Ericandblueboy

As a result of the pandemic, zoo members have to apply for free parking passes.  The number of free parking passes is very limited - so we had to street park.  I found that free street parking between the zoo and Purple Patch to be plentiful, so that's why we went to Purple Patch for brunch, at 10 am on a Sunday morning.

As it was cloudy, humid but not hot, we sat on the covered patio they constructed on the street in front of the their restaurant.  We ordered a bunch of appetizers, namely (i) lumpia, (ii) lechon kawali, (iii) longanisa fried rice, (iv) ube cinnamon toast, and (v) atchara papaya salad.

First, the atchara papaya salad comes as a side with the lechon.  So you don't need to order it unless you just love that vinegary melange of veggies, including carrots and red pepper.  I ate some just because they're veggies, not because I enjoyed them.  The two favorites were lumpia and fried rice.  The kids especially enjoyed the longanisa (garlic sausage).  I thought the fried rice was flavorful if not a tad oily.  The lechon kawali, being deep fried, was tender but lacked flavor.  Finally, the ube cinnamon toast was 3 slices of bread topped with purple yam and cinnamon.  The flavor was predominantly cinnamon - not sure if I really tasted much ube.

Definitely going back next time we hit the zoo to try other things on the menu.

On 4/20/2021 at 12:58 PM, brr said:

Purple Patch is a neighborhood gem and now also boasts the Butchers Market Mt Pleasant in their basement who are purveying high end cuts of meat and fish and slinging some outrageously good sandwiches - worth a visit 

I was going to check out Butcher's Market tomorrow but Google says they're permanently closed. 

Probably going for brunch this weekend.  What’s spectacular?  Anyone tried their lechon?

3 hours ago, DPop said:

I would venture a guess that this will be nowhere near the New Haven edition, which is excellent pizza if a bit inferior to Sally's and Modern, but I will still give it a hopeful try.

Which is better. Sally’s or Modern?  I only had Modern and it was delicious.  Just clam pizza.

Resy is terribly unfriendly to use, website and app.  I waste a shit ton of time.  

Taking reservations on their website.  Vaccination required.

30 minutes ago, Tweaked said:

The English Premier League started off with a bang when tiny Brentford FC, newly promoted to the EPL, beat Arsenal 2-0 at home.  Brentford's new stadium holds 17,500, for comparison Arsenal's stadium seats 60,000.  This was Brentford's first game in the English top flight division since 1947.  After the game, old men were literally crying in the stands. 

Because they're gunners fans?

Article from Washingtonian about how Nara-Ya came to be.

Steve chose this restaurant.  I didn't object because I haven't heard much about this joint at all.

This place is on the third floor above La Vie & Mi Vida with a nice view of the water.  The dining room is very pretty, but you can't eat the view.

We started with uni butter that came with very few rice crackers for $15.  There was no uni flavor and I had no great desire to eat plain butter with rice crackers.  We also had a roll called "Its Business Time" for $22.  Avocado, king crab, unagi, lemon zest, mascarpone and the whole thing is tempura battered and fried.  The big issue is that the rice was mushy, as in they cooked it with too much water.

Second course was Smoked Zuke Tuna ($27) - raw tuna served under a cloche of smoke.  In retrospect, I don't know why we would ever want to eat smoked tuna sashimi.  The smoke doesn't enhance the flavor of tuna in any way.  There was very little fish too.   The Prawn Okonomiyaki ($24)was a tasty okonomiyaki serve with 1 overgrilled prawn.  I cut it in half and gave the tail end to Steve and he spat it out.  

Last course was green tea soba noodles ($23).  The noodles were overcooked the kombu broth really just tastes like soy sauce.  They can at least pan sear some scallops ($26).

The table next to us was there just to put it on their social media.  They each had a drink and one roll and spent most of the time taking pictures of themselves and chatting with the waiter.  

For the avoidance of any doubt, I do not recommend going to this place.  Steve had to apologize for picking the place.

I’m at Great Wall Merrifield and it’s open. 

