mdt Posted April 21, 2005 Posted April 21, 2005 Finally stopped by Circle Bistro tonight after a long day at work and met Shogun at the bar. I had passed by way too many times driving into the city to hit the market or other restaurants in the DuPont Circle area. This place is about as off the beaten path as possible being as close to DuPont Circle as it is. Anyway, after all of the talk of steak tartare I was craving this dish and Tom's recent comments on this dish sealed the dael. I settled in with a glass of Pinot Noir and started with the Billy Bi, a creamy mussel soup, that I just realized that Tom mentioned in his review. The gratin of mussels topped with garlicky bread crumbs were a great accompaniment to the creamy soup. It was nice to have a saffron flavored soup that was not bitter or medicinal tasting as can occur if one is heavy handed with the spice. This was followed by a decent version of steak tartare that hit the spot. I went against my normal instinct to have chocolate for dessert and instead chose a confit of spring rhubarb that was served with creme fraiche sorbet and a black pepper tuille. The meltingly soft rhubarb was flavored with orange and paired nicely with the sorbet. To me a twist on the old creamsicle. We were lucky to catch Chef Cox in on his day off and we said hello. Great guy to talk to and he clearly enjoys what he is doing. The menu looks very good and I will be returning to sample some of the entrees. They have a good wine by the glass list and during happy hour (5-7pm) they are 1/2 price. There is a patio out back that would make for a great spot for a dr.com happy hour.
squidsdc Posted April 21, 2005 Posted April 21, 2005 When I was trying to plan an office "happy hour" meeting in a short timespan, Circle Bistro came up as a possibility. Hard to find outdoor places that don't put one right in the path of all the exhaust and horns in that neck of the woods. Unfortunately, my boss changed her mind, but I know where I'll recommend for the next time we need to plan such an event!
JPW Posted May 2, 2005 Posted May 2, 2005 Circle Bistro was stop #1 on our Friday happy hour(s) Some nice wine by the glass. A zin that was redolent of caramel and chocolate. Not my style of wine but well done. Kermit Lynch Cotes de Rhone. Here, the importer has turned into negociant and started bottling his own. (as explained by our gracious host Chef Cox). Made for the American market, but still maintaining that typical Rhone black pepper/leather. A nice happy hour wine. The fries were quite good, but the house-made potato crisps were my favorite. We had, among other things, a charcuterie plate that had a nice mix of meat, olives, mustard, pate, and cornichons. The real winner was the ris de veau (aka sweetbreads). Oh my. Some of the best that I've ever had. Perfect crunch on the outside and creamy in the middle. See Palena thread for our round 2 stop.
bilrus Posted May 2, 2005 Posted May 2, 2005 I'd put in a good word for the fish basket. Here's a great deal -- $7 for two good sized cones of fries with aloli and a cone of delicately fried fish sticks with a red pepper sauce. Add a half price glass of wine and you've got a really nice, upscale fish and chips for just over $10. This is no Mrs. Paul's.
babka Posted May 3, 2005 Posted May 3, 2005 The real winner was the ris de veau (aka sweetbreads). Oh my. Some of the best that I've ever had. Perfect crunch on the outside and creamy in the middle. liver-flavored tofu, fried. I ate mine, then bilrus's, then the dregs from the platter.
Erin Posted May 4, 2005 Posted May 4, 2005 Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to sample either the potato chips or the fish since they were gone before I could get to them but I can wholeheartedly vouch for the fries, with their yummy mayonnaise, and the tartare. Tied for my favorite were the aforementioned sweetbreads and the oysters. I LOVE oysters and these have just edged out Firefly's as my favorites, which I didn't think was possible. I loves me some crunch with my oyster! Chef, thanks for taking the time to chat with us during the Friday evening rush! (P.S. The complimentary valet parking didn't suck.)
bilrus Posted May 4, 2005 Posted May 4, 2005 (P.S. The complimentary valet parking didn't suck.) Huh. Who knew?
brendanc Posted May 4, 2005 Posted May 4, 2005 Huh. Who knew? park at the hotel entrance they'll hook up the free valet, I'm adding it to our website and open table profile soon
Nadya Posted May 9, 2005 Posted May 9, 2005 Has anyone had a pre-theater menu at CB? Going to the opera @ Kennedy Center on Friday and will be looking for a place to get a bite before three hours of music. So, looking to get some feedback on CB as an option.
DonRocks Posted July 20, 2005 Posted July 20, 2005 "Buried how long?" "Almost eighteen years." "You had abandoned all hope of being dug out?" "Long ago." -- Charles Dickens, from 'A Tale of Two Cities' Brendan, could you expand upon the "freshly dug Norland potatoes" that are currently an accompaniment on your menu? Freshly dug! As opposed to what? And the "early summer Minestrone soup?" Is that anything more than Minestrone soup made with not-so-good tomatoes? Do tell, do tell. Rocks. P.S. Heather Chittum is making a very good (and refreshingly simple!) dessert with berries and sabayon right now, but I suspect you already know this.
alan7147 Posted July 20, 2005 Posted July 20, 2005 (edited) Has anyone been to the HH at Circle Bistro recently? Saw it on the website and was thinking about checking it out. Edited July 20, 2005 by alan7147
Heather Posted July 20, 2005 Posted July 20, 2005 Brendan, could you expand upon the "freshly dug Norland potatoes" that are currently an accompaniment on your menu?Freshly dug! As opposed to what? Wouldn't those be new spring potatoes? As opposed to mature potatoes that perhaps have been stored for a while?
bilrus Posted July 20, 2005 Posted July 20, 2005 Has anyone been to the HH at Circle Bistro? Saw it on the website and was thinking about checking it out. Scroll up. A group visit back in May resulted in a few posts. Cheap good food and wine. What could be wrong with that?
shogun Posted July 20, 2005 Posted July 20, 2005 Wow, it was that long ago? Might be time for another visit very soon. Alan: What bilrus said. Definitely a good happy hour!
alan7147 Posted July 20, 2005 Posted July 20, 2005 Scroll up. A group visit back in May resulted in a few posts. Cheap good food and wine. What could be wrong with that? Thanks, i just realized I scrolled right past mdt & JPW's posts. Sounds good, I am going to have to check this out tomorrow.
Meaghan Posted July 20, 2005 Posted July 20, 2005 Actually, I have the little insert that goes in their check presenter right here on my desk. Happy Hour is 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. M-F, featuring $5 martinis, half price beer and wines by the glass. And most likely that lovely Jane as the bartender and tater chips.
DonRocks Posted July 20, 2005 Posted July 20, 2005 Shortly after an order comes in, Chef Cox dispatches a runner into the center of Washington Circle to dig up some potatoes from his secret garden plot.
brendanc Posted July 21, 2005 Posted July 21, 2005 "Buried how long?" "Almost eighteen years." "You had abandoned all hope of being dug out?" "Long ago." -- Charles Dickens, from 'A Tale of Two Cities' Brendan, could you expand upon the "freshly dug Norland potatoes" that are currently an accompaniment on your menu? Freshly dug! As opposed to what? And the "early summer Minestrone soup?" Is that anything more than Minestrone soup made with not-so-good tomatoes? Do tell, do tell. Rocks. P.S. Heather Chittum is making a very good (and refreshingly simple!) dessert with berries and sabayon right now, but I suspect you already know this. My love for Heather's work knows no bounds Norland Potatoes are a thin red skinned potatoe that average a size "b", or the ball of your thumb if you are a touch overweight like me. Freshly dug refers to actual "new" potatoes that are coming right out of the ground from one of my organic producers. OK I'll admit it is a bit of menu language tom-foolery but when I see New potatoes on a menu I'm bracing for boiled jobbies with some dill. In general a lot of farmers will harvest potatoes and then store them until the summer/fall crops are gone because its nice to have produce to sell in December when the fields lie fallow. The freshly dug denotes potatoes that are extremely fresh not left overs from the preceeding year. Early summer minestrone- When making the base for our minestrone we use tomato paste(which doesn't have a season) not fresh tomatoes. This results in a pleasent and subtle acidic note to the soup which is based on a myriad of fresh vegetables. I am not one to make hot soup with fresh, in season tomatoes, when you cook them the lose some of their power, I prefer to do a cold soup with local heirloom tomatoes. -Brendan
brendanc Posted July 21, 2005 Posted July 21, 2005 Shortly after an order comes in, Chef Cox dispatches a runner into the center of Washington Circle to dig up some potatoes from his secret garden plot. Freshfarm has a new foggy Bottom Farmers market on Wednesdays.....and I don't know anyone with tube socks
tenunda Posted July 21, 2005 Posted July 21, 2005 A friend and I had lunch there today, and were generally pleased. I had the soft shell crab remoulade and the plain caesar salad. She had the squash blossoms stuffed with ricotta and pine nuts and the crispy goat cheese. The crab was fried in a tempura, and was very delicious. The remoulade certainly added to the dish, and the crab was served on a celery root slaw that was also tasty. The squash blossoms, served fried over a balsamic reduction, were great, and appropriately summery. Unfortunately, the ceasar salad, which was offered with no black pepper ( ), was made out of a loosely shredded romaine--almost like a chop salad. This ruined the dish for my texture-sensitive mouth, but the dressing was good, and the two anchovies on the side were good as well. Always a sucker for goat cheese, Mr. Cox' fried medallion of it was especially toothsome. It would be a required dish for me. For dessert we split the profitaroles with mint ice cream and chocolate syrup. The three little treasures were excellent as well. My only complaint (other than the salad), is that they didn't have a vegetarian entree option. I think this is a glaring oversight for any restaurant, especially here in DC. That won't stop me from going back, though. Circle Bistro is close to my office, and is a wonderful place for happy hour. They pour a good cocktail, and the atmosphere is great. I'll have to return for dinner soon!
dcfoodie Posted July 21, 2005 Posted July 21, 2005 When I was there a couple weeks ago, my wife and I had the Madelines. Such a simple dessert cookie shouldn't taste sooooo good.
brendanc Posted July 29, 2005 Posted July 29, 2005 Starting August 4th Circle Bistro will be hosting wine tastings on Thursday Nights. The fee of 25 smackeroos covers five wines (3oz pour), varied Amuse Bouche to pair and discussions led by my purveyors about their wines. Anyone interested please call 202.293.5390 to make a reservation. I look forward to seeing anyone who decides to come from the site...
dcfoodie Posted July 29, 2005 Posted July 29, 2005 Starting August 4th Circle Bistro will be hosting wine tastings on Thursday Nights. The fee of 25 smackeroos covers five wines (3oz pour), varied Amuse Bouche to pair and discussions led by my purveyors about their wines. Anyone interested please call 202.293.5390 to make a reservation. I look forward to seeing anyone who decides to come from the site... Your web site says they started today....
