clifford

Don't even think about the self-checkout if you have produce that doesn't fit into the category of peppers, tomatoes, lemons, etc. There are no listings for oyster mushrooms, and the person slected to "monitor" the self-checkout is the least capable cashier in the store. And why is it that the ONLY PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WHO STILL WRITE PERSONAL CHECKS AT RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS always get in the express check-out line. UGH!!!!!!

I have always instructed host/hostesses to seat single diners at "good" tables. Except for the upper echelons of uber fine dining restaurants, every establishment has some bad tables. A couple, on a busy night, seated at one of these "bad" tables can at least minimize its effect through conversation. A single diner does not have that luxury. Unfortunately, restaurants do look at single diners as a nuisance. The check average for a deuce is generally higher thatn that of a four-top, and a single diner, usually, has the lowest check average of all (due to bottled wine sales). But you never know who is coming into your restaurant, why they are there, and why they are there alone. Most restauranteurs feel it is in their best interest to give the "bad" tables to singles, but I feel it is counter productive. However, when you're dining alone, you are far more acutely aware of your surroundings than when you are dining with another. Restaurants can be very crowded, loud, hectic places. A table that is perfectlty acceptable to most deuces and four-tops can be perceived as less than desirable to a single patron.

This thread is why I read eGullet! Too funny!

Most on this board read this review with first-hand knowledge of Bouley and the heights that it often reaches. Furthermore, you have spent weeks speculating whether or not Bouley would lose a star. Many on the board sensed it coming. It seems the review was written to that end. A justification of the loss of a star, rather than a review of the restaurant. Because of this, it does a huge disservice to Bouley, for the average reader of the NY Times after reading this review, certainly would not wish to spend their hard earned money there. IMHO, it also seems that this review is the polar opposite of Mr. Bruni's previous reviews, which took great pains to clearly establish why a restaurant was awarded the number of stars it was. This review just detailed why it shouldn't be a 4-star restaurant, which to me isn't the purpose of a review I don't live in New York, have never eaten at Bouley, and have no idea what makes Bouley an excellent restaurant. Thanks to Mr. Bruni, I do know what makes it a flawed one.

Sara, I'm sorry you had such a bad experience at Sea Catch. We have taken great strides to improve our level of service over the last year, and every day is a new learning process. Please PM me if you are interested in coming again, as I would relish the opportunity to meet you. Tweaked, thank you for your comments. We certainly aspire to present all of our customers with a "solid piece of fish", impeccably fresh and simply prepared. That is what we do. Our cooking philosophy is based around this premise, so you won't find many "avant-garde" preparations. If you ever consider coming back, please feel free to contact me directly. Cheers! Brian Reymann General Manager

Absolutely! We've all had great meals, average meals, and bad meals. But I never once thought that any of those meals were intentionally made poorly. Service, however, is a whole different ball game. An establishment, and their servers, make a decision on how they intend to treat their guests. The restaurant industry is a very human business, and people often makes mistakes; service does lapse. All restaurant employees need to do is objectively think, "What would I want done if this situation occurred to me?", then react in kind. I can recite complete episodes where I got shafted on the service end in 1994 as if it were yesterday, but can only recount snippets of an outherworldly dinner I had at Maestro in February.

After reading the Ray's Review, I wanted to see a restaurants inspection in Alexandria that I refuse to eat at, due to the cleanliness of the Front of the House. My wife and I went into a mexican restaurant on Duke Street to get a drink and some appetizers, and all I wuld do was drink, with some trepidation. The place smelled of stale beer and tequila (which isn't necessarily a negative), but was absolutely filthy. There were stalagmites (stalagtites?) of dust bunnies hanging from the vents and from the ceiling fan, which apparently was never turned on. These things had to take months to accumulate!!!!! The plates were chipped and worn, the glasses weren't clean. The bathroom almost made me dry heave. Their review is far less egregious than Ray's. Now, I have been in the F&B industry for 10 years in several states, and Health inspections, which should, by definition be rigid, comprehensive, and consistent, are some of the most subjective things I have ever encountered. I personally have been the beneficiary of Health inspectors who had my inspection finished BEFORE THEY WALKED IN THE DOOR. I have seen Health Inspectors take 0 minutes, 15 minutes, and the half a day to complete the same inspection. The health code, when followed to the letter, would shut down 70% of restaurants, if not more. Is it a public service to post these inspections on the internet? Sure. But as a restaurant veteran and a compulsive clean freak, you'd be better off trusting your instincts, rather than these reports.

I found the review concise, unambiguous, and easily read. Too many people are trying to read between the lines of what he wrote, and, IMHO, the review reads so simply, you don't have to! His first attempt is unlike a majority of restaurant reviews across the country, it's crystal clear. Just my 2 cents.

There is a Grand Mart at the corner of Little River Turnpike and (I believe) Braddock Road in Alexandria, right across the street from Shopper's, Tower Records, Total Beverage. I go all of the time for the produce, which is plentiful, incredibly varied, and dirt cheap. The crowds, however, are somewhat overwhelming and frequently unruly. Look carefully at the expiration dates on the meats. The few times I have browsed the meat section, many items were at or PAST their expiration dates.

I have been able to get several styles of glasses from my wine/beer store free of charge. I've recently discovered the joys of belgian beers, and most producers have what I call "signature glasses". I just asked my retailer and he had the wholesaler send out some glassware with his next shipment, and gave me some to boot!

