ulysses

Hai Duong's Cha Ca Thang Long/La Vong is amazing. The Bahn Xeo there is imo the best in Eden Center. Mark K and Haidar walked me through the menus of almost every place there except for Hai Duong, we were on a mission to find a really good local version of Cha Ca La Vong. Imagine a 6'7" giant wandering into one of those kitchens with his phone in his hand pointing a picture of yellow fish, saying "can you make this", while Haidar and I looked straight down to the bottom of our Saigons at the table.

Can you picture that at Citronelle?

I can...

Cocobinga, we open at 5pm daily. I've already reached out to OT to correct this. 

Monday - Friday position.Salary/bonus/commission commensurate with experience.

Send résumés to mark@proofdc.com.

Do you need the cart? If you just need the block, the best way is to make one. Its easy, cost effective and the best way to get a custom size. You just need lumber: Maple or Walnut(both can be found at the hardwood section of HDespot, do not use oak:bacteria)glue, clamps, saw(you can have them cut it for you at the store), sandpaper 220grit and butchers block oil.

Tons of tutorials online. I've assembled them in my apartment.

Estadio and Proof are both closed this evening.

I'll probably get flamed for this, but the BLT cocktail a few years back at PX comes to mind. Now was it creative and did it actually have a lot of BLT flavors to it? Yes, I respected the hell out of the creativity here. But did it taste good? Absolutely not.

Flamed? No. I will make an argument for it though. My mentor told me the trick to developing a good drink was creating something that a guest would order a second time around immediately after having the first. He taught me more about the business than anyone however I completely disagree with him on that point.

I have had the BLT and considered it to be one of the 5 best drinks I've ever tasted. Would I order two back to back? No. It's not that type of drink. I would like to think that it served another purpose.

While we obviously disagree on how we perceived the taste profile, I think it's important to realize that this drink and several others that they make challenge the idea of what we see as cocktails.

Perception is reality.

I repeat this to my staff almost daily.

In the case of the original poster (OP), expectations either weren't managed well or the OP was in the wrong place. If the OP went a 1/2 hour and were miffed that someone got a seat before them, then clearly that 1/2 hour wasn't managed well by the bar - ie, it felt like "waiting time" rather than "bar enjoyment time" and expectations weren't met (again, either through poor management, or the OP being a customer who didn't get it)

What the OP did not mention is that the bartender that was working night was trying to give him a heads up on where the next available seat would be opening up and trying to direct him to that general area. OP also indicated that we didn't have a list because we don't want to "start any fights". That's not exactly what I said but I did indicate that sometimes it's more off-putting to remove someone from a chair that has secured it than it is to work with a guest who is trying to get one. Perception is reality.

Note that bartender's taking a list has a downside, namely that now the perception is that the seats are more valuable and you're in more "standby mode" (literally) until you're called for a seat. That potentially makes everyone standing an "impatient future sitter" and that won't work for most bars IMHO. Further, it ruins the time-honed tradition of favoring regulars that tip. So what that YOU came in 30 minutes ago and Bob just walked through the door? Bob's dropped $20K in tips alone last year...and YOU could just order a tonic and hog the seat for the next 4 hours. Bob gets the seat. That's the deal.

There was a two year period where I ate at 2 Amys once a week. In that time I only sat in the dining room once. Every other time I have dined at the bar . Scott, Debbie and Sarah all know me and what I do for a living but it gave me no competetive edge. They have never told a guest to move or that I have been waiting "longer" than them; they do let me know when someone is paying up or finishing dessert. That is hospitality. There is no sign that says "Check in with the person behind the bar" at their restaurant, so the expectation is: It's up to me to find a seat.

I believe(and this is my own belief) that a waitlist at the bar is pretentious, having said that I do think that it is up to the bartender to do what they can to help the guest...without compromising any other experience in the restaurant.

So my wife wants to serve some kind of punch at our Toys for Tots holiday party this year. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Mulled wine and eggnog don't count...

Gin Milk Punch is a crowd pleaser and unique enough that everyone will be wowed.

Madeira is crucial, after that you can use either bourbon or rum to supplement the alcohol content.

