Wolfgang Puck's - THE SOURCE

The Source

575 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

Located downtown next to the Newseum behind the DC Superior court building, The Source is someplace you want to put on your TO DO list if you haven’t been already.

Like most folks, I tend to visit the restaurant website to get an idea on prices and selection. The Source website was interesting and very busy. I had to actually give it my attention to navigate through the menu section. They have a total of 7 menus, yep 7, but no kid’s menu. I guess that would have been one too many.

I think you need some of those special decoder glasses because I could not see the prices next to any of the items on the menus. Can somebody send me the link to where I can find some of those glasses please? Hey I bet that’s what those Google Glasses are used for??? (giggle)

Anyway, VH1 and I decided to head on over to see what the hype is all about. We usually book our reservations early for dinner. One because we have jobs where we can sneak out early without being noticed and two because we are hungry from starving ourselves all day so that we are sure to order every possible course and enjoy!

I walked over from the metro green line at Archives and grabbed a seat at the bar to wait on VH1 who of course did valet. The bartender – that word seems so ancient, promptly came over to say “hello” and give me a few menus. One was a drink menu, another wine and the third was bar Nosh. Actually the Nosh deal seemed pretty good for $22 bucks but when I saw the drink menu I almost fell off the stool.

Yes, I know I am super cheap for a foodie but $14 drinks…really? Really? I just kept staring at this menu thinking WTH so I asked, “excuse me do you guys have any happy hour specials”, nope but you can order a regular drink. So I got my standard, Vodka with anything and guess how much that was….$11 bucks and with the tip I was back at $14. 

Before the drink came VH1 was there and it was like déjà vu with the 3 menus yada yada and finally she goes…. “$14 bucks, they don’t have a happy hour” (giggle). The bar area was a good size for DC standards and very polished. Cushy seats, communal tables, couple of small tables and the bar. We thought it was pretty slow for a Friday, compared to most spots in DC by 6pm.

The Source is really swanky just like I like it with lots or marble, glass and stainless steel all over the place…ahhh. I guess that don’t come cheap. I would suggest putting forth a little effort with the outfit if you come here and I would imagine this would make a great date night destination. Not really a jeans and t-shirt kind of place and not especially kid friendly. I imagine they have a kid’s menu someplace but I’d guess they’d probably prefer not to dig it out.

The hostess popped over to confirm we were ready to head up to our table and placed our drinks on a cute little tray and we followed her upstairs. Again, not many folks up in the dining area yet which was nice so we kinda had the opportunity to linger and glance a bit more at the views. This level also had floor to ceiling windows and a narrow outdoor seating area. I think there was also outdoor seating on the ground level too but who’d want to sit outdoors when you have a nice setting like this!

Let me mention that the staff did nothing to add to this experience. They seemed like cyborgs to me, in matching outfits. Not saying that they were rude or anything, on the contrary, they were extremely efficient but in a much rehearsed sort of way.

Okay, now to the food.  O-M-G it was so good. THE END!

Suckling Pig

Just kidding, we were so early that we did not have the opportunity to see dishes passing by and say…ooh what’s that, let’s try it but as it got busier we saw so many things that looked incredible but our selections did not disappoint.

We started with the Pork Belly Tiny Dumplings and Crispy Suckling Pig and yes it was agonizing making a decision – I wouldn’t wish this punishment on anybody. 

My mouth is watering right now…these were both outstanding! The dumplings were perfection and came with a side of Lo Mein noodles. The Suckling Pig was not what I expected but, well take a look at the pic. This was very good too.

Second course, again just as agonizing to choose but we eventually went with Lacquered Chinese Duck, yep both of us.

Lacquered Duck

So funny, VH1 originally planned on going with the Tasting Menu with wines until she saw the sticker. I won’t give that away, I’ll let you experience as she did (giggle) BUT if you have a pair of those Google glasses you can probably peep the price online. 

Lacquered Duck

The duck was excellent, almost as good as this place I experienced in Beijing last year, with the crispiest skin ever, truly lacquered. I would say that it was a little more done than I prefer but still outstanding and neither of us could finish it all.

