hungry prof

Who wants some insipid Indian food? Well, do I have the place for you. A lunch meeting today over Indian at Aditi was, well, just not very good. The chicken tikka masala was just plain sweet with nothing else really coming through. The daal resembled mush. The saag paneer was flavorless. And the chunks of lamb in the korma were like little pebbles. The naan wasn't terrible, I suppose. Sorry to sound so harsh, but what am I supposed to do? I suppose the useless website should have been a tip-off, especially when it brags about being "a Blue Ribbon Award Winner (from the prestigious Washingtonian Magazine), first in 1991!" Yes, but when was the most recent time. . . I'm going to Tackle Box next time, with or without my colleagues.

And that is *so* much different from a restaurant in which once the menus are delivered, your focus is presumably on whomever you are eating with and what you are eating?

No, I think it's the prerogative of a restaurant to choose how to enforce its dress code. The only time I would get miffed would be if I saw that dress code being enforced in a selective and inconsistent manner. As for why somebody would "intentionally flout a restaurant's dress code," I tried to offer one explanation above: because they can. People see going out for dinner as an opportunity to relax, and some of those people see that as license to dress in a manner that will leave them most comfortable. If nobody forces them to do otherwise, then why would they voluntarily make themselves uncomfortable?

So, uh, don't eat there. If what others are wearing is important to you, then use dress code (and whether it's enforced) as a criteria for choosing a restaurant. If enough people stop going to a place because people are wearing those dastardly flip-flops, then the restaurant will presumably get the message.

I don't think it's fair to blame this on "tourist season." Rather, as with everything else, it's the economy. Imagine a couple at home preparing to go to a nice restaurant that they suspect might have a dress code. A: I don't feel like dressing up, but they might have a dress code. B: What restaurant in this economy is going to turn us away because of what we're wearing? I dare them to. A: I guess that's right. Now, where did I put my Redskins zubaz? John Stuart Mill on homo economicus: “an arbitrary definition of man, as a being who inevitably does that by which he may obtain the greatest amount of necessaries, conveniences, and luxuries, with the smallest quantity of labour and physical self-denial with which they can be obtained.”

Indeed. Note: turn your volume down before visiting if you are at work (or even if you are at home).

Thanks, chef. This is (part of the reason) why this board is so great. I would never have guessed that chicken is your second most expensive protein. Maybe next you'll tell us how to make a great roast chicken. . .

Can somebody explain the logic of this claim to me? I understand how many people view roast chicken as their measuring stick for a restaurant, but what's the relationship to price? I don't normally think of the most expensive dish on a menu as being the best, only that it features more expensive ingredients or requires extraordinary time and/or skill to prepare. It seems unlikely that the expense of the chicken could justify the price. And it's hard for me to imagine how preparing a roast chicken could be that much more time-consuming or skill-requiring than other dishes. So, how are we supposed to understand this? If I eat at Firefly, should I assume that the cheapest entree on the menu is also the worst? Not trying to be difficult here (though perhaps succeeding nonetheless), but I don't get it.

Who woulda thunk it? Anna Blume and a 450-pound Redskins offensive lineman simultaneously discovering buffalo.

Worth noting this paragraph from the article (which I didn't catch until I just read the actual article instead of just skimming through the list): "In searching for the twenty-five best pizzas in America, I traveled to ten American cities, the ones I knew had a lot of pizzerias or a lot of Italians. They seem to go together, although less so anymore. I visited 109 pizzerias and ate 386 pies, although almost never the whole thing. (Remember, I couldn’t finish a single slice of the stuffed.) I know what you’re thinking: You didn’t visit my favorite pizzeria. You missed the best." In other words, he (or, more likely, GQ) can't quite claim to have ranked the twenty-five best pizzas in America since Trenton, for example, was not among the ten cities he visited. He's ranked the twenty-five best of the 109 pizzerias in the ten cities that he visited. I quickly looked through the list and the ten cities (and metropolitan areas) are: Chicago, NY, San Francisco, Phoenix, Providence, New Haven, LA, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Boston. Yes, I am procrastinating.

Richman's rankings here. Nothing from the DC metropolitan area makes the list. If nothing else, it gives me some places to try when I travel. Have at it, Joe H.

For what it's worth, Eater, the NY dining scene website, has placed 5-1 odds on our very own Tom Sietsema replacing Bruni. Only two candidates have higher odds in their baseless speculation. . .

