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JeffC

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  1. JeffC
    My favorite on Cordell is also what I think is the best Indian in metro DC--Passage to India. Reasonably priced Indian with a unique menu, divided into East/West/North/South Indian dishes. If you go, I highly recommend the Chutney Ni Murgi or the Chicken Makhani. Also recommended is Faryab, a very good Afghani place just down the block.
  2. JeffC
    We had our first Comet pizza last night--mine was topped with smoked mushrooms and pepperoni, hers with olives. The pizza was excellent--thin crust, just enough crunch and char, and--despite what I've read from others--the tomato sauce was sufficient. We both agreed that this gives 2 Amys a run for its money, but the pizza needs to be about a third again larger. My wife got the house salad--seven bucks for that little bowl of lettuce is larceny, no matter how good the dressing is--but now we know. We split the wonderfully decadent chocolate cake, so next time we'll skip the salad and double the cake. We'll definitely be back.
  3. JeffC
    Yes, just south of the intersection, on the west side. First turn-in to the right after the stoplight. It sits just to the right--north--of a small office building. The lunch was excellent, so my wife and had dinner there tonight. She had a spinach dosa and I had one of the fish curries. Both were very good, but the service is spotty--they have only been open for about a week, so there are kinks to be worked through. Her entree came five minutes before mine--luckily she was generous and let me have some of her dosa--and we were both served the wrong soup. But in Minerva's defense, we came early and were the first in for dinner--I don't think they were ready for us. I'm sure the problems will resolve in short order. We plan to be there Sunday for the brunch buffet.
  4. JeffC
    I don't know if this has been noted, but MInerva recently opened another restaurant in Gaithersburg, at the intersection of 355 and Shady Grove, in a little strip shopping center just south of the intersection. I had the lunch buffet today and it was very good. The bindi (okra) was particularly good, as was the chicken biryani. The latter was not toned down for Western tastes and was delicious. And the new branch is only a few blocks from my work.
  5. JeffC
    I bought a bottle of this a couple weeks ago and have to agree. The first night, it was almost undrinkable--too hot, way over the top--but it got somewhat better by the second night. But I never liked the Marquis Phillips wines, either. 95 points? Color me confused, as I just don't get the appeal of this style. What I've found with Parker and the Oz wines is that I like the wines he rates in the low nineties much more than his 95-96 pointers. And last year he pretty much wrote off the Penfold's middle tier as industrial plonk, which is a mystery given the consistant quality of the (not over the top and unoaked) St. Henri shiraz.
  6. JeffC
    This one is called "Khorshed's Chai", after a now-deceased friend in India who made the best chai I've ever tasted: 16 cups water 8 cups whole milk 16 bags English tea 1 stick cinnamon 8 cloves 2-inch chunk fresh ginger, peeled and sliced 1/2 tsp cardamom seeds 12 peppercorns 3/4 cup honey Boil spices in water 20 minutes. Add tea bags and allow to brew for ten minutes. Remove bags (leave the spices). Stir in the honey and milk, and serve. (It should be noted that in India, it's often water buffalo milk. But our cow's milk works very well.) We only make this when we entertain groups of people. That's a lot of tea for two people...
  7. JeffC
    I opened a 2004 Ciacci Rosso di Montalcino, but it was corked. Bah....but I'll take it back and get a replacement. I could taste enough of the goodness to know it's a fine bottle of wine. I hate it when that happens... So I opened a 2003 Chateau St. Michelle Cold Creek Cab. Very nice. Got it at Costco in Fairfax for less than $20. Well worth the money.
  8. JeffC
    Closed. We're on the mailing list and the last e-mail from Dino said that they would be closed tonight.
  9. JeffC
    Nope, not the same. Barefoot Landing is a shopping complex, Barefoot Resort is primarily a golf facility, a couple miles down US 17 from the Landing. But Barefoot Resort does have a Greg Norman-designed layout. As mentioned in a couple of previous posts, check out Flo's Place in Murrell's Inlet, about twenty miles south of where you are staying. I'm afraid that you just won't find the level of restaurants we take for granted in metro DC. Myrtle Beach is about Calabash-style fried food in huge quantities--that's what the tourist like, so that's what you'll find. There are a few decent chains, mentioned in previous posts in this thread. But the golf is terrific. As far as greasy spoon places, I haven't lived there since 1993. There weren't many late-night places in those day, but that may have changed.
