DaveO

Despite his failings (???) I tend to think ex Congressman Wiener, now running for Mayor in NYC had to be the toughest hombre or hombress in Congress or elsewhere. How did that guy ever survive elementary school, middle school and high school with that name? Assuming his next campaign goes nowhere he should probably get a job at the sausage place in Clarendon.

Frankly I think this is one of the most compelling happy hour offers I've seen in a looooooooooooooong time. now if only I lived or worked closer and left work earlier.

Some of these threads depress the hell out of me. I must have eaten at City Lights/Dupont and Foong Lin/Bethesda hundreds of times (eat in and take out) due to both perceived quality and proximity and ease) hundreds of times aggregate in at least the late 80's, and the 90's. The fact that they deteriorated and closed just makes me sad. Even as I visited more authentic Chinese restaurants in both Rockville and 7 Corners during those periods Foong Lin and City Lights were clearly my go to places. How sad....tant pis. Deterioration over the decades. ....and just think...McDonald's and Burger King have maintained precisely the same standards over so many decades.

In the early 1500's during the age of Discovery the little known explorer, Kuckold Kockamamian landed in the new world with his family and followers. His group mostly consisted of none too bright but well endowed daughters. The Kockemamians explored along the new world coast before alighting on the Isle of Manhattan. This verdant isle looked promising to the Kockammians, but the native Indians would have nothing to do with them, and considered their offer to purchase the island with $50 worth of plush silks and high heeled shoes to be worthless. They drove the Kockamamians back on their ship, who quickly sailed south landed on what is now known as New Jersey, settled in, intermarried with the natives, engaged in extensive remarrying among kin and promptly invented the "family idiot strain", shortly followed afterwards by discovering exit 138 on the Garden State Parkway. The Kockemanians thrived in the new land, though continued to intermarry, thereby multiplying the impact of the family idiot strain. In the late 1600's Kukla Kockamammian traveled West, discovered flea powder, settled in the Great Plains and was thereafter known as Chief No-Itchum. The Kockamammian tribe continued to thrive and intermarry, ever increasing the impact of the idiot strain. As the White Man invaded Indian lands, and pushed out the natives, so too were the Kockammamians driven from their adopted land. They migrated further West, invented the whoopie cushion and changed their last name to Kardashian. hence the screen name--> dave0

A. I'm cheap B. As much as I've enjoyed alcohol, tasty drinks, mixed drinks etc and understand the costs...I'm still cheap C. I recall reading the thread here from this past Dec about $14 cocktails in DC and this article came out by Jessica Sidman in City Paper 2 weeks ago...describing cocktails at $20 and up. Not knowing all of the ingredients with regard to ever more expensive cocktails, these prices simply blow my mind. At some point ignore all the commentary about pricing the ingredients and "market" mark ups As some establishments find they can charge ever higher prices..competing establishments will price similarly and ever higher should the market bear it. ....and evidently the market is willing to bear it.

yeah...while I like the panera rye, where it falls off IMHO is that it isn't dense enough. Other than that quite good.

got a rye from Panera. Quite good. acceptable bread very crisp crust. seeded. I used to eat rye sandwiches. three pieces of rye as a sandwich. nothing on it. this would have worked. excellent crust. nicely seeded. bread not the greatest. I'd say a little thin but very acceptable.

As an smb operator reviews give me the heebie jeebies. Non restaurants have a somewhat different experience versus restaurants..but not that different. You have such great reviews across the board. In that you are newish and don't use opentable the vast majority of reviews to date sit on yelp. I'm sure a flood of other reviews in yelp and other review sources will push that single review out of sight in time. Yelp of course will never take that rant down, but you can respond..though they don't make the response highly visual. And then again you may not want to respond. other than to suggest the guy stay out in the suburbs. One other thing I noticed is that you have relatively few filtered reviews suggesting the folks who are reviewing you on yelp are experienced enough reviewers to get their reviews up. I suspect that will continue. Assuming the restaurant will stay top notch...that review is a pain but not something to worry about. One can't please everyone every day. ...and more great reviews will be forthcoming. And I think you recognize that on some level...otherwise why showcase this cretin here???

Great piece.

