Rumors are flying on a nearly daily basis now as to what the first new restaurants to pop up in Near Southeast/Ballpark will be. So far, the condos have it in spades over the apartment buildings. Capitol Hill Tower and Velocity condos are both poised to announce retaurants deals for their respective ground floor spaces. Other new-construction apartment buildings in the neighborhood are lagging behind, or are just further back in the construction process.
In any case, Italian and American-style (think Great American Restaurant) are the rumored cuisine of the future eat spots. Which will get an official announcement first? Well, boxes have been sighted on the first floor retail space of Capitol Hill Tower, but only time will tell.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Good Stuff Eatery "Embroiled" in Meatastrophe
Local news reports noted that D.C. health inspectors have been snooping around the newly opened Good Stuff Eatery. Among the problems, as reported by WTOP:
Hand washing facilities were not accessible to employees
Food contact surfaces (cutting boards) were not properly sanitized
Food was not segregated, separated and protected
And, most damning from a public relations perspective, though perhaps least worrisome, at least according to the restaurant's management:
Beef stored in alley
The crew at GSE claims this was because the meat had just been offloaded from trucks and was in vaccuum-sealed containers before being moved into the refrigeration unit... conveniently located in the same back alley.
However, WTOP goes into further detail of the health inspector's report. Other items found in the alley included potatos and bread. So, have reports of unsanitary conditions been the result of NIMBY conflicts? Or, are dirtier things afoot? One thing is clear. Rather than express contrtion and explain away the mischaracterizations of conditions (as Mendelsohn and company assert) Good Stuff is thumbing its nose at the criticism with a new reported "Back Alley Burger." At this point, with clean inspection reports on 12 and 15 September, my only complaint is that this hip crew can't update their website with a description of the alley burger!
Hand washing facilities were not accessible to employees
Food contact surfaces (cutting boards) were not properly sanitized
Food was not segregated, separated and protected
And, most damning from a public relations perspective, though perhaps least worrisome, at least according to the restaurant's management:
Beef stored in alley
The crew at GSE claims this was because the meat had just been offloaded from trucks and was in vaccuum-sealed containers before being moved into the refrigeration unit... conveniently located in the same back alley.
However, WTOP goes into further detail of the health inspector's report. Other items found in the alley included potatos and bread. So, have reports of unsanitary conditions been the result of NIMBY conflicts? Or, are dirtier things afoot? One thing is clear. Rather than express contrtion and explain away the mischaracterizations of conditions (as Mendelsohn and company assert) Good Stuff is thumbing its nose at the criticism with a new reported "Back Alley Burger." At this point, with clean inspection reports on 12 and 15 September, my only complaint is that this hip crew can't update their website with a description of the alley burger!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Matchbox Update II
Another update, coming from Tom Sietsema's Washington Post weekly restaurant and dining out chat.
Ballpark neighborhood, D.C.: Maybe I've missed you addressing this recently -- sorry if this is a repeat: When is the Matchbox on 8th supposed to open? Food down here by the ballpark leaves much to be desired.
Tom Sietsema: "We're shooting for the third week of October," says Matchbox co-owner Ty Neal. "Right now, we're working on finishes: tile work and hard wood floors." A crucial piece of equipment is in place, however: the pizza oven. Neal says he and his team will probably pick a Monday for their soft opening.
I can't wait...
Ballpark neighborhood, D.C.: Maybe I've missed you addressing this recently -- sorry if this is a repeat: When is the Matchbox on 8th supposed to open? Food down here by the ballpark leaves much to be desired.
Tom Sietsema: "We're shooting for the third week of October," says Matchbox co-owner Ty Neal. "Right now, we're working on finishes: tile work and hard wood floors." A crucial piece of equipment is in place, however: the pizza oven. Neal says he and his team will probably pick a Monday for their soft opening.
I can't wait...
Sunday, September 7, 2008
What's New in Navy Yard?
