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ASL

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  1. ASL
    Just went in July and had two exceptional experiences in Palermo: Osteria dei Vespri and Bye Bye Blues (good, despite the English-language name). In Taormina, we thoroughly enjoyed Vicolo Stretto. Reservations strongly encouraged at all three during peak travel season.
  2. ASL
    I believe this is in the Idylwood Plaza shopping center at Rt. 7 & Pimmit Drive -- in the space formerly occupied by Burrito Brothers, next to Jason's Deli.
  3. ASL
    A few weeks ago we had the special pizza with duck confit, dried apricots, pine nuts and a pungent cheese (gorgonzola maybe?). I think it may have had a cream base as well. It was freakin' delicious. I've enjoyed their spinach pizza, too, and the margherita is as good as the other area standouts (2 Amys, Orso, etc.).
  4. ASL
    Last month, we spent the night in Naples before an early AM flight. We did not want to miss an opportunity to try some of the world's best pizza, so we took a taxi to Da Michele. We had two margheritas, which were quite good, although I regret not getting doppio (double) mozzarella. You just get a small handful of melted curds on the regular pie. Several people who sat at adjacent tables ordered theirs "doppio" and the proportion of cheese on those pies was much closer to what I would have expected. Don't get me wrong, the pies were delicious, but I was surprised how little cheese we had on ours. I clearly did not do enough research. 2 pizze, 2 birre, 1 Fanta: 12 Euro Taxi ride to and from airport hotel: 25 Euro
  5. ASL
    I agree. Church Street's pizza is the closest in flavor and texture to the pizza I had growing up on Long Island. I find the Italian Store's crust to be too thick. We always order a whole pie, so I'm not sure how the individual slices compare.
  6. ASL
    We had these last week with vanilla gelato and aged balsamic. Delicious.
  7. ASL
    Back in the day, they used to be open on Saturdays. When hungover, we used to go and get egg sandwiches in the morning, which were served on the same slices of white bread that they serve their fried chicken "sandwich" (toasted, of course). Nothing out of this world, but cheap, egg-bacony goodness. They also have fried bologna as a meat selection on the breakfast sandwiches. The fried chicken with hot sauce is delish.
  8. ASL
    That duck ragu is fantastic, as is the tomato and leek ravioli with pesto. Very light, but extremely flavorful (the ravioli, that is). Starters included lobster with baby corn and swiss chard, and crudo, which included tuna, sea bass and halibut each dressed/prepared separately. Dessert was a delicious pineapple and kiwi strudel with an intensely-flavored scoop of pineapple sorbet. Dinner at the bar here never disappoints.
  9. ASL
    Lovely meal at Cafe du Parc last night. Started with a delightful bowl of chilled pea soup that was brightened with basil chiffonade and a swirl of goat cheese mousse. Entree was roasted chicken with a light jus - one piece each of white and dark meat with crispy skin. Moist and flavorful. Dessert was an old throwback: peach melba. A crisp disk of meringue topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, accompanied by half a poached peach covered in raspberry sauce, sprinkled with toasted sliced almonds. I practically licked the plate clean. ETA: Almost forgot to mention the best part of the meal: the gratin of potatoes that accompanied the chicken. Piping hot creamy potato goodness.
