Amanda M.'s Profile
Date
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 483-0261
Junction
Category:
Used, Vintage & Consignment
Neighborhood: U Street Corridor
Selection is mainly 60's-80's inspired pieces. Some things seemed a bit on the high side ($120 car coat that was to die for), but the majority were fairly priced and the sales are a steal! Definitely check it out, especially for the great selection of fun handbags.
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 822-8783
Founding Farmers
Category:
American (New)
We got the bacon-wrapped dates, which were exceptional -- salty, sweet, tangy, oh-so-good --- and the fried green tomatoes as apps. The tomatoes were deep fried in corn batter rather than been pan-fried, which I didn't love, but the dipping sauces were exceptional. My friend got the mixed grill (not the new summer one, but the original, with mashed potatoes, pot roast, sausages, turkey, and apples), which she raved about. When the plate went away to be boxed up, you could barely see she had made a dent because there was so much food. I got the blue crab ravioli, which had a nice amount of Old Bay seasoning and were chock-full of lump crab meat.
We were both too full from dinner to try dessert, but our cocktails were delish --- try the grapefruit margarita they're adding to their summer menu for a refreshing (slightly sour, not cloyingly sweet) take on a classic that is all-to-often done poorly. Special thanks to our server, Chris, for his help, and to the managing partner, for inviting us back.
2 Previous Reviews:
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6/16/2010
Since my first go-around with FF (which I wrote about more favorably than I remember, now that I read the review), I've returned three times: once for dinner, and twice for brunch. If it wasn't for some redeeming food qualities, I would be taking this down to one star. Let me explain the issues over the course of the three visits...
About the food: Even the smallest special request cannot be honored on the first try. Let's list how this was an issue 3 out of 4 times. First, at dinner I ordered the buttermilk chicken salad, with the dressing on the side. The salad came out with everyone else's food absolutely swimming in dressing. I asked the server to correct the mistake, and half an hour later (when everyone else had already finished their meals and had ordered dessert) she brought me my salad.
Second, at brunch #1, I ordered eggs benedict with the hollandaise on the side and the eggs hard poached (described to the server as jelly-like or thicker: not runny). Out came my benedict, covered in hollandaise and with runny eggs. Given that I wasn't up for the possibility that I wouldn't get my food again for half an hour, I picked at the plate and enjoyed the leek hashbrowns.
And finally, at brunch #2, I ordered the beet and leek hash with the goat cheese, again asking for my eggs to be hard poached (but not having high expectations, given the last experience...but I hoped for the best). Out came the delicious hash, topped with the runniest eggs I have every seen --- the whites weren't even entirely done. I know some people love their poached eggs to be near-liquid on the inside, but most people in this world like at least their whites cooked through.
About the service/staff: I have consistently had poor service when I have dined here. Either the waiter/tress comes to the table every two minutes after first sitting down, rushing us to order, or is nowhere to be found after the food has been served, even to check in and see how things are going. I've worked in a restaurant, and understand that everyone has their own style, but the only consistency across experiences has been frustration with my server.
I have friends who love this place, and the menu does have some great items, but I won't be returning anytime soon. -
2/8/2010
If you're into going green, and supporting sustainably oriented businesses, you have one more reason on top of the delicious food to give Founding Farmers a try. As the only LEED certified restaurant in DC, or so the waiter told me, that only serves food and beverages sustainably sourced, you can feel good about the delicious meal you have.
I went for dinner with a friend on a Tuesday night, and we waited about 20 minutes for a table. Not terrible, but the hostess seemed as thought she did not have good handle on how quickly tables might turn, so our wait was longer than expected. The bar area seems to get pretty crowded with the after work crowd, which is understandable given the location. We had a wonderful waiter who was very knowledgeable about the philosophy behind the restaurant, the menu items, and the drinks.
Note to beer drinkers: you're not going to find a bunch of your normal staple beers, but will instead be met with a long list of organic and sustainable brews. Bell's, out of Michigan, makes a few good ones on the list, and I settled on one of those; unfortunately, they were out of the two that the waiter recommended though.
I had the scallops for my main, served in a brown butter reduction that had a nice citrus zing to it. The scallops were beautiful and perfectly seared; I was happy I was there for a conference with a per diem, though, because I don't think they were worth the $24 menu price. If someone else is treating, they're a delicious dinner. My friend and I split the carrot cake for dessert, and it was moist, chewy, and delightful.
A side note: a friend of ours who doesn't drink, and considers himself to be a connoisseur of ginger ale, stands by Founding Farmers' house-made ginger ale as the best in all of D.C. I'll definitely give it a try next time I return.
