CrescentFresh

I know that Sir Loin of Beef has found some of their writing sloppy and misguided, but I am consistently impressed with the breadth and scope of food- and drink-related columns and stories in the Wall Street Journal. I'm not saying all of it is good, sometimes it is simplistic and, yes, misguided, but I more consistently find something to sink my teeth into in the WSJ that's interesting than I do in the Washington Post or the NY Times. There are frequent book reviews of gastronomic interest, a cocktails column, wine reviews and Q&A that reach out to those who like to pay $15/bottle just as much as those who like to pay $100+/bottle*, features on everything from trends, ingredients, and gastronomic travel, and recipes from successful chefs from around the country (and not just those who have a TV show). And they don't ignore the DC Metro area by any means. What prompted me to write about it now was opening up this past weekend's edition (the food and drink stuff is found mostly in the Weekend Journal section on Fridays and the Pursuits section in the Saturday/Sunday edition) and seeing a photo of a smiling Cathal Armstrong featured on a third of a page with some biography, quotes, and other factoids, and his recipe for a beef rib roast. I liked his kitchen tip: "Everything that grows under the ground, cook in cold water; everything that above the ground, cook in hot water" -- except new potatoes in their skins. (If you read this, Cathal, would you mind telling me if you think the article, albeit short, was an accurate reflection of whatever interview they did with you?) Anyway, you need to subscribe to the paper to read these articles, but it's worth checking out. I just thought I'd start a thread where we can post about items that we see in the WSJ, similar to the thread we have on the Washpost. *Yes, this Rockwell guy in the Washingtonian does that too, but his column is only once a month, not once a week!

W ich rea ly scks wen it taks 36 hors to sobr up.

Great Moments in Television History: Take Home Chef If you don't watch Take Home Chef, the premise is this -- A sleazy, ho-hum talented Australian chef that some TV exec thought would make the ladies swoon goes to Los Angeles where he surprises and picks up attractive women, generally between the ages of 20 and 40 in the supermarket. He creates a menu with her that they will cook together in her kitchen in the hopes of surprising her SO with a gourmet meal when he arrives home later that day. Sometimes the arriving chumps are unfazed by coming home and seeing all the lights, cameras, and a production crew of 15 people when he opens the door to the house. Sometimes, they're incredibly surprised, like the dude on this week's episode who opened the door, saw all the lights, cameras and people, his girlfriend standing there in a kimono and he blurted out, "Oh, God, you're making another porno!" You never know who you're gonna pick up in a supermarket, I guess. Reminded me of Animal House when Otter picked up the Dean Wormer's wife in the produce aisle.

Y'know, I'm kinda bored and looking for something to do right now. Clearly there's a party going on somewhere......

I dig the concept of the rankings. And, for the most part, I like the list and the choices of what was included and what wasn't. But it could have used some better editing. For example, Mourayo ("Coming in at Number 48 on our countdown of Hot Kitchens!") notes how "prices are high -- entrees lurk in the mid-$20's" but at the end it labels the restaurant "Moderate" and indicates that entrees are $14.95 to $23.95. If the entrees lurk in the mid-$20's there must be a hell of a lot of them between $23.00 and $23.95. There are a few other examples. Some are more subjective, too. For example, Ray's the Steaks is listed as "Expensive." As everyone here knows, it should more fairly read: "Expensive, but......." Categorizing the "Price Range" as they do just seems wrong. It seems to me that if a restaurant has 50 dishes priced under $20 but one over $40 it will get listed as Very Expensive. Perhaps there's a way to work it out as "Average Price" in the 2008 edition. Oy. Fetch me my gun so I can put this out of its misery.

