Tujague

To Pete Seeger. I heard him in concert back in 1976, when I was a freshman at Wartburg College--but only after we evacuated the auditorium because of a bomb threat. It was an early wake-up call that messages of peace and justice are deeply threatening to many people, but also how that message is only strengthened by such opposition. Well done, Pete.

Watched any Woody Allen movies lately? Or any NFL games? We all give our money/time/props to people and organizations all the time that may well not merit it--and knowingly. We all find ways to rationalize it or to live with denial. I doubt many of us act of total ignorance in those sorts of decisions. But at the same time, withholding our money/time/support doesn't necessarily mean doing justice either; it may well just be self-righteousness. Other peoples' ethics seem black and white but I privilege nuance for my own. I'm guilty both ways, so I guess I tend to lean toward mercy and hope that is ultimately well placed.

I went to the Dupont location a couple of weeks ago for the first time; I was satisfied enough with my burger and fries--certainly better than Good Stuff or Z Burger--but I left feeling like I can now cross it off my places to try and don't have a compelling need to return. But when they announced in the middle of 2013 that Shake Shack was coming to Union Station, I was certain the old America space would be the location, so the confirmation doesn't surprise me at all.

Having only eaten there once, I can't really comment on the food--I was satisfied enough with my sandwich--but I found the space to be kind of loud and obnoxious. If I had returned, I would have been more inclined to do take-out. But that name surely didn't help matters, either--even if you didn't make the Charles Taylor connection, it was still awkward.

This was utterly disgraceful. My many musician friends in Minnesota were mortified by the whole debacle. The New Yorker and other publications suggested the Minnesota Orchestra was THE best orchestra in the country under Vänskä; their recordings of Beethoven's symphonies were deemed by many the best in years, and their beginnings of the Sibelius oeuvre promised they would be definitive. Can they get him back? Will they ever really recover? The biggest tragedy in classical music in many, many years. You're damned right this is a big deal.

Yeah, I think I have to go with Rose's Luxury, too, for the overall combination of food, service, and atmosphere. While Le Diplomate has wowed me on those last two points, in the end, the food has proven to be less memorable (though not bad, either). Casa Luca and Del Campo had their moments, but both let me down on atmosphere. I also need to lift up the fine burger at Beuchert's, continually excellent food at Montmartre, and good meals at Rasika West End and Woodward Table, both shining during summer Restaurant Week. The Eddy Bar at Hank's on the Hill still excels for drinks, though my meals there really varied in quality. My few out-of-town meals this year were highlighted by Pabu in Baltimore and the always-solid Artisanal in NYC. Worst has to be the dispiriting birthday breakfast I had at Ted's Bulletin (though it was probably my favorite posting here to date).

To Jack Morris, for winning one of the most phenomenal games--and series--in World Series history for the Twins. May the Hall of Fame grant you the justice you deserve three years from now.

To Phil Everly.

Late to the conversation, but I assume that any Don Rockwell cocktail would be both neat and dirty.

Keep in mind that the seats at the chef's counter are low, backless stools, which some folks might find uncomfortable for the duration of a meal. The night I was there (two Wednesdays ago, the day Sietsema's review came out), it took well over an hour for them to fill up (and there was still one open when I left). The prime kitchen view notwithstanding, it's not necessarily going to feel like prime seating for many people so you might luck out.

I don't recall the pesto pasta being offered as a special, but the pasta with truffles was definitely suggested to me when I was at the chef's counter on Wednesday.

Another say hi next time--a busy night yesterday for DR folks. Arrived right at 5:30 pm for a solo dinner, and took a stool at the far end of the chef's counter. No one else sat there until nearly 45 minutes later, and there was one seat left when I left just after 7--and the rest of the place was pretty much full. (Those low, backless stools are not particularly comfortable--this was fine for a solo diner, but I doubt I'd sit there again, especially with a dining partner.) I think that Sietsema hits it just right about the popcorn soup; it's good for a few sips, but sort of one-note and WAY rich. They gave me a complimentary serving of it, and if that was the usual size, it was almost too much (particularly coupled with the richness of much of the rest of the food). I hope they make this more a seasonal offering; I was glad to get the sample, but I wouldn't order it on a return visit. (NB: They use Orville Redenbacher's microwave popcorn!) The pork-lychee salad, on the other hand, deserves a permanent place on the menu, meriting all the raves it's gotten. It almost certainly is the best dish I've had anywhere this year. I agree also about the chicken--a very likeable dish, but improved with the addition of Crystal hot sauce to cut the honey a bit. It may be the item on the small-dish menu that has the widest appeal, but it was perhaps the least memorable of what I ate last night. The cacio e pepe is excellent, though not up to the perhaps insurmountable standard of what I had at Eataly last month. Drinks and wine are good, if a bit pricey (especially since my drink was on the small side). What I liked most about Rose's Luxury is that it seems like it knows from the get-go what it wants to be, and the staff seem happy to be there and do what they're doing (I'm sure that Sietsema's rave helped up the excitement level last night). I am a bit concerned about the prices--it's fairly expensive for the modestly sized dishes (I didn't see any of the family-style platters go out, so I can't speculate on their value), though the quality is nearly faultless. What I found interesting is that as I walked home down the east side of Barracks Row, no other restaurant there had a crowd anywhere near what Rose's was drawing. Tash seemed reasonably busy, but Belga was nearly empty, Pacifico and Cafe 8 ghost towns. Rose's is so different from everything else on the Row that it's hard to imagine that it will necessarily prompt other indie restaurants there to raise their games, but they can still surely feel the heat coming off the place.

