Keithstg

1 hour ago, Bob Wells said:

Thanks -- makes sense since the menus have the same price and number of courses. If I had to pick one, it would actually be the vegetarian menu.

Prior to COVID they also had a pescatarian menu for a while, and also had an "Enduring Classics" menu in addition to the  "Gastronaut's Menu", and the Good Earth... Since Covid I've only seen the two.

21 hours ago, Bags said:

I'm headed to the Inn for dinner in about two weeks.  It's my first time, and of course I'm looking forward to it.  Any recent reports since the re-opening?  I see the sample menus online, but not sure how current they may be, or how frequently they change.  I'm hoping that we have the ability to mix and match dishes from the two tasting menus.  Most likely planning to do the wine pairings as well.  Feedback, recent reviews, or "can't miss" suggestions are welcome.

You may absolutely pick and choose from either tasting menu. I went shortly after the inn re-opened and I don’t believe that the menus have changed since, so the online versions are likely pretty current.

I’ve not done the wine pairings before, and would consider asking the somm to pair a bottle/ half bottle each of red and white wine with your meal instead.

For me the can’t miss dishes on the menus are the lamb carpaccio and the garganelli from the vegetarian menu...

4 hours ago, DannyNoonan said:

I enjoyed fantastic pizza and wine from Knead over the weekend. It seems like the place is an entirely carryout operation, which suited our needs that night but might be challenging for those looking for a place to eat while they walk thru town. Pizzas were top notch and wine list had many wines that looked worth trying to me. I really enjoyed both bottles that we tried (Tiefunbrunner Pinot Grigio and Vilerma Blanco Ribeiro) for $20 each.

Yep. Totally carryout. There are picnic benches available behind the community center and on  the Hill School's campus, both of which are an easy walk, fyi. Agreed on the wine - a fine selection, as you'd expect. The best in the area aside from Locke Store, which is all the way over the mountain.

1 hour ago, Bob Wells said:

Update: The Aldie Country Store was sold and completely renovated in the past 1-2 years. Nice, airy place with great breakfast foods and donuts (the maple bacon are already famous). Also in Aldie, since goldenticket posted this Brassica's came and went after a nice run but it is now a location of Greenheart Juice Shop (I think the Brassica's guy sells produce to them) and their juices and other concoctions, while far from cheap, are really something. Little Apple Pastry Shop also is still alive and well in Aldie, and the weekend market at Gilbert's Corners is crushing it -- Arno's Pastry, Pit Stop barbecue, the salsa guy, Wegmeyer Farms fresh made donuts, kettle corn, sometimes lobster rolls, sometimes ice cream, sometimes Greenheart is there too. Just a great little group of vendors. Fresh produce in season of course too.

Aldie store was sold three years ago, and totally de-loused. Very nice and clean space now. Brassicas has also been closed for two years - that was the original Middleburg Juice Company store, now merged with Greenheart, and they have stores in Aldie, Leesburg, Vienna, and Middleburg. Believe they have a DC outpost coming soon as well.

Heads-up that Jarad Slipp has opened Knead Wine in Middleburg in the small space next to the former Julien’s location. Excellent pizzas and wine - one side of the store has $20 wines and one side has $40 wines. Takeout only. Wonderful addition to the village.

Knead Wine

6 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Am I correct in assuming that neither of you have had Happy Gyro's pizzas?

Forgetting (for the moment) frozen pies, Happy Gyro's reheat better than any others do, and if you haven't tried them yet (at $32 a pizza!), you're doing yourselves a disservice.

I’ve not had happy gyro, so good to know. Will try when next in DC but no chance I’m making a two hour round trip, especially as we now have Knead Wine in the ‘burg. 
 

As to the frozen pizza question, again, Goldbelly offers a wide variety of styles from around the country - all of which are vastly superior to what you’ll find at the grocery.
 

3 minutes ago, Ericandblueboy said:

F fresh pizza, how about where to get some good frozen pies?  I have to confess, I like the frozen deep dish pizza from Uno's.  The instructions said to pour olive oil in the pan before baking, and that make the crust so much better.  Unfortunately, Balducci's must've thought that Uno's is too low-brow and they stopped carrying Uno's for at least a year.  I have yet to find a suitable replacement but I started doing some online research.  One nominee is the Crispy Pan Pizza from Digiorno.  Another is the Outsiders Chicago Style.  Those two can be found at Target (I'm gonna go by tonight and if the line isn't too long like it was this afternoon, I'll get some).  A third option is Motor City Detroit Style Deep Dish which can be found at Walmart.  Any thoughts on these or other really good frozen pizzas?

