Ask Tom: All-You-Can-Eat Salad Bars, Chefs on TV, Dining in Geneva and Places for Sushi and Cocktails

Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema discussed all-you-can-eat salad bars, chefs on TV, dining in Geneva and places for sushi and cocktails on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 11 a.m. ET.

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Annapolis, Md.: I just finished reading Garlic & Sapphires. A GREAT book! Have you experienced similar experiences as Ruth in your life as a critic? Specifically, can you tell when you are recognized? Tom, keep up the great work. If you wear wigs for your disguise, you deserve a raise!

Tom Sietsema: I've been reviewing restaurants in the Washington area for ten years now. So yes, I get recognized a fair amount. But I have ways, some of which I don't care to share here, of at least easing into a restaurant without the staff knowing.

Disguises are tough; to truly alter one's appearance takes over an hour (in my case). But I've been to all the Big Deal Places -- Citronelle, the late Galileo, the Inn at Little Washington, etc. -- in costume in recent years and I think a critic should take the effort to at least try to remain anonymous when he's at work. But it ain't easy!

Happy Wednesday, everyone. Lots to mull over today, starting with news of a forthcoming gastropub ...

washingtonpost.com: A Gastropub on D.C.'s Horizon: Againn

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Anonymous: Tom, What's this about Jonathan Krinn? Not in the kitchen? We are going there tomorrow night for a family celebration. I'll let you know how it goes.

Tom Sietsema: Please do! I know he can be very charming in the flesh.

washingtonpost.com: A Chef Shuffle at Inox

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White House: A friend has arranged a weeknight evening White House tour, and we'd like to do dinner beforehand -- preferably close walking distance, and able to get us in and out fairly quickly (since we don't want to be late!). All that's coming to mind is Old Ebbitt, which I think of as more known for location than its food. Other options?

Tom Sietsema: I have a better idea, and it's just as close: Cafe du Parc, the charming French eatery in the Willard.

washingtonpost.com: 2007 Review: Cafe du Parc

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Ann Arbor, Mich.: Tom -- Your chats are one of the biggest highlights of my week! When are you doing to do a postcard of my home town? With Zingmerman's, Kerrytown, Pilar and Eve the Restaurant (to name only the tip of the iceberg) -- it would be a weekend well spent and a great boost to a staggering Michigan economy! Happy fall and here's to MUCH cooler weather. Cheers!

Tom Sietsema: You are a one-woman Chamber of Commerce, my friend. I'll add Ann Arbor to my to-do list for 2010.

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Alexandria to Geneva... Please?!: I am heading to Geneva as part of a trip around Switzerland in a couple of weeks and wondering if you or the esteemed readers of this chat can recommend a couple of can't-miss restaurants in that city as I didn't see a postcard from there. Many many many many thanks.

Tom Sietsema: Geneva, anyone? (I only know where to refuel in Zurich in Switzerland.)

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Rockville: Tom, is this ethical...

GF orders a dinner that comes with AYCE salad bar. She makes three trips to the salad bar, eats maybe one-quarter of her main course, and then needs to take almost her whole dinner home.

Do you think she's found a perfectly legitimate way to structure a meal when you can't take the salad part home; or is she exploiting the restaurant's expectation that people having a whole meal won't eat much salad?

Tom Sietsema: I'm not sure I would call the situation unethical -- the salad bar is, as you say, all-you-can-eat -- but I find it kind of vulgar when diners take advantage of buffets and other such open spreads. What was her rationale? To get two meals for the price of one?

Chatters, what do you think? Please weigh in.

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Capitol Hill, D.C.: My parents are coming into town next week and my mom has said the one thing she wants is a crab cake, so the question begs...what one place in the city should I take them? Bonus points for metro accessible. Thanks so much, these chats are the highlight of my Wednesdays!

Tom Sietsema: Thanks for the kind words. Among the best, Metro-friendliest crab cakes in the city are those served at Kinkead's downtown, Johnny's Half Shell on the Hill, DC Coast on K St. NW and Oceanaire Seafood Room near Metro Center.

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Washington, D.C.: Do you know of some good restaurant choices in D.C. for Thanksgiving dinner? Thanks!

Tom Sietsema: Wow, already thinking about turkey and trimmings! I haven't seen any holiday menus yet, but your best bet probably involves a hotel restaurant. Are you looking for anything in particular?

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Cabin John, Md.: Tom: Your reviews are always fun to read. Have you always been a restaurant reviewer or are you a convert from the world of general journalism?

