DonRocks Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Wow - nice evening for Equinox (and their special guests)! I think Todd and Ellen might want to stock up on all the ingredients that went into creating "The Obama Meal," and sooner rather than later. Cheers, Rocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monsterriffs Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I think Todd and Ellen might want to stock up on all the ingredients that went into creating "The Obama Meal," and sooner rather than later. Cheers, Rocks. Good luck getting a table here now.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr food Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 First visit tonight-what should I expect? What should I order? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHG Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 First visit tonight-what should I expect? What should I order? If my experience Saturday was any indication, great things! As much fun as visiting the hottest new opening may be, there's something to be said for a restaurant that's comfortable in its own skin. I think Equinox is an exmplar of poise, confidence and fidelity to vision while avoiding stasis. The seasonally driven menu means you're unlikely to select a clunker, but I can personally vouch for the shad roe (more texturally and flavorfully complex than most fish eggs), the veal ravioloni (delicate pouches holding big flavor hits) and the bannana-citrus parfait. I wasn't overwhelmed by the rockfish or chocolate truffle cake, but this may be due to the vastly lower novelty factors attached to those dishes. Depending on the size and mood of your party, I might seek out a table in the more intimate wine room adjoining the main dining room. Expect attentive, knowledgable & welcoming service! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr food Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 We were indeed in the wine room. Todd came out and tasted a few of the 1st growths we were drinking-a very pleasant guy devoid of chefishness). Overall, I give the food an A- and service A+ (Colin from Maine). A quail salad was a total nonstarter with little flavor then yellowfin tuna (isn't this an endangered fish?) which was perfect. . My entree was the veal ravioli which was delicious, my wife's was the sirloin which was pedestrian at best. We had the parfait for dessert which was also delicious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 yellowfin tuna (isn't this an endangered fish?) Yellowfin stocks are in decent shape and there is a sustainable harvest amount. The issue with yellowfin is that the fish should be line caught and not long line which involves a huge amount of by catch and habitat damage. US fleets maintain proceedures designed to reduce the damage and are considered a "good alternative" on most sustainability lists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ericandblueboy Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 The menu online is exactly what's served at the restaurant, no off menu specials. So we picked from 6 appetizers and 6 entrees, none of which were particularly appealing to me. We settled for cream sweet corn soup with crab meat, which turned out to be fantastic. My wife's crab cake starter was also fantastic, with mildly sweet crab meat. The fried green tomato that came with the crab cake had no flavor and resembled a hockey puck. The entrees were decidedly less fantastic. Neither the duck breast nor the black angus beef had much flavor - needed seasoning for sure. The duck confit was nice as was the beef hash that came with the steak. Overall, not very exciting food even if they were perfectly exectued (in this case they weren't). I'm more or less writing off both restaurants on that block (the other being Oval Room). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elyssa Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Todd Kliman said on Twitter that the kitchen and private dining room of Equinox burned down last night. Does anyone have any details? How horrible for Chef Grey and his staff. Equinox is one of my favorite restaurants in town. I hope they recover soon. More info on the Equinox fire here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elyssa Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Todd Kliman said on Twitter that the kitchen and private dining room of Equinox burned down last night. Does anyone have any details? How horrible for Chef Grey and his staff. Equinox is one of my favorite restaurants in town. I hope they recover soon. More info on the Equinox fire here. The Washingtonian has talked to Ellen Gray and it appears as if Chef Gray is already in the kitchen at Aria cooking up a storm. If folks have a reservation at Equinox in the coming days it will be honored and I urge you to keep your reservation. Chef Gray's cooking will be amazing, regardless of where he is serving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirite Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 How awful!! We have reservations for the 28th and intend to keep them. Does anyone know if they will be automatically transferred to the Aria venue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elyssa Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 How awful!! We have reservations for the 28th and intend to keep them. Does anyone know if they will be automatically transferred to the Aria venue? I'm also curious about this...how does one restaurant "move in" with another one. Is Aria still in business? Will they be splitting the restaurant down the middle or something. How does this work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberto Donna Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 I hope everyone will support Equinox in this moment of need! Todd I wish you the best and be strong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jparrott Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 I'm also curious about this...how does one restaurant "move in" with another one. Is Aria still in business? Will they be splitting the restaurant down the middle or something. How does this work? According to various blog posts, Chef Gray is using a banquet kitchen and ~65-seat private dining room at Aria/Reagan Building. I know that Mr. Gray used to have some sort of advisory relationship with the Reagan Building staff...not sure if this is still true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirite Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 Tim Carmen has posted a long interview with Ellen at Equinox, and it is not at all clear that they will continue to serve at Aria. Damages are now estimated at $300,000. I reserved a table at Equinox on Open Table for December 28, but when I tried to cancel, Open Table said to call the restaurant. When I called, no one answered. Until I cancel, Open Table will not allow me to make another reservation on the 28th at another restaurant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leleboo Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 Until I cancel, Open Table will not allow me to make another reservation on the 28th at another restaurant. Call -- or if they have no customer service number, email -- Open Table. The automated service has no way of knowing what happened, and it's possibe there's not a human being who's lately been paying attention to the Equinox fire -- and they do that with the time frames to prevent people booking several restaurants and then leaving all but one with an unfilled reservation, essentially. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcarman Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Here's the full interview with Ellen Kassoff Gray. The damage is more extensive than previously reported. She's not sure when Equinox will reopen, but she guesses in about six weeks, depending on the availability of materials for construction. In the meantime, if you have questions you can e-mail her directly at ellen@equinoxrestaurant.com. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcarman Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 The latest from Todd and Ellen Gray at Equinox. Big hassles and big plans for the scheduled spring reopening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agm Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 According to the "Zagat Buzz" email I just got, Equinox is open again. "Back with a lighter, brighter, elegantly modern look, Equinox, the top-flight New American just steps from the White House, has reopened some five months after a pre-Christmas kitchen fire. New innovations on chef-owner Todd Gray’s menu include shareable starter renditions of his most popular dishes, plus über-seasonal sides to accompany a roster of grilled or roasted meats and fish, while the decor has been redone with soft pendant lights, textured tile walls and etched glass dividers. The wine room, popular for intimate private dinners, is now encased in art glass, and the new bar sports two beer taps. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcandohio Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 My generous students gave me a gift certificate to Equinox, and as soon as reservations were accepted post-fire, I booked. We dines on Friday before the 4th of July holiday. At 7:00, the restaurant was nearly empty. This is a shame. Maybe folks are not aware that Equinox has risen from the ashes already, or maybe the regulars had skipped town for the long weekend. But if you have not been since the fire, GO. We had the eggplant fries (I think that was the name - fried eggplant sticks) from the "for the table" part of the menu. As my SO said, "if our table had more than the two of us no one else would be getting any of these fries." I then had the soft shell crab appetizer, served on a black eye pea "salad" of some sort. The crab was really sweet and fresh, and the pea salad was tart enough to serve as the acidic foil for the fried crab. It was a large serving - and had I known it was so substantial, I might have ordered it as my main course. As it was, I ordered the Carolina trout on a corn relish. The skin on the trout was perfectly crisp but the flesh was moist. It's really, really easy to screw up trout, but this was perfect - three generous pieces. SO had the crudo (sashimi? I can't remember how it was listed) and the halibut. I tasted both, and both were just wonderful. Oh, and we added a side of the cauliflower. And a Sancerre. No room for dessert. The service was gracious and friendly. The room (the glass enclosed sun porch overlooking the outdoors) was quiet and relaxed. Overall, it was one of the nicer food experiences I've had in DC. WIth fairly gentle pricing (entrees under $30, for the most part) for an experience of this caliber, this is surely one of the best values in the city, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banco Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 2:00 today after a rather harrowing dental appointment, and I wandered into Equinox for lunch at the bar. After a post-dental Martini I had the Pepita Crusted Tenderloin of Pork with Sweet Potato Latke, Wilted Red Swiss Chard, and Green Peppercorn Jus. The pork was medium rare, which is usually underdone for my taste but in this case was perfect. Sliced in medallions, it was mounded on a latke which had been assertively