Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema answers your questions, listens to your suggestions and even entertains your complaints about Washington dining.
Dry pretzel rolls, spongy bratwurst and tough schnitzel disappoint at this H Street Northeast eatery.
The 20,000-square-foot Carmine's in Penn Quarter is so big, the chief executive of the company that owns the New York import, Jeff Bank of the Alicart Restaurant Group, jokes that walking from one end to the other makes him feel as though "I left the District for Maryland."
Having recently dined at Againn, the dashing gastropub in downtown Washington, I'm having trouble relating to its new sibling, Againn Tavern in Rockville. Where's the oyster bar? And the blood pudding? And, and, and . . .
Well, that was quick. After rumors last week that the Shake Shack was coming to D.C., things were confirmed in short order. The uber-hyped New York patty pushers are bringing their roadside (read: griddle-cooked) style burgers, crinkle fries, frozen custards and titular shakes to the former Fuddruckers location at 1216 18th St. NW, in a crowded area that already houses Public Bar, Fly Lounge and Nando's.
Mussel culture is a funny thing.
DOG DAYS: Looks like the hot dog has arrived as the next haute comfort food.lBourbon Steak is offering an off-the-menu hot dog-and-beer special this month. By requesting the Dog Days Dog, diners can get a pint of beer and a Red Apron charcuterie hot dog for $7. The dog is a blend of beef and pork, roasted garlic, smoked Spanish paprika and coriander and is dressed with a special house-made mustard.lOn Capitol Hill, the people behind Matchbox and Ted's Bulletin plan to open DC-3, a 20-seat celebration of the hot dog. The restaurant will feature creations inspired by American cities, such as a Cincinnati chili dog and a bacon-wrapped New Jersey dog.lAt Mount Vernon Square, chic cocktail bar the Passenger already offers a mildly spicy all-beef kimchi dog for $8. Its nacho cheese-pickled cabbage topping isn't for everyone, but it is worth a try if you're looking for something to eat with your $30 pitcher of Pimm's Cup.lAnd at the U Street Music Hall, a great stable of house DJs and some big-name visitors draw crowds, but savvy regulars know that the hot dog selections deserve top billing. There's bratwurst cooked in National Bohemian beer or stuffed with Swiss cheese and raspberry preserves, and a beef hot dog stuffed with a daily selection of three cheeses.
The latest contender in Washington's pizza wars posts its all-inclusive philosophy on the wall, giving dozens of lunchtime customers something to read while they're standing in line for their chance to order.
HE SAYS TOMATOES: For his latest 20-bite tasting menu at Poste Moderne Brasserie in the Hotel Monaco, chef Robert Weland is tapping his restaurant garden, big-time, by incorporating a dozen varieties of tomatoes into the exclusive dinners he serves nightly at Poste's four-seat kitchen counter.
Before a two-week tour of the country this past March, Haidor Karoum, the executive chef at the wine-themed Proof in Penn Quarter, had never set foot in Spain. But you would never know that by eating at his second job, Estadio, the dashing new Logan Circle hot spot devoted to bocadillos and pintxos.
The man with the badge behind a glass window at Heathrow Airport wants to know why I've come to London. "I'm a journalist," I tell him as he examines my passport. "I'm going to write about restaurants."
Cheese-grits casseroles, baked beans, macaroni and cheese. Green beans cooked to a limp tenderness, with ham hocks added for a smoky, salty flavor. Sticky ribs sitting next to trays of turkey and dressing. Pecan pies, fruit cobblers and an array of cakes including red velvet and coconut. Dinner rolls, corn bread and jugs of sweet tea.
If you want to stand out in a crowd, you gotta have a gimmick. In the case of the sleek upstart DaMoim in Annandale, that means offering diners the chance to eat kimchi quesadillas under the gaze of the Rat Pack while listening to Baltimora sing "Tarzan Boy."
Eat Wonky in August: Add Canada to the united nations of Washington's food-truck cuisines.
Ari Gejdenson says it's "cheesy" for restaurants to display photographs signed by their celebrity customers. But the chef has no such distaste for showing off plates bearing patrons' names, as is the case at the Italian-accented Acqua al 2 on Capitol Hill. VIPs including Rahm Emmanuel and Nancy Pelosi have left their John Hancocks on a lot of white china there. The plates are scattered in glass cases and on walls throughout the establishment.
OFF-SCREEN COMINGS AND GOINGS: As Bravo's "Top Chef: D.C." Season 7 continues to plod along in underwhelming fashion, excitement for local chefs with ties to the show seems to be happening around town. To recap:
Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema answers your questions, listens to your suggestions and even entertains your complaints about Washington dining. <br><br><iframe style="" frameborder="0" width="350" height="300"marginwidth="0" marginheight="0"src="http://specials.washingtonpost.com/mv/embed/?title=%20Sietsema%27s%20TV%20Dinners%3A%20%20%20Michael%20Pollan%27s%20rules%20to%20eat%20by&stillURL=http%3A//media.washingtonpost.com/media/images/2010/06/28/06282010-13v_480x270.jpg&flvURL=/media/2010/06282010-13v&width=350&height=300&autoStart=false&clickThru=http%3A//www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2010/06/30/VI2010063001300.html&jsonURL=/media/meta/2010/06/28/06282010-13v.jsn"><p>Your Browser DoesNot Support IFrames.</p></iframe><br><br>Find all of Tom Sietsema's Washington Post work at <a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/staff/articles/tom+sietsema/"><b>washingtonpost.com/tomsietsema</b></a>.
DINING WITH BENEFITS: Suburban restaurants typically offer plentiful free parking, but for the downtown diner, finding an available spot can be a real drag.