goldenticket

More changes on King Street... Las Tapas has closed, and will be replaced by John Strongbow's Tavern. The Tavern will also be the new home of Medieval Madness. The June 1 opening date didn't happen and it looks like there is still some interior construction going on as of the weekend.

Olea is the latest venture in the space previously occupied by Parsian Restaurant and Zorkafor's SandVeg. They're currently in a soft opening phase, and are serving the menu at half-price for the next few weeks. I haven't been in yet, but plan to make a visit, as I did enjoy the sample of their pizza that was being offered out front. It had a light, crispy crust, good flavor, and wasn't at all greasy. The chef (Mehrnoosh) and her husband, Majid, are Iranian and, according to this blog post linked on their website, she had an Italian restaurant in Tehran prior to immigrating to the US. The menu includes panini and salads, though they may be adding breakfast and some other items in the future. The space has been nicely updated, the staff appear to be very friendly and enthusiastic, and I hope they'll be very successful!

If/when Ferhat has soft shell crabs on the menu - don't miss them! The one I had on my sandwich last week was incredibly meaty and perfectly fried. We also enjoyed grilled bluefish as a 'platter'. It's great to have Fishnet's Shaw location as a more accessible option (from Virginia), since I never make it over to the College Park area. Looking forward to trying the tacos and some other items on future visits. The burger at the next table looked great. The interesting wine and beer selection is a definite plus!

The Alexandria Seaport Foundation's Wine on the Water event happens one week from Saturday: June 7, 2014, from 6-8pm. Wine, cheese, charcuterie, music, silent auction, raffle for a sailing canoe - a fun evening for a great cause! This will be the last year the event is held at the 2 Duke Street location. The warehouse where the Alexandria Seaport Foundation workshop is located will be demolished as part of the Alexandria waterfront development plan. Purchase tickets here - buy before midnight tomorrow (May 30) to get the early bird price of $55; $65 after that. (Tune in to NBC4 today between 4pm and 7pm - they'll be airing a story about the Alexandria Seaport Foundation. It will also be available on NBC4's website)

Is your article on this particular project, or failed non-performing Kickstarter projects in general? I'm pretty peeved about one I backed that is now more than a year past due. It's closely tied to a big deal local non-profit, as well as big name, DC area music/creative folks. It's a worthwhile project, so I do hope it will be completed. The last update to backers was August 2013 It would be very interesting to know the success rate of delivery and on-time completion of Kickstarter projects.

How about Union Market? It's a very short drive from Union Station. Options include oysters and a drink at Rappahannock River Oysters, a wine/cheese pairing at Righteous Cheese, or everyone grabbing what looks good to them from the various vendors and meeting up at a table or outside.

See you there!

The expansion continues. ARLNow reports that Amsterdam Falafelshop is opening in Clarendon. The report is based on a Craig's list posting, so no date or location information is provided. Newsflash: location is going to be the former BGR space, opening 'mid-summer' Can't wait...

Better late... Today is the day for the 2014 Dining Out for Life event. If you're planning to eat out for dinner tonight, why not make it at one of the participating restaurants? Depending on the location, at least 25%, and up to 100%, of your bill will be donated to support the important work of Food and Friends.

I bought a couple bunches there last week. I have pickled the bulbs and plan to saute the greens to go with potatoes or pasta. As I mentioned in another thread, had a fantastic ramp pizza over the weekend, which was excellent topped with a fried egg.

I can see why! I made my first visit over the weekend and am looking forward to the next opportunity to head back there. The ambiance at the bar on a Saturday afternoon explained the large number of regulars. The food and prices don't hurt either. Topnotch bartending completed the equation - effortless but attentive. We started by sharing the grande fish antipasti, along with two veggie dishes (English peas with prosciutto and spicy rabe with ricotta salata). I enjoyed all of them, with the baccala(alla pizzaiolo) and octopus(celery, lovage) being my favorites. The Ramps pizza off the specials menu, to which we added an egg on top, was almost too good for words; thin crust, perfectly cooked, and full of flavor. We were going to pass on dessert, but I'm so glad we didn't. At the suggestion of a neighbor at the bar, we shared the Olive Oil Coppetta (olive oil gelato, tangerine sorbetto, fennel brittle, lime curd, blood oranges). Wow... the flavors, colors, textures - just right. The olive oil gelato is a thing of beauty. It's probably a good thing Otto isn't closer- I think I'd be spending a lot of time there if it was.

