youngfood
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Everything posted by youngfood
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I had a similar experience. My meal (the "fat boy breakfast" with eggs, sausage, pancake, and a very good biscuit) was actually quite good, but it is a very small spot and right now they are drawing enormous crowds and are rushing to keep the lines from gettting too long. I suspect once the opening rush and kinks are out their system, they'll be consistently good. Unfortunately for these guys, their soft opening was widely reported on the internet without their authorization, which meant they had to get up to speed under extreme conditions and without the benefit of the limited crowds you'd hope for with a soft opening. It's a neat space, a good development for an underserved and developing neighborhood, and a concept that the District itself doesn't seem to be otherwise offering, so I suspect they'll do very well.
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You know when it wasn't hopping? Valentine's Day. You could walk into the cafe and have no wait anytime through 9 pm. It was unreal! I guess folks either didn't realize they were open on a Sunday night because they aren't usually or weren't willing to risk going out on VDay without a reservation, but it was without a doubt our best Valentine's Day out ever. The burger was better than ever. I love that they aren't afraid to serve medium rare on the rare side and I love that they're always willing to split things for us. Actually, I love everything about the cafe and treat it like it's my neighborhood restaurant even though we live nowhere near it.
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Also worth noting about the story is that it is another awesome piece of writing by Jane Black who I now probably enjoy reading more than anyone else who appears regularly in my morning newspaper. Does she have a blog or is there another spot to keep track of her work?
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Go to Johnny's Half Shell for great wings near Union Station. Not quite the usual formula, but probably my favorite wings in town.
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If you haven't tried Taylor's Pattison Avenue, you should. Don't take it from me, take it from Jane Black. It's a great roast pork hoagie with broccoli rabe and their fantastic aged sharp provolone with a touch of pan drippings sauce. A great spicy, sweet, savory, juicy combination. I never had the Galileo Grill version and I don't know the Philly original, but this is certainly the best sub I've had in many successful trips to Taylor.
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Toki Underground is a little Ramen and Dumplings spot coming to H Street (above the Pug), opening some time early 2010.
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Miami is probably a good choice. While I didn't eat at many good spots in Grand Cayman, I think many people believe that Eric Ripert's Blue is likely the best restaurant in the Caribbean. We had two excellent meals there, which included several great seafood dishes.
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Anyone have any good punch recipes for this time of year? We just inherited a beautiful old punch bowl and are trying to determine a good recipe with which to rechristen it.
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BUMP. Last I heard this was not yet sold out. If you are on the fence, find some of the pics and reviews from last year as it was about the greatest party ever. While I haven't heard a ton about this year's event, what I have heard suggests that they are trying to exceed that rip-roaring, ridiculously good time.
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You might check to make sure they have truffle tonight, as they were out as of last night. That said, the milk-fed baby pig was one of the best dishes I've had all fall, so it might be worth the trip out even if they do not.
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What are folks planning on driking with their Thanksgiving meals? We are starting with Thibaut-Jannison blanc de blanc, then moving to Pinot Gris, but I am welcoming suggestions for something to pair with pumpkin and apple pie. I'm thinking Sherry, maybe the 1927 Alvear Pedro Ximenez Solera?
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Seconded and say it aint so!
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Seconded. They roast their own beans daily. Go pick them up on a Sunday afternoon at 2:00 and watch the traditional Ethiopian Coffee ceremony they do weekly. As a bonus, you are supporting a local, family-run small business. How can you beat that?
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Dangerously Delicious Pies is coming to DC, opening very soon at 1339 H Street (next door to H St Country Club). They had hoped to open before Thanksgiving, but have not quite yet finished everything. Thanksgiving pies (apple, pecan, pumpkin, and sweet potato) are available now via telephone order at (202) 398-PIES. I haven't been to the Baltimore location, but I hear they are very popular, and they get some serious love in the dr.com thread on Pies. Here's what "thelistareyouonit" has to say about them:
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I adore the Thibaut-Janisson thanks to Mark for introducing us to it at his former place of business. It tastes more like real champagne than anything else I've had from elsewhere or at its pricepoint (20 some dollards).
