reedm

Just realized baby corn is on my dislike list. If you've lived in England or had cheap Chinese food (or both), I'm sure you'll understand.

Another great lunch today. I introduced the place to my daughter, who is home from college for her holiday break. My daughter chose the fish and chips, and the fish was perfectly cooked as usual. DR's post reminded me to try the tamales again, so I ordered the pork and green chile version. Man, was that a delicious tamale. The masa was moist and tender, and the green chile was pleasantly tangy, and complimented the pork nicely. One of the best tamales I've had. As a displaced Texan, I'll consider ordering these for Christmas. The barbacoa taco was great as well. All of their fillings are delicious, but the made to order tortillas really sets ABC Canteen apart from every other taco I've had in the area. This is the only place I know of that cooks their tortillas to order, and they are some of the best you'll ever try. Finally, in my continuing quest to work my way through the menu, I ordered the cod fritters. These were a nice change of pace, perfectly cooked and served with aioli. As usual, the staff is incredibly friendly and helpful.

Happy to report the bouillabaisse is indeed back on the menu.

I was lucky enough to be in Cologne when I first tried Kolsch, but I didn't care for even the best version. (No umlaut skills, I'm afraid). Now the bratwurst... Now let's discuss peaty single malts and hoppy beers.

I suppose I'm fortunate, since I have don't have any food allergies, and I really don't have any extreme food aversions. That said, there are a few types of food and drink I don't really care for. Similar to ktmoomau, I enjoy fennel, and some anise flavored foods and beverages, but I won't eat rope licorice. I won't avoid eggplant, but I can't recall a time I actually cooked with it. On second thought, although I love them fresh or frozen, I can't stand the sight, smell, or taste of canned peas. As far as drinks go, I like nearly everything. (Yes, that can be a problem, lol). Not a huge fan of kolsch beer, since the style tastes "soapy" to me. My family has plenty of dislikes, including beans, fish, lamb, ham (pork and bacon are fine), cooked fruit (sigh), and even Indian food. Not all of them have the same dislikes, of course...

Try the kimchi grilled cheese next time you are there. It's served at the wine/beer bar. The seafood bar used to serve a killer bouillabaisse, which was sold at the incredible price of $13. I hope they bring it back.

I suppose it's time to add something to this topic, since Don was nice enough to add menus. My wife and I popped in following an impromptu movie at the Angelika theater. It was some time around 6pm, and even on a weekday, the room was nearly full. Fortunately, we were seated without delay. The space has a bit of a modern-industrial look and feel (my made up description), and I'd guess it seats around 60 people max. The bar features a long counter and probably a dozen seats. B Side provides a range of drink options, including cocktails, draft and bottled beers, and wines sold by the glass or bottle. I believe Jeff Faile is still the beverage director for NRG restaurants, and it shows. It's possible to order "taster" sized portions of the draft beers, and that's a nice option for those who may want to try a number of different beers. While the cocktails looked great, we settled on draft beer and wine by the glass. The food menu offered eight small plates, eight big plates, and four choices of side dishes. Notably, the entire menu is a la carte. Our server was quite good, and more than helpful when we asked him for food and drink recommendations. A manager also made the rounds, and gladly offered suggestions as well. We decided on Red Beet Tartare ($11) and Fried Cauliflower ($10) for our small dishes, and the Butcher's Cut ($14) and Rotissifried Chicken ($16 for a half). For some reason, we decided that wasn't enough, so we also ordered Beef Fat Fries ($5.5) and Collared Greens ($5). The beet tartare was a generous portion, about the size of two decks of cards. It was flanked by mizuna, and topped with a golfball size portion of burrata. The manager's recommendation of the tartare was well-deserved. The beet tartare texture was perfect, and cracked pepper provided a nice bit of crunch and heat. Delicious. I love roasted cauliflower, and B-Side's fried version was very similar in taste and texture. The romesco sauce sauce was nicely balanced, and better than I've been able to make at home. It was very good, but not the most exciting dish of the evening. The chicken was initially roasted, and then fried (without any coating/breading), and then sectioned into five or six pieces. The interior was moist and flavorful, while the exterior was nice and crispy. The chicken was served with miniature cast iron skillet of Honey Hot Sauce, an innocuous sounding name that belied the fiery nature of the sauce. I thoroughly enjoy hot and spicy foods, but the heat took me by surprise. Our server told me the heat came from calabrian chiles and cayenne. Overall, a great dish. The Butcher's cut of the day was Teres Major, certainly a lesser known cut of beef. The steak was cooked perfectly medium per my wife's request, and served with an herb butter and red wine sauce. The steak had a nice, beefy flavor, and while it was tender, it still had a nice chew. (Reminded me of onglet/hanger steak). The fries are certainly some of the best in the area, and they were served with garlic confit and fried rosemary. They were rich, crispy and full of flavor. It was served with a side of house made ranch, which while good, would not have been missed. If you enjoy collared greens, you'll love B Side's version. The generous serving of greens had been cooked with a generous portion of chopped smoked ham hock. The seasoning was spot on, and the texture was just right. Definitely one of the best versions I've had. We certainly enjoyed our dinner at B Side. It's casual, friendly, and offers a variety that's a welcome addition to the Fairfax dining scene. *On a completely random side note, the adjoining Red Apron produces the best ground beef I've found to date. It's now my sole choice when I'm in the mood to make burgers.

