JennyUptown

Agreed - my gnocchi was very salty. It came with grated parmesan on top (they went a little crazy with it actually) which was part of the saltiness.

I'd suggest Matchbox (mini-burgers!!), but everyone has already been there, I do believe, so I don't know how exciting that would be.

Short of checking out McDonald's dollar menu, I really don't think you're going to find cheaper brunches outside of maybe Austin Grill and the aforementioned Kramerbooks. Luna whatchamacallit in Dupont maybe?

It was indeed good, but on the weekend, you can probably find other choices, particularly in Dupont. During the week, there aren't as many options.

Oh MAN. Thanks for that zinger! I almost says "yes, me," but then I remembered: I AM 30.

I planned to bring some unfancy nametags (OK, they're office labels), but if you have anything nicer, bring it!

More orange!

Nice meal recap. Informative AND amusing.

Lifted from my bio... My interest in visiting the site came primarily out of a love of dining out, but more recently I have developed a desire to learn to cook. Better late than never, right? My efforts have been quite simple thus far, but my boyfriend is relieved to not have to be our full-time chef so no matter what comes out of the kitchen, he's pretty grateful! About me...I'm originally from a tiny town called Taylor in Northeastern PA. There I did the usual small town stuff including going to hair-band concerts (I was way into Bon Jovi, Poison and the like), getting perms and making my hair really, really big. Oh well, it WAS the 80s. After four years in Ithaca (Go Big Red!), I moved to NYC and to the chagrin of my parents, decided to ignore my degree in psychology to do something more "fun." First I worked for a magazine (great parties, little room for advancement). Eventually, I got a job at the NBA and began to build a career in sports marketing in spite of not knowing anything at all about basketball. It was a steep learning curve and now I'm passionate about the game. On 9/10/01, I accepted the proverbial dream job here in Washington, DC and then 9/11 happened...making leaving Manhattan both easier and more difficult. I still feel the city's pull all the time (and I certainly miss the quantity of quality restaurants there - DC has great eats, just not as many places to choose from). But life here in DC is good. My job is a challenge as well as a laugh. I have a fun group of friends and we non-chefs help keep DC's restaurants in business. When I'm not working, I like to write, practice my [reasonably awful] Spanish and drink vast quantities of coffee. As for tonight... A few people have asked about how we'll handle the exchange of funds tonight and that's a good question. For the budget-minded folks among us (I count myself as one), I think it would be best if we divide the food portion more or less evenly and subsquently tally the alcohol bill according to who drank what. When I arrive, I also plan to ask about the possibility of a several checks for the table (4-6 people each), but in case the Sette people aren't into that, I thought we needed a backup. If anyone has a better idea, I'm open to it. PM me. I should be easy to spot because I'm wearing an orange top (who wears orange much anyway??) and a black skirt. I believe hillvalley and I will arrive early-ish, like 6:15, so we'll see you there. I plan to bring name tags. They're not required, but if you are willing, you can right your screen name and first name if it isn't immediately apparent.

You're not alone re: the bones. Strips, please.

Neither Sette nor Zaytinya accept reservations. The downtown area (where Zaytinya is located) also called the Penn Quarter is especially full of spots you might like, especially with a teenager on-hand. Matchbox is one of my favorites. I often struggle when I try to find moderately priced meals in Dupont. If you like bistro-style food, go to Bistrot du Coin (is there a topic dedicated to BdC???), north of the circle. Luna is inexpensive, but IMHO unspectacular as well. You could do much better.

Nectar for your special meal of the trip? Sette Osteria for pasta and pizza in Dupont? And no trip to DC would be complete without a visit to Zaytinya (thread 1 of at least 2)

I hope to have my camera with me (note to self - don't forget camera). Here's the latest... Updated: bilrus +1 DonRocks - maybe cjsadler mdt JPW + Mrs JPW hillvalley mnebergall hannnah babka - maybe hjshorter DCMark + 1 edemuth eunny jang me