  10. ASL
    Friday: Tosca. Dinner at the bar with the ever-affable Jay serving. Apps: prosciutto & melone and fried squash blossoms stuffed with crab. There was a fantastic garlic sauce under each blossom that made this dish. Entrees: tortelli stuffed with Sheep's milk ricotta and the risotto with lemon and aged parmesan. The risotto was outstanding - tasty and rich without being overwhelming. Tortelli were lovely and light - perfect for summer. Dessert: coconut panna cotta with banana sorbet (yum!) and strawberry/rhubarb cobbler. The latter was a non-traditional preparation, but very good regardless. Jay paired glasses of wine with each course. This place is just top-notch when it comes to food AND service. Saturday: TackleBox. Fried scallops as an app. Tartar sauce here is just okay -- much better at Eammon's. One Maine meal with grilled tilapia, grilled asparagus and mac 'n cheese. I prefer the creamy consistency of this mac 'n cheese, but it needed more seasoning (salt?). I had the shrimp roll with fries. The roll was good, but the seasoning on the fries didn't do it for me. It had an odd sweetness to it. Surprisingly busy at 10 pm. Liked the vibe of this place and will return. Sunday: 2 Amys. Lunch on the patio. Special pizza with chanterelles and roasted garlic was great. The spiked lemonade was perfect for that time of day/outdoor setting. Suppli and deviled eggs were good as usual, but the simple bruschetta with tomato fondutta was the standout small plate.
  11. ASL
    Mio has an extended RW menu, so we decided to give it a go. Having been to Maestro several times, I thought this would be a good opportunity to try Stefano's cooking in a less formal setting. First, this is a beautiful restaurant - the decor is contemporary, but striking, including the signage outside. We had a 7 pm reservation, and when we arrived the place was vitually empty, causing me to worry slightly, but I was optimistic. Happy hour is from 4-7 including Saturdays, so by arriving 10 minutes early, we were rewarded with $5 cocktails at the bar. The food was quite good. I had the rabbit terrine, the polenta filled with braised beef, and the chocolate banana cake from the RW menu. The polenta filled with beef was presented as small dumplings that were quite tasty. Others at the table has the scallops (which was actually a single large scallop) sea bass, semolina gratin, and the key lime pie. The sea bass was well cooked and came with a light fennel salad, and the semolina dish included slices of polenta layered with a mushroom ragout. The cake was like a brownie with subtle banana flavor, and the key lime pie was reported as not too tart or sweet, with a cheesecake-like consistency. One general comment: the portions were too small (for example, I think the sea bass was 3 oz.). While I think this is okay in a Maestro-like setting where you're eating 5-7 courses interspersed with amuses (sp?), a few more bites of each dish probably would have done the trick here. Plating was beautiful, but again, a little too precious for the setting. Maybe I'm overreaching here, I believe Stefano needs to adjust slightly to the diners' expectations, which I suspect are different here at Mio than they were at Maestro. Service was great without being overbearing. After dinner, the manager introduced us to the chef and took us on a tour of the kitchen. This is clearly a lovely place that is trying hard. An hour later we found ourselves at the bar at Tosca sharing a half order of the tagliatelle with swiss chard and potatoes. That is one fantastic dish!
  12. ASL
    A special on the small plates list that's not to be missed: fava bean crostini. A pale green puree of beans with a texture similar to hummus generously spread on two toasted baguette slices, topped with olive oil and parmesan shavings. Like spring (summer?) on a plate. Although I love the pizza at 2 Amy's, I always, always enjoy the starters and small plates more. Haven't had a clunker yet.
  13. ASL
    I had the prawns a few weeks ago and found them to be a bit mushy inside. The texture was a little strange. Needless to say, one try was enough for me. Love the cod and chicken bites, tho.
  14. ASL
    Also hit Eamonn's this weekend, and if we didn't have our 4 year-old in tow, we probably would never have tried the chicken bites. Holy cow, they were awesome. There were probably about 10-12 large "nuggets" in the bag, which was far more than I expected. The leftovers were re-crisped in the toaster oven for dinner last night. I'll probably stick with the cod on future visits, but it's nice to know that this delicious option exists.
