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PS7's, Chef Peter Smith at 777 I Street, Verizon Center - With Sous Chef Andrew Markert - Closed


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PS7 is a place I normally think of for happy hour cocktails and bar food, but will no longer think of only as such. The online menu isn't up to date, but Peter Smith did something with Monkfish that really brought out its meaty characteristics in a way I haven't before seen. Three small monkfish chops, basically bone in steaks, pan roasted with a mix of yummy white beans, shroms, red pepper and some other stuff that escapes me. It's hard to get excited about monkfish, but this dish was outstanding. The scallops, which had a nice crust, and the quail were also standouts. And the dining room is lovely, particularly the booths at the far end of the restaurant, and, as Tom noted, even when the restaurant in full, it doesn't get too loud here. Overall, dinner was a really pleasantly surprise.

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After a few drinks at the bar, my husband and I were lured by the outdoor seating, which was amazingly easy to get at 6:30 pm on a Friday night. It had been more than a year since we dined here, and I was a little disappointed that the menu was no longer "tasting menu" oriented. I started with the artichoke ravioli, and my husband had the lonzino carpaccio--which turned out to be slivers of pork loin decorated with papaya and pineapple. And when I say slivers, I mean more like shavings. It was incredibly thin and not much more than a taste. I then had the halibut, which was fantastic--potato crust and served with morels, and wonderful combination. My husband had the sirloin au poivre, medium rare, with onion crisps. He raved about the meat, but I thought the onion rings were superb. In my opinion, they would make an excellent addition to the bar menu (actually, so would an order of frites, which you can't order individually but are only served with the hot dogs). The service was really strange. We had one waiter take our drink order orders, explain the menu, give recommendations and take our order. After we had placed our orders, another waiter came out to ask if we had any other questions. He and yet another waiter checked-up on us periodically, and it was finally the third waiter that handled our check. With desserts (which were both fantastic--pineapple upside down cake and a wonderfully smoky pecan pie) and alcohol, our bill came out to about $150 plus tip. Now to me, that's an often lot for a meal where the service was slightly slapdash. Probably won't rush to go back there for dinner, but will definitely hang out in the lounge again.

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The service was really strange. We had one waiter take our drink order orders, explain the menu, give recommendations and take our order. After we had placed our orders, another waiter came out to ask if we had any other questions. He and yet another waiter checked-up on us periodically, and it was finally the third waiter that handled our check. With desserts (which were both fantastic--pineapple upside down cake and a wonderfully smoky pecan pie) and alcohol, our bill came out to about $150 plus tip. Now to me, that's an often lot for a meal where the service was slightly slapdash. Probably won't rush to go back there for dinner, but will definitely hang out in the lounge again.

Maybe I'm not reading this correctly, but it seems as if you got good service--it was just through team service rather than an individual server. Does that really make you feel like service was poor?

(For the record, I am not trying to start a debate or anything. I am just curious as to why team service translates to being bad service in this particular instance. Maybe there's some other info about the service that is missing?)

ETA: It could have been an entirely different set of circumstances that caused you to have multiple servers. A lot of times, servers will greet and do the menu walkthroughs with a table for another server that may be too busy to handle a new table. That happens frequently.

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Maybe I'm not reading this correctly, but it seems as if you got good service--it was just through team service rather than an individual server. Does that really make you feel like service was poor?

(For the record, I am not trying to start a debate or anything. I am just curious as to why team service translates to being bad service in this particular instance. Maybe there's some other info about the service that is missing?)

ETA: It could have been an entirely different set of circumstances that caused you to have multiple servers. A lot of times, servers will greet and do the menu walkthroughs with a table for another server that may be too busy to handle a new table. That happens frequently.

I agree. This seems like the normal, and well received service, that is at any GAR location.

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What was strange was that the original server that helped us disappeared completely after he took our order, then another server appeared to ask us if we had any questions about the menu (after we had placed our order with the first guy), and then he disappeared, and another server helped us. There was a period of about ten minutes at the end of the meal that no servers were around, and we had to flag down the third server to get our check, and he seemed to be handling all of the tables out on the patio at that point. Not what I would consider tag-teaming. Otherwise though, all of the waiters were friendly and knowledgable about the menu. It seemed disorganized.

