Drive-by Critic

Husband #2 waltzed in last night, having returned from a trip to Seattle, all pleased with himself because he ate sweetbreads for the first time. Now we are both pretty adventuresome eaters, but I can't bring myself to try this one. He is going to lord it over me for the rest of our days, or until Husband #3 comes along (just kidding, honey!). Of course, this is a man who eats Bovril, which is a foul-smelling, tar-like meat extract (like Vegemite, except it is meat). In Palau, he once ate a sandwich made with Bovril, peanut butter, and garlic. I am trying to think of the sexual equivalent of that disgusting mess. Is there a word for the opposite of aphrodisiac? The irony is that a good meal makes you happy, relaxed, and snoozy - not amorous... Ellen

Old joke: Husband is in the Navy and is returning from a 3-month cruise. Wife is eagerly awaiting him at the docks. They wave enthusiastically and call to one another. He yells, "FF." She yells back "EF." This goes on for a while and finally the woman next to her, wracked by curiousity, asks, "what is EF?" Wife sheepishly replies, "Eat first..." Only Zora and Mktye will get this, but I married my husband because he gave the right answer to this question: If you were in the middle of an act of passion, and an Eskimo Curlew landed in your backyard, what would you do?" Husband #1 was a great guy, but he ate Carnation Instant Breakfast. Every. Single. Day. Still does. Going on 30 years now. Never even changes the flavor. However, that's forgiveable. He's Husband #1 because he wouldn't notice an Eskimo Curlew if it landed right in front of him, with a name badge. Ellen

My husband. He works in an organization that has a multistory building, and if anyone anywhere in the building is having a group feed, or had a group feed with leftovers, my husband can just "sense it" right through the walls and the floors. So I'm thinking that if I set up a spit and start roasting the oinker, Rockweilers will magically show up from the bi-state and un-state area... I also re-read the Bruni blog (which is here: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/200...-of-the-plate/) sorry if I did that wrong, and found this astonishing description: "...probably no higher than the new restaurant Resto, where some genius — and I am most certainly not being facetious — decided that deviled eggs aren’t sufficiently rich on their own. No, they need amplification, and of course they need meat, so they’re placed on rectangles of pork jowl. One more thing: these rectangles are deep-fried. At a certain point, I suppose, there’s no turning back." All this, and then David Hagedorn's article today about his heart attack. Like I said, when I hit 75, I am going to start eating whatever I want, as much as I want, and if I have a heart attack, well, I'll have had 24 more years of great birding in the interim, and, well, some things are more important than food. I can live without food, but I can't live without birding. I hope that admission doesn't draw a crowd to my house tonight with a kettle of tar and a rail....but if it does, please allow me a last meal and bring lots of pork, bread, cheese, and cheesecake. Ellen

I gather that this business has no fixed location? I can't find an address on the website...so if you order, where do you pick up? Has anyone tried their products? They sound scrumptious, and would like to know if this is a good option when searching for a good cake for a special event. I checked the bakeries thread and didn't see any mention of it, and all but the most recent post on this thread have been posts by the owner. Ellen

