Ralph Wiggum
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Posts posted by Ralph Wiggum
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Do they still have the Suicide Curry on their menu? A few years ago, I remember watching a friend reduced to tears after only one bite of it. It was good fun for the rest of us!
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My wife and I ate in the bistro at Eve on Friday night. Not even a tornado was going to stop us from making our reservation! My wife was really looking forward to the house-cured salmon appetizer, but they were out of it.
Highlights of our meal included the ribeye, which was cooked perfectly, and the sweetbreads. Desserts were great – the chocolate mojito rocks (note: if you do not like heavy, chocolate desserts do NOT order this dish)! My wife ordered the crepes….awesome…I wanted an extra order to take home for breakfast. Despite the poor weather, the place was packed….and loud. By the end of the meal, my wife and I could barely hear each other. The atmosphere in the bistro is definitely different from the Tasting Room. Fortunately, both benefit from great work in the kitchen. -
I'm going to Eve next week to celebrate my birthday. Even had a dream about it last night- talk about anticipation. Which dishes are can't miss right now? Favorite creations of Mr. Thrasher?
Leave your drink choices completely in Todd's hands and you won't be disappointed.
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A sad day for all. I will be lifting a glass to two in her honor tonite as well as breaking out my VHS copy of the old Saturday Night Live Julia Child sketch.
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John,
Is there any dish on your menu right now that you enjoy making more than others? If someone were dining at Firefly tonight, what would you recommend that they order?
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Nectar had a delicious Cucumber Soup on their menu as of about 3 weeks ago. I don't know if it is still on their menu, though.
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You think mark-ups on wine in restaurants are bad now, imagine how much more expensive they would be based on Giliberti's proposal. Absolutely ridiculous.
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Oh yeah, did I mention that they did not charge us for our food?
This is one of the most remarkable stories of restaurant generosity I've ever heard. Have you written Tom Sietsema about it?
What is the usual cost on the tasting menu?
The tasting menu is $90 per person.
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Oh yeah, did I mention that they did not charge us for our food?
This is one of the most remarkable stories of restaurant generosity I've ever heard. Have you written Tom Sietsema about it?
Great minds think a like, as I was planning to write to Tom today. My wife and I were blown away by their generosity.
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My wife and I had a phenomenal evening in the Tasting Room at Eve on Friday night. However, a little history first.
About 2 weeks ago we attempted to have dinner in the tasting room as part of our anniversary celebration. We had just finished the 1st course of the 9 course tasting menu when we were told that the gas line had been shut off in the neighborhood, which meant that they could not cook anything. We were disappointed, but knew that this was out of the restaurant’s control. The restaurant staff could not have been nicer about the situation – apologizing repeatedly to us and making reservations for us at another restaurant. Oh, they also refused my offer to at least pay for the wonderful half bottle of Robert Sinsky Pinot Blanc that we drank.
A few days later I e-mailed Todd Thrasher to thank the staff for being so accommodating during a hectic time, and to let him know that we will be coming back sometime in the future.
So, Friday night we arrive at Eve, and are greeted with a “welcome back” by the host. While we are waiting for our table, Todd whips up a killer mojito as well as his version of a "Pina Colada", which contained fermented pineapple, candied ginger and a (coconut?) foam.
Once we were seated, we put our wine selection in Todd’s hands, and he certainly did not disappoint. Highlights included the Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc and the tasty Duckhorn Paraduxx (Cabernet/Zinfandel blend).
The 9 course tasting menu was really about 12-15 courses, if you include the multiple amuse that were served. The 9 course tasting menu was as follows:
-Lobster Crème Brulee with Asparagus and Tarragon Vinaigrette: Lobster puree trapped underneath a caramelized sugar topping. An unusual, but delicious combination, with the salty/tartness of the vinaigrette a nice balance to the sweetness of the lobster and caramelized sugar.
-Duck Foie Gras with Poached Peaches: Our first experience with Foie Gras. This dish was extremely rich, with the peaches helping to cut the heaviness. I enjoyed the first couple of bites, but after awhile it was a little overwhelming.
-Saffron Shellfish “Paella”: Awesome. Filled with lots of seafood, this might have been my favorite dish of the night. The sauce had enough heat to make it tasty, but did not overpower it. Give me a spoon and a big bowl of this paella and I would be a very happy camper.
-Columbia River Salmon with Twice Baked Potato: A mild piece of fish that tasted very fresh. I am not a big fan of salmon, but this was very good.
-Veal Sweet Breads with Summer Corn “Succotash”: This was my wife’s favorite. A generous portion served with a delicious corn medley. Our only complaint about this dish was that it was a bit too salty. However, the sweetness of the corn helped mellow it out.
