If you were a fan of David Cook from last season's American Idol (who was so much more awesome than that pansy-ass "other" David), make your way to iTunes (or I guess you could buy a cd if you're, ya know, ten years behind technology). He's released a new song called Light On, and at first listen, it's pretty good.
Hmmm, there's also a new Ben Folds/Regina Spektor collaboration and a new Nickelback single (Yes, I like Nickelback. Deal.)
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Justin Jones and the Driving Rain
Speaking of going out on the cheap, what could be better than a FREE concert?
On Thursday, October 16, Jones and Co. will play a free concert at the Rock and Roll Hotel on H St, NE. This is a special 21+ only event, so I'm guessing that there may be some sort of alcohol sponsorship resulting in the free concert.
For those of you unfamiliar, Jones is a band that is gaining popularity on the DC/Mid-Atlantic circuit. I first saw him when he opened for Pat Green earlier this summer at 9:30 club. His early stuff was country with a heavy bluegrass influence, but more recent titles appear to be tilting more toward current mainstream country.
I'm not a huge country fan, but I like this band, and... free is free. For those uninitiated to the H street corridor, I'll try to do my write-up well in time for the 16th.
On Thursday, October 16, Jones and Co. will play a free concert at the Rock and Roll Hotel on H St, NE. This is a special 21+ only event, so I'm guessing that there may be some sort of alcohol sponsorship resulting in the free concert.
For those of you unfamiliar, Jones is a band that is gaining popularity on the DC/Mid-Atlantic circuit. I first saw him when he opened for Pat Green earlier this summer at 9:30 club. His early stuff was country with a heavy bluegrass influence, but more recent titles appear to be tilting more toward current mainstream country.
I'm not a huge country fan, but I like this band, and... free is free. For those uninitiated to the H street corridor, I'll try to do my write-up well in time for the 16th.
Oh Good God
Well apparently since Kevin Costner was sooooooo good at making movies (think: Waterworld, Postman, etc) he's decided to branch out. Yep, that's right, Kevin Costner is going to release a country music album this fall.
I doubt I'll be frantically refreshing iTunes to be among the first to download this one.
I doubt I'll be frantically refreshing iTunes to be among the first to download this one.
Living on a Budget
Whether you're directly affected by the economic slowdown (train wreck) or not, it's still not a bad idea to watch the cash outflow from time to time. In this spirit (as your life concierge is dirt poor right now. come on people, concierges get tips...), I offer some of my lower cost alternatives to common life concierge areas.
1. Vapianos (see review in the post below) - most food items are around ten dollars and the drinks are relatively cheap, but it still has a good vibe.
2. Booeymonger - several locations in the DC area including Georgetown and Friendship Heights. This deli offers great breakfast and good hot and cold deli sandwiches that go beyond tuna salad and turkey. I like the Ace, which is a baguette with turkey, russian dressing, tomato, grilled onions and muenster cheese. They have a good selection of sides, sell beer, and are open late night.
3. Deals at select Clyde's Restaurants - Many Clyde's locations offer a lower-priced menu at the bar during the late afternoon hours, Saturdays at lunch, and all day Sundays. Deals include a 5$ burger, discount wings, salads, and a crabcake sandwich. This is also in effect late night certain days of the week.
Clyde's locations that have raw bars have half-priced times that vary depending on location, but most are in the afternoon and then again late night (Gallery Place is all day on Sundays). Jumbo shrimp are just 1.25 per piece and a dozen oysters are 11.95 during these hours. If you're ever going to get the grand shellfish platter, do so during this time and save yourself 40+ bucks.
Many Clydes locations (most frequently the ones that don't have the raw bars) do half priced wine nights either Sunday or Monday. A bottle of Clyde's House Label on these days will be around 11 bucks (their house cabernet and chardonnay aren't bad), with most of the rest of the wine list also at half off.
Visit clydes.com for more information on all of these deals
4. Movies before noon. Alright, I get that some people think going to movies on a Saturday morning is odd. But get this - its almost never sold out, is never really all that busy, and the tickets are dirt cheap. They vary by location but most AMC theatres offer $5-$6 tickets on all shows before noon. A quiet theatre and a $5 ticket is worth an 11am start time if you ask me.
5. To save on Travel, swallow your fears and use a blind reservation system like Hotwire or Priceline. Hotwire simply gives you the price and a relatively exact neighborhood listing with an accompanying star rating for hotels. Priceline you bid low with those same details, you'll likely get a similar price with each system. As I wrote about last week, there are a lot of deals to be had on hotels right now, it may be worth a shot to stay at a nicer place and pay less money than the listed rack rate at the Holiday Inn. Also if you are familiar with the area you can also get pretty good at guessing the hotels by the star rating and neighborhood.
Be careful if using Priceline to book air travel, and be flexible. The system will book you on any flight between 6a-10p if using the name your price feature, but by far the most common flights awarded on priceline are between 6a-7a, so make sure you can travel early.
As the commercials say, Southwest may not have the lowest fares, but they definately do have the lowest (or no) fees. By the time you factor in priceline's fees, you may be a wash compared to the convenience of choosing your exact flights on Southwest. And Southwest only charges 4$ for drinks versus 6$ on the legacy carriers.
6. Don't be afraid of a little corkage fee. Want to go out to Central but don't have the cash for the wine? Pick up a 10$ bottle at the liquor store and pay the 20$ Central corkage fee - you'll still save around $20 rather than buying at list price in the restaurant. Many DC area restaurants will offer discount corkage nights - for example Dino's in Cleveland Park doesn't charge corkage on Sundays.
7. Private sales - Designers often have private sales that will charge an entry fee but have deeply discounted merchandise. If you're looking for a Furstenberg dress but don't want to sell a kidney, sign up for hautelook.com for more info on these sales.
-Please remember if you're at a location where tipping is appropriate that even though you are paying discount, your servers still need to make rent and tip according to normal full price.
1. Vapianos (see review in the post below) - most food items are around ten dollars and the drinks are relatively cheap, but it still has a good vibe.
2. Booeymonger - several locations in the DC area including Georgetown and Friendship Heights. This deli offers great breakfast and good hot and cold deli sandwiches that go beyond tuna salad and turkey. I like the Ace, which is a baguette with turkey, russian dressing, tomato, grilled onions and muenster cheese. They have a good selection of sides, sell beer, and are open late night.
3. Deals at select Clyde's Restaurants - Many Clyde's locations offer a lower-priced menu at the bar during the late afternoon hours, Saturdays at lunch, and all day Sundays. Deals include a 5$ burger, discount wings, salads, and a crabcake sandwich. This is also in effect late night certain days of the week.
Clyde's locations that have raw bars have half-priced times that vary depending on location, but most are in the afternoon and then again late night (Gallery Place is all day on Sundays). Jumbo shrimp are just 1.25 per piece and a dozen oysters are 11.95 during these hours. If you're ever going to get the grand shellfish platter, do so during this time and save yourself 40+ bucks.
Many Clydes locations (most frequently the ones that don't have the raw bars) do half priced wine nights either Sunday or Monday. A bottle of Clyde's House Label on these days will be around 11 bucks (their house cabernet and chardonnay aren't bad), with most of the rest of the wine list also at half off.
Visit clydes.com for more information on all of these deals
4. Movies before noon. Alright, I get that some people think going to movies on a Saturday morning is odd. But get this - its almost never sold out, is never really all that busy, and the tickets are dirt cheap. They vary by location but most AMC theatres offer $5-$6 tickets on all shows before noon. A quiet theatre and a $5 ticket is worth an 11am start time if you ask me.
5. To save on Travel, swallow your fears and use a blind reservation system like Hotwire or Priceline. Hotwire simply gives you the price and a relatively exact neighborhood listing with an accompanying star rating for hotels. Priceline you bid low with those same details, you'll likely get a similar price with each system. As I wrote about last week, there are a lot of deals to be had on hotels right now, it may be worth a shot to stay at a nicer place and pay less money than the listed rack rate at the Holiday Inn. Also if you are familiar with the area you can also get pretty good at guessing the hotels by the star rating and neighborhood.