Capital Icebox Posted September 14, 2005 Posted September 14, 2005 The upside (against many downs) of working in Foggy Bottom is the Circle Bistro happy hour. Martinis at $5 a pop, pommes frites that disappear from the table before they have a chance to cool, and a poolside patio (even if it is covered with a green tarp after labor day). A goujonette of salmon, charcuterie with housemade pate, half-priced beer and wine... the planets are perfectly aligned and you got $2,347 back in taxes last year... Until you learn that they no longer serve Hangar One vodkas. The 'Vicious Circle,' with local blackberry puree, used to be mixed with H1 Kaffir lime, but now is a companion to Absolut Citron. "The H1 just wasn't selling," the bartender tells me. For shame, Washington! One of the few bars in DC to carry Hangar One, you know must opt for Ciroc, Grey Goose, or Ketel One (at $5, still a helluva deal). But this is what you're missing...
DonRocks Posted October 1, 2005 Posted October 1, 2005 There are so many things I want to say about Circle Bistro, until I stop myself and realize that they aren't about Circle Bistro. Brendan Cox has something inside him, something burning and gnawing at his soul, and I can't quite put my finger on what it is. I sense a talented chef locked in an underground prison, congealed in a management structure that has yet to produce a successful restaurant in Foggy Bottom, and perhaps never will. And then there's Barry Koslow, the Sous Chef, who did some hard time at Citronelle, and from what I've heard, is too good to be languishing in obscurity at Washington Circle Pentitentiary. And Jane, dear Jane, who has tended bar at this location for ... what, twenty years now? A wonderful, dear person who lights me up every time I walk into her bar. "Soul" is a strange word, referenced by poets wearing toga and sandals, skipping through a field, plucking and sniffing the wildflowers, searching for meaning in the everyday and the ordinary. And so it is, not at "Circle Bistro," but at Brendan Cox's restaurant. The planets are spinning out of alignment when, at 8 PM on a Friday night, there are dozens of soulless wank-holes that have lines out the door - and Brendan is coming out to the rather empty dining room, worried about whether his monkfish is showing well tonight. You know, it is so easy to go into a restaurant, looking for flaws, and then finding them. But when you actively seek to love your meal, it changes everything for the better. Yes, Brendan, you could perhaps dial down the sodium in the monkfish, but who cares? There are those great Little Neck clams and mussels, and the leeks and fennel in your sauce that was so good when it was sopped up by bread. And the coq au vin was what, eight dollars? With tarragon and chervil sitting atop it, and according to you, containing absolutely no mint despite my insistence that it did. And the salad of pan-roasted wild mushrooms, frisee, applewood-smoked bacon and a poached farm egg! And you know what else? Most of all, there is Brendan Cox, someone who cares about what they're doing and who is willing to sign their name to their work. To everyone who went to a national corporate chain tonight: you wasted your money and got a plate full of anonymous goo - again! - when you could have gotten the work of a great individual for the same money. Happy Hour is 5-8 PM, and a huge glass of 2003 Ribera del Duero is FOUR DOLLARS. And Samuel Smith's Organic Lager and Nut Brown Ale are $3.50! Forget the happy-hour menu that is inexpensive but ultimately cheap food. Let Brendan COOK for you. Ask for him and let him come out and tell you what's good that night, and pay ten, or fifteen, or twenty, or twenty-five dollars, or whatever it costs to get something more than a paper cone full of pub food, and enjoy the products of this talented young man, who will shine if asked to shine, who will come out and meet you and shake your hand, and who will personally oversee the execution of your meal. Cheers, Rocks.
babka Posted October 24, 2005 Posted October 24, 2005 (edited) I'm not a fried oysters kind of girl. I kinda think that nature made them perfect just as they are, with ocean liquor floating on the half shell. I was wrong. We went to Circle Bistro late Friday night, after a show at the Kennedy Center, and the place was happily buzzing with suited couples in the dining room and sweatered happy-hour goers who hadn't gotten around to leaving the hour seated in the bar. Outside, it drizzling miserably. Inside, it was soft and warm, and the music, while bad, was low. Most of the menu sang of the region, and none more so than the Bay oysters: Cox somehow wrapped the ocean and the oyster together in a perfectly crispy shell, served atop brilliantly roasted local potatoes in a mustard something sauce. We ate every last bit and then looked mournfully for more. (but 'settled' for Madeleines--it was almost midnight, after all.) Edited October 24, 2005 by babka
silentbob Posted October 28, 2005 Posted October 28, 2005 Met up with a friend for happy hour before my poker game the other night. Based on the recommendations upthread, I got the fish sticks and the fries. When they each arrived in two cones, I thought I may have inadvertently ordered two, but it turned out to be a single order. What a spectacular deal! The hotel is only a couple of blocks from our DC office, so I will definitely be back and order the martinis on a night when I can drink more.
shogun Posted October 29, 2005 Posted October 29, 2005 (edited) Celebrated getting out of UNIX System Programming an hour early with happy hour at Circle Bistro before heading home. An eventful evening was had, in which all four food groups (Beer, wine, liquor, and duck confit) were duely visited by way of a Dark and Stormy, some Riesling, their new Stella tap, and some duck confit. I was origonally hoping to try the fried oysters on Babka's recommendation, but they were apparently out, but Jane turned me on to some duck confit that was the picture of succulence and flavour. The accompanying frisee salad was very good, too, surely able to stand as a salad on it's own, with a zippy vinaigrette and what I believe to be pancetta (I'm looking, but I don't see it on a menu). Capital Icebox: I saw a bottle of Hangar One Kaffir Lime poking around the bar, too. Edited October 29, 2005 by shogun
Mrs. B Posted November 5, 2005 Posted November 5, 2005 Salad with Royal Trumpet Mushrooms & Poached Egg. Words escape me. Get it now before it's too late. Holy shit it was luscious and earthy and something akin to the virgin's thighs cheese at Dean's joint (at that I'm guessing) or at least if I were a guy what I would hope for. I woke up this morning thinking about that dish. Unlike Waitman who woke up thinking about chains. Thanks Brendan. The dinner was super from start to finish, fine food, service and wine. What more can one ask?
Heather Posted November 8, 2005 Posted November 8, 2005 (edited) I wandered to Notte Bianchi prior to a performance of Hugo Wolf's Morike Lieder (review here, in case we have any other Lieder fans in the house ) but alas, there was no room at the bar. So Circle Bistro got the nod for my preconcert snack. It's a comfortable space but the bar arrangement is a little weird with the pillar. I guess you work with what you have. It was delightful to chat briefly with the funny and welcoming Jane. I gave the hangar steak some serious thought but didn't want to be in a beef stupor for the concert. I got two apps instead: wild mushroom salad with a poached egg and lardons, and the scallops with cauliflower puree and autumn fruits. The scallops were sweet, but just the teeniest tinest bit cooked more than I prefer. They had been scored which might explain that. Fruit and seafood wasn't an obvious pick for me but the combination worked surprisingly well and I cleaned up the sauce with a slice of rosemary bread (from Breadline, I was told). I will add to Mrs B's rave: the mushroom salad with frisee, lardons and a poached egg was out of this world good. As I said in the salad thread every time I licked my lips that night I could taste it. My only regret is that I didn't break the yolk fast enough and it had continued to cook past the point of perfect runniness. Still it was an earthy, sexy delight and it was tough not to lick the dish it came in. Had a glass of the Lingenfelder Reisling and a glass of the Kermit Lynch Cotes du Rhone. Chef Cox came in before my meal arrived to speak to a gentleman at the end of the bar who I thought was Danny Boylen but wasn't sure. I didn't butt in and introduce myself. Edited November 8, 2005 by Heather
CrescentFresh Posted November 23, 2005 Posted November 23, 2005 (edited) I paid my first visit to Circle Bistro yesterday for lunch. While I don't know Brendan, I know he's a valued member of this community, which makes it hard for me to say that I really wasn't impressed. Nothing was horribly awry in any way. It was just, underwhelming. I think some things could have been corrected, but that probably points out the only issue that I'd call major rather than minor. Between the delivery of our starters and the presentation of dessert menus, our table was visited only twice. The first time was to deliver the entrees. The second time was to refill water glasses. At no time did anyone come near to ask how anything was or if we needed anything. And by the time the water glasses were being refilled, it was too far into the entree to do anything. I started with a wild mushroom salad with lardons and poached egg. The egg could have used a little more cooking time. Even the white inside was pretty uncooked and raw. I followed it with the angus beef burger. The burger was massive. The roll was massive. There was no way I was going to try to shove that thing in my mouth, so I ate it with fork and knife like some Atkins crazed fool sneaking in little bits of bread. (I'm not, BTW, indicating this is a problem. I like a big burger.) The fries were just above room temperature at best, and while they had great flavor, they were not particularly crisp. The burger desperately needed seasoning. When the entrees were delivered we were offered fresh pepper, but I'm not going to add it until I taste it. Well, it needed a serious dose of pepper and particularly salt. Which brings me to an issue we've discussed before. Salt and pepper on the table. I understand why some restaurants/chefs don't do it, but if you're not going to put it on the table, you had best be damned sure the food you're sending out is properly seasoned. From my experience with lunch, Circle Bistro is not ready to keep salt and pepper off the table. So while I liked the room, (I thought the lounge looked very nice, too and would like to have a drink there sometime), the service was efficient if not attentive, and the food was presented well if not particularly flavorful. Circle Bistro just didn't meet my expectations. Edited November 23, 2005 by CrescentFresh
wu-tang Posted December 22, 2005 Posted December 22, 2005 After finishing up my last exam for a grueling semester, I was seized by a surprising craving for red meat. As a poor working student, my usual sustenance falls into the bottom of the food pyramid, with only rare outings to have real food. As I had just managed, to me, quite a feat by surviving these past few months, I decided to treat myself to dinner at one of the best restaurants within walking distance, muddled as I was in a post-exam haze. I dropped into a stool at the Circle Bistro bar and immediately noted the comfortable shades of orange, the trim design of the menu placards, and the sophisticated bartender who just looked like someone I could trust. With a glass of Kermit Lynch Grenache-Syrah, I decided on the charcuterie plate. I was presented with a clean array of paper-thin jamon serrano, saucisson de paris, salami toscana with olive oil and olives, a triangular slice of terrine (of what meats, I don't know; didn't ask) with purple mustard, and a small dish of the creamiest pate I've ever had. Not a trace of grittiness anywhere. There was also a small salad of perfect mache and frisee and plenty of thinly sliced bread. See, I'm a detail person. This was perfect. The chef or garde manger or prep cook who assembled the plate probably doesn't think a charcuterie plate is that big of a deal, but the presentation was so clean, and the cured meats, because they were so good, made me crave more. The bartender told me of a special they had that night, venison with brussel sprouts and celery root. After studying the full menu (which they also offer at the bar), I decided to get it, having never had venison but reading much about its qualities. Everything they say is true. Cut into quarter inch slices, cooked a perfect mid-rare, the venison was plated down the left side of the plate, overlapping a savory sauce. On the other side were a few braised brussel sprouts and huge pieces of celery root with very little adulteration. A couple glazed chestnuts here and there. Overall I didn't pay much attention to the vegetables as the venison was so good: tender, not too gamey (though I wouldn't have minded) and, well, woodsy. I can't come up with better terms. My brain is shot. Red meat craving satisfied and redefined. Will return as soon as I'm able.
