Flavortown

Depends on the soup, of course. But leleboo is right - I'm sure whatever you'd bring is different enough that it'd be more than worth having. Sounds good to me. Wikipedia describes it has having a chicken stock base, with vegetables (including the melon), and meat. Is that right? Wikipedia also has it classified as a savory "Fruit Soup," so we can go with that. I'll list that soup for now, and if you decide to do a different pork soup instead (pig is always welcome), just let me know. Is this Zoni? Looking forward to it, whatever the name is.

Two thoughts: If college students knew that Chef Seth's Chilli Cheese Toast existed, sales of Domino's cheesy bread in the DC Metro area would plummet immediately. I could eat an unlimited number of Tandoori Wings, especially with the jalapeno/mint/cilantro sauce (a perfect accompaniment) that they are served with. And I could do so without pause, despite the fact that (or maybe because?) each bite fuels a gradually building heat in your mouth that packs the perfect punch, always present but never eclipsing all the other layers of flavor at work on those wings. I'll definitely be back at SpiceXing soon to eat a full meal.

At some point during my hours of crafting chicken noodle soup over the past few days, between straining stock and discussing the process with leleboo, a thought struck me: I really like soup...why not see what other kinds people can cook up? And so the notion of a soup exchange was born. Leleboo provided the title, and she's offering to host it. Friday, January 22nd is the date. Here's the idea: whoever wants to take part signs up to cover a subset of soup, and then makes whatever soup they'd like that falls into this category. We gather at leleboo's place, and have a multicourse meal of soups and maybe some small accompaniments, depending on what's appropriate for the soups being served. The idea would be to have no two soups that are too similar, and hopefully to cover a broad spectrum of flavors, textures, ethnicities, and so on. Some of the categories that sprung to mind... Noodle Soup Chowder Stew Bisque Consommé Purée/Velouté Chilled Soup Obviously, some categories have way more variety than others and could be taken on by multiple people - for example, "stew" could reasonably encompass a number of drastically different dishes, from a fish stew like Bouillabaisse or Cioppino, to Gumbo, to a beef stew. So, there's wiggle room, and more than one person may be able to pick certain categories. We've got plenty of time to decide who'll do what, so feel free to start posting ideas. Given the way this will work (everyone who takes part will have to cook enough food for all the others), and the number of people who can be seated comfortably, the cap for this event will have to be 10. Lastly, I claim Chicken Noodle Soup. Attendance List (Full) Gennaro -- Chicken Noodle Soup (Noodle Soups) Leleboo -- Butternut Squash with Sage Soup (Purée/Velouté) DanielK -- Oxtail Stew (Meat Stew) Goodeats - Winter Melon with Pork Soup (Clear Soup - Chinese) Xochitl10 - Ozouni with Meat and Salmon Roe (Clear Soup - Japanese) Zirkminsky - Roasted Tomato Bisque with Herb Toasts and Mussels (Seafood Bisque) KMango - Batting Cleanup (Something We Don't Have) Marketfan - Chilled Beet Soup? (Cold Soup) Hillvalley - Bread, Cheese, Etc. (Accoutrement Duty) All right guys, sorry to those who may still be tempted by the allure of so many soups in on place, on one day, but we've reached our cap (between people providing food and +1s). However, there is a wait list that a maximum of 5 people can sign up for. If somebody suddenly has to back out, you'll be asked to swoop in with the soup you've offered to make (hopefully with enough notice to actually cook it). Wait List (Max 5)

Chicken Noodle Soup The dish I wanted most while home, and never got to have. So I took it upon myself to mimic my mother's rendition. Phase 1: Picked up a chicken on Tuesday (a 6 lb chicken, to be precise - the smaller ones weren't on sale, and I couldn't see paying more for a chicken that weighed half as much, even if this is way too much chicken for one person) and made cooked it with carrots, celery, peppercorns, salt, water, to make a stock and the chicken meat for the soup all at once. Phase 2: Strained the vegetables out, set the chicken aside, and refrigerated the stock. Oh, and I found that 30 cups of hot fluid was too much for my mini refrigerator to handle. Rather than the stock cooling down, everything else got hot, and I had to resort to the freezer. Phase 3: Skimmed off the fat from the cooled soup last night, then strained it 3 times through quadruple layered cheesecloth, one ladle at a time, since it didn't want to clear up. Phase 4: Simmered fresh carrots and celery in the stock, along with par-cooked egg noodles and some of the chicken to reheat. This is what happens when I have no classes and way too much time on my hands.

