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Mintwood Place, Chef Jordan Lloyd Replaces Eric McKamey on Columbia Road in Adams Morgan


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Oh, to be in Adams Morgan now that Restaurant Week is here . . . and a snow storm is in progress.  Dame Edna and I normally eschew RW; but, I noticed that the entire menu was up for grabs and so made a reservation for tonight long before the forecast became so dire.  I was wondering when would be a good time to call and see if they would be open tonight when they called me first. Yep, they were calling their entire ressie list to see who needed to cancel and who didn't. (I had to give them a CC number, with the proviso that they would charge $20 a person for no-shows, when I first made the reservation.)

So, we bundled up and trudged the two or so blocks and found a band of hardy souls ensconced in the bar area.  We got to choose our table. It seems that everybody in the place was, not surprisingly, walk-ins or neighborhood people like us who had previously reserved a table. Needless to say, they lost of ton of business tonight and not unlike every other restaurant in the entire Metro area.

Also not surprisingly, the service from beginning to end was very friendly and attentive. :) Kind of like we were all a Band of Brothers--enduring hardship but without the fighting and dying going on.

The walk there was a little bit slow-going and it was still snowing quite a bit and the forecast was for drastically falling temps and lots of wind later on.  However, when we left to go home there were merely flurries and no wind at all. It was quite pleasant--comparatively.  At least we didn't have to worry about traffic. The cars were few and far between on Columbia Road. However, all those unshoveled sidewalks are going to be impassable by tomorrow morning.

It may have been RW, but Mintwood didn't slack up in the least.  Because of all the previous positive comments about the confit calf's heart, I got that for a starter. DE got the burrata and kale salad. I didn't get a bite of that, but he ate it all. This was as good as everybody has said and quite rich, but I realized that if I ate the whole bowl, I wouldn't have room for anything else, so I had the uneaten half packed up to go.  Not a problem--since I mentioned earlier that the service was very attentive.

I had eaten the Dorade there before, so went with the crispy trout. It was an enormous portion of perfectly fried fish with a wonderful accompaniment of green papaya slaw and a sauce.  i had half of that packed up to go, as well.

DE wanted to order the bacon cheeseburger, but I gave him the "evil eye" because there is no reason to order what is normally the cheapest thing on the menu when all of it is the same price. So, he ordered the Beef Bourgononne (however it is spelled) instead, The bite I got of that was better than the same dish I made for NYE, alas.

The desserts were as carefully made as the rest of the dinner, but I was too full to appreciate it very much and I am not much of dessert fan after such rich food, anyway.

We had the option of ordering al a carte, but what is the point of that? Under normal circumstances, meaning not during RW, we would probably order less food and at least share an app and a dessert. As it was, we were able to try quite a few more items. Isn't that the point of RW anyway?

So, am I glad that Mintwood is a "neighborhood" joint? Why, yes, I am--especially when it is a "destination" restaurant at a time when almost nobody can get to it.

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I normally love Mintwood.  Unfortunately, I had a very different experience from Barbara.   When I made a reservation, I was not told that they'd extended RW and were only doing an RW menu.  To be fair, their RW menu covered much of their menu but was missing my favorite -- the beet mountain pie.  More importantly, though, it was just a different restaurant.  They were turning over tables very quickly, and the food was below par.  Several dishes were dramatically underseasoned or had other big technical flaws.  It felt like the chef went on vacation and the kitchen's b-team was just mass producing dishes without tasting them.  Because I've had many good meals there before, I'll certainly return.  But this leaves me wary of going anywhere around restaurant week, and I lost some respect for the Mintwood team.  

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Completely agree with weinoo. Went a couple months back and ordered 6 or 7 things off the menu. The only things that were even good were the octopus and the wings. The rest was very meh. Hadn't been before the change in concept that others are referencing, but I won't be giving it another shot. Probably 1.5 stars if I had to put a rating on it. I should note that I may be an outlier because I thought a similarly well regarded place (Mintwood Place) was just as meh in terms of taste.

 

I actually think that's what Mintwood has morphed into...more meh than when it opened.

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Heading to Mintwood Place this week, any recommendations that people on this forum have for dining here?