Be careful if using Priceline to book air travel, and be flexible. The system will book you on any flight between 6a-10p if using the name your price feature, but by far the most common flights awarded on priceline are between 6a-7a, so make sure you can travel early.
As the commercials say, Southwest may not have the lowest fares, but they definately do have the lowest (or no) fees. By the time you factor in priceline's fees, you may be a wash compared to the convenience of choosing your exact flights on Southwest. And Southwest only charges 4$ for drinks versus 6$ on the legacy carriers.
6. Don't be afraid of a little corkage fee. Want to go out to Central but don't have the cash for the wine? Pick up a 10$ bottle at the liquor store and pay the 20$ Central corkage fee - you'll still save around $20 rather than buying at list price in the restaurant. Many DC area restaurants will offer discount corkage nights - for example Dino's in Cleveland Park doesn't charge corkage on Sundays.
7. Private sales - Designers often have private sales that will charge an entry fee but have deeply discounted merchandise. If you're looking for a Furstenberg dress but don't want to sell a kidney, sign up for hautelook.com for more info on these sales.
-Please remember if you're at a location where tipping is appropriate that even though you are paying discount, your servers still need to make rent and tip according to normal full price.
Vapianos
Cheesehead has recently introduced me to Vapiano's on 18th and M st. It's a small chain based in Europe. You go in, they give you a little card, and then whatever you order they put on the card (really helps if dinning with lots of people and splitting the check). You can order pastas, salads, and pizzas - all made to order. The place has a cosmopolitan loungy feeling to it, and can be fun for a happy hour or more inexpensive dinner before going out in Dupont or Georgetown. Plus I like the little desserts for 2.50.
My only complaint is, even though yes, it IS made to order, the lines are incredibly slow. You order at the counter and stand there while they make it, and it's probably a 5 minute process per customer. When you have a packed lunch crowd, thats a lot of customers and a very slow moving line. They're opening another outlet in Chinatown this December, I hope they get their act together on the timing before then because that one will be crazy busy. Also worth noting, there aren't really waiters per se, so you will need to get your own drinks if there for happy hour.
My only complaint is, even though yes, it IS made to order, the lines are incredibly slow. You order at the counter and stand there while they make it, and it's probably a 5 minute process per customer. When you have a packed lunch crowd, thats a lot of customers and a very slow moving line. They're opening another outlet in Chinatown this December, I hope they get their act together on the timing before then because that one will be crazy busy. Also worth noting, there aren't really waiters per se, so you will need to get your own drinks if there for happy hour.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Tortoise and Hare
I'm gonna be perfectly honest, I'm not a huge fan of Northern Virginia. I mean, I live in Maryland, it's sort of a requirement that we dislike the land across the river (though Tysons seems to be exempt...) Despite this, I've found myself increasingly out in Virginia lately, and one of the best places I've found to go out is at Tortoise and Hare on 23rd street in Crystal City.
First of all, I'm a huge fan of their slogan: You Hop In, You Crawl Out. Get it? Geeeeeeet it? (this has rang surprisingly true on my visits). Most Fridays and Saturdays, T&H has live music, and they seem to favor 80's music pretty heavily, which, for this white boy that can't dance but likes to, is perfect. It's a good crowd, not divey without being pretentious, and has a pretty good bar staff. So if you're in the area, I'd suggest you stop by the Crystal City Sports Pub for some steak bites, and then head next door to shake your groove thang at one of the few bars in NoVa that I really enjoy.
First of all, I'm a huge fan of their slogan: You Hop In, You Crawl Out. Get it? Geeeeeeet it? (this has rang surprisingly true on my visits). Most Fridays and Saturdays, T&H has live music, and they seem to favor 80's music pretty heavily, which, for this white boy that can't dance but likes to, is perfect. It's a good crowd, not divey without being pretentious, and has a pretty good bar staff. So if you're in the area, I'd suggest you stop by the Crystal City Sports Pub for some steak bites, and then head next door to shake your groove thang at one of the few bars in NoVa that I really enjoy.
Friday, September 26, 2008
How the Economy's Loss Can Be Your Gain
That is, of course, if you are lucky and relatively unaffected by the downturn...
The recent economic tailspin has had one positive affect - certain sectors of travel and tourism are getting ridiculously cheap. Sadly, air fare isn't one of those areas.
Hotels are the main area of savings. Travelzoo (if you aren't on their weekly list you're being dumb, go travelzoo.com and sign up for their top 20 email list - distributed on Wednesdays) this week has a 4-star hotel on Broadway (the Millenium, I've stayed there, it's nice, but security and I had a run-in. But that's a different blog) for 199$ with an upgrade to a superior room. $199 for that neighborhood in September is freaking ridiculous, like, I almost want to book it just so I can brag that I got that price, level of ridiculous.
Vegas is even better as it's not as insulated as New York by Europeans looking to take advantage of the weak dollar against the Euro (and according to all reports, also not tip their waiters on thousand dollar dinner checks, but that's another blog). There are several 5-star hotels right now on the Las Vegas Strip for less than $170 per night. These are five star, suite hotels. I stayed at the Trump last week (also 5 star) for $158 per night.
Mexico is in a similar boat as Vegas. Stay at an all-inclusive beach resort, WITH air from select cities, for 5 days at $499.
Now if only my holiday plane tickets would start to go down...
The recent economic tailspin has had one positive affect - certain sectors of travel and tourism are getting ridiculously cheap. Sadly, air fare isn't one of those areas.
Hotels are the main area of savings. Travelzoo (if you aren't on their weekly list you're being dumb, go travelzoo.com and sign up for their top 20 email list - distributed on Wednesdays) this week has a 4-star hotel on Broadway (the Millenium, I've stayed there, it's nice, but security and I had a run-in. But that's a different blog) for 199$ with an upgrade to a superior room. $199 for that neighborhood in September is freaking ridiculous, like, I almost want to book it just so I can brag that I got that price, level of ridiculous.
Vegas is even better as it's not as insulated as New York by Europeans looking to take advantage of the weak dollar against the Euro (and according to all reports, also not tip their waiters on thousand dollar dinner checks, but that's another blog). There are several 5-star hotels right now on the Las Vegas Strip for less than $170 per night. These are five star, suite hotels. I stayed at the Trump last week (also 5 star) for $158 per night.
Mexico is in a similar boat as Vegas. Stay at an all-inclusive beach resort, WITH air from select cities, for 5 days at $499.
Now if only my holiday plane tickets would start to go down...
My Favorite Things: Restaurants
This is the first in a series of my favorite things in various areas of life.
My favorite restaurants don't necessarily have the finest food, most professional service, or fantastic ambience - they're just my favorite places to go. Best, does not necessarily (but frequently does in my case) equal favorite. This list is also D.C. heavy, for obvious reasons.
In descending order:
5. The Vernon Inn (Greek - Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
I know, whuda thunk it. The best greek restaurant I've ever been to in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. But the fact that it's run by a dude named Basil should give you a hint that there's at least some authenticity here. (as I side note, I love greek food and have been to greek restaurants all over the place)
TVI serves the best saganaki I've had, and is a must get for an appetizer. Take a brick of Kaseri (sheep's milk) cheese, coat in flour, and then fry in butter for a few minutes on each side. Then they bring it out to the table, douse it with brandy and OOPAH! Crispy brown on the outside, gooey on the inside... cheesy goodness.
All the classic greek dishes are here - gyros, pastitsio, moussaka, dolmanthes (the spelling of which seems to vary by restaurant). The service is friendly (it's a family run operation) and the ambience is warm and modern.
4. Momofuku Ssam Bar (Hmm, we'll call this Korean street food, New York City's lower east side)
Momofuku Ssam is one of several restaurants by David Chang, who has taken the city by storm in recent years (and earned Chang a James Beard for Momofuku Ko - good luck getting a reservation).
