DCatty

No doubt that Matchbox has better beer, better atmosphere, and the miniburgers. I just find that Ella's is friendlier, much less crowded, has terrific homemade desserts (pudding, lemon bars), and the pizza has a thicker crust, and is of more consistent quality. Matchbox is nice for Saturday night cocktails and miniburgers, but Ella's is the place for a casual, good pizza.

Couldn't agree more. When will people realize that the pizza at Ella's is much better (although the restaurant is not much to look at)? Went to Matchbox last night, had the miniburgers and the prosciutto white. The pizza was paper thin, a little blackened, and overpowering with garlic. The miniburgers were great, as always, but on a plate of 9, they ranged from rare to well done. They are always inconsistent. (typo)

If you look around on this board at all, you will see that people are passionate about Ray's the Steaks. I haven't been, but am eager to go. If you are looking for a high-end experience, perhaps you should try Charlie Palmer, since I understand that RTS is not striking in its appearance. But, from lurking here, I also understand that you are unlikely to find a better steak than at RTS.

Just a quote from the Alinea Project thread, which I hope everyone is following (it's fascinating). Not to rekindle the "derivative" debate, but Chef Grant Achatz is developing for his new restaurant a "dried creme brulee" in an orb of caramel. He was slightly deflated to learn: "In true ironic innovative fashion we looked at the November issue of Food and Wine today and read about Jose Andres producing a “caramel lightbulb”…after some disbelief and a few four letter words we came to the conclusion that we ran out of time for this concept. In todays fast paced world you need to get your ideas to the table very quickly, every pun imaginable intended." In short, I am looking forward to my reservation at Minibar next week.

I will second the recommendation on this wonderful place. My wife and I ate there on our honeymoon a little over a year ago. We ate a la carte, with a couple of cocktails and an 90E bottle of wine, for a total of about 350E. The food was wonderful (My wife fell in love with a passionfruit souffle for dessert), but the service was the thing I will never forget. They really know how to work as a team -- you are constantly watched and attended to, but never intruded upon and never, ever, forgotten. Everything was anticipated. Great evening.

Most common in most people's minds is the point. The great value of the show, which I enjoyed, was its accessibility and Cleese's encouragement for people to try some simple wines and talk to people about them. The reason people fear wine is (1) the complexity of the subject (grapes, countries, regions, languages) and (2) the perception that there are wrong answers, and that they will be looked down upon by merchants/sommeliers for saying the wrong thing. The program helped with that, regardless of any mischaracterization of the six grapes chosen. (Also, I don't think a novice coming straight from the show would have the confidence or knowledge to meet a wine merchant with suspicion, regardless of what he or she says.)

I don't agree. The show was obviously targeted to beginners, and gave them a lot of information on the most common grapes, and some good tips. Namely, drink a few wines, come up with some familiar and specific words to describe what you like, and good wine merchants and sommeliers will be able to guide you in interesting directions. J. Robinson's show would have been more informative, but would the same people have watched? I doubt it. He also helped dispel the number one problem with wine, which I certainly struggled with before getting started (and still) -- FEAR.

Great report, thanks. I am so rooting for this place. I live nearby, and have had my fingers crossed that d'Oc makes it through the construction on 10th street. I don't know that I would cross town to get there, but it has the makings of a terrific neighborhood place (now that we actually have a neighborhood). Where else should one go for a quiet cocktail/meal after work? Matchbox, Zaytinya, Jaleo, and Cafe Atlantico are usually too crowded, I don't like Andale nearly as much as most, and Ella's is underrated but not soothing. And sometimes, for me, the piano bar that is 701 looks a little too much like, well, a piano bar.

Watched half and listened half on ESPN radio. My heart may never recover.

Well, if we are talking about what to eat when the Red Sox beat the Yankees in the playoffs, why don't we ask Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny what they would like, because won't they be at dinner also?

The only DC ceviche that I have fond feelings for is that delicious goblet at Guajillo. Nowhere else around here does the dish have the heat that I am looking for -- not even the sampler at Ceiba. Does anyone have any other recs? Of course, I was just in Peru and didn't find any I like more than Guajillo, so maybe I am being unreasonable.

From one new member to another, Kathy, welcome to eGullet!

Did you see the list of beers of tap? Screw the Brickskellar ("I'm sorry, we are out of that...").

So...you've been to southern California. Now you know why I can't wait to get back to DC....

