A look at what's going on in Trinidad, on H Street, and in the larger area north of Capitol Hill.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
WP: A Treat of Frites on H
The Sunday Source samples Dr. Granville's. The author mentions the curry mayo. Is it back on the menu?
56 comments:
Anonymous
said...
The menu is currently in flux. I was there on Friday night, and anyone who thinks that the change in chefs has reduced the quality needs to go back. Our frites were cooked to perfection--we had the red pepper and garlic aoli sauces, the dishes came out quickly, and were delicious. A couple in our party had the moules, one had the buffalo hangar steak, I had a buffalo burger, and everything was phenomenal. The hard opening is coming soon, so I don't think the menu has been finalized, but do yourself a favor--go to Granville's and sample some of Teddy's cooking. You won't be disappointed.
Naby's Island also looks like its close to opening. And as one who attended the Sticky Rice night at Rock & Roll Hotel, I am eagerly awaiting their opening this winter.
h street is starting to look like proving grounds for funky folks that want to give something a shot, and then bail (or sell out) when it doesn't work.
i'm hoping for the best for the solitary asian/fusion joint on H.
I wanted to like Granville Moore's -- really. Having seen H Street languish for so many years, I was looking forward to a sit-down eatery I could support with enthusiasm.
The studied disregard of our dining party as we entered & looked for a table ... that by itself I could forgive.
The fact that it took two requests and ten minutes of waiting to get more bread ... that by itself I could forgive.
The perfunctory taking of our order ... that by itself I could forgive.
But the fact that in general we couldn't (in the words of the great Tom Waits) find the wait staff with a Geiger counter -- early on a Sunday evening, no less -- leaves me wondering when we'll have someplace on H St. that understands both halves of the phrase "table service."
I wish Granville Moore's much luck in becoming something more than a glorified bar, for it will surely need it.
I have to agree with Mark. Ive tried Granville twice to eat dinner, rather than drink beer. The staff enthusiasm and service is totally focused on the beer. The waiter can talk forever about each and every beer, spend 1/2 hour making selections on the juke box, but will not mask his boredom, if you just order some food. Forget this place, if you are in the dining out mood. You will be disappointed.Hopefully Sticky and Naby's will be different.
I experienced the same lack of enthusiam as Mark ,when I visited Granville Moore's. In addition, the menues were thrown on our table whith the comment of let me know when you are ready.
I dine out once or twice a week just about everywhere in the metro area. Therefore I was excited to have a restaurant open in my neighborhood. Granville Moore,s certainly dampened my enthusiasm.
I'm afraid I would have to agree with the last two posts. I would call it "a bar that has good food" and not "a retarurant that has good beer" - but maybe that's all it wants to be.
I'm still waiting for the place on H St. that has more diners than drinkers, has cloth napkins, and where your conversation isn't competing with the jukebox. Will this ever exist on H St? I'm afraid I'm losing hope.
That last anonymous comment (8:46 AM) really added a lot to the conversation. Seriously - thanks so much to whomever felt it was worth their time to post that without so much as a constructive addition.
Still haven't had a chance to get to Granville's, but I've been reading the comments each time a topic about it comes up. Definitely seems like the place has some kinks to work out, and I'm definitely getting the impression that the food absolutely takes a back seat to the beer/bar scene. That's not inherently a problem - no one said Granville's had to be a sit-down dinner spot.
But I think we all expected that from the posts that were made by management earlier in the year...and I don't think it's unfair for people to express some disappointment that it hasn't turned out that way.
Oh, please. Yes, it is a bar with good, non-pub food, not a restaurant with Belgian beer. So what?
Maybe I'm wrong, but the posts made by management earlier this year suggested good food and showed us a sample menu. They didn't say that it would be Belga Cafe or Bistro Beck.
I think a lot of people here pinned their hopes that this would be some fabulous restaurant and are now freaking out and whining that it's not.
It's a great bar with really good food.
It's a big step up from your typical bar with pub food and a BIG step in the direction we all want H Street to go. What's so wrong with that?
Why can't you people be positive and happy? Lately, GM posts here have seemed like some whiny hysteria. "Oh my god, the chef is leaving!!!" "I heard the Pug is closing!!" "I think GM is changing their menu to bar food!!!"
If you don't like the place, don't go. But stop getting all worked up about it. And stop expecting it to be something it's not. Go have a beer and a moule and calm down.
We had about 900-1000 people eat at Granville in the last week or so.
It would have been nice if every one of them would have called it a perfect experience. Too bad the five or six who felt a need to post weren't thrilled.....we'll keep on working at it though. We of course take every suggestion or opinion into account.
Granville is a gastro-pub. We serve tons of mussels (more than McCormick and Schmicks and many other gigantic seafood places last week.) We sped through 3-4 CASES of potatos DAILY.
We sold hundreds of bison burgers and hangar steaks as well.
If you choose not to call us a restaurant........so be it. But with 60% of our sales being food, I think we more than qualify.
Yes, we are a gastro pub. You aren't going to have 4 glamorous hostesses meet you at the door. We aren't going to give a you a flying saucer beeper like the Cheesecake Factory. Again, we want to be perfect. A good way to get us to our goal is perhaps mention a not so satisfactory night at our pub while you are there. Pointing out that something is askew at the time of your visit would be a much effective way to get satisfaction.
Thanks again to the hundreds of you that have made GM a real early success. I feel it is the culmination of everything that is good about H street.
The two times my wife and I have been to GM's, the food has been delicious and wait staff has been busy but friendly and enthusiastic. The atmosphere (and beer) is fabulous. It's one of our favorite places in town. If GM's is any indication of H's future, I'm looking forward to it -- will be one of the most distinct and original areas in the whole city. Thanks to Joe and everyone else who's making it happen.
