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Ask Tom
Tom Sietsema
Washington Post Food Critic
Wednesday, June 04, 2003; 11:00 a.m. ET
In a city loaded with diverse restaurants, from New American chic and upscale Italian to sandwich shops and burritos on the run, finding the best places to eat can be a real puzzle. Where's the best restaurant for a first date or an anniversary? Father's Day? What's the best burger joint? Who has the best service?
Ask Tom. Tom Sietsema, The Washington Post's food critic, is on hand Wednesdays at 11 a.m. ET to answer your questions, listen to your suggestions and even entertain your complaints about Washington dining. Sietsema, a veteran food writer, has sampled the wares and worked as a critic in Washington, Seattle, San Francisco and Milwaukee, and can talk restaurants with the best of 'em. Tom's Sunday magazine reviews, as well as his "Ask Tom" column, are available early on the Web.
Submit your questions before or during the discussion.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
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Tom Sietsema: Good morning. I thought we’d start the discussion this morning with feedback regarding Candy Sagon’s piece in today’s Food section. Here’s what some of you are saying:
Maryland: I'm sure you'll receive a lot of comments from the article in the Food section today. Here's mine: It's about time! I am constantly amazed at people's inability to try new foods and combinations. However, if you are so appalled by something, perhaps you should not order an entree that includes these items. If you can't find anything on a menu that doesn't include food you do not like, perhaps you should take a ride over to the Old Country Buffet. An onion, a caper, or a hint of garlic isn't going to kill you.
Along the same lines... dieters. Why are Americans so loud and proud about their dieting? They make such a production over what they can and cannot eat. I. do. not. care. Order something that fits your diet and enjoy your meal. Or eat small portions, b/c one meal won't ruin you. For the amount this country diets, we sure are overweight. Maybe a little fresh cream and butter would do us a favor.
Last month I was at a family celebration at one of the best italian restaurants in Philly. Over 8 courses, each one fabulous. And I watched a table of 6 starved women pass on each plate, except for the salad. Be gracious, there were 3 entree choices and 7 other courses, take a small bite to be courteous.
And the end of my rant: people are getting so picky that I have a list of people I will not invite for dinner. I have never seen grown adults make such an issue that they do not eat tomatoes, onions, garlic, beans, beef, cilantro, and on and on. In fact, the only meal I can determine to fit the childish eaters is roast chicken and mashed potatoes. Hold the garlic for Sue, margarine for Diane, and skim milk in the potatoes for Paula. My husband and I watched in horror as an acquaintance made faces and picked the tomatoes out of her angel hair toss. Grown adults should know how to dine. If not, listen to the professionals.
Trinidad, NE, Washington DC: Hi Tom! Just a comment. I've been following this whole saga with chefs refusing to adapt their dishes to customers' requests and just finished reading the article "Chefs Bite Back." I think it's absolutely ridiculous that Clark and Greenwood won't make the simplest, smallest changes. And what irritates me more than anything is that they want to "feed me" because they "know how." Well, I know how to avoid a restaurant that's unreasonably inflexible and will not bring them any business. I'm a server at a fine dining upscale restaurant in the city and, while most people don't request any changes, one or two will. What's the harm? As long as it doesn't disrupt the flow and timing of things, I don't see a problem with accomodating simple requests. After all, this is the service industry and people pay for service. Don't like it? Investigate other career opportunities.
Washington DC: Many many many many kudos to Gillian. As a semi-regular to Colorado Kitchen (2 or 3 times a month), the food is wonderful and inventive, WHICH ARE HER CREATIONS!!!! This is not Olive Garden folks!!! All the hubbub does not seem to hurt business. At Sunday brunch, there was line formed before the 11am opening and continued to be one upon leaving at noon. Continued success and keep up the creative cooking Gillian.
District of Columbia: RE: Gillian Clark's annoyance over special customer requests... I find that many DC restaurants really lack the combination of high quality food at reasonable prices, great customer service, and wonderful atmosphere.
Do you think that restaurants (or cooks) that cannot pull that off should expect to do well in this industry? I am shocked by Clark's attitude (and have experienced it first-hand) because it appears to demonstrate no awareness of what is needed to have a nice dining experience.
I am a vegetarian and typically try to find something to order from the menu, but if there is no vegetarian option, I will politely ask the server to ask the chef if there is a way to put something together, in to avoid ordering four vegetable side dishes. I am always delighted when chefs respond well to those requests and it makes me want to return. I have had positive experiences with this at the snobbiest DC restaurants!
