LoganCircle
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Everything posted by LoganCircle
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Yes, but the product offered by Starbucks is derived from high-fructose corn syrup. It's in everything, everywhere, I know. Still, it grosses me out. -
Although I no longer sweeten my iced lattes, I favor coffee shops that do this. It demonstrates thoughtfulness and real concern about a customer's experience.
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I've been to JCT Kitchen 3 times, and have had 2 good experiences and one so-so one. The setting is lovely, and the fried chicken and macaroni and cheese do it justice. Other restaurants working a similar concept are Shaun's Social Club and Restaurant (Inman Park), Watershed (Decatur), and Home (where Richard Blais, of Top Chef, consults). I think you'll be happy, but not wowed, at any of them. Perhaps the best thing about Bone's is that it has no dress code. A rarity among restaurants of its kind, especially in the South.
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pure food and wine Vegan, raw (nothing cooked above 118 degrees), no soy or wheat.. I took a vegetarian friend there last weekend and was wowed. The food was delicious and inventive, more so than at any other place in Manhattan at which I've recently dined. It knocked the socks of wd-50. I strongly recommend the zuchinni blossoms for a main course, which are filled with faux chevre (derived from nuts, I believe) and served with a grape tomato, ramp, and avocado salad and a side of pickled almonds. Also wonderful was the thin mint sundae. I don't know they made vegan, soyless ice cream taste so good, but they did. I went in a skeptic and left an admirer. Go! It's at 17th St and Irving Place (between 3rd and Park), about a block and a half east of Union Square.
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Dining during my last couple of weeks in DC: Fri, 3/7: Dino - burrata and lasagnette Sat, 3/8: CityZen - wagyu, lobster sausage and soup, skate, rabbit, rouget, and a whole lot of other stuff too Sun, 3/9: Sala Thai Express in Pentagon City Mall - spicy chicken curry and rice, and two Cakelove cupcakes Mon, 3/10: Pizza Hut (delivery) - pepperoni, green pepper, and onion hand tossed Wed, 3/12: East Street Cafe (lunch) - House special ginger beef Fri, 3/14: A friend's house - Steak Diane, pamersan risotto, and creme brulee Sat, 3/15: Merkado - skirt steak in mojo and a great cucumber mojito Sun, 3/16: The Daily Grill, Downtown (brunch) - a burger and onion rings Mon, 3/17: Woodberry Kitchen (Baltimore) - sizzling shrimp, cast-iron skillet bacon and egg fried rice, beef tenderloin, and an apple and pear dumpling (I really liked this place, which I thought had bold and inspired--if unrefined--cooking) Tue, 3/18: the source - tandoori arctic char, szechuan steak au poivre, and the cookie plate Wed, 3/19: Johnny's Half Shell (lunch) - crab and shrimp bisque and fried shrimp po-boy; Logan Tavern (dinner) - iceberg wedge and fried chicken Thur, 3/20: Stoney's (lunch) - cheesesteak and fries; Thai Tanic (dinner) - kanom jeeb, nua ka ting, and pad thai Fri, 3/21: Central (lunch) - corned beef sandwich and ice cream; McCormick and Schmick's (which will be my final meal in DC)--less for the food than because when I was waiting for a security clearance after arriving in town in 2003, this is where I worked for my first 10 months (note: I didn't get my clearance <darned speeding tickets in other states that become warrants for one's arrest> and it was probably the best thing that ever happened). First reservation in Atlanta: Floataway Cafe (an old standby from the owners of Bacchanalia).
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The exterior of the place looks more polished already, but expect delays..
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In last night's parade of critters, veggies, and things from the sea, the skate, lobster, and wagyu stood out. The large quantity of wine consumed during the five hour meal has left me a little foggy about the particulars of some of the other dishes, but those above will be burned into my memory for quite some while. I move to Atlanta in two weeks, and despite meals planned at other fine places between now and then, those tastes just might be the standard by which I judge my new city. My last comment is about how well CityZen has always dealt with my not eating offal. Last night, when my companions were eating pig's face and foie, I quite enjoyed my rouget and rabbit. In too many other restaurants my non-offal substitutions have seemed like an afterthought. Not here.
