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I realized I haven't posted on Dino's in a long time. While we miss having them in our neighborhood, we usually still visit in their current location a few times a year and every time it continues to be great. Last time about a month ago, we started off with some great cocktails, then always good wines (love the small, medium, and large pour options).  Appetizers really shine and great pastas. Also finished with a very well balanced asian pear-cello digestif. I don't recall all of the exact dishes, but wanted to bump this up again as this place deserves to be in your regular rotation as it is quality food and service, not too crowded, and so many options on the menu that you can go for a light bite, drinks, or a full multi-course feast. 

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Well, we did it up well. Thanks for the suggestions and between the four of us we did everything that was mentioned last week. The night started with a bang by getting a metered parking space right across the street from the restaurant! The pre-meal Negroni was delicious, as was the Ric Flair cocktail with rye, an amaro of some sort and some other tasty liquids. Restaurant Week pricing was extended until the night we went, so we sampled a good chunk of the menu. Burrata appetizer was fresh and tasty. It included a cool little stewed tomato with a bright, palate cleansing tang from some unknown ingredient. Very cool. Squash blossoms were nice and the octopus was tender and tasty, as were the canellini beans which accompanied the tentacles.  MrsDrXmus had the crab pasta which to me tasted like a light Alfredo. Honestly, it wasn’t very crabby, but the fettuccine were delicate, al dente and delicious. I had the frito misto which was great but I should’ve had a pasta, I just couldn’t make a decision. My friend raved about his fra Diovolo pasta and his wife loved the risotto main course she got. Desserts were terrific and I loved the option of cheese instead of a sweet. The tasty gratis spiced pear ‘cello digestif was appreciated. We also had some post-meal amari, which was great to see on a menu.

I wish we lived closer to the Grotto because there were several dishes I wanted to try. I know Dean is keeping the menu seasonal, and if every season tasted like this meal I’d love to try it through the year.

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It's been quite awhile, but it looks like Ginny & I will be in D.C next weekend.  Our plan includes Sunday evening (10/7) at Dino's bar for drinks and dinner.  Starting around 7pm.  Just sayin' (hint to anyone who might want to join us, if that wasn't clear enough).🍷

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On 9/27/2018 at 4:39 PM, Steve R. said:

Our plan includes Sunday evening (10/7) at Dino's bar for drinks and dinner.

Jealous. I've been meaning to post about how much I've enjoyed dinner at the bar at Dino's, especially on Sundays, when happy hour lasts all night. It's been a couple of (or a few?) months since my last visit, but I recall a $10 pot of plump mussels and generous (and cheap!) pours of the house wine. My husband enjoys the Ric Flair cocktail. This is a great place for our date nights, as it satisfies my "foodie" desires, but it's not too off the wall for my husband. (He doesn't do well with small plates, tasting menus, unusual ingredients, etc.)

Wish we could join you next Sunday!

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As planned, we ate at the bar last night & reacquainted ourselves with Andrew, Dean & Kay.  All were great to see and talk to again.   Nice to see that Hawaiian shirts are still in vogue 😎.  And, since it was Sunday night, there were a ton of excellent "Happy Hour" specials offered (& accepted).  Half price on good wines had us drinking a very nice bottle of Sagrantino throughout dinner.  We started with an order of the deviled eggs w/prosciuotto (these are very nice) and a full charcuterie board of 5 excellent meats, olives & some cheese.  These were not the usual slices of cold cuts that I'm used to (& would've expected and accepted), but 4-5 pieces each of interesting & tasty stuff - pork shoulder pate, tongue, testa, pate w/ginger slices & duck - all of which was top notch.  At full price, I think this is a no brainer to order -- at $10 its a steal.  We then moved on to a half order of boar w/pappardelle (for me) and spinach/cheese cannelloni (Ginny).  Both were excellent as well. Writing this, it doesn't seem like we ate a lot -- however, eating it all wasn't easy, as this was a lot of food.  I remembered the old location fondly and I'll remember this one even more so.  The place was busy, both upstairs and down but, looking around, it seemed like folks were content to order mussel pots (which looked great) & other food without really paying much attention to what's being served here & why it stands out.  We get that in Brooklyn a lot -- tons of red sauce places serving decent tasting Italian food that was probably made well in advance from standard ingredients by reasonably competent kitchens, served straight from the microwave to folks who like it well enough & accept it without much thought.  However, Dino's, like a couple of favorites of ours at home, is doing something significantly different, serving much better tasting food which, importantly, comes from fresh, well sourced ingredients and is prepared/presented with a much higher level of skill and care.  And they're doing it at a price point that makes it look "normal" & may not easily stand out.  If I lived in the area, it'd be a once/week dinner place for us minimum.  As it should be for any food loving person in Shaw and surrounding communities.   Not that they made any $$ on us eating there on a Sunday & would be patiently waiting for us to make a return visit to D.C., but we're going to seriously consider more than a once in 7 years return & live vicariously through you all in between.

