reedm

17 hours ago, LauraB said:

You don't say what route the train takes, but I assume it's around northern India?  

1. Rain could very well be a problem, given that September is the 3rd most rainy month in New Delhi.  I went to New Delhi in December, which has the lowest amount of rain.  My husband, however, travels to India regularly and has been there during the rainy months and describes it as absolutely miserable.  

2. You don't say where your train tour leaves from, but I would arrange for a hotel and have the hotel send a car to the airport to pick me up.

3. If it were me, I would stay at the Imperial Hotel, but given the short length of your stay, you may want to opt for something less expensive.  Other DR members will probably have better suggestions. 

4. I would.  It makes no sense to go to the Delhi airport early.  Most overseas flights depart late in the night and they don't open up security and allow you through to the part of the airport that has some amenities until late in the evening.  You don't want to be stuck sitting in the pre-security area where there are virtually NO amenities.  

5. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/India.html

We used a private company to get our visas.  It cost more money, but was a lot faster.  I can't recall the name of the company, but they have an office in Foggy Bottom.

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

Excellent advice all around. Will this be your first visit to India?

2. I highly recommend the hotel car option. It's easy to fall victim to a gypsy cab or an unscrupulous driver.

3. I concur with the Imperial. There is a ton of history associated with this hotel, and the staff will provide a tour is asked. I also recommend the Leela Palace. After spending several days on a train, a nice hotel might be compelling. 

4. You won't be allowed to enter the airport until 6 hours before your flight, and check-in doesn't open until 3 hours. Important: Print out a copy of your flight itinerary, because you'll have to show it to the armed security before you're allowed to enter. I recommend you arrive 3 hours prior to departure. 

5. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/india?s_cid=ncezid-dgmq-travel-single-001 for immunization info. I received a typhoid vaccine, and all of my other shots were current. If you get the typhoid vaccine, got the shot and not the pills. I took the pills, and they wreaked havoc on my stomach. Ugh. You might consider bringing antibiotics in case you develop travelers "stomach". You can purchase these over the counter at the pharmacy in the Delhi airport for a few dollars. I did this and I was glad I did. You don't want to make the 24+ hour trip home with "Delhi belly". 

I used https://www.in.ckgs.us/visa/ for my business visa. The website will drive you a bit mad, but the service is quick. 

 

 

On 4/1/2019 at 1:04 PM, Sundae in the Park said:

I am intrigued - do you mind sharing details? How big was your tri-tip? Trimmed or untrimmed? 

I bought the tri-tip from Lothar’s in Purcellville. (First time there—excellent German butcher)

it was three pounds, and I spent a little time trimming one side of it. 

Seasoned with salt only, then cooked at 131 for nearly 7 hours. Patted it dry, applied olive oil, then a little more salt, fresh pepper, and garlic salt. Seared over very high heat on my Big Green Egg for a few minutes. 

Great results. Very tender and cooked evenly through. Highly recommended! 

Sous vide tri-tip finished on the grill, charred asparagus with bernaise, and mashed potatoes. 

Of note, the bernaise sauce was just right, but it broke while I kept it warm. First time for me, I think. Thoughts?

Sous vide tri-tip was amazing.

7 minutes ago, DaRiv18 said:

I thought it was Centrolina at first, but you're too close to the street.  I think Shaho is right.

I’d agree that it is Chloe. 

City Center?

On 3/22/2019 at 11:48 AM, dracisk said:

I'm going to be in San Antonio for the first time at the end of April for a short work trip (otherwise known as two dinners, two breakfasts, and one or two lunches). I read through the posts in this thread and came up with the following list of contenders for my dining slots:

• Boudro's
• Rosario's
• Los Barrios
• Liberty Bar
• Acenar

The Esquire Tavern sounds interesting, too, so I may try to get a cocktail there.

Any thoughts or any additional places to recommend? I'll be speaking at a conference at the Westin Riverwalk so will be staying either there or in that general vicinity, and I won't have a car (though I'm happy to take a cab for someplace delicious). I'd definitely like to concentrate on Tex Mex and/or Mexican food. I'm less interested in barbecue.

I'd definitely like to try puffy tacos -- thinking Los Barrios for that -- and I have little to no experience with breakfast tacos so am wondering if anyone has a recommendation for those near the Westin.