The Navy Yard neighborhood, officially dubbed the Capitol Riverfront, is booming in terms of new high-rise condos and mixed-use development. Everywhere, buildings are going up with construction firms promising spaces for living, shopping, and eating, all in one location. So, where's the beef, or for that matter, anything other than fast food? Residents in 1000 New Jersey Ave., one of the earliest plots to complete construction around the new Navy Yard, have been eagerly awaiting a restaurant on the first floor of their building for several years now - indeed since 2006. Word is that one serious prospective tennant for this space has opted to concentrate its expansion efforts elsewhere, at least for the time being. Tonic Restaurant has locations in Mount Pleasant and Foggy Bottom, and is reportedly looking to move across the river into the Orange Line corridor of Arlington. So, seared scallops, "Monday Wine Nights," and people watching with a beer in hand on New Jersey Ave., will have to wait a while longer.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Matchbox Update
According to Tom Sietsema of the Washington Post, the Matchbox pizza restaurant's expansion on Barracks Row, near the Eastern Market Metro, is expecting to open up this Fall, perhaps as early as September-October.
Zaytinya, a Growing Disappointment
I remember the first time I visited Zaytinya, a lux-styled bar and restaurant for the young and international crowd that makes up one of several "hip" D.C. scenes. I was taken in by the glitter of the crowd, the thumping of the music, and the "foreign" tapas menu. The patio is an impressively sized front along G St., just two blocks from the Verizon Center in Chinatown. Wide stone steps and tall glass doors form a modern facade that often sees groups walking out of the restaurant oblivious to traffic rules. Wealthy Internationalistas don't stop for traffic or alter their paths to reach crosswalks. They also don't take Metro, much.
Unfortunately, Zaytinya's luster has only dimmed over time. On several occasions now the tapas dishes have been disappointing, and most recently, even drinks at the bar were subpar. During my last stop I ran the gamut of mezze. Having worked out that evening and skipped lunch - a sure-fire recipe for a favorable assessment of the restaurant's fare - I was eagerly anticipating some Mediterranean cuisine. Small plates of falafel, scallops, rabbit, lamb, mushrooms, and beef arrived at random intervals as the cooks completed the plates, the norm in such restaurants. But, with the exception of the decent falafel and somewhat tough beef, the plates were tasteless, dry, or decidedly unpleasant. Scallops: more sand that seafood. Rabbit: where's the meat? Lamb: I won't be getting e-coli, but I won't be enjoying the taste any time soon either. And mushrooms: a whole lot of butter and not much else, at least that I could recognize.
To top if off, the drinks were poorly prepared as well. My gin and tonic, as well as the "signature" martini, seemed like they had been brought to the table direct from a hot plate. The end-of-the-night Pom-Fili, a mixture of white wine, vodka, triple sec, and pomegranate juice, was slightly better, but by that point in the evening I was stewing over the tab and my stomach was grumbling from the meal. I decided to hightail it home via Metro for some Crown n' Coke - with ice cubes direct from the freezer....
Rating: 0/10
In Short: Unless your wealthy diplo-friend insists otherwise, head over to the more reliable Jaleo.
Website: http://www.zaytinya.com/
Location: 701 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20001
Unfortunately, Zaytinya's luster has only dimmed over time. On several occasions now the tapas dishes have been disappointing, and most recently, even drinks at the bar were subpar. During my last stop I ran the gamut of mezze. Having worked out that evening and skipped lunch - a sure-fire recipe for a favorable assessment of the restaurant's fare - I was eagerly anticipating some Mediterranean cuisine. Small plates of falafel, scallops, rabbit, lamb, mushrooms, and beef arrived at random intervals as the cooks completed the plates, the norm in such restaurants. But, with the exception of the decent falafel and somewhat tough beef, the plates were tasteless, dry, or decidedly unpleasant. Scallops: more sand that seafood. Rabbit: where's the meat? Lamb: I won't be getting e-coli, but I won't be enjoying the taste any time soon either. And mushrooms: a whole lot of butter and not much else, at least that I could recognize.
To top if off, the drinks were poorly prepared as well. My gin and tonic, as well as the "signature" martini, seemed like they had been brought to the table direct from a hot plate. The end-of-the-night Pom-Fili, a mixture of white wine, vodka, triple sec, and pomegranate juice, was slightly better, but by that point in the evening I was stewing over the tab and my stomach was grumbling from the meal. I decided to hightail it home via Metro for some Crown n' Coke - with ice cubes direct from the freezer....
