Nectar

[John W.]

I was in a good mood until I read that.

It was done because it's the right thing to do, not because of a few inches of ink.

Oh. Keep reading. The bit about people rolling with $500 umbrellas getting what they deserve is brilliant too.

[hannnah]

and many repeat visits from the 'lawyer' and his elk.

Nectar's portions are too small to feed elk.

Never mind that, Nectar's ceiling is too low for elk.

[Al_Dente]

Should a lawyer and his elk dine at Nectar, perhaps Jarad could send someone to Colorado for some Aspen bark and leaves:

What Elk Eat

[morela]

Golly,

I'm down with the free umbrellas from The Hay Adams

and wetness is even okay if followed by proper fanfare...

I'm, like, the complete opposite of the elk-swanker and Nectar still treats me like gold.

Edited June 2, 2004 by morela (log)

[HOOLIGAN]

I was just waiting for someone to chime in and say "Nectar, I hate Nectar, Not only do they replace vauble personal property but they also explain each of the dishes we ordered... what a bunch of pricks. I hope they fail and are trampled by clove hoaved deer-like creatures...Assholes"

[JPW]

Obviously a person whose culinary adventures are focused the delicacies of Silver Spring's new Cannery Row - Romano's, Red Lobster, Potbelly - where he was treated shabbily.

I can see it now -

Patron "I left my Washington Post here after I was done reading it and I want it back NOW"

Poor little 16 year old busboy "Sir, we're not responsible for left items"

Patron "Find it now!"

Busboy "It probably got thrown out, sir"

Patron "Well, damnit you snivelling little piss ant, jump into the dumpster and find it. I had taken some notes of someone who got extra nice service in a restaurant and I wanted to whine to Tom Sietsma that it wasn't fair"

Busboy "Sir, I'll buy you a new one"

Patronb "No! I want mine!"

The patron storms out crossing the parking lot and while traversing Georgia Ave gets hit by the Z8 bus.

[morela]

I hope they fail and are trampled by clove hoaved deer-like creatures...Assholes"

Just like BUCKS.

[liamdc]

That's it. Next time I visit Nectar, I demand elk on the menu and tiny umbrellas in all the drinks!!!

[Minister of Drink]

I can't imagine Slipp doing all this if he couldn't 'announce' it to the whole world and expect some good PR for his restaurant and many repeat visits from the 'lawyer' and his elk. I go to a restaurant to eat food. I don't expect the restaurant to spend 1000% of what I spent on the food to find me my umbrella that another diner mistakenly took. Nice try Mr. Slipp!

Clearly the course of action taken by Mr. Slipp was done out of basic decency and a commitment to outstanding customer service, which is all too rare these days. Note that the article also mentions that the umbrella was of "sentimental value" to it's owner, let alone its monetary value. Thing's aren't always done for money, power and free publicity!

The world would run more smoothly if more people would act like Mr. Slipp!

[Al_Dente]

Signature updated

[John W.]

Flipping through the new food and Wine today. Looking at Best New Wine Lists.

What DC restaurant do I see?

That's right, Nectar.

Much congrats to Mssrs Slipp and Blankenship!!!

[morela]

Flipping through the new food and Wine today. Looking at Best New Wine Lists.

July 2004 Food & Wine? I looked in June...

[John W.]

Flipping through the new food and Wine today. Looking at Best New Wine Lists.

July 2004 Food & Wine? I looked in June...

Yes. July.

It showed up on my desk today. I don't recall subscribing, must be my lucky day.

[morela]

Flipping through the new food and Wine today. Looking at Best New Wine Lists.

July 2004 Food & Wine? I looked in June...

Yes. July.

It showed up on my desk today. I don't recall subscribing, must be my lucky day.

I'll post a link when it's on their website, for those who aren't as lucky as

John W.

It was a Birthday Gift from jo mama.

[The Doctor]

Note that the article also mentions that the umbrella was of "sentimental value" to it's owner, let alone its monetary value.

Then a brand new one, with no sentimental value, is hardly a replacement, is it?

Cheers, though, to Nectar for righting a wrong.

But note to the $500 umbrella guy: You won't get any more rain protection for the extra $475 you spent.

[bilrus]

Note that the article also mentions that the umbrella was of "sentimental value" to it's owner, let alone its monetary value.

Then a brand new one, with no sentimental value, is hardly a replacement, is it?

Cheers, though, to Nectar for righting a wrong.

But note to the $500 umbrella guy: You won't get any more rain protection for the extra $475 you spent.

But you will be stylin'.

