ScotteeM

We tried Shamshiry for lunch today for the first time, on our way to Potomac Vegetable Farm in Vienna to pick up our (winter) CSA share. Based on much earlier reviews and the descriptions on the menu, we were expecting to enjoy a flavorful meal. What we had was quite the opposite. The beef kabob was dry and bland, with no sign of marinating or char. Chicken kabob was a bit better, moist with obvious char, but not much in the way of seasoning or marinating. The rice was a huge mountain of fluffy white basmati with a peak of saffron-colored basmati, and it was bland in the extreme. It hadn't even been cooked with any salt. The menu had described eating rice with an egg yolk melted butter stirred in. That sounded wonderful but we weren't served anything resembling that. I added sumac and salt, and then the juice from the pickles that we also ordered, but the rice was still bland. The pickles--Torshi Bademjan--didn't resemble the description on the menu, either. I think I found one piece of eggplant, the rest was tired vegetables in a brine that tasted mostly of jalapeno peppers. I've had much better kabobs and Persian food elsewhere, and I was glad we didn't go out of our way to eat there. It was extremely disappointing. And no one smiled or said goodbye when we left--not an overly friendly staff. I'm giving up on dining in Tysons Corner, even though it is on our way to the farm. We'll be looking elsewhere (Reston?) for a break in the drive in the future.

Harris Teeter stores carry Spiedie sauces, and I believe that Wegmans (which originated in upstate NY) also carries them. I was introduced to them about 20 years ago by the professional show dog handler I worked for. He grew up in Binghamton, and we would drive up there at least once a year for dog shows (and to visit his family). I haven't used the stuff in several years, but this is bringing back memories and I think I'll have to get some!

Both dishes looked good and sounded good from the descriptions, but I really wanted to try Victor's dish, and wonder if it is or will be on the menu at Del Campo. It was lovely and sounded delicious, with the runny egg over the rolled skirt steak, and the smoked Hollandaise sauce (which is on the menu, AFAIR). Bobby Flay is certainly a tough competitor, but he is beatable. The chef who competed against Victor in the first round, Eddie Tancredi, was pretty impressive, too. The ingredient was pizza dough, which was a tough one.

I, too, recommend Fiola Mare. The food and the service are spot-on, reminiscent of Maestro. The rooms are lovely, the noise level reasonable, and when it's not dark out, the view is lovely. There's a new executive chef with great credentials, but for a special occasion you might ask if Fabio will be there. The menu offers wonderful choices, and the kitchen should have no difficulty adapting to dietary restrictions--they've always done well by me to accommodate my celiac disease. A little further afield, but not so far as Inn at Little Washington, is Trummer's on Main, in Clifton. The drive is lovely, and the main dining room is, too. Service is excellent, and the food is, too. There are plenty of good choices for vegetarians as well as omnivores, and again, the kitchen is very accommodating of dietary restrictions. An alum of IALW, Chef Austin Faucett is putting some amazing food on tables at Trummer's. A further benefit is an amazing wine program, with many well-priced wines on the list. Please do come back and let us know where you end up and how it is!

I have not had another charge to my Paypal account from Foodshed for this year (would have been November 2014), but I had Paypal suspend the automatic payment last year when I submitted my dispute.

I sure wish someone had posted on this thread before I decided to try this place today. The staff were all friendly, service was good. They had a gluten-free menu AND a vegetarian menu (actually menu guides, to be used with the regular menu). Those are the positives. The chips and salsa were just OK. My husband tried them and then pushed them away. He ordered the carnitas "wrap", a flour tortilla wrapped around a mixture of carnitas, sour cream, and other "glop", as he described it, and fries, which he said were pretty mediocre. I tried the "steak" enchiladas, with "refried" beans, rice, green and red sauces, and a dollop each of guacamole and sour cream. The last was the best item on the plate. I ate about half of the enchiladas, but wasn't enjoying them, so I stopped. One bite each of the rice and beans told me they weren't fresh or worth eating. Nothing tasted as if it was made today, or even as if it was made on premises. The "refried" beans weren't--they were just beans with some seasoning from a can. The rice may have been left over from before New Years Eve. I don't know how to describe the filling of the enchiladas, but it wasn't good. I've never left so much food on a plate. The server asked if I wanted a box and I said, "No, thank you. None of this tastes fresh." I suspect the big draw is the bar--or bars, because there's also a large one out in the enclosed patio. I guess if one had enough tequila or beers . . . but probably not. All I can say is, we took one for the team today, and I hope I don't get sick!

