Firefly, South Dupont Circle - Chef Lindsay Autry Replaces Todd Wiss

[JLK]

Working for a living! It's a shame. I know someone who would love to go and Firefly is geographically desirable for him, but there's no way he's leaving work before 6 (on a good day).

[derekmbrown]

Working for a living!    It's a shame.  I know someone who would love to go and Firefly is geographically desirable for him, but there's no way he's leaving work before 6 (on a good day).

It goes until 7 P.M., but we want restaurant folks to come too before they start their evening shift. I wish I could start earlier!

[Barbara]

It goes until 7 P.M., but we want restaurant folks to come too before they start their evening shift. I wish I could start earlier!

Are reservations required for the tasting? Or, can we expect to stand in a very long line for the goodies?

[derekmbrown]

Are reservations required for the tasting?  Or, can we expect to stand in a very long line for the goodies?

I am honestly not sure what kind of crowd to expect. But, no, you don't need reservations.

[hungry prof]

I'm going to Firefly tomorrow night for my wife's birthday (with my in-laws in tow). Any can't miss suggestions? I gather the oysters are great as is the lamb shoulder. Anything else in particular? Really looking forward to it.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

I'm going to Firefly tomorrow night for my wife's birthday (with my in-laws in tow).  Any can't miss suggestions?  I gather the oysters are great as is the lamb shoulder.  Anything else in particular?  Really looking forward to it.

The fettucine with venison meatballs are good and, while I have not had it, the pork scallopini survived the change from the summer to the fall menu and looks really good.

[jparrott]

Lamb tartare. Gravlax.

[mdt]

The fettucine with venison meatballs are good and, while I have not had it, the pork scallopini survived the change from the summer to the fall menu and looks really good.

Surprise JG touting game on a menu!

Jake's suggestions are very good. The red snapper was delicious when I had it and if you do not get the lamb, order a side of the roasted pumpkin bread pudding.

[DonRocks]

Surprise JG touting game on a menu!   

It's the only game he'll ever get

[Barbara]

It's the only game he'll ever get 

O-O-O-O-H-H-H-H It's a good thing dueling has been outlawed.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

O-O-O-O-H-H-H-H       It's a good thing dueling has been outlawed.

Darn, I left my gloves at home, I can't demand satisfaction in the customary manner.

#

[hungry prof]

Had a splendid dinner at Firefly last night along with my wife (it was her birthday), my parents-in-law, and my sister-in-law. Here's my recap, though I'm still a bit groggy:

I'll get to the food in a moment, but let me start with the wine service. My father-in-law is a full-fledged wine snob. He and his wine buddies annually go to France to taste the grapes and the latest vintages, and my wife and her siblings' inheritance is in liquid form (and I'm not talking about cash). When he goes to a restaurant, he prefers places where he can bring his own wine (even if there's a corkage fee) and he orders food to match his wine rather than vice versa. You get the idea.

We hadn't tried Firefly with my in-laws yet and they have a modest $15 corkage fee, so we thought it would be a good place for my wife's birthday. My father-in-law brought along three bottles from his cellar. Unfortunately, the first bottle we opened was corked. Both Derek and Chef Wabeck confirmed the diagnosis and followed up with an extraordinary gesture. "We feel your pain," Derek consoled us, "So please enjoy this bottle off our list." Not only did they not charge us corkage on the corked bottle, they treated us to a very fine bottle of '99 chablis (I think I'm remembering that correctly). My father-in-law, who has brought a lot of his own wine to restaurants and had a fair amount of it turn out to be corked, had only rarely seen anything like it (not charging for corkage on a corked bottle is apparently common, but a complimentary bottle is quite unusual).

The wine service on the other two bottles that my father-in-law brought was expertly executed (including a fine job of decanting an amazing '66 Latour that was our final bottle of the night).

