Mrs. B

This may more properly belong in the cast iron thread but I think there are more houseware/kitchen bargins out there that may deserve a place of their on so we call all benefit.

Ad in today's Washington Post Food Section (prices good through 11/29/05) -

Staub Cast Iron 5 Qt. Casserole available in red, blue, green or yellow reg. $103 now $39.Can you say holiday present? Anyone have a wedding shower in their future? Sounds like a bargain to me but I must confess to familiarity of the brand merely by word of mouth.

eta:Sorry BLB I'm an idiot you are among the seeing - At Rodman's

I gave Waitman a couple of classes for Christmas last year at Citronelle which he seemed to enjoy quite a bit ($125/class lunch and wine included - check current price). I was very pleased to enjoy one myself this last week and would highly recommend same. Chef Richard is a national treasure and should be hologramed into every aspiring french chef's kitchen, Cedric is a cutey and Mark is a fantastic foh host with superb wine pairings and a cool vest that I forgot to ask about. I also should say that having a super meal with great wine, in the middle of the day, all in the name of education is rather fun too. I also scored a cool orange Citronelle cap.

So if $500 is your budget, then in the fine glow in which you will find yourselves after lunch, either take a cab up to Sur La Table and blow the rest of the budget on giddgy-gagedts, or if you are feeling really profligate go to Dean and DeLuca and get something wildly overpriced like cavier or fois and send him home to his significant other secure in the knowledge that you gave the best-est present this year.

What is 00 flour?  Or is it OO flour?

Olive oil, garlic, chopped parsely & crumbled feta and maybe some diced sun-dried tomato and green onion.

Sign in gift shop window "Unattended children will be given an espresso and a free puppy."

I've seen it occasionally at Vace on Conn. Ave.

I like the people watching at bar at The Palm at lunch. Chef Sang Ek has a great hand with his asian inspired stir-fry (not available in pm). If I am in need of old school red-table cloth italian, the veal parm. really hits the cheesy red-sauce spot. It can be a bit boys' clubby - but I kind of like that. And Kevin, the bartender is priceless.

The bar at Two Amy's is also a current favorite. Oh yes, must add voice to Marcel's choir.

My booze salesman father always made it a point to sit at the corner of the bar (where applicable) and in those circumstance 3 can be accomodated. But I like snuggling up with waitman alone best.

OK then - who would be up for Sodere on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving - the 22nd?

I'd be interested but if they cook my Kitfo I will cry.

I like the bacon and egg salad that Eve once had.  All you do is pierce the egg and let the magic flow (very much like soup at Palena).

The royal trumpet mushroom salad with lardons and poached egg that I inhaled at Circle Bistro last Friday is to die for.

eta:Heather had it first.

Salad with Royal Trumpet Mushrooms & Poached Egg.

Words escape me.

Get it now before it's too late.

Holy shit it was luscious and earthy and something akin to the virgin's thighs cheese at Dean's joint (at that I'm guessing) or at least if I were a guy what I would hope for.

I woke up this morning thinking about that dish. Unlike Waitman who woke up thinking about chains.

Thanks Brendan. The dinner was super from start to finish, fine food, service and wine. What more can one ask?

I was impressed with my first and only Zengo visit last year in Denver, that perhaps was colored by my continuing impression of Denver as a culinary wasteland (not counting the fine -wait - very fine - fully ethnic restaurants and Potager on Capitol Hill) but I think not.

I look forward to giving this place a go based on that visit. The flavors were fresh and vibrant and I apologize that I can't name a standout dish but it was a blur (not just because of the cucumber mojitos) of small dishes complicated by the business hosting aspect and the 9 people doing the ordering. If my memory serves there were no real clunkers out of at least 15 different dishes tried and a few that though I cannot name recall as quite tastey.

That was fusion food that sounded scary (and believe me before I tried it I was eye-rollingly skeptical ) and it turned out to be a treat. I wish them the best.

Bistro d'oc

Oui.

Especially if you are seeing a foreign film.

Morton's Frozen Honey Buns. Four in a box. I'd BEG my mother to buy them for me. Now the thought makes me nauseaus.

