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Biscuit Girl

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  1. Square knish or round? I'm a square knish kinda girl. I lived in NY as a kid and fondly remember getting the square knishes from street cart vendors. And yes, they had been the previously kind. You can still get these in some stores around here in the freezer section. nom.And as for frozen fries, if anyone can make fries, fresh or frozen, taste great, it would would be Landrum.
  2. And worth every penny! Jim e-mailed me at work with a link to Dino's truffle announcement and with a little persuading, talked me into going there for dinner tonight. And am I glad we went. We inquired about the $18 bottle of wine deal offered on Tuesdays - Thursdays and went with the white. Then started out sharing the baby artichoke appetizer. I got the truffle risotto and Jim got the seafood soup. Then finished the meal with the 'adults only' sorbetti. Artichokes - as good as everyone has said in previous posts. Tender, flavorful and cooked to perfection. Seafood soup - Lots of delicious shellfish (clams, mussels, scallop and squid) all nestled in a wonderful tomato/fish stock. The stock was great on it's own when sopped up with bread. The truffle risotto - oh, my. Before our meal arrived, Dino came to the table with a small bowl in his hands. We both thought he was bringing a nibble to the table. But no, it was something even better, it was a white truffle sitting pretty in a nest of rice. You could smell the earthiness as the bowl got within a foot of our noses. I knew that I was in for a real treat. I've never had white truffle before and couldn't wait for my risotto. It.....was.......so.....good!! The aroma of the truffle shavings as they hit the warm risotto, the taste of them melding with the risotto (which was pretty damn good on it's own) was heavenly. Jim took several bites but after the 4th bite, he was tempting fate. I wiped the bowl clean with a piece of bread and wanted more but I settled for dessert instead. The 'adults only' sorbetti was delish! Three flavors (I forgot to memorize what they were from the menu) were just the right touch to end the meal. We arrived home full, relaxed and content. What more could you ask for?
  3. Adding Fries is great as long as they don't get rid of the mac 'n' cheese. I loves the mac 'n' cheese.
  4. I look forward to reading this. I have it on hold at the library.
  5. Jim and I ventured back to Fyve last night to try the bar menu. Now I'm going to have trouble choosing between sitting at the bar or heading to the dining room. Between the food and the live Jazz, we had a wonderfully relaxing evening. We started out with the grilled octopus from the dining room menu and the Parmesan-Parsley Risotto Balls, Tomato Sauce from the bar menu. While octopus is not something I usually gravitate to when it's on a menu, I would happily get this dish again. Tender little tentacles with some char on the tips nestled on a place with tiny potato chunks, olives and sundried tomatoes topped with a drizzle of olive oil. Jim's lucky he got as much of it as he did (and it was his dish). The risotto balls were decadent and bursting with flavor and arrived at the bar sitting atop tomato sauce. I would have licked the sauce off the plate if I was at home and not sitting in a public place. For our next round we chose the Crispy Calamari, Remoulade Sauce, the Mini Black Angus Beef Slider and the Homemade Italian Meat Ball Sub with Provolone. The calamari was good, but nothing special which isn't a bad thing. Calamari cooked correctly is delish and the kitchen here cooked it perfectly. It also paired well with the grenache on the wine by the glass menu. Then there were the sliders, oh my, the nummy nummy sliders. Having spent my younger years living just outside NYC, I am somewhat a pizza and meatball sub snob. And I've had my fair share of good to iffy to horrid meatball subs in the years since leaving NY. The one I had last night was by far the best I've had in decades (aside from my own homemade subs). The bread tasted like it was lightly grilled with some oil or butter, adding a nice rich and crunchy texture. The meatballs were tender and moist and topped with provolone and was accompanied by a small salad . I could have eaten a bunch of these. The hamburger slider was also outstanding, probably the best hamburger slider in the DC. The burger itself was tender and very juicy. It came topped with onion, lettuce, tomato and cheese and came with a little shotglass of fries. This was probably Jim's favorite of the two sliders which was fine with me since I loved the meatballs. Our tab, including Jim's two scotches, my Commander in Chief cocktail and a glass of Grenache, came to $90. Not the cheapest meal in town but certainly worth it when you consider the quality of the food, the excellent bar tender (Robert) and the live jazz. We opted for dessert at home only due to me having just baked a blackberry pie the night before but one of these trips we will have dessert there and I'm looking forward to it. Thanks again to Amy for another wonderful meal.