I have noticed a fair amount of pig worship here, and while I agree that pork is glorious in nearly all forms, it's on the list of things that I can't eat for another 20 or so years (when I hit 75, I am going to eat bread until it is coming out of my ears, and the next day, all the cheesecake, and the day after that....). But I thought you would all enjoy the opening words of the most recent Bruni blog: I’m not sure it’s possible to behave with much dignity around seven glistening pounds of pork butt, but on a recent night at Momofuku Ssam Bar, five friends and I weren’t even encouraged to try. Servers didn’t bother to carve the mountain of meat. They didn’t give us any delicate way to do it, either. They just plopped it in the center of the table, handed out sets of tongs, left us to our own devices and let the pig scatter where it may. It was an ugly scene, and it was a beautiful one. We lunged at the flesh. Tore at it. Yanked it toward ourselves in dripping, jagged hunks, sometimes ignoring the lettuce wraps on the side so we could stuff it straight into our mouths. We looked, I realized, like hyenas at an all-you-can-eat buffet on the veldt, and I wasn’t surprised to notice other diners staring at us. But what I saw on their faces wasn’t disgust. It was envy. I’d venture that more than a few of them returned to Momofuku for their own pig-outs. The restaurant, after all, sells about two whole pork butts — a term that refers to part of the pig’s shoulder, not to its rump — every night. These are times of bold temptation, as well as prompt surrender, for a carnivorous glutton in New York. And I expect that this may prompt the organization of a DR pilgrimmage to NYC: Last year Daisy May’s BBQ U.S.A., which opened in 2003, began serving not only whole pork butts but also whole pigs. They weigh 30 to 35 pounds, are meant to feed a dozen or so people and cost $480. Adam Perry Lang, the chef and co-owner of Daisy May’s, says that he sells at least two of them a night. It’s some ritual. Before the platter of pig appeared before the group I’d assembled, a server set up two perpendicular wood braces to support it. They formed a cross, a reminder — as if we would need one — that something died for the deadly sin dearest to us. That something was pretty much intact: snout pointed straight toward me, two little ears, four little hooves and a profoundly bronzed hide. The server carved into that skin and peeled away flaps of it, exposing a lustrous layer of fat and a deep reservoir of meat. The rest was up to us, a few sets of plastic tongs and some dull plastic knives. “This really puts you in touch with your barbaric self,” said a woman in our group as she tugged at individual ribs along the pig’s midsection. Her fingers were slick with grease. Do you think pork will keep for 24 years (she asked wistfully)..... Ellen

We are enjoying the show as entertainment. The people (contestants, judges) are all engaging and seem not to be interested in that ridiculous drama that pervades most of these reality shows (OK, I admit it, I like SOME of the drama on Project Runway, but come on people, it is fashion - drama is a natural part of the fashion world). I think that the personalities have a lot to do with these shows being good entertainment, as much as the subject matter. Oddly enough, RR is a warm, engaging personality and she drives me up a wall. In fact, right this very minute, I'm hoping that the storm will knock out the power, as it is time for RR.... I would also rather that FN spend some of its airtime on healthy cooking and sustainability issues. (Memo to RR: saying that fried pork chops are healthy doesn't make it so). One of the reasons I love Alton Brown is that he gets into the origin and chemistry of food - though not quite enough, IMHO. He's like Harold McGee light. It would be great if they could bring that kind of approach to one or more cooking shows. This program seems to have fewer of the stupid, gimmicky challenges that are so popular on other shows, like making a meal out of garbage. Incidentally, if you read the bios on the website, it turns out that most of these people have much stronger cooking credentials than you would have guessed from watching the show. Ellen

Oops. Right. Hank. Where did I get Bo from? Not like I don't go by it twenty times a week. Years ago, I actually stopped in from time to time. It was everything that North Bethesda wasn't, which is a good thing. The antidote for Sutton Place Gourmet (yes, I do know it is now Balducci's). When you got sick of barristas and venti grande BS. Which is pretty much every time I walk into a Starbucks and say in my most derisive, contrarian voice, "Gimme a cupajoe." Happy Friday, all! Ellen

Rockville (ok, ok, "Bethesda North"): Bo Dietl's, next to Addie's. A biker bar. Kid you not. I still miss the Crow Bar. Only bar I would go downtown for. I miss my drinking days. I miss my youth. Think I'll go have a drink...what are you having? Ellen

Has anyone tried Sticky Fingers? They were featured on a recent episode of Road Tasted (a Food Network show; what can I say - I love Alton Brown and then sometimes you just don't change the channel). Everything looked terrific. We were actually going to place an order and schlep down there to pick it up, but our plans changed so we never tried it. However, my husband wants to try it, and so once we are beyond birding/hiking weather (e.g., aren't up and out the door at 5 a.m. or earlier), I would be willing to go down there to pick up some pastries. But wanted to get some input from Rockweilers first as to whether it is worth doing so.... Thanks! Ellen

