takajin's Profile
Croatia/Slovenia Restaurants
We've just come back as well. Some of our favorite meals and one stay-away recommendation:
Dubrovnik: The Hotel Bellevue was our "finest" dining experience and about $140 with wine. We ordered a la carte, but they also offer a 4 course set menu. We shared local Ston oysters, I had a beef dish wrapped in prsut (Croatian prosciutto), husband had a veal dish with the most delicious mushroom risotto (risotto is ubiquitous in Croatia).
The best octopus salad we had on our trip (and we had many) was at Konoba Kamenice.
Also try the D'Vino wine bar for a good introduction to Croatian wines.
Mostar, BiH: Konoba Dvije Pecine (Restaurant Two Caves). A charming location near the little bridge with wonderful home-cooked food. Our best meal in Mostar during our two night stay.
Hvar, Croatia: Luviji. This place is two restaurants. A nice restaurant upstairs with terrace dining and a regular menu. And a cosy, tapas style place downstairs. We opted for the tapas style. Only two choices: the peasant plate (mostly meat based) and the fish plate, for about $16 each. We ordered one of each and a buffet of small, traditional foods followed. Washed down with wine from the family's vineyards. Total bill about $45. This was one of our favorite places and a great chance to try a number of local foods. Too bad we didn't have time to try upstairs.
Antika in Stari Grad on Hvar Island had great food. A more inventive and deftly prepared menu than most other places. We tried house made anchovies, a rocket salad with fried cheese, and a shrimp dish.
Luna: Stay away!! I decided on Luna for our last night in Hvar, rather than the nearby Zlatna Skoljka. The latter was excited about their food, eagerly describing their "challenge" courses (you pick seafood or meat and the number of courses; they do the rest). But I decided I didn't want such a big dinner and Luna had a lovely terrace. Bad choice. We were going to try the local fish specialty "gregada" (fish stewed with potatoes, etc). The couple next to us was not enthusiastic about this dish, so we splurged on the "lobster lunatic". A whole lobster with a pasta and tomato/wine/brandy sauce. I could make a better dish at home. We paid over $100 for an overcooked lobster and unmemorable pasta and sauce that barely fed both of us. Oh, Zlatna Skolkja, why didn't I choose you?
Also, Prsut Tri is another excellent wine bar. They're very helpful with wine information if they are not busy.. A few specialty nibbles including prsut (of course), cheese, and kulen, a spicy sausage from the slavonia area.
Also, check out the wine "tasting" restaurants on the islad for the Zlatan winery and Tomic winery. While they don't do a typcial tasting of all of the wines, you can order wines much more cheaply by the glass than found eslewhere and eat as well. We ate at the Zlatan location - on the water, good food mostly prepared in front of you in an outdoor facility. A little on the pricey side, but the wines (direct from the source) were a great value. And you can swim off the side of the restaurant.
Istria: Konoba Mondo is great and has friendly, helpful service. The NYT called it the best restaurant you'll never get to, which I think unfairly raises one's expectations. It is a typical Croatian Konoba (but with a focus on Istrian truffles), with simple cooking and normal hits and misses. But we had a good dinner of teran wine, tagliatelle with truffles, a rumpsteak with a wine and truffle sauce, eggplant salad, dessert and coffee.
Bled, Slovenia: Okarina. Wow. This was one of our favorite restaurants. Strange menu covering Indian food, pastas, and Slovenian dishes, but really good. Good service, good wine, etc. The Indian food smelled so appealing, but we tried the typical Slovenian dishes (a roe-deer stew, and some local mushrooms over polenta), the best avocado dish I've had in my entire life, and their version of the Bled cake. The last was very good, but it was not really a Bled cake.
Also, we stayed at tourist farms during our Slovenian stay and had great food at both (Skerlj in Krast area, and Psnak in the Bled/Triglav area). Some of the best and most consistent meals of our trip.
Zagreb: I would second Ivica i Mariska, despite it's kitchsy feel. The spinach and cheese strukli is oustanding. Vinodol also good. We reserved earlier in the day so that we could secure the veal baked under a pot dish. Wish we could have gotten a reservation for the 5-table Prasac. Finally, we were so excited to have Thai food at a place called Opium, right next to our hotel (Arcotel Alllegra). Such an exciting change for our taste buds. Despite it's location in the basement of a shopping center, it seemed to be quite the Zagreb date spot.
