Flavortown

Psh...that's no good then. There are plenty of Thursdays to choose from.

I'd definitely prefer a Thursday, as work claims my Tuesday nights. Which Thursday it is isn't a major concern though. Maybe the 19th would be good?

Wednesdays are good for me too.

Me too; I've been wanting to try Proof forever...or at least for a little more than a year.

This is perhaps the first time that I find myself able to respond with "LOL" and actually mean it. I seriously cracked up.

Roasted Odds and Ends from the CSA: Brussel sprouts, potatoes, mushrooms, baby shallots, and onions, seared in a litle butter, tossed with a little olive oil, then roasted and finished with a squeeze of lemon juice. As I read this thread each day I think more and more that we should be doing more potlucks than just two picnics a year.

Thanks Daniel (and KMango) for offering rides, but due to success in my job search (oh man, now I might actually be able to fund all this crazy eating) I'm going to have to back out as well. I'm really eager to get to dim sum at some point though, so I'll definitely be in next time. Enjoy, and I'll be looking forward to a report. - Gennaro

I feel like I'm starting to take unofficial ownership of this thread...it makes me consider going to Radius less often, but at the same time I feel the need to consume as many Fall Pizzas as possible before the seasons change. At any rate, a job interview had me within walking distance of Radius tonight, and that was a good enough excuse for me to cajole some friends into meeting me there for the purposes of further exploring the menu. After having a taste of Chef Wiss' Polenta ($4)last time around, we couldn't resist ordering a side of it as an appetizer. Just as creamy and delicious as last time, but in a much bigger portion than what couched the mushroom ravioli. Our other appetizers included the Crispy Calamari with smoked paprika aioli ($8), which wasn't the crispiest rendition I've ever had, but was certainly tasty, and not rubbery at all; and the Duck Confit Pasta with sweet potato and mascarpone($9/$15). The second that pasta landed in front of me, I was hit by the smell of duck, and could hardly resist digging in. It was a generous portion, with large chunks of duck meat mixed among the strands of fresh fettucine, and the crispy sweet potato sticks on top were a really nice touch that I hogged all to myself even though I shared the dish with three others. From there, we went for a large Fall Pizza and a large cheese pie, both of which were good. Yet next to the combination of flavors at work on the Fall pizza, plain cheese just seems bland (ordering it was a concession to my friends, I would have preferred something with copious amounts of pancetta). We closed out the night with an order of Tiramisu Cheesecake and Pumpkin Bread ($6 each, I think). Both were delicious. The pumpkin bread we got in our goodie bags a few weeks back was good, but warmed, with powdered sugar, it was about 10 times better. As for the cheesecake, I tend to have the problem of finding cheesecake to be too rich. I have a bite, and can't keep going. This one was light and fluffy, much like actual tiramisu, and the flavor of coffee and the accompanying sauce (caramel, I think) made it all too easy for me to just keep going at the large slice we received. All in all, a really delicious meal, and for the price, absolutely awesome. Here are some pictures, hastily taken with my iPhone prior to digging in: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43309140@N08/sets/72157622699719340/show/with/4059494587/

How'd yesterday's Co-op shift go? Wish I could have gone, but my class schedule conflicts with the time. I did see the "Don Rockwell.com" group listed in the morning email though, since its sent out every day to all DCCK staff (even us interns). Apparently you all were working with a fraternity and a church group? It's always interesting to see who else will be there for any given shift.

11:30 sounds good. PS - just found out that Tenleytown --> Shadygrove is a $4 metro charge. What thievery.

Oh yeah - if anybody happens to be heading out of DC to get there and wants to give me a ride, I'd appreciate it. Or a lift from the Shady Grove station would work too.

Very true. I love a good omelette, but it's close between that and a simple potato, onion, and cheese frittata.

I'd be interested.

