Jump to content

washingtony

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    74

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    2

 Content Type 

Everything posted by washingtony

  1. washingtony
    It's interesting that the City Paper article says there are no laws dealing with growlers but DC Brau's website says the following: So I wonder why their interpretation of what makes a "sealed container" causes them to only fill screw-tops. I cannot fathom any reason why a screw-top would be more of a "sealed container" than a flip-top. They say that they're shrink-wrapping the growlers, so perhaps they can't physically shrink-wrap a flip-top for some reason? Whatever the reason, at least I read this before I attempt to make the hike out to the brewery while lugging my growler.
  2. washingtony
    I think Carla deserved the elimination--I doubt any desire to keep Antonia around factored into it. How can a dish escape elimination when a judge gets a side of trichinosis?
  3. washingtony
    One thing I look forward to in Colorado Springs is better Mexican food than I can find in DC. La Casita is traditionally my go-to place for low-key, casual Mexican (there's one on south 8th st and another on north Nevada...and maybe one more somewhere else [E. Woodmen Rd.]). If you want a more full-service restaurant experience, I also really like Amanda's Fonda on west Colorado near Manitou.
  4. washingtony
    I honestly think there's a huge difference between reading a hard copy newspaper and reading a newspaper on an iPad or laptop--a hard copy is finite while an iPad or a laptop is limitless and more likely to make noise. A person with a hard copy paper is less likely to camp out beyond the time it takes to read the paper. But a person with an iPad could go from reading a newspaper online to skyping to playing angry birds to retweeting @justinbieber. Coffee shops have the inherent tension between inviting people to linger and turning away new customers who can't find anywhere to sit, so I don't mind coffee shops trying different approaches to address this, even if they specifically target electronic devices that aren't always the culprit (ever try to get a table on a weekend in this town a month before the summer bar exam?). And patrons can always vote with their feet as the poster above did so if a policy isn't very popular, the coffee shop should soon realize it in their bottom line.
  5. washingtony
    When I'm back in Colorado, I ship a box of select bottles back to DC, so by the time I return home, I'll have some Odell, New Belgium, and Ska waiting for me (not to mention that you can find Deschutes and Russian River in Colorado!). Having just enjoyed a bottle of Woodcut No. 4 the other evening here in DC, I'm happy that I can have the occasional Odell on the east coast. As for Left Hand, I've found that Westover Market in Arlington has a decent selection--I got some Fade to Black Vol. 2 there last month. I don't venture to NoVA very often (but certainly more often than I do to Longmont these days!) so when I'm there I stock up on Left Hand.
  6. washingtony
    It's not exactly what comes to mind when people think "Jewish deli"--besides a few outdoor tables, there's not even a place to sit. And the sandwiches are fine but certainly not worth the hassle of going to Spring Valley.
  7. washingtony
    I have to echo that--I can't recall ever feeling like I was getting treated poorly when dining in my early-to-mid-twenties because of my age, but there is a restaurant that my wife (then girlfriend) and I visited a few times where the owner would greet every table around us but never even said as much as a hello to us. Which is really not a big deal but I was always just a bit nonplussed as to why he skipped over our table each time. And of course if you're 23 or so you wonder if it's because you're the youngest diner in the room.
  8. washingtony
    I think he's opening up a Chinese restaurant in Vegas.
  9. washingtony
    I agree that the availability of seasonal beers is a bit wonky (I feel like I was seeing summer beers in March and winter beers in October). But with Oktoberfest beers, I really don't mind. Beyond the historic timing of the brewing process in Bavaria, there's no reason that a Märzen can't be enjoyed year-round. To me it just doesn't have the same tie to the season that, say, Oberon has to summer or Delirium Noël has to winter.
  10. washingtony
    If it's the same Clifton from multiple WaPo chats, he is nobody to take seriously--a hyperbolic blowhard who invents facts and speaks with the conviction and the zeal of a person more often wrong than right. It's either that or he's a fascinating online performance artist who skewers the notions of anonymity, trust, and information in a web 2.0 world. Or just a crazy guy into sheepdogs. No matter, when I see any online comment coming from a "Clifton", I immediately question every word written. So with that said, of course I don't believe for a minute that this person spends $6k a year at Restaurant Eve--so there shouldn't be any worry of anyone losing any business beyond imaginary, web-trolling business.
  11. washingtony
    The Germany/England match on Sunday was my first time there and I have to say I'm pretty impressed, beyond the hiccups that are to be expected with a new place drawing such obscene crowds. The ambiance is gemütlich inside and festive outside. (I'm glad they kept downstairs free of televisions--now if they'll just have a stammtisch that I'm invited to, I'll be all set.) I saw plenty of kids during the match and all seemed to be enjoying themselves. A place like this should be family friendly, especially outside and downstairs. The few hiccups, which I'm sure will be resolved in due time: didn't have any food because we were told that we couldn't order any food during the one hour that they shut down the kitchen between breakfast and lunch (from noon to one). The kegs seemed to have some temperature issues--the hofbrau helles was coming out much warmer than is normal (I'm not an American that demands ice-cold beer, so it wasn't a big deal, but I assume it wasn't intended). Also, when I ordered a Märzen, was told they only had bottles, which was fine. But the barkeep should have mentioned it was a Märzen rauchbier. It was too busy to bother telling him that he should warn people next time. I enjoy rauchbiers--but it's something you should definitely warn customers about because it's such an acquired taste. I look forward to returning during the world cup final when Germany beats Brazil--and after that, I look forward to leisurely weekend afternoons and evenings eating and drinking outside.