As for the food, all of it was excellent. My father-in-law and I started with the fried oysters with chipotle tartar sauce. The oysters are delicious morsels of fried seafood goodness perfectly accented by the tartar sauce. Both my wife and her sister had the squash soup, which is rich, peppery, and filling. My mother-in-law had the PEI mussels that tasted fresh out of the ocean and came in a light but flavorful broth.

For entress, again my father-in-law and I ordered the same dish: the braised lamb shoulder. Only rarely does a waiter warn you, "This dish comes with a lot of fat," but this is the genius of this dish. Braised in its own fat, the lamb shoulder develops a wonderful texture--no knife required (and the perfect dish for the '66 Latour). On the side was the much-praised pumpkin break pudding. My wife had the red snapper, which she very much enjoyed (although she and her sister had filled themselves up on soup). My sister-in-law had the chicken with the tortilla casserole. Finally, my mother-in-law had the pork, which came doused in a heavily-capered sauce (stay away from this dish unless you really like capers). All of the entrees were delicious, though some went unfinished because the portions at Firefly really are quite generous.

Finally, for dessert, the table split the pear crisp, the chocolate napoleon, and the rice pudding. All were good, but I thought the pear crisp, with its sage accent, was particularly interesting. I am now convinced that sage should be used more frequently in sweet dishes.

All in all, the food was delicious. Two minor food service quibbles (intended as constructive criticism). First, the pacing of the meal was a bit hurried. Our appetizers showed up about five minutes after we ordered them and the entrees showed up about five minutes after the appetizers were cleared. At the pace we were going, we would have been out of there in about an hour. We had to consciously slow everything down--we had a lot of wine to drink.

Second, the food runners didn't know who was getting which dish. It's one of those wonders of service at fine restaurants that everybody knows who is getting what without having to tell anybody other than your waiter when you order. The food runner serving our table was unsure with each course at to who was getting what.

Two minor quibbles on an otherwise great night. Firefly is the type of restaurant that DC doesn't have enough of. It's not a four star restaurant with an eight-course tasting menu, and I don't think that's what it aspires to be. It aspires to serve well-executed, relatively simple food in a friendly atmosphere at reasonable prices. Gestures like the bottle of wine that Chef Wabeck and Derek treated us to are the type of gestures that build a restaurant a repeat clientele. We'll certainly be back.

Edited October 23, 2005 by hungry prof

[CrescentFresh]

Everything that hungry prof wrote in the post just above this one sounds exactly like the Firefly that I dig so much. Spent two evenings there last week. One included dinner and my first shot at the new menu. Short but sweet, here's what I thought.

Lamb tartare. Very tender. Very fresh. Great little chunky cubes. Needed a serious dose of salt and pepper, as it was rather underseasoned. I like the slaw that went along with it, but another nice accompaniment would be something with some kick. Kind of how the chipotle sauce wakes up those rockin' crisp oysters. I'd love to see something with really bold flavor go along with it. But even without it, just some added salt and pepper and the tartare is quite good.

I followed it with the butternut risotto with pickled ginger and taleggio. At first I was a bit wary. A slightly melted rectangle of soft cheese sat atop the orange rice with the small slices/chunks of ginger visible. I started eating this dish attempting to put together the individual elements to see how they work separately and then how they work together. Mistake. I really began to think this was a pretty weak dish. Then I got smart and, with Rachel's encouragement, I started playing with my food.

Here's the deal if you order the risotto. Blend it up, baby. As soon as it's in front of you stick your fork in it and mix that puppy up good before you even bother to take a bite. Once that dish was completely blended, all the flavors came alive and I really enjoyed it.

I'd like to recommend that the kitchen consider serving it differently, because not everyone is going to figure out the importance of blending it up. May I suggest that it get all whipped up together in the kitchen and then just put a tiny chunk of taleggio on top for presentation. Don't give diners the opportunity to eat the dish without really working that cheese in well.

That's all. Short and sweet. Great wines, particularly some of the South Africans we had on Friday (and particularly the syrah at that!).

