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Power Restaurants


Kanishka

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I've seen a few Congressional Members frequent Johnny's on the Half Shell the few times I've been there. (also at the old Bebo.)

I still don't understand what you're getting at ulterior epicure. Explain for us slow folks, please?

Don't forget the Hunan Chinese restaurant on Penn. Avenue NE -- that's also a power house place (also the only Chinese place on the Hill, right?).

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The Palm, no? Or is that just an inaccurate cliche?

No that is right. The food is mediocre at best but it is a politician/lobbyist circus in there every day. I'll also throw in Central - it gets a good "power" crowd during lunch. Close proximity to the Carlyle Group probably doesn't hurt.

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Inside the food industry the staff at those restaurants know the power diners.  While long term politicians are most recognized many power diners are big time lobbyists who both eat well and spend a lot on food.    I understand the majority of the well known steak houses are all quite popular in that vein.  Some of those restaurants do quite well and do consistent business in their private dining rooms with that group of diners.

Heard an interesting story from a recent grad of the bar school who worked as a server at one of those places.  It was a favorite of GOP types and GOP oriented lobbyists—fairly close to the WH and also close to the Trump Hotel.   When trump came in the younger newer Trump Republicans mass migrated to dining at the Trump Hotel, but a very large contingent of long term or “life Republicans” in town kept loyal to this restaurant and it mostly didn’t miss a beat in the last two years, although like other similar restaurants once campaigns started and lots of the “power diners” were out of town campaigning the private dining room business dried up during campaign season.

 

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11 hours ago, curiouskitkatt said:

Speaking of power spots, what was the name of that restaurant that was in Penn Quarter that serve high end French Cuisine. I would equate it to the likes of the former Citronelle? I can not think of the name for the life of me. 

Le Paradou? I liked it there, but it was definitely no Citronelle.

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1 hour ago, Mark Slater said:

Every time I went there, there were more tuxedoes leaning against the wall than customers in the restaurant. 

Remember the first time? 😠

And then there was this damned thing.

There you go, Katt - get us a Beard Award: Nothing will happen without someone making it happen, and I just stay endlessly churning away in the background, like a screensaver, so it will never originate from me (although I tried for the third-and-final time about 7-8 years ago). Even though I submitted his column for nomination, and paid $100 of my own money, Jeff White lost in 2010 to "Chardonnay Uncorked" - *a preview of a book*. Judge for yourselves: 

I submitted this with Jeff White as the author, but ...

... the winning column was this.

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15 minutes ago, Mark Slater said:

Every time I went there, there were more tuxedoes leaning against the wall than customers in the restaurant. 

I went for lunch on several occasions, and it felt like a private dining room for two, dare I say it was a place where you went where you didn’t want to be seen. I am regretful that I drew the comparison to Citronelle. I was wrong. I just remember it being hoity toity, aka priced unreasonably. 

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11 hours ago, curiouskitkatt said:

I went for lunch on several occasions, and it felt like a private dining room for two, dare I say it was a place where you went where you didn’t want to be seen. I am regretful that I drew the comparison to Citronelle. I was wrong. I just remember it being hoity toity, aka priced unreasonably. 

Le Paradou was my first post on dr.com! I have to admit I liked the bar menu, and ate at the bar probably 9/10 times I went there. I also actually liked Nicolas as well, but may have been in the minority. Think he is in the Caribbean now. Agree that the wine pricing was predatory. 

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1 hour ago, Keithstg said:

Le Paradou was my first post on dr.com! I have to admit I liked the bar menu, and ate at the bar probably 9/10 times I went there. I also actually liked Nicolas as well, but may have been in the minority. Think he is in the Caribbean now. Agree that the wine pricing was predatory. 

How about this one: Le Paradou had a $35 corkage fee (very high at the time). I had dinner at the bar solo one evening, and brought a tremendous (and expensive) bottle of wine: a 1983 de Vallouit Hermitage "Les Grèffieres," made with 100-year-old vines. About halfway through my meal, I saw Yannick having dinner by himself in the corner. We knew each other well enough, so as a gesture of respect, I sent slightly more than *half of the wine* over to him (it was decanted, and I sent over both the decanter, and the empty bottle) - he looked up, and we raised our glasses to each other from across the room. Because I didn't have enough wine to finish the meal with, I bought a glass from their menu.

Then, when the bill came, attached to it was the $35 corkage fee.

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1 hour ago, DonRocks said:

How about this one: Le Paradou had a $35 corkage fee (very high at the time). I had dinner at the bar solo one evening, and brought a tremendous (and expensive) bottle of wine: a 1983 de Vallouit Hermitage "Les Grèffieres," made with 100-year-old vines. About halfway through my meal, I saw Yannick having dinner by himself in the corner. We knew each other well enough, so as a gesture of respect, I sent slightly more than *half of the wine* over to him (it was decanted, and I sent over both the decanter, and the empty bottle) - he looked up, and we raised our glasses to each other from across the room. Because I didn't have enough wine to finish the meal with, I bought a glass from their menu.

Then, when the bill came, attached to it was the $35 corkage fee.

I remember corresponding about this with you after my le paradou post. Gotta love that hospitality!

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