ChiantiandFava

There's a little brewhaha going on in Philly over the role of servers in explaining the menu to patrons so I thought I'd share, in the same vein as the R.B. Myers rant. Here's the link. I don't know if I've ever heard any server explain the "Chef's philosophy" as Popp describes but I can say I generally find any extra information useful. Everybody hates a stodgy spiel but some basic framework must be conveyed to avoid awkward dining situations (usually resulting from guests who rarely dine-out or have more old-school dining paradigms in mind). In the end I think Popp really misses the point by criticizing servers whose spiels are often shaped by dictates from management--which in turn have taken cues from increased guest expectations. I defer to Portlandia.

Anyway, what does everybody else think?

Domaine de Couron Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2009, also labeled Viognier for us Americans. My new strategy for choosing whites is paying off. Ask the knowledgeable salesperson, and say that I don't want another oaky chardonnay or acidic sauvignon blanc. They're coming up with some lovely, lush whites.

You should try an Arneis (Piedmont, Italy) or a Soave Classico (Veneto, Italy)--both are also lush/full, low acid wines.

The kibbe nayyeh at Zahav is the truth.. Haven't been back because I wasn't sure about the sourcing of some of their ingredients (settlements in W. Bank v. Israel proper) and didn't feel like being the political asshole that asks those types of questions..

I've always heard it referred to as a "jersey turnpike"... if it was a place that didn't serve much beer I bet it wouldn't be too bad (definitely not volunteering).

At the Amman Four Seasons, I ordered a manhattan and got a snifter of warm, rail scotch with a lemon. To be fair, I learned a valuable lesson: craft cocktails are not one of the fortes in Muslim countries.

I think I got my most expensive drink ever at the same place, double jack and coke--15 dinars. Something like $20... Their premium beer was Budweiser too.. 6 denaneer?

Fiola is now hiring. Tempted to jump ship even though all I know about Mr. Trabocchi is what I've read...

Thanks for linking this up Qwerty. I don't have the energy to go into a full critique but Myers clearly makes a straw man out of foodies. At no point does he attempt to define "foodies" except by their most hyperbolic examples.. As someone (me) who took a year to write their thesis because I wanted to have pride in it, and make sure I didn't make a straw man out of any critic's argument I'm appalled by Myers' lack of attention.. What sloppy, indulgent, selfish writing. He writes like the extremely drunk regular at the bar talks.. My thesis is an 80 page paper weight but I'll be proud of it until I die. I hope Myers looks back with deep regret at this article one day.

/dick joke

//choke on your lentils.

Kanella is also a terrific choice for a BYOB--Greek Cypriot food. Really incredible food--the temptation to compare it to Komi should be avoided--but it's awesome nonetheless.

Check out the nominees for the Mid-Atlantic, including 4 from the DC Area: Nicholas Stefanelli of Bibiana, David Guas of Bayou Bakery, Daniel Giusti of 1789, and Kyle Bailey of Birch & Barley.

People's Best New Chef 2011 - Mid-Atlantic Nominees

As more of an expert on the Philly dining scene I was surprised at the inclusion of David Gilberg (because of his restaurant's moderate ambitions, not his talent level) and appreciated that they recognized Chip Roman and Pierre Calmels. In my mind, Calmels is head and shoulders above the other Philly chefs and their DC counterparts that I have tasted.

The online poll at the bottom, not that it means anything, is heavily tilted to David Guas (in its results). Is this justified or an instance of guerrilla support from his groupies?

What you don't use chicken broth in your cookies?! Terrible episode. Really did not make me want to go out to Target and buy a bunch of stuff for my kitchen. "Ooo honey how about we go to Target and pick up some supplies, I've been meaning to make a mediocre soup for a while!" And why did it have to be at 3am? Colicchio looked like he just wanted to be in his own bed (just like all the contestants). I'm not sure how many more stoner references I can take from Bourdain either..

Alright here's looking forward to next week when hopefully there's a more traditional challenge and we see if anyone can mess up catastrophically so Tiffany stays around another week. /end rant.

Best way is to check each brewer's website. They usually list their regional distributors (for instance, Avery lists a distributor in Ft. Washington, MD and Sterling, VA, but none in DC proper). Then call the distributor and ask where to find the product. They're usually happy to help you find a restaurant or retail outlet.

Ahh some legwork ehh? I was also thinking of asking a beer/wine shop if they could special order it (hopefully they don't require more than a case).

Johnny Monis and his lady friend seemed to enjoy their [possibly v-day] meal last night too.

