have never heard of this place considering it's so close to me. I was just looking at their site and they are pushing the farm to table things like many places. Might have to make a visit as the menu looks good.

The few times I've been it has been fair to good, which is about as good as you can hope for down here....

The Navy Yard location is jam packed at lunch. On Wednesdays, when they do the crazy cheap specials it is lines out the door crowded.

If you were to peruse the menu online or upon stepping into this place for the first time, you would probably predict a mediocre experience at best. Any menu with Japanese, Korean, and Thai dishes included would usually get my eyes rolling. There is therefore no good reason the sashimi here should be so fantastic.

And it is. Fantastic.

I have pretty much no other experience with Ted's other that the Hoffman location, but I can say without reservation that it is terrible and has been pretty much since it opened. The few dishes that we once enjoyed years ago have declined in quality continually. 

I've found both GS and WTP very off-putting places, and haven't returned in some time. Bearnaise, on the other hand, is so wholly different that you'd probably not guess they emerge from the same person. Which is not to call it great, but the service was pleasant and competent enough, and I would actually consider returning.

Speaking of filthy conditions, the only time I've been to Five Guys was some years ago. to the Georgetown location, and it kind of grossed me out. If that's what people think McDonald's should be, no thanks.

I am not sure I would say that Bearnaise emerged from the same 'person' but rather from a food concept LLC. I am pretty sure SM has had very, VERY little to do with the concept, menu, or execution except in an executive producer sense....

I'm not sure a restaurant has ever had a quieter opening. When a friend suggested we try this recently opened steakhouse from the owner of A La Lucia I immediately starting searching for information about it. To my astonishment, the almighty Google barely even knew it existed. I sense this will not be so for long, as the experience was astonishingly good for a just opened restaurant.

We opened with a variety of fried goodies - clams, oysters, and artichoke leaves. The clams and oysters were among the best I have ever had - big, meaty, juicy with a crisp breading that showed almost no trace of greasiness at all. The steaks were perfectly cooked to order and tender to a fault. My wife's filet was the winner at the table, but the NY Strip was a solid enough offering on its own. Sides were also quite good - fingerling potatoes just tender enough but with a crispy skin along with halved brussels sprouts with just a hint of brown carmelization. The creamed spinach was good, but alas not quite up to what you get at Ray's (which is some damned fine creamed spinach to be fair.)

The most astonishing thing about the evening, however, was the consistency of everything. From food preparation to course pacing to overall service. The owner has clearly been training his team intensely. During a post dinner conversation with him he said they had been having a number of ramped up "friends and family" dinners to shock test the staff and it clearly showed.

All in all, perhaps the best opening to a restaurant I can recall. There really isn't anything else like this anywhere around Alexandria - a great addition to the community.

Dining at Bistrot Royal, we discovered that Mark Slater has left Bastille.  Mark, where did you go and when can we enjoy your equisite wine pairings again?

I heard this yesterday as well. He wasn't by any means the only reason we went there, but it is likely we will be there half as often now. I'm sure it won't be long before he's scooped up by somebody.

As much as I love this place, I am going to have to implement a personal no-weekend-visits-after-8AM policy for the good of my mental well-being. What a zoo. 

Doors were locked around noon today. Not sure what normal hours are there, though.

Stopped by to (finally) check this place out and found this taped up to the door.

I hate to post anything negative about a restaurant that I have otherwise adored, but....

Stopped in for the happy hour bar deal I have had a few times before. A new bartender greets me. Ask for all the menus and after they are brought out I inquire (since I suck at memory): "How does the bar special work? Is it any appetizer and any entree or just a selected few?"

Bartender: "Oh, you mean our happy hour special? Yeah, we discontinued that. It's still being advertised a few places, but we aren't doing it anymore."

Me: "Ummmm....it's kind of the reason I'm here."

Bartender: "It's been discontinued."

While I end up having some decent scallops and an astounding new entree of Pork Shoulder (seriously, it was REALLY good) the way that went down left me feeling a bit off. You're still advertising it a few places but not honoring it? Poor form.

It should come with a seat belt

I stumbled on this place for a quick early dinner a few months ago. It was so good I have been back twice since. Great bar service. Startlingly inexpensive dinner specials (at the bar). Possibly the best duck confit I have had in the region. To my mind this is the most unappreciated restaurant in Arlington if not perhaps even wider afield. 

Having a few free minutes before having to play for yet another Lenten service at my church gig, I thought I would take a chance and give Eatbar a shot - something I do with trepidation given the roller coaster ride the kitchen has been over the years. (I'm looking at you, oily house made hot dog.)

It was immediately obvious someone new was in the kitchen at a short perusal of the menu. Most of it now bears a striking Latin influence. I decided to to dive in head first.

Pig Ear Chicharrones were wafer thin, light, and delightfully crispy. While Mama's Pupusa (filled with duck confit) seemed overly oily at first glance, I had had to restrain myself from gobbling it down by the time I was halfway through with it. The evening's special, Beef Mole Enchiladas, was the weakest of the offerings, but still quite good. The Skillet Cornbread with Maple Butter and Red Pepper Jelly, however, knocked my socks off. Crispy on the bottom yet moist throughout, I will most likely be ordering this every return visit.

While I have had a rocky relationship with Eatbar's various menu iterations over the years, whatever is going on back in the kitchen currently gets my my wholehearted approval.

Apparently Chef Brian Wilson departed Montmartre a couple of weeks ago to helm the kitchen at Mad Fox across the river in NoVA. While my last visit was fairly recent (October?), I do wish I had gotten back for one last meal with him in their kitchen.

This place should be getting a bit of a culinary facelift, as Chef Brian Wilson has reportedly left Montmartre and taken over the kitchen here. I have always been a bit iffy on their beer (I am an unabashed beer snob/geek) but this may push me over the top to actually try a return visit at some point in the near future.

Just an astonishing, astonishing meal. The breadth and variety of what they tackle in the kitchen is perhaps without peer in the DC area. The drinks were inspired and quite varied and the wine list moderately priced yet well crafted. The service is casual yet attentive - friendly without being intruding - the kind of place that lets you relax and enjoy. Also noted was that everyone from the chefs to the servers were deeply invested in what was going on and clearly inspired to do the work. Quite possibly the most interesting and inspiring meal I've had in DC and certainly in the top tier of memorable dining experiences I've ever had.