SilverBullitt

I took a walk today and saw a sign on the window of the store next to Mom's Organic Market in Rockville (Nebel St. and Randolph Rd.) that said Shouk is opening a location there. Also on their website https://shouk.com/pages/location This is a nice development for me- when I worked downtown, I would go to the location on K St. Now that I'll likely be teleworking most days till I retire, I will be able to walk less than a mile for their tasty food. Besides Mom's, there's a good Mediterranean store (Asadur's Market) in that shopping ctr., a hot pot place, and across the street, Dana Bazaar (Indian and Sri Lankan groceries- they may still have moringa seedlings, the miracle tree http://www.fao.org/traditional-crops/moringa/en/). Cheers

Kenji Lopez-Alt did an article/recipe on cacio e pepe . I made it and thought it was very good.

Thank you for reporting that Wang Manor was open. The décor is amazing. I believe they are trying to recreate the look of a siheyuan. I ordered the fried pig feet (listed as “Stir-fried Pig Poor w. Spicy Chili”) and Stir-fried Green Beans. Both were excellent. I also ordered “Braised Pork w. Preserved Vegetables”. I thought I was ordering red-cooked pork (hong shao rou- Chairman Mao’s favorite dish!) but from comparing the Chinese characters, I believe that appears as “Braised Pork Belly” in another part of the menu. Anyway, the waitress or I made an error and I got “Steamed Pork w. Lotus Leaf” (those two pork dishes appear next to each other). It is served with these interesting crispy, sweet rolls. I didn’t care for the dish because I learned that I don’t like lotus leaf. I did like the rolls. One of the waitresses told me there are some new dishes. The one that seemed new was the intriguing “Braised Old Chicken”. Next time, I'll get the hot pot. BTW, "Beef Tender" on the hot pot menu is probably still beef tendon. It took me a few bites to convince myself that I wasn't eating filet mignon when I had ordered it last year. I couldn't upload the menu because the file is too big but there are pictures of it on yelp as well as pictures of the new decor.

"food is wildly superior". Why do you think that is? Do franchisees in S. Louisiana have leeway on the recipes or what they offer? thanks

Don, It took 2 years but we finally made it to Bombay Bistro (on a whim so I could not contact you in advance). I appreciate your recommending the Chicken Chettinad. It was absolutely delicious. Perfect seasoning and heat. It's not often that I replay meals I've eaten but this is one of them. Thank you.

I came of drinking age at a time when you could smoke in bars, so the sight of tobacco stains and the scent of cigarettes take me back to the fun times of my early years. I live near Dietle's and went there every now and then. It was seedy but the people were friendly (esp. Friday afternoons when it was like "Cheers"), and the beer was cold and cheap. Rockville could support a Chaps. Taking one of their sandwiches to eat at one of the local breweries or even, possibly, a resurrected Dietle's (https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/business/new-movement-to-revive-hank-dietles-arises-from-ashes/ ) would be a great weekend afternoon.

If you're willing to go rather far outside the Beltway, I would recommend Dale's Smokehouse in Indian Head, MD. The ribs are excellent. They are smoky, tender, seasoned only with S&P. The chicken is good too. The sauce is ordinary and unnecessary. On the way back, stop off at Hovermale's for a malted milkshake. Delicious. If you go to Hovermale's, you will be intrigued by the sight of smoke coming from a barbeque restaurant nearby. I went once. I thought the ribs were underseasoned and tough.

The process at the Maryland MVA was convenient and efficient. I made an appointment online a few weeks ago and the system allowed me to print out a customized list of the documents I needed to bring. When I arrived for my appointment, I went to a separate line and was immediately directed to one of the attendants who processed the paperwork. Total time spent was about 20 minutes. I got the new license about a week later. I've always been happy with the service I've gotten from the MVA locations in MoCo.

You'll find that parking near there is a hassle since MoCo is putting up a building that has eaten most of the public lot. Metered street parking is a possibility or the parking garage next to Wheaton Plaza. I'm going further off topic but I can't resist putting in a plug for the nearby Fillippo's (fka Marchone's), an excellent Italian deli.

Kantutas (Bolivian) restaurant at 2462 Ennalls Ave. in Wheaton, MD serves them. Very nice staff and the food is good. I ate the silpancho once and it was like dropping an anchor in my belly- a tasty anchor.

Moa has been replaced by another Korean restaurant, Mahdang

Kenji Lopez-Alt is a fan of a baking steel. It appears to do a credible job at a tenth of the cost of the Breville.

