Groupon Etiquette

So I am addicted to Groupons. In case you have somehow escaped my overly aggressive efforts at getting you to eat dinner at an inconveniently located restaurant with food you are not in the mood for, let me share a little bit about Groupons.

Each day, Groupon posts a deal for a local business (most often restaurants or spas, but have included gym memberships, hardware stores, and pet sitting- all the things the young yuppie loves). Living Social has essentially the same thing. I am signed up for both, and can't get enough. $30 for $60 to spend somewhere new and tasty is just too good of a deal to pass up. Unfortunately, I have trouble controlling my enthusiasm. I have bought groupons for just about every spa service offered for 50% off or more. This has resulted in a wide variety of uncoordinated facials with technicians who were utterly confused about what the real deal with my skin was since someone from some other salon just treated me a week ago. I bought one for Mourayo because I thought it sounded like sushi. Turns out its an unremarkable Greek place in Dupont that I can't get anyone to eat at with me. I signed up for Kayak lessons this summer. Too bad I will be in Afghanistan.



The coming of Groupons to the DC social scene has given rise to new etiquette questions. I have posted a few and my thinking below.


Dilemma #1: My friend and I have dinner plans, and we both have Groupons for different places that we want to use. Who wins?

Answer: I am inclined to say the person who's Groupon expires first. If you were clever enough to get one with an expiration a few months out (and are not going to Central Asia for six months in a few weeks as I am), then the person who is most broke and needing to rely on the prepaid groupon wins. However, if someone accepts your Groupon choice after a Groupon duel, you automatically incur an obligation to return the Groupon engagement in the very near future at the other Groupon location.



Dilemma #2: We both have Groupons for the same place, bought independently, and cannot combine them (many groupons are 'one-per-table'). What do we do?

Answer: Go somewhere else. Save your Groupon for another time. Alternatively, make separate reservations and bring two other people with you. Then 'run into' each other accidentally after appetizers are ordered and your Groupon intent is already declared to the waiter, and move together. Of course this is kind of an a-hole thing to do. And weird for the other two people. A move only for the truly desperate.



Dilemma #3: Can I use a Groupon on a date?

Answer: Yes. If your date can't appreciate your thriftiness, how do you think he will react to your many other embarrassing qualities? Mind you, I am typing this while laying around in a red onesie. I have many of those qualities. And I am not even that thrifty.



Dilemma #4: If we are splitting the check, and one of us has a Groupon, how do we divide up costs? Does the person contributing the Groupon get credit for the paid value, and we split the bonus savings, or do they get credit for the entire value of the Groupon?

Answer: This is a hard one. I have had dinner partners that assumed we were sharing, and ones that assumed I got the whole value for myself. Last night, I brought this up while dining at Policy with a friend. His take was that it was all mine. Of course, he is also a Groupon user, and I am sure it will come out even in the end (I now have an obligation to help him out with his Russia House Groupon- see #1). A German friend of mine assumed we were sharing my Groupon for Mie N Yu. Of course she is German. I have had Germans ask for $1.50 off the tab of a group of 30 because they didn't get a soda. I thus am less inclined to use her standard. So the answer? With Germans, you share, figuring out everyone's relative contribution down to the penny. With everyone else, its all yours, but make a good effort to return the consideration the next meal.



Dilemma #5: Why aren't there more Sushi Groupons?

Answer: As it is, I have trouble using groupons because every time I get myself together to go out and use a groupon, I wind up thinking that I would just rather have sushi. The sushi industry does not need Groupon's help- I am keeping it afloat in these hard times. If there were sushi groupons, I would need a speedy mercury poisoning antidote pretty quickly. Perhaps its for the best.

Oh, I so WANTED to love you- A Review of Georgetown Bagelry

Wanting to love people, and wasting time and money and precious energy trying to make it happen has long been a weakness of mine. Something, somewhere, tells me I should love them, because they are kind or attractive or patient or any number of things that are, in reality, never enough on their own.

Although I have happily, after much heartbreak (not the least of which was my own), largely given up on that habit in my personal life, it nevertheless seems to have been pushed off to the little (well maybe not so little) part of my brain that is devoted to food.

Months of perky, chipper little tweets from Mary Beall Adler from Georgetown Bagelry have made me want to try the place for ages. After an unsuccessful attempt a few weeks ago (where I discovered, that it is NOT, in fact, in Georgetown, but rather Bethesda), I went traveling for a bit, and hadn't made another attempt.

Today, in an attempt to actually get some non-food writing done (which you can see I have succeeded wildly at), I finally made the drive up there. Anywhere outside the diamond or across the river is a big deal for me. I had a mini-meltdown when I discovered that my boyfriend lived one block over the dividing line, and in fact paid taxes in Maryland! Gasp! Nevertheless, I have, largely on account of his inspiration (he knows the cities he has lived in more comprehensively than most local police, and I admire his getting out of his own bubble), begun exploring the no-man's land that comprise the DC suburbs. He would take issue with me even calling Bethesda, or Alexandria for that matter, suburbs, but baby steps, right?. I have been recently on a rather unsuccessful attempt to be very productive in coffee shops all over town.

