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Where Did I Dine? A Photograph-Based Guessing Game


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It's not the Source is it?

No, but that's an excellent guess.

That is a (stemless) wine glass behind the two $9 appetizers, filled with a sparkling Argentinian Torrontes. The faded Adidas sweatshirt at the opposite end of the table (and you have to look *really* hard to see it) is my young dining companion, who was enjoying a Curiosity Cola. The lemongrass atop both the dishes is a clue - the chef loves it.

Back to booklovingabe's dish: I'm having trouble with it. Jennifer, you said "DC location" - does that imply it's a chain? Even with that in mind, I still couldn't figure out what it was. I was looking at places like DC Coast, etc., but to no avail. I can't find a lamb shank dish with such a "clean" presentation - perhaps the omission of the starch made it that way? They're often sitting on a bed of grits, purée, etc; not here.

How should I have known it was a lamb shank rather than a pork shank, btw?

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No, but that's an excellent guess.

That is a (stemless) wine glass behind the two $9 appetizers, filled with a sparkling Argentinian Torrontes. The faded Adidas sweatshirt at the opposite end of the table (and you have to look *really* hard to see it) is my young dining companion, who was enjoying a Curiosity Cola. The lemongrass atop both the dishes is a clue - the chef loves it.

Then I'm out of guesses. There is a whole legion of places we avoid because Mr. BLB can't stand lemongrass.

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I thought the Source would be too quick of a repeat after my posting. The style of the garnish just reminded me of some dishes we had on Saturday. Is that *all* lemongrass though? Some of it definitely looks more glossy and pliable than lemongrass, closer to scallion.

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Outpost might be a better word than chain. DC is the original location. The missing starch is cous-cous. I have ordered it previously with the grain and it was still pretty clean. I think presentation is one of the hallmarks of this establishment.

And yet you told EricandBlueBoy it wasn't Moroccan.

I was looking at Lebanese Taverna earlier, but couldn't find anything matching, and DC is not its original location. I don't see this at Busboys & Poets, it's too clean for Matchbox, I'm leaning against Founding Farmers, it could be Paolo's but I don't see it on their menu, possibly Astor or Rosemary's Thyme, but I don't think so, it's not busy enough to be Zaytinya,

You've pretty much got me stumped, booklovingbabe. I'll wait either for someone else to chime in, or for another clue.

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I thought the Source would be too quick of a repeat after my posting. The style of the garnish just reminded me of some dishes we had on Saturday. Is that *all* lemongrass though? Some of it definitely looks more glossy and pliable than lemongrass, closer to scallion.

Yes, some of it is scallion.

Which brings me to my next 101 idea: Funky Greens. Scallion, Lemongrass, Cilantro, Mint, etc., all done with representative pictures. I *suck* at micro greens and stalky roots. There is a *wonderful* poster at the Falls Church Crisp & Juicy of various greens, the largest of all being dandelion greens - it would be great is we had a lettuce primer, with pictures, describing the differences to the point where any of us could tell on first sight. I could do one of these with sushi, if anyone is interested, so you could point your way through a sushi bar, listing the various fish as you go across with acumen and swiftness.

One hint though: these, especially on the right plate, were supposed to be taking the place of celery (and did so very nicely).

I *LOVE* this thread because it's challenging me, exposing my (considerable) weaknesses for all to see, and forcing me to be both cautious and confident in my guessing. I'm leaning a lot, and will continue to learn, especially when people can explain things when I clearly botch them.

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And yet you told EricandBlueBoy it wasn't Moroccan.

I was looking at Lebanese Taverna earlier, but couldn't find anything matching, and DC is not its original location. I don't see this at Busboys & Poets, it's too clean for Matchbox, I'm leaning against Founding Farmers, it could be Paolo's but I don't see it on their menu, possibly Astor or Rosemary's Thyme, but I don't think so, it's not busy enough to be Zaytinya,

You've pretty much got me stumped, booklovingbabe. I'll wait either for someone else to chime in, or for another clue.

