DaRiv18

Thanks, KeithA. Making it and storing at home isn’t feasible anymore, due to time and space constraints. I agree it’s better to make it yourself, I even settled on my preferred recipe. Frankly I prefer the convenience of buying it.

So Harvey's Market has stopped producing chicken stock in the past two weeks (its chicken bone broth is delicious, but not the same thing), and Little Red Fox is no longer around to sell chicken stock either. Anyone have a place they go for house-made chicken stock? I'm looking at Wagshal's but apparently they only use bones and their price is so low that I don't have high hopes that it will be that complex.

Yesterday's rainy night was the perfect time to check out this Petworth ramen joint for the first time. I got the last seat at the bar, scanned the QR code, and ordered a sparkling sake, the lone appetizer (karaage) and a "Sunset Shoyu" bowl. The karaage was actually very good. Chaotic chunks of breast (hand torn?) very lightly breaded in potato starch and deep fried, and served with a very runny yuzu mayo-based sauce. The Sunset Shoyu is infused with chili oil; I don't think many spicy lover folks would think it was super spicy, but it was spicy for me. It is a very composed bowl, with a huge bamboo shoot, a soft boiled egg, and two generous chashu (pork belly) slices that had been torched to a nice texture (Daikaiya's pork belly is a bit too soft for me). The noodles were nice and chewy, and altogether a delicious meal. Service was relaxed. Their hours do not align with when I usually am free to go get ramen, but this will be a nice treat when I can.

I revisited Fancy Radish recently, and it is still delicious. However, I don't think the menu has really changed at all over the past 5 years, except maybe to constrict it. I suppose there are a number of places that don't really change their menus, and perhaps I'm holding the vegan restaurant to a higher standard, but gee whiz, I don't regard Chioggia Beet Toast as a comforting as a go-to roasted chicken or a burger. Would like for them to mix it up a bit.

I finally stopped by this newish restaurant and sat at the bar. I have not been trying new places in the past couple years, and this was a nice change of pace. A milk punch was light yet funky, made with banana infused rum, peppercorn mezcal and blood orange. This was very nice. Decided to try the gnocchi, made with Japanese purple sweet potato. It was tasty, mixed with beets for some crunch, garnished with almonds and a shaved ricotta salata. Not an entree portion, but I liked it I had a fizzy rose with this that was also fun. I’d come back to try the price fixe. The bar scene was a bit refined. I suppose it does work as a wine bar as well with some small snacks, but expect the bar to be less neighborhood-y than Dio was. Feels it aspires to be a destination restaurant, which frankly H St NE could use nowadays.

Owners Matt and Jena announced they are closing Little Red Fox and Sugar Fox on December 23, 2022 “in order to address complicated health issues and prioritize the well-being of our family.”

Any Saturday night spots you'd recommend, preferably relaxed and not noisy?

I waited in line 9:30am on Sunday for about 30 minutes. By the time I was at the register, they had about 2 out of their 6 types of tacos left, with about 15 total tacos lefts. I ordered 3, and left, passing about 30 folks still in line. I prefer the papa tacos at Taqueria Las Gemelas much more. Not Texas style.

I ate there last week, highly recommend the food. Not traditional, but my Filipino friends thought it delicious. Definitely order the banana blossoms, I haven’t had anything like it. The short rib bistek is a crowd pleaser. I liked the lumpia although my friend isn’t a fan of turkey. The pork belly was nice, but the ceviche didn’t wow me. The pancit and chicken inasal were both tasty. The salmon entree on the table over looked delicious.

There's a cozy little corner store three blocks away from Indigo, reminds me a bit of Little Red Fox. Not as many baked goods, but a robust selection of sandwichs, salads, paninis, and pizzas. The market also includes pantry items, beer and wine, and dairy. Coffees as well. They use a wood-fired oven, and I prefer the pizzas here to Stellina Pizzeria. The ingredients are top notch, the pepperoni spicy, and the tomato sauce assertive. Also featured: ready-to-eat meals vacuum packed and ready for a quick zap. Both their vegetarian lasagna ($11) and their cassoulet ($7) are really good. I also like their apple and brandied apricot cobbler ($6) that's big enough for two. In the basement, they have seating, as well as a record area featuring a collection of vinyl for sale spanning all genres. Jazz is piped thru the entire market. They will resume dinners and wine tastings down there when appropriate. A cool neighborhood spot. Seems like a passion project for the owner, and everything is priced below what I think other places would charge. https://www.oldcitymarketandoventogo.com/#/

If I was buying my BGE all over again, I would get some sort of indirect cooking insert, a fan, the expander, and a skillet (I have a half-moon one for mine). I am interested in getting the rotisserie accessory, but was dissuaded by this video (and its attitude) years back: Still, I always wanted to get one. I use my BGE more often for slow and low meals. Also for smoking. The wok I like because it is less of a commitment to flame on and the meals skew healthier. But nothing beats a good burger or a brick chicken on that skillet!

It's very spartan: I have a sturdy cart, I've placed a stone paver on top of it, and set the cast iron wok burner on top of that. It looks a lot like this video:

It’s the best Thai that delivers. I am personally not a fan of their fried appetizers (beyond not traveling well), but everything else has been outstanding.

I love my propane wok, having a gas line would be even better. Not sure if a water line is feasible, but having a sink is very handy.

I passed by yesterday, was tempted to go in but the line outside was so long I couldn’t justify the wait. The line is a good indication that it is worth it still, or no?