Georgetown Bagelry should have been a great place to love. The tweets are always full of deals, they offer great discounts on already super-reasonable prices, it was busy enough to seem alive without being loud or distracting, there was free wi-fi, and a booth to call my own. A wide variety of bagel options rounded out the deal. Nevertheless, I left feeling 'eh'. The bagels were good, the cream cheese good, but neither blew me away. I still prefer Bagels and Baguettes on the Hill. I wanted to love them, but well, I just couldn't feign enough passion. It didn't help that the first time I ordered, I received a sesame instead of onion with my scallion cream cheese. Still tasty, but not quite what I wanted. The ordering process was itself was pretty painful. The staff was distracted, and not overwhelmingly good with communication- they seemed to have a hard time understanding customers. The second time I ordered a blueberry with strawberry cream cheese, and somehow got a tub of strawberry cream cheese and a milk? When I pointed this out, the server just gave me back the price of the milk, without the extra tax, and seemed mostly annoyed.



That said, its cheap, well-designed, and tasty. I was everything a good bagel shop should be. But like all the 'everything a good boyfriend should be' men I have had to painfully give up over the years, for some reason, there just wasn't the spark I needed.

Alas.

Give it a try. Who knows, maybe its the bagel shop YOU were meant to be with.

Mas Tuna Rolls, Por Favor! - Sushi Hana in Portland

So I have mentioned my addiction before. Sushi. It started as just something I did socially, with friends, just so they wouldn't have to indulge alone. And then something flipped. I had some gooooood stuff. In LA. And now I think about it all the time. I need more each time, and I am spending money I don't have in its pursuit. I neglect my family (or at least my dog's evening walks) in order to go out and score, and when I am at rock bottom and really jonesing, I do things I am ashamed of. Like order it from Chinese restaurants. I ignore the rubbery-ness and awful-ness of certain sushi go-rounds and even mediocre tuna with red pepper flakes triggers a binge.

Vacation is no different. The month I spent in China for work was torture. I did Sushi in China once, even though years of living in Asia should have made me wiser. I can still hear the dialogue in my head.....'But it's the nicest place in Beijing, where the Japanese Ambassador eats. Surely this would be ok'. Rationalization. I knew better, but maybe the inklings of the addiction were coming through even then. 'I will only have a few pieces.' Bargaining. I should have seen it coming. How did it end? With me puking at the sight of the 4 cases of beer the Irish guys ahead of me in line were bringing on the trans-siberian train the next day, coming off the worst night of sick in my life.

Anyway, my two trips to Portland this summer offered no respite from the craving. Fortunately, I have a boyfriend who is not only indulgent, but also encouraging of my little problem. He likes his sushi too. He had been talking about a little place in Portland for ages that was supposedly great and cheap. Keep in mind, however, that as he hates most things about DC, everything in Portland was both 'cheap' and 'great' in comparison. Add to that the fact it was in a strip mall, suspiciously located next to a Petco, and I was wary. Still, not many crack addicts complain about the quality of their rocks, especially when they are far away from their home dealers, so I hardly resisted trying it.




When I first walked into Sushi Hana in Tigard, just south of Portland, I saw a basic sushi-go-round. It took a few seconds for the real magic of the place to become evident. Like any sushi-go-round, Sushi Hana uses little colored plates to show how much various items cost. Unlike basically any other sushi-go-round, however, the most expensive little plate is $3! Most are between $1.50 and $2.50. Add to that the Monday happy hour special during which all plates are $1.50, and you have one of the best deals ever.... basically all you can eat. And eat I did. Although no match for the boyfriend's 19 plates (which blew the mind of our tiny waitress), I did a respectable 10. For under $25.



All you can eat is great (my favorite for the DC area is Matsutake in Ballston), but a good deal alone wouldn't justify the longing that I currently am feeling for Sushi Hana.

No, what was most remarkable about Sushi Hana was the quality. The sushi was fresh, the rolls creative and well-constructed. Unlike too many buffets and sushi-go-rounds, the chefs were selective about what was put on the belt- they didn't put out things that would go off too fast, and had a remarkable sense of just how much of anything was desired at a given time. Of course if you wanted anything in particular, they were not only receptive to, but actively seeking out requests.

This brings me to the final reason Sushi Hana is almost enough alone to pull me back to Portland for keeps, and the title of the post. Throughout the meals, a chorus of 'Mas Nigiri' or 'Hand-roll por favor' accompanied the methodical activity of the sushi chefs behind the counter. Normally, hearing your sushi chef shout to the kitchen in anything but Japanese is a reason for concern. Of course, there are the one-off all-you-can eat situations for which, as my best friend puts it, 'quantity has a quality all its own'; even these places, however, usually hide their non-Japanese sushi chefs in the back (along with, thankfully, the prep area... not visible is basically equivalent to sanitary for this girl).




Sushi Hana chefs were amazing, however. They were clearly in love with their work, and every time I went there, they seemed genuinely happy to be alive and making sushi. And I went there three times. In one 10 day trip. Yea, I like the place. I can't imagine how it must feel to be a super talented sushi chef who happens to be from Guatamala, but I imagine its not great. Like an Alaskan surfer, or a Laotian tight-end. No one expects your talent, and it must be infuriating to constantly surprise people. These chefs, however, have found a home, and for that, I am grateful. Not as grateful as if they were my dealers back home, but happy nonetheless.

