Nadya

I can do Thursdays if I can split no later than 8 pm - have to be in Fairfax by 8.30. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are never good for me.

Perhaps my ice cream palate is not as well-developed, but my impression from a single visit to Del Ray was "serviceable but nothing special."

Went to check out Sonoma Saturday night with a friend. Had quite a satisfying dinner, and it was nice to see the work in progress. The seating downstairs is bistro-like in the sense that you get an earful of the conversation next table. Sometimes, this is entertaining, sometimes annoying. The space is spare and stylish, and I can envisage whiling the hours away at the bar watching the street scene. Jared and Drew were mingling that night, and it was fantastic to finally meet them and gush about Mendocino to the people directly responsible for the Burger Conversion of Rude Euros . They were very welcoming and encouraged to share our feedback as candidly as possible. We were told, rather disarmingly, about the greenness of staff. Apart from a somewhat casual, surfdude conversation manner, I found the staff to be perfectly competent - our food arrived on time, we were never ignored, and the server was easy to found when needed. On the side note, please introduce yourself to Mick the bartender who is a darling and hails from Charlie Palmer where he was the star of the daytime show. Now to food. We rocked onward to appetizers of wild green/scamorza ravioli in shallot and mushroom-infused broth and wild boar sausage with bucatini. The sausage is a favorite at Mendocino, and has received enough glowing reviews before, so no need to repeat anything except to say it's as good as it was (I pinched a piece from my friend's plate when he wasn't looking), and that wild boar from which the said sausage is made hails from Mutter Russland via D'Artagnan. Respect!!!! Maybe I'll get on the phone to order some for meself. My ravioli were hands down the kind of dish that makes you want to revise the rules of conduct in polite society prohibiting licking of plates to proper young ladies. It comes as three or four rather large pieces stuffed with so much goodness of smoky cheese and barely wilted greens, generously apportioned, and completely divine when spilled over into the saucing of fragrant broth awash with bits of shallots. Simply wonderful. I loved smelling it, eating it, sopping the rest of the sauce with bits of ravioli shells (not easy!). My only comment was that I would have loved to see the stuffing and broth elements minced in smaller-size pieces, but that's just nitpicking. My burger was not as warm as I like them, which became clear after Drew explained that their lamp wasn't hooked up yet. The burger is a little brother of the Mendocino star and has all the glamorous toppings of fontina, tomato confit, grilled onion and poncetta. I can see how it would shine if served at proper temperature. I thought the slice of pancetta was a bit too thick, which made it chewy and hard to enjoy - Drew said he'll get on top of his prep cooks. I pinched the menu to share it with the Bis people, and my GM called it "very reasonable." There was also a chianti on the reserve list which he thought was underpriced for $45. I wish I could tell you what it was. But you are going to have to do your own research. I look forward to enjoying Sonoma when they open, and think they have a great addition to the dining scene in DC and particularly the Hill. The locals are telling me they are hurting for good food. With Sonoma, there's much less reason to play that violin.

So, a gentleman and I got a craving for ice cream last night, and instead of hauling bottom to the nearest Baskin-Robbins, we strolled up Connecticut Ave. to a new ice cream place on the next block from the Uptown Theatre called ColdStone. It's a very small place with no tables except a few on the patio, so the line inside is rather long. They have basic flavors (chocolate, sweet cake batter, coconut, peanut, coffee) as well as fancy concoctions. I ordered Cherry Cheesecake - sweet cream base with black cherries, chocolate chips and graham crackers, which was the pure, unadulterated indulgence. The most interesting part is watching them make your serving - a dollop of ice cream base gets kneaded and mixed like dough on a board, and toppings are then mixed in. The ice cream comes out with all the toppings evenly spread throughout the body, and pleasantly soft around the edges. Come on, didn't you hate having to lick your scoop until it gets soft enough to bite? The bonus for me is a nice walk between Dupont Circle and Cleveland Park and back. Takes care of whatever caloric pack you consume with your ice cream. Or so you might like to think. I would, anyway.

Waitaminute....they want to alleviate a parking problem by....disallowing parking?

Sounds fantastic!! Will put on calendar.

