stickmoon

Amherst, Massachusetts is a college town, which in some sense limits the dining options. You got your burrito places, your falafal places, delis and pizza shops. But beyond the college students and their parents are a core group of locals who live here year round, are fairly affluent, and politically liberal. These are the typical customers at one of the nicer places in town, Tabella's. Tabella's has been open 4 years, in a restored, old brick building that also houses a coffee shop, an art gallery, and a small cinema. This restaurant takes local and sustainable food seriously. On the small, focused menu, they list the names of all their farms where their produce, dairy and meat come from. Most of their menu is small plates, but in recent years they have added some larger dishes. Last night I started with a small salad of mixed greens from two local farms ($6) that came judiciously dressed with a simple orange vinaigrette. The greens were extraordinarily fresh and had a pungent, earthy quality that I enjoyed. Then I had a hearty, elevated comfort food type of dish - a grilled, italian spiced sausage from Vermont Smoke and Cure. It was butterflied open and properly cooked, placed atop a mound of slightly lumpy mashed potatoes and aside a small side of greens ($11). I enjoyed it. It's not out-of-this-world amazing, but it is a solid, upscale restaurant choice in a town chock full of standard-issue college food. And they do a lot to support local farmers. They have a small wine list and five or six craft beers on tap, but I really like their red sangria, made last night with raspberry brandy, fresh lime, and strawberry. If you're ever in Amherst and looking for a libation and a bite to eat, particularly if you like to sit at the bar, this is the place I'd recommend.

Ditto. I like it more than Cooking Channel and Food Network. Watching Cooking Channel is something like watching the Food Network from 5-10 years ago, but they are still searching for an identity. I was psyched when I flipped it on and saw the original Iron Chef. But on the other hand, they show Ask Aida and Sandra Lee. On the third hand, they're replaying the old Galloping Gourmet and Julia Child episodes. So, quite a mishmash.

The thing I noticed about the first episode was how much more watchable it was than last season...I loved last season, but I despised the way Bravo presented it...the same annoying Real Housewives commercials over and over and over, and then as if that wasn't enough, their heads popping up out of the Bravo logo in the corner of the screen during the episodes. Last Wednesday all the commercials were normal...best buy, ge, etc, and a total absence of promos for other shows on the network. Plus, they moved it to 9pm instead of 10pm, which I like. Now, I just hope that this season will be about great cooking and does not devolve into a contest of which male chef has the biggest (ahem...) zucchini.

Chef John Shields wins Food and Wine's Best New Chef award for 2010. Road trip!!!!

I think Gaffney's is pretty close. I used to work near there...its fine, nothing special but fits the description of casual and not expensive. You might also try Shangri-la, which is an Indian/Nepalese place...lots of veggie options.

Thanks, everyone for the well wishes. Moving is really stressful, and your replies to my post feel good. Leleboo, looks like the Boston show is sold out...now seeing them in Montreal, that would be pretty sweet! Sure, Mrs. B, I know Bub's BBQ...they catered my friend's wedding. I will keep up a western MA thread, sort of like what Bettyjoan does for ATL...

