DIShGo

My sweetheart went to Organic Butcher today, and I became creative in the kitchen. Tonight we enjoyed soy, honey and brown-butter glazed Fluke on a bed of baby bok choy with soy, garlic, mushrooms, red onions and thick-cut English bacon. Yum!

I had a delicious lunch at Muze after a relaxing morning in the hotel's spa. They were about to end lunch service, so the place was nearly empty, and I was given a lovely table overlooking the water. My roasted rockfish ($36), served with a lemony sauce and a lovely corn, lima bean and tomato salad, was outstanding. This was early October, and the flavors were fresh and seasonal. I enjoyed my lunch with a glass of Gloria Ferrer sparkling brut rose ($18). My server apparently wasn't familiar with the Sonoma winery as he asked me if Gloria Ferrer was a winemaker or a designer. 

The prices were steep--much more than I would normally pay for lunch by myself. But the dish was a delight.

The view paid for the dish:

6 hours ago, NolaCaine said:

Some names are not very inviting...like "slap" and "fish". Only stinky could be a worse modifier.

There's a pretty good and very popular restaurant in Crockett, California, called, "The Dead Fish." I didn't go there for years because I found the name so unappealing.

15 minutes ago, dracisk said:

Interesting. War films are not generally my bag, but I didn't mind Dunkirk. I saw it in the theater, which may have helped, especially since I rarely get to see movies in theaters these days, so it was a bit of a special treat. I thought the film was very tense; I was stressed out the entire time and not bored. I knew nothing about the actual events upon which the film was based, so the story was fresh to me. I'd probably give it a 7.5 out of 10.

"Dunkirk" was nominated today for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. I can see how it would be impressive to view on the big screen. The other Best Picture nominees I have seen are, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Mo" and "Get Out." Of those three, "Get Out" gets my vote, with "Three Billboards" second. The picture that received the most nominations today, "The Shape of Water," garnered 13. Has anyone seen it? I hope to see it and "Lady Bird" soon.

Does anyone know if the white Korean food cart is still open?

I was shocked by how boring this film is, given the subject. There is zero character development. I couldn't keep the soldiers straight--it was like watching a Star Trek episode featuring nothing but a bunch of "red shirts." The talents of Kenneth Branagh and Mark Rylance are wasted. Director Christopher Nolan is talented, and his "Inception" is one of my favorite films, but here he misses the mark completely. 

On a positive note, pop idol Harry Styles can act, and his character Alex gives one of the only speeches in the film that isn't recited in monotone. Sadly, this wasn't enough to redeem this tedious, forgettable film.

Matthew Gault's review sums up my impression perfectly (I'm the one who found it!)

Love this store! Went for the first time last week and plan to go back often.

7 hours ago, porcupine said:

er, don't be too quick to jump on that bandwagon...Some Airlines to Start Banning Smart Luggage This Month

I have flown twice since the "ban" with my Away smart luggage, but I had to remove the battery before I checked it.

On 1/12/2018 at 7:35 AM, kitkatpaddywak said:

I highly recommend Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream on 14th st in the District. They quality of the ingredients they use is of the highest quality, and they permit you to try just about any flavor you like. I recall visiting the shop a few months ago, and the seats were few on the first level, but there is an upstairs. I didn't venture to the second floor, but will ask around if there is  parlor seating. But if there is not, The scoop shop  is certainly worth the trip even though it may not fit what you are looking for in terms of seating. 

kat

Kat, I ventured upstairs when my kids were visiting me last month, and there is ample parlor seating up there. The upper level is spacious, nicely decorated and has a giant chalkboard for those who feel like expressing themselves. The first time I visited, I didn't even notice the stairway!

Has anyone been to the second location that opened in Georgetown last July?

12 hours ago, DonRocks said:

PLEASE watch this episode, and if you don't like it, by all means, chime in here, but I can't imagine anyone not being moved by this.

This is one of the best things I have ever seen on television. It made me smile, laugh and cry. Ethel Waters is charismatic and endearing. This is must-see TV.

We stopped in here for drinks and a snack after a fun night watching the Nutcracker at the Warner Theatre. Accompanied by my two twenty-something kids and my daughter's friend, I felt a bit like a fish out of water waiting for our table in the large bar--a room jam-packed with people half my age. The bar on a Saturday night definitely has a young and hip vibe, but once we sat at a table in the restaurant, I saw many others who, like me, likely get AARP applications regularly in the mail. 

The drinks were delicious and the waitstaff was superb. We ordered food mostly to justify taking up table space, as we had a large meal at Central before the show. Our Manchego and Drunken Goat cheese with Serrano Ham was heavenly. I want to go back when I am hungrier and try more of their food.

