Genevieve

Oh, good to know. Thank you! I should get the full portion, and a little of whatever my husband gets for an app. Saving room for the bomboloni!

We ate there Tuesday night so I could have the lobster special. Delicious, sweet, tender little lobster. I appreciated that they had cracked the tail and claws (tendonitis makes it hard for me to do it). We shared the fritto misto to start with -- the calamari was good but the shrimp was the star, plump and juicy and bigger than I expected, with only a light coating of crisp batter. I was sorry there were only three of them (but husband and son weren't since they were just having the calamari). There was supposed to be fish in the dish and that was missing, but we didn't bring it to anyone's attention because my husband realized that since he'd ordered fish and chips, it was silly to have an app with fried fish in it. We were just as happy to have more calamari. My son enjoyed his sliders very much, and my husband liked the fish and chips -- I had a few of the chips and they were tasty and lightly browned, with bits of skin (as I prefer), not overly greasy.

For dessert, they had apple pie, made by the owner - I didn't order it as it's about the only kind of pie I'm not particularly fond of, and I asked the waiter if they ever had other kinds - he said to name it, the owner might make it sometime. I said cherry and especially peach. Meanwhile, my son devoured the large serving of chocolate bread pudding -- my husband said we might take some home, and he said "No, dad, I got this." My husband got the cheesecake with strawberries, and I planned to take a bite or two for the sweet finish, though I'm not usually a fan of cheesecake. Well, I ate about half of it -- it was super-light and silky and not at all like the overly dense cheesecakes I've usually had. Yum.

You really need to visit the Java Shack. Small shop. Independent owner. Good coffee. Friendly staff. Green practices. Strong community involvement. What's not to love? I drive past a Starbucks at 1/2 the distance at least 5 or 6 times a week to get to this place. It is exactly the type of business I like to support.

I'm so glad you started a thread for Java Shack! We love, love, love them. We've been in the neighborhood almost exactly as long as they have, and they have been amazing neighbors and members of the community. The coffee is excellent, the muffins are very tasty (and they have various other goodies, including some gluten-free things recently - but we usually go for the muffins), the staff are friendly and accommodating. My son pops over there for a muffin just about every week, and when he gets something different, they notice. They donate their time and coffee to various community events (for the nearby school and for a yearly event benefiting a fund for Children's Hospital, for bike races, and many more things). They do a float in the Clarendon Mardi Gras Parade, like other independent businesses do. When my son was little, we'd always bring him there at Halloween, when they had a little party for the kids. Dale, the owner, knows just about everybody who stops in semi-regularly. They've got a comfy little sofa and a few toys for the little kids, they have various coffee accoutrements for the coffee gourmets, they put out bowls of water for people's dogs . . . It's just a lovely place.

Hunan's always been an enigma to me--when I first started going in 2009, there was never ANYONE there. Just me, the wife, and our liters of beer. Then suddenly it got incredibly crowded, since the secret was out. But since then, it's either one or the other, and never in between. Really weird.

They do have excellent steak fries though. They are definitely frozen, not ACTUALLY good, but after a couple liters a huge bowl of salty steak fries is pretty much perfect.

We used to go back in the late 90's and early 2000s, and liked their dim sum very much. Then they seemed to have a precipitous dip in quality -- after three visits where we were greatly disappointed, we stopped going. At some point, I heard that they were mainly a draw for their very cheap beers.

The lobster ravioli is available in the half portion!

Wonderful! Hmm, I may have to get the single soft-shell crab and then the lobster ravioli . . .

I believe this is Fabio's new signature dish. You should give it serious consideration.

I read your review earlier and was definitely planning to mention it to my husband (I'm going seafood for sure). Though, while it looks luscious, I'm worried he wouldn't have room for dessert which he will want. (I presume we could take some of it home...)

We started one here and maybe here.

Great! That's where I'll send friends who ask that (my kid now being old enough to take anywhere where there's something he'll eat - which apparently now includes sweetbreads).

