An Ask Tom Sietsema (Post food critic) writer wanted to know if there was a Chinese restaurant in the DC area that does for Chinese what he and Tom say Rasika does for Indian. Alas, Tom had no ideas, and just mentioned a long-closed place he liked. We're doomed folks, when you can't find upscale Chinese.
― curmudgeon, Monday, 7 May 2018 17:04 (six years ago) link
It is sooooo time for Tom Sietsema to move on. I can't stand to read him anymore.
― mom tossed in kimchee (quincie), Monday, 7 May 2018 17:16 (six years ago) link
It used to be that City Lights was decently regarded. Peter Chang had good reviews but may have gone downhill (they had a widely-talked-about customer service fail and may not have recovered, socially speaking). But I don't know anything regarded as on a par with Rasika.
― NO REGERTS (Ye Mad Puffin), Monday, 7 May 2018 17:17 (six years ago) link
I expected Sietsema to at least mention Peter Chang in his response but he didn't. He also never said while Setzuan offerings at restaurants like Panda Gourmet on NY Avenue or at Hong Kong Palace in Falls Church may not provide the combination of innovation and service that Rasika does with Indian food, they still have some merit. Sietsema over the years seems to judge Chinese places solely by the quality of their Peking Duck (or their attempts at fusion). That seems kind of narrow.
Also not that I've read all his writing, but I have noted that he has recently reviewed some of the new DC and Maryland hybrid fine dining Caribbean places (some with touches of West African), but there has seemingly never been a mention from him of Mom & Pop Caribbean takeout places. So how familiar with the underlying cuisine is he?
Sure he can leave most of the coverage of such non-fine dining places to Tim Carman's $20 diner column , but I think Sietsema's coverage of fancier stuff would be enhanced by showing he has familiarity with cheaper and street food type offerings as well as the pricier hybrid (and sometimes more unique) stuff.
― curmudgeon, Monday, 7 May 2018 19:39 (six years ago) link
Eh, I don't expect him to Be The Authority on everything about everything. It's a lot of ground to cover.
His method includes multiple visits to each place, and his beat appears to include going to other cities - indeed, other countries - and have some familiarity with those scenes as well. Like everybody, he has a viewpoint and a set of interests. Does a primarily classical music critic need to be up-to-date on every subgenre of house music, etc.? I think it's unrealistic to expect that he should be familiar with every "underlying cuisine" in a region that has places labeling themselves as Burmese, Uzbek, Lao, Bolivian, Balkan....
That said, I would applaud greater diversity of voices (Carman and whoever is at Washingtonian and Young & Hungry); it's not like There Can Be Only One restaurant critic.
Anyway do you have an opinion on the Caribbean place at Lee Hwy./George Mason? I ate there when I lived in that hood but I don't really have much basis for comparison.
― NO REGERTS (Ye Mad Puffin), Monday, 7 May 2018 20:30 (six years ago) link
Good points. I guess, food critics like music critics who choose to suddenly listen to some genre from wherever, end up doing whatever last minute prep they can, even if they don't keep up with that genre on the regular.
Ha, so I keep meaning to make it to that Caribbean place at Lee Highway (Caribbean Corner?) but haven't yet. I heard good things about it.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 8 May 2018 20:06 (six years ago) link
https://wamu.org/story/18/05/14/d-c-isnt-cool-d-c-has-always-been-cool-and-other-%f0%9f%94%a5-opinions/#.Wvw2EdIUmrQ
Discussed on the hipness 2009, this got on Kojo on WAMU yesterday. Clueless GW Law Prof who moved here 12 years ago or something , wrongfully thinks glass condos and their denizens plus government workers and such are automatically "cool" and that they are to blame for heartland people hating city "elites", gentrification, wage inequality, housing costs.
Policies need to change, but Prof is not cool
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 16 May 2018 13:51 (five years ago) link
same ol' same ol'
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 18 July 2018 12:56 (five years ago) link
Can we yell about Initiative 77
― El Tomboto, Wednesday, 18 July 2018 13:11 (five years ago) link
Sure, but only what the DC Council thinks, matters
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 18 July 2018 13:28 (five years ago) link
Un-elect Brandon Todd, Phil Mendicant and Jack Evans ASAP. Probably some other fucking crooks too but those three have to go. Spotted Eric Cantor at dinner downtown this evening. Because he is not currently in office, we let him go.