Fellow Rockwellers, I’m moving away from DC in a few days, headed back to Amherst, MA where I lived for 7 years. I only lived here for 2 years, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. So much great food and drink, I’m sorry that it has to end so soon. I’ve written this narrative of my own personal “best of/favorite/memorable meals, bites, restaurants, people, and posts” that I want to post on the forum. Sure, it may be a bit self-indulgent, but I’ve really enjoyed it here, and I gained so much from this forum that it just seemed to make sense to share it with interested readers. With that said, this is in no particular order and as you’ll see, it is shaped by my own personal preferences, assumptions and limitations. I’ll start with my favorite bite of the previous two years. And actually it wasn’t a bite at all, more of a sip. I’m talking about the fabulous artichoke soup I had at Cityzen. My New Yorker aunt was in town for the Cherry Blossom Festival and we had such a memorable meal at the bar. Evilkim ordered the artichoke soup for her first course and I was able to snag two delicious spoonfuls. It was probably the best soup I’ve ever had. I just remember feeling like I tasted the essence of artichoke. It tasted more artichokey than artichokes. I’d love to know how Chef Ziebold made it…not because I could reproduce it – I surely could not – but because it was the work of a masterful chef at the top of his game. My favorite overall meal was at Proof. It was Halloween last year. I took the same aunt, who loves food as much as anyone on this board, to the restaurant for her birthday. We hit every course that night and ordered bottles of wine that are typically way out of my price range. I remember being so proud of what DC has to offer, she was so pleased with the food, setting, wine list…everything. One of the highlights was watching Mark Kuller walk around greeting diners dressed as Julia Child…no wait, actually, it was more of an impression of Dan Aykroyd’s impression of Julia Child. He stopped at our table and gave a hearty laugh and clanked glasses with my aunt. It was one of the most enjoyable meals of my life. Turning to beverages, Steve Warner of Eventide is my favorite bartender. This guy is a consummate professional. His seasonally-inspired drinks are creative and fresh, but I think he excels most at the classics. He showed me how good a manhattan can be and he makes the best sazerac I’ve ever had. Steve loves his work, and it shows every which way. Perhaps he is underrated because he doesn’t work in the District like some other excellent bartenders around town. My honorable mention goes to Gina Chersevani. When I first moved to the area she was at EatBar, a little local joint around the corner from my apartment. And there was this enthusiastic bartender with a love of spirits and a magnetic personality. I remember feeling like I had this little gem of a bar to myself. I was happy for her when she moved to PS 7, but darn, I missed her. That gnome’s water… what a perfect summer drink. I wouldn’t be surprised to see her with her own show about cocktails on Food Network. Full disclosure, I’m a sociologist. When I moved here I was finishing my PhD, something that requires a helluva lot of writing. I spent a lot of time in coffee shops (some may call it “camping out”…I call it working ). My favorite coffee shop, probably of all time, was and is Murky Coffee. I loved it because it was gritty, had great coffee, a lot of electrical outlets, good bagels and good music. Nick Cho may have problems with the financials, but he makes a terrific cup of coffee. For those who were never there, Murky had a kind of intellectual vibe that I really appreciated…an interesting mix of people. Sure, it was filthy and looked like it could implode at any moment, but damn, I felt like I fit right in. The first time I walked into Murky, they blasted The Arcade Fire’s album, Funeral, from start to finish…I sat down with the newspaper and knew this was the place for me. Northside Social is good, better in some ways, but it’s just not the same. Let me turn to this forum for a moment. My favorite writer on the site…that would be Waitman. Never met him, don’t know anything about him, but a number of his posts have made me smile (like this one) or even howl with laughter. One of the more entertaining threads on the site was about dress codes in restaurants…and after several days of back and forth, his inspired post just bowled me over. After all this time, I never met Don Rockwell. That’s ok. In a way, it’s fitting. He remains a mystery to me, which seems poetic and appropriate. Sure, I have sat at bars and imagined that Don is there at the same time, eating his way through the city. It even happened once at Guajillo, but I didn’t realize until I got home and it was too late. Don may be a ghost to me, but he is one hell of a writer...and by all accounts a great guy. Don – thank you very much for being our fearless leader. This board is a treasure, and you’re the reason it exists. There’s so much more I can say, favorite places I haven’t mentioned, some threads I really enjoyed, and fellow Rockwellers whom I’ve enjoyed getting to know through your posts. Although I am moving, I certainly plan to keep writing on the board but obviously not as much in the DC restaurants folder. What more can I say? DC – I’ll miss your food.

Thanks all! I think I'll throw them in the pan as the chicken cooks and then instead of tossing them when I make the gravy I'll pass them off to the cats and see if they go for it. Something tells me they will!

I'm roasting a chicken tonight, but don't know what to do with the little bag of "goodies" tucked inside the little guy. If I'm going to make a gravy with them, do I essentially simmer them in some water with veggies to make a quick stock, then throw them out and reduce? Can I feed them to my cats?

Got to the farmer's market today at about 8:45 to find Atwater's Bakery quickly packing up their things. I walked over to Quail Creek Farms, and they were doing the same. Turns out, at 8:01 this morning, the Arlington Public Health Division "busted" them both because their bread, muffins, scones, etc are not individually wrapped. Both seemed pretty upset. The woman from Atwater's said they planned to be back next week with pre-wrapped items, but who knows.

