Zaytinya, Mediterranean Tapas at 9th & G Streets - Chef Michael Costa Replaces Mike Isabella

[JLK]

I'm starting a dedicated topic about Zaytinya because it doesn't appear to have one. It's on my mind right now, mostly because a friend is going there tonight and her pronunciation cracked me up. I have zero idea of I myself pronounce it right (Zay-TEE-nyah), however I am completely certain that she wasn't even close.

The number of variations I see on the spelling of the name also astounds me.

My most recent visit was two weeks ago for lunch. I find lunch to be a pleasant time to visit the place - less crowded, particularly in the bar area. That said, when my friend and I arrived and asked about a table for two, we received blank stares from the two hostesses (in spite of it being after 1 pm, and there being quite a few vacant two-tops scattered here and there). We took matters into our own hands and sat in the bar.

Service was prompt (until it was check time) and the food was very, very tasty. Although...as I am sitting here typing, I realize that our carrot fritters never did arrive. Hmm. We had the stewed lamb with eggplant puree, asparagus, chicken with orzo and tomato sauce, and hummus. My new-to-town friend, originally from Wales by way of NYC, was suitably impressed, particularly when the bill amounted to about $30 with tip.

[oliveDC]

I have a friend who pronounces it zan-TAN-ya. It drives me nuts.

[B.A.R.]

I was there last week and I still remember how good those carrot fritters were. You definitely missed out. I am consistently impressed by Zaytinya, the food is always spot on and the olive oil ice cream is one of my alltime favorites.

Service has always been great as well, although on my last vist the waitress did not seem to be terrible pleased with her chosen profession.

[FunnyJohn]

I have a spelling problem -- forget that there are two y's, because I pronounce it Zah-tin-ya. But the desserts are most memorable Also enjoy the bar scene at around 11 pm on Friday night -- good people watching, even though crowded.

[LizH]

I agree that this restaurant is a bit more relaxing at lunch then dinner. The Carrot fritters are always a must, as well as the braised lamb with eggplant puree.

The last time I was there (last week of July) the service was actually a bit odd. Usually they are very quick to keep the bread coming, we waited for ages (even after delivery of our mezze that required bread for dipping. It did not come until we had asked 2 or 3 times. We also needed to fight off the bus-people, who try and take your plates away when we were still eating.

The warm chocolate cake is always a wonderful end to the meal, do save room for it. It has a spicy kick (cardamom and ginger?) that I love.

Edited August 22, 2005 by LizH

[JLK]

Yep, I love the little bit of salt in that cake.

I wonder if I paid for those missing fritters...damn.

Stopped by Zaytinya (the bar, not the restaurant) for two on Saturday. Love that lemonous maximus.

I like the rhymes with Santana pronunciation.

[DC in DC]

We went to Zaytinya for an early dinner on Sunday night. I've only been once, the summer it first opened a few years ago (deterred by the crowds), but my husband has been several times since. As a result, we ended up ordering most of his favorites, and had a great meal for about $40.

Because the website is too annoying, I will try to describe the dishes we had from memory:

The sauteed shrimp with cheese, onions and tomatoes. Great flavor, though I was initially skeptical of the shrimp and cheese combo.

The beef tartare (kibbeh nayeh) was excellent. I have always wanted to try beef tartare because I love raw food (sushi, really medium rare meat, etc), and this delivered. Excellent seasonings and tasted great with the onions that accompanied it.

The lamb with eggplant puree...loved it. The lamb was flavorful and not the least bit dry.

Roasted eggplant stuffed with tomatoes...this dish was a bit bland to me, and my least favorite as compared to the others. It wasn't bad, though

Squid with spinach and dill. This was also very good. the squid was very tender.

We passed on dessert since my husband only wanted the olive oil ice cream with figs, which apparently has been taken off the menu (well, the ice cream is still there, but no figs).

Service: I agree with the overeager busboys, a problem I have also encountered at Jaleo. do they not have enough plates back there that they need to get the used ones washed and back in circulation right away? When I see them coming, I quickly start eating from a dish they may be eyeing and they back off...

Overall, very pleasant dining experience!

[alan7147]

Thanks for the review. I havent been to Zaytinya in a few months and am going tomorrow night. Good to see the lamb w/ eggplant is still solid.

[New Foodie]

Just went to Zaytinya for the first time last night with a few friends. We were lucky enough to snag a table outside on such a beautiful night but I've got some mixed feelings on the restaurant.

First of all, service was pretty horrendous. Not sure if it applies overall to the restaurant or just to our server though. He was nice enough, but EXTREMELY unattentive. We had to ask multiple time for extra bread and more water (twice my water glass sat completely empty for upwards of 10 minutes). And after bringing us dessert menus, I'm sure we sat around for at least 15 minutes before he came to take our order. Luckily we weren't in any hurry and were enjoying chatting outside on a nice evening, but it's never fun to feel ignored (especially in a place like Zaytinya).

But other than that, I think we all enjoyed our food a lot. Some dishes were better for sharing than others. For a place that serves a tapas style, some dishes were very difficult to split. We started with 4 veggie mezze (unfortunately they were out of the carrot fritters). The "Lebanese Taverna style" Hommos was just ok in my book. Some spice in there wasn't my favorite. The Htipiti (marinated roasted red peppers with feta) was simple but tasty with the bread. Of our first course, the last two were my favorite. Kolokithokeftedes (zucchini-cheese patties with a caper-yogurt sauce) melted in my mouth and the Ottoman style roasted eggplant stuffed with onions and tomatoes was excellent...and I don't even normally like eggplant!

As our "second course" we went towards the meat and seafood dishes. I know their lamb dishes are supposed to be great, but none of us are big lamb fans so we instead opted for one of the specials, a crab spanakopita, which was great, but was only one small block of pastry that was difficult to split 4 ways and was a bit steep at $9.95 for such a small portion. A roasted chicken with onions, tomato and garlic sauce was good, but nothing different or interesting. The stuffed quail with Israeli couscous was also a tiny portion, but had a great flavor. But I think the shrimp with dill, shallots, mustard and lemon juice was probably the favorite of the table.

For dessert we opted to split the Turkish Coffee Chocolate and that was ridiculously good. Almost like one of those gooey warm fudge cakes with cardamom flavored ice cream that added something extra. We also had another milk chocolate cream dessert that was tasty. We were all intrigued by the olive oil ice cream so we ordered a scoop of that as well but none of us liked it very much. I think I'll stick to using it to dip my bread in!

All in all, I enjoyed my meal, but there are definitely some dishes that are a better value than others. Most of the vegetable mezze have a larger portion for the price and while the meat and seafood are tasty, they really are rather small.

[Ferhat Yalcin]

they started doing `belly dancing wednesdays` 2 belly dancers keep dancing in the restaurant all night .

[CrescentFresh]

June 8, 5 PM. Demo at Penn Quarter Market. Chefs Jorge Chicas and Abdel Hashhoush will demonstrate Cretan dishes. Chef Abdel will also share his secrets for phyllo making.

June 9-11, 2:30 - 4 PM, Afternoon wine tastings at Zaytinya. Sample a variety of fine Cretan wines from Nostos winery. Free to the public.

[Pool Boy]

My wife and I were here recently for lunch. After seeing the newly re-opened Portrait Gallery and I forget the name of the other museum they share space with (building had been closed for 6-7 years for a renno), it was an easy choice to pop in here for a tasty bite.

We were a tad on the early side of lunch, maybe 11:45. Without a ressie we were seated immediately. We were a little disappointed that there were no specials available, being told by our wait person that this is only available during dinner. Bummer.

But we still had plenty to choose from. One of the standouts was the Garides Me Anitho, sauteed shrimp with dill, shallots, mustard and lemon juice. Wow. Perfectly prepared, I could have eaten 4 or 5 dishes of these all to myself and been very happy. The Skate Skordalia was pretty good. Beer-batter dipped and fried and served with 'Skordalia potato garlic sauce, this was an interesting way to serve up skate. Nice. The Piperyes was good, particularly for the olives. The roasted peppers were good, but not great. The HAvoc Koftesi is almost a standing order when we go here. These carrot, apricot and pine nut fritters with pistachio sauce are always good. We also had this very interesting beef-pasta dish that was very different for me. Tiny amounts of beef in what looked like tiny pipette pasta, the texture was new to me and the whole mess of stuff was covered in this yogurt and spice mixture, which is what made the dish for me. Very interesting dish. I can't remember the rest.

The water glasses were always full, we had enough bread for dipping and plate cleaning. Only minor wrinkles in service were waiting for the check and a brief delay when we were not ready when he was to take our order and it took just long enough for me to think it just a tad too long for him to reappear. But no biggie.

