lackadaisi
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Posts posted by lackadaisi
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I too recommend Christmas at Corduroy. I have gone in years past with family, and it has been a complete hit with everyone! If I were not to be out of town this year, I would definitely be dining there.
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I too have driven to Fredricksburg for the sole pleasure of custard. That is some good custard!
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I found the sushi at Sushi Aoi to be inedible, and I really wanted to like it as I live closeby.
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Zaytinya, Jaleo, Cafe Atlantico, Poste, Ginger Cove, Teaism, and Ella's are all good choices. Skip La Tasca.
If you want sushi, please take the metro a couple of stops and go to Kaz Sushi Bistro. Do not go to Sushi Aoi; the sushi is inedible.
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Then you are getting the wrong stuff there. The sangrias are good, and there is a good variety of them. The desserts are actually very good. It is the tapas that are mediocre, so taht shouldn't be your main focus there.
-Jason
I tried the Sangrias at the Young, Hot and Cooking event about a month ago, and found them to be a very sad complement to the amazing food at the event.
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I finally tried out Cityzen last Friday. Overall, I was impressed but disappointed.
I had the 6 course tasting menu with wine pairing. Two others at my table had the same. One other had the three course menu with the wines suggested by the sommelier.
The food was excellent. Some of it was outstanding. In particular, the foie gras with black plum soup and the cheese course were amazing! The other courses, and amuse bouche etc., were perfectly executed with dynamic flavors also. I do not have a single complaint about the food.
The service was generally good, but way too uneven for this price point. The waitstaff was well-trained and very knowledgeable. But, they did not explain the dishes. When ordering a $110 (or $120, I forgot exactly) tasting menu, I expect that the waitstaff will tell me what they are serving. I do not think that it is up to the patron to memorize the entire menu. I wanted to know what I was eating, and they would not tell me. For instance, when the first amuse came, there were different amuses for the tasting menu and for the person that had not ordered the tasting menu. The only way that we would know that (before tasting, of course) is because they were different colors. They were served, and then the service was gone. So, I flagged down someone to explain. And, they graciously and knowledgably did. A similar scenario was repeated as each dish was served (sometimes I caught them before they left the table, sometimes I did not). Invariably, they were extremely knowledgable about the dish - why wouldn't they just impart that knowledge to us? Oddly, the next day, I had brunch at Rosa Mexicano, and my husband and I had a great time contrasting the excellent voluntarily-given descriptions of the dishes there with Cityzen's service techniques - and I never would have expected such detailed description (or any for that matter) of our $12 tacos at Rosa Mexicano.
On the other hand, the cheese service was really helpful; the guy who operates the cheesecart is extremely talented at picking out the perfect cheese for each person. Although everyone at the table has very different cheese tastes, each combination was perfectly composed and suitable to those taste. It was really remarkable.
Someone at the table was celebrating a b-day, and they wrote happy birthday on the dessert plate in chocolate, and presented us each with a glass of prosecco to celebrate. It was one of the nicest celebratory treatments I have seen; elegant, but understated.
Additionally, I was impressed that they were able to gracefully handle the mixed ordering. Generally restaurants have all or nothing policies about tasting menus; either everyone gets it or no one gets its. At Cityzen, however, they allowed some to have it and other to choose thier own dishes. The mixed service was done without any awkward gaps.
My biggest complaint is with regard to the wine pairings. Those of us who ordered the tasting menu also ordered the matching wine pairings for an additional $80/pp. No wine was served until after both of the amuses. And, there was no suggestion of a pre-dinner beverage. Therefore, we were sitting there for a good 40 minutes without a beverage. Moreover, not all courses were paired. In total, three glasses of wine and a port (and the complimentarty b-day beverage was served). Each of the glasses of wine was only about a 3-4 ounce pour. This seems like quite a paltry amount of wine for a six course meal. Moreover, although the wine was good, it was nothing spectacular. At the same time, the person ordering a la carte had two glasses of wine that were about $20 each (I am not certain of the exact figure) that was of far better quality - and more quantity. This was extremely obvious. And were it not, a waitress made it more so by lightly scolding the a la carte person for sharing because it would make us all jealous. For $80 pp. I do not want 12 ounces of wine/port that leaves me wanting for quality. It is clear that the pairings are a huge profit center for Cityzen. Hopefully, however, this profit was enough for them because - despite the amazing food and (almost) flawless service, I do not intent to return anytime soon. I left feeling ripped off.
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1. Re: lackadaisi's comments on the Lebanese Taverna. On my last visits to both the DC and Arlington locations the food was anything but terrible.
I never said that Lebanese Taverna was terrible. I do not believe it is terrible. I said it was resting on its laurels, which I believe is the case. It used to be a place that I would travel far to get to. Now it isn't. I still enjoy it though. It is just not so exceptional as to travel across the city to go there anymore.
