By Elisa Nader/washingtonpost.com

Washington Post food critic Phyllis C. Richman recently came to the Internet – live on Style Live!

In more than two decades of critiquing Washington restaurants – from the hautest temple of gastronomy to the most obscure off-the-beaten track discovery – Richman has become a household name for everyone in our area who loves to eat.

Every Thursday at noon, Phyllis will be on hand to answer your questions and field your comments about dining out in Washington. And, you can read Phyllis's Sunday reviews on Friday – only on the Web!

Phyllis mentions several restaurants during her discussions. If you are hungry to find out more – prices, location, hours, dress code, etc. – visit our restaurant front, go to the "Find Places & Events" search box, enter a restaurant name or category, select "Search StyleLive" and click "Search Now."

If you missed out in today's chat you can either join us next week or post your thoughts in our ongoing discussion area which Phyllis visits periodically.

Following is the transcript from this Thursday's chat.

The District: Hi Phyllis, I'm a big fan of your column and have been following you since my college days ('81 on). Is it my imagination or was the local dining scene more exciting in the mid to late 80s? (I'm not jaded, by the way, just less enthusiastic about what's available overall.) Thanks.

Phyllis Richman: Hello again. Another gorgeous day in Washington, just right for filling those sidewalk tables.

As for the current level of DC dining, I agree in part with your question. Dining was mighty exciting here in the high-flying '80s. And in recent years, we've had more grand chain restaurants opening than I'd like to have dominating my city. But things are picking up as we speak. Lots of openings, some fine chefs doing interesting things. Wait until, say, October, then tell me whether you think DC dining in not exciting.

Washington, DC: You reviewed a restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue that had a wonderful, huge double pork chop. Could you please tell me the name of that restaurant again. You said that the pork chop is the best thing on the menu and enough for two people to share. This really sounds like something I would like to do but I am uncomfortable. How does one do the sharing of something like this? Is it cut into two in the kitchen or at the table? Thank you for your clues to those of use are intimidated by our lack of experience.

Phyllis Richman: It wasn't a pork chop, it was a veal chop, at Villa Franco. Its address is Pennsylvania Ave. (around 7th St. NW), but th entrance is one block north.

As for sharing, you can ask the kitchen to cut it or do it yourself at the table and ask for another plate. I admit it is somewhat awkward, since only one person can get the bone, etc. But as a restaurant critic, for me sharing is second nature.

Washington DC: I am celebrating a birthday and would like to have several friends join me at a restaurant with outdoor seating, but someplace quiet. I have thought of Old Anglers' Inn, but as is the custom, everyone will probably pay for their own dinner and chip in for mine, so I don't want to overdue it with expensive meals. I had also thought of the Inn at Glen Echo, but we have all been there recently. What do you think of the Iron Gate? Any ideas are appreciated...in fact, why don't you join us. Everyone would love to meet you!

Thanks, Karen.

Phyllis Richman: The Tabard Inn has a lovely garden, but it is fairly expensive these days, too. As is the all-time favorite DC outdoor dining, L'Auberge Chez FRancois. That lovely Great Falls, VA, restaurant does not take reservations for its garden, so you need to get there early, say 5:30, to be sure of getting a table. The Iron Gate is lovely,too, but I'm not impressed with the food.

Thanks for the invitation. I'm sure I'd enjoy meeting your guests, too. But you probably wouldn't want to go to some of the places I've got to try this month.

Alexandria, VA: How long do you recommend waiting for a restaurant to "shake down" after opening before trying it? We had dinner at the new Clyde's in Alexandria recently, and everything about the dinner was awful. But the worst part was their abysmal timing. we got our salads at the same time as the wine we had ordered 10 mins. ago, and got our entrees when we were halfway through our salads. I won't even get into the rude service and lousy food. Should we try again in 6 months? A year? Never?

