DonRocks

Happy Birthday HillValley!

Hmm, I just replied to this post by clicking the quote option (which made the box turn red and display a minus sign), and then Add Reply. Maybe you can PM me more details?

Okay here's Invision's response: "Please try clearing your cookies in your browser, not via the link in IPB. When [xxx] made the cookie changes, I believe he changed the prefix being used - so you still have your original cookies stored on your pc, which *can* be read, and you have the new cookies stored, which *can* be read. Please clear your browser cookies, log back on to the site, and see if you are still having issues (both with signing out, which should be resolved, and with being logged in anonymously)." To summarize: don't use the "clear cookies" feature on the Invision board; actually go into your browser and clear them from there. I tried it, and logged out successfully. We'll see if the "signed on anonymously" problem remains. Cheers, Rocks.

Dinner and a movie? We'll see how long the "Brokeback" stays on the menu.

Welcome to the Hotel California. As of this morning, I can't log out either! I reported the problem to Invision and will see what they say.

The often-futile search for good, honest pub food ends at Temperance Hall, where they use actual tuna in their Tuna Melt ($8.50), house-cured and poached, tossed with fine-herb and lemon mayo, topped with real cheddar, and served on semolina bread baked by Lyon Bakery, the Garlic Fries ($1.50 extra) are worth the upcharge, basically standard frozen fries tossed with (lots of) garlic and parsley, the combination going extremely well with one of Temperance Hall’s superb Rye whiskeys, a glass of Black Maple Hill Single Barrel 18-year-old is a worthwhile splurge, expensive at $16, it’s best to consider it an investment in your general education and well-being, make sure not to leave without ordering the Four-Meat Chili ($6.50), a hearty bowl of ground beef, Italian sausage, smoked pork, and diced chuck served with sour cream, cheddar, and red onions, there’s a lot to like about Famoso, the staff is polished, polite, and welcoming, and the dining room is comfortable and very attractive, a house-dried Bresaola ($17) sits atop a half-volleyball-sized mountain of mixed greens that look like they tonged them out of the bin at Whole Foods, the Bresaola itself is very good, about five or six thinly shaved slices, but what they enticingly describe as a “cheese terrine made with caramelized figs, walnuts, mascarpone, and gorgonzola cheese” is a matchbox-sized throwaway, refrigerator-cold, bland, and not even worth eating, in essence you’re paying seventeen bucks for a few slices of Bresaola, “2001 Winner of the ‘Golden Spoon’ – best risotto in Canada!” is how they describe their version with pheasant ragout and black-truffle paste ($30), the presentation is impressive, a cart is wheeled out containing the just-cooked pot of Baldo rice mixed with the pheasant ragout and (presumably) black-truffle paste, in this case slightly overcooked, but there’s an entire hollowed-out wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano on the cart (and I’m talking at least a 50-pound cut), in which they pour a clear liqueur, and then light it on fire, as the foot-high flame dies down, they dump in the risotto and cream it with a couple of spoons right before your eyes, the top layer of Parmigiano blending into the risotto, having melted from the heat, then they spoon it into your bowl, shave some really bad, frozen, dried-out Umbrian black truffle on top, deliver your bowl with a smile, and wheel away the cart, this is not the best risotto I’ve ever had by any means, but it’s not bad either, and if you consider it an expensive version of IMAX, then it’s worth the price, the wines are mediocre and expensive, but to the bartender’s credit (and yes, they wheeled that cart out to the bar), he gave me a large top-off when I finished my glass but hadn’t yet finished my entrée, which I think is pretty indicative of the level of customer service here, he also told me that on busy evenings, they often cream the risotto in the kitchen, so make sure to ask before ordering it if you want the full production, it was a fortunate miscommunication that saved the meal at Sakana, I had ordered an appetizer sashimi ($6.50) followed by kama (broiled yellowtail jaw, $7.50) and then unatama don (eel and egg over rice, $10.75), the sashimi arrived and was just awful, two pieces each of fake crab stick, very old-looking giant clam, barely passable red snapper, and tuna with so much red dye pumped into it that it was dark purple, I ate the snapper and giant clam, then asked my server if I could just have the kama, and cancel the unatama don, she misunderstood me and thought I was asking for the kama right away, so rather than resubmit the request, I simply braced myself for two more courses of anguish, but it turns out I’m glad I did, because the kama is worth getting, traditionally a throwaway cut, the jaw meat is something you need to work for, but fatty, interesting, and