I had to actively work on not choking on my dry-as-dust Sysco hamburger- medium rare? more like massively charred! but it wasn’t all the hamburger; the conversations going on around me were impossibly wonkish, self-congratulatory, and just plain awful.

The upside? Yes, that really hot girl at the other table was definitely a lesbian. The downside? I already knew I’d never want to hear another word out of her mouth.

Even the dishes are pleasing.

The food too; no denying that. Go- make plans to meet a friend at the bar. Dress up a bit, have a cocktail, and don’t flinch at the bill- it’ll be worth it.

———— 2004-01-12:

I had a good meal here. The sparking blood orange drink was a great starter. But service was hard to come by, at times, and the menu left me a bit flat- I wasn’t in the mood for anything especially heavy or involved- but everything on the menu that evening was heavy and involved. My meal was quite tasty but I only ate about half of it. Don’t come here looking for a simple inexpensive nosh. Convivial atmosphere, pleasing decor.

Charging an extra buck or two for the lamb dishes and just taking the lamb off the menu are both honorable options. I know (and I keep saying) that it’s hard to serve red meat for cheap, but El Castillito seems to have it pretty well figured out.

Naan-N-Curry is otherwise well put together, but the bad lamb shows a lack of pride in their work. Not recommended.

I’ve been saying for years that American fast food is something that can’t be done right for cheap, and here’s a restaurant to call me on it. That classic burger-fries-shake combo, once promoted by McDonald’s for 47¢, will now set you back about $13 at Taylor’s. Is it worth it? Well, the Ferry Building is full of stores that sell staple foods at prices three times higher than your grandmother would ever approve of you paying. And like its neighbors, Taylor’s really does have very good food. And $13 buys you more than you can or should eat, while at finer restaurants I’ve spent that much on a salad or even a cocktail. Like Vincent Vega, you must decide whether the milkshake (which is perfectly textured and made with Double Rainbow ice cream) is worth $5.

Apart from the culture shock and the Chevy’s-style pagers, there isn’t much not to like. There is a well-rounded menu of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, hot dogs and corn dogs, chili, a few seafood choices, along with a credible selection of beers and local wines, in bottles and half-bottles. It would have been easy to gussy up the food with exotic cheeses or other “reinventions”, but they’ve wisely resisted; everything on the menu has been tested for decades in diners across America. It’s just done better here; the luxury is in not having to cut any corners. The heart of California is in living a shared dream, and this is a piece of it.

Ok, so the service can be variable. But... there’s wireless to help distract you, except on weekends when they want you to put the laptop down and socialize.

Actually, don’t go here. It’s crowded enough as it is, and you’ll just end up hogging the confy sofa.

1/18/2003:I was surprised to see this tired old German restaurant in Washingtonian’s 100 Very Best Restaurants of 2003. It used to be pretty decent, and as I lived about seven minutes away, I ate there with some frequency. Last winter I decided to go back with some old friends, for old times’ sake. What a mistake. The place just felt tired, and so did the cooking. I know there aren’t many German restaurants in the DC metro area, but that doesn’t justify adding Wurzburg House to the Top 100. Would the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award the Best Actor Oscar to Adam Sandler if he were the only actor left alive after the big earthquake hit? Well, probably, but that’s beside the point. Unless Wurzburg Haus has done a 180, don’t eat there. Buy a bottle of sauerkraut from Safeway and call it a day.

3/9/2004:Quick update: The funghi sauce is outstanding. So is the pesto (made with walnuts rather than pine nuts, and Adrian is clearly proud of it). If in search of a quick nosh, try an empanada if they’re available; they’re the real deal.

[review from 2/6/04] Now that I’ve eaten in the place once, and had carryout once, I feel confident in saying that the pasta itself is pretty good, thou maybe not quite as good as what you’d get at a first class Italian restaurant. I’m not as impressed with the sauces, and of course as Peperonata Pasta is really a store and not a restaurant, it has little ambience. Good for a quick nosh if you’re in the neighborhood. Better for taking the noodles home and cooking them yourself.

[original review dated 1/23/04 follows] Newsflash! The mom and pop business has not yet been squelched by industrial food!

Peperonata Pasta is a restaurant in the same way River Falls Seafood is: just barely. Actually it is a little storefront that sells homemade pasta, but it also has a small hot lunch menu and five tables in front, so it qualifies.