  12. washingtony
    I think lists like these are interesting from a linguistic point of view, but a lot of the judgment people hold for these "mispronunciations" smacks of unneeded snobbery--why is it that some people feel the need to shun the common English pronunciation for food-related loanwords? They insist that it's "bru-ske-tuh" rather than "bru-sheh-tuh", but I doubt they would say that a jazz band featured a wonderful "trom-bo-neh" rather than a "trom-bone". And while the people who made this list may go to the golden corral for a great "boo-fay" and not a "buf-fay", do they commend the skilled chefs in the back for "ad-rwah" in dealing with the crowds instead of being "ad-roit"? Languages adapt, evolve, and change--loanwords are often modified and pronunciations can deviate greatly from their origins. Using a person's common pronunciation which differs from the original but perhaps not from common usage is a cheap way to get a rush of superiority.
  13. washingtony
    I am in love with halloumi. The texture, the squeaking, the flavor, the fact it just won't melt. Not much pleases me more than a hunk of grilled halloumi and a ripe, in-season tomato. With that said, I find that Lebanese Taverna does a pretty good job with its halloumi--much better than Nando's, where it ends up cold and rubbery.
  14. washingtony
    Not that I wouldn't love a coffee shop in the neighborhood, but the fact that two coffee shops have closed in the last three years in just that one block has to mean something about the viability of the business there. I really don't understand the neighborhood. It's seems like a tough place for businesses, in part perhaps because of the NIMBYism entrenched in a lot of the locals. (See, e.g., the Giant on Wisconsin; see also, the Argentinian restaurant that was looking at the old McDonalds space about two years ago). Coffee shops don't last, big chains like Starbucks, Coldstone and 7-11 move out, historic buildings are demolished to make way for a drug store two blocks from another drug store, but somehow mediocre restaurants last. Of course there are a lot of great things in the neighborhood, from the Upton to Vace to a lot of great upscale restaurants. But a coffee shop just doesn't seem in the cards.
  15. washingtony
    I'm not sure the whole foods they shop at will carry bantha milk, though.
  16. washingtony
    I've never been to an Izakaya before, but from what I've heard of them, I'm hoping that Kushi offers a laid-back, Japanese version of a pub. That could be a good neighborhood type of place. I'm just afraid it'll be too trendy and hip, like Sei or something.
  17. washingtony
    I agree--when I lived in Van Ness, I would go there at least once a week for my beer and only go to CW for wine. Van Ness Liquors has a solid beer selection and they're very friendly--they always took the time to chat with me and take requests and show me new things they thought I would like (and they were usually right). I wish they were in my new neighborhood!
  18. washingtony
    I can only echo the praise for the pizzas that the posters make. But I will also heap praise on Vace's fresh pasta. A bag of the fresh fettuccine, a frozen container of their alfredo sauce, and a bottle of table wine makes for a super easy, delicious, and over-indulgent way to spend the evening.
  19. washingtony
    I'd head to Cafe Mozart if it were me. I just can't find stellar German food in the city, but it's the best I've found. It's fancier than I like my German restaurants, but it can be a bit gemütlich when the elderly lady busts out her accordion. I really can't stand Old Europe--I find it overly fussy, which is something a German restaurant should never be. And when I was last there in May, I attempted to order spargel but was given green (!) asparagus. If your office is closer to the hill, Cafe Berlin can be a good time, but I've never found it to be anything amazing. I had been to Bistro Europa in old town once, and had a delightful rouladen, but they have since shut their doors.
  20. washingtony
    I really enjoy the butternut squash dish--especially the cranberries and onions. The mashed potatoes and the corn are solid, but nothing earth-shattering. The coleslaw is good and wet (but something I'd rather enjoy slathered on a pulled pork sandwich!). I'd avoid the spicy rice--it's not only not spicy, but mostly bland and flavorless.
  21. washingtony
    thanks a lot for the great suggestions...I'll have to let you know how those places served up my beloved spargel!
  22. washingtony
    As spargel season is quickly approaching, do any restaurants cater their late spring menus to delicious white asparagus? I looked in vain last year, so this year I thought I'd ask the experts. Any tips? Or will I be forced to fly back to Germany?
  23. washingtony
    How is the glassware situation at BP? Are the beers poured in their proper glasses? One of the thing that really annoys me about places like Brickskellar is the serious disregard for putting beer in its proper glass. I want my Leffe in a Leffe glass, my Chimay in a Chimay glass and so on.
  24. washingtony
    I found all the mezze amazing, but the cauliflower panna cotta was my least favorite...I just think I couldn't get past the texture. For me, it's a week after my meal and I'm still dreaming of the dates stuffed with marsapone! I'm really a sucker for a good date dish, whether it's this at Komi or the date croquettes at Jaleo.
×
×
  • Create New...