no1uno Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Anyone had any recent experience? I emailed a request for a reservation 4 weeks ago (with a couple of follow-ups) and haven't heard back -- does R4 live? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted October 11, 2013 Author Share Posted October 11, 2013 Anyone had any recent experience? I emailed a request for a reservation 4 weeks ago (with a couple of follow-ups) and haven't heard back -- does R4 live? It's in Tom's Dining Guide that came out today - I've heard nothing to the contrary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Funny you should post this today. I tried for a reservation on July 3rd and finally heard back 2 days ago for an opening last night. Sadly we had to decline because of my damn kid's damn field hockey game.........70 minutes sitting in the cold rain instead of three hours of bliss. Oh well, comes with the territory. But at least I'm still in the running for father of the year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1uno Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 And then there were 8. I believe we have reservations on the 18th, so coincidentally we'll have been at the last Lab, 1st 4, and the 1st 8 -- I'll report back if the doubling of the size affects the quality.... ;^) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeLastort Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Hey, in the picture from that article, that's my hand holding the wine glass, and my wife is the redhead in profile behind the glass. Our friends Vince and Nancy are to her left. edit - added the photo (thanks Lydia R for the URL) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1uno Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 A pic of the new arrangement on dc.eater.com. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberto Donna Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I just realize that I never did anything special for the DR board on Roberto s 4 or better now 8 , so why don t we do a group of 8 from DR and I will get Mr Hakan ( the owner ) to put the wines for the dinner. Let me know when you get 8 together. That will be fun. Ciao Roberto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 I just realize that I never did anything special for the DR board on Roberto s 4 or better now 8 , so why don t we do a group of 8 from DR and I will get Mr Hakan ( the owner ) to put the wines for the dinner. Let me know when you get 8 together. That will be fun. Ciao Roberto And I just realized that I never split off Roberto's 4/8 into its own thread, so let's do both. Coverage of Roberto's 8 is initialized in Bold in the Dining Guide - one of only eight restaurants in DC with this ranking, possibly nine depending on Rose's Luxury Maryland has none. Virginia has three (possibly four, five, or six depending on Ashby Inn, The Inn At Potowmack Farm, and the darkhorse: One Block West) Congratulations for having the toughest ranking there is. Please re-read Roberto's post above. If anyone wishes to organize eight places for a dr.com dinner, we'll take over the entire room. Any volunteers? Joe H.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escoffier Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Let me know when and you can put us down for two of those seats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rovers2000 Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 My wife and I would be down for 2 spots if someone wants to coordinate (I would normally, but the house selling / buying process is really about all the non work coordination I can handle at the moment). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielK Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I am down for 2 seats. I don't mind taking on coordinating the dates and logistics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 I am down for 2 seats. I don't mind taking on coordinating the dates and logistics. Sounds good, Daniel - and it sounds like we already have six. Why don't you go ahead and start a post in Events and Gatherings? Check on pairing prices, corkage, etc. (or I can). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PappyVanWise Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Virginia has three (possibly four, five, or six depending on Ashby Inn, The Inn At Potowmack Farm, and the darkhorse: One Block West) Not to thread creep, but Northern Virginia has three with more possible. Come down to Richmond for a weekend, and we'll put a few more in italics. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielK Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 Just FYI - we have all 8 seats spoken for. Not sure if I'll create a topic since the 4 pairs of seats don't really need to coordinate logistics for all to see, but I'll be sure to post back with the date, and will arm twist everyone into reviewing the meal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeLastort Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Well, that went fast. So when is the next DR.com Roberto's 8 gathering? It would be fun to meet you good people face to face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escoffier Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Well, that went fast. So when is the next DR.com Roberto's 8 gathering? It would be fun to meet you good people face to face. When do you plan on organizing it? That's how those kind of things happen. (and you have to be careful about that "good people" thing ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 17, 2014 Author Share Posted February 17, 2014 When do you plan on organizing it? That's how those kind of things happen. (and you have to be careful about that "good people" thing ) Yeah for sure, Mike, feel free to organize here - you should be able to round up 8 more people with very little problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeLastort Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 We're heading down to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. I'll set something up after we get back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1uno Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Well, the 1st R8 was sublime! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 19, 2014 Author Share Posted February 19, 2014 Well, the 1st R8 was sublime! Was it 1st R8? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1uno Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 R8=gR8! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 20, 2014 Author Share Posted February 20, 2014 This should *in no way* be construed to be an insult, a criticism, or anything of the sort - it's merely an observation a friend made that I think is funny (and true): Why is everybody suddenly going apeshit about Roberto's 8 when all he did was double the number of seats? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe H Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Because for myself it was the best meal/dining experience/pick a noun that I had in 2013. It is a very real return to what Roberto did at his Laboratorio. This may even be more personal since you are sitting directly at the counter that he stands behind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 20, 2014 Author Share Posted February 20, 2014 Because for myself it was the best meal/dining experience/pick a noun that I had in 2013. It is a very real return to what Roberto did at his Laboratorio. This may even be more personal since you are sitting directly at the counter that he stands behind. But what about Roberto's 4?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escoffier Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Because for myself it was the best meal/dining experience/pick a noun that I had in 2013. It is a very real return to what Roberto did at his Laboratorio. This may even be more personal since you are sitting directly at the counter that he stands behind. We went to Al Dente for restaurant week last year (before the open kitchen became Roberto's 4), sat at the open kitchen, were greeted warmly by Roberto, asked that he feed us and let the food flow. So, not sure if that qualifies as the beginning of Roberto's X (insert your own number), but it certainly was memorable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1uno Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Why is everybody suddenly going apeshit about Roberto's 8 when all he did was double the number of seats? It's just a notable factoid to post about: this great dining opportunity just doubled its seating. That's all. The food IMHO was just as wonderful, unsurprisingly. BTW, as you can see in the pic linked above, there's a large column between the two sets of seats, so don't anticipate easy inter-group socializing during the meal. Also, because of where most of the food prep happens, the left seats are still the best for seeing the magic happen and chatting with the Chef. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1uno Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Has the DonRocks Cognoscenti R8 dinner happened yet? You guys will probably get the really good stuff.... ;^) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielK Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 April 23! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeLastort Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 My wife and I and another couple went to our first Roberto's 8 last night to celebrate my birthday Incredible. I'll post a more comprehensive review later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted May 15, 2014 Author Share Posted May 15, 2014 Has the DonRocks Cognoscenti R8 dinner happened yet? You guys will probably get the really good stuff.... ;^) April 23! Are we going to get the report of the attendees and dishes? We had serious momentum building, and then ... Boom! Nothing. I'm certain we could have filled a second round, but nobody took charge. Could we get a synopsis? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hersch Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 I get those two states between Texas and California confused too, but I'm pretty sure Al Dente is on New Mexico Avenue, not Arizona. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielK Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Sorry, I have the menu here, but never got around to the writeup. Executive summary - fantastic meal, and while not as heavy on the expensive ingredients, in the league with some of the great meals from Roberto's Lab dinners from Galileo back in the day. My +1 paid for our meal, so I didn't notice until later, but Roberto's promise that "I will get Mr Hakan ( the owner ) to put the wines for the dinner", which I interpreted as "will PICK the wines for the dinner" (and they were great) translated to DONATE the wines for the dinner, as we didn't get the wine pairing surcharge on our bill. [yes, we tipped on the value of the wine pairing] I will post the menu another time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeLastort Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Are we going to get the report of the attendees and dishes? We had serious momentum building, and then ... Boom! Nothing. I'm certain we could have filled a second round, but nobody took charge. Could we get a synopsis? I meant to do something after my wife and I got back from Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but we were so busy it never happened. I'd be willing to try to set something up in June or July. Any takers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted May 16, 2014 Author Share Posted May 16, 2014 I meant to do something after my wife and I got back from Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but we were so busy it never happened. I'd be willing to try to set something up in June or July. Any takers? Mike, I'm certain you could find 6 or 7 people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeLastort Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Mike, I'm certain you could find 6 or 7 people. Well, six. Jan and I are two Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weezy Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 I'm in for 3 -- I may have to give some up once the date is announced, but we want to make it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeLastort Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 I'll check with them to find out when they have space for 8 people in July and post here as soon as I know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escoffier Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Grover and I might be infor an encore as well. Depends on the date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe H Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 My apology: I am trying to post a photo from an e-mail of Roberto with Joe Biden