Pat

(if you really have time to burn, go around the store looking for items that have no price. there was a nice example among the olive oils yesterday. guess what the price might be and then find out when it gets rung up. chances are, it will be more expensive than you had bargained for.

That new Old Town store is like playing The Price Is Right. It's weird every time I go there, with the guessing at what things are and how much they should cost. It usually works to my advantage, except once when a cashier insisted something was a particular type of mushroom when it was a different one. He and the bagger said it was one thing and I knew it was another, but I just gave up.

One time I was there I got a bunch of things cheap because the cashier didn't know what they were (even though I explained it), shrugged, and rang them up at a generic price. I understand that it's really hard for them to keep up with what all the specialized produce is, since there's so much of it, but on my last trip, I had a cashier unable to identify cubanelle peppers and shiitake mushrooms (probably the most common of the uncommon musrooms).

Then my other (related peeve) is that when they're out of something, they move the other stuff around on the shelf to cover that area so there doesn't appear to be an empty spot. I can't tell you how many times I've had to go to customer service to see if they still carry the product and will have it in the future (I'd have more confidence if there were accurate shelf labels.) I believe I read somewhere that the spreading things out to cover empty spots is a chain-wide policy. I'd frankly rather know what's not there and is out at the time, rather than pulling everything off the shelf in the hopes that one of something I want has gotten pushed to the back.

Capitol Lounge has big signs outside saying they've reopened. This sounds like something they would have on their tvs. I guess it depends on what you think of their food.

I was there for dinner a few months back. Great food, happy place, and NOISY. If you're looking for a quiet, romantic dinner, this isn't the place. Otherwise, it's fun and delicious!

I've not been to [garble garble garble] and have no opinion pro or con, but couldn't a lot of this be that you have not eaten fries (or fries in any significant amount) in quite a long time? I deduced from what you wrote--I don't know if correctly--that you are probably not eating a lot of deep-fried food these days. I don't know if that would account for such an extreme reaction, but it could account for a reaction.

If you haven't had something "house-style" you should.  Brandy cream sauce, mushrooms and bleu cheese (although next time I may ask them to go a little light on the cheese).

The salad with leftover steak was great, by the way.

mcdonalds?!?!?

maybe not my favorite; just putting it out there for discussion.

Of DC restaurant fries, definitely Firefly, then probably Belga.

I, for sentimental reasons--and this goes OT--used to love the fries they had at the Sears store restaurant near where I grew up.

you weren't the only ones.  There were at least four sets of Rockweilers there tonight. 

I think the leftover meat is going to become a steak salad tonight. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare, and I don't want to overcook it by attempting to reheat it.

My husband and I had a real nice meal at RTS tonight. He had the New England Clam Chowder and Cajun Rib-Eye. I had the Diablo Shrimp Scampi and House Special Steak (NY Steak with Brandy mushroom sauce and blue cheese). It was full and there were people waiting outside. Michael seemed pretty happy, so far as I could tell. And from my questioning, I gather they will be re-opening there, but with a different format/structure.

I brought a huge hunk of steak home

So can you just show up now to try and get a table?

Editing my post to quote what he actually said so I don't misrepresent it in any way:

We're not taking reso's for April yet (in fact we are not taking reservations after March 26), and won't be for awhile, until I can find a way to figure out how to put an end to all this reservation/bad publicity madness.  I know just shutting my mouth would take care of most of it, but that's not going to happen.

Seriously though, I do need to figure out a way where we can continue taking reservations without continuing to take so much shit for the way we do take reservations--which is the only way we can take reservations and make it work.

I also am not sure what our hours of operations will be or even what days we will be open yet.

Soon as I do know, I will let you all know.

I understand that the recorded phone message at Ray's says that they are no longer taking reservations.  What happened, did he hand out too many of those cards with the VIP phone number?

Is it just me, or has anyone else notice the decline of the Whole Foods in Clarendon? Don't get me wrong I will pick WF any day, but recently have I have not been able to fine basic items, it think they should have, and the produce is suspect now and the seafood never really looks fresh. I still think the meat department is fine. I am not sure if that little store can keep up with the growing population in the area, with so many condo communities rising. I think it's time for a bigger store, as it never seems to be stocked properly

Please don't tell me the store is slipping . I'm trying to find a new Whole Foods to go to since the old one in Alexandria relocated to Old Town. I really dislike parking garages and avoid them whenever possible [phobia alert ]. That Clarendon one and the one near Tysons are the only ones I know of with surface parking.

I know just shutting my mouth would take care of most of it, but that's not going to happen.

Seriously though, I do need to figure out a way where we can continue taking reservations without continuing to take so much shit for the way we do take reservations--which is the only way we can take reservations and make it work.

When the whole thing came up in the chat re calling to confirm a reservation, I couldn't understand why it bothered people. It's not exactly difficult to call an answering machine and leave a message. You have a small restauarant with a small staff and you can't afford no-shows. It makes perfect sense to make people take the initiative to call you back.

