TSchaad

Decided to go to Fireworks at Courthouse last night. I was early (6pm), but when the wife and I arrived the bar area was full (and loud). We asked to be seated indoors, as it still looked like it might rain, and we were quickly placed at a two-top in the middle of the dining area. I would have preferred one of the available booths, or one of the two-tops along the divider between the bar and the dining area, but wasn't inclined to ask for it, since the seating along the divider had more of the noise from the bar and all the booths were set up for parties of four. As it happened, most of the booths were filled with only two people each by the time we left. Before I talk about food, I should tell you that my wife is an Italian American, born and raised in the Bronx. She has very specific ideas about what constitutes good pizza. I ordered a 'little bite' of roasted olives, and decided to try one of the standard pizzas on the menu, the Soprano. The olives were a good start, with an assortment of different kinds of black and green olives roasted to the point where they were warm and slightly soft. The Soprano pizza was topped with cheese, tomato sauce, mushrooms, onions, sausage and truffel 'essence'. What suprised me when the pizza arrived was how strong the scent of the truffel essence was. You could literally smell nothing else of the ingredients on the pie. I thought that the scent aside, the mix of mushrooms, onions (nicly soft and sweet) and sausage was a good combination. My wife was not as enthusiastic, complaining that the smell of the truffle essence was too overpowering - she called it almost "industrial". I tried the only Cider option on the menu (cannot remember the name) and a brown ale. Both were quite good, and I noticed that they use a number of different types of glassware to serve the beers in, depending on the brewing style. Overall, a good looking space, with friendly, enthusiastic servers. I would probably opt for the outdoors seating for dinner in the future, as the loud crowd noise from the 20 to 30 somethings bar scene inside really washes over the divider into the dining area. TSchaad

The Facebook page now says they open at Courthouse tonight at 5pm. TSchaad

Went by a little before noon today. Saw staff in the kitchen, apparently doing some prep. The sign on the front door now says they will open at 4 PM on the 24th. TSchaad

Went to Screwtop with my wife for lunch on a hot, Hot, HOT Saturday. They have added some items to the weekend Brunch menu, and I decided it was a perfect day to try Wendy's version of a BLT, while Marianne had a single cheese platter. Both choices were winners. The BLT came on bread lightly toasted, with just the right proportions of bacon, lettuce, mayo and thinly sliced, prefectly ripe tomato slices. With the accompanying side salad topped by a champagne/mustard vinagrette, I was pleasantly full and refreshed (although the Pomegranate Mimosa probably helped). Marianne's cheese plate had plenty of bread and crackers to accompany her Italian red pepper cheese. All in all, a great excuse to go out, whatever the weather. TSchaad

Just got word thru Wendy's Screwtop Winebar Facebook page that the new Falls Church Brewpub has opened today. I'll have to get over there and try it out this week. More information on their webpage here. TSchaad