― El Tomboto, Wednesday, 18 July 2018 23:41 (five years ago) link
Music stuff I posted on Capital Swamp on ILM:
Thankfully that noise ordinance got tabled (though it might be up for discussion in the fall. I don't get people moving downtown to Gallery Plce area and then griping about street musicians).
Malik Dope Drummer, one of my fave streetcorner percussionists is over in Paris and then going to South Africa as part of a special music program I think.
Still no Fort Dupont Park concert season announcement, and no news on Carter Barron fundraising.
FOrt Reno Night of 100 Cakes was fun. Unbilled act--Ian Mackaye and Amy Farina from Evens did a Lungfish cover and another song. John Davis with Chris Richards was good too. Got there late and missed Betsy Wright, Jerry Busher and others I think
― curmudgeon, Friday, 20 July 2018 16:29 (five years ago) link
Went to that kinda new Asian food court, The Block, in Annandale and not too far from Alexandria but not easily Metro accessible. Had a Banh Mi, tasted wife's Dan Dan noodles and had below snocream. Liked the dessert best (though meal was good too)--
https://www.snocreamcompany.com/
A Taiwanese-inspired twist on traditional ice cream. Think of it as a hybrid between shaved ice and ice cream that makes this dessert light and fluffy
Had green tea snocream with green apple jellies, lychee bobas (like those round tapioca balls in bubble tea), and a drizzle of chocolate syrup
― curmudgeon, Monday, 13 August 2018 19:03 (five years ago) link
Did not go to counter-rallies yesterday
― curmudgeon, Monday, 13 August 2018 19:04 (five years ago) link
Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread
― curmudgeon, Friday, 14 September 2018 19:27 (five years ago) link
I’m here for a bit (lots of family time, can’t FAP to my sincere dismay) and of course the Metro has an ad up for the fucking F-35. I have truly missed this.
― faculty w1fe (silby), Sunday, 16 September 2018 13:59 (five years ago) link
Have fun with family and enjoy those defense industry ads
― curmudgeon, Monday, 17 September 2018 17:38 (five years ago) link
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/shootings-in-district-claim-four-lives-as-the-homicide-count-surpasses-2017s-total/2018/09/25/fd9969fc-c0b6-11e8-be77-516336a26305_story.html?utm_term=.1a5ea6ea3d4d
Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said Tuesday that programs are in place to combat crime. She said there is not only law enforcement, but also outreach to at-risk youth and others struggling to get off the streets. Violent crime is down 7 percent across the city; homicide is the only violent crime category that is up.
Bowser said the weekend violence was “dramatic, outrageous, and it happened in different places across the city.” She added that most shootings involved people who had contact with the criminal justice system.
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 26 September 2018 03:56 (five years ago) link
DC Council overruled DC voters on prop 77 restaurant employees minimum wage bill. Now they have moved on to a hearing on the Amplified Noise Bill today. They don't want new DCers who chose to move downtown to have to hear loud street musicians.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 4 October 2018 15:22 (five years ago) link
I fucking hate the DC Council almost as much as I hate the GOP
― El Tomboto, Thursday, 4 October 2018 15:31 (five years ago) link
I read about the 77 vote last night and all but threw a tantrum at dinner. stop making me curse in front of my kid, DC government
― El Tomboto, Thursday, 4 October 2018 15:32 (five years ago) link
Muriel Bowser getting grief from old time DCers for dissing mumbo sauce on Facebook
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 22 November 2018 04:04 (five years ago) link
https://www.hailnorfk.com
― El Tomboto, Saturday, 22 December 2018 23:34 (five years ago) link
No RFK and also no new site in Maryland park that Md governor Hogan wants that is nowhere near Metro
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 27 December 2018 16:06 (five years ago) link
#dontMuteDC protests re go-go from speakers at Metro PCS phone and go-go cd store shut down due to a lawsuit threat from a resident of 2015 built luxury building the Shay.
Go-go’s been cranking there since 95.