I'm sure all of Chang's casual and accessible dishes at Ssam are good, but there is only one reason to go to Momofuku - the steamed pork buns. Frank Rich of the NYTimes has called this the finest sandwich in the city. Take an unbelievably soft steamed bun, top with hefty chunks of pork belly (a fatty, kind of brisquet, kind of bacon, porky goodness), then add hoisin, scallion, and cucumber. Excuse me, I think I just wet myself (and I didn't have to pee.)
Last time I was there you could get these in a "lunch box" with 2 buns (they are like sliders), pickles, and a drink (no diet coke). The pickles weren't Gerkins either, chopped fresh vegetables in a briney liquid that wasn't too sweet was a great accompaniment to the fatty pork.
Fair warning, all three of Chang's restaurants are incredibly hard to get into, and only Ko takes reservations (again, good luck with that). Waits in the narrow spaces can be in excess of 90 minutes for dinner, and while the staff is friendly enough, they know they don't need to go out of their way to keep this gravy train going.
Side notes: there is a raw bar, Ssam is open late, and you should try the Ramen at Chang's Noodle Bar (it doesn't come out of a little plastic bag)
3. 1789 (Classic American with some French Accents, Washington, D.C)
The single best meal I've ever had in my life may have been at 1789 this summer. During a summer coupon special no less. I've already posted the review of this restaurant previously on the site, so I'll just hit some high points.
The downstairs dining room can be a bit... stuffy. Luckily this is offset by the warm and approachable staff members, who are incredibly good at what they do. The staff did a nice job of greeting guests at the door, and were very good at suggestiong wines to accompany the courses. I especially appreciated the little innovative touches that kept this old guard restaurant fresh. Jacket required for gentleman. Good thing I'm not a gentleman.
2. Coastal Flats (Casual American with an emphasis on seafood, Tysons Corner, VA)
This restaurant is in a mall. And it's good. I'll give you a minute to wrap your brain around that.
Coastal Flats is part of the Great American chain, which has around 10 restaurants in the Northern Virginia area (there is a stand-alone CFs in Shirlington, but who would go to Shirlington when you can go to Tysons instead?). Great American is well known for their high standards of customer service - they're rumored to insist new hires sign a year-long service agreement so they don't waste money with their intensive training program on short-timers.
The so-called "Ozzy" rolls are the first great part about this place. These are basically just savory donuts, little fried balls of doughy goodness, that are served with a slightly sweet whipped butter. My favorite main course is the Shrimp and Creamy Grit Cakes. Based on a tasso cream sauce, the shrimp are served with slivered asparagus, pancetta, and triangles of smooth grits - just don't tell your cardiologist. An entree of beef tips on penne is served with a tequila cream sauce - they do tend to run out of these early in the evening.
The salads are all good, but some have said they don't care for the herb ranch dressing. I'm a big fan of the seared tuna salad and have also heard great things about the Goat Cheese salad. The crab cakes are excellent, though I'd ask the market price first (can be pretty freaking high) and are served with an addictive homemade coleslaw (they put pickle in it). My least favorite dish was the pecan trusted trout - the sweet sauce just didn't jive with the rest of the dish - in fact I found it almost revolting. I'm also not a big fan of the way they serve their wine.
On the sandwich side, the shrimp roll is good, the lobster roll is ok, but its worth the extra dollar to sub up from the skinny french fries - either with the coleslaw, or if they have them as the vegetable, heirloom tomatoes with black pepper and balsamic dressing. As a tip - some days they have tuna burgers, but they are almost always gone by the end of lunch. These are amazing, definately worth asking about. Oh, and don't skip dessert.
1. Michel Richard Central (French/American Bistro, Washington, D.C.)
The youger, more casual, and somewhat cheaper sibling restaurant of Richard's establishment restaurant Citronelle, Central burst on the scene two years ago and was quickly named one of the top ten restaurants in the country by The New York Times and the fine folks at James Beard.
I also posted a review of this previously, but some highlights: Best tartare I've ever had, though it oddly is not served with crackers. The burgers (beef, tuna, and lobster) are famous, and rightly so. The fried chicken is definately not from Kentucky, and the faux gras is a tasty and more humane alternative to the goose liver standby. Rumor has it the folks at Nestle bristled at Richard calling his dessert the Kit Kat, as it is sooooooo much better than theirs, but now you must go and order Richard's "chocolate bar" (same thing). Great bar scene and hip customers can, if you try to look past it, make up for the sometimes lacking service.
My favorite restaurants don't necessarily have the finest food, most professional service, or fantastic ambience - they're just my favorite places to go. Best, does not necessarily (but frequently does in my case) equal favorite. This list is also D.C. heavy, for obvious reasons.
In descending order:
5. The Vernon Inn (Greek - Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
I know, whuda thunk it. The best greek restaurant I've ever been to in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. But the fact that it's run by a dude named Basil should give you a hint that there's at least some authenticity here. (as I side note, I love greek food and have been to greek restaurants all over the place)
TVI serves the best saganaki I've had, and is a must get for an appetizer. Take a brick of Kaseri (sheep's milk) cheese, coat in flour, and then fry in butter for a few minutes on each side. Then they bring it out to the table, douse it with brandy and OOPAH! Crispy brown on the outside, gooey on the inside... cheesy goodness.
All the classic greek dishes are here - gyros, pastitsio, moussaka, dolmanthes (the spelling of which seems to vary by restaurant). The service is friendly (it's a family run operation) and the ambience is warm and modern.
4. Momofuku Ssam Bar (Hmm, we'll call this Korean street food, New York City's lower east side)
Momofuku Ssam is one of several restaurants by David Chang, who has taken the city by storm in recent years (and earned Chang a James Beard for Momofuku Ko - good luck getting a reservation).
I'm sure all of Chang's casual and accessible dishes at Ssam are good, but there is only one reason to go to Momofuku - the steamed pork buns. Frank Rich of the NYTimes has called this the finest sandwich in the city. Take an unbelievably soft steamed bun, top with hefty chunks of pork belly (a fatty, kind of brisquet, kind of bacon, porky goodness), then add hoisin, scallion, and cucumber. Excuse me, I think I just wet myself (and I didn't have to pee.)
Last time I was there you could get these in a "lunch box" with 2 buns (they are like sliders), pickles, and a drink (no diet coke). The pickles weren't Gerkins either, chopped fresh vegetables in a briney liquid that wasn't too sweet was a great accompaniment to the fatty pork.
Fair warning, all three of Chang's restaurants are incredibly hard to get into, and only Ko takes reservations (again, good luck with that). Waits in the narrow spaces can be in excess of 90 minutes for dinner, and while the staff is friendly enough, they know they don't need to go out of their way to keep this gravy train going.
Side notes: there is a raw bar, Ssam is open late, and you should try the Ramen at Chang's Noodle Bar (it doesn't come out of a little plastic bag)
3. 1789 (Classic American with some French Accents, Washington, D.C)
The single best meal I've ever had in my life may have been at 1789 this summer. During a summer coupon special no less. I've already posted the review of this restaurant previously on the site, so I'll just hit some high points.
The downstairs dining room can be a bit... stuffy. Luckily this is offset by the warm and approachable staff members, who are incredibly good at what they do. The staff did a nice job of greeting guests at the door, and were very good at suggestiong wines to accompany the courses. I especially appreciated the little innovative touches that kept this old guard restaurant fresh. Jacket required for gentleman. Good thing I'm not a gentleman.
2. Coastal Flats (Casual American with an emphasis on seafood, Tysons Corner, VA)
This restaurant is in a mall. And it's good. I'll give you a minute to wrap your brain around that.
Coastal Flats is part of the Great American chain, which has around 10 restaurants in the Northern Virginia area (there is a stand-alone CFs in Shirlington, but who would go to Shirlington when you can go to Tysons instead?). Great American is well known for their high standards of customer service - they're rumored to insist new hires sign a year-long service agreement so they don't waste money with their intensive training program on short-timers.