I see pricing always creeping up. There might be a lot of grouponing and livingsocial discounts..but there are a lot of diners out there. ....and the brutal hit to restaurateurs in my mind is how unbelievably expensive so many rents are. In the city and certain hotter suburban sites they have simply exploded. It seems to me the huge explosion in areas with which I'm familiar just skyrocketed in the last decade...as the central area was so less impacted by the recession than so many other parts of the nation.

hmmm. I was never comped at a soft opening. I used to be active in and with the industry, leasing up some restaurants, representing restaurants for space, etc. but that was a longish time ago. Maybe soft openings were not in vogue then. Maybe I was chopped liver. Maybe I was the 51st choice to invite with an upper limit of 50. What the hell do I know. Ha ha. but I never got one of those invites...and then again I shy from those experiences...and generally hate them. So I don't know the protocol. But as a general rule for the businesses/smb's with which I've been associated, if I'm promoting, giving introductions, inviting people, etc. I need to be crystal clear with regard to prices. No ambiguity. if its an introductory event of some sort we need to make a clear declaration about discounts associated with it. Don't create weird expectations, don't leave anyone in the dark. At least those are the policies that I've learned over the years.

hah. I was there twice and didn't see you...but I never see anyone... its really good. I'm more of an NY style flavor and pie than a Neapolitan but its damned good. I guess I did..only fatter and more contented. LOL

Got around to Pizzeria Orso for the first time, and to quote another poster, that was "thanks to the good folks at dr.com". Very enjoyable. What a pretty setting. My restaurant leasing background always gets in the way of my thinking abt restaurants. On the one hand I couldn't believe how barron and ugly the short drive on Maple Ave from Broad Street is to the restaurant. I similarly couldn't help but think that when Pizzeria Orso went into that new building they should have negotiated and received the world's biggest landlord contribution to buildout and a low rent to boot. But that is moot now. Its years since they went into that location. The restaurant itself is very pretty and appealing. We had limited menus: two pizzas and two brewskis. Everything was very tasty, one crudo and one north beach pizza and one raging bitch IPA and one Virginia Face Plant IPA. Great service, wonderful examples of a neapolitan pizza. pretty setting. I can't believe I've missed this place for years. Looking forward to returning to get into the tasting menu.

@Rich, @Nick: "Policy" is the appropriate word, as you two pointed out. not "rules" as I used. From a business perspective I favor avoiding big headaches so I admire the tight carding policies at Spider Kelly's. But Nick, you are the one that lives with it, so you see all the consequences pro and con and are able to evaluate the policy vis a vis the other somewhat similar operators in Clarendon and elsewhere. Regardless of the laws in each jurisdiction, in my experience the policies of the operators across the region have more impact on a day to day basis than the laws.

The closing was the result of much more than a lease termination. The land and entire site were part of a large assemblage of land including quite a few properties to the south of Anthony's including the old closed post office site. Falls Church has been working on getting more mid rise and various developments in the community for up to a decade, if I remember correctly. There are quite a few recent midrise properties along Broad Street, mostly residential but also commercial. This large property is evidently going to include a Harris Teeter, mid rise residential property and more commercial. Evidently Anthony's spoke with the developer, about a planned restaurant space, but the rental rates are way above what Anthony's would/could/felt comfortable paying. Anthony's is reportedly looking for a location in the Falls Church area to relocate and reopen.

Anthony's, Falls Church closed on June 2. It received an incredibly long ode to its 41 years in the local Falls Church newspaper. I had found it reasonably good, well priced, hearty breakfasts on the weekends, servicable pizza, as I recall, good greek styled chicken dishes. The place was 41 years old at closing, had expanded over the years and was a true institution in that community. An earlier article describing the closing: http://fallschurchtimes.com/39719/anthonys-restaurant-closing-june-3/

@ Nick: You guys are incredibly vigilant with regard to "carding" at Spider Kelly's. I was astonished at how an "old looking dude" like me was carded there the one time I went in to try and visit my old buddy, DJ. But more power to you. I know the cops in Arlington spend more time focusing on the crowds in Clarendon. You operators are far more aware of all the issues regarding underage drinking and problems that arise from drinking than the rest of the public, let alone the efforts that police forces use to see if places serving alcohol are abiding by the laws. While our bar school teaches that stuff with one of the many acceptable alcohol management programs, the only way its ever effectively enforced and can effectively minimize problems is via management making it important and emphasizing it with the staff. As you know it doesn't eliminate all problems but it does tend to minimize them. Frankly, more power to you Nick for being rigorous in that regard at the front door at Spider Kelly's. Few places pay such attention to that issue. OTOH....as you described those danged over tight rules can create stupid problems.

