Tuesday, December 29 at 11 AM

Heard? Thanks for picking up the magazine. ; )

Hell Point surprised me, because through the summer and early Fall, it wasn't on our short list. But the cooking there has improved considerably, and my most recent meal was terrific — much, much closer to what Bob Kinkead envisioned when he opened it. The mussels in coconut milk was one of the best mussels dishes I've eaten all year, and a number of things coming out of the kitchen now are good and dependable.

Are there still problems? There are. The FOH experience, in particular. And there are still a couple of stumbles here and there. But the place has evolved, and that's always a good thing to see.

Who in Annapolis do you think we overlooked? I'm curious. 

Thanks for writing in — these are thoughtful, interesting comments …

Just to touch on some of your points:

Yes, I think the argument about baking being expensive is a duplicitous argument, too.

And yes, I do think that what runs through a lot of these discussions about desserts — which is, often enough, a discussion of portion size — is a strong suggestion that those who like big portions, or who do not PRACTICE PORTION CONTROL (don't you love that phrase?) are philistines. 

The foodie world is like a lot of worlds, it's about exclusion and inclusion. "Clean" flavors and "practicing portion control" and chef reverence — these are tickets in. To talk about big portions and to pine for dessert, above all — these stamp you as an outsider.

It's funny, though, if you think about it, because what are the desserts on most of these menus — ice creams, some form of cake, etc. In other words, there's nothing sophisticated about ice cream and cake, even if it's a hand-churned ice cream with the finest ingredients money can buy. It's still ice cream, still the thing you grew up eating and loving. And most pastry chefs embrace this fact, and actively try to trigger little explosions of memory and nostalgia in their concoctions.

Thanks for chiming in, Reston.

I haven't been to Martini House, but as for the others … French Laundry would top our list. Simple as that. Botegga would probably be in the Top 10 and possibly in the Top 5. Chez Panisse? Top 30?

And you're right in wondering about J&G Steakhouse, the "newcomer" you alluded to — no restaurant has ever cracked the Top 5.  

I won't get into a discussion about the rankings and who ought to be higher and who lower, but I can tell you that Bibiana was lucky to have survived the final cut.

Still at the top, without question. And I still think it's the best kabob house, all around. Not just in Virginia, but in the area.

But you're right, I've had some drier than usual meat there lately. I don't look at it as a going downhlll kind of thing, and fully expect to be wowed on my next drop-by. The karahis — lamb, lamb brains — remain, for me, the best reason to go.

According to one of my sources, there's a good possibility that Houstons' will move into the Timpano spot across the street. It's a bigger space, and there's also outdoor seating.

More as I hear it … 

Good and thorough report, West End Guy. I'm glad to have it. Thanks.

I have to laugh, though, at your referring to the West End as a "hood." If ever the shoe didn't fit … 

I didn't. Can — or anyone else out there — forward it along? I'd love to have a look.

And since you brought up the Zagat's list, and since there's already so much talk about our list, I just want to take a moment and talk a second about lists and rankings, etc. It's fun to carp about somebody else's list — I know, I do it all the time. (Did anyone see Ann Hornaday's Top 10 movies of the decade? No. 1: "Finding Nemo"?!?!) But I have to say, after doing this several times now — it's another to sit down and look through the possibilities and make your choices.

I'll tell you, I was surprised, myself, this year when we went through our various report cards and came up with our Top 20. Particularly our Top 10. As I was saying: Actually sitting down and going through it is very different from thinking about it all in your head in some vague, half-formed way.

That's a great question.

My list, my TK's 25, is a personal list. There are places on that list that mean something to me, beyond, in some cases, the quality of the food. I'm not saying that that's the case for Bar Pilar — in fact, the food is the thing that brings me there. The service, that's another story; I think it's some of the worst service in the city. And that's one reason, a very major reason, why it does not appear in the Top 100. But for me? To chow on a few simple, bold-flavored plates like the garlic toast with fried egg and salmon roe and the spiced pickled carrots and blow a couple of careless hours? Sure.

The list is not, bear in mind, a compendium of my favorites. 

Re: FOH at Hell Point. It's actually gotten better. Lackluster is a step up from where it was in the summer.

I like Punk's, too — it made our recent Cheap Eats list — and Tsunami is good and fun (although I prefer Joss for sushi).

I don't think either is worthy of consideration for 100 Best, though (Joss was in that conversation, and did make an appearance on the list several years ago), and as for BB and Atwater's — BB is mostly sandwiches and salads, and Atwater's is a market. Are these the places you would have me consider as alternatives to Hell Point?

I can't remember the last time I heard about a McDonald's closing up shop. 

And yes, the economy is worse than the "experts" say. This thing didn't start in 2008, it started in 2007, and we've been headed in this direction for the last 25-30 years.

Seriously. What changed? A lot of competition.

As for deliciousness and innovation — I think Kaz is innovative by the standards of sushi in Washington in 1999. Deliciousness? Sometimes there, sometimes not.

Thanks for sending the link.

What do I think? I think it's a "pretty good" list, with a number of "excellent" choices and "nothing that I could single out"as being "undeserving" or even a "stretch" — though I also have to ask, "what's the point of compiling a list of the top 10 best restaurants of the decade?" And: "what is a list like this supposed to demonstrate?"

Did I say that? Honestly, I don't remember.

I can tell you that this year we compiled reviews of 120 places that we thought were deserving — or deserving of going into the final round with. So, we had to cut 20 places when all was said and done, not an easy thing to do. 

The big thing I noticed, this year, is that there are more and more places with 2 1/2 stars — evidence, to me, of the growth of the mid-range place.

And that is a really important development, a really good development, because when I started as a restaurant critic  in 2001, there was a real paucity of these kinds of places. The good mid-range place is vital to a dining scene, and DC now has a pretty good number of them. It's great to see.

No, you're absolutely right, and I'll be working on tweaking the presentation of this in the coming weeks, to make it more useful and more informative.

So, thank you for the really good feedback, Alexandria, and stay tuned.

Interesting.

You make some good points — you're a server, yes? or a GM? — particularly in the case of things being left out, on purpose and not.

I would say it's right to do it, to take the check, if people are staying and lingering well past the meal — hanging on for twenty or thirty minutes after. But otherwise? I'm just not sure I think that's the way to go. 

It is. And it's great to watch, and taste, and drink.

In the coming year, I want to see more ambitious mid-range spots, more food carts, more markets and butchers,  more cheapie gourmet destinations, more step-up ethnic places, and just more ground-up activity. I want to see the city and the area continue to build on the solid core of what's already here.

Thanks for the well-wishes, and back at you — and to all of you. Have a happy and safe New Year's, and let's meet back here next week at 11 for the first chat of 2010 … Be well and eat well, everyone.

 [missing you, TEK]

Submit your question ahead of time to Todd's chat next Tuesday, January 5, at 11 AM.