Of course, now that I have had the pure stuff, it will take me a bit to get used to the expensive home brew here in DC again, but, as my visit to Kyoto Sushi last night proved, I can't stay away long.

Oh, Sushi. Mercury poisoning tastes so good!

The Miracle of Soft Eggs- Brunch at Creme

I can make complex meringues, reduce a delicate sauce, and cut a pie crust together until the exact moment when it is mixed and not a moment after. I can't paint, sing, pretend I care about things I don't, choose flattering makeup, run 10 miles, or any number of other talents that the young yuppie often has, but I can cook. I don't know how or why, but I get it. Which is why the seeming miracle of a poached egg is so perplexing to me. Every time I try this, I end up with some nasty form of flavorless egg drop soup, crunchy with egg shells that got away and littered with bits of egg that are more boiled to death than poached. I have some sort of neuro-block it would seem against paying attention to a cooking egg. I can't soft-boil either, for much the same reason. My inflated sense of self importance almost makes me believe that there is some sort of cosmic conspiracy that will insert something shiny into my field of vision within 3 minutes of touching an egg. And I do so ever love shiny things :-)

All of this is quite tragic given the delicious uses of half-cooked eggs. Soft cooked eggs are delicious in salads, with vegetables, and even as a meal themselves. Of course their most common incarnation amongst DC food lovers is as the critical component of Eggs Benedict. At summer brunches throughout DC, deals are cut, relationships blossom, marriages falter, houses hypothetically decorated, clothing evaluated, hippies scorned, and babies longed for. Brunch is where the young yuppie cuts their teeth on the DC restaurant scene. Is the food often second-rate to that of normal meals? You betcha. Does that make it any less appealing to linger for a long meal with friends with nothing else to do all day after sleeping off the previous night? Not a bit.

With an old friend in from out of town and a new one just arrived for her first big-kid DC job, brunch was calling. Thanks to the recommendations of DC Concierge, I chose Creme in U Street to inaugurate the season. I couldn't believe that despite a good friend living across the street, I had never noticed the place! It was tiny, and didn't take reservations for brunch, so our group of 6 had to wait about a half hour for a table, which isn't bad, especially since the same cosmic forces that interfere with my egg preparation seem to affect the ability of anyone I care about to be on time to anything, while driving my own paranoia about being late to such a degree that I am chronically 15 min early. All in all, this means that no matter what, there is a half-hour wait, so no problem.

I saw two things on the menu that intrigued- Chicken and Waffles, that Clydes favorite that is oh so good after a night of beer tasting (and facilitates the brunch attendance of any self-respecting dude who is not trying to sleep with you), and the Eggs Benedict with wild mushrooms. Our table had both. The Mushroom Bene, as the Eggs Benedict was called, was fabulous. The mushrooms were fresh and tasty, the Hollandaise rich and not too salty, and the poached egg in that perfect miraculous form that so eludes me, with a runny yolk and firm solid white that requires rapt attention by a chef who is swamped with a brunch crowd. So simple, but in may of the brunch factories of DC, the details are lost, and you get either a protein shake of raw eggs fit for a dude trying to 'get huge' or chewy hard-boiled eggs reminiscent of the less delicious parts of a polish deli. The chicken (white and dark) was proclaimed better than Clydes (bonus, since Clydes doesn't even offer white meat with their Chicken and Waffles- well, they do, but its sans the spices which make the chicken worth eating). The waffles were thick and fresh and the salad a little salty though better than your average garnish. I also had the bacon which was thicker than I like, but I imagine perfect for most people's preference. Roasted potatoes and an Eggs Benedict with crab rounded out our selections, and all was delicious. Portions were sizable without being ridiculous, and all were happy.



I also sprung for the expensive Hibiscus Mimosa. While too expensive at $12 for a flute, it was just delicious enough that I will probably continue to be annoyed at the price, but order it anyway.



The atmosphere was loud, but conversation wasn't too hard, as the tables were small and intimate. Hard to hear the servers, but tolerable. The interior is tidy and modern.

The best part? The prices were super affordable- $10-14 for most mains, with an option for a $16 unlimited mimosa (not the hibiscus kind however). This makes a $20 brunch a real option.

What do I take away from all of this? Poached eggs and mushrooms are inspired. And I now have a source of them for a reasonable price that will keep me from initiating any more egg disasters, and do wonders for my self-esteem :-) Yea Creme!

Yea Milkshakes- A Review of Good Stuff Eatery

The Eastern Market area is in sad need of some good cheap food options. I have worked my way through every sorry delivery option around, and cry a little each time I am reminded that Papa Johns is the best pizza available. So when a new little burger joint seemed to be moving in the neighborhood, I was of course curious.

So yesterday, back from two months of traveling, I was tired and starving- it was the perfect opportunity to try out Good Stuff Eatery. I illegally parked my little Honda and ran inside to get something quick to go while my dog waited patiently in the car. I figured it was 2 PM, there was no line, how long could it take?
Apparently, a while. This was the only real down point to the place- there was literally no line, but it still took about 10 minutes from order to serving. If this place is to succeed as largely a take-out quickie place, it needs to move faster. There was seemingly no specialization amongst the staff. The girl that took my order also made my turkey burger, and the one who served up the tray also made the shake. There were 3 or 4 other staff hanging around who's role was really anyone's guess. Maybe things just looked disorganized because it was a down time, but still, no excuse for not getting on top of orders with a little haste, especially when a customer has nothing to do but watch.

