Yelp

05/14/2008   First to Review

4 star rating

The Wine House

Hey, bet you didn't know there's a wine bar in Old Town Fairfax now!

The Wine House is now open in the new business complex right off 123 in Fairfax, along with the Potbelly and the bastardized version of Austin Grill.

My first visit was actually before they were open. I made a trip to see if they had opened yet. Saw the doors unlocked so I simply walked in. There I met the owner, Michael, a very friendly guy from New Zealand who happily told me all about the wine bar and its offerings. They hadn't yet opened but I was very impressed with his friendliness, enthusiasm, and the fact that he didn't tell me to get the hell out of his store until it was open.

The wife and I went about a week later, and enjoyed ourselves. It's not a very large place, so we had to wait a little bit for a table, but again Michael and his staff were very friendly and got us started on the wine while we waited. I worry that the waits will become longer as this place becomes more popular, or as more people read about it on Yelp.

Nice wine selection, with all the usual suspects like California,  France, Italy, and Argentina all well represented. Don't recall seeing many Virginia wines but I may be wrong on that. There are roughly 20 or so wines available at $6 per glass (nice sized glasses by the way), with several hundred more available to take out by the bottle.

Virginia is represented on the appetizer menu, as there is a cheese and fruit plate, featuring three very good Virginia made cheeses. It was a little steep at $13, but an excellent complement to the wine.

Virginia likes its alcohol establishments to serve food, so there is a small menu that is described as "light European fare". I got a pork tenderloin that was tasty but a bit skimpy on the side dishes. (On second thought it may have been a pork chop...forgive me, the wine had kicked in by this point.) Be aware of this, because you probably want to be careful eating too little when downing two big ass glasses of red wine like I did. There's also a small dessert menu but we didn't try that out.

And even if you're not a wine drinker, they have a small selection of bottled beers. This wasn't poor college kid stuff, as they had Bell's Oberon, among others I can't remember.

I think this place will be around for a while, at least I certainly hope so. I haven't been to Tallulah or any of the wine bars downtown so I'm not sure how it compares. For lazy wine-swilling suburbanites such as myself who don't want to wander far, it's a nice addition to the neighborhood.

UPDATE: Wife and I went back for a second visit and were less impressed, so I'm downgrading a star. Like the first time, we put our names down for a table and were offered a seat at the bar while we waited. Unlike the first time, the hostess/waitress seated another newly arrived couple ahead of us when a table did open up. When my wife inquired, the hostess/waitress said "But I thought you were eating at the bar".

She unapologetically got us a table, but not before the bartender made us close out the tab with him. This may have been a limitation of the register, but we felt like he was just doing it to get a tip for himself.

Regardless, we didn't feel like re-ordering at this point, so we quickly finished off our glasses of wine and left.

I'd still say it's worth a shot...and it is worth pointing out that the owner was not present at our second visit. But after high expectations the first time, we were really let down.

SECOND UPDATE: Bumping back up a star. I received a personal message on Yelp from the wine buyer and house manager we dealt with on our second visit. She wrote a very long and apologetic message to me about the situation, addressing all of my points, and even noting that they heeded some of my recommendations from my original posting. Needless to say I was certainly surprised, and impressed with the personal attention. Wasn't cool on my part to take it out on Yelp and not with the restaurant. Go give them a chance, as we will give them another one ourselves. (and to Karen K: no offense taken...)

We've all drunk dialed before-- you know this is true, and whether or not you remember it doesn't change the fact that it happened.

Many have drunk texted-- the above applies to you too.

Well, now I am drunk Yelping-- yes, I really am. It's 3:33 AM and I just got home from a long night out in Georgetown. This was spot numero uno for the bar/restaurant/lounge/wha tever hopping that occured tonight, and it was truly amazing.

The four of us started out with four Arabis martinis... or maybe it was Arabesque? I can't remember because I had four of them. Really truly, it was the most delicious drink I've had in a very long time. We got them by recommendation from our waitress. You could taste the great effort that went into this little creation, as the fresh citrus juices and crushed mint mixed perfectly with vodka, making all the difference in world with flavor... making us order this drink over and over and over...

