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Ophelia's Fish House (Formerly The Chesapeake Room), Chef Gregorio Martinez on 8th and E Streets on Barracks Row


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On 3/12/2010 at 9:40 AM, Keithstg said:

We've been doing the same thing - the sign looks cool, and the interior is extremely nice. Looking forward to both this and the chesapeake room ( think that's what it will be called) in the near future.


Chesapeake Room, yes. From the Lola's and Molly Malone's folks ... which has mixed implications. (At this point I'm far more intrigued by Ted's Bulletin ... but I won't write off Chesapeake Room til it's had a chance.)

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As of today there's a sign posted on the door that says they're targeting a June 1st opening. Apparently they're still ironing out the contracts with local farms and suppliers. Decor is 100% finished, and the covered patio looks great. Hopefully they won't have surrendered all their buzz to Ted's Bulletin by the time they open. (this may have already happened)

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They did, at the very least, a soft opening last night (a friend of mine was there). So fingers crossed for Saturday!

There was also one the night before last. I was talking to someone who went, and he was describing the food in glowing detail. It sounds very promising. He had some nice photos of the interior as well.

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We dropped in Friday during lunch and the place was busy. We had already eaten so we had a beer. My observations: The indoor dining room is small. Servers were engaged in a complicated series of ballet moves to avoid crashing into one another. If/when that bar gets slammed, moving food is going to become seriously difficult. The gentlemen next to us had a barbeque sandwich of some sort - served in a hollowed out half-loaf of round bread. He said it was tasty but impossible to eat as a sandwich. The loaf is cut into crescents, and the crescent is served facing upward, like a boat. Burgers looked good. The patio is huge, and I'm sure it will be a very popular spot in nice weather.

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My boyfriend and I were there for one of the soft opening nights. We sat at the bar with several of our friends and acquaintances and had the chance to hear feedback from the bigger group. There was 100% consensus that the food was excellent, the menu interesting and the service was very good. It's a big accomplishment for a new restaurant to put out consistent and perfectly cooked food during their first days/weeks.

Among the favorites were the bison ravioli (homemade, tender and flavorful), the smoked pork chop (very smoky and tender that melt in your mouth), the chicken (a typically boring dish made exciting) and the ginger cheesecake. We also heard great feedback about the smoked oysters, the rockfish and the bison tartar. All the food was cooked spot on, the presentation was attractive and the ingredients fresh. One comment was that the seasoning on many dishes could be a tad stronger but could easily be rectified and make the dishes even better. One other comment was that the prices are a higher price point than other restaurants in the area so it's not likely to be an everyday place but definitely worthwhile when possible.

I'd recommend getting out to try the best new place on Barrack's Row.

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Tried out Chesapeake Room tonight, with Banco -- and by saying so, I am putting him on the hook (no pun intended) for his opinion.

I started with the Xavier’s Manhattan:Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Sweet Vermouth & Blood Orange Bitters ($10). The bartender, Sean, joked with me, "You want that on the rocks, right?" It was pleasantly bitter; I worried that the blood orange bitters would make it unnecessarily sugary, but they didn't, and the drink was quite nice. I moved to a Cotes du Rhone after that, which was more than passable. The wine list has some intriguing options; most, alas, are not available by the glass, but in theory the wines are kept at the appropriate temperature, and have some choices that aren't terrible.

I say "in theory" because Chesapeake Room has been slammed beyond anticipation. Following Hill blogs and talking to them tonight, I learned that they keep running out of booze and food. They had by the glass the 2009 Domaine Coteau de la Biche, Vouvray Sec, normally only available by the bottle, but it wasn't at the right temperature, likely because they just had to throw it into the chill at the last minute. It's a shame; I was saying I wanted that and the 2008 Chateau Ducasse, Bordeaux Blanc, Sauvignon/Semillon available to try, in an ideal world ... too bad the Vouvray was not at temp.

The Horseradish Fried Virginia Oysters house smoked bacon-leek fondue ($12) are outstanding, perfectly fried, not greasy, retaining great flavor if not the brininess of the half shell, and the crispy oysters paired nicely with creamy melted leeks infused with smokiness from teh bacon. The Wild Boar Cheek Raviolis, Bourbon butter & arugula salad ($11) was actually a ragu served over tagliatelle tonight, definitely fresh pasta (so if made in-house, why not ravioli?), and a delicious rendition, although gelatinous as you'd expect from a ravioli filling instead of a pasta topping. This dish could be a go-to if the chef decides what he's doing with it.

