Tom Sietsema Awards 2.5 Stars to Table in Shaw

Shaw's new Table restaurant is the focus of Tom Sietsema's most recent review, and the result is 2.5 stars.

...the flavors of which lean to the Mediterranean but are not slaves to that part of the map. Witness one night's flaky and buttery rafts of pastry decked out with sliced veal shoulder, wisps of greens, diced cucumbers and dabs of tart Greek yogurt. The first course is two tartlettes, and even if there's just one of you, you'll wish the plate held more. A silvery, tail-on sardine, kissed with olive oil, thyme and garlic, glides to the table on a nest of frisee and white beans. The composition is finished with a sunny mango-and-carrot sauce that takes you briefly to the tropics.

One anecdote from a non-critic customer who received poor service, however, gives him pause. "His meal had been greatly delayed so the staff could, as his waiter told him, make sure my tablemates and I had a positive experience. 'He literally said, 'That's the price you pay for a good review,'? Colburn reported in an e-mail. 'Needless to say, our jaws sort of hit the floor.'" [WaPo]

As for Sietsema's First Bite, Bart Vandaele's B Too is featured, where there is delicious cauliflower soup but subpar salmon. "The server recommends we finish dinner with 'anything with a waffle.' B Too's chocolate waffle with pistachio ice cream makes us glad we took her advice." [WaPo]

The $20 Diner hits the road and ends up in Sterling, where Tim Carman samples Akshaya's Indo-Chinese fare.

The vegetarian Hakka noodles look utterly unappetizing, an untidy plate of thin pasta strands laced with sliced bell peppers, onions, cabbage and carrots. It's the kind of plate that, on first glance, might cause a hardcore vegetarian to get his peppers in a twist over the kitchen's apparent contempt for his meatless diet. Then you dig in and discover the fresh, surprising crunch of the wok-tossed veggies; the creeping, lip-tingling heat; even the deep, savory flavors imparted by the seasoned wok itself. [WaPo]

Tyler Cowen visits Annandale's Parrillas del Sur and calls it "One of the two or three best Bolivian places around and more consistent than most." [TC]

Northern Virginia Magazine's Stefanie Gans visits Bobby's Burger Palace on opening day and finds that she's all about the burger. "I'm under no obligation to say this, but holy, I loved this burger. I was surprised, to be honest. The double cheese completely encased the meat, which arrived soft and pink, my favorite texture." [NoVa Mag]

THE BLOGS: Eat More Drink More samples bacon and Gruyere brioche at the new BakeHouse...DMV Dining loves just about everything at Rasika West End...Lindsey Out Loud offers a very enthusiastic review of DGS Delicatessen.