bettyjoan

Absolutely - as soon as I have confirmation of a few things, I'll set up an event thread.  Thanks!

For anyone who is particularly proud of their chili recipe, please keep January 12, 2014, in mind - Jason and I will be hosting a chili cook-off/tailgate fundraiser (again, to benefit LLS), and we are going to be looking for entrants!

Doesn't matter if your chili is bean, no-bean, Texas, chicken/white, vegan, or anything else under the sun - we want to have a lot of variety!  PM me if you would like further details - I'll certainly post more info as it becomes available.

Yes, we will have the NFL playoffs on the TV during the event. 

Saturday night -

Beef tagine with butternut squash

Brown rice

Spinach salad with tomatoes, cucumber, and roasted beets

For any NE-ers or H Streeters (or anyone else who might be interested), we are still on for tomorrow night. Please consider joining us! Food/drink specials, raffles, and fun, all to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

If you can't make it but want to contribute, my fundraising link is in my signature.

We had a wonderful meal at Abattoir.  This is a fairly new restaurant from the same folks behind Bacchanlia.  We went there because the menu looked quite exciting and on Joe's high praise for its sister restaurant.  It certainly delivered on its promise. It's currently in the running for top-10 meal of the year and 2013 was a tremendous food year for us that included Rose's Luxury, 2 trips to Roberto's 4, Sushi Taro's Omakase, and an awesome trip to Montreal.

The restaurant itself is a beautiful spare space with lots of room between tables, so the room never got loud even as the tables filled up.  The service was quite good and attentive, though they seem to have minor kinks to still work out amongst their front house staff (very minor things that did not affect our enjoyment at all).

The bread service here is quite good and the desserts are quite delicious.  The highlights were the crab fritter, the 3 items ordered off of their butcher's menu (lamb heart, oxheart empanadas, and a divine lamb sweetbread dish), and fried to order chicharrones that came out crackling and light as air.

Abbatoir has actually been around since 2009, but it has changed chefs multiple times - the current Executive Chef is Hector Santiago, who some may remember from Top Chef Las Vegas.  Chef Santiago previously owned and operated Pura Vida, a wonderful little Latin American spot, and the site of my engagement to my husband. 

I love Chef Santiago's food, so I'm so glad you enjoyed your experience at Abbatoir - when we went years ago, it was only so-so.

I mentioned this in the TMB thread, but I wanted to post for all to see - Jason and I are hosting a happy hour to benefit Team In Training, which is the main fundraising wing of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  I am a multiple-time cancer survivor, and Jason lost his grandmother earlier this year to multiple myeloma, so this is a cause that is very near and dear to our hearts.

Here are the details -

When: Wednesday, December 11, 2013, from 5 PM to 9 PM

Where: The Big Board, 421 H Street NE, Washington, DC

Details: For a $5 minimum donation at the door, you'll get happy hour specials till 9 PM (which include $3.50 Yuenglings, $5.50 draught craft beers, $5 for select rail drinks, and half off all appetizers).  There will also be a 50/50 raffle, in which 50% of the take goes to TNT and the other 50% goes to the winner!  So, the more tickets you buy, the bigger the pot AND the greater your chances of winning.  We'll also have some gift cards and prizes to raffle off throughout the event.

We'll be in the upstairs portion of The Big Board, so head that way if you plan on coming - we hope you will!

Thanks so much - let me know if you have questions.

Betty

Did some double-chocolate muffins yesterday, and today I'm making chocolate-cinnamon-chili crinkle cookies.  The latter is a new recipe, so we'll see how it goes.  I may also make some of my ginger chewies, just in case (not that we don't have enough sweets in the house, but holiday time always feels like baking time).

Jason and I are in.

My wife and I went in last night and the place was humming.  The table next to us laughed when we told the waiter that we saw the email and immediately decided to come in - they'd done the same.

I will probably make a weekly stop in to simply work my way through some of the more expensive options on the list (last nights 2003 Brunello was tremendous) with Dean's VERY generous 50% discount - one of those Dal Forno's (if still available) will be mine!

I wonder if we might, as it gets closer to closing time, organize some sort of DR event here?  Just to celebrate a place I know many of us truly love.

I love the idea of DR event at Dino - between the holidays and the sense of a "sooner rather than later" closing date, we will probably have to be quick, but I'm in if someone wants to throw something together (I would volunteer to organize, but I have a couple of other events that are occupying my time).

It's that special time of year... Les Candy Cane Joe Joe's sont arrivés!

Along with all the other holiday goodies that I really don't need.

Hooray!  I was just thinking I needed to stop by and stock up on the limited time goodies.  Mmmm, sea salt caramels...

Honey lemon roasted chicken with tomatoes, olives, and haricots verts

Individual apple crisps

Sauvignon blanc with dinner and pumpkin hard cider with dessert

Even though this thread hasn't gotten a lot of love, if you live/work in the H Street area and are interested, please save the date on December 11 - Jason and I will be hosting a charity happy hour at The Big Board, with all proceeds benefitting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. We are still working out a few details, but I just wanted to plant the bug in people's ears. I'll post a specific event thread when everything is finalized. Thanks!

Spaghetti squash fritters with sriracha mayo

Sautéed parsnips, watermelon radishes, and shallots

Baked chicken

Rosemary roasted acorn squash

Red leaf lettuce salad with green peppers and Greek dressing

Dave, thank you so much - I have an appointment for Friday.  I will definitely follow up here and let everyone know what I thought.