Rating: 0/10
In Short: Unless your wealthy diplo-friend insists otherwise, head over to the more reliable Jaleo.
Website: http://www.zaytinya.com/
Location: 701 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20001
Friday, August 29, 2008
The Basics of the Internets
Dear Restaurant Owners of Russia House,
You seem to be hip to the 21st century, with your restaurant inhabiting a prominent page all of its own on the Internet, but some of the basics, such as hours, might be due for an update. For example: if you advertise your restaurant as being open 5-10, and the adjoining bar open for another four hours, that's all well and good. But, if I have to read a hand-written note taped to the door of your establishment letting me know you're closed, either because you were too inept to renew your liquor license on time or too lax in inspecting youthful patrons' id's, then update your freaking Web page to say so.
Na zdorov'e Russia House
Rating: 0/10
In Short: If you can tape an update to your front door, you can edit a line of text in html.
Website: www.wedon'tactuallyupdateourwebsitetoprovideaccurateinfo.com; or, http://www.russiahouselounge.com/
Location: 1800 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington DC, 20009
You seem to be hip to the 21st century, with your restaurant inhabiting a prominent page all of its own on the Internet, but some of the basics, such as hours, might be due for an update. For example: if you advertise your restaurant as being open 5-10, and the adjoining bar open for another four hours, that's all well and good. But, if I have to read a hand-written note taped to the door of your establishment letting me know you're closed, either because you were too inept to renew your liquor license on time or too lax in inspecting youthful patrons' id's, then update your freaking Web page to say so.
Na zdorov'e Russia House
Rating: 0/10
In Short: If you can tape an update to your front door, you can edit a line of text in html.
Website: www.wedon'tactuallyupdateourwebsitetoprovideaccurateinfo.com; or, http://www.russiahouselounge.com/
Location: 1800 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington DC, 20009
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Where To?
So, where should I head next? Several good restaurants are beckoning. Ray's Hell-Burger in Arlington has gotten some reviews that suggest the recently reviewed GoodStuffEatery, isn't the only fantastic burger shoppe in this neck of the woods. It seems the Orange line corridor is not just well-served by mass transit; the food is quite convenient as well. And what of Old Town? Vermilion on King Street - just a few blocks down from that eponymous Metro station - is open late on the weekends and still performing admirably several years after launch. Simple entrees are said to equal elegance 
here. And the raft of seafood appetizers available are quite apt for this old seafaring town. U Street in Northwest continues its onslaught of cool with restaurants like Marvin and Station 9. When your block is getting mention in the latest issue of The New Republic as the epitomizing sign of the revitalization of inner cities and the realignment of populations from the suburbs to the city cores, it's time to take note; the best dining and entertainment in the DC metro area is more likely found in an area once scarred by race riots than anywhere else.
here. And the raft of seafood appetizers available are quite apt for this old seafaring town. U Street in Northwest continues its onslaught of cool with restaurants like Marvin and Station 9. When your block is getting mention in the latest issue of The New Republic as the epitomizing sign of the revitalization of inner cities and the realignment of populations from the suburbs to the city cores, it's time to take note; the best dining and entertainment in the DC metro area is more likely found in an area once scarred by race riots than anywhere else.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Irish-type Bar Turns Up a Decent Meal
Miller and other cheap American beers flowed freely at the Clarendon Ballroom on a recent Thursday, during happy hour, amid the Washington area's infamous humidity. This spot, with a spacious interior and popular roof deck, in Orange line-adjacent Arlington, is located near multiple bars and restaurants. But a question always lurks for visitors to these Metro stop 'hoods: which of these cookie cutter locales can provide a decent meal that doesn't have the patron regretting the whole ride home. Unlike the morning walk of shame, the memories of which will fade, those wasted calories, spent on a post-happy hour meal are going to stay with you for a while. So, it was with low expectations that I wandered into the nearby Ri Ra "Irish pub."