[frogprince]

a june-shockingly frigid and predictably drizzly early evening thursday found myself and the mother meeting in the warm environs of the accomadating bar area for nibbles, specifically those derived from the milky nectar of sheeps, cows and goats.

my ohmy.

but before that highly-anticipated dish, we indulged our force-fed fat tooth and had the foie gras with pistachios and carmelized banana. a refreshing dish in that, as opposed to so many other medallions of delectable liver i've had, this one had not been seared to a potatochip crispness but rather roasted (?) and a better gelatinous hunk i've not had in a long while. (note to self: greek rose with foie gras: good idea.)

cheese. oh. everything those had promised and more, so much more. carianne cotes-du-rhone villages remarkably stood head to head with the weedy ashy pungency of montenebru, a spanish goat, the stinkiness of... goodness i've forgotten the name of the stink cheese. suffice to say its effluvium announced the arrival of the cheese before the plate arrived. lincolnshire poacher (cheddar who? cheddar - what's that?) from england, gorgonzola piccante did its best to obliterate the palate but only succeeded in making this cheese-chowman the happiest man on earth.

oh yes. frangelico with the baked alaska: try it sometime.

cheers to the nectar boys and girls for a fabulous evening!

[morela]

Congrats, guys!

Here's Richard Nalley's piece (July 2004 Food & Wine):

Best New Wine Lists

"Nectar

WASHINGTON, DC

Every wine on Nectar's list is available by the bottle, half-bottle and glass, which is not only a fun idea, but in Nectar's case probably also a necessary one. Toe-in-the-water sampling can be an appealing strategy at a place that offers no Bordeaux, no Burgundy, no Chardonnay and very few familiar names. A recent list included a Müller-Thurgau from Baden, Germany, a Primitivo from Puglia, Italy, and a vin de paille from Jura, France. "I want to force customers to think, and to drink, outside the box," says restaurant director Jarad Slipp. "But these aren't just quirky wines for the sake of weirdness—they stand on their own." Slipp chooses the 2002 Adelsheim Tocai Friulano ($57) from Oregon to pair with chef Jamison Blankenship's scallops with haricots verts and curry-spiced chorizo. "It has a lovely floral quality and the body to stand up to the curry spices in the chorizo," he explains. NECTAR'S BEST DEAL 2002 Calvinor Torrontés ($29) "Ever tasted a wine from Uruguay? This one has a juicy brightness and a little spritziness that reminds me of a Vinho Verde," says Slipp."

Edited June 13, 2004 by morela (log)

[Mark Sommelier]

What happened to "Nectar- Cool new place"?

[mrbigjas]

...and more importantly, will I be able to get a reservation there for next Saturday? And will my mother in law like it, she who complains about sauces on things as being "all gooped up" and prefers a rack of lamb or a nice steak to anything interesting? I haven't been able to tell from reading all this. I mean, it looks like I would enjoy it, but she's going to be paying...

[cjsadler]

Had a phenomenal dinner at Nectar, which I've been meaning to get to for quite some time, Sat night. From the wine list through to dessert, they pull off the tough trick of being both very innovative and very, very delicious. It's all been said on this thread and I can only add that it's all true.

Before we made some egregious wine/food pairing blunder, Jarad stepped in and paired wines beautifully with all the courses. I recommend taking full advantage of his expertise, unless you're far more knowlegeable about wines than we are. Some of the highlights I can remember: a pinot meunier from Domaine Chandon and a full-on viognier blend from Turley.... and beer with the cheese course (Einbecker Mai Bock), which worked perfectly. Restaurants should think more seriously about beer. You go to a place that wouldn't be caught dead serving Turning Leaf and they've got Amstel Light or some such flavorless water on tap... plus the same list of bottles every other place has. Palena seems to be about the only other restaurant where someone put real thought into the beer list (I think of RFD more as a bar). I award Nectar and Palena (and no others) a '5 Orval' beer list rating (the highest).

Desserts were amazing. Two were selected for us that we would not have ordered on our own: the 'suspended' creme brulee with its secret ingredient and the fruits en papillote, which was strawberries, peaches, and rhubarb, roasted and spooned around a lightly fried triangle of poundcake. Damn was that good! Many thanks to Jarad and Nectar for the memorable evening.

Edited June 30, 2004 by cjsadler (log)

[pastramionrye]

i know the secret ingredient....

[fimbul]

...and more importantly, will I be able to get a reservation there for next Saturday? And will my mother in law like it, she who complains about sauces on things as being "all gooped up" and prefers a rack of lamb or a nice steak to anything interesting? I haven't been able to tell from reading all this. I mean, it looks like I would enjoy it, but she's going to be paying...

Too late, I know, for your reservations, but I think your mother-in-law would like it. I've been impressed, the two times I've been to Nectar, by how uncomplicated it all is. "Stupid simple," was how Mr. Slipp described their cooking to me when I asked him a question about how the duck breast I was munching had been prepared.

[mrbigjas]

Thanks, fimbul. Next special occasion, I'm requesting it.

[sara]

From Mike Klein's column in the Philly Inky...

Sound familiar? Think people will get confused?

"You might hold your chin as you approach the brand-new Nectar...It's that jaw-droppingly stunning..."

table talk

Edited July 8, 2004 by sara (log)