JoeHoya

We'd also love to have our blog (Capital Spice) included: http://www.capitalspiceblog.com. Thanks!

I hope I'm not violating any rules by posting this, but I wanted to see if anyone here might be interested in a pair of tickets to this Sunday's Outstanding in the Field farm dinner. My wife and I bought four tickets to the dinner intending to go with friends, but they have had to cancel on us last minute. We've posted about the tickets on Craigslist, but it is a pricey event so we really haven't gotten any takers. Would anyone here at DR be interested in checking out this event on Sunday? Chef Tony Chittum of Vermilion is doing the cooking, and it's a five-course dinner out in the fields at Ayrshire Farm complete with wine pairings. I'd hate to see these seats go to waste and I'm just trying to avoid eating the full cost of the tickets at this point ($180 each), so if anyone is interested I'd be happy to make a deal. Thanks in advance (and apologies if I shouldn't have posted this). Mike

For my money, it's the unique recipes. Sure, they're quick to point out the fact that their mussels are rope-grown in PEI, but there are other places that can make the same claim. The moules fromage bleu are a great blend of complimentary flavors that could easily overwhelm the mussels themselves...but they don't. The moules pesto was rich and savory without using too much garlic. The moules navigateur are a clever riff on Bobby Flay's chipotle-inflected recipe. I think it's the lack of formal Belgian culinary education that gives GM's mussels a boost over the competition. But that's just me.

The last segment of the show, focusing on Bo and the folks at the DC Central Kitchen, completely redeemed any perceived shortcomings of the episode up to that point, IMO. It was another in a string of huge PR wins for DCCK lately, and I was glad that it showed as well as it did.

So jealous, Jamie! The Travel Channel folks reached out to us to do a promotion through Capital Spice for the episode, but we didn't get an actual interview with Bourdain.

I was just talking about this with my wife yesterday (we love to make risotto, but try to limit ourselves to the colder months). Half the rice for the same price is still a deal relative to other sources, but it used to be a DEAL. Sadly, I'm pretty much kryptonite for Trader Joe's products. The more I like them, the more likely they are to be discontinued.

I read the piece in the print edition of the Politico which was nice and glossy as opposed to their usual newsprint - an obvious 'keepsake' edition for all the tourists. It made me so mad that I felt compelled to write the editor - too bad they don't really offer that as an option. So I ended up emailing the same message to 10 editor-level staff listed on their website. Tim Carman reprinted my letter in his Young & Hungry blog earlier this week: http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/y...ey-love-us-not/ Long story short, I found the tone of the piece completely inappropriate when it made far more sense to actually celebrate the best of the dining scene IN THE CITY WHERE THE READER ACTUALLY IS, instead of making an utterly useless comparison. The sole response I've received from the editors at the Politico so far? A one-liner from Managing Editor Bill Nichols: "Appreciate the note Mike and we'll certainly keep you in mind in the future." Message completely overlooked.

Daniel, I just signed up last night for tomorrow night's shift - looking forward to my first time volunteering. Any advice or insights in advance? And any suggestions for folks who want to help but usually can't get out of work and over to the DCCK before 5 PM on weeknights?

Sushi-Zen is serviceable, but they've definitely slipped a bit over the past few years. Even so, can't think of any place better in that neck of the woods. I say this as someone who has dined there with Jeremy Piven-esque regularity for seven years now. The fish is decent quality, the rolls are usually well-made, and the prices are good. But the service is a bit scattered, delays can often be significant, and some of the staff still react as though it's the first time they've ever seen us when we stop in. A little recognition for regulars goes a long way in my book. If you find yourself near the Capitol, do yourself a favor and check out Momoyama on 2nd Street NW behind 101 Constitution. A great little sushi place that does most of its business at lunch time so they really appreciate the repeat customers in the evening.

In terms of new places that have opened since May, you've got plenty of good options. Just a few: Ben's Next Door - right where you'd expect it to be on U Street and featuring Chef Rock Harper (winner of Hell's Kitchen season 2) Matchbox on Barracks Row - same menu, second location Founding Farmers - likely to be a bit crazy but they've got a lot of space and they're making some very good cocktails at the bar Bourbon Steak - Michael Mina's new place in Georgetown In the Pentagon City area, you might also think about checking out the new Fyve in the Ritz Carlton right there or the Liberty Tavern in Arlington. There's also Domaso Trattoria in Rosslyn and Jackson 20 in Old Town - both of which are Kimpton property restaurants like Poste and Urbana. Not sure if all of these are new since you left, but they're worth checking out if you haven't yet.

Tackle Box - sustainability and 'green' utensils made from corn Organic to Go - certified organic by the USDA

ABRA has lists of those restaurants who applied and are still negotiating re: their voluntary agreements. I know of at least one, Sticky Rice, that has gotten things worked out on their end. I'm going to try to keep the Capital Spice map up to date as more restaurants and bars get added. They have until Thursday at 1PM to submit documentation that shows that they have reached an agreement with those who hold their voluntary agreements, at which point they are permitted to pay the fee and keep the extended hours.

