jasonc Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 So, people are paying a premium via line standees ..rather Silverman collect that fetty, rather than some random dude exploiting the system... Guess it's just a matter of opinion. I'd pay the restaurant to avoid waiting, and I guess now I'll just use a Task Rabbit, like TS did. But Silverman's already rich... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simul Parikh Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Haha. Maybe he is. I have no idea how much Chefs make. Thank you, B.A.R. for that fantastic link to Nick Kokonas. Game changer for the high demand/high risk for no show places. I love the idea of charging a deposit for the meal, rather than a surcharge. He makes the great point (opposed to what I say) that why charge more- just make sure people come and have the ability to actually come! It's a great read, sure there are many holes to poke, but I like it much better than my idea of just buying access. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Paying for the opportunity to pay to eat at a place...the mind reels. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsDiPesto Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Paying for the opportunity to pay to eat at a place...the mind reels. Kind of like financing for a cell phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonc Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 I really don't get the resistance to this. We're at an incredible place where technology efficiently connects people who have something to someone who needs that something (e.g., time and a car to people who need to gets somewhere, Uber; extra space to travelers, Air BnB, etc). If someone has spare time and doesn't mind standing around outside, they can now get paid for that by someone who values his or her time more. It's awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.A.R. Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 I really don't get the resistance to this. We're at an incredible place where technology efficiently connects people who have something to someone who needs that something (e.g., time and a car to people who need to gets somewhere, Uber; extra space to travelers, Air BnB, etc). If someone has spare time and doesn't mind standing around outside, they can now get paid for that by someone who values his or her time more. It's awesome. For me, I think its the messaging. I thought that one of the reasons that Roses has a no reservation policy is that they wanted to be part of the neighborhood and also wanted to be as open to all as possible to all - a noble ethos. My "resistance" (for me, this is more like a NYT Ethicist question) is purely fueled by this notion. My position is likely hypocritical, because I wouldn't even think twice if I was told that people are being paid to stand on line for others at, say, Little Serow. Little Serow, to the best of my knowledge, has always stated that the reason they do not take reservations is to keep the prices down and the place full - purely economic reasons. There are enough people in town who want to eat there, backed by personal wealth or a fat expense account, that could quickly co-opt the "line" and render one if its goals obsolete. To be clear, I dont believe Rose's is doing anything wrong and they dont HAVE to do anything to change this. Let's just say $500 a night is spent on line waiting. My first thought was that Id rather the money go to Rose's directly. But maybe the money going directly to individuals in the community does serve a greater good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simul Parikh Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 Interesting. So the thought is that places without reservations tend to be more neighborhoody while places that take reservations aren't? I never correlated those. Maybe so, though. I just wouldn't have put that in the business plan. I would think you would just be in the neighborhood, serve good food, and be nice to regulars. But, maybe it works. I don't think they are doing anything wrong - they are completely fine - their huge success has led to me being part of the peanut gallery. I just don't like the idea of the money going to third parties instead of the restaurant owner, chef, and hard-working staff. It's like ticket scalpers or health insurance companies, they are just bottom feeders acting as middlemen. No offense to any professional ticket scalpers. All offense to health insurers. -S 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genevieve Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 To me, a place that doesn't take reservations is being difficult, not neighborly.I just don't see the neighborly aspect of it at all. I have neighborhood restaurants that I love, and that's never something that would occur to me as being neighborly - it means people can't plan in advance easily, for one thing. I can't physically stand in line for two hours, but I'm not disabled and Rose's wouldn't excuse me because I have some back and foot pain (not that I would expect them to, but I don't think it's more "open to all," just more open to people who have two hours to spare before dinner and the physical ability to stand for that long). People who might like to join me at this restaurant are not people who want to stand in line for two hours either, holding a place for our group, and not knowing if we'd get in at the first sitting or not. A place that takes reservations is "open to all," generally. The issue is when they are so popular that it takes time to be able to dial over and over to get a reservation. But that still seems like less of a barrier than requiring people to stand in line. Maybe a good compromise for restaurants who were interested in doing something like this could have certain nights that are no reservations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 I walked into Rose's tonight at 9:30 and sat at one of several empty bar seats. Had a drink within three minutes and food within ten. For anyone willing to eat late, especially on a weeknight, discussion of lines, wait times, and paid placeholders is moot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBag57 Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 And if I lived within 45 minutes of the restaurant, I would have been sitting right next to