I enjoyed dinner here with my two grown children who were visiting from California before we headed to a performance of the Nutcracker at the Warner Theatre. The staff did a great job making sure we made it to the show on time--perhaps too good--as all three of us felt rushed by our servers as we were enjoying the last bites of our food and sips of our wine.

We started with the Tuna Carpaccio and the Faux Gras with Country Pate. Both appetizers were disappointing. The highlight of the tuna dish was the mangos and avocados that topped the rather tasteless fish. The only noteworthy thing about the second appetizer was the delicious mustard that accompanied it. The meal improved when our entrees arrived. I ordered the fried chicken with mashed potatoes and it was delicious. My son enjoyed his duck leg confit with truffles as well. My daughter's order, the Agnolotti with lobster (a nightly special) was dry and underwhelming. 

Overall, it was a nice meal, and the proximity to the theatre was wonderful. The Nutcracker, by the way, was great fun. The mayor even had a cameo appearance.

I visited Takumi for the first time about a week ago, and I thought it was fantastic. We enjoyed a variety of nigiri and I loved it all. The fish fresh, tender and full of flavor. I will definitely go back.

I went back last week for a special birthday dinner at the sushi bar with my two grown children. It was every bit as good as the first time I went. Fabulous sushi and outstanding service. My two favorite meals of 2017 were both at this place!

2 hours ago, KeithA said:

I have always said that the pizza is good at 2 Amys but I usually find the appetizers/small plates to be outstanding. I used to love their crostini but they seemed to have moved away from offering them. Lately, I've been enjoying their various fish offerings - the anchovies and peppers on the regular menu are always nice and on Monday I had great pickled sardines with olive tapenade off the special menu. On two recent occassions, I had the same eggplant with smoky/spiced tomato sauce with the lightest, freshest sheep's milk ricotta.  The suppli telefono and my perennial fave the salt cod croquettes were very good on Monday. The kitchen has a great way with the fryer.  One new twist after years of being the same, now the salt cod croquettes come with a bit of lemon aioli and the usual lemon wedge. I think I'm still partial to the lemon wedge but options are nice. Lastly, the roasted olives are great to share as a app. 

I agree with you. On a recent visit to 2 Amys we enjoyed some very good pizza that we took home for lunch the next day, but the small plates and the desserts stole the show. My favorites were the matsutake mushroom and pecorino salad and the vitello tonnato. Both dishes were outstanding. We also enjoyed sicilan anchovies on their delicious bread with butter, and curried chickpeas and baby carrots with mint and sheep's milk ricotta. The latter was delicious, but for me, the North African flavors didn't meld as well with the rest of the dishes. The dessert was one of the best I have ever enjoyed--yogurt and wild honey ice cream.  The addition of the yogurt gave it a wonderful texture, and the wild honey taste lingered on my palate long after each bite. 

I had never been to a Bruegger's Bagels before, and I tried the Ballston location about three weeks ago. It was terrible. Although it was several hours from closing time, they had a very limited selection of bagels. I asked for the freshest batch, and the ones I bought were small, hard and tasted like they had sat out for hours. I didn't complain, but the gentleman at the cash register didn't charge me for them. He asked that I fill out a customer satisfaction survey online, which I did. They were closing an hour early that day for a staff meeting. 

4 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Steve McQueen was the first choice for the role, if that lessens your heartbreak.

Actually, Jerry Lewis' role was twenty years later (!) in "Hardly Working" (there's a disturbing number of these types of performances by a lot of people including, believe it or not, Marlo Thomas). Maybe you're thinking of "The Nutty Professor?"

No, I looked it up. It was a character he did on a television variety show in 1955 with Dean Martin, in a skit called "Egg Roll is a Many Splendored Dish." I think Rooney's performance may have been influenced by this. Seems Lewis made the unfortunate decision to reprise this character 26 years later.

I agree with you about the Mickey Rooney role. It was deplorable. His racist performance was cringe-inducing and added nothing to the film. I recall Jerry Lewis playing a similar role around this time that was also horrifying.

I am not sure Marilyn Monroe would have been the perfect Holly Golightly, but she would have been more believable than Hepburn as Lulamae Barnes of Texas.

Many people, when they think of Audrey Hepburn, envision Holly Golightly. I much preferred her in "Roman Holiday" (one of my favorite films), "Sabrina," and "Charade."

George Peppard was the standout in this film for me. My heart was broken for him and his Cracker Jack ring in the back of that cab.

10 hours ago, DonRocks said:

DIShGo can answer this later today - we were there this past weekend, but I waited in the car. This place is wow, just, wow.

I honestly can't answer this! I was too busy trying to pick the flavors for our carry-out scoops to notice the price for a pint.