St. Remy Brandy VSOP, NV, 1.75, $23.99,

(Schneider's of Capitol Hill)

yes or no?

that's a steal. perfect size/price for punch bowls during the upcoming holidays.

I think, as a general rule, that any cocktail made with an orange-flavored liqueur is best made with Cointreau, which is not only the best orange-flavored liqueur, but the one best suited to cocktails. In fact, I don't think anything else comes remotely close

I absolutely agree. I've personally been taught by two of the top dogs in the industry that using Cointreau is paramount when making Sidecars, Cosmos and Margaritas. It has a viscosity that lends the drink body. Luxardo is good but very different. It's bright and a little thin. It's good for mixing but not if you are looking to make the classics as they were intended.

As to brandy, I think putting an expensive brandy in a cocktail is a silly waste of money. St. Remy, discussed above, is surprisingly smooth and pleasant

Right again, the only rule is V.S. or older.

You're using Cointreau for your Sidecar, right? If not, I'd upgrade your triple sec before your cognac. The choice of cognac is more subjective, just trust what you've enjoyed before and it should work pretty well for you.

The sugared rim is also a lost art, and hugely important to this drink. I'm not good at it at home, yet. The best technique, IMO, in town is at Bourbon Steak, I like the choice of glass that they use. Order one of their crustas from Jamie, Duane or Dean. A good sidecar should be pretty tart, with just a lightly sugared rim for the perfect balance.

Dave is absolutely correct on this. Sugar content is critical on this drink.

As far as a sugar rim goes, Degroff suggests freezing the glass after rimming it.

Blue blazes!

Site's blocked for me at work now, so I tend to come on less. There are other reasons, too, I guess, but I also just find myself on forums less these days.

I'm guessing after you got booted of the My Little Pony forum it has been downhill since.

So, I finally went and gave Good Stuff Eatery a try this afternoon for lunch, and I was moderately satisfied.

Make a fist, now subtract your knuckles...and your thumb. If your MLK this is perfect, if your Happyguy subtract about 1/3 of the volume. Charge me 8(7 and change) dollars that I will never get back and that's good stuff.

6) dinner with DonRocks!

Couldn't find a general thread on punch so I started a new one to post this.

Interesting article in the WSJ about a pretty old recipe.

Gibson has/had(I'm not sure if it's on the menu anymore) the single serving batavia arrack rum punch on the menu and I've been there when they've fired up the punch bowl in the back room. There was Owen doing punch service at Bourbon, Adam's Morgan. He had a couple of bowls at the end of the bar, serving up different punches for awhile. Dan Searing had Punch club, Gina makes a killer punch. Punch is back.

Now if we could just have a bar here in DC that does a full punch service, where they bring you your own punch bowl and glasses and offered a full menu of different recipes.

Okay, now the bar has REALLY been raised.

Marteau is now available in Washington, D.C.

Just read the wonderful reviews from the hard-core absinthe enthusiasts at WormwoodSociety.org, the Internet's most authoritative absinthe resource. This is the one that we've been waiting for.

This coin has two sides: Absinthe made by the people who know and love it the most.

Absinthe reviewed and made popular by the people who talk about it the most.

I'll be curious to weigh it against it's competition.

It's simple: Tyler Durden. He's on the board at 4 a.m. and 4 p.m., never not there.

"Now, a question of etiquette - as I pass, do I give you the ass or the crotch? "

8:15 Bombay Government Punch

9:30 Fish House Punch

12:15 The Last Minute Stachowski-owski Punch Bowl

If you're not drunk by 2AM, you shouldn't be drunk.

I think this whole thing is a bad idea, DC is asking for a lot of trouble.

sturm said:

I'm looking for some recommendations: I'll be in SF in December and am looking for someplace utterly delicious for a decadent lunch with one hitch: we'll have a six month old baby with us. My friend and I are staying in Nob Hill but we're both very familiar with the city and won't mind traveling a bit.

Zuni Cafe. The restaurant really shines in the winter months. Braising, root vegetables and roasting are what makes this place so awesome.