Tom Sietsema's Online Chat

[tastedc]

Much of the sugar decorations used to decorate cakes is nearly inedible or isn't practical to eat - I took a very short class on making cake decorations on a Smithsonian culinary tour a few years ago (there used to be a cake decoration school in Gaithersburg right next to L'Academie's headquarters) and the instructor basically said that the sugar designs were not to be eaten, they simply weren't made for flavor. Art vs. taste, so to speak...but, you have to taste Duff's cakes, they look good AND taste great!

[Michael Landrum]

Some service is more equal than others.  Would you rather walk into Ray's the Steaks with Jacques Gastreaux or with some unknown off the street?

If anything, the major complaint about Ray's is not being able to get preferential service--no matter how much you spend, how many envy-inducing bottles of wine you bring in from your cellar and proceed to open on your own, or how many exalting reviews you have written on superstar chefs.

[giant shrimp]

If anything, the major complaint about Ray's is not being able to get preferential service--no matter how much you spend, how many envy-inducing bottles of wine you bring in from your cellar and proceed to open on your own, or how many exalting reviews you have written on superstar chefs.

what would happen if i came in and said all i wanted was a bowl of spinach?

[giant shrimp]

Much of the sugar decorations used to decorate cakes is nearly inedible or isn't practical to eat - I took a very short class on making cake decorations on a Smithsonian culinary tour a few years ago (there used to be a cake decoration school in Gaithersburg right next to L'Academie's headquarters) and the instructor basically said that the sugar designs were not to be eaten, they simply weren't made for flavor.  Art vs. taste, so to speak...but, you have to taste Duff's cakes, they look good AND taste great!

thanks, i am definitely going to put duff's cakes on my list of things to check out in baltimore.

[Principia]

while i am pretty sure from the tone of the post that she feels the bar is insult.  there is another side of this coin that i didn't occur to me until now.

there is a very logical reason for a woman by herself or a small group of women to not wish to be at the bar.  unfortunately there are too many predatory men in the world who view women at a bar as targets.  i am sure that women at a bar occasionally receive unwanted attention, and that is not something that i would want to interfere with my meal.  a quick wit and the aid of a good bartender can usually diffuse even the most boorish of advances, but still...

just another perspective.

That, or not wanting to be around drunkards, or wanting to be able to taste one's food and not cigarette smoke...

[Al Dente]

That, or not wanting to be around drunkards, or wanting to be able to taste one's food and not cigarette smoke...

Hold om a nimute. I rememble that stapement.

[JLK]

That, or not wanting to be around drunkards, or wanting to be able to taste one's food and not cigarette smoke...

I think that's a little off-base for many of the bars we're discussing in this forum. Although I have certainly been drunk at Palena, for example, I don't know that I've ever crossed into drunkard. And they don't allow smoking. Same thing, I think, at Dino. There is smoking at Notti Bianche IIRC, however I don't remember it being omnipresent.

[DonRocks]

The November 16th chat.

[Principia]

I think that's a little off-base for many of the bars we're discussing in this forum.  Although I have certainly been drunk at Palena, for example, I don't know that I've ever crossed into drunkard.  And they don't allow smoking.  Same thing, I think, at Dino.  There is smoking at Notti Bianche IIRC, however I don't remember it being omnipresent.

Do you prefer the implication I was countering (by the manager of Notti Bianche, I might add), that women who sit in a bar area often have to spend their evenings fending off stalkers instead of eating their meals?

And not everyone here is someone who can afford to spend every evening out at some place on the level of Palena. Out in the real world, people smoke in bars, people drink to excess in bars, people get very very loud in bars, none of which are things I imagine anyone would find conducive to an enjoyable dining experience.

Edited November 16, 2005 by Principia

[Banco]

OK, someone please tell me the name of the restaurant where you can have your male member flirted with while you eat.

[Waitman]

Do you prefer the implication I was countering (by the manager of Notti Bianche, I might add), that women who sit in a bar area often have to spend their evenings fending off stalkers instead of eating their meals?