you, being something of a night owl. But if you are only a "neighborhood restaurant" for those who keep those hours, then are you really a "neighborhood restaurant"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBag57 Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 In fact, with the efforts that have gone into, and seemingly are required for, getting a seating at the restaurant, including the use of line waiters, it seems like it is anything but a neighborhood restaurant. If I am coming off as bitter, I am not. I live nowhere close, and, through concerted effort, we were able to do an evening there on the rooftop. Just making an observation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 In fact, with the efforts that have gone into, and seemingly are required for, getting a seating at the restaurant, including the use of line waiters, it seems like it is anything but a neighborhood restaurant. I think the bigger question is whether it's even possible for a restaurant that's won such high praise on a national level to remain a neighborhood restaurant. A few months ago Al's Place in SF was named best new restaurant of the year by Bob Appetit, the same accolade won by Rose's the year before. Al's Place takes reservations, but I just checked their website and the next available reservation is Sunday, December 6th, at 9:45pm. They keep some tables open for walk ins and they have a line outside when the open every night. State Bird Provisions was Bon Appetit's #1 in 2012 and it doesn't show any reservations available in the next two months. They keep some tables open for walk ins and they have a line outside when they open every night. Husk was #1 in 2011, it's a large restaurant that takes reservations, and four years later people STILL line up before opening every day to get a walk in table. Without checking ID's for addresses at the door, what can a restaurant feasibly do to stay neighborhood focused when hundreds of people a night are willing to travel for hours, refresh their browsers, dial dozens of times, and wait as long as it takes to eat there? 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 I think the bigger question is whether it's even possible for a restaurant that's won such high praise on a national level to remain a neighborhood restaurant. A few months ago Al's Place in SF was named best new restaurant of the year by Bob Appetit, the same accolade won by Rose's the year before. Al's Place takes reservations, but I just checked their website and the next available reservation is Sunday, December 6th, at 9:45pm. They keep some tables open for walk ins and they have a line outside when the open every night. State Bird Provisions was Bon Appetit's #1 in 2012 and it doesn't show any reservations available in the next two months. They keep some tables open for walk ins and they have a line outside when they open every night. Husk was #1 in 2011, it's a large restaurant that takes reservations, and four years later people STILL line up before opening every day to get a walk in table. Without checking ID's for addresses at the door, what can a restaurant feasibly do to stay neighborhood focused when hundreds of people a night are willing to travel for hours, refresh their browsers, dial dozens of times, and wait as long as it takes to eat there? This was an excellent post. And I hereby declare donrockwell.com a neighborhood website. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Radigan Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 I can still remember walking into The Evening Star Café back in 1998 and saying that this was truly a neighborhood place. It reminded me so much of what I used to see living in Richmond, small places (no more than 40-50 seats) an active crowd late, and typically run by the servers and bartenders, no money for managers. Over the years ESC grew outside of the neighborhood as the company itself started to purchase other properties. To this day I think and believe it has gone back to being more of a neighborhood place that I think gets lost in the shuffle of NRG's empire and I do believe that to be a good thing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheezepowder Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 I walked into Rose's tonight at 9:30 and sat at one of several empty bar seats. Had a drink within three minutes and food within ten. For anyone willing to eat late, especially on a weeknight, discussion of lines, wait times, and paid placeholders is moot. And if I lived within 45 minutes of the restaurant, I would have been sitting right next to you, being something of a night owl. But if you are only a "neighborhood restaurant" for those who keep those hours, then are you really a "neighborhood restaurant"? This too. (Time stamp on tweet is 2:28 pm but on twitter feed, it's around 5:28 to 6 pm). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocobinga Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 Had dinner at Rose's around 9 last Friday night and there were empty seats next to me the entire time (at the kitchen counter). Suffice to say, this was one of the best meals I have had in a long time. The combination of delicious food, effortlessly excellent service, and over-the-top hospitality really had me on cloud nine. Pretty sure I got to try every ice cream flavor they had (all excellent, by the way). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waitman Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 ould I pay $50 for a table at Rose's on Friday night at 7:30? Maybe, but I'd actually feel a lot better paying that to Rose's. It seems something like Nick Kokonas' Tock could not solve the problem, because Rose's does not strictly offer a tasting menu with more predictable table turn times. This is kind of the opposite side of the coin in the thinking that led to a huge jump in concert ticket prices about a decade ago. Some smart cookie (supposedly the Rolling Stone's concert promoter) realized that scalpers were getting $200 for a ticket that the band was selling for $50, and decided to cut out the middle man. Interestingly (for Simul, anyway), a few years back I bought (for my wife, I would never do this for me!) tickets to a Billy Joel/Elton John extravaganza and, having acted quickly got like tenth row seats. They added a second show and something came up, so I had to sell tickets for