El Torogoz

[from the Publisher]

I've been hearing recently that El Torogoz restaurant (4231 9th St) has seemed quite slow. This despite the fact that most people have generally good things to say about the place. Anyone have thoughts, comments, experiences about why they might be struggling?

Obviously El Torogoz and Domku (as well as Temperance Hall and Yoga House when they open in September) are early test-cases of the Petworth market. I'm sure other entrepreneurs are watching and waiting to see how they do.

Bill Crandall

Comments

[Frisel]

www.eltorogozrestaurant.com

Wow! the El Torogoz restaurant is very nice, clean,the staff is very friendly, and the food is out of this world. I like the flowers on the tables it gives a profesional look to the restaurant. I would definitely go back to El Torogoz!!

I'm glad they now have a website so I can check the menu online and know what I want when I get to the restaurant.

[mjbrox]

A bakery with sandwiches and coffee on the 200 block of Upshur Street would be great.

The project manager of the aparment building at 2nd and Upshur was asking me if I knew any good places for him to pick up coffee for his guys. I recommended he try Domku.

There is definitly a market in our neigborhood. One of my neighbors was telling me that the store on Upshur used to sell fresh cut meat and seafood. Now the meat case is filled with BS hot dogs and 40's.

The store at 3rd and Upshur is not very inviting but the people who run it are nice.

When my friends ask what my area is like, I tell them it is like living in the middle of an Urban Nowhere. There are tons of houses but no stores.

[Joseph Martin]

This discussion illustrates that there is a market for more sit-down restaurants in the area. And how nice it will be when area carry-outs and liquor stores feel safe enough to remove the unwelcoming, ugly, bullet-resistant shields. What a statement about the neighborhood's past (we hope) are those things!

We all can do our part by keeping the pressure on the city to fix broken sidewalks, keep our streets well-lit and safe and clean.

There are legitimate complaints about Domku here, AJS, like unreasonably slow and inattentive service. I'm a fan of Domku saying that, and Kera, the owner, has asked me about service.

Domku isn't an all-purpose diner, and Kera doesn't want it to be.

I have already spoken to Constantine Stavropolous, owner of Tryst and The Diner in Adams Morgan, Andy Shallal, owner of Cafe Luna, Luna Grille, Skewers and Mimi's Bistro, and others about considering Petworth. I know Ken Rubotsky would like to open a bakery on the 200 block of Upshur Street. Andy and Constantine are busy opening up new places. I urged them to pass the word on.

With more apartment/condo buildings slated for Georgia Avenue and other changes occurring in Petworth, the restaurants, cafes and more shops will come.

If there are budding entrepreneurs interested, there are many of us who want to be helpful and supportive.

Joseph Martin
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/anc4c09
202-309-1817 cell

[AJS]

Boy, this is a tough bunch of restaurant critics. I think Domku is a really great restaurant -- that it's located in Petworth is just a tremendous dose of icing on the cake. I know people all over the DC are who are coming to Petworth just to eat at Domku.

The service has been fine every time I've eaten there and the food has been excellent. Some of the portion sizes are small, it's true, but until they correct that you can work around it by trying some of their delicious soups and salads. Frankly, I don't see why so many seem to be upset.

[mjbrox]

Speaking of overpriced good food. Colorado Kitchen was a big disappointment.

[Alexey]

I do not know if El Torogoz recieved the licence, but they sure serve liquor.

[Erin]

I agree about portion size at Domku. The first few times I went there I was impressed with the attractive space and was happy with the portion/price (value) of the grilled cheese sandwich and the grits bake. But in subsequent trips I ventured elsewhere on the menu and was always disappointed. I always thought the food was good, just that it cost too much for what I actually got, taking into account that entrees do not come with side dishes and that no bread or other starter is served, etc.

I realized that I was disappointed in Domku because I really wanted it to be a neighborhood joint, so to speak -- a place that one might go to frequently for an inexpensive drink, sandwich, or salad (more like Tryst or Wonderland), but that the management is going for something different -- something more like a specialty restaurant. So maybe we are giving it a hard time because we want it to be something that it is not?

In any event, goodness knows restaurants are in short supply in Petworth, so it would be a shame to lose one of the few that we have.

BTW, does anyone know whether El Torogoz ever received their liquor license?

[mjbrox]

WOW! there are so many comments about Domku. It sounds like every one likes, but it just needs some minor changes.

I hope this disscusion gets back to both resturant owners. Hopefully they will not take it personal.

