goldenticket

I made pressure cooker risotto last night, which turned out great. I figure if it's good enough for the Italian lady who runs the site where I got the recipe, it's definitely good enough for me. Chopped up and threw in some oven-dried, oil packed tomatoes a friend had given me before cooking, and some steamed (from frozen) peas afterward.  A satisfying and quick meal, perfect for a cold night after a long day.

Zora, you could've made your risotto Milanese in your old cooker

I recently replaced the gasket in my Kuhn-Rikon PC. It had what started out as a slight tear that had turned into a small chunk missing from the edge. I'm amazed at the difference it's made. I guess between age/use and the hole, the seal wasn't nearly as good as it is with a new gasket. Pretty much no steam/liquid lost now, and I can tell things were taking longer to cook before.

This is kind of exciting:

ARLNow is reporting that paperwork has been filed that shows Four Sisters Grill will be taking over the space last occupied by Fatshorty's.

There's been nary a peep about Restaurant Week around here.  Teaism is doing something a little different for Alexandria Restaurant Week (Jan 17-26) that I thought was worth sharing. They are doing a 100% vegan menu for two; $35 for 3 courses.  The menu looks very good, with three choices in each course. I had a good experience there during last winter's Restaurant Week and look forward to the same again this year.

I was at the Ashby Inn less than two weeks ago, for a similar getaway. They haven't missed a beat in the dining room. We had a wonderful meal, and I agree with Keith's assessment above - the preparations were different, but just as delicious.  We took full advantage of the fireplace in our room (the Settle Room in the Schoolhouse). I only wished we'd stayed a second night! We were able to do some nice hiking at Sky Meadow Park the following day, visit a winery or two, and ended our getaway with an early dinner at The Hunter's Head Tavern in Upperville.

Goodstone Inn does have a spa according to their website.

I haven't been, but Poplar Springs Inn in Casanova is another relatively close option, also with a spa onsite.

Help - been asked to bring an appetizer. No problem, right?  Then I get the 'one guest doesn't eat red meat or dairy'; the host eats gluten-free.  There goes the cheese/charcuterie standby!

Any creative ideas from the experts here? My back-up plan is olives, pickled/marinated veggies, maybe some sort of stuffed mushroom. Anyone have a non-dairy alternatives to the cheese part of cheese-stuffed dates?

Thank you!

Hank's in Old Town reopened on Friday evening in their newly expanded space, having broken through to the adjoining storefront (former home of Peter Zia's Chinoiserie*).  The new bar is huge (compared to the old 5-6 seat space) and bright; the seated dining area is all contained in the original space.  Service and food are just as good as before. Ceviche is a go-to for us and the seafood or blue plate specials are almost always well-prepared, with interesting accompaniments. Hank's is the best spot in Old Town for fresh oysters, which can now be enjoyed with a Ti Punch or a number of other new cocktail selection. Another new-ish development is that they are now open for dinner on Mondays.

* Chinoiserie,1325 King Street, at the corner of West St. A great place to shop for unique items for the table and home, especially if you like Scandinavian and/or mid-century design.

Opening a 2nd location soon.

"Vaso's Kitchen Preparing New King Street Location" by Drew Hansen on patch.com

The sign in the window at 1118 King Street said "open", as I drove by this morning.  I'll have to take a walk and investigate.

Looks like the next occupant of the former Tiffany Tavern space will be a French Bistro from the owner of Bistro Lepic.

False alarm - apparently they're going Mexican. A sign announcing Los Cuates hangs on the building.  Presumably it will be a sister to the Georgetown location

Another member of the Fagor fanclub here.

Thanks--I appreciate it.  We have folks coming from VA, MD, and NY going to see ICE and then having dinner together before the NY folks continue onward to Williamsburg, so we really are stuck, unless there is something relatively decent nearish to National Harbor....  

What about somewhere in Old Town? Southside 815 would take less than 10 minutes to drive to from National Harbor and has a menu that should have something for everyone at a reasonable price.  Free parking available in the underground garage behind the restaurant and easy access to the Beltway.

After a long interval between visits, it was nice to see (taste) that Caphe Banh Mi is still putting out solid food. The Chicken Pho and Pork Bun were both very good, with lots of fresh veg/pickles accompanying them.  The crispy roll (or vegan imperial roll, per the menu) was nice and crispy, and didn't suffer for being part of a carry-out order.  The sloppy viet banh mi was quite good. The spicy curry beef was tender and had a nice kick to it, with plenty of cucumber, carrot, cilantro, etc. to take the edge off.