Thanks in advance!

The only place I've been on your list is Boudro's, and while I haven't been in a while, it's always been an oasis in the desert of crappy river walk food. 

If you want to venture out, check out Pearl, which is a complex located in the long-closed Pearl Brewery. There are some highly rated, interesting spots in that area. It's a short drive from the River Walk.

Breakfast tacos are everywhere in SA. Perhaps ask the hotel staff for ideas.

If you change your mind about barbecue, try Barbecue Station for lunch one day.

Enjoy your trip!

6 hours ago, Keithstg said:

We made a trip to the Inn last weekend, as two friends were visiting from out of town and had never been. Due to a last-minute babysitter snafu we were three rather than four, but the staff handled the situation with aplomb and quickly re-set our table prior to us sitting down.
...
All in all, our friends enjoyed the experience, which was the main point. We will return in a couple months, but hope that the service is a bit more consistent and engaging.

The popcorn was not offered to us. I believe it to be available only on request. 

Nice report! Your experience seems very similar to ours. 

Stopped by last Friday to see what the excitement was all about. It was 1:30, and the place was still busy.

Ordered a Sando Level 3 (hot), and it was great. The chicken was perfectly cooked, juicy, and the crispy exterior was just the right thickness. The slaw was a nice match, and the pickles provided a nice contrast to the spiciness of the chicken. I couldn't make out the spices, but the sandwich was very aromatic as well.

For my tastes, level 3 was perfect--just enough heat to make my scalp sweat a little, but not too much to make it too painful to eat. I can see how hotter levels may induce significant discomfort. (Wash hands afterwards, at a minimum!)

I hope they plan to extend their opening hours to weekends so I can visit more often.

7 hours ago, ktmoomau said:

So I did the colored pasta class.  We didn't make the pasta using the well method because of the color, but I kind of liked using a bowl, as I am not great at the well method anyway.  The class ran a little late getting started (had an extra person join) and ran over too, about 30 mins, just FYI for parking.  It was a very hands on class and I learned good technique.  They kind of explained how they made the colored paste, but it would have been better to have this as part of the demo, as I don't think it would be very easy to make spinach in quite that consistency.  But the pasta took a long time in itself with her checking and watching our progress, so I can see why they did the shortcut, but it could have been better.  I think having the class in not a dedicated cooking space/class space made it a little hard as whenever the instructor needed something they had to run and get it, but I am sure they will become a more well oiled machine.  Also the table space was not so large, so you couldn't really have drinking glasses on the tables.  Having said all that, it was a very good class and well worth the price.  I learned a lot that I will use going forward, and I am really looking forward to the semolina class.  I also would be interested in the stuffed pasta class for the future (although learning to make dumplings and empanadas, I could probably tackle this on my own just fine).  We got a taste of pasta at the end, but it isn't a meal (I didn't expect that, again just wanted to note it as so many cooking classes are different in how they do things).  The instructor was a sfoglina from Italy and really nice.  

Not for comparison, but we attended a pasta making class at Villa Umbria, and it was quite enjoyable. I'm not sure if they are still offering classes.

48 minutes ago, Pat said:

He died, which has been widely reported. This seems like one of those milestone deaths, one of the ones you don't anticipate or realize in advance how significant they are.  This is the Post's TV critics take.

Damn. Strokes are nasty. My dad, who is now 81, suffered a stroke about 7 years ago while he and my mom were on a trip to China. (Very long story...buy trip insurance) Thankfully, he survived, thanks to Chinese health care professionals. He lost a great deal of mobility, but his mind was not affected. 

RIP.

Wow. What a cluster....

If true, I've lost my viewer's respect for Cora.

Just now, reedm said:

Great questions. The pairing was $145, service included, but tax was additional. I believe I heard Michael explain the pairings equated to three glasses total, which sounded about right. 

I'm afraid my memory escapes  me, but Michael provided thorough explanations for each pairing, and he expanded my wine knowledge, albeit very briefly. I was intrigued by the pairing of a red wine with bass, but it was a great match. I suspect you are right about the harissa.

And the complete wine experience at Metier far exceeded the pairing experience at the Inn. I think the Inn's was $175, not including service or tax. A poor value, in my opinion.