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I am a big PS7s fan. I first went for RW this winter and they won me over. Since then I haven't been back to the dining room, but I have been for happy hour a few times and have introduced 5-6 of my friends and co-workers to the restaurant as well. I think it is somewhat of a hidden gem in the Chinatown area. On a gorgeous afternoon yesterday, the patio opened around 5pm, yet it wasn't full until nearly 7:30. We had the lovely shaded patio all to ourselves for a little while, and it's nice since it's on a sidewalk/courtyard area and not on the street by all the exhaust and honking horns.

The tuna sliders are truly amazing, and at $7 it's hard to beat. All 4 of us at our table ordered our own plate of sliders. The homemade rolls are exquisite. We also split some half-smokes (a very close second to the sliders), mushroom spring rolls (great flavor and not too heavy) and arancini (a definite fourth out of the apps we ordered, but good for fried risotto balls with salami). And with $4 glasses of house white, red or sparkling wines it makes an excellent post-work destination. It's not often I'll order sparkling white/champagne out at a restaurant or bar, but I have not been disappointed with the offerings at PS7s.

Looking forward to making it back to the dining room before too long!

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I have never been by when the patio is open. Is there a section that is just associated with the bar, or is it all full dinner only? Looking for a place to have a drink and snack-meal with a baby while it is pretty . . .

Depending on when you go, I bet they would let you do that outside. The area is surprisingly big and I have never seen it full before 8 PM.

I keep wondering when people will take notice of this place. I have been to PS7s more times than I can count in the past year and not once have I seen it more than 75% full.

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I have never been by when the patio is open. Is there a section that is just associated with the bar, or is it all full dinner only? Looking for a place to have a drink and snack-meal with a baby while it is pretty . . .

We went at 5pm and were the only folks on the patio for a good half hour. It didn't really fill up until 7:30pm or so. They didn't even ask us if we were ordering full meals, so it wasn't a problem. We just had drinks and split a few appetizers. Definitely worth a shot.

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The tuna sliders are truly amazing, and at $7 it's hard to beat. All 4 of us at our table ordered our own plate of sliders. The homemade rolls are exquisite.

Yeah, the bread service was a pleasant surprise. My favorite one was biscuity and had chunks of Applewood bacon. Two friends and I split 6 sliders, and we instantly wondered if it could hold up as one large burger.

I also started with the artichoke ravioli, which was light and great for spring. Only criticism was the excessive black pepper (which I ordinarily don't mind, but there really was a bit too much given the serving size).

Main courses were fine. I had the lamb, which was cooked two ways (seared loin, braised shoulder). Gold standard is still the version from Firefly two years ago. Pork rack was also decent, but the winner was actually the beef sirloin au poivre. Definitely one of the better steaks I've tried in the city.

We split the doughnuts and olive oil/semolina cake for dessert. My favorite part was the mandarin ice cream that accompanied the cake. Doughnuts were almost on par with the ones from Colorado Kitchen (i.e., quite good). Petit-fours (milk chocolates and candied oranges?) arrived with the bill.

The only clunker all night was the amuse bouche, a melon-vanilla soup. It was a battle between melon and vanilla, unfortunately the vanilla won and may have been too overpowering. Props for the effort though.

Dining room was almost empty when we started at 6:30 but had definitely filled up by the time we left at 8:30. Because the mains weren't dazzling, we'll probably return for happy hour only but enthusiastically so.

