pkoons
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Everything posted by pkoons
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Forgive me if this is covered elsewhere but I figured I'd bring it to the top of the list... my significant other is a recent U of MD grad (food science) and is looking for a position with a local (Maryland/DC, possibly NOVA) food or beverage manufacturing company. Ideally she is hoping to find something in the quality control, R&D, or product development field. I've racked my brain and haven't thought of too many companies with a local presence so I'm struggling to help out here. My short list includes McCormick, Elite Spice, Honest Tea, Mayorga Coffee, Canada Dry (I think the Landover office is just a distribution center though), Mars Grocery, and Gamay Flavors. If anyone is aware of any opportunities, that would be fantastic, or even if you could just point me in the direction of any local companies that manufacture food/beverage products so we could check it out for ourselves, that would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!
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I actually had my first roast pork (with sharp provolone and broccoli rabe) at Tony Luke's this past Sunday. That's a damn good sandwich, although the first thing that came to mind was that it still fell short of the amazing pork shoulder sandwiches I used to scarf down at the Galileo grill. My girlfriend also loved her roast beef with sauteed onions and rabe. Am I crazy or is there a Tony Luke's across the street from Tony Luke's? It looked like one was the sit-down restaurant and the other side of the street was the carry-out operation...
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I'm glad someone created this topic... I just went here a little over a week ago. This place scored a lot of points on my first visit - the inventive, creative cocktail menu; the cool decor (including a shower of rose petals leading to the huge front door); and of course the food. Sadly it was nearly empty when we went (Thursday 8 PM). We had the lobster mac n' cheese for appetizer, which was delicious and served with extra claw meat on the side. For entrees, I had the skate wing with lobster in beurre blanc (great combination of flavors) and she had the chicken schnitzel with spaetzle (great crispy texture on the chicken and it was still tremenously juicy). This place is one of my new favorites in Baltimore and well worth the trip from DC...
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Primo in the JW Marriott at Grande Lakes is my go-to when I'm in town. They were responsible for my favorite soft shell crab dish of 2008, and the wine service has been stellar.
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I'm going next Friday 12/26 for a little post-Christmas dinner. I am taking some relatively unadventurous eaters from the family so I'm a little nervous, but the flavor combinations of some of these dishes sound amazing. I can't wait!!!
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Cynthia's, Severna Park - Closed
pkoons replied to cjsadler's topic in Baltimore and Annapolis Restaurants and Dining
Stopped in last week - used to go regularly but had not been in the area for some time. Started with a mini-salmon cake amuse, followed by lobster with butternut squash risotto (delicious) and the amazing toffee cake with butter rum sauce. Only complaint - white wine continues to be served too cold. This and Lewnes' Steakhouse in Annapolis are my two favorite "close to home" restaurants. -
Went to Palena last night for the first time in over a year with a couple of business contacts from LA. We all really enjoyed it - we had 2 courses + dessert which was the perfect amount of food after a conference cocktail/hors d'oueveres reception. Here's a second vote for the Wood Pigeon Consomme. It's a nice sized bowl of perfectly seasoned broth with a couple of pigeon raviolini and slivers of foie gras, and fall vegetables. The bites I was able to steal of my dining companions' tuna pastrami and gnocchi were similarly good - I've never had a better textured gnocchi anywhere. The guinea hen main course (can't recall all the accompaniments but seem to remember mildly curried potatoes and carrots) was even better. The meat was juicy and just slightly gamy, and the skin was crisp and delicious. Almond caramel custard for dessert which was very good but the cinnamon ice cream with bread pudding and poached pear garnered much more rave reviews. Service was very good although the red wine came out a touch too warm and when I asked the server to chill it for just a few minutes (it was a half bottle) he disappeared long enough that when he came back, it was now a little too cold. Minor complaint - sometimes things you wouldn't notice are amplified when everything else is perfect. Overall a great meal... hoping it's not another year before I return.
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I wouldn't call this place inexpensive, but I would call it fairly priced - plus the menu is set up so you can put together a more reasonably priced meal with items from the Osteria bar menu, some salumi, and half portions of pasta. I went for the first time last week and really enjoyed it - had the squid app, 1/2 portion of the prosciutto/mortadella tortellini (amazing sauce, overall the dish was a little salty but I should have expected that given the ingredients), magret of duck breast with roasted pear and honey sauce (cooked to a perfect med rare), and an amazing panna cotta with salted caramel topping. Wine service was thoughtful and they had an amazing by the glass selection - full glasses ranged anywhere from 5-25 with half pours available. Beautiful space, great service, thoughtful pacing - I really enjoyed it. Can't wait to go back!