Now for dessert, menu 3 of 7, I got the 15-layer Carrot Cake and VH1 went with the Cookies. Our waiter mentioned that the Carrot Cake was voted one of the top 10 in the city and since I am a sucker for that sort of talk I focused on the cake. VH1 on the other hand is a bit more sophisticated and went with the cookies which were these large warm chocolate chip cookies – crispy not chewy- the presentation was nice too. 

I prefer a little crunch as opposed to chewy so I snatched up a few to take home. The carrot cake did have 15 layers, so moist and not too sweet.

15 Layer Carrot Cake

Look, what can I say, The Source lived up to the hype guys. So if you are interested in that Tasting Menu for you and your date, grab your gold platinum card and head over for a treat.

Bistrot Lepic & Wine Bar - Meh

Bistrot Lepic (The Emperor has no Clothes)

1726 Wisconsin Ave. NW

I am about to say something so HUGELY unpopular that I might need to shack up with Zimmerman in the safe house till this all blows over. Okay here it goes, 3-2-1 I DONT LIKE BISTROT LEPIC.

Bistrot Lepic not BISTRO is located in upper Georgetown and it seems that almost every review I've ever read about this place give's it excellent ratings. I was here about a year ago and most recently with VH1 and TR the weekend after the July 4th holiday.

Yes, I do like wine and yes I do like french food, just not the french food I had here. Honestly, I don't remember what I had a year ago and yes I can and do remember meals that I really enjoy a year later, but I dont remember anything good or bad. I can say that I did not think to come back. 

VH1 actually had the idea to grab dinner and I almost didn't remember ever eating here until I looked it up on line. With all the rave reviews I was confused as to why I didnt have any fond memories.

The Venue

If you've read any of my reviews you know that I tend to prefer more modern contemporary settings but if done well I can appreciate almost anything - except this place. Georgetown is a very old DC neighborhood. 

I actually went to High School close to this venue so very familiar with the area. I guess they choose to incorporate the dated facade and interior as part of their 'french charm' but I found it like an old rug that you just want to shake in the back yard to get all the dust off. I mean from the old maroon cushions upstairs on the seating to the drapes and floor it just made me want to sneeze. Just not a fan but apparently most folks are.

The Staff

The staff was outstanding in every way. The gentleman who greeted me (funny I did remember his face), to the nice bartender and server - all really outstanding and made us feel very welcome. I think the Chef or main Chef and or Sous-Chef and apparently that little Mouse from Ratatouille must have all left together for the holiday and pre-made a few dishes to warm up because....well, not good.

The Food

So you know I prefer to visit a restaurant more than once before I form an opinion OR gather opinions from a few other folks I am dining with and also sample their dishes and this time TR agreed with me...not very good that night but VH1 did enjoy two out of three courses but think she gave the dessert a 'Meh'. How in the heck can a french dessert get a 'meh'?

Les rognons de veau, pomme de terre au four écrasée, moutarde de Dijon

We started off with wine upstairs - so far so good. Actually better than good because I think they had happy hour prices so we had a few before we slid over to the table.  We decided to go with the prix fixe menu, also a nice touch. I think it was about 30ish. 

Pied de cochon désôssé et croustillant 

We started with the Crusty boneless pig's feet with onion mustard sauce X2, Organic mixed baby green salad from the Calza Farm (wait from where- who the heck knows where this is..or cares.??) -  then Veal kidneys with chunky yukon gold potatoes and Dijon mustard sauce, Duck confit, lamb, Toulouse garlic sausage, and cannelloni bean stew and Hanger Steak. Then for dessert, Chocolate mousse X2 and Homemade fruit tart of the day. 

Le cassoulet du Bistrot Lepic

TR was not impressed with her steak, I also tried it and it was not very good - it was Char grilled but just not very appetizing to me and she agreed so at best it was just okay. 

The crusty pig feet was not bad just on the oily side for me. It was like comfort food which is always a good thing and I guess that's one reason for the side of lettuce but that was just well -meh - on the side of the plate with nothing to make it stand out. 