Your post nearly brought a tear to my eye Faboo. My late mother and I shared boxes of these in my youth. For me they were a special treat and for my mom a guilty pleasure.

Pepperidge Farms frozen chocolate layer cake.

Welcome to DR.com Faboo!

Black radish on Icelandic butter smeard baguette. BTW I tried Icelandic lamb for the 1st time and highly recommend it. It's in season now through December and is available at Whole Foods. It's dificult for me to describe the best I can do is say lamb-y but not game-y and somehow or other there is an almost grassy flavor

I truly enjoyed the Hitching Post on Upshur St upon my first and only (to date) visit. The neckbones & beans were a revelation but they were out of greens! {sob} The fried chicken (to borrow a phrase) didn't suck either, nor did the mac & cheese. Waitman will have to describe the service since I don't have the words to do it justice. I will return and I have to say that I was thinking of keeping this place to myself.

Let me add my thanks, on behalf of Waitman and myself, to Cathal, Todd and the rest of the crew for a spectacular dinner last night. I can still taste the lobster and the Vacqueyras, (though, not at the same time). It was also great to chat briefly with Cathall for a moment in the bar and, especially, to meet the farmer who supplied so many of the vegetables last night.

It was also great to meet Hank, aka LoganCircle, who was wise enough to catch a ride home with Hill (after riding in with us) and UStreet, who wasn't, and had to take the scenic route home. Looking forward to seeing you guys and the rest of the crew again soon.

And last but not least a big hug to Hill for all her hard work and patience.

For the sake of accuracy, it was an Armenian eggplant dish.  Armenians are very different from Ukranians; we hold our liquor much better and do not adore pork lard like they do.

Armenian not Georgian?

Now I know why yours is so different from Babka's.

Yours had more garlic..

p.s.Babka holds her liquour better than I do I admire pork lard in an almost unnatural way..for whatever that's worth I guess maybe that makes me Ukraninan.

The whole idea of creating a Venn diagram for this Armenians V. Ukranians food discussion is best left in the hands of someone that can click and drag ovals and circles not to mention tossing in the occasional arrow...

Written on Mrs. B's Computer but written by the Mr., aka waitman.

In 1976 I got my first job ever. Dishwashing in a joint called Per Bacco! in Columbia, Maryland (where I lived) on the shores of beautiful Lake Kittamaqundi (or however the fuck you spell it). About my eitgth week into the job I showed up for work and they were hauling furniture and food out the front door. Another casuaulty of the restaurant trade. A few months later, the first Clyde's clone moved in, and I'd bring dates there for omelettes (a high school buddy of mine became an omelette chef) and Blue Nun wine. I learned to make an omelette Bonne Femme from eating there. When I went to college, the (now deceased) Omelette Room in Georgetown became a regular spot on the attempted (always attempted, never consumated) seduction route. The song "Afternoon Delight" was inspired by the menu title there; the food was better than the song. Patrick Buchanan was once arrested for starting a brawl in Clyde's; the late owner was responsible for getting legislation passed that allowed patrons in DC to drink standing up, rather than seated only. And, they saved the Old Ebbitt.

And, if you're in G'town and need a martini for dad and burger for the kids, it's one of the few places that can be counted on to produce both in a competent fashion.

Yeah, it's a chain, but they've have earned a little leeway over the years.

Ah--I was assuming most posters here were from the DC area. I should have elaborated.

The Laurel Meat Market is on Main Street in Laurel, MD.

I am from DC, not the DC area so I don't know where Laurel is

Oliver's Meats 6th & Marion, Denver CO. Best butchers ever. Aged Prime.*

Failing a freezer full of their meaty perfection we tend to purchase the aged strips & rib eyes at Whole Food or the butcher's cuts from Union Meat at Easterm Market or when we splurge have a chat with Michael at Ray's. The meat from Sunnyside at Dupont FM is also quite nice. Wagshall's has left me unimpressed.

Where is the Laurel Meat Market?