The Safeway at 14th and D, SE, is looking mighty spiffy after its renovation. I was in there yesterday for the first time in a while, and it has improved substantially. It has quite a noticeable amount of gourmet and organic selections (and a Starbucks, since there aren't enough of them around ) . AND, it has accessible, clean restrooms!

Park Cafe is now sporting several signs saying that they are open for lunch. I haven't seen anyone in there for lunch when I've gone by, though.

Many years ago, they used to have a lunch service, and I've had a few good lunches there. I'm bumping the thread in hopes that someone may stop for lunch and tell us how it is

What I really wish is that they would serve breakfast/morning coffee. There is nothing near Lincoln Park for that.

I use the recipe from the Mueller's macaroni box. It's the best I've ever found. Needless to say, it's rather basic. The preparation of the sauce is different than other approaches I'm familiar with, and it works great. I like the idea of the cookoff.

Happy Birthday!

Leftover spinach-mushroom quiche (crustless--more the consistency of a frittata) and a whole wheat everything bagel with light cream cheese

They have these baskets that look like the baskets you use at the driving range. When you get to the check out, they put them in egg cartons for you. I'm not exactly sure how they package an emu egg though.

Growing up we used to sled down Capitol Hill and if we were really lucky on the way back we'd stop at the Chesapeake Bagel Bakery for warm bagels and hot chocolate.  These days I like to kill a snowy evening in a booth at Palena.

I'd bet sitting on one of the sofas in the upstairs bar at Sonoma next to the fireplace would be a good spot to watch it snow.  The windows overlooking the street are nearly floor to ceiling.

I noticed the display of loose eggs at Whole Foods, but I didn't see what kind of containers they might have had to put the eggs in. I didn't notice any, but they must have something. Do they have egg cartons of some sort out? (I guess it's an odd question, but it was the first thing I thought of when I saw the egg display. )

I often come to Bis for brunch myself. As much as I am opposed to pimping, I think our brunch is under-appreciated, possibly on account of too little foot traffic in that area. The deal we've been running for as long as I can remember is three courses (appetizer, main and dessert) for a little under $30. I think that's a good deal and a rather lot of food. Menu is here.

When I was there last weekend, people near us were ordering that 3 course brunch and it was only about 10 AM or so.

I came up with the recipe below when I was dieting, as a way of making oyster stew without cream/milk. I can't guarantee the exact results, as I wrote it down after the fact and have tweaked it without necessarily updating. This should give you a sense of the approach, though.

Strawberries dipped in melted semisweet chocolate are a not too indulgent indulgence. I just bought a nice clamshell of them at Trader Joes yesterday that I plan to use for Valentines Day.

Pat's Fennel-Oyster Stew

2 fennel bulbs, chopped

6 garlic cloves, chopped

3-4 Tbsp. olive oil

1/4-1/3 cup dry white wine

1 quart chicken broth, divided use

1 (24-28 oz.) can tomato puree

2 red potatoes, peeled and chopped

black pepper

powdered mustard, thyme, sage, bay, rosemary seasoning to taste

pint shucked oysters, liquid reserved

Saute chopped fennel and garlic in olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until softened. Raise heat to high and add wine; cook off wine for a minute or two. Lower heat and add 3 cups chicken broth and all of the tomato puree. Stir and add the potatoes and seasonings. Bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, adding additional chicken broth as necessary. Fifteen minutes before serving, add the oysters. Correct seasoning, add oyster liquid, if desired, and additional chicken broth, if necessary.

Edit to explain that seaasoning mix. I use Penzeys Bavarian Seasoning for this, and wrote out the ingredients when I gave the recipe to someone else.

The shad roe sounds intriguing.

I had a nice breakfast at Bis last weekend. I usually take a friend out for breakfast for her birthday. She loves steak and eggs for breakfast, and Bis does that beautifully. She always enjoys it a lot.

I really like going to Bis for breakfast and brunch. I probably get there as much for that as for dinner. I wish there were more good places for breakfast on Capitol Hill.

The spaghetti squash casserole recipe from Moosewood Cookbook is quite good. It's posted online in several places. This site has it, plus some other interesting looking recipes. (When I make this in the winter, I tend to go with plum tomatoes and use 1-2 more than the recipe calls for).

Edit because it only occurred to me after the fact to check the recipe in that link against my copy from the book . They changed it a little bit. This is the list of ingredients as I have it:

1 8-inch spaghetti squash

1 cup chopped onion

2 medium cloves crushed garlic

2 fresh tomatoes (medium-sized)

1/2 lb. fresh sliced mushrooms

1/2 tsp. oregano

salt and pepper

1 cup cottage or ricotta cheese

1 cup grated mozzarella

1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley

1 tsp. basil

dash of thyme

1 cup fine bread crumbs

butter for sauteeing

Parmesan for the top