Ethiopic

Posted on 2012/01/11 by .

Ethiopic, web site, 401 H Street NE, Washington, DC, 202-675-2066 (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [Google | dishtip | Washingtonian | City Paper | Don Rockwell | Yelp]

Ethiopia - Traditional beehive in Orbale Nursery, Konso - December 2011
Creative Commons License photo credit: treesftf

It’s funny how H Street NE has gone from a dump, to overpriced, without stopping for very long in between. This Ethiopian restaurant is not bad, but it can’t compare to the 9th Street row, much less West Alexandria. And yet everything costs more, sometimes twice as much. And the tastes are ever so slightly dumbed down.

This place has made lots of “best of” lists, but that’s just a sign they are desperate to pick out an Ethiopian place you can take your grandma to. It’s not a dump, but it is a dominated asset.

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Mirage Peruvian Restaurant and Buffet

Posted on 2012/01/09 by .

Mirage Peruvian Restaurant and Buffet, web site 1 web site 2 (formerly called Mirage Kabob and Sweets Café), 5916 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA, 703-845-1600 (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [zabihah | City Paper | NoVA Mag | Yelp]

(This is an update of the previous review.)

A Highway Mirage
Creative Commons License photo credit: MSVG

In the former home of Samadi Sweets, they have kept the savory desserts. I like this place, it is mostly kabobs but now they have koreshes (stews) too and a very good Fesenjan at that, not too sweet. Good zereshk polo, when they have it. They are also now bundled with the Peruvian restaurant that used to be next store. Right now the lunch buffet is all Peruvian, but the Persian dishes can be ordered from the regular menu. Sometimes on weekends the buffet is a mix of Persian and Peruvian, interspersed with no commentary or signs, it works surprisingly well. A good hangout, and both places have been improved by the merger. Let’s hope it last

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Mexico City bleg

Posted on 2012/01/08 by .

Where should we eat? I’ve been there at least ten times, so if you’re recommending anything other than food, it should either be very recent or very obscure.

Originally posted on Marginal Revolution – click to see comments and suggestions.

Mexico City Nov. 2011
Creative Commons License photo credit: Denis Bocquet

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Which celebrity chef-branded restaurants are better than others?

Posted on 2012/01/05 by .

William Baude asks:

Is there any way to predict which celebrity-chef-branded restaurants will be better than others? Obviously one rarely expects such restaurants to be excellent, but there are times (airports, Las Vegas) when a celebrity-chef-branded restaurant may well be the best one around. Is the best chef likely to endorse the best restaurants? Or should one look for profligate branders like Wolfgang Puck and Emeril? Or something else?

Girls during Fremont Street Experience
Creative Commons License photo credit: janiskapsis

When it is “branded” or when simply the genius chef owns and runs a few places (e.g., Thomas Keller) is a tricky distinction. That said, the Wolfgang Puck pizza outlet at O’Hare airport counts as branded, as do many of the fancy places in Las Vegas. Overall I find these restaurants to be a good bet, conditional on the fact that you are somewhere that encourages the proliferation of branded restaurants. I haven’t eaten everywhere in O’Hare but odds are if you are by the Puck outlet you should stop and eat there, relative to what you are likely to find and have time for. The branded outlets in Las Vegas may not be the very best places but again they are fairly wise choices, knowing that just about everywhere is frequented by tourists. Joel Robuchon’s restaurant in Las Vegas isn’t exactly hated.

Branded restaurants tend to be poor choices when they are offered as a protection against an ethnic food subculture, which maybe is considered inferior by many subgroups but actually is superior. Yes, Jean-Georges does have a place in Shanghai and probably it is quite good. Yet you should be out in the street looking for noodles and dumplings, waving your arms in desperation if need be.

My next book — An Economist Gets Lunch: New Rules for Everyday Foodies — is out this coming April.

Originally posted on Marginal Revolution – click to see comments and suggestions.

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America Eats!, by Jose Andres

Posted on 2012/01/05 by .