What a fascinating subject! I do dislike the word "foodie" with a passion; it smacks of snobbery to me in the sense that people place themselves in the "foodie" category with an implication of possessing superior knowledge, when all they possess, in reality, is a mouth and a set of opinions. But for lack of better word, this term has come to mean someone who enjoys food and sees it as something more than a sum of calories. Example. Took a friend to Komi and was predictably showered with mouth-watering morsels and bits out of the magic kitchen of Chef Monis, delivered and presented by the fabulous Sebastian. Raved to said friend about consumed dishes. At the end of the meal, the friend (a perfectly serviceable fellow otherwise!) took my hand and said, "You realize, my love, this is all lost on me." Diagnosis: Not a Foodie. A food snob, on the other hand, is someone who has specific tastes in food and believes himself superior based on perception of knowledge. Someone who won't bend his preferences no matter what circumstances dictate. "I would NEVER eat a hotdog. Are you MAD?" Example. A conscientious H&D would call, cheerily, "How was your dinner??" to the departing guests, and would actually like to know the answer. Most people would smile sastifiedly and say, fine, amazing, okay, fantastic. A few months ago a couple, upon hearing the question, stopped and said, "Well, your foie gras was flat. And the ingredients in the risotto did not marry well. The whole experience is just so dated." Dianosis: Food Snobs.

I said it before, and I'll say it again: Old Ebbs is one of the best-hidden late night dining options. Any place where I can tuck into the half-price raw bar after the closing shift (between 11 pm and 1 am) is good enough for me - bad Shropshire B&B (read: Irish setters with bulging eyes) wall art notwithstanding. And it's a really good late-night date idea. Raw oysters and chilled white and two hotels on the same block, need I say more?? Face it, there ain't too many places in the city you can sit your bottom down after 11 pm that isn't a filthy dive bar.

Tosca at the bar and then cocktails on the rooftop of Hotel Washington. Unrelated: I always thought Little Fountain Cafe is a great spot for clandestine affairs. Late night cocktails at Mantis. Do you smoke? Can you take smoking around you? Then off to a tiny lounge of Russia House (Conn. and FLorida) for supercozy couches and late-night drinkies. Advantages: stumbling distance to BdC and your hotel. Get takeout from El Pollo Rico or some other great ethnic hole in the wall and have a picnic if the weather cooperates. Blanket + food = friskiness!!

Total eaten today: Breakfast: half a yogurt Lunch: apple Dinner: two hours gym time

I agree!! How bizarre was that?? But I am glad there is another Georgian food aficionado in DC, I really miss that quisine. Maybe you and I can host a Georgian dinner for DR.com, huh. It's noontime already and not a single pang of hunger has been felt since last night. Is there a reason?

Thanks to everyone for the fantastic food and dishes too numerous to enumerate here. The ventworm cake had me cracking up on my blanket so hard, I had to lie down. That, and the inordinate number of calories, of course. Lamb sausage was another star - mdt and I almost collided as we went for the last one simultaneously - courtesy won and it got cut in half. A true Kodak moment. Feel totally stuffed right now, but I know for a fact that tomorrow at lunch I will remember all the leftover goodies with a wistful sigh of "WHy couldn't I eat it? Why? Why?" Food, great company, fun and giggles - what a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Oh, the weather didn't suck, either.