We were just really thirsty. After all, it was (or still is) a super hot humid night and we were sitting outside... great ambiance, by the way and fun for people watching. Take your dates here.

A round of chilled sambuca was next on our menu... quickly followed by round two. Finally, we ordered a little something to eat. I honestly can't remember what it was called but it was something super tasty... some kind of baked chips that were topped with garlic-ky shrimp and cilantro and I'm sure other great spices or something or other... yummy yummy.

So anyway, the service was impeccable. Water glasses were continuously refilled... which was absolutely very necessary indeed... so, thank you! Several plates of baked pita with sesame seeds and fresh yogurt and olives (although I hate olives) were brought to our table... complementary to all guests, I believe... great to munch on with drinks, mhmm. Ashtrays were continuously replaced with new ones even after only one or two butts were put out in them. Our waitress brought us a plate of lemons without our asking, as she probably noticed that we were all actually squeezing the lemon slices already put on our martini glasses into our drinks instead of leaving them there to look pretty.

So, it's 4:14 AM now and I want to pass out and I'm pretty sure that I went through this slow enough and typed this perfectly and checked for all possible errors. So, go to Neyla. It's fabulous. Goodnight.

Mac OS X is starting up...
Mac OS X is starting up...
Mac OS X is starting up...

Mac OS X is clearly NOT starting up.

Kicking myself for not backing up my files since last year, I weeped and wailed my way to the Apple Store in Clarendon (after conveniently making a Genius Bar appointment online). I was 15 minutes early but they were able to see me right away. Forcing a smile and holding back my tears, I detailed my woes to Tim, a patient Apple employee.

With a flurry of keyboard strokes and the help of Apple's external hard drive, it was mere minutes before Tim said, "Do you recognize these files?" "Yes!!!" I exclaimed, overjoyed. Phew, another mid-20s-life crisis averted. I was still under warranty, so this salvation was free, but I don't know how much it would have cost otherwise.

During my time there I spoke to three employees, all of whom were very friendly and helpful. Bonus points to this store for being in a really cute outdoor mall. If you're ever in the area, drop in and play around with their nifty iPhones and glorious flat-screen desktops.

Insider tip: The children's section has very comfortable cushioned seats.

These savory pouches of deliciousness can't be beat. I've been to Julia's mulitple times over the years. I've found them to be a reliable treat...they keep you coming back for more.

Last night I met some grad school friends for a few beers after a long day of work and class. We were hungry, not wanting to deal with the fare at the Big Hunt. I recommended Julia's. Needless to say, this morning I got a message from a friend, quote, "mmmmmmm empanadas". Nothing more, nothing less...just confirmation that Julia's rocks. There you have it...two more Julia's converts...and you know we'll be back for more :)

I think we scared the staff.  My husband says they were watching us from the kitchen.  Well, what can I say -- we were having a good time!

LaPlaza was stop number 6 on The South of the Border Queso (or Guacamole) Comparison, Culinary Discovery Tour and Gastronomic Extravaganza being undertaken by myself and the lovely Laura V.  We brought some assistants with us tonight -- my aforementioned husband, Martin, as well as Kevin L. and Brian H.  

We had some disagreement on the salsa -- Laura loved it, I just thought it was adequate.  We agreed on the margaritas -- the taste was totally average, but there was definitely some tequila in those babies.....

Several of our party ordered the paella special, and that was going to take a while, so we also ordered two appetizers:  The fried onion rings with a special hot sauce, and the queso.  Those onion rings were....  how shall I say ..... doesn't Ore-Ida make frozen onion rings? They were like that. The "special" sauce was special all right -- they should have left that stuff on the short bus.   The queso was yummy though -- that melted fake cheese stuff with roasted tomatoes and jalapenos.  Smokin'!  Much tequila was ingested during the appetizer tasting period.