Thank you, that's helpful. For whites I generally like citrusy, acidic wines with some minerality...I often stick with sauv blanc, albarino or verdejo. I don't eat a lot of meat so I stay away from big cabs because they're too much for me...often too many tannins. For reds, I like a "sit on the couch and watch tv" kind of wine...I drink pinot noirs because they're often more mellow and have a lighter body. If I want something more bold I go with Malbec. Hmm...after typing this out, I see perhaps I'd have more luck exploring wines from Spain...but I feel like if I'm ever going to consider myself knowledgeable about wine I need to have an understanding of French wine...or at least know what I'm looking at when I'm considering a bottle.

When I am in a store selecting wine to buy I generally stick to US wines because the varietal is always obvious. So, I know I like Sauvignon Blanc's and hey, maybe I'll try this new one to see if I like it. But when I wander over to the French bottles I get confused rather quickly. I've tried looking closely and patiently at the labels, but most of the time I don't know which to pick unless there is a description provided by the store or the staff member. I know that Bourdeaux's are generally blends, and that Burgundy's are made from Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. But my question is whether there is anything I should be able to recognize on the labels that would help me figure out which French wines I might enjoy? Cause at this point, I usually just stare with nary an idea of what I'm staring at.

Rebel Heroes was parked outside the Clarendon Whole Foods today and I had the Tofu Banh Mi ($5). I've tried it three times and its consistently a very good sandwich. Never had a Banh Mi before and now I can see what all the hubbub is about...the contrast of flavors and textures is a bit of revelation. Wait times have varied from 5 minutes to 30 minutes (they were slammed one afternoon outside Courthouse). Definitely worth your five bucks if you're hungry and in the neighborhood.

There are a few pickled fiddleheads in the Burgundy snails appetizer at Lyon Hall.

+1

Seconded. I had it today as part of their market salad ($6). A smallish mound of fresh greens mixed with fennel and orange slices sat in the center of a rather large bowl. It was lightly dressed in a refreshing vinaigrette. Three slices of soft bread topped with a generous dollop of fresh ricotta sat around the greens. It was creamy, soft, and balanced the acidity from the salad. The cheese was a bit too heavy for the bread, which wilted as I took a bite, but wow, that ricotta is terrific. I wish they sold it by the pound to go.

EatBar has a new menu with expanded options and price points. The falafal fritters with tzatsiki and the "dirty risotto" fritters with jalapeño and scallion were really tasty bar snacks ($1.50 per fritter). The fava beans with foccacia ($5) were not nearly as good. The favas came simply dressed with lemon and oil but didn't have much flavor at all, and the 3 small foccacia cubes(to share between 2 of us) tasted stale and dry. The favas came in a little bowl that made transferring them to the foccacia awkward. For an entree I had the moules frites ($12), an ample portion and a classic rendition of white wine/butter/shallot broth tasted great. Evilkim had the spring pappardelle ($12) with asparagus, peas and ricotta. It was served warm, not hot, I think intentionally because it tasted good that way. I checked and their new menu is posted online (click). Even better, they have a new happy hour special. All their wines by the glass under 18 bucks (probably 40 wines) are half-priced from 5-7. Woot! Four glasses of albarino, four fritters, one fava and foccacia, one moules frites, and one bowl of pasta set us back about 50 bucks not including tax and tip. We were pleased.

Strawberries from Westmoreland Berry Farm, picked up at the Arlington farmer's market. These are a bit sweeter and softer than last week's.