Bella Posted December 29, 2005 Posted December 29, 2005 (edited) I stopped into Circle Bistro one night, decently dressed, and not looking like a hoodlum from foggy bottom. Since I know Notti Bianche does carry-out (execpt on fri and sat.) I was hoping they could do the same since my friend was working and I was sent out to bring food back for the both of us. There was no host and about 3 people passed by me while I was standing at the host stand. Finally a woman (who I am told has worked there for a while and is a bartender) asked if she could help me and I asked if they would please do a take out order for me. She said that CB doesnt do that. I asked her if she knew any place in the area that did (thinking Notti would be her reply) and she looked me up and down with snotty disgust in her eye and said "TGI Fridays." I thanked her and told her it wasnt my type of food and left. I love Circle Bistro, but the service is oftentimes atrocious. Edited December 29, 2005 by Bella
LolaDC Posted December 29, 2005 Posted December 29, 2005 ...she looked me up and down with snotty disgust in her eye and said "TGI Fridays." GULP. I am having lunch there tomorrow, and as it is Friday on a slow holiday week, I was planning to wear jeans (very cute and fashionable jeans, but jeans nonetheless) and a nice blazer. Am I going to get the TGI Fridays treatment?
mdt Posted December 30, 2005 Author Posted December 30, 2005 GULP. I am having lunch there tomorrow, and as it is Friday on a slow holiday week, I was planning to wear jeans (very cute and fashionable jeans, but jeans nonetheless) and a nice blazer. Am I going to get the TGI Fridays treatment? I doubt you will have any problems.
mdt Posted January 8, 2006 Author Posted January 8, 2006 Had an enjoyable dinner at CB on Friday night. Started off with the Veal Sweatbreads "General Tso's" style for me and the Roasted Wild Mushroom salad for her. The sweetbreads were good, but I did not really care for this preparation (YMMV). I enjoy my sweetbreads seasoned, floured, and simply fried. The couple of bites of the salad were really good and I loved the taste of the bacon with the mushrooms. I had the Black Cod with porcini polenta (If I remember correctly) and braised leeks. I really enjoyed this dish and could have eaten another portion. The gnocchi that she had (online menu is not up to date and I do not remember the preparation) were light, fluffy, and tasty. We had the chocolate charcuterie and apple charlotte for dessert. The first was a portion of white chocolate boudin blanc, chocolate terrine, and a scoop of chocolate sorbet. I thought the presetation was fun and liked the anise flavor in the terrine. We both thought the apple charlotte, which was delicious, was the better of the two. It was served with some cardamom ice cream on top, a big plus for me. Dinner for 2 with apps, entrees, desserts, coffees, and a bottle of wine was $130 with tax. I will return to try some other items on the menu.
Capital Icebox Posted January 12, 2006 Posted January 12, 2006 Circle Bistro's lunch offerings for RW are paltry in comparison to the other places noted here (with the exception of Indebleu) -- first course is a choice between their mixed greens salad and smokey white bean soup; entrees are limited to chicken or fish (trout); and the desserts are apple tart or mini chocolate bundt cake. I went for the latter, and it was so dry that I couldn't bring myself to put the thing out of its misery. The chicken entree, however, was fantastic -- plenty of salt and jus and a slighlty breaded exterior resting on a bed of pureed sweet potatoes and braised escarole. It blended together wonderfully. No service missteps, despite a packed house, but with so many other places offering their full menu this week, I wouldn't put it on a list of must-eat RW destinations.
dcdavidm Posted January 14, 2006 Posted January 14, 2006 Circle Bistro's lunch offerings for RW are paltry in comparison to the other places noted here (with the exception of Indebleu) -- first course is a choice between their mixed greens salad and smokey white bean soup; entrees are limited to chicken or fish (trout); and the desserts are apple tart or mini chocolate bundt cake. I went for the latter, and it was so dry that I couldn't bring myself to put the thing out of its misery. The chicken entree, however, was fantastic -- plenty of salt and jus and a slighlty breaded exterior resting on a bed of pureed sweet potatoes and braised escarole. It blended together wonderfully. No service missteps, despite a packed house, but with so many other places offering their full menu this week, I wouldn't put it on a list of must-eat RW destinations. I agree on Circle Bistro's treatment of Restaurant Week. We had heard a lot about the restaurant but had never tried it. Went Thursday night and was surprised that the RW dinner menu had a paltry two appetizers, two entrees, and two desserts. From the RW menu, the bean soup wast quite good, with a pleasing texture and a nice smokey bacon background. The pork tenderloin main course was okay; perfectly cooked but a bit bland; just not memorable. The dessert was a joke--a thin wafer of dry, overbaked cookie-like pastry topped with a thin slice of baked apple, with a side splash of caramel-like sauce that was so austere that it was hard to get enough on the fork to taste. Mrs. dcdavidm could not find anything appealing on the mini-RW selections and went for the main menu. Her wild mushroom-frisee-bacon salad was out of sight delicious, as was her potato gnocchi main course. Great decor! The room is warm-contemporary and, to our taste, gorgeous. Just wished that the RW menu was more exciting and more enthusiatically presented. Tried 15 Ria for the first time on Tuesday. Decent RW selections; nice flavors; cozy, comfortable room; wonderful service. Certainly would go again if in the neighborhood, though for a hotel-associated restaurant it doesn't rise to Corduroy's heights. Heading for Notte Bianchi on Saturday.
Giancarlo Buonarotti Posted January 17, 2006 Posted January 17, 2006 Went to Circle Bistro for the first time. Ordered off of the RW menu but thought it was adequate and adhered to the appropriate RW criteria without all the up charges for ordering off the menu like many restaurants do. Honestly when they do that it defeats the purpose I believe. We had a superior evening, the waiters were articulate and very knowledgeble aboput the menu. It was a relief to experience this as so many places I do not believe train their wait staff to assist diners appropriatelly. Two diners stuck to the RW menu when had a nice char and a beautiful pork tenderloin, both were served hot and juicey. I tested both and really liked them. The polental was creamey but still tasted lkike polenta instead of cake batter like it does at soooooo many places. I had the frisse/mushroom salad with sizzilins' as we used to call the bits of pork in Southern Maryland. It was one of the best salads in the city and that includes Corduroys beet salad which I love and Tosca's radiccio which has been a favorite for years. the General Tso sweet breads were more of a Kung Pao Sweetbreads and delectible morsels of arterial cork, I shared them with everyone so we could all die together- they weree delicious and it was sooooooo nice to have sweetbreads prepared in a different fashion than the typical saute. My hanger steak was tasty , juicey and cooked to perfection, the portion size was very nice and the accompaniments went together magically! The Chef came out to viusit us and was pleasant, unpretentious and enjoyable to meet and talk to. I am definately going toput it on my top four list for DC dining so will be there fairly often. Looking forward to my next visit and happy RW is over.
giant shrimp Posted January 17, 2006 Posted January 17, 2006 (edited) restaurant week provided a tepid introduction to the virtues of this restaurant, as has been observed above. sunday night, at prime time, there were tables to spare, which made me wonder if hotel guests aren't the primary eaters here. the bar and lounge area appeared empty. turned up a bit, piped in date music from new jersey didn't do much to cheer the place up. i have been here before and have never warmed up to the space, although it is nicely lit. the small dining room goes forward and aft; the back section feels a bit forlorn. the chairs derive from jens risom, knock-offs i am almost positive. (i have not gotten close enough to them to tell whether similar seats at rosa mexicano are the genuine article.) basically, the restaurant deal here was free dessert. (you can do worse; a couple of years ago we figured out that the restaurant week price at the related dish nearby could actually exceed regular menu pricing, depending upon what you ordered.) after discussing the situation, we resisted the temptation to switch to the regular menu. a salad heaped with frisee and lettuce and some fennel was fairly ordinary, a bit tired. there were only one or two scant traces of the blood orange that were supposed to be in it. (hold the lettuce, add good olive oil and olives and head to two amys for the real thing.) smoky bean soup was okay, thinned with stock to lightness. there was some tender chicken floating around in the pork flavor. arctic char was okay, a bit dry on the outside but pink and sweet within, accompanied by lentils. they put on the accordion music about the time a plate of three thick medallions of beer-brined pork tenderloin was delivered to the table. the food runner warned me to watch out; the plate was hot, but the meat was not. you could appropriately wear lederhosen to this dish. it tasted close to a fancy version of a hot dog. the mustard jus was good, but why not just mustard? and why not cabbage or sauerkraut instead of polenta? and, really, why not sausage?the teutonic overtures here were only half-hearted. desserts were saucer-shaped. the chocolate cake was dry, sweetened up with a small scoop of ice cream and sitting in a pool of marshmallow sauce, whatever that is, with some peanut brittle crumbs in it. there was nothing totally wrong with it. an apple tart was anointed with star anise ice cream; it's never too early to start preparing for the poultry influenza, and i have seen scientific conjecture that this seed may be medicinal when it comes. the crust was buttery, sandy, resembling a smart cookie. service was students? Edited January 17, 2006 by giant shrimp
CrescentFresh Posted February 4, 2006 Posted February 4, 2006 (edited) So, if you look carefully you can see this sign posted in a small little nook above the bar that says: OCCUPANCY 57. YEAH RIGHT! There were 57 people lined up at the bar when I got there at 6 let alone in the entire fucking room. My guess would be closer to 150-200 packed into the joint and for some stupid ass reason I stayed. Edited February 4, 2006 by CrescentFresh
Mark Slater Posted February 4, 2006 Posted February 4, 2006 So, if you look carefully you can see this sign posted in a small little nook above the bar that says: OCCUPANCY 57. YEAH RIGHT! There were 57 people lined up at the bar when I got there at 6 let alone in the entire fucking room. My guess would be closer to 150-200 packed into the joint and for some stupid ass reason I stayed. Ho Ho! Ask Brendan about New Year's Eve!
