mtureck

This place has quickly become our favorite KBBQ/Hot Pot place in the area. I love that you get individual hot pots, so I can get the excellent Szechuan broth, and the spice-adverse folks at the table can get whatever they want. Really nice variety of meats, veggie and appetizer dishes. For the grill, we really enjoyed both the regular and spicy bulgogi the best. For the hot pot, I threw everything in...dumplings, clams, thin sliced beef, veggies and was happy with pretty much everything.

I had (and loved) them at both Vidalia and Honeysuckle...sigh.

That was my experience in Bethesda as well...a very disappointing, tasteless brat, and a "spicy" Italian sausage that was anything but.

It's fried shrimp sprinkled with a dry spice blend. A little heavy, but tasty. Here's an accurate looking picture I stole from google.

Forget about the food...that's some really nice photography. What are you shooting with?

What is your go-to?

From his chat today: The deal is: Lebanese Taverna isn't the model it used to be (like Five Guys, it suffered from expansion) and Mama Ayesha's is fine, but not better than that. I've mentioned Me Jana on this chat before, but I haven't been in more than a year. So thank you for the prompt to revisit it.

I had been to Bistro Provence twice since it opened, and both times came away with the same impression...good food, but significantly overpriced. Having recently returned (I had a gift certificate), I have a few suggestions for the restaurant: 1) When I mentioned at the beginning the meal that I'd be using a gift certificate, the waiter may have found a better response than "you know you can't use that for my tip, right?" 2) Please update the menu on the website so that it matches the menu in the restaurant. When I asked about an onglet that was on the online menu, I was told they hadn't had that for two years. 3) Yes, I mispronounced "sancerre" when ordering my glass of wine. No, the waiter didn't need to seem like correcting me was the highlight of his year. 3) If you have a early bird prix fixe, include it with the menu, don't make dinners request the additional menu specifically. 4) If a diner has a question, please provide a simple, polite answer. When asking if they had frites to substitute for roasted potatoes for my son, a waiter's response of "we wouldn't dream of it," as if the concept of frites in a French bistro was utterly preposterous, might turn off said diners. As for the meal itself? The prix fixe was nice. $35 for three courses. Nothing fancy, but solid bistro fare. More wines by the glass would have been appreciated, and there should be one or two for under $15. But if you're looking for a good duck confit, or a satisfying risotto with a healthy side of condescension, Bistro Provence is a good choice.

Can't say it's truly outstanding, but I do enjoy Well Dressed Burrito's marinated beef burrito.

I've had many excellent RW lunches at Rasika West End over the years, but yeah...that cheesecake was one of the worst things I've ever had there.

Too bad the menu on the website is pretty much unreadable.

And a lot of the people eating at those places don't get people like us spending hundreds of dollars for a meal. To each his own.

The Cajun Pasta is my go to meal there. It's pretty good. Of course it's not in any way authentic, but who cares? It's a great place to go with a family when everyone wants something different, they're amazingly consistent (for better or worse), they have big portions and cheery service. That's what many people look for when they dine.

City Smokehouse?

Stopped here for lunch after hiking in Cunningham Falls Park. My quick takeaway...keep to the pork and the sides, and you'll have a really good meal here. Delicious cup of cream of crab soup to start with. Reminded me of a thicker version of Ray's crab bisque, which is a pretty high compliment. The pulled pork and ribs were both excellent...nice bark, juicy and smokey. Liked all the sides we got, but the collard greens were a standout...really good kick of vinegar and heat, and full of tasty pork morsels. The brisket was a little dry, and sliced too thin for my taste. Pretty good flavor, and better after we added some sauce. The smoked pit beef was our least favorite. Not much flavor, and really fatty and hard to eat. I'd certainly go back next time we're around...the soup, sides, and pork made for a really good meal.