After three nights in San Francisco we headed to Napa. Wineries Frog’s Leap – Enjoyable, informative, laid back tour and tasting for $15. Organic and sustainable before it was cool. We're Sauvignon Blanc fans and thought theirs was the best we tasted our whole trip. Robert Sinskey – Four wine tasting with food pairing for $25. Loved the wines, especially the POV and Marcian (both proprietary red blends). Not sure how common it is, but we got pours of two wines not on the tasting list. ZD – The only clunker of the batch. Nothing wrong with it, just nothing memorable either. Well, the absolutely enormous rosemary bush outside was memorable. Honig – Apparently by appointment only, but we walked right in and got a tasting with no problem. Very leisurely tasting. The wineguy who poured for us was from DC, and after commiserating about the Redskins he also shared some off-tasting menu wines with us. He was quite knowledgeable about wine. Provenance – Just up the road from Honig. We tried a vertical tasting of Cabernet Sauvignon that was pretty remarkable. First time we had ever done that, and learned first-hand about the amazing variation between wines from the same grapes and the same soil. First time we ever tasted wines that wholesale at $100 a bottle. We spent a day in Calistoga doing a wine tour by bike (through the Calistoga Bikeshop). They give you the bikes and a map and your tasting is paid for at six small, out of the way wineries. If you buy wine on the tour the bikeshop picks it up for you and has it ready when you get back. First stop was Vincent Arroyo. We got a nice, unexpected tour and tasted about eight wines. We were there for about an hour and a half, mostly sitting outside at a picnic table talking and tasting. Then we rode down to Bennett Road Winery for a quick tasting, and finished at Envy, another out of the way place with a very knowledgeable wineguy behind the counter. He gave us a taste of a few wines not typically on their tasting list. Food Oakville Grocery – I can imagine how insanely busy this place is on summer weekends, but midweek in April was a perfect time to stop in for a sandwich. Good options for a veggie. Bouchon – What a beautiful and charming space. Best frites ever. Sat at the bar with some locals who think of it as their “neighborhood bar.” Really fun. Bottega – Solid meal at the bar in a warm, inviting atmosphere. Burrata stuffed arancini were really tasty, as was my crispy pork shank served with warmed heirloom applesauce. Nice to see Michael Chiarello over the stove on a Tuesday night. Mustards Grill – Very nice last meal in Napa. The squab served at a perfect medium-rare with mushroom risotto was terrific. This was our first time visiting Napa and it was way more laid back and welcoming than we were expecting. Some of the wine pourers at tastings were more knowledgeable than others, but all were friendly and I was expecting at least a few snobs. Some really took their time to teach us and we came away much more informed about how wine is made.