The Amish doughnuts at Burkholders in Sharpsburg are outstanding (I think the family is Mennonite). Best I've ever had. They also have excellent breads, pies, and pepperoni rolls. Out-of-the-way, though, unless you're going to Shepherdstown, Harper's Ferry, Antietam or some of the orchard markets on 64 or 66.

Yes! I used to meet friends at Landinis every few months for several years. One time, Tom Selleck was sitting at the table near the bar and close to the wall. I was sitting at a table nearby and facing him. It took a few minutes to clear my alcoholic haze to realize it was really him. He stood to greet one of the Landinis- he's gigantic. I almost choked when the bartender told me my 2 oz of rye cost $25. However, I thought the entrees were reasonably priced given the service and atmosphere. I also thought the quality was good- certainly the steaks were always cooked how I wanted. Landinis's members-only cigar bar upstairs is really nice.

Distillery Lane Ciderworks (Jefferson, MD), besides making very good cider, also grows and sells unusual apples. "All Apple Varieties" on distillerylaneciderworks.com The owners are very nice and it's a pretty drive up there.

We were there last week. They are thinking another couple of months before opening the new space. There was a banner over that space announcing "Wang Manor". A waiter told us the restaurant will have the same boss (I guess that's Big Wang) but "different company". I assume that means more investors. Hot pot extra spicy and fried pig's feet were still top-notch.

I was in Ann Arbor recently to attend a wedding. This was the first I had spent an appreciable amount of time there since I graduated in the mid-80s. I didn’t visit restaurants in the town since we had two wedding-related dinners at the Michigan League (quite good- it’s also a nice place to stay). However, as I walked around, I saw a diverse number of restaurants and several brew pubs. A big change from my day, when Olga’s Kitchen on State St. was as exotic as you could get near Central Campus and the beer options ran from the very cheap (Huber, Goebel’s) to Stroh’s to “high end” (Molson’s). We did eat at Buddy's Pizza. We didn’t have time to go to the original location in Detroit. I hadn’t heard of Detroit-style pizza when I was at school, so was eager to try it. It was delicious, and the service was very good. The only drawback was that they served it on a pizza tray, so it cooled down pretty fast. A friend had recommended Washtenaw Dairy. The ice cream was excellent but as I was eating on a bench outside, a trash truck operated by the slowest workers in the state pulled up next to me and stunk up the place. I had coffee in two locations- Comet Coffee in the Nickel’s Arcade (a floral, Peruvian bean) and Roasting Plant (Kona) on State St. Roasting Plant features the “Javabot”, which “takes green coffee beans, roasts them to the perfect profile, moves them to clear storage chambers where they are kept only during the brief period they are at the peak of flavor. When you order, Javabot sends your beans to the grinder and then moves them to the brewer to finish the process that delivers the perfect cup of coffee.” I don’t have a $4/cup palate, so didn’t fully appreciate them. The Nickel’s Arcade is a very peaceful place to have a morning cup. I visited two bars on this trip. The first, Wolverine State Brewing Co., is a brewpub that only makes lager. I had their Wolverine Premium and a rye lager. I appreciated their effort to focus on lagers rather than ales, but the beers I tried were only ok. I went to Ashley's on State St. I really liked it. It reminded me of Max’s in Baltimore- friendly crowd, knowledgeable bartenders, large selection of well-regarded beers, dark and cluttered. I had a great time. It was comforting to be back in a place where everyone appreciates, celebrates, and venerates the unsurpassed greatness of the U of M.

