KMango

A post in the Harold Black thread jogged my memory on a similar incident at The Curious Grape... On a recent Friday, I broke out of work early, and found myself free as a bird in Shirlington around 3PM. Score! My husband could meet me anywhere, anytime, just name the place. Score 2! I walked into The Curious Grape, and the place was, as it always is mid-afternoon, nearly empty. Score 3! I placed my belongings on a table near a window, at the edge of the dining area. The entire wall is a window, delightfully spacious. I knew the restaurant would not have dinner service yet, and lunch items always originate from the cold case, so I walked over to check it out. I told the manager on duty I was looking forward to some wine and cheese plates, and that my husband was on the way, who enjoyed the beer selections. She frowned. The score begins to plummet… She told me to sit at the bar, because the servers arrive at 4PM, and it was easier for them to set up the dining room when completely empty. Dinner service did not begin until 5, which was two hours away. Score continues the downward descent… I needed to be out of ear shot of other patrons, to enable candid reflections on work and personal matters. The only way to do that at the bar would be to choose a seat out of view of the windows, in the back of the restaurant, the only zero-atmosphere seats in the entire joint. Score edging towards zero… I shared my conundrum with the manager, emphasizing that table space and acoustical privacy were important, and we’d be gone in less than an hour. No dice! It was more important to her that we sit at the bar than have our business. So we wound up at Thai Shirlington instead. Fantastic window seating, $50+ tab after drinks and apps, and a delightful time in a different empty restaurant. I guess I’m posting this because I was surprised the venue is doing so well they can afford to turn away business. Of course, they could have been burned by previous patrons promising to leave, who then bumped up against 5PM window reservations. And if one table is seated in the dining space, others walking in before 5PM might argue to be seated, an avoidable cascade of hassle. Regardless of the history, the net effect was a miffed customer, reluctant to return, especially during mid-afternoon hours.

Yes, make your own, mix in all kinds of goodies into your favorite plain cream cheese. I've found the flavor to kick the pants off anything I can buy elsewhere. The key is to include enough acid. The olive/pimento brine already takes care of that, but you'll want a squeeze of lemon juice or champagne vinegar when making garlic, berry, nut, or other varieties. Salt is also a good add if not already in the mix, depending on the cheese's final destination. If you prefer a whipped texture, buy it solid, whip it with a touch of milk, then incorporate the other ingredients. And if you really want to go for the gusto, make your own cream cheese. Although, once you throw in all those other flavors, a top quality store bought plain variety is more than adequate.

Soak in an egg mixture, then evolve into a frittata. Or bake into rolls. And try soaking a few in vodka, the cocktail options look promising.

Me +1 for the wait list (and a +gratitude to the tour guide for offering this)

Now you’re cooking…with beer! I could not find more than a few mentions of cooking with beer, and it’s something we’ve been doing a lot the past few months of chilly weather. As a recent example, we modified the heck-gondola out of the described method, but here’s the basic method for a veggie-based burrito that benefited from beer: All Recipes Sweet Potato Burrito Guidance Instead of two cups water (the enemy of flavor!), we chose half water and half Port City Porter. We boiled it a bit longer to erase the alcoholic edge, and the result was marvelous. The beer added a pleasing bitter coffee/malt sensation, a beneficial counterpoint to sweet potatoes and earthy beans. Leftovers froze beautifully, and this one is likely to become part of our regular winter rotation. We also use ale as the basis for a sliced corn-on-the-cob, mushroom, and vegetable soup we place under a chicken slow-cooked in our charcoal rotisserie. The soup simmers gently, the vegetables release their juices, and everything deepens in flavor as the chicken drips into the beer stew. This is all thanks to ye gods of Weber genius and Steve Raichlen for his expert methods and inspirational knowledge-sharing. What recipes with beer as an ingredient have been successful in your kitchen or backyard grill? Any flops? Anything you have been wanting to try?

And if I had Willow's million dollars, I'd buy lots more gourmet goodies from the Rosemont location. I cannot recall the brand name, but the baba ganoush is, hands down, the best I've ever had in pre-packaged form. Bacon, cheeses, yogurts, everything from their coolers has been top-notch, at it's prime, and quickly delighted. With all that cash, however, I'd continue avoiding by-the-cup coffee. I've had several different blends at Rosemont and place them firmly in the "brewed too strongly for my taste" bucket. Beans by the bag are must haves, again top quality, an exceptional and dynamic selection. I'd also drop some dollars in friendly greeting training for the staff. Granted, we're usually in "where do they think they are, the AT?" urban hiking gear when we traipse in, but we are rarely greeted with a hello, even in an otherwise empty shop. We've noted that whenever David is on site, the service picks up dramatically, quicker hellos and offers to assist after we've been browsing for a while. He's always at the top of his customer service game, offering to help us out with whatever obscure or hard-to-pair flavor request we have in mind.