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The tuna sliders are truly amazing, and at $7 it's hard to beat. All 4 of us at our table ordered our own plate of sliders. The homemade rolls are exquisite. We also split some half-smokes (a very close second to the sliders), mushroom spring rolls (great flavor and not too heavy) and arancini (a definite fourth out of the apps we ordered, but good for fried risotto balls with salami).
Don't overlook the fingerling and duck confit dish: sliced fingerling potatoes topped with duck confit, some sort of demi-glace (duck?) and melted brie. Really good and only $7 as well.
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Benjamin Franklin (or was it Einstein both have been given credit) said that The definition of insanity "is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." Well I guess that has been my approach to PS7, I have been going and wanting it to live up to its reputation and for one of Peter Smith’s creations to really wow me. Yeah its cool he makes his own hot dogs, I just didn’t enjoy them, in the past I have found the tuna sliders to be a jumble of contorted flavors and textures, and I don’t want to get back into the kafuffle that Don and I had about the less than stellar pork. Well today hoping that my luck was going to change I took my wife there for lunch.

After my lunch today I have to say that the Hot Brown was the best sandwich I have had in recent memory. It is a rather simple open faced sandwich with seared turkey, house cured bacon, tomatoes, all under the shroud of melted cheese (I think it was gruyere). Everything fit together perfectly and even the less than ripe tomatoes could not distract from the perfect balance of flavors, textures, and aromas. The only way I can think of to improve this (well along with better tomatoes) would have been a side of mashed potatoes instead of the salad. Unfortunately, this was my wife’s dish, and while she gave me a nice helping of it, my entrée still left me wanting something more.

I had the Leek and Potato Gnocchi, a dish that does little to live-up to its name. For me the worst thing you can say about a dish at a restaurant of PS7’s quality is that it did not leave much of an impression, and that was certainly the case here. The one flavor that predominated the dish was pepper, I could not see it but it was omnipresent, and overpoweringly so. The bay scallops and peas, both were well represented in this dish, lacked any of the sweetness that you would expect from these ingredients. The morels reminded me of my high school math classes, I was there in body but not in spirit as they lacked any discernable flavor. The dish had a scant number of heavy and yet fragile gnocchi that provided little in the way of flavor or textural goodness. Now you may have noticed that I have not mentioned the leek yet, well that was because its only appearance was as fried leeks laid on top of the dish. There was nothing really offensive about this dish, there was simply nothing to remember it for.

I will continue with my insanity and keep trying PS7 hoping that I will get lucky enough to find another Hot Brown and fewer Leek and Potato Gnocchi. And one of these days I hope to finally make it for happy hour so that I can give the much touted drinks a try.

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I went with a friend to PS7's after a movie last night and had a great meal.

My friend had the carrot and ginger soup as an app and it was creamy and flavorful. The pine nuts added a great texture. She had the scallop appetizer as her main course, but the serving was so large that I suspect the kitchen might have added a little extra.

I had the artichoke ravioli, which were a great mix of sweet and salty. The only complaint is that the flavor of the sauce was so strong that the taste of the artichoke was lost.

For the main course I had the Veal Tenderloin. This dish was a decadent treat with a lot going on (maybe too much, but I ate it all). The morel bread pudding on top of morels in a creamy sauce created a series of sensations and interesting flavors as the earthiness of the morels and the sauce mixed, while the bread pudding had a complexity despite being a simple slice. The veal came with a reduction sauce and sorrel-pea foam, that slowly mixed over the course of the meal, so that two nice flavors became a third one.

Dessert was mini-donuts for my friend (try dipping the donuts in both the raspberry and chocolate sauce at the same time). I had the semolina and olive cake, which were small rounds with chocolate in the center and a light mandarin ice cream.

Wine was a 1997 Rex Hill Pinot Noir from Oregon. It was very mellow, with only a small amount of tartness on the finish, but it still retained a great - though not powerful - taste. It did well to bridge the various courses.

Service was great, and the bread rocked (but give it time to cool down).

It is exciting to go to a place that is trying to be creative and break out of the standard fare (no tuna carpaccio or goat cheese/beet salad to be found). It is even better when it works.

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Sadly Tiffany Short has left the building... I think she's been gone for a while now (We'd missed her presence on our past few visits over the last month plus), but I finally got confirmation of what I'd hoped wasn't true.

In good news, Peter Smith still does amazing cured meats and makes the world's greatest minihotdogs.

