MMM

Does anyone object to a sparkling wine? Bon Appetit ran this article on cava a few years back. I'm going to suggest the second wine, the Dibon NV Brut Reserve. It's summery for the upcoming hot weather, widely available (you can get it at Total Wine), inexpensive (about $11 or $12 now), and maybe something people haven't tried. Sound OK?

Sounds good. It appears that Paul's on Wisconsin Ave NW also has it at $10.99.

Please count me in too, although I'll be away from the DC area all summer and might not find the same wines.

Also not an oaked chardonnay fan. And couldn't find it at my usual shops. I would go out of my way for a wine that looks intriguing.

Just noticed that Acentor is on sale for $9.99 for the next week and a half at Rodman's - in case anyone wants more or hasn't picked it up yet.

Orange (between Culpeper and Charlottesville)

Driving up 15 from southern Virginia last Friday, we stopped for lunch at Real Food in Orange, here: http://getreal22960.blogspot.com/. It's a quirky little place with no sign and only a few tables. The couple who run the place were nice and the food interesting and really good. As you can see, they are only open for lunch and on Monday - Friday.

Four of us are making a foray into southern Virginia next week. Since we will pass by Richmond we are taking the opportunity to stop for lunch at Peter Chang's China Cafe. I have never eaten at any of his restaurants so would love suggestions for what to order. What do you all think is particularly good, iconic, special, not-to-be-missed?

Even without help, we managed to make some good choices. For appetizers, we tried steamed dumplings, scallion bubble pancake and coriander fish rolls. Dumplings were fine, the bubble pancake was unique and fun. The fish were the standout . I've never had anything like them before and they were fabulous - crispy and spicy and delicious. Oh yes, and the dry-fried eggplant which we all loved - spicy and crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. Also ordered Bamboo Fish, Szechuan Double Cooked Pork and Basil Shrimp. Bamboo Fish was sensational - perfectly fried nuggets coated with a crispy batter flavored with curry and other spices. Double Cooked Pork was tasty but really very greasy. The shrimp in the Basil Shrimp were excellent - very fresh with a wonderful snap.

Peter Chang came out into the dining room so we got to say hello and of course extoll his cooking. We arrived at 1:15 (had reserved several days ahead). There were many diners but it was not full and pretty much cleared out by the time we left. We all loved it.

I really don't know what I think about this wine. It just tastes sort of dusty to me, and viscous. Not my favorite, but I really like the label.

From the original description above: "Spicy berry flavors are typical of good, inexpensive Spanish garnacha, and this wine delivers them, along with smoky earthiness for added interest." Maybe it's the "smoky earthiness" I'm tasting?

I really don't know what I think about this wine. It just tastes sort of dusty to me, and viscous. Not my favorite, but I really like the label.

The other issue to consider is the foreign transaction fee that most credit cards charge. For a long time Capitol One was the only card that did not charge a fee. Now there are a few more. It pays to look into this and use one that is fee-free, even if you have to get a new card just for that purpose. Using a credit card when you can will get you the best exchange rate.

I'm good with that pick. Start a new thread?

Let's go for it. (Seems pretty widely available too.)

We never exchange money in the US, but always wait until we arrive abroad and get cash from an ATM using a debit card so the money comes directly out of our bank at home but we get the best exchange rate. Check with your bank to see what ATM charges they have and if they charge a foreign exchange fee. I think you can withdraw up to $300 (maybe more?) at a time daily. Also be sure to alert your bank or credit card issuer that you will be abroad before you leave. Here's a web site with some tips: http://www.independenttraveler.com/travel-tips/money-and-insurance/atms-abroad.

I opened my second bottle right out of the refrigerator tonight and thought it was better than before. Maybe because I was just sipping it with snacks and not trying to analyze the wine. Had a second glass after the bottle sat out for 30 minutes and liked it less. It seemed to taste flatter and more bitter.

What do you all think? Is it time to come up with a second wine to try?

I plan to open my second bottle tomorrow. Definitely will let it warm up for 20-30 minutes before sampling, rather than right out of the fridge, and see what it's like. Do think I drank it both ways before.

