susanmab

There's an Italian place where Tutto Italiano used to be. "Not great food" is how I would describe it. Edible, but nothing special. It won't hurt you, but it won't be anything to remember. I have steered away from Portofino due to lousy reviews from family, so I'm no help there. The sushi place is surprisingly good - I was there last night with some friends and their 8-day old baby. But Pizzaiolo and Harar Mesob are definitely the best food on the block as far as I'm concerned.

I have no idea what possessed me, but I had a hot dog at Tuesday's game v. the Mets. A regular old plain hot dog with Gulden's. I think I was too lazy to walk on over to the Hard Times or something. It's been a long time since I had food poisoning this badly, but it's Friday and I'm only barely recovered. GI doc confirmed FP and we're waiting for the lab results to figure out just what bug it was in there. Other foods ruled out because of timing or innocuousness (it wasn't the morning's oatmeal or banana or the late-night homemade chocolate chip cookie, oddly enough I didn't eat lunch). Anyway, a friend of mine commented that the last time he checked out the hot dogs, they looked particularly grey - he suspected (based on that observation alone) that they had been reheated or something. I should have listened and stayed away. Now I love a good half smoke, but my hot dog consumption is usually limited to one a year, always at a ballpark. Needless to say I'll be rethinking this annual tradition. Great reason to have Gifford's for dinner, don't you think?

I'm so sorry I missed this; I'll spare the details but it would have been irresponsible of me to be doing food prep considering yesterday was day 3 of being down with food poisoning. I'm definitely in for the next one. I'm glad it was a successful event.

Is it bad that I've been dreaming of a burger with epoisses? I assume straight up would be the way to do this. Or au poivre do you think? I wish I had time some time in between going to see a friend's new baby at Arlington Hospital and tonight's Nats game to feed the craving.

Okay, I'm drooling. I wonder just who I can talk into coming with me.

mmm, let us know how it turns out. (and please pass the black cherry soda)

Damn, that sounds right up my alley. When I lived in New Orleans, the season for cochon de lait was pretty well-celebrated. It's been years. It's almost 9:30. Is it more acceptable to be thinking about dinner now I wonder?

I'm taking my date and some friends to Dino Monday night. This is quite a coup, because I have not been able to talk him into going there with me, and I've been trying for about six months. He's been "a few times" and swears that its been service and not food issues that turned him off. Personally, I've never experienced any problems, so I'm not quite sure what he's on about. So I'm looking forward to a lovely evening. It's been over a year and I am long long overdue! What's on the menu right now that I shouldn't miss? (it's barely 8am and I'm getting hungry just discussing it here)

yeah, you can count me in for a shift as well. EDIT: okay, that's me +1. Should we sign up on the site directly, or will we coordinate here?

heyyy, I resemble that remark!

I stayed far away for years, figuring the last thing I wanted was to go out with all the punters. But since then I reconsidered and figured it's just a good excuse to get some friends involved and go have another dinner. And besides, if local restaurants are usually slow in August, it's as good a time as any to give them some business.

OK, I did drop Rasika. I'd love to have gone out every night, but my waistline, oh, not so appreciative! Had a really lovely night at Poste. The food was top notch - we had the halibut, the bass, and the ravioli and one was better than the next. Our server was great - spot-on in reading how much attention and suggestion we appreciated. I would only have wished for a third dessert option (since there were three in our party - a selfish wish, sure), but the two were delightful. This is what RW is about, I figure - getting an excuse to hit those places on the "why haven't I been there yet" list. With drinks and an extra course of oysters, it was not an inexpensive night out, but we'll be back when it's not RW - that about sums it up. Our dinner at Notti Bianchi was good - not as stellar as my recent visit to Circle Bistro, but definitely good. I did feel that our server was rushing us and pressing us with upsell pretty strongly. I know RW can be a pain for servers, so I'm sympathetic, but we still had to tell him we weren't ready to order more than once (and be frustrated that it was quite a while after we ordered that he came back and said they were out of something two of us had ordered). I would be interested to know if that is the general vibe there or if it was a RW anomaly. Upcoming next week at Farrah Olivia (taking a friend who hasn't been there) and the following week at Dino (dragging my date who hadn't been very impressed by the service or food on previous visits - I'm convinced he was in some parallel universe or something and I'm determined to change his mind).

not a bad plan. so simple, so obvious, yet never crossed my mind...

Boooo. That stuff was really amazing (and I'm not a huge drinker of spirits).

C.J. Crocker. My memory is vague on everything except that I loved it; I had it regularly when I lived in London about 15 years ago, but when I asked I seem to remember them telling me it was "American, from Connecticut". It was a vanilla-infused bourbon, and it was delicious. I've never found it anywhere in the US, and when I do a Google search, all I seem to find are other people looking for it. Has anyone heard of it?

