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zgast

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Everything posted by zgast

  1. zgast
    Thank you for posting these pics. Went to the Rockville location for the first time and while I wasn't in charge of ordering, I made sure to include the cumin lamb chops and dry fried eggplant. Both were excellent - thanks for these recommendations and the visuals to back them up!
  2. zgast
    Not sure I understand - are you going to take one of these?
  3. zgast
    Persimmon had largely fallen out of rotation for us despite being just a couple blocks away from our house as the menu has remained somewhat (ie. totally) constant since they did a format change years ago. Plus they tend to close early (like 8:30 some nights), which means it's out of the running for a post-movie meal. Well, they've added a happy hour menu that's brought me back in spades for honestly being a great value. If you're in the Bethesda area before 7 pm, I'd recommend giving it a try. With Food Wine & Co gone and the Jaleo branch in Bethesda needing improvement, this is moving up to the top of our local rotation. Persimmon Happy Hour Weekly Specials
  4. zgast
    Has anyone done the wine demonstration classes with Michael Frantz at L'Academie de Cuisine?
  5. zgast
    I didn't think the post-mortem by Tom was a hissy fit - I got the impression he was genuinely surprised by some of the ratings. That being said, the earlier discussion of understanding what a reviewer values seems to be the key takeaway. Michelin, for better or worse, has always valued looks and service on par with the food - with a French twist on what proper service is and should be. I value their opinion, but understand that it's going to send me to places with more of an emphasis on those two things than I might need or want. Modern dining is evolving - I don't expect Michelin to keep up with that. This is the same publication that consistently snubs restaurants throughout Italy because the Italian definition of service and meal flow is just different from Michelin's. Here's hoping that the guide at least results in more business for some of the great dining establishments we enjoy. DC's dining renaissance is alive and well - perhaps this can push it along even further.
  6. zgast
    If Bethesda isn't too far, Grapeseed is an ideal fit in all other ways. Top notch cooking coupled with a wine list that's curated passionately by the chef himself.
  7. zgast
    Gone. He moved to the Carolinas - on the beach. Habib is still there, though.
  8. zgast
    IAD - Midfield Terminal I can chime in on the British Airways lounge at Dulles. Love being able to go in, grab a light snack, and get a glass of champagne before flying abroad. Helps that they've got free wifi as well. Friendly staff, although my favorite bartender - who was a loud, jovial type - is recently departed as he relocated. There are two sections, first class and business class. The following is for the business class (or comparable status) section. The First class section has seated dining and better wine selections. Food options typically include three sandwich types, several cheeses with crackers, and a variety of chips and savory snacks. Where it shines is with the full service bar and self service wine and beer selection. NV Champagne is usually good relative to US carriers selection. The wines are probably in the $15-$25 retail range. I couldn't tell you what the beers are like, although they have them.
  9. zgast
    This is the Tripper Bus - also stops in Bethesda on the way to NY. Daniel K's answers are ones I'd agree with. No need to retype.
  10. zgast

