genericeric

I'm sure restaurants are challenged in the current environment to offer steep discounts given the lack of volume to make up for reduced prices. That being said, one of Clyde's DC Restaurant Week 'deals' is a 6oz filet mignon (menu price $31.99), salad (menu price $9.99) and peach cobbler (menu price $8.99)... all for $55. Same set ups as the individual menu listing: 31.99+9.99+8.99=$50.97, so you're paying $4.03 MORE by ordering restaurant week. I'm not sure that's what RAMW had in mind... (ordering the double crab cake RW instead saves you $0.97)

I've not been a big fan of Pinot Noir, but had a request the other night for a family tasting that came with funding, so... 2016 Louis Jadot Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Thoreys: Was very glad I'd done some looking into this wine, and read that it took longer than expected to open up. After 2.5 hours in the decanter, it was a very solid wine. After 4 hours, it was absolutely delightful. Complex palate focused on syrupy dark cherries and plum. Was pleasantly surprised to see such a great wine come from such a prolific producer. $125 2016 Domaine Drouhin Dundee Hills: Admittedly this is Drouhin's base level wine, but from such a storied producer, coming from such an admired AVA, this was a perfectly 'fine' wine, though somewhat disappointing. Stewed red fruits, with difficulty picking out any nuance or complexity. $45 2015 Ladera Pillow Road Russian River Valley: We've visited Ladera's property on Howell Mountain a few times, where they're more well known for their Cabernet. But I've always left with bottles of this Pinot from the RRV. Silky smooth, very fine tannins, cherry and graphite. $50 2016 Domaine De La Cote, La Cote: From Santa Rita Hills, Raj Parr's vineyard has a lot of buzz since appearing on Somm 3. This wine was described as having flavors of crystalized boysenberry and roasted pork. As weird as that sounds, its a perfect description. Oddly saline, very complex, I would enjoy this wine with food, but grew tired of it quickly as a stand alone. $100

2013 Dagueneau Pur Sang Pouilly Fume. Complex, strong minerality with a noticeable orange citrus. This is a wine that needed to open up and warm up more than I expected. But when it did, it was fabulous. 2018 Titus Napa Sauvignon Blanc (actually about 95% SB, 5% viongier). Crisp, clean. I don't like the strong lychee found in many SBs, and this was restrained but still represented a new world style nicely. At $25, a nice wine for the price. 2017 Chateau Doisy Daene Grand Vin Blanc Sec. Interesting 100% SB from Barsac - but stopped at interesting. Not sure I'd rush to buy again, and at $35, I'd spend $10 more to get the Bevan unfined/unfiltered. 2013 Kogev Sauv Blanc(80)/Chardonnay(20). Didn't work for me on any level. Glad it was only $20.

Pot roast using chuck roast in the crock pot. Standard onions, carrots, potatoes. Poured in a mini bottle of vinho tinto that was the last of my wife's wine advent calendar along with some broth and herbs. I usually mix some of the liquid with more wine and seasoning to make a sauce at the end of cooking but something went awry last night, so the whole thing ate somewhat dry. The Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet is a decent, easy weeknight wine from Costco in the lower 20s, but last night had the Dry Creek and I think we've switched allegiances...

Last night we opened a bottle of Caymus, decanted for 90 minutes. It was a real lightweight, and nothing like I remember from previous vintages. Moved on to Frank Family which is definitely not a light weight, although Frank Family has never been my favorite. Between the corked 8 Years in the Desert on Friday night and the Caymus yesterday, it was a bad few days for wine that isn’t cheap.

Sautéed asparagus, bell pepper, corn cut off the cob, garlic. Took off the heat and added raw red onion, cucumber and grape tomatoes, then some frozen peas. Season, splash of olive oil and red wine vinegar, and added to pasta. Topped with parmigiana. By far our favorite meal of the week.

Broccoli, snap peas, bell peppers, onion, edamame, spinach and chicken stir fried with some store bought teriyaki sauce and sriracha over jasmine rice, topped with toasted sesame seed. After a few weeks of quarantine cooking, this mix of fresh vegetables was like a tall drink of water on a hot day (or in my case, a cold beer...) Anselmann Pfalz dry riesling, which was perfectly pleasant if unremarkable (18.99)

Chicken Kabobs on the grill with red pepper, onion, tomato after a brief italian marinade. Spring pasta salad with asparagus, peas, parmigiano, O/V. Caesar Salad. Josh Sonoma Chardonnay - not extraordinary but a solid Monday night chardonnay (the Black label upgrade is worth it...)

We tried the Austin Hope Cabernet from Paso Robles last night after hearing so many rave about it. Drank to me like a cabernet for people who don't like cabernet. Light, fruit forward, very little tannin. Followed this with the Josh Cellars cabernet, also from Paso Robles which was much beefier and more my style. It's also less than half the price of the Austin Hope.