  15. ASL
    Went for RW last Tuesday and had a great experience. Service was great and the food very good. They seemed well-prepared for the RW onslaught. To start, I had the sun dried tomato and proscioutto (?) ravioli, which were packed with tomato flavor. My SO had the smoked duck appetizer, which he also enjoyed. Mains were the duck confit for me and (drawing a complete blank). The duck had Asian accompaniments and a nicely-spiced sauce that had surprising heat. Meat just falling away from the bone, as it should be. Desserts were the passion fruit mirroir for me and cheese plate for my SO. Both pleasant endings. Knowing it was RW, we didn't want to linger too long over coffee, but our waitress encouraged us to stay and relax as long as we wanted to. Although the restaurant was full, I believe they were on their last round of seatings (this is the suburbs, after all) and thus didn't have to turn our table. I have to admit, the appetizer and dessert portions WERE small, but I was happy to leave the restaurant feeling content and not full-to-the-gills (like I felt after eating at Acadiana on Thursday night). RW all month long at Colvin Run. I would definitely go back.
  16. ASL
    This is a perfectly respectable neighborhood place. Our party of five (incl. a preschooler) had a pleasant meal last night. Entrees included duck breast with parsnip puree and a berry sauce, grilled tuna, and chicken piccata with capellini. Oh, and grilled cheese with fries (they DO have a kids menu). All on the "very good" end of the scale. I don't believe there was an entree priced over $20. They had crayons and toys for the tot, which kept her occupied (most of the time). Nice selection of reasonably priced bottles, and the two owners (partners?) are very knowledgable about wine and make good recommendations. There is a nice little area near the bar with sofas and tables that is perfect if you're dropping by for a drink or two. This was our second visit for dinner and we're happy to have this place in our neighborhood.
  17. ASL
    Third time at Bebo -- my previous visits were at lunchtime, so I'm not sure if the calm pace at dinner last night was normal, or if they are finally beginning to settle in. Hubby and I sat at the bar and had a number of small plates to start. Everything was delicious... 1) Potato croquettes -- 4 to an order, crisp and light 2) Grilled breaded shrimp -- on their own, the shrimp don't impress, but the spicy pizzaiola dipping sauce really makes this dish 3) Bruschetta with gorgonzola and onion marmalade -- lovely flavors, sharp cheese, appropriately sweet onion relish 4) Frittata with spicy mascarpone (?) -- I'm not sure if that was the ingedient used, but I would happily eat an entree sized portion of this frittata for brunch (hot or cold). Chef Donna sent out a fifth small plate with nicely grilled bread, mortadella, and gherkins. When I was a kid, my siblings and I called this "Italian bologna," and of course we wouldn't touch the stuff. My mother always shrugged and smiled, no doubt thinking "more for me." Needless to say, I won't be passing this up on the holiday antipasto platter anymore. The meat was delicious and the accompaniments just right. Hubby doesn't eat pork or beef, so the main menu was somewhat limiting for him. He opted for two apps and another small plate. I had the bucatini all'amatriciana, which was just as I remembered it in Italy (wonderfully flavorful). He had the seared tuna belly special, which was served with a peppery arugula salad, roasted peppers with polenta and the fried cauliflower small plate. Not a clunker in the bunch. I had the strawberry salad dessert on a previous visit, and was tempted to order it again, but thought it would be better to branch out. We decided to share the meringue/ice cream/hazelnut sauce dessert, and I had a hard time not licking the plate clean. What these two desserts have in common is a nice combination of flavors and textures -- cold, crunchy, creamy. We each had two glasses of wine -- the bartenders were fairly green and not overly helpful pairing wines with our food, but we were happy with the wines we tried (all three barberas and a montepulciano). Our check was $91 before tip for all of that amazing food and drink (w/sparkling water, although they can do better than Pellegrino, IMO). Since i work in Crystal City, I'm hoping (praying) that Donna is able to keep Bebo open even after Galileo re-opens. You really can't beat the price to quality ratio.
