Okay, now that I've gone through a few places that you want to avoid, let me touch on a couple of places that I happen to like. Some of these you've heard of before, some of them a bunch. Some of these you've probably never heard of before. Although since almost everyone who reads this blog tends to go to restaurants with me, you've probably heard of all of them.
Anyway, here go the good ones:
Del Merei Grill (Del Ray, Alexandria): I've wanted to write about this one, but I've never gotten around to it. Del Merei is a good steakhouse/variety restaurant in the Del Ray neighborhood. It's also near that wonderful custard place The Dairy Godmother, although not as close as the other Del Ray places. It's actually in this weird shopping center at the bottom of an apartment building along Mt. Vernon Rd. It's not terribly far from where Mt. Vernon changes from Arlington Ridge Rd. It is quite unassuming from the outside, but when you get inside, it is a series of well spread out tables with a certain elegance to them, dim lighting with some a gentle feel to it. You could hear very easily in the place despite the fact that it was pretty crowded. We had a reservation, but there was a decent wait if we didn't, which is surprising for the difficult location. I had a tenderloin steak and my friend had a small tenderloin/crab cake surf and turf. The steaks all come with your choice of sauce as well as your choice of sides (I know I had mashed potatoes). We also had some creative deviled eggs as an appetizer and a homemade cinnamon doughnut as a dessert. I remember all of this and it was quite a while ago when we went. The steak was phenomenal, I was told the crab cakes were good as well. The deviled eggs were pretty good, but i gave them points for being unique. I don't think they were that special, but they hit the spot. The doughnut was surprisingly good, especially since it was a toss up between the doughnut and the custard place. The doughnut was very fresh and definitely large enough to share and be quite satisfied. It turned out to be a little more expensive than I was going for, but to be honest, it was worth it. I'm pretty sure that we had wine though. All in all, it was a good experience and I'd recommend it. That said, you may still want the custard.
Taqueria Poblano (Del Ray, Lee Harrison Shopping Center): There are two locations of this taqueria and it's perhaps more unassuming than the last one. I've been to this one pretty recently a couple of times. My boss took me there the first time and I brought my roommate the second. The restaurant is pretty low rent and relatively authentic. They start you off, like any Mexican place, with chips and salsa, but the salsa manages to be very good without being super spicy. The chips are very good too. They have a full menu for a pretty good price in general ($3-$5 solo tacos and $12 combos). Both times, I chose to get a Mahi Mahi Taco and a duck carnita taco with a side of mexican rice. The people I was with also got tacos, usually a little more standard (beef, chicken, steak). They are all fantastic. They also have bean/veggie tacos and a large plate of other mexican favorites which I'd guess are also quite good. The service was nothing spectacular, but it served its purpose. The tacos are just really good and very worth the price, so is the rice.
Guajillo (Courthouse/Rosslyn): Same shopping center as Ray's and Ray's Hell Burger (or so I'm told it's called). It's got a slightly low rent atmosphere. It's a very thin restaurant with the ducts showing and the chairs are rather inexpensive and a little uncomfortable, but they do decorate the walls with some authentic decorations and the food is worth it. The sangria is the second best in the city in my opinion (see Taberna Del Alabardero). They have fish tacos and lamb tacos that are amazing and I particularly enjoy their soft chicken tamale appetizer. Their salsa is a bit of a smokey tomato salsa with a little kick. Their specialty, however, is the chicken mole. It is a delightful cocoa sauce on a very moist chicken. If you like mole, you'll definitely enjoy it. Guajillo boasts a very large, authentic Mexico City Mexican menu. It has wonderful items from the tacos and mole to fish to great tamales and vegetarian items. It's a great place tucked into that unsuspecting shopping center and the prices are a lot less than you'll pay for food at a comparable place like L'Oreal Plaza.
Breadline (Metro Center): If you work in the city, you've probably already tried Breadline, but if you haven't, you should go there whenever you're around for lunch. Breadline is not exactly one of Washington, DC's best kept secrets, but it does make really good sandwiches from mediterranean style pitas, to deli meats, to an eggplant sandwich to chicken salad, they have it all. The name is correct though, it's not about what's inside the sandwich, but the bread that makes it good. When you go in this place, you'll see a lack of decoration, it's a very industrial design. They are extremely efficient and can get through a long line in no time flat. You will feel like you're at the "Soup Nazi" from Seinfeld. Make sure you know what you want before you get to the front of the line. They may not throw you out, but you'll feel pretty bad about it. It's also quite cheap, around what you'd expect for a sandwich. Try it for the bread and try it for the experience.
Tachibana (McLean): Tucked away on the corner of Old Dominion Rd. and a road I can't remember the name of is the best sushi restaurant on the East Coast (or so I've been told by several Japanese friends). While that would only qualify it as one of the top 5000 sushi restaurants on the West Coast, it's still a wonderful place to enjoy some sashimi prepared in very unique ways. The atmosphere is relatively close to any Asian food restaurant you ever go to. The tables are comfortably spread with larger tables in the middle of rooms and smaller tables along the sides. It's got a very calming feeling without any incredible designs and plain white table cloths on the tables. They let the food speak for itself. The sushi is pretty fresh and the menu is definitely more in depth than a lot of other places. Tachibana serves the traditional rolls, meals with a whole fish sashimi or the traditional nigiri sushi. They also have some interesting specials that include egg and vegetable sushis. There are more interesting vegetable sushis than I've ever seen anywhere before. If you're there, make sure to try the fatty tuna. It's not something that you can find everywhere, but it is excellent. Be sure you go at the right time though, Tachibana can have a long wait. Also, it's a bit more expensive than the average sushi place, so think of it as a $25-$30 sushi meal instead of the $18 you normally pay. It's worth the difference.
El Mariachi: Here is a place that I haven't been in maybe a year, but it pretty much defined the "fine dining" of my High School years. El Mariachi is a Peruvian/Salvadorian restaurant in Rockville in the Wintergreen shopping center. It used to be very small, but a few years ago, they had the occassion to expand and triple the size of their restaurant. They have opened up a second restaurant in Ashburn, VA (they seem to be following my parents). I went there for at least one homecoming and, I've been there much more recently and, as it turns out, it's not all that expensive. They have a very good ceviche (semi-raw sole cooked by the acid of lime juice) and a good selection of other appetizers. My favorite entree is the lomo saltado which is a Peruvian/Salvadorian tradition of beef with potatoes and other vegetables in a tomato sauce. I get this item at many different places (the aforementioned L'Oreal Plaza is one of them), and while they are generally good, none of them compare to El Mariachi. Machu Picchu in Bailey's Crossroads is a solid second place in this arena and you will get good Salvadorian food there, but El Mariachi in Rockville (and now apparently Ashburn) is definitely the best.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Monday, August 4, 2008
More Missed Places - The Disappointments
Okay, so I've tried to catch up some in preparation for the new restaurant week. I know I've been to a whole bunch of places that would be wonderful to write up, but alas, I can only do what I remember well enough to write up. I'll need to go back through Open Table and try to get to what I've been to.