The Hand-cut Bison Tartare, free range, roasted beets, lemon aioli & cilantro ($12) needed more lemon, or other piquant element (capers or onion) and fewer beets. Still, the bison had merit; it just needed something piquant to be set off correctly. That said, the Pan Sautéed Golden Tile Fish, Carolina Gold rice, summer squash, shellfish broth & preserved lemon ($24) presented as wonderfully cooked fish, well-seasoned, flaky, and delciious (Banco can contradict here if so desired) -- I would go back and order that again for myself. The lemon was not too acidic, just setting off the richness of the fish, and I thought it was executed well.

The space is very pretty and welcoming, if long and narrow. I absolutely intend to get back several times and try out the full menu, and get to know the staff. They are totally slammed right now but doing their best to handle it with aplomb; I hope beyond hope that the neighborhood continues to love this place over time and let them settle into their groove.

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Yeah, they're definitely having a problem keeping up with demand right now. I keep looking in there every time I go past on my way to work, and I've twice now seen signs that they were unexpectedly closed for lunches or full days of service.

It's obviously a great problem to have to start out, but I'd imagine not one that they can have for too much longer before people pass it up simply because they're unsure if they'll be open.

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Tried out Chesapeake Room tonight, with Banco -- and by saying so, I am putting him on the hook (no pun intended) for his opinion.

Well here I am all set to hold forth over our dinner last night and leleboo beat me to it. I concur with every point she made, positive and negative, in her exhaustive comments. I would only add a more critical note to her comments on the tartare. This was basically a rip off: a thin layer of virtually unseasoned beef topped with a larger amount of chopped red beet whose only purpose appeared to be to make the serving look bigger. At 12 bucks I couldn't help but ask, "Where's the beef?" For only 75 cents more, you could have the far more substantial and flavorful steak tartar at Bistro Bis. Still, I liked everything else about the food and will definitely return.

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Well here I am all set to hold forth over our dinner last night and leleboo beat me to it. I concur with every point she made, positive and negative, in her exhaustive comments. I would only add a more critical note to her comments on the tartare. This was basically a rip off: a thin layer of virtually unseasoned beef topped with a larger amount of chopped red beet whose only purpose appeared to be to make the serving look bigger. At 12 bucks I couldn't help but ask, "Where's the beef?" For only 75 cents more, you could have the far more substantial and flavorful steak tartar at Bistro Bis. Still, I liked everything else about the food and will definitely return.

Far too many beets, but good ones -- they'd have been better on the side, and more of the lemony aioli right on the bison would have vastly, vastly helped. (And yes, the price is too high for what is currently being served.)

(Anyone else having a "Bears! Beets! Battlestar Galactica!" moment? No? Just me. Ok, then.)

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I went last night to Chesapeake Room with two girlfriends, and loved the vibe. It was busy, but not slammed (we arrived at 6pm), and they seated us right away (despite that we were down one of the three of us due to Nats fan-related Metro delays) at the communal table. I don't mind the communal table concept, but here it is so close to the wall that the people on the end have to get up to let you in if you are seated in the middle, and they don't seat logically from left to right to prevent that from happening. I'm just glad I didn't have to check my lipstick in the ladies room :lol:

The Belmont Stakes were on the big TVs, and the bartender turned up the sound just for the race, and that made for a really joyful, playful atmosphere. I ordered one of their signature cocktails (Sazerac Rye Old Fashioned), which was pretty small, frankly. I guess I'm used to the full 10oz martini glass, so these little rocks glasses are just a couple of sips. Ahem. The waiter did warn me that they might be out of the sazerac, but they weren't. I guess he has learned to prepare people considering all the shortages they have had over the past week or so.

The menu seemed VERY limited compared to some that I have seen online, and I can only assume that this is how they are trying to cope with the crowds. I had the house-made Pappardelle with Boar Cheek and Arugula. Well, apparently they were out of Arugula, because it was actually pappardelle with boar cheek and thinly sliced....romaine. It was delicious, and very affordable at $11, but it was definitely an appetizer portion and that was not clear on the shortenend menu. Plus, romaine?

One of my dining companions enjoyed her Roasted Rockfish, which I sampled and found moist, tender, and perfectly cooked. My other dining companion had the smoked bluefin pate, which she enjoyed but asked, what makes this pate? It's tuna salad. I did not try it because, well, I really only eat smoked fish at funerals.

