The Appetizer

The One. The Only. The Trailer For Mike & Melissa's Oscar Extravaganza

2009-02-09T00:37:00.003-05:00

Enjoy! Remember, The Extravaganza Begins Feb. 22, 2009.

Remember the Maine

2007-06-09T08:50:00.000-05:00

Of all things the Missouri Compromise produced, the state of Maine is one of the finest. Although we would be remiss if we failed mention the importance of the Compromise in setting the seeds for the national Whig party. Internal improvements, congressional supremacy, and screw Jackson we say. But in any event, for a few days recently, we soaked in Maine's bounty.

We stayed in Freeport, a charming town near Maine's coast. The chief draw of Freeport is without question the outlets. All are housed in cute buildings along Main Street, and for the most part, were pleasantly uncrowded. The Burberry outlet is undoubtedly the jewel, but there are a number of good choices. The secondary draw of Freeport is probably the L.L. Bean store, which everyone will tell you never closes. They don't even have locks. So if you want to shop for sporty clothing or sporting goods at 3:00 this place is your Nirvana.

For accommodations, we stayed at a B&B. I'm not a B&B person, don't think I ever will be. I am fine with there being B&B people in the world. I support full constitutional rights for such people. But really, it's a little creepy. That being said, the place was nice enough and conveniently located to the aforementioned Freeport attractions.

Of the other sights of Maine I was privy too, I think Augusta is underrated. It is an interesting looking town -- especially along the Kennebec river -- that has a very defined sense of place. To be sure, there is some sprawl that is not the most charming feature, but nearly every American city has that disadvantage.

The food in Maine is not my among my favorite, but this is my own idiosyncratic preference rather than a quality issue. Fresh seafood, especially lobster and crabs, are never going to be at the top of my list. But the people that you meet in Maine make up for the overabundance of seafood. Nearly uniformly informally nice, there is a marketed difference between Maine and, say our nation's capitol. The hot dogs, too, are first rate.

So, on the whole, my impression of Maine was that it is a charming place with nice people. It is among the more attractive of our states, and if not for the winters, would be one of America's premier locations.

There's an Otterly Fantastic Place Waiting For You in Otter Space

2007-04-26T14:51:00.000-05:00

Some may say that the frozen treat market is oversaturated, but after all these years a lion (or maybe penguin) of freezer remains: The Otter Pop. I think we all agree that the best otter pop is blue raspberry (i.e. Louie), but for some reason the ice is always a little bit softer on the red one (i.e. Poncho). Who knows why? But as the summer air descends upon D.C., here's an Appetizer Blog shout out to one of summer's greatest pleasures.

You Have Learned Well Young Grasshopper Taco

2007-04-20T09:16:00.000-05:00

Bobby: On a recent evening we sauntered down to the latest outpost in Jose Andres' Gallery Place empire, Oyamel.

Giada: We'd heard a good deal about the much anticipated Oyamel, particularly the grasshopper tacos, and were eager to check it out.

Bobby: Oyamel is tapas style, the defining food trend of this decade. Tapas have three virtues: They are cheap, sociable, and allow one to sample a lot of different tastes. Overall, while Oyamel serves up some decent dishes, it is not an especially memorable dining experience.

Decor

Bobby: The decor of Oyamel is an example of the Caboization of things that are supposed to be Mexican style. It consists of a bright decor that is a little shabby in a fake kind of way. That being said, the restaurant is open, the tables have a reasonable amount of room, and the overall effect is fairly inviting. Oyamel doesn't break any design barriers (it's no Jonathan Adler), but it is pleasant.

Giada: Agreed, although I did notice a pretty ample amount of space around the bar, which seems like a good idea given Oyamel's downtown location.

Bobby's Decor Rating: 6.8 out of 10.

Giada's Decor Rating: 7 out of 10.

Food

Bobby: One cannot help but compare Oyamel to other Latin places in the area: Rosa Mexicano, Jaleo, and Cafe Altantico. This is perhaps unfair as Oyamel is the most downscale of the quartet. But the food isn't as good as Rosa, as inventive as Atlantico, or as fun as Jaleo.

Giada: Bobby's dead-on here. For different reasons, I've had memorable experiences at all of the above and look forward to returning. While Oyamel was fine, it was just that and nothing more.

Bobby: We had five dishes: gaucamole, grasshopper tacos, queso fundido, tamales verdes, and a sausagy dish.

Giada: "Sausagy dish"?

Bobby: Whatever. You don't remember the name, either.

Giada: Touche.

Bobby: The tamales were very good and the sausagy dish hit the spot. But the guac was a little limey, and the queso needed to be melted more.

Giada: I was the only brave soul who dared try the grasshopper taco. Which is sorta understanding because people? This looks like a grasshopper taco. That is, it's a tortilla filled with fried little bugs. Bobby looked at it, turned a little green, and declined a sample. Also, it basically tastes like a bug-filled tortilla. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, with just enough of a meaty taste to remind you that you're eating something from the Animal Kingdom.

Bobby: Overall, though, it was a pleasant meal--and while not among the best places in town, Oyamel isn't bad for a Tuesday night.

Bobby's Food Rating: 6.9 out of 10.

Giada's Food Rating: 6 out of 10.

Service

Bobby: The service at Oyamel was non-descript. The waiter was reasonably competent, if a little slow. But for the price you are paying, you can't really expect brillant service.

Giada: Yeah, definitely a little slow. It also bugged me that he seemed incapable of filling the somewhat small water glasses beyond 2/3 full.

Bobby's Service Rating: 6.8 out of 10.

Giada's Service Rating: 5 out of 10.

Overall: Oyamel is an good value and the type of place that would be good for a group of friends. Guys, probably not the place to book for your girlfriend's birthday or Valentine's Day, but overall Oyamel is a nice addition to Gallery Place's many fine dining choices.

Oyamel

401 7th Street, NW

Washington, DC

202-628-1005

Washington Post review

No, You Stop Bitching And Start a Revolution

2007-04-17T17:08:00.000-05:00

If you've walked down 7th Street in our nation's capital, you've probably seen the guys and gals selling t-shirts imploring that we all "Stop Bitching and Start a Revolution." Now, I'm for a revolution as much as the next guy. Had I been around during the Colonial period and been soaked with slightly higher, but historically reasonable taxes, and a legislature that wasn't not completely representative of my interests, I would have joined the call to arms. So my problem is not with wide-scale social change. It is merely that these people fail to see the irony of their position. They are selling shirts that tell us to "stop bitching," but that's all they're doing-- bitching about buying t-shirts.

Perhaps they are using the proceeds from the t-shirts to start the revolution. But I don't think revolutions are that cheap. If you could start a revolution merely from the proceeds of t-shirt sales, Hanes would already be our overlord.

And actually, revolutions are mostly about bitching. Common Sense: mostly just bitching about stuff. The Declaration of Independence: bitching to King George III.

So t-shirts, you have not convinced me. Hug that out, bitch.

--Bobby

Please Don't Go Joey, Or Life is Like a Bowl of Chili

2007-03-26T10:31:00.000-05:00

Bobby: There are a few epochal dates in musical history that completely redefine a genre. Friday night was one such date. Joey McIntrye (aka the youngest New Kid) came to Jammin' Java in Vienna, Virginia and rocked Jazz Standards like no one before. After the Joey Mac Show, Giada, Rachel, Julia, Emeril, and I went to Bar Rouge for drinks, and capped the evening at the DC institution that is Ben's Chili Bowl. The following is a rare triple-review of all of the evening's festivities.

Joey Mac Attack: A Review of the Entertainment

Bobby: The atmosphere at Jammin' Java was electric just before the Big J took the stage. One fan effusively informed the opening performer that she once had a Joey Mac sleeping bag, although upon further reflection it may have been a pillowcase.

Giada: I had a Joey Mac pillow case. It was white, with neon orange and green marks, and a picture of Joey's mug front and center. I loved that pillow case.

