This Week in Reviews - December 9, 2005 Archives
This Week in Reviews - December 9, 2005
Periodically, we will publish This Week in Reviews, a roundup of reviews of DC-area restaurants, with quick links to DC-area restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.
- a capitol life writes that the decor at San Marco "is lacking, but by the end of your meal it feels a little like being in someone's mother's house - in the 80's" ... "We each ordered a pasta dish with some variation of cream sauce. His with boar, mine with walnut, hers with mushrooms. Each was delicious and made us realize we don't have to put up with the abuse at Pasta Mia for a fresh bowl of inexpensive pasta. Pasta Mia - NO! San Marco - YES!!!" ... and had "the best tiramisu ever" ... 2305 18th Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-483-9300 [Washingtonian | WaPo | Don Rockwell | City Paper | openlist]
- Tom Sietsema gave 2 stars to Willow ... "rib-eye steak, showered with winy mushrooms, is about as succulent as they come." ... "Herb-paved salmon comes with escorts that bite and soothe: broccoli rabe and a creamy cauliflower gratin" ... "potato gnocchi in a Parmesan-flavored cream sauce ... is a bland, one-note endurance contest" ... (previous review: John Metcalfe (TWIR, November 18, 2005)) ... 4301 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA, 703-465-8800 [NYT | City Paper | menupix DC | Don Rockwell]
- Alex MacLennan has a roundup of his "favorite meals of 2005" ... Hank's Oyster Bar, Komi, Vegetate, Creme Café, The Diner, Miss Charlotte's Crab Cakes, 2 Amys ...
- metrocurean has "a list of recommended restaurants with pre-theater deals by closest theaters."
- A Blog Mainly About Food's dinner at Ray's the Steaks "was fantastic" ... the scallop and the shrimp scampi appetizers "were cooked to perfection" ... "my favorite dish of the night [was] a crab bisque that definitely made my knees slightly buckle." ... the hanger steak "seemed almost earthy to me, in a good way -- like I was eating meat fresh from the farm" ... (we've had 2 dinners there and both times the steaks were exceptional) ... 1725 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, 703-841-7297 [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | Don Rockwell | openlist | Gayot] ... and "enjoyed grilled stuffed squid with green sauce -- awesome" at 2 Amys ... the ricotta in the "ribieno extra ... [was] better than any simple ricotta I have ever had." ... 3715 Macomb Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-885-5700 [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | Don Rockwell | openlist | Gayot]
- Going Out Gurus: "Anyone who brings an unwrapped child's toy or game can enjoy Richard's famous desserts along with coffee, tea and eggnog." ... Michel Richard Citronelle on Saturday, December 10, 2005, from 1 to 3 pm ... 3000 M Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-625-2150
- Le Cuvee Americain: The American Blend won't make La Plaza Restaurant a "'destination' restaurant" ... but "their salsa is by far the best fresh salsa I've had in the D.C. area" ... (we like the salsa at Los Tios in Alexandria) ... 629 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Washington DC, 202-546-9512
- Eve Zibart: "The food is not too salty, not too greasy, not too (indiscriminately) spicy" at French Quarter Cafe ... "One night's fried catfish was the best in years and hundreds of miles -- tender, crunchy and greaseless." ... "crab cakes ... have a satisfying high percentage of lumps. Even nicer, the appetizer portion alone is a prize light meal: two patties at least three inches across for $7.95." ... 19847 Century Blvd., in Germantown Town Center, Germantown, MD, 301-515-7693 [food-plan]
- food-plan rates Notti Bianche 8 out of 10 ... "A nice little gem in a rather awkward space (though they’ve done a nice job of making it seem cozy rather than cramped), offering friendly, competent service and very well-conceived and well-executed dishes." ... 824 New Hampshire Avenue NW, 202-298-8085 [WaPo]
- Walter Nicholls: Figs "is a fine place to grab a quick, on-the-run sandwich, soup and a good cup of coffee. It's also a terrific place to put together an instant party menu of Middle Eastern salads and dips." ... liked Persian eggplant dip, hummus, and "anyone tired of typical tabbouleh will find the Figs version ($6.99 per pound), made almost exclusively of finely chopped parsley, to be exceptional." ... 4828 MacArthur Blvd. NW, 202-333-7773
- Worth The Trip for flounder carpaccio at Sushi-Ko ... 2309 Wisconsin Avenue NW, 202-333-4187 [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | Don Rockwell | openlist | Citysearch | menupix DC | Gayot]
- Hobnob Blog likes the roti canai at Malaysia Kopitiam ....
- brokekid has the "definitive [map and] list for Happy Hour in Washington, DC with places, times, deals and specials" ... The Washington DC Happy Hour Map ...
- dcfud likes the chicken with asparagus dish at Tony Cheng's Seafood Restaurant ... 619 H Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-371-8669 [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Gayot]
- the kitchenette is spending Sundays in the kitchen at 1789 ...
- Mary Hager liked the lamb tartare, mushroom bruschetta at Firefly ... "Steak frites ($26) with shallot butter and red wine sauce couldn't have been prepared better - the steak was perfect; juicy and red, crusty outside, tender inside." ... Hotel Madera, 1310 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-861-1310 [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Gayot] ... but she really likes Thai Square ... "Somehow this small gem of a restaurant has managed to avoid the Westernizing pitfall that snares so many ethnic restaurants, so the food remains true to its Thai roots." ... and recommends: somtum, larb, potpourri mussels, pad kee mao ... "Or try any of the wonderful curries: The roasted duck with diced pineapple and basil leaves in red curry sauce ($10.50) or the fiery green curry ($9.50) with beef or chicken, chunks of Thai eggplant and basil in a spicy, coconut milk-based sauce are memorable." ... 3217 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA, 703-685-7040 [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Gayot]
Did we miss your favorite review?
Let us know: hobnobblog -at- gmail.com ... we're especially interested in hearing from DC bloggers ...
Technorati Tags: washington, dc, washington-dc, restaurants, restaurant reviews
December 9, 2005 07:22 AM Dining
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