Ericandblueboy

We can't all sell steaks for a living. Some of us have to defend criminals or exploit the pain/fear of others so our families can eat [at Ray's]. I certainly don't read the story the way you do. I think it's touching, highlights her personality and emphasizes the suffering of people who loved her (and how they're at odds with one another).

We were lucky to have a table with a view (most of the restaurant is blocked by McCormick). And we ordered conservatively so Mother's Day turned out well. We started with the salumi misti - a platter of prosciutto di parma, mortadella, sopressata, and bresaola ($19 or $20). At the same time, we tried their handmade orecchiette with broccoli rabe ($14). Both were very good - I just wish we had some Italian bread to go with the cold cuts (bread service involved rolls that did not look particularly appetizing). Our entrees were clams cioppino ($18 or so) and 14 oz NY Strip ($45) with porcini foie gras butter ($3). The steak was quite good - nice char on the outside, plenty of marbling, and cooked around medium rare - but we thought the steak is better at Ray's. The clams were plump and plentiful (the bread that came with the clams would've been great with the coldcuts!). Although we don't live too far away, we went with a tourist mindset, i.e., get ready to be ripped off by less than stellar food. So everything met our expectation and I can foresee going back (just don't know when, no rush).

We never know who's in the kitchen at any of those places....I gave up trying to say which restaurant is better unless I've been to them recently.

It 'd be nice if we can also list the price per small order (I think Mark's is over $3 and Sampan is like $2.50). Next time I go for dim sum, I'll try to remember the pricing.

I've never seen such a list but would love to see one. Here's what I know - Mark's Duck House (7 corners), Fortune (7 corners), China Garden (Rosslyn), Canton Cafe (Springfield), Sampan (Springfield). Tony Cheng's (Chinatown). I don't usually go to MD for dim sum so I'll let someone else chime in on those. Recently I've been to Mark's and Sampan. Mark's has more variety. Sampan is good enough that I'll go there every once in awhile but I don't think its' better than Mark's.

If Bryan created those dishes and his team served them, then there is no false advertisement.

Since when is dining an interactive experience with the chef personally? What you're purchasing are food an drinks, just like tickets entitle you to view a specific event. You want to run on the field, you get tazed and a trip to the local jail.

Are any portion of the ticket price tax deductible? Second, how is the food served? Third and Fourth, is anyone here hosting a table and if no one here is hosting a table, are there people who are interested in pitching in for a table and get $25 off the individual ticket price?

If you pay for front row seat, do you think the fat lady should kiss you? The slugger should autorgraph your glove? The coach should consult you for play-calling? I think eating at the Chef's Table is like having a front row seat. You should get a great view but you shouldn't expect special treatment from the artist or athlete. Wanna meet the artist, pay for a backstage pass.

I don't want to live in Chicago so I wish that Next is in DC - because of the seasonal menus of different places/era. Paying in advance doesn't bother me much either. What about people who want more to drink? Would he refuse to serve additional drinks or there would still be "transactions" at the restaurant?

This complaint is comical. I can't believe Sietsema picked up on it. WTF? Table 21 is actually a bar. Do you bitch about a stranger sitting next to you at a bar? I don't recall Bryan saying hi to me nor did I expect him to. I don't recall ever meeting Monis either, or Chang, or Achatz (I know I didn't, it's not a matter of recall).

Komi is good for a date if you don't mind dropping $200 per person (with drinks, tax & tip)

I wonder though, would he have won if he wasn't working at Osteria? By that I mean he has to execute, but if it's not his vision, then who truly is the winner?

Other than Koji. I'm not sure the other mentioned chefs would spare any face time with you. In fact, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't, if you just showed up with $150. Sushi Taro is great only for people who don't mind spending money on fish nads, i.e., it's adventurous (at least for me) and there's a chance that you wouldn't like some of the dishes. I think you can easily have two really good meals for $150. Start by visiting Eola's website and see if the menu interests you (Dean says he loved the pork consomme). If not then move to Inox's website. Those are my two favorite restaurants currently for a la carte fine dining.

I was going to suck some ventworm nuts for Mother's Day but Rosa Mexicana is booked all day long. Incidentally, McCormick is also booked but I never thought to eat there. So we decided to go with Bond 45. Any recs? What are Roman style chopped chicken liver (how's it different from Dean's mama's chopped chicken liver)?

Don't know the name but wasn't there a store that had a lot of throw pillows where Lululemon is now? Also, close to B&N was an eclectic furniture store with lots of unique stuff. We also liked the tableware store that's close to the defunct Levante's.

Who won? Any description of the various pigs?

In retrospect, they had to be frozen. I don't see a chain sending people out to pick out the freshest frog legs

One of my favorite restaurants in Vienna (Plaka Grill) only does counter service, but they give you a number and they bring the food out. How much am I supposed to tip?

They got frog legs? Had to try them and it's been awhile since we've been to Bethesda so that's where to went for lunch today. The chips are great here, crispy and light, but a little greasy. We ordered a combo platter with crispy beef taco, chicken tamale, a beef enchilada and a chicken enchilada. We also ordered a grilled combo platter - frog legs and costillas (pork ribs). The frog legs were grilled until tough, other than the smokiness from the grill, have no flavor. To address that deficiency, we were given a side of garlic butter. Instead of using butter, I stripped the frog leg meat and stuffed them into a flour tortilla and topped the whole thing liberally with their delicious guacamole. The costillas tastes okay (I don't like BBQ and don't normally eat BBQ, this was for my wife), a little on the dry side. The best part of the combo platter was the chicken tamale, nice flavor, moist and even the green sauce was good. I never got a bite of the taco. The chicken enchilada was a little dry, the beef enchilada fairly greasy...all in all fairly decent Tex-Mex. Unfortunately we couldn't find our favorite stores (unique furniture and accessory stores) so there's really no reason to go back to Bethesda.

1. Baby Eel (look carefully and you'll see the eyes) 2. Shabu Shabu of King Crab - it's wild to see the chef shear the crab leg vertically with his knife. Strangely enough, when the crab is cooked without shell and not overly long, it ends up with lobster-like texture. 3. Aforementioned lightly seared chicken sashimi (I believe it is against health code to serve raw chicken) and some flavorful tough chicken skewer 4. Grilled bamboo shoots 5. Octopus head and legs (I'm still not digging octopus ) 6. Lightly grilled fatty tuna (you have to ask for it to be grilled) and sea urchin (they had two kinds that day, CA and Maine).

1. 6 trays of fresh seafood to pick from 2. Abalone (I had to try it, personally not a big fan and I think these guys died in vain) 3. Hamachi and White Salmon 4. Horse Mackereal 5. Scallop

Pics of the omakase at the Sushi Bar. 1. A kirin draft, sake, and the house make plum wine (reminiscent of the sour plum juice I grew up drinking in Taiwan) 2. Their specialty appetizer of sea urchin on top of tofu-life substance (it's the 3rd time I've had it but I still can't tell what that is for sure) 3. Sweet shrimp tempura with sticky rice (the shrimp tastes similar to a shrimp chip - very nice) 4. I forget what that fish was. 5. Massive oyster cut into 2 pieces, there is a piece of scallop stuffed in as well 6. Pupu plate (from front to back) - tender conch, egg with mystery substance, fish roe, bamboo shoots, kumquat, lotus root, and innards of some fish (they called it milk of ?).

Since Susur Lee got 19.5 stars in the elmination challenge, getting the highest score by far in the history of TC Masters, I have to go eat at Zentan and then bitch about how much it sucks.

why's you gotta steal the Mexicans' thunder?