KMango

This is mighty encouraging. Thanks for the post. Can't wait to check it out.

I wish I could help you. I really do. But I have a few friends from India who usually hook me up with the best I have found in this area. They know what to look for in the Asian and Indian markets, and they snag a couple extra for me each time they go. As another option, though, I know someone who goes to a top-notch Thai restaurant and buys a few from their exceptional stock. Best wishes for your dish.

Today, I had the fortune of wandering into the BRABO Tasting Room for a light, mid-afternoon meal. After noting the menu included the expected selections of mussels, tarts, soups, salads, and sandwiches, I enjoyed the $16 “napa-tizer” cold plate featuring the following selections (serves 1 as a meal, two as a snack): Hummus-At first, I was highly skeptical of this often overdone and under-balanced chickpea spread. This one, however, especially when paired with the olives and roasted red pepper, worked as a beautiful complement to the rest of plate. Salmon rillettes-Pale pink as a valentine, this smoked salmon spread offered consistent texture and fresh flavors. Olive and roasted red pepper-Including multiple varieties of olives, top-shelf oil, and thorough seasonings, this elevated several selections with a burst of salty acidity. Pork rillettes-Another masterful consistency, this one with unmistakable peppery heat. Slice of salumi (not sure which type)-An adorable rosette tucked away between two spreads, this offered bright color contrast and an herbaceous, spicy single bite. Duck rillettes-When eaten alone, this needed serious rescue from a flat, fatty, overly homogenous flavor. But once paired with the briny olives or Caper Berries, the only help it needed was coming down out of the flavor stratosphere. Outstanding. Cheese-A savory, yet not overly dominant, cow’s cheese from France. Not a washed rind variety, but I neglected to ask what it was. Just enough for a cracker or two, paired beautifully with the pork rillettes. Cornichons and Caper Berries-These obligatory pickled bits were of firm quality and deft seasoning. But my own personal words of wisdom: Be especially mindful not to pop an entire cornichon into your mouth after enjoying a hefty swig of woefully oaky chardonnay, lest eye-burning ouch also become yours. Onions-A purple marmalade of reduced onion with what tasted like rose petal essence (floral, yet not too sweet). These provided a boost of contrast and color. Baked flatbread-Generally avoiding gluten, I made an exception for this outstanding specimen of leavened heaven. Graced with top-notch olive oil, flakes of chili pepper, and freshly minced chives, the flawless crispy-yet-chewy texture provided perfect accompaniment for every single item. The only downside was the liberal amount of crumbs that fly when breaking this bread into pieces. Hansel and Gretel should eat here. While enjoying this pleasing plate, I also relished the view from the tall and broad windows. Unlike many restaurants in Old Town, something about these windows offers the delightful panorama of parading people without attracting the eye of every single passerby. A special glass coating, or time of day, perhaps? Because errands beckoned, I disciplined myself to a single glass of French Chardonnay. It was more oak-laden than my usual preference, but I had put myself at the mercy of “whatever you recommend”. It paired nicely with the spread selections, and surprised me with how nicely it worked with the hummus and onion, of all things. The acoustics were decent for this tastefully spartan space. Diner-style bar stools offer one seating option, along with several low-slung booths and tables. Being Sunday afternoon, a TV was on at the bar. This meant the occasional (although muted) sound of a referee’s whistle instead of ongoing music or other atmosphere-inducting acoustics. The venue was empty when I arrived mid-afternoon, but by the time I left, several others diners had taken a seat. I also ventured next door to the Butcher’s Block. Planning poorly, I lacked my cooler and still had several stops to make in Old Town. Logistics conspired against it this time, but next time I’ll adopt several of the impressively marbled ribeyes, masterfully trimmed lamb tenderloin, duck confit, and sausages from the immaculate showcase. With all the drooling I was doing in that store, it’s a miracle I escaped without dehydrating. The fridge units also contained several cheese and specialty temptations, including a $10 house-made “foie gras parfait”. A casual chat with one of the staff revealed that meats sold in the store are the exact cuts served at Brasserie Beck, Marcel's, and BRABO. He mentioned the possibility of perhaps venturing to other suppliers at some point, opening the possibilities to batch-at-a-time treasures rather than the larger orders that supply multiple restaurants. Either way, the Tasting Room and Butcher’s Block are destination-worthy right now. I also look forward to trying the full BRABO experience soon. Old Town just got a little more metropolitan.

