FunnyJohn

Don: Luv's you a lot, but I'm really, really paranoid about FaceBook. Call me irrational, childish, whatever. I did set up an account a few weeks ago, and aImost immediately, started getting messages from "lawyers" claiming that someone with my last name had died somewhere in Africa, naming me as a beneficiary in their wills. All I needed to do was send info on my bank acct...... I do not use my account on FB. Otherwise I would happily do a thumbs-up for ya.

Well at least one sector of the economy is not flagging: The National Restaurant Association reported today that: “Bolstered by stronger same-store sales and customer traffic levels, the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) stood above 100 for the eighth consecutive month in June. The RPI – a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry – stood at 101.4 in June, unchanged from May’s level (red line in chart). June represented the eighth consecutive month that the RPI remained above 100, which signifies expansion in the index of key industry indicators. [note name of website this was posted on]

Stephen Budiansky has managed a pretty good send-up of excessive foodiness while reviewing four recent books: Change Comes to Dinner by Katherine Gustafson, Culinary Intelligence by Peter kaminsky, The Locavoere's Dilemma by Pierre Desrochers & Hiroko Shimizu, and The Taste of Tomorrow by Josh Schonwald

Haven't a clue as to the reasons for Zola closing and being being bought out other than to observe if it was indeed bought out by another restaurant group, one would have to assume that there was a business decision involved, rather than a closing due to force majeure. I'm thinking the same is true in the case for Restaurant 3 in Arlington. Anyone know what the bartenders at Zola -- Ari and his brother Mica -- will be doing? Slightly related -- I am expecting quite a lot of foam and churn in the restaurant business in this area if the sequestration kicks in for real

GENIOUS!

For the person who already has everything

Cool Runnin's [Courtesy of Serious Eats]

The aforementioned beet salad is the cover photo (food porn) of the recently launched Arlington Magazine which is featuring Arlington's best restaurants in the current issue.

I stopped in for drinks with a couple of friends the other night. I came in just at opening time so I witnessed Chef Trautmann briefing the staff on the evening's specials, and had it not been too early for dinner, I would have sampled -- well at least the lamb. anyway we did order some snacks and small plates. As with his other gigs, Drew looks to ingredients that are available from local sources as much as possible and does a lot of things himself. For instance he bought a drier, so the beef jerky is house made and quite good. Drew said the important thing is to use cuts that are not very fatty -- otherwise you get greasy jerky. Also had the oxtail compote(?) which was bits of the meat in jelly served on some salad greens -- very beefy. The house made duck pate was delicious. As I was getting ready to leave a bowl of spaghetti with botarga and tomatoe sauce arrived (pasta house made) -- if you go, get this for simple and highly satisfying. So, despite it being early, I guess I did end up having supper, without getting to any of the main items.The guys tending the bar -- and I'm sorry I didn't get their names -- are pros if you are in to cocktails. I believe Don is right, the mediocre experiences described above were because they needed more time to get the act together, and they appear to have it now. I have known both Drew and the front of the house boss, Jawad, for a long time, and I really would like to see this place succeed -- these guys are really passionate about the business and the neighborhood could use another good spot in addition to New Heights. I'd be interested to hear any other Rockweilers' experiences.

Don: Time for an update for your best wine list list

This is true -- the boundary between Arlington Co and the City of Falls Church as a practical matter is drawn just the other side of the interstate, and if you go 4 miles west you will definitely be out of Falls Church, the City, and into Fairfax, the part of the county designated as Falls Church -- that boundary is basically at Hillwood Ave. and Annandale Road. Google Map of the City of Falls Church . So how are the crawdads?

This could fit in a couple of other threads such as marinating and duck eggs. Be forewarned -- not for those with delicate stomachs or sensibilities. But, hey, Easter is a-coming.

Great short documentary courtesy of Ole Miss and the Southern Food Alliance. Nothing you didn't know before about country ham and bacon, but still worth a watch (about 10 minutes).

According to this item from Urban Daddy the Soft Opening is scheduled for this Friday and the official opening for April 4 [Although the version I have in the link above does not explicitly provide the dates, the version I have in my e-mail does -- so you'll just have to trust me on this.]

I like the barrel strength WT Rare Breed [not sure if that is the only way it comes] and the Van Winkles are excellent. A good place to go to sample Bourbon is Old Glory -- they have a large selection and if you fulfill the requirements you can have a brass plate with your name on it installed in or around the bar, certifying you as a true lush for friends and family to see.

Serious Eats visited the Maker's Mark Distillery in Loretto, Kentucky and made this slideshow showing how the iconic Bourbon is produced. Very interesting and more complex than I realized.

Now this discussion has me recalling what TACOS actually stand for: Teen Age Commies from Outer Space

Blast from the past [Wasn't sure if this should be a thread in News and Media, or here]: Every Sunday, Fortune publishes a favorite story from our magazine archives. This week, we turn to a feature from 1934 on the U.S. wine industry (original headline: "The Wines of the U.S."). Prohibition, which lasted for just under 14 years before it was repealed on December 5, 1933, decimated the U.S. commercial wine industry. After the repeal, American winemakers and merchants had to play a serious game of catch up, both in their quest to make decent wines and in converting U.S. drinkers. Today, California is one of the finest wine regions in the world. And in 2010, the U.S. surpassed France and became the world's largest wine consumer -- by total volume, not per capita -- a far cry from the situation in 1934.

The more I think about this the more potential difficulties I am imagining. Need to up-armour the birds, countermeasures, vulnerability to ground fire -- I think these things will end up looking like this.

Ok, so maybe it is slightly premature to hail the end of the food truck era, but here's some news about plans for a mini-copter or tacocopter to deliver in the Bay Area: "According to the bare bones web site, all you have to do is place your order on your iPhone, tap away, and await the TacoCopter."

As I was participating in Happy Hour yesterday at Liberty Tavern, the name of one of the beers on offer caught my eye: "Faceplant". I asked Bobby the vivacious bartender if that was an actual beer or just a joke and she said, it was a real beer. Got me to thinking how over the years makers of alcholic beverages have endeavored to market their product, and how we are now entering the age of extremes in an effort to capture market share -- especially in the booming sector of micro brews. So let's get our Rockwellian Brains fired up and suggest some names that need to have a brew attached to them. I'll start...: "Puke on My Shoes"

Since I now mostly dessert vicariously and virtually, I like Willow because on every trip between my seat at the bar and the restroom I get to walk by the stand where they sell Kate's creations to go, and feast with my eyes.

I forget my score, but I can attest that my bubble is in my head. [and, on the topic, if I ever eat at Applebees again, will have my head examined]

Great Catch!

Small plates? I ask because I'm thinking as you stroll from that corner of the building down the street hitting all the spots in Zoso Flats, although not necessarily in order, you could do a four or five course meal with appropriate beverage pairings. [urp!]