RaisaB

Michael has made it big time, right behind Paris Hilton...check him out at TMZ.com! They even have pictures of his burgers! That and a long clip of our Michael!

Why don't you get on board with one of the Google ad programs? You get enough hits to make some money at it.

I had a great time yesterday! Everything was great as usual, but I am in love with XCanuck's terrine! Antonio Burrell thank you for working so hard! I have also a newfound appreciation for Martian Pig Slop from Hell! Thanks Mark!

Sounds like a family reunion! Just saw this...thanks to JG....will be there!

I haven't seen the Fojol Bros but they have something similar in Richmond. They are outside of Virginia Medical Center everyday for lunch. There is also a Thai truck and a myriad of others.

Definately Blue Point Grill in Duck. In Kitty Hawk is there once sister restaurant on Croton, it has a number for a name....

I am glad you found a "sponsor" this year as opposed to the distress sale you had for a friend years ago.

I was there yesterday also. There small plates at lunch were a bit smaller. They also don't warm their almonds anymore, which I found disappointing. On the upside their pizza was much better than I ever remembered. There toppings were plentiful and their crust was not burned....(for a change)

It's music to my ears! This is wonderful! This makes Mark Slater much more accessible to me (and others) as I can count on one hand and have fingers left over my visits to Citronelle's, but Rays, I head to every chance I get after arriving at DCA!

Is this place open on Sunday? They do not answer their phone!

Super H and my local Korean meat place don't seem to carry the hanging tenders anymore. Has anyone seen them at any otheer Korean market? Thanks!

Well, now at least I know what happened to the place. I went there a few months ago and must have waited at least 15 minutes to be acknowledged to no avail... I can't say I will be stepping in again.

If you go to this restaurant you need no other reason but the wine list. He has some small producers on there that I was astounded to see. If you go and he still has the Cirision 2004 from Rioja, order it! It is impossible to buy in Spain and he has it at a great value.

BUZ & NEDS certainly lives up to the hype around it. I have eaten there twice recently and have come out stuffed and amazed how good it is! I had the pork spare ribs this past Friday with the sweet potato fries and cucumber relish. The meat was tender and juicy. The sauce is tangy,sweet, spicy, I can't place my finger on it, but it is definately the best I have ever had! The sides held their own with the venergary cukes and onions and the fries crispy on the outside yet soft and fluffy inside. Buz coats them with a cinnamon/brown sugar dusitng. I saved my leftovers and ate them cold in the evening and they were still good. Today I had the babybacks, they were delicious, but I don't know how Buz has done it, but I prefer his spare ribs! One of my sides today was the cinnamon bourbon apples...they are light on the cinnamon with a hint of bourbon and butter. They were great! I have to issue a disclaimer, my son Robbie, works/worked at Buz and Neds. BTW, Robbie is recovering well from his gunshot wound, thank you for all your kind phone calls! It has been an incredibly trying week, one that I would not wish upon my worst enemy...but only good will come out of this evil. I feel blessed that so many of you took time out of your days to call me and offer your prayers and wishes for my son. Thank you!(Don, feel free to move this part to whatever section you find it belongs in.)

Can someone in the restaurant business advise me on what they pay for an organic, heritage breed chicken if available? PM or email me pleaas. These are the exact same as the Label Rouge chickens. (Except they are pastured instead of air conditioned houses! They are USDA.

I have come to the conclusion that chicken are swine not poultry. They eat anything and everything and don't stop. They eat and poop constantly! The chickies are almost 3 weeks old and currently are eating about 12lbs of feed per day. they no longer look like chicks but little chickens. Moving their pens daily is not the easiest as my husband reengineered EVERYTHING! My layers pen/coop is a mini Taj Mahal and probably weighs 800 lbs! What was he thinking? My first broiler pen is a little lighter but it still takes my 12 year old daughter and I to move it. I also just ordered some Heritage turkeys, Blue Slate, Red Bourbons, Nargansetts.... I may have one or two ready for Christmas....Did anyone know the females should wear turkey saddles in order to prevent injury during mating? Visit me at www.localharvest.org, I am listed as First Fruits Farm!

