Lydia R

From today's Wall Street Journal: Eric Ripert's favorite airport eats.

The place I eat in Washington, D.C., in Reagan National Airport, has one disadvantage: It's before security. Still, I like to stop for a quick bite at Matsutake Sushi. You would normally worry about eating raw fish in an airport, but these guys do it well—and make it in front of you.

In his article, Chef Ripert goes through his airport food choices in LGA, JFK, MIA, ORD, LAX, DEN, LHR, SIN, and HKG.

On 12/2/2010 at 10:15 PM, 'ol_ironstomach said:

It won't be another Volt exactly, but the Frederick News-Post reports today that Bryan Voltaggio is working on opening a second, more casual concept in downtown Frederick, location and timeframe TBD. According to the article, part of his inspiration is to expand professional growth opportunities for his staff.

Lunchbox is now open daily for lunch (11:30am to 6:30pm) and is a really sweet place. Their website mentions that they are adjacent to the public library, but actually the entry is off the Carroll Creek Promenade's walkway reached from between the side of the Library and their building. [We initially walked into the library and ultimately got directions from staff. "Where's Lunchbox?" is currently their #1 FAQ] The restaurant backs up to the Carroll Creek Deck [44 East Patrick Street], but is only entered through the door facing the Creek.

Lunchbox has windows on three sides that bring in abundant sunlight. Tables included 2 and 4-tops as well as a picnic table with benches. Seating was tight when we arrived, but a table opened up before our food was ready. In articles about the planning for this site, Chef noted that he wanted to have a mom & kid-friendly place. It has a super large washroom including a "real" changing table stocked with ample clean diapers and wipes. On the down-side, I'm not sure how strollers would navigate the elevator-less garage and stairs-only access to their front door.

Lunchbox's menu is separated into pressed sandwiches, soup, salads and cookies. Lunch today, split with my +1, was a wedge salad [good amount of blue cheese, but the lettuce was shredded instead of wedged], butternut squash soup [spicy with glowing turmeric] and a pilgrim sandwich [very moist, warm & meaty inside and crispy outside - thanks to their Electrolux Pannini Press w/built-in microwave] .

There's good post-meal strolling and shopping (antiques, furnishings and vintage women's clothes) on Patrick Avenue.

More detail from Adrienne Lawrence and Bethany E. Starin's article in the Town Courier [there aren't as many food options on their current menu].

What's next? According to Washingtonian: a diner located in a former car dealership, Range (a meat-centric place in Chevy Chase), and North Market Kitchen in Frederick. Sadly, in January, they will cease weekday lunch service at VOLT.

Stopped in here for lunch on Saturday after fighting holiday traffic on Rockville Pike

I've greatly enjoyed their pies and agree that they've solved the saltiness of their crust.

I initially had difficulty picturing a white pizza with brussel sprouts among the toppings, but now dream about the Moto's individual, previously blanched, sprout petals upturned with their delicate edges charred by the oven.

Will happily bypass the debacle across the street and head here next time we are in the neighborhood.

Pizza CS is definitely an improvement over last year's experience.

Nice pic! First Bite in today's WaPo.

And Fishnet made Washingtonian's Top 10 Restaurant Openings of 2011

we will be in this week

Please note the updated vacation departure date. Last service on Wednesday, December 21st.

@Eat_Fishnet

Ferhat Yalcin

UPDATE!!! our closing date is changed to 12-22-11 Thursday. Last day of eating fish is 12-21-11 Wednesday. Opening...fb.me/Jzo8r79j

15 Dec via Facebook

It was good timing that Tim Carman's update about Chef Rock was posted yesterday. Good to see he's jumping in with both feet.

Rahman “Rock” Harper was abruptly thrust onto the spotlight in 2007 when he

survived the heat of “Hell’s Kitchen” — and the snarling Scottish terrier who runs the place — and won Season 3 of the reality-show sweatshop. For his efforts, Harper was awarded a one-year deal to run a resort restaurant just outside of Las Vegas.

It didn’t quite work out the way Harper expected, nor did the next two gigs after that Sin City fizzle, but the chef believes he’s found the perfect job for him for the time being: director of kitchen operations for

D.C. Central Kitchen, the non-profit that feeds, educates and strives to save thousands from chronic homelessness, poverty and crime.

“I love challenges, and I love doing things that are sort of not necessarily the normal things, or not what everybody else is doing,” says Harper, a 34-year-old Alexandria native who had to step down from the DCCK board to take the new job. (Incidentally, long-time DCCK employee Marianne Ali used to hold down the kitchen, among other responsibilities, but she’s now focused exclusively the

Culinary Job Training Program and outreach.)

