Jump to content

Sababa (Formerly Ardeo + Bardeo), Chef Ryan Moore's Modern Israeli on Connecticut Avenue in Cleveland Park


Recommended Posts

The website is going through a complete re-design and the menu online isn't entirely accurate. It changes almost daily, but it remains lengthy and incredibly well done. Say hi when you come in!

Dunno if you have any input on this, but if they could get rid of the Flash on that website that would make me (and a million other people) so very happy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dunno if you have any input on this, but if they could get rid of the Flash on that website that would make me (and a million other people) so very happy.

I am SO with you! I'm not sure of my influence on the redesign but I am going to try my best to simplify it. By the looks of Ashok's websites, it looks like they may be templated though. We'll see...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am SO with you! I'm not sure of my influence on the redesign but I am going to try my best to simplify it. By the looks of Ashok's websites, it looks like they may be templated though. We'll see...

New website done and rolling out in the next couple days. Pssstttt...no flash! It seems that was already in the works before I came on board. Yay!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's nice to meet Nate, but meeting me should have been the highlight of your day...you lucky sunofagun! :)

Glad you enjoyed your brunch!!

Well, of course we enjoyed meeting you! I need to elaborate on our brunch. Even though it wasn't on the menu all four of us were able to order bowls of delicious fresh fruit filed with raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries. Three of us had the vegetarian omelette with scallions and goat cheese. Pefectly cooked and oozing with a really creamy goat cheese. One in our party had the shrimp and grits. Shrimp were large and tender, and the grits were nicely firm.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ardeobardeo.com rolled out earlier today. There's still quite a few tweaks that need to happen--some basic editorial stuff as well as getting ardeorestaurant.com and bardeo.com to rollover into the new site, but we're getting there!

Best part is NO FLASH and I have successfully avoided having my picture on the website! Nate is pretty enough to represent A+B all by himself.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very disappointed by the renovated Ardeo+Bardeo. The restaurant looks nicer with less stodgy with the redesign, which basically opened up the space. But the food has taken a turn for the worse, going for a much younger crowd, which is fine (we were growing tired of seeing older codgers like us, who are in our 60s, dominating the place. The menu was enlarged and includes pizzas, a burger, and a number of small plate selections into addition to about 15 or so entres (pasta, meat and seafood), but the dishes we ordered were pretty uninspired and tasted as if the chef didn't know how to balance flavors or ingredients. There was no subtlety at all to our food selections. After years of going to Ardeo-Bardeo, we will not return.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very disappointed by the renovated Ardeo+Bardeo. The restaurant looks nicer with less stodgy with the redesign, which basically opened up the space. But the food has taken a turn for the worse, going for a much younger crowd, which is fine (we were growing tired of seeing older codgers like us, who are in our 60s, dominating the place. The menu was enlarged and includes pizzas, a burger, and a number of small plate selections into addition to about 15 or so entres (pasta, meat and seafood), but the dishes we ordered were pretty uninspired and tasted as if the chef didn't know how to balance flavors or ingredients. There was no subtlety at all to our food selections. After years of going to Ardeo-Bardeo, we will not return.

Our menu is certainly not "going for a much younger crowd". Frankly, I'm not even sure what that means. Our menu is VERY large and our goal was to have something for everyone. What items specifically do you think are aimed at young people? Are there items that we should add to bring in older folks? Color me confused.

I am certainly curious to know what you ate that was unbalanced and/or uninspired and specifically, how so? The blanket dismissal of our restaurant is disturbing...and the inclusion of a 5-year-old blasting about Ardeo was pretty unnecessary to go along with your post.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why did you include the quote from a 5-year old review with that? It comes across as trying to pile on with irrelevant information.

As the person who was quoted from Five Years Ago I'd like to state that a) I resent a post that old being used against a restaurant that has undergone a major change, including a new chef, b ) I did go back, when there was a change of chef and Ardeo had the wonderful sous that Don raved about.

I'm going to add to the pile on, which I don't usually do around here, and say that when posting about a restaurant it is unfair to use posts that are not only years old but refer to different chefs. I stand by the post I wrote back then because you will note that there were Details about what I thought was wrong. The management was also told about how we felt about the meal. Posts critiquing your meal are not discouraged here, but please a) let the management know at the time of your meal and b ) back up your statement with details.

