Brad Pitt Has Your Secret Shit: Rolling DC

3 more years on his contract I think, and the school has no money to buy him out (in this economy).

Sunday anytime for drinks if anyone can make it? I'm at Dupont, but can travel anywhere as long as there's a bus or metro - in fact it would be nice to get to a new area. I only really know Dupont Circle (not even far past the actual circle), bits of Georgetown and the little bit around Ballston metro.

Cultural points so far:

Your cab drivers are friendly but not psycho friendly
People stop and politely offer help if you look lost, this is very very nice
Your hotel breakfasts are extortionate
I do not know what A-1 sauce is
Never inadvertently touch anyone softly with the edge of your coat in a bar

someone take her to a super bowl party

Sorry, forgot about the superbowl! Next week may be fine also one eve.

How's the visit going?

Deeeeeeeeeeee Ceeeeeeeeeeeee. I alway like how Russ Parr says it.

<3 russ parr
did you hear the zodiac sign part?

Nope. I like the friday morning at 8 "wrong song" segment but it wasn't on this a.m.

sorry, I was out of contact. The visit's been going pretty well. New job panic and all that but I've got three weeks to get that under control. I head back to the UK tomorrow and then I'm back here on 26th Feb. Two friends just told me they'll both be in New York that weekend at the end of Feb so even though I'll have just arrived and should be getting ready for work I might have to get that Chinatown bus I've heard so much about...

Yea, and if that one won't work for ya the bus has competition from other bus lines now

just crickets here

I am right now on Skype to Comcast, arguing with them about why they can't just switch the internet service into my name

Good ol' Comcast...Always impressive with customer service

DC Folks be working all the time I guess, when not not going to dj nights and stuff--see the ilm Capital Swamp link
Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread

Thanks for the link - maybe the move will get me back out to gigs

Not music:

Sietsema in the Post magazine section only likes expensive restaurants, so why do I keep reading him every Sunday? I think he blogs and/or does a chat too, but I've never bothered.

if you read him every Sunday, why do you think he only likes expensive restaurants?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/restaurants/urban-burger-company,1135558.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/restaurants/w.-domku-bar-and-cafe,1111346.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/restaurants/spider-kellys,1152350.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/bars-clubs/stoneys-bar-and-grill,806077.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/restaurants/pike-pizza,1145487.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/restaurants/nava-thai,1131986.html

It just seems that way to me Brian. I guess I exaggerated a bit although I haven't analyzed a year's worth of items. Plus I think I remember reading someone say that in a note to him, so it's just not me. Maybe also I've been just reading more Tyler Cowen lately and he covers all sorts of cheaper Northern VA restaurants that Sietsema never mentions (and he throws 'digs' at Sietsema too re some of Sietsema's dc faves)

yeah, Cowen is valuable but also has a tendency to list places that have been closed for two years, and a lot of his feedback (by necessity) is based on single visits.

Sietsema generally tries to highlight places with the best food, which (not coincidentally) tend to be the higher end places. I think he's largely beyond reproach in his taste and fairness. There are always balancing complaints for him - some readers think he doesn't cover enough cheap places, an equal number of readers get upset when he does cover a mom & pop joint and throngs of people show up. Some complain he doesn't cover enough restaurants outside the beltway, some complain he doesn't cover enough in DC.

Do you read T0dd Kl1man's coverage in Washingtonian? He's very good and does tend to highlight less expensive places, his dirt cheap eats list especially has a lot of worthwhile finds.

Tim C@rm@n, who writes for the CityPaper, kind of specializes in finding the rare or unsung dishes and places on the cheaper side, but often errs on the side of overpraising an establishment based on a compelling backstory rather than the actual quality of the meal or experience (lol typical altweekly review problem, amirite?).

also Cowen mentions too many places he hasn't actually been to (although he does always mention this).

I like Kliman best, then Cowen and Carman. Maybe I need to splurge some time on one of Sietsema's "best Food" places and I would appreciate him more. I kinda feel like he overrates decor.

As a restaurant designer, I may be in the wrong position to judge there.

I shoulda tried a Sietsema fave during restaurant week

oh man restaurant week is the worst time to go to a nice restaurant - they're way overbooked, the menu is typically dumbed down, and the servers are overworked. Better to find a place that has a good pre-theater or special menu (T0sca, R@y's the Ste@ks, 2941) or a lunch deal (V1dalia, Pr00f, Restaurant 3ve).

