Tom Sietsema Visits Bungalow Lakehouse in Sterling

For his First Bite column this week, Tom Sietsema visits the new Bungalow Lakehouse in Sterling and finds the whole experience pretty over the top.

Early's $7 million compound includes a main dining room, a bar, a cigar lounge, an underground banquet hall and a sports lounge with more than 40 televisions. The gazebo outside is just waiting for a wedding. Clyde's comes to mind as we tour the super-size setting, which seats 500 and stocks eight cooks per shift.

But what about the food? Mediocre burger, solid flatbreads, and a fine seared scallop dish from chef Jason Maddens, who used to work at Central. [WaPo]

For those who missed yesterday's Twitter rumble, Sietsema also stopped by the reincarnation of Minibar, dropping it from 3.5 to 2 stars. He loves a dish of clams with edible shells but offers this caveat:

So why am I checking my watch during dinner in Penn Quarter rather than scraping clean the flurry of plates landing in front of me? Because those clams and beans are the first dish I've flipped for -- and they're course No. 16. [WaPo]

Todd Kliman offers a rapturous mini-review of DGS Delicatessen in his chat this week, with an ode to matzoh balls, pastrami, and affordable prices.

One of the biggest, and most welcome surprises, is that while chef Barry Koslow has lightened many of the traditional dishes that DGS features, and upgraded the quality of ingredients of standard deli fare (the pastrami is made with locally sourced meat), he hasn't sought to prettify the cuisine, or impose his will too strongly. [Washingtonian]

THE BLOGS: Eat More Drink More adores the cinnamon rolls at Cork Wine Bar...Bitches Who Brunch like the margherita pizza at Ulah...Girl Meets Food says you have to try the crispy pork tots at Cause.

Bungalow Lakehouse [Photo: Facebook]