Restaurant Week Update
Aug 04, 2005
I went to Circle Bistro tonight and everything was wonderful. I'd recommend NOT going with the wine pairing though, because the staff isn't used to doing wine pairings, and their timing of when they bring out the glasses of wine is way off. I started with the goat cheese fritter with marinated beets -- a pretty basic dish, but nonetheless very tasty. Amy didn't order the Restaurant Week menu, but instead opted for some gazpacho and salad. The gazpacho was a "Rockin" gazpacho with crab meat and heirloom tomatoes -- the cold soup had a a slightly acidic start and a nice spicy kick towards the end of each taste. The desserts on the Restaurant Week menu weren't anything to cry wolf about. While they tasted good, I felt myself wishing I'd ordered Circle Bistro's warm madelines off their regular menu.
Wed night, I went to Vidalia which was good but far from mind blowing. I mean, nothing we had there was bad, but I wondered if it would be worth paying their normal prices for. I'd have to try Vidalia some other time besides Restaurant Week to make a complete judgement.
Finally, Bombay Club was our destination Monday. I actually rather liked the dress code -- it gave me a chance to wear that sport coat that I hadn't taken out of the closet all year. I really liked my lamb saag (lamb with spinach curry).
From the comments on my main Restaurant Week post, it looks like pretty much everyone who's going to Corduroy is enjoying it, which I'm happy to hear. Anyone who couldn't get a reservation this week should keep in mind that they can go next week and get the same Restaurant Week deal.
Happy Restaurant Week dining everyone!
It really doesn't look like I will be able to make it to any restaurants this week. But I will be looking forward to more reviews here. I would be interested to know more about Bombay Bistro or did u mean Bombay Club?
Posted by: Amol Shah | Aug 04, 2005 at 11:18 PM
jason: I just want to say THANKS for the ceiba recommendation. we were there last night for RW and it was AMAZING, we ordered the fritters on the side a la carte, and the sauce was to die for. spicy and tangy - just so yum! must go back for drinks - i had a "batida" last night, at $7 a piece, it was well worth it, very cheap for a restaurant cocktail
on monday, we went to galileo, and it was a TOTAL disappontment. we were rushed for service, and i had a dish that was served at osterio 2 months ago - which was ridiculous, since i only paid $13 at osterio.
tonight, we went to tenpenh, and like ceiba the experience was rewarding. even though the service could not be compared to ceiba, it was the best asian fusion i had in a long time. the lumpia was crunchy and the sauces were interestingly mixed. a great RW experience.
3 more to go: ardeo, colvin run, and corduroy - can't wait!
Posted by: ck | Aug 05, 2005 at 12:38 AM
We had a great experience at Farenheight on Monday. The menu was somewhat limited, but everything was excellent. Very good service, very good food and surprisingly not rushed at all. In fact there were a couple empty tables. Might be a good spot to try if anyone is still looking for last minute reservations.
1789 was last night and I thought it was outstanding. We had soft shell app, lamb and scallop pasta entrees, and chocolate cake with the best mint choc chip ice cream and a very nice cheese plate for dessert. Only disappointment was the apaullingly inappropriately dressed number of women that were there as well. No sand in our food and everything was delicious.
Posted by: Phil | Aug 05, 2005 at 04:17 PM
I visited Vidalia on Monday for lunch and had a similar reaction to my meal. It was tasty, the presentation was great, but I don't feel like I need to go back. I've been wanting to try them out for a few years, and after that I can't see paying their full prices.
Saturday night is Corduroy, so I hope to have better luck there.
Posted by: Sixy | Aug 05, 2005 at 04:27 PM
Do give Vidalia another chance: I LOVED it during last year's Restaurant Week, but got that "blown away" experience two months later during a Saturday night dinner.
Do not leave that restaurant without the lemon chess pie.
Posted by: Audrey2025 | Aug 05, 2005 at 04:40 PM
I did have the lemon chess pie. It was "my type of dessert", but desserts are rarely enough to keep me coming back.
Posted by: Jason | Aug 06, 2005 at 01:19 AM
The chess pie sounded delicious, but I had to have the pecan tart just because its their signature dessert. I loved that part enough to think of going back for dessert and a cocktail at the bar. I will give the entire menu another shot before I write it off. Maybe dinner will be more effective than lunch next time?
Posted by: Sixy | Aug 06, 2005 at 12:36 PM
3 updates:
I also went to VIDALIA Totally agree; good but nothing special. I had the vidalia onion to start, which was pretty good, and then the summer cassoulet...dropping the white beans and adding lima beans was a stupid move, and the iterations of pork were average. the dessert, the lemon tart, is supposed to be amazing there but it was far from it.
also hit up TOSCA last night. Started with the octopus with sea urchin sauce, which was very good. Then had the veal shank, which came with a great reduction sauce, but the meat was not tender enough. THe dessert was a tiramisu...standard issue.
just got back from CAFE ATLANTICO. Wow! Great place, most of the menu was available, too. Had the foie gras soup, which was a very clever dish with many counterpoints. THen had the pheasant. Excellent all around. Just wonderful, I will go back for sure. The dessert of Tres Leches was also amazing, and I don't even like sweet things.
Posted by: Greeg | Aug 06, 2005 at 09:25 PM
I went to Galileo for lunch, amazing and I had very good service. As the only other time I had been there was for the Laboratorio del Galileo, I was afraid of disapointment, there was none best meal for $20 I've ever had by a long shot.
701 also for lunch. It was okay. For $20 it was great meal, though my frist course scallop was the worst dish of my three meals (and I LOVE scallops and had some great ones at Galileo the day before.)
TenPenh was the highlight of the week. Dinner there on friday was amazing. Cocconut & shrimp soup was amazing as was my friend's spicy calimari salid. My main dish was best thing I've had in a meal under $100, Asian Surf & Turf. A great steak over spicy greens topped with tempura shrimp. Amazing in every sense of the word. TenPenh's two knocks were so-so service (had to ask for spoon for my soup/wasn't given steak knife, also had to as for water refills.) My biggest problem was the dessert, me and my friend ordered Ginger-Lemon Cake as ginger+citrius=amazing. Well it was served with a berry sorbert forget which at the moment and a white chocolate stick. Those were both pretty good. The cake however, in addition to lacking any hint of ginger tasted like lemon cake one could buy at Giant of Safeway. It wasn't bad tasting but I expected alot more.
All-in-all this being the first Restraunt Week I've been to it was great food, a great time, and great prices. I would have picked a diffrent restraunt then 701 and a diffrent dessert at TenPenh but both were still good, just not up to the level of the rest of the meals.
Posted by: Tim P | Aug 08, 2005 at 07:59 PM
I went to Zola's for an early dinner supper--my first visit and it was a great experience. The service was impeccable, attentive, and even engaging. Among the four of us the Scallops reigned supreme, the steak was too fatty but flavorful, and the lobster & cheese was too bland. The chocolate and peanut butter desserts were the bomb.:-) Wine knowledge of staff was not extensive enough to do great food pairings, but it all worked. Thank goodness for the discount of RW.:-) (***And as an aside--we had a quick early lunch that day at Jaleo around the block--the service was GOD AWFUL!!!, the gazpacho excellent, the sangria mediocre (tasted like a mix), the meat tapas are hit/miss...but the service is what has made me decide never to return.)
Posted by: Ann Van | Aug 09, 2005 at 10:37 AM
Have a suggesstion for a yummy French and Southern (read: comfort food) restaurant? I have a friend coming into town this weekend and would love to treat him.
Posted by: Chase | Aug 11, 2005 at 04:33 PM