Sunday brunch challenge: midwest mom, travel and time constraints
Looking for a brunch place to accomodate the following:
1) Friends coming from Jersey City (path train)
2) Friends coming from upper east side
3) mom from midwest and a) not very adventurous food-wise and b) used to midwestern prices. Might be willing to step out a short limb for something pretty good.
4) need to be back at hotel near Madison Square Garden by 3 pm for shuttle to airport
Any suggestions?
Many thanks
Ray's Hell-Burgers Opens in Arlington
We've been twice so far and it will probably become a regular for us since we live in that area.
The burger justs tastes so fresh! As it should since they are butchering the meat fresh in the store. I feel like it could use a bit more seasoning throughout (I've had just the grilled both times), but it's still a really good burger.
My only wished for change is a smaller burger (well, and beer too). 10 oz on a big bun is a big committment for me, with or without the sides. And I really hate wasting food. I'm rather happy they don't serve fries.
I've had the soul burger and a grilled burger with their sauted 'shrooms and grilled onions. No bun problems either time (actually impressed with how well the buns held up given the juiciness of the burger). Cooked to order well enough both times (medium).
Interestingly they've already raised their prices on some of their "specialty" burgers. I first went two weeks ago and the soul burger was $7.95. This week, the price for the soul burger was at $8.95.
Have taken out both times, so haven't noticed AC issues. But they really need to make a nice large sign with clear print (not the printed 1-page menus hanging on the walls) that makes clear the menu choices and the process for ordering. If the lines are long, the current lack of system and signage is really confusing to people who are either new or don't know what they want until the get close enough to read the small signs.
But a great deal regardless. I'd love to try some of the other new burger joints in town for comparison, but doubt I'll get around to it anytime soon given the quality of Ray's product, the price, and my proximity to them.
DC RW Summer 2008
I heard that Corduroy is not participating. Too bad as I was looking forward to checking out their new space. Maybe we'll make it for another occasion.
DC RW Summer 2008
Also re. Dino, due to the $5 increase, they are removing most of their upcharges (I think only one, albeit hefty, upcharge, for their steak) and including a digestif with the meal (choice of grappa, limoncello, or dessert wine). I've not yet made it to Dino, but their spirit of RW tipped the hat for me this time around. I'm really looking forward to finally trying Dino.
Also, Farrah Olivia is extending for the entire summer (until Sept. 22). No menu posted online yet, but I did confirm with the restaurant yesterday that they will also be offering their wine pairings for $15 with dinner. I think that's a nice touch and so we made a second reservation there.
Sushi Go Round and Tapas
I've been once or twice when we've wanted something fast and easy before a movie. The sushi is ok, the atmosphere is busy, the best thing about it is that it's conveyor belt. Too bad that aren't more conveyor belt places in DC.
If you want conveyor belt style, I recommend Wasabi (Farragut North/West metro) over this place.
Duck Confit in NoVA or DC
I really like the duck confit starter at Marvin (duck confit with beet and goat cheese salad).
St. Michaels and Tilghman Island
We stopped at Bay Hundred Restaurant and Tiki Bar (yes, the name nearly scared me away, along with the geriatric dining room). But we found the bar area, a good local beer on tap (forget the name), and a really great shrimp po-boy, steamed clams, and crab cake sandwich. The locals in the bar added some more character to the place.
The menu was not overly inspiring, but the sandwiches (esp. the shrimp po-boy) and fresh, local seafood items are good. Reasonable prices.
If you're there for a long weekend, it might be worth trying out for lunch or a light dinner one day.
Japanese Food in NoVa/DC
We "discovered" Blue Ocean recently on a friend's recommendation. Maybe our new favorite Japanese restaurant?
I really liked the ramen, but I've still not been to Daruma. My only complaint about the bowl was that they gave me one measly, thin piece of pork. But I look forward to going back and seeing if the soy sauce broth is consistently good (I've noticed inconsistency in some other places that I like.)