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14 hours ago, Steve R. said:

As planned, we ate at the bar last night & reacquainted ourselves with Andrew, Dean & Kay.  All were great to see and talk to again.   Nice to see that Hawaiian shirts are still in vogue 😎.  And, since it was Sunday night, there were a ton of excellent "Happy Hour" specials offered (& accepted).  Half price on good wines had us drinking a very nice bottle of Sagrantino throughout dinner.  We started with an order of the deviled eggs w/prosciuotto (these are very nice) and a full charcuterie board of 5 excellent meats, olives & some cheese.  These were not the usual slices of cold cuts that I'm used to (& would've expected and accepted), but 4-5 pieces each of interesting & tasty stuff - pork shoulder pate, tongue, testa, pate w/ginger slices & duck - all of which was top notch.  At full price, I think this is a no brainer to order -- at $10 its a steal.  We then moved on to a half order of boar w/pappardelle (for me) and spinach/cheese cannelloni (Ginny).  Both were excellent as well. Writing this, it doesn't seem like we ate a lot -- however, eating it all wasn't easy, as this was a lot of food.  I remembered the old location fondly and I'll remember this one even more so.  The place was busy, both upstairs and down but, looking around, it seemed like folks were content to order mussel pots (which looked great) & other food without really paying much attention to what's being served here & why it stands out.  We get that in Brooklyn a lot -- tons of red sauce places serving decent tasting Italian food that was probably made well in advance from standard ingredients by reasonably competent kitchens, served straight from the microwave to folks who like it well enough & accept it without much thought.  However, Dino's, like a couple of favorites of ours at home, is doing something significantly different, serving much better tasting food which, importantly, comes from fresh, well sourced ingredients and is prepared/presented with a much higher level of skill and care.  And they're doing it at a price point that makes it look "normal" & may not easily stand out.  If I lived in the area, it'd be a once/week dinner place for us minimum.  As it should be for any food loving person in Shaw and surrounding communities.   Not that they made any $$ on us eating there on a Sunday & would be patiently waiting for us to make a return visit to D.C., but we're going to seriously consider more than a once in 7 years return & live vicariously through you all in between.

Concur. Just had the (excellent) mussels and wine last night (Sundays and Mondays the mussels are half-price), along with an excellent caesar salad, tomato/melon gazpacho and a bargain-priced Negroni, and it was a steal--probably the best bargain within miles.  What's not to like?  

