The Post Awards 2 Stars To Cabin John's New Wild Tomato

Tom Sietsema is off this week, so Candy Sagon has the honor of leading us out to Cabin John this week with her review of Wild Tomato. The newish restaurant has been wildly popular (mostly for serving more than sandwiches and sushi, apparently), but Sagon is not totally sold.

The critic does speak highly of several menu items, especially the firm green lentils and an oven-roasted chicken with crispy Old Bay-seasoned skin. Best of all was the Smokin' pizza, which the critic found she couldn't stop eating:

"The thin, chewy crust supports bacon, smoldering chorizo, marinated peppers, mushrooms, smoked mozzarella and what appears to be your run-of-the-mill tomato sauce until you take a bite. The kiss of chipotle that wasn't apparent to the naked eye is readily obvious to the naked tongue. It's not incendiary; it's just like a flash of heat that lights up the other flavors."

But the long lines, sluggish service and an inconsistent kitchen seem to be what held Wild Tomato back from a higher rating. A burger and a pork tenderloin were overcooked, desserts were uninspiring, and Sagon says she languished in line just about every visit to what she calls a "rough little gem of a restaurant." [WaPo]

Todd Kliman slams DC-3 and ChiDogO's for their renditions of a classic snack: "I won't say it's a case of a fantastic idea on paper that doesn't generate electricity in practice, because there are hot dog joints that are excellent; Hot Doug's, in Chicago, home of the infamous foie gras dog, is probably the finest example of the genre: the hot dog raised to high culinary art. We don't have a Hot Doug's. Or anything remotely close to it. There are some excellent dogs to be had out there — they just happen to not exist at hot dog joints." He recommends Lyon Hall, Bayou Bakery and Jackie's instead. [Washingtonian]

Ann Limpert isn't too impressed by Siroc's sister restaurant Vento: "The dining room tries for sleek and loungy but ends up dimmed and impersonal—it’d fit in at any slightly upscale hotel. And although it’s been open for almost half a year, the kitchen is still up and down." [Washingtonian]

THE BLOGS: EatMore DrinkMore likes Bibiana for a special occasion; Deepthroat's Guide to Washington says the trip to the Atlas District was worth it for Sticky Rice's tater tots, but found Cuba Libre lackluster; DC-Wrapped Dates isn't too impressed by brunch generally but says Firefly was surprisingly good; Girl Meets Food calls the Sensorium "a secret feast for the senses."

Wild Tomato [Photo: OPaLDC.com]