[Alexey]

Since this discussion started to include Domku as well, I thought I would add my 2 cents.

Domku has nice atmosphere, which makes it a great place to hang out. If you want to actually eat something, however, it is a different story. Domku has by far the smallest portions of any restaurant I tried in DC. I ate there a couple of times, and always left hungry. Same story with all my friends who tried Domku. So, in terms of per calorie costs, Domku is an extremely expensive place.

It is just strange – it would not cost them much extra to make kielbasa sandwich a couple inches longer…

Anyway, I still go there just to socialize and have a beer, but I do not order any food.

[stuart]

And, when your dinner arrives 2 hours later and cold, you certainly shouldn't have to listen to the owner tell you, in a bored, annoyed voice, that "it's busy" when you are one of three filled tables in the restaurant on a Wednesday.

I'm sorry to pile on here, because god knows I REALLY wanted to love Domku. But I have to say - I am not a high-maintenance-required guy, but my experience there made me so angry that I am never going back.

[Arland Hunt]

Service definitely needs to improve and that doesn't cost money. Prompt and frequent attention to customers is crucial. You shouldn't have to ask for a glass of water. You shouldn't have to work at making eye contact with staff, and then shouldn't have to track down a waiter or waitress to ask for a napkin and silverware after your food's arrived on the table. All basic stuff.

[Cliff]

I will try El Torgoz, but I am done with Domku. I've given it three chances and every time the service and food was terrible, not to mention very expensive. Thats too bad because I love the atmosphere and think it could be a great breakfast place at the very least. I will check out El Torogoz now that I know about it. Thanks

[Baz]

My El Torogoz experience wasn't bad. The TV would only bother me if they were showing a latin soap opera; mostly soccer is televised.

My only regret is the hooker/prostitute who came in the only 2 times I've been there. And it wouldn't have been so bad, but she made a point of disturbing our meal. I told the waitress that I wouldn't come back if SHE was there.

Other than that, the food was good. I won't return on a friday due to the hooker though.

[Alexey]

It is a very nice restaurant. Good food, fast and friendly service. However, when we were there, the music was playing very loudly. They quieted it down on our request, but it was still too loud for Friday evening dinner time.

Nevertheless, I will try it again. Really liked those fajitas.

[Kevin Morton]

Son-

You shouldn't mess with librarians...many have and all have lived to regret it. "Hole in the wall" is not a bad thing. I think the definition fits El Torogoz very well and says nothing bad about the place. In fact, I'd say the phrase is generally used in a positive description of a place.

hole in the wall
n. pl. holes in the wall
A small, very modest, often out-of-the-way place.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000

Kevin
Petworth's Favorite Librarian

[Son]

I [heart] el Torogoz! They take great pride and care in the preparation of their dishes but I have never had to endure an exhaustive wait for the service. In fact the service there is amazing - speedy, friendly and attentive. Best of all, the place sparkles. A hole in the wall it is not!

I'm there almost on a weekly basis. The times I've dined there, I have found, at most, two tables of diners present and one or two patrons at the bar, but I think they do a brisk takeout business at their walk-up counter adjacent to the dining room. The folks there are so friendly and accomodating and I have to commend them for putting up with my attempts to practice mi espanol alla.

The papusa, para mi, is how I rate how good a Salvadorean restaurant, and at el Torogoz, it's top notch. The chicharron y queso (pork and cheese combo) papusa is a must-have aperitivo. The dough is crispy brown from the melted cheese and the inside is savory, packed with seasoned pulled pork and oozes with just the right amount of melted white cheese. The crisp cabbage slaw that accompanies it has the right amount of viniagrette (not too tart) and is fresh and crunchy. Best of all it's only $1.50!

While I was sceptical about seeing Italian offerings at a Salvadorean establishment, I was wildly impressed by their pasta dishes... in particular the spaghetti with salmon in a mushroom, vodka cream sauce. Amazing! The pasta was perfectly al dente and the cream sauce was worthy of the finest downtown restaurants. It was served in a gigantic plate almost the width of my table and was not even $10!

Their soft tacos are fantasticly fresh. They double up the flour torillas so while the menu describes it as a plate of 3 tacos, you actually have enough on your plate to make yourself 6!

And my favorite dish of all has got to be the roasted chicken. The quarter and half portions are more than enough to satisfy you. The herb marinade on them is wonderful, almost provencale, that I am guilty of devouring the herb-encrused skin without remorse.