The purists might consider this blasphemy, but I made some darn good pulled pork in the pressure cooker. All it took was a little bit of prep, some dry seasoning on pieces of Boston butt, and a few wet ingredients whisked together in the cooker. 45 minutes under pressure and I had flavorful, tender pork, and a tasty sauce (once reduced). I used this recipe as a guideline, which was adapted from an America's Test Kitchen cookbook.

Forno Roscioli and Forno de Campo dei Fiori: both good options for a "pezzo di pizza", though Roscioli had a broader selection of toppings, as well as a small 'hot table' in the adjoining space. Both had full bakery cases with sweets and breads. Sora Margherita: as described above, a very cozy and slightly crazy experience. We reserved for the first seating (8:00) and were tucked in a back corner. The waitress suggested she just bring their best/favorite dishes. That sounded good, so we went with it, but in hindsight I might have preferred to look at a menu. We thoroughly enjoyed everything we ate, but it was just a bit too much - especially when another big dish appeared after I thought we'd agreed to "Stop". Jewish and Roman style artichokes, fried baccala, their version of cacio e pepe, fantastic meatballs, and then the beans and sausage. Everything was very good and freshly prepared. I feel certain I'm forgetting a dish (or two or three), but we definitely didn't need any more than we got! Trattoria Settimio: another quirky traditional Roman restaurant. You ring a bell to get in and if you're lucky (we were), they'll decide they have a spot for you. The owner tells you what they have on the menu. The food is very simply prepared - if you're looking for fine dining/haute cuisine, don't go here. I felt like I was having dinner at somebody's grandmother's house. The homemade pasta was a great starter, as was the chicken broth. One of the entree choices was 'polpette' - meatballs sounded great, so both of us ordered them. What we got were more like hamburger steaks - or flat meatballs Very flavorful and juicy, but with no sauce or gravy. Just a case of different expectations and a very good meal all the same. I'm glad we went, though it may not be for everyone. Dar Poeta: fantastic pizza in Trastevere. Crowded and bustling, and sure to have a wait, but I though it was worth it. The pizza was quite good, with lots of topping options to choose from. Seems like opinions on it vary, but I was glad we went. Armando al Pantheon: Just a few steps from the Pantheon, but nothing like the many touristy spots in the area. This is an old school spot, with an interesting menu featuring traditional dishses. Reservations are usually a necessity, though we were lucky enough to be able to get a table at lunch, on the later side. We had tried to walk in the previous night at around 9:00, but were told the wait would be 90 minutes - too long for one of our party. A shared starter of artichoke and buffalo mozzarella was a showcase for fresh, simply prepared ingredients. For mains, I opted for the osso bucco; the others had tagliolini with baccala stew and the barley soup with mushrooms and truffles. All were very good. Finished off with a pear poached in red wine with plums. Worth a visit (and thanks to flygirl for the recommendation). More later....

I wouldn't avoid it at lunch. We had an excellent group lunch there a while back with only dishes from the Lao menu. Reading back through the thread, it looks like that's been the case for others as well. Just be sure to order off the Lao menu and ask for the 'secret' menu (bringing Fish Innards translation would be a good idea), instead of going for the buffet.

I haven't been recently enough to give any recommendations, but I do (selfishly) hope you'll check out one of the Ottolenghi locations and report back! I've always found Wagamama (in any location) to be a fun and reasonable spot to have a casual meal. You may want to check out Eating London Food Tours. I can't vouch for their London tour, but I thoroughly enjoyed the one I did in Rome with their sister company. Check out their blog for a lot of useful and current information on things to see, eat, and do in London. I've never been disappointed with London Walks. They do numerous walks, every day, covering a variety of different topics/neighborhoods, including pubs and markets. The Jack the Ripper walk is a must-do (try to go when Donald is the guide). Check the 'special walks' on certain days; some are food-related tours. Have a great trip!

