lovehockey

Is it possible to show up without RSVPing and possibly without any food/beverage contribution? I'm not sure if I can make it, due to other factors, but if I have the time I would certainly like to!

Resurrecting an old thread! Old Town was busy tonight, but the further west from St. Asaph we walked the quieter King Street became. The original plan of Virtue Feed and Grain turned into Las Tapas after the former was a zoo and my dining partner said "How about here?" as we wandered back up the street. When we walked in around 6:40 there was one other table occupied in addition to some people at the bar/hookah lounge which is attached to the restaurant but glassed off so the hookah part is legal. When we left a bit before 8 there were 5 tables occupied, which makes mayble 1/5 of the first floor. There is more seating on the 2nd floor. We had: Patatas Bravas: Fried potatoes served with roasted tomato, peppers and garlic sauce. Quesadillas De Pollo: Two delicate flour tortillas stuffed with tender chicken, tomato, pepper and monterrey cheese. Croquetas De Pollo Y Queso: A rich mixture of Spanish cheese combined with tender chicken and served with tomato sauce. Empanadillas: Two turnovers filled with delicately seasoned beef and chicken served with salsa verde. My dining partner requested details about Sopa De Ajo: Traditional Spanish Garlic Soup, and the response was essentially soup made with garlic. So he admitted defeat and got Gazpacho Andaluz: Authentic gazpacho from Spain. For dessert we had the flan. For being pretty empty, service was a bit slow at first. The kitchen was noisy with chatter at the start since they didn't have much to do but as more people came the talking stopped. As for the food, it was filling but rather ordinary. The patatas bravas were your standard fried potatoes a bit larger than the ones you'd get in the bag at the store, and the sauce tasted suspiciously like the marinara that came with the croquetas (those reminded me of mozzerella sticks, but with different cheese and some chicken). The chicken in the quesadillas reminded me a bit of the Perdue chicken strips, and they were otherwise a standard quesadilla dish with sour cream and guac. The empanadillas were fine. The partner seemed to be satisfied with his gazpacho. The flan was flan, with some raspberry and white chocolate sauces decorating the plate. The above, with 2 glasses of wine, came to $51 before tip. Looking at an old magazine article by the door, the date was 1996. So it's been around for quite a while. They still have the flamenco Tuesday-Thursday and Spanish guitar Friday and Saturday. But would we go back? Probably not.

I notice that he lists Minibar as one of the places he always recommends he even though he didn't re-check it this time. Even though it's supposed to reopen soon, perhaps a disclaimer would have been in order?

The Bullpen, now known as the Fairgrounds, may be open Friday; the website is www.fairgroundsdc.com if you want to contact them. Justin's Cafe a few blocks away and they have happy hours. I also agree with dcs's strategy of visiting Barracks Row.

Speaking as a female, I think your approach is entirely reasonable and much better than the plural "their" to cover the singular. As for the topic at hand, I've never done a tasting menu before but I have eaten solo quite a few times and if I haven't made a reservation I show up, tell the host or hostess that it's just me and I can sit anywhere (bar or table) and strive to be the most agreeable and polite diner possible. At every establishment I've received excellent service except for Rosa Mexicano in Chinatown, where I was killing time at the bar several hours before a hockey game. To be generous, perhaps the fact that I wasn't imbibing that evening didn't endear me to the bartender, although I did order food.

I could use google, but I'd rather ask the members of DR. When I started my Virginia winery excursions around 2005, every winery had a Norton wine. You couldn't avoid it, because it was practically proclaimed as the state wine of Virginia. But in the past few years Norton has almost disappeared and replaced by Cabernet Franc. What's more, I was in St. Louis in April and the grocery store shelves had plenty of Norton, which appears to have turned into the state wine of Missouri. What happened? Why did Virginia wineries get rid of Norton? Not that I miss it, because 9 times out of 10 I didn't like it when I tasted it. I'm just curious!

Having both lived and/or worked in the area for over a dozen years, I've never been there except for Christmas receptions, which I've always enjoyed. The private events explanation makes a lot of sense because the size of the space and the location make it a great spot if you want to throw a private event that attracts both Hill staffers and those needing Metro accessibility. But I've never heard anyone recommend it as a lunch or dinner location, even during Restaurant Week. While it is a beautiful space, I think they are hurt by a combination of the proximity to other (read: cheaper and faster) destinations in Union Station or nearby that cater to Hill people in a hurry as well as more well-known restaurants at the same price level or higher such as Charlie Palmer, Bistro Bis, Johnny's, and the Monocle. As well, the location within Union Station may have an impact for those who aren't specifically seeking it out, because most people walking towards Union Station are entering through the main doors or the entrance closest to the Metro. B. Smith's is on less-traveled side.

While reading the messages above the first places that popped into my head were the ones I did not like. But as Joe H. said, that's a different subject! My most recent tasting excursion was in March when I visited several wineries in the Williamsburg/Richmond area. While they had the typical Virginia repertoire, in terms of view Saude Creek Vineyards was the best. The people there were very friendly and since I was there on March 18 they added to the tasting list their leftover St. Patrick's Day sangria-like concoction, the color of which can be easily guessed. They're up on a hill, surrounded by trees, and I'd love to be there in October sitting outside and enjoying a glass. My first visit to Charlottesville several years ago was an eye-opener in terms of the sheer quantity of wines available to be tasted; since my previous experience was only in the Northern Virginia area, to have places offering wines in the double digits was something. But for me Barboursville set the standard.

Hello! My name is Carolyn and I've been in the DC area since 2000. I've lurked around here for several years already and have appreciated the advice and knowledge of many of the regular posters. Over the years this website has introduced me to a number of restaurants that I wouldn't have otherwise known about, and occasionally I learn about a place that's best to avoid. Glad to be here!

I visited La Mexicana for the first time a few weeks ago on a Friday night for takeout; it's in a nondescript strip mall set back a bit from Route 1 so even though I drive by it all the time I didn't realize it was in that location. Walking in and looking at the menu on the wall, I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to order. My dumbfounded look must have been really noticeable because the gentleman behind the counter asked me if I'd ever eaten Mexican food before. After assuring him that I had and was just trying to figure out what to order he recommended the fish tacos. I also ordered papusas and beef fajitas. The prices are a smidge higher than some of the other Mexican/Salvadorian places along Route 1 but I got multiple meals out of what I ordered. I was told there would be a 25-minute wait so I ran across the street to Safeway, but by the time I got back 20 minutes later it was ready to go. I'm very glad I got the fish tacos, as the lightly-battered fried fish was excellent. I love papusas so I was also happy with those. The beef used for the fajitas was a bit tough but the flavor was good and there was more than enough to fill the tortillas. I think it's a takeout place only, since there's very little seating and the ambiance is nil, but it's another good option to have along Route 1 that isn't a chain.