vineguy

How many times should someone have to call a restaurant to book a LARGE party before they give up? Once? Twice? THREE TIMES??? How about an in-person visit? And no response... nada, nein, zip, zilch, goose egg.

Thus is the tale of my experience at Fiola - the hot, hip new Italian eatery captained by Uber-chic Chef Fabio Trabocchi and his spouse, Maria.

I have been trying for two weeks now to book a dinner party at Fiola and cannot get as much as a return call to tell me to drop dead. My firm is getting ready to celebrate our ten year anniversary and I want to treat my staff to a fantastic evening of food, wine and fun to mark the occasion. I had dined there recently for a wine dinner and I was impressed with the service, food and ambiance, so I thought Fiola would be the perfect spot to host dinner for 30 people.

After leaving three messages - count 'em, three - for Maria Trabocchi (the chef/owner's wife and director of private dining), I decided to confront her directly. My wife and I went with another couple to Fiola for dinner last week to celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary. When we arrived, I asked the hostess to please send Maria over to the table so that I could give her a card and make the connection.

Overall, the evening was a solid 8. The food was very good and both our server (ask for Ashley) and the wine director (Theo) were attentive and charming. We noticed Maria flitting about the restaurant visiting most of the tables and giving everyone the standard kiss-kiss routine. But somehow, we escaped her attention and she never as much as looked in our direction. Must have been my cologne?!?

On the way out, I asked to speak to Maria. I explained who I was and that I was trying to book a dinner party for 30 - count 'em - 30 people. She feigned great surprise and promised (PROMISED) to give me a call on my cell phone the very next day. And I am still waiting.

Why am I taking the time to rant about this seemingly trivial experience? Because I have had my fill of restaurants (and other businesses) that just DON'T GET IT! It's like the scene in the movie Network when the news anchor stands up and delivers his famous "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore" speech. It's that simple.

Citronelle (another story) and (BLT Steak) could take a lesson from Wolfgang Puck's The Source or any of Ashok Bajaj's eateries. Every single time I have been at any of these restaurants, they have made me feel welcomed and comfortable, like Norm at Cheers (you older readers will probably get that reference). So why didn't I start with The Source (or Bibiana) for the anniversary party? Good question. And now I will!

I am hosting a BBQ at my house this Saturday (September 11th) afternoon and just need someone to open wine and beer from noon - 4:00 pm and then help clean up afterwards (probably an hour). If you know someone, let me know - or if you're interested, shoot me a reply if you're interested and what you charge.

Thanks -

Scott

My experience is that Athens is not a great restaurant town, but it is a fun place to go out to eat.

This has a lot of ideas, but is somewhat dated. If anything looks tasty you might google around and see if the restaurant is still in business.

A couple things to think about:

1) if you're going anywhere more than four blocks away by cab, bring a map with the location marked on it. Also, 90% of all Athenians speak some English, the other 10% are cab drivers.

2) Greeks eat late! Prime time is 9:30-midnight.

3) The house wine can be very hit or miss, but is almost always a better deal than the bottled stuff.

4) Don't expect good food in the Plaka, just scout around its nooks and crannies until you find a great view/location and enjoy it.

5) Service is "leisurely" Greek servers expect you to linger for hours after dinner, so the fact that you can't get a check is nothing to take personally.

6) If you like seafood, you must try a fish taverna for multiple courses of seafood, including the entree whole fish, which you will select yourself from ice in the kitchen. Hit the neighborhoods of Piraeus or Microclimano and get a view of the harbor with your fish

7) If you're there on a Saturday or Sunday, go to "lunch." Greek shops close at 2PM on Saturdays, people go home, change and go to lunch. It lasts three hours and you drink lots.

8) Greeks eat in gangs, this seems to work well.

9) Be very wary of recommendations from guidebooks not named "Michelin."

10) Come hungry. Best line about Greek portion sizes: "The only way Jesus was able to feed so many with just a few loaves and fishes, is that there were no Greeks in the crowd."

A couple of names, if they're still going:

Alexandria -- near the Archeological Museum and the Victoria Square Subway. This was a go-to place.

Cafe Avesinia 7 Kinetou St. at Avisinia Square -- more for the scene than the food, though the food ain't bad. Traditional music but for Greeks, not tourists. Near an antique/junk market on Saturdays.

Papandreou, Kendriki Agora, 010-32-19-470 open 24 hours a day in the heart of the meat market (not dar from Plaka)...a dive/diner best enjoyed after 3AM, while drunk, as the hispters wend their way home and the butchers start showing up

Jimmy and the Fish for a view of the harbor, and fish

Whatever's hip in the neighborhoods ofPsirri and Gazi

Kollias More fish, probably better fish, no view. Definitely bring a map for the cabbie.