Submitting early: Tom, After reading the article regarding Gillian Clark's online rant I wanted to speak on Mark Fursteberg's defense. I eat at Breadline a LOT - almost every lunchtime. There are people who get in line and stand around deciding while they are holding up the works. I know this bugs me, I can only imagine it bugs him. I have to say that I have never seen him yell at anyone, at best get a little impatient. To his credit, when I was having lunch with a pregnant friend who was concerned about unpasteurized cheeses he said that there are none in the US, don't worry the cheese was safe to eat. That explanation was sufficient, but a little while later he came to our table and explained that while there are unpasteurized cheeses that come into the country everything must be aged for x number of months by which point any harmful bacteria is not present. I felt that he went out of his way to do this and it was very nice. Honestly I have always felt him to be very nice and his food is ALWAYS better than anything else you can get for the money in a hurry. Thanks for letting me come to his defense.
Germantown, MD: I'm very intrigued by this menu discussion between the customers and the chefs. I want to trust the chefs, but I also know what I don't like. I am a bit reluctant to shell out x amount of dollars for something I may or may not like. What do you do when you are a reluctant, wannabe foodie like me who wants to try these things? Is the tasting menu the way to go? Or should I try cooking classes and learn about ingredients on my own? For example, I would love to try duck confit, but it doesn't look so simple that I can just whip up a batch myself, ya know?
Arlington, Va.: RE: This morning's "Chef Bites Back," I think a restaurant's primary goal should be to give the customer an enjoyable experience. Substituting vegetables with others that are on the menu, or asking for sauce on the side, are perfectly reasonable requests that should be able to be accomodated without bogging down the kitchen. I don't do it often, but there are times when I have. I wouldn't ask for something totally different ("Oh, I don't like grilled tuna; could you substitute fried catfish, please, and I really like cheese grits; could you give me that rather than the cous-cous?"), but I don't think asking for an omission or substitutiion is really out of line. If the substitution results in something that "tastes like Windex" it's my mistake and my loss. Live and learn!
Washington, DC: I just finished reading the article "Chefs Bite Back" and was appalled. Has Chef Gillian Clark totally missed the "Customer First" and "Charm" classes that a smart restauranter would practice?
I use to be a regular customer every Friday evening with my family (including 2 small children). Never once, did she or her partner bother to greet us. Although, on numerous occasions were the only ones in the restaurant. In fact, if we greeted them, we were met with cold stares.
Why is there such a reluctance from this Chef to make the dining experience a pleasurable experience for customers?
I am one of those customer that had a special request for my children. The meatleaf that we always order for them use to come with mashed potatoes, which my children like. She changed this side item and began offering au gratin potatoes, which my children do not like. The mashed potatoes were still offered on the menu. When we requested the mashed potatoes be substituted with our childrens menu, we were told NO! We ended up placing a separate order for the maashed potatoes.
We are now weekly regulars at a more customer and family friendly restaurant. Does she get it?!
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washingtonpost.com:
Chefs Bite Back in today's Food section.
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Washington, DC:
Hi Tom, Love your column! I am planning a bachelorette party for August in DC, and I am looking for a lively, not too pricey, but not too cheesy restaurant for dinner. It will be a large party, probably between 11 and 13. We are late twentysomethings so we want to have fun, but it will be dignified fun! I was thinking something along the lines of Buca di Beppo in Dupont Circle. Any other suggestions? Thanks!
Tom Sietsema: Why go the national chain route when there are so many interesting local venues to choose from? I’m thinking of Helix, Rouge, Meze, the Chi-Cha Lounge, Circle Bistro ... the list is endless.
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Matchbox:
Hi Tom! I wanted to offer my 2 cents on just how awful the pizza was last Friday at Matchbox. I am a pizza fanatic & frequently get cravings for the New York pizza I miss so dearly. I was so excited to see your review (since I alomst always agree with your assessments) & ended up sorely dissappointed. The problem? The sauce - it was so overloaded with pepper as to be almost inedible. A New York pizza sauce should taste like tomatoes & perhaps a little spicy with red pepper - not like the chef accidentally dumped a container of black pepper into the pot! My husband & I got a plain pizza & one with portobello mushrooms & both were equally bad. Just wanted to offer a differing opinion & thanks for all of your (usually right-on) reviews!
