reedm

No sympathy for the people who decided to make their issue public. They receive extensive travel benefits, and all they have to do is follow the rules. They were either ignorant of the rules or unwilling to follow them. 

I really don't see this as a "decent vs indecent" argument, but I do believe United should be allowed to dictate their own rules for free/discounted travel.

I'd like to know where I can find them in markets/stores.

We put money down on a new place that's about a mile from the future Ashburn metro station, so we are committed. I appreciate the feedback, and since I consider myself to be an optimist, the area has much to offer.

While the Ashburn Whole Foods probably won't compare to the Fair Lakes location, few locations would, so I'll just have to accept that. :-). Glad to hear Lotte Plaza is close. 

Thanks again for the great suggestions!

BTW, we did have lunch at Burger 21 about a week ago. It's a franchise spot, and while it's new to me, I'd wager someone here has heard of it. There's not much atmosphere, but I didn't expect an. The burger choices were plentiful, and you can get them cooked to your temperature preference. I don't recall exactly what we ordered, but the burgers were delicious

On 2/24/2017 at 11:00 PM, Ericandblueboy said:

First, Ovvio - I think the opening chef lasted a week.  Ever since then, the menu has stagnated and while the food isn't bad, it isn't really all that exciting.  

I agree with you--my first two initial visits were great, and then the owners made some changes that were mistakes. Haven't been back in ages.

Third, Gypsy Soul.  I loved that place, but it closed.  WTF!

Fourth, Requin.  Ooh, a Top Chef contestant trained by Eric Ripert!  Except she's never there, and I think the food there went downhill fast.

To be fair, there are some decent ethnic joints - Jinya, Sisters Thai, Four Sisters but I can get better Asian food elsewhere that's cheaper.

I agree with you about Ovvio--my first two visits were great, and then the owners made some changes that were mistakes. Haven't been back in ages.

Gypsy Soul had promise, and I miss the food, but not the "interesting" atmosphere.

I thought DGS Delicatessen was quite good during my first visit, but I was underwhelmed a couple of weeks ago. 

I"ve been to Requin a number of times, and I've seen Jen there, working the pass, nearly every time. They've made several adjustments to the menu, and while Requin is not perfect, or inexpensive, I think it's the best restaurant in the Mosaic area, and you can find food there that you won't find anywhere else in Nova. (That may be a bit of a generalization) There's no doubt it's one of Isabella's restaurants, though. They just started offering the $35 endless brunch--the same thing offered at Kapnos Taverna. 

As someone who lives in Fairfax City, I agree the food scene is disappointing. Other than ABC Canteen, Requin, and Red Apron/B-Side, I haven't found many places that are "crave-worthy". I enjoy the Fairfax Sisters Thai and Curry Mantra for delivery/takeout, and as a native Texan, I'm glad Chuy's is close.

*I don't know how to use partial quotes, so I just deleted your Brine comment. 

23 hours ago, Pat said:

The experience seemed a little more informal than the last time. We were the most dressed up people I saw and we weren't super dressed up. People got a little more dolled up the last time we were here and that was in the middle of the summer.  

Fantastic review. Thanks for your wonderful insight as well as the detailed descriptions. 

We had brunch there with friends this past weekend. I was impressed by the atmosphere and hospitality. Food was quite good, and the drinks were creative. If I were visiting and/or lived in the area, I'd say it was a contender for a local favorite.

Very likely we will be moving to Ashburn in a few months. I'm not really that thrilled about it, but it's one of the few affordable places left in the area, and as a renter, I'm getting crushed by taxes, so I need to buy a home.

Are there any promising places to eat/grocery shop in the area? 

Similar to Bart, after too much time between visits, I'm heading to Kinship tomorrow to celebrate an anniversary with my wife. We over-ordered during our previous visit, and while that was a fortunate "mistake", I would like to at least try to order more appropriately this time.

We shared the roast chicken before, and while it was superb, we may share another "table" dish this time. If we do, it's likely to be the beef, since my wife is not fond of fish, lamb, or foie gras (sigh). We may also just order from the top of the menu, so who knows. The desserts look amazing, so I'd like to save room for that as well.

Would love to hear recommendations. Thanks!

6 hours ago, DonRocks said:

I'll let people know when they're correct - will answer any questions if people need hints. What do people think of how it looks?

Looks like old, dry, reheated brisket. Interested to know where it is so I don't have to go there. 

Have you ever been to a place for the first time thinking "This place sure sounds great" only to walk out thinking "Not so much"?

Here are my yelp comments from about 3 years ago. (Before I discovered this site, of course ) Not the most exciting comments, but this was not the most exciting restaurant. 

*********************************************************

For our first visit, we decided to give the pop-up lunch a try. Overall, the food was extremely delicious. The level of service was very average, but our server was helpful at times, and let us know that the portion sizes varied. That came in helpful when determining how many dishes to order. We were informed the dishes would come out as they were ready. On the other hand, describing all of the dishes as "pretty good" comes across as less than inviting. 

Two of us started with three dishes, and we added a fourth simply because we didn't know when we would be able to return. For our appetites, three dishes would have been about right.

