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NolaCaine

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  1. NolaCaine
    Somehow the availability of crabs in Arlington escaped my notice for the last decade. My first visit to quarterdeck was last night. We called from the National Mall at about 4:20 to make a 5:00 reservation for 2. We arrived and were seated immediately. As mentioned, their draft menu has expanded BUT last night there were only two choices: Bud light and something not watery. (I thought I saved the receipt but didn't). Crabs are slow to come and here's the price list from memory: 50/person all you can eat smalls. 50 for a dozen medium 75 for a dozen large (good sized large). But get this: 49$ for 6 large. I'm not the best at math but that is wonky math or I mis-heard. This place is so dive-y I thought for a second I was on the shore of lake Pontchartrain in a camp that was about to fall into the water (Do Not Lean On the Fence). The crabs were wonderful. I really enjoyed it but to be clear, it's a dive look/experience at Arlington prices. Crabs in Slidell are about a dollar each for smalls. Oysters the same or sometimes, for 5 dollars, you can get a beer & 6 oysters. Of course if I lived in Slidell I"d probably still be working at Pizza Hut, but that's another thread.
  2. NolaCaine
    Thanks Don, helpful. I think Corduroy might work b/c one person is only joining us for drinks so being the lounge will offer a natural transition. I am pleased to see that they are open on Monday.
  3. NolaCaine
    Had the big ass seafood tower at Arlington location. Yes, it's expensive but it was amazing. Pros: The lobster salad on top. The entire middle layer (there were mild skirmishes). The shrimp on bottom. (I did not try bivalves) Cons: We were a 4-top and I could not see the person diagonal to me. Also, the top is too high so lobster salad got spilled into ice. The wood bowls gave me a '70's flashback.
  4. NolaCaine
    I ended up at To Sok Jip because of a review in the general Korean thread and want to tell my story rather than provide a traditional review (last paragraph explains why). Again forgetting our anniversary, my husband I had not made plans to celebrate our 10 years married, 12 years together. We did, however, find a babysitter so decided to go out for Korean BBQ because we love it but the combination of little kids and burning hot tables does not mix. Our wonderful babysitter was late so we arrived in Annandale at 6, rather than 5 and it was raining. There were lines everywhere, out the door or a hostess quoted us a 9pm dinner time. I hate lines and waits and do almost everything I can to avoid them; usually. While driving to Honey Pig (our last stop before heading to our backup plan; food at a bar) I spotted To Sok Jip & told my husband that it got great reviews on DR. That was enough for him so we pulled in to the spot RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE DOOR. I saw the line but we could wait inside; it was still raining. The Wait: Maybe 20 minutes We were the third couple in line for a 10 table restaurant and were worried about the wait but we were inside, together and cozy. The lady in front of us handed us a menu and directed us to figure out what we wanted b/c the waitress was going to take our order WHILE WE WERE IN LINE. We did as we were told. We sat probably 20 minutes of arriving yet it was a “fast” 20 minutes because we were expecting BBQ and had to make new choices. The wait at table: Non existent. The banchan and drinks arrived as we sat down. One main dish came soon after and the second soon after that. Order: Bim Bim Bop in stone pot and it was almost too hot to handle as I put away my left overs. Of course I’ve had bim bim bop before but the broth at the bottom of the stone pot was by far the best ever of my entire life. I don’t know the name of the other dish. I thought it was fish soup but the grilled fish was served on one plate and the “soup” with tofu was served in a separate little stone pot. It was amazing. Both dishes were excellent yet different. Editorial comments: We are not Korean; we are not sophisticated about Korean food. We do, however, love food and appreciate strong flavors. This is a little, intimate place that without the DR review, I would have not attempted. I hope that you give it a chance because the food was marvelous.
  5. NolaCaine
    Details later but because of this post, we dined here tonight. After trying two Korean bbq places only to be denied, we ended up with a very short wait although we were 3rd in line. The food was so good my stomach hurts.
  6. NolaCaine
    I am taking 3 or 4 people out to dinner. Last time I took one of them to a very nice place, and expensive (Marcel's). It was great but he commented on the price saying something like it must be nice to be in my business (health non-profit...funding from for-profits). Anyway, ignoring the fact that he DOES work for a for-profit, I want to take him and some others from his industry out to dinner to talk about a difficult topic. What's good, quite, near downtown, open on Monday, has good service but is not "expensive". How expensive is Corduroy. I would love to go back there. Or, someplace that will give menus without prices and just take my credit card. Must serve alcohol.