The Duck dish was a Caussolet Stew  - I think this may be the signature dish - but there was nothing stewish about it. It was very dry, I think over done.  VH1 did like her Veal and I tried it and agreed it was pretty good. The mustard sauce complemented the Veal very well and it was nice and tender. The desserts were just not up to par period!

Hey, I'd like to think we caught this spot on an off night but I am probably not going to head back - especially since I had to actually drive this time- giggle. There is no metro within walking distance!

Urbana - Winning

URBANA

2121 P Street NW

So we had to stop by to pick up travel Visas nearby and wanted a bite for dinner when I said, lets try this place around the corner - Urbana. I had brunch here a while ago and remembered how much I enjoyed it.

It was happy hour so we decided to have a couple of drinks. The atmosphere is very inviting and friendly. The bar area has a cozy seating area, plush sofas for groups to mingle. Also they have drink and nosh specials which is ALWAYS appreciated.

Its unusual to see drink specials for $6 using Absolut liquor so this was especially nice. I did not have the pizza but I don't think you can buy a pizza at the grocery store this cheap. Folks, this is a very nice happy hour deal here!

After our drinks we headed over to the dining room which is modern with an additional counter area where you can view the prep area and wood burning oven. This is a very nice touch, especially if you are a solo diner and prefer to stay away from a table. 

It was not difficult for me to make my decision as I  started with the Lobster Ravioli followed by the Duck Breast. My partner for the evening had the Cacciuco and we shared the Gelato for dessert. The menu had nice selections ---Pizzas, Cheeses, Salumi, Brussels Sprouts and lamb meatballs. Very nice!!

Lobster Ravioli

Our serving team was very good. I think our server was Sasha. She was very attentive without being interruptive. A nice touch was when the entree's arrived by one of the chefs. I for one can appreciate the little touches that provide special attention...it can make a mediocre meal into something special. BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND there is nothing mediocre about Urbana. 

Duck Breast

As you can see from the photos the food looks delicious. I will confirm that everything did taste just as good as better than it looks!

The broth from the seafood dish was outstanding and the seafood itself was very fresh and moist. This dish along with the italian bread was outstanding. Classic comfort food. The Duck did not disappoint either. Once it arrived I realized that I didnt tell Sasha how I wanted it prepared but it was perfect. Tender and juicy....makes me want to grab my farecard and head out the door right now!

The only thing that we were not as impressed with was the Gelato. I know that's odd as I am not sure if this is something that is prepared onsite or from a manufacturer. Just wasn't what I expected but the pastry that came along with it was excellent.

If you have not experienced it, URBANA should definitely go on your to do list. Great service, sleek surrounds and excellent food - winning combination.

Its located about 10  minutes from the metro red line Dupont Circle stop.

UPDATE:
7/11/13 - Happy Hour 


Very good. I highly recommend this.

Scallops

Although the sprout were tasty I was not impressed, especially compared to most every place I've had them out in DC. 

Sprouts

Arancini 

Senart's - Basics Done Well

Senart's

520 8th Street SE

Burger

Senart’s is located on what is now, Barrack’s Row, which I consider Eastern Market. Its been open for a couple of years and I like this place. 

Senart’s is located on 8th street and the eateries are packed tight. If for instance you head out of the house and not sure what you have a taste for you can walk down this street and go door to door to explore your choices. Not kidding, this area is packed solid with choices so competition is stiff. I would imagine that when you have so many choices the most important way to stand out is with customer service and Senart's does this well.

When VH1 suggested that we hang out and catch up TR did the tough part of deciding where we should go and suggested we grab a bite here. We all have been here for brunch and keep coming back because we enjoy the food, atmosphere and friendly service. Dinner is also very good and worth a try. The menu is priced just right for the quality and portions. 

Eastern Shore Morning

Although I am unfortunately not a fan of the Chowder soup we can all vouch for the standard breakfast fare that they serve up.

The menu is here and take a look at the pics of what we enjoyed. VH1 was the first to arrive and texted me to say she had a nice seat at the window. Senart's has a long narrow rectangular configuration so there is not a lot of room for window seating, actually only one booth but they do have a few tables outdoors under shade. 

