Kanishka

Okay--I know this isn't really restaurant related, but I'm searching for info on the menu at tomorrow night's inaugural candlelight dinners. There was a brief piece on Fox News about it this morning (lobster was featured, if I recall correctly) but I couldn't catch it all. Does anyone know who's catering or what the menu is? Help would be much appreciated. (and no, I'm not going. gonna lock the doors and cry, just a little) K

I also went to Vidalia last night and had a bit of a different experience. Started with a Gibson, which was served with absolutely huge cocktail onions. This was the highlight of the night--those onions were delicious. Appetizer was the "Shady Lane Salad". It was nothing special--tasted like a normal chef salad, the kind I make at home. I wasn't impressed. Next I had the winter fluke, which was served with a crayfish sauce accented with andouille sausage. I thought there was a serious disconnect between the fish and the sauce. Both tasted great individually, but they just didn't meld well. I think the fluke would have been better served with greens and some citrus. Dessert was the Lemon Chess Tart, which was very good. But I'm not big on desserts anyway... Service was okay, not great. The waiter was kind of slow and full of attitude. He recommended a wine to one of my companions that turned out to be some astronomical price--I think $15 a glass. After recommending, he actually brought it over, gave my companion a taste, and pushed him hard. Quite an upsell. Overall, I don't think I want to go back to Vidalia. It was a nice experience for rest. week, but I can think of better fine dining spots in the city. K

Had a great night at Ceiba yesterday. We started with a Batida and a Caipirinha. My companions Batida was not as sweet as she wanted, but I enjoyed the Caipirinha immensely. For apps we had the Black Bean Soup and the Shrimp Ceviche. DCFoodie, thank you so much for your Black Bean Soup recommendation! It was cold and rainy outside and the soup made for a great "warm me up". The ceviche was great, especially with the salty flatbread it was served with. One problem with it--I wish the avocado came through a little earlier in the dish. Otherwise, a solid dish. For entrees we chose the Scallops a la plancha and the Whole Snapper. The scallops were great--perfectly cooked, and matched well with the masa gnocchi. The snapper looked very intimidating--that was a lot of fish!--but I did my best. With the sauce, it was very tasty. Dessert brought the flan and the bread pudding. I'm not much of a dessert man, but I enjoyed both--though if I went back, I'd pick the bread pudding. Service was great. Our waiter had three deuces, a four top, and a six top. He never seemed rushed or out of sorts. Had a great time at Ceiba--next time I got some money in the back, I'm definitely going back! K

Wow, looks like the Ceiba/Vidalia combination is a popular one. I'm hitting Ceiba tomorrow night, and Vidalia Thursday. Full report to come after each. K

More info found: http://www.voiceofthehill.com/Discus/messa...html?1104420165

I just received a tip that the Market Lunch (at Eastern Market, for the uninitiated) has stopped selling breakfast on the weekends. I know they just started selling breakfast on Sundays recently; this change is a surprise. Can anyone confirm? Does anyone know why? K

As a former deli slave, I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to sandwiches. Particularly the Italian cold cut, which for some reason captivates me at all times. I've had a few good ones--the version with feta cheese at Rips in Bowie comes to mind--but mostly mediocre ones in DC. The absolute worst was one from the sandwich shop in Union Station that was a glorified bologna sandwich. So here's the question: I'm in search of the perfect Italian cold cut/sub/hoagie. I'll definitely be doing first person research on this one. Suggestions on where to begin? K

I ate at Tallula last night. Just a light dinner--the citrus cured salmon on a potato skin, the mini burger, the corn dog, and the fried green tomatos off the appetizer menu. Ate at the bar, so no real reflection on the service. But the food was grand. The bartender (Josh?) was spot on in recommending wine pairings, and both the mini burger and salmon were very good. The salmon was served with coriander creme fraiche. Imagine TGI Fridays potato skins as re-imagined by a fine cook. Loved it. The mini burger was also nice, sweeter than I expected. I suspect that if you asked for ketchup you'd be scowled at. The corn dog and the fried green tomatos were better than good... they were awesome. The FGTs were served with duck cracklings and a bacon vinaigrette. Each element, alone, was moderate-to-okay; when put together it was a harmony greater than the sum of its parts. I highly recommend it. The corn dog... well, I'm just going to say this: if you haven't tried the corn dog, you are doing yourself a disservice. One small note: I had one drink of the martini menu, the Dirty Pete, which I didn't particularly enjoy. The menu describes a mix of olives and onions in the martini, and there were no onions in sight. And though I liked the use of bleu cheese (or was it feta?) stuffed olives, it made the vodka incredibly greasy. I'd go for a regular dirty martini next time. Tallula is offering a fantastic deal for New Years... all you can eat off the amuse menu, drink specials, etc... all for I believe $55. The restaurant has more info. If I didn't have other plans... Kanishka

Okay--I'm on a limited budget and can only hit two places during the week. I've got no dietary restrictions and neither will my dining partner, and we're both open to all types of cuisines. Here's my short list--suggestions are totally encouraged! Charlie Palmer Steak Ceiba Neyla Red Sage Mie n Yu (??--heard mixed things) Zola I'm leaning toward Charlie Palmer and Ceiba; am I missing any good ones? K