Tom Sietsema: I've always only written about food. But the cool thing is, food encompasses just about everything: politics, fantasy, the media, literature, travel, public safety ... I've never once wished I had taken a different route. This career has been an amazing ride.

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Capitol Hill:: Tom, are you as excited as the rest of us on Capitol Hill about the imminent opening of 7H? Personally, I'd like to see another wood burning neighborhood pizza joint; Matchbox has become too corporate.

Tom Sietsema: There can never be too many (good) pizza joints, as far as I'm concerned. The chatter is referring to the new spinoff from the owners of Montmartre on the Hill, which moved into the old Ben & Jerry's digs.

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Washington, D.C.: The in-laws are in town this weekend and have offered to babysit. We would like to try something new, and since we never head to Arlington to eat even thought it's relatively close, I was wondering if you had recent thoughts on Willow, Tallula or Eventide, since we haven't tried any of them.

Tom Sietsema: Recent thoughts on Eventide? But of course!

washingtonpost.com: 2009 Review: Eventide

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Alexandria, Va.: I submitted a question months ago about the etiquette that one should expect from a high level restaurant and its employees/owners. I originally had a the experience of witnessing a verbal barrage of profanities at such a place. My wife and I decided to give the experience another try and again I am disappointed at what we endured. Please remind Chef Armstrong that he does not need to be like Hells Kitchen's Gordon Ramsey. Like the Eden in which "Eve" once lived most patrons are seeking the serenity of a night away from the typical verbal tongue lashings and a chance to have a nice night away from kids or work. Patrons expect respect from a four-star dining experience and we twice have not received it from Restaurant Eve, needless to say we are taking our ears to other establishments.

Tom Sietsema: Um, can we get some details, please? I can't imagine one of the city's top chefs swearing within earshot of diners.

The kitchen at Eve is semi-enclosed and removed from the two dining rooms, so I'm not sure where you heard what you say you heard?

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Un-Gluten-ed: Thanks much to you and your chatters last week. I was taking notes. I considered the suggestion of faxing the list of off-limit foods to a restaurant before eating there, but as your chatter mentioned, it is a rather lengthy list, and the idea felt a little too diva-esque to me (after a couple of pages I considered adding in my M&M color preferences). Starting with that idea, though, I was able to find a couple of sources that make wallet-sized cards that describe the problem, can be read quickly and taken to the chef, come in multiple languages for places where English isn't necessarily the staff's first language (my favorite places), and list cuisine specific no-nos (the Chinese language card says no soy sauce, for example). celiactravel.com has a version online and a company called triumph has them for a price, slightly different features on each. At any rate, it's much easier for me and the restaurant staff this way -- thanks much!

Tom Sietsema: Thank YOU for passing along such a useful resource.

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Alexandria, Va.: The recession finally touched me personally when one of my favorite neighborhood eating places -- Sign of the Whale on Rt. 50 in Falls Church (not related to the bar of the same name downtown) -- closed. I loved their veggie quesadillas with the pink sauce, their salmon platter, and their bean soup. The only negative, and reason I didn't go even more often, was the smoke from the bar, and I was looking forward to the new Va. law banning smoking in restaurants taking effect. But apparently the mall raised the rent and business had dropped off. I am devastated! (The good news is the chef had given me the recipe for the pink sauce, so I can recreate the quesadillas!)

Now that I see what can happen, I am determined to visit my other favorite, but very different restaurant, Bamian, much more frequently!

Tom Sietsema: I adore Bamian. The breads! The kababs! The lovely staff!

washingtonpost.com: 2006 Dining Guide: Bamian

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Arlington, Va.: Tom: thanks for your insights on dining -- your stuff is always an insightful read! Two questions: 1) Restaurant Week tipping -- what is appropriate to tip if the Restaurant Week pricing provides a significant discount from what "normal" prices would be? Is it appropriate to tip based on the RW menu price or should one tip based on some estimate of what the normal retail price is? 2) Given the state of journalism in modern times, how has food journalism been affected, and how will be changed in the future?

Tom Sietsema: 1) I tend to be a little more generous in my tipping with RW meals, particularly if I feel the service has been good. A few bucks over 20-25 percent maybe?

2) Wow. I could devote an essay to this question. Food section staffs and budgets have been cut to different degrees at just about every print publication I can think of.

I'm happy to report, the Post has not cut my restaurant budget, which is not insignificant, nor have I decreased the number of times I visit a place for a full review in the Sunday Magazine. That's not the case at a lot of other publications, alas.

