DonRocks Posted June 15, 2011 Posted June 15, 2011 Great news for University of Maryland students: our own Ferhat Yalcin, ex-GM of Corduroy, is opening Fishnet at 5010 Berwyn Road in College Park. For many years, Ferhat and I have kicked around concepts, and he has finally found his perfect location.Fishnet is planning to serve about four types of grilled (or deep-fried) fish with 4-5 homemade sauces to choose from. Most of these will come as sandwiches, and there will be some other things such as calamari, mussels, and yep - a lobster roll. He's planning to run specials such as soft-shell crab sandwich and a whole grilled dorade platter (influenced from Corduroy). Maybe fish tacos in the future, and there will also be side dishes offered.No alcohol because he's too close to the school, but homemade lemonade, small-batch sodas, and the best news of all: delivery.Look for an August opening, in time for the 2011-2012 school year.Congratulations, Ferhat! You've worked hard to get this going, and it's finally coming into place. Nobody deserves this more than you do.Cheers,Rocks
Ferhat Yalcin Posted June 18, 2011 Posted June 18, 2011 www.eatfishnet.com I also have outdoor seating.
marketfan Posted June 18, 2011 Posted June 18, 2011 www.eatfishnet.com I also have outdoor seating. My husband is a prof at UMD and he will be thrilled. As you know there is a dearth of good food there. You will do well. I remember how quickly Mandalay became successful once the faculty discovered it.
Ferhat Yalcin Posted August 20, 2011 Posted August 20, 2011 It looks like opening is delayed, as expected, by few weeks. I am hoping to open doors in september
DanielK Posted August 23, 2011 Posted August 23, 2011 DC United has a home match on Sat the 24th. Just sayin...
ol_ironstomach Posted October 2, 2011 Posted October 2, 2011 What's the latest on a projected opening date, Ferhat?
DanielK Posted November 10, 2011 Posted November 10, 2011 Congrats, Ferhat! I can't make it over Friday or Saturday, but will try on Sunday. Do you have hours yet?
Gary Tanigawa Posted November 10, 2011 Posted November 10, 2011 Congrats, Ferhat! I can't make it over Friday or Saturday, but will try on Sunday. Do you have hours yet? Ferhat posted 5pm - 10pm Friday on FB.
Ferhat Yalcin Posted November 10, 2011 Posted November 10, 2011 Starting hours are between 5 and 10pm, everyday. Next week some day, we will start lunch and hours are going to be 11.30am to 10pm. Webpage is getting an update and should be running by this saturday. The menu and other information will be there.
Ferhat Yalcin Posted November 11, 2011 Posted November 11, 2011 webpage is updated with menu*** ***(the actual menu I have is a little different)
DonRocks Posted November 11, 2011 Author Posted November 11, 2011 Open!!!!... Congratulations Ferhat!
Barbara Posted November 12, 2011 Posted November 12, 2011 Congratulations Ferhat! Ditto! Hope this place succeeds beyond your wildest dreams!
Ferhat Yalcin Posted November 12, 2011 Posted November 12, 2011 Thank you all very much, super exciting
DanielK Posted November 14, 2011 Posted November 14, 2011 Had a really nice dinner here with the kids tonight. In fact, best piece of salmon I've had in a long long time, and went well with the spicy aioli. I didn't get to taste what the kids had (lobster roll, fried calamari with lemon aioli) but they were both very pleased with their choices. Note that the lobster roll is Maine-style-ish, but not completely authentic. Bread was a little different, and the sandwich was a little more dressed. Fries were fantastic, but I wasn't really a fan of the cole slaw (too much mayo) or potato salad. Fish sandwiches come on a ciabatta roll which by itself is excellent, but it's just too much bread for the fish. I ate the fish, and then ate the bread, rather than eating as a sandwich. Will definitely be back, and can't wait for soccer season in April so I have another pre-game spot to hit! Pic of menu board attached.
goldenticket Posted November 14, 2011 Posted November 14, 2011 Very amused (and happy) to see Ale 81 as a beverage choice. I'd be very interested to know how in the world this obscure Kentucky soda, with very limited distribution (it's still not available in the part of western Kentucky where I grew up), wound up on the menu in College Park. Guess I'll have to get over there and check out the fish and ask the man himself Congratulations, Ferhat!
Ferhat Yalcin Posted November 16, 2011 Posted November 16, 2011 Thank you very much to all. We are starting lunch tomorrow. Hours will be 11.30am to 9.30pm for weekdays. Saturday and Sunday hours may change, too. it is not my purpose to keep posting here to bring this thread to the top every few days but major changes will be posted. you can follow me on twitter and facebook for more often updates to reach twitter and facebook please go to our webpage
DonRocks Posted November 16, 2011 Author Posted November 16, 2011 it is not my purpose to keep posting here to bring this thread to the top every few days but major changes will be posted. you can follow me on twitter and facebook for more often updates to reach twitter and facebook please go to our webpage [if every restaurateur in town thinks I'm some kind of militant moderator, then nobody will ever post here. ]
Ferhat Yalcin Posted November 16, 2011 Posted November 16, 2011 İ will keep posting. i just didnt know your militant side
DonRocks Posted November 16, 2011 Author Posted November 16, 2011 İ will keep posting. i just didnt know your militant side [This is a general letter to all restaurateurs, chefs, managers, etc. The fast and loose rule is that everyone is encouraged to post twice a month because we all really *do* want to know what your restaurant is up to. Anything more than a couple times a month, and people might start to see it as blatant shilling; anything less than a couple times a month, and your restaurant drops off the radar. Twice a month is the perfect marketing strategy for donrockwell.com! (And for new places trying to get off the ground (like Fishnet), we'll all turn the other way if you post a little more often than that!) ]
mr food Posted November 18, 2011 Posted November 18, 2011 congrats! I look forward to a visit soon. I posted a note on our town listserve.
squidsdc Posted November 19, 2011 Posted November 19, 2011 We definitely will be coming back here and telling everyone we know to check them out. Very fresh and tasty fish in a bun--unique for a casual quick bite place. I can almost imagine the menu being served from a food truck downtown except for the fact that the fish is cooked to order, grilled or fried. But I can certainly imagine that there would be loooong lines waiting. We stopped in on the inaugural lunch opening date for a late bite. Mr. S had grilled salmon with spicy red aioli and I had the grilled Mahi Mahi dressed with lemon. All sandwiches come with fresh greens and tomatoes. Mine had a wonderful grill flavor, but I can't remark on the salmon as I did not sample it. Mr. S said it was quite good and enjoyed his choice of sauce. I appreciated that they were able to prepare the fish w/o olive oil (allergy) and was pleased* to find out that the fries are cooked in Canola Oil. *Initially pleased---but now wondering what I've gotten my self in to--they are sooooo good, that I don't think I can go here and NOT get them. Really...they are that good. And there goes my idea of having a place to stop for a healthy meal before trips out to Costco. I did express interest in adding a future menu item of a salad, or even just more greens and tomatoes, topped with the fish. But not on my next visit. Next time I'm going for Fish and Chips! But don't take my word for it--go here and see for yourself. Really. GO. It was great to see Ferhat and I was surprised that he remembered us from our few visits to Corduroy. But I guess my extensive list of allergies is a bit memorable.
Heather Posted November 20, 2011 Posted November 20, 2011 LOVED my dinner last night. We got the fish soup (seriously outstanding), grilled salmon sandwich w/spicy aioli, fries, and the calamari sandwich. The calamari were creamy and perfect, dressed with a terrific garlicky walnut sauce. The fries are every bit as good as squidsdc says. My Paducah, KY born friend was delighted to see Ale 81 on the soda menu and said it was the first time he's ever seen it outside of Kentucky. There's felafel and burgers for the vegetarians & non-pescetarians. I can't wait to go back and bring the kids. ETA: I forgot to mention the prices. Two big sandwiches, fries, cole slaw, sodas, and a huge cup of soup came to $35 including tax.
Pat Posted November 22, 2011 Posted November 22, 2011 My husband and a couple of work colleagues in from California enjoyed their lunch here today after a meeting in Greenbelt. I don't know specifics other than that my husband liked his grilled salmon and Ferhat recognized him from our trips to Corduroy. Another bunch of thumbs up .
