synaesthesia

Oh... we forgot the obvious question... where do you go in the environs for food? Especially guilty pleasures - excluding the obvious oleo-laden popcorn.

I also wonder if it's just a very different situation and decision once you reach the fine dining level. I would think in order for a woman to have made it that high, clearly requires a lot of chops/cojones and that merits a lot more respect and allows them to stand on more equal footing. I imagine if it were not fine dining the situation might be very different. Or is it also something we see less of in kitchens run by American chefs - as many European chefs seem to have the @$$hole with a cleaver mentality (as opposed to the @$$hole with a keyboard =D)

I really enjoyed some of the beef that my family got from the Hunt Valley Wegman's. But I've heard that it has a tendency to vary. I'm not sure if there's anyone at the farmer's market under I-83 that might give you better guidance. They have this listing for Harford County of places you can contact. Hickory Chance sells at the I-83 market. I've never had any personal experiences, but I'm sure that if it's good, and you start to develop a relationship with them you can get things the way you want them.

I heard from one friend that fries are dangerous, because a lot of times they get coated with flour and not just the battered ones.

And how would you compare to this to a non-fine dining restaurant? I imagine there is some difference...

I'd forgotten to note this before, but Fog City News is one of my favorite stops in SF. They have one of the most interesting and diverse collections of chocolate bars I have never seen before. One of the most interesting is Zotter, which has flavors that are unique even compared to the Vosges bars, and were doing them much earlier. I was always too caught up in perusing the chocolate to notice that it appears they also have a number of interesting old fashioned soda pops. I will definitely have to check it out again on my next visit.

The review of Gamasot this past week was a little frustrating to read. While I realize it is written from the author's experience of the place, I got a very strong undertone of "other cultures are bizarre" point of view. It's a big reason I don't like Andrew Zimmern as compared to Tony Bourdain. While I appreciate the fact that she is trying to speak to people from a noob point of view that may be necessary - holding things up as strange does not generally encourage people to try them. If anything it may have been useful to draw parallels - it could have gone into more detail in comparing soon dae (blood sausage) to the blood sausages of other cuisines. Or she could have elaborated more on the acorn starch dish that seems to be a focal point of the introduction. The tea she drank was probably barley tea, which is also something worth noting.

Is the orange shrimp similar to orange chicken in preparation?

You can read a bit more about Three Floyds in DC on DCist. =D

Or you could... peruse the Dining Guide - something I recommend to everyone. It has always been my go to when I am thinking geographically. Anything new should be on there, and you would be able to recognize the new names.But aside from that... I like the bar at Rasika on Weds-Sat when Jason is there. I like the seating there though it might be a clusterf***.

I've experienced a version of it in London where there are some Chinese restaurants with a number of large round tables. If there's only two you end up still sharing a round table of about 8 with a bunch of other people. I found it a bit strange and awkward at times, since I was much more shy at the time.

And therein lies the problem. Get your hands on something hotter... I love the Nando's hot sauces. Also depends on if you want savory, sweet or vinegary.

True, true... Which one of you is the old, near-death, wealthy fellow who will be besotted with me and leave me money?

Maybe it's the if you build it, they will come idea. If you look at what Joe Englert has done to revitalize the H St. corridor, it's not entirely unreasonable to see that happen in Ward 7. And perhaps, every once in a while, people are not 110% purely interested in $$. <shock and horror>

I would add Recchiuti's sea salt caramels, though Jason's are fairly on par. Recchiuti's other selections are okay. If you can find your way to Kee's in New York, those are some damn fine chocolates.

It's interesting to see all the things that Barbara Lynch is doing in Boston. She's really making a number of dining destinations in the city that are really worth visiting. I decided to return to The Butcher Shop on my last night, and I had a nice conversation with our server. Each restaurant in the group has an expertise that requires extensive training. The fellows at B&G can look at an oyster tell you whether it came from the Pacific or Atlantic. I'm not sure if that's complicated, but it sounds impressive. The Butcher Shop focuses on wine and characuterie - they have weekly wine and cheese classes that the servers are required to attend. At No 9 Park they start you out on the cheese cart which has approximately 24 cheeses that change quite frequently and should be recognized on sight. But aside from that... they have the temerity to put marrow bones and boudin noir on the same plate with some matchsticked apple. And it worked. The bones were pure white on the outside - all the flesh had been scraped off. And the fat was still quite firm. The boudin noir was light and airy. It could have maybe used a touch more fruit, but for someone with a head cold it felt like healing. And the boudin lent the right amount of salt and flavor to the marrow. And one less bone probably would have done the trick or someone to share. Ended with cardamom pot de creme, which was delicious. Though I would have suggested it be a touch more firm. Nonetheless it was a pleasing environment and comfort food. I am looking forward to checking out Sportello the next time I am up there, and there will be another restaurant that is even more fine dining than No 9 Park to visit.

