Tom Sietsema Says Old Angler's Inn is Good Again

Tom Sietsema heads to Old Angler's Inn for this week's review, and says the restaurant has a promising new direction under chef Nick Palermo.

Cross the Prime Rib downtown with 1789 in Georgetown, and you get a sense of what to expect at the made-over Old Angler's Inn: a classic restaurant where no one has to shout to be heard and where "Days of Wine and Roses" is apt to serenade you as you spoon into a vichyssoise or slurp oysters on the half-shell.

Sietsema says the restaurant's pastas and fish dishes are successful, and awards the place two stars. [WaPo]

Meanwhile, the critic has even more praise for Roberto's 4, a chef's table experience within Roberto Donna's Al Dente restaurant. In fact, Sietsema says it's the best meal he's had all year.

The whimsical touches bring to mind the artistry of French chef Michel Richard and Spanish maestro Jose Andres. Say that aloud at Roberto's 4, with Donna just feet away, and the compliment is greeted with an outsize frown from the animated chef. (I think the sulk is play-acting.)

For the $20 Diner column, Tim Carman heads to Little Ricky's in Brookland, which he finds to be a little inconsistent.

The food itself, however, has never consistently elevated my mood. After one visit, I'm singing Navarro's praises for brightening his tostones and chicharrones appetizer with a garnish of subtly piquant onions. The next visit, I'm wondering if the chef has broken off his relationship with salt and spice. A number of plates, while savory to the eye, fall flat on the tongue. [WaPo]

Don Rockwell's review this week is of Raouche Cafe in Merrifield.

I wish I had something else earth-shattering to write about our meal, but sometimes, "ordinary" is about as much as you can say about a restaurant, and please bear in mind that ordinary does not mean "bad." Raouche Cafe was okay, and nothing more than that – fair value for the money.

The critic also tries out TakEatEasy, and loves their famed Chivito sandwich. [DR]

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