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When's Rustico opening in Old Town (ish)? Mel? Rabbi?

If I was a guy and wanted to impress a non-foodie hot girl, I would totally take her here. Because it is probably one of the most romantic restaurants in DC. Period. There are wonderful trees within a courtyard that canopy the outdoor eating area. There's a lovely walkway flanked by tables as a bar area. The interior is reminiscent of the lush lounge at the Tabard. But the two food items I sampled were some of the worst things I've had in a loong time. A goat cheese torte came out in a slab like pate, was pink and came out with roasted red pepper sauce. Not a nice little tart shape as we were expecting. And let me say again... PINK! It didn't taste of anything. The chicken liver pate with green peppercorns was extremely kicky, but was a scatological dark brown and not the unctuous deliciousness that I've had at other places. I'd maybe stroll over to enjoy the atmosphere after a dinner at the Tabard, but that's about it.

We tried the EAT bar last night. It's new and it was pretty busy. Started with a couple of snacks - 2 of the excellent salt cod fritters and an order of roasted olives(not sure I get the idea of roasting olives). We both had the chestnut soup with duck confit. This was absolutely wonderful and suprisingly quite spicy. I then had a strip steak (comes on its own - I'd probably order some frites next time). She had the garlic sausage with red cabbage. Both were very good. We had a couple of Victory Hop Wallops on tap, and a couple of glasses of something red. I would hope that they can extend their beer offerings in the future - I think there were 6 decent drafts. We'll definitely be back and maybe eat at a booth next time. Eating at the bar got a bit crowded out.

WARNING: Shameless plug for Evening Star Cafe & The Wild Grape (JParrot)... This Monday, April 24th, the Evening Star Cafe is hosting Richard Weiss of The Wild Grape at our monthly wine dinner. If you like small production wines from South Africa, this is most definitely a not-to-be-missed dinner. Chef Matt Cordes and his staff are pairing their creations with seven wines from The Wild Grape. Menu Vischysoisse with Parsley Froth paired with a 2005 Louisvale Unwooded Chardonnay (Western Cape) Seared Scallops with Farmer Greens, Fennel & Articoke and a Lavender Vinaigrette paired with a 2005 Monteroso de Franchi Old Bush Vine Chenin Blanc Pan-Roasted Muscovy Duck Breast with Savory Sour Cherry Bread Pudding, Minted Duck Jus and Micro Greens paired with a 2003 Avondale "Amira" Syrah (Coastal Region) and a 2003 Hartenberg "Ecurie" Cab, Shiraz, Pinotage, Merlot Blend (Stellenbosch) Caraway & Herb Crusted Lamb Round with Red Onion, Parsley & Black Pepper Creme paired with a 2003 Le Riche Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Blend and a 2001 Vergenoegd Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Stellenbosch) Raisin Tart with Port & Muscat Drizzle paired with a 2005 Vriesenhof Melelo Muscat d'Alexandrie, Tinta Touriga (Stellenbosch) Price is $85 per person (includes tax & gratuity). RSVP by calling Planet Wine at 703.549.3444.

