Eggspectation in Silver Spring

[iamthestretch]

A "chain" is a group of restaurants that you don't like that are owned by the same people. A "stable" is a group of restaurants that you do like that are owned by the same people.

[morela]

What is you definition of "care"?

Cooperative for American Relief to Everywhere

[Roger Troutman]

McDonalds is a chain. McDowells isn't. They got the Golden Arches, we got the Golden Arcs. They got the Big Mac, we got the Big Mick.

[FunJohnny]

Sorry about my use of a less than descriptive noun. By "chain" I really had in mind the Outbacks and Chillis of the world, maybe even the Cheesecake Factory. Not a lawyer so don't know if franchise would have been the more apt term. I would except restaurants such as Jaleo/Zaytinya/Cafe Atlantico or other "stables" that exist in one market.

Thanks Morela, for the link. When I retire I might want to offer my services to this endeavor.

[morela]

By "chain" I really had in mind the Outbacks and Chillis of the world, maybe even the Cheesecake Factory.

Formula business

http://www.newrules.org/retail/formula.html

See why I like the west coast?

[FunJohnny]

Formula business = Formula Food

[Steve Klc]

Some astute observations on this thread which echo my feelings--that chains in and of themselves aren't negative, I've had many a good meal worth returning for at chains or franchises--the latest of which was a super experience at Big Bowl in Clarendon; rather, it's the lack of other options in an area--options for more personal more individual cooking--that I decry; independent restaurants are not inherently better because they are independent--chains, franchises and independents can underwhelm and disappoint equally. Case in point: how often has anyone on this forum had a wonderful meal at an Il Radicchio?

Some concepts "franchise" or export well--they had smart people making decisions, have good consultants, good teachers and training in the kitchen, attainable, retainable goals and quality control, they know their own limits and work within their limits, managers are invested and care beyond the paycheck, etc.

Take Jaleo for example--I wouldn't worry in the slightest about Jose opening a third location in Crystal City in September because the same smart people behind the first Jaleo are behind this one--and Rudolfo Guzman, who has run the downtown Jaleo kitchen for years will train and oversee the Crystal City team--which means you'll still get personal, individual cooking and seasonal tapas which stretch the limits of that price point like no other restaurant. That's because Jose has that talent to motivate--and he has retained kitchen talent like Rudolfo who he's been developing for years. The basque cake and leche merengada ice cream or the arroz con leche a new way I created for downtown Jaleo will be just as good at Crystal City. And I think that's the biggest difference between chains and franchises which are spun off and independent restaurant groups or "stables" which expand--it's much easier to spin off a concept (and see it almost invariably decline over time) than it is to retain ownership of it and ensure long-term oversight and quality control.

But, make no mistake, in order to do that volume and retain that level of consistency, profitability and interest, there better be a formula--to the business and to the food. The difference is some people are better at coming up with formulas and systems than others.

[JPW]

The one thing that I find interesting is the relative ignorance of a lot of people about the options that have been in SS. People now want to go down to see the chains and miss all of the very good ethnic restaurants that are within three blocks of the corner of Colesville and Georgia (Thai Derm, Roger Miller, el Cubano, Bombay Gaylord, Negril,Addis Ababa, the little Cuban place directly across Colesville from the AFI to name a half dozen of the 2 or 3 dozen that there are). These are not the people that will go to Red Dog, much less Cashion's soon to be joint.

My lament is pretty much the same as Rocks' in that sense. But if even a small portion of the crowd that will go to the new 20 theater megaplex, or AFI, or the new Pier !, or Ann Taylor loft, or Borders, etc. find their way into my favorite cheap ethnic places then I will view it as a culinary success.

I just hope that their revenues go up faster than the rent will.

[Steve Klc]

I just hope that their revenues go up faster than the rent will.

But you just know what's more likely to happen is even more chains and franchises displace them.

[JPW]

Exactly, but I'm trying to be optimistic to compensate for the absolutely shitty week I've been having at work (Joe's Reminder of the Day - It is better to envision throttling co-workers than to actually do it)

The only hope is that some of the places own the buildings that they are in and they decide not to sell out.

I guess as long as people continue to get mugged on a regular basis around the corner of Piney Branch and Flower, el Golfo and el Gavilan are safe from the chains.

[kriscolby]

Someone suggested that a person with kids should "take one for the team" and try Eggspectation.

I did, and now I'm reconsidering the whole parenthood thing...

After seeing the menu, I even retreating into my Safe Zone, salad, meat and potatoes and was still disappointed.

Don't even get me started on the wine.

Scary stuff. At this rate, we should all insist on Quebec seceding not only from Canada, but from all of North America.

[morela]

WoW! Welcome to Egullet. Thanks for sharing. It works if you work it!

[Steve Klc]

Thank you for taking one for the team--especially the team without children. We'll try to repay you. How crowded was it, and what day/time were you there? Any of your kids in a high chair and how well was that handled from a service perspective?

[iamthestretch]

Having previously slagged off the chain-yness of the new Silver Spring development, I was encouraged to see today that the second wave of restaurants going in there are at least relatively-small, ethnic chain places. There's supposed to be a Pho Hiep Hoa by July and a Paya Thai by fall (or vice-versa, I forget), with a Lebanese Taverna just fitting out now. Also a Cold Stone Creamery -- which I never knew actually started out in Arizona back in the day. Personally, I think they missed a good chance to call it Desert Dessert, but what do I know from marketing?

Anyhoo, I also got briefly excited to see a sign proclaiming an upcoming "Bombay Company," thinking it might be a branch of BBhasin's excellent Alexandria Indian outpost. Sadly, it turns out to be these guys instead. Still, you can always pop in for a $300 faux-mink vanity seat or a $125 mahogany mini-golf set. Man, I remember Silver Spring when nothing cost more than $4.20. Except the 420.

[eunny jang]

Guess where I had lunch today?

The food was absolutely...on the low end of servicable (for the record: a bacon cheeseburger that was cooked to the shoe-leather side of medium, good fries, an awful pickle; chicken minestrone that was tepid and overly carrotty but tasted pretty good; and a salad nicoise devoid of, uh, nicoise olives and accompanied by an candy-sweet dressing). The menu made me groan (and if you know me, you know that I think almost any pun is hysterically funny. These were not). The wine list made me giggle. Sort of pretty inside, in that oh-so-precious look-at-us-isn't-it-clever-that-we've-framed-old-beer-taps-for-wall-art kind of way, and with a lot of vaguely unsettling egg-themed art (eggs pushing prams along a quaint city street - is that wrong or what? I don't want to think about what was in that stroller).

We were driving around Columbia, took a road we've never been on, and were spit out into a shopping center with Eggspectations, a pasta place, a music school, etc. etc. It was like we drove into another dimension, with Canadians inviting us to join le cirque des oeufs, a daydream threatening to turn into a nightmare of bad yolks and cholesterol.

Edited November 2, 2004 by eunny jang (log)