The Doctor

I'll third Southside 815. I haven't been in about two years, but it was quite a memorable (and reasonably priced) experience. In fact, it was the first place (and possibly only place) I've ever been to where I actually wanted MORE of the greens and grits. Website: http://www.southside815.com/

Ok, time for the report on my first trip to the Kitchen. (Made one previous attempt, but they were on vacation!) It was a friend's birthday. Knowing a large party wouldn't work, we unfortunately had to trim down the guest list. But a party of six of us showed up at about 7:15 last friday. It wasn't completely full, but there was no room to seat all of us. We kind of milled around for a bit and decided we could split up, four at a table, two at the counter. About halfway through our meal, the lone woman with a salad, newspaper and glass of wine next to us left, and we asked if our other two people could join us. They were more than happy to move the tables together. I was very happy with this situation. We didn't want to cause trouble for them, and they wanted to accomodate us the best they could. Both sides were very good natured about the whole thing. Polite society still exists! Anyways, on to the food. We started off with a special appetizer: the lobster corn dog, with a cranberry mignonette. The chef really does know her way around the fryer! The outer batter was so clean tasting and hearty. The lobster meat inside was done perfectly. Now I must come to the great disappointment of the evening before I continue raving. The Moroccan Chicken Casserole was a complete disaster. After enjoying our lobster, those of us seated at the table were anxiously awaiting the next course. That's when our bar companions joined us in a very unhappy state. One had ordered the casserole as a main course, and didn't even want to finish it. We sampled the rest, and knew why. It was dry and chewy. Maybe that's the way it's supposed to be, but if so, that's unfortunate. We at the table had already ordered another one, so we were interested to see how the second one would be. It was equally disappointing. At this point I didn't know if we'd be able to get over this blemish. But, I am happy to report that we did. I had the monkfish schnitzel (with dumplings and cabbage) as my main course. Terrific. Two others had the salmon with leeks, white beans and lobster sauce. Also terrific. And the birthday boy himself won big with the chicken pot pie. (As a side note, I don't think I saw any items with the infamous tartar sauce, which saddened me a little). For dessert, we split some of the apple crisp and pineapple upsidedown cake. These were also of very high quality. The service was far from poor, but not very memorable, either. I'll be back again soon. I found the prices quite reasonable. Most of the large plates were in the mid teens or lower. It doesn't look like Colorado Kitchen's website will be back anytime soon. But thanks internet archive at www.archive.org, we can see a saved version from January of this year: http://web.archive.org/web/20040127192415/...mmmmbetter.com/

I've only ever been to the Old Town location. I'm afraid to try anywhere else. With the discovery of eGullet and subsequent exercising of caution with where my food dollar is spent, I'm afraid to try the new branches. I paid a visit last weekend and had possibly my favorite five guys experience ever. Ironically, it was my first time ordering the grilled onions. They were done perfectly. I'll continue to support the original locations, at least. p.s. not sure if I used "ironically" correctly, but since people here were reporting bad experiences with the grilled onions, and the fact that my possibly best experience there coincided with my first ordering of the onions, I figured I'd label it something.

Just discovered tonight that this place is totally local. The owners were chatting up the waiters-in-line and handing out coupons and stuff. I'll have to give it a few more tries. The bbq ranch chicken was pretty tasty. I also shared in a blackened chicken caesar, which was OK, but not as good as the BBQ. I also must try the thai and honey-lime before passing final judgment. And for a free meal, I was completely filled and satisfied. With the burrito and drink, the register rang up like $7.50 before being comped. If you get on their list, they have other sweet offers. I'm not sure I'd take these people over Baja Fresh or Chipotle. But each has its own advantages.

If you're in the vicinity and looking for a quick bite (well, there might be lines), here's the lowdown: I'm going to give it a whirl. Can't remember if I've ever had a CT burrito before, but they're supposed to be good, from what I hear.

Well, it's been over a week but it's finally time to report on my visit. I took my parents for our inaugural visit to Ray's last Friday, the 8th. We could not have been happier with the experience. I had been hyping the place, so my father decided to read some reviews. Not only did he say Ray's lived up to his expectations, but it exceeded them. I was certainly surprised by this. In fact, after his first bite of the blackened scallops and then his steak, I saw a look on his face I'd never seen before. The look of "This is worth every penny." As stated, we started out with the scallops. Heavenly. I'll only eat scallops at the highest caliber of places because they need to be uber tender for me to enjoy them. They certainly fit the bill here. The steaks. I ordered the house special, the au poivre strip with bleu cheese and brandy mushroom cream sauce. This is a lot of meat. And, also the juiciest steak I've ever eaten. I nearly went into a coma due to the conflict between my mouth and my brain. The brain was saying "stop eating, you are full." The mouth was saying "I don't care, these flavors must continue." The other two steaks at the table were filets. My mother ordered it because it was safe. My father, though is a meat eater from way back and knew what he was getting into. Mushrooms and bleu cheese on the side as well. I guess it's par for the course that they'll throw in extra potatoes and spinach when you ask for a carryout container. I had another full meal out of it, and I'd swear my strip was even more tender the second time around. Key lime pie for dessert. I need fruity and tart after a meal like this, so the pie fit the bill. Almost too tart, though. And I'm not sure if this was due to Columbus Day weekend, but we left around 8 o'clock and the place still wasn't full. I was expecting it to be more crowded, but it just meant all the more attention could be focused on us. I was tempted to do something diablo, but declined for two reasons. It was first time, so I wanted to do the house special. Also, I was concerned about the heat (spiciness) level. I don't go for spiciness at all. But the above posts mention a spicy sweet. Anyone care to describe it in more depth? In any case, mom and pop are still talking about Ray's as the highlight of the weekend. They're creatures of habit, so I'm nearly certain most future visits will see a stop there. And I am now making all my local friends swear an oath to only visit Ray's when seeking out red meat.