Ok, but how was the food? Well, the milkshake was amazing! I had a Milky Way shake, which was served with caramel and good fudge in the bottom, fresh homemade ice cream, and bits of malted milk (not so big as to get stuck in the straw, and not so small as loose value as texture). My only thought- they should use bigger straws. Even though it never really got stuck, I had to pucker my mouth and pull my eyes back into my head a bit to get much up through the straw at times. I never understand why places that serve milkshakes (especially ones like this that seem to specialize in them) don't automatically have big fat straws. Makes the experience so much better, especially when there is goo and candy involved.



They also offered a variety of other flavors, to include toasted marshmallow, soursop hop strawberry, and a d-lecheable leche. Will keep trying them and update :-)

As for the burgers? I had a turkey burger that waaaay overdid the cilantro and lemon. A little lemon/cilantro in the avocado spread could be a nice touch, but in an attempt to slam my face repeatedly into how fresh things were there, they waaaaaayy over did the tastes. It completely overwhelmed what I think was a good turkey burger, but can't be sure. Cilantro is one of those tastes that our brain processes as 'fresh'. Parsley and lemon work too. Overwhelming a dish with cilantro is an amateurish way of making it evoke a 'freshness' ethos; in this case, this was particularly misplaced, as most of the food is already quite obviously fresh. There was no need to resort to the cilantro overkill tactic, and it in fact ruined the more subtle freshness that I am pretty sure was there.

The regular burger was delicious, but not much better than five guys (which I love), yet $3 more.

The fries were fantastic- crispy with sea salt, cracked pepper, and rosemary, but not too much of either. They are unique, reasonably portioned (small and large sizes), and delicious.

This is the place to go in the Eastern Market area when you are craving great shakes or fries. Potentially, it could be a great showcase for fresh ingredients and produce in burger form- a little more confidence, and I doubt the cilantro/lemon overload would be a problem. As for the regular burger, to be honest, I think you are better off going to five guys (because I am cheap)- unless you want to fru-fru it up, and in that case check out Ray's Hell Burger in Arlington. That said, the burgers are tasty, and if you came for the shake, hell, stay for a burger!

Damn, now I want a milkshake...

Tasty Bruchetta, Damn the Season! A Review of Cafe BellaLuca!

So I love good Bruschetta. I hate the pretentious way people say it - Bru-sketta- but putting up with snarky waiters and the 'Sam-u-el' crowds who can't get enough of Mediterranean-style Italian cuisine (as opposed to those hole in the wall mom-and-pop places that make the most delicious heavy pastas) is worth it if for no other reason than the simple deliciousness of toasted bread and tomatoes at peak freshness.

Now lots of places mess this up. Heavy, bursting-ripe tomatoes need nothing but a tiny bit of high-quality olive oil, a few bits of garlic and really fresh bread to make this perfect dish. As is often the case in life though, it seems restaurants can't control themselves, and add all sorts of additional spices, and, god forbid, even cheese. Its not that I don't like these things together in other forms, mind you. Rather, in the case of Bruschetta, they usually detract from the complex, weighty, and delicious flavor of perfectly ripe tomatoes.

Unfortunately, I am in the desert. And its March. So when I ordered the Bruchetta at Cafe BellaLuca in Truth or Consequences, I shouldn't have expected the 'perfect' celebration of the tomato I so love. What drove me to order something so obviously out of season? Perhaps the hot spring water I soaked in for an hour before dinner got to me.

When a plate of toasted bread heaping with not-so-ripe looking tomatoes and a bunch of other stuff, to include olive oil, balsamic, mozzerellla, basil, lettuce, and at least 2-3 other things was presented, I shouldn't have been surprised. I was decidedly unhopeful for my dinner, but given that I didn't want Mexican or Dairy Queen and am in the middle of nowhere, I was happy to find somewhere that even made a go at Italian food.



The amazing thing? It was DELICIOUS. Its all about the vinegar. It was just pungent enough to compensate for the lack of taste inherent in tomatoes out of season, and they were cautious enough with its application not to overpower the good-quality cheese. I was taken aback. I am going to return home, reexamine all of my fresh tomato-based dishes that I normally file away until June, and see what may be salvageable with the application of some fine vinegar (although I too have a tendency to overdo a good thing, and ruin it when it comes to vinegar; I think I would drink the stuff directly out of the bottle were no one looking).

I was suddenly very optimistic for the whole meal! Unfortunately, nothing else lived up to this early creative and well-executed dish. I got the lasagna, which I think used canned or frozen spinach. Now if there is a single ingredient for which there is no equivalent non-fresh version, it's spinach. You can taste the bitterness of frozen/canned immediately, and it completely overpowers a dish. Add large pieces of obviously canned tomatoes (or maybe just the bruchetta's more tasteless cousins), and it was not good. Even more painful was the $14 price tag for a small dish. For a small meatless pasta dish, made with primarily non-fresh ingredients, this was outrageous. There were a variety of other pastas, pizza, and a few steak/seafood options. Maybe I just choose poorly, but given the quality control on what I did get, I am not hopeful.