Phyllis Richman: Going to a brand new restaurant is exciting, but risky. Theoretically, a restaurant should be ready when it opens (a few offer discounts the first couple of months to compensate for their awkwardness). But I don't review a restaurant for at least two months, and I'd rather wait six to be sure it had settled in.

As a civilian diner, I'd rather wait several months AND would not go to a restaurant for the first month after it's been reviewed (unless it got bad reviews, in which case it will be trying its hardest).

Mitchellville, MD.: Phyllis, Do you think the dinning scene in Prince George's county will ever improve or will we forever be limited to Applebees, Ruby Tuesday and the like? Do you have any "PG Picks"?

Phyllis Richman: Oh, how I wish. I grew up on Ledo's (whicih I adored) and a few other unfortunately nondescript P. G. County restaurants. Not much has improved. There are a few pretty good restaurants in Laurel now, and I like Cielito Lindo (Bladensburg? Hyattsville?). Along the way there have been some fine but short-lived restaurants. And the Chinese restaurant in Greenbelt has its homestyle charms.

District: How are the restaurants you review selected? If there is a place with seemlingly less than acceptable food (as your previous answer implies), why bother to do a whole review?

Phyllis Richman: There are a couple of reasons for writing reviews of bad restaurants, though I do skip those that are small and unknown as well as bad. The first reason is that if the restaurant is widely known, people want to know the evaluation even if it is bad. SEcond, after I've invested three visits in a restaurant, I sometimes don't have time to visit another (one week I hit four bad restaurants in a row). Well, there is another reason, too: A restaurant might be dreadful in some ways but interesting or even good in other ways.

Arlington, VA: Hi, Phyllis. I read your column every week; thanks for the good information you give us. I'm a lifelong vegetarian -- but not many of my friends are, and their tolerance for primarily-vegetarian restaurants grows a little thin sometimes. Are there any non-specifically-vegetarian restaurants in the DC area which you think do a particularly good job at including good vegetarian fare on their menus?

Phyllis Richman: I think most restaurants these days, particularly New American, Italian and Chinese, offer appealing choices to vegetarians. If you don't see a vegetarian entree, ask for one, or ask for a collection of the side dishes that accompany the meat or fish entrees, or look among the appetizers for two or three that might substitute for an entree.

Washington, DC: Phyllis-

What's the scoop on Lespinasse? I've heard both that Troy Dupuy will not return when it reopens and that he will be back? Thanks.

Phyllis Richman: It seems that he is not coming back, since the job has been offered to at least two other chefs I know.

ft.washington, md: Phyllis,
Did you see my comments regarding Ardeo in today's open discussion section? The food in that place is INCREDIBLE!! It's become a top favorite for us.....LOVE IT!! Can't wait for the review; I'm sure it will be a winner. Thanks for the tip on the Margaritas; that's what started us going there.

Phyllis Richman: The review is coming soon. Glad you liked the place, especially the margaritas.

Germantown, MD: Hi! I love your reviews. My question is: I just came back from a semester in London where they have the best Indian food outside of India. However, now that I am back in the DC area I want to find a good Indian restaurant to recapture some of those memories. Any suggestions?

Phyllis Richman: This area is bursting with excellent Indian restaurants. Try Bombay Bistro in Rockville or Vienna (I think), Bombay Curry Company in Alexandria, Bombay Club downtown, Haandi in Md. and Va. suburbs, Connaught in Va., Udupi Palace in Md. That's just for a start. A new Indian restaurant is even coming to Georgetown.

Washington, DC: How do restaurants react to sharing though?

Phyllis Richman: When you are ordering a double entree such as a double veal chop, a restaurant would obviously have no negative reaction to sharing. Sometimes a restaurant is nervous about its bottom line when diners share a normal entree. And some add a plate charge in that case. If you have a small appetite (or small budget) and are worried about the reaction to your sharing a standard entree. you can always ask ahead, and go elsewhere if the reaction is negative.