3 (Clarendon): This place was a bit of a disappointment. It is owned by the same people who own Whitlow's on Wilson, also in Clarendon. I saw it being built and got to speak with one of the owners before it was prepared. When it was finally opened, I was quite excited to try it. It has been quite a while since I was there, but I was very disappointed. I don't particularly remember what I had there, but I remember not liking the wine, the service was average, the food was average and overpriced, the dessert was pretty good, but I think I was just in the mood for sugar. I don't recall my friend being overly impressed either. The only thing that I remember being worth the price of admission was the atmosphere. It was pretty well decorated and you were able to hear pretty well.
600 Restaurant (Watergate): The only thing I can say is don't go here. This restaurant has actually made me second guess 1000 point reservations on Open Table. Yes, it got me 1000 points on Open Table, but it wasn't worth it. I wanted a random nice dinner on a Friday night and I went there. I had a strip steak and I think my friend had a surf and turf. I think disappointed is the wrong word for it. This place had bad service, average atmosphere (you could hear very well because the restaurant was EMPTY). The food wasn't very good, although they did give us a decent amount of it. Dinner was far more expensive than it should have been as we somehow ended up paying $45 a person or so at a place that pretends to be moderately priced. Just consider yourself warned about slightly below average food for a high price. On the good side, it's right next to the Kennedy Center?
Evening Star Cafe (Del Ray, Alexandria): Okay, so this is a pretty cool place to hang out. The bar was kind of nice and their drink selection wasn't terrible. The location was in the hipster Del Ray right down the street from the Dairy Godmother, a fantastic frozen custard store. Parking is available, so that's pretty good. They told us that we would have a 30 minute wait, so we went up to the bar to sit down and have a drink. 90 minutes later, they finally took us to our table, which included very hard wood benches and an inability to hear anything. The service was average at best, partly because the restaurant was packed too close and they didn't have enough servers to deal with it. The food was okay, but it was far more expensive than it was worth and the menu didn't describe items very well. I do recall them having some fairly good desserts as well and somewhat creative. I didn't love it, but it wasn't the worst place I've been to. Not worth the trip to Del Ray, but if you're already there, you want to sit down and listen to live music or you can't get into Del Merei Grill, it's alright.
Tomorrow if I have time, I'll try to put out a couple of good bets.
3 (Clarendon): This place was a bit of a disappointment. It is owned by the same people who own Whitlow's on Wilson, also in Clarendon. I saw it being built and got to speak with one of the owners before it was prepared. When it was finally opened, I was quite excited to try it. It has been quite a while since I was there, but I was very disappointed. I don't particularly remember what I had there, but I remember not liking the wine, the service was average, the food was average and overpriced, the dessert was pretty good, but I think I was just in the mood for sugar. I don't recall my friend being overly impressed either. The only thing that I remember being worth the price of admission was the atmosphere. It was pretty well decorated and you were able to hear pretty well.
600 Restaurant (Watergate): The only thing I can say is don't go here. This restaurant has actually made me second guess 1000 point reservations on Open Table. Yes, it got me 1000 points on Open Table, but it wasn't worth it. I wanted a random nice dinner on a Friday night and I went there. I had a strip steak and I think my friend had a surf and turf. I think disappointed is the wrong word for it. This place had bad service, average atmosphere (you could hear very well because the restaurant was EMPTY). The food wasn't very good, although they did give us a decent amount of it. Dinner was far more expensive than it should have been as we somehow ended up paying $45 a person or so at a place that pretends to be moderately priced. Just consider yourself warned about slightly below average food for a high price. On the good side, it's right next to the Kennedy Center?
Evening Star Cafe (Del Ray, Alexandria): Okay, so this is a pretty cool place to hang out. The bar was kind of nice and their drink selection wasn't terrible. The location was in the hipster Del Ray right down the street from the Dairy Godmother, a fantastic frozen custard store. Parking is available, so that's pretty good. They told us that we would have a 30 minute wait, so we went up to the bar to sit down and have a drink. 90 minutes later, they finally took us to our table, which included very hard wood benches and an inability to hear anything. The service was average at best, partly because the restaurant was packed too close and they didn't have enough servers to deal with it. The food was okay, but it was far more expensive than it was worth and the menu didn't describe items very well. I do recall them having some fairly good desserts as well and somewhat creative. I didn't love it, but it wasn't the worst place I've been to. Not worth the trip to Del Ray, but if you're already there, you want to sit down and listen to live music or you can't get into Del Merei Grill, it's alright.
Tomorrow if I have time, I'll try to put out a couple of good bets.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Missed Restaurants
Okay, so I haven't been doing my duty in keeping up with this blogging about restaurants thing, but I'm sorry, it takes a really long time. Also, when it's not restaurant week, I haven't gotten to go to quite as many places. So in order to make that up to you, I'm going to do a short (for me) write up of a bunch of the places I've eaten and meant to write about but haven't gotten to. That's right, it's the instant gratification of a short, slightly informative recommendation of each of the places. I'll hopefully get to follow up with a little bit more commentary on a couple of places. Plus, with restaurant week coming up soon, I have to get back into it. Right now I have plans to visit Cafe Promenade, Sam & Harry's, BLT Grill (a hot new place from famous New York chef Laurent Toroundel) and another shot at the local Arlington place Willow. So I'm still open for one or two more places and I'm sure will hit up one as some of my best R-Week compatriots are not on those reservations.
So without further ado, here are the restaurants:
Taberna Del Alabadero (Farragut West Metro): This one deserves a full article. I really need to write it up and I will give it to you the next time I go there. This is a restaurant that I discovered at one R-Week a year and a half ago. I've been there a few times since and it's probably my favorite place in the city itself. Beware, it's not cheap, but you'll be rewarded for the price. Their appetizer menu is not largely my cup of tea, but the jamon is fantastic if you're willing to shell out the money for it. Most of their appetizers involve seafood, chorizo or mushrooms, none of which I eat, but trust me, at Taberna, I'm actually tempted to violate those rules. The entrees are all excellent. I believe I had an incredible venison last time I was there (I often go for venison). The two things that put Taberna over the edge, however, are the sangria, which is out of this world and many have told me reminded them of their time spent in Valencia (which makes sense since all of the owners are from Valencia) and the drunken banana, which is kind of like a banana flavored creme brulee served over a sponge cake topped with a subtle beer ice cream and a carmelized banana. This is quite possibly the best dessert I've had in the Washington, DC area. This is pretty amazing considering the lack of chocolate and the fact that it's creme brulee which is easy to make well, but impossible to make stupendous. Taberna does the impossible with the Banana Boracha. Also, the atmosphere is very romantic (red velvet all over the walls) and very authentic.
***** - It's REALLY good
$$$ - it's really expensive, but on weekdays during happy hour they have half priced tapas and September is Paella month, where there's a good deal on paellas of which they have several.
Boulevard Woodgrill (Clarendon): This staple of Clarendon deserves at least a mention. They have a well stocked bar with some decent vodkas and liquors. They also happen to have very good salads and food in general. I've been there many times and particularly love their Wild Salmon Salad and their Duck Salad. They also have Carribean Jerk wings which are pretty amazing. All of their fish entrees are pretty good and they're quite good with chicken. The problems are that I've never been super impressed with their desserts, they're not bad, but not great. The service is hit or miss and the atmosphere is nothing special. That said, I think it's one of the better deals out there. I can leave there feeling like I've gotten a $25 entree for $15 and all said and done paid $35 for a $50 meal. I compare it largely to Harry's Tap Room across the street which has a great brunch but the dinners aren't nearly as good. It's cheaper and better.
Quality ***
Value $$$$$ - I think it's a great value for what it is.
Hard Times Cafe (several places): Everyone probably knows about Hard Times, but it deserves a mention as one of my favorite places. Everyone knows they have fantastic chili (all of their kinds are good, but beware of Texas wet, you'll like it while you eat it, but not afterwards). Their beers are cheap and generally pretty good and the atmosphere is perfect for chili. What people don't know is that they have really good burgers and fries (especially with chili on them) and really good wings.
Quality - *** (damn good chili burgers, it is what it is)
Value - $$$$
Ray's Burger Butcher (Courthouse/Roslyn): Okay, this is a place that you MUST try. If you like hamburgers even only once a year, this is the burger you need to have. It's brand new (less than a month old still). It's in Court House/Roslyn in this weird, unsuspecting shopping center. It doesn't even have a sign up and it doesn't need it. They open at 5pm and close "when the last burger is served." I haven't gone at 5, but I'm convinced they have burgers on the grill from 5pm until 9:45 or 10:00 non-stop. I went once at 8:15 and waited until 9:15 for my burger and the second time, I went at 8:50 and got it in 20 minutes. It was worth the wait! They serve burgers three ways, cajun (I've tried), au poivre (I haven't tried) and Diablo (a chipotle I've tried). So far, they are wonderful both ways I've had. It's a ten ounce burger with the top sirloin from Ray's the Steaks three doors down and they chop it in front of you. You can put all sorts of toppings on it, from lettuce and beautiful red tomatoes to sherry and cognac braised mushrooms (all free). They have Dominion root beer on tap and serve it by the pitcher and they serve all of their burgers with a side of corn on the cob and watermelon. If you don't eat a lot, bring someone to split with. Alright, so it's more expensive than a normal burger at $7, but a lot cheaper than a 10 ounce sirloin steak and it comes with more toppings. I don't know if I can say enough about this deal. Michael Landrum is a genius, a great chef and a wonderful man (got to meet him when I went there during their first week). He brings good food at good prices to the world.
Quality - **** (yes, for a burger)
Value - $$$$$ (can I give 6 out of 5?)
Okay, that's all you get for today. Hopefully I can bring myself to do a few more tomorrow.
So without further ado, here are the restaurants:
Taberna Del Alabadero (Farragut West Metro): This one deserves a full article. I really need to write it up and I will give it to you the next time I go there. This is a restaurant that I discovered at one R-Week a year and a half ago. I've been there a few times since and it's probably my favorite place in the city itself. Beware, it's not cheap, but you'll be rewarded for the price. Their appetizer menu is not largely my cup of tea, but the jamon is fantastic if you're willing to shell out the money for it. Most of their appetizers involve seafood, chorizo or mushrooms, none of which I eat, but trust me, at Taberna, I'm actually tempted to violate those rules. The entrees are all excellent. I believe I had an incredible venison last time I was there (I often go for venison). The two things that put Taberna over the edge, however, are the sangria, which is out of this world and many have told me reminded them of their time spent in Valencia (which makes sense since all of the owners are from Valencia) and the drunken banana, which is kind of like a banana flavored creme brulee served over a sponge cake topped with a subtle beer ice cream and a carmelized banana. This is quite possibly the best dessert I've had in the Washington, DC area. This is pretty amazing considering the lack of chocolate and the fact that it's creme brulee which is easy to make well, but impossible to make stupendous. Taberna does the impossible with the Banana Boracha. Also, the atmosphere is very romantic (red velvet all over the walls) and very authentic.
***** - It's REALLY good
$$$ - it's really expensive, but on weekdays during happy hour they have half priced tapas and September is Paella month, where there's a good deal on paellas of which they have several.
Boulevard Woodgrill (Clarendon): This staple of Clarendon deserves at least a mention. They have a well stocked bar with some decent vodkas and liquors. They also happen to have very good salads and food in general. I've been there many times and particularly love their Wild Salmon Salad and their Duck Salad. They also have Carribean Jerk wings which are pretty amazing. All of their fish entrees are pretty good and they're quite good with chicken. The problems are that I've never been super impressed with their desserts, they're not bad, but not great. The service is hit or miss and the atmosphere is nothing special. That said, I think it's one of the better deals out there. I can leave there feeling like I've gotten a $25 entree for $15 and all said and done paid $35 for a $50 meal. I compare it largely to Harry's Tap Room across the street which has a great brunch but the dinners aren't nearly as good. It's cheaper and better.
Quality ***
Value $$$$$ - I think it's a great value for what it is.
Hard Times Cafe (several places): Everyone probably knows about Hard Times, but it deserves a mention as one of my favorite places. Everyone knows they have fantastic chili (all of their kinds are good, but beware of Texas wet, you'll like it while you eat it, but not afterwards). Their beers are cheap and generally pretty good and the atmosphere is perfect for chili. What people don't know is that they have really good burgers and fries (especially with chili on them) and really good wings.
Quality - *** (damn good chili burgers, it is what it is)
Value - $$$$
Ray's Burger Butcher (Courthouse/Roslyn): Okay, this is a place that you MUST try. If you like hamburgers even only once a year, this is the burger you need to have. It's brand new (less than a month old still). It's in Court House/Roslyn in this weird, unsuspecting shopping center. It doesn't even have a sign up and it doesn't need it. They open at 5pm and close "when the last burger is served." I haven't gone at 5, but I'm convinced they have burgers on the grill from 5pm until 9:45 or 10:00 non-stop. I went once at 8:15 and waited until 9:15 for my burger and the second time, I went at 8:50 and got it in 20 minutes. It was worth the wait! They serve burgers three ways, cajun (I've tried), au poivre (I haven't tried) and Diablo (a chipotle I've tried). So far, they are wonderful both ways I've had. It's a ten ounce burger with the top sirloin from Ray's the Steaks three doors down and they chop it in front of you. You can put all sorts of toppings on it, from lettuce and beautiful red tomatoes to sherry and cognac braised mushrooms (all free). They have Dominion root beer on tap and serve it by the pitcher and they serve all of their burgers with a side of corn on the cob and watermelon. If you don't eat a lot, bring someone to split with. Alright, so it's more expensive than a normal burger at $7, but a lot cheaper than a 10 ounce sirloin steak and it comes with more toppings. I don't know if I can say enough about this deal. Michael Landrum is a genius, a great chef and a wonderful man (got to meet him when I went there during their first week). He brings good food at good prices to the world.
