DaRiv18

Has anyone tried Luxardo's marasca cherries? I've never seen them in a store,

I bought some at Dean and DeLuca before. They are in a very heavy syrup (almost a paste) and I rinse them off before I put it in a Manhattan. They are quite good, but different than if you brandied your own. Mostly because, these cherries have lost all of their "crisp" and it's like eating a reconstituted dried cherry. This is a terrible description and it may dissuade you, when I'm actually trying to tell you they are worth trying.

EDIT: As far as making your own, it is with great sadness that my least successful Jacque Pepin recipe was following his brandied cherries video. I should have known better than to use vodka (or everclear) and corn syrup.

The "Mixology" app (free) is amusing, if incomplete (Pimm's is nowhere to be found in the list of ingredients). I like the "random" setting that lets you set a few parameters and shake for a suggestion. For $.99 you can upgrade to the ad-free "Mixologist".

I would suggest Cocktails+at $2.99 and Tiki+ (which is really awesome, but apparently being updated).

I think you are taking it a little too far FunnyJohn. But knocking over a 7-11 is a violent crime, or at least under the threat of violence, and so O'Leary is also taking it too far.

Enjoyed ourselves for our only visit, a couple weeks ago. Really, the only thing to add to this thread is that all of their dumplings (and pork buns) are really well crafted. They use very thin wrappers, translucent enough to see the filling inside. I'm not a big fan of the dumplings with thick skins (Chinatown Express comes to mind). In the case of the pork bun, it's not a completely sealed offering, so again its much lighter with less dough than others.

Just as an aside, they don't seem to have as many dim sum dishes as others. I would be fine with that, the ones they provide are delicious. Could anyone confirm or challenge? We did arrive around 1:30, the floor was at 50% capacity, so maybe they weren't preparing the full variety at that point.

once again shows the woeful ignorance of NY Times writers about DC.

The writer of the article, Sarah Wildman, apparently lives in DC. Actually, I agree with her evaluations of DC geography more than of the restaurants.

Its menu has me literally almost on the floor laughing, although it sounds like a great strategy to have the freshest ingredients. I am the most reservation-adverse person you'll find, but I need to plan this one out one day.

Please call several days ahead for either take-out or eat-in reservations.

Please call ahead - Reservations are required for both eat-in and carry-out.

HOW TO PLACE YOUR ORDER!
It is best to place take-out orders by phone at least ONE day in advance. Please call between 10am and 1pm.
You may also fax orders, but be sure to follow up and get a verbal confirmation that it has been received.
Seating reservations should also be made at least one day in advance, but if you want to ensure a table it is
recommended to call a week in advance. Sorry no e-mail orders at this time.

This afternoon we had a sleeping baby in the car at 1pm and zero desire for fast food . . . I casually mentioned that there was a place in Rockville Town Square that did lobster rolls and crab cakes. Mr. BLB could hop out while I drove around the block. . . Not easy to eat while driving but there are a lot of red lights on 355 up there.

With conditions almost exactly mirroring bookluvingbabe's, I popped in for a to-go order on Sunday night. The lobster roll, a crabcake sandwich, and a Newcastle (while I waited) for $43. Wow, what a treat! I have never had a decent lobster roll before, and this crabcake had a nice kick to it, too. We did not get around to trying the pickle relish.

A special thanks to the Dining Guide on this one, I had never heard of it before and likely would have never thought to seek it out.

I had loaded up on multiple Living Social vouchers for Kushi, thinking that I could redeem several simultaneously on any given (pricey) visit. I was wrong, it's just one per. So, I swung by again today for a quick lunch, mindful of Rock's caveat that this may be the A team showing.

I got the chef's choice sushi (Sthitch is right, it is a reasonably priced dish). Again, my tamago was average with burns and holes.

I've always been told that professional sushi chefs hang their hats on their tamago skills. Here is a great video of making one , and in the last 40 seconds of the video you can see a smooth, flawless, trophy omelette.

Since this is my last post on sushi bar observations (you don't really believe that, do you?), I felt my kappa and kampyo rolls were well constructed (sometimes the rice is packed too firm), but I'm used to several shakes of sesame seeds in those maki. Sthitch finds their (veggie) makis to be "very creative"; I'd say "rebellious", based on the shiitake mushroom roll on the menu (I've heard several Japanese sushi chefs disavow that ingredient for their craft).