As an 8 year resident of Cap Hill and a recent watcher of the development on H street [a place I usually didn't want to drive down, nevermind walk down at 9:30 p.m.], I think the whole development of H street is fantastic and I've tried to frequent each and every new business as a show of support. That said, we were at GMs twice this week and I think its a fantastic place. In comparison to Belga [well, there's really NO comparison] its a much more enjoyable experience all around. Mind you, its not "fine" dining but it also is very good non-bar [read: fried] food, a fantastic selection of Belgian beers, knowledgeable staff and with all the publicity I'm hopeful that Chris and Joe can keep reliable staff on hand to handle the influx.
I'm excited for Sticky Rice and all the other places planned to open in the near future. Something other than wig shops, Check cashing places and dollar stores are a welcome sight.
I simply stated (BJ @ 4:24) that GM is "a bar with good food" and not "a restaurant with good beer" - I don't see anything negative about that, and at the same time is there anything wrong with hoping to have a nicer dinner experience somewhere on H St.? There are numerous places that have more diners than drinkers, cloth napkins, and no jukebox in the corner that aren't Cheesecake Factories either - I don't think the two have to be equal.
GM is great for when I want a burger and beer (and mussels if I liked mussels) and I have no complaints about it. I also think it continues to be a vast improvement for H St. (Thank you Joe Englert and others). I'm just eager for more and can't wait to see it all happen. I personally don't see anything negative about that.
Well, to be honest, BJ, I think you may have hit a nerve when you said "Will this ever exist on H St? I'm afraid I'm losing hope." There are tons of changes happening on H. Why lose hope? That was the negative part of your comment.
I am totally burned out on this. I LOVE going to suburban restaurants like Applebees and TGI Fridays. Its time to move. Amazing what having kids will do to your mindset. Time to move to the 'burbs!
Hi. The beer is great here, the food was only so-so. The huge problem that I had Granville Moore's was that simple food was SO EXPENSIVE! I understand $7 to $11 for bottles of excellent Belgium beer. But $12 for a rather poorly made vegetarian sandwich?! Even if it had been a better meal in quality, I would have still felt ripped off. The food prices are simply WAY too high.
Joe Englert said: Sorry, that anybody thinks prices are too high on H street. Maybe you are on to something, I haven't been able to exploit. My plumber has never given me a discount because I was located on H street--neither has my electrician, architect, gas company, electric company, cable or water company. My food purveyors haven't caught on to this h street discount routine either. I had a four piece and red beans with a coke at Popeye's with a bottle of water a couple of days ago, that was $11. Does someone have access to a special card I can use? I am just curious
I don't think a plumber, electrician, architect, gas company, electric company, cable, or water company would charge less on H Street than the Penn Quarter, but I do think the cost of the real estate would be somewhat less. That tends to be a big part of the overhead.
I have no complaints about Granville Moore's. Because buffalo is so lean, it is easy to overcook. When the waitress asked me how I wanted my buffalo burger prepared, I just asked her to have the chef prepare it as he recommends it...it came out perfect. The frites were better than any french fry I've ever had, and the sauces blow away regular ketchup and mustard. The moule sauces beg to be soaked with bread because they're so good, and while it's not still on the menu, the snapper was as good as I would find anywhere. Add to that a veritable buffet of beers I've never tried before, and I've left a very happy patron both times I've been there.
That said, I don't think it's reasonable to expect to pay the same in every neighborhood. Bob Kinkead probably pays a ton in rent for his Foggy Bottom location. Ditto for the Georgetown digs of 1789, Ten Penh's Pennsylvania Avenue location, and Oceanaire's spot near Metro Center. That has to be factored into the cost, and it is one reason why one might expect to pay less at Granville Moore's. That said, I don't personally find the prices unreasonable there, and both chefs have proven that they can cook with the best of 'em.
Made a return visit to GM last Friday with some friends and sat at the bar downstairs. The place was hopping when we were there (~7:30pm). The first round of drinks was easy enough, but when two of us in the group of 4 started ordering food, things got a little out of control. One person's dish came out almost 60 minutes after she ordered it while the other dish came out within 10 min. It was also quite difficult to get the bartender's attention for subsequent rounds of beer. We noticed it was hectic behind the bar and throughout the restaurant, so we gave them a pass, esp since the bartender was sympathetic when he eventually did get to us and even comped us some items on our tab once we closed out. I will be back to GM, but maybe I'll wait a little bit for things to get worked out.
Be it Checkers or Cafe Milano, I don't think it's whining to expect good customer seervice in an eating establishment. Now, I did not expect GM to be a fine dining restaurant. I expected a pub that specializes in Belgian beer. As a matter of fact the night I went, my taste buds were ready for a burger and fries w/ garlic mayonaise. What I did not expect was the indifference that I experienced when I visited GM.
If I'm going to spend my hard earned money to eat out, I expect the establishment that choose would show me that they appreciate my business. Needless to say GM didn't get any of my hard earned money.
There are other restaurants coming to H St and I welcome them. But I expect them to welcome me also.
Joe, I have the highest regard for what you're doing on & for H Street. I've also met you more than once at my kids' baseball games on the Hill, and you're obviously a good guy as well as a skilled entrepreneur. So I'm not jumping back into the thread to whack you personally. (If I had a means of contacting you privately, I'd have done so instead of posting here. If there's a better way of sending feedback -- good or bad -- to you than posting on FT, I'm sure plenty of people would benefit from knowing about it.)
You wrote, "Pointing out that something is askew at the time of your visit would be a much [more] effective way to get satisfaction." I agree that this generally is the way to go. In my case, however, the person in charge (your partner behind the bar) was contributing to the problem. He obviously wasn't interested in our business, and I didn't expect to persuade him otherwise.
I didn't expect a bevy of shapely hostesses or a table-is-ready beeper, and I think you're being a little too glibly dismissive to suggest that the problem here was one of unreasonable expectations. (For the record, I've never set foot inside a Cheesecake Factory and you couldn't pay me to do so.)
