DonRocks

I had two meals recently that were extremely disappointing, but I’m not going be naming names during the pandemic. 

Anyway, a truly great chef, now working at a bustling restaurant in residential Dupont, seems to have his hands tied, and I can’t recommend any of the four savory dishes I had, including the vaunted chicken; the service was fantastic, however.

Up Connecticut Avenue near Politics & Prose, I had one of the most disenchanting meals I’ve had in the past year. The appetizers arrived before the wine, and the entrees arrived while we weren’t even halfway through the appetizers - and the only positive thing I can say about the meal is that the lettuces were of good quality. When I asked our server who was running the kitchen now, I was stunned to hear the answer: “Pretty much no one.”

On 9/29/2021 at 10:07 PM, saf said:

OK folks - symphony tickets for this season for us begin tomorrow. And Campono has been our go-to for a while. Now what?

Say hi next time!

(The Florence Price Symphony #3 was terrific, and needs to become part of the standard 20th century symphonic canon. Plus there’s just something intrinsically riotous about an old white conductor dancing the hambone.)

Q: Which pitcher has the most career wins without a Cy Young Award?

A: Cy Young

On 2/26/2015 at 5:18 PM, DonRocks said:

Park's record (giving up 2 Grand Slams in 1 inning to the same batter) is just as unbreakable as Tatis'.

Had the inning ended, and Tatis hit another Grand Slam in another inning, it wouldn't be nearly as significant (or unbreakable) - 13 players have hit 2 Grand Slams in 1 game (nobody has hit 3, and I suspect it will be quite awhile before anyone does, but the "1 inning" restriction makes the record pretty unbreakable - the additional restriction of "against the same pitcher" makes it even more so.

My guess is that a player will hit 3 Grand Slams in 1 game before another player hits 2 Grand Slams in 1 inning.

While not as amazing as what Tatis achieved, I found this tidbit out today: 

Frank Robinson hit grand slams in back-to-back innings with the exact same players on-base both times (Blair on 1st, Buford on 2nd, McNally on 3rd).

2 hours ago, Keithstg said:

Because I’m not a fan? Pretty much as simple as that.

Fair enough!

For the record, I’m a *huge* fan of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic - pretty much equally.

That said, you’ll *never* hear me say who’s the “greatest ever” based on the total number of majors (*). That’s a new “thing” that started with Sampras in the late 1990s.

(*) Take away any one of the Big 3, and one of the other two would have 30 majors. It isn’t inconceivable that a single dominant player (think: Lance Armstrong) might have 40 before 2050.

9 hours ago, Keithstg said:

Djokovic is going to win and there's absolutely nothing anyone can do about it. Really bums me out.

I honestly don’t understand why it bums you out.

2 hours ago, Ericandblueboy said:

I'm confused with this:

The reservations are powered by Tock.  You pay for a reservation but you're then refunded when you eat there.  You get to keep the points?  For example, if I put down a $50 deposit for a reservation, I get 500 points even though my deposit is later refunded?

Not refunded, but applied to your bill.

If you pay a $100 deposit, and your total meal bill is $175, you’ll pre-pay $103 to Tock (including the $3 fee), then $75 at the restaurant, and receive:

1030 points for your prepaid $103 (10x points)

225 points for your $75 balance (3x points)

and they’ll show up on your balance as two separate charges.

—-

Incidentally, I asked a chef about Tock’s charges: He told me they charge the restaurant 3% for the prepaid amount which is the same as AmEx, I believe.

—-

Calling all Restaurants: If there’s a reason we (the diners) shouldn’t be using this feature, could you let us know?

12 hours ago, lion said:

We're looking to rent a cabin later in the fall. Has anyone stayed in the area or could recommend dining experiences nearby? 

 

Thanks!

lion, this may not be of much help for New River Gorge proper, but …

https://www.donrockwell.com/topic/52942-help-needed-mountains-with-high-speed-internet/?do=findComment&comment=354342

8 hours ago, Keithstg said:

Last night was hard to watch. I’m hopeful that a break from tennis will allow Osaka to find some peace and happiness - and selfishly, that she comes back to tennis better than ever.

