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mikeskaj

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About mikeskaj

  • Birthday 06/21/1969

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    U Street

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  1. Ended up packing the wine myself and hiring a local moving company to move it to my parent's basement for the next 3 years. Except for the breakage of a double magnum of Bourdeaux and a long argument with the moving guys that 200% over the estimated quote is not acceptable everything is now set. I found out there are no restrictions on taking wine to Germany so I ended up packing 6 cases in boxes with foam inserts for packing with my household goods. Hopefully they'll make it over there. Finally, I have to give a big shout out to Joe Riley who sold me 60 wine boxes and inserts at cost. It was a tremendous help.
  2. When is DC going to open a reasonably priced long term wine storage facility? I'm going to be stationed in Germany for the next 3 years and even with serious pruning and gifting I still need to move about 900 bottles from DC to my parent's basement in the VA suburbs. I've found a local moving company to move them and the wine cabinets but still need about 75 case boxes to pack the wine. Any advice is appreciated?
  3. Don't stop having events now. I've been stuck in Iraq the last 7 months and can't wait to get back and participate. Reading DR has helped to keep me sane and given me something to look forward to. The lack of good food and wine here is slowly killing my soul.
  4. I went by here the other day and the curtains were finally open. All the wine on the shelves is gone and there was construction equipment in the middle of the floor. The outside door was locked and there were no signs indicating what is going to happen next.
  5. It sounds like this is starting to shape up as a great event. I'd love to come but unfortunately that is the day I'll be arriving in Iraq for 6 months of fun in the sun and sand. Next time we decide to invade a country I vote that it be one where you can eat pork and drink wine.
  6. Habesha Market & Carry Out 1919 9th Street NW If you're looking for cheap and pretty tasty takeout Ethiopian food this is a place to consider. I've ordered from here 4-5 times now and haven't had a bad meal. But, I've never had a meal at the level of Queen Makeda or Etete either. There can be a language issue but they are very friendly and I've never had a problem ordering what I wanted. There can be difficulty finding out what something is though with some of the descriptions being a bit less comprehensive than I'd prefer. But I've never had any nasty surprises. You can get a four item meat combo from the steam table for $7.50 or a four item veggie combo for $7.00. This is usually enough food to easily make two meals. If you go during the dinner or lunch rush the steam table items turn over fairly fast. But, I've never had trouble getting them to refresh something from the back if something looks tired. In particular I really like their spicy tripe and spicy beef from the steam table and the lentils and greens are always good. Their Kitfo is made to order and is a fairly large order for $7.50. The 50/50 is also worth trying. It is a large order of raw cubed beef and cooked beef tibs. There are quite a few tables for eating there but I've always gotten takeout. You can also get large packages of injera and bulk spices to go.
  7. I just got back from a few weeks of training in San Antonio and got to catch up on my barbecue and Tex-Mex deficit. I managed to complete the trifecta of hitting City Market in Luling, Smitty's in Lockhart, and Louie Mueller's in Taylor all in one day. Compared brisket, pork ribs, and sausage at all three. Smitty's clearly won the brisket category with City Market eking out ahead for the ribs and sausage. Unfortunately Louie Mueller's, my personal favorite, had a poor showing after hyping it up to my travelling companions. It still wins for ambience though and could easily take any of the barbecue in this area.
  8. As a member of the armed forces soon to be on my way to Iraq I personally thank you for your generosity. I work with the critically wounded soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen coming through Andrews AFB on their way to Walter Reed and Bethesda. I don't want this to be political, but people need to know that there are still large numbers of wounded men and women coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan all the time and this doesn't look like it will change anytime soon. This offer is incredibly generous on Michael's part as there is the potential for the disbursement of quite a few vouchers. Personally, I hope to never qualify for one of the vouchers but will continue to take advantage of the fabulous food and fantastic prices at RTS and RTC. Thank you again Michael.
  9. Had a great late dinner at the bar last night after seeing a movie. The hangar steak was phenomenal as usual but the highlight was the chopped steak with a brandy peppercon sauce and bacon on top. My 6'6" 280# brother was only able to finish about half of it and happily took home the rest for lunch. Both of our meals with a decent bottle of Gigondas and tip was under $100. I don't know how Michael keeps the quality so high and the prices so reasonable.