While the TVs may be a distraction for some, as someone who is studying Spanish I appreciate the immersion of the language and culture. I have managed to find the perfect seat which allows me to hold a conversation with my friends, enjoy the strangely picturesque view of the traffic on Georgia and Kansas Aves and occassionally tune into a World Cup qualifying match.

I was told that they do plan to add an outdoor patio in the front but are awaiting the permits for it. Certainly has a great space for it.

So I highly recommend dropping by El Torogoz sometime and enjoy this hidden Petworth gem. It's certainly a great value and if you find yourself in the neighorhood during the day, you can always find a parking space in front of the restaurant and it's only 25 cents/hour! You can't even find metered parking that cheap on Main Street USA.

[Joseph Martin]

Cast your vote: Doesn't it resemble Lord Crandall's estate on Taylor, east of (New) Hampshire?

[Joseph Martin]

There is in England, in Sussex, a great manor home (estate) by the name of Petworth. I don't know if we're their stepchild. There is also a village nearby by the same name.

See:
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/places/petworth/

JM

[Amy J]

Bill thanks for the background, and Denise thank you for the other website.

[Denise]

Amy-

This website has a listing of restaurants and other businesses in Petworth and also links to articles about Petworth history.

http://petworthdc.net/

[mjbrox]

I think the problem is that it is so small, and the TVs make it seem trashy. They would do themselves a huge favor if they got Rid of the TVs and spruced up the front. It is not even clear which door is the door to get into the dining room.

[Bill]

Petworth was built mostly after 1910 or so, was mostly white (many Jewish and Irish) middle-class until the 1950's, when it became mostly black middle-class over the course of several years. That's a whole other discussion.

This is actually the first chance Petworth has ever had to be successfully mixed. (I think the name comes from an estate in England)

For the record, yes, the business listings on the Petworth News homepage are paid listings.

Bill.

[Amy J]

It wasn't until El Torogoz was brought up on the website that I even heard of the restaurant. I would love to frequent these places--in fact one of my few complaints since moving to this area is I don't know of any good places in the neighborhood to bring my friends for dinner. Is it possible to post a list of the restaurants/shops that are in Petworth? Or does a list like this already exist? I know Domku is listed here, is it because they pay for advertising space?

Also on another note, sorry to post on an unrelated topic, but does anyone know about the history of Petworth? Who were the original residents, where does the name come from etc. I get more questions on the uniqueness of Petworth's name, and I would like more information so I can pass it on. Thanks!

[Kevin Morton]

Great minds think alike, Bill....I was asking myself the same question a few days ago.

I have become totally addicted to their salmon salad. Having used only the takeout service, I can't really comment on the dining room service. Also, being a salmon salad addict, I have not sampled a lot of the menu. Everything I have eaten, though, has been decent to very good. Also, the people I've encountered who work at the restaurant have been very pleasant. If I hadn't heard good things about the place, I must say, I don't know if I would have ever just walked in off the street . Now, I love a hole in wall , generally more than the next guy, but the owners of this place need to sit down in front of the TV and watch a few episodes of "Curb Appeal" on HGTV. I'm not talking about a huge, expensive landscaping project....just couple of afternoons of yard work and $200 or $300 would go a long way toward making the place more inviting and noticeable from the street. Getting rid of the bank of half a dozen DPW Supercans in the front, alone, would be a great improvement.

Any thoughts on the appropriateness of offering these sorts of suggestions to the restaurant's owners?

[Joseph Martin]

I've always gotten friendly, attentive, prompt service at El Torogoz and the quality of the food has been good.

I'm no fan of having a TV blaring when I go into a restaurant, and the staff has been responsive and friendly to my requests about that. The owner, Mr. Jaramillo (if my memory is correct about his name), is extremely warm and welcoming.

Thanks for the reminder to support El Torogoz, one of the few, decent, sit-down restaurants in the neighborhood. I would like to see them there for a long time. That stretch of 9th Street has potential for an outdoor cafe or two. Thoughts anyone?

As for Domku and its service, Kera Carpenter, the owner, and Eric Evans, the chef, are open to hearing customers' comments. They acknowlege their challenges.

Please do let your thoughts be known. We want Domku to succeed.

The weekend before last Domku experienced extremely busy nights. I'll admit that I was extremely unhappy with the wait and hope to see improvements when they are that busy.

I've been back since, not on weekend nights, and received prompt service.

Now if we could just get bigger portions on some of the menu's selections... More chips, salad with my grilled cheese. Hmmmm.

Joe Martin
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/anc4c09