blakegwinn

Anyone know somewhere within easy walking distance of 50th and Broadway that won't break the bank. Adventurous crew so no cuisine is off limits. When I say "won't break the bank" I don't mean like a sandwich shop. We will be dressed for a show so we would still like a little atmosphere.

I think this is a good place for this question because it might be a sign of what you are in for but, do any of you other restaurant employees out there have dreams that you are swamped in the restaurant? Maybe I am just crazy but sometimes on really really intense nights I go home and have dreams where I am sort of awake (my eyes are open and I can see my room but I am dreaming) but there are people in my room eating and I am waiting on them and everyone needs things but since I am laying there in my bed I can't get them. And I start getting really nervouse cause I know they are all getting angry because they can see I am just laying there and not getting getting the stuff they need and this goes on until I finally wake up and it takes like 30 seconds to realize I am not in a restaurant and no one needs me to get them anything. Anyone else get those or am I COMPLETELY insane? Ummm, maybe I just need to see a shrink or something. Please ignore this post....

The only way you can ever stop people from gossiping is newer juicier gossip. From the Sietsema.... This is a conspiracy. Tom stirs up some new gossip to take the truth-seeking diner's attention off of the OBVIOUS conspiracy over at RTC. I don't have it all figured out yet but I do know it goes up to the highest levels and it involves the Queen, The Vatican, The Gettys, the Rothchilds, and Colonel Sanders before he went teats up. (How do you think they get the fried chicken so tasty???) I heard whispers that Landrum had actually sold 90 percent of his staff into human slavery but the source who was going to explain it all to me was found with a steak knife through his heart and hawaiin shirt tatters under his nails. I have also heard another theory about what happenned to all those employees. I don't have all the details yet but I can say with some degree of certainty that.... SOYLENT CALLETTE IS PEOPLEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

DISCLAIMER: Rant that follows is possibly overly self indulgent, definitely preachy. Just so you know... I do believe there are some people in this world who find the perfect job for them. The kind of people who always gush about how they love "going to work". I am sure Tony Hawk is more than happy to skate all day and M. Richard is more than happy to play in his kitchen all day but I am a realist and a lot of people out there, by pure mathematics, are going to have to have jobs that aren't "dream jobs". I don't think that means all of us in that second category should just give up on your dream but we can still be happy where we are at. We just need to compartmentalize a bit (being able to switch back and forth between work and non-work mode), quit whining about how bad our jobs are and quit letting our work define us. I would rather be defined by who I am outside of the office than in it. Of course I would still like to be the best I can at work and I would love to feel like I did something meaningful but I have realized it is much more important to me to do something meaningful outside the office than in it. I guess I have just accepted the reality that not all of us will have professional acclaim, touch other's lives like doctors, entertain people like chefs or "change the world" like politicians. The world needs data processors, janitors, and researchers, and lots of them. So I just try to leave my work life at the office and from 5-9 focus on the things that I DO want to define me being a good mate, a good friend, (when the time comes) a good father, a good member of the community etc. etc. Some of those are very hard to do without money. I have just started to look at work and what I do there as a way to get the funds necessary to do the things that I really care about. Its hard to hate my day job quite as much when I know that the paycheck funds my dining tours of NYC, paid for the racks of pork and wine I cooked and served to family a few weeks back, paid for the round for me and my buddies at the bar, and allowed me to get opening day tickets to Camden Yards. If I was a professional chef, I may like what I did while working a lot more but I might not have the time and money to do all those things when I am not. You may hate your day job but before you quit just remember how many extravagant 7 course tastings or wine and cheese parties you could throw for the people you care about with the paycheck you get there. And you would be able to do it at your leisure and the way YOU want to do it.

Also FYI Friday was Iwa's last night and Denise(? temporarily blacking out on the name) the bartender left last week also. Not sure that it means anything though. I think most restaurants have a lot of turnover in their first year. My brother is managing a just opened restaurant and was telling me employees are dropping like flies. Also with all the acclaim this place has gotten in local press you have to imagine that the employees are probably hearing some pretty good offers right about now...

