KMango

Speaking of low-key, we were looking for a low effort, small portion dessert option for Thanksgiving. Everyone will be too full right after the meal, and we will not be able to wait another hour or so for the final course. We discovered the following recipe for a pumpkin eggnog milkshake. We test drove it last week, modifying to serve in tiny glasses (tall shot), and stirring in a half teaspoon of Virginia Lightning (other alcohol would work, too) in each adult's glass. We used a chopstick to stir carefully, which prevented the ingredients sloshing up onto the clean glass space, better presentation. AMAZING. This nails the small portion, ease of prep, and wow flavor factor we were seeking. Without the alcohol, it's too rich for my palate, but with it, over the moon with the swoon. http://www.foodnetwo...cipe/index.html

OK, because Anastasiya and Enzo needed to take their execution to an even higher level... <insert bewildered and delighted kmangoface> The pizza boxes at Pupatella have changed. Yesterday's takeout order arrived steaming from nine holes punched topside of a brick red square graced with images of Naples. Upon opening the box, the entire interior shone with an aluminum-mirrored surface. Perhaps I am a sucker for expensive packaging, but after a fifteen minute drive, the flavor and texture seemed a notch higher than previous visits. Which was stratospheric to begin with. A second hat tip to the daily special pizza featuring roasted corn, ham, and mozzarella. That, and the household favorite pizza of prosciutto and arugula, created another Vesuvius experience. (hanging head) (in three pieces at once) (pizza shame)

I've seen them, frequently, at MOM's organic market in Alexandria. That location, or others, might be worth calling.

I'll try to answer my own question...what would be lost seems to be artistic worth and/or sense of dignity. Based on an assumption that social media is not as valuable/helpful/noble as a unique gallery of custom-crafted, personal, point-in-time expressions. Whatever we call it, I don't care. I just want to play. (i lead mosaic) (also amid ice) (fun with anagrams)

I'm struggling to understand what would be lost if this site were henceforth forever labeled as "social media" by everyone who dines in DC... Resistance to change, especially to labels, is usually grounded in fear or aversion to some kind of loss. What's lost? (p.s. it's already gone) (whatever it is) (this is social media)

And this year's oyster festival is this weekend, October 20 and 21! I cannot wait! $5 admission, various vendors with various prices inside, the best opportunity of the year to experience a wide array of preparations. St. Mary's County Oyster Festival (get thee) (to a) (bivalvery)

Another quick shout out to the mussels at Brabo Tasting Room.... I ventured in mid-week, mid-afternoon, and encountered an enjoyably vacant restaurant. My companion and I mulled menu possibilities over a Spanish Albarino and Virginia Viognier. After splitting the chilled Boston Bibb salad ($10), featuring beautifully honored beets, soft-as-a-lullaby boiled egg, and zesty mustard vinaigrette, we each ordered the white wine, shallot, and parsley mussels ($19). I knew it would be too much food, and was banking on leftovers being a dinner treat for my companion who lives alone. As others reported above, the astoundingly fresh mussels were exceptional---not a second overcooked, nor over-seasoned (#1 and #2 on the Most Wanted for crimes against mussels). These are the best I have had in the DC area, perhaps any area, and noted that they hailed from Penn Cove, Washington. We wound up eating more than we planned, which was fortunate. We requested a package for the remainder, and learned of the store's policy to avoid boxing up shellfish. This is a wise business decision---many people have no idea how highly perishable and dangerous shellfish can be. We, of course, would have popped them immediately into a nearby refrigerator, but I can understand how tourists and others could blame the restaurant for any self-imposed, um, negative consequences. Three desserts appeared handwritten on the specials board. On this day, at this time, the lack of a menu with enticingly described desserts and accompanying wines, liqueurs, etc., probably lost them $20+ in sales. I understand this as another smart business calculation---lingering over dessert means tables do not turn over, which would become a catastrophe during busy times in this small, more casual restaurant. However, for guests such as myself who want to linger in conversation over final choices, the restaurant may want to consider providing an attractively designed dessert menu to boost sales during predictably quiet time frames. We finished instead with coffee and mint tea, and continued chatting. On the way out, dinner guests had begun to arrive. I quietly hoped each of them ordered the mussels--a fresh taste in Old Town.