CSA veggies with a side dose of lazy. Freshly made chicken sausage patties (sage, Penzey's 4S salt, other seasonings) over picked-this-morning corn, sliced and salted heirloom tomato, sweet basil garnish.

Just had lynch at Fyve today. Happened to order from the Restaurant Week menu. Service was welcoming and attentive. You can't eat it, of course, but the free wi-fi here is also a boon, serves the entire lobby level of the hotel. Gazpacho was a show-stopper. Presented via carafe and poured over beet ice (yes, been done before, but so seasonal!). The texture was masterfully smooth, the soup balanced with acidity, with just a tad lingering of zesty heat. I'd bathe in it? Yes. Next up was salmon over basil purée with shaved fennel and a roasted tomato. Oh, how I wanted to love this inviting stack of loopy tendrils in a pool of pea-colored harmony. But it was not n0m at first bite. The fish tasted farm raised (server confirmed this), and the fennel picked a week or two before peak anise complexity. Two points for what was certainly a locally procured bulb, but minus points for an underdeveloped vegetable. The tomato was a happy little slice of an heirloom, well seasoned and appropriately temperatured. Desserts are not "my thing", so I was not enamored with the peanut butter crunch pie. An attractive, crunchy texture of the crust, but a waxen, muted cocoa layer on top. The accompanying berry ice cream scoop was outstanding, though. I should have asked if that was also made in house, simply bursting with ripe berry flavor. Small note about the beverage service. Iced tea came served with simple syrup rather than sugar packets. Love that. Now I need to remember to make it to happy hour there. I'm in the neighborhood often, just keep forgetting to duck in.

As another reference point, the DC office of Counter Culture hosts tasting events (aka "cuppings") in their regional training center in NW. Everyone I've ever met from that company offers incredible knowledge and passion around all things coffee and sustainability: http://washingtondc.counterculturecoffee.com/ Per their online calendar, their next cupping is Thursday of this week. And as for tying this back to Mid City so this does not get bopped over to another thread, an increased understanding of the Counter Culture product might make for a reinterpretation of the Mid City experience.

The Back Porch restaurant has been outstanding my past few visits to Ocracoke. The focus is on fresh, local/seasonal flavors with deft seasoning and artful, yet simple, plating. Seating on the actual porch is a bonus.And although not edible (unless you are keenly in need of insoluble fiber), check out the clothing store called Natural Selections, hidden away elsewhere on the island. Tons of hemp, tencel, silk, cotton, linen, and lots of designs not seen elsewhere.

I used to tell everyone that one day, I'd be opening a restaurant called "Unknown Pleasures". Patrons would never be certain what type of ethnic cuisine or featured techniques would appear as menu selections. They would have to walk in to find out.The playlist would rely heavily on Joy Division (the precursor to New Order before Ian Curtis changed his own reality menu), whose debut album would be the restaurant's namesake. For now, it sounds like Batik is a much more reliable option instead.

Yes, the last time I had dinner at Eve, I left with a hand-written list of "must read" books from the impressively knowledgeable and unmistakably passionate server. It was one of those rare meals that translates into a better life through ongoing learning.Back to my reading...

That meal sounds fantastic, a cooling antidote for DC's swampy atmosphere.In working with rice paper, one of the biggest mistakes I made was using too much filling. I was over-stuffing them, precluding any success with correct formation. It may be worth it to experiment with smaller filling amounts. It will seem far too sparse at first, but the resulting rolls may provide the shaping and surprisingly abundant texture you are seeking. Of course, another mistake I've made is having too much rice juice (i.e, sake) while trying to work with rice paper. But that's a posting for another time.

Pshaw.Like you can't get a signal from up there.

For a simple yet freshly flavored fish dish, I made this the other night for a crowd: Assuming you have an oven, and assuming the tomatoes and veggies were grown with potable water, this would be a light lift option for ya. Replace the basil with whatever other herbs are looking fantastic down there, Mexican oregano, etc.

