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Rogue 24, Blagden Alley in Mount Vernon Square - 2007 James Beard Winner RJ Cooper Departs on Dec 31, 2015 - Closed Jan 15, 2016


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Undecided.

Eight of us went to dinner on Saturday night and I think that all of us walked away with mixed emotions. We loved the space, even if the taxi refused to drive us into the alley to drop us off in front of the restaurant. Drinks in the lounge were a great setting to start the evening and the open kitchen provided a wonderful atmoshere for the five hour dinner we were about to embark on. The service was, for the most part, superb. A few too many times they poured us drinks/wine without explaining what we were having, but that was minor. We liked how they mixed up the chefs explaining what dish we were eating and Chef Cooper was a mainstay at our table throughout the night ensuring that we were having a good time.

On the flip side, the drinks and food were a mixed bag. For our tastes, there were too many leaning-sweet whites served throughout dinner. It is tough to pair 8 drinks with 24 courses, but I don't think that they have mastered this yet. As far as the food is concerned, there were several high notes - pizza paper, urchin, poutine, basil snails, lady apple, venison - but there was an equal number of low notes - liquid chicken, virginia peanuts, parmesan marshmallow, brad's goat cheese, kuri squash. We walked away full, which I can't say for Minibar, but I wouldn't say that we were totally satisfied.

Overall, if you are someone that can afford dinners like this on a regular basis, I think that going to Rigue 24 is a good idea (although I would sincerely suggest that you go with the 16 course as opposed to the 24 course menu). However, if you only have the money or time to go to extravagent dinners every once in a while, I would likely pass on Rogue 24. There are several restaurants out there that are better for a special occassion/experience.

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So I usually won't reply to blog posts but I find myself having to critique these guests and defend my restaurant.

1. We normally don't seat a party of 8 and I accommodate you all after several of your guests were over a half hour late. We had to rework our seating and timing

2. Wine pairings rotate if you didn't like something we open other bottles. All you had to do was communicate.

3. You all had 1 guest whom didn't eat a thing through out the journey, i personally asked her several times if we could do anything for her, she said she was fine and without hesitation we compt her meal cometely. and we didnt recieve an ounce of and gratitude from your party.

4. When you party left several of your guests pulled me aside and raved.

So your opinion which I appreciate and we will strive to be better each day has a back story.

If this were a special occasion there was no mention to us. I clearly remember the hostess.

I can take a punch and I ways get up fighting.

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I would sincerely suggest that you go with the 16 course as opposed to the 24 course menu

I disagree. One shouldn't go to Rogue 24 just to fill one's belly. One's there for the opportunty to taste innovative and potentially extraordinary dishes. And the difference btwn 16 courses and 24 courses is only $20.

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I didn’t find 24 courses to be a lot of food, if that’s what you’re getting at. It was about as filling as finishing a full size entrée at another restaurant. It might be a problem for someone with a small appetite, but should not be a problem for someone with an average appetite.

If a member of your party was late by 30 minutes, the minor service faults really lies with your group. These 20+ course dinners always come with very strict start times for good reasons, so I’m not surprised that there were minor glitches.

The wine pairing complaint I sort of understand, even though I loved mine. Given your fairly specific tastes and the large table, I'm surprised that you didn't order or bring your own bottles.

My own dinner was for a little over 2 hours. Did yours really continue on for 5(!) hours?

I’m curious as to what you recommend as similar but better experiences. The only peers offering 10+ courses that I can think of are Komi, Table 21, Vidalia’s 24 course offering, and MiniBar. I’m always on the lookout for other places that offer a similar experience.

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Chef, I do not understand your explanation of my critique at all.

1. We normally don't seat a party of 8 and I accommodate you all after several of your guests were over a half hour late. We had to rework our seating and timing.

I reread my post. I did not complain at all about you seating our table after our reservation time. I also didn't say anything at all about seating or timing. In fact, I said that the service was superb and that you did a good job working the room and making us feel comfortable. I do not understand what you are taking offense to.

2. Wine pairings rotate if you didn't like something we open other bottles. All you had to do was communicate.

I, personally, did not like the wine pairings. I commented that I did not like the wine pairings. I thought the purpose of reviewing a restaurant is to comment on what you like and don't like. I did not trash your wine pairings, I simply said that it is tough to do a pairing like this and that the restaurant did not master it yet.

3. You all had 1 guest whom didn't eat a thing through out the journey, i personally asked her several times if we could do anything for her, she said she was fine and without hesitation we compt her meal cometely. and we didnt recieve an ounce of and gratitude from your party.