Lately I have noticed that details are missing in both positive and negative posts around here. An early member of the board who had moved away recently began reading again while visiting DC. When I asked her what she thought about the board now she noted that the quality of the posts had gone down. Thought used to go into what was said about a restaurant. Today it seems we get quick I went and it was good posts. This site has never been about how good of a writer you are but it was about the thought and detail that went into your post regarding your meal. It's time to stop being lazy about posting and write something that is valuable to those who read this site and take your opinions into consideration when spending their money in the restaurant community.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd like to at least play a bit of devil's advocate here - Schrap50 is clearly a new user and quoted the very first post in this thread. It may not have been a deliberate attempt to mislead anyone, just adjusting to the learning curve of a new message board (this all pertaining simply to quoting hillvalley's post).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd like to at least play a bit of devil's advocate here - Schrap50 is clearly a new user and quoted the very first post in this thread. It may not have been a deliberate attempt to mislead anyone, just adjusting to the learning curve of a new message board (this all pertaining simply to quoting hillvalley's post).

I checked that before my posts. While they may have only posted a few times they have been a member for a year.

My post, although I am sure it came off this way, was not a personal attack on Schrapy50. I don't know them in person and am sure they are a perfectly nice person. I'm happy to have a drink and show anyone how to use the site effectively. But when my words are used inappropriately I am going to back them up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[i can easily see how quoting hillvalley's post was an innocent mistake - it's the very first one in the thread, and when you click on Ardeo+Bardeo in the Dining Guide, that's what comes up. It's very easy for an inexperienced user to simply click on "Add Reply" and start typing.

That said, I went ahead and erased hillvalley's quoted pos. Likewise Arcturus' comment (but kept it in there as quoted text in hillvalley's reply. I see no intentional harm done here.]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We dined at Ardeo+Bardeo for Valentine's Day. We were surprised to find that there was a special three-course menu- only because we didn't know about it in advance. We found our meal a bit uneven. I loved my first course of spaghetti squash with orange, chili and basil. This is a unique dish that I would happily seek out again. My salmon entree was just ok. The salmon was a little overcooked - and it just didn't blow me away. The dessert tasting was a nice thought but I would have preferred one stellar dessert rather than a sampling with nothing that stands out. My husband had the vegetarian option of brick oven cauliflower "steak", with lentils and black truffle emulsion. It was a really good dish but as part of a $65 three-course menu didn't hold up in terms of value. I would like to go back for the regular menu, as it is sometimes difficult to judge on just one outing- particularly on an occasion such as Valentine's Day.

Here's a link to my blog post on the entire dinner:

http://beenthereeatenthat-foodobsessed.blogspot.com/2011/02/ardeo-bardeo-uneven-equation.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last night my family had a really wonderful night, all thank to Dave Pressley who is just a wonderful guy. It was my brother's birthday and we booked a reservation at Aredo+Bardeo. Dave offered to have Chef Nate cook for us just whatever, so we said go for it!

What then happened was a level of gluttony only held back by the size of our stomachs. We had a couple rounds of small bites and I am sure in the insane stupper of gluttony that I am still in that I will not be able to remember all we had, but I will try: We started with all the small bites on the menu: pork belly skewers with pineapple- really well balanced little bites, Smashed and fried fingerling potato topped with steak and some creme fraiche- I love the potato bite underneath with the steak, disco fries- I love these fries, onion strings with their burger sauce which makes me want to go back for a burger like now, and a flatbread that I didn't try, but looked good.

Next round we had all the charcuterie except the foie gras: Chicken liver mousse that rivals the faux gras and rillettes at Central the flavor was just fantastic, homemade mini bagel with lox and cream cheese, I didn't eat the bagel, but liked the rest, homemade mini english muffins with egg and ham and Tabasco, crispy head cheese with fried egg and lardons was fantastic I loved this, the head cheese had awesome flavor and the crispiness gave it great texture that I think would make it more accessible, it was really good. Another big winner was the Bresola with horseradish potato salad, the potato salad was fantastic and spicy, I really loved it, I will have to try to make a version of it at home, the bresola was really flavorful, it was a great bite.