Maybe I'm just in a junior-high frame of mind, but I'm not sure which made me snigger more in this morning's chat: the person who was excited that their "top" was taking them to dinner at Rasika, or Tom announcing, "My computer went down on me twice!" Or maybe editing a deadly dull manuscript just makes me more susceptible to innuendo.

To Peter O'Toole. Those blue eyes in "Lawrence of Arabia" are the most gorgeous in the history of cinema. (And he was a damn fine actor, too.)

Oyamel is my go-to for brunch there: interesting drinks and dishes at a good price, and generally not too crowded. You don't need to order much to have a substantial meal.

To Mary Barra and Deborah Rutter, the new heads of GM and the Kennedy Center, respectively. It's not just wonderful to see women rising to these positions, but both seem remarkable in a way that almost renders the gender dimension moot. It will be exciting to watch how these two disparate organizations develop under their leadership; I suspect there will be lots of toasting to be done.

Totally with you about the store overall; the wine selection is great, well curated. I think that the spirits manager maybe knows his bourbons/whiskeys/cognacs fairly well, as he's directed me to some good stuff there when I asked. But he really doesn't know how to read his customers, and pushes those pet bottles way too readily. He also tends to get kind of pissy when you just browse.

It will be a different, but not necessarily worse, flavor profile, depending on your preferences and the drink in question. Aperol is much less bitter (as FunnyJohn says, more citrusy) than Campari (which has more of an herbally grapefruit taste), and here would likely make the sweetness of the vermouth more pronounced. To balance this drink a bit more, I think that a red vermouth that is less on the sweet side would be preferable (Antica? Dolin?). Maybe add a dash of bitters?

I don't doubt that story for a second. I have always found Jon to be their best representative--never pushy, always wanting to see the customer leave happy, and a sincere air of kindness. Rick is a nice guy, too, but much more aggressive. This guy has on one visit praised me on a purchase of a particular bourbon, and on the next visit disparaged the very same bottle and pushed another utterly unknown brand on me. It's maddening. I can appreciate it when someone is trying to steer me away from something crappy, but insulting me for buying a quality liquor over something I've never heard of before--and not even asking me how I would be using it or offering me a sample? Totally unacceptable.

Update: Rick Genderson called me to apologize for the manager's behavior, and assured me that they made sure he understood what the problem is and that he wouldn't bother me again. I got the sense that this is not the first that they've gotten this kind of complaint about him. You've gotta be fucking kidding me. Agree on the wine service.

The lead liquor salesman at Schneider's is a major pain in the ass; he repeatedly tries to sell me cheap off-brand bottles of booze that I'm sure they either they are trying to unload and/or that he gets a kickback on every bottle he sells. Several times in recent years, while trying to make a choice between gins, he has said to me, "Don't ask me. I don't drink gin." So, yesterday, I went in to buy a bottle of Beefeater's and he immediately tried to steer me to something whose name I didn't recognize but yeah, was cheaper. The kicker was he told me, "it's a whole lot better"--this from the guy who tells me repeatedly he doesn't like or drink gin. When I stuck with the Beefeater's, he said snottily, "OK, if you don't want to save $7.00. Your loss." I suppose I should be glad that he doesn't try to upsell me to more expensive bottles. But the whole behavior, even without those kinds of snide remarks, is insulting. If I didn't otherwise like Schneider's and the rest of the staff so much--and they don't try that crap with me--I'd take my business elsewhere. I can't tell how well he knows his liquor--a few times he has directed me to some quality (and not cheap) bottles I might not have selected otherwise--but simply on overall salesmanship and interpersonal behavior, he's an embarrassment to the business. If there's a Genderson brother within earshot next time he tries this, I'm going to call him out on it. NOTE: After writing this post, I decided to send a complaint to Schneider's about Richard, the spirits manager. This really was inappropriate and unprofessional behavior, and they need to address it.

So sad to hear this. When in San Francisco a couple of years ago, Bob and I passed up far more trendy places to dine on her sublime roast chicken and bread salad (which I replicated semi-successfully a month later for Christmas dinner). Few restaurants have been as consistent over many years as Zuni, and as resistant to easy trend-chasing.

Ditto what LauraB said above--our little group of five had a great time today, and it was far more comprehensive than the regular tour, even without access to the House and Senate chambers. Don't miss this chance if it comes up again. Thank you, lovehockey!

Unfortunately, I have to back out of my reservation for December 4 due to an unexpected situation. I hadn't called in my info yet, so if there's a wait list for that date, someone can have my seat. Sorry to miss it!

Friday night dinner here with Bob, ahead of my convention. We were last here about seven years ago, and it hasn't changed much. The kaddo borwani, as others have mentioned, is a great starter; the Mantwo, a bit less so--the advertised pastry shells actually was just one, albeit good sized and easy enough to share. Bob's chicken kabob, served in a bowl with a not-too-spicy sauce and pallow, was okay; I liked my lamb special, with dried apricot, better. The accompanying challow is actually quite spicy, and the accompanying green sauce neutralizes that nicely. A cheap but drinkable Rioja was a good accompaniment to both; the desserts are skippable. The staff bustles about with efficiency; they seem well-trained to handle its popularity without losing friendliness. Better than average, but not great, food, yet very enjoyable and a good value overall.