But hey -- again, lunch was delicious, as it had been the previous two times. I just don't buy that this is world-class. Rocks thinks that you should go now lest the A team pulls a Peter Chang, and maybe he's right. My call is that the excellent sourcing of the fish will probably remain constant, the chefs are solid but not irreplaceable, and if you're happy with the offerings now then you'll probably be happy with the offerings later. Your mileage will probably vary.

In general, I don't expect to leave RTS-DC's lunch with leftovers. You won't leave hungry for $16, but it doesn't seem to me to be an insane amount of food

After dinner tonight, I can say that the above does not apply outside the lunch service. With orders of the smoked fried chicken and the King size smoked prime rib, we left with leftovers aplenty.

The smoked fried chicken dinner is really ridiculous. . . The sides are also generous . . . [The +1] really liked the green beans (they were surprisingly more like haricot verts than the slow-cooked green beans I imagined Ray's would serve).

We had the same. The smoked fried chicken, particularly the thigh, is my favorite dish of 2010.

The sides are consistently described as generous on this thread. I guess so. Each side is a 3 or 4 ounce serving, which is by no means stingy, but not the opposite in my book. EDIT: I forgot, you'll get quite a bit of fries, actually, if that's your side.

Tonight, we also were served haricot verts; my wife had previously sampled them for lunch on their 2nd day after opening. But in three previous visits, we have been served something closer to slow-cooked large green beans.

These are minor observations meant to clarify and not criticize. What I do hope for is that the huge gap between the wine program here and the one at the Courthouse location is eventually closed.

But the folks who work here are just as good as a glass of wine at getting me "out of my box". The warmth of the servers here always wakes me up, and again we had a fun time here tonight.

Kushi is taking its sushi very seriously right now, having four sushi chefs, at least two of whom are otherworldly.

Tonight I sat at the sushi bar and had a nice dinner. Two of the sushi chefs had their initials embroidered on their jackets (the juniors did not), and they prepared my sashimi and sushi. I enjoyed a solidly delicious chef's choice of sashimi, followed by several nigiri orders.

The fish sourcing is what impresses me most at Kushi. Just like last time, everything was very fresh and delicious.

Outside the beauty of the sourced fish, execution did not strike me as otherworldly. The sashimi was picturesque. The nigiri was arranged nicely. But the tamago there tells the tale: a couple layers of the omelet had been burned dark brown, and there were several pockets of airs where the omelet hadn't been flipped properly.

I'll return to order and enjoy specific dishes from specific chefs. I won't expect having a transcendent experience (a bit disappointed it didn't happen tonight), though, and I'll expect to pay a premium for the sushi fix.

The Mixt Greens on 17th and K does not use a poster, but rather displays its lunch options on three 50"ish flatscreen monitors . . . struck me as a big waste of electrictity that contradicts its mission statement

On the cobb salad Mixt uses butter lettuce, an option not available at its competitors. However the problem is that they just pull the head of lettuce apart into large pieces, making it difficult to eat without a knife. . . . Overall, the ingredients were good, but the dressing on my salad, a vinaigrette, was terrible and bland, rendering a pretty good salad merely adequate.

Agree with this. I ordered the Maui with ahi tuna and the butter lettuce . . . the problem isn't just that they just pull the butter lettuce head apart in large pieces, but also that they did not bother to wash the lettuce afterwards (that batch, at least). Very gritty lettuce that I ended up spitting out. The dressing was also very bland, I was very disappointed.

I have ordered the basic Dagwood (mixt greens, roasted red peppers, roasted zucchini, roasted portabella mushrooms, caramelized onions, goat cheese, garlic croutons, lemon herb vinaigrette) several times, and have enjoyed that. But generally I'll hit Pret a Manager before this.

My top ones today include the murderer's row of Proof, PS7's, and the Passenger. Cafe Atlantico, the Tabard Inn. And, for the next couple Mondays, the Alliance Tavern.

A nod to the Gibson and to POV, both of which I've had terrible luck actually getting into a chair due to a refusal to make reservations.

I'd ask the folks at Chinatown Coffee, they seem to take their water very seriously. If you want to do some secret shopping, they offer it free on tap too, and refuse to sell any bottled water.

EDIT: Sorry, I somehow glossed over the fact that you're looking for carbonated water. FWIW, I'm very happy with my soda siphon gas cartridges.

but with H street the way it is, there is not much competition barring one or two places.

I don't vehemently disagree with this assessment, but think there are 3 or 4 places where I'd just as soon go to on H Street. I do disagree, sitting here today, that LT is the "best bet" to eat on H Street, per the Dining Guide. There are both safer comfort places to eat and more adventurous, niche spots.