Ferhat Yalcin Posted November 23, 2011 Posted November 23, 2011 sorry but without a license I am not allowed to have, serve or let people bring their own alcohol.
mr food Posted November 27, 2011 Posted November 27, 2011 sorry but without a license I am not allowed to have, serve or let people bring their own alcohol. Thanks for the reply. When do you anticipate receiving your license? Also, are you offering carry out?
tfbrennan Posted November 27, 2011 Posted November 27, 2011 Thanks for the reply. When do you anticipate receiving your license? Also, are you offering carry out? They do have carry out.
cucas87 Posted December 1, 2011 Posted December 1, 2011 We had a great meal at Fishnet on Saturday evening. It was, of course, great to see Ferhat. We had the fish soup, which is delicious and could really be a meal on its own; the grilled porgy (excellent, maybe a little overwhelmed by the bread, but perfectly cooked and very tasty), a lobster roll (loved the tarragon mayo; a suggested improvement would be to toast the bun) and the fried hake, which was outrageously good. We also tried the fries (good) and the coleslaw (really good; maybe a little less dressing would be better but the slaw was very tasty). We'll definitely be back.
Heather Posted December 6, 2011 Posted December 6, 2011 We were back last Friday with the kids. Emma loved the salmon sandwich with dill sauce & Ian gave the burger a thumbs-up and told Ferhat that he liked the Fries. The fish taco/burrito and grilled porgy with saffron aioli were devoured to the last crumb by the grownups. We got two orders of fries for the four of us, and I think that was just about right. Oh, and the homemade tiramisu was excellent. This is hands-down the best casual fish restaurant in DC, and the only potential replacement for our favorite place in Miami, Captain Jim's. The only thing I would love to see is the option to get the fish as a dinner with a couple of sides, instead of just as a sandwich. Maybe someday.
darkstar965 Posted December 7, 2011 Posted December 7, 2011 We were back last Friday with the kids. Emma loved the salmon sandwich with dill sauce & Ian gave the burger a thumbs-up and told Ferhat that he liked the Fries. The fish taco/burrito and grilled porgy with saffron aioli were devoured to the last crumb by the grownups. We got two orders of fries for the four of us, and I think that was just about right. Oh, and the homemade tiramisu was excellent. This is hands-down the best casual fish restaurant in DC, and the only potential replacement for our favorite place in Miami, Captain Jim's. The only thing I would love to see is the option to get the fish as a dinner with a couple of sides, instead of just as a sandwich. Maybe someday. Uh, not to steal any thunder from the raging washington/district thread but some of us would love see a place like this actually IN the District since trekking up to College Park is pretty tough during the week. Maybe even moreso for those of us in neighborhoods with not--very--good casual fish places. Just saying. (not an "n" dropper--sorry).
Heather Posted December 7, 2011 Posted December 7, 2011 I'll amend the statement - it's the best casual fish restaurant *near* DC. It's definitely worth the drive from Takoma Park.
darkstar965 Posted December 7, 2011 Posted December 7, 2011 I'll amend the statement - it's the best casual fish restaurant *near* DC. It's definitely worth the drive from Takoma Park. Hmmm. Takoma Park isn't that far. Will have to make the journey soon. Thanks for the 'amendment'--laughed out loud...a bit
DMVDining2 Posted December 9, 2011 Posted December 9, 2011 Checked it out on Wednesday evening before heading over to the UMD bball game (which might become a ritual since I enjoyed my meal so much). Love the concept as well as the location. I ordered the grilled hake with spicy aioli and it was simply delicious. Very fresh ingredients, can't wait to try out some of the other menu items on our next visit. Can read more about it here - http://www.dmvdining.com/2011/12/fishnet-from-corduroy-to-college-park/
Tweaked Posted December 12, 2011 Posted December 12, 2011 Found out the hard way that Now Open for Lunch only applies to weekday service. Weekend service starts at 5pm. We had to wipe the drool off the sidewalk as we peered through the window around 3:30 on Saturday afternoon. doh!
DanielK Posted December 12, 2011 Posted December 12, 2011 Found out the hard way that Now Open for Lunch only applies to weekday service. Weekend service starts at 5pm. We had to wipe the drool off the sidewalk as we peered through the window around 3:30 on Saturday afternoon. doh! Hah! I had thought about Saturday lunch there as well, but thought to check the website before heading over...
Ferhat Yalcin Posted December 13, 2011 Posted December 13, 2011 We are closing for a combined vacation. My staff will be with their families and İ will be in Turkey to enhance my taste buds. Besides İstanbul i will travel to Gaziantep and Sanliurfa which are very close to Syria border. Starting December 24th and opening on January 4th for dinner service at 5pm. Merry Christmast and happy new years to everybody.
Barbara Posted December 14, 2011 Posted December 14, 2011 We are closing for a combined vacation. My staff will be with their families and İ will be in Turkey to enhance my taste buds. Besides İstanbul i will travel to Gaziantep and Sanliurfa which are very close to Syria border. Starting December 24th and opening on January 4th for dinner service at 5pm. Merry Christmast and happy new years to everybody. Have a good trip and enjoy your well-earned vacation, Ferhat!
darkstar965 Posted December 14, 2011 Posted December 14, 2011 Made it to Fishnet this week for lunch; a first visit. I'm a bit more muted than some on this thread but very much appreciated the experience. HEADLINE This a place all about inspiration and aspirations--both of which I really love. Has some room to still run on execution but, given the passion behind the place, I'd bet on them closing any gaps on processes and service, etc. Definitely worth visiting if nearby. Not sure it's worth the 20 minute or longer trip from the District at this point. If I lived in/near College Park, I'd probably be there somewhat regularly. From NoVa or DC though, other options probably trump at this point. But I'll go back in a month or two. VENUE So many restaurants prompt complaints about patrons feeling as if they're on top of each other with tables crammed in to goose revenues. I'm not sure I've ever seen praise for the opposite phenomenon (though no doubt it's elsewhere here on dr.com) so I want to give credit where credit is due here. Fishnet has about a dozen tables in a fairly large space. They're spaced very, very widely apart. If anything, the spacing makes the space seem more spartan than it is but, I don't care how big and fast-moving your elbows or how loud your voice, you're in good shape here at Fishnet Overall, the restaurant is fairly bare bones but I'd expect that given the narrow and lower priced foci. You can tell from the dry wall and new floor that it's a new renovation. Some visible spackle and rough finishes, along with a fairly remote location, make clear that the owner was trying to keep costs manageable--a very good thing for a restaurant that wants to endure. I'm a bit worried about the location in that it's hard to imagine much foot traffic despite the closeness to the University. But that might be wrong and, of course, if the reputation grows, they will come. And they will drive. And....they will find parking because there's a ton of it all around. Can bring your eighteen wheeler--No Problem. The pics from Turkey and the one large carpet at the entry are cool. They're using a me-too point-of-sale system called Intuit which is maybe a bit less functional than Square but that wasn't too big a problem. The only thing I'd like to see Fishnet consider on the venue is turning up the heat some for winter. Most of the patrons there when I was had coats on necessarily. And, if easy to do, maybe additional venting from the kitchen. Though not a big deal, something started smoking during the lunch service so they had to open dining room windows to vent it. Again, not a big deal but as we get more into winter and lower temps, that could start getting a bit uncomfortable if it happens regularly. Overall, the venue really presents as the work of someone with real focus and passion for the concept. Which leads me to explain the inspiration and aspirations comment. INSPIRATION AND ASPIRATIONS I don't know if I have this all right but here goes. The inspiration for Fishnet seems to be fish sandwich (called "Balik Ekmek") sellers who sell simply prepared, and ultra-fresh, fish sandwiches from the shore of the Bosphorus in Turkey. Love, love, love that inspiration. IMHO, our area doesn't have enough places that serve simple, quality, and ethnically authentic fish. Aspirations are just my own best guess so could be horribly off track. But seems as if the goal here is to build a following for a simple and high quality product, at affordable prices and with a manageably narrow menu. If it works and really grows, you could totally see this scaling to multiple locations. Not sure if that is a goal but, either way, really nailing the execution will obviously be key. SERVICE At Fishnet, you go up to a counter toward the rear of the place, passing hand-written menu chalkboards on the left and then again over the register. The woman who guided me, a first-timer, through the options, was awesome. She knew the products and was very friendly and helpful. Once the food is ready, it's brought to the table versus a number or call-back system like at TackleBox. +1 for Fishnet on this. If you have a question or any need, it's easy to signal one of the staff and they're more than happy to help. You get a sense that the people there really care about what they're serving and that you're happy; no small feat. The personality and culture of the place reminded me of KBQ, another spot I tried for the first time recently and need to write something about FOOD A bit of a mixed bag but very promising with more good than concerning and with some things they could do easily to make it even better. I tried a few