  10. There is one on Branch Avenue near Suitland Parkway in MD. The two times I've stopped the biscuits were really good but the fried chicken and sides were abysmal. Looking at their website it appears that they now have branches in Honduras and Mexico as well.
  11. El Sol de Americas a new Salvadoran and Mexican restaurant on 9th street right below U street, a few storefronts down from Etete. Dropped in the other night to try it out and found a very clean and vibrant layout and a very friendly staff. The waitress said they had been open for about a month now. The menu has the usual selection of Salvadoran and Mexican dishes at pretty reasonable prices. I stuck to the Salvadoran side and really enjoyed the fried yucca with chicharones and the bean pupusa. Both very simple but well prepard and fresh tasting. I also have to give a thumbs up to the exemplary tostadas and salsa. I don't know why it is so hard to produce a warm greaseless chip and a salsa with taste but very few places around here seem to be able to accomplish this. I'm curious to try some of their weekend soups and some of their seafood items. Not a destination restaurant but definitely something to try if you're in the area.
  12. I suspected something was up when the last two times I went there for lunch they were closed. This is the latest info from the Bloomingdale listserve. This is a pretty crappy corner for a condo but I guess someone thinks they can make money off of it. This was a great off the radar chow place. The menu was completely useless in describing what they had to offer. The best approach was to look into the kitchen and pick what smelled or looked good or to ask what was good that day. It will be missed.
  13. Thai X-ing is still going strong and for the first time I saw Taw wearing pants. Usually he is wearing a sarong-like outfit but I guess the cold got to him. I get takeout from here about once a month and every time I go here I am still amazed at what this guy is doing in a basement apartment in Shaw. This is a place that has to be experienced because there is no accurate way to really describe it. It is really a one man show with a rotating cast of occasional helpers. The other night I realized that the one table inside the restaurant would make the perfect intimate chef's table. It is literally four feet from the chef and you couldn't fit more than six people in the restaurant without causing a fire hazard. I had my usual order of red curry salmon and udon pork and tried the pad thai for the first time. All were really good, but the salmon really stands out. It is a simple preparation, a large piece of skin on salmon cooked in a red curry sauce with bamboo shoots and eggplant topped with Thai basil, where the completed dish is so much greater than its individual parts. I'm not a big salmon fan as I find it pretty boring most of the time but his is ethereal and I would put it near the top of my favorite fish preparations. The udon pork was very flavorful as well and Taw is not shy in his use of the Thai peppercorns. I found the pad thai to be a little too sweet for my taste and prefer his drunken noodles. While talking to one of the girls helping out the other night I found out that the new space on 9th street is moving ahead-not sure on an opening date. It will seat at least 30 people and will have an outdoor patio. The plan is to continue to keep open the original location as well but I can't see how that would be viable and if Taw left the character would be completely different. If you are looking for a unique and funky dining experience you should consider trying this place before it disappears.
  14. I had their $20.07 tasting menu lunch yesterday and was very impressed. Expertly grilled sardines, a nice piece of roasted rockfish over pumpkin risotto, and a very generous cheese plate made for an enjoyable late lunch. The drink prices are a bit steep but there were some reasonable and interesting wines on the wine list. The room for the tasting menu is very pleasant and as it is completely isolated from the rest of the restaurant much more quiet. I thought the baguettes were forgettable, and alas no swirly butter rolls, but I enjoyed the cornbread we were served. I'm not sure how long they are planning on running the special lunch price but I would definitely go back.
  15. I actually had a very nice late lunch in the bar here yesterday. I'm glad I hadn't read the previous postings or I would have steered clear. The guacamole was quite good if a bit expensive and the tostadas and salsa were fresh and hot. The tortilla soup was non-traditional, but the broth was rich and well spiced. The carne asada was cooked to a perfect medium-rare and the corn tortillas had been made recently. I finished with a very smooth and flavorful coconut flan and a good cup of coffee. Maybe I didn't order right but I really enjoyed my lunch and would go back again.
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