Busboy

Call me reckless, but I mousse without a second thought, strew runny poached eggs over everything and encourage the kids to lick the beaters when we make chocolate chip cookies.

HA! We took your word and that of others and went to No. 9 Park and were NOT favorably impressed. That place is a ripoff, IMO! If I were a Bostonian, I'd never set foot in there again. The only positive thing I can say is that I enjoyed the bread/rolls. Hey, Honeymoon Guy---if you're looking for a reasonably priced meal in a place that is even minimally romantic: No. 9 Park is not for you and your bride! ← You bring up a good point: any vistor to Boston should be prepared for sticker shock, regardless of where they eat. I have a friend who moved from DC to Boston and estimates that dinner out costs 1/3 more on Beacon Hill than Capitol Hill. I imagine that, coming up from North Carolina, the shock must have been even worse ('less your prices are higher than I remember). On a recent trio, I thought there were a lot of places that I found pretty decent, but not worth price, including B&G and Pigalle. On No. 9 Park, I didn't eat in the dining room, but did eat in the lounge -- romantically dark, but very elbow-to-elbow as well. Fortunately, I thought my small plates were excellent. And I think the person who slammed the North End was indeed a bit crotchety. Only a masochist would drive ther, but it is well worth taxi-ing, T-ing or walking into the 'hood, still one of the country's coolest urban mazes and home to a zillian mid- and low-priced restaurants. Pizzaria Regina serves up a fine pie in funky surroundings -- go early or late. Other than that, the locals can better recommend a red-sauce Italian place that will make you happy. Budget time to wander aimlessly and, of course, see the Old North Church. And have dessert at one of the coffee houses on Hanover Street.

An in-law of a friend runs a place called Cities Grill in the Five Forks shopping center which, not knowing there was a distant connection, that I enjoyed a couple of years ago. The food was pretty darn good -- especially for the restaurant's being located in an HTZ (High Tourist Zone) -- and it's connected with a pretty decent wine shop, so you pick your bottle and pay retail prices, rather than restaurant markups. Probably wouldn't set the culinary world on fire in a major city, but in an area full of chains, "authentic" colonial restaurants and (in our experience) disappointing if picturesque seafood places, it was a nice find. Especially, by the way, if you want something not made by the Gallo Brothers to drink with your meal. Website here. Edited to add: As for dress, If you can manage anything beyong grungewear trousers and a t-shirt, you can probably eat there and pretty much anywhere in the area. I went in jeans and a decent shirt.

I once took an in-house cooking lesson at the local branch of a chain run by a celebrity chef. I asked the local chef, who taught the course, if the CC did any actually cooking any more. "He don't cook unless there's a TV camera on him," was the reply. There are two issues here -- about Mario or anyone. One, is he entitled to cash based on his years in the kitchen and the brilliance he showed there? Heck yes. Two: is the product still as good as the stuff he built his reputation on? I can't say for Mario, but there are appears to be mixed reviews. After some point, there may be a trade-off between the quantity of money and the amount of respect a chef can expect to win from their adoring fans.

Well, I'm sure that the actual residents of the Hill won't find the location as convenient as they'd like, but my good friends who work on the Senate Side will be glad to hear that Johnny's Half Shell is moving into the La Colline space on North Capitol Street. Not particularly accurate story here. This is good news for the Hill, where a decent meal at a decent price remains ridiculously hard to find -- despite some recent improvements in the rstaurant picture there -- and for the dynamic duo of Johnny Fulchino and Ann Cashion, who will be mongering a lot more fish at this new joint, apparently five times the size of the old one. No word yet on opening date.

Had lunch at Bistro du Coin the other day and noticed that there were indeed a number of lapel pins being displayed, although the only American flag was crossed with another flag, indistinguishable at a distance, sported by a swarthy embassy type. I think the flags are bigger up on the Hill, along with the popular Member of Congress pins.

After those first three nights, I'd contemplate fasting or Ethiopian for Monday, lest you suffer from gout or bankruptcy.

The pork chop guy at the Dupont Circle Farmers Market is very good, if a little pricy. Cibola Farms, I belive they are.

Hah. One thing I was thinking -- and this comes in part from nurturing (how inexact that word is in describing my relationship with my kids) teenagers, and part from just living through a few decades, I'm actually much more zen with assholes than I was when I was a waiter. I was thinking a propos this thread, at least I wouldn't go batshit with every moron customer if I went back to the business now. The secret to being a good waiter is to remember that -- contrary to what the customer thinks -- you're running the table, not them. It's so much easier to do that after 20 more years of real life.