As a reader, I think you need to know what publications or online sources are actually paying for their own meals and services, how often their reviewers eat at a place before making judgement and if any of them accept freebies. Trust me, it makes a difference.

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Washington, D.C.: Tom, First, thank you for all your hard work and great suggestions. I have been routinely impressed by your recommendations in the four years I've lived in D.C. In a few weeks, my sister and a few friends from home will be coming in to town to celebrate my birthday and I'd like to go out for a great sushi meal with a good bar (bonus if they have inventive cocktails that don't just tack on a -tini to the end of their name). They all live in New York City and I'd like to show them that the D.C. dining scene is vibrant and exciting. We are in our mid-twenties, so while I'd like something special, I don't know that we would spend Sushi Taro range on dinner and drinks, since we'll probably go out after. I've loved Sei, but do you have any additional suggestions in D.C. that would fit this bill?

Tom Sietsema: Well, you've just mentioned two of my favorite places for Japanese. Kaz Sushi Bistro is good, but it lacks energy away from the sushi counter (and fun cocktails aren't in its picture). Sushi-Ko has seen better days.

Let's throw your question to the crowd today, and hope someone can help you out.

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22043: Hi Tom! Inquiring minds want to know what you have on hand in your refrigerator and/or pantry on any given day since a good portion of your meals are had out.... :)

Tom Sietsema: Let's see. There are soy sauce and coffee beans and about a dozen bottles of vino and an apple and some bottled water (I know, I know: Do as I say and not as I do!) and some fake credit cards and ...

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Penn Quarter: Question about sending a glass of wine back because the glass is dirty: is it ok for the server to pour the wine from the dirty glass into a clean one? Saw it happen at a nice place downtown this past weekend, and while the "dirt" on the glass appeared to be only lipstick, it still surprised me. Am I being too hoity toity?

Tom Sietsema: The COOL thing to do would be to pour a fresh glass. I guess it depends upon the "dirt" in question. Frankly, a lipstick smudge wouldn't trouble me as much as residue from the dishwasher.

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Virginia: Hey Tom, Can you recommend a good first-date restaurant? A place with good food but a great atmosphere as well....low-key but classy, and maybe some dim lighting? Something along the lines of the atmosphere at Liberty Tavern, but preferably nowhere that's so loud that I have to yell across the table.

Tom Sietsema: Are we talking Virginia here? You might consider the new Columbia Firehouse in Old Town, Carlyle in Shirlington, Present (for Vietnamese) in Falls Church or the burger-chicken-drinks joint near Courthouse metro that escapes my name just now ...

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Foggy Bottom, D.C.: Hi Tom,

A quick update from last week regarding Ris. I just walked by the space in the Ritz, and they are actually doing construction. I've walked by the "Ris coming soon" sign almost everyday for the last couple of years and this is the first time I've actually seen them doing work on the space. Maybe this means it's actually coming soon.

Tom Sietsema: After I joked that the restaurant would open when hell froze over or the pope eloped, I got this email from the chef, Ris Lacoste, herself:

"Tom, i saw the Pope on youtube carrying on in the South of France. elopement was in the air."

Hurrah!

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Eve?: I have eaten at Eve a dozen+ times. Not only did I never hear profanity, I didn't even hear kitchen noise.

Tom Sietsema: I hear you. But this poster is persistant.

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a lipstick smudge wouldn't trouble me as much as residue from the dishwasher. : Depends on who the dishwasher is...

Tom Sietsema: Hey, you know what I mean! lol

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washingtonpost.com: Sorry folks, we're having technical difficulties right now. Tom's answers will re-appear as soon as they are fixed. Our apologies!

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Chefs on TV: Tom,

I don't know what you think of all these Chefs trying to become TV stars but let me say that I used to hold to- notch chefs in high regard but I no longer do; and, since several of them make asses of themselves, there are now chefs whose restaurants I will never patronize.

Tom Sietsema: In too many cases, I think massive TV coverage is not a good thing for either a chef or his or her restaurant. Great exposure often ruins what had been a good thing -- a talented chef, a delicious place to eat. Why, I remember meeting a shy Gordon Ramsay, years ago in London ...

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All you can eat: That seems pretty chintzy to me. Why not dump the bread basket into her purse while she's at it?

Tom Sietsema: Maybe she did/does.

