The review wasn't good. The best I can offer is to say that my experiences at Napa have always been positive. The service has never been lacking, or at all unfriendly, and the food has always been very good. That said, any place can have an off night, or off table.
42 comments:
I've never been there, and this review may keep me away. It sounds like almost every restaurant on H save for Dr. G's. It seems we all have high hopes and then when we get there was are let down. I think instead of defending Napa the Times's review should be weighed and then their management should make what ever changes they think are important to make if any.
It's not surprising since most H places have the same problem. Most fix it though, I remember how un organized Taylor was and they are wonderful now. Sadly SR and Argo seem to ... well they need improvement.
But, the times can be wrong... and at times they can be right.
-Robby
Unfortunately, my experiences have been similar to the reviewers. I've had very average food at above average prices. I want to like it, because I always want to support neighborhood business, but the quality of the food compared with the amount of money just isn't worth it.
I've been to Napa several times and feel that its been hit or miss, but overall, I've enjoyed my experiences there. The key lime tart is amazing as was the sweet potato and crab cake. The jimaca margaritas are great too, and I've heard really positive things about their brunch.
They certainly have some things to work on (consistently knowledgeable wait staff, burger night was "ok" as was mexican night), but my overall impression is that that's exactly what they're doing - working on it.
I think it would be a complete shame to read that article and not try Napa because of it. Who knows what went wrong that night and further, food critics are always a bit self righteous and are paid to look for mistakes.
Give Napa a shot. It's sure as hell a move in the right direction for H St, and if we don't patronize it, it will simply be one less place "trying" to make H better.
Robby,
I'm not trying to make excuses for Napa. But I hate to post this review without a caveat because my experiences there have been positive. I'm not a regular, but I've been in a few times and not been disappointed. Rebecca is right about the key lime tart. I'm not a big dessert person, but the tart is GREAT. I hope nobody decides against trying Napa because of this review. That person would be missing out.
I go to brunch often at Napa and have never been disappointed there. As for dinner-- I have had dinner there a handful of times and have had great experiences every time... Here's hoping the hit and miss reports evolve in the hit direction! Especially with a manager as warm and responsive as Jorge, I can only imagine they will.
I have visted NAPA 1015 on several
occasion.Each experience was enjoyable.
I agree with Anon 2:19. I've never been disappointed with Napa and I go there quite frequently. And, Jorge and his wait staff are always super friendly. I hope that one off night does not deter others from trying Napa. As Inked said, those people would indeed be missing out.
Been twice, agree with "anon ne" above: food was average and on the expensive side for what we were eating; timing was slightly long; service was very polite. After second time, resolved not to go until their growing pains could be worked out and I have a lot more money.
Just speculating, but it sounds like the reviewers found a kitchen that had trouble with one entree, which caused the others to sit for too long.
I don't want to say what the truth is: this place is just not great. I have been there twice for dinner. Let me say that I want it to do well, the shine, to become the level of dining it promises. But, it needs work. A lot of work. From warm water to desserts that carry tastes from other items in the fridge, this place is riddled with amatuer mistakes. They have the potential to do well. Let's hope they take the reviews to heart and change things. Pronto.
I've had mostly good experiences with Napa, but given some of my less-positive experiences there, I'm not surprised by this review. I don't know what it is with the general disinterest in good service at H Street restaurants. Sticky Rice is always a crap shoot with service, and Argonaut is consistently awful with service. Naby's does well, and GM's has gotten a lot better, but they seem to be the exception rather than the rule.
Elise:
Isn't the point of the review, well, to evaluate the restaurant and then to come to a determination about it. It isn't gospel, it’s there professional opinion. Take it or leave it.
So here you're being one-sided and protective. If the review were positive you wouldn't offer a "caveat" you would simply let the review stand.
I asked you, for the sake of being fair and balanced, to grow a little detachment. This isn't about your "experiences" it's about the experiences of the team from the Times.
We can also take it for what it’s worth; we don't need to you coax us into either believing it or disbelieving it.
You don't need to frame it for us. Really, it comes across as nudging, as in the statement below:
"I hope nobody decides against trying Napa because of this review. That person would be missing out."
I hope people have the presence of mind to read the review and decide for themselves whether to go or not go. That's what people in a free society do. They think for themselves, without a guilt trip of being told they are missing out. And from the review it doesn't seem like they are missing much.
-Robby
I've been to Napa a few times, and never had a problem with the service, which (for me) has always been attentive. The food has always been solid (though not always great), and their desserts are excellent.
