silentbob

Surprised that there was no thread here, but I guess most of the prior discussion occurred on The Other Boards. I had lunch on Sunday at the one in Wheaton, and have now been to all four area locations. The chicken had balanced flavors spice-wise, but was not as juicy as I remembered. The beans and plantains were great as usual. Rice and tortillas, not so much. And their horchata is better than the tamarindo. My favorite location is still the one in Bailey's Crossroads. Apparently, there is one opening at Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg next month. Having grown up in Montgomery Village, I suspect it will do quite well. There will also be one in Columbia Heights, but I don't know about its timetable. Although the comparison is largely apples/oranges, Popeye's still has better chicken IMO (and larger pieces) but Pollo Campero provides the better overall meal once you factor in the sides.

Wegman's? Tyler Cowen's "dining guide" has a few recommendations as well. Otherwise, I got nothing.

Their fries are decent if you order them "well-done" (and yes, "animal style" is a must-try). I had a four-hour layover in SFO last month and convinced one of my friends to pick me up and drive there because I hadn't eaten one in nearly two years. Oh my. In-N-Out is one of the top 2 or 3 things I miss most about California. Seriously.

How do the prices at Litteri's for, say, a can of tomatoes, a pound of parmigiano, and a bag of risotto compare to here? I've been quite satisfied with the products at Teitel Bros., but would rather not make the drive to Arthur Avenue if Northeast DC will suffice.

I don't think the non-gelato options at Otto are THAT mediocre. Sure, there are definitely better pizza options in the city. But my friends and I loved their grande seafood antipasti platter. Lots of simple but vibrant flavors. And a relative bargain at $21.

My parents took me to Quan Ju De when I visited them in Beijing earlier this month. The duck, as described above, was top-notch. Aside from the signature roast duck, we were also served duck feet (as a cold appetizer), duck kidneys (sauteed with vegetables), duck neck, and duck liver. A lovely meal all around. Couldn't bring myself to eat the sea horses and grasshoppers on a stick that were sold by the Wangfujing street food vendors, though. I'm fairly adventurous when it comes to food, but have to draw the line somewhere! We also had some great meals in Xian (including a dinner with 18 types of dumplings), Yangzhou, and Shanghai, but unfortunately I forgot the names of the restaurants. -- [This thread has been split off from the Hong Kong thread, where sparkycom has some Beijing reviews in this post.]

The next several months are gonna be hellish for me at work, so I'll need to find some different quick meal options pretty soon. Recently, I've subsisted largely on food bought from Costco -- their packaged guacamole, Abuelita tortilla chips, Nathan's hot dogs, and Earthbound Farms organic salad mix. Nothing spectacular, but reliably decent. Has anyone had good experiences with buying food from Costco, particularly the more "meal-like" items? I remember having their pot pies and frozen pizzas as a teenager but they were pretty bland and unsatisfying. If only there were a Wegman's within a few miles of Tysons...

Are there any good Indian grocery stoes in the western part of the county (i.e., Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Bethesda)? The Grand Mart off Muddy Branch Road satisfies most of my shopping needs, but not all of them.

Can someone please post the schedule for this week? Thanks in advance.

What is considered a "good" price for Meyer lemons? I want to pay for quality but don't like feeling ripped off either.

I had a reservation all lined up for this past Saturday night at L'Impero but had to cancel because my best friend threw an impromptu dinner party at her new house in NJ. In other words, bailing was not an option. But earlier that day, I had a bacon cheeseburger at PJ Clarke's. Definitely lived up to its reputation. The texture and flavor were impeccable. Is it better than the burgers at Colorado Kitchen and Palena? Probably an apples/oranges comparison. But I don't recall having enjoyed one more. Except maybe at In-N-Out. It was just so satisfying.

Blue Hill is good, but most of their offerings would likely be better at Palena or Corduroy. I was slightly disappointed. I had a great meal at WD-50 last summer, including the beet juice-oozing foie gras mentioned above. A small fraction of the dishes may flop or fail to satisfy, but most of Chef Dufresne's creations are superb and one-of-a-kind. The desserts are great as well. Gramercy Tavern is definitely the safe pick. Nothing spectacular but consistent excellence all around. This may veer towards the full scale blowout end, but my favorite place in the city is Cafe Boulud. Their tasting menu was one of the best meals I've ever had, and we sat two tables away from Bill Cosby. You can definitely get out of there with a great meal and spend around $150/pp, though.

Around what time does the place fill up on Mondays? Also, do the bartenders make any non-alcoholic specialties (my friend who's going is Muslim)?

