Pete

Not trying to start a "chain" versus "non-chain" debate, but Flemings is a national chain with a location in Tyson's Corner, so perhaps Biscuit Girl might want to try someplace more "local" (FYI, I have had a couple of good meals at the Flemings in Tyson's). As for seafood in the Gaslamp district, if you like sushi go to Kiyo's. See jparrot's post and my post above.

I just got confirmation from Penzey's that the Falls Church store is officially opening on Saturday, September 8th.

Episodes of Molto Mario have been picked up on the Fine Living Network.

Paula and I opened a bottle of Paringa 2004 Sparkling Shiraz last night. In a blind taste test, this stuff would not be distinguishable from grape soda. Just terrible, terrible stuff that was too sickenly sweet. Can anybody recommend a sparkling shiraz that won't cause tooth decay?

Congrats! Looks like you got birthday wishes from Tom Sietsema in today's chat.

Can I substitute Miracle Whip on my octopus balls?

Paula and I are proud to announce the newest and youngest member of the DonRockwell.com community. Marissa Rose was born August 4, weighing a healthy 8 pounds 4 ounces and 22 inches long. Mommy, Daddy, and baby are all doing well, although Paula and I are a bit sleep deprived.

I know that I am preaching to the choir here, but why on Earth was nobody at this restaurant on Saturday night? I know that the location is not ideal for weekend dining, but I could not believe how empty the place was last Saturday. We were there at 7:30pm and there were only 2 other tables occupied during the evening. I hope that this was a fluke, because this place is serving fantastic food. The Duck Salad, served with Duck Proscuitto and Galantine, Orange, Endive, Beets, and Hazelnut Vinaigrette, is one of the best dishes that I have eaten this year. Paula had the Crispy Sweetbreads over Arugula, which was pretty good, although the sweetbreads were really small. Two of us had the Lamb Trilogy as our entree. The roasted lamb loin and the smoked shoulder were very good, but the homemade merguez was the star of the plate. Desserts consisted of the Pyramid of Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse, which is reminiscent of the Hazelnut Kit Kat bar, and the Raspberry Brioche Charlotte "Jean Louis". The chocolate mousse was pretty good, but the brioche was superb. Our waiter was friendly and offered some good menu advice to my Aunt, who wants to return here on her next visit. I'm only sorry it has taken me this long to try RK.

Don't forget Ann Amernick and Nora Pouillon.

Breaking news! Chef Fabio is leaving Maestro.

Thanks for the good wishes, but, unless the sonogram is wrong, we are having a girl. By the way, the fried Camembert Cheesecake that you are currently serving is insanely good...like liquid crack surrounded by fried, crunchy goodness.

Hi Chef! This question is purely for selfish reasons. Suppose I were dining in your restaurant this Thursday with my very-pregnant wife. What items on the menu are your current favorites and should not be missed?

I think Paula and I may have been seated next to you Saturday night. The wild boar pasta was the highlight of our meal as well, and is certainly a dish that will make us return. Another dish that was a hit was the cold Roasted Red Pepper Soup which was served with marscapone and, if my memory is correct, an olive oil gelato. The rest of our meal was delicious as well and included the Antipasti della Casa and the crab and spinach shell pasta. For my dessert, I had to try the Condimento (vinegar) with vanilla gelato. I enjoyed the tart/sweet contrast, and I really appreciated the unique combination, but I am not sure that I would order this again. Paula ordered the Crepes with Nutella, which did not last long on the plate. Service was extremely friendly, and it was nice to finally meet Dean Gold as we were leaving. This was our first visit to Dino and certainly won't be our last.

Another Thai option, and one that's real close to you, is Sakoontra. It's cheap, good, and can be a romantic atmosphere as long as you don't have a screaming baby seated at the next table.

Paula and I will be there tomorrow night for the first time. The Venetian menu sounds good!

"My Generation" or "Heaven and Hell" on that CD work just as well.

Bump!

Any recent reports?

I spotted 2 different brands of Indian Mangoes at the Fairfax Wegman's. One area had them for $3.99/pound. Another location had them 2 for $4.99 (I think that these were the ones with the Melissa's label). Picked one up, but haven't tried it yet.

Does anybody know where I can find Beamish Irish Stout? I used to be able to find it in a couple of bars as well as at Total Beverage. However, I have not seen it around for a couple of years.

Paula and I have eaten here several times now and have been very impressed. The burgers, by default, are usually cooked to medium. However, if you ask, they will cook them medium-rare. Unlike 5 Guys if you get cheese on your burger, the cheese is actually cooked/melted on the burger and not thrown on at the end. Fries are always excellent, served hot and crispy. The only disappointment has been the chicken sandwich, which was quite small considering the size of the regular burger. Website music is incredibly annoying.

