MichelleW

Have you tried the durian yet?

I go to La Tasca if I want tapas and I don't want to travel to Old Town to Las Tapas or downtown because of traffic, weather, or whatever. Now, if I were in Old Town and I had a choice between Las Tapas and La Tasca, I can't even imagine stopping to think about it for a moment. I have to admit, the noise level in the Clarendon location of La Tasca was just out of control as well. I think I would have enjoyed my meal a lot more even if my dining companion and I had been seated on one of the upper, more quiet levels.

Unfortunately, I can't make it -- I'll be tied up with wedding preparations. But I await the consensus from the group! I'm hoping to make it to Lucky Three for lunch with a colleague this week.

My fiance and I go at least once a month and the service and bussing were fairly uneven the last couple of visits, but this last time, it was just stellar. We had fallen into a bit of an ordering rut, ordering some of my Greek favorites (I love the variations on taverna classics, like the Skate Skordalia and the Kolokithokeftedes). And I almost always order some type of taramasalata. This last time, however, the service was spot on, all of our mezze came out nearly at the same time, and we also ordered out of our comfort zone, which was a great idea. Three standouts were the heirloom tomato salad (from the specials menu), the saganaki with mushrooms, and the soft shell crab (also from the specials menu). It doesn't hurt that kefalograviera and soft shell crabs are two of my favorite things in the world. In any event, water glasses were full, plates were bussed in a timely but not pushy manner, and service was attentive. And, for once, the dining room wasn't too noisy. I really prefer that front dining room for that very reason. I can't even remember what else we ordered, but I was disappointed not to order the octopus off the specials menu, as well as the Pipe Dreams goat cheese (they were out). There's no way we would have been able to finish all of it anyhow.

I grew up eating beet greens and I love them, although I know some people really don't care for them. I've eaten the greens of mature beets as well and they do tend to be a bit chewier than beet greens, but they're still very satisfying. Not a scrap, but I'm personally a fan of dandelion greens. The last time she visited, my grandmother went into my yard to pick them before preparing dinner. I love the idea that something that most consider a weed is a delicious meal in and of itself.

Can anyone recommend a fish market that will sell soft shells in Northern Virginia? I'll say upfront that I'm not a particular fan of Slavin's. If I'm desperate to stay close to home, I will usually buy my fish at Whole Paycheck or Harris Teeter (but only the sushi grade stuff), but I'd love to find out if there are other/better options around here, since I'm still mourning the closing of the Sutton Place/Balducci's out here in Reston.

I live in Reston and work in Arlington, so bear in that in mind... Chao Phra Ya (for Thai) Pho Reston 75 Poste Zaytinya Layalina Fortune (Reston) Sorrento Grille (Herndon) Tacqueria Poblano (a recent addition) Lakeside Inn (Reston -- I know, I know) Talulla Rock Bottom -- Ballston (it's basically our local) I'm visiting Willow for the first time next week and I'm hoping to add it to the rotation. It's just around the corner from the office and priced about the same as most of the higher end chains in the area for lunch and it sounds like a far more satisfying experience.

I thought they did a really nice job with the steamed items, as mentioned upthread, especially the seafood items. I've had a lot of dim sum -- even at Tony Cheng's and at Golden Palace back in the day (GP was my favorite) which wasn't as well-seasoned as some of the steamed seafood dishes. I unfortunately didn't get to try the clams in black bean sauce but [insert Homer-like drool here]. There are a few odd items on the lunch buffet, ostensibly to appeal to a larger crowd. There are definitely a great deal of American-style Chinese favorites (General Tso's Chicken et al.). Ignore those and load up on the dim sum. I did, however, have some greens, sticky rice, and seafood stuffed mushrooms and eggplant from the buffet, which where interesting and tasty. I really enjoyed the delightful tofu with the syrup. According to my coworkers, that's a traditional breakfast in China. It was surprisingly rich and creamy. It actually reminded me quite a bit of a childhood comfort food from my own cultural background -- the Greek pastry known as Galatoboureko (milk pie).

No diner meal is complete without Scrapple, which I insist is a poor man's foie gras. It's also delicious and best with buttered toast points and soft-scrambled eggs.

I went to Lucky Three with a bunch of coworkers (many of whom are Chinese) for their amazing lunch buffet a couple of weeks ago. I was suitably impressed, and I tried a lot of neat new things because my coworkers were all "Michelle, have you tried this? How about this? And this?" Anyhow, I have literally been dreaming of dim sum ever since. Lucky Three surpassed Fortune in the glory days (when it was in that location) and Mark's Duck House at its finest. It's like the best NYC dim sum (I personally like HSF in Chinatown). I'm not sure it gets any better than that, honestly. And if you work nearby, the lunch buffet, which includes unlimited dim sum, is $10. ETA: I am totally in on a NoVA excursion to Lucky Three. I dream of the place now nonstop.

