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hillvalley

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Everything posted by hillvalley

  1. hillvalley
    Next time say hi I wasn't surprised at the amount of food, I just wish there was a way to eat more. I think I was the only one at my end who managed more than one piece of the amazing filet, which was the last meat course. There were six meat courses plus a cheese course (Grayson) and a dessert course (perfect quinelles of ice cream.) I would recommend going with a group of 6-8. We were 11 and it was too many people to discuss the meal together. My end of the table, however, analyzed every wonderous course. This isn't a meal I can afford to do regularly but it was worth every penny. Also, go with people who will enjoy and respect the meal as much as you will. Otherwise you are missing part of the experience. The best way to ensure parking and not have to wait for a table is to arrive as close to 6:30 as possible and park on Connecticut. After 7 parking becomes difficult and the restaurant fills up. Or, as laniloa pointed out, use the lot next door. Last night the Tuscan kale bread soup and polenta topped with mushroom ragu was the perfect meal for the ridiculously cold weather. I do wish the polenta was served with a piece of bread. It was difficult to sop up the very last bits and we didn't want to order a whole basket of bread for two of us.
  2. hillvalley
    Happy Birthday BLB!
  3. hillvalley
    Waitman's bean stew with poached quail eggs. Didn't have any herbs around so I added some lemon zest that worked perfectly.
  4. hillvalley
    I drank the Kool Aid yesterday. Had the chivito delivered. Everyone who came in my office while I was eating was jealous, including the vegetarian. So much going on in one sandwich and so good. Fries were skinny and would have been fantastic if they hadn't had to suffer through delivery. Reheated they were still good. Go drink the Kool Aid.
  5. hillvalley
    Chef sent out an invitation to people asking them to come and bring others to the taping. Most of the crowd was not from the board but friends of the Chef and Robin. I'll let others who were on the show identify themselves if they want to. For the record I really didn't like Flay's fried chicken; the skin wasn't crispy and the chicken didn't have as much flavor as Chef's. It was fun though to watch him get flustered when his oil was screwed up although he did handle it well in the end. Although I am not a fan of his I will admit that he was great with those who flocked to him after the taping was finished and stood for photos with those who asked.
  6. hillvalley
    Nope, that was me. There are a bunch of dr faces throughout the episode.
  7. hillvalley
    The anticipation is overwhelming. Can Chef's fried chicken beat Bobby Flay's? Depending on how they edit the episode, Bobby could be interesting to watch for once. Somehow I doubt they will give us that pleasure though.
  8. hillvalley
    It takes a long, full day to tape an episode. When putting the show together I'm sure the editors were more concerned about using the best shots than making sure the clocks were in chronological order.
  9. hillvalley
    Sietsema has some details in GOG
  10. hillvalley
    I'm thrilled it's a Spanish pairing, and frankly am more excited about what's on the menu at Radius than Jaleo which has never really impressed me, but I still think it's an unusual pairing. Tastes damn good, which is really all that matters.
  11. hillvalley
    I know it's not what you asked about but I've started bring a nice bottle of olive oil instead of wine. The hostess doesn't have to worry about serving it with dinner and it lasts a lot longer.
  12. hillvalley
    When I ordered the new parpadelle with house smoked bacon and dates I asked Chef to leave out the dates. His reply was "I knew you were going to say that and you have to try it once with the dates." I don't like dates but I also knew that if I wanted some of that bacon I was going to have to try the dates. Sigh. He was right. The dates with the bacon are a great salty sweet combination. It doesn't sound like it should taste good together but it does. And the house made pasta is a great vehicle of this unlikely duo.
