tripewriter

I call vache-merde. The DC-ist blogger protests that s/he was not interested in creating a buzz with this post. If that's true, why the sensationalist (and irrelevant) factiod in the lead paragraph about New Star Market? That, plus the headlne and "Mr. Yuk" graphic both seem to be calculated to raise the possibility that something is seriously amiss chez Corduroy. Of course, it makes for much more exciting reading than "Corduroy shut down for several hours until a replacement garbage disposal arrived from Baltimore." I bet that wasn't reported in the Washington Post.

Yeah, the other day traffic was so bad in the Rosslyn area that I could have cooked and eaten a 31-oz. steak while sitting in gridlock.

Thanks for taking the time to make this thoughtful reply, Michael. What you point out about the realities of operating a 12-table house makes a lot of sense. We were surprised when we were told about the 90-minute limit when making a reservation the other week because it hasn't come up when we've enjoyed meals at your restaurant before (and enjoyed chatting with you and your friendly front-of-house staff). When I posted my first message, I was mostly looking for some insight into the story behind this limit -- whether you had experienced any recent problems with people hanging out and taking up seats long after they had finished their meal, large parties that went on and on, etc. Your food rocks, and we look forward to our upcoming visits and to many more in the future (for the record, I'm not the person from Fairfax who posted on Sietsema's chat -- anonymous complainers are a drag on us all).

Good point. Curiously in our case, this issue came up not only when we were making a Friday reservation for three later this month, but also when we asked about booking a mid-week birthday dinner for four in late May(!) Just odd.

::snort snort!:: Thanks for the reassurance--and for posing the culinary paradox that if they don't horse around, I'll have a big beef!

Anyone have the scoop on Ray's (apparently new) policy of limiting seatings to 90 minutes? A reservationist chez Ray recently made a big point of the time limit when we called to arrange a dinner for later this month. When we questioned whether this would give us enough time for a pre-dinner drink, apps, cowboy-cut steak, coffee and dessert (not to mention mealtime conversation with friends) her reply was "90 minutes is enough time for us, it should be enough time for you." Craig

We had dinner with four friends last night at Corduroy and on a whim shared a cheese plate after the second course while we were waiting for the sabayons to bake . . . what a treat and just the right amount for a taste of four great cheeses. The 20-year port didn't hurt matters, either.

Squash soup garnished with pickled onion was delish. The oyster app always satisfies. A very dry martini. That said, I'm always interested in what my server recommends.

My biggest disappointment with Five Guys is the "grilled onion" topping they offer on the menu. I don't know if this just happened because they were slammed or if it is SOP, but the last time I went to 5G at Beauregard St. the onions on my burger had barely touched the grill (I think they came off the top of a pile that was starting to cook on the bottom). So instead of greasy caramalized goodness I got a mouthful of caustic raw badness. Boy, were they juicy! If I order there again I'm going to pay more attention to the grill when I am waiting in line.

True, but I always like to sit under that big ol' tree—even if on occasion it means practicing my lip-reading skills.<BR><BR> A back-room anecdote: for my birthday this year, my girlfriend took me to Firefly for dinner. I knew we had a reservation, and was puzzled (and to be honest, a bit peeved) when the hostess began escorting us toward the back room, past several nice empty tables.<BR><BR> I was just about to ask for another table when I realized that everyone seated in the back looked <I>very</I> familiar—a group of 10 good friends, there to help celebrate.

This dinner was our first time out with eGullet and our first time at Corduroy, too. What a treat! We already have reservations for a dinner with friends who've never had a meal there -- can't wait to share the joy! The scallop tartare and pork belly dishes were supreme; I am both surprised and delighted that Chef Power "took a risk" and served us these dishes. And the warm chocolate gateau with ice cream was pure comfort food. Itadakimasu!