DC Dining

Proof keeps getting better and better, and Tom Sietsema’s review was well-written and paints an accurate picture of the restaurant. I don’t assign stars, but if I did (hmm, lightbulb going on…), Proof would absolutely get three. Unfortunately, despite Tom’s fairly glowing review, a lot of people are only going to remember the star rating, and this restaurant should not have gotten two and a half. It seems like such a small thing — half a star — but it’s not. Not only does it have a devastating psychological impact on the restaurant staff, but it also means Proof is “lumped in” with a bunch of other places, when it deserves to stand out from that pack. I can see this being somewhat of a borderline call, but in this case I think you need to round up, not down.

A Roasted Flatbread ($12) with ricotta, olive oil, lemon thyme, baby arugula, and sea salt was expensive for its size, but was so perfectly executed that it was worth every penny. The combination of these ingredients was in absolute harmony, and at one point I even swooned to myself when I hit a piece of sea salt at just the right moment.

Just as good, perhaps even better, was the Yukon Gold Gnocchi ($21 for a full portion) with chanterelle mushrooms and roasted sweet corn. The gnocchi itself was great, but the chanterelles were the most exquisite versions I’ve had in recent memory. Everyone serves chanterelles, but not many people can cook them like Haidar Karoum. Was Haidar hovering over my dish? I don’t know — they knew I was there — but one thing’s for sure: At its best, this is a fantastic bowl of gnocchi.

Following Tom’s lead, I also had a bottle of the fine 2005 Defaix Chablis 1er Cru ($38), which is worth every penny. An entry-level Chablis by Defaix is also on the menu for $30, and that wine should be almost as good.

At one point, Mark Kuller came over with a taste of 1990 Krug. Just enough for one small, fleeting sip, which nearly made me melt and flow into one of the cracks in the floor. He offered to pour me a glass, and I had to decline even though, at that moment, I wanted a glass of that wine more than anything in the world.

• Go to the Proof web site

• Go to the Proof discussion on donrockwell.com

One reliable strategy when going to an overpriced, expense-account Italian restaurant is to order homemade pasta in lieu of a $75 veal chop. It failed tonight at Teatro Goldoni.

A plate of house-made whole wheat Taglierini ($15.50, only available at the bar) was a light-brown long, thin strip of noodle, served with “Shitake mushrooms.” It seemed very much like dried potpourri with baby arugula, little strips of carrots, nastily roasted pine nuts, and topped with dried ricotta (which displayed an interesting tendency not to melt), all served in a little pool of sweet white wine roasted garlic sauce. The dish was a failure, with nothing at all standing out as individually interesting, and the ingredients competing and clashing, rather than unifying as a whole. When I finished, all I had left on my palate was the overwhelming aftertaste of roasted pine nuts, which remains even as I type.

The service at Teatro Goldoni is polite if whipped into place, and remains the bright spot, unless you consider the “I wannabe Cafe Milano” vibe a bright spot, and if I were a restaurant, I wouldn’t wannabe Cafe Milano unless I was the accountant.

P.S. The napkins stink.

• Go to the Teatro Goldoni web site

• Go to the Teatro Goldoni discussion on donrockwell.com

Baba Ghannouge ($6.50) was a competent version, the puffy bread at Zaytinya these days coming across as somewhat industrial and cranked-out despite being freshly made, the temperature and grill-marks subject to the whims of whichever basket-full you happen to be served. The Falafel “Abdel” ($6.50 for four balls) was lousy, as bad as Amsterdam Falafelshop, with thickly-breaded coating surrounding a granular-feeling inside, it was edible, but no more than that. Imam Bayildi ($5.95) was a hastily cooked “Ottoman-style”(?) roasted eggplant stuffed with onions and tomatoes. Slapped onto a plate, it tasted better than it was presented, was struggling to keep its temperature, and seemed like it may have waiting on the other dishes before being served. Most interesting of all was the dramatic-sounding Patates Tiganites Me Yaourti “Aglaia Kremezi” ($4.95), which was a plate of french fries covered in yogurt. But these happened to be very good, unusual french fries, done in olive oil, and this is a dish that I would absolutely order again.