[starfish]

...let me start with the wine service...My father-in-law brought along three bottles from his cellar.  Unfortunately, the first bottle we opened was corked.  Both Derek and Chef Wabeck confirmed the diagnosis and followed up with an extraordinary gesture.  "We feel your pain," Derek consoled us, "So please enjoy this bottle off our list."  Not only did they not charge us corkage on the corked bottle, they treated us to a very fine bottle of '99 chablis...Gestures like the bottle of wine that Chef Wabeck and Derek treated us to are the type of gestures that build a restaurant a repeat clientele.  We'll certainly be back.

i have known derek for several years and i consider him both a colleague and a friend. i am never surprised by great stories of service experiences at firefly, however, that was a truly extraordinary and gracious demonstration of how a good manager handles difficult situations. bravo, derek.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

i have known derek for several years and i consider him both a colleague and a friend.  i am never surprised by great stories of service experiences at firefly, however, that was a truly extraordinary and gracious demonstration of how a good manager handles difficult situations.  bravo, derek.

This goes above and beyond in my view because I can't figure out how a customer bringing in a corked bottle of wine translates into a difficult situation for the restaurant. The customer's remedy should be to ask for the wine list to look for a replacement bottle. The next time I go to Firefly I'm going to tell Derek that I was going to bring my own wine to his restaurant but forgot; very difficult situation.

[hungry prof]

This goes above and beyond in my view because I can't figure out how a customer bringing in a corked bottle of wine translates into a difficult situation for the restaurant.  The customer's remedy should be to ask for the wine list to look for  a replacement bottle.  The next time I go to Firefly I'm going to tell Derek that I was going to bring my own wine to his restaurant but forgot; very difficult situation.

Agreed. Unfortunately, corked bottles happen every once in a while (eerily enough, we had been having a discussion about the virtues of screwtops immediately before this happened). As my father-in-law said afterwards, "Normally, if you bring a corked bottle with you, then it's your loss and the restaurant's gain." Certainly, the restaurant had no obligation to do anything for us. That's what made the gesture so extraordinary.

[DonRocks]

Agreed. Unfortunately, corked bottles happen every once in a while (eerily enough, we had been having a discussion about the virtues of screwtops immediately before this happened). As my father-in-law said afterwards, "Normally, if you bring a corked bottle with you, then it's your loss and the restaurant's gain." Certainly, the restaurant had no obligation to do anything for us. That's what made the gesture so extraordinary.

So ... if a wine with a cork in it can be corked, what do you call a wine with a tainted screwtop?

And letters of complaint to the distributor?

Right. The Screwtop Letters.

Tenderly,
Corked Screwed Lewis.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Agreed. Unfortunately, corked bottles happen every once in a while (eerily enough, we had been having a discussion about the virtues of screwtops immediately before this happened). As my father-in-law said afterwards, "Normally, if you bring a corked bottle with you, then it's your loss and the restaurant's gain." Certainly, the restaurant had no obligation to do anything for us. That's what made the gesture so extraordinary.

Derek was probably hoping that if he was really nice to your table that you might slip a sip or two of that '66 Latour his way. I'll tell him that I was going to give him a bit of the '45 Lafite that I had planned to bring, but unfortunately forgot. Edited July 30, 2013 by RWBooneJr.

[hungry prof]

Derek was probably hoping that if he was really nice to your table that you might slip a sip or two of that '66 Latour his way.  I'll tell him that I was going to give him a bit of the '45 Lafite that I had planned to bring, but unfortunately forgot.

Have no fear: my father-in-law plays by the bring your own wine rules. He offered a taste to both Derek and the chef.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Have no fear:  my father-in-law plays by the bring your own wine rules.  He offered a taste to both Derek and the chef.

Ah ha, so, isn't it true then that there was in fact a quid pro quo given for the "complimentary" bottle of wine. Damn, my forgetting to bring in a bottle of wine strategy is not likely to work then.

