Mediocre food scene in DMV

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

OP here - I get it but I don't see why "expense account" should have anything to do with it. There are "expense account" restaurants in NYC too, but they are kick ass (Perry St., Ai Fiori). These are truly exceptional restaurants and provide for top dining experiences. In my opinion, the restaurants that garner similar notoriety here simply do not live up to many peoples expectations.

Good, then retitle your post to be more precise. You're complaining about a small subset of restaurants in DC, when actuality restaurants like Etete or Dukem (Ethiopian), Thip Khao (Laotian) and Little Serow (Thai) are far more acclaimed by foodie magazines than most of the ones you mentioned.

Op here - LOL to reading about Dukem or Etete in a "foodie magazine". Please spare us. I will also concede that you can find some tasty indian lunch buffets in Arlington strip malls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I completely agree OP. The restaurant scene here is so much of the same, bland, overhyped, overpriced. I often leave these places thinking "I just spent $70-$100 on THAT." Lots of corporate-type restaurants with the same menus and not enough local chefs with innovative ideas. Also, there is virtually no diversity in pricing. You can go out for two burgers and drinks and it still costs $60. In the city where I come from, you can get a four course dinner at a James Beard award winning restaurant for a little more than that. The restaurants here are not very good at hiding the fact that they want to get the most money out of you while giving you the least they can. And, don't get me started on the lack of good Italian, pizza, Mexican, delis, bakeries, sandwich shops, real bars with great bar food. I think that, in this area, too much emphasis is put on developing concepts that they think yuppies will like, rather than on what is actually good. And the yuppies have to pretend to like it or they will be dissing the places where they go and, in turn, dissing themselves. And the last thing a yuppy will ever do is piss in his or her own pool. So, if you look on Yelp, a lot of very mediocre or even bad restaurants in this area get 4 stars.

NP. I completely agree. To get food that isn't just mediocre, one has to spend an enormous amount in DC. There is plenty of good-enough food, but *great* food is very hard to find. I agree that Le Diplomat, Founding Farmers and Farmers Fishers Bakers have terrible food and are WAY over-hyped. I think Baltimore has a better food scene than DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What places have you tried that were not up to snuff?

OP here - I am an avid diner, but off the top of my head:

Blue Duck - Very mediocre (used to be better), but always extremely overpriced.

Red Hen - Fine but simpleton. I've been three times (in my neighborhood) and the menu always lacks a sense of adventure.

Rasika - here I will make a NYC comparison. In NYC I would go to Tabla (now closed) which made Rasika seem like a mall franchise.

Le Diplomate - I consider this the number 1 "hype" offender. These dishes wouldn't make it past the hostess stand at Balthazar (which Le Dip is trying way too hard to be).

Founding Farmers - Organic Applebee's.

Del Campo - mediocre from top to bottom.

My takeaways are this:

- Mid and high-end DC establishments are offensively overpriced. Is there a reason for this?
- many big production restaurants where food is second to ambience.
- DC is big on commoditization, as soon as a restaurant is popular, the immediate reaction is to build another. (Why? this does not happen anywhere else)

You nailed it, OP.

[Anonymous]

OP here - I get it but I don't see why "expense account" should have anything to do with it. There are "expense account" restaurants in NYC too, but they are kick ass (Perry St., Ai Fiori). These are truly exceptional restaurants and provide for top dining experiences. In my opinion, the restaurants that garner similar notoriety here simply do not live up to many peoples expectations.

Good, then retitle your post to be more precise. You're complaining about a small subset of restaurants in DC, when actuality restaurants like Etete or Dukem (Ethiopian), Thip Khao (Laotian) and Little Serow (Thai) are far more acclaimed by foodie magazines than most of the ones you mentioned.

Op here - LOL to reading about Dukem or Etete in a "foodie magazine". Please spare us. I will also concede that you can find some tasty indian lunch buffets in Arlington strip malls.

Here's an article about Etete in Bon Appetit. But no worries--we understand OP's taste runs more towards the Olive Garden.
http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/ingredients/article/unexpected-ethnic-eats-in-the-united-states

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP here - I get it but I don't see why "expense account" should have anything to do with it. There are "expense account" restaurants in NYC too, but they are kick ass (Perry St., Ai Fiori). These are truly exceptional restaurants and provide for top dining experiences. In my opinion, the restaurants that garner similar notoriety here simply do not live up to many peoples expectations.

Good, then retitle your post to be more precise. You're complaining about a small subset of restaurants in DC, when actuality restaurants like Etete or Dukem (Ethiopian), Thip Khao (Laotian) and Little Serow (Thai) are far more acclaimed by foodie magazines than most of the ones you mentioned.

Op here - LOL to reading about Dukem or Etete in a "foodie magazine". Please spare us. I will also concede that you can find some tasty indian lunch buffets in Arlington strip malls.

OP, seriously, Enjoy Applebee's! You don't sound like the type of person who has much of a palate, and therefore you will of course be disappointed by the mac-n-cheese or whatever you call food at whatever you call restaurants.

In fact, this response just makes me think you are an awful troll. Etete is a gem, and you're a boring turd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What places have you tried that were not up to snuff?

OP here - I am an avid diner, but off the top of my head:

Blue Duck - Very mediocre (used to be better), but always extremely overpriced.

Red Hen - Fine but simpleton. I've been three times (in my neighborhood) and the menu always lacks a sense of adventure.

Rasika - here I will make a NYC comparison. In NYC I would go to Tabla (now closed) which made Rasika seem like a mall franchise.

