February 15, 2008
The Weekly Feed: Super Liquidy Edition
How soon is too soon?
It has been about six weeks since Chef Stefano Frigerio, the former sous chef from Maestro, joined Mio and called in fellow Maestro alum Nick Fragelli Stefanelli. As has been noted, the restaurant has had many staff changes in its short history and gone through a lot of turmoil. And because of that, most food writers, including myself, have abstained from making much comment about the restaurant. There's no question that it is a charming space, though perhaps not in the easiest of locations. And I am sure many a person may have wandered into Il Mulino mistakenly due to the slight similarity between the names.
Therefore, it was quite surprising to go to the Post and see that Tom Sietsema has reviewed the restaurant. I don't get the sense that six weeks is quite enough time for a chef to settle in, especially in a kitchen that already has a staff. This is not to say that Chef Frigerio does not merit the 2.5 star rating that he received, just that perhaps given a little more time, he could have achieved even more.
We have already seen some problematic evidence of Tom Sietsema's drive to review quickly, particularly with his downgrading of Brasserie Beck in the short months between his initial review and his Dining Guide. As Don Rockwell has commented before, "The biggest favor Tom Sietsema and Todd Kliman can do for the dining public would be to take their sweet time in issuing their reviews and star ratings for this restaurant. The days of scooping the internet are over, but what the major publications have is the ability to be the definitive reviews of record, the reviews that will be sitting on the windows of the restaurant in 2010. That is a big, big responsibility, and one that should not be rushed just to get the story out first." This responsibility is most apparent for someone who saves up for a meal at that hot, new place, and it turns out to not be so hot.
Drinks around town
Some of the best drinks around town aren't even alcoholic. Everyone has been buzzing about Cork since its opening two weeks ago. One would expect to go there for the wine, but there are two great secrets behind the bar. The first is Tom Brown, who had been shaking things up at Corduroy. His amazing cocktail talents are currently underutilized with him pouring mostly wine, but he makes a flawless dirty martini, among a number of other interesting cocktails. The other best kept secret behind the bar is Ron Tanaka's house lemonade. It is infused with a number of aromatics, such as coriander, cinnamon and star anise. The initial serving is strong, sweet and lemony. Drink it down about halfway and ask them to add more club soda to it. This will truly bring out the complex scents and flavors even further. I would even suggest diluting it a third time, and you'll truly get at the essences in this drink.
Another great beverage is at Tacos Pepitos Bakery II. According to our order taker, passion fruit is in season. So if you're looking for a pick me up in Adams Morgan, get the passion fruit drink. I am sure there are some other things mixed in there, but it does capture the essence of this tropical fruit.
Small Bites
Landing on his feet
While we were sorry to see Viridian close, we've been watching out for where Chef Michael Hartzer would end up next. Turns out he will be putting on a toque over at IndeBleu. [via Metrocurean]
Pupusa and taco truck
Prince of Petworth discovered what looks to be a rockin' taco (and pupusas) truck. Sounds like there are a couple around the city. Submit your suggestions, and we'll compile them for a future post.
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How autonomous is Sietsema when it comes to reviews? Could it be that his editors are a little too scoop-happy, what with this new internet-dealy all the kids are talking about?
I don't know Sietsema or whether he's changed his practices, but he's written a lot over the years about how his practice is to wait months before reviewing a new place, so they can work out the kinks, and about how he visits a place several times during the review process.
Seems like the right way to do things, when you're the opinion of record.
Are these new places charging full price? Yes? Then they're ready to be reviewed. Sure, I can be sympathetic to a place working out the kinks, but don't expect me to have lower standards unless you're charging lower prices.
Well, it goes both ways. That is why I point to Brasserie Beck. I would suggest that they were more on their game in the beginning because they knew they would be reviewed early, and once they got that review things began to slip. Wiedmaier wasn't around to monitor as much. How would you feel if instead of the restaurant improving with time it got worse, but you went because of an early review?
It takes a while for a restaurant or a chef to figure out their identity. While it may be to some degree set by the management, the clientele frequently helps to define the restaurant - leading to changes in service and menus for better or worse.