one night and buy similar tickets for the other on e-bay. All three sets of tickets -- initial purchase, subsequent purchase an subsequent sale -- priced within 10% of each other, suggesting that someone in the Billy/Elton org had a pretty good handle on ticket demand. And, despite my rocksnobbery, I had great time. I really don't get the resistance to this. We're at an incredible place where technology efficiently connects people who have something to someone who needs that something (e.g., time and a car to people who need to gets somewhere, Uber; extra space to travelers, Air BnB, etc). If someone has spare time and doesn't mind standing around outside, they can now get paid for that by someone who values his or her time more. It's awesome. Not trying to restart last week's argument. But resistance is based on the idea that the line represents a real cost to line-standers imposed by the restaurant, either in time or money (except for people who like standing in line). The idea that technology allows me to incur the expense and hassle of hiring a line-stander as opposed to allowing me to just make the stupid reservation on line is not comforting. It's like a weird steampunk combination of silicon and barter or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaRiv18 Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 But resistance is based on the idea that the line represents a real cost to line-standers imposed by the restaurant, either in time or money (except for people who like standing in line). It isn't just time and/or money. Can I say that there is nothing more annoying in DC's restaurant world than waiting in line at Rose's Luxury? Mostly it's the fucking hecklers who walk by and hassle you, the captive audience. "What are you waiting in line for? Rose's what? It's just a restaurant? Why is it called that? Is it really worth it standing out in the cold/wind/rain/[sunshine when you could be out doing something fun]? What kind of food is it? What is modern American? Wow, I've never seen so many people standing in line before! How long have you been standing in line? FOR A RESTAURANT???" Money spent avoiding idiots is not money unwisely spent. I don't mind the time spent, it's just the quality of life in line. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Rymarz Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 It isn't just time and/or money. Can I say that there is nothing more annoying in DC's restaurant world than waiting in line at Rose's Luxury? Mostly it's the fucking hecklers who walk by and hassle you, the captive audience. "What are you waiting in line for? Rose's what? It's just a restaurant? Why is it called that? Is it really worth it standing out in the cold/wind/rain/[sunshine when you could be out doing something fun]? What kind of food is it? What is modern American? Wow, I've never seen so many people standing in line before! How long have you been standing in line? FOR A RESTAURANT???" Money spent avoiding idiots is not money unwisely spent. I don't mind the time spent, it's just the quality of life in line. When those passing by stop and ask me if it's worth it. I point to my license plate if I'm parked in front of the restaurant. I usually get a eye roll as they move on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev29 Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 When those passing by stop and ask me if it's worth it. I point to my license plate if I'm parked in front of the restaurant. I usually get a eye roll as they move on. ? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Try looking at it this way: if you want to go to Rose's tonight, you can. It will take a sacrifice - time or money - but you can. If they took reservations then you'd be spending time at the keyboard trying to out-type all the other foodies (and bots) who are trying to get in, with no guarantee of success (like for Rose's rooftop, or Momofuku CCDC, or Minibar). I don't like lines, either, but I can't think of a more egalitarian system. It would be nice if they took some reservations but held tables for walk-ins (as Red Hen and CCDC do), but those reservations would still be damn near impossible to get. Here's another way to look at it: DC has such a wonderfully vibrant dining scene that we have several restaurants commanding lines. I'd rather have that situation than go back to the era of expense-account steakhouses or power-Italian. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrid Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 At least Rose's line ends at a recognizable restaurant door, Little Serow's lines ends at an unmarked basement door. Confuses passerbys to no end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chertzog Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 I think the bigger question is whether it's even possible for a restaurant that's won such high praise on a national level to remain a neighborhood restaurant. A few months ago Al's Place in SF was named best new restaurant of the year by Bob Appetit, the same accolade won by Rose's the year before. Al's Place takes reservations, but I just checked their website and the next available reservation is Sunday, December 6th, at 9:45pm. They keep some tables open for walk ins and they have a line outside when the open every night. State Bird Provisions was Bon Appetit's #1 in 2012 and it doesn't show any reservations available in the next two months. They keep some tables open for walk ins and they have a line outside when they open every night. Husk was #1 in 2011, it's a large restaurant that takes reservations, and four years later people STILL line up before opening every day to get a walk in table. Without checking ID's for addresses at the door, what can a restaurant feasibly do to stay neighborhood focused when hundreds of people a night are willing to travel for hours, refresh their browsers, dial dozens of times, and wait as long as it takes to eat there? When my wife and I discuss our favorite neighborhood places, Rose's doesn't usually come to mind first. It's too widely popular--and was so almost from the beginning--to feel like we have some special claim to it. That said, I've found Rose's no-reservations policy has allowed me, as a neighbor, to eat there more often. Picking a date two months in advance would require too much foresight and effort, and make it feel like even less of a neighborhood place. Instead, we can go at 6:00 to put our name in after the line has cleared, then go home to wait for the text while, say, doing the laundry. On a random Monday or Tuesday we can expect to get a text by 7:45. I don't know if it would occur to me to do that at one of the places described above, even if it were possible. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 I'm not picking on you specifically, chertzog, but just using your post and one from Tom's chat today as a point of reference When my wife and I discuss our favorite neighborhood places, Rose's doesn't usually come to mind first. It's too widely popular--and was so almost from the beginning--to feel like we have some special claim to it. That said, I've found Rose's no-reservations policy has allowed me, as a neighbor, to eat there more often. Picking a date two months in advance would require too much foresight and effort, and make it feel like even less of a neighborhood place. Instead, we can go at 6:00 to put our name in after the line has cleared, then go home to wait for the text while, say, doing the laundry. On a random Monday or Tuesday we can expect to get a text by 7:45. I don't know if it would occur to me to do that at one of the places described above, even if it were possible. From Tom's chat:Q: Not Waiting in Line at Rose's:---I've eaten at Rose's Luxury 3 times and never waited in line for my seating for longer than 10 minutes. That 10 minutes was the time it took to get to the hostess stand, give them my name, and provide my cell phone number. I then went down the street to another bar or restaurant for an hour and a half and waited until my table was ready. They allow you 15 minutes to get back to Rose's once they text you. I think this policy is really reasonable. The only people who absolutely have to wait in line are the ones who want an early seating.---A: Tom Sietsema:Thanks for sharing your strategy.Both of these posts and strategies are fair and valid, but I don't think either one are fair or valid!!For chertzog, it only works because you live in the neighborhood (which of course was your point!), but I don't think that's what most people picture when they think "neighborhood restaurant". You made that point too because of Rose's insane popularity.The person posting from Tom's chat has a neat little "no wait" solution if you don't count the 2 hour wait at some other place! That's a nonstarter for a huge number of people for a huge number of different reasons.I'm not sure what my point is with all of this though?!?! Maybe Rose's needs to face the facts and realize that in spite of their desire, they are not "just a neighborhood restaurant". I always get a little chuckle and then shake my head in astonishment when I read some of the cutesy stuff on their website like:Ok, so here's how this works- Order yourself a nice cocktail or glass of wine- Choose a couple of Small/Family Style dishes to share- Eat, go home, come back tomorrowOr for their private rooftop dining:Price $125. Not an every night thing, but for special occasions a couple times a season You could do those things at an actual "neighborhood restaurant" but they're damn near impossible here without a significant amount of effort and some good luck. The more I read them, the more annoyed I get. That's probably unfair because they're being punished for their success, but maybe they should acknowledge it and deal with instead of pretending you can waltz in any time and grab a seat and greet your neighborhood buddies like Norm and Cliff on Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe H Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 It will be interesting to see how long their lines are after their new restaurant opens. For that matter the exclusivity of the new restaurant is interesting: open only Tuesday through Friday night and a handful of tables. Over the years I have made reservations almost a year in advance at both El Bulli and Schwarzwaldstube in Germany's Black Forest. El Bulli, of course, had international publicity and Schwarzwaldstube was an extraordinary experience known throughout part of Europe but not this side of the Atlantic. 9/11 interrupted our trip to El Bulli while Schwarzwaldstube was so incredible we made a second reservation a year in advance for the following year. While I won't stand in line (again) for Rose's Luxury (last visit to the kitchen counter was January of 2014) I have no problem reserving and guaranteeing a year in advance. Or crossing an ocean, if need be, for it. If it is that good. There will be expectations. If the new restaurant lives up to them it is good for our city. Perhaps someone from Baiersbronn will be crossing the Atlantic to have dinner here... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheezepowder Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 At 5:15 they tweeted that there's no wait right now for any party size up to 8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev29 Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 At 5:15 they tweeted that there's no wait right now for any party size up to 8. I like this post-Momofuku world 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe H Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 At 5:15 they tweeted that there's no wait right now for any party size up to 8. It was driving rain and wind. The negative to not accepting reservations is that people will not stand in line endlessly and get soaked. The expectation of a long line and horrible conditions will preclude many from even considering going. With reservations, even a handful of reservations, people will still call. Rose's policy can be counterproductive with bad weather. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSchaad Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 It was driving rain and wind. The negative to not accepting reservations is that people will not stand in line endlessly and get soaked. The expectation of a long line and horrible conditions will preclude many from even considering going. With reservations, even a handful of reservations, people will still call. Rose's policy can be counterproductive with bad weather. You have a valid point, Joe. On the other hand, those same weather conditions often result in customers with reservations cancelling (at best) or becoming no-shows (at worst). The policy is what it is, and when I go to Rose's I understand what's involved in getting a seat. It's much easier for me to make time to wait in line when I have an urge to dine there than it is try and game whatever reservation system is being used at a very popular restaurant. TSchaad 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm chen Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 We walked in Friday night at 9:30 intending to get a drink. Upstairs bar was standing room only, but lo and behold, bar seats opened up downstairs, and we were able to have dinner. Warm welcome, amazing food, everything delightful. We'll be back -- late. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jandres374 Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Now taking reservations for parties of 6-8. Two reservations per night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Now taking reservations for parties of 6-8. Two reservations per night. It shouldn't be very hard to get groups of this size together here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pool Boy Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 It shouldn't be very hard to get groups of this size together here. Yeah except 98% of the time, I dine with just my wife so this is not much help. Might be good for a wino dinner though. Hmmmm. Anyone know if they do corkage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev29 Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Yeah except 98% of the time, I dine with just my wife so this is not much help. From Rose's Twitter Feed No wait for 2-tops right now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Hmmmm. Anyone know if they do corkage? This is from their FAQ: What's the corkage fee? $20 per bottle for the first 2 bottles; $40 for each additional bottle. The $40 for additional bottles is new, and so is the wording. When I did their private rooftop dining thing in the summer, the FAQ said something like "$20 per bottle. 2 bottles 750 ml bottles, or 1 1500 ml bottle per table". I assumed that if they allowed 2 bottles for a table for 2, they would allow more for a table of 10. Wrong! We showed up with three bottles and were only allowed to have 2. I even emailed them asking about it and didn't hear back so I figured I was good. Nope. But this is different wording from back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Now taking reservations for parties of 6-8. Two reservations per night. Screenshot 2015-11-05 at 09.18.40.png Here's an interesting footnote I noticed regarding their reservations: << Reservations include a $55 per person tasting menu curated from our main menu. >> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocobinga Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 Looks like the brisket from Rose's Luxury, but "carryout order" statement throws me. I ended up with an entire sandwich to take home when I went. However, it was stuffed between a split loaf of their potato bread, which was just fine with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 I ended up with an entire sandwich to take home when I went. However, it was stuffed between a split loaf of their potato bread, which was just fine with me. Is that loaf of brioche potato bread? That would explain the bacon and chives - *now* I get it! Damn, that thing is good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post DonRocks Posted November 12, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted November 12, 2015 On a rainy Monday evening I was heading downtown to have dinner somewhere - perhaps Purple Patch, or Thip Khao - but I thought to myself, at 7:45 tonight, this is my best chance to get into Rose's Luxury, so I went to Barracks Row, driving around-and-around for what must have been over twenty minutes, trying to find a parking space that wasn't zoned. Finally, I succeeded (anyone who thinks Rose's Luxury isn't a neighborhood restaurant only needs to try and go to it from another neighborhood - the fact that they don't offer valet parking almost by definition makes them a neighborhood restaurant). I walked in, and despite there being no customers at the host stand, the hostess told me there was still a short waiting list, but the bar upstairs might have seating - I walked up, and as I did before, grabbed the very last seat at the bar - this restaurant was now completely full on a rainy Monday at 8 PM. My bartender clearly demonstrated why Rose's has such a fine reputation for service - he was as friendly to me as he could have possibly been, and while I saw some professional service lapses when I was there (not from him), the service staff is absolutely there to please the customers. The service at Rose's really does make a customer feel like a welcome guest, and that the staff is glad to have you there. Why can't other restaurants use such common sense in dealing with their clientele? Wanting to unwind with a drink, I began my meal with a cocktail from the "everyday" section of the "Cocktails" menu: a Dry Rye Gin and Pumpkin Spice Tonic ($12), and despite it being stirred with a deft hand, it was like so many other pumpkin-based drinks are: overwhelmingly of pumpkin. Pumpkin, nutmeg, and sugar. Oh, it was a real cocktail, but if you get tired of pumpkin being the dominating flavor whenever you order something with that word in the name, I would advise turning your attention elsewhere. My kindly bartender advised me that even though the restaurant features "small plates," they add up quickly, and for me to get two or three, depending on how hungry I am. I made my meal nearly vegan, save for a bit of yogurt in one dish, some grated cheese in another, and of course the generous use of butter in the wonderful potato brioche that everyone receives who orders dinner. This is one of the best bread services in town, and is an early way to go straight to the diner's heart - a smart move, and a wonderful treat. The crust keeps the bread warm inside, so there's no need to tear right into it, if you want to wait and have it with your meal (although it's hard to resist the bacon, chives, and butter which come along side, just for one, little piece before the meal). The bread knife they supply is a good imitation of a Laguiole (but it isn't). Rose's Luxury was offering 13 plates total on this evening, 2 of them family style. From