xcanuck

Nice to see some interest! I'm going to drop by there tonite and see if we can organize something. Just throwing a date here to see if it works - Wed 11/18 perhaps?

Whatever happened to the dr.com Happy Hours and "whiming"? Could there be a better place for us to take over the bar than Proof? I've been 3-4 times since the beginning of the Caps season and I'm hard pressed to ever go anywhere else. What a gem! (yes, I know Don. I could organize something myself....let's see if this generates any interest)

First off, picture taking a sandwich and trying to crisp the bun in about an inch of cooking oil. That's about what I got. That's entirely different from a juicy burger that makes the bun moist. There's a difference between the cooking oil providing the moisture versus the inherent fat/water in the meat. The former is greasy, the latter is juicy. IMNSHO.

No hockey. No curling. So count me in!

I went to Granville Moore's last night prior to a show at the Rock and Roll Hotel. While every table was taken at 8pm on a Monday night, the bar was completely deserted. I sat down, ordered a Bavik and perused the menu. I know that you should go with a restaurant's strong suit, but I just wasn't in the mood for moules. I wanted something more filling so I ordered the Bison Steak and Cheese. The bison brisket itself was outstanding. Excellent flavour and wonderfully moist. To be honest, I don't think I could have told the difference between this and beef brisket, given the cheese and seasoning, but that's OK. What was atrocious was the bun that it was served on. It was dripping - and I mean dripping - with grease. There's juicy. There's greasy. I understand the difference. And this was fucking inedible. I think they grill the sandwich to get the bread crispy and it was probably grilled in a puddle of 10W40. I ate about half the bun before I got fed up. I used a fork to eat the brisket, which really was wonderful. But by that time, I had been so turned off my meal that little could save it. Honestly - I don't think I've ever walked away so annoyed that I was separated from my money like I was last night. Oh, and I thought the frites looked overcooked. When they first arrived, I thought they might be sweet potato fries because of the colour. The taste was OK, though. Not good, but not bad. Can't say I'm enthused about my first and only experience. I know it's unfair to judge a place based on one visit. But sometimes that's all you get. Sorry GM.

Man, there are a lot of things Landrum does that I don't think I could ever do........

My only complaint about most brussel sprouts in restaurants is that they tend to be oily. I parboil them, toss them with herbs and a little olive oil, then throw them on a hot grill for a few minutes to crisp up.

Many thanks to Daniel for organizing this and to Chef Vinod for the amazing selection of food. We really enjoyed ourselves. We'll definitely be back.

*bump* This kind of event isn't usually my thing, but I'm a big fan of the DC Central Kitchen. So...is anyone else thinking of going?

Was at Dino's last night and snagged one of the last orders of artichokes. Very nice! But it was the duck beggar's purse that did it for me. The ultimate sausage. The maialino continues to find it's way onto my plate (and arteries). Just too bad Dean wasn't there to guide us on the ordering and pairing, but we still had a good time. And I second the request for a special HH there.

I got dibs on one order!!

Honestly. This is The. Best. Thread. Ever.

See the attached file for the New Kam Fong menu NewKamFongMenu.pdf

So after a disappointing visit yesterday to Wong Gee, I decided to follow Dean's recommendations and try out New Kam Fong. First of all, I have to agree that the service is very friendly. I was greeted warmly and encouraged to ask questions/state my preferences. What a selection! It'll take some time to work out which are my favorites. I ended up taking home three dishes for lunch today. We started with a small appetizer of wontons in hot sauce (the waitress's recommendation when I asked for something spicy). The wontons are made with a combination of shrimp and pork - very tasty! The sauce was slightly sweet and moderately spicy. A little tang and it would be perfect. The heat wasn't quite what you'd get at a place like JNH. Lisa thought the spiciness was perfect. I appreciated the sweetness and the flavour from the ample amounts of shrimp. We got about a dozen medium-large wontons for only $5.95. Not a bad value! I ordered the beef motsu with egg noodle in soup that Dean mentioned earlier. Nice, large chunks of well cleaned beef intestine (Wong Gee - take note!!), served up in a broth with baby bok choy and egg noodles. The broth looks like beef broth but tastes like chicken broth steeped in tripe. A little light tasting - it could've used something to perk it up (maybe some cinnamon? anise? red pepper flakes?). But overall, on a chilly day, this is the perfect comfort food for someone who likes the texture and taste of beef tripe. Lisa got the winner - salted fish/diced chicken/bean curd hot pot casserole. Damn! but this tasted good. You've got to appreciate the occasional hit of salty dried fish (which we love). It was cooked in a simple white sauce which really allowed the flavour of the salt fish to come out without overwhelming the dish. Lots of chunks of chicken in it. It's another nice comfort food for a fall day. I'd say we went 3 for 3 at lunch. They've got a very large menu (which I'll try to scan and post later today). It'll be tough to really figure out what the best dishes are. Maybe this place is a good candidate for a $20 Tuesday?

Anyone have a link to their menu? A quick Google search didn't yield anything.

Wow...nice review(s). Well written and photographed. Thx for the leg work. I'll be checking out La Preferida for lunch one of these days. Sounds great!

We went the busier location yesterday for dinner. The Sunday School deal features a beer, wine, and cheese - all at half price (quantity limited to one of each per person). Our group of five went through a variety of wines, cheeses, beers, and dishes (including some of the salads and sandwiches). There's no doubting the excellent selection here. The focus of Tria is the wine, beer, and cheese - and they succeed with these three. The food, on the other hand, is good to sometimes very good. I would say that local places like Proof and Bar Pilar beat them on this account. Tria is an excellent place for a late night bite, or leisurely conversation with munchies (if you can stand the noise). I wouldn't call it a dining destination, though.

Excellent!! I could make a meal out of their street snacks. My (overprotective) parents took me to India several times when I was young but I was never allowed to eat any of the street food. Looking forward to it.

Hot damn, that was a fantastic meal! I echo Porcupine's thanks - Scott did a great job organizing the dinner. I know he wrote down the specifics of the meal and, barring a sneeze, should be able to post what we had. I think we ordered close to 15 dishes and the tab for the whole thing came out to under $16 each, incl tax and generous tip. Personal favorites were the General Guan's Chicken, Sichuan Beef Jerky, Shredded Bean Curd Salad, Smoked/Breaded/Fried Duck, Cured Pork, and Crunchy Fungus with Pickled Peppers. The only dish that I didn't care for was the short ribs in lemon sauce. It was cloyingly sweet and tasted like it had been cooked inside a supermarket lemon pie. But to have only one dish among 15 disappoint is a remarkable success rate. And the service was really good time. Very prompt, polite, and accommodating. They certainly don't act condescending towards non-Asian diners. The "Authentic" menu is printed in English and the staff seems very eager for you to try the more unusual dishes (JNH - take note!). A great meal with incredible company. I really had a wonderful time and it was good to see some old friends after quite awhile.

Thanks, Alan and Joe, for the fast response. I'll be putting in an order for some of these. Also anxious to try Bell's Winter Wheat Ale. I'm starting to develop a real liking for these unfiltered wheat beers.

I'm planning on get a keg or two of Bell's beers for an upcoming party. I know that Arrowine sells it occasionally. Anyone know of any other sources (preferably in DC)?

Well, can't promise that, but I'll be there +2 (3 total). See y'all tomorrow.

I'm a big fan of Nellie's. If you want something close to downtown, we often go to Penn Quarter Tavern to watch U of M games there. Food's way better than Nellies, too.

Lisa will join us, so please make me +1. Would it be OK for me to invite two others people from off the board?

I'm in. Checking to see if Lisa will join.