Meaghan

This place, too---> http://www.elchaparralmeatmarkets.com/index.html

Avocados. Plantains. Truly Ripe. Si!

Trick-o-Treat!

I want a martini.

Of course, without revealing too much, H2M has seriously been considering having a period-specific themed night from the Eighties, replete with goofy Flock of Seagulls (see the bird theme) hair-do's, stripper shots, popped-collars and John Hughes films. Instead of reproducing the "speakeasy" environment we'll have an Andrew Dice Clay impersonator as the door man who refuses entry to those without proper shoulder padding. In preparation, I've picked up a copy of the 1982 Playboy Bartender's Guide and it's sitting on the shelf in between David Embury's classic bartending tome and Charles H. Baker, Jr.'s always clever "Gentleman's Companion." Although, part of me wonders if this will just be compared to the saturation of Eighties-themed bars in Des Moines. A risk, perhaps, we're willing to take. Media be advised!

Could you do a night where you just play the weeks worth of Howard Stern really loud and there would be no talking. You would order drinks like you order sushi, with numbers to indicate how many of each order. I think Sirius would back you.

--

And one other thing:

I'm never drinking again

(Just thought you should know)

Liquefying those assets too hastily?

Happy Birthday, Don! Drink lots of birthday bubbles today.

Don't be friends with people who live in Gaithersburgh.

...I ain't spray nothing.... : )

Why did you find this ironic?

I think he means he mostly expected a bunch of fat losers from the Internet : )

It's a great burger! If you jam the burger with too many runny toppings (huge juicy tomatos, slathery sauces, drippy pickles and peppers), the bun gets sucked into the giant, moist mound of beef the way fruit punch gets sucked into a Bounty papertowel on a kitchen floor. It requires a fork or to have no one looking at you while you have your way with a load of meat.

Definately worth the heart attack!!

Individual highlights in the past week or so:

Six miles a day, five out the past six days, that's how

Are you trying to conserve what's in your tank or something?

Does anyone know anything about this place? It looks like it may still be under the same management as Atilla's but with a revised (Italian/Mediterranean) menu.

Here's my question: Why the name Courthouse? When I think of 'Courthouse' I think of a day I would like to have overwith and shitty cafeteria food. I don't think of bistros or Tuscany or anything like that. You?

Management? Are you there??

I'm not management, but what are you looking for? A pat on the back? A free bone?

What does upgraded to bold mean?

It means. It's yummy like Palena's yummy.

I very much enjoyed the article on typos in menus this moning. IMO we're lucky to have Jane Black writing in this town. Earlier in the week a nice piece on the Aspen Food & Wine Fest and then the whole animal piece and menu typo piece today. All very different but entertaining food related articles. Keep up the good work Jane!!

I like finding typos on menus and don't mind the poor spelling and grammar at all. It makes me feel better about myself than those lowly, uneducated restaruant people : ) "Fetch me a drink. Can't you spell!??!?"

Don't make me eat a shit take.

I cannot believe Tim Russert isn't with us anymore. He was having so much fun with this election. I can't watch Meet the Press without him. So sad.

There's a speak easy there, too. Shhhhhhhhh.

There are some great people behind these blue walls and avatars. Cheers, and congrats to Don for keeping it up.

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!

If I were alone, I would have surely gone to Hooters The Source, but parking and everything just seemed like a rigmarole (my favorite pasta, btw), so Hard Times Cafe it was.

They let us do a 50-50 order of Chili Lime and Honey BBQ, both grilled. The Honey BBQ was as expected: cloying. But the Chili Lime wings were the best thing I've ever eaten at Hard Times BY FAR, and ordering them grilled was the way to go. They were beautifully spiced, well-cooked, not at all gloppy, and bordering on being great. Who knew?

Thanks everyone for the quick responses!

NB Hard Times' hot sauce has a warning on the label that says not to rub your eyes or touch your private parts after using it, unless you wash your hands first. It actually says "private parts."

There's reasons they call it 'Hard Times.'

On the white carpet, near the glowing picture box that the humans stare at night time, while eating snacks. I'm sorry.

What an original name ... on all fronts...

fried calamari with cocktail sauce $8.95

pretzel crusted chicken tenders $8.95

with honey mustard

Pretzel crusted chicken? Pretzel. Is that Panko For Poor People? PFPP?

Calamari with cocktail sauce? It's like katchup as tomato sauce.

Make me vomit! Oh, wait. I don't need help.

I ate the the Best Fucking Thing in the Land tonight at Proof. Pork Confit... I'm doing the Best Fucking Thing all over again tomorrow. Then I will write, or shut it. Either way. Happy me.

Did anyone else read this piece on Slate yesterday?

'Techno-Emotional' sounds like me in a bad mood.

Gordon Biersch, because sometimes you have to do things for the sake of a relationship. (This person I was with doesn't like Bobby's because the crabcakes are too spicy.) It wasn't as thoroughly wretched as I expected, but it wasn't good, either.

Or sometimes you do things for sake. Why I continue to read the word "sake" as the drink 'sake' is a question I do not have the answer to now. I will ponder that.

Are the beans any good? I've never heard of them, I might give 'em a try.

They smell great. You know when you can't stop sniffing on the bag of beans? I have that with the Bean Bag beans.

[Keep this in the Starbucks thread. I like it here.]