Ohitzig

I know this doesn't follow the routine of the high brow conversations that occur on the DR blog. But..... Football season is coming up, and I recently purchased a keg box for tailgating. Unfortunately, I have noticed that buying a Keg in the DC area is next to impossible. Any suggestions? I have found Dixie Liquor in Georgetown, but parking is an issue there...

Thanks,

I have been a long fan of this grill, and have had it for about 8 years with no problems at all. Great for big or small grilling, as the charcoal is kept in individual zones. The coals can be raised or lowered from outside the box using a crank, the sludge can be easily removed using a slide out drawer, and the sides flip up and down letting you store it in tight spaces. Now, I don't know if they make it anymore, but if they don't, I saw something amazingly similar, at Home Depot. The only real difference I saw at quick glance is the Bar-B-Chef has the cast iron grates, while the brinkmann have the porcelain grates. I would be willing to bet that you could trade those out though with Bar-B-Chef grates.

I don't vehemently disagree with this assessment, but think there are 3 or 4 places where I'd just as soon go to on H Street. I do disagree, sitting here today, that LT is the "best bet" to eat on H Street, per the Dining Guide. There are both safer comfort places to eat and more adventurous, niche spots.

Please understand, by no means am I giving this place a good, going back to tomorrow review. But, let's face facts, the construction on H street and the years of neglect in the neighborhood have not made this a go to neighborhood, much to my dismay. There needs to be better restaurants and less bars masquerading as restaurants. I do like other places on the street for what they are, but would also like more decent places, and that will not happen until the neighborhood is not happy with the status quo.

Okay place, could have been a lot better with little tweaks. A lot of sauces seemed to be very industrial, cloying, and with out much merit. Unfortunately, my seared tuna salad was over dressed, lettuce was old (spinach was turning yellow), and the tuna was obviously seared long ahead of time. For such as size of a restaurant, and dining on a Sunday, I would think some things would be done more to order.

Seating is very cramped, witnessing a couple stand up so another table could squeeze by them to their table. Generally, for the price point, a so so restaurant that could be a lot better, but with H street the way it is, there is not much competition barring one or two places.

The menu has been changed at Creme cafe. I am doing a back to basic menu to reintroduce everyone to Creme's dinner. We do more than a good brunch. The menu can be found at www.cremedc.com

New wine list coming soon.

Come in and try us out.

-Orlando Hitzig

Chef

Creme Cafe

1322 U Street

Washington, DC

Well, here it is, Orlando Hitzig formally of Mark and Orlando's, 701, Vidalia, 1789, and Aureole is among those looking for a place to call home. Instead of trolling Craig's list and the post classified, I figured I would be proactive and let it be known.

So, if you are looking for a chef with a proven track record, please feel free to email me, ohitzig@comcast.net.

Thanks,

Orlando Hitzig

Good to hear everything goes well in my absence.

I believe that everything and anything is available pretty much all the time...with notice... I have kept all my menus since the day we opened, so if someone calls in and says, "I came in on February 22nd last year, and I had ...", I should be able to recreate that dish for them. I do still change my menu daily and do my best to keep it fresh.

-Orlando

I stopped into the upstairs lounge at Mark and Orlando's Tuesday evening, took a corner seat, cracked open a bottle of Chartogne-Taillet, and yanked out my Edith Wharton.

Jonesing for the Venison Wellington, I made the mistake of asking my server - after the Champagne had been opened - if Orlando Hitzig was working. As it turned out, he was off that evening, working the Taste of Dupont event.

Since Mark and Orlando's is basically a one-man kitchen, I decided to go primal in Hitzig's absence, ordering a Bacon Cheeseburger ($10). Here's what I can say about this ten-dollar sandwich:

Beef house-ground, not pre-formed.

Decent sesame-brioche bun.

Romaine, not iceberg.

Good tomato wedge, not at all mealy.

Fresh-cut pommes frites, not frozen.

Ordered medium-rare, arrived medium-rare.

It's worth getting, and with only a $10 corkage fee, can make for a well-priced dinner. I figured the House-made Ravioli with Lemon-Thyme Butter ($9) had been formed earlier in the day, and wouldn't suffer much with Hitzig gone. Six really good rounds of ravioli, three white, three black, all stuffed with mushrooms.

The only problems came with cooking execution: the fries, good as they might have been, needed to have been done in hotter oil, and the lemon-thyme butter was too brothy, while I was hoping for something more reductive. Hitzig has been in the kitchen every single time I've poked my head in the door, so these cooking slips are easily forgiven.

Orlando, if you're out there: I was intrigued by the Pastry-wrapped Corvina that I saw online. Will you be offering that again anytime? I haven't seen much corvina served anywhere, so this one caught my eye.

Cheers,

Rocks.

Just want all to know... Mark and Orlando's is still taking reservations for Restaurant week for Friday and Saturday.... Pretty much open book.... We are offering a full menu for both Lunch and Dinner and look forward to seeing any and all new or old faces there...

-Orlando Hitzig

Chef/Owner

Mark and Orlando's