Minister of Drink

Always a great place in a great neighborhood to smash out a pizza, then move to BDC before heading back to one's car or metro. I call it triangulation!!!!!

Does real Chinese food even exist outside of China or a Chinese family??? Several times have I had the good fortune (no pun intended) of eating at the home of a Chinese family -- the food is nothing you you get even at the best restaurants. it is clean, neat and void of the substandard ingredients found in many Chinese restaurants. Standardized, unauthentic chinese food seems to be about as common in the world as McDonald's.

I'll take that one further and offer that while bad service can taint an evening, fellow diner's reactions to the bad service can make it outright unbearable, far worse than the origonal service flaws. I was with family visiting from out of 'state', eating at Cafe Deluxe on Wisconsin up by the Cathedral. From the start, it was clear that our waiter more than likely had not learned his trade under Charlie Trotter or at The French Laundry. We had to ask about the specials, for example, after waiting for a while for him to come around. Nothing Earth-shattering. To this day I'm not even sure what happened. We got our entrees, and one of the people (a non-relative, but a friend, and a local) with us just begins snarling about something or other. I think he was overlooked for a wine refill (Possible Contributing Factor Number One: neither the first, nor the second) while another was offered one. All through dinner he was grumbling to his partner about this slight, making things fairly uncomfortable for the rest of us, between the complaining, and glaring at the waiter at every opportunity. Dessert and coffee was ordered, and again, some slip that went unnoticed by the rest of us sent this guy into into a fury. When the waiter returned, he was immediately torn into. It was horrible! I felt so bad for the guy I think I slipped an extra $2 into the tip just out of pitty. He really wasn't that bad, over all! Definately shaped up as we went. If I remember, our dining companion even brought the matter up with his good friend, the manager (PCF Number Two: Near-daily patronage of this restaurant). Now, I understand if a long record of good service sets up a high level of expectations, but there's no reason to overreact and ruin the evening for the rest of your companions. Take home message: The way a customer reacts to poor service is every bit as important as the reaction of the house. Word up on that. I had a similar experience with a date -- at dinner, water and bread service was a little slow. Thereafter, she just snarled loudly with petty requests/rebukes at anyone who dared approach the table. I felt quite embarrased as did some of the other patrons around us. Needless to say, I ended the evening as fast as I could and issued her marching papers. Fat Frank was simply not ever going to be in the mood for her after that. Even if the service at any place is totally crap, one should not be overtly nasty. It's just bad form. You can send your message via the tip... or lack thereof.

I know my Border Collie would!!!!

There is nothing wrong with Old Town. If you go there, definitely try the Blue Point Grill (next to the Sutton Place Gourmet) and knock yourself out on a truly fresh and varied raw bar, excellent seafood, and totally charming & efficient service. A true fine dining experience.

Definitely call a restaurant to inquire about corkage specifics. Most establishments place a limit on the number of bottles you can bring (often it is only 1 or 2). A few other thoughts on corkage.... While I am not against it, I believe a restaurant's corkage policy should not be abused, but rather used very sparingly by all -- namely, for those truly special anniversaries (10 years, 25 years, etc...). Most fine restaurants take pride in their wine lists and many offer good juice the public can't always get. On that note, if you do bring your own, make sure it is a killer bottle.... and not your run of the mill plonk -- I know of an incident at a fine DC restaurant that had the misfortune of having a bunch of rubes come in and pull out numerous bottles of garbage for corkage -- a total insult to this establishment's excellent wine selection. Finally, I don't know if this is the right protocol, but I think you should tip according to the value of the bottle(s) you rolled in with. Maybe it's just me, but as the Minister of Drink, I take all booze matters seriously.

Arlington County has nothing better to do? As a citizen, I am outraged!! Ray's is fine. Ray's is excellent! Ray's is clean! I would eat in the bathroom at RTS before I would at anyone bloody county property where food is served!!!! Folks, the problem here is an arrogant county government that has grown fat on rising property values and now has more employees to manage everyone's life in the county than it knows what to do with. angry:

Clearly the course of action taken by Mr. Slipp was done out of basic decency and a commitment to outstanding customer service, which is all too rare these days. Note that the article also mentions that the umbrella was of "sentimental value" to it's owner, let alone its monetary value. Thing's aren't always done for money, power and free publicity! The world would run more smoothly if more people would act like Mr. Slipp!

If this is the same Cafe Asia as the one in Arlington (near Rosslyn), then I give it the thumbs up!!!! Pork dumplings hmmmmm....

