Thoughts on Virtue in Old Town? Not a great first experience...

Thanks for your thoughts. I think there's a fair question of whether a place opened by the chef of one of the highest rated restaurants in the DC metro area should be held to a higher standard than someone who opens a "really nice bar that happens to serve food." I don't think Armstrong puts himself out there as a guy who "happens to serve food"! I think that might hurt his feelings. :)

I do think your assessment is right, though - the place is a great bar without a doubt. I just had higher expectations for the food from someone whose other places are above average. The chowhound in me (not a foodie! too poor/cheap) wants every place, modest or extravagant, to do something knock-the-socks off. I'm an Old Town resident so this was a pretty close "destination." I didn't travel far... just wanted something worth the money. Maybe it's just not for me. Thanks again for the response.

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Thoughts on Virtue in Old Town? Not a great first experience...

Didn't have a great meal at Virtue recently and I'm wondering if I could have navigated the menu more wisely...

In terms of atmosphere, the place is beautiful - an interior designer's dream come true. The theme of a feed and grain warehouse extends to almost everything (little burlap sacks hold the bill, even). We got there early-ish and with the place fairly empty you could really appreciate all the work that obviously went into creating the elegant/rustic effect. Maybe a little *too* themey, but that's nitpicking.

The food seemed almost like an after-thought when compared to such carefully executed decor. We got an assortment of smaller plates, including two specials, hoping to sample a variety of things and benefit from the freshest ingredients. Overall, everything was bland or out of balance, or otherwise underwhelming.

Fried mushrooms with aioli seemed intriguing, but they ended up being exactly how they sound - whole button mushrooms in breading, deep-fried. The kind of thing that should either surprise you with its simple, unexpected fried goodness, or doesn't seem to warrant a place on the menu at all. They were just OK. Fried calamari was above average in moistness, but considering how dry most fried calamari is I think that says more about other restaurants than this one. The portions for both fried app's were fair-to-generous, although neither was tasty enough that it mattered much.

The specials were baba ganoush and an heirloom tomato salad. The baba ganoush was served hot -a first for me - and came with too-thick, too-hard slices of baguette. The bread was completely wrong for the dip, drowning out its delicate flavor and clashing with its texture. When we tried the dip straight or with softer bread its seasoning came through a little better. Still, I found it too close to bland. The heirloom salad had chunks of tomato that were somehow over *and* under ripe. I'm not a salt fiend at all, and I can't think of a single time I've salted food at a restaurant, but these needed salt to bring out any fruity-ness in the dish. We thought that the strips of cheese on top of the salad were maybe supposed to be the salty element, but they were bland and didn't give any balance at all to the tomatoes (the cheese also had a curious texture, which I actually didn't mind, that reminded me of licorice -- the strips were very glossy and almost waxy). We also shared a crab cake sandwich ($20). The cake itself was good - sweet, nicely textured, crisp - but it was served on a soft roll that was spread with whole-grain dijon mustard. I love the stuff, but it overpowered the crab cake. I thought it was an odd choice considering it usually shows up to cut the fatty richness of sausage, beef, and the like. To my palate, the crab was drowned out by such a pungent mustard.

In all, we walked out for around $75 (including tax and tip, no alcohol) pretty disappointed. I've had the lunch special at Restaurant Eve and thought everything was excellent; I also really like the Majestic and I've had lots of fish and chips at Eammon's. I'm a fan of Cathal Armstrong's commitment to Old Town and his work on school lunch programs, but my ultimate loyalty is to food not chefs! Virtue gives the impression of a project where the design team responsible for the space was motivated and genuinely inspired, but the food team lacked that spark. After this dinner I'm feeling pretty skeptical about the place.

Before I write it off (at least for a while), I'm wondering if anyone else has maybe had entrees there, or made better choices among the small plates? It occurred to us as the meal was winding down that maybe Virtue's real virtue lies in being Alexandria's most stylish, comfortable, and scenic bar - we weren't drinking and so maybe we missed its best charms? I would go back for a drink with visitors, maybe, just to enjoy the ambiance. But unless I hear of undiscovered gems on the food menu Virtue won't be a dining spot for us...

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Truly excellent caterer for Alexandria, VA party?

Twoodson, I just noticed your post here. I never did end up doing catering because it was easier to pull things together myself (even with all the cooking - less mental energy somehow!). I wish I could give you up-to-date feedback but I've yet to take the catering plunge. Best wishes to you for a memorable celebration.