Then we had the scallop schnitzel which again I really liked the flavors, the balance between the sweet scallop and salad and the crispy texture just balanced well, mozarella farm egg and house bacon was good, I really liked the homemade mozarella it was firm but so soft and smooth. Ceasar salad with gnocchi that I loved, I would never have thought to put gnocchi in the salad, but it was good, we also had this chicken soup with hominy and green chile broth that OMG had amazing Mexican flavors with lime and veggies and avacado, today with all the dreary weather I wish I had a whole bowl of it, it was so fresh and flavor packed. I know there had to be one more plate in that course but I can't for the life of me remember it.

We then had pastas: the oxtail ravioli with brown butter sage was really delicate, but very savory, the lobster with whole wheat spaghetti was a little sweet I think because of the squash, but done really well; the rabbit bolognese was a favorite the pasta was fantastic and the bolognese was so flavorful, the pork cacciatore was another favorite, the black pepper fettucine was really good. I was in fall off the wagon gluten heaven, but I was good and only ate a couple bites of the pastas and then ate braised leg of suckling pig with grits and black eyed peas, I loved the dish, the black eyed peas had a strong flavor int he dish, but I love black eyed peas, this was a dish that just made my Southern heart happy.

We couldn't do any more at that point and finished with some cheese, some on the list, some not- our favorite was this purple haze a chevre with lavender and something else which was really good. It was the crowd favorite, but all of them were really good.

At this point we were all too full for dessert. But it was amazing and so much fun. My family loves eating bites of everyone's stuff and getting to try a lot of things so this was perfect for them. And it makes me want to go back for more of the menu as so many things just knocked it out of the park. The chicken liver mousse and bresola with the potato salad and green chile broth soup and black eyed pea and suckling pork are all things I am still thinking about today.

Thank you Dave and Nate and everyone at Ardeo + Bardeo it was awesome!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

cost for such a tasting menu? (and that's with cheese but no dessert, right?)

Last night my family had a really wonderful night, all thank to Dave Presley who is just a wonderful guy. It was my brother's birthday and we booked a reservation at Aredo+Bardeo. Dave offered to have Chef Nate cook for us just whatever, so we said go for it!

What then happened was a level of gluttony only held back by the size of our stomachs. We had a couple rounds of small bites and I am sure in the insane stupper of gluttony that I am still in that I will not be able to remember all we had, but I will try: We started with all the small bites on the menu: pork belly skewers with pineapple- really well balanced little bites, Smashed and fried fingerling potato topped with steak and some creme fraiche- I love the potato bite underneath with the steak, disco fries- I love these fries, onion strings with their burger sauce which makes me want to go back for a burger like now, and a flatbread that I didn't try, but looked good.

Next round we had all the charcuterie except the foie gras: Chicken liver mousse that rivals the faux gras and rillettes at Central the flavor was just fantastic, homemade mini bagel with lox and cream cheese, I didn't eat the bagel, but liked the rest, homemade mini english muffins with egg and ham and Tabasco, crispy head cheese with fried egg and lardons was fantastic I loved this, the head cheese had awesome flavor and the crispiness gave it great texture that I think would make it more accessible, it was really good. Another big winner was the Bresola with horseradish potato salad, the potato salad was fantastic and spicy, I really loved it, I will have to try to make a version of it at home, the bresola was really flavorful, it was a great bite.

Then we had the scallop schnitzel which again I really liked the flavors, the balance between the sweet scallop and salad and the crispy texture just balanced well, mozarella farm egg and house bacon was good, I really liked the homemade mozarella it was firm but so soft and smooth. Ceasar salad with gnocchi that I loved, I would never have thought to put gnocchi in the salad, but it was good, we also had this chicken soup with hominy and green chile broth that OMG had amazing Mexican flavors with lime and veggies and avacado, today with all the dreary weather I wish I had a whole bowl of it, it was so fresh and flavor packed. I know there had to be one more plate in that course but I can't for the life of me remember it.

We then had pastas: the oxtail ravioli with brown butter sage was really delicate, but very savory, the lobster with whole wheat spaghetti was a little sweet I think because of the squash, but done really well; the rabbit bolognese was a favorite the pasta was fantastic and the bolognese was so flavorful, the pork cacciatore was another favorite, the black pepper fettucine was really good. I was in fall off the wagon gluten heaven, but I was good and only ate a couple bites of the pastas and then ate braised leg of suckling pig with grits and black eyed peas, I loved the dish, the black eyed peas had a strong flavor int he dish, but I love black eyed peas, this was a dish that just made my Southern heart happy.