different things but was a bit challenged because they were out of most of their main proteins. Lobster was out on my arrival so no lobster sliders. And then hake, squid and salmon all ran out by 12:30 or so. I arrived just after noon. The place was relatively empty and stayed that way through the lunch hour, with never more than four tables occupied, so I'm not sure what happened with their suppliers but I was told it was very unusual and I believe them. Luckily, I got one of the last orders of hake, which I ordered fried with a side of fries. This made my trip worthwhile. Fried hake sandwich ($10) with fries ($2.50): This was great all around. The hake (think this was basically haddock) was clearly fresh, perfectly fried to be snow white, rich and flaky. I can't say what was in the breading but it was interesting. It was very good, crunchy and savory. Likewise, two sauces I tried with the sandwich, a saffron-based lemon and a "spicy aioli" added perfect acid/lightness and heat, respectively. Finally, the fries were really excellent. I learned afterward they are doing what I suspected: hand cut potatoes. Whoo-hoo!!! Remembering all the debates about this on the Mussel Bar board earlier this year, I have to say that making fries this way really matters. I'll go officially on record as saying that any place where fries play a central role should do the work to make them this way--the difference is stark. Fishnet's fries were golden, crunchy, wonderfully imperfect with bits of skin still on in spots and...most of all...they tasted of potato rather than generic starch. Really liked these and, while I'll talk about value separately below, suffice to say this combo was a steal at $12.50. I would like to see them toast the bread. Seems a bit criminal to me to put this quality of fish, straight from the fryer, onto a cold ciabatta that, itself, is unexceptional. And, this gets to the inspiration thing. I've been to Turkey but never had these sandwiches there. I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that they are traditionally served on cold bread. Irregardless, and given that this is a US-based, land-locked restaurant with a definite winter season, some toasting would keep the fish warmer and give more crunch to the sandwich. Because I didn't eat most of the bread, I was still hungry after devouring all the hake (it was a fair--but not huge--portion) and went back to order something else. By this point (maybe 12:45), they'd run out of nearly everything except blue fish. I'm not a bluefish fan so was pretty encouraged when someone rushed in from the back door with a giant fish over his shoulder. Told it was a salmon, I ordered fish tacos, which they typically make with that. I had to wait 10 or 15 minutes for the fish to be cleaned and broken down but damn if they didn't get that all done and the dish prepped within 15 minutes. Pretty impressive! It would have taken me at least an hour to break down a fish like that and I've have done it horribly wrong. Guess that's why I go to restaurants and won't ever open one Salmon fish tacos ($10): Unfortunately, just okay. This dish prompted a thought that hadn't crystallized for me previously. The restaurant promotes the fact that all fish is fresh and never frozen. That's a great thing to be sure but I think it might also be good (and even better in some instances) to emphasize wild/sustainable and not farmed. I think with some fish, the difference may not be as apparent to most when fried. But it was to me with the salmon. Like the hake/haddock, the pieces of salmon--a much bigger portion oddly than the hake though same price?--were nicely fried. Maybe even 30 secs more in the fryer would have been fine as they came out medium rare/rare in the center of the larger pieces. But, the pale pink color and relatively bland flavor of the fish betrayed that they were farmed Atlantic. Of course, it would cost much more to use wild salmon even if it was flash frozen given the shipping but I wonder if this wouldn't be a better approach for this type of fish? Would the market pay higher prices for wild salmon sandwiches, tacos, etc? I surely would but I'm not sure about everyone else; maybe not. The bluefish, squid and haddock/hake are all likely local and wild. Though with haddock, there's always the question of how it's caught as explained here. Lower cost with trawlers. Higher cost but more sustainable with hook and line. In any event, I always favor as much transparency as possible about sourcing and, when thinking about quality, usually prefer fish that is both fresh and wild, though I've recently been persuaded that flash frozen wild can work very well too. VALUE Super really. A fish sandwich with this quality of fish and interesting sauces and slaws at $10 strikes me as a truly great deal. Likewise the generous portion of those handcut fries, served in a cup about the size of a Starbucks grande cup, at $2.50 seems a bit criminal. BOTTOM LINE No doubt, Fishnet will keep evolving. They'll figure out how to ensure more reliable supply and maybe tweak the menu in ways that make sense for the economics and to meet market demand, whether or not any of my ideas above figure in. But, I love that Fishnet now exists and love what I sense they're trying to do. Merhaba, Fishnet
Pat Posted December 14, 2011 Posted December 14, 2011 ]I'm a bit worried about the location in that it's hard to imagine much foot traffic despite the closeness to the University. But that might be wrong and, of course, as the reputation grows, they will come. And they will drive. Many years ago, I used to pass that spot every day walking from Greenbelt to College Park. That part of Berwyn Heights struck me as an area that could be in Takoma Park. To me it had the same kind of vibe. The restaurant is close to the hiking trail and the railroad tracks but not so close to route 1 and 193. I really hope people find it, and mass mailings to people living in Berwyn Heights and Greenbelt might help, as well as trying to reach out to College Park residents. I doubt I'll get there before the closing for the winter vacation, but I look forward to trying it.
marketfan Posted December 17, 2011 Posted December 17, 2011 We are closing for a combined vacation. My staff will be with their families and İ will be in Turkey to enhance my taste buds. Besides İstanbul i will travel to Gaziantep and Sanliurfa which are very close to Syria border. Starting December 24th and opening on January 4th for dinner service at 5pm. Merry Christmast and happy new years to everybody. Looking forward to your Turkish inspirations, Ferhat. My husband is back on Sunday, we will be in this week and he will spread the word at the Philosophy and IPST Depts at UMD. Robin
Lydia R Posted December 17, 2011 Posted December 17, 2011 we will be in this week Please note the updated vacation departure date. Last service on Wednesday, December 21st. @Eat_FishnetFerhat Yalcin UPDATE!!! our closing date is changed to 12-22-11 Thursday. Last day of eating fish is 12-21-11 Wednesday. Opening...fb.me/Jzo8r79j 15 Dec via Facebook
LauraB Posted December 19, 2011 Posted December 19, 2011 My husband and I had a meeting in Greenbelt this morning, and as good fortune would have it, we finished in time to stop by Fishnet for lunch. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience there. Now that I've been there, I have to say that I find Rocks' opening sentence in the very first post in this thread to be kind of ironic: "Great news for UMD students....". This is not a restaurant for college students, it's a restaurant for the faculty. This is not fast food and it is not cheap food. It is appropriately-priced, possibly under-priced food, carefully prepared. I am concerned about the location -- it is quite off the beaten path. If this restaurant were in DC, there would be lines out the door. Unfortunately, the rent would be in the stratosphere as well. We arrived around 11:40, shortly after they opened, and we left at 12:30. In that time, the only other patrons were another couple who dined in and a woman who picked up carry out. Quite a few items on the chalkboard menu were crossed out and I attributed that to the upcoming holiday closing after service on Wednesday. However, after reading Darkstar's post above, I'm wondering if it's more of a supply issue. As it happens, we both ordered the hake sandwich (grilled) with the lemon saffron sauce. We also got one order of the fries and one of the coleslaw to share. The sandwiches are not large, I would say they are perfect-sized. Unlike Darkstar, we did not find the bread to be cold, in fact we quite liked it -- it wasn't too thick and it had a nice flavor and crunch. The fish was well-cooked and the sauce added a nice accent. The hand-cut fries were some of the best I've ever had, although I didn't have too many of them since my husband loved them so much that he devoured them in quick order -- I was lucky to snare maybe 10%. This is kind of funny since, when the order arrived my first thought was, woah, that's a lot of fries. Guess not! The only food item I wasn't thrilled with was the coleslaw. I will say that it was very fresh and made of both red and green cabbage and carrots and so it was colorful and attractive. Unlike other posters, I did not find there to be too much dressing, I found there to be too little flavor. I think some additional herbs/spices might need to be added for a flavor enhancement. The portion was large enough to easily serve 2 or 3 people. One final observation: our order took an inordinate amount of time to arrive, which, considering that the restaurant was almost empty seemed odd. We arrived at the same time as the other couple who dined-in. They ordered a minute before us and yet their order came out a long time before ours. At some point right after theirs had been delivered we heard a loud crashing sound coming from the kitchen and my husband joked, "I think they just dropped our order." Well, after what seemed a very long time without any food delivery, we concluded that maybe he was right and they were re-cooking our food. Whatever happened, it was worth the wait! There are many other items on the menu and we look forward to trying them. Even though we live in Rockville, we will definitely be back.