The so-called "Ozzy" rolls are the first great part about this place. These are basically just savory donuts, little fried balls of doughy goodness, that are served with a slightly sweet whipped butter. My favorite main course is the Shrimp and Creamy Grit Cakes. Based on a tasso cream sauce, the shrimp are served with slivered asparagus, pancetta, and triangles of smooth grits - just don't tell your cardiologist. An entree of beef tips on penne is served with a tequila cream sauce - they do tend to run out of these early in the evening.
The salads are all good, but some have said they don't care for the herb ranch dressing. I'm a big fan of the seared tuna salad and have also heard great things about the Goat Cheese salad. The crab cakes are excellent, though I'd ask the market price first (can be pretty freaking high) and are served with an addictive homemade coleslaw (they put pickle in it). My least favorite dish was the pecan trusted trout - the sweet sauce just didn't jive with the rest of the dish - in fact I found it almost revolting. I'm also not a big fan of the way they serve their wine.
On the sandwich side, the shrimp roll is good, the lobster roll is ok, but its worth the extra dollar to sub up from the skinny french fries - either with the coleslaw, or if they have them as the vegetable, heirloom tomatoes with black pepper and balsamic dressing. As a tip - some days they have tuna burgers, but they are almost always gone by the end of lunch. These are amazing, definately worth asking about. Oh, and don't skip dessert.
1. Michel Richard Central (French/American Bistro, Washington, D.C.)
The youger, more casual, and somewhat cheaper sibling restaurant of Richard's establishment restaurant Citronelle, Central burst on the scene two years ago and was quickly named one of the top ten restaurants in the country by The New York Times and the fine folks at James Beard.
I also posted a review of this previously, but some highlights: Best tartare I've ever had, though it oddly is not served with crackers. The burgers (beef, tuna, and lobster) are famous, and rightly so. The fried chicken is definately not from Kentucky, and the faux gras is a tasty and more humane alternative to the goose liver standby. Rumor has it the folks at Nestle bristled at Richard calling his dessert the Kit Kat, as it is sooooooo much better than theirs, but now you must go and order Richard's "chocolate bar" (same thing). Great bar scene and hip customers can, if you try to look past it, make up for the sometimes lacking service.
Goin to the Movies...
Two new movies roll into most theatres this weekend, both to somewhat middling reviews.
Eagle Eye - Starring Shia LeBeouf, conceived by Steven Spielberg (who did not direct), this movie follows a guy essentially being framed for terrorism and then guided by a mysterious voice on the phone to do various illegal activities. But from the nearly unanimous agreement by sources that have seen it say that if you're looking to see shit blow up - go for it. Otherwise if you actually like a plot, this may not be the movie for you. 2 hours.
Miracle at St. Anna - the latest Spike Lee "joint" is about 4 black soldiers who get caught in an Italian village during WW2. There's been a lot of Oscar hype about this one, but recent reports suggest that Lee may have taken a few too many liberties as director, and now the movie is more (cliche and syrupy) style than substance. I don't know about you, but a movie better be pretty freaking good for my fat ass to sit through 2 hours 40 minutes.
Eagle Eye - Starring Shia LeBeouf, conceived by Steven Spielberg (who did not direct), this movie follows a guy essentially being framed for terrorism and then guided by a mysterious voice on the phone to do various illegal activities. But from the nearly unanimous agreement by sources that have seen it say that if you're looking to see shit blow up - go for it. Otherwise if you actually like a plot, this may not be the movie for you. 2 hours.
Miracle at St. Anna - the latest Spike Lee "joint" is about 4 black soldiers who get caught in an Italian village during WW2. There's been a lot of Oscar hype about this one, but recent reports suggest that Lee may have taken a few too many liberties as director, and now the movie is more (cliche and syrupy) style than substance. I don't know about you, but a movie better be pretty freaking good for my fat ass to sit through 2 hours 40 minutes.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Coming to a bar near you - High-Price Shopping?
J. Crew is the latest in a recent trend in New York (and a much older trend of London) of high end stores moving into spaces that used to be drinking establishments. Now, I'm not sure J. Crew would normally classify as high end, but the new venture moving into a former TriBeCa lounge is not your normal J. Crew. They're selling $3,000 jackets. (If I'm going to drop three grand on a single item of clothing, you'll find me at Tom Ford, thanks).
Personally, I kind of like the idea. Many of New York's bars are OLD and have a lot of character. It also maintains the historical integrity of neighborhoods like SoHo and Greenwich Village that have been fighting against a recent spate of new development applications (some of which are pretty heinous). Plus, who doesn't like a bar?!
Interestingly enough, the President of J. Crew has his office phone and email printed in every catalog. If you call and leave a message, he generally returns calls (that aren't pranks) within a day. No lie.
Personally, I kind of like the idea. Many of New York's bars are OLD and have a lot of character. It also maintains the historical integrity of neighborhoods like SoHo and Greenwich Village that have been fighting against a recent spate of new development applications (some of which are pretty heinous). Plus, who doesn't like a bar?!
Interestingly enough, the President of J. Crew has his office phone and email printed in every catalog. If you call and leave a message, he generally returns calls (that aren't pranks) within a day. No lie.
The Weekend Edition
Has anyone noticed that good events seem to clump up around DC? This weekend is definately a clumper (well that just sounds bad), here are my picks:
National Book Festival - On the National Mall between 3rd and 7th St from 10a-5:30 pm, Saturday only, rain or shine.
This yearly event is a must-go for the reading fans in the group. Huge tents are set up with all sorts of authors to meet, books to buy, and then have them signed by said authors. Laura Bush co-hosts the event with the Librarian of Congress, and special guests this year include Bob Scheiffer, Tiki Barber, Brad Meltzer, and lots more. Chinua Achebe was in town earlier this week but isn't listed on the official schedule, so you may or may not be able to see him.
Barrack's Row Oktoberfest - At the Marine Barracks at 8th and I st SE (Eastern Market metro) with vendors set up on 8th St. 11a-5p, Saturday Only.
This is Oktoberfest, Marine style (I'm guessing Hawk and Dove isn't a vendor this year). Tour the Marine Barracks and the Commandant's House, with an Iron Chef competition featuring chefs from the Army, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Navy. And don't worry kids, just because its at the Barracks doesn't mean its alcohol free (or it probably wouldn't be on this blog).
Virginia Wine Festival - Prince William County Fairgrounds in Mannassas, 20$ in advance or 25$ at the door. 11a-5p, Saturday and Sunday
Wines, art, and live music are hopping at one of the best Wine Festivals in NoVa. More than 50 wineries will be offering samples, so please people, take the bus (Organized by Washington Wine Academy) or a designated driver (they get free NA drinks and discounted $15 tickets). VA Police are notorious for stalking the exits to these events.
Crafty Bastards Art Fair - Corner of Kalorama and 18th St in Adams Morgan, 10a-5p Sunday only.
You normally wouldn't find me putting a craft fair up, but this yearly show is a bit... eclectic (as we'd expect in Adams Morgan). Plus afterwards you can troll 18th St for a bar to watch the skins game.
And finally, Eric's Pick of the Weekend...
Redskins vs. Dallas Cowboys - 4:15pm Sunday, broadcast network, sure to be shown at every bar in the DC Metro area.
Shiiiiiit, I'm ALWAYS ready for some football, but this Sunday its the vehement rivals Redskins versus the undefeated (for now) Cowboys. Without Jason Taylor, facing a staunch Dallas Defensive line, and a Tony Romo that seems to be able to do no wrong this year, the Redskins face a challenge. Head out to your favorite game watching place to catch the action. My favorite places to catch the game are today's top 5 list on the right nav bar. We'll just hope Jessica Simpson shows up in the stands...