Didn't know that Tim Ho Wan (cheapest Michelin star restaurant in HK) is now owned by the same group that owns Panda Express.

https://mothership.sg/2021/08/jollibee-take-over-tim-ho-wan/?fbclid=IwAR0A2nWTI60qntRmWz69_AoNW-AdKUEJFD4gnXwX2LWp-G7zMiL1KD9IUHE

2 hours ago, Bart said:

If you're looking for some entertainment(?) scroll through some of the Yelp reviews and the owner's responses.  They are beyond bizarre.

I read through some just to see how batty this owner is.

I just went to Maialino Mare's reservation page, which says only people over 12 need proof of vaccination.   So I can take my kids to MM.  I hope other restaurants similarly exempt children under 12.

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Things went more smoothly over at 2Amys. The popular pizza restaurant only requires vaccination for indoor seating, while the unvaccinated—including children who aren’t eligible for the shot—are restricted to the outdoor patio.

“We’ve been spending almost a year and a half just trying to keep my staff safe… Why start being stupid now? Why take any unnecessary risks?,” says 2Amys owner Peter Pastan. “We have a lot of customers that are grateful that we’re doing it.”

So vaccinated people generally are less likely than non-vaccinated to spread covid.  I suspect non-vaccinated people who mask up are even less likely to get and spread covid than vaccinated people who don't mask up.  It's a good thing that I don't live near 2Amys and haven't been there in ages. 

I don't always read the chat but sometimes there's gold in them hills.  In this case, a person read @Tom Sietsema's  review of Heirloom.  Said person apparently knew more about Heirloom than Tom and posed the following question:

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Heirloom Review
Carson

As you might have seen in the comments to your recent review of Heirloom in Lewes, DE, many people mentioned that in response to negative reviews on Yelp and Trip Advisor, the owner of Heirloom comes roaring back like a furious, demented bully. Do you ever check reviews from the plebes before you write yours? (Serious question, not sarcasm.)

You always suggest that diners tell management during their meal if they have an issue with the food or service. But it seems one does that at Heirloom at their grave peril. According to reviewers, complaints or negative comments mean you are likely to be yelled at, have expletives hurled at you, roundly humiliated, called a liar, told to leave, and still be expected to pay the full bill for food you found inedible or wine you didn't order, all served in an 87 degree room.

Also, you are all in favor of pay equity and a living wage for restaurant staff. Did it not strike you as odd that the owner of Heirloom considers the occasional free taco or pizza from a local joint to be part of the compensation for kitchen staff? You laud the owner for providing one free trip to Charleston for staff to sample food, which is a total tax write-off for her, not part of a living wage for the employees.

Perhaps you were one of the lucky (majority) who had a great meal and had no issues to take up with the management. Or perhaps you were recognized. How can you be so certain that "She had no idea there was a critic at the table."? You've been doing this for many years. You think no restaurateur knows who you are? Especially one who allegedly goes to the trouble of using the internet to troll unhappy customers and write negative comments about them in their professional capacity.

 

Messi has officially signed for PSG.  I love Leo but I cannot cheer for PSG, which is owned and funded by the Emir of Qatar.  

The whole situation with Messi is ironic.  I think Barca's mess started with Neymar leaving for PSG.  The reason Neymar left is because he didn't want to stay in Messi's shadow at Barca.  In order to replace Neymar, Bartomeu (Barca's then President) wasted Neymar's transfer fee and more on the likes of Coutinho, Dembele, and Griezeman.  Bartomeu also overpaid the salaries of many players, leaving Barca with over 1 billion euros of debt and salaries way over La Liga's cap.  So Barca cannot resign Messi.  In the mean time, Neymar hasn't won anything that mattered at PSG.  So Qatar is now going to give PSG's the funds to sign Messi to hopefully finally win the Champions League.  If PSG does in fact win, no doubt it's Messi and not Neymar who will get most of the glory.  So Neymar will never win the Ballon D'or.  So F U Neymar for screwing up Barca and forcing Messi to leave.

