Jump to content

darkstar965

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    2,844

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    36

 Content Type 

Everything posted by darkstar965

  1. darkstar965
    Joel, This is an interesting question I have to confess I hadn't really considered before. Of course, as a coffee fan who travels and tries to imitate a sponge in terms of asking questions, trying many coffees and learning whatever I can, I can discern really good (great?) coffee without really articulating why or defending the view. Know it when I taste it, etc. But, as someone who has created topics and written posts here about my own differences between good and great coffee shops, had never considered that frame for the coffees themselves. So, my initial answer isn't as informed as yours but I'd define the difference for myself this way: Good: Basically, not bad. Or, more specifically not stale, burnt, weak or with off flavors. I usually think the coffee at better independent shops is good but most coffee in the US tastes bad to me so I tend to avoid it. Great: What you call "complexity" maybe? I tend to really love coffees where I can pick out a few different tastes/notes and characteristics that can change as the coffee cools in the cup. So, as example, I enjoy Ethiopian coffees when I can discern the floral and citrusy notes for which they're often known but, flavors beyond those or, maybe, what you call "layers" would move it into "great" territory. I never put milk or sweetener in coffee. If the coffee isn't at least "good" as defined above, I gladly order tea. Given you're a writer, as well as an experienced and passionate roaster, can you explain more what you mean by "layers" and "complexity" as applied to coffee? Is one more or less the same as "notes" that you and other roasters publish like "citrus," "caramel", "baking chocolate," "jasmine tea," "strawberry" and the like?
  2. darkstar965
    Opening day and Womens' NBA Hoops semis tonight so...BBQ! (with full admiration and respect for all Easter Celebrants, which we celebrated with brunch earlier). Finally and belatedly crossed a spot off of our "to try" list by ordering some 'Q for a smaller battalion from DCity. I was a little hesitant to do this given the higher stakes today and recently more-mixed reviews. In three words though, Glad. We. Did. We took home ribs, brisket, collards, beans and fried onion rings. Here's the rundown. Ribs. A savory dry rub applied generously to larger, spare ribs yielded nice flavor even without sauce. Good balance of fat to meat yet very meaty and thoroughly moist. Maybe a tad too much salt but really nitpicking to say that. Brisket. Like the ribs, thumbs up on flavor/smoke, marbling and moisture. Very nice. Someone upthread called the meats, or all dishes here, "adult bbq" and "aggressively seasoned". Definitely agree and thought fine with one exception explained below. Collards. Bit of a miss only due to the liberal application of red chile powder or flake. Still, the flavors apart from the spice were very good and tasted of slow braising. Pinto baked beans. OK but maybe too thin and, like the collards, chile powder? This tasted more like a meatless thin chili than a side of baked beans. Fried onion strings. Very good and easily recrisped at home with 20 minutes in the oven. For us, this seems one of the better BBQ spots in the District. Not to the level of Andrew Evans at Union Market nearby but very good. I like spice and heat in many cuisines but not so much in collards and baked beans sides. Still, the meats here were very nicely done. Staff all very nice. BBQ places are more challenged than most types of restaurants to ensure consistency but, that qualifier aside, not sure if you've been able to try Andrew Evans' Q at Union Market (aka "The BBQ Joint"), Daniel? If not, you should.
  3. darkstar965
    As a Nats fan, Don's reasonable question (reasonable because he isn't an avid fan) is one of the more tiresome questions repeatedly posed by lazy (imo) and thus uninformed local and national baseball media. With the Nats' season kicking off tomorrow, it's a freakin' godsend that it may lessen the tsunami of "stories" devoted largely to three topics and only three topics (Harper, $210 million dollar man Scherzer and the now "historic starting rotation"). There are so many other great stories that can be written about the team including the pen, the bench, the 2016 FAs, the 2B situation and others) but only a small cadre of writers tend to cover them. Out of respect to Don though, my answer to the "Why is it so easy to dislike Bryce Harper?" would be something like this. First, it's a presumptive and loaded question designed only to get a fast and easy audience. Most Nats fans quite like Harper simply because he has such a high ceiling, isn't a behavior problem and plays with his hair on fire much in the style of the young Pete Rose. Fans of the team know he's still very young, has yet to face a pitcher younger than he is, now in his fourth season, and he didn't attend college. As to why fans of other, and especially rival, teams may not like him, simply because he does speak his mind, is incredibly talented and isn't on their teams. Verducci is a seasoned journalist and knows all this. The article is beneath him imho.