Last night was Jalapeno Popper White Chicken Chili in the crock pot. Included are 5 diced jalapeno peppers but those are sauteed with onions and garlic before going in so the heat level is still tolerable even for my spice-averse wife. Topped with cumin crema, cilantro, tortilla strips. Drank an Illumination Sauvingon Blanc from Quintessa (mostly Sonoma fruit). I'm not a big SB guy, but Illumination and Bevan are my go-to's, though unfortunately both are a bit spendy.

Pulled pork in the crockpot on seeded buns, onion rings and a store bought avocado ranch salad mix that I dressed up some some fresh avocado and spicy roasted pumpkin seeds. Another bottle of the Stinson Rose of Tannat. Often when I think a first bottle is great, I re-buy and am disappointed in the second. No so here - this is a great spring/summer wine.

Vegetable Lasagna from Tuscarora Mill was fantastic. Didn't contain the re-heat instructions but a quick call cleared that up. They are set for pickup now, our 3rd time this week.

Turkey burgers with caramelized onion, avocado, LTM. Spinach salad with bacon, strawberries, red onion, poppy dressing. Onion rings. Rose of Tannat from Stinson Vineyards just north of Crozet. Fantastic - not too fruity. Minerality without being bitter on the finish. Side note - the owner of Stinson is married to the owner of Ankida. Both have their hits and misses, but their hits are really strong.

Used some of the leftover red sauce from lasagna the other night and made stuffed shells. Basically the same dish, different shapes. Sriracha ranch salad from Wegmans that was surprisingly spicy. Didn't really go with the shells, but I'm not used to planning meals a week in advance... With the shells we had an Ankida Ridge Pinot Noir. Ankida is a tiny vineyard in Amherst County at 1800 ft elevation. Their chardonnay and blanc de blanc didn't do much for me, but this is a fantastic pinot noir. Then the wife and I started playing Wineopoly with a bottle of Cooper's Hawk John Legend blend - which wasn't as good.

A few years ago, I googled 'world's best recipe' and found this one which happens to be for lasagna. To earn the title of 'World's Best', you have to bring it... This is classic food - not vegetable, no bechamel, nothing fancy, just straight up 'grandma style' lasagna, but it is daaaaaamn good. It does take some time - I usually make the sauce the day before and then assemble the day of. This is often a recipe I make for those with newborns, having surgery, in need of meals, etc. It is relatively inexpensive to make, travels well, and is better the next day. Served with a Wegman's caesar salad mix and a forgettable bottle of Total Wine Pinot Noir.

Last night was a Chicken Tortilla 'Dump' casserole. Dump it all in a bowl, mix it up, pour into casserole and bake. Should make good leftovers tomorrow evening as well.

I saw them push carts back into the entrance area and they weren't sanitized. @astridis right that, if you read the back of your surface sanitizing wipes, the instructions are to let it dry before its effective. As to Purell, I was under the impression that alcohol kills germs (hence that it be at least ~60%). I'm not an expert - common advice received these days is to wash hands if at all possible, use Purell if not.

Observations on how different store chains are handling the outbreak - understanding that this is likely highly regional. Wegmans - sanitizer at the door with a sign asking all customers to please use before entering, ample cart wipes. Substantial restrictions on quantities you can purchase, which for the most part I agree with, however I wasn't able to get enough for normal grocery shopping for three nights. Still limited stock available, even at 6:30am. Note - a woman in line to check out who appeared to be receiving chronic medical treatment (perhaps chemo) began to feel faint. The Wegman's staff could not have been more kind or helpful as they completed her shopping for her while making her comfortable and offering medical assistance. After that I heard no one else complaining about lines. Costco - Sanitizing carts at the door, but not until after you pushed it up. Signs out front listing what they had and what they were out of. Frequent signs displaying what 6 feet social distance should be. Traffic direction so that people didn't get too bunched up in line to pay. Completely out of paper goods but had a lot of water, 2 max. Whole foods - the grocery delivery and pickup appeared to be booming. Completely out of red meat, very limited produce available. They always have cart wipes, and employees were changing gloves between each customer. Giant - Our local giant has been almost fully stocked, lines manageable. Canned goods, paper towels, water, even some toilet paper. Yesterday morning at 6am the shelves were sparse, but they said the truck was late - saw it pulling in as I left. Wal-Mart - no sanitizer, no wipes for carts, no food. If they didn't sell a baby food that's hard to find, there's no reason to deal with it.

Crockpot Chicken Tinga on flour tortillas. With 2 small kids at home while working full time, I think the crock pot is going to get a workout for awhile. Strawberry Bud Light Seltzer (my secret shame... maybe not so secret anymore) with dinner. Much later opened a bottle of Campo Viejo Rioja Gran Reserva. It was on sale at Costco, and I regretted buying it. Side note - I would encourage more members to post in this forum, even if their dinners aren't so exciting. The restaurant threads are going to be a little quiet for awhile, and I could always use some inspiration...

Filet medallions with sliced potatoes and wilted greens. Got distracted by a ranting 4 year old and overcooked the steak. 2016 Chateau Du Retout bordeaux from Haut-Medoc. Not mind-blowing, but at $17 at the local Total Wine, I felt like this one was punching above its weight.