A friend suggested we go to dinner at The Partisan a few Thursdays ago. I was initially hesitant because it was the second day the place had been open but I am very glad I just went with it rather than voicing my concerns. In fact, we liked it so much we went back this past Thursday as well! The place reminds me of Birch and Barley, which is not a surprise since they are part of the same restaurant group. I love the exposed brick and the dark furniture. We have had two great, knowledgeable servers, Paige and Brock, and the service is decidedly friendly and casual. It's the kind of place I want to be after a long day or week, slowly eating my way through the menu, ordering between what I have enjoyed before and eager to try new dishes. Here's a rundown of what we have ordered. Cocktails/Beer: Today Your Love ($13) "“ Ransom Old Tom gin, cocchi Barolo chinato, and kina l'avion d'or. This drink reminds me of a less bitter version of a negroni, yet not too sweet. I can definitely taste Jeff Faile's influence in this drink. Go To IPA, Stone ($6.50) Bell's Special Double Cream Stout ($7) Allagash Saison ($7) While I really enjoyed my cocktail, I'm not sure I want to make $13 cocktails a regular habit. Yes, the cocktails are well crafted and thought out, but one cocktail is nearly twice the price of a good draft beer. Additionally, the wine list is just so great that I see myself exploring that more than the cocktails. Wine: 2012 Qupe Syrah ($20/half bottle) 2012 Baileyana Pinot Noir ($4/half glass) 1999 Viberti Dolcetto D'Alba ($30/half bottle) I am in love with the wine list. I don't know much about wine except I know what I like and there is a lot that I like on this list. Additionally, the options for a half glass and half bottle that are priced comparable to a full glass or a full bottle encourage exploration. For example, a half glass of the Qupe Syrah is $5.50 while a glass is $10 and a full bottle is $40. These options worked for my friend and me the first time we dined at The Partisan as we had a round of drinks at the bar while waiting for our table and then ordered a half bottle of the syrah. We proceeded to finish the wine with one last dish yet to arrive at the table. In another situation, we would have either split a glass of wine or not have ordered any wine for the last course but that time, we both ordered half glasses of the pinot noir. Thanks to The Partisan for giving us these options and pricing accordingly. Charcuterie: Campari-rosemary salami ($4.50); Lamb leg with mint pesto ($4.50); Greek fennel-lemon verbena salami ($4.50); Red Menace ($4.50); Spanish Chorizo ($4.50); Bourbon poached fig rillettes ($5); Culatello ($6); Espresso Lomo ($5); Wild Boar Pate ($5) The charcuterie comes with tigelles, the English muffin looking bread except buttery and dense and pretty amazing. We only had two tigelles with five orders of charcuterie on our first visit and had to ask for more but on the second visit we only ordered four pieces of charcuterie and it arrived with four tigelles so it looks like the place is still trying to figure the charcuterie to tigelle ratio. The meats themselves were very very good, though there were some better than others. In my view the spreadables (red menace, pates, and rillettes) were better than the sliced meats. The espresso lomo was probably my least favorite as it had very little flavor and the lamb leg, while cooked very well, also had little flavor without the mint pesto. They can't all be hits, but I like having so many options, especially ones that are a bit experimental. And the pricing is pretty reasonable so I didn't feel like we were taking huge risks by ordering something that looked interesting but we were unsure how it would come out. We spoke to Nate Anda on our second visit and he said that he will be rotating the charcuterie. That is great news for this charcuterie lover but bad news for her cholesterol level. There is not enough running I can do in a week to offset regular trips to The Partisan. Menu: Roasted Mushroom and Kale Salad ($12) "“ The first time we ordered this, it was amazing. The kale was done just right, the mushrooms were earthy and plentiful, and the salsify and sherry vinaigrette added just the right punch. The melted goat cheese on the bottom rounded out the dish. The second time we ordered this, it came out way oversalted. I didn't think I would mind the salt too much but after a few bites I couldn't taste anything else. I was sharing the dish and between the two of us we managed to finish it, but if I had ordered this for myself I would have sent it back. Hopefully this was just a misstep in the kitchen. Kimchi Sauasage ($6) "“ I liked the idea of this sausage. I love sausage and I love kimchi. There were kimchi spices with some kimchi on the side and the flavor was good, but the texture was dry and crumbly. Also, the sausage was more like a breakfast link, which was unexpected. It also came with a tigelle but we had our fill of tigelles at that point and asked that one to be boxed up. (Note: If you want to order a tigelle to take home for your own breakfast sandwich, they are 50 cents each. That is not bad given a six pack of Thomas English Muffins will set you back more than $4 at Safeway.) Braised Spanish Octopus ($14) "“ This came in a tomato sauce with sliced fingerling potatoes. The octopus was cooked perfectly and I really enjoyed the accompanying sauce and potatoes. The only downside was that there were only three two-bite pieces of octopus. Not particularly measly but we were expecting more for the price. Squab Crepinette ($16) "“ On the menu, this dish is described "breast, confit leg, squab jus" so we expected a breast and a leg. Instead three slices of squab came out, with the breast wrapped in leg meat. The squab was perfectly cooked and I appreciate the skill it took to compose the dish but part of me can't believe we paid $16 for three pieces of meat. Despite ending on a bummer note, my friend and I really enjoyed dining at The Partisan. For the most part, the food is very good and we didn't have any misses (except for the salty kale salad which is excellent when it is done right). There is definitely more on the menu we want to try and are eager to go back. Happy to have this place in the neighborhood.

