Miami Danny

I don't want to be un-neighborly either, but why is it that people ask the opinions of locals, then try to pick a fight with them? This happens all the time on the Southeast Board when people want suggestions for South Beach. Guess what? South Beach Sucks! There, I've said it! And the people on this board know their stuff. Monocle? America? No self respecting local would even use their bathroom! The streets roll up at 6PM? C'mon New York! Go to Bistro Du Coin to see how the locals do. You might even see Madeline Albright. (That's a joke.)

No-but then I don't like cilantro!

Let me get this straight-a restaurant nobody's been to is getting slammed because 1) It's in G'Town, and 2) Some French people don't like Cilantro. When Landrumm (or any eG fave) goes on about emptying his IRA to keep his place afloat, everyone (almost everyone) rushes to his defense-but some poor slob in G'Town who doesn't have friends on this board gets slammed? It's really sickening. Maybe Mr. Cilantro emptied HIS IRA, too. Maybe it's as good as Firefly? That's not exactly an original name either-but, oh right, the chef's on this board. Nothing personal, but please take your head(s) out of your ass(es) you snobs.

This is different because it is getting praised for the food. A restaurant broke out of the two-star parade and we haven't picked up on it. We're slipping. I assume you are being sarcastic! This is the most mystifying review I've read in a long time. It certainly doesn't read like a 3 Star review. Other than Tom's affection for the chef, I can't find 3 stars anywhere in this review! HE is the one who's slipping.

I'm curious about who grants permission to serve Fugu. And how quickly does it poison you? How many deaths/poisonings are attributed to poorly served Fugu? Or is Fugu's deadliness just an urban legend?

I was in here last Monday, had a couple of cheapo ($15) carafes of Cotes du Rhone, sat at the bar and smoked a big cigar. Met some people, and had a great time. BTW, had the foie gras (pretty good0, the charcuterier plate (necessary to absorb the wine), the cheese plate (fairly stinky), and the duck confit (outstanding!) Always a great time, always meet interesting people, and the bartenders are great! Go!

Had lunch at Ceiba the other day-best service I've had in a long time, maybe ever. Super professional, no smiling "I'm Javier, and I'll be your...who cares". Explained the dishes, poured the Conch Chowder with a steady hand, explained the hot sauce and brandy(?) accompaniments, and disappeared and reappeared when needed, almost as if by magic. The food-pretty, but bland. The Conch Chowder really needed the accompanying stuff, and it tasted a little like clam chowder in the can. I don't really understand why you would pour hot chowder over fritters, also, as it turns them into goo. Why not serve them on the side? The fish tacos were also very nicely presented, but not much discernible flavor from the fish. The Mojitos were great, but my personal theory is that it is hard to eff up a Mojito. It's nice that they go the extra mile by pressing the fresh cane, but freshly pressed cane juice, mixed with the other ingredients tastes a lot like...sugar. I've sat at the bar, and been poured some cane juice by the bartender, and by itself, it is a little richer than its processed counterpart. I imagine there's a good scene there, evenings, and I wonder if the food isn't better for dinner. On the whole, the service would definitely bring me back. They also gave me time, in the dining room, at 2;15 (I was practically by myself) so I got to sit and stare off into space for as long as I wanted. Very, very nice staff.

I had the good fortune of eating in a lovely Turkish restaurant on the Upper East Side in NYC on Valentine's Day several years ago. To make a long story short, the restaurant was 3/4 empty when we sat down at 9:30. I remarked to the owner that he must have been slammed before we came in, because when we had made our reservations a week before, nothing before 9:30 was available. He responded that over half of the people who had reservations didn't show up (I believe it was raining lightly), and no one(!) had called to cancel. My point is that restaurants must TURN DOWN reservations because they are booked, so those who can't get reservations may never call back, will eat elsewhere, and if those WITH reservations don't show up, the restaurant is going to lose a lot of money; because they can't call back those who wanted to reserve, and couldn't, and say' "Hey, guess what, get dressed and come on down to dinner, a spot just opened up!" Esp. on New Year's freakin Eve! I guess my point is that when you rent a car, you expect them to HOLD the reservation, same as a restaurant. You should be willing to extend the same courtesy.

Personally, I find the Medium claws to be the best tasting. The Large and the Jumbos, while nice, are expensive just because they are harder to come by, not because they taste any better than the Medium ones. ←

Michele Bernstein was the chef at Azul, and she left months ago. When I ate there recently, I was very disappointed in the food-VERY expensive, and ordinary. Michele, who is very nice, is opening her own place in a location more suitable to her talents in the near future. As for South Beach, remember, this is about to be high season, so the PR bullshit is in high swing! The only upscale place on SoBe I can personally recommend very highly is Talula. The husband/wife team of chefs are there, and everything on the menu is great, esp. the shrimp tamale and the yellowtail. It is up on 21st St., so it's not far from the Shore Club (SkyBar) for after diner drinks.

Joe's is legendary, but you WILL have to wait. The only way to beat the wait is to hit the take-away annex and get your Stones to go. Picnic in the park, on the beach, if it's not too windy, with a nice bottle of wine. Don't forget the mustard sauce!

Smoking Loon, Covey Run, Pepperwod Grove, Aquinas-all good West Coast wines and inexpensive-try to stay away from Yellow Tail-it's really not that good. Also, the Gallo import Red Bicyclette(sp), is OK-should be everywhere. All under $10. A bottle of Cordoniu Cava is also nice-sparkling goes with spicy food, and also great before you eat-about $10. Enjoy!