You're a smart guy with a ton of experience, and I figure you know that "the five or six who felt a need to post [and] weren't thrilled" surely represent a lot of others who felt the same way but don't read FT or didn't bother to post. I hope you take our criticisms seriously, fix the problems, and make an absolute killing running the best damn gastro-pub on the east coast.
Joe Englert said: Okay, let's put this into perspective. We have been open 3 weeks. We have been mobbed beyond belief. We had to endure a chef change. We barely have had time to train our staff. You don't realize how much we appreciate your business. All I ask is to give us a little time to get it more together. And if you want to avoid chaos, give us a chance on a Sunday Monday or Tuesday night. It is a little slower then and maybe we can acutally have a little bit of a conversation while you dine. If you have a bad experience tell us while you are here. We care. We want to make it right. Thank you so much for all the interest and you can count on us improving. Thanks--
Joe-Wanted to thank you for everything you've done for the neighborhood. While it may seem like we overreact to things a lot, its only because we love this neighborhood so much, and want only the best for it. Your efforts are very much appreciated.
Or get the 5 whole wings and french fries at Danny's Carryout across the street for a fiver. Not spicy like Popeyes but cooked in HOT oil so the skin comes out nice and blistery. And they do volume business at lunch, so the stuff is fresh. Of course, the place has all the ambience of a backalley abortion clinic, but the folks are nice.
If over half of sales are from food, you either do volume or jack up the price or both. Can't see any way around it, particularly with DC gouging small businesses in the property tax arena.
i do hope that that is a false impersonator penning Mr. Englert's name.
stay off the defense, sir, and embrace, learn from and contemplate your patrons' criticisms. is it possible the poor manners exhibited by the service in your restaurant have been acquired from you?
Please re-read Mr. Englert's comments as he basically is "embracing" others comments. And please keep the personal attacks about "poor manners" to yourself. I give the guy a lot of credit just talking to residents like us on this blog.
Lets keep our eyes on the big picture here folks: Just think what H St. would look like today if the Argo and other bars/restuarants weren't establishing the toehold that other developers need to see before they commit to a blighted area. Would we be getting an art gallery and new million dollar residential units on Bladensburg? Probably not.
On a personal note, I can't wait for the mini golf restuarant/bar! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE tell me that it will be 18 holes?!? Will it have at least a windmill?
I'm not opposed to constructive criticism but the constant whining has become sickening now especially when the whiners would never have the vision or otherwise invest in opening a business on H St. Folks not because you are patrons of these establishments mean that you should shoot them down because the opportunity presents itself. Give the business owners a break until they are up to speed.
I am with ANON 5:33. Please try to keep things in perspective here--as Mr. Englert mentioned, GM's has been open for all of three weeks. Try starting a brand new job and being flawless in that amount of time--it just doesn't happen. Stay positive or, if you seriously have a problem, try to address the people who can impact or change it (e.g. the hard-to-find waitstaff). It doesn't help much to mouth off here on FT. If you despise it that much, maybe Arlington or Tysons should really be in your future.
BTW--speaking of bar restaurants, went to the Argonaut for dinner last night--as usual, most excellent. Great menu choices--taste it again for the first time friends.
"If you despise it that much, maybe Arlington or Tysons should really be in your future."
At least there we probably wouldn't be jacked up on the way to or from the restaurant.
And if you're going to post like this, stop hiding behind the Anonymous name.
I'm as big a fan of H Street as the next guy. But let's be honest. Service in DC restaurants by and large sucks, in large part because that end of the labor pool in DC sucks. Pretending it doesn't does no one any good.
I haven't been to GM so I can't comment either way.
But if you are going to invite comments about a new restaurant, expect both good and bad comments. If I were a restaurant owner I'd welcome both. And quite often it's the owner himself that needs to hear the comments. Does anyone really think that when you tell your waiter that his service hasn't been very good that he's really reporting that back to the management or owner? Or even if you ask for a manager that the manager will fix the problem or report it to the owner with enough specificity to actually be useful?
Having worked for years in the restaurant business, I can tell you that ain't how it works most of the time. And certainly that ain't how it's going to work most of the time in DC.
Restaurant owners (good ones) can tell legit complaints or suggestions for improvement from ones with no merit.
Please stop the whinning! [sic] Don't like a place? Don't go.
It is truly refreshing to see the jingoistic platitudes of my childhood -- "America: love it or leave it!" -- exhumed and repurposed in the service of faux New Urbanism. (Also amusing is the apparently serious suggestion that if you're not an H St. business owner, you have no right to comment on H St. businesses. Bravo!)
Inked not only allows but appears to encourage a diverse range of comments, much to her credit. If certain commenters took their own advice, they'd stop reading (and commenting on) FT instead of trying to enforce their juvenile notions of conversational purity.
I love how you compare a demoratic nation to a private enterprise. Nice job. We all have the freedom to coment as we will. Businesses are started to make money, not to make everyone's dream come true and housing prices go up. I have lived one block off of H St. for five years now. I am happy, yet at times slightly frustrated as most, by the some aspects of the pace of development. Yet what is truly absurd is this notion that if things are not quite as we please, we as 'constituents' of Engler's places must petition for redress of our greivences. And he must in turn rectify the situation, or we will vote him out of office the next time his businesses come up for relection.
Businesses open and close constantly in cities, dictated by markets, not condecending comments. We should let Joe know we feel, and he should run his business as he sees fit.
Anon. 9:00 didn't say 'don't comment' or 'move out of the area'.
I don't like Popeye's. I don't write to the owner, asking him (or the board) to stop selling deep-fried doo-doo. I simply don't go. If enough like-minded neighborhood residents also choose to not patronize Popeye's, it will close down. By saying 'don't like it, don't go', it doesn't seem like the message was to restrict comment, but simply to to use the only real power you have as a consumer.