I love, love, love* spontaneous invites like this! Alas, we're headed to College Park for a swim meet today, or we'd be there with bells on the end of our chopsticks. Looking forward to trying Red Holic, and seeing you both, another time. (*asterisk denotes) (pre-coffee) (vocab fail)

The increasingly calorie-conscious and sustainability-minded me likes the certification idea, however.... This needs to be a mobile app, tailorable to various attributes (fat, calories, sodium, whatever is the priority for the user). That way, people who care could have the info at their fingertips, rather than (a.) blasting the rest of the diners with symbols or signals they find useless and (b.) burdening businesses with print and other production costs. Certs and rigourous independent third party testing are good. Assuming everyone wants to consume such info is not. Tweak the model to be an app, maybe an ongoing subscription choice, I'll listen to you. Paste it on every menu and take away my right to avoid such data, I'll punch you.

*cheers!* If you need any intel/info to ease your transition, you know where to ask.

We received notice we are #3 on the wait list. *fingers crossed* (and amen) (on the scare tactics) (i'm victim, trying to change that)

Very interesting! I did some web sleuthing and came up with this: http://www.arlnow.com/2011/12/07/westover-market-butcher-shop-returns/

My most successful slow cooker forays have entailed less conventional ingredients; i.e, sausage, parts, or ground meats over whole cuts, leek and fennel over onion. Rather than re-create a stove top favorite like chicken soup, I aim for slow cooker-exclusive concoctions. Perhaps it's a psychological trick to encourage me not to compare/contrast textures with other cooking methods, I am not sure, but I do know exceptional results have emerged. Spicy Makenek slow cooker recipe; sausages seem to do really well in the slow cooker; avoid cooking times over five or six hours Bison and Mushroom slow cooker recipe; including a lesson learned from adding bell pepper too soon Chicken and Sweet Potato slow cooker recipe; the higher heat setting with the shorter cooking period yields optimal results Adobo Chicken slow cooker recipe; no browning step required Split Pea Soup ham hock or other smoked component is the flavor must-have for this one; can probably skip vegetable browning without much impact A few lamentable circumstances confirm the observations you have already made: After dozens if not hundreds of recipes, I have found browning the meat is generally necessary for flavor development in the slow cooker. This can happen the night before, however, and leave all ingredients in the fridge, then plug in the slow cooker anytime over the next two days. And it's not a 100% truism--see the Adobo Chicken and Chicken with Sweet Potato for seasoning-rich examples that bypass the browning hassle. The slow cooker is not the ideal "fix it and forget it" device, unless your work day is six hours or you have an auto shutoff switch and a high tolerance for unmonitored temperatures. Said another way, most of my outrageously successful recipes have a cook time of four to six hours, not eight to ten. Eight to ten hours nearly always brings the mush and muddle factor. If time savings and flavor intensity are desired outcomes, how much experience do you have with a pressure cooker? Place chopped vegetables, cubed meat, flavorful liquid and seasonings in the cooker, and leave it in the fridge while you are at work. Anytime during the next day or two, you can then put it on the stove, bring it to pressure, and within the hour (sometimes half hour if not dense ingredients) have a masterfully flavored concoction with a clean kitchen and very little effort except keeping an eye on the pressure level. With this method of cooking, browning the meat does not seem to be as critical; cooking at pressure brings so much flavor to the party the possibilities are more varied.

