Capital Icebox

The Ghetto Gourmet is a good source for finding underground restaurants and supper clubs: theghet.com

I know it is not super exotic but I'm surprised no one has said Vegas yet.

Are you planning on staying only in San Sebastian for those three-four days or does that include your foray into France? If it is just for SS, 3-4 days is probably good. I don't know what your hotel budget is, but if you don't want to spend outrageous amounts, the Hotel Niza on the Concha Beach is perfectly suitable. Splurge at Arzak. Otherwise just wander the old town and eat and drink at the pintxos bars. Try the txakoli, a crisp lightly effervescent low alcohol white wine.

While in France you must go to Espelette and eat at Hotel Euskadi. Try the Axoa d'Espelette--a local Basque veal stew which was one of my top meals ever. The hotel isn't anything special, but the food is. Also, St. Jean Pied de Port is worth a visit.

In Bologna, stay at the Orologio Hotel. Right off the main square and really nice yet affordable. Eat all the mortadella you can get your hands on.

I'm having a hard time telling if Portugal is worth it on this trip from a culinary perspective. The eG boards don't make it sound too promising, especially considering what's on offer next door in Spain. Any advice/thoughts on this are appreciated. We have the option of coming into Portugal from Galicia and working our way down the coast from Porto to Lisbon.

It also looks like we'll be in Barcelona for a week, I'm looking forward to checking out the nascent "bistronomia" scene.

Many thanks to all for the help and advice thus far.

We'll have a car, yes, so any out-of-the-way spots are especially good.

And we'll also be in Northern Italy a bit, so Bologna could be an option. (Lyon won't be on this trip, but we do have time to go over to Bordeaux while we're in Basque Country.)

I'm thinking 3-4 nights in San Sebastian -- too little, too much, or about right?

My wife and I are headed back to Spain for about a month in May (the first trip was four years ago, after we decided on there from this thread). We'll be hitting the usual suspects -- San Sebastian/Basque Country, Madrid, Barcelona, as well as spending some time in Lisbon and Galicia. I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for great food towns or restaurants (or wine regions), especially anything that's a little off the beaten path. We have a fair amount of time on our hands, though I'm sure it will go fast.

ETA: Any recommendations for those "usual suspects" are appreciated as well, of course (and I'll be checking those threads). By the way, is there a web page somewhere with the latest Michelin reviews of Spain? I can't seem to find it at first look.

I haven't been, but Frank Bruni seemed to really enjoy Feast.

This mailing was from November 20th and a follow up to a similar earlier promotion which included two tickets to Phantom along with a room for $159 a night. Until the past several months the promotions NEVER included free theater tickets-now they do. Ask to be included on their list of special mailings. They seem to average at least once a week right now. The Venetian is a really nice hotel with the Palazzo a brand new tower that features Jersey Boys as its show.

And to keep this food-related, the bar tasting menu at Guy Savoy was a real disappointment.

My wife looked at B&B's menu (Batali) and decided she didn't like their pasta selection. So now I'm thinking Bartolotta. What about the other Batali joint, Carnevino? She hates mushrooms and doesn't really do seafood (other than scallops, shrimp, lobster and crab).

Like Waitman said, you gotta roast it. You can also mash it up a bit after roasting and add come cheese, which I've seen used as a substitute for mashed potatoes.

Not sure about PX, though if you're at Eve, you're drinking Todd Thrasher's cocktails . I know folks who have taken the King street metro there, but depending on time of day that could take a very long time, especially if you need to switch lines. I'm sure the folks at Eve would be happy to call a cab for you should you wish after your meal or after your drinks at PX.

We also had a mediocre meal at L'Atelier with, at best, atrocious service. We were seated next to the executive chef from some restaurant in Mandalay Bay (Mix?) and everyone, waiters, chefs, runners, spent the entire time he was there chatting with him. They forgot our amuse, which was listed on the menu, as well as the sides for both of our entrees. Really a waste.

they are not even the same category of dining places. Bouloud Brasserie is meant to be a GREAT bistro, with better than the usual bistro food, and one of the best views, and shows that are free in Vegas. staff is way nicer than l'atelier also. plus, L'atelier is by Robuchon, who owns the only three star Michelin in Vegas, and the l'Atelier is the hip, 'cutting' edge place next door that just gets to charge an obscene amount for its food, which is good, but not worth the price by any means, especially for the uncomfortable chairs you get to sit in at the bar. should have gone to Bartollota. or go there next time in town. call me first.. or email.

