DIShGo

I found the miniseries "Feud, Bette and Joan,"  about the lifelong catfight between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, highly entertaining. Having seen both actresses in a number of films, I was curious to see "Mildred Pierce," the role for which Crawford received the Best Actress Oscar, her only Academy Award win.

About a third of the way into this movie, I realized I knew whodunnit, and not because of anything I had read about this often-referenced, classic film. It was an episode of the Carol Burnett Hour that I had seen as a child--a skit with Burnett playing "Mildred Fierce"--that sent a stream of spoilers, safely sleeping in the back of my brain, to my frontal lobe.

Seventies variety-show spoilers notwithstanding, I found this film entertaining. It is dated, but dated in a way that adds to the fun. It's a classic film noir, full of melodrama and suspense. 

Napoli Pasta Bar in Columbia Heights is a cozy and affordable neighborhood gem. Michelin recently named it a Bib Gourmand restaurant, and based on my first visit, this designation is well-deserved.

I started with a cocktail,  the "Ischia" (apricot and rosemary infused gin, earl grey cocchi americano, and aperol). Creative and refreshing, it was only $10. My dinner companion ordered a Moretti beer for $6. Forgettable bread was offered in a charming blue colander, served with olive oil on the restaurant's whimsical dinnerware.

We enjoyed our drinks with two wonderful appetizers: "Millefoglie di Baccala" (layers of marinated cod, buffalo mozzarella with arugula, EVOO and balsamic, $14), and "Carpaccio di Manzo Pepato" (beef carpaccio, marinated zucchini and shaved parmigiano cheese, $12). Both dishes were generously-sized and delicious. The cod salad was perfectly dressed, and the carpaccio dish was outstanding, a true bargain at $12.

Next, we shared two pasta dishes: Paccheri 'O Rrau" (paccheri, slow-cooked meat and tomato sauce, parmigiano cheese and basil, $19), and "Gnocchi Sorrentina" (potato gnocchi, tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil, $16). These dishes featured rich, lovely sauces. The pasta didn't taste house-made, but it was satisfying nonetheless.

A bottle of "Calpazio" (a Greco from the region of Paestum, $40) completed our meal. We sipped this with our dessert, a Ricotta Cheesecake ($10),  the perfect ending to a delightful meal. Our bill came to $140--quite reasonable considering we had a $40 bottle of wine, two appetizers, two entrees and a dessert.

On 8/29/2018 at 8:06 PM, DaveO said:

Stopped in and looked at the menu.  Burgers are available Tuesday-Friday

Hmmm. I took my son there last Wednesday night, and I didn't see a burger on the dinner menu. My Wagyu Denver-cut steak was delicious, however. It tasted exactly like the Denver-cut beef I buy at the Organic Butcher of McClean.

My second visit to Woodberry Kitchen was disappointing. The drinks were fantastic and the service was great, but someone in the kitchen was seriously over-salting nearly every dish we tried. 

My first meal there, everything was spot-on, including the deviled eggs, crab pot and oven-baked clams. This time, the deviled eggs were again sublime, but all of the other dishes fell short. The biggest disappointment was the raw beef. It was so salty that I couldn't finish it. The beef was served with homemade chips that were fabulous alone, but difficult to eat with the extremely salty meat. The smoked trout was better, but also over salted. The saltiness in this dish competed with an overly sweet mustard sauce, overwhelming the delicate flavor of the trout.

The cast-iron chicken and biscuit, which sounded fantastic when the server described it, was poorly seasoned as well. The biscuit was great, with melted honey butter inside, but the chicken (cooked in a cast-iron skilled--not fried) was salty and texturally unappealing.

I love this place, and I hope the kitchen was just having an off-night. Based on the wonderful food I enjoyed the first time I visited (earlier this summer), I will certainly try it again. 

I whisk minimally before pouring into small, nonstick skillet. Salt, pepper, low heat. Move and scrape continually with spatula or wooden spoon. Sometimes I add a bit of butter. 

I went back to Chloe for a second visit last night, and it was even better than my first (and I loved Chloe when I first tried it last January). Standout dishes were the gnocchi, beef hummus and Chesapeake soft-shell crab. Also exceptional were the burrata and the crispy whole fish. The summer version of the gnocchi features the addition of sweet corn, making it even richer and more delicious than when I savored it in winter.

My son and I enjoyed sitting at the Food Bar, watching skillful, busy cooks create gorgeous plates of food. The service was outstanding, and the meal was fantastic. I am looking forward to going back!

I finally got to visit this museum. It is fabulous. A docent told me next month (September) timed-entry passes won’t be required Monday through Friday, to honor the museum’s second anniversary.

Be sure to budget plenty of time to see the underground history galleries, which are extensive, and to have a meal in the wonderful cafe. 

Sep 16, 2014 - "I See Myself: Eraserhead" on criterion.com.

This interview with Lynch about his film is well-worth a read.

Speaking of store-bought cookies, the best I have tried are "Whisked! American Classics," baked and packaged in DC. I buy them at The Organic Butcher of McLean and at Streets Market in Del Ray. Their Pretzel Cowboy Cookies are my favorite.