I was eager to visit Dearborn to try Middle Eastern food. I looked in Simul’s recommendation, Al-Ameer, but it was crowded and, as a white table-clothed place, seemed like dining there would take more time than I had. In doing online research on Yelp and other websites, I read about Al Chabab. I had never eaten Syrian food, so stopped there. The restaurant is pretty barebones, with maybe seven tables and a small kitchen. Mr. Barakat was very welcoming and was happy to explain the menu items. Since he specializes in Aleppian cuisine, I asked for his recommendations of Aleppian food. I ordered the Kabab al-Halabi (a spicy kabab) with hummus and fattoosh salad. The kabobs were expertly grilled, with a nice char and a juicy medium rare. The seasoning was mild. The spiciness came from slices of pita laid on top which were smeared with a red pepper paste. There were raw onions and chopped parsley scattered on top. Delicious. The hummus was different from what I am used to- there seemed to be very little lemon and garlic but there was a heavy dose of tahina. It was velvety smooth and it went well with the fattoosh, which was very lemony. I had never eaten fatoosh before and thought it was a very well-conceived dish. Well worth the $15 for the meal. When I was leaving, I noticed that the people behind me had ordered a sheep head. Seeing the skull was disconcerting but it looked like it would have been quite a feast with pickles and raw vegetables, broth, the soft meat, and side dishes. Mr. Barakat told me the sheep head was very good. I have attached the menu and hope that if you’re in the Detroit area, that you’ll try Al-Chabab. I also wanted to get some desserts. Middle Eastern desserts, like Indian desserts, don't spare the sugar, so I’m a big fan. I had read about Shatila. It’s a very popular place and well-known outside of Detroit- my dentists are from Lebanon and they order bread from there. I didn’t get anything because there were no labels on the desserts, which all looked like versions of baklava, and the staff didn’t have time for an extended discussion on the relative differences among the items. Instead, I went to Lebon Sweets. It’s a small shop. I don’t know if they specialize in cheese but everything was some version of it - sweet cheese, salty cheese, sweet and salty cheese, sweet cheese with pistachios, etc. I bought several different items and enjoyed them. I hope to return for an extended visit to the area. al chabab 1_1.pdf

The restaurant will be opening this Friday. I had read about it in Bethesda Magazine when it was a pop-up in Gwenie's Pastries on Nebel Street. I went there a few times for lunch and enjoyed the limited menu. The lechon was generally tasty. There was a good quantity of moist pork. The skin was like the Golidlocks story- some was too hard, some was too soft, but most was just right. It came with lumpia and rice. I also tried the pancit. I didn't care for it- a generous amount of a lot of different things but bland. The sisig was delicious. It's described as head cheese but it wasn't a loaf- it consisted of bits of the different components- some bits were squashy, some were crispy, some were chewy, some were fatty, all stir fried with onions and hot peppers. The beef empanadas were decent. The pastry was flaky but the filling was a bit bland. The cassava cake was outstanding; I'm a sucker for eggy, condensed milky things. The staff at the pop up were very friendly and helpful. I've attached the menu for the restaurant. I'm looking forward to trying the expanded offerings. KJ Menu.pdf

I'm Indian and my parents are now in their 80s. Based on my observation of their and their friends' drinking habits over the past 30+ years, I agree with your focusing on the low end. I think you'd be good with Aussie or Chilean boxed wine. Riesling (sweeter end) and maybe Chardonnay (my dad always gets this, no matter how poorly it pairs with what he's eating). For red, merlot or maybe shiraz. Tell the the bartenders to ask, "Red or white?" No need to make things complicated for the uncles and aunties! I assume you've got the Chivas and Johnny Walker covered.

There is now a GoFundMe page to take care of cleanup, staff salaries, and other incidentals: https://www.gofundme.com/HankDietlesOFFICIAL When I made a contribution to the cause, I saw that they're already more than halfway to their $20k goal.

Thanks for pointing this out. I'm really looking forward to the reopening. QH and Crisfield are the only places left in downtown Silver Spring I've regularly visited since my college days (30+ years ago). I wonder if they'll change the tiny, claustrophobic men's room. Hope not- the walls significantly limit the amount of swaying when standing at the urinal.

I ate here one Sunday afternoon a few weeks ago. Had the "Washington Post Special" for $12. It was a half chicken, baked beans, and cole slaw. The chicken was excellent- greaseless and the meat was juicy. They only have one level of spicy- a medium kick. The friendly guy behind the counter recommended drizzling honey on the chicken. It was a nice contrast with the spice. I really liked the beans and the cole slaw was fine. They were doing half-priced beers that day so I had a couple of $2 Silver Bullets. It's a good place to go if you're in the area.

I would add to your sentence, "[power] who are willing to do something." In the NYT article, April Bloomfield, a woman in a position of power relative to Mr. Friedman, allegedly knew of some incidents but did not do all that she could have done. Similarly, VIP customer Amy Poehler supposedly witnessed harassment but did nothing.

I went there last week for lunch. They have a buffet for $14. It had the dishes that most people are familiar with- tandoori chicken, curry, chickpeas, naan, et al. Rather than the buffet, I requested the chapli kabob to go. The kabobs (two spiced, smashed hamburgers) were flavorful and moist. The accompanying chickpeas were tasty and “creamy”, the vegetable curry was good and the basmati rice was excellent-fragrant, the grains unbroken and separate. The naan was fine. There was plenty of food. The ambiance is soothing (previously, it had a fast-food vibe) and the staff is friendly. I think it is a solid place for reasonably-priced North Indian/Pakistani food.