TheMatt

Perhaps it's cecina de res (thinly sliced dried beef)? Though, usually that's taco de cecina. Hmm. Maybe I'll have to do some on-site investigating...

Oh yeah, reservations. Heh. Guess as I'm usually there as a single, it doesn't occur to me. And, of course, now I might have to go to HEC this weekend. Got the dim sum cravings building...

The one time I showed up on a weekend around when they opened it was me and another couple. That's it. And that when they just reopened. But, that was a Saturday, not a Sunday. Still, I don't think you'd have much trouble at all if you get there at 9:55 or 10:05 or something. (It has been a month or two since I last went, so maybe it's different now? Hope others can chime in.)

Yeah, the Wynkoop Brewery is the big name, doubly so since Hizzoner the Mayor is an owner. However, if you find you can't decide, you could always take the Denver Microbrew Tour. Looks like no tour on the 4th, but an extra added on the 3rd.

Is there a final time for this yet? I last heard 6:30 - 7:00.

A query for the board on Dino. I'm thinking of heading up to Dino tomorrow night for a solo (3-days-pre-)birthday dinner. The one time I've gone to Dino, I took the Metro because it was a weekday and, well, it was obviously easier. But, I'm wondering, on a Saturday is it viable to find parking around Cleveland Park around 5:30 pm? Or should just load up the iPod and nestle in for the hour-long Metro ride to Cleveland Park? (This also has double meaning as I'm thinking of bringing my sister and parents to Dino for a "parents on vacation + pseudo-celebration of a time in between my sis and my birthdays" dinner in a couple weeks, so I'm looking ahead at planning car or Metro. No matter what, though, it's great to have a restaurant like this that can cater to vegetarians, pescetarians and omnivores, as this quartet will be, with more than the usual single veggie dish on the menu. Thanks Dean!)

I believe I can make either date as well. And I do like how you decided to honor my birthday by bracketing it, keeping it a day of rest.

I do believe I will be there +0.

I'd be up for La Caraqueña given my schedule coöperating. (Decided to go all New Yorker on that since I had the intl keyboard out already.)

Depending on the night, I might be able to make it. I don't live far away, so that won't be a big issue, but work...ah, work...

Really wish other plans hadn't made me miss this. I'm gonna miss him...

You know, after chefrjdc provided me with an amazing vegetarian meal I had at a DR.com dinner a couple years ago, man, I'd leap on a vegetarian 24. That said, I am trying to convince my brain that a meat-ful 24 just might be worth it...

So sad to hear this. I'm not sure when I first met StephenB, I think at one of the $20 dinners. I do know that as a new person at the DR events, StephenB always greeted me with kindness, always talked to me; he was the person who embodied the kind, open spirit of DR.com and the DR events. In fact, I was lamenting the fact that, at this last picnic, he wasn't there to share some conversation and a juice box with me. I think we had done that for three, four picnics in a row, and it was one reason I brought some juice boxes this time around. I'm going to miss him.

Welp, 100 wee cheesecakes have been made and are currently chilling. Due to my overbeating, most will probably have a cherry or two on top to, well, make them look better. Of course, I haven't actually tried one yet. They look good, but that's no arbiter of taste. Oh, and since I'll have to try one or two tonight, I suppose the maximum number that will show up will be 98-99, though I'm not confident I can reliably transport that many.

Traffic Alert! I apologize for the bold, but this might be important for some of our picnic attendees. Namely, anyone who would normally get to Fort Hunt Park by going west across the Wilson Bridge on the Inner Loop (to Church and then Washington) you do not want to do that. As reported by Dr Gridlock, there will be emergency bridge repairs at the Telegraph Rd Interchange on the Inner Loop. These repairs will reduce the Inner Loop at Telegraph to a single lane. As everyone knows, the 5 lane to 3 lane squeeze that happens near that bridge already does a good number on traffic flow, reducing it to one-lane? Engineers are projecting possible backups of 10 to 15 miles into Maryland. If you might be impacted by this, your best bet is to cross the Potomac elsewhere. I'm guessing if you're coming from, say, Largo and farther south, I'd suggest using the 14th Street Bridge as your crossing. Given the possible scale of the backups, using 295 from its south terminus at the Beltway to the SE/SW Freeway is probably not the way to go (unless you live near National Harbor), but rather head east to, say, South Capital, or Routes 4 or 5 and then heading north. Sorry for the interruption!

