Pool Boy

13 hours ago, Simon said:

I think, at least in regards to New York, two major constraints on quality seem to be the need to turn tables and the prix-fixe/tasting menu model.  In France, you get the table the entire night, and the best food is often on the wildly expensive ALC menus (something I've never really seen in NY.).  

I think the a la carte menu prices were insane in Paris. <sigh> We shied away from much and instead focused on the unexpectedly expectedly awesome.

9 hours ago, DaveO said:

If you, sir, are working out of the office complex on the same side of Glebe but North of Fairfax Avenue--you are both a hero to quality restaurants and the exception to the norm in terms of walking blocks during lunch break.   The vast vast number of people in an office complex don't walk that far for lunch.  Its why in a busy downtown, one can find lunch spots everywhere and anywhere--they feed off of about a 1-2 block radius.   Wish I knew more about the menu

Dude I am a 10-minute walk from Pupatella. It's sad to say this, but I think I have only been there twice in 18 months - my job is so freaking busy that it is very rare I can leave the office at all. <sigh>.

So classy. And so completely out of touch.

On 7/25/2018 at 10:06 PM, Pool Boy said:

https://www.osteriabancogiro.it - One of our favorite meals several years ago. Reasonably priced is based purely on how many dishes you are willing to limit yourself to.

On 9/8/2018 at 9:43 PM, Choirgirl21 said:

Is this really the only Venice thread? I will be in Venice for one day and one night on my way to Slovenia shortly. Any suggestions for a good, but not too pricey dinner, possibly in the Cannaregio neighborhood? 

I will also be in Trieste for a night if anyone has suggestions for dinner, drinks/wine, or breakfast there. 

I still stand by my suggestion. Other places were expensive. Pronto Pesce near the fish market is great, but strikes me as a lunch or nibbles place and IIRC has no seating or very little. http://www.prontopesce.it/about.html

10 hours ago, DaveO said:

But as an investor if putting out money on some individual, how the heck can you evaluate for risk on topics like potential sexual abuse. 

I would say watch the season he was on Top Chef. I'd say names here to describe said individual, but DR hates that, and I know TV good vs evil is easily manipulated and extreme. But I am far more trusting of journalists that did the massive legwork to identify, find and extensively interview folks surrounding that maelstrom that is this guy at the center of it.

On 10/9/2016 at 8:47 AM, DonRocks said:

Did anyone else have this reaction? 

Nope - it was magnificent.

This is a ridiculously short walk from my office. Worth a visit? Lunch seems deep-fried-things heavy.

11 hours ago, NolaCaine said:

Now wine is another matter. I'd love to afford to be able to learn more. 

But restaurants are more challenging for two big reasons. I dine out with distracting people. Either business associates or my kids. Also, I have food allergies which takes a lot of fun out of it. 

You can have a lot of fun at the sub $20, sub-$15 and yes even the sub-$10 per bottle wine range. It's also easy to get together with friends where everyone brings a bottle, themed or not, to hang out, eat and catch up. Exposes you to stuff you may have not considered before.

11 hours ago, DaveO said:

Virtually all of the time I dine out with others I'm similarly distracted--but it makes the dining out experience richer.  I guess I prefer it that way.  So much for being intimately food, ingredient, and texture oriented.  Guess I have to leave that to others.

I get to dine out, just my wife and me, 90% of the time. I'm lucky and never distracted.

On 9/8/2018 at 4:10 PM, NolaCaine said:

Totally agree with you Don. I don't think I have very great taste in food or wine (compared to those on this board) but I do know that when other people pick the restaurant, it basically sucks. I have not, however, figured out how to dissuade people from bringing me to Founding Farmers and its ilk. Basically, on the DR scale, I"m in the lower 10% but IRL I'm like in the 70s. Maybe even 80s.

Training for getting better at recognizing seriously good food and drink is in some ways easy (go drink and eat more in places you have not tried, regularly and a lot) and in some ways difficult (where to eat, what to eat, what to try, what to learn, when to dine, when to cook, when to bake,AAAAAAAH!). But the internet in general helps. Cookbooks help. But this board helps enormously. And your own palate. Trust it. Prime it. Test it. CHALLENGE IT.

