mame11

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.

Hello DR.Com community... I am hopeful that someone can share a strawberry (i.e. pink) cupcake recipe with me this morning. I found a few online but I didn't trust the sources (including the martha stewart recipe) so I thought I'd come to this great resource for assistance. I've got both fresh and frozen strawberries available. Also, the recipe has to be simple enough that a 4 year old can assist with the process (no meringues please). TIA!

I've not lived in New Orleans but spent a ton of time in the city, and have a ton of family roots in New Orleans. What did you have?

The comment from Poolboy seems odd to me since it applies to all markets in the city. One of my highlights last year was getting to know farmers at both the 14th & U and Columbia Heights markets. I know farmers frequent their booths at Mt. Pleasant too.

Quick update from a quick trip: Dinner was at Lucky Strike. It may be a Keith McNally restaurant but the food was engh to sub-par. Company was great so who really cares, right? (My chicken was so dry I couldn't cut it.) Brunch 1 was at Public.... AMAZING. Had dinner there about 3 years ago. Must make it a part of my rotation when in New York. Brunch 2 was at Friedman's Lunch in Chelsea Market. Fabulous. Snack 1 bagel at Zabar's lunch counter. As good as you would expect a New York bagel with cream cheese. Snack 2 an espresso donut from Bomboloni. OMG. Glad there is not an outlet in DC or anywhere else I visit.

Tackle Box is on track to open the first week of May. They faced immeasurable delays obtaining permits for the space. The sign has been hoisted so there is no "if" involved. RE: Medium Rare... I had a wonderful brunch there last Sunday. I was skeptical of a restaurant with a limited menu but think it's a winner. The steak was delicious, and the frite beyond perfect. Because they don't give seconds at brunch we had room for dessert. OMG! The hot fudge sundae is off the hook.

Just saw this post on Saveur and thought y'all might be interested in it: Gluten Free Sandwich Bread

Can anybody recommend a French restaurant on the Lower East Side? Thanks!

Lyon Hall was my top discovery at Taste of the Nation 2011. The pate de campaign was perfect, and the French pastries unbelievably good. The cherry macaroon made me swoon. Because I was stuffed, I threw a a chocolate profiterole in my goody bag to enjoy when my stomach had room. Wow, it was delicious! From a marketing perspective, the restaurant succeeded. I can't wait to visit the restaurant sometime in the next month.

Really? I'm not questioning you but when I ate at the dupont location I was literally Ill from a salt overdose that afternoon. Neither the gumbo nor jambalaya resembled any i have had in Louisiana. The base was soup for both with no discernible roux. I say Louisiana because when I complained the explanation I was given was that the owner wasn't from New Orleans but another part of Cajun country. Um? Okay. What I perceived that day was the place is really a bar that serves food to soak up alcohol.

argh. I looked for this thread yesterday and couldn't find it. Queen Vic is opening on H St. that is going to sell a wide variety of British treats.

Can't wait to try Medium Rare but am curious if they would substitute more salad for the frites? While I can have steak, I am really supposed to stay away from fries (aren't we all?). Anybody venture a guess.

Have overripe bananas? Bake something bananany... Oatmeal/Chocolate Chip/Banana muffins! I doubled the amount of banana and used about a cup of chocolate chips. If I make them again I'll decrease the amount of sugar.

How about the bar at CityZen? It's supposed to be great, and at $50 for three courses a steal.

UM.... there has been significant work going on in the Tackle Box space since January when they received their permits from the city. I mean, they've been nearly been working around the clock. Yesterday I noticed they had a "we're hiring" notice up in the window. I believe I've read they plan to open by the end of April. In the meantime, I popped in Medium Rare's space and it's super attractive. It will be a great asset to the neighborhood.

The situation is awful in my opinion. I was in Atlanta when the raids to the DC area Chipotle restaurants occurred. I was shocked to read how many alleged illegal immigrants the company employed in this area's restaurants. I was actually surprised to see the difference in the workforce in Atlanta (non-Hispanic workers were the vast majority) when I grabbed lunch at a Virginia Highland outpost one day. A few weeks later I grabbed dinner at the Woodley Park outpost and was surprised that it was staffed by almost all new workers, only 2 of whom seem to be Hispanic. It was literally a night/day experience. The raids at Chipotle were done in advance of a new system for verifying employee's status being brought online. Chipotle corporate has feigned shock at the numbers of illegals they had hired, and promised to use the e-verify system moving forward. Good on 'em... but what about the thousands of thousands of employees that have been adversely impacted. They may be illegal but Chipotle made it possible for them to have a better life even as the company (likely) saved money on labor costs. ETA: I have a hard time believing that Chipotle wasn't aware they employed illegal aliens (the same way I don't believe American Apparel didn't realize it either). The advantage of e-verify is that it will remove the willful ignorance excuse from the table for employers.

