Nadya

And for those of you who want to do brunch but are tired of standing in line for the privilege of eating two eggs, please consider Latin dim sum brunch at Cafe Atlantico. It's never crowded. It's innovative. It's a good thing for impressing out of town relatives and friends or dates who are on the innocent side. It's a feast of gastronomic diversity for the same, what, $25? I guarantee that every other dish, when you put it in your mouth, will make you go, hmmm....awwwww....yum! Honorable mention goes to anchovy/mango ravioli and CA's own twist on the French toast. Honestly, it's good enough to make your insufferable brunch companions not matter. And if it's someone you like, you'll have much more fun spoon-feeding them these beauties (during which you can raise your eyebrows and smile knowingly as your companion grows still...swallows and moans...see, I told you...didn't I tell you....listen to pumpkin) than trade back and forth dripping forks of your eggs over easy.

Ref. Mendocino thread post on conversion of Rude Euro into hamburger worship.

Posted on eGullet - Feb 2005 Another wonderfully satisfying dinner at Mendocino. Take this from a genuine, formerly hamburger-hatin' Rude Euro - I say onto all of y'all red-blooded Americans that Mendocino's version with oregon truffles, smoked fontina (I think) and sweet pickled onions on toasted brioche can be legitimately branded a weapon of mass conversion for my kind. The way all the ingredients come together in your mouth in a juicy, satisfying, flavorful mass, is just a joy and delight. If anyone told me five years ago that I would willingly pay $22 for a burger, I would have called the cops...but not anymore. Black bean and bacon soup did not disappoint, either. Finished up with the beatiful cranberry cobbler with cinnamon ice cream and went home very happy and tipsy - but forgot the important part about the half-price wine Sundays! We had a gorgeous Stuhlmuller Vineyards 2000 Cab sauvignon that was light, fragrant and incredibly tasty (what a childish way to describe wine, but "tasty" popped immediately in my mind when I took a swig, and I'm not holding it back.) I can't wait to be back.

I can vouch for the awesome brilliant sushi there - I used to go with JET graduates ALL THE TIME some time ago when skate-n-sushi was our standard courtship protocol. Of course, then Fairfax Ice Arena must needs to rework its schedule, so it no longer worked. But the food was amazing. It does help to be conversant, so we let the dudes do the work.

And once one hits five cubes, one will be branded a "nut", I'm sure. Oh, would you rather be a california roll?

Let me get in touch with me sources, and we'll see. Ve have vays of making it vork.

How about I bring booze and some fruit salad? Since I'll be guaranteed to run out of caviar by then.

Last Friday, small plates were the star of the night at the esteemed This Restaurant Next Door to Good Guys. I am sure that their sushi rock, too, but if you're dining there, I would really urge you to hit on the small dishes on the list. They are tiny little gems of flavor and goodness. My grilled baby octopus with mango sauce packed a beautiful combo of smoky, firm flesh with a pleasantly acidic mango. Tuna tataki was just barely seared in a briefest of all encounters with the heat and oozed fresh, unctuous, pure taste. Crisped eel with balsamic reduction - mmmm, what can I say, I love eel any which way, and this is an ingredient that would shine if the kitchen has the presence of mind to leave it unmolested. These crispy flavorful bits were wonderful on their own, not that balsamic reduction took anything away. Of course, then the desserts came along and all hell broke loose. Chocolate cake layered with mousse, fresh cream and rice crispies on top served in a martini glass...pure decadence. I shall return, and soon.

For low- places, my favorite is... I adore Kopitiam on M St., a little Malaysian joint in the basement next to all the gems like Camelot. If you get a sampler plate of appetizers and a soup, that should fill you up with delicious, flavorful food. Makes me wanna go RIGHT NOW.

"Enjoy wine today, tomorrow there may be none." - Plato. Or some other wise person, potentially from Ancient Rome or Greece. It has therefore become a tradition of sorts to have a last dinner before leaving the country for a few weeks at a place certain to deliver a mindblowing experience . "And another beautiful sendoff meal," she says gleefully, looking down at her 9 pm reservation at Sushi-Ko bar tonight. Wine guidance much appreciated; will be field-tested tonight, Rissa

So.... I took a look at the members' list. Sure, it's growing. Sure, it's near 150 already and who knows how many there will be by the time I finish typing this. Soon there will be jostling contests amid members..."pffft, you stupid arriviste. I was around way back when Sietsema was pimping us. Take your sorry member No. 1,457 ass where it belongs. WE know who REALLY was behind all this " Instead of engaging in this silly-daft nonsense, I urge you to take longer look at Don's profile. You've heard it from me. He's member No. 2, NUMBER TWO. So the question is forming in my mouth... Who is MEMBER No. 1? Can it be Mr. Snuffeluffegusima? Or....?????

Last week. Standing in line at Galileo Grill, watching the line grow, being tortured by delicious smells of pork shoulder grill drippings, swallowing every so often and cursing self for not thinking about calling ahead. Oh well. Bored in line. Looking at the stack of ready orders awaiting pick-up. Hmmm. Wonder who are all the smart bottoms who thought about calling ahead. Very casually scan the names on the plastic bags of lucky bastards. Whoooooaaaaa!! A bag with a sky-high stack of sandwiches says clear as daylight: "VIDALIA. JEFF BUBEN. SIX ORDERS." Last night at Bis. Walking through the floor with a deliberatedly casual look. Carefully picking the time when all the line cooks (come from the same pool as Vidalia) congregate near the pick-up area, eagerly awaiting the next dispensation of wisdom from the mouth of chef de cuisine. Very casually walk by. Clear throat. "Sooo.....I hear YOU PEOPLE CAN"T MAKE YOUR OWN SANDWICHES????? CALL YOURSELVES BLOODY LINE COOK MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE. MWA HAHAHAHAHA!!!!" Turn around and walk back, basking in the glory of catcalling and yelling behind own back. Totally worth the treatment for the rest of the night.

