review of sietsema's review of 2941. tom sietsema recently wrote a review on the newly-relaunched 2941 ("miscalculations mar the made-over 2941"). i sent the following email to him to discuss his review and he quickly responded:
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hi barry,
your thoughtful, detailed (and civil!) missive merits more of a response than i can respond to right now -- i'm about to board a plane in mumbai -- but i truly appreciate your feedback. readers like you remind me why i love my job so much.
best regards,
tom
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from that response i thought he would continue the dialogue later. i wrote a few times to follow up and did not hear back. this is my original review (march 25, 2012).
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tom, i know you have a tough job, but somebody has to do it!
but i think you missed the point. to turn a phrase attributed to james carville, "it's the economy, stupid." do not take umbrage at that, but rather help us better understand the bottom line of your review. should we go to 2941 or not? and of course, the answer in my humble opinion is a screaming "yes!"
the original 2941 of krinn and early chemel is no longer. that is a fact. had that 2941 tried to continue, this incredible culinary oasis would have been on its last legs and gasping. but instead chef chemel and the management team planned a bold move, took a huge risk, and succeeded in a dynamic re-invention. the bottom line is that the thousands of us who cherished this "little piece of new york in northern virginia" for a decade still have the restaurant we can enjoy for decades to come.
i think that deep down you agree with me and i truly understand "some" of your comments. i miss the old 2941 in many respects, but i accept and champion the change. the old menu, while presenting fabulous dishes, was limiting from a food enjoyment perspective. the "left side" of apps and entrees limited a diner to only trying a couple of chef chemel's incredible creations. our family favored the "right side" because the tasting menu let us enjoy as many of chef chemel's dishes as possible. and what better reason to eat at 2941! many folks looked at 2941 as a special occasion restaurant, which is certainly was and still is, but just that cannot sustain a viable business in our current tough economy.
i frankly think the re-formatted menu is brilliant. think about it this way. instead of planning dinner at 2941 as a big deal and putting on a coat and tie, we are now comfortable just stopping in after work with the menu flexibility that will fit our mood of the day. i do not know who came up with "nosh, next, noodles, need and naughty" but i am impressed with this approach. what it means is that this time you might want to have one of each, next time two noodles and a need, or maybe just a couple of nosh and next on another evening. but always you should save room for any of chef caitlin's naughty selections!
might there be moments of inconsistency - that was your observation - well, of course. but our experience, having tried nearly every dish at least once and many several times, is the cuisine is already being refined with even more sophisticated nuances and layering of flavors. chef chemel and his brigade have already elevated their cuisine through this initial winter menu, and we can't wait for the spring menu any day now - hint, hint!
am i happy with the new décor - no, not all of it. i prefer the simpler look of the wooden table tops and don't really miss the table cloths. but then again we dine there for the incredible cuisine and the warm hospitality of the service team, not the furnishings. does everyone have the same serviceexperienceas we do, perhaps not, but it is a two-way street. a professional service team will read your mood and work to respect that - and maybe that can lead to an impression of stiff formality or unease that is not actually intended. but now you can relax in the new 2941 and enjoy the same friendly and engaging service that we truly appreciate. back to the décor - i also do not understand what they were thinking - the blue wall, the sheet stainless, and the very un-2941 artwork. but as i said before, we come for the food!
and speaking of why we come to 2941, the bar is now truly a destination, not just a waypoint. chef chemel's cuisine (dining room and bar menus) paired with one of the finest wine lists in the entire dc metro region and the cocktail artistry of sommelier jonathan schuyler is one of the highlights of the new 2941. just do it - and you will understand and make it a regular experience.
tom, it is evident that you are a fan of chef chemel's cuisine from your very insightful descriptions of some of his dishes. here are a few other innovative highlights that none of us saw coming. the cocktail sauce served with the oysters at the bar - raised as a southerner in charleston i have had gallons of the standard fare - but this was so incredibly fresh and unexpected we were eating it with a spoon rather than let any waste. daffy burger - yes, duck and foie in a flavor blend that would encourage you to have lunch in the dining room followed immediately by dinner at the bar just so you could make sure you were not imagining this incredible taste. the pheasant & foie rillette comes at you from a totally different direction, every bite delicious, and you begin to grasp the culinary greatness of chef chemel. rather than hand wringing with the challenges of an old 2941, he reinvented an already incredible diningexperienceand produced a fresher, more inviting menu. this is still his soul on a plate.
okay, enough said - i think i have been clear that to me the new 2941 is a very special restaurant, and we are generally delighted with the transformation - still the superb food of chef chemel and a great service team that is doing a very good job of adapting to a totally new and inviting dining experience. that seems to also be obvious to the nearly full dining room and bar that we have seen even in mid-week. folks can take their chances, but we still recommend calling ahead for the dining room and coming early for a seat at the bar. from our impression, this re-launch is delighting lots of folks throughout the area, and the future looks spectacular for the new 2941.
barry