darkstar965 Posted December 19, 2011 Posted December 19, 2011 <snip> As it happens, we both ordered the hake sandwich (grilled) with the lemon saffron sauce. We also got one order of the fries and one of the coleslaw to share. The sandwiches are not large, I would say they are perfect-sized. Unlike Darkstar, we did not find the bread to be cold, in fact we quite liked it -- it wasn't too thick and it had a nice flavor and crunch. The fish was well-cooked and the sauce added a nice accent. The hand-cut fries were some of the best I've ever had, although I didn't have too many of them since my husband loved them so much that he devoured them in quick order... I'm curious to know whether the bread on your sandwich was toasted or just not cold per se? The toasting was what I felt missing on mine and, of course, it's easy enough for them to do that. So maybe they are now? Sounds like your experience was near identical save the bread. Thanks for the report.
LauraB Posted December 19, 2011 Posted December 19, 2011 I'm curious to know whether the bread on your sandwich was toasted or just not cold per se? The toasting was what I felt missing on mine and, of course, it's easy enough for them to do that. So maybe they are now? Sounds like your experience was near identical save the bread. Thanks for the report. It was not toasted, it was simply room temperature. Perhaps they have a new bread supplier? Does anyone know where Ferhat sources the bread? Ferhat?
Ferhat Yalcin Posted December 20, 2011 Posted December 20, 2011 I am very flattered from these honest posts. Thank you very much and keep the constructive posts coming please. This is the only way for me to make the necessary changes and improve. I get the bread from Panorama. We started toasting the bread in our second week. However we only toast the inside not out. Since all the juices of the fish, lettuce/tomato and the sauce are in the bread, it is hard to see if there is any toasting done. I understand this point and we will start toasting both sides of the bread starting this evening. Darkstar, I wish your experience was better and hopefully next time it will be. You visited us during my first catering job, for 70 people, was not as easy as I planned. That smoke had to happen when I started cooking 30 extra burgers in addition of what was on the grill and apparently my hood can not handle that. So we had to open the windows to prevent the dining room fill up with smoke. Normally our thermostat is set at 71 degrees but temperature went down quickly with the windows open. When the party increased their size the same morning, I had to serve them what I saved for restaurant and it effected the menu, we ran out of a lot of things. LauraB, we started this morning a little later than our normal time so some of our prep was not done. That is why we could not get your food out of the kitchen on time. I apologize for this. However, other couple ordered the lobster sliders which were all ready so they got their food first. Our time per order is not to exceed 12-13 minutes but unfortunately sometimes we go overtime. You all had an experience here whether it is good, average or bad. I opened Fishnet to make all the experiences good and better. For whatever the reason you are/were not happy, please let me know on the spot and I will fix the problem unless it is beyond my control and again I really really thank and appreciate all the above posts and. *delivery will start sometime in February, 2012 *yes, I can clean, cut and portion a whole fish in less than 15 minutes *our closing date has changed to 12-22-2011 and we will open on January 4th at 5.00pm in 2012 *menu is shrinking due to our closing *original balik-ekmek is served on not-toasted bread *merry Christmas and happy new year
darkstar965 Posted December 20, 2011 Posted December 20, 2011 I am very flattered from these honest posts. Thank you very much and keep the constructive posts coming please. This is the only way for me to make the necessary changes and improve. <snip> I understand this point and we will start toasting both sides of the bread starting this evening. <more snipping > *yes, I can clean, cut and portion a whole fish in less than 15 minutes <final snips> *original balik-ekmek is served on not-toasted bread *merry Christmas and happy new year This is what I love about donrockwell.com. It's what first prompted me to register several years ago. There aren't many (er, any) other spots online or off where so many owners, chefs and restaurant pros can teach, learn, talk and exchange views with regular but interested and understanding joes and janes like me and many others on this board. And, in such a constructive and empathetic way. Great stuff! Truly very cool. Ferhat, thanks a ton for your response here. And, thanks also for what you're doing with fishnet. My experience was by no means "bad" and, as I wrote, I'll be back, loved my hake, the fries, the friendliness of your staff, etc. Panorama is a super source for bread. We know this since they are also the supplier of great bread to spots like Citronelle and Medium Rare in DC (among others). Maybe Corduroy also? I hope the new two-sided toasting makes sense for your business and all your customers. Personally, I'd have guessed that just more grill time on the cut side would do the trick and be more efficient when you're busy but I don't really know what I'm talking about. I do know I appreciate it and thank you for it. As for all the other things about ambient temperature, smoke and supply shortages, it all makes total sense and no restaurant can get all that perfect especially when starting out as you are. Ferhat, one other thing. I snipped your post quite a bit in quoting it above. That was just so I could focus on the overriding point with which you started and because I loved your bullets with the *s. They literally made me smile. Also, the 15 min clean/cut/portion admission tells me you were the guy who carried that behemoth in the from the back. I'll be sure to say hi next time. Thanks again and I look forward to getting back to fishnet early in the New Year once you've returned from the source of Fishnet's inspiration. Happy holidays to you and to all.
Ilaine Posted December 22, 2011 Posted December 22, 2011 We are closing for a combined vacation. My staff will be with their families and İ will be in Turkey to enhance my taste buds. Besides İstanbul i will travel to Gaziantep and Sanliurfa which are very close to Syria border. Starting December 24th and opening on January 4th for dinner service at 5pm. Merry Christmast and happy new years to everybody. For reasons that have nothing to do with dinner, amd have everything to do with paleolithic archeology (Gobekli Tepe), my family and I would like very much to visit Sanliurfa. I hope you and your family have a wonderful time and come back, and even more so that you can give us advice on achieving our dream. Peace.
Lydia R Posted December 22, 2011 Posted December 22, 2011 Nice pic! First Bite in today's WaPo. And Fishnet made Washingtonian's Top 10 Restaurant Openings of 2011
DMVDining2 Posted December 22, 2011 Posted December 22, 2011 Congrats to Ferhat on making the Top 10 Restaurant Openings of 2011! http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/restaurants/bestbites/22024.html
ol_ironstomach Posted January 18, 2012 Posted January 18, 2012 A trip across the hinterlands to IKEA pretty much now warrants a celebratory detour to Fishnet. I almost wish that Ferhat would offer a British- (or better yet, Belgian-) style "chip" option, because the crisply battered fried filets they're putting out are far superior to what most would-be fish-and-chips place have on offer. Once again the fried hake sandwich was perfectly done, but the decision to toast has enormously improved the texture of the ciabatta crust compared to what they had the first couple of weeks of operation. Larger condiment cups would be nice though. The current size is bigger than a thimble, but not enough to carry you through a cup of fries. There's a "fish taco" now, which isn't at all in the Baja style but might be described as a salmon burrito. You get two to an order, thus as with practically all of the sandwiches, it's a ridiculous value at around ten bucks for some generous hand-cut fillets. College Park hasn't had food this good since Mandalay relocated to Silver Spring. Don't waste this chance, folks.
darkstar965 Posted January 22, 2012 Posted January 22, 2012 Another lunch stop at Fishnet this past week. Great the last time; even better this time. Fishnet manages to be simple yet interesting, familiar yet unique and a super value that you'd feel good about supporting even if the food wasn't quite as wonderful as it is. - Sandwiches now on great-quality ciabatta from Panorama. This is a big step up from the bread they were using a month or two back and the perfect match for high-quality fish and Ferhat's tasty sauces. - The bread is now being grilled to lightly toast! I know this isn't how it's done at the Bosporus but here, in College Park in winter, it really enhances the sandwich. - Tried the "fish sticks" this visit and had to laugh at what was served. Nothing like the assembly line, frozen fish sticks from the 70s. This is a generous portion of small mini-filets of hake, lightly crisped with panko; delicious and perfect with the aiolis (spicy or lemon) or Turkish tartar - A new "shepherd's salad" of fresh tomato, onion and cucumber flavored with sumac (hint, ask for the pomegranate sauce to heighten the flavor profile of this even more). This is hearty, delicious and a big portion with real value for the money. - Really interesting and flavorful condiments including a balsamic-like pomegranate sauce called 'nar ekşisi,' genuine Turkish sumak delicious on the salad and what gives the unique tartar its purplish color and a turkish chili pepper spice/powder whose name I can't recall It's a real head scratcher to me that nothing like this in quality or distinctiveness exists closer to DC. Ferhat has created something truly special in Fishnet. Totally worth the trip from DC but wish it was closer to his old stomping grounds downtown
zoramargolis Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 a turkish chili pepper spice/powder whose name I can't recall Urfa pepper?
TheMatt Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 Urfa pepper? Or aleppo pepper? Those are the two I can think of. (Of course, once at an Afghan restaurant I confused sumac with pepper. Hoo boy.)
deangold Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 Maresh is another Turkish pepper. I love all three
Ferhat Yalcin Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 it is `isot`. homemade, dried on the roof of who ever is making it. It is from Urfa. There are few different isot peppers. The one I use is specifically to make cigkofte.
darkstar965 Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 I was about to quote Zora and reply "yes! Urfa! That was it!" but of course Ferhat knows better than all of us. Either the place "urfa" or the type "isot" was on the label. I mostly recall it was the very best kind of four-letter word Deep, dark color and a wonderful intoxicating scent like roasted, dried and ground chipotle, poblano or other moderate heat pepper. Added character and flavor to the shepherd's salad in a big way along with the pomegranate.
Toogs Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 Really great stuff. Just got back with a falafel sandwich and a hake with spicy aioli. Great flavors in both sauces and the falalfel were just right-nice and crisp, hot and gushy middles. Was in a rush so I got carry out but will be back, hopefully often.
Ferhat Yalcin Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 I will be happy to share my excitement and happiness with you with these great news: - Sunday,March 4th, we are starting brunch. Brunch will be served only on Sundays(for now) between 9.00am and 2.00pm. Comes with that, there will not be any dinner service on Sundays. So Sundays are for brunch only and no more dinner. Other hours are remaining same so far. - I received a mail this afternoon and it got me very excited and thankful. Restaurant association of Maryland (RAM) has selected `Fishnet` as a finalist for the Maryland Favorite New Restaurant Award. The winner will be announced at the Annual Awards Gala on April 16th. Until that time, they encourage all the finalists to direct their supporters, friends, family to vote for them. So I would really appreciate if you take the time to vote for Fishnet. It only takes less than a minute. The link is http://www.marylandrestaurants.com/gala go to public voting and vote. After voting you need to leave your information so they will know it is coming from real people. If any of you are interested in this gala, you can purchase tickets from the webpage. It looks like there will be cocktail hour, 3 course dinner and dancing. Thank you again!!
darkstar965 Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 Done with enthusiasm! Freddy's is also up for this under craft beer program. They totally deserve the support too.
lion Posted February 19, 2012 Posted February 19, 2012 Stopped by recently for my first visit. Very impressed with the mature and international style of taste. The quality rivals some of the best seafood focused restaurants in the DC metro area. I actually went to Passionfish the same week, and enjoyed the food at Fishnet more. Unfortunately, it's on the other side of the beltway for me, otherwise I would definitely throw it into my normal twice a month rotation. I hope it succeeds in the long run since the only negative I could see was the location.
darkstar965 Posted February 19, 2012 Posted February 19, 2012 <snip> Unfortunately, it's on the other side of the beltway for me, otherwise I would definitely throw it into my normal twice a month rotation. I hope it succeeds in the long run since the only negative I could see was the location. Yes! We went up yesterday (Saturday) for lunch and were totally deflated when we finally arrived to learn that Fishnet isn't serving Saturday lunch. Noone's fault but my own of course. I should have checked online and stupidly just assumed it'd be open before the kind of long drive. It's really hard to say from the cheap seats we occupy whether the higher expenses of a DC location could work for another Fishnet. But, given the originality, quality, character, freshness, simplicity and big time value of what Ferhat is doing, I can help but think it'd do phenomenally well in or at least much closer to the District. One can dream
darkstar965 Posted February 20, 2012 Posted February 20, 2012 So you're just telling us that the restaurant isn't open when its website says it isn't open. I'm glad Ferhat isn't sitting at this restaurant with his thumb up his ass waiting for customers when his website says he's closed. Uh, for the most part was saying it'd be great to have one closer to the big population center given how awesome what Ferhat is doing. Also did say it was closed (as the website indicates and as you helpfully point out) with this admission: Noone's fault but my own of course. I should have checked online and stupidly just assumed it'd be open before the kind of long drive. Bit of purposeful humility. Just clarifyin' but, again, thanks so much for your post. Very helpful.
squidsdc Posted February 21, 2012 Posted February 21, 2012 We went this past weekend as well--and it was delicious as always. (We try to stop whenever we make a trip to Costco )Since the last time I wanted to try the burger and they were sold out, I decided to forgo the fish for meat. It was loosely formed, perfectly cooked and quite delicious with lots of beefy flavor. Mr. S had the Falafel and also really enjoyed them. Fries were not as crisp as at previous times, but tasty all the same.
MC Horoscope Posted March 9, 2012 Posted March 9, 2012 Hadn't seen this on the menu before: garlic shrimp over greens. Wow! At $6 it's priced more like an appetizer. Had a nice light lunch with it today.
bookluvingbabe Posted March 10, 2012 Posted March 10, 2012 Say hi next time! This was the best lunch I've had in ages. Had the salmon tacos. Well seasoned, amazing sauce, and a nice amount of slaw. I'd probably skip the wrap next time. It was my first visit and I am rarely, rarely, rarely in the area but I can't wait to go back. In fact I think I may need to schedule meetings with people who work at UMD more often.
Choirgirl21 Posted March 19, 2012 Posted March 19, 2012 Went for my second time for lunch today. I had the hake last time so decided to forego the fish in favor of the homemade falafal with cucumber dill sauce, so good. 2 large falafal patties stacked onto the standard ciabatta with mixed greens and tomato. My only complaint is I would have liked more sauce, which I could have remedied by getting up and asking for it, but I was enjoying eating outside in this gorgeous weather too much. I loved the coleslaw on a previous visit, this time the cabbage was very coursely chopped, flavor was still good though. Friend's fries were crispier this time than I remembered, also really good. I am so happy to have this place within driving distance of my office, although it does make for a pricey lunch. New item on the menu btw: lobster bisque. Didn't have it, just reporting.
Ferhat Yalcin Posted March 21, 2012 Posted March 21, 2012 As the demand and requests gets higher, I am happily forced to do this change which will make darkstar and tweaked happy as with the other people. Starting March 31st, Saturday, we will open at 11.30am, every Saturday. Closing is same at 9.30pm. And I personally do not want to live my life in here at the restaurant so the result is starting March 26th, Monday, we will be closed every Monday. I hope this will not be an inconvenience for people who work in the area. I will update the webpage sometime soon.
Barbara Posted March 22, 2012 Posted March 22, 2012 As the demand and requests gets higher, I am happily forced to do this change which will make darkstar and tweaked happy as with the other people. Starting March 31st, Saturday, we will open at 11.30am, every Saturday. Closing is same at 9.30pm. And I personally do not want to live my life in here at the restaurant so the result is starting March 26th, Monday, we will be closed every Monday. I hope this will not be an inconvenience for people who work in the area. I will update the webpage sometime soon. The only alternative I can see, Ferhat, is to clone yourself. Several times.
