Beto

We just threw ours out. Too hyped and did not produce.

What did you throw out?

I was a Melitta guy for many years and in the past year have come to prefer my French press. I also stopped buying the ridiculously priced coffee at the Safeway preferring the insanely cheap whole bean varieties at Trader Joe's.

Looks like our arcs swung in opposite directions. I used to do almost only French press, but in the last year or so, Melitta's been my go-to. Thing is, some coffees are better suited for the full-body that the press pot gives, and others are more delicate and lend themselves to filter.

Either way, just enjoy what you're drinking!

Cooks Illustrated raved about the Technivorm Moccamaster.

Link-A-Dink

At $265, however, I have not yet been able to pull the trigger.

That's the one exception to which I was referring. It's an awesome machine, but not exactly recession-friendly.

I'm a big proponent of the Melitta-style pourover method of brewing, for both the quality and simplicity of it. All you need is a way to make boiling water, a coffee grinder, a Melitta drip cone and filters.

It takes me all of 4 minutes to make a cup of coffee that rivals (or exceeds) any drip machine out there. With one exception that I'm aware of, home drip machines don't get water hot enough to properly extract enough flavor from the coffee. The result is a relatively lifeless cup of coffee with very little complexity or nuance.

This has me totally intrigued. I must've passed by Chilhowie at least 10 times since they've been open, since my family is in TN. Without a doubt, I'm going to schedule my next trip around a meal there.

Who's bankrolling this venture? They can't possibly be turning a profit. (I don't mean that in a negative way. I'm just flabbergasted at the thought of a place like this in the middle of nowhere.)

An assessment that still rings true 3 years later.

http://www.palenarestaurant.com/

Frontpage DIY

The first docket entry states:

06/12/2008 Complaint for Non-Payment of Rent/Notice to Quit Filed Receipt: 311129 Date: 06/12/2008

I have edited my post due to the second hand nature of the information I received. I still stand behind my feelings that this was handled very poorly. Whatever the reason for the closing it was done very quickly and not even the managers had any knowledge of what was going on. I have never seen anything quite like it and I am quite frankly very upset with the way it was handled. I have never heard of an established buisness not coming to a lease agreement over night.

Yeah, they didn't pay their rent. You can see the case details by going to the DC Courts website and searching for case number 2008 LTB 018548.

Fortunately, Atwater's is not one of those companies succumbing to the underbaked trend.

My wife manages to make cookies that are both crispy on the edges and slightly chewy by using a combination of white and brown sugar. Yeah, I don't even bother buying cookies.

Ricciuti's has a very loyal following and the chef/owner is a strong supporter of Slow Food.

(disclaimer: Ricciuti's serves our coffee.)

This made me chuckle: "Morley, who was the first winner of the Mr Gay UK title in 1993 even though he had a girlfriend at the time,"

I haven't been, and so would have no opinion other than to say that businesses that include "gourmet" in their names usually aren't.

That also holds true for the following:

World's Best

Famous

Home-made

Don't forget their gelato. As far as I know, it's made from scratch every day. Most gelaterias use a premade base to which they add flavorings.

The owner, Cheryl Schneider, traveled to Italy to learn how to make artisan gelato. That's pretty serious.

I would like to revisit this topic. What restaurants in the DC Metropolitan / Baltimore / Annapolis area are serving specialty coffee and doing a good job of it? I am most interested in Espresso Service or French Press Service.

Also, any comments on the specialty coffee service at these establishments?

— Woodberry Kitchen

— Oyamel

— Restaurant Eve

I haven't eaten at Restaurant Eve, but Woodberry Kitchen does a spectacular job with both French Press and espresso. During service, there is a barista that prepares all of the coffee. Most restaurants relegate coffee preparation to the already over-burdened waitstaff. Spike Gjerde, the owner, used to run Artifact Coffee which, for its too-brief existence, was the best coffee shop in Baltimore. Sadly, it had to be sacrificed so he could open Woodberry Kitchen.

It's been a while since I ate at Oyamel, but the last drip coffee I had there was very good.

Yes, but is the ice local?

The Post has more details about Leonardo Marino's abrupt departure.

The wife and I went last night. The verdict? Fantastic

They started us with an amuse of halibut ceviche that was nicely balanced and not overly acidic. We chose the a la carte menu.

Starters:

Cold corn soup - a very refreshing corn soup with lemongrass and hearts of palm

Corn ravioli - tender ravioli with morels. I think that this was my favorite dish all night.

Mains:

Bronzino with spinach and roasted potatoes - a fillet of bronzino, the skin was nice and crispy and the potatoes had a wonderful roasted, earthy flavor

Angus Strip - The strip, which seemed to be cold-smoked was tender and full of rich, beefy flavor. By the look of it, it had been cooked sous-vide and then seared.

We shared cheesecake for dessert. The cheesecake was made with a mild chevre from Cherry Glen farms and came with poached pluots and tangy yogurt sherbet. It was very good.

The service was spot-on; attentive without being intrusive. We parked no more than 30 feet from the front door and do I have to mention that it is free after 5pm? Of course, being Frederick, there are no driving hassles.

This place is a gem that I'm definitely putting into the rotation.

there's no drink size options, it's just 12oz across the board. the drink prices on the menu boards also all include tax. it's the little things, but i was tickled when my latte said $3.50 and i paid exactly $3.50.

And paying tax is a good thing.

Also confirms a visit to Ben's chili bowl at some point.

It figures.

So, he'll be at the Dupont Circle farmers market, and DC Central Kitchen . He's here until Monday. Word is a few late nights in Adams Morgan and G'Town. A little time in Penn Quarter.....So if his friend Andrew Zimmerman ( the guy that eats crazy stuff) were here where would he go and what would he have?

All fun and games aside, it's nice to see DC starting to get on the culinary map, so to speak.

Now that Spike's here, we're set!

2:1 sugar to water here.

Great idea about infusing mint by the way! Since we've got lots of mint growing in the garden and the mojito is my go-to summer drink, I'll give it a try.

At the farmer's market, we have a speed pourer labeled "simple syrup" for the iced coffee. We always get questions about what simple syrup is. Does anyone know of another, more descriptive way of labeling it?

Today marked the fourth, the fourth time that I had lunch there this week. This is unprecedented for me. I didn't plan on it, but when a coworker invited me, how could I resist?

We had the:

Pocket Tofu - wonderful little pillows of tofu and minced shrimp in pepper sauce

Fish Noodles (2nd time with this dish) - pureed fish and shrimp piped into boiling broth to make flourless noodles that are served with scallions, Chinese sausage and mushrooms

Szechuan Pork - thinly sliced pork belly stir fried with green pepper, garlic, onions and ginger.

I think that some of the recipes include crack, because it's so addictively good!

All in all, this is a place I would go back to. It for me is a good substitute for my childhood fav Szechuan Best for the south side of Baltimore.

pics

We've been there 3 times for lunch just this week! Today, the 5 of us had the:

Hot and spicy smoked shrimp - not too hot, probably my favorite.

Szechuan steamed pork with rice powder - seasoned with star anis, cinnamon, and other spices. Well-balanced.

Ma Pau Tofu - spicy cubes of tofu in a pepper oil. Not as hot as appearances suggest.

Noodles and mushrooms - subtle-flavored noodles in a light sauce

Taiwan style fish - cubes of fish and minced pork in a garlicky, pepper sauce, very good!

I'm determined to work my way through the entire menu. Every dish surprises me that I try, since my exposure to authentic Chinese food is limited. This place has caused me to completely rethink what I thought I knew about Chinese cuisine.