-Seared Venison Loin with Spinach, Shallots, Morel Custard and Cherries: This rivaled the Paella as my favorite. The venison was very tender and flavorful.
-Oak Grove Farm “Blue Ridge” with Stinging Nettle Soup: The cheese was delicious, and I wound up stealing my wife’s piece, as she was just too full to eat anymore. However, I did not care for the soup, mostly due to the fact that I apparently do not like Stinging Nettle.
-Cantaloupe Soup with Fromage Blanc: This dish could not have come at a better time, as my stomach was pretty full. It was light, refreshing, and delicious.
-“Almonds and Nectarines”: A moist and delicious almond cake with a roasted nectarine that was filled with blackberries. Terrific, and complemented perfectly by a Le Mont Vouvary Chenin Blanc brought out by Todd.
The food just seemed to keep coming and coming with no end in sight. The portions were very generous – my wife had to call it quits after the 6th course, as she literally could not eat another bite of food. The service was every bit as good as the food. I think that every staff member came over to us at some point during dinner to welcome us back to the restaurant and to apologize for the gas outage the last time we were there. Chef Cathal came out to check on us as well. Oh yeah, did I mention that they did not charge us for our food? Both of our 9 course meals were comped because of what happened two weeks ago. This was such an incredibly generous gesture that went WAY beyond what we could have ever expected. Considering all of the courses that you get, the tasting menu is a “bargain” at any price. The wonderful service and spectacular food will definitely bring us back again.
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My wife and I ate at Nectar on Saturday night. One word described our meal:
Wow.
For my appetizer, I ordered the Raw Tuna with Sun Dried Tomato, Pine nuts & Basil. The Sun Dried Tomatoes complemented the tuna and did not overpower it as I thought it might. With each bite of the tuna, I kept repeating, “This is awesome. This is awesome.” in a Rain Man-like fashion. My wife had the Cucumber Soup, which was full of bold, bright, and fresh flavors. We have tried making cucumber soup at home, and my wife has ordered it at other restaurants before, and it has generally been fairly bland. This soup, however, had some punch.
My wife ordered scallops with chorizo, pistachio, and curry spices, which were cooked perfectly (especially compared to the over-cooked ones she had at M&S Grill the week before). Just like with the tuna, our concern that the chorizo or the curry would overpower the delicate sweetness of the scallops was unfounded. I normally do not like scallops, however the couple of bites that I had has turned me around. My choice for an entrée was already made for me when I saw the Hangar steak on the menu. Cooked to a perfect medium-rare and served with polenta, I cleaned my plate just like I was told to as a kid, using the rest of my bread to mop up the au jus.
For dessert, I ordered the pound cake with gold leaf (!?), roasted fruit, and chantilly cream. Had the meal ended right here, it would have been terrific. However, when my wife took her first bite of the Baked Alaska, she a had a half-stunned, half-grin look on her face, which lead to this exchange:
Me: “Is everything ok?”
Her: “This is the best dessert that I have ever had in my life.”
With each bite, she kept laughing and smiling. 3 days later we are both still talking about it, trying to figure out if we could even attempt to re-create it at home. Jared’s wine selections were outstanding, and the service was courteous and unobtrusive. Jared and Jamie truly have something special going on at Nectar.
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I've stumbled across the best NY slice in the area -- Tony's New York Pizza in Fairfax, VA. I know you were probably hoping for something actually in DC, but Tony's is worth the drive if you're hankering for the real thing. If I can't eat there, I just get my slice or pie unheated and warm it up in the oven when I get home -- it's spectacular!
I agree 1000%. I discovered Tony's a few months back and have been hooked ever since. It is the closest that I have found to the New York style pizza I grew up with. Their Sicilian-style pizza is good as well (and they don't complain when I ask for a corner piece
). Plus, their cannoli's are pretty darn good. -
Well it was called Pho 75 but after visiting last week they've changed the number ... Pho 90 maybe? Either way it's right off of 29 in the shopping center with Chilis (or is it Chi Chi's? all the same to me!). Great pho - good lunch special of a summer or spring roll, regular bowl of beef/chicken/tofu pho, and a soda for something like $6.50.
11211 Lee Highway Suite A, Fairfax, VA
(703) 691-3010
As I said, I went last Friday night which was an equally sticky hot summer day - so while pho and summer don't go hand in hand I definitely understand your craving!
