Join us at 11 AM to chat with Ann Limpert. Want to know about our ever-expanding Filipino food scene? Wondering whether DC really needs another steakhouse from an out-of-town chef? Or just need a dinner recommendation for this weekend? Leave a question below, and join Ann later this morning.
Ann: Hello chatters! I hope you’ve had a splendid week. Mine has been filled with dining experiences great, and well, not so great.
But before we get to that, I’ve got an exciting giveaway! I’ve got one ticket ($150 value) to our annual Best of Washington party up for grabs. The party, happening June 7 at the National Building Museum, is always a blast. You can sample over 60 restaurants from our 100 Best Restaurants list under one roof—think Maydan, Rasika, Whaley’s, Estadio—plus plenty of beer, wine, and cocktails. All you have to do is answer one question:
What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you in a Washington restaurant? Maybe your server switched to an English accent mid-way through the meal. Maybe a chef had a Gordon Ramsey-level meltdown forgetting he was in the open kitchen. Maybe a foie gras “bomb” actually exploded in your hand at a $450-a-head dinner. No? Just me? Anyway, send in your stories (don’t forget your email, which won’t be published or used for anything but this contest). And hey, send me a question while you’re at it. I’ll select a winner by next week’s chat.
So back to my week in dining. First, the good. I checked out the new Yu Noodle Cafe in Rockville. It’s a cash-only joint, and its relatively short menu is so refreshing. There was a bowl of cooling, vinegary black fungus, beef intestines that had the savor of a great Italian braise, and best of all, noodles, which are made in the back. My favorite was the Yibin noodles, with long, chewy strands slicked with chili oil and ginger, among other things. They’re both nutty and numbing, and even better with a splash of the dark-rice vinegar that sits in a little jug on the table.
The not-so-good (or really, non-existant): My mother’s day brunch that wasn’t at Casolare in Glover Park. My husband, toddler, and I arrived for our reservation super-excited to try the new Jewish/Roman brunch menu put forth by pastry chef Alex Levin (he’s been toying with his bagel recipe for three years) and newly installed executive chef Patrick Curran (a Momofuku CCDC alum). I’d been dreaming of those latkes and reubens all weekend! Didn’t find out until we got there that that menu isn’t served til 11 (we were seated at 10:15). No biggie, we figured we’d just have bloodies and get a smoothie and snack for the kiddo, then order another round of food at 11. Problem was, not one person came by our table for the half hour after we were seated. Not to offer water, not to ask if we wanted to order anything (there was nobody to flag down, either). So, we walked out. Nobody seemed to notice/care. And no, they weren’t slammed. Gah.
Anyway, onto your questions. Lay them on me! (The chat Q&A shows up under the question form below.)
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