And not everyone here is someone who can afford to spend every evening out at some place on the level of Palena. Out in the real world, people smoke in bars, people drink to excess in bars, people get very very loud in bars, none of which are things I imagine anyone would find conducive to an enjoyable dining experience.

Actually, when travelling alone -- and while dining in DC, occasionally -- I like nothing better than stumbling across a group of loud, drunk, smokers while trying to get a meal. Beats the hell out of sitting in the hotel room watching pay-per-view.

[Nadya]

Actually, when travelling alone -- and while dining in DC, occasionally -- I like nothing better than stumbling across a group of loud, drunk, smokers while trying to get a meal.  Beats the hell out of sitting in the hotel room watching pay-per-view.

I agree, and have many fond memories, some shared with DR's personalities, of copious connections that started as idle chitchat at DC bars too many to count.

[JPW]

Form letter to help people out on Tom's chat.

Tom,

On your recent recommendation, I went to Restaurant(s) (x/y/z).

(It/They) sucked. (The cooking was bad/the service was bad/the noise level was too (high/low)) and the portions were too (big/small).

What's wrong with you? Why do you continue to recommend these places? You suck.

You pay too much attention to (taste/portion size/decor/noise level) in your reviews you really need to pay more attention to (taste/portion size/decor/noise level).

Also, you review (too many/not enough) restaurants in the suburbs and (too many/not enough) in the city. I live in (MD/DC/VA) and I don't go to any of the restaurants in (MD/DC/VA) or (MD/DC/VA)

You've been disappointing me (recently/for a long time/for ever) with your reviews, Tom. Shape up!

[qwertyy]

What I want to know is if Tom takes criticisms so well, as he says he does, why does he always have to follow one (like today's, which I actually thought was a good question and not an attack) with five or six messages that say how great he is?

[Mark Slater]

What I want to know is if Tom takes criticisms so well, as he says he does, why does he always have to follow one (like today's, which I actually thought was a good question and not an attack) with five or six messages that say how great he is?

The actual person who posts the responses online is his "producer".

[qwertyy]

The actual person who posts the responses online is his "producer".

The producer culls questions for the host out of the pack, but the host chooses which questions to answer... Or at least that's how it's been described on other post.com chats.

[Mark Slater]

Hold om a nimute. I rememble that stapement.

Subscribe Today!

[DCMark]

Why are most men so afraid of having another man touch them?

AND WHY DID THIS QUESTION GET PAST THE PRODUCER?

Edited November 16, 2005 by DCMark

[giant shrimp]

Why are most men so afraid of having another man touch them?

AND WHY DID THIS QUESTION GET PAST THE PRODUCER?

it's peyton place. it's good for the ratings. it would make a good scene in a werner fassbinder movie. the same reason, i assume, that there was an air of intrigue about the mysterious closing of an italian restaurant on u street. tom has been getting pretty good at conjuring up scenes on his chat line, and mentioning individual restaurants strategically. this week there is even a beach house and the possibility of turkey and wishbones in the sand.

[TedE]

Form letter to help people out on Tom's chat.

Oh, come now, you're being too kind. Some of the options should accurately reflect the events as they occured:

Tom,

I'm writing to you with this (complaint/missive/ego-massaging diatribe) in the hopes that other diners in the area can avoid being subjected to the (embarassment/inconvenience/inconsequential stumbling block) that I encountered last weekend at (Restaurant X/Restaurant Y/Colorado Kitchen).

<Insert short paragraph establishing author as a completely reasonable and fair-minded person and not the (control freak/type-A whackjob/massively insecure coward) that you, dear reader, may have assumed he or she is based on this complaint>

When my party of (4/8/17, including 3 infants and my multiply-allergic great aunt) arrived (on time/5 minutes early/5 minutes late) for our reservation we had to wait (5 minutes/10 minutes/11 minutes) before we were led to our table (next to a drafty door/in the basement/the only one that could possibly accomodate our large party).  Needless to say, I was already (slightly annoyed/pissed off/drunk and belligerent).  When we were ready to order, I asked our (helpful/weeded/pompous) server if they could substitute the baked potato that came with the steak with (a salad/the fois gras risotto that accompanied another dish/another steak).  When he refused I (sulked quietly/gave him the evil eye/lost my will to live).