but judiciously seasoned. The jus was excellent, which is why I could have used a bit more of it, so quickly did it congeal amid the heat of the other ingredients on the plate. I also would have wished for more of a green peppercorn flavor, but these are quibbles. The Swiss chard was ennobled by its preparation and made me want to learn how to give a similar treatment to this vegetable, which as a West Coast boy I never grew up with. A domestic Cabernet Franc whose details I cannot recall went perfectly with this dish. The bartender at first tasted from a bottle that had only a glass or two left in it, thought the better of it, and opened a new one for me, which I appreciated. Dessert was Pear Sorbet, Almond Cake, and Jasmine Coulis. This looked somewhat thrown together but was very good and well balanced. I was there at end of the lunch hour as the suits were departing and the staff were busy getting ready for a catering event at Union Station. Nevertheless I was made to feel at home. As I ended up telling the solicitous bartender after he kindly allowed me to discuss the weather with him, it was the first time I had been to Equinox since the Clinton Administration. It made a better impression this time around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sthitch Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 The pork was... mounded on a latke Something just does not seem right with this, I just cannot quite put my goyish nogl on it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banco Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 Something just does not seem right with this, I just cannot quite put my goyish nogl on it... Celebrate diversity! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoramargolis Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 Something just does not seem right with this, I just cannot quite put my goyish nogl on it... Obviously in honor of the first candle tonight. Mrs. Gray's maiden name suggests that she may be from among the chosen. There's an old joke: a guy goes to a friend's house for the first time and goes into the kitchen. "Why do you have THREE refrigerators?" he asks. The friend shrugs, as if the answer is obvious. "One is for meat, one is for dairy. And the third one is for treyf." It's a very old tradition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Landrum Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 Something just does not seem right with this, I just cannot quite put my goyish nogl on it... Sounds like something out of Die Vergewaltigung der Rheingoldbergs... Wotan Forever! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cibo matto Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 is it spring yet? well, perhaps we're shy of the vernal equinox, but one thing is clear: shad roe has arrived on the lunch menu. it's sprinkled with pistachios -- a nice touch. my first of the season and it's as divine as ever. get there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Wells Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Obviously in honor of the first candle tonight. Mrs. Gray's maiden name suggests that she may be from among the chosen. There's an old joke: a guy goes to a friend's house for the first time and goes into the kitchen. "Why do you have THREE refrigerators?" he asks. The friend shrugs, as if the answer is obvious. "One is for meat, one is for dairy. And the third one is for treyf." It's a very old tradition. LOL. Here's another oldie (whether it's a goodie is up to you): Lady in the shtetl walks up to the local rabbi and says, "Rabbi, why can't we eat pork?" The rabbi says, "We can't? Uh-oh." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 LOL. Here's another oldie (whether it's a goodie is up to you): Lady in the shtetl walks up to the local rabbi and says, "Rabbi, why can't we eat pork?" The rabbi says, "We can't? Uh-oh." I'll regret straying from topic, but you guys need to read (the very short story) "A Yom Kippur Scandal" by Sholom Aleichem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Wells Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I'll regret straying from topic, but you guys need to read (the very short story) "A Yom Kippur Scandal" by Sholom Aleichem. I will! Getting back to the topic at hand, my brother and I had appys at the Equinox bar a few weeks ago. Can't remember specifics, but the food was very rich and very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Foodie Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Although there was really nothing wrong with our meal at Equinox last night, I came away more lukewarm, and thinking if I was going to spend that amount ($12-15 apps and $30-35 entrees), I'd prefer to go elsewhere around town (Corduroy comes to mind). I do have to give our waiter credit though for reading the table well. It was a group of six 30 year old women out for a holiday dinner, and in a lively mood. He gave us room when we needed it without being gone too long, and even played along with us during our conversation on whether Santa wraps presents or not (the table was split 3 to 2 favoring unwrapped). The meal started with a plate of gourges and what I believe was focaccia. The gourges reminded me of a bigger version of those found at Central and were really great. The focaccia was less so. Appetizers around the table included: Shaved House Cured Lardo ($11 Sweet Potato Biscuits, Hot Mustard) - This is listed under "For the Table," but I got it just for myself. It was 5-6 little biscuits, topped with mustard, a small slice of lardo, and a very thin slice of radish. The biscuits were excellent, but between that and the hot mustard, I could hardly taste