collije

Ate at Domaso last night with 2 close friends, who wanted to tryout a new place. Had a really good meal here. Before dinner we were diggin' the hotel itself, really something different design-wise than the other Kimpton hotels in the area [altough Kimpton is only managing the place, others actually own it]. Pretty comtemporary / refined / kinda hip [reminded us of what we'd expect from a nice hotel in NYC]. Nice expansive lounge areas prior to the entrance to the restaurant. Large glass partition on the right-side into part of the kitchen [we were watching several folks prepare pasta] Lighting was subdued [lots of spot / ambient lighting], heavy use of creme/yellow and dark woods. Nice addition to Rosslyn! Had a couple pre-dinner drinks and chatted with the bartender at the entrance of Domaso, nice enough to let me sample Laphroaig 10-Yr. scotch [always wanted to try it]. Their cocktails are quite good here [can't quite remember what we had though, apologies] Once seated, we could see a large terrace adjacent to the dining room. I can already envision summertime dining with sufficient space for wine/bar area! We started with 1 appetizer the Caprese Fritta [breaded mozzarella, oven dried plum tomatoes, roasted peppers, crispy leeks and white wine sauce] and two of their 1st courses: the Ravioletti [red snapper ravioli sautéed with shrimp, clams, Mediterranean mussels and tomato white wine sauce] and the Gnocchetti [ricotta dumplings with sautéed langoustines, garlic, white wine / extra virgin olive oil]. The Caprese Fritta was a tasty take on fried mozzarella. As for the Ravioletti, we thought the pasta was a little too al dente, and from a texture perspective competed against the other ingredients. The Gnocchetti was fabulous, perfectly executive and was very yummy. Bread here seemed pretty good. Next, we split two of the 2nds: the Tagliata [herb-rubbed roasted beef tenderloin, baby arugula, red onion marmalade and red wine essence] and the Pollo ai Pioppini [boneless organic chicken sautéed with pioppini mushrooms, roasted chestnuts, and chiavennasca grape]. Both were very good, but the clicken we felt was a tad too salty for our taste. For wine, we had 2 bottles for the meal. Both were very good. Can't quite remember the 1st, but the 2nd was wow! It was a 2005 Querciabella Mongrana [Tuscan blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese]. Give it about 20 - 30 minutes and it becomes quite sublime [soft palate]. Thinking maybe a 90-pointer for probably a $18-retail bottle, gonna have to pick some up later this week. The Assistant GM stopped over several times throughout the night & really inquired about our thoughts of each dish. He let us know that the Chef and the team really do take constructive criticism to heart and like to know what the patrons are thinking. We tactfully mentioned our specific thoughts about the Ravioletti and the Chicken, but overall were quite happy with our meals. The GM did mention Chef Fedozzi does tend to use liberal use of salt [who doesn't as chef lol?] but as they've only been open for 6 weeks the Chef is still playing with the menu [while training his staff]. But nonetheless, he was gracious for the feedback and I could see that he shared it with the Chef [who was out of the kitchen near the floor]. Otherwise, he did mention that they're planning to open a coffee bar with the building next-door [which is joined to the hotel via a walkway]. And they're doing good lunch business, and once the building next-door gets all their tenants, that'll offer another 2000+ possible patrons [lunch might be brisk here!] Chef then stopped by and we introduced ourselves. Really nice and cordial to us, had mentioned that his Spring/Summer menu was getting close to being created, & that we should really stop by sometime in late March-ish to sample it out. We thanked him for the food & mentioned how pleased we were for Domaso to be in the Rosslyn area . Staff seems to really like him [heard several times how funny and down-to-earth he was] For dessert, we sample a trio: the hazelnut/chocolate mousse in a shape of a small cup [tasty], their version of tiramisu [softer texture that I expected, good as well]. The star though was their trio of prosecco-infused sorbets [flavored prosecco: vanilla, strawberry, and peach] . We all thought that was the clear winner. Overall, quite happy with Domaso. Can't wait to come back here sometime soon.

Have only done takeout once, about 10 months ago. Was only ok back then. Maybe I should give the place another try in the near future while they're on a roll.

Yeah, the slaw was bland tasting to me as well. I'm not a slaw fan by any means, but I've had what similar slaw in the past that I've been told was good slaw [but, not a real appreciator of the stuff]. Should have included that above, but didn't want my general non-appreciation for slaw to taint anyone reading Gotta give that Lobster Roll a try sometime. Oh, and I can't believe that I missed Dean & the others today. Didn't have access to a computer since last night so I didn't see the arrangements. Funny that I got there around 11:20 a.m. [was in the area & my will broke and just had to try it out today], must have juuuuust missed you guys [would have stayed for awhile longer and chatted]

Just got back from lunch there. Completely agree with everyone's comments above. Crabcake sandwhich was very very good, fries are as well. Slaw looked and tasted very fresh. Shame that they didn't have the Key Lime pie available when I ordered [but allows me something else to try the next time]. Met Herbie, who delivered your order to your table [when you place an order, they provide you with a #ed flag to place at whatever table you choose to sit at]. Chatted up with him, nice fella. Will be back to try some more things in the menu.

Hoping to finally join you guys [the crabcake trip I'd be eyeing for]

Hah, just eat there today with the girlfriend [who's from Seattle, & is extremely picky about her fish & rightly so as I've had seafood in Seattle restaurants as well, excellent!]. Really good stuff. Seaweed salad, miso soup, Shumai [steamed shrimp] dumplings, and to top it off a random sampling of nigiri and sashimi. And CHEAP. Was going to bump this thread [hadn't seen it in ages, only to find Don recently did]. Thanks for reminding us how good of a place this is for the value/quality. If you love sushi, or have a friend that does, bring them here.

