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Marcus Aurelius

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About Marcus Aurelius

  • Birthday March 20

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  1. Two weeks ago, on a Friday evening, I made my maiden voyage to the esteemed Nava Thai in Wheaton. There has been an abundant of material written about this restaurant; however, I need to post something to Don Rockwell to keep my "membership." The “Som Tum Thai” (papaya salad) was a memorable dish that I will order again; the papaya strands were fresh, clean, and crunchy with a few cilantro leaves tossed in. The “Larp Gai” (hot & sour chicken) featured white meat, and was chunkier than other Larp Gai dishes (I have sampled in Thai restaurants on the west coast). I was underwhelmed by the fried rice. (It’s disappointing when results don’t meet expectations.) I wanted fragrant and flavorful fried rice. What arrived was bland and forgetful. On my second visit this past Saturday night, I ordered the “fish cakes” (some places label it tod mun pla), “Tom Kha” (coconut soup), “Yum Woon Sen” (hot bean thread salad), and “Kaeng Keow Warn” (Green Curry). The fish cakes reminded me of “average” fish sausage. Although, the condiment that accompanied the tod mun pla was the best I have ever tasted! The sauce was not the usual over-sweet, gooey dipping style. It had a very “developed,” mild and pleasant flavor. Of course, there were the usual diced cucumbers in it. Second place went to Yum Woon Sen. Oh my, the combination of the clear noodles with shrimp, herbs, spices and chicken was divine! Be careful, this dish packs heat, and made my eyes water. My favorite of the evening was the Kaeng Keow Warn. It was so delicious, I skipped the white rice, and ate the curry plain. I felt like a panda eating all the bamboo shoots that came with the curry! This was not the over-salty curry that I have experienced at other establishments.
  2. I ordered the 10 oz. Diablo burger medium (warm pink in the middle) with tomatoes, pickles, lettuce, cooked and uncooked onions, and peppers. It was a hefty, heavy burger -- so thick the bun disintegrated during my bites. I didn't have a ruler, nevertheless, the cooked patty appeared to be 3/4 inch thick! The Diablo was coated with a dry rub and then grilled. It was juicy and wonderfully seasoned -- the dry rub seasoning did not overpower the burger. (The taste of the freshly ground meat was superior to Five Guys, and not as fatty as the burger at Coastal Flats.) NOTE: I always salt my tomatoes -- in this case -- I requested 2 slices of their beefsteak tomatoes. The watermelon and corn were a nice touch. All for $7.00. What a great deal! I also ordered the root beer on tap, which was $3.50 for a small pitcher). {The root beer had a mild taste; I prefer a bolder spice.} I wonder if people mind not having fries? With my experience dining in the greater Washington D.C. area, nothing compares to my first burger experience at Hell-Burger. I prefer it over the Central burger. Although, I haven't tried the famous Palena burger, yet. My other burger experiences: Fatburger (regularly dined in Redmond, WA, & Newport Beach, CA) and In-N-Out Burger (regularly dined in Irvine, Costa Mesa, & Los Angeles, CA) are in the smaller-sized burger category, and are chains, so it wouldn't be fair to compare. Service was super friendly and prompt. {I recognized the staffers from Ray's the Steaks.} When I arrived, it was getting into the 9:00 PM hour; there was no line, and took approximately eight minutes for my burger -- which was great for me! The walls are decorated with framed, older movie posters, and other framed posters of beef, butcher cuts of meat. A roll of paper towels, held in a dispenser, sat on every table. Condiments on the table include two mustards (course and yellow), salt, pepper, and ketchup. My next burger will be the pepper Poivre. I can see that I'll have a problem from now on... choosing between Ray's the Steaks or Hell-Burger! Congratulations on having the courage to open a new restaurant during this time and climate! Best of luck!
  3. The crab cakes on the appetizer menu rocks. Having sampled crab cakes at a few restaurants in the Washington area, this version (QTY - 2 in appetizer portion) is delicious! Must try to believe! Almost all crab.
  4. According to Metro, the Orange line is back on schedule.
  5. Metro is sharing tracks on the Orange line due to the derailment today. Plan your trip accordingly.
  6. I made two visits to the Westend (both Saturday lunches) within the past month, and it was thrilling to be back. The Cobb salad was not too light, and not heavy -- it was "just right." The taste of the Cobb salad reminded me of a fond experience at an well established eatery in Tinseltown. The shrimp quinoa did not disappoint. The delicate poached duck egg brought my senses to a similar poached egg dish, at Lampreia, in my hometown of Seattle. My favorite item recently was the softshell crab salad. With its crispy texture and fine accompaniments, aided by the deft hands of Leo's staff, I was thinking that it is a treat to be so close to the Chesapeake, and I'm thankful to be living here. The rabbit rillettes was brought to me gratis by a kind gentleman. I happily enjoyed it. Unfortunately, the lamb panino was too heavy for me. I did not want to waste it; therefore, I gave half the sandwich to a hungry person. No desserts... been very disciplined lately.
  7. I think the restaurant (Dean + staff) is doing a fine job. On a recent visit, the vegetable "stew" was so tasty that I wanted to lick my plate. I also enjoyed the seafood soup.
  8. May I please add a (+1)? I'm already on the list. Thank you.
  9. Enclosed is an article that discussed Gary Paul Nabhan's book, “Renewing America’s Food Traditions: Saving and Savoring the Continent’s Most Endangered Foods” (Chelsea Green Publishing, $35). Nabhan catalogued at least 1,080 of endangered American plants and animals. He encourages people to eat the endangered plants and animals to gain awareness. He believes "in engaging nursery owners, farmers, breeders and chefs to grow and use them." "An Unlikely Way to Save a Species: Serve It for Dinner" By KIM SEVERSON http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/30/dining/3...;pagewanted=all
  10. You've probably made up your mind... I wanted to add that the sauté pan is great to cook various cuts of chicken, pork, or lamb on a stovetop, then finish in the oven. This is especially true if incorporating other ingredients into the dish such as carrots, celery, garlic, onions, and herbs/spices. For St. Patrick's Day 2008, I used my sauté pan to "finish" my corned beef -- that is, I pulled it from the oven, transferred to the sauté pan, and made final preparations on the stovetop.
  11. Last week, my friend and I tried Majestic. That was where I had the best meat loaf. Kudos to the kitchen! I tried my friend's chicken, and it was fragrant, tender, moist, and delightful.
  12. Cork for charcuterie plate, celeriac, mussels, chicken livers {delicious!}, chocolate tort, espresso, and regular coffee. Pre-meal activities included marinated olives and two flights of wine: Prosecco (for the hot weather), and reds from southwest France. Cork had a pre-opening wine tasting that was open for the public. Also, I had one each of a fine French Pinot Noir (Billard), and a Spanish Licorella. I'll be back to Cork.
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