Tom Sietsema: Allow me to make a clarification: I have yet to review the new pizzeria in Chinatown. What you read in the Food section recently was more of an introductory snapshot detailing a few dishes and the restaurant’s origin.
That said, too much pepper is not a good thing. Maybe you hit it on an off night? Perhaps both pies were mistakes? I have heard nothing but good things about Matchbox since it opened. (Did you let management know you were dissatisfied, by the way?)
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Wazuri?:
Tom! Have you been back to Wazuri lately? I love that place, but I'm worried about it. Every time I walk by, Lauriol Plaza is teaming and Wazuri seems so empty. Are they doing ok? If they're on the chat, can I humbly suggest, as a huge fan, that they get a bigger sign? with a quick explanation of what kind of restaurant it is to lure people in?
Tom Sietsema: I hear you. I dropped by recently and the place was pretty quiet. The cooking deserves a bigger audience (and I don’t think this gray weather is helping matters; people seem to show up to sit on Wazuri’s rooftop when the weather cooperates.) The owner tells me he’s changing the menu, adding some interesting new dishes, in the next few weeks. I, for one, can't wait to taste them.
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Washington, D.C.:
Hi Tom, A group of friends and I here in Logan Circle started a dining club (14th St. Dining Club) about 2 years ago. Are you aware of any other groups as such in this area? Everybody in the group (approx. 15 at the moment) put their restaurant choice in a hat and we draw the next restaurant choice at dinner. Do you know of any online restaurant review source for this area? Any suggestions? Thanks! Dan
Tom Sietsema: What a terrific idea! Tell us where you've been, and how you've been received.
There are a lot of informal restaurant groups out there. I think the participants at chowhounds and egullet, to name just two online food and restaurant communities, arrange dinners on a regular basis.
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Chefs Bite Back:
I wonder whether there are any foods that Gillian Clark or Carole Greenwood can't/won't eat -- and whether they would dare make any noise about that fact.
Tom Sietsema: Good question! LOL
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Oakton, Va.:
Tom, I realize I may be in the minority, but after two visits each to 2941 and El Manantial, my fiance and I would much rather go to El Manantial. We had service problems both times at 2941 and an email to the GM went unanswered. The service at El Manantial has been so much better, and there are many more menu options. I will miss the bread at 2941.
Tom Sietsema: I wonder what's happening at 2941. Yours is one of several missives I've received recently about service issues at the restaurant.
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Washington, D.C.:
Please answer this question this time. If you don't know, could you please ask your readers if there are any good bars/restaurants in the Takoma Park/Brightwood area of D.C.?
Tom Sietsema: Chatters? Can anyone help a fellow diner?
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Washington, DC:
Tom - how do you feel about restaurants that take credit cards but set arbitrary minimums? The card companies say that retailers can't do this, but La Loma on the Hill recently refused to let me use my Visa because I hadn't spent $15. Why do places insist on making it more difficult for customers when it's not necessary?
Tom Sietsema: I'm not a fan of minimums on credit cards myself. Maybe a restaurateur can weigh in on the topic?
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Alexandria, VA:
Tom, what's your favorite diner?
Tom Sietsema: It's not technically a diner, but I do find myself at Stoney's on a semi-regular basis. Nothing like a grilled cheese and a cold one in the company of a colorful slice of real life!
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Ironic Juxtaposition:
Tom, I thought it was absolutely hilarious that the article about picky eaters and rebellious chefs was in the Post the same day as the article about highly successful etiquette classes for 11-year-olds.
I think those kids have something to teach all of us - chefs and customers!
Tom Sietsema: Our timing is impeccable, no?
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Edinburgh, Scotland:
Hi Tom,
I'm a former DC area resident who's recently relocated to Scotland. Every now and then I read your chats and columns when feeling a bit nostalgic. Anyway, on to my question.
Do you take suggestions for your 'Postcards' features? I see that you've done one from London in the past and would urge you to push for a trip further north and check out Edinburgh and/or Glasgow.
My dad recently paid me a visit in Edinburgh and since his wallet is well fatter than my student's one, we got to do a fair bit of eating out. I was really surprised by the good meals we were able to find here, everything from traditional Scottish to Turkish, Nepalese, and North African food. There is more to the Scottish culinary scene than scones, late-night curries, haggis, Irn-bru and deep-fried Mars bars. (Although that last one is a 'must-try' if you come over. I believe Anthony Bourdain said that the inside of one is "like napalm.")