mdt Posted April 5, 2006 Author Posted April 5, 2006 You know who is cooking some of the best fish in town? Brendan Cox, that is who. Rockfish served on top of a puree of fennel and potato with a colorful golden yellow broth with tomato and saffron. BTW, the duck confit app is pretty darn tasty too.
derekmbrown Posted April 7, 2006 Posted April 7, 2006 You know who is cooking some of the best fish in town? Brendan Cox, that is who. Rockfish served on top of a puree of fennel and potato with a colorful golden yellow broth with tomato and saffron.BTW, the duck confit app is pretty darn tasty too. This secret is not supposed to make the rounds. CB is the closest I've come to being a regular since I joined the business. So don't go people, I need bar space. (But you're right Brendan is cooking some of the best fish in town.)
edstaut Posted April 18, 2006 Posted April 18, 2006 Circle bistro were real jerks to me last night. I had a 7:30 reservation, I called mid week to add someone to my 7:30 reservation. Last night I get to Circle Bistro and the door is locked. The bartender opens the door and says that they are closed. I tell him we have a 7:30 reservation. He tells me they are closed, the last reservation was at 5:30 and to try Dish. I inform him we have a reservation, that I confirmed, and that I don't want to go to Dish because I don't like it. He doesn't believe I have a reservation. We go to the bar to wait for our third. I ask if he has a zagat guide so we could call other restaurants to see if we could get in, he says he does not, mean while his back is too us for this entire time, he does not try to engage in conversation except to advocate going to Dish about five more times, each time I tell him that I don't like Dish. I go outside to use my cell phone to call restaurants-after he does not offer us the use of the house phone, or make any effort to fix their mistake and get us in somewhere not owned by the restaurant. We get into vidalia and our thrid arrives and we leave. He never offered us a drink even though we were sitting at the bar for 20 minutes. He had his back to us the whole time. I would have paid for a drink, but he made no indication that the bar was open. I think he should have comped us a drink at least and been a lot more helpful after they screwed up- ofered the use of their phone to call other places, or called himself.
DonRocks Posted April 18, 2006 Posted April 18, 2006 Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union Local 25 AFL-CIO: "We put the 'Rest' in Restaurant!"
LaShanta Posted April 18, 2006 Posted April 18, 2006 Went to Circle Bistro last night appetizer - Maine “Blue Johnny” Mussels entree - rockfish dessert - lemon lavender pound cake with honey sorbet The food was wonderful!!!! Mussels were divine!!!! The perfect temperature and plumpness and the sauce was subtle but not bland. Rockfish was really good, but my friend's ducking with the steamed spinach and chopped almonds was much, much better. The duck was SOOO flavorful and tender!! Rockfish was good, but the potato and tomato puree surrounding the rockfish was too soupy for my tastes and it masked the flavor of the rockfish. I normally don't like lavender flavor in my food, but it was just enough of a hint in the pound cake to be very tasty and new and exciting. I just wish there had been a larger scoop of the sorbet because pound cake tends to be pretty dry. Again, my friend's dessert was fabulous. She had the chocolate parfait and it was just light enough that you did not feel like a total glutton for indulging. And the layers in the glass made for an extra special visual appeal. My only issue was with the service. After having several drinks at the bar, we were only drinking water with dinner. The server NEVER came to refill our water. It was not until our glasses were completely empty did we have to actually get someone's attention to fill the water glass. I was very unhappy with this since we were one of only 6 occupied tables in the smallish dining room. Also, we had to ash for fresh pepper. Fresh pepper should be offered if not immediately after your food is served than surely after a bite or two. So the servers were nice enough but they left a lot to be desired in the actual serving area. The host was very gracious though and he did come by and ask if everything was OK. And he cleared our appetizer plates. Humility goes a long way for me in restaurants. One other concern. The website lists 3 seasonal prix fix menus (http://www.thecirclehotel.com/ut_bistro_prixfixd.htm ) But not only did they not have this as an option, but the server and the host did not even know what I was talking about when I asked. Please, please restaurateurs, keep your online menus updated! I understand if every single dish that you are currently serving can't be listed on there, because you want to use the freshest, most available ingredients of the season. But there is no reason that an entire prix fix option is listed online but not even heard of in the restaurant! But I would DEFINITELY recommend the restaurant. They just need to step up the service just a notch. Peace & Many Blessings, LJ "One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." --Virginia Woolf
Capital Icebox Posted April 18, 2006 Posted April 18, 2006 Circle Bistro has changed their happy hour deal and their bar menu. Martinis on the drink menu, glasses of wine, and beers are all still half-price, everything else is regular price. Fries are a dollar more and the fish is now a tempura preparation with vegetables for $6 (I miss the old goujonette preparation that went for $4). Also, I find it helps to call ahead, since more than once this year we've shown up and the lounge has been closed for a private party.
youngfood Posted April 25, 2006 Posted April 25, 2006 Mmmmmmmm.... we ate well here on Saturday night. Stopped by for a quick bite after a long day. We didn't like the space - unattractive, low ceilings, smoky, loud, obnoxious neighboring table - and we were ignored when we walked in for at least 5 minutes before being seated, but the food was great. Chef Cox has got it going on. The Mushroom Frisee Salad has been touted here before and it is superb. Yummy wild mushrooms, perfectly poached egg, and intense applewood bacon lardon flavor. The trout is different from the online menu (which needs an update), but was a large fillet and very flavorful. The gnocchi were great. Yukon gold potato, very large pieces with Fontina Cheese and Portabella Mushrooms. Mmm. Not sure if it was the same sauce or not, but the organic broccoli served alongside was the best broccoli I've ever had. Seriously, I liked everything we ate, but the broccoli was the highlight of the meal - it really was that good. I mentioned, we didn't love the atmosphere, but our server was actually very good. Its clear a lot of their staff is from the neighboring college and I thought we were in for trouble when this young-looking, college kid stumbed up to our table, but he was actually very good. Probably the best service from someone under 25 that I can recall. Nothing particularly special, just nice to see someone so young, working so hard, being so polite, and exercising good professional judgment.
mstevens Posted May 1, 2006 Posted May 1, 2006 Okay, headed here tonight after hearing good things. What's not to miss?
mdt Posted May 1, 2006 Author Posted May 1, 2006 Okay, headed here tonight after hearing good things. What's not to miss? Any fish dish...
Barbara Posted May 1, 2006 Posted May 1, 2006 Okay, headed here tonight after hearing good things. What's not to miss? The warm mushroom salad and the duck confit.
Pappy Posted May 1, 2006 Posted May 1, 2006 Circle bistro were real jerks to me last night. I had a 7:30 reservation, I called mid week to add someone to my 7:30 reservation. Last night I get to Circle Bistro and the door is locked. The bartender opens the door and says that they are closed. I tell him we have a 7:30 reservation. He tells me they are closed, the last reservation was at 5:30 and to try Dish. I inform him we have a reservation, that I confirmed, and that I don't want to go to Dish because I don't like it. He doesn't believe I have a reservation. We go to the bar to wait for our third. I ask if he has a zagat guide so we could call other restaurants to see if we could get in, he says he does not, mean while his back is too us for this entire time, he does not try to engage in conversation except to advocate going to Dish about five more times, each time I tell him that I don't like Dish. I go outside to use my cell phone to call restaurants-after he does not offer us the use of the house phone, or make any effort to fix their mistake and get us in somewhere not owned by the restaurant. We get into vidalia and our thrid arrives and we leave. He never offered us a drink even though we were sitting at the bar for 20 minutes. He had his back to us the whole time. I would have paid for a drink, but he made no indication that the bar was open. I think he should have comped us a drink at least and been a lot more helpful after they screwed up- ofered the use of their phone to call other places, or called himself. Am I missing something? Why have there been no responses to this post? Seems like quite an oversight first, and pretty poorly handled second. Have the replies all been deleted and I missed it? Or has CB joined the ranks of sacrosanct restaurants that are never to be criticized on this board?
Heather Posted May 1, 2006 Posted May 1, 2006 Am I missing something? Why have there been no responses to this post? Seems like quite an oversight first, and pretty poorly handled second. Have the replies all been deleted and I missed it? Or has CB joined the ranks of sacrosanct restaurants that are never to be criticized on this board?I haven't responded because this was far from my experience there. Granted, I ate at the bar and not the main room, but I was just an anonymous patron and was treated very nicely by the bartender. If the story is true, and I have no reason to believe that it isn't, then CB have some explaining/apologizing to do.
mdt Posted May 1, 2006 Author Posted May 1, 2006 Am I missing something? Why have there been no responses to this post? Seems like quite an oversight first, and pretty poorly handled second. Have the replies all been deleted and I missed it? Or has CB joined the ranks of sacrosanct restaurants that are never to be criticized on this board? What do you want us to say? I guess nobody has had a similar experience. I know that my dinners at CB have all been good, although service in the bar can be VERY slow when it is busy.