Japanese menu: Yes, they have a menu of Japanese specials that are not available on the printed English menu (also a daily English specials board). I noticed just as we were finishing up. It was fairly extensive, but appeared to be mainly different kinds of grilled fishes. Probably set meals given the prices of around $16: maybe a piece of fish accompanied by soup, rice, pickles,etc.? But I'll investigate more when we go back.
We tried the ramen, takoyaki (savory dough balls with octopus), yakitori (chicken skewers) and katsudon (fried pork cutlet and egg on rice). Everything was fine. The takoyaki, a special for the day, were very well done. Would have like a bit more sauce, but they had a good flavor and were not soggy or undercooked, as they can be sometimes.
Re. the udon question that initiated this thread: they offer Udon with a choice of traditional toppings (tempura, or grated yam; etc.) About 6 different choices, I think. It may be worth trying it out given the quality that I felt was represnted in our items. We're looking forward to going back for cold soba on a hot summer day.
Did not notice okonomiyaki on the menu, but I wouldn't be surprised if it turns up on the English specials menu from time to time.
Thrifty's Ice Cream on the East Coast?
This does not answer your question in the slightest, so I apologize. But if you can't find Thrifty's out here, why not consider one of the local chains out here? Gifford's is a local brand/store (since 1938) that is now available at Harris Teeter and Whole Foods. Their peppermint ice cream was supposedly President Eisenhower's favorite.
Again, sorry not to help with your original question and hope you don't mind the alternate suggestion.
NoVa 30th B-day spot?
What are you looking for? Metro accessible? Doesn't matter? Price range? Ethnic food? No ethnic food?
The first place that came to mind was MeJana in Arlington (nice large outdoor patio; good food), but it may not be in your price range (probably $30 to $50 per person depending on what you order, how much you drink), may not want Lebanese food,may not want mezze style, etc. etc..
Best Pre-Theater
Alot of places in Gallery Place have pre-theatre menus online that you should check out: Rasika, Poste, 701, Bistro D'Oc, Cafe Atlantico, etc.
The challenge is that the selections are usually quite limited.
Rasika's is pretty representative of their menu and worth trying. A bit of a hike back to Brasserie Beck.
Also check out Ceiba's pre-theatre menu. A nice-looking menu there and closer to BB. They also have an extensive lounge menu and a fair amount of relatively comfortable lounge seating. I think I would recommend this alternative (the lounge menu, that is) for a 20-something group assuming you can secure enough seating for your group. The food on the lounge menu is good, representative of the restaurant, and affordable. Also, they have a different $5 drink special every night of the week (Wednesday is Pisco Sours).
One other pre-fixe option that is worth mentionig: Bistro D'Oc, which is closer to BB than Gallery Place locales. The options may not appeal to everyone, but it's a very good value at $20-ish, inclusive of a glass of wine (though I didn't like the red that was served). For those who don't want the pre-fixe menu, the prices are quite reasonable overall and likely to come in under your per-person budget.
Create your own Sampler--DC
We did something like this at Zatinya a few years ago. I feel like it was around $35 a head before tax, tip, and booze and was a sampler of a number of their small dishes. Probably more now. They just kep bringing out food. We had a group of about 8 or so and no one left hungry.
Dinner in/near Middleburg, Va
I second the Hunter's Head. Good food and nice setting. I have the same plan as you. Wineries with visiting family and an easy, casual, but nice lunch/early dinner.
Bibimbap in a casual setting?
It doesn't get any more fast food than the bright yellow, Korean food cart near McPherson Square metro. There's a long food cart thread on this board that gives the location. (Corner of 14th and L maybe?).
I quite like their bibimbap, though the experience in a styrofoam carton is a bit different from mixing it altogether in a nice bowl.
Good Ramen, finally!
So we tried it out this past Sunday. Arrived around 1 pm on Sunday. It was ok compared to other ramen I've had in DC:
Not as good as Sushi Taro. But they have such limited availability that I never get to enjoy it.
Probably about the same as the ramen at Maneki Neko and it's served all the time there. I've had ramen twice at MN and the first time it was quite good; the second time was only ok. Matuba's ramen was not as good as the first ramen I had at MN, but better than the second. I assume Matuba's quality can also vary and I'm willing to try them out again.
