brian Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Mike's American *is* that big - at least revenue-wise - and you're correct! It's 44,000 square feet (which I believe is the largest square footage in the DC area), and it's as high as it is wide. I know the link says it's 44,000 square feet, but it's not. Or if it is, it's spectacularly inefficient. 300 seats in 44k sf is a Per Se level of kitchen size and table density, and the same list shows Old Ebbitt at 508 seats in 25k sf and Jackson's in Reston at 280 seats in 11k sf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 I know the link says it's 44,000 square feet, but it's not. Or if it is, it's spectacularly inefficient. 300 seats in 44k sf is a Per Se level of kitchen size and table density, and the same list shows Old Ebbitt at 508 seats in 25k sf and Jackson's in Reston at 280 seats in 11k sf. Brian, your points are good ones, and my response is, "I honestly don't know." I ran the numbers, and 44,000 square-feet is approximately the size of the playing area of an NFL football field (end zones not included), I cannot get a grasp of how big Mike's American actually is. The other evening, Matt and I were led a fairly long way through an open space, only to be sat at a booth for two, where nobody else was within earshot. There was a large wall mirror next to us, making the restaurant look even bigger - plus, it has an open floor plan (like Cafe Atlantico did), allowing you to see all the way up and down. I commented to Matt, "You know, I can't tell how big this place really is." He looked around for a moment, nodded his head, and replied, "It's big." If I had to guess - and this is just a guess - I would think they might have counted three floors instead of two (I suspect there's an entire bottom floor that's used for storage or prepping), and multiplied the square footage by the dimensions of the building, then multiplied again by three, but again, that's just a guess. Great American Restaurants Group is known for "booth-only" seating, and I have never in my life felt crowded at one of their restaurants - Sweetwater Tavern in Merrifield, for example, is #100 on that list, and I can assure you it is *huge* - cavernous, even - but with the exception of the bar, has only booth seating, so you never feel crowded when you're dining there. It's also on one floor, so you can see just how vast it is (it has a very high ceiling, making it look even bigger) - Mike's is listed as being about twice that big, and doesn't seem like it because it twists and turns, but with multiple floors, who knows? Mike's used to be, and still may be, the flagship of this restaurant group's locations in terms of size and revenues - it may not be 44,000 square feet (I looked at a few places on that list, including The Hamilton, and didn't see any other restaurant listed as being that large), but it is formidably large. (Note also: the number given - 44,049 - is evenly divisible by 3: resulting in 14,683. Each floor (including my hypothetical bottom storage and prep floor) would need to be 100' x 146.83' to achieve that figure - is that the case? Perhaps.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Pitmasters Back Alley BBQ Right! I'll try to post something about it on that thread later but, in short, a promising new entrant for BBQ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 If I had to guess - and this is just a guess - I would think they might have counted three floors instead of two (I suspect there's an entire bottom floor that's used for storage or prepping), and multiplied the square footage by the dimensions of the building, then multiplied again by three, but again, that's just a guess. Great American Restaurants Group is known for "booth-only" seating, and I have never in my life felt crowded at one of their restaurants - Sweetwater Tavern in Merrifield, for example, is #100 on that list, and I can assure you it is *huge* - cavernous, even - but with the exception of the bar, has only booth seating, so you never feel crowded when you're dining there. It's also on one floor, so you can see just how vast it is (it has a very high ceiling, making it look even bigger) - Mike's is listed as being about twice that big, and doesn't seem like it because it twists and turns, but with multiple floors, who knows? Mike's used to be, and still may be, the flagship of this restaurant group's locations in terms of size and revenues - it may not be 44,000 square feet (I looked at a few places on that list, including The Hamilton, and didn't see any other restaurant listed as being that large), but it is formidably large. (Note also: the number given - 44,049 - is evenly divisible by 3: resulting in 14,683. Each floor (including my hypothetical bottom storage and prep floor) would need to be 100' x 146.83' to achieve that figure - is that the case? Perhaps.) Going way down the rabbit hole on this one, but looking at the building on google maps I get an approximate floorplate size of 82'x76', good for 6,232sf per floor. It's possible they have a basement, but it would be very rare for a pad site to be built with anything underground and the raised entrance isn't that high. In any case it's a good bet that it's under 20k sf. I generally consider anything over 10k sf a very large restaurant, and over 15k feels mammoth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Going way down the rabbit hole on this one, but looking