I am a little surprised, but Lemongrass has a ton of space then I have not seen used. IMHO Tsunami's food was much better, but didn't fit into the traditional Baltimore style of food.
Lemongrass IMO is just "ok."

When can we stop calling the area Little Italy since it seems like there are the same amount if not more other restaurants that are not Italian?

When can we stop calling the area Little Italy

Lemongrass/Tsunami is not in Little Italy (nor did EL say it was). It's across Central Avenue, east of Little Italy.

When can we stop calling the area Little Italy?

Ummm...Pigs no longer runs through the streets of Pigtown, yet the name continues...much to the consternation of those who advocate the name "Washington Heights"

When can we stop calling the area Little Italy?

It ain't in Little Italy, it's a freakin boundary deal here, it don't matter whether there's little italians runnin around or not. Across Central Ave is projects and ghetto and that ain't Little Italy. Who the f wants to go to the edge of the projects at night? Not freakin sushi eatin doilies that's who.

I presume you actually mean "Aussie pub theme" and didn't mean to imply that they meant to brew their own beer there. If you get any indication that it's actually to bee a brewpub, get back to me ASAP!

Just passing along the e-mail gossip I got. Stay tuned for when I talk to someone who actually knows. EL

RoCK... that would be "Washington Village", which sounds very generic.

How about the Village of Washington? Kind of like that prison camp on Falls Road. :) Porkville? Oinkytown, as in Why Don't You Take Me to ... Oinkytown ... Oinkytown! Word to your pig.

It's no wonder Tsunami didn't make it. There was only one comment about it here before you veered off into randomness.

It was just a few blocks from my house, but I never went there. I never heard any street buzz about the food, just that the beer was too expensive. I take that back. When they first opened, I heard the same thing numerous times: Not as good as the one in Annapolis. I think that perception or reality doomed them from day 1. I had no interest in trying out a place that was inferior to its own brand. There was no love. Were they the ones who never got their web site up and running? Unthinkable for a place like that. I never hear anything about Lemon Grass either. Of course I don't hang around with people who drink $14 mango martinis.

I live in Little Italy and go to Lemongrass all the time. Never stepped foot in Tsunami, though. Guess I missed that boat. Lemongrass is great, and since it's always crowded, my love affair with the crispy string bean appetizer is safe for the time being I think.

I'm not surprised. I've been to Tsunami a number of times. At happy hour the taps were 1/2 price. Not bad. And they had some deeply discounted sushi at happy hour. But it was always inferior sushi. For about the same price, there were any number of other sushi joints to visit with better food. The interior was nice, but then Ra opened and in all matters, from website, to interior, to food to specials, out did Tsunami. It's kind of a shame tho.... I loved that the space wasn't a new building, but a warehouse converted.

Down here we call it "Ville de Porc". It sounds klassier, hon.

We stopped by Tsunami for Restaurant Week back in August, and I really liked it. The neighborhood is iffy though. I lived (at the time) in the 1900 block of Bank (Tsunami is at 1300ish) and didn't want to walk the 6 blocks there because of the projects. That's a physical obstacle, with no real answer (I don't believe in tearing them down just so I can get to another yuppie restaurant without driving and parking), and probably why it didn't do too well. That block was a little ahead of it's time as Harbor East North (to address the not-Little Italy comment).

Wow, as if Tsunami wasn't bad enough with sushi, they will now have the oxymoronic title of an Aussie Brewpub? Budweiser clones for everyone!

Would an "Aussie Brewpub" serve vegamite sandwiches?

Would an "Aussie Brewpub" serve vegamite sandwiches?

And charge for them? Oy think naught mite.

I prefer to drink my vegemite. And yes, I think my tax dollars would be better served tearing down the projects so that Kate can walk to the new Aussie Brewpub. Maybe they will call it Boomerangs??? I used to hate that place. Come to think of it, I don't really like Aussies that much.

Tsunami won't be missed by me. It is the only place I have ever seen lettuce in a sushi roll. Weird.

Maybe if diners were more in touch with Tsunami, they would know that Tsunami had half price sushi and draft beer on Thursdays from 5-7pm. You can't beat those prices!!!! We always found parking directly across from the restaurant and while it is in a bad part of town, never had any problems. We are going to miss Tsunami in Baltimore!!!