Thanks for the advice. I stopped in there on Friday night (FYI, it is now called Pho 29) to satisfy my craving and was not disappointed. We started with an order of spring rolls, which were surprisingly good. The Pho was pretty good, but not as good as I remember the Rosslyn Pho 75 being (in fairness, it has been 3 years since I have been to the Rosslyn Pho 75). However, since Pho 29 is only 5 minutes from my house, I will be making many return trips there.
By the way, the Vietnamese Iced Coffee is terrific! I have never had it before. Thanks to all for the recommendations.
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If you have time, Horton Vineyards is only about 1 mile from Barboursville.
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A piping hot bowl of Pho and a hot summer day do not seem to go hand-in-hand. However, I am having a HUGE craving for some good Pho. Anybody got any suggestions where I can cure this craving without travelling too far from the Fair Oaks area?
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Wow! That cake makes me want to re-do my wedding reception from last year. Congratulations, Steve!
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Thanks for all of the feedback. Since it was my wife’s birthday, and since it was ultimately her choice, we went to L’Auberge last night. A narrow, quiet, tree-lined road leads you right to the restaurant – a pleasant drive that makes you forget that you are only a few miles from the Beltway, the Dulles Toll Road, and all of the other typical DC area driving nightmares. We considered eating out on the back patio, but the humidity and the cicadas would have made for uncomfortable outdoor dining. My wife and I were concerned that, since we are in our late twenties, we would be out of place with what I assumed was their “typical” clientele. However, the staff went out of their way to make us feel welcome, and as I looked around, I was quite surprised to see many younger couples. The service, as expected, was fantastic. We ordered a half bottle of a wonderful Alsace Pinot Gris (I wrote down all of the wines we ordered but left the list at home) that went perfectly with our appetizers and salads.
Appetizers: I had the crêpe with chives, wild mushrooms, and Madeira Truffle sauce, which was the highlight of the meal for me. My wife had the Tuna Tartar martini, which was marinated in lime juice. She enjoyed the first few bites but commented that the tuna at the bottom of the glass seemed to have a pronounced “fishy” taste.
Entrees: I had the medallions of filet of beef and veal, with a grilled lamb chop and half roasted Maine lobster tail. It was not as much food as I expected (which was a good thing). The beef filet and the lamb chop were great, but the star of the plate was the lobster tail, which was delicious. The veal filet was not as tender as I would have expected, but was good nonetheless. The accompanying sides of roasted potatoes, mushrooms, and green beans were excellent. My wife had the veal scallopini with crabmeat, country ham, asparagus, mushrooms, golden apples, and Madeira cream sauce, which she really enjoyed. She had a glass of Pinot Noir with her meal that was excellent. My biggest disappointment of the night came when I ordered a glass of Syrah with my entrée that was served WAY too warm. . I know that this is a topic that has been discussed many times here, but I would expect to be served warm red wine at Olive Garden, not at a restaurant of this quality.
Desserts: I had the Alsatian apple tart with cinnamon ice cream, which was disappointing. The apples did not seem to have much flavor to them. My wife ordered the Alsatian plum tart with cinnamon ice cream. The few bites that I had were terrific, and quickly made me regret my dessert choice. They brought us out an additional dessert (the Kougelhopf of soft caramelized meringue and vanilla kirsch sauce) with a birthday candle in it for my wife, which I was more than willing to help devour.
Overall, we had a great experience. The food was good and the service was phenomenal. It is definitely a restaurant that I would go back again in the future. However, it will be awhile before I would go back, as there are many other restaurants that are in the same price range as L’Auberge that I want to try.
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How about Argia's Italian Restaurant
124 North Washington Street, Falls Church, VA 22046. I haven't been for about a year but the past meals I've had there were pretty good and they have a decent wine list too. Kinda noisy when it's full. Anyone else been?
I agree. The wine list is decent and it can get VERY loud there. I ate at Argia's about 3 or 4 months ago. The food is pretty good and they offer "family style" dining if you are in the mood to share.
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My wife and I have never been to L'Auberge Chez François and she mentioned wanting to go there for dinner on her birthday. Is this a good choice or should I try to talk her out of it?
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Hello all. My first post here. My wife and I went to Mendocino back in December and had a wonderful meal. I had the Pumpkin Soup and the New York Strip Steak, which was cooked exactly as ordered (medium-rare). We also went with the Sommeliers Dinner Flight, where they paired a wine with each course (unfortunately, I cannot remember what wines we had, but we enjoyed most of them).
Ray's the Steaks
in D.C. & DelMarVa: Dining
Posted
I will be having my first RTS experience this Saturday evening, and I cannot wait! Is the hangar steak a regular item on the menu or is it a special?
I'm drooling just thinking about it....mmm.....steak.....