chickenlover's Profile
New to Cleveland Park
I live in Cleveland Park and here is where I go:
Palena is easily the best restaurant in the neighborhood, and one of the top places in the city. Vace (take out only) is the best pizza of it's type around. I recommend that even New Yorkers give it a shot. Nam Viet is pretty good but the service can be awfully frustrating. Indique is solid for curries, but nothing special. Good luck with the bars...
Ultimate Spring Meal
If you're willing to wait for a table in the cafe, Palena is doing some great things with spring produce right now and fits your price point if you order a la carte.
Portland: "foodie-est" neighborhood?
Although Portland has some nice walking neighborhoods, none of them have hotels. If I were you I'd get a hotel downtown (west side, not Lloyd/Convention Center). Downtown is kind of quiet in the evenings but there's some good stuff sprinkled about and you would be close to the Pearl District and just across the river from some nice east side neighborhoods.
Best D.C. Indian (birthday dinner worthy)?
If you are willing to go to Bethesda, I think the food at Passage to India is actually better than Rasika's. However, the wine list/cocktails/beautiful people at Rasika might make it a better place for a celebration.
Spiedie?
Spiedies are native to Binghamton NY and I doubt you can find them anywhere else. My father in law lives in the area and keeps us stocked with Spedie sauce. If you can get your hands on the marinade, they are super easy to make. Just marinate, grill chicken or lamb, and put them in a soft bun or roll with no condiments.
Corduroy closing
They had some interesting stuff last night. In addition to a couple standbys they were offering pupusas, omelet, steak sandwich and afghan kabobs. I think some of the cooks are getting a chance to put items on the menu. The pupusas were great, as was the lobster bisque.
Bebo (past few months)
I think you can walk the whole thing in the underground mall.
What Should I Order at Corduroy??
I'm not sure what's on their menu right now, but in general Corduroy does a very good job with steak.
Five Restaurant Resolutions 2008
1-Komi: I have reservations for January.
2-Central: I'm never organized enough to get a reservation
3-Beck: Ditto
4-CityZen Lounge: Don't think I can swing the dining room.
5-Most importantly, I need to stop being so lazy and to get out to Maryland and Virginia for good Asian food.
Fri. night near Penn Station
Will be getting in around 9 or 10 and I am looking for something good and casual that won't require a reservation. Any cuisine, but must be workable for a vegetarian. Thanks in advance for your help.
fixed price/pre-theater seasonal
Tosca has a great pre-theatre menu, a real bargain when compared to their regular prices.
Craving monkfish!
Lots of places around town serve monkfish. I liked the preparation at Cafe du Parc. I'm sure others will chime in with their favorites.
oysters prior to palena
In response to your first question, you should have no problem getting a table if you get there before 6.
good eats around woodley park/adams morgan/cleveland metro
I live in Cleveland Park and here's my 2 cents. Of the restaurants dcandohio lists Palena is far and away the best, but can be difficult to get into. I agree that both Indique and Nam Viet are solid, though service is much better at Indique. I don't care for Ardeo. I eat pizza from Vace at least once a week. Dino has an incredible wine list and OK food. (I haven't been there under the new chef but have heard raves.)
PS---go Bucks!
In DC for 2 nights - advice on my choices
I like Circle Bistro. If I only had one night in DC it wouldn't be my first choice, but it's pretty solid. You might want to think about taking the redline uptown to Palena Cafe (or Palena's dining room if you're willing to splurge.) Also, Corduroy is well loved by many on this board and close to your hotel.
Firehook locations: consistency?
I find Firehook to be consistently bad at all locations.
Visiting DC - Vidalia or Acadiana?
I've never been to Acadiana, but I can tell you that Vidalia is very good and is considered one of the best restaurants in the area. Go to Vidalia.
Palena - Has it lost a little of its magic
I live right down the street from Palena and eat in the cafe once or twice a month. You kind of have to take things as they come in the the cafe. When the place gets busy one has to expect that the servers can fall behind. In my experience the front room's servers have been friendly and do a pretty good job under the circumstances, although the bar does tend to get backed up. I don't expect to be pampered at the cafe. I go for the food not the service, and I'm rarely disappointed.
Steak Frites -- DC
I like the steak frites at the bar at Corduroy. It is not served with bernaise sauce though. I used to like Bistrot du Coin, but have not been impressed on recent visits.
Best pizza in Portland?
It's been a while since I've lived in Portland, but isn't the Morrison bridge closed to foot traffic? If walking from downtown to Nostrana (which was a sketchy supermarket when I used to live down the block) I believe you need to take the Hawthorne bridge.
Best fresh fish markets in DC, pref. NW?
I might also add that the service at Blacksalt is exemplary. The fishmongers are happy to give suggestions on what to buy and how to cook it. Like you, I found the fish at Whole Foods (P St. and G-town locations) sub par at best.
Best fresh fish markets in DC, pref. NW?
Recently I've been going to BlackSalt's market on MacArthur Ave. It's a little out of the way and it's not cheap, but their fish is great.
Best pizza in Portland?
I am also visiting Portland from DC this weekend. My first stop will be Le Pigeon. I'll also be checking in on some of my haunts from back in the day. As far as Max accessible restaurants, the Max is not the Metro and there aren't too many good restaurants near stations. You could take the street car or a short cab ride to the Pearl District/NW Portland where you'll find lots of bars and restaurants. I've read a lot of buzz about a place called Clyde Common, which I believe is walking distance from the Hilton.
What's with 2 amy's recently?
I think they have made a conscious decision recently to send their pizzas out a little softer. If you like it crispy, you can ask for your pie well done.
Le Pigeon
I'll be traveling to Portland later this month and I've read some exciting things about Le Pigeon. However, I remember hearing somewhere that some/most of their tables are communal and I am not a fan of this particular arrangement. Does anyone know if it is possible to reserve a private table for 2? Thanks.
PS 7 - Has anyone been there for RW?
I went on Wednesday night. The highlights of the meal were the bread and the cocktails. The tuna sliders are pretty clever, but I think I prefer my tuna without a bun. Veal breast and sweet breads was a very generous portion, perhaps slightly over salted. I think I would have liked this dish a lot in the winter, but it didn't really make sense in the summer. My companion's steak was not the greatest and desserts were forgettable. I can definitely see myself returning for happy hour, but not for dinner.