“I love the kitchen and what they’ve done over the past 21, 22 years,” continues Harper. “And for me to be able to see where I can take it, to build on what’s already been done, to me is truly exciting. It’s a unique opportunity for me to take this thing to another level, which what is that? It’s not a restaurant level. It’s not going to end up on the front of some foodie magazines.”

“He’s only been in charge for a couple weeks, but I’m already seeing exactly what I was hoping for,” notes Michael Curtin, CEO of DCCK. “We are always looking for creative ways to be more efficient and more effective. Sometimes a new pair of eyes goes a long way. There is ‘thinking out of the box’ on one hand, but the box we have, this kitchen, is the box we have. What I am asking Rock to do is help us build a better box."

<snip>

Harper will be the first to tell you that he’s a restaurant guy at heart. He says he likes “people coming in the doors and serving them and seeing them smile on the way out. That’s who I am.” But he believes he can find satisfaction in the new job by, perhaps, serving restaurants in another way — by selling them stocks, sauces and other items produced at DCCK’s kitchen.

It’s a plan that Curtin has been cooking up.

DCCK “could be a source for a consistent stock or diced vegetables for different restaurants or food service operators around the city or close to us,” Harper says.

The idea has its roots in a problem that bothers Curtin: DCCK occasionally has to order vegetables when local farms are still disposing of hundreds of pounds of unused veggies. “So maybe in the summer, if we want mixed vegetables, why can’t we take 800 pounds, 1,000 pounds of green beans, 800 pounds of carrots and dice ’em up ourselves? Shuck the corn ourselves? Shuck the peas and make our own bags of vegetables? We should never buy them,” Harper says.

That application could then be expanded to cater to restaurants, the DCCK team believes.

“Tomatoes, we can get them by the ton, so we should be making our own tomato sauce and stockpiling it over the winter,” Harper says. “What opportunities that leads to in the future, who knows? That’s part of [Curtin’s] vision, and I strongly believe that I can do that in a very short amount of time.”

Mr. Carman's post included a photo of Chef Rock by Paul Day:

Hopefully Mr. Sietsema's mention in last Sunday's WaPo Magazine will drive more business their way.

When the recession forced Sergio Espana out of the construction business two years ago, he figured it was time to fill what he saw as a gap in the market and start serving the kind of tacos he enjoyed when he lived in Los Angeles. It took Espana longer than he thought, but Tortacos finally opened in a little shopping strip about a year ago. Its palette is cheerful in tangerine and lime; a tidy open kitchen lets diners in on the action of a hot grill. Tongue, steak, chicken and pork (sweet from its pineapple marinade) are served on two-ply corn tortillas that can be accessorized with a bonanza of fresh toppings from the help-yourself condiment cart. A combination of three tacos, plus house-made chips and a soda, goes for $7.50. Tortacos is a hybrid shop; there are tortas, or sandwiches, on the menu, too.

Definitely need to get there for some sunny, L.A. vibe instead of DC's dreary, wet weather.

" I don't think it makes sense to dine there while R.J. Cooper is away, do you?" - Tom Sietsema

Luckily our dear Post.com (which increasingly appears to be run by elderly Amazonian tribespeople who have never before seen a computer) cleverly broke all links to this chat for most of the morning so no one could see this silly recommendation.

TS responded to a chatter's request for the WaPo Ombudsman's contact information to air similar frustration with their website. Patrick B. Pexton's email

The Ombudsman might evaluate TS's off-handed wave-off of this fledgling restaurant. By comparison, Tim Carman's blog post was balanced and informative. Change is possible. [His chat reaches more diners than would robocalls to suppress turnout]

To Jeno Paulucci who started Chun King canned Chinese food and Jeno's pizza rolls. He sold Chun King in 1966 and Jeno's in 1985. NYTimes article: here

From Stephen Miller's Wall Street Journal article:

In his manufacturing operations, Mr. Paulucci had a reputation for hiring handicapped workers as well as those with addictions and criminal records. He was an outspoken supporter of labor unions and bought ads in newspapers advocating a rise in the national minimum wage.

I have fond memories of my first regular experience with "home-cooked" Chinese food [opening the stacked cans of entree and a can of crispy chow mein noodles while the rice simmered] - oh, so exotic.