Bobby: The Big J came out in a dapper three piece suit and a top hat that foreshadowed a multitude of twirling possibilities. He led off with Nat King Cole's L.O.V.E., knocked it dead, and slowly won over even the most jaded of fans.

Giada: I informed Bobby that we would be purchasing him a three-piece suit, post haste.

Bobby: But the crescendo of the evening came when Joey Mac pulled out the ace up his sleeve, "Please Don't Go Girl." With silky vocals like that, one can rest assured that no lady is going to be leaving Mr. McIntyre anytime soon.

Giada: Having grown up in a rural part of the country, I never got to see a New Kids performance. Hearing Joey sing "Please Don't Go Girl" made Saturday night the concert I'd been waiting 20 years for.

Bobby: Joey Mac finished the set with some tunes from the Chairman of the Board, Elvis, and Nat King Cole, but left the stage without doing an encore, which left me filling without closure. But closure came with a vengence outside Jammin' Java waiting for a cab. Julia and I were loitering a little behind Rachel and Giada, and by heavens that was a smart move, for Joey Mac walked right by Julia and said, "Thanks for coming out." Julia, always calm under pressure, pointed and softly uttered a garbled "Hey." This cogent prompting caused me to turn around and see the great man walk by. Rachel and Giada unfortunately were already walking toward the cab and missed this brush with greatness. I can't feel too bad for them, as Joey Mac thanked me personally for coming to his show. No need for that Joey, the pleasure was all mine.

Giada: So mad at myself, unable to comment further.

Bobby's Joey Mac Rating: 11 out of 10. (Some might think an 11 out of 10 is not possible, those people have never seen Joey Mac in person).
Giada's Joey Mac Rating: 10 hearts out of 10 hearts.

Applying Some Rouge: A Review of the Drinks

Bobby: After being pumped up by Joey, we boarded the Metro and were treated to a fully choreographed of "The Right Stuff" by Giada. Those who saw it will never forget it. It was that good.

Giada: I, however, have forgotten most of it, as memories of that point of the evening are oddly hazy. Go figure.

Bobby: Then after the eternal cab ride/walk, we made it to Bar Rouge, which is on 16th & N and not 15th & Mass as we discovered.

Giada: Eh, we were close.

Bobby: As if I needed any affirmance that I enjoy things that are a little girly sometimes, I once again showed that I am the King of picking out the best fruity drink. In this case that drink is the Ruby Rouge Martini. Not as good as the Raspberrytini at Blue Duck, but still a fine drink. By the second round, all the ladies had joined me in partaking in this sweet nectar.

Giada: I started with some other champagne cocktail, which was good. But Bobby's right -- he's the King of Fruity Drinks, and he knows how to pick them.

Bobby: As for the place, it's got your standard Kimpton hotel bar look. Snazzy, colorful (red, as the name suggests), long and narrow. Not dead, but not too crowded, with comfortable seats and no overbearing music.

Giada: Kimpton bars are great for evenings where you want to hang out with friends and enjoy conversation at an upscale-ish place. They're not pick-up bars (although I'm sure it's happened now and again), and tend to offer a number of specialty drinks. If you're in a group under 4 people (and often even more) seating is generally available. However, drinks tend to be on the pricier side, and while the places attempt an upscale vibe, it's often clear that the materials used are not top-of-the-line.

Bobby's Rating: 8.2 out of 10
Giada's Rating: 7 out of 10

Chili Today, Hot Tamale: A Review of the Bowl

Bobby: After the drinks, we strolled down to U street and got some chili from Uncle Ben. I have mixed feelings about the Bowl. On the one hand, it is cool, seems relatively authentic, and has good food. On the other hand, it tends to draw a lot of annoying wannabe hipsters/dorky frat guys.

Giada: Agreed. The line was a long one of exactly what Bobby describes. I was also a little annoyed that they weren't serving milkshakes or grilled cheese, although on further reflection it makes sense, or that line would never move. As it was, with a menu limited mainly to chili, chili dogs, half-smokes, and fries (they also grilled up a burger for Rachel, although it took a long time and I'd recommend sticking to the staples), the line moved quite quickly.

Giada: Also, Ben's could use a good scrubbing. I know that part of a "greasy spoon" is the grease, but I think you could apply a lot of 409 before Ben's would lose any of its charm.

Bobby's Chili Bowl Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Giada's Chili Bowl Rating: 5 out 10

Recipe for an excellent evening: Two parts overgrown teeny-bopper idol, one part Ruby Rouge Martini blended with sparkling conversation. Stir with greasy spoon, and prepare the spend the next day on the couch recovering.

Jammin' Java

227 Maple Avenue

East Vienna, VA

703-255-1566

Bar Rouge

1315 16th Street, NW

Washington, DC

202-232-8000

Ben's Chili Bowl

1213 U Street, NW

Washington, DC

202-667-0909

Washington Post review

Washingtonian review

Slogan Dynasty

2007-03-25T22:38:00.000-05:00

So, in an important development for our nation, the District of Columbia is looking for a new slogan. Now, D.C. has been the epicenter of a number of important campaign slogans in the past. For example, who can forget the memorable "Grandfather's Hat Fits Ben," the campaign slogan of one of our least memorable presidents: Benjamin Harrison (grandson of William Henry Harrison). By the way, Giada is still mad about Harrison signing the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, so Harrison is kind of tough topic in this household. But, the best slogan of all time is unequivocally the inventive, "We Polked You in '44, We Shall Pierce You in '52," from our 14th President. Seems a little risque until you consider that Pierce was a notorious alcoholic who drank himself to death.

But, apparently, D.C. government feels it needs something better than "Washington, DC: An American Experience." So, being civic-minded folks, Giada and I thought we would offer our help.

Giada thinks the slogan should be "A Capital City." Simple, cute, and elegant.

I, however, think the slogan should be: "A Monumental Town." Because there are monuments in the District. It's a play on words.

Another suggestion, this one a little more honest: "D.C.: A Quarter Gentrifying, Three-Quarters Languishing."

For the competitive types, how about: "D.C.: Fewer Murders Than Baltimore."

Taken from one of our most eloquent former mayors, Marion Barry: "Outside Of the Killings, We Have One of the Lowest Crime Rates in the Country."

A nod to the politicos: "DC: Come Have Your Filibuster of Fun."

Anyway, those are our suggestions. Although I'm sure the D.C. government in its infinite competency will come up with something better.

Just Ducky at Blue Duck

2007-03-22T07:35:00.000-05:00

Rachel: A few weeks ago Bobby and Giada were kind enough to let me tag along to the Edward Scissorhands ballet performance at the Kennedy Center.

Giada: We just adore the ballet. Almost as much as we like telling people that we go to the ballet.

Rachel: As if that wasn't enough, they decided that the evening was not complete until we'd had drinks and appetizers at Blue Duck. They do spoil me so.

Giada: It's Bobby. He loves to spoil.

Rachel: Since it was bitterly cold, we left the Kennedy Center in hopes of finding a cab, but our plan was foiled by the fact that there was not a single cab waiting outside. Not a single one! What is wrong with you, taxicabs?!

Giada: It was at this point that Bobby informed us that he was moving back to Texas. Which is too bad, but maybe he will visit.

Rachel: Not realizing that I would be trekking across the frozen tundra that was New Hampshire Avenue, I had been foolish enough to prefer looking pretty over being warm, and was dressed in a skirt and very precarious heels. Giada was kind enough to give me her arm so I did not end up on my butt, because who wants to finish up a lovely evening with a trip to the hospital to mend a broken bone? And I am pretty clumsy...

Giada: Agreed. She's a complete klutz.

Decor

Rachel: We sat in the lounge area, which I think can only be described as quirky. It is decorated with an odd mix of multi-level hardwood floors, random glass partitions separating various sections of the lounge, and stainless steel and wooden tables complete with drawers. Around the tables are swivel armchairs, which were one of my favorite parts about the place.

Giada: Rachel's description is right on, but it somehow never seemed "quirky" to me. I've always thought of it as a fairly elegant, but comfortable lounge.