National Book Festival - On the National Mall between 3rd and 7th St from 10a-5:30 pm, Saturday only, rain or shine.
This yearly event is a must-go for the reading fans in the group. Huge tents are set up with all sorts of authors to meet, books to buy, and then have them signed by said authors. Laura Bush co-hosts the event with the Librarian of Congress, and special guests this year include Bob Scheiffer, Tiki Barber, Brad Meltzer, and lots more. Chinua Achebe was in town earlier this week but isn't listed on the official schedule, so you may or may not be able to see him.
Barrack's Row Oktoberfest - At the Marine Barracks at 8th and I st SE (Eastern Market metro) with vendors set up on 8th St. 11a-5p, Saturday Only.
This is Oktoberfest, Marine style (I'm guessing Hawk and Dove isn't a vendor this year). Tour the Marine Barracks and the Commandant's House, with an Iron Chef competition featuring chefs from the Army, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Navy. And don't worry kids, just because its at the Barracks doesn't mean its alcohol free (or it probably wouldn't be on this blog).
Virginia Wine Festival - Prince William County Fairgrounds in Mannassas, 20$ in advance or 25$ at the door. 11a-5p, Saturday and Sunday
Wines, art, and live music are hopping at one of the best Wine Festivals in NoVa. More than 50 wineries will be offering samples, so please people, take the bus (Organized by Washington Wine Academy) or a designated driver (they get free NA drinks and discounted $15 tickets). VA Police are notorious for stalking the exits to these events.
Crafty Bastards Art Fair - Corner of Kalorama and 18th St in Adams Morgan, 10a-5p Sunday only.
You normally wouldn't find me putting a craft fair up, but this yearly show is a bit... eclectic (as we'd expect in Adams Morgan). Plus afterwards you can troll 18th St for a bar to watch the skins game.
And finally, Eric's Pick of the Weekend...
Redskins vs. Dallas Cowboys - 4:15pm Sunday, broadcast network, sure to be shown at every bar in the DC Metro area.
Shiiiiiit, I'm ALWAYS ready for some football, but this Sunday its the vehement rivals Redskins versus the undefeated (for now) Cowboys. Without Jason Taylor, facing a staunch Dallas Defensive line, and a Tony Romo that seems to be able to do no wrong this year, the Redskins face a challenge. Head out to your favorite game watching place to catch the action. My favorite places to catch the game are today's top 5 list on the right nav bar. We'll just hope Jessica Simpson shows up in the stands...
MySpace Launches New Music App
I know MySpace has been getting a bad rap as of late with many people I know switching over to facebook, but this morning they flew past Facebook in terms of their new music application.
Partially to stay innovative and competitive, and partially because they got the crap sued out of them by Universal Music (who, as a term of the settlement, has a substantial stake in this and therefore provides their artists), many if not most big name artists now have their full catalogs on the site. Just go in, search for the songs and artists you wish to play, and add them to your playlist which can either be kept private or posted as your profile play list on your site.
Pandora is still good for finding new artists and songs in a similar style to those you already like, but honestly I'd rather just hear my favorites. With MySpace Music, you can stream these to your desktop at the office and take away the crap that Pandora sometimes throws at you. And yes, you can buy the mp3s if you so choose (though I tend to stick with iTunes).
Partially to stay innovative and competitive, and partially because they got the crap sued out of them by Universal Music (who, as a term of the settlement, has a substantial stake in this and therefore provides their artists), many if not most big name artists now have their full catalogs on the site. Just go in, search for the songs and artists you wish to play, and add them to your playlist which can either be kept private or posted as your profile play list on your site.
Pandora is still good for finding new artists and songs in a similar style to those you already like, but honestly I'd rather just hear my favorites. With MySpace Music, you can stream these to your desktop at the office and take away the crap that Pandora sometimes throws at you. And yes, you can buy the mp3s if you so choose (though I tend to stick with iTunes).
Bad Stuff at Good Stuff Eatery
WTOP is reporting that Good Stuff Eatery on Capitol Hill, owned by Spike Mendelsohn of Top Chef fame, is getting into hot water with various DC Agency inspectors.
Memo to Spike: The alley behind your restaurant is not an acceptable food storage facility, yet that's exactly where he's been photographed storing his raw ground beef. And bread. And potatoes. Aside from the obvious issues of raw meat temperature, this location is right next to a dumpster. Yummmmmm.
Mendelsohn claims that the food had just been delivered and was in the process of being moved inside. DC Food inspectors say, had that been the case, they would not have cited him (Good Eats manager signed the citation without contest). This is not the only health reason Mendelsohn was cited, either.
Another, less disgusting issue is also dogging Good Eats. Apparently the DC Gestapo, er, ABC, is in the process of investigating alcoholic beverage violations by the restaurant. Maybe people were just sucking down the booze to kill the bacteria from the tainted food? (hat tip Andrea)
Memo to Spike: The alley behind your restaurant is not an acceptable food storage facility, yet that's exactly where he's been photographed storing his raw ground beef. And bread. And potatoes. Aside from the obvious issues of raw meat temperature, this location is right next to a dumpster. Yummmmmm.
Mendelsohn claims that the food had just been delivered and was in the process of being moved inside. DC Food inspectors say, had that been the case, they would not have cited him (Good Eats manager signed the citation without contest). This is not the only health reason Mendelsohn was cited, either.
Another, less disgusting issue is also dogging Good Eats. Apparently the DC Gestapo, er, ABC, is in the process of investigating alcoholic beverage violations by the restaurant. Maybe people were just sucking down the booze to kill the bacteria from the tainted food? (hat tip Andrea)
If Your Into Some Good Old Fashioned Pumpkin Smashing...
930 Club just announced that the Smashing Pumpkins will be in DC on November 11th and 12th on their 20th anniversary concert tour. Because this is an anniversary show, they'll be playing their best stuff from their entire career, not just the later years (which, lets face it, didn't measure up to Gish or Siamese Dream). There is plenty of material here, so Billy Corgan is doing a different show each night.
Tickets are 58.50 plus the ass-raping fees that Ticketmaster usually charges, and will go on sale to the public THIS SATURDAY, September 27th. You can see the tickets available by clicking here. Concerts are at DAR Constitution Hall, NOT the 930 club.
Tickets are 58.50 plus the ass-raping fees that Ticketmaster usually charges, and will go on sale to the public THIS SATURDAY, September 27th. You can see the tickets available by clicking here. Concerts are at DAR Constitution Hall, NOT the 930 club.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Trouble in the West End
The trio of chefs that had been running Eric Ripert's West End Bistro in the Ritz Carlton on M St. up and suddenly quit this week. Or were fired. Or were pushed out but didn't actually get fired. Depends on who you ask.
Anyway, at this price point, I'd give it some time to settle down before you hop on over there. Though, based on this review below that I first wrote in July, there were some issues before the mass exodus:
The Executive Chef is Eric Ripert, of La Bernardin fame in NYC, one of the most prestigious chefs in the country. He doesn't spend enough time in the kitchen at WEB. I started w a fried duck egg 'salad' which was a handfull of green beens, dressed w a creamy dressing and topped w a fried duck egg. I wonder how they bread a duck egg for frying. But at the end of the day, the egg doesn't add a lot of flavor, and the 'greens' don't need the enriching of the yolk due to the creamy dressing. I thought the egg to be tasteless and superfluous, which at 14 bucks was unfortunate. Then I had the softshell crab appetizer as my entree. It was more a softshell crab extremity dish - Ripert's kitchen removed the entire body leaving only the legs. Now I can see the point of this, its an upscale restaurant and the dish is just an appetizer, this version was cleaner. But, this is dc. We take crabs seriously. And I missed the earthy richness of the body. Underneath the crab was a perfect nicoise-style salad, but it was ICE cold and clashed with the hot crab legs.
