Thoughts on Obelisk? Others for DC visit?

Just returned from DC today. A few thoughts from a Californian's perspective. (I live in the SF Bay area and in Southern California before that.) If you do not have a reservation at Komi yet, get on the list for a cancellation and pray. Our three hour, no holds barred, dinner there was in the same class as the best meals we have had anywhere in the US. Obelisk is as good or better than ever. Not to be missed if you can get in. (We have eaten there five times over 11 years.) I notice some people have recommended dim sum. Forget it. Coming from Southern California you would be disappointed. Citronelle is very good but not very different than what you can find in California. Good luck!

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Citronelle
3000 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007

Komi
1509 17th St NW Ste 1, Washington, DC 20036

jmoule in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

first time Chicago

This is a great help! We will be in Chicago for three days in June and want to make the best use of our time. This separates the wheat from the chaff and lets us focus on what is unique to Chicago instead of a repeat of what we have here in Berkeley/San Francisco. I can not remember a post on any Chow board as useful as this. Will report our experiences.

jmoule in Chicago Area

Orcas Island eats?

We returned from 4 days on Orcas on Sept 25. This post is probably too late for you but I wanted to get if off my mind.

We were blown away by the dinner we had at the New Leaf Cafe (in the Outlook Inn). The grilled fig salad with local greens, pear, pancetta, and gorgonzola with a creamy lemon pear dressing was sensational. My wild mushroom risotto with hazelnuts, pear tomatoes, crimini and shitake mushrooms was in the same league as any risotto I have had in the US or Europe. My wife's shellfish pot with Buck Bay Clams, mussels, and Alaskan King Crab was excellent. I do not know about Seattle, but the New Leaf could be compared to the best restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area where we live. The Chef is Robert Chenault, a Cordon Bleu graduate, who I am told is new there.

We had been told by locals that the Inn at Ship Bay was the place to go and we arrived in eager anticipation of a good meal. My wife had wild salmon. It was overcooked to the point that it was dry. I ordered the Bouillabaisse which was offered as a special that day. The broth that should be based on a rich fish stock and seasoned with saffron was flavored saltwater seasoned with black pepper in an attempt to hide its inadequacy. The best thing that I can say is that I have had many orders of Bouillabaisse at many restaurants over the last 50 years and this is the worst I have ever had. In summary, the kitchen was not capable of preparing the dishes offered.

Kingfish Inn was a pleasant change of pace. Nothing pretentious. They prepare a few things and do them well. I was delighted to see fried oysters on the menu and they were excellent. We were told that salmon with red curry sauce and halibut with green curry sauce were "signature dishes". So we tried both and were pleased.

When we walked into the dining room of the Deer Harbor Inn the next night we were a little put off by the 1940s country western decor and the small number of diners. A smoked salmon appetizer with slices of Gravenstein apples off their tree opened our mind. A well made broccoli soup and a salad of tender and fresh local greens sealed the deal. Having eaten nothing but fish and shellfish for the preceding five days I ordered a New York steak. It was a very good cut, cooked perfectly. My wife's Penne with seafood was up to expectations. The apple pie with Gravenstein apples was better than any that my mother ever made. We only ate there once, but the fact that so many different things were prepared well gave us the impression that this was a reliable kitchen.

Now here is the surprising thing: Each of the dinners we had with wine and tip cost almost exactly the same thing. In the City, I would expect to spend twice as much for the dinner that we had at New Leaf Cafe.

jmoule in Pacific Northwest

Trip repot: San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach & Edna Valley

I second the recommendation of Wolf Vineyards.

jmoule in California

Truffle Paste Question

I used a dab of white truffle paste in each ramekin of shirred eggs. Outstanding! The brand was TartufLanghe. My daughter bought it in Italy. This brand does not seem to be sold in the US, but if you put the brand name into Google you will see that they have a web site and sell direct from Italy.

The results were so superb, that the cost was more than justified.

jmoule in General Chowhounding Topics

Advice on Santa Fe: Cafe Pasqual, Geronimo, The Compound, etc

Just returned from Santa Fe and want to update and clarify my previous post.