Rachel: The strangest part of the decor was surely the seating areas to our left, which were wooden tables and high-backed Amish-style benches. The benches looked extremely uncomfortable, but the really odd part was that both tables were surrounded by glass walls, making them like private rooms where everyone could stare at you. Definitely wouldn't want to sit there.

Giada: Ok, I'll agree -- that is a pretty weird aspect.

Rachel's Decor Rating: 7.5 out of 10 (an extra point for all the conversation pieces in the room)

Giada's Decor Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Food

Rachel: Bobby was determined to sample all of the desserts on the menu, but Giada vetoed that idea since he hadn't had dinner yet. She is determined not to let him exist on fruit rollups, candy, and ice cream.

Giada: I am not joking, for all the wonderful food the man eats, he gets most excited about things marketed to 12-year-olds.

Rachel: I tried lobbying on his behalf, but being a little sister apparently holds no sway.

Giada: And this is something you're figuring out now? You did all of my ironing through high school, and you're just learning who's the boss?

Rachel: Anyway, I was more concerned with the cocktail menu, since I'm not much for desserts and am always looking to see if someone can top the Maker's Mark and pomegranate drink I had a while back at Restaurant Eve. On this night, I settled on the Pear and Elderflower martini, but the moment I saw Bobby's Raspberry Martini (or Raspberrytini as he liked to call it) I knew I had chosen wrong. I generally try to avoid very sweet drinks, and the Pear Martini was certainly that. The sweetness was not overwhelming, but still a bit much for my taste.

Giada: I had a strawberry flavored martini, and while also very, very good (I'm a fan of the sweet drinks), Bobby's was better.

Rachel: Since I am a good girl who always eats my dinner before dessert, I ordered the turkey club sandwich with french fries. The portion size was larger than I expected, and good as far as club sandwiches are concerned. My only complaint was that the tomatoes were sliced a bit thick, so that when I bit into it the toast hurt the roof of my mouth. You'll be glad to know that taking out one of the tomato slices solved that problem just fine.

Giada: While not stealing fries, I enjoyed the Artichoke Bisque. I'm actually not a huge artichoke fan, but soup was called for on such a cold night. And did I make the right call. The bisque was smooth and creamy, and wonderfully flavored.

Rachel: Halfway through the sandwich I got to order the Raspberry Martini that I had been eyeing, and it was even better than I thought it would be. Fresh muddled raspberries gave it a bit of a tart flavor instead of the usual sweetness of Raspberry vodka, which is the standard with such drinks and should be changed. Immediately. The fresh raspberry garnish in lieu of the usual marachino cherry was also a nice touch. On the whole, the drink reminded me of a spiked Fresh Samantha's Raspberry Dream, i.e., perfection.

Giada: It may seem like we're beating this to death, but the drink was REALLY good.

Rachel: Bobby and I both ate a satisfactory amount of our meals to order dessert, although Giada did steal a fair amount of my fries. We decided to share desserts and ordered the Apple Pie and Ice Cream. The pie was not merely a piece of pie but an entire individual-size pie and was fantastic. The apples were perfectly tender and there was exactly the right amount of sugar and cinnamon, but the true standout was the presentation of the ice cream. It came in a short pitcher with three scoops and a giant wooden spoon (which I immediately claimed as my dessert spoon), along with a smaller pitcher of homemade hot fudge sauce on the side.

Giada: I actually found the presentation of the ice cream to be a little much, because the pitcher was deep enough that getting out the scoops was somewhat of a pain. But really, sort of a minor detail.

Rachel: I think Giada would agree that the hot fudge sauce was not quite as good as our grandmother makes, but she has the market cornered on hot fudge sauce so it's not really fair to compare.

Giada: Yeah, the sauce was good, but not great.

Rachel's Food Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Giada's Food Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Service

Rachel: Our service that evening was outstanding. Our server was very friendly, prompt with all of our requests, and even brought us a new candle when she noticed Giada stealing one from the table next to us after ours went out.

Giada: What can I say? I'm a fan of ambiance. And it wasn't like people were sitting at the other table.

Rachel: My only problem was not with the server herself, but with the fact that there was a tall table in the middle of the room that served as a dumping station for dirty plates until they were brought to the kitchen. I might not have noticed if we hadn't been seated fairly close to it, but I am not a fan of being seated next to others' dirty plates.

Giada: Agreed on all counts. The server was seriously outstanding. Friendly but not chummy, intelligent, patient, prompt ... she was the total package. And yeah, Blue Duck is too nice to have dirty plates station so close to patrons.

Rachel's Service Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Giada's Service Rating: 10 out of 10!!

Overall

Blue Duck is the perfect place for a quiet evening of drinks, as it's the type of place where friends can chat and not have to compete with loud music or drunk barflies. It's also a great romantic spot for a date, little sister in tow or otherwise.

Blue Duck

Park Hyatt Washington Hotel

1201 24th Street, NW

Washington, DC

202.419.6755

Blue Duck website

Washingtonpost Review

Washingtonian Review

Well, It's Sorta Related To Food

2007-03-05T13:53:00.000-05:00

Note to guys: Next time you need to purchase flowers to woo your girl, save yourself $30 and buy them from a street vendor.

Why? Not because you're a cheap bastard, but because THE FLOWERS OFF THE STREET ARE BETTER.

Case Study: As many of you will remember, Washington D.C. played host to a miserable ice storm this past Valentine's Day. As such, there were concerns that delivery services would be delayed, meaning that those oh-so-important expressions of love would not reach their intended recipient on the big day. One concerned patron, who goes by the name of Bobby around here, was worried his flower order with 1-800-FLOWERS would not make it to Giada's office that day (for Giada had braved the sleet and snow, as she is a good little worker bee. Also, she's tough). Being the resourceful chap he is, Bobby took it upon himself to leave the warm comfort of his office where he spends his days shuffling paper (by night, Bobby is an intrepid crime fighter AND restaurant reviewer) purchase a dozen roses from the street vendor on G and 12th, and personally deliver them to Giada. Thus, Bobby saved Valentine's Day.

However, the scrappy delivery folks at 1-800-FLOWERS did manage to get through the sleet and snow and make their delivery to Giada as well. Which meant Giada was lucky enough to receive 2 dozen roses this past Valentine's Day. Don't worry, she knows how fortunate she is.

But all roses are not created equal. The dark red roses from 1-800-FLOWERS, ordered over a month in advance and costing a hefty $60, were a pitiful site even out of the box, and nothing Giada did would revive them. Most of the roses were shut tight and never opened for Giada to enjoy. After a week, Giada removed the eyesore from the back of her office to the garbage can.

The flowers purchased only a few blocks away, however, were simply lovely. They arrived in varying states of bloom -- some fully blossomed, others just beginning to, and others still wrapped tight. As the days went on, those that had already blossomed held their bloom, while the younger flowers opened up beautifully. The roses sat on Giada's desk for over two full weeks and prompted numerous compliments from passers-by.

The moral of the story: save your pennies and buy local. As an additional bonus, you won't stick your girl with yet another glass vase that looks exactly like the 20 she already has sitting in her kitchen cupboards at home.

Montmartre: Older, Wiser, and Tastier

2007-02-26T22:57:00.000-05:00

Giada: Bobby, I and a few friends trekked our way to Capitol Hill for a visit to Montmartre last Friday evening for dinner. Bobby and I have been to Montsouris, a french bistro in Dupont owned by the same team as Montmartre, a number of times and find it a decent neighborhood locale. Given that Montmartre is also a french bistro, we were expecting similar experiences. What we got just may tempt me to make that trek to the Hill again. Although maybe when it's a teensy bit warmer.

Bobby: Montmartre is, of course, an area of Paris principally known as a haunt of many important artists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and as the home of scores of nightclubs, including the Moulin Rouge. (Giada really likes that movie. I think it's just okay.) While Montmartre doesn't entirely succeed in bringing a sense of cool to the stodgy Capitol Hill dining scene, it is a step in the right direction.