at the building on google maps I get an approximate floorplate size of 82'x76', good for 6,232sf per floor. It's possible they have a basement, but it would be very rare for a pad site to be built with anything underground and the raised entrance isn't that high. In any case it's a good bet that it's under 20k sf. I generally consider anything over 10k sf a very large restaurant, and over 15k feels mammoth. I trust your opinion way more than I trust some random chart on the internet. It *is* a mammoth restaurant, but it's not *that* big, and has nowhere near the feel of walking into the convention center at the Gaylord (44,000 square feet of meeting space). I never thought any hall would make the Kennedy Center's look small, but the Gaylord's does, and we're nowhere near Gaylord territory with Mike's American (you could fit multiple Mike's American restaurants inside the Gaylord's convention center, I believe). So where did I dine? (My hints were good ones: the photo was a namesake dish, and the dish's ethnicity reflects the (specific) ethnicity of the restaurant.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted February 21, 2015 Author Share Posted February 21, 2015 Where did I dine? (poorly framed photo should offer some clues) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 So where did I dine? (My hints were good ones: the photo was a namesake dish, and the dish's ethnicity reflects the (specific) ethnicity of the restaurant.) Is it a picture of pancit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weezy Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Don -- just a guess from left field, but the hangar steak meal, The Hamilton? And for what I think is the jap chae, Choong Hwa Woon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Is it a picture of pancit? Josh, not pancit, but it is (obviously) noodles - these were made with rice flour, and also had pork and vegetables, but I could have just as easily gotten them made with wheat flour here. Don -- just a guess from left field, but the hangar steak meal, The Hamilton? And for what I think is the jap chae, Choong Hwa Woon? Louise, The Hamilton was one of about five great guesses, but if you page back, you'll see that Jim already guessed Mike's American. It seems I'm drawn to people with that name lately, wherever they may be. Jap Chae is also a great guess, and we're getting closer (geographically) than with pancit. Where did I dine? (poorly framed photo should offer some clues) And with this, I declare a 24-hour moratorium on my guesses because I have some unfair advantages in this game that folks haven't even thought about (one being that I'm on the website all the time), so I rest silent on Elizabeth's picture until Sunday morning at 8:21. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Josh, not pancit, but it is (obviously) noodles - these were made with rice flour, and also had pork and vegetables, but I could have just as easily gotten them made with wheat flour here. Louise, The Hamilton was one of about five great guesses, but if you page back, you'll see that Jim already guessed Mike's American. It seems I'm drawn to people with that name lately, wherever they may be. Oh...Michael's Noodles in Rockville? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Oh...Michael's Noodles in Rockville? Well done. Â Taiwanese-style Rice Noodles (I'd like to know what about these make them "Taiwanese style.") Do people really think this is Rockville? I would just as soon consider it Gaithersburg or even North Potomac. When I was growing up, Shady Grove Road (and this is pretty far west on Shady Grove) was Gaithersburg all-the-way. Just as Stella Barra is "barely Bethesda" (Mid-Pike Plaza was Rockville all-the-way when I was growing up) because it's on the North side of Old Georgetown Road. Is this the work of realtors, trying to pull people in from different parts of the country? What am I supposed to use as my northern boundary for Bethesda if not Old Georgetown Road? Stella Barra, btw, is from Chicago's Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Inc. which now owns over 100 restaurants nationwide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 I was just there last week...should've gotten that quicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 I was just there last week...should've gotten that quicker. I don't see how it's possible to get a random plate of noodles any quicker than you did. And I was wrong up above in saying Taiwan is geographically closer to South Korea than it is to the Philippines (it isn't). Taiwan is a place I *always* think is further north than it actually is; no longer. I blame it on Japan (islands in Okinawa prefecture actually extend further south than Taipei, believe it or not). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted February 21, 2015 Author Share Posted February 21, 2015 where did I dine? (just joking; bored on a snowy day) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraB Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Somewhere in Fiji.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 where did I dine? (just joking; bored on a snowy day) Somewhere in Fiji.... Ohhhhhh! I thought she said 'where do I want to die?' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted February 24, 2015 Author Share Posted February 24, 2015 Where did I dine? (poorly framed photo should offer some clues) um... anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 um... anyone? It's deep-fried blocks of tofu, served on dry cabbage, topped with sesame seeds, atop the same brown sauce that it's been brushed with. The top dish appears to be mixed-vegetable fried rice (with some of that same cabbage), and this looks like a completely vegan meal at an Asian restaurant. I've stated the obvious; now, if someone can identify it by the dark-wood table and bright-yellow mats, that would be impressive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbogrrl Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 um... anyone? Looks like Mandalay to me! I believe I spy the addictively delicious rice salad just out of focus. Please tell me about the dish in the foreground! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzy510 Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 Looks like Mandalay to me! I believe I spy the addictively delicious rice salad just out of focus. Please tell me about the dish in the foreground! The yellow paper placemats are a dead giveaway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted February 24, 2015 Author Share Posted February 24, 2015 It's deep-fried blocks of tofu, served on dry cabbage, topped with sesame seeds, atop the same brown sauce that it's been brushed with. The top dish appears to be mixed-vegetable fried rice (with some of that same cabbage), and this looks like a completely vegan meal at an Asian restaurant. I've stated the obvious; now, if someone can identify it by the dark-wood table and bright-yellow mats, that would be impressive. Almost right. Two of the blocks are tofu; the other two are squash. Also, it's not fried rice as such, but a steamed rice salad. Looks like Mandalay to me! I believe I spy the addictively delicious rice salad just out of focus. Please tell me about the dish in the foreground! Your guess doesn't count.   The dish in the foreground might make it to the new menu debuting next week (see my last post in the Mandalay thread). I hope so, 'cause it was yummy. The yellow paper placemats are a dead giveaway. Yes they are. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimRice Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 Here's one that was very pleasant, and probably easy. Where did I dine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookluvingbabe Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Mike's American *is* that big - at least revenue-wise - and you're correct! It's 44,000 square feet (which I believe is the largest square footage in the DC area), and it's as high as it is wide. See I was thinking Coastal Flats and have a similar picture of our Valentine's Day lunch except that they don't mingle the mushrooms and mashed potatoes at the Gaithersburg location. Â Although truthfully, Mr. BLB got it with mashed potatoes and I got mine with spinach so it is possible I'm wrong... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadarene Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Here's one that was very pleasant, and probably easy. Where did I dine? IMG_20150224_112234.JPG Soi 38, I believe.  (And if not, they do a great rendition of that dish as well.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmoomau Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Here's one that was very pleasant, and probably easy. Where did I dine? IMG_20150224_112234.JPG I don't know, but I can't wait to find out, it looks pretty tasty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimRice Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Soi 38, I believe.  (And if not, they do a great rendition of that dish as well.) You got it! And yes, it's a tasty dish. Nam prik ong. It makes for good bar snacking and sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lackadaisi Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Where did I eat this amazing meal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 where did I dine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antonio Burrell Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 the last one looks kinda like Nava thai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 the last one looks kinda like Nava thai Antonio - nope, try again. I just realized this picture doesn't show the noodles, which is a major clue. It's ramen. But you'll never guess where I had it... Where did I eat this amazing meal? I don't know but I want to go there and eat that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antonio Burrell Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 a and j? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Antonio - nope, try again. I just realized this picture doesn't show the noodles, which is a major clue. It's ramen. But you'll never guess where I had it... Did you read while you were there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 where did I dine? The sesame seeds are reminiscent of the one posted previously from Taro but don't think this is from there? What protein, if any, is in this? Especially interested if anything other than pork. Am I barking up a good tree with a hypothesis that this wasn't had at a place we'd normally label as "Asian?