There are places that are worth the effort; I just wouldn't choose to go through it with that large of a group. Off the top of my head, I can think of Bistrot du Coin, the Islander, Two Amy's, El Chalan, and Heritage India. I am sure that I am missing many. And, of course, if the group had access to a bus, I would highly suggest Layalina, Thai Square and many others. If it were my group, however, I would skip all the hassle of being responsible for their travel and stick to the neighborhood that they are in.
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I've little to add except that dinner for $40 -- especially if that includes tax, tip and booze -- is going to be tough to find in DC; and that I'd go to AV Ristorante, but not for the food,.
For your more flexible moments, this thread has a lot of good information on it.
And, just for the hell of it, you might consider Bistro du Coin. Three subway stops from the convention center and they seem to open the upstairs section -- on a balcony, overlooking the main dining room -- to private parties. Sure, you could have an asshole waiter that tells the president of your firm to kiss off. But the odds of this happening have been greatly exagerated. Much more likely, you could have a loud, rowdy and very French meal with crispy frites, great mussels, a bit of onglet and a lot of wine for something within shouting distance of your price range.
This thread seems to be about Canada.
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Marrekesh, although fun, has terrible food and is cash only; probably not a great idea for that group.
Marrekesh's food is certainly not up to the sophisticated level of some of the other places mentioned, nor does it appeal to typical egullet/chowhound types, but the food is certainly several steps above "terrible." It also has the advantage that the menu is fixed so they can do what they do fairly well. And after all, it is not trying to appeal to foodies who are looking for the greatest and latest. It is there for those looking for entertainment and a good fun time with their dinner, generally folks from all over and who's view of "good food" can even include places where foodies wouldn't be caught dead, i.e., groups which are probably not unlike the one the OP is planning to entertain. They have a very good product for that market.
I would have agreed that it was not terrible if I were basing my statement on the food I had there a few years ago. Unfortunately, the last time I went, the food was terrible. I had arranged for a group of people from work to go there. It was my idea, as the food had before then been just fine. This time it was not.
Moreover, I was very concerned that they brought two different dishes out to one attendee and claimed that they did not contain nuts, when the nuts were (thankfully) clearly visible. We had called in advance to ask whether they could accomodate a nut allergy, and they said that they could. But, their only method for doing so was to lie about whether the dish had nuts.
After all that, however, I have to say that I will be back. It really is fun. I just don't know if it is a great bet for such a group.
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Bistro d'Oc may also meet your needs. It is a good neighborhood place that would certainly have sufficient room upstairs to seat your party.
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I agree with the Zaytinya recommendation completely. It is excellent, hip, and close. And, it can accomodate large groups (with enough notice).
Kanlaya would also be an excellent choice, but I have had times when the food was not quite as fresh as I might like.
Jaleo does not accomodate groups of that size.
Cafe Atlantico could be a good choice, but might end up a little on the pricey side given your stated budget.
Marrekesh, although fun, has terrible food and is cash only; probably not a great idea for that group.
If you wanted more casual - and less expensive - you could go for teaism. They could accomodate such a group in the basement.
I would probably stay away from all of the Chinese establishments. Although there are one or two that have very good food, they are not the cleanest looking establishments, and some may not trust them. (For the record, I do, I just try to pick my audience for them).
I have not personally gone to La Tasca, and I have not heard great things, but my firm recently had an event there similar to that you are describing, and it went over pretty well.
Lebanese Taverna is nowhere near the convention center. If you are going to the trouble of taking the metro (which I would not bother to do with that large of a group if you are only talking about one night - there are lots of options within walking distance), go to someplace better than Lebanese Taverna. It is resting on its laurels. And, Zaytinya is so much better and closer.
Old Ebbitt is always a great choice, but it is a bit of a walk. Don't get me wrong - I think that it is completely walkable, but I am sometimes in the minority on this type of thing.
Good luck.
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Does anyone know of a good place in the city? I used to go to Edy's all the time, but now it is not very convenient.
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I tried the brunch at Firefly this weekend, and although everything tasted wonderful, I was quite surprised at the complete lack of garnishes. It seems very odd to me that a restaurant would serve such an excellent omelet (the crab omelet really was delicious) just bare, on a nearly white plate. A little color would have made my meal so much better. As it was, I felt oddly disappointed by this wonderful omelet.
Was the garnish just forgotten in my instance, or is this actually the typical method of service?
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I have been there about 5 times, but not in the year or so (I used to live very close by). I found the food to range between good and excellent (although previous chef), but the service was consistently ridiculously slow (in dining room, in bar, in lounge, on patio, and both in busy times and slow times). Despite my consistent enjoyment of the food and the extremely close proximity to my apartment, I had to stop going for that reason alone.
