Mediocre food scene in DMV

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The best Chinese food in the area is Panda Express. Really.

Do you mean Panda Gourmet?

[Anonymous]

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.

Yes. But we have great Ethopian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No you are not alone! Although it is getting somewhat better, DC pales in comparison to Philly and NYC. I think it is because rents are higher here and people are just less demanding. Maybe the best restaurants here are as good as other cities, but on the middle and lower end (i.e. Where most of us go most often) it really lacks. For example everyone crows about Maketto and it is really just meh.

OP here - In addition to being less demanding, I find that, at least in my social circle, people are very eager to hop aboard the hype train.

Restaurant space is equal if not more expensive
Naive than in DC

[Anonymous]

naive was a typo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find the food options here to be pretty good, overall. You can get almost any ethnicity of food you could possibly want without having to drive very far, and there are plenty of solid American places for taking less adventurous diners.

I have heard from friends that we don't have good Chinese here. I couldn't care less because i don't find it Chinese food that appealing anyway. (I'm more into Thai and Indian.) Though I can say that Peter Chang's in Arlington is probably the best I've had, and friends agree.

Sorry, there is no good Italian (and I know because I am Italian).

+1 I just cook all my Italian food at home. What really sucks is the lack of good Italian salumi or bakeries in this area! I have to order online or go to Philly or Pittsburgh to get ingredients sometimes.

I am the PP. I cook mine at home too, but, as you say, it is hard to find quality ingredients. Where do you order from? I get some stuff when I go home, but not everything travels well.

I go to old neighborhood butchers and grocers in both cities, because I have relatives in both places and can go visit for Easter or Christmas and stock my freezer, especially with my beloved basket cheese for Easter pie! I sometimes order from http://www.varallobrothersbakery.com/ if I'm craving pastries and don't want to spend 6 days making sfogliatelle! I'll check if any of the little places I go for meat and cheese deliver and post if they do.

Oh, I should add that I have found some good stuff at Let's Meat on the Ave in Del Rey. But for actual Italian sausage? Nothing as good as what's in Philly, NYC, or Pittsburgh anywhere near DC, sadly.

Preach sister. Been trying to figure out how to fly good Italian sausage, speidini and braciolone meat out of my hometown for years now.

Is braciolone like braciole? If so, YUM. Seems like every Italian family has slightly different takes on traditional food based on when and where they came over.

One year I did an Easter pie potluck with a few Italian friends in DC and literally every pie was completely different (but insanely delicious).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The best Chinese food in the area is Panda Express. Really.

Do you mean Panda Gourmet?

No. You can find them in malls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Forget the Chinese, why can no Jewish deli survive here? Why should I have to go to Baltimore for decent corned beef and pastrami?

Because the Jews here become waspified very quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The best Chinese food in the area is Panda Express. Really.

Do you mean Panda Gourmet?

No. You can find them in malls.

Um, no. I'm the Chinese PP who recommended Tony Lin's. Don't get me wrong. I like Panda Express and we eat there periodically, but it's Chinese fast food. It's like saying that Popeye's is the best Louisiana Cajun. It's good and some of the best fried chicken around, but it's not the best Cajun. It's just good fast food. Same with Panda, it's good fast food, but it's not the best Chinese.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are not going to the right places. Not every restaurant is wonderful, but there is PLENTY of awesome food here.

Right. LOL

Yup, Komi, Minibar, Estadio, Doi Moi, 2Amys, Le Diplomate, Rasika... all so mediocre.

Rose's Luxury was voted best new restaurant in USA last year. Mintwood place is great. So is Little Serrow. Fr. casual, I love moby dick and matchbox

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The best Chinese food in the area is Panda Express. Really.

Do you mean Panda Gourmet?

No. You can find them in malls.

Um, no. I'm the Chinese PP who recommended Tony Lin's. Don't get me wrong. I like Panda Express and we eat there periodically, but it's Chinese fast food. It's like saying that Popeye's is the best Louisiana Cajun. It's good and some of the best fried chicken around, but it's not the best Cajun. It's just good fast food. Same with Panda, it's good fast food, but it's not the best Chinese.

Um...that's your opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The best Chinese food in the area is Panda Express. Really.

Do you mean Panda Gourmet?

No. You can find them in malls.

Um, no. I'm the Chinese PP who recommended Tony Lin's. Don't get me wrong. I like Panda Express and we eat there periodically, but it's Chinese fast food. It's like saying that Popeye's is the best Louisiana Cajun. It's good and some of the best fried chicken around, but it's not the best Cajun. It's just good fast food. Same with Panda, it's good fast food, but it's not the best Chinese.

