CrescentFresh

I wish. Never heard of it. Never heard of them either. And from the pics it looks like they had a nice turnout. Would have liked to have gone...even if there was nothing to drink, so it seems, from the Mother Country.

FWIW, Andelman is doing live demos on Channel 5 right now and, I presume, will be for the next hour or so.

An upcoming beer crawl in town. November 18. And please don't forget plans for a road trip to the New England Real Ale Exhibition in May. Mark your calendar.

Nothing to enlighten about. I just thought it was funny that the fisheries scientist's name is Worm. I remember this guy who used to own a cloth diaper business in NY. His name was Alan Leakoff. Swear!

So, there was some fennel in tonight's dinner. One bulb's worth. Picked it up yesterday morning at Dupont. Delicious. Yet there was an incredible forest atop the bulb. It was not your normal type forest of fennel fronds. It was the kind that may have been planted atop the place that's always greener. Small cities could be shaded and cooled by this fennel top. It was so bushy you could hide Cousin It behind them and have no idea he/she was there. So, I put some in my dinner. I've fed some to my rabbit. But what can I do with the rest of them? There's a dump truck's worth! Can you make fennel frond pesto? Can I dry them for later use? Can I freeze them for later use? Can I grind them in the food processor and then freeze them and make green snowballs? Or do I just toss them in the trash?

$5 glasses of Delirium Tremens at Zocalo. Nice price for a nice beer.

But wait!!!! You're not off the hook, yet! Do you know Boris Worm???

Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, will participate in a Washington Post webchat this morning at 11:30. I think it's a great book, if you haven't yet read it. A major indictment against the American industrial food system. His points are further supported with evidence and insight from Michael Pollan in "The Omnivore's Dilemma" noting how Americans can either be armed with knowledge about where their food comes from, or continue to hide and dig in, but know in the back of the mind that it's not pretty. Schlosser did us all a favor by making that knowledge a bit more mainstream.

More on depleted fisheries. Of course, I'm kinda suspect when the head scientist's name is the same as the most famous piece of bait in the world. Saving his own skin?

Got details on where to find this place should I care for an invigorating drive myself?

Some things never change. Like Kansas.

I'm sorry. I just can't do that when their menu says things like this: Classic Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail Perfectly chilled colossal US shrimp imported from California. Garnished with cilantro and a lemon wedge. Accompanied by our housemade cocktail sauce. How is shrimp chilled imperfectly? But more importantly, importing US shrimp from California? I'm sorry, but these folks just deserve what they're getting. (But I'll leave typos, like Wangyu Kobe Beef, out of it. )

The means by which he blasts Ella's and, to some extent, Matchbox on their knowledge of ingredients is classic.

I've hit Breaux and Harper's Ferry on the same day. Time your picnic right as both places are good for one.

Yes, I know what is directly across the street from Murphy's, but there was no choice in the matter. Black Sheep had a friend in town she hasn't seen since our wedding day 15 years ago and Murphy's was more conducive to hanging out and catching up with pints and fish and chips. On a rainy night, the fire at Murphy's was quite pleasant. Happy hour pints of Guinness are just $3 and the price goes up to $5 afterwards. The fish and chips price went up $8.95, I recall, but the quality has diminished. Particularly because of the potatoes. Instead of serving french fries as they used to do, they're now slicing whole rounds of potato about an inch thick and frying them. They're terrible. I nibbled on half of one chip and the rest just went back to the kitchen. I mentioned it to our server who indicated that next time just order it with french fries, which they still have. Whatever you do, confirm what potatoes will come with whatever you order there. Murphy's really is a nice place to hang out. It can be crowded and the tables are pretty tight, but it's not uncomfortable by any means. And the live music can be nice, too, but if it all of a sudden became criminal to perform Wild Rover and the Unicorn Song, you'd get no complaints from me. We did, however, make it over to Eamonn's for dessert where the three of us split a deep fried Snickers and a deep fried Milky Way. I just wish there was a way to sneak their fish and chips into Murphy's!

YEEEAAHHHH! Those lamb lollipops be ALL THE RAGE these days in Mumbai! I like this one: "A first glance, a first tasty and the beginning of a delicious adventure you will forever remember." Really? Forever remember? Forever? It's like ads for the Mustang Ranch and Thomas Kinkade "Painter of Light" got mixed together. Who the fuck is writing this shit??!! So much luscious, indulging decadence for my dipping pleasure. And just look at those pictures from what must have been a succulent press preview. Yeah, I got a spicy tuna roll with dollops of frosted wasabi. What kills me is this place will probably be packed. Choke me with a ventworm nut to glorious perfection!

I do believe, however, their outlet at National Airport is THE go-to place for dining in that facility.

Here's another special little tidbit you may want to look to at Bebo. While there are quite a few wines available by the glass, most in the 5-7 dollar range, I wasn't thrilled by the ones I sampled. But don't feel you need to stick with those choices, particularly if you're having a glass with someone else, or planning to have more than one. I'm not exactly sure what those folks in MD are up to and clearly those controlling fascists who run the government in DC are by no means enlightened, but us proud sons and daughters of the South have been free to order a bottle of wine, drink a glass, cork it, put it under our arm and take the rest home. With Bebo being on the "right" side of the Potomac, it's a great chance for you to freely sample a wine list that seems to want to challenge Ray's The Steaks as one for the people.

In the "similar but different" vein, I once had this idea that we could do a walking tour that would put together some of our favorite and regular haunts. For example, start at Firefly for cocktails, then move to Circle Bistro for appetizers, then Notti for a pasta course, followed by somewhere else for an entree and somewhere else for dessert. Then conclude at another bar until we make ourselves sick! This did not get off the ground. But maybe someday!

I love it when you talk all smutty.

Open the pod bay doors please, Roberto.

Kate, perhaps you chose to remain anonymous, which is cool, but sorry we missed having a chance to meet. If you're unsure if the boisterous, plate-passing hooligans are DR folks, here's the key -- Order your wine and when it's delivered, turn to your partner and toast loudly "To Rocks!" Trust me. It works.

I don't know the chef but I also badly want him to succeed. I can walk to Bebo in less than ten minutes from my home and not only am I thrilled to have an establishment of such character and pedigree in my neighborhood, but I want it to stay more than just the year or so it will take to fix "that other place, whatsitcalled" downtown. I hope to be personally responsible for devouring the equivalent of an entire pig and perhaps several cases of wine over the coming year. Is that barstool sinking kinda funny? Yeah, my buttcheeks did that.

A request to every person living in the United States of America: Please read Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma." or at the very least, read Pollan's NY Times comments in regards to the spinach issue. I think it's particularly important for those pushing spinach onto their side plate.

Stephanie?