Capital Icebox

There are probably about as many people working behind the kitchen door as there are in front of it at Eve.

I think the greatest number of people at Eve work somewhere behind the "fire door" at the bar. Staff are always coming in and out there, and the door makes quite a sound when it slams shut every minute or so as you're trying to enjoy your lunch or dinner. I just wonder where they all go when they reach the other side...

To stay on-topic -- As a layman with absolutley no economic education, in fact having weaseled out of taking Econ 101 in college, I would think 5% net profit for an upscale restaurant ain't that bad. Obviously everyone (including, I presume, Chef Armstrong himself) is getting a check and the place is in the black -- that's quite an accomplishment after a few years for a small place with independent backing. For the investors, they can't expect much higher returns (or simply don't know better), otherwise they'd put their money into Outback. I assume for some of them its something of a vanity investment, like, ahem, certain magazines. They have other investments that pay back in double-digit profits, so they can afford to put their money behind such a worthy venture as Eve without the same kind of return.

And what about the profit margin at the bar? I'd imagine its much higher, and with the way its been packed these days, it has to be helping kick up the overall profits.

Thursday and Friday this week.

Strange that Galileo filed for bankruptcy while Chef Donna is being paid $2,000 a head to cook a meal in a private home.

Methinks this guy in Potomac got snookered.

I hear that Nathan Beauchamp, Chef de Cuisine at Restaurant Eve, will be taking over for Ris Lacoste at 1789. This is very welcome news for fans of either establishment, I would think.

I prevailed upon our family gathering of seven adults on Thursday to let me take over not just the kitchen for Thanksgiving, but the menu as well. At first they were skeptical and worried about missing the same old meal, so we had an early lunch with all the usual items and then a late dinner, a tasting menu of sorts that had a strong Thanksgiving theme:

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Fried Sage and Nutmeg Creme Fraiche (adapted from Thomas Keller's Bouchon cookbook)

Trio of Sweet Potato Raviolis in a Brown Butter and Thyme Sauce

Mustard and Herb Crusted French Rack of Lamb with Cranberry and Polenta Stuffing, and pureed yukon potatoes with a shittake gravy

Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Apple, Pear and Quince Turnovers with Vanilla Custard


For palate cleansers, I baked some pumpkin bread with cranberries and blueberries and teaspoons of raspberry sorbet.

Overall, it was a success, but due to an unforseen potato shortage I had to use leftovers from lunch and that side turned out far from perfect, but the gravy made up a bit for that. I also had issues getting the tops just right on the brulees, but I couldn't exactly bring a blowtorch on the plane. Using freshly grated nutmeg and vanilla bean made all the difference, though -- I'm not much of a baker, but I will no longer shortcut on these two ingredients. The lamb I bought from Cheeseitique, and it was also a hit.

We roasted a smaller turkey (around 13 lbs.) the day I arrived and used the meat for sandwiches throughout the week. We also made a pie every night, and this way we weren't bombarded with leftovers but were able to enjoy Thankisgiving favorites throughout the week.

I would also add that marinating isn't necessary for Cheeseitique's Hangars. What I could learn about Hangars online suggests using a marinade since it's a tougher cut, but with these steaks I've usually just trimmed off the fat and membrane, patted them dry, seasoned with S&P and cooked them on the grill. I use the juices from the tray I cool them on to whip a sauce similar to Mike's.

These steaks cook beautifully, without much effort, and have tremendous flavor, so be careful about how much sauce you add. I can't believe these sell for just 7 bucks a pound.

Where can I get some good gnocchi that I'm too lazy to make myself? Does Italian Store sell any?

Some random thoughts on the Cakelove article in the City Paper:

1. Warren Brown is a bit offbeat -- from his manifestos on "Cake Passion" to his Model Tank Cakes for Peace, this guy seems a bit nutty. Which is a must in the food industry, as I understand it.

2. He is also an expansionist, looking to put five to six stores in metropolitan areas across the world, including, but not limited to, Japan. He's even considering a line of candy bars. Remember, Brown tells us, "'Make Cakelove, not war' only is possible if the community doesn't have walls."

