mame11

@sheldman, I had an awful experience at District Kitchen about which I was not going to write. However, I think you may have stumbled on something that is of note... most of the restaurants (sans New Heights, Open City, Afghan Grill and Eddie's Cafe) in Woodley Park are mediocre/bad and (mostly) expensive or overpriced. The restaurants do not rely on locals for support as the mega-hotels provide a constant crop of unsuspecting guests. I had hoped District Kitchen would be more like New Heights in quality than the others but alas I think it's a tourist trap.

Here is an option that is much less expensive than POS: Square. The upfront investment is a smartphone or ipad with a way of connecting to the Internet. I know tons of vendors who love the service.

I too appreciate the reminder about Tomatoland. I heard the author speak on FreshAir and it's on my reading list. I have already decided not to eat tomatoes out of season based on what I heard on the show!

Additionally, I love the additional information I have learned about Aldi's ownership of Trader Joes.

Trader Joe's is a subsidiary of a multinational grocery company that also operates Aldi. That liberals and urbanites have adopted Trader Joes as something akin to Whole Foods has made me laugh since I discovered the ownership overlap. Aldi's is a bulk grocery chain that specializes in good old fashion generics (i.e. remember the black and white cans when generics were new, before store brands?)

It is not a touchy feely company, we just want it to be!

Curious why not take your lunch? You can still get out of the office for a stroll, but it sounds like eating out isn't much of an option.

I live near there and I LOVE Breadline but I am skeptical about this place. Who wants a bread place? Americans don't lack "fresh bread" places on every corner (like France) because nobody has created them, we lack them because nobody wants them. And if they do, there's plenty of farmer's market and other options. I don't see it. I wish he'd just open a new Breadline or maybe a bagel place because it looks like the Dupont Bethesda Bagels won't open any time soon.

Huh? I think the success of Marvelous Market belies your argument. I think Americans love bakeries which is why there has been a renaissance in cities across the country, from cupcakes to full blown bakeries. Plus the press reports indicate Bread Furst will have food stuffs in addition to bread. Also, I think the Bethesda Bagels is supposed to open in the next month, they are working round the clock.

During the dot-com days when anybody with a computer seemingly could sell his company for absurd sums, and companies went public with 20 page S-1 documents, it was really painful to watch the Zagats try to transition and compete, then they valued their company for some insane amount (I think $500 million, which was probably closer to accurate than some of the companies with whom they were competing.) I was thrilled to see they were able to finally sell the company. The Zagats were really pioneers in profiting off of user generated content long before the Internet made it de rigueur

After the brouhaha over the company's less than forthright employment practices, I vowed not to frequent Chipolte anymore. After my meal tonight I wish I had come home and cooked. I found not one but two foreign objects in my meal. The first was a dried black bean which I am lucky I noticed before I chomped down on it. A dried black bean, I can overlook. Then I found something else, probably a piece of plastic.

What really irks me is that I noticed each person behind the line at the Woodley Park Chipotle was some form of immigrant from somewhere other than South or Central America. Couldn't the company have put their money where their mouth is and helped their former workers become legal?

What a fun trip! In Memphis I recommend sticking with BBQ. You can't go wrong with either Cozy Corner or Central BBQ. Both are awesome. In addition to great traditional fare like ribs and chopped pork, try the Cornish Hens at Cozy Corner and the Bologna at Central BBQ.

I'd stay in Frederick and go to Volt.

Ha!!! Guess who is casting for restaurants in the DC/Baltimore area for their show next season. Can you imagine if they could do a piece about a restaurant at the Watergate. It would be a hit! Information for Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmare casting is here

This market has vaulted to the top of my list for DC area markets. It's not small anymore on Sundays. They have the most diversity of vendors of any markets I've attended in the DC area, which include the usual subjects and less frequented ones too. In addition to produce vendors, they have 2 pickle stands, 2 (maybe 3) cheese purveyors, 2 smoked meat options, falafel, chips & salsa, coffee, chocolate, oh my the list goes on. Worth checking out if you haven't lately, or ever.

I've been in a bad coffee place since returning from Australia in April. At the time, I couldn't believe it every time I would fork over $5 for a flat white, but I would happily pay to have something similar now.

You definitely should check out Filter in Dupont Circle. Apparently the Flat White they serve is the real deal and quite popular with Australian ex-pats.

I'm in...

In Vegas for work. Craving sushi, I went to Tao because it is in my hotel and had good reviews on Urban Spoon. I figured at the prices they charge for sushi the fish flew first class to Vegas.

Well, my rolls were fabulous and the seaweed salad by far the best I've ever had. I wish the portion for the seaweed salad had reflected the price (a whopping $10, not on the menu so I didn't know). The rolls were really incredible. The fish was very fresh. It was exactly what I was looking for and exactly twice as much as I would have paid in DC, New York or LA (even at the nice places). Whatever, it's Vegas and essentially a hotel restaurant so I can't complain about prices.