A few people mentioned wanting a recipe for the Suppli, so I'll throw that up here too. It's pretty much just a Mario Batali recipe that I modified to exclude the meat and mushroom filling that he uses. Mario Batali's Version Mine: Ingredients 2 cups of stock (don't use low sodium, it comes out lacking salt even with all the parmigiano - keep extra stock in case the risotto dries out too much before reaching al dente) 1 - 2 tbsp tomato paste 16 ounces peeled San Marzano tomatoes and their juice, crushed by hand 3 tablespoons butter 1 and 2/3 cups Arborio (or other risotto) rice 2 eggs 2/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano (more to taste) Fresh Mozzarella Panko Batali says to mix the butter, stock, and crushed tomatoes in a pot, then to bring it to a boil and add the rice. Not how I did it, but I doubt it makes much of a difference. I melted the butter on low heat in a big pot while starting to heat the stock in a saucepan. Whisked the tomato paste into the stock, crushed the tomatoes through a strainer, and added the rice to the melted butter. Mixed the rice with the butter to coat it, then added the stock and the crushed tomatoes. Jack up the heat, mix thoroughly, and lower to a simmer once it comes to the boil. Stir every few minutes, and when it's al dente, turn it out into a large bowl. Whisk the 2 eggs, and gradually mix them into the risotto along with the cheese, then allow it all to cool (the colder it is, the easier it is to work with). Spreading the risotto out in a shallow pan can make things go more quickly. In the mean time, do a 1/4-inch dice on the fresh mozzarella. When the risotto is cool, use a spoon to scoop some up, shape it like a football, make a nook inside with your finger, and add 3 or 4 pieces of the mozzarella. Seal it back up, then roll the risotto in the panko. Refrigerate the finished rice balls for at least an hour so that they set and keep their shape (I usually leave them overnight). Take them out and let them start to warm up as you heat oil - both deep and shallow frying work, just make sure the oil isn't too hot since the suppli need to cook a while for the mozzarella inside to melt. For deep frying about 325 degrees seems right. Fry until browned and crisp, lift them out, drain on paper towels, and sprinkle with coarse salt. As for the basil aioli, I sort of just figured out the proportions as I went along. Started with 4 cloves of garlic mashed in a mortar and pestle with some kosher salt. Whisked an egg yolk until its color shifted, added in the garlic paste, some salt and pepper, and around 1.5 tbsp of lemon juice. Slowly whisked in about 4 ounces of light olive oil, but the more you add the thicker it'll get (1 yolk can emulsify up to 8 oz of oil, I think). Mashed up a bunch of basil with the mortar and pestle, whisked that in along with additional black pepper and some parmigiano, and thinned the whole mixture down a bit with a little water, and it was done. And that's it. I doubled the recipe and got 38 suppli, but I made them relatively large using a heaping tablespoon of risotto for each.

Recipe Requests: Those awesome peanut butter balls. The red cabbage slaw (my CSA stuck me with a giant red cabbage that needs to be gotten rid of, and this would definitely be a delicious way of achieving that goal) And I'd ask for the crab rangoon recipe, but if I had that information I'd be liable to clog my arteries even worse than usual.

Roasted acorn squash, stuffed with a mixture of the squash, sauteed onions, mushrooms, rice, garlic, soy sauce, and Parmigiano.

Thanks to everyone - both individual board members and restaurants - who put in time and effort preparing food, bringing equipment, and organizing what turned out to be a really great even. Special thanks to Leigh for making sure all the components came together, and to Dave for getting me there. This was my first picnic, but it definitely wont be my last. So much good, and so many interesting people - it was really great putting more faces to names and learning more about the people who post here. I ate far too much food in the end (unlike those who regretted missing certain dishes, I'm fairly certain that I tried 95% of them, and that I had seconds or thirds of many); my taste buds thanked me at the time, but my stomach is still angry with me. Next time I think pacing will have to be key. As for favorites...there were so many awesome dishes, but the ones that really standout in my mind... Dan's Steak Sandwiches - Oh my god, perfection. I took one, and then resisted the urge to have another when only a few were left. Then the plates were refilled, and I just couldn't resist grabbing another. Chaofun's Ribs - Absolutely fantastic. He said they were smoked for 5 hours - and I can empathize with putting so much time in (damn aiolis and emulsions...), but it was worth every minute of effort. Those were some of the best ribs I've ever had. Scott's Sausage Crackers - I was expecting something boring. I looked at them and thought they'd be boring. I ate them and then I couldn't stop eating more. Homemade crackers, really good cheese, awesome sausage, and basil - simple, yet everything just worked so well. Mary's Crab Rangoons - I've had crab rangoons before, and was expecting the same old stuff...yet these were far and away the best rendition I've ever had. I stole a few at the end of the picnic and at them cold later, and they were even better like that. Cabbage Slaw - A sleeper hit - this was my favorite of the side-dishes/salady sort of items, along with the forbidden rice salad from the Majestic. Sou'Wester's Fried Chicken - Better than when I had it at the restaurant, this was great. Edit: Totally forgot 2 others that I really liked. Dave's apple cider was great, a perfect end to the massive meal even for someone who normally doesn't even like cider, and thepeanut butter balls which were my favorite of the desserts. Of course, there were tons more delicious items than what I've listed, and there wasn't a single thing I regretted eating. Lastly, thanks to all who enjoyed the Suppli. I'm glad they turned out well, and I'm already mulling over ideas for different flavors/fillings for the next picnic. Hope to see more of you all at upcoming events and such, - Gennaro

Vindication! Now we'll just have to see if I manage to wake up tomorrow for the picnic.

Emulsion just broke with like 2 squirts of oil left to be added. There are no words for my anger. Haha, suddenly the jar of Hellmans is seeming like a much better idea than it did yesterday. Edit: And I put a lovely typo in the title. How appropriate.