The sea urchin spaghetti and the lasagna are not on the online menu, which looks to be the spring menu -- I am sad! Husband would have been made very happy by the lasagna (though the bolognese is still on the menu, or if rabbit is on it that day, he'll probably get that). And I was very much looking forward to the sea urchin spaghetti, but I guess I waited too long -- lobster ravioli will still be a fabulous dinner, I never got to Maestro to try it and lobster is one of my favorite foods. Though they have a soft-shell crab on the menu, and I haven't had my first one of the season . . .

Three questions for anyone who knows:

(1) is the lobster ravioli available in half portions? (so I can have something else, maybe the salad with amazing goat cheese in half portion, mentioned above, and room for dessert )

(2) any items from the spring menu that people would particularly recommend? (anyone had that soft-shell crab?)

(3) any recommendations for non-alcoholic cocktails there? If not, I'm sure Jeff Faile will make something wonderful.

Heading there for the first time for husband's birthday next week (my suggestion, and he thought it sounded amazing). Will most definitely get the sea urchin spaghetti, and will peruse this thread carefully for other RockHead recommendations.

Thank you very much, everyone!! Goodeats, I think your recommendations in particular are going to make my friends very happy (especially because the Argentine festival will be in Arlington). Boy, Il Bastone's menu sounds good.

Don, when I emailed my friend, I told her where the recommendations came from, and that this was a terrific board for specific questions like that, as well as things like "I'm going to be in X place tomorrow with two small children, where can I get delicious but kid-friendly food?"

A friend asked where to find Argentine-style empanadas. Not Julia's (though she agree's they're good), and not Bolvian style empanadas saltenas (which we have a plethora of in Arlington). No eggs or olives. If you know of a place, preferably near Arlington, please let me know!

Thanks.

A month, maybe?

OK, good to know - I'll have to put a reminder in the calendar, because I shouldn't tell them a month in advance. But very exciting to have dr forums in other cities!

Best Buns has my absolute favorite cupcakes in the area (certainly my favorite cupcakes by a mile in Shirlington -- sorry, CakeLove). They're tender and flavorful and moist and have meltingly good ganache frosting (I'm sure the others have delicious frosting, I remember another one being good -- but the ganache is so luscious that I always get the one with that!).

Also love their fresh mozzarella/tomato/pesto/onion (roasted?) sandwich on a perfect crusty bread -- it has a zingier, more full flavor than the similar sandwich anywhere else. And their foccacia is excellent as well (my son used to get it for lunch and I'd have to sneak a bite).

9) If you know anyone in Baltimore or New York, or for that matter, Philadelphia and Boston (did I just say that), or Chicago and San Francisco (did I really just say that), please contact them and tell them about donrockwell.com. They will soon have their own forums.

How soon is it likely to happen? I can let friends in these cities know how invaluable donrockwell.com has been to me, but if I tell them too far in advance of the site adding their forums, they may not remember to go back (most being busy parents/students/etc.).

Northside Social has terrific baked goods (sigh . . . that may have to be my post-Passover stop). Every dessert I've had there has been luscious.

And I agree about Willow and Bayou having great desserts. I expected great things from Tallula but the two desserts we tried there the last time I went were not to my taste (the Fat Elvis waffle sounded wonderful but all the different parts didn't work together for me, and the bacon wasn't working for me, though I've had bacon in desserts that I liked. I think it needed something moister, saucier to pull it all together. the roasted bananas were the best thing on that plate.).

I received an email from a group "Professionals In The City" that advertises a traditional seder and passover ceremony. Info:

First Night Passover Seder

WHEN: Friday, April 6, 2012 from 07:00 PM - 10:00 PM

WHERE: B'Nai Israel Congregation 6301 Montrose Road Rockville, MD 20852 (Next door to the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington) Nearest Metro: White Flint on the Red Line

PRICE: $55.00

Link to their website where you can purchase tickets: http://www.prosinthe...ver-seder-10723

Thanks, all! We're set for this year (going to my mom's) but will keep this let handy -- also, will probably check out some of the restaurants on DMV Dining's List for later in the week. Great idea, DMV Dining, thanks for thinking of Passover diners!

SEASONAL MUSHROOMS sautéed mushrooms, dates, toasted almonds. Didn't sound too exciting but perhaps one of the best dishes of the night.