Radius - New York Style, but it's all about the creative pies (Like Dave mentioned). Fall Pizza is awesome, as is the newer Winter Pizza (Celery root puree instead of sauce, parsnips, feta, and toasted pine nuts) 2 Amys - Closest I've ever had to what comes out of the brick oven in my back yard. Other than that, I've yet to try any of the other worthwhile Pizza places that have been mentioned here. I will note that Churchkey makes some damn good flat breads, though it's a stretch to include them here.

Thanks to everybody for coming to tonight's dinner, and thanks again to Atul and the staff at Masala Art for providing such a great meal. So many different flavors, many of which were completely new to me, as I'd never seen them on other Indian menus in the area. I'll definitely be back sooner or later with a smaller group so as to better hone in on a few dishes in particular and tease out their intricacies in a way that wasn't possible with just the bite or two tonight's dinner provided. Now for the rundown of what we had. It was a lot of food, and I know that I didn't get to taste a few of the dishes that we ordered because there were just so many plates flying everywhere, so I'll rely on others to fill in the blanks: Appetizers Pani Poori ($3.95): Puffed hollows stuffed with diced potatoes and chickpeas, topped with chutneys - eaten whole in one bite. I'd never tried these before, and they were truly a bite of pure deliciousness; nice and crisp on the outside, and the filling was packed with flavors that left a lingering heat. The spiced water poured over top not only adjusted the texture but also carried the flavors to one's taste buds much more effectively than if they had been left dry. Dahi Bhalle ($4.25): Velvety lentil dumplings in yoghurt sauce. Another new dish for me. The dumplings themselves had a really nice texture - extremely smooth and soft, but they didn't have much flavor. The sauce (a blend of cool yogurt and I believe tamarind) took care of providing flavor. It was relatively sweet, a nice contrast to all of the spiciness my mouth wound up dealing with, and the clash of warm and cool was really interesting. Sarson wali Gobhi ($4.25): Floret of tandoori cauliflower enveloped in rich coating of spices flavored with mustard seeds. A good dish, but not one of my favorites. Because of the color alone, all I could think of when I looked at it was cheese - and the texture of the thick, mustard seed laced sauce was actually reminiscent of this, but the flavors definitely were not. Compared to the other, more assertively flavored dishes we tried, this one was just a little on the bland side for me. Nukti Kabab on Khastha Roti ($5.25): Small pieces of boneless baby lamb served on small crisp Indian bread. I'm fairly certain that this was the dish Atul tacked this onto the menu that we came up with, and I'm really glad he did. This was my favorite of the appetizers: the lamb was extremely tender, a perfect contrast to the crispy bread beneath, and the sauce coating it had the perfect amount of heat that lingered for a longtime. Makai aur Mattar on Methi Missi ($4.25): Corn and green peas tossed with spice and served on small methi bread. Looked delicious, but I didn't get to taste it - anybody else want to offer a verdict? Tandoori Specialties Ajwaini Jumbo Prawns ($19.95): Jumbo prawns in saffron marinade and carom seeds. Wow, these shrimp were good. And they were giant. They came out tinted the usual shade of angry red that everything from the Tandoor is, and I was immediately glad that somebody had added them to our list. The flavor wasn't revolutionary, but it was truly satisfying. It was clear that the shrimp were of high quality, and the marinade complemented their inherent flavor well. They were served with the same Dal that accompanied the Gaulati kabab, and while I think that the Dal didn't actually work well with the shrimp, it was very tasty both on its own and with bread/rice. Tawa Selection Karwari Mushroom ($10.50): Mushroom coated with rice flour and South Indian blend of spices. I think that his was the dish of mushrooms that got passed to me, though I wasn't expecting them to be in a sauce, so those mushrooms may have been something else (a vegetarian plate). If this was what I ate, the mushrooms were tasty, but not particularly memorable in light of the other dishes. Gaulati kabab with Ulta Tawa Parantha ($12.95): An exotic lamb kabab from kitchen of Nizam, served with a small tawa bread. Another unique dish - Sudhir suggested ordering it, as he said that it was a specialty of the chef. Certainly interesting, and a good contrast to all of the wetter/sauced dishes. The lamb patties on their own were slightly dry, but had a nice flavor; adding the Dal, however, formed a bite that was far greater than the sum of its parts. Non Vegetarian Specialties Awadhi Dum ke Murg ($12.95): Specialty from Avadh - chicken cooked in rich brown cashew nut and saffron gravy. I really loved this, and wished I could have eaten the entire portion after taking my first bite. Normally I'm not a big fan of the creamier Indian dishes, but this had a great balance between the nuttiness of the cashew (or was it actually almond? Sudhir suggested it might be, and that seems more in line with what my taste buds were picking up), the saffron, and the cream. Most importantly, the sauce matched perfectly with the chicken; this dish was one of the rare cases where mopping up the sauce with bread wasn't nearly as satisfying as eating a bite of the chicken and sauce together. One of the night's highlights for me, for