My point was more that we should all be ready for a disruption in our daily lives for a few days or weeks. I’m not sure how my kid would do without formula and I’m very sure how my wife would do without medicine, but you do you.

I work for an organization that deals with disaster response and recovery. A few months before coronavirus was a thing, someone asked the CEO at a staff meeting what their biggest fear was. I was expecting something about upcoming financial planning, expenses, board meetings, etc. The response was that Americans as a whole are woefully unprepared for a disaster or other disruption to our daily lives. Most people don't have enough prescription drugs, only have a few days worth of food, drive on an empty tank of gas, etc. We should all try to keep a week or two of food and water on hand. If possible, extra prescription drugs. Ask ourselves, what could I not live without for a week, and then stock up on that. There's a big difference between being a star on next season's doomsday prep show and being smart about protecting yourself and your family. I have small kids so we have formula, baby foods, kids medicines, diapers, etc. Paid out of pocket for 30 days of a medication that is required daily to sustain life (I realize not everyone can do that, its not cheap). Food that we would normally eat anyway, but kept in case its needed for a few months. Then we eat it and restock. Of course I also keep at least three cases of spare wine on hand at all times. Think of it as cellaring. 🙂

Monday: Grilled Salmon with light tomato sauce Wilted spinach Garlic baby potatoes Chevillon-Chezeaux Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits - BRIGHT red, vibrant nose, but zero follow through. Not my best purchase. Tuesday: Burgundy Beef Stew - I have yet to find a recipe that can match one that appeared in Cooking Light magazine around 1990, and I've sadly lost the recipe. This was fine, but didn't have as much flavor as I was hoping for Caesar Salad Parker House Rolls Started with Stone Tower's Blanc de Noirs. I don't love all of Stone Tower's wine, but this cremant de bourgogne is something we usually keep on hand and enjoy. With the stew, 2015 Chateau Treytins Pomerol, which turned out to be the highlight of the meal.

Having had Solace beers from other locations in the past, I was excited to try their taproom last weekend. Now when I roll into a brewery at 4:30 on a Saturday, I expect it to be busy and to wait in line for a beer. That being said, the line last weekend was back to the door, and we waiting 30+ minutes for a beer meant that our visit was one and done. I do wish I'd been able to try more of their beers because I agree with Dean, I think they have an excellent product. I believe this location has been open for several years now, and the amount of money they must lose in an average weekend because they either can't or haven't added additional tap capacity must be staggering. I'd gladly return on a weekday afternoon though. Solace isn't alone with this issue in Loudoun. Bear Chase has notoriously long lines during the weekends. Meanwhile, Vanish, which is fairly new, has added significant capacity to keep up with their growing crowds. I don't think their beer matches Solace on any level, but it matters less if you can't get the beer in your glass.

It's going to happen at some point. No restaurant can stay as good as EMP was 3-4 years ago, while still being as relevant and timely forever. That being said, Guidara and Humm showed an ability to adapt - starting out more simply, then going too far into the complex, and finding a happy middle ground where it really hit its stride. But then the expansions started - seasonal pop ups in different locations, a fast casual lunch place, and now an ambitious restaurant in London that seems to be the focus of Humm's attention these days. And of course, the split between the two partners themselves. Our first visit for dinner was fabulous. The second was good, but we left thinking it would be best to visit the bar for more casual and affordable experiences in the future - and we've enjoyed those since. But we thought, maybe before we get more than one generation away from Guidara's service and Humm's attention in the kitchen, we'd give it a last go. The service - we were discussing the dinner with friends beforehand and their focus was on the food, but I've always felt the real star of the show here was the service. Where else can I go and have someone ask me if there's anything I don't want, and then deliver a superb meal where everything is very good or better; where the staff has done their research on our previous visits and preferences? Happily all of our interactions with the staff were as pleasant, professional, and comfortable as ever. Without requesting it, we were taken on a "Field Trip" - a tour of the kitchen with a snack made for us, in front of us - it was a nice way of continuing to surprise repeat guests and make the experience unique. The food - I won't go course-by-course but the low point was a poached lobster with razor clam and potato over a lobster and sea urchin bisque. It wasn't bad, but the clams and sea urchin overpowered the lobster. The highs were a roasted mushroom with pine and black truffle, and caviar with savory souffle. The wine - I had never done the wine pairing here before, they offer two options - a classic for $175 and reserve for $335. We stuck to the classic and were not disappointed - it took decision making out of the equation and we were able to just sit back and enjoy, and even at that price point, I didn't feel fleeced given the quality of selection and reasonable pours. In total the meal was $1,051. An absurd price by any measure. But I will say that, so far, this restaurant is almost as good as it ever has been. (Two small nits - the first course is oysters served hot and cold with a smoked oyster broth. I burned my lip on the shell of the hot prep (which sounds like a 'duh' moment but am guessing I wasn't the only one) and since we had an earlier seating, everyone present was getting their oyster broth at more or less the same time. Without any other odors or many people to compete the smell permeating the restaurant was off-putting, but as the place filled up it dissipated)