  10. JeffC
    lizzie, I'm glad you found a couple places to your liking. I should have mentioned Dino's, as the owner--Dino Thompson--was one of the first people I met when I moved there thirty-five years ago. He started out with Dino's, but over the years has opened several other restaurants and business. Dino's Pancake House is just as it always was--when I lived down there, it was my go-to for breakfast before work and on weekends. My wife was down there a couple weeks ago and had breakfast at Dino's twice--her reports mirror yours. Bimini's used to be noted as a music venue--there was a time when there were good bar bands every weekend, including Hootie and the Blowfish, before they made it big. They would clear out the tables and pack 'em in. I only ate there once or twice and remember liking it. Sea Captain's House is pretty good, but I'd much rather go to Murrell's Inlet. Flo's is a lot more fun and I'm an old Nance's Oyster Roast afficianado--happiness is a tub of steamed oysters and some good hot sauce.
  11. JeffC
    According to their website, they do. This sounds very promising--thanks for the review, Daniel. I went for lunch shortly after they opened and experienced a real comedy of errors, including a language problem that resulted in my getting something that had very little to do with what I thought I'd ordered. But to be fair, they were still working out the kinks. Lately I hear good things, so a lunch buffet may be in order this week.
  12. JeffC
    Although I've made the drive to SC countless times, I've never tried to find good eats en route. But once you get to Pawley's--and I'm sure you know this--there are some pretty decent places to eat. Have you been to Kudzu Bakery in Georgetown? The owners are people I got to know a little when I worked in Georgetown eons ago, and they make the finest pecan pie I've ever tasted. And they have a very nice little wine section, with some surprisingly good wines. Kudzu is just off Front Street, on one of the litle side streets between Front and Prince St. Maybe Orange St.? Have a great time!
  13. JeffC
    O'Briens is still there--is it any good now? If not, what happened? I drive by every day, but haven't eaten there in years. Having lived for years in the Carolinas, I agree that there isn't any really great pork 'cue here, but I still like Urban a lot--good wings and specialty items like soul rolls and "redneck fondue". Fun food, and the ribs are usually good, although the quality can vary.
  14. JeffC
    Regarding your query, I'll absolutely tip better if I know that the bottle we shared was reasonably priced--last night we had a better than good bottle of wine at Dino--not cheap, but well worth the price--which is noted for fair wine mark-ups. We considered the wine as part of the total food bill and tipped accordingly. I refuse to order wine in most restaurants, except by the glass. I'd rather drink one glass of an OK house wine than pay two or three hundred percent retail. Kudos to Dino and Ray's and others that don't see wine sales as an opportunity to gouge.
  15. JeffC
    Bummer. I'm a huge fan of the Woomi Garden lunch buffet--I'm surprised we haven't crossed paths in there, as I go at least once every couple of weeks. I fluctuate between Woomi and Ruan Thai when I have business in Wheaton. While never being treated disrespectfully, I have noticed a certain "detachment" about the service. Hope things go well on your next visit, with at least an acknowledgment of their regret for the way you were treated. I'd hate to see you miss out on such a suptuous spread in the future....
  16. JeffC
    I lived in that food wasteland--Crescent Beach--for 21 years and know it well. We still manage to go down a couple times a year and I can tell you that things haven't improved much. Pawley's Island is your best bet, so if you decide to drive down, Frank's is good, as are a couple of the other restaurants around the Hammock Shop. If you like baked goods--pies, cakes, etc.--there is a little bakery in Georgetown, SC, just 12 miles south of Pawley's, that makes the finest pecan pie I've ever tasted, as well as terrific apple pie and red velvet cake. And they have a very interesting selection of wines, albeit a small selection. It's called Kudzu Bakery and it's well worth the trek. As for Myrtle and N. Myrtle, the pickins are slim--Collector's in Myrtle is OK, but overpriced. Greg Norman's at Barefoot Landing is pretty good. There are some chains that are OK, as well--Carraba's, Bonefish Grill, etc. What I usually do when I go down is suspend my foodie instincts and go native, eating lots of fried seafood (think Calabash)--thank goodness for cocktail sauce and tartar sauce!--and big breakfasts. Cracker Barrel is one of my serious breakfast guilty pleasures.
