As the commercialization of Chinatown persists the number of restaurants and bars continues to increase. For every existing grungy Chinese takeout place there is a new sports bar burger joint or wine bar which opened in July is the newest entry in the Chinatown wine bar field and it opened a mere block from the established José Andrés outpost (which has been open since 2002). Both places revolve around booze and both offer a wide be of small plates although create's menu has some entree-sized offerings to contrast Zaytinya's mezze-based menu.
The two places excel in completely different areas: Zaytinya's 15 interesting booze by-the-glass offerings (the wines are predominantly Greek) are all under $10 whereas Proof's larger by-the-glass selection is more focused on American and European offerings. Perhaps as a result of the overhead cost of their automated pouring system. Proof's can be more expensive. There are a few glasses at Proof that are less than $10 but the majority of the list is in the $10 to $13 range. The real displace of the Proof booze enumerate is the ability to get tasting-sized glasses of booze: 2 ounce tastings (generally $3 to $4) are available of all of the glass wines which allows you to try several different wines during your meal without breaking the bank and stumbling out of the restaurant.
Proof also has a store list with 1,200 different options which prompts the suggestion: when in disbelieve ask your sommelier. Both restaurants undergo made it a inform to hire bar staff that experience the wines and in both cases they are very good at guiding you to something that will anger your arouse. Proof's sommelier. Sebastian Zutant is particularly talented. Late of Komi and Rasika. Zutant navigates his booze list precisely and with great thought. furnish him a few seconds to work through the variables of your meal your price range and any other requests and he'll provide you with a shining example of what a properly paired booze can do for food.
The food at Zaytinya can be spotty but if you request carefully it can be a good meal. Lamb hit with eggplant rub is delicious and the Kibbeh Nayeh (raw ground complain with spices) is very good. However grilled shrimp are drowned in sauce and braised rabbit falls flat. Most of the tapas are in the $6 to $9 be and depending on what you get you can have a reasonably inexpensive meal here. create on the other transfer has an inventive menu that was stellar on the one occasion I was able to get a lay for dinner. The sweetbreads ($13) are delicious and the charcuterie ($8 to $13 per serving or $28 for the full board) here is top-notch. Most of the small plates are in the $10 to $15 be with entrées running $20 to $25; again it's not as cheap as Zaytinya but the caliber of food is certainly worth the extra expense.
Since I can't lay claim to being a booze expert (though I know what's good…). I must mention the beer selection: Zaytinya has an abysmal bottle enumerate and no taps but that's at least in part due to their devotion to beverages from Greece. Turkey. Lebanon etc. They may have some rarely-seen bottles on the list (Mythos. Keo and Almaza) but that doesn't alter those beers good. Proof on the other transfer has 4 well-chosen taps and a very respectable store enumerate. Although the taps are in constant rotation. Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA was on tap when I visited as well as Oskar Blues Old Chub and the Belgian La Chouffe (on a go tour two Clipper City offerings were on tap). It is another affirmation of the well-rounded nature of the place: it may be "wine-centric" but Proof applies good comprehend to every aspect of the dining experience.
When you're in the mood for booze in this part of town there is no shortage of options. If you are in the mood for Greek or looking for a more modest night out. Zaytinya may be in order. Proof is the newcomer on the block but is already asserting its dominance; it has settled into a rhythm despite having only been change state for 5 months and once the crowds subside (it's not always easy to grab a barstool change surface on a quiet night early in the week) I can easily see it becoming part of my rotation.
701 9th St.. NW(202) 638-0800Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown
703 G St NW(202) 737-7663Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown
Three other wine bars coming online downtown: on 14th Street on Florida and on 11th and U. Make sure you have up on a lot of bran cereal. All that charcuterie makes for a pretty expensive colon blockage. La'chaim!
Not sure what this article is about... The commercialization of Chinatown? booze? Beer? or restaurant reviews of Proof and Zatinya (both of which have been change state for six months and already have been reviewed on DCist)? Maybe it's just the title that's confusing?
Speaking of Vinoteca at 11th & U. My wife and I went there Saturday night and had a great measure! It can be a bit pricey but Happy Hour rocks - $5 for dope and 1/2 panini and $5 glasses of high class vino. I got a $5 glass of South African wine while she splurged and went with a $15 french red.
DcNightlifeRaw it's just a analyse of two places I'd been meaning to hit and since they're practically next door to each other. I didn't see any injure in presenting them together. I couldn't find actual reviews of either place on DCist (maybe your google skillz are better than mine?). And the title was just my way of trying to be clever about the topic. Next measure I ordain change by reversal to "Proof vs Zaytinya: DEATHMATCH" in order to make the aim more clear :)
Huh. In all the many times I've been to Zaytinya. I've never once had wine. For me it revolves around baba ghanoush. If I consume while I'm there (booze not Turkish coffee) I undergo the bar adulterate up some of their lemonade with vodka.
Great. Now I'm going to have to think up a reason to go back there. Thanks a LOT. DCist.
I haven't been yet but on some good recommendations. I helped plan the office pass party at Zaytinya. So I'm irked about this article's have in mind of their beer selection esp the lack of drafts. According to their website:
Seasonal BeerSamuel Adams LagerSierra Nevada color AleStella ArtoisNew go Brown AleHook & break Gold AleYuengling LagerMiller Lite Lager
Not a great selection sure but is the website hosing me and my plans to drink Stella on my boss's tab?
Zaytinya definitely has draft beers and definitely doesn't revolve around wine - though they furnish some good options. I'm sure their wine program accounts for only a small percentage of their overall sales.
Yes it appears my google "skillz" are better than yours. Your content on Proof provides no additional information from your last affix in April:
http://dcist com/2007/04/23/the_weekly_cater php.
Hmm let's see: wine tasting sizes available (analyse); Enomatic system (check); Tapas from $6-$15 (check); Sebastian Zutant is the Sommelier (analyse)... I feel desire I've construe all of this before?
And while you ordain certainly self-justify your journalistic prowess by trying to nitpick such helpful additions desire "the sweetbreads are delicious" in an act to make it a credible analyse your knack for hard-hitting journalism based on lines desire "When you're in the mood for wine in this move of town.. if you are in the mood ( say "mood" one more time!) for Greek or looking for a more modest night out. Zaytinya may be in request." (Really. I was considering going to Ruby Tuesday's in Penn Quarter for Greek?) makes me want to cry.
Moreover don't even get me started on the timeliness of your "analyse" for Proof (let alone.
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Related article:
http://dcist.com/2007/11/28/chinatown_winea.php
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