A year later, they're still moving forward. Their enomatic is half-price during Happy Hour [Monday - Thursday 5p-7p] and it encourages tasting new wines and different styles. Their beer prices are now more competitive, but they've kept the wide selection.

In the best heart-warming story of the Thanksgiving Holiday, their Marine son returned from Afghanistan to surprise them during a parade. From Robert Samuels' Washington Post article:

Of those assembled, Pinky and Pepe were the only ones who didn’t know their eldest son was supposed to come home at 8:40 Saturday night. For seven months, Matthew Rodgers, a 20-year-old lance corporal in the Marines, served in Sangin, Afghanistan, helping troops avoid roadside bombs in an area that has been particularly dangerous. It was the longest he had ever been away from his Gaithersburg home, where his 17-year-old sister, Tori, helps run Pinky & Pepe’s Grape Escape. He told Tori he wanted to surprise them.

It was supposed to be a small, family prank. But Tori kicked it up a notch.

She and best friend Rachel Lipman organized a parade. It was a chance for Tori to show just a smidgen of her devotion.

New developments in Brooklyn:

A years long landlord dispute has forced Grimaldi's to move up the block and leave its oven behind. The stunning news is that this location will house the return, from retirement, of Patsy Grimaldi. He plans to name the space after his mother Juliana.

Adam Kuban's summary article here and Rich Calder's NY Post exclusive here - graphic from his NY Post article:

The pizza-slinger switcheroo came about after landlord Mark Waxman decided not to renew Ciolli’s lease for 19 Old Fulton St. The move came a year after Waxman tried to evict Ciolli for being delinquent in rent.

“A year after I sold Grimaldi’s, I was very sorry,” Grimaldi told The Post. “So when Mr. Waxman called me and asked if I wanted to come back, I thought I was dreaming. I couldn’t say ‘yes’ fast enough.”

Grimaldi, who plans to open in March, said he’s spent the past 13 years traveling with Carol, his wife of 40 years.

But pizza is in his blood so he decide to stage a comeback.

Carol Grimaldi said that while the place will get a makeover, the menu would still focus on pizzas made with “only the best ingredients” — like her homemade mozzarella — and include other items like soups, calzones and desserts.

Patsy plans to be at the restaurant daily, greeting customers and making pies.

Any other Chinatown recs? Heading to NYC in a couple of weeks and want to explore more of Lower Manhattan - maybe, weather permitting, walking across the bridge for Grimaldi pizza and exploring DUMBO.

Got amateur night dinner reservations at Tribeca Grill and Bolo (Flay's Spanish restaurant). Usually have Upper East/West Side centered visits so please help me make smart choices (BF awarded bonus points for August RW dinner at Cordouroy). Babbo/Lupia/Otto are booked (any walk-in tactics?).

Well....you're right. In name Totonno's now has three more outposts but it is only the original on Neptune Avenue in Coney Island that they promote as the "oldest continuously operating family owned pizzaria in the United States." It has a coal oven-I would be shocked if any of the other three which advertise "brick ovens" use coal. While I could be wrong I believe there has not been a coal oven approved for use anywhere in the United States in decades. It's the Neptune Avenue location that is the one to go to. I would argue that with an oven with 82 years of "seasoning" along with coal burning IN the oven with the pie that pizza there tastes different (crust) than at the other three. I would also make the same argument for Grimaldi's in Brooklyn and their two outposts in Hoboken and Phoenix. I first tasted Totonno's in the early 1960's; my guess is that it still tastes identical. (There is also a "bread" oven several doors down the street from Totonno's identical to the "pizza" oven that Pepe's has on Wooster street in New Haven.) This is really a whole separate thread since there are many who believe that the original Patsy's in Harlem is better than even the separately owned Brooklyn location.

www.totonnos.com

More pizza notes:

Lombardi's (32 Spring St., Nolita, Manhattan): resurrection of the oldest known pizzeria in the US. They do a brisk tourist trade at Lombardi's every night of the week, so the pies really get cranked out. Still, the crust is good, if not baked to the same darkness that the smaller shops manage. The winner here is the abundant tomato sauce - bright red, rich and deep with the flavor of San Marzano tomatoes.

(Patsy) Grimaldi's (DUMBO, Brooklyn): although opened in 1990, the space looks like it's been around a lot longer. Despite being stretched amazingly thin, the crust still puffs up a tad much in the coal-fired oven giving it a slighty breadyness, but the flavor is terrific, and it's one of the few crusts that tastes perfectly salted to me. Nice color and blister development too. Good but undistinguished sauce and cheese are perked up appreciably by very fresh basil.