In his latest BBQ round-up, Tim Carman has DCity at #2, behind Two-Fifty and ahead of TX Jack.  This warranted a revisit.  I went for the pork ribs and wings combo, with a side of cole slaw.  Because I had decided ahead of time that's what I wanted, I didn't see the "secret menu" blackboard which included oxtail until it's too late.  Anyhow, I love the smokiness and texture of the pork ribs - they have that firm chewiness that I really love (I don't want falling off the bone when it comes to ribs).  DCity claims it's DC style - not sure what that means.  The BBQ is dry rubbed, but not as peppery as TX BBQ.  Unfortunately, I don't love their seasoning.  The wings used the same seasoning.  I would recommend this place for people who like a little sweeter and less peppery BBQ.

Barcelona's finances are so messed up they can't resign Leo Messi because they can't clear enough room under the salary cap.  Rumors are Messi is joining PSG.  So earlier this year I finally cut the cord - got Sling with ESPN because ESPN just bought the rights to La Liga.  However, BeIN Sports has the rights to Ligue 1, which could soon have the best soccer player in the world.

Sufferin' succotash!

Finally ran across a hotel that is cashless.  It was in upper Manhattan so I went down the street and bought a bag of chips at the corner deli to get some change.

Ate at 1906, the year Du Pont purchased the property that became Longwood Gardens.  The food was surprisingly good.  We started with fried oysters served with chicken salad, and a Maitake Bloom (tempura battered fried maitake shroom).  The shrooms were served on top of a fake wood stump - cool presentation.  They were followed by SEVERINO STUFFED RIGATONI (meyer lemon whipped ricotta, pancetta, english pea) and BERKSHIRE BONE IN PORK CHOP.  The pasta was al dente, the pork chop served at the requested medium well was juicy and tender.  Unfortunately the restaurants don't have a view of the fountains.  

Left the Bronx Monday morning and arrived at Matunuck just as they opened.  The place was packed immediately.  The reservation only provided you 75 minutes of sit-time, and the pace of service probably could get you out in 60 or less.  We did clams 5 ways, RI chowder, Littleneck & chorizo, clams casino, stuffie, and clams & linguine.  We also had a large caesar salad.  The kids decided they don't particularly like the RI style of chowder, or the stuffie, or clams casino.  They preferred the clams with white wine sauce.  I thought everything was delicious except for the overcooked pasta.  Solid seafood restaurant at a moderate price point - beats the crap out Salt Line, which is an imitation New England seafood restaurant.

Biomes is more or less a bust.  It's some fish tanks inside a warehouse building by the side of the road.  

Dinner was at Oberlin.  The menu is interesting, and I had to guess which dishes the kids would actually eat.  I whiffed on the first dish, Raw RI Scallops, Cherry Blossom Mayo, Sesame, Radish.  While I know they generally don't like raw seafood, I thought they wouldn't be able to resist fresh sweet scallops.  I had to eat almost the entire plate.  I fouled off a pitch with Brandade, Herbs, Grilled Country Bread.  I know they can handle salt cod, and they'll definitely eat the bread.  Hit a couple of line-drives with the pastas, Cacio e Pepe and Fregola Sarda, Rock Crab, Radicchio, Almond Bagnat Verd, Roasted Chicken Broth.  The pastas were thankfully al dente.  Lastly, Piri Piri Gnarly Vines Pheasant, Marinated Greens, Baby Potatoes, Papo Secos was a miss for everyone.  The kids thought the piri piri was too spicy and I thought the bird was overcooked and tough.  Oh yeah, dinner took 2 hours and that really tested the kids' stamina and patience.

Tuesday was spent in Newport.  I bought a membership to the Newport Preservation Society so we can skip the line for the Topiary Garden, the Breakers, Marble House and The Elm.  I downloaded the audio tour and made the kids listen to the highlights of each mansion.  After touring the mansions, we barely had time to take the cliff walk before heading back to Providence.  

Dinner was at Hemenway's.  They have a dress code for men so I wore jeans and a collared shirt.  But I saw other diners in shorts so the dress code isn't enforced, at least not during Summer.  

