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dr.com Japanese Wagyu Tasting


DonRocks

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CASH is the only form of payment that will be accepted. There are plenty of ATM's around if you forget at the last minute.

BTW, this is my idea - I'm trying to minimize the number of last-minute credit-card ring-ups for Vidalia, and HillValley and mktye are willing to be bouncers, so...

Plus this way everyone gets a nametag so you know who each other are!

(If anyone really wants to use their credit card for the $50, just send me a PM and we'll figure it out).

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Okay, we're at 25 people for both times (plus a couple more at 7 PM). If you need to switch times, please contact someone via PM, let me know when you've reached agreeement, and I'll switch you here. More updates as they come available...

7PM - 8 PM

squidsdc

Keithstg + 1

youngfood + 1

porcupine

StephenB

DanielK + 1

HV

Marcus Aurelius

DanCole42 + 1

Halloween

Meaghan

eating_out

Eric Ox

Sthitch

synaesthesia

ferment_everything

bettyjoan

hm212

goldenticket

Pete + Paula

8PM - 9 PM

1000yregg

Heather

nashman1975

Miss October

kturkey88 + 1

Walrus + tripewriter

mdt

ol_ironstomach + gubeen

cjsadler

alan7147

Mrs. B + Waitman

TedE

Owen

gnatharobed

zoramargolis

hmmboy

Banco

wahoooob + 1

sparkycom + 1

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Any word on how much this will be? And, thanks to everyone who is working to make this happen!

Haven't heard - it was Vidalia's holiday party yesterday, and everyone is probably lying in bed today with a hot-water bottle atop their throbbing, pulsating heads. Just make sure to bring $50 for the food portion, and enough extra to cover whatever you'll drink (and yes, feel free to order from their extensive wine list) - they may run credit-card tabs for the drinks, but I'm just not sure.

The Spice Girls (mktye and hillvalley) will meet, greet, and check U in.

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Speaking of Vidalia's extensive (and lovely) wine list, is anyone interested in joining me for some pre-beef libations? I leave work at 5 PM, and I'm only a short walk from the restaurant--and I'd hate to spend all of that spare time at a Starbucks, reading by myself (though I do have one of Jeffrey Steingarten's fine books to entertain me, should it come to that)!

PM me and let me know...I'm so looking forward to this evening! :(

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I'm planning on heading to Vidalia around 6pm, so please count me in as well!

OKAY!!!!! OKAY!!!!!!!! OKAY!!!!!!1

LETS CHILL EVERYONE ITS ALSO MY DAY OFF AND WE CHANGED OUR MENU TODAY!!!

THE FOOD COST IS 50 BUCKS

THE WINES ARE: VILLARD VIOGNIER @ 4 BUCKS FOR 2 OZ POUR AND 12 GLASS

THE RED IS MUSTIGUILLO BOBAL BLEND 3.50 FOR 2 OZ AND 10 BUCK PER GLASS

THESE ARE WHAT DOUG HAS PICKED TO GO WITH THE COW

HERE IS THE WAY THIS CIRCUS WILL WORK!!!!!

7:05 WE WILL SERVED THE FIRST PLATES WHICH WILL BE CARPACCIO

7:35 WE WILL SERVE THE SEARED

8:10 WE WILL SERVE THE SECOND TIER

8:45 THE SEAR

PLEASE DONT BE LATE!!!!!!

RJ

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You'll learn whether or not you're running a bar tab or paying in cash for the wine pairing when you get there. :( I have too much work and so does Don to figure it out ahead of time.

So plan on bringing your Grants for food and your Washingtons for the wine.

I'll see the first round of carnivores in less than 4 hours!

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Thanks to Don for the event, for Hillvalley and mktye for coordination, to RJ and EZ for the setting and sides, and thanks most of all to the Japanese farmer who fed our cow beer and massaged his tummy.

As always, good food and good friends, both old and new.

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Thanks to everyone that helped to put things together as it was a great time.

It was great to have the ability to try the raw and the seared together in one sitting. I thought that the seared piece was far and above the raw. The flavor of the caramelized fat in combination of the texture contrast of the crust and rare center made for a nice piece of meat.