Decor

Giada: Like its brother (or sister ... I'm not sure how you tell that sort of thing) Montmartre is a surprisingly small dining space. Frankly, for such a small place, I'm surprised I've heard of it as frequently as I have. So, word to the wise, make a reservation.

Bobby: I think they are sister restaurants. At the Volokh Conspiracy, there was a discussion about the origins of using the feminine gender for stuff like ships and states. I believe the consensus was that the use of the feminine gender was a hold over from Latin.

Giada: Woah, Bobby. Let's not scare away the readers. Just yet, anyway.

Bobby: Anyway, there is definitely something appealing about small dining spaces. It helps give a restaurant more intimate and neighborhoody feel, which is almost always a good thing.

Giada: Although the small space means almost inevitably that tables are pretty crowded, and indeed that's the case at Montmartre. But it seems like the best choice, both for the owners who can fit more people in, and for patrons who have a better chance at getting a seat at this fine establishment.

The walls are a pleasing shade of yellow, and the restaurant is capped by a high ceiling with rustic exposed wood beams, which helps make the small space feel less crowded.

Giada's Decor Rating: 7 out of 10
Bobby's Decor Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Food

Giada: To me, it seemed that the food was the major distinction between Montsouris and Montmartre, with Montmartre head and shoulders above the former. We started with a round of escargot baked in the traditional "mere anne" style, along with a bowl of moules. Both were about average for french bistros in the area (e.g., Les Halles).

Bobby: Yeah, neither was especially note worthy, but they weren't bad either. I'm always surprised how much I like escargot.

Giada: For the main course, nothing was really jumping out at me (although one of our dining companions had the opposite problem of not being able to decide what to order), so I settled on the braised rabbit served with olives, mushrooms, and creamy linguine. I was fairly full already from the few glasses of wine, bread and mussels I'd been enjoying, but let me tell you -- that rabbit did not go to waste. It was cooked perfectly, with the meat practically falling off the bone. The linguine was small portion, nestled just on top of the rabbit, that provided a creamy alternative to the deep flavors of the sauce. The mushrooms and olives could have been there or not -- the dish is plenty large enough that it doesn't need accompaniment, and the flavors of the two got lost in the sauce. But those too disappeared off my plate, for whatever that's worth.

Bobby: I had the venison for the main course. 'Twas quite well-prepared and not too gamey, which was a good thing. The sauce was a little stronger that I would have selected, but on the whole it was an excellent dish.

Giada: For dessert, the entire table chose either the chocolate cake or chocolate mousse, which was probably too bad, as there were other tempting options we'll never know about. I had the mousse, and overall, it was just ok. It's wasn't particularly creamy, and I didn't care for the addition of small pieces of dark chocolate added throughout, which gave it a chunky taste.

Bobby: I had the chocolate cake. It was chocolate, so to that extent it was great, but not a particularly note worthy dessert. I still ate every last bit, though. Afterall, it's dessert.

On a related matter, I'd like to note that one of the parts of making chocolate is called conching. Apparently, it is the part of the process where the cocoa butter is grinded down. I think this term should make it into the general lexicon, meaning beaten down by society or The Man. For example, Ina was totally conched by Oya in their handling of her Valentine's Day deposit.

Giada's Food Rating: 7 out of 10
Bobby's Food Rating: 7 out of 10

Service

Giada: On the whole, service was somewhat mixed. While one woman (the owner, perhaps?) clearly worked to ensure the patrons' satisfaction and our waiter was prompt, that was somewhat off-set by another server's stressed and harried attitude. Yes, it was a Friday night, and yes, one of our dining companions was over 30 minutes late, but her attitude was still more abrupt and severe than I thought warranted. Particularly since we ordered wine and appetizers before the final member of our party arrived, meaning that the progress of the meal was slowed little or not at all.

Bobby: Okay, so I initially ordered the veal and the waiter gave me a smirk and said "Are you sure about that?" I said that I generally was a fan of veal, it's barbarity notwithstanding. He said that they'd had mixed comments about the veal and that maybe I should try something else. This back-and-forth made me totally lose confidence in the veal, so I went with the venison instead. But then the waiter kept asking me if I was sure about that choice. It was really annoying. I mean, it's a good thing to let diners know which of the dishes aren't well-liked, but at some point you just have to accept the patron's order and let it go. Letting go was not a strong suit of the waiter.

Giada: In the waiter's defense, he did bring a motherlode of corks to a friend of ours throughout the night after she had mentioned she was making a cork board out of them.

Giada's Service Rating: 6.5 out of 10
Bobby's Service Rating: 6 out of 10

Overall

It's a lovely and intimate dining atmosphere, and while many of the dishes are more than excellent, others are merely average. Prices are standard for what you'd expect, with appetizers in the $6 - $10 range, and entrees priced around $20 - $25. Capitol Hill isn't a neighborhood we find ourselves in often, but Montmarte might have be a reason to change that.

Giada's Overall Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Bobby's Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

Monmartre

327 7th Street, SE

Washington, DC 20003

202.544.1244

Washington Post review

Washingtonian review

St. Valentine's Day Massacre at Oya

2007-02-22T12:17:00.000-05:00

While Bobby and I were receiving the royal treatment by Chef Ziebold et al. over at CityZen, good friends of ours opted for a girls' night out at Oya, a trendy little place located in oh-so-trendy (albeit in the yuppiest of yuppy ways) Gallery Place / Chinatown / Penn Quarter (seriously -- someone needs to make a once-and-for-all determination on that neighborhood's name). Anyway, Oya was offering a six-course, prix fixe meal for $125 (notably only $10 cheaper than CityZen, ahem).

My friends went, imbibed, enjoyed, and had a pretty nice evening, by all accounts. Overall, they were quite pleased with the evening. Until about a week later, that is.

When my friend, let's call her Ina, made the reservation via Open Table, it prompted her for a credit card, which Ina dutifully supplied. She assumed it would be charged in the event her party failed to cancel the reservation in a timely manner, which a lot of restaurants do on special occassions, so no big deal, right? Not so much. Turns out, Oya had decided to charge a deposit for its tables on Valentine's Day. The only warning of this that Ina received was on the confirmation email from Open Table, which stated: "OpenTable will never charge the card for any reason. There will be no charges by Oya Restaurant & Lounge except in cases of a no-show, late cancellation, or required deposit per the restaurant's policy." Yeah, talk about your fine print.

About a week after the meal, Ina was perusing her online checking account statement and noticed two charges for Oya -- one for the meal and an additional $300 charge for the deposit. Ina called Oya to inquire about the additional charge and was told that the charge should have been deducted by the waiter or waitress from the cost of the meal. Ina informed the manager that she hadn't been aware of the deposit policy. The manager then replied that they were looking into the issue and would "try" to remedy it later that afternoon. He also assured Ina that it wasn't really that big of a deal, since eventually the restaurant would have noticed the error.

It's now two days later, and over a week since the meal, and Ina still hasn't been credited her $300.

This situation has so many things wrong with it, I don't know where to begin. First of all, the problem should have never occurred in the first place. If you're going to charge a deposit, the entire policy should be explained much more clearly, and employees must to take extra care to make sure it is taken off the bill. Second, when a problem does arise, it needs to be handled immediately. $300 is a lot of money, and a lot of people probably don't have that much of a cushion in their accounts. Ina's lucky that she does, because she's certainly not getting a lot of help from the restaurant. Additionally, according to Ina, Oya was completely cavalier about the whole thing, making it additionally stressful because she spent a lot of time worrying if they were really going to take care of it, or if she'd need to take other action. Not only should management have credited her back the charge the same day, but they should have offered to comp her something (come in for a round of drinks, perhaps) for her troubles.

Shame on you, Oya. Shame on YOU.

Update: Ina received the credit back to her debit card on 2/23. Which means that it took three days from the time she pointed out the error, ten days from the time of the incorrect charge, numerous phone calls (most unreturned, despite promises otherwise), and one big headache.

Oya

777 9th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20001

202.393.1400

Website (which, btw, is one of those awful ones that makes you watch some lame slide show before entering the actual site. YAWN).

