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  • Post #31 - March 26th, 2005, 7:51 pm
    Post #31 - March 26th, 2005, 7:51 pm Post #31 - March 26th, 2005, 7:51 pm
    Kincaid's is excellent, if not a bit staid. I ate there a few times over a 7-year period and was never disappointed.

    DC is not very big on innovative or creative dining, in my experience, but I would probably reccommend New Heights as one of the better, high-end, innovative restaurants.

    New Heights
    2317 Calvert St. NW
    Washington DC 20008
    Tel: (202) 234-4110
    http://www.newheightsrestaurant.com/

    When I'm on the east coast I usually go for crab cakes or fresh seafood at least once.

    Head down to the tiny SW quadrant along the water for a string of big seafood places and an open air seafood market. The restaurants can be a tad touristy, but you'll get real crabcakes that you can't get in Chicago without making them yourself. The well-regarded Phillips chain has their flagship restaurant here:

    Phillips Flagship
    900 Water Street, SW
    Washington, DC 20024
    202.488.8515
    http://www.phillipsseafood.com/


    If you're interested in trendy sushi, Sushi-Ko was always excellent.

    Sushi Ko
    2309 Wisconsin Ave. NW
    Washington, DC 20007
    http://www.sushiko.us/

    Toward the end of my tenure in DC, the man who made Sushi Ko a phenomenon moved on to open a new place called Kaz Sushi Bistro (named after himself). I ate there once, for lunch, and had an excellent meal.

    Kaz Sushi Bistro
    1915 I Street NW
    Washington, DC 20006
    http://www.kazsushi.com/

    Best,
    Michael / EC
  • Post #32 - March 27th, 2005, 1:29 pm
    Post #32 - March 27th, 2005, 1:29 pm Post #32 - March 27th, 2005, 1:29 pm
    Let me also put in a good word for Kincaid's, my restaurant of choice when I had a night free in DC last fall. Top recommendation: stuffed calamari appetizer. Disappointment: Assortment of gelati (some of the flavors were lacking in, well, flavor).
    "The fork with two prongs is in use in northern Europe. In England, they’re armed with a steel trident, a fork with three prongs. In France we have a fork with four prongs; it’s the height of civilization." Eugene Briffault (1846)
  • Post #33 - March 27th, 2005, 2:36 pm
    Post #33 - March 27th, 2005, 2:36 pm Post #33 - March 27th, 2005, 2:36 pm
    I just spent some time looking for a seafood restaurant in Maryland for traveling friends. This directory may be of some use someday.
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #34 - March 27th, 2005, 5:53 pm
    Post #34 - March 27th, 2005, 5:53 pm Post #34 - March 27th, 2005, 5:53 pm
    I will add my kudos for Kincaid's which is where I choose when looking for an upscale meal, partuclarly seafood. Good wine list as well.
  • Post #35 - March 27th, 2005, 11:00 pm
    Post #35 - March 27th, 2005, 11:00 pm Post #35 - March 27th, 2005, 11:00 pm
    I have heard fantastic things about Roberto Donna's Laboratorio, within the restaurant Galileo, for a fancy tasting menu type dinner. I can try to dig up more details, if this is what you mean by fancy.
  • Post #36 - March 28th, 2005, 12:42 am
    Post #36 - March 28th, 2005, 12:42 am Post #36 - March 28th, 2005, 12:42 am
    I don't know if that's entirely true EC.

    If creativity is the goal, they might not be as strong as a city like Chicago with Achatz, Cantu, and Trotter, but there are some options: Laboratorio del Galileo and Maestro in the Ritz for possibly some of the top contemporary Italian in the country. I thought Cafe Atlantico was both better and more creative than it's more famous sister, Jaleo. The Latino "dim sum" is great, both in concept and execution. (I haven't been to his new restaurant Zaytinya.) While not entirely creative, Vidalia does a very good job of scaling up southern foods. And what about Citronelle? I've had enough California cuisine in California that I wouldn't go to DC for it, but by nearly everyone who I've talked to who has gone there says it's great. And I don't know how much of that you guys have in Chicago.

    Indeed, Kinkead's is good food but not especially creative. But I think it's a very good value for such a busy city. In fact, I think the city is a better food value than Chicago or San Francisco. With all the power players and tourists you'd think the prices would be much higher, but they're closer to our prices out here in the NW than the prices you guys have there, I think.

