Adam23

no matter whose advice i follow, i have had rotten luck with keeping basil longer than a day or two.

We have had good luck with the Wegmans basil with the roots. Throw it in a glass of water and it lasts for weeks - and also continues to grow.

As with the above, we have had great luck with Super H for veges. We do also find that the "American" fruits and veges, such as strawberries, grapes, etc. do turn quickly and are not nearly the quality (or price) we pay at say Costco or somewhere like that.

So happy the new Dupont Circle location has opened in the PNC on the circle. Stopped in for a delightful, flavorful salad. Absent the annoying to open containers, a very satisfying lunch. No more Chopt muck for me.

Well, that answers that question. Got a call at 12:30 today asking where my party of six was.

Funny. This has happened to me a handful of times at du Parc. Maybe i'll have to book in French for now on.

Walked by today and it's all papered up with For Lease signs. How long did that last? 1 year? I don't know what it is with this spot and the place that's now Muse (RNR Bar, Coyote Ugly, The Rock... did I miss one?) but they can't seem to take root at all.

Lack of foot traffic I would assume (or lack of the right kind of foot traffic - vagrants don't usually hang out at lounges, but do love the neighboring Burger King). 6th is a slow street in Chinatown, especially considering this spot is smack in between some condo building and the Metro office building, both which have no ground floor retail. Its only busy on that block before and after a game or concert at the VZ.

Noticed this place a few days ago while walking around. Doesn't appear to be open for dinner yet, lunch only right now. It's right next to Chinatown Express on 6th.

I haven't had a chance to try it, but my sister-in-law did and said it was rather good. In particular, they supposedly make their pita from scratch and she noted that their pita was particularly good.

A coworker is touting the quality of Vace's pizza, saying it's the best slice in the city. Having never been, and not seeing a thread for it here, I ask for your opinions. There's also a Bethesda location.

It's pretty much my favorite in DC. I do note, that it always tastes better the next day and is particularly delicious cold.

1. Bottles, half-bottles, or pairings for the wine?

2. How many courses should we prepare for? Is this a Komi-like experience, or a more traditional 5 course?

The list is pretty extensive, lots of 1/2 bottles and you can do the pairings. We did two 1/2s, one red and one white, which worked out well.

5 courses traditional menu, though as mentioned there is a tasting menu which is longer. I also highly recommend the cheese course, probably the best cheese course i've had in the US.

I must be ordering the wrong thing because everything I have gotten from there has been overly sweetened slop. What are your suggestions?

I typically order the beef chow fun and lo meins of varying sorts. I've found them to be pretty good and not drenched in oil like other places in Chinatown (Chinatown Express comes to mind). I also like their dumplings and their egg drop soup is pretty good. My wife likes the congee quite a bit if that is your thing.

Are Full Key and Chinatown Express the best of old chinatown? Are there other cheap ethnic spots around, maybe somewhere for Thai?

Jackey Cafe is surprisingly good, equal to Full Key. I really can't eat Chinatown Express anymore - way to greasy. Another option is Capital Q for BBQ which is pretty decent. Ellas Wood Fired Pizza is also good as well.

Hear the dust will settle Tuesday. Wonder how the food has been with the three musketeers MIA?

I was pretty unimpressed at lunch yesterday. The calamari, a favorite of mine, was a bit soggy and the tartar sauce was watery. The fries I had were soggy as well. Hopefully things get back to normal soon.

Frankly, I feel like the biggest reason for its survival is its proximity to the Georgetown law school.

That and the never-ending crowd of convention-goers staying at the Hyatt and Wash Court Hotel that somehow always end up there. Worst restaurant in DC? It's up there on my list but not the worst. Their grilled cheese is tolerable if doused with ample amounts of tomato ketchup and stuffed with their pickles of questionable vintage. Though I still have nightmares about how horrible their french fries are.

We've been ordering cakes from Justin at BakeShopDc.com for our special occasions. I don't think he'll do mousse (but certainly ask) be makes very tasty, moist chocolate layer cakes.

I'm off to South Africa again--another conference in Johannesburg and a few vacation days in Cape Town. Any recent experiences or word of mouth on either? The Joburg portion will be pretty work-intensive, but we're actually staying IN town this time, in Sandton, so I hope to be able to sneak out for at least one dinner and would love to have a name in my pocket since it will probably be spur of the moment.

Cape Town, though, is wide open. I plan at least a day in wine country; our lovely sommelier at Per Se recommended some Stellenbosch wineries to me (Neil Ellis, Meerlust, and Mulderbosch), but I'd appreciate any other recommendations there or in Franschoek. Recent restaurant advice citywide is much appreciated too. Thanks!

When in Cape Town we generally dine at the Savoy Cabbage. Superb food. We sent our friends there last week and they had a superb meal as well. In the winelands, we have had fabulous meals at Le Quartier Francais and Ruebens (in Franschhoek) and Bosmans (in Paarl). We've had pretty good meals at Le Bon Vivant and had a nice lunch at Bread and Wine. I've heard great things about Bouillabaisse.

For wineries, i'd personally skip Mulderbosch and Neil Ellis. You can generally get those wines in the US, though Mulderbosch has some SA only wines which are nice. I'd recommend grabbing a copy of the Platter Guide and looking for the smaller producers you can't get here. That way you can bring back a ton of stuff. I'd do a stop at Vergelegen (a big producer though), amazing grounds and good wine. It is a little out of the way though in Somserset West. Zorgvliet makes some nice wines (near Stellenbosch) as well as Neethlingshof. GlenWood is a place i've been looking to try on my next trip - last time we went they were closed which was annoying since its a 3KM drive down a gravel road. Also, De Toren in Stellenbosch makes some nice wines.