Quality - **** (yes, for a burger)
Value - $$$$$ (can I give 6 out of 5?)
Okay, that's all you get for today. Hopefully I can bring myself to do a few more tomorrow.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Ardeo
Ardeo Restaurant
3311 Connecticut Avenue
Washington, DC
Neighborhood: Cleveland Park
Closest Metro: Cleveland Park, about 1 block from the metro
Valet Parking available $5 during the evenings
Type of Cuisine: Creative Continental
So I'm sorry that I haven't written in a while. I've had a few requests to start writing again, so hopefully I can get the readership beyond 7 readers. I was set to meet a friend of mine who lives in Silver Spring and figured that it was an excellent chance to spread my wings and try some of the places I never get to on the other side of the city. Bethesda is ever changing and I would like to become better acquainted with those restaurants, but at this time, I ventured as far as Cleveland Park; an area I haven't been around much in a while. My boss recommended Ardeo, although she couldn't remember the name, as a place that my company took our executives a few months ago, so I figured this was probably the place and decided to try it. The cuisine is best described as creative continental as most of the dishes are unique takes on some standard fare. For some background information, we had an 8:00 dinner reservation (hurray for Open Table) on a Tuesday evening, so it wasn't the overwhelmingly popular shift. It should also be noted that the weather forecast was calling for severe thunderstorms (and they came to some extent while we were in the restaurant). My friend and I were both dumb and didn't take advantage of the valet parking, although it didn't end up mattering. The bar next door is called Bardero, I thought that was cute.
Menu:
Appetizer:
Me: Hearts of Romaine Caesar Salad
CLASSIC DRESSING, PARMESAN AND BOUQUERONNES TOAST 7
Friend: ASPARAGUS AND GOAT CHEESE IN BRICK PAPERGRILLED ENDIVE, PISTACHIO, HONEY-GARLIC BALSAMIC 9
Entree:
Me: SEARED AHI TUNAMANGO, SPRING ONION PISTOU, MISO EMULSION 23
Friend: Alaskan Halibut with a chunky Mushroom coulis (not on the online menu) 24
Dessert:
PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN CAKECARAMEL SAUCE, BUTTER PECAN ICE CREAM 8
Sweet:
Service: It's rare that I start the sweet section with service, but I felt that it was worth mentioning. Good service at a restaurant is often a combination of several things: the restaurant and policies, the circumstances and the individual server. I think that this restaurant had an interesting combination of all of the above and I will try my best to break down those differences here. So I apologize in advance, because I can write a lot about service. The restaurant was not overwhelmingly crowded, largely due to the Tuesday, 8:00 time and the weather. I think they had two or three servers on duty, which was probably more than they needed at the time (restaurant policy) and I'm pretty sure that we were our server's last table of the night which also had a large bearing on the quality of the service.
Our waitress, Emily had only been at the restaurant for about a month, but, as always, I was apt to request her to utilize her knowledge of the menu. She was very friendly and honest in answering my questions about all courses of the meal and, perhaps most importantly, she was able to admit when she hadn't tried something, although the first time it took a little bit of prodding. She gave her opinion when I asked for it and told me what she saw ordered often and what she had tried. For someone who hadn't been there for very long, she had a lot of knowledge. Despite the fact that she only had two tables when we got there, she was able to observe our table from the confines of the wait station in a very thin restaurant. She was able to observe and watch us, without making us feel pressured. At the end of our meal, she tactfully suggested dessert without pressure and then she chatted with us while we waited out the rain, partly because it was her last table. Despite the speed of a lot of the service, neither of us really felt pressured to eat quickly, partly because of the server and partly because of the spacing between courses.
The one concern about the service was the speed with which the bussers pulled dishes off the table. They had my plate in their hands the second my fork hit the plate. It was a little bit unnerving, but I think the server's friendly nature and tactful wait before coming back to the table pushed it more into the realm of giving diners some elbow room.
Ahi Tuna: The tuna was perfectly done. Sashimi grade tuna done up with a slight sear on the sides and practically sashimi on the inside, but lightly sitting in the miso emulsion with the mango and spring onion combination. The sauce added a subtle, yet delightful kick to the tuna's natural flavor (a trait I commonly look for in a dish is to bring out the natural flavor of the ingredients). I suppose the main knock on the tuna would have been the portion size, which was a little bit small, and the lack of side dishes to go with it, but after the appetizer, it ended up being a good amount of food and didn't encourage overeating. This was a suggestion from the waitress that took a little bit of prodding to get to.
Asparagus in Goat Cheese: Now I'm not a goat cheese lover, but I happen to really like asparagus. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to try the asparagus with goat cheese, but it was classically wrapped in the endive with a very good use of the pistachio and was probably the best presentation of any item on the menu. My friend really enjoyed it (hence the reason that he finished it before I even had time to ask for a taste).
Pear Upside Down Cake: Another recommendation from the waitress with the simple question "what's the best dessert on the menu." I really liked the pear upside down cake, although I'll admit it was nothing like I expected. I thought I would get a little more pear, however, the focus of this dish was definitely on the pecans. It had a lot of pecan pie and carmel flavor, mixed with the butter pecan ice cream. The cake was relatively moist, but some bites seemed a little bit drier. The flavors mixed very well together, but I think I would have liked a little bit more pear in the dish, it would have added some moisture and tamed some of the carmel.
Bland:
Menu: This particular menu was quite interesting. I liked the variety on the menu a lot. The waitress acknowledged that the fish tends to be more popular, but it's quite adequate no matter what you choose. It had quite a variety from gnocci to tuna to veal meatloaf to hamburgers. The menu also had three or four desserts that seemed like they could be signature desserts. This is a nice touch, however it can also lead one to wonder if the chef does anything particularly well or just everything well. As you well know, I also have a problem with menus that I think are a little bit pretentious. The Ardeo menu uses the words "Emulsion," "Gelee," "Bouqeronnes" and "Pistou." Most patrons get nervous asking a server to define 5 or 6 words on a menu, they stick to one or two. No menu should have that many words requiring description.
