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Jlock

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  1. Jlock
    the only cheese that i have ever seen at a strip club is "cottage cheese"...
  2. Jlock
    Tom served us a sardine rillette one time as an amuse/starter. A very strong taste - but wow! What a taste!!!
  3. Jlock
    House Rules from the "Milk and Honey" Bar in New York's Lower East Side: 1. No name-dropping, no star f*cking. 2. No hooting, hollering, shouting or other loud behaviour. 3. No fighting, play fighting, no talking about fighting. 4. Gentlemen will remove their hats. Hooks are provided. 5. Gentlemen will not introduce themselves to ladies. Ladies, feel free to start a conversation or ask the bartender to introduce you. If a man you don't know speaks to you, please lift your chin slightly and ignore him. 6. Do not linger outside the front door. 7. Do not bring anyone unless you would leave that person alone in your home. You are responsible for the behaviour of your guests. 8. Exit the bar briskly and silently. People are trying to sleep across the street. Please make all your travel plans and say all farewells before leaving the bar. Whether real or "imagined" - the "house rules" at this particular establishment really set the tone for the drinking experience of the evening. A truly elegant and interesting experience. (And amazing drinks!) I can't wait to try the PX!!! I'll act like a gentleman or hop like a monkey - anything to secure a truly sublime martini!
  4. Jlock
    Ooh's and Aah's is the perfect pre-9:30 Club Dinner Spot! Some blackened catfish and some rice with gravy makes all that standing at the club bearable! (Plus it helps provide a nice "base" for all of the beer you'll consume at the show! )
  5. Jlock
    I say bring on the Applebee's, the Champ's, the Chili's, and the like! The more folks that dine at these establishments, the shorter my wait is at the places that I want to eat!
  6. Jlock
    Looking for a nice bite to eat on a Sunday night and following advice from "a familiar and reliable online food information source" , Lackadaisi and I found ourselves sitting comfortably behind the bar at Circle Bistro. We dined on Chef Cox's incredible gazpacho soup, crispy duck confit over kohlrabi-carrot slaw, the classic and extremely delicious lemon-scented trout, and the flaky, fresh halibut served over the glazed beets. With a great bottle of Turnbull Sauvignon Blanc, we were in heaven! You cannot find a better fish dish in town! (Please don't ask me to chose between the two we tried - I don't think I could - they were each excellent!) The "Circle" will definitely be added to our regular rotation of eating establishments! Many thanks to the congenial Peter behind the bar and to Brendan for his enthusiastic and unexpected "post-dinner floor show". The "Brendan Cox Show" - coming to NBC this fall!
  7. Jlock
    This morning I find myself thinking about the Blue Duck Tavern - specifically about the "duck" and why is he so "blue"? Lackadaisi and I went to the Blue Duck Tavern for dinner last night and examined the poor "duck's" situation first hand: Perhaps the duck is "blue" because, although the space of the restaurant is lovely (clean and crisp with a bustling open kitchen, an attractive "open" wine cellar, and a comfortable, columnar lounge area), you couldn't hear yourself think due to all of the noise. Even our waiter had issues taking our order and when you can't hear Lacakadaisi at the table - well, you have a volume problem (sorry sweetheart!) They need some soft, sound-absorbing surfaces - fast! But maybe the duck is "blue" for other reasons? The serviceable, but un-seasoned flavored pea soup? The marrowbone that was overpowered by its toasted garlic country bread side? The overly-salty Hawaiian Shrimp dish swimming in butter? The duck could find some solace in the heirloom tomato salad (the goat cheese "discs" were nice and the tomatoes were ripe and sweet - and perfectly seasoned) and the sauteed leek sidedish, but as for our dinner last night, that's about it. We had read nice things about the Lamb pot - but were mysteriously steered away from this dish by our waiter (who told us, unsolicited, that he just "would not get the lamb dish or the baked clams". No real menu suggestions, just this lone statement. How can you order the lamb - or clams - after that?) The service was good, albeit a bit more pretentious than what I would expect to see at a "market style", share-your-dish restaurant. (For me, the formalness of the place just didn't seem to fit with the food). The staff was efficient and attentive, so the duck really shouldn't feel too bad about this. Perhaps they need a little more "tavern" in their tavern? I really did like the "market style" idea and seeing that tractor-trailer of an oven in the middle of the kitchen was pretty cool. The wine list looked interesting - although it was a bit strange when the waiter told us that the wines on the first couple of pages were 'specially selected by their wine shop'... (Does the Blue Duck have a sommelier? Is the chef ordering the wine? What does this statement mean???) All in all, I saw a great potential of ingredients in a nice (but acoustically challenged) space. I think the duck is "blue" because it is only "potential" at this point and not reality. It seems a lot of posters found lunch to be quite nice - so perhaps that is the way to go for now - as this hopefully restaurant finds it's groove. Cheer up, Mr. Duck, we will keep an eye on you and see what happens. But for now, we will continue "hunting" elsewhere...