Kudos to the chef, PS7's managment and staff for hosting tonight's Slow Foods dinner and doing a great job at it. I've certainly never had a better meal for charity!

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Sadly Tiffany Short has left the building... I think she's been gone for a while now (We'd missed her presence on our past few visits over the last month plus), but I finally got confirmation of what I'd hoped wasn't true.

If she pays me big bucks, I won't tell everyone where she is.

(We do miss you, Tif.)

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and makes the world's greatest minihotdogs.

Are they still greasy and poorly emulsified? I really want to love when someone takes the time to make their own hot dogs, but the two times that I have had them I found that they were not properly made, and what I saw a couple weeks ago did nothing to dissuade me of that. The one way to tell is if there are air pockets in the force-meat, that is the sure sign that the fat was not properly mixed with the lean.

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The one way to tell is if there are air pockets in the force-meat, that is the sure sign that the fat was not properly mixed with the lean.

I've not had the hot dogs at PS7's, but I can confidently assure you that air pockets are not formed because of the fat/lean mixture. In the case of hot dogs and sausages, they are generally caused by forcing the meat into the casing too quickly or in some cases, too slowly.

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I've not had the hot dogs at PS7's, but I can confidently assure you that air pockets are not formed because of the fat/lean mixture. In the case of hot dogs and sausages, they are generally caused by forcing the meat into the casing too quickly or in some cases, too slowly.

That is a different type of air pocket. The ones that I am referring to are small round pockets were the fat melted out, not gaps where the meat should be.

I should have written that the forcemeat was pitted instead of containing air pockets.

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Are they still greasy and poorly emulsified? I really want to love when someone takes the time to make their own hot dogs, but the two times that I have had them I found that they were not properly made...

Obviously I don't think so. I've had them about 15-20 times over the past year. While they are somewhat on the greasy side - they are more half smokes than hot dogs so this doesn't bother me - I've only had the poorly emulsified problem once. The one time they were off they were really inedible. If you are 0 for 2, maybe you just don't like them, but as I say, I've only encountered what I think you are talking about once in the many times I've had them, so it is possible you've just had unusually bad luck.

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Obviously I don't think so. I've had them about 15-20 times over the past year. While they are somewhat on the greasy side - they are more half smokes than hot dogs so this doesn't bother me - I've only had the poorly emulsified problem once. The one time they were off they were really inedible. If you are 0 for 2, maybe you just don't like them, but as I say, I've only encountered what I think you are talking about once in the many times I've had them, so it is possible you've just had unusually bad luck.

My problem with PS7 is that other than my wife's Hot Brown I have had nothing but bad luck. It is too bad, it really seems like they put quite a bit of passion into their food, I just don't think that the execution has been there, well at least not for me.

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Saturday night- My wife and I entertained some friends at PS7's for great all-around cocktails, service and dinner. This is my second trip there for dinner and I have not been disappointed yet. Standout dishes were my bay scallop appetizer with morels and gnocchi and my friend was raving about his veal tenderloin with sweetbread chips. We skipped dessert there and went to CoCo Sala instead to try it out. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed. Four of us shared three of the three-course tasting menus, many of which the plates contained several components, yet only a couple singular items were the least bit memorable. We didn't have anything that was bad, per se, just nothing that was very good. IMHO, there were just SO many components to many of the plates, it was palate overload and nothing had a fighting chance to stand out. I am not rushing back to this place, but I wouldn't mind a return trip in a few months. Overall, it was a fun night in Penn Quarter!

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Took my wife there for her birthday recently and I was disappointed. Our apps were ok, but tasted very similar to each other(I had the bay scallops, my wife had the artichoke ravioli) - maybe I didn't read the menu correctly but too many flavors were too similar. Our mains were better - her halibut was perfectly cooked and delicious, but my lamb was cooked well the first time (sent it back, came back and medium+, rather than medium rare and by then I was too annoyed to send it back again). We foolishly ordered a side of roasted potatoes for $7 (which I could have made at home quite easily, I don't know what my wife was thinking). All the while I was there I kept thinking I should have gone to Palena, Corduroy or Komi etc. , but we wanted to try somewhere new and you know sometimes you just swing and miss.

