baczkowski

Hmmm...I guess I got into a rut of liking something at this place and just kept going back to the well since I was generally satisfied each time. For example, I never got the croquettes b/c, well, I, too, thought they LOOKED processed and pre-packaged. So I went with my tried and true (for me): their meat special of the day as a combo that included rice, beans, and fried plantains. If they didn't have a meat special ready (I often went early on my way to a second job), I would get an order of the shredded pork that they use for the Cuban sandwich. It was comfort food from a hole in the wall. Sorry if I set folks' expectations too high. I bet if I veered off my normal ordering rut, I'd probably have the uneven to negative experiences of some posters, too. For these reasons, I have to temper my recommendation of this place. And, yes, after more than a year of much greater exploration of the DC area and my move away from Frederick having provided some clarifying objectivity, I sadly have to admit that Frederick is not read for culinary primetime. Maybe some day...I'll anxiously visit each time with hopes that baby steps of progress are made, but the descension of the Green Turtle and Five Guys downtown makes me fear that I harbor foolish hope. Pax, Brian

Once again Ol_ironstomach has the captured my exact sentiments, but, as always, more clearly...and more than a year before. Needless to say that the stagehand strike and last minute changes with friends completely altered our plans. With friends unable to meet for Friday dinner, we opted for an early reservation at WD~50. We went to be challenged. My wife and I both got the tasting menu, which was an impressive layout of 12 courses. Unfortunately, we didn't hit a real winner until I think course 5, which was an intense french onion soup. The previous ones were interesting ideas but not amazingly tasteful dishes. A perfect example would be the pizza pebbles, which were balls of dehydrated grains interspersed with dots of tomato cream and fresh oregano. Fascinating concept but not all that tasty. The beginning of the tasting menu also didn't flow from course to course. Not until the french onion soup led into the pickled beef tongue bettyjoan described with pictures upthread didn't there seem to be any natural progression between dishes. My wife actually was too squeemish to try the tongue and she had it replaced with an octopus dish that was far more challenging to stomach than the tongue. Personally, I found the tongue quite good when combined with the fried mayo and other ingredients but actually extremely bland when sampled individually. The savory dishes ended with lamb belly, which was just wonderful crispy bacon and mashed potatoes. The remaining courses were desserts and they were the strongest of the 12. If folks would be interested, I can see if I can find the full menu at home. The waiter said that one item seems to rotate off every 2 weeks so you might encounter similar items if you were going in the near future. Bottom line: I wouldn't do the tasting menu again. I'd do exactly what ol_ironstomach recommends of picking items off the regular menu and then splurging on the dessert tasting menu. We shelled out $380 for 2 drinks and a tasting menu each. We both didn't think it was as good as our experiences at Minibar, Maestro, or Citronelle, which were slightly less expensive but noticeably more satisfying. We actually had a more satisfying experience Saturday at Spigolo, a 25 seat Italian eatery on the Upper East Side. Excellent gnocchi (though very different approach than Palena), tasty shortribs, and a truly excellent scallop special with a dried tomato butter and mashed potato base. I was too stuffed but the desserts that others got looked great, too. I think Spigato is worth a stop but supposedly the limited seating makes it a challenging reservation. Pax, Brian

Damn, you're good! Much appreciated. Pax, Brian

For what Bethesda has to offer, I like Raku, but I think your points align with my personal experiences. I was there last week, had their fish special, and thought to myself, "This is pretty decent, but it would be MUCH better if there was just less of everything." Servings were too big (especially the bed of an apparent risotto) and I remember thinking there were probably 2 extraneous ingredients (sorry, can't remember specifically). It's as if they're trying to please everyone, from the chain-hoppers to the adventurous eater, and that's hard to do, though they are always busy so they're doing right by a lot of people. IMHO, though it's not a great restaurant, it's good enough for local dining. I'll keep going, though we'll see what happens if the other Sushi Ko ever decides to open closer to us. pax, Brian

I'm sorry if these requests make it seem as though I haven't read this long thread, but the honest truth is that NYC intimidates me b/c of its shear size and I get befuddled into making no intelligent decisions, no matter how well informed my counsel may be. We're going to NYC next weekend. We know we're staying in Times Square and will arrive in Friday evening and would like to catch dinner around that area. Some place with $30 or so entrees and would still allow us to score a reservation for a party of 3. Saturday we're going to an 8 PM show of the Lion King at Minskoff Theatre, 200 W 45th St. No real price restrictions but obviously we would like to make our show time. Finally, Sunday breakfast and lunch recommendations are also welcome. Thank you for making our lives easier Pax, Brian