CityZen and the Art of Food Preparation

2007-02-21T22:53:00.000-05:00

Bobby: For Valentine's Day, Giada and I went to the much-acclaimed CityZen at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Eric Ziebold was out hobnobing with the Valentine's Day diners, the food was excellent, and the setting was nice as always. All and all, an excellent way to spend a frosty Valentine's Day.

Giada: I have to admit, when Bobby told me where we were going for Valentine's Day, I did a little dance. I mean, who wouldn't be excited to see what sort of menu Mr. Eric Zebold himself would prepare for what's supposed to be one of the most romantic days of the year?

Bobby: The first thing that bares mentioning about the evening is that when we arrived Giada had a present waiting on the table for yours truly. She made a rather bold move and got me a pair of white socks, being quite the romantic girl. Just kidding, she got me tickets to the sold out Decemberists show. Me being a huge fan of indie rock, and nautical-themed songs in particular, this was just about the perfect present.

Giada: Aw, that's sweet. And props to the staff at CityZen for being great about setting out the gift before we arrived. I'd stopped off earlier that day to make my request, saying that I relized it was a busy night for them and would understand if the gift was brought out later, rather than waiting upon arrival. But, like seemingly everything else at CityZen, it was executed flawlessly.

Decor

Bobby: If I were a writer for Elle Decor magazine, I would describe the stylings of CityZen as dramatic, yet inviting. Since I am not, I will just call it nice. It has a very large space, with tall ceilings, cool beams throughout the restaurant, and snazzy looking tables.

Giada: What I like best about CityZen is while it's a very large space with especially high ceilings, the decor is done in a way to make it feel special, but not overwhelming, and not stark either. I imagine it's a challenge to decorate such a large space without overfilling it with enormous pieces, or going the other way and leaving it sparse. While CityZen doesn't feel intimate, it certainly feels special.

Bobby's Decor Rating: 9 out of 10
Giada's Decor Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Food

Bobby: The food for this particular evening came in the form of a tasting menu. The first course was a pickled oyster with ginseng gelee. I don't really like oysters, but this little bit was quite good. The taste was quite different from any other oyster I've ever had and it looked wonderful on the plate.

Giada: I thought the oyster was ok, but the flavor was a little tart. Anyway, for the second course, we enjoyed a napoleon of dover sole and yukon gold potato, with dill creme fraiche and smoked steelhead trout roe. And by enjoy, I mean it was one of the best things I've ever tasted. Really. I know that a combo of sole and potato sounds like it might be a little bland, but this was just beyond good.

Bobby: For the third course, the big E came up with sauteed moulard duck foie gras with melted sweet onions, beer battered shallots, and onion gastrique. Again, I'm not much of a fan of foie gras. It's the most overdone dish in all of the world. But this dish tasted spectacular. Really, the second and third courses were the highlight of the meal. I feel this is often true with tasting menus. The earlier courses are the best. The main courses are generally less innovative and rarely live up to one's expectations.

Giada: The fourth course was sweet butter poached lobster with meyer lemon and fennel bulb marmalade in a pernod emulsion. It was lobster, it was butter, enough said. Well, ok, maybe a little more bears being said. It was, IMHO, the standard presentation of lobster that comes on most first-class tasting menus. But did I enjoy it? Sure did.

Bobby: For the fifth course, we feasted on roasted quail, stuffed with veal sweetbreads, melted savoy cabbage, and perigold truffles. Now, I'm not really sure how melted savoy cabbage differs from regular cabbage. I always just thought cabbage was cabbage. But this tasted better. An insightful comment a minute out of this one-man think tank. Anyway, I liked the dish.

Giada: We were next presented with herb roasted veal, with caramelized garlic chiboast, yellow foot chanterelles, and beurre colbert. Before I give my opinion, I should say that Bobby really liked this course. I, however, didn't. To me, it was sorta just the slab of veal on a plate, and mostly reminded me of the sort of thing you eat a family dinner prepared by someone who doesn't spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Sorry, Eric.

Bobby: Then we got to the main event of any meal: dessert. We were brought a poached bartlett pear and flowering quince tart, with candied hazelnuts, confit navel orange, toasted cantucinni, and grand marnier sabayon. A little underwhelming. It tasted good and was well-prepared and all. But where was the chocolate? As Giada often says, whither the chocolate for the main dessert on tasting menus. Indeed.

Giada: And for the last, we received a tray of CityZen chocolates. A sweet way to end a very memorable meal.

Bobby's Food Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Giada's Food Rating: 9 out of 10

Service

Bobby: The service at the restaurant portion of CityZen is much what you would expect at any high-end establishment. The waiters brought out the food promptly, handled our questions adequately, and generally did a good job of not being too obtrusive. The staff isn't as good as the wonderful staff at Restaurant Eve, but it is better than the staff at Citronelle.

Giada: Yeah, the staff at Citronelle can be a little snooty at times. However, I have a pretty big bone to pick with one particular server at CZ. So it's Valentine's Day and yes, the restaurant is busy. But that is no reason to remove the parker house rolls from the table before I am finished with them. You hear me, lady? NO REASON.

Bobby: After dinner we decided to get a drink at the bar. Now, we were pretty much the only people at the bar and we ordered two simple drinks. I had a White Russian, being fond of girly drinks, and Giada had a cocktail off the menu. It took the waiter from the bar over 20 minutes to bring the drinks to the table we were sitting at, which was absolutely maddening.

Bobby's Service Rating : 6.5 (deducting 2 points for the bar staff's incompetence)
Giada's Service Rating: 8.0 (being generous by not deducting more points from the lady who stole my rolls)

Dining Companions

Bobby: We had couples on both sides of us for this meal. On one side, we had a couple that chatted fairly normally and at a moderate decibel level. This couple belonged to the quickly dying group known as normal people.

Giada: Do you think we're a part of that group?

Bobby: No. But it's mostly because of me, so don't feel bad.

Giada: Yeah, I could see that.

Bobby: On the other side, we had a couple that belonged to a quickly multiplying group known as complete and utter Neds. Seriously, this couple definitely been to some Star Trek conventions. Their conversation touched subjects that were objectively not that weird--it was just that they're take on the subject screamed socially inept since birth. But at least they weren't mean. So they had that going for them.

Giada: I thought they were kinda cute. He'd brought like 6 cards for her, all with a different little present inside. Also, they apparently dine at CZ quite often and when seated at a table not to their liking, asked to be moved (next to us, of course, because Bobby and I got PRIME REAL ESTATE), but did so politely, which I thought was pretty cool.

Bobby's Dining Companion Rating: 6.5 out of 10
Giada's Dining Companion Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Overall

Aside for the hiccup at the bar, the Case of the Stolen Rolls [Bobby: Let if go, Giada] and the fact that it took forever to get a cab, the evening was splendid. The food at its best--during the second and third courses--was among the finest we've ever had. The place felt both special and cool--a feat that is not easy to accomplish and we got to keep the menu at the end. Although we wish Eric Zebold had come to our table to chat as he did to some others. Maybe he was intimidated because of our famous blog. And Bobby thinks because of his "guns." Giada thinks not so much.

Bobby's Overall Rating: 9 out of 10
Giada's Overall Rating: 9.5 out of 10

CityZen

Mandarin Hotel

1330 Maryland Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20024

202.787.6868

CityZen website

Washington Post review

Washingtonian Review

D'Acqua--Was D'ecent

2007-02-16T15:32:00.000-05:00

Bobby: One recent Friday night, Giada, Rachel (Giada's sister), and I went to D'Acqua, the relatively new downtown Italian eatery. D'Acqua is, of course, in the space that used to house Signatures, owned by the crooked lobbyist Jack Abramhoff. None of the signatures of famous-for-DC people remain, not even Abramhoff's famed gangster hat he wore on the first day of his trial.