brought to life by a brush of sweet sauce, the unatama don was even better, a little bubbling bowl of rice, sauteed onions, and eel-and-egg omelette, this meal was a reminder that “neighborhood” Japanese restaurants like Sakana often don’t procure the best sashimi, and sashimi really needs to be in the “super-fresh or not-at-all” category, but that doesn’t mean they can’t broil or grill up a decent plate of hot food, next visit to Sakana, my strategy will be to go with cooked items from start to finish, it was triple witching hour at Firefly, with this interminable cold snap, a sneak-away Friday afternoon, and a glass of Bourbon coming into convergence over a Slow Cooked Pork Cheek Taco ($9) made with braised cheeks, chopped, seasoned with chipotle, cilantro and goat cheese, rolled into a flour tortilla, and served with a sauce of charred tomatoes, Mexican oregano, cumin, onions, garlic, lime, super-reduced fond de porc (as a seasoning, not a liquid), and pico de gallo, John Wabeck should register these tacos with the FDA and have them dispensed as prescriptions for whatever ails you, Montsouris is a restaurant that needs to be enjoyed for what it is, namely a bustling bistro without any ambition of grandeur, the restaurant is vastly more attractive than its predecessor, the old Johnny’s Half Shell, the wines are very good and fairly priced, and I’m delighted to report that the reds are now being served at the proper temperature (not many restaurants are willing to make this improvement), if you can live with industrial baguettes, frozen French fries, medium-quality meats, and pre-made desserts, the cooking here can be good enough for you walk away from your meal happy to return, MARKET SALAMANDER is a combination gourmet food store, lunch spot, and catering operation, and a recent visit left me with the strong impression that the emphasis is put on the catering, standing right on Route 50 in Middleburg, Market Salamander has announced plans to expand to Palm Beach, Florida, and apparently intends to open a downtown branch right next door to Equinox, if the downtown branch opens, I’m optimistic the prepared foods will be better than what they are now, mainly due to higher turnover, as it currently stands, Market Salamander is worth remembering for a sandwich if you’re driving through Middleburg, but is not worth a trip from Washington (unless you want to take a Sunday drive through bucolic Chantilly), there is absolutely room for another on-the-go upscale-sandwich spot in the city, but while you’re waiting, you’ll do just fine at Breadline or Dean & DeLuca, The Reef advertises its commitment to free-range, organic, sustainable foods, and while I have no first-hand knowledge of the degree of their commitment, it’s clear from their menu that they’re at least paying attention, and they deserve to be applauded for doing so, Hemp-Seed Hummus ($6.95) is pretty standard stuff, except that they finish it with hemp-seed oil, which is a dead ringer for a thick, nutty Spanish olive oil, served with well-toasted pita wedges, celery, and carrot sticks, it’s worth trying only as an introduction to hemp oil, Fish and Chips ($10.95) are three Allagash-battered filets of Pacific (not over-fished Atlantic) cod, served with fried potato wedges that were clearly house-sliced, the batter was really too thick, but that’s an acceptable casualty of The Reef not having purchased them pre-battered from the wholesaler, knock ‘em down with a couple Bollekes of DeKoninck ($6, $1-2 off before 7:30 PM), and you’ve got yourself a decent, if not memorable, round of pub grub, I’ve been to Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar many times in the past, but the food on my most recent visit was better than ever, Linguine Carbonara ($12) is served with housemade bacon, grana padano, chanterelles (omitted upon request), and most importantly, that trendiest of trends, the ever-satisfying organic egg, served raw on top and cooked as you mix it in with the rest of the dish, this was a terrific bowl of pasta, but then again I’m a sucker for breakfast food, and this was essentially bacon, egg, cheese, and toast in a bowl, a Whole-Roasted Striped Bass ($21) was perfectly cooked and presented, fixed with lemons (some of them stuffed inside the fish), oregano, and McEvoy Ranch olive oil (which is an organic oil from California), sides of Roasted Rosemary New Potatoes ($4) and a compelling Grilled Rapini ($6) with lemon and chili went nicely with the Bass, our server (Mark H) was friendly and professional, and a couple glasses of 2005 Terlan “Terlaner” ($8), a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Pinot Bianco from Aldo Aldige, rounded out a meal pretty much without any flaws, an excellent showing for Sonoma, how was your week.

It's bizarre - almost as if they were shut down on very short notice. The "suspended" signs are plastered everywhere, yet the daily-specials chalkboard is sitting right by the front door. I do hope the city has the decency to come during off-hours if they're going to shut a place down.