We had a great seat in front of the window with a really nice breeze, and view of the street to people watch. Perfect for a enjoying a drink so we started out with the Pimm's Cup. I think this was bourbon - I think - served tall, this hit the spot!

I actually ate earlier that morning and was determined to go on the light side until I saw the burger on the menu. I figured I’d eat half and take the rest home for later but after the first bite I couldn’t stop myself. Grassfeed beef, cheese, drizzled with aioli sauce and topped with a golden fried onion. The bun was so soft, this burger was excellent. There was a side garden salad composed of simple greens tossed in a lite dressing that had a hint of salt. Sounds odd but the taste was perfect - loved it.

Eggs Your Way

VH1 started off with a selection from the raw bar. I think it was the daily selection of oysters followed by a shooter. She really seemed to enjoy it. 

TR got Eggs Your Way with bacon. The toast is Texas style. TR really enjoyed this and its what I normally get as well. Comes with a nice side of fruit.

Senart's is one of my go to spots when I want a simple staple brunch or dinner. Its consistently good familiar food at reasonable prices so I recommend it if you are in this area.

Parking can be difficult so you so you may want to consider taking the metro blue or orange line to the eastern market stop.

Poste - Delivers (One of My Favorite's)

Poste

555 8th Street NW

Poste is one of my favorite go to restaurants in DC. One reason for this is the location. Poste is located very convenient to public transportation and other popular venues like the Verizon Center in Downtown DC.

I am a sucker for sleek modern design and this spot always makes me feel a little like a rock star whether stopping by at happy hour for a little nosh at the outdoor bar, in the courtyard, brunch or dinner on the patio or indoors.

Basil Martini

Poste is part of the Monaco Hotel in the Penn Quarter and on this particular occasion TR, VH1 and I stopped by for lunch. We decided to sit outdoors as it was an absolutely gorgeous day. The Courtyard has a raised patio area that over looks a garden with a bar and lounge seating. It's so relaxing as they have shade and pumped in chill music…..ahh, I mean it's really hard to say no to just one more drink!

Brassiere Burger

I’ve always had great experiences with the staff here and on this day there was no exception. I arrived first and grabbed our table and the server made an outstanding recommendation for a Basil Martini so I said, hey why not its past noon! Fast forward one hour and I am not sure how many we had but the bar tab for the three of us was about $90...yes this was lunch but we were not headed back to the office (giggle).

It was agonizing trying to choose just one thing off the menu but finally I decided to go with the grass feed burger on the onion bun. OMG this burger was so flavorful and juicy. I didn't think I would be able to eat it all but, one bite lead to another then another and the next thing I knew….all gone. Came with truffle fries.

VH1 is not satisfied until she has something raw and slimy to put in her mouth sooooo, she chose the Croque Madame “Miss Crunchy” and was really satisfied as well.

TR got there late (surprise) so she decided to basically drink her lunch…. as we were headed down for the Jazz at the Sculpture Garden.

As you can see I recommend Poste. The food is consistently good as is the service and the venue. In fact, the outdoor area may be one of the best in the city.

Miss Crunchy

Take the metro red line to Gallery Place exit, order the Basil Martini, sit back and enjoy!

www.noshdc.net

Chez Billy - Nothin But Net!!

Chez Billy

3815 Georgia Ave. NW

So a few of us got together for dinner at Chez Billy. I gotta admit, finally an excuse to hang out in this part of town. Not unlike most parts of the District, coffee shops, restaurants and clubs are popping up all over the place and I've really never had a reason to head up to this part of town for dinner until now.

Chez Billy has been open for about a year and I could kick myself for not getting here sooner. From the street it does not really impress but once you walk into the main bar area you get a feel for what to expect - to be wow'ed! 

When they say they open at 5:30 they mean it. Our reservation was for 5:30 and we arrived at about 5:25 and had to wait on the sidewalk until they unlocked the doors….which was actually at 5:33. It would seem that they would open the bar at 5pm so that folks do not have to time their arrival perfectly for 5:30pm. I mean they could potentially have 20 folks with reservations that show up 5 mins early and everyones on the sidewalk waiting….not a good scene.