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On 10/8/2018 at 3:47 PM, Steve R. said:

As planned, we ate at the bar last night & reacquainted ourselves with Andrew, Dean & Kay.  All were great to see and talk to again.   Nice to see that Hawaiian shirts are still in vogue 😎.  And, since it was Sunday night, there were a ton of excellent "Happy Hour" specials offered (& accepted).  Half price on good wines had us drinking a very nice bottle of Sagrantino throughout dinner.  We started with an order of the deviled eggs w/prosciuotto (these are very nice) and a full charcuterie board of 5 excellent meats, olives & some cheese.  These were not the usual slices of cold cuts that I'm used to (& would've expected and accepted), but 4-5 pieces each of interesting & tasty stuff - pork shoulder pate, tongue, testa, pate w/ginger slices & duck - all of which was top notch.  At full price, I think this is a no brainer to order -- at $10 its a steal.  We then moved on to a half order of boar w/pappardelle (for me) and spinach/cheese cannelloni (Ginny).  Both were excellent as well. Writing this, it doesn't seem like we ate a lot -- however, eating it all wasn't easy, as this was a lot of food.  I remembered the old location fondly and I'll remember this one even more so.  The place was busy, both upstairs and down but, looking around, it seemed like folks were content to order mussel pots (which looked great) & other food without really paying much attention to what's being served here & why it stands out.  We get that in Brooklyn a lot -- tons of red sauce places serving decent tasting Italian food that was probably made well in advance from standard ingredients by reasonably competent kitchens, served straight from the microwave to folks who like it well enough & accept it without much thought.  However, Dino's, like a couple of favorites of ours at home, is doing something significantly different, serving much better tasting food which, importantly, comes from fresh, well sourced ingredients and is prepared/presented with a much higher level of skill and care.  And they're doing it at a price point that makes it look "normal" & may not easily stand out.  If I lived in the area, it'd be a once/week dinner place for us minimum.  As it should be for any food loving person in Shaw and surrounding communities.   Not that they made any $$ on us eating there on a Sunday & would be patiently waiting for us to make a return visit to D.C., but we're going to seriously consider more than a once in 7 years return & live vicariously through you all in between.

15 hours ago, Marty L. said:

Concur. Just had the (excellent) mussels and wine last night (Sundays and Mondays the mussels are half-price), along with an excellent caesar salad, tomato/melon gazpacho and a bargain-priced Negroni, and it was a steal--probably the best bargain within miles.  What's not to like?  

I agree with both of the above.  It’s why I periodically return.  I completely agree with Marty L’s comments on price and value;  there are stunning value meals at Dino’s

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On 9/4/2018 at 10:10 AM, KeithA said:

 but wanted to bump this up again as this place deserves to be in your regular rotation as it is quality food and service, not too crowded, and so many options on the menu that you can go for a light bite, drinks, or a full multi-course feast. 

On 10/8/2018 at 3:47 PM, Steve R. said:

However, Dino's, like a couple of favorites of ours at home, is doing something significantly different, serving much better tasting food which, importantly, comes from fresh, well sourced ingredients and is prepared/presented with a much higher level of skill and care.  And they're doing it at a price point that makes it look "normal" & may not easily stand out.  If I lived in the area, it'd be a once/week dinner place for us minimum. 

I agree with the above.  I consider Dino's like 2Amys to be two places that present meals significantly better than the norm, and do so creatively with enhanced ingredients at excellent prices.   I stopped off at Dino's last week, a single unable to get a dinner companion and ate at the bar.  I thought I would take a few suggestions from the rest of you above:

Per @Pool Boy

Quote

Just graze and have fun. Try to remember to have A Ric Flair!

Wow.  Great cocktail/ great suggestion.  I thought they used to serve this on Connecticut Avenue.  Couldn't discover whether that was so or not but did find this piece:

Quote

Last night, Becky and I had dinner and drinks at Dino's Grotto in Shaw in DC.  Not only do they have amazing Italian food, but a cocktail menu that features tons of local distillers--like us! Ric Newton, head bartender there, has a cocktail he invented called the Ric Flair.  It's a great drink, the woodsy flavor of the amaro and vermouth blends perfectly with the cherry liqueur and bouncy rye.  Absolutely delicious!  Be sure to ask for it with the Catoctin Creek rye!

1½ oz Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye
½ Cherry Heering
½ Nardini Amaro
½ Cinzano sweet vermouth
Dash of aromatic bitters
Dash of orange bitters

Combine, stir, strain over fresh ice. Orange twist.