The area is rife with self-stylized Irish bars. Going west from Rosslyn, a partial list of such pubs includes Courthouse's Four Courts (with some spectacularly packed trivia nights) and Kitty O'Shea's, Clarendon's O'Sullivan's, and Sine's further south in Pentagon City. Just a step from the Metro at Clarendon, Ri Ra has a typical bar menu, with atypically few high definition televisions. This would normally draw praise at a D.C. restaurant, but should I have to squint to see the score of the ballgame in a traditional bar? After waiting about 15 minutes for a waiter - and then having to go request the privilege of being brought water and drinks - the rest of the meal was satisfactory, if uneventful. Orders were taken without error, service was moderately attentive, and the array of sandwiches - chicken bistro, spicy chicken, and some burgers - delivered as promised. A dining room that started the early evening relatively empty soon filled up with post-happy hour patrons, but the high ceilings and distances between tables help avoid a claustrophobic feeling, even if they did nothing to diminish the din. Guinness is readily served, but the availability of a dry and serviceable California Riesling was a nice surprise too.
Rating: 4/10
In Short: Adequate menu and mediocre service make this a serviceable stop for local workers.
Website: http://www.rira.com/
Location: 2915 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201
The area is rife with self-stylized Irish bars. Going west from Rosslyn, a partial list of such pubs includes Courthouse's Four Courts (with some spectacularly packed trivia nights) and Kitty O'Shea's, Clarendon's O'Sullivan's, and Sine's further south in Pentagon City. Just a step from the Metro at Clarendon, Ri Ra has a typical bar menu, with atypically few high definition televisions. This would normally draw praise at a D.C. restaurant, but should I have to squint to see the score of the ballgame in a traditional bar? After waiting about 15 minutes for a waiter - and then having to go request the privilege of being brought water and drinks - the rest of the meal was satisfactory, if uneventful. Orders were taken without error, service was moderately attentive, and the array of sandwiches - chicken bistro, spicy chicken, and some burgers - delivered as promised. A dining room that started the early evening relatively empty soon filled up with post-happy hour patrons, but the high ceilings and distances between tables help avoid a claustrophobic feeling, even if they did nothing to diminish the din. Guinness is readily served, but the availability of a dry and serviceable California Riesling was a nice surprise too.
Rating: 4/10
In Short: Adequate menu and mediocre service make this a serviceable stop for local workers.
Website: http://www.rira.com/
Location: 2915 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201
Saturday, July 19, 2008
They’re Not Good… They’re Great!!!
A New Classic Burger Joint Comes to Capitol Hill
I’ve been procrastinating writing about food for several weeks now, as Locanda was my last meal out in the area – and a disappointing dinner at that. To note: I haven’t been the only one noticing the poor performance at this Capitol Hill restaurant. The matter came up in a recent weekly online chat hosted by Tom Sietsema, where the Washington Post’s food critic acknowledged the establishment’s problems:
Then came news from trusted sources that a new burger joint had opened up on Capitol Hill. A quick surf of the ‘Net turned up a quick-loading, easy-to-understand Web site with all the necessary information on Good Stuff Eatery, located at 3rd and
If all this praise is raising the bar too high to maintain – then so be it. Good Stuff Eatery is a much needed alternative to the common “Five Guys.”
One criticism worth mentioning: the order-taker automatically substituted the larger size drinks and fries. A small portion should be assumed, or the cashier should ask, especially when the prices for both are jumbo. There's a lunch-time special - burger, drink and fries - for $10, but otherwise you'll be forking over $15-$20 for this soda fountain-style delight.
Rating: 8/10
In Short: Don't ever go to a fast food joint anywhere in the DC Metro area again.
Website: http://www.goodstuffeatery.com
Location: 303 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington DC, 20003
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Locanda Means Inn or Guesthouse
In Italian, but if you see this restaurant down the road from Capitol Hill, along Pennsylvania Ave., keep driving until you reach your next waystation. There's little reason to stop, unless you happen to be a lobbyist with an expense account or professional food reviewer. With entrees in the mid to high $20s range, you might expect ample portions - ala typical chain fare - or delightfully amusing bouquets of flavor. At Locanda, neither is in store for the dinner-goer. The lamb steak was beaten to a thin pulp and splayed across the plate; butchering meat is an unpleasant process, but surely my entree should not appear on the plate, forlorn and forsaken. The presentation only served to accentuate the small beaten thinness of the cut. As i ate the steak - admittedly, a fairly marinated piece of meat - all I could think to myself was why oh why wasn't this pummeled meat nicely breaded into a fine schnitzel? The pennette - that is pasta with spicy tomato sauce - neatly matched the tuscan-colored abstract wall paintings, but did not pair nearly so well with the gullet. Order a nice glass of milk if you plan on trying out some seemingly mild-mannered artisanal pastas.
Perhaps the bonus-sized asparagus salad - topped with feta cheese - was intended to sate my appetite before I took delivery of the main course. Ostensibly an appetizer, this salad arrived in front of me, heaped much like slop for the trough. Confusingly, I was unable to tell how the asparagus was intended to be served. Chilled and crisp? Warm and boiled? Or just mush? The salad was a mix of all. Alas the delicate asparagus tips were too few and far between. I did not take to this particular app, but surely some baby pandas at the National Zoo could have been fooled into thinking they were dining on a plate of pre-chewed bamboo, if they had had the pleasure of dining at Locanda in my stead.
This Italian restaurant near the Eastern Market Metro station nearly redeemed itself with dessert. Gelato flavors here truly distinguished themselves, tasting nothing like poorly done cousins that begin to resemble ice cream or sorbet. But, more flavors (than the four that were available) are surely needed. The panna cotta is another delightful dessert, creamy, light and sweet all at once. There's no hint of graininess that can sometimes appear in such milk-/cream- based recipes.
Rating: 3/10
In Short: definitely a nice evening spot to take a date for wine and dessert, but for pasta you are better off ordering from the Pizza... err Pasta Hut
Website: http://www.locandadc.com/index.htm
Location: 633 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington DC, 20003
Perhaps the bonus-sized asparagus salad - topped with feta cheese - was intended to sate my appetite before I took delivery of the main course. Ostensibly an appetizer, this salad arrived in front of me, heaped much like slop for the trough. Confusingly, I was unable to tell how the asparagus was intended to be served. Chilled and crisp? Warm and boiled? Or just mush? The salad was a mix of all. Alas the delicate asparagus tips were too few and far between. I did not take to this particular app, but surely some baby pandas at the National Zoo could have been fooled into thinking they were dining on a plate of pre-chewed bamboo, if they had had the pleasure of dining at Locanda in my stead.
This Italian restaurant near the Eastern Market Metro station nearly redeemed itself with dessert. Gelato flavors here truly distinguished themselves, tasting nothing like poorly done cousins that begin to resemble ice cream or sorbet. But, more flavors (than the four that were available) are surely needed. The panna cotta is another delightful dessert, creamy, light and sweet all at once. There's no hint of graininess that can sometimes appear in such milk-/cream- based recipes.
Rating: 3/10
In Short: definitely a nice evening spot to take a date for wine and dessert, but for pasta you are better off ordering from the Pizza... err Pasta Hut
Website: http://www.locandadc.com/index.htm
Location: 633 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington DC, 20003
Monday, May 5, 2008
Restauranteuring is a Tough Business
And it's even tougher when your cuisine is Indian food in the nation's capital. With so many excellent offerings in the city limits - Heritage (two locations), Rasika, Nirvana (specializing in vegetarian dishes), and White Tiger, just for starters - food and service need to stand out for this ubiquitous cuisine to make its mark. Aatish on the Hill's prime location, one block from the Eastern Market Metro stop on Pennsylvania Ave., makes this sub-continental eating destination great for a quick bite during lunch or carryout late at night; the kitchen is open until 10 or 10:30 pm most nights.
Unfortunately, the samosas and the chicken tikka masala, Indian standards, can too often come out from the kitchen dry and over cooked/baked. The yogurt dipping sauce can be served thick as molasses in January, and the check should definitely be gotten before a dessert can be proffered 'on the house'. However, vegetarian dishes such as the channa masala and vegetable pakora fare better. Well known Indian beers - Kingfisher and Taj Mahal - are served, and there is a full bar.
