goodeats

I don't think that's odd if you've ever seen them as judges in the Iron Chef episodes....eta: Welcome! Don't forget to check out the Events & Gatherings forum (or the calendar on the main page) for upcoming get togethers!!

Saturday special melt-in-your mouth brownies, fleur-de-sel caramels, and pecan buttercrunches!! Not to mention chocolate samples. All wrapped in beautiful ribbon or in great reusable tin boxes. Always too pretty to eat. Thanks for making my week Jason! Go visit!! Buy! Take advantage of the special Andelman is offering!!

I agree. All I can think of, if I Twitter during dinner, is how much it'll cost to replace my phone because I've dropped into the soup/meal/whatever again.

1. Scoop out or dole out only a set portion. Reevaluate your refill level after you finish. Allow yourself a second helping, but a little less, and less guilt too... Sadly, this is what I have to do when I find good cereal -- I eat a great big bowl, and even though I know I'm full, I'll still want to have seconds... I also think that Don has a point that when you eat better, there's less of a craving for certain things processed maybe? All I can think of is that I would probably eat more grocery store-bought marshmallows than 1 scrumptious vanilla-lavender marshmallow from The Dairy Godmother.2. Pork jerky for some reason. Processed and marinated in its salty goodness. Only of the Chinese/Malaysian variety. That or bowls of shaved ice with condensed milk. But I can never finish a pint of ice cream in one sitting. The fact that people can do that still astounds me.

It is gross because it's unexpected. But I think it happens in the industry. I think the mgr/owner cares, as that's how they've responded in the past when I've brought it to their attention before at other places. I don't think it's a health dept issue, though, but I don't know. I'm not feeling this as a big deal, in the sense that there are bigger hygienic issues to be concerned about, and it's dead protein. Probably more dead because it's been cooked or deep fried. But this is my 2 cents. Ultimately, you need to do what you're comfortable with.

A little birdie whispered two words as a teaser to what's on the menu: suckling.pig. Does that garner anymore interest?!

Drove past this place on my way for lunch at Pho Hot, and couldn't resist trying it out for dessert. From the little Googling I did on this place, it also appears to be another chain. Seems to be the "Summer of the FroYo battle wars." The interior is flowy and modern, with a wave of lights that change colors on the ceiling, bubble-modern chairs (in bright orange, yellow and shiny black) and wave-like tables; plus a glass waterfall in the back. Between Tangysweet, Mr. Yogato, and this place's interior, it's not as bubbly as Mr. Yogato, but much brighter and more airy (open space) than Tangysweet. Of the 3 top ones in this area (having never tried Sweetgreen in G'town), this appears a bit pricier, if I recall the prices right. The two sizes that I remember are single and double, and they have a larger one. The flavors for today were Plain, Green Tea and Mango. A single plain is $3.99, but a single flavor is $4.99. Toppings are $0.99 with a wide variety to choose from, including mochi. They also have shaved ice (Bingsu)and other assorted desserts, such as a Profiterole White or tarts and cakes. I had a single-size Green Tea (the Plain machine was broken) with mochi topping, which brought my total to $5.99. The portion is definitely generous, piled pretty high for a smallish cup. It was a good tarty flavor, but not enough matcha flavor for me. Unfortunately, I had some stale mochi mixed in, so the topping wasn't as good. My friend had the mango, which she liked, having enough mango flavor with the yogurt-tartness. I think I would go back, if I was in the area. Need to try their plain flavor next time for comparison to the others.

Yes, it would be hard, because this is a thread-appropriate forum. (See example here on RW in DC.)Not everyone who visits the Redwood thread wants to know about its RW policies (such as I). Especially when it just occurs for such a short duration. When I visit this thread, I am curious on what worked and didn't work here (only this part would include the RW dining experience). I think based on what Elias posted here, he was more than willing to work out issues through PM, and any posters that have beef with him or Redwood should take it one-on-one and not involve others. This is a common problem with writing an email or posting on a forum -- tone. And I have to agree with Mark that you came across as harsh. You have an option to edit your post for 24hrs, and you could've easily edited [name] out for another instead of being a bit snippy. I'm not trying to start a fight with you (you can PM me if you want to start one), but again, we all learn by posting one way or another on this forum.

Could not resist going there today on such a hot and sunny day. They have "normal" sized cups for the small portions now, so you don't have to worry about tiny cups anymore. The coffee bar was built, with an espresso machine and two grinders, but they still need to finish the bar area itself. Looks like it's coming along nicely though.

Who can beat drinks like Sloe Gin Rickey (a very girly drink) and Pimp Cup? Wonderful evening, pretty swankily-designed/made cocktails, great company, and beautiful toasts. Coupled with bacon naan, my weekend started out not-so-bad. Thank you for everything John, and many good wishes for your new 'venture!!!

Could you PM me if you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions or sensitivities? Thanks!!

Where is City Market?

The more the merrier!

Guess I do now!! The initial date that came to mind was Sunday, August 31, because the next day is Labor Day, so dinner can be nice and leisurely without struggling at work the next day. I also know that people travel that weekend, so here are some other dates: 1. To keep in the spirit of Sunday dinners: Sept. 7 or 14 (keeping in line with Walrus's suggestion for early September too.). 2. Weekday options for early Sept.: Tuesday, Sept. 2 (a good break for post-Labor day) or Wednesday, Sept. 10 (celebrate hump day!). 3. Open to other suggestions. If it's the weekday, it'll be a 7:30pm-ish dinnertime, so that people can rest up for the next work day. Opinions? Thoughts? Please discuss. Thanks!!!