the "warm & grill" section, I began with Charred Carrots with Harissa, Housemade Yogurt, and Pearl Onions $12. In my limited experience with Rose's, I've noticed that they take seemingly disparate ingredients, and mix them together in a bowl, figuring the flavors will work when taken as an ensemble. In this case, they worked fairly well, but the execution is what fell short - my first bite of carrot (they were cut into bit-sized morsels) wasn't completely cooked, and was very firm, almost to the point of being crunchy. I didn't know if this entire plate would be al dente, but I didn't think this worked at all. My second bite of carrot, on the other hand, was cooked all the way through, and was the typical mushy carrot you've come to expect. The harissa atop the yogurt made this a fairly spicy dish, and the little pearl onions hidden underneath added a nice touch of sweetness. This was a good, innovative, and somewhat interesting dish, but not something I'd get again in the future, as the flavors didn't really resonate with me - even if the texture had been perfect, I would have merely "liked" this creative dish. Before my first course, I opted for the only Rosé on the wine list: a glass of 2014 La Grange Tiphaine, Tournage Riant, from Touraine in the Loire Valley ($12, retail price $16.99 a bottle). I had no idea what type of grapes went into this wine, but it was a fascinating mix of Grolleau Noir, Cot, Cabernet Franc, and Gamay - no Pinot Noir! Unfortunately, the wine is red and fruity, more in the style of a Spanish Garnacha, and I was hoping that it would be a typical, bone-dry, pale, French Rosé. Having clearly undergone malolactic fermentation, where tart malic acid (think: apples) turns into soft lactic acid (think: milk), this had a nose of yogurt, which I find off-putting in my rosés, and without the perceived acidity necessary to work well with food. I was wondering, after taking the first whiff, and knowing this would be a highly lactic wine, whether or not the yogurt-on-yogurt combination would work; it didn't - this dish, because it had sweetness from the pearl onions, needed a more neutral or acidic wine. It's a shame this is the only Rosé on the entire list. Of note: diners get a tasting pour before having to commit to an entire glass here, so I certainly had the option presented to me to change wines, and opted not to. This is yet another wonderful service touch that Rose's is so famous for. For my second course, I ordered from the "pasta" section: Hand-Cut Chitarra with Caramelized Cauliflower and White Wine Soffrito ($12), chitarra being a relative of spaghetti, and soffrito being the Italian cousin of a French mirepoix. This dish was very uninspired, if pleasant, and the caramelization of the cauliflower was the one thing that made it stand out from being something you might make at home. With the Rosé, it was actually somewhat ponderous, but when I switched to my final drink, a glass of 2014 Weingut Muller-Grossman Grí¼ner Veltliner ($11) from Kremstal in Austria, the formidable acidity took over, lifted the butter and herbs, and made the pasta dish better than it previously was - a perfect example of food-and-wine synergy, and a fine pairing. Weingut Muller-Grossman makes several Grí¼ner-Veltliners, and I don't know which this was; I suspect it retails for around $14. In summary, if youÅ•e going to get this pasta dish, have it with the Grí¼ner and not the Rosí« - the Grí¼ner stayed with me for the rest of the meal. My final small plate (my bartender was correct: three was plenty) was Vadouvan Curry with Sweet Potato and Caramelized Banana ($12), a typical, Rose's Luxury dish due to its unabashed use of sweetness as part of a savory course. In this case, it was something of a thick, squash bisque in nature, despite having no squash - it came in a bowl, was to be eaten with a spoon, and had distributed throughout it, bite-sized chunks of sweet potato and banana. Vadouvan is a French derivative of masala - essentially aromatic herbs to enhance the curry. This was another fascinating fusion of the Far East, the Near East, and Europe, all in one bowl, and I'm afraid to say it didn't work within the context of this meal - by itself, for a quick, healthy lunch, it would have been fine. I don't know what the base was, but I'm thinking there might have been some yogurt in it - regardless, this thick, sweetish "curry" went beautifully with my zippy, acidic Gruner, and was another match made in heaven. Once again, the execution had some problems - for example, my first bite of banana was actually cool, cooler than room temperature, but not cold, whereas everything else in the curry was warm. I was wondering if Chef Silverman was pulling a José Andrés and playing around with temperatures, but my other bites of banana, except one, were all warm, so it was a mistake in execution. Chef Silverman exudes confidence in mixing savory and sweet, and such disparate flavors from around the world into one melange. I applaud it, and I respect it, while not necessarily liking everything I have here. Wine selection is absolutely crucial, because with the right wine, these dishes either improve, or they decline - order wisely, or ask for help - and think: acidity, acidity, acidity: This food cried out for a crisp wine of at least medium body, preferably without any oak - my Gruner Veltliner. Out of 10 wines by the glass featured on the menu, my Grí¼ner was one of only 4 which were $11 - the least expensive price. You don't need to spend a lot here. That said, by the bottle, there are two slightly pricey examples of "orange" wine (I still want to know who coined the term, "orange" wine - it's appropriate, and I never saw it before the first time I ate at The Red Hen). I have yet to encounter one, anywhere, that's fairly priced - these are not expensive wines. In retrospect, I was wishing I had saved room for dessert, because I'm sure they were both fabulous and partly savory. My bartender handed me the menu, and I had to decline because I had been pleasantly sated. Midway through the meal, I ordered one item from the "Family Style" section of the menu to take home with me for lunch the next day: Smoked Brisket, White Bread [Actually, Texas Toast], Horseradish, and Slaw ($29) which was delivered and explained to me just as I was paying the check (perfect timing, Rose's, and a good all-around job with the service!) I was encouraged to make sandwiches, and so I did - I had enough for two full sandwiches: four pieces of Texas Toast, five generous cuts of brisket with a good proportion of fat attached, a tub of horseradish, and a tub of beautiful, red cabbage slaw. One of the two sandwiches is pictured, in two perspectives, in this post. You might be asking yourself two obvious questions: 1) with tax and a 20% tip, the price of each sandwich came out fo $18.85. Is this a crazy amount of money for a couple pieces of brisket on toast? 