    And, of course, DC is amazingly diverse. I still haven't gotten a chance to explore the ethnic foods there. Some day. DC never gets mentioned in the same breath as NYC, Chicago, SF, LA, or New Orleans. That may be unfair.
    Unintentionally retired early by the pandemic, but without the golden parachute.
    Formerly Mi Mero Mole
    Formerly Zapapizza
    Formerly Kenny & Zuke's Delicatessen
    Artisan Jewish Deli at Home Cookbook
  • Post #37 - March 30th, 2005, 3:38 pm
    Post #37 - March 30th, 2005, 3:38 pm Post #37 - March 30th, 2005, 3:38 pm
    So far so good - we stopped at Jimmy Cantler's in West Annapolis on the way down from the airport for a crab fix. I was not thrilled with the Bride's crab cakes, which tasted ever so slightly off to me. The fresh crabs were excellent, as was the crab soup (think manhattan style crab chowder).

    Other true winners so far were Pizza Paradiso, DuPont Circle outpost, which is great, and the Bread Line with very good soup and sammies.

    Not so thrilled with Lebanese Taverna. We got fine service and the Bride was quite pleased with her selection of salads (hummos, yogurt, baba ghanouj, and moussaka, which was a lot like ratatouille with slightly different seasoning). My roast chicken was dry, and the garlic was just overpowering with no nuances for me. The Lebanese rose was excellent though.

    A couple of good stops in Virginia. Perly's on Grace Street in Richmond is a deli/cafe. Interesting split pea curry soup, and a "Hot Sailor" sandwich - grilled rye and swiss with a knockwurst and pastrami on it. Nicely complemented with the Grey Poupon on the tables (pretty fancy for a diner). I hear they make a good breakfast, too.

    Allman's barbecue in Fredericksurg on route 1 (1299 Jeff Davis Hwy) was also decent. Pork Shoulder slow cooked in a Kook Rite electric cooker with wood chips (it is a big table cooker). No, it is not barbecue, but a good pork sandwich, with decent homemade Carolina style sauce on the side. The place has been around for a while, and is apparently going downhill. In addition to showing me the cooker, they also pointed out the brick pit where they used to barbecue, over charcoal and wood, I assume. Too much trouble to do that any more. But it was good, the folks were nice, and it was cheap. Also decent burgers, shakes, stew, and slaw. Worth a stop if in the neighborhood, though there are a couple of other BBQ spots just north to consider as well.

    For fine dining, we are hitting Cityzen tonight. Seems like the hot new spot - we will see.

    More later
    d
    Feeling (south) loopy
  • Post #38 - March 30th, 2005, 4:13 pm
    Post #38 - March 30th, 2005, 4:13 pm Post #38 - March 30th, 2005, 4:13 pm
    btw, my favorite cheap eat in DC was El Pollo Rico (I think that's the name) -- the Peruvian chicken rotisserie. If you're a fan of Papas in Chicago, I would say it's a must. Get there when they open, though, there can be a line out the door.
    Unintentionally retired early by the pandemic, but without the golden parachute.
    Formerly Mi Mero Mole
    Formerly Zapapizza
    Formerly Kenny & Zuke's Delicatessen
    Artisan Jewish Deli at Home Cookbook
  • Post #39 - March 30th, 2005, 5:02 pm
    Post #39 - March 30th, 2005, 5:02 pm Post #39 - March 30th, 2005, 5:02 pm
    I checked the directory for 'pollo' in Washington, D.C.:

    Pollo Loco
    3205 Mount Pleasant Street Northwest
    Washington, DC 20010
    202-667-9500

    Is this it?
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #40 - March 30th, 2005, 5:05 pm
    Post #40 - March 30th, 2005, 5:05 pm Post #40 - March 30th, 2005, 5:05 pm
    Cathy2 wrote:Pollo Loco


    I'm pretty sure it's El Pollo Rico, a mini-chain with locations in Arlington, VA and Silver Spring, MD.