Is it me, or has the general tone of this blog become a lot nastier in the past few months? And I'm not just refering to this thread. Is it due to a feeling that things aren't going according to plans, or is it simply a natural decline from the overly positive attitude that pervaded this site when things started to get rolling?
I tried GM's a 3rd and 4th time this week, with different groups of people, hoping to see any sort of improvement. But it seems like comments like these about the service and high prices will just go unheeded. I'm just so disapointed that a place with so much potential has failed so spectacularly to even try and correct its short comings. I won't be returning until I start hearing that it's made good on these faults.
Is it me, or has the general tone of this blog become a lot nastier in the past few months?
Sad to say, I have to agree; I think the abundance of anonymous posters has something to do with it. Also, people are just generally bolder about saying abrasive stuff on the 'net because they're slathered in that courage.com .
I apologize. I didn't see your signature at the end. Perhaps my line of vision was blocked by the super-tasty Popeyes thigh piece I was eating.
I too think the more caustic tone is due in part to the Anonymous posting capability. At the risk of offending those that apparently feel we can't comment or offer suggestions in these forums, adding the Anonymous capability usually results in nastier online interactions.
But it's interesting nonetheless. I think part of what's happening is that we're starting to view H Street revitalization as an actual reality, instead of something that we all wished for but really weren't sure would happen. As that happens, our expectations will change. Sometimes we have unrealistic expectations. Having lived in 'revitalizing' neighborhoods most of my life, it's especially disappointing when a new establishment doesn't live up to what we expected. But sometimes we want it so bad that inevitably we build up such an image that we are bound to be disappointed.
At the same time we also become overly defensive when someone points out any flaws in our newfound neighborhood identity.
Yes Hillman, I've always admired how you courageously post your handle "Hillman" everytime you comment. No hiding behind an anonymous signature for you! Bravo, you are an inspiration and an example to all of us who post comments. From here on out I am bravely going to post with the name "Eskerman".
Hillman I too have decided to start using my handle instead of posting anonymously. I will even go a step further and say I called k st out for calling poster who has criticisms about GM whiners. I was anonymous 2:5 p.m. From on I will post as Capricious.
As far as how nasty the post have gotten, I think some of these posters are regular patrons Of GM and have developed a love for the place and will defend with thier lives to defend the honor of the place. Well maybe not thier lives. Also some see criticism as naysaying of H st.
As for as my opinion of the area none of this could be farther form the truth. I have been a pride homeowner in Rosedale for 14 years. Aand will be continue to be one in the comming years.
I welcome all the new business that have come to H st. And will suppoet them. But I will not bow down to the god that is GM ,which some people concider it to be, and say all is good when it is not the case.
BTW, Hillman If I join your church can the tithing be community service or does it have to be monetary?
I'm all for everyone using consistent screen names. And I have to say I've been to GM 5 times now and loved it every time. So I'm not seeing "criticism as naysaying of H st." I'm really not. I just haven't seen what you guys are talking about and a lot of the criticism seemed over the top and whining to me.
I understand that if you've made any personal/business investment(s) in our neighborhood that it's definitely reasonable to have a very high standard/expectation for ALL the establishments on H Street. However, like Joe pointed out "about 900-1000 persons eat at Granville in the last week or so", so it's realistic to expect there will be folks that will not like one thing or another. And of course you can point it out but to act as if the owner doesn't change the wait staff or the prices, he has committed the abominable sin and thus struck a blow to all our expectations is wrong.
While I'm sure GM aims to please, I think they have a right to make money and set the prices as they wish. Hence, if it's too expensive then don't go and if you go then don't whine.
Depends on your definition of illegal. I'd say about what the average DC church does - collects $$, refuses to pay taxes, double parks, and refuses to say what happens to the $$.
Mmm sounds like bootlegging in the old days. Lets say we give GM a run for their money. What with not paying taxes on the product we can sell beer for half what they charge.
BTW, dont't for get about the ATMS at the front of the church. You might also want to buy a nice car with the collections and maybe some three thousand dollar suits. Just a suggestion.
I finally made it to GM's last week, on Tuesday night. The service was very casual, as is appropriate for a "gastro-pub" (to use Joe's term), but it was quick and polite. Our server was knowledgeable about the beers and the menu, which was welcome as neither I nor my dining companion are Belgian beer experts. The TRULY excellent moules and frites were delivered quickly, and our requests for more bread to sop up the delish sauces were quickly met.
Overpriced? Are you people mental? I love me some Horace & Dickie's, too, but they don't have table service or a bar. Hell, they don't have tables.
Is GM's a white tablecloth, European service place? No. Is H Street ready for that? Probably not. But we're a lot farther along than we were when I moved to the neighborhood 7 years ago, thanks in large part to entrepreneurs like Joe and H Street Martini Lounge's Cliff Humphries, who were willing to take a chance on a (I think the PC term is) "transitional" neighborhood.
Oh, and in response to the comments about fearing to drive down H Street and being worried about getting "jacked" - I'm a little red-headed white gal who's out on big, bad H Street all by herself on a frequent basis - day, evening, weekend, whatever. I've never had a single problem. A word of advice? Try being polite and nice to people, even if they aren't wealthy, white hipsters - it's pretty effective.
56 comments:
The menu is currently in flux. I was there on Friday night, and anyone who thinks that the change in chefs has reduced the quality needs to go back. Our frites were cooked to perfection--we had the red pepper and garlic aoli sauces, the dishes came out quickly, and were delicious. A couple in our party had the moules, one had the buffalo hangar steak, I had a buffalo burger, and everything was phenomenal. The hard opening is coming soon, so I don't think the menu has been finalized, but do yourself a favor--go to Granville's and sample some of Teddy's cooking. You won't be disappointed.
at least we have one sit-down place to eat.
even if the food was horrible, i bet it's much better than Popeye's!
or some of those other sh*thole places that call themselves restaurtants.
