dmwine

I patronize the county stores for cheap Argentine and Chilean wines (esp Alamos and Cousino-Macul), and have bought some at the Randolph Rd store (near the gucci Giant) that were clearly cooked. The store gave me a refund no questions asked. I've had no problems with the White Oak store, but because of my experience at Randolph Rd and knowledge that the warehouse is not air-conditioned, I avoid the stores altogether in the summer months. I keep my fingers crossed at other times for rapid turnover in the warehouse.

Nope. Never heard of him. Must be your side of the species.

Anyone else notice this hilarious byline in today's Post Health section? The ... er, thrust ... of the article is that cardiovascular disease is a contributor to sexual dysfunction ... Since we all know that red wine contributes to cardiovascular health .... ergo ... RED WINE = VIAGRA Quod Erat Demonstrandum

In March issues, Bezu gets an unqualified rave from Bethesda magazine and ... something less than that from DC.

Try an aged New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. No need for any genetic ability to recognize digestive mercaptans there.

As part of the Jamestown 400 celebrations, some Virginia wineries have arranged a tasting for British trade and media in London on May 2 of Virginia's finest wines. I was privileged enough to be one of nine judges invited to evaluate and select the wines to be presented. My writeup of it is here, and there is a link therein to the list of wines that made the cut.

Certified Wine Specialist is the Society of Wine Educators. It's a more basic certification they introduced a few years ago for people who don't want to do the more rigorous Certified Wine Educator program.

I have a friend who lives nearby. His address is "North Potomac." Prestige without property taxes.

Corks. Shabby-chic setting, good food, excellent wine list with lots of half bottles for 'sperimentin.

They damn well better NOT be seeing my wife!

So does this mean he's NOT the one Tom's teasing us about leaving town??? The night of the BLT Steak launch party in November, my wife and I were so claustrophobic from the crowds and the long lines for the food that we slipped out and went to Equinox. We practically had the place to ourselves. Todd was very gracious, added a course of risotto w/truffles and exchanged pleasantries about the kids. We had an excellent dinner, even if we paid a considerable sum after expecting a freebie at the launch party. We talked about how Tom S always disses the decor, which isn't anything fancy, to be sure, but isn't really bad either, except for the really conspicuous fire alarm on the pillar in the atrium. Todd Gray isn't "back," because he was never "gone." We just were looking elsewhere at newer, more flirtatious conquests while he quietly plied his trade, confident that we would return. Maybe he isn't really innovative. Maybe he doesn't seduce us with popovers and marscapone-filled dates, or olive-oil marbles or whatever the hell Jose calls those things. But Todd is damn good. Always has been. Eh. My 2 cents'. Time to go watch Jon Stewart trash the Bush speech ...

What do you mean "again"? She's everywhere! The WaPo is NOT the only publication out there ....

Interesting they report the staff walkout without verifying it ...

You're probably right about the origin of the name, but it risks being read as "Faux" kitchen concepts!

What's "ad hominum" [sic] about suggesting that you over-reacted to a server asking the same question that any server in any restaurant in town will ask - essentially, offering you water? I ask this, violating my new resolution to post here no more, because this Hobbesian "community" is too prone to vituperation and ... er, ... well ... ad hominem attacks .... (Though I am curious to ask RaisaB what marketing group she thinks would advise any chef to use anything powdered, much less bicarbonate of soda, and put it on the menu ... not meaning that question as an "attack", ad hominem or otherwise, just an innocent question because my experience at Farrah Olivia did not match hers ... )

Disgusting? Grow up. This is how any server in any restaurant typically presents the choice, even if your server hit upon an excellent variation. Now, if he refused to bring regular ice water when requested, that would be improper. Was your pork with the "chocolate merlot"?

How in the name of Diamond Jim Brady does Mannequin Pis get away with misspelling "mussels" on their Web site???

"gastronome" sounds like a fat midget. Or a dining mecca in Alaska, I'm not sure which.

Thanks. You're right of course in terms of value and bang for the buck. I was quick with the generalization sensing the preferred comfort-price range of the original poster. That said, having become thoroughly addicted to Port, I wish I could afford to buy more of it. Saw Taylor's 30 year old tawny on a restaurant list tonight for I think $25 or so a glass - was tempted, if only because the place was new enough that the bottle shouldn't have been sitting open too long!

I second the above - LBV's vary in price and quality according to the house, but should also be around $20. Taylor's and Fonseca's 10 year olds are around $30 or less (I bought the Taylor's at Total Wine in McLean for $24 recently), and the 20's are around $50. Port is inherently expensive; the oldest and best vineyards are on steep stone terraces that cannot be machine harvested. The aged tawnies spend decades in cask and therefore become even more precious before bottling. And demand of course keeps the prices up. For a really good Port that isn't really a Port, look to Australia. The Jonesy Old Tawny Port retails for about $10 (at The Vineyard in McLean; I've seen it at MacArthur, too) and is loads of fun. Not even remotely comparable to the Taylor's 10 year old, but still delicious.

You also may want to consider an Aged Tawny, such as Taylor Fladgate's 20-year-old or Fonseca's 20. These are around $50-60 actually, but have some stylistic differences/advantages to vintage Ports. For $100, you might be able to find the Taylor's 40, though that's rare and may not even be in this market. Vintage Ports are intended to be aged for decades (Joe's 1994, from my experience, might be just beginning to open up, but then, I like mine young, within 5-6 years of vintage, or else very old - 20 or more years). Aged tawnies are already aged for us, and are intended to be drunk shortly after bottling. They also can remain open for several days (refrigerated), while vintage ports tend to disintegrate and should be drunk up upon opening. I wrote a piece last summer for the San Francisco Chronicle's Wine section on aged tawny - it is here. If you happen to read DC magazine, I have a piece on single quinta ports in this month's issue; I'll be posting a longer piece on my Internet newsletter within a few days.

What's wrong with "please"? "Foodie" is trendie, yes, but give us a better one that conveys a love for, even obsession with food, without being pretensious or furrin' ... [he says, thinking of "gourmand" ... ]

From a waiter: "Oh, that's my favorite!"

Maybe Tom got a Thesaurus for Christmas! And Don, this is one pot that benefits everyone for stirring, even if you're only stirring in the center. Happy New Year from the crust on the edge of the pot ...

Michel Richard's Begula pasta - I know, but it was the first time I'd had it Roasted marrow (Blue Duck) Hangar Steak (RTC) Peruvian seafood stew (BlackSalt) Scottish langoustines (Maestro) Sweetbreads (Restaurant Eve) Icelandic lamb (from Whole Foods, cooked at home, except for the one time I overcooked it) My mother-in-law's jiaozi and congyoubing (scallion pancakes), rivaled only by those at A&J Pommes souflées at a smoky bistro near Les Halles in Paris Macarons au chocolat from Paul in Paris Pain de compagne from the little boulangerie next to the famous patisserie (Stohrer) in Paris, a couple blocks north of Forum des Halles The Crèpes à Nutella my 6-year-old daughter ate in Paris, for the sheer joy on her face and the way she wore it (In short, anything in France ..... ) "Pud" with Taylor's 20-year-old tawny port Almond tart, with Taylor's 40-year-old tawny port, at Quinta da Vargellas in the Douro, by the pool, at midnight after treading grapes on the last day of harvest (but that's another story ...)