How many times have I said, "need to try Persimmon one of these days?" And so finally I have, and what a shame I waited so long. What a wonderful dining experience. The room is lovely and comfortable (though some tables were too close together). The service was spot-on. Friendly but professional, timing was fine. Only one minor issue - I had soup and salad (no surprise there) and my friend ordered only a main. It would have been nice if the waitress had asked if I wanted to wait for my food until my friend was served - particularly as it was gazpacho and came out right away. But the waitress not only didn't blink an eye when I asked to see the dessert menu before the meal...I rarely order dessert, so I wanted to see if there was anything I would want for dessert before deciding what to have for dinner - she actually took this craziness in good humor. So, I started with a drink called Ginger Delight. The fresh citrus and fresh ginger came through beautifully. I like spice and bitter flavors, not sweet, and this drink was perfect for someone like me, though I normally prefer good quality liquor unadulterated with any kind of mixers. The bread was fresh but nothing special; it was served with a small pot of chicken liver pate that I didn't taste, but my friend thought it was very good. I had the mixed field greens salad with figs and toasted pecans. The pomegranate-quince vinaigrette was applied with a very light hand and all the flavors sparkled. The gazpacho was refreshing though it could have used a bit more heat. My friend had a perfectly cooked piece of fresh, wild rockfish over lemon gnochi. Absolutely delectable. Desserts. Good thing I looked at the dessert menu before I ordered dinner as there were at least three things I wanted to try - a lemon rice pudding with rhubarb something, a Key Lime tart, and what I ultimately chose, which was a Blueberry Mirror Cheesecake. What caught my eye on the menu was the sour cream ice cream and lemon curd that accompanied the light cheesecake topped with an intense blueberry glaze. It was decadent and just too, too much. I would have been very happy with just a scoop of the sour cream ice cream, or just the cheesecake. Though the quantities are reasonable, it is a two-person dessert. As a wine ignorati, I can't comment on the wine list. My friend wanted only a glass, and the waitress seemed to know the wine list well enough to help her make a selection. My only concern was the overall menu. It seemed to consist entirely of dishes that are too heavy for this time of year, or preparations that were overly complex. Like they used to say to ladies about accessories - put on whatever you think the outfit needs, and then before you go out the door, take one thing off. Some of the ingredients seemed to be there mostly to satisfy trends. Without tasting these dishes, I obviously can't be sure that's what is going on, but it seemed that way. Especially seafood - in my view, the simpler the better with good quality, fresh seafood. It shouldn't be hidden under a half-dozen ingredients. But that's my personal preference. For all I know, each of these dishes may be exquisitely composed and balanced. Ellen

Well...when they bring out a car that will go to the restaurant on its own, pick up the food, and return it to me...THAT will be an option I'll consider. Meanwhile, I'm wondering when most car manufacturers will learn about these new-fangled MP3 things. Even the few cars with built-in docking stations don't have big display screens to let you use the iPod safely. And when they finally do, I see a real opp for Sr. Rocks...podcasting his Lettres de Moulin Rouge! The regs here can be the chorus (Greek chorus?). Ellen

Acura MDX.... As good as the standard MDX might be, the really good stuff is optional, and we’d bet that most MDXs will be equipped with one or more of the additional-cost packages. Opt for the Technology Package, and the MDX gets a DVD navigation system with voice recognition, a rearview camera, and Zagat Survey restaurant reviews and ratings; a triple-zone, solar-sensing, GPS-linked climate control system with a humidity sensor; HandsFreeLink Bluetooth wireless communications with a phone book import feature; and AcuraLink satellite communications with real-time traffic reporting. As if that’s not enough, the Technology Package also includes a stunning 410-watt Acura/ELS Surround audio system with Dolby Pro Logic II, a DVD-Audio player, and 10 speakers. Granted, it can be hard to know where to eat when you are away from your home turf, but I've actually seen TGIF listed in Zagat's. Might as well stick with your Mobil Travel Guide if you can't find a local food board. Ellen