Riddle: How much did I drink if the first time I logged on to DR.com is more than 24 hours after the party started?

Are my fondest dreams fulfilled and my prayers being answered? Is there really a Santa Claus, quoth Virginia.

I don't know how pricey you are willing to go, but I tried a few of these Richart pieces and found them wonderful http://www.richart-chocolates.com/b2c/chocolate/products/410

No 9 Park. Fantastic. Started with a foie gras torchon. Paired beautifully with a cream of gala apples - it could have used a touch more salt to stop it from sliding into lardtasticness, but still lovely. My companion's prune gnocchi with seared foie gras was phenomenal. The gnocchi was light, and developed from a technique learned by the chef in Northern Italy. My entree was duck breast with a lovely crisp skin, along with a base of duck confit, and duck consomme poured around it. Finished off with some broccoli rabe, it was a perfect wintery meal. My dessert was good - malted chocolate tablet with a green banana ice cream and bruleed banana slices. But my companion's was AMAZING. Salted caramel ice cream on a bed of cacao nibs with a disc of chocolate on top, some sort of foam, and hot chocolate poured over top to melt the chocolate disc. YUM! Salty, not too sweet, nutty and bitter from the nibs. Mmmph... heavily debating returning for another meal tomorrow. One of the most fascinating aspects of tonight was how well the staff was trained exhaustively in the techniques used, their origins, and origins of the inputs. Definitely a knowledge level in line with some truly fine dining.

Welcome! Please post to our Baltimore forum! =D and it sounds like Joe Squared Pizza might be a place for you.

Having been there a number of times at the insistence of coworkers, I'D RATHER EAT AT BERTUCCI'S. My strategy of late is to stick to appetizers. I had some sort of sweet pea pasta with mint where the peas seemed a little undercooked. I had a very fishy tasting, prosciutto, fig and some cheese that really didn't go flatbread that I felt guilty about not finishing but ended up throwing away when I took it home. I do like the bread basket though. And I just think there are a few slightly better options around there. And I've heard from coworkers who don't like the DC one that the Boston one is significantly better. Even excellent.

Wow. I had a totally different experience last evening from most people. Maybe because I was giggling like a high schooler because we had just made a great escape from my first visit to Old Ebbitt Grill. (The decorations, the menu it was all too much. We threw some money on the table, having not ordered anything and RAN.) No dog and pony show. Just the obscenely-sized onion bread, which was a bit lamentable and rather intimidating. And let me tell you, when you drown two slices of likely-Chilean beefsteak tomatoes with bleu cheese and cracked pepper it isn't so bad. I got the nod from the waiter for ordering my ribeye medium rare. It wasn't the most flavorful piece of meat, but it did have a fairly pleasing salt and pepper crust. Would I have paid nearly $40 for the steak myself? No. I think in a nod to our not ordering our meat burnt to a crisp, our server kindly brought a complimentary Godiva chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream to share. It may have been free because it was the end of the day and it would have been binned... because the cake was a bit crusty, which isn't all that bad. But the ice cream... UGH... had either been frozen way too slowly or refrozen because I could hear the ice crystals breaking as I put my spoon through it. But beggars can't be choosers. It was certainly a memorable evening.

Took my aunt and uncle here for lunch today. Aside from a number of things we had the previous time I went for dim sum, we tried the oyster noodle soup, and the fried tofu noodle soup. I didn't really think the overwhelming thinness of the noodles matched with the thick oyster soup, but according to my aunt it is quite traditional. I did like the broth a lot, which was greatly enhanced by the addition of coriander. The fried tofu noodle soup was really enjoyable, with a nice fragrance and really good fried tofu - creamy and flavorful.

DCist's Alicia Mazzara on making deep fried pumpkin hand pies. The pictures are quite worth the read.