I was reading the thread about Redwood and found it interesting enough to look up the restaurant on google and view their site. Then I went back and clicked on an a 360 degree interior view that google presents for restaurants and any business. If you search in google for Redwood Bethesda or a phrase like that, you will get results with a large presentation of information to their website on the left side of the google webpage. On the right side google has repackaged the information. It often includes photos and then... if the business was fortunate to get this done several years ago for free or has contacted a google authorized photogrpher you can get this interesting 360 degree view inside. Here is the one for Redwood: http://www.google.com/maps/preview#!data=!1m8!1m3!1d3!2d-77.097888!3d38.981311!2m2!1f130.8!2f90!4f75!2m4!1e1!2m2!1sldtk1sfqPDabMeVkNSVXMQ!2e0&fid=5 There is some navigation on the lower right hand side. If you get a view looking from one room to the next there will be an arrow to the second room. Click on that and you'll get a navigable 360 degree view of the second room. Redwood is very attractive and light filled with a huge amount of window line. If you like restaurants with natural light...Redwood is right there. Years ago Portners was one of my favorite restaurant environments. At 109 S St Asaph street in Olde Towne it occupied a beautiful renovated firehouse with a vaulted ceiling. Its now Columbia Firehouse. Its still tremendously attractive. here is the 360 view that google provides for Columbia Firehouse: You'll get it by clicking on the see inside link on the right side of the google page if you search for Columbia Firehouse Alexandria or a phrase like that: http://www.google.com/maps/preview#!data=!1m8!1m3!1d3!2d-77.046027!3d38.804403!2m2!1f325.23!2f90!4f75!2m4!1e1!2m2!1sZJ40RX0Kd02_pTTLErqYWA!2e0&fid=5 If you rotate around the view and come to the door into the front space you'll find an arrow over the floor. Click on that and it takes you to the front room These are ingenious interior shots and imho wonderful marketing tools if your restaurant or business is similarly attractive. Some businesses have them, some don't. I know there are "certified by google" photographers" in this region you can contact to arrange to get one of these views. I spoke with one of those photographers a while back. He referenced that this 360 degree view is cutting edge and there is nothing else like that. I'm not sure about that...but these views sure are attractive in my mind.

Chesapeake Bagel was started as a local chain back in the 1980's. I recall the folks that started it. It was always a mediocre bagel at best. I see it was sold into a mediocre chain and now they are making less than mediocre false claims about roasting roast beef and turkey. Sounds like they owe big apologies to Earls in Arlington. That description sounds like it desecrates the description of freshly roasted.

LOL I didn't say it was good...I said I ate it. I don't think I even inferred I like it. These days after having eaten these things over some years...it seems it still does the "trick" for me. and admittedly....they are damned low...damned low. hmmm. what won't I eat?

LOL never said they were good or tasty. In fact late at night I couldn't care less which style sauce the wings were supposed to be b/c by that hour its all dried out. but at that hour and w/ a little walk they seem to do the trick. In fact the idea of 7-11 wings late at night somehow makes me think of college, being stoned, eating anything and thinking it was the most scrumptious food on the planet.

Great thread, beautiful pics, inspired to make that dish. One simple question...I assume if I'm buying pre packed salted cod, I don't need to resoak for a day or so...or do I?

must admit. been eating the wings for years. I vary the sauce/spice....what the hell....its not for exquisite taste..its just to fill up late at night.

Wow!!! Those are GIFTS. Strong networking groups are great sources for leads and better yet business. Years ago I was part of networking groups and and often a good source as commercial RE brokers were often at the lead of information for upcoming vendor business needs. If I were one of those sources I'd join ASAP. sounds inviting....but you also have to be good at giving to get.

Well this article somewhat explains why you can't find a reservation at a restaurant with a good bar in Virginia: "Here Are The States With The Most Bars Per Capita" by Jasmin Sun on eater.com There just are not enuff bars in VA!!!!!