Report from the Narrows (sorry, I forgot that they don't do hard shells! though there is a crabhouse next door - maybe those in search of hard shells could do take-out from the joint next door and everyone could eat in the parking lot between the two restaurants). Four very happy diners. We'd been birding at the Delaware beaches all day* and were pretty tired and hungry when we arrived at 5 p.m. I think the owner employs every cute teenage girl on Kent Island as we are always greeted by pretty teenage girls. We had a nice table inside, but overlooking the water. Though I'm usually a "don't you dare put anything in my glass but pure hootch" kind of person, I was hankering for a wet, summer, beachy drink so ordered a Sea Breeze. A perfectly tangy and refreshing drink arrived. The two guys had Stellas and my friend had a whiskey sour (I didn't ask if it was good, but she seemed to be happy with it). We each had the gazpacho topped with crabmeat. A very fresh, very tasty bowl of gazpacho. I personally prefer my gazpacho to have slightly larger, more discernible bits of veggies. This version was highly pureed. But in the end, the flavor matters most, and this was delectable. The heat was subtle and layered. The crabmeat was sweet and fresh. I moved onto to a field greens salad with pecans, berries, and gorgonzola, dresessed with tomato vinaigrette. Again, everything was very fresh and the salad was delicious. The berries were as flavorful as could be. Therefore, I would have liked more berries (they gave the diner only four small pieces of strawberry and two blackberries). The only flaw in execution was too much dressing. The salad was weighed down with dressing. As it was a light dressing, this wasn't fatal, but still...next time I will be sure to ask for easy on the dressing. Guy One had the Fried Oyster Caesar. Sweet, tender oysters without a trace of extra oil, delicate onion rings, also without a trace of extra oil, on crisp romaine with a dressing that he thought might be homemade, but wasn't sure. He didn't taste anchovies or garlic, though, so that could mean either not homemade or just subtle (the latter is fine with us - we've had the tableside preps in Mexico several times and the flavors are always subtle). This was one terrific dish. Guy Two had a salad with a beautifully cooked piece of tuna, and (going from memory here, as the salads aren't listed on the online memo), Belgian endive, tomatoes, and Bibb lettuce. I don't know how it was dressed. He was also very happy with it. Friend had the light fare crabcake. I think this light fare feature is fantastic - for those who have smaller appetites, or who aren't too hungry, or just don't like to walk out of a restaurant stuffed to the gills...these are smaller portions with fewer sides. I forgot to ask her if she liked it, though we didn't hear any oohs and ahs. From past experience, though, we can vouch for the excellence of this crabcake. No filler, top quality lump crab, and a light hand with the Old Bay. As good as it gets - and we've tried crabcakes all over Maryland. Friends share the dessert special - strawberry shortcake with cinnamon ice cream. Not the typical gloppy mess drowning in whipped cream - in fact, I don't remember any whipped cream on this one. And if their berries were as good as those on the salad....Again, no oohs and ahs, but it disappeared very fast. Though it wasn't on the menu, I heard the waitress offer a bowl of fresh berries as a dessert to the couple at the next table. Had I had room, that's what I would have ordered. The other light dessert choices were two sorbets - last night they had coconut and blood orange/tangerine. Service was perfect - friendly but not intrusive, prompt but we didn't feel rushed between courses or at the end of the meal. All in all, it was a lovely, relaxing meal with superb food.

Perhaps Richard is taking out a contract on the Likes-to-Eat-Late and is asking Chodorow to borrow a few swords? Ellen

Well, it's Eastern Shore (near Cambridge) and not Southern Maryland, but my vote is for Suicide Bridge. Great setting, huge place, good food, great crabs. Not easy to find. We will probably be there on Sunday unless we opt for the Narrows instead. Depends on how many want crabs vs. other. Suicide Bridge has plenty of other, but the Narrows is overall a better restaurant for other - more refined menu, better preparation. The other at Suicide Bridge is mostly traditional Maryland seafood, which even done well is a shame, because they tend to glop heavy sauces on perfectly fine seafood. If things like Crab Imperial are your thing, though, I am confident that they are good at Suicide Bridge, as the food there is uniformly good. I can't remember what app we had (yes, we had apps before hard shells - we were REALLY hungry - though we soon regretted it) but I remember thinking that they were fantastic. The onion rings were also great. Note that their website doesn't work in Firefox but seems fine in IE. The Narrows: http://www.thenarrowsrestaurant.com/index.shtml Suicide Bridge: http://www.suicidebridge.com Ellen

Eeks. This is the culinary equivalent of always taking care that you are wearing nice underwear in case you are taken to the emergency room (or in case you find yourself getting unexpectedly lucky, but Mom didn't ever intend for her good advice to be co-opted like that, now did she?). I mean really. Here you are, a slab on the morgue table, and they slice open your gut to find out what your last meal was...and they find two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun. When they investigated, they found that Don Rocks forced you to admit that you'd eaten at Mickey D's and you died of embarrassment. Ellen

