Anna Phor

I don't think there is a thread yet about this new local brewery--3 Stars Brewing in Takoma, DC. They have a warehouse and I believe plans to open a homebrew store in NE DC. There is a write-up on the Washington Post that details their launch: Thursday at Birch & Barley/ ChurchKey, then Friday at the Big Hunt.

Calverty Woodley? Although they are for the most part a wine & spirits store, they have a fabulous deli counter and carry specialty coffees and condiments./ http://www.calvertwoodley.com/ 4339 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20008

Our family is spending next week in the Adirondacks, and I'm wondering if anyone has any good recommendations for a spot my husband and I can sneak away to for lunch while we leave the kid with doting grandparents. We are going to be at the south-western end, specifically in the vicinity of Gloversville, NY. All the reviews I'm finding online are from places further north and east--Lake Placid, Lake George. Any help appreciated!

Foggy Bottom Whole Foods? I bet you could assemble something nachoiste from their salad bar, if nothing else. There's also a Baja Fresh at the corner of 20th and I, Chipotle at 19th and M, a spot called Baja Grille (to which I have never been) on the block of 20th between L & M, and another Baja Fresh on 19th by Dupont Circle metro (how far can the two year old walk). Alternately, tell them to take the toddler to the zoo and hit California Tortilla in Cleveland Park. (Although the nachos are the worst thing on the menu there--they involve cheeze product).

Bumping because I've just booked a week in Edinburgh at New Year's, which will involve a family reunion of sorts, including a wedding, an introduction to a new baby, and crucially (for the purposes of this thread) a 40th wedding anniversary for which I have (joint) hosting responsibilities. Question: Does anyone have experience with party food from Marks & Spencer? We have an apartment rental to host the party and I was thinking of M&S for the food, since it's easy to order advance online. Or other suggestions? Also, any general recent restaurant recommendations much appreciated!

On a little spur off I-70, about 20 minutes past Hagerstown, we settled on the Clear Spring Country Diner as a dinner spot on our recent road trip to points north and west. The address is 11855 National Pike, Clear Spring, MD--I can't find a website, but they are on facebook. I think the lady that welcomed us was the grandmother of all of western Maryland. She was just the soul of hospitality and right away took to our son (he had his curls patted by about 3 grandparently types as they passed by our table while we were there), and sweet-talked him into trying a plate of mac n cheese. I had a baked cod dinner served with mac n cheese and stewed tomatoes, a sweet and vinegary preparation that tasted to me very much like a prepared ketchup. Mr Phor had the turkey sandwich with gravy which is a preparation I myself am not terribly fond of (gravy + bread = soggy bread, IMO) but assures me that it was a most delicious exemplar of its type. Our child then proceeded to do one of those terrible and unavoidable things that small children do on road trips (messy, requiring a complete change of clothing and much clean up). While we tag-teamed to minimize the impact of our offspring on the general surrounding populace, our hostess dropped by with wet towels and sympathy--and once we were all resettled, dropped a piece of her latest cake to taste (a raspberry-lemon yellow cake); to which we added a slice of berry pie. It was all entirely delicious.

I've had food poisoning at least four times. Twice from high-end restaurants in dc, both times from seafood products. The third time was from a bar in Greenwich Village; others were not so lucky as I was. The fourth time it was probably the whisky.

Visited Pulpo for the first time last night. This is a vast improvement over Tackle Box and a great addition to the neighborhood! The interior decorator has taken this former McDonalds and really explored it as an industrial-styled space. The walls are painted concrete; the tables are dark polished wood. Their website advertises communal tables, but I didn't see any on the ground floor. There is a long bar stretching back to the kitchens with exposed piping overhead. Pulpo boasts an nice cocktail list. I tried their pisco sour, which was not so much to my liking (much less fluffy egg white than other renditions I've had) but the watermelon-infused La Sandia de la Vida had a great funky perfumy melon flavor. Companions enjoyed the Dulce Flor and the Pulpo Picante. We ordered a broad selection of dishes from across the menu. Highlights were the eponymous pulpo which came grilled and succulent with roasted potatoes and crisped kale; the prawn ceviche with mango; the tangy espinacas con citricos; and the brussel sprouts. The tortilla espanola was underwhelming, however. We did not try any of the red meat dishes. The dessert menu here is not extensive and feels like an afterthought at place which obviously cares about food. We opted for dessert elsewhere. The service was lovely; attentive, friendly, and very sweet to my son. For those that care, we ate at six with a toddler, the restaurant offers high chairs and serves milk if you ask, and tapas are great to share with a small person. He devoured the sliders and also appreciated the octopus.