Halibut: Again, I didn't get to try it partially because of my lack of mushrooms and partly because I was so engrossed in my tuna, but it didn't look particularly good and I didn't hear great comments from my friend. I didn't hear any complaints, but it didn't appear to be anything special. It looked a little bit grainy for halibut and the mushroom wasn't presented particularly well.
Atmosphere: The tables were well spread out and the acoustics of the restaurant were fantastic, although some of that could be due to the relative emptiness while we were there. The decor was very simplistic. There was nothing that caught your eye or would make you talk, but it didn't detract from the experience either. The restaurant was a little bit narrow, which could cause a slight claustrophobic feeling and the proximity of the wait station could make anyone feel like they were being watched even if they weren't.
Bitter:
Drinks: I kept wanting to push this over into the bland section but I couldn't bring myself to do it, I felt like the drinks are used as way too much of a money maker. I give them a lot of credit for a good variety of liquor (any place that serves Chopin and Hendricks is okay in my book), but my Hendricks and ginger was way too heavy on the ginger ale. I didn't get much reaction from my friend on his gin and tonic, but I'm guessing it was the same. I looked at their wine list (and remember, this is my first entry since going to Napa) and it didn't impress me. Their selection was as good as most smaller places around here although a little tilted towards European wines. Their selection of dessert wines was fantastic. The wines on the list were way overpriced, which would discourage me from going there on a night where I wanted wine or from getting the type of wine I really wanted.
Caesar Salad: I'll be honest, I was a bit disappointed by the caesar. I should have listened because I think the waitress tried to caution me against the salad. I didn't like it, although for a different reason than her caution. It was a natural caesar salad with an attempt homemade dressing. I have high standards for homemade caesar salad because my father makes a wonderful one himself. This one did not stand up to it. The overwhelming taste of the dressing was lemon. While I appreciate the attempt at letting the romaine and cheese stand up on its own, the cheese did not have enough flavor and the romaine, for some reason, just didn't taste as fresh as some of the romaine I've had in the past. I think that the power of the lemon flavor may have tainted it some. The salad had some roasted peppers on top of it. It was an interesting touch on a caesar salad, which I'm not sure if I liked it or not.
Summary:
***1/2
All in all I enjoyed my experience at Ardeo. When my main course, dessert and service are good, I'm happy with a restaurant. I think the service pushed it over some, but it was a nice place in Cleveland Park. If you're looking for a night where you don't want wine it's a good place to go. It also seems like a solid restaurant that you can get a reservation on the day of pretty easily.
$$
I wouldn't consider it a great deal in this area. The prices on the menu can be a little bit deceiving. Drinks are quite expensive in general. My Hendricks and ginger, as heavy as it was on the ginger was a $10 or $11 drink (should be $8 or $9) and as I stated, the wine list is a little bit overpriced. I don't recommend it if you're looking for a good deal, but as I've said, the restaurant is a great experience, so it may cover for the value question. You do get some really good food for your money if you get the right entrees, but the entrees and desserts are small. Strangely enough, the appetizers are pretty large.
3311 Connecticut Avenue
Washington, DC
Neighborhood: Cleveland Park
Closest Metro: Cleveland Park, about 1 block from the metro
Valet Parking available $5 during the evenings
Type of Cuisine: Creative Continental
So I'm sorry that I haven't written in a while. I've had a few requests to start writing again, so hopefully I can get the readership beyond 7 readers. I was set to meet a friend of mine who lives in Silver Spring and figured that it was an excellent chance to spread my wings and try some of the places I never get to on the other side of the city. Bethesda is ever changing and I would like to become better acquainted with those restaurants, but at this time, I ventured as far as Cleveland Park; an area I haven't been around much in a while. My boss recommended Ardeo, although she couldn't remember the name, as a place that my company took our executives a few months ago, so I figured this was probably the place and decided to try it. The cuisine is best described as creative continental as most of the dishes are unique takes on some standard fare. For some background information, we had an 8:00 dinner reservation (hurray for Open Table) on a Tuesday evening, so it wasn't the overwhelmingly popular shift. It should also be noted that the weather forecast was calling for severe thunderstorms (and they came to some extent while we were in the restaurant). My friend and I were both dumb and didn't take advantage of the valet parking, although it didn't end up mattering. The bar next door is called Bardero, I thought that was cute.
Menu:
Appetizer:
Me: Hearts of Romaine Caesar Salad
CLASSIC DRESSING, PARMESAN AND BOUQUERONNES TOAST 7
Friend: ASPARAGUS AND GOAT CHEESE IN BRICK PAPERGRILLED ENDIVE, PISTACHIO, HONEY-GARLIC BALSAMIC 9
Entree:
Me: SEARED AHI TUNAMANGO, SPRING ONION PISTOU, MISO EMULSION 23
Friend: Alaskan Halibut with a chunky Mushroom coulis (not on the online menu) 24
Dessert:
PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN CAKECARAMEL SAUCE, BUTTER PECAN ICE CREAM 8
Sweet:
Service: It's rare that I start the sweet section with service, but I felt that it was worth mentioning. Good service at a restaurant is often a combination of several things: the restaurant and policies, the circumstances and the individual server. I think that this restaurant had an interesting combination of all of the above and I will try my best to break down those differences here. So I apologize in advance, because I can write a lot about service. The restaurant was not overwhelmingly crowded, largely due to the Tuesday, 8:00 time and the weather. I think they had two or three servers on duty, which was probably more than they needed at the time (restaurant policy) and I'm pretty sure that we were our server's last table of the night which also had a large bearing on the quality of the service.
Our waitress, Emily had only been at the restaurant for about a month, but, as always, I was apt to request her to utilize her knowledge of the menu. She was very friendly and honest in answering my questions about all courses of the meal and, perhaps most importantly, she was able to admit when she hadn't tried something, although the first time it took a little bit of prodding. She gave her opinion when I asked for it and told me what she saw ordered often and what she had tried. For someone who hadn't been there for very long, she had a lot of knowledge. Despite the fact that she only had two tables when we got there, she was able to observe our table from the confines of the wait station in a very thin restaurant. She was able to observe and watch us, without making us feel pressured. At the end of our meal, she tactfully suggested dessert without pressure and then she chatted with us while we waited out the rain, partly because it was her last table. Despite the speed of a lot of the service, neither of us really felt pressured to eat quickly, partly because of the server and partly because of the spacing between courses.
The one concern about the service was the speed with which the bussers pulled dishes off the table. They had my plate in their hands the second my fork hit the plate. It was a little bit unnerving, but I think the server's friendly nature and tactful wait before coming back to the table pushed it more into the realm of giving diners some elbow room.