Once we stepped in the door that was all forgotten because …well take a look at this pic.

The interior is impressive and larger than I expected. They also have an outdoor area with a bar that must really be nice for happy hour on summer afternoons. 

VH1 and I arrived on time, as usual while VH2 and IF came late, as usual so we sat at the bar to enjoy a drink with the bartender Roger. Chez Billy does have happy hour prices at the bar and the wine was very nice - Pinot Noir. Ask Roger to give you the details about the history of the building, it was very interesting and he was really nice.

Finally we were all ready to head to our table and the team that waited on us that evening was fantastic. Don't forget to ask for recommendations because it was very helpful for us and spot on. From here on out I pretty much could just post the pictures and be done and just say head here but let me give you a few details on what we had.

RILLETTES DE PORC

Note, everything and I mean, everything was outstanding!!! View the menu here. 

DAUBE DE BOEUF

VH1 started with the Tartine aux Champignons, then Beef Cheeks, and Crepes. VH2 and IF started with Blood Sausage and Whipped Pork Belly, followed by Steak and Mussels and I of course had the Duck for entree, started with Whipped Pork Belly Pate and Profiteroles for dessert.  

CONFIT DE CANARD 

The Mushrooms were p-e-r-f-e-c-t-i-o-n. The Pork Belly spread on the toasted bread awesome, you gotta try both of these to start.

TARTINE AUX CHAMPIGNONS 

VH2 enjoyed the Sausage and mentioned that her Steak was prepared very well and very tender. I sampled IF Mussels and wow, outstanding.

BOUDIN NOIR







The Duck delicious and VH1 Beef Cheeks so tender and flavorful. Like I said the meal was perfect.

STEAK FRITES

CRÊPES SUZETTE 

PROFITÉROLES 

I really recommend Chez Billy and it couldn't be easier to find. Take the metro green line to Georgia Aveune stop. If driving it shouldn't be too difficult to find a meter.

The Liberty Tree - Good, Bad and Ugly

Liberty Tree

1016 H Street NE

The Good, Bad and Ugly

One thing I pride myself on is the ability to provide an objective review. Normally I dine with others and ask their opinions as well as my own which gives more than one perspective which I think is a good thing. 

We started out with a 'simple plan'. Sixteen friends and moms going out to dinner to celebrate a birthday. Sounds simple right, but slowly turned into an ugly scene when the manger finally uttered the words "I understand you guys don't want to pay your bill".

The UGLY

I am just going to give it to you straight. This is a very unattractive venue. When I was growing up in this city long ago, the area where the Liberty Tree is located was just referred to as H Street or the bad part of town. Let's just be honest. It was not the safest place in the city. Fast forward more than 30 years later and its called The Atlas District. I guess that would be the official name. My personal name for this section of town is The GRUNGE District. 

Have you ever been to Seattle, which I adore, but the 'fringe' area where it starts to get a little creepy? Well sorry but that's what this area feels like to me. 

For instance, I think the interior of Liberty Tree is depressing, the facade too for that matter. Their website refers to the dinning room as "upscale"…huh..ummm, I can't co-sign on that brother! In fact I will go even further and say that there is absolutely nothing upscale about the Liberty Tree. I would not recommend this place for a romantic dinner. The servers, while nice enough, may have nose rings or visible tattoos, shorts with chucks and black ankle socks and tee shirts. Just saying, this is very different to lets say the 14th street corridor or PennQuarter. 

WHO LET THE DOG OUT?

Also something worth noting that I have only experienced in third world countries, and Ephesus, was a dog in the restaurant. That's right a dog, twice. A black     lab-ish looking dog (on a leash) was brought from the back or side someplace and walked smack dab down the middle of the main dinning room out the front door. Then later back in and wait I guess it was three times because again I saw a chick walk him back outside - but she stopped for a minute to chat with someone who caught her attention at one of the tables in the "upscale" dinning room, while fido was with nose pressed against the front door anxious to get out. Now, don't act like you don't have your pooch or cat walking around your dinning room at home…..