I'm not quite sure what kind of responses you're trying to illicit here, and my intentions are all friendly, but I will give you my take on this situation: Age should never be an issue as long as you are physically and mentally able to handle the duties, stress, etc. There are always exceptions to this rule of course, depending on vocation. I give anyone willing to try something new kudos for the nerve to even admit it. ← That's the point, though, innit? I'm 47, in reasonable shape, but I know for a fact that the knees and feet are not what they were at 30. I can still go skiiing or backpacking, but that's fun and not something I do five days a week. Age is clearly an issue for any job that offers the physical grind that serving does. Not one that can't be overcome, but one that should be considered.

If you like food, do not eat at Sequoia. If you like interior design, go there for a drink.

It suddenly occurs to me that my kids, who are not exactly enamored of the exotic, quite enjoyed Ethiopian food, which can be spicy or not so much, depending on what you order, and can be vegetarian, as well. My wife's favorite is kitfo, raw, spicy beef and homemade cheese (tell them you want it raw, dammit (ok, please), or they're liable to cook it because you're American). The kids like tikil gomen (also goes by other names), which is cabbage, carrots onions stewed together. I like the red lentils, which are spicy but not too spicy. We all like to eat with our fingers. Note also that, while 10 and 13 is pushing the envelope, bringing smaller children into an Ethiopian place virtually guarantees doting service. A little guidance here.

Keep in mind that witressing, done well, is a profession, and you are not likely to start at the top. Even if you get hired by a good restaurant, you'll get the poor shifts and sections. Good servers make it look easy -- so do bad servers, in a different way -- but there are skills and a learning curve, and most of the people going for jobs at the best restaurants are just as devoted to food, wine and service as you are, and have a lot more experience. To the abra/jgm point, it might be useful to look at serving as an entree into management. In a lot of places it's a lot less lucrative, but it's also a lot less hard on the feet.

Just a few random thoughts... Relatively new (may not have been on earlier threads) and worth checking out, many have threads here that you can search for. Oval Room: Undergoing a revival under new chef Matt Seccich Circle Bistro: Upscale bistro food on Washington Circle, not far from Dupont. Notti Bianchi: Informal but upscale-ish excellent Italian near the Kennedy Center. Chef and Maitre d' just got nominated for local resto association awards. Rasika: Extrememly hip and very good Indian joint in Penn Quarter, which is an excellent neighborhood for cocktailing with the beautiful, the near beautiful and the occasional conventioneer who got lost on their way to the Hard Rock Cafe. Dupont Circle Swank: Marcel's. Simply one of the best places in town, but a step down in price from Citronelle (though not cheap). You can eat the regular menu plus bar selections in the bar, and listen to the jazz piano. hip: Firefly, something of a trifecta with good food, an well-priced and -chosen wine list, and a cool bar seen. Chef John Wabek is also getting some exotic wine-guru certification, and the list is quite swell. He has a weakness for Chablis, if you run into him. He cooks good, too. Maitre d' and former mixmaster extraordinaire Derek Brown has instilled a cocktail nation spirit in his staff; go for swank custom concoctions and the lively scene. Fish stuff: Three of the best fish places in town are in the Circle neighborhood: Pesce has a very cool European feel, a blackboard menu and great fish. Johnny's Half Shell -- four doors down from Pesce, near 21st and P -- is louder, feels like a tradional East Coast fish house, and has a bar where you can get bivalves and hold for a table. A friend from New Orleans says that the Po' Boys are better than most, even in NO, and you can probably get a good crabcake. I'm boycotting Hanks because they took over the space of my favorite Cheesestake greasy spoon, but it is very well liked and, on a warm night, offers patio dining. Don't try to get a seat at prime time. 17th and Q. Euro stuff: Sette Osteria for Italian, the salumi and cheese plate, passable wood-bruning pizzas, the young and the cool. Connecticut and R. Hit Bistro du Coin for the onglet/frites, the mussels, the occasional dose of Gallic charm and/or attitude, and the sheer joy of the joint. I like the bar, too. Connecticut and S. Suggestion: If you're going to be here on a weekend night, use the west coast body clock to your advantage and don't eat until 8:30-9 (or later) to avoid the mobs. Speaking of which -- when I used to fly in from Denver and land at 10PM, hungry, I'd head to Bistro Francais in Georgetown. It serves a full menu until 2AM and is pretty darn good, the steak tartar is widely beloved. Given your sig, it may not be walkable ; but if you're willing to wear flats you could have a nice nightime stroll from Dupont to Georgetown. Have fun!