Agreed. Surfside really has a nice formula, especially for these times. A few others missing from the list: -Town Hall, which ain't half bad for bar food or brunch. -Shanghai Tea House right below Heritage. Oddly, Sietsema gave this place ** a little while ago. It's a nice enough, earnest restaurant. If I had a Chinese grandmother, I imagine this is what some of the food would taste like. But service was quirky, and do not even think about ordering a "smoothie," which was actually more like an Italian ice. -One could also list Z Burger, which is what it is (Five Guys rip-off, and if you're ripping off Five Guys. . .). -Finally, me love me some Max's. My wife, son, and I just moved out of the neighborhood, but if we were still there, we'd be anxiously awaiting the opening of Blue Ridge in the old Busara space. Not sure what's going on there, but progress on the renovations seems to have slowed (to a halt?).

But wait, there's more. From WaPo's "The Sleuth" blog, "Obama Burger Firestorm Still Raging"

Or perhaps Robert Gibbs pleaded with the president to order his burger medium well so Gibbs wouldn't have to spend an entire press conference answering questions about USDA recommendations regarding the doneness of beef. "Does the president question the USDA's recommendations?", "Will the president be asking the USDA to reevaluate its recommendations?", "What other government recommendations does the president contravene?" , "Would the president serve a medium rare hamburger to Sasha and Malia?", etc.

Video here. Note the president's resigned acceptance of tater tots in the absence of french fries.

I think plenty of people are making this distinction and are not simply fear mongering, but this outbreak *potentially* raises larger issues about food production methods. There are different kinds of food safety issues--there's risk in the food we eat and there's risk in the way that we produce food. That is a critical distinction to make, but aren't both important?

I wrote: "Dan is absolutely right that there other things that should concern us more than swine flu. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't take *reasonable* steps to mitigate the risk, especially if the next epidemic could be worse." To which, you write: There is nothing "reasonable" about the Egyptian reaction or any of your hyperbolic follow-on questions. Yes, you do have issues, and if you recognize them, why inflict them on those of us trying to to have a reasonably serious discussion about all of this?

How exactly do you know this with such certainty? For a lengthier discussion, click. An excerpt: "[Dr. Mike Hansen, a Senior Staff Scientist with Consumers Union] weighs in: 'If 60% of the population of a town near a huge swine facility [in Mexico] got sick with this flu and those are among the first cases seen (e.g. close to ground zero), then that really does point a strong finger that something in that area could be the problem. At the very least, there should be a very specific investigation of the Smithfield facility that involves significant testing of those pigs for swine flu.''' I'm not an epidemiologist, nor an expert on food production, but it strikes me as completely premature to dismiss this wholesale as "NOT a food safety issue." Isn't it possible that swine flu is a result of practices at that facility in Mexico that are not unique to that facility in Mexico? Wouldn't that make this, in fact, a food safety issue that should be of concern? Dan is absolutely right that there other things that should concern us more than swine flu. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't take *reasonable* steps to mitigate the risk, especially if the next epidemic could be worse.

News of a chef from Zaytinya possibly on the next season of Top Chef.

Please let that be gazpacho. Nothing I want to do more than make a hot chowder in DC in August. . .

If you're in the District to start, I would suggest Open City. At 8:30 on a Sunday (but not much later than that), they should be able to seat 10 relatively quickly (especially if you call ahead). After you're done, you can hop right on Rock Creek and be at DCA in ten minutes. Only problem is likely to be parking.

Happened by the 33rd and M location yesterday and noticed that it was cleaned out. That store was never crowded by the standard of most Starbucks. My theory on that (emphasis on theory): Georgetown students stay closer to campus and go to Saxby's on 35th and O. Georgetown shoppers go to the other Starbucks on M closer to Wisconsin. I've got to think that whole end of M St. where this Starbucks was is unfortunately suffering right now with all of those high-end home design stores.

Oy. Be sure to watch the little video clip of the restaurant manager threatening to use an electric slicer as a weapon.

I noticed the following in the FAQ section of the new Eventide over in Arlington: "Is Eventide family friendly? Most of us who work at Eventide are parents, so we understand the need for a nice place to go out to dinner with the kids. In addition, we believe in serving the youngsters the same high quality, healthful food we provide for adults. As a result, we are offering a special option for families who aren't ready for "prime time" evening dining yet, but still want a refined restaurant experience with excellent culinary options. Come in any night before 6:30 and kids age 6 and younger will get the chef's daily selection of fresh steamed vegetables, fresh fruit and tender cuts of meat at NO cost*. It is our hope that this will provide both the comfortable and exceptional family dining experience you've been looking for. *Please note: One free "kid's plate" per adult entree ordered. They are $5 each otherwise. Please remember that this special offer is only available to tables that are seated at 6:30 or earlier." We'll be stopping by sometime soon.