JeffC

I do know that Green Mountain Beanery is excellent. Peet's, IMO, has begun to go the way of Starbucks--grown a little too large and their quality, while good, is not as exceptional as it once was. There's an excellent website that rates coffees, Coffee Review. That's where I discovered the Counter Culture Coffee Roasters that I mentioned in an earlier post. Coffee Review gave their Guatemalan Antigua one of the highest ratings they've ever given to a coffee--see October reviews--so I ordered a couple bags of beans. It may be the best coffee I've ever tasted and, best of all, my wife agrees. Coffee Review does pretty detailed reviews of many coffees. The webmasters ratings read like the coffee version of the Wine Advocate, but the coffees I've ordered due to his reviews have been consistantly excellent. In addition, the reviews link to each coffee roaster's website and breaks each review down by body, aroma, flavor, degree of roast, etc. Very infomative and worth a look.

I'm with you on Caribou. If I want a cup-to-go, that would be my choice. Mayorga is not bad, either...and they have free wi-fi. But for really good home-brewed coffee, I order online from Counter Culture Coffee. Their Guatemalan Antigua Finca La Tacita is one of the best coffees I've ever tasted.

Dean, thanks again for a wonderful New Year's Eve meal. Geri and I had an absolutely delightful time--not only was the food top notch, but the service was seamless and the company--including the couple at the table beside us--was fun. It was one of the best evenings we've had in ages. All I can say to the 20 who didn't show is that it was their loss. You must find a way to get the mushroom tart on the regular menu. And one very important question: Where can I find the 2000 Grattamacco Bolcheri Toscano that was--to both of us--the highlight of the wine flight? That's saying something, given the quality of all the wines you chose for the flights. If we have to keep coming back, if just to get that wonderful wine, then so be it....

Mayorga Coffee Roasters in Silver Spring--Georgia Ave.--has free wi-fi. And pretty decent coffee, to boot.

Heritage is my favorite Indian restaurant, but the service can be spotty. It seems to me that the service has improved, as I can remember times two or three years ago that we would wait like seemed hours for the next course to come, with no good explanation and no apology (and often a shrug). But they seem to have gotten their timing better, even if it seems a bit "detached" at times--I can't imagine feeling like a regular, no matter how often we might go. Why they can't understand the value of real friendliness eludes me--I guess we've been spoiled by places like Haandi--an old standby--where we're greeted by name and told that we've been missed, if it's been awhile. I like the one in Dupont Circle and am quite fond of Passage to India as well, but the cooking seems to be more consistant at the Glover Park locale. And to the poster who praised the Chicken Makhani, I agree wholeheartedly. The sauce truly is the nectar of the gods--we have a friend who comes up from South Carolina from time to time and she cannot leave without going to Heritage for that dish.

A few of my favorites... --Beef stew and/or picante de pollo at La Bamba in Silver Spring. (La Bamba is not a "great" restaurant, but when I finally leave the metro area, it will be the one I miss the most. For reasons I can't quite fathom, I just love the place. An nothing on the menu costs over ten dollars.) --Jerk chicken from Negril. (Not coincidentally, just around the corner from La Bamba.) --Popeye's spicy chicken and biscuits. (Add me to the list!) --Butter chicken and garlic naan from Heritage India. --Any of the saltados from Samantha's. --The Granny Smith apple pie from Silver Diner. (We often buy an entire pie and take it home.)

Just a quick "thank you!" to all those who have touted New Fortune's dim sum. Based on all that I've read here, I stopped yesterday on a whim and ordered some dim sum carry-out. I'm sure it's best right off the cart, but I didn't have time and had to eat at the office. It was terrific! Without the menu in front of me, I can't tell you what I had, other that the outstanding spring rolls, adjudged by one of my colleagues to be "the best I've ever tasted". And the prices were more than fair. This was undoubtedly the beginning of a long and happy relationship.

Only 22 out here in the Silver Spring boonies. Folks, this is frightening! Best coffee in DC area, IMO, can be found at the Bucks County Coffee Roasters kiosks at Union Station and in the Reagan Building. Truly outstanding beans, roasted perfectly, and not overpriced. The website coffeereview.com gives Bucks County coffees consistantly high marks, having given the Kenyan AA one of their highest marks ever--95 points--a couple years ago. Their Guatemalan Free Trade Organic is my all-time favorite bean--better than any of the more exotic Kona and Jamaican Blue Mountain, etc.,--so much so that I'm willing to take the Metro to Union station every couple of weeks to pick of a pound of that and the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe--my wife's favorite. If you haven't tried their coffee, check them out.

If you like Aussie wines, Wide World of Wines in Glover Park is unsurpassed. And the staff is very friendly and helpful. Since Heritage India--just up the street--is one of our favorites, we usually combine a trip to WWOW and a dinner at Heritage. Living in Silver Spring, the most convenient wine stores--fagettabout Montgomery County--are Circle and Paul's. I've been going to Paul's more and more, as they have internet specials and always give me very fair prices. I've gotten some terrific Spanish wines there of late--Parker 90+ in the $10-15 range.

I agree that the Cuvee is better. The 2002 Shotfire Ridge Shiraz may be one of the all-time great QPR (quality/price ratio) wines. Amazing value for a low price--I think Parker gave it 93 or 94 points. I bought three cases and they didn't last a year. Every time friends came over, out came a bottle, so they didn't last long. Oh, how I wish I'd kept a few back--the 2002 was much better than the 2003, as it had depth and complexity almost never found in a $15 dollar wine. I'm hearing that the 2004 shiraz, which is due in a week or two, will be much like the 2002. I'm counting the days.....

Heritage India is consistantly outstanding, probably the best in the area. The only drawback is the sometimes impersonal service--I can't imagine ever feeling like a "regular", as I do at Passage to India in Bethesda. The chef at the latter was, I believe, the original chef at Heritage. Passage to India also has one of the more unique menus in the area, featuring dishes from four different regions of India. You can't go wrong there. It's the only place I know of in metro DC that serves a Parsi lamb stew made with dried apricots and other spices. Sweet and intense, it's a dish to share. Minerva is also exellent--maybe the most "authentic" Indian place around. Indique is also very good, but not quite up to the two above, IMO. And for a hidden treasure, try India Grill in Rockville. It's been around for years and recently moved to the Ritchie Plaza, just south of downtown on the Pike. They serve a good buffet and, IMO, are especially adept at some of the veggie dishes.

Stopped by the Silver Spring location tonight. It is GOOD. I tried a sampler bowl--3 small scoops, including blueberry, raspberry with chocolate chips, and dulce de leche. My wife had a hot fudge sundae. We were the only ones in the store at first, but a wave of people came in and the guy behind the counter proclaimed the crush to be the first time there had been an actual line. It's going to be a fun place. The blueberry was so good that I bought a pint to take home. The butterfat level is off the charts, so this isn't ice cream for those who like it on the light side. Highly recommended.

La Bamba has been one of my staple places for three or four years. The Guatemalan food is good, honest, and very inexpensive. There is nothing on the menu over ten dollars and the portions are generous, to say the least. At lunch and on weekends, the place is often packed with a heavily Latino clientele, enjoying a taste of home. Pepian de pollo and picante de pollo, as well as some of the soups and stews, are highly recommended, and I'm in love with he green salsa that comes with every meal. One of the hardest things about a recent transfer to Rockville from Silver Spring is that I can no longer have my weekly lunch or two at my favorite cheap eats restaurant