  4. darkstar965
    Have you recently or ever had the black cod (aka sablefish) dish at Proof? Comparing that one to the PQ version led to one of my first "incidents" (:-)) on this site several years ago, quite awhile before Rasika West End and back when Mark Kuller (RIP) was such a great presence at Proof.
  5. darkstar965
    You gentlemen are simply both honest. Outside the upper Midwest (and certainly not in Vegas) no one predicted this. I was rooting for the Badgers but no way did I expect them to deliver. First championship game appearance since the year Pearl Harbor was bombed! A few--and I mean a very few--probably made a ton of money last night. But, gambling aside, it was just a fantastic game for all the right reasons. On paper, the Wildcats are clearly more talented. But, last night, Wisconsin was so the better team on both ends of the court. Dudes who look like Kaminsky aren't supposed to play like he did but, sheesh, he was so obviously the best player on the court....with all those McDonalds All-Americans. Wisconsin played together. They played their game. They were never intimidated. They clearly came to win and did. The Harrison twins made big news last year this time by "shocking the world" to return for their sophomore seasons under Calipari. One, I forget which, confidently said they "had unfinished business" after dropping last year's final to Connecticut. Well, here's an idea you'll never see happen: those same twins, and Towns, should come back for their Junior (and sophomore, respectively) sessions because there's really some unfinished business now. One more season beyond that and they could even earn degrees. But, not how the game works of course. I think last night was one of the three most exciting Final 4 games since 'nova over the Hoyas in '85. #OnWisconsin
  6. darkstar965
    Game for the ages. ABK. Badgers. Done. Way better than whatever happens Monday. Wildcats look shellshocked
  7. darkstar965
    Not sure they'll hold on but Wisconsin, up 8 early in the 2H and ahead most of the game so far, is making this The Game of this tourney. Kentucky is more on the ropes than they've been all year. Wow. And, to think, a kid of Polish descent is the difference maker so far.
  8. darkstar965
    Compromise choice for four of us tonight. By compromise, I mean they had the NCAA Semis on multiple screens and, maybe, just maybe, better food than typical bars? Know some of my fellow posters upthread thought it "typical bar food." We also had a "mixed" experience but maybe better than typical bar food imo. Sausages were fine and cooked properly with good flavor. Likewise the cheeseburger. Fries looked excellent (brown even with ax slight bit of char) and decently seasoned but limp; really no trace of crispness. A starting order of BBQ wings also just okay with the salt dueling some with the sauce. Brussel sprouts are ubiquitous, even moreso than shishito peppers, but the ones here tonight were executed properly as do many places don't do. Plenty of lemon and parm and...nicelt charred. The deconstructed lemon meringue with raspberry sorbet was just ok. Nice beer list. Our home brewing friends were pleased. Service was also mixed. On one hand, consistently friendly but, on the other, not always around and very uncoordinated with each other. On one hand, totally forgot an app and, even once reminded, couldn't get it out within 15-20 min (well past the mains dropping). On the other hand, because we canceled it, they not only took that off the bill but also comp'ed a dessert. On one hand, waters were kept full. On the other, an iced tea wasn't. I remember enjoying this a bit more last time I was here, maybe ten months ago. Isn't Marjorie Meek-Bradley nominally over this in terms of being the named chef and menu designer (though obviously cooking at Ripple)?
  9. darkstar965
    That sounds really good! The challenge, culinarily and otherwise, is that Easter dinner is also the Final Four Semifinals dinner. :-)
  10. darkstar965