I have never been to Nora, but would recommend CA over Tosca. Tosca certainly is the more special-occasion-type restaurant, and the food is out of this world, but it is a very subdued dining room. It doesn't have the festive/celebratory vibe I suspect you want. I say this because I proposed to my wife in a suite at the Hotel Monaco, and then went to dinner at the Oval Room. Food and wine were terrific, as was the staff, but in retrospect we might have enjoyed a more upbeat room. CA certainly is festive. Edited to say Congratulations@! btw

Just a note to say that a restaurant-within-a-restaurant in Washington, DC -- the Minibar at Cafe Atlantico -- is run by a protege of El Bulli's chef, and provides a window into the world of molecular gastronomy. Part of the menu is a mojito served in a tiny spray bottle, sprayed directly into the mouth. I believe there are a couple of other cocktail-esque menu items. See the extensive discussion of Minibar on the DC-DelMarVa board.

I have been in LA for a couple of months on business, and had an amazing brunch at Asia de Cuba. When you look it up, it is going to look hip and fancy pants. But the brunch, I assure you, is not. Just casual, an amazing location overlooking LA, and great food. My wife is still talking about the huevos rancheros months later. Also, had dinner at AOC, a small plates restaurant with a terrific wine list. A very good value for some quality food (mmm...pork cheeks). (typos)

FYI, I just finished reading that issue of Gourmet with Michel Richard on the cover, and the Osteria is recommended in the issue's restaurant guide for DC. Also recommended -- the bar at Palena (for value) and Citronelle and Maestro (for food). (Sounds like someone was reading eG.) "The noun was qualifier adjective!" -- I find this applies to a lot of things. It is pretty easy to consider Minibar and Bardeo as being separate from their parents, isn't it? The chef's table seems to be on the other side of the spectrum, a window into the workings of the single kitchen (Although Laboratorio has taken on a life of its own, hasn't it?). To me, the essence of the bar menu is a more casual, more affordable opportunity to experience the same restaurant -- same kitchen -- even if it is a different menu. Which is why I love them, and why I hate to see reports of Galileo's food being on such a different level. Typos!

Excellent! Another convert to Penn Quarter, hopefully. I forgot to mention that Zaytinya gets loud, which you wanted to avoid, but am glad to hear that it wasn't an issue.

I applaud you for trying to find an alternative to L.P. Unfortunately, for Mexican, I wouldn't know where to recommend in DC -- but I love Guajillo (mmm...ceviche). Places like Zaytinya and Jaleo (tapas) were made for lively groups, and present a good value. The former has some nice outdoor seating.

I can confirm this -- I have reservations for the end of the month, and was told it would be $85 pp. My question is this -- it seemed under-priced before ($2 a course?), so is this just a correction, or does anyone know if significant changes will be made to the menu? (edit for typo)

At high-end restaurants, there is a level in invisibility that I find takes service from good to great. A way of anticipating your needs and finding the right time and the the right place to slip in and take care of it. Examples in my mind include the way my champagne glass never emptied at Galileo that time, but I never quite realized when it was being refilled. The once-in-my-lifetime meal at Taillevent when the staff noticed my wife and I both looking at the wine vintage card on the table and immediately I had my own. At lower-end restaurants, I can get by so long as the staff doesn't commit the cardinal sin -- screwing up the timing, so that my entree comes out immediately after my appetizer, so that I am faced with taking it all at once, or sending it back to have it fossilized under the heat lamp. Made me finally stop going to the Cafe Deluxe, because it became the rule, not the exception.

This post saddens me, because in general I am such a big fan of this trend. My wife and I eat out quite a bit, but can only swing a Galileo-level restaurant a few times per year (Which is a lot for many people!) -- but the "Bar menu" "Small plates" "Grill" "Osteria" thing lets us experience these places so much more frequently. We are still talking about our meal at the bar in Palena from four months ago. Heck, even though we just ate in the dining room at Citronelle in April, we still bring up that time two years ago when, on a student budget, we got dressed up and went to the bar at Citronelle for cocktails and desserts. It was a wonderful experience, and we will always carry around warm feelings about the restaurant because of it. High-end places should cultivate these relationships, if they can.

I would second the advice on staying in Dupont Circle or even Crystal City, over Georgetown. Taking advantage of DC's terrific public transportation (Metro) is a must, especially if your daughter is considering staying here. Also gives you more restaurant options. If you do stay in Georgetown, a couple of recommendations: I haven't been since it first opened, but Cafe Divan on Wisconsin Ave. for Turkish food; and (again) Heritage India on Wisconsin Ave. for Indian. I am a huge fan of Indian food, and think it's better quality than Indique -- although not as cool a setting. No Metro for these two places on Wisconsin Ave., though.

As a resident of Penn Quarter, I took my parents to Jaleo quite some time ago. I never would have guessed, but my very-not-adventurous father (mid-60s) was immediately addicted. He loves the food, to the extent that he makes me take him every time he's in town. I was recently able to drag him out long enough to go to Zaytinya, which he also now loves. I post just to say, "you never know...they may surprise you"...so forcing them to think a little outside the box may be fun. (My plan for next time is to go absolutely crazy -- and try to force Cafe Atlantico on him!)