How about suggestions for around Farragut West area? Need a grab-n-go place with good croissants, scones or muffins. Not keen on Marvelous Market, so that's out. Thanks!!

Like everyone else, I started with the Roti Canai, which came with 2 pieces of roti and very hot curry sauce with 2 pieces of chicken and a piece of potato. I also ordered the Hainanese Chicken rice dish based on jjshyne's recommendation, but will not get to it because I am too busy trying to look for a fire extinguisher. The appetizer is very good and following KeithA's advice, I am saving the sauce to make something with it at home.

An Ode to Bennigan's Booths and kitsch, How I'll miss thee. Walls around adorn in green. With none nearby, Nary a substitute, The best I can do Is CPK's fried foods...

Here,here. That is the first place I've ever had a Monte Cristo, and ended up being my standard there. My sister will be sad, since I think this was where her first date with her husband was.

I would be interested! Preferably for a later time, if possible....

First time at Breadline and had the chicken and goat cheese sandwich. It's a big sandwich for me for $7.55 and at least for me, can easily split this into 2 meals. Whereas (sorry for the bad comparison), I can't do that for a Cosi sandwich or a plain bread deli sandwich for about or around the same price. I find it funny how over-analytical we can get about a sandwich here. Was not keen about the tomato-onion spread on the bottom, but thought the bread was good and chewy/crunchy. The chicken was a bit on the bland side, but that is how I prefer my chicken breast on sandwiches to taste. Wish there was a tad more goat cheese smeared on, but that's ok -- the goat cheese flavor comes through. I just don't dig the contrast of goat cheese + tomato-onion together (even though I do like a salsa-neufchatel dip for my tortilla chips). ETA: Second DanCole42 on the Chocolate-Marscapone cookie. It's turning my Garfield Monday around.

The 1 time that I made short ribs was to marinate overnight and quick grill over high (then medium) heat, and it turned out well (or so I was told). I don't have a recipe, but hope this confirmation helps...

Pictures are up (See post #25 of the link)!!

Parking is still hard to find around the community center near the stands, but much easier on the side streets or the parking lot across the other side (Maple Avenue?). Toigo Orchards had really ripe peaches, white peaches, and nectarines. DS gave the seal of approval as he quickly scarfed 2 peaches down (they're on the small side at Toigo, but bigger at other stands). They also have donut peaches for $6 a container. As always, grabbed a few croissants from Bonaparte, had to skip Atwater this time. There's also Bread House (aka Baguette Republic) and two other bakeries (one with homemade pies). I don't know if this is the permanent setup now, but when I went in the off-season, there are less stands compared to the end of May, early June. It used to be just one level, but now there's a up-and-down-ness to the stands. Dolcezza is also there this summer, but am sure if will afterwards. Just a few observations. I think this is a nice alternative to the Courthouse market for a Saturday one.

I really do have to apologize that my photos do Chef Contes' works of art injustice, but the only camera available was the one on my mobile. *sigh* Again, ALL of the items served last night are on their Dinner Menu. In order are picture attachments of the following: Pastrami Cured Kanpanchi, Hot Mustard, Tomato Jam & Caraway -The experience of eating a Pastrami sandwich, but only waaaaaaay better. The spice blend was neither too salty nor overpowering compared to an actual deli sandwich, with the lightness of the Kanpanchi bringing a summer, airy feel. The "Hot Mustard" part was actually Hot Mustard Ice Cream with a delicate mustardy touch and a smooth texture to compliment the fish. I could actually eat an entire bowl of the ice cream alone. Local Corn Custard, Smoked Peaches, Jalapeno & Thyme -The corn custard was amazing! I am still trying to dissect the ingredients to this, as there was debate on whether dairy was used to make the custard. The custard exuded fresh corn flavor, and just cutting into it was an experience -- soft, appearing to fall apart upon the first slit, yet firm, when the whole stays together. The smoked peach sauce that accompanied it overall gave the feeling of eating at a farmers' market on a cool, sunny day. Lobster Poached in Fragrant Butter, Cherries, Lily Bulb & Celery -This picture is horribly dissimilar to the beautiful plating of the real thing. This would be my favorite, if it was not for my main entree. The cherries were cooked a little bit, softening, but not making the bite mushy. Combining it with the lobster was an unforgettable fruity, moist and full of flavor feeling. Strip Steak of prime beef, Stewed carrots, Passionfruit mustard & Tarragon -Someone else would have to relay this experience, but I heard great things about the carrots. Stripped Bass, with Anise, Toasted almonds, and Licorice oil dressing -One of the few times that I am glad to be allergic to beef. This BY FAR was the highlight of my evening. The fish was so juicy, which contrasted greatly with the crisped skin. When eaten with the oil dressing and one other sauce, along with the almonds and crisp pea topping, the combination proved to overwhelm my senses. Blueberry tart, Ginger-Vanilla Cream & Lemon Verbena Ice Cream -Lemon Verbena ice cream + really fresh blueberries + savory cream = enough said. Finger food: Vanilla-anise marshmallow and Passionfruit jellied fruit bite -Did not know what the second thing is called, but as soon as this plate was set down, most of us at the table started bouncing the marshmallows. It gave a good bounce, but the softness of it wrapped up a nice evening.

The quick summary is that it was like a trip to Oz and not quite back. I am still lingering in the bubble, pondering, mesmerized, and still savouring the complexities, harmony, and marriage of all the textures, techniques, flavors, colors, and presentations of ALL the courses (there was 2 extras!). There is NO hurry to click on my ruby slippers tonight. A big huzzah to Chef Conte, and absolutely to the servers and wonderful people at The Oval Room. I am sorry that others missed out, but the cloud is still floating....