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Restaurant Week: Love it or Hate it?

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By Ann Limpert   Published Thursday, August 14, 2008

Comments

Went to three:
B.Smith: Lunch. Pretty good. Underwhelming dessert though.
Vermilion: Excellent. Enjoyed all three courses. The scallops were great, and my husband could have eaten dessert several times.
Rasika: Good food. Had to watch your choices or it was not worth it for restaurant week.

Had good service at all three places.

Posted by: Amy, Aug 26, 2008 05:18:49 AM

Had a great experience at Ceiba on Saturday. There were great starter selections and all of the entrees on the "normal" menu were available. Had the shrimp cocktail has a starter, the tuna for an entree and the keylime pie for dessert. It was all delicious and certainly worth the price. And the service could not have been better, even when my friend spilled her drink!

Posted by: Lucy, Aug 21, 2008 07:26:38 AM

Although this was my first time, at $35.08, Restaurant Week is no bargain. Only went to D’Acqua and PS7’s, both decent with the latter taking the nod in all aspects. If you don’t normally order dessert, you could probably find a similiarly priced app/entree combo from the regular menu. Based on prior year RW prices, it doesn’t seem like the bargain that it once was.

Posted by: CBOY, Aug 20, 2008 01:44:10 PM

Went to two places - IndeBleu and PS7.

IndeBleu was seriously dissapointing. Four of us went and essentially all ordered the same thing - there were simply not many interesting choices. The scallop appettizer was the highlight of the meal. But the 3 others had mussels which had about 4 per dish. Main dish was an unimpressive ribeye. Not worth it one bit and the restaurant week special drinks had about 1/4 ounce of liquor in each.

PS7, on the other hand, was a wonderful experience. Was with a group of 4 again and this time everyone ordered different appetizers and main courses. I had the gnochhi with duck confit (duck was perfectly cooked) and I tried one of the mini tuna tartare’s on a bun... Tuna tartare is the most overdone dish on earth, but this was a step way above. Had scallops for the dinner and they were buttery delicious and moist. Had a wonderful chocolate cake for dinner.

Definitely suggest trying ps7 for restaurant week

Posted by: DC, Aug 20, 2008 01:36:01 PM

We went to Neyla (fine dining med. cuisine) and Oya (fine dining asian/french fusion) and both were fantastic. The service was amazing, and the food was delightful. The portions were just the perfect size and left us stuffed by the end of our meal. This was my first experiene participating in restaruant week and it brought me to new places in the city. I definatley would have never eaten at these two places, were it not for RW. I definatley am looking forward to the next RW!

Posted by: Betsy, Aug 18, 2008 10:49:48 AM

Circle Bistro was fantastic!!! I will definitely go back...

Posted by: JEC, Aug 18, 2008 09:21:24 AM

RW prices have now jumped to $35.08, which my husband and I feel are overpriced and the quality of the food is dismal. Last year, we tried a few restaurants and left disappointed, so this year, we only opted for one (Willow) hoping that it would change our expectations of RW. But we left saying that we’d never again do RW again; again, the prices keep going up and the food is not that great. We’d much prefer to go to a great restaurant any other day of the week and pay full price for a delicious entree than spend an inflated amount for the same, tired 3 course meal at a subpar restaurant. Sorry RW, doesn’t work for the price anymore.

Posted by: ALS, Aug 18, 2008 05:37:49 AM

Like a lot of you, went to vidalia for dinner last week. Got the 5 courses, and it was absolutely amazing. Fine dining experiences have been limited so far, but vidalia was wonderful in every way!

Posted by: vince , Aug 18, 2008 04:54:05 AM

Had lunch at 701. Service was good, but food was nothing to write home about. They had a separate RW menu. One of the appetizers came under-cooked (shrimp). Most of our group had the salmon entree, which was ok, but nothing special. The sorbet for desert was great though!