    Architecture

    darkstar965 replied to DonRocks's topic in Art

    I was really fortunate to have lived in Barcelona for awhile. To say it's an incredibly fabulous city understates the case for me. The Sagrada Familia is jarring and astounding when you first see it. It's surely incredibly unique and the story of it's never-ending construction is one of the world's most incredible construction tales. It's very easy to "lose" an entire day (or three) there once you visit; and then feel foolish for having only planned an hour or two. "Perfect" is an interesting modifier. The Pyramids? Stonehenge? To me, many things about the SF are imperfect and just add to it's legend and allure. Conveniently, Antoni Gaudi's must-see worksites are all around the city with very interesting, colorful, and ornate examples like Parc Guell and Placa Real. Of course, the oft-heard claim that Gaudi is responsible for our usage of the word "gaudy" today is one of the better bits of urban myth. Seeing his work in person supports that mistaken assumption. I used to hear some tour guides telling tourists that. Oh, and I love Ken Burns too. His range is fantastic. Recommending "The Brooklyn Bridge" and his multi-"inning" series of films on the history of baseball (also absolutely fabulous) really drive that point home. IMHO, he is the best American documentary filmmaker working today. He has done many films for PBS, btw. "Ken Burns Films" on pbs.org And, his daughter did a good job with "Central Park Five," an important story, as she finished up at Brown and then collaborated with her father to get the film made.
  11. darkstar965
    Joel, Another sourcing question (with some different parts) building on the great terroir exchange above. This one is more tactical and please feel free to punt if this one is too direct or difficult to really address. As much as you're comfortable doing, can you pull back the curtain some on how smaller independents like yourself actually forge relationships with overseas farmers to procure great beans? I've come across many, higher-quality independents around the US who promote their personal relationships with coffee producers in Latin America especially, or Africa and Asia occasionally. This has always made me wonder about a few things having to do with coffee supply chains. - How does a new but serious independent first identify preferred sources? Word of mouth? Trade press? Google? How did you do it and now, six years later, do you buy your beans from a small number of producers or a much greater mix of them? - What role should and do wholesale distributors play? Will a more serious purveyor here in the US, in your view, buy direct from individual farmers ("direct trade") or is that infeasible or cost prohibitive so distributors are more the norm? And, with thousands of independent shops now in the US and other developed economies, isn't it just unreaiistic for the huge majority to descend upon the more prized regions and farms to "build relationships" or for photo ops? - How high is your confidence in supply chain integrity? By this, I mean to ask how much coffee purveyors can fall victim to misrepresentations or other questionable practices overseas that can be so tough to verify even for much bigger businesses in many unrelated industries? I think many, many Americans who are increasingly alert to issues surrounding foods like farmed or endangered fish, hormone-ridden beef or pesticide-laden produce are absolutely in the dark about where their Dunkin', gas station, Maxwell House, or even Starbucks coffee really comes from and with what impact. - What are your thoughts on the seemingly-admirable but now-controversial concept of "Fair Trade Coffee?" Counter-Culture famously left Fair Trade USA some years ago as detailed at length here by a Stanford researcher. If not Fair Trade USA, then how do you and others who care about doing the right thing ensure that you are? BTW, as Don wrote in his question about terroir, please feel free to address this in stages as I know I've opened a Pandora's box with several related issues here. Thank you, Joel.
  12. darkstar965
    Not sure a specific move merits its own topic or if Kareem already has one but the skyhook was more than cool. It was historic and seismic in basketball terms. An NBA video of Abdul-Jabbar using it to become the all-time scoring leader, breaking Chamberlain's record along with some wonderfully unselfish and humble commentary he offered after breaking it. And, a great ESPN writeup putting it into the right historical context by J.A. Adande who calls it "the deadliest shot the NBA has ever seen." He may well be right about that.
  13. darkstar965