Good times on the chilly patio; a shout out to waning summer vegetables. Sesame and fenugreek shrimp; pan-steamed Potatoes cooked with chicken fat and shallot salt; grilled in foil Caribbean-jerk seasoned kabobs with Jehovah Jireh Farm chicken, yellow squash, and onion Grilled corn on the cob, seasoned with with thyme from the garden, shallot salt Pickled banana pepper (fall) (on) (me)

Assuming what you can make at home is exponentially tastier than what you can procure via takeout, perhaps your palate has burned out? Could be that allergens are doing a number on your taste buds. That happens to me, and many, in early Spring and Fall. Insofar as not having to cook for anyone...how about teaching someone? Grab a college student, favored niece, or other aspiring home chef and book one teaching session a week. They bring the ingredients, you rock your skills and teach them a lifelong technique. As you narrate and guide your student, you'll remember why you love this stuff in the first place. Instant Re-Kindle.

At Hank's on a Tuesday? Try the the fish tacos and house margarita.

The apotheosis of fish taco excellence, even for this Southern Cali-savvy diner, is Pelon’s in Virginia Beach. Their shrimp tacos are on my short list of Death Row Foods. I’ve posted previously about this obsession. I recently experienced Taco Tuesday at Hank’s in Old Town, three crispy renditions for $15. It sounded expensive for what is historically a street food, but I must say the quality of ingredients launched this into a must-repeat experience. A flour-based tortilla, freshly fried and deftly seasoned, stuffed with plenty of firm, white fish (likely baked or roasted), top-notch pico de gallo, ripe avocado, and smoky chipotle cream all culminate in fresh, full flavor that won’t demonstrate the dreaded shell-shattering effect. With $6 house margaritas part of the Tuesday menu, all that’s missing is the ocean atmosphere. Where else in the DMV area are the excellent fish or shrimp tacos?

Not sure which restaurants may be doing this in DC, but... None of the above on the other questions. With razor-thin profit margins, a highly-tailored customer experience can mean the difference between life through loyal customers or death by inability to surprise and delight. It's no secret that Las Vegas hotel casinos are astoundingly masterful, probably best in the world, with manipulating customer data mines to "automagically" enhance the customer experience. Order a burger with extra onions at one of the big hotels? It will come to that way to you every time, without asking, and most likely without you noticing. It's the not noticing part that's key. The more you note and expect such "rewards", the more you become a card-carrying entitlement demander; the magic becomes just another transaction. It's a careful dance of managing expectations, coupled with good ol' B.F. Skinner intermittent reinforcement mechanisms, powerful stuff for influencing consumer behavior. What creeps me out is not so much that my data may be flying around, it's the business model of "stealth surprise and delight". I'd rather full disclosure on the wooing, please. But casinos rocked the model, restaurants may be next, and why not. It helps the bottom line by driving brand loyalty. I'd probably do it if I were them. *shiver*

My Ideal Fridge *want*

The second option---less work for you, easy to find for us, and an efficient cross-posting for new readers. Consider some creative new indicators to include in the reviews as well. Call out bold superlatives more often, i.e, Best Business Lunch, Best First Impression, Most Kid-Friendly, Most Disappointing Plateware, Best Death Row Meal, or some creative new ways to think about these places that has not been described before. P.S. What ever happened to the DR.com sticker idea?

My friend was over-the-moon delighted with the quality of the responses here. I see her again in another week or two and will learn how it turned out.

Thistle: My Profile/Edit My Profile/Change My Photo Do it! Be the Cowboy! (next stop) (a soundtrack) (and perhaps an animated musical)

Yesterday was our every-other-month chicken pickup from a family farm. We were talking with the matriarch about the chicken fat we render after we break down the birds for freezing. "Try popping popcorn in it", she suggested. We just did. It's incredible, elevated even further via freshly ground black pepper. *swoon* (that's a flavor swoon) (not a cardiac event swoon) (everything in moderation, i promise)

Jehovah-Jireh eggs, enhanced with a touch of porcini mushroom Falksalt, Penzey's extra bold black pepper, scrambled. Larry's Beans "Bad Kitty Blend", brewed with chocolate mint leaves from the garden. (autumn is around the corner) (hi, you)

Listing for now...we admins ran into a poll-generating issue, so in the meantime, post away. For KMango and Friends, October 7th or 21st would be ideal. But any October Sunday will be keen.

