DanCole42

We ate at the arena due to it being a Saturday night in a small town and everything being overbooked.

Some of the ladies and I are going up to Hershey tonight to get our lockout hockey on - figured we'd go up early and grab a bite. Where should we go?

Easy solution. Bagel Buddies in Fair Lakes. Try the asiago bagel, toasted, with smoked salmon cream cheese. No need to game any system. Tell Elissa I say hi.

Looks like Cory's out, too: http://blogs.miamine...e_bar_names.php

Is that the cashew and bacon brittle in the first photo in the lower right? Every time we go, sharing it tests the strength of our marriage.

I strongly recommend Pizzeria Orso. Fantastic food (try the small plates!) and a counter right by the pizza oven. Plus, dough so your little ones can make a mess.

I would also add to the list of recommended rooms the "Fan Room." It has a balcony that is directly over the backdoor of the kitchen, and is right upstairs from the dining room. So before dinner you can smell the food wafting up, and after dinner when you're too full of food and drink to move, you just walk upstairs and watch Starship Troopers.

Oh come ON...

Dear DonRockwell.com- This is not a fun thing to admit. The other week, I was laid off from my job at Summit Business Media, where I'd been working as the Director of Research and Product Development for almost ten years. Of course, this was very unwelcome, but crisis equals opportunity and all that! A lot of people would probably keep this news to themselves and maybe their close family. Me? I want to just come out there and say it, and ask the DonRockwell.com "network" for a favor: please take a minute to think about whether you or anyone you know might have any connections, information, or suggestions for me. My specialty is in product development centered around "business information": specifically in taking data (whether it's free government data or proprietary information) and turning that data into business-to-business software and media products. My focus was retirement and benefits, but I'm highly adaptable and know a lot about what works and what doesn't when it comes to this sort of thing. I am currently a member of American Business Media's Business Information Council, have spoken at industry events such as DataContent, and have written several blogs derived from my own data analysis. Of course, this is a food board, and I do love to eat and to cook. I'm not sure I'd want to make a career out of it, but if there are any jobs out there in the industry (excluding actually working at a restaurant) I'd love to pick something up part time that could get me some extra cash so I can continue to afford my swanky lifestyle. And who knows where it might lead? Please don't feel like you have to respond: I'm not out for sympathy, I just want to let everyone possible know that I'm in the market for a new position. It can't hurt to ask! All the best, Dan Cole dancole42@gmail.com PS - If you are in, or know anyone else who's in my situation, feel free to get in touch. We can share leads and commiserate.

<reading reading reading...> Gonna recommend Trummers to this guy! <reading reading reading> D'aw... nuts...

A link for the lazy: http://www.facebook.com/dcdining

Didn't you see my Facebook post recently that said, "Fuck Restaurant Week!"? How about a list of restaurants who are not participating? Let's vote with our dollars and show some love.

I do all that. They still don't come out right. Maybe I just need to be a latin grandmother...

Okay, so I SUCK at making corn tortillas. I'm using Maseca brand masa harina. The directions on the back only give volumetric measurements, and the recipes I find online vary widely in the amount of water used - from 1.25 cups water to 2 cups flour, to 1.5 cups water to 2 cups flour. I did my best to convert to baker's percentages by weight and came up with around 150% hydration. This is my tortilladora: http://www.amazon.com/Imusa-Victoria-Tortilla-Press-2-Inch/dp/B00164VNYQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1344526298&sr=8-3&keywords=cast+iron+tortilla+press Anyway, when I cook them in a 450 degree cast iron skillet they either come out dry and they crack when you try to fold them, or they come out kind of wet and rubbery. In both cases they're kind of fragile and mealy. What am I doing wrong?

How come there's no thread about where to watch the Mars Science Laboratory?

Very odd request. These people wanted "nachos" near the West End Ritz (i.e. walking distance). There are two-year-olds involved. Any ideas?

I'm gonna recommend that you give some of the drinks a shot. One thing I think makes a good culinary/cocktail artist is someone who can make a dish/drink or prepare an ingredient that you typically don't care for, or don't indulge in, and present it in such a way that makes you go, "Oh, so THAT'S what the big deal is." You might be surprised!

Does anyone know of a place in Virginia that takes you on horseback to a couple of vineyards for some wine tasting and rustic country fun?

My uber-pretentious hipster foodie magazine (Lucky Peach) ran an article on the "best knives in America." Are knives like these worth it, or just conspicuous consumption?

Which of the Rayseses are open for lunch? And do any of them offer carryout? I want to surprise a busy worker with lunch at her desk.

God I love this site...

Ordinarily when I want seafood I go to Passionfish, but that's because I live far from civilization. Now I find someone asking me for recommendations between her apartment in Ballston and where her mother is staying in Georgetown. So what's good?

Forget that "Pizzeria" is in the name. The pizzas are still great, and new chef Will Artley certainly has the passion to keep up the standards you need for good high temp pies, but it's the small plates at Orso that are worthy of a trip to the speed trap that is Falls Church. The only stumble of the night was a bit of overzealous service: as soon as our plates were clean, they'd ask to take them. They'd even ask if we were finished with obviously empty glasses of beer. "Are you done with this?" "Nah, I just want to sit and stare at the empty glass while contemplating the meaning of life." But really, that's just a nitpick. I'll take overzealous instead of underzealous any day. Anyway, on to the food: A mushroom salad served with a warm ham vinaigrette is the first hint that you're going to really enjoy their use of herbs: parsley, tarragon, and rosemary punched up this simple salad in a way that defines clean, rustic Italian. On the opposite end from clean, rustic Italian were the croquettes with smoked tomato, bacon, cheddar fondue, and chive puree. Which is not to say I wouldn't have eaten a hundred. The standout for me was a single scallop served on couscous with tomato jam. The sear was perfect - an even golden brown. But the texture on the inside was absolutely incredible: like freaking butter. I meant to ask about their sourcing, because I've never had a scallop before that didn't have at least a hint of rubbery bite to it - this had none. Oh, and the pizzas were pretty good, too. So if you haven't been since Will Artley took over, give Orso a shot. It's a totally different animal.

I'm pretty indecisive when it comes to food. So are the people I generally go out with. Can anyone suggest some good flowcharts or metrics to help people decide?

How many in the party? 3-4 Formal/casual? Casual Noise level? Medium Any food sensitivities/allergies? No seafood Do you need a private room? No