2) Equally as interesting, is this the type of thing you'd expect to see in an absolute, very best, top-of-the-top, lines-down-the-street, nationally recognized, restaurant that has critics fawning and assigning the highest possible rating? I have enough faith in our readers where I feel no need to answer either of these questions. Rose's Luxury is an excellent restaurant that does so very many things right. It's also not trying to be an elite, cross-town place to dine, or a destination restaurant like Inn at Little Washington. Rose's Luxury is to be lauded for doing exactly what it set out to do: Be a comfortable, exciting, neighborhood restaurant that exceeds the normal standards of that moniker. Aaron Silverman is to be commended for taking all the inexplicably lavish praise in stride, and for sticking to his guns. Although I've never met Aaron, we've talked on numerous occasions, and I think very highly of him as someone with his head screwed on properly. He won the lottery by opening Rose's Luxury, and should enjoy this ride for as long as it lasts - this is perhaps the single most successful restaurant in the history of Washington, DC., outdoing every queued-up place from Pasta Mia, to Georgetown Cupcake, to Little Serow (well, maybe not Little Serow) - my point is that there's no logical possibility that Aaron could have predicted, or should have predicted this extraordinary level of popularity, and from what I can tell, it couldn't happen to a nicer person. In the Don Rockwell Dining Guide, Rose's Luxury is maintained as "Excellent," and is ranked 3rd in Barracks Row behind Garrison and Sushi Capitol, although I can easily see how any informed, reasonable person could shuffle that order around. Though I most likely prefer The Red Hen (which opened at almost the same time as Rose's, and was completely drowned out in the publicity wars and social-media chatter - Rose's is a genuine cultural phenomenon), I have all four of these restaurants rated as "Excellent," and consider them all to be peers. Beuchert's Saloon and perhaps Montmartre (I haven't been since a recent change occurred) are not that far behind. On any given day, I could not say one is better than the others, and (this is important, so remember I said this) neither could anyone else. We're lucky to have all six of these restaurants, five on Barracks Row where Belga Café used to be the best game in town (and I could name a dozen more area restaurants on the same level, or even at a higher level) - Rose's Luxury is an excellent restaurant that will most likely remain in Italic for as long as it wants to stay open, and is certainly one of the Top 10-20 restaurants in the Washington, DC area - I say that as a high compliment and honor, even though people will read that and want to approach my house with pitchforks and torches, and burn it to the ground for committing heresy - to these people I simply say that Rose's Luxury was not, is not, and never will be aiming to be ranked in Bold - they are not *trying* to be the best-of-the-best-of-the-best. Nothing of the sort - I suspect that, like Mike Isabella (btw, have you heard anything at all about Graffiato lately?), Aaron feels as though he won the lottery, and if the press wants to rave about his restaurant and make him and the investors millions of dollars? Good for them, I say - I'm happy for them. I'm happy for them all. No, I can't explain it, but I can't explain a lot of things - I just hope that the quality, or at least the press, remains where it is so the dining public remains happy as well. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naxos Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 We have a reservation for 8 after Thanksgiving under the new reservation system. Wondering if anyone has experience with the new prix fixe system and how menu items are chosen and whether or not plates are served family style or individually plated. Still waiting for a reply from my email inquiry from the manager. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 We have a reservation for 8 after Thanksgiving under the new reservation system. Wondering if anyone has experience with the new prix fixe system and how menu items are chosen and whether or not plates are served family style or individually plated. Still waiting for a reply from my email inquiry from the manager. If you're talking about the $55 menu, I'm not sure I could eat $55-worth of food at Rose's if I chose a la carte. My guess is they'll work in the family-style dishes based on your party's size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 We have a reservation for 8 after Thanksgiving under the new reservation system. Wondering if anyone has experience with the new prix fixe system and how menu items are chosen and whether or not plates are served family style or individually plated. Still waiting for a reply from my email inquiry from the manager. I was there with a party of 8. The dishes seemed to be chosen at random, but were a good representation of the menu. Some were plated individually, some were plated for two people, some were plated for three or four. It was a good amount of food, but not an obscene amount (like the rooftop dinners). We let them know about allergies and a pescatarian in advance; all was handled smoothly. The pacing was a little odd but I bet they have that worked out by now. The whole thing took a smidge under three hours. Have a good time! Call and ask them to include the vadouvan curry -'s wonderful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naxos Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 Thank you for your reply. I will email a curry request-- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPop Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 In retrospect, I was wishing I had saved room for dessert, because