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Greenbelt, Md.: Visited Ubuntu on your recommendation on a trip to California and really enjoyed the fresh and tasty food. It looks like the menu changes a lot but our favorites included the vegetable fritters served on a bed of edible flowers, the goat cheese pizza, the gnocchi with a creamy mushroom sauce and the heirloom tomato salad with goat cheese. The service was great and the ambiance was amongst the best I can remember. (They also have your review prominently posted on the front of the restaurant in a nice frame).

I also went to Al Crostino recently on U Street. The little table in the hallway was amusing and at least private if a bit cramped. The food was really good though, we had the asparagus soup, the gnocchi with cherry tomato sauce and the mushroom stuffed ravioli in a butter sauce. The waitress was also excellent and didn't rush us despite the fact that we may have been the last ones there. Didn't remember my last visit being this good.

Tom Sietsema: Ah, I'm thrilled to hear that Jeremy Fox continues to do such a great job with his "vegetable" menu in Napa. Thanks for the field report.

As for Al Crostino, I haven't been in a year or so (but I recognize that hallway table, having been seated there before).

washingtonpost.com: A Natural Emerges: Tom's Feature on Ubuntu Chef Jeremy Fox

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Gaithersburg, Md.: In support of North Cleveland Park, I, too found Comet Ping Pong less than satisfactory. First, no matter what the posted hours are, they never seem to be open when I get there (never a Saturday night). Second, the menu is very limited and when something is not available (i.e. chickpea salad) there are not reasonable alternatives. After a year of on-again-off-again success, I just bypass the place for Two Amys.

Tom Sietsema: I agree that the menu is short, but I've always found Comet to be a consistent, and consistently delicious, place for a salad, a sundae, a pie -- and a bit of fun. Indeed, I was there within the last few weeks and found myself wishing it were closer to my home.

washingtonpost.com: 2008 Dining Guide: Comet Ping Pong

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Washington DC: Tom, we should remember that the chefs on TV are there to entertain. The ruder the chef is, the higher viewership climbs. Gordon Ramsey is a considerate gentlemen on his BBC show. So don't take their behavior to heart.

Tom Sietsema: But remember: Julia Child entertained AND educated her audiences. Also, she was never rude. If only there were more like her on TV today ...

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Stamford, Conn.: Hi Tom -

Two comments for you. First, my wife and I headed down to D.C. for a wedding this past weekend. Ate at Rasika on Friday (excellent, veggie and meat tasting menu for us) and then Poste on Saturday. My wife had halibut with an olive crust. It ended up burned and bitter, so we sent it back. They were apologetic and brought out a crustless version...but after post-dinner discussion it seems they merely re-plated the same fish without the crust, as the fish was lukewarm, not a new cut of fish. Disappointing in an otherwise great meal.

We also tried out Room 11. The food was enjoyable and we spent time meeting some of the owners. Hope you give it another try rather than evaluating it three days after it opened. Everyone is entitled to teething pains....

Tom Sietsema: I can understand a chef not wanting to waste good fish, but I hear you on the "crust" problem at Poste. Lukewarm food isn't much fun, and I wonder if the olives' bitter taste were left behind as well?

Regarding Room 11. I look forward to seeing if the chef adds any Asian flavors, as he indicated he might.

washingtonpost.com: First Bite: Room 11

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Washington, D.C.: Tom--would you pass along to restaurants that many of us do not patronize places that allot all or most of their outdoor seating to smoking. I love to sit outside but cannot tolerate smoke. Smoke does not magically dissipate ina bubble around the smoker. Even though 80% of people do not smoke (and smoking prevalence decreases as income increases), several places permit smoking anywhere in their patios. Surfside is one example, but there are many others.

Tom Sietsema: Restaurateurs, you hear that?

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new restaurant?: I've seen a sign in the windows of a relatively new building on 11th street near I or K street--something like "Meet, Eat, Neat". I haven't been able to read any of the finer details--have you heard of a new restaurant coming there? What else is yet to come? thanks!

Tom Sietsema: That sounds like the aforementioned Againn (the spelling is correct, by the way) from my introduction.

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Servers - what are they thinking: Husband & I went to try a new place and after waiting 45 minutes for a salad we asked if she could check on our food. She didn't but said the kitchen was busy with take out orders. I mentioned that we were "in-person" customers sitting & waiting for our food, but her response was "you can't tell the kitchen what to do, they all are holding knives." I guess she didn't realize that in-person customers hold credit cards and are the ones tipping the servers (or not as was our case). This server also chastized the people sitting at the table next to us (two parents and an adult daughter in her mid-late 20's). Apparently the mom let the daughter taste her wine and the server went on a rant about how that was illegal since the server hadn't seen her ID prior to her having a taste of mom's wine. She yelled at them for several minutes. She also told a child at another table that she was holding her slice of pizza wrong - seriously why should she care how some kid eats pizza. The only good thing about the meal was the laugh we had with this other table in the parking lot. I was dumbfounded.