    Blurb and an incredibly beautiful picture here

    El Pollo Rico
    (703) 522-3220
    932 N Kenmore St
    Arlington, VA 22201

    El Pollo Rico
    (703) 528-5909
    2917 Washington Blvd
    Arlington, VA 22201

    El Pollo Rico
    (301) 942-4419
    2541 Ennalls Ave
    Silver Spring, MD 20902
    Ed Fisher
    my chicago food photos

    RIP LTH.
  • Post #41 - March 30th, 2005, 5:10 pm
    Post #41 - March 30th, 2005, 5:10 pm Post #41 - March 30th, 2005, 5:10 pm
    Hi,

    Just to confuse matters, on another board with a WAshington/Baltimore board, I found Peruvian Chicken:

    Chicken Rico
    3728 Eastern Avenue
    Baltimore, MD 21224
    410-522-2950

    Actually, they referred to the name with no address, which really makes these posts almost useless if you don't know what they are referring to.

    edit: I just re-read the thread which refers to a location on Eastern Avenue.
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #42 - March 30th, 2005, 5:33 pm
    Post #42 - March 30th, 2005, 5:33 pm Post #42 - March 30th, 2005, 5:33 pm
    I wish someone had a picture of the inside. I just checked my photos and apparently I wasted them all on things like monuments and sculptures and the Smithsonian.

    You know how Papas has that one rotisserie? Well El Pollo Rico -- at least the one I went to -- has a whole wall of them. As you get close to the front of the line it's like walking next to lava.

    Here was my Chowhound comment on it way back when:

    EL POLLO RICO: There's only one thing to get here -- chicken -- it's just a matter of quarter, half, or whole. The plates come with a huge side of steak fries and cole slaw and two sauces (a mayo-mustard mix and a jalapeno salsa). The huge rotisseries in the back put off so much heat they almost cook you, too, while you wait in line. I got mine with an Inka cola, essentially cream soda. Very tasty. Love the blend of spices they use on the skin and the skin is delectably crisp and the chicken meat wonderfully juicy (now I know why Rico's Zagat competitor is called crisp and juicy). The fries are very good, too. I wonder if they season them specially because they seem like they have more flavor than just deep-fried potatoes. One of my favorite things was soaking up the juice from the chicken with my fries and eating it. ($5.50 for a half chicken and sides!)
    Unintentionally retired early by the pandemic, but without the golden parachute.
    Formerly Mi Mero Mole
    Formerly Zapapizza
    Formerly Kenny & Zuke's Delicatessen
    Artisan Jewish Deli at Home Cookbook
  • Post #43 - June 27th, 2005, 8:04 pm
    Post #43 - June 27th, 2005, 8:04 pm Post #43 - June 27th, 2005, 8:04 pm
    Seth Zurer wrote:Full Kee! Fuuuulllll Keeeeee! If you do not go to Full Kee in DC's teensy weensy Chinatown, you will regret it the rest of your life! FullKeeFullKeeFulKee. ...


    OK, OK, I went there already! No need to shout!

    After not being able to talk anyone into going there for last year's DIA (Drug Information Assoc.) convention, and spelling it wrong last night and so unable to find it (Fool Kee it isn't), I went there with two women from my office, and it was great.

    I ordered the Baby Clams with Black Bean Sauce, but the waitress said something long and incomprehensible about New York... but there aren't any clams (perhaps the red tide has something to do with it). So I went with the softshell crabs in the black bean sauce. Out-freakin-standing. Crisp, garlicky, black bean ferment flavors, tiny chunks of onion in the sauce... mmm.

    My coworkers had: Soy Sauce Chicken, Perfect simple food, not what I would have ever ordered; and Sizzling Steak, great dark sauce with onions and peppers, chunks of steak were a little big and chewy, but taste was excellent; plus an order of baby bok choy with oyster sauce, which is a great foil for all that meaty stuff, but $9?

    The other shock was no credit cards. I was the only one with cash, so now my wallet is just about empty, I'll have to hit the ATM to take a cab back to the airport later this week, if I don't end up completely empty before then.
  • Post #44 - June 27th, 2005, 11:25 pm
    Post #44 - June 27th, 2005, 11:25 pm Post #44 - June 27th, 2005, 11:25 pm
    Dickson wrote:

    No, it is not barbecue, but a good pork sandwich, with decent homemade Carolina style sauce on the side. The place has been around for a while, and is apparently going downhill.


    I don't care. If it's called Allman's, I'm gonna eat there. There's only one thing I love more than good food. It's Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks burning up their guitars.
  • Post #45 - May 25th, 2006, 11:22 am
    Post #45 - May 25th, 2006, 11:22 am Post #45 - May 25th, 2006, 11:22 am
    So happy I found this thread as I am currently planning a long weekend in Washington DC in July. Thanks to all who contributed ideas, you've really helped me with my planning. So far, my dining itinerary includes:

    Friday lunch at Bread Line (seems like good choice as I will be heading from my hotel at 17th NW & I to the Capitol for a tour).

