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PJC III

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  1. It has been a week since my wife and I were able to slip out, but I would be upset with myself if I failed to post. Not only did Tallulah graciously accommodate my last minute reservation request, they gave us a wonderful evening out! Kicked the evening off with a cocktail, I think it was a Cream Soda, which was very nice, reminded me of a Creamcicle a bit. Was glad to see they are maintaining a great craft brew selection, but decided to abstain so as to leave room for dinner. Started with the charred octopus, and what a treat it was! Both tender (the thicker end) and crisp (the thin end of the tentacle), the octopus was perfectly cooked and the accompanying chorizo, warm saffron potato salad and sherry vinaigrette made for a great mix of subtle and bold flavors. Next, shared the romaine salad with speck, pickles, and anchovies served on a sauce gribiche. Very nice salad, the pickles added some great texture and brightness and balanced the richness of the gribiche. Speck was a very nice, subtle surprise and something I will have to seek out. Loved the sauce gribiche, it added a luxuriousness to the salad that took it up a step. Shared the panko and mustard crusted pork chop with spinach gnudi, borlotti beans, pea shoots and vincotto. Pork was ideally medium and very juicy and the crust, the only part that gave me pause (I was hesitant because if the pork is good, why cover it up?), was wonderful. We both agreed that we could eat an entire meal of those gnudi!! Wow! Little pillows of spinachy goodness that absolutely melted in your mouth! I typically avoid gnocchi and gnocchi-like pasta because good ones are rare and bad ones are really bad. These were heavenly! In fact, the pork chop was on top of the gnudi and as soon as we tasted one we quickly raised the chop and moved all the little green lovelies to the side (but not before two got squished while cutting the pork! But even then, they were very tasty as well.). The cranberry beans were very good, almost creamy at times (the ONLY downside to the entire meal, and this was minor, was the inclusion of a couple, maybe 6, under cooked beans. Not sure how they got in there.) . The pea shoots made for some great texture and temperature contrast with the beans and gnudi and the vincotto was fantastic. We finished with bittersweet chocolate soufflé cake with pistachio ice cream and sour cherries and a couple of cappuccinos. Yes, we tend to fall into the desert-should-have-chocolate camp (I feel like we had a banana crepe desert at Eventide once that had little or no chocolate yet was outstanding!), and this was no disappointment. The pistachio ice cream was very nice, as was the brittle that was sticking out of it. I don’t remember the cherries, which is something I would definitely seek out, so maybe there were out. As before, the cappuccinos were flawless. I would be remiss if I neglected to mention Adan, our server. Friendly, comfortable, informative, helpful, he had it all (Great wine recommendation with dinner, BTW, a lovely Tempranillo). He knew when to come by and when to let us enjoy our time together and he is a great asset to a wonderful restaurant. Looking forward to weather that will draw us back to the Tallulah patio!
  2. I was going to post this on the Port City thread, but did not to threadjack. I am really interested in the whole discussion of craft brew cost. I am always floored when friends who have no problem pay $3-$6 for a low-end to mediocre beer at a bar balk at paying a $1.50 to $2.50 for a really good or even great beer at home? You will easily spend $15 at a bar on two great beers, so why not spend $11 for something you can really enjoy sipping when sitting on the deck this weekend? Maybe the feeling is you don’t want to drop $12 only to realize it is not to your liking. That I understand, but I don’t know of a beer retailer that does not sell single bottles. Maybe paying nothing for crap beer throughout college (our preferred option was the Busch suitcase at $8 per, but then again that was 198something) has conditioned males to overlook the value in a $10 4-pack of Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye or Brooklyn Chocolate Stout (that may be $12 and it may be a sixer, the prices are all kinda fuzzy at this point). Don’t know the answers, but I am curious. I don’t think that there are many craft brewers laughing all the way to the bank. That said, I don’t love them all either. Phil
  3. Ate outside at Tallula on a beautiful Saturday evening (7/10/10). Even though you are right on Washington Blvd, there is something I really like about the patio here. Started with the pan seared sea scallops with polenta. Scallops were very nice, but the creamy fresh corn polenta really made the dish. Moved on to a completely unremarkable saffron fettuccini. Next came the hanger steak, perfectly done to a very rosey pink, with heirloom tomatos and a very nice potato galette (very much in need of a bit of salt). Finished with the chocolate toffee brownie cake and a cappuccino. Now usually I don't care about deserts, and more often than not chocolate deserts are just disappointing, but this was by far the tastiest end to a meal I have had in a while. And to make things even better, an OUTSTANDING cappuccino. Really, outstanding. So good we ordered a second. Should not forget, I don't remember being impressed by the beer selection before, but someone has definitely put some thought in there. This brings me to the only disappointment: service. Not terrible, just disappointing. When we arrived we were the only people on the patio. Our server seemed less than thrilled to pick up our table. He wasn't overtly rude, but he seemed distracted and like he wanted to get away as soon as possible. When the hostess sat a second couple outside, he complained to her loudly right there on the patio and told her he would not take anymore outside tables after 8 (the patio was full by the time we left). He missed our dessert order and asked us to repeat it because he was too busy checking out the party going in the front door. Check was simply dropped on the table in passing. We don't get out as frequently as we used to, so it is disappointing to encounter indifferent service. Fortunately the meal, drinks, dessert, and that cappuccino (not to mention the guy who made the espresso drinks was very pleasant) vastly outweighed any service issue and the inattention just became a running joke after a while. Lastly, a little lesson for management: if your employees do not speak English, they should not assume that the diners do not know their native toungue. We asked the very sweet busperson for a few things (had not seen our server in a while) and she responded in the afirmative, indication she understood. She returned to the table with one of our requests just as the server arrived and, after delivering the single item, said to him in Spanish "They asked for other things but I don't know what they said." At the very least they should be instructed in the basics (we were asking for the wine list and salt and pepper) or taught to how to say the will need to get someone else.