Would I shell out the premium for this meat again? I am not so sure.

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Wow--what a great first event that was for me! Thanks to all of the organizers, the staff at Vidalia, and Chefs Cooper and Ziebold for making the evening go so smoothly.

The seared meat was just out of this world, and I really thought I would prefer the carpaccio. When I got home, it was hard for me to determine which treat was making me drunker and happier--the amazing wines, or the gorgeous and decadent cuts of beef! :( I'll give the edge to the latter...

We are so fortunate to have such a friendly and gracious culinary community here in DC--I'll be so sad to leave it when I move in the spring. But at least I'll have wonderful memories of last night's food and friendship--thanks again for letting me be a part of it!

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What everyone else said!

Seriously, thanks so much to all the aforementioned and unmentioned folks who made this possible. I doubt I'll ever have/take the opportunity to try a piece of beef like that again, so this will remain a really memorable experience. And thanks to everyone for allowing a no talent ass clown like myself to attend. We very much enjoyed it!

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From the administrative side of things: Check-in could not have gone more smoothly and that was due to you all being so cooperative and patient. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone for showing up on time, cash in hand and ready to eat! :(

Also, more thanks to Chef Cooper & Chef Ziebold and the staff at Vidalia for being so very welcoming and providing all the delicious food and wine. You all took excellent care of us!

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Ditto, ditto, ditto.

So... who's up for making this a daily thing?

Synaethesia, Ferment... great fun at the kids table in the back of the room.

I was toying with the idea of asking for A-1 sauce, just to f*** with people, but decided that everyone was already at enough risk of a coronary from the amazing steak.

Steak, no, that's not the word. These deserve a totally new appellation. Buttercreambeefgasmcicles.

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Thaks to all who made the event a success, including Meaghan and Monique for some stimulating after-dinner conversation and Hmmmmboy for sip of an exceedingly swell Chatty Neuf. Slutty little fruit bomb, indeed. Feel free to remind me who crushed those grapes (and if it's on the list at Proof).

So, let me the one to ask, is it worth all the fuss? Surely, the dinner itself last night was worth the fuss,and I trust that Don et al won't take this as a criticism of a delightful, unique and -- all things considered -- dirt cheap event. And I'm glad I've tasted The Real Thing, prepared by chef-geniuses and accompanied by a fine Cali meritage and delightful banter amongst the few members of this board who still speak to me. There's no question that it's amazing stuff -- reminded me of a cross between pork belly and prime beef, it had that quality of melting away almost without chewing and leaving behind a delicious, greasy residue that is savored for some minutes afterwards (and even today, though I promise I've brushed my teeth since). But really, how much tastier was it than an excellent, prime dry-aged standing rib? Enough to pay $120 a pound for? Enough to call in chits with and offering bribes to chef friends and Japanese Embassy staff in hopes of achieving that level of zen-like beefy bliss one more time -- chasing the dragon, as it were? Enough to sneer in righteous indignation every time you have the misfortune to stumble across "American Wagyu" or "Western Kobe" for the rest of your life?

Or not so much?

discuss

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Thaks to all who made the event a success, including Meaghan and Monique for some stimulating after-dinner conversation and Hmmmmboy for sip of an exceedingly swell Chatty Neuf. Slutty little fruit bomb, indeed. Feel free to remind me who crushed those grapes (and if it's on the list at Proof).

So, let me the one to ask, is it worth all the fuss? Surely, the dinner itself last night was worth the fuss,and I trust that Don et al won't take this as a criticism of a delightful, unique and -- all things considered, dirt cheap event. And I'm glad I've tasted The Real thing, prepared by chef-geniuses and accompanied by a fine Cali meritage and delightful banter amongst the few members of thei board who still speak to me. There's no question that it's amazing stuff -- reminded me of a cross between pork belly and prime beef, it had that quality of melting away almost without chewing and leaving behind a delicious, greasy residue that is savored for some minutes afterwards (and even today, though I promise I've brushed my teeth since). But really, how much tastier was it than an excellent, prime dry-aged standing rib? Enough to pay $120 a pound for? Enough to call in chits with and offering bribes to chef friends and Japanese Embassy staff in hopes of achieving that level of zen-like beefy bliss one more time -- chasing the dragon, as it were? Enough to sneer in righteous indignation every time you have the misfortune to stumble across "American Wagyu" or "Western Kobe" for the rest of your life?