Anyway, just a thought. Thanks for keeping me up to date on the culiary goings-on in DC!
Tom Sietsema: Thank YOU for the suggestion. I've never been to Scotland; a trip there could be fun.
Meanwhile, I wonder if I'll ever get a chance to use "napalm" in a restaurant review ...
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Logan Circle, Washington, D.C.:
Do you know anything about the restaurant that will be opening soon on 14th by Logan? The sign in the window says, "Rice...opening soon."
Please tell me that it's not another sushi place. We need real food in these parts.
Tom Sietsema: This is news to me. Let me check it out.
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Arlington, Va.:
Hey Tom, do you have any food-centric movies you'd recommend? Something along the lines of 'Chocolat' or 'Dinner With Friends.' Thanx!
Tom Sietsema: "Tampopo" and "Babette's Feast" come to mind. And as a kid, I sure got hungry watching "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
Do NOT, however, make the mistake I did years ago and try to have a meal after a screening of "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife ... Lover."
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Petworth:
Well, if we include Petworth in that Brightwood question, there's Safari, a Kenyan restaurant (early - like before 10 pm) and bar/dance club (After 10) on the west side of Georgia Ave, about 3 doors north of Kansas Ave. Short menu, but good food. A very African place.
Others? Um... here - from the north-petworth mailing list:
Duke's Seafood City Seafood Carryout 847 Upshur St. NW 723-5050 Good fish and chicken
George's Carryout Chinese/Subs/Seafood Carryout 4910 Georgia Ave. NW 726-7775, 726-2050 Fresh vegetables, no MSG, wide menu, fast delivery
Goins Carry Out Shop American Both 3936 Georgia Ave. NW 723-8722 Good for a quick meal
Hitching Post Restaurant Sit-down 200 Upshur St. NW 726-1511 Lunch or dinner
Johnny's Carry Out Chinese carryout 501 Kennedy Street 291-8323 or 291- 6809 they take checks
Mocha Hut Coffeehouse Both 14th and Decatur Sts. NW 829-6200 First class coffee shop with fresh pastries, sandwiches, salads, breakfast
Safari DC African/Kenyan Sit down 4306 Georgia Ave. NW 829-7710 Features live African and reggae music
I know there are more, like that Jamacian place (sit down) on Upshur just off Georgia that I have heard good things about. I'm just not sure where they are!
Tom Sietsema: Thanks for assembling this lengthy list of choices.
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2941:
What's wrong with 2941? I'll tell ya what's wrong: NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME. I doesn't help that you made this place sound like the best thing that ever happened to Washington. To its credit, the place is gorgeous. A group of us ate there recently. Every single dish we were served from multiple appetizers to entrees was SWEET. The waiter must have thought we were nuts when he asked if we wanted dessert and we all started laughing simultaneously. 2941 is a work in progress.
Tom Sietsema: What I'm hearing now is so very different from my four meals during its first few months of life. The service was solid, surprisingly so, for such a young place. The food was beautiful, thoughtful, delicious. And I love the spare, stylish interior.
But ...
Restaurants change. Sounds like I need to investigate.
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Washington, DC:
Hi Tom,
We had something very funny happen at Nectar, where it wasn't the chef but the server who would not allow us to have things our way.
At Nectar, as you know, they like to artfully arrange things on the table. But at a dinner with me and my father, my boyfriend moved his silverware and bread plate to different locations. The waiter wouldn't have it! The next time he came to our table, he moved them back.
We all sat still until he walked away and then burst out laughing!
Tom Sietsema: Funny!
I was at dinner the other evening with some friends. The waiter hovered over us for several minutes before blurting out:
"Can I get a word in edge-wise?"
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Siilver Spring, MD:
My husband and I just moved into the Wheaton/Silver Spring neighborhood. What are your favorite restuarant picks in the area? Love the Chats! Thank you for all your help-
Tom Sietsema: Two places to put on your list: Hollywood East Café in Wheaton for Chinese and Samantha’s in Silver Spring for Salvadoran fare.
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Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.:
Hey Tom, Need your expert advice: I'm getting ready to leave DC, and the US for that matter, after several great years and won't have much of a chance to get back. I have to pick a place (or two) for my last meal here. Are there any restaurants that you don't think anyone should leave DC without trying? Interested in the spectrum as far as price, but prefer to stay in the District or metro accessible. Thanks for your help!!!