I sent this email to the Arlington County Board yesterday. I probably got the bakery name wrong, but the Courthouse Farmers Market website's list of vendors is incomplete and out of date: On Saturday, June 5th, I went to the Farmers Market at Courthouse to make my weekly purchases. I found, to my great surprise, that several of the Vendors I normally buy from were either gone from their usual locations, or were on site, but with empty shelves. I found out that for each of them, when the County Health Inspector examined their displays that morning, were told they were in violation of the health regulations of Arlington County and were not permitted to sell in the market. The violations were committed by the vendors selling bread, pastries and cookies - Two Quail and the stall I call 'the bread people', along with the table manned by the folks from Willow Restaurant. In each instance, they were told that because the products they were selling were not pre-wrapped (or in the case of Willow's free samples, not prepackaged), they violated the health code and had to be taken away. This decision was made in spite of the fact that for the last five years (two years for Two Quail) these vendors have been selling their products in precisely the same way under the oversight of a County Health Inspector who examined their stall each week before the market opened. There was no explanation for the sudden change in the rules, only an adamant insistence that they must take their products off the displays and not sell them on site. As an ordinary citizen I have been able to come up with only three possible explanations for why this happened - 1. There has been a formal change in the Health regulations in Arlington County or the Commonwealth of Virginia, effective June 1. 2. The County Health Inspectors assigned to insure the safety of County residents in regards to the proper display and sale of foodstuffs at the Courthouse Farmers Market for the last 5 to 10 years have been consistently (and perhaps criminally) negligent in allowing those sales to be conducted in violation of the law. 3. (And this is the one I think is most likely) A County Health inspector woke up this morning, shaved, showered and dressed. He went to work and then played little tin god with a group of well meaning small businessmen and women who were at his mercy. The irony in this situation was highlighted by the fact that, in the space directly opposite the vacated Two Quail site, a vendor was selling fresh fish, crabs and raw Oysters off of a bed of ice, with no packaging of the individual items. I guess potentially contaminated raw fish is less of a health hazard than a bran muffin. I am not angry because I couldn't buy my usual items - the bakers told me they were selling the same products in the same fashion at the Falls Church Farmers Market if I wanted to get them. What angers me is that a County employee took an apparently arbitrary action against a group of small, independent businesses and as a result, those businesses lost money - it's not like they can just wait until next week to sell the stuff, they will probably either significantly discount it (if they can sell it) or give it to a charity. I thought that one of the goals of the board was to promote small independent businesses in the county, and to use the farmers markets as a way to encourage the consumption of locally grown, locally produced foods. For the life of me I cannot see how this action by a County employee did anything to further that goal. All he did is take some money away from people he had some power over and make the Farmers Market a little less than it was. I know I'll get an automated response from the website that this message was received. Could I get a personal response from someone on the board too? The only vendor affected I could pass it to was Willow. Their take on the situation was the following: Thank you so much for your thoughtful and very well written message to the County Board. We appreciate you fighting for us, as well as the residents of Arlington. This is a remarkably frustrating situation for us as we actually spend several hundred dollars each week (not to mention getting out of bed at what amounts to roughly 6 hours rest after our always busy Fridays) to give food away. Sure it is great promotion for Willow, but so is advertising in the Washingtonian. We choose to spend our promotion budget on local events that also support the Arlington community. Community relations are something that is very important to us. To be "slapped on the wrist" by the very county we are trying to support is inconceivable to us. Of course this is the same County that relentlessly tickets our patrons and purveyors while sending the "sign police" after us because our patio umbrellas are not in compliance. In the end the only ones who suffer are the residents of Arlington, a sad thing indeed. Regards, Brian Brian Wolken Director of Operations Willow P.S. Please feel free to forward this to whomever you fell may have interest. I pass this on because it makes me mad to see good, honest, hard working people get jerked around by someone for no apparent reason. TSchaad

For me, a favorite treat was the baked custard at the Hot Shoppes at Bailey's Crossroads. Always good, often sold out by the time we got there in the evening. TSchaad

Went to Screwtop last night to try out the new (to me) happy hour specials. I ordered the Cheddar Bacon Bruschetta appetizer and a glass of Siema Pino Grigio. Each was only $4 - a real bargain. It was my first time trying the Bruschetta, and I have to say it was wasn't anything like the ones I have had at Italian resturants. I don"t know what Wendy puts on her toasted baugette besides the garlic rub and the mix of Cheddar cheeses and Bacon Bits mentioned on the menu, but there was an unexpected 'spiceness' to the dish that was a welcome suprise. The Pino Grigio was a perfect match, and the fact that the total cost was only $8 made it even more enjoyable. Well done! TSchaad

Finally got back to Ray's last night determined to try the Monday Blues Special. Even with the high expectations we all have for this dining jewel in Arlington, the meal was just flat out outstanding. The "Tuscan Top Sirloin' was - as always - a perfectly cooked medium rare, with a small mound of roasted garlic buds on the side and a line of sauce underlining the steak for dipping purposes. The recommended glass of wine matched the meal perfectly. Even eating lightly during the day to prepare for my dinner, I couldn't finish my meal and had to (sob) take the rest home. Thank you Michael and Mark for this delicious reason to look forward to the first day of the work week. TSchaad

My Mother-in-law and my two Sisters-in-law are coming down from New Jersey for the Easter Weekend. Does anyone have a recommendation for where to take a party of six for Easter Brunch in Arlington or Alexandria? They are not adventurous eaters, and are not what you would call foodies. Suggestions? TSchaad

How about Matuba? Its been at the same location on Columbia Pike in Arlington since 1979. It still has one of the best lunch bargains in the area with the weekday Bento Box special! http://www.matuba-sushi.com/matuba/Home.html TSchaad