Naby's Island also looks like its close to opening. And as one who attended the Sticky Rice night at Rock & Roll Hotel, I am eagerly awaiting their opening this winter.
i'm excited for sticky rice too!
hopefully, they'll 'stick' around for a while.
h street is starting to look like proving grounds for funky folks that want to give something a shot, and then bail (or sell out) when it doesn't work.
i'm hoping for the best for the solitary asian/fusion joint on H.
I wanted to like Granville Moore's -- really. Having seen H Street languish for so many years, I was looking forward to a sit-down eatery I could support with enthusiasm.
The studied disregard of our dining party as we entered & looked for a table ... that by itself I could forgive.
The fact that it took two requests and ten minutes of waiting to get more bread ... that by itself I could forgive.
The perfunctory taking of our order ... that by itself I could forgive.
But the fact that in general we couldn't (in the words of the great Tom Waits) find the wait staff with a Geiger counter -- early on a Sunday evening, no less -- leaves me wondering when we'll have someplace on H St. that understands both halves of the phrase "table service."
I wish Granville Moore's much luck in becoming something more than a glorified bar, for it will surely need it.
I have to agree with Mark. Ive tried Granville twice to eat dinner, rather than drink beer. The staff enthusiasm and service is totally focused on the beer. The waiter can talk forever about each and every beer, spend 1/2 hour making selections on the juke box, but will not mask his boredom, if you just order some food. Forget this place, if you are in the dining out mood. You will be disappointed.Hopefully Sticky and Naby's will be different.
I experienced the same lack of enthusiam as Mark ,when I visited Granville Moore's. In addition, the menues were thrown on our table whith the comment of let me know when you are ready.
I dine out once or twice a week just about everywhere in the metro area. Therefore I was excited to have a restaurant open in my neighborhood. Granville Moore,s certainly dampened my enthusiasm.
I'm afraid I would have to agree with the last two posts. I would call it "a bar that has good food" and not "a retarurant that has good beer" - but maybe that's all it wants to be.
I'm still waiting for the place on H St. that has more diners than drinkers, has cloth napkins, and where your conversation isn't competing with the jukebox. Will this ever exist on H St? I'm afraid I'm losing hope.
BJ
oh, boo hoo. really, boo frickin' hoo.
That last anonymous comment (8:46 AM) really added a lot to the conversation. Seriously - thanks so much to whomever felt it was worth their time to post that without so much as a constructive addition.
Still haven't had a chance to get to Granville's, but I've been reading the comments each time a topic about it comes up. Definitely seems like the place has some kinks to work out, and I'm definitely getting the impression that the food absolutely takes a back seat to the beer/bar scene. That's not inherently a problem - no one said Granville's had to be a sit-down dinner spot.
But I think we all expected that from the posts that were made by management earlier in the year...and I don't think it's unfair for people to express some disappointment that it hasn't turned out that way.
Oh, please. Yes, it is a bar with good, non-pub food, not a restaurant with Belgian beer. So what?
Maybe I'm wrong, but the posts made by management earlier this year suggested good food and showed us a sample menu. They didn't say that it would be Belga Cafe or Bistro Beck.
I think a lot of people here pinned their hopes that this would be some fabulous restaurant and are now freaking out and whining that it's not.
It's a great bar with really good food.
It's a big step up from your typical bar with pub food and a BIG step in the direction we all want H Street to go. What's so wrong with that?
Why can't you people be positive and happy? Lately, GM posts here have seemed like some whiny hysteria. "Oh my god, the chef is leaving!!!" "I heard the Pug is closing!!" "I think GM is changing their menu to bar food!!!"
If you don't like the place, don't go. But stop getting all worked up about it. And stop expecting it to be something it's not. Go have a beer and a moule and calm down.
Thank you. Had to get that off my chest.
Joe Englert said:
We had about 900-1000 people eat at Granville in the last week or so.
It would have been nice if every one of them would have called it a perfect experience. Too bad the five or six who felt a need to post weren't thrilled.....we'll keep on working at it though. We of course take every suggestion or opinion into account.
Granville is a gastro-pub. We serve tons of mussels (more than McCormick and Schmicks and many other gigantic seafood places last week.) We sped through 3-4 CASES of potatos DAILY.
We sold hundreds of bison burgers and hangar steaks as well.
If you choose not to call us a restaurant........so be it. But with 60% of our sales being food, I think we more than qualify.
Yes, we are a gastro pub. You aren't going to have 4 glamorous hostesses meet you at the door. We aren't going to give a you a flying saucer beeper like the Cheesecake Factory.
Again, we want to be perfect. A good way to get us to our goal is perhaps mention a not so satisfactory night at our pub while you are there. Pointing out that something is askew at the time of your visit would be a much effective way to get satisfaction.
Thanks again to the hundreds of you that have made GM a real early success. I feel it is the culmination of everything that is good about H street.
The two times my wife and I have been to GM's, the food has been delicious and wait staff has been busy but friendly and enthusiastic. The atmosphere (and beer) is fabulous. It's one of our favorite places in town. If GM's is any indication of H's future, I'm looking forward to it -- will be one of the most distinct and original areas in the whole city. Thanks to Joe and everyone else who's making it happen.
As an 8 year resident of Cap Hill and a recent watcher of the development on H street [a place I usually didn't want to drive down, nevermind walk down at 9:30 p.m.], I think the whole development of H street is fantastic and I've tried to frequent each and every new business as a show of support. That said, we were at GMs twice this week and I think its a fantastic place. In comparison to Belga [well, there's really NO comparison] its a much more enjoyable experience all around. Mind you, its not "fine" dining but it also is very good non-bar [read: fried] food, a fantastic selection of Belgian beers, knowledgeable staff and with all the publicity I'm hopeful that Chris and Joe can keep reliable staff on hand to handle the influx.
I'm excited for Sticky Rice and all the other places planned to open in the near future. Something other than wig shops, Check cashing places and dollar stores are a welcome sight.
