Marcus Aurelius

Have a great time -- whoever ends up going!

I'll go ahead and answer my own question.

We decided to give Nava Thai a go last night. Again, this was our first trip there (new location or old) but if this place is in decline, I seriously wish I'd tried it before. A great meal - Highlights were the floating market soup that everyone has raved about. This is far and away the best Thai soup I've ever had, the dish really being all about that intense, rich broth. (also loved the crispy pork rind topping, which gave it an added richness and nice contrasting textures). I asked for medium spicy, and it came out fiery hot for me (I have a pretty high tolerance). They were definitely not dumbing it down for the Americans. I also had the crispy stir fried duck, which, although only crispy in parts, was a hit flavor-wise. My take from last night is that the kitchen here does really well roasting their spices to get that extra bit of flavor out of them. Even when the dishes weren't especially spicy (like the duck) there was an intensity there that you don't find too often.

We waited about 20 minutes for a table after arriving just before 8:30 on Saturday, and by 9:15 or so there were several open tables to be had (though this was the night before Easter, so YMMV). Service was friendly, with a few minor issues that did little to detract from what was overall a fantastic experience.

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.

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!

I know people have ragged on it in the past, but I still couldn't believe there was no thread.

Say what you will about the place: they have ~20 taps and I just had an awesome cubano sandwich there for lunch. $13 gets you a sandwich with pulled pork, prosciutto, cheese...and a healthy pile of black beans and rice, some watermelon chunks, and a half-ear of corn on the cob. The taps aren't necessarily beer-nerd-worthy, but they had a couple Bell's beers and a bunch of the other standard offerings from well-known microbreweries (Rogue Dead Guy, Anchor Steam, Shiner Bock, Abita Turbodog, etc)

Web: http://www.kramers.com/

Address: 1517 Connecticut Ave NW

Bookstore Phone: (202) 387-1400

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.

Metro is sharing tracks on the Orange line due to the derailment today. Plan your trip accordingly.

According to Metro, the Orange line is back on schedule.

We are coming in from southwest VA (near Culpeper) to DC via Metro. Is Metro Center the closest to Proof?

Metro is sharing tracks on the Orange line due to the derailment today. Plan your trip accordingly.

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.

Any truth to the rumor spread by Tom Sietsema today: "owner Dean Gold -- who, rumor has it, is doing the cooking there these days. True? We wait with bated breath for the answers."???

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.

May I please add a (+1)? I'm already on the list. Thank you.

THanks very very much!

Next time, don't forget Tabard Inn.

Well there are always lines at the Cheesecake Factory, PF Chang's, and Maggiano's so judging by the crowd they have the right formula for success, but that does not equate to good food, a memorable experience, or for that matter a soulful restaurant.

Great analogy.

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

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.

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.

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.

This afternoon, a rich double espresso and dry, mealy Sacher Tort amid all the beautiful people at Leopold's in Cady's Alley, Georgetown. Disappointing since I had fond memories of their pastries from my previous visit a year or so earlier. What's the consensus on the food and desserts here?

After a brief hiatus, I feel delighted to be posting again. I dined at Kafe Leopold recently (within 3 weeks). I friend suggested that I try their coffee. When I arrived I decided to splurge by ordering a salad, steak frites, an espresso [in addition to coffee], and of course -- dessert.

The steak frites were "honorable" meaning that the cut of beef was flavorful, above average, not bad, but not spectacular. The establishment featured a relish on the frites (aioli or mayonnaise? -- my memory fails me on their specific terminology); however, most of it melted away.

The salad dressing on my salad was sour and overpowering. I tried, but was not able to continue eating the salad. I told the staff member and he "comped" my dessert.

The verdict on the coffee? O.K. Not as good as Tryst (Adams Morgan) in the greater Washington DC area. [i'm not in a position to explain my coffee knowledge, but I'm very well qualified in this area.]

I hope everyone is having a fantastic and relaxing time during this holiday season. I did a quick search and could not find out what champagne people are purchasing for New Years Eve.

I would like to open the discussion to French, Italian, domestic, vintage, and favorite place for purchase. If it strikes your fancy, please include your accompaniments -- such as smoked salmon and goat cheese.

It is presumable that some people may have made the purchase, and some have not.

wow, a post that was started a year ago.

anyone up for finally trying this after the New Year?

Let's try in the New Year.

Thanks to Don for the event, for Hillvalley and mktye for coordination, to RJ and EZ for the setting and sides, and thanks most of all to the Japanese farmer who fed our cow beer and massaged his tummy.

As always, good food and good friends, both old and new.

Thank you Don (and his helpers) for putting it on. I did not get much sleep the night before due to traveling, but still had a great time! Happy holidays!