Giada: Frankly, I can't remember if I ever visited Signatures, so I don't feel too sad that it's been replaced. The chef's at D'Acqua are notably Francesco "Cesco" Ricchi and Enzo Febbraro, Ricchi is responsible for, naturally, iRicchi in Dupont Circle as well as Cesco Trattoria in Bethesda, while Fabbraro has held stints as the executive chef of Cafe Milano and Filomena, both of Georgetown.

Bobby: I did visit Signatures and I'm not too sad it was replaced. It had a weird menu that combined sushi, New American, and a couple of French dishes. None of the dishes were particularly successful. Anyway, we went into D'Acqua not having especially high expectations, but I think the restaurant surprised us. It was a nice place to have a fairly causal Friday night meal.

Giada: Definitely surprised, and in an excellent way.

Decor

Giada: When we arrived, the restaurant seemed very quiet, and I assumed it was relatively empty. However, the "L-shape" of the restaurant hides the main dining area from the entrance, and it turned out is was actually quite full. I liked that, because it means that diners aren't constantly interrupted by the comings and goings of other diners, and that the cold air couldn't intrude upon our table, which was far removed from the door.

Bobby: There is nothing especially striking about D'Acqua's decor. There is also nothing especially bad about its stylings. It has the standard bar setup and fairly neutral walls, floors, and table colors. Serviceable is the word I'd use to describe it on the whole. There is, however, a fairly nice view of the Navy Memorial from main dining area and quite a bit of space between the tables, so it doesn't feel to cramped.

Giada: The main dining area runs parallel to much of the bar area, although the two are sufficiently separated so that diners don't feel like they're dining at the bar. However, the TVs perched above the bar face directly into the dining area, which was distracting.

Bobby's Decor Rating: 7.0 out of 10
Giada's Decor Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Food

Bobby: For the appetizer, I had the scallops. They were well-prepared, well-presented, and very tasty. Now, scallops are something that a great number of restaurants do well, but D'Acqua's were among the best I've had in D.C.

Giada: I enjoyed a lovely soup course, which was absolutely delicious on a cold D.C. night.

Bobby: For the main course, I went with the agnolotti, which was also quite good. Again, this dish was not particularly original. Nor was it a dish that I am likely to remember six months from now. But it was well-cooked, looked nice on the plate, and had pleasant taste to it. There is something to be said for competence in restaurants, and the cooking at D'Acqua struck me as nothing so much as a competent take on comtemporary Italian food.

Giada: I too went with a not-so-original course, the linguine with clams and a white wine and vinegar sauce. While perhaps it isn't the most original offering, it was excellent. The linguine was prepared to the perfect al dente consistency, clams were fresh, and the sauce was flavorful but not overwhelming.

Bobby: As for the wine, the list was fairly extensive and hit the right price points. We had a bottle of Pinot Noir that was very good and reasonably priced.

Bobby's Food Rating: 7 out of 10

Giada's Food Rating: 8 out of 10

Service

Bobby: The service at D'Acqua was efficient, no-nonsense, and prompt. That is about all you can ask of a restaurant. The server did nothing above and beyond the call of duty, but she did her job well.

Giada: I disagree somewhat with Bobby, in that I thought the server was particularly good. She was very pleasant and knowledgeable, she fielded our questions easily, and was patient when we hemmed and hawed over our orders. She seemed to have a genuine friendliness, rather than being simply polite, but at the same time, remained efficient and unobtrusive. She also came out to the table to apologize for the slow arrival of our meals, which frankly, I hadn't even noticed.

Bobby's Service Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Giada's Service Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Dining Companions

Bobby: Given that the tables were spaced relatively far apart, there were no unwanted, annoying dining companions. However, we had the good fortune of having Rachel along, who was as fun and interesting as always.

Giada: Yep, not really a peep from other diners, as far as I remember.

Bobby's Dining Companions Rating: 9 out of 10

Giada's Dining Companions Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Overall

D'Acqua is never going to be a restaurant that gets a lot of hype. There is nothing particularly special about it. However, if you are looking for a quality Italian meal Downtown, one could do far worse that spending an evening at D'Acqua.

Bobby's Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

Giada's Overall Rating: 7.5 out of 10

D'Acqua

801 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC

202.783.7717

D'Acqua website

Washingtonpost Review

Washingtonian Interview with Francesco Ricchi

Central Michel Richard -- Not the Center of the Dining World, But A Welcome Addition to DC

2007-02-05T11:57:00.000-05:00

Bobby: We decamped from Giada's DC office to Michel Richard's latest venture at the corner of 10th and Pennsylvania. Both of us are fans of Richard's Citronelle, so we entered the restaurant with high hopes. For the most part, we were not disappointed.

Giada: Bobby had particularly high hopes, since this would combine his love of burgers, fries, ice cream, etc. with his love of high-end cooking.

Bobby: When we arrived at the restaurant, there was some mix up about the reservation time. We had booked for 8; they had us down for 9:30. After a few minutes of back and forth, they gave us a table in the front of the restaurant.

Giada: While I was happy that the restaurant managed to seat us (it was a pretty busy night), I definitely felt like they thought the mistake was on our end, even though Bobby had said that Central had called that morning to confirm.

Bobby: The table was less than ideal in a couple of ways. First, it was miles away from the beautiful open kitchen in the back of the restaurant.

Giada: The kitchen is amazing. It sort of seems to glow in all its stainless steel splendor. It's too bad it's not located where all patrons can enjoy the view.

Bobby: Second, the table leaned back and forth, which was annoying. And Giada is not a big fan of annoyances like that. From lizards on the floor of restaurants in Aruba, to nighttime drug exchanges in local parks, to creaking tables, if there is something amiss, Giada is going to be focused on it.

Giada: Seriously? The table wasn't just tippy, it was literally rocking back and forth to the point where I thought we were going to spill our drinks every time I leaned on it. I would have done the trick of placing a napkin underneath the shorter leg, but my folded napkin would have been about 6 inches shy of solving the problem.

Bobby: However, despite the above problems, the experience at Central was, on the whole, a pleasant one.

Decor

Bobby: I'd describe the decor of the restaurant as sleek, modern, and classy in a casual sort of way. Which is how I'd also describe myself. So needless to say I liked the decor. I'd give the layout of the restaurant a few demerits because the tables were a little crowded and many of them don't have a view of the open kitchen, which is the focal point of the restaurant.

Giada: I really liked the decor, and agree with Bobby on all points. Also, the bathroom was nicely done as well in a bright shade of pink, although they need some sort of cupboard in which to put the extra rolls of tiolet paper. Those weren't the most attractice accessory.

Bobby's Decor Rating: 8 out of 10
Giada's Decora Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Food

Bobby: Bobby is a simple American fellow. He enjoys hamburgers, ice cream, and cheesy things, so the food at Central suited Bobby quite well. Bobby also a little pompous, thus the use of the third person.

Giada: Bobby's also going to ruin our fledgling blog if he doesn't cut the act.

Bobby: Anyway, I started off with the cheese puffs for the appetizer. They come in a cool little cup and they're delicious. No need to order anything else.

Giada: The cheese puffs were very tasty (sort of like puffy Cheez-Its). The cup, while cool, didn't do much to keep the puffs warm though, and its a generous serving that will remain on the table for more than a couple minutes. I had the proscuitto, which was easily the best I've ever had. It was served atop a small cutting board, each thin slice was perfectly pink, and a small amount of olive oil was drizzled on top to complete the minimalist presentation.

Bobby: For the main course, I did the hamburger. It was very good. Was it the best hamburger that I'd ever had? No. That honor belongs to Houston-based chain of Beck's Prime and Maui's Bubba's Burgers. But for an upmarket burger, it was very tasty. Highly recommended.

Giada: According to Bobby, all of the "best" food is in Texas. Like any good Yankee, I remain skeptical.

Giada: I went with the lobster burger. I expected something like a crabcake sandwich, but with lobster. I got something that was more like a lobster roll, but served on a hamburger roll. By that I mean that the burger is almost pure lobster. It's not lobster and other seafood and breadcrumbs. It's LOBSTER. So, yeah, I can't complain. I mean, even for $18 I can't complain.

