perrik

I used to get crabs regularly at the Wheaton Seafood in the Buff, but that was a few years ago. They might steam fresh on the weekends, but when I'd go after work, they would re-heat cooked crabs in some sort of steam cabinet (yes, you'd get a few overcooked crabs in each dozen). Now I make the run up to Frank's Seafood at the wholesale market in Jessup. They often have cold cooked #2 males, which they call $1 crabs and I call "lunch".

The Mezzanine seating sections are on the same level as the Club sections. The Club section is closed off from the peons, but the Mezzanine isn't. We always buy our tickets in the LF Mezzanine section - the (few) concession stands and bathrooms seem quieter there, and it's a great vantage point for watching Zimm. I'm looking forward to the new Meyer spots, but I still miss Mayorga's carts. I'm too cheap to eat much at the park, but I'm always ready to shell out for hot caffeine. We're planning to see the Nats play the Pirates in Pittsburgh later this month. The game will be... well... I hear the food is pretty good at PNC Park.

When my husband worked in the Courthouse area, we'd meet up for dinner at that Silver Diner until we couldn't take the comical service any longer. We still hit the Laurel one regularly, but I've yet to try the new food items. However, I'm pleased to report that they've switched their coffee to Greenberry, and offer a dark roast as well as regular and decaf.

Bah. That's not the finest culinary tool in the Think Geek lineup. This is. If this were a real product I would order a dozen...

Next Sunday at 12:30 sounds good. Yeah, I've missed those carrots...

Rats. Well, is anyone available for weekday dim sum this week?

I don't know why I can't convince the board settings to keep my PMs enabled, gah. But anyway, I'm there.

I thought "The Late Unpleasantness" referred to that part of a Chang-prepared meal where the staff is glaring at you simply because you've licked all the plates clean and there was nothing left but the woven bamboo squares that decorate the roast fish, and they kinda expected the bamboo squares to remain unchewed...

Sunday @ 11:30am sounds groovy. I haven't been back to Silver Fountain for cart dim sum since we went there ages ago for the Dim Sum Comparo, but have been there twice in the past two months for weekday dim sum off the menu. It's no Hollywood East, but on the other hand it was walking distance from my office!

May I take Al Dente's place? My brain is foggy, and a little Sichuan food is necessary to clear things up.

I'm in, for either day.

Toan has been my go-to pho place for the last four or five months, and while I've never been the only customer, it's also never been more than 1/4 full. Stopped by for lunch today, a few minutes after 1pm - closed. Hmm. There was no explanatory sign, so I hope this was just another of those emergency closures.

I did a re-con lunch trip to Grace Garden last Tuesday - it remains unpromisingly grubby on the outside, filled with wonders on the inside. After a lunch of braised Hak-Ka tofu, I pre-ordered a tea-smoked duck for Saturday. Five of us showed up to feast on the duck, fish noodles, Pang-ka tofu, shredded beef with black pepper, something with eggplant, sauteed pak choi, and those evil little Chinese doughnuts that you know you shouldn't eat eight of but you do anyway. Grace Garden seems to be back to normal, but I'd better go back this week for another lunch, just to make sure.

I spent yesterday in lovely Charlottesville, gazing longingly at the University of Virginia and having the nice folks at Crutchfield install a spiffy new car stereo in my latte-encrusted Subaru. Across the street from Crutchfield is Taste of China, so of course I had to have lunch while waiting. The dining room was half-full, and I was pleased to overhear the other diners ordering the non-Americanized options. No rabbit on the menu, and I don't recall any lamb. The Chung Qing chicken sounded like what was called Country Young Chicken at China Star, but I couldn't resist his classic Roast Fish with Green Onion. He is indeed still using the bamboo structures. Tuesdays might be his day off, but his crew appears to be properly trained. I'd love to explore the menu with a group, but it's not worth a 5 hour round-trip drive as a solo diner. Not unless I bring a cooler, anyway. That chicken dish was always better the next day...

It's $2.35 for off-peak hours. Still seems a bit hefty. 11:30am Eastern standard time sounds good.

Doctor ran bloodwork on me and verified that my cheong fan levels were critically low. Count me in.

FYI: Drove by today and spotted a "Under New Management!" banner. Pho Hong Ahn is now Pho Hung.

Szechuan food in downtown Rockville. I'm in. (+1 will stay home to feed the cats)

Had Sichuan food on my mind last night, as so often happens, so I visited the poorly-programmed website for Hong Kong Palace. (hint: URL tags, like fading relationships, need some sort of closure) Ah. The owners just bought a place called China Jade up near Shady Grove Metro. So I just happened to find myself in the Shady Grove area at lunchtime today, and can report that the Cumin Beef recipe successfully made the trip north. Much of the HKP menu is duplicated here, plus they've added Cantonese seafood dishes to the mix. When I sat down, Maggie the manager handed me the traditional and Americanized menus, and suggested some of the traditional specialties. This was before she even noticed I looked Asian. We chatted a little about HKP, and she pointed out a family also making its first visit after discovering the change in ownership. So if you're craving some of that HKP cumin beef or fish in peppery broth, but can't cope with crossing the river and getting lost in Seven Corners (Dean, I'm looking at you), give China Jade a try. China Jade 16805 Crabbs Branch Way Rockville, MD 20855 301-963-1570 11am-10pm daily It's at the intersection of Shady Grove Rd and Crabbs Branch Way, in the shopping center with Giant and Red Hot & Blue.

It was still open when I drove by a couple days ago. The Cameron's in north Silver Spring (Briggs Chaney) is closed.

The Giant in Burtonsville brought in new shopping carts a few months ago that featured a weird metal appendage designed to hold something. I was mystified but too lazy to ask questions. The handheld scanners were installed in mid-April, and last night I finally realized that the appendage was for the scanner. Nifty. The first time I tried it, Mr. Perrik was with me (tossing random over-processed junk foods into the cart, as always). When I saw the on-screen coupons, I joked that if it's going by our buying history, we're going to get electronic coupons for butter and tortilla chips. I was right. Anyway, I like the handheld scanners because they're geeky and even further limit my necessary interaction with humans. The self-checkout lanes don't quite do that, since there's inevitably some helpful employee who steps up to pack my groceries while I'm scanning; I would appreciate this more if this occurred when I wasn't buying random over-processed junk food for my husband, cat litter, and feminine hygiene products. The employees are never helpful when I'm buying vegetables and yogurt.

As I live very close by, I'll shop there occasionally for certain items like soy milk and grains. There's quite a good selection of gluten-free goods for those with wheat issues, and of course all the Gardenburgers you can eat.

Hollywood East Cafe on the Boulevard 2621 University Blvd, Wheaton MD (on University between Georgia Ave and Viers Mill Rd, about 2 blocks from the Wheaton Metro) http://hollywoodeastcafe.com/index.htm

To elaborate a little bit on what porcupine said - DC has a Chinatown, but it's not very Chinese anymore. The Chinese businesses moved to Rockville and Gaithersburg. Anyway, New Fortune in Gaithersburg always goes all out for Chinese New Year. As long as you're in that area, drop by Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg for their annual celebration which runs through next Sunday (2/1/09). And I vote for upper endoscopy.

What she said. Where?