I was a hater of tomatoes until I was maybe....30, maybe a little sooner. But, in reality, my tastes evolved. My access to amazing product be it raw or out dining, surpassed all possible experiences with it. Just because you think you 'hate' all of such and such (say, broccoli), probably means that you have not had a preparation you like and are enthralled by. I encourage everyone to keep trying. You never know when you have evolved, You never know when the world has evolved to meet your palate. When those two things meet, it can be a beatiful wonderful thing.

And do not get me started about my wine evolution - it it embarrassing. Haha!

18 hours ago, Pink Mom said:

Hi where is the best place to eat Branzino in Maryland or DC?

That is direct but vague on the details. If you have an unlimited budget, it is hard to go wrong with going to Fiola Mare (as you indicated seafood). If not, some idea of what is an acceptable budget and what you look for in a dining experience would be helpful in order to suggest something that might fit what you are looking for.

On 9/6/2018 at 11:29 AM, Kev29 said:

Ha...

"Celebrity Chef Mike Isabella Declares Bankruptcy in Wake of Sexual Harassment Lawsuit" by Tim Carman and Maura Judkis on washingtonpost.com

Some say the fish rots and smells from the head down. Not a surprise for the financial/legal maneuver. That restaurant group will do what it can to salvage its losses I am sure. But honestly, if I was an investor, I'd have the guy at the center of the bad press removed. 

12 hours ago, Xochitl10 said:

I made applesauce spice cake using this Saveur recipe. I used slightly sweetened homemade cinnamon applesauce. It's delicious, and really dense.

My wife makes a variation of this cake but typically in sheet pan form with caramel frosting. mmmmm

chewy chocolate ships for my wife's work. Plaummenkuchen (for me) the other day. Oh and Tomato Pie for this past long weekend's lunch.

I read about a cold rise pizza dough for a while now. I keep wanting to make it but keep putting it off because it's a little bit of a pain. I need to dust that recipe off finally and try it.

On 7/12/2018 at 3:20 PM, Ericandblueboy said:

Any recs for where to eat in Wilmington?  I'm going to chill with the DuPonts in September.

Charcoal Pit for burgers, fries and especially shakes.

Low to medium heat. Attention is the key.

But sriously, whisk the hell out of them in a bowl with a pour spout and then...chill.

Watch the edges, Slowly flip the done bits inwards in a slow motion thinger dinger.

NO ADDITIONS.

Whatever you do....take them out at LEAST 30 seconds before you think they might be done. Soft scrambled eggs will be consumable, but ruined, if you go to far past the 30-second rule.

Salt and pepper at the end. AFTER plating. I have spoken. lol

Just graze and have fun. Try to remember to have A Ric Flair!

Cat food.

On 8/26/2018 at 7:40 PM, Poivrot Farci said:

Karma is an unreasonable bitch if you are now an unemployed employee who had nothing to do with Mike Isabella's imbecility and will never have anywhere close to the personal wealth he has squirreled away.

True. The actions this person took sucks and he's pulling down people who worked for him - which sucks even worse.

On 8/22/2018 at 1:13 PM, curiouskitkatt said:

Q: Ordering

I feel like something I struggle with is knowing how to order properly. I get so excited about going to new restaurants and then often stare enviously at the dishes of other diners. I was curious how you decide what to order when you go out. Do you stick with bases that you enjoy and find different preparations? Do you look at which have the most interesting flavors? Any enlightenment here is helpful!
 

I was just wondering about this very topic? Rockwellians care to chime in?

I tend to prefer ordering things that are --

1. Difficult for us home cooks to source
2. Things that are a apian in the ass to prepare (like lobster bisque (not hard, but time consuming and annoying) or Frank Ruta's Consomme (purely becase it is magic and partlybecause I suspect it is annoying to get done right, reeeeally right))
3. Things that are ridiculously shortly seasonal
4. Things that I adore AND are hard to do (or are just a pain in the ass) - say, like amazing raviolini
5. Parts I can't get (think heart, brains, livers, whathaveyou) - partly because I'd have no idea what to do

Hey Isabella, karma's a bitch isn't it?

I was there this past weekend - no meat. It was so sad. I thanked the staff profusely, took a picture of the mpty meat case and said goodbue. I am so sad.

And I want the cow, too.

Meh, I am enjoying the ride.

yesssss

On 8/18/2018 at 5:42 PM, Pool Boy said:

I'm interested as well - may just need to go to check it out for myself.

Had a really good meal here. I'll be back. Overall no real misses and some serious hits.