Got back from a conference in Seattle and here's the very quick play by play: Wasabi Bistro--disappointing. I was in the mood for sashimi and didn't get my $40 worth. Probably should have walked a block to Shiro's if I wasn't in the mood for rolls. Salumi--ridiculous. The porchetta is the perfect antidote to a cold and rainy winter day. Only highlight of standing in the extensive line was the free salumi samples, which are amazing. Heed Porcupine's advice and call ahead. I was tempted to risk missing my flight and stopping for lunch before my 1 PM plane, but then I verified they were closed Mondays anyway. Lark--wonderful meal. The place wasn't full until after 7 PM on a Friday. Carpaccio was excellent with several subtle and complementary flavors. The pork belly was a deliciously heavy counter to the fish. It'd be hard not to order both again. Finished with a half a dessert order of the chocolate madelines, which were more than enough and very tasty. Sitka & Spruce--multiple foodies from Salumi and Lark recommended this place. Seats 25 at communal tables and the chalkboard menu changes daily (sometimes twice). Three appetizers ranging from $12-$16 a piece were well prepared including mussels and chorizo, grilled octopus, and braised pig cheeks (the unquestioned winner). The owner, who previously cooked at the Herb Farm, is opening a new place in the Georgetown area of Seattle in the coming months. At the other end of my communal table was the potential designer. Here's a local newspaper article. Stumbling Goat--No one mentioned this place but I saw it mentioned as the immediately previous restaurant of the Sitka and Spruce chef as well as another newer restaurant named Crow that had some good word of mouth. The restaurant tries to prepare its dishes with 80-100% local ingredients. I started with 2 local cheeses that were phenomenal and followed that with my favorite dish of the whole trip: Pan-fried black cod served on kale, dungenous crab, and some other wonderful ingredient that I can't remember right now. Well planned and executed dish. Dessert, which are all made in house, was disappointed only b/c it sounded so great: Thyme-baked plums on top of a chocolate coated pastry and topped with homemade ice cream. I think if it was served hot (as I had expected for some reason), I think it would have been truly great except for the pastry. Another local newspaper article. One place I didn't get to which Lydia R writes about upthread and many, many people called the best restaurant near Pike's Place was Matt's in the Market. Everyone had great things to say about it, including a conference couple who actually dined there Saturday. They're not open on Sundays. But there will be a next time...Beautiful city where you can easily pick out the tourists who are jaywalking and using umbrellas. Pax, Brian

I went to Comet Ping Pong a week and a half ago for the first time and it was damn good. The dough, I thought, was very flavorful. And contrary to many previous posters' bad experiences, the crust was not overcooked except for a burnt spot the size of a thumbnail. Otherwise my crust had its signature crispiness except for the very center 2 inches which flopped easily into my mouth. And the pepperoni, peppers, and sausage WERE very spicy, but I had expected it b/c it advertises as much in the name. For the first few bites, I just kept telling myself that CPP's was just "different" than 2 Amy's, but by the end I wasn't sure if I really meant "better." Two Amy's has always been my favorite, but each bite of my Comet Ping Pong pie made me at least want to return to see if I should reconsider. My main reservation, though, is that if you take this board's collective history, inconsistency has proven to be CPP's major weakness. Should I pull a George Costanza and go out on a high note? Pax, Brian

My wife's family has pretty deep ties to the North End (her great-grandfather helped start a pasta company), and Saturday we were hanging out with her 97-year-old-grandmother, who was teaching me how to make her famous ricotta pie, and she reminded me that the family's favorite pastry shop in the North End is Modern Pastry. I guess Mike's Pastry is bigger and more famous, but the family swears by the cookies and cannolis at Modern. I've tried both and both are damn good. Just a though for those in the area next time... Pax, Brian

Answer: "mentioned in The Simpsons episode "A Star Is Burns" as being one of only two Pulitzer Prize winners capable of incredible belching." Ahhh....Wikipedia

