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But I've never tipped out based on sales. I tip out based on tips. Where does that happen? Thank you, Don. Exactly.

I get lots of ideas from the Barefoot Contessa, in addition to the already-named Great Chefs, Molto Mario, America's Test Kitchen, Jacques Pepin, and Julia Child. Alton Brown is great stuff--if you can stand his speech patterns, which I find breathtakingly frustrating to listen to. Oh, and I love Lidia Bastianich.

It varies from restaurant to restaurant. I didn't tip out anything at one (casual); 10-percent at another (mid-range).

Even if the poster has made clear that s/he has absolutely NO WAY to get to said suburban destination? That's just not at all helpful--unless I'm looking for good pho/dim sum/whathaveyou only in an encyclopedic or intellectual sense, rather than a I-want-this-for-dinner sense. Right now, for instance, there's a thread where the original poster asked if the quality of Ethiopian food--specifically in the Virgina suburbs--has fallen. Half the responses said that in fact, no, the quality of Ethiopian food on U Street has not fallen at all. How is that helpful?

The technology may improve, but I've no doubt that the worst part of that site will remain: the fact that every time a query asks for something in DC or on Metro, at least half of the responses direct you to somewhere in the distant suburbs. "It's, like, TOTALLY worth the $30 cab ride from the Largo stop, dude. Or just buy a car--you'll thank me!!"

Yowza. My pilgrimage to Cheesetique went swimmingly, and I now have a compelling reason to leave the city on a more regular basis! Goldenticket, thanks for the Cashal blue recommendation--it is indeed lovely and delicious. Let me return the favor by recommending the Coolea: Also Irish, it was described by one of the clerks as one of the best cheeses she's ever tasted, and I would agree. (homina homina...)

The Tabard Inn has I think the nicest patio in the city, set far off as it is from traffic noises and smells. Lots of nice art, too. Toledo Lounge in Adams Morgan has a few tables outside and surprisingly good pub fare. With your sandwich (I like the chicken club), you can choose a salad, fries, onion rings, or (my fave) half fries/half rings! Soussi has a nice, roomy patio. Its half wall and slight elevation remove you a bit from the unwashed masses on 18th Stree, and I remember the food being not so bad (though that was two years ago) and the service being very, very bad. Good patio, though!

The happy hour has three-dollar beers, four-dollar rail drinks, and four-dollar martinis. The menu offers a few munchies for three- or four-dollars apiece--last night was soup, filipino spring rolls, and warm goat cheese in potato. A platter of oysters on the half shell for six dollars. Edited to add: I posted a much longer message about my meal there. It showed up earlier today. Anyone know how the second half got cut off?

Seriously? The Adams-Morgan Bourbon has a patio? Do you know when it will open? This could be the answer to my prayers for a new local with outdoor space!

Mmm... I'll definitely plan on getting a big hunk of that. I cannot wait! Day o' dairy! (I really need to leave the city more often...)

I popped over to the bar at Corduroy for the first time last night, and boy am I ever glad I did that! The food was, frankly, perfect. I started with the red snapper bisque, which was briny and creamy and wonderful; I now know what you all are talking about when you say he's a master of soup. I followed that with the sea scallops with chardonnay sauce. Transcendant. The texture was amazingly "soft"--the potatoes so smooth they were almost liquid, but the slight firmness of the mushrooms and the seared edges of the scallops contributed the perfect bite and kept this well out of baby-food territory. Rissa (who it was lovely to meet!) then treated me to a scoop of organic apple so

I am so-ho-ho-ho excited to be making my first pilgrimage to Cheesetique this weekend! I'm coming to get supplies for my St. Paddy's party. Will I be able to get a range of Irish cheeses, non-platter-ized?

With a farmer's market bounty about to rot in my fridge, I gorged on a veggie platter last night--steamed beets, cabbage, and broccoli, liberally slathered with butter and salt. And a piece of toast. And grapes for dessert. (But the grapes were from Safeway, not the farmer, so they were not good.) I think it must be the weather warming, but that SO hit the spot.

And we're back to the beginning again. If Ray's is doing it for love, why do they kick your tush to the curb after 90 minutes?