To DonRocks, who made this all possible, and who always makes me smile (even on days when smiling doesn't feel like an option). Happy birthday, dear Don.

Thanks for the recommendation. I saw this film once, decades ago. I just watched it again, and I loved it. 

2 hours ago, ktmoomau said:

I didn't see a thread on oreo's.  I am really a sucker for the original oreo and a glass of milk.  It was my cookie of choice growing up.  I haven't loved a lot of the flavored Oreo's, BUT I will give a shout out to the thin salted caramel Oreo's.  I think they are really good.  I wanted to try birthday cake with vanilla cookie, but haven't seen it around when I grocery shop.

Did you open them and eat the frosting first, or dip them in your milk whole? The originals were my favorite growing up.

On 3/20/2018 at 12:03 PM, Ericandblueboy said:

I'm pretty sure this place closed recently and there's a new restaurant there now.  The last time I visited Blanca's, which was within the last year, they had somehow lost their liquor license.

The new restaurant is called "El Patron Bar & Grill," and they serve Salvadoran and Tex Mex dishes. Does anyone know if this restaurant has the same owner as Bianca's?

My friend has one and she loves it. She has a hilarious video from her doorbell of the UPS man dancing while leaving a package by her front door.

23 hours ago, Rhone1998 said:

I had a fantastic lunch at the Rockville location recently, about a month ago, which included the dry fried eggplant - it was as good as I remember ever having it in previous tries in both Fredericksburg and Arlington.  Seems like consistency is a big issue across the empire, though.  Who knows, it could change tomorrow but maybe Rockville is the place to go these days for your Peter Chang fix.

I will give the Rockville location a try. I would love to try a well-executed version of the dry fried eggplant.

My first Peter Chang experience was a huge disappointment. We had a sampling of signature dishes last week at the Arlington location, and all were poorly seasoned and extremely greasy. The worst offender—the cilantro fish rolls—oozed grease with each bite. They were inedible. Also oily and bland were the dry-fried eggplant and the bamboo flounder fish. The Dan Dan noodles were less greasy but lacking any real flavor aside from “heat.” The best dish, for me, was the scallion bubble pancake, but it was scant on scallions and oily on the bottom as well.

I saw this exhibit and I loved it!

I enjoyed a couple of cocktails here with a friend before heading to Unconventional Diner for dinner. I love the look of this place. I much prefer its ambiance to that of Unconventional Diner. Based on our first order (and flavors we told the bartender we prefer) she created two original cocktails for us, and her creation for me was delicious, creative and right in line with what I like to drink.

I have been wanting to see the Obama portraits for some time now, so I decided last week to head to the National Portrait Gallery. Despite the crowds gathered on the steps for a pre-Capitals hockey playoff game concert, the inside of the gallery was quite empty,  and I didn't have to stand in long lines to see either of these two magnificent paintings.

After viewing these portraits, I stumbled upon an extremely powerful exhibit, "UnSeen, Our Past in a New Light," featuring works by contemporary artists Ken Gonzales-Day and Titus Kaphar. The installation addresses the under- and misrepresentation of certain minorities in American history and in art, and illuminates the unheralded contributions made by American minorities. The display, which runs through Jan. 6, 2019, is visually stunning and emotionally charged. I highly recommend seeing this moving exhibit.

If you go, don't miss "Black Out, Silhouettes Then and Now," on display until March 10, 2019.

Go Caps! Loving my new town and my new team!

To Robert V. Power, my dad, who would have been 92 today. He passed away last November, and I miss him so much. I am raising a glass of 1926 Madeira tonight (a gift from a very dear friend given to me in his honor).  I wish all of you could have known his quiet but razor-sharp wit. His humility. His kind and generous spirit. I am so happy to have been raised by him, and to have had 54 years of his love and unyielding support. He was the best. To Bob. I love you. Forever. 

Robert V. Power's obituary

Today would have been his 92nd bday,  I love this man with all of my heart. I have never met a purer soul or a more authentic heart. He wasn’t without faults. But he sincerely wishes for the best for everyone. I want to be more like him. I love him eternally, and I thank him for the unconditional love he gave to me.

I ordered takeout from Takohachi tonight. Is it the best nigiri I have ever had? No. Is it the best 27 pieces of nigiri I have had for only $27? Absolutely!  As was the case on previous visits, the white fish and salmon are delicious. The tuna tonight is pretty bland. It has been better, but not great, on previous visits. Overall, a tasty, affordable meal to enjoy while I watch basketball.

Service is an ongoing problem, even with takeout.

Hamburgers smoked over an open flame with the love of my life. 

7 hours ago, dcs said:

The Sudden Fall of Smart Bags — and Their Makers, by Zach Honig, May 21, 2018, on thepointsguy.com.

Interesting read. I still love my Away bag, and I am happy I bought it. It has held up very well through a lot of recent travel. It charges my phone so quickly that I often use it instead of the outlet in my hotel because it is faster.