ktmoomau

There have been some rumblings in the Kora forum about having a possible Happy hour there as the next Va Happy hour. What do you guys think?

As I said there I am up for it, would love to try it out if they will have us.

You all should come for the happy hour pizza special, as mentioned above. Maybe this could be the next NoVA HH location???

I'd be up for that.

http://www.nbcwashington.com/around-town/food-drink/Metro_s_Earlier_Closing_Time_Could_Hit_Adams_Morgan_Hard-90200032.html

Metro is considering cutting weekend service at 12 midnight. I think this is bad for a myriad of reasons. Higher drunk driving rates, more cab fares and less going out in DC. And more people trying to park in the city.

There are some nights I don't come home from dinner until after 12, let alone drinking. This would be a real blow. I know there are not a ton of riders at that time, but it serves a great need. And I do think it would really impact businesses in DC. I love being able to metro from Arlington into DC and it be so easy, it would definitely make me venture into the city for nights out less. And I don't particularly want to do that.

Oh, and a general question to anyone. What is the reasoning behind the smearing and dolloping of various components at many of the "nicer" restaurants? I know its been done forever but I still don't get it. The accompanying stuff is either really great and you wish there was more or really gross and you wonder why its even there. I appreciate the effort that goes into creating so many components but I'm just puzzled by that style of cooking.

The one nice thing about this is that if you don't like the taste with one small component you can leave that out. At Farrah Olivia when it was open they used this method A LOT. I liked a lot of the dishes with some of the little dollops, some of the piles of spices, but not all the dollops and in some combination. But if it was a whole plate full of one combination there was a very good chance it could be one I wouldn't have liked.

I live in Ballston and would not recommend it for Italian or Indian. They do know no indian places have happy hour?

Willow or Grand Cru would be best if they can let go of the Indian, Italian thing. If not perhaps hit up Liberty Tavern, although not Italian, their pastas and pizza are wonderful. Or Tandoori Nights? No happy hour specials, but... Or Sette Bello. I don't remember what their happy hour is like. Some of the pastas are hit and miss the salmon penne is great though. Pizzas are decent, nothing outrageous. If they want pizza go to American Flatbread or Liberty.

Last night Grand Cru had a Barboursville tasting... they should have scheduled better.

My brother and I used to get takeout from the U st. location. Don't get the ribs- I made a rookie mistake on that one long ago. The meatloaf is a huge portion and I think they do greens well. But best stick to the chicken and sides. I love the whole in the wall feel of the U st. location. I never tried their sweet potato pie, I guess I missed out.

Did anyone catch this week's episode of No Reservations? Apparently it's about "techniques" and he brings some guest chefs (Pepin, Conant, Tourondel, Pasternak, and Keller) to demonstrate. I have it sitting on the DVR but it seems like an interesting watch.

It was ok... I think probably most of us know the techniques he is showing. And I was a little annoyed with the "You can make french fries at home, watch us use our big fryers." But for the average person it might have been more interesting. It was neat to see some of the people he had on the show.

I saw beautiful ones at Heidelberg Pastry Shop. Didn't eat any due to the amount of pastries at home, but they smelled quite good. Sorry this doesn't help you, but perhaps for posterity.

Well now that Easter is over, I think you should make some of these caramels into other shapes beyond bunnies, flowers perhaps so now that we are all drooling over these things we can come get them (2 per customer per day of course) I would eat bunnies still too though.

Very sorry you had a bad day. Just think of the three people who all got bunnies and didn't fight with each other about them. Who probably had to suffer with that person all through Easter brunch. They really did deserve three bunnies for that. It would be nice if she had said "I have three grandchildren and I really would like three." But sometimes people for whatever reason just don't think to say those things. Perhaps because they are having a bad day too.

I think the, "Is it good?" They are really asking "Do you personally like it?" Which I am not sure why people ask that question because everyone has different tastes and you can't tell by looking at someone if they have similar taste to you, but I think it is a good sign they are trusting you with giving them personal guidance. So take it is a compliment that they trust your good judgment in taste and not that they think you would sell something bad. And tell them that you don't think the caramel bunnies are good.

I am eating the leftovers of Easter dinner- shortribs and horseradish greek yogurt, parsley potatoes and broccoli; it melds very well in a glad container.

Cafe Atlantico had been on my list of places I wanted to eat dinner every since we went to Minibar two years ago. I had been for their Saturday brunch, which I really like, but never for dinner.

So Hubby and I had a date Friday night to Cafe Atlantico. I started out with their special cherry blossom drink with lavender and cherry. It was very good, and not overly sweet, because of the tang of the cherry, but definitely a little sweet. I ordered the grapefruit and shrimp appetizer and Matt had the conch fritters. I really liked my appetizer it was really light and acidic. The shrimp and grapefruit were mixed with chayote noodles and some greens (arugula I believe) and it all mixed very well. Matt's conch fritters were great though. They were nicely fried, but not tough, and had a great side of jicama guacamole on the side. I really liked these. He had the margarita with the salt foam, and loved it. I thought it was really fresh tasting.

I then got the passionfruit martini, which was so fresh and juicy it could be a very dangerous drink. I really love passionfruit and this was lovely if you like passionfruit. Matt ordered the magic mojito, which I have had better mojitos, but not better mojitos that melted from being cotton candy with a lime hidden in it. It was definitely fun to watch the drink being made, but they taste better at Zengo.

I had the duck confit entree with corn and fava beans. This was fantastic. The duck just fell apart and it went so well with the veggies underneath so it didn't feel over the top rich. Matt had the pork chop which was of notable size, but very good. It was spicy- very spicy- but in a good way.