sure. Nariyal aur Pudina Fish Curry ($15.50): Fillet of sole cooked in a coconut and mint gravy. I am not a big fan of mint, but I really enjoyed this. It cut through the richer, heavier flavors of the lamb chops and other dishes, and was just really refreshing. And the mint wasn't overpowering - I could actually tell that I was eating fish. Adraki Lamb Chops ($13.45): Ginger flavored, cumin marinated, juicy lamb chops done to perfection in a delicious sauce. I wasn't expecting much from lamb chops, but the menu doesn't lie when it says "delicious sauce." I didn't particularly pick up on the ginger, but I did taste a blend of the lambs juices and the cumin in the sauce. I'm really not sure at all about what else was in there;.All I know was that it attracted my nan like a magnet. I don't eat lamb very frequently, but the meat itself seemed well prepared, juicy and tender thanks to being left on the bone (but still no match for the lamb appetizer in my book). Aloo Anardana ($8.95): Potatoes with dried pomegranate seeds. Was this our potato dish? I think so, since I don't see any others on the menu. I imagine that this was a good dish, and if I'd been eating it in the context of fewer plates, it might have stood out. But eating so many dishes, only the very best were able to stand out, and this one was just not super flavorful. However, I should note that the potatoes were nicely cooked - not all mushy as can sometimes happen. Lassoni Corn Palak ($8.50): Creamy spinach with corn tempered with garlic. Only got a bite, and wish I had gotten more. I think this dish is pretty much a classic, as I've seen it before, so while not particularly unique, it was very good. The spinach was creamy in texture, but not creamy in flavor (if that makes sense), so all you tasted was the freshness of the spinach and the sweetness of the bits of corn scattered throughout. I'd definitely order a side of this next time. Baingan Mirch ka Salan ($9.25): A delicacy from south of India - eggplant & pepper in sesame seed sauce. I was looking forward to this dish, but I don't think it made its way down to my side of the table. Can anyone else offer opinions? Pyazi Kadhi Pakodi ($8.75): Tempered yoghurt curry with batter fried onion. Another dish I'd been anticipating, but if it came to the table, I never saw it. Seems like a unique offering though, so I would definitely order it on my next visit. Did anybody get to see/eat it? Tandoori Malai Paneer with Tamater Cut ($10.95): Velvety cottage cheese cubes in a tangy tomato sauce. This was a great dish that got somewhat ignored (which meant I got a few extra bites). I think that far too often people visiting Indian restaurants lean toward the dishes that rely on a creamy tomato sauce (Makhani/Masala) - flavor combinations that satisfy in a very one note way. It almost feels like a cop out when I eat them, sort of like "well, this is full of cream and delicious, duh". Instead, the paneer here was sauced with a "tangy" tomato sauce that had a whole lot more complexity and punch than the rounder, smooth flavor of cream. I was very glad Atul suggested it. Breads We ordered a variety of breads - Warki Parantha, Khasta roti, Cheese Kulcha, and Rock Salt & Cilantro Nan - ($2.95 each, except for the Kulcha at #3.25) if I'm remembering correctly. To be honest, none really stood out to me, maybe because my taste buds were being assaulted by too many flavors. So many great things have been said about the Rock Salt & Cilantro Nan, but it just didn't taste particularly unique to me - I picked up on neither salt nor cilantro. Still, all the breads were fresh, and had a good texture, and served as effective vehicles for sauce. Accompaniments Papaddum ($1.00): Sent out by Atul, valued more by me for the interesting discussion it inspired (Sudhir explained how certain brands are made by women in India, and how the rolling of the dough is so hard that it is alluded to in Indian language whenever referring to something particularly difficult). While the accompanying sauces (a creamy mint sauce and tamarind, I think) were good, I found the papaddum had a far more interesting flavor when eaten on its own, unmasked. Onion Salad ($1.25): I think this was the pickled onions we had, which were nice and refreshing in the context of everything else. Wow. Hopefully I didn't miss anything. I'm having flashbacks to writing up the post for Sichuan Pavilion now. The pictures I took with my iphone didn't come out at all, so anybody wishing for visuals will just have to go order the food themselves and enjoy the flavors as well. Once again, thanks to everybody for coming, and to Masala Art for providing all of the great food. It was great to catch up a bit with people I hadn't seen for months in some cases, and to meet new people as well. Sorry to those of you who couldn't make it - hopefully next time. Finally organizing an event was definitely a learning experience, and I look forward to doing it again, hopefully with slightly better organization and planning the second time around. Gennaro

Haha, that's one of the few conclusions I came to quickly - every time I hit one of those sites on my iphone it drives me crazy. Thanks for the suggestions. So far my searching has turned up these two website builders. The first would probably be sufficient if it weren't for the lack of a built in email system and sign up form, but the latter seems pretty good: http://www.letseat.at/ http://www.networksolutions.com/business-solutions/index.jsp

Absolutely. I made the reservation for 20, and we've dropped to 18, so no problem at all.