The chef was making the rounds, chatting people up (especially the supermodel-types next to us), and in general he was very welcoming. We spent some time with him during A Taste Of Eighth Street a few weeks ago, and he's got the right stuff for the job.

Overall, good to very good food, good to very good service, a great atmosphere. I trust they will continue to improve. As I said to my companions last night, remember when dining on the Hill meant Tunnicliffes or La Lomita? Welcome to the 'hood, CR, I look forward to spending my money with you again soon.

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I stopped by the Chesapeake Room last night and had a Raven Lager ($6 (all drafts are $6)). This is a striking bar area, and has anyone noticed the hilariously small flat-screen TV behind the bar?

Desperate for a snack before dinner, I ordered the House Made Pappardelle ($11) with wild boar cheek ragu and arugula. This was a good dish, but not one I'd rush back to order because it feels like I've had variations of this hundreds of times before (even though I really haven't). A glass of Kluge Estate Simple Red ($8) was short, somewhat astringent, and inexcusably served at room temperature.

The food I saw being brought out to the bar area looked solid and well-cooked, particularly the Cast Iron Roasted Rockfish, but this menu - honorable though it is - just doesn't get my blood pumping.

Cheers,

Rocks

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The food I saw being brought out to the bar area looked solid and well-cooked, particularly the Cast Iron Roasted Rockfish, but this menu - honorable though it is - just doesn't get my blood pumping.

Have to agree -- they have shortened the menu and I think it doesn't work as well as it did before. The prices still seem a dollar or two too high for what they're serving, although the mains in particular are, in fact, nicely done (the rockfish is definitely a star).

I love the look of the bar, and the big (covered) patio is a draw. Dropping in after work for a drink remains a pleasant idea, but I can't help feeling that their formula still isn't quite right to turn this place into a destination -- and that's saying a lot, given that I'm only coming from a few blocks away.

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The food I saw being brought out to the bar area looked solid and well-cooked, particularly the Cast Iron Roasted Rockfish, but this menu - honorable though it is - just doesn't get my blood pumping.

I had a full meal tonight at Chesapeake Room, and everything was good. My young dining companion had the Bison Burger ($13) as his entree, and wanted a bit of ketchup - my server nodded knowingly, but apparently they don't carry ketchup, and so he brought out some slightly sweet house-made tomato sauce in its place. Maybe they were just out of ketchup, but I was impressed with the seemingly uncompromising nature of this. Upgraded to italic.

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Chesapeake Room. Lovely smoked oysters and accompaniments. Not Victory Pils but whatever the Victory Octoberfest beer is that they have. Such a gorgeous view from there on a beautiful day. I love the fishtank behind the bar as well.

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Butternut squash-cauliflower puree sounds a little bit like you threw open the refrigerator door, yanked the crisper out to within an inch of its life, and mused, "Huh. Squash and cauliflower. I guess those things would blend up together."

Well, skeptic, they do, and how, the sweetness of the squash playing off the bitter/vegetal nature of the cauliflower beautifully. The first bite results in a "Hmmm ... mmm," the second in turning to your dining companion with, "You've got to taste this," and by the third, it's all parrying* the incoming fork: "Hey, the rest is mine!"

Chesapeake Room is the neighborhood newcomer that has continued to step up its game on each visit -- they're small steps, incremental, but I'm glad to see that they're maintaining upward trend. Tonight's meal was enough to make me want to return in much shorter order than I have before (and I hope they'll still have that puree).

*And this was even before the Catoctin Creek tasting. No, really.

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Chesapeake Room is the neighborhood newcomer that has continued to step up its game on each visit -- they're small steps, incremental, but I'm glad to see that they're maintaining upward trend. Tonight's meal was enough to make me want to return in much shorter order than I have before (and I hope they'll still have that puree).

Wow. I guess I have to give this place a second chance. My initial visit about a month after they opened was downright bad and overpriced to the point that I had entirely crossed them off my list. Wonder if something changed or if they've just improved over time.

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Wow. I guess I have to give this place a second chance. My initial visit about a month after they opened was downright bad and overpriced to the point that I had entirely crossed them off my list. Wonder if something changed or if they've just improved over time.