America Eats!, by Jose Andres, web site, 405 8th Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-393-0812, where Café Atlantico used to be, note the place will be closing sometime within a year as it was intended as a temporary experiment. (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [WaPo | Washingtonian | City Paper | Don Rockwell | Yelp]

DC location CLOSED – now in Tyson’s

Imagine a restaurant that goes back and resurrects some forms of American food which we have spent the last fifty years getting away from. They even will serve you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, with or without foie gras. I had some superb appetizers here, the fried chicken, the vermicelli (actually a form of macaroni and cheese, which I usually hate), the etouffe, and the crabcakes. That should be your meal. I sampled parts of five main dishes. As a combination they worked fine, but I would not have wanted any one of them as a stand-alone main course, too much sameness of taste on each plate. The desserts are as bizarre as you might expect. If you order perfectly, this can be fantastic otherwise it is at least interesting and worth a try.

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Sabzi Authentic Persian Kabobs

Posted on 2012/01/04 by .

Sabzi Authentic Persian Kabobs, web site, 4008 University Drive, Fairfax, VA, 703-383-1553 (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [zabihah | Yelp]

Ali Qapu Palace (Esfahan, Iran)
Creative Commons License photo credit: Ginger Brew

Excellent chicken kabob, zereshk polo (barberry rice), the best ghormeh sabzi in the area, quite fine. I wish they would do fesenjan, but in any case I am happy to have this place in the repertoire. Recommended.

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Fiola da Fabio Trabocchi

Posted on 2011/12/27 by .

Fiola da Fabio Trabocchi, web site, 601 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC (entrance at 678 Indiana Avenue NW), 202-628-2888 (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [WaPo | dishtip | Washingtonian | Esquire | City Paper | Don Rockwell | Yelp | Gayot]

Marina di pisa
Creative Commons License photo credit: Gianluca Belvisi

Now one of DC’s best fine dining establishments, and maybe the best Italian place currently. From the guy who used to run Maestro. The dates are very tasty, the pastas are excellent, the main courses are good enough to justify the prices but in my view they are somewhat ordinary, such as the short ribs. Good veal cheeks. The dessert I ordered was disappointing. If you doubt whether this is real Italian food, they even have sea urchin, crab, and chilies, a wonderful Sicilian dish.

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Charleston and Columbia bleg

Posted on 2011/12/22 by .

What would you recommend? And is there anything in between the two? Is there a good day trip from Charleston? And to eat? Thanks in advance for the assistance.

Charleston, SC
Creative Commons License photo credit: pfarrell95

Charleston restaurant reviews [Yelp | Charleston City Paper | Gayot | TripAdvisor]

Originally posted on Marginal Revolution – click to see comments and suggestions.

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Posted in Bleg, Travel, South Carolina | 1 Comment

The Burger Joint (BGR) and Shake Shack

Posted on 2011/12/22 by .

The Burger Joint (GBR), web site, and Shake Shack, web site, multiple locations and growing.

DSC_4295
Creative Commons License photo credit: KayOne73

As of December, 2011, The Burger Joint is in many states, including Virginia (including Alexandria, Arlington, Clarendon, and Springfield), and Shake Shack is in several states and also DC.

They are both fast food chains but they are also both pretty good. I’d say they are better than the median place on this list. TBJ even uses real dry-aged beef. Excellent fries in both places. They’re both also more expensive than traditional fast food. I would eat in these places more if not for health considerations (carbs). All I can say is that if you are tempted, you have my blessing.

A few other sample reviews
The Burger Joint: Yelp and Yelp | WaPo | NoVA Mag | Washingtonian | Don Rockwell

Shake Shack: Yelp | WaPo | City Paper | Gayot | Washingtonian | Don Rockwell

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Posted in Alexandria, Arlington, DC, Dupont Circle, Hamburgers, Springfield | 1 Comment

Flushing bleg

Posted on 2011/12/16 by .

Where should we eat in Flushing, Queens, Sunday morning? Hsieh hsieh!

Originally posted on Marginal Revolution – click to see comments and suggestions.

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Posted in Bleg, Travel, New York, Outside DC | Tagged , , | 2 Comments