Choirgirl21 Posted March 23, 2012 Posted March 23, 2012 As we pulled up on Monday I had a freak out moment where I convinced myself that you were closed on Mondays and we had come expecting a great lunch only to be disappointed. I quickly realized that was not the case (the large neon "open" sign helped) and that I was remembering the posts here of people who had come on Saturdays not remembering you were closed. I am nearly certain I will forget this at some point in the future and stand staring longingly into your dark windows some Monday afternoon as a single tear trails down my cheek...
Toogs Posted March 23, 2012 Posted March 23, 2012 As the demand and requests gets higher, I am happily forced to do this change which will make darkstar and tweaked happy as with the other people. Starting March 31st, Saturday, we will open at 11.30am, every Saturday. Closing is same at 9.30pm. And I personally do not want to live my life in here at the restaurant so the result is starting March 26th, Monday, we will be closed every Monday. I hope this will not be an inconvenience for people who work in the area. I will update the webp age sometime soon. What the everloving F? I'm cancelling Mondays then. I mean it. In other words: as a PG denizen, I'm so happy and proud to have Fishnet. I'm so very glad you do what you do.
Lydia R Posted March 30, 2012 Posted March 30, 2012 I will be happy to share my excitement and happiness with you with these great news: <snip> - I received a mail this afternoon and it got me very excited and thankful. Restaurant association of Maryland (RAM) has selected `Fishnet` as a finalist for the Maryland Favorite New Restaurant Award. The winner will be announced at the Annual Awards Gala on April 16th. Voting closed on March 9th and hopefully Fishnet will prevail over the other worthy nominees. This week's Gazette has an article by staff writer Lindsey Robbins. The article quotes, sigh, the usually silent Tom Power of Corduroy: Yalcin, who has a background in restaurant management but no formal culinary training, employs a staff of four, including two other cooks. He said he learned cooking from his Turkish mother and from watching the staff at Corduroy, a fine dining restaurant in Washington, D.C., where he was general manager for nine years, working under chef and owner Tom Power. Power described Yalcin as passionate and “eager to please.” Yalcin began at Corduroy as a server and advanced to general manager. Before that, Yalcin waited tables at various bistros in Georgetown. “He has good service skills and understands the customers,” Power said. “I think he’ll do well. I’m very happy for him.” Power also complimented Fishnet’s niche in the casual market, saying it is largely dominated by burger places. More people are opening casual restaurants, as customers are looking to spend less eating out, he said. “Food prices are going up and customers don’t want to pay more,” he said. <snip> Having visited Fishnet, Power said he was particularly impressed with its lack of “cutting corners,” even down to making its own fries rather than purchasing them. “With his price point, it would be easier to have frozen fries,” he said. Looking forward to learning the "election" results and rounding that part of the Beltway for baseball season.
bookluvingbabe Posted April 28, 2012 Posted April 28, 2012 Fishnet passed the in-laws test with flying colors. We took a slight detour off the highway for lunch after their arrival and everyone was delighted. BLPreschooler ate his fish sticks with gusto, although he complained that they weren't really stick shaped. Everyone else had the grilled salmon sandwich and the plates were wiped clean. In-laws liked how light and airy it was. Mr. BLB liked having a place to walk with the boy after lunch. Everyone loved the food. I'm not quite sure when we all last agreed on a dining establishment! The service was great--I felt a bit bad for the young person taking our order when 3 of us began to speak at once. Sigh... He handled it with gusto though. Mr. BLB even mentioned it would be a good stop on a trip to Ikea in the future. Thanks!
DaRiv18 Posted May 2, 2012 Posted May 2, 2012 On a Friday night at 8 pm with two hungry kids and two lazy parental units, it was a stretch to find a decent restaurant that didn't have at least a 45 minute wait on H Street NE. Seemed like a perfect time to head up and try Fishnet, and it was a paradise. By the time we reached there at 8:30, it was pretty chill and we had the pick of our tables. 10 minutes later, our order was up. My wife really enjoyed her salmon sandwich, and I dug my soft shell crab. The fish-sticks made for a perfect app, and we split fries. The shepard's salad is the best palate cleanser after all the fried foods we ate. The music was soft electronica, the noise level was very low, and by the end at 9:00pm when we left (it closed at 9:30), there were just a couple of wi-fi squatters. The only downside to arriving later is that they do run out of the fresh fish (no shrimp by the time we arrived), but that's life when you're dealing with quality products. For my situtation, I don't need Ikea for an excuse to visit Fishnet, as it isn't a hardship for us to head over there. Then again, we are apt to drive out to Virginia for Korean food or for Ray's the Steaks, so we might have a higher tolerance for distance.
New Foodie Posted May 17, 2012 Posted May 17, 2012 After meaning to get up to Fishnet since it opened (I live in NE so it shouldn't be that hard), I finally made it today. I was heading back home from a conference in Baltimore and happened to be driving nearby at lunch time and stopped in. Ferhat recognized me from Corduroy (and I honestly didn't go there that much), so the man must have a great memory! He was also doing everything from taking the orders to running out the food to changing up the menu. At lunch there is a special that includes a sandwich or taco, a side, and a drink for $14, which is a great deal. I had the grilled swordfish with spicy aioli and fries. The swordfish was nicely grilled, and the ciabatta had been thrown on the grill briefly as well (just enough to leave a few marks and crisp it up slightly, but not make it too crunchy), and the aioli was awesome. Not too spicy, but some nice flavor. The fries were superlative. Obviously fresh out of the fryer, they were crispy and salty with a hint of black pepper as well. I wish I had some more of the aioli to dip! Definitely need to take the +1 and make it back up there sooner than later.
ozgirl Posted May 21, 2012 Posted May 21, 2012 It feels like I spent the weekend circumnavigating the beltway just to get to Fishnet - not once but twice. Both times were completely worth the trip. first visit - Saturday night for dinner. we ordered the fish tacos, grilled salmon sandwich, shepherd's salad, and fries. sandwich = fish nicely cooked, some char on the outside, but moist inside, spicy aioli had a nice kick, and the ciabatta toasted just enough to give structure to the bread (which was softer and far less crusty than i had imagined - not a bad thing). fish taco = my favourite of the two - cruchy fish stick contrasted nicely with the slightly sweet sauce and the slaw fries and shepherd's salad (cukes, tomato, onion, pomegranite drizzle) made for nice sides. All this to say, that we enjoyed our experience so much we came back for brunch the next day. Brunch included: salmon benedict, veggie omelet, and a side of grits salmon benedict = untoasted english muffin, nicely cooked fish, egg poached mostly hard cooked, but still plenty runny (just the way my husband likes them), and a lovely hollandaise sauce that had a strong lemon flavour. the lemon in the sauce was so good! veggie omelet = fine - your standard omelet. grits = OMG the grits!! So, so, good .... creamy, a little gritty, and BUTTERY. I was fearful of the amount of butter that was added to these grits on a per portion basis. They are incredibly rich and I understood why the woman ordering in line ahead of us told us how she craved these grits all week long. I have been spreading the word about this place to friends. Hopefully they too will go. (I was surprised that the place wasn't busier on a saturday night for dinner, but seemed like a slow flow of folks on sunday morning.)
DonRocks Posted May 23, 2012 Author Posted May 23, 2012 Shop College Park just broke the news, so I guess it's okay to announce that Fishnet is going to open a coffee shop next door. (I'll start a new thread for this when I get more details, like the name!) And also when Fishnet will be getting their beer and wine license and/or announces their corkage policy, hint, hint, hint, hint, hint.
MC Horoscope Posted May 23, 2012 Posted May 23, 2012 Had a great grilled cheese and tomato sandwich today with a sweet corn bisque for lunch! I love it when they mix it up with new specials!
