Tersiguel's is one of my favorite restaurants in the Columbia/Ellicott City area. Great French country dining. The owners and staff are great and their enthusiasm is infectious. They have a great regular menu and their specials can often be to die for. Great wine list, too. I'd highly recommend this place, especially if you're looking for a non-chain restaurant in an area peppered with chain restaurants (Columbia & Ellicott City).

This is your typical chain restaurant. Crowded with families. Staffed by teenagers who really could not care less about working there. Food is usually decent, but the wait to be seated and the wait for the food and the indifference and lethargy of the staff mars this establishment. The only reason it rates two stars in my book is that they offer carry-out pizza. But even then, I can easily find much better pizza in Columbia.

This is probably the best 'Americanized' Chinese food in Columbia. I do not recommend dining there as the staff can often be a bit brusque and there is no real ambiance. But, for ordering carry out, they operate like an incredibly well oiled machine. Food is pretty good.

I love this restaurant. The guys who work there are all Italian. They have posters of DiNiro and Pacino on the walls. It is a good and cheap Italian restaurant. Super pizza and great pasta. Carry-out is very efficient.

This is a very good sushi place, especially for Columbia. I prefer to sit near the sushi bar to watch them work. Nic presentations and some creativity. Good value for the dollar in my opinion. A nice non-chain option.