Um...that's your opinion.

Don't you mean

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find the food options here to be pretty good, overall. You can get almost any ethnicity of food you could possibly want without having to drive very far, and there are plenty of solid American places for taking less adventurous diners.

I have heard from friends that we don't have good Chinese here. I couldn't care less because i don't find it Chinese food that appealing anyway. (I'm more into Thai and Indian.) Though I can say that Peter Chang's in Arlington is probably the best I've had, and friends agree.

Sorry, there is no good Italian (and I know because I am Italian).

+1 I just cook all my Italian food at home. What really sucks is the lack of good Italian salumi or bakeries in this area! I have to order online or go to Philly or Pittsburgh to get ingredients sometimes.

I am the PP. I cook mine at home too, but, as you say, it is hard to find quality ingredients. Where do you order from? I get some stuff when I go home, but not everything travels well.

I go to old neighborhood butchers and grocers in both cities, because I have relatives in both places and can go visit for Easter or Christmas and stock my freezer, especially with my beloved basket cheese for Easter pie! I sometimes order from http://www.varallobrothersbakery.com/ if I'm craving pastries and don't want to spend 6 days making sfogliatelle! I'll check if any of the little places I go for meat and cheese deliver and post if they do.

Oh, I should add that I have found some good stuff at Let's Meat on the Ave in Del Rey. But for actual Italian sausage? Nothing as good as what's in Philly, NYC, or Pittsburgh anywhere near DC, sadly.

Preach sister. Been trying to figure out how to fly good Italian sausage, speidini and braciolone meat out of my hometown for years now.

Is braciolone like braciole? If so, YUM. Seems like every Italian family has slightly different takes on traditional food based on when and where they came over.

One year I did an Easter pie potluck with a few Italian friends in DC and literally every pie was completely different (but insanely delicious).

Yes, braciolone is like braciole, maybe a touch smaller. It is a piece of thin beef rolled up with tomato paste, breadcrumbs, onion, Romano, salami, cheese, and hard-boiled eggs, like a larger version of the speidini. It is braised and then cooked in tomato sauce or baked. Mmm!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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)

PP, you're listing all the sceney restaurants, with the exception of Red Hen, which I think is really good. Who cares if it's simpleton food?

You won't find amazing food at sceney restaurants, especially for the price.

I disagree with you about Le Dip though - I think the food is really good. And the prices are Balthazar are crazy; and I don't think they're any better. I've been to France dozens of times and Le Dip reminds me of many neighborhood bistros. The food is comfort food, so I don't think you should expect anything outrageous.

Le me give you some suggestions:

Indian: try Kadhai Boutique Indian in Bethesda. I'm sure there are some good places in DC, but I've been hanging out in Bethesda a lot due to husband's family, and we often go there. I think Rasika is good, but I don't think it's the best.

Blue Duck is really good, and I agree it's expensive - but what do you expect? Itt's a fancy restaurant in the most expensive part of DC.

If you want adventurous go to Rose's Luxury or even Compass Rose. Compass Rose is a little restaurant doing amazing things on 14th st.

There's also the Dabney, which just opened. If you're a meat eater, go to Partisan.

I question the Sceney/non-scenery dichotomy! First, there is no reason why "Sceney" restaurants should be crap. That is kind of op's original frustration: overhyped restaurants. Second of all, there is also a tragic lack of non-Sceney good restaurants in DC proper. It's great that there is good Indian in Langley Park but those of us living in downtown DC would appreciate good local options too. Third, I am glad you think Le Diplomate is decent "comfort food" but

again that is OP's point - the Sceney obsession with a restaurant that is ultimately just "good comfort food!"

"Just good comfort food" sounds really good to me, and the kind of food I want most often--When it comes down to it, this is my preferred cuisine....although I also enjoy restaurants like Rose's Luxury and Little Serrow from time to time

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find the food options here to be pretty good, overall. You can get almost any ethnicity of food you could possibly want without having to drive very far, and there are plenty of solid American places for taking less adventurous diners.

I have heard from friends that we don't have good Chinese here. I couldn't care less because i don't find it Chinese food that appealing anyway. (I'm more into Thai and Indian.) Though I can say that Peter Chang's in Arlington is probably the best I've had, and friends agree.

Sorry, there is no good Italian (and I know because I am Italian).