All in all nice. I'm happy to go back again anytime.

[Antonio Burrell]

"We also had this very interesting beef-pasta dish that was very different for me. Tiny amounts of beef in what looked like tiny pipette pasta, the texture was new to me and the whole mess of stuff was covered in this yogurt and spice mixture, which is what made the dish for me. "

I can't remember what the name for this dish is but I read an article about it once in Sauver. They are itsy bitsy ravioli type dumplings stuffed with lamb (in Greece or wherever they are from, I think the article was on something of that sort). But the interesting thing is that in this restaurant they were talking about the Chef has a crew of Grandma types who make these things by hand all day long!!! They just sit in the basement and make dumplings that he then boils, and serves with a spicy tomato sauce and a sumac yogurt. After reading the article I was dying to eat some but hadn't the faintest idea of where to score em. Good to know that they have them there.

As for other things I love about Zaytinya, those zuke/ cheese fritters, the grey cod roe, and everything everyone else mentioned, I however, will never eat the pizza thing with lamb and eggs ever again, It seemed like a good idea when I ordered it but it was dry to say the least, but all in all I love this place, esp for a lazy afternoon lunch nosh and wine....ummmm maybe monday.....

[JLK]

I think the dumplings you both describe are manti.

[MichelleW]

My fiance and I go at least once a month and the service and bussing were fairly uneven the last couple of visits, but this last time, it was just stellar. We had fallen into a bit of an ordering rut, ordering some of my Greek favorites (I love the variations on taverna classics, like the Skate Skordalia and the Kolokithokeftedes). And I almost always order some type of taramasalata.

This last time, however, the service was spot on, all of our mezze came out nearly at the same time, and we also ordered out of our comfort zone, which was a great idea. Three standouts were the heirloom tomato salad (from the specials menu), the saganaki with mushrooms, and the soft shell crab (also from the specials menu). It doesn't hurt that kefalograviera and soft shell crabs are two of my favorite things in the world.

In any event, water glasses were full, plates were bussed in a timely but not pushy manner, and service was attentive. And, for once, the dining room wasn't too noisy. I really prefer that front dining room for that very reason.

I can't even remember what else we ordered, but I was disappointed not to order the octopus off the specials menu, as well as the Pipe Dreams goat cheese (they were out). There's no way we would have been able to finish all of it anyhow.

[CrescentFresh]

My fiance and I go at least once a month and the service and bussing were fairly uneven the last couple of visits, but this last time, it was just stellar.

This last time, however, the service was spot on,

In any event, water glasses were full, plates were bussed in a timely but not pushy manner, and service was attentive.

Maybe the Proximo Group can work out some kind of a server exchange and rotation program with Oyamel, which can really use the help.

It's been far too long since I've been to Zaytinya. Some very disappointing meals and service in the past. Probably time to check them out again. I'm a huge fan of Jaleo downtown, though, and have just never felt a reason to return to Zaytinya when Jaleo does such a good job. (Yes, I know the menu is different, but the overall concept is the same).

[Antonio Burrell]

I think the dumplings you both describe are manti.

Yep, that is indeed what they are, I couldn't remember for the life of me so I dug through all my back issues last night just to find the f'in name

[Pool Boy]

I think the dumplings you both describe are manti.

That's it. Bingo.

And to whomever mentioned ordering outside of the comfort zone, I agree. Sometiumes we get stuck in a rut and then we go back to a place making sure to NOT order anything we have had before. That is usually easy enough to do, especially with specials available.

For the person who regretted not getting the octopus special, do you remember what the preparation is/was? I am on a quest to try every freaking octopus dish I can find to see if I can find one that is close or similar to the one I had in Bologna. I dream of that octopus.

[Hannah]

We always use the "close your eyes and point" method for at least one dish at Jaleo or Zaytinya, and the eventual choice has to be something we've never ordered before. It keeps us from ordering exactly the same thing every time, and occasionally we've come across a real gem (the rabbit with lentils at Zaytinya, and the quail with honey aioli at Jaleo).

[KeithA]

My first visit to Zaytinya was during lunch on Tuesday this week and its was wonderful. The space is very pretty and the booths are comfy - they even gave us big pillows (to nap on??). Anyways enough about decor, here's my take on the food.

There were 4 of us and we ordered way too much. When the waiter said 2-3 mezze a person, we ordered 12 and then added a few extra. Unless your ravenous, I'd recommend 1-2 person depending on which you order (some are larger and more filling than others). Here is what we got:

1. Hummus - it was ok - good, but nothing special. It comes with some nice olive oil in the center. (portion size - medium).

2. Htipi (roasted red peppers and feta) - this was a big hit. The peppers are diced and mixed with oil and seasonings and lots of crumbled feta. Recommended. (portion size - large).

3. Falafel with tahini (sesame) sauce - I was not a big fan. There are 4 or 5 bite size balls. Again like most of the dishes, nothing was really bad, just nothing special. (portion size - small)

4. Kokol...(it is a long, Greek name) - cheese patties with shredded zucchini and caper yogurt sauce. Very good. These are 4 small circles of heaven that melt in your mouth. (portion size - medium)

5.Spanakopita (feta and spinach in phyllo) - this was only ok in comparison to the other dishes. It is served as one long cylinder that you cut yourself to share. This dish is heavier than most of the others. (portion size - medium)

6.Havuc Koftesi (carrot, pinenut, and apricot fritters with psitachio sauce) - very good. 4 bite size pieces. I thought they were good and fun because they were unusual. The sauce complements the fritters very nicely. Recommended.. (portion size - small)

7. Puff Boregi - despite the interesting sounding menu description of puff pasty with a mix of cheeses and tomato puree. This is just pizza and tasty like a boring pizza. I'd pass on this one next time. (portion size - medium).

8. Horiatiki Salad - very good. A nice blend of chopped veggies, olives and small bits of feta cheese. (portion size - medium).

9. Tabouleh - so-so. This was the least popular dish at the table. It was bland and too heavy on the parsely with too small amounts of other ingredients to balance it out. (portion size - medium)

10. Sea Scallop with yogurt dill sauce - these were 2 large plump pieces. Pretty good, but I only had a bite as this was the last dish to come out because according to the waiter ("they were just so large it was taking really long to cook"). Strange comment as they were big, but not huge. The sauce was mild and let the seafood shine, so if you like scallops, you won't be disappointed. If you are expected something middle eastern-exotic, you might be let down. (portion size - medium).

11. Kalamari - This is the one dish I skipped, but they were greaseless, fried rings and the others thought they were very good. (portion size - large).

12. Chicken Muhammarah - 4 small bite size pieces of chicken kebab. This was great, mostly due to its tasty walnut and roasted pepper sauce. It is paired nicely with a tiny sweet, cooked onion. Highly recommend. (portion size - small)

13. Kibbeh (beef and wheat fritters) - there are 4 cone-like shaped pieces that resemble falafel, but have beef in them and when you bite into them you find the pine nuts and raisins. Really good, if a bit dry. However, they come with tangy labneh (thick yogurt sauce) that makes you hope your dining companions don't mind you taking seconds. (portion size - medium)

14. Hunkar Begendi - wondeful braised lamb shank that is falls apart as you scoop it up. The lamb with lots of flavorful juices sits on top of a heavy eggplant puree that tastes like a special version of mashed potatos. Very good dish and very filling. (portion size - large).

We also had ordered a mix of olives that were very good and came with a little bowl of olive oil which we weren't sure what to do with except dip our bread in (seemed strange to dip olives in it). Still yummy though. The pita bread is good too and is similar to Lebanese Taverna (puffed up). I'm partial to the flatter thicker kind of pita, but the bread was piping hot and tasty great with the mezze and with the small dish of olive oil and balsmic vinegar (the good syrupy kind).

This feast was topped off with a dark, cider-like peach juice that was refreshing and went well with the vegetarian and seafood dishes.

[holalola]

the olive oil at Zaytinya makes me want to swoon in extacy. heaven.

[porcupine]

and with the small dish of olive oil and balsmic vinegar (the good syrupy kind).

Actually, it's pomegranate molasses. Good stuff, though.

[DonRocks]

This is not the "juicy gossip" referred to last week, but I've just heard a rumor that Proximo Restaurants has their sights set on three Los Angeles area hotel restaurants within the next couple of years, and that Jorge Chicas, head chef at Zaytinya, may be heading west. Also that Katsuya Fukushima - Chef de Cuisine at Cafe Atlantico and part of Promixo's "Delta Force" - may eventually be spending some time there also.