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I second Radius as a great choice - beautiful, modern space, great savory cocktails, and awesome food. When we visited, there was a bit of a tourist element there as their burger which had just been voted "best in America" in some publication that week. Apparently people were flying in from all over so I'm glad I had made a reservation for a 1 PM weekday lunch... The burger was definitely a winner - perfectly cooked, well seasoned, and the condiments really emphasized the meat - cheddar cheese, a light brushing of a horseradish cream sauce, and fried onions. Friends of mine love Mistral as well... that's next on my list.
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Today's lunch - McCain Burger, Fries, Diet Coke. Sticker shock at almost $19 for a lunch that reads like it should be $10 or so, but it was really good. I went with 2 coworkers and all 3 of us had the same thing, with burgers cooked med rare. Really enjoyed the burger, cooked a little closer to medium than med rare but it was really juicy anyway. It could have been a little spicier, especially based on the description, but that's a minor complaint.
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Add another rave to the list - this place is about 15 minutes from my house in Crownsville. Have been twice and tried the fish noodles, ma po tofu, pork belly with mui choy & mustard sauce, and garlic head-on shrimp. All great dishes but I was particularly enthralled with the perfect spice balance and custardy texture of the tofu (it was way too hot for my friend though). Portions and prices are great. I would have liked a little more crispiness/caramelization on the edges of the pork belly, but otherwise that was a favorite too. It was nice that I was recognized on only my second visit, too, and the chef seems truly concerned about the patrons enjoying the food (and trying new dishes). Great find!!!
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Is this place in Lakewood? If so, I was there last Wednesday and it's the strangest place I've ever been in my life...
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If I remember correctly, Nava Thai, and this dish specifically, was also mentioned favorably in Maxim magazine of all places... they just did an issue with a well-researched food piece that highlighted a few DC-area places.
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One of the nicest oceanviews I found was at Vigilucci's in Coronado/Oceanside area if you have time to hike all the way up there... Food is OK. Stick with lunch - it's a bit overpriced, and the food is just average. But the view is really great.
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Living near Annapolis, my regular dinner spots are Jalapenos, Lemongrass, Metropolitan, Tsunami, Lewnes' Steakhouse, Carrol's Creek, and the only two places to get a decent dinner that are actually in Crownsville - Sputnik Cafe (more than just decent - I go here a lot) and the Ram's Head Roadhouse (great beer & big screen TV, OK sandwiches). After my first visit to Cynthia's in Severna Park, that will likely go on the list too... Lunch spots - usually Bethesda/Rockville/Silver Spring area - Addie's, Black Market Bistro, Amici Miei, Ray's the Classics (when it's open), Mandalay, Crisp & Juicy. Sandwiches at My Butcher & More in Gambrills. And for a blowout dinner, Vidalia, Maestro, and the Inn & Easton have been my favorites.
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blanca in Solana Beach was very good and conveniently just below a friend's office building - beautiful presentations & good service, one of those places where I found almost every dish on the whole menu to be worthy of consideration, though a little overpriced. Tasting menu available seemed like a relative bargain. One of the most memorable dishes I've had recently was a heirloom tomato sampler ("bloody mary" with cherry tomatoes, chilled tomato basil soup, burrata with stoplight tomatoes, and fried tomatoes arranged from lightest to heaviest). Also loved the trio of melon sorbets with fresh fruit and gratis lemon bars with the check. A nice north county find. Rainwater's - I could take or leave it outside of the wine list - we loved the Lewis Cellars Cab/Syrah blend and put down a few bottles. Priced as expected for a steakhouse. But I've had better steaks at dozens of places, from Roanoke VA to LA, and I wasn't a big fan of the aggressive upselling on both food & wine... Started with some very nicely shucked oysters (just average, can't remember where from), had a bone-in strip (overcooked, good asparagus), and a creme brulee (crunchier caramelized top than usual, pretty good). The rest of my meals were junk food and Bud bottles by the Omni hotel pool... I would love to live in that climate year round.
