Granville Moore's

1238 H Street NE, (202) 399-2546
http://www.granvillemoores.com/

I previously mentioned Granville Moore's in my brief mention of places I had tried before starting this blog. Basically, I said that the burger and fries I got were very good as were the beers, although beers are pricey.

The ambiance of Granville Moore's is definitely casual dive-bar. Having been used to the downstairs for drinks, I found the upstairs almost too open for my expectations, which is silly because it is still quite narrow. I like the downstairs bar though.

One issue is that there are no reservations after 6:30pm (except M,T,W after 9pm) so we had to wait an hour. The door lady took our number, told us 45minutes, and never called us. When we stopped by an hour later, she said that she was "just about to call us" and then immediately showed us upstairs where there were two or three open tables... I'm guessing she lazily expected us to give up or eat elsewhere.

This time I came for the mussels, which have quite a reputation (all $17). I had read that the mainstay Bleu (Hook’s blue cheese, pork belly, shallots, spinach, white wine, lemon) was so good that it won some type of mano-y-mano chef tv show, but my date is apparently not a big blue cheese fan. So instead, we got the seasonal Autumn (butternut-sage cream, cayenne). Autumn did not seem to penetrate the mussels themselves or was simply too light to leave much notable flavor in the mussels, although the sauce itself was enjoyable when bread (or fries) were dipped into it. We also got a large order of fries ($8), which come with two mayo-based dips. The fries themselves were superb - a perfect level of crispy and soft with a delicious blend of spices. The mayo was unremarkable. We tried the truffle and curry options and both were too delicately flavored to leave much of an impact.

The beer options were quite good. There were several unique and very good options.

Bottom line: I like the bar, and I am going back to try the Moules Bleu, but before 6:30.

Rustik Tavern

84 T St NW (by 1st & Rhode Island)
http://rustikdc.com/

I tried out Rustik Tavern on a weeknight. The atmosphere and decor impressed me right away. It isn't anything amazing, but Rustik has a nice outdoor patio with a open feeling due to its corner location. Inside, Rustik is dark, with an almost romantic ambiance.

The beer selection was pretty good. It wasn't a huge selection, but the 10 drafts were comprised of a good mix of solid microbrews (and Yuengling). For food, we ordered pizzas. To be adventurous, I tried the Ward 5 (mushroom, mozzarella, zahtar (spice mix), preserved lemon, tomato sauce). It was pretty good. I also tried a piece of someone's Chorizo (chorizo, pickled onions, mozzarella, tomato sauce), which was also pretty good. These were not in the elite, but they were well-done enjoyable pizzas. Rustik also has small dishes, salads, appetizers. Someone in our group got a salad, which was covered in cheese sprinkles.

For dessert I ordered the Ricottta Mousse Napolean (with phyllo and peaches. Topped with amaretto honey, pistachios, and basil.) It was different and quite delicious. I was very pleased.

I should check this place out for brunch sometime as they have an good looking brunch menu as well as bottomless mimosas and other drinks.

Pizza No. 17

1523 17th St NW (between N Church St & N Q St)
Washington, DC 20036
http://www.17pizzas.com/

I went here after playing sports and to celebrate a good season, so our attitude and hunger may have improved the food, but we found this to be a good pizza place. Not among the elite of DC pizza, but not far off. The pizzas are wood fired brick oven and they come in either 8" or 12" sizes. The pizzas were very enjoyable, but not particularly filling, although we had played a double header and it was a rather late dinner sometime after 8:30. I think 6 of us (one person had only a slice or two though) ate five 12" pizzas. Among them were the Spicy Proscuitto $16.50, Meat Express $16.50, Pizza No. 17 (Tomato, Pepperoni, Squash, Green Peppers, Sweet Peppers, Mozzarella. Those were the three that I remember because they were all quite enjoyable (we also repeated one pizza). The crust was well done, the toppings blended well, and overall a good execution of this style of pizza.

We sat outside on their patio and the tables were reasonably nice, the inside looked small, but reasonably inviting.

The beer selection is not huge, but the beers that they had were interesting and good, including Paulaner Hefeweizen.

Definitely a very enjoyable place to enjoy good pizza outside on a nice summer evening if you're in the area.

Ella's

901 F St NW, (between F & G on 9th).
http://www.ellaspizza.com/menus.html
202-638-3434

I've been here before, but I finally stopped by again. It's almost always quite busy, I thought waiting out the happy hour would help, but showing up at 8pm and I still had an hour wait for a table. The bottled beer selection is not lengthy, but well chose. I got a Duck-Rabbit Stout in a bottle and then got an Ommengang Quadrupel, with Schlenkerla being another option. My pizza was the Lombardi (lombardi
caramelized onions, gorgonzola & rosemary), which was disappointing. Some bites tasted quite good, but generally it tasted unremarkable and not even that good for a pizza. One of our party got the Wild Mushroom (wild mushroom
tomato sauce, mild goat cheese, wild mushroom & spinach), which I have had before, and it was quite good, but not at Rustico, or Comet Ping-Pong level. Another member of our party got the di mare (pesto, shrimp, roasted peppers & pine nuts), which he said was quite good, but I didn't try it.

The decor is nice here, but typical of Penn Quarter/Chinatown places. Our service was lacking as after waiting an hour to be seated, we had to frantically waive down a server after 30 minutes (at 9:30pm!). He had come by right after we were seated and still talking (which he used as an excuse after being waived down chatting with the hostess), but that is no reason not to come back for almost half an hour. The pizzas came out quickly though.

Rustico - Ballston

4075 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA (Ballston), right off Ballston metro stop

Perhaps my favorite restaurant/bar in the DC area has a new location and it does not disappoint. (Alexandria location review HERE)

I stopped by after some athletic practice and I was the only one wanting a full meal, so we ate only the bar menu. Everything was amazing, so all food orders will be rated to degree of amazingness. I suppose I was pretty hungry after practice and not eating much that day, but I am pretty sure it would be amazing regardless.

The location has less of the brick and less of the neighborhood setting than the other location, but the interior is still nice. The Arlington location is definitely bigger than the Alexandria location - at least the bar area, which is a big plus. The beer list is similarly expansive.

Food-
SPICY BEEF JERKY with cheese dip and shallot rings
I ordered this one. It was not a lot of food, but it was the highest degree of amazing. The sauce was fine, but the jerky and shallots without the sauce were as good as anything one can eat.

PEI MUSSELS & HOUSEMADE CHORIZO belgian strong dark ale, sweet potato puree
This was my main entree. It is hard to say this is the best mussels dish I have had in DC (Brasserie Beck gets that honor, although I have not been there in a while). Still, it was really, really good. I love chorizo, dark ale, and sweet potatoes. So while the mussels themselves were good, the sauce and meat that I ate from the bottom with a spoon and the Texas toast they provided was awesome. The dish involved a good number of mussels.

HOMEMADE THICK-CUT FRIES tossed in your choice of caesar or ranch
One of my friends got these. They were very, very good and very ample in size. I know fries are easy to do well, but these a real treat.

BUFFALO CHICKEN BREAD BOWL DIP
My friends also got these. Again, a very tasty rendition of something that is not difficult to do.

Because I was ordering a good amount of food, I got a less exotic and less strong beer, I believe a dark one from Michigan which was good, but not great.

Worth noting on the menu: (Pizzas)
FIG & PROSCIUTTO sweet & sour fig jam, gorgonzola cheese. The Churchkey rendition of this pizza is one of the tastiest pizzas I have ever eaten.
BRAISED DUCK & POACHED PEAR red onions, arugula, blue cheese, port reduction. Damn, just sounds really good and one of my friends who was there said her friend got it and loved it.

UPDATE
I returned to the Ballston location just a week later with a different friend. We got two pizzas: BRAISED DUCK & POACHED PEAR (above) and a Bacon Cheeseburger pizza. The bacon cheeseburger was a good rendition, but nothing special. The Duck & Pear pizza was quite good. Not as good as the fig & prosciutto at Churchkey or the Smokey at Comet Ping Pong, but very good.

UPDATE 2
I returned to the Ballston location in June and split a Fried Green Tomato pizza with someone. It also had arugula on top, ricotta cheese, ripe tomato slices and summer squash. It was a good and unique pizza, but not spectacular. I enjoyed the ricotta and squash and excellent crust as well as the green tomatoes; however, there was a bit too much arugula, although the arugula did add something. Definitely a good choice to try something different, but not on the level of most Rustico special pizzas.

Comet Ping Pong

5037 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington DC 20008 (intersection of Connecticut and Nebraska)

http://www.cometpingpong.com/

MENU (as of 3/6/2011)

I had long wanted to visit Comet Ping Pong for their pizza, decor, and ping pong. The pizza was worth it, the decor was not that special, and I did not wind up playing any ping pong.

First, I found the decor definitely low-key artsy with parts made to look neglected and parts made to look fancy trendy. The bathroom entrances are amusing. The ping pong is in back. Pretty unique, laid-back, but nothing special. It was a weeknight, so a mix of kids, couples, and dudes hanging out.

I got a pizza while my date got a Greek Salad. My pizza was The Smoky, and it was very good. There are many places in DC offering good gourmet Neapolitan style pizza and I would place the Smoky right in the top tier, but behind my absolute favorites. The Smoky consists of: Smoky Mushrooms, Smoky Mozzarella, Smoky Bacon, melted onions, garlic and costs $13. I easily at it myself, and it was a good size for me, or for two less hungry people to share. My date said her salad was quite good and it was quite large as well.

The beer offerings were quite good as well. Only about on tap, but a bottle/can list of about 15-20 good microbrews and imports. I had the Bell's Kalamazoo Stout and the Tommyknocker Butthead Dopplebock (NY State), which were both pretty good.

Overall, I would deem it a great place to stop if you're up in that area, but not necessarily worth a special trip up to unless you're hankering for some ping pong.

Location is street parkable - not easy, not hard, about 1 mile from Tenleytown metro or Friendship heights.

Earlier text update:
Comet Ping Pong - Good beer in bottles. Got Smoky pizza, quite good. Greek Salad, quite good, large.

Asian Spice

717 H St. NW

The sushi here was quite good. The prices were about $6-$8 for basic rolls and $12-$16 for special rolls. We ordered the Chesapeake Roll ($16), Beach Boy Roll ($12), Eel & Avocado ($7.50), Salmon Roll ($5.50), California Roll ($5.50), and the Philly Roll ($7). The special rolls (Chesapeake & Beach Boy) were quite good, although the Chesapeake is probably not worth the extra $4.

I also ordered two beers off of what was a surprising good beer list. I ordered Paulaner Salvator and a Schlenkerla smoked beer - two of my favorites - both in bottles ($6.50 & $9 respectively).

The downstairs seemed busy and a bit noisy, but we ate upstairs, which was a smaller space with good decor suitable for a nice date.

For more sushi places see my Sushi post

Birch & Barley / Churchkey

14th Street around N 1337 14th St. if I remember correctly.

I went to try the beers and got a flatbread pizza as well.

The upstairs is a large bar, which was quite crowded despite just having opened. The draft list was extensive with several less common beers. The beers are broken down by style, which is nice. The prices are a tad high and the serving size is smaller than usual, so overall the beer is a bit pricey.

Downstairs is a restaurant, although with the same draft selection. I ordered a veal and mushroom flatbread pizza. It was pretty good, but not nearly as good as Rustico's (same ownership). It was a bit greasy and while not lacking in flavor, it's flavor didn't stand out. The crust was quite well done and suitable for the style of pizza, but not extraordinary.
The menu was fairly pricey and had many upscale items.
The decor downstairs was very nice, with a good ambiance and feel.

Overall, I will go back for the wide selection of beer not far from my place and I might try the food again, but I would not make this a destination restaurant based on one sampling.

Dogfishhead Ale House

6220 Leesburg Pike
Seven Corners Shopping Center

I haven't been here in a while, but I just remembered that I have been.

I should probably subsume this into a general overview of beer, pizza, and American food places, but I won't.

Anyway, the decor is very nice and the servers always attentive and helpful.  A lot of indoor brick give it a good rustic feel.  Of course, it is one of those places on the edges of a shopping center's parking lot which I tend to avoid, but there actually aren't that many of them, so they're not another Applebee's / Chi-chi's kind of chain.

The beer is quite good.  The selections are all Dogfishhead, so you have to like their stuff, but I think that brewery makes good stuff.

The food is high quality bar food.  The BBQ chicken pizza and the burgers have both been quite good when I've been there.

Rustico

827 Slater's Lane

This is one of my favorite places to eat out in D.C.  The main draw for me is the large beer selection and draft list which includes many difficult to find beers.  The atmosphere (and actual presence of beers on their list) tops Brickskellar.  I don't need a laundry list of bottles like Brickskellar has as much as I appreciate a rotating variety of quality beers.  They have a nice outdoor section in a fairly quiet corner of Alexandria.

I ate there again recently and got the grilled pork tenderloin with oyster sauce and almond crostini (small toasted bread slices) as well as the current sausage plate.  The sausage plate was forgettable as the sausage were very thin sliced and, although tasty, not flavorful enough to really justify such thin slices and small amount of food overall.  The grilled pork tenderloin, however, was amazingly good.  The waiter's unsolicited suggestion was medium (my intent anyway).  The tenderloin was soft, juicy and flavorful and the accompanying oyster/some starch mixture was quite good.  What really blew me away was the toast that my tenderloin had been sitting on.  Soaked with tenderloin and oyster juices, it was a soft, spongy bliss biscuit, except it wasn't really a biscuit.  Bliss bread just doesn't have the same alliterative ring to it.  Anyway, this bliss biscuit and its tasty meat topping are a prime example of why I consider so many restaurants to be overpriced.  When you can get meat in love-mollusk sauce atop a bliss-biscuit for $23, nothing costing much more seems worth it.  My date's roasted chicken breast with fried green tomatoes was pretty good too.  The total bill with a wine, a beer, sausage tray, and two entrees was right about $70.

Anyway, the other times I've eaten at Rustico, I've been very impressed by their mac n' cheese and their pizzas, but this is the first time I've had something that wasn't on the bar menu.  

Also, Rustico has beer glass nights where you get a free beer glass with your order of selected drafts.  I'm talking proper fancy-ass glasswear here.  So if you want a good quality beer drinking glass to emphasize your beer's flavor, it's a cheap way to do that.  Mine just get dusty, but getting them was cool.

UPDATE: Thanksgiving weekend I went to Rustico and got the Roasted Mushroom Pizza off of their late night/bar menu.  It had goat cheese and spinach in addition to mushroom.  It was quite good.  Certainly not my favorite Rustico pizza, but oh so good.

UPDATE: new location in Ballston that I have tried HERE

Places I have eaten that I should note on here

I might do individual reviews later, but I probably don't remember enough for most of these.

Old Dominion - pretty good for a sports bar, good beer selection, good quality bar food.  The burgers are solid, some served on long buns (not a plus), but the wraps are great and the appetizer sampler is big and good quality.  One big bonus is that you can order good (not great) sushi from the place next door.  Big screen TV's, good beer, and sushi all in one place!

Eastern Market / 8th Street - what was the name of that place where we got clams?

All those Penn Quarter places - solid, but mostly overrated

All of those places in Cleveland Park - Alero, Greek, fancy one, Cleveland Park Grill, Spices, other asian place.

Chinatown chinese places - dang, I can't remember which was which or the difference, but some were definitely better than others.

Vegetarian place on 9th.  Solid to pretty good.  Don't remember that well.

Dukem - quite good. Ethiopian. U Street

Etete - pretty good. Ethiopian.  Less selection than Dukem. U Street/Ethiopian stretch of 9th st.

Kabob place in Crystal City on 23rd.  Good, authentic, inexpensive, generous portions, quick.

Dairy Godmother - Del Ray neighborhood.  Solid custard, I must try the other desserts (sundaes & such).

CoCo Sala - a bit pricey and small in portions, but oh so tasty.  Lots of chocolate dishes and drinks, but even the non-chocolate dishes are quite good.  Downtown.

Kramerbooks & Lauriol - like I or anyone in DC needs a review of those - Good!

Vegetate - 1414 9th Street, NW - I was here once.  I remember the food being fine and liking the place enough to being open to going back.  It's vegetarian.

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All of the places below this point I ahve since reposted in ethnic category, style, or individual posts above.  I've pushed them down until I get them reposted in their own category someplace.

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Bangkok One - good, but not great Thai food downtown 14th & K.

Thaiphoon - solid Thai food.  I went with a large group and tried many dishes.  I'm struggling to remember the exact level of quality, but I remember the decor was pretty cool.  I'm still waiting for a D.C. spot to come close to Thai Pastry in Chicago.

I don't think lunch places count.

Grill from Ipanema - quite good

Penang - quite good, Malysian?, DuPont

Vace - quite good subs, fresh mozzarella in cooler.  Single slice pizza beats most, but tasted more like it was intended to be eaten fresh baked as part of a whole pizza and not jumbo slice style.

Pizza Paridisio - DuPont: good even with Anchovies, Georgetown: pizza okay, beer selection good & tasty

Uno's Pizzeria - A D.C. location of the national Chicago style pizza chain.  Maybe it's the Chicago influence on me, but this is pretty good stuff.  (Not all locations nationally are.)  Delicious frozen/fruity drinks too.  Georgetown.

Rustico - a favorite for great beer, great pizza, great food

Fogo de Chao - good, but not as good as Chicago location - all you can eat Churrascaria (Brazilian)

Pines of Florence - Old Town: a bit shabby inside, but food was good, cheap, and generous portions.  Italian.

Sushi place in Adams Morgan - solid right?

Sushi places on New York & 11th.  Aoi & good happy hour one.  Both solid, not great.  Happy hour pretty good deal.

Granville Moore's - good Belgian beer selection, good burgers, haven't tried other food.  A bit pricey for what it is.

Brasserie Beck - good beer selection, quite good food.  We had clams and something else.  The cheese tray was pretty good too.