If Chef Armstrong likes it, it can't be that evil.

We tried to sample their wares today, but they were closed, and with no phone number or Web site, we had no way of knowing without making the trip We will try again the next time we're in Alexandria during business hours...

Their cupcakes are a bit small, I only tried one (the Chocolate Espresso Meringue) but am looking forward to sampling some of the others, especially the Peach Mint. At first taste, I am much more inclined towards G-town Cupcake, which win in the size, flavor and especially the design department (speaking of the cupcakes only). But it's a beautiful space and worth a stop if you're in the neighborhood.

Any advice on restaurants on this island would be appreciated. The travel guides I've read don't seem that helpful.

NYT op-ed by Tyler Colman on the virtues of (some) boxed wines, notably those that use the TetraPak.

Has anyone tried the ones he recommends on his website? They are the Yellow + Blue Malbec from Argentina and a line of wines from Three Thieves Bandit in California. Apparently his favorite, the D-Tour from Burgundy, has been "temporarily withdrawn from the market."

Majestic continues to underwhelm: At the height of summer, the only tomatoes on the menu are of the cherry variety. The lone special was tempura asparagus. (Is local asparagus still in season?) And liver, meatloaf and seafood stew in August?

Majestic isn't awful, it just fails to leave an impression on me. The NY Strip is a beautiful cut, but there is very little sear on it and absolutely no char, robbing it of a lot of flavor. The baked gnocchi are drowned in tomato sauce and ricotta, a heavy-handed dish, something you might expect at a family Italian restaurant but not here. There is no surprise, no distinct impression left by the cooking (this was the fourth and likely final visit). And it certainly doesn't seem like the kitchen is going for it, either, since the entrees haven't changed much in the last year.

I am a faithful devotee of Eve, Eamonn's and PX, but for me Majestic remains the one weak spot of the Armstrong Armada.

I like Wempel's introduction to the issue, where he circumvents the question of why CP has taken up a "Best of DC" list again after so long by jabbing at the Washingtonian. But the reason why CP made the list is the same reason why the Washingtonian does it, or any publication for that matter -- it sells ads, tons of them. Just look at the size of this thing, it's about twice as thick as your usual issue, with places like Ben's and Bar Pilar taking out full-page ads. But there didn't seem to be anything in the food picks that was greatly at odds with what the Washingtonian or the Washington Post have on their top restaurant lists, or that went beyond Carman's previous reporting on our city. I'm not saying CP doesn't deserve a chance at the honey pot, but for me the effort came across as grasping.

With one exception -- the profile of Frank Ruta, which captured everything I love about Palena and his cooking. That could have been a standalone "Young & Hungry" column.

I almost wish I had never heard this:

"[Frank Ruta] entertained dreams of selling [hot] dogs, and his celebrated truffled cheeseburger, at the Nats' new stadium, though he says he didn't press his case hard enough with team ownership." -- 4.18.08 City Paper

I dunno, Capital Icebox, I've had both and am here to tell you that not one item I had the In-n-Out came anywhere near Elevation Burger. When EB is on, it's grand stuff.

Every time I go back to EB give them another chance, things remain the same or worse, and the fact that they're franchising now does not bode well. Saying this is like getting In N Out on the East Coast only makes it hurt more. FIX YOUR BURGERS, dude!

(In EB's defense, In N Out has nothing like the EB no-bake cookie.)

Potentially, the In-n-Out of the East.

This man obviously has no clue. At first I thought by "corked" he meant to say "littered with cork," but it's obvious he is talking about how the wine tasted, which must have confused the staff.

The New Yorker isn't a fan.

I think that's revenue, not profit.

Does it really matter why? They've obviously decided to offer only beer and wine. Why aren't we haranguing Derek about the lack of booze at Komi?

I think if a place stopped serving hard drinks, though, it'd be fair to ask why, or at least if they had really stopped serving them. It's so touchy about RTC around here...

The sacred cow goes Mooooooo!