frogprince

Happy Scrapple Day!!!

You sure it wasn't the GSPOT (General Store and Post Office Tavern)? They did a segment on that on DDD.

It was most definitely Ooh's n' Aah's; Gillian's spot was on a couple of weeks ago.

And Ooh's n' Aah's is still going strong! Living around the block from it as I do, I tend to frequent it perhaps more often than my arteries would like, but hell, you only live once right?

Congrats to them (and all the delectable DC dining destinations deemed delicous by us denizens) on their national TV fame!

Having leisurely lunched, lapping up wing juice, i can attest to the wings at the Half Shell being solid (and as memorable as when i used to cook there... oh my, almost 10 years ago...!): flavorful, slightly piquant rub, nice char (how i do miss that old wood grill from Pst though!), the requiste creamy sauce, in this case the verdant mayo-sour cream progeny known as green goddess. An all round nice dish, Buffalo be damned.

Due to its proximity to my house, and my penchant for the heart-wrenching (meaning throwing a wrench into to mechanics of one's heart, not tearful) cuisine of Ooh's and Aah's, they too offer what I would deem as above average wings. Simply floured, fried and sauced with your choice of 5 or 6. I aint wading into the infested waters of the authenticity of highly regionalized cuisines, here (nor, do I suspect, does the chef at Oooh's and Aah's) so I will merely say:

I have ordered the wings "Buffalo."

I have enjoyed them: Crisp enough crust, appropiately hot sauce, not gloppy nor all piss and vinegar.

That's it.

Ps: Ive ventured into the BBQ wings with a similar amount of success: not as spicy but balanced out by a more complex sauce; I've yet to, and dont think I care to, try the "Teriyaki."

[Yeah, at some point, I'll split this thread out by county, I think. It's a mess.]

how bout strike thru it like sheridan did? the valley: one topic

and leave the 95 corridor to grant: woodbridge, the wilderness, fredericksburg, spotslyvania, yellow tavern, richmond, petersburg (and points east and west). another.

nova, well that's easy.

now that leaves the great dismal swamp.... oh wait, virginia beach.

Am looking for a Maryland crab feast. Do those still exist? My mom is coming in a couple of weeks and I was thinking of something along those lines (like an all-you-can-eat?), but don't know where to go even to order an entree of blue crab (or for that matter, I don't even know what's in season anymore).

I think I need a LOT of help today.

I've been unimpressed with the crab houses around the city overcooked and overpriced, poorly sourced and some very bizarre sliding scale of sizing) and 'burbs (though used to cook with a guy from QuarterDeck in Arlington, who swears its good) but if youre looking for steamed crabs in a restaurant scenario, I'd point you to either Cantler's in Annapolis or, my family favorite for years, Obrycki's in Baltimore; both of those places are the real deal, with succulent, local crustaceans, good sides, cold beer- well what else do you need? Cantler's edges Obrycki's on ambience, but only because its on the water- wait, make that over the water.

Conversely, you could go down Maine Ave. to the market and have them steam'em for you and eat at home or, my real favorite, get'em live and do it yourself. "Tis a messy and odorours operation however; consider yourself warned.

First time I did it at home, my fiance asked on day 4, "I dont really mind the smell but how long does it usually last?"

The satisfying, steadying effects of astor's pizzas, sandwiches and spreads have always kept me from toppling over during sunday doubles; and any other days when im not quite as, say, superstar, as an onion from northern neck.

And yes, the key to the pizzas surprising delicious is indeed the fennel seed.

Hell yes!

From what I'm gathering, only the King Street location remains, completely unrelated to the others except in name (and various other corporate assets) only.

And yet, there are a couple Ernie's Crab Houses in Prince George's County ...