All this food, with two glasses of wine and two beers came to a mere $56.67. You don’t hear me raving about the food, but once again, Zaytinya has shown itself as a fun, convivial place to eat, where you can nibble, nosh, and socialize without spending a fortune. A culinary temple it ain’t, but in my past three visits it has delivered at its price point — I can’t ask for any more than this.

• Go to the Zaytinya web site

• Go to the Zaytinya discussion on donrockwell.com

Argia’s recently (and temporarily) lost an important line cook, Elio Martinez, so they can be cut some slack for any miscues coming from the kitchen.

But there was no miscue with the cup of special Zuppa di Giorno ($4.50), a dish I always hesitate to order in restaurants because it inexplicably seems to be different each time. Tonight it was a cream of tomato with lots of basil, and after the first obligatory spoonful, it became an elevated dunking sauce for the housemade foccacia, and was dabbed-and-absorbed (as opposed to dazed-and-confused) all the way down to the bottom of the cup.

A Caprese Salad ($6.95) was mistimed, served at the last minute, and consisted of dry cheese layered with mediocre tomatoes, drowning in too much balsamico. Interestingly, chefs tell me that we’re at the height of tomato season right now, but as a diner, I haven’t seen it, as my caprese salads have really dropped off in quality in the past couple of weeks.

“This soup would make a really good pasta sauce,” my young dining companion told me, and sure enough, a variant of it was used in the housemade Lasagna Verdure ($16.95), a spinach lasagna layered with vegetables and cheese. This lasagna is more vegetable than noodle, and is expensive at the price, albeit a perfectly honorable and respectable version.

But I didn’t love the Pizza Quattro Formaggi ($9.99) despite it’s gentle price, the crust seemingly done on a griddle rather than an oven, and the cheese kind-of glopped on, especially the ricotta. It wasn’t bad, but it’s also not calling me back.

Stray from housemade pasta at Argia, and you’re likely to be disappointed. But stick with the homemade noodles, and take your cues from the very good, descriptive list of wines by the glass, and you’ll have a good meal here. The atmosphere in the room on the left side (the one opposite the bar) is really pleasant, almost in a Bistro du Coin way albeit much less cavern-like. Service is unfailingly friendly, and Argia’s remains a fine neighborhood restaurant, and most certainly one that cares about its employees and staff.

You’re in our thoughts and prayers, Elio.

Cheers,
Rocks.

• Go to the Argia’s web site

• Go to the Argia’s discussion on donrockwell.com

The patio at Café du Parc cannot be ignored during this splendid weekend we’re having, in celebration of the autumnal equinox.

A 2005 Didier Desvignes Morgon “Les Charmes” ($40) is a wine that probably retails for closer to $20, but is worth every bit of $40 when sitting outside in this weather, the sun playing its annoying little game of bob-and-weave, first hiding behind the umbrellas, then peeking out and staring you in the eye. The wine list at Café du Parc remains outstanding, with well-chosen, inexpensive French wines in abundance, both by the glass and by the bottle.

If you’re sitting around this Sunday afternoon, wondering what to do with yourself, then you must grab a book, perhaps something by Eudora Welty, and then head down to Café du Parc, pull up a chair underneath an umbrella, and revel in the glories of the best that life has to offer.

• Go to the Café du Parc web site

• Go to the Café du Parc discussion on donrockwell.com

The steak is $46, and the other three entrées offered last night were $22, $23, and $24.

Buck’s sirloin steak has gotten expensive over the years, but it’s still one of the best steaks in town, dry-aged and prime, wood-grilled to a perfect medium-rare, and a meat-eaters paradise. Furthermore, it’s served with what I believe to be the best french fries in the city right now, what the menu describes as “hand-cut thrasher fries” (which I assume comes from Thrasher’s in Ocean City?). These french fries are so good that I almost ordered an extra side of them for $7, even though there was already a small mound of them on my enormous steak. At this price, even though Buck’s loves its tongue-in-cheek simplicity, I’d like to see a larger plate, and maybe a green or two for aesthetics, but you’ll find no substantive complaints from me about the steak and fries themselves.

