Rhodeside Grill and Elephant & Castle
Yes, even more than you wanted to know about French Dips. After my marvelous dippin' trip in Minneapolis, when an out of town colleague suggested lunch at Elephant & Castle, I already knew that I was going to have the French Dip (aka Beef Dip) which I'd had there once before on an earlier visit.
To keep the Dip theme, I'm adding another local Washington area Dip review, from Arlington-based, Rhodeside Grill.
For those of you who missed the previous post, here are some of my criteria for a goood
What makes a good French Dip? 1) A nice, thick, chewy roll that can soak up the au jus; 2) thin-sliced, extra lean beef, tender and well done; 3) a deeply flavorful au jus, accented in some way (pepper, garlic) that compliments the beef flavor; 4) a nice side (pickle, slaw, fries).
Dip One: Rhodeside Grill
I'm starting this post with my dip experience at Rhodeside Grill. Located near my house, Rhodeside Grill is a fairly regular dining spot. For the past few visits there, I've been sticking with their French Dip sandwich.
Rhodeside has been in this same location on Wilson Blvd. for a number of years now (replacing a Chinese restaurant as I recall). Among the highlights of the decor are some lovely murals of local scenes in Arlington by noted artist Thomas Mullaney. There's also a vibrant bar scene and a few outdoor seats for when weather permits.
One slight bad memory of the Rhodeside Grill was from 2007 when I tripped over the handicap ramp on the way to the restroom and sprained my ankle (I had to be taken out by ambulance! Quite exciting!).
Overall the food is pretty good. The French Dip is nice (pictured above), meat sliced just right, good roll, tasty dip, and served with some nice slaw on the side. A nice, servicable dip!
Rhodeside Grill
Meal: Dinner
Rating: ***
Date: 18 September 2008
Address: 1836 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22201
Website: http://rhodesidegrill.homestead.com/
Dip Two: Elephant & Castle
Well, how to put it? I know, let's start with the place and then get to the Dip.
Elephant & Castle is a chain (started in Toronto) of faux British pubs. Those of you familiar with a British pub will realize soon after stepping inside, the faux part.
Located in what had been a TGI Friday's for many years, the Washington Elephant & Castle is located in a prominent spot on Pennsylvannia Ave. and popular for both lunch and dinner with local office workers as well as tourists. In addition to a pretty large dinning area, there is a large bar, popular with the after-work crowd.
On this lunch occaison, the restaurant was pretty full, both indoors and on the outside area. Our group of five was seated after a brief wait (though it took a long time for the host to actually appear).
Service was excellent with a bottomless glass of ice tea regularly refilled.
But what about the Dip? Well, sad to say, it was not very good. The problems? The beef was cut much too thick and was a bit gristly and fatty. The dip itself was bland to just salty liquid. I selected the side-salad option (over fries - no slaw option) which was fine. On the plus side, accompanied by a nice large pickle.
So, am I missing some culinary distinction between the "French" and "Beef" dip? Does "Beef" mean thick cut beef and more fat? If so, viva la France!
Elephant & Castle
Meal: Lunch
Rating: *
Date: 16 April 2009
Address: 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20004
Website: http://www.elephantcastle.com/
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