Say hi to Tom Street, and have a Martinez. He's the Martinez king.

Strongly agree. Was knocked out of my socks when he made one for me at Bibiana, despite the facts that the ice there is not ideal and that they have an embarrassing dearth of sweet vermouths for an upscale Italian establishment.

Smoked fried chicken was very good, though the breast was ever so slightly dry, and the sauces on the side completely forgettable (and unnecessary).

Agree. I also didn't use the sauces for my dark meat order (although it definitely wasn't dry either).

The fam have lunched there several times now, and we do enjoy it. I'll probably get the smoked fried chicken every other time I go, it is really good.

I do feel it is a different place than the other locations. Maybe it is just a lunch thing, but I really don't think the portions are the same. For instance, I was really excited to try the Obama burger in a civilized, relaxed setting. For $8, you get the burger and two sides which is more than reasonable. However, the burger here is half or 2/3rds the size of those at Hellsburger. Sure, you get two sides here instead so there's plenty of food. But, I do think the bigger Hellsburger is juicer and cooks better, so it's not the same experience.

In general, I don't expect to leave RTS-DC's lunch with leftovers. You won't leave hungry for $16, but it doesn't seem to me to be an insane amount of food, which is a terrible idea anyways I suppose. When I've left RTS-VA, I felt they've given me an insane amount of food ($25 weekday special). EDIT: I've never left RTS-VA thinking having delicious leftovers was a terrible idea, but lack of food isn't an issue with me nowadays.

The battered fried shrimp appetizer is the way to go, 5 large ones for $8. Again, the organic smoked-fried chicken (2 drumsticks and thigh) is the way to go for $9! If Rocks thought Mad for Chicken could make a killing doing $20 carry-out orders, RTS could clean up doing the same thing . . . except they don't do it carry-out. Scratch my idea for the perfect picnic meal.

The service could use more practice with Micros and getting their routines down. However, they are super friendly and make us feel welcome everytime, which is the foundation you want to build upon.

Corpse Reviver #2 ala Trader Vic (sub Swedish Punch for Kina Lillet)

We took a coconut chess pie to a potluck yesterday. It was quite the hit. The crust was crispy, dark, and rich. The filling, a nice custard. We followed their directions and heated the pie for 10 minutes at 370 before serving. We will say that this was a very sweet pie, but for a party that was bigger than expected, the smaller slices worked out well (and I wasn't willing to spend $60 to bring two pies). I'll try a slice of an apple or something less sweet next time.

Best of the Best
Palena - while I wanted something fried to go with this, I had difficulty even convincing myself to put it down long enough to grab a drink of wine.
Central - Can come across as the stuffiest burger in town, but still delivers a nice amount of flavor.

Over-Rated, or Just not worth the Trip
5 Guys - This was a once good, but never great chain that for some reason is viewed as the east coasts version of In and Out, for the life of me I can't figure out why. I believe that Holly Moore's experience sums up mine fairly well

Have Not Tried
Good Stuff Eatery- Just opened, one day when the humidity is not akin to a tropical rain forest I may make the walk to give it a try.
Burger Joint- the "Boo-Ya" on the menu is a turn-off, but I can get over that, but it being in Bethesda makes a trip a little more difficult.
Hell Burger - for personal reasons I would rather find myself between Kirstie Alley and a Twinkie than pay a visit.

Over the past 8 days, I hit up the above establishments for some intense compare and contrast. Burgers are one of my least favorite foods -- at best, they're a decent meal, at worst, it's a messy sandwich that forces you to eat it faster than it's falling apart. But it was time for an opinion on the local fare, so I started at Palena.

Last Tuesday I was the second person at their bar, and started with a cocktail with orange juice (a Bronx? An Income Tax?). The burger arrived and I switched to a red. I've have never eaten at Palena before, but the burger entices me to try their full menu. A straightforward affair: bun, cheese, burger, garlic mayo. Garnish of pickled veggies. I would imagine that his entrees there are simple as well. The garlic mayo was assertive, and the kitchen didn't drown the sandwich in it. By far the most civilized sandwich that I tried, restrained in its toppings and really good.