I simply stated (BJ @ 4:24) that GM is "a bar with good food" and not "a restaurant with good beer" - I don't see anything negative about that, and at the same time is there anything wrong with hoping to have a nicer dinner experience somewhere on H St.? There are numerous places that have more diners than drinkers, cloth napkins, and no jukebox in the corner that aren't Cheesecake Factories either - I don't think the two have to be equal.
GM is great for when I want a burger and beer (and mussels if I liked mussels) and I have no complaints about it. I also think it continues to be a vast improvement for H St. (Thank you Joe Englert and others). I'm just eager for more and can't wait to see it all happen. I personally don't see anything negative about that.
Peace,
BJ
Well, to be honest, BJ, I think you may have hit a nerve when you said "Will this ever exist on H St? I'm afraid I'm losing hope." There are tons of changes happening on H. Why lose hope? That was the negative part of your comment.
I am totally burned out on this.
I LOVE going to suburban restaurants like Applebees and TGI Fridays.
Its time to move.
Amazing what having kids will do to your mindset.
Time to move to the 'burbs!
Hi. The beer is great here, the food was only so-so.
The huge problem that I had Granville Moore's was that simple food was SO EXPENSIVE! I understand $7 to $11 for bottles of excellent Belgium beer. But $12 for a rather poorly made vegetarian sandwich?! Even if it had been a better meal in quality, I would have still felt ripped off.
The food prices are simply WAY too high.
Joe Englert said:
Sorry, that anybody thinks prices are too high on H street. Maybe you are on to something, I haven't been able to exploit. My plumber has never given me a discount because I was located on H street--neither has my electrician, architect, gas company, electric company, cable or water company.
My food purveyors haven't caught on to this h street discount routine either.
I had a four piece and red beans with a coke at Popeye's with a bottle of water a couple of days ago, that was $11. Does someone have access to a special card I can use? I am just curious
I don't think a plumber, electrician, architect, gas company, electric company, cable, or water company would charge less on H Street than the Penn Quarter, but I do think the cost of the real estate would be somewhat less. That tends to be a big part of the overhead.
I have no complaints about Granville Moore's. Because buffalo is so lean, it is easy to overcook. When the waitress asked me how I wanted my buffalo burger prepared, I just asked her to have the chef prepare it as he recommends it...it came out perfect. The frites were better than any french fry I've ever had, and the sauces blow away regular ketchup and mustard. The moule sauces beg to be soaked with bread because they're so good, and while it's not still on the menu, the snapper was as good as I would find anywhere. Add to that a veritable buffet of beers I've never tried before, and I've left a very happy patron both times I've been there.
That said, I don't think it's reasonable to expect to pay the same in every neighborhood. Bob Kinkead probably pays a ton in rent for his Foggy Bottom location. Ditto for the Georgetown digs of 1789, Ten Penh's Pennsylvania Avenue location, and Oceanaire's spot near Metro Center. That has to be factored into the cost, and it is one reason why one might expect to pay less at Granville Moore's. That said, I don't personally find the prices unreasonable there, and both chefs have proven that they can cook with the best of 'em.
Joe-Sincerity is the new sarcasm. I love H street. Easily my favorite area in the District. So, perhaps we could dispense with the patronization.
Made a return visit to GM last Friday with some friends and sat at the bar downstairs. The place was hopping when we were there (~7:30pm). The first round of drinks was easy enough, but when two of us in the group of 4 started ordering food, things got a little out of control. One person's dish came out almost 60 minutes after she ordered it while the other dish came out within 10 min. It was also quite difficult to get the bartender's attention for subsequent rounds of beer. We noticed it was hectic behind the bar and throughout the restaurant, so we gave them a pass, esp since the bartender was sympathetic when he eventually did get to us and even comped us some items on our tab once we closed out. I will be back to GM, but maybe I'll wait a little bit for things to get worked out.
k st
Be it Checkers or Cafe Milano, I don't think it's whining to expect good customer seervice in an eating establishment. Now, I did not expect GM to be a fine dining restaurant. I expected a pub that specializes in Belgian beer. As a matter of fact the night I went, my taste buds were ready for a burger and fries w/ garlic mayonaise. What I did not expect was the indifference that I experienced when I visited GM.
If I'm going to spend my hard earned money to eat out, I expect the establishment that choose would show me that they appreciate my business. Needless to say GM didn't get any of my hard earned money.
There are other restaurants coming to H St and I welcome them. But I expect them to welcome me also.
Anon 2:05
Joe, I have the highest regard for what you're doing on & for H Street. I've also met you more than once at my kids' baseball games on the Hill, and you're obviously a good guy as well as a skilled entrepreneur. So I'm not jumping back into the thread to whack you personally. (If I had a means of contacting you privately, I'd have done so instead of posting here. If there's a better way of sending feedback -- good or bad -- to you than posting on FT, I'm sure plenty of people would benefit from knowing about it.)
You wrote, "Pointing out that something is askew at the time of your visit would be a much [more] effective way to get satisfaction." I agree that this generally is the way to go. In my case, however, the person in charge (your partner behind the bar) was contributing to the problem. He obviously wasn't interested in our business, and I didn't expect to persuade him otherwise.
I didn't expect a bevy of shapely hostesses or a table-is-ready beeper, and I think you're being a little too glibly dismissive to suggest that the problem here was one of unreasonable expectations. (For the record, I've never set foot inside a Cheesecake Factory and you couldn't pay me to do so.)
You're a smart guy with a ton of experience, and I figure you know that "the five or six who felt a need to post [and] weren't thrilled" surely represent a lot of others who felt the same way but don't read FT or didn't bother to post. I hope you take our criticisms seriously, fix the problems, and make an absolute killing running the best damn gastro-pub on the east coast.