Well....I did have a party for 20+ there once...in my little ole studio. So much fun. The rule has to be no one over size 8 is allowed to enter.

I have plans on the 15th, so I move for the 22nd. This park is so close to my house that y'all should be able to roll me home should I have too much fun.

Guess what, the pendejo had a late meeting, and I had to eat cold pizza anyway. I'm headed to the grill tomorrow no matter what.

Secret sources say really good boys and girls will be promoted to a piranha.

Washington, DC: What are your views on "blog" food sites? Do you think some of the posters are getting a little carried away with their views/oppinions? Just from experience they seem very one-sided. Tom Sietsema: "It really depends on who is doing the blogging. Speaking of online food discussions, Don Rockwell, a former egullet host, has just launched a fun one: DonRockwell.com. Don is a fine writer, has good taste and eats out almost as much as I do. If you care about food in Washington, his is a site to monitor." http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/z...tsema042005.htm

Out of kindness of my heart, I suggested to my new boss that I make a run and get sandwiches for both of us....this is what replied: "I do not particularly like sandwiches for lunch. I find it bad combination of foods." Do you think that bodes well for our future working relationship?

It was great having y'all there! Thanks for stopping by and contributing to my reputation as The Woman of the World Who Knows People

Group her?! I hardly know her.

Shmuck's

Spot at the bar is a toss-up, but experiences teaches that something will come up eventually. I can possibly put a "reserved" sign on a table in the bar area until 6.30 for you lot. If outside is available, do you want it? There are, like, four tables in the patio and they tend to go quickly, but you never know.

[Posted on eGullet in July 2004...gee, almost a year ago...] One more voice in praise of Eve. Went with a friend last Saturday night. First, I have to say that getting a reservation is Hard Work - I honestly don't know many eateries here that you have to call on Tuesday to make sure you get in on a Saturday night in the middle of summer. But I sort of knew what I was in for, so no complaints from me! Now, I have to disclose that I work at the restaurant where Cathal ran the kitchen before he and Meshelle opened Eve, but in a very unimportant capacity (part-time hostess). I don't think this had any role in the quality of food, or the ambience, only in how we were treated First, I LOVED the decor. Very warm, homey but sophisticated, and soooo cozy. Bar is a bit crowded, but not in an annoying way. Unusual setup of bar with the counter and couches along the wall makes the place feel very social and home-like. Service was very nice. Now, I am not a high-maintenance diner and I generally like my servers as unnoticeable as possible - tell me about the special, deliver the food, answer a random question and bye-bye. Our guy was very good - on hand when I needed him (not often) and not hovering when I didn't. Now, the food. I understand now why legends of Cathal are still alive at places he used to work. It's awfully good. I have no claim to expertise in judging food except bits and pieces gleaned in the course of late-night tequila-shootin' with the sous, bu the man is seriously good. Appetizer was baby beets and goat cheese salad. Anyone who hails from Russia has ideas about beets, mainly about how to avoid it when mommy insists. But this dish was really very good, clean, great ingredients shining through with minimum fuss. I had my mind made up about entrees before going (I know I know..idle hands with Internet access...will have to think about something to put on timesheet) - pork belly for me. But the duck special sounded too good to pass, so I went for it. So good! Can one make duck medium rare and incredibly tender at the same time? Yes yes, that describes mine. Garnished with a very earthy, garlicky-tasting mushroom (something o'woods?) with no trace of garlick ON it, must be some clever basting technique at work. But now I have to come back for my pork! Dessert was chocolate mojito - brick-shaped thingie of mousse crossed with flourless cake structure encased in chocolate glaze with mint Jello scattered about. So good. My friend had a peach granita that was quite good, too, I am just not a white chocolate fan. I can't wait to try the tasting room! Meshelle told me they are going to start "Industry Nights" on Mondays in August - I am officially on a mission to get all kitchen folks from our place to go already. Oh, and she was so very gracious and wonderful to us - stopped by, like, three times in the middle of a Saturday night rush (I know what that's like!) Just a delight to be around. Face it, being cheerful can be very tiring when it's a part of your job description - we've all had these moments at the end of a busy night when you look at your guests and think, oh would y'all just go cluster!@#$ yourselves! But she was grace under pressure personified. Made for a great night for us.

When are you going to be there? Guess who's fronting the door starting at 6 pm??

Dropped in last Friday to have an amazing meal as always. The details are now fuzzy in my mind on account of too much wine, but here are the standouts: - Amuse of panna cotta topped with a coddled egg topped with a dollop of caviar. One thing that Chef Monis does so well is come up with unexpected combos of ingredients that work together in an amazing fashion. - Baby goat mousaka w/polenta. When I described this dish to boys at Bis, they grew misty-eyed, and said with a sigh, "no one cooks that any more." Can't recall a more comforting, tender, mellow dish in months. - Speck-wrapped tuna never disappoints. One thing about Komi is how side dishes are the stars as much as the protein. Egyptian king farro with truffled beet tsatsiki shines on its own. - Desserts too numerous to call...oh, dolce de lece gelato...dreamy. Devil chocolate cake with chile (!) ice cream. The flavors are unexpected yet work so well!! They don't have apple crisp with blue cheese ice cream anymore, but as I recall, it blew my mind in a similar way. The fabulous Sebastian was off that night, and please meet Anna, the lovely, sunny waitress who manages the dining room two days a week (I think.) Anna has more poise and warmth than any person her age should be allowed to have and made our evening a delight. Along with Johnny's fantastic food, of course.