I love this place. I grew up going there. My grandparents went to church with the owners. And the cooking -- while not exciting or gourmet -- was good, solid Greek home cooking. It was exactly what I expected from my grandmother or my aunties and it was a little slice of home on a restaurant plate. And the owners were amazing, kind, lovely people. I was just talking with a (Turkish!) colleague about what a great place this is the other day. So sad to see it go. It's the end of an era, like the closing of another family-owned Arlington business, Stein's Theatrical. I guess now I'll have to schlep up Connecticut Ave to Parthenon.

Six of us will be going to Notti Bianche to celebrate my stepfather's birthday next Sunday night. None of us are picky eaters (and we love octopus and sweetbreads!), so what would you fine people recommend we try? My fiance is a darling but largely unadventurous. He really tries, but he will most likely order some variety of roast chicken or hangar steak. So what else is there for the rest of us?

I am looking for a baker for my wedding cake and, based on the restaurant suggestions that come up on the wedding planning websites, I don't really trust those women when it comes to anything food related. However, I do trust y'all. So where would you suggest for wedding cake? Don't worry about price for now, although if you were a bride recently, all the better. I have plenty of legwork to do, though, so I'm happy to figure out the details later. I am intrigued by Sticky Fingers Bakery because I hear they can do a dairy free wedding cake. I'm lactose intolerant so that would be keen, but it's not a dealbreaker because, frankly, I go ahead and consume the lactose all the time in the interest of having an excellent meal (plus, in my experience, fondant is some nasty-ass stuff and I'd prefer buttercream). Thanks in advance. (And if you were wondering, yes wedding planning sucks.)

Unearthing this thread because Layalina has long been one of my favorite "secret finds" in North Arlington. My fiance, his mother, and I had mezze for about $50 (no drinks) before we went to the theater last night. I have introduced any number of ex-boyfriends and friends to the place, which is far better than Lebanese Taverna, never as crowded, and far more reasonably priced. One thing I will say for Lebanese Taverna: they know how to do the bread. But it doesn't justify the inflation of their prices or the ridiculous waits or their unwillingness to take reservations for the entire restaurant. Layalina's atmosphere is so much more laid back, the people always recognize you, and the food is simply wonderful. I truly cannot say enough good things about the restaurant. Go here! It does tend to get crowded on Friday and Saturday nights but, otherwise, it's seems to be pretty quiet. (Maybe they do a respectible lunch business?)

It's technically got a new name, I believe. The new signage wasn't up the last time we ate there (we've been eating mostly Thai lately), but the new owners had taken over. The menu was more traditional Vietnamese -- less French on the menu than before -- but still pretty good. Not as unique as before, which is sad, because Le Grille was a pleasant change from the endless blandness of Reston/Herndonia. (Said blandness is why I've been cooking in and eating out downtown more lately.)

Everytime we've gone to Le Grille or the Thai restaurant in the Clocktower, I've almost suggested to my fiance that we look at SBC, then I remember that they sold out. What do the prices look like?

Oh Whitey's how I miss you. Don't get me wrong, Tallula is tasty. But Whitey's, I will mourn your demise until the day I die.

I'm still partial to the Green Leafe Cafe on Scotland Street after all these years because my grandparents owned it when I was growing up. It's still the local for most of the W&M faculty and upperclassmen and they have a ton of beer on tap and available these days. It's a nice place. The Trellis and Berretts are a little more high end, but not exactly Citronelle quality. There are tons of Italian and "family" restaurants as well. Other all time favorites include Mama Steve's Pancake House, the College Delly, and Paul's Deli. Finally, this place is new to Williamsburg in that I haven't eaten there in a recent visit to my grandparents, but it looks interesting and I think I'm going to have to take them there: Cities Grille

Ok. I'm resurrecting this thread and turning it serious because my folks live in Lancaster and I've eaten a couple of really nice places up that way with them. Most recently and most memorably was over the fourth of July weekend at the Bistro at the Netherlands Inn and Spa. We had a lovely dinner with cocktails and several glasses of wine, including salad and appetizers for three. The food was excellent. The space was lovely. The service was flawless. We had a lovely time and the restaurant easily rivalled far more expensive establishments in the Washington, DC area. I would happily go back there anytime.