We couldn't do any more at that point and finished with some cheese, some on the list, some not- our favorite was this purple haze a chevre with lavender and something else which was really good. It was the crowd favorite, but all of them were really good.

At this point we were all too full for dessert. But it was amazing and so much fun. My family loves eating bites of everyone's stuff and getting to try a lot of things so this was perfect for them. And it makes me want to go back for more of the menu as so many things just knocked it out of the park. The chicken liver mousse and bresola with the potato salad and green chile broth soup and black eyed pea and suckling pork are all things I am still thinking about today.

Thank you Dave and Nate and everyone at Ardeo + Bardeo it was awesome!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

cost for such a tasting menu? (and that's with cheese but no dessert, right?)

I am not sure what it was as I didn't pay the bill, and we had two bottles of wine, but adding up everything we had and assuming for a couple off menu items the food total without tax seems to be around $220 ish and that was enough for 4 people. So really reasonable.

And yes cheese no dessert, and we didn't have what was considered a main entree from the menu except the suckling pig.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sat at the bar on Friday and there is a lot to recommend here. One item, though, not to miss, is the crispy brussels sprouts with chestnuts and apple. This bears no resemblence to the boiled/steamed sprouts from when you were a sprout. And that's a good thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sat at the bar on Friday and there is a lot to recommend here. One item, though, not to miss, is the crispy brussels sprouts with chestnuts and apple. This bears no resemblence to the boiled/steamed sprouts from when you were a sprout. And that's a good thing.

Say hi next time. B)

The brussels sprouts are actually made with pistachios now, not chestnuts...but you're right, they are friggin good. I'm a little biased though...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Say hi next time. B)

The brussels sprouts are actually made with pistachios now, not chestnuts...but you're right, they are friggin good. I'm a little biased though...

Maybe if you did not run that Happy Hour special on wine I would remember better two days later what I ate and not have to consult the online menu. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe if you did not run that Happy Hour special on wine I would remember better two days later what I ate and not have to consult the online menu. B)

To be honest, when I read your post it made me realize that I hadn't updated the website's description of that dish and I did it immediately. So thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Had a really noteworthy dinner experience last weekend at Ardeo+Bardeo. I hadn’t visited since the ‘re-concept’ occurred, but was excited to see what came of the place. Having lived in the neighborhood for about a decade, I watched the restaurant evolve. I visited a few times each year and tasted offerings by the several chefs who passed through the kitchen. Despite the changes over the years, there is still a common thread that runs through the dishes and cooking at Ardeo. The formula is solid. Ingredients are clearly high-quality. The cooking, from a technical perspective, is skilled. The dishes and ideas are rarely so complicated and outrageous that I fear mis-matched flavors or a garnish or element that is difficult to handle or eat. It is good, relatively simple cooking that doesn’t have to break the bank. Never mind that the whole dining experience beyond the food is also very comfortable. On a total whim, my wife and I showed up without reservations around 6:30PM on a Saturday with our six-month-old in tow. Front-of-the-house folks seated us at a great table where we could keep the baby in her car seat and away from the passing servers and coming-and-going customers. A thoughtful touch. The meal…

The menu lends itself to unconventional ordering and we did just that. Our spread included:

-Steak, horseradish crème fraiche, fingerling potatoes-$7 (‘Savory Snack’ menu section): Just as described. Four bite-size arrangements. Tiny, buttery, fried and smashed fingerlings as a base. A dollop of slightly sharp (coulda used a bit more kick) crème fraiche. A 1” square piece of rare steak. An all-American meat and potatoes meal wrapped up in a single bite. In a fantasy world, I’d go to the movies, order a popcorn, and be rewarded with a bucket full of these instead. I could’ve eaten fifty of these things.

-Crispy brussel sprouts, apricots, pistachios, yoghurt-$7 (‘Vegetables’ menu section): The sprouts were so nutty and crispy. Some of the leaves were even slightly reminiscent, in texture, of Rasika’s palak chaat. I don’t remember any pistachios, but the sweet apricots were a nice touch and the yoghurt was, I believe, spiked with some citrus (lemon?) and made for a nice added flavor. I happen to really like the vibrant green color of brussel sprouts, but these end up pretty brown and a bit drab looking. That takes nothing away from the awesome flavor and texture, but is just worth noting from a visual standpoint.

