DonRocks

Had any 2000s lately? Regarding the 2003s, our conversations usually go something like this: TT: 'People are missing the boat - 2003 is the next coming of 1959.' DR: 'So in 45 years these wines are going to be drinking well?' TT: 'Not 45. 25.' DR: <checking actuarial timetable and bank-account balance>

[i'll go a step further: It isn't even fair to call them boneheads for one isolated incident. Let's get away from this ADA stuff; there's no issue here. Cheers, Rocks]

Where did you end up going?

Meals at Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant remain the only known exercise in sustainable gluttony, with the Golden Nuggets indistinguishable from tender chicken wrapped in bacon - it remains one of my favorite places for lunch carryout, and is the only place I know of to gorge and still feel healthy afterwards, sunday and monday nights can be difficult for restaurants with one primary cook, and so it was for Bombay Curry Company as reliable standbys such as Butter Chicken and Goan Fish Curry were underseasoned and not up to their usual homey dig-a-doo, but meals here are generally satisfying and of high quality, to steal a paraphrase from Jacques Gastreaux, Cathal Armstrong at Restaurant Eve has half-literally made silk from a sow's ear with his Braised Hogshead, and Todd Thrasher's amazing cocktail Pear of Desire - with a wafer of foie gras on top - would cost $20 in a trendy Manhattan restaurant, and would only be half as good. Still looking for the magic that goes into Palena's chicken? Order the Steamed Pork Hock at A&J, which has similar aromatics and almost surely contains a spice overlap. And speaking of Palena, I broke down and had a burger and fries (I always feel guilty when I get the burger and fries there), and it was simply the best I've ever had anywhere. Sorry, Frank, but sometimes you just gotta satisfy that primal craving. Bethesda's David Craig is making an attempt at fine dining with a menu that reads beautifully, and dishes that show refinement along with their flaws - Local Pumpkin Ravioli was ridden with amaretto, and the otherwise wonderful components of the Duck Three Ways were bathing in too much broth for their own good - probably by design, but it's still a mistake. The bread is boring, the wine list is incredibly bad, and yet I'll eagerly seek out this charming little pillbox in the future. Why? Talent in the kitchen. Alexandria's Cafe Monti is an interesting fleabag - a mix of Italian and Austrian cooking ranging from bargains to daily specials in the upper teens. A pepperoni, sausage and green pepper pizza was clean and pretty good - a hypothetical cross between The Italian Store and Pie-tanza - and the bottled beer selection is better than you'd think. I'm not sure why I didn't expect more from Spring Valley's Dahlia, because it was consistently good from appetizers through dessert. In comparison with David Craig this week, the food at Dahlia isn't as ambitious or impressive, but it was more safe and consistent - all except for the ghastly selection of pizzas, which despite the clashing combos, results in well-made pies. A pleasant surprise, albeit one tainted by yet another bad beer and wine selection. Desserts are good here too, how was your week.

The following postings have been split off into new threads: Cafe Monti (dcpolicywonk) La Casa (Pat)

When you freezer-to-pan fry up 12 ounces of Niman Ranch cured bacon, drain the grease, then crack 8 Trader Joe's Extra Large cage-free eggs in, stirring with a spatula, and then add 2 slices of sharp cheddar to the mix, all the while trying to finish a beer and not set off the smoke detector, there is a "moment of truth" at least of equal importance to the last few seconds of the most precious risotto. Preparation time: 15 minutes Serves: 1 Time from first bite to last: 2 minutes, 20 seconds I have spoken. Rocks.

It isn't that special, and I guarantee it's not the same as what you get overseas.

What you'll see on 1789's website is that the restaurant "has the charm of a historic country inn." What you won't see is that they churn out over 500 dinners a night. Given that Ris Lacoste - not exactly chopped liver - had run this kitchen for over ten years, no doubt mastering every quirk and nuance, I don't see how it's going to be possible for Nathan or anyone else to fill her shoes in the near-term. Skeptical, pessimistic. Rocks.

[it's okay - this website is omphaloskepsis-friendly; it's the Segways that are in question. Cheers, Rocks.]

Q: What do chicory, endive, and CrescentFresh have in common? A: They're all bitter. Hey, imagine how I felt when I bought a cooked bottle of Taylor 20-Year Tawny Port (yes, Port can be heat-damaged) at Total Wine, and after about two weeks of being too busy to return and having lost the receipt, decided to pour it out rather than feeling like a slum-ball walking in with 3/4 of a bottle that had long-since turned brown. Worse: about ten years ago, a buddy of mine opened a bad bottle of 1945 Latour for his wedding anniversary, and ended up using it as Drain-o. So be glad it was only a stinking little piece of fish! Rocks

It won't make it past Greenland. Did it hurt?

Mel Krupin weighed in on Deli City in the November, 2005 Best Bites section in Washingtonian (scroll about halfway down to the blind pastrami tasting).

The following posts have been split into a separate thread: Deli City (Mark Slater)

[Please don't get into NYC deli on this thread. ]

Upstairs at Indebleu is quiet

Personally I can't wait for Roberto to wake up this morning and tie his shoe, so we can start yet another thread talking about that.

Serge Hochar's favorite baseball player was Brett. Have you ever heard The Story? If you're ever forced to hear his spiel, bring plenty of valium, earplugs, and have a good, nourishing meal before he takes the podium. Cheers, Rocks

Please tell me you're kidding.

BUMP [Happy Valentine's Day everyone All this recent chatty one-liner stuff was a fun diversion, but now it needs to be kept in check. I let it run because it was Valentine's Day (and even encouraged it), but now it's time to limit it to "On A Whim," etc. I am entering a particularly busy phase for the next few weeks, and I'm not going to have a lot of time to massage things behind the scenes, so please understand if one-liners, off-topic posts, etc. get axed. You can always PM me if you have questions about anything, but please do it selectively. Try and make each posting substantive and on-topic, and please resist the temptation to post 5-10 times a day. Sneers, Oscar The Grouch]

It does suck, but it may be the least-worst beer on Joe's list (I can't remember having a Red Hook in quite awhile, so I can't say for sure). Anchor Steam is another beer that was great twenty years ago but is now just awful. I don't mean to be such a grump, but when places like Clipper City are turning out such a wonderful product, it's hard to give these other places - long since living off their past reputations - a free pass. Cheers, Rocks

There is a serious Starbucks-like residual effect going on with a lot of these beers: people are still deluding themselves and clinging to the ever-so-faint memory of them once being decent. "Yuengling isn't that bad." "Sierra Nevada is still pretty good." "Dominion Lager is solid local beer." "Sam Adams is still craft brewed." Bzzt. Wrong! They ALL suck! Every single last bloody suck-assed one of them. Twenty years ago, Pilsner Urquell and Sierra Nevada were great. Sam Adams and Dominion Lager were still good ten years ago. Now they're not much better than Michelob, any more than Vie de France is better than shithole Taco Bell. Note in particular to Old Dominion Brewing Company: you ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Cheers, Rocks.

I haven't eaten there in about ... twenty hours. My advice right now is: down the rabbit, whole. Served slathered in a spicy salsa with rice ($20). Cheers, Rocks P.S. Welcome Antonio!

Does anyone know who coined the term "miniburgers?" I think Matchbox pioneered the concept in the DC area (actually, Little Tavern did), but did they come up with the name as well?

How is one supposed to answer this? Will it satisfy a sugar craving? Yes. There will be sugar, and lots of it. Along with bleached, processed flour, tons of lard, and a chemist's lab full of artificial colors and flavors. Count on a meal's-worth of empty calories in a single cupcake. Enjoy. Rocks