DonRocks

One of the reasons why it's such a welcome addition to the DC dining scene: Sette Osteria, 1666 Conn. Ave.; tel., 483-3070. Hours:, Mon.-Thu. 11:30am-2am; Fri. & Sat. to 3am; Sun., 11:30am-12mid. Major credit cards. Though savvy members of eGullet pretty much know this, Sette is best used for pizza and wine, and nothing more ambitious than that. They do both these things well, extremely well, and I cherish Sette as a top-three-in-DC pizza destination along with Two Amy's and Ella's, but many of the other dishes range from ordinary to just plain awful, though you may find the occasional success. Their extensive listing of Italian wines by region is brilliant and important to small people like me who care about the details of such things. Cheers (late night cheers), Rocks.

Jason, that was still a pretty good effort for only your second post. Oh, wait a minute ... that's your member number. Do try Teaism - they're reasonably fast, and unless you get the salted oat cookie, you won't spend the afternoon feeling like a bloat-o.

I love good rustic fare. Apparently this chain, owned by Outback Steak House, has decided to open an outlet in Reston. Meet those authentic Italian guys Johnny and Damian. Johnny's grandmother's mother (and grandmother's mother-in-law) were both born in Italy in the 19th century. Johnny says he enjoys the rigatoni campagnolo, while Damian prefers the spaghetti and meatballs, though he astutely points out that "Italian food is much more varied than the spaghetti and red sauce that has come to represent Italian food in America." Transportation Options to Carrabba's The preferred method is the ancient horse-drawn cart, but given the restaurant's modern twist on a traditional theme, arriving on a real Italian racing bike is always a propos.

Breadline (a sin to mention in the same post as Cosi) Marcella's (Chevy Chase) Woodmoor Deli (Four Corners) Dean & DeLuca There must surely be fifty others, but these four came to mind in the blink of an eye.

I was chatting with my friend the other night, talking about corkage being "illegal" in Virginia, yet we both know of places that let you bring your own wine (not to be mentioned on this forum, by the way!) I've heard for years that it is "against the law" to do this in Virginia, but has anyone actually seen a statute, or absent that, can anyone confirm it with certainty?

Here's Elliot Staren's list of DC-area restaurants that do allow patrons to bring their own wines and pay a corkage. No details are given as to particular policies, so you MUST call the restaurant in advance to arrange it: http://www.wideworldofwines.net/corkage.shtml

He didn't. Cosi is Italian, so was the server. He was simply trying to lend an air of authenticity to the moment. "Prego," he said.

I still think Buz and Ned's Real Barbeque is almost worth the drive to Richmond.

All women are like that. (*) The allure of places such as this always rests with a great individual, in this case, Mark Kitting. (*) Cosi fan tutte.

pork wrote, about Les Halles: Last week I had dinner at a well-known restaurant that has a canoe hanging from the rafters. My friend and I ordered a full meal at the bar, which was relatively empty. At one point, my comrade's wine glass was down to about 1/4 full, and the bartender said, "would you like me to touch that up a bit for you?" A nice gesture, right? A little extra splash of wine to get you through your entree and fill your heart with comraderie and goodwill? Nope! He filled the glass up to about 3/4 full, but when the bill arrived, he had charged for another glass of wine. The food was good, and the bartender was friendly, if a bit robotic and formulated, but this was irksome, and I ended up leaving a 15% tip which, at least in my own tortured mind, is a clear signal that service was merely ordinary. Had the bartender comped that "touch-up," he would have received a bigger tip. A well-known Hooligan once told me that in his opinion, good service is even more important than good food, and that bad service is remembered long after the food itself has been forgotten. More and more, I'm finding that I'm coming around to his school of thought. Cheers, Rocks.

This sounds like it was an amazing event, and Monica did a fantastic job of putting it all together. I really wish I could have been there and met the team, but I'm glad I at least got to buy a round for everyone in absentia. Cheers, Don.

You're not far from the truth: let me go ahead and post this photo.

It was the only place in town where you could get moose for dinner and mousse for dessert. A snack of snake. Chateaubriand and Chateau Haut-Brion.

Editor's note: sara and I decided this should get its own thread since it involves virtually every restaurant in the state of Virginia. Here is the website that has information about restaurant inspections. 1) Click on a county or city on the left side of the screen. 2) Click on "Restaurant Inspections." 3) Type in the name of the establishment. 4) Enjoy your lunch. While this is public information, I would exercise caution against unfairly singling out individual restaurants in this thread. Have at it! Rocks.

A couple thoughts: I suspect I would love the beef carpaccio and tofu, but bilrus has provided a first-hand anecdote about this, and his opinion cannot be dismissed. Likewise his observations about the kitchen. It would be an injustice towards Maestro to discuss the slide-presentation any further than this, even in jest, as it really has very little to do with anything. Cheers, Rocks.

No way!

It's on the northeast quadrant of the intersection of Glebe Road and Columbia Pike, right down from Papa John's pizza. It's hard to believe, but they have valet parking in back, amongst the dumpsters, in an alley: a guy is back there waiting for cars to pull up even when it's not crowded. I even found a web site for them here.