I've been driving to and from this town sometimes as much as once a week to attend graduate school and then teach graduate courses at McDaniel College (formerly Western Maryland College) for 8 years now. Despite the frequency, I've ventured little beyond Wendy's and McDonald's, though I once had a meal at Baughers and Johanssons, each with little to remember. Really, there's been nothing that has intrigued me no matter which direction I've driven in from. Now, I had some damn good fried chicken at the Royal Farms convenience store today, but I just feel like I HAVE to be missing something here. Am I? I actually don't care for fine dining considering how far I have to drive to and from, but that might enrich the board. I'd love to know a slightly-better-than-decent casual or carryout place to grab a bite to eat before or after class. Got any suggestions? Otherwise, it's Royal Farms every week. Pax, Brian

I stopped in a couple weeks ago and had a pretty good solo meal. I had the souvlaki, which was ok, and the braised beef and olive oil fries, which was initially outstanding. Essentially upscale-chili-cheese-fries. I was impressed by how large this second dish was and I was over-stuffed when I left (even though I resisted filling up on the tons of bread they put on your table). I would actually call the size/amount a drawback, though, b/c I would have been over-stuffed if it was the only thing I ate, the quality of the fries and cheese suffered as it sat on my table, and the sauce with the braised beef wore on me as I slowed down, though I loved it when it first arrived. But for $8, you can't beat this dish. And I'd love it even more if it was 20% smaller and cost a buck less. Too bad I forgot to try the lamb chop, though that whole fish was quite tempting, too. Pax, Brian

Wife and I are interested. Tuesday works best but the Sundays so far don't contain a conflict. Two non-DR members are also "intrigued." Would they have to join to participate? Pax, Brian

In the mediocrity of Bethesda, Tako Grill does a slightly better job than the "We won't offend you so you will come back" mentality of most restaurants there. There was a time when I liked Tako Grill better than Raku b/c I thought the menu offered more variety (if I wasn't getting sushi), but we went to Raku about a month ago and my interest was rekindled in their variety. We'll go there again soon, especially since we recently moved to Bethesda. It's probably been over 6 months since we last went to Tako Grill, and I don't feel any emptyness for not going. Pax, Brian

I had a pork tenderloin I wanted to cook pretty quickly after working late, so I just drizzled on some olive oil and a good coating of Penzey's Barbecues of the Americas spice mix and tossed it on the grill. Delicious. Ridiculously simple and probably the best pork tenderloin I've had. I've used this spice mix as my ribs' seasoning before, but I appreciated the spiced char far more with the juiciness of the ternderloin. The initial bite was good, but I think it was the hint of sweetness a few seconds after chewing that really made it a little more special. The ease and satisfaction will make it hard not to just prepare it this way from now on. Pax, Brian

The baked lobster was stuffed, but it was a Ritz cracker base and every part of the lobster (claws, nuckles, body, and tale) was really bitter. I don't think the garlic would get to every part. A clorine explanation sounds very possible. It didn't necessarily taste like pool clorine, but it did have a chemically bitterness to it. Pax, Brian

I've had a two meals this summer that included lobster (one baked and the other in a stew) still in their shells and the lobster has had a bitter taste. Is this a side-effect of cooking lobster too long, size of the lobster, or is it potentially from a preservative of the lobster? One was in Massachussetts and one was in Silver Spring. Different lobster worlds for sure (though Massachussets certainly isn't Maine). The baked lobster (in MA) was huge and definitely overcooked. The stew I had was not noticeably overcooked. Just curious. I did some Googling and didn't find anything. Pax, Brian

Ahhhh, now I know why I asked you guys! Adults only on this day that I asked about. But funny you mentioned it, I'm doing the same thing for students the following week! Kids will have less time to linger, so their food will have to be quicker, unless they come during lunch, which they can. Giffords actually donates free ice cream on the first day of school, so I can't compete with that. We'll probably do the library open house day 2 or on the Friday. So, if you wanna suggest kid-friendly ideas, too, fire away ETA: A fridge is definitely available but a stove is less available. We can always put things on ice that need to stay cool. So, we're thinking items that can be served cool or room temperature. Pax, Brian

