gswagner

I have to add a recommendation for the spicy chicken curry pizza.  "Scratching an itch you didn't know you had" is exactly right.

Big thumbs up here as well. Ate there a few months ago. I remember the boar ragu, boar spoonbread and mac & cheese being particularly good.

I tried out the 12th and E cart today after hearing about it on Twitter, so in that sense the marketing has been successful. The signage really could be better though. The "fading KOOL cigarette and Tropicana stickers" factor is definitely there to be overcome. I had a tough time convincing co-workers that there really was barbecue at the old candy and chips cart outside Au Bon Pain. The BBQ itself was decent and a welcome fast and cheap option in the neighborhood.

OK, so I clearly approached the cart from the wrong side yesterday. There is a huge sign advertising Food Chain DC on the uphill side. Very visible indeed. Oops.

This might be IS my first post on the site. It's been a fun ride so far growing Food Chain to more and more hot dog carts across the city. As of July 22, 2010 we're at 7 carts and plan to launch several more in the coming weeks. Food Chain is my first foray into the food business and I've been learning a freaking ton. Having never been in the biz before, I didn't realize how tempting it can be to cut corners on the quality to try to make the business fly, but you really have to make quality a core principle or it goes out the door once things get crazy. At least that's my novice take on it, and what I'm staking the future of this whole venture on. Now if I can just get folks to look past the fading KOOL cigarette and Tropicana stickers ....

I tried out the 12th and E cart today after hearing about it on Twitter, so in that sense the marketing has been successful. The signage really could be better though. The "fading KOOL cigarette and Tropicana stickers" factor is definitely there to be overcome. I had a tough time convincing co-workers that there really was barbecue at the old candy and chips cart outside Au Bon Pain. The BBQ itself was decent and a welcome fast and cheap option in the neighborhood.

The seafood scallion pancake here lived up to what I always want this dish to be, yet it never really is. Excellent flavor, seafood not cooked into oblivion, and the whole thing just a little crispy. Fantastic.

Had lunch today at Bangkok Garden in Bethesda, armed with the translated menu. We had been there once before and ordered from the English language menu and frankly thought it was ordinary at best. The Thai language menu was a completely different story. We had:

Muu Yang (grilled pork on skewer with sticky rice and spicy sweet sauce). The meat was nice and juicy and had a coconut-y taste to it, and the sauce was the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. Highly recommended, especially for meat on a stick.

Softshell crab with mango salad, which was posted at the entrance with a number of other softshell crab dishes. Not normally a fan of softshell crab, and this was kind of a last chance for me and these beasties. This is also highly recommended - good and meaty with an interesting sour, citrusy sauce.

Kha-naa Plaa khem (chinese broccoli with preserved salty fish). Huge flavors and definitely recommended for anyone into anchovies and the like. This was best when the fish was broken up a little and mixed in with the sauce.

I had no idea there was this interesting of a Thai restaurant in Bethesda. Thanks for the translated menu!

I'm making my first post after being a member for awhile. I've learned about a number of great places on this board (Sichuan Pavilion, Honey Pig and Lighthouse Tofu in particular) and it's time I start contributing (and get access to the Dining Guide).