The service was very nice and the staff seemed very professional. Nice space too, just the food did not do anything for me.

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Very nice small group meal on Wednesday.

Took advantage of the extended Restaurant Week deal [full menu available till 8/30, you should go if you haven't gone yet].

For starters, many of us tried the Tuna Sliders [spicy tuna tartare on petite Parker House rolls with cucumber and cilantro salad] and the Mussels in a wonderful Rosemary, Ale and Mustard Broth. For entrees, the Pan-Seared Lamb Round Bone Steak [w/ roasted eggplant and fava bean ragout, preserved lemon and mint vinaigrette], Sauteed Scallops[w/ Yukon gold potato mash, haricot vert, wild mushrooms and a sage emulsion], and the Cornmeal Crusted Rainbow Trout [w/ roasted yellow corn, watermelon and cilantro relish and baby spinach]. And for dessert, the Beingnets [w/ chocolate sauce and raspberry jam] and Chocolate Souffle Cake [w/ Bourbon Cream] put many of us over the edge food-wise [think the Beingnets had more fans between the 2]. Great compliments by my dining companions & a few more converts to the restaurant.

Some pics I captured from the meal:

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On request, serial eater Don Rockwell, founder of the community dining board DonRockwell.com, put together his own personal list of obsessive chefs, which, aside from Monis, Ziebold, and Ruta, also includes Ron Tanaka of Cork Wine Bar and Tony Conte of the Oval Room.

I don't know what on earth I was thinking when I left out Peter Smith from this interview. There may not be a more obsessive chef, in terms of his passion for kitchen work, than Smith.

Three different types of homemade bread in the free bread basket.

The new flatbreads on the menu at PS7's are a must-try. Called "Untraditional Topped Flat Breads," I'm not sure if they're untraditional because of the unusual toppings, or the crust, which is a homemade lavash (unleavened Armenian cracker bread). A Ducky ($10.25) is made with Smith's house-made duck confit, tiny cubes of spice-roasted pumpkin, sage, red-onion marmalade, and just enough aged Gouda to bring it all together. While I initially balked when I read it (flatbreads are often ill-conceived concoctions), this worked beautifully together as an autumn dish - it's perfect with the Russian River Pinot Noir they're now serving by the glass.

While I ordered the flatbread as a serendipitous afterthought, what really caught my eye on the menu was a small order of Foie Gras Studded Beef Shortribs in Pastry ($14.50). Every bit as good as it sounds, this hearty, cold-weather dish is composed with a paper-thin pastry crust, overstuffed with shredded shortrib meat, on a scapey sperm-cell thing of sweet-potato puree, with a side of exquisite chanterelles, balsamic roasted red onions judiciously distributed, and the whole thing sitting on top of a perfectly reduced (and I mean timed to the second) red-wine gastrique.

When I have a dish such as these shortribs, it makes me reflect on big things, and last night I began thinking about how PS7's is an independent restaurant, battling for survival in corporate-funded Verizon Center. I've visited many establishments lately that are suffering, and I fear that PS7's may be one of them - although if you talk with Smith, you wouldn't know it because all he wants to do is share his enthusiasm with cooking and food. But even though I have no concrete reason to think so, I "feel" like this restaurant, like so many others, is in peril.

The hugely vast majority of diners around Verizon Center are having meals in the 7th-Street chains, and I ask myself how many of these people voted in the past election, take care to recycle papers and plastics in their homes, and donate money to charitable causes - all because they're "the right thing to do." And the answer is: probably a lot of them, and they're all good people for doing so. But dining at the corporate chains around the Verizon Center, or for that matter ordering a pizza from Domino's, or having a cup of coffee at Starbucks, or getting a Sausage Biscuit at the drive-thru at McDonald's, is every bit as damaging to the world as throwing a cigarette butt out your car window. Yet people do it, mindlessly, robotically...

People need to begin thinking about Peter Smith, and the many independent restaurateurs of character that prevent this town from turning into a giant shopping mall.