I'm finding this board and Tom's chats somewhat disheartening. No, I do not make it a habit to linger when a restaurant is full. I also was a server and bartender for many, many years, and my brother is a restaurant consultant on the other coast. And I fully understand the problems lingering can cause on a busy night, but I'm really surprised how utterly intolerant everyone seems to be about it. To me, restaurants are about food, experience, atmosphere, and relationships. I go to eat something that I can't or won't make myself in an enjoyable space with pleasant people, whether they're staff or my companions. But the more I read, the more I feel on pins and needles trying to discern what I could do that will be considered reasonable and what won't. What if I finish my meal but I'm having a nice time? What if I'm having a conversation? What if there are no seats at the bar to adjourn to? Is it a flat 120-minute limit or do we get X amount of time after our plates are cleared? If I eat fast, can I still use the full two hours? And, no, of course I don't like it when my boss hands me a memo to write at 4:45 on a Friday. But I still do it, and I sure don't act surly to her for the rest of the day because of it.

After a particularly long and somewhat expensive lunch in Madrid, we were one of only two tables left in the place. The owner sent us out a bottle of house-made limoncello and a plate of ice cream treats. When we thanked him, he said he was delighted to do that for folks who enjoyed his restaurant so much that they would linger.

When the table isn't needed, is lingering or turning to business after eating also frowned upon by you proprieters and servers?

That's a good question. They stock a range of types of goods--local and organic or just local or just organic. I'll ask about the produce this weekend and get back to you.

I'm so glad you're liking it, chen! I order from them nearly every week too and have been really, really pleased. Favorites: I think their greens--especially the arugula--are insanely good and VERY well priced. [One week I forgot to order and ended up getting some mesclun from the Dupont market. It was much more expensive, soaking wet (and since they price by weight--again, much more expensive), not very tasty, and rotted within a few days. I will not forget to order again.] I also recommend their goat cheese and butter; I've gotten quite into the habit of snacking on slices of toasted Firehook bread (which you can also order from Randy) slathered with one or both. They offer several bottled goods. I've been trying to slowly replace my grocery store items with goods from Randy--I've covered the honey and preserves, and this week I'm going after the maple syrup (to use in some of the great-looking maple recipes in this month's Gourmet). The creminis (the only mush of theirs I've tried) were good. The vegetables can be a little hit or miss, but frankly, I hit deliciousness with them a whole lot more often than I do with Safeway, so I'll forgive the occasional soft beet. Incidentally, I've found somewhat better quality when I pick my own stuff at their full-on market at 18th & Columbia, which I think re-opens in a month or two. Basically, they're really nice people, their food is good, and the service is SO convenient. Plus, I feel MUCH better giving them my money than I do Safeway (which, this Saturday noon, looked like it was having a going-out-of-business sale its shelves were so empty and filthy). Viva Star Hollow!

Except for the point where it calls Guinness "ruby-colored," here's a nice Food Section article in time for St. Paddy's: How Guinness Got Its Bubbles and Barley. The last paragraph recommends two California stouts available at Whole Foods that would also appeal to the Guinness palate.

I don't really mind a waiter telling me about slight menu changes, but please NOT before I've gotten my drink. Let me settle in. I need to have a sip of my cocktail and at least a cursory conversation with my dining companion before I can figure out my plan of attack on the menu. Any spoken advice before this point will disappear in the sieve that is my brain. And I really do prefer having dishes written on the menu. When there's more than one, and they're solely described out loud, I find myself ordering "not the one with the beans" (see above: sieve-like brain) which really isn't how I like to do things.

A topical article in today's Food Section: Booking a Table? Be Patient, Flexible.

Hm. I've gotten quarter chickens (white meat) from them twice and found them extremely dry. It's been a few months, so I suppose I could try again, but that's what I thought before that second chicken... I think the rice and fries are yummy, though. I much prefer the Astor white quarter for flavor and juiciness.

If I'm not mistaken, Stan's (a fine basement dive bar on Vermont, just south of L) has red vinyl bar stools with foot rests and BACKS with ARMRESTS! Hallelujah!

Yes--no matter how high I turn that puppy up it always takes at least 50 percent more time to cook something than it should. Really bizarre. Stove top is fine. Electric, but fine. I'll love to hear any ideas you can dig up!