The craving hit last night for Indian flavors in the northwest Alexandria/Arlington/Falls Church corridor. The uber-casual Kohinoor Dhaba, with it’s steep stairs and my damp-weather Knees of FailTM, did not appeal. Haandi seemed a viable option, but Route 7 blocked us with it’s Golden Globe-winning performance of a parking lot. So to Raaga we ventured, too shy to cross the Potomac for Masala Art (my kingdom for a teleporter!). We may have hit the scene on a bad night of post-holiday apathy, but Raaga appears to be a restaurant in decline. I’ve visited Raaga maybe a half dozen times over the past several years. Flavors have been firmly in the OK-to-good camp, nothing show-stopping with interest or complexity, but generally an apt rendition of tandoori, curry, and vegetable favorites with decent-to-good quality ingredients. On our recent visit, a few circumstances culminated in what is likely my last visit to this restaurant. One was my mental note that the dining room seems to have stagnated for many years without an upgrade. The lighting continually flickered as we ate, the furniture and carpet looked worn in places. While sitars, golden elephants, and a few other adornments appear scattered throughout, the visually striking venue I used to know has left the building. This seems more a function of time and age than any willful downward adjustment. However, my other observations reflected clear choices of the staff to downgrade the dining experience. One issue started with acoustics, and then evolved into a service blight. As we were seated in the charming booths at the front of the restaurant, I was immediately distracted from my companion’s conversation by a perpetual beeping tone every five seconds. The sound was exactly like that of a hospital's intensive care unit, neither a fond nor welcomed set of memories. I twice asked our server to fix the sound, who commented in an amused demeanor “we’ll try, it’s been like that for days”. He did not fix the problem, did not report back on status, did not empathize with or share my obvious concern, and did not offer the opportunity to change tables or make other adjustments. Other service blips followed, surprising for a nearly empty restaurant. No one conducted the “quality check” within a few moments of food delivery, leaving us without a forgotten condiment for upwards of ten minutes. These and other service misplays, with zero acknowledgement or visit from a manager, indicate a staff either willfully out of touch or unable to deliver customer comfort or care. A second warning sign was when I ordered seafood masala. (User Error Alert: What genius took up residence in my skull telling me to order seafood, midweek, the day after a holiday, I cannot recall.) The server asked if spicy would be OK, and since I was auditioning for my own award-winning performance of Agreeable Airhead, I said yes. My companion’s lamb vindaloo ($16.95) was deliciously deep to savor, tasting long-stewed and carefully constructed. The rice and the assorted bread basket ($8.95) featuring roti, garlic naan, and onion kulcha were unremarkable, but fine. The Raita ($2.95) was more liquefied than expected, but tasted fresh with clean yogurt flavor. However, my dish of shrimp, scallop, and salmon masala ($17.95) tasted of tomato-forward, hastily composed ingredients spiced up to mask off flavors. I ate little, said nothing, and resigned myself to bread and borrowed vindaloo sauce. A single bad dish and poor service on an off night might not portend the end. Reflecting on their business model, the lunch buffet may be what keeps this restaurant going, being popular with the local office crowd. But the types of errors I experienced, and the accompanying apathy, are not the harbingers of dinner excellence, effective management, nor good value.

Roland Spiced Octopus; easy open tin BekSul Crispy Toasted Seaweed; snack pack (shelf-stable deliciousness) (first miracle) (of 2013)

I am not Paneradvocate, but similar calories + similar fat content does not = similar nutrition. I'd take lettuce, produce, leaner meat, and heart-healthy olive oil fats from a salad over WhiteFlourChemicalsAndSatFatFest just about any day. So salad (assuming non-lethal dressing) over burgers or fried fish for sure, but if McD's salads are more nutrient-packed, fewer additives/preservatives, and less calorically-intensive than Panera, that's a fascinating and unexpected data point. The lens of calories and fat reminds me of a time when I was a counselor at a YMCA camp. The kids would race off to get their mid-day snacks, and the calorie-conscious teens would consistently choose a 3 Musketeers over an organically certified, Omega-3 (ground flax seed), fiber-rich (oats) and protein-packed (nuts) granola bar because the candy bar had 50 fewer calories and a few less grams of fat. They even said "the granola bar is delicious but who wants all that fat?" *face palm*

I have no idea why/how/the mechanisms which make it so, but black olive and feta flavors always seem to pair marvelously with spaghetti squash. We usually cook up a quick tomato sauce while the squash roasts, add the sauce sparingly, sprinkle with the sheep's cheese and kalamata, and enjoy as part of a hearty, veggie-based meal. We've also headed in a Thai peanut sauce direction, with much success. A good punch of lime and Thai chili makes all the difference. Have not yet made Smitten Kitchen's cumin/coriander prep, and would bake rather than microwave, but the flavors look quick and promising. Regarding texture, our favorite method is to bake the face-down halves in a half inch of water---this provides the pleasantly resilient texture while avoiding smoky/burned flavors. As others have noted, spaghetti squash is nothing like pasta, but everything like delicious if sourced well and seasoned honorably. Many forgo those last two criteria and have a bad experience, hence the lack of popularity or ubiquity on winter seasonal menus.

