frogprince

i heartily and highly recommend getting to know your local pupuseria. oddly enough, on every occasion that i've sampled one (in both the district milieu and purlieus) they [pupusas] consistently delight - not transport one to san salvador street vendors in a daydream of gustatory bliss but very delicious nonetheless. and ive never had an inedibly atrocious one. only a thought.

there's this certain little hole in the wall up connecticut avenue by the uptown cinema where the cafe/front room has a nine dollar menu. whats it called? palmoil-enema? peal-of-encomium? palatable-enchantment? palatial paladin of the palette? this palaverific post palls the peruser who protests at such postprandial postings i fear. but theyve got real nice burgers, hotdogs, fries, chicken, you know, real american type stuff; i dont know where they get their grape juice but damn! aint no welches thats for sure. i know i'm not the only peripatetic palooka whose paltry palms palpably perspire whilst passing the periphery of this place. anyone know this place i'm talking about?

having "dined" (if one can call it that) at the la tasca in covent garden during my sustained london self-imposed exile i can honestly truly without a doubt say it was the worst meal of relatively young life. you would think that authentic spanish exiles could come to england (thanks to the eu work permit requirements which shine favorably on those yet it still remains impossible to have a proper shrimp and grits with buttery corn(maize?)bread) and cook, nay even PREPARE, propre spanish dishes but alas alack: not to be found (surprise! surprise!) in a worldwide chain. i like that place that catalyzed the entire "penn quarter" when i remember that area being a mere "deleware dime."

if it werent for antiquated archaic prose of faulkner and dickens and joyce and galdos this is exactly what iam saying

perhaps this certain virginia establishment shares an affinity with another crab shack on bladensburg road in cheverly md. its only 20 min from brookland for other ne dc'ers. if that. real cheap by the dozen, take out only. lots of black and white and read all over called for. mallets, clarified butter, old bay, chilled beers. what more could one want? ps. postitevely local. 10 years of sustained patronage had taught me that at least, if not only to ordre steamed crabs and absolutely nothing else.

one can do no better than recommend the blue-crab (maryland) outpost of downtonwn's jaleo. ive heard variegated reports on a (french)midwestern french bistro called mon ami gabi. is it that hard to prepare a lugubrious steak frites? its been known to happen in our mileu and purlieus....personally... well its not in bethesda an environ us northeast brooklanders dont get to that much: why travel to montgomery county's antiquated draconian liquour laws when exquisite tapas (and french bistro fare) exist at a certain 7th and f establishment, the flagship of which bethesda chain is in question?

tosca on f street: you will not complain. obelisk on p in dupont: nor there. palena: surely you jest!?!

sounds like a floury salty buttery bundle of beauty that the majestic cafe in old town would offer...

an addendum to the penn quarter grazing crawl, though not quite in stumbling distance of the next destination to imbibe nepenthetic liquids: the flying scotsman on 2nd and c/d (no not that kind). a lovely pub with some stellar food, i.e. scotch eggs. and oh that guiness braised lamb shank.... obviously not quite in the region of nocturnal alcoholic perambulations in penn quarter but if you fancy a walk. and the bar at bistro bis is quite nice, as is their cheese (oh here we go again...) but hey what are cabs for if not transporting inebriated people from one set of bar stools to the next?

question: what did the smothered block of cheese sing wail prior to fatal asphyxiation? answer: "oh mother, i can feel the plastic falling over my head, and if i climb into a cold shelf, oh well. enough said. i know it's over - still i cling, i dont where else i will be sold. see the punter wants to take me, the knife wants to cut me, do you think you can help me? ... its so easy buy, those pre-shrink wrapped masses, its takes strength to be ripe and fresh. cheese is natural and real but not for you... oh mother i can feel the plastic falling over my head, oh mother i can feel the plastic falling over my head...