  6. Jim and I went to Fyve last night and all I have to say is "WHY HAVEN'T WE BEEN SOONER!" The dining room is small but comfortable. The only negative is that it's open to the bar area which is also open to a hallway on the hotel's main floor. Occasionally you'd near someone in the hallway shouting for someone else. If they added doors to the bar and dining area, it would help. The food was excellent. As was the wine we chose, Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc/Viognier. A basket of assorted breads and crackers along with butter and a dip (parmesan and olive oil?) arrived at the table as soon as we were settled in. The dip could be habit forming. We started out with the crostini fyve ways. I wish I'd written down what each one was but I think I can remember. There was a mushroom one (my fav), one that had roasted red peppers, one had tuna, one with fig and goat cheese and one that I just cannot recall. For our entree's, Jim chose the veal piccata and I opted for the Caesar salad and a half order of the Fettuccine. The veal was just about the best we've ever had and paired exceptionally well with the wine. My salad was larger than it looked and very tasty. The dressing was well balanced and there was just the right amount on the lettuce. The fettuccine intrigued me because I had just read an article in the May 2009 issue of Saveur about making the real thing and not the stuff that's saturated with cream. The real deal is just fettuccine, butter and Parmesan which is how it was described on the menu. And it did not disappoint. While it was indulgently rich, it was not heavy. I could see why some call this comfort food. And the half order was just the right size. Even though we were too full for dessert, we still looked over the dessert menu and commented that we would plan better next time. There was room though for coffee. We got the large French press but would get the small next time as there was more than we could possible drink, albeit very good. In all, we had a very relaxing dinner. We never felt rushed, the pace of the meal was perfect. And, of course. the food, the food! It was great. There will be more trips to Fyve in our future.
  7. I really wanted to see Carla take the prize and if she had stuck to her guns and did what she had planned, she could have had a chance. But trying out a technique you've never done before in the finale!? I guess being in the moment, it seemed like a good idea. I felt so bad for her when the judges asked why she should be Top Chef and she cried. She probably had the best answer of the three and knew at that point that she was out. Regardless, she's still my favorite chef from the season. And even though she didn't get the top prize, she still won the Super Bowl tickets and the new car. Not bad.
  8. Casey choked in the finale in season 3 and was pretty much out of the running at judges table. Talk about deja vu.
  9. Hoo! I would love to see Carla beat arrogant, self involved Stephan.
  10. We will be on a cruise this winter and will be stopping in Acapulco, Manzanillo and Zihuatanejo. Has anyone been and know of some good 'local' places to get a bite to eat?
  11. I know it's a chain in Malyasia, but mama kwan's in the mall at the petronas towers was very good and quite affordable. I should have more about our brief stay in KL back in March posted on my blog in a few days. Check on it to get more details.
  12. My family lives in Knoxville. My brother and nephew are adventurous eaters so I told them that they had to eat there. Lucky dogs.......
  13. Are you still doing the set menu on Sundays? And will you be open on Father's day? Four of us (non of us are fathers, but two are Ray's-virgins) are planning to go on the 15th but I didn't even think about it being Father's day or whether or not you'd even be open.
  14. I wondered if the frozen scallops were put there intentionally just to see who would be foolish enough to use them. I guess Spike took the bait and when he got snarky with the guest judge, I knew he was out. You don't piss off the guy who can kick you out. I am still not believing that he and Lisa made it that far. There was far more talent that left before them.
  15. It is Jose Andres. Last week they showed a preview for tonight's show and he was in it.
  16. That's what happens when you get a culinary boner on TV. I agree, I was sitting there yelling at the TV saying "send them all home!" None of their dishes looked good. And what size balls does Spike have to sit in front of the camera and say he picked lettuce, tomato, bread and chicken to screw everyone else then blatantly deny it when asked about it at the judges table. C'mon.....
  17. If nobody else can, I'll try to tomorrow from work.
  18. The closest thing to a photo gaff I could find was the crack in the platter on the left side along the rim. At first glance it looked like a hair. ( a straight one not a curly one )
  19. The Farmer's Market in Mt Vernon opened for the season yesterday! Most of the same vendors are back. A few haven't returned and I overheard one vendor taking about a possible newbie coming later this season. A majority of what was available were plants, herbs and flowers. Veggies included asparagus; sugar snap peas; spring onions; lettuce, spinach and more. I bought some green leaf lettuce that look lusciously tender and tasty. Fruits included strawberries, expensive but very tasty - most were selling for $5 or higher. I bought two boxes so I could make some freezer jam (unless we eat them all first). Also had not one but two places selling pie, bread and other baked goods. One of these two vendors even had farm fresh eggs in a variety of colors from white to cream to blue. I bought a round pan of bread pudding from one of the vendors and we had some last night, very tasty. Parking can be tricky as the market is in the parking lot of the Sherwood Regional Library but I found that going early as in right after they open, parking is a bit easier.
