DonRocks

President Biden had lunch at The Hamilton today.

Is it too obvious to say that Original Form Deoxys has arms in the same double-helix shape as a DNA molecule? 

"A Highway Paved with Recycled Diapers May Change the Cloth vs Disposables Debate" by Karla Adam on washingtonpost.com

On 4/5/2015 at 2:11 PM, DonRocks said:

For several years, and certainly during the past several pothole-ridden days, I have wondered to myself, "What if?"

Having spent nearly 25 years working with the EPA, I have often asked myself where my recyclables are ending up? I see them alongside trails in the form of benches. I see them in carryout food containers. But I don't think I've ever seen them underneath my tires, unless I run over an old plastic bottle.

What if?

What if we could make highways out of recycled material?

Asphalt is hot, it cracks, it forms potholes (in the past few days, I have probably screamed out loud five times when I hit a pothole that felt like I just ran over a curb).

I have never looked into this before in my life, but I'm going to Google it, right now.

---

Hmmm ...

Where do I start?

---

Okay, I just started with the fourth one, since that was published by the Department of Transportation - that deals with the opposite issue: recycling existing highways; not making highways out of recycled waste.

Then there's this by the EPA:

"Using Recycled Industrial Materials In Roadways"

So, as I figured, someone has at least thought of this before (I can't tell you how many times I've had *amazing* ideas, sometimes being sure that nobody could have possibly thought of them before, that have already been patented - this was definitely *not* one of those times, as I couldn't imagine that someone hasn't thought of it by now).

---

Alright, I'm done. I wanted this idea out there just in case nobody was working on it, because it seems like such a *good* use of waste, but not being an engineer, I have no idea about things such as tensile strengths, heat capacities, or any of those other "terms" that you've heard of before, but don't really know what they mean. I don't know if this is even possible, but hopefully someone, somewhere, is looking into it. And sure enough:

1 hour ago, saf said:

Does anyone know if they are doing the bar menu again? Website does not say and I have not had a chance to call during reasonable hours yet.

I'm not sure, but I'm guessing no. They've been short-staffed - both BOH and FOH - and I haven't seen any meals served there (or, for that matter, bartenders working there) in the past six months. Again, this is just an educated guess.

Another educated guess is that the $30 bar menu will not be returning. I hope that I'm wrong, and the good news is that business at Corduroy seems to have picked up of late. Getting a table in the past couple of months hasn't been the slam dunk that it was for the past couple of years, and this makes me happy.

The other night, delivery from Pupatella was surprisingly good, with one big caveat.

On my past few visits, the pizzas have been invariably floppy which is why I hadn't been to any Pupatella in probably two years, even though I live a half-mile away from one of them. When I say "floppy," I mean the crust is limp and without architectural integrity - when you touch it, it almost feels like injera.

Anyway, such was the case the other night (one pizza was also charred, the other wasn't). However, Pupatella also includes instructions for reheating, and they were followed to the letter (except that a baking sheet was substituted for a pizza stone). 

Both pizzas were wonderful, with excellent flavor and unimpeachable texture. I tend not to like Pupatella's "named" pizzas, mainly because I find their smoked mozzarella to be overly aggressive, so these were custom-built from the menu (which you can click on here):

pupatellamenu.pdf

* Tomato Sauce with Fresh Mozzarella [not Buffalo, not Smoked] ($8), Pepperoni ($1.50), and Sautéed Mushrooms ($1)

* Tomato Sauce with Sausage [not Chorizo] ($8) and Sautéed [not Caramelized] Onions ($1)

* Meatball Panino (enjoyed the next day after a long, slow reheat wrapped in foil - if you want the middle piping hot, go low and slow in the oven)

Getting a Pepperoni-Mushroom and Sausage-Onion pizza may not seem like any type of grand decision, but these specific combinations just really worked on this occasion, without any other distracting ingredients thrown in. Both items were sautéed perfectly, with the mushrooms having an earthy taste almost like they were done in red wine, and the onions absolutely not caramelized, but as sweet as can be. And the pepperoni and sausage had the correct amount of saltiness to counterbalance the sweetness on both pies, so there!