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lackadaisi Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Antonio - nope, try again. I just realized this picture doesn't show the noodles, which is a major clue. It's ramen. But you'll never guess where I had it... I don't know but I want to go there and eat that. You should! It too is ramen, yet deconstructed. My hint is that I love my neighborhood, and I love visiting old friends, especially when they are at new places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheezepowder Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Where did I eat this amazing meal? You should! It too is ramen, yet deconstructed. My hint is that I love my neighborhood, and I love visiting old friends, especially when they are at new places. Slipstream? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lackadaisi Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Slipstream? Yep! It was awesome. Tom touted it, but I still wasn't expecting it to be this good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 a and j? nope. Did you read while you were there? nope. The sesame seeds are reminiscent of the one posted previously from Taro but don't think this is from there? What protein, if any, is in this? Especially interested if anything other than pork. Am I barking up a good tree with a hypothesis that this wasn't had at a place we'd normally label as "Asian?" Not Taro. pork. You are barking up the right tree. This was not at an "Asian" restaurant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhone1998 Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Porcupine, is this the bowl of ramen they're serving at Bar Pilar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Did you read while you were there? nope. I asked because Afterwards Cafe at Kramerbooks serves ramen, and you implied it wasn't a "normal" ramen place. Just to clear this up, you're not the old friend that met lackadaisi, right? This was not also Slipstream? I'm assuming "no," but it's not entirely clear to the reader. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 ... Not Taro. pork. You are barking up the right tree. This was not at an "Asian" restaurant. That's a good hint. I mean, probably not for me since I'll do my best to keep my WDID? wrong-guess streak alive, but I bet this is going to help someone else big time. Not an Asian restaurant. I should get half-credit just for that, doncha think? :-) So this the work of a chef who likes to surprise and push beyond whatever boundaries a bit. Maybe even a chef who, though he or she loves good food done well, is a bit playful. May I guess three? - Grapeseed (Jeff is just now doing a very impressive Ma Po Tofu so why not?) - Eat the Rich (might be up their pork-fond, Shaw-hipsterish alley now that Julien is no longer there) - RIS (this is a lark; she could totally do this and hasn't been mentioned here in a long time, so even assuming I'm wrong again, I'm doing a good service. :-)) No go, eh? Cheezepowder, where art thou? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraB Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Wondering if this is Crane & Turtle? Â I know C&T could be thought of as an Asian restaurant, as many of their dishes are Asian. Â However, they are not your typical ramen joint, as many dishes are more French-influenced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 Porcupine, is this the bowl of ramen they're serving at Bar Pilar? ding ding ding! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhone1998 Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 ding ding ding! I had this about a month ago, and really enjoyed it, though I remember remarking at the time that it didn't really taste like ramen. It's a great soup, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 I had this about a month ago, and really enjoyed it, though I remember remarking at the time that it didn't really taste like ramen. It's a great soup, though. I'm glad to read that, because the night I had it, the noodles were undercooked to the point of being doughy. Otherwise it was a nice soup. Where did I dine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 I had this about a month ago, and really enjoyed it, though I remember remarking at the time that it didn't really taste like ramen. It's a great soup, though. a and j? Like Antonio, I really thought this was a dark Chinese (probably beef) soup, and I thought he might have been right with A&J. Where did I dine? This could be Latino (Empanada-like) or Middle Eastern (Fatayer-like). Is that a bowl of olive oil with parsley? The simple presentation with the (somewhat feeble) attempt at garnish is throwing me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 The simple presentation with the (somewhat feeble) attempt at garnish is throwing me. That garnish literally made me LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 That garnish literally made me LOL. That's why I'm thinking it might be a museum or something like that. The batter is similar to what you'd find in a crab rangoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 The batter is similar to what you'd find in a crab rangoon. You're way off base with that. edited to add: this place shouldn't be off the radar; I read about it here, and plenty of members have eaten there and posted about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 As a possibly easier option for those twisted into knots by the trickier Porcupine, Where Did I Dine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 Duke's Grocery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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