+1 I just cook all my Italian food at home. What really sucks is the lack of good Italian salumi or bakeries in this area! I have to order online or go to Philly or Pittsburgh to get ingredients sometimes.

I am the PP. I cook mine at home too, but, as you say, it is hard to find quality ingredients. Where do you order from? I get some stuff when I go home, but not everything travels well.

I go to old neighborhood butchers and grocers in both cities, because I have relatives in both places and can go visit for Easter or Christmas and stock my freezer, especially with my beloved basket cheese for Easter pie! I sometimes order from http://www.varallobrothersbakery.com/ if I'm craving pastries and don't want to spend 6 days making sfogliatelle! I'll check if any of the little places I go for meat and cheese deliver and post if they do.

Oh, I should add that I have found some good stuff at Let's Meat on the Ave in Del Rey. But for actual Italian sausage? Nothing as good as what's in Philly, NYC, or Pittsburgh anywhere near DC, sadly.

Preach sister. Been trying to figure out how to fly good Italian sausage, speidini and braciolone meat out of my hometown for years now.

Is braciolone like braciole? If so, YUM. Seems like every Italian family has slightly different takes on traditional food based on when and where they came over.

One year I did an Easter pie potluck with a few Italian friends in DC and literally every pie was completely different (but insanely delicious).

Yes, braciolone is like braciole, maybe a touch smaller. It is a piece of thin beef rolled up with tomato paste, breadcrumbs, onion, Romano, salami, cheese, and hard-boiled eggs, like a larger version of the speidini. It is braised and then cooked in tomato sauce or baked. Mmm!

STAHP you're killing me here, PP!

I do my braciole similarly but with the addition of pine nuts and basil and without eggs or salami. Never tried the version with eggs in it, but hey, I'm game...I think I have to go buy a brisket and lots of ingredients for dinner tonight...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find the food options here to be pretty good, overall. You can get almost any ethnicity of food you could possibly want without having to drive very far, and there are plenty of solid American places for taking less adventurous diners.

I have heard from friends that we don't have good Chinese here. I couldn't care less because i don't find it Chinese food that appealing anyway. (I'm more into Thai and Indian.) Though I can say that Peter Chang's in Arlington is probably the best I've had, and friends agree.

Sorry, there is no good Italian (and I know because I am Italian).

+1 I just cook all my Italian food at home. What really sucks is the lack of good Italian salumi or bakeries in this area! I have to order online or go to Philly or Pittsburgh to get ingredients sometimes.

I am the PP. I cook mine at home too, but, as you say, it is hard to find quality ingredients. Where do you order from? I get some stuff when I go home, but not everything travels well.

I go to old neighborhood butchers and grocers in both cities, because I have relatives in both places and can go visit for Easter or Christmas and stock my freezer, especially with my beloved basket cheese for Easter pie! I sometimes order from http://www.varallobrothersbakery.com/ if I'm craving pastries and don't want to spend 6 days making sfogliatelle! I'll check if any of the little places I go for meat and cheese deliver and post if they do.

Oh, I should add that I have found some good stuff at Let's Meat on the Ave in Del Rey. But for actual Italian sausage? Nothing as good as what's in Philly, NYC, or Pittsburgh anywhere near DC, sadly.

Preach sister. Been trying to figure out how to fly good Italian sausage, speidini and braciolone meat out of my hometown for years now.

Is braciolone like braciole? If so, YUM. Seems like every Italian family has slightly different takes on traditional food based on when and where they came over.

One year I did an Easter pie potluck with a few Italian friends in DC and literally every pie was completely different (but insanely delicious).

Yes, braciolone is like braciole, maybe a touch smaller. It is a piece of thin beef rolled up with tomato paste, breadcrumbs, onion, Romano, salami, cheese, and hard-boiled eggs, like a larger version of the speidini. It is braised and then cooked in tomato sauce or baked. Mmm!

STAHP you're killing me here, PP!

I do my braciole similarly but with the addition of pine nuts and basil and without eggs or salami. Never tried the version with eggs in it, but hey, I'm game...I think I have to go buy a brisket and lots of ingredients for dinner tonight...

Mmm! Pine nuts and basil in it sound good. Have you ever tried the braciole concept as a smaller appetizer size (speidinis)? Just use smaller pieces of meat. So awesome! Best appetizer ever! I am of Sicilian heritage and speidinis are one of our specialties. Now I'm getting hungry, but where to find the meat?