I don't get to Passionfish nearly often enough (about once a year), but today was the day. We landed there for lunch on our way to pick out floor tiles for an impending bathroom remodel. It actually took the sting out of having my first choice of tile being discontinued. Service was spot-on, attentive, with the server being the one to bring up my gluten restriction and to tell me with certainty which dishes were safe for me to order (cudos for that). I had shrimp & grits, one of the best renditions I have had (I've had many, as it is usually a safe bet to be gluten-free on most menus). The grits were perfectly cooked and delicious. The six (!) shrimp were also perfectly cooked, and the braise of tasso ham and celery over it all lent a nice accent without overbearing spice. Husband had the blackened mahi-mahi sandwich with fries. His fish was also perfectly cooked, and the accompanying aioli again added the right accent. The generous portion of fries were crisp on the outside and moist inside--just right.

Having read this thread and the notes in the latest Washingtonian, we decided to approach this restaurant as a fun place, rather than a serious one. Yes, it's a "steak house," but it is pretty different and somewhat whimsical, compared to more traditional "steak houses." The bottom line is that we had fun with the food. We were seated at a lovely 2-top banquette facing the rest of the dining room, giving us space, relative quiet, and a great view of everyone else.We felt kind of sorry for the other diners who were almost bumping elbows with their neighbors as they ate. I loved the grilled oysters with chorizo and butter, although I take more than a few points off for there being shell fragments in the oysters. I accept no excuses for sloppy shucking, especially on cooked bivalves. My husband prefers his oysters raw and unadorned, so I had these mainly to myself. In spite of the shell fragments, I enjoyed the flavor of them. Then we shared the "Burnt Beet" salad with grilled feta. We both enjoy caramelized foods, so this worked well for us (though I understand not everyone feels the same--if you don't like "burnt" food, best not to order it). The fresh greens and vinaigrette were a nice foil for the main ingredients, and it was a refreshing salad. We each ordered a main dish. I had the hanger steak--a perfect medium-rare--with the Malbec reduction sauce. The steak was delicious, but I found myself wishing for a nice bearnaise sauce to compliment it. My husband had the grilled sweetbreads with the "smoked citrus" Hollandaise. I managed to get one bite and it was wonderful! I'm ordering that next time! The sides were good: grilled maitake mushrooms and grilled cauliflower (although Pizzeria Orso's is much better). I just wish the menu were clearer about whether a side is included with the grilled mains. We were confused by the wording, and wouldn't have ordered two sides, as one would have sufficed, and at $10 each they seemed a little puny. Service was prompt and attentive. Our waiter arrived within seconds of us being seated to give us our menus and take our drink orders. He brought up the subject of which dishes were gluten-free without me asking (It's engraved in my Open Table notes that I have celiac disease). I appreciated his checking with the kitchen about which dishes were safe for me to eat (not my first choice, the braised pork shank). My biggest complaint with the restaurant was the lighting. As happens in too many restaurants these days, the lights are so dim that it is difficult to see the food. We used my cell phone flashlight to read the menus and the wine list, but once the restaurant filled up I had to forego photographing my food because the bright flash would blind folks. No problem--we'll go back to Del Campo when the sun is up until at least 7:30--probably after Daylight Savings starts in the spring--but we will be back! So glad to have yet one more choice for safe gluten-free dining!

My husband and I had lunch here one day last week. I had two old favorites: the pork belly and the roasted cauliflower. Both were every bit as good as I remember when Will was in the kitchen. My husband strayed from his usual pizza order to get the meatball grinder, which is served in a sort of folded pizza crust. He loved it! I'm sorry Will is gone, and I look forward to trying wherever he lands in the future. But things aren't looking so bad at Pizzeria Orso for now.