There are two websites out there - the one linked above is out of date, with incorrect opening times and no menu. The current one can be found here.  I was glad to be reminded again of this close to home option for pho and the like.

I really hope some folks are signing up behind the scenes, via PM.  If not - what are you all waiting for?!?!

Interesting. I did recently see signage for the Waterfront Market Cafe in the arcade.

Hey, if they can manage to pull off good food directly, and not inversely, proportional to the good views, I'm all for it.

That and I'm glad the old food court building will not (yet) become a blighted, vestigial homage to a failed attempt at a tourist-drawing waterfront that never reached its full potential.

I'm looking at you, Philly.

Exciting news!  Hope it looks good, as that is the view from my office.

Also excited about Waterfront Market as I could use another good quick lunch place near my office.

The Waterfront Market & Cafe held their press preview last week and friends and family grand opening on Sunday.  The official public opening date has been announced as next Tuesday, November 26.

Based on photos from the various events, the space looks great and it should be a very nice addition to the quite limited options located directly on the water. There's definitely a push to draw locals in with the "back to your waterfront" tag line.  The menu will include custom sandwiches, salads, prepared gourmet items, beer and wine to go (or drink there), fresh sushi, pastries, etc., with similar items available for purchase at the retail market.  More specifics here, via LocalKicks.

Jody Manor, the owner of Bittersweet Cafe and Catering (in business since 1983), knows a thing or two about creating a sustainable, successful business, so here's wishing him a long run in this latest venture.

I'm looking forward to checking it out soon after it opens!

It's that special time of year... Les Candy Cane Joe Joe's sont arrivés!

Along with all the other holiday goodies that I really don't need.

That is very generous of the tour guide!

I went in February and can't recommend this opportunity highly enough. I've been on Capitol tours many times. This one is truly special and will let you see places/things not available to most visitors. AND you get the benefit of a very knowledgeable guide to tell you all about them.

I'm interested (+1).

That date sounds good.

Fresh, local oysters on the half shell, bourbon in the cocktail pitcher, Beastie Boys on the stereo - what's not to like?

I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to Eat the Rich. It was an easy place for a pre-930 Club meal a few nights ago.

Without a copy of the menu I won't be able to do justice to the details of the dishes.  We tried the following:

Dozen mixed Rappahannock River oysters

"Beach and beans"

Roasted Cauliflower (a beautiful rainbow of white, yellow, purple, and green Romesco)

Chöwderhead

Sweet and Sour Black Kingfish (thanks, PF)

They were all excellent, each presented with a level of detail that might be unexpected, unless you know who's doing the work in the kitchen.  The chowder and the beach and beans were my favorites, by a smidge. The lamb, stuffed porgy, and scallops are among the things I'd like to try next time.

Cocktails by the pitcher is a fun concept and the Buck Hunter (bourbon, ginger, lemon) didn't disappoint.

Sopa de Fubí  (Collard Greens, Cornmeal and Sausage Soup).

I didn't have yellow cornmeal and wasn't sure if the grits I had were hominy grits, so I used blue cornmeal.  Maybe not as visually pleasing as the original recipe, but tasty and satisfying on a night with the first chill of fall in the air.

Other pluses: very quick and easy to prepare and it made for great leftovers for today's lunch.

The Del Ray Variety Store has a good selection of canning supplies. I was told they intend to stock them year-round. They have also had a least one class on canning and preserving and  hope to do some more in the future.  Their Facebook page appears to be the best place to keep up with events.

Toscana Grill has changed ownership, and is apparently changing its name to the embarrassingly bad "Spaghetti Ya Face," so for all intents and purposes (not "for all intensive purposes!"), it's closed.

Actually, the website for Toscana Grill has been spaghettiyaface.com since Joe took over back in 2011.  They also have a Facebook page under the same name, where they've said they hope to have a new spot soon. The New Toscana Grill menu said that the slogan was "born out of a Jersey family argument."

I'm sorry to see them leave the current location, as it's very close to my office and we've had some good food from them over the past few years.  Joe is a very nice guy, so I hope he's able to find a new location without much delay/hassle.

Maybe it's my furlough-brain, but wasn't an owner also a Provost of GWU?

I vaguely remember her mentioning Garrett's in the context of owning it and thinking she had a good work/life balance.