There is a pretty broad consensus on what the best restaurants are - all four of the Washington P0st's four star restaurants are in the W@shingtonian's top 10, an overlap you'd rarely find with music, movie, or art critics.

Thanks. So have you been to Inn at Little Washington, 3ve or any of the other pricey ones that always top the lists? Do you think they're worth it?

Will I really like them better than the Sichuan food at Hong Kong Palace out in a strip mall near a Home Depot in Falls Church, or Mynamar, a Burmese place out in Merrifield, or any of several Eden Center places?

I have eaten at places all over the map, and the tasting room at Restaurant Eve remains the best meal I've ever eaten. 2941 is second. But those are "occasion" places; I'm not even sure I use the same scale for those as for Eden Center meals (which are also grebt, btw).

I haven't been to Inn at Little Washington - it's 100 miles away and it seems really over the top frou frou from what I've seen. But I have been to the other three and I think two of them (CityZ3n and K0mi) are absolutely phenomenal - the other is very good but I didn't think it hit the same heights.

I don't know if you'd like them better than suburban asian joints. I can tell you they have better food, better service, and better atmosphere - and I say that as a fan of the aforementioned suburban asian joints. The staff at these places is as passionate and engaging as they come, they love what they're doing and they want you to have the best meal of your life. I don't think that's necessarily the case with a lot of older more formal high end restaurants.

Just like with lower end restaurants, you'll get out of the meal as much as you put in. If you go to Hong Kong Palace and don't engage with the server and order the most americanized dishes you're not going to think it's a great restaurant. It's the same with going to a place like CityZ3n - if you're nervous and don't let the sommelier help you with the drinks, don't ask the server about what might fit your tastes, and don't really engage with the meal, you're not going to have a great experience.

Oh and the Sietsema web chat often teases out mentions of / shoutouts to some less hoity-toity places - just because a review is necessarily confined to one place, and the chat is more able to touch on a larger sample.

anyone eaten at brasserie beck? i stopped in there for a drink last week--delicious smells, very friendly bar staff, atmosphere felt very 'this is a goood restaurant'. my stomach was full of teatr0 g0ldoni restro week duck so i stuck to drinks.

I had lunch there on Sunday. They have very very good beers (best Belgian selection on the east coast at least?) but I'm always happier when I think of it as just a bar and ignore the restaurant part.

ah. got any specific beer recommendations?

Ask them if Thor is working and get a suggestion from him - he's great. Otherwise, the De Regenboog Kerst they have on tap now is fantastic. If you sit at the bar when it's not busy they're usually happy to give you a sample of whatever they have on tap to help you decide.

Back for keeps. Have a long 'locked out of apartment' story but too tired and embarrassed to tell it. All well now though. Need for wireless access dictated Cosi as dinner spot.

Not amazing, but some decent photos in dcist.com show at Flashpoint

good luck snow

Aww man, the Feds will only cancel if it goes over 8 inches or something

so i finally went to the gibson last night. great place. had my first vieux carré, very nice. my friend was joking with t1ffany the bartender about quizzing her on ingredients in mystery cocktails, and i asked if she could identify the specific ingredients and brands in a cocktail just by drinking one. she says, "no, but this guy [I DIED's name, i think??] comes in here and does that sometimes." and said you designed the place, too? if so, wow, nice job!

lol I am famous only to bartenders

a good crowd to be famous to imo

that is a+ fame

man this same bartender made my friend what she called an escalade, a manhattan with 23 year willett, dunno if it's a real drink or custom-made, but WOAH that was a good manhattan

oh man anything with the 23 year willett is bound to be great, I have made myself a manhattan with that at home and it is unbelievable. And not really available outside DC!

Where'd that guy go who used to be at brasserie beck with Thor?

idk what this thread even is but brad pitt was rumored to be in new orleans the same week i just was. i didnt see him though :(

(xpost) he's beer director at the de vinos stores now.

How's this Out of Hours thing at the Hirshhorn? Anyone been?

Er, After Hours I mean

generally good, but very crowded and sceney.

better to see most exhibits during regular hours and focus on the special installations/music at the events.

thanks, might give it a go. I saw some of the regular exhibits last week. I loved this: