Ask Tom

Etrusco's Three Stars

In a city loaded with diverse restaurants, from New American chic and upscale Italian to sandwich shops and burritos on the run, finding the best places to eat can be a real puzzle. Where's the best restaurant for a first date or an anniversary? Father's Day? What's the best burger joint? Who has the best service?

Ask Tom. Tom Sietsema, The Washington Post's food critic, is on hand Wednesdays at 11 a.m. ET to answer your questions, listen to your suggestions and even entertain your complaints about Washington dining. Sietsema, a veteran food writer, has sampled the wares and worked as a critic in Washington, Seattle, San Francisco and Milwaukee, and can talk restaurants with the best of 'em. Tom's Sunday magazine reviews, as well as his "Ask Tom" column, are available early on the Web.

The transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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Tom Sietsema: This just in: I got a call earlier this week from Dean Gold, who has acquired the Yanyu space in Cleveland Park and plans to reopen it as Dino (his name in Italian) sometime in June. Gold comes to the business from Whole Foods, where he works as a wine/beer/cheese buyer. His chef will be Johnny Nielson, who has in the past cooked at Aria and The Mark (now Andale, under Alison Swope).

Good morning, everyone.

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Desperate in McLean!;!;: Hey Tom, Do you or anyone else out there know of any good, moderately-priced restaurants in McLean? Considering the real estate prices you'd think that there would be a demand for better food than I've been able to find. Thanks!;

Tom Sietsema: Have you been to Le Petit Mistral on Old Dominion Drive? It's nice enough.

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Clarendon, Va.: Tom, 4-6 of us will be in Vegas this month to celebrate a
birthday. We love good food and price isn't necessarily a
factor. We're open to just about anything. We'll be
staying at the Venetian w/o a car so it needs to be within
taxi distance. You have any recommendations or
favorites?

Thanks,
I Work Out to Eat

Tom Sietsema: I just wrote a Postcard column from Vegas, so check that out in the Travel section archives. I didn't have space to glow about Eiffel Tower, but it is a terrific restaurant with a four-star vista. Run, run, run from Bradley Ogden, one of the most over-priced disappointments of the year, with bad service to boot.

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Lincoln Park, Washington, D.C.: Tom, What's good on Capitol Hill?

Tom Sietsema: Not nearly enough!

I like Bis, Charlie Palmer Steak, Montmartre, and parts of Belga Cafe. But there's not much in the cheap-to-moderate range, I'm afraid.

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Washington DC: A few weeks ago I asked you for a recommendation for a place to have an inexpensive dinner meeting for 45 people near downtown. I wanted to let you know that I wound up going to Eat First in Chinatown and it was a great experience. They have two private room upstairs one that holds up to 45 people and another that holds up to 60. They couldn't have been nicer we had dumplings, 12 courses which we jointly selected from the menu (not a preset 12 most boring dishes). This allowed me to give the attendees a number of things they were used to, some specialities they had never tried and allowed me to take care of the vegetarians in the crowd with 4 different dishes. We had soda and tea and it all came to $18 a person including tax and tip. There was a huge amount of food and all of it was great. I received many compliments for choosing such a great place.

If any of the posters need a place for a group meal, especially with government workers who are not on expense accounts it is definitely a place to look into.

Note to Tom: I know this sounds like a plant but it is not, as you can see from the email address, I really work for the government and not for the restaurant. It's just that they were so great that I feel they deserve the extra attention.

Tom Sietsema: Thanks for taking the time to share your success story.

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Washington, DC: We're headed to Boston in April for the weekend and would love to do one really special dinner. I looked at your post card but that seemed to profile more neighborhood type places. What is Boston's best dining these days? Are there any places you can recommend? Thanks in advance.

Tom Sietsema: I have several Postcard columns for Boston, actually. Among my top picks: the tony Clio, the venerable Hamserley's Bistro, the lovely No. 9 Park.

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Arlington, Va.: Tom
I would like to respond to your comment in last week's chat: "Ray's The
Steaks seems to be ticking off more and more folks with its 90 -minute]
dining policy."

The founding mission of Ray's The Steaks has always been to be as
accessible, affordable, accommodating and welcoming as possible--to as
broad a range of diners as possible. This in a town where power, prestige,
privilege and exclusivity are the coin of the realm. The majority of
restaurants of distinction in DC cater to the moneyed, powerful elite--and
the expectations of DC diners often follow suit.

Not surprisingly, then, our ability to accommodate guests in the manner to
which many are accustomed is limited. We do not, however, have a 90 minute
seating policy.

Ray's has a finite number of tables--12-- that seat 45 guests. The most
frequently requested (and for some diners the only acceptable) reservations
are for 7:00, 7:30 and 8:00. These slots fill quickly, often 2-3 weeks in
advance, even further on Saturdays. Once these tables are committed, we
are committed to honoring those reservations. We do not over-book, and we
do not have a bar to "park" guests when their promised tables are not
available at the specified time--practices that are indeed lamentably
common.

If a table is reserved at 7:30 or 8:00, no matter how much I would like to
accommodate all parties, I cannot offer it to a later caller for an earlier
time without an understanding that that table is already reserved for a
later time. Thus, so as to not unnecessarily deny a guest a reservation, I
will offer the caller a table at 6:30 if we can get the table back by 8:00.
The caller then has the choice of accepting that time, with limits,
choosing a later time that evening, or making a reservation for a later day
when the preferred dining time is available. Fair enough, right?

We always explain how small the restaurant is and apologize for our lack of
ability to more fully accommodate the guest. If asked, I am happy to
recommend another restaurant and even offer to call myself.

The choice is always the guest's. Unfortunately, at times the caller who
books the party does not inform his guests of our agreement and thus the
appearance of inhospitality is passed on to us. Or, believe it or not, the
guest who makes the agreement does so with no intention of honoring it.
"What are they going to do, throw us out?" is a sentiment far too
frequently expressed, often followed by "We'll see what Tom Sietsema says
about this."

Our only policy is this: We will do everything and anything to accommodate
all guests as graciously and as generously as possible, but we will never,
never, never do so at the expense of another guest.

In my experience, the people "ticked off" by Ray's are those who take issue
with this and would deny others what they are demanding for themselves.

The vast majority of our guests have real lives, families to get home to,
bills to pay and early starts to a day that is far too long the next day.
These people are happy to have a place that works hard for them and that
strives to offer something a little bit better than it has to be, although
they do wish it was a little bit easier to get into. These people
generally understand and accept our limits--or choose to go elsewhere when
there is a more appropriate restaurant for their needs.

I understand, sympathize with, and truly regret the frustration and
disappointment of our long-term guests as Ray's becomes harder and harder
to enjoy at leisure. In fact, this is the greatest and most difficult
challenge to the continued success of our endeavor. Further, I appreciate
how easily misunderstood our seating limitations are, especially among
newer guests.

However, we do not pretend to be anything other than what we are and we are
always honest with our guests. We will never sacrifice our commitment to
treat all guests fairly and equally on a first-come, first-serve basis.
This is the very definition of who we are and for guests to be "ticked off"
at us for this is almost like being ticked off at Krispy Kreme for selling
doughnuts. It would be another matter entirely if we somehow mislead or
deceive guests, but I do not believe that to ever be the case.

Thanks for hearing me out--

Michael Landrum, Proprietor
Ray's The Steaks

Tom Sietsema: From the horse's mouth, folks.

Thanks for the detailed missive, Michael. It always helps to hear The Other Side of the Story.

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District of Columbia - USA: Tom,
If you were to have one great Thai dinner in DC, where would it be? I've heard good things about Rice and Thai Tanic. My personal faves right now are Thaiphoon and Busara. Anything else you'd recommend out there?
Thanks!;

Tom Sietsema: In the city, I'm partial to Regent Thai and Rice these days.

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University Park, MD: Hi, Tom!; We're Broadway-bound to see Spamalot, but craving something a bit nicer than Spam for a pre-theatre lunch. Any suggestions in the West 40s? Any cuisine except sushi--the only local spot I saw in your postcards. Thanks!;

Tom Sietsema: Esca continues to be a favorite of mine, and it's Italian with an emphasis on seafood.

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Washington, DC: This is my last chance to ask before my vacation to Montreal--What are some good inexpensive restaurants near the McGill, Lucien Allier, or Bonaventure metro stations? I read your postcard but am looking for more options. Can you please throw it out to the chatters? Thanks!;

Tom Sietsema: Has anyone been to Montreal more recently than I have?

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Bethel, CT: Hi Tom -

I'm posting early from CT since I'll be busy on Wednesday.
My wife and I are ex-DC'ers but still love the chats and
hope to get to DC soon to sample some of the new
restaurants that have arrived since our 1999 departure.

BUT... I'm looking for any suggestions in Newport, RI. If
you or any other chatters have a suggestion, please post!;
Only stipulation (and this is tough in a seaside location),
my wife is vegetarian (the real kind, not the pescetarian
type!;), so the options need to include something for her.

Thanks so much!;

Tom Sietsema: Chatters?

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NoVa: Your recommendations are always the best. I follow your advice religiously and have never once been disappointed. Soooo... where can I find yummy, not-too-expensive vegetarian food in the Vienna or Tyson's area?

Tom Sietsema: Oh, the pressure!

Amma Vegetarian has a branch in Vienna, but the small dining room is kind of, um, dumpy. Much better and prettier: Sunflower, on Chain Bridge Road.

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Fairlington, VA: Tom, what is the proper response when a waiter corrects your pronunciation of a dish?

For example, at a steakhouse last night I made the mortal error of pronouncing "au poivre" with a silent V.

"No, no" said the waiter, before slowly pronouncing it for me like a native Frenchman.

Tom, it took everything I had not to come over the table at this guy. Would I have been justified?

Tom Sietsema: And what kind of tip did HE get, I wonder?

It's poor manners for a server to correct someone's mispronunciation of a dish, period. Mom might be able to get away with such, or your best friend, but not the person standing over you in a restaurant.

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McLean VA: "good, moderately-priced restaurants in McLean"
I'm a McLean native, been eating out here for years. Note that these are 'good' not 'great' or 'excellent', and I rate more by food quality than by ambience.

The Indian place next to Goodyear, also the Greek place there isn't bad.

The kabob place down the road (Moby Dick) has good food.

The Italian place next to Moby Dick is also good.

Rocco's is improving slightly, but isn't what it was.

Three Pigs when you need bbq sandwich, and the Best Coleslaw Ever.

Some good Chinese places in town.

Tachibana for Japanese.

McLean Family, also McLean Pizza (behind Starbucks)

And, of course, McLean is close to Great Falls, Tyson's, Falls Church, all of which have good food.

Tom Sietsema: A treasure trove of tips!

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Washington, DC: Hey Tom-
I read about a new place on the Hill down the street from Belga called The Ugly Mug. It looks like a sports bar from the outside but I understand it has a real live chef. Have you been there?

Tom Sietsema: Yes, and I had mediocre pizza and barely any service. The place is sleep-walking!

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Washington, D.C.: I'm taking a friend to lunch next week to celebrate their birthday. I'm considering either Cafe Atlantico or the Tabard Inn. Your thoughts or suggestions?

Tom Sietsema: I had a lovely dinner at Tabard most recently. If cozy and delicious is what you're after, head there.

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Etrusco Review - shocking: Posting early because I'm still dismayed at your recent three star review of this absurd restaurant. Granted it was based on one visit just prior to your review coming out (March 2nd), but it was by far the worst food and service I've had a very long time and your review leaves me very concerned about the apparent wild inconsistency from a restaurant you rate so highly. Here is the summary: Arrived a few minutes before my date and was offered a glass of red wine by the bartended (who would be the only saving grace of the evening). When requesting a seat, my date was left standing at the podium by a server who was more concerned with planning for a large party. Eventually we were bluntly shown to our seats (no offer to take our coats). We were ignored by the same server for probably 15 minutes when the kind bartender noticed us looking around and came over to offer drinks. Wine by the glass? Chianti or Pinot Grigio - that was it!; And at nearly $8 a glass just ridiculous. Chain restaurants have better wine programs. The bread arrives, and its inedible, completely stale. A mixed salad left us wincing with its salt. The ribollita was, however, very nice. Pasta carbonara; again, I couldn't even choke down two fork fulls because of the saltiness. Was I asked if anything was wrong because a full plate of pasta was cleared from the table? No. And frankly at this point it would have been embarrassing to talk to a manager. This was a lost cause. And desert, recommended by our bartender cum waiter was inedible as well (some almond catastrophe). That was taken off our bill which was stylishly presented, handwritten, on a piece of scrap paper. Ugh. There were several other slights by the staff during the evening that I just don't have the breath to pen. I suspect maybe you're friends with the chef and were known when you visited, but this place deserves NO stars. We did redeem ourselves with a terrific meal at Al Tiramisu three days later, now that's a classy restaurant.

Tom Sietsema: Plenty of readers were surprised by my three star rating for Etrusco, but I have to say, my three visits featured exceptional cooking. As I've written before, simple is hard to do, and the kitchen does simple very well, at least in my experience. I was not entirely uncritical, by the way; one dish was over-salted and the wine list needs work.

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Mike Fairfax Va: To the posted from McLean...Try Cafe Oggi's for some amazing Italian food!;

Tom Sietsema: And another!

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Washington DC: Hey Tom (and the rest of the world)

A few weeks ago, someone asked about "southern home cooking". Well, I think I found the answer, or at least one of a possible few...In Adams-Morgan the is a blues bar/restaurant called MADAM's ORGAN...I asked the server, the delightful Becky about the food...she said it was all homemade and fresh daily...the menu states SOUL FOOD, but rest assured, there are no pig's knuckles and such. What there is indeed are porc chops, ribs, fried chicken, meatloaf fried fish and other entrees like that...and the sides are VERY generous...ex/ candided yams, mac/cheese, collard greens, red beans/rice , etc.

There are plenty of appetizers and sandwiches too. The menu has Hilarious descriptions of the item,(all named after the staff). Did I mention NOTHING OVER 10 BUCKS !;!;!;

It is a new favorite of myself and my wife.

Paul
Washington DC

Tom Sietsema: Hey, what's wrong with pig nuckles?

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Washington, D.C.: Tom,

I got a fortune cookie earlier this week that told me it was time to ask a special someone out on a date. My wife and I have been crazed lately. Any ideas on where I should take her this weekend to satisfy the cookie's fortune?

Tom Sietsema: The youthful 21 P might be kind of fun. Firefly, Corduroy, Komi, Sushi-Ko and Little Fountain Cafe would also be worthy contenders for your time and money.

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Washington, DC: I will be going to Maestro soon, for the first time. Any suggestions? Thoughts? Avoidances?

Tom Sietsema: Ask for a seat near the open kitchen; part of the fun of dining at Maestro is watching the chef in action. And trust your wine selection to Vincent Feraud, one of the best sommeliers around. I was charmed on one of my last visits when he steered me to a wine that was $45 less than a label I was considering.

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Big Piney, Wyoming: How do some of these steakhouse owners sleep at night?

I was a guest at a dinner at the downtown Ruth's Chris last night. I had a New York strip that was over-cooked, tough to begin with and served on a plate so hot that the already too done steak continued to cook in front of me while I waited to cut into it.

Price?

Only $36.

Businesswise, how do they get away with charging that kind of money for just a steak on a plate swimming in a bunch of quickly burning butter?

$36 for a steak that costs maybe $12 at Wegman's? In a place with kids running around in hooded sweatshirts and diners wearing fleece vests?

Shame on them.

Tom Sietsema: Adding insult to injury: you pay extra for everything but the parsley garnish!

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Arlington, VA: Tom,

No real question today but I just wanted to say that I love your chats because:
1. You always give the best recommendations - and are always truthful in your critiques of restaurants
2. The owners and chefs of the DC area restaurants actually read your chats and give their own input. They give you respect which trickles down to respect of their customers.
3. It amazes me how many places you've eaten at and I envy your job!;

Thanks for all the time and effort you put into providing us with great info on the area's restaurants!;

Tom Sietsema: You just made my day (and remind me why I dig what I do).

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Washington DC: Tom, how frequently do you post comments from obvious publicists? I mean, did that guy work for Madam's Organ or WHAT??

Tom Sietsema: I can usually sniff out frauds (and I'm not sure MO even HAS a publicist). But who knows? I might have been fooled.

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Washington, DC: For the poster looking for a good meal in Newport, RI...try Scales & Shells. They've perfectly fresh seafood prepared simply and lovingly. Mmmmmmm.

Tom Sietsema: Cute name.

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Vienna, VA: For moderately priced restaurants in McLean, as well as the person looking for vegetarian food near Tysons, how about Sweet Ginger? It has lots of moderately priced Asian entrees and vegetarians will find several tofu stir-fries, appetizer, soup, even vegetable sushi on the menu.

Tom Sietsema: But of course!

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Washington, DC: YES YES YES...Little Fountain...the BEST DESSERTS in DC, PERIOD!;!;

Tom Sietsema: Steve Klc, Ann Amernick, David Guas and Michel Richard might beg to differ, but I, too, enjoy the endings at Little Fountain Cafe. They're homey, not too sweet, seasonally-minded and a nice way to go into the night.

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Newport, RI: You must try gelato at ColdFusion in Newport, RI. They may only be open on the weekends now, but make an effort to go. The owners are young (under 30) and just lovely. Yum!;!;!;

Tom Sietsema: "Yum." Are you referring to the food or the staff?

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Gaithersburg, MD: When my husband and I dine out near home, we tend to stick to the same places. Can you recommend some good restaurants in the Gaithersburg/Northern Montgomery County area? Thanks.

Tom Sietsema: I have yet to check it out, but I'm looking forward to trying the just-opened Cafe Spice in the Rio Entertainment Center.

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Re: Ugly Mug: Pizza there is just okay, but the miniburgers are great, as is boiled shrimp. And the prices are very good. The did open it too early - it was pretty chaotic until lately, but is slowly finding its groove.

Tom Sietsema: Good to hear. Thanks.

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Longtime Ray's fan: Hi, Tom -- just wanted to throw in my two cents as a longtime patron at Ray's the Steaks. I've had Michael ask me to be outta there by a certain time for the next table.

I don't mind that at all. I'd much rather hear that up front than get my plates snatched out from under me by a waiter anxious to turn the table. This way, it's a partnership -- I know I'm not going to be abandoned for long stretches with no waiter in sight and he knows I'm not going to be there forever while someone waits on the patio, eyeing Guajillo.

It's a generous amount of time for a good, leisurely meal -- even if leaving to turn the table over means a competitor for my future reservations!;

Two cents.

Tom Sietsema: Interesting.

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Arlington, VA: I know you've praised the Great American Restaurants in past chats/reviews as one of the few chains that gets food/service right, but I'm curious if you have a favorite among them? The past year I've been to Carlyle perhaps two dozen times, and though my husband and I have considered checking out the other branches, we've always decided not to since the menus overlap somewhat, and the Shirlington branch is the only one with our favorite entree (sauteed flounder in butter/caper sauce). But I wonder, are we missing out by not branching out?

Tom Sietsema: I really enjoy Sweetwater Tavern (with multiple branches) and the newer (and noiser) Coastal Flats in Fairfax.

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Concerned in Arlington: Tom,

Based on my experience and those of friends and chatters on this site, I have come to the conclusion that your cover has been blown in the DC restaurant community. My experience at the restaurants that you have recently (last year or so) given very positive reviews is often greatly different than what you describe in your reviews. I have experienced mediocre, overpriced food with poor service at several of your faves in the past year, including Eve, Charlie Palmer Steak, Etrusco and CitiZen.

Perhaps you are known and the food and service is pumped up when you are around?

Tom Sietsema: When I'm recognized, restaurants can give me better tables and their best servers, but it is difficult to change what appears on the plate -- the kitchen can't suddenly become great if it's not. Further, in three of the four places you mention, I've experienced them in Deep Disguise. I am troubled, however, to be getting gripes about CityZen and CPS, in particular, because I originally saw them as trail-blazers for the city.

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Gossip Inquiry: A few weeks ago, you mentioned a waiter who was fired for complaining at another restaurant and promised to report back about it. Whats the dish?

Tom Sietsema: The dish is this: I wasn't there to see what happened and the competing stories (restaurant vs. diner) are so very, very different I decided against publishing the incident.

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Washington, D.C.: Are Lauriol Plaza and Cactus Cantina of equal quality?

Tom Sietsema: Yes. They are both mediocre.

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Arlington, VA: I think the Etrusco critic may have some close connections to Al Tiramisu.

Tom Sietsema: You never know!

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Washington DC: I understand you were once a student here in Washington. I am studying at GW and really love to try different restaurants and cuisines. However, I am on a limited budget. Which places in DC and Virginia can I afford, that you would recommend. Our recent favorites are 2 Amy's, Pizzeria Paradiso, Kanlaya and Five Guys. What are some other places? Thanks.

Tom Sietsema: Add to your list Colorado Kitchen, Breadline, Afghan Grill, Meskerem, Nirvana, and the bar menu at Palena.

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Washington, D.C.!: I thought the name of this chat was "D.C. Dining." Why so many questions about out-of-town locations?

Tom Sietsema: You should see the travel-related questions I'm NOT answering!

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Washington, DC: It really is no shock you had mediocre service and overpriced food at Eve, Maestro and Etrusco, among others. This city has a BIG PROBLEM with overpriced restaurants. You never comment about this issue. Why not? You are the only one who can help. We vote with our wallets and places with $40 Big Ducks close, despite all your efforts to trumpet their goods. You do not pay for your meals and it divorces you from reality. Want to know why Ray's, 2 Amy's and even terrible places like Lauriol and Cheesecake Factory are so busy. They are the only affordable options. Help us TOM.

Tom Sietsema: Actually, I DO know what it's like to pay for my own meals. I did it the year before I landed this job, spending $18,000 of my own moola on dining out because I thought it was important as a food reporter. And (you may not know this) I pay for all those Postcard columns myself.

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Newport!;: Go to the Black Pearl, and definitely don't miss the White Horse Tavern, one of the best meals I've ever had!; It's the oldest operating tavern in the country and the food is spectacular.

Tom Sietsema: Keep 'em coming!

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Tampa, FL: Wow, you Washingtonians are very jaded and cynical-- You need to enjoy some sunshine!;

Tom Sietsema: lol

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Washington, D.C.: Is Rosa Mexicana worth the trip and the expense?

Tom Sietsema: Only if you want margaritas and guacomole.

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Washington, DC: Tom! I can't find your postcards, can you post a link? I just found out I'm going to Chicago next week for work, I've never been! I need to get the scoop on places to eat!

Thanks!

washingtonpost.com: Tom's Postcards. Tom Sietsema: There you go.

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Frederick, MD: Can you tell us when Zest will reopen at its new location in Frederick?

Tom Sietsema: It opened on Monday, for lunch and dinner.

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Washington, DC: I'd like to offer another report on CityZen, which supports some of the other reports you've been hearing. The food for the most part, was outstanding. The tagliatelle with castelmagno cheese and truffles that was on the menu several weekends ago ranks up there as one of the best pasta dishes we'ver ever enjoyed. The cheese course selection was outstanding, as were the lamb shortribs, which I've never seen on a menu before. French toast under a scallop, on the other hand, seemed a bit out of place. But, on the downside: (1) The pacing of our meal, as others have complained, was way off. Sometimes, the time between courses was just fine. But others, we would wait an exceedingly long time for the next course to arrive. With a restaurant that strives to be one of the best in the city and commands from $400 and up for two for dinner, wine, tax, and tip, they need to improve on this. (2) If a restaurant is going to go through the effort and expense of hiring a sommelier, then they ought to use him (or her) to answer customers' wine questions and offer wine suggestions. When we told our waiter that we had some questions about the wine list, he proceeded to try to answer them himself and offer suggestions, rather than suggesting that he send the sommelier over, which is really what we were looking for. Again, in a restaurant that strives to be among the best in the city, it seems that this ought to go without saying. For obvious reasons, after the waiter offered his suggestions, we didn't feel comfortable second guessing him and asking for the sommelier. In our view CityZen is almost there, but not quite. We overheard a manager or other member of the restaurant staff explaining to another table that had complained about the pacing that they were still a relatively new restaurant and working things out. It seems to me that they've been open long enough at this point that this ought to no longer be a viable excuse. Anyway, my two cents on CityZen. Tom, keep up the great chats!;

Tom Sietsema: Thanks for the feedback.

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Falls Church, VA: Tom, I took my husband to Morton's last night for his birthday- The food was fine and the service was fine. Nothing really great though- I guess I should have researched a bit more.
What would be your suggestions for a nice steak place- one maybe with a bit more flair?
We don't mind spending money on a nice dinner, however, $200 is too expensive for a mediocre meal.

Tom Sietsema: I prefer Capital Grille and Charlie Palmer Steak myself.

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Washington, D.C.: Hi Tom, I read your review of the new Kabob Palace Family Restaurant, and the old Kabob Palace. I went to check out what I thought was the old Kabob Palace yesterday, but I noticed the menus said "Punjab Kabob." Is this the same place with a new name? A nickname? Was I in the wrong restaurant?

Tom Sietsema: It can get confusing on that block, because there's an Indian kebob place located between the original Kabob Palace and its larger spinoff. I think you were in the wrong eatery.

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Falls Church, Va.: Tom -- My grandparents and parents are coming to visit next month. They visited last year and my Italian grandfather asked me to take everyone to "the best Italian restaurant in DC". I had been to Galileo once before and thought that was the right place to go. Although my first meal had been outstanding, my trip with the family was awful, considering the price--our waiter -forgot- the two bottles of wine we ordered, they brought my grandmother the wrong entree--grandpa was footing the bill and was not impressed. So please Tom, help me redeem myself during their next visit. Where in DC or Northern Virginia should I take the family to experience "the best Italian restaurant in DC"? Price is not an issue. THANKS, from a longtime reader

Tom Sietsema: Are we talking moderately priced Italian or something more upscale? My nominations are Al Tiramisu for the former and Maestro for the latter.

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cleo777 CABANAS: Awful food - we had 8:30 dinner reservations. We arrive at 8;15 and the bar is packed. They are having a silent auction for a school. We are seated in a very nice booth and then the auction starts.....with a microphone and plenty of noise feedback. The chef did buy us a round of drinks for the noise. The food was bad. We ordered a con quesa dip that was just cheese wiz with some salsa tossed in. I had the beef fajitas and my friend had the coconut shrimp at $22 and $24. No flavor whatsoever for the fajitas and the beef was very tough. Couldn't cut it with a nice. Shrimp was ok but not for $24. We won't be going back...not just because of the noise from the bar but the food and prices.

Tom Sietsema: Thanks for the succinct review.

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Washington, D.C.: Good morning, Tom, and thanks for taking my question. My best friend had a birthday recently , and I would like to take her out for a nice dinner. We really enjoy Mexican food and margaritas, so we thought Lauriol Plaza would be a nice choice. I do want it to be a great dinner, though, so I thought I would check with you to make certain that the restaurant is still a good destination. If not, can you suggest something better? We are in our mid-twenties, if that helps.

Tom Sietsema: Veteran chatters know Lauriol Plaza is not one of my picks. If it's Mexican you're after, try Andale in Penn Quarter or Oyamel in Crystal City.

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McLean, VA: Hi Tom,

I had a horrible experience at Zaytinya over the weekend. The food was great, as usual, but the servers (outside of the busboys) were horrendous.

Our waitress and several other waiters were OPENLY gabbing and joking in the direction of our table, in a nearly vacant restaurant (1 other table filled). We saw them look over multiple times, laugh, stare.

What made this much more than an odd annoyance was that my partner just recovered from chemotherapy, and still has only sparse patches of hair. It was his first time out at a DC restaurant since last summer. All the attention made it very hard for him not to feel self-conscious. It ruined what should have been a fun time.

We did not note this behavior to any manager at the time because the one manager available seemed to be one of the folks staring!;

I'm just baffled by that lack of sensitivity on the staff's behalf. Jose Andres should encourage his waitstaff to have a sense of camraderie, but never at the expense of the patrons. Sad that the staff members at Zaytinya can't handle someone who may look different. Recovering patients of any kind: take your business elsewhere.

---Note to Tom, in case Jose replies, I'd be glad to follow up as well. The bill came to ~$57 before tip, and our server's name was Dawn Y (still have the bill at home).

Tom Sietsema: Are you absolutely certain the cluster of servers was laughing at you and your guest? Without being a witness to the incident, I find it disturbing but also highly uncharacteristic of anything or anyone associated with Zaytinya. And I'm not sure why anyone would stick around to endure such misbehavior.

