RWBooneJr

To update the prior posts, Nodding Head is gone (possibly relocating), as is Katie Loeb (the cocktails are still excellent, though), but Oyster House is still going strong. I spent my New Years weekend in Philly and took refuge from the Mummers with some oysters and a bloody.
 

The Midtown East location (240 E 45th St.) is still good.  Here's a recent picture of their excellent pizza bread meatball sandwich.  Unfortunately, it's only available certain days, which is how I know that the steam table food bar and made-to-order subs are also both well above average.
 

They say the change has to come from within.

"If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. ... We need not wait to see what others do." ~ Mohandas Gandhi

From her tone throughout the article it is clear that she condemns terrorism and violence of all stripes.  She points out though that by requiring any and all Muslim individuals to condemn radial-Islamic terrorism, you are placing some measure of guilt on them.

This is correct, and the comments to the article apparently miss the point. While many of the comments are simply racist, the more sensible ones still presuppose a connection between Islam and terrorism that doesn't exist. It is the terrorist who are trying to make that connection, and the comments play right into their hands. This is not a struggle between Christians, et al. and Muslims, it's a struggle between humanity and evil. The fact that in this particular instance the evil shrouds itself in a fictionalized version of Islam is of no consequence.

What is so profoundly ignorant ...

Muslims do not become terrorists because of their religion, they become terrorists because they feel disenfranchised. That feeling is fostered by a Western society that views Muslim as "other" (and some would argue lesser). Islam doesn't drive the radicalization, it has been bastardized to suit the radical ends. The response demonstrated in the comments you post does nothing but further the feeling of marginalization. It's not just stupid, it's suicidal. Islam doesn't cause terrorism, we do in how we treat Muslims.

Were the comments I posted (cut and pasted) shocking and offensive?

The comments testify to an ignorance so profound that there is simply no response other than incredulous amazement.

Here are some that I pulled out that take her and her logic to task ...

As Carolyn Hax would say:  "Wow.  Just, wow."

On 12/27/2015 at 4:07 PM, DonRocks said:

Clarendon: Where you live when you get your first job, but aren't quite ready to leave college.

Wrong.  For the most part, those people can no longer afford to live in Clarendon proper, though they arrive in droves on Friday and Saturday nights.  The demographic now is largely 27-34, and appears to be somewhat more female than male.  I also think that the men skew a bit older than the women (even after my old arse moved out of the neighborhood).

I have my doubts that I would feel the same about a $56 whole roasted chicken, unless it got up and entertained us upon being served...  After all, it is just chicken.

You can usually tell everything you need to know about a restaurant by ordering the chicken.

It is a very good restaurant, one this city is lucky to have, but its rabid appeal is lost on me.

It's a very good restaurant that's not terribly expensive, has great service, and is, above all things, fun (if you let it be).  There are plenty of restaurants in DC that do better at each of these things, but few -- perhaps none -- all of them at once.

This would be the archetype of what you describe.  They'll sell you one unglazed if that's what you're looking for.

Spiral slicing the hams at the Tysons store was actually my job every Christmas break during college.  It was a twelve hour shift most days, and they fed us the rejects twice a day during our 15 minute meal breaks.  I still eat it now, so I guess it's either pretty good or I'm hopelessly brainwashed.

On 12/1/2015 at 11:45 AM, DaveO said:

I doubt anyone goes for the food.

But ... they have a four star rating on Yelp!

On 11/30/2015 at 6:18 AM, DonRocks said:

Did I do something bad in a previous lifetime that I don't know about?

On a positive note, you didn't get roofied, which I'd expect is significantly more likely than getting a decent meal.

Don Rockwell on the expansion of Marc Vetri's empire:

Well, it looks like the dilution of quality has begun.

Our readers can now find Osteria in the Multiple Locations Dining Guide with the rest of the chains.

 
Don Rockwell on the contraction of Marc Vetri's empire:

Once again, money takes precedence over legacy. I am so utterly unimpressed by this that I can't even begin to describe it.

What's a chef to do?

The other side.

note to self: never host a pop-up

There was a popup with ramen, but it's over now.  This ramen appears to be on the regular lunch menu.  I assume the EBY in the name is Erik Bruner Yang.

Two stars from the paper of record (and the critic a certain cantankerous forum host apparently respects).

If this were true, I should basically already be dead.

On 10/21/2015 at 10:30 AM, Al Dente said:

I think NBC might need to do some fact checking.

Nope. The author is Paul Horner, who is relatively famous for this sort of thing.

...Andrew is a really nice guy, and a bartender with strong opinions opposing Meyer's plan...

One of the best, and someone I consider a good friend.  Happy birthday, Andrew!

I really wish I could take my grandmother to Rose's Luxury, but I can't because she's dead.  Obviously, this is the restaurant's fault.  If they cared about their customers AT ALL, they would have opened years earlier when she was still alive.  Four stars my ass.

Does anyone know if Horace & Dickie's is a chain or a franchise? They have two different websites, one for each location (see the Multiple Locations Dining Guide).

Same family.

Ray's--> in my mind, completely similar in quality of steaks, and at a fraction of the cost.  I'll take Ray's.

I'd be (pleasantly) surprised, based on the apparent financial issues, if it isn't sold to a local restaurant group within the next six months.  Hopefully, they work everything out with their creditors and keep it going as-is, but if the creditors balk I'd guess that's where things are headed.  There's too much goodwill in the business for it to simply close.

It has one of the most curious websites I've come across lately.

In case you care, they're using this html theme.  And there is or was a Kizuna in Buenos Aires.

You just described Larry Bird.

I would have said Michael Jordan, to whom I equate Gretsky in a lot of respects.  There can be no analogue to Gretsky in Baseball or Football, where the size of the team and nature of the game diminishes any one person's individual achievements, or any individual sport, where personal achievement is the sole point.