sunshine

I've eaten here several times, twice for dinner and once for lunch. It has the promise of being a great neighborhood place, but the prices are to high to be a regular "go-to" spot (if they just shaved off a couple dollars for most items it might be more palatable). I had the grilled romaine salad which is dressed with an olive, sun-dried tomato and feta dressing (surprisingly tasty), the fried chicken with onion gravy and mashed potatoes (large portion, great), and a chicken sandwich at lunch (ok, not memorable). Don't get the crab and shrimp mac and cheese (overcooked, lacked flavor, dry). The one time we ordered a burger medium rare it was way overcooked (we did not make a stink because we didn't expect to be comped but we did mention it at the end of the meal). The chocolate cake dessert is delicious with an alcohol?- spiked whipped cream, also quite large. Service has been great each time we've visited- the host was really nice and seated us in an out-of- the- way spot so we could stash our baby stroller and breastfeed our baby if necessary. One waitress, Amy, stood out as particularly good. I like having this place in the neighborhood, mostly because it is one of the only nicer sit-down dining options around, but it may not be able to sustain its allure once Jamie Leeds' gastropub and other restaurants open around there, especially if others' reports are true that they aren't trying too hard to please or keep customers.

We are great fans of Monk's in Philadelphia and Belgian beers in general, so we checked this place out with the bambino on a Sunday at 5:30. The bar is dark and divey. The beer list was impressive. I had a Carolus classic (sigh, only one because I'm breastfeeding), but others tried the Piraat (in a bottle), a Corsendonk brown, and others I can't remember (the waitress was fairly knowledgeable and helpful with choices, service was great). We had the mussels with beer and leeks and the bleu cheese and bacon. Huge bowls of steaming mussels with lots of sauce to sop up with bread. The fries are tasty with a choice of dipping sauces - we had the truffle aioli (favorite), horseradish and the house hot sauce (sweet and spicy). We also tried the meat and cheese plate which was ok. We thought we'd be out of place here with a baby, but as we were leaving (we were the first ones there and the place was packed by the time we left), we saw another couple with their baby sprawled on the tabletop asleep. Just another reason why we dug the place.

Started out liking Cakelove (because of Warren Brown's story) but had the same problem noted here with the frostings on the cakes and frozen cupcakes (not worth it for the price), but recently had some pound cake tarts and carrot cake from there for my birthday which were delicious. Still, they cost too much. Perhaps with expansion they might lower their prices? Recently checked out Buzz Bakery in Alexandria - now here's a place I'd love to see expand and duplicate itself in D.C. It's got a clever (kitchen utensils adorning the walls), cozy vibe; they serve Illy coffee; and they have a bacon,egg and cheese brioche (all the good stuff's baked inside the brioche), plus Guinness cupcakes and red velvet cupcakes for $2 (and no wait). The cinnamon roll's pretty good too. They also make their own granola. If this place were in my neighborhood, I'd go there everyday and get fat on cupcakes.

This is one the weirdest little hole in the wall restaurants, and I mean this in the best way possible. I don't hear much about it but I think the locals who frequent this place prefer it this way (looks like alot of the business is local carry-out). I want to spread the word that this place is worth a visit and repeat business. It's a tiny Italian/Austrian place that was originally opened by an Austrian who then sold it to his South Asian Indian employees who have kept on the tradition. I'm no expert in Austrian food, but the goulash I had was delicious - big chunks of beef in a paprika sauce with large matzo ball-like dumplings. My companions had the vegetarian lasagna and salads that all looked freshly prepared. The bread is also really good - crusty with a soft middle. It's so good that they charge for a slice and they also sell the bread (huge round loaves) separately. I also had the raspberry tart topped with large fresh raspberries which was clearly made the same day it was served. I've heard the calamari is good too. There are daily specials in addition to the typical Italian fare (soups, pastas, pizza, sandwiches) and Austrian items (goulash, wiener schnitzel, pastries). You order and pay up front at the register, then they prepare your food and bring it to you. There is zero ambience and it feels like a small cafeteria. The outward grunge-y appearance belies the fresh food at bargain prices. Parking is limited - a few spots out front. http://www.cafemonti.com/ 3250 Duke Street (near Quaker Lane) Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Sadly, the bacon egg and cheese salad is not on the dinner menu, but the mussels, papri chat, oysters and charcuterie plate are (as appetizers). The house-made charcuterie plate alone is enough reason to frequent this place. My husband loves it so much he made an exception to his no-meat Lent. For $16, it is a deal. We had two specials which also rocked - diver scallops on fingerling potato slices with pureed cabbage and pickled shallot and beets, and the "chicken-fried" short ribs: short rib meat cooked until tender, taken off the bone, then formed into a patty and fried in a panko crust, served with a rich sauce and winter root vegetables and spinach. So clever, so delicious. Husband had the rockfish with an "Irish stew" of bacon, leeks and creamy sauce. We also tried the Lemony Laurel and Eamonn's cocktails, the former with vodka, bay leaf and lemon, and the latter with yuzu, red lemonade and irish whiskey with a lime jello garnish. (We saw Todd Thrasher and were worshipping him from afar like silly, shy groupies: "There he is!".) For dessert, sticky toffee cake with coconut ice cream, yummy but a little on the dry side. Could have used a bit more drenching in the sticky toffee. Minor quibble. Overall, a really fantastic meal. kudos and thanks.