Bobby: For dessert, I had the banana split. The reason to get the banana split is the strawberry ice cream. I'm somewhat of a strawberry ice cream aficionado, and people, this was the best strawberry ice cream I've ever had.

Giada: You mean the best strawberry ice cream ISN'T in Texas? I don't think they're going to let you back in the state.

Bobby: The rest of the split was also good. But the strawberry ice cream would, contra Prince, make doves sing.

Giada: I am not a huge fan of strawberry ice cream and people? This stuff was good. It was honestly like eating a frozen creamy strawberry, sweetened just enough. Also, I feel like Bobby is giving the rest of the split the short shrift, as it was also very good. The ice cream is served in separate sections of the dish, which are also separate from the large section holding the bananas, sauces, and whip cream. So you scoop up a little ice cream, then scoop up your bananas and sauce separately. And it's all pure and fresh and simple and lovely.

Giada: Now that I'm done doing Bobby's job, I can tell you about my own dessert, which was the Richard's famous Kit Kat bar. It's layers of chocolate and thin crisps, and it is very delicious, but if I went back, I'd probably go for the ice cream. First, because the ice cream is just that good. But second, because after a meal of burgers and fries, ice cream just works.

Bobby's Food Rating: 8 out of 10

Giada's Food Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Service

Bobby: This is the part of the Central experience that could be drastically improved. Service was a little slow and the waiter seemed to forget about us a couple of times. Plus, there was the reservation snafu. But the restaurant opened recently, so hopefully it will become more seamless as time goes on.

Giada: Agreed. The waiter seemed a little new to the biz. But he was nice.

Bobby's Service Rating: 6 out 10
Giada's Service Rating: 7 out of 10

Dining Companions

Bobby: Because the tables are so close at many restaurants, the people next to you can make a big difference in the overall experience. So I am starting a new segment of the review: Dining Companions.

Giada: Ahem? You didn't even ask me. [Walks away sulking]

Bobby: Guess I'm fielding this one solo. Anyway, to our right, there was a couple of the May-September variety (he wasn't old enough for December). It was apparently their first date. He was trying hard to impress her, but he mostly came across a little awkward. Giada, being a very juvenile type of girl, told me that I should say to her, but very loudly so that the couple would overhear it, "I think that girl is a prostitute." The reason for doing this would be to see the gentleman's reaction. I didn't end up doing it, as I'm too old and boring. But it does raise the good question of how one should respond to such an obvious insult. I told Giada there is really no response but to request the action move outdoors. Perhaps others have a different view. Anyway, the couple was a little annoying, but not too bad. Definitely not as bad as "large party" girl and "I wear all black" guy at Cashion's.

Bobby's Dining Companions Rating: 5 out of 10

Giada's Dining Companions Rating: None [she's still sulking]

Overall

Bobby: Overall, I think that Central is an excellent addition to the DC dining landscape. I'd definitely go back. Giada?

Giada: Fine. I'm back. ... I enjoyed it as well. The food was outstanding, prices were "reasonable" for this sort of place, decor is fun, and service is decent.

Bobby's Overall Rating: 8.0 out of 10
Giada's Overall Rating: 8.5 our of 10

Website for Central (not much to look at as of the date of this posting)

Washingtonpost Review

Central

1001 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004

202.626.0015

Teatro Goldoni - An Italian Restaurant with a Decor that Liberace Would Adore

2007-01-29T17:33:00.000-05:00

Bobby: With a group of nine, we went to the K street Italian restaurant Teatro Goldoni. The first thing that bears mentioning about this place is that the chef's name, Fabrizio Aielli, is awesome. I wanted to name my first son Fabrizio for a long time after the main character in Stendhal's Charterhouse of Parma. However, the name has become mostly associated with the annoying drummer of the Strokes who dated Drew Barrymore, so it's off the list now. I still like the name, though.

Giada: Bobby? You're a little wierd sometimes.

Bobby: Anyway, it was our second trip to this particular establishment. The first time was about a year ago and I have mostly pleasant memories associated with it.

Giada: Yeah, that was a fun night. Of course, it may have just been that Bobby was the center of an incredibly juicy love-triangle (these were pre-Giada days, natch), and so the conversation masked any possible problems with the restaurant. Still, I was excited to return.

Bobby: Giada? Sometimes you have a big mouth.

The Decor

Bobby: I would describe the decor of the place as busy. On the website, it says that the decor is supposed to be theatrical and Venetian, which I guess it is. Just not my cup of tea. I've always thought Venice, though a fun city in general, had odd styles that the world needs less rather than more of.

Giada: I actually quite like the decor. I think it's whimsical. And I really like the large banquets. Not as much of a fan of the wall of theater masks though -- they're a little creepy.

Bobby: Because we were a group of nine, we ended up with just a so-so table. It was much too close to the entrance of the restaurant, which was particularly annoying on a cold evening because the people at end of the table were treated to a frigid blast of wind whenever the door to the restaurant was opened

Giada: Yeah, that made me happy to be sitting at the end of the table not near the door. But I'm selfish.

Bobby: However, in general, I think the arrangement of the tables is quite nice in this restaurant. They aren't too cramped like so many places in the city.

Bobby's decor rating: 6 out of 10
Giada's decor rating: 7.5 out of 10

The Food

Bobby: As part of my continuing effort to eat more vegetables, I started once again with a salad. I thought the salad was a little dry and the tomatoes a little sour. But it wasn't terrible. A pretty standard issue salad.

Giada: I also had a salad. Way too heavy on the lettuce and not enough cheese and pine nuts. Dressing was super skimpy, so I was left with too much plain lettuce (yum, huh?). Another dining companion that got the same salad said that on one side of the salad, it tasted as though someone had spilled salt into the dish, so it was basically inedible.

Bobby: For the main course, I perused the menu for quite some time and found something that wouldn't make me mad if they brought me. It was the tortelli stuffed with venison sausage. This actually sounded good in the description, although I chose it mostly because the other pasta dishes on the menu were a little boring. Unfortunately, there is way too much meat in the form of the venison sausage relative to the pasta. The pasta was also undercooked. Granted, it is more difficult to cook for a group of nine, but this dish still left me underwhelmed.

Giada: Bobby's dish did look pretty unappetizing. Poor Bobby. I went with linguine in a "spicy" tomato sauce with shrimp. It was fine, the shrimp were decent size, the pasta was cooked well, and the sauce was pretty good, although definitely not spicy as advertised.

Giada: It's probably worth noting that others at the table seemed pretty happy with their dishes, although we didn't try anyone's.

Bobby: Because we had to run to a surprise gathering across town, we didn't have dessert.

Giada: And that made Bobby sad. Especially since he hadn't eaten much. Although his empty stomach made for a much more interesting evening once we got to the bar and started drinking.

Bobby's food rating: 5 out of 10
Giada's food rating: 5 out of 10

The Service

Bobby: Stated bluntly, the service in this place leaves much to be desired. At the end of the evening when the time for the check came, the waiter was no where to be seen. Then when we finally tracked down the waiter it took him an eon or so to bring back the check. This was particularlly annoying because we had made it clear on a couple of occasions that we had to leave the restaurant at a certain time.

Giada: I realize the waiting on large groups isn't much fun, and initially the server did a great job waiting on us promptly and bringing out everyone's food at the same time. However, 35 minutes is way too long for it to take to get the check and pay (while there on a Saturday evening, we finished dining by 7:30 and things weren't too busy. Plus, it's only a matter of paying the bill). Additionally, another dining companion mentioned that when she asked another server where the bathroom was, he was very short with her.

Bobby's service rating: 4 out of 10
Giada's service rating: 5 out of 10

Overall

Bobby: I'd probably only go back to Teatro Goldpni if my choices were extremely limited. It has a odd location, the food was just okay, and the service was poor. Definitely overpriced (about $140 for three with no dessert, one glass of wine, and a 15% tip) for such a lackluster place.

Giada: Agreed, especially on the overpriced part. Pasta dishes were around $25, and the place doesn't warrant it.