Frostburg Smokey - it seems rare that opinions converge so closely on DR or any food board, but we are largely in agreement about Savage River Lodge. I wouldn't call the food abysmal, but it definitely needs work. I agree that it is best to stick with the simple dishes - but there weren't any! The closest they came to simple were the Cowboy Steak (14 oz) and the 8 oz. filet of beef. I would have killed for a good roasted chicken or a piece of broiled fish. If we go back, that's precisely what I am going to ask for. Just broil the fish for me and put all sauces/toppings on the side. In fact, I will probably call ahead and say that I'm on a low-fat diet and be sure ahead of time that they can/will make something like this for me. When we booked, they asked if we had any dietary restrictions or allergies. We said no, because when we eat out - which is fairly rare - we don't worry about what we eat. We just enjoy ourselves and make at least a token effort to avoid the really "bad" stuff - like creams and cheese-based sauces, which we really don't even like. I'd love a good cheese plate, but enjoy good cheese by itself and not generally as an ingredient in a sauce (it tends to get grainy and/or congeals). I read on TripAdvisor that they'd lost their chef last summer. Maybe that accounts for the poor execution. Also, vegetarians be warned: there is a vegetarian menu, but on TripAdvisor, someone wrote that they'd booked in part because there was a vegetarian menu, but when they arrived at dinner and tried to order vegetarian, they were told that there was only one vegetarian item. When they asked the management about the issue, they were told that the vegetarian menu had been created by the chef who'd left and the current chef was making only the one item. We found the service to be professional but you are right - it was a bit chatty. To be fair, though, we were also pretty chatty, so the server responded appropriately. He seemed quite tuned into the moods of the diners, so if we'd been quiet and reserved, he probably would have backed off. I also note that more than half the customers were obviously locals/repeats - and this no doubt engenders familiarity and chattiness, too. We also read on TripAdvisor that the breakfasts are dreadful. There is no excuse for dreadful breakfast. We are looking for alternatives both for the night and for dinner. They apparently lock the gate at night, but you can get a key, so that isn't a problem. The problem is finding someplace else out there for dinner. Our friends who live in the area recommend the Hen House, but the menu doesn't sound like its got much for us. The menu for Au Petit Paris is very traditional French and Ii think we wil give it a try. One thing that would be a great addition at Savage River is a bar menu. Sometimes you just want a great burger or a bowl of soup. There are no burgers on the menu and there are soups, but again - heavy on the cream and the cheese. Ellen

Frostburg We had dinner at the Savage River Lodge this past weekend. It was our second visit (the first was 2 years ago). My only memory of the first visit was that they needed a few lighter, healthier choices on the menu, but that we enjoyed the meal. Same reaction this time. Lots of cream-based or cheese-based sauces. My second reaction was that they give you way too much food. My entree was a pecan-crusted trout. A whole trout. With sides of cinnamon-dusted basmati rice, a variety of summer squash, and a melon compote. No way could I eat all that, even though we had no appetizers - just salads. OK, from the top - we were exhausted and cold (remember, it's about 2700 feet - not high, but colder than DC - it barely cracked 40 all weekend) from a really unpleasant hike elsewhere in the area. Therefore we chose to sit inside and inhale Irish coffee (me) and tea (Tim) to warm up. There is a screened-in, wrap-around deck and it would be lovely to sit out there, amidst the pretty forest, in nicer weather. There are big heaters, but we didn't want them to waste the energy just for us. They served a basket of nice, crusty, yeasty bread, though only the one variety. The salads were perfectly fresh and the dressings, served on the side, were good (my honey lemon) and very good (Tim's balsamic vinaigrette). The meatloaf WAS something to rave over, in our opinion. Four kinds of meat - bison, venison, veal, and pork, ground together and cooked in a bacon wrap. Tim loved it, and he hates meatloaf. The reduction (sorry, can't remember what it was) was a perfect complement. My trout was perfectly fresh and nicely cooked BUT the pecan crust was infused with maple syrup. Now, I love maple syrup and a LITTLE bit would have been a lovely flavor but they overdid it and it was too sweet. I don't like sweet things, so maybe I'm not the best judge, but Tim loves sweet things and he also found it a bit too sweet. We shared a berry cobbler for dessert and this sadly was a miss. Again, they need some lighter choices (like, say, fresh berries by themselves....?). The berries were fresh (blueberries, black raspberries, red raspberries) and the cobbler was prepared to order. However, they didn't keep an eye on it and the topping charred. In addition, the topping was dry, tasteless. Not even a hint of sweet or cinnamon. The other choices were cheesecakes and bread puddings and such. We are going back in the fall to enjoy the on-site hikes (total of 15 miles of well-marked trails), the fall foliage, and the cabins with the double-deep soaking tubs and other such amenities. We may eat dinner elsewhere, however. With the one-night fee of $220, including only muffins and juice in the a.m., it would be all too easy to run the total tab up to $400 for the one night. Now, I hear some of you saying $400 = Maestro or the Tasting Room at Eve. True, but you aren't in Tyson's Corner, now are you? And can you go to Maestro in your well-worn jeans? The place IS very comfortable and friendly. Given the 3ish hour drive from DC, I wouldn't go unless I could make a full day of it or stay overnight, but it is a nice place to have a nice meal and enjoy the scenery and relax. Now, still waiting for someone to come up with another good place in the Frostburg-Deep Creek vicinity. There are lots of joints in Deep Creek/McHenry but honestly, none seem to be much more exciting than the Pizzeria Uno in the middle of Deep Creek. So sad that a good brewpub with excellent burgers (Big Oak) died, and Uno stays in business... Ellen

I've always wondered how much effort WFM puts into backing its claims that it is selling sustainably grown/produced products. Not because I'm skeptical of WFM, but because I'm skeptical. I've lived 51.5 years in the age of hype, spin, and outright lies. So why should any given store be any different? Well, I'm pleased to report that I just received an inquiry from an expert in sustainable seafood who is employed by WFM (she used to work for for one of the most respected and credible ocean conservation NGOs in the world, which is how she knew about the scientific organization I run). She contacted me to ask questions about the impact of aquaculture on wildlilfe. Needless to say, it made me feel a whole lot better about the amount of money I spend at WFM! It was surprising and refreshing to find that someone who wants to sell me something actually has integrity. Ellen Paul Chevy Chase

For what it is worth - if one of the Republic of Tea flavors you like is rooibos (which isn't actually tea; the plant is a legume), then try Rodman's. They sell (in bags, not cans) the FreshPak brand that is commonly sold in South Africa at a fraction of the cost. The box may remind you of Lipton's but don't be put off. I've tried the fancy, expensive brands of rooibos and they aren't any better than FreshPak. Some are flavored, but the basic tea seems to be nearly the same in quality and flavor. Also, I noticed last night that Balducci's sells Adagio teas in cans but I'm not sure if the tins contain loose tea or tea bags. Ellen Paul Chevy Chase, MD

In recent years, I've had the very odd experience of having my taste change spontaneously with regard to several foods. I used to love garlic, but a few years ago, and without much warning, even the smell of it began to make me ill. Eating even tiny quantities would leave me queasy. It worsened over time. In the past few months, it has started to abate but I still don't like the smell or taste. I used to hate blue cheeses and now I love them...again, for no apparent reason. There's a whole list of food items that I've either all-of-a-sudden started to like or dislike. We attribute it - like everything else - to the hormone thing. Are there any other Red Hat-eligible women out there having this experience? But I doubt I'll ever like mushrooms or eggplants. It's that slimy thing...and I hope I never develop a fondness for ice cream. It would be wonderful to develop aversions to Pepperidge Farm cookies (aka "medicine") cheesecake and anything else that is calorie dense and not good for you... Ellen Paul Chevy Chase

It was not intended as mean-spirited at all. It was just an observation. The website isn't the website of Market Lunch (I have never been able to find a website for Market Lunch). It is the website of Eastern Market. Obviously, I am sorry for the business owners and wish them well. That doesn't mean that I can't comment on a problem and suggest a way that it could be fixed. For people from the burbs, even the close-in burbs, getting to Eastern Market is a schlep, especially on weekends when Metro runs on a "whenever" schedule and delays are lengthy if they are single-tracking - which is common on weekends. So getting information about hours and such is important. Ellen Paul Chevy Chase