Ahi Tuna: The tuna was perfectly done. Sashimi grade tuna done up with a slight sear on the sides and practically sashimi on the inside, but lightly sitting in the miso emulsion with the mango and spring onion combination. The sauce added a subtle, yet delightful kick to the tuna's natural flavor (a trait I commonly look for in a dish is to bring out the natural flavor of the ingredients). I suppose the main knock on the tuna would have been the portion size, which was a little bit small, and the lack of side dishes to go with it, but after the appetizer, it ended up being a good amount of food and didn't encourage overeating. This was a suggestion from the waitress that took a little bit of prodding to get to.
Asparagus in Goat Cheese: Now I'm not a goat cheese lover, but I happen to really like asparagus. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to try the asparagus with goat cheese, but it was classically wrapped in the endive with a very good use of the pistachio and was probably the best presentation of any item on the menu. My friend really enjoyed it (hence the reason that he finished it before I even had time to ask for a taste).
Pear Upside Down Cake: Another recommendation from the waitress with the simple question "what's the best dessert on the menu." I really liked the pear upside down cake, although I'll admit it was nothing like I expected. I thought I would get a little more pear, however, the focus of this dish was definitely on the pecans. It had a lot of pecan pie and carmel flavor, mixed with the butter pecan ice cream. The cake was relatively moist, but some bites seemed a little bit drier. The flavors mixed very well together, but I think I would have liked a little bit more pear in the dish, it would have added some moisture and tamed some of the carmel.
Bland:
Menu: This particular menu was quite interesting. I liked the variety on the menu a lot. The waitress acknowledged that the fish tends to be more popular, but it's quite adequate no matter what you choose. It had quite a variety from gnocci to tuna to veal meatloaf to hamburgers. The menu also had three or four desserts that seemed like they could be signature desserts. This is a nice touch, however it can also lead one to wonder if the chef does anything particularly well or just everything well. As you well know, I also have a problem with menus that I think are a little bit pretentious. The Ardeo menu uses the words "Emulsion," "Gelee," "Bouqeronnes" and "Pistou." Most patrons get nervous asking a server to define 5 or 6 words on a menu, they stick to one or two. No menu should have that many words requiring description.
Halibut: Again, I didn't get to try it partially because of my lack of mushrooms and partly because I was so engrossed in my tuna, but it didn't look particularly good and I didn't hear great comments from my friend. I didn't hear any complaints, but it didn't appear to be anything special. It looked a little bit grainy for halibut and the mushroom wasn't presented particularly well.
Atmosphere: The tables were well spread out and the acoustics of the restaurant were fantastic, although some of that could be due to the relative emptiness while we were there. The decor was very simplistic. There was nothing that caught your eye or would make you talk, but it didn't detract from the experience either. The restaurant was a little bit narrow, which could cause a slight claustrophobic feeling and the proximity of the wait station could make anyone feel like they were being watched even if they weren't.
Bitter:
Drinks: I kept wanting to push this over into the bland section but I couldn't bring myself to do it, I felt like the drinks are used as way too much of a money maker. I give them a lot of credit for a good variety of liquor (any place that serves Chopin and Hendricks is okay in my book), but my Hendricks and ginger was way too heavy on the ginger ale. I didn't get much reaction from my friend on his gin and tonic, but I'm guessing it was the same. I looked at their wine list (and remember, this is my first entry since going to Napa) and it didn't impress me. Their selection was as good as most smaller places around here although a little tilted towards European wines. Their selection of dessert wines was fantastic. The wines on the list were way overpriced, which would discourage me from going there on a night where I wanted wine or from getting the type of wine I really wanted.
Caesar Salad: I'll be honest, I was a bit disappointed by the caesar. I should have listened because I think the waitress tried to caution me against the salad. I didn't like it, although for a different reason than her caution. It was a natural caesar salad with an attempt homemade dressing. I have high standards for homemade caesar salad because my father makes a wonderful one himself. This one did not stand up to it. The overwhelming taste of the dressing was lemon. While I appreciate the attempt at letting the romaine and cheese stand up on its own, the cheese did not have enough flavor and the romaine, for some reason, just didn't taste as fresh as some of the romaine I've had in the past. I think that the power of the lemon flavor may have tainted it some. The salad had some roasted peppers on top of it. It was an interesting touch on a caesar salad, which I'm not sure if I liked it or not.
Summary:
***1/2
All in all I enjoyed my experience at Ardeo. When my main course, dessert and service are good, I'm happy with a restaurant. I think the service pushed it over some, but it was a nice place in Cleveland Park. If you're looking for a night where you don't want wine it's a good place to go. It also seems like a solid restaurant that you can get a reservation on the day of pretty easily.
$$
I wouldn't consider it a great deal in this area. The prices on the menu can be a little bit deceiving. Drinks are quite expensive in general. My Hendricks and ginger, as heavy as it was on the ginger was a $10 or $11 drink (should be $8 or $9) and as I stated, the wine list is a little bit overpriced. I don't recommend it if you're looking for a good deal, but as I've said, the restaurant is a great experience, so it may cover for the value question. You do get some really good food for your money if you get the right entrees, but the entrees and desserts are small. Strangely enough, the appetizers are pretty large.
Friday, February 15, 2008
That's Amore
That's Amore Italian Restaurant
Multiple Locations: Vienna, VA; Sterling, VA; Columbia, MD; Rockville, MD.
Metros (short cab from either): Vienna/Fairfax - Vienna; Shady Grove - Rockville
Type of Cuisine: Italian (Family Style)
This will be an interesting one because it's the first time I am writing up a place that I have been to many times in my life. That's Amore is a family style Italian restaurant (in the vain of Maggiano's but better). It is a Washington, DC metropolitan area chain and I believe their original restaurant is the Shady Grove location, even though their corporate offices are in Vienna. They have not expanded beyond the Washington, DC area at this point and have probably been around for about 15 or 16 years. I grew up going to their Shady Grove location and enjoying their family style dishes many years before I started thinking about the food I'm eating, so it will be interesting to see how this comes out. I went the other night with my parents and brother (I think I've only been there once without my parents). Everything is served family style or "solo" but for the most part, you go to That's Amore to order family style.
Menu:
Appetizer: Insalata Amore (Famiglia)- Mixed greens with sliced Italian meats and cheeses. Solo – 7.29 Famiglia – 13.99
Entrees:
Brother - (solo) Baked Rigatoni AlfornoBaked in a casserole with meat sauce, ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella. Solo – 13.99 Famiglia – 24.99
Shared - Chicken Cacciatore (Famiglia) - Slow cooked bone in chicken classically prepared with peppers, tomatoes, olives and onions (worth the wait)Solo – 14.99 Famiglia – 26.99
Shared - (Special) Sauteed Fileted Rockfish served with scallops, asparagus, onions and peppers in a light butter sauce. (famiglia) - $34.99
Side: Vesuvio Potatoes
Dessert:
Me - Cannoli Di CioccolataChocolate dipped cannoli shell filled with a sweet ricotta filling and dipped in chocolate chips. 5.59
Father - Unnamed Chef's Creation - Puff pastry on top with a strawberry cream layer beneath and a white cake underneath that. Served over a vanilla cream. 6.99
Brother - Bread Pudding: Homemade with zabaglione and bourbon caramel sauces. 5.99
Sweet:
Vesuvio Potatoes - Ever since I was young, I have enjoyed the Vesuvio potatoes at That's Amore. They are a very basic roasted potato with tons and tons of garlic, I believe oregano and a few other spices. Since the very beginning, they have been one of the best things on the menu. They are available both with the chicken vesuvio (which always comes out a little dry) and on their own. They have a delicious sweet and garlicky taste that is definitely
strong and will instantly repel any kiss attempts (but are totally worth it). If there's ever a reason to go to That's Amore, it's to try the Vesuvio Potatoes.