On behalf of all hostesses, I object to the "not very bright" part. Where is my lynch mob smilie???? KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL (FOX) - Jaime King ("Pearl Harbor") has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about the life of New York bad boy chef Anthony Bourdain (played by Bradley Cooper as Jack Bourdain). She'll play Tanya in the project, which also stars Nicholas Brendon, Owain Yeoman and John Francis Daley. Her character is described in the casting notice as: "Mid-late 20’s. Hostess at the restaurant wears impossibly tight dresses. Sweet and stylish, but not very bright, she fails to seat the restaurant critic in a timely fashion, or at the correct table." (NN sez: to that) Darren Star is directing the project, which is set up at 20th Century Fox Television, New Line Television and Darren Star Productions, from a script by David Hemingson. Star, Hemingson, David Knoller and Jim Rosenthal then executive produce. http://www.thefutoncritic.com/cgi/newswire.cgi?id=6858 http://the-oc.entertainment-news.org/ Arresting Developments for Fall TV E! Online - Fri May 13th 2005 at 9:45 pm ET Fox (presents Thursday) Returning shows confirmed: American Idol, Cops, Family Guy, House, Malcolm in the Middle, Nanny 911, The O.C., The Simpsons, That '70s Show Pilots with good buzz: Prison Break, directed by Brett Ratner (Rush Hour), a drama about a man who gets himself thrown in jail so he can help his death row inmate brother escape; Kitchen Confidential, a comedy based on chef Anthony Bourdain's best-selling autobiography and starring Alias' Bradley Cooper; Deviant Behavior, a Law & Order: Special Victims Unit knock-off; Dirtbags, a comedy starring Melissa Joan Hart; Fertile Ground, a drama about a fertility clinic; Don't Ask, a comedy about a dad (Spin City's Alan Ruck) who tells his family he's gay; and Hitched, starring NYPD Blue and Saved By the Bell alum Mark-Paul Gosselaar in a drama about a brother and sister who run a 24-hour wedding chapel in Las Vegas Other pilots in contention: New Car Smell, starring Brooke Shields in a comedy about a used car dealership; Queen B, a comedy starring Alicia Silverstone; Bones, a crime investigations drama starring Angel's David Boreanaz; Windfall, starring Luke Perry in a drama about a group of friends who win the lottery; Briar & Graves, a drama about religious phenomena; Head Cases, a drama about a hotshot attorney (Chris O'Donnell) who gets fired after he has a nervous breakdown; Reunion, a drama that follows the lives of a group of friends throughout a 20 year period; the comedy The War at Home, starring Michael Rapaport; Murder Book, a crime drama starring Josh Brolin; and the drama Amy Coyne, starring Tom Berenger.

I've been known to enjoy a blueberry mojito at IndeBleu and they are quite serviceable.

Y'all don't know how affordable that sounds. Want a simple, bare-bones, standard size martini at a rooftop bar of the spanking new Hyatt Moscow? Wraparound view of Red Square included? That'll be $21, please. Before tip and tax. You are welcome.

If all else fails, my skating rink can be rented out. We can set up food and drink in center-ice and party it up. Or, we can set up drinks at the entrance, and food center-ice. So you'll have to get to food already boozy and on skates. Think how much fun pictures will be.

As a patron, as much as I dislike being around excessive amounts of smoke per se, I think that smoking and drinking is pretty much what bars are about. Taking smoking away from bars makes them something entirely different. I think that those who want to enjoy a smoke-free outing should stay away from bars. I agree wholeheartedly that you should be able to enjoy your food without smelling smoke, but I don't see bars as eating establishments - they are watering holes where food is an afterthought. I go to bars for drinks and socializing, and yes, sometimes a cigarette or two. I don't HAVE to smoke there, and I don't always, but I'd be bummed if I couldn't. If a bar owner wants to ban smoking in his own establishment, that's his right and he should be able to do that, but he shouldn't HAVE to. As a restaurant employee, yes, I do get bummed out by the end of the night sometimes, but it's not like it was a surprise to me. There are occupational hazards in any profession, and talking about the rights of bar employees to enjoy smoke-free air is like insisting on the rights of office employees to have non-sedentary lifestyles. Or the rights of miners to work in daylight. Or the rights of gym workers not to see fat people in spandex.

Unfortunately, god is not willing today. Must recover from last night and move as little as possible. I'll see y'all Sunday. Have an extra cannolli for me.

It should be. There's also a back room with tables where Gastreaux and I sat last time. And god willing, will sit tomorrow.

Me can do tomorrow.

Agreed! This one is da bomb. Even my goody-two-shoes almost-vegetarian coworkers have been converted.

Hmmm, this weekend. Saturday I had to work till 10 pm but was lucky to have a friend who doesn't mind hanging out late - we descended on Komi for cheese and desserts. I wolfed down my cherry gelato with hazelnut biscotti and most of his triple chocolate terrine with spearmint oil, too. I wish I wrote the cheeses down, but they were as always. Sebastian and Chef Monis never disappoint. Sunday I had a res at Mendocino that unfortunately had to be wasted as something unexpected came up. Oh well, something to look forward to next time. So no wild stories this time, but if you watch this space for a couple of weeks, I promise you won't be disappointed.

Enjoy, ladies. I was SO looking forward to pretheater dinner at CB before opera tonight, but we unfortunately have to eat elsewhere. Sniff sniff. But y'all enjoy.

I was planning on bringing a cooler and some ice as well.

I saw you!!! Mark and I were in the back room. But by the time I realized it was you it was too late as all I saw was a glimpse of your back. Next time for sure.