We wish Restaurant Eve continued success. Wish I worked in or close to Alexandria to be able to partake of the Lickety-Split lunch. We had one of the best meals we've had in this area at the bistro: we had the bouillabaisse (the best I have ever had) and the charcuterie platter (awesome), chicken liver parfait, pork belly and nettle soup. We are doing a repeat visit to the Bistro for a joint birthday dinner for ourselves this weekend, and we're wondering what else is new and recommended. Looks like the bacon egg and cheese salad is still on the menu - would love to try it.

the label on the bottle says the following "MACPHAIL'S" "Single Malt Scotch Whiskey" "Gordon and MacPhail" "Elgin-Scotland - Established 1895" "50 years old" Unless Elgin is the name of the original maker, there aren't any other hints. thanks a lot.

uuuuh. super generous friend presented my husband with a gift that is far beyond my ken, MacPhail's 50 year old single malt. he doesn't feel that he can drink it until he knows it's provenance and some background. can any of the spirit specialists around here give me some background on this blessing? google search didn't turn up much, but the little that my husband found has him wide-eyed. thanks

just picked up an 11 pound bone in pork roast from truck patch farms for thanksgiving dinner (the bird is pretty and all, but let's face it, it's just turkey). it's a beautiful behemoth, but it appears that there's a bone running lengthwise the roast (chine bone?) that will make it difficult to carve into individual rib chops on thanksgiving day. i'd envisioned individual ribs for each person. can anyone give me any advice on what i need to do to trim this? do i need to take a saw to the thing and try to remove the bone? i don't want to mangle the thing, but i'm also envisioning myself trying to cut the thing at the thanksgiving table and not being able to get through the roast because of this solid length of bone? and if i do need to saw through it, can i just use a hacksaw? do i need to sterilize first? also, it looks like the tenderloin is still attached on one end. should I try to remove it since i'll likely be performing surgery anyway? any advice would be greatly appreciated. the more detailed the better. UPDATED: or should i just bring the thing to a butcher and save myself the trouble and the possibility of ruining the roast?

Woo Lae Oak in Pentagon City has great naeng myun - both the water (mul) and spicy (bibim naeng myun) kind. The mul naeng myun portions are quite generous and they cut the noodles in your bowl before they serve it. Traditional slices of beef, asian pear and hard-boiled egg are on top. The noodles are served with hot mustard and vinegar on the side. I've also tried the naeng myun at Han Sung Oak in Annandale -very good too. Mul naeng myun's a great summer treat, although some people find it bland. For those folks, the bibim naeng myun is a good alternative (also served cold but with lots of chili and garlic flavor and no broth).

We like Alberto's because it does do a pretty authentic Chicago style pizza, and the pan and chicago style crusts are chewy, flavorful and substantial. The Dupont Circle location's service was always spotty (and they took forever to deliver), but we recently ordered a garlic crust pan pizza with pepperoni, sausage, mushroom and spinach, and a caesar salad from the AM location, and both were great. Definitely took the 50-55 minutes that they said it would, and for $35, it's not the cheapest, but it was good.

Definitely check this place out, especially if you live/work in Virginia and in Crystal City. I'm a regular at 2 Amy's but the NY-style pizza here is great. Thin sourdough crust is as described above and perfectly cooked throughout. We had the caesar salad (wasn't the best i've ever had but just the right amount of dressing, real grana padano shredded on top, good croutons) and a large pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms and roasted garlic. The sauce was not sweet or overpowering, and the mushrooms were fresh - two kinds - plain and baby bella. Decent selection of wines by the glass as well as interesting bottled beers (you can create your own custom 6-pack to go). Soda, Honest Teas, San Pellegrino and San Benedetto options for non-alcohol drinkers. In addition to the NY style pizza (plain cheese to which you can add other toppings), they also serve a Neopolitan with a different crust. The Cafe also serves sandwiches - italian, meatball, philly cheesesteak, reuben, etc. and panini. Desserts include cheesecake, biscotti, brownies/blondies and gelato (chocolate, pistachio, berry and a seasonal flavor). Affordable, no frills, with friendly service. I've seen several restaurants come and go from this spot, but would like to see Cafe Pizzaiolo succeed.