Or not so much?

discuss

Charles, I must agree (nice to have met you by the way). I think the best way to think about Kobe is to put it in the context of the Japanese palate, which often is more concerned with texture and mouthfeel than it is with intensity of flavor. If you want to experience the flavorful essence of beefiness, then a nice aged American steak (or a beef stew) is probably the best way to do that. The Kobe last night, on the other hand, was more of a tactile experience, and one that American "Kobe" cannot duplicate. Flavorwise, I found myself making associations with other foods instead of experiencing an apotheosis of beef. The carpaccio, for example, reminded me of a soft boiled egg, especially with the dab of Himalayan salt on the side. (That quality also made it extremely difficult to pair with a wine. Champagne probably would have been best.) For these reasons, I would have liked a somewhat more elaborate preparation of the Kobe last night, although the impulse is always to treat this ingredient austerely.

None of this detracts from the pleasure of last night's dinner or the generosity of our hosts. Thanks to all who made it possible.

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First off, it's been said to death, but thanks to everybody who was involved.

I think it most reminded me of pork belly in texture, but without the striations of meat and fat: it was like pureed pork belly that had been given structure again. The seared version was incredible: the nice complexity of flavor brought out by the heat, and then the texture of the inside. Creamy buttery goodness. It was my first experience with Wagyu (and I've never had the imitators either), but if Waitman would like to organize a Wagyu v Dry-Aged Steak tasting, I will be the first to volunteer to try both :(

Regardless, I'm really glad I got to try it in this environment. I've seen it on menus before and never wanted to risk the price when I wasn't absolutely certain it would be as incredible as the pricetag indicated. Everybody involved last night assuaged any fears I had. It was awesome.

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discuss

This is interesting, and I'll chime in briefly so people feel comfortable jumping in and discussing. Getting into discussions of "is it worth it" inevitably seem to search for a universal answer, and there is none.

Is it worth it for me to pay $35 for a good bottle of 1998 Volnay? Yes!

Is it worth it for me to pay $150 for a great bottle of 2001 Mugneret-Gibourg Ruchottes Chambertin? Yes, but only once in awhile.

Is it worth it for me to pay $2,500 for a life-changing bottle of 1961 Haut-Brion? No way, but to paraphrase Matt Kramer, 'I like truffles, and I like tortilla chips, and I also have no problem determining which is better.'

I'll take that Haut-Brion every single time - IF it was the same price as the others. At that price? I'll justify my abstinence by saying, "at the end of the day, it's just fermented grape juice."

Likewise, what we had last night is just sirloin beef from a cattle. It's not caviar, and it's not foie gras; it's just a piece of steak. Now I happen to think it's the best a steak can ever be, but it's still going to have the same basic properties of a steak.

So let's remove R J, Eric, Mike, and Doug from the equation, and walk into another restaurant as a regular old customer. I see that exact same thing on the menu for $90, just for the beef. No carpaccio, no salad, no garlic fried rice, just the seared beef. Will I order it?

Nope. It's well above my price-point of pain, but I can also understand why some people with deep pockets might.

If I could replicate everything about the meal last night for $50? Yep, monthly. If I was just out of college and struggling with student loans and such? Maybe once for the experience, but I'd have other priorities.

And with that, I invite other people to jump in and continue the discussion.

It was a pleasure meeting everyone last night, and I want to publicly thank R J Cooper and Eric Ziebold (who did this on their days off!), Doug Mohr for the wine pairings, mktye and Hillvalley for making this all work, and also the unsung hero of the evening, Mike Nevarez. Mike flies under the radar, but there's a reason he was standing next to R J at the end of the meal when everyone was applauding: Mike has been GM of Vidalia since it first opened, and is the engine that makes the Vidalia race car run around the track.