I appreciate you comping my friend's meal, although I think that it was unnecessary because she is the one that didn't eat anything. I did not know that you comped my friend's meal, no one came and told me that it was being done, so I am not sure how I was supposed to thank you for doing so. The bill that came to us had four line items - food, drinks, tax, total. When I looked at it, I did not do the math, determine that you only charged us for seven meals, as opposed to eight, and then come thank you for comping her meal.

4. When you party left several of your guests pulled me aside and raved.

Yes, many of them did. Some of them really loved the meal, others were hesitant to talk about portions of the meal that they did not enjoy because they felt that it would have been inappropriate. Like I have said numerous time, I do not speak for my friends, I said that there were parts of the meal that I liked and there were parts of the meal that I did not enjoy. Again, I thought that the point of this board was to do so.

If this were a special occasion there was no mention to us. I clearly remember the hostess.

Again, I don't even know how to respond to this, I did not mention one thing in my post about a special occasion.

I can take a punch and I ways get up fighting.

I don't feel that my review was a punch at all, there were no fighting words in my review. I essentially said that I had mixed emotions about my dinner at Rogue 24.

Am I missing something here? Most of your responses to my posts are not based on anything that I wrote.

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I disagree. One shouldn't go to Rogue 24 just to fill one's belly. One's there for the opportunty to taste innovative and potentially extraordinary dishes. And the difference btwn 16 courses and 24 courses is only $20.

My suggestion to go with the 16 courses as opposed to the 24 courses is because I, personally, thought that it was too much food. I liked the variety of 24 to 16 courses (obviously), but it was just too much for me.

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I didn’t find 24 courses to be a lot of food, if that’s what you’re getting at. It was about as filling as finishing a full size entrée at another restaurant. It might be a problem for someone with a small appetite, but should not be a problem for someone with an average appetite.

I thought that it was too much food. I did not complain about there being too much food, I just said that if someone asked me whether they should get the 16 or 24 course menu, I would go with the 16 course menu.

If a member of your party was late by 30 minutes, the minor service faults really lies with your group. These 20+ course dinners always come with very strict start times for good reasons, so I’m not surprised that there were minor glitches.

Similar to my response to Chef Cooper, I did not complain about the service at all other than the fact that they sometimes did not explain what drink they were giving us. I don't know how that has anything at all to do with some of us being late. By the way, I was there at 7:10 PM, for a 7:30 reservation, and my wife and I had drinks in the lounge before we got seated (which, I also, complimented).

The wine pairing complaint I sort of understand, even though I loved mine. Given your fairly specific tastes and the large table, I'm surprised that you didn't order or bring your own bottles.

Again, I'm not quite sure how to respond to this. I don't have very specific tastes as far as wine is concerned. I am not a picky drinker. I simply stated that I felt that there were too many sweeter (for my palate) white wines and that the pairing was average. By the way, please remember that we aren't seated with a menu at Rogue 24 (at least I don't remember seeing one). We simply said that we wanted the 24 courses and the drink pairing and that was it. So, it is not like I looked at the wine list, ordered what I wanted and then bitched about it when I didn't like it. I simply said that I think that they have room for improvement with the wine pairings.

My own dinner was for a little over 2 hours. Did yours really continue on for 5(!) hours?

We left the restaurant, I believe, at 12:30 PM, putting our seated time at 4.5 hours and my total time there well over 5 hours. Again, I did not complain about this at all, in fact, I liked it because I got to see my friends that I don't get to see all of the time.

I’m curious as to what you recommend as similar but better experiences. The only peers offering 10+ courses that I can think of are Komi, Table 21, Vidalia’s 24 course offering, and MiniBar. I’m always on the lookout for other places that offer a similar experience.

Komi is my favorite restaurant in the city. I got engaged at Volt, so Table 21 holds a special place in my heart. I felt that Minibar, overall, had better food that Rogue 24, but I did not like the fact that we ate again two hours after leaving Minibar. When I last went to Citronelle and had one of those over the top multi-course dinners, I loved it, but that was 10 years ago.

I agree, Rogue 24 is a unique dinning experience in DC. As I said in my original review, if one of my friend's asked me whether they should go there or not, I would consider my friend. Do they go out to eat on a regular basis and don't mind spending the money? If that is the case, yes, they should go to Rogue 24. If they go out only for special occasions and money is relatively tight for them, no, I would not recommend that they go to Rogue 24 because I think that there are better restaurants out there for that type of dinner (Komi, Volt, Cityzen, Palena).

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I can take a punch and I ways get up fighting.

I don't feel that my review was a punch at all, there were no fighting words in my review. I essentially said that I had mixed emotions about my dinner at Rogue 24.