I warn you now, this post is really very long and full of some unimportant details. But, it all good faith, I could not post anything less than this to do my experience at Babbo justice. Enjoy!! <br> It was a rainy, cold night in Gotham City. We worried that we would not find a taxi after many passed us by, with full loads. “This was supposed to be easy – it was last night!” I muttered. But our intrepid doorman spied us and began to cast his spell. After a few short moments, he managed to conjure up a luxurious car for us while we shivered under the awning, even though it was heated. As I approached the car, our trusty magician of a doorman shooshed me away saying “No, I talk to the driver.” With a nice, low fixed price negotiated for us, we were now on our way. <br> Comfortable in our plush seats, we tried to focus on the destination, attempting to avoid distraction of the bight lights in the big city. We bantered between ourselves and then with the driver trying to decide if it was on the NW or NE part of Washington Square, finally deciding on NW. <br> We hopped out of the cab, when, blocked by fire trucks and emergency vehicles. We were close, but not yet there. “Where the hell IS Waverly Place?!” we said to each other. You see, we had scouted out the locale the night before, while dining at Taka (review will be forthcoming!), a sushi place with a female sushi chef no less, nearby. <br> Were we lost? <br> “Where is it!? It’s almost 6:00 PM!!!” <br> Finally, the virtual compass of my wife brain found the North Star. “This way!” she shouted as we dashed down the street doing everything possible not to miss our reservation. <br> We popped in the doors just as it struck 6. The place was hopping. It was very crowded – people at tables near the bar, people eating at the bar, people trying to get a drink from the bar while waiting, wait staff running to and fro trying their best to not bump into the hapless waiting patrons. <br> We made our way to the maitre d’s podium and managed to toss off our coats and umbrellas into the waiting hands of the wonderful coat check woman. Casting off that outer layer allowed us to relax a bit, but we still had work to do. Upon indicating who we were, we were magically recognized as '‘people of the moment' (as in, time seemed to stop for us and it seemed as though the focus of the maitre d’ was on us and us alone) and immediately shown up the cascading staircase (actually I think it was three) upstairs, much to our delight. The din of the masses soon ebbed as we entered the heaven that we know as Babbo, or Babbo’s upstairs, anyway. Somehow, dining at the early hour of 6:00 PM did not seem so bad after all. <br> We were seated immediately behind the dual final staircase, ensuring our commanding view of the room, and also making certain we were not in the flow of traffic. Noise seemed to fall away. Conversation was not only possible, but also easy. We reveled in this fact. But soon, we were beset upon by the trusty wait staff of the land of Babbo. <br> What was disarmingly wonderful about this was that they seemed to flitter and flutter about as if walking on air. They did things and engaged you with a knowing look, a smile, a wink. Things appeared on your table that you knew not how. Just as you were about to think of something, or have a desire, one of these faeries (and I mean that in the Tolkein way, not some other m0is0understood way) would appear or be within arms reach. It seemed all that was needed was but a glance. We were placed in the gifted hands of Fred, the waiter, and Jeremy, the sommelier. (Editorial Note: I call him ‘Fred’ since I neglected to get his name before we left. Trust me, I am trying to get his name now, so you all might partake of his abilities.) <br> A Random Encounter “You MUST try the Beef Cheek Ravioli, ” he’d said to us, standing in the Library in the ‘Dining Out’ exhibit. Just thinking about this dish made us salivate and we hadn’t even had lunch yet (which was at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station, another review of that forthcoming from me I am sure). <br> What were we to do? Beef Cheek or no Beef Cheek? What about the Tasting Menus? Pasta Tasting Menu or ‘Regular’ Tasting Menu? Argh! <br> In the end, it was all too easy. We opted for the Pasta Tasting menu, but I am getting ahead of myself! Let me get back to the right timeline here… <br> Fred had already been in touch with Jeremy after discovering our passion for wine. Jeremy ambled on over and we had a great little introductory conversation. All about how we love wine, how it complements the meal, often transporting it to levels unknown. But we also spoke of our abject lack of understanding of that which is ‘Italian Wine’. He assured us about the varieties of wine available, the fact that he would be happy to pair us with selections from the many regions of Italy. We’d also be tasting lesser known bottlings, no Super Tuscans here (though they do have them). ‘More esoteric samplings’ from ‘lesser known, but incredible producers’. We had a good feeling about this. He’d be selecting our wines from the reserve list as we wanted to enjoy the best possible wine matched as good as possible to the delicious food we were dreaming about. <br> Jeremy whisked away, and my wife and I had a bit of apprehension. We did not want to miss out on the Beef Cheek Ravioli that Keith spoke so highly of. We managed to catch Fred with a free moment and he assured us that they could work the eighth course in where it best fit the flow of the meal. “Whew!” We relaxed even more, the decisions having been made. <br> Luscious still bottled water from Italy soon adorned our table along with incredible crusty, dense and hearty bread. “This bread is like it is from Bonaparte’s, ” my wife commented (making a reference to our favorite DC-area bakery). Well, in some ways it was even better. <br> Not long after, we had what is usually called an Amuse Bouche, but this was simply a “Chef’s Pleasure”. It was a Chick Pea Bruschetta, made with balsamic vinegar & other goodies. Delicious. A sign of good things to come. A mini-menu of our tasting menu to come appeared upon our table in the intervening minutes and we perused this map of gastronomic pleasure as we gobbled this pre-course down. <br> Just prior to our getting the first ‘official’ course, which was “Black Tagliatelle with Parsnips and Pancetta”, Jeremy arrived at our table to explain the wine pairing he’d selected for this course. Honestly, I cannot remember everything he said, not much at all really, but it was great. As a side note, I must say that Jeremy was very knowledgeable and he definitely fed off of the energy we gave him and our enthusiasm. I should make a mental note to write him at Babbo to get him to jot some notes down for inclusion here…. Ah, well. In any event, he selected the following wine -- “Capo Martino” Jermann 1999 (Friuli). <br> The Tagliatelle was black through the use of squid ink. The pasta was perfect and the sweetness of the parsnips paired very well with the saltiness of the pancetta. A great pairing that. The wine was delicious and made a great pair with the food ( 'Capo Martino' TNs ). <br> Soon came the next course, “Fennel and Potato Ravioli with Opal Basil and Brown Butter”, which Jeremy paired with “Marea” Bisson 2000 (Liguria). There is something to be said about simple, but expertly prepared food. This course was simply delicious. The flavor combinations encapsulated in this course are excellent. (The wine TNs can be found at 'Marea' TNs ). <br> Fred and his band of helpers kept our water flowing, our bread (oh the bread!) available and all of our needs met. He was never unavailable to us, always within reach and ever so accommodating. A true pro. <br> Somewhere along the way, Jeremy had appeared again with a little map of Italy traced out on the back of the card stock that they use for printing the little menus they give to theirs guests. He had also traced out all of the major regions and then numbered them, in order to correspond with the wine, so that we would know where each wine had come from, what part of the country. I just wish I had his little stories/explanations in written form, too, to make the education complete. What fun! <br> Next came the “Garganelli with Funghi Trifolati” – basically groovy pasta – almost looking like gnocchi – with mushrooms and butter. This was a mind blowing course as the wine that was selected to pair with is – the Barbaresco “Nervo” Elivio Pertinace 1996 (Piemonte) – was the best pairing of the night ( 'Nervo' TNs ). Jeremy outdid himself. In fact, I am not quite sure, but somewhere along the way, he reprinted our little menu of food and wine, because he changed his mind about a course. Perhaps it was this one. The pasta picked up the earthy flavor of the various mushrooms and the butter as well. It was a delight to consume this course. <br> Later came the “Alejandro’s Pyramids with Butter and Thyme”, another very simple but artisanly crafted dish. This is a classic flavor combination put together by very knowledgeable hands. To think that something so simple can be such a stunning course is mildly incomprehensible. Pair this dish with Valpolicella Classico Superiore, G. Quintarelli 1995 (Veneto), and you too will be a happy camper. ( G. Quintarelli TNs ). <br> We had, as you recall, chosen to add another course to the tasting menu – the much heralded (by Keith Scott – thanks Keith!!) Beef Cheek Ravioli. Jeremy paired this course, which was served with a liver based/enriched brown ‘sauce’ of a sort, with Teroldego Rotaliano “Granato” Foradori 1998 (Trentino) ( 'Granato' TNs ), and, may I just say that this was my WOTN? Not the best exact match to the food, but the best wine for sure. This dish was sublime. Who knew beef cheeks could be sooooooooo good? The sauce was rich and decadent, but fortunately there was not a large amount of it or surely I would have been stuffed. I could have eaten much, much more of this. <br> Soon after we completed that course, we were presented with our most anticipated dish – the Pappardelle Bolognese. Even more so, this pasta, the pappardelle, is wider than even tagiatelle. Wider is better! The Bolognese gripped the pasta superbly and was a nice decadent concoction. It was not the epiphany I had hoped it would be, but it was masterfully crafted and absolutely delicious. This was paired with Rosse del Sebino “Maurizio Zanella” Ca’del Bosco 1997 Lombardia) ( 'Maurizio Zanella' TNs ). The wine matched well enough and certainly stood up to the power of this dish. Yum. <br> And so the ‘main’ courses had finally come to an end. We had a brief respite as we continued to oooh and aaaah our fellow diners’ food and the like. People watching and watching the dance of the wait staff was fun as we delighted in fun conversation. A great meal does this – it allows you to relax to such an extent that you truly and utterly enjoy yourself for the mere sake of enjoying yourself. This is what I think all dining experiences should be like. <br> What came next was what we jokingly called a ‘cheese course’ – the Apricot and Carrot “Marmellata” with Goat Milk Curd. Essentially, this creation is a dab, an orb really, of goat milk curd (borderline cheese) with a reduction and weaving of apricots and carrots arranged as a semicircle at the feet of the orb of goat milk curd. The sweetness of the apricots worked really well with the texture of the carrots. This was a surprisingly incredible course. In fact, this was so, so good, that it was our ‘Course of the Night’. Especially when you consider that this was paired with a great wine, the Muffato della Sala, Castello della Sala (Antinori) 1998 (Umbria) ( Antinori TNs ), it made this part of the dining experience absolutely amazing. <br> We were now faced with the final official course, the “Saffron Panna Cotta with Pears and Cardamom” paired with the Moscadello di Montalcino, Col d’Orcia 1998 (Toscana) ( Moscadello TNs ). This was delicious as well, but it did not hold a candle to the previous course. The wine was actually better than this dessert, but do not get me wrong it was very enjoyable. <br> We, basking in our gastronomic glow, moved on to coffee and the next and last foodstuffs – Petit Fours. “They’re wafer thin…” I said as I egged on Mrs. TJ. And so we tried one of everything and called it quits. <br> What an experience. At this point, we realized that it was almost 10:30. We’d noticed other tables, both those seated before us and after us, had all flipped to new diners. At the table next to us, the diners had chosen the pasta tasting menu as well, and they were already at the Bolognese course! We settled up and made our way down the multiple staircases to get to the throng below. We made our way to the coat check woman, and she said, upon reading our ticket number, ”Gosh you all have been here a LONG time! I have to go to the other room to get your stuff.” A knowing look, a wink of the eye and a chuckle was shared by Mrs. TJ and I. <br> We slipped out of the restaurant into the cold/crisp night air, walked a half block where a magical taxi materialized as if it was waiting for us. And in what seemed like only moments, we were back uptown at our hotel – the memories of the night etched in our minds, but already fading. Thankfully, with the help of our ‘Dining Out Diary’, the memories didn’t disappear and thus I am able to make this post. <br> This dining experience at Babbo is among the best experiences I have had. I would actually rank it in my top three, alongside Citronelle in DC and The Inn At Little Washington in Virginia. And, I know that Babbo is a restaurant of many opinions, but for me, Babbo lives up to all the hype and then some. For your reading pleasure, here is a link to another conversation about Babbo on the ‘other’ board -- Babbo discussion thread . <br> I hope you have enjoyed this Magnum Opus. I certainly enjoyed writing it. Please be on the look out for other reviews coming soon. These will include Café Bolud, The Oyster Bar at Grand Central and Taka. Enjoy!!! <br> If you'd like to see Wine Tasting Notes for the wines I had with this dinner, see http://www.vinocellar.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=TravelDining&Number=5323&page=2&view=collapsed&sb=4&o=&fpart=1

