Toogs

If you're looking for some very funny reading, you should probably check out James Hamilton-Paterson's "Gerald Samper" novels, of which "Cooking with Fernet Branca" was the first, followed by "Amazing Disgrace" and "Rancid Pansies". Among the few comic novels that have had me laughing out loud. I hope he writes another.

Absolutely fantastic.

Someone introduced me to Fernet and Makers a couple weekends ago.  Great stuff.  fernet is evidently to this generation of restaurant workers what Grand Marnier was to mine.  A restaurant owner once told me he can't stock the stuff because they will sell like 2 and a whole case will be gone.

So this is confusing--no place of this name exists in Beltsville, but there is a newish place called Seoulia and Gom Tang E is mentioned in some of the yelp reviews as if they are the same place.

Someone tell me exactly what to order, I am not familiar with this dish.

I have been working on a pretty scathing review of this place, but I don't think I am ever going to post it.  I will just provide cliff notes.  For the first time in my life, I nearly got up and left before the meal.  I've never even considered doing that before.

The service was the worst service I have had at a restaurant of this price level, ever.

The mediocre food was not enough to overcome the service.  Nothing was awful other than some completely burnt vegetables (I know that's their thing, but the recipient's comment was "I think this tastes like what the stuff you scrape off of your grill after a cookout must taste like") but nothing wowed either.

The bread and some of the cocktails were great.  If I were dragged back there, I would eat the bread and drink my drink and then feign an emergency or illness and leave.

Extremely slow, intermittently.  I thought for a minute clearing cache and deleting cookies had helped but that was just coincidence.

Highly recommend a synopsis post.  That post gets a tl;dr.  Good to know the rules are changing; moco is horrible.  Although their sale liquor prices are awesome.

Massive amounts of old bay on potato salad.  Old bay can really go on almost anything.  Good luck with the cocktail sauce.

I thought it was pretty common knowledge he is a jerk and hated on tour, but puts on a nice face for the camera.  Regardless the (presumed fake) injury timeouts over the years DQ him from being a class act.

Steroids? Maybe.

A class act? Absolutely.

Rafael Nadal.

"It's very unlucky, very unusual," Nadal said. "Sorry for Kei, sorry for Tomas, and sorry for the tournament, especially sorry for the fans."

I am wondering if this is the first time on the entire internet that Nadal has been called a class act.

I have been a bad DR poster and not mentioned this place.  I have been twice and had the calamari with salsa verde (which is certainly misnamed as it is chimichurri).  It was extremely good both times, so I wonder if they had a bad night.

I had similar problems getting garnish with my charc plate.  The server told me it came with cornichons and mustard but it came out empty.  She went back and got them though.

Anyway the food at this place is great but it sounds like the service issues are still present.

Who are three people who have never been in my kitchen?

A little late with this, but True Detective is top notch TV.  The finale is Sunday night, but you might be able to catch up in time with on demand or HBO GO.

I don't want to say too much about it to avoid spoiling for anyone who is considering taking it up, but it's a single-season cop drama, starring Woody Harrelson and now oscar winning Matthew Mcconaughey.  The acting is superb, and the plot is outstanding.  It's well worth an 8 hour investment and it would be best to do it now because whatever the resolution is on Sunday, it's going to be spoiled for you if you read the internet much at all.

aside:  I did not care much for Dallas Buyer's Club, but was rooting for MM to win the Oscar anyway because of his ridiculously good work in this series.

Ellen is terribly unfunny.  /thread

Fascinating stuff, I just wanted to say thanks.  I just discovered this thread today.

Balducci's often has it.  "cheapest" is probably to order it directly from D'Artagnan http://www.dartagnan.com/

John Irving's "A Son of the Circus" is the only thing that comes to mind.  Possibly the only book I ever started but didn't finish.

Two years later, I maintain this is the single worst restaurant piece I've ever read.

It's just about the dumbest thing I have ever seen.

This truck has started to show up fairly regularly at my office, so I finally gave it a try.  I can only vouch for the brisket at this point in time, but it's top notch.  Really great smoky flavor and just the right level of tenderness, neither falling apart nor chewy.  Choice of sweet or spicy sauce, I went spicy.  It wasn't overly so, but had god flavor and just a bit of zing. This brisket crushes the likes of Urban.

Also on the menu were pulled pork and chicken, and a handful of sides:  beans, slaw, fries.  It looks like the menu varies as I saw a menu with more options previously.

http://www.hardysbbq.com/

This is enough to make me want to adopt a dog.

Fixed it for you, awesome video.

Ooh I meant to come back to this thread--I think they were having a bad day on my first visit.  I have been 3 times since and it has been fantastic--easily the best around the MD burbs

I got the same email last night at 10:42 PM. I guess I was placed on automatic renewal too, and didn't know it.

The default when I subscribed was autorenewal. I was instructed to wait for the payment to clear and then cancel the auto, so I did that.

I am also in the "got one issue" club.

Just went for the first time.

The pork gyro is life-changing.

Friends said the lamb gyro was just about as good as Marathon, but the fries are below theirs, so Marathon just barely wins.

The greek salads I saw come out looked really good.  One appeared to be topped with halloumi.

Thanks for the kind words above, Dave. It was fun on my end, too.

In the For What it's Worth Department we are starting our New Butcher Block  menu tomorrow December 20th

This is a new section of our menu that will feature A la carte steaks and similar fare at an accessible price. It will a tight little menu through this year and then really grow in 2014. Starting tomorrow I have Filet, Teres Major, A Kick ass 28 day Dry Aged New York Strip and a grilled Spatchcock Chicken for two. A Dry aged Pork Chop will be ready next week I am trying to bring a great steak Selection to Bethesda without people having to pay the stupid prices Steakhouses charge.

As we Kick this off we are pairing up some wines to go with these steaks for Half price this weekend. We have picked out a Cab Franc, a Carmenere, a Crozes hermitage and a Juicy California red,to offer for Half Price.

Also, for DR.com folks we will do the steaks for 20% off as well. No reservations or anything required. Just say "Hi" when you are here I will run these specials through Christmas Eve to start this program off right.

Jeff

*it is truly a joy to have Spatchcock on the menu at last, I hope it sells well

This sounds like something I would be interested in

I normally don't eat dessert, but one caught my eye - tobacco creme brulee. The tobacco flavor was very strong up front, which I thought provided a great balance to the normal sweetness of creme brulee. My friend noted that Anthony Bourdain had a similar dish on an episode of No Reservations a few years back, so I wonder if that's where the inspiration came from. It took me out of my comfort zone a bit and I was quite happy with the result.

It was at the French Laundry, a coffee custard infused with tobacco, together with a foie mousse according to Wiki.

4 year old thread bump!  And funny.

I'm not even sure what is being argued in the last few posts.  What jury is in or out?  The first dinner sucked.  Dean apologized.  That case should be closed unless someone wants to present the argument that this happens often at Dino.  I don't think there is a sacred cow situation at all.