I ate at Per Se in late september and the prix fixe was 210 (including tax & tip) but there are often supplements (30 for foie, 75 for steak etc) so its definitely possible to spend 250 or more on food. I think it was absolutely worth the money, easily the best restaurant I've eaten in. The only one that was offerred the night we went was the foie, which I thought was worth it. The wine service was wonderful and fairly priced I think.

On the Pizza front I think Grimaldi's is on the lower end of the famous brooklyn pizza parlours, far behind Totinno's & DiFara in my opinion. DiFara is by far my favorite, but it can take an inordinate amount of time to eat there. All the pizza is made by Don Demarco, and I've waited upwards of 90 mins for a pie. Its right off the subway (1 block from the Avenue J station on the Q) but it takes @ 3hrs to ride the train, wait, eat, ride back from my place in Brooklyn Heights (right by Grimaldi's). Totinno's is farther away but takes less time. Another place worth mentioning is Franny's, which is right of the 2,3. This isn't one of the old time Brooklyn parlours, more like 2'amys in approach. The pizza is very very good though, as are the gellato & the appetizers Ive had.

1- Although I still go to Vanessa's on Eldridge St, the dumplings are no longer consistant, with thicker, doughier shells at times. Many of the other places written up on CH as "the best" are also thickly wrapped. Maybe Weinoo knows of something there or on the LES, since he was writing about a dumpling walk on his blog not long ago. However, if it's not just dumplings you're after but street food, I'd recommend the carts dotting Grand St from Eldridge to the heart of C'town. Everything from tripe to rice noodles stuffed with various "things". Vanessa's has decent mystery meat sandwiches as well.

2- I love Arturo's... a piece of old NY. The pizza is still quite good and the place is the opposite of yuppie. Salads are ok there but dont expect much from the other dishes... overcooked (but edible) old school red sauce pastas and "find the chicken inside the breading" parmagiana. Worth going to. STAY AWAY FROM GRIMALDI'S (the place in Bklyn under the bridge). Tourist trap, greasy and a line out the door. Motorino in the East Village and Keste in the West Village are hot spots.

If you're looking for something this Sunday (12/13) afternoon in NYC, folks from another food board (Mouthfulsfood.com) are getting together at a "bar with bar food" place in the East Village (Jimmy's, E.7th betw. 2nd-3rd Ave) starting at 4pm or so. Consider this an invite. After the welcome I got at the DR picnic and at Dino's a couple of months ago, it's my turn. Verrry informal and mediocre food. Good bar.

eta: nothing like going back over a thread and noticing that you not only have been to Arturo's, but I've already said that I like it. And mentioned Motorino and Keste. Okay then.

I would try Franny's and avoid Grimaldi's

Depending on the weather, a hike across the Brooklyn Bridge and then pizza at Grimaldi's (which -- fair warning -- I am informed may be in decline) literally under the bridge can be an excellent way to stretch legs and eat well.

We had a fine dinner at Lupa on a previous visit, and it seems a very kid-friendly spot.

I thought the Chelsea Market was a bit of a letdown, but YMMV. A walk on the High Line is always a good idea.

Over on the east side, one of the old coal-oven warhorses, Patsy's. 2287 1st Ave (between 117th St & 118th St). One of the few places you can get coal-oven pizza by the slice.

I thought the only 3 coal burning pizza shops close to here was in New York City at Grimaldi's (under the Brooklyn Bridge) and Lombardi's, because they were grandfathered in when they stop coal ovens. I could be mistaken though..

Adam Kuban has been keeping a nationwide map of coal-oven pizzerias.

Larger format map here

Information about Grimaldi's impending move and Patsy Grimaldi's return to the location with Juliana's [named for his mother] here.

This summer I got to the Coalfire Pizza in Chicago - excellent. NB: not affiliated with the Maryland-based chain in any way.

So, coal fired pizza was born. Delicious, but unhealthy.

I bow to your pizza knowledge. What is unhealthy about coal fired versus wood fired pizza?

Before it completely slips into the cloud, here is Mssr Freedom du Lac's September 2011 informative article profiling Ted Carter and detailing the origin of Vicino's Monday night jazz performance area.

Here are thumbnails of photos by: Evelio Contreras/THE WASHINGTON POST

With this, my post count is triple nickle.

I love the idea of a map. Didn't a former DR member have a blog with a feature like this? Eric - the home brewer/photographer. Right? It has been a few years...

