Tom Sietsema Gives Two Stars to DGS Delicatessen

Tom Sietsema awarded two stars to DGS Delicatessen this week, lauding it for its ambition (and chopped liver), but warning it can be sterile and loud.

Not everything leaving the kitchen is equal, or consistent, but much of the food in these early months is promising. You can't call yourself a Jewish deli if you don't serve matzo ball soup, so here it is, full of flavor from its pale golden chicken stock and supporting a centerpiece of surprising fluffiness. How does it maintain its shape yet be so light? The chef isn't saying. [WaPo]

Chances are you'll like what he likes to make. His crusty crab cake, mostly seafood and easy on the Old Bay seasoning, would taste at home in Baltimore. A bed of sweet potato hash and a ring of jalapeno remoulade make the entree even more special. In the dark of winter, Vaden's beef bourguignon, luscious bites of meat and porcini mushrooms in a glossy red-wine sauce, calls to me most. [WaPo]

Todd Kliman loves the pickle-brined fried chicken and unique pot pies at Bryan Voltaggio's Family Meal, but repeat visits make him want the same dishes rather than the other items he tries.

A week later I returned for dinner, and what had seemed a clever, minimalist piece of adaptive reuse in the daytime—the restaurant is in a former Nissan dealership—felt chilly (literally: I asked that the heat be turned up) and cheerless when the sun went down. From the parking lot, the restaurant at night exudes the lonely air of Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks." [Washingtonian]

Don Rockwell has a busy week. He tries a new sandwich at Stachowski's, finds Family Meal "wonderful, delightful and terrific", calls DGS "one of the best restaurants that Dupont Circle has ever seen" and ranks Amoos Kabob as the #2 restaurant in McLean. He has this to say about Monty's Steakhouse in Springfield:

As I walked to the table, I looked at people's food, and knew that I was going to probably like this restaurant quite a bit, and I was right. There's a lot to choose from on this front-and-back page menu, and while some people were having burgers (which looked terrific, and provide an inexpensive alternative in a casual fine dining atmosphere), most people were there for a steak, and so were we. [DR]

The Washington Post's Good to Go Column zeroes in on food truck Tokyo in the City.

The rolls here thumb their noses at traditionalism. The Gangnam Style ($10) is filled with thinly sliced Korean beef bulgogi, stalks of fried asparagus, cuke spears, avocado and a few disappointingly brown-tipped lettuce leaves. Gleaming orbs of orange roe and microscopic tempura crumbs speckle the sticky white rice that's zigzagged with sweet sauce. [WaPo]

THE BLOGS: New Columbia Heights enjoys chicken tacos and rice and beans at Pollimio...DC Wrapped Dates reports that Bobby's Burger Palace can deliver a decent burger...Bitches Who Brunch recommend Protein Bar as a healthy breakfast option.