-Braised oxtail, fava beans, puffed rice, and spiced jus-$11 (‘Small Bites’ menu section): I loved this dish. I’m always up for exciting textures in my food and this delivered. The oxtail was really rich and flavorful. Molded/formed, it was quite firm and took a bit of manipulation to pull it apart. Once free of its tight form, the meat was well-braised and tender. The green fava beans stood out visually and added some pleasant sweetness and a little bitterness. The puffed rice flavor came through more than I would’ve expected. Texturally, those were cool because some fell in the jus and got a little soggy (no problem), but others stayed out of the broth and maintained their crunch. And the jus. Oh, the jus. It was deep and complex. Unexpectedly, there was some ginger in the jus and it was a bright flavor that added another dimension.

-Scallop schnitzel, white asparagus, sauce gribiche-$10 (‘Small Bites’ menu section): Another winner. The breading was so light. Cleanly fried. The pounded scallops took up large footprints, so I can only imagine how big those suckers were before they got flattened. Given that, this dish seemed like a very good value. At comparable restaurants in the area, a scallop main course with one additional scallop would’ve cost in the $28-34 range. Nearly everything on the plate worked really well. The white asparagus was a little light on flavor, but the gribiche was nice and creamy and tangy in a way that paired well with the very sweet scallops. There was another sauce on the plate and I’m not sure what it was. Maybe some pureed white asparagus? Anyhow…I liked the concept and execution here.

-Border Springs lamb ravioli, English peas, mint, smoked yogurt-$16 (‘Pasta’ menu section): The pastas counted as our ‘mains’ and my wife got this. At that price point, we were expecting pretty lean portions. We were pleasantly surprised to find these pasta servings to be very generous. I got one precious taste of this dish and was left wanting many more. All the ingredients mentioned popped. Particularly exciting? The mint and the smoke flavor.

-Rabbit bolognese, ricotta agnilotti, carrot puree-$14 (‘Pasta’ menu section): More praise for this dish. A bit monochromatic, this dish offered more deep, rich, solid flavors. I didn’t quite realize the ricotta would be hiding inside the agnolotti and so breaking the first one with my fork offered a nice surprise of very smooth, stark white cheese against the other brown/red/amber and orange hues on the plate. The bolognese was thick and meaty and the carrot puree was a touch sweet and distributed at the edge of the plate so it could be added to each bite as needed. In the end, not as heavy a dish as I expected (another good thing).

We paired all this with a 2009 Mauritson Zinfandel ($45). I remember some good berry flavors and a little pepper that paired well enough with most all the dishes. A pretty versatile option.

After all this, we were perfectly sated. I could’ve done with a little dessert course, but it was time to get the little one home and to bed. Getting up from the table, I noticed Ashok was doing his drop-in for the evening. I made a point of telling him everything was amazing and he was, of course, gracious. We stood outside the restaurant for about five minutes while he repeatedly pinched our daughter’s chubby cheeks and spoke freely about his next project, his wise decision to invest in parking in Cleveland Park, and his extended family. From start-to-finish, it was a lovely experience. A reservation is already on the books for a family visit Memorial Day weekend.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's hard to find a more perfect spot to spend a Friday night than on Ardeo's balcony. We had an excellent evening including the dangerous disco fries. If you love gravy fries you must try these. The buratta and egg was an interesting and delicious dish. I probably had my last asparagus dish of the season: perfectly grilled with a citrus vinaigrette that had us moping the plate clean with bread.

Service was perfect and the drink list deserves more attention than I could give but my companion loved the pineapple rum drink.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry to only post a plug for my spot, but it's a deal worth checking out!

As many of you already know, Edan Macquaid did a little consulting with us last month and came up with a pretty kick-ass pizza program along with our chef, Nate Garyantes. We are very, very proud of our pizzas and are really happy that Edan blessed us with his knowledge and great recipes. (Try the one with roasted mushrooms, black garlic and sottocenere. Uh huh.)

On Sunday and Monday nights AT THE BAR AND COMMUNAL TABLE ONLY, you can choose any pizza off the menu as well as any featured wine by the glas (or a pint of any beer) for $15.

Just ask for the "Pie and Wine" deal when you are seated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Congrats to Ardeo + Bardeo's new GM, Tim Galvin! Tim has been the dining room manager/sommelier at A+B for over two years and is just a great guy. He has the talents and vision to keep the restaurant going in a positive direction and I wish him nothing but the best.