I hope dessert would redeem, and perhaps the lasagna was a one-off bad choice, but alas, the cannoli, for which I was initially excited as it was not covered in pistachios like most, was dry and tasteless. Now I like a cannoli that is a little sour on the inside with a sweet crunchy shell, or a shell that is flaky and strong-tasting with a sweet creamy filling, but these were the unfortunate combination of a sour filling with a bland dry shell. I didn't even finish them. Me. I didn't finish my dessert. Unheard of. Add the fact the expresso machine was broken, and the second two-thirds of this meal were profoundly disappointing. I should have tried the Gelato. Other deserts were your typical Olive Garden variety, although I imagine at least homemade- Tiramisu, Creme Brulee, molten chocolate cake. I was reluctant to go for them as the presence of all three made it seem a bit too chain-Italian generic. If only one were on the menu, and a few other more unique options, I would have felt more confident.



Now perhaps I am being judgy, given where BellaLuca is located. I am only here a night, but I get the distinct sense that Truth or Consequences is not brimming with culinary masterpieces. Given the choices, it seems like a pretty good option. The interior is warm, open, and inviting, , the initially overly cheesy aggressive approach of the waiter, once it was clear I just wanted to read in by the window and not make lame jokes the service was polite, effective and excellent. It took a long time to get my food, but I was there early, so it could have just been that the pan of lasagna wasn't ready yet. Fresh beats quick, and it wasn't too long (about 20 min).

Worth going, if you are in T or C, but mostly beacuse there are few other options. Even the attempt to have something nice and interesting is commendable here- I hope the chef keeps trying, and works on every dish count. For now, just order two plates of Bruchetta, and get some ice cream at Dairy Queen!

Shady Dell and Dot's Diner, Bisbee Arizona

So I have been missing for 10 days, I know. Been on a road trip out to a work conference near Tucson, and have been delightfully out of contact. Conference started today though, so since I am back in work mode anyway, I thought it was time to post a bit. I have collected a huge backlog of places from this trip already, so beware a storm coming!

I am staying in Bisbee Arizona. Bisbee, in addition to being endlessly fun to say, is this incredible and unique intersection of hippies and libertarians, where everyone can agree that everyone can be however they want. It's up high in the mountains with lots of wonderful breezes, cheap prices, sunlight, and a fantastic and assorted amount of crazies to check out.

Shady Dell, where I am staying is one of the most delightfully odd places I have ever come across. Its a trailer park. Yes, a trailer park. Before you are overcome with worry that your favorite urban liberal has suddenly lost her teeth and looking for someone with a nice truck to make babies with, know that its unlike any trailer park I have ever seen.

I am staying in a 1957 El Ray. The whole park is full of these neat vintage, fully restored trailers from the 1950's. They are restored perfectly, down to every little detail, with working fixtures, stoves, bathrooms, etc. There are even period radios and TVs that broadcast programs and music from the era. Its amazing, nothing is out of place. I even have a little piece of astroturf and some bright blue chairs outside my trailer to call my own. Even the staff wears period outfits/makeup etc. Its a little creepy, and totally fun. Its so well done, so perfect and so comfortable that were it anywhere else, it would cost hundreds a night and feel fake. But here in Bisbee, the park serves the function it would have even in 1957- its a relatively cheap, relaxing, easy place to stay while exploring a great little town. For $85 a night, there is no better option around! There are few things in the world that make me as happy as weird Americana, and here it is in full force.

On site is this cute little diner, called Dot's. Now its closed on Wed and Thur, opens at 7:30 in the morning and isn't open for dinner. Since I am staying Mon night through Thur morning, and have to leave for work at 7am, this means that a rushed trip back at lunch time was my only chance. It was worth it!

I got a burger and chips (they don't have fries) which were good, and the most delicious chocolate malt ever. Their pies and cakes are glorious looking, which accounts for why I plan to head back in two hours, right before they close, and get some pie and more ice cream. Everything just tastes 'real', totally unlike fake diner food you get at chains. They had a black bean burger, which with mushrooms and cheese sounded delicious as well. Breakfast all day. Although frying an egg isn't rocket science, a willingness to do so with a ton of fresh butter and a local organic egg that actually tastes like egg would be delicious, I am sure. Alas, I only have time for one meal and one pie gorging that I am sure to regret tonight.

The service is half the fun too- everyone knows everyone from this little town, and locals are stopping in with standing orders all the time. Despite being a replica in the most obvious way (themed trailer park, costumed staff) the fact that it has 10 seats, is in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, and does a genuine local business mean that Dots Diner is something fundamentally different than a tourist trap or fake nostalgia. Rather, it, and Shady Dell in general, reflect a genuine desire to live in a different world from the modern one which is America today. Crazy little Bisbee is the rare unique setting in which such a thing can be genuinely done, with little irony or cheesiness. No one is denying the reality around them at Shady Dell and Dot's; rather they are enhancing it with their own unique choice of lifestyle. I am glad I got to join in for a few days (or even just a lunch, and pie!)