A few of our waiters/hosts/busboys work Deluxe at night and Cactus in the day and the same people own Lauriol and Cactus. Not sure where they started but I know they own both now. Also I think I have mentioned this on another thread but a few of our middle-eastern and hispanic employees must drop like 300-400 bucks a week at those places. They love them. Not sure if that means anything but just thought I would mention it. One thing I have noticed is that the specials are usually much more interesting and better prepared than the regular menu.

Noncompliance aside, I am just trying to point out that there are a TON of regulations out there to protect patrons and employees at restaurants/bars yet no one ever cried "nanny state" until this one. This just happens to be one of the only ones that is trying to regulate use of an addictive substance. Obviously there is going to be some backlash from addicts.

Sarcasm noted but sound levels have been regulated for awhile I believe. Occupational Safety & Health Administration has decibel caps for places of employment. So don't worry about your ears or the poor employees. And it isn't just some small potatoes local regulations, we are talking federal here. Interesting the federal government has actually stepped in to regulate levels of sound waves but done nothing to regulate the emmission of a known carcinogen. Maybe the federal government will eventually start taking as big of a role in smoking bans as they have in decibel control but I doubt it. I don't think the death metal lobby carries the same clout as the tobacco growers around the Hill.

Why don't you make a battery of tests, 3 mile time, 400 meter time, # of pushups, number of pullups, number of situps in 60 seconds. We could start a seperate thread so this doesn't get bogged down with both groups. And what about adding on to that a cholesterol check to go with the food AND fitness theme? I haven't ever had one but I figure I should start getting checks at some point. (That might be a little TOO involved though)

Not to burst bubbles but make sure and take several readings at different times of day and average it if you are able. Scales and even your own body weight can fluctuate drastically throughout the day. My weight typically shifts around within a 5-7 pound range. And I know this sounds REALLY OCD but you may even want to put two pieces of tape (one vertical and one horizontal) for each foot to line up where you should put them on your scale. Some can change 4-5 pounds just based on where you stand. This is probably not a big deal for most but for some of you ladies whose goal might be smaller that could be a big difference.

I have never really done much RW dining but have any of you done one of the sushi places? How does that work? I can't figure out how they fit into the format. Same goes with some of the tapas style places that are particpating. I wouldn't mind going to Kaz or Sushi Ko this week but if it is going to be like soup, chicken teriyaki and some ice cream or something I don't even want to bother. Also how the hell are some of these places like Clydes and Saint Ex making this worth it. You can get App dinner and dessert for less than 30 at both on any other day. This is almost like an upcharge.

Can I just mention that I am loving this ban? On particularly smoky nights at Deluxe, I would start to lose my voice by the end of the shift. Nothing like hacking or anything, but I just used to get hoarse quite often. This happens to my brother as well whenever we go out to bars. We will always be voiceless by midnight (probably to the joy of those within our immediate vacinity) Not anymore, it's been crisp and clean at work and we went to Atomic (one of the smokiest places in DC besides Bourbon Glover Park) the other night and played pool for about 4 hours and were feeling great. We couldn't even figure out why we were enjoying ourselves more than usual and then it kicked in a split second later, "oh yeah the smoking ban!" A few other random observations, the doomsday/mass exodus predicted by opponents must be scheduled for next month or something. All the chain smokers were on their usual barstools when I came in. Most of them were actually drinking a few more drinks than usual and some people who NEVER order food were actually getting appetizers to take their mind off their crawling skin I assume. In confidence I had two HUGE proponents of the smoking ban both tell me separately they secretly have enjoyed it now that it is a done deal. They are smoking less and they can actually wear out their nice coats and sweaters. I am sure there are quite a few hating it but in my neck of the woods it was completely unnoticable except for that realization an hour and a half into the meal, "Oh yeah! There's no smoke in here, awesome."

One of my favorite snacks to have in the fridge is blanched asparagus. You know the drill (try to avoid the real fat ones as they are wiry) drop in boiling water for a minute or minute and a half then put them in an ice bath. Shake them off and sprinkle with some cracked pepper, lemon zest and a light squeeze of lemon juice. I used to snack on these in front of the TV. Nice crunch if you don't over cook them and if you want to add a bit of salt they are a satisfying substitute for nut mixes or potato chips. Just make one bunch of asparagus at a time though. I tried a huge batch one time and if it takes you too long to eat them they eventually do break down a bit and get mushy. I do the same with green beans if they look good at the store.