Have a great trip

I will be taking a day trip to Allentown next weekend, and I'm looking for a place to eat a late lunch/early dinner. I have been to the area before and have eaten at Gregory's Steakhouse near the airport, and had a hot dog from Yocco's once upon a time. I was thinking of trying the Allentown Brewhouse, but was also hoping I could get some recommendations for some other options. My only constraint is that I don't have a whole lot of time (looking at someplace I can get in and out in about an hour).

Thanks!

For a meal in an hour in Allentown, i'd probably say Werts Cafe for burgers or the Brass Rail for a classic Allentown experience. There really isn't that much good in Allentown. Pistachios cafe might be another option for some decent salads and sandwiches. Bethlehem has some pretty good options though if you are up that way.

Fresh apricots in pancetta are to die for...run before the season is over, this is a great dish.

The new pickled onions are better than the imported ones (I have a bit of an addiction here, really under control after eating a #10 tin of them). Please part with the recipe!

The Seafood stew and the Branizino continue to amaze me. Thanks for another great meal!

Agreed on both counts. We had the apricots last night and they were superb. The seafood food was delicious and so flavorful as well.

Thanks for this! I grew up just up the road from Dundee, but sadly moved away before turning 21. Our annual Oregon trip is coming up next month, and I'm always torn trying to choose which wineries to visit.

I'd recommend a short visit to J.K. Carriere if they are open. Jim Prosser, the winemaker, is a very good friend and produces some decent pinots (and a few cases of Chardonnay which I found to be particularly good). It's an interesting set up in a barn and he's a very charismatic person, so it makes for an entertaining tasting if he is around.

I also like visting Lemelson. I think their wines are quite good, but the facility itself is quite interesting and more of the highlight for me.

I would also agree with Jon's review of Brick House. Doug Tunnell is a a great guy making superb organic wines. He is very friendly and is always willing to spend a few minutes or a few hours for a tasting. We also enjoy our visit there, sitting on his porch and drinking a bottle or two and having him tell us interesting stories of when he was a TV correspondent. I highly recommend a visit.

going to be in london next weekend, and have a pretty good grasp of the more well known restaurants that i will be trying out.....but here is what i am after, the great hole-in-the-wall dives with amazing food. particularly some great indian.

We had very good curry at New Tayyab's a few months back and excellent indian at the Brillian Restaurant. My buddy who lives in London and loves indian swears by La Porte des Indes as well.

Hi. Anyone have any suggestions for a nice, semi-funky dinner in San Juan? I'm debating between Marmalade and Pikayo and Maramalde is ahead right now. Any other fun places to eat?

We had a very good meal this past weekend at Dragonfly in Old San Juan. Shared some "shrimp tacos" which were amazing flash fried shrimp topped with mango salsa and some roe, had some delightful skirt steak and a few other items that i'm blanking on at the moment.

At 8:45-9ish the line wasn't too bad. We ordered our burgers to go because we didn't feel like staying, though tables were available. My burger was pretty good, cooked to a nice medium, juicy and covered with some good mushrooms and swiss. Best burger i've had in a while and probably the best i've had in DC in a long time, though for some reason my burger was a bit underseasoned. The seasoned bites were out of this world, the unseasoned bites, not so much. My wife had a burger with the smoky mozzarella cheese (me thinks), cooked to a bloody delicious medium rare. It was a true delight. The meat with the smoky cheese made for an A+ burger. Oddly, we got home and noticed my wife didn't get corn on the cob. We probably should have checked before we left. Oh well. She stole mine and enjoyed it.

Overall, this is a great addition to the neighborhood. Looking forward to going back in the future. And oh, they have Moxie. Haven't seen that stuff in a long time.

Looks like they'll be opening at the end of June. They're starting to look to hire some staff. Peri peri sauce and delicious chicken in my tummy.

Was talking to the manager today, opening date is 7/3. Also looks like they are putting one in near Daily Grill on Conn above 18th and M.

the Tangysweet tasted tangy, really tangy like yogurt in soft serve form

I agree. Went here yesterday with my intern and some coworkers. I'm a big fan of Frogurt and really enjoy my long walks to Georgetown to grab some of the frozen yogurt at sweet green, which is tangy, but not overly so, but I was put a back by the flavor of Tangy Sweet's version. I also found it to be really too tangy. The co-workers agreed.

I vote for Portland as well. I've been to both Portland and Seattle and wineried in both states and prefer Portland. It may actually be my favourite city to visit in the US. Portland is a great town with great food and the wineries are a very short drive away. Makes for a pretty fun and easy trip.

My husband and I were there on Sunday. We had the fried oysters which were the best I have had in DC. The bluefish was excellent, the grilled asparagus very good and the collard greens were tasty. But the cole slaw needs salt and spice. Right now it is a miss.

We were there on Sunday as well. The fried shrimp are delicious. I'm already starting to crave that delicious Old Bay-esque batter on them. The collar greens and asparagus were very good too. Both had a very nice smoky flavor. I also enjoyed the sweet potato fries. We didn't really like the mac and cheese though. Tasted too Velveeta-like to us. But if you like that style mac and cheese, give it a try. Overall, an excellent new place. Prices seemed fair given the quality and portion sizes.

We buy the revolution and the cheese and herb one's all the time and really enjoy them. The only frozen pizza we will eat in our house. Thawing is the secret though, otherwise it won't heat correctly and gets dry.

I eat there fairly often since its close to my place. I like their brisket quite a bit. I'd say probably the best you can get in DC proper. It has always been tender but sometimes dry. Their smoked turkey is pretty good as well. Honestly have never tried the ribs since they have never really looked that great to me. Their sides vary. The baked beans are good but their potato salad isn't that great.