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 289-2030
RFD Washington
Categories:
Restaurants,
Bars
Neighborhood: Chinatown
We went to watch the USA v. Canada hockey game (and if I was being mean, I would knock RFD down to 3 stars for having so many Canadians there, but hey, at least they hadn't put Molson on special or something like that), and had a great time. The service was excellent, and we never had to track down our waiter to get our glasses refilled, which I've found can be the case during a busy afternoon at a sports bar.
My friends who got some standard bar food --- loaded fries, wings, and a pretzel --- received their food promptly, and it was exactly what you'd expect for bar food. Nothing to write home about, but definitely just what they wanted to go along with their beers, especially during the moments of the game that most Patriots would prefer to forget.
Check it out, be adventurous and try something you've never had before (love the Ommegong Hennepin, a Belgian-style farmhouse saison made at a brewery in Cooperstown, NY), and relax.
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 387-3825
Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe
Categories:
Bookstores,
American (New)
Neighborhood: Dupont Circle
The selection at Kramerbooks is wonderful, the staff is knowledgeable, and I've never had an issue finding a book I was looking for. Plus, it's always great to support a more local place, as opposed to the Books-a-Million around the circle, and be able to browse if you're waiting for a friend to meet you for drinks (as I was).
I actually had good service here, unlike some of other reviewers, but we were a pretty uncomplicated table: two women who knew each other in college, catching up, and sipping on a few drinks. Pretty straightforward; we would have sat at the bar, but it was packed, and because it was late they let us have a table in the dining room. We both got mango martinis, which were good, but not the greatest concoction that's ever entered my mouth from a martini glass. Prices are standard for DC (or Boston, which is what I'm used to), which means that you're paying more than you'd like.
All in all, a convenient place to pop in and browse, but I would vote that there are better bars around Dupont Circle to go for a drink and some conversation. And I agree with the other comments about the incredibly awkward token system in the bathroom: it's reminiscent of the McDonald's in Faneuil Hall in Beantown, which only has that system because the area is constantly inundated with tourists looking for somewhere to relieve themselves.
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 328-1506
Cocova
Categories:
Chocolatiers and Shops,
Art Galleries
Neighborhood: Dupont Circle
I went to Biagio chocolate for a "tweet-up" through DC Foodies Do Good (check it out at http://dcfoodiesdogood... --- one foodie event, and one community service event each month for FREE!). We had a chocolate tasting hosted by the store owner, Biagio, and it was incredible. If you're looking for a fun event for your office, an engagement party, or just about anything that doesn't require shots at a bar, call and ask about setting up a chocolate tasting.
We arrived to everything already set up in the tasting room, with a "chocolate menu" for what we'd be savoring, generous portions of the 9 different chocolates, water (and extra pitchers), and information cards about chocolate tasting, chocolate making, and just why dark chocolate is an essential part of a balanced diet.
The eight different dark chocolates were from bars ranging from $3 to $19 for a 100 gram bar, from all around the world. Our guided sampling was prefaced by nearly an hour of history about chocolate and how it is made. I learned everything from what the percentage on a bar means (it's the total percentage of cocoa butter and cocoa solids in the bar) to how the conching and tempering processes work. History is interesting, but of course the chocolate was the crown jewel in the event. And, I was the lucky winner of a $75 basket of delicious artisanal chocolate --- so wonderful to take home!
Long story short, if you like chocolate, or are one of the few who haven't learned to love this delightful, sensual, amazing concoction, head over the Biagio. The owner, who was a language-major turned flight attendant who has lived all over the world, knows his stuff, and I have faith that his staff is the same. He loves what he does, he loves what he sells, and he has a discerning palate that would make me trust just about anything he said about chocolate. This is a store for foodies, but not the ones with their noses in the air: just the ones who want to taste little morsels of heaven and bond over the pure joy of quality chocolate from around the world. Even if that happens to be white chocolate.
A coworker sent out a message the day before the truck was parked at MacPherson Square, a few blocks from our office, entitled "Important toffle news!" and three of us made a plan to head over the next day for lunch. The truck was right along the square when we arrived, and there wasn't too much of a line around 11:30 am when we arrived.
First things first: don't expect them to have every item featured on the menu online. The guys explained, very nicely, that they have an "A" menu and "B" menu, and alternate by week. They also told us that this "International" truck was just the first of they're planned Sauca trucks; it will be joined by an American grill truck, a Medi truck, and others (or so they said).
