youngfood

Red Apron Pastrami Sandwich. The stuff is incredible!

Funny I just read in Roll Call that this was actually happening and they were buying a lot from the Barracks. Of course the story also claims Barracks Row is a Foodie Haven.... remarkable revival yes, but ... Maybe while they are working together the Ted's/Matchbox guys can teach the Lola/Molly Malone/Chesapeake guys how to produce a decent meal. Chesapeake Room looks nice like Ted's, but yech... probably the worst and least intersting tasting meal I've had in some time. Should have checked the dining guide before agreeing to try it.

Not Maraschino, but the Amarena cherries - wild italian cherries - here are downright amazing. If you love the Palena deluxe manhattan, one of the reasons is surely because of their amazing cherries. This is not the same brand they use, but they are widely recommended, including in the Cyrus cocktail book, and they are nearly as indispensible to my manhattans as is my Carpano Antica Formula.

I don't think either adjacent building is a likely option, but they will begin construction on the patio alongside the east side of the patio soon and that will nearly double the number of seats they have available. I'd be surprised if the dining room wasn't a little roomier then as well. I'm with you on loving having this place in the neighborhood and on the lobster roll being great and an outstanding value.

Well deserved! We had maybe our best meal of the year there over the Memorial Day weekend en route to see some extended family down south and I totally dropped the ball on writing it up.... GO, GO, GO! It's a steal and you wont regret it.

My wife took me to Proof to celebrate my birthday last week and while we have always enjoyed meals there tremendously, this was our favorite visit yet. There were a number of notable new dishes on the menu – including a few that I suspect are previews for their new place, Estadio -- and some seasonal twists to old favorites. One thing that disappoints me about Proof (and many other restaurants with tasting menus) is that the four-course tasting menu is set is stone and therefore not flexible to allow us to sample different dishes (we like to share). So we decided to make our own mini tasting menu, which turned out to be much more fun. We asked for wine pairings with our dishes, and Sebastian, challenged our palates with some innovative, spot-on pairings. We started with the Chilled Cucumber and Avocado Soup with Maryland Blue Crab Relish. The soup itself was deliciously creamy while still light, and the fresh crab on top made each and every bite delicious. Paired with our soup was an Alsatian Pinot Gris, which was the slightest bit off dry and complemented the entire dish. Along with our soup we sampled the Burrata with Purple Asparagus and Radishes, which was paired with an Alto Aldige Pinot Grigio. The asparagus was fresh, crisp and well seasoned, and topped with a hearty serving of creamy burrata. The radishes in the dish gave it a little bite and texture, which helped cut the creaminess of the burrata. Next was Sweetbreads with Watercress, Celery Root, and Black Pepper-Caramel Jus. This sweetbreads here are always a winner and my wife and I can rarely turn them down, but the wine pairing made a very good dish extraordinary. Sebastian paired a taste of Maderia, which sounds like an odd choice, but with just a touch of the caramel jus on your fork it worked remarkably well. That might have been the pairing of the night -- a real homerun. The Sablefish (missing full dish description) here has always been popular and the Chef recently shed his most recent Asian preparation for one inspired by recent jaunt around Spain. Cooked perfectly as always, the sablefish was served with a delicious sauce with an almost mole-like flavor and topped with toasted pumpkin seeds. I might have enjoyed it even more than the very popular miso-glazed version they were doing when they first opened, though I am blanking on precisely what else was served with now a few days later. The Hanger Steak came next and like the fish was beautifully prepared and not a hint past medium rare, with a gorgeous hue of pink right throughout. Well-seasoned and tender, it was a strong last savory dish. We sampled two wines with the steak, a Mencia and a Cote de Rhone, both which worked differently but equally well. Last was the Chocolate Hazelnut Cake, which is hard to ever pass up. Instead of a wine pairing with this course, I asked Adam to prepare me a cocktail and had the an extremely delicious whisky sour I have ever had. Thickened with the whole egg, the drink was creamy and sour-sweet at the same time. There aren’t enough places to get a great whiskey sour. I thought it was a little odd when Proof announced they were bringing Adam on board because Proof is to me such a great wine place that already had some pretty cool cocktail offerings and a lively bar scene, but I almost always get a cocktail when I go there now and his friendly, informed presence does add another element to an already impressive staff here. Our server was new, but he did great job and made sure were happy and did not rush us in the least even though we lingered for a few hours. I wasn’t sure if Proof was a special occasion spot for us given that they don’t highlight a tasting menu they way Eve, Cityzen, Palena do, but I am sure we will find something else to celebrate at Proof again soon after what was a really outstanding birthday celebration.

Todd Kliman recommends Ethiopic in his online chat today as his top spot for Ethiopian, saying that it "is putting out some of the best Ethiopian food right now in the area." We had their lamb tibs on a recent visit and they were as good as any Ethiopian dish I've ever had.

Very nice and congrats! I don't remember if I ever posted on it, but PS7s did an outstanding job with our rehearsal dinner a year and a half ago as well. They seem to do really well with events -- the food and staffing for the last Repeal Day was fantastic, and the other events I've been to there have also been impressive in terms of how smoothly everything is run. I'm sure the Cocktail Week event next week will be another fine example of how well this restaurant does with big groups.

Likewise.