The GOOD

Salmon

Hey no getting around this fact, the food is very good here. I wanted to try the pizza but was too tempted by other items on the menu.

Swordfish

Remember there are 16 in our party so I was able to get feedback from folks on a few items.

 Here is the report: The menu is here

Bow Tie Pasta - Duck (Comfort Food)

Ground Duck

Pizza - Very good. Everyone who ordered pizza was very satisfied. The crust looked thin or hand tossed. Light on sauce and ample toppings that looked very fresh. 

Spinach Salad

Bow Tie Pasta with "homemade ground duck sausage". This was outstanding and very different. It had a hearty taste with brown sauce, cranberries complimented very well and red pepper. One question though, can ground duck be considered 'homemade' or just ground onsite. No matter I highly recommend this dish!

Fried Oysters

Spinach salad was said to be very fresh with almonds.

Fried Brussel sprouts excellent and gives this spot on 14th Street stiff competition. 

Brussel Sprouts

Grilled Salmon, Fried Oysters and New England Chowder disappeared so fast….she said it was very good. The chowder was very creamy and full of clam meat, no complaints. The oysters were plump and so pretty. 

I think they had a fire oven that I assumed was for the pizza.

The BAD

Let me mention the only items that did not receive good ratings were the fish and chips and the banana pudding. The fish and chips were said to be 'tasteless' and the pudding was too rich for almost everyone who had it. It seemed to have a caramel sauce.

Bread Pudding

So, remember I mentioned there were 16 of us for dinner and I gotta admit I think a few of the ladies got kinda loud, a little too loud for my comfort level but hey it wasn't my birthday. After this fine company and food I was especially ready to hit the bed I mean the streets and par-tay! So finally we asked for the check and in particular could we have separate checks. 

The server went back and forth at one point saying yes then finally coming back and say that he would not be able to accommodate that request. Not even two checks. Well, here we go…… some folks only had an appetizer while others had three courses and a drink so it was not possible to just split the check equal ways which by the way was more than $600. As you can imagine the food was coming fast and furious  and the check was as long as H Street. 

We had to do it the old fashion way and have each person one by one review the check and note their charges…some paying cash, others credit card so you see where this is going right…yep trouble. Finally, 45mins later everyone has paid up and tada…..$75 short soooo we had everyone double check and again short. Someone else took over the accounting position and said…hey everything is good. So we handed in the check, cash and credit cards…FINALLY.

So about 15 mins later the server comes back and guess what, yep short $75. Well, I was seeing RED at this point. Mind you, he mentioned to us earlier that no one could leave until he cleared the check so well, no comment. But when he came back with the bad news about the check it had been over an hour working on that check and I just don't have the patience of Job. 

The folks who paid cash began to trickle out, me of course I play the points game so always use my credit card so had to wait. The server sent over the manager and when he approached the group the first thing he said to us was "I UNDERSTAND YOU GUYS DONT WANT TO PAY YOUR BILL". Very insulting and outrageous for the manager to make that type of accusation. I've never seen anything like that before.

Well, that's all he had to say. I kindly told him that I have indicated what I consumed, it is correct, please allow me to sign for my card because I am leaving. In no way was anyone at anytime attempting to not pay their bill. In fact we spent well over an hour trying to pay the bill. Everyone was very sure they covered their food and when I started to think about it, its highly possible that the server could have made a mistake and charged us for items we didn't order. Like I said the bill was very long and with so many of us and so much food coming and going, it was almost impossible to ask everyone to check things off property to see if we had items on the bill that we did not actually order. The bill had been marked up so bad it was already getting hard to read.

((Question, is paying the tip mandatory in DC? I mean the tip was about $100 and the money was $75 short so did we really have to pay the $75 because technically that was really the tip.))

Bottom line is I paid my bill and left so I am not sure how it was resolved but it was very insulting to all of us. I had not been to the Liberty Tree since March 2012 and I am afraid this experience left a bad taste for me.

But if you'd like to experience the food, which was very good, head on over. Short walk from metro red line stop Union Station.