I’m quite taken with it, but please note: the numeric rating is provisional because I haven’t eaten on site yet. However I noticed a good sign: the sign for cannoli that said something to the effect that they’re filled when you order them. Props. And they’re good.

The place is owned and operated by a charming Argentinian immigrant couple of Italian descent. When I ordered a pound of pappardelle, he weighed it on butcher paper, then tied it up with a red ribbon and tucked in a sheet on how to cook fresh pasta. He had about a dozen types that day, and also ravioli with several fillings (four cheese, spinach and ricotta, butternut squash, etc.) With advance notice he’ll also make big sheets of pasta for lasagna, or prepare to the point of baking lasagna, ziti, manicotti, and I forget what else. He was quite talkative.

He was also very proud of the fact that the gnocchi are potato gnocchi, not semolina. I’m definitely going back there for lunch. Soon. It it will become a regular stop on grocery days, too.

Yesterday he told me “today we’ve been here one year three days. They say if your business survives one year, you’ll survive.” I sure hope so. I wish both of them the best of luck.

[earlier notes follow] Thanks to the talents of a promising young chef, Komi is off to a good start. The interior is simple almost to the point of plainess, but comfortable. The rather short menu is full of the latest and trendiest, along with some foods whose time I wish would go already (I just don’t get arugula), and some very homey touches.

The house made breads (ciabatta and foccacia) were outstanding, served warm with sun dried tomato butter. Kobi’s pizzetta had a wonderfully thin and crispy crust, topped with good cheese and just a bit of tomato, and of all things baby basil. And I do mean baby: these were the week old shoots of the plant, with the cotyledon and one tiny pair of true leaves. (As a gardener, this amazes me that either baby basil is commercially available or that someone at Komi is sowing seeds and harvesting them so soon after germination). The really interesting thing, though, is how clean and pure and intense a taste these basils have. I’d call it a revelation if Phyllis Richman hadn’t beaten that word into the ground during the 1990s. (Yep, you’ll never catch me using the word ’revelation’ in a food review. Not me.)

Baby basil is not the only bizarre touch at Komi. I ordered the delicata squash soup, which was served with cashews, a light sprinkle of cinnamon, and... a marshmallow. But it worked, in exactly the same way that the maple cream on the squash soup at Chef Geoff’s doesn’t (and I bring this up because apparently the chef at Komi used to cook for Geoff).

On the homey front, a side of creamed collards with pozole was smokey with bacon, the type a dish only a Southerner could love, but I don’t like my greens cooked that long. I’d have to say it was well-executed, but not the kind of thing I like.

For dessert, we both had Mexican hot chocolate, served in small bowls, with doughnuts. The doughnuts were a bit dense, but in a good way, with a hint of nutmeg and a crispy sugary exterior, and still warm. The chocolate was deliciously rich and soothing.

The dinner menu offers a small variety of fish and meat (hangar steak, rabbit, arctic char) that I’m looking forward to exploring.

[originally written 1/11/04; additional notes follow]

Went back for dinner last night, had asparagus salad with hen-of-the-wood mushrooms and microbasil; main course was arctic char with cherry tomatoes and figs. Both dishes well conceived and executed, flavors nicely balanced, etc. I read recently that there is an industry in producing “microgreens”, which are said to be more intense and pure in flavor. Certainly true of that basil. Dessert was “chocolate four ways”: chocolate mousse with chocolate shavings, flourless chocolate torte, a smidgeon of white chocolate mousse in a dark chocolate shell. Lovely, and enough for two to share.

Praise: presentation. I like how the ingredients are arranged on the plate.

Quibble: noise. That spare interior gets awfully loud at dinnertime. I was trying to catch up with someone I hadn’t seen socially in a long time; conversation was difficult.

On the other hand, fast-food burgers are not exactly the world’s perfect food. I like my red meat to stay red, and you’re not going to get that at a place where a complete meal is $5. In-N-Out represents the triumph of development over concept.

Take your friends from overseas here; it’s the real thing and a true time capsule. But despite the cult following, it’s only what it is.

But it’s good for us that this Japanese chain has found crazy American franchisees, because these cream puffs are delicious. Better coffee would make this an 8.

