Deac

Enjoyed the cha-su ramen special today for lunch -- they said they'd probably also offer it as an early dinner special tonight in case anyone's looking for a bowl of cozy, rich goodness in this weather.

dammit I've been stalking their Twitter for a while, and from the looks of it they haven't offered it in months. figured on the one day the office is closed they offer it.

and one of my best friends is like their new brewer: a Brown bio grad who has been doing internships at breweries, but mostly wineries around the world. guess there's a shot for him to latch on in this field after all.

Incidentally we went there for lunch yesterday for the first time, and all enjoyed our food and brews. I had the merguez burger with a side of tots and thought they were well done, though the bun was a little lackluster (but I do appreciate that it's something they make themselves). I've had a much better bun on the burger from Red Apron, so hopefully this can improve.

as for the beers, I personally had 3 tastes: one of their normal IPA, one of their imperial IPA (I forget their names). neither overly hoppy but very crisp and I could easily see myself enjoying larger glasses of each. Also had a taste of the Mexican Radio mole-inspired stout, which I thought was fantastic and would pair wonderfully with a chocolate dessert (though it did just fine with my burger). I wanted to try more but my mom was with us and I know she definitely would've judged me getting 4 or 5 tastes (though it would only add up to a pint). other people in our party enjoyed their cheeseburgers, but my uncle thought his wings were mediocre. I had one and thought them to be fine, if unremarkable, but I've had far worse and better.

will definitely have to come back and navigate more of the beer menu.

Formerly with Billy McCormick the title should now say.

He has departed, per Eater.

And, as an aside, kudos to Vitamix for their handling of the recall that monavano linked to above.  Our Vitamix was one of the ones recalled.  They shipped us a perfectly sized box to put our container in.  We shipped it back, and they immediately sent us a new container (plus a free blender drink recipe book for our trouble).  Whole thing was done in a week without any hassle.

Same here, plus they extended the warranty a year

I just want to give a shoutout to Chef RJ and his team for an absolutely fantastic and memorable birthday dinner on Friday. We were made to feel so welcome and thought the food was fantastic. Highlights for me were the truffle, cuttlefish/romesco/potato, the gazpacho, and the desserts.

Wife and I have done Komi and minibar but this was definitely the most fun we've had at a restaurant before. Her brother is going to be spending his 21st birthday in DC with us next spring, and since he is a culinary student we want to take him out to a great meal. I think we've definitely found our spot.

Can't sit still at work as the wife is taking me here tonight for my birthday.

A few years ago we had reservations for Vidalia 24 when Chef Cooper was still there, but he left the restaurant before our reservation. She had originally tried for minibar but was shut out, so this seemed like a worthy option. We held onto the reservation with some, ahem, reservations, but the night before we got off the minibar waiting list so we did that instead and had a blast. Still, I've wanted to taste Chef Cooper's food for a long time, and since meals like this are a huge splurge for us, we've waited.

But tonight's the night and I cannot wait.

was in the neighborhood with my boss and another colleague the other day and they wanted Chinese since we were near Chinatown. so I took them here, warning that it was a total dive, but delicious. and the thing to order was a noodle dish (preferrably the soup) and dumplings. we got steamed pork buns and my colleague and I each got the roast duck noodle soup, which he loved (boss loved the buns). boss ordered the lunch special pick three plate and got like fried rice, singapore noodles, and beef and broccoli. she took one bite of thing and thought it was delicious then took a bite of another and said it was cold. so she sent it back for warm food. they brought it back clearly microwaved and she was disgusted so refused to eat.

so then she started going on and on about how gross and dirty the place was and how unsafe the food was. when we walked in she was saying how charming it was and that it must be good since it's full. I had warned her to only get something with noodles as I couldn't vouch for the more standard Chinese stuff. we saw the food she ordered sitting in steam trays up front when we left, so no wonder it was cold. suffice it to say I will not be bringing her back there. though I will continue to go for that soup, which I love.

I am extremely excited about this place opening next week. It will be a full-scale brewery with a separate restaurant -- don't call it a brewpub. Two interesting preview articles came out today laying out some details. They expect to open with 20 of their beers on tap. 60 percent of their annual production will be sold to other restaurants and retail outlets. Kyle Bailey and Tiffany MacIsaac will prepare the menu, utilizing the spent grains from brewing for things like pastas and bread rolls.

