Ferris Bueller

Sign up outside yesterday stating they are Now Open.  Once I make it over there, I shall update.

On 7/6/2019 at 1:08 AM, DonRocks said:

Thank you so much, Ferris Bueller - Is Tony Chittum still running the kitchen here? That would be a huge selling point.

Hey Don - you got it - happy to help when I can.  

As far as I know - Tony Chittum is still there - I believe his picture on their website, but I have found nothing to indicate otherwise.

We have only had it for about 7 months so we have not replaced the bulbs yet.  Depending on how long they last we may opt to upgrade to a LED light.  Our electrician thought it an easy modification.

Magnolias on King was great the few times we have been there.  I thought the menu decent and prices reasonable.  Check it out, I do not think  you will be disappointed.  Wednesday is half-price bottle of wine night, so that is a bonus.

Señor Ramon Taqueria Opens on Baron Cameron Avenue by Fatimah Waseem, RestonNow

Looks like the restaurant will open before the signage goes up; it says in the article it is opening today.  This strip-mall shares the Home Depot parking lot and this location used to be a Greeberry's, then a Thai (Hibiscus Thai) place and now this. It is a few doors down from Willard's Menu Reston location. Menu looks pretty good, and will have to go by soon to check it out.  We need more local Mexican-type places the Anita's and Uncle Julio's get old quickly.

So went back again for a great evening at the outdoor patio.

NOTE: They have done away with their "tasting" menu which is still posted on their website.  I let them know, so it should hopefully be updated soon.

Our meal and server were excellent.  They have a Family Meal, which is explained as if you are in Italy and stop in a villa - the family would serve you their freshest available food.  This was the closest thing I could find that would be similar to a tasting menu.  The appetizer portion all came out at one time, which was cool - so it went something like this:

OUR DAILY FOCACCIA
WILD RAMPS, NETTLE PESTO, PIPE DREAMS FARM GOAT CHEESE

SESAME CRUSTED FETA 
SESAME, VIN COTTO, EARTH + EATS HONEY 

Octopus Salad

Broccoli rabe

There was more, but my attention after the excellent bottle of 2007 Calebretta, Azienda Vinicola became much less sussinct.

Main Course started with a Bison Hanger steak which was excellent.

A lighter version of homemade pasta with a light alfredo-type sauce and fresh cracked pepper.

We ordered the CARAMELIZED RICOTTA GNOCCHI
PORK SAUSAGE RAGU, CALABRIAN CHILI, PARMESAN CHEESE as an add-on because it sounded excellent - and it was.

There was also a beet/spinach salad, another round of bread.

My descriptions are not doing this place justice - the atmosphere on the patio was crisp and lively, not stuffy.  It was busy and we enjoyed a great meal with dessert as noted below.

CRISPY YEAST DOUGHNUTS 
ORANGE BLOSSOM SYRUP

They serve lunch as well and their Brunch looks great - for those wanting to try it  and not invest in an all-out dinner - there is an opportunity there.  The dinner was reasonable considering the complexity and diversity of the food we experienced.

Opening July 1st in Sterling (same source as above)

Looks like they added a Food Truck to their offerings.

FORD’S FISH SHACK DEBUTS NEW FOOD TRUCK by Chris Wadsworth, Theburn

All depends on how much of a crowd you want and where you can sit to limit noise...Clyde's has plenty of outdoor seating but it is right off the new "grass" area by the pavilion at RTC.  Ted's Bulletin has several tables outside but it is next to the movie theater and the sidewalk narrow at that area.  I do not think NYAJs allows pets on their patio area, but that is pretty remote and quiet.  Kalypso's at Lake Anne always has dog friendly patio space as does the Lake Anne Coffee house and wine bar - that is probably your best bet as the patio small, but very quiet.  

17 hours ago, Ericandblueboy said:

Last time I ate at Yoshi (maybe a year ago), it was rather bad (and I had the only table with no view of the kitchen).  I wrote it off as an off night.

Probably about the last time I was there as well - sorry to hear it has gone downhill.  Maybe a change in ownership or staffing has helped - thanks for updates.

you cannot make this stuff up....

EXCLUSIVE: Reston Town Center’s Vapiano at the Center of Alleged International Money Laundering Scheme by Fatimah Waseem, RestonNow

10 hours ago, DonRocks said:

The RTC location of what?

Vapiano's - corrected now - sorry about that.

Looks like it could be Chef Geoff's.

Yelp had posted the RTC Location of Vapiano's "temporarily closed, will be open June 30th."  Their outdoor furniture, and sidewalk area have been removed...it is not looking good.

Enjoyed an impromptu dinner here (Sterling/Cascades) this evening.  Fireworks pizza and garlic knots with a nice milk stout was all we ordered, but service was fast as was food prep too.  Decently priced for what it is.

Warning - surface parking is limited but I guess there is a free garage at the back of the center.  Thursday nites there is some live music on the artificial turf area.

This place is small - but outdoor seating was nice too - bar area is decent size compared to size of restaurant.

Report: Facelift Planned for RTC’s Common Areas by Fatimah Wasseem RestonNow

Over the next 18 months, the company plans to spend up to $5 million to upgrade some of the areas, the Washington Business Journal reported today (Wednesday).

BUNGALOW ALEHOUSE OFFICIALLY OPENING MAY 29 by Chris Wadsworth, TheBurn

The building — located in the Ashburn Crossroads center next to Fuddrucker’s and IHOP — used to be a Bertucci’s Italian restaurant, but the Bungalow team has given the space an extreme makeover. It was gutted and rebuilt — including a brand new bar, a large room filled with pool tables and a new outdoor bar and patio.