Goldbelly is your friend for good frozen pizza. Many to choose from. We like Speedy Romeo and Marta (the latter when available).

34 minutes ago, Kibbee Nayee said:

Big fan of Andy's here. I'm sorry that the pandemic has ripped through the Galleria, and I thoroughly enjoy the Lebanese Taverna outpost there. But Andy's is my go-to for pizza in that area. Good to hear they're back into action.

Also a huge fan of Andy's. They were not open last weekend, but pleased they are now. Think they must be the first business back open in the food hall, or whatever they are calling that third floor space now.

11 hours ago, DonRocks said:

"Amy Coney Barrett Served as a 'Handmaid' in Christian Group People of Praise" by Emma Brown, Jon Swaine, and Michelle Boorstein on washingtonpost.com

A Handmaid? You want to talk about POTUS and his "dog whistles?" The first thing that popped into my mind when I read this was David Howard.

Note also the semi-crosseyed photo of Barrett.

Was "Handmaid" not her official title in the group? If (as reported) Handmaid was Coney Barrett's title, the WaPo is just reporting accurately. Also see no semi-crosseyed photo, but am looking at the web edition and have found that the pictures on the mobile version sometimes differ.

On 9/26/2020 at 5:48 PM, Keithstg said:

Headed to Le Bernardin for (re) opening night on Wednesday. Will be interesting to see what’s changed.

Pleased to see that outdoor dining is set to become permanent - maybe DeBlasio isn’t out to completely destroy NYC and it’s restaurant culture.

So no surprise, dining at Le Bernardin was both weird and wonderful. The restaurant has invested a huge amount of money in sanitization equipment and the staff uniformly wore masks and gloves (we wore masks while not eating/ drinking), and whenever a server approached our table. There are some pictures and stories floating around from "re" opening night, but I didn't take any. All in all, the food was phenomenal and the wines fantastic - further cementing Le Bernardin as my favorite of the NYT 4*. Nothing remotely like it in DC, for sure.

We had the chef's tasting - Menu below:

Layers of Thinly Pounded Yellowfin Tuna; Foie Gras, Toasted Baguette, Chives, Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Warm Sea Trout "Sashimi"; Osetra Caviar, Light Marinière Sauce

Seared Yellowtail Hamachi; Pickled Cucumber-Mango Salad, Lemon-Tandoori Olive Oil

Grilled Lobster "Mi-Cuit"; Charred Scallions, Sea Urchin Sauce Américaine

Sautéed Dover Sole; Almonds, Chanterelles, Soy-Lime Emulsion

Poached Halibut; Artichoke Medley, Black Truffle Butter

"The Egg"

Milk Chocolate Pot de Crème, Caramel Foam, Maple Syrup, Grain of Salt

Tropical Fruit "Pavlova," Coconut Sorbet, Lemongrass-Kefir Lime Sauce

Standout dishes were the Dover Sole, hamachi, and lobster, though everything was very good, albeit reminiscent of past menus.

All in all, a great trip. That said, quick reminder for anyone voting in the coming month. Regardless of party affiliation, PLEASE vote for the person you feel has the work ethic and stick-to-itiveness that is best for your municipality/ state/ nation. DeBlasio has managed to unite an entire city in opposition to him, regardless of party lines through laziness, incompetence, and indifference to businesses large and small, as well as first responders. He will leave the city in dire straits. If your travels take you through NYC you may eat or drink safely (such as safe is now) and be served by dedicated professionals who want to work and pursue their craft – but are leaving (as so many others) at a breakneck pace.

8 hours ago, DonRocks said:

I suppose that's one way to get out of a second debate.

22 hours ago, ALB said:

Thank you, we will check it out!

Same with Bryce Resort, in Basye, VA re: internet - and with food options, come to think of it. That said, Mt. Jackson is reasonably close.

Also, Primland is absolutely stunning, but maybe more than you want to spend. Worth checking out just to see the treehouses, though.

Headed to Le Bernardin for (re) opening night on Wednesday. Will be interesting to see what’s changed.

Pleased to see that outdoor dining is set to become permanent - maybe DeBlasio isn’t out to completely destroy NYC and it’s restaurant culture.

On 9/9/2020 at 9:28 AM, DonRocks said:

The same thing - two nights and one meal - at Michel Guérard's Les Pres d'Eugenie - a Michelin 3-star restaurant that's one of the finest in the world, and also offers gorgeous overnight lodging - will cost you less than half what you'd pay at The Inn at Perry Cabin.