I'm relatively new to D.C. but my search in the real world and a quick search of these forums hasn't yielded much of anything so-- has anyone come across beers from any of these breweries in the D.C. area? I've seen GD in a few spots but the others... nope. Feel free to wax nostalgic over your experiences with Sawtooth, Maharaja, British cold-hopped, Yeti, etc. too.

One of my favorite zones is Colle Sinese (Siena hills) which occupies the area south of Chianti Classico moving towards Montalcino on the Southwest. These wines often combine the best of Montalcino with Chianti.

Thanks for helping explain why I enjoy the chianti classico we (cork) have by the glass right now from Molino di Sant'Antimo.

Funny. I think it's the inconsistency of either tapping or temperature that has caused the thickness. I feel like I've had glasses where it was perfectly light and refreshing on a hot summer's day and others where I felt like I just drank a carb smoothie.

I do occasionally get a weird broccoli aftertaste so maybe that's part of the inconsistency too.

By and large, I think the beers suffer from "Dogfish Disease"--a little extra weight/extract for the stated style. But Oarsmen is delicious (and there's not a lot of light sour beer out there at any price), Cherry Stout is well done in the style, and Two Hearted holds its alcohol pretty well.

Dogfish head disease to me is looking for obscure ingredients and then plopping them on top of some mediocre protobeer. Next time somebody tells you Palo Santo Marron is good ask them how many times they've had it and if they would order it tonight (at a bar with a large selection of other brews). DFH still makes good beers; aka why the fuck can't I get 75 minute IPA anywhere??

Bells is all about Oberon and their stouts for me, Kalamazoo and Expedition. Expedition is more to my style but it is a beast. I also love the mini-keg of Oberon, it really does taste like summer.

Cheesesteak - Jim's on South St.

You will need breakfast right? About a 2 mile cab ride from the City Hall area is Honey's Sit and Eat, well worth it.

Jim's is a great choice for cheesesteaks, but for the atmosphere not for the food. John's Roast Pork is widely regarded as having the best cheesesteaks (recognized by Craig Laban/Philly Inquirer, James Beard Award, and recently Andrew Zimmern). Tony Luke's is also a great option.

For brunch honey's is a good spot but Sabrina's is fantastic and a shorter cab ride.

A friend of mine from California is working a gig up in Philadelphia this month & is craving an evening at a wine bar. Any recs? They're staying downtown in the heart of it all. Thanks.

Yeah yeah, a year and a half old post--but I'd like to plug Beneluxx in Olde City and Chick's Cafe in Bella Vista for good wine bars. Beneluxx has light fare, a little more substantial than Tria, and is owned by the same people as Eulogy a great Belgian beer bar a few blocks away. It's in a basement, has a chill vibe, and is almost never busy. It also has a nice selection of chocolates (on that note never, ever go to Max Brenner's). Chick's is another fun, lesser known place with a very esoteric wine list.

There's also Jet Wine Bar on South street (west of broad) but I haven't been able to check it out yet and have my reservations/doubts..

Amada is one of my favorite restaurants in the U. S. but I like Estadio more. The ambience, the singularly outstanding vegetables, a better wine list and what I thought were almost remarkable portion sizes for several dishes. The black cod was $13. (I am looking at the menu.) A similarly sized entree at Michel was $40 a month ago. Tapas at Edstadio could be an entree elsewhere...

Funny, while I ate at Estadio in December I couldn't help but compare it to another Garces restaurant--Tinto. I'll definitely be going back but I've gotta say it didn't compare well. Tinto was a revelation while Estadio was ambitious but fell on its face when it came to seasoning--aka I thought Estadio's rapini was going to permanently damage my mouth. Anyway, I'll be trying it out again so here's hoping it rebounds.

The wine list is very tasty too. It concentrates on West Coast wines and recent highlights were the minerally Sauvignon Blanc from [Tallulah I think] and the stinky Pinot Noir from EIEIO (of course it had a pig on the bottle). That Pinot especially has me craving another visit. I believe they're opening for Sunday brunch later this month (the 20th methinks). The bar, which is the real highlight of the restaurant in my opinion, has a TV but I was told it would mostly be used as a slideshow--though they may show football next fall.

Found this site randomly through a D.C. food blog and I've gotta say hallelujah/alhamdulillah/phew. After 11 months in D.C. (after growing up around and living in Philly for all my life) I was beginning to get more than a little concerned that few people cared much about food, drink, and the dining experience in D.C.

I'm happy to be proved wrong. My name is Don. I live in the Eastern Market area, hope to cook some mackerel tonight and work at a popular wine bar. I'm looking forward to meeting some cool people and sharing thoughts on the D.C. dining scene.

My best dining experience to date has been- Proof.

My worst- Sticky Rice.