Guess I wasn't the only one to observe.  The article says it has been closed since May 9th.

Reston Town Center’s Vapiano is Temporarily Closed Again by Fatimah Wasseem RestonNow

'Major Restructuring" At Vapiano Reston Town Center by Dan Taylor, RestonPatch

Italian restaurant Vapiano is undergoing a "major restructuring" at Reston Town Center, the company says.

Happen to be in RTC area today and noticed a sign posted on the Vapiano location.  It said something to the affect Closed Temporary, deliveries in back.  It does not appear good if the place is not open regularly - hard to turn food, keep staff and just clean the place. 

Darker granite colors are more resilient but all granite should be sealed to limit stains.  Lighter granites may show stains more easily. 

There are a lot of more recent finishes to granites/quartzes like leathering, honed, polished, brushed etc.  These can drastically change the appearance and I would suggest you get cutting board samples when considering a specific finish.  Many of the synthetic stones have lifetime warranties but I have not read them to know what they cover.  Pop-up outlets and knife holders can be installed in either type of stone, however if you go with some "exotic" granite or marble often times they are a little more challenging to work with and can make those options tedious.  Perhaps the quartzes are more uniform and less troublesome.  A good fabricator should be able to accomodate what you need. Good luck out there, there are many new or revised products in the market than just a few years ago.

Natural stone(s) (granite, marble) have to be sealed.  This takes about 20-25 minutes every 4-6 months, and is as simple as "wax-on, wax off."  Stains, if they do occur, may possibly be removed, but it is the risk you run for having a unique stone.  We went with hard marble in our kitchen and it looks fantastic; could not be happier, from picking the slab for our island to the patterns in the perimeter.  Regular cleaning is a breeze.

Manufactured products, we used in our bathrooms, are no maintenance, and easily cleaned with any normal cleaner.  They have distinct looks, but whatever you select is not "unique" and anyone can order the same countertop as long as it is being produced. 

I believe the general rule is with manufactured products the composition is something like 93/7% stone to resin.  Since it has some resin or polymer to bind it, if you set something hot on it, it is possible to scar the countertop.  We do not care in the bathrooms and have never had any issues, but perhaps in a kitchen with hot pots/pans - albeit crazy hot pots/pans from the BlueStar range - I would not want to scar the countertops and have to replace.  I am certain someone(s) will weigh in with their experience(s).

This family-owned place has been around since 1993 - it is tucked away at the end of a strip-shopping plaza at the opposite end from Outback.  Carpool Herndon is 200' away.  They are open for lunch and dinner daily.  The food is good or good+; just have not been there enough recently to expand.  The place is clean and service is friendly.  Atmosphere is a little dated, but you will always be greeted as if you have been there before.  I had not been in some time, just kind of fallen off our radar, and stopped by last week for a nice lunch.  Specials are posted daily and their bread fresh baked.  Food comes out efficiently and you can tell they have a lot of regulars.   

The BS Platinum is definitely worth the co$t.  We did the 36".  The added features and attachments for the Platinum were worth the upgraded investment.  Since we did a custom color - the lead time was about 4-6 weeks.  Ferguson has several on display and depending on where you live and what showroom you go to, you may find the appliance person knowledgeable on BlueStar.  They do not have the branding of Wolf, Thermador or Viking.

Hood we went with the Zephyr Canopy-Style hood, Tempest II - 650 CFM standard, but you can upgrade it easily and get double the capacity.  The Canopy allowed me to raise the hood up higher than code recommended installation height.  I have seen others installed and if too low, you literally hit your head on it if  you are taller than 6'.  We have a window above our range, so the chimney-style would not work.  The baffles in the hood are really easy to clean, just throw them in the D/W and let dry.  It even signals you to do this after 30 hours of use.

Vent-a-hood makes a great hood as well, but there was a significant cost difference for similar performance & features. 

8 hours ago, squidsdc said:

 BlueStar is great! Did our remodel about 13 yrs ago. Still a workhorse, and still love it. And recommended if doesn't use a wok, too!

Yes, in re-reading my post, I did not mean to pigeon-hole the wok (only) utility of BlueStar.  Great range no matter how or what you cook with.  It is extremely versatile and highly adjustable for all cooking types.

Just completely redid our entire kitchen from studs out - if you use a wok, check out BlueStar ranges, locally made in PA.  If anyone watches "Chopped" those are the ranges they use.  There is a 25,000 BTU burner in the front center which boils water in minutes.  All the burners have an insert that pops out by hand and conveniently fits a wok.  You can custom-order knobs, trim, door panel etc, which was a great addition to our home.  The custom color is really cool.  The Platinum range is worth the extra $$ and we have 6 burners with an interchangeable griddle and grill as well.  It is awesome and I prefer it to some of the other high end ranges - it is simple and does what it is supposed to do, a virtual workhorse.  

Range vents above 450 CFM, often require installation of a "make-up" air vent.  In new home and retrofits it is usually a code issue.  We have a 1200 CFM fan which is certainly overkill, but having gone from a very inefficient downdraft originally, which could not do much of anything except interfere with the efficiency of the cooktop, I did not want to under-size the hood and have to redo it later.  For comparison's sake, your bathroom fan is likely 100 CFM or less.  650 CFM is substantial, on 1200, which we rarely if ever use, you can dry your hair and blast the scents of your cooking all over your neighborhood.