    Oh, Starbucks "gets it," Don. They absolutely get it. They get profit and how to maximize it. And they even know the difference between mass-market coffee and more carefully sourced and handled beans. What Starbucks does these days is all very purposeful. Just different goals entirely from smaller independents.
  14. darkstar965
    Jordan's point is a great one. Clearly Wilt the Stilt was much, much more durable but the scenario given is an All-Time All-Star Team so point in time. I think I'd agree. For that team, for one game, at his prime, Hakeem was more versatile than Wilt or Kareem. Though the skyhook was a pretty cool invention too.
  15. darkstar965
    I'll be interested to get Joel's take on the terroir questions but just wanted to share a thought on the temperature and wine thoughts excerpted above. Not sure if Joel will agree with me here but:1. I think temperature very important for exactly the reasons about which you (Don) speculate. Even to the point of that importance being similar with coffee and wine. 2. Coffee is served with care and treated properly (temperature and many other factors) by the best independent shops. In addition to Qualia, you might try some joe at places like Slipstream, Mockingbird Hill and even Filter. Watch how they brew your coffee. Ask them about temperature. I'd imagine the beliefs there would be consistent with how Joel might see things but we'll see.
  16. darkstar965
    You know? I agree the Thip Khao review is very well written. And that Kliman is an excellent writer. And, I love that the Thip Khao review espouses a strong point of view, Washingtonian or not. But, sometimes I don't get TK. Joel from Qualia is generously doing a chat with us currently and just posted a link to a recent TK article on coffee which I had read and though absolutely batty. Why would a critic dismiss an entire industry sector, seemingly with deep and broad ignorance? Maybe to get clicks given the predictable outrage in the comments?
  17. darkstar965
    Might be apples and oranges but I get out to Four Sisters maybe once every 6-8 weeks for lunch. They've always offered it and usually have a decent crowd. Have no idea what the actual financial success or failure of the midday time is for them but has endured so that's something. Lower price point? Visible from the traffic-light-festooned expressway? More established so bigger following? Something else? Can literally walk from Four Sisters to Gypsy Soul in about 2-3 minutes.
  18. darkstar965
    That was an amazing 'mismatch' given the "victim" was the league MVP. Olajuwon, Drexler and Co continued the trend in the Finals, rolling the Shaq-led Magic in 4 straight for the sweep. Somehow, Robinson and the Spurs had, at least, gotten the conference series to a 6th game.
  19. darkstar965
    And, at Don's suggestion, I'll just start this off with a first question. Please feel free to post at will with your own and Joel will address them all as he checks in. Joel, Can you unpack these core beliefs of single-origin sourcing and freshness that are so foundational to your philosophy? On single-origin coffees, anyone who has been to Qualia Coffee knows you always have 7-10 coffees available from which to choose. They come from all over the world; Africa, Latin America, SE Asia, all the equatorial-coffee growing areas. Why is "single-origin" so important to you and how do you go about even deciding on regions, countries and farms from which to buy your beans? And, on freshness. in addition to first naming your business "Fresh Off the Roast," I know your beans in the shop are always just a few days off the roast. This is very different from what most shops and wholesale roasters do. Why so important and how do you handle beans not sold once past your own "sell by" dates? Thanks again, Joel. Really cool to have you doing this with us. darkstar965
  20. darkstar965
    Thanks, Don! Both for suggesting this chat and for my honor to serve as humble moderator, which I'll interpret to mean 'staying out of the way as much as possible.' As we kick this off, I'd really like to thank Joel for agreeing to share some time and thoughts with us over the next week. I'm pretty sure this will be the first ever donrockwell.com chat with a coffee professional so very exciting for that reason"¦and several others, as I'll explain here. Joel Finklestein is, most notably, the owner and head roaster of Qualia Coffee, located on Georgia Ave NW in Petworth. Qualia produces and serves some truly wonderful joe and is surely in the conversation for best roaster/retailer in the area. Joel grew up here in DC. He attended the Maret School in NW before heading off to college at Washington University in St. Louis, where he had a double major in physics and English, with a math minor. Those study foci are key to understanding his later approach to