trumballstickney

All of the posts in this thread have been very informative, but I am not sure they are really answering the question. I know that everyone says that one should never use soap and water on an iron skillet because it will ruin the seasoning and may rust the skillet if not completely dried. Believe me, I get it. And if I checked a thousand web sites on the subject, I am pretty sure that I would get a thousand people telling me never to use soap and water on an iron skillet. And I understand that the seasoning is what makes an iron skillet special. That is all stipulated. BUT, we are told by all the experts that every (other) piece of equipment in the kitchen needs to be cleaned with soap and water because of the danger of contamination or cross contamination. I just don't understand why the iron skillet gets a free pass. (And all one thousand web sites that tell me not to use soap and water will not, I predict, explain WHY the free pass for the iron skillet except that it may ruin the seasoning.) I don't understand if there is some special quality about cast iron that makes it less likely to transmit bacteria or if there is something else going on. In other words, forgetting about the taste of the food produced in it, is there a scientific reason that makes it unnecessary to clean an iron skillet in the same way we clean other kitchen utensils? Thanks to all!

Okay, this question is kitchen utensil-related. I have an iron skillet and everyone tells me never to wash it in soap and water. However, I wonder if this is really safe given all the food-borne pathogens out there? I know that the heat from cooking will kill many things, but I wonder if that means that I don't have to wash with soap and water? I am especially concerned about e coli and salmonella from eggs, chicken, or pork, but there are obviously many other potential danger sources. What do people think: soap/water or not for my iron skillet?

I went to Inox last week. My brief take: if you liked 2941, you will like Inox. Location: For people from DC, the move from 2941 is an improvement over going farther into Virginia. On the other hand, getting to an early reservation on a weeknight might be a problem because of traffic around Tysons Corner. Space: The space is not as grand as 2941, but the smaller space is elegant, modern, muted, and very comfortable. (The smaller space may also have helped with service.) Service: In my experience, 2941 had very good service, but it was sometimes hard to track down someone if there was a problem. That is not a problem here. Service was attentive without being invasive. Food: I had the tasting menu. Every dish I had was well seasoned and quite delicious. I don't know who was on the meat station when i went, but that course in particular was perfectly cooked and seasoned. Again, if you liked 2941, there is little going on at Inox that will disappoint. Also, don't eat too much of the wonderful bread - the dessert(s) were absolutely fabulous. Wine: The wine pairings were all appropriate and we never had to wait for the correct wine to be served (which happened fairly often at 2941). Also, none of the pairings were off the wall, as sometimes occurred at 2941. Pricing: I think the pricing is appropriate compared to other restaurants like this in the DC market and what is delivered in food and service. Other: One problem is the sound system, which seems to go in and out. In addition, sound of the music selection did not match well with the atmosphere of the restaurant. But this is a minor quibble and it never interfered with the meal. Overall: For a newly opened restaurant, I thought that Inox is doing very well. I look forward to seeing how it develops.