tenunda

I'm a fan of Woodford's (and not just for the cool bottle), Basil Hayden's (which is heavy on the vanilla), and Gentleman Jack, a smoother and more delicious version of the old standby. My "everyday" (though it's not every day) bourbon is a Schenider's recommendation: JTS Brown's Kentucky Bourbon. It's 20 bucks for a handle and--while it might not be "Kentucky's Finest," as it claims--it's pretty damn good.

I'm especially enamored with another Schenider's suggestion, Elmer T. Lee's Schneider's batch. Schneider's bought a couple barrels of it special ten years ago. They bottled and shipped it last year; it's wicked good.

I just wanted to let you know that the triple cream goat Jill had at the latest tasting is one of the best cheeses I've ever had in my entire life. It's totally top three with Rochetta and the dry jack that comes with me on hunting trips.

It's great alone, but trancsendent on top of a piece of toast and parsely leaves underneath poached eggs.

Seriously; run, don't walk. As of last Thursday, she only had a couple tiny wheels left...

BdC's are really good, but I think Cafe Belga's are superlative--especially with their mayonnaise.

I was there in October, and I have to echo all the calls for Melville and Babcock. Hopefully Babcock has its Fathom available since it's fantastic (as was a small batch they called 'naughty little hillsides'), and the stainless-stell Chardonnay from Melville was great.

I also really enjoyed Lafond, both for their pourers and their wine. Foxen was really good too, as was Curtis. Grab lunch in Solvang and eat it over your tasting at Rusack on Ballard Cyn Road, it has a beautiful spot.

Be sure to stop in to the Arthur Earl tasting room in Los Olivos. Great wines, good vibe, and only available at that location.

Places to avoid: Mosby, Fess Parker, and Firestone. The latter two are overly commercial, and Mosby just wasn't good: it had a bad tasting area and a surly pourer who wouldn't open the grappa. Boo!

I would be interested to hear how chefs feel when asked to accommodate vegetarians at restaurants that do not specifically cater to that type of cuisine. Speaking only for myself, I equate asking a restaurant to create items for me that are not on the menu to be the same as going to a French restaurant and asking them to prepare a Thai dish. Alternatively, if I didn't like Thai food and went with friends to a Thai restaurant, I wouldn't expect them to whip up a burger or mac & cheese for me.

Your argument only makes sense if a restaurant is explicitly non-vegetarian. While places can focus on vegetarian menus, it's not a type of cuisine per se. Every cuisine uses vegetables, and--especially today--restaurants should offer some good vegetarian dishes. I'm not saying that vegetarians should be surprised when Morton's doesn't have much for them, but they deserve more than pasta primavera, a mushroom burger, or melange of seasonal vegetables when they head out to eat. For the happiness of my friends (and for widening our choice when I eat with them), I wish local chefs would channel some of their creative urges into impressive vegetarian dishes. Springtime's coming; no time's better than now.

Im my days of living in the midst of two of LA's three Japanese communities (ie Western Avenue around Beverly and Japantown downtown), it was very common to have to "earn" your way up the ladder as a customer.  It wasn't that you got less fresh fish, you just got a lesser selection.  The best stuff was always kept out of sight and saved for special customers.  On a first visit, the service would be brusque until they realized you knew something about sushi and the cuture.  Then each succeeding visit another layer was revealed until you, if you were lucky, ate like the Japanese customers did.  The more authentic the Sushi bar, the more aurduous the process.

I'm willing to reach far out for new cultural experiences, but I have to draw the line somewhere!

Zengo?  Don'go!  What they call fusion, I call mushy, tasteless, lifeless.  Plus $11 for a mediocre glass of red.  The Peking roll was so bland, the ingredients were unidentifiable-except the cabbage...which tasted like , well, limp cabbage.  For $9, a complete ripoff.  All 3 dipping sauces tasted like air-magic if that's what they were going for.  After great experiences at Jaleo & Zaitinya (& Bistro du Coin) earlier in the evening, including great service, Zengo was just laughable.  And if that's what passes for the scene in DC, I need to seriously re-think my drinking route.  Totally laughable.  Oh, and who wants to look at the ass-end of a coupla hundred wine bottles?  Easily the stupidest wine rack I've ever seen.

I had the perfect meal at Zengo a couple of weeks ago. It consisted fully of a meal at Corduroy 90 minutes prior.

Dan Steinberg, editor of the Washington Post blog, met a stranger in a cheese shop in Turin, Italy recently.  His camera happened to be running for a blog feature he was doing on Italian cheese.  Coincidentally, about half way into the two minute feature he happened to ask a man standing next to him, "You speak English."

This is the link to what will be an all time classic: 

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/olympics/20...ds_alone_1.html

I saw this today. Fantastic! Moo.

What I'm looking for in a restaurant is to be treated like dogshit and given lesser quality food than the other customers. Sounds like a winner!

I just noticed today that a Juan Valdez Coffee opened at 7th and E and there's a sign up on the 7th Street side of the MCI Center that a Shimba Hills Coffee is opening soon.  Anyone know anything about these places?  There's a token mention of Shimba Hills on MCI Center's web page, but the link is broken.

Nothing against Starbucks or Caribou, but I welcome the opening of other coffeeshops downtown for some variety.

I went to the Juan Valdez by the world bank the other day. They screwed up my order and were slow, but the coffee (mocha) was pretty good.

