Kibbee Nayee

Wow. Considering I'm a party of two with Significant Eater in tow, I believe we're up to four within minutes of my initial post. This could get interesting...!

Ahalan wa sahalan! This particular post is just a bit premature, but I have connected with Sam and will sit down with him tomorrow afternoon to discuss timing, menu items, table size and those sorts of things. So why not begin the topic, get a sense of participation from the Board, solicit suggestions that may or may not be accommodated and begin the process? Subsequent posts in this thread will refine the event, and KMango and DanielK will be assisting with arrangements and protocol. My initial idea is to take over a table for about 15-20, find a suitable time that will fit with the staff's schedule, and ask for an all-out feast that includes Rima's chicken and as much kibbee nayee as the laws of physics will allow. And I will probably arrange with Sam a few other off-the-menu items as well. I am aiming for early or mid-February, but stay tuned on that. I have to be out of town for about two weeks on February 22, so I would like to arrange it before then. I would like to get an initial sense of headcount, some suggestions on dates, a rough target of per-head cost that may or may not be precise, and any other suggestions or ideas. I will post more details over the weekend. One last point -- Kibbee Nayee will cover the kibbee nayee. Consider it an homage to my dearly departed parents and grandparents who taught me the graciousness and generosity of a Syrian host. A few bottles of arak will also be included, and a fun time will be had by all! Ahalan wa sahalan!

Sea Pearl continues to struggle. Had dinner there tonight with three others. As we walked in the back door through the lounge area, we asked if we could sit in the lounge -- it was empty at 4:30 -- and we were told the lounge was booked tonight. Oh well.... OK, so we took a corner table in the opulently over-decorated main dining room. Waitress took our drink order, but it seemed unaccommodating to our Mormon guest who does not imbibe. First he asked for lemonade, then he asked for root beer, and the waitress ended up telling him that about all she could offer was ginger ale. Next we ordered appetizers, and I asked for the pacu ribs -- from a fish, not bad but overly sauced -- as well as the chicken wing lollipops, and my friend asked if the spring rolls with shrimp and crab can be made without crab because he was allergic. She informed him that the rolls are pre-made, so there was no ability to remove the crab from the recipe. Two other appetizer orders were the shrimp cocktail and the lamb skewers, both of which were nice. But she did come out of the kitchen to inform me that the kitchen had run out of the wings. Hmmm....shouldn't the waitress at a mostly empty restaurant be all on top of the kitchen's provisions? On to the main courses, and I went with the sea bass, which was oversauced, but served with an interesting "block" of room temperature rice with a slaw-like relish over top -- the slaw appeared all over the appetizers and the main courses -- and companions had the salmon, the rib eye and the filet. Incredibly, and for roughly the same price, the sea bass and the salmon came in roughly 3.5 oz. portions, while the steak dishes came in roughly 8 oz. portions. Again, roughly the same price for each entree. Cutting to the chase, which in this case is an evaluation, this place is still going through massive growing pains well beyond its first anniversary. It's expense does not justify its lack of quality, the service is a bit shoddy, the kitchen is extremely uneven and it will not likely rise to a destination restaurant. At least not anytime soon. So....by 7:00pm or so, the dining room was almost empty, the bar area was half-full and the lounge area had a function going on. Not that I'm an expert, but that's not a sustainable business model.... My only consolation is that I did not pick up the bill tonight.

There is simply not enough love on this Board for Le Bledo Bakery in Springfield. Part of the reason may be that it is difficult to describe. It's a legitimate French bakery where the birthday cakes are top-notch. But then, it's also a Vietnamese luncheon buffet, with nice quality and quantity for a good price. But then, it's also a Vietnamese snack counter, where you can get spring rolls and pork rolls that rival those of the Eden Center. But then, it's also a Banh Mi shop as good as, and cleaner than, DC Sandwich. But then, it's also a little Vietnamese grocerette where you can get the sticky rice sweets wrapped in banana leafs, along with other goodies. It's a little bit of a lot of things, and it's genuinely good.

Here's the conundrum. Within a short walk of Chutny, and I mean a really short walk, there is Ravi Kabob 3, a brand new Indian place specializing is desserts but also offering kabobs and such, Aabshaar, which is Ravi Kabob's main Pakistani competition....and then.... ....House of Siam (respectable authentic Thai), Sahm Oh Jang (respectable authentic Korean), Le Bledo Bakery (directly across Backlick, and the go-to place for Vietnamese lunchtime buffet, tucked inside a French-influenced bakery), and let's not forget Tippy's Tacos! So....because of all of the distractions, zeroing in on one place is difficult. My tummy takes me in all sorts of directions. I would highly recommend a progressive meal all over Brookfield Plaza, where we target 3 or 4 of these places and eat our way all around, then convene at La Hacienda to get smashed on margaritas.