3. He was never a high-priced corporate lawyer, but rather worked on fraud litigation at HHS. Get it, fraud litigation?

4. Judith Weinraub has some 'splaining to do.

I find The Professional Chef, the textbook at the Culinary Institute of America, to be invaluable. It reads very much like a how-to book, as opposed to being recipe-driven, and has many helpful photos to go along with its step-by-step instructions. The "Meats" section of the book, in particular, is great for learning the cuts, proper handling, and how to prepare them in various ways. But even better are the "Soups" and "Sauces" portions of the book, where technique can be difficult.

I've read Joy of Cooking, but it didn't have any photos (at least the version I had) and I found the format difficult -- the instructions are in paragraph form, like in an everyday book, so you can easily lose your place. In the CIA textbook, they are formatted in separate vertical columns, so you read one step and then move horizontally to the next one.

I keep it at the bedside table and try to read a little every night, just to keep thinking about technique even if I'm not in the kitchen. (Though I could solve this problem by sleeping in the kitchen. Hmm....)

I also find it very helpful when using recipes from other cookbooks, as a way to cross-reference some of the techniques and ingredients involved. It's not witty or entertaining reading, and sometimes you'll feel like a CIA instructor is sternly looking over your shoulder, but it is an excellent resource and avoids needless diversions like recipes for roadkill. Amazon has it on sale for $44.

Cakelove is the cover story for the Washington City Paper this week. Not up online yet -- should be tomorrow. At a glance, it seems the room-temperature debate is covered in the article.

Edited to add: our estimable host and Tom S. are featured in the piece as well.

That's twice this year that Donrockwell.com has figured into a City Paper story.

But to get back on topic, I'll be staying at the Venetian this weekend.  But I can't tell whether the Valentino is being recommended or not.

Why not Bouchon?

I don't think they're avoiding you. There are some areas closer in, like Ballston, that are completely devoid of such establishments (save the recent addition of Willow, but from what I read here, that place is a mixed bag). The major restaurants in Ballston are IHOP, Flat Top Grill, Rio Grande, Tara Thai, and a Chevy's, which is fairly close to the options to have in your area. I think that most of Arlington (specifically, the Wilson blvd. corridor) is like this, devoid of quality, chef-driven restaurants, saved only by Ray's and Tallula. Even Adams Morgan, with the exception of Cashion's, doesn't appear to have a lot going on in the good restaurant department.

It seems, for better or worse, that these types of restaurants open up in specific neighborhoods known to be part of the dining and entertainment scene: Penn Quarter, Dupont, Georgetown, and "Downtown," for instance. Even then, many of these are owned by "restaurant groups" or hotels, so they're not exactly "Mom & Pop" places, but many of them benefit from having a strong, dedicated chef at the helm instead of an accountant.

That doesn't directly answer your question, or diminish your plight, but it does show that this issue isn't strictly limited to the outlying suburbs.

Closed for good or just transitioning to new management and a new name?

If it's for good I'm going to smack myself upside the head repeatedly, as this is one of those places I never got around to visiting.

No, but one initial is B 

Doesn't the Guv eat there once a week?

But this guy, with a secret service crew, initial of B... hmmm...

Got it!

As a recent convert to nonsmoking, I'm finding bars to be less and less pleasant places to eat.

However, early in the week, the Reef is reasonably smokefree and good bar eating. And the Tabard has a good bar that's smokefree until dinner service is over. Oh, and though it's been a while, I seem to remember Ten Penh as having a comfy bar to eat at--I think the low stools make me feel less precarious.

Eve is smoke-free, even in the bar, which is lovely.

Inspired by the chatter about Tom's Chat, I thought we could have a discussion about the best restaurants-with-bars in the area.

Obviously, I'm a big fan of Palena's bar.  Dino and Notti Bianche also have great bars for dining.

Where else do you feel comfortable dining at the bar?

Eve! Numero Uno, even when it's packed.

Vermilion, Corduroy, Galileo, Majestic, Atlantico, Oyamel (pus and all), Mendocino, Circle Bistro, Kinkead's, and Old Ebbit for oysters.