i concur wholeheartedly. whilst not the best one can do for cheese, i'd go to eastern market for an above average selection, priced admirably and always always always they take a great hunk off (well for my orders...) of whatever specific wheel/sphere/oblong/triangular of milky creamy bliss you happen to order. hooligan: neal's yard. brindisa. la fromagerie (islington). how i do miss them. nothing approaches them here. donrocks: cheers for the mail order suggestions. is classy cheese possible in dc in retail? well not by my personal european experiences, far from it, a distant cry moo bleat (what noise would a goat make?) baa stiffled by the ironic transparency of clingfilm; to see the poor fruits of human and bovine and ovis and capra ingenuity and brilliance suffocated to a most unflattering banal trite death, cryingmooingbleatingbaaing at the moribund moment: "but i deserve so much better! i had been so delectable! curse you whole/whore foods capitalists!" it makes me weep. at the moment, i put my monetary faith in the cheese people at eastern market and to a lesser extent to litteri's. but then again i'm a local boy so perhaps i should get out more.

wholeheatedly agreement in my opinion, to quote emily kaiser: rating restaurants as some sort of avatar of supreme gastronomic delight seems exceptionally pretentious, elitist and essentially pointless. one man's citronelle (no offense to employees of said establishment) may be another man/woman's certain chili bowl. that having been determined, can one well and truly state an absolute on culinary achievement? no, of course not. the franco-italian cuisine served by palena will be kilometres away from the lombardy-centric italian served by tosca or the "gras de oie" soaked cuisine de terroir of say, bistro d'oc. this of course represents a predominantly euro-centric intrepretation of three of dc higher-end restaurants. ranking, ordering, assigning personal arbitrary values (based on subjective personal tastes and preferential modes of food) to restaurants obviously strikes me as essentially pointless; however, are there certain places (regardless of cuisine, white-tableclothness or not, etc etc) that strive to a higher degree of gastronomic bliss within their respective means, regardless of the type or style of food they happen to be serving? without a doubt. and i would grant my most efflusive, ebullient, enthuastic praise (given my cynical nature and highly restricted financial means) on such places as: palena, tosca, cashion's, jaleo, vidalia, mark's duck house, emerita's pupusas, cafe atlantico, ernie's crab house, johnny's half shell. (yet another financial disclaimer: never before having been to "the big ones" of dc, i will not fall down prostrate in praise nor contemptuously criticize citronlle, laboratorio, the inn at little washington, marcel's, nectar, montmartre, gerard's place...etc etc. forgive me, i am for the forseeable six weeks still a destitute impoverished student of literature and cook of fine food. )

a disclaimer: never before have i experienced the seemingly gastronmic might of (nectar or le paradou or the inn) maestro or the laboratorio (though once suffered interminably through a pathetic excuse for fine dining at galileo, consisting of an atrocious menu that i could've ordered from three brothers for an eighth cheaper and equally "delicious") or citronelle (beware mark! i may have frightened you but wait till i show up for a glass of gigondas or st. chinian and a cheese plate... youve been forewarned: then you may be truly terrified; i will stick out like a plate of jamon serrano amongst the extramadura-ean iberico pata negra ham) that being said, having experienced the culinary strength of persistenly bibulous london and the nephritic delights of provence and languedoc-rousillon (not to mention cleveland) nothing in my life has yet lived up to the extraordinary experience that is palena. it blends the sophistication and relaxedness in a manner that very few restaurants achieve, despite my attachment to a certain establishment on columbia road (still the best value fine dining venue in my mind...) that being said, (obelisk a pair of years ago did register quite high) palena certainly surpasses the entire fine dining experience with me. (though if they only had bone marrow on toast with maldon sea salt a la st. john in london !!!)

several others have commented on the myriad riches that our fair city has to offer and i would second that, not out of defiance or competition but for the simple reason that people/places/things have strengths and weaknesses. tis a fact of life. the "crab shacks" or ethiopian in new york? real mexican in dc? etc etc. university experience in northeast ohio has demonstrated that a: eastern europeans have awfully delicious food and b: damned if i ever find anything remotely resembling it in dc. (now baltimore...) ever tried soft shells in london? neither have i and frankly i wouldnt want to; not when there's grouse, sausage rolls, treacle tart, and those salf beef bagels on brick lane with olfactory-obliterating english mustard at an ungodly morning hour, etc etc. i embrace the cornucopia and bounty of whereever i happen to be. sure i might really crave an authentic mole or biscay hake cheeks but can those places offer a proper doro wat or pupusa or rockfish or a mound of steaming crabs drenched in old bay? no and there's no reason why they should. i say c'est la vie.