I have done my fair share of visiting Virginia Wineries and purchasing their wines to support the local industry. With the exception of Chris Pearmund's wines, I have always thought the wines left much to be desired. I think the times are a'changing. This past weekend we stumbled upon Barrel Oak Winery in Delaplane Virginia. It is right off I-66. I had seen the building going up, but did not realize that it was a winery. The building itself is spectacular. The owner (Brian) is a builder who designed and contracted this building himself. It is a "Green" building. The majority of materials were recycled, heating is geothermal, the doors of the building open wide to allow natural breezes to cool. The building is also built into a hillside. The upstairs is completely above ground but the bottom, which is the winery itself is surrounded by earth on three sides. They will have refrigeration, but there energy use will be minimal. This is a building that will lend itself nicely to corporate and private events. I have traveled all over the world visiting wineries and I cannot think of one that tops the beauty of this one. The true surprise was in the wines! We tasted only the reds and were very pleasantly surprised. Sharon (owner and wife of Brian) is the vintner and has only been learning the industry for the past few years. The wines they currently have are her freshman attempt. This lady is going places! I cannot find my list of reds with notes, but the first was called "Bauhaus" red. It is a table blend of different grapes. This wine actually has depth and body, hints of tobacco, supple tannins, and went down smoothly for a pleasant finish. They also bottled a Franc, Sauvignon, Norton,Petit Verdot, etcetera. As their vines are just getting underway, they sourced the grapes for the wines they are pouring now. They eventually hope to grow about 50% of their own grapes and source the rest. I e-mailed the owner to get a list (or hopefully find my own) and will add them later. Needless to say if this is Sharon's first attempt, she is headed for greatness and finally proving that great wines can come out of Virginia! This is a winery that is stressing quality as opposed to quantity. I cannot suggest strongly enough, if you visit ANY winery in Virginia, visit Barrel Oak! Go to their website and see what events they have coming up! Bring your dog, your kids, snack on their cheeses and charcuterie, (I don't know if you can bring your own food, but you can ask). Most importantly, drink their wines! I am so thrilled with what they have accomplished so early! I believe this winery showcases what Virginia wines can and should be! Congratulations Sharon and Brian! BARREL OAK WINERY

If you are in the area, there is a new winery in the area by the name of Barrel Oak Winery in Delaplane. They serve cheese and charcuterie plates, the scenery and the place is spectacular. This coming Friday the 18th they are open late celebrating "The Full Blood Moon". there website is www. barreloak.com Look for m posting under the wine forum, I am going there now.....

Sometimes, I love the way your mind works...we'll see what Michael thinks of the name.

That is still up in the air. Virginia has a wide range of laws concerning processing. I am trying to stay within their statutes even though I am exempt from many of them. I called another local chicken farm and asked them if I could help with processing some of their chickens. We will see how I feel after that! I figure my first chicken will be ready for processing on or around 9/24. If I do it myself I will do it in batches starting at the 9 week interval and continuing on to 12 weeks. The earlier chickens I estimate will have a dressed weight of 3-4 lbs depending on whether they are cockerels or pullets, adding about 1/2 lb per week thereafter.

The economy does suck....that being said, sign me up for two. It really is a great price folks....

For those of you that have sent me messages asking if I have fallen off the face of the earth....no not really but I may have lost my mind. I have started a new "project". We have a few acres in Broad Run VA that have been sitting empty for awhile. I had always thought of doing something agriculturally based out there, but after eating Label Rouge in NYC recently, I decided it would be poultry. Specifically, the same chickens they use for the Label Rouge program. I will be using Polyface Farms' portable penning method. They will be moved to fresh pasture everyday. I am feeding them organic feed purchased from Nicks' Organic Farm in Buckeyetown MD. The pasture they are on has not seen chemicals in over 40 years if ever. If I had the inclination I would start the process to be certified organic but it is expensive and from reading and word of mouth, all these government regulations amount to not much.... My first set of 100 chicks arrive this week. They will be brooded at my home for about two weeks, then they will be placed in pasture. I will try to document my progress and pictures if anyone is interested. Wish me luck?!!

Has no one else been here yet? Must I be the first? Don wanna meet the familia for a beer and crabs?

To be fair, he has removed the references to his dress code from the website. That is why I question whether the restaurant has "matured". Jake, have you been? Edited to add: Also, the chef when I visited was not the same one they have now, Woods? It has been almost two years...

Has anyone dined at this restaurant yet? I noticed it made Northern Virginia magazines Top 25. I tried dining there when it first opened, the place was empty, so Bob and I walked in. We were told only reservations were taken. We were susprised but agreed to eat at the "casual" sister next door, Okra's. The owner/manager came by and chatted with us and tried to explain his concept for fine dining. He gave us the website address for the restaurant. He seemed very arrogant without much knowledge. I mentioned a few restaurants in DC while speaking and he was clueless. Upon returning home and checking out the website, I was flabbergasted that he gave instructions on how to dress while dining at the "fine dining" restaurant. I imagine that is why we were denied dinner as we were not dressed accordingly, we had jeans and casual jackets. I am hoping that he has matured in the industry and someone has been there..... BTW, the meal at his "casual" place was a true "jambalaya" of opposing flavors. There was no harmony whatsover.