We are pizza fans and regularly eat at 2 Amy's. Went to Comet and concluded that though the pizza's good, it won't be our go-to place when we're hankering. Ambience is ok --dim lighting, benches and ping-pong tables with an open kitchen by the bar and a rec room of ping pong tables in the far back of the restaurant. Walls and rafters deliberately kept naked, in a shabby chic kind of way. The menu's small - about 5 specialty pizzas ranging in price from $12-18, or build your own. 3 kinds of salads, 1 dessert. Several good beer choices, root beer, soda, apple cider. We ordered the green salad, the caesar salad, the spicy sausage with mushrooms and caramelized onions and the greens pizza with sauteed greens, black olives and ricotta cheese. The green salad was good, nothing special, although I did like the vinaigrette alot, and they included sliced carrots that tasted slightly pickled. The caesar salad was really good - could taste the anchovies and garlic - a real Caesar. As others have already mentioned, the oblong-shaped pizza is a bit small for the price. The sauce and toppings are delicious. The crust is good, but by the end of the meal, my fingers were super-greasy from handling it. More of the crust was burnt than I would have liked. The service was slow and pacing was off (one pizza arrived way before the other). All in all, it was alright.

We recently dined at Central on a Friday nite. First, the ambience: It was packed; the bar was full and it was loud. We were seated in one of the middle tables in the line of traffic - bad. Next time, we'll request seating by the window or against the wall or better yet, in the back by the open kitchen. Nice modern, clean space. The bar is beautiful. Did I mention that it was LOUD? The food: Overall impression- a good deal for the price; clever, well-prepared. Budget Michel Richard. We started with the onion soup - sooo good on a winter's nite. A classic done extremely well. Was just oozing with tangy gruyere cheese, nice rich broth. Husband had the faux gras - a generous platter of a bowl of faux chicken liver pate served with cornichons, pickled onions and toast, with a little side salad. This was delicious. For entrees, husband had the hangar steak, perfectly cooked medium rare, served with thin crispy fries and a delicious red wine or port sauce. I had the panko crusted chicken, served over mashed potatoes with mustard sauce and green salad. This version of "fried chicken" isn't my favorite but definitely enjoyed it. The mashed potatoes were a bit gummy. (It paled in comparison to the mashed potatoes served with the scallops at Corduroy- the gold standard of mashed potaotes for me now.) For dessert, we had the deconstructed banana split. Again, a generous portion. It's served on what looks like a porcelain TV tray with 4 compartments. In one compartment, 2 whole bananas sliced in half, covered in whipped cream and sitting on 4 types of sauce: chocolate, raspberry, caramel and nut. In the other 3 compartments: a scoop of strawberry sherbet, chocolate and vanilla ice creams. It wasn't the most spectacular dessert, but it was a clever take on the classic. Service: Could be better. Our waiter was quite nice and seemed really busy (we saw him hurrying around alot) but he wasn't actually attentive enough to stop and notice when we were running out of water, when my husband waited a while for his steak knife to be able to eat his steak, or when we were ready for the check, or when we were ready to pay. The manager finally came by and rang up the check. We have a soft spot for Citronelle because we had our wedding celebration there, and they did an excellent job. Central is a nice addition. It's nice to have a more affordable Michel Richard place. Next time, I want to try the lobster burger.

We returned after a long hiatus (not for lack of desire) to Corduroy recently and had a fantastic meal that just made us reiterate that this place is such an underrated secret and we're so lucky to be in on it. I had the lobster salad (chopped lobster and shallots held together with mayonnaise with microgreens on top- so fresh) and the Niman Ranch pork belly with savoy cabbage - huge piece of fatty seared tender porky goodness, sitting on a bed of cabbage and carrots in a luscious sauce. The marvel of the night was the beef cheeks with tarbais beans. Super-rich, melt in your mouth morsels of beef atop beans that were infused with the beefy flavor with some green beans to top it off. Man, it was so good. Another at the table had the scallops with mashed potatoes and chardonnay sauce. Four perfectly seared scallops atop little mounds of buttery mashed potates with shiitake mushrooms and a chardonnay cream sauce. I had a bite, and the combination is divine. We also tried the porcupine - very clever. Great if you like deep-fried cheese -- which I do. The much-touted duck confit and egg salad was a special of the nite. After reading everyone's rave reviews, I wish I had ordered it. I'm glad that Corduroy has its fans on this site, because it deserves it. The restaurant wasn't full on a Saturday nite. Our companions, who were first-time visitors, were so impressed that they'll be going back. New converts. I'm doing my part.