People need to think about Peter Smith because if they don't, then one day there won't be any Peter Smith left to think about.

And that free bread basket with the three types of homemade bread will be gone.

Cheers,

Rocks.

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The hugely vast majority of diners around Verizon Center are having meals in the 7th-Street chains, and I ask myself how many of these people voted in the past election, take care to recycle papers and plastics in their homes, and donate money to charitable causes - all because they're "the right thing to do." And the answer is: probably a lot of them, and they're all good people for doing so. But dining at the corporate chains around the Verizon Center, or for that matter ordering a pizza from Domino's, or having a cup of coffee at Starbucks, or getting a Sausage Biscuit at the drive-thru at McDonald's, is every bit as damaging to the world as throwing a cigarette butt out your car window. Yet people do it, mindlessly, robotically...

I don't buy this argument. If a big chain can do something as well as the little guy, it is just as worthy of support. You specifically mention Starbucks as something that people ought not support. But is there a better place for coffee near the corner of 7th and H? If not, do people in that neighborhood have a moral obligation to get coffee from the nearest independent coffee shop, even if it isn't as good? The problem is not that people are immoral for selecting a corporate restaurant or coffee shop over an independent one, it's that they're often stupid for doing so. But there are plenty of terrible family businesses out there.

People dining near the Verizon Center should support PS7 because it is better than its corporate competition, not because it is an independent.

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They should still be doing HH on Saturdays - I hope so!! I think we last went on 11/15.
Word of warning - even though PS7's web site says that "Bar/lounge, and lounge menu, available from 11:30 a.m. until closing..." when I went for HH on a Friday just before 5:00 the lounge was totally unprepared to serve...anything...It appeared as if the bar was being set up or re-stocked and I felt like I was a bother to the staff. We were told we were too early for HH pricing. I couldn't find anything on the web site to indicate the times for HH, so I gave the place the benefit of the doubt. We drank our first round at regular price, and our second round at HH pricing. No big deal, except that a place that touts all day service in the lounge should be welcoming of the business that does walk in at the odd hours.
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Has anyone tried PS7's new Happy Hour menu? I am heading there tonight before going to see Annie Leibovitz speak (!!!) and was wondering about the flat breads, a new addition to the menu since the last time I was there. In particular the duck one looked good. Thoughts??

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Has anyone tried PS7's new Happy Hour menu? I am heading there tonight before going to see Annie Leibovitz speak (!!!) and was wondering about the flat breads, a new addition to the menu since the last time I was there. In particular the duck one looked good. Thoughts??

This isn't very helpful for you tonight, but I was a big fan of the flatbreads. Went to PS7s for HH last Thursday (I love their wine and app deals) and tried both the Ducky and the Cured and Delicious. It was hard to say which one I liked better, since both were tasty. The Ducky was a little sweeter due to the sauce and the Cured was a little more savory despite the figs. I would certainly recommend both.

And as always, the Tuna Sliders were amazing. Petite Hot Dogs are a winner as well. Thinking about all of this makes me want to go back right now...

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Big news, courtesy of Amanda at Metrocurean

Chef Peter Smith's Penn Quarter restaurant PS 7's announced two big hires today: mixologist Gina Chersevani and pastry chef Leon Baker.

Chersevani has gained national recognition for her cocktail creations and developed a local following during her time behind the bar at Rasika and most recently Arlington's EatBar. Her move to Virginia a year ago caused quite a stir with fans.

Baker has collaborated with chef Morou Ouattara at Farrah Olivia and Signatures and appeared on "Iron Chef America" with him. Baker first worked with Smith at Vidalia.

Chef/Owner Peter Smith has seriously taken PS7 up more than a notch or two with these moves. If you thought that you needed a reason to visit PS7 before (and, really, you didn't...) then there is NO excuse not to visit PS7 now :P

Personally, I hadn't been there since Tiffany left the bar (shame upon me) but Peter obviously understands the draw of a top bar program and desserts to keep diners enthralled.