My husband and I are fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (through Team In Training - we will be running the Rock & Roll USA Marathon in March), and together our goal is to raise over $4,600.  I am a multiple-time cancer survivor, and Jason recently lost his grandmother to myeloma, so this organization and its research/services are extremely important to us.  We have been volunteering and fundraising for LLS for many years now, but this is our first training season in DC.

We are looking for restaurants/bars who are willing to work with us to host fundraising events.  We are open to anything, but typically we arrange a happy hour where either the restaurant/bar donates a portion of the proceeds for the evening, or we collect a cover charge and the restaurant/bar offers discounted items.

In addition to the above, we would love to organize a chili cook-off (since we are fundraising/training during winter), so we are looking for a location where we could plug in some crock-pots and also offer discounted drinks to go with the chili.  Bonus points if some local food personalities would be available to judge the chili!

At whatever events we organized, we would also need the ability to raffle off items and/or collect additional donations.  If any restaurant folks don't have the space but would like to contribute gift certificates, that is fantastic as well.

Please PM me with any leads - we are early in the planning stages, but after doing this a number of times, we definitely know how time can absolutely fly!  Thank you so much for anything you can do to help.

Shameless plug!  If anyone is interested in donating directly, the website is here: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/rnrusa14/bettyrh

Betty 

I am in need of a chiropractor, and unfortunately the ones recommended so far (on DR) are too far away.  I don't have many criteria, but of course I would prefer a doctor whose office location would allow me to sneak away for a lunchtime adjustment (and my office is at 18th and G NW).

An interest/specialty in sports medicine would be great, but it is certainly not required.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions you may have!

Funny, I just looked up this thread to ask about places since we are considering heading down for the half-marathon this year as well.

I have a more general question, though: if we wanted to stay somewhere centrally located and walk or short cab ride from the beter (and diverse) places to eat and drink, what is the best option? With the number of folks we may be travelling with I am thinking that we may want to rent a house, so proximity to to hotels isn't necessarily a must. Trying to decide on staying downtown vs. a short drive away in a REALLY big house.

For a race, I highly recommend renting a house (or a condo).  It is so much easier to have a kitchen and prepare your own pre-race meal (restaurants in town will be swamped with hungry runners), and if you are traveling with a group of friends, a house offers you some common space to chill and socialize that you will not have in most hotels.

Of course, the rental houses are going to be away from downtown, but Charleston isn't that big.  I love Folly Beach and Sullivan's Island (go to Poe's for burgers and beers), and Isle of Palms is great if you are looking at a higher budget.

Red leaf lettuce salad with red onion, shaved Parmesan, and Greek dressing

Grilled NY strip steaks

Butternut squash, onion, and Apple gratin

Stone IPA

I decided to join a CSA recently - mainly, I made the jump because I want to eat more (and more varied) vegetables, and because the quality at my Harris Teeter store is inconsistent at best.  I opted for Smucker Farms of Lancaster County (http://www.smuckerfarmsdc.com/?page_id=37), which has a brick-and-mortar store at 14th and V.  I got my first pickup on Tuesday, and here's what I got:

Red-leaf lettuce (1 large head)

Kale (1 large stalk)

Leek (1, but it was huge)

Bok choy (it actually wasn't in the CSA share, but they had extra and invited us to take it if we liked it - and I love bok choy)

Apples (3 - red gala and golden)

Green bell peppers (3)

Onions (4 - red and yellow)

Acorn squash (1)

Butternut squash (1)

Spinach (1 large bunch)

Carrots (4-6)

Hot peppers (small bag with about 6)

One dozen eggs

I felt like it was a TON of food.  I have already sauteed the spinach and some of the hot peppers, and I used the kale and leek for "beans and greens" (which I ate for breakfast this morning - yum).  I'm planning on roasting the acorn squash, and I have a recipe for a butternut/onion/apple gratin that I think I'll attempt tonight.  I love that the combinations of items make me more creative in the kitchen.

The store is awesome and has TONS of other stuff (including beer and wine), but I managed only to buy some chocolate milk and iced coffee concentrate.  I could have done a LOT more damage.

I was hesitant to join a winter CSA, since how many greens can I possibly eat - but they promised to supplement the shares with milk, cheese, and eggs to make up for any weeks that the produce isn't quite enough.  For November through April, one pickup a week, the cost was $775 (which averages out to be what I consider a VERY reasonable $31/week).

Has anyone else bought from Smucker Farms before?

Woo hoo!  The Mayor just Tweeted that WF is coming to 6th and H NE.  I can't say I'll shop there all the time, but it will be so nice to have another option in the area.

Leftover arancini

Leftover peas and broccoli, sauteed with pancetta and garlic with some fresh spinach (from my new winter CSA)

For dessert, an ice cold glass of Trickling Springs dark chocolate milk.  Decadent.

Arancini with marinara sauce

Steamed broccoli

To Tatyana McFadden - a badass female wheelchair athlete who became the first person to win a marathon Grand Slam (Boston, London, Chicago, and New York) with her victory in NYC today. Truly an inspiration, especially as I prepare to train for marathon #3.

Fiery "fried" chicken

Sautéed Brussels sprouts with shallots and bacon

Pineapple slices