Sakoontra has been very uneven the past few years. For a while they had Pho and other Vietnamese dishes on the menu. Sometimes the Thai food was very very good, and sometimes it was almost inedible. Sorry to see it go, but it seemed to be in trouble for a while.

I'm sure someone will challenge me on this, but I declare Chef Austin Fausett to be the best thing to happen to Fairfax County dining since Maestro closed its doors. Chef Fausett has brought his impressive resume, including the position of sous chef at The Inn At Little Washington, to Clifton, and has created a menu template that reflects food that is fresh and in season, and source locally as much as possible. He featured fresh Chanterelles from Fairfax County. Trummer's On Main has become one of our very favorite restaurants in the DC Metro area, and it's barely 20 minutes from home. Yes, the parking is funky, because the lots serve the entire downtown Clifton area--all 5 square blocks of it. If there are events in the town, the lots are liable to be full, and one might have to park and walk a block or even two. I think it's worth that effort. One of the best-kept secrets (and I wish it would stay that way, so please don't tell anyone) is the Sunday Night Dinner: Three courses for $38, and what they call their "Bucket List" of wines by the glass from already open bottles until they are gone. Whites are currently $5/glass, and reds are $7/glass. You may, of course, order off the wine list if you prefer, but that's a real deal on excellent wines. The waitstaff are extremely familiar with the wines they have, thanks to a training program that encourages them to take home any leftover open bottles at the end of service Sunday night (the restaurant is closed on Mondays). Sommolier Diana Roderique is usually available for recommendations, if needed. Our most recent Sunday dinner was a week ago, and it was marvelous, as usual. My husband started with the Nibble Farms rabbit ragu with morel duxelles tortellini. He couldn't say enough good things about it. I had the Honey ricotta-stuffed squash blossoms on arugula salad with cherry moustarda and pine nuts. Chef adapted the recipe to make it gluten-free for me by using only rice flour in the tempura batter (he usually mixes rice and wheat flours). My husband's main was the Cocoa & coffee encrusted short rib with two different types of onions cooked in two different ales or beers (I don't have the menu in front of me), and said he would happily order it again. My Berkshire porchetta was a perfectly seasoned and cooked slice of roulade of pork loin and belly, crispy on one side and unctuous from the belly fat (unsaturated), on a bed of pickled cabbage, black-eyed peas and peach butter. I've had porchetta elsewhere recently, but this is the best one of all. Although we're not usually dessert eaters, we do enjoy the desserts at Trummer's. My favorite to date is the Popcorn ice cream topped with caramel popcorn. Husband's dessert last Sunday was called the Grasshopper, with a green mint dome and chocolate crumbles (I don't know the details). The service here is attentive, and everyone involved in bringing food to our table always knows that I cannot have wheat gluten and double checks the plates put before me. For those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance: I have dined here frequently enough that the hostesses know me on sight, and I have never had a problem or a reaction to anything I've eaten here. The pastry chef even provides gluten-free bread (I note the need on my reservations), which varies from one visit to the next but is always tasty. I'd say it's the best house-made gluten-free bread I've had anywhere locally. I do have pictures, and when I figure out how to add them, I'll come back and edit this post.

We've not dined out on Christmas Eve before, but my husband saw the PF menu at Fiola Mare (Georgetown) and within minutes we had a reservation. They're serving a la carte until 6, and then have two levels of PF menus for the rest of the evening. It may or may not be right for your group of 8, but you'll surely get seven fishes, and then some! Bastille does a lovely job with Thanksgiving, so if they're open for Christmas Eve, I'm sure it will be great. It's outside the city, but only just over the river and through the woods.