My boyfriend and I went to Mintwood two weeks ago and had a fantastic meal that I had forgotten to post about. Overall, everything we had was great and it's hard for me to see how you can go wrong. We started with the chicken liver tartine and the blistered shishito peppers. The tartine was amazing and almost melted in my mouth. The blistered shishito peppers were also good, but they didn't stand out from all the other blistered shishito peppers around town. For entrees, I had the roasted seabream with wilted spinach, mussels, and saffron veloute which I couldn't get enough of. The seabream was cooked perfectly and the veloute was really flavorful. I nearly licked the bowl clean. My boyfriend had the pork chop which he thought was very good. The one bite I had was great but I still preferred my entree. I also liked the chard and spaetzle carbonara that accompanied the pork. Reminded me of Cedric's days at Central.

Hope you have as good a meal as we did, jsfairfax!

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Went here for Thanksgiving this year. My wife and I are almost always on our own for Thanksgiving these days, so while we had a great experience at Equinox last year, we decided to try Mintwood (mainly because it has been too long since we've been).

Wow.

It was good all around but the chicken main and the pork chop main were really, really good. I have no idea why we have let too much time slip by between our trips here (well, it was easy parking that day, but not usually so there you go). Need to keep it in the regular rotation for sure!

post-384-0-69935500-1418435963_thumb.jpg

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Three of us had a nice meal at Mintwood last week.

Starters were the deviled pickled eggs and the iceberg salad with blue cheese.  I thought the egg whites were overcooked and a bit rubbery, but my companions thought they were fine.  (In full disclosure, I always think that the egg whites are overcooked.  Gypsy Soul and Founding Farmers being the only exceptions to that rule.)

For mains we ordered the 5 grain risotto, oven roasted chicken and pork chop.  All were well received, but I think the chicken was the best entree.  It was so incredibly moist.  The prize for best side is a toss up between the spaetzle that accompanied the pork chop (otherworldly) or the lentils, which were earthy and very satisfying.  I could have just eaten the lentils for dinner and been quite happy.

The only truly off note was the service.  It started out enthusiastic, but once our order was placed we couldn't get our waiter's attention the rest of the evening.  We had to rely on the attention of other table's servers to get glasses refilled or our leftovers packed up.

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Number one restaurant in Adams Morgan....in the blind.....really?

Hi Eric,

It's just a temporary holding spot until I can get in (likewise Mintwood Place under your stewardship - I didn't even know you were Chef de Cuisine there (congratulations, by the way - when's our first dr.com dinner? :)), and didn't have you in the thread title until after I read your post). Things shuffle around in the Dining Guide all the time - a few places changed today, for example. They don't change as radically in my guide as they do in certain other publications, who seem to rely on sensationalism, which is why I needed to know at least a general idea of where it might fit in the grand scheme of things - initial comments have also been unusually positive; that said, your post has been heard loud and clear: you may or may not know this, but I'm a fan of yours, and take what you say seriously - I know you've been at PassionFish, Local 16, Central, CityZen, Palena, Proof, and 2941, and I'm trying to think of where I first met you - where were you growing herbs outside in the planters, near the sidewalk? Wasn't it Darlington House?

PS - I had you as #1 in the blind also, not even knowing who the Chef de Cuisine was - you weren't complaining then! :lol: Seriously though, I made the recent mistake of going to Pop's Seabar, instead of going just a few doors down. You know I'm fair, Eric, and things adjust correctly in the long run.

More importantly, how the heck have you been?

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Hi Eric,

It's just a temporary holding spot until I can get in (likewise Mintwood Place under your stewardship - I didn't even know you were Chef de Cuisine there (congratulations, by the way - when's our first dr.com dinner?  :)), and didn't have you in the thread title until after I read your post). Things shuffle around in the Dining Guide all the time - a few places changed today, for example. They don't change as radically in my guide as they do in certain other publications, who seem to rely on sensationalism, which is why I needed to know at least a general idea of where it might fit in the grand scheme of things - initial comments have also been unusually positive; that said, your post has been heard loud and clear: you may or may not know this, but I'm a fan of yours, and take what you say seriously - I know you've been at PassionFish, Local 16, Central, CityZen, Palena, Proof, and 2941, and I'm trying to think of where I first met you - where were you growing herbs outside in the planters, near the sidewalk? Wasn't it Darlington House?