Rocks.

the b'more side of my family (those that have relocated to pg county) have been going to ernie's in pg on bladensburg rd. since before i was born (and i aint gettin' any younger now); dont know if this helps but A: there is ernie's in pg and B: there crabs are fo' real, (been eating'em my whole life, though obrycki's it aint) though it is a cash and carry joint, not a restaurant, again if that helps.

for what its worth,

sammy

I just came across another idea - Dickson Wine Bar. Apparently it just opened in March, but the yelp reviews are really promising. Has anyone been? I posted in the dining thread too, but so far only one post from the soft open. I'm torn now, I think I might have to check this place out since Bar Pilar isn't going anywhere. The wines are all organic/biodynamic - hard for me to pass that up!

you'll eat well at pilar. trust me. just had a phenomnal meal there tuesday; who'da thunk you could get sweetbreads with preserved lemon or headcheese or POPEYE"S (mean this will all seriousness; if i or my southern gramma could make a biscuit half as good, i wouldnt still be behind the stove) worthy fried chicken and biscuit at a place like pilar?

beat the devil's tattoo!

edited cos i cant work the multiquote thing and quoted myself commenting on someone else's post. how meta.

Living a block away from the 9.30, i'd have to say that the food in these parts aint all that great. I dont get out that much, working nights like i do but,that being said, in my opinion bar pilar still stands above the other places round bout the 'hood. vinoteca is just meh to me (and closed mondays), as is cork. you could try birchkey (i never remember which one is which but i figure everyone knows what i'm talking bout, right?) but seeing as you'll be pack't in like a tin of sardines at the show, dont know if you want to warm yourself up for that by doing the same at supper. ironically enough, dukem is my go to local too, after pilar...

for whats it worth, i cant think of a better place to dine than vidalia on a sunday nite.

just my 2 cents.

ps: BRMC ******* kick it live!

tacos al pastor...hmmm.... do they not bother to buy salt here though? seriously? maybe years of bus smog from the 90's on 18th has gotten to me but, really... sal?

so if i read this correctly, the adams morgan location will not be departing us anytime soon...? already lost the popeye's (sob)

so this evening we told the always charming kelly that we almost moved to cleveland park just so we could have palena as our neighbourhood joint. she found this to be the supremest form of flattery; we were not kidding.

I am in love with halloumi. The texture, the squeaking, the flavor, the fact it just won't melt. Not much pleases me more than a hunk of grilled halloumi and a ripe, in-season tomato.

With that said, I find that Lebanese Taverna does a pretty good job with its halloumi--much better than Nando's, where it ends up cold and rubbery.

You know i feel the exact same way about chipmunks as you do bout halloumi! Anyone want to see the squeakuel?

(15 rounds with me if you don't wear anything)!

does that count a textured corduroy tattoo that doesnt (technically) have any corduroy?

Do you know if this meat is available at all locations? How was it prepared?

i would assume it be to be available at all locations but iam unsure of this. as to the ruby lusty gems served on the bellota plate, i was served a slivers of a cured leg a la jamon serrano or proscuitto, a salchichon and a fiery carmine paprika ignited chorizo.

go.now.

having sampled the storied and fabled and damn near mystical cured pig products from the piggy adoringly referred to en la espanol de extramadura (woe betide those pititful destitute "farmers" (of pointless and lifeless and sedentary stone) as "pata negra", i will say this, laconically and thus leaving you more time to haul that a** down to jaleo: go. now. never in my storied years have i sampled a pig with as much flavour and wonderfullly tasty leucodermic "meat" (though some may say fat: fools) as that of this pig. prosciutto, jamon serron, jambon de bayonne, speck, black forest ham, smithfield. they may rot in safeway-sponsored hell for all iam concerned; a tootoo short spell living amidst london's varied attractions intorduced me to this product and suddenly, ham and melon just doesnt taste the same- nay nothing does. these are pork products that the gods themselves should've just kept to themselves, for they surely regret their decision to release to us mortals, the mathematical conclusion being that now they have that much less to enjoy. perhaps with some ribera del duero: for i find it to go exceedingly well with this beast of unicorn-like stature.

re: the sangria. has definitely been dragged down to near tgi friday's depths of mass produced carnal corporate capitialism since its transition into the "wunder-bar" gun; approach with caution.