My wife and I enjoyed lunch here in our 'Lost Food Weekend' last month while visiting NYC. After enjoying an exhibit at the NY Public Library titled 'Dining Out', we headed over to the Oyster Bar for some lunch. <br> We had oysters on the mind and we wanted to try a bunch of them, so off we went. <br> Just a few blacks walk, we headed into Grand Central Station, which is pretty cavernous (and architecturally interesting in spots). We found our lunchtime target and were seated at a table. There was a miscommunication, as we'd wanted to sit at 'the bar', but we figured the food would be the same and we'd enjoy ourselves nontheless, which we did. <br> We ordered two dozen oysters of seven different varieties. Along with this we shared a bottle of the St. Innocent Pinot Gris (2000 or 2001 -- I can't remember, but I think it was a 2000 --- TNs here ). It paired well enough and was rather refreshing. We'd actually hoped to bump into Keith Scott here (yes, he and his lady friend were also eating there!), but it didn't work out. <br> We shared the following oysters, all served raw -- <br> Bluepoint -- classic Chincoteague -- sweet, small and very flavorful Judd somethingorother -- ocean breeze, briny mouth of seawater with sweet grassiness on the finish Kamumato -- sweet bomb really small -- DELICIOUS Cutty hunk-- ocean air Westcott bay - sweet and slightly briny Sheepscot -- slight brininess <br> My favorites were the Kamumato, the Chincoteague and the Cutty Hunk. <br> The Oyster Bar itself is just like this huge place. There is nothing here really to note other than you feel like you are in a large hall/cave. the tables are very close together and it is pretty noisy. The service is acceptable, if a bit brusque. The waiter was able to halp narrow our chosen list down by making some recommendations, most notably the Kamumato. We got to keep a copy of the daily menu as a keepsake (and an easy way to remember the meal in our dinining diary. <br> I'd go there again, certainly. The oysters were very fresh (if served just a little bit too cold) and delicious. I can't speak for the rest of the voluminous menu, though. <br> Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER-- I was at the dinner Robert Johnston mentions below!! <br> My wife and I had our traditional 'Let's get dressed up (a bit) and have a nice dinner just the two of us' Christmas Eve dinner (2002). After the past two years at Tersiguels' in Ellicott City, MD, we decided to try a restaurant we'd never tried before -- Equinox, in Washington DC. <br> Equinox ( Equinox website ) is located in dowtown Washington DC, near the Haye Adams Hotel, The Oval Room and te White House. It is a small-ish restaurant, seating about 80-100. It is the home of Todd Gray (chef/owner) and Lisa Scruggs (pastry chef). They do allow BYOW for a corkage fee (I think it is $20/bottle). <br> Equinox has a small bar area, an ample waiting area (unnecessary for our first experience there) and a small 'original' restaurant area and a larger 'outside' area which is essentially a somehwat built in glassed in area to allow for about 50-70 additional seatings. It is nicely appointed and the tables are spaced apart enough so you don't have to feel claustrophobic or listen in on other folks' conversations. On to the meal... <br> We opted to NOT go for the tasting menu, so that we could sample more of the menu instead. We ordered a bottle of the 2000 Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast ( TNs here ) which was served to us in OK stemware -- not Riedels or Spiegelaus -- just a standard, but adequate red wine glass with a decent-sized bowl. <br> First courses were Tuna Tartare and Open Ravioli of Sweetbreads & Woodland Mushrooms. The Tuna Tartare was diced tuna with equally sized diced cubes of (HAWAIIAN!!!) pineapple. There was a frisee of some greens served on top of this along with some peppery crackers. I am sure there were a number of spices mixed in with the Tuna & Hawaiian Pineapple, too. It was delicious. The Ravioli was superb. It was essentially one very large ravioli (think of a two by two 'normal' sized ravioli) with the mushrooms and sweetbreads laid atop of followed by another slightly offset ravioli 'sheet' and drizzled with a brown and spiced sauce of a sort, It was my first experience with sweetbreads. I'd read how certain posters here have waxed poetic about the stuff, that I just had to try it once. It didn't have the texture I expected (I expected a runny mess) -- it was more like a meat (a game bird most aptly describes what type of meat) mixed with marbled fat of a sort and, um, stuffing -- at least from a consistency perspective. It was a very, very good first experience, plus it paired really well with the wine. <br> Our second courses were an Onion Soup and an Endive Salad. The Onion Soup was not overly salty at all, as many French Onion Soups can be. It was distincly sweet around the edges (I think it was actually called a Carmelized Onion soup, now that I think about it) and it had some shredded bits of shees floating on the surface, too. It was served with two small triangles of grilled cheese sandwiches -- the cheese must have been Gruyere -- were a cute and decidedly delicious plus. Great course. The Endive Salad was a bit more classic -- with walnuts and Stilton and more. The endive was not served in whole 'boat' form, but rather chopped up a bit. It was nothing new, but this dish was well executed and prepared with very fresh ingredients. Yum! <br> We split the next course as it was a dish for two -- Rack of lamb with a Garlic Jous and some mashed potatoes and haricot vertes. This had to be the best lamb, or almost the best lamb, I have ever tasted. In a simple preparation like this, the ingredients and execution are key. It was wonderful. the only thing that detracted from this course was that the wait between the course before this and this main course was pronouncedly long. I am not sure if the kitchen got backed up (most of the larger and other tables were well into their main courses...), or if they goofed the first attempt at making our main course, or if the waiter messed up on when he put the order in or what, but it just took too long. Another table of two ordered the same thing about 30-45 minutes after we arrived and they were served at the same time as we were (although they only had one starter course, not two). Anyway, it was a bit of a bummer about that. <br> For dessert, I indulged in a wonderful 'Egg Nog Creme Brulee' which was wonderful My wife got Gingerbread Bread Pudding and I remember her really enjoyying it. The coffee was top notch, which is unusual for most restaurants. <br> The only other detractor to the evening was that we were a bit stresed out by the drive in (it was snowing/sleeting/freezing raining/etc) and that we couldn't seem to shake the feeling enough to truly enjoy our meal. I certainly enjoyed our experience, and I would go there again. <br> Despite the slight missteps of our experience here on Christmas Eve, I was the one who arranged the big wine dinner that Robert already let you all in on, which was top, top notch.