    Friday dinner: deciding between Belga Cafe and Marcel's. Can anyone recommend one over the other? I realize they are in opposite directions, but I can work either into my sightseeing/walking plans.

    Saturday breakfast at Eastern Market - lunch somewhere in Georgetown or on the way to Georgetown.

    Saturday dinner: CityZen (found out on another board that the 3-course tasting menu is available in the bar (minus some extra touches) for $45, as oppposed to the $75 price tag if you sit in the main dining room).

    Sunday and Monday are still up in the air. After reading this and other threads on DC, it looks like I need to figure out a way to fit in Ben's Chili Bowl, Cakelove and Full Kee. Are there any other must-eats that I'm missing?
  • Post #46 - May 25th, 2006, 12:03 pm
    Post #46 - May 25th, 2006, 12:03 pm Post #46 - May 25th, 2006, 12:03 pm
    I sent a fellow PortlandFood.org person over here to get further info on DC a while back. I doubt he posted here anywhere, so I thought I'd repost his report to "pay" you guys back, in essence:

    http://portlandfood.org/index.php?showtopic=1042

    A quick roundup of some places I ate at a couple weeks ago in DC. Yeah, letter grades suck, but it'll provide quick reference on whether or not to bother to seek these places out. On my grading scale, A's mean it's in the top 10 meals I've ever had, B's are great, and C's mean an average restaruant/value.... say, McCormicks and Schmicks.

    Overall, I think DC is a great dining town and I liked almost everywhere we ate. I'd rank it below NYC, SF, Chicago for sure. It's on a Boston/LA level in my opinion. There's a lot more quality options on the high end and in some of the ethnic areas than PDX, but once again, Portland's value really lies in the amount of very good restaurants that are reasonable in price. You're paying $25-$45 an entree in DC for what is $15-$30 in Portland at a restaurant like Ken's or Park Kitchen.

    Anyhow, where I dined:

    DC Coast - 14th and K NW- High-end seafood with a southern bent. Beautiful space, well-dressed DC crowd. Service here is *amazing*. Great wine selection, and there something for everyone on the menu. Highlights: Coconut-curry lobster bisque, oyster stew, truffle mashed potatoes, and a double cut pork chop with yams that was out of this world. I was less excited about my mushroom crusted halibut. DC Coast is a good pick if you want a higher-end american menu that can appeal to many palates. Letter Grade: B

    21P - 2100 P St NW- Bistro style place just outside Dupont circle that has a nice glass roof patio for dining semi-alfresco. Good burgers, good chicken/rosemary pasta, and above average chocolate mousse cake for dessert. I'd say my burger ($10) was a couple steps down from Cafe Castagna. It was a really warm late spring night, so the atmosphere was more remarkable than the cuisine. Letter Grade: B-

    Ben's Chili Bowl - 12th and U st NW- Ben's has been around in DC since 1958; it's sort of the DC version of Tommy's Burgers in LA, only for hot dogs. They serve up what's called a half smoke, which is basically a split grilled spicy smoked sausage. With this, they pile on their chili, complete with cheese and onions. I had a milkshake with it too. Let's just say we walked a LOT afterwards to offset the calories. The atmosphere is great in an 'old DC neighboorhood establishment' kind of way. The half-smoke was fantastic, with plenty of spicy bite and pop to it. The chili is ok...more savory flavor than any meat taste. Fries are pretty good, but nothing you can't get at a million places. Still, a good lunch in a classic DC spot if you've never been. Letter Grade: B-

    Rasika - 6th and D st NW- Phenomenal. Rasika calls itself 'modern indian cuisine' which is how I think one might describe Vindalho here in PDX. Rasika, however, totally delivers on the promise. I'm very biased towards indian food, so I'm sure what's 'phenomenal' to me is someone else's 'very good' when it comes to this cuisine. But I'll add my girlfriend usually just tolerates my indian food desires, and she too was highly impressed with the food here. My only regret was there weren't more people in our party to try different dishes. I'd also be tempted to try out the Chef's tasting menu now that I'm aware of what the kitchen can do.

