Law Taco

I didn't see any other beers from Maine. They've got a big selection from VA and from around the country. A new one for me was Back Bay Brewing from Virginia Beach. Had a black ale called Queen Annes Revenge that was really good. Dry, not too thick and lots of flavor.

A few weeks ago I picked up a pizza from andys and got to talking beer with the manager. She is very proud of her beer program, and rightfully so. I went home with four amazing beers. I stopped by today while shopping to pick up some more. She remebered me, what I bought and even what i didn't buy. Am now sipping a generous tasting of fresh and juicy Bissell Brothers NEIPA. I think this is a good place, run by good people who care about what they do. (The pizza was good, but not good enough to keep me away from Crust).

Picked up take out from Asian Origin last night. It was empty. Reservation for the Roof Garden for 8 at Rose's Luxury this coming Saturday. Not sure how that's going to play out.

You can't have ze duck.

Shin Se Kai is down the street from us, so we've been a few times since it opened. We have stuck to the ramen (good), chicken karaage (really good, although some have been overfried) and steam buns (meh). I think the ramen is getting better with time. When they first opened, the noodles were overcooked but on our last visit they were nice and springy. I also like the Hitachino Espresso Stout they are serving. Staying in NOVA, I prefer Marumen, but not enough to take the 15 minute drive.

I'm a couple of months late to this thread, but for anyone interested, the Springfield Butcher usually has whole packer's cut brisket. They're old school.

I really like Bar Hill, too. For my Bar Hill G&T, I prefer a wedge of grapefruit, rather than the traditional lime.

I have had a lot of great steaks over the years, many of them at Ray's. One of the best steaks of my life was the 20 oz dry aged, bone-in rib eye I had on Saturday (and again on Sunday). Ray's cooked it a perfect medium rare (warm, red center) with a crackling crust. Everything else was as good as usual. I won't ever count this place out.

My wife and I had been to Requin 4-5 times and we headed there again on Saturday night after grabbing a late reservation on Open Table. The last couple of trips it was cold outside and the comfort food inside was really good, especially the cauliflower gratin. I was hoping for a lighter meal of late spring early summer but was disappointed. The menu had not changed much and even the special (braised shortrib) was on the winter/heavier side. Still, the meal was good and I found some dishes that were excellent. The burrata and tomato salad was a gooey mound of cheese with tomatoes that popped with flavor and sharp pickled onions. The roasted mushrooms with pickled ramps were also noteworthy. Unfortunately, the chicken liver mousse with soppressata jam was unappealingly slimy. The room and bar were full and they were turning away people at the door.

For deli sandwiches, there is a Santini's outpost in Reston not too far from RTC. I like the Godfather, no onions.

Today I found Weller 107 Antique bourbon at the VA ABC store on Gallows near Tysons. At $21, it's a steal for anyone who likes wheated, high proof bourbon. Legend has it that it has the same mash bill as Pappy Van Winkle. It compared favorably to the Old Rip van Winkle ten year that I purchased for $75 last fall. The ten year ORvW was maltier with a deeper taste of char while the Weller was sweeter, and thinner. Certainly easy to sip and, and, at that price, mix.

Same here. I have grown to enjoy it, though, when used in small quantities, like the Oaxaca Old Fashioned: http://imbibemagazine.com/oaxaca-old-fashioned-recipe/

I am a big fan of high proof whiskey but, for some reason, but I just don't like Rittenhouse. Every time I've made a cocktail with it I have trouble with balancing the heat. My favorite for mixing is the Sazerac 6 Year. Right now I am using Russel's Reserve 6 year small batch, which I bought because I love the Russel's reserve single barrel bourbon. It's pricey, and the taste is too thin for my taste. I also really like the Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye for sipping and expensive Manhattans. I just ordered a bottle of Old Potrero Single Malt Rye that I am looking forward to sipping.

It was my birthday on Tuesday, but it had been a crazy weekend and the week looked like it would present more of the same. All I wanted was to sit in a quiet restaurant eating good food with Mrs. Taco. We went to Takumi. We sat in a booth and ordered omakase. We started with live uni, served in its shell, which was awesome. Then, we moved on to ankimo with yuzu jelly. I agree with Eric that this dish was bland. I kept trying to scoop up as much jelly and salad as I could to add flavor. I still ate my share, which could have proved disastrous (read on). Two sushi courses were as described by everyone else: fresh and with great rice. By some sushi magic, the dollops of sauce and accompaniments are both subtle and bright. Then, the waitress asked if we wanted another course. I was almost full, so we said yes. It was, sincerely, one of the best decisions I have made this year. The last course included seared o toro and seared salmon belly. This is where eating the ankimo could have come back on me. If i had been too full to eat those last two pieces, I would have missed out on something special. Chef came around to see how we liked everything, which capped off a great dinner.

Barking Mad Cafe has a solid coffee program. They use Counter Culture beans and can draw a serious espresso. Their cappuccinos and lattes are also good, although I have had a few cappuccinos that were wetter than I prefer. They have drip coffee, but no pour over. The standout, though, is their cold brew. During the summer, they had two offerings, both on nitro taps. It's so smooth it's like drinking Guinness coffee. The coffee served at Barking Mad Cafe would be noteworthy anywhere in the DC area. IMHO, it's extraordinary in Gaithersburg, which has nothing comparable within a reasonable distance.