LaShanta Posted June 2, 2006 Posted June 2, 2006 Went to Circle Bistro last night… OK, here’s what we had. appetizer - me - Maine “Blue Johnny” Mussels; my BF-duck confit with carrot slaw entree - me - sea bass; my BF-wild Alaskan halibut dessert - napoleon, sorbet & berry shake small bits; my BF-strawberries w/ Sabayon As usual, the food was wonderful!!!! But as I am coming to anticipate, the service was just average. My before drink cocktail was the best drink I have ever had!!!! It was the Silly Goose and was so smooth that you could barely taste the individual, separate ingredients. Everything in the glass blended together seamlessly!!! I love it!!! Mussels were just as great as they were last time. The duck confit was the winner in this category though. The duck absolutely melted in your mouth!! And the slaw with the fresh crunch of the carrots was a nice texture compliment to the tender duck. This time, my entrée was much better than my friend’s. I loved the pureed potato and the light tomato-based sauce. The sea bass was very fresh the skin was just crispy enough. The sauce totally complemented the fish. The sauce was not the slightest bit overpowering. And the sliced peppers in the sauce added a nice texture contrast to the smoothness of the sauce. My friend’s halibut was good and very fresh too. It didn’t have the same complex mix of flavors as my sea bass entrée, but still very yummy. Dessert this time was the only place that I think the kitchen fell a bit short. This is not in the quality of the items, they just weren’t particularly to my taste. We really had to work to find something that appealed to us. The apple napoleon was just OK. A very light dessert. I can’t remember what the sorbet flavor was, but it was very, very strong. The berry shake was my favorite. Very simple but yummy. I love the idea of a verity of small dessert bites on one plate! Great idea!! I would probably have chosen a more subtly-flavored sorbet though. The strawberry dessert was pretty good. I have a bit of a sweet tooth so I could have done with some type of sweet whipped cream or ice cream or something else on the strawberries. But if you like light, refreshing and simple desserts, this was a good one. There were tiny slivers of what I think was dill in the dessert. This was a pleasant surprise! The strength and power of the dill balanced well with what may have been an otherwise bland and boring dessert. Fantastic job Chef Cox!!!! You never disappoint!! However, our server was not fabulous. He did a great job of explaining some of the food items and how they are prepared and presented, but he was very disappointing in the wine area. See, either my boyfriend nor I know much about wine so we rely a lot of the sommelier. We know what we like and that’s about it. We expect to be able to explain what we like and have a sommelier put that with what we have ordered and bring us something great. Our waiter knew about as much about wine as WE did. But that is not the problem. The thing is, if you don’t know something, just admit that this is not your area of expertise and go find someone who knows, in this case it was the host. The waiter seemed unsure of his suggestions and unfamiliar with the wine list. Just as last time, the host came to the rescue!! He admitted that the suggested wine was NOT at all what we were looking for. The host offered another wine and then he personally bought it out for us to taste. If my boyfriend hadn’t gone to the host and checked his recommendation on the wine, we would have been very disappointed. So kudos to the host for being sooo helpful and concerned about out happiness. Also, we closed the restaurant section down and we did not feel rushed at all. We were able to finish our desserts leisurely in what became our own private dining room. OVERALL – CB is a gem!!! (I do not understand why this place isn't constantly packed!!) I do love the food here and I adore the creativity that Chef Cox breathes into his seasonal menu. I would still DEFINITELY recommend the restaurant. Again, they still need to step up the service just a notch. Peace & Many Blessings.
Al Dente Posted June 2, 2006 Posted June 2, 2006 Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic: The burger at CB has surpassed the Palena burger as the best fancy-pants-restaurant burger in the city. Discuss...
DonRocks Posted June 7, 2006 Posted June 7, 2006 Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic:The burger at CB has surpassed the Palena burger as the best fancy-pants-restaurant burger in the city. Discuss... So last night I walk into Circle Bistro and order this hamburger. Jayne apparently alerted Brendan that I was there, and so he came out and said hello just before the burger arrived. "So I'm here on rumor that your burger has surpassed Palena's," I told him. He gave me the sort of knowingly resigned half-smile that Andy Roddick would give if someone asked him if he had surpassed Roger Federer. Shaking his head, he said, "this is a hotel - I can't do Palena's burger here." Well maybe not, Brendan, but you're making a pretty good run at it. Palena's burger and fries are $10 each, whereas Circle Bistro's is $12 for both - 60% of the price. Palena's is made with a housemade bun, and house-ground scraps supplemented by purchased ground beef; Circle Bistro's is made with a purchased bun and purchased ground beef only. They're two different burgers at two different price points, and both are at the very top of their respective levels in quality. Incidentally, Tom Power once told me the same thing about his excellent burger-and-fries at Corduroy: it's a hotel, and he's not going to try to match Frank Ruta when it comes to the hamburger. Nevertheless, Tom's version is great too, and in the "Hotel Ramekin-of-Ketchup" genre, it's right up there with Brendan's at Circle Bistro. I'm glad we have all three options in this city. Right when Brendan was turning to walk away and let me enjoy my burger, I tried a french fry. My eyes got wide, and I let out a primal "MMMMMM!!!" He smiled, cupped his hand around his mouth, and told me as if he were telling me something secret, "We have GREAT french fries," and then he walked back into the kitchen. Cheers, Rocks.
CrescentFresh Posted June 7, 2006 Posted June 7, 2006 So last night I walk into Circle Bistro and order this hamburger. Jayne apparently alerted Brendan that I was there, and so he came out and said hello just before the burger arrived. "So I'm here on rumor that your burger has surpassed Palena's," I told him. He gave me the sort of knowingly resigned half-smile that Andy Roddick would give if someone asked him if he had surpassed Roger Federer. Shaking his head, he said, "this is a hotel - I can't do Palena's burger here." Well maybe not, Brendan, but you're making a pretty good run at it. Palena's burger and fries are $10 each, whereas Circle Bistro's is $12 for both - 60% of the price. Palena's is made with a housemade bun, and house-ground scraps supplemented by purchased ground beef; Circle Bistro's is made with a purchased bun and purchased ground beef only. They're two different burgers at two different price points, and both are at the very top of their respective levels in quality. Incidentally, Tom Power once told me the same thing about his excellent burger-and-fries at Corduroy: it's a hotel, and he's not going to try to match Frank Ruta when it comes to the hamburger. Nevertheless, Tom's version is great too, and in the "Hotel Ramekin-of-Ketchup" genre, it's right up there with Brendan's at Circle Bistro. I'm glad we have all three options in this city. Right when Brendan was turning to walk away and let me enjoy my burger, I tried a french fry. My eyes got wide, and I let out a primal "MMMMMM!!!" He smiled, cupped his hand around his mouth, and told me as if he were telling me something secret, "We have GREAT french fries," and then he walked back into the kitchen. Cheers, Rocks. Wow. Now that review makes me hungry for burgers. Not "oh, I'll have to try the burger at CB next time I'm there." No. Like I need one ASAP.
Heather Posted June 7, 2006 Posted June 7, 2006 Right when Brendan was turning to walk away and let me enjoy my burger, I tried a french fry. My eyes got wide, and I let out a primal "MMMMMM!!!"He smiled, cupped his hand around his mouth, and told me as if he were telling me something secret, "We have GREAT french fries," and then he walked back into the kitchen. Their fries are delicious. Maybe even perfect. And now I really really want a burger.
Capital Icebox Posted June 7, 2006 Posted June 7, 2006 Palena's burger and fries are $10 each, whereas Circle Bistro's is $12 for both - 60% of the price. Palena's is made with a housemade bun, and house-ground scraps supplemented by purchased ground beef; Circle Bistro's is made with a purchased bun and purchased ground beef only. They're two different burgers at two different price points, and both are at the very top of their respective levels in quality. To be fair, Palena's fry plate seems to be meant for sharing, but you can get a half-portion for $5, making the Palena burger-and-fry-plate combo just $15. I guess it all depends on which neighborhood you happen to be in when the craving hits, as it does for me fortnightly.
CrescentFresh Posted June 7, 2006 Posted June 7, 2006 Wow. Now that review makes me hungry for burgers. Not "oh, I'll have to try the burger at CB next time I'm there." No. Like I need one ASAP. CB Burger in 3.....2.....1.........
CrescentFresh Posted June 8, 2006 Posted June 8, 2006 Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic:The burger at CB has surpassed the Palena burger as the best fancy-pants-restaurant burger in the city. Discuss... It has been far too long since I've enjoyed Palena's burger, so I will not be able to make a fair comparison as to one exceeding the other. It is a large, juicy burger that will surely turn your bun into a sponge. It was quite good. I will prefer, however, to share my thoughts about the CB burger in verse: This burger is big. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's not small. No, no, no. This burger has got a big, big taste. Big, big taste in a big, big bite.
Al Dente Posted June 8, 2006 Posted June 8, 2006 Circle Bistro has a fried soft shell crab on the appetizer list that rivals the soft shell I had at Citronelle a few weeks ago. Two halves of a healthy sized crab are arranged in a puddle of polenta surrounded by roasted red pepper sauce. I'll nitpick a bit and say that the sweetness of the polenta masks the sweetness of the crab, but I could also nitpick about Citronelle's version for its Barry Bonds-like coating (too dense batter). A true bargain at eleven bucks! Edited to add: dopey steroids reference
squidsdc Posted June 8, 2006 Posted June 8, 2006 Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic:The burger at CB has surpassed the Palena burger as the best fancy-pants-restaurant burger in the city. Discuss... my .02 from HH in April, in the hamburger thread
youngfood Posted June 9, 2006 Posted June 9, 2006 Alright, who are the wise guys that ate ALL of the bugers and ALL of the softshell before we got there tonight at 8:30? Seriously, that was not funny. The mushroom frisee salad is still great, but that was a colossal dissappointment. Honestly, how did this happen? I thought we told all the tour busses to go to Buca, not CB! We contemplated trying Dish, but even TS isn't recommending it anymore. We would have gone back to Notti, but for the thread about the great burger AND great softshell. For them to have neither, at 8:30, when the place was nearly empty? Well maybe that's why it was empty. To keep the string of bad luck going, we called Danny to see about getting back into Notti for a plate of pasta and they were so full he couldn't even squeeze us in at the bar. I hope someone at well tonight...
brendanc Posted June 9, 2006 Posted June 9, 2006 Alright, who are the wise guys that ate ALL of the bugers and ALL of the softshell before we got there tonight at 8:30? Seriously, that was not funny. The mushroom frisee salad is still great, but that was a colossal dissappointment. Honestly, how did this happen? I thought we told all the tour busses to go to Buca, not CB! We contemplated trying Dish, but even TS isn't recommending it anymore. We would have gone back to Notti, but for the thread about the great burger AND great softshell. For them to have neither, at 8:30, when the place was nearly empty? Well maybe that's why it was empty. Currently the soft shells I source are in a period of molting and their availability is a bit spotty, I only deal with one supplier who I trust and will not go outside of them to fill the void, sorry. As for the hamburger you can thank a group of researchers from Fargo or Dubuke for eating 42 at a lunch meeting earlier in the day. DISH is a hell of a restaurant and everyone here would be wise to check out Tony's American side before the word gets out....