Tom Sietsema: Ah, The Last Supper question again.
You don’t mention where you have been before, or where you are off to, but among the haute spots, Michel Richard Citronelle, the Laboratorio at Galileo and Palena would be among my picks. So, too, would be the fledgling Nectar near the Kennedy Center.
In the middle range, you should try to get to the counter at Kaz Sushi Bistro, Little Fountain Café, Zaytinya and Yanyu.
Certainly there are other examples, but a meal at any of those places would make you eager to return to Washington, I’m thinking.
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Birthday Girl:
Tom, I beg you-- for my birthday... tell me, is Dish a good choice for a birthday dinner this Friday?
Tom Sietsema: Probably not, given what readers have told me in recent weeks. The place seems to have gotten off to a rocky start.
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Arlington, Va:
Don't you think Zaytinya is overpriced? Poste seems a much better value.
Tom Sietsema: It's relative -- if the quality is there, I am willing to pay the price. Zaytinya and Poste are two very different creatures; comparing them is an apples and oranges thing.
My pet peeve about Zaytinya is that it doesn't take reservations after 6:30, so it's hard to make plans. Is it arrogance ("we're so hot, we don't NEED to take reservations") or some other reason? I'd love to know.
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Washington, DC:
How do you stay in shape when eating so many good meals? And how many restaurants do you hit in a standard day?
Tom Sietsema: I'm not so sure I AM in good shape. I do make time for three workouts a week with a trainer, though.
I eat at least two meals out every day, sometimes more.
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Greenbelt, MD:
What was wrong with the waiter making a joke? It sounds to me as if he was checking on something and you all were talking and just ignoring the guy. He's got more than one table to work, you know.
Tom Sietsema: It's one thing to hear that at Denny's, another thing to get it at a place that costs $100 a head.
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Old Town, Alexandria:
So of the dozen or so times you eat out in a given week, how many are for work or research, and how many are just for fun or with friends?
Tom Sietsema: It's ALL work, baby.
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Cleveland Park, Washington, D.C.:
I have a question about outdoor dining. Is it really more of a hindrance than a pleasant bohemian experience?
So many things go wrong with it. Homeless beggars drop by to ask you for change. The rush hour crowds sneeze on your antipasta. The people walking home or to a show crowd the sidewalks, spilling some pedestrians on to the street.
And with Subway now offering outdoor dining, isn't it just making more problems than it's worth. I think that we should ban all outdoor dining. Just kidding. I would just like to know the opinions of people.
Tom Sietsema: (Hey, were you following me when I was dining al fresco lat month?)
Chatters? Your thoughts?
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Charming?:
Dear Tom - Good morning! I am posting my question again and I am being charming - I do not think you are ignoring me or being spiteful. (Actually, I think there may be no good answer to my question.) Incidentally, if you are looking for someone who reads fast & has a flair for the dramatic to help weed through your posts, I'll be your producer! Have a great day!
Good morning, Tom, and how’s your day
I have a question, it just can’t wait
Hax’s peanuts like to rhyme
Hope it helps me this one time
I got in grad school, yay yay me
So now’s the time for congrats parties
I’d like a quiet one, mui romance
With my beau, and maybe some dance (ing)
I hope you’ll post my question soon
Maybe in time for the next full moon
And if it helps to drop a name
Our pals Suzanne are one & the same (she’s so cute!)
And now my query, at long last
We don’t know where to take repast
Hotel Washington roof for drinks
But where to eat that doesn’t stink
Walking distance would be cool
He’s adventurous with his food
I’m more picky, at times a snoot
A compromise would be a hoot
If you have better ideas
Let me know – I am all ears
I love your advice & will happily try
Any suggestions you have on the fly
Besides the rain won’t go away
So Hotel Wash may have to wait
And as a girl I don’t like that
I want to wear my new dress and if you think you’ve seen high maintenance try listening to me whine about wanting to wear my new dress to my celebration dinner with outside drinks and when will this incessant weekend rain finally stop so we can go already
I hope this poem makes your cut
I’ll be watching, waiting, eating nuts
Have fun today and thanks so much
For all your talk on where to munch
Tom Sietsema: I couldn't resist!
Give me a call. You have my number.
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Tenleytown, Washington, D.C.:
Tom, what's the hottest piece of restaurant gossip you've heard lately?