Everything on the menu is deep fried. Yep, even the candy bars. Friends report that they’re damn tasty, but I’ll save my calories for the beautifully light and crispy fish and the fries — um, chips. The sausage is very good, too.

As the motto reads: Thanks be to cod.

February 20, 2006: Okay, so I made it to the tasting room. One word: go. I’m changing my rating to 10.

12/30/05: I’ve been back to Eve twice in the past year, both times in the bistro (have to get to the tasting room soon!), and to sum up: Cathal Armstrong is a treasure. A genius. A passionate man who treats seasonal foods with love and respect, then twists them into new things you never would have dreamed of. And the ever-changing cocktails are a wonder, too.

12/5/04:

Wow. This is my kinda place. A lovely, cozy interior, interesting menu, portions small enough that you can eat multiple courses without feeling like a pig. The hostess was able to squeeze us in at the last moment on a Saturday night, for which I am grateful. I started with a house cocktail of pomegranate, lime, and citrus vodka, a drink nicely balanced between tart and sweet. Autumn squash soup with pepitas was a lovely, understated dish, just creamy enough without being overly rich. Wild salmon was served with beans and cauliflower. A special of venison was prepared with huckleberry sauce and accompanied by leeks and spinach. The waiter recommended a wine that I wouldn’t have thought of, but it was an excellent match. For dessert we had crepes with apple compote and raspberry jam and apple fritters with caramel sauce. The coffee was excellent.

We were on a schedule, and told the waiter so. He got our three courses such that we were able to finish in an hour and fifteen minutes without feeling rushed. That’s good service (though I’m sure it helped that we started with soup). When I go again I will allow this food the time it deserves. And all this in the bistro, the less formal of two dining spaces in the same restaurant (the other being the chef’s tasting room).

The menu is developed around classic dishes — “steaks, chops, seafood” promises the awning — but with a modern flair that keeps them from being fusty. The cocktail food is uniformly fabulous, and at just a few dollars a pop, you can nibble your way through a fabulous meal. The drinks are reasonably priced, too, in the single digits (most places in DC serving food this good are charging double digit prices for cocktails). Desserts, so often tiny, precious, and overpriced at other venues, are stunningly good if a bit too large, at a price that’ll make you think “whoa, a typo on the menu”. And darnit, I’ve gone and forgotten her name, but she deserves Pastry Chef of the Year. Oh, and the winelist is possibly the most interesting in all of uber-restrictive Montgomery County, and (you guessed it), ridiculously well-priced.

Don’t misunderstand — this place is not what most people would call inexpensive. But for the quality of food, it’s a freakin’ bargain.

August 8, 2006: Preliminary numeric review is based on several “soft opening” meals. RTC officially opened last week; I will officially dine here later this week.

Owner Michael Landrum has given chef Michael Hartzer freedon to create whatever he wants to. Of the dozen or so dishes I’ve sampled, none of which are guaranteed to make it to the real menu, I’d say... well, heck, I’d say you just can’t go wrong. Everything was fabulous.

Will report back once I’ve seen the official menu.

Oh, there is a spacious bar area. Ray’s The Bar.

I’m waiting for the hundred-plus seat restaurant: Ray’s The Titanic.

February 12, 2005: This is a tough one. Corduroy manages to be both underappreciated and overrated at the same time. After hearing so many good things about the place on an internet forum, Steve and I finally tried it. It is an entirely pleasant space, though unfortunately located on the second floor of a second rate hotel, but it’s nothing special. And while everything we tried was well-conceived and well-executed, it still managed to underwhlem us. From the short menu we choose buffalo mozzarella served in a nest of (I think) fried potatoes; a salad of microgreens, baby carrots, beets, and goat cheese; a filet of black grouper (I forget how that was served), and lamb sirloin in a wine reduction sauce with tiny goat cheese ravioli. For dessert we ordered a trio of sorbets and an Alsatian-style apple tart. This plus one cocktail and one glass of wine cost just under one hundred bucks (before tip), which I guess is something of a bargain. Except if I’m going to spend that much money for modern American cuisine I’d rather spend that much more and have my socks knocked off (a la Restaurant Eve, to which Corduroy has been compared, which is total bunk, but I digress). Guess that’s what happens when you eat out too much. There’s nothing wrong with Corduroy — as I said, it was all well-prepared — it just didn’t seem worth the effort.

