Tweaked

I have to echo Bilrus comments above, you're answers have been extensive, personal, and you come across as a person who has strong opinions, but opinions that you have developed through long, hard thought and are drawing from your own personal experiences. I particularly like your mini-essay on eating habits, especially when it comes to children and the role parents need to play in form good eating habits. With obesity being the new health crisis in America and all the press coverage that topic has generated, very little attention has been focused on personal repsonsibility and the development of eating habits from childhood, especially from the groups that are pushing for fat taxes, law suits and new regulations like restaurant nutrition guides, etc. etc., who generally ignore the role of personal responsibility. Anyway, as someone who has known about Colorado Kitchen for a while and has always said oh, I should check it out sometime, this chat has made me put your restaurant on the priority list. Thanks for your time and extensive answers. Can you feel the love, guys!

I have to admit that the last 2 times I went it seemed like the food had lost a bit of its zip. I chalked it up as since I tend to order the same core items that maybe I was just use to the dishes now. However, eating outside on their patio is still one of my favorite ways to pass an afternoon.

I found the ones at Ceiba to be kind of weak, not much flavor. While maybe not a true authentic version, the ones at Cafe Citron pack a good punch, but only go during happy hour when they are on special.

Tortilla Grill (or Cafe?). They also make a great mixed papusa platter, get it with a double order of the plantains...mmmm....yummy. Then run across the street to Canales Deli inside Eastern Market (owned by the same guy) and get the pork tenderloin sandwich. Equally mmmm....yummy

I did have the house sake served warm at Makoto, which comes in a bamboo server for about $6 a serving, you would get maybe 6-8 shots out of that. I really enjoyed the Wakataki Sake at Decibel...Wakataki Sake, I think saying sake producer names fast would make a good drinking game.

I'm offended! I've only been this one time, so not sure if it is techno all the time, but it was more background noise then pounding in your face. The place is small and a pretty tight space so it has a loud bar atmosphere in general...it's definitely one place where I'm glad they banned cigarette smoking in NYC bars and restaurants, because if they did allow smoking, I'm sure there would be a permanent fog inside! But you will be able to find cold unfiltered sake there.

Excellent M and 21st is near my office. Thanks I really liked Decibel's grungy,edgy, underground feel...sake, great food, and techno at 1am...very cool

I'm interested in buying some Sake, anyone know where you can buy bottles for home consumption. Also, are there any good bars to drink Sake around here, there's the two Sake places in Adams Morgan and Woodley, but any place else. I went to this amazing Sake bar in NYC over the weekend, complete grungy basement joint, about 70 different Sakes and amazing Japanese bar food ($3-$5 a plate), herring wrapped in seaweed and marinated in soy, whole smelt with house made mayo, sear bonito with mustard leaves. DC needs places like this... Decibel

Buying some New York Strips at Eastern Market and then going to a friends house to grill and sip down a 1976 Barolo...

I've been to the Scotsman once for a drink...it's next to the bar My Brother's Place, if that helps, and is down sort of a side street/alley next to the office building that houses Charlie Palmer's. Pretty good selection of beer on tap, friendly staff, a couple different floors and rooms...didn't try the food, although the lamb shank did look tasty.

How did your studies at L'Academie De Cuisine help prepare you for life in the restaurant industry? What are you feelings about the debate over the "worth" of getting a culinary degree versus starting from scratch in a kitchen? and finally, what's it really like to work for Rocco?

Campbell Brown and Harvey Weinstein? I really like Bardeo as well.

Most of the bars along Pennsylvania Ave, SE (Hawk and Dove, Cap Lounge etc.) have tables outside on the street, nothing great foodwise but a nice way to drink a Bass on a Sunday afternoon after the US moves on to the semifinals of regional World Cup qualification. Montmartre has a nice patio out front.

I'll take the opposite view, went to Sea Catch with my parents a couple weekends ago and thought the food was very mediocre. I went with the oysters ceviche, which were nice oysters but the cevichization did nothing for them. Then went with the yellowfin tuna from the "off the grill selection" which came with basmati rice and mixed vegetables...again it was fine, but nothing to write home about. Mom had some flounder off the grill which was fine and Dad had the seafood gumbo, which again was fine but nothing that great. I don't know, after it had been recommended on some other food boards and by Sietsema, I was expecting more. I guess I'd say, you can get a solid piece of fish there, but don't expected to be wowed by the cooking. And it's not exactly cheap either, most of the fish on the off the grill section run in the low $20s, a lot of the other main dishes are in the high teens to low $20s, and most of the apps (beside soups and salads) are in the low teens. For what it's worth, the outside deck area does have a nice view of the canal.

Their "Tandoori Chicken" sandwich with roasted red peppers and the vinegrette is pretty good. And I like the oatmeal raisin cookies...and when taken to Dupont Circle it makes for a plesent lunch. But I agree, about a year or so ago, I noticed a drop in the quality of their sandwiches...just seemed like things were being made with less care and less quality ingredients.

On the otherside of Dupont on Connecticut is the new Heritage Indian just reviewed by Sietsema this past weekend. If you want to stray down to M Street between 18th and 19th there's a good Indian/Persian/kebob store front called House of Kebob, the all you can eat lunch buffet, eat in and take out, is $6.95. And next door to House of Kebob is Malasyia Koptium.

I want some fried pork shin!

The plate of various sliced sausage is tasty as are the various cheeses they serve, esp. the Manchego. The blood sausage dish is great to (can't remember what it came with)...perhaps the highlight from my last visit there.

Does the Where Magazine award really count? The only other chain restaurant is the Palm...the majority are all local chefs.

or isn't this an opportunity for the DC restaurant community to get together, have a few drinks, talk some shop, recognize some of the industry leaders in the area, and draw attention to the fine area independent restaurants as opposed to the big national chains...

Hey Monica, doesn't look like I can make it, so you can remove me from the Possible list...sorry I'm going to miss out on the fun

I like the bar at Zaytinya, can get crowded, but if you get there early you can take over a couple tables, plus they have a nice patio (when it's not crappy out like today)...they have good beer on tap, plenty of mixed drinks fixings and some interesting wines.

The pasta dish I had there a couple months ago was pretty bland as well...definitely stick to the pizza.

As of Friday the menu had: Fried Osters with a chipotle aioli (very good), hanger steak with green beans french fries wine reduction, a roast cod, and a scallop pot pie, all tasted and good. There was also a pork tenderloin with gruyere mac and cheese...I guess you can call it modern riffs on comfort food...cute waitresses too

As an idea of what may be served (of course not knowing myself) these are some of the dishes that Raji Jallepalli served (used only as an example of what French-Indian food might be like): Cucumber soup with dill and mustard seeds Scallops with garlic sented zucchini swordfish with tamarind-ginger chutney lamb rack with curry-black peppercrust, curried blackberry sauce