Can't speak to the boudin yet, but the kielbasa was delicious for dinner tonight. Per Chef's suggestion, I poached it in water for about 20 minutes before pan-searing it. The flavors were rich and spicy, with a meatiness that I haven't tasted in a store-bought kielbasa before. Served with a garlic aioli mustard from Trader Joe's, it hit the spot. I missed that unnaturally pinkish color for a moment or two, but I quickly warmed to the natural coloring and am looking forward to cooking up the next one ASAP. The salami - cured, coated with mold, and dangling from a string perfect for turning any kitchen into the set of That's Amore! - was redolent with garlic and had a soft, juicy texture that gives a pretty good idea of just how much fat goes into these things before the curing begins. Delicious in large chunks. So glad I caught ChaCha's post this weekend...we'll be writing about the experience (and sharing a picture of Chef Stachowski in his holiday finery) over at Capital Spice this week.

I found Rick's distillery quite by accident after a trip to Skyline Drive back in October. What a great time - and Rick is DEFINITELY a terrific guy. At that point, Rick was particularly proud of the way Batch #23 was turning out and he indicated that there was a change that he had made between 22 and 23 that he would likely carry forward to all future batches. In DC, you can find Wasmund's at Schneiders on Mass Ave., NE near Union Station and at Pearson's on Wisconsin Ave., NW in Glover Park. Enjoying the bottle we picked up as soon as we got home! We also did a brief write-up on Wasmund's over at Capital Spice soon after we got home and tried it.

Scratch Ben & Jerry's from that list. Latin American Youth Center, the community group that held the franchise at this location closed it up as of November 30th, and the interior has been stripped.

Haven't seen a lot of participating restaurants posting their menus yet - the event doesn't seem quite as well organized on the ground as Restaurant Week. But we just wrote about this today over at Capital Spice, and we posted another one of our signature maps that includes all the participating restaurants and which services (lunch, dinner, both) they're offering. Should be even more helpful this time as people figure out what's near where they work. The post with the map is at http://capitalspice.wordpress.com/2008/11/...-stimulus-plan/

The California Tortilla deal is a coupon for a free taco on a future visit - not a free taco. Are local Chick-Fil-A's participating in this deal? I could only find listings for participating stores in Ohio.

Got a new contender for you: Founding Farmers, the new place in the IMF building on Pennsylvania between 19th and 20th. Went to a media dinner there on Wednesday and Bar "Executive Chef" Joe Arroyo claimed to make "the best Sazerac in Washington." Several of us gave him a hard time for such a grandiose claim, so he actually brought the ingredients over and made one tableside. He spun the glass in mid-air to coat with the St. George absinthe, and his ingredients - including Peychaud's bitters - seemed to be by the book. Not served over ice. Taste was good, too...lacked the acrid bitterness that a poorly blended sazerac can often pick up. If you haven't checked them out yet, you may want to.

Wow...I would have sworn this was a Landrum post. Waiting - but eager to hear more!

Forgive my ignorance if this has already been discussed and dismissed, but I did a quick search and didn't see any references to Catania Bakery on North Capitol. Have you tried their breads fresh from the shop on a Saturday morning? I know they're the bakery that supplies A. Litteri, but I'm not sure who else they sell to. Mike

Which is now called the "Michel's Chocolate Bar," according to my menu from last Wednesday (though the website still calls it the Kit Kat Bar and my wife's menu from the same night did, too). Wonder if Nestle is making noise about calling it a Kit Kat...

Komi's reservation line reopened on Tuesday, September 9th. I had to call that day to get a reservation for this Saturday for my anniversary.

They had an earlier draft of their menu up late last week, but it still included price points of "$?" for many items. I suspect they'll have a revised copy up tomorrow. I stopped by for their final night of soft service tonight, and it seems like they've still got a ways to go before they're ready for prime time. The space is beautiful and the staff seems attentive enough, but there were quite a few glitches in our evening. We sat down for a 7:30 reservation and were handed a limited menu with two appetizers and four entrees to choose from - not surprising, as this IS soft service. But our waiter immediately informed us that even some of the items on our limited menu might not be available. He credited this to Founding Farmers' commitment to only serving the freshest ingredients (no frozen items in storage). Acceptable - maybe even respectable - though they'll have a hard time establishing themselves as a go-to restaurant if they run out of too many dishes too often, and the length of their menu suggests that they're going to be wasting A LOT of food if everything is as fresh as they want it to be at all times. Long story short: two of the four entree selections we were offered were sold out. So were four of their signature cocktails, though it was hard to identify a unifying ingredient whose absence would affect those four drinks. Short story long: we waited almost forty minutes for our single appetizer - with several apologetic appearances by our server during that time - until it finally arrived piping hot. Five minutes after it arrived, a second one followed (despite the fact that we only ordered the one). Five minutes after that, our entrees arrived. The biggest complaint - salmon that was practically raw in the middle. Sending it back to refire resulted in a wait of more than 10 minutes. Food was good if not great. I support their efforts at local sourcing and their green practices, so I'm inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt and to deal with prices that seem a bit higher than the cuisine warrants at this point. Bottom line: Decor is great, cocktail list is deep and the prices are right ($8-$13), and the bar snacks menu had some real treats on it (bacon 'lollipops,' anyone?). Still a few kinks to work out in terms of service, timing, communication, etc., but that's par for the course at this point. I'll look forward to checking them out again once they've had a chance to get their feet under them.

Depends on the size of the typical serving. Some places only give you a dozen mussels in an order, in which case I'm disappointed if even one is served to me unopened. But if you're ordering a good-sized entree (2 dozen or more), I think it's acceptable to have two or three that don't open. Any more than that and you're into a significant percentage of the total order.

I'm definitely cool with shucking myself if they're good oysters. Where can you get them for less than $1? And does that include the cost of shipping?