Wheaton is walking distance. Rockville takes an extra trip with weekend shopper traffic. Plus, it's not near the dirty book store, so I have no place to browse while I'm waiting. No help upthread that I can find, sadly.

In an effort to make life easier for all those looking for a solid meal in DC, I'm going link many existing threads to this post, and merge all subsequent non-ridiculously-specific info requests into this thread -- at least until 2007. If any of the links below are even remotely related to your specific request, please revive them, to make searching easier for those who follow. If you have a general request, please attach it to this this thread. Likewise, comments and feedback are appreciated by all of us, especiall the next stranger to come through town. And, don't forget the ISO Thread, if you're stuck in a hotel room and are looking for a local drinking buddy (ISOs should only be used withing a day of your Happy Hour quest, but if you're looking for general information you can mention you can mention that you'd like to grab a beer in your post, with subsequent discussion to be done by PM). We can be a friendly group here in The Nation's Capitol. Greatest hits of 2005: Volume 1; Volume 2; Dining with Kids, and With Unadventurous Grownups Lunch near the Museums Eating in Dupont Circle Value eats/Ethiopian Italian Washingtonian Magazine's 100 Best, and An eGullet discussion thereof

We eagerly awaited the resumation of my son's ultimate frisbee career as it brought us to Wheaton every Sunday. But, alas, An Binh has changed hands and the new owners -- delightful though they are -- don't have the touch for banh mi that we've been waiting for all winter. Any other sources for this funky stuff in the neighborhood? Or do we have to make the trek out to Arlington or all the way up to Rockville?

I believe the "classic" steak frites is made with the rump steak, and that onglet more recent trend -- since Americans don't think rump is particularly appealing. My fave local bistro, btw, differentiates between the two, offering both a steak-frites and an onglet.

Lotta lettuce just to keep the kids happy, and still find yourself in an establishment that I personally find hellish -- and I'm a boy. My son will let them play with his X-Box for three hours for half that, and throw in tips, as well. And the food...

Way to early even here in DC. There may be some Florida Favas soon, though.

Lori should note that Zatinya specializes in mezze -- aka Greek tapas -- and might also be a good place to linger, though a little more expensive than Jaleo.

didn't mean to imply that Jaleo was uncreative, more that I was wracking my brains to think of something more obscure to recommend, but couldn't. It's a great choice. Generally speaking, you order off the menue the same way you order in a regular restaurant, except you can hold onto the menu and order more, at will. I've always found the service fine, so, if you explain, you shouldn't have any problems If can normally trust yourself with a regular-sized app -- much less entree -- you can probably go more than one at a time. If I wanted to eat slow and be left alone, I'd try to avoid "rush hour" and maybe linger over the Cezanne/Dada exhibitions, roll in a little after 1 and get one of the tables near the bar. Website here.

Hardly creative but Jaleo is close to the mall, mid-priced and has dozens of small plates, some of which will surely work for you. Capital 'Cue is nearby, as well, and gets reasonable notices from the barbecue crew.

My daughter likes Bistro du Coin. My son hates everywhere. The only thing they agree on is that they like Ethiopian food, but that's a real throw of the dice. BdC, at busy but non-peak hours, has an energy that seems to rub off on the kids, and they serve French Fries. We also hung at Cafe La Ruche in Georgetown, not great food but worth a stop if you're in the 'hood and it's warm enough to do the patio. Trios is cheap and tolerant. 2 Amy's obvious but so crowded nobody goes there any more. And, my first thought, like Heather's, was Old Ebbitt.

Welcome, Treznor. Great first post. I think most of us share your hope that Ray's will come back once the new place gets going. You have to read Ray's commentary with a grain of salt, I think. Landrum doesn't have customers so much as groupies , and it would be a rare restaurant that could live up to the praise they generate, regardless of cost. That he does so well, in a moderately-priced place is what makes Ray's special. I was talking to Chef Landrum one time and he looked a little bewildered aby the hype and said "all I want to be is a great neighborhood restaurant." Hopefully, there will soon be two.