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Prompted partly by @KeithA, we visited Muchas Gracias last weekend while visiting DC. Really glad we did - had never been in person and head a really nice first outdoor meal of the season. We got two appetizers to share - the aguachile special and the avocado crab salad. The former is a saucier shrimp ceviche with a bit of jalapeno kick. The crab avocado dish was a real delight for someone who has been out of Maryland for a while. Huge chunks of blue crab with avocado and a nice slaw underneath. Not the most beautiful presentation, but all the right flavors and textures together. Would order this again in a heartbeat. For mains, we ordered fish tacos (which came with a smoking hot habanero salsa), enchilada con mole, and a couple orders of quesabirria. The first and last were very good - I might have liked a bit more flavor on the taco other than the salsa. Quesabirria is just a flavor bomb - adored by both that ordered it. The only real disappointment of the meal was the enchiladas - specifically the mole. Mole should have deep, soulful flavors - this one just fell a little flat. Drinks were tasty and overall a very nice experience. Can't wait to return when I move back.

Will have to try that ⬆️ salad. I've got some leftover rotisserie chicken in the freezer. It reminds me a bit of the chicken ranch pasta salad with avocado and bacon I made from her site recently, and rotisserie chicken worked great. Speaking of her site, we had salmon with creamed spinach and mashed potatoes last night. I combined 2 recipes from Half-Baked Harvest, as she tends to reissue variations on the same essential recipe over time. I included both the cream cheese and pepper flakes from this one and the thyme, dill, green onions, salsa verde, and sun-dried tomatoes from this, so it was spicy. I used heavy cream, lemon juice and zest as well. The last bit of the cream went into the mashed potatoes as did some excess dill and green onion tops. It looked beautiful plated.

Last night on the patio had a delicious soft shell crab in yellow curry sauce special. Don’t miss this dish.

Dinner tonight was this awesome avocado, bacon, and chicken salad. I added cucumber and carrots because I like those and despite putting it on the grocery list, I forgot to buy feta cheese. We have an assortment of cheeses in the drawer so went with a smoked Gouda and something else. Everything worked really well and I probably could skip the chicken and still really enjoy it.

Y Noodles 1109 W Broad Street Falls Church, VA 22046 571-888-3568 On recommendation, tried out the small restaurant for take out recently. Very impressive favors for Sichuan/Chongqing style cuisine, (from my limited experience of never visiting China). Most of the tables were occupied during our visit and they had a healthy influx of take out orders.

I spent about four days last week in Miami and had a few dinners out. Dinner at Doya in Wynwood was probably the food highlight of the week, with a nice Mediterranean/tapas menu. Nothing really stood out more than another, but the dips (including a great beet root hummus) were all very nice. Service was efficient, and the space is large and very nice. The bar cabinet was about two stories tall and very interestingly-stocked, at least for Miami. Dinner at Log (also in Wynwood) was fine, nothing overly special. Again, the space was cool. The steak tartare was very good, and the ribeye was a well-prepared medium rare. They were a bit weird with how they handled wine; the bottle didn't sit on the table or in a tableside bucket, but rather at the bar. The weird part was that they brought wine refills in mini-carafes, whether it was the red or the white wines that we had. We saw them pouring from the bottles, so it wasn't a bait-and-switch (and honestly, we hadn't ordered especially expensive wines). Not sure what that was about... Dinner Chotto Matte was also really good, a Peruvian/Japanese fusion restaurant. The space is really something, with the massive (and I mean, really massive) entrance door the size of a wall. The inside is very cool, and the retractable roof gives you something cool to look at. Service was fine, as was the food. This is a cool restaurant that wears its hipness on its sleeve (or its wall, I guess). Breakfast at San' Gines in Miami Beach was a great option; we got there early and sat out at a sidewalk table. My cappuccino (and then, later, a second cortadito) were both delicious and the coffee highlight of the week. I only did an almond croissant, but it was very good, even in the Miami humidity that was developing. The sandwiches also looked (and, I heard secondhand, were) very good. It was humming when we left, with quite a line between it and its next door neighbor, an Italian deli counterpart called Rosetta Bakery.

We have those too sometimes. That's when I realize why restaurants add that curly parsley garnish to plates (or used to; it seems not to be so common any more). I try to find any reasonable green herb to mince and sprinkle over the plate. If I have any, sometimes I'll halve a cherry tomato or two to set alongside the beige food. Last night was actually rather beige, come to think of it . I fried up some mushroom and sauerkraut pierogies I'd bought at Stachowski's a couple months ago and had stashed in the freezer. We had them with caramelized onions and sauteed enoki and sliced button mushrooms. This used a lot of butter all around. I balanced things somewhat with braised rainbow chard and green curly kale to accompany.