They were very inconsistent just after they opened, and at their price point, that was distressing. The entrees are still on the higher end for 8th Street, toeing Belga on that front, but they're also bringing it portion-wise: I couldn't have finished the pork chop without help (and I am usually a bottomless pit).

I think this place has had some struggles -- not every visit there has been a win, and on one we had some of the most inattentive service I could imagine, which redeemed itself just before it forced me to forgo tipping altogether and write a note -- but I grow more and more pleased with the quality each visit, to the point that I actively want to return.

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We made our first visit today after the wait for breakfast at Ted's Bulletin was unfathomable. Boy did we wish we'd have just stayed in line...

The drinks (bloody mary, though from a bottle, and a mimosa) were ok, and Brandon got the white bean soup which was pretty tasty. He went with the egg sandwich on ciabatta. The bread was nicely toasted, but the sausage was overcooked beyond comprehension and the apple slices that came as a side were pretty oxidized (when they showed up, I thought they were potatoes).

The real trainwreck was the "shrimp and grits" (in quotes for a reason). $14 buys you five (20-25 count or so) shrimp, and about an ounce of crab meat hidden underneath a grit "croquette" (read: a ball of grits dropped into the fryer). The shrimp are swimming in some kind of cream sauce. As someone from the south, I find this variation on the classic dish to be a bit insulting (not to mention, the appetizer-sized portion for $14).

Brunch was definitely a "meh" experience.

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I'd been to The Chesapeake Room three times in 2010 (July 8th, August 3rd, December 7th), and it slowly worked its way up my food chain (sorry) in quality, finally being raised to Italic and eventually ranked as my #1 restaurant in Southeast Capitol Hill before being elbowed aside when Brian Wilson became the new chef at Montmartre. What surprised me over the past year were the disagreements I received (several, from different people) about the high placement in the Dining Guide. When I hear from several disparate people that I've over- or under-rated a restaurant, it usually means they're correct, and so I made a mental note to go back and reevaluate The Chesapeake Room, finally getting there last night.

Having already had a surprisingly ample snack at Fusion Grill, I didn't have space for a full meal, so The Chesapeake Room became part two of a mini-progressive dinner.

I didn't realize that Brewer's Art Resurrection ($5) was sold in cans, but I guess I should have because of this post. This is a good beer, and I'm going to tell you something about it that will surprise you. Guess where it's brewed?

Nope, not in Baltimore. It's brewed in Royersford, PA at Sly Fox Brewing Company, and I was every bit as surprised as you are.

Chef Gregorio Martinez was working last night, and I simply couldn't resist the call of autumn: Veal Autumn Stew ($15) was the most appealing thing to me on a still-stodgy menu (stodgy in terms of how it "reads"). However, the execution of this pleasant, peasant dish was anything but stodgy: large, bite-sized chunks of veal were mixed in with roasted root vegetables (turnip, carrot, onion), and served atop good, garlicky mashed potatoes (the fourth root vegetable) with a veal gravy reduction. What impressed me the most about this dish was the quality of the veal. This may not sound like much upon first thought, but if I were blindfolded, and took a bite of this meat, I'm fairly certain I would instantly recognize it as veal. Not chicken, or pork, or goat, or duck, or lamb, or some other type of beef, but veal.

Based on this small, but meaningful, sample, The Chesapeake Room is maintained right where it was: squarely in Italic, and right behind Montmartre. Nothing I saw on this evening led me to believe it should be otherwise; about the only nitpick I have is that it seemed like the kitchen was a bit slow in getting orders out, but that observation is based only on a couple of times when I looked around the room, so there may not be much to it.

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We decided to try the Chesapeake Room a week or two ago, for a mellow Sunday night dinner.  The food was good - my scallops with risotto were perfectly cooked and seasoned, and hubby liked his shrimp and grits - but the service was quite poor and therefore I don't think we'll be rushing back.  The bartender was attentive when we first sat down and ordered a drink, but then it was nearly impossible to get his attention again (he was either hanging out in the back or talking to two buddies at the other side of the bar).  It took an inordinate amount of time to get our food, and there were no intermediate check-ins or explanations.  Finally, as we were eating, the couple of regulars next to us was presented a free plate of the same scallops and risotto I was paying $25+ for.  As I explained to Jason, it was probably a goof-up in the kitchen, but he always gets really irked when disparate treatment is so noticeable.

There are definitely places on Barracks Row with better service, so I don't see us returning anytime soon...

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