    As was recommended to us, we had the Palak Chaat and Ragda Patties for appetizers. The spiced potato/tamarind patties were pretty good, texture seemed a bit off. The Palak Chaat was delicious and addictive. It is spinach leaves fried lightly until crisp, mixed with sweet yogurt and tamarind, and served with a date chutney. I seriously could've eaten about five plates of it myself. Entrees were Lamb shank roganjosh for me, chicken makhani for her. Side of naan and jeera gobi muttar (cauliflower, chickpeas, cumin). The lamb was amazing..easily one of the best indian dishes I've ever had. The garam masala it was in was perfectly balanced savory and spicy. The GF's chicken makhani may have converted her to the indian food darkside..muhahhaah. We actually took the leftover makahni back to the hotel and ate it at 2am at room temp. Yum.

    The space has an interesting light wood/color material mix, sort of like Taqueria Nueve. The service was impeccable. We were seated under an AC unit that was chilly, the waiter and maitre'd had it fixed within 3 minutes. Oh, and total check including 1 drink each was $70. I unreservedly recommend seeking Rasika out. Letter Grade: A-

    Full Kee - 5th and H st NW - ExtraMSG pointed me towards the LTH Chicago-foodboard for some LTHers who had done DC. I didn't hear or read about Full Kee anywhere else. It's a great place for Cantonese food in not-so-nice Chinatown, just across from the MCI Center. It's cash only, and the atmosphere won't make you liable to hang out for long periods of time after you're done eating.

    Don't let the atmosphere or dingy storefront fool you. Based on the LTH post I read, I opted for the spicy fried softshell crab. The crab was fresh, batter was done with a light hand, and it was tossed with fresh green onion. The girliefriend had kung pao chicken, which I rolled the old eyes at :rolleyes: as it's a common way to get the caucasian special. Not so. It was wonderfully spicy and contained a very smoky complex flavor, unlike most kung paos. I missed out on an apparent speciality, the shrimp dumpling soup. Next time. Anyhow, here's a good example of ethnic you can have a tough time getting in PDX. Lunch for two was $23. Letter Grade: B+

    Acadiana - 9th st and New York Ave NW - I had originally wanted to hit Vidalia for the high-end southern experience, but we ran out of time and wherewithal. So I opted to casually 'guide' us to Acadiana for lunch on our last day in town. Hey, how about lunch here? ;) Acadiana is much like Acadia here in PDX, only a *lot* bigger sized dining room and a few more tricks up its sleeve. I started with the smoked chicken and andouille gumbo, which was rich and spicy. The shrimp in the gumbo were perfectly textured, so I went with the BBQ shrimp po' boy for my entree. Unfortunately, it was simply shrimp stuffed into a po' boy roll, which was great but the gravy served with it wasn't much more than drawn butter with some pepper in it. The shrimp were still very good but I expected more. The girlfriend had the roast beef po' boy with a rich drippings gravy and butter pickles. It was the real deal. Carved roast beef and a cajun gravy that was unbelievably rich. We finished with beignets served with a chocolate/coffee pannacotta. Then we sat on the curb outside in a food coma. Letter Grade: B, although I suspect I'd feel it was a B+ if I ordered differently.

    Great trip for dinin' and drinkin' (We went to some great bars too), and my only two regrets were not getting to Komi or Meskerem. All the locals we talked to affirmed that Meskerem is a pinnacle of ethiopian cuisine. Something to look forward to next trip.
    Unintentionally retired early by the pandemic, but without the golden parachute.
    Formerly Mi Mero Mole
    Formerly Zapapizza
    Formerly Kenny & Zuke's Delicatessen
    Artisan Jewish Deli at Home Cookbook
  • Post #47 - June 19th, 2006, 7:54 pm
    Post #47 - June 19th, 2006, 7:54 pm Post #47 - June 19th, 2006, 7:54 pm
    We just had 2 meals in D.C.

    The first was Pizza Paradiso. We had already planned to go there before reading the reviews here of their pizza, because beer focussed sites rave about their draught beer selection. The real beer selection is only at the Georgetown location, where we went.

    Both the pizza and beer were excellent.
    We started with a 8" four cheese (IIRC: mozzarella, fontina, Pecarino-romano, and gargonzola) to which we added procciutto.

    The crust was wonderfully light, crispy, specked with cornmeal, and charred, although the big bubble seen in the photo caused the cheeses to be unevenly distributed.