<Screed about why this was such a huge problem for an otherwise reasonable and fair-minded person>

As a result our night (was fun/was ruined/scarred me forever).  When I approached the manager after our meal and told him about the issue, he (apologized and asked what he could do/sneered at me and brushed me off/told me to get out).  (Alternative sentence: I didn't bother to speak with the manager since you provide us this lovely anonymous forum to vent.  And I hate confrontation.  Mud-slinging I'm fine with).  All I was asking for was (a simple gesture to acknowledge our complaint/free food to last me the winter/for him to pleasure me in the walk-in).  We will never be back and will tell  (all/some/none, we don't have many,) of our friends.

[TedE]

Subscribe Today!

Off-topic aside: If any of you have not visited this site do so now. It's fanatastic. If you have a spare hour or two read through the complete "Battle of the Tightest". Freakin' hilarious. I keep reminding myself to subscribe but always forget.

[JPW]

Nicely done TedE

[lackadaisi]

Subscribe Today!

A couple years ago, I bought subscriptions for a bunch of my friends for Christmas. Everyone was quite pleased. I would highly recommend it.

[The Hersch]

Someone ate in the tasting room at Restaurant Eve and everything was so oversalted as to be inedible and they'll never return? (They didn't say anything at the time, of course.) Can that possibly be on the level?

[mdt]

Someone ate in the tasting room at Restaurant Eve and everything was so oversalted as to be inedible and they'll never return? (They didn't say anything at the time, of course.) Can that possibly be on the level?

Most likely not. Why does Tom let posts like that see the light of day?

[bilrus]

I could see one dish being like that (in fact I had it happen to me). But not every single dish unless the diner's tastebuds were really susceptible to salt that day.

I know I have some days where I can't get enough salt and some where everything I taste seems a little salty.

[DonRocks]

Someone ate in the tasting room at Restaurant Eve and everything was so oversalted as to be inedible and they'll never return? (They didn't say anything at the time, of course.) Can that possibly be on the level?

This was a gripe of mine back in the early stages of Eve, but I ate in the Tasting Room on Monday evening, and this place is just getting stronger as the months go by. The level of detail and attention shown to the dishes is remarkable, and I'm talking little things like a tiny homemade langue de chat. Cathal knows I have a sensitive salt-trigger so it's possible he's toning it down for me, but I definitely didn't get oversalted.

Cheers,

Rocks.

[The Hersch]

I could see one dish being like that (in fact I had it happen to me).  But not every single dish unless the diner's tastebuds were really susceptible to salt that day. 

To be fair, the complainer didn't actually say everything or every dish was oversalted. To quote:

Several courses were so oversalted that they were almost inedible. We didn't say anything at the time because we didn't really want to make a scene.

I'm sure a quiet word to a server or the manager would have resulted in everything being put right, with no scene, if this really was a legitimate complaint. On the other hand, I had dinner in the tasting room a couple of weeks ago, and every dish was as near perfect as I expect any dish to get. The only hitch in the entire evening was that the server who brought our drinks order delivered each and every drink to the wrong person, but that is easily forgiven (especially in light of her enormous embarrassment).

[Sthitch]

Bethesda, Md.: Hi Tom. Luuuurve the chats, and I'm not just saying that because I want you to answer this question. Really.

It's my friend's birthday this weekend, and I offered to take her out to dinner wherever she wants. Her choice is the Banana Cafe. How's the food there? Anything in particular you'd recommend (besides the margaritas sluuuurp!).

Is it possible for the Washington Post to engage in a little bit of editing? The sluuuurp line is just vulgar. I am willing to bet that this person chews her food like a cow chews its cud.

[jasonc]

Is it possible for the Washington Post to engage in a little bit of editing?  The sluuuurp line is just vulgar.  I am willing to bet that this person chews her food like a cow chews its cud.

I'm not sure what you mean by vulgar, but I certainly don't find the above comment repulsive. The person who wrote it is clearly a moron, but that's getting at something different.