I also noticed that the beverage selection had degraded. They had a bunch of homemade juices (beet/orange, carrot/something, etc). I usually get a Cricket too, but had to grab a lemonade today.

Anyway, what I'm really writing about is the Oyster Po' Boy. Oh. My. God. It is SO good. It has some fantastic slaw (with some pickled cabbage!), a great relishy creamy sauce, and a TON of corn-meal fried oysters. The bread was fanastic as well, none of that cut your mouth kind, but a big, soft, roll that softly cradles the fried to order oysters. I hope its an every-Thursday thing, because it changed my whole day.

Oh, and the saffron tomato soup was good, too.

I would like to limit this to 5 people at a time because we don't have a huge kitchen.

Be aware! It won't be the first or last time, Escoffier and I think we can do this monthly if anyone is interested. 

Please PM me before friday 8:00 PM if you are coming and we'll make arrangments to meet at Super H.

Count me out, sorry! Plans cropped up for the weekend. Have a good time, I'll have Scott fill me in...

Please be my guest!

A weeknight might be good because it wouldn't be crowded, but sometimes Super H staff don't fully re-stock during the week.

Anyway, remember! We can always adjust the tour hour. 

I'd like to get on the list if at possible, especially after today's foray into the DC farmers' market in NE. I was very confused as to what some of the things were, but I ended up with some really fine-looking snapper.

Thanks!  I Googled like crazy and couldn't find them!  These are perfect!

has anyone seen the doohickey that looks a little like a plastic bazooka and cooks pasta? You pour in boiling water, set it on the countertop, and however many minutes later you have a cylinder full of cooked pasta (or vegetables or whatever).

here's the link: pastaexpress.tv.

i swore i saw one roll out of the kitchen at notti bianche the other day. i assume they're tired of "breaking the pasta to make it fit" in the pot.

I know for a fact it is made from scratch.

that's impressive. how do they do it? do they start with the bean or use something else as the base?

also, avoid the tempeh at all costs. i don't think it's vegetate's fault per se, it's just that tempeh is devil spawn.

Went yesterday (lines were very short), and again my pork shoulder was overcooked, in some places burned, and the thing was too chewy and burnt tasting to even finish.  Sadly, this sandwich just hasn't been up to par the last five or six times I've tried it, so I'm considering giving it up entirely.  My plan B, the hot dog, keeps arriving with excess amount of ketchup and mustard so I can hardly taste the meat.  I appreciate the friendly prices and cannoli here, but that's about it these days.

My pork shoulder from yesterday also had weird charred pieces. Fortunately it was at the end, so I was able to enjoy the sandwich. Today's meatball sandwich was probably the best I've had. So many pignoli and a good amount of sauce.

Funny story: yesterday I walked in behind a group of about 15 people. When we got to the desk, all but two of them ordered "pork shoulder with red sauce," right in a row. At about the 10th one Donna bellows, "are you doing this just to piss me off?!" Classic.

The dip in lunches could have something to do with the Congressional recess of the last four weeks. It just hasn't been a busy time on the Hill.

People won't stop going to lunch, though. I've heard that many offices will be paying for their staff to go to lunches with lobbyists rather than not go at all. After all, lobbyists also give campaign contributions; offices don't want to sever that relationship altogether.

The Reliable Source blurb said that "Williams will yak up the city's restaurant scene ...."  I'm curious what restaurants Williams will reference.  Anyone have any idea what his favorite restaurants are?

Michael at DCist says Mayor Tony reported "Fuzio" back in 2001. Yack. The post is here.

This is your official notice to keep an eye on the board for an announcement in the next few days regarding our next two events.  They will both be stellar dinners highlighting two of DC's most talented chefs.

One event will have a high pricepoint.  We are still working out the details of the other.  Although it won't be as expensive, it will not be a cheap night so start saving your greenbacks.  Both are sure to be meals you will not forget.

So start your speculating.  If you know the details about one of the dinners please don't spoil the fun and announce what it is before we are ready.  Half the fun of these dinners is sitting back and having you try to figure out where our next gastronomical adventure will take us.

My guess is that one will be a massive 60-person game of musical stools/speed dating event at minibar.

The other one will be held on Valentines Day at Restaurant Eve who will sucker all those folks who signed contracts and cancel on them. The name of the evening will be Ventworms in Triple Space.

Shrimp and Grits, with Doughnuts at Colorado Kitchen

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Heather Chittum's desserts at Citronelle

Scott at DCist did an Eating In post with his best attempt at Jackie's braised short ribs. Here's the link: DCist's Short Ribs.

I had homemade wild mushroom soup (shiitake, oyster, porcini, hen-of-the-woods, enoki, and honey) made with cultured butter, shallots, sherry, and a mix of mushroom and beef stocks. Paired this with open-faced grilled cheese of sourdough and tete de moine with red pepper and oregano. souped up (ha!) comfort food.

The best is horehound candy. It's really an acquired taste (licorice-like, but more herbal and bitter), and might be hard to find. You might be able to find some in old timey drugstores.

Otherwise, look for a plant like this: .

Boil it up to make tea, and use the liquid to make a simple hard-crack candy...

aha.

Great interview! The question is: Have you resolved to be more fabulous at work?

(See sidebar if confused)

Montmartre or head up to Sonoma...or go to the Ugly Mug or Finn MaCools for more bar type places.

meyhane would be good for doner kebab and wine. go to murky coffee to read.