Le Pain Quotidien - Eastern Market Location - Review

So I have been to this place a bunch of times, with very mixed results.

On a weekday, it is a wonderful place to sit and read (although I agree with previous reviews- they really need blinds or curtains, the sun is scalding, and now that its getting warmer, its downright uncomfortable in there).

The food is top-notch- best muffins around, unlike anything I have had elsewhere. Avacado tartine was wonderful, and I am crazy for the apple cider. I like that the menu has the caloric values listed....keeps me from going too crazy :-)

The service though.....unbelievably awful. On a normal weekday, its pretty average, no complaints. But I went this past weekend, and it was prob the worst experience I have ever had. Ironic, since I thought the place it replaced, Bread and Chocolate, won that award for Eastern Market. Seems I was sadly mistaken.

We wanted to sit outside- they only have 10 tables or so out there. There was a sign to wait for the hostess to seat you (an nowhere to wait, which is annoying when it gets crowded on a weekend). We couldn't find anything that looked like a hostess, and the other door (front) had the same sort of chaos going on. We finally asked someone, and they just said to find a table on our own. Which was even more chaotic, but eventually, we waited out a table, chased off the other people who were about waiting (it was hard to see who was first, since there was no line or place to wait together, so people were scattered), and sat. And sat. We waited 25 min, and then I got up and got a menu myself. We waited 15 more min, and I asked a passing waitress (they have not making eye contact down pat, it was impossible to flag someone) if we had a waitress. She responded, visibly annoyed at me 'arugh, I'll tell someone inside'. A neighboring table overheard, laughed, and said that it took them 45 min to get served, don't hold our breath. Another table that sat down after us had similarly given up and retrieved menus themselves. We waited another 10 min, and no waitstaff came to our table, so I went inside. I spoke to who I think was the manager at the take-out counter, and asked if we could just order at the counter and eat outside, since we hadn't seen a waiter. He agreed, and I think yelled at someone who was supposed to be serving outside, but that's unclear. I asked for the muffin I had been craving, and of course, they were out of it. At that point, I was done. We left, having spent an hour there, and never having even been offered menus, much less food.

A shame, since when its not crowded, the food is excellent, and the service good. But I think they really need to work out some sort of system on weekends. I don't think I will be back.


http://www.lepainquotidien.com/

Asia Nine Bar & Lounge- Review

I came to Asia Nine for a birthday, and was blown away by the service. My friend had neglected to make a reservation for her birthday, despite it being 20 people at a popular restaurant on a Sat night. I know. I was chatting to the bartender while waiting for her to arrive and mentioned this, and, after a look of panic, he jumped to it. Without my even asking (I was expecting to not get a table and be awkwardly crammed at the bar all night, only to give up at the first polite moment and go elsewhere), he managed to section off an end of the bar, set up a system for us to order efficiently from the bar, and tell the hostess to send everyone back to our area. Totally above and beyond, and I am so grateful- what luck!

The food was pretty good (standard Asian-fusion stuff), and the drinks were great fruffy things. Great Saki and Shochu selection as well. But what really made the place was the incredibly accommodating service.

Not as annoying trendy of a crowd either, surprisingly, given the decor and feel of the place. A great place to have a trendy night without it being over the top pretentious.

Red Velvet Cupcakery- Review.

(thanks cupcakestakethecake.com for the pics!)

So in my recent and growing obsession with tiny frosted cakes, I had oddly yet to get to the new Chinatown bakery, Red Velvet Cupcakery. Especially strange, since 50% of my social time is spent wandering Chinatown trying to figure out what to eat....Anyway, finally made it here last weekend with the boyfriend and his sister (also a cupcake fan). Now maybe its not the smoothest thing in the world when meeting the family of the significant other for the first time to buy four cupcakes in one shot, but I do have such a tough time choosing. Terror of commitment. Yea. That's the message I wanted to broadcast in this situation. Oh well, I enjoyed them!


I can't give any cupcake place less than a 4 stars it seems, cause I really do just love them. This place works if you choose wisely- the devils food frosting was too chewy- not nearly as tasty as it looks. The big winner- Peanut butter. sweet, but a little salt on top makes it not overwhelming, like most dessert peanut butter things. Delicious without being sickly, its about the best peanut butter cupcake I have ever had.

Also had red velvet, which was pretty tasty- good amount of cream cheese for my tastes.

Birthday cake- this was great as well- delicious cake. Its like most places just give up when making yellow cake- this was flaky and moist and yummy!

Overall, great place to hit up if you are in Chinatown anyway, and in the mood. Not the best cupcakes around, but a tasty, if expensive, diversion.

Taberna De Alabardero - Restaurant Week

So this one is a little overdue, apologies.

I was inclined to just write 'eh', and the short little review below is not that far off. Nothing so spectacular or awful to really make for an interesting post, alas.

Anyway, here is the review I wrote for Yelp.....


Good, but not great....I think they dial it in a bit for restaurant week. They start with an exceptionally limited menu, with lots of up-charges, which really defeats the purpose in my mind. The Goat was spectacular....the rockfish less so. Desserts less than inspired, and service seems disdainful at best"

The Prime Rib- Restaurant Week

I AM Abe Froman, the sausage KING of Chicago.

