Arcturus

Transglutaminase is a naturally-occurring enzyme that works by bonding amino acids of the two cuts of meat, so after the enzymes have done their thing and the proteins on the surfaces of the "glued" meat are de (and then subsequently re-) natured, the only remaining trace of it is a small amount of a slightly differently structured protein. So, Dino, rest assured that there are no "industrial chemicals" in anyone's diet due to the use of TG.

It's safe to use and the end product (when prepared well) tastes good. I see no reason not to use/eat it.

This place is one of my favorite hangouts on H st. Love the bartenders, the menu (even late night) is very solid (ragu with egg? Charcuterie sammich? Yes please.), and it's got a great vibe to it.

We probably would have gotten up and went somewhere else.

The total on the credit card receipts was altered, and it's what showed up online, too. So, yeah, I think that you're right, a preauthorized tip was just put onto the total.

Danielk, I understand. I just never carry cash out of habit; it seems to have a way of disappearing.

Dude, you're in the biz, and you presented the server with seven credit cards for seven diners?

For eight diners, but yes. And even then only because they don't split checks, which is what we would have done if it was possible.

And I'll (obviously) disagree on the sadism of asking a server to do simple math and run cards for the right amount. I understand that running multiple cards can be difficult, but there are unpleasant elements of every job that still need to get done.

But I'm amused that the focus is on the number of credit cards presented instead of the altered total.

Joined a group of friends here over the weekend. The food was passable, certainly nothing to write home about, but the reason for me making this post is to warn those of you that may find yourselves there in the future to double check your credit card totals. I went there with a party of 7 people, with the bill being $113-ish, which divides to $16 and change, and then the credit cards were all ran for $18.98. There was no mention of an auto-gratuity on either the menu or the bill (if there were, this would be a non-issue, obviously), just the altered total, which seems shady to me.

Yup. There will be an entire section of the menu devoted to "snacks."

That street crawl sounds like an awesome idea. We've got some really talented neighbors that do some amazing stuff.

I love dining alone. I feel like it gives me more opportunity to really "digest" the food mentally and to see what's going on in the restaurant. Plus, I don't have to worry about the feelings of my dining companion/keeping her entertained/etc.

Also, then from the restaurant's side, I feel like it's even more important to take care of single diners, because there's nowhere to hide if the food or service is subpar. I think there's something very beautiful about serving someone who is clearly at the restaurant for the primary purpose of eating/drinking instead of entertaining/socializing, as if the unstated message of "this is what we're doing" is sent more directly. It's a more intimate experience.

I know this ad reads like a parody, but give Scot Harlan a chance.

Thank you.

I've heard through the grapevine that there have been a few construction delays, and the name is now going to be La Forchetta. Should be pretty solid from what I understand, though.

Say what you will about the pizze losing quality since Edan's departure, but the ones that I got to enjoy while Chris was there were were still among the best in the city, and he's still a damn good cook (and friend). He'll land on his feet, for sure.

So they've gone through two extremely talented chefs, and the place still isn't packed every night? Clearly, the only solution is to hire yet another one.

Just to add - I happened to be working from home on Friday and I saw that the Red Hook lobster truck was in Bethesda.

Jeff, you're more than welcome to borrow my megaphone if the need arises.

Very Zen, Rox. Nice one.

Da Marco does not deliver, nor should they. Neapolitan-style pizze travel worse than ornery, gout-ridden mothers-in-law. I also don't think they are big enough to share, but I also have a tendency to eat like a grizzly bear.

But you're right, they make some good stuff.

Maybe there will be Primanti Poutine tomorrow as a secret option. Board members only.

(Named after those maniacs in Pittsburgh that will eat coleslaw on or in anything)

I love how Dolcezza is the Rogue Brewery of Gelato. They make stuff that's so awesome that they can tell you exactly how to do it without worrying about someone making a product that's even close, let alone equal. That's some serious swag!

http://dc.eater.com/archives/2011/08/22/executive-chef-adam-stein-out-at-h-streets-queen-vic.php

Adam's been outta here for over a month. Ian seemed like a good enough dude, in the limited interactions we've had.

Just to be a fussy prick (who likes fresh, not frozen, lobster rolls), does anyone know of any milkshakes, anywhere, that use ice cream made with cane sugar and no high-fructose corn syrup? Because if so, I'll drive an hour round-trip for one; if not, I'll pass on all of them.

(And yes, I realize that driving an hour burns through two gallons of gasoline, so this is not some sort of holier-than-thou thing.)

The new ice cream (well, technically it's frozen custard) at Freddy's meets that criteria. Lobster rolls do too, btw.

I can't believe that people aren't jumping all over this. This is essentially Picasso asking for someone to help him buy paint. I'm sure whatever concept that pizza man's had floating around for years is just about a guaranteed success.

Al-Zaytoun rocks. It was a frequent stop back in the days that I lived down in Woodbridge. The owners are extraordinarily nice, the food is always good, and it's all reasonably priced.

For those of you that don't know, I've been doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for the better part of 4 years. Fifty-50 is by far the best school that I have come across, and the one that I call home. It's led by Ryan Hall, who has won the Mundials in both gi and no-gi divisions, won multiple North American tournaments, and is one of the few non-Brazilians to have ever medaled at the Abu Dhabi Championships. When he's not teaching at Fifty-50, he's training with Marcelo Garcia, generally considered to be one of, if not the best Jiu Jitsu practioners in the world. Ryan has done seminars across the world, and is renowned for his teaching prowess both in-person and through his bestselling DVD's. In addition to him, the other instructors have similar credentials, winning multiple local and national tournaments.

Here's one of the more famous videos of Ryan, detailing a particularly memorable sequence of moves that he used in a victory against UFC vet Hermes Franca: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mJT_PgVgPY

But what sets this school apart is the level of camaraderie and the lack of arrogance or ego from the instructors down. There's no pretense or attitude in the school towards new students or visitors, which is surprisingly rare. Laughing and jokes are common during classes, but training proper technique is taken seriously, and the environment is intensely geared towards making every student succeed. If any of you are thinking about starting Jiu Jitsu, I can't recommend Fifty-50 highly enough. There's a free trial week for anyone interested.

Here's the website: http://5050bjj.com/

Adam Litchfield

Eh. I'd eat Edan's pizze if he was making them blindfolded with only his left hand and suffering from Ebola. And I'm sure that even then they'd be better than 90% of what's around.

Edited for the PC sticklers around here, I have nothing against blindfolded people, left-handed people, or sufferers of Ebola.

Well, I dunno. Do you want to support the Rebel Alliance or the Empire?

To be honest, at the moment I think Pupatella has the best stuff going. Da Marco wasn't bad when I tried them, but I had more minor quibbles with their pizze than I did with Pupatella.

EDIT: But I haven't tried Edan's new place yet, which I'm sure is awesome.

Thanks for the info -- both new and old. I've been here 12 years and somehow have not made it to Horace & Dickey's yet.

Don't bother.