Fine, don't give me a freaking tip, still don't care. Somebody being upset with me and 20-30 bucks is STILL not worth getting busted. I still don't see why people get mad at me. If it really pisses you off that badly write to your city councilman. It does suck when someone I have ID'd before comes in and I ask and they don't have it but undercover people are out there. It isn't just paranoia, made obvious by the blitzkrieg in the late summer this year. And you would be crazy to think they wouldn't bust you if they overheard this conversation from another table. We get to look at our secret shopper reports when they come in (in-house not government) and some of the questions asked on there are about the people around. "Did the bartender appear to give anyone something for free" "Did they appear to be asking others for id" type questions. I know it isn't fair and he is your son and you PROMISE he is 21, but it is the law. I have NOTHING to do with it. It is like the speeding ticket thing. I am the first to shout obsecenities when I get nailed in a speed trap. Yeah it sucks that the speed limit is 25 on a 6 lane road going down a hill and it is 3 in the morning and the road is completlely empty but it is the law. If I want to break that law and speed (or in this case serve your kid) I have to be willing to accept the consequences of getting nailed.

You know one thing that really helped me get back into shape (after 4 years locked in mortal combat with my body during college) was a foreman grill. I know most of you probably shudder at the thought (if it makes you feel better just get a nice grill pan which is what I use now) but this really really helped me eat healthier with a really busy schedule. The thing I like about it is that I could cook a piece of chicken or a pork chop without adding all of the sugary sauces, fats, etc. etc. that I would add when cooking on the grill or roasting or something. I would just spray the pan with pam and throw some s&P and whatever herbs I had laying around on the meat and toss it on there. I know it is not a culinary masterpiece but it fit in with my healthy week/ sensible weekend plan. I would eat that and a steamer basket full of whatever veggie I had with some lemon juice salt and pepper or dill (again whatever was laying around) Monday through Friday. You can mix it up a lot, throw the meat (while hot) on some baby spinach and have a warm spinach salad, or on a small bit of pasta with some hand crushed roma tomatoes. But saving the serious culinary work for the weekend really helped. I ate a lot less unhealthy cuts and preparations during the week and it also made the elaborate well marbled steak or bbq pork shoulder all the more special when I could only have it on the weekend. I do believe in portion control also but I have always been an overeater, as I am sure many of you are, and that is so so hard to change. As long as there is good food in front of me I can't resist, I will eat until it hurts. I just started making sure if I was going to overeat I would shove my stomach full of stuff that my body could actually use. For example when my team wouuld go out for lunch or order pizza for a lunch meeting I would eat a banana and apple right before. I knew I would never be able to resist the smell of the pizza and watching all of my friends eat it so I figured I would rather have a stomach full of fruit than scarf down 5 pieces of pizza. I would always have like half a slice and everyone would always ask me if I was feeling alright. I have gotten a lot better at turning things down on a daily basis, dessert here and there, that last 5 bites of steak that I can barely get down, grabbing a spinach salad instead of a sandwich from a takeout place, subbing green beans for the fries etc etc but I still don't fully trust my willpower and if I feel like I am about to be ttempted I try to take the option away from myself by filling up on something good for me. By the way I think this is a great idea. I am not really participating with the weight loss portion (I have been going strong, eating extremely healthy and excercising everyday for about 3 years now) but I would be more than happy to run a workout or jog with anyone around Bethesda or Silver Spring. I work a lot of nights but I am free sometimes and usually all weekend. If you have a WSC membership all the better. I have a lot of cross-ex type workouts I have made or some boxing style circuits that would have to be done in a gym. Fair warning though, according to Beth I can push a little hard.... I think there might have been a couple of times she wanted to take a swing at me when we trained for our last half marathon.

Be wary of the olive oil and if you must use it, keep a light hand....