The dining room suffers from dated decor and plain bingo hall-type seating, but the service is reliable, if unremarkable. Worth noting is the usual tab; with the economy as it stands in Spring 2008, budget bites are taking on greater import. Aatish definitely won't break the bank. Dinner for two, including alcohol, should come in at around $60-70. With many popular destinations clocking in at $120 or more in Washington, Aatish seems to have found its niche as a cheap eats neighborhood restaurant, underselling more expensive Indian places.
Rating: 5/10
In Short: good for carryout and weeknight dining, but there's better Indian dining to be had in DC on weekends
Website: http://www.aatishonhill.com/index.htm
Location: 609 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington DC, 20003
Unfortunately, the samosas and the chicken tikka masala, Indian standards, can too often come out from the kitchen dry and over cooked/baked. The yogurt dipping sauce can be served thick as molasses in January, and the check should definitely be gotten before a dessert can be proffered 'on the house'. However, vegetarian dishes such as the channa masala and vegetable pakora fare better. Well known Indian beers - Kingfisher and Taj Mahal - are served, and there is a full bar.
The dining room suffers from dated decor and plain bingo hall-type seating, but the service is reliable, if unremarkable. Worth noting is the usual tab; with the economy as it stands in Spring 2008, budget bites are taking on greater import. Aatish definitely won't break the bank. Dinner for two, including alcohol, should come in at around $60-70. With many popular destinations clocking in at $120 or more in Washington, Aatish seems to have found its niche as a cheap eats neighborhood restaurant, underselling more expensive Indian places.
Rating: 5/10
In Short: good for carryout and weeknight dining, but there's better Indian dining to be had in DC on weekends
Website: http://www.aatishonhill.com/index.htm
Location: 609 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington DC, 20003
Rumors of a Local Deli
There are rumors of a boarded-up deli that is actually open during the day for all the neighborhood's construction workers. I've added this locale to the poll.
Also, if anyone knows of a clickable mapping widget, that would allow me to point out locations of places I've visited and eaten, let me know, because I would love to add that as a feature here.
Chow.
Also, if anyone knows of a clickable mapping widget, that would allow me to point out locations of places I've visited and eaten, let me know, because I would love to add that as a feature here.
Chow.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
The Inaugural Post
This is the latest and freshest (food) blog in D.C., coming to you from the heart of the new and happening Near Southeast/Navy Yard/Capitol Riverfront/Ballpark Neighborhood/what have you - this area has a thousand names. Heard of the new Nationals ballpark? Heard the new ballpark - with its cheering crowds and late-night fireworks and papal hymns? Heard of the thousands of residents and hundreds of thousands of square feet of business and retail that are being built along South Capitol St., M St., and New Jersey Ave.? Well, if you haven't, now is the time to catch up on the news and head over to JDLand; JD covers all the news to tell in the 'New' Near Southeast.
Once you've had your fill of new construction in the area, take a minute to savor what's in store for the local gourmand. Right now, not much. But this is bound to change, and Fooding Around DC will keep track. Meanwhile, I'll be dining in other DC neighborhoods - Capitol Hill, Eastern Market, Gallery Place, U Street, et. al - and reporting back dutifully.
Come here and read about all the places to eat around your Nats ballpark. So far, we have Subway and Five Guys on 2nd St., between L and M. Sizzlin Express a little farther East down M St. More to come. Meanwhile, here to follow are some updates on other great places to eat in Washington D.C.
Once you've had your fill of new construction in the area, take a minute to savor what's in store for the local gourmand. Right now, not much. But this is bound to change, and Fooding Around DC will keep track. Meanwhile, I'll be dining in other DC neighborhoods - Capitol Hill, Eastern Market, Gallery Place, U Street, et. al - and reporting back dutifully.
Come here and read about all the places to eat around your Nats ballpark. So far, we have Subway and Five Guys on 2nd St., between L and M. Sizzlin Express a little farther East down M St. More to come. Meanwhile, here to follow are some updates on other great places to eat in Washington D.C.
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