Or so I needed to be to garner service worthy of the place at The Prime Rib last Wed. 

OK. I get it. Places like this HATE the crowds they get on Restaurant Week. Waiters get smaller tips, people use the wrong forks, suits contain polyester, good wine continues to age in the cellar while cheap swill is heartily consumed, I get it. But then why even play?

I was only able to get a 6pm reservation (I was originally offered 5pm, but through shameless use of a name drop was able to swing an hour later). Although the busboys were still getting dressed and the elderly couples had only started on their salad course, it was at least a somewhat acceptable time to begin eating. 

I had talked my best friend and another friend of ours (a former manager of XX in NYC) into joining me right after work. We were seated right away, and the service, while haughty, was attentive and spot on, as one would expect somewhere like here. I was put off when the waiter approached our table, and just said "tap water, not bottle, right?" It was a pretty bold assumption. The bitter swill I was offered as a first wine selection (he gave us a taste from an open bottle at the bar) was equally insulting, no less so than when in response to my comment that 'it was ok, but I think would overpower everything we ate', he noted that 'well, its the price', especially as I never gave an indication that we were limited in anyway in this regard. Once I made it clear that we were comfortable paying for something off the real wine list, we did in fact find something nice in the $70 range. The waiter also assumed we were here for restaurant week, and didn't offer us the real menu. A correct assumption, but mildly off-putting nonetheless. I get that I am young, and that I had an early reservation during Restaurant Week; the rest of the year, however, I will not hesitate to drop $200 on a great meal though, so charm me and I will be back loyally time and time again. Any good restaurant can provide impeccable service to its usual clientele; the mark of truly great restaurant service is how at home and comfortable it makes those not accustomed to such privilege feel when they indulge in it. There are restaurants that come down to the level of the dinner (we call them Applebees), restaurants that disdain diners who are not at their level (Prime Rib fell into that category) and the rare restaurant that elevates the common diner it's own level, briefly letting her escape into a world outside her own. This is the great joy of fine dining, and unfortunately, not something I saw at Prime rib.

That said, even the scraps afforded to us commoners were superb.

The food was excellent. Nothing fancy- soup/salad, steak, and cheesecake/key lime pie. The prime rib was on offer- usually, steakhouses are a poor choice for Restaurant Week because they don't put the good stuff on the menu, but The Prime Rob, true to name, did not skimp. It was a smaller portion than the normal (not only expected, but appreciated for a three course dinner at 6pm!), but delicious. The tomato soup was exquisite- not too sharp and acidic, nor so creamy that you couldn't taste the tomatoes that are so great this time of year. The Key Lime Pie was nothing special, but a nice wrap up. We did not have the salad, but from the looks of it, they toss it at the table, and it looked fresh and generous.

This is the steakhouse that others imitate- wood-paneled interior, old-school service (even in their haughtiness to those of us clearly not yet in the club), a pianist and bassist. It is the perfect place to appreciate this city we live in- where nostalgia for and a fascination with the vestiges of old-world power meet with the modern practitioners of it. The dining room is intimate, the service impeccable if disdainful of us peasants. The prime rib is out of this world. I will be back, for the regular menu at a reasonable time in a nicer suit. We will see how things go then

Until then, this is a great Restaurant week pick- it is exactly what this week is all about. It made a unique DC luxury accessible for many, and gave a few of us just the incentive we needed to go back. A 30% tip this time should help with the elevation issues next time around :-)

Dino- Restaurant Week

Two hours of great wine, food and friends, at a place I had not tried yet but will definitely be back to- this is what restaurant week is all about! I kicked off the season at Dino in Cleveland Park...and it did not disappoint.

I had an old friend in town (a self-described knuckle dragging airforce pilot). He stopped off in DC en route to Del Rio Texas from Japan, and I thought before he goes to the only place I know more isolated than San Angelo, I should get some tasty non-cheddar based food in him. Another friend of mine, Michael (who is about the best dinner partner a girl could hope for - never less than three courses, 2 hours, and 2 bottles of wine!) has been raving about Dino in Cleveland Park, so I thought this might be a good try. Of course, Michelle came along too!

Dino's is doing restaurant week all of Aug, and pulling no stops. The whole menu is on order, so you can get whatever you want for each course. In my mind, this is what Restaurant Week is all about. We each ordered different things and shared, while settling in with two wonderfully selected bottles of wine brought to us by a waiter that was pretty delicious himself.

Appetizers consisted of :
Veggie Antipasto - with imported stem artichoke, mozzarella di bufala (flown in fresh from Italy on Sun and Thur, I think), pecorino cheese
prosciutto - made in the old fashioned manner by a small family prosciuttificio where they age these hand salted gems a full 500 days.
Soft 3 Cheese Polenta {Asiago, Fontal & Gorgonzola} with assorted roasted mushrooms
Braised Meatballs - traditional Venetian snack: braised veal & pork meatballs with ricotta, garlic, herbs, egg & bread crumb in a light tomato sauce.

The mozzarella is out of this world- unlike anything readily available in the US. Light and fluffy, with a strong but amenable taste, and perfect compliment to the prosciutto. The Polenta was my favorite (really!)- just the right amount of flavor, creamy, and with a hint of earthiness that went wonderful with the potent vinegar used to marinate the veggies.