Now onto the food. I got the pork banh mi and a toffle with nutella. Strike one against the guys (who really are the nicest people I've encountered at a DC eating establishment and just love what they do) didn't honor my request for the nutella on the side, and I instead got a toffle drenched in nutella. The server offered to replace it, but said it would take a few minutes and my coworkers' toffles were getting cold; I don't love nutella enough to love it in that quantity on an already rich toffle, so I'll defer to my coworkers' reflections on the toffles, which were something along the line of "delicious," "perfect," and "not quite Wonder Waffle in Copenhagen, that was responsible for my 20 pound weight gain while studying there, but close."
On the pork banh mi: the sauces were delicious, the bread was fluffy, and the veggies (what there were of them on the sandwich) were tasty. The pork itself was a bit overcooked, though, and tough to chew through. I'd go for the fish banh mi if I go back, and get all the good stuff without risking more chewy pork.
And a side note: bring exact change if you can! The guys really appreciated it, so much that they gave us each one of their homemade lemonades. Too sweet for my taste, so I ended up diluting it and adding some extra lemon at home, but the orange blossom and mint infusion was interesting.
Washington, DC 20004
(202) 626-0015
Central Michel Richard
Categories:
American (New),
American (Traditional)
Our waiter was friendly and relatively attentive, but he didn't seem to have found the balance of when to stand along the wall where I could see him just hanging out and when to check in on us, take our order, etc. That said, the service all around was solid; plates were cleared quickly, and when my boyfriend knocked his knife from the table, someone seemed to appear out of thin air to pick it up and give him a clean one. Needless to say, that someone was not the waiter.
If you like wine, they have a terrific selection, and the sommelier makes wonderful recommendations. We asked for a reasonable, medium to full bodied red, and ended up with a $36 bottle of Malbec that was exquisite: flavorful and delicious. There's nothing worse than following recommendation, ordering a bottle of wine (that you could probably buy for a third of the price at a store), and having it turn out to be a disappointment.
The gougeres (cheese puffs) that everyone raves about are delicious; I may have enjoyed them more if I had just made them myself at home, though, since they're relatively simple little pastries and weren't the highlight of the meal. We also ordered the frog legs for an appetizer, which was a new meat dish for me to try. They're lightly fried with herbs and a bit of a crust, and were falling off the bone on top of a mound of gooey, tangy slaw that was delicious. Definitely worth a try if you're feeling adventurous. For mains, we had the lamb shank and creamy polenta and the sea bass, which comes as a whole fish with amazing little sautéed mushrooms and a large arugula salad with vinaigrette and fresh parm. Both were well cooked and well seasoned, though we differed in opinion on the lamb shank a bit. I loved the pork shank at Art and Soul, and I thought the lamb shank was equally delicious: soft, almost falling off the bone, with a bit of a crust on the outside. He prefers the more standard rack of lamb cut, so the shank was a bit disappointing.
The bread pudding we got for dessert had a delicious vanilla cream sauce around it, but I've had better bread puddings elsewhere and I wouldn't choose to order it again. In all, though, it was a delicious meal, a pleasant and inviting atmosphere, and the portions were more than generous. I'd love to try Citronelle one day, once I've moved into a higher pay bracket, but for now I'll stick with Central and would be delighted to go back again soon.
We had a reservation that the hostess had very kindly moved (three times) because of weather issues that kept us from going on our original day, about two weeks ago. Thank you snowpocalypse. We were seated promptly, at a round table in the corner, which was perfect for catching up and being able to talk to everyone in the group. The atmosphere is relaxed but elegant, very simple and modern in design, and was filled with others who seemed to be enjoying a long lunch.
Our crew of USAID contractors are all foodie-types, so for birthday lunches like these we tend to go all out. Appetizers for the table included the stuffed dates, arroncini (saffron rice balls), and a charcuterie platter of six different cured meats and sausages, all augmented by the delicious, warm, fluffy foccacia bread brought to our table. The dates were exquisite, filled with pancetta and ricotta cheese, which gave them a sweet/savory flavor that was complemented by the toasted almonds on top. The rice balls are reminiscent of little golf balls of risotto that were deep fried; they were fine, but not remarkable. I've had tastier arroncini at summer festivals in the North End of Boston, and those were definitely a better value than the four little rice balls we got for $7.
Six out of seven of us were satisfied with our main courses; highlights included my black spaghetti with lump crab, that had an amazing spicy flavor thanks to the garlic and pepperoncinis tossed with them, and a fish dish, served tableside with a fish stock. Other entrees at the table that were good, wish some quirks, included the pepperoni pizza (of sorts) that was fine but unremarkable, the tagliatelle bolongese, which was again fine but unremarkable, and the ricotta and lemon ravioli, which tasted as though they had been doused with a health squirt of fresh lemon juice before being served.