Before they opened, DDP-DC was doing a phone order carry out pie business and they were producing tasty pies, but (as Dave noted above) using far to thick crusts. I've been a handful of times since they opened officially and am pleased to report that the crusts are now within the range or perfectly acceptable to above average for store bought pies, which places the pies into the expected better than anywhere else I can imagine buying a pie category. They aren't cheap, but DDP is turning out some very good product for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert. They debuted a Key lime pie this weekend, which hit all the high notes with a nice texture and the right tart balance. Among savory pies, the S.M.O.G. (Steak Mushoom Onion Gruyere) is everything you'd hope it would be and a filling meal for a large slice ($8 - not bad for dinner). The Cowboy Quiche (lots of ingredients may vary, but likely bacon, potato, onion, cheese, mushroom, jalapeno) is good, but doesn't rival my wife's rendition of the Gourmet Cookbook Ultimate Quiche (homemade crust), which I very highly recommend. [Don/moderators, this thread should be moved to DC Dining, as we are talking about a Dangerously Delicious in DC on H Street NE/the Atlas District]

Dangerously Delicious Pies (1339 H St) makes a mean savory pie. Tried their SMOG (Steak Mushroom Onion Gruyere) recently and was really very pleased with it. I think they also do chicken pot pie, bbq pork, steak and chili, and a couple other savory pies.

I asked what to drink with grilled pork chops with mole: Great minds think alike and when they do they are often quite right. This was the perfect pairing and another reason I love DR.com. Thanks very much.

We were there last night. It's gorgeous inside -- really cool renovation with lots of exposed brick, including a partial divider down the middle which was probably the wall between two smaller rowhouse buildings before. Menu isn't totally complete, but the food is up and running. We tried the reuben egg roll and the corned beef in that was good. Friends liked the latkes. Another good addition to H Street.

Can anyone recommed a good wine pairing for grilled pork with mole? I'm drawing blanks. Maybe an Oregon Pinot or a Tempranillo?

Toyland (421 H St) opened before they had completed decorating and various other things (they are still redoing the kitchen, so food options are limited and they haven't renovated/opened the second floor), but the cocktails are surprisingly good -- I particularly enjoyed the Urban Bourbon Sidecar. Both owners have good experience in the industry, previously working at Acadiana and Ceiba among other spots. Tom Sietsema recently called it his favorite new bar.

Tom Sietsema does his First Bite on this place today. It's a nice piece on a nice spot with very solid Ethiopian food. Has anyone else been yet? We have been meaning to make another visit for a while. It's a small spot, so if Tom's piece drives up traffic and you have to wait for a table, stop by Toyland (421 H St) for a drink beforehand. Tom likes that place too -- called it his favorite new bar recently.

Some more details from Tom S on Drew Trautman's departure. Apparently he's planning on opening his own place on Capitol Hill. This would be very welcome news for either side of the Hill or H Street where we have a growing number of neighborhood spots, but remain short on fine dining with great chef options.

If you aren't on Dino's email list, you might want to sign up. Dean does weekly emails about what is new and shares great stories about the supplies they use, where they find new recipes, new specials/events, etc. A lot of these used to get posted here, but no longer do and they are always a great read in the same way that many of the best posts on this site are both an education and a pleasure. Today's email is entitled "The Story of Our Food" and gives the full scoop on all of Dino's protein purveyors. It's online at the website as well. I haven't been to Dino in a while and don't know when I'll go next, but I thoroughly enjoy reading Dean's emails even when I don't make it in to try what he's touting in them.

Where is the recommended spot for dim sum in NYC these days?

Taylor's "Spring Garden" -- broccoli rabe with aged sharp provole won Washington City Paper's Best Vegetarian Sandwich. Taylor is celebrating by offering half off the six inch version all this weekend.

Has anyone else tried the lobster roll yet? I think that might be the most noteworthy thing I've had in a series of very enjoyable visits here. I've been disappointed by loster dishes at so many restaurants and have had bad loster rolls in Maine, but the two times I've had it here have both been great, simple, fresh, not overcooked, and mostly lobster meat. This is a great neighborhood spot. It's going to be even better when they open up the patio, which will seat more people than the restaurant does, but they've got some work and permitting to do before that happens.

There's a new spot called Ethiopic that just opened at 401 H Street NE. My vegetarian sampler there on our first visit was very good. Yelp reviews are favorable thus far. Having met the owners who live nearby, I'm confident in saying the reviews aren't because they've been extrorted by Yelp. The restaurant is small and the staff is still getting up to speed, but the food is good and I don't think there's any other competition for them this side of 9th and U.

Dino $50 gift certificates for $25 on Living Social today.

Thanks for starting this thread. I've been a few times and am a big fan, as I think it's clearly the nicest spot on H St thus far. The chef is the guy who opened the original matchbox, so his pizzas -- especially the clams casino (clams, bacon, spinach) -- are good, with thin crust and a nice char on them. The lobster roll is our other favorite thus far. Prices are very reasonable, most pizzas around $10 a piece for ~6 pieces (ie, nearly enough for 2 people to call dinner after a salad or an app). They are relatively small inside, but adding a bigger outdoor patio alongside the restaurant soon. Address: 1016 H Street NE Website: http://libertytreedc.com/ Favorable early blog reviews