The sign outside the restaurant says the name is "New York Style Pizza By The Slice". The carryout menu says that their name is "Vienna's First New York Style Pizza". My credit card slip says "Church Street Pizza". I picked up an order on Saturday and asked them to clear up the name confusion. According to the woman at the register, their official name is "Church Street Pizza". The 3 pizzas that we ordered on Saturday (1 cheese, 1 pepperoni, and 1 mushroom) were all really good.

Paula and I had a very enjoyable dinner Friday night. From the moment we walked in the door to the end of the meal, we found the entire staff to be friendly and helpful. There were lots of thoughtful touches throughout, from the birthday card from the restaurant to our car waiting for us at the end of the night. Since Paula is pregnant, the staff went out of their way to make us aware of any raw/undercooked ingredients. They even have a non-alcoholic wine on their menu (which unfortunately tasted more like grape juice than wine, but was a nice touch nonetheless). Our first amuse was the mushroom fritter with white truffle oil. We had this last year in the bar, but it is still very tasty. The second amuse was a delicious Hiramasa carpaccio. For Paula, they prepared a custard (mushroom?), which she really enjoyed. Since we could not decide on what to order, we opted for the tasting menu: Purée Of Path Valley Farms Spring Garlic Soup with Roasted Sweet Pepper and Niçoise Olive Beignets This soup was a lot subtler then what I was expecting. The garlic was not overpowering at all, and, if anything, could have been a little more assertive. Cityzen Veal Oscar - Grilled Chapel Hill Farm Veal Sausage and Maryland Softshell Crab Tempura This dish was very good, especially the veal sausage. Paula and I are probably the only 2 people on the planet that are not huge fans of softshell crabs. Nevertheless, we still enjoyed this dish. Pan Seared Pacific Sablefish Yukon Gold Potato Risotto, Watercress Purée, Hard Boiled Egg Mousse and an Applewood Smoked Bacon Chip I really enjoyed this dish the more that I ate of it. In fact, I started analyzing this dish (and probably over-analyzed it) as I was eating it. Normally, when I get a dish at a restaurant I taste the main item first without any of the accompanying sauces/sides. So, I tried a bite of the sablefish without the egg mousse or the bacon and thought, “this fish needs salt”. Then I tried the sablefish with the egg mousse. Then I tried it with the bacon. Then I realized that I am an idiot. This dish was constructed such that you were supposed to eat the sablefish with the egg mousse or the bacon chip. Had the fish been salted properly, it would have been fine on its own; however, it would have tasted like licking a salt lick if eaten with the mousse or the bacon. Who knows, maybe I am over-analyzing this and Ziebold is laughing at me thinking “this guy is obsessing over an under-salted fish”. Herb Roasted Martin Ranch Baby Lamb Fricassée of English Peas, Morel Mushrooms and Garden Mint This was cooked a perfect medium-rare for me, and they cooked it a little longer for Paula. I really enjoyed the lamb, as it had a smokey flavor that reminded me of pastrami (this is a good thing). Citronelle’s English Pea Soup and the English Peas served in this dish are the only peas that I have enjoyed since I was 5 years old. I have expensive taste in peas, I guess. Paula didn’t enjoy the peas, but she blames that on pregnancy. Assorted Artisanal Cheeses Cityzen has one of the best cheese carts in the area. They had at least 15 different cheeses available. Our waiter did a terrific job in explaining all of the cheeses, and made a point of picking out only pasteurized cheeses for Paula. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the individual cheeses that I got, but I did enjoy them all. Cookies and Cream My memory is a bit hazy but I think that it was white chocolate mousse/ice cream on top of a cookie covered in “magic shell”. It looked like a Hostess Ring Ding. Paula could not stop laughing when she saw it, which she also attributes to pregnancy . We would have enjoyed this dessert a lot more if we weren’t so stuffed at this point. Maybe next time (post birth of child) we will do the wine pairings; however, I did enjoy my glass of Cava (1+1=3) and a Grenache/Mourvedre/Syrah blend (name escapes me but I have it written down at home). Paula was jealous of the beer pairings with the cheese course at the table next to us. Overall, this was a wonderful evening from start to finish. I would not hesitate to return for the bar menu, and would also welcome a return to the main dining room.

Not sure why this article was in the Home & Garden section as opposed to the Food & Dining section of the Washington Post. Grill Power: Gas vs. Charcoal

It looks like Paula and I will be able to make it to the picnic. She will definitely be making cupcakes and possibly cookies as well. We also will be bringing some bacon from Wegman's for the bacon tasting. ETA: I have a mini weber grill that I can bring if anybody needs it. All you need to supply is the charcoal.