crackers

There is another thread for this. I'm not getting into whether 15% is or is not still the standard. (Although I would tip based on the after-tax amount of $21.00.) I'm just suggesting that in this case, the staff probably deserves more. We're talking a table of over 20 people with extra effort made on its behalf, and goodies thrown in. It was just my opinion - everybody who attends will use their own conscience to determine what to do.[eta: Dean can correct me, but I believe Dino's charges 18% for private parties over 12 people. At least that's what the website says.]

That's less than a 15% tip. With a group that size, and the deal you are getting, the restaurant staff deserve much more.

The Washington Business Journal is reporting that Elias Hengst and Jared Rager, of Mendocino Grille and Sonoma plan to open Pata Negra - a "Spanish gastropub" and tapas bar this spring at 1612 14th Street NW, a block north of the Whole Foods. They also are planning to open Pacific in Bethesda Row next winter to serve American comfort food. Maybe they can tell us more about both places themselves.

I want to apologize to all my new "friends" who are now getting useless emails filling up their inboxes from dr.com telling them they are now my new friends. if you did not get an email telling you that I am your friend, you are still my friend, I am just sparing you all that useless email. really. this is all just so terribly embarrassing.

great topic! We're pretty good salvaging perfectly good food in our refrigerator too. Why, just yesterday I was down to the last of the Thanksgiving turkey, which keeps a really long time obviously (and thankfully) because it is so low moisture. The only bread I had to make a sandwich was one of those really thick end-pieces from my house-brand Safeway loaf of wheat bread. It was kind of stale, but not so stale that I couldn't nick off the few tiny circles of green mold and put the heel into the microwave to soften it up a little. first I wrapped it up in a paper towel that I re-used from when I had made bacon that morning and had fortunately forgotten to throw away. I would have rather opened up the dijon mustard that I got for a gift last year, but it looked like the spicy brown mustard was getting pretty crusty in the container in the refrigerator so I mixed it up with the rest of the Miracle Whip left over from when I made that jello mold for the spring picnic and it was just fine substitute for dijonnaise! I coudn't use the lettuce though, it was just too far gone, so I cut all the brown edges off the last of the avocado I had used last week to make guac, and it was a really good sandwich! And the best part was that I still had some beer left over from dinner the night before that still had a little oomph left in it. Delish. Waste not want not.

It emptied out my "buddy" list. And it took me so long to make buddies. I like the calendar function in the top toolbar. And what in the hell is the "gender rating" in the Member search function all about, Don?

You have until Friday, December 15 to suggest nominees online in the 2007 The James Beard Foundation Awards nominating process. You must first register by giving basic contact information and then submit your suggestions for nominees in up to 19 categories, ranging from Best New Restaurant to Rising Star Chef of the Year. Winners will be announced on May 7, 2007 in New York. Fabio Traboucchi won the 2006 award for Best Chef - MidAtlantic. Don't be shy. ***This is for proposed nominations only. Nominees and winners will actually be selected by past award winners, the Restaurant Awards Committee, and regional judges who are restaurant critics, food and wine editors, and "culinary educators."

I found this wonderful "list of lists" of food related holiday gifts. I particularly liked this wind-up Mario Battali that shakes a bottle of olive oil and flips a pan of pasta. And this washable dishtowel tie. What a fashion statement! And no need to worry about spots.

Especially drinks too! It was a good cocktail year.

What sent you overboard in 2006? These come to mind for me as being "most memorable" though there are many others. Roast pigs at the dr.com Fall picnic mkyte's bacon buns, and JoeH's shrimp and the lobster burger at Citronelle: (photo of the next-day leftovers, so the bun is not as robust as when it arrived on the table.) Pisco Sour shots at the PX. Four schpreads on bread at Rays the Classics, and the veal chop. Apricot ice cream at Blue Duck Tavern.

Why didn't Mrs. JPW just come over and find you herself?

mdt - are you voluteering?!?

Anyone been to Morgan's Seafood in Petworth - or is it Columbia Heights? - (3200 Georgia Ave. at Kenyon) since it reopened this summer? Family owned, home-cooked soul food and steamed crabs. It is open until midnight, Mon- Thurs., and 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. No website but they are "working on it." Apparently they had closed many years ago because cars were crashing through though the storefront at the busy intersection. The insurance company dropped coverage and when there was another crash during a police chase, with no insurance coverage, the restaurant closed. [so...if you go? watch your back!]

Separated at birth?

magnetic bottle opener

Welcome to the board Marty! Would you care to expand on your admonition? Cafe Deluxe doesn't get much attention on this board, but I find it to be a perfectly acceptable, even very good lunch spot, and they serve Sunday brunch starting at 10:30 am. I particularly like their roasted tomato soup and their roasted lamb and goat cheese on sourdough sandwich. BlakeG can probably expand more on what's good there too. I really enjoy 2Amys, but it can sometimes be crazy busy on Sundays.

Not sure. The specials had me at hello.

It's back.

Joining Ruth's Chris, and Lewnes, Morton's will be extending its high-end steakhouse empire to Annapolis next summer. It will be in the Park Place development - the monstrocity going up at the corner of Taylor and West St. Also going into the same development, a Starbucks (surprise!), and an Italian place called Carpaccio.

Cheap you say? A bacon-wrapped center of ribeye with bernaise at $6.95 is cheap? OK, if you say so. And that big pile of scraps - it was one pound of grilled steak bits for something like $6 (sorry, don't recall the actual price, I think I passed out temporarily - la petite mort). Thank you Michael for taking time from your busy kitchen duties to give my +1 a kitchen tour and for your solid career advice. [menu note: salads are now a separate charge - most are now $4 and considerably larger than before.] hmmm...sounds like the honeymoon is over...

Here is a link to the menu until the restaurant gets its website up and running. Thanks to Wayne Kaiser, who posted it on chowhound.com and also provided a good early report.

If someone is feeling like they really need to sit down, pregnant or not, elderly, sick, or just plain exhausted from working on their feet all day in a day care center, they should speak up about it. A restaurant can't be expected to know how someone is feeling unless they speak up.

Possibly kolache? These are very popular Christmas cookies in the Scranton and upstate NY area where so many Slovakians settled. They are sinfully delicious too, with dough of cream cheese and butter barely held together with flour, and a ground walnut filling.

I'm not clear if your complaint is about uneven enforcement of a policy, about the policy itself, or about not getting preferential treatment because you are a regular. I might get grief for this, but generally speaking, women who are six months pregnant are not incapacitated, and not perceived to be. Perhaps you should have told the staff who was enforcing the restaurant's policy, and the person at the bar who was saving a seat for a friend, that you have difficulty standing up, and that even sitting at the bar is uncomfortable for you. Kudos to Jonathan, who was nice enough to give up his seat at the bar for you anyway.

Shooting Star Blue Franc '05