Tom Sietsema: You know, more good dish passes my desk than a week's worth of meals at Citronelle, but verifying all the scoops isn't always possible (or suitable for print, if you catch my drift).
The chef's wife that everyone detests? The impromptu (and unlicensed)food stalls that can be found in the side streets of the city? The REAL reason the manager at X restaurant got the boot? The drugs? The sex? I'm saving it for the novel...
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London, U.K.:
Tom, I enjoyed your comments on egullet last week. I have to confess I still read Live Online and your reviews every week, even though I left Washington DC for another continent about a year and a half ago! Here in London we have a wealth of excellent general food writing but really the most awful restaurant reviews. Is there anyone you can recommend who actually doesn’t have a photo by-line (not so good for the old anonymity cause) and rates the quality of the food higher than décor and celeb-spotting? I’d be very grateful for your suggestions.
In the meantime, some tidbits for DC’ers heading over here for holidays:
Indian – Masala Zone – off Carnaby St – trendy, cheap and unusual “thalis” – meal on a plate
Afternoon Tea – The Orangery at Kensington Gardens, just outside the Palace. Better service than Fortnum and Mason and a whole lot cheaper than the Ritz
Drinks – the Oxo Tower Bar and Brasserie – take your pricey but delicious and unusual cocktails out to the viewing deck overlooking the Thames. On the South Bank and handy for the Tate, Globe Theatre, etc.
I’m happy to send over more suggestions if there is an interest. Anon.
Tom Sietsema: A compliment AND a bushel of restaurant tips. Thank you, thank you for both.
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Potomac, MD:
Hi, Tom. I need some help finding a really authentic Thai restaurant in the MD/DC area. We are going to be having a foreign exchange student from Thailand staying with us, and I want to be able to send her somewhere to get "comfort food" when she misses home. Benjarong and Tara Thai are very near to me, and are my regular haunts, but are they "authentic"? I've also heard good things about Dusit in Wheaton, but haven't been there myself.
Tom Sietsema: How thoughtful of you! I’m a fan of Sakoontra in Fairfax and the shoebox-size Singh Thai in Arlington myself.
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Washington, DC:
Hi Tom!
I know you're not a fan of the place to begin with, but I think Tony and Joe's needs to be singled out for bad behavior.
My father had just finished a ten-mile walk around DC and wanted to finish up in Georgetown with a drink by the water. It was 4 pm on a Friday. Almost all of the tables were empty. And they wouldn't serve him a drink at a table on the patio unless he ordered a full meal!
I know its their prerogative, but jeez, what a way to turn people off your place.
Tom Sietsema: Am I getting the whole story here? There’s a big difference between asking for a (free) glass of water and a cocktail.
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Bethesda, MD:
Tom, Where can I eat goat (that you recommend?) I bought it and fixed it myself last weekend, but would like to try it fixed by professionals. Thanks!
Tom Sietsema: The Islander on U St. serves goat, as part of a roti, I seem to recall. I, too, am a fan of the meat.
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Washington, DC:
All I want is some good Mexican food. I am from California and DC seems to be lacking completely. Is there anywhere in the area that serves good Mexican food? Thanks.
Tom Sietsema: Stand in line. A lot of us are searching for the same thing. In the meantime, Taqueria Poblano with locations in Alexandria and Arlington is a fun place to sip margaritas and knock back baby tacos.
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Feels like Seattle, VA:
Tom, A large group of us are heading to Georgetown after a wedding. Where is a good place to go to have some drinks and some small eats? Any suggestions? Figured the harbor as in but any other suggestions? Thanks.
Tom Sietsema: Steer clear of the waterfront! Instead, try Degrees, the bar in the new Ritz-Carlton in Georgetown, or Neyla, the colorful Middle Eastern oasis on N St. Your group might also consider the cozy wine bar atop Bistrot Lepic on Wisconsin Ave.
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Virginia:
Could you recommend a VA/DC area restaurant that has outdoor seating where jacket and tie are appropriate?
Tom Sietsema:
You mean you’re looking for a restaurant where you can dine al fresco in formal attire and not look out of place? In Washington, 701 and the Oval Room come to mind; in Falls Church, seek out the patio at 2941, which has the added advantage of a lake view, or the venerable L’Auberge Chez Francois in Great Falls.
I hear the lunch bell ringing. See you here next week. Thanks for another lively hour, everyone.
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