Kibbee Nayee

Just had a pleasant lunch with a companion last Thursday. I had the mussels, Belgian style (whatever that means, because I've had mussels in Brussels about a dozen different ways), and they were OK, not bad but not great. My companion had the Cuban sandwich, which looked pretty darned good. I have to tell you honestly, the most memorable part of the meal was the absolutely drop-dead-gorgeous waitress-in-training from Brazil, who will undoubtedly be "discovered" and swept off her feet by some rich guy or else become a supermodel.

One more time! I'm entertaining a group of people on Thursday this week, and will the restaurant be open in Merrifield (Oct. 2)?

It's more about the gristle and the silverskin. All removed. Some fat becomes a casualty. But when you see the delicious red steaks that result, trust me, it's worth it.

Glad you asked. My Board name should suggest a certain affinity for lamb. Mine is a labor of love, and worth it. I take the leg and a sharp knife, and for a good hour I dissect every muscle so that I end with four basic products -- absolutely perfect, without a speck of fat, lamb steaks; the bones of the leg, to be sawed into 2-inch pieces; small scraps of relatively fat-free lamb meat; and a large pile of almost pure white fat. The fat goes into the trash can. The bones are sawed up and roasted for 45 mins. at 400 degrees, then turned into a wonderful lamb stock, using purified water, aromatics (onion, celery, carrot, bay leaves) and some peppercorns. The small lamb pieces are reserved for the next stage. The steaks are marinated in balsamic vinegar, worcestershire sauce, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, and whatever else you think you like. Believe me, good eating is ahead. Set aside the marinated steaks for a while. Strain the stock after about an hour and a half, then reduce it by half. Make the best rice pilaf you know how to make. Make a roux and then add the stock a little at a time until you have a gravy-like consistency. Saute the small lamb pieces, season them, and add them to the gravy. Grill the steaks to medium rare. Serve with pilaf and gravy. Add a salad in the late summer, early fall. Add a pureed root vegetable in the winter, or roasted cauliflower. You get the idea....

OK, I'm not sure how to post this one, but here goes....at the Afghan Mini Market on Backlick in Springfield across the street from the original Five Guys, there in the meat case, plain as day, in a package of six, were "lamb balls". That was the name on the package. Honest. No, I didn't buy them.

I've lately had some fun with buying prepped foods that can be cooked at home, saving a little time and money while not sacrificing goodness by any stretch of the imagination. I'll share a few and offer up the thread for anyone else's delicious adventures in this area. The Assal Market on Backlick Road in Springfield, in the same plaza as Fischer's Hardware and Kate's Irish Pub, has a selection of pre-seasoned tandoori chicken pieces, packaged up and ready to go. No, I don't have a tandoori at home, but these skinless chunks of dark meat on my gas grill turned out to be sensational. Right from the package to the grill to my stomach. Also, I bought the ground chicken white meat and made chicken burgers with them. Much better than anything ground in the meat case at Giant or Safeway, trust me. The Lebanese Butcher in Falls Church has marinated skewers of lamb and chicken kabobs. They also have pre-packed kafta. The kabobs go right on the grill and taste sensational. The kafta has to be formed into the traditional cigar shapes on a skewer, or patties (like I did). Add some rice and a salad and you have a feast for not a lot of effort or cost. OK, let's hear about your shortcuts....!

I'm bumping this....anyone know of the place in Merrifield is opened yet, or when it is expected to be open for business? Thanks!

Thanks Eric! See you Sept. 4 (Boz Scaggs), Oct. 31 (Delbert McClinton) and Nov. 26 (BB King). Can I get the chili dog in the dining room?

Question for Eric, or anyone else in the crowd. My girlfriend and I go to the Birchmere a lot. Del Merei is less than a half mile walk away. Does it make sense to come to Del Merei ahead of the event, or afterwards? Do you offer a pre-theater dinner? If so, we would probably have to get to the Birchmere by 6:30 to get through will-call and get good seats. It almost doesn't seem like a good idea.... But afterwards, if we were to just have a few drinks and an appetizer at the Birchmere, how late do you stay open for dinner? Thanks for any suggestions.