Yes, "Eric Eats Lunch" was a great blog. I don't think he's kept it up since moving West.

I've greatly enjoyed the Chicago-based LTHForum.com Google Map and their "Great Neigborhood Restaurants" awardee list [it used to be a printable wallet card, but now its spare info list is mobile friendly].

What happens in baseball parks during the off-season?

On Tuesday, October 18th from 6p - 10p the Volt brothers will be previewing/signing their new cookbook [release date 10/25] VOLTink, concession food will be their take on ballpark food, beverages by Flying Dog and Brewers Alley, kickball, and music too. deets here

To Joe Barber. He was one of DC's accessible, local film critics.

He was on WTOP radio, Around Town on WETA, and, along with Bill Henry, a mainstay at screenings.

Photo from City Paper article

I'll find a good DVD, popcorn and a glass for you.

The website could be more user friendly. Pizza peels, oven tools and accessories can be found here. Good Luck.

Thanks you DCS. You've made my afternoon.

The free pdfs are little cookbooks to be read and savored.

A Bols Genever Martini in the Cote d'Or. Thank you Jake for the education!

Sadly, Illinois state law prohibits my favorite fizz.

Alas, only 11 wineries have applied for the ridiculous 200 dollar permit. But I'll celebrate with a case of Pride or something.

More than 150 wineries have now applied and about 78 of them are through the process!

So, who are they? Go to Maryland Tax system website's Permit Database

On the search page's query fields select:

> Permit Type drop down menu: DW – Direct Wine Shippers

at the bottom of the same screen

> Permit Status: Active

> Page Size – Drop down number >100 results per page.

> Hit the SEARCH button and give thanks.

In the results page, click on the blue permit number for winery contact information.

Next wish: that the STATE drop-down menu will allow selection of any individual state. Currently, list only includes the Mid-Atlantic region's states and isn't a lot of help for California or Washington state travel planning.

When in a west coast tasting room, I'd just like to answer the question "where are you from" without being met with a facial expression that says "you poor dear, it must be so difficult living in a cultural backwater."

We then ordered a couple of pizzas which are coal oven fired. The crust was also not bad- a little crisp and chewy. It was a surprisingly a pretty good late night meal, and unlike Pazo, it's neighbor, there is no dress code.

I'm hoping they play Bullets Over Broadway next time.

Got there Sunday after a great Orioles game. Sure, I'm just a fool for coal-fired pizza.

While their website is still under construction, their Facebook page is updated with the menu.

It helps to preview the menu before arriving because the multiple-sizes of paper and varied fonts are just too much to take in when being hit by the retro-Bronx decor and out-of-place synth-pop soundtrack. Similarly, the initial contact with our waiter and busman were jarring. Thankfully, after a food runner plunked my app down on top the menu I was reading, the service settled into a reasonable groove.

The pizza is a work in progress. Our Margherita's toppings were fresh and in the neopolitan proportions. The crust was tasteless and flat, but slighly crisp with a small amount of char. My +1 had a clear view of the pizza station and was saddened to see the senior pizzaiolo standby as a junior staffer tossed our crust. He went through the motions like someone mimicing a training video without stretching out the dough.

I'll head back to Cinghiale next time, but with some maturing Chazz may be worth another Sunday try.

Thanks again Zora! I've wondered about pickling since your posts detailing your own pickling prowess.

Mrs. Wheelbarrow gave a practical and entertaining class. She made quick countertop pickle of red onion, a water bath Dilly Bean pickle and passed samples. There was also a taste of a pickle from Grandma Wheelbarrow's South Carolina housekeeper's recipe: Luvey's Sweet Pickle Chips. I'm invested now, if only to make Luvey's not-too-sweet pickles. The Dilly green beans were intially introduced as an excellent Bloody Mary garnish, but was also later described as a good side with charcuterie

The Bronx is a kind of a big place. I do not know where you will be

Thanks for the links!

I'll be near the Tremont subway station.

its been awhile since I've done the midtown (or anything out of the Bronx for that matter) thing.

Work is sending me to the Bronx in early August. Any recommendations [especially for breakfast & lunch] would be appreciated.

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[The following post have been split off into separate threads:

Trattoria Zero Otto Nove (weinoo)]

I was driving by a week or so ago, and ended up stopped on the Pike in front of ex-Ba Le. The signs said they were remodeling and reopening in July. Or maybe it was August.

Today the sign said: Pho Nom Nom coming soon