Entrees finally arrived at long last. Laura and I both had some beautiful plates of food.  This is the point at which we started to scare the staff.  First, the paella orders were kind of messed up -- they brought us two individual servings and one serving for two, which adds up to four servings, but only three of us had ordered it....... a "discussion" ensued, but the waiter nipped it in the bud by saying "The chef made a mistake".  All was well.  Then I insisted that Martin take photos of Laura's plate with his phone cam.  I think that was the part that really freaked them out. :-)  The things Yelp makes me do!

Laura had seafood enchiladas, which she said were excellent. I had the pork tacos -- tasty bits of pork on corn tortillas, with lettuce, tomato, pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream, and sides of rice and refried beans.  No gloppy sauce on this dish!  I really enjoyed the pork.  The rice was bright orange -- I don't know if they really used that much saffron, or added some food coloring, but it was very tasty rice.  Beans -- a bit burnt. Oh well.

Our three associates with the paella seemed to be quite happy.  I tasted a scallop from Martin's bowl, and it was *perfect* -- I love scallops.

Some of us were still drinking at this point.  Did I mention that we were getting louder and louder?  Perhaps this had something to do with the folks watching us from the kitchen door.

Anyway, we had a grand old time, and some pretty darn good food.  There were a few things I wouldn't order a second time, but I would happily eat here again.  In fact, I'm going to have to eat here again, so that I can compare their beef fajitas with all the other places we've been.

Pops always likes to hit up the Great American Restaurants when he comes into town by himself and doesn't have my mother quickly cutting and whisking away half of his grilled critter selections.  I guess that's how my mother views herself extending his life expectancy - but hey, I have no desires to stand in the way of the happiness of a man who put up with my pranks and temper for 18 years.  Let the man enjoy his steak, right?

So enter, stage left, Sweetwater Tavern and the drunken ribeye.  A delectable cut of meat soaked in their house pale ale, the steak is one that can please most palates with relative ease.  Throw in a caesar salad and a basket of ozzies and voila!  You have a happy pops.  At least in my case.

I was just as easily pleased since I was letting my palate go for a night - I don't mind coming back to this place since the burgers are an easy staple that please me just as much.  Throw in a side of sweet potato fries and I'm happy for the night.

I had anticipated going to this place since I had read about it in DailyCandy, or one of those other local blogs (maybe DCist?).  

So I gathered 10 of my friends last night for my birthday celebration and we met up there at 6:30. One friend and I got there at 6 to make sure we could get a table, because from the appearance of their website they didn't take reservations (apparently I should have called, cause it seems they do). Anyway we got there and made a reservation for 6:30 on the spot, and then had a couple beers at the bar.  The bartender with the lazy mo-hawk (no faux here), recommended two Japanese beers, one of which was skunky (started with an A), and the other of which was delightfully light (Itchiban).  

When the rest of my table arrive we were seated at two back to back booths on the ground level (I had told them that two separate tables close together would be fine).  Our waiter (hot, but forgetable name) was great and used his drink selling abilities in having us order a round of beers.  We got the tater tots (HOT! unlike some other reviews) and the tofu bites (which I didn't touch, but my friends found yummy---they said it was like mash potatoes with a cripy crust and a delicious sauce.  Despite this description I could not be tempted. I think they just said this cause they know I love me some mash potatoes).    

We rounded out the meal with a large order of sushi, and two people in my party got the noodle bowls (which were good and as big as their heads!).  The Goochland roll was really great, cause I love me some goat cheese.  There was no complaining about any of the sushi from my ladies.

The staff made my birthday really fun.  They bought my table a round of flaming shots (I am 27 and this is my first flaming shot !?!?!), and they prompted me behind the bar to strike the big gong (which brought me back to my professional 9th grade band nerd days).

In my "relaxed" state I found the downstairs bathroom with the origami wall papered wall to be the most delightful photo booth ever----dragging my girlfriends in one by one for a photo shoot.  I am sure some on lookers found that curious.

My veggie friend was happy, I was happy, really one of the best birthdays I have had in a while.

