Keithstg

whew. Thought it was gonna be Roberto.

Me too. Welcome Nazim!

This question may be obvious, but I'll ask anyway - Ben's on U street is an iconic location - as Ben's moves to VA and on to H street, are there elements of the original location that you hope to replicate in the new locations?

I see that one all the time, and I never seem to have time to stop there!

I'm glad - must mean that your flights are on time! Sadly, I've been a regular there over the past few weeks due to delays... I should mention that they have a good, and expanding, selection of VA wines, including RdV, should you want to bring a bottle of VA wine to your final destination.

To Richard Keane and Bill Meehan.

There is also a Vino Volo in the B concourse at Dulles, directly opposite the escalators to/ from the train. I believe the nearest gate is B64.

Having suggested District Kitchen to Waitman a week or so ago in the help wanted forum, I thought it might as well stop in, as this week finds me back in town on business. In short, District Kitchen continues to be a restaurant that I wish was in my neighborhood.

Sitting at the bar I enjoyed a gin rickey (on HH special) and went with the bucatini with duck bacon and spicy tomato sauce to start. This dish was fantastic - al dente pasta, subtly spicy tomato sauce, smoky bacon, and lighter than it read on the menu. I would happily return to order a full portion as an entrée. Although I eyed the antelope medallions, ultimately I decided to go with the market steak, which this time constituted a hangar steak, along with fries and the housemade Worcestershire. The steak was well seasoned and generously portioned, while the fries were also excellent.

I'm generally not much of a dessert person, but gave a cantaloupe/ basil popsicle a try - this was great - the basil was discernible, but in no way overpowered the melon, and not overly sweet.

Looking forward to returning soon.

To Bill Scranton, a true gentleman. I'd have added "Governor", but on the few occassions that we met (always across a tennis net), he simply said "Hi Keith, I'm Bill - take it easy on an old man". If only his humility and grace were more present in today's politicians (of any party).

District Kitchen?

Was that you?!?!?!

Ha! Of course not. Would not be caught dead on one of those things. IIRC, the person did register and post here for a few days, though.

I, on the other hand, assume that the hospitality industry would go out of their way to be, you know, hospitable -- particularly a place like Mintwood, which seems to have aspirations to rise above the run-of-the-mill.

I used to assume this too - that is, until I tried to park my Segway in the coat check at Bistro Bis...

No, it's directly under obelisk/ original pizzeria paradisio...

I'm thinking Alice Waters would be good to include.

While Alice Waters had the concept for Chez Panisse, she would certainly not be today's Alice Waters without Jeremiah Tower, who you know, actually cooked the food. I'd place Alice Waters in the Irma Rombauer camp.

Does anyone have access to some system that can "find" wines in this region?

Everyone does: try www.wine-searcher.com, or maybe www.winezap.com

Mine is totally boring - first name, last three letters of last name. Save for "real name" boards, have been using the same handle since '99 or so.

ETA: it is nice to see some folks with the same username as on the 930 club bb, not that I have been there in years, but still.

Unless there's an extended power loss during hot summer weather...

Which is what the whole-house generator (and insurance) is for...

To the specific point of RdV wines not being value wines, I guess that depends on perspective. From an absolute perspective, I would say that no wines being produced in VA are "value wines", in that one can usually find at least a rough equivalent at similar levels and lower prices from many regions in the US and abroad.

However, from my perspective, there is value in being able to support a local industry, and value in knowing the folks who make wine just a few miles from our home. Fact is, its all to easy to spend <$100 on a bordeaux blend nowadays, and rather than buy from California to support my occasional new world fix, it's great to drive the ten minutes to RdV or Delaplane. Not to mention, I like the wines (particularly at RdV), and do believe that they will benefit from some age.

Yes, just ask. After all, they want to sell wine. As far as critics, Tanzer is fairly conservative and so can be trusted. Does anyone here use cellartracker dot com for inventory management? Wines that TN posters there have written are generally reliable. Cinderella is part of Wine Library and I've gotten some great deals if you can put up with all the emails! B-21 has a free shipping day every month and if it's your first internet order, you can get an additional discount. However, it's in Florida so shipping season will soon be over.

I use CellarTracker, and have for many years - most recently upgrading to a barcode scanner now that my wine is at home and not at the Wine Rack. I totally agree that the TN's on there are excellent - it's a large part of CT's appeal for me.

Joe H, if you like Wine Library and B-21, next time you are in the greater San Francisco area, check out Premier Cru.

If you like wines til sold out, you'll love last bottle (www.lastbottlewines.com). Same idea as WTSO, but vastly superior in my opinion.

Congratulations on your retirement, Joe.

I am putting this on the D. C. board and ask Don not to move it. I believe this is of absolutely essential importance to anyone in the restaurant industry.

