cloax Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 Long time lurker and nyc transplant in search of the DC's best steak frites. It's a good friends birthday and unfortunately he's not a foodie. ( Shock and awe, I know ). Two of his food groups being steak and french fries, I figure I'd treat him to the best steak frites this city has to offer. My only lament is not knowing where this dish lies here in DC. So, I throw myself on the mercy of DR.com and look forward to the responses. PS - I had originally planned on taking him to NYC for the kobe beef hot dog @ old homestead ( hot dogs being his mainstay food group ), but they've removed it from the menu in favor of a kobe burger. Heresy! best, Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacques Gastreaux Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 Four places to try, in no particular order: 1. Cordury-the bar menu. Flat iron steak and frites, $18. Hard to beat. 2. Firefly-get the truffle frites, you won't be disppointed 3. Bistro Francais in G'town. 4. Les Halles. Res ipsa loquitor And welcome to DR.com cloax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrescentFresh Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 I dig 'em at Bistrot du Coin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillvalley Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 The only painful part of the Circle Bistro dinner was when I ran to the bar to get a drink and got a whiff of Chef's fries. Them some good fries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 Four places to try, in no particular order: 1. Cordury-the bar menu. Flat iron steak and frites, $18. Hard to beat. This is truly all you need to know. Even though the restaurant is called "Corduroy." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacques Gastreaux Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 This is truly all you need to know. Even though the restaurant is called "Corduroy." Sorry, I don't have a dictionary next to my computer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan7147 Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 I dig 'em at Bistrot du Coin. second that. Especially for the atmosphere in which to enjoy it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloax Posted September 26, 2006 Author Share Posted September 26, 2006 hmm... I've had them @ corduroy.... might go with that then.... ps - ask clayrae pps- recovering corduroy addict -joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waitman Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 If you go to Bistro du Coin DO NOT GET "LE STEAK MAISON," their basic steak frites. The steak sucks. Get either the onglet or the Ribeye. Also worth checking out: Montsouris on P Street and 20th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jparrott Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 Contrastingly, the regular Steak Frites at Les Halles is quite passable, whilst the onglet has shrunk considerably over time and the higher-end cuts are pretty shabby. I often get a lamb steak here, actually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 The last time I had the steak frites at Les Halles both were poor (onglet rather than the regular) but that was at least a year ago. Bistrot du Coin is good if you're going for tartare, Bistro Francais used to be reliable but I have no recent report, and Corduroy is always a good bet especially for $18. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escoffier Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 Sorry, I don't have a dictionary next to my computer.Slightly off topic, but ... www.dictionary.reference.com - copy and paste, ergo, instant dictionary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdt Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 And as for the user guide there is a little Help link right next to the Search link that contains general Invision instructions. Is this really that much harder then ordering tickets from Orbitz? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 My goodness, could we all just take our pedant hats off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcanuck Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 I've enjoyed steak and fries at Les Halles, but would recommend that you stick with the NY Strip or steak au poivre (as opposed to the hanger steak which was oily and overdone the last couple of times I tried it there). So Corduroy is THE place for steak frites, eh? I was gonna go to Restaurant Kolumbia for a pre-show snack/cocktail but maybe I'll venture to Corduroy. I've never been there - are jeans acceptable in the bar area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacques Gastreaux Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 are jeans acceptable in the bar area? Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillrat Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 I've also had an excellent Steak Frittes at Bistro Bis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Doctor Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 Corduroy for best quality, especially on the steak side. Outside of Ray's it's the only steak I really crave. Bistrot Du Coin for a better party atmosphere, and I might even give them a slight edge on the fries -- they're somewhat unique. Plus you have the option to drown everything in Bearnaise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waitman Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 I've also had an excellent Steak Frittes at Bistro Bis. I like Bis, but it's pretty dang expensive for a place calling itself a Bistro: $31.50 for steak frites, vs. $17.95 for the onglet at du Coin. It is, I'm sure, a better cut of meat, but it makes it pretty much impossible to get out of the place for less than 60 or 70 bucks if you want wine, too, which means that it is no longer (to my wallet) a spur-of-the-moment pleasure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSE Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 Ah...the national dish of France. I'm not really going to add any value here, but here are my opinions, anyway... Bistro Francais: nice steak that usually has a strong, beefy flavor. Skinnier, crispier fries than most traditional french places BdC: I love this place, but second the call for not getting the basic steak. Fries are hit or miss. Bis: Great quality, but not better than other, cheaper places. Les Halles: This is the ultimate hit-or-miss re frites. Onglet had shrunk, eh? Curduroy: why oh why haven't I had it here yet?! Montmarte: would do a good job, I bet, if only they made fries... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waitman Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 The last time I had the steak frites at Les Halles both were poor (onglet rather than the regular) but that was at least a year ago. Bistrot du Coin is good if you're going for tartare, Bistro Francais used to be reliable but I have no recent report, and Corduroy is always a good bet especially for $18. "Last time I was at Les Halles, with HillValley, both the steak and the frites were excellent. Of course, we were having dinner with Tony Bourdain, so that may have affected the quality," he bragged shamelessly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 "Last time I was at Les Halles, with HillValley, both the steak and the frites were excellent. Of course, we were having dinner with Tony Bourdain, so that may have affected the quality," he bragged shamelessly.Is he as big a dick in person as he is on TV? Montmartre doesn't do fries? <crosses it off her list...> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waitman Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 Is he as big a dick in person as he is on TV? Montmartre doesn't do fries? <crosses it off her list...> He actually seems to be a really nice guy. Polite, intelligent, tolerant of fans, solicitous of Grill Bitch, polite to the help. Gives good autograph. Don't get him started on Trotter, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSE Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 Montmartre doesn't do fries? <crosses it off her list...>I could be totally dense (and I've been accuse of that many a time), but I've neither seen them served nor referenced on the menu in any of the times that I've been there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 Montmartre doesn't do fries? <crosses it off her list...> Montsouris does, and they offer up several steaks. Based on one visit, I would go with a medium-rare butcher steak ($19) over the more-expensive ribeye. The steak tartare is coarse-chopped (a good thing), but make sure you order it without the sauce on top. Cheers, Rocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 Montsouris does, and they offer up several steaks. Based on one visit, I would go with a medium-rare butcher steak ($19) over the more-expensive ribeye. The steak tartare is coarse-chopped (a good thing), but make sure you order it without the sauce on top.Cheers, Rocks. Thanks Don, Montsouris is on my short list for this weekend, after a visit to the Phillips. Bearnaise?(Steak tartare: sauce? what kind of sauce? ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 Thanks Don, Montsouris is on my short list for this weekend, after a visit to the Phillips. Bearnaise?(Steak tartare: sauce? what kind of sauce? ) The butcher steak comes with a red-wine shallot sauce by default, but you can probably request it with the bearnaise sauce, which has a strong tarragon component. The steak tartare is topped with a belle maman sauce, which is essentially mayonnaise with a little mustard, oil, salt, and pepper. I was surprised to see this, but some people might like it I suppose. Cheers, Rocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwt Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 Since there has been no mention of it, I will witness for the onglet with red wine and shallot sauce at Lavandou. in Cleveland Park. I thought the steak was very good and perfectly cooked, the sauce intense (hmm, a little demi glace in there? can I have a bucket of this to take home?), and the fries excellent. NB: I think the chef may have changed since I was last there, though it's hard to believe that they would mess with their execution of this classic dish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 He actually seems to be a really nice guy. Polite, intelligent, tolerant of fans, solicitous of Grill Bitch, polite to the help. Gives good autograph.Don't get him started on Trotter, though. Really? I love it when celebrities exceed my expectations. (And he's totally right about Trotter)Don, thanks. Mayonnaise on tartare would be on my "turnoffs" list. Egad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillvalley Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 "Last time I was at Les Halles, with HillValley, both the steak and the frites were excellent. Of course, we were having dinner with Tony Bourdain, so that may have affected the quality," he bragged shamelessly. Is he as big a dick in person as he is on TV? He actually seems to be a really nice guy. Polite, intelligent, tolerant of fans, solicitous of Grill Bitch, polite to the help. Gives good autograph.Don't get him started on Trotter, though. I wasn't going to say anything, but since Waitman opened the door.......his ego is as big as you think, and he is taller and skinnier in person, if I remember correctly. He treated us as regular people though, not the drooling fans that we were. WM didn't mention that we got the "special" autograph. I think the most shocking part of the whole evening for Waitman was the fact that I barely sputtered a word throughout the whole meal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Troutman Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 They are great at Bistrot du Coin, but I would recommend avoiding this place at all costs because the service is beyond horrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjsadler Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 Since there has been no mention of it, I will witness for the onglet with red wine and shallot sauce at Lavandou. in Cleveland Park. I thought the steak was very good and perfectly cooked, the sauce intense (hmm, a little demi glace in there? can I have a bucket of this to take home?), and the fries excellent.NB: I think the chef may have changed since I was last there, though it's hard to believe that they would mess with their execution of this classic dish. The onglet and frites tonight at Lavandou were very good. Combine that with no corkage and you've got a good way to forget the beginning of another work week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baczkowski Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 We utilized a gift certificate to Mon Ami Gabi Friday night and I rather enjoyed my hanger steak and frites. Even if it hadn't been free, I still would have happily paid the $17 and enjoyed what I got for the price. Pax, Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Again, like the "Asian Dumplings" thread, so much has happened since this post was last updated - think of Medium Rare, for example. And steak has gotten *so expensive* - DC used to be thought of as a steakhouse town, and in many ways, that sobriquet is still well-justified, although it's mercifully being diluted. Finding a steak frites for under $20 was *easy* nine years ago; now, it's next to impossible - even a skirt steak, which often now comes sliced in just a few pieces (as opposed to the giant, floppy thing that used to hang off your plate), is often in the low $20s for only a fraction of the meat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev29 Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 7 hours ago, DonRocks said: Again, like the "Asian Dumplings" thread, so much has happened since this post was last updated - think of Medium Rare, for example. And steak has gotten *so expensive* - DC used to be thought of as a steakhouse town, and in many ways, that sobriquet is still well-justified, although it's mercifully being diluted. Finding a steak frites for under $20 was *easy* nine years ago; now, it's next to impossible - even a skirt steak, which often now comes sliced in just a few pieces (as opposed to the giant, floppy thing that used to hang off your plate), is often in the low $20s for only a fraction of the meat. Le Steak Maison at Bistrot du Coin is now $22.95. I remember back in the days when I used to be able to leave home/work (the 2000s) it was more like $17. The Wayback Machine confirms: Menu in 2005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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