Just to follow up, I had Friday's burger (au poivre with blue cheese and mushrooms - heaven) recommended and is was cooked much more than the previous visit - I'd call it a spot-on MR. Thanks for the advice. I wouldn't want to mess with perfection, really, by asking for it overcooked.

yeah, you're right. I fear it being too well if I order it anything other than recommended. I guess I never considered asking them to throw it back on. why, I do not know, save for not wanting to be That Customer, you know? thanks for the reminder. friend has been talked into it. recommended it will stay.

OK, help me out here. I have reservations at Notti Bianche, Rasika, and Poste. I'll get to 2, but probably not 3 - of course after not having baseball tickets for weeks, I have three games this week (we're in on a group and they're distributed poorly in my opinion). Which one gets eliminated? I tried to choose places that have been on my to-do list. I was at Rasika a while back for drinks and apps, and haven't been to Poste or Notti Bianche. My dining companions have left it to me. We're doing Dino for sure and probably Farrah Olivia later this month.

Question: are the "recommended" burgers coming out very-rare (as the one I last had was), and I should be ordering medium, or is "recommended" really a bit more medium-rare (and my previous visit was unusual)? I generally hate to order medium, but I'll admit that the last one was a tad too rare in the middle for me. I'm trying to get a friend to go with me tonight. I've been dreaming of that burger.

I've been challenged by a recent transplant who swears there is no place to get a butterscotch dip in the DC-area. She's looking for a plain old scoop of vanilla on a cone, dipped in the butterscotch stuff that hardens on top. A trip to a local Carvel found a chocolate dip available, but no butterscotch. So lay it one me, ice cream fans - is this hunt a lost cause?

I fall into this camp as well. Ice cream is my go-to item for a host of inappropriate situations (breakup? ice cream! celebration? ice cream! bored? ice cream! lazy? ice cream!). I try to console myself by thinking that this is slightly less damaging than performing this ritual with drugs, but I'm not always so sure. If I have it in the house, it's gone pretty much as fast as I can go through it (I live alone, so there's no shame factor). The only way I can deal with it is by not bringing it into the house - sometimes it ends up just wandering its way into my grocery basket, but I pretty much try to follow the "only outside the house" rule as well. Speaking of, I should try to do a 30-day no ice cream and see if it's possible. Just for kicks.

Cheerwine float? How did I miss that?? Oh, yeah, because I was silly and got a diet cherry Boylan's. What I was thinking I do not know. I went Saturday around 6, we were a group of 4. If it had been up to me, I would have chosen a less prime day and hour because I don't like having to be aggressive about scoping out a table. I pounced on a four top that opened up practically before the previous diners had stood up (we had been waiting for a table the longest, and there were other parties eyeing it, so I figured this was at least moderately appropriate). I ordered a Diablo "recommended" with pepper jack. It came out with grilled jalapenos - I'm not sure if they all do, or if there was some confusion (another in my party asked for the jalapenos), but either way, the spice was almost right on. I like it hot - I love it hot - but I did get a bad case of burning lips. Ouch! I generally like my burgers (provided they are good burgers) MR - I'm not adverse to raw meat (I like tartare as well as kitfo), but I think it's the texture of a rare burger, particularly a large burger, that gets me. Anyway, I ordered it as recommended, and found that it really was a little too rare for my personal taste (although I can think of a handful of friends for whom it would be heaven this rare). I ate around the center, which was completely raw. Which is fine, it was just a shade more than I could handle. Next time I shall ask for MR. Yes, it was messy, but I didn't really notice the bun - if I hadn't read about the buns I wouldn't have been aware of any problem, really (although I agree that toasting would be a definite plus). All in all, the best damned burger I've had in recent memory. I gazed longingly across the table at my friend's au poivre with blue cheese, that's definitely up next.

I see Open Table fixed the typo - it still read $30.08 for most of the day. I know it's only $5, but I was going to scale back my RW madness this year anyway. The increase probably means it's one less I'll get to. EDIT: I spoke too soon. Front page still says "$30.00 dinners" under Offers and Events.

Red Derby? It's not so much a traditional Brunch (although some good brunch items), but the food is yummy, and the mimosas (and bloody marys, I think) are $2 (provided you're eating, I think $4 on their own). I have a feeling you're not looking for brunch in a bar. But I enjoy a lazy Sunday there.

I am over the moon to have another late night food option. No disrespect to Bob & Edith's or Kabob Palace, but this excites me much. Can't wait to stop in.