Barbara

We shared the Chef's Table last night with a young woman who was celebrating her birthday (which is actually tomorrow). Ferhat told me that he is booked through November. Since only 8 people a week will be able to indulge in this, I wouldn't hesitate to make a reservation for whenever you can get in. I could list the menu, but next week's will be very different. The menu we had featured that last of this season's local corn. Next week? Even Ferhat doesn't know, yet. There was a lot of food, some of which I brought home, and a lot to drink. All of it was very, very good. Ferhat knows from wine. And, not a "foam" in sight. Just straight forward perfectly prepared seafood dishes garnished in unexpected but delicious ways--except for dessert (there were two!), which didn't contain seafood. A little bird told me who will there next Monday and they just happen to be members of this site. I'll be interested to read about their experience. I hope it will be as delightful as ours.

Where would you find such a product?

That's the only way I would use Two-Buck Chuck.

I'll just add that the AdMo Harris Teeter had bags and bags of mussels on sale today. I would have bought some and whipped up a seafood stew of some sort except that Dame Edna doesn't like mussels. It's his only flaw.

I'd PM Zora, if I were you.

BTW: You asked about going to weekday markets. During the usual market season, I try to get to the Penn Quarter market on Thursday afternoons. And, of course, hit Randy up every Saturday. Both of these markets are very easy for me to get to, either because they are just up the street from me (Randy) or by public transportation (PQ). I will occasionally go to the Mt. Pleasant market or the 14th & U Sts. market--also directly on bus lines--for specialty items. Because of these markets, I never manage to get myself down to Dupont Circle on Sunday mornings; nor is the Sheridan School very easy for me to access by public transit. I like Randy's CSA hybrid model because I can just buy exactly what I need, instead of getting a mystery box containing things I my not be able to use. I cook only for two, and have a small fridge, so greatly appreciate the option he offers. How that exactly works out for him, I don't know. I'll bet he'd be glad to tell you all about it.

During the Winter months, I buy from Star Hollow Farms. This is a hybrid kind of CSA in that I pay up front and every two weeks order whatever I want that's on offer that particular week online. This is how I manage to buy farm fresh eggs all through the year. Randy, the farmer, comes down from Pennsylvania every two weeks during the winter with our orders and is in Adams Morgan every Saturday during late Spring through late Fall at the regular Farmers' Market. BTW: Randy originally took over from NMF (or was an employee--don't remember) on Saturdays in Adams Morgan. You probably know who I'm referring to.

I have been saying this ever since I saw the monstrosity that Gehry wanted to add onto the Corcoran a few years ago: the Emperor has no clothes. I am soooo very grateful that they couldn't come up with the $150 million or so that it would have cost to completely desecrate the original building. Gehry is an architect whose sole inspiration is: Look at ME!!! A pox on all his houses. Why he was chosen to design the Eisenhower Memorial is absolutely beyond me. Nothing he could design belongs anywhere in this particular city. I throw (virtual) bouquets at the feet of Susan Eisenhower for standing up for her Grandfather and demanding changes. Any memorial to Eisenhower needs, desperately, to go back to the drawing board. And, Gehry needs to go somewhere else.

Speaking of cranks . . . Driving back into DC from the wilds of Virginia last night, we drove across the Memorial Bridge and onto Rock Creek Parkway. I've lived here almost all of my adult life and I have never ceased to be thrilled by the sight of that memorial--especially when it's lit at night. Nothing makes be feel better than the sight of the Mall from the inside of a plane landing at National. Looks like home to me.

Something else to avoid: Frozen mushroom ravioli with sauce. Not very good. I thought I was just buying the ravioli until it came time to cook it. The sauce is in the form of frozen squares mixed through the bag. I should have stayed with the fresh ones found in the section with the cold cuts and cheeses and make my own sauce.

I can't believe nobody has done this yet, so let me be the first to hoist a drink to Ferhat Yalcin on the birth of his daughter!

Thanks so much for posting this! I didn't see this until this morning, so planned on walking over there this afternoon. I needed the ingredients to make panch phoran, an Indian five-spice whole seed mixture that is nothing like Chinese five-spice powder, and couldn't find some of the seeds except online. This place is located where the old "Chaos" nightclub used to be--underground at the northeast corner of 17th & Q. Rather than having to buy five different products, I found the house-made mixture already to go and bought that. I supposed there may be some Indian spice they don't carry, but i don't know what that would be. They are still working out the packaging; but, at the moment, you need to buy a minimum of 4 tablespoons, which are slipped into envelopes and sealed. Also, the proprietor is urging people to bring in their own glass bottles to be filled. They are promoting reuse as much as possible. Works for me. Now, I can buy a 1/4 cup of Nigella seeds and not a pound (which never gets used up before going stale). I was told that they will soon start selling prepared food at their counter; but, it was described as "not restaurant" type food (no butter chicken, for example) but "homemade" kinds of a vegetarian dishes. I hope they succeed because my walk home up 17th Street took me right to the Hana Japanese market. I remembered we were almost out of the low-salt Soy Sauce that we like from there, so also picked up some more miso and Nori sheets. They have the best prices I have found anywhere on that stuff.