"My God, it's full of stars!" All that's left is to put bacon under the skin and over the skin. Sort of an in vivo reverse Double Down. (ETA: Well, I suppose ex vivo and probably not that vivo at the time.)

Hmm. Looking at the big list, I might change my dish. There seems to be an abundance of meat and a not-abundance of non-meat dishes. Maybe I'll bring a salad or the like. ETA: I was just given a mini-muffin pan. Seeing that has made me think of those wee cheesecakes that I often enjoyed at picnics and potlucks. And can you really have enough sweets?

You know...I really need a stand mixer. I have a friend who makes a lot of bread who swears by the Bosch mixer. However, while I might make some bread, I'd also make batters, cookies, etc. Does anyone here have any comments, good and bad, about the Bosch?

Even more important, anyone know what they charge/how much you get/how great it is? One great thing about Annandale is the value for the quality of food you receive. I see a menu like that and my price-gouging alarm begins to warm up...

If gratuity is included in the pre-pay, how would I, as the diner, show my satisfaction or dissatisfaction for the server? Will there be a survey at the end of the meal whose results influence the distribution? "How would you rank your server this evening? 5 4 3 2 1"

Well, I always say Green Bean Casserole made with good ol' canned Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup and French's Onions. Of course, I say that because it's a tradition at my family's family dinners. We once tried to make it with a fancy, "real" Mushroom Cream soup, but the broad agreement was "Back to the can!". Oh, and some Colman's mustard and some Cumberland sauce for the ham.

I think I'd be up for that (depending on date). I've never done hot pot and it seems to be a more communal, rather than my usual alone, thing.

Went to Uncle Liu's today for the lunch buffet, which was quite good, maybe the best Chinese buffet I've ever seen. Not the best Chinese ever, no, but the best buffet. Mainly this is due to the variety on display. Sounds like much of what Aguirre saw when he/she went was there today. Perhaps there was a bit more dim sum than there is during the week. Dishes like pork in bean curd, radish cake with sausage (I think), leek cakes (these were *good*, stuffed with leeks/green onions), chicken feet, many more. I'd have to go during the week to see if these are there then (or Aguirre might know). I do agree that the Sichuan dishes weren't as spicy as they could/should have been, but it didn't stop me from filling up on pickled cucumber, spicy bean curd noodles, and some cold chicken dish that was amazing. Beyond that, the duck and pork congee was good, they had this unique (to me) taro soup. There were quite a few vegetarian dishes, which I was glad to see. I know it's against the "get your money's worth" style of buffet eating, but, hey, I like veggies. Unlike Aguirre, I went right about at 11 (when they open) and I was surprised to see pretty much the whole buffet filled. Usually if you get to buffets at opening, there are about half the dishes not yet added. Of course, you also risk getting dishes made long ago in preparation for opening, but I didn't find any like this. I was alone at that point, but by the time I left, more and more were coming in, which was good to see. Many of them got the pho that you can get with the buffet, enough that I'm going to try it next time I go.

Sadly I wasn't able to attend due to health reasons, but I'm glad to know now of this event and I am sure to make it next year!

Well, if you want a ready-made flaxseed cereal, Uncle Sam has it in. One thing I've heard from people who add it as a topping or add-in is that you get the most effective use of it if you grind it just before adding it (say in a spice grinder). Apparently your body gets use of the oils better than if it's whole. But, yes, adding it to shakes, on top of cereals, hot and cold, on cooked veggies, that's how it's usually used.