LEWES, DE: LAST WEEK YOU MENTIONED "MARKET GROVE" WAS ON YOUR LIST OF PLACES TO TRY IN ROUTE TO REHOBOTH... IN WHAT TOWN WOULD THAT BE? ALSO, WE DETOURED TO TRY JIMMIE'S IN BRIDGEVILLE,DEL. (ROUTE 404.) VERY GOOD COMFORT FOOD ESPECIALLY THE CRAB SOUP & FRESH GREEN BEANS COOKED IN "POT LIQUOR"... (THE FRIED CHICKEN WAS JUST OK WHICH SEEMS TO THE CASE IN MANY "COUNTRY KITCHENS" THORUGHOUT DEL. -- SURPRISING, GIVEN THERE IS A CHICKEN COOP ALMOST EVERY OTHER MILE.) FOR DESSERT I ASKED FOR THE PEACH ROLL -- WE MEANT A SLICE BUT THEY BROUGHT THE WHOLE CAKE-ROLL --WHICH WE BOUGHT ANYWAY. THANKS!!

Phyllis Richman: Jimmie's is a treat, isn't it. As for why you can't get good fried chicken on the Eastern Shore, remember, those chicken farms are for mass-production not finely bred chickens.

I've done a little more research on Grove Market. It is in Bishopville, on St. Martin's Neck Rd., between Ocean City and Ocean Pines. I haven't been there, but I am told it is oopen Thurs-Sun. and is very small, so reservations are necessary (410-352 5055). I'd be delighted if any of you who try it will report back here afterwards.

Washington, DC: Thanks for this weekly electronic interaction. It is great fun and very informative.

This week I had dinner at DC Coast -- 14th and K Streets, NW.

I was really impressed with the food and service; and they did a great job in bringing back to life extraordinary space.

Have you been yet? If so, when might we see the review?

Phyllis Richman: DC Coast is getting a lot of attention, but I wait until a restaurant is two months old before I review it, and then it takes 4 weeks to get in print. Watch for my review in Sept.

Sterling, VA: I went to Indigo in Great Falls last Saturday and tried the five-course tasting menu, which was wonderful. We sat outside on the patio - it was lovely. But I did notice a few things that maybe you could clear up. First, Jeff Tomchek was not listed as the executive chef - there was another executive chef whose name escapes me at the moment. Is Tomchek still with Indigo? Also, the menu was not a fixed price menu, but a la carte. They did still have the tasting menu (which like I said before, was terrific). Do you have any information about these changes at Indigo?

Phyllis Richman: Jef f Tomcheck left Indigo and went to a restaurant on Rhode Island Ave. in the District. Then he disappeared from there. I haven't heard any further news of him.

Sydney, Australia: Phyllis, What will be your picks for some good French pastry/Cafe type of place in Georgetown? I will be visiting DC in Autumn.
Thanks.

Phyllis Richman: I hope some of you have tried or will have the chance to try Cafe Pou Pon on Wisconsin Ave. in upper Georgetown. It is a branch of a Baltimore pastry shop, and its wares are gorgeous. Good, too.

Norfolk, Virginia: When eating in a restaurant you are reviewing, do you openly take notes at the table or ask everyone in your party to remember everything and try to reconstruct it later?

Phyllis Richman: Ahh, if only I could get my guests t take notes for me. No, none of us takes notes at the table. I write up my notes at home later, and since I've been doing this job for many years, remembering the meal is second nature to me.

Arlington, VA: The area has lots a great Thai, but as someone who is traveling to Bangkok soon, I wondered who might have the most authentic Thai, including dishes I don't normally see here, but will over there?

Phyllis Richman: Try Thai Square in Va., and ask for the Thai menu if you can read the language (or ask from some suggestions from the manager if you can't).

Washington, DC: Hi Phyllis -- I saw you at a fundraising dinner last fall at the Washington Hilton and was wondering what your take was on the food served at banquets here in DC. Any advice for us fundraisers/event planners about which hotels have the best food and service? Thanks.