I would second FunnyJohn's observation on lunchtime at Screwtop. I was there last Saturday, and had no trouble finding a seat at the bar. Ordered the French Onion Melt sandwich, which was delicious - warm and rich with the carmelized onions on a nicely crisp cibatta. Went back last night to try out thier first Beer tasting (great flavors), and got a sample of a new item Wendy is selling in the retail section, the pickled raisins from the additions list on the menu. I wasn't sure what to expect, but they were very tasty and I'll be sure to add them to my next cheeseplate order. I saw the new cheese sliders going to a table, and they look like they may be worth a try too. TSchaad

I drove by the Fern St. location last night on the way to pick up Chinese From Ho's carryout and saw that they were open and serving customers. This particular site is named Pizzaiolo Cafe on Fern according to the website, www.cafepizzaiolo.com. I guess I'll have to find the time to try them out. TSchaad

Don't leave out Zoso Flats. Flatbreads, Winebar, Chocolates and soon a Cupcake Bakery. If this keeps up I'll die poor,fat and slightly inebriated. TSchaad

I caught sight of a post by Wendy earlier this week here about her plans to conduct a limited, soft opening test run for her staff on Saturday, Dec 12. I quickly wrote her offering myself up as test customer, and was invited to a 7:30 PM seating at Screwtop this evening. What follows are my impressions of the space and the menu. The entrance to Screwtop is next to the resident entrance to Zoso Flats. As you walk in, on your left is the retail area, with a large number of wines displayed along the wall. The display cases for the selections of cheeses and other offerings (beers, sodas, cured meats, etc.) occupy the floor area, with plenty of room to walk around while deciding what to buy. When I came in, they were still in the process of stocking products and finalizing the displays (Screwtop is scheduled to open on Tuesday the 15th). The winebar proper is straight ahead when you enter, with a long bar lined with comfortably padded bar chairs (not stools - these have comfortable backs to allow you to spend some time there). There are also a number of tables for larger groups next to the windows facing the street. I found the lighting in the early evening to be comfortably subdued without being too dark to see both the food and your dining companions. Now to the food and drink. Before sharing my observations/opinions, you should know that for this night's test run the food and non-alcoholic drinks were complementary. Guests only had to pay for the alcohol they ordered and were asked to tip thier servers. The menu offered was limited compared to what will be available when they open next week, but there was still quite a lot to choose from. The first item on my personal menu was a cheese and charcuterie plate with three generous samples of cheese and two different cured meats. I'm not an experienced 'cheese person', having been raised in the midwest in the 50's and 60's when if it wasn't Velveeta, it was a Kraft cheddar or american cheese on the table. But to my mind it was a wonderful introduction into what kind of dining experience Screwtop seems to want to provide to its customers. It started out with a Drunken Goat cheese from Spain that was mild and creamy, followed by a more assertive Abbaye De Belloc from France (I really don't know cheeses folks - I'm copying these names from tonight's menu). The best was the last - a cheese called Oregonzola with just a few veins of blue running thru the wedge. It was just teriffic. Next was an appetizer of baked camembert with a shallot and black currant compote. I've never had baked camembert before, but I sure will again. This was a remarkable pot of soft, warm, buttery, delicious goodness with a little dollop of currants on top. The only problem was that I was dining alone and there was just too much of the dish for me to eat by myself. It may be listed as an appetizer, but there was enought to satisfy a table of four. Fortunately, several other guests had just been seated behind me and were willing to finish the dish. It would have been a shame to let any of it go to waste. Thanks to their 'sacrifice', I was able to order a Buffaloaf (hey, that's how it's spelled on the menu!) sandwich. It's Wendy's Mother-in Law's meatloaf recipe, with ground buffalo substituting for the beef. It was a teriffic sandwich, and has me thinking of substituting buffalo for beef the next time we make our own meatloaf at home. I was kind of staggering to the finish line at this point (who knew good cheese could fill you up so quickly?), so I passed on the Texas Sheet Cake and settled for the Mexican Vanilla gelato, which I was told was made by Boccato Gelato in Clarendon exclusively for Screwtop. It was delicious, and just the right amount to finish my meal. I won't talk about the two wines I had with my meal (one white, one red) except for the fact that they paired perfectly with the food, because I cannot remember the names. The pour on each was generous, more than enough to accompany the meal. To sum up, a very enjoyable experience, one I plan on repeating and expanding on after they open for business next week. TSchaad

