dracisk

Just now, Katya4me said:

I think I did, but it was a while ago and as noted, it's very good and doesn't hurt to bring back to the forefront.

Oh yes! I was not meaning to criticize. Always good to have reminders of good recipes.

If I'm not mistaken @Katya4me has shared the Thai peanut chicken ramen recipe before. At any rate, we've made it based on a recommendation from here and it's very good.

11 minutes ago, saf said:

How were the cilantro levels?

I ate there awhile ago -- pre-COVID -- and really enjoyed it. I don't remember any cilantro issues at all (and cilantro is significant to me 🤢).

49 minutes ago, saf said:

Your salads always sound so good, yet somehow I never get that ambitious.

My standard is Costco greens and homemade salad dressing, so I think you're doing pretty well. 😆

We also got South Mountain Creamery ice cream in our delivery this week. It's SO good!

My husband also loves to grill. I'll have to remember this at the end of next summer. We could just toss some on while he's already grilling something else!

One year we charred a bunch and infused tequila with them, but it came out VERY spicy. My husband isn't that into following recipes. 😆

15 hours ago, saf said:

I had a bunch of garden peppers at the end of the season too - we grilled them, peeled them, and froze them. Roasted peppers of various varieties ready to go!

Had I been more organized/motivated I would have done the same. Unfortunately a bunch of our jalapenos went bad in our crisper.

Oh my. I needed to use up garden jalapeños last summer and thought about making jalapeño cornbread of some variety but never got around to it. I'm saving this cornbread recipe!

12 hours ago, saf said:

You know, this post really makes me sound picky, but I don't THINK that I am!

It's totally reasonable to HATE cilantro and dislike coconut. 🤷‍♀️

My husband is a chocolate milk (and milk in general but especially chocolate) fiend, and I'm planning to sign up for regular chocolate milk delivery from SMC as part of my Christmas presents to him. They have a Moo Membership where you pay $100 for a year and get free delivery (amongst other perks, I think), but they only sell it in December and June. We recently bought a quart of their chocolate milk at Moo Thru and it was delicious. Also, gingerbread ice cream sounds sooooo good. My ice cream maker is still on my counter because I was thinking of finding a recipe and trying to make it myself.

My aunt and uncle took me to the White Horse Tavern for my 21st birthday. We had Sambuca with coffee beans in it. I thought we were pretty fancy. That was a long time ago.

I couldn't let fall pass without baking something with pumpkin, so I made scones. They're not the prettiest but they're tasty!

I think Le Diplomate opened before 2015, but that was the first idea that popped into my mind. You MIGHT be able to get a solo spot at the bar at 7pm on a Thursday?

A friend randomly sent me a Cuisinart ice cream machine when I was pregnant in 2013 and I used it a couple of time, but then, well, I had a newborn/infant/toddler and the thing sat dormant in a cupboard for many years. I resuscitated it this summer and made a simple strawberry ice cream and then a chocolate mint ice cream with steeped mint leaves from our backyard. Both were quite tasty despite the fact I used half and half in place of heavy cream in both recipes.

I came into some peanut butter powder this summer and our basil plants are quite prolific, so I might try peanut butter and (separately) basil ice cream based on posts above. Thanks for the ideas!!

We (my husband, my 7-year-old, and I) just decided to go to Virginia Beach next weekend. (Thanks, Yom Kippur and a day off from school in MoCo.) I haven't been to Virginia Beach in 20 years (!) and I don't think my husband has ever been.

We'll be driving from Silver Spring and I'm thinking we'll break up the drive by stopping for lunch in the Richmond area (but probably not in Richmond itself -- I'm well aware of ZZQ, but that's probably not happening this time). Looks like we'll be getting on 295 from 95 and then getting on 64 around Richmond. I'm sure it's mostly chain central in terms of restaurants in that area, but any chance anyone knows of any decent choices not too far off the highway?

We just decided to go to Virginia Beach next weekend. (Thanks, Yom Kippur and a day off from school in MoCo.) I haven't been to Virginia Beach in 20 years (!) and I don't think my husband has ever been. I'm not expecting a transcendent experience (we usually go to Ocean City, which I also find ... not transcendent -- the beaches within driving distance of Silver Spring are dreadful IMHO). That being said, does anyone have restaurant recommendations? We're not looking for fine dining. My husband's not really into it and we'll have my 7-year-old with us.

On 8/12/2021 at 7:48 AM, Bart said:

If you're looking for some entertainment(?) scroll through some of the Yelp reviews and the owner's responses.  They are beyond bizarre.

Wow, that was like a car wreck. I couldn't stop reading the owner's responses! She called one customer a douchebag!!

4 hours ago, zgast said:

Wish I would have known - their website says 3-5 days.

Given that you need to get on a plane you were probably safer doing what you did. We heard from neighbors that turnaround was quick (and we didn't absolutely need our results quickly), but if the website says 3-5 days I'm sure it could potentially take that long and then you'd be SOL.

For future reference, we got PCR tests last week at one of the Montgomery County sites (the Dennis Avenue Health Center) and had our results in 24 hours (they told us it would take 48). We made appointments late the night before.