Le Diplomate - I consider this the number 1 "hype" offender. These dishes wouldn't make it past the hostess stand at Balthazar (which Le Dip is trying way too hard to be).

Founding Farmers - Organic Applebee's.

Del Campo - mediocre from top to bottom.

My takeaways are this:

- Mid and high-end DC establishments are offensively overpriced. Is there a reason for this?
- many big production restaurants where food is second to ambience.
- DC is big on commoditization, as soon as a restaurant is popular, the immediate reaction is to build another. (Why? this does not happen anywhere else)

Let me guess - you are originally from NY.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

OP here - I get it but I don't see why "expense account" should have anything to do with it. There are "expense account" restaurants in NYC too, but they are kick ass (Perry St., Ai Fiori). These are truly exceptional restaurants and provide for top dining experiences. In my opinion, the restaurants that garner similar notoriety here simply do not live up to many peoples expectations.

Good, then retitle your post to be more precise. You're complaining about a small subset of restaurants in DC, when actuality restaurants like Etete or Dukem (Ethiopian), Thip Khao (Laotian) and Little Serow (Thai) are far more acclaimed by foodie magazines than most of the ones you mentioned.

Op here - LOL to reading about Dukem or Etete in a "foodie magazine". Please spare us. I will also concede that you can find some tasty indian lunch buffets in Arlington strip malls.

Here's an article about Etete in Bon Appetit. But no worries--we understand OP's taste runs more towards the Olive Garden.
http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/ingredients/article/unexpected-ethnic-eats-in-the-united-states

OP here - I am not fond of the olive garden, my mother never let me eat that trash. A mention is Bon Appetit is great - though it does not seem like they visited (they would probably be let down!), I think Cher Cher is better.

[Anonymous]

OP, seriously, Enjoy Applebee's! You don't sound like the type of person who has much of a palate, and therefore you will of course be disappointed by the mac-n-cheese or whatever you call food at whatever you call restaurants.

In fact, this response just makes me think you are an awful troll. Etete is a gem, and you're a boring turd.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

OP, seriously, Enjoy Applebee's! You don't sound like the type of person who has much of a palate, and therefore you will of course be disappointed by the mac-n-cheese or whatever you call food at whatever you call restaurants.

In fact, this response just makes me think you are an awful troll. Etete is a gem, and you're a boring turd.

+1000

I can't believe you don't understand that there is a lot of middle ground between not thinking that the DC restaurant scene is God's Gift and liking Applebee's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP, seriously, Enjoy Applebee's! You don't sound like the type of person who has much of a palate, and therefore you will of course be disappointed by the mac-n-cheese or whatever you call food at whatever you call restaurants.

In fact, this response just makes me think you are an awful troll. Etete is a gem, and you're a boring turd.

+1000

I can't believe you don't understand that there is a lot of middle ground between not thinking that the DC restaurant scene is God's Gift and liking Applebee's.

I know ... It is inexplicable, like they have never been anywhere else.

[Anonymous]

I can't believe you don't understand that there is a lot of middle ground between not thinking that the DC restaurant scene is God's Gift and liking Applebee's.


I know ... It is inexplicable, like they have never been anywhere else.

I can't believe you don't understand there is a lot of middle ground between not thinking the food scene in all of DC, Maryland and Virginia is "mediocre" and recognizing that there are restaurant gems all over the area. But yes PP, it clearly must be that everyone posting on this thread that OP should recognize the ethnic gems of DC has never been anywhere else but DC

[Anonymous]

OP, we get it - want to be hipster who just moved to DC. Get out of mid-city and visit other areas of the city.

The fact that you even mentioned Le D as "hype" makes me wonder what "social circle" you are running in. It's long past hype - it's now a family place for the the young parents living downtown.

Now if you said L'hommage was over hyped, maybe I would think you knew what you were talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I can't believe you don't understand that there is a lot of middle ground between not thinking that the DC restaurant scene is God's Gift and liking Applebee's.


I know ... It is inexplicable, like they have never been anywhere else.

I can't believe you don't understand there is a lot of middle ground between not thinking the food scene in all of DC, Maryland and Virginia is "mediocre" and recognizing that there are restaurant gems all over the area. But yes PP, it clearly must be that everyone posting on this thread that OP should recognize the ethnic gems of DC has never been anywhere else but DC

Please list the gems. I'm genuinely curious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you from that you expect much better food/service? I'm from CA, and I find that there isn't as much diverse ethnic foods here, especially really good Mexican. I miss good Mexican food.

OP here - NYC. That said, I am not basing my comparison on NY. I'm thinking of Charleston, New Orleans, Philly, Richmond, Asheville, etc. In all seriousness, I think a lot of residents here lack culinary awareness. [/quote

I find the food lacking compared to Richmond, too. And Cleveland!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I can't believe you don't understand that there is a lot of middle ground between not thinking that the DC restaurant scene is God's Gift and liking Applebee's.


I know ... It is inexplicable, like they have never been anywhere else.

I can't believe you don't understand there is a lot of middle ground between not thinking the food scene in all of DC, Maryland and Virginia is "mediocre" and recognizing that there are restaurant gems all over the area. But yes PP, it clearly must be that everyone posting on this thread that OP should recognize the ethnic gems of DC has never been anywhere else but DC

But the OP has only listed places in "DC" that are in NW. To bash the "mediocre food scene" in the city, when the OP has not been able to get his/her entitled ass over to any other area besides downtown and maybe Cleveland Park, says the OP hasn't really explored DC at all.

Washington is more than just Le Diplomate and Clydes.