Finally dessert - peach cobbler w bourbon ice cream. Note the menu did not say galato or sorbet, but ice cream. It was a gritty mess. I'm guessing there was so much bourbon as to prevent proper freezing, but seriously I just paid nine bucks for this dessert, did you not test the theory first? The cobbler was pedestrian but satisfying. (yes, I know I'm a snob)
And now the service. I was dining at the bar. I expect casual service, but this was ridiculous. Friendly, but amateur - drinks went unfilled, plates went un-bussed, etc.
Bottom line, the dinner consisting of a salad, appetizer, and dessert was 100 bucks (inc alcohol) and was not worth it.
Anyway, at this price point, I'd give it some time to settle down before you hop on over there. Though, based on this review below that I first wrote in July, there were some issues before the mass exodus:
The Executive Chef is Eric Ripert, of La Bernardin fame in NYC, one of the most prestigious chefs in the country. He doesn't spend enough time in the kitchen at WEB. I started w a fried duck egg 'salad' which was a handfull of green beens, dressed w a creamy dressing and topped w a fried duck egg. I wonder how they bread a duck egg for frying. But at the end of the day, the egg doesn't add a lot of flavor, and the 'greens' don't need the enriching of the yolk due to the creamy dressing. I thought the egg to be tasteless and superfluous, which at 14 bucks was unfortunate. Then I had the softshell crab appetizer as my entree. It was more a softshell crab extremity dish - Ripert's kitchen removed the entire body leaving only the legs. Now I can see the point of this, its an upscale restaurant and the dish is just an appetizer, this version was cleaner. But, this is dc. We take crabs seriously. And I missed the earthy richness of the body. Underneath the crab was a perfect nicoise-style salad, but it was ICE cold and clashed with the hot crab legs.
Finally dessert - peach cobbler w bourbon ice cream. Note the menu did not say galato or sorbet, but ice cream. It was a gritty mess. I'm guessing there was so much bourbon as to prevent proper freezing, but seriously I just paid nine bucks for this dessert, did you not test the theory first? The cobbler was pedestrian but satisfying. (yes, I know I'm a snob)
And now the service. I was dining at the bar. I expect casual service, but this was ridiculous. Friendly, but amateur - drinks went unfilled, plates went un-bussed, etc.
Bottom line, the dinner consisting of a salad, appetizer, and dessert was 100 bucks (inc alcohol) and was not worth it.
The Life Concierge Goes to Vegas
With more than 100,000 hotel rooms, tens of thousands of restaurants, and hundreds of casinos, Las Vegas has everything you could want, and everything you'd never want, for a vacation.
Generalities: The strip is currently split into two sections due to construction that begins just north of the Wynn on both sides of Las Vegas Blvd and extends north to just below the Riveria. Make sure you stay on the southern (i.e. non-ghetto) side of this no-fun zone.
The strip is a bit... Disney. It's clean, it's safe, there are TONS of people during the week but still bustling on weeknights. For a more 'classic Vegas' experience, head downtown to the Fremont Street Experience. The light show down there sucks, but the Casinos have a bit more... character, there are walk-up bars, you see an occasional showgirl, and its still safe and fun.
If you go on a weekend, don't expect to find a lot of bars on the strip where you can sit down and relax, this is club central. The good news is if you are gambling in a casino, you drink for free. There are bars at the corner of the Strip and Fashion Show Drive, on the southern edge of the Flamingo, and several down by the MGM/Mirage at the south end of the strip. Ambience sucks? No problemo, double fist it and head on out, there are no open container laws on the Strip or Fremont Street.
I wouldn't count on the monorail in Vegas, its behind the east side of the strip and just wasn't convenient to much of anything (and expensive). There are lots of cabs on the Strip, but be prepared to wait on a Friday or Saturday night, or be resourceful about where you pick up. Note - it is illegal in Vegas to pick up or drop off passengers on the Strip itself, they have to turn into the hotels.
Hotels:
Trump International: The Trump just opened in March, and is at the northern edge of the southern strip (if that makes any sense). The lobby is a bit over-the-top, but the rooms are incredibly large with all the standard amenities, plus a jacuzzi tub with a TV in the mirror you can see while you soak. The location is... odd. Since they've torn down the hotels next to it for new development, the Trump sits somewhat alone, but is a 2 block walk from the Wynn and the Strip. Its also across the street from a mall (and an ABC store) that makes for convenience during the day if you need stuff. The major drawback? No casino. And the bar only stays open until midnight. WTF? Probably best for business travelers or families that don't want to have to deal with the casino restrictions. Pool is nice but not party-esque, and fitness center is 22$/day.
Venetian/Palazzo: Sheldon's hotels are both rated at 5-stars... I'd call them a low 5. The suite we saw at the Venetian was nice and large, but looked... well used. The staff had a hard time giving directions when asked, and the entire place had an air freshener smell that was so overwhelming downstairs you could taste it. This place is HUGE. These two hotels are connected, so you can literally walk for blocks and still be inside. I just didn't get a great vibe from these properties.
Wynn/Encore (soon to open): Steve Wynn's hotels are also 5 star and seemed a half step up from Sheldon's. Or it could be that they just didn't smell as bad. I didn't see a room at the Wynn but have heard great things, the casino was pleasant enough, but wasn't anything special. The buffett wasn't bad, but I wouldn't go out of my way to go back.
MGM Properties higher end(Bellagio, MGM, Mirage, Mandalay Bay, THE Hotel): I really liked the MGM Grand, it was HUGE and had a good casino floor, totally busting on a Saturday night. Mandalay Bay seemed nice as well and had a faux-beach pool that shows movies on the beach in the evenings. The Bellagio is really a different class (at 5 stars). This suite hotel is in the PERFECT location, right in the middle of the southern part of the strip. PLUS, it has the fountains and a Hermes boutique. The casino seemed... small. I dunno, just didn't trip my trigger.
MGM Properties Lower end (Luxor, Excelsior): Didn't go in either of these, they looked kinda... trashy, though I've been told that the Excelsior just re-did all of their rooms, and supposedly they ain't bad.
Harrahs: I hated Caesar's Palace. That place is SO freaking huge. Like, 20 minute walk to the pools from your room kind of huge. Like, get lost in the freaking shops for half an hour when you don't have any beer at 11pm and get REALLY pissed kind of huge. I personally didn't think the casino had a lot of character, either. Didn't go in Harrah's namesake or Bally's, but they looked relatively meh. The Flamingo had some character, is this where they filmed Casino? Kinda looks like it. Plus the Flamingo had a Jimmy Buffets bar, and the little bar on the southern edge, which was great for a fast refill. I really liked the Paris (be sure to get an Eiffel Tower margarita glass) Casino, I don't know a lot about the rooms.
Casinos
Alright, I like dive bars, and apparently I like dive casinos, too. My favorite casino was Bill's, across from the Bellagio on the strip. Its old timey, kinda dirty, smallish, and juuuuuuuuust right (its owned by Harrahs). I also liked the Casinos down on Fremont, where I had much better luck. Paris was good, as was MGM and Mandalay Bay (very similar casinos between the two). I did not like Bellagio, Venetian/Palazzo or the Wynn casinos, but I may just be weird.
If I was in Vegas with a bunch of guys for the weekend, I'd probably spend at least one night at Hard Rock. Dealers wearing leather bikinis, good music, fun vibe... A see and be seen, non-stodgy place.
Restaurants
I hated Mario Batali's Enoteca San Marco in the Venetian. I loved Emeril's New Orleans Fish House in the MGM Grand. It seemed like a lot of people we talked to had meh experiences at some of the bigger names, so I'd probably think twice about dropping a huge amount of cash at Alan Ducasse or Joel Rubochon and save my money for the tables. Something you really should do if you're there with a group - go to Hoffbrauhaus across the street from Hard Rock (off-strip). Its a giant bavarian beer hall with live music. They not only encourage debauchery, they pretty much insist on it. After taking shots of jager from a paddle, the waitresses will make you stand up, bend over, and spank you with said paddle. Competitions start at 8, I'd get there by 7 to eat the decent but not super german food (and its not incredibly expensive, which is nice). Get reservations for weekend nights.