Tom Sietsema: Something tells me this server isn't long for this business....

I would have brought the timing issue to the attention of a manager. Also: I (sort of) sympathize with the waitress regarding a patron who may or may not be "of age" to drink alcohol. A server can lose her job over stuff like that, and a restaurant can have its license suspended.

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Gaithersburg: The difference between "dumping the bread basket" and a salad bar, is that the bread can't be re-served. It either goes home with you or into the trash.

Tom Sietsema: Or made into bread pudding back in the kitchen!

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Sterling: Re: Rockville,

I think GF needs to find a new BF. I'm sure she be thrilled to find herself the subject of a lunchtime chat about him thinking she's cheap...

Tom Sietsema: Let's hope she doesn't follow this chat, huh?

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Laurel, Md.: I've been aware for some time that the children's menu section of most restaurants seems very limited -- hot dog, hamburger, grilled cheese, chicken fingers. My year-old grandson eats what we eat and enjoys it. Why can't restaurants expand the children's section to help children learn to expand their palates?

Tom Sietsema: I applaud your idea, but I'm guessing restaurants tend to play it safe because anything more exotic than hot dogs and the like doesn't move on a kid's menu. (The same is true of dishes marked as "low-calorie" or "low-fat," by the way. They tend not to sell.)

Change is likely to occur only if enough diners bring the matter to the attention of chefs and restaurateurs and then proceded to actually purchase those kids' meals that are more interesting and/or healthful.

I'd love to hear chatters' examples of thoughtful children's selections.

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Montgomery Village: Tom, I hope you can get to this today as I am running out of time. I am leaving tomorrow for a wedding in Charleston, S.C., and have heard wonderful things about the food there. I just have one meal to myself before I fly back on Sunday, where would you recommend I go? The rest of the meals are at a resort, so I am hoping to really get a taste of the South!

Tom Sietsema: If you dip into the Post's Postcard archives, you'll find my report from Charleston. The places I liked best on my last visit included the modern Fig and the humble Hominy Grill.

washingtonpost.com: Postcard From Tom: Charleston

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Washington, D.C.: Hi Tom,

I have an old friend coming into town for work and we're meeting for dinner Thursday night. I'm looking for a restaurant that's not too pricey (entrees in the $15-$20 range) and that's conducive to catching up over dinner. She's staying on the edge of Georgetown but we're happy to meet anywhere that's in D.C. and Metro accessible.

Thanks!

Tom Sietsema: Two ideas: Spices for interesting Asian fare, including sushi, in Cleveland Park or the new Pizzeria Paradiso for the obvious in Dupont Circle. I know of other places, but they're either too far from a Metro or too noisy for conversation.

washingtonpost.com: Spices in Cleveland Park and Pizza Paradiso's New Location

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Falls Church, Va.: Hi Tom -- Posting early in hopes this post makes the chat. I am the Falls Church gal who two weeks ago posted about an only okkkkaaaayyy Restaurant Week experience at Oceanaire. Imagine my surprise when last week I printed your chat to read over lunch, and there was a post directed at me from Christine and Rob at Oceanaire asking me to call them.

I called later that afternoon and talked to Christine. Christine was very pleasant and wanted to know what went wrong with our meal (mixed up drink orders, limited Restaurant Week menu, no crab cakes available on the Restaurant Week menu, etc.). We had an interesting discussion about the expense of crabs and the decisions that go into creating the Restaurant Week menu. Christine invited me and my husband back, and sent us a generous gift card to entice us to return.

Would we return without Christine prompting us via gift card (which I did not ask for or hint at)? Probably not (three kids at home -- date nights are rare and precious!). However, I am willing to give the restaurant a second chance, and I can certainly pass on to others that it truly seems like the service, staff and management at Oceanaire want their customers to have a good dining experience, or Christine would not have gone through the efforts to convince me to return.

Sorry for the long post...I'll chime in again after we go back to Oceanaire for dinner! Thanks, Christine, for an interesting phone conversation, the gift card, and encouraging our return to your restaurant.

Thanks Tom!

Tom Sietsema: I'm always happy to connect customers with restaurants in this forum, and even more pleased to hear about success stories such as yours.

