DCMark

Thank you. Its snowing now isn't it? Thats what I head.

I will be in Chamonix again this year in early January. Poor snow conditions lead me to believe eating may become a more central activity. Last year we had ate at La Savoyarde, a delightful restaurant in our small hotel of the same name, a fantastic meal slopeside on the Midi named La Bergerie and meal at an expensive/well-know restaurant (name escapes me) whose chef was featured on GourmetTV. Any suggestions for other good spots? Thanks

Marcel's with free limo service.

Joe, you would certainly know more about these fine dining establishments than I, however it was my first impression that 2941 is trying to compete on the level of Cintronelle, etc. I did not see their regular menu nor winelist, so this limits my view. As for the other comment. There are people who enjoy fine dining because they have a passion for food, cooking, ingredients, presentation, wine, etc. There is also a group the enjoys these restaurants for the prestige it (supposedly) gives them, the ability to see and be seen and to purchase that magnum of Opus 1. A restaurant that attracts this type gets on my nevers as it becomes more of a scene than a dining experience. In my opinion the general Tysons area has this latter group in abundance. A visit to Eciti (certainly not fine dining) circa 1998 is what I am referring to. Based on its location and dramatic interior, I was a bit worried about 2941 being more trendy than good. Regardless, I was not referring to Maestro as I have not yet had the privilege to eat there.

I am chuckling here. I think your comment above boils down one of the reasons you restaurant folks are falling over yourselves to defend BdC. The staff there (OCCASIONALLY, OK!) treats customers they way they deserve...like fucking pretentious and annoying assholes. You guys want to do it sometimes yourself, but dammit you just can't and won't. But when Michel bans some prick from the premises, inside you cheer? Am I even close to being right? PS: Its not those people I care about, its the regular joe who I have seen abused there that saddens me, as most of them leave there cursing the 'french' in general, which is unfortunate.

I ate at 2941 last night and was wonderfully impressed. Fisrt, I was ready to be critical as I generally avoid upscale restaurants in the Tysons area as I stereotype them as attracting a certain 'riche' clientele that gets on my nerves. Secondly, after having eating at a few fine dining places recently (including Gary Danko in SF) I have become a bit tiried of and disillusioned with top tier restaurants. In other words, I have decided to return to enjoyinh a nice casoulette or pasta at 20% of the price. With those two chips on my shoulder I entered 2941 and really loved it! I was thinking that any restaurant inside an office building would be artistically dead from the start. Not true, they have really done it nicely. I especially appreciated the number of booths which are quite rare at top-tier restaurants. Its so nice to be in a booth while on a romantic date. This occasion was the 50th birthday of my sister, so we did not enjoy a booth but a private room in the back. There were 13 of us and the room was simply perfect for the occasion. It was completely quiet and insulated us from all noise in the restaurant. Do you know how when you are at a table to 10+, conversation is usually limited to those around you since its damm near impossible to hear those at the other end of the table? This room was so well insulated from the outside noise conversation was simple all around. This is especially important for such an event as a 50th birthday party where the toasts and stories are so much part of the celebration. The food was very, very good. We did have limited menu choices (3 per course) as it was a group meal. I started with the ceasar salad with some of the nicest and fattest anchovies I have ever seen. If you are an anchovy lover like me you would have loved it. My soup was a truffle/mushroom which I liked very much. The mushrooms were (I think) shitake and chantrelle. My third plate was a bison steak, cooked perfectly as I requested (bleu). This is critical as meat that is even slightly overdone is ruined for me. They nicely allowed me to substitute the stuffed baked potato (offered with another dish) for the squash that was on the menu with the bison (I know this may have upset the artistic mission of my dish and I let the waiter know if my request was refused no hard feelings. However, the kitchen seemed more intent on making me[/] than happy anything else [note to Ms. Greenwood, et al]). The cheese course followed. The only downside that 2941, like 99% of American restaurants with cheese courses, severs them on a plate, without a cheese cart or choices. As a cheese addict lucky enough to gorge on french cheese carts (or my mother-in-laws entire garage devoted to cheese) I really perfer seeing the cheeses and chosing them myself. Alas, that is not to be at 2941, which I do understand. The cheese they did serve was divine. My favorite was a Crottin de Chavignol which despite being relatively unaged was the best of the five served. There was also a very creamy French blue, possible a Montbrison. The others included a creamy cheddar (US), and a pecoino. All came with their own custome-made 'chutneys'. I am not a fan of chutneys/sauces with my cheese at all. I think it is a silly pretension where the chef tries to add additional flavors to something as already complex as cheese. The only sauce that improved the cheese was a basalmic reduction which accompanied the peroino. I cannot report extensively on dessert as my cheese course substituted for the regularly served dessert and we did have a birthday cake for my sister. This was her favorite (angel food) and I am not even sure it was made by the restaurant. Wine was a seemingly unlimited supply of BV Reserve Cabernet which along with the meal was due to the wonderful generosity of my brother-in-law. I cannot comment on the winelist as I never saw it. Service was nearly impeccable, quietly efficient and respectful. We had a very competent waiter assigned to our room directly. One thing I noticed , there did seem to be a very large number of waiters, runners, etc in the general dining area for the amount of customers dining. All in all, this place really in a gem. Certainly a special occasion place. If you live in the area it would be a first choice for a special meal. Bravo Mr. Krinn!