I'd call the cocktail a well conceived variation on a manhattan, adding Amaro and Cherry Liqueur.  I'd add those ingredients at home and make a version of the Ric Flair for my Manhattan loving friends.  I bet they'd love it.

For an app: Per the advice of @lizzie

Quote

Octopus cooked under a Paper Bag. My favorite appetizer there.

Also an excellent dish.  Well cooked, large portion.   Frankly it inspired me to try others among the diverse apps on the menu.

Following all that I had the half price lasagna.  Excellent version;  on half price lasagna night an incredible dining out option.

Dino's is a restaurant that can draw me back multiple times per year, I suppose more frequently if I lived nearby.

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@Daveo - I think Sangue Morlacca is a better fit and that's what they told me to make it with when I pressed them. And Averna instead of Nardini. Let me see what the recipe says that I jotted down. I think we have gotten proper cherries in the cocktail for garnish in the past at times.

The Ric Flair 1.5 oz Old Overholt Rye .5 Cinzano Sweet Vermouth .5 Averna Amaro .5 Luxardo Sangue Morlacca 1 dash. Jerry Thomas Bitters 1 dash Regans Orange Bitter In a cocktail glass combine and stir. Pour into an Old Fashion glass with fresh ice. Orange twist to garnish.

I'd say this is certainly open to variations and tastes.

They used to barrel age for two months the above mix and call it The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse but they no longer do this.

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21 minutes ago, Pool Boy said:

@Daveo - I think Sangue Morlacca is a better fit and that's what they told me to make it with when I pressed them. And Averna instead of Nardini. Let me see what the recipe says that I jotted down. I think we have gotten proper cherries in the cocktail for garnish in the past at times.

The Ric Flair 1.5 oz Old Overholt Rye .5 Cinzano Sweet Vermouth .5 Averna Amaro .5 Luxardo Sangue Morlacca 1 dash. Jerry Thomas Bitters 1 dash Regans Orange Bitter In a cocktail glass combine and stir. Pour into an Old Fashion glass with fresh ice. Orange twist to garnish.

I'd say this is certainly open to variations and tastes.

They used to barrel age for two months the above mix and call it The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse but they no longer do this.

Hah.   That recipe is significantly less expensive than the Cacoctan rye version.  Very significantly.  

I didn’t watch Andrew prepare it or ask so I have no idea of the ingredients he used.  The drink was very good.  

Thinking about it a bit more I’m not getting either set of ingredients for my home.  I don’t drink much any more regardless of how nice that was.  

Old Overholt is pretty inexpensive and there are far better rye’s in my opinion but I used to think it went well with liqueurs like a cherry brandy.   As to Amaro’s, I don’t know them at all and I don’t know the two cherry liqueurs well enough to know the difference but overall your recipe is dramatically more wallet friendly.   

Next time i’ll have to watch. 

Over the years, say close to 2 decades bartenders were into Jamison’s than Gran Manier when they hung out after hours.  More recently I understand Tom Brown has gotten them into a shot of Old Overholt and a Natty Boh.  That is a lot less expensive.  Old Overholt—good enough and at a great price.  

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Years ago, Old Overholt was a standby of the Corduroy bar - that's where I first tried it, and then promptly picked up a bottle for home use (i.e., when not at Corduroy) from the then-barred-window liquor store on the next block.  It blends nicely with mixers and is still a great price, if not exactly "a bargain" anymore.

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On 2/18/2019 at 12:58 PM, DonRocks said:

Let us know how it was, Jay (please tell Andrew I said hello).

Always pleasant to sit at the bar with Andrew. Food was a bit mixed with an overly oily eggplant parmigiana and an overcooked pork dish. I went with pastas-lobster and the duck lasagna both just fine but more lobster in the pasta would have been nice.  Andrew adjusted the bill after our comments on the pork.  A fun evening as usual. 