Four days and three nights in San Francisco...what a lovely city with so many great places to eat. We arrived in SF in time for dinner. We chose 1550 Hyde St. Café because we were looking for a local place near our hotel with “California style” cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere. Basically, we were looking for the San Franciscan equivalent of The Liberty Tavern…and 1550 Hyde came pretty close. My appetizer was three grilled sardines that came with some bits of grapefruit, olives and greens strewn about. They tasted good but they looked a little grey on the plate. The entrée was much better. I had a big crispy risotto cake sitting atop a springtime broth chock full of ramps, fava leaves and mushrooms. The food, vibe, and affordably priced wine list were just what we were looking for after a long day of traveling. The next morning we walked to the Ferry Building and it was Saturday so the farmers market was going strong. It was really spectacular…I was wicked jealous of all the amazing produce, even in mid-April. Lots of food and samples were readily available. Then we took the ferry over to Sausalito to take in the sites (in the rain, unfortunately!). If you head over there, I’d strongly recommend lunch at Poggio. Nearly every other restaurant we passed seemed rather ordinary and geared towards families. Poggio’s more upscale menu stood out. I must have been low on Omega 3’s because I ordered sardines again! They came out house-cured and atop a schmear of fava puree and toasted ciabatta. The sardines were much better than the ones I had the previous night. They were delicate, creamy, and the fava puree was a nice foil for the oily fish. Kim had a morrocan spiced chickpea soup which she liked. That evening we went to the Mission for Mexican food and a few beers. We met a friend who recommended a pre-dinner drink at the Lone Palm…it’s something of a classy dive bar and was fine for a drink. Free cheese puffs on all the tables helped. Dinner at Velvet Cantina. I don’t remember what I had, but I remember it tasted good and all the dishes had much less cheese and grease and salt than the Mexican I’m used to. The salsa was warm and a lot like the one at Guajillo. Overall we enjoyed it. Then we went for beers at Latin American Club, which seemed like the place where all the cool kids hang out when they travel to the Mission. But all this was a prelude to one of the best meals we've ever had. A few months ago I read a glowing 3 star review of Frances in the SF Chronicle. Since then Frances has been named a national finalist for the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant and after dining there it is not hard to see why. It is a small, sparsely decorated space (we counted 34 chairs, not counting the small, cramped bar area). We began with a “market shot”, which they describe as “whatever we find at the market gets juiced, spiced, and spiked” $3 per 3 oz. shot. A really nice way to wake up our palates. For food, we started with two “bouchees” which were like pre-appetizers; bigger than an amuse but smaller than an appetizer. The first was the “panisse frites”, four chickpea fries, served with a few wedges of meyer lemon and a meyer lemon aioli. As soon as we bit into the crispy, rightoutofthefryer exterior that encased an impossibly creamy, flavorful interior, we knew we were in for a stellar meal. We also tried the “crispy pork trotters” which were like small crab cakes, except with shredded pig feet. They was served with a mustardy and herbaceous gribiche sauce and slivers of picked veg. They tasted great, but I thought that chef Cooper’s crispy pig tail at Vidalia was a similar and even better dish. Then we moved onto appetizers. The roasted artichoke soup with black trumpet mushrooms and garlic confit came out at a perfectly hot temperature but was a little too creamy for our liking. The artichoke flavor was a little too subtle. But the ricotta gnocchi appetizer was outstanding. Probably 8-10 little ricotta pillows sat in a fava bean, green garlic and morel mushroom ragout. It was so good I wanted to lick the bowl clean. For entrees I had the Sonoma duck breast that was seared and served atop a butter bean ragout with sautéed greens and a few discs of cotechino sausage. It was even better than it sounds. The flavors were perfect. I loved it. Kim had the crepe cannelloni stuffed with wild ramps and savoy spinach. Around them were maitake mushrooms which she described as “insane” and the best mushrooms she’s ever had. They really were that good. We couldn’t eat another bite, which clearly meant that we had to order dessert. We had a buttermilk panna cotta that was served in a small jar with early season strawberries on top and a few pieces of biscotti on the side. A really nice end to a superb meal. The service was inspired. From the moment we walked in to when our server walked us out and helped us find a cab, we felt like we were the most important people in the restaurant. It is obvious that the staff is proud and excited about what they are doing. The bill for such an incredible meal? $113 (pre-tip). What really kept the cost down was the wine…although they have a small wine list, they also serve a house white and red that are blends co-created by their beverage director. Pay for what you drink, $1 per ounce and served in a sleek carafe. Truly fantastic, I will not be surprised if Frances becomes a destination restaurant. We finished our trip to SF with breakfast at Tartine Bakery. Excellent pastries. Try the morning bun. Then we went to Napa.

I love that Northside Social sells loafs of the bread Liberty Tavern uses in their bread plates...and for only $3!

Northside Social is officially opening on Monday, but today and tomorrow they're doing a "soft opening" to train the staff. Egg sandwiches are indeed on the menu. The place looks great, particularly compared to Murky Coffee. Well worth the wait.

We were skeptical at first, but after checking it out first hand we love the new layout. Like Iceman said, the three rooms have distinct purposes but their look and feel overlap enough to give the place a cohesive vibe. Probably 20 tv's in the large, center room...if they get the NFL Sunday Ticket this could turn into the best sports bar around, at least in terms of the food, ambiance, and sight lines to the tv's. The original room is basically the same, except more tables, no couches, and it's a little brighter. They still do half-price burgers on Tuesday nights, except now the burgers come with the choice of fries, onion rings, grilled veggies or greens...at the same price as the old Spider Kelly's ($8, $4 on Tuesdays). All thirteen drafts were $2.75 for happy hour, which goes until 8pm. Mostly sports bar standards like Bud light and Blue Moon, but they also had Lagunitas IPA on tap. Some decent bottles as well. Last night our bill was 18 bucks for 3 happy hour beers and 2 black bean burgers, one with fries and one with onion rings. Score! Oh, and they have a Ms. Pacman arcade near the dartboards in the back.

Big changes at Spider Kelly's. Shuffleboard, anyone?

I had fun last night! It was great to meet you all and put faces to names. Thanks Dave, Steve and the whole bar staff for being so welcoming. The 19th doesn't work for me and Kim, unfortunately, but given last night's turnout, my guess is there will be even more DR Virginia happy hours in the works.