Things to do:
The Bellagio fountains. I LOVE the Bellagio fountains. They are MUCH better at night but are great all the time, they are ever 15 minutes at night and 30 minutes from 3-8pm. Fremont Street was great gambling and drinking, but the light show down there sucked. There are a lot of "experiences" to be had in Vegas, but most involve pricey tickets. People watching is just as much fun (and free). Shopping was good, but I can't say as though it blew me away. Maybe I'm spoiled but I have Barney's and Louis Vuitton two blocks from my house, don't need to go to Vegas for that.
I'd also build in some downtime. We were there for 4 days, 3 nights, with at least a 2 hour break each late afternoon (had to have some jacuzzi time ya know), and we were wiped by the end.
Generalities: The strip is currently split into two sections due to construction that begins just north of the Wynn on both sides of Las Vegas Blvd and extends north to just below the Riveria. Make sure you stay on the southern (i.e. non-ghetto) side of this no-fun zone.
The strip is a bit... Disney. It's clean, it's safe, there are TONS of people during the week but still bustling on weeknights. For a more 'classic Vegas' experience, head downtown to the Fremont Street Experience. The light show down there sucks, but the Casinos have a bit more... character, there are walk-up bars, you see an occasional showgirl, and its still safe and fun.
If you go on a weekend, don't expect to find a lot of bars on the strip where you can sit down and relax, this is club central. The good news is if you are gambling in a casino, you drink for free. There are bars at the corner of the Strip and Fashion Show Drive, on the southern edge of the Flamingo, and several down by the MGM/Mirage at the south end of the strip. Ambience sucks? No problemo, double fist it and head on out, there are no open container laws on the Strip or Fremont Street.
I wouldn't count on the monorail in Vegas, its behind the east side of the strip and just wasn't convenient to much of anything (and expensive). There are lots of cabs on the Strip, but be prepared to wait on a Friday or Saturday night, or be resourceful about where you pick up. Note - it is illegal in Vegas to pick up or drop off passengers on the Strip itself, they have to turn into the hotels.
Hotels:
Trump International: The Trump just opened in March, and is at the northern edge of the southern strip (if that makes any sense). The lobby is a bit over-the-top, but the rooms are incredibly large with all the standard amenities, plus a jacuzzi tub with a TV in the mirror you can see while you soak. The location is... odd. Since they've torn down the hotels next to it for new development, the Trump sits somewhat alone, but is a 2 block walk from the Wynn and the Strip. Its also across the street from a mall (and an ABC store) that makes for convenience during the day if you need stuff. The major drawback? No casino. And the bar only stays open until midnight. WTF? Probably best for business travelers or families that don't want to have to deal with the casino restrictions. Pool is nice but not party-esque, and fitness center is 22$/day.
Venetian/Palazzo: Sheldon's hotels are both rated at 5-stars... I'd call them a low 5. The suite we saw at the Venetian was nice and large, but looked... well used. The staff had a hard time giving directions when asked, and the entire place had an air freshener smell that was so overwhelming downstairs you could taste it. This place is HUGE. These two hotels are connected, so you can literally walk for blocks and still be inside. I just didn't get a great vibe from these properties.
Wynn/Encore (soon to open): Steve Wynn's hotels are also 5 star and seemed a half step up from Sheldon's. Or it could be that they just didn't smell as bad. I didn't see a room at the Wynn but have heard great things, the casino was pleasant enough, but wasn't anything special. The buffett wasn't bad, but I wouldn't go out of my way to go back.
MGM Properties higher end(Bellagio, MGM, Mirage, Mandalay Bay, THE Hotel): I really liked the MGM Grand, it was HUGE and had a good casino floor, totally busting on a Saturday night. Mandalay Bay seemed nice as well and had a faux-beach pool that shows movies on the beach in the evenings. The Bellagio is really a different class (at 5 stars). This suite hotel is in the PERFECT location, right in the middle of the southern part of the strip. PLUS, it has the fountains and a Hermes boutique. The casino seemed... small. I dunno, just didn't trip my trigger.
MGM Properties Lower end (Luxor, Excelsior): Didn't go in either of these, they looked kinda... trashy, though I've been told that the Excelsior just re-did all of their rooms, and supposedly they ain't bad.
Harrahs: I hated Caesar's Palace. That place is SO freaking huge. Like, 20 minute walk to the pools from your room kind of huge. Like, get lost in the freaking shops for half an hour when you don't have any beer at 11pm and get REALLY pissed kind of huge. I personally didn't think the casino had a lot of character, either. Didn't go in Harrah's namesake or Bally's, but they looked relatively meh. The Flamingo had some character, is this where they filmed Casino? Kinda looks like it. Plus the Flamingo had a Jimmy Buffets bar, and the little bar on the southern edge, which was great for a fast refill. I really liked the Paris (be sure to get an Eiffel Tower margarita glass) Casino, I don't know a lot about the rooms.
Casinos
Alright, I like dive bars, and apparently I like dive casinos, too. My favorite casino was Bill's, across from the Bellagio on the strip. Its old timey, kinda dirty, smallish, and juuuuuuuuust right (its owned by Harrahs). I also liked the Casinos down on Fremont, where I had much better luck. Paris was good, as was MGM and Mandalay Bay (very similar casinos between the two). I did not like Bellagio, Venetian/Palazzo or the Wynn casinos, but I may just be weird.
If I was in Vegas with a bunch of guys for the weekend, I'd probably spend at least one night at Hard Rock. Dealers wearing leather bikinis, good music, fun vibe... A see and be seen, non-stodgy place.
Restaurants
I hated Mario Batali's Enoteca San Marco in the Venetian. I loved Emeril's New Orleans Fish House in the MGM Grand. It seemed like a lot of people we talked to had meh experiences at some of the bigger names, so I'd probably think twice about dropping a huge amount of cash at Alan Ducasse or Joel Rubochon and save my money for the tables. Something you really should do if you're there with a group - go to Hoffbrauhaus across the street from Hard Rock (off-strip). Its a giant bavarian beer hall with live music. They not only encourage debauchery, they pretty much insist on it. After taking shots of jager from a paddle, the waitresses will make you stand up, bend over, and spank you with said paddle. Competitions start at 8, I'd get there by 7 to eat the decent but not super german food (and its not incredibly expensive, which is nice). Get reservations for weekend nights.
Things to do:
The Bellagio fountains. I LOVE the Bellagio fountains. They are MUCH better at night but are great all the time, they are ever 15 minutes at night and 30 minutes from 3-8pm. Fremont Street was great gambling and drinking, but the light show down there sucked. There are a lot of "experiences" to be had in Vegas, but most involve pricey tickets. People watching is just as much fun (and free). Shopping was good, but I can't say as though it blew me away. Maybe I'm spoiled but I have Barney's and Louis Vuitton two blocks from my house, don't need to go to Vegas for that.
I'd also build in some downtime. We were there for 4 days, 3 nights, with at least a 2 hour break each late afternoon (had to have some jacuzzi time ya know), and we were wiped by the end.
Restaurant Review: 1789
I'm not sure why I'd never been to 1789... I guess I tend to be more into "New Food" rather than being a meat-n-potatoes kind of guy (probably why I prefer Charlie Palmers over Mortons, etc).
1789 does all those little service things that make you go, wow everyone else really sucks. The manager met us at the door, and when I told him my name he didn't have to go to the computer for the reservation, he knew right where we were sitting and our waiter came to walk us to the table. Everyone's courses were presented simulatneously. Chairs were pulled out and napkins refolded. And aside from all that, our waiter was just really really good at what he does.
The amuse was a cucumber sorbet with watermelon sauce and tiny lime peel on top. Not going to lie, I didn't hear him say cucumber which is one of my least favorite foods no the face of the planet, but it was pretty refreshing.