I'll be bringing my suppli and accompanying sauce (if it comes out half decent) in a cooler, so once they're out that'll be available for use as well.

Looks like Dave beat me to the punch, but I'll throw in my perspective as well (even though I'm mostly in agreement). I'd been planning on heading over to Vidalia for the Pig and Pinot happy hour, but all the coverage of Birch & Barley and ChurchKey had me interested. When I saw Dave was heading over there tonight, I joined in, and like he said, we weren't the only ones standing outside, eager to get in. Just as it started to drizzle, they opened their doors (around 5:40?) and we headed upstairs. I'm not exactly a beer enthusiast, but I knew that I was going to have to do some exploring of their ridiculous beer list. I settled on the Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale, and though I'd never had it before, I sensed the same thing as Dave: I could smell the pumpkin, but the flavor wasn't there. Still, it was enjoyable enough. My second was the Climax Nut Brown Ale, chosen simply because it hails from New Jersey. Filed under the Malts, this one had a rich flavor, slightly nutty, but more caramel-like than anything else. As for the food, I too was extremely impressed. Based on the mass of people flooding the place, and the fact that it's so new, I'd set my standards relatively low. As soon as the Arancini and the Fried Mac and Cheese came out, I knew I was mistaken. I was amazed by how crispy, and not greasy, both of these were. I would easily trust anything fried coming out of that kitchen, and I want the secret behind that frying technique for when I make my Suppli at the picnic. Beyond the perfectly crispy exterior, the Arancini were good, but I wouldn't feel compelled to order them again; the Mac and Cheese, on the other hand, was dangerously good, and the tomato sauce served alongside it was a perfect match. The Deviled Eggs (dubbed Green Eggs and Ham) were not my favorite, but that's simply because I'm not a big fan of deviled eggs. Despite this, I could tell that they were truly well done, and the duck pancetta was great. The major miss of the night was the Pulled Pork Flatbread - no where near enough pork (I didn't taste any), just lots of pickled flavor all over the place. Also, it took quite a while for this to come out (not sure what the circumstances were), but our waitress did a fantastic job of keeping us updated amid the delay, and when it finally did come out, she removed its cost from the bill. The Ricotta, Mozzarella, and Taleggio flatbread was impressive though: a nice crust, wih good balance between being chewy and crispy, and with the right amount of char and resulting smoky flavor. Plus the cheeses worked nicely, and gave it a lot of flavor. The desserts were simply fantastic. The icing in the Oatmeal Creme Pie must have been laced with some form of illegal narcotic, and the cookies themselves had the sort of soft, chewiness I love in an oatmeal cookie. The Caramel Popcorn contrasted completely with this: it was perfectly crispy, and delicious as a result. Some of the pricing seems a little unbalanced (that Pulled Pork Flatbread didn't come close to reaching its $14 price tag), but the ratio of portion to price is generally reasonable (especially with the desserts). Based on both the food and service offered tonight, I'll definitely be back to tackle the more substantive downstairs menu, to continue plowing through the beer list, and to get at least one more order of that Mac and Cheese. Edit: Terribly low quality photos, incoming. Only captured a fraction of what we ordered, since I was so hungry that I pounced on the food each time it was brought and forgot all about taking pictures (as proven by the photo of half eaten Fired Mac and Cheese and Arancini) Fried Mac and Cheese: Cheese Flatbread:

Another special event coming up at Volt, this time a tribute to Edgar Allen Poe next Thursday, October 29th. Two menus, one focusing on his birth and childhood, the other on his death. Both sound pretty awesome. Release: http://www.voltrestaurant.com/pdf/Poe%20Dinner%20Release.pdf Menus: http://www.voltrestaurant.com/pdf/poe%20menu.pdf Anybody else have a sudden desire to go on a field trip?

I might have to head over as well after the internship.

I agree that the decision was probably fueled mostly by trends rather than just what happened this episode, but even disregarding Laurine's lackluster record, she did poorly enough this time around to legitimate her being sent home. Kevin's pork dish wasn't a failure from what the judge's said, and while the lamb was too rare, it was also the dish that Laurine was responsible for, so she should have pushed harder to get it cooked the way she wanted it done, especially after telling Tom she was turning back any plates she wasn't happy with. Really, she was disastrous as FOH. When she didn't even explain the dishes to the judges, I knew she was screwed. And based on the comments they showed from diners, it wasn't just the judges who felt like they weren't getting enough "education" about what they were eating. As for Jen, she really screwed up. But it would have been insane for them to boot her, especially since it seemed like Laurine should have been out last week after her total misunderstanding of technique and resulting sucky dish.

Classic and Comforting as well. PS - Was anybody else severely disappointed with the burger options in the last question? I didn't like any of them. They just made me want something more like "peppercorn crusted with gruyere, grilled onions, sauteed mushrooms, and applewood smoked bacon" (aka last night's Hell burger).