chaofun

I guess it will be me then. Stopped by quickly at 11:15 because I had to head out to NoVa for a meeting. It was about a 30 min wait in line, 5 min wait for my food. My friend from NYC alerted me that its basically Five Guys, and honestly I'm inclined to agree. Its of that same style thin burger. I got the double shackburger which is two patties, american cheese, lettuce, tomato and special sauce. I asked for onions as well. I like the bun, and the veggie toppings were crisp and fresh. The burger itself was oversalted. The fries were crinkle cut yukon golds that I thought I would hate but were not bad. Crispier than I thought they would be. I still have a general dislike yukon gold fries in general. Overall, I would call it a fancy Five Guys. Actually I like Five Guys better, more topping choices, better fries. I give Shake Shack the nod on the quality of the toppings they had, which are only raw onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and on the bun. It's more similar to In-N-Out burger, but In-N-Out is superior, from just having it in Las Vegas. Good burger, but I wouldn't wait in line for them again.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Oh! If you do sign up I do recommend stopping by Pioneer Pit Beef for lunch on the way up. My favorite pit beef joint!

To add to the strawberry discussion, we had bought a small flat of strawberries last weekend from the Westmoreland Berry Farm in the Arlington Farmers Market. Gorgeous berries, but not too sweet yet. That didn't stop the wife from finishing the whole flat while I was away in Vegas. This week I'm happy to report 1 out of every 3 are sweet and delicious. I'll def be eating a lot of these. Looking forward to next week!

Jenna and I will try to make it, with some sort of bacon dish -Theo

(The folks at both Gunpowder and Roseda are great, and the BBQ will be a smoked beef short ribs and cabeza barbacoa provided by Roseda. - Theo) Saturday, June 18 2pm Gunpowder Bison & Trading Co. 1270 Monkton Road Monkton, MD 21111 4pm Roseda Beef Roseda Farm 15317 Carroll Road Monkton, MD 21111 Description: Join us while we explore two local farms, Gunpowder Bison Trading Co. and Roseda Beef. Learn how both farms raise the animals in an environmentally-conscious way. The afternoon will kick off at 2pm with a tour of the Gunpowder Bison Trading Ranch, then we’ll head to nearby Roseda Beef where we’ll enjoy a hayride tour, barbeque dinner in a barn, and a campfire with s’mores. This event is family-friendly. If you are interested in carpooling, or have any questions, please email jenna_at_slowfooddc.org (replace the _at_ with @). To register go to: http://bisonbeef.eventbrite.com/

Friend to the board Dean, jchao, and EcoFriendly put this one together - Theo EcoFriendly Dinner at Dino, June 5, 6:30pm 3435 Connecticut Avenue, Washington DC 20008 Cost: $65/members, $70/non-members Join us for a Tuscan family-style feast prepared by chef/owner Dean Gold of Dino and featuring meats from EcoFriendly Foods. EcoFriendly Foods will also speak about the importance of ethically-raised meats and how eaters can improve their food systems. A wine flight and beverage specials will be available to accompany the meal for an additional charge. Menu: Trotter Tots Testa Crostini Primo Pappardelle al Sugo Grigliata Misto ~ Mixed grill Rosticciana ~ Tuscan style pork spare ribs Rosticciana d’Agnello ~ Tuscan style lamb breast ribs Tuscan Bacon Salsiccia Seasonal Dessert Register for the event here: http://dino.eventbrite.com

I say stick with the kettle. It's cheap(er), and gets the job done well most of the time. At least for me.