What a difference a week makes (from my most recent visit to Sushi-Ko). Sunday night I had dinner at Raku in Bethesda, and ordered the chef's choice sashimi. It was utterly mediocre, and bordering strongly on being just plain bad. Nothing tasted fresh, not the salmon, not the tuna, not the flounder, not the giant clam, not the yellowtail, not the sweet shrimp: nothing. Nothing was quite inedible, but everything was past its prime. Unsauced, raw dishes such as this leave no room for anything less than perfect clarity and freshness, and this sashimi plate was the culinary equivalent of an aging stripper, wrinkled and girthy, going through the motions and pretending that everything is as it once was. Thai Square in South Arlington is the best Thai restaurant that I know of. I have been going there for several years, and have been known to drive almost an hour roundtrip just for carryout. From simple sauteed bean curd with basil and chilis to shrimp with bean threads, tomatoes and onions through slices of roasted duck in a spicy red curry with pineapple (yes, pineapple) and basil to pig-knuckles, long-stewed with herbs and pickled lettuce, everything last night was in keeping with the informal, inexpensive greatness that is so representative of this fine ambassador of Thai cuisine. I love Thai Square. Cheers, Rocks.

In case anyone cares, the affable Bobby Beard has left Pesce and has taken over the helm at New Heights. Tom Meyer, sous chef at Pesce for several years, has become the head chef, and I've heard he is doing some fine work there. Regine Palladin, the owner of Pesce, is a remarkable woman, and has done a fine job maintaining the standards of this often overlooked restaurant, perhaps the most consistently good seafood restaurant in the area. Cheers, Rocks.

Avoid the paella (whether you're on a low-carb diet or not). The sangria is a popular favorite, although the predominant smell of cinnamon is probably a clue that it isn't made with Gran Reserva Rioja. Although some people might accuse Jaleo (and Zaytinya) of being Plug-and-Play food, easy-to-execute dishes that lend themselves to transient kitchen staff, three disparate locations (Washington, Bethesda and soon Crystal City), and an ever-busier executive chef who will soon be in charge of six restaurants, the bacon-wrapped dates are still a requirement. Cheers, Rocks.

FOUL! I'll post the list because I think people are interested in it. That said, I don't know a single restaurant professional who thinks these "awards" are anything more than a joke, a farce, a travesty, and a means to obtain a bit of free PR. What does it even mean, "of the year?" Here they are, Rocks. ------------- Neighborhood Gathering Place of the Year: Lebanese Taverna, DC Hottest Bar Scene of the Year: Zola Power Spot of the Year: The Palm, DC New Restaurant of the Year: Matchbox Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year: Marcel's Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year: Jaleo Chef of the Year: Roberto Donna, Galileo Restaurant Employee of the Year: Rod Wolfe, Finn & Porter Pastry Chef of the Year: David Guas, Ceiba/DC Coast/TenPenh Wine and Beverage Program of the Year: Kinkead's Restaurant Manager of the Year: David Moran, Old Ebbitt Grill Industry Ambassador of the Year: William and Patricia Anton, Anton Airfood, Inc. Rising Culinary Star of the Year: Jonathan Krinn, 2941 RAMW Associate Member of the Year: Patterson//Smith Associates Where Magazine Visitors Choice Award: McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant

Before anyone chimes in and screams FOUL!, Matchbox must be considered a hilariously great choice that thumbs its nose at convention and authority. And congratulations to vandyhoo's brother, Graig Glufling, chef at Matchbox.

P.S. There's a complementary thread here over on the Wine forum.

Being a Washingtonian and having known Daisuke for several years, I was sold on the red Burgundy and raw fish pairing many moons ago. In addition, he once told me that every great dish needs a certain amount of poison in it. He didn't mean poison literally, of course, but rather some small undertone of conflict that lends an edge of tension to the dish. There is a small selection of aged red Burgundies on Sushi-Ko's list, but I generally agree with Boris_A that young, powerful Burgundies do not go as well with sashimi and sushi. Case in point: I was there a week ago, and brought a bottle of 1993 Drouhin Griotte-Chambertin which was breathtaking with every single portion of raw fish, from sweet shrimp topped with caviar, through uncontroversial tuna and salmon, all the way to sea urchin at the other end of the spectrum. (The time before that I brought a 1997 Freddy Mugnier Musigny which worked equally brilliantly (Sushi-Ko allows their patrons to bring their own wines for a $15-20 corkage fee.)) Having run out of the Drouhin, I ordered a half-bottle of 1999 Bitouzet-Prieur Volnay ($28) which was consumed towards the end of the meal, and it simply did not work as well because the fruit was too vibrant and the tannis were harder - from personal experience, I can vouch that aged, light-to-medium-weight red Burgundies work much better within this theory. Cheers, Rocks.

And when (s)he is not there, he's not conducting the cooks. I heard Scott Bryan say, many years ago before he was at Veritas, that when he's gone for more than a few days, he comes back and the sauces are no longer his. Many chefs want to believe, and do a really good job convincing themselves (and others), that they can "pull it off" and run multiple restaurants. But it's not the same, and the more removed the chef becomes from being on-site on a daily basis, the further the individuality and soul of the restaurant become diluted. Cheers, Rocks.