Done. Thanks Don. You're doing a good thing.

Welcome to my world. If you need a tour guide next time, I would be honored. Not to beat a dead horse, but in Sietsema's 50 Favorites, there is not one Middle Eastern restaurant. Simply in terms of atmosphere, ambiance, hospitality and graciousness, this place is easily Top 50, if not Top 10. But of all my favorite Middle Eastern haunts -- Mediterranean Gourmet Market, Lebanese Butcher, Jerusalem and even the resurgent Lebanese Taverna -- Layalina is the most consistent, the most enjoyable and the most Syrian.

Lately I've been buying USDA prime beef at Costco. I've also seen it at Wegman's recently. It's the sign of a bad economy that the big steak chains aren't scooping up all the prime beef. Can't beat throwing a few of these steaks on the outdoor grill in the middle of January, uncorking a bottle of Chateau Chevalier, and kicking back...!

Lunch for 4 at Tutto Benne was quite an experience yesterday. First, the atmosphere is that of a tired old red-sauce Italian restaurant, which I think is an accurate description of what has been its identity for a few decades. On Saturday there is a guitar player strumming along to a soundtrack that variously played the theme from the Pink Panther, a Buffet medley, Hava Nagila and a few Latin American tunes. The waiter offered two menus -- one of Italian fare and one of Bolivian fare. At my table and most of the other ones around us, the Italian menu wasn't even touched. For starters, we all had Saltenas, which were doggone good. They offered beef or chicken, so we had both and shared around the table. Inside the slightly sweet and barely crunchy outer shell of pastry, there is a generous amount of meat mixed with sauce, potatoes, peas and carrots. It is quite possible for a nice light meal to be had just with Saltenas. But no...! The two ladies at our table each had the seafood stew, which had a generous amount of seafood -- mussels, clams, shrimp, squid, fish -- in a rich and aromatic broth. The other two of us had Chicharron (fried pork with sun-dried potatoes and hominy) and Lengua (tongue in a rich sauce with potato, rice and hominy salad). The meats and sauces in both dishes were excellent, and for $9.95 and $10.95 respectively the amount of food for the price was an incredible bargain. But the sides were a little over-carbed and the sun-dried potatoes were declared a mistake. I have to admit, the tongue was one of the better meat dishes I've had in a while. The guitar strumming continued through the meal, and at times, it rose to a level that made conversation a little difficult at our table. Nonetheless, I would rate the overall experience very good, and while my knowledge of Bolivian cuisine is not vast, I would definitely return.

When I'm dashing through Falls Church mid-day, such as was the case last Wednesday, I usually stop in DC Sandwich for a quick bite. I had the #2 if memory serves, which is grilled pork. Extra meat for an additional $1.50. It was quite tasty, although the bun was a bit too flaky on the outside. Nonetheless, for the price, this is a superior nosh to anything from a fast-food place.

Not to be overly adamant, but I would easily replace a dozen restaurants on Sietsema's favorites list with Zeffirelli's. Starting with Artie's! And you can probably replace quite a few of them with PassionFish, Inox, Sushi-Ko and Brasserie Beck as well....

I should note, in full disclosure, that I grew up in Lancaster and still have family there. I escaped about 35 years ago, but I still recall the highest compliment for a meal was "That was good - not spicy at all"....and, of course, after eating too much, you must declare "I'm all over-et". The Air Force rescued me in the late 1970s and I tasted my first jalapeno pepper in San Antonio in 1977 at a Church's Fried Chicken 'restaurant'. I thought a lightning bolt flew down my throat and that the top of my head was going to fall off. Now I eat them like candy. The five basic food groups of Amish and Mennonite cooking are chicken, corn, flour, sugar and butter. Nonetheless, this is good and hearty grub, and there are places in Lancaster County like the Leola Restaurant that know what they're doing. I'm happy to refer Rockwellians to family's favorite places to eat in Lancaster County. I doubt that the Michelin Guide will begin coverage anytime soon, but there are a few surprises lurking here and there....

Maybe it's just me, but I find the 50 Faves by Sietsma to be subjective, boring, a bit self-aggrandizing, and not overly helpful. For example, there is one and only one Thai restaurant on the list, up in Wheaton. No other Thai restaurants are worthy of his to 50? Are you kidding me? There are no Middle Eastern restaurants on his list. Kibbee Nayee takes personal offense. Was there a Chinese restaurant on the list, anywhere? The GAR group is represented by Artie's...? GAR is the first syllable in "garbage" and appropriately so. But PassionFoods, and especially PassionFish, does not make the list? I would put PassionFish and Accadiana ahead of about a dozen places on this list. Sushi-Ko and Kaz Sushi Bistro are nowhere to be found, and only Sushi Taro represents Japan on the list? Palena is a full frikkin star beneath Komi? 2941 makes the list but Inox doesn't? Color me very confused....