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Truly excellent caterer for Alexandria, VA party?

Thanks for the feedback! I'm not in any way a food snob, but as someone who cooks a lot I definitely have pretty high standards for paying someone else to do it...

We are a really small group, and I can't think of any restaurant in particular that would execute party food in the way I'm picturing - I wanted lots of gorgeous, elegant, insanely tasty things. It's not so much that we want dinner brought in, but variety... something really memorable.

I'll follow up w/ Main Event, and thanks to you both for your input!

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Truly excellent caterer for Alexandria, VA party?

Just wanted to add that so far, in addition to Susan Gage, I'm considering Capitol Catering (they're so close it's crazy) and Windows - anyone w/ experience with any of these three, it would be great to hear your impressions!

(Well Dunn looked great on-line, but not really the vibe we're going for...)

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Truly excellent caterer for Alexandria, VA party?

After reading 10+ pages of "catering" search results here, I've decided just to post for some up-to-date ideas for a local caterer.

We are having a very small (

So - we're thinking of having the party catered here in Alexandria at the house. I've never done anything like that before, partly because I can't imagine *testing* the quality of a service for the first time during an event I actually care about. I'll take the plunge only if I'm totally sure it will be an exceptional spread!

Anyone know of super-reliable, truly superb caterers that might be up to the job? We like all cuisines and are adventurous eaters - the only requirement is that the food be really exceptional and feel special (elegant, delicious, etc.). If you have a recommendation, please share. And if you have the time, I'd also love to know what you think about the following issues:

- What do you estimate the per person cost would be? What's a reasonable range? (we don't need any plates, glassware, alcohol, utensils, etc. - everything for entertaining is already here)

- Do you think 6 weeks is enough notice? The birthday is the first week in May.

The boards say glowing things about Susan Gage catering, so I'll check that out tomorrow, but I thought I'd ask for other enthusiastic rec's as well.

Thanks SO much for any help - any advice is really appreciated. (Yay for great moms!) :)

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Best Wine Store for Excellent Buying Advice/Guidance?

Thanks, all, for the suggestions. So many fans of Pepe (and familiarity with the area) definitely call for a trip to chat with him. And I will check out the place in Alexandria, as well, just because it's so close. Thanks again!

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Best Wine Store for Excellent Buying Advice/Guidance?

I need to buy a really special bottle of wine as a thank you gift, but my own knowledge of wine is pretty limited (esp. when it comes to more expensive bottles, which I only splurge on every couple of years and usually with no idea of what I'm doing).

I'm hoping to find a wine store with employees who can guide me to a bottle that will be really special for a wine drinker and good value for the money (I don't mind spending $50+, if I know that the wine is excellent and will be appreciated).

Do you have a place that gives reliably, consistently great advice, or has lead you to a fantastic bottle? Or a wine store whose selection is so well chosen that I can safely assume an expensive bottle there will be a standout?

My thank you to this person is so heartfelt - I'd love to knock him out with this gift!

Thanks for any help!

(P.S. I'm in Alexandria, but will happily travel to anywhere in the metro area for a store that's got great staff/selection)

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

What's the busiest rest. in Old Town?

I'm trying to figure out the Old Town equivalent of Matchbox - not for the menu, but the energy. A place that is busy at lunch, at dinner, almost every day of the week.... any ideas? I'm moving from DC back to hometown Alexandria in a couple of weeks and hope to get some rec's by then - thanks for any help!

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

U Street Corridor dining-

I heartily second Bar Pilar. I was put off for a while (a couple of years) for some reason - something about the front just isn't welcoming or something. And I used to go to St. Ex pretty frequently (same owners, maybe? I think?). But recently, St. Ex has been absolutely atrocious - the menu hasn't changed since I started going around 2005/2006, the food is prepared without any care whatsoever, the service is juvenile and indifferent, the place seems to need a HEARTY scrubbing... all things that alone are forgiveable, but combine to stirke the place off my rotation for a long, long while. Bar Pilar keeps pleasantly surprising me, on the other hand. I've had really good lentils and sausage, a very flavorful small steak w/ latkes, a lovely bacon and fried egg salad, among other things (the only mediocre thing so far has been a boring corn soup). The bartenders are unobstrusive, but warm and attentive and I've had some excellently mixed cocktails. Very nice place to start/spend/end an evening...

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Ask and ye shall receive - Ray's up that plate for some seafood...