I'll vouch for the buffet. It's been a couple of months since I stopped in, but the buffet is usually a lamb or chicken stew of some sort, accompanied by rice, your choice of vegetable and legume additions, and pita bread. It's always very nice quality and cooked by someone who clearly knows her way around a kitchen. I've never been to Turkey, but if I did go, and you happened to have a grandmother whose family get-together dishes just happened to be everybody's favorite, well, I would not at all be surprised if her cooking didn't taste something like this. I'm also a big fan of their Ayran, which they don't always have, but it's a very sour and tangy, almost kefir-like drink.

So here's the round-up of our recent Keys trip. Based in Key West, but a couple of places from up and down the highway are listed below, pretty much in the order that we went. We had two small kids in our party, and all of the places that we went were accommodating; we generally ate early in the evening for dinner (around 6). We flew into Fort Lauderdale, and our first stop was the Hungry Tarpon (http://www.hungrytarpon.com/) in Islamorada, at MM78. When we parked here, we were 80% sure it was closed--it looks like a shut up beach shack. Once we walked around the back, however, we saw the picnic tables under the trees on the sand, and the water birds strutting along the dock, and the tropical masks and lights strung through the trees--and a hundred pounds of city stresses and work worries fell collectively from shoulders. The ambiance of this place is just gorgeous. It's also great for kids; there are giant tarpon to feed off the docks (baitfish supplied) and pelicans and herons circling around in the water. The adults in our party went for the grouper sandwich, save the smartest, who ordered fish tacos, which were by far the better dish. Pie report: the Hungry Tarpon does a cream-topped pie (the whole top, not just around the edges) with a standard graham cracker crust. The cream is not real whipped cream; the filling was creamy and not particularly tart. Our hotel was located at Smathers Beach, on the south side of the island. The stretch of A1A that runs alongside the beach attracts food trucks, and this was one of our real finds. There's a little yellow painted truck with the banner "Smathers Food Cart" that sells a burger/fries/soda special for $5. Eat this. It's fabulous. Big juicy burger, grilled to order, with your choice of toppings, on a hearty bun. We were tipped off by the fact that the letter carrier had pulled up her van to grab her lunch from this spot (if the locals are going there, that's a good sign, right!) and the guess paid off. When we were there, the cart was parked just west of the Sheraton. They don't seem to have a web presence at all. Dinner at El Meson de Pepe (http://www.elmesondepepe.com/) was not as great as I recall our last visit there. My lechon asado was dry and not particularly flavorful. The ropa vieja, on the other hand, was excellent, with a broad spice profile and complex flavors. Nonetheless, I'd recommend this spot in Mallory Square for its live music and proximity to the heart of town. Pie report: El Meson de Pepe does a meringue topping to their pie. Filling was creamier than some of the others (almost cheesecakey), but the crust was super-crumbly. Trying to avoid parking and crowds, our next dinner saw us venturing off Key West proper to Stock Island, a short bridge away. We went to the Hogfish Bar and Grill (http://hogfishbar.com/), on the water with a bunch of boats docked on their pier. Clientele included a variety of beaded and bearded sailors, plus a guy sitting at the bar with a parrot on his shoulder. The speciality of this place is their hogfish sandwich, with swiss cheese, onions, and mushrooms, on cuban bread. Consensus was that the cheese did not improve the fish, and that the sandwich was not as fab as it was hyped up to be. The fish of the day, on the other hand, was a freshly caught grouper, served