Twenty one years in the DC area. Twenty one years of saying "we ought to try Eastern Market." But Market Lunch isn't (wasn't) serving its famous breakfast on Sundays. What's up with that? I hope when they rebuild, the owners insist that Market Lunch or whoever else serves prepared food is open for breakfast on Sunday. Of course, you'd never know this from the Eastern Market website. The entry for Market Lunch has only the name of the owner, the phone number, and the address. Ellen Paul Chevy Chase

My husband and I had a phenomenal dinner at Willow last night. I noticed that this restaurant doesn't come up much here. I hope that's not because people aren't going there. The dining public owes it to itself to make sure this place thrives. Unless you live or work in Ballston, I suppose it isn't much of a dining destination, with only a handful of restaurants, many of them lunch spots. This place should be in everyone's rotation - though it is slightly pricey, it is worth every dime. The food is that good. When RTS is SRO, shoot down Wilson Blvd to Ballston (it's on N. Fairfax Drive, in the same building as Rio Grande) and (apologies to Mr. Landrum) you will have just as good a meal - and that's saying a lot since we worship RTS so much that we actually cross the river to eat there. We unfortunately didn't have much time and couldn't really do the experience justice, but what we had was just as good as it gets. Tim had a green salad of organic greens with hearts of palm, dressed with an ethereal sherry vinaigrette and topped with shaved manchego. It doesn't get fresher than this - the greens and the cheese were of the highest quality, and the dressing was applied with a very light hand. Just incredible how important good quality ingredients are. The rolls - not exactly Parker House, but close - were warm and fresh but needed a dash of salt. Tim's day boat scallops were perfectly balanced with a ragu of lardons, brussel sprouts, and mushrooms, topped with a dijon mustard cream - but again, with a light hand. It is unusual that the last bite of a dish is as satisfying as the first. My pan roasted halibut was a perfect piece of fish, perfectly cooked and served over a bed of mixed squash. For desert, Tim had a strawberry and passion fruit parfait. Heavenly, though the passion fruit in particular was so good that I would have preferred that the ratios be reversed (it was two parts strawberry to one part passion fruit). My citron tart had a home-made quality. The crust was perfect. Most tarts are filled with lemon curd. Not this one. This one had a wonderful consistency that I can't describe. Blackberry coulis on the side, and two fresh blackberries on top. About a year ago, I had lunch there...a delectable, juicy burger that elevated burger to the rank of real food (and I'm incredibly fussy about burgers...), and I'd always wanted to try it for dinner. Beyond all expectations, and now I need an excuse to return. The space is so comfortable and pleasant and relaxing. Beautiful and elegant without being stuffy or fussy. Just enough decoration, superb lighting. We were there early, so I can't comment on the noise level. Only a few tables were occupied. Though there were 3 or 4 occupied right near us and we couldn't overhear conversation from any of them. The spacing of the tables seems quite nice. There is also a private back room. The service was pitch perfect (I think it was one of the co-owners who took care of us...). Not obtrusive, just pleasant and well-timed and thorough. We had mentioned that we didn't have much time, and the dinner was paced accordingly. It would have been nice to linger and to have had more time (for drinks, wine) but that's our excuse for a return visit. And they update the menu on their elegant, well-designed website every single freaking day. http://www.willowva.com/directions.html I mean honestly - everything that folks find fault with about pretty much every other restaurant that is written up here - I defy you to find those faults at Willow. They really have it covered. This place was so good that I felt I had to break my own vow never to post again. Ellen

How timely - in light of the maelstrom going on (in the Agraria thread) about what we should/shouldn't say about a restaurant and how much detail, interpretation, opinion to offer, perhaps we should be ranked according to our expertise and allowed to discuss only restaurants within categories matching our expertise. So says a Washington Post cartoon today: http://news.yahoo.com/comics/theflyingmccoys Now, when is the geoduck dinner? and to those who we will have the pleasure of meeting on Friday, all I can say is "Aux armes, citoyens!" It was probably easier to get into the Bastille than into RTS, though I hear the food wasn't much to write home about.