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Proof has long been my favorite spot for bar dining and a recent visit confirmed all the reasons why: a thoughtful and varied wine-by-the-glass programs, a seasonally changing menu of small plates, and an excellent staff almost all of whom have been here for quite a while, which allows them to really be on top of their game at all times. Highlight from this weekend was a new addition to the menu: the Pork Noodle Bowl. Pork shoulder meets sausage in something akin to Pho. It is a must try dish.
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Has anyone been here? Other than Sietsema's First Bite, I don't think I've heard anything about this place.
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Napa 1015, 10th & H Streets NE - Closed.
youngfood replied to youngfood's topic in Washington DC Restaurants and Dining
Napa 1015 closed over the weekend. My one visit here several months ago was disappointing and the wine list was clearly subpar for a wine-centric spot, but a lot of people said they had started putting out good food recently. They own the building and are going to continue to do catering, but it will be interesting to see whether they reopen or are replaced by another restaurant. This is prime real estate now that the streetcars are officially coming to H St and they are going to build high-end condos to cover the two blocks south of it. Napa's closing definitely opens the door to another more upscale, wine-centered establishment, which H Street is conspicuously lacking at this point. There's lots of other stuff coming soon, but none of it really fits the fine dining and wining bill. -
Souk a small Middle Eastern restaurant opened at 1208 H Street earlier this week. It's a tiny operation that seems to be run by a husband and wife team with seating for dine-in and take out available. At first glace, it looks like a great addition to the neighborhood with a very inexpensive menu of Middle Eastern staples (hummus, baba ganoush, grape leaves, schwarma, falafel, kafta, kebobs, etc). The opening menu is attached.Souk.pdf
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If you are looking for a happy hour with happy hour prices, Chef Geof isn't far and I think still does a variety of discounts including super mugs of beer, half-priced burgers, and something like half-priced pizza nightly. I used to go there for happy hour all the time, though I think it may have gotten more crowded with louder happy hour types in recent years. Nothing extraordinary on the beer list or from the kitchen, but it is certainly a step above $2 miller lights and 10 cent wings.
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Details from Sietsema & Metrocurean
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I hear what you are saying -- I can't remember the last time I said something significantly negative here and there seem to be increasingly few such posts that don't come across as unfair or based on an agenda. I don't think its inappropriate for you to say that your server was generally lacking and some of the food wasn't great though. There's another reason I sometimes hesitate to complain here: it seems far too easy to do so and to end up getting freebies for your experience because of how many restaurant insiders are on here. I love this board and I love knowing the good spots to try, the best dishes to get, who the sommelier somewhere is and whether he/she is worth seeking out, but I'm not sure I want to get special treatment after the fact just because I happened to complain about a bad experience on here or even just because I participate here. Indeed I recall a prior complaint about the restaurant you are criticizing leading to the chef making a personal invitition for the diner to return. It feels like some folks abuse that and I'm not comfortable with that.
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Given that I didn't express my displeasure to the restaurant, I'd rather not indict them publicly here. That really is what happened though. Our server was diligent and timely with his pours and everything else. The somm was there, shooting the breeze, seemed to only focus attention on 2-3 tables in an otherwise full restaurant. I guess that was a part of the problem, if the somm is there and is able to gush over a few tables for the entire night, devoting zero attention to a table that has put itself in your hands with a decent budget for pairings is not going to come across well.
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When paying ~$70 for a wine pairing to accompany a tasting menu at one of the top 5-10 restaurants in town, is it reasonable to expect the sommelier or at least someone else who is well-versed in the wines being poured and can tell you more than "this bordeaux is very good" or "this is a riesling from germany" to be involved in presenting it to you? And if so, what do you do about finding that you aren't getting what you expected when no one other than the nonwine expert servers asks you how everything is? The wines, by the way, met my expectations and were well-paired, but if I pony out that kind of cash, I am expecting an experience and a little knowledge as well as that is more than half the attraction of a wine pairing for me. And, the sommelier was there the whole time, just not paying any attention to us.
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Among last night's specials, the rissotto osso bucco was delicious and an absolute steal at $20 for a plate with enough rissotto and enough osso bucco to constitute two separate entrees. The lasagna had a fantastic tomato tang to it that really helped cut the richness of the dish. The patio is beautiful here and they seem to be starting to do pretty good business. This is a wonderful addition to the neighborhood. Great food, moderate prices, and a lovely atmosphere while the weather is nice -- it's probably going to be a neighborhood favorite for anyone on this side of the hill.