I'm back with my report. The meal was beyond outstanding. Eric Robinson may not be well known, but last night he was worthy of 2941 or Eve. It was the Summer Wine tasting Dinner, arranged jointly by Blue Iguana and a guy named John who works for the importer who handles Duboeuf and many others. I believe he mentioned Deutsch as the importer. John sat next to me and was bouncing ideas off of me for the Fall Wine Tasting, and I think he's leaning towards a Bordeaux set of pairings. Stay tuned -- Oct. 6th or 13th. Each of the five courses were home runs. The Hamachi was melt-in-your-mouth, the pork tenderloin was one of the better morsels of pork I've had in a long time, the beef short loin actually tasted like beef and the strawberry napoleon was a very pleasant surprise. The Duboeuf wines actually paired well with the courses. I wasn't as impressed with the Morgon as John thought I would be, but overall, the wine flowed freely and was enjoyable. Mind you, this wasn't a standard off-the-menu Blue Iguana meal. But at $69 per person with all the wine you can drink and some really impressive calisthenics by the chef, it can't be beat. I will definitely be there for the October event.

Count me in, pal. I used to love the Vienna Inn version washed down with plenty of suds. I believe the next level has been hit with Zadie's Dogs.....save me a few!

Good review of the buffet. Now we need a dinner review! I suppose it's full menu at dinner and no buffet?

Stopped by today and stayed on the butcher side. I picked up a package of kafta and two of the most beautiful shoulder steaks I have ever seen. Both are frozen for later consumption. Also picked up the pre-marinated chicken and lamb kabobs and grilled them on the Ducane at home. How do you say "unfrikkin-believably delish" in Arabic?

Haha! I have to chime in. About 20 years ago, it was one of my go-to Old Town restaurants. I absolutely loved the carpaccio, and the wine-by-the-glass list was ahead of its time. I proposed to my second wife there in 1989, and that was the last time I was in the place. The marriage has ended, thankfully, and I'm glad I haven't been back to the restaurant from what I'm reading on this Board.

Return trip today for no other reason except I wanted to....I had the bibimbap, and my pal had the bulgogi. I wish I knew what the table full of little relishes were, but they were good. I potato dish and what seemed like spicy dried strip of fish were the best of the six little dishes. His bulgogi was outstanding, a plate of Korean fajitas (sort of). Really tasty marinated beef. My bibimbap was a generous bowl of rice with veggies and meat and egg on top, which I mixed with the chili paste on the table. It was preceeded by a small bowl of hit-the-spot soup. Some day I'll make it all the way up Backlick to Gamasot, but I probably need to go some other direction. Because if I'm on Backlick heading north, and I'm hungry for Korean food, I detour into Sahm Oh Jong. For the record, my pal and I were only two of four Yankees in there at lunch today. The other 25+ patrons were Korean.

I haven't seen anything written on Blue Iguana. I lunch there often, and I know it comes across as a happy hour haunt with a funky name. Surprisingly, the food is pretty good and it's not a chain, so I recommend it. I work in the Fair Oaks area, so Blue Iguana is a credible option for lunch. All of the salads are fresh and tasty, and at about $11, they're reasonable too. I love the Cobb Salad. Last time I had lunch there, I had the catfish tacos. They were in the "really good" category. Next Monday night, Aug. 18th, is a special $69 per person tasting menu with Georges Duboeuf wines. I'll be there and will report diligently. But the menu is indicative of a kitchen that is more than a casual lunch spot. This dinner is created and prepared by Executive Chef Eric Robinson, and I think he means business! Pre-First course (reception) -- Crab and lobster cakes, lemongrass chicken croquettes, smoked mussel canapes with tomato mousse, baked brie with almond and pear, all served with Georges Duboeuf Sauvignon Blanc. First course -- Hamachi "sashimi style", Beluga lentils, shaved fennel, pickled red onions and key lime vinaigrette, served with Georges Duboeuf Pouilly-Fuisse. Second course -- Pecan crusted pork tenderloin, grilled plums, wilted mustard greens, sour cherry chevre and red wine reduction, served with Georges Duboeuf Morgon Jean Descombes Beaujolais.. Entree -- Herb-roasted beef short loin, wild mushroom and potato ragout, smoked tomato demi-glace and caramelized shallot and chive butter, served with Georges Duboeuf Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Dessert -- Strawberry "napoleon", marinated strawberries, mascarpone mousse, filo crisps, strawberry puree, served with Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages. My mouth is watering even if my waistline is begging for mercy. When I booked my reservations last week, they were up to 60 already. I doubt they can take more than 80 or so.....