Eli, I seriously dig hearing about Pata Negra. I'm a huge fan of Sonoma and I have every reason to believe Pata Negra will be just awesome. I'm already sold on your charcuterie and cheeses. I have a few questions and a comment. How are you planning (if you even ARE planning) to distinguish yourself as unique and different from a place like Jaleo? Is it the nature of your ingredients/sourcing? Offerings? Or is it unrelated to the kitchen, such as a smaller establishment? Reaching into a market now, for the most part, commanded by a Spaniard, Jose Andres, must be a challenge. I presume you're going to stand as something different rather than try to poach customers. (Of course the market for this could be big enough for all the players, considering La Tasca's presence.) My comment....call me a complete cranky fool, but.....I just don't like the idea of calling it a gastropub. I understand where you're going, but with gastropub I think UK and ale, not Spain and wine. Even the Spotted Pig is a beer joint. Some sort of take on "vinoteca" might be more appropriate. (Or are you secretly planning to have an incredible beer selection! )

20% off on your next order from La Tienda. Use code DCR8. Expires 12-14-06.

Steak #1. Matambre. A kind of skirt or flank steak. Huge. Cooked perfectly. 14 pesos. Approx. $4.75.

That's the dish I made for Thanksgiving last year. Most of my spread consisted of a lot Mexican and southwestern dishes, using ingredients mostly native to the Americas. I ended up going with the suggestions Joe Riley made here. Served both reds and whites. My guests and I were all pleased with the results.

My favorite line: CNET Networks bought Chowhound ... and has updated the archaic software and search features, which had made the site as difficult to navigate as a menu written in Uighur.

I'd be curious to try one of these baked goods -- the "value-added" acorn products -- to see what happens. Sampling the existing mush plain yesterday with rwtye....well....it was all texture but no flavor. Much like Metamucil if it didn't come in day-glo orange.

It's been a couple of years since I've been there. I have no idea when they are open. Frankly, it's pretty strange. Food was nothing special. They had a nice beer selection. It was more unique then, but now with Rustico and BP open, you don't need to go that far for a Belgian Beer fix.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GTFO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NFW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope Greg Jasgur is the dude who left recently for the West coast? If he's not the Mets fan I'm thinking of....... If he is..... we're in good hands....albeit not Thor's. If not....... I need a keg of Old Stoatwobbler.

It's just a matter of time before rw comes over to the Dark Side......

Sonoma, like Mendocino, on Sunday, too.

I'm sure some people get their kicks "outing" people for whatever reason. But you'll have a hard time convincing me that a blogger deserves some sort of "hands off anonymity." If it's so important for a writer to remain anonymous, write a diary and not a blog on the Internet. Sheesh.

Oh, you're probably right. I didn't even see that one, what, with it being hidden behind the potato peels and used fryer oil at Mendocino.

Which is the better nickname: Comet Ping Pong or Ricochet Rabbit?

The Islay Egg Cream may be one of the more interesting cocktails I've ever had. Islay malt whisky with chocolate syrup and soda. It's good!

EcoFriendly had what they said was a new product this AM at Courthouse. Acorn fed pork. They had hams, sirloins and tenderloins. I picked up some tenderloin and will cook them up tonight or tomorrow. Probably with some apples. Maybe some cabbage. And maybe some fennel fronds!

Not a local chef, but did anyone happen to catch the American Masters program on WETA featuring Alice Waters? I didn't catch if it was new or a repeat. Good show.

At 1 1/2 stars I think we have our answer with PS7. Although I thought the review read more like a very severe thumping rather than a Le Pigalle trashing, and Don's assessment about the weight of the Peter Smith name has validity, I would have to think this is it. And when you consider the rather high concept and high price point for PS7, this rating has got to sting.

When asked by restaurant personnel shortly after PS7 opened what I thought, one of the comments I made was about that door across from the bar, which presents the exact same problem as the dining room door that Tom noted in his review. In fact, Tom's "operating room" reference was the exact same reference I made. One minute you're in a restaurant, the next you're in an operating room. Lobster Degustation! Stat! I had recommended to the staff to do something - anything - to hide what's behind that door and, in particular, those blinding flourescent lights. Perhaps hanging some kind of drape to take them out of line of sight. It's a major league design flaw.

Bravo to the South African unwooded chardonnay!