It sounds like a bad (maybe overbusy?) night in the kitchen. I was under the impression that reviewers were supposed to make multiple visits to avoid this kind of thing.
-R
My wife and I frequent Napa two to three times a month, and I can honestly say this review is not an accurate depiction of the type of product they offer. It’s unfortunate that the reviewer did not experience the same level of quality that my wife and I have grown accustomed too. In my opinion Napa has been a great addition to the neighborhood, and I look forward to future dinning experiences there.
I want Napa to survive, even thrive. I like the owner, I like the "can-do" spirit. I've been there maybe five times now, and it's never been "fabulous" and it's never been as horrible as the reviewers' experience. However, I did find a few things in the review that rang true, and in the interest of being constructive, here are my comments.
1. The waitstaff is not up to par. Frequently, they are slow, and can't remember who ordered what. In addition, last week, as I was talking to someone, the waiter tapped me on the shoulder from behind to see if I was finished with my plate. I was shocked.
2. I had the wild boar as well, and it came to me raw on the inside. I sent it back to get cooked further. Still wasn't fully cooked, but decided to eat it anyway...
3. Wine should not taste as if it has been sitting in the sun. Even red wine needs to be chilled.
4. In general, it just feels like attention must be paid to the little things. I have had good (not great) meals there and I hope to keep coming back... but spending upwards of $100 for dinner for two with warm wine and raw boar does not make me eager to come back...
pffff.
Who reads the Times anyway? I can think of a better use of the paper, like making hats or wiping my bottom. And the website would get more hits if it were a domain for a watch repair store.
Seriously, I hope we aren't upset about a third rate newspaper looking down on our neighborhood establishments.
And let's be clear, this is not a "professional review."
Real food critics visit a place more than once...for obvious reasons.
Read any of Tom Sietsema's reviews and it's obvious he's been there a handful of times at least before writing a word.
I asked you, for the sake of being fair and balanced, to grow a little detachment.Robby, my brother, you may want to look up the definition of "blog".. :)
My wife and I have been to Napa well over 20 times and I have to say, this review is not representative of what you will find when you go there, so please, please, don't judge the restaurant based on this review.
I'm not blindly supporting them...we did find our waiter lacking the last time we went (it was the first time he had served us) and once or twice dishes have not been cooked to order, but the vast majority of our experiences have exceeded expectations. I think part of what happened is that they have created such a buzz w/ their food and service that maybe they're actually too busy :-)
Another thing I know is that they take stuff like this seriously and will improve. They've bounced back from adversity several times to provide us with a great dining option on H St. So they will look at this review and the comments being left here and will improve based on them.
Finally, these guys *care* about your dining experience...let them know what needs to improve.
Try Napa for yourself with no preconceptions good or bad and I'll bet you'll be happy with the result.
My wife and I have been to NAPA twice in the last few months for brunch; both times were very enjoyable and the food was excellent. If you haven't been to NAPA don't knock it until you've tried it. Too bad the Washington Times dining critics don't get out more.
I've been to Napa a lot-- I would even call myself a regular. I can honestly say that I have never had an experience like that described in the article. I will say that the wild boar is not my favorite, but the food is always good. The french onion soup is fantastic, eggs benedict are awesome and the deserts are all really really good. Mexican night is great-- and it's real mexican food. The jamacian marg is creative and possibly the tastiest drink I've had recently. Don't discount Napa because of this review.
Let see so I've been insulted, the times as been called third rate and the review unprofessional. Go would any of this be true if it were a positive review.
I reviewed this with a friend and my pronouncment that Napa needs work comes through in the comments. Tough I know.
As for the def of a blog, well smart ass, I looked it up , http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blog,
My beef isn't that the opinion was there but having it in the lead seems a big forceful. I mean I thought this blog owned by Blogger AKA Google, was about free expression of ideas and not a guided tour down someone else's thought path.
That being said those that love it love it. No one said they hated it. One person said they want them to do well but Napa needs to make changes. I think that was heart felt.
Look no matter how much make up you put on pig its still a big, unless is dramatically under cooked boar.
The review and many of the comments here keep me away. And From the people I shared this with it keeps them away too.
Maybe you will all say good riddens, but for the rest of the comments on this blog on other posts, I really stopped taking stock on what is said here. It often goes to dark places.
Peace out hommies.
-Robby
if i suggest it, do you think they'd serve up some tasty turtle soup? i really think that would be the turning point for them.
just imagine it: savory turtle soup!
ON H STREET!
nom nom nom! i can hardly wait!
Good riddens, Robby.