I only saw a little bit of the match, but Osaka's body language told me she just didn't want to be there.

Something drove her to become the best player in the world, but you need an extra gear to sustain that level. Now that she's tasted so much success in other areas, she may be deciding (perhaps even unbeknownst to her) that this isn't the path she wants to take going forward - something of an Andrea Jaeger mentality (Osaka just doesn't come across as a killer). Even if that's the case, she still managed to climb a very difficult mountain.

On a technical note, it bothers me that her serve toss is so far to her left. It sure works well enough, but her margin for error is low.

On a larger note, the quality of top-level tennis doesn't seem very high right now, probably due to a number of factors (COVID-19, generational superstars winding down, etc.) As I type this, I'm watching Djokovic-Nishikori, and I'm dismayed at how many of their shots are landing inside the service line. This is just not what we've grown used to seeing over the past twenty years.

On 8/11/2021 at 11:41 AM, DonRocks said:

Furthermore, Dubai Air is owned by Cerithian Oil, which has left southern Nigeria in a shambles.

Someone will eventually appreciate my humor.

6 hours ago, gnatharobed said:

Returned to Corduroy last night for the first time in many years and it felt like a big welcome home hug.  I have loved Corduroy since its Four Points days and I will always associate it with the Don Rockwell community.  The care and attention that Chef Power puts into his food is always reflected in the warmth of the amazing front of house.  We were celebrating my birthday last night and I brought my kids there for the first time so it felt extra special.  We revisited old favorites like the seared tuna, and soft shell crabs, but were also introduced to exciting new dishes like the tonakatsu, and the incredible chilled avgolemono soup (I can't go to Corduroy and not order soup).  The outdoor space is lovely and the mural Chef's wife painted sets such a joyful mood back there.  Even with all the amazing new restaurants in DC, I knew I wanted to support Corduroy on my birthday.  We loved every minute of our experience there. 

We were there the night before you, and while the Seared Tuna and Tonkatsu didn't *quite* reach the absurd heights of the previous visit, they were both still superb (the Tonkatsu was a perfect medium-rare previously, and both dishes were a bit saltier on this evening - but trust me, this is nitpicking greatness). I balked when I saw the Chilled Avgolemono soup on the menu (this is one of my "comfort foods," and the thought of having it cold is like the thought of having lasagna cold), but when Tom sent out a little sample, I was amazed at just how good it was. Also, a sashimi appetizer of Hamachi was fantastic - it was divided into loin meat and belly meat, with the same cabbage that comes with the Tonkatsu (it works equally well with both and did not seem redundant).

The pictures of the tuna are a bit washed out, but I included two of them to show just how thick this cut of fish really is.

It is a mortal sin that on a Wednesday night, a 6:30 reservation was the final one of the evening. This restaurant should have a Michelin star.

19 hours ago, funkyfood said:

It's not a bad deal, but by far the best use of points is for first-class or business class international travel (if you like that sort of thing, and can do that sort of thing these days). Instead of 1.5 cents a point you get with Pay Yourself Back, you can get like 10 cents a point for, say, a first-class trip to India. But, again, that's only if you value a first-class trip to India.

How do I execute this type of transaction on Chase? I’m genuinely curious now that you’ve said this.

Chase is offering 5x points on flights (and 10x points on hotels, car rentals, and certain meals), but I don’t see any way to get 10x points on any flights. Do you transfer into Air India’s frequent-flier program, and then use one of *their* promotions?

If I could get a $4000 flight for $400, that would influence my choice of destinations.

54 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

How do I execute this type of transaction on Chase? I’m genuinely curious now that you’ve said this.

Chase is offering 5x points on flights (and 10x points on hotels, car rentals, and certain meals), but I don’t see any way to get 10x points on any flights. Do you transfer into Air India’s frequent-flier program, and then use one of *their* promotions?

If I could get a $4000 flight for $400, that would influence my choice of destinations.