A week after my original reservation, I made it to Ray's the Steaks last night with one of my friends. In short, the steak was a revelation to me on a number of levels. First, though, the decor. It is indeed as minimalist as everyone has described. Minimalist is a kind word for it actually. White walls, basic tables and chairs, some wine on shelves that divides the kitchen from the dining room and...that's pretty much it. While I waited for my friend to arrive, I perused the wine list, the menu and a handout dedicated to describing the meat and the done-ness options. The wine list is interesting, as well as reasonably priced - interesting in a good way, that is, and later I learned exactly how that came to pass via a 20 minute conversation with Michael-not-Ray. My friend arrived and we ordered. Based on other reviews we'd read, we skipped appetizers and moved straight to the steaks. There must be fifteen or so different options listed on the menu and our server was eager to please via any customizations we might like (e.g., the $1 addition of blue cheese crumbles, etc.). I was intrigued by the NY strip black and blue and said as much; the host said it was a great choice. But truthfully, I was nervous. I hadn't had a NY strip in years and I couldn't remember much about how I liked the cut. My friend ordered the house special which, to me, sounded rather busy with lots of saucing and spicing going on. But when our steaks came out, they looked awfully similar and I wasn't sure I had received the right steak. When I cut into mine, it also looked more like medium well/well than my requested medium. Michael stopped by and asked what he could do. I said that I hadn't realized that the black of the black & blue was an au poivre situation (duh, I know think to myself) and also that the steak wasn't medium. Michael was so nice about it that I was fully prepared to just eat the damn steak, but he insisted and within minutes, I had a new NY strip with just the blue cheese. He also sent an extra order of the mashed potatoes that he'd seen me enjoying (a lot). The steak situation opened quite a dialogue and we ended up talking with Michael about everything from the DC restaurant scene to his philosophy on wine for at least twenty minutes. He's quite the host - my friend and I really enjoyed chatting with him. He mentioned that he's working on the spring/summer menu which will include the much-loved chopped steak (offered last night as a butcher's cut - so tempting - at, I believe $10.95) and a hanger steak. Back to the steak...quite simply, it was out of this world. The cut was NOTHING like the NY strip/shoe leather my mother used to serve (sorry Mom - I still love you!). Seriously, her strip was thin - maybe 3/4" thick - with shiny chucks of fat in selected spots. And it was well-done, always well-done. Blah. This hunk of beef, by contrast, was extraordinary. Thick, tender, juicy with a marvelous flavor. I loved it (and I can't wait to eat the last bit of it, packed to go by Michael who generously added more potatoes and spinach). Prices are great - most steaks are in the $20s and they come with the aforementioned sides served family style. Michael sent us a complimentary dessert - a rich delicious chocolate mousse with fresh whipped cream. I rarely order mousse, but man, this was so good. I can't wait to go back.

I had a breakfast meeting at Old Ebbitt today and it was quite good. My colleague had the American breakfast; I was wishing I were with a friend and not a business contact because the eggs were begging me to have a taste. They looked buttery yet fluffy - he ate every bite. I had the french toast with bananas and walnuts with a side of bacon. Yum. The coffee was in the good to just ok realm, but it was drinkable. I'm very full now and even though it's only 10:30, I could use a nap.

Tomorrow's the big day... Updated: bilrus +1 DonRocks - maybe cjsadler mdt JPW + Mrs JPW hillvalley mnebergall hannnah babka - maybe hjshorter DCMark + 1 me That 13 saying yes plus two maybes. If anyone reading this has planned a prior eGullet event, could you please PM me? I have a question or two for you.

For starters I think there are a few Shirlington places mentioned in there.

Tom's review of Galileo's bar menu lists lunch hours only. I assume this means no bar menu for dinner...? Given the popularity of bar menus at Palena and such, I just wanted to be sure.

And as someone who has eaten at Reef quite a few times (including Saturday night), I concur. When you first view the menu, you'll think "wow! Excellent, this is really cheap." But you do get what you pay for. I'm not a person who's into Cheesecake Factory size portions. These are really just enough for me so someone with a heartier appetite (e.g., most of the population) will need to load up on apps and bread to feel satisfied. On the flip side, we did enjoy some of the new menu items especially the chicken dumpling appetizer. One of my dining companions had the clam appetizer and guess what? The portion was generous, but the clams were TINY. For dessert, one friend ordered the brownie and by contrast, it must have been five inches x five inches. No joke. The wine list, while not the most daring, is also inexpensive. They don't presently offer a bottle of red wine over $30.

I'd even be willing to cross the border from Rockville. And I could be convinced to leave DC to check this out.

I've driven by Ercilia's a million times on my way to PLM's house and have considered stopping. What else is good there?

Nice web site...except I can't find the location/address listed anywhere in there.

Alero in Cleveland Park has a set-up similar to Indique's balcony plus a front porch when you first walk in. On Friday night, it was very crowded, a popular place to be. Rumba Cafe had tables out Saturday night. Reef's roof deck was open, but I'm not sure it was for dinner or drinks only.

Happily Vace is open today (Sunday) 10-5 so I expect to stop by. I am thinking of making a nice Italian dinner to go with tonight's Soprano's episode. I re-checked the Glover Park Whole Foods post-gym yesterday. They had some, but it was the nasty, corporate, no flavor kind.

Fascinating stuff! Keep the stories coming.