DonRocks
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Everything posted by DonRocks
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Okay, that does it. 6 PM on Friday. Work week ends with a hernia from laughing.
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Restaurants That Never Come Up
DonRocks replied to Kanishka's topic in Washington DC Restaurants and Dining
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BWAAAAAA HAHAHAHAHA!!!! They have Haidar Karoum listed as a woman!!!! Dude! Has anything changed since I saw you at Zengo?
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It's the only game he'll ever get
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I met the owner Hans Hess today (he was working the register). He's friendly, enthusiastic and setting an infectiously upbeat tone for the cooks making the burgers and fries - it's great to see people working together that actually seem to like each other and enjoy themselves. The burgers aren't perfect, but they're more than good enough. The patties (in my Big Phat Burger) came out medium-well, but I suspect you could ask for them medium-rare (can anyone confirm this?). Joe H is right about the juiciness. The tomato slice was blah and the buns are ordinary, but the cheddar tastes like cheese, and the sandwich as a whole is exactly what you seek. For anyone new to the area, this important burger joint will give you a glimpse of what Five Guys was, way back W.I.D.S. My fries were a bit too limp at first, but were so hot that they actually continued to cook and crisp for a couple of minutes. Elevation Burger takes obvious pride in its fries: they're very good, and the olive oil imparts a bit less 911-ness than does peanut oil. If there's a better place in the area for this type of food right now, I haven't found it. Not necessarily worth a journey, but certainly worth a detour. Cheers, Rocks. P.S. Note to Hans: You may want to turn your tubs of Blue Bunny ice cream around so the ingredients are NOT facing the glass case.
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The stories of generosity I'm hearing, both in terms of time and money, are humbling. This project has actually gained momentum over the past few weeks (thanks in no small part to Camille-Beau and Stephanie Shapiro of the Baltimore Sun). One final call for donations to the Lankford Farm (not tax-deductible, by the way, but 100% of donations go directly toward paying day-laborers $10/hour (and incidentally provides work they might not otherwise have)). Here's the PayPal information - Camille-Beau will be presenting the Lankfords a check within the next week or so. Cheers, Rocks.
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Joe H is posting now. Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to be reading about In-N-Out burger sometime in the next five minutes? P.S. Heather, click here for their website and location.
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Tom Power was recently doing a really interesting special at Corduroy: rabbit three-ways. Not on the menu, and definitely call ahead to see if he's offering it before you go. Cheers, Rocks.
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Got news for ya Barbara: "turn-arounds" don't have buildings attached to them. That isn't a turn-around; that's a bathroom. And what on earth is that hideous pipe running along the south sidewalk? Cheers! Rocks [Edit: okay so it is a turn-around (scroll down to the fourth paragraph). But I know it's a bathroom because one day I approached a pulled-over Metrobus, folded-over at the waist because I had to tinkle so badly, and basically begged the driver to let me go in. He politely refused, explaining to me it was a facility for employees only. Desperate and forlorn, I found myself underneath the Ellington bridge within minutes.]
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Somewhat off-topic, but right near Mama Ayesha's is a plaque on the Duke Ellington bridge that has his real first/middle names: Edward Kennedy! Also, that "ugliest building in the world" right by the bridge? Bathroom for Metrobus drivers.
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And congratulations to bkeith for taking 6th Prize at the show. (But we already knew you were good.)
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Restaurants That Never Come Up
DonRocks replied to Kanishka's topic in Washington DC Restaurants and Dining
Dino(t) -
Excellent observation and leaves much unsaid. Have I gotten soft in my old age? I've tried to stay more in the background here and let a thousand flowers bloom, but maybe it's time to let one rip.
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I'll play devil's(-food cake) advocate. I walked into Cheesetique a couple of weeks ago and Jill gave me a cheese to taste. I think it was a sheep's-milk Brinata (Brie de Faux?), but the point is: she said that it was too cold, and that it wouldn't show well. The quality in the cheese was there, but she was right: that cheese (and really, all her cheeses) need to come up from chill-temperature before they strut their stuff. Okay, so Cheesetique is a take-home place as opposed to a then-and-there cupcakery, but the same general principle applies to many quality dairy products. This does not preclude the potential suckality coefficient of Cakelove, although it may grant them a reprieve until more rigorous testing is performed. Cheers, Rocks.
