The Big Greek review

While I am thrilled that the BGC (8417 Georgia Ave) has made it into the neighborhood, my first review is mixed. Now granted, I am not Tom Sietsema and I don't dine at a restaurant 3 or 4 times - with friends - before I review them. So this review is based on my first visit.

And at least in my book, when a new restaurant opens, it takes them a while to figure out exactly what they're doing and to get their legs underneath them. Given that, I will readily go back to the BGC and try out some of their other fare. And on our first visit, a friend did join us, so at least I can add his thoughts on a chicken dish wish neither my nor I would ever order.

The Cafe itself is a great step up from the taqueria which it replaced. It is a small setting, but it's been cleaned up nicely and is a welcome place to eat a casual meal. Orders are taken at the counter and then staff bring you the food. The menu is pretty extensive with several starters, meat, fish and vegetarian salads and sandwiches, larger platters and plenty of desserts too. One thing missing is alcohol. And I forgot to ask if they're planning on selling it. So for right now you're pretty much stuck with juice or soda.

We started our lunch with the trio of dips - we did hummus, feisty feta and tzaziki - served of course with soft pitas. I think we all agreed this was a wonderful way to start the meal. And it was definitely a good sized appetizer for three people. We didn't know it at the time, but we could have easily skipped the app since the meals were so big. But no worries, we just brought home a couple doggie bags.

We barely had time to finish our dips before our lunches arrived - was pretty slow that day. I was torn between the shrimp souvlaki pita and the falafel. Given that I'm huge chick pea (and garbonzo and ceci for that matter) fan, I opted for the latter. And this really is the crux of my mixed review. I did not love the falafel. I was told when I ordered it, the BGC prepares its falafel a little different than other places and I guess I'm just a traditionalist when it comes to falafel. I think partly it wasn't as crispy as like it and there were other spices added which altered the flavor a little too much for me. I wouldn't say I hated, but I don't think I'd order it again. It also lacked sufficient spiciness for me, even though I did add the feisty feta. I would have liked maybe some spiced peppers of some sort and probably more tzaziki as well. I would have sacraficed a bit of the falafel for some other add ons.

My wife ordered the spanakopita, which came with green beans and a salad. Again, this dish did not hit the mark either. While the spanakopita was good, it wasn't heated through. I think it could have used maybe 5 more minutes in the oven. So this is something that could easily be remedied. But I believe they need to rethink the string beans. These beans were cooked too long and were limp. They would have been better placed on a nursing home cafeteria menu. But this was mainly my wife's mistake for ordering them. I think I'd go for the rice or fries.

And last but not least - the chicken. Our dining partner ordered the Greek roast chicken with olive oil and herbs and I will say he was very pleased with it. He said it was well cooked and juicy. As you can see, it was also accompanied with a salad. I feel confident he would order this dish again. And while he ordered the shrimp souvlaki sandwich to go for his wife, I neglected to get her opinion on it. But he also ordered several baklava to take home too and I did hear those were a big hit!

So, if I did a star-based rating - which I don't do - I'd give the BGC 3 stars. I think in time they will correct/eliminate their sub par dishes and be a solid addition to the hood. And lastly, the place is pretty cheap too. Our dishes ranged from about $6-$8 and the staff themselves were very friendly. I hope you can make it out.

On a side note - a new pupuseria opened a couple blocks south from the BGC on Georgia Ave called El Oasis. My first experience was pretty good. More later.

Pipe and Drum Party - the Old Firehouse?

Excuse me? How did this story get passed SoCo Eats? Why do I pay my staff to cover this turf - all the way from Colesville and Georgia to what, Sligo and Piney Branch? But how can one put a boundary on SoCo?

Anyway, sorry loyal reader(s), but I missed the boat on this one? Did anyone go to this grand affair on 3/14 and try the new Pipe and Drum Irish Ale? And could you really drink all the Hook & Ladder beer you wanted from 3:00-8:00 for $10? If that is the case, I'm really gonna be po'ed, because I might have finished off a pony keg myself!

I guess I should sign up for the e-mail list since it appears that there was not a lot of advertising for the event beyond the list - and their web site too. But, so no one misses the next one on 3/28 Hook & Ladder Brewing Company will be at the 3rd Annual Kewaunee Lions Club's, Roar on the Shore Craft Beer & Wine Festival. C'mon, you know Kewaunee, right? It's just a bit NW of SoCo, maybe like 900 miles on the shores of Lake Michigan. If you happen to be in Green Bay that weekend, you should drive on over.

But for us locals, there is nothing set on the horizon for another event at the Old Firehouse. I was told however that there may be some kind of ceremony - with beer I hope - to be held when Hook & Ladder finally breaks ground on the brewpub. While the phrase, "in the next few weeks" was uttered during my conversation with Mr. Ladder, I was quickly told nothing is certain. They hope to do it then, but a few things things still have to fall into place. I'd be happy if we saw a groundbreaking some time this spring.