Washingtonpost reference page (no review)
Washingtonian review

Teatro Goldoni
1909 K Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
202.955.5586

Word on the Street -- A Newby at The Willard?

2007-01-29T10:14:00.000-05:00

Ok, it's not so much the word on the street (because frankly it's too damn cold to stand on the street chit-chatting), but rather, the word on Open Table (which, Bobby and I completely adore, btw).

Anyway, perusing Open Table the other night (I was looking to see what restaurants still have availability on Valentine's Day),* I noticed a new listing for a place called Cafe du Parc, which I hadn't seen before. After investigating a bit, it appears that Cafe du Parc will be a french bistro located at the historic Willard hotel. It also appears that opening is scheduled for March 1 (Open Table says that reservations for the bistro are not accepted until then). However, there's very little information on the bistro's website, and a google search turned up little other than the fact that the bistro appears to be hiring. In fact, it seems we've even trumped the veritable Washington Post on this one, although I can't imagine Mr. Tom Sietsema isn't aware of the new venue (honestly folks, what doesn't that man know?).

According to it's information page on Open Table (which is authored by the restaurant), here's the scoop on Cafe du Parc:

Cafe Du Parc highlights fresh local inviting flavors modest in presentation embracing classic bistro cuisine such as Pot-au-Feu, Steak Frite, and Bouillabaisse a la Provencale. In addition to the savory offering, the Café boasts an array of house made patisseries all artfully prepared by our Café Brigade under the supervision and guidance of our Executive Chef, Daniel Kenney and famed Michelin-starred Chef Antoine Westermann of Strasbourg, France. The main floor with street front and hotel connect access is a lively space with a focus on pastry and take away serving custom blend, specialty coffees and a selection of teas . Here we showcase our house made morning pastries and baked items as we open the doors in the early am. Transitioning to lunch we display gourmet sandwiches, salads and sweets. Moving to the afternoon and evening the theme shifts to our signature "Petits Plats" and specialty pastries.

We'll keep our eyes and ears open for more news regarding Cafe du Parc, and if you hear of anything, please drop us a comment.

*For those of you who haven't already made your V-day plans, time to get cracking. CityZen is already booked up (just ask Jason Storch at DC Foodies), along with 1789, Mie n Yu, Citronelle, Kinkead's, Vidalia, and many others. Not that I'm worried -- Bobby made a reservation at CityZen weeks ago (such a lucky girl, aren't I?).

Cashion's Eat Place -- A Solid Neighborhood Restaurant

2007-01-28T15:19:00.000-05:00

Bobby: After an exciting cab ride from downtown in which the cab driver was unable to find the restaurant despite our giving him the address and cross-streets, we made it to this fairly small place in Adams Morgan.

Giada: The cab driver was awful. The guy rode the brake the entire time, had no idea where he was going, and seemed to think "stop" meant "stop and linger until the girl in the backseat is ready to pull out her hair." But DC cabs are a story, or a post, for another time, I suppose.

The Decor

Bobby: The decor of the place was fairly cool, except for a naked painting that Giada didn't particularly care for.

Giada: The restaurant was decorated with small black and white photographs covering the walls, which looked pretty cool. However, over the bar (and facing into the restaurant area) was a huge painting of a naked woman, laying on her side, propped up on one elbow. The perspective was from the back of the woman, so it wasn't obscene or anything, but it was completely out of character for the rest of the decor, and as such, stood out too much.

Bobby: Also, the entrance of the restaurant had one of those curtain type things that don't really make any sense to me. I always get a little caught in them and feel stupid.

Giada: Bobby's not the most coordinated of individuals.

Bobby: But overall, the decor of the place was very nice. The bar looked cool and was fairly crowded, although it was a Friday night.

Giada: Tables were about as crowded as any other DC restaurant, which means that you hope you're not seated next to anyone obnoxious. Despite the relatively small size of the place, the noise level was pretty low. The kitchen is an open kitchen, which I'm usually a fan of, but in this case, it wasn't a particularly nice kitchen (e.g., Citronelle, Restaurant Eve), so I didn't see the point. The back wall behind the bar (facing out to the main floor of the restaurant) is a mirror, which makes the space look much larger and is an excellent touch.

Bobby's decor rating: 8 out of 10
Giada's decor rating: 7.5 of 10

The Food

Bobby: I had a salad to start out as part of my ongoing effort to eat more real vegetables.

Giada: His main source of fuel is sugar. Seriously.

Bobby: Ahem. It was actually very good. As a bonus, the pieces of lettuce were fairly small. I'm not a fan of salads with really large pieces.

Giada: I had the bone marrow. I'd never had marrow before, but have heard it mentioned as the new trend, so I thought I'd give it a go. The waiter gave me an odd look when I ordered it, but I think it was because it was a uncommon choice for a preppy woman in her late 20s (I'm betting most order salads, or the goat cheese tart that also sounded tastey). Anyway, if you've never had it, bone marrow is served (or mine was, anyway), actually still in the bone, and you use a little spoon to scoop it out and eat it. The dish came with a small salad and bread crisps, which the waiter helpfully told me to mix with the marrow, to off-set the fattiness of the marrow. Overall, while I think it was very well prepared, I think I'm not really a marrow kind of girl. It's basically just flavored fat, and I'd probably prefer something with a little more to it.

Bobby: For the main course, I went with the wild boar. Excellent choice by me. The boar was quite tender and had a surprising amount of flavor. Highly recommended.

Giada: I went with the flounder. It was quite a large peice, and very good. Prepared with a little butter and seasoning, so simple, but very good. I also asked the waiter to bring a glass of white wine to go along with it, and while the wine itself was good, I didn't think it paired all that well with the flounder.

Bobby: For dessert, I shared the vanilla ice cream and hot fudge with Giada. She asked for whipped cream, but the restaurant didn't have it. As a result, the waiter gave us the dessert for free, which was really nice and unnecessary. The ice cream was a little icy, but not bad. The rest of the dessert selection was a little boring and as we all know dessert is the most important part of any meal.

Giada: I agree that the dessert selection was a little underwhelming, although there was a gingerbread cake option that sounded good. The ice cream itself was much too icy, and the chocolate sauce wasn't very flavorful (it tasted like they didn't sweeten the chocolate enough, and so the sweetness of the ice cream overwhelmed the flavor of the chocolate).

Giada: Also, I think it bears noting that later in the evening, the restaurant seemed to run out of almost all of their steak options (based on what we overheard the waiter tell other patrons). There was a list at the bottom of the menu of about 4 or 5 different steaks, but the waiter said only the 26 oz. portion was left.

Giada (again): We also ordered a side of garlic mashed potatoes, which were very light and fluffy, and not overly garlicy. Not quite as good as those at Capital Grille, but good. Probably was also a good move ordering the side, since the main dishes tend to focus heavily on one thing and don't come with much accoutrement.

Bobby's food rating: 7 out of 10
Giada's food rating: 7 out of 10

The Service

Bobby: The service by everyone in the place was fantastic. We sat by this couple that was obsessed with not sitting by a table that could house "a large party." The girl said "large party" like forty times to her boyfriend. Although he was clad in all black and seemed a little like a poseur so maybe he deserved her inane banter. Anyway, the restaurant bent over backward to try to accomdate them. The waiter was fantastic and the service was prompt.

Giada: The service was excellent, I agree. The waiter did a great job of instructing me on how to eat the marrow without being insulting, and he really made an effort to procure the whip cream. And the effort the staff went to to please the couple worried about being seated by a "large party" was impressive. I'd have told them to get over themselves. I guess that's why I don't work for tips.

Bobby's service rating: 9 out of 10
Giada's service rating: 8.75 out of 10

Wrap Up

Pretty good place, especially for the relatively reasonable price ($125 with a 30% tip, including one cocktail and one glass of wine). We'd go back, but it's not a "must do."

Bobby's overall rating: 7.5 out of 10
Giada's overall rating: 7 out of 10

Website for Cashion's Eat Place
Washington Post review
Washingtonian reviews here and here