MsDiPesto

The billboards for CFA south of Virginia are kind of decorated with life size cows. 

Falls Church location is closed, I saw the signs on the doors today when I was patronizing the Starbucks and ABC store on either side of it. The wording led me to believe their last day was the 28 of August. 

I haven't had Stouffer's in years. Many memories of blisters on the roof of my mouth. Man, those things can hold some heat!

Yes, and I foolishly forgot that fact and underestimated the thermal output and...burned the roof of my mouth.   Fortunately it only took a day to heal.

Wegman's in FFX has Kummelweck rolls for those who want to recreate a Beef on Weck.

It has been years, maybe over a decade since I last had a Stouffer's French Bread Pizza. But I bought a box of two the other day, and last night, it was late and I wanted something, so I heated one up. They're just like I remember. I didn't want to get a whole 'za for myself from a take out place because I knew I'd be tempted to eat more than I needed. Not bad for frozen food.

Avoid the new product; "Pork Rib Bites in BBQ sauce". for $4.99, you get a bag of bones with a tiny bit of meat on them submerged in a candy-sweet BBQ sauce. I really didn't like them, and threw most of it out.

True justice would have these two bums in stocks on the courthouse lawn, with their crime described on a large sign, and a box of charged up cattle prods available to anyone who happened to be walking by.

The town where I attended university in NYS had the requisite main drag full of divey bars, but not only was there a place with a walk-up window for pizza slices, there was another place with a walk-up for knishes! We did have a very large demographic of students from Long Island.

Well, they certainly have an extremely ambitious 'courtyard' plan for the area:

From Tysons Tower's gallery

I've a feeling that normally empty back parking garage with the claustrophobic ramps is going to become a lot more popular.

Ah, there's the green space, on the roof of that middle building!

Don, you are to be commended for your ability to remain above the fray, keeping confidences as appropriate.

That said...you tease!   

That's interesting, some young person from my office is leaving for grad school and they were going to do happy hour there. I didn't go. That's the trouble with working in Bethesda, every time there's an office function, the choice leaves a lot to be desired.

Besides, I can't stand the young punks I work with I wasn't feeling well, and so went straight home.

I saw them at the Falls Church Farmers Market this past Saturday, in different colors. I almost bought some.

The Falls Church TJs on Rt. 7 is now open until 10pm. I don't know if that's every day, so check before you journey there. 

Even though I love what they have, I was there last week, and ended up spending a lot more time than I intended to, because I finally had to ask someone where the cotton balls were (answer: 7b with the baby stuff) and where they relocated other items. I got into the grocery aisles and thought "They've changed it around yet again!"

I also wish it was back to the original format.

And I bought more stuff than I intended, so I guess the strategy works.

On Saturday night, some friends were passing through town on their way home to Chicago after having spent a week at the Outer Banks. I suggested that the four of us go to Orso for dinner as I knew the various small plates offerings would be well received by the one visitor who had lap-band surgery a few years ago and is now very portion-conscious when it comes to his food. Besides, I knew that our mutual friend with whom they were staying was going to suggest we go to Open Road and I wanted to avoid that as they had already been there the week before when on their way to the OBX.

As it turned out, Saturday evening was perfect for eating on the patio at Orso. We split a bottle of red, I don't know what it was, but I do know our very good server said it was the last bottle of it. I had a small portion of the Wild Boar Ragu with parmesan gnocchi which was just amazing. I also split an Orso Bianco with another of our party, and the crust was just so perfectly done! We ordered Tater Tots for the table, being sure to add a 4th Tot so we could each have one. We shared our desserts, so I got to sample the wonderful Lemon Glazed Donut with the Nutella mousse as well as the lemon sorbet and the Chocolate Chip Cannolli. The Tomato Basil soup was well received by those who ordered it, as was the BLT Gnocchi.

We lingered until we realized that the chairs were up on the tables inside, but our gracious server was not in a hurry to get rid of us. Thanks to Orso for a wonderful dining experience filled with great conversation. I can't wait to go again (this was only my second time there within the span of a year), so I have an excuse to try other items on the menu.

Just want to give a shout out to the Fairfax Wegman's due to my success on my shopping trip there yesterday. Imagine my delight to stumble upon a pile of Thomas' Corn English Muffins.

Until now, I've only been able to buy them when visiting my hometown in NYS. No longer am I denied their corny goodness due to the circumstance of having to work in the wretched south.

I also found Medaglia D'Oro instant espresso, which I can only ever find at Wegman's

A friend was hosting her out of town brother and  his wife from Chicago (who I'm also friends with) as they passed through on their way to the Outer Banks last Friday, and she cooked a bavette (flank steak) from Red Apron for dinner that was very good. 

Note: Do *NOT* explore past this forum post if you value your blood pressure.  FFXU is an oil slick of trolls and anonymous posting, and the foulest, sickest tripe you could ever read on the internet resides in their subforums.

The few times I've explored that "FU" site have left me with the opinion that the participants are all the "townie" rednecks who never escaped their suburb and are bitter and angry about outsiders coming in and finding success.

Thanks for the update, Destruya, (hey, love the Brock Sampson icon! Go team Venture!) Fresh Hatch chilies are definitely only something you see around the East Coast in the fall, including the weekend roastings at some of the supermarkets, etc.

OK, well, the new Falls Church location opened this week. I decided to get a whole chicken, thinking I'd get some sandwiches out of it. The new space is in the former post office on the side of the strip shopping center, and is cramped, especially around the ordering and pickup counter. Silly me, thinking I'd get a whole chicken that was rotisseried. I got a styrofoam box of a chicken hacked into four pieces. Not sure it was all from the same bird either. It was overcooked and lacking flavor.

I can do much better with a $4.99 whole bird from Wegman's. So much for C'nJ.

He was all product and price-points -

A frequent reason for the eventual downfall of places that have a good start.

So if we're to believe this, the Tyson's Shake Shack will be directly connected to the 'mall' station of the Silver Line.  I guess they're really going for that "just like NYC" touch of impossibly long lines.  Only reason I looked this up is because it's been 'coming soon' for about a year and a half now, and a quoted 'done by' date of July is new information.

Hmmm, guess I'll have to go during "off" hours. Still better than trekking into DC for a burger.

I'm sure he'd be a blast to hang with! I like the guy, I just wish he'd stop with the overused cultural touchstones is all.

The problem being that I wouldn't go to Zingerman's even if I was in Ann Arbor (unless I was a marketing student).

Ah, I hear you. I am naive about this, but I imagine the catalogue is their primary revenue generator. I've only ever bought a flight of aged balsamic vinegars which I really liked.

It's certainly not the illustrations that attract as I find them creepy.

American kids would throw it in the trash and wonder where the PB&J was. As it is, school systems in the U.S. are begging for a reprieve from having to serve lunches with veggies and fruit because it ultimately ends up in the garbage can and the cost is endangering their budgets.

Some friends of mine were on vacation in Iceland, and were on a boat with school kids from the U.S., and also a bunch of French kids. At one point, they dredged the bottom and brought up all kinds of those things that dwell there (whelks, whatever, I don't eat that stuff so I'm ignorant about it). My friends said the U.S. kids recoiled in horror while the French kids were eating it like candy!

Different society altogether.

And Tony needs to stop mentioning the Ramones in every show. We get it Tony, you're trying to prove you're still hip, you've still got street cred, you're still relevant. Just show us the food and don't be so preachy!