tripewriter

:-D Did you use different polite words, or a particularly polite delivery? Inquiring minds wanna know!

I've chosen pinot noir for T-day for years now, and always enjoy it. Thanks for the other great suggestions!

What she said. I look forward to trying some of the other menu selections soon, it was hard for me to decide where to begin (ended up going with the proscuitto/risotto/hanger steak/gelati and a beautiful sparkling wine). Ditto here too, 'cept mine was medium rare and I had some gnocchi for the next day as well.Grazie a Notti Bianche!

But it was oh-so-convenient when regaling my co-workers about this special dinner to simply throw the menu onto a nearby overhead projector!

I'm surprised that Kliman seems so uncomfortable with the whole fine dining experience. To me there are few things more relaxing than a great meal with great service. I'm never uptight about speaking my mind, nor do I view service as an intrusion.Better to give readers information about what goes into good service and the pleasures of experiencing good hospitality. Yes, I'd like fries with that. Now please leave me alone.

As an unabashed Elevationaholic, I suggest that DR.com burger questers check out this thread. Great food, locally owned and operated, and not a chain.

Thanks for posting these, they bring back delightful (albeit recent) memories.The 2941 kitchen seems to have a special touch with seafood. My faves were the langoustine (to quote bilrus, I want this in a four-quart le creuset!) and the sable. Also stand-out was the dessert--as our table tucked into this, the conversational buzz was "who's the pastry chef here?" Other highlights for me were the eggplant purse and the beef tartare. And the wine pairings, which hit all the right notes. And yes, our thoughts also turned to Jacques G. when the venison and boar plate appeared. :-)

Huevos rancheros at Los Tios in Del Ray. With an app plate of shrimp in garlic butter.

Read this thread and hie thee to Falls Church, post haste.

Tea-smoked duck breast finished with a cider reduction and ancho toasted pumpkin seeds. Wild rice pilaf with dried Michigan cherries. Asparagus with lime mayo. Beer. It feels good to be cooking again. [And to have achieved ... grouper.]

You'd think for October, they would have taken this opportunity to go with an interim seasonal name: Del Ray Screamery.

Hrm, I always thought of DR.com as the asylum, on at least a couple levels.

Getting my Elevation Burger on ... at about 1:45 this afternoon. Woo hoo!

Will it feature a ventworm swallowing a smoked pig basted by flaming martians?

Turkey meatball stroganoff variation with broad egg noodles and off-season asparagus spears dressed with lime mayo. And cold beer.

I bought a stone and sharpen my own--starting with the cheap knives. Charlie is right about using a steel. If you use one regularly with your knives in between tasks, they will stay sharp for a long, long time.

One of the patties in my burger yesterday was medium-well, the other was medium rare. I didn't ask for a specific temp, but was pleased they weren't cooked through.I did notice the person at the grill station had a habit of pressing down on each patty several times with the spatula while cooking. I bet the burgers would be even tastier and juicier if those fresh beef patties didn't get such a vigorous workout.

Shades of Carnac the Magnificent!Man oh man, that phat burger and fries were a taste treat! I noticed a sign on one of their doors saying that they are closed Sundays for staff training, administrative work, etc. Maybe they are still working on getting the line up to speed.

"When in doubt, throw it out."

Cake doughnut and 1/2 pint skim milk.

You sir, are a gentleman and a scholar.

First time, last night ... we were on our way home from Fairfax and looking for some vittles. What the heck, we'd already driven 60 miles, what's 30 more? ;-) Temptasian was about 1/2 full. The two of us were were greeted enthusiastically and seated at a four-top. I asked for water; she tea. We chatted with our server a bit about our preferences and ended up ordering baby wonton in chili oil (recommended by our server, it was a highlight of the meal) pumpkin cakes kung pao chicken (what interesting flavors!) general tsao's duck (also a recommendation from our helpful server) What a super meal! I would have enjoyed a beer to cut the heat of items 1 and 3, but hey, that's what rice and sliced oranges are for, right? The staff checked on us several times to see how we were doing--one remarked that the duck is not a typical choice for Americans to order. A surprise because I realy enjoy duck, and this was well prepared and a huge portion! We ended up taking a bit of everything to go. We spent $30 but could have gotten out of there very satisfied for $15. I look forward to our next visit and trying more dishes. Anyone wanna come with?

I worked a private party in the Waterfall Room on Sunday night and was impressed by the space. The massive main dining room also has a great feel. The outdoor stone paths near the waterfall and koi ponds are tres cool.

Walrus and Tripewriter's Picnic Cupcakes Go to Pastries by Randolph on Lee Hwy in Arlington. Take a number. When your number is called, select an assortment of cupcakes, such as yellow and chocolate with white buttercream frosting and pumpkin spice with cream cheese frosting. While counter staff box cupcakes, order two more with milk to eat in the store. Settle up at the register and take box of cupcakes to picnic. Enjoy one before they're all devoured, even if you've just consumed two pounds of smoked pig. Goes well with a fine single malt.

Cincinnati-style Turkey Chili Thanks to all of those who enjoyed this chili, and apologies for taking so long to post the recipe. Disclaimers: I was born in Cincinnati, but never have eaten chili there. Also, I never make this quite the same way twice. Your mileage may vary. Void where prohibited. Some restrictions may apply. The following is for entertainment purposes only. Note: I would like to try this with ground beef and veal stock sometime. But this is the turkey version that I brought to the picnic. Bring one quart chicken stock to a boil in a large pot. Add two to three pounds raw ground turkey (I used on package breast meat, one package dark meat, both on sale), a large chopped yellow onion, and a bulb of chopped garlic. Yes, you are boiling the meat. Don't even think about browning anything. Lower heat to bring liquid to a simmer; break up the meat chunks. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar and one tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. Toss in a dried bay leaf. Stir. Add a spice mixture comprising one tsp ground black pepper, one tsp ground allspice, one tsp ground cloves, one tsp ground cumin, one teaspoon ancho chili powder, and two teaspoons ground cinnamon. Stir. Add about 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less depending on how much heat you want. Stir. When meat is thoroughly cooked, add one 15-oz can of tomato sauce. Stir. Simmer for at least 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the secret ingredient, one oz of unsweetened chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts and is fully incorporated. Remove from heat and refrigerate overnight. Reheat until piping hot before serving. For the full Cincy experience (versus the plain chili I brought to the Rocks picnic), serve with oyster crackers and any of the following: Over cooked spaghetti ("two way") Over cooked spaghetti, add grated cheese ("three way") Over cooked spaghetti, add grated cheese, and raw chopped onion ("four way") Over cooked spaghetti, add grated cheese, raw chopped onion, and red kidney beans ("five way") Anne likes hers with grated Tibetan yak cheese. :-D