    ImageImage

    Later, downstairs in the basement bar, we order their special pizza of sausage, cherry tomatoes, and Fontina. It was interesting how different the second crust came out: less charred, less bubbly, more of an even browness. I think it had to with the fact that the first was the only one in the oven and closer to the burning wood, while the latter was when it was much busier thus probably farther from the direct heat.

    We are not big fans of roe, but they had a very interesting sounding pizza with tomato, egg, garlic, parsley, parmesan, and bottarga (dried tuna roe). Apparently the egg is just cracked over the pizza before cooking.

    The beer selection was the best draught list in the greater D.C. area, hands down. Besides gems like Ommegang Hennepin, Adventinus Dopplewiezenbock, Kwak, Dogfish head 90 minute and Stone Smoked Porter, they also had some real rarities like Liefman's Goundenband and Samiclaus. They also have an English-style hand pump for cask ales. All beers were served at the proper temp and in the proper glassware.

    While the upstairs is nice and airy opening out onto the bustling and trendy M-street, I recommend the downstairs bar which is more cozy and pub-like and has a real fireplace for those chilly winter nights.

    As an unexpected bonus, we were there on Wed, and all draught beers are 1/2 off downstairs from 5-7 (downstairs doesn't open until 5 on weekdays).

    Our second meal was at Full Kee. We started the meal with the Hong Kong style shrimp-filled won-ton soup w/o noodles. There were ten golfball sized wontons stuffed with 2 small shrimp and what looked like a little pork, in a simple chicken broth with scallions. It was simple and excellent.
    We followed that with string beans in a spicy sauce, baby clams in black-bean, soft-shell crab, and whole grouper in a brown ginger sauce (listed as talapia which they were out of and I'm glad since I think the grouper was less boney.
    Everything was quite good. My only complaint was that the crabs were cut up prior to frying and seemed to be cleaned of the yellow guts which are my favorite part. I think the $7 soft-shell on white bread we had the previous day at Crabby Cousins in Baltimore was better.

    Both of these places will be on our short-list for D.C. from now on.

    Remember, the Georgetown locale is the place to go for an amazing beer selection.
  • Post #48 - June 19th, 2006, 9:33 pm
    Post #48 - June 19th, 2006, 9:33 pm Post #48 - June 19th, 2006, 9:33 pm
    So glad Full Kee worked out for you - although I'm sorry that the softshells were lacking the goo you crave. I live in terror that one day all my urgings about people hitting Full Kee will come back to haunt me if someone goes and has a miserable meal. So thanks for the report!
  • Post #49 - June 20th, 2006, 8:48 am
    Post #49 - June 20th, 2006, 8:48 am Post #49 - June 20th, 2006, 8:48 am
    Griffin: Thanks for the detailed report on Pizza Paradiso and Full Kee. I'm planning on spending an afternoon in Georgetown during my DC trip next month and am looking for ideas for a quick lunch in the area. Pizza Paradiso may fit the bill for me (although I don't want anything too filling as I've got reservations at CityZen the same evening!).
  • Post #50 - June 20th, 2006, 9:01 am
    Post #50 - June 20th, 2006, 9:01 am Post #50 - June 20th, 2006, 9:01 am
    Seth Zurer wrote:I live in terror that one day all my urgings about people hitting Full Kee will come back to haunt me if someone goes and has a miserable meal.

    Seth,

    As well you should! :twisted:

    Enjoy,
    Gary (Still stinging from Seth's insipid clams comment three years ago)
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #51 - June 21st, 2006, 10:02 am
    Post #51 - June 21st, 2006, 10:02 am Post #51 - June 21st, 2006, 10:02 am
    Oh yeah, I should point out something that was not clear from the previous posts about the Wonton soup at Full Kee.