You nailed it with that comment. He seemed surprised chatters responded to his comments.

I've made this for the past three or four years. It's exceptionally delicious. Besides the flavor, I really like it because you don't have to be concerned with the flavor of the turkey drippings, which is useful if you brine your bird. Trust me, this is outstanding. https://food52.com/recipes/7483-vegetarian-mushroom-thyme-gravy

Mom's Organic Market. There are a number of stores in the local area. www.momsorganicmarket.com

Whole Foods Fair Lakes offers Peking Duck on Saturdays and Sundays. I don't know the exact hours, but they always sell out, and when I asked yesterday, they had prepared more than 50. This is a take out only operation, although you can eat it in the dining area past the registers. Chef Wu slices the duck to order, so it's fresh and quite delicious. An entire duck (including accompaniments) is $26.99, a half is $14.99, and individual wraps are $2.99.

Kale BLT Salad Sage Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Pasta

Paisano's is one of the better delivery options in my area, and I agree they provide a consistent product in a reasonable amount of time. I usually enjoy the "Paulie's Pizza", which is a thin crust pizza topped with pepperoni, extra cheese, and fresh garlic. Unfortunately, I've yet to find a pizza place that is "crave-worthy".

First and foremost, this is a sad story. I'd hate for my personal family matters to be aired publicly. Secondly, it reflects an enduring trend in our society which truly flies in the face of our national beliefs: Instead of innocent until proven guilty, it seems to be much easier, and much more popular, to condemn people without any semblance of a fair discussion, much less a trial. As an earlier poster mentioned, if you really believe you should only frequent establishments that mirror your own beliefs, you probably don't eat out (or shop) very often.

You're not going to leave us wondering, are you? I don't think there is a separate thread, so I'll ask it here: Is there any decent pizza to be had in the Fairfax City area? --- Havabite Eatery (DonRocks) Pomodoro (Monkeyrotica) Paisano's (JSnake)

I certainly agree with you, and it's usually easier said than done. (My wife usually begs me not to say anything in the rare instance something is not right) I mentioned email only because I've sent notes on a couple of occasions (to request a recipe and to thank them for a great evening), and I received a nice reply both times. Like you, I'm never interested in getting comped, etc., but I'm sure Fiola would like to know if you had uncomfortable moments.

My favorite restaurants for outstanding service are Fiola and Fiola Mare, Rose's Luxury, and Little Serow. I've had celebratory meals at Fiola and Rose's Luxury, and was more than pleased every time. Little Serow's service is always friendly, welcoming and helpful, in a way that, like Rose's, appears to be casual, but is in reality probably very practiced and polished. The service at ABC Canteen, even though it is a fast-casual spot, also makes my list because of the incredibly helpful and friendly atmosphere.