We settled on cucumber chicken salad, General Tso calamari, Kung Pao pork belly, and added MA pan fried pot-stickers. I don't share Andrew H's opinions about the pork belly or the calamari, and thought both were successful dishes. The pork belly was certainly tender--my guess is that it had been braised, then stir fried with the rest of the ingredients in the dish. Nice and tangy, and a bit of heat. The calamari was lightly breaded, and not a bit soggy. I did find the sauce to be a touch sweet. The chicken salad was terrific--I likened it to a cross between a vinegary cucumber salad, with the addition of celery and bits of curried chicken. The potstickers, unfortunately, were a bit flat in comparison, despite the black vinegar dipping sauce.

I'd certainly recommend the pop-up lunch if you enjoy refined versions of Americanized Chinese food. 

One suggestion: the manager appeared to be preoccupied with someone taking pictures of several dishes. Might have been for a magazine, food blog, etc. Regardless, the manager might have noticed that tables needed clearing, and could have been more interactive with the customers. The  manager's absence wasn't off-putting, but it was noticeable.

Do you like smoked meat? Smoked olive oil? Smoked cocktails? We went a couple of years ago and loved everything about it. 

I'd return in a heartbeat. 

57 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

I'm willing to bet you paid a fortune for your meal, and walked out thinking that it was worth every penny.

Yes, and yes. 

Well, not a fortune, but it was quite expensive. Very fairly priced.

Don, what I love nearly as much as the food and service is that they are all devoted to their profession. Komi has no PR campaigns and no social media presence. We chatted briefly about the lack of michelin recognition, and I sensed they completely believe in what they're doing, so the omission is of little concern.

They don't even like to discuss how the dishes are created. (I didn't catch on to this right away, much to my wife's embarrassment after I asked how the goat and lamb were prepared more than once. :-))

I admire and respect Monis, who like Silverman, treats his staff extremely well. (5 day work weeks, restaurant is closed 2 weeks per year, benefits, etc.). All of their restaurants absolutely nail hospitality.

Here's a site I found if you want your car driven by someone. http://www.professionaldrivers.com/car-transport/compare-services/ I don't have any experience with that.(I googled "car transport service driving")

Your other option is truck transport, and I have used that type of service. I suppose it depends how much risk you're willing to take and how much you want to spend.

I used www.shipacardirect.com, and while the experience was good in the beginning, it ended rather poorly.

In order to hire a vehicle transport service, you'll have to find a service to arrange shipment. The service providers don't ship the cars, but they arrange shipment with a network of carriers. Essentially, they post transport requests, and then interested companies contact them to arrange pick-up and delivery. My "broker" worked from home. Pickup and delivery dates depend on many factors, but it's fairly expeditious when large cities are involved. You'll generally be given a window, and then the driver himself will call you ahead of time (if you are lucky).

Lesson learned: my car suffered wheel and tire damage that I did not notice until I took my car in for routine service. Ordinarily, you have to document any damage immediately, but in this case, the damage was difficult to notice. Important: the vehicle transport service will only pay for damage the carrier does not cover, so you really have to deal with the carrier first. Of course, they don't tell you that up front, and they provide meaningless promises. I got the runaround and eventually gave up, since I wasn't able to take "before" pictures, and the carrier did not respond to my requests for the ones they were supposed to take.

One question: who is receiving your car? You really have to have someone there to sign for it, check for damage, etc. 

Good luck!

Not a chef's table, but I was able to get a last minute reservation for Komi. It will be my first time--looking forward to it!

Which two? Thanks for your response!

NJ is not in the cards this time. 

I know I recently read an article about chef's tables, or restaurants within a restaurant recently, but I can't recall where I read it.

Celebrating a birthday in a couple of days, and I'm looking for a place that's a bit different. 

Help appreciated!

I can't add my personal experience, but some of my friends went a couple of years ago and enjoyed the experience. That said, it's now extremely expensive.

They just opened up reservations for February and March, including a special Valentine's Day menu. $1469 inclusive (without the $500 pp upgrade). 

Well beyond my means, I'm afraid. 

No party this year, but I will make some deviled eggs. Tough to go wrong with those.

Don, Did you manage to resolve your issue?

Popped into my local Indian spot for takeout tonight, and learned that Curry Mantra is under new ownership. I don't have many details, but I understand the new owner, who I met briefly, is Nepali. That was evident in a one of the listed specials (new to Curry Mantra) which was Momos. They also offered onion bhaji, which is one of my sentimental favorites because of my time spent living in England.

Looking forward to some menu changes, even if they may take some time to appear.

Google specific:

https://support.google.com/ads/answer/2662922?hl=en 

Advertising industry:

http://www.aboutads.info/choices/

Did you use google to search for info the ice cream and hotel, or go to their websites? 

I hope I'm not stating the obvious, but you have to opt out of interested based advertising. You can do that through your browser as well as through the websites accessed through the little arrow on the ads themselves. 

A couple of days ago, I was in my local Total Wine, and happened to hear a clerk talk about release. Although I had no idea about the release date, I picked up a sixer ($21?) and took it home. A couple of days later, I asked one of the beverage experts at the Fair Lakes Whole Foods (they are no kidding beer/wine experts), and he said their shipment was already long gone. OBTW, he had heard of people in DC paying $35+. Yikes and no thanks.

The beer itself is deceptively smooth, and while plenty hoppy, it's not overly so. You'd probably never know it is 10%ABV unless someone told you.

Worth the money once a year (for me anyway).