with piping hot and garlic laced grilled zucchini and squash, and a mango salsa. Our next find was a late breakfast/early lunch at Ana's Cuban Cafe, at the corner of South St and Simonton, 2 blocks from the southernmost point. This is a combination deli/grocery store and cafe, with a bunch of picnic tables set up on a shady porch outside a window where you order food. Sandwiches here were sublime--on the freshest pillowy-crispy cuban bread that you could imagine, laced with generous slabs of pulled pork and dressed with large slices of perfectly ripe avocado. This place was so good that we went back for dinner for sandwiches to eat on the beach. They serve eggs and omelettes at breakfast, cafe con leche, a variety of sandwiches, and pie. Pie report: A cream topped pie with a deep lime flavor, and a crust that was more crumb that crust. The pie arrived with some frozen spots, which IMO, is not such a bad thing. After leaving El Siboney (http://www.elsiboneyrestaurant.com/), there was general amazement that we were able to walk into a place so good and so cheap and get a table at lunch on a Sunday. The Cuban sandwiches here are made on a press; the fish entree tasted like it had been caught that morning, and came with mountains of rice, beans, and plantains, and the ropa vieja was similarly dressed. Six of us walked out stuffed to the gills for around $15 per person. Pie report: Meringue-topped (is this a Cuban thing? it may be apostasy, but I like it this way best), very lime-y flavor, crisp graham cracker crust. My winner for the best of all. Our party declared a tie between this pie and Ana's for best of the trip. Our last meal on the island was at Turtle Kraals (http://www.turtlekraals.com/), and they didn't disappoint. The ceviche had layers of fish, lime, and pepper, and we could have sat and ate it with spoons all night. The peel and eat shrimp special (which we caught at half price for happy hour) was divine. Fish tacos popped with a spicy/creamy sour cream and cilantro, grouper filet was fresh and firm (and we could see staff gutting fish on the docks outside). The barbecued brisket was tasty, although the sauce was slightly sweet. Additional Pie research: Kermit's (http://keylimeshop.com/) provides a recipe with their key lime pie, and generally hit on the kind of filling consistency that I was aiming at--I might add a little more lime. I'm also partial to the meringue topping, although I understand purists may disagree (but it gives you something to do with the extra egg whites. What *do* they do with all those egg whites when they make cream-topped pie?) I didn't see any clear difference between Kermit's and the Key West Key Lime Pie Co. (http://www.keywestkeylimepieco.com/)--both were crowd-pleasers with cream topping, firm filling, and a good graham cracker crust. Driving back up the highway to Fort Lauderdale, we were swayed by the sentimentalism of the football contingent, and stopped at Shula Burger (http://www.shulaburger.com/). Don't allow this to happen to you. Service was slow, burgers were dry (and all served well-done, without the waiter asking how we wanted them cooked, which is ... odd), and when I asked for vinegar for my fries, I was given a vial of balsamic.

I visited this truck once, and I'll admit, I was taken aback and made a little uncomfortable by the costuming, which seemed to appropriate a fictionalized India. I haven't been back, in part because of the discomfort with their schtick. It reminds me of the way I felt when I saw Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited, a movie about a trio of American brothers who "find themselves" in India. The film ends with the three Americans waltzing down the railway line while a group of Indians carry their baggage--an apt metaphor and I have never been quite sure whether Anderson was fully aware of what he was doing with it or not.

We found a spot--Foxy's Harbor Grille. I have updated the St. Michael's thread. Thanks for suggestions!

