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zgast

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Everything posted by zgast

  1. zgast
    We were just at PC Rockville and actually found the cooking there better than our list visit to Q (PC Bethesda). Shame cause we're just across the (future) train tracks from Q. That being said, still find Q to be by far the best Chinese in the area. Bethesda just sucks the good out of food or puts you out of business if you dare to serve good food.
  2. zgast
    Had it several times in Italy. Didn't love it as a cooked meat, but the bresaola made from horse was simply magical. Had it in Madonna di Campiglio. Never forget that appetizer.
  3. zgast
    Looking at the folks driving around me going to and from work, I fail to see how a computer could do any worse. I do agree that commercial truck driver is probably not too great an area to recommend our teenagers look into. That being said, Buffett just bought the largest chain of truck stops, so clearly he doesn't think this is coming too soon.
  4. zgast
    2015 maybe? Yelp was a big part of the problem - 4* restaurants that screamed Sysco that was ordered a year ago. My wife refuses to use Yelp to this day. She also continues to give us crap for taking us to the potato chip factory on a day they weren't making potato chips, though.
  5. zgast
    Or not - we have a now infamous family vacation to the Luray area where every single independent restaurant was GODAWFUL. Like wretched bad. We ended up cooking all of our meals for the back half of the vacation. The family was unanimous that our best meal 'out' was the Burger King we went to after we walked out of another restaurant after a few bites. The good food wave has apparently failed to reach certain parts of our fair country.
  6. zgast
    I'm not sure why but I'm intensely skeptical of a squeeze top bottle. Does this make me a luddite?
  7. zgast
    Try Perfect Pita. Not kidding.
  8. zgast
    Seriously - this is the stuff that makes me love coming on here every day. So impressed with the passion - and suddenly hungry.
  9. zgast
    Finally got to dine here over the weekend and am so glad I finally made it down (and was able to get a reservation time slot. Started the meal with a glass of Digby English Sparkling Wine while my wife had the American quarter cocktail. Both were excellent, although I'm a bit biased on the former as it's produced by a college friend. For starters we went all in and got the fois gras torchon and the Lobster French Toast. I actually preferred the former - the French toast was good but didn't blow me away. Two entrees were the Rack of Lamb and the Kinship Sauerkraut. The former was really, really good - the curry was excellent, the eggplant was quite tasty, and that's before we get to the lamb itself. That being said, our consensus was that the pork and sauerkraut dish was the winner for the evening. Wow. As my wife put it, it's not too hard to make foie gras taste great, but when you make sauerkraut the star of the evening (successfully), you should take a bow. Admittedly, we've both got a bit of Eastern European in our genes, but this one was amazing. Kudos to the team there. Finished up with the donuts and peanut torte for desert. In retrospect, probably should have skipped this course, although both were very good, as it just ended up making the whole meal a tad too rich. Unforced error on my part, so this shouldn't take anything away from the kitchen. Service was excellent through the night as well. Definitely enjoyed everything about the meal and can't wait to get back.
  10. zgast
    It's been even longer than a decade here - but the place was home to one of my favorite memories from my daughter's early years. At about three years of age (yeah parenting!) we attended a birthday dinner followed by drinks in the piano bar upstairs. My daughter was really feeling the piano bar karaoke/sing-along and by a couple hours in had the entire room chanting her name while she danced on the dais.
  11. zgast
    I was willing to go along until you got to PF Changs. That being said, Popeye's is one I'd add to this list, although the salt content has gotten stratospheric there.
  12. zgast
    Agree - we revisited after a long break and were happy with our meals. Charcuterie plate was well above average and a good value. Of the two entrees, my wife had the better (the salmon), but I also enjoyed the rabbit pot pie, which wasn't actually a pot pie. The smell of the latter was divine, but couldn't match the butternut puree and accompanying mushroom side that went with the salmon.
  13. zgast
    I think the underlying issue is English. Many line cooks don't speak it well enough to interact with customers, which runners need to do. I wonder if there's a non-profit that could partner with kitchens to do English lessons during a slow stretch 2x per week at restaurants. Probably a meaningful benefit that wouldn't cost the restaurant much at all.
  14. zgast
    In news that delves into the absurd, Panera is buying Au Bon Pain. Delving into history here, St. Louis Bread company was purchased by Au Bon Pain, which renamed itself Panera after selling off the Au Bon Pain business to an outside group. Guess what's old is new again.
  15. zgast
    He was quite outspoken on Obamacare several years ago, arguing that it was going to destroy the economy (and increase the cost of pizza). He's also made some university donations in concert with the Koch brothers that were later revealed to have conditions that essentially granted the donors the right to approve faculty appointments. I'm sure others are better informed on this than I am, though.
  16. zgast
    Becco has been mentioned earlier if you want to go red sauce Italian. Totto Ramen if it's cold and rainy.
  17. zgast
    These are the owners' political views masquerading as a rationale for poor performance. If this were really the cause of their same store sales decline (which is what drove the stock down), you would have seen it elsewhere. Domino's same store sales were up more than 8% year over year in the same quarter, suggesting that bad pizza may not be the issue either.
  18. zgast
    Think you got that reversed, actually. Game is at 8:20 pm EST, or 5:20 PST.
  19. zgast
    A 1972 Italian Pinot Grigio - probably retailed for a couple bucks when purchased, but I sampled it around 2003. Have to say it smelled a bit like paint thinner when it was first opened, but tasting really brought the paint thinner essence straight to the forefront. I'm lucky I didn't die and am still not sure what I was thinking. My wife's grandfather, who didn't drink, had been saving it for a truly special occasion.
  20. zgast
    We were able to order from both on Labor Day, so I'd assume (famous last words) that this is true on the weekends as well.
  21. zgast
    Unless his dad opens his mouth again.
  22. zgast
    Nobody is arguing that they don't need to cover their staff and fixed costs. I think most of us - but perhaps I'm just speaking for myself - believe that a lower price point on a product they're selling for 88% gross margins would induce more buyers and volumes that would more than compensate for the lower price. Would you rather earn $28 before FOH staffing and fixed costs and sell 2 or earn $20 and sell 5 or 6? As far as the math - you come out better in the latter scenario. They can charge whatever they want - I'm not going regardless as I'd rather make my own steak (meat or otherwise) at home. I'll pay top dollar for quality chefs making great food, not line cooks doing an inferior grill to what I can do.
  23. zgast
    Why do places think they can charge these absurd prices for a cabbage? It's $2.50 at the grocery store. Perhaps it's artisinally grown and you lovingly execute two knife strokes to extract that perfect slice of cauliflower, but come on...
  24. zgast
    Went to Tangier in June. I'd suggest other locales should be higher on any agenda.
  25. zgast
    The kneeling was actually the result of him being told that sitting during the anthem was disrespectful to the military. The kneeling was suggested by a former Green Beret as a way of showing respect for military members while still getting his point across.
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