tonight at his restaurant and am not having any success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted May 17, 2014 Author Share Posted May 17, 2014 My apology: I am trying to post a photo from an e-mail of Roberto with Joe Biden tonight at his restaurant and am not having any success. [Go here, and use the third item in the first post ("uploading pictures") as a cookbook step-by-step recipe. It's a PITA to do the very first time (Invision really does make this an unnecessarily complex thing to do), but once you know it, it's as easy as adding a pinch of salt to a recipe. And I'll Tweet about it once you do. Just take your time, commit to memory, and it will be simple from here ever after. If you mess it up, but get the picture posted in *some* form, I'll fix it for you (it needs to be under 2 megabytes, I think). If you try, really try, and just can't do it, write me, and I'll do it for you, but you upload enough pictures (or want to) where you should know how). Time to bite the bullet, Mr. Heflin! ] Like him or not (and I can understand why some people don't, and besides, I don't want this to be a political website), this, to me, is Joe Biden's finest hour (this is a 20-minute investment of time, so don't do it unless you're prepared to finish) - I'll probably take this down soon because it's not appropriate for an a-political website. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMVDining2 Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 The wife surprised me with dinner at Roberto's 8 for my birthday and let me say, this was one of the best dinners we've ever had in DC - right up there with Marcel's and Komi. We never had the opportunity to experience Laboratorio del Galileo, but we were blown away not only by the dishes themselves, but also the gorgeous presentation and terrific pricing. It really is the best value in town when it comes to tasting menus. Our favorite course was the cream of corn with soft shell crab - it was simply transcendent. More on the blog. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1uno Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 Great pix and commentary, thanks! And so much is new, we gotta go back this summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1uno Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 We're returning tomorrow night. This'll be our 5th anniversary celebration with the Chef -- the 1st was 11 years ago at our 2nd Lab. Hoping for a little Brös.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe H Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 We're returning tomorrow night. This'll be our 5th anniversary celebration with the Chef -- the 1st was 11 years ago at our 2nd Lab. Hoping for a little Brös.... Roberto's prices at Al Dente on VA wine are unreal. Some are lower than the winerie's tasting rooms. Specifically, 2007 Breaux Nebbiolo which is one of the best wines ever made in VA (and unknown outside of the tasting room at Breaux), 2010 Glen Manor Hodder Hill and 2010 Delaplane Williams Gap. All three of these are excellent by any standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1uno Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 I meant Brös, the cheese concoction -- we grew to be quite fond of it at the Lab, and the Chef has said he has some brewing at home.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Choirgirl21 Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 I'll check with them to find out when they have space for 8 people in July and post here as soon as I know Did this second round ever happen? I'd be interested as well. I was totally oblivious up until now that any of this had happened/might happen again. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeLastort Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 Did this second round ever happen? I'd be interested as well. I was totally oblivious up until now that any of this had happened/might happen again. No, I've been a total slacker. I need to set something up. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1uno Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Bliss again! After my foto-mania the 1st 2 visits I've forsworn the camera, but it was a delight as always. (Alas for the other guests, the Chef gave the Brös only to us; I gather it's his private stock -- but it was as wonderful as we recall from the Lab -- he's so sweet.) (Isn't it odd when you are experiencing a truly transcendent gastronomic experience, savoring each extraordinary bite, which you can do only rarely because of the cost ... and the couple next to you are on a "date" and spend the entire meal chatting noisily nonstop, apparently impressing the heck out of each other, with no attention to the food, leaving much untouched? (The horror, the horror!) This happens all the time at Komi as well, and likely everywhere (these 2 restaurants are our foci for our once-a-year fancy meals). In "It's a Wonderful Life", a character says "Ah, youth is wasted on the wrong people" -- true too of wealth....) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lekkerwijn Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 I ask our members to post copies of opening menus (which can often be downloaded in .pdf format, screen-shotted, or simply snapped with an iPhone) - this, for historical purposes. It can be a fascinating thing to watch the menus change, both in terms of price and format (imagine an opening menu from Komi - you would not recognize the restaurant, and it would be a valuable piece of history that is forever lost unless Johnny has one thrown into his desk drawer somewhere). I would *love* to have an opening menu from every single restaurant in the DC area - can you imagine how valuable that would be twenty years from now? Not "valuable" in terms of money; just in terms of history. Note that merely linking to the menu on the website is not enough - websites change constantly. The menus are obviously the restaurant's property, so I also ask our members not to do this without the restaurants' permission. As you wish. Roberto's Four. Night #2. February 21, 2013. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted August 25, 2014 Author Share Posted August 25, 2014 As you wish. Roberto's Four. Night #2. February 21, 2013. Thank you, lekkerwijn! (Can people see that this type of thing provides an important historical document? No? Well, I guess that's why I'm me. ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now