[hungry prof]

Ah ha, so, isn't it true then that there was in fact a quid pro quo given for the "complimentary" bottle of wine.  Damn, my forgetting to bring in a bottle of wine strategy is not likely to work then.

Nope. He offered Derek a taste of the corked bottle, too, before we knew it was corked.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Nope. He offered Derek a taste of the corked bottle, too, before we knew it was corked. 

This cross examination is getting a little tougher than it started out to be.

edited to add: So, it's even worse that you initially admitted, isn't it? Not only did you snare a complimentary bottle of wine, but you had free wine sniffing services thrown in to boot? Edited July 30, 2013 by RWBooneJr.

[hungry prof]

This cross examination is getting a little tougher than it started out to be.

edited to add:  So, it's even worse that you initially admitted, isn't it?  Not only did you snare a complimentary bottle of wine, but you had free wine sniffing services thrown in to boot?

Actually, I think the sequence of events went something like this (which I can only recall because I had not yet had a drink at this point):

(1) Bottle opened.

(2) Father-in-law takes a taste and appears a bit suspicious.

(3) Glasses poured for rest of table despite suspicion.

(4) Derek invited to have a taste. He disappears briefly to tend to another table.

(5) Derek returns, but before he can have a taste, my father-in-law tells him that he thinks it might be corked and asks what Derek thinks (Derek says he was a bit suspicious himself when he opened the bottle).

(6) Derek answers that the best palette in the restaurant belongs to Chef Wabeck, so could he bring the chef a taste? My father-in-law says, "Of course."

(7) Derek disappears to have the chef do his dirty work.

(8) Derek returns, confirms the diagnosis, and offers us a bottle of wine in the corked bottle's stead.

The defense rests.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Actually, I think the sequence of events went something like this (which I can only recall because I had not yet had a drink at this point):

(1)  Bottle opened.

(2)  Father-in-law takes a taste and appears a bit suspicious.

(3)  Glasses poured for rest of table despite suspicion.

(4)  Derek invited to have a taste.  He disappears briefly to tend to another table.

(5)  Derek returns, but before he can have a taste, my father-in-law tells him that he thinks it might be corked and asks what Derek thinks (Derek says he was a bit suspicious himself when he opened the bottle).

(6)  Derek answers that the best palette in the restaurant belongs to Chef Wabeck, so could he bring the chef a taste?  My father-in-law says, "Of course."

(7)  Derek disappears to have the chef do his dirty work. 

(8)  Derek returns, confirms the diagnosis, and offers us a bottle of wine in the corked bottle's stead.

The defense rests.

No further questions of the witness your Honor.

[brr]

FREE WHISKEY TASTING
Wednesday, October 26, 4:30 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. @ Firefly
The fun kicks off with our free whiskey tasting hosted by whiskey educator Michael Goss. We will sample all five whiskies to be featured in October and November (list below).

Featured whiskeys for October and November include (in one-or two-ounce pours):
MONDAY--Famous Grouse Blended Scotch ($3.25 / $6.50)
TUESDAY--Highland Park 12-Year Single Malt Scotch ($5.50 / $11)
WEDNESDAY--Red Breast 12-Year Irish Whiskey ($5.75 / $11.50)
THURSDAY--Basil Hayden 8-Year Bourbon Whiskey ($4.25 / $9.50)
FRIDAY--Russell's Reserve 10-Year Bourbon Whiskey ($3.75 / $7.50)
Sample flight of three whiskeys--$13.50

so how was it? anyone go?

[Jacques Gastreaux]

It was faily well attended. Jake was there with some contraband from his "dusty bottle" collection.

[jparrott]

Urp. Great glassware too.

[mdt]

It was faily well attended.  Jake was there with some contraband from his "dusty bottle" collection.

No comments?

[jparrott]

No comments?

Ok. Mike Goss is dreamy.