First and foremost, if you could eat only one meal in Santa Fe it should be at Cafe Pasqual. It is one of the most original and creative restaurants in the United States. It has retained New Mexico traditions in some dishes and has gone far beyond in others. It is also consistent. We ate there twice and it was as good as 5, 10, 15, or 20 years ago. However, it is best for breakfast or lunch since there are so many interesting places in town for a more elegant dinner.

Aqua Santa remains our favorite restaurant in town. The chef/owner Brian Knox was previously the chef at the long gone but not forgotten Cafe' Escalara. The style would be very popular in the San Francisco Bay area with the emphasis on quality ingredients speaking for themselves, some slow food movement influences, and some faint residual hits of Deborah Madison. The burrata with mustard greens was worth the trip to Santa Fe.

If there are any negatives, it would be that quite a few tables have been added to the already small space at Aqua Santa. That has raised the noise level significantly. However the wait staff manages to find a path between the tables and the service is excellent.

Having read good things on this 'blog about Geronimo, we went there again for the first time in many years. We were not disappointed. Every dish we had was imaginative and excellent. This is a more elegant restaurant than Aqua Santa. The tables are farther apart and the noise level is lower.

With regret, I must withdraw my previous recommendation of Trattoria Nostrani. I sense a change in ownership or in the kitchen, but do not know the facts. In fairness, some of the dishes we had were excellent but others were telling. We shared a primi of gnocchi with frog legs. The gnocchi was flawless. The sauce was delicious. However, the frog legs were tough and tasteless. (At this point you are probably asking why we would order frog legs in New Mexico in December. Good question. My only answer is that at a great restaurant you would learn why it was a good idea.) For a segundi, our waiter recommended a roast baby chicken. It was tough and dry. Inexcusable.

The Compound is similar to Geronimo in elegance. It seemed to have been rearranged since last year. The tables are less crowded and the overall space seems larger. I could not fault the food on any specific point, but it did not seem to have the excitement or sparkle that it had when the restaurant was re-opened in 2000 under Mark Kiffin.

Having had a bad experience the last two or three times we went to Coyote Cafe', we did not go there this trip.

I like the Shed, but not so much that I think that it is worth waiting line when there are other good places near by. We bypassed the line at the Shed and had a very enjoyable meal at Casa Sena.

jmoule in Southwest

Advice on Santa Fe: Cafe Pasqual, Geronimo, The Compound, etc

I am an ex New Mexico resident who still goes back to Santa Fe frequently. I have eaten in every restaurant that has been mentioned in this post - many for a dozen or so times. Here is my take, based on the quality of the food, regardless of price.

The top four restaurants in town are: a) Aqua Santa. Hard to describe their style. I'd call it New Mexico fusion with an emphasis on fresh local ingredients. b) Trattoria Nostrini. Try it and you will understand why they are on Gourmet Magazine's 50 best restaurants list. c) The Compound. I would call their style mainstream current day American cooking. Think of the Union Square Cafe in New York with a New Mexico accent. d) Cafe Pasqual. Katherine Kagel is one of the most creative chefs in the United States. No wonder this crowded little hole in he wall has received national recognition from the James Beard foundation. Katherine starts with New Mexico and old Mexico traditions and then goes to a new level. i would happily eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner there every day.

There are two restaurants that I have found consistently enjoyable over the last fifteen or more years: a) Casa Sena. It has become more chi chi and more expensive but the food keeps getting better. b) El Farol. Traditional tapas. It is very pleasant to sit outside for a long leisurely dinner in the summertime.

Alas, two great institutions of the past have gone downhill and are running on autopilot: Santa Cafe and Coyote Cafe. The food and service are not what they were. Avoid.

If you are looking for a restaurant that only serves traditional New Mexico food, I would recommend that you take a drive out of town. Go to the Rancho in Chimayo'. Go to Sadie's in Albuquerque where you will only find eager locals. Go to El Pinto in Albuquerque which is enormous and eats up bus loads of tourists. The locals eat there too. It keeps getting bigger because the food is so good.

One footnote: I may have done injustice to Geronimo. My experiences there are not recent enough for me to recommend it. Judging from other people's comments it may have improved.

jmoule in Southwest