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Mirabelle, Modern American at 16th and I Street Downtown - Chef Keith Bombaugh and GM Jennifer Knowles


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11 minutes ago, Pool Boy said:

Absolute bummer for Frank an Aggie for sure (and for all of us). I hope they land somewhere well, and soon.

If I were Frank or Aggie, I would try to negotiate a long-term contract - restaurants are going to be courting them (hopefully as a team), and they need to protect their long-term financial interests. This is actually not a bad time to be switching jobs, as long as there's contractual job security in the new one - Scott Boras, are you around?

Elite chefs should be able to command a premium in this market - not just in terms of salary, but also benefits and security. Being a chef or cook is physically brutal work, and it's not an old-person's profession - these are two special talents, and I can't think of a better time for the standard model of employment to be shattered.

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This for sure is sad.  When I heard, I just shook my head.  

I genuinely, b/c not only are they wonderful chefs they are amazing people, hope they land somewhere with a bit more long term sustainability for them.  They're an asset to the DC dining community.

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1 hour ago, Rovers2000 said:

What a joke.  They won't be, but Eater and the City Paper should be embarrassed.

I'm actually on really good terms with Laura (I'm certain Laura didn't know), and Warren (we had dinner together very recently), and Ann (whose efforts I really appreciate, and who is just a wonderful person). It's because I didn't tweet, and didn't offer up supporting specifics (but I did spend about an hour verifying things from two different sources). BTW, Dave, if my second source hadn't contacted me, this story would probably not yet be known - cheers. 🍷

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5 minutes ago, Ericandblueboy said:

Were they fired or did they resign?  If they were fired, why is it not justified?  I've only been once and had a very good meal.  I'm just not sure what all the whinging is about.

I pretty much know the answer to your first question, but I didn't go probing - I figured if anyone wanted to offer up the information, then it was my business (they didn't - so I stayed focused on the "if" and not the "why").

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This sucks, it had definitely become my favorite restaurant in the city in the past year.  Frank needs to find a place where he can get back to what he was doing at Palena, even if that means moving out to the burbs to avoid astronomical rents.  

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On ‎10‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 10:57 AM, DPop said:

Anyone been since the kitchen turnover?

I had a marvelous lunch there a few weeks ago. Steak Tartare was very good. I had the clam dish, fried belly clams and steamers with cornbread. I really like it, but had trouble finishing it. There service was outstanding and it was nice to see Jenn Knowles. 

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16 hours ago, Mark Slater said:

I had a marvelous lunch there a few weeks ago. Steak Tartare was very good. I had the clam dish, fried belly clams and steamers with cornbread. I really like it, but had trouble finishing it. There service was outstanding and it was nice to see Jenn Knowles. 

Thanks Mark -- I might have to treat myself to the clams. That sounds really good. From the menu: "Cape Cod Duo of Clams 32 Fried Clam Bellies, Steamers, Corn Bread, Trio of Sauces." And it's even pictured on the website! https://mirabelledc.com/menus/

Screenshot 2018-11-01 at 09.31.10.png

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My wife and I went the other night and, to be polite, we did not feel the way about our dinner that Monsieur Slater felt about his lunch.  Everything looks the same at Mirabelle, but nothing feels the same.  The service was pleasant and attentive, but definitely lacking the polish that it had in Frank Ruta-Mirabelle's best days.  I asked for recommendations on the mains and was directed immediately to the most expensive item on the menu, followed by the second most expensive.  When I inquired about the quail, our waiter had trouble describing it in any way, and I think this came down to a bit of a language barrier, but nonetheless was a bit disappointing. 

I usually don't comment on the amuse bouche, as it's free and uneventful way to start the meal.  Mirabelle, unfortunately, has turned this into a confusing and really poorly chosen way to do so.  We were each given a small ball of what can only be described as wet peanut butter and jelly.  It was sickly sweet and beyond unpleasant, and honestly made my wife and I give each other the "WTF?" look from across the table.  I can't imagine anyone who would be dining at a restaurant like this, at this price point, enjoying having this to start off a dinner, but I have to think that they tested this out before giving it to people, so maybe I'm the odd one.

I settled on the Burgundian Truffle Tagliatelle for my appetizer, which wasn't unpleasant by any means, but felt totally uninspired. The dish was decadent and very rich, but otherwise lacking in flavor apart from the faint hint of hazelnut that was sprinkled on top.  How can a dish that has parmesan and truffle not have significant notes of both jumping out at the diner?  Little did I know, this would be the strongest part of the meal.

I settled on the Stuffed Quail despite not getting a ton of detail on it from our waiter, and it disappointed.  At first glance, the dish didn't appear to have anything wrong with it, glistening and garnished with plenty of mustard greens and other morsels sitting in the chesnut bisque.  The bird itself, though, was terribly overcooked and gritty.  There was way too much going on with this, with mustard greens, mushrooms, bacon, nuts, all sitting in a luke warm liquid that didn't add much in the way of flavor.  I came from a family where we always were told to finish what was on our plate, a habit that I have carried into adulthood, but I couldn't make it past 2-3 bites of this dish.  I will say that our waiter asked what was wrong with the dish, to which I tiredly replied "it wasn't to my taste" and he took it off of our bill, which I didn't ask for and was nice of him to do.

Between the clubby crowd and this uneven dining experience, this familiar looking restaurant that we have been to many times has changed a lot, and not to our liking.  I hope our experience was a one-off, but I can't imagine us making a return trip here to find out.

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