[Mark Slater]

Ok.  Mike Goss is dreamy. 

Ewwww. (no offense, Mike).

[JLK]

"The Salt City's Funniest Fatman"?

[jparrott]

No.

[tenunda]

The whiskeys were good, and the place was really hoppin'. I learned a lot about my favorite brown beverage, but could have done without the Highland Park taste. Too scotch-y for me. Loved the Redbreast (which is why I keep a bottle at home), and was keen on the zing of the Famous Grouse and the vanilla flavor of the Basil Hayden. They have "Whiskey Rebellion" happy hours each day starting at 10:30 PM, with glasses falling around 5.50.

We also had the crimini bruschetta, which was great as always.

Just one note to throw in here form a meal there a while back. I had the lamb shoulder and I wished the waiter had told me about the amount of fat on it. It was very very very fatty. Too much fat for me. It took over the texture of the whole dish, and I was left feeling there just wasn't enough meat to it. I'm glad I wasn't drinking wine, as I think the layer of unctuousness on my tongue would have deadened the taste. The rest of the meal was great, though; especially the soup.

[shogun]

No comments?

...and on that day, each swore to the rest an oath, pledging never to reveal the extent of the delishiousness of the bottles that jparrot had collected from the lands of Texas, New Jersey, and mysterious parts beyond, should word of their diverse tastisery reach the dark forces of That Which Isn't Actually That Tasty . Particularly the Canadian rye (Canadian, right?), the Suntory, and the awesome '76 Dupont Calvados.  And so each their seperate ways: The Crescentfreshes and Matt to A Table Kind Of Over By The Window In Front for dinner, JParrot to Vidalia, Ustreetguy to U Street maybe since I don't think he mentioned where he was going, and myself back to The Crystal City, where there would be week-old birthday cake, and IPA to finish before it Got All Flat From Being In A Basically Empty Growler.  More flat, anyway.

So yeah, no comment The event itself was pretty cool, though I got there pretty late and they were more or less starting to shut it down. I did manage to score a glass of the Redbreast, which was by far the smoothest Irish Whiskey I've had, and definitely worth keeping an eye out for.

[jparrott]

Yes. Canadian rye. Lot no. 40, 100% malted rye, one of only two such producers in the world.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Just a quick note to comment on the lamb tartar are Firefly. I had it for the second time last night and it was spot on. I had heard some criticism that the lamb was under seasoned and based on my first experience with the substance I could agree with that sentiment. But not last night. Wabeck obviously got wind of the criticism and looked into the issue.

Edited November 2, 2005 by Jacques Gastreaux

[ustreetguy]

Let's face it. Rice pudding just isn't a sexy dish. When I think of rice pudding, images of sickly-sweet congealed mush sprinkled with too much cinnamon come to my head. This stuff is meant for people with no teeth. It's meant to be dished up by cafeteria workers with hairnets. It's a shame that people (or maybe it"s just me) have this perception of rice pudding, because they might be missing out on Firefly's version of this dessert.

After a disappointing dinner at a nearby restaurant last night, I decided to attempt to salvage my evening with a cheese plate at Firefly. By the time I got there, I was in the mood for something more substantive. Scanning the dessert menu, I thought to myself well I guess it's time I try the Walnut-raisin rice pudding with spiced squash sauce - the only dessert on the menu I had not yet tried. Spiced with cardamom and allspice (okay, I cheated and asked John), the rice pudding arrives greeting me with a pleasing scent. The pudding is made with arborio rice which provides a nice toothsome texture to each bite. The crunchy walnuts that are liberally sprinkled on top provide another texture layer as do the plump raisins scattered throughout the pudding. The flavors are exotic yet familiar, comforting and exciting, and dare I say it ... sexy.

[derekmbrown]

Let's face it. Rice pudding just isn't a sexy dish...