hillvalley Posted June 18, 2006 Posted June 18, 2006 I don't know whether to bemoan or relish the fact that it was a typical Saturday night at Circle Bistro. The bar, where I sat, was empty. In the 2+ hours I was there four other people came in, and they were all Jane's regulars. The dining room was maybe a quarter full. For whatever reason Circle Bistro is the most overlooked restaurant on a Saturday night. I had one of the best meals served in the city last night, and it was absurdly well priced. We were lucky enough to talk with the chef before and after the meal, so before ordering we asked Chef Cox for his recommendations. At his recommendation we started with the charcuterie plate-easily one of the best in the city, the mushroom salad and soft shell crab appetizer, the squab and cavetelli with spring peas for our mains and finished up with the rhubarb napoleon and peach crisp. The charcuterie plate, except for the San Danielle proscuitto and a few slices of artisnal salami, was homemade. There was a duck pate that might as well have been a disk of foie, a duck pistachio pate and a terrine of pork. They were perfect. Each provided a contrast to its companion but at the same time stood boldly on their own. The plate was served with violet mustard, which I will be searching the Internet to buy. This plate shows the care and thought that Chef puts into his cuisine. An overlooked skill in this kitchen is the chef's tempura. We had rubio mushroom tempura that made my dining companion speechless with first bite (no small feat). He then spent the rest of the night marveling over the brilliance of the chef's frying. "Now I understand tempura" was said over and over. Chef's soft shell, served with a wonderful corn puree and pepper couli, went on to show the elegance that tempura should exude. The highlight of the meal, however, was the simplist dish: housemade cavetelli with spring peas and parmesan. The pasta was cooked to the perfect al dente and glistened under the butter parsley sauce. The English peas were perfect: cooked just enough to take away that raw bite and allow their full flavor to come through. This is the perfect spring dish. I am not a huge squab fan so I only had a few bites. My dining companion however, fully enjoyed it, although he often looked longingly at my pasta. For dessert I had the peach cobbler. Given how early we are in the peach season I did not have great hopes, but I was wrong. I don't know where Chef procured such perfect peaches, but they held as much flavor as the peaches we will see in the next month or so. It is topped with unbelievable cinnamon ice cream. The ice cream scoop was the perfect amount to melt through the dish, while providing that needed cold bite every good cobbler deserves. The next time you find yourself on a Saturday night without a reservation but in need of an excellent meal that will not break the bank, take advantage of the free parking and enjoy one of our better-kept Saturday night dining secrets.
Al Dente Posted July 9, 2006 Posted July 9, 2006 Man, the burger shrank! I dropped in last night for a bite and the burger was lost in the bun. The chilly and minty cucumber soup was delicious though.
Jlock Posted July 25, 2006 Posted July 25, 2006 Looking for a nice bite to eat on a Sunday night and following advice from "a familiar and reliable online food information source" , Lackadaisi and I found ourselves sitting comfortably behind the bar at Circle Bistro. We dined on Chef Cox's incredible gazpacho soup, crispy duck confit over kohlrabi-carrot slaw, the classic and extremely delicious lemon-scented trout, and the flaky, fresh halibut served over the glazed beets. With a great bottle of Turnbull Sauvignon Blanc, we were in heaven! You cannot find a better fish dish in town! (Please don't ask me to chose between the two we tried - I don't think I could - they were each excellent!) The "Circle" will definitely be added to our regular rotation of eating establishments! Many thanks to the congenial Peter behind the bar and to Brendan for his enthusiastic and unexpected "post-dinner floor show". The "Brendan Cox Show" - coming to NBC this fall!
silentbob Posted August 2, 2006 Posted August 2, 2006 We had lunch here back in June. I got the burger and thought it was merely whelming. The aioli on the bun helped a lot, fortunately. The duck confit, on the other hand, is one of the best appetizers I've had in a while. The slaw underneath really does provide the perfect contrast and balance. Last week, my friends and I stopped by for dinner. Based on the comments above, I tried the charcuterie plate and holy crap it is an insane bargain and could probably serve as a meal in itself. Also, I tried the cavetelli and it has some of the same qualities that makes the raviolini dish at Notti Bianche so great. My only criticism is that perhaps 15 more seconds of cooking would've been better (and I generally like al dente). For dessert, I got the blueberry soup with lemon mousse. Perfect for late July in Washington. With a bottle of Cotes du Rhone, our bill came to just over $60 a person. Fantastic deal for a ton of well-executed food. I'm so glad this place is only a couple of blocks from our DC office.
DonRocks Posted August 25, 2006 Posted August 25, 2006 Evan Walker Cox Born August 16, 2006, 11:14 AM Sibley Hospital 21 inches, 8 pounds 7 ounces
mdt Posted August 25, 2006 Author Posted August 25, 2006 Evan Walker CoxBorn August 16, 2006, 11:14 AM Sibley Hospital 21 inches, 8 pounds 7 ounces Congratulation Brendan!!
Mrs. B Posted August 25, 2006 Posted August 25, 2006 Evan Walker CoxBorn August 16, 2006, 11:14 AM Sibley Hospital 21 inches, 8 pounds 7 ounces Well Done!
dinwiddie Posted September 9, 2006 Posted September 9, 2006 The DC Crü had dinner at the Circle Bistro last night. Brendan designed a meal to go with our theme of California Pinot Noir and it was a perfect match. I can't say how much we enjoyed the evening, the food, the wine, and the friends. I certainly hope Brendan and his staff enjoyed the wine we saved for them, as they went far and above the ordinary to make our gathering a roaring success. The menu: Amuse of Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho with Poached Gulf Shrimp 1988 Salon - Slightly yeasty nose with almost still, very faint, very tiny bubbles. Absolutely delish. Oh how wonderfully an aged Champagne begins a meal. I. Pan Roasted Piopinno Mushromms, Fresh Corn Polenta, Mushroom Jus This course was heavenly. The creamy corn polenta sweet from the corn milk was the perfect foil for the perfectly roasted mushrooms. Everyone had to sit back between every bite to savor it. I only regret they took away my plate before I could wipe up every drop of the sauce with the wonderful, crusty bread. 2000 Martinelli Herford Corner PN - starting to muddy in color, it was a little citric/acidic on the back of the throat but still lots of fruit. 2000 Tandum Pisoni - Big wine, huge floral nose. Lots of fruit, very smooth and a long finish. Tied for my WOTN, if only by a nose. 2003 Patz and Hall Pisoni - Chewy, not as as big as the Tandum bu a very nice nose, and lots of fruit. II. Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Fuji Apples, Frisse, Aged Balsamico Oh boy I do love Foie Gras. Creamy and perfectly seared, it melted in your mouth. The balsamico and apples offering a wonderful sweet/sour counterpoint. 1997 Chateau de Malle Sauterne - Apples and honey with touches of vanilla. Nice acidity that kept it from being too sweet. Yum. 2004 Henry of Pelham Riesling Special Select Late Harvest - Very sweet, especially compared to the de Malle. Went well with the foie gras. III. Wild Alaskan Halibut, Raviloi Vitello, Wilted Spinich, Pinot Noir Reduction The veal raviloi with the halibut was an interesting pairing that worked very well. 2003 Alcina Sangiacomo Pinot Noir - A nose of beef and little barnyard. Nice fruit, cherry and blackberry, toasty oak, spices. Lots of alcohol in this one at 14.3% 2004 Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Pinot Noir - Elegant, medium bodied, nose of cranberrys and rasberrys. Lots of fruit and very smooth. Gave the Tandum a run for WOTN. IV. Breast Of Muscovy Duck, Glazed Turnips, Poached Local Peaches, Duck Jus Boy-oh-Boy. This was so good. Perfectly cooked, the peaches and turnips giving it an interesting mosaic of textures and flavors. 2003 Siduri Pinot Noir Cargasacchi Vineyard - More extracted that the wines so far, cherrys and plums with a little loam and vanilla. then touches of cola. Went very well with the duck, definitely a great food wine. 2004 Sea Smoke Ten - little acidic, way too young to open, this needs to spend at least 2 more years in the cellar and probably 5. Blueberrys and cherry, complex but just not showing well yet. However, it is going to be a stunner as it ages. 2004 Kosta-Browne RRV - The other WOTN. Blackberrys, cherrys, and raspberrys with a wonderful earthy loam. Smooth and ripe, firm tannins, what a great wine. V. 3 Year Gouda, Mustard Vinaigrette, Crispy Shallots 2003 Kosta Browne Santa Lucia Pinot Noir - Lots and lots of fruit, spices, and just the right touch of oak. Very smooth. 2003 Peay Pinot Noir Sonoma - Concentrated black cherrys and berrys, a touch of minerals, and a long, long finish. VI. Mascarpone Cheese Cake, Bruleed Black Mission Figs - creamy and just the perfect end to a fantastic meal. Service was great and they did a good job trying to keep up with the flurry of glasses needed to serve the wines. We closed the place and everyone had a great time. Thanks again Brendan and all involved.