Also, if anyone knows of any great values in transferring to, e.g., Hyatt, and then using *their* points for a free hotel, could you post here? The process of researching this is time-consuming and cumbersome, especially when you aren’t sure where you even want to go. It can consume hours out of your day.

I trust Chase Sapphire Premium Visa holders are aware of the 50% points boost for past Dining expenses in the “Pay Yourself Back” category using Ultimate Rewards.

Unless I’m missing something, this is *exactly* like the 50% bonus you get for using your points on future airfare, hotels, and dining - the big difference being that you’ve already spent the money.

Can someone tell me if there’s any logical financial reason not to take advantage of this? I tried it for several transactions, and there are no surprises that I’m aware of.

Also, be aware that the new “10x points” offer on Dining via Ultimate Rewards *only* applies to pre-paid amounts. E.G., if you make a reservation for two at Marcel’s, and put down a $200 deposit, you’ll get 10x points (2,000) for the deposit, but only the normal 3x points for any amount you spend at the restaurant.

Pro tip: The Bouillabaisse at Convivial is eligible for 10x points when you order it as carry out (which is the equivalent of getting 10% off the meal).

On 8/22/2021 at 9:23 AM, DonRocks said:

I'm pretty sure that, start-to-finish, this is the best meal I've had in 2021 (although there's a single course I had elsewhere that might be my "dish of the year" so far).

My favorite single dish of 2021 so far was at San Lorenzo, where Chef Fabbri is putting out the same level of pasta dishes he did at while he ran the kitchen at Tosca.

(I didn't take any pictures, but found some on San Lorenzo's Instagram page which both look exactly like what we were served - just click the names of the dishes to see the pictures.)

Chilled Peach Soup with Scallop Ceviche was absolutely superb.

Homemade Pappardelle Pasta with Rabbit Ragu, White Wine, Herbs, and Olive Oil is my 2021 "dish of the year" to this point. There were four of us at the table, and none of us could believe how good it was.

7 hours ago, Pat said:

We had a really hard time finding parking, so I had to call to say we'd be late. But, once there, everything was wonderful.

There is no such thing as "driving to Corduroy" anymore. We went on July 31st, and drove around for nearly 45 minutes, before giving up, driving a mile north, and getting on the Lyft app ... only to find some sort of surge pricing which would have cost nearly $25 to go one mile (!), so I decided to drive back to Arlington, but on the way past Corduroy, there was, by some sort of divine intervention, an open space.

I can honestly say that in all the times I've been to Corduroy in the past 18-ish years, the dishes were *the best* I've had there, and I'd bet I've been here over 100 times.

Salads of Baby Gem Lettuce with Radish and Anchovy Riesling Vinaigrette ($10) don't sound that exciting, but they couldn't have been made, more importantly dressed, any better. 

As good as they were, the entrees were even a notch higher.

I don't know how many times I've had the Peppered Rare Tuna with Hijiki and Sushi Rice ($33), but certainly over a dozen. This was the most perfect rendition of this now-classic dish I've ever had here. It didn't "look" any different, but every single flavor component, including the cooking of the tuna, was flawless - it literally could not have been any better.

Its equal was the Tonkatsu with Salted Kombu Caraflex Cabbage ($27), which I've had only once before as a tasting portion. I don't see how either Tonkatsu or Salted Kombu Caraflex Cabbage could be any better than these were in terms of flavor, temperature, and texture.

We had my favorite table in the house (the elevated booth across from the kitchen), and I'm near-certain that Chef Power hovered over both these dishes - that's the best explanation for why they were so stratospherically great. If you can, get a bottle of aged Red Burgundy with this meal (there's currently a 2010 Thierry et Pascale Matrot Monthélie on the list for $70) - it deserves nothing less.

I'm pretty sure that, start-to-finish, this is the best meal I've had in 2021 (although there's a single course I had elsewhere that might be my "dish of the year" so far).

2 hours ago, reedm said:

they only offer seating for odd-numbered parties during their Saturday lunch service.