Osteria Acquacheta di Giulio Ciolfi - Via del Teatro 2, Montepulciano (+39) 0578 717086 (tel & fax). Go here for incredible Bistecca alla Fiorentina. We went for lunch. The chef comes to your table, sizes you up and brings out the slab of steak he's proposing for you. Delicious beef, perfectly cooked. I would call ahead to book a table.

Several years ago we followed Dean's advice to try Bosco della Spina. Had a lovely lunch there too. Beautiful setting and delicious food.

You can also use the two burner method. Start one on high to get things cooking, and have a second burner heating on low to move over to.

Nose: poopy and mineral oil and gasoline. Stank

Initial Taste: Bitter. Alcohol. Mildly floral. Hate so far

Slight improvement as it warmed up but this is not for me.

This description just knocks me out. I think I agree, but I'd say it a little differently. Color: pale golden. Nose: alcohol. Taste: a bit of apricot with a bitter end. Acidic. I don't taste "fleshy" at all. I bought 2 bottles because I thought I'd love it, but I don't like it much either.

Oh, that's too bad. I was going to go to the Unwined at Bradlee. Maybe I will try Rodman's in DC (MMM were you able to get it there?)

Yes. They have plenty at $11.99.

Is this the topic in which people are going to post WHERE they were able to pick up the wine? I know the WaPo article lists some suggestions, which are good places to start, but it would be helpful to know where folks were actually able to get their hands on whatever bottle we are discussing at the moment.

Specifically, has anyone picked this one up in the District?

They have it at Rodman's DC. (i'm on my way there now!)

So are we doing the Domaine Lafage Cote Est 2011? The Wapo article lists some stores where it's available. Just checked at Rodman's DC and they do have it.

What an entertaining idea! What about comparing several wines at a time?

Went at 6 last night for a pre-Kennedy Center dinner and the restaurant was full and buzzing. Looked like mostly Kennedy Center patrons to me - not surprising. The service was excellent. The food was good. Servers quickly brought a nice bread basket. Had a glass of wine which the server gave us a taste of before we committed which was nice. However wine is expensive - $11 for a glass, and bottle prices seemed fairly high as well.

We ordered a Fritto Misto starter which contained shrimp, squid, maybe clams, some veggies and lemon slices. It was very good. My husband had Spaghetti alla Vongole and I had a lightly breaded Fluke fillet accompanied by some crispy artichoke hearts and skinny asparagus and browned potato cubes. Our only complaint was that both the spaghetti and the potato/asparagus combo were drenched in too much olive oil. Otherwise, a nice dinner, very convenient location and very good service.

Bummer!

Any other Rockwellians get tickets? I'm in with my +1.

i'm going with 5 "outsiders." Looking forward to it!

Went to Range last night to check it out, and try their pizza after getting intrigued on the the Neapolitan Pizza thread. Had the Sausage, Smoked Mozzarella and Rapini Pizza and although it was very good, it didn't blow me away. I asked our server for salt and olive oil. He brought the olive oil in a little dish - it didn't seem like something they would normally provide. I thought those additions made the pizza really good. I looked for Edan, but he wasn't there.

We had several other dishes that others have already mentioned and all were excellent. The restaurant was buzzing with activity. Our service was very good. There are a lot of people working there, all rushing around. We thought the prices were reasonable for the excellent quality of the food and the remarkable setting. I was particularly impressed with the wine list. This list has lots of variety and many very reasonably-priced wines - more so than any other restaurant I've been to in the DC area!

And, MMM, where on the below? Link maybe? molte grazie

I've never figured out doing links, but here's a try - pizzacs.com/

In a discussion of Neapolitan pizza, I have to bring up Pizza CS ( Napoletana, come sempre). Can't compare them directly to 2 Amys (got annoyed with them a few years ago and haven't gone back) or Pupatella (which I had only once, at their cart), but the CS crust is made following the VPN rules and their pizzas taste like da Michele's to me. Am looking forward to trying pizza at Range soon.