This is the one thing I order absolutely every time. Rich, savory, unexpected flavors. Mushrooms are one of my favorite things, but even people who like them equivalent to other vegetables have sighed and asked if we should get another round of them.

Dropped in a little before close the other night at the Lee Highway location and the bird was neither crisp nor juicy. HOWEVER, the flavor was outstanding, better than Wild chicken or Pollo Rico, even in such reduced circumstances. The newbie with me concurred and quite liked it. So aim not be the last customer of the night and all should be well.

We get chicken from this location all the time -- always juicy, generally crisp (and we're usually earlier than close). The flavor is so good, the sauces are great (I like to alternate the yellow and the red [really pink] sauces), and the plantains when they have them are everything I want in a plantain - sweet, soft on the inside, browned and crisp in places, and flavorful. I'm also a fan of the black beans and rice, and the sweet potatoes (mashed or pureed, with nuts on top). One of our favorite quick and delicious meals.

Hey guys,

Just letting donrockewell folks in on our monday and tuesday promotions.....mondays are our oyster night, $1.50 oysters and other specials from the sea. Tuesday nights we have whole 1# lobsters for $12. Mention you're from donrockwell and ill send you a complimentary pickle sampler. Cheers!

Oh, thanks! I'm nearby and will definitely be in some Tuesday soon for the lobster special.

Had a couple very nice lunches from here this month. They have a huge number of soups, and I particularly appreciated the toppings they can sprinkle on any of them (cilantro was my pick, I also saw onions, tomato chunks, and shaved parmesan). Some were marked low-fat or vegetarian, which is nice info to have available without having to ask. Sandwiches looked excellent, and the one I had was very tasty: prosciutto, manchego, fig preserve, on nice bread (baguette, I think). The fig preserve was present in every bite and added a lively flavor that elevated this above most sandwich places. Good looking salad selections, nice cornbread (on the sweet side, but that's how I like mine), and good prices - I'll definitely be back.

Anyone know of any seders this year? We have always done it with friends, but just found out they'll be away this year, and we're moving just before Passover so not feeling like having it at our place.

And I think of her whenever I go to Rasika, Oyamel, Siroc, Farrah Olivia, Zaytinya, Full Kee, and many other places.

And Restaurant Eve, Corduroy, Mio, PS 7, Willow, Oya . . . some great dining in our culinary tour of the area.

For cakes I would suggest Pastries by Randolph, just down the road a short piece. They are not inexpensive, but they are good. To tie this piece of information to this thread, they are located in the space which formerly housed the Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe before they moved to their present digs.

Oh, I do love Randolph. I get their cakes (though it's been a little while) for a smaller gathering -- used to get Heidelberg for great big kid birthday parties and decided Costco cakes were cheaper and just as good for that kind of event. But if it's a special occasion with family or one or two other families, I love the Randolph cakes. We've gotten their flourless chocolate cake for Passover (note that wouldn't work for people who keep strictly Kosher-for-Passover, because it was baked in the same bakery as floured cakes and could have some flour in it and isn't certified KforP -- but for our group which is observing Passover and not eating bread/floured cakes/etc. but is less observant and not worried about KforP certification, these cakes have done us well).

Love their little pastries, too, like chocolate mousse in a chocolate "bag":

They had it this past weekend, must have ran out, I know they take special orders for it. It looked good when it was sitting on the counter, but I went for beignets instead.

They had it by the slice on Mardi Gras, I got three to take home for us to eat before the Clarendon/Court House Mardi Gras parade.

They have hamantaschen year-round! Even mun (poppy-seed paste).

Thank you! I forgot and I should order some -- love the poppy-seed, and the ones our temple in DC buys are a bit stiff-doughed (too hard, not tender) and don't usually have poppy.

We got a banana cream pie from here last week (March 2 is National Banana Cream Pie day, folks) and it was lovely -- had tasty crust (not perfect flaky pie crust, but quite good) and a light and very banana-y filling, along with pieces of banana mixed in (or perhaps at the bottom on top of the crust, not sure). Better than many I've had elsewhere.

We were disappointed in their birthday cakes, which we got for several years before switching to Costco's for a big group. But I haven't tried their cakes in a few years.