Metrazur? That is IN the station so you won't have to walk far. Start off with some oysters at the oyster bar downstairs at GCS.

ALRIGHT! That's it. I had a checklist with the terms "technical parameters" "Restaurant X" "fundamentally based" and "burden of proof" and agreed when I checked all of them off I would quit. I'm done. If anyone needs me I will be funneling Allagash over at the rugby house. (What can I say, I have matured a lot since college.)

And one more question, considering I will probably be picking this up at a WF and might not have access to a knowledgeable/caring butcher, how can I make sure I get one from the loin end? I keep hearing people tell me you should get one from the loin end but is there anyway to tell without actually being there when it is cut? Does it have a different look or size?

I think a post on this board might actually (on a good day) match the readership of an article in the AU newspaper I mentioned in my last post. And I think the grand signifigance of a DR post and its power to change the world around us is probably about the same as the vocal critique I gave to Herm Edwards through my TV on Sunday. He does not give LJ enough carries and boy did I let him know it. I am sure Herm, Ben Ladner, and all the restaurant owners around DC are all glad I care so much but none of them has (at least not yet) called to beg me teary eyed, to withdraw my public criticisms. So my resolution for the New Year is to use my searing rhetoric to bring at least one DC restaurant that I don't like crawling to its knees. By next december I guarantee you I will have at least one area GM calling my cell phone telling me there are tumbleweeds blowing through his dining room and that they only served one deuce and party of 8 tourists complete with name tags in the last threee weeks. Blaming me for his being forced to lay off 2/3's of his waitstaff. He will be BEGGING me to pull down the venomous posts and vicious thrashings I have disseminated to the world through this board. Oh I can't wait. I haven't decided who the lucky restaurant will be but I DARE someone not to comp me a round of drinks or to not refill a 1/3 full glass of water. Restaurant GM's be warned, you should download a picture of me and print it out for all your hostesses so they can warn the staff not to f*** with me. Now where should I go to lunch.....

I am doing a roast this weekend. I don't have any experience with rib roasts, we never ate them and I have never cooked them. What poundage would you recommend for 4 people? Also do you think I should do something cool like some inventive rub or something or just go the traditional style plain with au jus? I feel like the traditional style might be best to focus on the flavor of the beef but I am always one for trying non-traditional flavors. I feel like with a roast though it might just be distracting. Any thoughts peanut gallery?

Can anyone confirm the rumor mentioned upthread about the dining room menu and bar menu being the same now?

You know I just gave myself a swirlie in the bathroom and I feel much better. I was really going geek for a second there. The flashback I had after reading this thread was back to college when I ran for and won a seat in the student government. I quit after a month with 3 straight meetings (Friday nights at 8!!???) where we debated Robert's Rules of order and whether proper protocol was followed on a resolution passed before I even became a member. The resolution: a bill declaring the student government's support for the president's (Ben Ladner) new "safe walk" program. Basically it was a hotline people could call to have a Public Safety officer walk you home. Mind you this program was enacted by the administration and our "resolution" did nothing but declare for ALLLLL (that read the AU newspaper) that we, the student body, were ok with it. If ladner hadn't just shoved his ears full of Russian Caviar to see what it felt like, he probably would have laughed himself silly (or paid a homeless guy to laugh for him) after hearing us debate for three solid weeks about some insignificant program we had no say over anyway. I tendered my resignation by hanging out at the rugby house doing funnels of Natty the next Friday. (Strangely the whole experience still sits on my resume....)

Wow I can't believe I have such a strong opinion about any of this. I think we are all coming dangerously close to crossing into SERIOUS nerd/loser territory here. Like the kind of guys who start fights over bad calls in my flag football league.

Steaks can be salty for my personal tastes at times. Booya. You know as one of the jackasses who for whatever reason decided to post a snide comment to that guy that got deleted, it wasn't that he had criticism it was that he had none. I had a friend who didn't like it. Um... ok. Thanks for sharing. If everyone started posting a comment on all the strings for each restaurant that read "My friend Joe-didn't like it." "My friend Jane thought it was ok." you would have 400 posts to sort through everytime you hit "view new posts". As an old lady once asked me, "where's the beef?"