As for the flavors I chose, I knew immediately what I wanted--dark cherry with goat cheese. It was all I hoped for and more! For Don I picked the Matterhorn (honey ice cream with white chocolate and almonds) and Salty Caramel. The Matterhorn was understated and the caramel was robust, so they made a good combination. We also had waffle wedges with our scoops. Delicious!

On 9/4/2017 at 9:55 PM, ALB said:

Thanks all for the encouragement to buy ice cream for $7.99 a pint. I am on my second pint of brown butter almond brittle. It is so creamy and delicious and I love that the ice cream base is much less sweet than typical. I am justifying that it is still less money than going out for ice cream for a few people? A worthwhile treat.

Just bought my first pint of brown butter almond brittle at Whole Foods. SO good! Not sure how this fits into my weight-loss plans, but I need to get my calcium somehow! 

20 minutes ago, MC Horoscope said:

Spoiler alert

I love the scene at the end when she has returned to being princess and she is asked by reporters which city she enjoyed most. She begins to give the standard line "I loved them all" then she catches herself and declares "Rome! Definitely Rome!" Very touching for the reporters who protected her secret.

Yes, I loved that scene as well. The looks Hepburn and Peck exchange across the room during her press conference near the end of the film are amazing as well. Both actors convey so much meaning with only their eyes.

I didn't realize they just began serving breakfast at Tiffany's when I decided two days ago to watch this film for the first time. The timely, food-related connection eluded me. I watched the film because it was free with Amazon Prime AND as a self-professed Audrey Hepburn fanatic, I felt guilty that I hadn't seen it.

As I began watching the film, parts seemed familiar (oddly enough, the scenes involving Holly Golightly's unnamed cat), so I think when I was younger it may have been shown on television and I half-watched some of it. This time, I gave "Breakfast at Tiffany's" my undivided attention, and I found it charming and fun.

Hepburn is outstanding as party-girl Holly Golightly, and George Peppard is delightful as the struggling writer/gigolo. The movie is silly, stylish and sentimental. There is real chemistry between the stars, and a sweet love story unfolds amid the frenzy and fashion of life in the fast lane in the early '60s.

Since I was a young girl, "Roman Holiday" has been one of my favorite films. It won three Academy Awards: best actress, costume design and screenwriting. I watched it again, and I still love it. It isn't the most complicated story. There aren't any special effects. But the chemistry between Peck and Hepburn is compelling, and the shots of Rome are delightful. The thing that makes this film a classic--the standard by which romantic comedies are judged, and often found lacking--is Audrey Hepburn.  

"Strangers on a Train," is regarded by many critics as one of the top five or six films by Alfred Hitchcock. Roger Ebert, in this review, says only three or four Hitchcock films are superior to it. Having seen most of the other films lauded as his "best," as well as some more obscure Hitchcock movies from his earlier days, I wanted to see for myself how this film stacked up against the others.

The movie, based on the 1950 novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith, tells the story of two strangers who meet on a train and discuss "swapping" murders. While I found this film flawed, there were some things I really enjoyed about it.

***SPOILERS FOLLOW***

There is stunning camera work in this film. I love the shot of the shadows as Bruno follows Miriam and her beaus through the "Tunnel of Love."  Miriam's scream, as they exit the tunnel, enhances the suspense even more. Miriam's demise, shown through the reflection of her discarded eyeglasses, is brilliantly done. This is Hitchcock at his finest.

When Bruno arrives at Guy's gate with news of what he has done, we see his face obscured by the shadow of the gate, while Guy stands on the other side, fully lit by a street light. Once Guy hears the news, and begins to feel complicit in the crime, he joins Bruno on the other side of the gate, both of their faces masked by prison-like bars. Another wonderfully shot scene is when Guy spots Bruno in the crowd at this tennis match. All of the spectators' heads are moving in unison, watching the match, except one. The camera locks onto Bruno's face, staring creepily ahead--at Guy, and at us.

Another fun thing about this film is that much of the story takes place in the D.C. area, with several beautiful shots of the city.

The plot, however, is quite implausible, which made it hard for me to get emotionally involved in the story. Some of the acting is top-notch, including a fine performance by the director's daughter, Patricia Hitchcock. Laura Elliott (also known as Kasey Rogers) is great as the unlikeable Miriam, and Robert Walker does a fine job portraying the creepy Bruno. Ruth Roman, on the other hand, a gives a one-note performance as Guy's girlfriend, displaying her full range of emotions by wiggling her lower jaw and exposing her bottom teeth.

The film is melodramatic and dated, but I think any fan of filmmaking and of Alfred Hitchcock will find some things to enjoy in "Strangers on a Train."