I'm sure they were both fabulous and partly savory. My bartender handed me the menu, and I had to decline because I had been pleasantly sated. Midway through the meal, I ordered one item from the "Family Style" section of the menu to take home with me for lunch the next day: Smoked Brisket, White Bread [Actually, Texas Toast], Horseradish, and Slaw ($29) which was delivered and explained to me just as I was paying the check (perfect timing, Rose's, and a good all-around job with the service!) I was encouraged to make sandwiches, and so I did - I had enough for two full sandwiches: four pieces of Texas Toast, five generous cuts of brisket with a good proportion of fat attached, a tub of horseradish, and a tub of beautiful, red cabbage slaw. One of the two sandwiches is pictured, in two perspectives, in this post. You might be asking yourself two obvious questions: 1) with tax and a 20% tip, the price of each sandwich came out fo $18.85. Is this a crazy amount of money for a couple pieces of brisket on toast? 2) Equally as interesting, is this the type of thing you'd expect to see in an absolute, very best, top-of-the-top, lines-down-the-street, nationally recognized, restaurant that has critics fawning and assigning the highest possible rating? I have enough faith in our readers where I feel no need to answer either of these questions. Bravo to this whole post (I'm calling this section out because I felt the exact same way when I ordered this dish). I also agree that Rose's did not seem to seek out all of the attention it has gotten, so this isn't a dig at them, but I'm not sure I have ever encountered a more over-hyped restaurant. And Red Hen is most definitely the better of the 2 "neighborhood" restaurants for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simul Parikh Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Is this a value judgement? How does one evaluate value? How does a chef/restauranteur create value? Why is his pork-habanero-lychee salad a sensation at its price? Why is Rasika's palak chaat a sensation at its price? $19 for a brisket sandwich? Well, you weren't supposed to take it home. Maybe it would have been $10 at a nice deli. Maybe comfort food has a role at "high-ish" end restaurants. Maybe not. Rose's seem to be taking a (light) jab, but they aren't even asking for it by being obnoxious or hoighty toighty. I'm paying $7-9 for every Brussels sprouts appetizer in town now ($11 at Red Hen!!) I'm paying $5 for Natty Boh cans at these places. I'm paying $18 for lobster mac and cheese at run of the mill restaurants. It's really unfair to single out this place. Don just paid $15 to go to Don Tito's for excrement. Red Hen is awesome, too, but as far as value ... Come on! Everyone is jacking up the prices. Both of those places are still better than many of the other "fine dining" places in town. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrid Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 (Is the *Rose's Luxury isn't all that great for reasons having nothing to do with inability to make reservations* backlash in full swing now?) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSchaad Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 (Is the *Rose's Luxury isn't all that great for reasons having nothing to do with inability to make reservations* backlash in full swing now?) I think there are several things going on. Roses has now been around for two plus years, and is no longer the incredible suprise it was for many of us when we first discovered it. It's hard to replicate that first time at Roses when everything was new, so unlike what we had normally experienced (the menu, the staff, the atmosphere) in other restaurants around DC, and it would be only human to miss that initial rush. As the staff changes (and there have been a lot of changes, as some key members have moved onward and upward in and outside DC) there are subtle changes to the general vibe, even if the new staff is trained to maintain Roses high service standards. Todd Kliman said as much several weeks ago (mentioning both Roses's and Red Hen) while discussing the sometimes negative effect of the explosion of new dining spots on the finite pool of top notch service talent in the DC area. Also, there are just people who seem to feel that the way to build themselves up is best accomplished by tearing something else down (see YELP). I will still look forward to my next trip to Roses, and i can't wait to see what Chef Silverman will do once he has a properly sized kitchen in Pineapple and Pearl to conduct his gastronomic experiments in. I'll be happy to volunteer as one of his lab rats. TSchaad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.A.R. Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 (Is the *Rose's Luxury isn't all that great for reasons having nothing to do with inability to make reservations* backlash in full swing now? I don't believe so. I've had two meals at Rose's...both very, very good. I am happy for their success and accolades, the former justly deserved, the latter leaving me a bit more puzzled. I just don't understand them from my personal experience. I disagree with Tom's 4-star assessment. I am stunned that others believe this is the best new restaurant in the country. I am astounded a cottage industry has sprung up where people pay other people to wait in line for a table. None of this means Rose's Luxury sucks. It is a very good restaurant, one this city is lucky to have, but its rabid appeal is lost on me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWBooneJr Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 It is a very good restaurant, one this city is lucky to have, but its rabid appeal is lost on me. It's a very good restaurant that's not terribly expensive, has great service, and is, above all things, fun (if you let it be). There are plenty of restaurants in DC that do better at each of these things, but few -- perhaps none -- all of them at once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrid Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 I dunno. Eating dinner at Convivial right now. I think it has Rose's (at least the Rose's of my last two visits) bested on all three counts. (Okay, maybe not FUN but the food is GOOD.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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