For our main course, we requested a wine that was more 'grrrrr' than the previous bottle- really, we were a little tipsy already. Our tasty waiter paused, and said "got the perfect thing". And it was. I really can't compliment enough the uncanny ability of the waitstaff to match well with our orders- I expect it from a sommelier, but its notable in a waitstaff, especially during a week of puny Restaurant Week tips.

Mains were:
Pappardelle ai Cinghiale - Wild Boar - house made ribbon pasta, chunks of wild boar, crushed tomato, onions, golden raisins, celery, carrots, red wine, garlic, herbs & spices, grana cheese Maialino - Milk Fed Young Pig - herb rubbed, roasted on the rotisserie with smashed fingerlings
And a delicious Venison steak I can no longer find on their online menu.

The pasta was a good base, although nothing to make you weak. Personally, I adored the venison, although Michael was less than enamored. This might have been because he had been devouring the delicious Maialino- so soft you could almost spoon it up- and the more gamy taste of the venison was harsh after the Maialino. The juices were wonderful when mixed with the noodle dish. Great portions as well- just enough for all four of us to have a good portion of each dish, but not necessitating a superfans heart restart.

Dessert was inspired. Michael's favorite is hands down the espresso and homemade gelato. His description of its various delicious stages of melting and blending as you taste it, mixing of hot and cold, sweet and bitter, left all of us a little breathless and red from inappropriate thought (oh who am I kidding, there is no embarrassment here, I was ready to sneak off upstairs with whoever walked by next). It was exquisite. Michael says he often comes by late at night just to get the dessert, after the kitchen is closed, and I believe it. This habit would probably be bad for any relationship I were in though, as I am pretty sure that there is no sensuous energy left after this. Its like frozen birth control.

I had a peppercorn gelato with candied plums that was out of this world. The perfect balance of strange and powerful tastes that was just the perfect finish to a strong meal. I left feeling indulged, full, and glorious (the two bottles of wine and free shot of something that comes with the dinner probably helped that along).

The other desserts, “Cappuccino” di Nutella- nutella & mascarpone crema, bourbon soaked sour cherries topped with whipped cream & cocoa powder and Gianduia - “Nico” hazelnut gelato with toasted hazelnuts atop bittersweet chocolate gelato with chopped chocolate, chocolate sauce & whipped cream were less uniquely inspiring but good nonetheless.

All in all, we all left full of great conversation, wine, and some of the best restaurant week food I have had. I will DEFINITELY be going back sometime soon. We closed the place down, and I would absolutely recommend you do the same. Spend a few hours, try everything, and take advantage of the great wine parings. Its worth every minute and penny. Not a place to rush.......Make it a Sat night, with a few old friends, and try a little of everything. This is eating at its best.

Restaurant Week in DC.......

So, its that time again. Unlike most years, the realization that the happiest time in all the year was nearly upon me did not come too late, and I was able to get a few decent reservations for Restaurant Week. For us poor government employees normally relegated to happy hour specials and appetizers at the bars of great restaurants, peering longingly into the windows envying the well-suited lobbyists frivolously ordering 15yr old scotch and lobster courses, Restaurant Week provides the rare chance to break in and try the best (and worst) that DC has to offer.


In some ways, this is a win-win proposition. At best, you discover a great new place, or a new item on the menu of an old favorite, and have a great meal for $35. At worst, you walk away from a $35 meal grateful that you did not waste a bonus, birthday, or wealthy date on the experience. Of course when you have six reservations in five days, all accompanied by a few bottles of wine (exquisitely paired with each course naturally), it becomes what you buy instead of, say, your rent or non-ramen lunches for the month. But still, its wonderful.



I do love this week. This year, I was ecstatic to remember that restaurant week was coming in time to actually get great reservations . Ok, so 6 pm, strongly argued up from 5 pm, at The Prime Rib isn't the best time, but still, I was lucky to get something at all. At least there might be someone other than busboys starting a shift and an elderly senator from South Carolina in the room.


In preparation for DC Restaurant Week, I was trolling for blogs, websites, anything that discussed the best places to go, and came up dry. There is seemingly a lack of good info out there, which is a shame given the great disparity in how many restaurants approach this week. I have eaten at places that really went all out to present a great image and seek new customers, places that used the week to try out fantastic, awful, and always interesting new menu options, and places that seem to inexplicably participate in the most begrudging way, openly snarling at the poor masses that mob otherwise fine establishments demanding decent service and a chance to discover a new special location. Even though, as previously explained, I do really feel that the week is win-win, whether a meal is good or bad, I still definitely try to seek out the tasty places, and put this blog forth as a hopeful resource for others looking for something a little special.

With that said, here is the lineup, all dinners (sorry kids, I work where there is no fine cuisine, and only a halfway decent chance of making it to your car without mace, so no lunches):

Dino, Sat 9 Aug
TenPenh, Mon 11 Aug
Taberna del Alabardero, Tues 12 Aug
The Prime Rib, Wed 13 Aug

Its already Thur, so I will try and get back reviews out there ASAP. Otherwise, The Prime Rib looks like its first up!