Drive-by Critic Posted July 21, 2012 Posted July 21, 2012 I really wanted to love this adorable place tucked away on a quiet street in College Park. Even before entering, though, I was put off by the fairly strong odor of fried fish. That fried-two-days-ago smell. It just hung in the air. There was no such smell indoors. The place was maybe half-full but the noise level was uncomfortable, and all due to one child speaking in a loud voice. The sound ricochets off the hard surfaces. I can't imagine how loud it must be when full. We definitely must have mis-ordered because our meals were truly unsuccessful. The lobster rolls had no discernable taste of lobster. The spicy gazpacho bore no resemblance to any gazpacho I've ever had. Frankly, it looked as though someone had opened a jar of Herdez salsa verde, maybe doctored it a bit, and then poured it into a cup. It had an odd, off-putting flavor, nothing identifiable as a piece of vegetable. My mother and I each tried it and it was really bad. Then one of the cooks walked over, said he'd forgotten to add the vinegar, and poured some vinegar into the cup. After a thorough stirring, I tried it again. Now it was even worse. Inedible. We both agreed that the cole slaw was very good. I have to say that for $46 for two, I don't really appreciate having to bus my own table. Flame away.
DanielK Posted July 22, 2012 Posted July 22, 2012 Flame away. Soooo..... you went to FISHnet and didn't order any FISH? I haven't had their gazpacho or lobster roll, so I can't speak to them. Sorry you didn't like them. I've been a half dozen times but have always gotten fish sandwiches. As far as the price point and bussing a table, I remember the same discussion a couple of years ago about Bobby's Crabcakes. If Fishnet hired waiters and bussers, the prices would have to be higher. Would you have liked your meal more at $55 instead of $46 so you could have your order taken and table bussed?
Drive-by Critic Posted July 22, 2012 Posted July 22, 2012 Soooo..... you went to FISHnet and didn't order any FISH? Soooo...you really ought to read their menu. Their signature items include a burger, a vegan felafel, and a softshell crab sandwich. Three of the five signature items are not fish; two are not even seafood at all. Plus, why would you think that it would be odd for a fish restaurant to offer seafood? As far as the price point and bussing a table, I remember the same discussion a couple of years ago about Bobby's Crabcakes. If Fishnet hired waiters and bussers, the prices would have to be higher. Would you have liked your meal more at $55 instead of $46 so you could have your order taken and table bussed? I go to Freddy's which is in a much higher-rent location. For $2 more than I paid at Fishnet, I can get a lobster roll with fries (so basically, the same price). I get full table service. So I don't know that having the table bussed would force them to raise prices.
Drive-by Critic Posted July 22, 2012 Posted July 22, 2012 Soooo..... you went to FISHnet and didn't order any FISH? Menu from Mary's FISH Camp in NYC, which is famous for its lobster roll (though I can't see why - the lobster is indeed top quality and tasty but the one time I was there, it was drowning in the mayo-based sauce). STARTERS Raw bar selections are listed on the board in the restaurant Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad with Nicoise Olives and Mint • 10 Raw Kale with Lemon, Red Pepper, Pine Nuts and Grana Padano • 10 Fried Green Tomatoes with Bacon Buttermilk Dressing • 12 Deviled Eggs with Scottish Smoked Salmon • 7 Wild Salmon Crudo with Citrus Vinaigrette • 12 Canadian Steamers with Drawn Butter and Lemon • 16 Grilled Calamari with Papaya, Peanuts, Chilis & Mint • 12 Fried Oysters and Clams with Fish Camp Tartar Sauce • 12 Salt Cod Fritters with Harissa Yogurt • 11 Colorado Smoked Trout Dip with Celery, Radish and Toast • 11 Boquerones with Orange, Almond and Olive • 12 Spicy Chilled Gazpacho with Lobster Knuckle • 10 MAINS Fish Camp Oyster Po Boy • 15 (Open-Faced) Ahi Tuna Melt with Gruyère • 18 Portuguese Sardine Bánh Mì • 15 Market Fish Tacos with Pico De Gallo, Chipotle Aioli, and Pickled Jalapeño • 18 Pan Fried ‘Hook and Line’ Atlantic Cod Sandwich with French Fries • 18 Fried Clam Roll with Celery Root Remoulade • 14 Herb Marinated Shrimp with Asparagus and Summer Tomatoes • 20 Seared Wild Striped Bass Filet with Farro and Lime Curry Sauce • 22 Whole Market Fish Served Grilled or Fried • M/P 1 1/2 Lb Maine Lobster- Grilled, Chilled or Boiled • M/P Lobster Roll (Limited Supply) • M/P
porcupine Posted July 22, 2012 Posted July 22, 2012 Soooo..... you went to FISHnet and didn't order any FISH? That in no way invalidates DbC's opinions of the food that she did order. Did you ever eat anything at Bobby's other than crabcakes? Are lobster and clams the only things you'll order at Freddy's? Are Five Guys burgers and fries really made with five guys?
DonRocks Posted July 22, 2012 Author Posted July 22, 2012 [The number one suggestion I get about this website (at least in terms of what members do) is that the counter-opinions here can be so strong that new users are afraid to post. This is turning into a fight among friends, needlessly. (I can always restore the original posts later so everyone can see what I'm talking about, but for now, I'd like everyone to please take a breath.) This is a terrible thing about moderation - I can see that this is quickly turning into a [pissing match, battle of egos, nitpick-ridden argument, choose your term]; yet, I feel guilty about stepping in and disallowing free speech; yet, the quarrel is taking place in a thread which directly affects someone's livelihood. There is no perfect answer. Take a breath, please, and remember that what you say here has a non-negligible effect on a company's well-being - questioning a post can sometimes draw more attention to things, causing even more (unintentional) harm to the company. I need an Advil. I should write a book. The original post stands as written.]
Choirgirl21 Posted July 23, 2012 Posted July 23, 2012 Well I apparently missed all of the fun. I could nitpick some things in that review, but meh, perhaps the restaurant had an off day. I've been there at least 4 times now and have always had consistently good food and a good customer service experience overall. I actually forgot to post about my last trip. I had had a bit too much to drink the previous night - wasn't hung over, but was craving something fatty so I thought it was a good excuse to try their burger, except they weren't serving it, so I opted for the fish sticks instead. These are not the fish sticks of the Mrs. Paul's variety, they were large thin pieces of hake coated in a well-seasoned (verging on salty, which was perfect imo) panko and fried to perfect crispness. The spicy aioli as always added a nice bit of spice and moisture. Slaw was great as always and the fries were better than I remembered them. I split the fries and slaw with a friend and still left stuffed. It's not a cheap lunch, but for the quality and knowing I will always get a good meal, it's well worth it imo.
Ferhat Yalcin Posted July 26, 2012 Posted July 26, 2012 As we are all humans it is true that we all can have off days. After reading Drive by Critic`s post multiple times and gathering some intel from my staff and tasting all the food she had, it made more sense to me that somebody here!! had an off day!?! Drive by Critic, Thank you very much for coming to Fishnet for the first time. I am very sorry your visit was not up to your expectations. In your post I need to highlight some points. First of all you have your own palate and taste buds and decisions are yours. I have no defense if you do not like a specific type of food but I will say that I am sorry you did not like the lobster roll (I use fresh, live lobsters from Maine, cook them daily resulting 10-12 orders a day with homemade tarragon mayo covering the meat in the potato roll). I am sorry you did not like the spicy gazpacho ( I use a lot of fresh vegetables and spices, using a blender, resulting a pureed soup style gazpacho,not chunky at all, yes there is pureed gazpacho in United States and there is nothing wrong with it, in this case it will be very hard to define what kind of vegetables are in the gazpacho just by looking, however experienced palates can tell, before serving I add a touch of green apple balsamic vinegar from `ah love oil and vinegar` in your case it was forgotten and again I apologize for that) You also mentioned you were put off before you came in because there was an odd fried fish smell in the air. Unfortunate but I have no control over that smell and it is actually coming from the grill not fryer (I change my oil every 5 days using 100% pure canola oil and filter the oil after the third day, which is better than the usual restaurant standards) You would not smell that kind of a thing in the city because all the vents are going up in the sky 9 - 10 stories. Fishnet is only 1 story and I have a flat roof but my vent is towards the back of the building facing the street behind the restaurant. Think of this as your neighbors are having a barbecue party in their back yard and you get to smell the smoke. You already mentioned there was no smell indoors which is how it is supposed to be and a sign of a clean and careful restaurant. Noise level would be high because of my hardwood floors and there is no sound absorbing equipment. There were actually 4 kids in the restaurant at your time ( by looking from the camera recording) and this will bring some noise. My restaurant is kid friendly, a lot of families come here and I never claimed to be a quiet place. I am glad you liked the coleslaw. Your bill came up to $46 because of the 2 orders of lobster roll ($16 each) and I can not dictate the price on lobster at all, 2 sides, gazpacho and a drink. My system is, you bus your own table as I have no wait staff. Even if you do not bus your own table we still clean up after you and do not say anything negative after you or expect anything from you. In your case you did not quite bus your table, there were still napkins and cups on the table and we still cleaned up after you. While you believe you have all these valid points in your post, I believe that you took unnecessary jabs and making Fishnet look bad. I always welcome if a critisim is constructive but your post is not that. In this board it is almost always the point that when you go into a restaurant and if not happy, you should talk to a manager or the owner of the restaurant. I wish you did that while you were not happy with almost anything you had but you chose not to do so. Even Tom Sietsema always tells his chatters to speak up. If you do not tell me(or someone who works in here) how your food was, how am I suppose to correct it or serve you some other things from the menu??? By the way if you choose to visit Fishnet again and order the lobster roll and gazpacho, most likely they will taste the same because I was not able to discover anything wrong. As I said at the top of my post, somebody had an off day. I still believe that somebody was not Fishnet. Maybe you were having an off day and whatever experience you would have most likely to be negative. And I do not appreciate you saying my gazpacho looks like Herdez salsa verde (btw, I had no idea what that thing was until I googled it and yes my gazpacho looks like that crap but it is homemade and I am sure tastes much better) and I definitely do not appreciate paying $25 an hour to park my car in New York for couple of hours on my own, somebody needs to get me the valet for that price. I wrote this to defend my restaurant and express my feelings. I have no intention to disrespect Drive by Critic.