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6 hours ago, dracisk said:

Nooooo. I've been there on several date nights with my husband and have been meaning to go back. Maybe it's time to bring the 5-year-old along. I know they have a kids menu....

We used to take the kids all the time to Dino's in Cleveland Park. Was a great deal when our then 2 and 4 year olds could eat for $6 total. Have only been to the Grotto once since they moved. If we're going to fight for parking down in the U St./Shaw area, we usually end up at Izakaya Seki. 

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Just so it is official, we are ending the restaurant owning phase of my life. The Grotto will close before the autumnal equinox. I know so many here and have great memories of dinners and people saying “I’m so-and so from the board.” The board with no need to say more.  I hope those of you with fond memories will come in before we’re done. 

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1 hour ago, deangold said:

Just so it is official, we are ending the restaurant owning phase of my life. The Grotto will close before the autumnal equinox. I know so many here and have great memories of dinners and people saying “I’m so-and so from the board.” The board with no need to say more.  I hope those of you with fond memories will come in before we’re done. 

I've been meaning to post that we were there Sunday -- my husband, me, and my 5-year-old daughter sitting at the bar around 6:30pm. Dean, you passed through a couple times but we didn't flag you down. Next time we will. We'll be back at least a couple of times before you close. Very sad to see you go!

The soft shells were amazing (@Genevieve, I think you're the soft shell lover, so please take note)!! My husband loved the fra diavolo, and my daughter enjoyed her spaghetti and meatballs and the $10 mussel pot we split. I so appreciate the quality kid's menu, not to mention the generous wine pours!

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3 hours ago, deangold said:

Just so it is official, we are ending the restaurant owning phase of my life. 

I'm sorry. We've been in several times in both locations, and chatted with you, although I have never actually told you I was from here. (Seemed inappropriate.)

We have enjoyed it every time, and wish we had managed to get in more often.

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I read the article in the city paper and it made me nostalgic for the Wednesday nights I would be driving home from work - notice Dino didn’t look crowded as I crossed Connecticut on Ordway and walked up the street with my girlfriend who turned into my wife to traipse through the wine list and enjoy whatever specials Dean had the menu   

We didn’t get to Shaw as often as either of us would have liked due moving to Arlington and being overwhelmed with one kid then twins.  We will be in a number of times to say goodbye this summer. 

Thank you for everything Dean.  And if you have any of that house cello you want to get rid of...😉

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We will be in DC soon with the three monsters and will make a point of grabbing a last meal at Dino's.  Thank you for the memories... it seems all the spots my wife and I used to frequent in our dating and DINK faze are closing!  That's most likely a statement on how long ago that was...

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On 7/2/2019 at 7:56 PM, dracisk said:

I've been meaning to post that we were there Sunday -- my husband, me, and my 5-year-old daughter sitting at the bar around 6:30pm. Dean, you passed through a couple times but we didn't flag you down. Next time we will. We'll be back at least a couple of times before you close. Very sad to see you go!

The soft shells were amazing (@Genevieve, I think you're the soft shell lover, so please take note)!! My husband loved the fra diavolo, and my daughter enjoyed her spaghetti and meatballs and the $10 mussel pot we split. I so appreciate the quality kid's menu, not to mention the generous wine pours!

I saw you three at the bar.  The Softshells this year are pretty amazing and so far they are keeping in fairly good supply {literally only 2 times when I have tried to order have hey been out of stock}  While most folk think of them as a spring item, crab molt 6 or 7 times a season.  So far this year, no signs of lethargy or leathery skins in the softies {for me, much more lethargy}

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1 hour ago, deangold said:

I saw you three at the bar.  The Softshells this year are pretty amazing and so far they are keeping in fairly good supply {literally only 2 times when I have tried to order have hey been out of stock}  While most folk think of them as a spring item, crab molt 6 or 7 times a season.  So far this year, no signs of lethargy or leathery skins in the softies {for me, much more lethargy}

We’ll likely be back this Sunday with my visiting mom in tow!