Am I missing something here? Most of your responses to my posts are not based on anything that I wrote.

I have to say that after I read RJ's response, I went back and read through your review (which I only had time to skim before). I didn't see any punches either. Did you go back and re-write the review or something? Because at is stands, I think it's far more positive than negative.

I'm not writing this response as "moderator," but as a plain old reader - what am I missing?

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I have to say that after I read RJ's response, I went back and read through your review (which I only had time to skim before). I didn't see any punches either. Did you go back and re-write the review or something? Because at is stands, I think it's far more positive than negative.

I'm not writing this response as "moderator," but as a plain old reader - what am I missing?

Don, I did not make any edits to my original post (#152). I did make one minor edit to my follow-up post to Chef Cooper (#156). I originally wrote this (I believe) - "Like I have said numerous times, I do not speak for my friends, I said that there were parts of the meal that I liked and there were parts of the meal that I did not enjoy. Again, I thought that the point of this board was to do so." I, however, edited it to say the following - "Yes, many of them did. Some of them really loved the meal, others were hesitant to talk about portions of the meal that they did not enjoy because they felt that it would have been inappropriate. Like I have said numerous time, I do not speak for my friends, I said that there were parts of the meal that I liked and there were parts of the meal that I did not enjoy. Again, I thought that the point of this board was to do so."

My reasoning for doing so is because I did, to an extent, speak for my friends in my original post (#152) - "Eight of us went to dinner on Saturday night and I think that all of us walked away with mixed emotions." Thus, I wanted to further clarify my response to what Chef Cooper wrote to make sure that I was as accurate as possible.

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Don, I did not make any edits to my original post (#152). I did make one minor edit to my follow-up post to Chef Cooper (#156). I originally wrote this (I believe) - "Like I have said numerous times, I do not speak for my friends, I said that there were parts of the meal that I liked and there were parts of the meal that I did not enjoy. Again, I thought that the point of this board was to do so." I, however, edited it to say the following - "Yes, many of them did. Some of them really loved the meal, others were hesitant to talk about portions of the meal that they did not enjoy because they felt that it would have been inappropriate. Like I have said numerous time, I do not speak for my friends, I said that there were parts of the meal that I liked and there were parts of the meal that I did not enjoy. Again, I thought that the point of this board was to do so."

My reasoning for doing so is because I did, to an extent, speak for my friends in my original post (#152) - "Eight of us went to dinner on Saturday night and I think that all of us walked away with mixed emotions." Thus, I wanted to further clarify my response to what Chef Cooper wrote to make sure that I was as accurate as possible.

[Okay then let me write this as moderator: I don't want to speak for anyone, but maybe this was just a heat-of-the-moment overreaction. I won't stand in the way of free-flowing discussion, but kindness, gentleness on all sides - that's all I ask ... deep breath ... ohmmmm]

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It boils down to this. I thoroughly appreciate your opinion and as we go forward learn from our shortcomings. Ty.

We also feel that we went a long way to make your group happy.

Not a pissing match we just want to learn. And when you say we don't come close to the top well there are others many others that will beg to differ from you. We just want to be the best and we are young.

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I agree, Rogue 24 is a unique dinning experience in DC. As I said in my original review, if one of my friend's asked me whether they should go there or not, I would consider my friend. Do they go out to eat on a regular basis and don't mind spending the money? If that is the case, yes, they should go to Rogue 24. If they go out only for special occasions and money is relatively tight for them, no, I would not recommend that they go to Rogue 24 because I think that there are better restaurants out there for that type of dinner (Komi, Volt, Cityzen, Palena).

I actually have a response to this thread that has nothing to do with the content of what either jiveturk or chefrjdc have said. I only wish that this was Monday morning and several thousand people could read what I am about to say: my problem is the whole concept of e-mail and debating through the internet and in print. What ever happened to saying it in person and not hiding behind an anonymous keyboard? What about inflection, intonation: has anyone reading this ever listened to a telephone message? How would you compare this with an e-mail? When someone leaves me a message I want to hear HOW it is said, I want to hear the emotion. E-mails, and forums like this for me, are emotionless. I believe that this is a huge step backwards.

I think the real point behind this whole thread and isolated responses to expressions is that none of this represents the actual experience which could be expressed one on one. My words cause a reaction: what if I can see this? On the face of a person a few feet away. I type this as a 64 year old man who HATES e-mail and has also, as a salesman, sold almost one quarter billion dollars worth of equipment in my industry.

We need to talk in person, we need to talk live. Jiveturk, sit across the table from RJ and say this to his face. Then, for me, it will matter.