Next I had the sweetbreads (I freaking love sweetbreads). They came on top of creamed corn and a bit of a beefy clear sauce. Kind of an odd dish for August, but the corn was cool and it was actually not too heavy. There were two orders of really good looking tuna sashimi at the table, and a creamy steak tartar. The flavor was really good on the tartar, but I tend to prefer mine chopped a little more finely. (just cuts down on the in-your-faceness that you are, in fact, eating raw beef).
After the apps, we had a pasta course with an al dente pasta topped with roasted peppers, olives, and parmesan cheese. The cheese was pretty freaking good.
And then the lamb. Oh freaking lord that was good. I mean, it was just lamb, but they like, rubbed crack on the outside. It was served with a bacon-y cabbage saurkarut type of concoction and perogies w/ creme freche. Yeah, it was good.
Then we moved onto the cheese course... I'm a HUGE bleu cheese snob having grown up near Maytag which is one of the better and bigger purveyors in the country, but this stuff on the plate last night had a mild smokey flavor and may actually beat the maytag.
I ordered poorly at dessert. There is only so much you can do with a berry shortcake. The real winner was the cheesecake, which tasted like the richest oatmeal cookie you've ever had. THere was also a mint/chocolate/berry sundae that was really good. It was garnished with a chocolate covered mint leaf that I thought was really clever.
All in all, definately a top 5 best meal ever member.
1789 does all those little service things that make you go, wow everyone else really sucks. The manager met us at the door, and when I told him my name he didn't have to go to the computer for the reservation, he knew right where we were sitting and our waiter came to walk us to the table. Everyone's courses were presented simulatneously. Chairs were pulled out and napkins refolded. And aside from all that, our waiter was just really really good at what he does.
The amuse was a cucumber sorbet with watermelon sauce and tiny lime peel on top. Not going to lie, I didn't hear him say cucumber which is one of my least favorite foods no the face of the planet, but it was pretty refreshing.
Next I had the sweetbreads (I freaking love sweetbreads). They came on top of creamed corn and a bit of a beefy clear sauce. Kind of an odd dish for August, but the corn was cool and it was actually not too heavy. There were two orders of really good looking tuna sashimi at the table, and a creamy steak tartar. The flavor was really good on the tartar, but I tend to prefer mine chopped a little more finely. (just cuts down on the in-your-faceness that you are, in fact, eating raw beef).
After the apps, we had a pasta course with an al dente pasta topped with roasted peppers, olives, and parmesan cheese. The cheese was pretty freaking good.
And then the lamb. Oh freaking lord that was good. I mean, it was just lamb, but they like, rubbed crack on the outside. It was served with a bacon-y cabbage saurkarut type of concoction and perogies w/ creme freche. Yeah, it was good.
Then we moved onto the cheese course... I'm a HUGE bleu cheese snob having grown up near Maytag which is one of the better and bigger purveyors in the country, but this stuff on the plate last night had a mild smokey flavor and may actually beat the maytag.
I ordered poorly at dessert. There is only so much you can do with a berry shortcake. The real winner was the cheesecake, which tasted like the richest oatmeal cookie you've ever had. THere was also a mint/chocolate/berry sundae that was really good. It was garnished with a chocolate covered mint leaf that I thought was really clever.
All in all, definately a top 5 best meal ever member.
Restaurant Review: Central
After a recent dinner at Michel Richard Central:
Both the bartender and the waiter at Central could have been a bit more... interested in what they were doing, but it wasn't terrible. I started off with a Ginger Lime Daquiri at the bar... lots of lime, not lots of ginger. Wasn't bad but wouldn't pay 11 bucks for another one. We also got a hookup on some good champagne, and Cheesehead and I split a few bottles of Reisling during dinner. (no, i don't feel good today, thanks for asking)
Spencer got some gourges (cheese puffy things) that were really good - a lot lighter than what they looked like. All of us share 2 orders of the Filet Mignon Tartare with Fries - one of my all-time favorite dishes. My only complaint was I wish it had come with something cracker-ish rather than the fries. The fries were good mind you, just didn't seem to go well with the tartare. I guess it was their riff on steak frites. Aside from that minor quibble - amazing.
Moving onto the mains, Cheesehead and I both had softshell crab over a corn relish. I wasn't as huge of a fan of this, not going to lie. It tasted mostly of batter and wasn't very... crabby. I normally love softshells but it seems like they may want to take this off the menu as softshell season winds down and so goes the quality. Spencer had rabbitt that was really good, but a bit salty. And my favorite of them all was Angela's beef cheeks with pasta and mashed sweet potatoes. The cheeks were in a red wine sauce - kind of an odd pairing with the sweet potatoes but individually everything was good. A bit of an odd dish for August though.
We also had sides of bacon-braised brussell sprouts, creamed spinach, and mac-and-cheese that was soooooooooooo good. For dessert we all split 2 kitkat bars (no, not the kind that come in a wrapper). Its kind of a malty chocolate mousse with a crispy bottom on a pool of caramel sauce, served with a smallish scoop of malted ice cream. Yummmmmmmm.
All in all, it was muy excellente (and a bit muy expensivo).
Both the bartender and the waiter at Central could have been a bit more... interested in what they were doing, but it wasn't terrible. I started off with a Ginger Lime Daquiri at the bar... lots of lime, not lots of ginger. Wasn't bad but wouldn't pay 11 bucks for another one. We also got a hookup on some good champagne, and Cheesehead and I split a few bottles of Reisling during dinner. (no, i don't feel good today, thanks for asking)
Spencer got some gourges (cheese puffy things) that were really good - a lot lighter than what they looked like. All of us share 2 orders of the Filet Mignon Tartare with Fries - one of my all-time favorite dishes. My only complaint was I wish it had come with something cracker-ish rather than the fries. The fries were good mind you, just didn't seem to go well with the tartare. I guess it was their riff on steak frites. Aside from that minor quibble - amazing.
Moving onto the mains, Cheesehead and I both had softshell crab over a corn relish. I wasn't as huge of a fan of this, not going to lie. It tasted mostly of batter and wasn't very... crabby. I normally love softshells but it seems like they may want to take this off the menu as softshell season winds down and so goes the quality. Spencer had rabbitt that was really good, but a bit salty. And my favorite of them all was Angela's beef cheeks with pasta and mashed sweet potatoes. The cheeks were in a red wine sauce - kind of an odd pairing with the sweet potatoes but individually everything was good. A bit of an odd dish for August though.
We also had sides of bacon-braised brussell sprouts, creamed spinach, and mac-and-cheese that was soooooooooooo good. For dessert we all split 2 kitkat bars (no, not the kind that come in a wrapper). Its kind of a malty chocolate mousse with a crispy bottom on a pool of caramel sauce, served with a smallish scoop of malted ice cream. Yummmmmmmm.
All in all, it was muy excellente (and a bit muy expensivo).
The Life Concierge
Hello, and welcome to Life Concierge. Do you constantly go through life thinking to yourself, if only everyone did things my way, the world would be a better place? Well you are wrong. I am right, and I'm here to tell you why.
From travel to dining, bars to relationships, I always have an opinion on the best of the world we live in, and I like to share it. Oddly enough, I've found a small group of people who at least pretend to be interested in hearing it. So, this blog is devoted to sharing my experiences and my advice. Why go through the pain, hassle, and expense of being disappointed in your experiences when I can live through the let down first and share the love.
So check back often. It'll be like Eric's Favorite Things, except you don't get to keep all the products like on Oprah.
From travel to dining, bars to relationships, I always have an opinion on the best of the world we live in, and I like to share it. Oddly enough, I've found a small group of people who at least pretend to be interested in hearing it. So, this blog is devoted to sharing my experiences and my advice. Why go through the pain, hassle, and expense of being disappointed in your experiences when I can live through the let down first and share the love.
So check back often. It'll be like Eric's Favorite Things, except you don't get to keep all the products like on Oprah.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