    Their menu lists only one Wonton soup for $1.50. Suspecting that this could not include numerous shrimp filled Wontons, I asked if it did. The waitress said, "No, that's the Hong Kong style" and pointed to a little laminated card book-ended between the soy-sauce and the peper on the table.
    Also, be sure to ask for it with no-noddles, as this gives you more shrimp-filled wontons.
    Last edited by griffin on September 8th, 2006, 1:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
  • Post #52 - July 24th, 2006, 10:43 am
    Post #52 - July 24th, 2006, 10:43 am Post #52 - July 24th, 2006, 10:43 am
    Thanks again to all who replied to this topic as it gave me some great ideas for my Wash DC trip this weekend. My day-by-day food experience:

    Friday: Because of a 2 hour flight delay I was rushing to make my scheduled Capitol tour. So lunch was the prosciutto sandwich from BreadLine which I ate while speed walking towards the Dirksen Senate Bldg. The sandwich was good, but I feel like I didn't do it justice as I was eating too quickly. For dinner I stopped at Belga Cafe on my way to RFK Stadium for the Cubs/Nationals game. I had the kip & krab sigaar app (chicken & crab "cigars" with sweet and savory dipping sauces) and the mussels rodenbach for my entree.

    Saturday: Breakfast at Eastern Market (crab cake benedict) and then a quick stop at Bread & Chocolate for some bread and chocolate (chocolate croissant to be specific). Spent the afternoon in Georgetown so I stopped at Pizzeria Paradiso for a snack of the goat cheese & prosciutto crostini and a slice of the atomico pizza (olives, salami, red pepper flakes). I brought the remaining slices back to the hotel fridge for breakfast later in the trip. Dinner was the highlight of my weekend. I ate at the lounge in CityZen and enjoyed the $45 three course fixed menu with the $25 wine pairing. For my appetizer I had the ragout of snails which was served with garlic mousse (phenominal flavor!) and pernod butter. My entree was the shoat with grits, spinach and mushrooms (I'm forgetting the exact menu description which does better justice to the entree) and for dessert I had the peppermint patty. I highly recommend CityZen to anyone going to DC. The deal in the bar is definitely something to take advantage of. Raved to the staff about the garlic mousse in the appetizer and one of the hostesses arranged for the chef to come out and explain their preparation to me. Nice touch!

    Sunday: Was on the go most of the day walking to various sites. Lunch was at Ben's Chili Bowl (chili half-smoke and chocolate shake) followed by the lemon berry tart and chocolate cupcake with orange buttercream at CakeLove. Dinner was at Full Kee - had the shrimp dumpling soup (huge dumplings!) and the baby clams in black bean sauce. Both items were delicious!

    Again thanks to all who posted dining tips in this thread. It really was helpful when planning my trip.
  • Post #53 - September 2nd, 2006, 7:31 pm
    Post #53 - September 2nd, 2006, 7:31 pm Post #53 - September 2nd, 2006, 7:31 pm
    I'm going to be in the Crystal City area about once a month for the next several months on business and have my doubts about food quality. I presume, having never chosen to stay in that area on personal trips to DC, that it's all chains or overpriced continental--can anyone point me in the right direction? And I don't mean the direction of the Metro: much as I'd like to high tail it out of there, I really won't have the time to travel very far...walkable, please.

    thanks!
  • Post #54 - September 2nd, 2006, 7:37 pm
    Post #54 - September 2nd, 2006, 7:37 pm Post #54 - September 2nd, 2006, 7:37 pm
    Although Crystal City, so far as I could tell from the highway, is exactly what you fear, the good news is it's really not very far at all from better things. My sister lives in Arlington, and I know that there's a decent restaurant scene in both Arlington and Alexandria, and within not too much driving distance she finds Vietnamese, middle eastern, Peruvian chicken, etc. (Maybe some of that is even walkable.) I'll email her for more specifics on which areas are best worth exploring-- I've been to a lot of what she likes, but don't have that firm a grasp of the geography. For now, though, keep hope alive!
    Watch Sky Full of Bacon, the Chicago food HD podcast!
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  • Post #55 - September 4th, 2006, 9:20 am
    Post #55 - September 4th, 2006, 9:20 am Post #55 - September 4th, 2006, 9:20 am
    Okay, here's my sister's report:

    Sister of Mike G wrote:Okay, on to your foodies-I think some of the food in Crystal City is lame. There are a bunch of cute looking ethnic mom and pop places on the main food street-but we haven't been overly impressed. Then again, I haven't eaten in any of them for a number of years. With one considerable exception that is. The Kabob Palace on Eads street is one of our favorite restaurants in the whole metro area-really good Pakistani food.