How masochistic is it that I don't even mind being strung along... just the prospect of fairly priced, simply prepared, (probably) local seafood makes me slavishly grateful. Ugh. I'm a self-hating Landrumite.

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Ask and ye shall receive - Ray's up that plate for some seafood...

I thought this was kind of funny for those who, very helpfully, participated in my search for the best whole lobster meal in DC. I ended up at Oceanaire and was disappointed, and wrote that I wished Landrum would open a "Ray's the Lobster." And look at that, just tonight I came across this short write up on washingtonian.com:

***
Michael Landrum, the meat maverick who turned the modestly appointed Ray’s the Steaks into the area’s most rewarding steakhouse, is taking on a new genre: seafood. Ray’s the Steaks will vacate its tiny Arlington storefront (1725 Wilson Blvd.; 703-841-7297) next year for larger space up the street, and Landrum will convert the restaurant into Ray’s the Net. The goal, he says, is to present seafood and fish as simply, freshly, and cheaply as possible. “You’d never guess the insane markups fish and seafood have,” he says. The question: Will the new restaurant inspire the same allegiance as its predecessor, which was so busy on a recent weeknight that would-be diners—Ray’s doesn’t take reservations—were milling in front, sipping free red wine?
***

Even if they don't do whole lobster, I'm sure I'd have a better night there than at Oceanaire! And I wouldn't despise myself the day after for spending a gagillion dollars, even of someone else's money. The only bad thing is that it will probably be 2010 before I get a seat...

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Whole Lobster Fans - Share Your Favorite D.C. Spot!

In case someone does a lobster search in the future, I thought I would follow up here... We ended up at Oceanaire, and it was OK. Got kind of an odd reception from the servers (and we're all early 30's and were well dressed) that I didn't much appreciate - I think sometimes an attempt to be serious and formal can come off as snobby... The food was not spectacular, although the whole lobster for the birthday boy was good (he said). He got it "dirty" - cajun spiced, a little charred, and removed from the shell. I didn't try it, but he was happy. Grilled calamari appetizer was very, very good - probably the best single dish of the night. Clams casino were fine. Spinach salad with bacon dressing was also OK. Crabcakes were large and had lots of crab, but my own simpler tastes are honestly more satisfied by Market Lunch. Swordfish with onions and blue cheese was very bold, close to a steak experience with char and everything.

A very nice touch was that the second server we had (snob #1 disappeared after the first 15 minutes) overheard me talking about our friend's birthday, and brought two enormous desserts on the house (baked alaska and brownies a la mode). We had already planned to do Dolcezza, so it was kinda of a weird thing to have such heavy sweets before we were ready and not exactly to our taste, but I did appreciate the gesture very much.

Amnbience-wise, there were lots of large groups - one right next to us in small alcove. In all, this place reminded me somewhat of a seafood version of Ruth's Chris. Extremely expensive for "classic" preparations; when they hit something simple right, it's great. But when it's mediocre, there's not much creativity, artistry or value to compensate.

Places like this always make me wonder whether the charms of an old fashioned, traditional upscale experience are just lost on me! I'm just a Peter Luger, Ray's the Steaks, crab shack type of eater at heart; I want earthy flavors, narrow scope, folk expertise on the plate, and I don't ever want a man in an apron to look at me with less respect than I have for him as a fellow working-class person... We happened to be treated to this meal at Oceanaire by a very generous friend; for my own money I would probably not go back. What this town needs is a Ray's the Lobster!

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Whole Lobster Fans - Share Your Favorite D.C. Spot!

Good to hear about Oceanaire, and the specials. Thanks very much!

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Whole Lobster Fans - Share Your Favorite D.C. Spot!

Thanks for the response. My only worry about the Palm was that the non-lobster choices wouldn't be as strong for the rest of our group. I will do some searching about the steaks there, and I appreciate the info.

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Whole Lobster Fans - Share Your Favorite D.C. Spot!

thanks for the reply - I was a lilttle skeptical of Sea Catch for some reason myself... I appreciate the feedback!

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Help with tricky Old Town restaurant search...

Just to update here (which I'm usually really bad at doing - must work on the Chowhound etiquette!)... Our group ended up at Commonwealth Gastropub, just down the street from our apt. in Columbia Heights. They had a simply grilled fish with parsley butter on the menu for our picky eater, lots of interesting microbrews for our beer guy, and UK specialities for the Anglophile in the group, too - perfect! I've never done a review here before, but I'm sure folks are interested in Commonwealth so I'll give it a shot.