There is a whole generation growing up across the table without really knowing the person on the other side. What we can say makes a difference. Without a face it seems to matter less. With a face, it may matter more.

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As one who's been following this closely but not yet been to R24, I appreciated jiveturk's original post. I might have liked a bit more specificity on why his (or her) preferred dishes were preferred and likewise, why those not enjoyed weren't but that would take more typing and of course up to each of us how much we share. But the original review seemed fair, balanced and constructive in its critique to me--exactly what I'd hope always true with any report and disagreements. That said:

It boils down to this. I thoroughly appreciate your opinion and as we go forward learn from our shortcomings. Ty.

We also feel that we went a long way to make your group happy.

Not a pissing match we just want to learn. And when you say we don't come close to the top well there are others many others that will beg to differ from you. We just want to be the best and we are young.

This is great stuff. While i was surprised at Chef's first reply, I really appreciate this follow up. I'm looking forward to finally trying R24--soon.

I actually have a response to this thread that has nothing to do with the content of what either jiveturk or chefrjdc have said. I only wish that this was Monday morning and several thousand people could read what I am about to say: my problem is the whole concept of e-mail and debating through the internet and in print. What ever happened to saying it in person and not hiding behind an anonymous keyboard?

<snip>

We need to talk in person, we need to talk live. Jiveturk, sit across the table from RJ and say this to his face. Then, for me, it will matter.

I'd respectfully disagree here simply because, to me, this isn't an either/or. Yes, in person and face to face are hugely valuable and, like Joe, I worry that devices are supplanting in-person more than ideal and that in-person is a declining art. But, maybe a bit unlike Joe, I'm a big fan of internet and email as new and complementary channels. So, absolutely not instead of face-to-face but, rather, in addition. There are many reasons and instances where email/internet may be better or preferred. Way too many to belabor here. I just think all the 'golden rules' still apply whether in person or online, whether communicated anonymously or with a nametag. Civility, empathy, respect, constructive critique. Far be it for me to accuse someone of "hiding" or judge when someone's thoughts "will matter." I appreciate what anyone contributes so long as civil, constructive, etc, etc and irrespective of what channel they use to do so.

Beer summit!

Yes! Beer summits are great. Likewise coffee klatches, wine tastings and milkshake meetings :D

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The Media blows shit way out of wack.

Well it certainly seems like you're being singled out. As I was saying to a friend of mine just last night, "if people don't pull for independently owned, risk-taking places like Rogue 24 to succeed, then they pretty much deserve what they ask for." When's the last time you've seen a food writer go after Carmine's, Cuba Libre, or P.J. Clarke's?

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...Carmine's, Cuba Libre, or P.J. Clarke's?

Huh? Why would a food writer go after mens' clothing stores? :D Like someone famous once said (and I'm paraphrasing), worse than being criticized/singled out is when they stop talking about you altogether. Better to be despised by some than ignored by all. Something like that. R24 has lots of fans and some detractors. Sign me up...er, I'll ring soon. Having fun with a serious and talented risk taker sounds good to me.

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All I just want to say this: Lets just have a fun time!!!!! We made a hell of a lot of people happy tonight!!!

And Yes Matt Carroll has decided to leave. The Media blows shit way out of wack.

Dear RJ: I will do pro-Bono work for you any time ...as long as Chef R.W. allows me. Your concept and cojones will go a long way in making DC a better dining destination unlike many of the tepid efforts put forth by other people.

The media is the media, and a good story is a good story. Everyone is a critic and that is a good thing for all of us. As long as you are not ignored! Don't get mad at people giving you feedback.

Just a little feed back from a friend!

R.N.

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We need to talk in person, we need to talk live. Jiveturk, sit across the table from RJ and say this to his face. Then, for me, it will matter.

Potentially, you could say this about every criticism of an establishment put forth on this board. What is it about this one that requires intimacy?

There is a whole generation growing up across the table without really knowing the person on the other side. What we can say makes a difference. Without a face it seems to matter less. With a face, it may matter more.

Without the electronic communication, the audience is limited to your own social circle.

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Potentially, you could say this about every criticism of an establishment put forth on this board. What is it about this one that requires intimacy?

Without the electronic communication, the audience is limited to your own social circle.