This is unsubstantiated, but the source was fairly credible, so if any journalists or bloggers want to investigate further...

Cheers,

Rocks.

[Chef Tom]

I hear there is more to the story - particularly at Zaytinya - but can not substantiate.

[Waitman]

If Zatinya's kitchen had ever actually lived up to its reputation on the occasions I visited it, I might be concerned. My memories are of fine bar food -- but no more -- in a Greeked-up airplane hangar. I'm sure the chef can do better somewhere else and the his replacement can do just as well here.

[diddy]

I've been to Zaytinya 3 times, each time it's gotten worse. It's sad because after the first time I really loved it. The second time was very good, but the most recent time was pretty disappointing. The meat came out overcooked. Maybe it was just a bad day. Some of my favorites:

Positives:

the bread - it comes out hot and it is delicious. they make sure there is always fresh bread on ur table. plus it's free!

hummus - i love their hummus, especially w/ their delicious bread

lamb kebab - ive gotten it 3 times. 1 time it was amazing, the 2nd time it was good, the last time it wasn't very good

spiced sirloin - my favorite dish there so far

scallops - two giant succulant scallops

koftededs - lamb and beef meat ball type things. really tasty

i can't remember the names of most of the other dishes

negatives:

there are some dishes i've gotten that i haven't been crazy about

the service there isn't the best

the quality of food has been up and down for me, but when it's good, it's really good

[JLK]

Two friends and I went to Zaytinya Friday and sampled the restaurant's extended Restaurant Week promotion. For $30.07, each diner gets four meze plus dessert. That sounded like a lot of food to us (and it was) so we shared eight RW menu dishes plus an order of mussels and a 3-cheese plate. It was mostly hits and really only two misses.

Some of the dishes, like the always tasty hunkar begendi, I have had before, but I somehow missed out on the falafel on previous visits. Yum! When one of our later courses never arrived, we instead subbed another plate of falafel. My friends really liked the spice rubbed sirloin, but it didn't set my world on fire. The flavor was good, but the cut wasn't exceptionally tender. I'm not sure if the Turkish Delight dessert "wasn't to our taste" or if it was simply awful; the flavor was fine, but the texture, akin to curdled milk, was off-putting. On the other hand, the Greek yogurt with apricots was understatedly delicious.

[jparrott]

I don't know how I've never posted in this thread (guess I only talked about Zaytinya at the old place). Anyway, no matter what you feel about the food (which IMO is good-but-not-great, very useful for the area or for a jones but no more), the wine list at Zaytinya, which consists solely of Greek and Lebanese wines, is one of the most important lists in the city. The bar staff is very familiar with the wines, and on more than one occasion, a bartender has opened a wine from the list for me to try before I buy (because most are priced south of $60, it's not too hard for said bartender to sell it by the glass). When you think about the (mostly) drinking wasteland surrounding Zaytinya, the bar here is still a gem. At least when it's not 8:30 on peak nights .

[acevedo81]

I think the food at Zaytinya has improved vastly with chef isabella in the kitchen. I never believed the hype equalled to the quality of the food, but a couple recent trips have me back to zaytinya. The Manti, kibbe nayeh, falafel and tzatziki are very good

[DonRocks]

I don't know how I've never posted in this thread (guess I only talked about Zaytinya at the old place). Anyway, no matter what you feel about the food (which IMO is good-but-not-great, very useful for the area or for a jones but no more), the wine list at Zaytinya, which consists solely of Greek and Lebanese wines, is one of the most important lists in the city. The bar staff is very familiar with the wines, and on more than one occasion, a bartender has opened a wine from the list for me to try before I buy (because most are priced south of $60, it's not too hard for said bartender to sell it by the glass). When you think about the (mostly) drinking wasteland surrounding Zaytinya, the bar here is still a gem. At least when it's not 8:30 on peak nights .

Absolutely agree on the wine list, and the comfortable feel of the bar in general (assuming you can get a seat).

Baba Ghannouge ($6.50) was a competent version, the puffy bread at Zaytinya these days coming across as somewhat industrial and cranked-out despite being freshly made, the temperature and grill-marks subject to the whims of whichever basket-full you happen to be served. The Falafel "Abdel" ($6.50 for four balls) was lousy, as bad as Amsterdam Falafelshop, with thickly-breaded coating surrounding a granular-feeling inside, it was edible, but no more than that. Imam Bayildi ($5.95) was a hastily cooked Ottoman-style" (?) roasted eggplant stuffed with onions and tomatoes. Slapped onto a plate, it tasted better than it was presented, was struggling to keep its temperature, and seemed like it may have waiting on the other dishes before being served. Most interesting of all was the dramatic-sounding Patates Tiganites Me Yaourti "Aglaia Kremezi" ($4.95), which was a plate of french fries covered in yogurt. But these happened to be very good, unusual french fries, done in olive oil, and this is a dish that I would absolutely order again.

All this food, with two glasses of wine and two beers came to a mere $56.67. You don't hear me raving about the food, but once again, Zaytinya has shown itself as a fun, convivial place to eat, where you can nibble, nosh, and socialize without spending a fortune. A culinary temple it ain't, but in my past three visits it has delivered at its price point - I can't ask for any more than this.

Cheers,

Rocks.

[KeithA]

The Falafel "Abdel" ($6.50 for four balls) was lousy, as bad as Amsterdam Falafelshop, with thickly-breaded coating surrounding a granular-feeling inside, it was edible, but no more than that. ...

All this food, with two glasses of wine and two beers came to a mere $56.67. You don't hear me raving about the food, but once again, Zaytinya has shown itself as a fun, convivial place to eat, where you can nibble, nosh, and socialize without spending a fortune. A culinary temple it ain't, but in my past three visits it has delivered at its price point - I can't ask for any more than this.

Cheers,

Rocks.

I agree with you that Zaytinya's falafel not so hot, but I disagree about the comparison to Amsterdam Falafelshop. I've been to both many times and they are both pretty consistent - Z is blah while AF is SOOO good. Only one time out of 10 or so at AF was the falafel not great and that was when for some reason they didn't make it fresh, but rather served balls that had been sitting a bit. As long as they are making it fresh AF is spot on real middle eastern falafel (minus better pita).

I do wholeheartedly agree with your general assessment of Zaytinya - it is great fun, nice price (not cheap, but not break the bank), and certain dishes sing, while others fall flat.

[qwertyy]

I agree with you that Zaytinya's falafel not so hot, but I disagree about the comparison to Amsterdam Falafelshop. I've been to both many times and they are both pretty consistent - Z is blah while AF is SOOO good. Only one time out of 10 or so at AF was the falafel not great and that was when for some reason they didn't make it fresh, but rather served balls that had been sitting a bit. As long as they are making it fresh AF is spot on real middle eastern falafel (minus better pita).

In Sudan, falafel isn't made to order, except in mid- or high-end restaurants. At your basic street stand, they make up a huge batch of usually donut-shaped fritters at around 10am, and they are served as is for the rest of the day. It is clearly the work of jinnis that they remain light, crisp, and flavorful even at 5pm (it's the work of the bloody awful climate that they're still warm). Here, they're also not generally served wrapped in pita, but stuffed inside a sort of large loaf, about the size of a small salad plate and an inch thick, along with pickled vegetables and some tzatziki-ish white sauce, which, after scores of tests, I've only been able to ascertain contains no cucumbers and seems thickened with a bit of potato; it's not tahini either.

And they cost 50 cents and are so big they could make for two meals.

[hmmboy]

Totally agree about the fries Rocks - they are stellar, and, though different, not far behind the city's best (for me, Central, Palena, Buck's). I sneak down the block fairly frequently for a fry fix.

[Heather]

About $10 (plus tax and tip) will get you a massive chicken shawarma sandwich with a dish of garlic sauce, and a lemonatha, in a lovely space with cheerful and prompt service. The sandwich comes with your choice of sides; the side salad is a bright-tasting little tangle of chopped romaine with lemon juice and fresh dill, topped with little cubes of cheese. What a deal. The only slight drawback is the sauce, which is likely to leave you radioactive for the rest of the day. Not recommended if you have an afternoon meeting.

All that for little more than a large burrito with guac and a coke product at Chipotle. So why was I the only person at the bar yesterday?

[DanielK]

So why was I the only person at the bar yesterday?

Because you didn't call me and say that you were 4 blocks away and looking for a lunch companion.