We were pretty early (around 6 pm) for dinner, on a Thursday. Wasn't too crowded. Sat inside, at the communal table - but no one else joined us until we were literally getting up to leave, so not at all awkward. A few minutes after we sat down, we got two lovely little dishes of freshly pickled young vegetables (haricots vert, cauliflower, beets, carrots) "from the chef" - vinegary, sweet, crispy... really tasty. Chef Leeds was out chatting with people during the meal, actually, too - which was exciting in a food-dork kind of way...

Anyway - the picky fish-only eater didn't end up sticking to her rigid eating plan, but someone else got the simply grilled fish anyway. It was 'corvino' (corvina?), and I was told it was OK. The yorkshire puddings we got as appetizers were tasty - better than most restaurant versions, but not quite as savory as a really good homemade version (i.e. bathed in fresh roasted grease). They come with onion gravy, which was all right and not really necessary for that egg-y popover goodness anyway.

Fish and chips were excellent - light batter, thick fries. Good mayo/mustard dipping sauce. $16 seems steep to me for fish and chips, but somehow it was all right. I guess because the portion was substantial and really was tasty. Chicken pot pie was good - again, not as lip-smacking as homemade, partly because the crust-to-filling ratio for an indvidual serving leans too much towards starchy for me. But tasty and very rich. Bangers and mash were good, too - the potatoes were a little loose (maybe that's a UK style thing?) and sausage a little mild for my personal taste, but the person who ordered it was happy - and she's been to Ireland a couple of times. We did dessert at home, so no sticky toffee pudding for us... maybe next time.

There was no cask ale available yet, but the beers we did try were well-liked by everyone. St. Joseph's (I think?) was a big hit; I had a good UK hard cider, and the beer lover with us had some very satisfying IPA's.

Service was good, sometimes a little awkward but always in a very gentle, eager-to-please way. In all, I was pleasantly surprised - I expected to be less satisfied for the price, but we left feeling happy with what we had. I will definitely go back to drink my way through that beer menu and when funds are a little more flush, to get some grub. This could be my Winchester (albeit with MUCH more expensive "pig snacks"!!!!).

Thanks again to all who gave suggestions for the weekend! :)

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Whole Lobster Fans - Share Your Favorite D.C. Spot!

Hi All -

I am hosting a couple from NY this weekend, and we have to celebrate a birthday. The guest of honor has been on a lobster kick lately and his wife hopes to find a place in D.C. where he can get a really superlative, simply prepared lobster while the rest of us eat well, too!

It was a little harder than I expected to find places that have just classic steamed lobster (at least with an online search - no Kinkead's, Black Salt, Blue Duck Tavern, Hook), but so far I've found whole lobster on the following menus:

Johnny's Half Shell
Oceanaire
Sea Catch
TenPenh/DC Coast (same preparation)
The Palm
Ruth's Chris (soooo NOT my favorite place - wouldn't go unless a lobster lover really persuades me that the dish is worth the trip)

Do any of you lobster fans recommend or warn against any of these places? Do you have another D.C. spot that's a favorite for this meal? I know that there are some other highly touted lobster preparations around now (lobster burger, lobster sashimi, risotto, etc.), but I am looking specifically for a lovely, simple lobster at a restaurant with strong options for the rest of us as well.

The budget is wide open, as our guest has a very generous wife! :) Thanks in advance for any suggestions, chowhounds.

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Help with tricky Old Town restaurant search...

Good idea! I've been thinking of trying this place for my own reasons, but hadn't thought of it for the visit. I'll give the menu another look. Thanks.

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Help with tricky Old Town restaurant search...

Ah... Overwood is an option I had never heard of before your suggestion, and the menu on-line looks very promising! I should have mentioned that Rustico was another option (I like it, and there's a hardcore microbrew fan in the group), but there is no permanent fresh fish preparation on the menu. Overwood has a couple of options it seems (mahi mahi and salmon). Thanks a lot! Really appreciated.

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Help with tricky Old Town restaurant search...

Thanks for the suggestions. I checked out Hank's, and the only problem is that it fits my super picky eater, but not the 3 other, merely semi-picky eaters - they aren't big seafood fans, and the only meat plates at Hank's seem to be the daily specials. :( And you're right, Vermilion and Geranio are probably too expensive (although if we ultimately must go more expensive to accomodate all the ridiculous menu demands, so be it!!!). Thanks for the help!