20 people but Petits Plats too upscale and in walking distance to Woodley Park Marriott... Afghan Grill sounds like a good idea but they don't have a private room. You may want to check with Spices and see if they would close off the side room. At lunch they might. I don't mind walking from Cleveland Park to Woodley Park but your group might...

Okay, the CVS in Woodley Park is nasty so a larger, cleaner one will serve the neighborhood. However, I wonder what will go in its old spot. Have to think, a bank. Sigh.

I think I'm out but will not know for sure until tomorrow. Sorry :-(

I find the coffee at Tryst/Open City to be literally undrinkably sour/bitter. Awful. Worst coffee I've ever had. Wouldn't buy an espresso drink from them based on their acidic coffee.

me too!

If you are thinking about moving to Atlanta, please remember that downtown is barely a residential area (even though one of best friends lives not from your hotel). However, there are tons of great urban places to consider in addition to the three you've listed. I love, love, Serpas and the neighborhood in which it is located, the Old Fourth Ward. My friends swear by the Rathbun restaurants which are in Inman Park, another fabulous neighborhood, and the Old Fourth Ward (they are neighboring neighborhoods). I highly recommend checking out the Westside as well... mostly because one of my favorite spots is Star Provisions. I love grabbing lunch at Star Provisions, it's an affordable luxury. In Decatur there are great options for lunch. However, my favorite isn't on the old square. Farm Burger is really a special place with great, affordable food. In Buckhead I am partial to Souper Jenny's and can't wait to try her new place Jonah's Magical Attic, which is just around the corner. However, no trip to Atlanta where you are considering a move should be complete without a trip to Buford Highway. For AMAZING Vietnamese go to Chateua De Saigon @ 4300 Buford Highway and have the betel leaf wrapped beef rice paper rolls. I love this place so much I know the address by heart! Atlanta is a completely different city than it was 10 years ago. I would say it is worthy of consideration for a move. It has something for everyone. p.s. no southern food recs from me because I'm from Memphis and nothing can compare to Memphis Soul Food. I've never actually had soul food in Atlanta. However, I have had Fat Matt's BBQ and people like it. :-)

Finally ate at the new Palena last night and dont get the swooning adoration for the place. It was fine, not great. I was disappointed when the bread, which I was happy to pay for, was served cold. Not room temperature, not lukewarm but frigidly cold. We split the two greatest hits, the burger and chicken with a side of fries. Good thing I was craving salt because the burger was salty! I didn't mind (see craving for salt) my friend demurred after two bites. The fries were great, reminded me of mcdonalds fries back in the day. But I think $12 for the burger and fries is more reasonable than $18 for both. The chicken was engh. Would have been better if it was less greasy. Eta I do like the space.

Making your own popcorn in the microwave is really easy to do... it's healthy too! Oh and BLB you must put a lid on the pan when popping popcorn or else... (not sure, just or else!)

Who would think some of the best food I've had in a while would have been in Orlando, but it was. Dinner at The Ravenous Pig was fabulous. The diversity and quality of the charchuterie was worth the trip. There was a speck wrapped grilled date stuffed with goat cheese on a fruity sauce and a lamb meatball on top of a tzatki (sp?) in addition to fabulous soppresata et al. Oh, the chicken liver pate with a preserved cherry... oh my. The salad would have been good with less dressing (I never get salad dressing on my salads unless the server insists that it is better with it...) The pastry chef (co-owner of the place) must have a way with ice creams and sorbets because the dark chocolate sorbet and ginger ice cream were better than ANY I've had in DC, including my favorites Dairy Godmother and Pitango (not a fan of Dolcezza). I'll be dreaming of that dessert for a long time.... ETA: I had the most perfect view of the kitchen sitting at the chef's bar. What a treat! I really learned a lot watching the kitchen staff and chefs work in a not huge space. Okay, now I'll share a place with the dr.com that I discovered randomly because it was near where I was staying.... Pollos a la Braza Mario. I arrived in Orlando pretty late and was convinced I'd end up at some random chain and was more than pleasantly surprised when I saw this place and checked it's urbanspoon info. Wow. What luck. I asked some diners as well as staff what to get. They all (literally, all) recommended the skirt steak. I wasn't that hungry so I was hesitant. However, I was convinced by the locals to try it... It is a HUGE meal. The steak was well seasoned and served on a sizzling cast iron with a side of beans (something Columbian, I think) and rice which were both rich and flavorful. Instead of potatoes I asked for sweet plaintains which were great. I really wish there were places like either The Ravenous Pig or Pollos a la Braza Mario in DC (proper).