Thanks to everyone,

Rocks.

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Thanks to Don for the event, for Hillvalley and mktye for coordination, to RJ and EZ for the setting and sides, and thanks most of all to the Japanese farmer who fed our cow beer and massaged his tummy.

As always, good food and good friends, both old and new.

Thank you Don (and his helpers) for putting it on. I did not get much sleep the night before due to traveling, but still had a great time! Happy holidays!

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I would like to offer a tip of the hat to Don, for being the "engine" that keeps this collection of fascinating people revved up. I had a fantastic time last night, and Mrs. B. and Waitman--I see a dinner at Chez Zora on the horizon, in grateful appreciation. It's a good thing that my many years as a professional comedienne allow me to feel totally comfortable making a fool of myself in public. And I thank goodness for dry cleaners. Obviously, I made it home okay. But the meat was fabulous, as was the fried rice and the bread basket. I think that if I am offered real Kobe beef in the future, I will opt for a smaller portion, however. :(

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It most reminded me the top-quality toro I was fortunate enough to sample while in Japan. The dominant sensation was the buttery mouthfeel with a slight undertone of beefiness. It was far less beefy than I had expected just as that toro was much less tuna-y. If presented both in a blind taste test I would seriously have a difficult time differentiating them (note to Don and RJ: that's a taste test I would shell out some serious coin for!).

Was it worth it? I think so, but only at this price point and in this setting. It was a good thing to be presented this as a treat without too many other distractions. I would have a hard time paying $50, let alone $90, for a similar serving as part of a larger meal. Being able to savor it alone made it worth the price of admission.

And more thanks to the folks who put this together. It was great putting more faces to names!

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That seared beef was the sexist and most delicious thing I've eaten all year. I was joking with my counterparts at the bar (or was that in my head) that this meal could easily cancel out any malady resulting from the absence of sex or the absence of that defined as very good.

I wish I could have camped out longer.

A big thanks to the patient and generous staff at Vidalia, to Doug, Mike and RJ for their in-depth expositions and to Eric Z for the inspiration and collaboration to make this possible. And finally, thank you to the current Administration of DonRockwell.com for making us internerds feel so at home.

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Was it worth it? I look at it this way: fifty bucks for a wonderful evening of entertainment, with great people and wines and food in a not-too-formal, not-too casual setting. Yes, absolutely worth it. Waitman, I know that isn't quite what you're getting at, but still: what a bargain. (Especially compared to, say, tickets for Edward II. :( )

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It most reminded me the top-quality toro I was fortunate enough to sample while in Japan. The dominant sensation was the buttery mouthfeel with a slight undertone of beefiness. It was far less beefy than I had expected just as that toro was much less tuna-y. If presented both in a blind taste test I would seriously have a difficult time differentiating them (note to Don and RJ: that's a taste test I would shell out some serious coin for!).

Was it worth it? I think so, but only at this price point and in this setting. It was a good thing to be presented this as a treat without too many other distractions. I would have a hard time paying $50, let alone $90, for a similar serving as part of a larger meal. Being able to savor it alone made it worth the price of admission.

And more thanks to the folks who put this together. It was great putting more faces to names!

im in for that

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Luck was on my side last night when I was able to attend this wonderful Wagyu Beef tasting event that I couldn’t miss! I was supposed to be cramming with Christmas shopping. What a delight witnessing my tablemates, including myself, savoring every piece of super-marbled, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth beef to the last bite like it was the last piece of meat on earth! I asked Chef EZ why fried rice. Simply put, he said it’s a normal combo to enjoy in Japan—delicious! Thanks for the experience Chefs RJ and EZ, Mike, Doug and staff at Vidalia, The Spice Girls, Hillvalley and mktye, and Don Rockwell and for putting it together. As always, it was lovely seeing everyone again.

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It was a pleasure meeting everyone last night, and I want to publicly thank R J Cooper and Eric Ziebold (who did this on their days off!), Doug Mohr for the wine pairings, mktye and Hillvalley for making this all work, and also the unsung hero of the evening, Mike Nevarez.

Thanks to everyone,

Rocks.