13 hours ago, Dr. Delicious said:

Shrimp and Lobster Sauce (a favorite of mine that I grew up with in Massachusetts)

Is shrimp and lobster sauce a regional American Chinese dish? I grew up eating it in RI and I don't remember seeing it in the DMV.

Thanks for the report. It's interesting to see one's native state through an outsider's eye. I'm glad you enjoyed Matunuck Oyster Bar. I also dislike Rhode Island clam chowder. Why have clear broth when you can have cream (New England style)?? Maybe dislike is a strong word, but I'll always choose New England style.

Your description of Hemenway's (a recipe driven restaurant without much creative energy) was exactly my impression without having been there.

I can't believe RI has an urban, hip Korean restaurant!

27 minutes ago, KeithA said:

11. Uber Bagels - still large fluffy good bagels in lots of varieties. Totally packed with around 20 min wait for whole, unsliced bagels at 8am (they only open at 7) and they ran out of alot around 930am with 20 min wait for more plain. They do now have online ordering which was down one day and worked great the next. I highly recommend using it. You go to a second door and walk in and pick it right up if you online order.

We've stayed across the street from Uber Bagels at least twice, but we never managed to try them. We usually go in September, so it may have been an hours issue (this was pre-COVID). We usually get sucked in by the nearby Fractured Prune. Anyway, I'm glad for this review of Uber -- we'll have to check them out if we stay up that way again.

My father-in-law will be inurned at ANC on Friday, 7/30, at 9am. Given the group we're expecting for the service, I think our best bet for a post-service meal would be Bob and Edith's in Crystal City, as no one should be outside of their comfort zone there. I've never been there before, though, so I'm wondering if a larger group (like 6-8 people, maybe more) would be able to sit together-ish (by pushing tables together or whatever)? Or is it one of those diners that has tiny booths only?

Also, does anyone know about how long we should expect the ANC service to last?

16 minutes ago, Bob Wells said:

Thayer St was my preferred hang too. I got my hair cut at Alba-Runci, worked part time at Thayer Market, spent untold hours browsing at College Hill Bookstore (motto: "Dedicated to the fine art of browsing"), scoured the used record stores etc etc.. It's still a fun area, but there are a lot more chains these days.

Growing up in Warwick I didn't spend as much time on Thayer Street. It was more of a special treat. Providence was so faaaaah.

Plus one for pizza strips/party pizza/bakery pizza and wandies! RI has an amazing number of specialty foods for such a small state. Also coffee cabinets, Awful Awfuls, and many more. Get a Del's Frozen Lemonade when you're there! You may see a truck or a stand by the beach, or they have some storefronts.

1 hour ago, Ericandblueboy said:

I was able to get a 11:45 reservation at Matunuck for Monday Aug 2.  

Good. In summers past, before they started taking reservations, I drove by and saw cars waiting in line on the street just to get in the parking lot. I'm sure you're planning to concentrate on oysters, but if you have room for the house-made stuffie I recommend trying it (I haven't had it at MOB, but stuffies are another RI speciality). Also, the Point Judith calamari will have traveled less than 3 miles (as the crow flies) to get to your plate.

If your kids will tolerate it and the weather's nice, another Providence thing to do is wander around the East Side. There's really nice colonial architecture and Brown University and RISD are there. RISD has an art museum (which, looking at a map, I realize is only a couple of blocks from Hemenway's). Thayer Street is fun to walk around on. When I was in high school I thought it was really cool to hang out there. Of course, I'm not sure how many students will be around in the summer, but I imagine some will.

Ocean Drive is a very pretty drive in Newport (the name of the street is Ocean Drive).

ETA: I just remembered Gracie's is another fine dining option in Providence. I'm not sure how different it would be than anything you could get anywhere else, but it may be worth looking into.

1 hour ago, Bob Wells said:

if you can get to Mikes at the VFW in Cranston, do so. Excellent homestyle italian food in an actual active VFW Hall. Cash only! Bonus: The locals are a trip. You'll likely see guys in colorful track suits, even in the summer. Try the polenta!

I'm going to be in RI later this summer and got some good recommendations from @Bob Wells, too! A few places I didn't know about.

A strong second for Mike's (Kitchen). It is amazing and sooooo RI. They have strange hours so be sure to check that out (e.g., they're only open for lunch on Saturdays). Like Bob Wells said, they only take cash. You get separate bills for the bar and the food. I've been trying to figure out why for years. I believe they're known for Parm (chicken Parm, eggplant Parm, veal Parm, etc.).

I've never been to Biomes, but I've heard good things about it and I know my almost 9-year-old nephew likes it. In Newport if you have time I recommend the Cliff Walk. I have a feeling you'll be very underwhelmed by Roger Williams Park Zoo after the Bronx Zoo (and assuming you're semi-regulars at the National Zoo). The Providence Children's Museum is nice if your kids are the right age. If you're beach people the beaches are reaaaaally nice. I like them much better than the beaches near DC, and they're so much easier to get to. I don't think I've ever toured Blithewold Mansion, but it's in a very cute town. I'm not familiar with the Audubon Nature Center. It looks like WaterFire isn't happening until September at the earliest, which is too bad. I'm sure there's plenty more to do ... I'll keep thinking.