[Barbara]

Is it possible for the Washington Post to engage in a little bit of editing?  The sluuuurp line is just vulgar.  I am willing to bet that this person chews her food like a cow chews its cud.

I don't think it's possible to edit submissions from the public. They can, however, decide not to post a given entry or question.

[crackers]

December 7 chat.

[B.A.R.]

More talk of language than langoustines. Bah-humbug!

[ustreetguy]

Tom Sietsema: I hate:

Toothsome (have you ever actually HEARD anyone say that?)

Tasty (though I caught myself using it recently)

Veggies (just spell it out, folks)

"My dining companion pronounced the veal excellent." (Who the heck cares what the dining companion thinks and "pronounce" is so pretentious)

Bedecked (again, it's pretentious)

Sinful (argh!)

*sigh* I'm guilty of at least 4 of these. Well screw it. No one's paying me for writing anything anyway

[giant shrimp]

*sigh* I'm guilty of at least 4 of these.  Well screw it.  No one's paying me for writing anything anyway 

argh! is pretentious unless you're popeye.

[tripewriter]

December 14 chat. Discuss.

Edited December 14, 2005 by tripewriter

[Sthitch]

But I have a question for you. I asked about an appetizer -- cauliflower panna cotta -- and the waitress said it had a quail egg inside. That scared me, and I didn't order, envisioning a raw egg.

I envision lots of things, but the more asinine one's I tend to not admit to anyone. Like being able to keep an egg raw in the middle of a cooked dish.

[TedE]

I envision lots of things, but the more asinine one's I tend to not admit to anyone.  Like being able to keep an egg raw in the middle of a cooked dish.

Perhaps the poster was thinking it was analogous to a baked alaska or fried ice cream. Culinary sorcery, I tell you!

[tripewriter]

Perhaps the poster was thinking it was analogous to a baked alaska or fried ice cream.  Culinary sorcery, I tell you! 

Or was concerned about ingesting soft-cooked eggs. As for me, salmonella is always worth the risk ...

[bilrus]

Either way it is good. I wasn't told about the egg before taking my first bite. I smiled wide when the yolk came out. The visual effect of the white, soft panna cotta and the yolk turns the whole dish into a slightly large, lightly poached (cauliflower flavored) egg.

[qwertyy]

But I have a question for you. I asked about an appetizer -- cauliflower panna cotta -- and the waitress said it had a quail egg inside. That scared me, and I didn't order, envisioning a raw egg.

I envision lots of things, but the more asinine one's I tend to not admit to anyone.  Like being able to keep an egg raw in the middle of a cooked dish.

I'm trying to envision what's so darn scary about waiters that people don't just ask them these questions.

[Banco]

The horror stories in this chat are cause for despair; and I was just getting into the Christmas spirit!

[tripewriter]

The horror stories in this chat are cause for despair; and I was just getting into the Christmas spirit!

That's a good point. So many of the chatters seem to view dining out as an unpleasant burden instead of a joy. They seem frustrated that they don't have total control over the experience, but are too insecure to bring problems to the attention of their server or other restaurant staff. Although that private-room cigar dinner anecdote did take the cake ...

[qwertyy]

Although that private-room cigar dinner anecdote did take the cake ...

Wow. WOW. That story almost made me want to eat there, just in an attempt to observe that creature in her natural habitat. Wow.

[Gary Tanigawa]

Dallas, TX: Hi Tom. My twin sister in DC started my addiction to your column. I'm coming to your wonderful city once again in January and hope you can recommend a restaurant. No limit on a cuisine. I want a hip, fun, beautiful restaurant with delicious and exciting food.

Thanks!

Tom Sietsema: Check out my fall dining guide for specific ideas.

I think she wants a return to Dino!

[shogun]

Perhaps the poster was thinking it was analogous to a baked alaska or fried ice cream.  Culinary sorcery, I tell you! 

If my memory serves me correctly, the chefs at El Bulli do something similar with ravioli. They say the chefs put an egg inside of the pasta and boil it. When the dish is presented to the diner, they cut into the pasta and the still-raw egg leaks out.