  8. Jlock
    I think Agraria is demonstrating that a restaurant is all about its people. You need good people that really care about what they're doing (at all levels) in order to have a good restaurant. The positive things about Agraria up to this point (delicious and innovative drinks, friendly and knowledgeable bar service, great desserts, and an incredible physical space/setting) are due to the people that are/were in place to provide those things from the beginning (the bar staff/management, the pastry chef, and the architects that designed the space). What it is lacking, in my opinion, are the rest of the "people" that are needed to pull the whole thing off (the managers, the wait staff - or at least the management in-place to adequately train the wait staff, and most importantly - the chef!) If you're only fielding half a team, expect to have a pretty bad season...
  9. Jlock
    Is there a DR.com-sponsored "Shawshank Redemption BBQ Rib Field Trip" in our futures???
  10. Jlock
    Usually we are not in a rush when we go, but we kinda were last time... Although sometims slow, I find the service there very warm and friendly-and certainly not something we really consider when thinking about the tibs! We have yet to try the raw lamb dish, but are working up to it. We will try the tikul next time. I have found Ethiopian Italian food to be quite interesting, but not something I crave. Those colonial relationships of cultures have produced some strange dishes!
  11. Jlock
    Etete has moved up pretty high on my current "must eat at" list. Although the service can be slow (I actually think that our waitress just forgot enter our order on Saturday), the food is great! Certainly some of the best Ethiopian food being served in DC right now. Lackadaisi and I always get the "Fastening" dish (a sampling of different vegetable/salad/lentil dishes that rings the large injera-covered platter that dinner arrives on) and then a meat dish to add to the center. Saturday night we were with another couple and it was the Duro Wat (excellently spiced fall-of-the-bone chicken dish with the odd but tasty hard-boiled egg) and the Derek Tibs (a beef dish with carmelized onions and tomato) that graced the center spot-light of our platter. I have found most Ethiopian food to be a bit on the greasy side, but not at Etete. The "stews" are full of flavor and texture, the injera is soft and inviting (but not too spongy or neoprene-like), and the Ethiopian beers are quite nice for a hot summer evening (especially the St. George's Lager). Not a big fan of the honey wine - a bit too sweet with a quite un-pleaseant nose - but maybe its worth a try just for the novelty of it. As others have posted - it's open late too!
  12. Jlock
    To follow-up on lackadaisi's review - just two words: THE HAKE!!!!
  13. Jlock
    My list closely mirrors Lackadaisi's (since we eat most dinners together), so I suppose I will only list the few places that I hit a little more often than she does and abrreviate my overall dinner list. I work in Georgetown, so I have a distinct geographic focus: Lunch: Moby Dick's (G-town) (love the chicken kebab and rice) Chipotle (it's better than eating cup-o-soup) Chadwick's (the standard "let's all go to lunch" spot for my office - just get the chicken sandwich) Cafe Le Ruche (great onion soup - more of a Fall/Winter spot) Dinner: Pizzeria Paradiso (G-town) Bar at Citronelle (bring me the tuna burger!!!) Teaism (casual - usually eat at the nearby Navy Memorial) Corduroy (what can I say - I'm addicted!!!) I agree with Lackadaisi that we need to add Etete to our list!