Although I haven't actually talked with Vidalia, I'm fairly certain that RJ is telling me it's $50 total. (In other words, I won't be fronting the cost of the Wagyu after all). I'll clarify, but this is what I'm assuming. Which brings us to the next two points...

Please bring exact change of $50 CASH, and just hand it to them when they bring the check. Here's why ...

I think the 7 PM group needs to have their $50 tabs completely closed out by 8 PM (this is why I'm asking people to bring $50 cash, in exact change). Okay now, there aren't going to be any bouncers at the door, but the 7 PM group will need to make room so the 8 PM group can enjoy themselves comfortably. I'm not sure how many seats will be available, but the 7 PM group should defifnitely relinquish them for the 8 PM group, allow the bartenders and servers to concentrate on the 8 PM group, etc. etc. Let's play the actual exit time by ear and let sense and courtesy be our final guide - I can't imagine it's a problem if some people want to stick around afterwards, mingle, and have some drinks or wine, but that's just my best guess, and if space becomes too tight, I'll let people know.

ALSO: I know that Doug Mohr is coming up with a wine special for this, so I may be too rigid in assuming people should bring $50 cash (since many, perhaps most, tabs will be higher than that with drinks added). I don't know how they're going to handle the beverage charges, but maybe they'll be doing one check per person in varying amounts, as opposed to one $50 check and the wines done separately - I'll find out by Friday.

7:00 PM please. Thank you.

I'll be relaxing in Palm Springs, California over the Christmas holidays. Any tips on where I could get some good grub in those parts?

Thanks,

Michael

Congratulations. Palm Springs can be a relaxing place during this time of the year. I have stayed in Palm Springs/Palm Desert several times during this exact period. {As a caveat, I have not been to Palm Springs for over a year.}

For Mexican food, Las Casuelas Terraza [several locations] is good and popular, but I think La Casita [several locations, Palm Springs location closed in 2013 and became Thai Smile] is better. Cafe Jasmin for lunch (salads, soups and sandwiches). Bit O' Country for breakfast. NOTE: The aforementioned restaurants are not considered "fine dining." Many people rave about El Mirasol for mexican, but I have not eaten there. For groceries, you should got to Jensen's.

California Navel oranges are in-season right now. When purchasing, please do not make assumptions; make sure you explicit ask and verify that you are purchasing the "California Navel Orange." According to Central Valley orange grower, (Mike George of Lindsay, California), "This is a vintage year for good-tasting navel oranges" [from Cincinnati Post].

Try to obtain a local "date shake" [milkshake with dates]. Many varieties of dates are grown nearby in the area around Indio, California [Coachella Valley].

Order "Indian [native American] fry bread" from the Spa Hotel [demolished in 2015]. While you are at the Spa Hotel, obtain a real spa experience via "taking in the waters." This can be a relaxing experience if planned well [please do not schedule strenuous, taxing, or stressful activities after a spa experience]. NOTE: This is Palm Springs' only hotel built on a mineral hot spring.

Just an update: So far I have two takers (brettashley +1) for December 24 at DCCK; anyone else interested?

I have heard from several folks that they would like to participate in some sort of group volunteer activity, but the holiday season is bad timing. I'll investigate future opportunities at DCCK and Program for Homeless Women and post here.

Count me in.

I've never seen a waiter at the Rosslyn Pho 75 utter a word to a customer. I've probably been there 50 times.

Has anyone been to Pho 75 [Rosslyn], and compared it with Pho Bistro [Chantilly]? These two places are lighting it up on major food boards. If possible, I'd like to hear a recent comparison.

If you haven't yet been to Ace Beverages on New Mexico Ave., you ought to make the trip. Joe Riley goes out of his way to provide super customer service to DR.com folks, and will special order anything you want that he doesn't already carry that is available through local distributors. And then he'll give you a great price. The shop is very crowded, but is easier to browse at Ace than at many stores, like Schneider's or Calvert Woodley where wine is stacked up to the ceiling.

n.b. Go when Joe is there--he's usually off on Wednesdays (except during the week close to a major holiday), and he is usually real busy on Saturday filling orders from caterers, so he has less time to chew the fat.

Also, the building he is in now charges for parking, and Ace doesn't validate. I usually combine trips to Ace with a visit to Balducci next door, which validates for free parking if you spend $10, which isn't hard to do there. Or look for street parking in the residential nabe across New Mexico Ave.

Thanks for the tip. Good wine selection, great service -- and Balducci's next door -- sounds terrific!

I have purchased form Arrow in the past and would recommned it. On another note I do not like the way Wegman's handles them.

I "heard" this year's harvest is not up to standard from previous years, and the "best" are being kept in Europe this year. Unsubstantiated, but would like to pass this along.

I hope I do not deter you from buying.