OK, your homework: Give me ideas to cook or buy food for an All-Day "Open House." I'm a high school librarian and this summer I got a new job at a local high school. Let's just say that the library has been under-utilized, so I'd like to hold an open house next week so people can reintroduce themselves to the library and meet me. Of course, food is the biggest motivator for folks, and many will come to eat instead of meet me, but that's fine since I want them to start having positive vibes about us, our space, and our services. The complicators are 1) This school supposedly has fantastic food often so the normal bagels and pastries would be yawn-inspiring and 2) The open house will be held throughout the day and available for whenever they have free time in their busy schedules as they prepare to teach our children. I'd like ideas for good (doesn't have to be fancy or even great--just something that shows a little more thought than donuts) food that also might be appropriate in the morning and afternoon. Money is an object, though, so something my staff and I could cook might be appropriate. For example, one thing I thought of was cooking a whole ham for sandwiches or breakfast snack. Ideas for sides and mains are all welcomed. Wierd question/assignment, I know, but I was a little stumped and thought you all might have interesting and practical ideas b/c, well, you're food people! Pax, Brian

Four of us went Friday night and ordered as if we were eating at Jaleo: Multiple tapas that we shared. Unfortunately, at the end of the night, I panged for the mediocre Jaleo. I tried to follow Porcupine's advice and explore the Salvadoran options, but when I asked the hostess (A.K.A. "Mrs. Guardado") for these recommendations, she explained that all but two options are Spanish. I ordered the two loan Salvadoran dishes--pupusas and cheese and meat plantains--and thought they were my least favorite items we shared. The plaintain was gigantic but didn't pair well with the cheese or the chicken, which our server recommended over the beef. The pupusa was less disappointing but not very flavorful. It's no where as good as Irene's in Wheaton, Samantha's in Silver Spring, or even the mobile pupuseria that parks in front of the Silver Spring Home Depot in the mornings (by the way, this food-wagon has a great pickled slaw with some kick). The two best items had chorizo, with the vegetable pairing being our favorite. Overall, though, the food lacked depth and/or flavor. On the positive side, the place was 3/4 full the whole time and the service was well-meaning and friendly (though they did time the food arrivals very poorly--sorry, couldn't resist this one last negative comment). Hopefully others will have more positive experiences b/c I'd like to see a hard-worker like the chef succeed. Pax, Brian

Just saw this post now. For what it's worth, my experience was that Monterary Bay DID have the best seafood in Pittsburgh. It was my favorite Pittsburgh restaurant. Now, take that with a shaker of salt b/c I haven't been to the Monroeville location in probably 5 years, (though my parents, who are much less picky, have been and always attest to the quality), they moved locations, and I would admit to being far less experienced and picky (about quality) back then. And Pittsburgh.....well, let's just say that my best friend excitedly told me last month, "Remember that great tapas place [bethesda Jaleo] that you took me to for lunch? Well, we're finally getting a couple tapas places here in a couple months!" Pittsburgh, always on the cutting edge. The Internets might make it there someday. When we were last in Tysons I THOUGHT I saw a sign for a Monteray Bay and thought to myself....."nahhhh!" Is it even open yet? I'd love to hear folks' reports. Pax, Brian

Isn't this the point where Rocks displays our mutual taste in women and says, "I wanna have sex with Salma Hayek!"

What's the deal with the place? I think I'm like a lot of people in that I've been meaning to try it b/c of some decent press but I have yet to. When we walked by at 8:30 tonight, the place was barren except for a dutiful waiter making sure that every table's silverware and glass setups were perfect while Guardado himself was sitting slouched at the bar with a scowl on his face that said, "EFF Bethesda for not eating my cooking!" Anyone been? Will this place last? Should it? It's got a crappy location in terms of foot traffic. Pax, Brian

If you're looking for a later a dinner date option, the next couple of days Bethesda is having a free outdoor movie each night through August 3 with movies ranging from Good Night and Good Luck to Jaws. Tonight my wife and I were looking for a place that would accept our paint-covered bodies as we move into the new house and crabs seemed like the perfect choice and reward for hardwork. We chose Steamers over Bethesda Crab House b/c, well, BCH tends to be over-rated in our opinions and we figured there would be more crabs available at 8:30. We chose well b/c we got a dozen large crabs well-cooked (if I was being super-picky, I'd say they were slightly overcooked but not a single one anywhere near mushy as we had a few at Cantler's) and jam-packed with meat for $65. We sat outside and were able to catch parts of tonight's movie, "Funny Face." Dinner and a movie all at once. Nice surprises (i.e. movie, ambiance, and food). Pax, Brian

