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snuffer

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About snuffer

  • Birthday 12/29/1949

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    Old Town Alexandria

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Wilt Chamberlain

Wilt Chamberlain (14/123)

  1. Surprised not to see any more posts here. Had post-theater dinner here last night and was impressed. Service was friendly and informative; St. Mary's County Sweet Jesus oysters were excellent; catfish was fresh, well-seasoned and lightly crisped; and in keeping with the "healthy ingredient" theme, was served over a bed of roasted mixed root veggies. Seems they're the veggie de jour everywhere now, but these were better than most, with multi-colored carrots and kohlrabi along with the usual fingerlings to give them some distinction. All in all, a very good meal for a very reasonable price in a neighborhood that can be hit-or-miss. Worth a look.
  2. I'm the original poster, and I'm horrified to find myself disagreeing with DR. But here goes: Our party of 6 has probably averaged a couple of dozen visits a year to Armstrong establishments, so we're not new to the environment. If the comment was intended humorously, it certainly didn't come across that way, especially after it was repeated to an obviously offended customer in front of 6 stunned friends. In this day and age, I'm not sure I'd consider any loud insinuation by a bartender or wait staff about a customer's race, religion, political inclinations or preferences to be funny, no matter how harmlessly or thoughtlessly intended. I certainly wouldn't accept it the other way around, from a customer to staff! The friend who asked for the Bushmll's is Catholic, and from Northern Ireland where she lived through and has vivid memories of "the Troubles", so I'm inclined not to make allowances for it being a cultural thing. And the fact that it may have been spoken (and repeated) without malice or a second thought doesn't make it OK. Finally, I think that actions and language I would expect and tolerate at a shot-and-a-beer neighborhood bar in Boston or Brooklyn are out of place at Eve. Not trying to beat a dead horse. I appreciate the education I got on this from Dave O and others, and not looking for anything from Eve. Posted only in the spirit of "know before you go"' as there be others like me, who might be discomfited to find themselves in a possibly-challenging situation. If I ever find myself back in an Armstrong bar, I'll stick to bourbon!
  3. When a friend asked for a Bushmill's at Restaurant Eve's bar the other night, the barman loudly responded "We don't serve that Protestant whiskey". A few minutes later, chef/owner Cathal Armstrong walked through the bar and when told that a customer had requested Bushmill's, repeated the same thing. While I recognize that religion and politics are volatile issues, and the establishment has every right to serve or not serve whatever products it chooses, I don't think it's appropriate to treat any customer (especially one who happens to be Catholic and born a few miles from the Bushmill's distillery) so offensively. Interestingly, Bushmill's, one of the oldest distillers in Ireland, had been owned for many years by Diageo, a large British-based international company which owns dozens of brands worldwide. Bushmill's is now owned by Casa Cuervo. I doubt that either Diageo or Cuervo consider themselves "Protestant owners".
  4. Question about a special request, or more accurately the lack of satisfactory response to one: Had an early dinner Saturday at Al Dente, and (being lactose-intolerant) asked the server if the chef could do the veal saltimbocca without butter. Server came back in a few minutes and told me that the chef could not, and that this version also included cream, further explaining that without both the dish would not be up to chef's standards. Ordered something else and enjoyed it, but thought this was a pretty strange response, considering that the restaurant was still fairly empty, Chef Donna wasn't busy (leaning on the bar for most of our time there), and I've had many other versions of saltimbocca that come out just fine without dairy. So the question - how do you handle what seemed to me to be a reasonable request and unreasonable response? Should I have pushed it? Spoken directly to the chef? Still like Chef Donna's cooking, but very disappointed in this treatment. Should also note that the night before, asked the server at Riverbend Bistro if the chef could do anything with the special of the night - shad roe in caper butter - without butter or cream. Response was "Of course", and the dish of roe lightly sauted in an herb-and-lemon oil was delicious!
  5. I desperately need to find a new dinner spot. Quiet, casual, for an early dinner near the Mall...how can I get access to the guide again?
  6. So where is the good chinese food in this part of Northern VA? Seems like there's a lot of strong negative feelings about this place, but not much positive info on better places nearby. Sure, as on most americanized-chinese menus, if you order glop here, that's what you'll get. But there are a few winners on the menu that you might not find at "mall chinese" places: For example, try any of the lamb dishes, the Juo-yen shrimp, or something with garlic sprouts. Occasionally, there are seasonal specials featuring produce from the owners' farm. And while it may not be the best Peking Duck in town, it's consistently better than what's usually available at the neighborhood take-away. Mark's duck may in fact be arguably better, but the rest of Mark's menu isn't much to get excited about. Often can't get in to HK Palace, or not in the mood for spicy oily whatever.
  7. OK, embarrassed to admit that I got faked out: A couple of weeks a go my wife and I attended a book release party in the private lower-level room at PJ Clarke's. To my surprise (after having read this forum), the food, drinks, and service were excellent! Mostly bar-type snacks, tater tots, smoked salmon, and outstanding sliders. Charred on the outside, juicy and rare on the inside, served on warm brioche. So Saturday night after theater we decided to go there for burgers. And they were absolutely...meh! Average quality beef, no char, ordinary roll, served without so much as a leaf of lettuce or slice of tomato. Service in the 3/4 empty room was nothing to get excited about either. Clearly this place can do a decent job under certain circumstances as evidenced by the special event effort, but doesn't see the need to try on a daily basis. Must try harder to remember the eternal wisdom of the Who: "Won't get fooled again!"
  8. lots of choices on Kent Island. the fly-in spot mentioned is further south at Kentmorr and it's a decent family-style seafood house. can't imagine why you'd drive back across the bridge to Cantler's when Harris's, the Jetty, Kentmorr, and Fisherman's Dock are all as good for that kind of waterside, brown-paper-on-the-table seafood. and right at the Bay Bridge Marina, there's a little family-owned carry-out called the Stevensville Crab Shack that serves great crabs and good crab cakes, or any other seafood you can steam or fry if you're willing to eat at a picnic table next to the parking lot! seriously, "nice (more upscale?) options" include the Narrows, which Joe H. says (and I agree) has one of the best crab cakes in Maryland; Bridges, which often has good jazz on weekends; and the Kent Manor Inn, in an historic plantation house. for a great place for a drink and watching the sunset over the bay try the outdoor bar at Hemingway's, recently re-opened after major remodeling, but don't eat there - bad food at high prices.
  9. Went today. Had a "schooner combo", which is a roll (lobster, crab, or shrimp), a soda, chips, and a pickle. Sodas are from Maine Root, sweetened with cane syrup, and very good. Chips are from Miss Vickie's, a Dallas-based company. Not as good as Route 11 imo, but fine. Pickle was...a pickle. As for the roll, I had lobster, which is served cold on a lightly toasted 6 inch New England-style split-top roll. Dab of mayo on the roll, splash of butter and a sprinkle of a black pepper-based seasoning on top. The lobster is all claw meat. Is that typical of a Maine loster roll? Not my favorite taste and texture for lobster. All in all, I don't think I'll be hurrying back. Seafood had little flavor other than butter and pepper. Place only has about 10 seats, half of which are at the window counter. And just under $19 with tax isn't a great deal for a quick lunch in that neighborhood.
  10. Is O'Connell's, Old Town's new addition, one of these "kit" pubs? Haven't sampled anything there yet except for the Guinness, but I'm impressed with the quality of design and construction.
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