I think Tunni's has also been open for quite some time. In fact, according to HillZoo (don't know if this claim is correct) the place has been open since the Jefferson administration. I kind of doubt that... but it has been open for a long time. K

Well, first of all I don't think judging the restaurant in this sort of situation is fair. The place was more than crowded. The servers were rushed all night, and at times it was near impossible to move, let alone grab a drink. The space is phenomenal. I have a sneaking suspicion that the large red room on the second floor (with the fireplace) will be one of the more sought after seats in DC come the official opening. The rotating chef's table is also beautiful. The food was just okay; nothing mind blowing. I wish the sauce on the crab had been a bit more assertive, and the spice on the porkchops the same. But again--the restaurant was beyond capacity and I'm sure the staff was doing their best to keep up with the hunger of the crowd. I look forward to going to the restaurant when its less crowded to get a better sense of the food. Saturday's party was, I believe, more to show the space off than anything. There will be a fuller review on DCist later today. Jay--if you read this, no insult, really. Looking forward to a regular night at your restaurant! K

Did anyone else go to the opening party Saturday night? Am I alone in being disappointed? K

Hahah--I'm actually the one who posted that to DCist--the query here was searching for answers to that very same article! K

I'm working on an article for those trapped in DC/unwilling to cook on Christmas/Christmas Eve. DCFoodies points to some options with price points--Equinox, Fahrenheit, Galileo... any other options? Is CityZen offering anything for Xmas, or Corduroy, or anywhere else for that matter? I'd like to be as comprehensive as possible. Thanks for any help you eGulleters can offer! K

Does anyone know or know how to find the list of restaurants participating in restaurant week? <a href="http://www.washington.org/restaurantwk/">The website</a> doesn't have any of the participating restaurants listed. K

DCist has posted a long preview on IndeBleu: DCist on IndeBleu K

Have a good time--wish I could make it! On the Pork w/bitter melon: I received the same comment ("are you sure?") the first time I ordered it. Maybe my definition of bitter is different than most, but it wasn't bitter at all. More like the Indian rough analog of bitter (the-tho) which isn't bitter like coffee, but more bitter like escarole or certain types of squas. It is great. Don't go for anything mild! If you must, they can give you pepper sauce on the side. Also, Tom Sietsema reviews Mandalay today in the Post Mag. 2 stars--methinks it would have been 3 except for the service. I've never had a problem, but then again, I'm a regular. K

Am I the only one that fully relies on Eastern Market for grocery shopping? I pick up some things (yogurt, triscuits) elsewhere, but Eastern Market fulfills all of my other needs unless I'm doing something really special. Yes, I'm paying a bit more, and I'm a slave to whatever they have available--but not only have I never been disappointed by my take, its fun! I cook a ton, go to the Market every week, and I love it. Let the corporate grocery stores have someone else's market share. One good grocer, IMHO, is Schneiders in Silver Spring. Yum! K

From what I understand, the Brick has a beer sorting system akin to the arcane practices of a medieval library. The system they use makes the card catalog look like GPS. The nerdy library type in me wishes someone would go in and re-organize everything based on a bar code system... Anyway, this is the reason that the beer service is so slow. To think, a few thousand dollars, some handsets to let you know if a beer is in stock or not, a complete reorganization of the beers enabling easier stock rotation... but I doubt that will happen any time soon. K

I've had the room-temperature noodles with chicken extra spicy. Wasn't offered the option--I asked for it specifically, as I was feeling the need to sweat a little. And it was hot. Correction: HOT. If you haven't tried any of the room-temperature noodle dishes, they are highly recommended. Like the salads, I think they are pretty unique and equally delicious. K

Speaking of Good on the Hill, the head chef at Tunnicliffs (Lucas or Lukas, not sure which spelling) keeps telling me he's going to change the menu there significantly. His specials of late have been pretty good, but no menu change as of the last time I was there. I'll be there for drinks tonight and will harass him some more. I know--the place has a rep for not having the best food, but it has a lot of potential. K

If you're looking for great, greasy burgers and fries, I have to suggest Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Bunch of locations around DC and VA. K

First... forgive me. I'm totally new to eGullet. But over on the DC forum we've been talking about Burmese food... tonight I tried an experiment and tried to make pork in a pickled mango curry over brown rice. I've never made a curry before (and I am Indian--but never wanted to challenge Mom, sticking to Italian as my speciality) but it actually turned out okay. The only problem was that it didn't turn out sour enough. I got the pickled flavor, but not as heavily as my Burmese friends. Any suggestions? K

Well, the Willard's Mint Julep is certainly on that list. Had one a few weeks ago--have to say, I wasn't that impressed. Then again, I'm not a huge Mint Julep fan and was hoping for a stainless steel flagon. K

The City Paper this week has a long article on that tried and true staple of late night Adams Morgan eating, the Jumbo Slice. For those who haven't had the pleasure, the slice seems to me like the Philly Cheesesteak or a NYC street hot dog. And that has me thinking--are there other foods peculiar to DC? I'm thinking about writing a short DCist article about it. Ben's Chili Bowl and the prevalence of Ethiopian food in DC come to mind immediately. Any other thoughts? And how about specialties of other cities? Baltimore has steamed crabs, Chicago has the deep dish... Ideas? K