I wouldn't fault Oceanaire for not serving crab cakes on a RW menu, however. Good crab is expensive, as you've heard. Plus, the seafood restaurant does other dishes well enough not to have to lure customers in with crab cakes.

washingtonpost.com: Ocenaire

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Dorchester, MA: Fried okra. I moved from VA, where okra is a recognized and well-loved vegetable, to MA, where okra is unrecognized except at one southern-style BBQ place. Otherwise, I pretty much have to buy frozen okra, which just isn't the same.

Tom Sietsema: And your question is .....?

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Alexandria: Michael from a la lucia: for the person missing roberto donna cooking .he will be guest chef at a la lucia sep 23 for 5 course dinner ,and oct 14 we are hoping for a 5 course white truffle menu. Thank You

Tom Sietsema: Grazie, sir.

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Washington, DC: I was recently in Geneva and found the food to be overpriced and not very good. I'm sure there is probably 1-2 really nice restaurants, but overall, I wasn't impressed. I think you'll do best with a little neighborhood like the Paquis District.

Tom Sietsema: Oh no. That's it for our Geneva-bound chatter?

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Bethesda, Md.: What would you do? I went to a restaurant known for its healthy eating. I love that this restaurant use no heavy dairy ingredients in most of their food. They make wonderful "creamy" soups and delicious main courses without dairy. (I am lactose-intolerant.) But when it comes to dessert, the only non-dairy item on the menu was fruit. We go to this restaurant several times a year. How would I best approach the restaurant to ask them about having a non-dairy cake/pie-type dessert? Should I write a letter? Talk to the manager? The food there is always great -- no complaints there.

Tom Sietsema: Let me guess. Are you talking about Rock Creek?

It doesn't really matter. The best way to let your wishes be known, anywhere, is to talk to a manager or owner and then follow-up with him or her via email or a letter, just for good measure. It's as simple as that.

washingtonpost.com: Rock Creek

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re: Chefs on TV: On the other hand, Jose Andres' show makes me love him even more!

Tom Sietsema: It's the accent, si?

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Geneva restaurants: I travel a fair amount to Geneva for work and can say that the food is generally very good, although expensive even for the simplest meal (i.e. not less than $20). Aside from fondue, there are also a lot of good steak restaurants, as well as some excellent ethnic cuisine, especially Italian. Interestingly, some of the most interesting and modern food is at hotel restaurants: President Wilson, Kempinski, Intercontinental, Mandarin Oriental. But the meals aren't cheap.

For a really refined meal in a lovely atmosphere, try the Relais de Chambesy, which is in a hamlet (Chambesy) that's about a 10 minute cab ride from downtown. Sit outside if you can. The Perle du Lac, which is on the shore of the lake, is also excellent.

Tom Sietsema: Ah, this is more like it. Thanks.

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Thank you!: My husband and I went on our first baby-free trip last month to San Francisco and we ate at La Mar Cebicheria Peruana per your postcard. It was delicious and wonderfully adult-oriented. My husband's obsessed with pisco sours now. We also enjoyed the slanted door in S.F. and Press in Napa. Our next parents-only trip is to Oahu in March -- any ideas?

Tom Sietsema: Oahu, anyone?

FYI: La Canela in Rockville also makes a terrific pisco sour.

washingtonpost.com: 2008 Postcard From Tom: San Francisco Bay Area

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D.C.: Shrimp and Grits?

Hi Tom: Where can I find Shrimp and Grits in the Dupont Circle-K Street Area? More than one restaurant choice would be appreciated.

Tom Sietsema: The source that leaps to mind is at 19th and M streets: the southern-themed Vidalia. But I'm sure there are other purveyors nearby .... readers?

washingtonpost.com: 2007 Dining Guide: Vidalia

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Quick Reply: About children's menus and adult food. Since adult portions are large, they can share with the kids if that's their preference. The kids menu is for the ones who won't eat adult stuff.

Tom Sietsema: Good point, Quick.

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Sushi and cocktails: The chatter mentioned Sei, which is fantastic, as is Oya (same owners, I think). Interesting sushi, great cocktails.

Tom Sietsema: And that concludes another hour of food chat. Sorry about the technical delays this morning. We promise to be at 100 percent next Wednesday.

Ciao for now.

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A veteran food writer, Sietsema has worked as a critic in Washington, Seattle, San Francisco and Milwaukee and covers the local scene in his Dining, First Bite and Dish columns and moderates the Sietsema's Table discussion group. Join his live Q&A every Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET.

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