Thursday night was an unusually beige meal for us. I got home late and was staring in the fridge at options. I grabbed the remaining bacon and started frying it while I cut up a remaining defrosted chicken breast. I also saw a packet of chicken flavor seitan that was near it's expiration date, so tore that up as well. Took the bacon out of the skillet and tossed the chicken in to cook. Once it was mostly done, I added the seitan and a handful of matchstick carrots. I made some Parmesan couscous for the starch and called it done. Worked out well but probably should have added some more veggies. Friday night was this Chili Crunch Tofu & Spinach dish. It was supposed to include rice noodles but I ended up doubling it and didn't have enough noodles for that, so made Korean black rice instead. I also should have pressed the tofu more than I did as it has too much moisture to crisp up like it was supposed to do. Ignoring that though, the sauce was good and it used up all of the spinach, which was a goal. I do have 1/2 a can of coconut milk sitting in the fridge to use for something. Last month, this recipe for Chicken & Carrot Kade Paan caught my eye and we made it for dinner last night. The bag of rolls I found was a 36 count, not 18, so this recipe got doubled. I skipped the egg wash, and we were fine with that. No chili tomato sauce here but rummaging around I decided to do a mayo based sauce instead. I went fusion instead of closer to authentic. Mayo with some aji amarillo paste, basil paste, S & P and that was good for us. We are 4 each and put the remainder in the fridge for future meals. I liked them but I really need to work on getting more filling inside, I'm terrible at that and the finished rolls did seem a bit more hollow than they should have been.

It's a pop-up for the time being. I'm sure when he has his own place and his staffed trained, it will be a legit 1 star place. I still don't know why Maydan gets a star and is one of the most sought after restaurants in DC. At Nakazawa, his movements are serene, not slapping things together as fast as he can.

Oh man, that sucks! He was too young and vibrant. And I think he just got married semi recently too. His posts and the foods of the Middle East were amazing and could be assembled into a guide on the cuisine. I always wanted to have a Syrian/Lebanese meal with him. RIP

Thanks for the distinction, Ericandblueboy. Helps to temper expectations on an overall experience. Been thinking of trying it.

It was really great a few years ago when it was a pop up. I haven’t gotten there since they’ve found their own place.

It's a big step below Nakazawa based on our experience tonight at 5:30. Uchi is slapping shit together as fast as he can and then passing them on to his helpers. The rice is hot and almost mushy. The fish hasn't warmed to room temp. For $100, it's still a bargain based on the ingredients but it's far from a Michelin star experience. Dunno what Rooster and Owl is charging these days but at one point it was $85 for 4 courses and that was most definitely a Michelin star worthy dinner. On a night when his counter isn't full and he's fully prepped, I can see this being Michelin worthy.

I have lots of negative things to say about many of the overpriced, undergood places that are all over NYC these days, but I have not a bad word to say about this place. It is simply a gem.

Holy crap that looks good.

Godspeed. Will miss his posts.

LIkewise - really sorry to hear this news. We'll miss his thoughts.

So sorry to read this. I always learned from his posts.

RIP, I always enjoyed his posts, his passion was reflected in his writing.

RIP Bruce. Your posts were always good reads.

Went there tonight … Michelin-star-quality sushi in the middle of a food court! Complete with a bad musician in the background, and free parking in the garage (you have to use the K Street entrance after 5PM). $100 for this omakase is a steal. Listen to DPop - he’s right.

I continue to think the lounge is the best way to enjoy Le Bernardin. It's rarely crowded, especially early in the evening, the service is more friendly and prompt, and you have the choice of a la carte or you can also do the full tasting menu. Last Saturday evening brought Tuna with Foie Gras Brioche ($54 and pictured in the post above) and Lobster Rolls ($54). Portioning was generous, with 4 mini lobster rolls presented with truffle butter. Fabulous wine service - in and out in an hour for <$200. Then across the street to Aldo Sohm for a bottle and charcuterie.

[Thanks-I-Think emoji implied.]

On these boards he shared his love and knowledge of the food of the Levant and of Pennsylvania Amish country; please raise a glass and remember @Kibbee Nayee. https://www.fairfaxmemorialfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Bruce-Alan-Brody?obId=31120788