[cjsadler]

About $10 (plus tax and tip) will get you a massive chicken shawarma sandwich with a dish of garlic sauce, and a lemonatha, in a lovely space with cheerful and prompt service. The sandwich comes with your choice of sides; the side salad is a bright-tasting little tangle of chopped romaine with lemon juice and fresh dill, topped with little cubes of cheese. What a deal. The only slight drawback is the sauce, which is likely to leave you radioactive for the rest of the day. Not recommended if you have an afternoon meeting.

All that for little more than a large burrito with guac and a coke product at Chipotle. So why was I the only person at the bar yesterday?

The lunch sandwiches at Jose Andres' places are great deals. Jaleo and Oyamel also both serve sandwiches with a side for about the same price.

[Kibbee Nayee]

If Zatinya's kitchen had ever actually lived up to its reputation on the occasions I visited it, I might be concerned. My memories are of fine bar food -- but no more -- in a Greeked-up airplane hangar. I'm sure the chef can do better somewhere else and the his replacement can do just as well here.

Same general observation here. My mom was born in a little village in northern Syria called Zwayteenya, and I always had high expectations for this place. But the fusion thingy always threw me off, with an occasional Greek or Israeli riff on a very Levantine dish on occasion. I learned to lower my expectations to good bar food with a hint of my mom's kitchen, nothing more.

I think the food at Zaytinya has improved vastly with chef isabella in the kitchen. I never believed the hype equalled to the quality of the food, but a couple recent trips have me back to zaytinya. The Manti, kibbe nayeh, falafel and tzatziki are very good

Ah, "kibbe nayeh" perked me up. Notice my moniker. I'm still looking for the area's best version of this elusive comfort food. When I find it, I'm throwing a party and you are all invited! Best served with a glass of Ch. Mousar, by the way....

[hmmboy]

Same general observation here. My mom was born in a little village in northern Syria called Zwayteenya, and I always had high expectations for this place. But the fusion thingy always threw me off, with an occasional Greek or Israeli riff on a very Levantine dish on occasion. I learned to lower my expectations to good bar food with a hint of my mom's kitchen, nothing more.

Ah, "kibbe nayeh" perked me up. Notice my moniker. I'm still looking for the area's best version of this elusive comfort food. When I find it, I'm throwing a party and you are all invited! Best served with a glass of Ch. Mousar, by the way....

That would be Chateau Musar I believe. And maybe you'll find it right here......

http://www.zaytinya.com/documents/Musarinvite.pdf

[DonRocks]

I'm still looking for the area's best version of this elusive comfort food. When I find it, I'm throwing a party and you are all invited! Best served with a glass of Ch. Mousar, by the way....

Well it used to be at the original Lebanese Taverna on Washington Blvd, but that was about five restaurant-openings ago.

A friend recently raved to me about the version at Neyla. Although it was the first time she had ever tried the dish, I trust her palate completely.

And Chateau Musar is the brettiest, most overrated wine in the Languedoc.

Cheers,

Rocks.

[acevedo81]

But the fusion thingy always threw me off, with an occasional Greek or Israeli riff on a very Levantine dish on occasion. I learned to lower my expectations to good bar food with a hint of my mom's kitchen, nothing more.

I don't think Zaytinya or any of Jose Andres' restaurants are fusion at all. Yes Zaytinya serves dishes from Greece, Turkey, Lebanon and Israel, but the dishes are never fused. They try to be as traditional as possible, yes there may be a few modern renditions here and there but overall Zaytinya is pretty traditional food and just b/c the dish doesn't look like the one we are used to may mean that one dish has different variations depending on the country it comes from. I have seen 3 versions of Manti and I believe Zaytinya serves the Turkish version.

[synaesthesia]

About $10 (plus tax and tip) will get you a massive chicken shawarma sandwich with a dish of garlic sauce, and a lemonatha, in a lovely space with cheerful and prompt service. The sandwich comes with your choice of sides.

Werd. This is almost exactly what I had today, but the potatoes (basically french fries) with some tangy yogurt on top. Yum! I also tried the carrot, apricot and pistachio fritters with pistachio sauce. Maybe not as crisp as I expected, but still darned tasty. Dawn at the bar is AWESOME. She brought me the bread with the advisory to hurry up and get dipping into my remaining pistachio sauce. I also asked her which non-alcoholic drink to get. She actually recommended the lemonatha with some sour cherry juice mixed in (other options were peach and something I can't recall off the top of my head).

[Pat]

We had dinner at Zaytinya before the Springsteen show last night. Despite all of my intentions to get there, I'd never been before. The meal and service were good overall, but I should have reread this thread before going, including Rocks' post above

The falafel were dry, too dense, and the only plate we didn't finish. Later on in the night, it finally occurred to me that they were supposed to be served with tahini sauce . No wonder they were so dry. Looking at the menu on the website, I see a photo of them plated in a pool of tahini, with a garnish of sprouts on top. We got the garnish. We didn't get the pool. If there was any sauce with them at all (my husband thinks there was a tiny bit underneath), it wasn't remotely enough. Too bad it didn't occur to me at the time or I could have asked for more sauce.

We also had the fries with yogurt, which were excellent; the grilled pita with ground lamb and the couscous tagine, both of which were quite good; and the salmon balls, which were okay but not my personal favorite. I loved the pita in the bread basket. I probably ate more of them than was advisable. The olive oil for dipping had a flavor that I quite liked but can't quite describe.

When I saw how crowded it was, I felt less stupid about having made a reservation for dinner a month ago. They seemed to handle the crowd pretty well. Our server was attentive and helpful. I really wanted to order dessert but was too full. The chocolate cream with cherry sorbet and caramels was calling me and I had to fight it off . I didn't want to be overly stuffed for the concert.

I'd like to go back and I think I have a better sense of the menu now. Maybe I'll order dessert first next time .

[KeithA]

The olive oil for dipping had a flavor that I quite liked but can't quite describe.

I had the same experience and I think there is an earlier post on this, but the flavor is pomegranate molasses mixed with the olive oil. It is a delicious combo.

[Pat]

I had the same experience and I think there is an earlier post on this, but the flavor is pomegranate molasses mixed with the olive oil. It is a delicious combo.

Aha! Thanks. No wonder I couldn't identify it.

[monsterriffs]

Finally made it here last night prior to the Wizards game and I was curious to see how Greek and Levantine cuisine would be appropriated through the eyes of Jose Andres, who is clearly an admirer of the region.

First of all - and this is probably a peculiarity in my mind - is why one would give a Turkish name to a restaurant that clearly has a far stronger Greek influence, from the marble decor to the overwhelming number of Greek dishes. The only explanation that comes to mind is the fact that zaytinya, the Turkish world for olive oil (according to the website) is far more dramatic sounding than corresponding Greek word ladi.

Political and linguistic digressions aside, the thing that was ultimately clear was that the vegetable dishes we ordered were markedly better than the meat dishes. The htipiti, a roasted red pepper and Dodonis feta spread, was very lively and struck a great balance between the sweetness of the roasted peppers and the saltiness of the feta. Kolokithokeftedes, pan-fried zucchini and cheese patties, were quite good, with the chef opting to grate the zucchini rather than puree it, which I rather enjoyed. The dolmades yalatzi (note: this isn't the name on the menu, but this is what variation they are in Greece), the rice, pine nut, & raisin stuffed grape leaves were good, though not my favorite. They were good in that they were executed the way I like them, with the rice being cooked through and not too al dente as I find others tend to do, and the leaves themselves were tender. However, I vehemently disliked the presence of raisins in them. Dolmades yalatzi are better as a savory dish and the sweetness was...distracting, if that makes any sense.

The arni souvlaki was a flop. The meat was far too dry and chewy, and flavorwise, it wasn't even that impressive. All I could think was "wow, trayila", a word that sort of jokingly refers to the specific gamey taste of lamb. However, the cumin yogurt sauce that accompanies this dish was stellar, and I could envision this working with any number of dishes. The shish taouk chicken kabob, while tasty and including a number of interesting accompaniments, didn't blow minds and left us thinking that the vegetable dishes were light years ahead.

Overall, while I would probably support Cava for mezedes, I still enjoyed Zaytinya and it's a good deal especially before a Verizon event.

[mr food]

WE had dinner there a few days ago after (finally) viewing the Turner exhibition at the National Gallery West Wing and to me Zaytinya remains one of DC's best values with excellent small plates and good service in a fun atmosphere. Everything tastes fresh and correctly seasoned.

[Heather]

I lunched there with my mother-in-law last weekend, and I thought it had lost a step. We each had soup and split the hummus, lamb sausages with garlic, and the carrot/apricot fritters. Cauliflower soup was dull and appeared to be missing the preserved lemon garnish that would have lifted it out of blah. The hummus was just OK and the sausages had been cooked a little too long and were dry despite their bath of sauce. The fritters themselves were tasty but the pistachio sauce was flat.

