Joshua Grinnell

The lasagna is still there and it's still pretty good; I also like the calzone, though you don't get to choose your filling to the extent you can customize the pizza, which is odd. I wasn't around for the other incarnations of this place, but I can say that the courthouse location's chief contribution to the area is their pumping that great garlic and baking bread smell into the air for blocks around it. Il Radicchio is the place I take my family to when I can't convice them to try something more adventurous. That doesn't mean that the food is bad; it's really quite good. It's just that you end up damning a place with faint praise when you have to put your foot down and say, "No, I don't want to go to the olive garden. Let's go to Il Radicchio, you'll like it."

Their delivery radius can seem to vary at times, but Quick Pita in Georgetown delivers. I'm in Rosslyn and they'll come across the bridge, though I'm not sure how far into VA they'll go. DC seems to be pretty well covered. They have good vegeterian options (felafel, cheese pies) and I recommend the "quick pita special", which is chicken shawarma and good french fries stuffed in a pita roll. 202 338 PITA and they're open until 4 AM on weekends.

You can indeed freeze it; I think it actually tastes better after it's been frozen and thawed once. As for canning, I don't think the AB process gets the temperature up high enough for it to be safely stored. You also mean to tell me that I've been ghoulishly lurking around after cheese parties prowling for rinds for no damn reason?

I don't eat them raw, because then I would be a strange, strange person. However, if you're baking tomatoes in preparation of turning them into sauce in the manner of alton brown, throwing the parmesan rind in to the mix makes for some really, really good sauce. It usually all melts away into the protosauce, but you can scoop out what doesn't. I just did a batch with hanover tomatoes and some bleu cheese rind from Arrowine- Mr. Rockwell, you'll find God in that sauce if you're still looking for help.

In order to keep from imploding yearly, I prefer to think of this process as one of dazed beltway commuters saying "Wow, everyone likes Barnes and Noble, too! What is this Politics and Prose? I shall check it out..." I'm a little frightened of the "Most Romantic" going to the Inn at Little Washington. I'll admit that the sort of cash outlay (credit, in my instance) required is akin to the romance of "for you, my love, I'll cut off my ear," but there is little romance in getting dressed up, eating and drinking so much that you become angry at the waiters doing this to you, waddling back to your quaint bed and breakfast, and then collapsing in your clothes on the very bed that earlier you had made all sorts of lascivious premonitions about. It marks a certain sense of comfortability in the relationship regarding flatulence and bloating and a cheese cow that moos, for which I am forever grateful... but for romance you're better off sneaking a picnic into Dumbarton Oaks.

On Columbia Pike between Glebe and Seven Corners are a string of sidewalk food carts. I finally stopped at one of the snowcone stands this past weekend (the stand at the entrance to the W & OD trail whilst biking) and I really enjoyed it. This might had a lot to do with being hot, but the proprietess made me a mixed strawberry, pineapple, and mango snowcone using about half a foot of towering shaved ice that I can only heartily recommend to people out for a ride or just driving through. A little bit farther towards Seven Corners is a stand with a man hacking some large, green objects with a machete that I'd like to try. Our guess was that they were young coconuts, but I won't know until I try. Anyone care to enlighten me as to what the large green things could be?

I hate sinking into coinnoisseur-ship... but Dairy Godmother will give you an education. I've had gelato, sorbet, custard, ice cream, mochi, etc., that tasted great and even (rarely) better than DG, but they have the mouthfeel down to a science. The custard feels like it's left a coating of cool, wet air on the roof of your mouth. I bike down there from Rosslyn and there is nothing that feels better after breathing in bugs and exhaust and river fumes than taking a bite of custard and letting it sit there, melting. The sorbet, whether it was the mango lassi or the green apple riesling (?!?!), had this completely different effect: it causes this shiny, tart squelching noise in your mouth that you feel rather than hear. Yeah, you could pretend that this post didn't happen and just go for some fantastic tasting cold stuff, but follow the Dairy Godmother down the rabbit hole, man. You don't want to go among the mad people? You're too late; we're all mad here.

One little trick you can do at Moby's (at least the four I've been to) is ask for the crusty rice that results from the heavily buttered cooking process that makes the rice so damn good. Essentially, it's the scrapings from the bottom and sides of the pan, but think of it as an incredibly bad for you rice cake. They don't always have it, as it gets given away first come first serve. Either ask for Tahdeg (persian) or Guzmik (turkic) or just ask if they have any crispy rice. This also works out at any other kebab place I've been to, but Moby's is especially buttery. Pairs well with root beer.