I'm not just saying this because I work at Firefly, this is an excellent piece of food writing. Really, brother uses the word "toothsome." let's add this to The Best of Don Rockwell 2005.

[jaimetown]

Had a great dinner at Firefly last night. Brought two friends in the wine business and we had a the steak frites for mains, and started with the crisp oysters in chipotle sauce, roasted squash soup in sage creme fraiche and crisp shallots, crimini mushroom bruschetta with roasted garlic and goat cheese.

We were well taken care of by the staff - thanks to Derek, Virgil (our server), Rachael (at the bar) and Kirsten (our hostess). Sorry with missed you John - I brought a 2002 St. Aubin from Marc Colin to share with you, but I think that glass went into Derek's.

And Virgil was right - the Chocolate Napoleons were the way to go!

Edited November 5, 2005 by jaimetown

[Mark Slater]

Had a great dinner at Firefly last night.  Brought two friends in the wine business and we had a the steak frites for mains, and started with the crisp oysters in chipotle sauce, roasted squash soup in sage creme fraiche and crisp shallots, crimini mushroom bruschetta with roasted garlic and goat cheese. 

We were well taken care of by the staff - thanks to Derek, Virgil (our server), Rachael (at the bar) and Kirsten (our hostess).  Sorry with missed you John - I brought a 2002 St. Aubin from Marc Colin to share with you, but I think that glass went into Derek's. 

And Virgil was right - the Chocolate Napoleons were the way to go! 

Jim,

John was busy.....umm........elsewhere.

[jaimetown]

Mark, you must have tempted him with some of that good stuff you guys drink. I hear about it occassionally from John.

[John Wabeck]

Jim,

John was busy.....umm........elsewhere. 

...Proving that 1er cru Burgundy does go well with Mexican food.

[bookluvingbabe]

I can't believe how far down this thread was buried!!!!

Going tonight for a not-quite NYE dinner plus my sweetie owes me a Christmas gift at Books a Million so if you're going to Dupont Circle you might as well have dinner at Firefly.

I'm going to pass on the lamb as I've had braised beef for dinner 3 of the last 4 nights.

I think the pork is calling my name....

Anyone been lately????

Jennifer

[Jacques Gastreaux]

If the pork scallopine is still on the menu, go for it. The spaghetti with venison meatballs also is really good.

[clayrae]

If the pork scallopine is still on the menu, go for it.  The spaghetti with venison meatballs also is really good.

i'll second the pork scallopine. the mashed potatoes that come with it are excellent too...

Edited December 30, 2005 by clayrae

[bookluvingbabe]

And pork it was.

I love capers. I think they are a wonderful flavor and Chef uses them perfectly in this dish.

We started with the mushroom bruscetta and the oysters. Very nice though the oysters were just a touch oily. I've seen that at lunch but never before at dinner. They were still great, though the price creeped up again.

I had the wonderful pork and Mr. BLB had the red snapper. (Why is it called red snapper if it's a white fish???) I had a taste and it was very flavorful and tasty.

For dessert I had the creme caramel and he had the rice pudding. Nice but..drumroll please... NOT my beloved bittersweet panna cotta.

A lovely evening and great service from Virgil as always.

Alas, the real reason for the trip was a dud as Books a Million did not have the Pooh calendar that Mr. BLB owes me as a Christmas gift.

Jennifer

[dcdavidm]

We, too, had a delightful Friday dinner at Firefly. Seated at the table by the front window, all that could have made it better would have been a nice dusting of snow outside to add to the ambience, already heightened by the addictive "warm cosmo." Nice winter drink!

For starters we had the leek salad, which had great flavors and textures, and the mussels, which had a wonderful coconut background flavor. It was tempting to just pour the leftover mussel liquid into one of firefly's mason jars and take it home. A table near us had the oysters, and they smelled good...maybe next time.

Main dishes were the red snapper, with its up-front curry spiceness, and the squash risotto, a richly flavored decadence made even more sinful by the slab of tallegio cheese on top. Since Mrs. dcdavidm couldn't finish the risotto, I got a second dose for lunch today.