Well, Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and I've heard that it is one of the busiest restaurant days of the year (along with Mother's Day). So it's certainly not too early for us guys to begin comparing notes on where to nail down the reservation for an evening that guarantees that challenging combination of romance, atmosphere, fine food and wine, and (ahem) a happy ending to the evening. I live in the NoVa 'burbs, and Maryland is just not worth the trek for me on Valentine's Day, so my list is along the following lines.... Pure romantic category: Cafe Renaissance - Vienna Bistro L'hermitage - Woodbridge Trummer's on Main - Clifton L'auberge Chez Francois - Great Falls (not worth the detour, IMHO) High end category: Inn at Little Washington (guaranteed happy ending; no need for jewelry) 2941 - Falls Church Inox - Tysons Restaurant Eve - Old Town CityZen - Southwest Sushi Bar with Koji at Sushi-Ko - Glover Park Just plain good food category: PassionFish - Reston Zeffirelli's - Herndon Present - Falls Church Layalina - Ballston Thai Basil - Chantilly Kaz Sushi Bistro - Northwest I'll dispense with a few others from downtown, like Komi or Palena, because they are already booked. But I am dying to see which places my male colleagues have picked out for that special occasion where they gaze lovingly into her eyes, fill her with opulent calories, tell her how much you love her, and hope and pray you can stay awake for the grand finale....

Johnny's in Kingstowne is the best of the eastern NoVa 'burbs. Good New York - Sicilian pizzas.

I wish I could join you, but please allow me to opine. My first choice for soup at any time of day or year is Pennsylvania Dutch chicken corn soup with rivels. It's almost the perfect food. My second choice is always going to be my mother's Syrian lentil-spinach-cracked wheat balls soup, which is a vegan delight. There, I had my say....

Proof doesn't open until 5:30pm. But yes, it's great.I always recommend Clyde's at Gallery Place for drinks. And at happy hour, the half priced raw bar can't be beaten. I especially love the shrimp cocktail, where each shrimp is about size of a small lobster tail, and the orca platter, loaded with oysters, shrimp, crab claws, lobster tail....did I mention half price?

Thanks! If I weren't so buried in my current career, I would consider opening one myself....!

I grew up in Pennsylvania Dutch country, where the standard compliment for a meal was "That was good - it wasn't spicy at all" and the five basic food groups of Amish and Mennonite cooking were jokingly referred to as chicken, eggs, flour, corn and sugar. The Air Force took me away from that about 30 years ago, and I have since wandered the world and enjoyed the best food and drink from all over the world. I never saw a jalapeno pepper until I was 23. But as I enter my dotage, I occasionally long for the flavors of my past. The aroma of pork and sauerkraut now wafts through my house, and I realize how good this simple ring-in-the-New-Year dish can be. In the autumn, I find myself returning to Lancaster for the sole reason of picking up a gallon or two of the Lampeter Fire Hall's chicken corn soup at its annual festival. It is perfection in a bowl. And nothing, absolutely nothing, beats the freshest of the sweet corn in late July and early August, when you put the pot of water on the stove to bring it to a boil, then dash down the road for a "dozen" (usually 15-16) ears of corn that were picked within minutes of your arrival. What you and I call charcuterie, these people have been making their own goodness -- liverwurst, Lebanon bologna, all manner of cheeses -- before it was cool. Ending a meal with a warm slice of shoo-fly pie and a scoop of fresh-made vanilla ice cream is an absolute taste of heaven. As I think back, I miss the farmer's markets, where real farmers with real organic produce and meats were selling their highest-quality products for a ridiculously low price. I miss the road-side chicken barbecues, usually held as a fund raiser for an Amish child who had amassed some medical bills. I marvel at the yield per acre of incredible organic produce, all planted, farmed and harvested by hard-working men on horse-drawn equipment. And I used to take it all for granted. Not any more. So, to make this long story a little less than endless, is there a source for good Pennsylvania Dutch cooking in this part of the world? And if not, why not? I'll admit, this is hardly haute cuisine but it sure is comfort food.

Considering that he must eat 75 meals a week in order to have the mastery and currency of the DC food scene that he possesses, you will be surprised when you meet him. I'm looking forward to stopping in myself. I'm not far from you and I'm intrigued by what I'm reading....next time I'm in the neighborhood picking up olives and pita at Mediterranean Bakery, I'll save some appetite for this place.

Forgot to add, from my trip to Oahu a few months ago, the crab dumpling with lobster on top at Alan Wong's....yum....!