Higher end.

And the chef/owner was in the house, though not cooking, so I think all the dishes we received that night were getting extra love and attention.

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I'm gonna guess Masa 14 because I know they have okra there and the Asian style buffalo wing is something I could see them doing. BUT the tabletop and dishware is wrong I think. Which amounts to - I still don't really know.

Your guesses, far away though they may be (and that's a hint in and of itself), are all excellent.

Thai Okra ($9) is caramelized okra, garlic, lime chili sauce, and scallions

Crême Fraiche Chicken Wings ($9), is made with Kendall Farms Crême Fraiche and Korean chili paste

Two wonderul appetizers with the wings (the chili paste tempered by the crême fraiche) being as good as any I've had in a long time.

The chef is known for putting a lot of ingredients into any given dish.

I've given you some pretty good clues now, so carry on.

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Jennifer, I wrote a fair amount about Palena in the previous post, but deleted it all since it was so obvious that wasn't it (mainly due to it not having a second location). Is anything anyone has written on the right track? There has been plenty of verbiage about your dish.

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For Booklovingbabe's picture: Central?

And we have a winner!

We toasted in the last Inauguration at Citronelle so it seemed fitting to move over to Central this time. Michel was spotted having dinner at a back table. And we learned the lesson that if you don't want the entire dining room staring at you, the Celebration cake might just be a mistake. The sparkler attracts a lot of attention!

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I don't think posting decor shots is wrong; it's just harder to guess without additional clues. However, it's also somewhat educational - I suspect that everyone will notice that picture on the back of Old Ebbitt's menu from this point forward, and will also take a look to see it on the left wall also. They make a really big deal out of it - an entire page of the menu is devoted to an explanation of the artist, so it's an integral part of the restaurant. That said, I doubt anyone would have gotten it without the follow-up hint (would you have, Craig?)

Honestly, yes. I am hyper-aware of my surroundings when I go out to eat. Large paintings, unique light fixtures, dusty ledges, etc are ingrained in my head when I go out. Now that I think about it, I pay more attention to the operation (service, cleanliness, decor, efficiency with grace) than I do the food most times

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For Don's (I can't seem to quote when on my phone): Maple? I haven't even been there but I've read a lot about it and the Asian elements along with your mention that he's known for lots of ingredients tipped me off. I also checked (did not google to find) the menu (this is w/in the rules, right?) And it seems to fit...

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Great guess, cheezepowder - how did you do it?

I guessed it from the hints that it has more than one location, has a chef/owner, and is higher end. I also thought that it's most likely not Moroccan or Indian because of the butter on the table.

The online menu for Central doesn't list the lamb shank as being served with couscous - it says polenta - but I've noticed from this game that the menus frequently aren't current.

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And we have a winner!

We toasted in the last Inauguration at Citronelle so it seemed fitting to move over to Central this time. Michel was spotted having dinner at a back table. And we learned the lesson that if you don't want the entire dining room staring at you, the Celebration cake might just be a mistake. The sparkler attracts a lot of attention!

That is in fact a Moroccan dish without couscous and tangine. You're right Central isn't Moroccan but its still a Moroccan dish.

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I guessed it from the hints that it has more than one location, has a chef/owner, and is higher end. I also thought that it's most likely not Moroccan or Indian because of the butter on the table.

The online menu for Central doesn't list the lamb shank as being served with couscous - it says polenta - but I've noticed from this game that the menus frequently aren't current.

Very, very well done, cheezepowder. Brilliantly done.

WWZ, on 25 Jan 2013 - 22:47, said: For Don's (I can't seem to quote when on my phone): Maple? I haven't even been there but I've read a lot about it and the Asian elements along with your mention that he's known for lots of ingredients tipped me off. I also checked (did not google to find) the menu (this is w/in the rules, right?) And it seems to fit...