Has anyone stopped in at this new Neighborhood Restaurant Group restaurant yet (where Bookbinders used to be)? I saw an article that said they opened the main floor this week. I was looking through the lunch and dinner menus on their website, and the reuben eggroll caught my eye.

GBD Chicken and Doughnuts is opening on Friday at 8am at 1323 Conn Ave (where Yola used to be, so fried chicken & doughnuts is replacing a healthy yogurt place). From the Our Story page on their website: "GBD (which gets its name from the restaurant kitchen shorthand for golden, brown and delicious) pairs the sweet and savory specialties of husband and wife team Chef Kyle Bailey & Pastry Chef Tiffany MacIsaac the culinary masterminds behind Birch & Barley." Washington Post article about the opening and offerings here.

From The List: Buzz, the newest venture from the Neighborhood Restaurant Group (Michael Babin, Stephanie Babin and Christi Hart), is a dessert lounge and coffee bar opening up early fall around the corner from Rustico. Executive pastry chef Lisa Scruggs and pastry chef Amy Foster, currently at Tallula, will offer treats such as Belgian waffles, house-made Danish and donuts to cakes, cupcakes and candies. EAT BAR -- Also from the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, EAT BAR will open in early October. Formerly the front bar at Tallula, EAT BAR will be offered as the neighborhood "gastropub". The bar will feature a chalkboard menu of daily cuts, oysters on the half shell, house-smoked charcuterie and other creations made in-house by Chef Nathan Anda.

No, but it's now open, and here are the website and current menus. Note that there's a pop-up window advertising heritage turkey dinners (complete dinners) to go for Thanksgiving this year - they're asking you to order early (note to NRG: That window is showing up every time you click on something on the website - it would be nice if you saw it only once). Dinner: Charcuterie: Beer: Drinks and Wine:

From Bethesda magazine: opening in later summer. I am pretty jazzed about this opening. Hopefully it will live up to other NRG spots. Will be interesting to see how they deal with Montgomery County liquor controls (although selection in Montgomery has gotten much better in the last year as far as beer in concerned).

Birch & Barley/ChurchKey has named a chef to replace Frank Morales.

There's a good article today in the Post about Neighborhood Restaurant Group's forthcoming brewery near the Navy Yard. It sounds like it's going to be great, but I'm curious how it will impact NRG's other restaurants. The article mentions that Bluejacket will be brewing a fairly diverse selection of beers. I wonder how many of these we'll see elsewhere. My guess is that over time they'll discover a small number of fast-selling, fairly conventional beers -- a lager, an IPA, a hefeweizen, for example -- that we'll see at all of their restaurants except ChurchKey and maybe Rustico, which will get some of the more estoeric styles. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

Wow, I hadn't heard a peep about this. From the Prince of Van Ness (nee Petworth): "The Sovereign Will Showcase the Widest Array of Drafts and Bottles from the Very Best Belgian Brewers" on popville.com

I am pleased to announce the A Day At The Beach Wine Dinner at Tallula on Tuesday, July 19th @ 7:30. The dinner will consist of a four-course meal with wine pairings plus a selection of the Amuse Yourself items from the regular menu. We have room for 12 people. The cost is $95.00 which covers everything - dinner, tax, tip and paypal fees. Prepayment will be required. Please email me if you are interested or have any questions. The menu for A Day At The Beach Wine Dinner includes: Starter Shrimp Broil - Carolina shrimp, baby corn, and fingerling potatoes seasoned with Sierra Nevada and Old Bay paired with a 2004 Domaine d'Eole Rose Second Course Duo of Chesapeake Crab - Jumbo lump crabcake and tempura softshell crab paired with a 2003 Dr. Konstantin Frank Riesling Main Course Grilled Maine Lobster with lemongrass risotto and basil hollandaise paired with a 2004 Brampton Viognier Dessert Funnel Cake with fresh fruit and vanilla ice cream paired with a wine selected by our staff

Buzz officially opened its doors this morning at 6 AM. The cupcakes, chocolate bombs and pies look amazing in their shiney new cases, and the morning pastries were hard to resist! I'm looking forward to several morning stops in on my way to work (even if it's not on my way). The shop is open every night until midnight. If you don't want to make dessert for Thursday, stop by and pick something up (or call & place an order!). The website is www.buzzonslaters.com.