I hate to reveal a family secret, but I make a "BLT salad" with apple-smoked bacon chunks, chopped tomato (peeled and seeded) and shredded lettuce (pinch of salt and plenty of pepper, and a dollop of Hellman's), mixed together and piled on a toasted whole wheat potato bun....

I love this thread, and I'm on a never-ending quest to help this Board define the Springfield foodie scene. If Gamasot is the best Korean food within the geographical confines of Springfield, then I have found a close second -- Sahm Oh Jong in the Brookfield Plaza on Backlick Road. (Side note -- drop me anywhere near Brookfield Plaza some morning with $20 in my pocket, and I'll eat like a king all day long and have change in my pocket.) Sahm Oh Jong is a little place off to the side of Brookfield Plaza, in the same row as House of Siam, Spring Garden and Bombay Buffet (all very good). It is almost always frequented by Koreans, for lunch and dinner, and I frequently find that I'm the only ethnic Yankee in the place. The prices at lunch are incredible -- about $6.95 for anything. I have had the Bulgogi and the Bibimbap a few times. I'll keep going back. But that doesn't diminish the star that is Gamasot. It's just that, when I'm a few miles south of there and very hungry, I will happily detour into Sahm Oh Jong, over and over again.

Well, you can get Peruvian and Greek/Italian at Delia's in Springfield....but yes, I'll admit that you have happened upon a unique fusion....

What is the ETA for the Merrifield opening? And how many of the four sisters are still with the restaurant? Last time I went to Eden Center I believe one of them had moved on to other pursuits....

Five of us hit Sakoontra last night and all I can report is that it remains consistently good. I have never had a better kee mow (drunken noodles) anywhere, the Yum Watercress is a rare treat, the appetizers are fresh and delicious (steamed dumplings and Thai mussels this time around), and the soft shell crab (Poo Grob) is not to be missed, especially because I like anything with "Poo" in the title.

My first game at the new park is tonight. Unfortunately, or fortunately, it will be in a catered luxury box. My g/f's company is the owner, and we nabbed tix. I'll report back on the quality of the catering, and if it's so-so, I'll trek around and check out the current offerings....

Definitely worth another visit. The food that came out of the kitchen was in that neat little culinary notch above Chadwick's but below Eve. I was impressed with the meats, cooked to perfection, juicy and full of taste, but not priced to kill. The appetizers were almost in the special, tasting-menu category but not quite there. I'm going to assume Johnny Nielsen is about to inflict some real pleasure on all of our tastebuds over the coming year.

I was there last night with a few friends, and it's worthy of another go sometime. I spoke with the bartender and he says it's not really affiliated with the Bookbinder's in Philly. The management group bought the rights to the name, and that's the affiliation. I had the crabcakes appetizer and the filet mignon main course. My buddy had the fired calamari appetizer and the filet mignon. I have to say that the filets were cooked to perfection, and at about $20 for 8 oz. they were better than and less expensive than Morton's or Ruth's Chris. His calamari was perfect, with light and almost airy crust, no grease at all. My crabcakes were good, not great, but worth a try at the entre portion next time. My other friend had the deviled eggs and said they tasted too much like eggs, not shrimp. But his pork chop was sensational. Wine by the glass was pretty reasonable and a large assortment was available. Yes, I would go back, but there are lots of other places in Old Town I would go to between visits. Speaking of which, had a nightcap with my buddies at Pat Troy's across King Street. As we were sipping our seasonal brews, the guy at the table next to me was eating shepherd's pie. It looked darn good! I could see it and smell it from where I sat, and the little corner of it left on his plate had me tempted to dive in before the bus boy got there...

Hmmmm....new chef doesn't want to be named yet....? I love the intrigue! Could Jonathan Krinn have found his new destination? Or maybe Cathal Armstrong will continue buying up the rest of Old Town? I'm heading to Old Town with two old buddies tomorrow night for an evening of eating and drinking, and I just might try this place. Any other places that the Abi Najm family punted on?