Pan Roasted Chicken with celery root purée, caramelized apples, cauliflower, and chorizo - Radius Fall Pizza - Radius Beet Risotto with beet greens, roasted golden beets, and whipped goat cheese - Birch & Barley Tagliatelle with braised rabbit, carrots, and ricotta - Birch & Barley Winter Squash Arrancini - Churchkey Sauteed Yukon Gold Gnnocchi with mushrooms, corn, green beans, and parmesan - Proof Hush Puppies with honey butter - Sou'Wester Toscano Sandwich (pork shoulder, broccoli rabe, provolone) - Toscana Cafe Anchovies with roasted peanuts and hot peppers - Sichuan Pavilion

My father is reopening a second restaurant in NJ with a new name and concept some time this month, and has yet to establish a website for it. His first restaurant's site has been run by a customer and friend for a long time - it's boring, annoying, and lacks a lot of features that I think would go a long way toward increasing business. So, I'd like to step in and play a role in the creation of the site for this new place. That brings me to my question: does anybody have suggestions for resources, tools, and guides for designing and hosting a restaurant website? I have some experience working with html, but beyond that, I'm a novice. I don't expect to pull off anything astounding or artistic, but at least something simple and functional (e.g. easy to navigate, with a working email list, easy to update regularly, etc.). Thanks, Gennaro

Updated List: KMango Koolpaw Sudhir Seth (+1) marketfan (+1) elinw Scott Johnston Legant ol_ironstomach collije (+1) Alok bbhasin (+1) catharine (+1) eroica (+1) Our reservation is set for 7 PM, but if anybody would still like to join in, post away - I'll be reconfirming with the restaurant tomorrow to finalize the headcount. Also, I intend to get there a bit early (6:30 or so) to scope out the bar, and company is more than welcome. Sorry for those of you who had to drop out (JeffC, some +1s), but I'm sure there'll be a huge post on all the food for you to live vicariously through. Looking forward to a great meal with new and familiar faces alike. See you all tomorrow. Gennaro

Family's dropping me back off in DC tomorrow, and I'm working on choosing a place to bring them for brunch before they continue the trip back home to NJ. At the moment I'm leaning toward Firefly. This is totally last minute, but I figured I'd check if anybody had suggestions, as I haven't tried many brunches in DC. No hard and fast restrictions, but inside the city is preferred. Where's that brunch guide when you need it? Thanks Gennaro

Updated List: KMango(+1?) Koolpaw Sudhir Seth (+1?) JeffC (+1) marketfan (+1) elinw Scott Johnston Legant ol_ironstomach (+1) collije Alok Here's a link to the menu again. If you happen to start exploring, and you see any items that you already know you want to try, throw them up here or shoot me a PM. Also, anybody with questionable +1s, try to confirm so that we can close in on a final count in the next few days. See you all Thursday.

Christmas Eve (aka no meat) dinner with the family: Linguine Aglio e Olio Crab Cakes with Dijon Mustard and Chipotle-Lime sauces Fried Shrimp Caramelized Sea Scallops (my contribution - made according to Thomas Keller's recipe in Ad Hoc at Home, then finished with a pan sauce of white wine, lemon, butter, and parsley) Fresh Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies The last, lonely scallop:

Mondays are definitely low key in comparison to the rest of the week, as are Sundays. Either going on one of those days, or arriving before 6:30 any other night, pretty much guarantees you a table/spot at the bar at Churchkey.

Figured I'd break this off from the Twenty Dollar Tuesday thread, as it isn't actually on a Tuesday, and may attract those who don't normally check that thread, and because enough people have signed up that we can be certain it'll actually take place. So... Thursday, January 7th, 7PM, Masala Art (Indian), 4441-B Wisconsin Ave NW (Tenleytown Metro),DC menu, DR.com topic KMango(+1?) Koolpaw Sudhir Seth (+1?) JeffC (+1?) marketfan (+1) elinw Scott Johnston Keep the sign ups coming, I want us to be able to tear through as much of that menu as possible.