  18. ASL
    Had dinner here on Saturday as one of a party of four. I don't usually like trying places this new, but the birthday girl we were celebrating with chose Urbana specifically. The space is indeed modern and sleek. All of the wood makes it a tad bit loud as times, though. The crowd was suprisingly on the young/hip side, given the price points on the menu. By the time we left at 11:00, the music in the bar was quite loud and the atmosphere was very lively. No doubt that the bar scene is due to its association with the hotel and promimity to Dupont Circle. I really enjoyed the food. I started with the watermelon/fava bean salad, which came with nice peppery greens and ricotta salata. Both nice counterpoints to the sweet watermelon. A nice combination of flavors. Other starters at the table: brandade beignets (this upscale fish sticks), heirloom tomato salad and the sardines. Everyone seemed to like their dishes. You can order crostini here by the piece, so I opted to try the wild mushroom one. It was a bit bland, but someone else at the table had the bean puree crostini, which I liked much better. Next up for me was the pea agnolotti with lobster. A nice strong pea flavor, with tender-crisp fresh peas and generous chunks of lobster. Other mains included the gazpacho with tuna tartare (very refreshing, and meaty at the same time), atlantic salmon, and chicken saltimbocca. Everything I tasted was lovely. We all ordered dessert -- I had the strawberry semolina cake, which was the worst of the lot. Think strawberry shortcake with a dense, dry slab of poundcake. Hubby had the chocolate hazelnut torte with banana cream (yum!) and others had the clafouti and a dessert special, whick was a peach bombe -- peach mousse with mascerated peaches, presented with a little pitcher of chocolate sauce. I felt the chocolate overwhelmed the delicate flavor of the peaches, but it was still tasty. The other dessert choices were unremarkable (creme brulee, tiramisu, etc.). Service was not quite impeccable, but definitely buttoned up. This place is promising -- I would return, but not a quickly as I would return to Eve or Palena or a few other favorites.
  19. ASL
    Lovely meal at Sonoma last night with a friend. I hardly ever spend any time on the Hill, so I'm not familiar with the post-work atmosphere on Penn. Avenue, but this place clearly draws the upper tier of the Hill crowd. My starter was the half charcuterie board with Amish chicken pate, duck sausage, and prosciutto San Daniele. They were served with grilled bread (nicely charred in spots), a grainy mustard and four little cups with accompaniments. It was a pretty big portion, which I believe is intended to be shared. (I did finish it, though!) The pate was the best of the lot -- more fluffy and mousse-like than dense, but with great flavor. Duck sausage was a close second. I haven't had any prosciutto in DC that is better than the prosciutto served at Dino, but this stuff wasn't bad. My second course was the squash blossom ravioli. This was perfect after the meat course -- three medium sized ravioli filled with ricotta and squash blossoms and served with a light tomato-basil-garlic-squash sauce. It was summer in a bowl. My friend had the panzanella-type salad and the tuna described above. She proclaimed both delicious. We shared the summer berries with zabaglione, mainly because I have a weakness for zabaglione and raspberries (both separately and together), but also because our waiter recommended them over the vanilla panna cotta. We just couldn't do anything chocolate after all of that food. I had the valentina montepulciano with the charcuterie board and the verdicchio with my ravioli. They both paired nicely.