But we can look for the Pipe and Drum Irish Ale in six packs very soon and this summer H&L will be coming out with a summer variety pack. We can purchase these fine brews at one of our 25 County retail liquor stores.

All right, and sorry for the big lag between posts. As my wife says, I've been experiencing a bout of madness lately. I'm talking march madness for you non-college basketball fans out there. And thanks for asking, yes, I still have a chance at winning my pool.

Dine Out, Fight AIDS

On Thursday, March 5th, 150 restaurants in the metro area will provide 25% or more of sales to support men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses through the local organization, Food & Friends.

Food & Friends is the only nonprofit organization in the Washington area providing daily, home-delivered, specialized meals, groceries and nutrition counseling to individuals in the community who are facing some of life's most difficult challenges. The funds raised through Dining Out for Life allows Food & Friends to continue to provide these critical services at NO COST to the clients.

And if you want to dine out locally and help the cause, here are the local dining spots that are participating.

Cubano's (35%)
General Store
Nicaro
Ray's the Classics
Thai Derm
Vicino
Z Pizza

and even Chick fil-A (I cannot believe I am including a mention of Chick-fil-A on my blog - kinda crazy). But I am glad they're helping out this worthy cause.

OK, get out there and eat on Thursday!

Thai Flavor - redux

One more post on Thai Flavor (8650 Colesville Rd) - since I can officially say I have eaten at the restaurant. My wife and I made our way over last Saturday for lunch. And we are certainly glad we did. But since we did not eat like gluttons, we were only able to try two of the entrees.

My order was the drunken noodles. And I thought I liked dishes pretty spicy, but I was told this one was just regular spicy and boy, I thought it was hot! It certainly cleared my sinuses. It in no way however stopped me from devouring the whole dish. But I could not eat it in Kobayahsi or Joey Chestnut-time. The noodles were well-cooked and there was plenty of wonderful fried tofu, broccoli, and a couple other veg. While the plate here may not look terribly big, this dish was very filling for lunch. We were almost tempted to get an app, but I'm glad we didn't since we would not have had enough room to eat our lunches.

Since I ordered a noodle dish, my wife opted for something with rice. She hit a home run too with an order of the red curry with tofu and veggies. In our books, it's hard to miss when you have fried tofu in your dish. The curry also had a fair amount of spice, but it seemed a little less hot than mine. The curry sauce was very tasty and the vegetables were not overdone. It was enough where we even had some to take home in a doggy back. I think both dishes were about $7 each.

Accompanying our lunches we ordered the ginger ice tea. And while I liked the tea, I thought the level of ginger in it could have been knocked back some. This was certainly a beverage you could not gulp - and I needed to on a couple forkfuls - given the bite of the ginger in the tea.

The two proprietors of Thai Flavor, Wayne and Wendy, are very nice young folks who I certainly welcome into the hood. Wayne was a bit nervous having to come from behind the counter and serve us - since this appeared to be Wendy's job - but he handled it all fine. Not much to mess up here, we had drinks, napkins and silverware and then... lunch.

I just hope given the bad economy they are able to ride things out a while. I think if they do and more development comes to SoCo, their little restaurant will flourish.

On another note, it appears the Big Greek Cafe (8417 Georgia Ave) has opened its doors. I know this is competition for Thai Flavor, but the food choices themselves couldn't be much different. I think the more places we have in the hood, the more foot traffic we'll get and the number of lunch/dinner patrons will grow. Given the recession, any place where you can be served a good meal and spend less than $10 on it, should be a winner. We'll keep our eyes on TF and the BGC and report back in a few months to measure their success. I'm optimistic for both.

A Fresh Start at Fresh Start?

Well, last summer we reported about the accident that took place at the small restaurant at 8201 Fenton called Fresh Start.

Since that time, the business has been open, but no real repairs have taken place. The broken windows in the front of the restaurant simply had been replaced with plywood. While it did not win any design awards, I don't think the ownership cared too much since their regulars were still making their way in for coffee, breakfast and lunch.

But, over the weekend I spotted what appeared to be real work happening. And I'm thinking it's not just to repair the damage from last summer. The restaurant is shut down for a week (closed till Feb 28th - so hold tight) and maybe, just maybe FS is actually getting a makeover. If you cannot tell from the pic, the whole front of the restaurant has been cordoned off by fencing and at least on Saturday morning, there were workers inside and outside the restaurant making repairs/changes.

My guess is things have not changed at FS too much since its opening. We know the building is from the 1960s, but I'm not sure if FS has been in operation that long. For those not familiar with FS, it's not a true full service restaurant and it's only open in the mornings and afternoons (7AM-3PM) Mondays through Saturdays. Its prices are quite low and seems to have a loyal following among some of our old timers in the 'hood and a lot of local workers who appreciate cheap eats.