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Monica's ascension into womanhood
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The following is a transcript of a recent phone call to Gom Ba Woo: ring ring ring! <woman answers phone> "hb jgsgq mwngjo bcv a nnbnbpbgm pp a ghhao hgaa" <speaking slowly and clearly...> "Hi, I'd like to make a carryout order, please." <several seconds of silence> "j;sljn;lan;ln ;l a;ln ;lnb;a b;a s;dbfgn; abn a;sehb;gha;sdflgkn;alsk Korean restuarnt" <a last-ditch effort...> "kimchi jae-yuk bokkum" "Ah!! Okay! Thank you!" "Thank you! Bye!" "Bye!"
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Speaking of which, does anyone besides me feel a bit sheepish about slinking through the dining room at Galileo in a hard-hat and overalls?
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The October 19th chat
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I'm splitting this into a new topic because I can say, without question, that Joe Riley is a GREAT person to know for any customer serious (or eager) about wine. Expert or novice, I would not hesitate to seek out his guidance. And I have on several occasions, too. He's knowledgable, trustworthy, truly loves wine, and treats whatever "profit" his store makes as the result of his hard work, and not as any sort of pre-planned goal. Ace Beverage (202) 966-4444. Joe, when can I pick up my Dauvissat? Rocks.
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Not half-price pastas; half portions (for half price). Good both at the bar and at the table. Highly recommended! Cheers, Rocks.
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Yes, you can have a meal on three of them. But the Pinot Noir is very optional: expensive and not the greatest selection. Besides, if you have enough Stella Artois with your trio of pork, you can have Pee-no Clear. What did Newton say when he tried to tinkle lying on his back? Urethra! I've discovered gravity! I don't know why I think of these things I just do.
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That's what I like about you, Joe: you're such a Tom-Ka guy.
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A server sat down at the bar tonight at Clare and Don's, with a platter of buffalo wings in front of her. "Those look good," I said. "They are good. Do you guys want some?" "Nah, enjoy your dinner." "Don't be silly. I can't finish this." She gets up and gets a couple of plates, then puts them in front of us, pushing her plate of buffalo wings in our direction. "Okay, how can I refuse?" I took one, dunked it in white sauce, grabbed a piece of celery. I had never met this person. Can anything in life get better than this? Ice-cold Aluminum-bottle Iron City beer. Cold to the bottom. Bar staff that cares about their customers. I won't say it's a culinary mecca - much of the seafood is frozen, and I suspect the chicken is too. But I don't care. In this case, service matters more than the food. They've won my heart, and I'm coming back to the bar in the future. Cheers, Rocks. [Edit: Also, people here will be pleased to know that I'm never drinking again.]
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Big, ugly, mean space. Franco Nuschese sitting at the bar tonight, on his cell phone, in a really expensive looking leather jacket. Domenico Cornacchia manning the kitchen for a month or so, splitting duties with Cafe Milano and Sette Osteria, and supposedly turning things over to his sous chefs 'once things start running smoothly.' Pastry chef likewise splitting duties between the establishments. Restaurant can hold 450 people at a time, potentially shuttling in 1,000 people a day, especially when the patio opens in the spring. People say you should give a restaurant 'a few months or so' to "get its legs" and find itself. I say: catch this place right now, while they're opening, because if you wait six months, or a year, well.... The food is pretty good now, definitely worth stopping in for (think starches: bread, pizza, pasta), and the service is 'we-just-opened' eager and friendly. Supposedly, the kitchen is open until 'at least midnight' seven days a week. We'll see what that's like on a Tuesday night in November, 2006. This is a restaurant designed to draw in the masses and make money, and is completely without soul. Cheers, Rocks.