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Thank goodness it isn't just me! I've been to Cork twice and have had really negative experiences with a member of the host staff on each occasion, negative enough that they have deterred me from returning. One involved the hostess quoting a 40-minute wait upon our arrival, only to have the exact same quote (i.e., an additional 40 minutes) repeated when checking-in after 35 minutes at the bar. On another visit the issue was less significant but still serious enough to leave a bad taste in the mouths of all in my party. In each instance it wasn't the substance of the error that was most upsetting; it was the frigid and uncaring manner in which we were treated by the hostess. At the end of our meal on the second visit, I shared with the owner an account of our experiences with the host (the thin, blond, white woman). She apologized for the treatment we had received and said that she had received similar complaints from others. It's disappointing to hear that things have not improved.
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You're right, as far as typical drinks are concerned (e.g., 16 oz of regular drip vs. 2 oz of espresso), but not by volume. http://www.cspinet.org/new/cafchart.htm.
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Ms. Cashion, Thank you for choosing to use environmentally responsible take-out containers at Taqueria Nacionale. I imagine that they might cost quite a bit more than traditional options and very much appreciate your demonstration of good stewardship. Your writing here is mellifluous, and your stories make me want to patronize your restaurants more frequently! All the best, Hank
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dr.com Indian Regional HOT Foods Event
LoganCircle replied to Sudhir Seth's topic in Events and Gatherings
I'm interested. -
I thought I'd return to Dino a second and third time before posting about it. I don't, after all, really have anything new to add. But who knows how long it'll be before those return visits actually happen, and I've thought several times of my meal since making my inaugural visit a couple of Fridays ago. When booking on OpenTable (through the restaurant's website), I made the following, out-of-character, special request: "We want Dean to tell us stories, pick our wines, and show us what neighborhood Italian is all about." Such requests are not normal for me, but given Dean's longstanding presence, tone, and openness on this website, it seemed fitting. Well, I don't know if that request was ever read or not, but Dino gave to us a memorable, delicious, and fun evening. We tried a whole lot of food--the burrata, meatballs, polenta with pancetta, calamari, proscuitto with melon, lamb pasta, boar pasta, New York strip, Arctic char, blueberry shortbread, vanilla gelato with balsamico, chocolate cake, and a dessert I can't remember--and raved about 12 of the 13 dishes. What I might remember most, though, are the wines that accompanied our meal. They were significant, priced very fairly, and had wonderful stories attached: Hilberg (Pasquera) Nebbiolo d'Alba 2003 Collemattoni Brunello di Montalcino 2000/1 (not certain about the vintage) **I should note that Dino charges $20 less for the Hilberg than does wd-50, where we'd dined a couple of months before. I did not identify myself as a contributor here, and Dean was just as affable and hospitable as I imagine he is to his best customers. We left very pleased to have experienced the love that many here have known all along. For selfish reasons, I wish Dino were in my neighborhood rather than Cleveland Park. Thanks, Dean and crew. We'll see you again.
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Happy birthdays to Ferhat and Halloween!
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Although in Virginia rather than DC, doesn't Cathal go to great lengths to make sure as much as possible at Restaurant Eve is purchased from sustainable producers? To the point of making weekly treks down to Polyface and/or Bev Eggleston?
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Can You Recommend A Good Wine Book?
LoganCircle replied to LoganCircle's topic in Beer, Wine, and Cocktails
Thanks, everyone, for your recommendations. Here's what I ended up purchasing, and I look forward to borrowing a few of the titles to read myself: 1. The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty, Julia Flynn Siler 2. Matt Kramer's New California Wine: Making Sense of Napa Valley, Sonoma, Central Coast, and Beyond, Matt Kramer 3. The World's Greatest Wine Estates: A Modern Perspective, Robert M. Parker 4. The Emperor of Wine: The Rise of Robert M. Parker, Jr., and the Reign of American Taste (P.S.), Elin McCoy -
I have a friend who is an emerging oenophile to whom I would like to give a gift. What I was hoping for--and wouldn't know how to begin actually searching for--is a fun and colorful book about wine, wine enthusiasts, the wine industry, its significant historical figures or issues, or all of the above. My friend would love something that lends, or pretends to lend, an insider's perspective. In this case, grit, color, and readability are more important than masterful writing. I am wide open to your suggestions. Thanks, y'all.