Stay tuned. The special may be offered at Lemongrass when its new sushi bar is opened. EL

Maybe if diners were more in touch with Tsunami ...

And how would a diner be in touch with Tsunami? Through their web site? Oh yeah, they don't have one. Not my job to be in touch with them.

M Hibou, I do get a monthly or so e-mail from Brasserie Tatin (prix fixe of the month options include cassoulet), so I guess they stay in touch with me.

But, the idea of being in touch with a business is kind of creepy. I keep in touch with old friends. Not with a restaurant.

Exactly Lissa. Okay here's the plan. We beat the crap out the (probably English guy) who came up with gastrointestinalpub, then we gather our bligilantes and take care of that FreeCreditReport.Com guy and then it's on to Comcast Katie ("Hi, it's Katie again. I was just laying on the couch eating chips and dip trying to pick my singles vacation cruise from the freakin' TV ...) I can't wait for manopause to be angry. Tonight we ride!

I have Comcast down here but haven't been subjected to that Katie commercial, yet.

f-r-e-e-creditreport-dot-com-baybee!

yeah, he's gotta go.

I'm with ya, Owl Dude.

Don't know where to put this, so here is as good as anywhere. Had dinner at Bicycle this evening. They have a prix fixe special this week through Open Table (as do a few other places).

The hostess was warm, professional and welcoming. The service had a few errors (such as not having the correct silverware for any course when the course was delivered), but was ok, if a bit sloppy, until dessert, when he started ignoring us. Putting silverware in the "we're done" position didn't work. Pushing the plates aside didn't work. Putting my wallet on the table didn't work. When I tried to talk to him after he finished with the table next to us, he turned his back and ran off.

Now, I've waited tables for a living, so I'll cut wait staff a good bit of slack, but this was weird. And unacceptable. He started out fine.

The food was interesting. My friend liked it more than I did. The corn crab soup didn't hang together quite as well as it could have. Then again, it rather surprised me, as I was expecting something subtle (my fault, I think), and this soup wasn't (not that assertive isn't fine). My steak was tasty, properly rare, well seasoned and well sauced, yet it had a lot of gristle. The side of macaroni and cheese was the most amazing mac and cheese I've ever had. It was creamy, tasty and crispy on top. Just wonderful. The mocha cake was rich and pleasantly tasty, but the piece was way too big (I know...too much chocolate, how odd).

So...interesting. The chef has an assertive and busy style, which worked for me at times and didn't work for me at other times. The plainest thing I had (the mac and cheese) was, by far the best. The 1970's avocado green walls were amusing, but it sure was chilly by those windows.

I'm not sure if I'm just not hip enough for this place or if there are problems. I sure wasn't bored. I wish I could just get a big plate of that mac and cheese.

I just heard that Lime on Fort Avenue might be closing... anyone else heard that?

Thanks for the intel. I'll check it out. EL

Lissa, one (ok, of many) things that annoys me in restaurants is when I cannot track down the server to get my check. The little demon in my head keeps whispering to me "get up and leave, I bet then, they chase you with the check". I have at times walked up to the maitre d, seater, cashier (who's ever in the front) and said "I'd love to pay the check if you can find my server and get it from them!" I would think they'd love to get me out of there so that they could have another table.

Lissa, maybe your server found out that you were looking for a new place to hide the bodies.

One common reason for invisible waitrons is the smoke break. Sometimes it seems like some servers take a work break in between smoking.

One reason I would never date someone who smokes is because I would never be the most important person in the room. Smokers are always thinkng about the next cigarette. I didn't say I always need to be the most important person in the room, but it would be nice to think that you are in a one on one situation. And so you should feel like your needs are more important than your server's when you dine in a nice restaurant.

I wonder what the incidence of smoking is among servers? I would guess about 3-4 times that of the general population, maybe 60-80%. It's staggering.

Owlie, a smoke break I could understand. But, he was working all the other tables in the room, in between disappearances.

I don't smoke, and I'm always thinking about the next cigarette. It'll be right after my next drink, probably.