On a recent trip to this part of Maryland, we landed at Foxy's Harbor Grille in St. Michael's. Their outdoor deck was extremely pleasant and we were entertained by a local musician who was suitably atmospheric but not intrusive. From the outside, I was concerned that I was going to walk into a somewhat more raucous environment that I would have preferred (not that I'm against raucous, per se, but not so much when I'm out with a little kid & the family)--and I suspect the place gets happier as the evening goes on. Dining is on a deck looking out over the marina--I believe there is another indoor space in the same complex if there is rain. The menu was simple bar food, including burgers, sandwiches, and crab cakes, but nicely executed. My burger was a cut above the usual bar burger and came with a nice char. Side options include potato chips, black bean salad or potato salad. We followed up by taking the Bellevue ferry across to Oxford (about a 25-35 min trip total--10 min drive, 10 min on the ferry, plus a wait for the ferry to arrive) for ice-cream at Scottish Highland Creamery. This is a must-go stop on the Eastern shore for me, as I am Scottish originally and always scope out their shop for treats that I can't get in the US. Alas, no tablet, but their ice-cream is excellent and their flavors innovative.

Founding Farmers might have a broad enough menu to suit both of your companions. I have been there with vegetarians (although not vegans) who have remarked that there are more choices than they often find.

My dear beloved husband is cheerfully putting up with a long weekend trip with my parents to points Eastern-shoreward. He would very much like to watch the Kentucky Derby some place this weekend, so I'd like to scope out a spot that will please all parties involved. Any recommendations for a spot within a 20-30 minute drive of Cambridge (so Easton, Oxford, St. Michaels--those sorts of spots) that (i) is likely to have a tv on (ii) has reasonable food (crabs a definite plus!) and (iii) has enough atmosphere/ambiance for my parents who are not interested in sports at all? I'm thinking a nice pub, possibly on the water, good beer, casual enough to bring a toddler. Any leads appreciated!!!

It's been ten years since I lived in Oahu, but if it's still there, Irifune, a local Japanese spot on Kapahulu Ave, is a great place to visit and eat some authentic local Japanese food off the beaten tourist track.

This makes me very happy. It looks like there is a new Filter location opening up on the 1900 block of I Street? There is a sign up, although the windows are papered over. Do they do food/pastries, or just coffee?

From the Oxford English Dictionary: It's new to me! At least one of the OED entries is marked obselete--on top of which, the most recent citation for the non-obsolete entry is 1892. So I think time of death can probably be called on this one ...

Close the Cleveland Park service lane. Then they could have tables out front.

F is a labio-dental fricative; the voiceless bilabial fricative is a different and much rarer sound. I used to teach this material to callow undergraduates. I have heard all the jokes before ...

If you are thinking of a deep fryer (I know, I'm responding to a post a couple months old), AND if you don't have a crockpot, I would recommend this: http://www.gopresto.com/products/products.php?stock=06020 It deep fries, but I use mine to stew or braise meat overnight. I also use it for canning (if it can boil oil, it can sure boil water!), and it claims you can do rice in it, although I haven't tried enough times to figure if I like the results.

I always shop on foot, usually with a toddler who is either also walking or in a stroller. I haven't had a car in 2 cities or 14 years. Walkable grocery stores have been a key factor in choosing the locations of houses or apartments I've lived in for many many years--even when I had a car, I sometimes shopped on foot. I also use grocery delivery regularly (probably once a month or more), and I prioritize heavy things for delivery. I've been getting Peapod deliveries for close on ten years now and would call myself an early adopter but for the fact that my mother has been doing online grocery shopping since the dawn of time (viz. the mid nineties).

Any recent experiences in the Keys? Headed down there Memorial Day weekend with 4 adults and 2 young 'uns (both under 3), so family-friendly recs definitely appreciated.

Another nod to Dino. If you wait until the weather warms up, you can get patio seating which allows for a quick getaway if you need it. (BTDT.) They have always been very welcoming to us and there is a decent noise buzz which gives a bit of breathing room. Medium Rare across the street is also nice for kids although they don't have a separate kids menu (we feed our toddler from our plates, and there is plenty of food).

You can buy ball canning jars (and lids? I'm not sure, but I bet you can) from Brookville in Cleveland Park. I've also seen them at Giant, and as mentioned above, Ace hardware in Tenleytown.