Kurl, I can't agree with Pumpernickel enough -- GO to Neal's Yard Dairy shop in Covent Gardens -- it's on Neal Street. If they have it, bring back a boatload of "Baby Waterloo". It's not available all the time-- the cheese maker's schedule is erratic and the demand is high -- and you will be a hero to the people you serve back home. For all cheeses, just be sure to tell them you're flying back to the States so they give you some that need a little more aging. You can pack them in ziplock bags in between your clothes in your checked baggage. Trust me -- they will do fine as I have done this scores of times. As for U.S. Customs, don't worry, cheese is allowed as long as it's pasteurized. You can always play dumb if they inspect your bags and ask you. Last year, I got pulled aside for an inspection because a customs beagle smelled the cheese in my bag/ All they did was ask what I had and I told them cheese from the U.K. and would they like to see it? The answer was, "No thank you... have a nice day." Have a good trip.

Sara -- I can't see what you (and others) like about Mario's. There's just something about their food that stays with me much too long (as in days!) after I've slept it off and sobered up But word up on B&E, Il Pollo Rico, and The Italian Store (especially the Capri)!! The fact that these places have been around forever is a testament to the quality & value of what they serve!!! Another great place that fits the theme of this thread is a Pervian restaurant in Gaithersburg called The Nibbler -- excellent Lomo Soltado and the Inca Chicken special is a must have!!!! I keep trying to convince Manfred and Rowena Ochs, the proprietors, to open another in Arlington!!!!!

I'd definitely say BcD & call it a day!

I forgot to add -- this place is so good that even King Abdullah II of Jordan is a regular when he's in town (which has been quite often over the last year).

Had dinner last night at Layalina Restaurant (Syrian/Lebanese) in Arlington, VA -- the experience made me wonder why I waited so long since my last visit. The authenticity and splendor of their Mezza dishes really stands out (not to mention the bomb-like service & generosity of the owners) -- just like I remember from living and traveling in the Mideast. I could go on and on, but I'll keep this short for now... below is Sietsema's commentary: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?node=entertainment/profile&id=796811&typeId=2&type=restaurants If you like Middle Eastern quisine, definitely give Layalina a try. You will not be disappointed!

I was soooo not going to touch this.... but in the interest of all, you should roll to The Quarterdeck in Arlington

Mein Gott!!!! Ach Du Liebe!!!! Um Himmels Villen!!!! This place is still around??? I'll have to creep there at some point. I take it they still have a dope Schnitzel?

An armed escort should be arranged to accompany it to its place next to the other polished rocket.

I just cast my ballot for Nectar.... f***ing stoopid-fresh feed, drink, and service that'll knock Kriss Kross outta da box!!!! Hope this place wins!!!!!!!!!

That being the case, I'd like to add my favorite place to get pizza: The Italian Store in Arlington. Not only do they crank out bomb-like pizza, but they also have great sandwiches, an excellent selection of Italian Wines, meats, and a whole bunch of other gourmet delights!

I know you said something close to upper NW DC... But if you can get to N. Arlington, go to The Italian Store. There you will find amazing buffalo mozzarella, a great selection of Italian wines and lots of other goodies including some of the best pizza outside of NYC!!!

Glad to see that Au Pied is gone... it's about time. I had many a drunken (yet still awful) late nite snack there in my younger years. The fact that I don' t remember much from those drunken nights except the crappy food should give those who never had the pleasure of dining there an idea!!!! Good riddance I say! I am not likely to frequent the new joint either.

I'll decide - no! Don't you guys get the pun on Ray's the Steaks? It clearly destroys all but one of the (too) many steak houses in the DC Metro Area! Hope you get a chance to eat there (if you haven't already!!!!

Hot tea/drinks on that little metal ball?? Ouch Allow me to add -- what happens when something like orange juice pulp or soup gets lodged beneath and around that little metal ball. They'll be tasting it long after!!!

Tongue eaters? What about tongue drinkers? You know, the kind that lick the edges of their glasses to lap up the very last bead of liquid.... Yuck!!!

If I really misbehave in public & violate the peace and quiet of other people... and someone tells me to quit and I don't -- Yeah, smack me. But that will not happen because I know how to behave and am respectful and considerate to other people, even those with children! This was not at all an attempt to dig myself out, but an honest admission that I overstated things -- I was upset when I first wrote my post. NOW LET IT GO!