PS - I had you as #1 in the blind also, not even knowing who the Chef de Cuisine was - you weren't complaining then!  :lol: Seriously though, I made the recent mistake of going to Pop's Seabar, instead of going just a few doors down. You know I'm fair, Eric, and things adjust correctly in the long run.

More importantly, how the heck have you been?

I know you're fair Don, it was just surprising to see. I was not aware you were a fan of mine, but that means a lot to me. Seriously. I have been good. My wife and 2 kids keep me occupied the few hours I am not at Mintwood.  After 16 years in the kitchen, I have never been happier cooking than I am right now at Mintwood.  Great support from Cedric and Saied as well as an amazing staff.  I look forward to when you are able to come in.  I am sure that Tail Up Goat will be a nice experience as well.

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I know you're fair Don, it was just surprising to see.  I was not aware you were a fan of mine, but that means a lot to me. Seriously. I have been good.  My wife and 2 kids keep me occupied the few hours I am not at Mintwood.  After 16 years in the kitchen, I have never been happier cooking than I am right now at Mintwood.  Great support from Cedric and Saied as well as an amazing staff.  I look forward to when you are able to come in.  I am sure that Tail Up Goat will be a nice experience as well.

You have my full attention. You did the right thing: You questioned what I wrote, you stood up for yourself, demonstrating politeness, moderation, and restraint, and in doing so, made me want to come in sooner rather than later. It doesn't matter who is "ranked" #1 or #2 - you're going to be up there almost surely, and it all depends on the whims of one particular evening, so it doesn't mean all *that* much, and it can change from visit-to-visit. Yes, I am a fan of yours, and have been for a long time - and it certainly doesn't hurt that Cedric hasn't cut the cord entirely, because he is certainly quite the talent.

Just so everyone knows, what dishes are you particularly proud of right now? I'm not looking for a "final answer" (this isn't "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire"), but an off-the-cuff thought as to what folks might be happy ordering (that is, after all, the ultimate goal of this website - making our readers happy, which more than anything involves being honest and ethical). Is there anything people should or shouldn't ask for? Should we set up a dr.com dinner, or do you encourage our members to come in and just throw a dart?

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You have my full attention. You did the right thing: You questioned what I wrote, you stood up for yourself, demonstrating politeness, moderation, and restraint, and in doing so, made me want to come in sooner rather than later. It doesn't matter who is "ranked" #1 or #2 - you're going to be up there almost surely, and it all depends on the whims of one particular evening, so it doesn't mean all *that* much, and it can change from visit-to-visit. Yes, I am a fan of yours, and have been for a long time - and it certainly doesn't hurt that Cedric hasn't cut the cord entirely, because he is certainly quite the talent.

Just so everyone knows, what dishes are you particularly proud of right now? I'm not looking for a "final answer" (this isn't "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire"), but an off-the-cuff thought as to what folks might be happy ordering (that is, after all, the ultimate goal of this website - making our readers happy, which more than anything involves being honest and ethical). Is there anything people should or shouldn't ask for? Should we set up a dr.com dinner, or do you encourage our members to come in and just throw a dart?

That is tough to answer.  I am proud of all of the dishes that we have added to the menu over the last few months.  I am also proud of the consistency in which we put out the classics of the Mintwood repertoire.  I recently had trouble stopping myself from eating all of the Tagliatelle that we serve with Tomato-Braised Lamb and Pea Shoots; I had promised half of it to my sous chef.  For Valentine's Day weekend we did a couple of duck dishes that looked to China for inspiration, to tie in to celebrating the Lunar New Year this week.  One was Five Spice Roasted Foie Gras with Verjus Gastrique, which we finished with smoked chestnuts cooked in caramel with spices.  The other was Muscovy Duck Breast with Goat Cheese Crepe & Red Plum.  The crepe was also stuffed with rillette made from a confit of leg from the same Muscovy ducks.  The plum was served both as a glaze under the crepe as well as raw with the breast, the plate finished with a traditional Bordelaise sauce steeped with some Chinese spices.  We try and maintain a balance of new dishes as well as consistent output of the classics people have been coming to Mintwood Place for over the last few years.  But I honestly feel that whatever one were to order coming in to Mintwood Place, if it sounds good to them, they will love it.  If it is on the menu and leaving the kitchen, that is because we believe it to be delicious, satisfying, and comforting.  I encourage all members to come in to Mintwood Place; they can throw a dart or they can come up to the kitchen and ask us about what we are excited about that day.  A dr.com dinner would also be more than welcome, I am sure something could be arranged.