Seems a bit odd

ba-dum-pum

10 hours ago, MarkS said:

We celebrated our 36th Anniversary at Tio Pepe Tuesday night.  Many of my wife's Baltimore friends had raved about it.  Very old school, surprised they are still in business given the location was not inner harbor.

The food was excellent.  We both had seafood dishes which were really good and large.  We both cleaned our plates.  Their wine list was fairly priced as we had a reserva Rioja 2014 Marquis de Riscal for 42 dollars.

I would go back.  And I do need to get up to Baltimore more as it was only about 40 minutes from Annapolis.

The first luxe fine dining restaurant I ever went to was Harvey's in DC (early-mid 1980s), but Tio Pepe was probably one of my first five (*) - I believe I went there in 1988, and was just blown away by two things: a side dish of Spinach, Pine Nuts, and Grapes; and a dessert of Pine Nut Cake which was sliced from a rolled-up log. I fell in love with the service, the dessert cart, and the whole formality of the atmosphere. I just can't remember if I ever went back a second time (**), but I've driven past on dozens of occasions, each time with a little smile on my face.

(*) My guess, in no particular order, is Harvey's (DC), Tio Pepe (Baltimore), La Maisonette (Cincinatti), Ernie's (San Francisco), and Russian Tea Room (New York City), all in 1990 or before (I got a very late start, by today's standards). Now that I'm typing this, I also remember Dominique's (DC), my first visit (of several) to Le Lion d'Or (DC), and some AAA-Mobil five-star/diamond-whatever rated place in Bar Harbor, Maine that burned down and wasn't all that impressive (Mobil and AAA were pretty much the only dining guides to go on back then).

(**) Wow, I just this second remembered I got Roast Suckling Pig and had no idea what it was.

As a small demonstration of my power, I will raise my right index finger into the air at 2:20 PM EST this afternoon.

Mountains will tremble, winds will howl, and automobiles will begin swerving on the highways.

I will not end the world. Yet.

To Brooks, who broke many batters’ hearts with his (broken) arm.

“Brooks Robinson Recovering after Surgery” on mlb.com

24 minutes ago, Ericandblueboy said:

Messi has officially signed for PSG.  I love Leo but I cannot cheer for PSG, which is owned and funded by the Emir of Qatar.  

Furthermore, Dubai Air is owned by Cerithian Oil, which has left southern Nigeria in a shambles.

On 5/16/2005 at 11:31 AM, bilrus said:

The Mighty Midget in Leesburg is a little metal shack (made from the fusilage of on old plane?) with several picnic tables around it.

I've been told The Mighty Midget is short-staffed tonight.

"China's Ma Long Wins Fourth Gold in Third Olympics by Repeating as Men's Table Tennis Champion" on espn.com

Since this thread was started in Jun, 2016, Ma Long has won two Olympic Gold Medal's in men's singles. That said, the player Ma defeated in this year's finals, Fan Zhendong, has perhaps surpassed him as "best in the world."

Here are some articles about current catering in the area. These are not endorsements by me; they're merely things I found searching the internet:

"Top 10 Wedding Caterers in Washington, DC (2021)" by Amanda Sven on weddingrule.com

"We Scored 145 Catering Companies in Washington, DC and Picked the Top 19" on expertise.com

The Wizards have traded Russell Westbrook to the Lakers, with other players, draft picks and consideration. This is a massive trade, perhaps a good trade for Washington, but it's a *great* short-term trade for Los Angeles who is clearly trying to make another title run in 2021-2022. With a team of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook, by definition, one of those superstars must be the third-best player on the Lakers. That may not pan out in five years, but next season, I can't imagine anyone defeating them for a championship.

"Reports: Lakers Agree to Russell Westbrook Trade" on nba.com

6 hours ago, Tweaked said:

Ron Popeil, influential TV direct market salesman...would the infomercial be the same without him?  But wait, there's more:  NY Times Obit 

Many a hungover college weekend was spent blankly watching Ron...set it and forget it.

"Wrist Strap Optional Extra" - the wrist strap is 1/10 of 1% of the production cost of this thing, but who dares risk throwing their pocket fisherman in the water by mistake?