Extremely good Haitian food can be had at Chez Rosie at 7015 Biscayne Blvd-coupla picnic tables out front so you can say hi to the hookers, or go to Dogma after you order for a beer, and hang with the hip people who eat hot dogs for lunch. I recommend the fried goat (tasso) or the stewed or fried chicken. Lunch special is $3.50(!), and includes salad and rice and beans. Very sullen girl behind the bullet-proof glass will take your order, and it WILL take 15-20 minutes, but you will defimitely get your money's worth. Get that (cheap) beer at Dogma and wait it out. Much better than SoBe, and the Chef can cook!

Sorry I didn't reply sooner, but I was 'studying' with Marge Simpson-it's 'make your own taco night!'

For the citrus part, I recommend some bitter orange. I also find marinating in white(!) wine for a day or two really makes for a moist shoulder.

My Friend-I am not making a value judgement on "city vs. suburbs". I was not dropped out of the sky into Adams Morgan, I decided to move there because I like nightlife and I like the amenities of the city. I was born in the suburbs of NYC, lived in that city for some years, and have lived in the suburbs of DC and in AM for 20 years. I also have a place in Miami, that is in the city, but full of trees and barking dogs (and, yes, crowing roosters!) Even my 80-something mother used to wonder about the grace of the city, but after many visits she really understood its charms. The Eritrean and Salvadoran restaurants are something else, as when I was in Miami at a National Food and Wine show, and no one knew what a Pupusa was! And forget about Injera!

But that attitude that the center of the universe is located somewhere along Connecticut Avenue might be part of what is holding back the development of more good restaurants in the suburbs and makes DC feel like the small town that you are being critical of. ← Please don't exaggerate what I said. I am not being critical of DC by saying that it is a small town, I am saying it is what it is. That's called reality. City people will rarely travel to the 'burbs for dinner. And it's called the Washington Post, not the Metro Area Post, so when they pander to their suburban readers, I understand; it's just boring to most city-dwellers. Unless there is a mention of Roberto Donna. Just kidding.

If I see that Sietsema is reviewing a restaurant in the 'burbs, I only read it to see how he shoehorns in a mention of Roberto Donna. Just kidding. While I have lived in both Rockville and Alexandria (many years ago), I like to eat out in the city. I'm not a snob. It's just that I am not interested in a night out in the 'burbs. There are city people, and there are people who get in their cars and drive. A nice neighjborhood place in the 'burbs is one thing, but I live in Adams Morgan-there are dozens of fun and tasty places to eat within a ten minute walk!

Steve-Thank you for your healthy response. I was merely attempting to discuss with an earlier poster who mentioned Tom's repeated recommendation of Zaytinya, for every suggestion-nice place for a cocktail?, Zaytinya. Nice place for a pre-show bite?, Zaytinya, etc. I've already stated my opinion of Zaytinya, I like it; but I was attempting to analyze why he kept recommending it. I believe you hit it right, and this is what I said in different, and perhaps not as gentle words, when you stated that DC may not have the "depth" of other cities. Also, yes, I believe it is part of a critic's job to promote his own industry-not that it is unethical, but it really makes no sense to participate in the food industry unless you think it has worth, no? To do otherwise would be pretty cynical. I like Tom's thrust, but I think his writing is too often pedestrian and dull, and I guess part of a critic's job is to entertain as well as enlighten.

There are 570,898 people living in Washington, DC., making it the 19th largest city in the US. Perhaps I have answered my own question.

So then please explain why he highlights the same places over and over? He is obviously honest. He is certainly not lazy. Incidentally, I have lived in DC for 20 years and know something about the growth of this town. Perhaps, as a resident of Adams Morgan, I don't think of DC as a "metropolitan area", but as a city. A cozy little city.

This was a beautiful photo essay! My wife is Venezuelan and for Christmas we do Hallacas-same concept, steamed in Banana Leaves-this year we are not together so I had to order 20 from a Venezuelan bakery named Moises in Miami Beach. I can't wait for next week!

I think Tom has a 'usual suspects' list that he trots out. How many times can he recommend the Little Fountain, for example, in Adams Morgan? Or 2 Amy's? Or the whole Johnny's. Bucks, Cashion's, Colorado Kitchen crowd? And by promoting, I mean the column he does in Wednesday's food section-The Weekly Dish-he promotes (usual suspects) Ann Amernick and Frank Ruta's Palena, and Andy Shallal's new venture, also getting in a plug for Mimi's. Maybe someone else should write those columns, so that Seitsema doesn't have to parrot what is basically a press release for the chosen few. Then, at least, his critical distance could be maintained.

While I don't doubt Seitsema's honesty, innocent until proven guilty and all that, he DOES seem to recommend the same places over and over. But I think that is more a function of DC's size (small), rather than Tom's crookedness or laziness; or perhaps it is simply a result of the personal relationships he has built up in this (small) town. He HAS to mention Zaitynha over and over, because it is a good, casual and fun restaurant in a sea of sameness in downtown DC. Again, not commenting on Seitsema per se, but reviewers have a self-interest in associating themselves with, and promoting popular restaurants and chefs. I think we all accept a certain amount of that. It may seem odd, but Seitsema both reviews AND promotes restaurants in the same paper, with his Wednesday Food piece. Can't have it both ways.