Depending on the discussion I may only want one person to hear what I am saying. The larger discussion here is the value of social media including Facebook and boards like this which I've been on since 1999. They are invaluable for sharing ideas and experiences while appealing to a larger audience. But for some discussions they do not take the place of an actual conversation, especially in person. And, from above: "my problem is the whole concept of e-mail and debating through the internet and in print. What ever happened to saying it in person and not hiding behind an anonymous keyboard? What about inflection, intonation: has anyone reading this ever listened to a telephone message? How would you compare this with an e-mail? When someone leaves me a message I want to hear HOW it is said, I want to hear the emotion. E-mails, and forums like this for me, are emotionless. I believe that this is a huge step backwards."

I am not a fan of Facebook. Of course I AM old...

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Tonight was the first time I've ever been to Rogue 24, and RJ told me about his impending surgery (a "genetic thing," he said), adding that he'll hopefully be back at the end of January.

Maybe I'm missing something that other area restaurant critics can see, but based on the meal I had this evening, I think Rogue 24 is one of our city's treasures. It is superior to Minibar (and this really isn't a close call), and even though it's comparing oranges to apples, I'm raising it above Corduroy in the Dining Guide while at the same time maintaining Corduroy in bold, and Rogue 24 in italic. This is not an inconsistency: the dining guide rankings are essentially based on "where I'd like to have a meal, price notwithstanding." Corduroy is one of our city's finest restaurants (and one of my personal all-time favorites in DC), and it's no secret that my respect for Tom Power borders on worship and reverence, but if someone else was paying? I'd rather have a meal at Rogue 24.

Two months ago, I had the Grand ABaC menu at one of the most celebrated restaurants in Barcelona, which has since earned two Michelin stars. What I had at Rogue 24 tonight was superior.

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Tonight was the first time I've ever been to Rogue 24, and RJ told me about his impending surgery (a "genetic thing," he said), adding that he'll hopefully be back at the end of January.

Maybe I'm missing something that other area restaurant critics can see, but based on the meal I had this evening, I think Rogue 24 is one of our city's treasures. It is superior to Minibar (and this really isn't a close call), and even though it's comparing oranges to apples, I'm raising it above Corduroy in the Dining Guide while at the same time maintaining Corduroy in bold, and Rogue 24 in italic. This is not an inconsistency: the dining guide rankings are essentially based on "where I'd like to have a meal, price notwithstanding." Corduroy is one of our city's finest restaurants (and one of my personal all-time favorites in DC), and it's no secret that my respect for Tom Power borders on worship and reverence, but if someone else was paying? I'd rather have a meal at Rogue 24.

Two months ago, I had the Grand ABaC menu at one of the most celebrated restaurants in Barcelona. What I had at Rogue 24 tonight was superior.

Thank You Don, the team (Ryan, Mikey, Gaga, Slim, Diego, Cullin, JP and everyone else) appreciate your kind words. We work hard everyday on improving ourselves, the restaurant systems and our services. Through my absence in January I have zero doubt on the execution of my vision.

RJ

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We went recently and my take was closer to Jiveturk's-- we enjoyed the meal and were glad we went, but overall it did not wow me quite as much as say, Table 21 at Volt or Komi. I looked at the menu link and our menu did not match up exactly (for example, we had a risotto, which was not one of the table's favorite dishes). I found the very last plate of desserts to be a little disappointing, which I think is an unfortunate way to end (opinions were split at our table on a meringue which was described as "Mr. Soapy" and did indeed taste like bubble bath). There were some great dishes however (including the other two desserts, especially the coconut).

In contrast, or perhaps reaction, to Jiveturk's comments, I found the sommelier went overboard discussing the wine we were about to be served, so I guess that just proves you can't please everyone (except, maybe, with the apple drink that was served). Our meal did take 4 hours or so from when we were seated.

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" I don't think it makes sense to dine there while R.J. Cooper is away, do you?" - Tom Sietsema

As a matter of fact, I do.

This may be the most irresponsible statement ever by Mr. Sietsema. That the leading food critic in this city would advocate staying away from a restaurant while the Chef is away is surprising. Particularly since he recently re-emphasised the 4-star status of Citronelle and Minibar when Chef Richard and Chef Andres are not regularly found in said extablishments?

I have never been to Rogue 24, but what they do is so precise, so meticulous, and so technically skilled that I cannot imagine it would go to hell-in-a-handbasket due to RJ's brief absence. And if RJ is reading this: stay home, rest up, and get well. I am sure your team will continue to execute to your, and their, high standards.

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" I don't think it makes sense to dine there while R.J. Cooper is away, do you?" - Tom Sietsema

As a matter of fact, I do.

This may be the most irresponsible statement ever by Mr. Sietsema. That the leading food critic in this city would advocate staying away from a restaurant while the Chef is away surprising. Particularly since he recently re-emphasised the 4-star status of Citronelle and Minibar when Chef Richard and Chef Andres are not regularly found in said extablishments?

