MelGold Posted May 21, 2005 Share Posted May 21, 2005 Asian chicken salad marinating as we speak - cokes going in the cooler tomorrow morning - I'll also throw in some plastic cutlery. If I can bring anything else, let me know. Looking forward to putting faces to handles! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 I had promised some table "cloths" from the dollar store on Columbia Road, only to discover this afternoon that it had morphed into something else. So, I was obliged to enter into some rather suspicious places and Lo! and Behold! I found some cheap plastic table "cloths" for our gathering tomorrow. I only bought three of the things, but what can you do? I always feel that I need to grab my passport when venturing into Virginia. At least we can pretend to be civilized. BTW, my tiny apartment has been infused with the scent of chocolate. I can only hope that these brownies taste as good as my place smells. You will know when I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacques Gastreaux Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 (edited) I have roped off 6 picnic tables in Belle Haven Park directly behind the restroom facilities. Park in the second parking lot. If the lot is full, park in either of the others and look for the restrooms and walk toward the river. We have good spot. I hope to supplement the number of tables in the morning. If anyone has any problem finding the venue, call my cell phone: (202) 486-3735. Also call me if you need a lift from the metro. Edited May 22, 2005 by Jacques Gastreaux Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 Jacques, I had to buy a roll of yellow "Caution" tape some time ago (1,000 feet) for my little project in AM. I apologize for not bringing you several hundred feet of it for tomorrow's outing. Forgiven???? (This is to inform anyone planning another dr.com outing this year). . . . yellow "caution" tape is to be had for the asking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillvalley Posted May 22, 2005 Author Share Posted May 22, 2005 (edited) One last time..... Heather+3-oatmeal cookies and salad Mrs. & Mr. B+2-mystery dish Mktye +1-Breads MelGold-cold Asian chicken salad Barbara+1-guacamole, potato salad, beer, brownies Peanut +2 1) Greek salad of some sort 2) Whipped Feta 3) A yogurt dip (probably dried apricot and garlic) 4) Some other dip 5) Pita Laniloa-brownies and green bean salad Nadya-booze, fruit salad and caviar if she has any left Ferhat-hurma & bbq Erin+1-Wine and grill? Cracker+1-lemon wings & paper goods simdelish-ventworm cake? Stretch+1 1/2-Summer chicken marinated in garlic and herbs. Avo/Kiwi sambal hm212+2-pesto pasta salad with chicken and roasted peppers walrus & tripewriter-something sweet Jacques Gastreaux-smoked butt Rissa P-marinated pork bbq mdt-Porchetta alla Nonna babka-I can't remember shogun-something? bkeith-ice cream maker and cake hannah+1-strawberry cupcakes? Crescentfresh +1, a few pounds of curdled Delray Dairy Assuming everyone shows up we are at 40 people My only concern at this point is paper goods and cutlery. If you have extra, grab it and throw it in the car. I want to thank special ventworms, bivalves, etc. behind the scenes who are giving up their Sunday morning to reserve the tables. See you all tomorrow. Edited May 22, 2005 by hillvalley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacques Gastreaux Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 (edited) Anyone else who, on the spur of the moment, decides that they want to come to the picnic, please show up. We don't care if you didn't RSVP. edited to add: If we forget anything, there is a Giant close by Dnam its hard to tpey when y9ur polluted. further edited to add: I predict that the star of the picnic wil be mdt's Porchetta alla Nonna. Either that or the ice cream. Edited May 22, 2005 by Jacques Gastreaux Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 We have lots of plastic cutlery, napkins, cups and plates. I will throw it in the car along with trash bags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrescentFresh Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 further edited to add: I predict that the star of the picnic wil be mdt's Porchetta alla Nonna. Either that or the ice cream. Will there be an official presentation of the "Hearts of Palm d'Or?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stretch Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 How, um, discreet will we have to be with the, um, refreshments. Need we decant the, um, grape juice into Welch's bottles? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 (edited) And is music verboten? Edited May 22, 2005 by Heather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillvalley Posted May 22, 2005 Author Share Posted May 22, 2005 Yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lackadaisi Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 Are small dogs invited? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacques Gastreaux Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 Are small dogs invited? The question of dogs came up last year (I wanted to bring mine). A couple of people claimed allergies so I left him at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacques Gastreaux Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 (edited) How, um, discreet will we have to be with the, um, refreshments. Need we decant the, um, grape juice into Welch's bottles? Viewer discretion is advised. Edited May 22, 2005 by Jacques Gastreaux Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillvalley Posted May 22, 2005 Author Share Posted May 22, 2005 On behalf of the allergic we appreciated Jacques kindness The pollen is bad enough right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lackadaisi Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 The question of dogs came up last year (I wanted to bring mine). A couple of people claimed allergies so I left him at home. Alas, I will then have to skip the event. As my puppy was just "tutored", I have vowed to spend the weekend with him. Have a great picnic! It is a beautiful day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferhat Yalcin Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 how about the big dogs ? big but not bigger than me , can I bring ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacques Gastreaux Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 how about the big dogs ? big but not bigger than me , can I bring ? What, you're going to bring Tom Power with you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferhat Yalcin Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 What, you're going to bring Tom Power with you? that would be fun , I really meant my huge pitbull , can he come since Im still home ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stretch Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 Many, many thanks to the organizers, table sitters, cooks, bakers, patissieres, piss artistes and everybody else who helped make that the. most. epic. picnic. ever. Feel kinda sick. But it's the good sick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadya Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 (edited) Thanks to everyone for the fantastic food and dishes too numerous to enumerate here. The ventworm cake had me cracking up on my blanket so hard, I had to lie down. That, and the inordinate number of calories, of course. Lamb sausage was another star - mdt and I almost collided as we went for the last one simultaneously - courtesy won and it got cut in half. A true Kodak moment. Feel totally stuffed right now, but I know for a fact that tomorrow at lunch I will remember all the leftover goodies with a wistful sigh of "WHy couldn't I eat it? Why? Why?" Food, great company, fun and giggles - what a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Oh, the weather didn't suck, either. Edited May 23, 2005 by Nadya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacques Gastreaux Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 The ventworm cake was clearly the star of the show. Thanks bkeith. You are a true artiste. It was unbelievable. What until you see the pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 We left after the kids were good and sugared up. The highlight was the ventworm cake, but the pork (both kinds), chicken skewers, sausages, salads, ice cream, cupcakes, cheeses, wine, and brownies were great too. The company wasn't too bad either. We should do it again sometime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stretch Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 Still life of the day: Ventworm Sur-preeze with Assorted Fine Cheese. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crackers Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 (edited) CLICK HERE FOR MORE PICNIC PHOTOS! The picnic gods were surely smiling on us today. Perfect weather, plenty of parking, lots of tables, and not a single whining brat (not even my own). BKeith's cake was a work of art, but there was also that towering chocolate layer cake, those strawberry cupcakes, brownies dropped from heaven, yummm... and the meats - grilled, skewered, brined, smoked, and roasted. A groaning board of salads, and breads, and dips and the cheeses! oh, oh, oh hand cranked vanilla ice cream, and perfect picnic wines. And Babies! Thanks Hillvalley and Jacques and Don for organizing, recon and set up. When did you say the next one will be? Edited March 5, 2007 by crackers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrescentFresh Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 When did you say the next one will be? awww hell, let's just do it tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Slater Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 Still life of the day: Ventworm Sur-preeze with Assorted Fine Cheese. T F F ! ! (TFF means "too f*ckin' funny") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Slater Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 (edited) OK, so I saw the ventworm cake. I didn't see any nuts. Edited May 23, 2005 by Mark Slater Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacques Gastreaux Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 OK, so I saw the ventworm cake. I didn't see any nuts. There were hazel "nuts" inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crackers Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 (edited) This cake was a marvel - hazelnut meringue vent tubes, pulled sugar worms, fondant seashells, and a killer banana layer cake underneath all that wonderful chocolate. Here's hoping Don graces the world with some new epithet before the next picnic! (That bathroom scene he so graphically described elsewhere may be difficult to recreate.) Edited May 24, 2005 by crackers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrescentFresh Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 Someone really needs to send this pic to National Geographic or some other mag that specializes in ventworms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 That cake takes the cake. Freakin brilliant! Looks like it was fun. I'll do my best to be at the next one. Ya'll picked the right day for it. Best Regards, Old Dente Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hm212 Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 Thank You to everyone. It was a great day with incredible food and terrific friends. Without reiterating, looking forward to doing it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillvalley Posted May 23, 2005 Author Share Posted May 23, 2005 Something to make your mouth water.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelGold Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 Thanks Jacques, HillValley and the rest for a spectacular day! I'm still in sugar shock... glad I stashed a sausage link (Monday morning breakfast will never be so good again!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillvalley Posted May 23, 2005 Author Share Posted May 23, 2005 More food.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RissaP Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 Our very first DR.com picnic! What a fun day! Great meeting everyone! Great weather! And great food---lots of food (too many to list)! What more could you ask for? We could have continued on the following day. Although by the time I saw bkeith’s truly one-of-a-kind deconstructed “ventworm cake”, I agree it’s the winner. The tower of chocolate cake was meant to be for Old Dente’s (23rd) birthday (I did bring a birthday candle). Oh well, we just raised glasses for you. Thanks for the bread, mktye! I shall devour it! Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough athletes to compete for the DR.com rugby. Peanut is a cutie! Thanks everyone, especially to Hillvalley for organizing it and for Jacques Gastreaux for literally tying down “the fort” with yellow rope from the night before! You picked the best spot! And where was our “Godfather”? We should do it again sometime—when will our pontoon party be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillvalley Posted May 23, 2005 Author Share Posted May 23, 2005 Jacques and Mr. B, think twice before you run for office. I have great pics for the front page of the Post. Question, how'd a pic of a dead fish end up on my camera I have a few more of edible food I'll post tomorrow. Off to eat a strawberry marshmellow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferhat Yalcin Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 agree with all the above... (just dont want to write long ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktye Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 (edited) We are had a fantastic time at the picnic. Great food & company! The food was a carb-lover's dream come true (and some people were worried about there not being enough carbs! ). And I especially enjoyed the "Reserved for the Rockwell Foundation" signs which adorned the tables -- very forbidding (and effective!). Edited May 23, 2005 by mktye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPW Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 (edited) What a great event! Thanks to all the Peanut-sitters. All the parents out there know that having someone to watch the kids for even 5 minutes can be a welcome respite. The highlights for me were the lamb sausage and Ferhat's dessert (unfortunately by the time those came around I was positively stuffed). Mrs JPW loved the ventworm cake. We all slept like a rock last night. Edited May 23, 2005 by JPW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laniloa Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 What more can be said other then to thank everyone who came, cooked, ate, and enjoyed and especially to those who organized! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gastro888 Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 The photos look great - I wish I could've been there. I have been in very involved in preparation for my team's competition. Hopefully there'll be another event where I can try this great food! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 It's hard to imagine a more perfect day. And all the Rockwellian kids were delightful. Maybe they are better fed than most others. Jacques' pulled pork simply rocked. If it weren't for that ventworm cake (worth the price of admission by itself), I would have stuck a flag in it and declared the winner. Thanks to Hillvalley and Jacques and the others who organized this and did so much work. You should do it again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 You guys know how to eat! I just Googled "ventworm cake" and found this thread - is it possible that this is the first time in world history anybody has made one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacques Gastreaux Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 You guys know how to eat!I just Googled "ventworm cake" and found this thread - is it possible that this is the first time in world history anybody has made one? Not only is it possible, but very likely. The question is, will there ever be another one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laniloa Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 I think the ventworm cake could be a hit in the 10-12 year old birthday party circuit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babka Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 6 PM: Prepare for sleep, antacid and glass of wine in hand. 6:05 PM: Phone rings with invitation to dinner picnic in Columbia Heights. Tummy talks to brain and then goes to sleep, not to wake until midnight. Midnight: Scan fridge. I didn't steal any of the leftover pork? Lordy but that was a lovely picnic! Special kudos to Jacques for pork-flavored polenta (seriously--it was that tender), to Keith for the cake I wanted for my fifth birthday party, to mktye's charming husband for logging hours and hours and hours on the ice cream churner, to the busboys for lamb sausage that puts Vace to shame, and to the babies, for figuring out how to sneak in much-envied naps. oh--and to Nadya. For showing up with the same obscure georgian walnut sauce & eggplant dish that I toted along in absolute confidence that not even the Rockwell crew would have tasted it before. (and hillvalley: we should probably talk about that dead fish.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanabutler Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 Virgin post here, just coming out of lurking/observation mode to tell you people that you absolutely rock. I've long envied your forum at The Society Dot Org--for being the vibrant and kick-ass group you are. (Having a forum host with a pulse sure helps, huh? Having had one like Mr. R. is about as fortunate as you could have gotten.) Anyway, I sure hope to get to your neck of the woods sometime to have a Spontaneous Get-Together That Is Freely Planned Without Permission and Doesn't Require Fund-Raising or Pledge Drives or Signing Anything or Even Compulsory Photograph of the Attendees. You rock, and you Rockwell. Cheers, gang. </back to lurk mode> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadya Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 (edited) oh--and to Nadya. For showing up with the same obscure georgian walnut sauce & eggplant dish that I toted along in absolute confidence that not even the Rockwell crew would have tasted it before. I agree!! How bizarre was that?? But I am glad there is another Georgian food aficionado in DC, I really miss that quisine. Maybe you and I can host a Georgian dinner for DR.com, huh. It's noontime already and not a single pang of hunger has been felt since last night. Is there a reason? Edited May 23, 2005 by Nadya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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