    I even went and looked up a review for you. (Well really to find the address)
    http://www0.epinions.com/content_120691658372

    There are no doubt some other good places-I'll ask a neighbor who works in Crystal City. But the Kabob place stands out.
    Watch Sky Full of Bacon, the Chicago food HD podcast!
    New episode: Soil, Corn, Cows and Cheese
    Watch the Reader's James Beard Award-winning Key Ingredient here.
  • Post #56 - September 20th, 2006, 12:02 pm
    Post #56 - September 20th, 2006, 12:02 pm Post #56 - September 20th, 2006, 12:02 pm
    chezbrad wrote:I'm going to be in the Crystal City area about once a month for the next several months on business and have my doubts about food quality. I presume, having never chosen to stay in that area on personal trips to DC, that it's all chains or overpriced continental--can anyone point me in the right direction? And I don't mean the direction of the Metro: much as I'd like to high tail it out of there, I really won't have the time to travel very far...walkable, please.

    thanks!


    Bebo Trattoria. Roberto Donna (of Iron Chef fame) just opened this place in Crystal City. Here is the press (And FYI the Galilleo Grill was a DC phenomenon. Some days during the summer he would set a little red grill outside his restaurant and that meant they were going to serve lunch that day. Lines would start forming by 10 AM and last until he came out and announced all the food was gone for that day.):

    Bebo Trattoria, named after Donna's boyhood nickname, will house a custom made wood burning oven in which Donna plans to make pizzas and the popular Panini sandwiches from his Galileo Grill. The menu will also feature a variety of antipasti ranging from $4-9 and entrees priced from $10-19. An extensive selection of small plates and wines by the glass will be offered in the 30 seat bar area; prices will range from $1.95 to $5.25 per small plate and wines by the glass will start at $5. Bebo Trattoria will be open for lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily, with a family style brunch served on Sundays. A dining room with seating for up to 60 guests will also be available for private bookings.
  • Post #57 - September 20th, 2006, 12:07 pm
    Post #57 - September 20th, 2006, 12:07 pm Post #57 - September 20th, 2006, 12:07 pm
    Oh and one other thing, no one gets to talk about Pizzeria Paradiso until they have been to 2 amys (2amyspizza.com)!!! Ask any DCist and they will tell you the same. 2 amys blows Pizzeria Paradiso out of the water. It was actually started by the guy who started Pizzeria Paradiso. He sold off his stake in PP to open 2 amys. The only exception is the Paradiso in Georgetown. They have Birerria Paradiiso in the basement which has the most eclectic collection of beers on tap I have ever seen. They have at least a dozen and rotate at least every week. AWESOME and I think they do happy hour specials.
  • Post #58 - September 20th, 2006, 6:38 pm
    Post #58 - September 20th, 2006, 6:38 pm Post #58 - September 20th, 2006, 6:38 pm
    TODG and I were marooned by NSF in the Crystal City Hyatt for 4 days about a year and a half ago. That little food street isn't actually so bad--the Thai place is decent, and the pizza isn't so bad. And, if the weather's nice, most of those places have open-air seating in front. It's a pleasant block of places.

    Kabob Palace is as good as advertized.

    Geo
    Sooo, you like wine and are looking for something good to read? Maybe *this* will do the trick! :)
  • Post #59 - October 18th, 2006, 10:29 am
    Post #59 - October 18th, 2006, 10:29 am Post #59 - October 18th, 2006, 10:29 am
    I'm going to be out in the DC area in a couple weeks. Reading this thread, I've decided that I will visit Pizza Paradiso, 2 amys, and Full Kee. Now, are there any other places that I shouldn't miss? A friend had mentioned Peking Gourmet Inn for their Peking duck. Supposedly, this is the best version anywhere....according to my friend. He tends to exaggerate so I was hoping I'd get reliable information from the great eaters on this board. I've been to Ben's Chili and wasn't all that impressed. Give me a Maxwells polish(from express grill, not Jims) instead.
  • Post #60 - October 18th, 2006, 10:48 am
    Post #60 - October 18th, 2006, 10:48 am Post #60 - October 18th, 2006, 10:48 am
    Meskerem in Adams Morgan was mentioned previously; I have to agree with them completely. The food I had there was outstanding.

    I also like Taj Mahal in the Dupont Circle area. They have an excellent buffet at lunchtime. Their chicken tikka masala is really good.

    Also, if you don't mind spending about $35 PP on breakfast, the Lafayette Room at the Hay-Adams Hotel (just north of the Mall) is a great experience. It is a classy, elegant place with really great food.

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