I was disappointed in the gyoza though. Overly soggy and undercooked.
Tackle Box
Thanks for the info on Bluefish. To be honest, oily, fishy-tasting fish doesn't completely draw me in, but you're probably right that that the prep suits it, so I'll give it a go next time.
Re. Georgetown: I was surprised and pleased that the place wasn't mobbed since it was reviewed in the paper this past week. I think since it's not a set-up that encourages people to linger, the crowd moves through rather steadily.
A completely preferrable experience to Eammon's where people stare daggers at you while they wait for you move so they can pounce on your spot - though I'm guilty of the same activity.
Tackle Box
We stopped by as well. I got the Maine meal with grilled calamari, greens, and mac and cheese. SO got the lobster roll.
The Maine Meal was a great deal at $13. The grilled calamari was a substantial portion (5-6 whole small squid). Fantastic taste. Nice flavor as noted by Martykl. Really exceeded my expectations. With some hot sauce, greens were better than I usually get at local establisments. Mac and cheese was fine, but not superlative. Certainly not a waste of a side dish though. I also really liked the simple dressed greens that accompanied the plate. Not sure what they were dressed with, but they provided a fantastic bite to the grilled goodness of the calamari.
The Lobster roll and fries were good, but a bit small for $19. Yes, I know it's lobster, but for $13 you get a whole plate of food. $19 gets you a tasty, but small lobster roll and some french fries. They should really accompany that with either a choice of 2 sides or some coleslaw (anything, really!) with the fries. SO's plate looked sad and small compared to mine. But the lobster roll was good.
The only other request is for some beer. Even if they did the bottled beer in the refrigerated cases behind the counter a la Chipotle. I liked the sweet tea, but the food really calls out for beer.
Would love to hear if others try the bluefish. I'm not familiar with bluefish and looking forward to giving it a go on a future trip. It's nice to have Tacklebox as an easy option in Georgetown and I'm sure we'll be back sooner rather than later.
Good Ramen, finally!
Great news. Thanks for the tip. Almost looking forward to rainy,cold weather tomorrow or next Sunday to really get in the mood for a good bowl of ramen.
Good Experience @ Marvin in DC!
mini-Belgium waffle chips? That sounds like a very cool idea for a bread basket.
Everyday Eating: Restaurants you frequent
We really need to get out to Layalina's. I've seen it mentioned several times on this board.
Re. ragtime: In addition to the Tuesday night raw bar, we learned that they also do half-price apps all night on Wednesday night. Half-price bar apps. and $2.50 microbrews are a fantastic deal.
We were shocked at how inexpensive the bill was when it arrived. Again, the food is nothing to go out of one's way for, but a perfectly acceptable neighborhood bar and a better option than some of the places in that same neighborhood (Summers, Four Courts, etc.).
Inflation strikes Oyamel. Others? (moved from Washington DC & Baltimore board)
At the end of February, SO and I made a pact to return to Oyamel for a pitcher of margaritas (and dinner) on the first really nice night of the year. We really like their margaritas.
As of February 29th, the price of a pitcher of margaritas was $29 (since confirmed per the as-yet to be updated website). We wandered in last Friday night and promptly ordered a pitcher. I did look at the menu to confirm the price, but I think I saw what I wanted to see and so was suprised when receiving the bill to see that a pitcher was now $38! An increase of more than 30%
I was shocked and doublechecked another menu. This one confirmed the price of $38, so I assume I just didn't pay enough attention to the menu the first time.
The margaritas were still tasty (if a bit on on the "virgin" side) and the food was delicious. But $38 for a pitcher of not-very alcoholic margaritas left us a little disappointed. I'm sure we'll return eventually as we like the food, but not with the same fervor. And probably not for another pitcher of margaritas.
I'm not 100% sure, but I think prices have generally crept up by smaller margins on the menu (roughly 10%-15% on tacos, etc.) . Certainly this is to be expected as food and gas prices rise, but the mark-up on margaritas was quite shocking.
Anyone else noticing inflation hitting the menus of their go-to restaurants?
Good Cultural Festivals in DC or NoVa?