coffee. A rare food/bev entrepreneur who can write! And, one who brings real analysis to the sourcing, and craft of roasting, great coffee beans. After spending around a decade in journalism (covering healthcare and health policy for a number of different organizations around town), Joel first began tinkering with coffee roasting at home as many do: with a popcorn popper! He then moved on to the "dog bowl" method (heat gun--feel free to ask; I hadn't heard of that before either) before feeling frustrated that he just couldn't get the flavor profiles he thought possible with those methods. Having the math and physics background, Joel then built his first roaster from...a BBQ Grill...and began selling beans at local farmers' markets. It was during this time that he finally realized why so much coffee, even roasted locally, just wasn't that good: single-origin sourcing and freshness weren't really others' priorities. So, Joel first named his farmers market business "Fresh Off the Roast." Later convinced he had to let people somehow taste the coffee at the point of sale (versus just selling beans), he became the first in DC to fresh-brew coffee to order at a farmers market. Thus the idea for Qualia first germinated. Petworth was and is Joel's neighborhood and, when the for-rent sign went up on the space in which Qualia Coffee now sits, he signed on and was able to get open unusually quickly and cost-effectively. On May 1st, Qualia will celebrate it's 6-year anniversary! In Joel, we have a local entrepreneur who has very deep expertise in sourcing coffee, coffee roasting and everything to do with running a local coffee business. Beyond that, he can also speak to local business more generally, trends in coffee, and running an independent coffee house. Joel is also a bit of a local media personality, having been a regular on NPR's Kojo Nnamdi show, in WaPo, City Paper and others. Toward the end of our week together, Joel will even be chatting with us from the 27th Annual Expo put on by the Specialty Coffee Association of America in Seattle. It may be a day or so before Joel joins us but please feel free to begin asking questions now.
  21. darkstar965
    It's on 17th NW just above P on the east side by Sushi Taro and Komi. More info here.
  22. darkstar965
    Can answer my own question now having been twice since the above. Answer: different but pretty damn well. Torn between a special and going basic, we did both and shared a duck pastrami and the chick chick. Both excellent. The chicken in the chick chick had the two attributes so many renditions of fried chicken lack. The breaking was lighter, crispy but didn't overwhelm the chicken and crumble all over the bloomin' place when crunched! And, seasoning! The dang thing had real flavor even before the other great ingredients made the sandwich special. Oh, and we shared a large burgundy spice donut, only finishing half of it between us. Very good. I'm honestly not sure because I think there are a couple of contenders I haven't yet tried. That qualifier out, this and Duke's are my two best sandwich spots in the area (yep, above Earls). Maybe that's crazy talk?
  23. darkstar965
    Sheesh. Hadn't heard of this before either but, between the very sad posts from last year and the most recent yesterday about the hospitalization, it sounds like she may have been (is?) recovering? The express article mentioned how she had to cancel on the 2010 Vancouver Olympics but then appeared for her 70th and released a new box set two years ago? Hope she'll be okay. Really a key part of the bedrock of modern American music. So reflective, thoughtful, calming yet, when appropriate for the moment or song, even delightfully combative and energized.
  24. darkstar965
    Agreed. The biscuit concept is one I'll try...at least once. Wish the team would realize the benefits of bringing local vendors in (like they did, partly successfully, with Isabella and Ben's) more. I'm not sure "Virginia Biscuit Company" is a real business apart from a Levy creation for Nats Park? It may be but the biscuit guys at Union Market would have been a dynamite choice, however unrealistic. Oh well, always ways to work around mediocre, overpriced food but, more importantly, will the team work around the injuries and get more timely hitting this season? They have the horses to do it so let's hope so! Here's a fuller description from WaPo on the new food options: "Nationals To Offer A Virginia-Themed Food Stand This Season" by Kelyn Soong on washingtonpost.com
  25. darkstar965
    It is very cool, and indicative of how much this city has come into it's own, how innovative restaurant concepts are increasingly being Started here versus just the 5th or 8th city for those started elsewhere.
×
×
  • Create New...