Without DR guidance, I looked at Boston's Chowhound and found a couple suggestions. Black-Eyed Susan's at 10 India Street turned out to be the no-brainer breakfast/lunch choice from CH's reviews, our experience, and confirmation from others we talked to during the day. With a Southern focus that dabbles in international influences, BES offers breakfast-only until 1 PM. The place is small and always packed, but we only waited 15 minutes for a table at 10 AM. When I was torn between which side I wanted--black-eyed peas, cheesy grits, or hashbrowns--the waitress said, "Why not get some of each?" Done. All three were great, but I loved the spicy kick and uniqueness of the black-eyed peas. For our meals, I got the best Huevos Rancheros that I can remember and my wife got a very strong Portuguese scrambled eggs that mixed in Chorizo (I think), red peppers, and spinach. I snooped through the restaurant to check out other people's food and saw amazing things, with the thick cut french toast seeming the most tempting. Though I rarely eat breakfast out, this was the best breakfast I've had in years. Total was $23 before tip. Our late and filling breakfast allowed to hold off until 2:30 for a snack at the Juice Bar, which should not be confused with the Juice Guys of Nantucket Nectars fame. I had read on Chowhound that Juice Bar is by far the best homemade ice cream on the island and that for a limited time they offer a wonderful blackberry ice cream when they're in season. Unfortunately not enough blackberries are ripe yet, so they recommended the fresh strawberry ice cream. Once again I wasn't able to make a decision (this time torn between the strawberry and peppermint stick in a waffle cone) so they, too, let me try both. Both were outstanding, with the strawberry being the surprising winner despite knowing my peppermint bias. If you like the flavor of fresh strawberries and don't mind the seeds, get yourself a serving. Total was $4. After biking many miles and enjoying the warm waters and sandy beaches, our last meal before being kicked out of the mega-rich's playland was based on a recommendation of a weak-US-dollar-exploiting Irish couple while we were waiting for BES. They highly recommended Pearl as their favorite restaurant over the last two weeks and our experience more than justified their praise. The menu outside lists some of their accolades which include the chef cooking dishes with Ming Tsai and Todd English for PBS plus multiple awards from national and local magazines. Their most recent award was Boston magazine naming their wok-fried lobster dish (2 full lobster tails and 4 full claws lightly breaded in panko before wok frying) the area's best seafood dish. The space reminded me of what Oya might look like if it natural sunlight ever crept inside and if it had a large historic home to work with as its skeleton. The food also had a similar Asian fusion edge but with less of an interest in dabbling in French food. We decided to share two apps and an entree that met with the approval of both our white-froed waiter and our mini-hawk dawning bartender: Yellowfin tuna martini with wasabi creme fresh, ginger, and sesame seeds; lobster rangoon fried wontons (the "dumpling of the day); and Thai curry scallops with Asian noodles. Both apps were fantastic, but the entree, which had spinach plus some type of pickled green mixed amongst the bean sprouts and (superfluous) fried noodles, declaratively made my wife's "Top 5 Dishes She's Ever Eaten." (To be fair, she told the bartender that Coconut Milk spread on newspaper also makes that dignified list, and he of course countered, "Were you here two nights ago?") To give you an idea about the type of service we received, two drinks were inexplicably comped simply b/c the waiter and bartender liked talking food with us and our entree that we split came out in huge bowls with servings that looked larger than a full order. All this for walking in sweaty and with hat-head at 6 without a reservation and snagging the only bar table since the dining room was fully booked (waiter recommended reservations 2 weeks in advance during peak season). By 6:50 we completed our amazing meal, said good bye to our well-tipped servers, strolled past the "beautiful people" who were streaming into this place, and lingered towards our 7:20 departing ferry. Two appetizers, one entree, and 2 un-comped drinks totaled $83 without tip. Ideal ending to a spectacular (and relatively affordable) day on the Uber-wealthy's Rock. Pax, Brian

Since El Pollo Rico was out of commission last week, I tried El Pollo Trujillo in the Four Corners area. Just not the same.....Not nearly as crispy, the chicken seemed a little undercooked and the seasoning was uneven. But I was intrigued by the crispiness of the fries, which the counter person told me was fried in soybean oil. Still no replacement for the star attraction at El Pollo Rico. Pax, Brian