I haven't been to Ravi yet (it's on my DR to-eat list), so all I can do is rate how Bamian compares to Shamshiry and Moby Dick for kabobs. The scorecard: Kabobs: I can't really compare to Shamshiry, as the cuts of meat I had were different, but Bamian was easily as good or better than Moby's. The lamb of milady was a tad bit overdone, but I thought they were still juicy. My Bamian Kabob was also excellent, but benefited even more from the green hot pickle relish. Call it what you will. Green hot pickle relish: Much better done at Bamian than Shamshiry. I find the Shamshiry relish to be fine if I want my ass kicked, but I normally have to tuck it into the pat of butter if I'm going to put it on the bread. Bread: Bamian wins, hands down. Shamshiry's bread is never going to be its selling point. I never have room for the bread at Moby's, since I fill up on rice. I normally give it to wandering ducks. Milady likes Moby Dick bread better than Bamian. Sides and Appetizers: Auksh (scallion dumplings) and Kadu (pumpkin) at Bamian are of a level that you can't find anywhere else. Get the Auksh. We were running our fingers on the plate to get every last bit of the residue. I nearly rubbed it into my gums to get the last bit of goodness into me. Auksh should be known as Afghan Marching Powder from here on out. Waaayyyyy better than heroin, the previous holder of the title. My jury is still out on where I will go in perpetuity to get kabobs. I will go to Bamian for the sides long after my kabob contest is decided.

While I'm not sure if this applies to Bamian, if a strictly Muslim restaurant serves alcohol at all they will generally take any profits from the sale of booze and donate it to a charity at the end of the year. This actually holds true for some of the more expensive hotel chains owned by Saudis or other Gulf nationals, which leads to quiet donations of several million dollars. So, it's not terrifically Muslim to have alcohol at the restaurant but there are ways around it. Also, the food is still hallal because that pertains to a seperate set of dietary restrictions/preparations outside of the general Qur'anic injunction against drinking. Anyhoo, it's complicated, but long story short is that I doubt they've Westernized the food much at all. 'ilaa al'liqaa, rockwellians.

In my experience, there can be a slight service difference at Guajillo between dining inside and on the patio. When I've been inside, asking for extra cheese or more chips happens muy rapido. Outside, well, you can just sit there smelling the wafted breeze of the garlic from Ray's for a while. My favorite so far has been the Mole Mole Mole, as well, so I'm glad to see some agreement on that. I'm waiting for an opportunity to try the King burro; I have to find a reason to need two days worth of fuel in my belly. As to Pho 75, it's really, really good. Best pho I've had in the area. Granted, it seems to have my old high school cafeteria tables on the inside, but you do get a lot of soup for your money. For example, it's better than Minh's, Viet Garden, anything I've had in Eden Center, and the two other Pho 75s I've been to. Hunter S. Thompson created the original plan for this particular stripmall, shortly before he died. He would start at Ray's with a cowboy cut, wander over to Greenberry's for a quadruple espresso, rub Guajillo salsa and Pho 75 hot sauce into his eyes so he could crash through the front window of Village Bistro spouting obscenities in French, then pick himself up to stagger into the ABC store with one of the Friday night belly dancers from Cafe Poulet dousing him in vodka from plastic bottles. He used to light himself on fire and chase yuppies, screaming "I am the dragon Tiamat and your toes all belong to Tiamat now. GIVE TIAMAT YOUR TOES!" I miss him... what a great strip mall, too.

This was the perfect place to bring vegetarian dates to. Granted, I don't have to bother anymore as I'm marrying the god empress of steak, but I do miss Sunflower. I loved the General Tso's and have a hard time getting the meated version without harkening back to the much better Sunflower version. I did run into one problem, however. One said former date was both a vegetarian and suffered from Celiac disorder (gluten intolerance) and while the staff were very kind and understanding to her allergy (assured her of using seperate and clean pans, etc.), there was apparently enough gluten in the air to bother her a bit. She likened it to not being quite as bad as being in a bakery, but enough to where she was turning a little red. Dating someone who won't/can't eat meat or bread can be a little hellish for someone raised on German cooking... Again, totally marrying a Steak Walkure, but for a while I tried to fight my baser meaty bread urges.

It's not listed on their main page, but a friend on the Hard Times email list forwarded me a notice that this upcoming Thursday (July 27th) is free chili dog day (with purchase) in celebration of National Chili Dog Day. Hell, if we have Arbor Day... well, don't look at me like it's outlandish. Keep in mind that the notice also pointed out that it's viable at all locations except at RFK. The thought of paying ballpark prices for chili makes my blood boil anyways. I'd be tempted to go out to the Vienna Inn, drop $50 on a hogshead of chili dogs, and bring them to Nats games so I could pay off my student loans.

The inevitable "In its Defense" post follows... Most of that area is probably not much longer for this earth regardless, as you simply can't pull enough profit out of fast food and a dive bar to keep from selling the land. I know the land under the taco bell and dremos has been sold. It was briefly fun to imagine the poor folk who had just purchased condos for half a million dollars in the Odyssey across the street waking up, looking out their windows, and seeing Ed Gein's rumpus room. I imagine the Wendy's and Il Radicchio will stay around for a bit longer. The Wendy's has been done to death already and the less said about the fogged up windows, the better for us all. Il Radicchio is worth keeping around; I can't speak about the wine selection, but the food is quite good. The sauces that are described as spicy actually are and the all you can eat pasta is a good deal. The carbonara isn't too heavy and the bologhnese has that authentic Italian bite that you can only get if you've used a little horse meat (I kid, I kid). The pizza dough is the right kind of yeasty and the list of toppings is extensive and fresh. Mr. Rocks, I can't convince you to try Dr. Dremo. There is nothing good there that is not also gimmicky (Chocolate Doughnut Stout) or purely experiential (roof leaking while playing pool). However, there was apparently a time (I'm new to the area) when all of Arlington was filled with the sort of people who would put a dumptruck full of sand onto their outdoor patio in order to recreate a broken glass strewn, cigarette butt laden ocean paradise and then neglect to wonder what would happen if it rained and the sand buried the Hollywood Video parking lot down the hill. I go to pay homage to that lost age; also, they let you top your burgers with guacamole.