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Hi Eric,

It's just a temporary holding spot until I can get in (likewise Mintwood Place under your stewardship - I didn't even know you were Chef de Cuisine there (congratulations, by the way - when's our first dr.com dinner? :)), and didn't have you in the thread title until after I read your post). Things shuffle around in the Dining Guide all the time - a few places changed today, for example. They don't change as radically in my guide as they do in certain other publications, who seem to rely on sensationalism, which is why I needed to know at least a general idea of where it might fit in the grand scheme of things - initial comments have also been unusually positive; that said, your post has been heard loud and clear: you may or may not know this, but I'm a fan of yours, and take what you say seriously - I know you've been at PassionFish, Local 16, Central, CityZen, Palena, Proof, and 2941, and I'm trying to think of where I first met you - where were you growing herbs outside in the planters, near the sidewalk? Wasn't it Darlington House?

PS - I had you as #1 in the blind also, not even knowing who the Chef de Cuisine was - you weren't complaining then! :lol: Seriously though, I made the recent mistake of going to Pop's Seabar, instead of going just a few doors down. You know I'm fair, Eric, and things adjust correctly in the long run.

More importantly, how the heck have you been?

You first met me at the late Etrusco in Dupont Circle, neighbors to Darlington House.  That was my first head chef position, unfortunately Etrusco's last service was New Year's Eve of that same year, 2008.  Vince MacDonald was a very passionate restauranteur, I still mourn the loss of that restaurant.

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You first met me at the late Etrusco in Dupont Circle, neighbors to Darlington House.  That was my first head chef position, unfortunately Etrusco's last service was New Year's Eve of that same year, 2008.  Vince MacDonald was a very passionate restauranteur, I still mourn the loss of that restaurant.

Right! Etrusco! I made what I believe to be a mistake by not having retired Etrusco in Italic - I just now changed that (did it get really bad in its final month, or something like that? There's no way that place wouldn't be in Italic from what I remember). Regardless, here are some memories for you. Now that this website is older than the vast majority of DC-area restaurants, I take an enormous amount of pleasure in its use as a historical document. I hope I live to be 100 just so I can enjoy all the wonderful memories I've had here.

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My wife and I were very pleased with our dinner at Mintwood Place on Saturday night.

First and foremost, Mintwood is fantastic at catering to families with small kids (without slipping into chaos). They brought my three year old's food first, to keep her occupied while my wife and I waited for our courses and drank our cocktails (a rye Manhattan for madame, The Tipperary for me; both well-made). I was envious of my daughter's salmon, with inch-long cuts of asparagus and baby carrots that looked freshly plucked from the garden, and slivers of sauteed onions dressing them. Most kids seem to hate to have their food mixed together, and, not that I want to overthink a kids menu, it seems like Mintwood both respects this by separating the elements on the plate _enough_, and also challenges the kiddos by mixing things together just a bit.

Anyway, I was envious until my softshell crab, with Provençal vegetables and tomatoes, came. I was a bit dubious based on the menu description, but the vegetables in this case featured artichokes heavily, bound together with a bright smear of stewed tomatoes. The salt and the acid paired up nicely against the sweetness of the softie. It had enough of my attention that I have no idea what my wife had for an app.

My wife ordered grilled shrimp with "rice grits" and pork belly ham for her main. The ham was fatty and smoky; I didn't have enough of the rice grits to judge them fully. I got the half cast-iron wood-roasted chicken, having never had it at Mintwood. It was delicious, seasoned so well it was like chicken soup in the flesh. The skin was deeply browned while the meat was moist and tender. My wife enjoyed a glass of Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand and I had a white burgundy from Puligny; both tasted like exemplars.

Service was excellent, too. Our server kept my wife's main hot while she accompanied my daughter to the bathroom, brought my daughter a small seafood fork to use instead of a full-size fork, and delighted us with a second round of complimentary chocolate madeleine crisps at the end of the meal.

Tail Up Goat is a very nice addition to the neighborhood, but Mintwood is the best sort of old reliable, i.e., reliable.