Honestly, that doesn't really sound like NY style pizza to me - it sounds like something all its own. From what I know of NY style pizza, it doesn't make any attempt to be as crispy in the center as it is at the crust - instead, the slices are actually rather floppy due to their size and the thinness of the crust, and as a result it can be folded. I've never had Lombardi's, and I can't think of a single place in DC that makes a pie like what you've described. Traditional Neapolitan pies are actually supposed to droop at their center, so 2 Amys and similar operations are obviously out, even though they offer pie options with the same sparse, yet high quality, ingredients. However, if you're looking for NY style pizza as I know it, Radius in Columbia Heights definitely fills that need. And, as an aside, when you reheat it, the entirety of the already sturdy slices actually become quite stiff and crispy.

Glad to see so many people are interested. I know there're a ton of dishes on the menu that I'm eager to try, so I'd love to get an army together for the purposes of trying as many dishes as possible. Seems like January 7th works for a lot of people, so that'll be the official date, barring natural disaster or similarly unforseen occurences. 7 PM is the usual time, so let's stick with that.

Next time you suddenly think "I could really go for some roasted chicken, time for a trip to Palena," pause, save the trip to Palena for when you want a burger, and head to Radius instead for a dish currently on their specials menu: Pan-Roasted Pennsylvania Chicken ($16) organic celery root purée, caramelized apples, local cauliflower, house-made chorizo. The focus of the dish is half of an Amish chicken, brined for days and then pan roasted, with a perfectly crispy skin. The coloration and crispness on the skin is far better than at Palena, and while the chicken doesn't quite erupt with juices like chef Ruta's (at Radius the white meat is off the bone), it is still extremely moist, and it packs a whole lot more flavor. The sweet, caremalized apples play well off the saltiness of the chicken's exterior, the roasted cauliflower is jus delicious, and the celery root purée simultaneously brings a change of texture (awesome creaminess) and a hit of light freshness that cutsthrough all the, deep roasted flavors. And then there's the chorizo, which I would gladly eat on it's own it was so good. I'm thinking that thus needs to be put on a pizza stat. There were other new dishes too - a Winter Pizza that uses the same celery root purée in place of sauce, exploiting that oddly fresh flavor and copping it with salty feta, caremalized mushrooms, and toasted pinenuts was really delicious. And the new ravioli, stuffed with beef shortrib and served over a foie gras cream is beautifully balanced: the super rich flavor of foie gras hits your tongue, and then the beef cuts right through it, and a sweet/acidic pomegranate reduction finished it all off nicely. But honestly, the chicken just stole the show. I hope it's still around wheni get back from home, as I'm already craving more and I only finished it 2 hours ago.

Hopefully we can pin down a date for a dinner at Masala Art a few weeks from now, as I'm going to be back home in NJ from the 14th until January 3rd. Perhaps the Thursday of the week I come back (January 7th) would work? Anyone whose interested, post away, and I'll be happy to keep track and organize the dinner itself if a sizable group signs up.

Obvious answer to your question and simultaneous proof of her presence: Sultut Harateen (Helen's Salad) ($5.95): Diced tomatoes and red onions in olive oil and lemon juice. Add feta cheese ($1.50)* They only name stuff after you if you show up a lot, right? * Appetizer Menu

Actually, I'm pretty sure that there is indoor seating upstairs.

I headed over to Dino myself a few nights back to finally give the truffle risotto a shot. Started off with an appetizer of Topinambur ($8), jerusalem artichokes pan roasted with walnuts & salt. I'd never had Jerusalem artichokes before, and I really loved them. The preparation seemed perfect to me, as it let their flavor come through, accenting it simply with oil, salt, and the walnuts. Risotto ai Tartufo Bianco ($39): risotto bianco {white wine, veggie stock, onion, grana cheese} with freshly grated white Albra truffle was up next. The risotto was brought out, and a moment later a server came by and shaved the truffle overtop. Sadly, I think a slight cold and stuffy nose (or maybe just an immunity to truffles?) prevented me from fully picking up on the aroma. The risotto was nicely cooked - neither too loose nor too tight, and the grains retained their individuality rather than being cooked to mush. Flavor wise it was purposefully somewhat bland so as to act as a stage for the truffles, but this may have been taken just a touch far. It's got me wondering: what if truffle, in some form, were incorporated throughout the cooking process, so as to spread the flavor beyond wherever the shavings fall?

Seriously. Overcooked cake = Win?

I picked this one up...you know, if anybody (or 3 anybodies) wants to buy a few off the link the website spat out after I made my purchase so that I can get another one free.