[Joe H]

Wow. WOW. That story almost made me want to eat there, just in an attempt to observe that creature in her natural habitat. Wow.

I just read this for the third time. In fact I've printed it out and am referring to it as I type. I don't believe it. In the first paragraph I cannot help but wonder what kind of event this was, "...a clean event where they begin by singing, "God Bless America" and end with cigars and jokes." Why the need to note that it was "a clean event?" Assuming this was way over the top and seemed to be disrespectful to the female server it is possible that she was defensive from the beginning; I'm also guessing that it is possible there was an attitude from the apparently all male group and the waittress had the bad luck of drawing them to serve. Also note that this was written by the wife of the husband who arranged this; there is no mention of what time he got home or how lucid he was. Rather the story that he told her.

But if the situation was in fact that inappropriate for a famale server she should have excused herself and management should have found a male to serve them. But she didn't. And we don't know what they said to her (and the husband told his wife about what was being said or comments that he/and or others made to her) that caused her intensely negative reactions.

Assuming that evething above is NOT true, that they were respectful and orderly and the problems, indeed, were all hers' consider that 1. she did not want to allow them to smoke in a room they had reserved for smoking 2. her attitude: "doors must be closed" 3. she never made the rounds for drink orders or came to check on them-in fact she was so rude that NO ONE EVEN WANTED TO TALK TO HER. 4. an hour after arriving she says "you do not get appetizers" in response to a question of where are they after an hour. Then, when pushed, returns in ten minutes with two trays of cold appetizers and "tells her helper 'leave the dishes there and they can stuff themselves.' " 5. When honestly confronted about her attitude by the server she replies "....go back to your room" 6. She notes that she will not take their dinner orders (90 minutes into the dinner by the way) until "everyone is seated in their chairs." Interspersed in this are comments alluding to many of the men standing and her asking them to "please take your seats and I'll make the rounds." It is not explained why the husband, after her saying this, then had to go find her and "ask her to just come in the room and take our orders." Nor is there an explanation for he seemingly inappropriate response of "Sir, we do not auction off food here." 7. The husband's wife notes "every time she walked in the room she was like a cancer cell infecting our good time."

This waittress is described as what amounts to a dominatrix. Curiously, they tolerated all of what they claim happened without once approaching a manager. THEY DIDN'T COMPLAIN TO ANYONE WHILE ALL OF THIS WAS GOING ON. Rather, they were standing around talking and smoking and, NINETY MINUTES INTO THE DINNER, still hadn't ordered their entrees! Note that the appetizers were pre-ordered but, according to this, the entrees were not. Nor were they in their seats, nor did anyone other than the host seem to making an issue out of this. NINETY MINUTES INTO THE DINNER it would seem that ordering their entrees was not a priority for them.

But why didn't they complain? Why did the wife believe that "shouldn't management check on people in a private room and make sure all is well?"

Is this really management's responsibility if no one from that room, 90 minutes into a meal without ordering and with all of the other arrogance the husband claims they experienced from the server, if nobody left the room and asked for a supervisor?

I'm sorry. This is a second hand complaint that slams a restaurant and is a sincere effort to discredit it. When reading through this closely I wonder what really happened in that room that night? What was this group of cigar smoking men who sang God Bless America" and then told jokes at a "clean event" really doing? What time did the husband who told this story get home? Why didn't someone complain? Or was it the waittress who had to put up with this and had one discourteous insult too many?

There are two sides to a story. I'd love to hear her side. This is too over the top to have happened the way the wife was told it did.

[JPW]

I agree with Joe H. Hopefully, next week we'll get to hear the other side of the story.

[Heather]

WTF is wrong with the people who let their kid play a recorder? There is no effing way I would let my kids bring a musical instrument to a restaurant. Good God, they make all of us parents look like clueless idiots.

[giant shrimp]

WTF is wrong with the people who let their kid play a recorder?  There is no effing way I would let my kids bring a musical instrument to a restaurant.  Good God, they make all of us parents look like clueless idiots.

kazoos would have been a brigher idea. there is nothing quite like a few rounds of camptown racetrack to get a brunch going.