DaRiv18
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Dining Guide
Everything posted by DaRiv18
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Co-sign. I don't really know any of the community but I can definitely tell the difference when I get a quality shot. I head to Chinatown when I absolutely, positively need a good espresso. Sadly, my experience at Sidamo mirrors yours. Have you tried Sova yet? -
Had a very good mushroom omelette today at the Atlas Room, by far most closely resembling the french style than anything else I've tried in the area (admittedly, I haven't exactly made this a full-blown investigation). Soft and creamy and buttery, small curds, stuffed with mushrooms and gruyere. I see Michel has an omelette in Tyson's, I'll have to make it out there for brunch someday.
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Stopped by tonight and was very impressed. The food was tasty, don't have much to add to the above comments. Of course, I sat at the bar where Chris made some well-executed cocktails. They use Kold-Draft ice and he obviously takes his craft very seriously. Very happy this is in the neighborhood.
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Vitamix High-Speed Blenders - Are They Worth It?
DaRiv18 replied to clayrae's topic in Shopping and Cooking
After test-driving a disappointing slow-cooker recipe for a gumbo that yielded an awful texture, I used my Vitamix to recover from my failed experiment. A smooth puree with great flavor. Just wanted to point out that having a Vitamix can expand your options to avert disaster. -
I stopped in the NoMa location today, and would largely agree with Adam23. I do like them better than Starbucks. The beans they sell are from Orinoco Coffee in MD. I met one of the Sullivan brothers at the ANC meeting. I recall Tynan is maiden name of their mother or grandmother, which they chose since "Sullivan's" sounds more like an Irish bar than coffeehouse.
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To swing this back to less esoteric cocktails, I think it's pretty essential to know how to make a daiquiri. Just in case you end up at a friends house and inherit cocktail-making duty. All you need is rum, sugar, water, and a lime, all of which are readily available within a 5 minute walk of pretty much any urban setting. If you are at home, I'm all for Negronis. But outside the comfort of your own home, where you may be far from decent and/or reasonably-priced bitters/aperitifs, your best bet for a guerrilla cocktail strategy is the daiquiri.
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My comment was in the spirit of zoramargolis' comment, not trying to comment on kitchen technique. Posh's transition to Mad to Chicken was probably their honorable effort to get a needed cash flow going for the business. I'm a big fan of Central, but how do you explain a recent James Beard winner all of a sudden doing carryout bucket 'o chicken?
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Has anyone tried Tynan Coffee and Tea? I met the owners at an ANC alcohol licensing meeting, seem really nice. Haven't hit their NoMa or Columbia Heights locations yet.
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Bourbon Coffee has decent beans. However, my friend ordered a Horchata and was immensely disappointed. But I would go there before illy, which I understand uses vacuum-packed beans.
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One "cocktail" that I've heard of that I imagine is the worst out there is a last call ritual, according to my Austin friend. During a busy shift, the rubber spill mat that's in the bar rail collects all sorts of liquids. Before you throw the spill mat in the sink, you strain all the spilled beer, liquor, etc. into a glass. Serve room temp. I'm sure all the industry folks have seen worse, they've just haven't weighed in yet!
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Don't knock it until you try it! I'm talking about using a quality stout/porter with a craft gin, not craft spirits with a filler. The Zuidam actually enhanced alot of the notes that were going on in the porter, plus it gave it a 20 second finish. That said, folks are grossed out by the concept of gin and beer, plus "Dog's Nose" aint too sexy either.
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The Snakebite is a classic!! You'll probably hate the one beer cocktail that ulysses turned me onto: the Dog's Nose. A pint of stout with a shot of gin poured in. Zuidam gin has a nice vanilla vibe to it, and pairs really well with different stouts and porters I've tried. Gary Regan has a recipe where you heat it up and add additional spices, I like Justin's way better.
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porcupine, was it a Michelada? That seems to be an industry favorite around here, I too am not a huge fan. Inept barkeeping: one time I got a orange twist that still had part of the PLU sticker on it. I personally feel all fruit should be washed regardless (maybe not pineapples), so this one really disappointed me.
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Hope it does well, reminds me of Mad for Chicken.
