Pete

One sign that soft shell crabs have become trite is that they are now being served in my cafeteria at work. What's next, the McCrab?

I tried Friends Kabob for the first time today and was not disappointed. I ordered the Spicy Thigh Kabob which were nice and charred on the outside, but tender and juicy inside. Not too much heat to them, just enough to provide a nice flavor. The kabobs came with Kabuli Rice, which contains raisins and carrots (their menu says that Kabuli Rice is only served on Friday and Saturday). The kabobs were also served with the standard salad as well as a chickpea and potato combination. The tanduri bread was very good, although not as good as the bread at Flame Kabob in Fairfax. Total damage was $7 for plenty of food. Since it is not too far from both home and work, I'm sure that I will be making many return trips. FYI, their menu does not mention that they are halal, so I would assume that they are not.

Anything with pork. ETA: Oops. I didn't see Jacques' post. To be a little more helpful...if gnocchi is on the bistro menu, jump at the chance to order it.

I had the 2003 Rappahanock Meritage this weekend (finished the rest of it last night) and I was truly surprised at how much I enjoyed the wine. It is probably the best Virginia wine that I have had in recent memory. As for wine tours, a friend of mine recently arranged a wine tour of some of the Loudon County wineries. He rented a couple of minivans and we had a designated driver for each van, which worked out nice. We went to Tarara, which had a couple of good wines (nothing stands out at this point). We also went to Lost Creek and Hidden Brook wineries, which are right next door to each other and a couple of miles from Tarara in Leesburg. These wines were consistently awful. The whites all tasted WAY to sugary-sweet (think Manischewitz but with more sugar). The red wines tasted watered-down (I think the Cabernet Sauvignon was made with 50% Cabernet and 50% H2O). The only way to describe them was that they had no character - nothing to distinguish them other than their lack of flavor. The other winery that we visited was Village Winery, which is a small shop and very new. The owner was incredibly nice and gave us all an in-depth tour of the vineyard. His wines are pretty good (very young) and they also make an interesting apple wine.

I think this is the winner. Based on your photos and some additional reading, I am fairly certain that it is a black walnut. Looks like a ton of work to harvest, so we shall see how adventurous I become. Thanks to everybody for their help and input. I knew that this community would come through! If we find any other culinary puzzles in our backyard, you all will be the first to know.

Nope, no thorns on the tree. The tree is massive...at least 50 feet tall.

Yes, they are around 2 inches in diameter. However, they are green and most resemble a lime as opposed to a lemon. I don't know if they eventually change color since we just moved into the house. Are yuzu green before they turn yellow?

I cannot speak for Black's as I have never been there, but I would recommend unequivocally Restaurant Eve. We were actually in the tasting room twice within the last 2 weeks and both meals were off the charts (hint: any menu item that says "gnocchi", or "black bass" should be ordered). Plus, you get the added bonus of Todd Thrasher's cocktails as an alternative to wine. It also has the neighborhood, friendly feel that you are looking for. Personally, I found the ambiance at Maestro to be a bit stuffy.

Paula and I were in the backyard of our new house and noticed a tree that had a citrus-smelling fruit. Since we couldn't figure out what the "mystery fruit-like substance" is we figured that the donrockwell.com community could help. Below are some pictures. This is a picture of the fruit in the tree. The "mystery fruit" has a citrus smell and looks similar to a lime. However, when smashed open, well, I don't really know what it looks like. So, does anybody have a guess? Have we stumbled onto a culinary goldmine or a nuisance that will continue to get stuck in our lawnmower? Thanks!

tick-tock....tick-tock....and? ETA: VENTWORM!!!

I know that Minibar offers at least one flight of sparkling wine. I don't know if it is on the menu in Cafe Atlantico, but perhaps they will let you order it if you ask.

Paula and I recently moved to Vienna, VA and I have seen signs that advertise a farmer's market on Saturday mornings. Has anybody been to the Vienna farmer's market and is it worth checking out?

This would work for the comedian as well.

Yes, we bought the smoked salt and the vanilla salt. Does Cheesetique owe you a referral fee?

It is still readily available at Total Wine. Wegman's carries it as well, but for the "hefty" price of $7.49.

The salted butter caramel are like liquid crack! I bought Paula a 24-count box and she was kind enough to share them with me. All flavors were enjoyed, particularly the cinnamon honey and the pistachio.

I think the extent of Mario Batali's relationship with Food Network is limited to Iron Chef America, although they still show re-runs of Molto Mario (the show is no longer produced). I don't think that Bourdain has any assocation with FN, although they do occasionally re-run A Cook's Tour.

What is the dress code in the bar area?

I think that you might be referring to Planet Splash & Play, which closed back in April. A little further out is Splash Down Waterpark in Manassas, VA.

Paula and I have been part of the California Wine Club for a little over a year. However, we have just canceled our membership. We enjoyed it with mixed success (some good, some not so good wines) but it got to the point where I was tired of receiving Merlots and Chardonnays. Plus, we have not been drinking as much wine as we used to (why that is, I don't know). I found this article on, of all places, Smartmoney.com. Personally, I would be skeptical of ordering wine from Overstock.com, but perhaps some of the other information is helpful.

A group of us ate at Sette Bello a few weeks ago. The good: -Cavatelli pasta with broccoli rabe, sausage, and pecorino. The so-so: -Roasted bell peppers with fresh mozzarella and basil. This dish would have been pleasant enough; however, the texture of the roasted peppers was way too soft and mushy. -Gnocchi with tomato, mozzarella, and basil. Again, a texture issue as the gnocchi were sort-of gummy. -Smoked salmon carpaccio. The general consensus was that the capers completely over-powered the smoked salmon. The bad: -Our waitress, who thought that she was auditioning for Last Comic Standing. OK, we get it. You think your funny. Now, where is the wine we that ordered 20 minutes ago? Overall, nothing was truly horrible (except, for a couple of our waitresses jokes) but I think that my money would have been better spent elsewhere.

If one were to go to Ray's and only order seafood dishes, one would still have a fantastic meal that would not break the bank. Saturday night found five of us at Ray's as the final top-off to Paula and her sister's birthday extravaganza. Crab bisque was raved about by several. My blackened scallop appetizer did not last long on my plate, as it was cooked perfectly with just the right amount of spice to complement the delicate flavor of the scallop. Paula's grilled shrimp scampi appetizer blew us both away and made me wish that I lived closer to Ray's. No need to wax nostalgic about the steaks that we all ordered as I cannot say anything that hasn't already been said, although I did feel like Fred Flintstone when I was presented with the 28-ounce cowboy cut with the killer diablo sauce. We washed everything down with a bottle of the EVO, which was much enjoyed. Our waitress brought us a slice of key lime pie and some milk chocolate mousse on-the-house, and finished everything off with the tiger butter, which is darn tasty. Service was terrific as we never felt rushed even though there was a huge line of people waiting outside to get in. Thanks again to Michael and staff.

Well, sure; however, Danny may have gotten his snazzy suit dirty. Danny was very tactful about moving our table. He did it without us even asking. It is clear that Danny genuinely enjoys assisting diners, which rubs off on the wait staff as well who were equally as friendly to us. Thanks for a wonderful evening.

Since when did Ray's start serving ribs?

If you give me $50 worth of wine, I will consider taking the tickets.