Hrmph. (all restaurants) (should have) (such wisdom)

Three more reasons to venture towards Del Ray Pizzeria this season... 1. Grilled Romaine Salad, $6: Smoke from the pecans, thinly sliced pear, micro-crumble blue cheese, maple-glazed bacon bits, and honorably grilled lettuce make this salad a lot more than the sum of it's flavor parts. I am not normally a fan of grilled leaf anything, but will be returning soon for this one. 2. Gift Certificate for a Trivia Buff, price varies: Monday nights are trivia night, a pleasant early-week diversion for any trivia hounds on your gift list. As an extra bonus, get me to come along, they'll feel omniscient. 3. The Enclosed Snapshot, free: This is what diners see when they first walk in the door this week. (p.s. at dairy godmother) (house made marshmallows are back!) (walking distance: 150 feet)

Another quick shout out to echo the sentiments above. Feeling tired, cold, and in need of almost-back-home hospitality with honest food and people who care about what they are serving? La Casa is your place. Sit at the bar or in a booth. You'll find two beers on tap---usually Stella and either Port City something or Bell's seasonal ale. Your favorite spirit is probably in the building, not a bad selection, and do check out the house cocktail menu for some lively finds in the $8 range. Sandwiches are simple and filling. The Greek Mezza Platter ($10.99) is a hearty feast for one, or share with some, but heck if I'm sharing my taramasalata with anyone. Other recent enjoyments include anything involving gyro meat (sandwich, pizza, salad) and a fork-fight worthy rendition of galaktoboureko, sturdy/light semolina custard with pillow phyllo graced by puffs of powdered cinnamon and not-too-sweet floral syrup. (one day) (shwe ji vs. galaktoboureko contest) (one day)

Exactly three years after my inaugural visit, we lucked into finding ourselves near Woodberry Kitchen around 5PM on a Saturday. A remarkable experience, as this is a profoundly remarkable venue. But you lucky Baltimore people already knew that :-) Noticeable Upgrades Since Last Time * The bathrooms! Along with major remodeling enhancements, I noticed a bold shrub of rosemary adjacent to the sink, nature's ultimate air freshener. Washable hand towels are now part of the scene, and the odd lobby smell has completely left the building. * The bottles! Three years ago, there was no such display. But this time, a massive cabinet of neatly organized, clearly labeled preserved goods graced the left side of the lobby, featuring everything from pickled purslane to jalapenos and fish peppers to the makings of future sorbets. When you visit, take a moment to check it out. It's impressive and inspiring, but easy to miss if you are bee-lining to the restaurant. * The beverages! Speaking of Bee Line (honey gin, apple brandy, lavender vermouth, preserved apricot, $12), that was worth ordering, but the best winter cocktail of my life was also on it's way. Orchard Crossroads ($12), an unusually refreshing melange of apple, spiced pumpkin molasses, tart verjus, and a whisper hint of absinthe. Not a food-friendly beverage, not at all, but an ideal aperitif and a must-have for anyone seeking a late autumn stroll down an apple orchard lane with an anise field breeze drifting in from the North. Bracing, complex, provocative, and delightful. As others have noted, Woodberry Kitchen's cocktail program features house-made Just About Everything™, including bitters, fruit syrups, ginger beer, liquors, and anything else you could possibly find in a drinkable masterpiece. * The fire! Two cast iron chimineas appeared out front, to help valets ward off a chill. The pleasing pop of self-contained fire offers a warming scene with a subtle connection to tireless combustion seared into history by yesterday's foundry workers. * More fire! Real candles, not the wimpy battery-powered flameless frauds, added even more charm to the restaurant's epic ambiance. Of special note are the live flames behind smartly designed bottles of microdistillery spirits at the bar. Live Flames + High Proof Alcohol in Thick Glass = No Real Danger, but a lot of fun talking about said danger. Other Observations We sat at the bar serviced by bartenders who were knowledgeable, friendly, and fantastically deft with their ongoing alchemy. We were struck by the awesome teamwork between the bar staff, wait staff, bus service staff, kitchen staff, and hosts. The supportive tone of helpful and professional radiates into every one of their interactions, directly translating to a better customer experience. Future patrons take note: if you don't have reservations, sit at the bar closest to the wood-burning oven. From this vantage point, we had an entertaining view of plates leaving the kitchen and of adjacent prep stations, and no one encroached on our space. However, the patrons at all other bar seats were eventually crowded and jostled by other people waiting for their tables. And they are probably all busy nights, this place is righteously hopping. Orders included Oyster Stew ($12), Mason Dixon oysters (herb butter and fish pepper hot sauce; $14), Bull Roast Oysters (short rib, sour cream, pickled ramp, watercress $14), Radish Plate ($4), Shrimp Roasted Over Coals ($15), Pork Fat Fries ($6), and the Peanut Chew for dessert ($8). The Oyster Stew is a must have, not too filling for a starter course, delicate enough to deliver exceptional flavor and palate-awakening brine. It was not mentioned on the ingredient list, but unctuous bits of smoked pork took this stew to a new level of heady deliciousness. Both roasted oyster varieties honored the bivalve, neither one dominated with too many flavors or weighty ingredients. The Bull Roast was the clear winner of the two for our palates, a fascinating balance and the perfect bite. The fries were OK, deftly seasoned but not remarkable, and served with too little ketchup. The shrimp, joy of joy, were served head-on and peeled, charcoal-roasted to perfection and shockingly well-paired with frisee lettuce, roasted broccoli, and Worcestershire sauce. I was highly skeptical of Worcestershire as being anything but a dominant smokey salt lick, but this house-made rendition worked out artfully and harmoniously. The Peanut Chew was the right choice for any fan of the prolific legume or toffee flavors. A separately ordered Amaretto Sour ($12) was beautifully presented in a frothy column with lemon peel garnish, but neither nutty nor sour, the one miss of the evening. The frantically escalating pace of the dinner and bar activities could have been the root cause of an otherwise worthy beverage. Major kudos to the host staff who did not judge our attire. Returning from an athletic event, we were self-consciously dressed in decidedly sporty gear, but encountered not so much as a blink of dismissal or raised eyebrows from the host and bartending staff. And thanks to the hosts for the cheery well-wishing on the way out, a smile-inducing conclusion to a memory-forged evening.