I've had to do some serious economizing lately. A crappy economy plus credit card debt plus student loans due this November means I've gotta cut back on some of the more costly things in my life. Like buying exercise equipment, working out in my building's fitness center, and cancelling the gym membership.

And, unfortunately, finding a somewhat cheaper place to get a Brazilian. Poor me. There's probably someone living in some country I can't find on a map who only wishes he had my problems!

Me: Hi, my name's Jason. I've had to quit getting a vanity treatment because I just spend too darn much money. I've even had to limit myself to one Belgian beer a week and eat NY Strips instead of ribeyes.

Someone else: Hi, my name's Adil. My parents were gunned down in front of me when I was seven because they were members of the opposition party. I work 20 hours a day for slave wages in the factory of a greedy multinational corporation. I have no feeling in my hands anymore.

Now I've been perfectly happy with my regular place, and would still gladly recommend it to anyone who asked, but with a monthly price tab of $90 (including tip), it was getting to be quite expensive. So I decided to take yelpers at their word when they swore by Tammy at Polished.

Inflation. A crappy economy. Rising cost of living. I was thinking about all of this on the bus ride over here. Yeah, quite the justaposition, huh? Getting the most decadent, superficial treatment one can think of, and taking a bus filled with homeless people to get there. The irony isn't lost on me. I should sell that observation to Jay McInerny or Bret Easton Ellis :)

If you're walking up Wisconsin, don't blink, 'cause you'll miss the entrance. If you're headed north, it's the second- or third door before you cross the street (they have a window sign, but they don't have an overhanging sign like a lot of the other shops on Wisconsin do). Go directly up the stairs and open the door in front of you (not behind, that's another shop).

I won't bore you with the technical details (Jade's review is excellent and gives you a great overview on what a guy should expect), but it was super quick and virtually painless (oh, you'll feel some discomfort, but it wasn't anything nearly as bad as the 40 Year Old Virgin). There's some yoga-esque positions involved that I didn't have to do at my other place (which honestly had me cracking up at the time!) but man... I don't think I was in there much more than 30 minutes. And Tammy's very friendly and conversational. Within about five minutes we were chatting about my grad school program and how it sucked that I had to go back to work on such a gorgeous day :)

And the price? $25. Yeah, you read that right. Twenny. Five. Freakin'. Bux.

The verdict: if you've never had a Brazilian (man or woman), give it a shot. You'll only be out the price of a decent bottle of wine if you don't like it. But I'm willing to wager you'll keep coming back. The combination of friendliness, skill and price simply cannot be beat.

Oh, and Polished is a really small operation. When I went it was just her and a manicurist. Don't be surprised if you can't get through and need to leave a message. Tammy's really good about getting back in touch!

This is like the definition of dive.  This is the kind of place where you should be drinking Bud Light and not Stella.  They have a pretty extensive menu of cheap bar food that is decent and super greasy, including the popular chili dog ($1.50!).  Come out with your friends and drop that stick out of your ass (if you have one, that is)!

It gets pretty crowded during the dinner time but they even let you pay separately at the cashier.

06/10/2008   First to Review

5 star rating

Potbelly Sandwich Works

W00T! The new Potbelly is OPEN!!!

We've been watching with rumbly in our tumblys (as Winnie the Pooh would say) for some months now as they've built out this Potbelly. And then BING! Yesterday morning it says "Coming Soon." But yesterday around 10, it was OPEN!!

I promptly bailed on my sack lunch and ran down to the ole PB. I got a Wreck on white (they call it Regular for some odd reason) and had a few extra hots put on it. Also grabbed a bag of salt-n-vinegar chips and, of course, a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie! (If you can go to PB without getting a CCOC, check your pulse to make certain you're still alive...)

Sat there in the nice, new dining area and chowed down. Good eats! They must have stolen some seasoned staff from other stores, because there were only a couple bumbling newbies there. The rest of the staff was fast! The line was out the door when I got there, but I was chowing down within 10 minutes of arriving.

This place will spell the end of our waistlines, I fear. It's just too darned close for our own good! **evil chuckle** Ah, who cares!