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FunnyJohn

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leviathan

leviathan (94/123)

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  1. Renegade is now open in the former Mr. Days space in Clarendon " “You can’t swing anything in Clarendon and not get nachos,” says Crump, a 25-year industry vet (Eventide, The Ashby Inn & Restaurant) and currently the executive chef at Clarendon Ballroom. “I wanted to get away from that.” His casual menu borrows from a dozen countries and regions, from Vietnam to Egypt to Hawaii. Find curried collard greens with coconut milk, roasted harissa chicken, Filipino spring rolls, Egyptian fava bean falafel. Nothing is more than $10, and many of the dishes Crump learned how to cook from watching his fellow chefs over the years." I asked Pat how he wants his food concept to be described -- avoiding the over worked "Street Food". He said consider it food from in between the Tropics, in other words "equatorial." Anyway Pat is a talented chef and technician -- he can fix almost anything, and he sharpens my knives on his home made grindstone. The food is top quality. He has outfitted the Mr. Days space with a state-of-the-art soundstage and will be having live music there, perhaps as early as this Friday, which, since IOTA closed, will fill a void in Clarendon night life. He has retained the upper deck seating area so it will be a good venue for eating, drinking and listening to local musicians. Please stop by and give it a try.
  2. I've never been to the Palm at Tysons, so if you are literally limiting to NOVA I can't offer a suggestion for a good "steak house". There are loads of places that can do decent steak. But, in DC there are many steak houses, the foremost are Charlie Palmers, Bourbon Steak, or BLT. I am emotionally attached to the Palm in DC -- it was the first Palm to be established outside of NYC, and etc.
  3. No comment except to observe, the end is nigh. Latest development in fake meat
  4. While there is no shortage of lobsters, there may be an impending shortage of the bait -- herring -- preferred by lobster fishermen https://hotair.com/archives/2019/04/01/lobster-wars-may-put-hold/ I'm not sure I agree with the premise here if the least expensive bait becomes unavailable or increases in price that lobstermen will just not fish, instead of substituting whatever the next least expensive bait choice there is. But if true....NOOOOO!
  5. Good read about fraudulent marketing and over-hyped food products: "What seems to be the issue with San Marzano tomatoes is widespread fraud. They command a higher price than regular canned tomatoes, and as with any other premium brand, counterfeits follow. Unlike faux Chanel bags, though, you can buy San Marzanos in legit stores, which is why the sheer number of knockoffs is jaw-dropping. In 2011, Edoardo Ruggiero, the president of Consorzio San Marzano, told the small Italian importing company Gustiamo that at maximum 5 percent of tomatoes sold in the U.S. as San Marzanos are real San Marzanos. So according to the guy who oversees the certification of those tomatoes, at least 95 percent of the so-called San Marzanos in the U.S. are fakes."
  6. Don: Here's an article that explains the City Council's vote from a Libertarian perspective: "With its vote on Tuesday, the D.C. City Council did what elected officials in a representative democracy are supposed to do: act as a check."
  7. Useful Q & A about eating well. I personally adhere to the Julia Child diet: everything in moderation (well mostly ).
  8. I hesitate to put this up because it might be a little too inspirational, but nevertheless...
  9. Liberty Barbecue, the newest enterprise of the Liberty Tavern/Lyon Hall/Northside Social folks, had its Grand opening last night in Falls Church. Located In the space most recently occupied by Famous Daves on Broad Street. The schedule for the rest of December is unclear, but they say in January they will be serving both lunch and dinner 7 days a week. Full bar with a small but adequate wine list, and, of course, a nice selection of beer. Wi-Fi is also provided. I had a quarter slab of ribs which were very meaty, perfectly cooked, but could have used a touch more smoke. The sauces need some work -- appeared to be commercial rather than house made. They had a band, but I didn't stick around to hear the music (I arrived at 5 when the doors opened, and the music wasn't starting til 9 -- call me a light-weight, but I had to go home). The place is totally concrete so if you're sensitive to noise, better bring ear-plugs. All-in-all this is a welcome addition to central Falls Church, and I expect they will have as much success as their other ventures have enjoyed. Wishing the best of luck in the New Year!
  10. Someone disapproves of communal seating arrangements in restaurants and is not shy about sharing their views : "Communal tables are trash. They are garbage. And there is literally no reason to have them because I have never met one person who likes them and I ask every person I meet about their feelings on restaurant seating arrangements. If you’re a restaurateur, you can totally just trust me on this and not waste any more time or money on market research." Let's discuss...
  11. Let's keep the people of Amatrice in our prayers. You can obtain guanciale sometimes at Arrow Wine from an American producer, La Quercia (I believe based in Iowa) or on the internet. I have obtained Mario Batali's guanciale through Heritage USA, and yes it lasts a long time in the fridge. For carbonara and amatriciana it is the authentic meat ingredient, and it can be used as a substitute for pancetta elsewhere. Here is an interesting story about amatriciana -- the town of Amatrice is where the dish originated from. Here's the purported authentic recipe: Recipe for amatriciana, from the office of the mayor of Amatrice Ingredients (for four people) 500g spaghetti, 125g guanciale (pork jowl) from Amatrice, a spoon of extra virgin olive oil, a drop of dry white wine, six or seven San Marzano tomatoes or 400g of canned peeled tomatoes, some chili, 100g of grated pecorino from Amatrice, salt. Directions Place the oil, chili and guanciale, which you have to cut into small pieces, into an iron pan. It is a sacred tradition to use the soft part of the pork jowl, or else it is not an amatriciana. Only that way will it have a delicacy and sweetness that it unmatched. Sauté these ingredients in a pan. Add the wine. Blanch the whole tomatoes so that you can easily remove the skin, and then quarter them, remove the seeds, and add to the pan. Alternatively, use the canned tomatoes. Season with salt and allow the sauce to cook over the heat for a few minutes. In the meantime, boil salted water and cook the pasta until it is al dente, or still slightly firm. Drain and place in a bowl. Add the grated pecorino. Wait for a few seconds and then add the sauce to the bowl. If you wish, you can add more pecorino after it is served.
  12. Everyone sometimes takes a perverse pleasure in being insulted -- if they know it's coming. That's why Don Rickles has his audience.
  13. Probably a subjective judgment. Maybe "the worst waiter in the United States" is more apt. I guess if my given name was Edsel Ford, I'd have a chip on my shoulder too... "Past steaming woks and chopping blocks and up a narrow, creaky staircase, Edsel Ford Fong -- the world's most insulting waiter -- greeted patrons with a “sit down and shut up!” Routinely, he cussed out his customers, sexually accosted female companions, and unapologetically spilled soup across laps. According to one diner, he was so malicious that he “made the Soup Nazi look like the Dalai Lama.” ' May 26, 2014 - "The Worst Waiter in History" by Zachary Crockett on priceonomics.com As a side note: In 7th grade, the Lady who served as the cafeteria monitor used to blow a whistle and scream at the top of her lungs, "Sit Down and SHUT-UP" when the decibel level rose to a certain point. Her nickname was Frau Bartelmo.
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