I am a regular at NAPA with my girlfriend, and would just say that it is literally our favorite restaurant in DC. An occasional hiccup, but made up for with personal service and great food 95% of the time.
The one time I had an experience even somewhat similar was Valentines day when they were slammed, but even then extra efforts were made to ensure we got to our show on time.
I really hope people don't take this review too seriously and give Napa a try if they haven't already.
I agree completely with JM's comment. For those of you who have never tried it (or only been once) are you going allow yourself to be influenced by one review from a reviewer who has only been once, or will you believe the numerous posts on here that praise their experience at NAPA and have returned numerous times? If it's the first instead of the latter, then no matter what NAPA does, you've already decided you're not going to like it - and that's a shame. Do like others on here and go a couple times and then decide. That's really only fair to any of our restaurants on H St.
I'm surprised by this review. I consider Napa the best restaurant on H Street!
They shouldn't even bother trying to sell mussels on H street, though! That spot is taken.
I think that NAPA 1015 is an OK resturant,there are times when the service and food is slightly off.However,with time and constructive critisim they will continue to improve.I will continue to NAPA 1015.
Seems that Jorge has always been receptive to constructive critisism - I'm sure this will be no different.
I agree with Tom A. though, the mussels spot on H St is already taken. I would come up with something else.
Does NAPA have a specialty yet? - Something they're known for? Obviously for Dr. G its the mussels, for Argonaut I'd say their hamburger or fish taco, for Sticky Rice its their tater tots and sticky balls. Is NAPA's their key lime pie or maybe their gnocci or is it their salmon? I can think of several things I'd choose.
I read some of the other articles that lady wrote for the Times and not one of them is positive. I think she's their official "something negative to say" respondent on the streets.
Napa is great. Table is always avaialable. Food is awesome. Service is great. She is wrong.
I like Granville Moore's, but don't like waiting the 2.5 hours it takes to get a table. If we do wait, I usually put our name in, go home take a shower, and then the wife and I stroll over, get a drink at the Pug and our table is ready. :) I hope she writes a negative review of that place so it makes it a little more accessible for the locals.
I like Sticky Rice a lot and go there twice a week, the service is slow, but the beer is cheep and I like that, and the food is awesome. She shouldn't go there though because she'll probably not like it either.
I think if she sticks to the Hotel restuarants in NW she'll be happy.
My husband and I probably could be considered regulars and I've only had one real glitch, when my fish was undercooked. But they took care of it right away, apologized profusely.
Valentine's Day service was slow but the restaurant was totally slammed.
Never had the wild boar thingy so can't comment on that. The mussels seemed fine to me when I was there two weeks ago.
But then again, I had a stringy, poor quality pile of mussels the last time I was at Granville Moore's, so if this restaurant critic is a one-time type of reviewer, how would Granville be rated if she had the same experience? At least the Post goes several times and at different times before a review is published.
I have only been to Napa once, and have not been inspired to go back, unfortunately. We went on a Sunday morning, when business was slow and there should have been no excuses for being overworked in the kitchen. It took FOREVER to get our food, and the waitress rarely came back to check on us. The food was good. Overall though, I was embarrassed to have taken my out-of-town family there, due the relative "unsharpness" of the staff vis-a-vis presentation, speed, and understanding of our requests. I would really like to show my family that H Street is improving (GM was able to improve their outlook, this time around, followed by a less-than-stellar production from Theater Alliance). But this place just seems clumsy, somehow.
I will wait to hear from others before I venture there again. It seems like they have had a long time to smooth out their wrinkles, and it just hasn't happened yet.
- Maya
i hope they review the hot dogs at the pug with a paragraph dedicated to the delightful, healthy cheeseballs. i generally don't place much stock in restaurant, music or movie reviews, but i am glad to see the devotion, and the commitment to h street on frozen tropics. thanks for the support.
My friends and I are regulars at NAPA and consider it the best place to eat on H Street for both price and quality. In addition, their menu varies on a daily basis offering us burger and Mexican nights on Wednesday and Thursday respectively (their mexican food is awesome). Most surprisingly however are their desserts, for someone who doesn't really order it anywhere else, I just can't get enough of their chocolate mousse cake! Don't listen to the Times review, I've been to NAPA over 10 times and haven't been unhappy yet.
I am so shocked by such a harsh review. We go into Napa often and by often at least once a week. We found a place that we are comfortable and enjoy the wine, food and foremost the staff.
I would never try to persuade anyone who had a bad experience to go back. As our attitude is it only takes one bad experience to never return. I will take my money and go elsewhere.
