600!

Having finally found The Smoking Swine food truck and getting to my 599th Triple D visit, I was ready to get to my 600th Triple D visit!  Guy visited a few places in DC that I had been saving so that I could do my 600th at one of them and invite friend to help me celebrate.

There was one place that I had really wanted to visit as soon as I saw their Triple D episode.  "The Carving Room Kitchen and Bar" is in NW Washington DC at the corner of 4th and Massachusetts Avenue and I sent an email asking if they would be interested in hosting a group of about 15 for my 600th on a Saturday night.  A few days later they responded and said that they would love to host my 600th visit.  As the day approached I had planned to drive into DC and park on the street near the restaurant but as the day approached there were reports of rallies or protests in the city so I decided to meet with some friends in the Tyson's area and take the Metro to the Judiciary Square Metro stop, which is only about a 4 or 5 minute walk to the restaurant.

The Carving Room is a medium sized restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating.  The owners Rachel and Oded set up a special table for us and put up balloons around the table and also had special gold balloon sped into the number 600, a really nice surprise.  They greeted us as we entered the restaurant and made all of us feel at home.

The entrance to The Carving Room on 4th Street in DC

The "Guy Ate Here" pan in the open kitchen area of the restaurant

I was so flattered that my friends came to help me celebrate this milestone visit.  Dave, Sue, Barry, Nancy, Trish, Stephanie, Amy are special friends that have become great friends that I see throughout the year and they are very special to me.  Phil is a friend that I haven't seen since high school and have been wanting to do a Triple D visit with.  One of my Triple D Facebook friends, whom I have never met in person before came from New Jersey to help celebrate, I was flattered that Sebastian and Karen came, this was Seb's 390th Triple D visit.

Sebastian and Karen came from New Jersey to help celebrate

The Carving Room specializes in all types of meats everything is made in house, On their episode they made their famous Cigar appetizers and also featured some of their cured meat sandwiches and fresh cut hamburgers.  All of us at the table decided to get a couple of orders of the Cigar appetizers, which are cigar shaped spring rolls stuffed with all types of the meats they cure on site.  Each order had six cigars, 2 stuffed with Chorizo with a salsa dipping sauce, 2 stuffed with Corned Beef with a Russian Dressing dipping sauce and 2 Classic that were filled with Moroccan ground beef with a Lemon Yogurt dipping sauce. All were delicious and the Chorizo had a nice spice bite.  

The Carving Room's Cigar Combination Appetizer

All of us then ordered from the restaurants huge choice of sandwiches with at least a dozen sides to choose from.  I chose the Roast Lamb on Ciabatta with Bacon-Cheese fries on the side and a pickeled veggie garnish.  Everyone tried something different and it all looked delicious! My sandwich was great!  It had pickled cucumbers, pickled onions and a lemon yogurt sauce, which didn't overpower the sandwich but enhanced it.  The huge portion of fries were excellent!  Everyone just raved about their meal.

My meal at The Carving Room

One of the other sandwiches

Another of the great sandwiches at The Carving Room

As we were finishing Oded and Rachel came over to see how we enjoyed everything and I got both of them along with our server Alicia to sign my Triple D book.   I was also able to get one of the other restaurant diners to take pictures of our group.

Amy, Stephanie and me

Sebastian and I

Our group, a special group!

From Left to right - Nancy, Trish, Stephanie, Phil, me, Amy, Barry, Sue, Karen and Sebastian

Just before we left Oded and Rachel presented me with a T-shirt from The Carving Room and a beautiful carving board labeled "Bill's 600th Triple D visit at The Carving Room Kitchen and Bar".

What a great surprise, it's a gift that I will always treasure!

The Carving Board given to me by The Carving Room Kitchen and Bar to commemorate my 600th Triple D visit

I love the board!

Me and Rachel and Oded, the owners of The Carving Room Kitchen and Bar

As I left I was just so happy with the warm and wonderful service that Rachel, Oded and the staff gave to me and my wonderful friends.  As we left I was asked by more than a few what number 601 will be? I don't know but there will be more!  This has been a wonderful journey, I have met so many great people, some of whom have become friends and also been able to reconnect with old friends along the way, all I can say is that I am truly blessed!