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 10 April 2019 13:08 (five years ago) link
Been a Baltimore Orioles fan since I was a kid, but rooting for Nationals now in World Series
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 24 October 2019 00:19 (four years ago) link
Nats ...World Series Champs
Went down to stadium after for celebration. Joyful but not out of hand
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 31 October 2019 12:43 (four years ago) link
Gonna rush from work to the parade this Saturday.
― Gukbe, Friday, 1 November 2019 01:00 (four years ago) link
I just realized we’re supposed to have brunch in Chinatown Saturday. Have I doomed my family and friends?
― El Tomboto, Friday, 1 November 2019 01:01 (four years ago) link
Maybe not, if you're taking the Red Line or at least keeping north of Pennsylvania Avenue? My sister wants to go to Jaleo Saturday, and the parade was my first thought.
― Anne Hedonia (j.lu), Friday, 1 November 2019 09:55 (four years ago) link
so that's why Orange Shithead will be in NYC
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Friday, 1 November 2019 11:55 (four years ago) link
Sadly Nats are scheduled to go to White House Monday. Ugh
― curmudgeon, Friday, 1 November 2019 23:58 (four years ago) link
Parade route—Constitution Avenue NW at 15th Street NW, proceed east along Constitution Avenue NW, and end on Pennsylvania Avenue NW at 3rd Street NW
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 2 November 2019 00:02 (four years ago) link
Sean Doolittle aint going to the WH
hoping at least ten more join him
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 2 November 2019 00:03 (four years ago) link
Yes, hope so. I read that Orangeman's proposed immigration rules will keep out future Dominican and Latinx players from everywhere from coming to US no matter than baseball skills (just seen as non-English speaking )
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 2 November 2019 12:13 (four years ago) link
https://silver.afi.com/Browsing/Movies/Details/f-0100002740
AFI Silver has just announced that Friday's screening of The Oyster Princess is going to be free. Anyone else interested in going?
― Anne Hedonia (j.lu), Wednesday, 6 November 2019 13:38 (four years ago) link
gonna be out of town
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 6 November 2019 17:22 (four years ago) link
Speaking of AFI, got tix to the European Union Festival screenings of A Hidden Life and Portrait of a Lady on Fire.
― Chris L, Friday, 8 November 2019 02:12 (four years ago) link
Did u like those movies?
Been just posting over on ILM
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 23 February 2020 15:52 (four years ago) link
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/after-30-years-horace-and-dickies-is-saying-goodbye-to-a-neighborhood-its-owner-no-longer-recognizes/2020/02/27/d8f0fb92-5809-11ea-9b35-def5a027d470_story.html
I liked that carryout whiting . No more near H St Ne location after Saturday. Just Suitland and soon elsewhere in PG County
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 27 February 2020 21:37 (four years ago) link
Really hope Janeese wins in Ward 4 tonight
― El Tomboto, Wednesday, 3 June 2020 00:33 (three years ago) link
It sounds like she did, by 9 points even. Brooke Pinto leading in the race for Jack Evans’ seat.
― El Tomboto, Wednesday, 3 June 2020 11:31 (three years ago) link
Pinto seems like she has some ethics issues...
So I think 10 years ago some ilxers went to a not open yet U street music hall and now 10 years later it is closing down due to Covid and landlord issues. Discussed a bit over on the Ilm Capital Swamp thread
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 6 October 2020 04:00 (three years ago) link
Kojo retiring is making me really sad
― Heez, Wednesday, 13 January 2021 17:41 (three years ago) link
― Boring United Methodist Church (Boring, Maryland), Wednesday, 13 January 2021 17:57 (three years ago) link
Kojo!!
― Canon in Deez (silby), Wednesday, 13 January 2021 18:00 (three years ago) link
Don’t go, Kojo
― sound of scampo talk to me (El Tomboto), Wednesday, 13 January 2021 18:25 (three years ago) link
lol kojo has always bugged me but he's probably a very good guy
― tobo73, Wednesday, 13 January 2021 19:15 (three years ago) link
His voice is so calming. I would listen to him read cereal ingredients.
― alpaca lips now (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 13 January 2021 19:42 (three years ago) link
i sat next to him at the hitching post in petworth back in the day and immediately knew who he was when he started to talk
― Heez, Wednesday, 13 January 2021 20:39 (three years ago) link