I have never been to Rogue 24, but what they do is so precise, so meticulous, and so technically skilled that I cannot imagine it would go to hell-in-a-handbasket due to RJ's absence. And if RJ is reading this: stay home, rest up, and get well. I am sure your team will continue to execute to your, and their, high standards.

Luckily our dear Post.com (which increasingly appears to be run by elderly Amazonian tribespeople who have never before seen a computer) cleverly broke all links to this chat for most of the morning so no one could see this silly recommendation.

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I never got around to posting a review, but RJ was not there when I went, and the meal was absolutely amazing. And I think I agree with Don re: Minibar but I think what they do is so very different we argued about whether they were truly comparable than which one was better. One's a meal, one's a show.

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" I don't think it makes sense to dine there while R.J. Cooper is away, do you?" - Tom Sietsema

As a matter of fact, I do.

This may be the most irresponsible statement ever by Mr. Sietsema. That the leading food critic in this city would advocate staying away from a restaurant while the Chef is away is surprising. Particularly since he recently re-emphasised the 4-star status of Citronelle and Minibar when Chef Richard and Chef Andres are not regularly found in said extablishments?

I have never been to Rogue 24, but what they do is so precise, so meticulous, and so technically skilled that I cannot imagine it would go to hell-in-a-handbasket due to RJ's brief absence. And if RJ is reading this: stay home, rest up, and get well. I am sure your team will continue to execute to your, and their, high standards.

Someone from Rogue 24 later wrote in and said that he would only be out one week in January and gave the dates. IIRC, they were going to be closed the week he has the surgery and then open without him for one week following.

I thought it was a particularly weak comment on Tom's part, especially because it was in response to someone asking why he has not reviewed the restaurant yet.

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Someone from Rogue 24 later wrote in and said that he would only be out one week in January and gave the dates. IIRC, they were going to be closed the week he has the surgery and then open without him for one week following.

I thought it was a particularly weak comment on Tom's part, especially because it was in response to someone asking why he has not reviewed the restaurant yet.

I saw that, and it saddened me that a PR person had to respond to a nationally recognized restaurant critic about the personal medical matters of a Chef.

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I saw that, and it saddened me that a PR person had to respond to a nationally recognized restaurant critic about the personal medical matters of a Chef.

Hay All,

Here is my tentative time schedule for my surgery. And these our our closures.

1. Closed for Xmas holiday 12/23-12/27

2. Closed for Winter break 1/1-1/8

3. I go to Johns Hopkins on 1/10 2012 for surgery

4. I come home on the 17th of january (or earlier)

5. I will be back on a short term basis on the 24th (or later)

We are in the process of developing Rogue Sessions: Stay tuned....

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Chef-

You are way more open than I would be. I hope you did not infer that it saddened me that a your PR person DID repond (rather than you). I can't believe they had to respond AT ALL! I don't recall other chef's having their vacations, bereavement leaves, etc. announced to the general public. It's none of our business.

Have a happy holidays and safe recovery.

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Chef-

You are way more open than I would be. I hope you did not infer that it saddened me that a your PR person DID repond (rather than you). I can't believe they had to respond AT ALL! I don't recall other chef's having their vacations, bereavement leaves, etc. announced to the general public. It's none of our business.

Have a happy holidays and safe recovery.

I have to look at this out of the box. It's like changing the fuel pump on the Harley it has to be done\.

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" I don't think it makes sense to dine there while R.J. Cooper is away, do you?" - Tom Sietsema

As a matter of fact, I do.

This may be the most irresponsible statement ever by Mr. Sietsema. That the leading food critic in this city would advocate staying away from a restaurant while the Chef is away is surprising. Particularly since he recently re-emphasised the 4-star status of Citronelle and Minibar when Chef Richard and Chef Andres are not regularly found in said extablishments?

I have never been to Rogue 24, but what they do is so precise, so meticulous, and so technically skilled that I cannot imagine it would go to hell-in-a-handbasket due to RJ's brief absence. And if RJ is reading this: stay home, rest up, and get well. I am sure your team will continue to execute to your, and their, high standards.

When was the last time Andres was the regularly behind the counter at Minibar? It has been years and I don't think he was regularly there when I went relatively soon after it opened.

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" I don't think it makes sense to dine there while R.J. Cooper is away, do you?" - Tom Sietsema

As a matter of fact, I do.

This may be the most irresponsible statement ever by Mr. Sietsema. That the leading food critic in this city would advocate staying away from a restaurant while the Chef is away is surprising. Particularly since he recently re-emphasised the 4-star status of Citronelle and Minibar when Chef Richard and Chef Andres are not regularly found in said extablishments?

