mr food

Condolences to all Klimans.

"National Symphony Orchestra Names Rising Star Gianandrea Noseda as Music Director" by Anne Midgette on washingtonpost.com

I know virtually nothing about Gianandrea Noseda, but I know enough about the person sending this email to be 100% sure that this must be some type of enormous coup for the NSO, so this is great news for the city of DC.

This looks promising for an orchestra that really needs a music director to get it to step up to the major leagues.

Oh! The bread plate! This time it came with focaccia-like slices, but also some sweet cornbread and, most importantly, some of the best biscuits I'd ever eaten. Matt took one bite of his biscuit and made an audible hum; I had my first bite maybe five minutes later and made a similar sound. They were buttery, flaky, cubical, correctly seasoned, and awesome. So much so that we asked for an extra order to help us through our main course. However, entirely due to the biscuits, I ended up with some pork to take home (with which they generously added two *more* biscuits). Somewhere in the middle of all the fun, I had a second non-alcoholic cocktail - perhaps because I was recognized as having been there the night before, and perhaps because I was fine-dining with a teenager, our beverages were not on the bill.

Negative points for serving sweet cornbread. You don't put sugar in cornbread!

Dang!  If that's what their casual neighborhoody menu looks like, I'm scared to see what the fine dining menu has!!

$50 corkage-how customer friendly not.

sounds interesting. Carla Hall is a good person.  

drink where the pros go...drink at Dans

still true today!

White wine is what you drink before red wine (champagne excluded). However, if you serve me a nice white burgundy, I won't say no.

never got rieslings and yes, I've been served all types of all ages. Always happy to read your wine comments.

My wife swears the pizza crust doesn't taste like it used to. I dunno. We've eaten many pies from them, original location and CP. I will say they botched the franchising and if you want the true Ledo experience, you have to go to the source.

Nice meal seated at a table in the bar with another couple. The "bar special" meal remains an excellent deal at $25 for a starter-crab bisque or salad and a choice of hangar steak, scallops or salmon. I went with the bisque/hangar option and enjoyed both. Meat was cooked MR as requested. We shared a piece of the homemade coconut cake which was very flavorful if a bit dry. We also tried their bacon appetizer which was delicious. Sides (creamed spinach and mashed potatoes) were good and replenished when requested. Team service was friendly and attentive but not overly so.  Wine list is typical marked up Montgomery county but some good choices.

It's getting harder and harder to find a "value" meal in this city but this remains one.

Bagels at the Bagel Place aren't bad.

Thanks all!

Dining at the Oval Room in a couple of weeks. I don't think I've ever been.  Any recent reports?

No surprise about Old Ebbitt but the Hamilton at # 20 was. I wonder if that includes ticket sales?

thanks everyone for the suggestions!

I had to laugh when I saw he is in Houston. Wrong Texas city, Tom. San Antonio is where it's at these days foodwise.. There's a reason the CIA opened a branch there!

will be in BA and Mendoza next month so any advice appreciated! Restaurants, winebars, jazz clubs...

thanks Don!

Anyone had dinner recently with the new chef?

Yes, it's happy music. The recent high-res downloads are getting good reviews though I haven't sampled yet.

I think Beaujolais does itself a HUGE disservice with the whole nouveau campaign. Most of the time it's sweet swill. Fortunately, my father is a Beaujolais lover and made sure I tried the various village wines. 

I'm surprised TS didn't know Black Salt is closed for renovation.

i hear it's closed. Renovation?

No Floridian orders stone crabs in a restaurant. They're just too damned expensive with the markups. When I'm home, I get them from Fish Peddler. They do a great job in steaming and cracking so all you have to do is separate the meat from the shells and dip in butter or mustard sauce. A pound a person is all you need.

That said, the crop the last couple of years has been awful, and prices are crazy.

Unless you go to Monty's for happy hour.

I remember seeing him at jazz fest in NO years ago. He had a large snake-boa or python- wrapped around him which was very entertaining until it began to wrap itself around his neck, His scantily clad lovely assistant was able to remove it or it might have been bye bye Dr! He continued to play and sing without pause.