I immediately hopped on the Red Line and headed to Central. Burger with side salad and various glasses. Having two burgers within an hour of each other probably isn't a great idea, so Palena may have a first-mover advantage in this review. In contrast to Palena's simplicity, Central's burger is decadent. Bun, cheese, mayo, potato crisp, tomato, caramelized onions . . . this sandwich is more of a triumph than it is a meal. Like Palena's burger, this burger offers insight into what the rest of the menu will be like. But for me, this sandwich is too busy (although it is structurally sound, and doesn't fall apart like many other loaded burgers). I'll stick to Central's awesome steak tartare instead.

Monday, after a long walk enjoying the gorgeous weather, we stopped by Good Stuff. This place is always packed, but once you're seated it's fine. I got the Blazin' Barn Burger, with pickled daikon and carrots, mint, cilantro, thai basil, lettuce and spicy mayo. These were some great toppings, and the burger tasted good, but seriously the wimpiest beef patty out there. Super thin and not that interesting. Also, clearly the messiest burger of those tested, and I wolfed it down before it could ruin my shirt.

Last night, Ray's Hell Burger. I order au poivre, Recommended, with cheese and lettuce. I got a burger that was medium well, but since I'm used to my wife not listening to me, I got over it quickly and thoroughly enjoyed my burger. The meat was really well seasoned and still juicy. I might have enjoyed my burger even more, if the place wasn't such a zoo. No one else seemed to mind, but it was my least favorite setting of those involved. But the burger itself is in the same elite class as Palena's, wish I could have a glass of wine there though.

Just three hours ago, The Burger Joint at Dupont Circle. The Box Set, with cheeseburger, red onion, lettuce, tomato, mayo. And an enormous amount of fries! A perfectly fine burger, just not as distinctive as the others.

I think I hit 5 Guys on Saturday. Give credit where it is due, it definitely smells good. But it's not worth mentioning anymore.

The only other burger that I've had (but not recently) is Bourbon Steak's, which is really smokey and delicious.

So all in all, I discovered I'm more in the "less is more" camp when it comes to burgers, who needs all those toppings? Also, I do like burgers from restaurants that do other dishes (I put Ray's in this category) besides sandwiches. Wish I could provide more insight into burgers after this walk of shame around town, but there it is.

Our family also there last night--small world! We sat at a table which was incredibly tight; our waiter has to work cramped quarters to make it to our table. We ordered the brussel sprouts with bacon in vinegarette, pigs-in-a-blanket, large tuna salad, and a pizza (chopped clams, bacon, spinach, garlic, parm). Baby started rubbing her eyes, so we ordered an apple/blueberry crisp to go. With a beer, it all came to a reasonable $55 including tax/tip.

We were happy with our meal but not wowed. But value-wise, definitely worth a trip. Service was friendly, and the entire place had a real neighborhood vibe to it. I did like the tuna salad, it was light and tasty, although the white beans were still a bit crunchy in the middle. The pizza was good, the dessert good, the pigs in a blanket good (liked the sausage, the puff pastry was not so puffy).

I am thrilled that this restaurant is in my neighborhood. I feel like I would lose credibility if I recommended someone to go out of their way to eat here, though, so far. Maybe we'll try the dishes you had. I did notice that they use the same ingredients in alot of different dishes--you almost have to make an effort not to order a meal with white beans in it. Nothing wrong with that, just struck me.

I chose to bike there, which would have been an excellent idea had my bike not been low on air in the tires. (Amazingly, I made it home intact, with leftovers!)

On our walk home, two guys were biking down H Street. Apparently it was something of a race, and one was a good city block in front of the other. The guy lagging behind was on a ten speed, and as he almost passed us, his thin tires crossed over on the streetcar tracks that they are laying down. His front tire got caught in the track, and he flipped over his bike and really banged himself up. Thankfully, he was okay, but be careful biking near those tracks.

So, I have heard for years that local honey is a great preventative measure for allergies. The bees collect and process local pollen in the honey which creates a homeopathic type treatment.

My allergies have beat me up today, and I've always heard that local honey may help. I try to avoid medications whenever I can, and I'd rather start with this (even though it may take awhile).

But . . . how local does local honey have to be, in order to address allergies? Whole Foods has raw honey from Baltimore, is that too far a source? I live in DC, what would be sources of honey most likely to address my allergies?

The Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale.

Huh, that's what I just had. Then I had a gin fizz (with Tanqueray. Except St. Germain instead of simple. And with GI 312 instead of soda. Not bad.)