Joe Englert said:
Okay, let's put this into perspective. We have been open 3 weeks. We have been mobbed beyond belief. We had to endure a chef change. We barely have had time to train our staff. You don't realize how much we appreciate your business. All I ask is to give us a little time to get it more together. And if you want to avoid chaos, give us a chance on a Sunday Monday or Tuesday night. It is a little slower then and maybe we can acutally have a little bit of a conversation while you dine.
If you have a bad experience tell us while you are here. We care. We want to make it right. Thank you so much for all the interest and you can count on us improving. Thanks--
Joe-Wanted to thank you for everything you've done for the neighborhood. While it may seem like we overreact to things a lot, its only because we love this neighborhood so much, and want only the best for it. Your efforts are very much appreciated.
$11 for a four piece combo plus water at Popeyes? Joe, you really need to learn how to shop Popeyes more judiciously.
Or, do like so many patrons there do - order one thing then try to weasel and whine your way into doubling your order for free.
Or get the 5 whole wings and french fries at Danny's Carryout across the street for a fiver. Not spicy like Popeyes but cooked in HOT oil so the skin comes out nice and blistery. And they do volume business at lunch, so the stuff is fresh. Of course, the place has all the ambience of a backalley abortion clinic, but the folks are nice.
If over half of sales are from food, you either do volume or jack up the price or both. Can't see any way around it, particularly with DC gouging small businesses in the property tax arena.
Does Anyone know the phone number for GM? The published number is disconnected.
i do hope that that is a false impersonator penning Mr. Englert's name.
stay off the defense, sir, and embrace, learn from and contemplate your patrons' criticisms. is it possible the poor manners exhibited by the service in your restaurant have been acquired from you?
To Poster Sarah:
Please re-read Mr. Englert's comments as he basically is "embracing" others comments. And please keep the personal attacks about "poor manners" to yourself. I give the guy a lot of credit just talking to residents like us on this blog.
Lets keep our eyes on the big picture here folks: Just think what H St. would look like today if the Argo and other bars/restuarants weren't establishing the toehold that other developers need to see before they commit to a blighted area. Would we be getting an art gallery and new million dollar residential units on Bladensburg?
Probably not.
On a personal note, I can't wait for the mini golf restuarant/bar! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE tell me that it will be 18 holes?!? Will it have at least a windmill?
Ditto to Anon 4:00.
I'm not opposed to constructive criticism but the constant whining has become sickening now especially when the whiners would never have the vision or otherwise invest in opening a business on H St. Folks not because you are patrons of these establishments mean that you should shoot them down because the opportunity presents itself. Give the business owners a break until they are up to speed.
I am with ANON 5:33. Please try to keep things in perspective here--as Mr. Englert mentioned, GM's has been open for all of three weeks. Try starting a brand new job and being flawless in that amount of time--it just doesn't happen. Stay positive or, if you seriously have a problem, try to address the people who can impact or change it (e.g. the hard-to-find waitstaff). It doesn't help much to mouth off here on FT. If you despise it that much, maybe Arlington or Tysons should really be in your future.
BTW--speaking of bar restaurants, went to the Argonaut for dinner last night--as usual, most excellent. Great menu choices--taste it again for the first time friends.
Linden Place Dweller (LPD)
Amen!!
Please stop the whinning!
Don't like a place? Don't go.
"If you despise it that much, maybe Arlington or Tysons should really be in your future."
At least there we probably wouldn't be jacked up on the way to or from the restaurant.
And if you're going to post like this, stop hiding behind the Anonymous name.
I'm as big a fan of H Street as the next guy. But let's be honest. Service in DC restaurants by and large sucks, in large part because that end of the labor pool in DC sucks. Pretending it doesn't does no one any good.
I haven't been to GM so I can't comment either way.
But if you are going to invite comments about a new restaurant, expect both good and bad comments. If I were a restaurant owner I'd welcome both. And quite often it's the owner himself that needs to hear the comments. Does anyone really think that when you tell your waiter that his service hasn't been very good that he's really reporting that back to the management or owner? Or even if you ask for a manager that the manager will fix the problem or report it to the owner with enough specificity to actually be useful?
Having worked for years in the restaurant business, I can tell you that ain't how it works most of the time. And certainly that ain't how it's going to work most of the time in DC.
Restaurant owners (good ones) can tell legit complaints or suggestions for improvement from ones with no merit.
Do you really think identifying yourself as Hillman is more legit than Linden Place Dweller (LPD)?
Anon 5:33
Please stop the whinning! [sic]
Don't like a place? Don't go.
It is truly refreshing to see the jingoistic platitudes of my childhood -- "America: love it or leave it!" -- exhumed and repurposed in the service of faux New Urbanism. (Also amusing is the apparently serious suggestion that if you're not an H St. business owner, you have no right to comment on H St. businesses. Bravo!)
Inked not only allows but appears to encourage a diverse range of comments, much to her credit. If certain commenters took their own advice, they'd stop reading (and commenting on) FT instead of trying to enforce their juvenile notions of conversational purity.
I love how you compare a demoratic nation to a private enterprise. Nice job. We all have the freedom to coment as we will. Businesses are started to make money, not to make everyone's dream come true and housing prices go up. I have lived one block off of H St. for five years now. I am happy, yet at times slightly frustrated as most, by the some aspects of the pace of development. Yet what is truly absurd is this notion that if things are not quite as we please, we as 'constituents' of Engler's places must petition for redress of our greivences. And he must in turn rectify the situation, or we will vote him out of office the next time his businesses come up for relection.
Businesses open and close constantly in cities, dictated by markets, not condecending comments. We should let Joe know we feel, and he should run his business as he sees fit.
Oh... and bravo for the poor analogy.
Anon. 9:00 didn't say 'don't comment' or 'move out of the area'.