Ann Cashion recently mentioned that Johnny’s Half Shell has the best fried oysters in town. I’ve never had them, but I’ve never had any fried oysters better than the ones currently being served at Buck’s ($17) with a lemon-herb tartar sauce. Most places in town, even the best places, use frozen oysters for frying, but these things seemed like they were bursting out of their cornmeal crust, and just as fresh as can be. Every bit as good were the Wood-grilled fresh shrimp ($24), served over the only grits in the city I enjoy more than Gillian Clark’s, and with a couple pieces of spicy sausage that make the dish moan-inducing.

I sometimes order the Iceberg Wedge ($8) here as a substitute for an after-dinner cheese course, because it’s loaded up with Maytag Blue Cheese and the cool, watery lettuce appeals to me after a meal of wood-grilled meats. (Not to mention that it’s littered with applewood-smoked bacon.) This time around the wedge was iced with a dressing in addition to the cheese that didn’t quite work for me, and I’m not quite sure what was in it, but it seemed to have strong overtones of horseradish which I thought competed with the already-strong tastes of blue cheese and smoked bacon. There, I had to say something, anything, other than a gushing string of positives about this terrific meal at one of our city’s best restaurants.

Cheers,
Rocks.

• Go to the Buck’s Fishing and Camping discussion on donrockwell.com

Sunday evening, a snapshot in time, trying to shed some light on the ongoing pizza debate.

Nearly five hours were spent visiting 2 Amys, Bebo Trattoria, RedRocks Fire Brick Pizzeria, and Comet Ping Pong. A basic tomato-and-cheese pie was ordered at each.

The overall results were clear:

1. Comet
2. RedRocks
3. 2 Amys
4. Bebo

Details — and pictures — can be found on DCist.

Cheers,
Rocks.

Neighborhood Eats — The WETA Guide is a television program that showcases hot-spot eateries and lesser-known gems throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Watch it when it’s broadcast on TV 26 or online anytime.

Among the places profiled are D.C.’s Eastern Market Lunch Counter, Coppi’s Organic Pizza, Arlington’s Lost Dog Cafe, Bob and Edith’s Diner, Mrs. K’s Tollhouse, Urban BBQ, Cuban Corner, Yechon, and many more. Guaranteed to get your taste buds tingling!

• Watch the show
• About the show
• List of restaurants
• Free pocket guide

We’re pleased to introduce Don Rockwell, host of the D.C. food board donrockwell.com, and the wine columnist for The Washingtonian. Each week, Don will post here on WETA’s new DC Dining web site and on his own Lettres de Mon Moulin. He’ll let us know what was good, great, or abysmal on the menu at area restaurants the previous week. This is an open blog, so agree, disagree, and give voice to your opinion about D.C. dining!

This week, Don takes us to Thai Square, Bistrot Lepic & Wine Bar, The Auld Shebeen, Moby Dick, Marcel’s, Stacy’s Coffee Parlor, Michel Richard Citronelle Lounge, Bob’s Noodle 66, Sette Bello, Ray’s The Classics, The Italian Store, and Comet Ping Pong.

Where do you go if you want to eat authentic Neapolitan pizza, but don’t have a trip to Italy on your horizon? Why do pepitas taste so good on the salmon at Kinkeads — and what is a pepita?

Watch Local Flavor, a special one-hour visit to four D.C. area restaurants. You’ll go behind the scenes to meet the innovative chefs at Kinkeads, 2941 Restaurant, Willow, 2 Amys Pizza, and Cafe Atlantico and watch as they make some of their signature dishes.

• Watch the preview clip
  
• About Local Flavor
• Choose Local Flavor (VHS + cookbook) as a $50 pledge premium

Because some local restaurants are landmarks in their own right, we’ve produced several video profiles of favorite eateries as part of WETA Neighborhoods, a continuing series that films interesting places in Adams Morgan, Shaw, Del Ray, and other areas around town. Click below to watch these WETA video clips online.

• Kramerbooks and Afterwords Café
• Adams Morgan: Taste for Everyone
• Ben’s Chili Bowl
• The Dairy Godmother
• The Fish Wharf