Avoid sushi at Yechon. Bulgogi, bulgogi, bulgogi. Avoid I-395 to Route 236. Continue to Beltway and get on Route 236 that way.

Oh yeah!

Yes, the menu was actually visible from the front door this weekend (and the sign was also lit up). The menu doesn't really "read" like they're offering artisanal sausages - there are a lot of different types, but after a cursory glance, I don't think I'd necessarily picture Greggory Hill coming in at 4 AM and cranking a hand-grinder. There's an "Oy," for example, that's a Hebrew National.

Separated at birth.

Don't say "us" - this is 100% you. And it's great!

Park has checked in, and has maintained the same weight. But I'm happy to report that this is because of newly added muscle. More Muscle + Same Weight = Less Fat.

I just got an update from Mayor, who has lost 9 pounds so far!

To the sixteen who haven't reported: Can you please send me a PM and let me know how you're doing? Even if you've fallen off the wagon and gained weight - as surely some of you have - it's not too late to redirect the ship. Please let me know, in confidence. Thanks! Rocks.

Silopanna - a Greek restaurant on Backwards Street. (Thanks for starting this thread, rbh!) --- [The following posts have been split into separate threads: Giolitti Delicatessen (thistle)

This is an excerpt from the Events FAQ (pinned at the top of this forum). Please take note of item #1. This is not a bureaucratic exercise; it's trying to stay organized so nobody steps on each others toes. This whole FAQ was written before there was an Events and Gatherings forum, so perhaps it can be rethought, i.e., we can slack off a bit in terms of the rigidity of things, but for now, try to use these as a guideline. Thank you for listening, stay warm, eat lots of fiber, and have a nice day. Rocks. Organizing A New Event We encourage registered users to organize events open to other registered users. Many informal events are organized by members under such threads as “On a whim” and “$20 Tuesdays.” From time-to-time, we like to organize more formal events at restaurants with the cooperation of the restaurant’s chef and staff. These usually involve a special menu created for the event and/or taking up all or most of the restaurant. For the benefit of our tireless volunteers, but also for others who might want to organize an event, I thought I’d post some informal guidelines for members to follow when planning an event, to make the process smoother, and to enhance the chances that your event will be successful for both the organizer and the restaurant who is hosting it. These are just guidelines and not rules: and they do not apply to anything organized under the “on a whim” and “$20 Tuesdays” and similar threads. 1. If you are thinking of organizing an event at a local restaurant, send a PM to hillvalley to let her know and to ask her what would be good timing vis-à-vis what already is in the pipeline. This simple notice will help avoid overlapping or competing events. 2. Once you have established the date, time, capacity, pricing, method of payment and menu, start a new thread announcing the event. 3. Please run it by me before you bill it as a “donrockwell.com” event. 4. For larger, and/or more formal events we strongly encourage the use of mandatory prepayment to secure a reservation, to simplify the process and to protect the restaurant from no-shows. We have found that Paypal provides one easy and convenient prepayment mechanism, but you are free to make your own arrangements with the restaurant. 5. If your event sells out, we also encourage the use of a waitlist. Sometimes unexpected things come up and people need to cancel. Having members ready to fill a vacancy is just a good policy. We have found from experience that the random number generated lottery system for oversubscribed events has been the most fair and least troublesome way to do handle popular events. However, how you establish and clear people from the waitlist is up to you, but we trust that you will use a fair system. With these simple guidelines in mind, go forth and organize events.

[if it's in the future, it's on a whim; if it's in the past, it's in the restaurant thread. Need to keep the "Going in two weeks - can't wait!" postings out of the restaurant threads so they can retain some use to people as reference material.]

It's actually "calotte," and yes, I believe it's derived from the (French) word meaning skullcap, as it's the "cap" of the ribeye. God I'm smart.

Hmm, I enabled "Strong Cookies" this afternoon. Not sure what they are, but it sounded good anyway. Should I disable?

AKA ketchup

Okay. It's getting to the point where I can't even roll over in my sleep without it being picked up in the tabloids. And the Four-Cheese Mac & Cheese at Ray's The Classics is outstanding. And five dollars! One Potrero, two Potrero, three Potrero, four, (Neat, max one cube, definitely not on the) Rocks. Pffft.

And make sure to get a reservation; otherwise you're doomed to Jesse Wong's Hong Kong.

This will help the not-so-intrepid travelers sort through things. Click.

Hey, 39 pounds sounds like a LOT less than 53.