    Cuba

    zgast posted a topic in The Intrepid Traveler

    With the lifting of the travel ban, has anyone been to Cuba? Looking to see the country - with family - before big development moves in. What are the educational requirements? Are there good tour operators that should be used for those? What are the beach areas like? Big box hotels? Smaller condos? I know nothing and could discover little through internet searches, so I'm hoping others who have done this can chime in. Thanks..
  11. zgast
    Retails for ~$600 or $50 per ounce - retail. Nice mark up. I'm assuming Coravin is de rigeur on a bottle like that at 12 pours per bottle.
  12. zgast
    Any suggestions beyond the Ottolenghi cookbooks for Greek or Middle Eastern? Had a delightful lunch on a beautiful day at Zaytinya and I'm feeling inspired.
  13. zgast
    Enjoyed my first meal at TapaBar, the new Bethesda restaurant by Alonso Roche, who also owns Bold Bite next door. The experience was great and I'll certainly head back. Quick overview of the dishes my group shared: Embutidos and Queso: Went with the Jamon Serrano, Chorizo, and Mahon for starters. First is a known quantity. The second was quite good - really liked how thinly it was sliced so the flavors could just melt on your tongue. I couldn't remember if I had tried Mahon before, but will certainly get this one again. Gambas al Ajillo: Well done classic tapa Albondigas: Meatballs with cucumber julienne and shredded manchego. Very solid - was a bit skeptical of the cucumber, but it worked well on the dish. Cauliflower: Rock-solid vegetarian restaurant. Roasted with smoked paprika and salt flakes. There was a piquillo pepper sauce that went with this that also went quite well. Setas a la plancha: Again, just a classic, well done dish. Drinks: I started with a sidra that was described as being like a dirty martini. They weren't kidding - the olive flavors were unmistakable. Not my cup of tea, but was certainly worth trying. I stuck with wine after that but my dining companion had two of the gin and tonics - one was infused with lemon grass, grapefruit, and basil, the other had orange and mint. They're not too heavy on the alcohol but were both very good. Desert: Churros, because sometimes it must be done, and a donut ice cream sundae finished the meal. Definitely worth a try for those that haven't been. It's not too big, but certainly a welcome addition to the Woodmont Triangle area, which is extending its lead over central Bethesda in the dining area.
  14. zgast
    If you're not in DC near Union Station, the bus can be faster, depending on time of day. I took the 8 pm bus every Sunday night from Bethesda for two years and arrived in NY between 11:30 and midnight. The regional takes either 3:25 or 3:45 and you have to get downtown so add whatever that is. Acela is 2:49, so no real time save after getting to Union Station, but runs $130-$200 versus $30 for the bus. I did take Acela occasionally as an alternative, but usually preferred the bus.
  15. zgast
    There are several very good buses going up to NY - particularly slightly more upscale ones than the Chinatown buses, which do not have the most incredible safety records. Megabus and Bolt bus leave from downtown. I believe both have wifi (all have restrooms). If you're willing/able to leave from Bethesda,both the Tripper bus and Vamoose leave from the area. The latter, in particular, has a gold bus ($60 or so versus $35) that has three leather seats across instead of 4. Even the regular one is good though - I took it every weekend for a couple years. Wifi is hit or miss, but I tend to just doze off anyway, so not a big concern of mine.
  16. zgast
    Got a chance to try the Easton outpost on my way back from the shore today and it did not disappoint at all. Got the meat sampler (ribs, brisket, pulled pork and chicken thigh.) The standouts were the brisket and ribs. Latter were the best I've ever had - without question. Little bit of tooth, but so soft and tender. Sides included the beans (good, but I prefer Rocklands), corn bread (kids got the first one, I got one of the next order of three, then one more when we ordered six more to go), and cole slaw. This will definitely be a standard for future shore trips.
  17. zgast
    They cook the marinated meat on the flat top. They start cooking at 10, store as much as they can hold on the grill, then the lines start to grow as they run out of the precooked meats. I never actually ate there, but their cart was just north of my office in NYC so I passed by frequently.
  18. zgast
    Totally agree with both of the above. My first office in DC was a block away and I had more than my fair share of happy hours here. Great drinks, good appetizers (especially the enormous wing platter), and great atmosphere. Went back for the first time in years about a month ago and NOTHING has changed - and that's a good thing in this case.
  19. zgast
    For Brunch, the UES institution for families is JG Melons for burgers, burgers or burgers. Mezzaluna is family friendly Old World Italian on 3rd Avenue in the 70s. The lasagna is a dish I'll go out of my way to get - and I lived in Bologna. Papaya King is at 86th St. There's no time when that place isn't a good option. The UES can be kind of a den of mediocrity, food-wise. Also worth considering, if only on the way from A to B is Veselka. It's a Ukranian diner with typical brunch fare for the kids and very good Polish/Ukranian pierogi, stuffed cabbage, soups, etc for more adventurous palates. After our first trip, my kids switched over to the Polish food - except for the Rice Krispie treats the size of bricks you buy on the way out. Families mingle equally with the massively hungover. It's located just below 10th St.near 2nd Avenue I think. Very quick cab ride from UES. Balthazar - I've never gone when there wasn't a line long enough to make me leave. Dinner - If your kids would go for Vietnamese, Le Colonial is an upscale place on 57th that gives them the wow factor as well as well done Vietnamese. It's convenient to theater district, but not Times Square. Note that the prices reflect the location (but so do TGI Fridays in Times Square). It's not Le Bernadin (you sure you can't get the kids to go there?) but think $30 entrees. For a cheaper meal, Ramen is kid-friendly and really good. Totto Ramen is on 51st or 52nd just past Times Square in Hells Kitchen. It can get crowded, so I usually took my family to Kenkui-tei instead on 56th just off 6th. I know Don likes Bar Americain, but I was never that fond of it. It was an occasional work dinner site, so I've been several times. Heading back to the Upper East Side, Maya shows what happens when Richard Sandoval is actually watching over a Mexican kitchen (i.e. it's much better than his places down here.) Cafe Boloud is good as well, although I haven't been in about 5 or 6 years now. Good luck on the trip.
  20. zgast
    Grubhub and Seamless are the same. I loved the service when I lived in NY and continued to use it when I moved back to DC, but have stopped. Why? They take a phenomenal amount of the gross order - and the results get prioritized based on what percentage you fork over as the restaurant. Here's a decent article describing the conundrum that restaurants find themselves in when they consider moving away from them: http://tribecacitizen.com/2016/03/01/why-restaurants-hate-grubhub-seamless/ Happy to see that restaurants are developing their own solutions and that some competitors to Seamless are trying to establish a more symbiotic relationship with the restaurants. Aden Pizza in Bethesda has an app that's been developed by a software developer that's explicitly targeting Seamless's market by using a flat fee structure. Would love to hear about how restaurants view the quality/value of this type of competitor. Also begs the question of when (not if) Opentable moves into this space as well.
  21. zgast
    Totally agree with this as well. For those in the Notting Hill neighborhood, I always suggest the Churchill Arms for a few reasons. First, it helped lead the gastro-pub revolution by introducing high-quality Thai food to replace the fare that was typical in British pubs back when. The Thai food still doesn't disappoint here. Second, you can get a glass of Pol Roger NV for 7 or 8 pounds. That's near US retail prices and far below UK retail. The pub is just a couple blocks from the Tube stop.
  22. zgast
    To its credit, that chicken rice is phenomenal. Every time I go to Singapore, I attempt to eat every meal at a hawker stall. Tian Tian is my usual chicken rice as it's only about 5 minutes from the Marina district where I usually stay. Laziness generally wins when it's 90+ degrees.
  23. zgast