Am I alone in thinking that "small plates" are almost never a good value? $5-9 for a few little bites adds up quickly.

[dmwine]

First of all - and this is probably a peculiarity in my mind - is why one would give a Turkish name to a restaurant that clearly has a far stronger Greek influence, from the marble decor to the overwhelming number of Greek dishes. The only explanation that comes to mind is the fact that zaytinya, the Turkish world for olive oil (according to the website) is far more dramatic sounding than corresponding Greek word ladi.

When they first opened in 2002, I told a colleague who was a correspondent for a Greek newspaper about this new Greek restaurant called Zaytinya. His reaction was totally grounded in political and cutural prejudices, and rather comical. I awkwardly explained that there were a few Turkish and Lebanese dishes, but mostly Greek food and Greek wines, but I'd lost him.

[monsterriffs]

When they first opened in 2002, I told a colleague who was a correspondent for a Greek newspaper about this new Greek restaurant called Zaytinya. His reaction was totally grounded in political and cutural prejudices, and rather comical. I awkwardly explained that there were a few Turkish and Lebanese dishes, but mostly Greek food and Greek wines, but I'd lost him.

Yeah, it's to be expected - but like I said, I'm guessing Jose Andres probably felt "Zaytinya" sounded more dramatic and marketable.

[Rhone1998]

A late Saturday brunch at Zaytinya -- lightly poached eggs with yogurt and sumac worked well, the rich yolks balancing the tartness of the yogurt. Avgolemeno was pleasant enough, but wouldn't stand up well next to Kostas' version at the Greek Deli (and what's with the shredded lettuce in the soup? I found that slightly off putting...) My wife had some very tasty merguez-like lamb sausages. Also, I don't think Zaytinya gets enough kudos for their bread -- piping hot, light as air, with a nice balance of crunch on one side and softness on the other...wonderful stuff, and in my mind comparing very favorably to the doughy home made pita at Komi.

[mr food]

yet another pleasant meal last night on the terrace. Food and wine were good as always and Andy our server was a real star guiding us to new and old favorites on the menu. Resik (sp) at the bar was also great and we had a interesting conversation about Lebanese wine as I sipped a smooth Syrah from the Bakah (sp) valley. A nice Wednesday out.

[DonRocks]

If you get sick of the cold (or sick with a cold), head straight to Zaytinya and get a Turkish Tea Party ($11) - a hot cure-all made with Turkish tea, Hangar One spiced pear vodka, quince syrup, and most importantly, a moustache-inducing crown of cardamom espuma on top. This is the first hot drink I've ordered in a bar this year, and it makes me wonder what on earth I've been waiting for. This is to cocktails, what Pho is to soup.

Equally good (but not hot) is the Flip-Flop ($12), made with Sazarac, juiced Clementine, blood orange bitters, allspice sirop de gomme, and egg white foam. Rachel Sergi, former GM of PS7's, is running Zaytinya's bar now, and is one of the core members of our city's ongoing cocktail revolution.

Cheers,

Rocks.

[Monica Bhide]

That sounds amazing. I love eating there and now will have to try the bar as well!!!

[dwt]

Glad to see this thread bumped, reminding me that I should have witnessed for Zaytina after our third visit last Friday. We arrived late afternoon/early evening to sample a few plates at the bar. Don't know diddly about Greek wine, so always ask the bartenders to suggest something, within a few parameters, and they consistently come through with pleasing selections. For food we enjoyed peynirli pide (a little too salty, but still good), swordfish kebab (nicely sauced, pink in the middle), dolmades, and olive oil salmon (a little dull this time compared to previous samplings). The food is on average better than Jaleo IMHO, and the bar area is lively without being hectic -- nice atmosphere all around. It's on our regular Penn Quarter rotation .

[acevedo81]

I haven't had a better Kibbeh Nayeh than the one offered at Zaytinya, it's consistently amazing

[JAC13]

Zaytinya, despite the long waits and sometimes spotty service, has long been a favorite of mine. I find the food to be consistently good and I can always try something new. Tonight I found another reason to keep it in my rotation.

Just to give some background: I have been recently diagnosed with food allergies (all nuts, soym stone fruits etc...) and I am finding it very difficult to navigate the menus of restaurants that I have been eating at for years. To make matters worse, many restaurants and the servers they employ are fairly clueless about these allergies and thus, have trouble steering me towards what I can and can't eat. While I completely understand this lack of knowledge (I was once a clueless non-allergic server myself), it has become very frustrating and unnerving to eat out.

I had been told by someone not too long ago that Zaytinya was very allergy friendly so I asked if they had an allergy friendly menu. I was pleasantly surprised when the hostess not only told me they did but asked me what my allergies were since they actually had several menus geered toward people with all types of dietary restrictions. I was further impressed with my server (Joel), who seemed genuinely concerned about my safety and my ability to relax and enjoy my meal- he asked me several questions up front about what I could and couldn't have and was very willing to work with me and the kitchen to modify items on the regular menu if possible. He double checked with the kitchen on everything and asked about allergies to any foods that could possibly be questionable (sesame in tahini, for instance). Tonight was the first time in months that I have been able to truly enjoy my meal without a fear that some unsuspected dish would cause a reaction. Kudos to Zaytinya for going the extra mile and for another great meal.

[Anna Blume]

The Greek Easter menu begins tomorrow. Mike Isabella and his crew returned to Dupont Circle today to lure diners in, once more w spring lamb, spit-roasted.

Waitman made a crack here recently, distinguishing chefing from slicing. Gotta say both were involved plus fabulous lamb from Eco-Friendly. Had a little dark crust; rosy, tender flesh; and melting fat, all seasoned w herbs and garlic, and after cutting, a lemony olive oil anointed. A little chunky salt. Dusting of fresh green herbs.

Anyone who can, loves lamb, and doesn't is a doo-doo head: lunch option for the next couple of weeks is a sandwich of spit-roasted lamb and tzatziki wrapped in pita for seven bucks. Patio pick-up noon to 2 pm.

More info, of course, on website.

[Xochitl10]

Azami and I headed here for dinner last night. We were lucky enough to be seated on the patio on such a gorgeous night. We started with cocktails: a Tanqueray 10 Martini for him and a house cocktail, "Aphrodite's Pear" (Grey Goose pear vodka, lime juice, St. Germain elderflower liqueur) for me. The pear drink was not overly sweet, unlike other house drinks I've had at Zaytinya. If it was at all unbalanced, it was more toward tart than anything else.

We ordered a number of things, including some old standbys: three spreads (hummus, tzatziki, and Htipiti (roasted red peppers and feta)), dolmades, braised lamb shank with kefalograviera and eggplant puree (wonderful as always). Azami doesn't care for braised meat, so I got the lion's share of the lamb shank while he took most of the crispy skirt steak with green chili sauce. My small bite of the skirt steak was nicely seasoned, and the green chili sauce was mild and very fresh tasting. We only ordered one of the specials whose name I forget: salmon, dill, and potato puree, rolled in house-made phyllo and fried. I found it rather bland and not tasting of salmon at all.

We were too full for dessert, so we finished off with a decaf for Azami and lemon verbena/cardamom tea for me.

[apples]

Had a really stellar dinner there with my Mom on Friday night. We were late for our reservation (she got lost on the Metro-- I'm a bad daughter for making her figure it out by herself) but didn't have to wait more than 10 minutes to get a table. I started with the Eros, a honey vodka based cocktail with rose bits in it-- yum-- and she had a glass of chardonnay. The bread was, as usual, hot, fresh, and delicious with the pomegranate dipping stuff. We had the pipedreams goat cheese (with sweet/savory tomato jam), the giant beans salad, which was rounded out with some spinach and a delicious lemony garlicy sauce, the baby octopus, a really amazing phyllo dough pocket filled with spiced lamb (a special), and a quail couscous (also a special). Mom then had a glass of port, and I had the muscatel. (As a note, they've raised their prices on dessert wines considerably since they last updated the website). I had the turkish delight dessert, and she had the chocolate visne-- both sweet but not overly so. Overall, a really stellar meal. We agreed that the goat cheese was our favorite, and it was also the simplest, but everything was very tasty. I had to get over my moral quandary about going so soon after Mike Isabella demonstrated (or was edited to demonstrate) on Top Chef that he's a pretty big jerk, but I'm glad I did.

Of course, just about everything tastes better when I'm not paying. Thanks, Mom!