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I grew up in the deep south where, in finer establishments, my father always relayed my mother's order to their server. Well, at least until I gave her a copy of this I can only imagine how we gays and lesbians would respond to a same-sex version of this.
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Y'all weren't lying about the corned beef sandwich! Easily the best thing I've had at Central.
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Thanks to problems with my computer that our IT deparment could not resolve, I had to leave work and set up shop at home. Doing so afforded me an opportunity to have a terrific lunch at Brasserie Beck: The spinach salad with bacon, onions, and maytag blue cheese was great. Its goodness was matched by the duo of cinammon-honey and chocolate mocha ice creams. The chicken waterzooi was fine, and something I'd order again, but the appetizer and dessert were standouts. Three courses and a glass of muscadet was $46 before tip. Very nice to have this place in the neighborhood.
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Dear Nick, Please buy more medium and large ceramic mugs for in-house service at your Clarendon location. Using paper when one is consuming a drink on the premises is undesirable. Thanks, Hank
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Thank you, CrescentFresh, for taking the time to provide so much detail. kturkey88, have you returned? Anything to add? I'm leaving next week for 20 days in Argentina and look forward to making use of your meal reports.
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and I made a second trip to Murky on Monday--this time on Metro--so I could sit down and enjoy my latte in house. My coffee was every bit as good as the day before. The line was not long, averaging 4-8 people deep, but it was slow moving. Not slow moving because employees were inefficient or underperforming, slow moving because the process of making an espresso drink is time consuming. When a person is grinding beans, packing and tamping grounds, pulling espresso, and steaming milk, it takes longer for each drink to be prepared. I don't mind that, especially if it, in part, is what makes my drink taste so much better than at the chains. The slow movement of Murky's line is typical of what you'll find at other artisanal coffee houses in New York and elsewhere.
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I rented a Zipcar for an hour this morning so I could make my first ever trip to Murky Coffee. Having read and heard reports about inconsistencies at the Capitol Hill location, I thought the trek to the Virginia location would be fun. After having been taken far out of the way by Google Maps, after having gotten three sets of competing directions at red lights from the drivers of nearby cars, after having to navigate that weird intersection three times while looking for a parking place, and after having returned my Zipcar just enough minutes late to warrant an additional fee, I am still pleased to have made the journey. That was as good an espresso drink as I've had in these parts, and on par with that of my favorite coffee shop ever, Caffe del Doge. ..and now that I know it's beside the Metro stop..
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I had a late dinner at Viridian on Friday night after seeing "The History Boys" in Dupont Circle. My meal was good. I considered posting a mini-review at the time but decided to postpone it until I'd worked my way through more of the menu. Seeing, though, that there's interest now: The two of us arrived around 9:45pm without a reservation, decidedly less well dressed than the other patrons, and were seated after a six or seven minute wait. The dining room was nearly full, the bar was busy but not swarmed, and there was a liveliness that has been absent on previous visits. We shared the following: House bread with caramelized onion schpread Sea scallops with baby kale, red eye gravy, and ham Roasted beet, goat cheese and citrus salad napolean Barramundi with lobster-beet risotto New York strip loin with sauce perigueux Cauliflower gratin Hazelnut sweet potato gratin The food was good and worth returning for. It did seem, however, that the person working the seafood station was a little heavy handed with the salt. Neither I nor my dining partner minded, but others who tolerate salt less well might have. Overall, I thought the food was much improved over Phase 1 and at least as good as Phase 2. I'm happy Stoney's, Merkado, and Logan Tavern couldn't take a walk-in. A bottle of sparkling water, a cab/merlot blend, and the tip brought the bill to $165.
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Last night's dinner for seven: Carrot and carrot top soup Corn nugget crab cakes Creamed bacon potato puree Haricot verts with blood orange juice Rustic pumpernickel bread Key lime tart The soup, crab cakes, and potatoes were from Michel Richard's Happy in the Kitchen. Dessert was from Whole Foods. My back is sore from kitchen work!