your imaginary friend should maneuver themself/elves to a wooden perch fronting the alabaster bar at the venerable johnny's half shell, 20th and p in dupont, where they will discover the astonishing bargain occuring during the hours of happiness (5-6)should they exist; does this presuppose that all other hours are unhappy? do we need topshelf drinks, beer, half priced appetizers, soups, salads and desserts to be happy? be forewarned that bivalves on ice, main courses and specimens of the vine are inherently miserable and therefore do not adhere to the laws of the happy hour. but do not fret! your ethereal companion will find a sextet of crispy bivalves with a sharply refreshing tartare sauce and piquantly pickled vegetables, squid admirably scarred by the unquenchable wooden appetite of the grill hiding beneath a hailstorm of crunchy shallots, a steaming bowl of treebark brown and searingly spicy gumbo, amid other treasures and treats. all for the absurd price of 3-4 dollars a plate. see you there... or well, not i suppose.

mathew's pizzeria in little italy ranks as one of the prototypical red-and-white checkered waxy tablecloth places in my book. my dad's family is from baltimore and ive spent myriad days munching on classic pizza. as lowbrow as you can go, order at a counter from a pizza-faced teenager (pun intended) and anticipate a pie generously topped with nostalgia. its a devil of a place to find and has the oddest hours. ive not been in say, 10 years. anyone ever heard of/been to this place? does it still exist? if its gone i will feel as though a piece of my heart and soul has been torn asunder.

cheese, it would seem, is back - risen from the nether region it had been relegated to by polly-o's string cheese, velveeta and kraft singles. the fabulous if not terribly garrulous cheesemonger at eastern market continues to sparkle like a jewel - the lapidary at work polishing and carving his lactic gems and oh! how marvellous they are: that irish cashel blue like a lump of sourgrassyhay with a refreshing clean-tasting bite - mother nature's listerine. so who else titilates with plates of scrumptious morsels of this grand and glorious foodstuff? ive had memorable experiences at palena (tyrolean almond bread where are you now? oh yes at amernicks) cashion's always offers something special, mostly artisanal american with nutty raisin sourdough and some kind of fruity counterpoint to complement the cheese (fresh figs, grilled pears, tangy apricot jam and a bigger bolder heftier cousin to membrillo). jaleo does the big daddies of spanish cheese admirably (murcia, manchego, idiazabal, picon) plus a remarkably boozy "queso de tupi". the fromager for vidalia and bistro bis offers a truly remarkable selection from around the world, the best being the explosive montenebru from avila in central spain: a goat cheese aged in ashes that simply blows away anything ive ever had. so as not to prattle on incessantly, the wares i've sampled at two amy's (where can i get chestnut honey for gorgonzola?), obelisk and bistro d'oc have all been highly successful. i do not get out a lot but i can recall tosca and equinox immediately offhand featuring a cheese plate on their menus and have never experienced the galileo cheesecart. "grizzled restaurant veteran:" what sort of magic does m. richard offer? so, fellow cheese enthuisiasts, who does justice to and harnesses, quoting the american cheese board, "the power of cheese?"

i finally made it to cafe atlantico today for the latino dim sum brunch after falling victim to my own euro-centric vision for experiencing jose andres' food at jaleo and zaytinya. and my god is that place good, absolutely stunning. ive never had anything remotely resembling the hot and cold foie gras and corn soup in my life and the dish is... beyond words. a little coffee mug of warm unctous fudge-like liquid in that wonderful tone of pale beige that always sets my heart and tastebuds alight whenever foie gras makes an appearence. a delicately trembling flower of chilled foie gras mousse (?) poised on the surface under a smattering of chives, melting away every second and me acutely feeling the need to finish it as it was meant to be enjoyed. twas wickedly decadent. i could go on and on but i will not. duck confit was perfection, the skin as brittle as the shell of a creme brulee, bathed in passion fruit oil. time constrains me now but the liquid conch fritters... goodness gracious me. but thats another post. suffice to say, a postprandial mojito capped off an amazing afternoon. i was full of delicious food, the sun was out, old man winter has retreated back to his dwelling, what more could one want?

indique has charming little outdoor seatings up above the tumultuous ruckus that is connecticut avenue. ive never been but it essentially looks like eating on a (spacious) balcony of an apartment. palena's chairs were out yesterday afternoon too.

i second all the above postings; all are delicious. poste in the hotel monaco may be good still but the chef just left so... anyone sampled recently? austin grill is just next to jaleo for satisfying "tex mex," though you would fare much better at andale i feel. gordon biersch has nice beer and the best garlic fries. i wouldnt order anything else though. zola is also down there but ive never been so cant comment. there are also some gems in chinatown, so ive heard, but i go to nova for chinease so again, i'm not very helpful on that account. i believe there's a bbq place down there too, on g st. maybe? anyone? bistro d'oc is also delicious, if you like the cuisine de terroir of southwest france. its on 10th street so not real close like most of the others but still obviously walkable. ps: one futher block down, on 11th and f, is the immensely pleasurable tosca. classy italian food in somewhat baffling (airport lounge? doctors office?) surroundings. eating at the bar reaffirms one's faith in eating into an actual restaurant.

vidalia also sprung to mine. they have a bar menu and you can order off the regular menu there. its very tasty sophistacated southern food. the wine list is astounding plus you can have flights of certain regions and also has the option of big or small (6oz or 3 oz i believe) pours. they are most definitely open for lunch.

the bar/cafe at palena is delicious and everything is 9 bucks plus you can also order anything off of the "normal" menu. service is phenomenal. cheese plate out of this world. ive not been but the upstairs bar at bistro lepic in georgetown has received nice reviews from friends whove been. ditto that of galileo downtown. i know there's more....? now i realize that you said lunch and palena is not open for lunch. nor is it downtown. ditto bistro lepic. in short, ignore this posting for lunches (but those dinners!!)

its not quite convenient but litteri's on florida, 6th and morse st., ne usually has it. if not, its still worth the trip. they carry amazing products at ridiculously cheap prices that would make whole foods, dean and deluca, sutton place, etc etc weep. think of it as a trip to restock your pantry as they dont have fresh meat or produce, nice cheese and charcuterie though.

i second the cashion's recommendation from the "grizzled restaurant veteran." everything about cashion's is, in my humble opinion, a class apart. it is not an incredible temple of haute cuisine with an army of servers to escort you to the restroom but straddles the line between professionalism and casualness, i.e. the kind of professionalism that is not over the top. and the food, my god the food. remarkable and, whilst not being cheap, i consider it a bargain for the class and care in each and every dish. many places would charge nearly double for some of the food there - $18 for braised rabbit leg, homemade rabbit sausage, delectable little nugget of seared rabbit liver and a refreshing frisee salad? thats a bargain in my book. and ive only ever seen one entree over 30 bucks. i could go on forever about that place but i will not for respect for the poor reader who stumbled onto this post. meze has tasty turkish food, and mantis tasty "asian tapas" though more of "scene" than you might want with a child. hardly having been alive when steve klc sampled the wares at the ethiopian places, i've always had great food there (meskerem). perry's has always intrigued me with their menu but i've never been. and there's a creole type place on 18th whose name escapes me. but yes. cashion's. those ravioli, sweetbreads, those... those ... those..

longtime reader, first time poster ponders the beard nominations... deserved nominations? overlooked contenders? winning predictions? all fully deserved i feel; ive never had anything apart from stellar experiences at cashion's, equinox and obelisk. though gerard's place, from what ive heard through the grapewine, seems like an odd choice (ive never been there though). anyone know anything about marc vetri in philly? it was also nice to see walter nicholls' piece about the cast-iron skillet get nominated for journalism. also wondering... is ann cashion nominated for just cashion's or johnny's too/ is it the chef or chef's particular restaurant that gets the nomination?