yassandhu

I stayed in Casco Viejo the entire time I was in the city and loved it. Although a little removed from the downtown, the experience was very enjoyable (cobblestone streets, cafes in the squares, etc.) We chose a furnished apartment (Los Quatro Tulipanes) that was centrally located and had a great balcony with street and water views. For dinner, I highly recommend Manolo Caracol -- we had an amazing dinner that was very Komi-esque (multiple small plates, great product, beautiful presentation.)

Had a very pleasant Brunch in the garden yesterday afternoon. I had no idea that there was outdoor space in the back, so my party and I were happy to find such a relaxed and calming (nice water feature) environment to enjoy our leisurely-paced Brunch. Highlights were the Funnel Cake Doughnuts - crispy, warm, with a hint of sweetness, the Grilled Trout was perfectly cooked and had a great accompanying sauce (roasted yellow pepper?), the Pork Steak and Eggs also had a fabulous smoked tomato sauce, and the Fried Green Tomato BLT was very tasty with the fried tomatoes having the appropriate amount of crunch. For dessert, we had fun with the Root Beer Floats -- there are 4 different kinds of root beer to pair with ice cream. We tried the Sprecher, but I look forward to going back and doing a side by side comparison of some of the others. Only disappointment was the Blueberry Pie, which had a sad, soggy crust. I'll definitely be back for Brunch. Also, the snacks (bacon roasted almonds and deviled eggs) and classic cocktails looked interesting enough to merit an evening visit (especially if enjoyed in the back patio area.)

AllWorld Groceries in Vienna (on the left side of 123/Maple when you enter from Tysons.) $32 a case. First impressions -- a bit uneven in the case. They all feel and smell equally ripe, but range from super tart and yellow to juicy sweet and bright orange. Normally I can spot a good mango to slice open, but these are proving a bit more frustrating. I'm planning on holding off on eating these for a few days to see what happens. I do have to say that the one ripe mango I did manage to find was definitely worth all of the hype. In case anyone was curious, the mangoes were individually packaged on June 10th, shipped out on the 11th, flew via British Air (of course!) and were in the stores by at least June 14th (when I purchased my case) if not sooner. These mangoes are definitely being treated very well during transit (better than I probably ever have when making the same journey.)

Although it's been a while since I ordered sushi platters from here -- Murasaki on Wisconsin Ave (Tenley area) has beautiful and very tasty platters. The prices might be a bit more, but the presentation and quality are pretty high and worth it in my opinion.

Thanks to everyone for the super-quick responses! I did end up going for lunch today and I'm surprised to say that I had a very enjoyable time. First off, the service was attentive and very personable. The decor was interesting and hip (before we left, we tried out every one of the funky chairs and found them all to be quite sit-able -- who knew that small wood pieces cobbled together to make an arm chair could be so comfortable?) The food was decent, the drinks were great, and the desserts were lots of fun. We (myself and two others) started with some lovely gruner veltliner and the crostini that MBK referenced (fava beans/creamy cheese) which was very flavorful. We then went on to have some of the tea sandwiches, a croque madame, and some mussels and herbed frites. The tea sandwiches were cute and pretty good (not soggy), the croque madame was very heavy on the ham and prosciutto (not necessarily a bad thing) and had 2 perfectly cooked over-easy eggs that oozed when cut into, and though the mussels were probably not the best choice, they were not awful. We then went on to the desserts which all looked great, though I had been warned that they might lack flavor. But again. I was pleasantly surprised. We tried a spiced linzer tart that reminded me of gingerbread (cake not flavorless cookies). The Sacher Torte, which was as it should be, dense and very rich. The Valentine Dessert Special -- Ma Vie en Rose, an oversized strawberry macaron filled with pistachio cream and fresh strawberries (and topped with strawberry fruit leather!) which was very pretty, but a leeeetle on the overly sweet side. Overall, I spent a very pleasant and relaxed afternoon at Leopold's and will definitely be going back for their breakfasts (served until 4pm every day), their warm cocktails (grog and gluehwine anyone?), and whenever I get stuck in Georgetown and need a place to hide from the shopping madness.