[stickmoon]

The bathroom at Zaytinya has the best hand dryer I've ever had the pleasure to use. Not sure why it hasn't caught on...I haven't seen it anywhere else. The food is pretty good too.

[DonRocks]

The bathroom at Zaytinya has the best hand dryer I've ever had the pleasure to use. Not sure why it hasn't caught on...I haven't seen it anywhere else. The food is pretty good too.

Some people are just so, so 2008.

[KMango]

Some people are just so, so 2008.

Also ran into one at the Harry's Tap Room in Pentagon City Mall the other day.

Was only the second one I've seen in the area since Founding Farmers back in June.

(thinking about registering the domain name 10kforadysonairblade.com)

(thinking also about how to somehow map this thread back to Zaytinya)

(thinking mike isabella could have used one to finish his leek dish?)

[Ferhat Yalcin]

You guys should see the ones we have in the basement. Really blows you. if only I can get them installed.

[DanCole42]

Some people are just so, so 2008.

The discerning viewer will also note that Starfleet makes use of them in their sickbays. And here I thought technology become obsolete so quickly...

(Hint: look to the left and right of the turbolift doors)

This is an example of what Jung would call synchronicity: I'd JUST noticed, during a viewing of Star Trek yesterday afternoon, the use of the dryers by JJ Abrams's prop department, and here we are now discussing them! Thrilling.

My life suddenly feels much sadder.

[Pat]

A distant cousin I hadn't seen in a very long time came into town with her husband over the weekend. She is on a gluten-free diet. Today we had lunch at Zaytinya. I had narrowed it to the 3 Andres restaurants open on Monday. Maybe I was lazy that I didn't check into what gluten-free options might be available elsewhere, but this was a very easy call. There was a parking garage just around the corner, which was a bonus. I was wary of the snow emergency and no more wanted them getting ticketed/towed than I wanted to lead them to a restaurant where she would get surreptitious gluten. Zaytinya was a great choice.

We had a fantastic meal. Our server was lovely and very helpful. She went above and beyond.

The three of us split a cheese plate that we loved. The rest of the feast: dolmades; soup (squash? and enoki mushrooms); lamb and beef kofta sandwich accompanied by the fries with yogurt; eggplant fritters (Bantijan Bil Laban); and Piyaz. I had the last two and could not finish the kale in the Piyaz. The beans were so good that I devoted myself to them, and the greens got left behind. (Greens were good, just couldn't finish them.) There was also a dessert parfait with pistachios, yogurt and apricot.

The last meal I had at Zaytinya was good, but this was even better. I don't often dine out with someone who has a serious dietary restriction, but it was handled beautifully.

[Kibbee Nayee]

I haven't had a better Kibbeh Nayeh than the one offered at Zaytinya, it's consistently amazing

Have you had it at either of Layalina or Lebanese Butcher...?

[wmsayce]

The last meal I had at Zaytinya was good, but this was even better. I don't often dine out with someone who has a serious dietary restriction, but it was handled beautifully.

As someone who's allergic to both eggs and gluten, it can be hard eating out sometimes, but Zatinya is definitely one of my favorites. I have to ask for both the egg-free and gluten-free menus and then cross-reference them, but the food is consistently amazing (favorites being dolmades, octopus Santorini, and scallops), and everyone always seems knowledgeable about the allergens. It's sister restaurant Oyamel is another great allergen-friendly restaurant.

[weinoo]

You know, as a dyed-in-the-wool, jaded and especially annoying New Yorker - born in Brooklyn, even - there isn't much that impresses me, especially when it comes to restaurants, chefs and food. I mean, we've got it all here, under one roof. Access to the best seafood and produce (try the green market some day if you think I'm kidding), a bajillion restaurants (lots of them good, some great), hot cocktail lounges, awesome kitchenware shops, etc. etc. But there's one thing we don't have, and DC does, which should make a lot of NYers jealous...and that's José Andrés. And as if that wasn't inglorious enough, even LA has him now, or at least has a restaurant of his...and it's a friggin' 4-star.

So, DC, thank your lucky stars...because you've got something that NY doesn't. But now, with Significant Eater and me kinda living in both cities, we've got José too. And the other night, we got Zaytinya...and we got hooked.

First off, we walked out of the metro at the Chinatown station (the metro is basically DC's subway system - but way cuter and cleaner than NYC's could ever hope to be) and there it is. Easy as that. All you drunkards out there - no worries about driving, though if you're getting drunk late, remember the system shuts down around 1 AM. Even though our reservation had changed due to a late cancellation, we were seated immediately, at a great table with a view of the action on the streets as well as inside.

It was soon to be...first the puffy, hot flat bread, along with a cutesy dish of olive oil and pomegranate molasses. I prefer no cutesy, but wtf, it must impress some people, just not me - remember, jaded New Yorker, etc. etc.

Oh, the cocktails surrounding the olive oil weren't bad - SE had a Greek sidecar (Metaxa, cointreau and maraschino), and mine was something or other that I consumed in like 30 seconds; it was that tasty and I was thirsty, after all.

According to our charming waitress, SE and I should probably order between 4 and 6 dishes to be properly sated. HAH! She had no idea who she was dealing with, and as we quickly ordered 9 items, she nodded approvingly.

The first dish to arrive (everything we ordered was paced properly and in the right order; at no time was our table covered with more dishes than two humans could properly consume) was a revelation. Simply fresh roasted chickpeas. In their pods. Like edamame, but so much more, the pods are first roasted and then drenched in an olive oil/lemon juice and dill bath, which we couldn't get enough of. Messy - yes. Lots of bread dipping - yes. Bread runs out and is refilled - yes. What more can you ask for?



Alongside the chickpeas were served kolokithokeftedes, zucchini and cheese patties in a caper/yogurt sauce...an order of 4, brown and crispy outside, smooth and creamy in. The perfect combo, no?

As we moved on, it became apparent that these guys really know how to cook. Sure it helps if you love the cuisines of Greece and Turkey; lots of yogurt, dill, capers, feta, mint, garlic, etc. - and we do. Though smoked white asparagus with smoked yogurt sauce isn't your everyday Greek fare, and drew a comment from SE as to it's deliciousness...

It's obvious from above - a vegetarian can eat quite nicely at Zaytinya. Sadly, they'd be missing a lot. For instance, the Garides Me Anitho, shrimp sauteed with shallots, dill, lemon juice and mustard almost caused a fight to break out at our table; it was that good. They couldn't have the spiced quail couscous, with little chunks of quail and butternut squash strewn throughout. Nor the lamb ravioli, filled tonight with lamb's tongue and brain, served in a thick tomato sauce, and which might have been our favorite dish of the night.

Might have, had it not been for our final savory course, the spit-roasted lamb (we spotted the lamb roasting as soon as we walked to our seats), encased in a crispy package floating atop it's dill-feta-yogurt sauce without a care in the world...

As dinner came to a close, and we wrestled with the decision as to whether to have dessert or not (3 baskets of bread'll do that to you, but we did have some ice cream/gelato and a small portion of something chocolate-y), SE and I both agreed that we need to return to Zaytinya - soon.
Because - there was a lot we didn't get to try.
Because - the price is right...cocktails, a couple glasses of wine and a beer along with all that food was $125.
Because - there are great specials offered at happy hour.
Because - the service is warm, friendly and proper.

And because - there's nothing quite like this in NYC. Thanks for having Jose, DC.

My full blog post with pictures can be found by clicking here.

[Anna Blume]

And because - there's nothing quite like this in NYC. Thanks for having Jose, DC.

I admire José Andres, too. One thing ThinkFood Group does right is hire talent. Anyone who enjoys this restaurant has to be grateful to the Executive Chef of this restaurant, Mike Isabella, and his sous chef, Juan Rivera.

[JimRice]

I had lunch there yesterday, and the outside patio is a treasure. It costs money for the restaurant to have al fresco dining space that can't be used from November to most of April, but for May through September and part of October, this is one of my favorite places to eat outside. You pay for it with $10 glasses of wine, but it's worth it.

[MC Horoscope]

One of the specials last night was a "spring stew" with ramps, fava beans, and a marinated egg yolk. Wow! We had that and, among other things, spit roasted lamb wrapped in phyllo dough. Outstanding. We gravitate toward the specials and they usually do us well. Wish I had tried the black cod too.

[Pat]

One of the specials last night was a "spring stew" with ramps, fava beans, and a marinated egg yolk. Wow! We had that and, among other things, spit roasted lamb wrapped in phyllo dough. Outstanding. We gravitate toward the specials and they usually do us well. Wish I had tried the black cod too.