I don't think so. When I used to go there (which was a lot, in the mid-90s) the owners at the time were Julie and Tracy (who is mentioned in this article, which also has some interesting history on the building). If I remember correctly, Tracy bought out Julie at some point. I don't think either was ever a Provost at GWU.

When Sam and Joe were cooking, the seafood chowder was outstanding and the (fresh roasted) turkey reuben or club were some of my favorite sandwiches in town.

After a couple of leisurely hours hanging out with the locals at La Placita de Santurce, listening to live music and enjoying a cold Medalla Light (or two), I had a very enjoyable meal at Jose Enrique. It was the place to be on a Friday night, it seemed, with a wait of at least an hour for a table and a packed bar. Well worth it, though, for the fresh and modern approach to the local cuisine.  Minutas - fried baby red snapper, with lime and chili sauce - were lightly breaded, fried, flaky, and fresh. I followed with the  Chillo collirubia deshuesado - deboned whole yellowtail snapper, with sweet potato, and papaya-avocado salsa.  Again, lightly fried, so fresh, and with delicious bright flavors on the side/in the salsa. I appreciated the time the waiter took to explain all of the items on the whiteboard menu. Jose Enrique is a 2013 Food and Wine Best New Chef, which seems a well-deserved honor.

La Bombonera closed last year, though there is work under way in the space and word that they are going to reopen.  I went to Cafeteria Mallorca, opened by the original owners of La Bombonera, to try a mallorca, and agree with the sentiment expressed above. Definitely worth trying, and a nice combo crunchy, salty, and sweet, but not something I'd like on the regular.  I sat at the counter, the food was served up fast, as was my cafe con leche, and I was on my way for more sightseeing.

Like many others, I enjoyed a meal El Jibarito.  The creole (criollo) chicken stew was a nice change from the fried foods, and had some heat from yellow (banana?) peppers. A great local spot to try a lot of the traditional local dishes. The mixed mofongo was also very good.

I went to Kasalta for afternoon coffee and a pastry on my first day in San Juan and a Spanish tortilla and papaya smoothie for breakfast on my last day. The selection is overwhelming, but it's a nice place to stop for a snack or a full meal.

Local spots near where I stayed (between Ocean Park and Isla Verde) that were decent included:

Levi's - inexpensive and open 24 hours. The mofongo with shrimp in garlic sauce was good. Be sure to look for the daily 'specials' menu - prices are several dollars cheaper than for the same items on the regular menu.

Inca Chicken - standard (good) Peruvian chicken place. A pleasant, clean dining room and small bar, and quick carryout.  Green rice and tostones were good.

Ferrari Gourmet - Argentinian food, including their specialty Pamperi Pizza (topped with Argentinian chorizo and chimichurri), along with many other pizzas, steaks, and pastas. The pizza was good, but heavy with lots of meat and cheese.

I biked out to Pinones and earned a few frituras from Kiosko El Boricua - supposed to be the best of them all, and definitely the one the locals were flocking to on a Sunday afternoon. The line was long, but that just gave more time to watch the ladies making the alcapurrias - forming the dough in almond leaves, before filling them with ground beef, chicken, crab, or other fillings.  Although I ordered one crab and one ground beef alcapurria, I would up with two beef - but they were very good.  I wanted to try a pionono, but just didn't have room - they're a 'sandwich' of meat filling, wrapped in sweet plaintain, and...deep fried (of course). A fresh coco frio, fished out of an icy water bath and opened with a machete in front of me, hit the spot after a long, hot ride.

(For a more local stay/experience, I highly recommend El Coqui Del Mar, a 6-room guest house, with kitchens in every room, just steps from the beach. They're also on airbnb.)

For the past two days, Bayou Bakery has been giving away a free order of beignets with any size coffee purchase, with a government ID.  Check Facebook to see if they continue to do so.

Pork Barrel BBQ is offering free pulled pork sandwiches to all government employees.... except members of Congress.

Here's another list with food, drink, and other specials for the furloughed.

Can you give word on the location?

It's at 2607 Mount Vernon Avenue.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, they do have a Facebook page where occasional updates are posted.  I'm still looking forward to when they do open and hope it's sooner than later!

I made Rajma (North Indian Kidney Bean Masala stew) in the pressure cooker the other night and really enjoyed it - great flavors and texture, and very quick to put together (of course). The recipe would definitely work with chickpeas or other medium-sized beans.  Looking forward to getting the cooker back in regular use as the cooler weather settles in.