Pool Boy Posted September 10, 2006 Posted September 10, 2006 DW, that was a good report. I'll comment on the wines later, but here are my comments on the food -- Amuse of Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho with Poached Gulf Shrimp This was delicious. I 'settled' the gazpacho in the tall shooter glass a few times to get the stuff to the bottom to properly get it all out. Used a knife to scrape the dregs. Yum. I. Pan Roasted Piopinno Mushromms, Fresh Corn "Polenta", Mushroom Jus This course was sublime. I'd only wished the portion here was larger so I could've experienced more of it. The layers of flavour with the corn were amazing and the mushrooms formed a great counterpoint. Wow. Tied for my COTN (course of the night). II. Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Fuji Apples, Frisse, Aged Balsamico Dinwiddie nailed describing this course. Pure foie perfection. III. Wild Alaskan Halibut, Raviloi Vitello, Wilted Spinich, Pinot Noir Reduction I thought this course was brilliant. I thought each component of the dish was great, but it shined most brightly when you tasted all of the things together. I'd not have thought to pair this together, but was very pleased with the result. Tied for COTN, too. IV. Breast Of Muscovy Duck, Glazed Turnips, Poached Local Peaches, Duck Jus While I thought this dish was good, I thought it was the weakest dish of the bunch. The dusk was well prepared, sure, but all of the components were. No, I think that the combination of flavors did not do it for me. Turnips and duck I can see working, as can the peaches and duck. But I did not really dig all three of these things together. Not a bad effort by any means, but, to me, clearly not up to the level of some of the other dishes. V. 3 Year Gouda, Mustard Vinaigrette, Crispy Shallots This was great. All of it worked well together and separately. I loved the crispy shallots and plan to lift the idea for cooking at home in the future. I saved a nice hunk of the cheese to finish with the remaining wine. VI. Mascarpone Cheese Cake, Bruleed Black Mission Figs I like the components of this dish. I love cheesecake, particularly that made with mascarpone. And I adore figs. But I didn't think this paired so well. It wasn't bad, but I just didn't think the pairing worked very well. So I ate the component separately and was very happy. The service was great. The staff took great care of us, particularly with all of the wine glasses. I was not expecting them to commit so many glasses to us over the course of the evening. I was expecting maybe 3 stems tops to be given to us. But they kept bringing new ones which was very nice. I had 6 wines in front of me at one point. The trick was remembering which wine was which. It was also great to meet the chef and I was glad to be able to speak with him for a short bit.
cjsadler Posted October 4, 2006 Posted October 4, 2006 From today's WP Food section: TODAY: Cooking demonstration and sampling with chef Brendan Cox of Circle Bistro. Free. 5 p.m. Foggy Bottom FreshFarm Market, I Street between New Hampshire Avenue and 24th Street NW. http://www.freshfarmmarkets.org
Seanchai Posted October 11, 2006 Posted October 11, 2006 Are the great happy hour specials still available on Fridays?
squidsdc Posted October 18, 2006 Posted October 18, 2006 From today's WP Food section:TODAY: Cooking demonstration and sampling with chef Brendan Cox of Circle Bistro. Free. 5 p.m. Foggy Bottom FreshFarm Market, I Street between New Hampshire Avenue and 24th Street NW. http://www.freshfarmmarkets.org I went to this--it was a beautiful day, and Chef Cox inspired me to make plans to spend our anniversary dinner at Circle Bistro--we'll be dining there tonite and I am looking forward to it!
squidsdc Posted October 22, 2006 Posted October 22, 2006 Who knew 6:30 would be the prime time of the evening? Must've been the pre-theatre crowd, as Circle Bistro offers a great selection at only $35---I highly recommend checking it out. But if you are not going for the pre-theatre, I recommend dining a little bit later in the evening, as when we sat down there were quite a few tables finishing up, so that there were a few hiccups in our service. But all smoothed out in the end and we were well taken care of After being offerd water, then not receiving it, we requested it again. Both of us tried catching someone's eye to see where it was when we did not get it again, but as I said before, I think it was just the timing...seemed like there were a lot of checks needing to be tallied and such to get the earlier diners out. We did finally receive the water, and we were also each presented with a glass of prosecco in honor of our celeberation. A nice touch. I started with the Mushroom Salad with Frisee and Poached Egg--bacon grease in the vinaigrette was all I needed to hear, and boy did it live up to my expectations. Mr. Squids also had a salad of fresh greens, that looked and smelled lovely, but I'm still glad I went with the one I did. I had the Rockfish with oysters and braised celery in a parsnip cream sauce. As much as I love oysters, they did not seem to add a whole lot to the dish--I looked to try to add some salt, but no salt or pepper was on the table. As best I could see, I wasn't sure if there were shakers on any of the tables, and was wondering if the salt and pepper were left off the tables intentionally? I almost felt ashamed asking for them as I never know if it is viewed as an insult to the chef. Once I added a pinch of salt, though, the oysters were fine and worked much better in the dish. The rockfish was perfectly cooked, and did not disappoint. I realized as I was trying to get to all the sauce on my plate that we never received bread. After requesting it twice, I finally was able to soak up the last bits on my plate. (Yes, it was that good--I needed to get every last drop!) Mr. Squids ordered the "Roast Breast of Long Island Duckling, Glazed Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potato-Apple Mousseline, Duck Jus" This dish is actually the one that Chef Cox prepared at the Fresh Farm Market demo...I almost ordered it myself, but wanted to try something that I hadn't had before, and of course we couldn't order the same thing! It was beautifully presented, and is a nice complement of fall flavors. Since I have the recipe from the demo, now all I have to do is try to make it taste as good at home ( I do still want to try, though) Desserts were perfectly sized to end the evening. We were both pretty full, but decided to split a dessert. Since we were actually on different pages with what we wanted, we decided to go ahead and each order our own, and that was a wise decision. I can't recall exactly what Mr. Squids had--I think it was a pumpkin custard--I was too intent on enjoying my own dessert of a trio of frozen delights. Melon ball sized tastes of each of hand-churned ginger ice cream, vanilla bean ice cream, and green apple sorbet atop a delectable ginger snap cookie. We received the check, and noticed that the desserts had not been added to the total...when we brought it to our server's attention, she thanked us, but told us that it was correct. That was very nice, unexpected, and really made us feel as if it wasn't just another dinner out, any other day of the week.
Mrs. B Posted November 30, 2006 Posted November 30, 2006 It's been too long since I've made a visit so I'm considering taking my visiting father and brother here in the next week and was wondering if anyone has been recently and would care to share any must try or must not try.
dinwiddie Posted November 30, 2006 Posted November 30, 2006 --> QUOTE(Mrs. B @ Nov 30 2006, 12:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It's been too long since I've made a visit so I'm considering taking my visiting father and brother here in the next week and was wondering if anyone has been recently and would care to share any must try or must not try. My wife and I ate there before going to a concert at Lisner about a month ago. The food is still excellent, and the service was wonderful. Actually, I'd recommend you see what Brendan is featuring that day and see if it strikes your fancy.
alan7147 Posted December 1, 2006 Posted December 1, 2006 --><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mrs. B @ Nov 30 2006, 12:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It's been too long since I've made a visit so I'm considering taking my visiting father and brother here in the next week and was wondering if anyone has been recently and would care to share any must try or must not try. My wife and I ate there before going to a concert at Lisner about a month ago. The food is still excellent, and the service was wonderful. Actually, I'd recommend you see what Brendan is featuring that day and see if it strikes your fancy. Anything strike you on the wine list?
legant Posted December 1, 2006 Posted December 1, 2006 I had a dream about Brendan Cox last night. (No, no. Not that type of dream.) We were at CB, planning a special dinner for four. After asking me tons of questions about the guests, he offered a fish, pork and poultry suggestion. We were having trouble coming up with the fourth dish (which was for me) until he mentioned scrapple and biscuits w/ apple butter. In the light of day, I’m not sure which I’m drooling over more: Cox or the scrapple & biscuits. [Considering changing my sig to Drown my past regrets in scrapple and bis-cuits ]
dinwiddie Posted December 1, 2006 Posted December 1, 2006 Anything strike you on the wine list? Actually, I took a bottle of 2003 Loring Naylor Dry Hole Vineyard Pinot Noir with me so I didn't look.
Pete Posted December 1, 2006 Posted December 1, 2006 FWIW, I enjoyed the Domaine Berthet-Rayne 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape when I went back in October. It is available in half and full bottles. The menu stated it was a 2004 but our half bottle was a 2003.
DonRocks Posted December 30, 2006 Posted December 30, 2006 Brendan is getting quite a reputation as a poissonier, and it's well-deserved, but in next week's Lettres you won't be reading anything about fish. This evening, however, I'd like to share a small moment in time, having very much to do with fish, and also about some limitations involving internet restaurant discussion. My entrée arrived and was placed in front of me - I had asked for Brendan to send out whatever he thought was good tonight. I looked down and nodded my head in approval, thinking to myself, "Nice. Black Sea Bass." I place a high value on texture as well as taste, and noticed that this was a very watery, grainy bass, without the crisped skin that I've seen so many times in the past few weeks. The flavor was intense - there was no questioning the quality of the fish - and the plating itself was complex and elegant, but the first thing I noticed was the floppy skin, and that stuck with me throughout the course. Brendan came out later, and we thanked him profusely for an outstanding meal. We chatted for a bit, and then I thought I'd lend a bit of constructive criticism in a friendly spirit: the skin on his Black Sea Bass could have been a bit more crispy. "Oh, that wasn't Black Sea Bass; that was American Snapper." I swallowed. He continued. "Yeah, we tried to get that skin crisp by searing it, but then I decided it wasn't going to happen. I made an executive decision to maximize moistness and fleshiness, at the expense of a crispy skin, by shallow-poaching it in duck consommé and butter." I sat listening in earnest to this explanation - this perfectly logical explanation told to me by a master chef - and I began asking myself what right I had to suggest improvements to Brendan on how to finish off a fish, if I hadn't even realized which species of fish it was I had just eaten. Let this be a lesson to us all: Once again, for the umpteenth time, a false critic was taken to school by a fish who actually knew how to swim. Cheers Brendan, and thank you for a wonderful dinner. Rocks.
Barbara Posted December 30, 2006 Posted December 30, 2006 Well, I for one am glad to hear this. We have tickets for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" next month and will be dining at Circle Bistro beforehand. Im always looking for some yummy fish.
Audrey2025 Posted January 8, 2007 Posted January 8, 2007 A small miracle... My friend and I were sitting in the third tier at the very well-attended staged reading of "Twelfth Night" at the Kennedy Center on Saturday. As soon as we had given the actors their due, we RACED downstairs, sprinted all the way around the building, and leapt onto a red bus to get back to the Foggy Bottom Metro ahead of the rest of the crowd. Then we hoofed it up to Circle Bistro, hoping against hope that bar seats would be available... Happily for us (and sadly for the rest of the DC crowd who STILL has not discovered CB), the bar was nearly empty, and the main room didn't seem overly crowded. We were attended to by a wonderful lady named Jane who was kind, funny, and made great recommendations. Delicate yet substantial crispy fried oysters, those fabulous fries, and several inspired concoctions, a beautiful atmosphere, and friendly service. Our smiles only got bigger when the check came...very reasonable. I wish we had the appetite for a full dinner, but there's always next time. Jane is a treasure!