What beers will Bluejacket debut with? Among them: Forbidden Planet, a dry-hopped kolsch made with Galaxy hops; the Scarecrow, a hoppy saison; the Imposter, a session rye IPA; Tooth & Nail, an imperial IPA; Figure 8, a wee heavy made with local figs and modeled after pastry chef Tiffany MacIsaac's figgy toffee pudding; and James & the Giant, a Belgian strong blonde ale with local peaches.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/going-out-guide/wp/2013/10/23/beer-drinkers-prepare-your-arms-bluejacket-to-open-on-tuesday/

And in addition to the 20 beer collaborations Bluejacket has done with breweries around the U.S. and Europe leading up to the opening, Engert and Parisi are also teaming up with fellow Neighborhood Restaurant Groups chefs. The duo worked with MacIsaac to create a strong Scotch ale brewed with figs, cinnamon, and nutmeg that's reminiscent of her figgy toffee pudding at Birch & Barley. Tony Chittum, who will head the forthcoming Greek-inspired Iron Gate Inn, helped conceptualize a strong Belgian-style blonde saison with notes of anise, cucumber, and mint "seasoned" with mastic, an licorice-flavored tree sap popular in Greece. And a doppelbock was inspired by the half-smoke created by Red Apron Butcher's Nate Anda. The beer uses smoked malts with the same blend of woods that Anda uses to smoke his meats and incorporates some of the same spices, including white cardamom, black pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/youngandhungry/2013/10/23/brew-hub-new-brewery-bluejacket-is-a-laboratory-for-food-centric-beers/

I had no idea that Heritage India and Skewers/Luna shared ownership. The linked article doesn't mention Skewers; had that been replaced with a Heritage India some time earlier? I don't get over to my old neighborhood often enough, it seems.

ETA: I have to say that back when I lived a couple of blocks from there, I didn't think either Skewers or Café Luna was worth traversing those blocks for.

yeah both Skewers and Luna were pretty terrible. we would go to Luna a lot for happy hours because of the cheap drinks and stone's throw proximity to work (people rarely wanted to venture much further, like Hank's or Commisary or something). Heritage took over the Skewers space earlier this year I want to say, but kept Luna going still as pseudo-Italian, though it started to have some Indian apps on the menu. it had gone so downhill that we pretty much decided to no longer go there. it changed to Malgudi really recently, and I only found out by the changing of the signs. haven't given it a shot yet, however. hopefully it's better than what it replaced.

I do wish they would go back to carry out. I think I had one of their last ever carry-out sandwiches...went a few Fridays ago and we waited in line for about 10 minutes, when we got to the counter they told us it would be a 45+ minute wait for carry-out. I told them that they should tell the other people in line (it was still pretty long after us) because we had waited a while to get to the counter with no word on the wait. One of my coworkers bailed for Subway up 17th but I figured I had waited this long why not order? I just went back to my office and waited. By the time I came back to pick it up they had a chalkboard out front saying it was dine-in only for the rest of the day. I don't think they've since reversed that.

Had the Ruby on Rye which is close to their version of a reuben, only swapping the Russian dressing for the dilled mustard, which I appreciated because it gave the sandwich a nice fresh taste. As mentioned, these things are massive and a very good value given all the thought and care that goes into them.

I went in to order one to-go the other day and they said they no longer do it because they don't want to sacrifice the quality given their small kitchen. Oh well, I just don't always have time to sit down for lunch.

Thanks for that. We got one as a wedding gift this summer and it's the exact model listed. We definitely didn't register for it --felt guilty about registering for such an expensive blender, so we registered for a $60 Oster. But my wife's aunt, who performed our ceremony, showed up two days before the wedding with a new Vitamix for us so we promptly returned the Oster and have loved the Vitamix.

oh forgot about Daikaya, still need to go there. and yes, the chirashi is great, but since ramen is on offer just once a month, it's now going to always be on my radar (especially as it starts to get colder). it's one nice perk about working where I do (and being able to easily get in line for Little Serow).

I work across the street from the Sushi Taro and have been there several times for lunch over the past few years, but today was my first experience with their ramen (I always seem to miss it). I must say it was absolutlely fantastic: such a rich, supple pork broth, plenty of delicious noodles, an egg with a runny yolk as I like it, and 2 generous pieces of pork belly floating on top. Was served with 2 small dishes before (marinated soy beans and some kind of pickled mean sprouts I think?) and a large rice ball to accompany the soup (unnecesary, but I definitely did have a few bites of it dunked in the broth). With that and complimentary green tea, this is absolutely a bargain at 12.95 + tax and tip.

I've yet to go to Toki, but hit Sakuramen and Taan frequently since I live within walking distance, and I'd place Taro's ramen on top of what I've had. Will definitely have to be vigilant for when it's on offer each month.

I love Chopped and watch it pretty much any time it's on. My now wife and I did a tasting menu at PS7's last year and Andrew Markert served us each dish personally -- it was fun to talk with him about Chopped. It's amazing to me that Dan Giusti is now he head chef at Noma in Copenhagen. He left 1789 to work there and really quickly ascended the ladder.

Another DC chef on the show is the former chef at Founding Farmers, can't remember his name off the top of my head. I remember Googling him when the show was airing, but looked like he had left by then.