I'm exited for all concerned. Bravo to Peter and congratulations to Gina and Leon!

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People need to begin thinking about Peter Smith, and the many independent restaurateurs of character that prevent this town from turning into a giant shopping mall.

People need to think about Peter Smith because if they don't, then one day there won't be any Peter Smith left to think about.

And that free bread basket with the three types of homemade bread will be gone.

Cheers,

Rocks.

I was very happy to read this. I don't understand the lack of love for PS7's. I have been wowed each time I have eaten there. I have met the chef briefly on a couple of those occasions and he's a great guy, happy to chat about the food, the place, or anything else. DC foodies must support this place.

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I was there last night and was the only person in the entire lounge area!
It was beyond packed on Friday night -- I think there was a Caps game though. Gina's arrival re-elevates the bar here to awesomeness for me (it had suffered since Tiffany left), so they can count on my business regularly.
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I was there last night and was the only person in the entire lounge area!

I'm hoping that was just because it was a Monday.

This is a favorite spot in town for me....for both their lounge menu but also a regular meal as well. I have found the staff one of the friendliest and most helpful in DC. 2 times that I've dined there, including once during Restaurant Week, the manager has stopped by to say hello and chat. They are classy while still being inventive with the food.

My boyfriend has never been so I'm looking forward to the meal we will be having this coming weekend. Emails from 2 different managers informed me that they will be releasing a new menu this week. Looking forward to checking that out.

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So I'm kind of in love with Gina.

She is everything a bartender should be: talented (of course), talkative but not intrusive, outgoing, kind, and exactly the type of person you'd like to toast the night with.

She made me three original cocktails: I began with a ginger/clove/rum combination (not sure of ingredients, but there was lemon and egg whites), then an ingenious port/bourbon cocktail, and topped it all off with a kumquat/vodka combo.

I also had sips of her "Scorched Milk" cocktail, which is to die for.

I will certainly be back. In fact, tomorrow night I think I'll meet a blind date at the bar. If it doesn't work out, I'd be happy to go home with Gina... as long as cocktails are included.

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I began with a ginger/clove/rum combination (not sure of ingredients, but there was lemon and egg whites), then an ingenious port/bourbon cocktail, and topped it all off with a kumquat/vodka combo.

I also had sips of her "Scorched Milk" cocktail, which is to die for.

What's the scorched milk thing? I had the first two when I was there and they were awesome.
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A friend and I were there a few days ago, and I enjoyed a few delightful Sazeracs at the bar, one of which Gina made with *ahem* a certain absinthe not normally carried in stores. The food was also excellent, though I was too focussed on the conversation to remember many details. Really a great place for eating at the bar.

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What's the lounge like at lunchtime? I have so few options near my office, I've been considering a quick Metro trip to PS7 for some charcuterie, but only if there's a reasonable shot at getting a seat at the bar.

The lounge is a delight at lunch. It's quiet, they have a great 3 course, $20 prix fixe menu, great beer selection and the full menu is available. I would sometimes take my laptop and sit alone and enjoy a nice, long lunch because it was such a nice relaxing break from the office.

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Scott and I stopped by for a post Empson Brunello/Barolo tasting repast. After 9 Montalcino wines and 30 Barolo/Barbaresco?Barbera and Dolcetto, we needed booze and food. Pete was there and we chatted between his delivering our food...he is a pretty good runner except he is a little chatty :P

We had a couple of Gina's new cocktails, Scott having something with gin and I had the Scorched Milk cocktail which was pretty damned good. The charcuterie plate consisted of an array of house cured sausages and coppa and lonza. My usual complaint about house made sausages is when they don't deliver the flavor of a well made artisinal example. Pete's stuff was different and had a lot of flavor and complexity. He admitted that his drying room doesn't work well in the summer so go now for this treat. The "Chicago Dogs" were good if a little small. We got two on our order and I would ahve liked the same amount of meat in a single dog. The topping were too frou frou for a real Chicago dog, but the result was good. There were potato things that I liked less than Scott did, but the aioli was superb. The braised meat short ribs were very rich and good. All of the food was on the heavy side, all of it inventive and all of it quite tasty to really great.