According to the website, November 14 is the grand opening at the new Zoso Flats location in Clarendon. With a bakery and a winebar soon to open, this is going to be one great block. http://www.artisanconfections.com/ TSchaad

Went to the Clarendon Location last night after reading the post on it being opening day. The wife and I ordered the New Virginia Sausage and a slice of the apple pie. This was my first time at American Flatbread, and I have to say the sausage flatbread was delicious. The apple pie (we got it without ice cream) was very good. My wife was especially impressed with the crust - crisp and delicate, adding another touch of sweetness to the slightly tart apples. We asked about the possibility of ordering a whole pie to take home when family came to visit, and were told that with sufficient notice it might be possible - stay tuned! I was impressed by the layout of the resturant. The bar and a few booths are at the front of the space, allowing groups of adults to gather in the late afternoon after work, with the oven and a larger dining area in the back two thirds, perfect for large groups and families. The view of the oven from the main dining area lets you see the entire process of making the Flatbreads. You could see that management and staff were excited about the opening and eager to let customers know about the choices and specials on the menu. We were there at around 5:30, so there wasn't a big crowd, but I think as word gets out, this will be a very popular destination in Clarendon. TSchaad

Dropped by the Clarendon location today to see what progress had been made. A great deal of the construction is complete, but the biggest development was that it appeared they had fired the oven! This is a big step in getting ready to open, as it sets the stage for determining the particular characteristics of this hand built centerpiece of the resturant. There were also signs on the door and windows about the times they will be interviewing for new employees. It looks like things are moving along! TSchaad

It's sad when someone works their butt off to give people a great meal at a terriffic price, and some people decide they have to complain that they weren't allowed to lounge around after the meal like they can at Ruth Chris. If you want to sit around for a half hour bloviating after you finish eating, go somewhere else. That will just leave more seats available for people like us who realize how good they have it at Ray's. TSchaad

Took the wife to Potenza on Monday night for an early dinner to try it out. We arrived earlier than our 6:15 pm reservation time and were seated in the main dining room immediately. I have to give the owners credit - the space in the dining area is comfortable and looks great. When our waiter arrived, I ordered one of the specialty drinks listed on the menu, and my wife told him she just wanted a glass of water. The waiter immediately went into a detailed description of the three dollar specially flitered still and sparkling waters she could have, giving us the impression that if she wanted anything to drink with our meal (wine, water or cocktail) we would have to pay for it. She declined, and after taking our order, the waiter left without another word. Eventually were served two glasses of (tap?)water just before our entrees arrived. The food was adequate (she had the manicotti, I had the tortellini), but not quite what I would have expected after reading the extensive descriptions (Braised beef and pine nuts!/Rabbit and truffle stuffed pasta!) on the menu. What really irked me about our dinner was that I noticed bread baskets on the tables of other diners in our area and we had none. I would have asked the waiter about it, but he was elsewhere and the next person who came close to the table was the man who brought us our entrees. We were more than halfway thru our dinner when, with a flourish, a bread basket was placed on our table, and the olive oil/balsamic vinegar/garlic dipping sauce was presented to us. I know many will consider these comments to be minor carping, but when a restuarant promises certian kind of dining experience, it is those small things that can make the difference in whether you successfully deliver that experience to your customers. Potenza has a great location and a beautiful space. It just needs more work on the details. TSchaad

It does look like they are making progress. I took a look in the window Saturday mornng. It looks like the kitchen is set up and they have all the tables and chairs in position (not a huge difference from the original layout). Of course, with the reputation of the building and health inspectors of Arlington County that may not be saying much. Can't wait for it to open. TSchaad

I was walking around Old Town in Alexandria Sunday Morning with my wife. We saw the Bookbinders awning on a side street off of King St. and decided to take a look. as I tried to enter the bui,lding I had to quickly step aside for a large man carryins a big load of clean table linens out to a waiting truck. When I stuck my head in the door, a group of men were behind the bar apparently taking inventory of the stock. i asked one of them to see a menu, and was told that Bookbinders was closing and that they were in the process of moving out the inventory. Apparently the space has already been leased out to another restaurant. No idea who will take over the space or when they will open. TSchaad