Any recent recommendations for dishes to try at Siam House? I will be meeting a colleague there next weekend...

Call around to Lebanese/Syrian shops (asking for it as "husroum"). Perhaps other ethnic shops could have it as well, under a different language name?

Breezed in to the DC Coast the other night, early evening, for a post-work meetup with an old friend. Seeing most bar stools occupied, we sat at the bar facing the dining room, our backs to the "real bar". I was at first disappointed we could not sit at the main scene, but the location turned out to be a wise choice. Unlike patrons at the regular bar, my friend and I were able to continue conversing comfortably and had the best view for people watching when the area soon became crowded and happening with lobbyists and staffers. Bee's Knees ($13, comb gin, honey syrup, fresh lemon juice, lemon twist) hit the spot, masterfully blended without a whisper of wayward ice. From the regular menu, Pork and Surf ($13, described as crispy pork terrine, charred octopus, petite lettuces, sauce gribiche) turned into Surf & Surf, due to an outage of terrine. We delighted in this dish, tender and flavorful, octopus grilled honorably. We also shared an arugula salad from the regular menu ($13, local lettuce, Benton’s country ham, salt roasted beets, candied walnuts, fig vincotto) and crispy mushroom dumplings ($6, with ponzu and asian slaw) from the bar menu. Major bonus points for incredibly quick food delivery, less than five minutes from order to arrival, including an unobtrusive, nearly ninja-like, delivery of silverware. Tip for future happy hour patrons: Even at this aesthetic and price point, and on a busy weekend night, there are no servers supporting the bar area. This makes business sense, ordering through the bartender enables more rapid turnover in a high-demand situation. Bar service was prompt and professional, but the layout made for challenging logistics. Try to sit where we did, your back to the main bar and next to the mermaid statue, unless you want people (like me!) walking up behind you to order all the time. I met several fun people this way, but still felt guilty for encroaching on their space, and there was no other way to make it work. Tip for the venue: Especially before you turn the music up at 5:30, encourage the friendly host to avoid pencil-tapping to music only he can hear. He may not know it, but the acoustics transmit his actions directly to bar patrons. That sound was driving us just about bonkers, and we were on the edge of mentioning it to him, but then 5:30 hit, the turned up music reached our ears, attendance suddenly skyrocketed, and all was well in the listening world.

As goldenticket noted previously, Cafe Nicole is no more. A large, temporary sign yesterday proclaimed "Caboose Cafe". Best wishes to the new venue, and I will miss the old one. Huge, deftly brewed coffee drinks in an old diner, large-window setting, with a friendly vibe hard to match in our town. Fond memories and appreciation for Nicole, her family and staff.

Rustico, Alexandria, "Chef's Table". These counter seats are next to the kitchen, but the same menu as everyone else. Although more observational than hands-on, the view is entertaining and interesting. Plus, walk over to Buzz bakery afterwards for eye-widening dessert designs the little ones will adore.