goodeats

Finally made my way over there for lunch, after a quick errand to the post office across the street. Being the nice, humid and hot weather such as today, I probably should have ordered a refreshing salad, but the attraction of Hommos proved too much, so I caved in for a classic Hommos sandwich. For $5.37 (tax included), it's as long as a Chipotle burrito, but MUCH, much better tasting. The hommos was smooth and light -- not grainy and stiff as I've had at some places. I enjoyed the pita wrap it was on, as it gave the sandwich the right chewiness that it should. Topped off with some cucumbers and tomatoes, it was just as cool and refreshing as a salad; only it was my little comfort food. Pretty good day so far, I'd say.

I don't know, bad syrupy (or even cough syrupy!), old fruit or gross-crust vs. bad gooky-I'm-going-to-gag-on-this-frosting or really dried-out-several-days-old-tasting cake (which I've had on both pie & cake fronts before) is kinda equal in my book...

Enjoyed an iced soy mocha and carrot cake cupcakes for my 4th of July treat. They also use Counter Culture beans, so the coffee had a nice flavor, not too bad of an aftertaste. Their carrot cake cupcake was really tasty and moist -- really satisfied my carrot cake craving. Wished I had bought 2.

It's been awhile since I've been to Bethesda and I really love this location because it reminded me of a town square or local plaza -- very charming and beautiful architecturally. DS and I visited this afternoon and split a small Champagne Mango & Red Papaya that the boy really, really enjoyed (see pictures). The only downside is that due to the small size, it's not exactly stroller-friendly. It was a little difficult to fit a semi-wide three-wheeler through the 1 open door, but once we're in, it was fine, except for the small, narrow space that was left to walk past us to other free tables (despite the fact that I was taking one of the few back of the store tables). This visit really made my afternoon.

BIG hugs. Focus on the positives and not on the negatives. Getting healthy is most important. If you have an old back injury, have you thought about yoga? That helped me a lot with mine.

Apple Sidra. Best apple soda to wash away bad taste of mediocre Chinese food.

DS and I went on Thursday and did not stay long due to the extreme heat. We shared a Mango lassi and Momos. The momos reminded me of xiao long baos, but a bit bigger and without the extra juices. The dough was nice and chewy. The hot sauce was a bit too much for me, but I have a bland palette. DS really, really enjoyed the Mango lassi -- so much so that he got mad at me when I tried to drink some!

I bet we were there at the same time! I was in the corner with friends, their daughter and DS. It was our first and last time, sadly, as everything was really yummy. We started out with the Homemade assorted donuts basket. Inside was a great, sweet texture, with the outside a bit crusty (for a lack of a better word). DS really enjoyed the cakey-part of the donut. I shared the Corn-flour waffles with sausage with DS, while he mooched bacon from his dad. Friends enjoyed the Garlic grits A LOT, and their daughter (20mos) ate most of the grits -- more than her usual share of food, which was great! What a wonderful experience brunch was. Now it's time for nap!

I thought it was a nice little Q&A about Warren Brown by the Arlington Connection. I am not versed in Buttercream language, so I don't know if what he said was correct or not, but it would be nice to know your thoughts on his descriptions of buttercream, cake, and CakeLove recipe descriptions. Click Here ETA: I am not looking for debates on cupcake styles or tastes, just observations, since I'm only just starting to learn about the cupcake world.

That knife on the other hand -- looks nice -- what kind is it? I am sure it'll be sharp enough to do any emergency surgeries.

It sort of looks like clotted blood, but I can't get a good look from this picture. All the leeches I've seen are smaller and more slender. Go with your gut is what I'm feeling. Sorry can't help more!

Thanks for the sightings! I ended up finding some at Great Wall.

Good question -- it's been awhile since I've journeyed up Rockville to Maxim, so I can't compare just now. Perhaps this calls for a trip sometime this week to do "research."

Ah. Didn't see a note, but figured as much.

It's reportedly from 9:30am to 8pm, which was what they reported in the WaPo write up. But I think they open closer to 10am, although I'm not 100% positive. I'll ask next time I'm there.

As I left here today, I reminded myself to put in a plug for this little eatery inside the Great Wall Supermarket. Mr. Benjamin Hu and his wife, Ms. Ye are from Taiwan, and opened an eatery that offers more comfort food, or homestyle cooking. For $5.99, you can get a lunch box of two or three (sorry, I forgot which) items, of which you can choose from: lion's head meatballs, ma pow tofu, tomato and egg, dried bean curd marinated, pigs ears, veggies and much more that I can't remember. There are also some menu items that include beef chow fun, wonton soup noodle, and other eats. If you want the typical Chinese-American dishes, they have a menu for that. They also have roast pork, ducks and chickens that are decent. For baked goods, they have breads from Vina's Bakery and other cakes from NY bakeries. They also have a variety of drinks, including watermelon milk smoothie and other refreshing teas and such. I couldn't find a topic already posted about this, despite my best search efforts, so I'm sorry for any duplication. My mom puts in a plug for their stewed asian-style eggplants -- very soft and flavorful. In the meantime, I'm enjoying my very yummy you-tiao. Fu Mei Chinese Cafe 2982 Gallows Road Falls Church, VA 22042 703-208-3388