Nate is doing some of the best cooking in the city right now...I already dearly miss the spinach salad and pork cacciatore! I ate this meal combination 90% of the time for my dinner while I was there...because it was truly inspired and satisfying.

To my (ex) staff (who check this website frequently), I miss you guys already. Keep kicking ass and making our guests feel welcome and well-served!

-D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello Everyone,

Well that was certainly nice of Dave to say. As he mentioned my name is Tim and I am the new General Manager of Ardeo + Bardeo. I'm super excited about it and really enjoying the position so far. I've already met many of you and I'm looking forward to seeing more of you as well, so I hope the next time you're in you'll stop and say hello!

I've been with the company for two years now, so I have no plans to change a restaurant that has been a Cleveland Park mainstay since 1998. That said, I'm going to be adding some new ideas of my own to help make the restaurant even better. The first you should look out for is our late night happy hour which we will be begining this week. I'm looking forward to making Ashok's dream of Ardeo being the best restaurant in the neighborhood a reality.

Cheers,

Tim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

we'll be there Satruday for dinner. Any recent visits?

I was there last Saturday around 730. A couple thoughts:

-I was sitting at the bar b/c the place was packed. The bartenders were quick to give us menus and were generally pretty responsive.

-It was LOUD upfront, (on the old Bardeo side) but I'd imagine if you were sitting further back it would be a bit less noisy.

-We ordered a few apps - Burrata with french onion "soup", chicken liver mouse, a selection of 4 cheeses, beef carpaccio with caesar salad. The burrata and the mouse were the two standouts but the others were good.

-The apple crisp with rum raisin ice cream we had for desert was delicious, accompanied by a french press of coffee it was a perfect end to our snacking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

chicken liver mouse.... The burrata and the mouse were the two standouts but the others were good.

Was this chicken liver shaped like a mouse? Or did it have actual mouse? Maybe mouse stuffed with chicken liver? Was it organic, free range mouse? <_< (I shouldn't even joke about the word mouse when it comes to restaurants, but I couldn't resist)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was there last Saturday around 730. A couple thoughts:

-I was sitting at the bar b/c the place was packed. The bartenders were quick to give us menus and were generally pretty responsive.

-It was LOUD upfront, (on the old Bardeo side) but I'd imagine if you were sitting further back it would be a bit less noisy.

-We ordered a few apps - Burrata with french onion "soup", chicken liver mouse, a selection of 4 cheeses, beef carpaccio with caesar salad. The burrata and the mouse were the two standouts but the others were good.

-The apple crisp with rum raisin ice cream we had for desert was delicious, accompanied by a french press of coffee it was a perfect end to our snacking.

thanks! Unfortunately, the teenager in our group is not feeling well so it may be pizza at home :o

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thanks! Unfortunately, the teenager in our group is not feeling well so it may be pizza at home :o

It's amazing how dynamic even the best-laid plans are - it gives you an idea of what it must be like to be a reservationist.

The thing is though: it's never a waste to ask or respond - the content is there for others to see in the future, and it's important.

Like canceling a reservation, it's always polite and in good form to follow up on a question such as yours, even if it's just to say "thanks for all your replies, but the plans changed last-minute." Thanks for asking, and thanks especially for following up - it adds to the depth and character of the website.

Cheers,

Rocks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We did make it after all. Enjoyable meal-excellent service by Erika (sp). I brought a 2002 Philipponnat BDB champagne ($25 corkage) which the ladies enjoyed while I sampled a few of the reds. Food was quite good, not top tier but we would return. Chicken liver mousse, onion strings, radishes, fried chicken thigh-biscuit a little soggy-, veggie pizza-good flavor but crust was undercooked, Seven hour braised pig leg was a full plate but underseasoned to my taste;howeverpork was tender. Brioche bread pudding with chocolate ganache, caramel ice cream was a pleasant ending. I didn't really need a glass of Calvados but I wasn't driving. Whomever was at the fryer knows his/her stuff says a southerner. Very lively scene-it's a popular destination.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very nice dinner last night. The warmed spinach salad ($9) with gnocchi and truffle vinaigrette is really great. (I assume that the truffle experts among you would tell me that it is not real truffles but merely oil infused with quasi-truffles, or whatever, but I am not a truffle expert and it was really really delicious.) Everything else very good too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very nice dinner last night. The warmed spinach salad ($9) with gnocchi and truffle vinaigrette is really great. (I assume that the truffle experts among you would tell me that it is not real truffles but merely oil infused with quasi-truffles, or whatever, but I am not a truffle expert and it was really really delicious.) Everything else very good too.