  13. hillvalley
    A friend and I had a great off the menu meal this weekend. I gave chef a few perameters and he created a wonderful meal. Unfortunately, due to drinks with the meal, I don't remember all the detail. I do know we had a great meal and the family sitting next to us drooled as each course came out. The highlight of the meal was scallop crudo with three eggs. Thin slices of beautiful scallop on top of just a bit of mustard. Each slice was topped with either caviar or sea urchin. Two quail eggs laid in between slices of the scallop. A chili oil was drizzled over the dish when it was brought to the table. The idea was to break the yolk of the quail egg and mix it gently with some of the mustard and oil to make a Caesar salad like dressing. I have to admit to being weary when Chef drizzled chili oil over the delicate scallop, caviar and sea urchin. They were such delicate flavors and I wasn't sure how the chili oil would play off of them but of course he knew what he was doing. Each bite of scallop was brilliant; the bites of caviar were just great (words are failing me right now) and the bites with sea urchin were the perfect example of umami. Without knowing ahead of time, Chef used my three favorite eggs and the scallop was the perfect vehicle for them. The other dishes included a Jewish girls version of mussels, complete with bacon and pork rinds, a beautiful piece of fish (black cod?) in a delicate broth (I wish I remembered the details because it was great too) and duck. We finished the meal with the cheesecake which was light and airy. It was a great night that didn't break the bank but allowed for just a bit of indulgence.
  14. hillvalley
    It was one of the first events organized when the board was created. Dish #1414 was ventworm nuts. One of the best 5/8th bite of food I have ever had.
  15. hillvalley
    To my grandmother, who on New Years Eve, at 93 years and 364 days old tried her first kamikazes and remembered she that loves white russians but not fuzzy navels.
  16. hillvalley
    I thought that was you!
  17. hillvalley
    I'm looking for someplace in DC or Bethesda that has really good cinnamon rolls. With lots of icing dripping everywhere. And when you heat it up at home it becomes a gooey pile of cinnamon roll goodness. I'm thinking this is how New Years Day should begin.
  18. hillvalley
    The chex from a bag of original chex mix. Every few bites I alternate and dip a pretzel into homemade, kick ass chocolate sauce.
  19. hillvalley
    I'm looking for good, relatively cheap eats for lunch around the Met and Madison Square Park. Doesn't really matter what kind of food, I just don't want to waste a meal. (Shake Shack and Hill Country aren't options.) I am also trying to decide if it worth making a trip to Eatly. I'll be in the neighborhood, more or less, at least once. But from what I have read here and elsewhere trying to eat is a nightmare and I won't be doing any shopping. Is it worth it? Also, any suggestions on how to bring home a bounty of riches from Russ & Daughters so they don't spoil? I'll be on the train so bringing a big cooler isn't an option.
  20. hillvalley
    Go to Breeze. Bring dear friend with you to share dessert. Get the French cream roll. There are two in a bag so it's perfect for sharing. Take a couple of bites and figure out that you are eating what a Twinkie should taste like. Realize that cake crumbs surrounding the roll is brilliant. Repeat on regular basis. Can't say I didn't warn you.
  21. hillvalley
    The chicken is still the chicken. Almost. They need to work on crisping the skin, there wasn't as much as there used to be. I like the skin. A lot. But if you can forget about the skin it's still the same Palena chicken. If you miss the old fry plate get the frito misto. There's fried lemon and fried onions and other new good things like fried broccoli and real fish sticks in it now. They still make a damn good sazerac. Steak was good but you can get a good steak anywhere. Pasta with two cheeks is damn good. Oh, and the burratta. Don't skip the antipasti. It's still not the old cafe, but it's getting there. Having the right people around helps. Word of warning-I've now sat along the back wall 2 or 3 tables from the kitchen twice. It's a great view of the kitchen but you will feel the heat of the oven.
  22. hillvalley
    I'm sick of sweet lollipops. How come no one but Jonny Monis knows the brilliance in a savory lollipop? Ice cream and gelato makers figured it out (ahem, the absurd bourbon ice cream at Radius.) Why not fancy lollipop makers? Is it that hard to do? A sweet basil pop? A lemongrass pop? Bourbon ice cream pop? And if no one is smart enough to be doing this, who's figuring it out with me because I have no clue?
  23. hillvalley
    I had the bah min a few weeks ago and it was great. The bread is some of the best I have had in a long time. I had a conversation with a chef today about how much good bread adds to a restaurant's cost and it's worth every penny at Ba Bay. The pate was excellent as were the pickled vegetables. I don't agree with Seitsma's review-my sandwich had just the right amount of mayo. If you're on the Hill for lunch skip everything else.
  24. hillvalley
    Fried chicken anyone?
  25. hillvalley
    Sigh Those were the days.
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