It takes about 45 seconds to call 311 and have the guy ticketed; I recommend doing that on your way across the street to Pizzeria Paradiso, who are excellent neighbors and have very good pizza as well.

For the main course we ordered Lamb Rojanjosh. This was the real deal, unlike the connaught place lamb dahiwala masquerading as rogan josh. Tamatar fish was excellent, dal makhni was outstanding, the palak paneer, not so good. In fact, I’d rate it as atrocious, I’ve had better palak paneer at chilmil dhaba on the delhi-ambala route, on the GT road, and it cost an order of magnitude less.

Dessert was the apple jalebi and they bought out a complimentary gulab jamun/saffron cream thing. The apple jalebi with cardamom ice cream was most excellent, the gulab jamun, not so much.

Ambience was outstanding, except for the aforementioned striped shirts, the service was adequate, better service at connaught. The very best dishes were as good as anything at connaught, the worst was considerably worse. All in all, a decent place to bring a date. Pricing could be 20% easily, but someone has to pay for the low lighting and the small plates.

How about if you’re looking for good food? If so, stay far away from Busboys and Poets. The menu highlights its vegetarian and vegan fare, and given the supposedly socially conscious atmosphere, you might expect a fine array of fresh, seasonally aware, local food and “fair trade” imports. Or maybe some savory ethnic delights borrowed from the South American and Ethiopean restaurants that are being pushed out of the neighborhood? No, instead you’ll find basically the same insipid entrées available throughout the United States and throughout the year. What makes that possible? The industrial food system, which robs both ecosystems and menus of their diversity in the name of consistency, and both the soil and the food of its nutritrional value in the name of high yield and low price. This menu is boring, it’s bland, it’s not nourishing, and it requires immense amounts of fossil fuels to process and transport these ingredients. Busboys and Poets correctly points out that their prices are moderate, unaware of the staggering irony that they are helping do to food and farms exactly what liberal arch-enemy Wal-Mart does to all goods, and for the same reason: low prices and the ability to avoid thinking about what is locally appropriate for the time and place.

Talk is cheap. This isn’t socially conscious food, and it isn’t tasty food. Don’t eat here.

Paneer pakoras were stiff and dry, fish fry was salmon, dude, use whitefish. The dosa was mediocre and the boti kabob was tough. Riga said were this in india, no one would bother going to it.

At least the service was terrible and the food was overpriced.

2005-01-13

“Home of the World’s Famous Jerk Chicken”

Sweet Mango Cafe is very sweet indeed. I went home this evening with the world-famous jerk chicken, and I was not disappointed. A “small” serving of the chicken ($6.50 for dark, $7.00 for white) served over rice & peas and a warm cabbage salad was probably about 50% too much food for me. The meat was tender and juicy, falling off the bone as I picked each piece up. There’s a nice tangy heat to the jerk... you’ll notice the flavour before you notice your sinuses opening up. Serious heat-seekers might inquire if there is a spicier version, but I found the balance to be just about perfect. And not too greasy, either! (My tastebuds don’t have problems with grease, but my tummy does, sadly.) I frankly didn’t think I’d be wanting the rice, but it was quite tasty, and the warm cabbage hit the spot.

The patties are imported from the Royal Caribbean Bakery in New York, and are quite tasty. The cocoa bread is substantial, but similar in consistancy of a potato bread, as opposed to the corn-based version at Caribbean Feast.

There’s a full juice case, stocked with root teas and drinks, homemade ginger drinks, as well as sodas, smartwaters, and juices. The restaurant is counter-service, but not cafeteria-style.

Colorful walls are decorated with a series of B&W photographs, and everything is bright, clean, friendly, and sparkling. Neighbors drop by for a chat, and there is a brisk carry-out trade as well as tables to eat in. I was happier as soon as I walked in. They’ve only been re-opened since July; the original restaurant was destroyed two years ago by fire.

On the menu: jerk chicken, curry chicken, oxtail, curry goat, king fish, red snapper, brown stew chicken, patties, plantains, cocoa bread. They now also serve curry tofu and brown tofu stew for those vegetarians among us who would like to share in this delicious taste of Jamaica. Small dishes range from $6.50-$7, and large from $9-$10.50

Located directly across from the Georgia Ave./Petworth Metro Station, on the green line.

Highly recommended.