the lardo at all, which was a little disappointing. This would be a good thing for the table to split though. Pan Fried Rappahannock Oysters ($15 Celery-Apple Mousseline, Wilted Baby Spinach, Pineapple Caper Brown Butter) - This was across the table from me so I didn't get a taste, but it looked good. Four plump oysters propped on top of spinach. Agnolotti of Roasted Middleburg Chestnuts ($14 Roasted Mushrooms, Marjoram, Truffle Salsify Cream) - Again, didn't get a taste, but the two that had it seemed to enjoy it. They weren't bowled over by the pasta, but liked the flavor. We obviously didn't branch out enough since we only had two different entrees among the five of us: 7 Spice Roasted Peking Duck Breast ($34 Braised Endive, Spaghetti Squash, Candied Kumquats) - Three of us had this and I think we were all a bit disappointed. The waiter recommended it as one of his favorites, but it was just ok. There wasn't much diversity of flavor or texture between the duck, endive, and squash. The duck was cooked a nice medium rare, but there just wasn't anything exciting about the dish. Butter Basted Carolina Grouper Filet ($33 Smoked Pine Nut Couscous, Prosciutto di Parma, Parsnip Apple Fondue) - I think the two that ordered this were happier with their entrees. It looked to me like a very good-sized serving of fish, and appeared to be moist and well cooked. We were too full for dessert, but a plate of treats came out with the check and included a homemade cranberry marshmallow and a sea salt caramel truffle. The caramel was better than the marshmallow, but both were appreciated as a nice way to end the meal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I enjoy Equinox's bar, and have eaten there over the years more times than I can count. That said, this photographer deserves some pretty serious attention from restaurant publicists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jiveturk21 Posted April 29, 2013 Share Posted April 29, 2013 Way back in the day, I want to say 2000 or 2001, I had dinner at Equinox. I don't remember any specifics of dinner that night, but it was early into my foray of "fine dining" and I remember liking it quite a bit. I have not returned since that night, for no reason other than there are a ton of restaurants in DC and I want to try them all. So, my father and I went on Friday night for dinner because it is close-ish to Constitution Hall, where we went to go see something later that night. Even though it was a relatively nice evening, they did not allow us to sit outside when I asked. They did, however, allow us to sit by the window on the inside, so it gave us sort of an outdoor feel, I guess. After sitting down, I ordered some Pappy Van Winkle ($16) from the spirit list. Our waiter came back to me, stated that they had run out of it, but showed me a bottle of Basil Hayden's and said that I could have that for the same price. It would have been generous of him except for the fact that it was $2 less ($14) on their spirit list than Pappy Van Winkle. So, I ordered a Sazerac which ended up being so sweet that I let my dad drink it (he has a higher tolerance for terrible drinks than I do). As we started looking through the menu, we realized that a pre-theater menu was not put on our table, so we asked our waiter for it. He went to get it for us, came back five minutes later without it, and asked us if we were ready to order. We asked for the pre-theater menu again and he did the same thing again. So, I walked up to the hostess stand, asked for the pre-theater menu and she gave me two of them. When our waiter came back around, we ordered from the pre-theater menu ($35) and asked what wines were included in the wine pairing ($12), to which he told us, "You don't want to order those, those wines are terrible." He then opened up the wine list for us and recommended a bottle of Pinot Noir that would go "perfectly" with our meal. If I remember correctly, the bottle that he pointed to cost $135. Whatever. My dad quickly looked at the menu, ordered something that was much cheaper (I don't remember exactly what it was), and we were thankful that our order was in and that we would have less contact with our waiter the rest of the evening. As bad as the service was (a jackass simply trying to line his pockets), the food was rather good. The selection on the pre-theater menu was small, but the red pepper soup, hanger steak and pistachio cake were a great deal for $35. In the end, my second visit, 12 or 13 years later, wasn't as good as my first, but minus a bad cocktail and a worse server, Equinox is still putting out good food after all of these years. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted April 29, 2013 Share Posted April 29, 2013 Way back in the day, I want to say 2000 or 2001, I had dinner at Equinox. I don't remember any specifics of dinner that night, but it was early into my foray of "fine dining" and I remember liking it quite a bit. I have not returned since that night, for no reason other than there are a ton of restaurants in DC and I want to try them all. So, my father and I went on Friday night for dinner because it is close-ish to Constitution Hall, where we went to go see something later that night. Even though it was a relatively nice evening, they did not allow us to sit outside when I asked. They did, however, allow us to sit by the window on the inside, so it gave us sort of an outdoor feel, I guess. After sitting down, I ordered some Pappy Van Winkle ($16) from the spirit list. Our waiter came back to me, stated that they had run out of it, but showed me a bottle of Basil Hayden's and said that I could have that for the same price. It would have been generous of him