Fusion A block off of the main drag in the street level of a condo building, Fusion is a great place to dine. The atmosphere is great, nice (although small) bar area. Nicely decorated and furnished. Artwork everywhere (I love the wall with the masks -- I told them whenever they remodel to call me so I can buy the masks from them!). Polished and with proper table separation, the place just feels right. They even created, this year, a 'Community Table'. This is a table of 14 where anyone can choose to be seated at to have dinner with friends or total unknowns. Single diners can mix with couples and families. Nice touch. <br> The food here is great noveau food. Great service and a great atmosphere with a nice wine list to boot. It's where you want to go when you want a more refined (but still casual) experience at the Beach. No bratty kids here.

Although we found out this year that the old chef of Chez La Mer is no longer there (the old chef at Back Porch is there now), this place still rates well up there. We had a 1997 Mongeard-Mugneret Echezeaux Grand Cru (Vosne-Romanee, Cote d'or). We got this because Chez La Mer has HALF-PRICE WINE NIGHTS on Mondays. So we got it for $60 bucks. <br> I had a sumptuous cannoli with nutmeg, a few cheeses, creme fraische, some greens and other stuff. Yum. My wife and her mother were in attendance as well, and called this first course the best. Gazpacho and the Mussels were rather good too (they give you like 3 dozen mussels, too). <br> We moved on to Filet with a wonderful dijon based sauce (for my mother-in-law), a duck special (for me) and the winner of the entree category, a veal special with mushrooms and a sauce of some structure for my wife. The wine paired quite well with everything, I think. TNs will be posted in the proper place. <br> Desserts were good, too. Usually this was a high point as Chez La Mer excelled at this course in the past, but this time it was merely good. <br> Service was good, but slipped on occasion (we had to pour our own wine). Coffee was not up to prior visits. <br> Atmosphere is always great there. In a salmon pink with blue trim house, you can choose to sit outside up on the roof, in the enclosed porch (so you can people watch), or in one of the three connected interior dining rooms. All have what is known in German as 'gemutlichkeit' -- quaintness, charm, etc. <br> I used to rate this with 5 stars, but now that I have been to the likes of Babbo, Laboratorio el Galileo, Citronelle and The Inn at Little Washington, the most I can give it is 4.