I have never been to Rogue 24, but what they do is so precise, so meticulous, and so technically skilled that I cannot imagine it would go to hell-in-a-handbasket due to RJ's brief absence. And if RJ is reading this: stay home, rest up, and get well. I am sure your team will continue to execute to your, and their, high standards.

And it's much more responsible to make proclamations about a restaurant you admit you've never been to? :)

Just as you'd never go review a new play knowing that an understudy is playing the lead, I think it makes perfect sense not to review a new restaurant when the primary chef/creator is away. When they've been around for years it's a completely different matter.

Since we have RJ frequenting this discussion though, I'd be interested to hear his opinion...would you rather have your place reviewed when you are there, or does is not matter?

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And it's much more responsible to make proclamations about a restaurant you admit you've never been to? :)

Just as you'd never go review a new play knowing that an understudy is playing the lead, I think it makes perfect sense not to review a new restaurant when the primary chef/creator is away. When they've been around for years it's a completely different matter.

Since we have RJ frequenting this discussion though, I'd be interested to hear his opinion...would you rather have your place reviewed when you are there, or does is not matter?

TS wasn't just saying he wouldn't review it during this time - he was telling people, in an off-the-cuff fashion without good explanation, that he thought they should stay away during this time. I think it was a very lousy thing for him to toss out there.

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TS wasn't just saying he wouldn't review it during this time - he was telling people, in an off-the-cuff fashion without good explanation, that he thought they should stay away during this time. I think it was a very lousy thing for him to toss out there.

I agree, and I have no particular interest in going to the restaurant. I've gone to enough places to know that it's not so much my thing (though I wouldn't say I'd never ever go there), but I thought Tom's comment was seriously inappropriate. He was asked why he hadn't reviewed it yet. He answered that he taken a while to review other prominent places (naming Galileo III) and that some important staff had left the restaurant, and then he threw out that question about why go when the chef won't be there. It was misleading to add that last part, particularly since it seems that Chef Cooper will be there for the next month. Tom's comment made it sound like he was gone, and the answer seemed to me (frankly) like an excuse to link to WaPo articles.

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" I don't think it makes sense to dine there while R.J. Cooper is away, do you?" - Tom Sietsema

Luckily our dear Post.com (which increasingly appears to be run by elderly Amazonian tribespeople who have never before seen a computer) cleverly broke all links to this chat for most of the morning so no one could see this silly recommendation.

TS responded to a chatter's request for the WaPo Ombudsman's contact information to air similar frustration with their website. Patrick B. Pexton's email

The Ombudsman might evaluate TS's off-handed wave-off of this fledgling restaurant. By comparison, Tim Carman's blog post was balanced and informative. Change is possible. [His chat reaches more diners than would robocalls to suppress turnout]

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TS wasn't just saying he wouldn't review it during this time - he was telling people, in an off-the-cuff fashion without good explanation, that he thought they should stay away during this time. I think it was a very lousy thing for him to toss out there.

FWIW--probably not much--I didn't see it that way. TS issues opinions. That's his job. Not all are backed up to everyone's satisfaction due to space and time constraints; and the different expectations we all hold. To the degree he has us and others arguing and pushing ombudsmen to investigate, he's succeeding. Something about R24 seems to engender lots of active discussion.

This latest debate about how critical the chef is to the experience seems a matter of opinion to me. I can understand how some might say best to stay away because the prices are very high and the skills/technique involved are exceptional relative to nearly all other restaurants in town. On the other hand, tough to say how much of an 'experience/quality penalty' one might suffer without really knowing the skills and specifics of the staff who'd keep it going in his absence. I'm sure I've had great meals at Palena when Chef Ruta wasn't there--then again, can't be totally sure since he's not usually on the floor and I never ask. I don't think there's any right answer to this or definite tomatoes to hurl TS' way.

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I was at the Woodson High School holiday band concert tonight (after an early dinner at 100 Degree Chinese Cuisine), and had seen these posts earlier on my cell phone. I got home fifteen minutes ago, poured myself a glass of wine, am reading the chat, and just got to this question:

ROGUE 24 THE BEST THE DC HAS TO OFFER

Tom, Rogue24 is a real winner. We had such an impressive meal filled with textures, flavors and innovative techniques. We were so thrilled that this restaurant is in our own backyard (alley). As we have been discussing some of the "reviews" from other outlets, we still have not come across the Tom Siestsema review. It's not like you to wait four months after a restaurant opens to review it especially a JBF award winners. This restaurant is a must eat in DC. As well the community needs to support this kind of cutting edge concept that is away from the usual. Rogue would be a hard reservation if it were in NYC, Chicago, SanFran and even Philly. I believe Don Rockwell summed it up best when he said: " I think Rogue 24 is one of our city's treasures. It is superior to Minibar [*]." The talents of the team really shine when the speak about their craft.

