DannyNoonan

22 hours ago, captcourt said:

Orso is closing as of Feb 18.  So many pizzas, gnocchi, and martinis have filled up my, and many others', bellies.  If you have a chance, pay some homage to them for all the hard work, and I'll keep my fingers crossed that this neighborhood joint will rise again.  We almost always sit at the bar - say hello next time! 

Oh man, so sad to hear this. We have really enjoyed Orso through the years. Sad to see them go. 

Ace Beverage is my go-to spot for all matters related to gin and vermouth. Great selection; really knowledgeable and helpful staff.

25 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

If you go early for dinner (at Thompson's Italian?), there's a parking lot right behind there that holds maybe a hundred cars. There used to be an Applebee's near there, but I don't even know if that's still open.

I think that the Applebee's is still open, though I have never been. That whole area was rumored to be slated for redevelopment a couple years ago but I think the project might have fallen through as the Todd Hitt fraud situation unfolded. I could be wrong on that last part but I think I recall reading that at some point. 

Also, we have been getting reliably good carry-out from Thompson Italian on a regular basis for the past several months. Ordering, payment, pickup all super-easy and the food is really good. 

On 10/11/2020 at 7:43 AM, Keithstg said:

Heads-up that Jarad Slipp has opened Knead Wine in Middleburg in the small space next to the former Julien’s location. Excellent pizzas and wine - one side of the store has $20 wines and one side has $40 wines. Takeout only. Wonderful addition to the village.

Knead Wine

I enjoyed fantastic pizza and wine from Knead over the weekend. It seems like the place is an entirely carryout operation, which suited our needs that night but might be challenging for those looking for a place to eat while they walk thru town. Pizzas were top notch and wine list had many wines that looked worth trying to me. I really enjoyed both bottles that we tried (Tiefunbrunner Pinot Grigio and Vilerma Blanco Ribeiro) for $20 each.

I remember Jasper's. I grew up not far from there and waited tables there one summer during college. 

Bingo jet had a light on.

Haandi is in our semi-regular carryout rotation. We find it consistent and satisfying. I don't know much about competitors in the area that you might compare it to but it works for us. 

That's a good point. We have seen an increase in the channels available for donating to charities, like "text XYZ to this number to donate $10", which I suspect are charities' attempts to capitalize on the desire of people these days to be able to instantly express their feelings/views/stance on a topic. Texting a donation to a cause or saying yes to the clerk at Safeway is a way of instantly gratifying that desire to like/dislike in real-time. I bet it has worked out well for the charities that use these channels. It's a shame that it's not a benefit to those donating as well. I will keep your advice in mind and make donations to the charities themselves. 

-Sean

On 8/28/2017 at 1:19 PM, Bob Wells said:

Suggestion for Don: As an accompaniment to your Oldest Restaurants list, how about a Locations of Death list? The cut-off could be 3 or 5 restaurants at the same address.

Example: That building on Lee Hwy that's perpendicular to the street and also cannot be accessed directly from northbound Lee. When I was working in Falls Church that place had at least five different restaurants. Just google mapped the place. It's 5731 Lee Hwy and is currently the home of "Asian Kitchen."

I live near Asian Kitchen and noted as I ran by it last week that it seems to have defied gravity for longer than I would have guessed. The turnover in that space through the years has been notable. I wouldn't have guessed that this place would have made it so long. 

Agreed there. I think Oshie is a great example of someone being made better by those around him. He sees chances he wouldn't get otherwise because he's on the ice with Ovi. Also doesn't hurt having Backstrom feed it to him. Not to downplay his talent because I think he truly is a special player but his talent is magnified by who he plays with. 

I keep telling my kids as we watch the Caps that they need to appreciate what they are seeing when year after year they see Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Holtby play. Seeing Ovi put up a bunch of goals or Backstrom making everyone around him better and Holtby making sick saves look routine is a rare treat. I grew up around here when the Caps just didn't have players operating at this level year in, year out. This is a special time that won't last forever so we need to appreciate it. 

Now, just need them to perform in the playoffs....

Also, back on the topic of Ovi doing more than cherry pick goals, I think he leads the Caps in hits this year. Pretty impressive for a guy his age that provides his offensive production. Hopefully the extra wear and tear doesn't take a toll in the playoffs. 

My wife and I dined at Rose's last night to celebrate her birthday. We had a fantastic meal. Some highlights below:

• The Kung Pao tofu was by far the best thing we ate. I will order this every time I go if it's on the menu. Spicy, salty, a bit sweet and great texture
• The pastrami spiced carrots were a close second. A meatless dish that somehow tastes meaty. Really good 
• The barrel aged Bijou cocktail was fantastic. Smooth around the edges, great way to start the meal

Overall, a wonderful meal and a great first experience for us at this restaurant.

2 hours ago, Josh Radigan said:

Massive space, delayed opening which forces restaurants to spend cash that they don't have, a concept that has an above normal overhead costs in payroll, and a location off the path. It's tough to open restaurants in this day and age and with the world of Uber making it easier for people in the burbs to travel into the city, Clarendon has had its fare share of struggles in the last 12 months. Where Mister Days sits now used to be a brew pub, and I just can't remember the name but it started with Blue. That restaurant bubble is about to pop.