And WWZ, also very, very, well done. Ding! Ding! Ding! on guessing Maple Ave. Restaurant. Absolutely, everything you did was well within the bounds of the game - it's up to the riddler to supply the clues; the guessers can use any means necessary at their disposal to guess.

Maple Ave Restaurant Menu.pdf

We also had the Mushroom Zucchini Risotto and the Lemongrass Chicken.

Momiento! Are you talking about Maple in Columbia Heights, or Maple Ave. Restaurant in Vienna? If the former, this is the single luckiest guess in history! :lol:

---

So once again, we're out of dishes, and the team is essentially batting 1.000

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And WWZ, also very, very, well done. Ding! Ding! Ding! on guessing Maple Ave. Restaurant. Absolutely, everything you did was well within the bounds of the game - it's up to the riddler to supply the clues; the guessers can use any means necessary at their disposal to guess.

attachicon.gifMaple Ave Restaurant Menu.pdf

We also had the Mushroom Zucchini Risotto and the Lemongrass Chicken.

Momiento! Are you talking about Maple in Columbia Heights, or Maple Ave. Restaurant in Vienna? If the former, this is the single luckiest guess in history! :lol:

Didn't have a clue yours was Maple Ave (Vienna) despite being there a month or so ago for the first time. Couldn't have been Maple if only for the table surface being black granite or stone. Surely someone photographing Maple in Columbia Heights would get some of that gorgeous wood into the photo. We just ate there two nights ago--posted on it. Can't remember what the table tops were since we ate at the maple bar. These are tough! Hope mine doesn't end up being too easy!

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Momiento! Are you talking about Maple in Columbia Heights, or Maple Ave. Restaurant in Vienna? If the former, this is the single luckiest guess in history! :lol:

---

So once again, we're out of dishes, and the team is essentially batting 1.000

Whoops, I did mean Maple Ave!

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That is in fact a Moroccan dish without couscous and tangine. You're right Central isn't Moroccan but its still a Moroccan dish.

Having never dined at a Moroccan place, nor attempted any type of Moroccan cooking, I'm not sure how I'm supposed to know that from a menu description that says "lamb shank."

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French or Belgian? Nordic? Belga Cafe?

Excellent guess! But, unfortunately not right. I have some good hints queued but maybe too early for those. Will just say that both you, JuneBacon, and BLB managed to combine some 'right direction' and 'wrong direction' ('warm' and 'cold' if this was Marco Polo) stuff in both of your answers.

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RE: Darkstar's post. What self-respecting European cuisine puts alfalfa sprouts on a plate? I'm not up on purveyors of "healthy" food, but I'll wager it is one of those sorts of places.

"Urinalysis, DR?"

This is an oddball photo to be sure. darkstar said "tonight," so I assume that crazy-looking mug on the top left isn't filled with coffee. In fact, just above the liquid appears to be 1/2 inch or so of sediment, so it's something with particulate matter in it. I assume the glass mug next to it is for water. Then the ramekin which could be filled with a spread of some sort (whipped butter?), but ... for what? It would make a great deal of sense to have a dark bread with this salad plate, but none is to be seen.

My initial reaction for the right side was potato salad, but then herring salad makes more sense; potato salad would make this a pretty unfortunate mixture, with the lazily cut red onion, slab of red pepper, neatly sliced-and-turned sweet pickle slice, alfalfa sprouts, freshly ground pepper, etc. I can't figure out what's between the potato/egg/herring salad and the red onion - some sort of mostarda maybe? But if so, then why is it buried?

I was going to say Domku, but they don't have tablecloths. The tablecloths are nice looking, but a little on the sloppy side when it comes to being pressed and set. I'm in the Nordic region here, too, but it's killing me that there's no black bread with this, and the tablecloth is throwing off everything.

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ETA - My initial guess for JimRice's is A&J (the soup, the cold smoked chicken, and the use of peanuts all lead me there (and now I see cheezepowder has said the same thing, so there's confirmation - she'll get credit if these guesses are right since I went back to add this afterwards, and she had posted just before this addition)).

