Choirgirl21

We were looking for a place for dinner last night after our first visit to Manor Hill Brewing Company and lucked out snagging 2 seats at the bar right as we arrived (tables were booked until 10:45). I wondered if it would still be as good as on previous visits and it was. We started with the deviled eggs with crispy chicken skins (excellent), the pimiento cheese spread, which had a lovely heat and was served with perfectly charred bread and especially tasty pickled vegetables, and the grilled octopus, a cold dish with 2 really tender pieces of octopus alongside white beans, pea shoots, ricotta, cucumber and another component or two I'm forgetting. My only nitpick was the octopus dish was underseasoned unless you got a decent amount of cheese, which didn't happen with each bite although my friend didn't agree. I chose a stone bass with fiddleheads, morels, potatoes, walnut-truffle emulsion and a sherry gastrique for my entree. Really delicious, the fish was cooked well with a nice crispy skin, the fiddleheads had a lovely nearly charred crisp and the emulsion brought a rich element to the dish. My friend had the burger and fries for his entree. Burger was cooked as ordered - very good burger, good bun, I again thought it was underseasoned, while my friend disagreed. The fries and garlic aioli are addictive. Dessert was a delicious bread pudding with a warm caramel sauce. They had said it contained chocolate and dates, which didn't excite me, so it was to my pleasant surprise when we got apple and pecan. The bread pudding was rich, but not overly so with a nice crispy top. I had 2 Austrian wines that paired very well with my dishes, the Hugel pinot grigio with our apps and the Hillinger pinot noir with the fish. Both are currently available as part of a "pinot" flight that includes a second pinot noir from Argentina. I opted for glasses of the 2 rather than the flight, but I did have the opportunity to taste the other pinot, which was also really good, just more full bodied and fruit forward. Service from the bartender was friendly and mostly efficient. It's clearly been too long since I've been here. It's a little pricey for me to make it a regular stop, but I'm going to make a point to get there more frequently.

I honestly thought maybe I had imagined this when I last checked the ingredient list, that perhaps they never had a very pure ingredient list and I had simply imagined it because of the price you pay. I've stayed away from it more recently though and it's nice to know I wasn't crazy.

It did indeed work out, at least at my former location. The menu included information on sourcing, carried local beers and wines, etc. Obviously there are limitations for a larger business trying to do a sort of farm to table thing, but I think they did it successfully within those limitations. Which is why I'm so disppointed my location closed.

I love the bison huevos rancheros. Unfortunately the Laurel location recently closed. I am pretty disappointed. Just as you described it was my reasonable option when I was coming home from teaching late and needed something reasonably healthy, responsible and tasty. If it's still on the menu I like the flat iron steak, and the chicken pot pie is pretty freaking delicious. Also the brussels sprouts appetizer with the dried fruit and nuts and spicy aioli.

It does, thank you.

TedE, consider trying Home Chef when you are interested in going with meal delivery again. I think the meals may be slightly less adventurous, but Home Chef addresses some of your cons. A lot more meal choices each week including gluten free options (meals are clearly labeled, including gluten free, paleo, low carb, etc.) and all of their packaging is recycleable, including the freezer packs. I haven't done Blue Apron, but both myself and another friend who have done Hello Fresh feel the packaging is better/less with Home Chef. I am paleo (well technically primal because I will eat small amounts of dairy) and haven't had difficulty finding meal choices. I also can't exercise much at the moment and there is a lot of overlap between the paleo and low carb options. The result has been that without making other changes I have actually lost weight. This is in the midst of grieving the loss of my father so though it's a stretch financially I decided to stick with it for a while to take some pressure off. Anyway, each seems to have its own pros and cons, though I don't hear as much praise for Plated and Hello Fresh, but I think for people with gluten or grain restrictions Home Chef is the clear winner.

Indeed it does, thanks. I will admit, the change was a shock at first, but having ironed a few things like this, as in all other things like sudden Facebook changes I am adjusting. FYI, I was having the same issue with uploading photos. I ended up uploading to Photobucket and including links, which allowed me to post the photos without issue, but could not post them as attachments despite them being within the size guidelines. I know you've already submitted a ticket for this Don.

My thoughts exactly!