Mark, please tell me where I said you go there becuase you are a VIP? I did not say that and do not appreciate your characterization. This is not an attack on anyone. I said before and will again that I like the place and frequent it often. However, there is a tremendous amount of evidence (anecdotal of course) that people have been treated beyond rude there, to downright nasty. What I did mean is that people who are in the restaurant business often receive treatment from their colleagues that others do not. So reviews from this sector need to read with that in mind. Mark Dear raisab, You are agreeing with 4 or 5 posters here. Not the majority of posters to eGullet who have not answered this latest attack. Don't confuse that , please. I go there often. I always have a good time. Not because, as DCMark said, I'm a VIP, but because I know how to talk to people. Some people go to a restaurant to have fun. Others go to make a test. Which do you do? ←

John, I know you are big buddies with Michel so your defense is expected. I have seen him be nice as well. But there are just so many people that hate his guts. Its not simply a few anon. posts in the Washington Post review section. There are two ways to deal with their attitude. Get defensive and use it as yet another excuse to trash the French. Or realize the BdC is simply a more open example of a simple truth: those in the 'in crowd' often have a different experience in restaurants than those coming in off the street. This is not unique to the restaurant industry anyway. It just at BdC the 'bad' treatment can get pretty bad. ← I've seen some horrible stuff in a lot of places. I just don't go back. I've also seen Michel pull off the most gracious things I've ever seen anywhere to people he didn't know. One man's poison is another man's Le Bureau. ←

Cheesecake factory is packed too.... No offense, but Mark and John, you two are restaurant VIPs and would never see this at your table. For that matter, I get treated very well there. But I have seen some horrible stuff there. Its backed because it has decent food, great hours and its trendy to be doin' it Parisian-style with the kids these days.

Most of the servers at BdC (and at Les Halles for that matter) are not native French but born in Algeria, Morocco, Senegal, etc. I have spoken to them about it and many did not train extensively in France anyway. I think we all know that service starts at the top and at BdC that is Michele. Either he likes you or hates you. Michele seems to be quite tight with the restauranter/critic/VIP crowd in DC and treats them accordingly. But he does not go out of his way to provide great service to the regular joe. He did that at Les Halles but there he was working for a coporation. Bluntly put, he can be a total prick to people and the staff reflects that.

Roger, that comment by more than one person, is, in my opinion bullsh*t and generally misinformed. French service is generally excellent. I would guess that those receiving poor service in France are shorts-wearing tourists eating at the closest place to Notre Dame with 'English Menus'. My $.02 having eating 300+ meals in France with no sign of poor service (compare to 1 in 3 bad service experiences here in DC).

Come on tell us more. I have seen more people there treated like complete SHIT. Being that I usually go with french people we don't have that problem but some stuff I have seen is pretty bad/funny. End of meal, not too busy: check comes to table...."No dessert for you! Leave now!"

Richard breaks down fat???? Thanks for the info, I will have another.

I smell a bridezilla in the making...by her annoucing a 'possible' proposal on the Internet. Tom's chat has really turned to sh*t. Nothing but complaints and chef/manager responses. "New Year's Eve?: My wonderful boyfriend is taking me to the Kennedy Center for New Year's Eve (and a possible proposal?) and I'm looking for suggestions for dinner. I was thinking maybe Marcel's for the limo ride, but I was having problems getting a straight answer on the prices for that night. Any other suggestions, or more info on Marcel's? Merci beaucoup!"

Tell me there is still wild pheasant hunting in France...I hope to hunt them when I move there. I have hunted wild pheasants in South Dakota. I have also hunted 'caged' birds here in Virginia. The cages experience left a nasty taste in my mouth as this was not really hunting but simply killing. Thanks for the info. You must take into account the trigger-happiness of French chasseurs to understand this strange piece of ethnography: the shooting of numerous pheasants in Sologne woods soon after they are released from their cage. It has nothing to do with gastronomy. ←

I am the only one that thinks this is not right? The peice should be backed up first by the seller. They misrepresented the item. Lets say the item was dropped and broke through no fault of LC. If you are able to somehow return it to LC, this simply adds to their operating which are then passed on to the rest of us.

Thanks. For me, anything raised in cages is certainly not wild and will not have all the attributes of truly wild game. I would expect that most game kept in cages is not shot prior to being offered at a butcher, rather killed by more normal farming methods.

John, do you know how the game laws/production in France differs from the US? In the US, it is highly illegal for hunters to sell (or give) their game to stores or restaurants. Is this game you are eating really wild or is it farm-raised?

I have been lucky enough to eat at both and LC is better than Lassere, of course the roof does not open. My father and I had impecible service there in 2000 and a wonderful meal.

Morela and Jarad, you do know that meat is not created in the fridge, right?

Have fun kids. Going duck hunting in South Bethany this weekend. Wish me luck: Me last week. Too much sun! We need some good snow down here to get them moving.

Ok, this is my first attempt at tasting notes so be patient. Long time wine drinker but not experienced in describing it. 1987, Vina Ardanza Rioja Reserva. No price as it was obtained as a gift. Drunk after trimming the tree. Accompanied by: Andalusian olives, prosciutto, Carles organic rocquefort, manchengo, crottin de chavignol (goat cheese, aged and dry) and another softer french goat cheese. Color/Appearance: Not cloudy but not overly clear. Medium color depth, red-brown/rust color. Aroma: Good deep nose. Smell of peat moss/dirt (in a good way). Flavor: Reminiscent of some good Bordeauxs (1993) I drank recently. Strong but not overpowering flavor. Not extremely fruity but a nice lingering taste. I am terrible at identifying flavors but I tasted/smelled tobacco, earth, and plums. The wine was not very acidic and had a silky mouth-feel. Overall I was quite pleased. It may have lost a bit of flavor but I believe the wine lasted quite well, thanks to careful storage. Little sediment.

Yikes! I was just there three weeks ago.

Is it on today?

Lucy, thank you for such a wonderful post. It gives me hope for my future Thanksgivings in Grenoble!