    Italy

    zgast replied to susan's topic in The Intrepid Traveler

    Italian saying: If you want art, go to Florence. If you want history, go to Rome. If you want love, go to Venice. If you want to eat, go to Bologna. Bologna is a collection of individual things you won't remember. But it is quintessentially Italian, which is what most people remember and love. I'm biased - spent a year at the University of Bologna - but I've spent time almost everywhere you're looking, both as a student and as a non-poor person. Other than Siena on a peak travel day, I don't think you're going wrong with any of those options, though.
  24. zgast
    In my experience, this is true. What I would argue - strenuosly - against is the idea that they are the 'dregs' of society. In most of the cases I've seen, they are people who've made a rational decision that despite the relatively low wages they work for in the US, they can still create a better life here than the ones they had in their home countries. That's what I'd also thought of as 'The American Dream'. Just like your ancestors, except with new federal bureaucracy to oppose their wishes to enter the country. Don't you oppose federal bureaucracies? That's the impression I've gotten from your previous posts. I'm not going to claim that every undocumented immigrant is the patron saint of x - hell most of the great ones I know were working under stolen social security numbers (paying social security, federal, state and local taxes that they had no expectation of collecting benefits on) - but they were still great people. Their home countries sucked - and they fled. Even being an illegal here was better for them and their children than staying where they were. I can't fault them for that. Plus - I know a lot of highly educated a&%hats that I'd love to throw out of the country relative to these people. What happened to that whole content of their character thing we always espoused as Americans? (George Wallace aside) If you come here, want to work your ass off in exchange for honest wages, I say bring it!
  25. zgast
    Honestly, you're a bit east of the action for Virginia's better vineyards. If you're willing to do a drive of just under an hour, Linden Vineyards and Glen Manor are very good wines (not for VA, but on an absolute basis). The former doesn't allow groups of over six - I'm not sure of the size of your group. RdV is very good wine, but the $50 expense does put it out of 'just a fun afternoon' range for many.
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