I enjoyed that salad immensely at least 100 times (no exaggeration) when I worked there. You're right, it's truffle oil that is emulsified with the poaching liquid from the braised fennel to make the dressing. Effin delicious.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Stopped in tonight to have a "last meal" from one of DC's most underrated chefs, Nate Garyantes. His last day is Wednesday then he's moving to North Carolina for a sweet new gig. I had to eat my beloved spinach salad and pork cacciatore one last time!

Nate sent out some of the new menu dishes and they were all home runs. Chilled corn soup with powdered popcorn, his version of Korean fried chicken, pork belly with corn gnocchi, chilled Thai-style noodles with peanuts and carrots, squid ink spaghetti, lamb sausage and a few other dishes. (I'm still in a bit of a food coma...pardon my fuzzy memory.)

I'm sure the new chef is very good (Ashok has an impressive track record with hiring exceptional chefs), but Nate is only there for two more nights. Not sure when the new chef's menu items will take over, but get there soon! (All of the above dishes were fantastic, but the spinach salad, corn soup, KFC and pork belly are must-haves. Truly outstanding.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10pm, Saturday night, Cleveland Park and Ripple was packed.  So we wandered down Connecticut to Ardeo+Bardeo, which was merely busy but winding down for the night.

We grabbed two seats at the bar.  The manager from Nanny O'Brien's came in to make change of a wad of $20s and bought us a shot of Jameson for no apparent reason...but thanks!

We went with the wild mushroom pizza ($17), comfortably sized for two to split.  Very good flavors, the outer crust was nicely charred and crisp, the inner crust/middle was a little soupy.

Drinks included the Ginger Lilly (bourbon and ginger beer) and a glass of unremarkable red wine and I don't remember what it was.

The new look is sleek and modern with a hip lounge style feel, esp. on the Bardeo side.  I liked the makeover.

Overall, an enjoyable spot for some post DC United late night dining.  Maybe next game Ripple won't be so packed.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have difficulty keeping up with staff changes at this restaurant, as well as several others that some of our city's larger restaurant groups run, but I think this is correct:

Alex McWilliams became Chef de Cuisine in October, 2008, coming from Spuntino Three 60 in New Brunswich, NJ.

Nate Garyantes replaced McWilliams in November, 2010, coming from Restaurant 821 in Wilmington, DE.

Matt Kuhn replaced Garyantes in June, 2013, coming from DC Coast.

Someone replaced Matt Kuhn in January, 2015, coming from somewhere.

This is the part about my job that I hate the most - having to keep tabs on inter-company chef merry-go-rounds.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have difficulty keeping up with staff changes at this restaurant, as well as several others that some of our city's larger restaurant groups run, but I think this is correct:

Alex McWilliams became Chef de Cuisine in October, 2008, coming from Spuntino Three 60 in New Brunswich, NJ.

Nate Garyantes replaced McWilliams in November, 2010, coming from Restaurant 821 in Wilmington, DE.

Matt Kuhn replaced Garyantes in June, 2013, coming from DC Coast.

Someone replaced Matt Kuhn in January, 2015, coming from somewhere.

This is the part about my job that I hate the most - having to keep tabs on inter-company chef merry-go-rounds.

Is it wrong to look askance at places where chefs come and go so frequently? Isn't that kind of churn symptomatic of other things of concern to diners and restaurant staff?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is it wrong to look askance at places where chefs come and go so frequently? Isn't that kind of churn symptomatic of other things of concern to diners and restaurant staff?

I'll let others answer this. One *right* thing is that if they lose someone - they have a pool of personnel from whom to choose for replacement, and that's being in a position of strength.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is it wrong to look askance at places where chefs come and go so frequently? Isn't that kind of churn symptomatic of other things of concern to diners and restaurant staff?

I think you could also see some restaurants like this as restaurants where chefs hone and refine skills before moving on to other things.  For instance Nate is a great chef and really got to create some nice food at Ardeo Bardeo and was there for a while, other chefs left to open new restaurants, as well.  I doubt a restaurant owner would think four chefs in seven plus years was high turnover.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...