  4. Market Poultry ((202)543-7470) in Eastern market has a variety of smoked turkey parts, I believe. While you are there, get a couple of bucks worth of turkey jerky. It is turkey crack. PJC
  5. Looking for a good falafel sandwich on the VA side of the river within about 10 - 15 minutes of the Pentagon. I used to get them all the time at Jerusalem when they first opened (six, seven years ago?) but have not been back there in a while (just haven't had the chance). They had sticks of pickled daikon, I think, or some sort of radishy thing that gave them a nice crunch and they were dirt cheap to boot. Lebanese Taverna take-out has falafel, don't they? I have a buddy who has never had falafel at all and wants to try. Thanks, Phil
  6. I drive Washington Blvd every day and just glanced over and noticed it this morning (same building as the marble and tile place). From what I can find it is a Persian take out spot. Does anyone have the scoop on this place? Why did they choose that name (is it a tribute to Timberlake and Samberg?!?!)? I consider myself a hardcore carnivore, but I can honestly say I didn't read the sign and think "Mmmmmmmmmm, meat in a box!" On the plus side, it is on the right side to make for an easy stop on the way home.
  7. Getting a rare night out with my wife (and our tiniest), looking for something in the Clarondon/Courthouse area, would rather have a bunch of small plates rather than a meal. Ideas?!? thanks, Phil
  8. The breakfast choices in this area are the only thing that make me think about living is Southern California again. Leisurely meals at breakfast-only joints were kinda a way of life there. Give me a warm LBC morning, a hot cup of coffee while I wait on the curb for my table, and heart-slowing omelet and I am a happy camper! Egg Heaven, the Pot Holder, Hawaiian Breakfast (Hermosa), Back Burner (Hermosa), man, I am getting hungry just thinking about it. Seven bucks got you a grotesquely over stuffed three-egg omelet (with fresh avocado(Haas, at that)), breakfast potatoes, toast, and bottomless coffee. Almost always needed a nap immediately following my meal. That said, the fewer than half-a-dozen times I have eaten at OHP have all been underwhelming at best, substandard at worst. The omelets I have had there more closely resembled frittatas and where stingy on fillings, food temp was wildly inconsistent, the place has a cold feel to it (Falls Church location), and I have never left there feeling remotely stuffed. Been to Linda's a few times and was not disappointed, but haven't been in the last 6 years or so. I make great omelets and homefries, but sometimes I want to be waited on. Is there anywhere for a great breakfast in NoVA?
  9. Wonderful night at Eventide this past Saturday. Started with a drink at the bar, my wife had a vague idea of what she wanted in a drink and Steve made it happen perfectly. Great way to start off the night. We don't get out as often as we like (expecting our fourth), so I chose Eventide based on the description of the dinning room; the last thing we want we finally get a night out is to be sitting on top of someone else. They did not disappoint. Wonderful space, privacy without isolation, intimate yet open. Service was ideal; Berkley (great name) was attentive, friendly, informed and genuine (one of the most important traits, in my book). Apps were fantastic. I had the scallops, probably the most perfectly cooked I have ever had. My wife had the new grilled asparagus salad (Crispy poached egg, herbed goat cheese dressing, frisee, citrus vinaigrette) and loved it. It was really interesting, if you tasted any element of the salad alone (with the exception of those expertly grill asparagus) it was good, but the elements combined flavor and texture wonderfully. My wife had the pork, which was good, really liked the escabeche and yucca root cake, absolutely loved the grilled mustard greens (grilled greens, brilliant!). I had the strip which was also good, but I should have gone with the lobster pasta. The strip was not bad, it was perfectly grilled bright pink and warm, just not overwhelming, and the potatoes were a little firm. Reading the description again I realize that the cabernet reduction was absent, that would have been nice. Dessert was fantastic, banana crepes and the chocolate mousse. I would usually pass on dessert, more of a savory person, but the port wine poached figs intrigued me. Man, did they really make the whole dish work! As gs said, the mousse is a little dense, intensely chocolate, and those figs cut the richness perfectly. Wonderful night, great place, and a warm staff. We'll be back (looking forward to trying the bar menu)!
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