Anyone been here recently? How's the service and food? I'm thinking about going for lunch today.....

I found another great way to warm up during the (2 or so) weeks of DC winter -- flights of aquavit! Last night I sampled the dill, ginger-lemongrass, and cardamom. In my world, anything cardamom always wins, and last night's sampling did not disappoint with its strong flavor. But most surprising was the dill which was also wonderful in a nicely mellow sort of way. And the best thing about aquavit is how quick a shot or two will warm you up -- I can't wait to go back and try the anise. and the chili pepper. and the rose petal. (And although my husband thought everything played last night sounded like Bjork, I've always loved the music and overall vibe of the place -- I wish it was my local neighborhood spot.)

Me too for Safari crashing all the time!! (I'm also happy to know that I'm not the only one. My response is to gently and slowly type back into dr.com. I figure if I can softly enter the site, I won't get kicked off -- shows how computer savvy I am! And now I will retreat in shame and leave this thread to the professionals.)

Don't go. Mushy could describe most of the items on the menu (and not just the vegetable-type things...) This is one of those places that always make me scratch my head and wonder how it can be so full when the food is so eh. They can't all be tourists, can they? I've been a handful of times over the years because I love the idea of having a local taverna in my neighborhood. But I personally have never found anything worth coming back for. (Yet.) But the new offshoot, Yanni'z Lounge is definitely worth checking out for its cave-like interior (think Bohemian Caverns) and stiff drinks. The people watching/eavesdropping is also pretty good here.

What's the reasoning for washing glasses the day after? (Tipsy washers + fragile stemware = jagged cuts + profuse bleeding??)

Aack! My thoughts exactly! I knew I should have put PX higher up on the To Do List. I guess I'll wait and check out the winter cocktails in a few months (hopefully something buttery and rummy...mmm.)

Which libraries in the area have the best selection of food books? Cookbooks, memoirs, fiction, whatever. I'm looking for branches that have both the classics and some newer sexier selections, is this a hopeless quest? (I know that these types of libraries can exist. The best local library I ever experienced was the central branch in Cambridge, MA -- I loved being able to try out some of those expensive cookbooks before I decided to purchase. or not purchase, as was the case many times.) So, where do you all go? Or does everyone just buy...?

Seriously Good Dessert Alert! Don't laugh, but the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Souffle with Milk Sorbet (part of the Chef's Tasting from this past weekend) will blow your mind... The last time I actively ordered a cookie dough dessert it came in a pint and I ate it by myself, and I felt very sick afterwards. But this dessert is wonderful and meant to be eaten in public -- it was so light and creamy but still cozy and comforting in a way that only cookie dough can be. And though I appreciated the idea of the sorbet (it worked really well as a cold supporting component), it was all about the souffle for me. (Oh, and the rest of the food and service were great! See above posts for those details.)

I love Top Chef, though it does pale in comparison with Project Runway. (Nothing beats Heidi and her auf'ing...) I'm also looking forward to seeing how Mrs. Salman Rushdie will do as the replacement for Mrs. Billy Joel. Actually, I don't even care how she does as a host, I'm just looking forward to seeing her (Padma Lakshmi is hot!) And her inclusion makes a tiny bit more sense than the wooden robot. I (think) she hosted a cooking show and has a few cookbooks under her belt.

I was taught an easy to remember ratio for Sabayon -- 8 (oz) liquid: 8 (oz sugar): 8 yolks. Roughly 1 cup: 1 cup: 8 yolks whisked like crazy over a double boiler. I always whisk until I've worn out my dominant arm, switched to whisking with my weaker arm, and then back. For me, it feels like 15 minutes of whisking, but it's probably closer to 8 minutes (although maybe I just think 8 when it comes to sabayon.) You'll know your sabayon is done when you can see the bottom of your bowl in the trails of your whisk. I'm sure everyone has their own recipe, but this one has always worked for me. I generally fold in some unsweetened whipped cream (about 1 1/2 cups) to the cooled sabayon to make a nice thick cushion of sauce.