I don't like Popeye's. I don't write to the owner, asking him (or the board) to stop selling deep-fried doo-doo. I simply don't go. If enough like-minded neighborhood residents also choose to not patronize Popeye's, it will close down. By saying 'don't like it, don't go', it doesn't seem like the message was to restrict comment, but simply to to use the only real power you have as a consumer.
Is it me, or has the general tone of this blog become a lot nastier in the past few months? And I'm not just refering to this thread. Is it due to a feeling that things aren't going according to plans, or is it simply a natural decline from the overly positive attitude that pervaded this site when things started to get rolling?
Let's all love one another.
I tried GM's a 3rd and 4th time this week, with different groups of people, hoping to see any sort of improvement. But it seems like comments like these about the service and high prices will just go unheeded. I'm just so disapointed that a place with so much potential has failed so spectacularly to even try and correct its short comings. I won't be returning until I start hearing that it's made good on these faults.
Is it me, or has the general tone of this blog become a lot nastier in the past few months?
Sad to say, I have to agree; I think the abundance of anonymous posters has something to do with it. Also, people are just generally bolder about saying abrasive stuff on the 'net because they're slathered in that courage.com .
Please, dear god, don't boycott Popeyes. I love that spicy chicken!
LPD:
I apologize. I didn't see your signature at the end. Perhaps my line of vision was blocked by the super-tasty Popeyes thigh piece I was eating.
I too think the more caustic tone is due in part to the Anonymous posting capability. At the risk of offending those that apparently feel we can't comment or offer suggestions in these forums, adding the Anonymous capability usually results in nastier online interactions.
But it's interesting nonetheless. I think part of what's happening is that we're starting to view H Street revitalization as an actual reality, instead of something that we all wished for but really weren't sure would happen. As that happens, our expectations will change. Sometimes we have unrealistic expectations. Having lived in 'revitalizing' neighborhoods most of my life, it's especially disappointing when a new establishment doesn't live up to what we expected. But sometimes we want it so bad that inevitably we build up such an image that we are bound to be disappointed.
At the same time we also become overly defensive when someone points out any flaws in our newfound neighborhood identity.
Yes Hillman, I've always admired how you courageously post your handle "Hillman" everytime you comment. No hiding behind an anonymous signature for you! Bravo, you are an inspiration and an example to all of us who post comments. From here on out I am bravely going to post with the name "Eskerman".
Eskerman:
I'm glad I could be an inspiration. In fact, since you are so fond of me, how about joining the newly-formed Church of Hillman. Tithing mandatory.
Hillman
I too have decided to start using my handle instead of posting anonymously. I will even go a step further and say I called k st out for calling poster who has criticisms about GM whiners. I was anonymous 2:5 p.m. From on I will post as Capricious.
As far as how nasty the post have gotten, I think some of these posters are regular patrons Of GM and have developed a love for the place and will defend with thier lives to defend the honor of the place. Well maybe not thier lives. Also some see criticism as naysaying of H st.
As for as my opinion of the area none of this could be farther form the truth. I have been a pride homeowner in Rosedale for 14 years. Aand will be continue to be one in the comming years.
I welcome all the new business that have come to H st. And will suppoet them. But I will not bow down to the god that is GM ,which some people concider it to be, and say all is good when it is not the case.
BTW, Hillman
If I join your church can the tithing be community service or does it have to be monetary?
I'm all for everyone using consistent screen names. And I have to say I've been to GM 5 times now and loved it every time. So I'm not seeing "criticism as naysaying of H st." I'm really not. I just haven't seen what you guys are talking about and a lot of the criticism seemed over the top and whining to me.
I understand that if you've made any personal/business investment(s) in our neighborhood that it's definitely reasonable to have a very high standard/expectation for ALL the establishments on H Street. However, like Joe pointed out "about 900-1000 persons eat at Granville in the last week or so", so it's realistic to expect there will be folks that will not like one thing or another. And of course you can point it out but to act as if the owner doesn't change the wait staff or the prices, he has committed the abominable sin and thus struck a blow to all our expectations is wrong.
While I'm sure GM aims to please, I think they have a right to make money and set the prices as they wish. Hence, if it's too expensive then don't go and if you go then don't whine.
Tithing is cash only, unmarked small bills. No exceptions.
Cash only unmakred small bills. Will there be illegal activities going on? Please say yes.
Depends on your definition of illegal. I'd say about what the average DC church does - collects $$, refuses to pay taxes, double parks, and refuses to say what happens to the $$.
Illegal? Nope. Immoral? I hope so.
Mmm sounds like bootlegging in the old days. Lets say we give GM a run for their money. What with not paying taxes on the product we can sell beer for half what they charge.
BTW, dont't for get about the ATMS
at the front of the church. You might also want to buy a nice car with the collections and maybe some three thousand dollar suits. Just a suggestion.
I finally made it to GM's last week, on Tuesday night. The service was very casual, as is appropriate for a "gastro-pub" (to use Joe's term), but it was quick and polite. Our server was knowledgeable about the beers and the menu, which was welcome as neither I nor my dining companion are Belgian beer experts. The TRULY excellent moules and frites were delivered quickly, and our requests for more bread to sop up the delish sauces were quickly met.
Overpriced? Are you people mental? I love me some Horace & Dickie's, too, but they don't have table service or a bar. Hell, they don't have tables.
Is GM's a white tablecloth, European service place? No. Is H Street ready for that? Probably not. But we're a lot farther along than we were when I moved to the neighborhood 7 years ago, thanks in large part to entrepreneurs like Joe and H Street Martini Lounge's Cliff Humphries, who were willing to take a chance on a (I think the PC term is) "transitional" neighborhood.
Oh, and in response to the comments about fearing to drive down H Street and being worried about getting "jacked" - I'm a little red-headed white gal who's out on big, bad H Street all by herself on a frequent basis - day, evening, weekend, whatever. I've never had a single problem. A word of advice? Try being polite and nice to people, even if they aren't wealthy, white hipsters - it's pretty effective.
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