Tweaked

It's true, a friend of mine from Philly and I always make Old Ebbitt our last stop of the night when he is in town.

The Wash Post's 4th chat with RAMMY nominated chefs of the year.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...5052001304.html

The eel battle on the original Iron Chef show is one of my all time favorites. esp when they peg them down on the cutting board and slice them down the middle length wise. ouch!

I'll be at Restaurant Eve Friday night, so I'll keep my eye open for eel on the menu!

Did anyone else see Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything on PBS Saturday morning? It featured Michel Richard (who is a complete nutter) and he made his infamous lobster burger.

Ingedients may or may not included:

Lobster meat that has been gently poached whole in its shell and then diced

Scallop paste as a binder

shredded basil leaves

all turned into a burger and gently sauteed

Apparently Michel is a lover of mayo and kept busting on Bittman when ever he didn't use any mayo.

The show also had a nice shout out to Breadline, when Bittman ran down the street to get "the best bread in DC." Mark Furstenberg had a small cameo when he deadpans to Bittman, "Hope you're going to pay for that" as he runs out the door.

Tapatinis

I walked into Tapatini once and quick turned around and walked out. Tiny space, way too loud, and filled with people who think they are cool because they are drinking crazy expensive froo froo martinis. oh when will the froo froo martini craze die

Their website: Montmartre

Spices is good for what it is...inexpensive pan asian food good for getting together with friends or going before/after a movie etc. I find their sushi to be decent...they don't tone down dishes for the American palette (if they say it's hot and spicey, it will have a nice kick!). The ginger salad is very tasty.

If I'm a bar/restaurant owner and I want allow smoking then that should be my right to allow it. If you as a patron don't want to be in a smoke filled environment then go some place else.

However, it seems to me that fewer and fewer restaurants are allowing smoking, maybe at the bar area, but even that seems to be less these days. So really it boils down to bars and smoking. Personally I think that if you opened up a smoke free bar that served good drinks, nice decor, good music etc. then people will come. I remember going to a smoke free bar in Tacoma (way before these bans started), converted firehouse, nice exposed brick, great microbeer list, place was packed.

These blanket no smoking in bars/restaurant laws piss me off...and I don't even smoke.

Sweet, I'm going tonight for one of the preview dinners, so will file my report tomorrow.

BBQ Sauce v. Green Sauce v. Or Both...not sure but I'm willing to find out!

yes it does, but worth it IMO

I also tend to agree that the pork shoulder meat could use a little seasoning...not sure what they do with the meat before they grill it...however toss on the brocolli rabe and provolone and you get a nice balance of flavors and seasoning.

I had to laugh at the 50 or so people waiting in line at Chipotle as a walked by lovingly cradling my pork shoulder sandwich...suckers.

People in front of me in line when I walked into the Lab: 2

I still contend that the pork shoulder sandwich would be taken to new levels if there was a little rosemary backed into the bread

Part of Washington Post's series with RAMMY nominated chefs.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...5051500350.html

How lame is DC, one bottle a month...that's just silly!

Plus most if not all of the California delegation must be pro-wine shipment, and that makes a pretty large block

I bought a roast chicken from Eastern Market which I will be consuming all week over various salad greens and raw veggies.

Al, go with the pork shoulder sandwich, green sauce, onions, peppers, broccoli rabe and provolone cheese...

I fear the trend of whimsical play on words and food that is suppose to invoke ones childhood. While it can produce some fun dishes...say Michel Richard's riff on the Kit Kat Bar...I'm awaiting the arrival of such monstrosities as the fluff n nutter encrusted fishstick

Pork belly anything is heading up the list.

ohhh, please let us not disparage the all mighty pork belly.

Trite decor - restalounges with beds...yawn

Supreme Court has just ruled (5-4) that laws banning the shipment of wine between states are invalid.

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority, "States have broad power to regulate liquor. This power, however, does not allow states to ban, or severely limit, the direct shipment of out-of-state wine while simultaneously authorizing direct shipment by in-state producers."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/scotus_wine_shipments

hmmm, lets see

Thursday: Ugly Mug for ex-Matchbox miniburgers and pizza. The minburgers were yummy as always, but not quite a juicy as past miniburgers. The proscuitto pizza was tasty, although I'm not overly convinced that a cooked pizza with uncooked proscuitto thrown on top is the best way to present it.

Friday: A nice bowl of beef pho and fried egg rolls from Pacific Cafe helped settle the loopy feeling I was suffering from after receiving a battery of immunizations for my upcoming India trip

Saturday: A very poorly constructed grilled cheese sandwich at the Capitol Lounge...large chunks of foccacia slathered with melted Kraft cheese slices, topped with a slice of tomato and overdone bacon. plus DC United lost. However the Bass and the women were nice. A late night drunken rummage through the refrigerator scored me some left over upma and which I topped with a fried egg

Sunday: Dominos new 5/5/5 deal, that's right buy 3 medium one topping pizzas for $5 each with a side of Survivor Finale.

So really you and peanut didn't miss all that much!

Anyone received any invites to their pre-opening events???

I'd be down for some Malaysia Koptium...