DS & I enjoyed a small gelato serving (2 scoops at $3.75, tax included) of apricot and lucuma today. I really enjoy the refreshing taste of the apricot, which was a good contrast to a creamier, richer taste of the lucuma. DS didn't complain about either flavor. The only downside was that it was served in a cup that equals the size of those sauce containers given in carry-outs, so I had to be very careful scooping it out. FYI, there's no seating inside, and only about 3 benches (with 1 of them being very, very, low to the ground) outside. I guess they expected more to-go customers. Also, it was warm inside today, with just a big fan going. I don't know if it's the norm, but just posting my observations.

I asked someone in produce and they gave me the strangest look.

I went to Super H Mart thinking they had some stocked readily, but couldn't find it anywhere in either the produce or frozen areas. Did I miss it or do they not sell it? If so, where have you seen it? Am I thinking Great Wall? I'm craving a pork stock made rice with lotus root (or ribs and lotus soup), so I wanted to make some, but of course, am missing the key ingredient. Virginia recommendations preferred, as I live in VA, but wherever is key!!! Thanks!! (can you sense the urgency of a mad woman?!)

Just stopped by for the first time with DS (19mos old now!) for a small treat. Got a 5oz Original Well-dressed (3 toppings included - we picked mangoes, banana, and strawberries) that set me back $4.75 (with tax). Was a good sized portion to split with the little one for a lite snack and he enjoyed the tangy taste very much. I think I prefer it just a bit tangier, but the Original flavor was smooth overall w/o a tangy aftertaste to it. Not keen on only 3 sit-down tables, although they had about 4 bar-like little wall tables w/o chairs. Had to wait at one of those bar-like tables holding a very heavy toddler while trying to feed him yogurt and hoping for a table to open up, since no one got up. Eventually 2 opened up about a few minutes after, but I felt like I got a good weight-lifting session in during the wait. For 1pm traffic, there were about 3 people that bought yogurt/smoothies before me and a good 5 people afterwards, so there's a steady stream of business. But it seems like they're still working out service, as only 1 person is putting on the topping and the cashier kept asking him if he "was doing alright." Not sure if he thought the toppings/yogurt guy was slow or not, but just a mere observation on little kinks to work out?

Mmm...crisped brown-sticked rice. Used to dig that stuff up when mom forgot to put enough water in the old rice cooker. On a different note, perhaps the OP is talking about non-asian rice? I've found that regular supermarket rice (e.g. Minute, Uncle Ben's) is easy to cook on the stove, but you really need to watch the burner for the rice variety I'm used to. I really hate scrubbing pots out with a bed of rice stuck to the bottom. However, I still make porridge rice on the stove -- the neuro fuzzy cookers just don't make them the same, no matter how much excess water added. But it makes great mass quantity of solid food for DS for the week! On a side, side note, I've used my chopping board as a trivet sometimes.... On another side note, I really like my silicone spatula from the WS outlet to remove my cookies from non-silpat-baked ones. I think so far the unitasker that I haven't gotten to work yet is the my whipping cream dispenser. *sigh*

Based on the recommendations here, the family and a friend and I decided to try here tonight, since we had a sushi craving. Definitely agree that the staff is extremely nice and baby-friendly. Small warning: since the place is small and usually pretty quiet (the music isn't played too loudly), the baby/child's noise will echo pretty well. DS did enjoy playing peek-a-boo with a little 10mos. old nearby. I really like the fact that I didn't get dirty looks when I asked them to heat up DS's food for me (he's 18mos. old and I wasn't ready for him to have tempura or a whole serving of teriyaki/don type of food). Miso was nice and not too salty, and the presentation of the food was very pretty. The sashimi was sliced generously thick and tasted pretty fresh. We ordered the: Sashimi Deluxe California Roll Tuna Roll Red Carpet Roll (tuna with tuna wrapped on the outside and yummy mayo on top) and Some sort of Avocado Roll (Dragon Roll?) with the avocado wrapped on the outside. This was enough food for 1 large male and 2 females + some nibbling done by DS. *Disclaimer* I didn't have a say in the Roll ordering, otherwise I probably wouldn't have ordered a basic tuna or Cali roll. Not that there's anything wrong with these rolls, but there was so much more on the menu than these!

When I was in China last fall, they had a delicious Spicy Chicken and Spicy Fish sandwich there that was very yummy. I still get strange looks when I tell people that McDs in China & Taiwan have at least 2 stories and are very busy at all times. Of course, they don't know that in China, you still have to squat in their bathrooms....aim well!