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Washington, DC: I meant to submit this during restaurant week, but per usual, life seemed to get in the way. My boyfriend's co-worker made reservations for dinner at Kinkead's not realizing that it was the lunch menu that was on special. There were about eleven of us, all in our mid-20's. When we realized that we'd have to pay menu prices, we sucked it up and decided to treat ourselves to a good meal. We ordered wine, appetizers, entrees, and dessert. The food was great. The only thing that destroyed the evening was our waiter. What a snobbish prick!; When we groaned at each other when we realized our mistake, he rolled his eyes and tapped his foot impatiently. We all make a decent living, but no one in our group was rolling in dough. We ordered a low end wine and our waiter sneered and stalked off to blatantly gossip about us with his co-workers, complete with snide looks out of the corner of his eyes and some blatant pointing. We observed him waiting very courteously and attentively on the tables around us, then come to our table and treat us as if we didn't belong there. I have never been treated like this before. Whether or not our server thought we were the caliber of people he thought he should be serving, we were still polite, appreciative, PAYING customers and deserve his respect. I left that place with a bad taste in my mouth.

Tom Sietsema: One thing I learned as a waiter: You can never predict how people are going to tip (or behave) based on their age, dress or other such signs. It pays to show respect to EVERYONE.

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Ward 4: Tom, please explain. You just recommended Colorado Kitchen again. Do you not have the service issues there that the rest of us do? Do you not get complaints out the ears about that place? Or do you still believe that their food is being worth treated like dirt?

Tom Sietsema: Here we go again!

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Duh: Because people who live in DC travel. We rely on Tom to provide some insight on places in other places. Geeze How many times do you need two amy's or Colorado Kitchen recommended to you

Tom Sietsema: Gosh, this is a crabby crowd today ... (thanks for doing the explaining for me).

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Northern Virginia: My girlfriend and I like to take our daughters (ages 15, 13, and 11) out to lunch - sort of "girls day out" without the dads. The last two times our enjoyment has been significantly diminished by male wait staff who are overly chummy, sit down at the table with us, flirt with the girls etc. I know this would not happen if the husbands were part of the party.

One guy sat at the table chatting for 30 MINUTES - and talking to the manager would have done no good, because she was bringing the guy iced teas.

I feel this practice is inappropriate, rude, and when it comes their interactions with much younger girls, pretty creepy.

Suggestions on how to discourage this practice without appearing rude or hostile in front of the children?

Thanks

Tom Sietsema: Funny, I had something similar happen to me last night, only it was the OWNER who wouldn't leave the table! (Just try getting out of THAT sticky situation ....)

One solution: How about establishing eye contact with your tablemates and asking "Now, where were we?" or something to that effect, to send a signal, politely but firmly, that 1) you were interrupted and 2) you want to re-focus on your companions.

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Capital Hill, Washington, D.C.: A few of us ladies are heading into Georgetown tonight to do some shopping and grab something to eat. The restriction is that we are on a tight budget. Anything you can recommend??

Tom Sietsema: How tight is tight? Pizzeria Paradiso and Amma Vegetarian Kitchen are probably sure bets, and for slightly more, Bistro Francais is always a pleasure.

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Bowie, Md: Tom, after last week's discussion about children in restaurants, I started wondering: Have you ever taken kids with you as dining partners during your clandestine restaurant visits? It might be an interesting perspective as to how differently the same restaurant treats you with and without children. If you haven't taken kids, maybe there's an agency where you could rent highly-trained children who can be cranky on command.

Tom Sietsema: I take all sorts of people on reviews: senior citizens, families, singles, etc. to get a proper read on how people of different persuasions are treated. In other words, I know what it's like when a baby starts crying and diners' eyes meet yours.

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re: Lauriol Plaza: I want to argue that LP is better than mediocre... while I agree that it is way too crowded for its overall quality, I am almost 100% of the time pleased with my food, think the chips, margaritas and salsa are yummy, love the variety, and appreciate that I don't have to eat at a dumpy looking restaurant to find an affordable meal/good value.

My two cents-- and I can't wait for the Spring and and that patio!;!;!;

Tom Sietsema: Well, you won't have ME competing for your patio seat.

Have a great day, everyone. See you again next Wednesday.

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Washington, DC: Just wanted to remind the chatters about Dining Out for Life tomorrow (March 10th) night!; Over 140 restaurants all over the area are donating 25-100% of that evening's proceeds back to Food & Friends. A complete list of restaurants is available at www.foodandfriends.org.

Tom Sietsema: Oops! I almost forget to mention this terrific event.

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