The pear crisp topped off the evening of seasonal delights.

It is really nice to have a restaurant like Firefly around.

[giant shrimp]

why didn't firefly make the final cut in the washingtonian's 100 very best restaurants? it is inexplicable to me, unless it was inadvertent. or are they still grinding axes in the restaurant department despite a new editor?

Edited January 3, 2006 by giant shrimp

[CrescentFresh]

Before a nice dessert of bourbon in a glass at Cashion's last night, our happy hour wined down at Firefly slid into dinner at the bar. A really nice one, too. We went all out on the lamb for some last chances at certain preparations before they change with a new menu next week (Thursday, perhaps).

The lamb tartare was great. Chunky, fresh, satisfying. A little light on the seasoning but nothing a shaker of salt and pepper couldn't fix. Of the 5 or so times I've had the braised lamb shoulder, last night's was the best. Far and away. I don't know what made last night's different, but it was extra tender, extra flavorful, extra delicious.

Stuck with Chilean wines all night, carmenere and a pinot noir, both from the same Maipo vineyard. (I don't recall the name, but just ask when you're there.) Both wines went great with the food and on their own.

Anyway, you've got less than a week to fill up on your old favorites. Although the new menu is still subject to change, here's what it looks like now:

Starters

Cream of rutabaga soup with shallot confit and croutons 7.5

Crisp oysters with chipotle tartar sauce 14.5

Roasted beets with goat cheese vinaigrette and rye toast 9

Mixed greens with Maytag blue cheese, walnuts and sherry vinaigrette 7.5

Chicken noodle soup our way 7

Cured duck breast with arugula, dried cranberries and candied pecans 10

Crimini mushroom bruschetta with roasted garlic and goat cheese 9

Tuna salad: jicama, jalapenos, black olives, mache and orange vinaigrette 10

Spicy Prince Edward Island mussels 8.5/16

Mains

Roasted chicken with oyster mushrooms, bacon, pearl onions and turnips 19

Grilled Icelandic salmon with leek puree, lyonnaise potatoes and peppercorn spiked veal stock reduction 19.5

Lamb stew with glazed carrots and mashed potatoes 18

Crispy skin red snapper with roasted fingerlings and creamy five-spiced onions 24

Steak frites with red wine sauce 19.5

Double cut pork chop with buttery potato puree and cider braised cabbage 23

Spaghetti and (venison) meatballs with truffled pecorino cheese 21

Pan roasted Angus NY strip with roesti potatoes and garlic mushrooms 27

Mushroom cassoulet with Oregon black truffles 18.5

Sides

Spinach with garlic - buttery potato puree - frites - glazed carrots - lyonnaise potatoes 3.5

Cheddar mac-n-cheese 7

Truffled parmesan frites 9

I'm really itching to try that duck starter, and I think the mushroom cassoulet could be a gem also.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

It's out with the old and in with the new. Stopped by Firelfy on the way home from work this evening and ran into jparrott and mdt at the bar. This evening was the last of the "old" menu. The new menu debuts tomorrow evening. Two items rotating off the menu are the lamb tartare and the pork scallopini. I've had the lamb before and this last hurrah was identical to what I've had before. This would be my last opportunity to sample the pork which was always something that tempted me in the past but always seemed to be beat out by the lamb shoulder. Two big pieces of pounded pork arrived with a caper sauce on a mound of mashed potatoes. Really good on a chilly evening such as tonight.

Chef Wabeck was experimenting with the spicy mussels which are set to debut tomorrow. He seemed concerned that they needed some more spice. I thought they were great (though I did not detect much spice, good cause for his concern). I'm sure he will have them punched up for their opener tomorrow.

I can't wait to try the lamb stew on which the curtain rises tomorrow.

Edited January 19, 2006 by Jacques Gastreaux