Phyllis Richman: I'm not sure what dinner that was (of whether the person you saw was me) but I have been impressed with what the Hilton is doing nowadays to feed, say, 1500 people at a time. One lunch that featured salmon was astonishingly good for a crowd that size (or even dropping the qualifier). Since it can serve more banquets at one time than any other hotel in Washington, the chef has made a specialty of fine mass-feeding.

Fairfax, VA: My husband and I recently had dinner at Sam & Harry's in Tysons Corner. I decided on that location after researching and reading many reviews (even though the I couldn't find a review of the Tysons location!). I would like to know which Steak House you consider to be THE BEST in the area. (his birthday is right around the corner -- a great dinner is a great gift!) Thank you.

Phyllis Richman: I keep trying them all, but return to Morton's (downtown or Georgetown) for its porterhouse. I haven't found any other as consistently reliable.

Washington, D.C.: Phyllis,

What's your recommedation for a Carribean restaurant in the Wash. metropolitian area?

Sharon

Phyllis Richman: Boy, does Washington do well in that category! Cafe Atlantico and Hibiscus Cafe are glorious Caribbean restaurants (a warning: they're fairly expensive).

Mount Vernon, VA: Phyllis: In Milwaukee, I've had outstanding meals at Serbian restaurants, and I've sampled wonderful Czech fare in southern Minnesota. Do you have any suggestions for restaurants in the D.C. area that serve tasty meals native to some of the nations of central Europe? Thanks.

Phyllis Richman: My suggestion is that you prevail on some Milwaukee restaurant to open a branch here. It's sorely needed.

Alexandria, VA: Hi Phyllis

We are new to DC/VA and enjoy seafood, but notice that in most places shrimp and fish are battered and deep fried as opposed to broiled...even in the upmarket places. This completely kills the texture and tastes. Can u recommend any seafood places in DC/VA that prepare it differently?

Thnx

Phyllis Richman: Why, certainly: The world-class Kinkead's, the new and splashy DC Coast, the old faithful Crisfield's, the trendy Georgetown Seafood Grill, the Boston-import Legal Sea Foods, the Portland import McCormick & Schmick, and in Alexandria, RT's and the seafood restaurant attached to Sutton Place Gourmet.

Some of these, as you might guess, are better than others. But all of them have something to recommend them.

Washington, D.C.: Hi Phyllis,
DC just acquired its second tea house in Georgetown to go with teaism in dupont circle. It's nice to have an alternative to coffee houses, especially the chains. Do you think this will be the next great restaurant trend for DC?

Phyllis Richman: You're referring to Ching Ching in Georgetown, I expect.

I don't think this will be a major trend, but it is a very welcome quiet little trend.

Rockville, MD: We're having visiting firemen from Oak Ridge who are lusting for crabcakes. I know there was a recent article on "crummy" places to get crab cakes, but (1) none were close and (2) I'd just as soon have a reasonably nice ambiance. Any suggestions for a hassle free outing that will satisfy their request?
john clayton, sr.

Phyllis Richman: See any of the seafood restaurants above, or Sam & Harry's, for a start. Or take a ride to Kent Island, MD., and try the best at The Narrows.

Gaithersburg, MD: I recently ate at a place in Hagerstown known for their crab dishes. The food was good, however the service was slow. The question of tipping and what amount was a topic of discussion during dinner. With the high cost of eating out, the added tip often adds insult to injury. What is your opinion on poor service the leaving a tip?

Phyllis Richman: A tip is not really an extra, but is the bulk of the waiter's salary. Thus, if you cut the tip, consider whom you're punishing. The slowness might be the kitchen's fault (in fact, it probably is), and the kitchen staff get a salary even if you don't tip. You should certainly complain about slow service, but high cost of dining doesn't mean that the waiter is making lots of money. You need to consider the tip as part of the cost of eating out, and hold it back only if you are sure the waiter did a really bad job, one that was bad enough to dock his salary.

Washington, D.C.: When dining with more than one person, should all the finished plates be cleared at the same time, or is it proper to clear the plates of those who have finished leaving only those who are still eating with their plates?