flaming hot cheetos. some schools in california have even banned it. apparently, school kids are sneaking these very-bad-for-you snacks into school like contraband. i can't blame them. back when my stomach was more iron-clad: i used to drizzle ketchup, yellow mustard, and Tabasco on my movie popcorn and eat the soggy smelly mess. my fingers smelled like vinegar for days. kimchee sandwiches - white bread, mayo, kimchee. sometimes, i'd add a slice of bologna. green unripe mangoes with salt and tabasco. sour, salty, spicy.

I saw the new WETA series before I read these posts, and I really like it. Great job and nice tie-in. Public television and this community are two of my favorite things, sans the porn.

This is a good week to visit 2 Amy's. Appears that people have taken off for the holiday, or they're saving the appetites for turkey. We were able to get seated right away at 7 p.m. Monday nite. They had this awesome, flavorful boar capicola and marinated cheese as a small plate special I had one of my usual pizza choices, the Vongole with clams, garlic, capers and parmesan. So simple, yet works all the time. I love this place.

"The only banchan you get is some weak kimchee and the zucchini one (I can't remember the name). They ran out of the lotus root before we got there apparently." Whaaat? Menu looks good but if this is all the pan-chan, I'm disappointed and skeptical. To me, nothing exemplifies Korean generosity, variety and voracious appetite (have you seen how much Koreans can eat?) as much as the pan-chan served. While I can do without the potato salad with apples, I'll miss things like the mung bean, spinach and soybean salads, the sweet/salty black beans, cuttlefish and dried sardines, radish and cucumber kimchee . . .. Pan-chan is half the fun and allure of eating Korean. And the kimchee has to be good. Weak kimchee is a bad sign.

I have this debate with my husband all the time. I prefer to do fine dining at a table with service, not a bar, but he is content to drink and eat on a stool by himself. However, I am glad that fine dining establishments do offer the bar menu as a taste of what they can do in the dining room, at a lower price. For those of us who do not have the money or the time to spend on a several hour, sit-down, served table meal all the time, the Palena or Cityzen bar is a nice alternative. As a consumer, I'm pleased that there are more choices and venues for good food. The rise of the fine dining bars and gastro-pubs certainly seems to indicate less elitism and more egalitarianism in terms of accessibility to good cooking and good food. I agree it's not a bad business model either. You may go to a bar to drink, but then you get hungry and order some small plates, next thing you know, you've had a 3 course meal and several drinks. Not a bad deal for the establishment.

This is what we're having: Appetizers - wedge of Ivernia cheese, wedge of brie, pimento olives, garlic marinated roasted red peppers, cranberry pepper jelly over cream cheese, all served with crackers. Mains and Sides - 12 lb. Turkey - brined and slathered with herbs, garlic and butter. pork rib roast - stuffed with cornbread, mushrooms and black olives Mashed potatoes - plain, but probably with some buttermilk thrown in there Sweet potato gratin - easy recipe: sliced sweet potatoes baked in a cream, bourbon and chipotle bath until tender. spinach salad with warm bacon dressing, red onion, pecans and bleu cheese cornbread and italian sausage dressing multicultural stuffing (Saveur recipe), substituting brioche for the challah bread base mac and cheese green bean and mushroom casserole with shallots (cooks illustrated recipe) whole cranberry sauce (store bought) with some orange marmalade mixed in turkey gravy homemade bread brought by guest Desserts brought by guests - probably an apple pie, pumpkin pie and a chocolate dessert serving Riesling, Valpolicella and Cotes du Rhone to drink but have no idea how they'll go with the meal