Well, thought I'd put in a brief note to say all was a success this weekend. I'll make comments about the individual restaurants in their proper threads. Friday night it was Ray's and Saturday night, Palena. We left both places by 8 o'clock and neither was even half full. Maybe it was the holiday weekend. Ray's was definitely the biggest hit. We had an early dinner/late lunch at Old Ebbitt on Sunday, and Matchbox for lunch on Monday. Oh, and Sunday also found us sampling the custard at the Del Ray Dreamery. The highlights: My father stating that Ray's not only lived up to its reputation, but exceeded it. And at Palena, I think my mother finally learned, via the chicken, that you can trust first class chefs to make virtually anything taste good (she was a little nervous based on the description of the spices used).

Well, they look like this: Not really my favorite kind of crab, trailing behind the snow and miles behind Alaskan king, but crab is crab and I'll still suck it down like coca-cola. I think they're similar to dungeness crabs.

Stopped by the Ebbitt for the first time in a few months over the weekend. I am happy to report they have made a nice addition: chilled lobster. Looks like $20 for a whole lobster, which would be $10 during happy hour. And they've also added a new platter: The Orca Platter, which boats a whole lobster, a dozen jonah crab claws, a dozen oysters, a dozen clams, and a dozen shrimp. $84.95. During happy hour, that's like ~$42.50!! What other item in this city can you buy during happy hour and get a $42 discount? Amazing.

Well, what counts as nothing daring? You can tell me, I'm "the doctor!" After Michael's mentioning them in his chat thread, the scallops at Ray's will be heavily considered. Plus there's the soups, and the pie, and I hope we have room for it all. I am trying to find a way to tell the parents about the little nuances of Ray's that won't turn into a half-hour briefing session.

OK! Today starts the weekend! Ray's tonight at 6, then hopefully the front room at Palena tomorrow night. If we can handle any kind of dinner out sunday, it'll be Colorado Kitchen, but I'm thinking it might be a take-out night, possibly Rockland's or the Italian Store or something. We'll hit Old Ebbitt on Monday to round out the weekend on the way to the airport. Jenny, what did you decide for your parents?

Wow, big coincidence, I hadn't even read today's paper yet! That is so disappointing. If only more people knew the joys of cider as I do. If I could only have one drink for the rest of my life, it would be cider. I also didn't think it would be that hard to find. It sounds like the folks at Williams Orchard are doing it right, but with a minimum of apple varieties. While Sunnyside pasteurizes their cider, I will give them credit for using a greater variety of apples. The article doesn't describe the cider-making process for either outfit, which can also be crucial. I managed to track down a site that gives a pretty accurate description of the proper way to extract the cider: And lastly: While my cider knowledge is not endless, I do believe pasteurization prevents hardening of the cider. Ultraviolet processing (and obviously non-processed cider) will still allow fermenting. It's the perfect drink!

Hi folks. I am a long time cider connoisseur. I spent the first 22 years of my life in upstate New York, which is big time apple country. Unfortunately, I've never had a car here in DC with which to explore local mills. I picked up a few gallons here and there at farmers markets, but was never impressed. Well, this is my first cider season in DC where I have a set of wheels. Where is your favorite cider place in the area? I'd be willing to travel say, 30 miles or so for this tasty treat. But be warned, I am very picky. I'm not sure how regulations work down here, but I'm against thermal pasteurization or any of that stuff you find in the Whole Foods. I'll only drink cider that has undergone ultraviolet light processing, which leaves more of the flavor, texture, and appearance intact. Thanks for looking!