Efharistó,

Scott

Heading to Athens, Greece in a couple of days. We're staying near the Plaka (sp?). Does anyone have a couple of restaurant suggestions for dinner?

Much appreciated,

Scott

I am sure Dino probably has one. Trummer's on Main probably does too. I would contact them and ask.

Thanks - Dean Gold was the first to reply to my request - and yes, he does have a wine deal going during restaurant week. I know that Trummers finished their mid-week half-price wine deal in June cuz I went there in July specifically to partake in it and it was over. But Tyler Packwood did sell me a bottle of Orin Swift for a decent price, so I have no complaints...

Any others out there? Bueller? Bueller?? Bueller???

Scott

I am writing a column on the best wine deals that area restaurants are offering during Restaurant Week, which begins August 16th. If you know of any participating restaurants that are offering wonderful deals on wines - such as half-priced wines from their wine list or waiving corkage on a bottle or two - please let me know. I'd love to mention the "deal" in next week's Vine Guy column in the Examiner and on WTOP's Wine of the Week.

Many thanks for your help...

Scott

Second A La Lucia.

Depending on your location, I have had credible versions at Da Domenico's in Tysons and Zeffirelli's in Herndon. The two are related.

Thanks - I just ended up making it myself and opened a fabulous1997 Brunello for good measure. Both were excellent, and I did not charge me a corkage fee! Best of all, my son thought that it was pretty cool that his dad would spend the time (with him as my Sous) and effort to make his birthday dinner for him. I am a temporary hero...

RJ Cooper - formally of Vidalia - should be able to do it. He did a whole pig at my house for my birthday last year and it was amazing!

I held my wife's surprise party in the back room at Teatro Goldoni (20th and K Street) - we had 40 people and it was perfect. And because it was in the back, she was totally surprised. Food was good. Price was fair - and they let me bring in my own wine.

My son is turning 13 this Saturday and he wants to go out for Saltimbocca (where do kids get such sophisticated palates???) - can anyone direct me to a great Italian restaurant that offers Saltimbocca?

Grazie,

Scott

If you want I do Smoking on the side Chicken and Ribs or Pulled Pork. I have a commercial smoker and I do side gigs. Let me know.

I love chicken and ribs (could work for adults) but need a burger bar for the kids. Is that up your alley?

Scott

I NEED HELP! I am looking for a company or caterer who will come to my house (Montgomery County) and do burgers/ribs/chicken for a Saturday afternoon party in September. There will be about 30 kids and 40 adults. Looking for something casual and fun... Thoughts? Suggestions?

Thank you!

Scott

Great article on Rose wines by Lou Marmon - a wine writer filling in for me this week at the Examiner.

Rose Wine Article in the Examiner

Cheers,

Scott

So, how did it turn out?

Well - I must say that I was blown away by the outcome. At the beginning of this cry for help, I got a message from RJ Cooper, the James Beard Award winning Chef at Vidalia, telling me that he would come to my house and roast a pig. Of course, I thought he was kidding - just having a bit of fun at my expense - you, know, I'd say "Oh, yes, please RJ, take a Saturday night off from Vidalia and come to my house and cook pig for my birthday" and he say, "Punked!" or some such sucker-punch remark.

But he was serious - really serious! Long, long, long story short, RJ Cooper showed up with a 90 pound pig, a "Pig Box", 100 lbs of charcoal and all of the traditional sides (collard greens, potato salad, beens, slaw, corn bread) and proceeded to blow the crowd away. All I had to do was give him cold beer and turn on the Red Wings game. It was truly the most memorable dining experience I have ever had! It was perfect.

Now - I did have a very good experience working with the nice people at Backyard BBQ and was pretty close to hiring them when RJ convinced me he was sincere. So, if you can't get Chef Cooper, I would certainly recommend reaching out to Anne-Marie at Backyard BBQ.

Thanks to everyone on this post for helping me out. I appreciate it!

Thanks - I am talking to them (Backyard BBQ) and two other leads that I got from this cry for help.

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate it and I will post my experience after the event.

Scott

Thanks for all of the input. It has been VERY helpful in getting quotes - which, by the way, have been coming in around $23-$25/person. I'll make a final post in a couple of weeks on who we go with and how it turns out.

Scott

Well, that's the thing. I don't actually have a budget. I am trying to gather some competitive quotes to see what is out there since I don't know what's reasonable. I will do something and gladly pay for it once I figure out what is "in the ballpark" - if you have thoughts on the matter, I would love to hear them.

I have to agree with DanielK. NQD and I have no catering experience, but we've done barbecues and pig roasts at my home for anywhere from 25 to 65 people. We've never wanted to do the math to figure out the cost per person (I just don't want to know), but $810 for 45 people sounds like a pretty good estimate of what we'd spend. That's shopping retail, so our costs would be a little higher than someone in the business would pay, but that's also with no transportation costs, no costs for plates, cups, flatware, etc., only the two of us doing all of the work (along with anyone who makes the mistake of getting here early), a long, leisurely clean-up and nobody getting paid. And a level of service that's fine if friends are cooking, but a little rough if you're paying for it. Your budget may need to be adjusted upwards.