TOM SIETSEMA :

I've waited this long before to share my take on an important or newsworthy restaurant. (Remember Galileo III?)

Rogue 24 has lost a number of senior staff in recent months and its muse is about to take off for major surgery. I don't think it makes sense to dine there while R.J. Cooper is away, do you?

I don't want to speak for Tom, but his answer seems very much like it's written in context to the question, i.e., why hasn't he reviewed Rogue 24 yet? I think Tom is saying that *he* doesn't want to dine there (perhaps a second, or a third time) while R.J. is away; I don't see it as any type of "advice" for others to follow in kind. Maybe there's something else later in the chat that I haven't read yet, or maybe I'm missing something obvious, but I don't see this as being an explosive issue at all.

[*] I'm a pretty big fan of Minibar, price aside, but Rogue 24 really *is* better - in terms of both conception and pre-prep (Minibar's two biggest strengths - their pre-prep is huge), but also complexity of dishes, beverage program (cocktails, non-alcoholic drinks, and pairings), atmosphere, trendiness, and most importantly to me, cooking - actual cooking - a la minute - Rogue 24's talented, confident sous chefs are busting their asses in front of stove-tops, rather than just blow-torching or toaster-ovening. Rogue 24 had Minbar to draw on, yes, but it has also one-upped it. It's better, and it's noticeably better. I'm not an expert in Contemporary Spanish Gastronomy, but I know more than most, and ABaC, the restaurant that I claimed Minibar was superior to, just got awarded a second Michelin star this week. I couldn't be happier for ABaC, but I'm telling you, luxury aside, the food at Rogue 24 was at a higher level.

Life is not so simple, and I'm glad we have both; there isn't room for too many more because despite what some people say, this is not "the" wave of the future; it's merely a great example of what it's trying to do. I thought sure, when I heard the concept of Rogue 24, that it would fail; now, I'm not so sure - it merits national attention.

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WOW. Didn't know R24 could shake up such a debate on the DR web.

My take on this is:

1. TS's opinion matters to us and regardless if I'm here or not (I spent much of October traveling to specail events and the team held it down) the moto here is one team, one dream.

2. Senior members of the staff leaving. Well it is a team concept. If the captians wanted to be free agents so be it. Talent is as good as your team.

3. We strive everyday to be better then the day before. We enjoy all feed back good or bad.

Our team is full of dynamic personalities with over achieving tendencies.

We live by the words; Dedication, Determination, Focus, Finesse.

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ROGUE 24 THE BEST THE DC HAS TO OFFER

Tom, Rogue24 is a real winner. We had such an impressive meal filled with textures, flavors and innovative techniques. We were so thrilled that this restaurant is in our own backyard (alley). As we have been discussing some of the "reviews" from other outlets, we still have not come across the Tom Siestsema review. It's not like you to wait four months after a restaurant opens to review it especially a JBF award winners. This restaurant is a must eat in DC. As well the community needs to support this kind of cutting edge concept that is away from the usual. Rogue would be a hard reservation if it were in NYC, Chicago, SanFran and even Philly. I believe Don Rockwell summed it up best when he said: " I think Rogue 24 is one of our city's treasures. It is superior to Minibar." The talents of the team really shine when the speak about their craft.

TOM SIETSEMA :

I've waited this long before to share my take on an important or newsworthy restaurant. (Remember Galileo III?)

Rogue 24 has lost a number of senior staff in recent months and its muse is about to take off for major surgery. I don't think it makes sense to dine there while R.J. Cooper is away, do you?

The response doesn't make sense. Generally he dines at a restaurant at least 3 times before publishing his review. I don't think he should have 3 meals while RJ is gone, but it makes perfect sense to eat there once while RJ isn't there to see what difference RJ's presence make, if any. Regardless of his intentions, the last sentence seems to implore others not to go to R24 while RJ is absent.

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The response doesn't make sense. Generally he dines at a restaurant at least 3 times before publishing his review. I don't think he should have 3 meals while RJ is gone, but it makes perfect sense to eat there once while RJ isn't there to see what difference RJ's presence make, if any.

I agree with this.

Regardless of his intentions, the last sentence seems to implore others not to go to R24 while RJ is absent.

I don't agree with this.

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