We started with a bowl of NE Chowder and Caesar Salad.   That was followed by the Assorted Hot Seafood Platter with fried calamari, scallops and bacon, and stuffies.  That was a gut busting amount of food.  Finally we had their paella with shrimp, scallops, swordfish, chourico, clams, mussels, pimentos, English peas, saffron rice.  All the seafood were seasoned well and properly cooked except for the swordfish chunks (they looked like tofu and were rather bland).  The place felt like a recipe driven restaurant without much creative energy.  

Wednesday was spent at the smallish zoo and then we took a gondola ride.  We also trekked to Brown/Thayer St. and Federal Hill.  We were quite tired and then it rained.  So rather than going back to Federal Hill, we went down the street from our hotel and ate Korean at Mokban.  It's Korean food but in a urban and hip setting.  Traditional noodle soups are labeled "ramen" to entice the ramen crowd.  I did enjoy their seafood pa jeon (pancake), made with small tender shrimp rather than squid.  It was a nice break after eating lots of seafood and Italian/American food.

Thursday morning we stopped by Modern Apizza partly because it has good reviews but mostly because it opens at 10:30 a.m.  We ordered a salad and a white clam pizza.  It's the best clam pizza I've ever had (but I haven't had many, Pete's Apizza sucked compared to this).  I think the kids didn't appreciate how hard it is to find a good clam pizza.

Spent the entire day at the zoo and didn’t manage to see everything.  Mario’s is terrible compared to the zoo.  Overcooked fried calamari, overcooked linguine with white clam sauce, tripe Livornese needed more salt, veal parmigiana was chewy, and sautéed broccoli was mushy.  

Loved the Cloisters.  It’s a great collection of European cloisters moved to the Bronx.  The unicorn tapestries are the most complete and informative that I’ve seen. Dinner was at Manolo’s Tapas.  It’s faux finished to look like a tavern in Spain and the food is quite good.  I really enjoyed the Madrid tripe stew.  The tortilla espanola was too eggy for me. We also had nicely grilled langoustines, clams with green sauce, and serano ham with artichoke hearts.  Service was excellent , on the formal side.  Cash only but their ATM only charged 99 cents.  Technically this was all in Washington Heights and not the Bronx.

Finally went back to the Arlington location with Steve for lunch.  We ordered our favorites: dan dan noodles, dry fried eggplant, crispy pork belly, fried diced chicken, and bamboo cumin fish - all from the hot apps.

Dan dan noodles were overcooked and the sauce very watery - nevertheless good favor.  The diced fried chicken was bland.  The eggplant, fish and pork belly were good. 

It's just a bunch of fried food, hard to tell if the cooking is really back up to par.

Danny Meyer wants proof of vaccination to eat in his restaurant.

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“We feel like we’ve got an amazing responsibility to keep our staff members and our guests safe, and that’s what we’re going to do,” Meyer said in an interview with CNBC.

I'm just trying to test the logic of that statement.  Vaccinated people can still get covid and spread covid.  In fact, I see lots of vaccinated people who don't wear masks in tight quarters.  I'm leary of all people who don't social distance or wear masks (because my kids aren't vaccinated), including those who are vaccinated.  I guess we won't be eating at Maialino Mare for a while.

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Just last night, the Nationals game slated to happen in Philadelphia was rescheduled due to a coronavirus outbreak within the DC team. The club’s misfortunes started during Tuesday’s game, when shortstop Trea Turner was removed from the first inning after receiving a positive Covid test. According to manager Dave Martinez, another 11 players and staff members have since tested positive. (Martinez believes only one of the 12 people are unvaccinated). As a result, the squad was forced to postpone their Wednesday face-off against the Phillies—the second time this season the Nats have delayed a game due to the virus.

This paragraph from Washingtonian just confirmed that vaccinated people are catching and spreading covid.

On 7/19/2021 at 8:29 AM, zgast said:

Meet me at the Churchill Arms - £9 for a glass of Pol Roger - I'll take that any day over the Veuve.

I’ve got that marked down.  The pheasant ballotine with foie was delicious.  The same goes for the tempura calamari.  The portions aren’t big so i had two pheasant ballotines.    Veuve is $16 until September i believe.