except for the fact that it was $2 less ($14) on their spirit list than Pappy Van Winkle. So, I ordered a Sazerac which ended up being so sweet that I let my dad drink it (he has a higher tolerance for terrible drinks than I do). As we started looking through the menu, we realized that a pre-theater menu was not put on our table, so we asked our waiter for it. He went to get it for us, came back five minutes later without it, and asked us if we were ready to order. We asked for the pre-theater menu again and he did the same thing again. So, I walked up to the hostess stand, asked for the pre-theater menu and she gave me two of them. When our waiter came back around, we ordered from the pre-theater menu ($35) and asked what wines were included in the wine pairing ($12), to which he told us, "You don't want to order those, those wines are terrible." He then opened up the wine list for us and recommended a bottle of Pinot Noir that would go "perfectly" with our meal. If I remember correctly, the bottle that he pointed to cost $135. Whatever. My dad quickly looked at the menu, ordered something that was much cheaper (I don't remember exactly what it was), and we were thankful that our order was in and that we would have less contact with our waiter the rest of the evening. As bad as the service was (a jackass simply trying to line his pockets), the food was rather good. The selection on the pre-theater menu was small, but the red pepper soup, hanger steak and pistachio cake were a great deal for $35. In the end, my second visit, 12 or 13 years later, wasn't as good as my first, but minus a bad cocktail and a worse server, Equinox is still putting out good food after all of these years. What you describe is inexcusable. I wonder what Todd and Ellen would have to say if they knew what this bad apple was doing - if he did it to you, he's done it to others, and he's hurting the restaurant badly. This is precisely the situation where someone might say, "Well, did you ask to speak with a manager?" What people don't realize is that complaining to a manager about something like this absolutely ruins the entire meal; whereas if you just grin and bear it, you can still enjoy the evening. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jiveturk21 Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 What you describe is inexcusable. I wonder what Todd and Ellen would have to say if they knew what this bad apple was doing - if he did it to you, he's done it to others, and he's hurting the restaurant badly. This is precisely the situation where someone might say, "Well, did you ask to speak with a manager?" What people don't realize is that complaining to a manager about something like this absolutely ruins the entire meal; whereas if you just grin and bear it, you can still enjoy the evening. Don, I agree with you on this. I have complained to managers in the past and, to be honest, it makes the rest of the night kind of miserable (and wary of the food coming out of the kitchen). Since my dad doesn't go out to eat often, and never in the city, we just dealt with it and enjoyed the food (and company). I did consider saying something to the manager after we had dinner, but decided against it. Then again, I come on this board and bitch about it, so I'm not sure if that is any better. It basically seems like a lose, lose, lose situation all the way around. I do chalk it up to one bad server though. I think that he saw two people eating dinner at 5:30 PM and determined that we were rubes and could be bullied into ordering whatever he told us to. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithA Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Had an excellent business lunch at Equinox on Monday last week. So happy they were open during the snow. I'd been here before but it has been years. Based on this meal, I need to find the time and $$ to head back soon. We started with the gougeres cheese biscuits and the truffle risotto fritters. The fritters were really, really, really good - among work colleagues we are trying to be polite, but we almost had a bit of fight over who got the last one. They are little one bites with a nice dipping sauce but there are many bites (about 8-9) so good for sharing (although I could easily have eaten them all myself). The gourgeres were lighter than expected but still flaky, buttery biscuits with a nice cheese accent. Also worth ordering and it comes as a good bread basket size. Everyone said they liked their entrees, but I only had mine - the 24 hour braised short ribs. A large portion of succulent meat, fork tender meat with a really nice glaze over a bed of lots of what I thought were only mashed potatos but according to the menu are a mix with parsnips too (yeah for sneaking in extra veggies). It also comes with a fried goat cheese ball which is rich and delicious. Service was nice and welcoming. Worth going back to if you either haven't been or its been awhile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Equinox's pre-theatre 3-course meal for $35 is yet another reason to eschew Restaurant Week. 5:30-7PM, every single night they're open, with a $12 wine pairing (depending on whether or not you get a splash of dessert wine, that's either $4 or $6 per course, bringing it up to $47). --- Note also their Commuter Hour, 5:30-8PM, M-F, to help downtown workers wait out rush hour, which I assume is served only in the bar area. I know I sound like a commercial, but if people have wanted a taste of Equinox, but haven't wanted to commit to a fully priced meal, these two things should give them a pretty good feel for one of our city's really good restaurants. Don't forget, Equinox has been a finalist for a James Beard Award many times. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liam Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Pan Fried Rappahannock River Oysters - Wilted Spinach, Celeriac Mousseline, Pineapple-Caper Brown Butter "¢ 14 I was in town on a quick work-related trip this Tuesday and sat at the Equinox bar for lunch. I ordered the risotto fritters and this delicious dish. I cannot describe how delicious the oysters were and the balance of flavor from the celeriac and the pineapple brown butter. Simply divine - and easily one of the best dishes I have had in the past year. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 On 5/15/2006 at 1:06 PM, DonRocks said: If you stop in the bar tonight, make sure to ask Tony Allen what it feels like to be schooled in full-court one-on-one. Hey Tony, are you okay? I'm very concerned about you. You looked a little down when you were leaving today, and I was just wondering if it had anything to do with the fact that you got your ass handed to you. I've seen better shooters than you in a bar in Tijuana. If Equinox doesn't work out, you can always get a job as a mason: nobody could possibly throw up more bricks than you do. You dribble a lot, but only after you use the bathroom. The only thing you've ever dunked is a donut - you can't even get close enough to the rim to see what color it is. When I stole the ball from you and drove down the court, I thought I heard a stampede of cattle behind me. Then I pump-faked, looked up, and saw a weather balloon floating by. Hey Tony, the only difference between a champ and a chump is u. You said you were All-State in high school. Was All-State your insurance company or something? All-State in what publication? Mrs. Allen's All-State team? When you pulled up for a bank shot and shouted out "Lucas!" all I could think of was Lucas Tanner. Heh, heh, heh. Tony was my personal trainer, and tended bar at Equinox on Sunday evenings. Equinox should have their web designer scour their website for consistency - I was under the impression that they had stopped serving dinner on Sundays because of this: but then, I found this: which confirms that they're serving prix-fixe Sunday suppers (this January and February, there's a French motif), but there's also this: which says they close at 8:30 instead of 9:00. Anyway, I checked OpenTable, and 8:30 appears to be the final seating: --- Minor point: Equinox, check your website for consistency. Major point: Equinox is serving $45 prix-fixe, French-themed, Sunday suppers this January and February, and I bet they're good, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jca76 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 at the suggestion of a vegan friend, she, the bf, and i had brunch this past sunday at equinox. she seemed happy enough overall, but i was disappointed. the tofu scramble was premade (contrary to the online menu's advertising made-to-order), and included black-eyed peas, an unpleasantly starchy addition to an otherwise technically well-executed tofu scramble. (despite eating more dairy in general than is probably good for me, amy's tofu scramble is one of my favorite frozen foods in the world, so i had high hopes. vegan friend was even more disappointed that it was premade.) the best thing on the buffet was the pancakes with pineapple compote; a little denser than non-vegan pancakes, but moist and very tasty. cauliflower and asparagus tempura was satisfying. a parsnip (i think?) and apple soup and rigatoni with asparagus were both fine but unmemorable. overall, nothing on the hot buffet felt more complicated than what a competent home cook could make, and the dishes skewed more heavily to the lunch side of brunch than i'd prefer. (it would be so easy to make delicious vegan breakfast potatoes to go with the tofu scramble!) the bread and dessert stations were more impressive-looking, and i enjoyed a glazed cinnamon roll. (less so a mini cheesecake given the odd texture, but i have no basis for comparison on vegan cheesecake texture.) the chef was circulating with small dishes -- a mini tempeh burger (pretty good) and a cookies-and-cream affogato (which i skipped because i don't like coffee, but my companions enjoyed) -- and was very nice when he stopped at our table. we hadn't realized that it would be easter when we picked the date, although i realized in time to ask the person who called to confirm our reservation whether they would be doing the normal vegan brunch buffet despite the holiday (yes). annoyingly, the reservationist didn't tell me that the brunch -- which wasn't any more elaborate as far as i could tell -- would be $43 instead of the normal $35. (i had assumed that asking about the regular menu would be understood as asking whether they were raising prices. my mistake for not explicitly asking the awkward pricing question?) as a result, brunch was $50 before tip with two coffees for the table and no alcohol. i'm unlikely to return at the normal price, but definitely wouldn't return for a holiday. i applaud the concept of hosting a vegan brunch, but there are too many restaurants willing to accommodate dietary restrictions these days to settle for a lackluster buffet. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kibbee Nayee Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 Our boss took 20 of us out to lunch today at Equinox. We had the room right next to sidewalk seating all to ourselves. The menu was shortened to a common appetizer of Yellow Tomato and Pineapple Gazpacho, choice of 3 mains -- Manna Spiced Breast of Pennsylvania Chicken, Early Summer BBQ'd Norwegian Salmon, and Turmeric Scented Fusilli with Shiitake Mushroom Bolognese -- and a dessert of Banana Fried Roll with Chocolate. The gazpacho was OK, but nothing sensational. I wouldn't return here for that dish. I chose the salmon because it was served with sweet peas, corn succotash and lemon-crab beignets. I would have preferred the Pennsylvania Chicken, but it was served with Rappahannock Asparagus, red onions, and yellow pepper coulis. I should have gone with the chicken, because the salmon was overcooked. The salmon itself could have easily been mistaken with an entree from Red Lobster, but the sweet peas, corn succotash, and beignets lifted the dish. The fried banana roll was decadent and sensational. It was the highlight of the meal, and I don't normally eat dessert. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pool Boy Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 We went again for Thanksgiving once more and had a delicious, relaxing and satisfying meal and experience. We'll be back. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
washingtony Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 Equinox is open and delivering really fantastic meals. They're putting out a weekly menu and you order directly from them and they deliver it. (No messing around with a delivery service--from what I can tell, they're using their own staff to try to keep them employed.) We went all out last night and got four courses each (so much food!) We especially loved the fusilli and the jambalaya (smokey and satisfying), but it was all really good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 1 hour ago, washingtony said: Equinox is open and delivering really fantastic meals. They're putting out a weekly menu and you order directly from them and they deliver it. (No messing around with a delivery service--from what I can tell, they're using their own staff to try to keep them employed.) We went all out last night and got four courses each (so much food!) We especially loved the fusilli and the jambalaya (smokey and satisfying), but it was all really good. Looks good! Questions, if I may: 1) Do you just pick one item per course for the 3/4 course menus from the a la carte listings? 2) What does PB mean (all I could figure is "per box.") 3) The order is made via emailing Ellen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
washingtony Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 38 minutes ago, Pat said: Looks good! Questions, if I may: 1) Do you just pick one item per course for the 3/4 course menus from the a la carte listings? 2) What does PB mean (all I could figure is "per box.") 3) The order is made via emailing Ellen? 1) Yes, exactly. 2) Plant based. (I'm not sure when this became more popular than "vegan" in common parlance, but I suppose it's better marketing for the non-Moosewood types.) 3) On the bottom of the main page there's a link to set up the order. You fill out a webform and then Ellen will email you back with a confirmation and a link to pay. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 Thank you. Plant-based, of course! And it hadn't occurred to me to look at the main page. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 We got an order from Equinox last night, and that saffron fusilli was indeed wonderful. We got it with fennel sausage ragu, and it was a large portion. I ordered one 4 course menu for the two of us because I usually eat less than my husband, and the pasta was the only course we had any leftovers from. The plant-based cauliflower bisque was wonderfully smooth. It had a sharp note we were both trying to identify. At first I thought cardomom, then I decided maybe coriander. We haven't had red meat for a while so also got the 72-hour short rib, which was quite tender, as one would expect. Anyhow, the whole meal was good. I'm glad I saw @washingtony's post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted April 29, 2021 Share Posted April 29, 2021 Does anyone know anything about “Federal Fritter” in Rehoboth Beach? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captcourt Posted April 29, 2021 Share Posted April 29, 2021 11 hours ago, DonRocks said: Does anyone know anything about “Federal Fritter” in Rehoboth Beach? Not me. But I do love the website's small-type text about visiting their sister restaurant Equinox in DC. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkS Posted April 29, 2021 Share Posted April 29, 2021 16 hours ago, DonRocks said: Does anyone know anything about “Federal Fritter” in Rehoboth Beach? No but it looks good if you like fried food. Really most things fried well as good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcturus Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 Colin is at Nina May now, for the record. Looks like he's doing some killer work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saf Posted October 14, 2021 Share Posted October 14, 2021 On 4/29/2021 at 12:37 AM, DonRocks said: Does anyone know anything about “Federal Fritter” in Rehoboth Beach? I do now. We spent the weekend at Bethany, and had dinner there one night. The food was amazingly good. The drinks were excellent.The service was polite, and wonderful. And rushed. Harrison waited on us, and was so pleasant. But kept coming back so quickly. And cleared plates as people finished. And asked if we wanted dessert before we had all finished dinner! But we would do this again in a second. SO good. The fritters were excellent, as were the sauces. The entrees were tasty. We did not do the tasting menu. And we all had apple pie fritters, add ice cream, for dessert. Would do that again and again and again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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