Bear with me and my slightly long story to get to my question if you would. My dad unfortunately passed away suddenly a few months ago. I am still slowly unpacking some of his things that I brought back with me. Back in the 70's he took a trip to Germany courtesy of his employer at the time, BMW (by the way, I'd like to live in a time when it was more common for a company to reward your good service with a trip to a foreign country!) and there was a box where he saved a lot of his souvenirs from the trip, including 6 Rastal beer glasses, each designed specifically for use with a particular beer, with the brewery's logo on the glass. I was fully intending on using them until I unpacked the boxes. Each glass is individually packed in a box with a paper describing the history of the brewer, a numbered certificate of authenticity and a matching coaster. I did a little digging and Rastal has a very nice description of the history of these glasses, including one from my dad's collection, the Bitburger pilsner glass, which was apparently the first one made back in 1964: "Clothes Make People; The Glass Makes The Beer" on rastal.de My dad would have got these glasses sometime in the early to mid 70's. I'm torn now about using them. Obviously if I use the glasses over time the logos will fade and deteriorate, but then, why have them only to sit on a shelf? I tried to look around on ebay to see if the glasses have any value (not that I would sell them), but I don't see any this old, with the certificate of authenticity, having been listed or sold. Just curious if anyone knows more about the history of these glasses, or what your thoughts are on whether to use them or just display them? Here are a few photos of what I have:

Damn, I was coming back from Italy at this time 2 years ago so I have been craving Italian big time. Sadly I have a commitment this Friday. One day I will get to one of these!

Thank you, this helps at least! Any idea if the site will retain this preference or if we will have to click on it each time? I really hope the former.

We ended up at 28 South. They offer their lunch menu in addition to brunch on Sundays. Our server, who was fantastic (and took my mom's many special requests in stride, or really better) said much of the food is made in house, burgers are ground there, etc. We both had burgers, which were quite good. I also really enjoyed my well seasoned crispy fries. My mom raved about her salad dressing (maple fig I think?), multiple times, she really loved it. It was a simple meal so nothing more for me to report on, but I wouldn't hesitate to go back based on this meal. I was actually surprised, there were a few promising looking spots right in that area, in addition to the German place of course. And we saw a fantastic symphony performance at The Maryland Theater afterward.

Any recent meals people can report on? Headed there tomorrow to meet my mom for lunch. My mom is gluten free and has a lot of dietary restrictions in terms of seasonings, preservatives, etc. so simply prepared quality ingredients work best. Was looking at Rik's Cafe, but my mom wasn't thrilled or brunch at 28 South, which is a risk because there's no menu online. Input appreciated.

8407 Kitchen Bar still seems to be doing well based on my last dinner there. Service aside. I think cozying up at the bar for happy hour followed by some food would be a good option.

I am as well. There aren't that many great dining options available in MD and Barrel & Crow has quickly become a place I really enjoy. I was looking forward to enjoying the patio again as well as some of the special event menus you put together.

I don't remember though it was something I looked at when researching. You can recycle the materials that Home Chef uses to package their food. From their FAQ: We recommend that customers reuse or recycle both the box & gel packs. To recycle the gel packs, simply cut open once it has thawed, and dispose of its liquid contents in the normal waste stream. The pouch may be recycled along with other plastic recyclables. I have read the argument that the lack of waste makes up for the packaging and I will say that the lack of waste is one of the things that I really appreciate about these services as a single person.

