CitrineDC

Thank you Sthitch! I can't believe I forgot about the onion soup. It comes with the meal. While the entrees are expensive (most starting at $32), it is a very good value if you consider all the sides you get. I also ordered a carafe of the house wine, based on the recommendation of a chef friend who told me Bern's house wine tends to be a cab or merlot blend of typically very expensive wines that were opened to purchase by the glass. I would have liked to sample something else, what with the many choices, but since I was being treated, I didn't want to run up the bill too much.

Here's Bern's wine cellar, with one of the largest collections of wine in the U.S.

More big wine....

Bern's fish tank in the kitchen...

Yummy desserts in the upstairs room. The desert room is divided into little individual rooms, so it's very private. Quite romantic, even though I was there with a group.

More desserts...

For anyone dining in the Tampa region, I would recommend Bern's Steak House. Opened in 1956, it's quite an institution. The beef is well-aged, and while there are lots of appetizers and starters to choose from, my dining companions and I selected the regular menu. You order an entree and it comes with a side salad, baked potato, delicate onion rings and a vegetable. Our vegetable choice was sweet and gingery shredded carrots, which even my carnivore boyfriend wolfed down. All the vegetables are organically grown on Bern's own farm. I've posted some pictures below.

If you go, request a tour of the kitchen and wine cellar after your meal. And definitely make reservations in the upstairs dessert room.

Here's a picture of my Chateaubriand....

Growing up on Cape Cod has left me a penchant for this sublime snack. I say snack, because I usually finish eating a normal roll in 4 or 5 bites as my wife stares agog calculating the ludicrous price-per-bite figure of the endeavour  .

There are two schools of thought regarding the lobster roll:

1) The "unspoilt" school. I would say as you travel up the coast of New England, this preperation kicks into full gear at Red's Eats (a shack in Wiscasset that's become a media darling). Here, a generous portion of lobster is served on the traditional "New England Style" hot-dog roll (the sides of the roll are not crust - for easy grilling*) with a side of butter. There is no dressing for the lobster, this is a purist's dream.

2) The "salad" school. Essentially, most establishments prepare lobster rolls in this fashion. A mayo-based dressing is applied to the lobster and it is often mixed with various fillers (celery etc). I've never seen a roll south of New England that doesn't fall into this category.

My preference falls somewhere between the two. Filler is sin, but a roll can be dressed in a manner that compliments - not overwhelms - the taste of the lobster.

I've sampled three rolls at three restaurants in this town: Legal Seafood, Kinkead's, and Hank's Oyster Bar. My favorite thus far is Legal's. I feel like the other two had dressing that overwhelmed the lobster: Kinkead's by seasoning, and Hank's by consistency (too thick). Legal also serves their roll with a generous portion of fries, however I've found the rolls can be inconsistent. My roll at Tyson's II was much better prepared than it's cousin in Crystal City.

So,

Where can a down-easter get his fix around here? 

* Can anybody tell me where I can purchase these buns around here???

Zola's has a good lobster roll, filled with fresh, sweet meat and not too much filler.

I just ate at the M&S in Bethesda for a friend's b-day with a group of nine. The manager checked on us several times and took a polaroid of us, and presented it to my friend in a nice little card. Sort of hokie, but sorta sweet too!

I had the seafood cobb salad, which was yummy. I also really love their tuna and the thai-style mussels on the happy hour menu.

Thanks for your inputs! I just had a change of plans, and can now do dinner on Sun., so I am going to try Cafe Mozu in the Mandarin Oriental. I would love to do 1789, but they are booked up. However, I am excited to check out this new place!

I hope their black-and-white chocolate martini dessert is on the RW menu...

I need help w/ a RW decision. I want to make reservations for lunch on Sunday (since that will be my only free meal time) and am debating between Palette, Poste, Tosca, and I Ricchi (and possibly Capitol Grille, as the boyfriend is a big meat and potato fan, and it's accessible to the Hill, where we live. I also don't feel like fighting for parking on a Sunday and spoiling my weekend chill vibe.)

I kind of wanted to try Charlie Palmer's, but alas they are closed on Sundays. So's Galileo.

I am leaning toward Tosca, just because I have never been and am craving good Italian food.

Please help me make a decision so I can get back to work! Thanks!

That's Saganaki. It's made with Kaseri cheese. Easy to do at home if you want to make something dramatic.

Thanks! I'll probably leave it to the pros. Or try it at someone else's place...

It's not dessert, but why not try the flaming cheese fondue-like appetizer available at most Greek restaurants. (Sorry, I can't remember the Greek name of it.) It's some type of hard Greek cheese, to which alcohol is added and then fired up table side.

I order it at the Greek Taverna place on Penn in Capitol Hill about a year ago. It was quite spectacular, and everyone in the room stopped their conversations! Too bad the cheese wasn't of higher quality, but it was still worth it for the show.

I went to the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival on Sat., and stopped by the Oman Cafe for a yummy but small taste of a chicken and beef kabob platter for $9, served with tender and fragrant yellow rice and some yogurt dipping sauce. I was dragged away from any further food ventures, unfortunately, by friends seeking a more air-conditioned and seated environment, so we ended up at Old Ebbitt. I also stopped by the Edible School Yard, which looked a little wilted.

Wow, this feedback is great, esp. Simdelish's input. I want to go home right now and stick my head in that oven (with the oven turned off--it hasn't been that bad of a day). Or maybe I'll just hunt down the original instructions.

Anyway, I am motivated to test some baked goods out this weekend. When I first heard the term convection oven, I thought it was "confection" oven, so I guess I wasn't too far off.

I looks like you have discovered what is great about the convection. The hot air moving across the bird, or any piece of meat, helps to create that nice crisp skin. Convection mode is also great for quickly roasting vegetables.

You should not need to alter your recipes, but things do tend to cook a bit quicker when in convection mode. One thing you may notice is that the oven may automatically adjust the temperature when in convection mode to compenstate for the quicker cooking time.

Should you do any baking or otherwise you will want to use the oven in normal mode.

Hot air, huh? Maybe I guess I should have titled this topic "Convection Ovens: Just a Lot of Hot Air?" Apparently, the answer is yes.

Hi everyone!

First time poster here. I have access to a convection oven (Jennair). I haven't used it much, except to make a roast chicken (pre-heat wave day, of course!). The skin turned out crispy, but I'm not sure if this was due to butter, brining, or the high heat I used.

Does anyone have any experience in using convection ovens? Do I need to alter a traditional recipe, like you do for high-altitude cooking? Thanks for any feedback.