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That was for a few appetizers, dessert and wine, but no entrees, right?
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No entrees, but it included a few appetizers, dessert, 4 rum-infused beverages ($15 each), and several glasses of wine.
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It is the area in NW DC that is north of Massachusetts Avenue. It is east of Logan Circle and North of Chinatown. AKA Shaw and Mount Vernon Square. Basically, near the new convention center.
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To answer the questions and respond to the comments:
I live in NoMa, and I dine mostly within the city limits. But, I do not limit myself to the city. I frequently venture to the suburbs in search of good food - especially for ethnic restaurants. I also travel frequently, making use of various resources to find good food when I travel. For instance, I check egullet and chowhound whenever possible before travelling. I also check the websites of local newspapers, and the websites of various national publications. I carry a copy of the Stern's roadfood in my car at all times, and when I am renting a car while travelling, I make sure to bring it. I love food of all kinds, in all places. I rarely feel that I can not find enough information to have a good meal wherever I am, and I try to ensure that as many of my meals as possible are outstanding.
My disgruntlement about Tom's lack of focus should not be read as a condemnation for travelling and experiencing food in other locations. I do believe that is necessary - I just think that he has taken it too far and should cut down a little in the travelling in order to help our city expand the type of restaurants it offers (ex. by reviewing more small restaraunts) or by forcing restaurants that have been reviewed to resist from living off thier laurels. There are many places that have received very positive reviews that no longer deserve that positive press, but the information still remains just as easily accessible through the website as that which is still valid (for instance, Sushi Aoi still has a positive review even though the food is barely edible). Instead of a review of a restaurant in Baltimore, I would love to see a compilation of restaraunts that Tom has recently tried that no longer live up to thier prior reviews.
As I hope I have explained clearly enough, I enjoy reading reviews of restaraunts in other locations, I just believe the Washington Post is the wrong venue for those reviews. I differentiate between restaurants like Inn at Easton or the Inn at Little Washington and those in Baltimore because those are places that may not otherwise be noticed. Baltimore is an actual city, not a hidden gem. There are other sources for reviews for that city, and thus there is no need for DC's paper to review them in one of its full weekly reviews.
The Washington Post has a national reputation, but we can't forget that it is also our local paper. It is the paper that washingtonian's read to find out what bands are playing, what the weather will be like, when the cherry blossoms will bloom, and how the local restaurants are doing. The availability of such local information through such a well-respected resource is a treasure, and I have no qualms about fighting to ensure that we - and others visiting our city - continue have access to it.
I understand that our area has never been one that is limited to the city proper. I lived in the suburbs for nine years before finally moving into the city two years ago, so I understand the need for reviews of suburban restaurants. Moreover, as a cityite, I will continue to read the suburban reviews and venture out. But, the Washington Post is based in the city proper, and the city should be its nucleus. Basing the starting point elsewhere is a slippery slope - once it has begun, when will it end? I understand that some areas of the suburbs are closer to Baltimore. Just because the reviews go to where you live, however, does not mean that they have to extend to everywhere to which you can travel in a relatively short amount of time. If that were the case, why don't we focus more on New York? The shuttle gets one from the Washington Post headquarters to New York in less time than driving to Baltimore takes during rush hour.
Although I disagree with some of Tom's opinions, I do think that he is an asset to the city, but I am starting to feel that he wants to be more national in scope than I believe is appropriate for a Washington Post reviewer.
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We have a thriving restaurant industry in DC that deserves to have a Washington Post reviewer who cares and supports it. This week's review of Pazo is just the most recent indication that Tom Sietsema has no loyalty to this city. I understand the need to review suburban restaurants, but Baltimore is not the suburbs. Baltimore is a completely separate city that has its own newspaper, and reviews of its restaurants should not be occupying the valuable weekly review space in the Post.
This review is the straw that broke the camel's back. I am already so sick of Tom's wasted attention on his out-of-town reviews. Yes, people from DC like to travel. But, there are other, more appropriate resources (such as national or destination-specific publications) for them to find out that information. Of course they will continue to ask when he continues to provide. But, it is our city that is suffering. Only a small percentage of the readers find any relevance in his out-of-town reviews, and we need to know more about the restaurants in our city. As indicated by the Post's refusal to pay for these trips - as he complains about constantly - these are not relevant. These are his vacations. It is fine if he wants to send back some information when he is on vacation, but it has become completely clear that Washington DC is no longer his priority. The Post needs a reviewer that is dedicated to its city, and Tom Sietsema is most certainly not.
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lackadaisi - What was the tab for the two of you? Just trying to get a feel for cost and if it would be worth a visit.