  17. JeffC
    I've had mixed experiences. Some of the Burritos a excellent, but much depends on who puts it together and how they handle the ingredients. I tend to like non-designer Burritos, with loads of jalepenos and a fair amount of hot salsa. But what I like best about Californai Tortilla is the selection of hot sauces. I generally leave having bought at least one or two that I haven't tried, as well as replentishments of my staples, like Maui Mango Eruption. Yum..... The one near the courthouse in Rockville is the one I frequent the most. Their quality is generally consistant on the good side.
  18. JeffC
    I was looking for something to make this heat more palatable, so the Peach Melba may be just the thing! I'm on my way out the door.
  19. JeffC
    I really enjoy weekend breakfast at Kirsten's. They serve a good veggie omelet and excellent pancakes/French toast/Belgian waffles, with real maple syrup. It's a good place to take the Sunday paper and have a relaxed breakfast. A friendly staff, good prices, and relaxed atmosphere make it a regular on our Sunday breakfast rotation.
  20. JeffC
    A few other options near Takoma.... Negril--good Jamaican food--on Thayer. La Bamba, a Guatemalan place on Georgia, is right around the corner from Negril. I had dinner at La Bamba tonight--carne guisada (beef stew), simple but rich and good. I'm in love with their salsa verde, which I dump on almost everything. La Bamba is a classic hole-in-the-wall, with a loud jukebox and a largely Latino clientele. Nothing on the menu is over $10.00, maybe the best QPR around. Woodlands, near Udupi Palace, is on the other side of University in a strip mall that borders New Hampshire. Udupi used to be my go-to for Indian vegetarian, but Woodlands has won my heart, with their incredible dosas and an excellent lunch buffet. And Pho 75--my favorite pho-ateria--has a branch a few blocks across the PG county line, on University.
  21. JeffC
    Ditto on the breakfast pizza at Puck's (SAN). Great way to fill up before the flight to the islands. I've also heard that there's a Maui Tacos at National. Anyone tried it? MT is one of my favorite cheap eats on Maui. Two of my favorites: Heathrow (London)--Haven't been there in awhile, but there used to be a large area where you could get all kinds of breakfast goodies--IMO, the British do breakfast very well--accompanies by freshly ground coffee in a press. I'll be passing through again this fall, so here's hoping it's still there. (And duty-free has some hard-to-find single malts.) Incheon (Seoul): Good Korean fare available. (Stay away from the "Western" food.) You need to know a little about what you're ordering, but it's FAR better than most airport food. I've had two long layovers there and pretty much gorged myself both times. DCA LHR ICN
  22. JeffC
    Quick question. My wife and I love 2 Amys, but when we tried to go the other night , we discovered that there's now a security guard in the big lot behind the restaurant where we usually park. We always use that lot when we go. Credit the guy for warning everyone that they would be towed if they tried to park there, but there was literally no other place to park within a four block radius. After cruising around for ten or fifteen minutes--along with many other frustrated would-be diners--we gave up and went elsewhere. Anyone else have this problem and, if so, what's the solution? Is there another parking area nearby for those of us who have to drive in from the 'burbs?
  23. JeffC
    Not obscure, but rare around here--does anyone know where I can find Lagavulin 12 year-old cask strength scotch in metro DC? I hear great things, but have yet to come across it.
  24. JeffC
    Lunch rotation: Ruan Thai (Wheaton) Woomi Garden (Wheaton, for the buffet) Hollywood East (Wheaton) La Bamba (Silver Spring) Mandalay (Silver Spring) Samantha's (Silver Spring) Woodlands (Langley Park) Pho 75 (Rockville) Bombay Bistro (Rockville) Chipotle/Baha Fresh/Popeye's--when I'm in a hurry. Super Chicken (Wheaton--sometimes for dinner, too.) Dinner rotation: Dino Passage to India Mandalay Samantha's Two Amys Heritage India Ruan Thai Urban BBQ--always carryout, on the way home from work. My lunch rotation is larger and more varied, as I eat out almost every day. The sleeper is La Bamba, a Guatemalan place near the intersection of Thayer and Georgia, in Silver Spring. I absolutely love the place, though it'll never make anyone's list of great restaurants. Cheap eats--nothing on the menu over $10--and always good. I especially like their carne guisada and the picante de pollo.
  25. JeffC
    I eat lunch at the one at Rio in Gaithersburg from time to time. Never great, but invariably competent, with good lunch specials. I can still remember years ago, when it was reportedly George HW Bush's go-to place for Tex-Mex and it had a semi-permanent spot in the Washingtonian's Top 100. The food seems pretty much the same to me as it was then, but there are now places that are better.
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