We just returned from a trip to Vancouver, Victoria and Tofino, and we loved it. Highly recommend it. In Victoria, we ate at a local mini-chain called Noodlebox: http://www.thenoodlebox.net/index.html - a cute Southeast Asian noodle and curry shop, where the noodles are stir-fried and spiced to order for around $10 for a chinese takeout quart size box of food. Husband had teriyaki udon noodles with tofu (soy and chili flavored) and I had the combination spicy peanut noodles (shrimp, pork and chicken with rice noodles, chinese broccoli, carrots, and a peanutty, coconut milk based sauce). Very authentic flavors and levels of heat. They have 2 locations in Victoria and just opened a spot in Vancouver. We also ate at much-lauded Spinnaker's Gastro-Pub and brewery (http://www.spinnakers.com/). While the beer was good and the focus on local products admirable, the food was "eh" (we had fish and chips and the cioppino). We did purchase some locally made truffles from the takeout counter on the way out (where you can also purchase coffee, baked goods, and cheeses), and the Scotch flavored ones were amazing - flavored with Chivas Regal with a toffee-walnut topping. In Tofino, we recommend SoBo, small gem of an operation in the Tofino Botanical Gardens. We read about this place in Saveur magazine. Excellent, simple fresh fare with a gourmet flare. I had the shrimp cake served with aioli and the polenta fries (polenta mixed with asiago, deep-fried and served with a caesar mayo). Husband had the seafood chowder with a large wedge of cornbread. The chowder had a faint chipotle flavor with strips of smoked salmon jerky and fresh dill on top. The salmon jerky tasted like bacon. Friendly staff with a regular local clientele as well as foodie tourists. When the weather's warm, they serve their food from a bright purple truck; otherwise, a no frills dining room. We tried fresh Vancouver Island Kushi oysters for the first time here. Delicious. Vancouver is an incredible food city, especially for Asian food of all kinds: Chinese, Thai, Indian, Japanese, Korean, etc. Cheap and high end (though the exchange rate currently sucks). A highlight is the izakaya meal we had at Guu with Garlic. Izakaya is basically asian tapas, generally enjoyed with alcohol. At Guu, most of the items are under $6. We enjoyed tuna tataki with onion and deep-fried garlic, kimchee nabe, agedashi tofu, deep-fried chicken pieces with mayo, and a pitcher of ice-cold beer for $35. We also had authentic ramen at Kintaro Ramen on Denman/cross street Robson, a cash-only, bare bones ramen shop. The basic formula is a big bowl of handmade noodles, choice of 3 kinds of broth (shoyu, shio, and miso) that you can order mild, medium or rich, and choice of fatty pork, lean pork or bbq pork for under $10. The miso ramen comes with corn. There's also a version of ramen with corn and cheese (!) that's apparently very popular with the ladies. You can order other/extra toppings for your ramen like nori, egg, green onion for an extra charge. We enjoyed some tasty gyoza dumplings with our ramen (not that we needed it). Eating here made we wish we had a real ramen shop in D.C. Last but not least, our fine dining choice is West for french-west coast cuisine: http://www.westrestaurant.com/westrestaurant/ Great service, excellent cooking in a contemporary setting. The seasonal menu is $98, chef's tasting menu is $129, with optional wine pairings available for both. We ordered ala carte and had excellent fresh oysters: Pacific Rim and Kushi; a delectable appetizer of biodynamic yellowfoot mushroom and arugula risotto; a pork belly, suckling pig and house-made sausage dish, and a tuna steak with dungeness crab salad (cucumber, crabmeat, fennel, baby arugula) and green-olive tapenade oil. For dessert, an apple-stuffed brioche with maple custard. We also had an amuse of sweet corn soup with pumpkin that epitomized autumn in an espresso cup. All in all, I was enchanted by Vancouver, and would go back not only for the beautiful forests, mountains, and mighty Pacific Ocean, but for the excellent, diverse, and interesting cuisine that's evolving there. Next time I'd like to check out the Okonagan wine country.

I second the Teaism recommendation, both the Penn Quarter and Dupont locations. Tonic restaurant/bar is also a good spot, downstairs if you like dark and smoky, upstairs if you like it more civilized. When our book club read "Assassination Vacation" by Sarah Vowell, we met at Wok-n-Roll in Chinatown, because it is the former Mary Surrat's boarding house where John Wilkes Boothe and others plotted Lincoln's assassination. We sat up front by the bar looking out onto the street. They have decent happy hour sushi and drink specials, as well as mediocre chinese fare. However, the next and last time I visited, we sat in the back, and although the food was ok, it smelled like skunk the whole time. Haven't been back since.

Went apple picking at Homestead Farms in Poolesville, Maryland, picked up 50 lbs. of apples and went nuts with canning yesterday. We made several quarts of applesauce, several pints of apple-raspberry sauce, caramel apple butter and bourbon apple butter. This year/summer has been our first foray into the world of canning and preserving, and we look forward to making it a tradition. It is wonderful to see the fruits of one's labor and to be grateful for the source of the bounty.

Looked and tasted like both.