I think you must have missed alot of the Japanese booths then because there was a fair assortment of "authentic" Japanese food (beyond sushi), in addition to the albeit substandard non-Japanese tents.
Clustered mainly on Penn near 12th street an also just south of beer garden on Penn, multiple Japanese restaurants had booths serving a variety of items including sushi, various rice bowls, yakitori (there was Japanese style yakitori at one booth, in addition to the psuedo-yakitori at the non-Japanese booths) takoyaki (octopus fried in dough balls traditionally sold at Japanese street festivals), tempura, etc., etc.. Alot of these items, like rice bowls and tempura, are not typical Japanese street fair foods, but definitely are Japanese food.
A handful of local reastaurants ran these booths, including the ever-popular Tachibana in VA, Maneki Neko, Matuba, and others (I'm drawing a blank on the other restaurants, but there were at least 6 or 7 local Japanese restaurants at the festival). Also Kikkoman had a tent set up sampling their products, Kirin beer was sold at the beer gardens, and there was a sake tasting tent for those who didn't mind paying $25 a head (ouch!)
Now what I'd like to see are more traditional Japanese street festival foods in the future at the Sakura Matsuri, but I don't think it's accurate to say there wasn't Japanese food beyond sushi.
However, I would recommend some of the area Greek Festivals in town. I've been to the one on Mass Ave. that's mentioned below and think the food is quite good.
Me Jana
Went to Me Jana with 4 friends this past weekend. Short story: great food, decent value for the food given the atmosphere, nice atmosphere, outdoor seating, but not nearly as popular as Zatinya's, probably due to it's location. The last is fine by me as the crowds as Zaytinya's can be overwhelming and, well, pretentious IMO. The one bad point: service was a bit lacking. Overall, I'll go back again, but it's unlikely to become my new favorite place unless the service improves tremendously
Food: Warm pita is brought to the table with a plate of olive oil, herbs, yogurt and olives. The idea being that you dip the bread in all three items. A nice touch, but the bread is great on its own.
We decided on hummous for the table and each person picked two mezze for the table with the idea that we could order more food if we wanted more.
Kibbeh, baked haloumi, zuchinni fritters, baked cheese in Phyllo, a goat cheese and orange salad, calamari, a baby eggplant dish with yogurt, some kind of "lamb pizza", sausages, a kind of lamb "quesadilla". (Please excuse the last two descriptions, but that's what they look like on the plate.) Overall, the food was great, though the kibbeh, calamari and baked haloumi stood out for me. The only item I would stay away from in the future is the sausage. Just not to my taste at all.
The bread baskets were kept filled and we didn't need to order any additional items and even left some food on the table. We did not try desserts on this visit. There's much more on the menu and I look forward to going back and trying some additional items with friends.
Service: As mentioned, this was the sore point for me. We arrived, without a reservation. A few people were waiting, but there was no clear sense of how the front desk was being handled. I spoke with the person behind the desk ( a waiter?) and he said a 10-15 minute wait, but did not take my name and then left. Unclear to me if he was attending to his work or scouting the table situation. Repeated the same story with the hostess who came out and then the manager who came out and got us a table. We only waited 10 minutes or so which was great, but I did not like the feeling of there not being a clear process and did not want to be forgotten as additional customers came in the door (hence bothering three staff people).
So we got a table (with cool couch/lounge-like bench seating on one side). And only one menu. And no drinks menu. I got up to find two more menus and we shared 3 amongst us. After 10 minutes or so, our waiter came to the table with bread and water, but only enough to fill 2 and half of 5 glasses. The waiter came back again after another 5 minutes with more water, at which time we were ready to order. Since we never received a drinks menu, our entire table surprisingly just decided to drink water (I think we would have ordered some drinks if we had seen a menu). The restaurant was busy, but not abnormally so.
The waiter was generally attentive and good for the rest of the meal. However, the belly dancing started (just before we ordered) and the volume of the music was kicked up to ear splitting levels. We absolutely could not talk to each other and the waiter had to lean close to our faces to hear our orders. We asked if the music could be adjusted, but fortunately the dancing came to a close after another song and the music returned to a still loud level but some conversation could continue.