Hi - The $18/head was fiction. It's what I would ask RJ to do it for because I know that he'd say no... even if I offered him all the beer he could drink. And all of his friends would be there BUT, while we're on topic, I am providing everything except the food... I will supply all of the beverages, plates, cups, tables, chairs, forks, knives, etc. I just need someone to bring food, set up, cook and serve. I'll let you know what I end up with. I can't believe Dan took that literally...

Would you believe that I still cannot find ANYONE to do a BBQ onsite for a backyard party for 45 people? Bueller.... Bueller???

Oh Scott why not call Vidalia and have Jeff and I cater the event?

we know pig!!!!!!!!!

Did I mention that it is a casual, laid-back affair??? $18/head and the gig -uh, I mean pig - is yours! I'll even throw in all the beer you can drink.

Scott

I can't believe that I am going to say this, because RJ and I are having a little lover's quarrel, but I had the extraordinary pleasure of dining at Vidalia last week at the Heart's Delight Sauturnes dinner. And RJ went waaaaaaaaaay out over the diving board. Five courses paired with Sauternes and not a single mis-step. It is the best meal I have had at Vidalia in ages and one of the best food/wine experiences I can recount. RJ deftly stepped up his game and brought the crowd to their feet. The cooking was brilliant. And despite RJ's love (or lack of it) for me - he was masterful.

So - Vidalia is alive and well.

And RJ can finally let me out of the box

Scott your hockey season is done here is DC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And all I have for you now is love.

I really hate the Red Wings, no matter how you cook them

I just had an incredible experience at The Source, Wolfgang Puck's restaurant at the Newseum in DC. All I can say is "wow"!

I eat out a lot - and would consider myself a boarderline foodie... alright, I am a full-blown restaurant snob, so I am difficult to please. And my wife? She's impossible to satisfy (get your mind out of the cork bin). But last Friday, I planned a dinner for 10 friends to celebrate a special occassion and from the minute we walked in the door until we stumbled back out onto the curb, the entire evening was a 10!

The staff was friendly and efficient and the food was marvelous. I started on the project several weeks ago, working with Kimberly Gora. Kimberly is the National Director of Private Dinning for the Puck Empire. She works out of Las Vegas (evidently, the local folks have not replaced Jennifer Maximuck who departed the Source 3 months ago). Ms. Gora was suberb - easy to work with and very helpful. I told her what my budget was and that I wanted to bring some special wines to celebrate with. She consulted the chef and developed a custom menu that was simply sublime. The Chef, Scott Drewno, hit it out of the park.

Amuse Buche

Spicy Tuna Tartare, Sesame Miso Cones

First Course

Sea Scallop and Gulf Shrimp Su Mai

Second Course

Suckling Pig and 24 hour Slow Cooked Pork Belly Duo

Third Course

Crispy Whole Fish with Lapsong Sausage Fried Rice, Singapore Street Noodles, and Drunken Noodles

Fourth Course

Kobe Short Ribs

Fifth Course

Lamb

Dessert

Blueberry Crumble and Molten Chocolate Cake Duo

The wine service - even though I provided the majority of the juice, was first rate - you would have thought that we had bought their most expensive selections. The meal was evenly paced and the bill was exactly - to the penny - what we had negotiated beforehand. In short, it was a magical evening. One word of note: We were given our choice of eating downstairs in the private dining room or upstairs in the main dining room. We chose the upstairs option because of the ambiance and decor. It was a smart move.

I have been to the Source several times before and have never had a bad experience, but this was over the top.

Sorry for gushing - but I just wanted to share this great experience with other dedicated food-o-philes.

Scott

These are great recommendations. I will reach out to them right away. I also stumbled on one, courtesy of Google, so if anyone has used Smokehouse Grill please let me know.

Thanks,

Scott

Two thoughts here...

Urban BBQ I believe caters. Not sure where you are in Monkey Cty but that may be convenient for you.

Also, for a lamb roast, the Greek Deli on 19th st does catering. That is some gooood lamb. And pork. And everything else! Since Kosta lives in the county, he may have other means to deliver aside from just the downtown area.

Thanks... Love Urban BBQ, but they don't "cater"... I believe you have to go pick up the trays of food from them. I am looking for someone to come to my house and cook/roast the food on site. Any other recommendations???

Scott

Call Tom Caulfield from Chubby's - he's member "drsmoke" on this website (click), and would be happy to help you, I'm sure.

Many Thanks! Let me know if there are other options/suggetsions out there as well.

Scott