  7. NolaCaine
    I think it's under the management of Tara Thai at which time, I think they changed their portion size and recipes. But that's a guess, I don't actually know. --- Reren Lamen (goodeats) Bantam King (DaRiv18) Boru Ramen (mare22204)
  8. NolaCaine
    Not sure it deserves its own thread but I've eaten Dirty Martini Phat Pig Ramen twice now and I'm not sure i"ll go back. That said, let me note that I did get a free coke today and that the coke is good so maybe that influenced this review. I do sometimes work for cheap. The first bowl I tried was Miso Ramen. It was good, better than Oki Saki is NOW, but not as good as it WAS. I even (accidentally) had it without pork on top and it was still pretty darn good. The second bowl I tried was the 12-hour tonkotsu and this was really weird. At first it was good though a bit sweet but it got more bland the more I ate it and the noodles were all mushy and tasteless about half-way through the bowl. Not sure I"ll be back but probably will b/c I really love all soup and Oki is just not ok any more.
  9. NolaCaine
    I'm wondering if I should interrupt this thread with an actual food review? Ok, since you asked. While not wearing plaid, my husband and I were off to an early dinner on Saturday night. Please note that we arrived to the Arlington location at about 5:10. We were seated immediately and, since it opened at 5, was mostly empty. That is a very important note because about 10 minutes later, 3 different tables of 9 were seated; two had reservations, that last one seemed like a surprise to staff. 10 minutes after that, 5:30, it was SRO and people were drinking while waiting for a table. We were seated by a very pleasant lady and we did not tell her that we had both been to China. We started with drinks because now they can serve beer and wine; which was great b/c we were off to an auction. The stand out was, by far, the special appetizer cucumber and garlic. Couple that with bang-bang shrimp and we were off to a great start. However, our main dish, seafood in hotpot was good but not amazing. I did over-eat if that is any indication of just how "good" it was. I really liked the white fish fillets in the dish because they best soaked up the flavor. We split the pot and only ate about half of it. I am sure you could split that three ways with three appetizers. It was enjoyable and I was a tad disappointed that my receipt didn't say: "Love the LBD" or "bald is sexy" in the notes section.
  10. NolaCaine
    It has been quite awhile since I have had a plate-licking worthy experience but I had one last night. We started with cold plate snap peas goma-e (7). This was a bit sweet but I liked it. For those with small children, it's kid friendly. My ramen-hating son told me last night "Ive changed" and wants to try ramen again. If I take him here, I will get this starter. Second, and the plate-licking experience, was crab on asparagus (13). It was the perfect combination of creamy, salty (fish eggs), acid (lemon) and crabyness. Furthermore, the asparagus was grilled giving the dish a nice smoky undertone and the veg a crisp bite. It was perfect. We asked for something to clean the plate and got un-stuffed bun bread. They really should put a little slice on that plate. Although I risk being declared redundant, I'd agree the small plates are better than the noodles. I like salt so the saltyness of the Miso Porky did not bother me. I loved the broth and finished every drop. The noodles were springy, as desired by noodle-eaters but I didn't finish them. I'm going to test them out a day later on that little ramen hater who's changed. My dining companion opted for: fried chicken tsukemen (15) Shit, I just realized this is a Mike Isabella concept. Dammit! I was trying to avoid his places based on my love-loss with his other two. ANyway, it was great. The broth was very fatty or at least tasted very fatty. I liked it and I have a couple of friends who particularly like fatty meat so they would love this. However, if you are watching your waist line or cholesterol level, this might not be the right choice for you. The fried chicken was really nicely done and perfectly accompanied the broth bath. Finally, allergens: Shocker here: not a lot of milk protein or nuts to avoid on this menu. Happy dining.
  11. NolaCaine
    I am pleased that somebody tried il forno. I have passed by many times and it is nearly empty, always and I've wondered how it has stayed open. No, I've never been. I am very excited about Cheesetique and total wine. I think they are perfect additions for the neighborhood. If they could only put in a trader joe's express, or a mini Mom's, Ballston would be perfect.
  12. NolaCaine
    I know I am supposed to love independents, but the Coffee Bar outpost at 1200 17th street has disappointed me twice. First visit: stale chocolate croissant for 5$ Second visit: 3$ for them to pour awful coffee into my travel mug. It tastes like the coffee you get for free at budget hotel breakfast bar. There won't be a 3rd visit.
  13. NolaCaine
    HA. Not too soon. I will admit ignorance, and Don, I edited my original post so in an attempt to hide it. Clearly I had a humor fail.
  14. NolaCaine
    What are you guys talking about? Look at my original post. Don was messing with me because I did a un-detailed review. :-)
  15. NolaCaine
    About once or twice a year I end up at a large business lunch at the Hamilton and today was the day for 2016. I have food allergies and I like to look at menus in advance to either pick something allergen free, or so that I can call in advance and get something altered (if it's an easy thing to do). Because I could not see the menu before I went, I opted for sushi (no allergens there, ever) and i really liked it! And yes, I was surprised. the name of the place is "Hamilton" like American Leader Hamilton. Anyway, it was fresh, interesting, had some fun flavors and the coke was good.