This is an important restaurant for the neighborhood. We visited this past Sunday afternoon, and the pace was much different than what Waitman describes. The place was getting absolutely crushed, to the point that the waitress wrote a sign "No Take Out Orders" and taped it to the front door. She had to: she didn't seem to be getting tipped on those orders she was processing. Meanwhile, the kitchen was swamped with take-out orders, to the point that her tables were getting impatient waiting for their food (ourselves included).

Although this car is a cool space, it's so small that the bar counter is cluttered with kitchen gear such that 15-20% of their bar stools cannot be used for paying customers. Also, a POS system would go a long way here, our waitress spent too much time calculating separate checks for tables, doing the sort of quality math you'd expect from a handheld calculator under duress.

But, there's always a place in my heart for a place that does an all-day breakfast. I had the Pigs in the Blanket, while my wife did the Fat/Big Boy. Service was very friendly, and most of the customers were very grateful that they had another neighborhood spot. While the Argonaught has the more interesting breakfast menu, CCD is a pretty cool spot to get into a random conversation with a DC local.

The above review did come on a Saturday night (although we got there just as they opened, and the place never got more than 1/3rd occupied). Although I don't accept pre-sliced sushi, I acknowledge the volume crowds who want their meals in a decent time-frame. And, as a cocktail enthusiast, I have begrudgingly accepted the practice of pre-juicing the citrus at most bars in order to meet volume demand.

So, after last night at the Columbia Room and a bit hungry from all of the vermouths we had been exploring, I walked over to Kushi to give them a fair shake. After all, I don't normally go boozing on the weekends (unless I'm with my wife at Central for dinner), and generally target Monday thru Wednesday nights for my outings, sitting at the bar on these slower nights. Under those favorable conditions I've evaluated most of my dining and cocktail spots.

And that's the impetus for my return visit: I would be an out-and-out hypocrite if I judged these guys on different standards. A hypocrite whose words could not be trusted. A hypocrite whose name would conjure ridicule. Yes, I'd be a hypocrite whose mouth should be regarded lower than those unflossed. With that in mind, I sat at the sushi bar.

It was not that busy at 9:30 when I ordered: tuna ($6), flounder ($5), fluke fin($6), and yellowtail ($7). Eggplant ($3) and pork belly ($4.50, with sauce) from the grill, and opted for a Echigo stout ($9).

The food was much better this time around, to Kushi's credit. The rice had a better texture to it this time. The nigiri was cut generously, and everything was extremely fresh. I particularly liked the fluke fin, in my mind the hanger steak of sushi. Yet the execution was still uneven; fresh wasabi was applied to my flounder with a heavy finger, and I choked on the surprise assault.

The pork belly was also much better this time. They had grilled it enough where it was actually served hot, and it had carmelized nicely. I was not so impressed with the eggplant as much, as the skin had been grilled to the point that it tasted like resin. But the flesh was very nice, almost like a grilled banana.

At this point, I felt more confident about the ingredients being used, their skill, and the overall food safety awareness of the crew. (Hate to put it that way, but the ama ebi really was that awful last time). Time to take it to the next level, and to invite the sushi chef's artistry. I ordered the chirashi ($20), hoping for beauty. With this dish, sushi chefs have an unfair advantage over other chefs. There's just so many fresh, vibrant colors that they can play with, on one single plate. Soon, my order arrived.

And that's where the festive carnival music stopped. Chirashi translates to "scattered sushi", and that's how the presentation struck me. Sure, the fish was still very fresh. But the variety was skimpy (I counted about 7), whereas I've experienced upwards of 20 different flavors before.

Chirashi is one that begs the sushi chef to express his personal soul; instead, I felt that this chirashi was designed by the head chef, and that either 1) each sushi chef had no discretion to alter the presentation, or 2) my particular sushi chef really didn't care to riff on a classic. The cuts looked more like nigiri than for chirashi, the arrangment wasn't particularly interesting . . . keep in mind, it was delicious, just not visually inspiring. Perhaps it's not fair for me to call out the sushi chef like this, but those are my expectations when I do sushi, and Kushi is certainly priced similarly to the excellent sushi bars I know.

So: Kushi performed much better in my second visit. I do have a bias to great sushi, and I'm used to going to places where there is a head sushi chef (oftentimes the owner) that can really wow your socks off. This isn't that sort of place, and I didn't see a head sushi chef that night (that bar seems pretty egalitarian). It was suggested to me that Kushi is no more interesting than Asia 9. I don't think I would go that far. The bottom line, I'd follow Rock's ordering strategy above, and also catch them on a slower night for sushi bar stuff. Your mileage may vary.