That's shockingly poor service for Fiola Mare (or any of the Fiola restaurants, for that matter). Don't take this question as a criticism, but did you speak with a manager? If you hadn't considered it already, I would send an email to the restaurant. I bet you will get a reply.

This topic is one I'll have to follow more closely, since I enjoy cooking, and I'm always looking for ideas. Earlier this week, I made a chorizo and white bean stew from the linked recipe. I halved the recipe, and discovered that I'd prefer half the amount of sausage called for. (Used chorizo links from Whole Foods) The results were delicious, and preparation time was minimal. http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chorizo-and-white-bean-stew

Great Spinal Tap reference by mnnchas...one of my favorite movies. If Rose's is contemplating a ban on line standing (and I think it should), they need to look beyond a measly Supreme Court ruling. Perhaps this is a better example: "Franklin Barbecue Bans All Line Holders" by Nadia Chaudhury on austin.eater.com Like it or not, POTUS is in a unique category, and cannot wait in a line. Edited for grammar.

I spoke to one of the men working at Pho Duong during one of my visits, and he told me his mother-in-law owns the Fairfax and Centreville spots.

Blue Ocean is minutes away from my house, and I've eaten there many times. Typically, I will order nigiri or sashimi, but other family members have ordered ramen and a couple of other dishes. I do not consider myself to be a sushi expert, but I know enough to be able to tell when fish is fresh and well-prepared, and Blue Ocean's fish is typically quite good. (Make sure to ask if they have chutoro or otoro) They also get bonus points for being one of the very few Japanese-owned sushi restaurants in the area. I fully understand your "horrible" comment. About a year ago, the restaurant was extremely dusty and obviously needed a good cleaning. The food was not great, so I took it off of my list for a few months. After I ended my self-imposed boycott, I was pleased to see a much cleaner dining area and much better food. In short, I'd give it another go. The sushi chefs are fairly personable once you get to know them a bit, as are the servers. That's not to say the service is anything more than average, though, and the standard salad is downright bad, redeemed only by an above average miso soup. Off topic, but if you're in the area, check out Pho Duong a couple of doors down. Excellent Vietnamese food. (Try the pork and clams with rice claypot and the pho.)

Your hushpuppies are some of the best I've ever had. No reason to switch to white cornmeal due to a random, singular comment, IMHO. Keep up the great work!

A long-time friend of mine was in town, and I suggested Gypsy Soul would be a good place to catch up while eating and enjoying a beverage or two. RJ wasn't there, but the place was firing on every cylinder. We sat at the bar, and the young lady who was our server (I forgot her name) was really on the ball. She mentioned she had only worked there a month or so, but knew the menu extremely well, provided recommendations, and made a mean cocktail. My friend enjoyed the fried chicken immensely; perfectly cooked, the chicken arrived piping hot, and the portion was quite ample. Despite that, I was not offered a single bite, so I assume it was delicious. Our server recommended the pork belly entree, and I am glad I took her advice. Forgive me again for my memory, but the pork belly was roasted and accompanied by a perfectly spicy (chipotle?) sauce, fried green tomatoes, grilled avocado, and roasted pepitas. Each element was perfectly cooked, and the pork was succulent, but not fatty in the least. Great dish. RaisaB's comments are spot on--I can't wait to go back.

Stopped in for an impromptu lunch Saturday, and I can vouch for the "I need a miracle!" discount. (Thanks, btw) More importantly, I had one of the best BLT's of my entire life. A generous amount of perfectly cooked Nueske bacon was the star, but all of the elements worked perfectly together. The slaw and fries were great as well. I'll also add that, while I'm not a regular drinker of Bloody Marys, Gypsy Soul's are incredible. Spicy and boozy. What's not to like? Very pleased to see RJ's spot hitting its stride.