cjsadler

When I think growler, I think more of the refillable kind. I checked out the Whole Foods Bowery beer room last time I was in NYC. It would be pretty sweet to have something like this in DC. I wonder if there are any laws against filling growlers in DC proper, though? Also, in Philly there's a new place I stopped in at called Hawthorne's that fills growlers. Their specialty is hard to find beers. We're talking growler fills of Lost Abbey, Russian River, Ballast Point, etc... pretty unbelievable selections.

Love those two wines-- total steals.

I've seen the Simi Landslide '05 for $25 at Montgomery County Liquor Stores.

It is a bit more work, but I gotta say that this method does produce a better thick steak, virtually eliminating the 'gray band' problem. I'm sold on it. Give it a try.

So the latest Cook's Illustrated applies their low-oven-then-sear method discussed earlier in this thread to chicken breasts. Cook the chicken in a 275 oven until the temp reaches 145-150. Then use a version of the Chinese 'velveting' method by battering with cornstarch and butter. Then sear. Sounds like if this doesn't keep boneless chicken breasts from being dry, nothing will.

I just got an email from Food Matters saying that they are taking orders for them. $35

I used to work nearby and I think I ate at nearly every place in the market. There really isn't much else of note in terms of savory stuff. My staples were the sandwiches from Barron's, the buffet at Mem Sahib, and Bulgogi Corner.

No, you're right, it's about a 40% increase, as I seem to remember getting it for about $16 a six-pack last year. Is this the hop shortage kicking in? Or just the increased hype about this beer? I did pick up one six-pack, and I do think this year's HopSlam is the best yet, but at $11.99 a six-pack (which is what I found it for at Whole Foods on P Street tonight), I think the also just released Troegs' Nugget Nectar is a much better buy.

Allagash Odyssey (one of their barrel aged beers) is on tap at the Reef. Really good stuff.

Some Safeways have it. Rodman's too (I haven't looked for it there recently, though).

I'm in.

A bit of a letdown. Interesting, but not worth the price/hype/hunt.

I heard Brooklyn Black Ops is available at the Whole Foods on P Street. I also heard that it is $30 this year. It's an incredible beer, but $30?!

It does.

There is a specific tool for this called a "chocolate chipper", but I don't know if it's really much better than a knife.

For another change try Michel Richard's version, which uses a miso based stock.

I used one of those Groupon things ($25 for $50) at Cashion's last night and they took it with a smile and zero attitude of any sort. Cashion's is right in my neighborhood and I figured that buying a couple of these discounts would spur me to visit more often than I usually do (and maybe bring some friends along with me who might then become new regular customers). The deal for Cashion's has shown up one or two more times since I bought them, so I take that to mean that Cashion's doesn't hate these things. I did feel very sheepish about using it, though (made worse by the fact that these Groupon/LivingSocial type things are just a printout and don't look very legit). I too can't help wondering what the restaurant thinks when someone whips one of these out. When it came time, I was almost too embarrassed to give it to the server. It's very hard to get over this uncomfortable feeling, but I wonder if that is only due to my wrong assumptions about what the restaurant and servers think.(I tipped on the full amount)

Life & Limb bottles at De Vinos in Adams Morgan as of last week. One per customer. Not cheap at $13. Ask at the counter, as they are not on display. This stuff has been impossible to find.

Peter Berley's books have a lot of good ideas in them. I think this one would be good for your mom.

It really is amazing that this place exists where it does, on the otherwise abandoned main street of Chilhowie. By the time I arrived, it was dark. I think every single storefront was boarded up... felt like I was in a Twilight Zone episode or something. You gotta wonder what locals (there seemed to be a few of them there that night) think of a dish like "The Orange from Valencia", which was an orange ice cream shell filled with mussels and olive jelly. Starting with that as a first course, my dinner was a pretty wild ride. The "Orange" was better than it sounds, but it wasn't something I'd want to eat again. The execution of this dish, and everything that followed, was perfect. I'm not sure how they're able to manage that with such complex platings. These are some highly talented chefs, but I couldn't help wondering what the meal would have been like if they weren't trying so hard to constantly push the envelope. The emphasis here is obviously on appearance and (sometimes jarring) novelty. I found things to be hit or miss. A dish like the Vegetable Minestrone was certainly beautiful to look at, but only amounted to some plain vegetable shavings with a bit of vegetable broth. Head Cheese Tacos, however, which were my favorite bite of the evening, need to become a new bar snack trend. Sommelier Charlie Berg's pairings were a real highlight. Often left-field picks, as you might expect, but ones that went very well with the food. The prices aren't listed on the website, but the pairings are available at two levels: $40/$55 for the 4-course and $60/$75 for the 9-course. Not sure what I would have been served otherwise, but the upgraded pairing seemed to be money well spent. Two of the courses included multiple pairings (a spatlese riesling/sake pairing with a hamachi and pig tail dish, and a gewurtztraminer/Westmalle dubbel duo with a short rib dish). Go now, as I'm not sure how long they can keep this up. On the Saturday night I was there, the dining room remained half-empty the entire night. It was a fun evening and I'm already looking for an excuse to go back.

The beer selection has been great recently-- among the best in the city. Taps a few nights ago included Avery Dugana, Bell's Double Cream Stout, Founders Cerese, and Founders Breakfast Stout. I love having this place a few blocks from me.

Shrimp Toast I like this simple recipe, non-traditional though it may be. I found the tom yum paste at Lotte. I didn't deep-fry it, though-- just sauteed/pan-fried it and it came out fine. Teaism's Miso-Glazed Sweet Potatoes Also quick and good.

Damn. The banh mi I had there the other week was one of the best things I've eaten recently.

Looks like Life & Limb will be on at the Reef Dec 2nd.

I had some of the Limb & Life (the "small" beer) when it was on tap at Churchkey. Hoppy and very drinkable. Heard it did not last long. I think this one is a draft only beer. It mentions here that Life & Limb would begin showing up in DC this week, but I haven't seen it yet.