Just as many of you love GM I will never go back in that place. Having a beer at the bar and my mussels being served in the early evening hours a mouse ran across the bar next to my drink. I know rodents are alive and plentyful down here on H. Street with the restaurants but to actually see a mouse on the bar at about 5 in the evening was more than I could take.
I only have to wonder if the owners were on site this night. It would be hard to believe they would allow for such a bad experience from start to finish to happen without doing something to make it right.
We still love you all at Napa..see you soon..
I'm still looking forward to my Mexi night outing as my first Napa experience. Bad reviews don't discourage me from forming my own opinion.
And that's the way it should be. "People have the presence of mind to read the review and decide for themselves"
-Robby
You are welcome Tony T of the Pug. How about adding to your sign Best Hot Dogs and Cheese Balls in town Hon. To your Health!
I have to say that when I decided to vist NAPA for the first time, the owner made it a point to greet everyone else. He did not greet extend a greeting to me. Perhaps, I'm sensitive and can contribute it to the color of my skin. Perhaps, I'm a little sensitive. My money is just as green as everyone else's. I will not be back. I'll spend my GREEN money somewhere else where I'm wanted...
Brownie infers that the owners and staff at Napa are racist...Hmm... Let's see... one of the owners is a person of color, the manager is a person of color as are many of the staff. My friends and I who are regulars at Napa are a virtual spectrum - reflecting the diversity of the neighborhood and the city. I find Brownie's post quite suspect and inflamatory. The staff and management at Napa have always been courteous and accepting of all their guests, regadless of the race, creed, gender, or sexual orientation.
Regarding the review: I really thought it was pretty unbalanced, but eben as a regular I will admit to having a bad meal oncve in a while. A duck dish was inedible this winter, and when it returned to the kitchen barely touched was removed from the bill and I was asked if I wanted to have another entree. I have rarely had something bad, and often had something wonderful.
This is a neighborhood restaurant, not a high priced spot downtown. The owners actually live on H St. unlike other folks who seem like profiteers by comparison. Napa's prices may be a bit high for H St. but then lots of 20x folks are plunking down over ten bucks a beer at Granville Moore's after their 2 hour wait.
Everyone has a bad day, and restaurants are subject to them like all of us. One sunny Sunday, a car drives into your business and closses you for two months. Or perhaps you hire a chef who takes some drugs and then attacks one of the owners with a carving knife in the middle of service on Friday night. The owners of Napa have had plenty of opportunities to say enough and leave residents to the carry outs bar food that H St. currently offers but they believe we should have options to the corn dogs and tater tots (although I am a fan of both).
And Robby... don't judge somthing or someone that you havent gotten to know. It makes any comment or criticism you may have pointless. Let us all know who your experience was - good or bad - but let us know that you actually tried it.
Sage
This review from the Times is like when that chick on the Post wrote about Sidamo and said that Sidamo is not metro-accessible. Those NW bastards. I hate them.
I don't go to NAPA that often but the food is good and the price is right. AND it looks nice, as much as I like Granville or Sticky, they're not date-friendly.
This woman's review is one of the worst I have read in the area's major periodicals -- reminiscent of something out of a high school newspaper.
The steamed mussels with chorizo, onion, celery, saffron and sherry was another missed opportunity. Some of the mussels were slimy, others gritty.This person has very clearly never eaten mussels before...sand is par for the course. And slime is...kinda the way mussels are?
...not one of the three dishes was prepared correctly - or to order. They were in turns underdone, overdone, soupy and bland. The sides fared better than the meats and seafood, but the whole course was disappointing.Which sides were good? Which weren't? Which dishes were over/underdone? In my opinion the writer's credibility stems directly from the writer's lack of specificity. And from the fact she criticized the key lime tart, which is one of the best desserts in the District...
I wrote this letter to the Washington Times in regards to their ridiculous review FYI.
Dear Ms. Boston and the editors of he Washington Times-
I am an employee of the Napa 1015 Restaurant which you recently reviewed and I was out of town when your excuse for a restaurant review was published. After reading it and sharing it with other writers and "foodies" we were all shocked that you could be so damning without having the decency to check your facts. Most credible reviewers visit an establishment a couple of times before they print their opinion's, not to mention that credible reviewers would not have consumed as much alcohol as you did and then write about their experience. Perhaps that's why you couldn't state the items you consumed correctly.
To avoid sounding defensive, I'm not going to pick apart your article. The cheesy writing style and unprofessional commentary speak for themselves, but shame on you and your editors for printing such rubbish.
Barry Clark
Washington, DC
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