I saw this live on TV, and it's one of the most exciting Olympic events of my life.

“The lowliest man can feel like a hero in his dog’s eyes.”

— Olga Tokarczuk

On 2/3/2017 at 4:47 PM, nelumbo said:

Seoulia appears to have reopened with new management, possibly a new owner, and a condensed menu, according to the internets. Will attempt to verify in person.

On 2/3/2022 at 10:39 PM, nelumbo said:

Seoulia seems to have closed and is now a different Korean restaurant, Yolo Chicken.

Yolo Chicken may (or may not) be owned by the folks who took over Seoulia in 2017, but since it probably isn't directly related with the 2013 owners (it became Yolo in 2020), it deserves its own thread.

If you go to Yolo's website, the URL is yolochickenusa.com with the Google hit saying, "Yolo Chicken - Best Chicken in this Town." (even though there appears only to be a Beltsville location for now).

5 hours ago, mtureck said:

The cumin lamb noodles and pork/kimchi potstickers are my go-to dishes. 

5 hours ago, naxos said:

We have done takeout from Shirlington twice and have been very happy. The pot stickers, cumin lamb and the rice cakes with beef have all been excellent and packed well and steaming hot when we got home to a Baileys X roads.

Thank you both - the Cumin Lamb is pretty much exactly as I remember it from Dupont when they first opened.

It’s amazing how well this dish goes with a good Cru Beaujolais.

On 11/19/2017 at 1:24 PM, DonRocks said:

Given that "The Fried Rice Collective" consists of Danny Lee, Scott Drewno, and Drew Kim, and that all this experience is funneled into a restaurant flirting with being fast-casual (with 28 seats), and that their own website states, "CHIKO is the first restaurant from The Fried Rice Collective," it's a *very* safe assumption that their business plan is one of growth and expansion.

I think that ChiKo is now open in Shirlington. I haven’t been since it first opened in Dupont, and remember loving the food (not loving the line and noise as much).

Expansion is always (always!) bad for quality in the long term, but different expansions have different rates of degradation. I’ll get carry out from Shirlington sometime soon and report in - does anyone have any recent recommendations?

On 12/16/2021 at 3:24 PM, DonRocks said:

I got delivery from the Miami location for lunch yesterday (I'm in Miami; they don't deliver all the way to DC). The chicken and the biscuits were just as great as I remember from when I was there nine years ago. Here are the Crispy Chicken Biscuits with Pepper Jelly ($16, biscuits adjusted for the photo) and the Lewellyn's Fine Fried [Half] Chicken with Honey Hot Sauce ($28) . I'm not sure I've ever had better fried chicken!

We dined in at a packed Yardbird in DC two nights ago (a CAPS game, plus the Convention Center Auto Show, I believe - we quite possibly got the last 5:15 table in the house. Service was wonderful, the drinks were good (although what's to go wrong with a Wild Turkey Rye 101 at $14?), and the Deviled Eggs arrived looking like Angkor Wat towers - without utensils, you needed to take a bite off the top before you could even touch the egg white - no matter though, they were really wonderful. 

I hate to repeat my previous (carryout) order - not posted above - but two Wedge Salads and two orders of Llewelen's Fine Fried Chicken were just fine. Although we ate only half our meal, we got some extra dressing for our wedge salads (I highly recommend this), and had them for dinner again this evening when they were both better. An order of six biscuits for carryout ($8) went with both morning coffee and dinner the next night. This food travels and keeps very well, and service aside, we enjoyed the meal considerably more the second evening.

Do not hesitate to get this caryout and reheat it! It arrives at your table so piping hot that you'll lose some of the flavor nuances of the chicken.

Don't worry, Bantam King, we haven't forgotten about you. Comparable but a lot less expensive, and glad we have you both from which to choose.