Curious about the artisanal products being turned out of Executive Chef Liam LaCivita’s kitchens in the Liberty Tavern restaurant group? Join us for a happy hour at Northside Social for a unique chance to sample breads, spreads, sausages, and cheeses, all made in house at The Liberty Tavern, Northside Social, and Lyon Hall. The food will be complemented by wine from a local Virginia winemaker (one glass included in the event price). May 26 from 6-8:00 p.m.. $23 for members, $28 for non-members. Register here: http://northsidesocial.eventbrite.com/

Had to try the new Westend Bistro pop-up BBQ (which runs at lunchtime Friday's), as it is a gorgeous Friday and its a couple blocks away from my office. Unfortunately it's not my favorite BBQ. The pulled pork is slathered in a (south) carolina sauce (mustard based). The sauce was fine but the meat didn't have the give I prefer and seemed to have a brined taste. The brisket was the same though it had even more of the brined taste. It was texas style though it had a sauce which had a hoisin taste to it. For the the extras the biscuit was really good, but the slaw was a little too dilly for me. The prices were affordable; $6 for a meat, couple bucks for a side, and the line moved fast. Overall though, I don't think I would get it again. It's too bad, I really wanted to like it. I am pretty picky about BBQ though.

Living Social's new instant lunch coupons are kind of insane. Its an interesting idea. It looks like they only live during the days lunch hour or dinner hour and they are only $1. https://livingsocial.com/instant?preferred_city=1&ref=nav Some pretty awesome ones in there for today are: Ba Bay, Blacksalt, and Equinox (all lunch).

New Coupon site http://scoutmob.com/washington-dc/deal. Today's is at Filter Coffeehouse in Dupont http://www.scoutmob.com/washington-dc/deal/710. It looks like the coupons are free.... though since I haven't gotten mine yet I'm not entirely clear how it works.

Dave is right, Bruce definitely has some. I know because I bought the casings for him! They are natural casings BTW.

It's a week from now, but I'm going to have to bow out.... these next couple weeks are too crazy for me to pull it off. Next time....

I'm in, I'll be late however.

On Sunday, April 3, starting at 12 pm, executive chef/owner Sudhir Chef of Bethesda’s Passage to India and Rockville’s Spice Xing invites Slow Food members and friends to learn a few Indian cooking basics at Spice Xing. He will teach attendees how to prepare four different regional dishes, and give people a chance to go into the kitchen to see how tandoori bread is made and baked. After class, everyone is invited to sit down to an Indian feast. Cost for Slow Food members, $35 per person; for nonmembers, $40 per person. The price does not include drinks. No limit on numbers welcome to sign up. As the chef says, “The more the merrier!” Spice Xing, 100-B Gibbs Street Rockville, MD 20850 (301) 610-0303 Metro: Red Line, Rockville Station In order to register for the class go to: http://spicedupsfdc.eventbrite.com

Booo Sweth. Gallo and I will have to catch up with you the next time.

$20 for $40 at Spice Xing

I'm very much on a sandwich kick, and with El Floridano making a weekly stop by my office it's easy to see why. THE sandwich to get is the freaking delicious Pan con Lechon. It's a pile of pulled pork with a little bit of sauteed onions, and a guava sauce with just a slight kick of heat. It's on a roll similar to Bahn Mi type rolls, and they are quite generous with the pork. Very good sandwich to me. The cuban I had as well, it's fine, but I still always crave the Pan con Lechon.

The arm drip is currently one of my favorite sandwiches in the area. I just wish getting one wasn't so wonky.... it's only served between 11:30am - 3pm, and NOT Sundays. If you are craving it you better keep in mind when it's available.

From NOVA Magazine

This is a little late (Feb 2011), but Serious Eats did a piece on the best hot dogs in the US. In the Southern edition there are a a handful of places in Va and WV as well as the more local Ben's Chili Bowl and Ann's Dari Creme. http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/02/what-are-the-best-hot-dogs-in-the-deep-south.html

I dropped by with my groupon to grab lobster rolls with jchao and also to check out the new happy hour oyster special. We decided to sit downstairs because it was a bit noisy at the new bar upstairs. The oyster happy hour (5-7pm) special is pretty great. $1 a pop (well with the groupon, 50 cents a pop), and I got a dozen. I really like the casual atmosphere here.

$5 for $10 or $10 for $20 at Pitango Gelato

They say as much on their Twitter: http://twitter.com/GOBurger/status/42602699736363009. Bummer, always love burger competition.