I haven't been here in 2 years, mainly because of my own lukewarm reactions to previous lunches, and those of others. But today a morning appointment in Arlington ran an hour late and we had to make a 2:00 appointment around the corner from Bistro Vivant, so here is where we landed for lunch. We didn't even remember that it is Restaurant Week. Three courses for $20.14 is a steal! We both started with Fricassee of Fresh Calimari--roasted peppers, charred leek puree, preserved lemons. The calimari was delicious and tender, and the other elements on the plate complemented it nicely. We were both very pleasantly surprised at how delicious this was. Steamed Mussels--lobster nage, cara cara orange, Pernod, cherry tomatoes was a good-sized bowl of mussels, plump and juicy, with plenty of very tasty broth. I got one taste--my husband enjoyed this immensely, sopping up every drop of the broth with bread that he said was quite good. I had Hanger Steak Frites--Vivant Cafe Butter. Although the steak was just a little more medium than medium-rare, it was tasty, the butter on top a very nice addition. The frites were hot and crisp, perfectly seasoned with salt, garlic, and parsley. I could eat those every day! (Listed as $19 on the "regular" lunch menu, this was so far above the steak & frites I had in Del Ray in June for $18 that they're not in the same league at all.) Desserts were pretty good. I couldn't taste the Goat Cheesecake, but husband seemed to enjoy it. Madagascar Vanilla Creme Brulee was fine, but not the best I've had. Service was leisurely, but our server was diligent about making sure my food was gluten-free. We're already planning to try it again next week when we're in McLean for yet another appointment. We both felt very happy to have tried Bistro Vivant. It seems that perhaps things have improved in the kitchen of late.

Based on the comments above and the italics in the Dining Guide, I decided to try lunch here today. It looked good on paper, but unfortunately the highlight of my outing was my visit to The Happy Tart after lunch. I found the menu kind of pricey for lunch. I was pleased that items were marked on the menu as "gluten free" and that the menu said that some could be made GF by omitting bread or croissants. The service was friendly, although the server forgot to tell the runner not to bring me a basket of bread, so I regretfully sent it back. I settled on the "6 oz Teres Major Steak with Bernaise Sauce and Garlic Fries," listed at $17 on the menu. Although I ordered the steak medium rare, it was cooked to medium well, with no char on the outside. That made for a tough chew. The Bernaise sauce was bland, with no distinct flavor of tarragon or anything, really. The steak had not been seasoned before cooking, and the fries had lots of garlic and were crispy, but no salt. Although a lovely salt and pepper grinder was on the table, that didn't help much, applied after the fact. Then I got the check, which listed a charge of $17 for the steak and $1 for the garlic fries, for a total of $18. No, I didn't question it, just paid my bill and got out of there. Also, be warned: The menus on their website and Facebook page list the price for 6 oysters on the half-shell as $12, but they are actually $17 on the menu in the restaurant. I'm sure I'll be dinged by some for not sending my lunch back, but I was tired and hungry, and really didn't know if it would come out better a second time. It wasn't worth the special trip I made. Next time I'm in the area, I'll head for Bastille.

I'm sorry to hear that Caribou has been bought by Peets. Caribou was the only coffee chain that didn't burn its beans.

We haven't tried that yet, but every time one passes our table we vow to try it soon. It should be noted that the price fluctuates with the market price of the ingredients, and may be more than $55 at times. The menu changes daily and is updated on the website ever few days, so best to check before you go, and understand that it may be a bit more expensive on any given night. Personally, I'd rather the price fluctuate than be artificially inflated to cover the high end.

That's how we get there--it doesn't even seem like you're in Georgetown if you go that way. Usually quick, unless it's the night before the Nike Women's Half-Marathon, in which case it can take 15 minutes to get from the left turn onto K to the restaurant a few blocks away. It's still so much better than trying to navigate M Street.

I'm proud to say that tonight, on my third visit to Fiola Mare, I finally mastered the combination faucet/hand dryer in the ladies room, managing to wash and then dry my hands in the proper sequence. I think I should receive a diploma for that. Printed on a paper towel.

Old Bay can be sprinkled on popcorn, French fries or corn on the cob. You can use it to make seasoned peanuts or cashews (maybe other nuts as well). A quick search found Quick Zesty Green Beans and a Pasta Salad, Maryland Pumpkin Seeds, and Fried Pickles. The Old Bay website has a few interesting recipes as well, including a Bloody Mary recipe. Heinz suggests using cocktail sauce in hummus.