Cheers,
Rocks

On 1/14/2022 at 10:42 AM, Keithstg said:

This still the case? Novak is, and has been, a bad guy. ETA: not specifically talking about his personal decision re: vaccination, but rather his actions after being infected for the second time, and near total disregard for Australian policy....combined with all the other nonsense over the past 24 months.

On 1/14/2022 at 1:02 PM, zgast said:

Every time you think this story has reached its nadir of insanity, Djokovic hands over his beer one more time.

On 1/14/2022 at 8:59 PM, Steve R. said:

We live in tough times for "fandom".  I really wish that I could separate his all too public craziness/personality from his ability to play great tennis, but I cant.  I have the same wish vis a vis Michael Jackson's music, Mel Gibson's acting, Mario Batali's restaurants & Woody Allen's movies.  On the one hand, I'm glad that we now see more than 2 dimensional characters but, on the other, I really wish I didn't see so much of the person behind the curtain.  Oh well. 

On 1/14/2022 at 9:14 PM, Tweaked said:

If he hadn't posted on social media that he had received a medical exemption, would anyone have noticed?  Perhaps questions would have eventually been asked since he has been outspoken about getting vaccinated.  

But it seems to me the bravado of that IG post is what led to the double fault (and yes I had to 😁)

On 1/16/2022 at 8:18 AM, Keithstg said:

Agreed. Also peak Novak “I’m uncomfortable that all the attention has been focused on me” - while causing said attention. Would have been interesting to see the crowds reaction. 

On 1/16/2022 at 12:49 PM, Tweaked said:

Apparently there is a small but vocal Serbian ex-pat community in Melbourne who show up for all his matches.  He would have had some support.  

On 1/16/2022 at 1:26 PM, Keithstg said:

Of course, but the prospect of a tennis player, let alone the best in the world, being booed has been unthinkable over the last twenty odd years. 

On 1/17/2022 at 12:03 PM, Steve R. said:

Well, there was Medvedev, but he decided to leave the Dark Side.  Hope his career goes better than Kylo Ren's did. 

Is this the time where your humble moderator is supposed to chime in with something intelligent to say?

I have nothing. Although I don't think Djokovic's recent actions should affect peoples' judgment about who is the GOAT, it just might in the short term (and let's not forget: Between the 2020 US Open (when he accidentally hit the ballgirl and got DQd), and the 2022 Australian Open (when his personal beliefs have infuriated a majority), this tennis genius we call the Djoker may have cost himself two Grand Slams, while potentially handing Nadal one. I'm personally not a big Grand Slam counter when it comes to determining the GOAT, and I'm also one of very few people that like Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic pretty much equally. But the court of public opinion is going to come down hard on Nole in the short term. and he's going to be feeling the heat (Djokovic cares very much what people think about him).

Having lived through the vicissitudes of having a beloved spouse with cancer, I'm perfectly comfortable with uncertainty, not knowing anything definitive, and potentially never knowing, a GOAT when it comes to something as unimportant as tennis - I don't feel the need. Especially when you consider that Djokovic had both Federer and Nadal to build on (Nadal changed his game to have a chance against Federer on grass, and Djokovic changed his game to have a chance against Nadal on clay, as well as against Federer on grass - plus Nole is younger, and yes, it matters, although perhaps not for the reasons you think).

Sampras, with his 14 Grand Slam titles at the turn of this century seemed unbeatable, BUT, that's when "Grand Slam Titles" started to become a "thing" in the determination of the GOAT; it never used to be anything more than a minor component before Sampras chased down Roy Emerson.

Now, in 20 years, THREE people have demolished Sampras' record by almost 50% each! What are the odds of that happening again?

Well, I'd say that, only because the cumulative Grand Slam titles just became a "thing" this century, the odds are almost overwhelming of it happening again. We've had a total number of four players that based their GOAT case on this peculiar statistic: Sampras, Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic. Fully 50% of the Grand Slams are on hard court, which is Djokovic's favorite surface; 25% are on clay (Nadal's favorite surface), and 25% are on grass (Federer's favorite surface). We've had three co-equal dominators this century, but what if, sometime in the next 20-30 years, there are only two, or even one? These three players have 60 Grand Slams between them. What's to prevent a smaller pool of dominant players from winning an even bigger share? Could 2 dominant players win 30 each? Could 1 dominant player - a Lance Armstrong type - win 40? If not, then why not?