Food is wonderful, wine list great, service is more hit than miss but the tables packed a little too close together is seems at times. <br> Still, the food here is superb.

OK. Citronelle simply rocks. <br> My wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary at Citronelle in May 2002 (a Friday evening). It was perhaps the best fine dining experience we've ever had. It certainly ranks up there in the top 3 or 5. For the price, Citronelle kicks the Inn at Little Washington's butt. We had the 9 course tasting menu which absolutley ROCKED! If you are looking for large portions or are expecting something to fill you to the point you are uncomfortable, go get a pizza. If you want great food prepared expertly while you watch (we could see each course of ours prepared) with attentive service, go to Citronelle. Besides, they have Kistler wine (yum!). Altogether an amazing evening. <br> My wife posted this on another message board-- <br> "Friday night we had dinner for the first time at Citronelle, and all I can say is oh-----my------GOD!!!! It was incredible. It was fantastic. I don't know if I was light-headed from the wine or the food. THE FOOD!! It was the stuff of dreams. There is no way to describe how wonderful, wonderful, wonderful it all was. All I can think about is how in the world I can get back there again. It will take some saving or a great deal of scheming (like getting Joe H. to adopt me), but I MUST get back there again. <br> We got the "Michel Menu"--the 8 course tasting menu. I can go into great detail about the courses (because with every bite I was telling myself, "remember this, remember this"). But that would make a veerrry long posting. Just suffice it to say that after the very first course, we were swooning. By the fifth we were pledging to each other that we would make it to the end. I'm sure making it through the entire menu would not have been all that difficult, but even THE BUTTER there is outrageous, and in between courses, I couldn't stop eating bread and butter. Plus, everything was so damn wonderful that we swabbed the plates with bread to get every last taste. The only thing that we couldn't do were the petits fours at the end. Those came home with us. <br> I've been to the Inn at Little Washington and thought it was terrific. Until Citronelle. The food was better, the service was better, it is closer and doesn't require an overnight stay. Why go all the way out there when you've got the best right here??? <br> So in short, here is my review of Citronelle: WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW"

Cashion's Eat Place -- in Adams Morgan on Columbia Road. This place is unbelievable. Food is amazing, wine list is adventurous and fun. Even better, the wine list is not marked up that much (Archery Summit Premier Cuvee for $70, Viader 1998 for $110 I think) -- at least not like SOME places. American adventurous food (based in a french backbone). This one of my MOST Highly Recommended places. The food is always top notch, the service great and very personal and the scene is great. It can get a little loud at times, but not if you go early or late or get seated in one of the corners. If you sit in the back, you have a good view of the kitchen.