I think it was about $150, but that included many glasses of wine also. We were there for a very long time.
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That felt to me like the harshest Weekly Dish I can remember from Tom. Looking forward to the real review.
After the harsh - but unspecific - comments from Tom, I feel the need to report on my experience at Oya. I stopped by for a drink the other night and had a wonderful time. Oya had everything that I had wanted from - but did not find at - Indebleu. I tried thier take on a pina colada and the cilantro dacquiri. Both were amazing (and, unlike the drinks at Indebleu, neither contained pucker). My husband and I tried several of the bar appetizers also, and found them to be wonderful. The beef skewers were tender and very flavorful, and the chef had anticipated the need for a fresh contrast by serving them over chopped salad garnish. We also tried the ceasar salad, which was quite good. Most interestingly, the bowl is the crouton itself. When that was first described for me, I thought that it was a bit gimmicky, but the flavors were actually excellent and the salad was dressed perfectly to allow the bottom to retain the flavor of the dressing without becoming soggy. On the other hand, I thought that the pork stuffed mushroom tempura could stand to be a little less greasy.
We also tried the baked alaska pineapple, which was to die for. I eat desserts infrequently becuase they are so often disappointing around here, but I was pretty much squeezing out the empty pineapple shell to try to get leftover tidbits at the end of this one. I would highly recommend it.
The ambience is also excellent. I was so impressed by the interior. Adamstein and Demetriou do a good job with all of our high end interesting restaurant interiors, but it was refreshing to see something new and different. I was amazed when I found out that the owner - who introduced himself and spoke to us for a little while - actually designed the restaurant himself and even acted as the general contractor.
Although I can not comment from personal experience on the waitstaff as I was at the bar, the service that we had was outstanding. The bartender was nice and perky and seemed to actually be enjoying her job. Moreover, I overheard several conversations between the bartender, the manager, and the waitstaff in which it was clear that they were bending over backwards to create a beverage that would perfectly satiate one of the customers in the dining room. I don't know whether they will be able to keep this up, but it seems as if the delay in opening has given them enough time to form a well-trained staff who actually cares about the product.
The prices are high. Especially the drink prices. The infused rum drinks are all $15 dollars each. They are amazing, but not strong. I would highly recommend them despite the price, but maybe just one to start off. I would feel so much better if they were just a couple dollars less. The wine prices (by the glass) were actually very reasonable. Most of the glasses were under $10, and there are many places around town that price these wines much higher. Although the bar appetizers appeared particularly expensive on the menu, they were fairly large (and quite good) so I didn't feel that they were particularly overpriced.
There are a few small details that I believe could be improved. They could use slightly better stemware, although thankfully they do not employ the universal wine glass (which is a huge pet peeve of mine and seems more common all the time). I would be hesitant to order champagne due to the champagne glasses, which allow the champagne to flow through the stem of the glass. It seems that your hands would warm the champagne quickly. Also, they have no beer!! They have not yet chosen thier beer, but they should probably stock some in the meantime.
There are a few kinks that they need to work out, but overall I am extremely impressed by the performance of such a young restaurant.
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I just wanted to report on the Devine Delights "petit fours". We finally ordered some of these convections and were highly disappointed. Not only were these not covered in fondant, but they were covered in so much white chocolate that you could not really taste any of the cake or filling at all. Oh well. The search continues.....
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Kaz Sushi Bistro is requesting $10 donations. Each donation gets you an entry in a contest for a tasting dinner for two.
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Although I have never eaten there, I was cajoled into going there for drinks and "dancing" last week and will never return. It is an inhospitable place that makes no effort at all to please the customer. As I didn't eat there, my complaints don't have to do with the food at all, but if thier general attitude extends to food preparation and service (as I would assume they would), I would skip it. For years I was wondering if I was missing something by not going in and now I realize that I wasn't.
Edited to remove redundancy.
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I would not choose Ortanique. Our office recently had a party there, and it was a disappointment. The drinks and food were wonderful, but the space was unacceptable. They put us behind the upstairs bar. This would have fine - if a bit removed - except that they then allowed other people to remain sitting on that side of the bar. So, there were several uninvited people at our "private" event the entire time. I found this to be very strange, especially as it left us without those seats and there is another bar at the restaurant.
Huh. That is strange. I wonder why they didn't just close that side of the bar--were you there at a peak time? (To be fair, that's no excuse, and Tweaked is talking about going someplace at a peak time too...) Thanks for telling us about your experience though. I'm disappointed for you.
I used to work at Ortanique and prepared many of the tasties for the parties--the party snacks and bar menu are generally the best things going at that place. (Plus the mojitos, especially if Emilio is at the bar.)
It was a tuesday night, so there was really no excuse at all.
Washington Post Dining Reviews
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