I went last Thursday and thought it was some wonderful food and an absolute steal at $30. Maybe better than my last meal at Little Serow

Course 1: duck breast and heart larb with cicharron
Course 2: green papaya salad with tomato, peanuts and cabbage
Course 3: rice stew with duck confit, fermented soy beans and blood sausage style tofu
Course 4: whole fried prawn with a delicious chili garlic sauce and sautéed morning glory greens
Course 5: rockfish in coconut curry and saffron on a bed of banana leaves (tasted like collards)
Course 6: squid stuffed with sour sausage (their interpretation of a dumping they said, definitely looked like one)
Course 7: Taiwanese shaved ice with coconut milk, ginger, mint, and fruit

Did the $20 pairing which included your choice of cocktail, followed by a Vietnamese beer, Riesling, and a honey apricot dessert wine from NC. Got 2 items from the dim sum cart to go: hoisin meatball and steamed pork bun ($2 each). They had a special of a fried rockfish head with the same sauce as course 5 for 8 bucks but I was way too full for that.

Erik was there and soliciting feedback on all the dishes. He was particularly interested in what I added to the soup: it came with a little dish of sugar, sliced chilis and lime wedges. I added all the chilies and both limes with a little bit of sugar. Guess he's still trying to hone that flavor as overall the broth was a little bland, but the citrus brightened it up considerably. Definitely go if you get the chance before it closes in the next few months.

Serious Eats took one for the team and tried all 127(!) flavors

http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/10/soda-we-try-all-100-flavors-from-the-coke-freestyle-machine.html

My fiance and I ventured out to their place in Topping this summer and had a great time. She was living in Fredericksburg then (and previously lived in Tappahannock, so was familiar with the area), so it was a pretty easy drive. the setting out there on the river is fantastic and the food is great. of course we got several dozen of their fine oysters, but the cooked dishes are great as well. she got seared scallops and polenta while I got a delicious Portuguese-style clam and lamb sausage stew, which was tomato based and had a nice level of spice. it was also the first place I had the Flying Dog Pearl Necklace oyster stout, which is brewed with their oysters, and proeeds go to save the bay. I've since seen it several more places around town (including in Flying Dog sampler 12 packs), so I don't know if it's getting a wider release or if I just never noticed it before.

definitely would recommend the trip out here, but I haven't been to their place at Union Market, so maybe you're just as good staying in town. I live on the Hill pretty close to the market, so I need to make it out there soon.

In my experience, the food at PS7's (bar, dining room, tasting menu) has always been awesome. Having Gina there is an added bonus, but I have had many fine cocktails there made by someone other than her. I wouldn't think twice about canceling your reservations if I were you.

We're definitely going still, but I will admit Gina's departure did give me cause. I'm sure it will be great, though. Very excited still.

Has anyone done the tasting menu recently? Someone I know did it about a year ago and told me it was one of the best dining experiences he's had in DC (and he's hit up every major player there is, and said he'd rank this at the top). Hearing that, I booked a spot for this Saturday for my girlfriend and me as a belated Valentine's Day present. I booked it well over a month ago, when Gina was still there, and debated cancelling it after she left, but I figured that the other bartenders were trained under her, so it should be great, right? Plus I enjoy Peter's cooking.

Got in last night and I think as the last person in the first seating. Arrived a little after 5, but was lucky to snag a seat. They said the bar would be about an hour and half but they offered up a table; I felt bad taking a 2-top on Valentine's Day, but they were like "don't worry about it, you got here before others and can have the seat no problem." From there it was an utterly fantastic meal. Everything was extremely delicious, but I think the highlight for me was the crispy tofu salad with mint and peanuts. I'm not normally a huge fan of peanuts nor tofu, but this dish absolutely opened my eyes. The crunch on the tofu was sublime. I took home leftovers of several other course (will make a fantastic dinner tonight!) so as to save stomach room, but I couldn't let this salad go by the wayside. I managed to eat 2 of my three succulent and delicious ribs, but was able to clear enough stomach space by the time I got home to put away the third. Was grateful to the staff for packing up my meal, including some of the veggie basket and rice which the server said most people don't ask for.

Another nice treat was having a complimentary glass of Johnny's housemade vermouth which he's still experimenting with. To my palate, it seemed to match perfectly with the gai thiang kheun and the tofu salad. I also took your advice and had the Gruner to start the meal, then went with a small pour of an imperial IPA midway through dinner, all to be capped off with a pour of Stone Porter to match well with the ribs. I told Anne after the meal that they've given me two of my three best meals in the city, hands down, counting their place upstairs and minibar.

Looking forward to that wagyu curry for dinner tonight...

That's what I'm thinking. Step out at 5 or so and go across the street. Basically I wanted to treat myself to a nice meal that wasn't a set V Day meal, and this seemed like the perfect solution, especially since my girlfriend doesn't dig the spicy stuff.

Hello, there. First time poster, long time reader. I'm interested in heading there tonight to do it solo since my girlfriend lives in Fredericksburg and we'll celebrate Valentine's this weekend. Since my office is practically across the street, I can go reasonably early. A couple of questions: are they doing the normal menu for tonight? how hard will it be for a solo diner if they show up before 5:30? If there's a wait, I don't mind going back to my office to do so.