Blue & Gold is what that place was called. They used to sell 32 oz beers and an especially potent brew called Old Crankcase that tasted about as good as it sounds. Good times.

Depressing. Not sure what it is that makes it so hard to succeed in Arlington - maybe the sky high rents or the onerous regulation - but it sure seems like a hard place to succeed. I wonder what the Don Tito guys will put in this location in their ongoing quest to ruin Clarendon. 

On 10/20/2016 at 10:16 AM, DonRocks said:

In the movie, Pusser was portrayed very well by Joe Don Baker - himself a large man at 6'3" - and someone with "that familiar face" which you could swear you've seen somewhere before.

And in fact, you probably *have* seen it before, because even if you don't know who Joe Don Baker is (which is quite possible, even though he was pretty famous in 1973), Baker was the man who portrayed "The Whammer" in "The Natural." How about that! 

Here are Baker, Garrett, and Perry in shots from the movie:

Joe Don Baker was also the corrupt policeman in Fletch

Very helpful. Thank you. 

My wife and I will be having dinner at the Goodstone Inn tomorrow (Friday) evening. Can anyone advise on the dress code? I planned on wearing a sport coat but not a tie. Will that suffice or should I plan to wear a tie? Thanks. 

I wonder if this guy was channeling his inner 007 in his manner of ordering because in Casino Royale, Daniel Craig orders a Vesper, named after his female companion, and specifies the ingredients and preparation: vodka, Gordon's gin, Kina Lillet, shaken until very cold. 

I would say that the curry was at least medium, maybe medium+. The flavor is fantastic though. I am not a heat-junkie but I do like spicy food that is flavorful, not heat just for the sake of heat, and this hit the mark.

I dined at the bar on Friday evening with my wife and had a fantastic meal. My cocktail, Theodore's Elixir, featured rye, Benedictine, Capaletti, and Fernet Branca in a perfectly bitter yet herbaceous combination. The beet salad was solid if unremarkable. The star of the evening was the pumpkin curry, which was simply fantastic. The heat and flavor of the curry blew me away. I would recommend visiting W&W just for this dish.

I should add that my wife ordered cioppino with ramen and was equally pleased.

You are correct, Don. There was a Jasper's in Crofton, just outside Bowie. I spent a summer waiting tables there. 

Nice story from Arlnow.com:

District Taco Founder Hires Company That Once Laid Him Off to Build Rosslyn Restaurant

District Taco is working with an unlikely contractor for the construction of its new Rosslyn location: a company that once laid the restaurant's founder off.

In 2008, Hoil was working as a superintendent for Patriot Contracting, the construction company that is building the new District Taco in Rosslyn and has built locations in Alexandria and Dunn Loring "” which is celebrating its grand opening today.

 
The company originally hired Hoil despite his lack of construction experience because of his "can do" attitude

and work ethic, said Jeff McGee, the co-owner of Patriot Contracting. The company struggled during the 2008 financial crisis, and Hoil was laid off.

 
"When I got laid off, I was very sad and I asked if I could stay on payroll, sweeping floors," Hoil said. His wife was pregnant at the time and he needed the health insurance.

Laying off Hoil was one of the toughest days of work for McGee.

"I walked away crying," McGee said.

Laying Hoil and the other employees left its mark on the company. McGee vowed that the company will stay small in order to avoid ever laying someone off again.

Hoil went on to start his original District Taco cart that grew into what is now a growing regional chain. When Hoil started building restaurants, he ultimately returned to Patriot Contracting, this time as a client.

"Instead of being angry about what they did, I'm right next to them saying let's try this again," Hoil said. He says he signed a multimillion dollar contract with Patriot because the company has good people and the owners get involved in the project.

The construction company has built two new stores and remodeled one of the existing locations, McGee said. It is currently working on the Rosslyn location.

"We really enjoy working with him [Hoil], and we're proud of what he's done," McGee said.

Hoil is also eying Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia, and Tenleytown in D.C. for two more restaurants, he said. While the chain's stores can be found in Virginia and the District, Hoil said he wants to expand into Maryland, possibly at College Park. The company currently has 270 employees.

The new District Taco in Rosslyn will be located at 1500 Wilson Blvd, next to the future TargetExpress store. Both are expected to open this fall.

This is surprising to me. Duck Donuts has been a family tradition for the past 7 years. I love waking up and biking to Duck donuts with the kids, scarfing down a hot donut while staring out at the Currituck Sound. But I also always thought that it was purely a contextual thing, and that the donuts - and the wait- were made far better by the fact I was on vacation, with my family, and very happy.

i can see them being busy when they first open, but I'm skeptical that thisis sustainable. Then again, I have no explanation for Georgetown Cupcakes..

Agreed here. Going to Duck Donuts in Duck or Corolla with my kids still wearing their pajamas has made for treasured memories through the years. Not sure I get the same vibe in the Harrison Shopping Center.

The cueball's made of styrofoam, have you got the time?

Given the recent trend in that neighborhood, I fear that what we'll get in that space is another watering hole for meatheads that focuses more on slinging buckets of Miller Lite to frat boys than providing something the community wants and needs. Hopefully I am wrong.