BUT the reason I really felt compelled to post was to share what one of the servers said to me:

"We are not a restaurant, we're a factory. We serve about 25,000 customers during a week."

I'm glad I ordered sushi.

@new foodie, the prices in DC seem much higher than they are in LA, or NY. I wonder if the rent is so high they are adjusting the price. But I notice that I am treating Pinkberry as a luxury in DC where I don't feel the same in other places. For example, I know the small was $1 more in DC than it was in Atlanta just last week.

However, I have to step in to the conversation regarding why Pinkberry is better and/or different than other yogurts... the quality of the toppings is astounding. Right now they have watermelon puree as an option... freshly made puree. Try some on the original. Amazing.

Could post a negative comment or two but instead I am going to post a positive comment to assist members of, and visitors to, donrockwell.com...

if you are in dupont circle and crave a hamburger and fries go to BGR north of the circle and partake in a meal. The burgers at BGR are grilled, not fried. The fries (sweet and idaho) are freshly prepared.

Columbia Heights Farmer's Market has stolen the spot as my favorite market in Washington D.C. It kicked off the season today with a bang. Since it goes until 2 you could still pay it a visit. (I hit 14th & U, Mt. Pleasant and Adams Morgan too today)

What makes it great? The sheer diversity of vendors, producers and farmers is fabulous. The prices are reasonable to the consumer and the farmer. The produce is top notch and should meet the most picky member's standards. For those who like Jamie Stachowski (sp?) sausages you can find them at the market, along with Bonaparte Bread and Upper Crust Bakery. There is a bison provider too. Unfortunately I forget to get the names of the farmers but I will remember too the next time I hit the markets.

This year they even have a local goat cheese producer who is offering goat fudge! It's really tasty (says she who splurged on $8 worth of peanut butter and chocolate fudge because the farmer told me it would last for months.. I assume I bought willpower too.)

I just had a wonderful meal in New York. Oh wait, it wasn't New York it was Cleveland Park, D.C.

At the last minute two friends and I decided to head out to dinner. I suggested Medium Rare thinking at 8:30 on a Saturday it should be fine... um, no. There was an hour wait. We put our names on the list and headed to the 4Ps for a drink...

We came back about an hour later, waited a few minutes for a table and were promptly seated. One friend was a vegetarian but was willing to try the restaurant and its mushroom entree. Everybody loved their meals, and I'm ordering the mushroom entree the next time because it's that good.

But for the size of the restaurant it is easy to think Medium Rare is in New York not DC. Look forward to returning for the mushrooms soon...

The picnic is a great opportunity for new members to get to know others on the board, and for all of us to catch up.

ETA: I am planning on attending. Not sure what I'm bringing. Probably too much of something.

I have loved farmers' markets ever since my undergraduate days at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I spent most Saturday mornings eating from a bag of fresh cheese curds while buying fresh produce from the wide variety of farmers at the Dane County Farmers' Market.

I realize now that I use visits to farmers' markets to see a side of the communities I visit that I would otherwise miss. I'd love to know which markets y'all think are not to be missed, regardless of location. For example, I think if you love farmers' markets as I do it would be worth planning a special trip to Madison just to visit the Dane County Farmers' Market. I'm not kidding.

It will also be interesting to see what observations we have of the markets we visit. E.G. this past weekend I noticed the prepared food vendors were far busier at the Peachtree Road Farmers' Marketin Atlanta than the fresh produce vendors.

Additionally, it may be possible to identify sources of local products that are worthy of special orders...

So... what do you think?

I don't think there is anything wrong with having a stash of Matzah with you. I've noticed certain restaurants in the ATL have a stock of Matzah for their Jewish patrons. However, most probably don't.

I doubt any restaurant will care if you pull out the Matzah.

I've hosted a few luncheons at the Tabard Inn to great success. They have a couple of rooms that should fit the bill.

Hey! Cut me some slack. I'm out of town! Pinkberry... so excited. Not sure why I love it more than I love any other frozen yogurt but here's a go at an explanation:

1) I like the consistency of the original flavor. It's icy and light.

2) The toppings are amazing. They source the chocolate crunchy topping from the same vendor that Michel Richard does. Last night I tried the hazelnut crunch topping for the first time. It's delicious.

3) The fruit is always fresh. Plus, they offer unique items like cucumber and honeydew. They even make their own fruit purees to use as toppings.

4) There is consistency between shops.

May 6 is opening day on Connecticut Ave. That I know the address (1213) by heart should probably concern me!

Aww... thanks Anna Blume and Porcupine. Today was one of those days where I posted first thing in the morning and didn't check DR.com again until, well, now. I literally didn't stop.

I ended up using the Sprinkles recipe on MarthaStewart.com. They were good and not too difficult to make. My 4 year old niece helped at the end by pouring the flour and wet mixtures into to the mixing bowl.

Thanks!

ETA: my sister has a Kitchen Aid mixer so I wonder what would have happened if she hadn't had one.