While I would like to see some renovations and have FS spruced up a but, I don't want its prices raised dramatically which would likely severely alter its clientele. My fingers are crossed. I'm looking forward to see the changes. Once done, I am committed to finally going and ordering up a toasted egg and cheese sandwich with a cup of Joe. I'm hoping my tab will be in the $3 range.

One last note - if you hadn't noticed, FS lost its neighbor, Douglas Speed Sport Center at 8205 Fenton about a month ago. Another Fenton Village business I had yet to support, but given my lack of knowledge with cars, I'm not sure what I would have bought. I already own some Yosemite Sam mud guards. I didn't need any more. The business, which occupied two store fronts has closed up with no indication it is opening elsewhere. Some new drywall has already been hung to separate the storefronts, so maybe we'll see two new businesses opening some time soon.

We're talking pretty small places, so there's not much room for new proprietors to set up shop. And there already is a braiding shop right next door to 8205, so I think - although not 100% sure - that another hair place was be cropping up.

Adios El Taqueria, Hello...

Two posts in a row about new dining spots! And this one right in the heart of SoCo. A new Greek place is opening up to take the place of our beloved El Taqueria Mexicano at 8417 Georgia, just south of Bombay Gaylord/Quarry House. I did a post on the taqueria a few months back. The place certainly left a lot to be desired, so I must say I am not heartbroken to see a new restaurant takes its place. Although a good, cheap taqueria in the hood would be fab (and I know folks do love La Bamba - I just need to make my way over there).

Patrons won't have to guess too much about the food focus of the new restaurant . It appears the fellow out front cleaning the windows is the new owner or one of the new owners. My wife spotted him on her way to the subway yesterday morning. He did say it was quite a quick turnaround from the taqueria - seems like a world record to me - and his new spot will be opening perhaps next week.

Don't have a clue yet exactly what types of items they'll be serving outside Greek/Mediterranean. I think we can make a few assumptions about some ingredients we'll see on the menu - lamb, pork, feta cheese, olives, and I assume phyllo pastry for baklava.

All that sounds OK to me. I'm hopeful he'll do a few vegetarian dishes as well, like falafel, tabbouleh, and spanakopita. And that the pitas aren't too thin, and nice and soft. Mmmmm, I love good pita, especially accompanying some yummy hummus! He needs that on the menu too.

Given the arcane liquor laws in the County, I'm not expecting alcohol to be served - at least not at the start - but it would be wonderful if this place could fill a void for inexpensive non-Asian ethnic food in the hood. And if you read my blog, you know I have no knocks about all our wonderful Asian places in the hood - I'm just talking variety. And maybe I'm missing something since I haven't been to the kabob place on Ellsworth. I assume this would be direct competition for the BGC? But mostly I like to avoid Ellsworth except for the farmer's market and the movies.

Let's hope the BGC does better than El Taqueria. It seems like a natural spot for a quick lunch for all the Discovery staffers. I'll do a follow up post as soon as I can stuff my face with some falafel. I can't wait!

New dining spot opens

Yes, even with the credit markets still in free fall, I guess there is still some money out there to help out with a new restaurant opening. And while the new place is not in SoCo it is still good news for the area since the owners have previously run a very good restaurant.

I am talking about Gillian Clark and Robin Smith, the former proprietors of Colorado Kitchen in the Brightwood section of DC. If memory serves, CK closed about two years ago and I had read that Clark and Smith were looking at SS for a new place. Well, what I read was correct since they have now opened the General Store at 6 Post Office Rd, just outside the Beltway near the new National Park Seminary development. Please note, they are only doing take-out at the moment waiting on paperwork from the County to open up the Post Office Tavern in the basement.

While not a walk one can easily make from SoCo, I am sure many folks in the new Seminary development are giddy with excitement with the opening of the General Store. Its first write up was in the Post today in the Good to Go column, and it received good marks. And folks have already found it too. The article states that by Sunday night the restaurant had already run out of chicken and had to close its doors early. That level of business must be a welcome relief for Clark and Smith in this economy.

While my wife and I were one-time regulars at CK, I am hopeful that the General Store will have a few more non-meat choices for its entrees and that Clark won't be as offended if patrons ask for substitutions or perhaps hot sauce for their eggs during brunch. I know on several occasions at CK the server appeared worried when I asked for Tabasco to put on my eggs. It seems if it didn't come with the entree then it wasn't supposed to be added to the entree.

This to me was troubling. I will admit I was never denied hot sauce, but still. We were talking about eggs and it's not like the other dishes were Michelin star quality anyway. Quite frankly I had to ask for my eggs over-medium even though in most places I asked for over-easy. When I asked for over-easy at CK it was like the chef cracked a couple eggs on my plate, it was then placed under the heat lamp for a minute and that was it. Hey I like my eggs runny, but I do want them cooked.

But enough ranting out of me. I wish the best for Clark and Smith at their new location. If the first week is any indication, their new place will thrive.