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To answer my own question above, the "Pure & Simple" themed menu focusing on crab was one of the best meals I've ever had in a restaurant. Crab flan with lobster bisque & crushed almonds (served with a potent caramel martini) was one of the most unexpectedly delicious desserts I've ever eaten, with a perfect balance of light & rich flavors. The soft shell presentation with brown butter sauce and squash blossom tempura was also mind-blowingly good, and though the wine pairing was probably my least favorite of the night (a grassy sauvignon blanc), it was still a tremendous combination of flavors. Also served were a morsel of seared tuna with olive tapenade and tomato water, eggplant-wrapped dungeness crab salad with gazpacho, blue crab risotto (almost too much citrus and cream to fit the "pure & Simple" tag, but incredibly flavorful and very much to my liking texturally - a bit more toothsome), crab ravioli with white corn puree (and an inspired dry Merlot pairing), panna cotta with Limoncello, and the ubiquitous petit fours. Incredible. I still have not eaten at Citronelle and am really curious how the two compare...
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Any recommendations for the Livingston/Short Hills area in Essex County? It's a pretty affluent area and I expect to find myself there for business more in the future, but have never been anywhere except for a (decent) Chinese hole-in-the-wall that I can't remember the name of. Places that are open for lunch preferable.
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Stayed at Kingsmill a few weeks ago and must agree that The Fat Canary blew the Trellis out of the water. Nice atmosphere and well priced wines. I had a lobster pasta with lemon butter sauce that was bland at first but really tasty after a few hits from the salt shaker, and a nice, well-seasoned and tender lamb shank. The meal at the Trellis was very unmemorable - cheapest stemware I've ever seen in a place with $20+ entrees, and they didn't let me know when they ran out of the sweet potato side (the main reason I ordered the pork tenderloin entree), they just slapped some regular mashed potatoes on the plate and hoped I wouldn't notice. I'd be more likely to return to the clubhouse at the River Course on the Kingsmill resort for their cloyingly sweet (but very much to my personal taste) peach crepes with maple butter and crispy bacon...
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Doing Rainwater's next week - I see a rave from a few years ago, has anyone been recently? Also any suggestions for Solana Beach area would be much appreciated as well.
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Harris's Crab House on Kent Island recently had terrific jumbos for $68 a dozen - heavy, piping hot and well seasoned, and no traces of "mushiness" that occasionally hits at least one out of every dozen in many crab houses. Certainly the best I've had this year. We were able to get a seat overlooking the water on a Saturday night which was an added plus. I need to get back to the Narrows as well - I'm not a brunch person but I've been meaning to try the crab omelet for some time now...
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L'Oustalet, Rockville - Closed.
pkoons replied to Al Dente's topic in Washington DC Restaurants and Dining
I lived in King Farm a couple of years ago, everything was always pretty good but not great. Typical upscale neighborhood place that tends to slip under the radar. I remember a duck confit that may have registered as too sweet for many palates but was great to my tastes, and a nicely cooked hanger steak... Place was never really busy when I used to go there (weekdays mostly). If I recall correctly, the place also did not have a visible bar, I think they just had everything in the back... I'm curious to hear recent reports as well because the current menu looks quite good... -
I agree - great recent report, problem with reading these things is it makes me want to rush back. My past meals at Maestro have all been incredible for different reasons - whether it's nettle gnocchi or sturgeon with foie gras - two of my past favorites - I've maybe only had one or two dishes that weren't phenomenal (and even those dishes have been really good). I'm really looking forward to going on a Wednesday for the "Pure & Simple" menus. They've done meals based around asparagus & artichokes so far... I prefer a lot of variety in my meal but I'm sure if anyone could do a themed menu around a single ingredient, it would be Maestro. Has anybody been? I most recently came here about 3 weeks ago with friends from work and really enjoyed the mozarella/asparagus preparation (with asparagus 3 ways - including ice cream!), lobster ravioli (one of my all-time favorite restaurant dishes), soft-shell crab (very nice preparation with lemon froth), and an incredibly light & airy marzipan souffle with toasted almond ice cream. The gratis white chocolate/citrus sorbet balls and incredibly rich chocolate cakes are incredibly addictive... After dinner drinks, especially scotches, are unbelievably well priced - Macallan 25 year for $36??? Didn't do wine pairings this time but the cabernet drinkers in my circle of friends were very pleased with the selection & service - unquestionably one of the best around. We put down a few bottles of the Shafer cab, a little heavy for what I ordered but still one of my favorites. For my money it's the best in the DC area.