  16. NolaCaine
    Thanks for confirming Don. That makes my conversation about avoiding allergens just a little less efficient.
  17. NolaCaine
    Is it just me or is the lunch menu not popping up?
  18. NolaCaine
    I need this sticker. I am anti bumper sticker but for this, I might make an exception.
  19. NolaCaine
    After 5 months of waiting, I finally made it to Gaijin. While I am not a ramen expert, I love soup. All soup, and soup-like foods. I went with high hopes and yet feel no compulsion to go back. Here are my experiences in order of occurrence: 1. My date. Somebody, loves Pho and pitched a 5 yr old hissy fit when I explained that ramen was like pho, but not pho. He also does not love Shirley Timples. Who knew? Can't blame them for these two. 2. The edamame: I am almost positive that it was microwaved, freezer-burnt, or both. However, my 5yr old date and I agreed that it was really good (although I like a firmer pod). Strike one. 3. Kids sized pork ramen: 7$ seems high but it was good. It just comes with noodles, broth, and a thin slab o' pork. More on that later. Since he didn't eat it, I am positive that the 2 yr old will, so not a loss. I didn't LOVE the broth. It was ok but not amazing. 4. My ramen: black miso with added corn. Good but not great. I usually want to drink so much that I almost drown myself but this, I could take or leave. It did taste better the longer I enjoyed my bowl which was interesting. strike 2; I like addictive soup and at 13$, I am used to addictive soup. 5. Service: inattentive although the waitress was really cute. (attractive and cute personality). 6. Great pork and noodles. I really like the slab of pork. It is very tender and the perfect amount of fat. I know from reading ramen threads that y'all like firm bouncy noodles and these would qualify. Will I be back? Maybe. I really, really love soup and soup like things. I might should try every broth before I write it off. Winter is young. I have time.
  20. NolaCaine
    If he wasn't already married, I'd introduce you to my husband. He's on this honey kick that I do not fully comprehend.
  21. NolaCaine
    Another one late to the party and here's my 2cents. Every time i cook a virgin bird or virgin beef or virgin pork, my husband notices. He asks: What did you do to this thing, it tastes so good. I just purchased expensive meat. I notice that it's more forgiving. For example, overcook at regular bird and it tastes overcooked but over cook an Athenry bird and nobody's going to notice unless you really overcooked it. Same for pork chops. I frankly never overcook beef; i barely cook it at all. *virgin=ecofriendly, organic, locally sourced. I LOVED the bird lesson above.
  22. NolaCaine
    I'm a little disappointed in my Vidalia visit last night. Some caveats. I am allergic to dairy and nuts so had to ask for altered items. I also paid this bill myself which probably makes me even more...sensitive to my experience. First service. Excellent. Even though I did not order a cocktail, there was a little bar cart with a bouncer-sized-suit-wearing man behind it making drinks. Vidalia is fabulous for conversation and I could hear him telling patrons about their drinks and how best to drink them. "sip it a bit and then squeeze the lime into it; I think you'll like the contrast". Food: I wanted what I couldn't have, of course. Our waiter split a nice salad and left the nuts and cheese on the side. It was fantastic. I ordered the rockfish and my husband the shrimp and grits. The shrimp was good although had a little too much tarragon or some herb on it. My dish was a total disappointment. I liked the roe on top because it added flavor to an otherwise bland dish. What was the dish you ask? fish, a tiny bit of broth (and I generally love broth) and a few lightly wilted mini spinach leaves. That's it. Last night, I woke hungry in the middle of the night and I realized that I didn't have a carb. I bet there was a buttery carb in the dish originally but they left it out instead of substituting it. How hard is it to fry a potato in oil. Look, I hate to be critical of a place I generally enjoy and it's not their fault I can't eat butter but really. $147 and no carb? Not right.
  23. NolaCaine
    So sorry to hear that. It's my go-to and has not disapointed; yet. My 5 yr old likes, in this order: Pho Super Pollo Happy Meals. I usually let him order at Super Pollo and the guys are generally nice and patient (note: I do this ONLY when it is empty and I tend to go early, when it's empty). Now with regards to cumin, I"m a huge fan. Bean, meat cumin. Hi Cumin. (Don started it).
  24. NolaCaine
    I agree with Don's assessment completely. I rented a "suite" there in late August 2015 which is adjoining rooms, mostly. I put one kid in the closet on the pull out sofa mattress thereby making the 2-bedroom suite a 3-bedroom and also giving a 5 yr old a "fort" to sleep in. There is an indoor pool and hot tub too and breakfast was quite nice. Other plus that Don forgot to mention: FREE SHAKESPEARE, in the round, is right next door! Finally, for those of you with kids, the Frontier Museum is a must-see.
  25. NolaCaine
    I don't totally get it. Maybe I"ll understand when I go.
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