And I may be the only one who cheered while reading it. "Nor is there a single conversation between you and your companion(s) that is left uninterrupted for more than five minutes. All this for $200..." Amen, brother friend. Give me a restaurant with beckoning technology---where service staff arrived only when unmistakably summoned---and I would fine dine far more often. Probably a topic for another thread, and I'm sure some restaurants have tried this with various results, but it's something I covet nearly every time I fine dine outside my usual and trusted circle. "...Start with the obligatory greeting. Even done well, it can feel white-tooth phony; done badly, you feel slighted..." "...The question is, what remains? What works in a restaurant? Obviously if the food isn’t delicious, everything else will just seem annoying, and that happens quite a lot..." I think Mark is where I am here. Striving for an upscale experience centered on culinary excellence, and if it can't be found, settling for at least authenticity in human exchange. But in a fee-for-service setting like fine dining, where one is financially incentivized to charm, good luck with that whole authenticity thing. Fine dining is not dead. And fine dining is also not a virus, easily replicable to the environment of every inspired restauranteur who wants to make a go at it. It's more like a rare gem these days, the best shining far more brilliantly than their half-carat neighbors.

An interesting and light read on the history of instant ramen: Link to Gizmodo Article (today is the first of september) (rabbit rabbit) (ramen flavor?)

The following is a shout out to the wine education seminars underway at The Curious Grape…maybe this post should be entitled “The Curious Tasting"? Or "Curious KMango keeps posting so much in the same damn thread!" Sorry, folks, this place is right in the middle of my 'hood, hence the frequency... Over the past several years, I have run into a half-dozen DR members (sometimes literally, given my itty bitty tolerance after a pretty witty wine tasting) while attending the monthly cheese and wine classes at Cheesetique. Jill is, hands down, my favorite person to have at the helm of such boutique-hosted seminars. She exudes ingredient passion, compassionate humor, expansive knowledge, and an infinitely welcoming sense of fun, with her staff not far behind. The only downside to Cheesetique courses is they are primarily evening affairs. They also book up mad-dash quickly after the newsletter announcement. Such circumstances often clash with my “someone has no boundaries” long workday, or whatever other lame excuse come the weekend. As noted in previous posting (and the one before that, and the one before that...KEcho?), the Curious Grape in Shirlington opened earlier this year. The venue features a multi-purpose model for their expansive space. It's an “oh my god, they need to be doing a lot of events and creative endeavors to pay for this” kind of space. If you have not been, go, if only to browse the store and procure a small bite from the cold case. You’ll be surprised with the vineyard-meets-private-collection ambiance, pleased with the selection of all things terrior (wine, cheese, chocolate, coffee, vinegars, olive oils, small condiments), and delighted with the friendliness of the staff. Stick around for small plates (and stick to the small plates, cheese or dessert) and half-pour wines on something other than a busy weekend night, and they’ll really knock your socks off. A new part of the multi-purpose layout is a series of wine tasting seminars available for either Saturday 11:30 or Tuesday 6:30. One recent seminar featured four flights of two wines, each paired with either a cheese, chocolate, or small plate from the kitchen, and hosted in the private room at the back of the venue. An out of town guest adored the experience. The owner and business partners provided detailed educational materials, including topographic maps, to deepen the learning. For $36, and considering the palate interest of wines sampled (retail prices averaging around $25; ranged from $14 to $60), tastes paired, purchasing discount for attendees, and an accompanying geography lesson, it seems like a bargain if not a fun diversion for an hour and a half with a friend. The schedule for the rest of the year is available on their website: http://curiousgrape.com/ The site indicates they also do custom-tailored group events. If 2013 gets here without too much Mayan drama, and if folks are interested, I will see if I can set up an event for the DR crew. Something grapey to look forward to during the post-holiday, darker time of the year.