  14. Jlock
    CNN Breaking News -- Flock of Giant Geoducks takes over DR.com! Triple-spacing and touchy posting to surely follow! Watch CNN or log on to http://CNN.com and watch FREE video, plus live, commercial-free video with CNN Pipeline. Only one news network has been the most trusted for nearly two decades: CNN - Still the most trusted name in news. Agraria is new (it's new even to its own staff owing to the chef change so early in the process). I have enjoyed the burger and many of the innovative beverages there thus far. I hope that they can get it together and make a real restaurant out of the place. I wish that there hadn't been as much "press" and promotion before Agraria opened - I think overcoming all of the hype with good food is what they needed right out of the chute - and certainly what they need now more than ever! I read any and all reviews (professional and non-professional) with a grain of salt (sometimes sea salt). I enjoy the reviews posted here because they ARE people's personal opinions. Can't we all just be geoducks friends?
  15. Jlock
    I am just happy that the Folklife Festival at least tries to serve food based upon the themes of its exhibits. 99% of DC's "festivals" serve the same "asian/teriyaki/chicken-on-a-stick" type of dish with an egg roll on the side. I thought the turkey-leg was worth the walk to the Mall, but not too impressed with the rest that I saw. Food is such and important and telling part of any culture - its a shame that this is not more of a focus for this particular festival....
  16. Jlock
    I , too, was at the "invisible" table #2 last night and have to say that my first impression of China Gourmet is not too favorable. I came expecting a feast of exotic Chinese fare - a chance to try all of the items that I have heard so much about and to get my first bite of the "fish in a basket" dish that I had loved so much at Tempt Asia. PollyG immediately began marking up her copy of the translated menu and I thought that my wishes were about to be answered. Number 41...number 17...number 5...... the list grew and grew and I was quite excited as our order was turned-in and we awaited our first dishes to arrive. But then our wait grew, the beverages (and even the chance to order them) were slow in coming, and the dishes arrived at a snail's pace. While table number #1 was stacking plates just to make room for all of the incoming food, we were sadly spinning our lazy-susan picking at the last bits of garnish. After about half of our original order was delivered, the waiter asked us if we were "all set". The ribs, fish in a basket, spicy beef dish, smoked sesame chicken, and tofu balls were all real standouts - but I really wanted a chance to try all of the things that we originally ordered. Clearly the China Gourmet is not ready to run at full capacity yet - and certainly not ready to host any kind of "special dinner". I will give them another chance but it would certainly be on a weeknight! I think I was better off when Peter was "missing" for a while - knowing that he's back but that I can't get to his food is all the more frustrating! Thanks to all of my table-mates - it was a pleasure to dine with you and you made the evening fun irregardless of the service! Jlock (Jeff) (year of the rat)
  17. Jlock
    Lackadaisi and I were at Komi this past Friday night - taking Lackadaisi's father and step-mother out for the tasting dinner. We had a bit of an unbalanced meal: the appetizer, cheese, and dessert courses were simply amazing, but the macaroni and meat/fish courses were not up to the same level. We decided on the tasting dinner for the table and were greeted with a spectacular array of appetizer dishes to share - a six course tasting dinner right there in the middle of the first course! The marscapone-filled dates were sweet and creamy with a nice hint of salt and olive oil, the brushetta lovely, and the fresh mozzarella was superb! With a nice bottle of wine, we were pretty fat and happy at the end of our first course - eagerly anticipating what was to come next. I ordered the risotto for my macaroni and was quite pleased with the perfectly cooked pasta, and delicious scallop bites - but the rest of our group ordered the strezzapriti (sp? sorry...) long hand-rolled pasta tubes filled with cheese and topped with black truffle shavings and were not as pleased. Although "good" it was not great and everyone fought over another bite of my risotto.... The pasta was just a bit too doughy and even the black truffle coudn't make up for it. Lackadaisi and I ordered the suckling pig for two and our dining companions the bronzini for two. Overall, we thought that the pig was a bit dry (especially the rib portions) and not that special. Although we could see the great potential for this dish, we were not treated to the "fall of the bone - melt in your mouth" experience we had read so much about. (Oh - but the brussel sprouts and polenta base were great!) The fish arrived and looked wonderful - but again, "dry" was the word most often used to describe the dish. A bit disappointed, we headed into the cheese course and our moods were "set straight" with a nice variety of strong cheeses and delicious house-made bread. The dessert course was right behind it - most of the table getting the Myer Lemon gelato and fennel cookie and myself ordering the greek-style donuts and chocolate mousse (I can't say no to both "doughnuts" AND "chocolate" in the same dish!) Very attractive plating and excellent desserts all around! All in all, we had a great time, great service, great wine, and the food at the beginning and the end of our meal was truly noteworthy. Not sure what happened during the middle courses. Were we there on an "off" night? Jeff (Jlock)
  18. Jlock
    I believe the "Birreria Paradiso" is on the lower level of the current Pizzeria. I had an incredible German Doppelbock with my Atomica Pizza this past Friday night. Our waitress said that the staff there has undergone extensive training (two evenings of tasting 40+ beers!!!) to become knowledgeable about the various brews that will be available. Wasn't open that night - I think tonight is the opening.... (Luckily I work in Georgetown!!!)
