DC Restaurant Rant
I was taking a brief break from the chaos I am trying to organize here at work. I was over at Sheep's blog and comment queening away on what he wrote today. Well it wasn't exact what he wrote, but all his posts have details about where he ate that day, what bar that night etc. Being in NYC it seems like the places are never the same twice. And it touched a nerve and a pet peeve of mine about DC - NO RESTAURANT VARIETY when it comes to reasonably priced fare. You're either stuck with Thai (which seems to be getting more expensive too, despite the 9 million places and more opening) and I love Thai but just not all the time, Mexican (it doesn't like me - tho frozen Lauriol Plaza margs are always welcome) and mediocre crap like Fox & Hounds, Peppers, etc.
My comment to him was that I'm always a lil jealous since NYC is just night and day from DC when it comes to restaurants/bars etc. Now before all you New Yorkers start slinging the "New York is a real city" or "Duh it's New York" or that stuff, relax, I'm paying you all a compliment. DC is a decent sized city and but certainly one of the most important and powerful on the world scale (and if you can't give us that then keep sniffing that glue) but my biggest complaint is that are no places to go out to eat on a regular basis!
We have a lot of restaurants yes - but the problem is there is no good range. Either it's all over-the-top and expensive places (too many steakhouses and power-Euro cuisine) or mediocre places with so-so prices. Of course there are a few gems but I live in a very hip and upcoming neighborhood next to 2 that are considered even more so. Just going to brunch can be a hair-pulling experience. Some savvy entrepeneur could make big big bucks if s/he opened a restaurant with reasonable prices and decent food - even WITHOUT a liquor lic. (this is the bone of contention in most of the good hoods - lics and permits are in short supply b/c of cranky neighbors). Add good (or slightly better than mediocre) service and that place would be overrun - ah yes that is our other problem. Once a place like this opens, you can't ever get near it b/c the place is too crowded. And most business-owners do what good capitalists do once they have a following - raise prices, get lazy with the food and service and yet still make a boatload b/c customers still come - since there is nowhere else to go! You see my problem...
In summary - boy am I jealous of NYC's restaurant opportunities so it is nice to live vicariously through your weekend food/drink excursions. Now am I jealous of your NY rent or taxes? No. ;-) End of long tangent ;-)
posted by TOS at 10:16 a.m.
4 Comments:
It’s so funny that you wrote that comment on my blog, because I am one of the most unadventurous, routine-oriented, change-averse restaurant-goers in NYC. I generally avoid new and trendy places and stick to the same few spots that I feel I can rely on. My brunch experience this past Sunday only confirmed that I should keep having brunch at the place I normally go to. Last week my boyfriend and I tried a new carry-out barbecue place for dinner for a change (we normally go to the same three places), and it was total crap (six dollars for one chicken leg and a white roll). How we wished we had stuck with what we knew!
A good friend of mine is always trying hot new places. Sometimes he has good experiences, sometimes bad. I guess I am just so bothered by bad experiences that I prefer to stick with the familiar.
That being said, I do appreciate the infinite variety that is offered in NYC, and there are definitely more high-quality, cheap(ish) places than in DC (I used to live in DC, and I remember). But the best places in New York still require you to shell out half of your paycheck, or wait for several hours to get in, or both.
3:19 p.m.
that is one of the big things i liked on my visit to nyc ... restaurants restaurants everywhere. and though i don't live there so don't know as much about the area as eric (who is a really nice guy, one of the nicest i've met) .. i did find that you can get some good food not so expensive if you looked here and there
7:49 p.m.
Hmmm. I guess it's the type of food you are looking for. Otherwise I completely disagree (and we've discussed this). I do agree with Eric that we tend to just go to places that we know and are used to but I kinda like doing that (although change is good once in awhile).
We go to the same places like Sakana because we know what to expect and always love it. I think you just need to do some more exploring. We have TONS of restaurants all around us that are not just ethnic. Adams Morgan is right around the corner with a shitload of different restaurants. I think your biggest gripe is with 17th Street and I will agree with you on that. Weren't we supposed to go to Townhouse Tavern? Maybe you boys should try there. It's right off 17th and mostly American. There has to be something.
I do have to say I was very pleased to hear the other day that sushi is the number one food eaten in NYC. That's one of the best things I love about NY. There is sushi everywhere.
10:59 p.m.
I agree and disagree (even after our discussion) in my speed-addled post maybe I didn't make my point.
1) Price
2) Quality
3) Quantity
Saint Ex - great food, great atmosphere, good hip crowd, good beer - BUT a cheeseburger is $10 bucks, plus your drink, tip tax etc. Everything else on the menu is generally over 10 bucks - good food but esp now I'm not looking for expensive. Yeah to many 10 bucks for a burger 10 more for 2 beers, tax and tip are not so bad for a night out - but I'm a grad student now and even when I was a professional that adds up very quickly...
2)Quality - you only get decent toward good quality food once you get closer to the 10 buck a sandwich/burger range (for sit-down) - anything under that is at best mediocre and that is true for sure of 17th st (exception - Luna but even then it can be hit or miss). Adams Morgan has a ton of restaurants ranging from either ethnic or non-ethnic. Places like Meze, Left Bank are again pricy for what it is. On the other side of the spectrum you have hellholes like Madam's Organ, Millie & Al's, Spaghetti Gardens etc. (one exception - the Diner - not Duplex further down the road) Duplex is a great selection in theory but again - too expensive for what it is - 10 bucks for mac and cheese?
There is a variety in DC but it is PRICE + QUALITY and then AVAILABILITY = hard to find a healthy number so you don't end up at home or repeating too many times. Case in point:
"Cheap Eats restaurants—which The Washingtonian defines as places where two people can eat well for $50 or less—are getting harder to find. Bargain restaurants continue to open in the Virginia and Maryland suburbs, but many of the new restaurants opening in DC are not in the bargain range. Our best bets for good, inexpensive dining continue to be Asian restaurants—Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian."
9:27 a.m.
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