Any further information on the marinated egg yolk? I'm curious. Sounds interesting.

[MC Horoscope]

Not much further information on the egg yolk, sorry! All I can remember the waiter saying was that it was marinated in chicken broth, salt, and sugar. It broke up easily and was soft and liquid. The dish had a nice saltiness to it, which I like. A lot of restaurants seem to leave out the salt, then the dish is missing something, but that's just me.

[weinoo]

Yes, there's certainly no problem with salt and Zaytinya. Restaurants that know how to salt make me happy. And that's why, a mere 3 weeks after our first visit, I dragged some friends and was back on a Saturday night. Very happy friends, I might add.

While the pacing was a little more frenetic than on our first visit, the food was just as delicious. Those chick peas again, a sampling of spreads, sauteed shrimp, fried soft shell crab and crab cakes were all mighty fine. The roasted mushrooms were great (if only a bit too salty - gotta know when to stop, too).

But the stunner was the spit roasted all-day lamb shoulder, all black and crusty and drippy - and be forewarned - I was doing the ordering and asked for lamb shoulder for the table, figuring we'd get four portions - chef rolled the shoulder up on a cart, carved up four plates with a bit of sea salt and chimichurri and that crust on each, served us up the four plates, and then carved up the rest of the shoulder and plattered it up right in the middle of our table! Oh, man - we ate a lot of lamb and it was as good as it gets.

Is there any other place that hits it this right, this often (well, only been twice but I get the feeling that it's no fluke)? This level of execution at this price point?

[ema]

I was also at Zaytinya this weekend and I saw the black crusty lamb roasting in the kitchen, but nobody ordered it, and it wasn't on the menu. Can you get a small order of this lamb or is it a whole shoulder or nothing kind of deal? How much was the whole shoulder?

[weinoo]

I was also at Zaytinya this weekend and I saw the black crusty lamb roasting in the kitchen, but nobody ordered it, and it wasn't on the menu. Can you get a small order of this lamb or is it a whole shoulder or nothing kind of deal? How much was the whole shoulder?

I don't know if you can get a small order, because while I thought I was ordering 4 "orders," it was the whole shoulder that ended up center table.

The whole shoulder was a most reasonable $75. Easily could've fed 10 normal humans.

[Pat]

Tim Carman reports that Mike Isabella is leaving Zaytinya. He plans to open his own place in Penn Quarter, serving Venetian small plates.

[weinoo]

It will be interesting to see if Zaytinya maintains it's high standards and/or how long that standard will take to settle in under a new executive chef. Some places don't miss a beat.

It will also be fun to see if Mike is able to make it on "his own," although there must be a major money backer behind the scenes. I love cicchetti.

[fuzzy510]

Not sure that it's terribly surprising that, in the post-Top Chef afterglow, Isabella's going out on his own.

I am, however, a bit surprised that he's sticking around DC, but I'm not in the least bit upset about that.

[fuzzy510]

Apparently Michael Costa of Pazo in Baltimore has been named as Mike Isabella's successor.

[Rhone1998]

Zaytinya is always crowded so it was hard to tell if there was any surge of folks trying the place one last time before Mike Isabella leaves, but it was hoppin' Thursday night, and the chef was making the rounds on the floor, all smiles and handshakes. Four of us ordered about a dozen plates of varying success. My mom, on her first visit here, unfortunately couldn't be convinced to order outside of her comfort zone for Greek food, and predictably the dolmades, tabouleh, and falafel she got were among the most boring plates on the table. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the spanikopita, however, which I would order again next time I'm there - a fresh, tasty spinach and cheese mixture that was rolled into a log of crisp fillo. Very nice and I appreciated the innovation of the shape, which gave a higher filo to filling ratio than you'd get in the traditional preparation.

For me the real highlights of the meal were the fresh chickpeas (messy, but so hard to stop eating), a plate of wonderful little crabcakes, and the roasted cauliflower with raisins, pine nuts, and capers, a flavor combination I adore. The most eagerly anticipated part of the meal was easily the most disappointing - a lamb shank prepared sous vide before being roasted prior to serving. My dad hit the nail on the head when he described it as "mushy." Flavors were ok, but it was pretty hard not to be distracted by the off-putting texture. A miss.

[ema]

For me the real highlights of the meal were the fresh chickpeas (messy, but so hard to stop eating), a plate of wonderful little crabcakes, and the roasted cauliflower with raisins, pine nuts, and capers, a flavor combination I adore. The most eagerly anticipated part of the meal was easily the most disappointing - a lamb shank prepared sous vide before being roasted prior to serving. My dad hit the nail on the head when he described it as "mushy." Flavors were ok, but it was pretty hard not to be distracted by the off-putting texture. A miss.

I find Zaytinya's vegetable mezze to be superior to their meat mezze for the three times that I frequent the place. The best dish I had was probably a peach based salad on the specials menu.

[dcandohio]

Lunch at the bar Monday was my first visit since Mike Isabella departed. The menu was edited and prices seem to have crept to the point that I questioned the "value" of small plates. Service at the bar, as always, is efficient and friendly. Only shared three dishes: roasted cauliflower (delicious, but not a large portion for $8), the chicken shishtwook (fine, also small) and the grilled octopus. The bartender recommended the octopus as the signature dish. The meat was grilled crisp, and rendered a bit dry. It was still very tasty. But, for $12, it was maybe 8 small pieces - and the puree underneath is not enough to boost this to "filling" status. Of course, I enjoyed the hot bread with the oil in large quantities.

My last bar lunch at Jaleo had me thinking "this is a pretty good value for the money," and I had the opposite feeling at Zaytinya. I still love the bar, and the bright dining room, and the wonderful patio, but I don't think this place will lure me back soon as there are just too many other choices in the area and/or at the price point.

[Tweaked]

Brother was in town over the weekend for a conference, along with the vegan sister-in-law. They booked a table for Zaytinya for a saturday night, during RW, and I somewhat cringed. But a table of seven of us sat down and ate and ate and ate. And we ate well. Some highlights:

HORTA SALATA salad of cooked and raw greens, smoked olives, fava Santorini, ladolemono, pistachios. So good we ordered it twice!

CRISPY BRUSSEL AFELIA brussel sprouts, coriander seed, barberries, garlic yogurt.

SEASONAL MUSHROOMS sautéed mushrooms, dates, toasted almonds. Didn't sound too exciting but perhaps one of the best dishes of the night.

HÜNKíR BEĞENDI braised lamb shank, eggplant-kefalograviera puree. Love this dish.

ADANA KEBAB skewered ground lamb, house-made harissa, grilled tomatoes, sumac, onions.

FRIED SQUID crispy squid, garlic-yogurt sauce. Super tender squid.

ÍMAM BAYILDI roasted eggplant stuffed with onions, tomatoes.

After some tired meals at the downtown Jaleo (a recent trip to the Bethesda Jaleo was good) and a mediocre meal several months ago at Oyamel, I would have to easily rate Zaytinya the best of the Jose Andres Empire right now.

[mr food]

Lunch at the bar Monday was my first visit since Mike Isabella departed. The menu was edited and prices seem to have crept to the point that I questioned the "value" of small plates. Service at the bar, as always, is efficient and friendly. Only shared three dishes: roasted cauliflower (delicious, but not a large portion for $8), the chicken shishtwook (fine, also small) and the grilled octopus. The bartender recommended the octopus as the signature dish. The meat was grilled crisp, and rendered a bit dry. It was still very tasty. But, for $12, it was maybe 8 small pieces - and the puree underneath is not enough to boost this to "filling" status. Of course, I enjoyed the hot bread with the oil in large quantities.

My last bar lunch at Jaleo had me thinking "this is a pretty good value for the money," and I had the opposite feeling at Zaytinya. I still love the bar, and the bright dining room, and the wonderful patio, but I don't think this place will lure me back soon as there are just too many other choices in the area and/or at the price point.

This generally represents our feelings from a recent visit. Wine prices are also higher and the choices not quite as interesting. Still a fun place to dine-we always sit at the bar.

[NovaLawyer]

A bit of a follow-up on my recent series of posts on luncheon spots in DC. I have had lunch twice recently at Zaytinya, in addition to a dinner. I think the lunch deal is superb, a Greek/Mediterranean mezze-style luncheon of four courses for $22. For this price, if you forego vino, I think you will find the best spot in DC to have lunch without wine.

But for me, I ALWAYS have a cuppa with my food. Sometimes two glasses. Or even occasionally three. Or if there is no work to be done in the afternoon, four!

There are a number of excellent experiemental choices for mezze, mix and match and have fun.