Tonight, my wife and I talked about a Great country inn that I first visited in the early '80's, the Wayside Inn in Middletown, VA which is just south of the intersection of I 66 and I 81. The Inn dates to the 17th century with a particular room called the "Slaves Kitchen" (i.e. stone walls, brick floor, lower wood beamed ceiling and the only dining light from candles on the tables and in wall sconces) which is one of the most atmospheric of any in America. Frankly, it would rival some of the great rooms of character anywhere in the world.

Years ago their chicken was fried in heavily crusted black cast iron skillets, with intense, thick cream of peanut soup, rich crust topped spoonbread, inch thick pork chops rolled in flour and egg and fried in lard-"Southern food" that justified it's cover story in Southern Living which featured it more than two decades ago.

The more I talked about it, the more I built an image and a taste-the more we wanted to go. No idea if it was would be anywhere near as good, no idea if it was still open-but we had to try. And, they have a website and a phone number. The 24 or so rooms of the Inn seemed to be still open, too.

I called.

...and got a recording.

I called again.

...and got the same recording.

I tried the restaurant, the Inn-I tried every combination, every number I could.

...and nobody answered.

We had a problem: we talked our way into the Virginia countryside and a country inn and our first choice didn't seem to want a human being to talk to them.

Well....there's another restaurant we haven't been to in a long time that I thought would work well, also: The Ashby Inn.

I called.

...and got a recording.

I called again.

....and got the same recording.

I tried the restaurant, the Inn-I tried every combination, every number I could.

...and nobody answered.

The Wayside Inn. The Ashby Inn.

On a wednesday night on the last night of October, wanting to visit the next night, neither was answering the phone. I thought that with leaves falling and changing color this was not a good sign. Nor was it a good sign if I was trying to reach someone staying in one of their rooms.

We then called Foti's in Culpeper which we were at two weeks ago and left wondering why we had waited so long to visit them again. They answered on the second ring.

We will be there tomorrow night at 6:00 after visiting a couple of Virginia wineries.

BUT the real point of this post is very simple for the many in the industry who follow this board: don't direct anyone to a computer or recording. Have a human answer the phone. No, I don't want to leave a recorded message nor do I want to send an e-mail. Part fo the success of a good evening is for the customer to feel wanted. If the experience starts without this it is not an experience worth having.

I wish someone would pass this along to the owners of the Wayside Inn and Ashby Inn. We won't be visiting either anytime soon.

We did try. We very badly wanted to go to them. And couldn't.

As I type this and remember how much we loved Foti's four years ago (three stars from Sietsema then) and how much we liked it two weeks ago (a different restaurant but still excellent and in a room of great character), it is for the best that it was they who answered their phone.

Wow, how silly. As a resident of Paris, VA I can tell you two things, Joe - first, if you really won't patronize the Ashby because they failed to answer the phone a day in advance of your needed reservation, that's fine, but you could just as easily call back today as opposed to posting a rant on here - heck, you also could also have left a message and gotten a call back - maybe even that very same day. That's a very real solution. Second, many in this area still lack power - a bit of understanding might be helpful. Serious.

I'm sure every restauranteur will find your post instructive, though. Personally, I'll be sure to eat at the Inn a few extra times this month.

While I'm sad that Dr.com was shafted, I am so happy for my friend Dinaw. Will be drinking to him (and with him) to celebrate.

While not exactly what you are looking for in terms of sleek and lots of glass, the Inn at Riverbend in Pearisburg VA is somewhat contemporary http://www.innatriverbend.com. The suites at 249 in Culpeper is more modern, but less scenic http://www.suitesat249.com. Sorry I am no help for Maryland.

While not at all what you are looking for in terms of location, Winvian in Litchfield Hills, Connecticut is exactly what you are looking for in terms of style/ feel. http://www.winvian.com/cottages.asp

To Richard Keane and Bill Meehan.

So this is a "wine dinner", and there's no mention of the wines to be served with each course other than that they will presumably all be rose'? It would be helpful to know what wines will be served ahead of time, I'd think...

Then there was his hospitality - the impression he made on my parents the first time they went there was HUGE, and they still talk about it.

Same here. We'll miss Mark at Ray's, and look forward to seeing where he ends up!

I've been told that Auto Zone will tow cars, they want the spaces for their own customers. I know a server at Granville Moores once warned another customer not to park there. This was awhile back though, maybe things have changed. I would ask someone at whatever restaurant you go to, they will know, I bet. Glad it worked out for you Zora, maybe it's open parking now.

Definitely not open parking. Be very careful there - AutoZone has a private company towing cars 24 hours a day. I hesitate parking there to grab carry out because I've seen so many cars towed...

particulary if introduced intelligently surrounding existing subway stations and if comprehensive enough to take at least some pressure off residential and commercial rents.

C'mon. You've certainly lived here long enough (and seen this Congress, city council, and mayor in action) to know that intelligent and comprehensive are not exactly, um, strong suits...