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Today, on my first visit, had a three course price fixe lunch ($24) in the dining room. I don't know what all the fuss is about at this place. I begin with the French Onion soup. Way too much cheese served on top. Eating becomes some sort of ridiculous yo-yo maneuver: Bring spoon, a hot mess of onions and gooey cheese that refused to unclump, to mouth. Note that the soup never actually completely leaves the bowl, as a string of melted cheese stretches out to wherever my spoon is. A random woman across the room starts making fun of me. Resorting to just eating the broth, I find a hint of brandy perhaps, but not much depth of flavor. Meatier was the black-lung cough of the lady just two tables over, and to be fair that did overshadow much of my experience there. Next was the Wild Rockfish in a red-pepper leek sauce (usually $19). Nice 7 oz steak, the fish was actually cooked very nicely, with a perfect texture. The sauce however was underseasoned and tasted just like sauteed leeks, the red peppers didn't add much at all and the sauce not flavorful. 3 mussels, out of the shell, garnished the entree, but added little and were dried out. Lastly, I ordered the sorbet. The runner dropped off what he claimed was a creme brulee. It looked like vanilla ice cream over granola. I told him my actual order, he left the dessert at my table, and headed off to the kitchen. After about 2 minutes of staring at the dessert, I muttered "F it" and dug in. It was a nice apple crumble, and I told my server not to worry about bringing an extra dessert. There are so many great lunch deals in the city that I doubt I'll be back for this one. I wouldn't complain if someone took me here but based on this one show I dispute its Dining Guide rating.
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Thank you susan. I only glanced at the dinner menu, but I don't recall seeing that scallop dish. But you should break your vow!!
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Opting for a spontaneous pre-Valentine Day's dinner to avoid next week's crush, we had a lovely dinner at the bar. We were thankful that we had avoided a crazy crowd, but the pendulum swung waay too far the other way, as we were the only ones upstairs for much of the night. Not sure what is up with that. We did the bar menu. We both wanted soup, but decided to order and split the Filipino Spring Rolls to begin. It paired very well with my Cherry Sling, but the FSR proved to be our undoing as the three-course $30 bar menu is plenty of food on its own. The squash soup and seafood bisque, sensational. Me: tuna over sushi rice and hijiki; Her: faux ribeye. Both: killer. For dessert, I should have continued my asian angle with a banana or pineapple sorbet. Instead, anticipating that she would suffer the Winner's Curse by selecting the bread pudding, I ordered the flourless chocolate cake with the intent to share. It was dense yet not cloying, but I was yearning for something lighter, and she lacked the capacity to help me out. Oh well. We walked outside to the newly powder-sugared cars outside. Our bartender had mentioned the weather, and hoped that we lived nearby, but that sort of weather won't keep me from visiting the next time. Great food, relaxed setting, tremendous value.
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I'll have to stop by the Chatman's sometime. Do they really open the doors at 3pm though? Seems extremely late for a bakery.
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Chinatown Coffee at 5th and H? I think they have fancy croissants, I liked the almond ones.
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I don't have much to add, so will agree that the space is lovely and the food generally pleasing. The cocktails were very good, served in 4.5 oz coupes at $10. I had the B&B as well as a Neisson daiquiri. Hits were short ribs (our server was right, you really should order this with a side of white rice) and the squid in mung beans. The bok choy was so good that the final bites were absolutely awful, given how much ceramic I scraped off my plate in order to get the last remaining bits. The dishes that I didn't love (pho and savory pancake) may be due in part that I cannot divorce myself from my expectations that these dishes be served in a more traditional style. The pancake was more of a cakey cornbread type, which was delicious but not what I expected. The pho contained some wonderful steak, but we agreed the broth was a bit too salty. Plus, although it is served with a side of hoisen and sriracha, the other usual suspects (limes, bean sprouts, thai basil) were missing. I usually eat these two dishes as comfort foods, and I guess I don't care for the riffs. However, I would not hesitate to recommend both dishes to my friends who do not have a prior acquaintance with these two classics. I will order the wide noodles in shrimp/pork broth next time for sure.
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We have a collapsible seat with straps that can be attached around the back and the seat of a dining chair. It does not have the tray, but we are very happy with it (and more importantly, my daughter is too). A cinch to carry around.
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Anyone have an idea which kind of Guiness they serve here? I've heard oysters and Guiness are a classic combo, I guess "they" mean the Guiness Draught Stout?
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I don't disagree, but sounds like her friends won't notice. If not loud and near the CC are the priorities, and we're talking Poste/Zola price points, can't do much better than Corduroy.
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Truthfully, for what you want to do, you may end up at Carmine's. I haven't been, but my colleagues have enjoyed it. No clue how loud the place is, but it is geared for larger parties such as 7. Too bad A/V Ristorante is no more, would have been perfect.
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Huh, I just follow JP's way which is bring the water to a soft boil, add the eggs for about 8 minutes, drain, crack, and peel. That works for me. I thought I recalled JP's technique and rationale accurately. However, Harold McGee backs up much of what Banco and zoramargolis say, and says the pushpin approach has been debunked (for arresting discoloration, at least).