Edit - I checked out Hank's after your post, just to be clear (I know sometimes people get miffed if the poster doesn't mention the options that have already been ruled out before the request for help!)

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Help with tricky Old Town restaurant search...

Hello All -

I have the quasi-in-laws coming into town next week and am hoping to find a restaurant for 6 that is agreeable to all. I grew up in Alexandria, but live in DC now and have almost no idea what the eating scene is like in Old Town anymore - we will be doing a walking tour down there and will need either lunch or dinner on Thursday. Here are the parameters:

- moderately priced (under $20 for lunch OR dinner entrees, ideally)

- moderate-to-conservative/traditional tastes (not my personal choice, but the older folks are classic suburbanites who would rather eat at a Ruby Tuesday's - because it's familiar - than try something new. Ahhh... In-laws.). Standard "American," Tex-Mex, maybe Asian or Latin influenced would be fine. Sadly, nothing more adventurous.

- ideally within walking distance of the King Street strip, although a little further afield is OK if parking is relatively easy (even Del Ray is OK, I guess)

- BIG HEADACHE: the really tough, and unfortunately firm, requirement is that the place be able/willing to serve a completely plain (i.e. only salt and pepper) steamed/broiled piece of fish. One person in the group is on a super-restricted eating plan and literally will not eat any other entree.

I have already ruled out Evening Star Cafe and the Majestic because they look too expensive (don't want quasi-father-in-law to have a heart attack...). Gadsby's, for the same problem. I plan to call King St. Blues and Austin Grill to see if they can accomodate the extremely-bland-fish request.

Any other places I should check out? I thought of the Union Stree Publick House (I think that's the name), but can't find a website for them. And I know that I am forgoing all the really stellar choices (Eve, FarrahOlivia, etc.) because of the limits on $$$ and innovative tastes.

Basically I need a restaurant that either (a) I would not normally go to because it's too boring, but is competent and not a waste of time/money, or (b) a place I would love, that just also happens to have more conservative choices that others can also enjoy.

ANY help is appreciated many times over!!!!! Thanks, chowhounds. (Go Titans!)

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Favorite sit-down Vietnamese in DC/VA/MD?

Thanks everyone for replies - this is a very helpful list to start the decision process. Any other suggestions are welcome, and recommendations for specific dishes are very appreciated!

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Favorite sit-down Vietnamese in DC/VA/MD?

Hello All -

I am looking for rec's for a sit down Vietnamese restaurant in the DC/VA/MD area for this weekend. My group of 3-4 needs a place that has excellent entrees (not a night for just pho), an atmosphere that allows for a leisurely meal (no lingering, but we'd like to catch up over dinner), and nice ambience. Cost is not an option, within reason (anything under $25 for entrees is OK). I have only been to one Vietnamese restaurant in the area on King St. in Old Town many, many years ago when I was in high school, so I don't know where to start.

I assume Eden Center has some good options, but last time I went there we were just overwhelmed by the choices and I'd like a solid bet for this get together (rather than an experiment!).

Thanks in advance for any suggestions --

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Best D.C. Indian (birthday dinner worthy)?

Thanks for the heads up. What a short-sighted mishandling of the situation by the restaurant!

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Best D.C. Indian (birthday dinner worthy)?

If we don't do the tasting menu, any recommendations? Or general guidelines (seafood, meat, fried things, etc.)? Thanks for the feedback so far - I'm trying to convince friend #2 that this is the best choice!

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Best D.C. Indian (birthday dinner worthy)?

Thanks for the feedback! I am trying to strike a ambience/food balance and appreciate the insight.

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Best D.C. Indian (birthday dinner worthy)?

Hello All -

I have a friend who is celebrating a milestone birthday and loves Indian food. My personal preference is for low-key ambience and super flavorful food, but I am looking for somewhere w/ enough special-ness for the occasion. Is Rasika the best bet?

We've been Indique already, and hope to try something new. We do need to stay in D.C. proper, or near a Metro stop if VA/MD. Thanks for any help!

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

11th & U Street Recs

Oohs and Aahs is definitely a carry-out feeling place. There is a counter to sit at (which I've done, and it was fine for that particular meal), but it doesn't invite one to linger, and you'll be lined up next to your group which doesn't facilitate conversation. There also is no bar (at least on the street level). It's great for what it is, but I don't think it will fit your needs at all! Come back when you want to eat some crazy good fried shrimp in a funky atmosphere...

Oobay in Washington DC & Baltimore Area