  20. ASL
    This really is a fantastic deal. Went with the hubby on Friday night, which apparently wasn't terribly busy for the main restaurant. We were intent on eating at the bar and taking advantage of the 3-course menu, but the bartender said there was availability in the main dining room if we were interested (maybe next time). Amuse: Mushroom fritter with truffle sauce. Wow! A small bite that packs a huge punch. A nice indication of things to come. First course: I had the pea soup with ham hock croutons. The soup was creamy, yet wonderfully fresh and light. The croutons provided a nice salty counterpoint. Hubby had the tuna tartare with avocado, which was delightful. The tuna was meltingly tender, almost the same texture as the accompanying avocado. It came with a mango sauce and toast points, but we both agreed that the tartare tasted best on its own. Main course: I had the shoat (young pig) and hubby had halibut. The shoat was just amazing. I have never had anything with such a concentrated pork flavor before. It was served on top of an onion "fondue." I'm totally blanking on the other accompaniments, because all I can remember is the taste of that shoat. The halibut was also good, hubby was raving about the risotto that it was served on. Sorry I don't have more detail there -- again, the shoat was distracting me. Dessert: I had the peppermint patty, which was good, but didn't blow me away. Two bittersweet chocolate disks sandwiching a creamy mint filling. The filling was not overly sweet, and tasted like a mint plant -- a little too herby for me. The Valrhona chocolate sorbet that accompanied it was better in my opinion. Hubby had the cheese plate -- a nice selection of four cheeses. The standout for me was the aged gouda, but he really enjoyed the Italian blue. We did the course-by-course wine pairing as well, which was generous at $25 pp. Forgive the lack of detail, but I had a sparkling white with my soup that was fantastic, an earthy Oregon pinot noir with my shoat, and a Sauternes, which I love, with my dessert. The hubby was served a madeira as well a few ounces of Guiness with his cheese. FYI - they don't serve the mini parkerhouse rolls at the bar, although we did have some fine bread and butter. By the time we got up the nerve to ask why we weren't offered the rolls, it was already too late and the bartender said that any remaining rolls had probably been served or discarded. The food, wine, two cocktails, and one espresso came to $225 with tip. Not cheap, but a nice way to sample the cooking at a restaurant of this caliber before committing to a bill that could easily be double that. And really, we were mere yards away from the people who were spending that much in the main dining room.
  21. ASL
    Where will the parking be, I wonder? Rustico is on the corner of a tiny street with roughly a half dozen parking meters. And there's no street parking permitted on Slaters Lane. Is there a parking garage in the vicinity that I don't know of? Can't wait to try it, though! I've enjoyed Evening Star, Tallula and Vermillion.
  22. ASL
    Longtime fan and lurker of this board. I've had two great meals this week that have given me the courage (you people are intimidating!) to submit my first posts. Komi is an absolute delight. I had been before the renovations and I'm happy to report that they did not mess with the successful "less is more" formula. New floors, warm yellow walls, lots of candles. Cozy and romantic. When the hubby called and made the reservation, he told the hostess that we were celebrating Valentine's Day early. Thus, they brought us each a complimentary glass of Prosecco to start. Nice touch. The food was great. We had the 5-course tasting menu and were not disappointed. When you get the tasting menu, they bring you a tasting of all the first courses and then a pasta, main, cheese and dessert course. Loved the olives and mascarpone stuffed dates. Other starters included crostini with tsatsiki (sp?) and prosciutto, a fresh mozzerella that was almost oozey, and a cauliflower and taleggio flan. Oh, also these breaded goat cheese mousse balls with cippoline. All delicious. For the pasta (or macaronia) course, I had the papardelle with goat ragu and hubby had the tagliatelle with truffles ($7 upcharge). The goat was meltingly tender, but the most suprising element of this dish was cinnamon. Who woulda thunk it? It was such an unexpected flavor, yet it made the dish. Our main was the bronzini for two. Baked in a salt crust and spritzed with lemon and olive oil, and served with an herb salad. Simple and oh so refreshing. The tiniest cheese course known to man was next. Good thing, because we were getting full. Two bites of three cheeses - a sharp sheep's milk, a soft goat/sheep selection and a blue. I'm not a fan of blue cheese, but the hubby said it was good. The other two cheeses were indeed sharp. Dessert for me was the meyer lemon gelato with a fennel cookie. The cookie was just odd. The flavors/texture didn't work for me. But the gelato was perfect (sweet, not tart). Hubby had the greek doughnuts ith chocolate mousse. What a fantastic dessert! Service couldn't have been more gracious. My only complaint is that we were there for a LONG time -- there were lengthy stretches between each course. I'm all for a leisurely pace, but three and a half hours is definitely stretching it for me (we had a 7:00 reservation and left at 10:30). I would tell you about the wine, but I wasn't really paying attention. It was good, though! I have to agree with most everyone in this thread that Komi's tasting menu is a fantastic deal. The food is delicious and the service is polished. Worth the trip from the burbs or elsewhere.
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