 

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First time to Mintwood Place over the weekend, and boy do these guys serve up some great bread.  Crusty and delicious.  They just need to include more butter.  The sugar cube sized pat is not enough!  I could sit at the bar and eat that bread all night.  

Another winner is the Provencal Anchovy Toast, two slim slices of bread topped with meltingly soft red peppers and topped with white anchovies.  Puts one in the mood for a glass pernod.  

The Seabream with Spinach and Shrimp-Mussel Saffron Veloute was an excellent dish, a large perfectly cook filet of fish with a lovely rich saffron infused sauce poured table side.  Unfortunately the Corn Grits with Tomato-braised Pork and Swiss Chard felt out of season, now that the the weather has turned.  A couple of weeks ago during our dreary May it probably would have been perfect.  I had small samples of the salmon and veal schnitzel, the schnitzel made for some tasty leftovers the next morning.  I will give Mintwood Place credit, although entree prices are in the mid-$20s to $30 range, they do not skimp on portion size.  The main courses are very generous.  

For dessert, the Key Lime Pie was perfectly tart and creamy and we enjoyed the Caramelized Banana Cake.  

I look forward to future visits, sitting at that bar with that lovely bread, a cocktail, and grazing through the rest of the menu.  The pate, pickled pork terrine, and bacon onion flammekeuche are all calling my name!              

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One of my favorite brunch spots. We got the opportunity to take our daughter for the first time on Sunday.  Spur of the moment decision to go for brunch too.  We got there at 1pm and the place as still packed and buzzing.

1. Smoked salmon eggs benedict

2. Hangover Special: 28 day dry aged beef patty, topped with sauce, fries, melted cheese, and sunny side egg (I did not get the bacon)

3. The Egg Porn version of the Hangover Special.

Smoked Salmon.JPG

Hangover Special.JPG

Egg Porn.JPG

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On 2/12/2017 at 3:52 PM, Pool Boy said:

Thanks for this. We were there for Christmas Eve and had a great meal. It will be interesting to see how things change under the new chef. His pedigree is impressive.

Visited for winter Restaurant week - great value (I could say even too much food for 3 courses). If that was an indication of what a regular menu/portion sizes look like - got a great impression. Some stronger dishes, some less memorable, but technically all were correct. Lamb ragu with orecchiete and oyster veloute that came with striped bass were recipes worth stealing.

Experience showed all around, from the food execution, to bar staff, to the server, to the bus boys. Interesting wine list, which, unfortunately shrunk significantly. Even in DC people are difficult to wean off their chardonnays and cabernets.

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This surprised me twice.  The first was they were closing at all, but then I saw they had been there for 10 years.  I assumed that the lease was up and their landlord compassionately jacked up their rent to an unaffordable rate.  But in Tom's chat yesterday he posted a comment from the restaurant:

I, too, was sorry to see the Adams Morgan fixture close, after a decade. In an email, owner Saied Azali wrote, "We are committed to continue to occupy this beautiful space and to create something truly befitting the neighborhood. It will take us some time." 

So they are closing a successful (?) and popular (?) place to open up a new restaurant in the same space?  Seems weird.  Was this place not popular and successful?  (I never managed to make it there but I seemed to read about it a lot over the years)

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On 9/1/2022 at 12:57 PM, Bart said:

This surprised me twice.  The first was they were closing at all, but then I saw they had been there for 10 years.  I assumed that the lease was up and their landlord compassionately jacked up their rent to an unaffordable rate.  But in Tom's chat yesterday he posted a comment from the restaurant:

I, too, was sorry to see the Adams Morgan fixture close, after a decade. In an email, owner Saied Azali wrote, "We are committed to continue to occupy this beautiful space and to create something truly befitting the neighborhood. It will take us some time." 

So they are closing a successful (?) and popular (?) place to open up a new restaurant in the same space?  Seems weird.  Was this place not popular and successful?  (I never managed to make it there but I seemed to read about it a lot over the years)

Yeah it is kind of odd. My wife and I made it there maybe half a dozen or so times pre-pandemic and always enjoyed our meals there. We even got carry out there during year one of the pandemic. My only nit on the place was that that area has really horrible parking options, but we suffered through because we enjoyed things there so much.

Anyway, bummer.

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