The disappointing seventh main: one of my coworkers ordered the mozzarella and winter vegetable salad for her entrée. Please do not make that mistake. What came to the table was a large mound of mozzarella (good quality, but it wasn't even sliced!) that resembled a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and a tiny pile of root vegetable slaw.
Desserts were delicious; one that sounded good, like the chocolate bomb, was delightful, one that sounded amazing, the deep friend nutella mousse, was blasé (though a few at our table loved it), and one that I never would have picked, the ricotta cake with pistachio crust and marzipan with a citrus sauce on the side, was the most heavenly part of the meal. I forget what the item is called, but you could figure it out from the description.
For about $35 per person, with coffee, non-alcoholic drinks, and all of our food, Bibiana is a great value, especially at lunch. Give it a try; just don't order the winter vegetable salad as your main course.
Washington, DC 20008
(202) 966-2530
Alero Restaurant
Category:
Mexican
Neighborhood: Cleveland Park
Was it terrible? Not in the least.
Was it better than the $6 burrito bowl I can get from Chipotle? Negligible.
I live about a block from Alero, and my roommate and I were going a bit stir crazy from the blizzard last Wednesday. So, we bundled up, walked backwards to avoid the wind for the better half of the block it took to get there, and popped into Alero, since it was one of the only restaurants open.
If you have a neighborhood Mexican place back home (and having lived in DC for a month, I have already concluded that at least two-thirds of this city has somewhere else that is still "home" to them), this would be a good equivalent. Nothing outstanding, but if you want a tamale and don't want to spend the time making it yourself, stop by.
What I had: a margarita, which was unremarkable and unmemorable, but was quite necessary considering the weather, and the chicken tamales. Considering what else was on the menu, I figured I ought to order something I wouldn't make at home (and quesadillas, tacos, and fajitas don't fall in that category). The portion was more than generous, with two tamales, rice, beans, guac, and a little salad. There wasn't very much chicken inside the tamales, but what was there was tasty, moist, and delicious; they were smothered in a salsa verde that was quite delightful. I'll probably go back, for the convenience and the value ($10 for a platter of food big enough to share), but only because it's in my neighborhood.
And a note about the chips and salsa: the chips are remarkably light and thin. I can't decide if I really liked them because of that quirk, or if I would far prefer the chips from the Mexican market back in Illinois that are so think that you can drag one through a bowl of guac with gusto without breaking it in half.
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- 22 Reviews
- 4 Review Updates
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Review votes:
31 Useful, 5 Funny, and 24 Cool
Washington, DC
Yelping SinceFebruary 2010
Things I Love When I'm Not Yelping...Making the world a better place.
All three of us had the scallop appetizer with yellow and black polenta and sauteed mushrooms (I forget which kind). The polenta was exceptionally smooth, and the black polenta with squid ink tasted rich. While the scallops were cooked to cut like butter, I prefer a bit more of a carmel-y sear on mine when I make them at home.
The black pasta with seafood was said to be well seasoned and satisfying by one friend; the rockfish was well cooked, but the sunchoke puree it was sitting on was too salty for my taste...and I love salt. Plus, I found bones in my fillet which the waiter explained were "normall" - not sure about that. The red wine reduction with the fish was sinfully good though.
Dessert was a definite highlight (get the panna cotta with passion fruit sauce...I think I died and went to heaven with its creamy texture and bright fruity sauce). We all elected to do the wine pairing, which included a well matched sauvignon blanc and a shiraz. Definitely worth the $15 additional charge.
Getting the check was a challenge, though, and when it came they had added additional charges. After fixing the bill, they divided it three ways...and somehow charged my card for the full amount anyways. That debacle was a sour end to the meal, though they did bring us some delicious chilled limoncello as an apology for the error.
Service was attentive, and we didn't seem to have the same issues others have posted about (minus the check debacle). Everyone from the hostess to the waitstaff to the chef and his sous chefs smiling out from the open kitchen were welcoming.
I'm torn on the number of stars, so I'll err on the side of optimism. If you enjoy creative, inventive cuisine (a number of dishes have offal in them for those with adventurous palates), give Galileo a try. If you can arrive and place your order before 7 pm, the pre-theater menu gives you a huge assortment of appetizers, pastas, and main courses to select from for $35 (rather than the normal $55 price tag, which comes with a few more selections to choose from), which is a delight for young professionals like me.