Not to start an eGullet conspiracy theory, but, I find it odd that this quote actually came true, AND the assistant to the Spelling Bee "pronouncer" was one Dr. Sietsema. Could he be a relation to a certain Tom Sietsema, illustrious restaurant critic of the Washington Post and frequent egullet lurker/contributor. Kinda makes you think.

EXACTLY! This event is to wine appreciation what a 200 meter dash through a wing at the Louvre is to art appreciation. And I completely agree that most people at the dinner would be unbearable for a minimum of six months.

The only thing the poster neglected to mention was the need for waiters who take good photographs!

She is entertaining a group of phyysicians and her boss wanted a "power" type restaurant. She's going to Oval Room.

I'd have to nominate Magruders as the worst offender. There is one on Duke Street in Alexandria. Seven cash registers, always manned by exactly one person who is apparently heavily medicated. Absolutely filthy, I wouldn't even by a Twinkie from them.

Fresh, high quality soft shells come in season at the end of April in the Carolinas, and harvest gradually head north towards the Chesapeake Bay. Crabs slough shells by the lunar cycle, so harvests are most plentiful after a full moon. Soft shells are available frozen, year round, but the quality is usually atrocious.

silentbob-More from the shameless plug department. PM me and I will be happy to take care of you. PoorLawyer- after 17 years, the restaurant has, admittedly, become fairly staid and predictable. The new management team and Executive Chef Jeff Shively are working hard to breathe new life into the restaurant. We don't aspire to the sophisticated cuisine of Citronelle, Nectar, 2941, et al., but we are evolving into a more interesting, and hopefully enticing, seafood restaurant.

Thanks to all. My wife has several appointments lined up for this afternoon. She said that the almost universal response from the restaurants "sales people" that she spoke with (Ceiba and Kinkead's specifically) was apathy, bordering on contempt, for her inquiry. Kind of sad.

My wife just called me looking for a restaurant that can accomodate 12-18 persons in a private room. She is looking to entertain some clients and was thinking of a wine dinner. $65-$85pp. Any suggestions (need 'em quick). Thanks

I assume you'll be cabbing it or have access to a car, since the Chuck isn't near any hotels. It has been a couple of years since I've lived in Baltimore, but the Cafe Hon and Holy Frijoles both have good grub in very Baltimore style setting. You put NO in bold, so I assume you don't want anything attempting to mimic fine dining, and these both fit the bill. John Steven's is a great place to suck back a few dozen pints with decent bar food, and there's a Mexican joint in Canton that serves good margherita's in hubcaps, but I am sure that it has been over run with trendy shitbags. I hope the same doesn't apply to Club Charles. The Helmand has been the leading Afghani restaurant in Baltimore for at least a decade, and not because it's the only one either. Food is very good, but yeah, the wine list sucks. Stop by the Red Maple on your way up the street to see Baltimore's version of a NY'esque tapas bar/dance club. Definitely recommend the Brewer's Art! The beer selection is superb, and the basement bar is a more like a beer dungeon. Have fun in Charm City, and please report back! Oh yeah, sucking down raw oysters and huge beers in Cross Street Market is a great way to spend the day.

I, too, am a new parent (July, '03) and began taking my daughter to restaurants when she was two weeks old. My wife and I both wanted to get her used to (and numb to) the noise, bustle, and commotion of restaurants. It worked like a charm, and little Isabella ate at many fine restaurants in the Washington DC area. But that's all over now. This is not parental boasting (well, maybe a little ) but we have a very happy and well behaved little girl. Almost never cries and can sleep through anything. However, now that she has developed more personality and physical enthusiasm, my wife and I have come to the conclusion that a restaurant, particularly a fine one, is no place for our little girl. She likes to eat with her hands, grab for spoons, flowers, etc, and tends to spill things on the floor. Even though she does this quietly, it makes us feel uncomfortable and alters our enjoyment of the evening. I'm sure that this also has an effect on other customers in the vicinity. So we have decided to take a year-long hiatus from her dining education. I have seen numerous examples of "bad" children in nice restaurants. I really think that, as a parent, you need to know what type of environment your child will flourish in. My daughter cannot handle tableclothes (in the mouth), silverware (in the mouth), plates (in the mouth), flowers (in the mouth), etc. So we now take her to places where this absolutely will not be an issue. And when she is 2 (?) or 3 (?), we'll give fine dining another shot. But first she'll have to pass the test of our home dinner table. Congrats on your baby, isn't it wonderful?!

Susan, That is quite the piece of machinery you have there! One question, do you have the gas line coming from the house, or are you now resigned to weekly visits to the Loew's for a refill of propane. A friend of mine recently purchased a similar behemoth, and had a propane line run from her house out to the grill with a simple quick disconnect to have it pass fire codes. VISUALIZE PERPETUAL GRILLING!

As long as it's a contest, put me down for May 24th!

You know, I was really surpirsed when I found out Fat Bastard Shiraz was from France. I had previously avoided it, believing it was a shameless marketing ploy by the Aussies with its nam and all. When I discovered it was merely a shameless marketing ploy by the French, I was honestly disappointed.

You've eaten at Maestro FIFTY TIMES since it opened 2 1/2 yars ago and never found it a difficult reservation? Obviously you are very well-heeled and recognized by Emmanuel, Fabio, et al., because weekend reservation are often times full six weeks in advance.