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We dropped in last night after being perfectly repulsed by the high school-ish drink offerings, indifferent service, and abysmal atmosphere at the Tantra Lounge (honestly...avoid that place like the plague!). PS7 was a delightful contrast to the garish Tantra Lounge. The music wasn't too loud (though I guess one can't escape the thumpa-thumpa tunes on a Friday night), and the atmosphere was sophisticated yet still comfortable.

The service was prompt, friendly, helpful, and informed. The drinks we had were lovely. I had one of the "a Glimpse of Summer" (aka their take on a dirty martini) and Lisa had the "Yes We Can"ton. I couldn't resist the charcuterie plate and Lisa noshed on the "Nutty Goat" flatbread. I would have liked a slightly dryer sausage, hopefully intensifying the flavours but really one couldn't complain. The figs accompanying the sausage were freaking great.

I keep forgetting how much I enjoy the lounge at PS7. We have to hit this place more often.

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Scott and I stopped by for a post Empson Brunello/Barolo tasting repast. After 9 Montalcino wines and 30 Barolo/Barbaresco?Barbera and Dolcetto, we needed booze and food. Pete was there and we chatted between his delivering our food...he is a pretty good runner except he is a little chatty :P

We had a couple of Gina's new cocktails, Scott having something with gin and I had the Scorched Milk cocktail which was pretty damned good. The charcuterie plate consisted of an array of house cured sausages and coppa and lonza. My usual complaint about house made sausages is when they don't deliver the flavor of a well made artisinal example. Pete's stuff was different and had a lot of flavor and complexity. He admitted that his drying room doesn't work well in the summer so go now for this treat. The "Chicago Dogs" were good if a little small. We got two on our order and I would ahve liked the same amount of meat in a single dog. The topping were too frou frou for a real Chicago dog, but the result was good. There were potato things that I liked less than Scott did, but the aioli was superb. The braised meat short ribs were very rich and good. All of the food was on the heavy side, all of it inventive and all of it quite tasty to really great.

I had the "Glimpse of Summer" cocktail with Plymouth Gin and Gina's Homemade Pickled Wax Beans. Jump at anything with Gina's Pickles, They ROCK!

The Scorched Milk that Dean had was one of the best cocktails I've had so far in 2009.

My fave was the braised oxtail "tots". Peter has a great imagination and puts it to good use. They were ridiculously indulgent!

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The Scorched Milk that Dean had was one of the best cocktails I've had so far in 2009.

Second that. I've tried it twice, and dream of it. It's like crisp winter in a glass... with spice on top. I have adored everything Gina's made for me. I'm scared to look at my MC bill this month. I am guess 1/3 expenses have been spent at that bar!

But all worth it.

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I knew it was going to be a good night there when I was able to score rock star meter parking right in front last night; I was definitely not disappointed. Gina, Lauren, and Quentin made a trifecta kapow last night, with Gina making fab cocktails, Lauren, a sympathetic ear, and finding someone who is equally blind as me and with hip glasses, as Quentin.

SeanMike and I were wowed by the food and the cocktails. Gina definitely makes cocktails that complement and heighten the food flavors as any good wine should do, making her a great mixomelier* in my book. SeanMike was also a great schmoozer with "the in crowd" of people at the bar last night. Chef Smith is doing great things in the kitchen as well. Agreeing with xcanuck, the lounge area has a great atmosphere.**

Scorched Milk was a small highlight, but Gina has other tricks up her sleeves that you'll just have to stop by to check out.

*Higher than a mixologist, since she's doing more than mixing cocktails, but not exactly a sommelier based on the true definition.

**Sliding doors to the kitchen are Jetson-awesome!

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I had a great time there last night and I would only add that Peter Smith was incredibly friendly and cool. Gina, of course, is a killer mixtress, it was great to see Lauren and the other non-working people there last night that I'd met before, and all the new people I met were also quite cool!

I felt like I could've hung out there all night - and given how this morning went, almost wish I'd done so!

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