With the exception of the music, the atmosphere is nice (upscale, chic) and a welcome addition to the Courthouse area. I look forward to returning to the patio. It will be interesting to see if the crowd changes/grows and becomes more like Zaytinya, or if because of its location, it will continue to feel like a nicer, hipper neighborhood restaurant.
Since we did not drink, the menu came out to a very reasonable $23 per person after a 20% tip. Obviously, we only ordered 2 mezze per person, but it was more than enough food for our group.
So, the menu, the outdoor seating, and relative value given the quality of the food and the atmosphere will definitely draw me in again. With time, hopefully the service and loud music will not drive me away.
Places you go to because you like the owners
Good idea for a thread.
Santa Fe Cafe in Rosslyn. Nice story re. the owner and staff. His dream to own a restaurant, bought a place, kept the staff on who wanted to stay, helped them become US citizens, and now they help run the place. Always closed on federal holidays to give staff the day off; everyone is really nice; service is good; and the food is consistent.
Maneki Neko in Falls Church: Again, nice owners, nice staff. Very child friendly restaurant. You feel like a regular after having been a few times. Active in the community, etc..
Dining Gift for Friends New to DC
BTW, if they're coming from London, you may also want to pass along two local tips for items/meals they may miss:
British Pantry (a long drive out into the VA countryside). Run by British expats. Full english breakfast on the weekends and a small store selling a small, but nice variety of British products (we stock up on Horlick's, among other items, when we're there. Heinz 57 beans, PG tips and bangers are readily available in the DC area otherwise and don't require the drive).
Royal Mile Pub in Wheaton (metro accessible): Best "pub" in the area in my opinion and often recommended on this board. They do Scottish and Irish breakfasts on the weekend. Tetley's, among others, on draft. Lots of Scotch too.
Dining Gift for Friends New to DC
Those are also really good ideas. I blanked on the restaurant groups in town. I think the Acadia, TenPhen, Ceiba group would be very interesting. But Rasika is so hot right now that it's also a good choice.
Dining Gift for Friends New to DC
Another thought is perhaps providing the gift certificate for a family of restaurants: the Jose Andres group comes to mind. He owns a number of tapas oriented restaurants, most of them a very short metro ride from 19th street NW.
In this family (all located in the Penn Quarter neighborhood; Jaleo has one or two other outposts as well):
Oyamel (Mexican)
Zaytinya (Middle Eastern)
Jaleo (Spanish)
Cafe Atlantico: "New Latin" More entrees, less tapas (except Sunday brunch).
These are all popular, generally well reviewed places and a GC in the range you are considering would allow them to enjoy more than one meal in their new city at these locations. (e.g., our last bill at Oyamel, with drinks and a heavy selection of tapas was less than $100 with tip).
I assume a gift certificate could be used at the various places, but you'd want to check.
Another small family: Brasserie Beck (Belgian with a strong focus on Belgian beers) and Marcel's (French)
DC for the weekend. 1st time there. Your top 5?
Responding to items you specifically reference:
1) Creme (U Street): Great brunch spot with delish bloody marys. $10 or $12 used to get you unlimited (I can do two at most if I'm planning to walk afterwards). Good variety of brunch items including fried chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, along with more normal brunch fare. I consider it a good neighborhood for strolling, window-shopping as there are some interesting independent boutiques and stores.
2) Ethnic: Etete for Ethiopian (U Street). Good food, not spendy at all. Queen Makeda nearby also gets fanmail on Chow, but I haven't been.
3) Near Smithsonians (north of, actually): Teaism (Gallery Place/Penn Quarter) I like the atmosphere, bento boxes and other light lunch fare at this place, though not everyone is a fan. Also, in this neighborhood for grazing/gazing: Cowgirl Creamery and Gifford's Ice Cream shop, a locally-owned ice cream shop.
Fine Dining Quality Authentic Ethnic Cuisine
How about Sushi Taro? While a sushi meal the can definitely break the $20 rule, they have good options that wouldn't. Some of my Japanese friends think they have the best katsu-don in town. (Katsu-don = fried pork cutlet with egg over a rice bowl. $13, I think). Nice, but more casual environment than Heritage, with tatami mat seating around the edges.
I was also impressed by the food at Etete (Ethiopian) and it is a more "hip" environment than I expected.