  20. num....num....num....num It was as if they were never closed. Most of the staff are back, Pinchon, Ferhat, Kat, and Dan were all there last night. It was so wonderful to see all of them back working at the new Corduroy. I told Jim it was almost like a reunion with all the hello's and "how have you been's." The food was as wonderful as always. For the next couple of weeks they will be serving a 3 course menu for $45 pp. Both of my absolute favorite dishes were on the menu so I was a happy girl. I had the Lobster salad with basil oil as my appetizer, Jim had the oysters. What can I say, both were great. Other appetizers on the menu that I can remember were a chilled pea soup, the buffalo mozzarella porcupine, and one of the salads from the old menu. I wish I could remember the others. Maybe someone else has a better memory than me. For entrees, I had the scallops. 3 scallops on those wonderfully smooth and delicious mashed potatoes and morel mushrooms. Very drool worthy. Jim had Crispy Fluke with a warm potato salad topped with frisée. Jim commented that Tom Power is the only person he knows who can make frisée taste good. The fluke had a delicate crispiness to it and tasted wonderful, especially with the touch of a sauce made with lemon, butter and a touch of cream. Other entrees were the baby chicken, lamb loin, the big eye tuna and something else that I again cannot remember. Dessert was one of two options, the chocolate tart (sans caramelized banana) or a pineapple tart. Both were excellent but I'd give the edge to the pineapple tart and that says something since I am such a chocoholic. It was so good that I teased Jim about picking up his plate and licking it clean. The interior of the restaurant is bright and light. On the first floor I counted at least 4 two seat booths (one of which we sat in) and one 4 seat booth plus several tables seating 4-6. The wine cellar is still being finished but is a room just in front of the hostess station. Two textured glass walls face the restaurant and will soon have shelves to hold that wonderful wines we all enjoy while dining. If you are seated at one of the table towards the back of the restaurant, you will have a view into the kitchen. Last night, our booth had an opening where a piece of textured glass will soon be installed but it allowed Jim to get a nice close up view into the kitchen. Once the glass is in place though, no more view. Upstairs is the sleek new bar. A beautiful black granite (I think it was granite) surface for the bar was what immediately caught my eye. It was gorgeous. The beer taps were not in place yet but plenty of other libations were available. And it was nice to see Pinchon manning the bar again. Across from the bar was a bench of seats with small tables and some chairs. And perhaps the best thing added to Corduroy's upstairs is the addition of two private dining rooms. On has two tables for 4 with an open ledge overlooking the hallway to the second private dining area, a larger space located at the front of the restaurant with windows overlooking the street. If my memory serves me right, there were 3 or 4 tables in this space. One last tidbit, valet parking is available, think it was $9 but we found street parking to be plentiful. May not always be the case of there is something happening at the Convention Center but at least you have the valet option or Metro. I hope this helps satiates everyones curiosity and that you will all be as happy as we are to have Corduroy open once again.
  21. Bailey's Banana Colada Ingredients 3 oz. Pina Colada Mix 1 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream 1 Banana 1 oz. Banana Liqueur 1 oz. Rum (Preferably Dark Rum) Instructions Put banana and liqueur into blender until it is a thick paste. Add Bailey's Irish cream, pina colada mix and rum. Blend well then add 1 cup of ice and blend again until smooth.
  22. Our never again experience was three years ago in New Smyrna Beach, FL. We were there for 2 weeks with our anniversary falling into that time. We'd been the NSB several times and would have had no problem picking a nice place for our anniversary dinner but we strayed off the reservation. While driving around we saw this little house that had been converted into a restaurant called The Patio. Noticing someone out front tending to the place we pulled up and asked about dinner reservations for that night and were told ok. Little did we know, there was already a big private party scheduled for the back outdoor patio and it was prom night. Yea, you can already see that this isn't going to be pretty. I have the longer, funnier and more detailed experience from this nighttime comedy of errors on my blog. But to give you the readers digest version: 1. Ordered the Chateaubriand for our entree (shared of course); an appetizer and a bottle of champagne. About 10 minutes later, we're told the chef said the Chateaubriand will take too long, he's too busy with the large party out back and said we needed to order something else. Right before that, we were also told they were out of the champagne we ordered (Moet White Star) but would be happy to substitute the one they had left, Andre. Uh......no. We opted for a carafe of the house red or as we later called it the house swill. However it helped us get through the night and watch this trainwreck of a dinner unfold. 2. It took nearly an hour from the time we sat down to the time we got the appetizer, we set upon it like a pack of wolves. 3. My entree was beef wellington. The wellington part was right, but if that was beef inside it it was the oldest meanest steer ever. Then again I think I heard it whinny when I cut sawed into it. 4. Jim ordered the shrimp stuffed beef. What he got was a slab of beef with a hugh chuck of fat in the middle and some shrimp scattered on top. 5. More than 2 hours and one carafe of cheap red wine later we ordered dessert to go. Turns out the dessert was the best part of the meal. Go figure. We laughed about this being the one anniversary dinner we'll never forget (actually the flashbacks aren't so bad anymore).
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