I don't believe a single flash went off last night, except for the drama of Mother Nature displayed outside the restaurant. We were all too busy sharing plates, smelling wines, and exchanging opinions at our table. I missed the famous Foie Gras by about 5 minutes, but enjoyed the Shrimp tidbit instead.I can't believe no one mentioned the wonderful Smoked Duck (Super Chilled Asparagus, with Black Radishes and House Smoked Duck Salad), as our table was trying to figure Chef's secret to making the meat perfect and the salad that accompanied it super fresh and moist in flavor. I, too, could have had multiple Crab Crepes (was there a hint of curry that I tasted?). I am somewhat apologetic in saying that peppercorn and I don't mix, as I choked a little bit on the spicy kick it gave to the otherwise crisp and flaky shortcake, but the ice cream and fruits were great on their own. The other highlight was being the curio of the night, where other diners peeked over at us with the wonderfully-homemade name tags and such applause for Mark and Chef Haidar. Sebastian was ever-so-charming, especially in his fashionably rich, deep brown tie. I am hoping that we continue this type of gathering at other places, as I received a great education in meats and wine (I still can't tell Serrano from Prosciutto) and enjoyed great, warm fuzziness overall.

I only wish I had more time to go to many of the places recommended here, but it was so good to be back in Chi-town! These past few days I have enjoyed such beautiful, sunny, warm weather (despite the humidity, which is unusual for this time of year, btw). Apologies to jpschust, as I didn't get to make it to your recommended places. Hotel: I stayed at The James Hotel on 55 E. Ontario St. (Streeterville area). Very conveniently located to a TJs (right across the street!), and very zen modern. Didn't get to hit the noted J Bar (downstairs), which is supposed to be a trendy place to go. Thursday: Had a pre-arranged dinner with my meeting group at Brasserie Jo on 59 W. Hubbard St. I thought it was funny that it's next to an adult bookstore. The hors d'oeuvres were ok, but typical fare -- nothing spectacular. They had great, warm, soft baguettes, which was the highlight of my meal. Salad was pretty much pieces of lettuce. Attendees could choose between steak, skate wing, or vegetarian crepes for dinner, and I was amongst the lucky ones who chose skate, as 1) the steak looked dry (and tasted flavorless, from what I was told) and 2) the veggie crepes looked unappetizing (and were also a bit bland). The polenta served with the steak looked like firm tofu that you could throw and was left almost untouched by most people who ordered steak. Dessert was freshly made vanilla ice cream with chocolate mousse on the bottom. I thought the mousse was closer to pudding than mousse, unfortunately. I hate to be so negative, as I remember this place getting great reviews a few years ago. Perhaps it was just that night. Friday: Most of my time was spent in Hyde Park, as I was there for alumni weekend. Had a great cup of iced coffee at Istria Cafe, which serves Intelligensia Coffee. I didn't feel like there was an acidic or bitter aftertaste to this cup, which was a nice break from what I usually encounter. I love the location, since it's pretty neatly under the 57th Street Metra tracks. Must try its gelato next time, which my friend has told me that it's par with the gelato she's had in Italy. Also hit my fave haunt for Cinnamon Rolls at The Medici Bakery. Was very lucky to get a late reservation at Blackbird with 2 of my friends. I split a very tasty Suckling Pig appetizer with a friend, whom found out they sous vide the meat, as he was unlucky to get a sliver of the plastic covering used. We were able to enjoy extra dessert for that. My other friend enjoyed a refreshing Stinging Nettle soup as her appetizer. The entrees ordered were the: Grilled Wagyu Flatiron; Grilled California Sturgeon; and Slow-roasted Alaskan Halibut. The combinations of fruits & fish used were very interesting -- there was rhubarb paired with the sturgeon and grapes with the halibut. For dessert, we split the: Kalamata Olive Cake (which was fantastic!); Chocolate Pave (very rich and tasty, although I didn't like the caraway ice cream that accompanied it -- I'm not a fan of that flavor); and the complimentary Meyer Lemon Sorbet with honeyed-granola and pumpkin seeds (I can still taste that flavor!). Mmm. Service was wonderful there -- I haven't had so much fun chit-chatting and feeling so welcomed at a nice restaurant for a long time. The most interesting part of dinner was seeing Pres. candidate/Sen. Barack Obama coming out from the private dining room upstairs and cameramen rushing to take his photo/video footage. Somehow taking my one friend back to HP and driving back up to wait for the other friend to return a phone call put us past last call for the night. So, we only got to see the inside of NoMI, but not enjoy its view or second desserts/drinks. Ended up grabbing a beer at the 4am bar at the corner of State and Ontario (forgot the name), and then wandered into the Berry Chill for a post-beer snack. I've never been to a Yogurt bar, so it was kind of cool, new experience. I guess it's frozen yogurt without the extra sugar and has live cultures for the original, plain, yogurt taste. There are 2 additional flavors fo the day + the Original plain, and then it's priced depending on the flavor + number of toppings. I split an Original Small with side toppings of mochi and mango ($4) with my friend, and really enjoyed the chewiness and texture of the mochi. I would go back for the mochi topping. I miss the city already, but was happy to get my Chinatown fix on the way out, and have time to wander in the wonderful Chicago Architecture Foundation store. was sad to miss The Blues Festival, Ribfest, Printers' Row book sale & HP art festival this weekend. *sigh* Thanks for reading!