Bar eating I've read/heard great things about, but haven't been able to check out yet: Buck's, Cashion's, Citronelle, CityZen and Tabard.

is it me or did the washington Post Food Section particularly suck today?  I'm talking Twinkie article suck 

Ditto. Especially compared to the food sections today in the LA Times and New York Times. LAT had a nice piece on winter squash, another on using mexican chocolate in desserts, and a handy review of some new stew pots and how they fare against Le Creuset. NYT has a piece on how to cure your own bacon, two restaurant reviews, a cookbook review, and a helpful guide to online shopping for holiday goods. Overall, both had some nice foodie fare today.

And in our Post? A review of Safeway's 2-hour Turkey, 'My Dinner With Google' (culminating in a recipe for "Peas, Cauliflower and Tofu with Spicy Orange"), and locals who ship cookies to troops overseas, which arguably belongs in the Metro section.

So if you are a internet-saavy Vegan, a GI in Iraq with the munchies, or someone that actually enjoys meat from Safeway, today's Food section in the Post is just the thing you've been waiting for. Otherwise, check out the other papers.

Warren Brown speaks!

"Under this renewed initiative to serve no cake before its time, we made palm cards in the spirit of a cautionary road sign. It features a person with a cake, a thermometer at 72 degrees, and the phrase "serve cake @ room temp". I hope people find it cute as well as informative.

Best Regards,

Warren Brown

CakeLove/Love Cafe

"Sugar Rush" on Food Network @ 9:30pm EST/8:30 CST "

Don't you get it, people? It's YOUR fault my cakes taste all dry and lardy, not mine! You simply don't serve them right! We sell them refrigerated in the Cafe but you are supposed to wait 15 minutes before eating it, fool! They'll be 10,000 times better!

Ugh.

It shouldn't bother anyone any more than the cameras at retail stores, bars, convenience stores, roads, parks, or apartment buildings.

I think having a camera hovering over my table would certainly dampen my dining experience. The proliferation of security cameras in general is a topic in and of itself, but I think in a restaurant setting they are superfluous and intrusive -- the right staff wouldn't need to rely on them, and I would think that most diners don't want to see them. Then again, Sette Bello sounds like more of a club/restaurant hybrid than a bona fide dining establishment, so that could justify the cameras somewhat, but they should at least hide the damn things.

Does this creep anyone else out? Are there many other DC restaurants that "spy" on their customers?

All-night Happy Hour (til 10 p.m., technically) at the much-maligned Oyamel for $4 margaritas and $1.50 tacos. I will be the guy at the bar furiously licking sal de gusano from his glass in between tacos packed with soulless onion bulbs.

I heard that there was going to be a truffle-centric tasting menu any day now at Palena. Anyone know anything about this?

Restaurant Eve's salads are tops, and you can get them for lunch (along with a drink, entree or dessert) for $13.50.

Edited to add: Their salads change every day, but I've worked through six or more of them and they have always been stellar.

You're right, 5 Guys will only serve them well done, and Fudds cooks them to order.

Like most burger joints, 5 guys has several pros and cons.

Pros:

Fresh-baked buns

Fresh cut, double-fried in peanut oil fries

Fresh, never frozen ground beef

Free peanuts

Locations seemingly everywhere, from Greensville, SC to Niskayuna, NY

Cons:

All the burgers are well-done, killing a lot of the good beef flavor and resulting in a drier patty

Most of the toppings suck (cheese in particular), and condiments are slathered on excessively

Fry grease permeates several layers of paper bags (then again, have you looked at the paper towel at the bottom of Palena's fry plate?)

During a lunch or dinner rush, particularly at a new mall, orders can take awhile

Locations seemingly everywhere, with quality reportedly much lower at the franchise locations than the originals.

Still, drive into most suburbs of DC and you're stuck between Wendy's, McD's, or Chicken Out. But what we really need out here is In N' Out, which will only franchise to family members. Anyone single on the board want to go out to Cali and marry into the family?