Phyllis Richman: No, no, no, no, no. It's a practice that really irritates me. It makes the slower diner feel uncomfortable, to be eating while all the rest of the places are cleared. It is acceptable only when a diner, for some reason, asks that his or her plate be removed before everyone is finished.

Vienna, VA: What is the best place to get a good pork barbeque sandwhich in the D.C. area?

Phyllis Richman:
Ella's, which was once called Levi's, is good, as is Old Glory in Washington. What I really recommend, though, is a day trip to Ayden, NC, to the Skylight Barbecue. None beats this.

Tysons Corner, Virginia: In regards to the fish querie, Pesce's in Dupont Circle has got to be one of the best fish restaurants in the area. The atmosphere is wonderful, service and presentation exquisite and the fish is really done just prefectly.

EnjoY!

Phyllis Richman: Sorry I forgot that one. It has been great, one of my very top favorites. REcently the chef, David Craig, went to Tabard Inn, and I haven't been back to try the new chef. He's from the Danish Embassy, reassuring credentials.

Burtonsville MD: Have you ever been to the Buttermilk Cafe in St. michaels .. if not could you share your thoughts on some other places there (small and intimate)?

Phyllis Richman: I haven't tried the Buttermilk Cafe. And I haven't been to St. Michael's this summer, but I've always liked the Tilghman Island Inn near there. I hear that St. Michaels is burgeoning with restaurants these days. Anyone want to submit suggestions here?

Arlington, VA: We've shared laments about the loss of Keyhole Inn chili. Have you come across anything comparable lately? Hard Times is still about the closest that I've had...

Phyllis Richman: Several years ago I heard that the old incendiary Keyhole Inn chili was being served elsewhere along Wilson Blvd. in Arlington. Anyone know any details?

Downtown DC: Phyllis:

Great response to the question about tipping (worked for too long as a waitron).

Want your opinion on the following. Chef in Cleveland Park has the following theory about dinning at his/her restaurant: if one makes a reservation one is committing to not only eat the food as the chef prepares it, i.e., no special requests, but also to ordering appetizers. Think the issue is partially timing for the kitchen and partially making the most per table. If I go out to eat am I under such an obligation, especially if it is not prix fixe?

Phyllis Richman: Ha!

No, you're not required to order an appetizer unless a restaurant has only fixed-price meals. I've never heard of such a practice, but I can't imagine a restaurant that enforces it would keep its customers for very long.

Washington, DC: On the topic of poor service I was wondering if this would qualify. I ordered a glass of wine to go with my dinner. The waiter returned and said that they were out of that particular kind and suggested something else. I accepted only to find out that it was double the price of the one I had first ordered. Can it be expected that I could still be charged the amount of the first glass of wine?

Phyllis Richman: The waiter should warn you that the second wine is more expensive, and if you are charged without warning you should complain to the manager.

Washington D.C.: What happened to Melati?

Phyllis Richman: I didn't know anything had happened to it. If it's closed, that would be a shame. Anyone out there know?

Arlington, VA: Hi Phyllis! I love your reviews.

Regarding St. Michael's, my husband and I had a wonderful meal at the Town Dock Marina. My husband had incredible grilled tuna and I had some of the best crab cakes I have ever tasted. All this while sitting outside along the water as the sunset. Couldn't ask for more.

Phyllis Richman: Thanks and mroe thanks.

Fairfax, Virginia: Phyllis,

My wife and I have been reading you for so long and following your advice that we feel you are part of the family. Yet, we have no way to visualize you. For obvious reasons, you include no photo of yourself in your articles or books, but just once, before we die, we'd love to know what you look like.

Phyllis Richman: I'm a tall blonde, reed thin and quite astoundingly beautiful.

So watch for me as you dine out. Great list of questions this week, so I thank you all. Sorry I couldn't get to even half of them But I'll keep trying to type faster.

Go out and enjoy that sunshine. At an outdoor cafe, of course.

Until next week....

   |       |