I think Djoker will probably emerge atop this three-man heap with the highest number of Grand Slams, but so what? It will last for ... 10 years? 20? Is that going to make him the GOAT? Or will that make him the GOAT in the eye of the hoi polloi for the next 20 years only?

What if the strings and equipment take yet another quantum leap forward? Maybe the baseline game will become obsolete, or maybe it will become even more dominant. 

Don't think short; think long. There will probably be a satisfying answer within these three players in the next ten years, but it isn't going to mean much in the long term.

These are heady times to be a tennis fan, so we might as well enjoy it. All of it. I sure do; there's no reason not to.

On 1/9/2022 at 10:35 PM, saf said:

Any thoughts on better organized Thai food not too terribly far from southern Petworth?

NoMa isn’t *that* close, and Laos isn’t Thailand, but have you tried Laos in Town?

17 hours ago, ElGuapo said:

Can confirm. We eat there pretty regularly, and our boards always look great.

They're also opening a wine shop next door!

There may not be another better fromagerie board in the city for the price, perhaps not even close. I haven´t found one.

Would anyone else please chime if they feel La Fromagerie's cheese board is exceptional for the price?

I suspect I'll be back here sometime next week.

4 hours ago, Pat said:

This makes me very sad. My husband and I went there a lot when we lived in Greenbelt, before they added the second part of it. The last either of us was there he was to dinner with his best friend, who lives in Baltimore. I'm sorry I didn't get back again😞

Wow - I first came here in the mid-1980s, and even though I haven't been to either in forever, I'll miss Pasta Plus like I miss Sergio.

On 1/5/2022 at 12:24 AM, lotus125 said:

I haven't seen much on here about Corduroy's takeout.  Any recent experiences or recommendations?  

Stay with dishes that don't require exquisite timing (eg, tonkatsu). 

38 minutes ago, Bart said:

Does anyone remember the name of the place that was here before?  I have a memory of higher end burger/pizza place with the name of the chef in the title.  Something like:  CMB - Charles Murray Burgers

TD Burger (Timothy Dean) 

21 hours ago, Kibbee Nayee said:

Stumbled on this little gem while the wife was having her hair done about a block away. Very nice assortment of curated natural wines, and a lovely little menu that matches up nicely with the wines, and that charcuterie plate is worth the visit on its own. The friendly and knowledgeable staff adds to the cozy neighborhood feel of the place. I'm happy to take my wife to her hair appointments at any time in the future.

Kibbee, does it still resemble the one I photographed above?

2 hours ago, RJ Cooper said:

Hey Rocks, 

Could you update the thread caption for Marcels.  The team you have listed havent worked there in years. 

R J Cooper III
Chef/Owner

Rogue 24

🙂

Prime 9: Brooks Robinson on mlb.com

7 hours ago, Mark Slater said:

My friend couldn't resist the Osetra caviar presentation. It comes with classic accompaniments, plus freshly made blini and buttered toasts. 

I almost never spring for caviar in restaurants, but this past June I was feeling profligate, and sprang.

On 7/25/2020 at 5:52 PM, Keithstg said:

Any recent Charlottesville recommendations?

And now I will ask: Any recent Charlottesville recommendations?

Has anyone stayed at / dined at Boar’s Head Inn? Opinions would be greatly appreciated.

From "Route 66" - SE3 EP30 - "Shadows of an Afternoon"

23 hours ago, Bart said:

The Collard Greens were very good but nowhere close to being vegetarian. The menu lists bacon, but they tasted more meaty than just that.

Curious: Were the collard greens meaty, or smoky? I’ve had collard greens in the past (not here) that tasted like Liquid Smoke.