15 minutes ago, FranklinDubya said:

@Reedm

How much was the wine pairing?  I would never call myself an expert but those look nice to me (much better than the Inn's wine pairings at least).  The one thing that caught my eye on there was the Chateauneuf-du-Pape being third on there because if I follow correctly that means it would've been paired with the black bass course.  If that is correct I'd be interested in hearing what the Sommelier's reasoning was for that one (my guess is maybe it goes super well the harissa but not sure).

Anyway thank you for the super detailed post (again)!

Great questions. The pairing was $145, service included, but tax was additional. I believe I heard Michael explain the pairings equated to three glasses total, which sounded about right. 

I'm afraid my memory escapes  me, but Michael provided thorough explanations for each pairing, and he expanded my wine knowledge, albeit very briefly. I was intrigued by the pairing of a red wine with bass, but it was a great match. I suspect you are right about the harissa.

1 hour ago, DonRocks said:

"United Methodist Denomination Votes to Expel LGBT Pastors and Pro-LGBT Churches" by Jay Michaelson on thedailybeast.com

This is not going to sit well.

This is an important part of the article. "But the answer is not hard to understand.  UMC is a global denomination with 12.7 million members: 43% of participants at the denomination’s General Conference coming from overseas, mostly Africa.  And while Americans are moving left, African church leaders are not."

On 2/21/2019 at 10:29 AM, dracisk said:

Ooh, you can get cocktails at Plume Quill.

Congrats on number 25!

Great call. We had drinks in the bar, and they were excellent. Thanks!

The Jefferson is certainly expensive, but the hotel is quite exceptional. Spotlessly clean, with a staff who is skilled in the hospitality business. 

Pricey? Yes, but dollar for dollar, I think it's a better value than some of the higher-end chain hotels. 

On 2/21/2019 at 11:21 AM, Tweaked said:

For  lunch I would recommend Iron Gate in the Dupont area.  

The carriage house dining room is cozy with a fire place. With the mezze/small plates, you can pace yourself and not get too stuffed with your anniversary dinner later that night.

We ended up having a couple of small plates at the bar, since we arrived between lunch and dinner. The mezze selections were excellent. I won't recount them all, but the warm feta coated in sesame seeds was delicious.  I also got to try orange wine for the first time. I really enjoyed it, probably because I'm a fan of sour beers. 

Thanks for the great suggestion.

7 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

The Jefferson is oddly in a restaurant desert - maybe Chaia in Georgetown if you're coming from Virginia? It's a quirky, charming spot, and I think you want to keep things vegan, or at least on the lighter end.

If you want to visit National Geographic, the cafeteria is open until 2 PM, I think - it's only a block from where you're staying.

Thanks, Don. We are willing to hop in an uber. Chaia looks tasty, though!

My typically thorough planning skills are lacking today. I didn't research a lunch spot!

Would love to hear recommendations for lunch today, keeping in mind we will be at Metier at 7. 

The Presto lunch at Fiola was my first choice, but it's not offered any longer.

Thank you.

Thanks for the thoughtful suggestions. I finally decided on the Jefferson. It's a bit expensive, but this is anniversary #25. 

Looking forward to a great stay!

Narrowing it down to the Jefferson, the Fairmont, and the Intercontinental Wharf. 

Thanks for the great recommendations!

On 2/19/2019 at 2:36 PM, cocobinga said:

I'm coming to town for a comedy show in March (Lincoln Theatre) and looking to burn my IHG anniversary free night award. Which one would you choose?

I probably won't do a lot of sightseeing - mostly dining and taking in the show.

Thanks in advance!

I'm afraid I can't be of help. Would you mind if I piggy-backed on your question?

The wife and I will be celebrating our anniversary at Metier, and I'm looking for a nice place to spend the night. The Intercontinental at the Wharf looks appealing, as does the Donovan. 

Don or a mod can shoo my question away if desired.

Thanks!

3 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Uh, oh - did you get hosed?

It was my fault for not checking the hours of operation, but it wasn't a wasted trip because I was on my way to the Galleria. A nice noodle dish at Sen Khao save the day. 🙂

Important safety tip: currently closed Sat/Sun.