Chocolate Cannoli - The cannolis at That's Amore have also long been among my favorites. They are hardly a New York or even a Baltimore's Little Italy cannoli, but they do come somewhat close to the latter. The cheese is sweet and the shell is hard, but a bit moist. It contains the right amount of sugar in the batter and coating it. The chocolate coating is also nice, but the chocolate chips that surround the ricotta may be a little bit overkill. They can mess up the texture somewhat. All in all, it's a very good cannoli and worth the price of admission.
Atmosphere - I've always liked the atmosphere at That's Amore. It's simple and elegant. The tables are relatively well spread out and there's plenty of room for the waiters or the patrons to move around. The bathrooms and everything are pretty clean and they always have some soft Italian music playing in the bathroom (which I think is a much better choice at an Italian restaurant than Sinatra). The music is soft enough that it won't bother any conversation and the only time you will really notice it is when you or your companion is going to the bathroom and you have no one talking around you. The acoustics are also very good so that conversation stays at your table, but you don't have much trouble hearing from those at your table.
Bland:
Chicken Caciattore: This has been one of the favorites of my family for many many years as well. It's always been a delightfully boiled/roasted chicken with plenty of who tomatoes with some tomatoey sauce, mushrooms, green, red and yellow peppers. It always took a little bit longer than the other items, but as the menu said, worth the wait. I've always liked, if not loved, the dish. It was always on that borderline between "sweet and bland" for me. Unfortunately, the quality of this dish went down a little bit. Possibly due to the service the dish, instead of taking about an extra ten minutes, probably took about an hour plus to come out. Once the wait becomes that long (I had to cancel everything else that night because dinner took about an hour and a half to an hour and 45 minutes longer than i thought it would) it's not worth it. The chicken came out a little crisper than it usually does, which I thought was a good thing because I don't usually like the goose bumps that come on the skin, but it led my Mom (who thinks about the dish in her sleep) to say it wasn't very good. I was disappointed that their sauce seems to have gotten less flavorful and there seems to be less of it (particularly in the form of tomatoes). All in all, it was a disappointment.
Rockfish: The rockfish was in a bit of a sweet sauce that definitely took more of the flavor of the scallops as well as the butter. The sauce was interesting, but it was a little bit too buttery. As always, I enjoyed the inclusion of asparagus in the item. The fish itself was largely moist, but was inconsistent throughout and definitely included a large number of dry patches. The outside of the fish was a bit crisp and was actually very pleasant in flavor and texture. The inconsistency of the inside drew away from it some. All in all, it was an interesting dish, but I will say that it's a good amount of decent rockfish, particularly for $34.99 for the family portion.
Bread Pudding: Now I never get bread pudding in any restaurant that i would consider close to fine dining. I also wouldn't get bread pudding in an Italian restaurant because it's not something that seems overly Italian. This bread pudding was pretty plain, bread pudding with caramel sauce. It was pretty good and very heavy and buttery, but it's the same bread pudding that you can get anywhere else. In fact, I don't think it seemed nearly as good as the bread pudding I had later in the week at a much less fine dining restaurant (although the dessert prices were the same). The bread pudding was good, but only if you're not really willing to try anything more Italian. I think that my brother just wanted to get something even more filling to add to his meal.
Bitter:
Multiple Locations: Vienna, VA; Sterling, VA; Columbia, MD; Rockville, MD.
Metros (short cab from either): Vienna/Fairfax - Vienna; Shady Grove - Rockville
Type of Cuisine: Italian (Family Style)
This will be an interesting one because it's the first time I am writing up a place that I have been to many times in my life. That's Amore is a family style Italian restaurant (in the vain of Maggiano's but better). It is a Washington, DC metropolitan area chain and I believe their original restaurant is the Shady Grove location, even though their corporate offices are in Vienna. They have not expanded beyond the Washington, DC area at this point and have probably been around for about 15 or 16 years. I grew up going to their Shady Grove location and enjoying their family style dishes many years before I started thinking about the food I'm eating, so it will be interesting to see how this comes out. I went the other night with my parents and brother (I think I've only been there once without my parents). Everything is served family style or "solo" but for the most part, you go to That's Amore to order family style.
Menu:
Appetizer: Insalata Amore (Famiglia)- Mixed greens with sliced Italian meats and cheeses. Solo – 7.29 Famiglia – 13.99
Entrees:
Brother - (solo) Baked Rigatoni AlfornoBaked in a casserole with meat sauce, ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella. Solo – 13.99 Famiglia – 24.99
Shared - Chicken Cacciatore (Famiglia) - Slow cooked bone in chicken classically prepared with peppers, tomatoes, olives and onions (worth the wait)Solo – 14.99 Famiglia – 26.99
Shared - (Special) Sauteed Fileted Rockfish served with scallops, asparagus, onions and peppers in a light butter sauce. (famiglia) - $34.99
Side: Vesuvio Potatoes
Dessert:
Me - Cannoli Di CioccolataChocolate dipped cannoli shell filled with a sweet ricotta filling and dipped in chocolate chips. 5.59
Father - Unnamed Chef's Creation - Puff pastry on top with a strawberry cream layer beneath and a white cake underneath that. Served over a vanilla cream. 6.99
Brother - Bread Pudding: Homemade with zabaglione and bourbon caramel sauces. 5.99
Sweet:
Vesuvio Potatoes - Ever since I was young, I have enjoyed the Vesuvio potatoes at That's Amore. They are a very basic roasted potato with tons and tons of garlic, I believe oregano and a few other spices. Since the very beginning, they have been one of the best things on the menu. They are available both with the chicken vesuvio (which always comes out a little dry) and on their own. They have a delicious sweet and garlicky taste that is definitely
strong and will instantly repel any kiss attempts (but are totally worth it). If there's ever a reason to go to That's Amore, it's to try the Vesuvio Potatoes.