Tonight was another fun and Bollywood-filled evening at Mem Sahib Rockville. The six course, prix fixe menu (roughly $30 after tax and tip) included their standard trio of salads (smoky eggplant, peppered carrots, cucumber/tomato) with chicken skewers; an entire tandoori chicken with marinated onion, lime squeeze, and mint chutney; goat curry (not often part of the regular menu, usually this is lamb); fresh fruit course with an absolutely perfect watermelon; and cardamon-infused kheer with sweetened chai. Vegetarians have a six-course option as well. Perhaps because it's summer, but all dishes were exceptionally flavorful and fresh tonight. Delicate seasonings, high quality base ingredients, delightful across the board. Food quality has not always been consistent on numerous previous visits, but tonight was a Best in Show. The 8:30 belly dancer provided the usual zill-worthy diversion, including sword and veil numbers. In addition to the movie screen at the front of the restaurant, a second high-def TV now appears on the back wall. This means that all members of a large party can now get their Rani Mukherji and Amitabh Bachchan fix. (Before the new flat panel, half of a big group was left craning their necks to see any video clips, not comfortable.) It's important to clarify that Mem Sahib Rockville is a venue best suited for parties of 6 or more. The restaurant would also work well for couple to share a casual, yet more intimate and relaxing, meal. This is a scene for celebration in a fun environment, not a destination chef showcase experience. And good times will be had by all. Just come prepared to spend at least two hours with the parade of food, keep an open mind to the live dance performance, and bring your camera for group photos. Dark couches and brightly colored mandalas offer an intriguing backdrop for snapshot-worthy moments.

Dunno what it's called, but try Party City or Party Depot for all your inexpensive platter needs. The last few shin digs I hosted benefited greatly from such implements (Bailey's Crossroads location for both). Restaurant supply stores are another excellent source.

Appreciating. Thanks for posting those vivid pics.

Hit up the Washington Blvd location today after collecting more hiking paraphernalia at Casual Adventure. Ordered the chopped pork, cole slaw, and collards to go. My order was ready to go within a minute in a half, impressive for prime time pacing. The pork almost put me to sleep. Lots of smoke flavor, but low quality meat lacking depth of anything, abhorrently boring. The cole slaw was a borderline celebration for me--two kinds of cabbage (green and red), fresh green peas, carrots, and whole caraway seeds (and did I taste fennel seed in there, too?). Outstanding. Collards avoided any bitterness, with heavy handed salt probably emanating from the bacon, overall OK. Place was hopping with many happy diners at lunch time today, a wide variety of small groups on office breaks. I probably won't be back, but it looked like lots of regulars will fill my void.

My Organic Market, Glebe Road, Alexandria has Lord Byron's (Thurmont, MD) wax and honey. There are usually a few other locally-based options as well, including pollen. Mmmm hunny.

Another stellar, quick lunch at Huong Viet yesterday. Beef underdone with lime followed by squid sauteed with sweet leeks and bean sprouts. Righteously fresh ingredients, masterful preparation, exceptional balance of flavor and textures for both. Service was quick and efficient, surprising given the high volume of patrons around 1:00. With herbs, sprouts, onions, and other produce in peak season, it's prime time to hit this no-frills, cash-only Eden of Eden Center.

Cod with orange and yellow heirloom tomatoes and sweet basil, baked Purple Peruvian potatoes, roasted Fresh corn salad with red bell pepper and an overtly dill vinaigrette, raw All vegetables from today's farm share (Bull Run CSA) Baked, roasted, raw...man do those phrases bring back surfer day memories. Next time, I'll figure out a way to incorporate Mr. Zog's into the plating.

High five! Well done, can't wait to see it.

Eeks, thanks for the tip from a pint in my near future. I'll skip the 250 for sure.

Counter Culture's Idido Misty Valley coffee brewed with chunks of Penzey's Cassia cinnamon. This cup has a touch of warmed goat milk and a whisper of simple syrup made from a vanilla bean pod (Mexico). I may never leave my house again. Well, not before the caffeine kicks in anyway. *yum*

Sparkling Essence of Cucumber http://www.knudsenjuices.com/products/sparkling_essence/organic_cucumber Bizarrely delicious and refreshing. Tastes exactly as described. I'm confused, though, think I'm missing the crunch factor. And not the John Basedow variety.

As another suggestion, a simple syrup made from huckleberry would be a fabulous addition to a glass of sparkling wine or other cocktail needs. It's huckleberry o'clock somewhere.

Another benefit of making dishes like this is the way your kitchen smells the next morning. *swoon* A simple yet deeply savory goat curry. Last night's concoction inspired by Madhur Jaffrey's "Lamb with Onions" recipe, but with cubes of Lebanese Butcher boneless goat loin instead. Walla Walla sweet onions (a gift from a neighbor who ordered a case) dissolved into the savory sauce, and lots of local green chilies (another neighbor) added fiery appeal. Garnished with cherry tomatoes (West End Farmer's Market) and radish (Bull Run CSA). Washed down with trite brew (Dale's Pale Ale). Update: Google Books has the base recipe