  19. Jlock
    All of my Kentucky friends swear by Old Weller - its their "everyday" bourbon (not to be confused with their "special event" bourbon, their "holiday bourbon", their...) Jeff
  20. Jlock
    I'd be happy if it were five courses of Tom's various soups!
  21. Jlock
    Lackadaisi and I made Equinox our Friday night destination and we were quite happy with the decision. Although Equinox doesn't come up on our radar screen all that often - perhaps it should. We had an excellent meal, fantastic service, nice champagne, and a really nice bottle of wine! I had the chestnut angalotti - savory chestnut in a soft pillow of pasta, the Pan Roasted Muscovy Duck Breast (an excellent match with the Archery Summit Pinot Noir), a lovely cheese course, and the trio of dark chocolate desserts. Lackadaisi's Lobster "Rusticci" was another winner. We needed a quiet, romantic evening out and that is exactly what we found. With so many new restaurants in DC to try, we musn't forget the ones that have been there all along! Todd Gray's focus on fresh ingredients is not to be missed! Jeff (Jlock)
  22. Jlock
    Lackadaisi and I were two such "Rockweliers" at the bar on Saturday evening... enjoying soup... enjoying scallops... enjoying lobster salad... leaving happy.... returning soon...
  23. Jlock
    My Top 2005 Dishes (In Town): Tuna with Italian Black Truffle Banana Tempura with Black Raspberry Ice Cream Kaz Sushi Bistro Tuna with Hijiki Rice Vidalia Soubise Grape Sorbet Corduroy (oh, hell - any soup or ice cream/sorbety that Tom makes!) Spicy Scallop Roll Kotobuki Proscuitto Crudo Pappardelle al Cinghale Dino Roasted Fish with Green Onion Tempt Asia Super Grilled Cheese Stoney's
  24. Jlock
    If their Oyster Bar turns out to be anything like Old Ebbitt's, then the new Clyde's is alright by me!
  25. Jlock
    Lackadaisi and I went for a nice, quiet dinner with friends on Saturday. I started with the butternut squash soup, which was excellent - the pumpkin seeds were a great "nutty" touch to the overall soup's sweetness and the cookies added a nice crunch. My wife had the bruschetta - all three excellent. We followed with a pasta course - me with the mezzaluna and she with the tagliatele special (head-on shrimp in a vodka cream sauce). The mezzaluna were amazing and perhaps my favorite overall dish of the evening. For the entree I had the hangar steak - cooked to perfection - with a very nice pesto. The accompanying gnocchi were a bit dry, but otherwise a great dish. My wife had the diver scallops - another impressive dish with an interesting combination of the chestnut puree and the scallop. Our friends ordered many of the same items and were equally happy (the big hits being the soup and the scallops). (The risotto looked great too!) We were also extremely happy with the service. There was an error with my mezzaluna order (I was brought a salad first) and it was fixed quickly and efficiently (and certainly worth the wait). A lovely bottle of "The Grappler" accompanied our meal - a reasonable, but elegant red. Overall, a great evening out!
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