DonRocks Posted July 26, 2012 Author Posted July 26, 2012 I wrote this to defend my restaurant and express my feelings. I have no intention to disrespect Drive by Critic. Thanks for chiming in Ferhat. FWIW, I heard from the woman Drive-by Critic mentioned with the loud child (believe it or not!) - Ferhat, you have more fans here than you think! She told me you (Ferhat) were off that day, and also has her own version of events which I will let her share only if she wishes. Sorry this particular visit didn't work out for everyone; Drive-by, I would recommend, based on two prior visits, that you give it another go, and maybe ask Ferhat for daily specials that day, or call in first and see what they have. So far, I'm batting two-for-two at Fishnet, and wish I lived closer - I'd go once a week. At the same time, I don't want any member here to feel like they can't write about a negative experience. With proper substantiation, all experiences (each of which is a valid data point) are more than welcome, about all restaurants, even website favorites like Fishnet. (And yes, it's always a very good idea to speak with management if you're unsatisfied with anything, in order to give them a chance to correct any problem.) This isn't my best writing, but it's 6:10 AM and I'm going back to sleeeeep. Cheers, Rocks
bookluvingbabe Posted July 26, 2012 Posted July 26, 2012 Mother of the "loud" child checking in. So.... We thought it was loud too and were even playing telephone and having a contest to see who could whisper the longest. I thought it was pretty obvious that Ferhat wasn't on site as the servious was slow and a bit wonky. Nothing terrible. We went through all of the snacks in our bag while waiting and that helped. I didn't notice any odors outside the location. But more importantly the food was terrific. The "loud" child ate his fish sticks and half of my salmon and most of Mr. BLB's fries. We introduced Fishnet to new fans (and hopefully this board and the other mom won't run away in mortification at her own "loud" child being called out.) Our only compaint is that the portions are small. I think they are 100 percent priced fairly for the portion size but I was hungry pretty quickly after we left. Of course I only got to eat a small share of my lunch. Next time we will skip the fish sticks, get the "loud" child his own salmon and get a fish tacos to split. Mr. BLB is already plotting our return. With our "loud" child whose enthisuasm for Fishnet is undiminished. Sigh... Jennifer
Genevieve Posted July 26, 2012 Posted July 26, 2012 Mother of the "loud" child checking in. So.... We thought it was loud too and were even playing telephone and having a contest to see who could whisper the longest. I thought it was pretty obvious that Ferhat wasn't on site as the servious was slow and a bit wonky. Nothing terrible. We went through all of the snacks in our bag while waiting and that helped. I didn't notice any odors outside the location. But more importantly the food was terrific. The "loud" child ate his fish sticks and half of my salmon and most of Mr. BLB's fries. We introduced Fishnet to new fans (and hopefully this board and the other mom won't run away in mortification at her own "loud" child being called out.) Our only compaint is that the portions are small. I think they are 100 percent priced fairly for the portion size but I was hungry pretty quickly after we left. Of course I only got to eat a small share of my lunch. Next time we will skip the fish sticks, get the "loud" child his own salmon and get a fish tacos to split. Mr. BLB is already plotting our return. With our "loud" child whose enthisuasm for Fishnet is undiminished. Sigh... Jennifer It's a casual place and as such, is likely to have kids, who are not always quiet (as the parent of a tween, who was loud as a younger child, I have experience). I certainly wouldn't find that out of line in a casual place, and appreciate family-friendly restaurants that have good food. When I want a peaceful, quiet restaurant, I go somewhere more upscale/fancy (and even then may not find it). I appreciate reviews that mention noise levels in places that you'd expect/hope to find fairly quiet. Since this isn't a place for a romantic evening or business meal, it wouldn't bother me at all.
darkstar965 Posted July 29, 2012 Posted July 29, 2012 Sigh. As one of the more unqualified Fishnet fans (who hasn't been in a couple of months due to travel), the latest several posts on this thread are a bit saddening. - I'd sure hope "negative" posts...or, rather, constructive criticism, would always, always be strongly encouraged here. If everything's positive all the time, it becomes useless IMHO. - Maybe Fishnet had an off day. Maybe they didn't. Suffice to say, every place has and can have an off day. And, in the interests of empathy and utility, we can maybe even help restaurants by being constructive and balancing good with bad. - FWIW, I think I must be at least 10 for 10 at Fishnet. - Will definitely be back very soon.
DonRocks Posted July 29, 2012 Author Posted July 29, 2012 Sigh. As one of the more unqualified Fishnet fans (who hasn't been in a couple of months due to travel), the latest several posts on this thread are a bit saddening. - I'd sure hope "negative" posts...or, rather, constructive criticism, would always, always be strongly encouraged here. If everything's positive all the time, it becomes useless IMHO. - Maybe Fishnet had an off day. Maybe they didn't. Suffice to say, every place has and can have an off day. And, in the interests of empathy and utility, we can maybe even help restaurants by being constructive and balancing good with bad. - FWIW, I think I must be at least 10 for 10 at Fishnet. - Will definitely be back very soon. [in case anyone cares, I deleted posts 87-90 in this thread so things didn't spiral out of control (which, trust me, they were going to). I restored them temporarily in case anyone wants to look (scroll up to see them). The Mountain/Molehill graphic was about posts 87-90; not about the original post itself. I got complaint letters from everyone, with the standard "I sure as heck didn't do anything wrong!" "Blah blah blah sacred cow!" comments, so at least I ticked everyone off equally. I'll probably move any more "discussion about the discussion" to another thread and/or delete it - the original post, tenuous though it may be, stands as written despite literally inviting a flame war. Likewise booklovingbabe and Ferhat's responses since they were implicated, directly or indirectly, in the original post.]
Lydia R Posted July 30, 2012 Posted July 30, 2012 <snip> Looking forward to <snip> rounding that part of the Beltway for baseball season. Fishnet now has its regular menu on Sundays along with some brunch-y items [lobster omelette, french toast with blueberries and shrimp & grits] and expanded hours [11a - 4p]. So, on the way to an Orioles game we stopped for a quick bite. I had the fish sticks and shared sides of coleslaw and french fries. Whoever was on the fryer is really talented. The coffee was really tasty - what brand/roast is it? I'm glad I finally made it there and definitely need to return to try more of the menu.
seanvtaylor Posted July 30, 2012 Posted July 30, 2012 A really nice lunch here on Saturday--we both ordered the fish tacos--mine with grilled salmon, my wife's fried--these were great as always. We split a side of fries. Everything was great and we left full and happy. Service was great--friendly, and while there isn't any 'formal' table service, we felt that the hostess/food runner was more than happy to help customers. We saw the brunch menu, and expect that we'll be back for that very soon.
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