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DS: Old Europe

Wow--this community knows too many restaurants too well. Trophy to JuneBacon. And a silver medal to BLB, who speculated very early on it was herring but then was too self-doubting :D

Indeed, the dish in the photos is "Hering Hausfrauen Art"

Rocks was also on a good path as I'd hoped. The "crazy looking mug" was included in the shot very purposefully. How many places in and around town are currently serving gluhwein?! "Particulate matter," indeed--mulled Burgundy more specifically. The mug is clearly for a hot beverage but then probably not coffee or tea since not a dessert course.

My few clues would have included: "one of DC's oldest continuously operating restaurants," and "was very important to frame the shot to not include any of the context of the place, which decoratively is very much at odds with what appears" (since Old Europe is so ornate and kitschy) and something about gluhwein if it had come to that. Also had teed up a hint regretting no audio track, since Old Europe is one of the few places with white tablecloths (though debatable how much it meets a "fine dining" bar) where there's live music. We learned last night, actually, that the kind woman who's been playing piano there on weekend nights for so many years no longer is due to arthritic hands. They have a new person who seems to be less reliable and didn't show last night.

We don't go here very often. But Old Europe is very popular with some who've been going for years. We have several friends who, either because they're of German ancestry or have German-food-loving parents or uncles that come into town on occasion, swear by Old Europe. In our case, a couple of friends from way out in Maryland (who don't know DC restaurants very well) chose it for a planned get together. My other shot (not posted) was of a giant, Flintstones-sized pork shank we'd ordered with the requisite kraut, spaetzle, red cabbage, etc but that felt like it would be even easier.

And, Don, of course there was dark bread on the table. I just didn't include it in the frame since that would have made it even easier. :)

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cant be rogue unless i missed something....we dont allow for pictures....lol....

And yet ... there's that single, damning picture I have from Rogue 24. If memory serves me, we were still several hundred thousand dollars apart in our most recent round of negotiations. Care to rethink your offer?

I love this thread, truly. It's the best thing that has happened to this website in ages.

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First reaction was some kind of mini haemul pajeon (korean seafood pancake) but that's not right. Though there seems to be seafood in these, I also think there's some eggplant (esp the part hanging off the bottom). Cast iron could be a Korean place but the small, two-handled attributes of it make me less sure and thinking this could be southern European also.

One question of clarification. Was the 2/3 not shown more of the same? More of the patties? Or was it a dish composed of different elements with the patties just being one?

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One question of clarification. Was the 2/3 not shown more of the same? More of the patties? Or was it a dish composed of different elements with the patties just being one?

Yes, more of the same. What's in the picture is entirely representative of the full dish.

I thought they looked like really lovely sausages. The glistening fat is what took me there. Tapas of sort?

Of sort.

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Where did I dine? Note that the dish was about 2/3 consumed by the time the photo was taken. Oops.

Looks like a ballontine of game bird? Simple/rustic in presentaion. The vessel in whitch it is served looks to be cast iron of sorts, but very clean (think japanese minimalist).

I like this game.

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This thread has become too hard to follow. There are too many individual conversations going on in one thread.

My suggestion: Create a forum just for this, similar to the forum where people tracked their health goals.

And no, I don't volunteer to create/moderate the forum.

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This thread has become too hard to follow. There are too many individual conversations going on in one thread.

My suggestion: Create a forum just for this, similar to the forum where people tracked their health goals.

And no, I don't volunteer to create/moderate the forum.

This had occurred to me as well. That it could become tough to follow versus needing a separate Forum.

I'm not sure about a new forum since it wouldn't lend itself to multiple topics (unless you're thinking each new photo would be a new topic?).

I think the best approach might be a rule that only 1 (or max 2) games at a time? I don't think we've yet had three at once going on but that could get a bit chaotic. The benefit of one is that it would make it easier for more people to focus and inform guesses.

FWIW

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