Oooooh, I'm there. Can't wait to try this out.

Would absolutely want to go, but someone's coming in this Sunday. Hope to maybe become a possible fill-in if someone needs to drop out late [once I know my plans better].

A place on a block away from Oohs and Ahhs, must check it out sometime soon.

That sounds pretty good, gonna try that sometime this month!

I just may have to pickup a couple of bottles of the 16 then. Appreciate the heads-up!

Picked up a bottle of the Costco-bottled 18-yr [labelled as Macallan] in Delaware while visiting family in Philly. Dang fine I must say. Not refined enough in Macallan for me to discern much of a difference from true Macallan 18, but at $60/bottle I'm OK with that And Lagavulin, that's yummy!

I'll join ya for a drink Nice to see another promising winebar in the District, and in one of my favorite areas to hang!

I'm down ... sadly haven't had the chance to eat here till now so this is perfect. Thanks Rocks!

Went to checkout Wolfgang's the Source, left somewhat unimpressed. Headed to Central since we were in the area & had another good time. eally good service at the bar, reasonable prices in their wine list, and had a very good daily special on their short ribs. Do enjoy this place! My biggest gripe. Is a tad loud though, the acoustics aren't the best.

Hope this was a blast, got trapped in an evening work meeting w/ da bosses. Would have much preferred to attend the charcuterie-fest, the food I'm sure was fantastic!

I'm down for this [i'll see about a +1 or so as well]

I'm in for this!

That's the ticket. Smoking your own ribs for 6 hours with apple or cherry chips, that's a wonderous thing. Scored a nice deal for a Masterbuilt digital smoker [yeah, I'm lazy but love setting the temp once] on eBay for under $100. But even still, you can still do ribs right on a old Weber 22" charcoal kettle [just more tending to control the temp].

Off to Montreal tomorrow, to enjoy a glorious week attending JazzFest [2nd time]. Many of the places in this thread I've been to & also recommend. Will see if I have time to checkout 1-2 new ones as well

Had lunch at the bar last Thursday with a friend to check out that place. As bonaire said similarly, this will be a place I'll be visiting on regular basis. Quite a busy afternoon there. Chef Wiedmaier & his team were preparing dishes for a photographer [can't remember for which publications, the Sunday Post insert & something else?]. Was about 5 feet away from 2 Sous Chefs & Robert plating a number of dishes for presentation, including a good-looking seafood platter. The beer selection here is fantastic, in both their draft and bottled variety. We chatted-up with the Lead Bartender for awhile, he treated us to a few of his personal favorite beers [including one in particular that I can't quite remember. Fantastic though, will update this post with the name]. Nice selection of belgians here. Sitting next to us was Beck's beer/spirits distributor. He mentioned that Beck's was the only DC restaurant he knew that sold much more beer than liquors here [so far]. Judging what I've tasted & read on the menu, it had the quality of what I'd expect on tap from the Brickskeller. As for lunch, food was equally yummy. Bread was very good. We shared for starters the potato gratin, with the optional pork belly [~$4 more]. Wow, so delicious but rich. The belly was tender and flavorful. Gratin was in a pool of butter/sauce. Tasty, but not good for the heart As for the mains, I sampled their Croque-Monsieur sandwhich w/ fries [leaving for Montreal Jazz Fest at the end of the month, so I'm already aching for that!] while my friend had the Coq au Vin [chicken]. The sandwhich was very good, looks like a flat [cibatta?] bread loaded with lots of quality ham and some type of cheese I couldn't quite make-out. Industrial-sized pannini-press was right by the bar. Fries were fine, and the accompanying mayonnaise dips [3 versions: regular, curry-based, and a tomato-based] weren't bad. The Coq au Vin was deeeelish. Their version comes with the bones [my friend was used to bones-removed, but I've had both types]. Rich flavorful sauce ... tender braised meat. Just a sample bite makes me wanna go back & have that myself next time. Skipped on dessert this time [back to sampling more beer heh]. Chatted with the Chef for awhile, he mentioned that he's having "fun" with Becks, and has high hopes for its success. The last couple of weekends for him here have seen brisk strong interest for patroners. Alas, he's currently keeping a rigid policy on no-more that 6-person reservation [doesn't expect to waive that, but we'll see], but their Chef Table is available [10-person minimum I believe, about $85/pp]. Had to leave to drive the girlfriend to the airport, else I would've stayed longer at the bar. All in all I'm digging this place!

I remembered a pretty decent brunch at the Beacon Bar & Grill [Thomas Circle] that I went to about a year ago: Here's from their website: Brunch Menu. Highlights: * Waffle Station With Whipped Cream, Chocolate Chips, Berry Compote, Maple Syrup * Omelet Station Made To Order Eggs Any Style, Cheddar Cheese, Peppers, Spinach, Feta, Fresh Herbs, Mushrooms, Ham, Onions and Tomatoes * With Unlimited Champagne, Mimosas, and Bloody Marys [extra charge if I remember correctly]. About $24.99 each.

Yeah, have others have suggested the $5 Happy Hour burger special is about the only appealing thing there [well, besides the Happy Hour beer specials lol, they're huge!].

Been always a 2Amys fan, & haven't yet made a stop by Mia's. Will try it out in the next week & see how they measure up.

I've used the Cameron Smoker in my apartments for the past 3 years [probably have tried a total of 10 - 15 times, just too many gadgets!]. I agree with the above that good ventilation is key, there will be leakage of smoke from this unit. Results however are quite worth it imo! For the cost, I might recommend to try out the 1-use SAVU smoker bags [about $3.50 each if I remember correctly]. Quite a few of my friends use them & swear how effective those are, Cook's Illustrated I believe also recommends them even over the Cameron!. Balducci's carries them, unsure where else in the area.