We went here for a pre-fireworks dinner, since it's a short hop to the Iwo Jima memorial. The all-you-can-eat crabs are a pretty good deal; we didn't have time to sit and pound, however. Unfortunately, the other bits on the menu might not be so good. The crab cakes didn't have much crab in them. The crab that did find its way into the sandwich seemed to mostly consist of various veins, arteries, and assorted other viaducts. I, er, had a burger at a crab place, which is terrifically dumb. I wasn't craving crab like my date was. Either way, you're not going to go there for burgers, so I'll leave it at that. Take a group of crab fiends who can sit for an hour or three and you'll be quite happy.

Dinner was fantastic; thank you to the two Michaels, Mr. Rockwell, and Ms. Hillvalley for making this happen. One slight qualm- there was so much good food that my fiancee and I were shortly rendered unconscious upon reaching home. This caused us to forget about the leftover [menu item redacted] we'd put in her purse. In the morning, she showed me the cause of her dismay. I told her, "Don't worry, honey; you may have lost a fantastic [menu item redacted], but you've gained a purse that's scented like a fantastic [menu item redacted]." I don't think she'll ever use another purse again.

There is a place that might qualify as a little too mundane for DR folk but might also appeal to out of towners with kids. Whenever I have family visit that aren't quite ready for ethiopian or big slice (the "only in DC" foods are fun to argue about), I take them to the Old Post Office Pavillion by the federal triangle metro. It's best if you've done the Air and Space and are going to do the Natural History to see the dinosaurs. You head out the back of the natural history and it's only two blocks north. After you eat, the metro is right there to wisk you away. Essentially, it's a mall food court but the indian and the Quick Pita (no relation to the Georgetown one, AFAIK) are pretty good and offer samples to the timid. There're also more American offerings, so there's bound to be mac and cheese. There's also a Ben and Jerry's. There is one excrutiating thing about the place: there are metal detectors at the entrance and it can be a tremendous pain in the ass to have to smuggle your pocket knife in your girlfriend's purse. I suppose if you've been going in and out of the museums all day this won't bother everyone too much, but it can be invasive straw that breaks the camel's back. I also second (or third, of fourth) the american indian museum cafeteria. Get anything that comes on frybread. I have a recipe on how to make it (made frybread tacos, then laid very very still for a day or two) if anyone would like it. Josh

Crap crap crap... That was one of the places I could take my mom to and explain, "see, this is why I didn't stay in Centreville." I'm going to miss the cinnamon chocolate ice cream and the occasionally surly teenagers working there.

I agree that I've never been able to use Alton's recipes to make anything perfect (defined as TV ready, I suppose). However, I appreciate that he's willing to go (both in his show and his books) beyond what most chefs would consider the basics and delve deeper into a subatomic level. There's a generation of burgeoning foodies who have never received any of that developmental in-kitchen training beyond boiling water. With us you really do have to point out the basics of starches and fats, what flavors match well with others and why, the effect of salt, the Maillard reaction... Alton has helped quite a few 25 year olds understand cooking to the point where they can riff off of recipes without creating something putrid. I'm convinced that Alton's show is the best guide for people like myself, newly cast out of the Olive Garden of Shallow Delights and into the farmers' market and lurking about on this here board. I can, however, see how all the energy, cripplingly awful puns, and overexplanation could get to you after a while. Also part of newly formed food consciousness is this strange feeling that if civilization falls, even if only a day or two, Alton Brown and Anthony Bourdain will together devise a way to cook, carve, and plate Rachael Ray in a novel and satisfying way.

If you're closer to Rosslyn than Ballston, I recommend Greenberry's in the RTS/Pho 75 strip mall next time. It's quiet, has free wifi, and tends to be filled all day with people doing a similar amount of goldbricking. I've never had the food, but it shows well and doesn't seem to permeate the air to badly.

'tis all true. I had brunch there this past Saturday with my fiancee; we both had the eggs benedict. These were perfect, to the point where you mopped up the plate with the french fries. I'd hesitate bringing anyone who just wants a plate of starch to fill up on, but if you're looking for something utterly delicious that even manages to be plated artistically please go here. I also recommend the patio; we got there around 11 and they hadn't cleaned up the cigarettes from last night yet. Since the patio is more or less an alley, you can pretend you're in Paris. With video games.