OK, I'll play.... Chef's Choice Sashimi at Sushi Bar with Koji at Sushi-Ko in Glover Park Sea Spider Roll at PassionFish in Reston Senate Bean Soup at the U.S. Senate Dining Room Pad Thai at Thai Basil in Chantilly Tuna Sliders at the Bar at PS7 Downtown Hummus bil Flay-Flay at Layalina's in Ballston Sleeping Duck on Golden Pond at Present in Falls Church Cuban Sandwich at Blue Iguana in Fair Lakes Half Priced Orca at Clyde's Happy Hour (Old Ebbitt and Gallery Place) Veal Osso Bucco at Zeffirelli's in Herndon Smokie "All the Way" at Nationals Park ....and....drum roll.... Kibbee Nayee at Lebanese Butcher in Falls Church!

I love the mujadarrah comments. It is the Syrian-Lebanese rice-and-beans dish, that all cultures share as peasant comfort food. Who thought that little more than rice, lentils and caramalized onions could be such comfort food. A trick my father used was to top it with a good dollop of gazpacho or high-quality salsa. Excellent marriage of flavors...!

I finally got around to trying Rice and Noodles today, and I'll have to go back for a deeper dive into the menu. First observation -- the place next door that used to be the Burrito Joynt is now El Rico Peru, a Peruvian restaurant that has the signature Peruvian chicken, but also has what appears to be a wide Peruvian menu. At lunch, I noticed an enticing buffet with an appetizing variety of dishes. I'll give it a try in the future. Back to Rice and Noodles, which is a simply but nicely decorated and smallish restaurant with about two dozen seats inside. There are a few tables outside, but the view is of Franconia Road. I ordered my baseline comparison dish, pad kee mao, or drunken noodles. It's the dish I use to compare Thai restaurants, not necessarily because of its authenticity, but because the harmony of flavors and textures help me discern if the kitchen has its act together and is capable of reaching for greater heights. I ordered the extra noodles for $1.00 more, and requested a combination of chicken, beef and pork. The noodles were a little on the heavy side, but the meat was cooked to perfection, and the flecks of heat balanced nicely with the kick of Thai basil. It was a very good but not necessarily great dish, but made me wonder what the rest of the menu has in store for me at another visit. My companion had the chicken and cashews, and declared it too sweet, as if he was eating candy. He mentioned that the same dish at Pasara Thai in Kingstowne was much better, where the sauce is, in his opinion, spot on. At another table I noticed the Paradise Shrimp, which was an ample composition of shrimp arrayed tails-up over a mound of rice, appearing like a 'crown rack of shrimp' and the presentation was very appealing. Must try next time...! My first impression of Rice and Noodles was positive enough to merit a return visit. It wouldn't cause me to go out of my way to avoid Tommy Thai in Springfield or Panisa Thai in Burke, and the twin distractions of Mediterranean Gourmet Market and Sampan Cafe across the street always beckon. But I owe Rice and Noodles a few opportunities to wow me with its kitchen's strengths before I reach a decision about whether or not to include it in my Thai rotation. Not that it matters to anyone but me, but my rotation is House of Siam and Tommy Thai in Springfield (my local haunts), Panisa Thai in Burke, Thai Basil in Chantilly and Sakoontra in Fairfax/Fair Oaks.

I have written often about Mediterranean Gourmet Market in Franconia, which I believe has better food at better value than Mediterranean Bakery in Alexandria. However, I noticed that there is not a specific thread on the Mediterranean Bakery, nor can I find it in the restaurant guide, so here is my homage to this grocery/bakery/restaurant. There is a common adage about groceries that the best plan of attack is to stay on the outer perimeter. That is largely correct for MB as well. As you enter, the right hand side of the perimeter is the spice aisle, which is quite extensive, as well as the refrigerated section, which contains the meats and cheeses (such as soujok and shankleesh) and hummos-baba ghanouj-tabouli, etc. The outer perimeter that is the rear of the store is my favorite. That's where you can order your lunch, get zaatar bread, and grab bags of the freshest Syrian bread (or pita) in town. That is also the area where one of the most extensive collection of hot sauces on the metropolitan area can be found. Farther down the rear perimeter is what has to be the most extensive collection of olives in the area, as well as the refrigerated case for the prepared dishes like marinated olives, followed by the case where the meat-spinach-cheese pies (ftayer and sfeehah) can be found. Rounding the corner and coming down the left-hand perimeter to the cash register are the glorious sweets and pastries, some of the best in the area. There are treats to be had in the interior as well. not the least of which is the best olive oil selection I have ever seen in this area. To the right of my stove top in my kitchen are 9 different bottles of olive oil, sort of my ongoing tasting and sampling, but some of which I use in specific dishes. My favorite from the eastern Mediterranean is Saifan, and you can get it in two or three different sizes here. I like the Mediterranean Gourmet Market on Franconia Road for its better prices and overall better restaurant food. But if you're looking for variety, or fresh bread, or exotic olives, then Mediterranean Bakery merits a visit.