Ditto that, and thanks to you Don for conceiving of this idea and seeing it through to present all of us with such a tremendous opportunity! For me everything about this event was worth it: The beautiful setting, the great company, the talented chefs using their days off to create and present such delicious morsels, the staff for being so accommodating and helpful and giving such generous 2oz pours of fabulous wine pairings, the wonderful volunteer coordinators who put in all the time and effort to pull this off seamlessly and of course the moo-cow that gave us such a sensational piece of beef (wait, what's the Japanese for moo?).

I very much enjoyed the carpaccio with a dab of the black eggy salt, but that piece of seared beef was among the best things I've eaten this year or any other year really, and certainly the most flavorful steak I've ever tasted. The salt selections made both presentations sparkle on the plate and palate. And I loved the garlic fried rice, could eat an entire bowl.

So, to reiterate, thank you all and hope to see you again soon! :(

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I too want to add my thanks to the staff at Vidalia (RJ, Mike), Eric Z, mktye, Don and others who made this all possible. It was a fabulous event and nice meeting some new folks as well.

Just another 2 cents, what about a tasting with farm-raised vs. wild-trout. There is a show on the Fine Living Channel called "Made to Order" where the chefs do things like this and this was one of the things they did for a foodie group to see if they could tell the difference.

http://www.fineliving.com/fine/made_to_ord...6_40877,00.html

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I fear that I don't offer enough gratitude for the fine things that people do to open up new doors and introduce me to new things and new people here at dr.com. Thank you so much Don, RJ, EZ , Doug, Dimitri, all the staff at Vidalia, HV and MKTYE for making this event such a treat. You are all such very wonderful and caring and passionate people and I consider myself lucky to have your light shine upon me.

For Legant and other raw meat naysayers (though I liked it cooked too):

Try them, try them

They are so good, so good, you see!

So I will eat them in a box.

And I will eat them with a fox.

And I will eat them in a house.

And I will eat them with a mouse.

And I will eat them here and there.

Say! I will eat them ANYWHERE!

I do so like

good kobe beefs!

Thank you!

Thank you,

Now I must sleepfs!

PS Thanks for the ride Heather and for the slutty wine Hmmboy and for the good company at the table all you other people. I look forward to the toro.

PPS aplologies to Dr. S

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That was awesome.

The carpaccio was delicious, especially with a touch of salt added. However, as others have stated, the seared Wagyu was the winner of the night. I am glad that each of the dishes was kept minimal in their preparations as it allowed the flavor and the texture of the Wagyu to shine. At this price point, I would consider ordering Wagyu of this quality again; however, anything higher and I would only order this on someone else's dime.

Thanks to Don, Chef RJ and the crew at Vidalia, Chef Zeibold, Mktye and Hillvalley for putting this event together and ensuring it went smoothly. An extra thank you goes out to Mktye for holding and entertaining Marissa for awhile so that Paula and I could eat!

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Many thanks to everyone involved, Don, Jenna, Melina, and especially the Chefs and staff at Vidalia. Had a great time, enjoyed the food and conversation as usual...wished I coulda stayed longer. Guess I'll have to go back today for the TMB downtown lunch!

And I will eat them in a house.

And I will eat them with a mouse.

And yet you ate them with a louse! :(

And more than one souse. :(

And only one spouse. :blink:

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After the one-two punch of our Wagyu tasting at Vidalia, and a pepperoni, sausage, and ultra-hot chili pepper pizza later that night at Sette Osteria...

(emphasis mine) Dayummm. And I thought Vidalia's cheese plate was a solid followup to the wagyu.

I can add nothing more to what's already been said about the food. Amazing. I know it's nominally a muscle, but I have a hard time imagining wagyu beeves actually getting any work done, besides breathing and eating. I doubt I'll experience its like again for some time.

Thanks to Chefs RJ and Eric, Mikey and all the staff at Vidalia for their hospitality (especially those who came in on their day off!). Thanks to Rocks for creating this event. And most of all, huge appreciation to mktye and hillvalley for their dedicated volunteer work to make this event work so smoothly for us attendees!

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