Biscuit Girl

I look forward to trying these frozen fries.

This is what I grew up with in Brooklyn, either in my own home or at the numerous luncheonettes in my neighborhood (from the 60s). My realization that frozen food could be better than fresh food came about 15 years ago when I went to the famed Carnegie Deli in Manhattan for the first time. Of course, I ordered the knish since I love knishes. Well, the knish was homemade and fresh and I guess it was okay, but it didn't hold a candle to the frozen ones heated up at the Kosher delis or sold by the vendors at Coney Island when I was a kid.

I don't like McDonald's fries for they just taste fried, but I have had frozen fries that had a specific frozen potato-y taste that I really enjoy. Call it a guilty pleasure....one I hope to enjoy at Ray's Hellburger.

And as for frozen fries, if anyone can make fries, fresh or frozen, taste great, it would would be Landrum.

White truffle are in tonight. Risotto with white truffle is $42. Aroma is awesome!

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?

I guess the rumors are true, pictures don't lie http://img692.yfrog.com/i/v6t.jpg/

Did anyone else read about Padma being pregnant?

Breezed through Frank Bruni's "Born Round" over the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. Though I grew up in a Jewish household in Monticello, NY (as opposed to an Italian household in Westchester), I completely identified with the relentless food culture that surrounded Frank's upbringing, as well as his constant, and ongoing, struggle with weight. I was on every one of the many diets he details in the book and then some, bouncing back and forth as I grew older until I topped out at 320 pounds just before my 40th. (Over the next year I dropped 100 pounds and 15 years later I can report that I have managed to keep 75 of those pounds off.)

The book was poignant, funny, and a quick read - I couldn't put it down once I started. For us who love food but still want to look halfway decent, Frank's weight struggles and how he managed to overcome them even during his tenure as the Times restaurant critic made for a delightful read that I highly recommend to all of you.

I look forward to reading this. I have it on hold at the library.

Hi Don and Co!

Prices just got even more reasonable - all items on our new bar/lounge menu below are $5, every day, all the time.

Plus, every Friday, we have a terrific jazz trio from 7-11.

Hope to see you soon,

Amy Brandwein, chef at fyve

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.

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.

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.

I'm pretty sure Casey came in 2nd that year and Dale got 3rd. I remember Casey making such a big deal about Hung winning and how she was robbed.

H-o-O-T-i-E!

Hoo!

I would love to see Carla beat arrogant, self involved Stephan.

We are definitely in place to open on Tuesday the 10th in the new location (immediately past the Courthouse intersection at 2300 Wilson, in the same building as the 5 Guys and Me Jana, but in the front, left (e. g. Clarendon) side of the building. If, for any reason, we will not be ready to open at 2300, we will just continue to operate at 1725 until we are. So there should be no interruption of service.

In any case, beginning the 10th there will be a live person at the non-operating location to provide information and possibly transportation, and to phone ahead to the other, operating location to secure a place on the list for the guest.

Because of the logistics of the move, there we aren't able to organize any friends and family nights or grand opening events. However, on opening night, I will be performing a faithful word-for-word re-enactment of the opening night scene of Larry David's restaurant in "Curb Your Enthusiasm," with me playing all the parts (as opposed to Humbert's insistence that "all the boy parts be taken by girls" in the performance of Claire Quilty's "The Enchanted Hunter").

Delicate pieces of lobster held together in mayo...not sure what else was in there. Golden toasted slices of buttery brioche. Mixed green salad topped with wafer thin slices of radish. Simple but de-lish.

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?

goodeats said:

Any updates or links on places to eat or stay in Kuala Lumpur? I'll be traveling there end of November/early December. Thanks!

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.

My family lives in Knoxville. My brother and nephew are adventurous eaters so I told them that they had to eat there. Lucky dogs.......

Power on!!! Seating begins at 6:30.

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.

I have to say, I was just a tad surprised that Spike got the boot last night -- I thought for sure that Lisa was going to get the axe. But I suppose using the frozen scallops was his undoing. I certainly won't miss him, but I found him more interesting (for his entertainment value) than Lisa.

I think it'll probably ultimately come down to Stephanie or Richard, but Antonia certainly has a shot. I think Lisa, at this point, is just along for the ride.

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.

This was hinted at during one of the Smithsonian events, but one of our local chefs is going to be judging on Top Chef tonight.

According to the Post's Style section, it's Jose Andres.

It is Jose Andres. Last week they showed a preview for tonight's show and he was in it.

Well, Andrew got the axe.

That's what happens when you get a culinary boner on TV.

Personally, I would have loved it if they just said, "Screw it, you all suck anyway, you are all gone!"

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.....

Can someone scan the page and send it to me please?

If nobody else can, I'll try to tomorrow from work.

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 )

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.

Unless Chef has asked you not to, you people who were there last night better start spilling. How Was It?!?!? Details, people, we want Details!!!
Some of us were stuck eating decent sushi dreaming of the morsels of goodness you enjoyed last night.

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.

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).