Terroir-Sublime-Michel-Guérard-July-2020-EN.pdf 214.11 kB · 5 downloads

The world is spinning out of orbit.

Yes, but you can't go to Les Pres d'Eugenie the first weekend in October. so not a fair comparison.

No argument on the world, however.

Small Private Club in rural Fauquier county (a stone's throw from Loudoun County) seeks a bar manager and bartender/ servers to assist with the ongoing improvement of our culinary program.

Love craft cocktails? Passionate about service and hospitality? Love beer and wine? Hate working weekends?

Our team is seeking experienced hospitality professionals to improve our beverage program. Successful candidates will demonstrate cocktail/ wine knowledge and a desire to create a craft cocktail menu for our membership.

We offer extremely competitive wages and fully paid healthcare benefits. The club is open for lunch and dinner service from Tuesday - Friday, and brunch on Saturday and Sunday. No Saturday/ Sunday evening hours necessary.

Please send me a PM if this brief description interests you.

This position has been filled.

1 hour ago, DonRocks said:

Are these friends of yours from 9/11?

Yes. And Richard’s son, who passed away in 2015.

To Richard Keane and Bill Meehan. 19 years. 
 

And to Dan Keane. Wish we could have done more to help.

7 hours ago, zgast said:

The last time we drove to Maine it took 17 hours.  We decided we were never going to do that again.

From where and to where in Maine? That's wild unless you are headed to Aroostoock County. I've been driving from DC or VA to ME for the past 19ish years, save for when we fly or leave from NY. Never taken more than 13 to NE Harbor. Of course, now I've jinxed myself...

There was a direct flight on United from Dulles to Portland, and Dulles to Bangor, but fear it's a casualty of the pandemic. 

14 hours ago, Steve R. said:

It looks like indoor dining at 25% might well start end of September. 

Until DeBlasio changes his mind, or doesn't get a plan in place...again.

11 hours ago, DonRocks said:

No pushback against this statement?

I was hoping to get some, cuz I really don't want to go to Virginia Beach.

I hear that. The common refrain among our group about the Cavalier was - "This place is great - too bad it's here, though".

Fishers Island in Long Island Sound is very nice. Block Island could also be fun.

12 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

I was considering Hilton Head (too far) and Martha's Vineyard (too far north), and realized there is almost nothing in between them, so ....

About 25-30 years ago, I had been to nearly all of the restaurants in the country that had simultaneous Mobil 5-Star and AAA 5-Diamond ratings (this is all there was back then!)

Anyway, one of them was in Bar Harbor, and I'm struggling to remember the name, but it was on this occasion when I realized that "rating systems" were full of BS. This restaurant was "okay," but certainly not worthy of anyone's highest accolades, much less the only two ranking services' in the United States. 

While dining here, I noticed that everytime a customer (male or female) came back from the restroom, a server would walk over and go *into* the restroom. I was bemused at first, but when I finally visited the restroom myself, I discovered why: Floating on top of the water of each toilet were red rose petals. 

Oof. Can’t imagine that job. Anyway, I think you would really enjoy the Cavalier.

16 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Eric, I've dithered about where to go to GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE for a few days - I think I've leaned away from Ocean City and the Outer Banks, and have settled on Virginia Beach, where I haven't been in nearly 50 years!

Does anyone have any input about places to stay (paramount importance) or restaurants?

100% stay at the Cavalier. Gorgeous renovation.

I was there last summer with a group for USTA sectionals and then again for regionals (in Norfolk, but no chance we were staying there). Not cheap, but really a wonderful property. Agreed with Eric on Becca - the indoor pool is lovely and the more casual restaurant got the job done as well. Having the beach club was also very nice, and would make it easier to distance.

That said, we went to VA Beach because we had to - I'd point you in this direction instead:

https://www.donrockwell.com/topic/14342-bar-harbor-and-down-east-maine/

7 hours ago, DonRocks said:

I saw the replay ten times - it's nothing that couldn't have happened to any competitive tennis player; the odds of this happening were microscopic. Djokovic has already issued a statement here (he must have a PR team working on things such as this - I don't see how he could have mustered the acuity to have written this the very same day it happened.

True, could have happened to anyone. And yes, Djokovic did release a statement, but stormed out without facing live media. Tough year on the PR front for Nole.

Think Kyrgios made a great point when asking fans to vote on how many years Nick would be suspended for if he made the mistake. Will be interesting to see how much (or little) Novak is punished.

I wasn’t sure Djoker could make a bad pr year worse for himself but darn if he didn’t manage to do it! Ridiculous.