DC Outlook

Sunday, April 5, 2026

The Mainstay by Marc Murphy Twitter/X Food Review

Mainstay Steak Frites at The Mainstay by Marc Murphy

Was looking forward to trying The Mainstay by @chefmarcmurphy at @wonder, but can’t get past a well-done steak when I asked for medium. Ordered Mainstay Steak Frites for $29.95. It comes with (a ton of) salty fries (which taste identical to everyone else’s fries at Wonder.) In addition to overcooking the steak, they forgot to put on the garlic 🧄 Chimichurri sauce, resulting in an even drier finished product. Tack on $1.95 for a way-too-salty steak sauce (shouldn’t it be free?) and the verdict is predictable. D- The skin-on fries may have been too familiar, but they were nicely cooked, flavorful & plentiful. B- Ditto for the MOUNTAIN of onion rings ($6.95) Seriously, there were at least a dozen of ‘em, and they were pretty big. Not too greasy, but not too crunchy either ☹️ Note to kitchen: Cook them 2 minutes longer, please. The horseradish remoulade added a nice kick B Still, all I’ll remember is that 10-oz sirloin and the resulting giant side of disappointment.

Grade: D

The Bloomin' Burger with Aussie Fries at Outback Steakhouse

Hate to say it, but @Outback appears to be on a straight tumble towards mediocrity. Love affairs like this don’t die overnight, but this isn’t a one-off. (Sadly) it appears to be the new norm. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still good/great news to report, starting with the single best restaurant dish in the U.S.A. the Bloomin’ Onion 🧅 1900 calories of unrivaled goodness that never, NEVER disappoints A+++ Three cheers for unprecedented value as well, courtesy of Outback’s $14.99 Aussie 3-course with enough food to feed an army (or yours truly.) It starts with a Baked Potato 🥔 Soup 🍲 followed by The Bloomin’ Burger & Aussie Fries and a slice of New York-style Cheesecake that’s normally $10 on its own! The soup was… kinda yucky. Cheese, bacon bits & an oily aftertaste, when all I hoped for was clean, simple potato. To its credit, it was hot but otherwise D- The burger was a monster 1/2 pounder, but the kitchen put cheese on it despite my repeated pleas to the contrary. They cooked it to death as well (asked for medium.) FYI they undercooked my brother’s steak 🥩 AND his wife’s too. Unforgivable. Aussie Fries were ok, but I left almost all of the burger on my plate (server - no questions asked) F Luckily, the meal ended on a positive note: That cheesecake was GOOD. B+ Love the price $, dessert & the 🧅 but the burger and soup were disasters. Sorry Outback, you get graded on a (high expectations) curve.

Grade: C- (My brother & his wife hated theirs.)

The Drama Twitter/X Movie Review

Robert Pattinson & Zendaya (r) star in The Drama

I Don’t

IMDb Plot: A happily engaged couple is put to the test when an unexpected turn sends their wedding week off the rails. Directed by Kristoffer Borgli.

Egg Scramble Plate at Westville

Some things seem simple (such as ordering scrambled eggs (to go) at 3:30 in the afternoon.) Dig deeper, and it’s closer to impossible. Thankfully @WestvilleNYC in Clarendon does, and… they’re MAGICAL. An Egg Scramble Plate is only $13 yet comes loaded with gorgeously soft scrambled eggs (at least 3 eggs) with your choice of 3 free toppings (including bacon, chorizo & sausage.) I went with tomatoes only, but the options are endless. Eggs: A+ Home Fries: B (a bit overdone, but flavorful & tender) Portuguese Muffin. Toasted, chewy. B. Crazier still, order online via Toast and get $10 off your 1st order. 10 bucks!

Grade: A (Sublime eggs, friendly hostess and unabashed happiness. Can’t wait to come back.)