Posted by: NG, Aug 17, 2008 05:23:07 PM

Went to Indebleu for the first time this past week for dinner. It was every bit as wonderful as I heard it was. My friend and I enjoyed generous portions of perfectly prepared dishes (scallop appetizer was interesting and delicious). The best part was the homemade desserts. The meal took @ 2 1/2 hrs to enjoy, but that is common for high end restaurant. Plus if you have a good friend and conversation, the time doesn’t matter

Posted by: TK, Aug 17, 2008 07:54:28 AM

Thank you Vidalia!!!!!!!

For making restaurant week feel like a specail holiday.

Your service and food shows a class like no other.

Posted by: Martin, Aug 16, 2008 09:57:35 PM

I gave up on Restaurant Week about a year ago. For many places on the list, the savings isn’t that hot and few make it worth the while. I tired of very limited menus, skimpy portions (even for a multi-course meal), hit or miss service, and the crowds. Savvy diners can find much better deals and experiences year round at most places without the downsides of Restaurant Week.

Posted by: Arp!, Aug 16, 2008 08:58:10 AM

Oh my god!!!!! Went on a date to Vidalia tonight and it was devine. We now know the reason this restaurant has been at the top for fifteen years.

Great food and service.

Posted by: Ava, Aug 15, 2008 09:50:58 PM

We went to Oyamel and were overwhelmed with the quantity of food. Three small plates, a taco, and dessert. I was full after the second course! We’ve got reservations for Farrah Olivia next week (they extended theirs), and I hope I disagree with JC. Love RW!

Posted by: RAM, Aug 15, 2008 07:54:26 PM

We went to Bastille for lunch and Mendocino Grill for dinner another night. Bastille was good...bargain for the money spent for lunch...but not as memorable as Mendocino Grill!!! Absolutely now one of our faves!!! The Duck confit and the Pork chops were AMAZING! Loved it! We shall be Back!

Posted by: MJC, Aug 15, 2008 06:35:00 PM

Took 5 of my collegues to Dino for RW. Extensive menu which they are offering through the end of the month. Appetizers include hot and cold or you can get 1/2 order of pasta. 6-8 Main dishes and dessert. Go now, you won’t be disappointed.

Posted by: Val, Aug 15, 2008 03:47:19 PM

Went to D’Acqua for RW. Very disappointing menu and food. NOT worth the $35. I could have made the pasta at home, and the shrimp were way overcooked.

Posted by: SMC, Aug 15, 2008 11:56:08 AM

We went to Equinox for dinner. The choices were slim and still after picking from the RW menu, we still ended up spending over $70/person. Granted, I did get soup, an entree and dessert plus a glass of wine and a margarita for what I would have spent there on a non-RW week day for just an entree and 2 drinks. The service and the food was great. Would say that going was worth the price given all that I ate for what I paid at a fairly expensive place...but still feeling a bit salty about spending $70 for dinner.

Posted by: Ty, Aug 15, 2008 09:31:48 AM

Wow, Vidalia a BUST!! you must be out of your mind!!!!!
The food for the cost has been fantastic. Great wine list and the service has been extremely gracious. To much game maybe your to conservative!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Greg, Aug 15, 2008 08:33:46 AM

Dinner at Sea Catch was disappointing. We enjoyed the happy hour $1 oysters and half off drinks more than our dinner.

Posted by: GS, Aug 15, 2008 08:32:27 AM

Peacock Grand was wonderful for lunch; food was great and great selection. I went to Mio for dinner and while there were only 3 choices, the food was great and it was a deal. With price of RW dinner up to $35, sometimes you’re not getting much of a deal, if any, so you have to be look into the menus more before going.

Posted by: DCML, Aug 15, 2008 08:19:59 AM

We had a great experience at Mendocino Grille. There were a large number of choices available, with a few upcharges. The duck confit was outstanding, as was the ravioli appetizer. Dinner brought a beautiful medium-rare hangar steak with corn, red peppers and shiitakes as well as the most flavorful pork chop we’d ever tried. Dessert was delicious, though not as mind-blowing as the entrees. I did have a delicious basil ice cream with my blackberry-peach tart.

