DanCole42

I'll give them all a shot. Thanks, everyone!!!

I'm interested in purchasing some Fred Jerbis fernet for X-mas for several folks, but VA ABC doesn't seem to carry it, and you can't ship spirits into VA. Can anyone suggest a course of action for me?

This is news!

Now that Ray's has moved on, what's a good steakhouse experience in Northern VA for two bros to bro it up with some meat?

I'm looking for a restaurant for a dog-friendly dinner date (that's a date with my dog... Mrs DanCole42 is out of town). Can anyone recommend a place? Inside is preferred, but we can do a patio somewhere. The trick is... Rigby's a little skittish around crowds, so I'd prefer someplace quiet, e.g. Jackson's in Reston is probably a bit much for her. Thoughts? Thanks!

Ended up at 2Amy's. It was great!

I'll be at a conference at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park tomorrow (near Woodley, Clevelend Park, Adams Morgan, etc.) and have an insanely long 4 hour block for lunch. Any recommendations for a long, possibly three martini lunch?

I can't. What is it???

Just all around solid execution as always at Clarity. Soft shell crab ($16) - with ramps! - was crab-forward (as opposed to tempura batter-forward) and the charcoal-grilled bavette steak ($31) - with ramps! - was as good as I've had lately, with some seriously remarkable potato puree that was the smoothness of premium ice cream but without feeling heavy or chewy like aligot. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention some of the really interesting-sounding events they have coming up. Full disclosure, I've never been to one, but they sure sound enticing: Vegetarian / Vegan Tasting Room Pop Up: Schedule your vegan tasting menu for Saturday June 2nd ($105 all inclusive). 6 new dishes coursed into a tasting menu. Friday May 18th “Pappy Hour” I know it sounds ridiculous, but we only live once!! Small plates style tasting, come anytime between 5-7pm: Pappy 10 & 12 + Whistle Pig Black Prince Boss Hog / $225 all inclusive. Friday May 18th @7pm: All Italian Wine Dinner $168 all inclusive. Oh man, are we going to go all out Italian tonight!! Saturday May 19th @7pm $168 all inclusive: Whiskey and Bourbons from Across the USA Tasting Dinner . Small batches from VA, CO, KY, UT, NY, TX, CA. Purchasing these special spirits as we speak. Friday June 8th @630pm: Myself and Victor Mendez, Owner of the Vienna Vintner – cooking and wine drinking together for a great dinner / $190 all inclusive. Nothing better than cooking with The Wine King of Vienna!! This is the first of many collaborations with my good friend. Scotch and Paired Small Plates Tasting “Drop in” Wednesday June 13th / $80 all inclusive. Bringing back this informal tasting format at the bar. But don’t be fooled, we are tasting some very serious scotches. Come anytime from 5-9pm.

I'm very excited for this. I was lucky enough to sample some of what they're doing at a popup a few weeks ago. Tarver finds such exciting ways to shine a bright, flavorful light on some pretty obscure culinary traditions... it's like going on an adventure to explore a different place and time. Who knew that "pepperoni broth" could be so delicious and have such a locally-rooted backstory? Who knew that leather britches were even a thing???

I consistently see Linden and RdV praised as the go-to wineries in the area and, indeed, they happen to be my personal favorites. My "problem" is that I exhaustively research everything, so I'm always "stuck" with the best... what's the point of exploring if everything else will disappoint by comparison? So that's why I turn to you, DR crew... outside of RdV and Linden, what should I be trying? Are there any exciting newcomers to the scene I should get in on the ground floor of? Are there hidden gems waiting for me to discover? I don't like crowds and it's supposed to rain this weekend, so a nice, quiet, indoor space is welcome.

Headed there tonight with some friends from high school I haven't seen in years... what's the parking situation like out there?

Don- I did see your post about Sushi Sam's, and about Eric Z's trips down there, I'm just not sure it's in the cards for the group I'm with. My thought process was, "Man, that looks amazing. I hope Don has something else up his sleeve. Better post in Help Needed to find out."

In tandem with my post on wine tasting, I'm looking for a place in downtown (SoMa/Yerba Buena) San Francisco for sushi. This will likely be a spur-of-the-moment thing, so reservations probably won't happen, and some of my friends/coworkers would probably balk at a $200 omakase. Any ideas??? Thank you

I'm at a tradeshow in downtown San Francisco (SoMa / Yerba Buena), and some of my coworkers/friends have decided they want to do a "wine tasting." We are limited to a few hours on Thursday evening, so Napa is out. Can anyone recommend a place I could take them to wow them? Maybe some flights and small bites? Preferably that I can get into without reservations... Any ideas are welcome!!! Cheers!