Steak (Build Your Own) Rice Bowl at El Diez Mexican Bowls

@wonder recently added 2 new restaurants to their oft-delicious mix, so it didn’t take much nudging to choose El Diez Mexican Bowls and their oh-so-enticing $10 Bowl + Chips + Soda. Value A+ As for the food… Very customizable (steak, brown rice, Pico de Gallo & Tomatillo Salsa) with even more choices for wider taste 👅 options. Unfortunately, said ingredients are flavorless (especially the steak) and look 👀 like they were just tossed atop the rice with zero consideration. You get a big bag of chips, but (strangely) no salsa (we added some from Burger Baby.) No option to add a tortilla either = straight out dumb. Luckily 🍀 you can find them elsewhere on Wonder, but why go to the trouble? Again, great price, but meh food C- (Limesalt is better.)

Grade: C (Seriously, 10 bucks is a steal.)

Marty Supreme Twitter/X Movie Review

Timothée Chalamet stars in Marty Supreme

This Is Theater

IMDb Plot: Marty Mauser, a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness. Directed by Josh Safdie.

Ryan Gosling stars in Project Hail Mary

Whoop, There It Is

IMDb Plot: A science teacher wakes up alone on a spaceship. As his memory returns, he uncovers a mission to stop a mysterious substance killing Earth's sun and that an unexpected friendship may be the key. Directed by Andy Weir.

The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist

AGI Is Near

IMDb Plot: A father-to-be tries to figure out what is happening with all this AI insanity. Directed by Daniel Roher and Charlie Tyrell.

Pepperoni & Cheese Pizza at Big Tony's Pizza

Quick lunch at Big Tony’s Pizza 🍕 in Clarendon. Former home to Bronx Pizza, only smaller inside. ($4 Cheese & $5 Pepperoni) Pizza is below average ft. subpar, underdone ingredients atop a flimsy, paper-thin crust with almost no tomato sauce (?!) D- $4 Fries are a super value (you get enough to feed 2-3 people.) They’re crispy (twice fried) crunchy, & piping hot with decent taste, but not my preferred style. C++

Grade: C- (After midnight curve)

Jetties Sandwich Shop Twitter/X Food Review

Jetties' Creamy Tomato Soup

Finally, a challenger to @laMadeleine for best Tomato 🍅 Soup in the DMV! @Jetties_DC’s Creamy Tomato Soup ($5.99) is sublime and at least equal to LaMad. It comes with Westminster Bakers Co. Oyster Crackers, but the soup’s so good, I never opened the pack. A++ Almost as good, Jetties’ magnificent (& gooey) Sankaty breakfast sandwich (only $9.95) with not 1 but 2! fried eggs & crunchy bacon 🥓 tucked inside a toasted Portuguese muffin (with butter.) Soft, pillowy bread, perfectly prepared eggs & the aforementioned crunchy bacon = Heaven, wrapped in foil. A (Our new favorite breakfast sammie!) Final verdict? Jetties rules!

Grade: A+

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come Twitter/X Movie Review

Kathryn Newton & Samara Weaving (r) star in Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

Two for the Price of One

IMDb Plot: After surviving one deadly game, Grace (Samara Weaving) and her sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) must now outrun four rival families competing for a powerful throne - winner takes all. Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.

Taco Bell's Beefy Potato Loaded Popper

Newbie alert at @tacobell. Beefy Potato (Loaded) Popper ($2.79) hits the spot with (creamy) seasoned beef, potatoes and pico de gallo. Not on par with a @ChipotleTweets burrito, but for under 3 bucks? Sold! B Chocolate Fudge & Caramel Empanadas make a dynamite 🧨 dessert combo for a mere $2.99. Caramel > Fudge by a mile, but creative for Taco Bell. Caramel = 3-bite wonder A-, Choc. Fudge = Too much chocolate, pass D Last but certainly not least, TB’s $1 Happier Hour Drink (Mountain Dew Baja Midnight) a tasty pairing of lime & passion fruit, that belies its thrifty price. A+ True to form, another budget home run (lunch for less than a tenner) for “The Bell” 🔔

Grade: B+ (Killer drank)