My previous experiences, those above, and the concerned response I received give me confidence my most recent bar experience was an anomaly. In follow up to my post, I discovered my inbox contained a genuinely concerned PM offering an apology and a do-over. I may not be able to follow up for various reasons, but the sentiment was unexpected and most appreciated. In the meantime, I'm likely to duck into the Fair again soon for a savory meal or to solve my ever-pressing terrine, interesting mustard, and tiny pickled tidbit cravings. (pickles) (if loving you is wrong, i don't wanna be right) (hipsters be damned)

During my friend's dinner at B. Smith's last year, I was calculating rents/revenues in my head, and asked the same question of the staff. They said the venue does a LOT of private events. Especially during not-so-booming times, I am not sure if special events alone could answer the red ink/black ink mail, but it is a data point.

In an early-in-the week, peak dinner hour evening, we were crazy to aim for a table at Virtue without having made reservations. A quick look at Open Table warned us of what we might encounter. As walk-ins, the estimated wait time was 20 minutes, but a few sips into our cocktails we received the text that the table was ready. Score! As others have noted, Virtue showcases a gorgeous and interesting setting. It reminds me of a smaller Woodberry Kitchen. The upstairs was closed this evening, and we were unable to view a purportedly stellar layout. We also encountered friendly and enthusiastically helpful host staff. In a joint like this one that is often packed to the gills, hosts that go out of their way to be friendly are a professional breath of fresh air. They are not being nice because they have to---the restaurant does not need your business on this particular evening; and whether or not they seat you the host will probably get paid the same amount. Such hosts are being nice because they want to, or so it seems, and if there is some other motive don’t tell me, I’m rocking out my Pleasant Fiction™. The volume was above my preferred decibel level, so I won’t be back, but had fun trying the venue with an adventurous out-of-town relative. Here are a few highlights from the scene, minus price points that have faded from long-week memory: Lemony Laurel: It turns out that during my quick stint at the bar, I ordered the last of the available roasted lemon, citrus vodka, bay leaf and Galliano-enhanced cocktails. A delicious summer quencher, I wish I could have had another with dinner, highly recommended. Crubeens; crispy pigs feet: I tired to order these, but they were out. Drat (muc?). Bone Marrow, see photo: An inviting presentation, but I noted my unmet anticipation for a wave of garlic, shallot, or other seasoning to come through. A righteous use of my salt shaker remedied the initial blandness, but I doubt I would order this again except for novelty. Seasonal Pickles, see photo: A Tip for the Virtuous---slice these suckers before serving! The flavor was an outstanding array of punchy rice vinegar, hint of fennel frond and dill seed, but slicing the rolly-polly onions and root vegetables was a real challenge. Twice I had the sliced bits shoot across the plate and onto the floor of another table. I was deeply amused, rather than annoyed, but a quick look at my moniker explains why. My main struggle was to resist the urge to turn the venue into a full-on food fight, summer camp cafeteria style. The pickles were served with roasted peanuts, adorable and quintessentially Virginian...and probably aerodynamic! Sweetbreads with Collard-Stuffed Ravioli: I enjoyed the ravioli, a perfectly al dente, honorable flour packaging of a cherished leafy green. But the butter sauce robbed the offal of the classic crisp edge I’ve enjoyed during visits to Restaurant Eve, and the seasoning seemed muted. I would not order this again, but it was a refreshing change of pace to have sweetbreads available on a dinner menu. Roasted Chicken Breast and Leg Confit: Impossibly moist chicken, a massive portion served in a rustic casserole dish, with mushroom ravioli as a much-enjoyed highlight for my dining companion. She turned leftovers into a rave review omelet the next morning. Service was friendly and prompt, with a server-in-training in tow who was learning more about the newly debuted menu. The pace was noticeably rushed at the end of our meal. It was clear we needed to be going on our way and turn the table; this packed and high-decibel venue is not the place to linger. (unless some wayward table inadvertently zings a flying pickle towards your head) (and if that happens to you, don’t duck) (try to taste it instead)