I expect that you will see Dame Edna and me on Christmas Day--as per usual.

I find it curious that they would use the same name as a restaurant/bar that occupied a spot on 17th Street for decades--it was always a fairly inexpensive neighborhood joint. Still, it wouldn't hurt if they explained who Boss Shepherd was to the tourists.

I have taken one for team. I got suckered into buying some Chateau Miraval Rose, in the days after those two got married at their French chateau/winery, from an online source (looking at you, Lot 18). Very pale pink, watery, thin and completely uninteresting. Might bring the other bottle to the picnic, if I go, so you all can sample it for yourselves. Won't poison you, but . . .

Walked by there today and noticed that they seem just about ready to open. On the other hand, I saw nothing but backless stools as seating.

That could also be that Corduroy was closed for almost two weeks while Tom and the staff took a vacation.

I must have been lucky the day I got the Italian hero at the game. It was delicious.

Can they dry on the vine? Some of the ones which ripened first are looking a bit wrinkled. We use crushed pepped flakes by the boatload here and it would be nice if I didn't have to buy them for a year--or three.

Dame Edna decided that he wanted me to grow a Thai pepper plant this year. I had to buy a 4-pack and now they are producing rather abundantly. It's obvious that I'm going to have to do some kind of preserving of all these peppers--which are HOT! Any ideas on what to do with them? I don't have a food dehydrator to dry them.

I was just quoting the menu description. Why haven't any of you wise guys chimed in on the "pristine" apple clafouti???

Just got back from dinner here. Dame Edna's birthday is tomorrow--which is a problem food-wise. Corduroy is closed at this time of the year, as per usual, and most other places with half decent food are closed on Sundays. I told him that it wasn't wise to be born at the end of August. So, I suggested that we go out tonight (and I will cook tomorrow). Where to go, since I hadn't made any reservations? He suggested that we hit Mintwood Place, Cashion's, and Woodward Table in that order. Mintwood is still doing Restaurant Week and, because of the earlier rain, their patio was closed. I told the very nice lady at the reservations desk that we had no ressie and asked if we had any hope at all of eating there tonight? She looked at me sadly and said "to be honest? No." So, we went to Plan B and had no trouble getting seated at Cashion's. We perused the menu while drinking a glass of wine. (They are still serving wine in tumblers, for some inexplicable reason, just as they have since Ann Cashion opened the place lo, these many moons ago. I, however, ordered the house Prosecco and it was served in a proper flute.) I simply have to disagree with Weinoo and ALargeFarva. We started with the lavash with lemon-tahini to start and the long, thin crackers were just fine with the tasty dip. DE got the duck confit and I went with the pork belly. I only got a bite of the duck and none of its accompaniments. It tasted exactly like you would expect duck confit to taste. The pork belly, however, was simply divine, served on top of a "slaw" whose tart/sweetness was a perfect foil for the meaty pork. I'm going to be hard-pressed to order anything else there. I also ordered the baby collard greens with hen egg. The egg yolk was perfectly runny and cut through what bitterness there was of the greens. They were also spicy. Yum. If there was a down note, it was the chili relleno that DE ordered as a side. The cheese that stuffed the chili was too mild and the sauce didn't have the heat you would expect of a Mexican dish. It was, however, perfectly fried. For dessert, I had the cinnamon bread pudding and ice cream and DE had the "pristine" apple clafouti, also with ice cream. We discussed the meaning of the term "pristine" to no avail. It was, however, quite delicious. And, while he said that the bread pudding wasn't as good as what I make at home (there is a reason why he's my favorite husband, after all), he left out that I serve mine with a bourbon sauce which will kill you. Otherwise, I had no complaints. To summarize: one "for the table" dish, two mains, two side dishes, two desserts, and four (!) glasses of wine came to $118.80 pre-tip. And, the only effort it took to get there was a block and half walk up the street. The Nats won their game today, the weather was surprisingly temperate for August, we had a very nice meal and life is good.

I thought we were considered "Mid-Atlantic." Works for me.

I second New Heights and they have a special August menu, in addition to their regular menu: Besides, you will be able to hear each other.

I have not eaten there since they changed their menu; but, I took a good, long look at the menu posted by the front door yesterday and found a whole passel of things I would like to try. They are in stiff competition with Mintwood Place (similar style of cooking and price point) and seemed to have set off in a different direction in order to separate from the pack. More power to 'em, I say. I also can't way for the new seafood joint to open.