I thought I'd respond to my own post with some recommendations and general observations from my own experience. I did not have any exceptional resort dining experiences (and at least one of our hotels was a St Regis). The standouts were all roadside stands and dives. What I've listed below are the places I would absolutely eat at again. Anywhere Tropical Dreams Ice Cream - Available lots of places. Just... really darn good ice cream. Kauai Hawaiian Blizzard. Shave ice. This is a teeny tiny stand out in front of a grocery store hidden away in the back of a parking lot. The guy who works there has been doing this for 30+ years and still provides most of the syrups that other shave ice places use. He was extremely personable, telling us stories about the biz, and insisting that he take our photo in front of his stand. The syrups were outstanding and he offered some obscure local flavors like li hing mui. Definitely the most unique and authentic shave ice experiences we had. $3 for a giant serving (and he'd add syrup as we ate!). Sushi Girl. Sushi. Awesome roadside establishment at the far end of the North Shore. It's so tiny that there are signs asking customers to eat the food elsewhere due to limited parking. The SUSHI BURRITO (ahi sashimi, avocado, beans, corn, mixed greens with yum yum sauce - $15) was outstanding. Kilauea Bakery. Pizza. After ordering, we were told that the wait would be 30 minutes, but that we could run to the liquor store next to the church and bring back some beers to enjoy while we waited. They had games and lots of fliers for local activities. Everyone behind the counter was friendly and loved hearing about where we were from and sharing stories about the island. The pizza crust had a thick, cracker-like, almost crumbly texture, and the standout was definitely the toppings. ISLAND STYLIN' Smoked ham, fresh pineapple, chipotle peppers, garlic and mozzarella cheese. $31 for a large. Duane's Ono Char Burger - I went with Don's suggestion (teriyaki and pineapple). This was an awesome burger, sweet and salty and greasy. My only complaint is that it could use just a touch more beef. If you can, order a double. Big Island Hilo Burger Joint. A really nice pub-style place masquerading as a dive (their bar had Laphroaig). Seriously good burgers in lots of varieties. Da Poke Shack. Data scientists at Yelp determined that this place has the best food in America. It's stupid good and probably the best seafood we had in Hawaii. Merriman's. The only place on this list that has table service. If you're staying on the Big Island, this place is worthy of a special journey. The wok-charred ahi is my all time favorite fish dish. Honorable Mentions JoJo's Shave Ice - Tastier, but less authentic, than Hawaiian Blizzard (they cheated and added ice cream, which was delicious and plenty of locals do it, but I have to give the nod to the original real deal!).

I didn't see a general Hawaii thread, so I figured I'd start one in my search for advice! My wife and I are celebrating our 10-year wedding anniversary with a week in Kauai at the St Regis Princeville and a week on the Big Island at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel. We're packing in lots of activities: hiking, volcano helicopter tour, diving, driving up to Mauna Kea and stargazing, indulging my wife's ukulele hobby, etc. But my question for DR.com is... where should we eat??? What are the must-haves???

Some of my earliest DC dining experience and some of my earliest attempts at fine dining cooking at home. RIP Michel.

I'll be in San Francisco at a conference all week and I've done an uncharacteristically poor job of planning ahead. I guess I was reluctant to do so since I'm uncertain whether I'd have any time at all. I'm staying at the Parc 55 about a mile from the Ferry Building. Can anyone recommend any must-haves for a party of one? Thanks everyone

Coffee with cream and sugar... estimate 50-100 calories per mugfull. 3500 calories in a pound of fat divided by 50 to 100 calories = a pound of fat every 35 to 70 mugfulls. Assuming daily consumption, in one year: 1 mugfull - between 5.2 and 10.4 pounds of fat per year 2 mugfulls - between 10.4 and 20.8 pounds of fat per year So basically, if you don't put cream and sugar in your coffee and suddenly start, you'd gain several pounds in a few months. If you do put cream and sugar in your coffee and suddenly stop, you'd lose several pounds in a few months.

Which sonata?

For the past several years I've participated in Reddit's Secret Santa. For those who are unfamiliar, it's one of the largest gift exchange programs in the world... connecting gift givers from across the globe. Part of the fun is cyberstalking your match to try and find the perfect gift. One of the things my giftee is into is: "local candy that we don't get in Sweden." My problem is that I'm not super knowledgeable about candy. I have a salt-tooth where most people have a sweet tooth. What kind of wacky, American, super-tasty candy could I get him that he might not otherwise have access to (being in Sweden)? Any suggestions?

Speaking of Picard... This is apparently a real thing: Cháteau Picard

They have a ton of different bagels (pumpernickel, rye, asiago, blueberry, marble, etc. etc.) and cream cheeses (sundried tomato, bacon scallion, spinach artichoke, etc. etc.) and all kinds of different bagelly sandwiches (reuben, little italy, real lox with capers and stuff, etc. etc.). I'm not really a bagel snob, but everything's baked on site and the people are really nice.

Did I miss it? Where's the love for Bagel Buddies in Fair Lakes?