Well, Michael, thanks for your time and effort. I'll be paying my maiden visit Friday evening with the parents in tow and we're all really looking forward to it. Some questions (which should hopefully be applicable to other potential visitors): With filet being the "safe" choice you'd encourage people to branch out from, are there any cuts or preparations that catch conservative diners off guard? You know, a steak where afterwards the person says "Wow, I normally wouldn't have ordered this, but I had no idea it could taste this good!" Also, any non-steak items you're particularly proud of this season? The clam chowder mentioned above seemed to get high praise. Thanks for your attention, Todd

Well, I got Friday night at 6 o'clock! How about that! I didn't mention eGullet, but I think I may need to! I think there is a big red asterix next to my reservation -- I spoke to a fellow name Dan (I think? or Dave?) and when he said they had openings on Friday, I also asked about Sunday, but then figured Friday was better anyway and said I'd like to take one of the Friday times. Oh well. I was just nervous!! I figured we should probably eat the gluttonous and pricy meal first before we run out of energy and money.

OK. Discussions have been had and decisions have been made. I'd definitely like to hit Old Ebbitt, Palena, Ray's, and Colorado Kitchen (the last will be jettisoned if we decide to eat in one night). Now the logistics. Does Colorado Kitchen still serve dinner on Sundays, according to their phone message? It sounded like it hadn't been updated since Mother's Day. And do they take reservations? And Ray's is open Sunday night, but not Monday, correct? Think it's too late to get reservations for next weekend? I'll be calling this afternoon. And Palena is closed Sunday, but open Monday, right? I seem to recall from the main egullet thread it was a popular night for members. I doubt we'll actually go Monday, but can we still be guaranteed the full experience if we do? Thanks much, this thread has been very helpful to me. I'm going to hold off any any seafood establishments this time because it seems my parent would be content with the option of whatever seafood might be on the menu at other places.

Here's a question from a potential visitor: Does Ray's do prime rib? And if so, are there any options/different price points? Thanks.

I actually have tried the mussels! However, it was back in my grad school days, either 2000 or 2001. Totally forgettable, but I was able to pilish them off without getting sick.

Oh, well I can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped. How does it feel to be wrong about seafood?

Well, I just read the Palena thread from start to finish and I've almost certainly locked it in as a definite pick. Most likely Friday evening since the parents'll get here in the afternoon and we won't be out sightseeing, so there won't be worries about getting back in time. When it gets closer I'll bring it up again with maybe some timing/etiquette questions. For example, is there a host/ess in the cafe section who'll seat you? And even if all the tables would be full, would we be able to put our name on a list? I don't mind waiting, especially if it provides the chance to sample this Derrick fellow's sidecar. Re: Matchbox, I've been several times so I feel comfortable enough with the place to wait there. It's also possible we'd lunch there and maybe get some carryout later in one of the evenings. (Rockland's, perhaps...) Jenny, how are your people on seafood? My parents were satisfied enough their first time with McCormick and Schmick's that they made a repeat visit. It's a chain I realize but you wouldn't have to worry about any concerns unique to some local places. The routine there is pretty, well, routine.

Wow, I think today was the best day yet. The pork shoulder was outstanding. By pure luck I got an oversized piece of bread today so Roberto was like "looks like we'll need more meat for that!" A garlic clove was nested in my section of the shoulder so the meat was plenty tasty. Also tried the pizza today. Pretty good but no reason to diverge from the pork. I must've been there around the same time as you folks. I was up on the first raised level with the picnic table. Members of our party kept getting up and going inside to check on a straggling friend. The line was really long today.

Paradiso is a definite possibility. But where are the minibugers?? I read both the thread on Johnny's and Pesce and afterwards I kinda leaned towards pesce. It seemed like most of the Johnny's thread was a support group for people who mostly liked it but knew it wasn't perfect. And for Ray's good value can be the deciding factor. The bang/buck ratio is very attractive, since we're used to throwing out $30 for just the meat itself. We'll definitely splurge on one meal or possibly two, we'd just not like to come away after four days and say "holy cow, we dropped $600 in 96 hours on food alone."

Ah yes, the thought had crossed my mind. Friends and I are planning our first visit very soon, maybe soon enough to do some reconnaisance for the parental visit. The price is certainly right and the menu tasty enough from the accounts I've heard here. I had kind of written it off (for the parents) earlier based on intution. The aforementioned friends and I made a trek up there a few weeks ago only to find it closed for a two week vacation. It is a little off our usual stomping grounds and I'd prefer not to worry about whether or not the service will be slow.

I could pull a Spices because it's pan asian, and I'm sure they'd find something on the menu. The parents are very slowly coming around after about a dozen rounds of "you'll like this" "no we won't" "but remember you liked that last thing you said you wouldn't like but I said you would." Your concerns on Sette are also similar to mine on Palena. The last thing you need is the family standing around like bumpkins while you try to finagle a difficult arrangement at an unfamiliar eatery. Little Fountain Cafe might fit the bill too, I'll ponder it.

Ok, I think our requests are compatible. It will just be the three of us, but your "entourage" isn't too outrageous a number. I think they have the same ethnic opinions, too. Spices (or Cafe Asia) miiiight work. Bardeo is something I hadn't thought of. Zaytinya might be too extreme. Sette is something I'd considered, but if we're doing something along those lines, I HAVE to make sure I showcase the miniburgers with onion straws at Matchbox.