This $1.00 increase hit the pre-game 'happy hour' at the Scoreboard Walk bar, too. The formerly $5 Miller Lite/Coors Lite (16 oz?) cans are now $6, up until the scheduled time of the first pitch. I wish they'd make sauerkraut available at the Nats Dogs stands, but that's not likely to change.

The Old Town Alexandria Los Cuates location (in the spot previously occupied by Tiffany Tavern) is now open. I haven't tried it yet, but the menu looks to be the same/similar to what's available in Georgetown.

The Crystal City FreshFarm Market opens for the season today. The market will be back in the original location along Crystal Drive, between 18th and 20th Streets. Tuesdays, 3-7 pm.

Closed.

A few days ago, I enjoyed a delicious lunch at Le Verre Volé (as recommended by Poivrot Farci). This is a very small spot, located just steps from the Canal Saint-Martin in one direction, and trendy (and good) bakery Du Pain et des Idees in the other. The two rooms might seat about 20 each. In addition to the bistro, it's a wine shop, with the wares displayed on the walls around the front room. The tiny open kitchen is visible to diners in the front room. The menu items and wine choices are displayed on chalk boards around the room, with specials on their own board. My starter was the Coquilles St Jacques (from Dieppe), served in the shell, with a simple chive butter, and slivers of endive. Fresh, delicious, and pleasing to the eye. For my main, I chose the seared and roasted pork loin, or carré de cochon (from a farm in Limousin - provenance being quite important at this establishment), served over a bulgur and herb salad with roasted onions and tiny cockles. It was very good, though the thick fat cap and skin made cutting it up a bit of a challenge. The waiter selected two nice wines for me, a white from the southern Rhone region and a Vacqueyras. I wound up, quite coincidentally, sharing conversation with my neighbors - weinoo and Significant Eater! Small world, huh? And the conversation started because I heard them mention a restaurant I had eaten at in Rome a few days prior, on the recommendation of flygirl. More on that in the Rome thread, a little later. Reservations are definitely recommended, as is a stroll up the Canal before/after your meal.

You can start here (click to go to the thread): Rome, Tuscany, Florence, Venice. Some are more current than others. You can also search the Intrepid Traveler forum for specific restaurants, or other towns, using the Search field at the top right of the screen. I'll be in Rome later this month and will be sure to post any suggestions I have. I've found the blog on this site very helpful: Eating Italy Food Tours. I'm doing one of their tours (Taste of Testaccio). This writer has restaurant suggestions for Rome and Florence on her site: Elizabeth Minchilli.

I can definitely vouch for the recommendation of Le Comptoir du Relais. I celebrated my birthday there in August 2012, and it was a wonderful meal. The friend I was visiting went to Le Boudoir (also based on PF's rec) and had very good things to say about it. A local spot we stumbled upon and enjoyed during the same visit (which I swear I had written about, but apparently not) was Café Léa. Great salads, reasonable prices, on a nice corner with outdoor seating. It's not too far from rue Mouffetard, a quaint, old market street - which was, for the most part, closed the day we were there. It's a lovely walk, especially starting from the southeast, near Place Monge. Les Papilles (mentioned in post above) was recommended by some friends who spent several months in Paris. We were unable to get a seat at lunch as walk-ins (in 2011). I see that it was a 2008 "Bib Gourmand" spot, though I'm not sure how it currently rates (quite high on TripAdvisor). PF had also mentioned IZRAEL (épicerie du monde), which was closed during for the August holidays. I hope to check it out in a few weeks.

Pat, what establishment are you talking about in the above post? Thanks

Sadly, for customers of their food truck, Seoul Food DC has announced on Facebook that they will cease operation of the food truck at the end of February. This will let them focus on their store in Wheaton. Full announcement reads as follows: Here's hoping the weather cooperates more than it did today so I can get in a few more lunches with them!

You heard it here. Have a great time lindzjax! You won't be disappointed.