My favorite thing on the menu, however, was the variety of not-too-common Greek wines by the glass, at reasonable prices.

This is one of my favorite luncheon spots in DC - for dinner, I thought it a bit too pricey for the grazing style of dining, but perfectly acceptable.

[Genevieve]

SEASONAL MUSHROOMS sautéed mushrooms, dates, toasted almonds. Didn't sound too exciting but perhaps one of the best dishes of the night.

This is the one thing I order absolutely every time. Rich, savory, unexpected flavors. Mushrooms are one of my favorite things, but even people who like them equivalent to other vegetables have sighed and asked if we should get another round of them.

[schulju]

Like NovaLawyer above, we took advantage of the $22 lunch deal yesterday. Miracle of miracles, Hubby pronounced his small plate meal as quite good and an excellent value!

Highlights were the crispy eggplant, the fattoush salad and the beef and lamb meatballs.

[Pool Boy]

Went recently. Have not been in quite a while.

Tried to avoid some things I have ordered before, and they always seem to have new stuff anyway, and specials, so this was not too hard to accomplish.

Good/Satisfying items were the Bantjan bil lana (crispy eggplant), the midyes (fried mussels) and a few other items.

Misses - the spiced veal sweetbreads. The spice on the dish we got so completely overwhelmed the sweetbreads, these could have easily been anything covered in this spice and tasted the same. Like chicken nuggets. This was a clunker.

Interesting dish for me was the kibbeh nayeh. I love tartare and I have not had this before. It was good and interesting, but nowhere near the peak of all things tartare. I would not be disappointed if I ordered it again even.

The WINS. The octopus santorini is sublime. Perfectly cooked, great combination of flavors and ingredients. A real stand out. But, by far (this is saying something because I love octopus), was the crispy brussels afelia. I could eat this every day and never get tired of it. So, so, so good. This is the perfect example of a dish you have someone try who says 'I hate <insert food item they hate>!', in this case brussel sprouts. A seriously great dish.

[Mark Dedrick]

I had also not been in a couple of years before we stopped in for lunch on Monday after encountering (not unexpected) 90 minute plus waits at Hill Country and Jaleo. It was a great choice for our group of folks. I completely echo the praise for the crispy brussels sprouts from Pool Boy. I loved them, and two self-proclaimed Brussels sprouts haters both tried them because they looked so good, and loved them. The crispy eggplant was also great. The only thing close to a miss (and it was still solid, just not great) was the cauliflower.

Solid service as well. We need to make it back sooner next time.

[B.A.R.]

Jose Andres. Call your office.

[jrichstar]

Kind of amazed that Zaytinya has had only 4 posts in the last year! I've been at least 5 times over the years and it's amazing how the quality of food consistently is high with some dishes being more than special. Went last night---had 10-15 dishes for our family of 5. All good-to-great. The two that were extraordinary were the octopus santorini (expertly charred and mixed with grilled onions and capers over a bed of pea puree) and hunkar begendi (braised lamb shank over a bed of a delicious eggplant-cheese puree). I will no doubt order these two every time I eat here going forward.

The space is large and airy, service relaxed yet crisp. It's a rare place that has excellent food like this where we can take our kids (ages 7-13) and everyone can have a good time.

It seems that the Jose Andres restaurants don't change much and do things so well that there's not a lot new to say about them. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[RWBooneJr]

Kind of amazed that Zaytinya has had only 4 posts in the last year! . . . It seems that the Jose Andres restaurants don't change much and do things so well that there's not a lot new to say about them. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Zaytinya is better now under Michael Costa than it's ever been. It's gotten its fair share of praise from Sietsema and Kliman lately, which is reflected in Zaytinya's ranking in DCDiningGuide (the ratings in the guide are an aggregate of based on Tom's, Todd's, and Don's assessments, adjusted for time and other factors). I think it generates comparatively little interest here because it's been around for a while so there's not much buzz. Also, the fact that the face of the brand (Think Food Group) is, for lack of a better description, a "celebrity chef," probably doesn't help endear it to "foodies."

[DonRocks]

Zaytinya is better now under Michael Costa than it's ever been. It's gotten its fair share of praise from Sietsema and Kliman lately, which is reflected in Zaytinya's ranking in DCDiningGuide (the ratings in the guide are an aggregate of based on Tom's, Todd's, and Don's assessments, adjusted for time and other factors). I think it generates comparatively little interest here because it's been around for a while so there's not much buzz. Also, the fact that the face of the brand (Think Food Group) is, for lack of a better description, a "celebrity chef," probably doesn't help endear it to "foodies."

My last full meal at Zaytinya was in September, 2011, so it has been nearly two years. That dinner was memorable for one thing only: some of the worst service I'd ever gotten in a restaurant (not *the* worst, but certainly "top 20 worst"). This was as damning an evening as there could possibly be, with two open-minded customers walking out asking why we would *ever* want to come back here? Poor service is remembered long, long after poor food.

Late last Sunday, two of us stopped into the bar where we ran into our friend Adam, who works in the industry. He was leaving work and going for some dinner (so obviously he's a fan), whereas we were just having a nightcap. So I've been as recently as a week ago, and spent a large amount of money (big spender bought everything, and left the wonderful bartender, clearly a friend of Adam's, a monster tip), but I didn't try any food at all.

So I guess it's time for my semi-annual 'Sighhhhh,' when I hear 2-3 people raving about Zaytinya, or Jaleo, or, Oyamel, or Hank's, or DC Coast, or PassionFish, or any of twenty other locally owned corporate restaurants that always range from "meh" to "very good," and accept the fact that I'm going to be $50-75 poorer and unthrilled, but at least I'll be current. One thing that has *always* remained consistent at Zaytinya is the "assembled" nature of the dishes, the individual ingredients seemingly placed onto the plate just before going out, generally resulting in pleasant flavor combinations (the flavorist for ThinkFoodGroup knows what he or she is doing) without much depth or persistence. One thing I do acknowledge (which is why Zaytinya is in Italic) is that I seem to be in the minority in never having loved the restaurant - are there flaws here that only a grizzled cynic who eats out every night can see? If so, then what good is that person's opinion anyway?

[CanY]

I visited Zaytinya twice in the last month, service is subpar, but food is well made. As a Turk, it's a great escape to sip on Efe Raki and eat pastirma and hunkar begendi. Until I discover another Turkish restaurant with above average food, Zaytinya will be my default choice for Turkish food.

[johnl]

At Zaytinya tonight, during DC's unseasonably warm spell at the end of December 2015 we had nice service from Farouk. One runner dropped the first Baba Ganoush unceremoniously and said something unintelligible but, other than that, the runners, bussers, and Farouk did a nice job.

Oh, and the food (lentil soup, eggplant, roasted cauliflower, medley of 'shrooms with dates and such; dolmades; Bronzino), why yeah... It was pretty dang good. (Exception: I didn't really like spicing on the batatas.)

[Tweaked]

Zaytinya continues to be our go to lunch spot when my parents are in town.  Spending an hour or so under the umbrellas on the patio during a day of museum-ing is the way to go.  The quality is still consistent after all these years, although the pita bread seemed a little drier.  Favorites include the french fries with yogurt sauce, roasted eggplant with onions and tomatoes, adana kebab, seared halloumi, oyster saganaki, and crispy brussels afelia.  Best to get there before 12:30pm on a Saturday, by 1pm the patio and restaurant was pretty much full.   

[Pool Boy]

Had a good meal here in the past few weeks. Still tasty from my perspective.

[DonRocks]

On 3/19/2018 at 2:16 PM, dcs said:

Lawsuit accuses celebrity chef Mike Isabella of ‘extraordinary’ sexual harassment, by Danielle Paquette,  March 19, 2018, on washingtonpost.com. at 1:06 PM Email the author

What I don't understand is why people - on either side (this is not a partisan post) - haven't produced ex-Zaytinya employees: José Andrés was most likely never there, and if there are any problems, they probably would have also existed at Zaytinya; if there aren't, then Zaytinya would probably have witnesses for the defense.

[funkyfood]

On 4/30/2018 at 9:52 AM, DonRocks said:

What I don't understand is why people - on either side (this is not a partisan post) - haven't produced ex-Zaytinya employees: José Andrés was most likely never there, and if there are any problems, they probably would have also existed at Zaytinya; if there aren't, then Zaytinya would probably have witnesses for the defense.

Perhaps because much of these allegations seem to be that Isabella ran an organization that had a culture of sexual harrassment.  If Isabella wasn't a partner/owner at Zaytinya, it's a bit less relevant.