I don't know what that means, either. I've seen a broad range of attire, from dressy to jeans. I think your husband will be just fine. Considering that some of their walk-ins probably come from folks disembarking the tour boats or waiting for them to load, they do allow for fairly casual attire.

Last night was our second visit in as many weeks. (Full disclosure: We have been fans and supporters of Fabio Trabocchi for about 10 years, since the early days of Maestro, and he does look out for us when we dine in his restaurants.) The space is really lovely, with several different areas that have different designs, from the more formal upholstered banquettes in front of the open kitchen (separated from the dining room by a glass wall) to the wood tables and benches with tied-on cushions around the outer perimeter, which has sliding glass doors that can be opened in nice weather, and retractable shades on the glass ceiling. Decorations are thematic and tasteful. The views of the river are quite lovely, even before the trees have bloomed or leafed out. Service is attentive and pleasant, and not intrusive. Diners' dress ranged from somewhat fancy to nice jeans. The noise level (very important to me) was around 72 db when we sat in the banquette section, which was full at the time I checked. I won't argue about the pricing on the menu, and I expect it will fluctuate with the costs of the ingredients. Oysters seem pricey at 6 for $18, but I checked Clyde's and Old Ebbitt, and theirs are up to $16.95 for half a dozen. On our two visits we saw many orders of oysters going out from the raw bar, as well as a large number of Frutti di Mare platters (someday we'll order that). We have tried several of the crudo dishes, which seem to change every few days. All are pristinely fresh and nicely combined with bits of citrus and other vegetables. The crudo options are also more adventurous than I've seen around the area, including bay scallops on the half-shell, razor clams, and Chocolate clams. We've had the crab salad with roasted tomatoes twice: once with Peekytoe crab and once with Dungeness crab. We can't wait for the local Blue crab season! Brodetto is a lovely dish, with a broth that simmers for 3 days, and a broad variety of fish and shellfish, all individually cooked. Fish poached in olive oil with prosecco zabaglione and caviar seems to be a standard on the menu, but the fish and shellfish vary frequently. Under the Sea is another combination of seafood in a Parmesan dashi and a very smoky flavor. Chef has even taken pains to have good gluten-free pasta available, so I was able to enjoy the Red King prawns and sea urchins in a most delicious sauce. We're not big on desserts. We tried some on our first visit, and skipped them on the second in favor of eating more seafood. I see a bright future for Fiola Mare. Fabio seems very much in his element there. His attention to detail and freshness of his products will make many diners very happy. The location, right on the river by the tour boat docks, is great, not just from the standpoint of the views, but of the opportunity for folks stopping in for a drink and some oysters at one of the two bars. On both of our visits the place was filled, and when they open up the patio dining, they'll accommodate even more diners. It is already becoming challenging to get a reservation on a Saturday night, and reviews are still to come. Prominent visitors like Steven Tyler a couple of weeks ago, as well as Valerie Jarrett and Michele Obama last Tuesday are helping to bring attention to this wonderful place. I do have one complaint: The combination faucets and hand dryers in the restrooms are a real challenge. Thankfully, paper towels are provided as well. Don, please add a "gluten free" keyword to this restaurant. [Done] The staff are well-educated on the issues of gluten, the gluten-free pasta is a nice touch, and most of the dishes on the menu are inherently gluten-free. I've not had any problems or mis-steps so far.

I followed the recommendation of America's Test Kitchen as well, and I have a wonderful T-Fal nonstick skillet, which I love. I use it almost every day, although I have never put it in the dishwasher. It is well-designed, and has held up for a year, so far. The handle is easy for me to grasp, and oven-proof. ATK never found out the point at which the nonstick surface would start to fail--they gave up long before it showed any signs. It's not that expensive, either. I recommend it.

I think it's been its current location longer. It was there when I started working at the vet clinic that used to be next door to it in the fall of 1997.

Is there more than one location, or has it moved recently? A couple of weeks ago I had an errand to run in the Bradlick Shopping Center at Braddock & Backlick, and noticed Pho Hang Anh there, making a mental note that I wanted to go back and try it after the holidays.

I hope that their website will soon reflect this. I see a vegan menu, but no mention of gluten-free. Of course, the website itself is pretty bare-bones.