Chocolate Cannoli - The cannolis at That's Amore have also long been among my favorites. They are hardly a New York or even a Baltimore's Little Italy cannoli, but they do come somewhat close to the latter. The cheese is sweet and the shell is hard, but a bit moist. It contains the right amount of sugar in the batter and coating it. The chocolate coating is also nice, but the chocolate chips that surround the ricotta may be a little bit overkill. They can mess up the texture somewhat. All in all, it's a very good cannoli and worth the price of admission.
Atmosphere - I've always liked the atmosphere at That's Amore. It's simple and elegant. The tables are relatively well spread out and there's plenty of room for the waiters or the patrons to move around. The bathrooms and everything are pretty clean and they always have some soft Italian music playing in the bathroom (which I think is a much better choice at an Italian restaurant than Sinatra). The music is soft enough that it won't bother any conversation and the only time you will really notice it is when you or your companion is going to the bathroom and you have no one talking around you. The acoustics are also very good so that conversation stays at your table, but you don't have much trouble hearing from those at your table.
Bland:
Chicken Caciattore: This has been one of the favorites of my family for many many years as well. It's always been a delightfully boiled/roasted chicken with plenty of who tomatoes with some tomatoey sauce, mushrooms, green, red and yellow peppers. It always took a little bit longer than the other items, but as the menu said, worth the wait. I've always liked, if not loved, the dish. It was always on that borderline between "sweet and bland" for me. Unfortunately, the quality of this dish went down a little bit. Possibly due to the service the dish, instead of taking about an extra ten minutes, probably took about an hour plus to come out. Once the wait becomes that long (I had to cancel everything else that night because dinner took about an hour and a half to an hour and 45 minutes longer than i thought it would) it's not worth it. The chicken came out a little crisper than it usually does, which I thought was a good thing because I don't usually like the goose bumps that come on the skin, but it led my Mom (who thinks about the dish in her sleep) to say it wasn't very good. I was disappointed that their sauce seems to have gotten less flavorful and there seems to be less of it (particularly in the form of tomatoes). All in all, it was a disappointment.
Rockfish: The rockfish was in a bit of a sweet sauce that definitely took more of the flavor of the scallops as well as the butter. The sauce was interesting, but it was a little bit too buttery. As always, I enjoyed the inclusion of asparagus in the item. The fish itself was largely moist, but was inconsistent throughout and definitely included a large number of dry patches. The outside of the fish was a bit crisp and was actually very pleasant in flavor and texture. The inconsistency of the inside drew away from it some. All in all, it was an interesting dish, but I will say that it's a good amount of decent rockfish, particularly for $34.99 for the family portion.
Bread Pudding: Now I never get bread pudding in any restaurant that i would consider close to fine dining. I also wouldn't get bread pudding in an Italian restaurant because it's not something that seems overly Italian. This bread pudding was pretty plain, bread pudding with caramel sauce. It was pretty good and very heavy and buttery, but it's the same bread pudding that you can get anywhere else. In fact, I don't think it seemed nearly as good as the bread pudding I had later in the week at a much less fine dining restaurant (although the dessert prices were the same). The bread pudding was good, but only if you're not really willing to try anything more Italian. I think that my brother just wanted to get something even more filling to add to his meal.
Bitter:
The Menu: The menu was very vague in general. It did not do a very good job of describing anything on the menu. It mentions "peppers," "greens," "vegetables" and "meats" in multiple places. It almost seems like it's going to be whatever they happen to have in the kitchen that day. A menu should tell you, in words that you understand, what is going to be in your item. This did not succeed there.
Wine List: I was back and forth on whether I wanted a glass of wine when I got there. I took one look at their wine list and was completely unimpressed. While they had an array of inexpensive to expensive wines, there was nothing thhat was particularly intriguing. It was almost all Italian and they didn't even have a good selection of Italian wines. Their reds were okay and their whites were actually downright pathetic. Definitely not a place I would recommend the wine list.
Insalata Amore: That salad was perhaps the biggest disappointment of the night (another item my mother dreams about). This salad was once a beacon of the That's Amore regime in moderately affordable, local, Italian cuisine. The greens were nice, the meat was well put together, the cheeses were multiple and plentiful and the dressing was perfectly tangy. Now, the dressing has gone down a bit (it is more oily and than tangy), they scrimped a little bit on the meat and seem to be using more salami and less mortadella and other hams. The "mixed greens" are actually a combination of ice berg and romaine. It's hardly the combination that you would look for when you're considering mixed greens, but there it is folks. The salad was very disappointing and definitely fell from the plateau it once held.
Chef's Creation: This dessert was a little bit disappointing as it was strange. As I said above, it was a puff pastry on top with a cake bottom and a strawberry cream inside. The taste was okay, but the textures were so many and it was so difficult to eat that I didn't really know how to apporach it. The dessert tray (which may have been the first dessert tray I remember being brought to my table when I was younger) made it seem like the cream was actual strawberries (which may have been better). I didn't really know how to characterize this so I couldn't really appreciate it at all. Fortunately, it was my father's dessert and he ate most of it.
Baked Rigatoni: I didn't have any of it, it was my brother's entree, but he didn't seem to like it and there wasn't much to it. There was very little meat in it and it seemed very "overbaked." It didn't look very impressive as it seemed like a mess of ricotta cheese and sauce pushed around. It didn't even look too appetizing. I think it was definitely a loser. My brother was lamenting that he should have tried the lasagna.
Service: I don't know what to say here. At least the waiter was very clean. I was in the bathroom at the same time as he was washing his hands. He did a solid 30 second hand wash followed by very carefully opening the door with the paper towel. That's about the only good thing to say about our server. Needless to say, he didnt' want to be there (and I think he was out smoking so often that he was hardly there). He didn't do a very good job keeping our drinks full, he walked away when we were almost ready to order and came back 25 minutes later. Somehow the chicken cacciattore took an hour to make. He was rude about half of the time, didn't seem very knowledgeable of the menu and was extremely inefficient. He was extremely apologetic all the time and seemed to feel like that rescued him in our table's mind (and unfortunately my mother decided that it rescued his tip. She thought he was "just overwhelmed." I tried to inform her of my theory of the overwhelmed server: they have more tables, they get a lower tip per table, they still make more money than if they weren't overwhelmed). Service that bad can REALLY detract from the experience.
Recommendation:
Quality: **
Value: ***
The restaurant is a little bit disappointing in terms of quality. It used to be much better than it is now. I think you need to find the right items on the list and go for them though. The restaurant is generally relatively convenient to get to in the suburbs. It's a good last second type of place to go, somewhere in a pinch, but not if you're planning a big night out. I think then you'll be a little bit disappointed.
It's actually a pretty good value. The prices in general are less expensive than a lot of the other Italian places around (Italian tends to be way overpriced around DC). The family style menu increases the value if you can agree on entrees (as I said before $34.99 for that much rockfish is a good deal). If the quality of the food were as good as it once was, I would have called it one of the best bargains in the city.
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