KeithA Posted January 9, 2007 Posted January 9, 2007 Last night, RW dinner at Circle Bistro was very good with a few complaints. Overall the food was an A-. Pretty much the whole menu on the their website and a few additions are available. Some items have upcharges ($2-5), but many do not. First, the chef sent out an amuse of crostini with duck liver mousse and a bit of diced fruit. I don't usually eat liver and thought it wasn't that great. There were four of us and 3 had the special, goat cheese, beet, and pistachio salad. It was nice and different than other similar dishes I've enjoyed (like an excellent one at Ardeo). The cheese was lightly battered and fried and serves as 2-3 rounds on a bed of mache. The beets were unusual to me. Small quartered chunks that were paler in color, but sweeter in flavor than I'm used to. I thought the beets were so so like this, but my companions raved about them. The pistachios were crushed and more really of a light dusting that I didn't think added much flavor. The cheese, mache, and beets as a combo were a winner though. The fourth person had the simple organic lettuces salad which looked like a nice size, but wasn't anything special. For entrees, I had the clear winner. The glazed duckling which was wondeful. I highly recommend this dish. It comes pre-sliced in an ample portion. The meat is rare and very moist with some crispy skin and just the right amount of fat attached. The plating is dramatic with duck jus and swirls and swaths of a creamy, yellow sauce of apples and sweet potato. Everyone else who tried it, said they wish they had ordered it too. The other entrees were also good. The lemon trout was very buttery tasting accompanied with nicely seasoned green beans (or haricot vert if you want to be fancy). Two people ordered this dish. Everyone tried it and liked it. One complaint was that one of the pieces was not filleted well and contained lots of bones. The other minor complaint was that the dauphine potatos that looked pretty as puffs from pastry bag lacked flavor and could have used from salt or other seasoning. The least favorite was the monkfish which while looked nice, the person who ate it (I didn't try it) said it was only so so and definitely lacked in compare to the other two dishes. He was still happy though, because I was a nice guy and gave him some duck slices. Out of the 4-5 desserts listed on the menu only one is found on the any of the restaurant's website menus - Warm Wildflower Honey Madeleines - with Lavender honey (on the all-day dining menu for this hotel restaurant). We opted for 3 chocolate bourbon cakes with cinnamon hot chocolate shooters and 1 caramel apple bread pudding with caramel ice cream. This time the majority was the loser. The bread pudding was a home run. Chunks of cooked apples and soft bread topped with caramel and the great ice cream. Whereas the chocolate cake was probably the worst dish I had (still ok though). The cake itself is small, chocolate muffin-shape and tasted kind of like a dry muffin. The hot chocolate was nice, alittle heavily spiced for my taste and included what we took to calling a marshmallow "worm" - a long thin, curvy marshmallow. The three of us with the cake all thought it was kind of dry and lacked any hint of bourbon. It was better when we spilled some of the hot chocolate on it to moisten it. The service was less stellar, I'd say a B. Now even though it was RW, the small place was half empty all night and most parties lingered. The biggest service snafus were twice bringing dishes (entrees, then desserts) to the table without silverware to each them. Both time we had to ask the servers - who then were pretty unobservant and gave the silverware out to whoever - not the person who needed. Second, there was a significant, but not huge lag in time between courses (and being served bread - which we had to ask for). The lag in time wouldn't be bad, except the server seemed completely unaware of it. The server asked if we wanted our check, when we hadn't been served dessert yet despite requiring us to order dessert when we placed our initial orders. Overall I think the servers were inexperienced and uncoordinated. We had two different people introduce themselves as our waiter and then one tried to give us the wine for the next table over. Hopefully, the front of the house can fix these problems as RW goes on, otherwise come this weekend when RW becomes a real rush, a lot of people will be annoyed.
chickenlover Posted February 9, 2007 Posted February 9, 2007 I am a salmon snob. I lived in Oregon for 7 years and I don't normally eat salmon on the East Coast. However, on Sunday I had an amazing piece of Steelhead at CB. They source the fish from a Native American fishery on the Olympic Penninsula. (Many such fisheries have rights to year round fishing, whereas most other NW salmon fishing takes place in the summer.) The fish was poached in olive oil and was a perfect medium rare. Great flavor and texture. It was accompanied by roasted beets and some kind of shallot sauce. I thought the sauce was too sweet for the fish, but paired nicely with the salty beets. Amuse of Steelhead tartare was also quite nice. Bottom line, this was the best piece of salmon I've ever had in these parts, and I hope it stays on the menu so I can eat it again.
Camille-Beau Posted February 28, 2007 Posted February 28, 2007 From the James Beard house newsletter: Brendan Cox, of nearby Circle Bistro, is leaving to supervise the kitchens at Dish and Notti Bianche.When does this happen?
Heather Posted February 28, 2007 Posted February 28, 2007 And the moves continue! Aren't Dish and Notti 'owned' by hotels? I wonder if this will give Brendan more flexibility and if any significant changes are in store for either place. I, for one, will look forward to re-visiting both places.BTW, how did this slip past both Kliman and Sietsema? Aren't they are all owned by the same company?
brr Posted February 28, 2007 Posted February 28, 2007 And the moves continue! Aren't Dish and Notti 'owned' by hotels? I wonder if this will give Brendan more flexibility and if any significant changes are in store for either place. I, for one, will look forward to re-visiting both places.BTW, how did this slip past both Kliman and Sietsema? It didn't THE WEEKLY DISH TOM SIETSEMA Wednesday, January 31, 2007; Page F02 CHEF SHUFFLES: Several popular Washington restaurants are about to lose their chefs, as John Wabeck of Firefly in Dupont Circle and Anthony Chittum of Dish and Notti Bianche, both in Foggy Bottom, announced their resignations from those hotel properties last week.......Notti Bianche, at the George Washington University Inn, will retain its Italian format and will be supervised by chef Brendan Cox of the nearby Circle Bistro, which, like Notti Bianche and Dish, is owned by Washington developer Conrad Cafritz. (Cox and Chittum previously worked together at Equinox downtown.)
eating out Posted May 23, 2007 Posted May 23, 2007 Had dinner at Chef Brendan Cox's restaurant recently. On such a beautiful night there were thoughts of eating outside, but it ultimately came down to wanting a great meal while brown-bagging wine, and thus Circle Bistro was chosen. It did not dissapoint. The menu was a thorough tribute to Spring's best offerings - asparagus, ramps, softshell crab, sugar snap peas, sweet peas, morels and dill. And all at reasonable pricepoints. Our order: The Angus burger was a given, the Sweet Pea Shoot Gnocchi with Morel Mushrooms, Spring Vegetables and Parmesan Reggiano, and the Tempura of Soft Shell Crab with Pea Shoots, Pickled Spring Onions and Dill were musts, and the Polyface Farm Egg Papparadelle, Oregon Porcini Mushrooms and Wild Ramps seemed irresistable. But sadly, the Softshell crab was no longer available, and due to Chef Cox's prowess with the poisson, the Pan Roasted Alaskan Halibut with Spring Asparagus, Onion Soubise and Porcini Jus was selected. I had ordered the Papparadelle, and when it was set down in front of me I immediately had dish envy - the Gnocchi dish was a big, beautiful, bounty of Spring in a light and shroomy buttery cream sauce that coated the dish but was flavor enhancing and not overpowering. Most times I've had gnocchi, the ratio of gnocchi to accompanyment is probably 70%-30%, gnocchi to whatever. This was 60%-40% Spring to gnocchi. The amount of morels, asparagus, ramps and sweet peas was staggering. I wish I'd had a camera. The gnocchi themselves were of the melt in your mouth varietal, and were a perfect accompaniement to the veggies - crunch with grainy silk on the palate. Oh yeah, and the Papparadelle - this was well cooked pasta with a ramp infused butter sauce, with a few porcini mushrooms. The shrooms were firm and tasted grilled, with a subtle smokiness but full on flavor. A little too buttery for me and ultimately pale in comparison to the gnocchi masterpiece, this dish was good, but not my favorite. Next, the giant hunk of meat that was the Angus burger, juxtaposed with the delicately placed, palm-sized portion of Halibut atop bright green spring asparagus. We deigned to finish the fish first, and leave the meat for last. The fish was perfectly cooked, flaked with the prong of the fork, while moist and full of flavor. Lightly browned on top, it had a buttery texture and taste. At first I was assembling my bites to include Halibut and asparagus, then lightly dredged through the Onion Soubise and Porcini Jus. This was good. But, once I incorporated the dill into my bite, it was transcendent. The dill brought the whole dish together - the few bits on top of the fish as plated now seemed a coronation. It was like the perfect wine-food pairing - the dill gave this dish an exclamation point and the flavor melded together perfectly. I wish I could explain the flavors better, but I'll just say - if you get the Halibut, and you should - take each bite with a sprig of dill. And now for the burger - this giant hunk of meat was indeed as tasty as previous reports. However, what made it great for me, was the tomato on top- Chef Cox simply roasts the tomatoes that he puts on the burger. They were delicious and seriously complimented the meat. What was nicely surprising as well, is that at first glance there seemed to be a lot of mayo on the bun. But, after finishing off the burger, I remarked that I hadn't noticed any gloppiness of mayo at all - it was light, yet no miracle whip. Chef said it was Duke's - I'm going to have to try and pick some of that up. I used to work across the street from Circle Bistro. In all my time downtown, I only went there once for lunch and thought it was alright. But, I was also unaware of the lurking genious operating in this colorful cave of a restaurant. Sometimes, ignorance isn't bliss. Thanks for a great meal, Chef. Looking forward to many more
The Hersch Posted May 23, 2007 Posted May 23, 2007 Chef said it was Duke's - I'm going to have to try and pick some of that up.Duke is some of the best commercially prepared mayonnaise on the market. While widely available in the Southeast US, it's not available elsewhere. It used to be pretty easy to find in the Washington area, but I guess now we're in the Northeast, culturally, sort of, and I don't know where you can get it. However, Trader Joe's private label mayonnaise is at least as good, and similar. One of the things that distinguish both products is a complete absence of sugar.
Capital Icebox Posted May 23, 2007 Posted May 23, 2007 Duke is some of the best commercially prepared mayonnaise on the market. While widely available in the Southeast US, it's not available elsewhere. It used to be pretty easy to find in the Washington area, but I guess now we're in the Northeast, culturally, sort of, and I don't know where you can get it. However, Trader Joe's private label mayonnaise is at least as good, and similar. One of the things that distinguish both products is a complete absence of sugar. Duke's is readily available at the Giant in Old Town. And to stay on-topic, is the patio back open at Circle Bistro? A few weeks ago it was closed for renovations.
brendanc Posted May 24, 2007 Posted May 24, 2007 Duke's is readily available at the Giant in Old Town.And to stay on-topic, is the patio back open at Circle Bistro? A few weeks ago it was closed for renovations. the renovation of the hotel exterior is slated for comp[letion in the middle of July. The patio will probably not reopen this season for service.
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