Nick & Stef's. Granted, the food is great. The wine is great. The ambiance is modern and cool. BUT, the service STINKS. Maybe it is because I went right before a Caps game (I am a huge fan), but we were the first people seated and after we placed our orders it went completely downhill. Over 30 minutes wait between the salad and the main course. They tried to smooth it all over by offering free dessert. I ain't going back. Game night or no, at the price we paid you expect a certain level of service -- period.

YOU should give Jaleo a try. Wonderful tapas and a very nice wine list to go with them. They have this potato dish with a garlic tomato sauce that rocks. The cheeses, the sardines, the dates, the mussels, the codfish stew, the sausages, everything is delicious. I like both the DC and Bethesda outposts

The Food and Restaurant <br> DC Coast. Yum. Nicely appointed dowtown location. Nice bar area. A HUGE mermaid greets you at the door. It was rather noisy and busy. We had a table near the kitchen and a busy thoroughfare near the steps leading upstairs. Next time, we'll ask for an upstairs table. But that was the ONLY downside to the place. <br> Wonderful service from our very in the know wait staff person. She knew the menu, she listened for comments in order to make recommendations. She was always there when you needed her and she was never in the way. She was super friendly and nice to boot. She even took a few pictures for us! <br> DC Coast is known for its seafood, but is also known for, well, really just good food. That and it is a place to be seen. Don’t get me wron, DC is not Hollywood or NYC, but, for the Capital City, it is a hotspot. If you want to be seen or to see "somebodies", this is one of the places to be. <br> There was so much good food there. The bread was nice and hearty with good crust. The butter was sublime as it was extra creamy and served at just the right temperature -- not too cold (which would make it hard to spread) and not too warm (which makes it too liquidy and changes the taste to me, anyway). <br> Appetizers ranged from a classic smoked salmon spread (w/Traditional Accompaniments and Dill-Garlic Bagel Crisp), to Lobster and English Pea Rissoto (Lobster and Fresh English Pea Risotto w/Tarragon Butter and Parmigiano Reggiano), to this wild Oyster thing (Harwichport Oysters w/Vodka-Japanese Pickled Ginger Ice), to the Tuna Tartare thing ('Poisson Cru' Tahitian Style Tuna Tartare w/Fresh Lime and Coconut Milk -- served in a coconut half), to a signature dish -- stuffed rellenos (Exotic Mushroom and Goat Cheese Anaheim Chile Relleno w/Roasted Tomato Salsa). <br> Some moved on to a salad mode. There was an interesting looking thing one of us had. Then there were a few that got the tomato-cheese-and-something else with drizzled something else on it (Heirloom Tomato Tart w/Baby Arugula Salad, Shaved Ricotta, Basil Pesto and Balsamic Syrup). <br> Then came the entrees -- Some got one of the signature entrees -- Chinese Style Smoked Lobster w/Stir-fry Vegetables and Crispy Fried Spinach. It looked amazing. Others got the Mushroom Crusted Halibut w/Portobello Mushroom, Truffled Potatoes and Porcini Broth -- I actually got a taste of this and it was WONderful! And another got the Grilled Cowboy Cut Angus Ribeye w/Green Chili Macaroni and Cheese, Tumbleweed of Crisp Onions, I believe. It looked quite amazing, too. Lastly, I had what I believe to be (if not the smoked lobster) the best entrée -- Seared Pepper Crusted Tuna w/Brown Butter Creamed Spinach and Wild Mushroom Veal Jus. This was stunning. It was perfectly and expertly prepared -- very rare, just as I ordered it. Melts in your mouth! <br> Somewhere along the way, we ordered dessert. Several of us had the dessert souffle of the day -- in our case this was a chocolate souffle with pistachio sauce poured through the middle. While it was not quite what I expected, it was still pretty good. And this is when we were drinking that 1993 Disznoko 5 Puttonyos Tokay. Oy. I could repeat that course again and again. <br> There somehow appeared a lull in the conversation and we all looked up and realized that we were the only people left at a table. Sure, there were a few people at the bar, but it was I think 12:30 and we shut another place down. <br> Wow. <br> I would recommend DC Coast as a destination restaurant again. The only change I would make is to be more selective at where you're seated -- preferably upstairs I would think.