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1 hour ago, DanielK said:

Dean, I told you to stop calling me out in public settings.

Dude, when you first came in with the kids, you could out eat both of them!  I remember the first time Zach polished off half of your entree.  Wee I think I remember.  In an y case,it is an official Dino memory whether it happened or not.  

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1 hour ago, deangold said:

Dude, when you first came in with the kids, you could out eat both of them!  I remember the first time Zach polished off half of your entree.  Wee I think I remember.  In an y case,it is an official Dino memory whether it happened or not.  

Didn't you have a "pay $1/year" for a family-style meal at one point for kids? I think Zack put a hurt on you once for that.

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8 minutes ago, DanielK said:

Didn't you have a "pay $1/year" for a family-style meal at one point for kids? I think Zack put a hurt on you once for that.

We change the rule to $1 a year except for Zach.  He starred in our newsletter. Or his appetite did.

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Dean: if you’re reading along, you should know that there’s a SlowEurope thread about your impending closure.  That’s how far reaching your places have been.  Ginny & I wish you the best and hope that your withdrawal from restaurant ownership allows for more travel, opera and relaxation.  We’ll miss dropping by every couple of years.

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We had a beautiful dinner last night at Dino, starting off with the caprese salad and the grilled nectarines and then moving on to the softshells (for me), wagyu steak (for her) and three variations of the kids pasta dishes for the three, um, kids.  Due to a small and excusable kitchen error, we were comped a plate of delicious deviled eggs, though I never did learn the spice blend that went in them.  Our sons devoured their pasta, particularly the eldest who had pappardelle with ragu. My softshell crabs were big and juicy and the greens they were served with provided a welcome bit of tang and texture.  M didn't share her steak!  That says something.  We closed out with three gelatos, a cheese plate for me, and a chocolate desert for M that was *almost* so light on the sugar that I liked it.  Almost.

The best parts of the evening were talking to Dean, inevitably about the challenges for DC restaurant owners, and reminiscing with hostess Heidi about our mutual long relationships with Dino in its two iterations.  Apologies for the other two diners we shared the otherwise empty dining room with, who moved to the far end to avoid the insistent chattering and singing of our youngest.

Thank you, Dean.

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11 hours ago, squidsdc said:

I sure wish Dino's was open for lunch. 🙁 Off at 2 today and need to wait until 6 for my ride home...would've been a perfect opportunity to stop in!

You need to make excuses for what is important.

Dc Crü will be there to represent......imminently

 

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Not sure if it will be our last visit but we certainly worked our way through a good part of the menu. Old favorites, deviled eggs, a terrific charcuterie platter for only $10 as it was HH, wild boar pasta, duck lasagna, crab pasta, various veggies and more with plenty of corkage free wine. We will miss our clubhouse!

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We were there on the 29th drinking loads of great wine and eating as much of the menu as we could. Not looking forward to the day coming soon when I will not know where to pre-concert dine and drink before going to the 930, the Howard of the Lincoln. Boo.

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26 minutes ago, deangold said:

Two events coming up: 

It's Not Restaurant Week but Better! $35 tasting menu 8/11 thru 8/18

One last quack" Dinner with the Duck 8/25 $65 or 7 course tasting menu

DinosGrotto.com for info.

Can you still get soft shells or is it restricted to the “not restaurant week” menu?  Not a big deal one way or the other but figured I’d check as I’ll likely be in again over the next two weeks. 

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9 hours ago, Rovers2000 said:

Can you still get soft shells or is it restricted to the “not restaurant week” menu?  Not a big deal one way or the other but figured I’d check as I’ll likely be in again over the next two weeks. 

We are serving our regular menu and the tasting menu. Right now the softies we have been getting are fatter and juicer than earlier int he season.  In fact, the best softies are yet to come as the crabs fatten up for winter.  I, on the other hand, don't have any excuse for fattening up!

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