*I once flew home with a 5 bone standing rib roast and my kind seat mate helped me hoist the carry-on containing said meat and cooling packs into the overhead. He was amused to find out that it was indeed not a ton of bricks but actually prime meat because he was a mucky-mucky that represented the nations largest cattle producers association.

I'm not sure if it's still in operation but the AME church on M Street between 15th & 16th NW served up a fantastic lunch when I worked in the hood a number of years ago. Ribs, fried fish, great mac and cheese, greens, fried chicken, banana pudding. And it was cheap and filling. Nicest service too. Worth a peek if you are in the area. I can't recall if it was daily or not though.

I believe I have seen them at Whole Foods. Are you looking for regular old breasts or Magret (which are, please correct me if I am mistaken, from the ducks used to create fg)? Whichever, I would call ahead.

I've lived in SMD for about 20 years, pretty much a culinary wasteland.  However,  we had dinner at The Westlawn Inn in North Beach on Saturday night - a great improvement over most places down here.  The menu leans toward southern foods, and the wine list is small but better than most in the area. I believe they won some type of best restaurant award.  The Old Field Inn in Prince Frederick is doable also.  Stoney's in Broome's Island (don't go to the one in the shopping center in Pr. Fred.) has awesome crabcakes.  Of course there's Vera's in Lusby on the water - it's worth the trip for the decor if not the food.  Solomon's Islands doesn't offer too much - except for the Tiki Bar if you want a watered down mai tai - which many do; most of the island is closed to drivers on opening day!  Of course, if you want steamed crabs, I'm sure there are plenty of places (such as Stoney's) especially in North and Chesapeake Beach.  For an area with  many miles of waterfront, it is amazing that there are not any really decent seafood places - most people here consider a seafood dinner as fried 'something' with sides of fries and slaw or else all-you-can-eat crabs which are great but I prefer to buy a few dozen, cook, and eat at home.

Now if you want to go a bit out of your way to Charles or St. Mary's counties, there are a few no-so-bad places there...but if you're like most people from the metro area, you'll already feel like you've been driving forever and won't want to take any detours.

Mr. B & I are headed in that direction (Pope's Creek/Cobb Island) this weekend for our 4th and penultimate trip there this summer and we will enjoy fine old time music at L'il Margarets 17th Annual Music Festival in Leonardstown (I used to hate bluegrass but the musicianship and niceness of these folks cannot be denied - especially after the show when everyone goes back to the RV sections and jams) and to visit our daughter at Camp St. Charles.

It does somehow feel like you are driving forever - especially when you've done it every weekend but... Please pass on your suggestions.

I will report on the fine food that the festival provides if the opportunity presents itself (think stuffed ham and pancake breakfasts).

Oh yeah and Budweisers at Apehangers a new B. family tradition .

Dean I'm no wimp count me in!

My main quibble is that Kliman made it seem that only the dr group got the discount when it was sent out on the Galileo mailing list. So anybody on the mailing list could get the same discount.

I also disagree with Joe's view that we could not find any dish less than perfect just because we got a deal. That would be dishonest. Has anyone heard any protest from the folks at Galileo about what was posted?

I know Joe only electronically and have experienced parts of his electronic personality that I like a lot and parts that I dislike intensely. I share some of his views and disagree vehemently with others.

Let's just all remember that every community is built on social interaction. Social interaction, even electronically, requires adherence of ALL to a set of rules and norms of behavior to function properly.

I welcome Joe's wealth of knowledge and hope he starts posting.

Everybody just needs to remember that, in the words of John Dunne --

No man is an island,

Entire of itself.

Each is a piece of the continent,

A part of the main.

If a clod be washed away by the sea,

Europe is the less.

As well as if a promontory were.

As well as if a manner of thine own

Or of thine friend's were.

Each man's death diminishes me,

For I am involved in mankind.

Therefore, send not to know

For whom the bell tolls,

It tolls for thee.

Well put, Thank You.

I've always kind of had a thing (in a good way) for JoeH - don't tell Mr. B! and I look forward to his input and hope that those that have had a thing (in a bad way) for JoeH practice holding their tongues.