There's another meal delivery service available now in our area, Home Chef. I came across an ad for an introductory price so I thought I'd give it a shot. My observations - Pricing is the same as Blue Apron, at least for the plan I compared (3 meals, 2 servings each for ~$60 - there is no additional shipping charge). However, Home Chef is (I think) different in that it simply charges you $9.95/serving/meal and you can decide how many you want each week so you are not committed to a specific box size each week. The one downside is that unless you order more than $40 worth of meals, you are charged an additional $10 for shipping. There are also occasionally entrees that are more expensive, but the prices are clearly stated. Home Chef also offer breakfast items, including fruit and smoothies. I have found the meals to be fairly basic, along the lines of Hello Fresh, but tasty. I've cooked through 2 boxes now (6 meals) and haven't had a meal I didn't like though I found the sriracha shrimp salad a little boring and didn't think there was enough dressing. Some have been quite good and have introduced me to some new ideas, including a chicken with baharat spices and cilantro oil and am asian pork chop dish that had the most delicious roasted brussels sprouts with kung pao sauce and chopped peanuts. Like some of the other services, the dishes seem to rely heavily on garlic and lemon juice/zest. I prefer the packaging of Home Chef, there seems to be less waste and the initial delivery came with a 3 ring binder to hold the recipe cards. In addition to the recipe itself, each card includes a little blurb that is sometimes entertaining or informative and there is always a recommended wine pairing. I find the recipe cards easy to follow and the estimate prep times seem accurate. Minimal dish use as well (usually one roasting pan and one saute pan) so not much to clean. The only ingredients you need to have on hand are evoo and salt & pepper. One of the things that appeals the most to me about Home Chef is the variety of meal options. It is rarely difficult for me to find 3 paleo-friendly meals, but they also have more "balanced" and vegetarian options. It's also SO easy to log on to the site and choose your meals for the week or change them up as the mood suits you. Skipping weeks and putting your account on hold are also simple. You do sign up for a default and if you don't log on to choose specific meals they will choose them for you. Delivery days in my area were restricted to middle to end of the week for me, but that's worked out okay since the timeline to cook meals (also included on the recipe card) is generally 5-6 days. I have been putting the proteins I am not going to cook immediately into a mixing bowl, tossing one of their ice packs on top and putting it in the back of my fridge and that has worked well. If anyone has any questions, let me know. I hope this is helpful for some folks. I won't continue with this indefinitely - for me it always comes down to this being a bit of an indulgence because of cost and I think I would get bored over time, but it is really nice to not have to think about meal planning or spend time grocery shopping and I'm generally not overwhelmed at the thought of cooking at the end of a long day because I know the steps are easy to follow and relatively quick. Unless one of the other companies comes up with more paleo friendly meal options, I'll stick with Home Chef when life gets overwhelming and I just need to take advantage of a service like this. In fact, I have a cabin trip coming up in a couple of weeks and I'm specifically ordering a box to be delivered the night before I leave because it will be so simple to just throw the bags of ingredients and proteins and a bottle of olive oil into my cooler and be done with it. Other than a few things for breakfast I won't have to think about it, or worry about packing up leftovers to bring home or taking up too much space in a cooler. Sweet!

So this is not specifically food related so mods please feel free to move the thread as needed where I will never find it again but I noticed in a separate thread 2 mentions of record stores that also serve good food. I have been in search of someone really knowledgeable to ask a few questions about an old record player that's come into my possession. I tried a few places in Baltimore to no avail and the thread gave me the thought that perhaps DC is worth investigating, with the possible perk of a good bite to eat. Does anyone know of a place where you can not only pick up some good records, but get good information on care or rehab of an old player?

DGS was a good choice, thanks again for the suggestion. I'd have some little nitpicks if I were writing a full review, but all in all food and drinks were good and the price and location were right. And you can't beat the $7 Manhattan (says the woman who never ventures out in time for happy hour - the perk of meeting a pregnant friend ).

No one is driving, but thanks for thinking to mention that

Thanks, we're going to try DGS. I loved the Dino's suggestions but it would have required a cab ride for my friend and the menu at DGS appealed to her. Turns out the other friend's hubby will stay home on baby duty so that's no longer a concern. Thanks for the suggestions.

I'm meeting a friend for dinner Monday evening. Said friend is pregnant and still dealing with occasional nausea. She said she is up for a nice dinner out, but the menu at Convivial didn't appeal to her. Any suggestions for something still worthwhile, but that might have simpler options available for her? Another friend is supposed to be joining us and there is a possibility that her husband and 1 yo-ish baby may also come so that could further complicate things. Husband is not an adventurous eater. I'm on a really tight budget right now, so I don't want to break the bank, especially if it's on something generic. Friend is staying at the Fairfax at Embassy Row in Dupont, other friend would be coming directly from work at the Museum of African Art, but I am coming from MD (green lining from the Greenbelt metro or driving from Laurel), so I would say it just has to be metro accessible in a somewhat central area. Good luck! Seriously, I appreciate any help.

I have a bottle of Redemption high-rye bourbon that's running low. This is my most recent favorite for bourbon heavy cocktails (things like a Manhattan) where you want the good stuff, but when I don't want to bring out the really good stuff. At $25ish a bottle I think it's a steal. Anyway, I went looking to see where I might find a replacement and their website doesn't seem to be working. According to Total Wine's website my store carries their rye whiskey so I will ask them about whether the high-rye is still available and if so, if they can order it, but does anyone know anything about the company? I wonder if they went out of business and Total Wine just has some left in stock? I hope not.

Looks fantastic. Very happy to see charred octopus on the menu (something Ferhat does better than anyone else imo) and the boozy root beer float.

Me too. There are very few places in DC I visit repeatedly because of my limited time and budget, but Fishnook was one I went back to pretty immediately. Looking forward to seeing what Drift has to offer. Ferhat I hope for the best for you with Drift. You deserve it.