I'd highly recommend Joe's Restaurant, not just as a good place to eat in Venice but in all of Southern California. Their prix-fixe lunch is an insane bargain, and even the dinner prices are fairly reasonable. IMO, it's like the West Coast equivalent of Corduroy. Also, Monte Alban in West Los Angeles has a wide variety of great mole dishes.

Hmmm, looks like I'll have to try Matyson next time I'm up there. If nothing else, reservations will be much easier to secure (read: OpenTable) than at Django. Thanks for the review!

I like Una Pizza Napoletana very much, and agree that they make the best authentic pie in NYC, but it is horribly overpriced IMO. In my most recent visits, we've been going to No. 28 (on Carmine between Bleecker and Bedford). It's probably about 90% as good as Una Pizza, but a significantly better value.

My mom and I had the gumbo and shrimp bisque on Friday night. Piping hot, totally hit the spot. We also split a meatball sub with provolone and sweet/hot peppers. Solid, if not spectacular. We'd never been to Wegman's before, and the place definitely puts Whole Foods to shame.

Obviously, it's preferable for a restaurant to have both good food and good ambiance. But given a choice between the two, which one would you take? I suspect most would forgo the latter. It sounds like you enjoyed most of the food, and even characterized it as a steal. I think that warrants at least two stars under the Sietsema system. As for the Beatles music, well, one person's annoyance is another's charming quirk. Reasonable minds can disagree. I had another enjoyable lunch on Saturday with some relatives. Loved the steamed monkfish liver pate. The scallops and toro were great as usual. The uni seemed fine to me. If anything was slightly off IMO, it was the mackerel. We got out of there for about $17 each after tax/tip. As usual, can't wait to go back.

Willie Brown (while mayor of San Francisco) taped a clip for the original Iron Chef when Ron Siegel battled Sakai, so it's certainly happened before.

Oops, forgot to mention that sushi is out because we're going to Kotobuki on Saturday with my grandmother. Pizza is out because we went to 2 Amys last week. My mom makes the best Chinese food in the world IMO (though Joe's Noodle House comes close), so that leaves pasta, the salad bar or the sub shop. That works for me. Thanks for the tips. One other thing -- does Wegman's have a seating area, or is it strictly take out? Because if it's the latter, I suppose we could go to the Hard Times in Herndon. They certainly don't serve Texas or Cincinnati chili in Beijing.

Mom and I are picking up Dad at Dulles and planning to grab a quick bite beforehand. What are the best dining options at Wegman's (still have never been, despite working only 15 minutes away)? Parents are home after 8 months in Beijing, but headed back in two weeks. I would take my mom to Minerva, but she was not impressed when we ate at Bombay Bistro last year. The alternative would've been Pollo Campero, but we had Popeye's a few nights ago. Maybe SBC Cafe?

Feeling lazy again -- two eggs sunny side up on smoked salmon, served with Wheat Thins. Sour cream glazed Krispy Kreme for dessert.

It is indeed. Thanks to Rissa and her entire staff for their impeccable and generous service. Everything was so well-paced. My out-of-town friends had a fantastic evening. We arrived too late for the duck confit, which had run out, but the Chef substituted in chicken and it worked just as well. I love crispy poultry skin. The cauliflower (?) soup packed a mean punch, and the beet salad was refreshing. I got the lobster salad, which tasted as elegant it looked. I wish the mini-ravioli that came with the lamb could be sold commercially. Seriously, I would buy several pounds and have it for dinner at least three times a week. My Sunnyside wagyu strip loin with rutabaga gratin was as perfectly cooked as the Snake River Farms kobe-style served at Palena last summer. And not surprisingly, everyone raved about the decadent Niman Ranch pork belly. As for dessert, much like the lobster salad, everything tasted as it looked -- the bright pineapple sorbet, the rich baked chocolate sabayon, the heavenly creme brulee with blackberries. At many other places, the desserts only look good. I certainly won't wait another four years to return. More like four months (or weeks, schedule permitting).

My parents and I got take-out last night. Finally got a chance to taste the soul rolls, which are totally deserving of the hype. The "redneck fondue" is excellent as well -- next time I throw a party, I'm totally ordering a quart. Ribs were quality as always. I agree that the sauces could use some kick, but presumably that's why there are hot sauces on the wall. Maybe I'll mix in some sambal for the leftovers.

I have a reservation for Saturday night with some out-of-towners. Haven't been in nearly 4 years -- totally my fault. What must we try besides the greatest hits (e.g., spring rolls, red snapper bisque, scallops, pork belly, wagyu)?