Posted by: EG, Aug 15, 2008 08:12:11 AM

Vidaelia was a bust. Limited menu for RW and serving sizes beyond small. Too many wild game choices. We will save our money next year and forget the ’deal’ and spend a enjoyable evening eating a meal and not $35.00 for two small appetizers!

Posted by: , Aug 15, 2008 04:21:35 AM

I was quite happy with my RW lunch at Vidalia and RW dinner at Tuscana West. However I was then discouraged when I asked my friend what he was doing for RW and he replied "If I want a value menu, I’ll go to McDonalds." Hmmmm...

Posted by: The DC Concierge, Aug 14, 2008 09:31:00 PM

Ate at Vidalia tonight had five courses of amazment. RJ Cooper and his staff are truley turning out great food.

Highlights were the rabbit mortadella, duck egg with sweetbreads, scallops, goat and whoppers, what a treat at this price!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Vidalia staff.

Posted by: dennis, Aug 14, 2008 09:00:21 PM

Tried Indebleu for lunch today for the first time and found the food to be delectable, the decor lovely, and the service pretty insultingly poor. The place was hopping, but that doesn’t explain why our lunch took almost an hour and a half without even time for dessert (we had to take it to go). The wait between the appetizers (delicious salad of arugula, spicy cashews and marscapone stuffed dates) and entrees (satisfying salmon dish that I enjoyed but didn’t dazzle) was ridiculously long and the waiter didn’t proactively check in with us. We had to flag down staffers to get answers and instead of a real apology, we got a lame excuse about how busy the kitchen was. To me, that just says they’re not running the restaurant well. Forget the excuses, just sincerely apologize and show that you maybe do care if those customers come back.

Posted by: CS, Aug 14, 2008 03:37:46 PM

Had a terrible experience at Il Mulino for lunch. Lunch took close to two hours for two courses. Not only did we not have a waiter, the manager hastily took our order, but we were never checked on. The food and service were completely not worth the time or the money. I would highly recommend staying away.

Posted by: LL, Aug 14, 2008 02:12:46 PM

Sea Catch at dinner - a short RW menu, with nothing on offer that would have been worth much more than the restaurant week price. The waiter was wry, but not rude. The food, however, was mediocre - bland, basic and uninspiring. We left feeling pretty underwhelmed.

Posted by: kc, Aug 14, 2008 01:32:04 PM

Just had a fantastic lunch at Ceiba today. They offered 8+ appetizers, including various ceviche items which my dining companion and I shared a few of. The entire lunch menu was available as well, with just a small upcharge on the steak. Dessert was limited, but it was a nice variety. Based on the menu prices, we ate $35 meals for $20.08 The service was excellent and not rushed at all. We took about an hour and a half to enjoy the meal. Go to Ceiba!

Posted by: Sarah, Aug 14, 2008 01:31:00 PM

This year’s dinner went up to $35.08. I think RW experiences vary, just like whether it’s "worth it" or not to use the RW menu. It’s smart to check out the regular menu, and if what you would normally order doesn’t reach the threshold for lunch and dinner costs, don’t bother with RW. But, if an entree alone is $20 at lunch and for $20.08 you can get three courses AND you have the luxury of taking a 3-course kind of lunch break, go for it. I went to Hudson and Grand Peacock Cafe for lunch so far and have had great experiences at both. Past experiences were not always so hot, but this August is turning out just fine.

Posted by: iEatdc.blogspot.com, Aug 14, 2008 12:51:47 PM

We went to Farrah Olivia for restaurant week. All three courses were seasoned like desert. In our party we ordered the pork (ordered medium rare), salmon (ordered medium rare), and the chicken. All three were way over cooked. I won’t be back.

Posted by: JC, Aug 14, 2008 12:43:01 PM

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