ps: be sure to order to iberico de bellota, these being the pigs of extramadurean origin and, not only of the black berkshire and ossatau isle breed but also, and this being the straw that broke the gastronomic camel's gullet, finished on a diet of acorns resulting in an increase of body weight in excess of 100%. you will not complain.

i was happy in the haze of a drunken hour, but heaven knows i'm miserable now;

i was looking for some hare and then i found some hare,

and heaven knows i'm miserable now;

in my life, oh why do i give valuable time - to restaurants who dont care if i live or die?

two lovers entwined, sat near by, and heaven knows i'm miserable now; i longed for oxtail and then some oxtail found me, and heaven knows i'm miserable now;

in my life, oh why do i spend my money elsewhere - at restaurants who dont care if i live or die?

what they asked of me at the end of the night, even a glutton wouldve blushed - oh youve not had sicilian lemon grappa in a coupa', she said - and i naturally gushed;

in my life, why do i smile, at other chefs who i'd much rather kick in the eye?

i was happy in the haze of a drunken hour,but heaven knows i'm miserable now, oh youve been elsewhere for too long she said, and i naturally fled, in my life, oh did i even reply, to her query of "when next?", i said , how soon is now?

by all means, you should pay a visit (or several) to st. john, in smithfield and its sibling, st john bread and wine in spitalfields. it is a truly unique place, in every aspect of the term. it is notorious for serving up every bit of every animal, from hoof to spleen. whilst i encourage everyone to try at least once, if you dont want to, the menu has more, ahem, conventional (i.e. loin cuts) options. and for a restaurant as reknowned for serving bone marrow or kidneys, the vegetables (and seafood) are unbelievable. lastly, this is a place with soul. there is no pretention and the variegated offal on the menu is not a gimmick or concept, its simply the way that people should be eating; there's more to life than chicken breast and proteins cut from the loins.

(psst: if you go right around 11:40, the irish soda bread is just coming out of the oven. its gooood. so good, one may want to go off and read ulysses after eating. )

rose ice cream.

'nuff said.

the nautical johnny's half shell does a half price happy hour from 5-7 i do believe; soups salads apps desserts plus all booze (minus wines) is half off.

our esteemable hosts' suggestion of taberna del alabardero is one to be taken quite seriously.

imminient demise or no, i had the most unbelievable pulpo dish here last week; i say unbelievable because the cephalapod had, most likely in a paroxysm of sable ink, jettinsoned its all too familiar texture, along the lines of hardened rubber cement and was simply astounding; a gelatinous steaming pile of purpley vinous (and probably with that mysterious aura of it's own or perchance squid's ink) tentacles that dissipated upon the tongue; chewing was not an option, you merely let it disappear and enjoyed every second of it. for this reason alone, i would go back. you should too, if it is indeed leaving us. its on the specials page.

i think, nay know, that i like this place for far more reasons than the quality of the food. its the kind of place that we sorely lack and, because of this, it stands out all the more so. some of the food is merely pedestrian; and the side of spaghetti with marinana that accompanies most of the entrees is downright bad - carmine-tinted sugar with nary an herb or grain of salt to be found. their specials though.... always sublime... i'm thinking of an intensely herby and fiendishly garlicky braised rabbit last month... a soothing venison chop bathed in a deep dark complex red wine sauce... stick to specials... stick to specials....

i get the feeling that the days of this establishment are numbered, even if the rumors aren't true. at the same time as it is charging up the area for further redevelopment expansion, the boom around chinatown and the mci center, i suspect, is siphoning off some business from a v. attendance was definitely down last saturday night.

which is maybe too bad. what better place is there to take your schizophrenic brother or boss(es) or self?

next time you visit, it would be a good idea to stare long and hard at the mortadella-design floor tiles and burn them into your memory.

i was informed by a somewhat reliable source that the building had been sold and the indian summer days and fall nights are languidly descending, the myriad kissing of dead leaves in fall, till the space is battered and replaced by a soul-sucking obelisk (no not that one unfortunately) of steel and glass and youngurbanprofessionals from new jersey (no offense meant to denizens or homebodies of that state