We split the cuatro leches dessert, which had a nice light cake, and leche ice cream that wasn't too sweet and toasted almonds. The only let down was that the oranges with it weren't very flavorful, just not very ripe.

We wanted the mexican hot chocolate, but they were out.

Overall I was really happy with the meal. It was different, but well prepared. I think thought went into pairing the ingredients for each dish, and most of the ingredients were very fresh and flavorful (the exception being the oranges). So it was a nice place for date night. And the cocktails were really great. I don't think this place gets enough credit for really good cocktails.

Went for burgers the other night. As a note, the whole wheat buns really hold up better than the non. Had a burger with havarti, jalapeno, lettuce and tomato. The jalapenos were very fresh, which surprised me in a good way. Had sweet potato fries, which I love here. Not a hellburger, but defeinitely a good place for a burger fix if you live or work nearby.

I like all the condiments available and syrup for sodas too.

Hubby and I took our fluffball dog Max to the small dog park at Shirlington to get him socializing with more dogs. We thought we would walk over to Shirlington to grab a bite; unfortunately, I didn't know that your dog had to be attached to the outside of the fences for the restaurant. Max being 4 months is perfectly happy to sit at my feet or sleep on my lap, but barriers between him and me just won't work.

So we decided to swing by Heidelberg and grab a grilled sausage sandwich on the way to get orchid food at the TruValue by our house. It was a spectacular day to be at Heidelberg Pastry Shop. They had fresh hot cross buns, cute Easter stuff and the weather was perfect for eating out on their picnic tables. The dog loved to be able to lay in the grass while we ate. The knauckwurst was fantastic, nice and juicy, but also firm and crisp. I love their potato salad, it is nice and vinegary with nice seasoning. And the pretzel was nice and chewy and doughy. All topped off by being able to sit at the picnic tables and enjoy the sun, the families and watching people maneuver themselves in and out of the parking lot. It was a fantastic way to spend a lunchtime. And I had my hands full with drinks and the dog while Matt paid for everything inside so one of the men working the grill carried our lunch to the tables for me. I am always encouraged by how nice everyone here is, they are always really helpful.

I'd be in, with Matthew.

Just wanted to add a thread on City Dock Coffee. They have two locations. One at City Dock in Annapolis and one on Maryland Avenue by the State House. I am not a huge coffee snob, but I think they do a very good job on coffee. I also like their chai tea and muffin selection. They always have some healthy and non-healthy options for the baked goods. I recently had a very good pineapple muffin. And they are very nice. This used to be a frequent stop for me. And it is a lot better than the Hard Bean Coffee next door to the City Dock location. Not quite Starbucks with frou frou drinks, but they will make you pretty much anything you want. And I like the trivia.

This and 49 West are my two favorite coffee house spots to hang out at in Annapolis.

I don't believe I've had any form of feline. I just as soon start with a regular cat. If you find a restaurant that serves cat, let me know. I do believe that Cantonese and Koreans eat cat but I'm not aware of any local restaurant that serves them.

Blog showing cat being skinned and cooked in Vietnam

I guess I am a little shocked because I have eaten a lot of wild vermin from this area- I have had squirrel- can be very dry, but excellent in pot pie. I really like dove. I have had bear, which I don't think was prepared well, but it is very fatty and oily, I didn't care for it much. I have had groundhog which I didn't care for much either. And then all the more "normal" game- pheasant, venison, duck, bison, elk, etc etc.

And I grew up in an area that if these things were eaten, I think I would have known about it. Maybe in Southwest Virginia they eat more of these things than Western Maryland/West Virginia, but I doubt it. I really want to meet someone who has eaten these things... I want to know where this is a common practice, or if some law maker in Virginia was just having a good chuckle.

Maybe Dean can have a Jaw to Bob dinner.

Home Defense in the red bottle is the best thing for ants of any type and other insects. We live on the third floor of a condo building, but still get them, this stuff keeps them at bay for at least 6 months. You only kill the ones currently in your house, the rest just won't cross the stuff. I put it around the indoor intake for the outside air conditioning unit and the door to the balcony and that does the trick for 6 months. I also put it on the bottom part of my herb pots so I don't have an infestation, but the herbs don't touch it. I tried orange oil, tea tree oil, but sometimes you just have to fight back powerfully. They are way more of them than humans so I don't feel to bad. And the ones at my house will bite, so I really don't feel bad killing them.

I have never eaten bobcat....

Has anyone here eaten bobcat or raccoon??? I didn't know people ate bobcat or raccoon. This might be a new adventure.

I would pay $100 bucks a pop for a nice tasting menu if their was a broad wine selection and nicer ambiance But I don't want to have to go to Atlanta... don't we know anyone with an extra building and some cash???

I think we could tempt him if he didn't have to put Tasty China behind his name...

Katelin, the reason I didn’t quote you is because I was making more of a general comment that went well beyond Rocklands or the dish that you had, and as I originally wrote, I appreciate new and different meats (actually I applaud there use), only the issue I have with the use of ‘game’ when describing farm raised animals. For what it is worth, I have been to dinner more than once with people that assume when they see the word on a menu it means that it was wild harvested.

Perhaps it is marketed that way. I don't think the sellers of bison meat want people to know they use big feed lots like for cattle because it does seem more "romantic" in a way for it to be wild caught. And perhaps people are more likely to try it if it is "exotic". I personally just like the diversity and health benefits of many different tasty critters. If I remember correctly ground bison meat at Wegman's has a picture of a bison eating grass in the outdoors. But you are completely right that true wild game tastes very different. Not only because of diet, but because it is often much leaner due to all the exercise. Growing up on a farm it was always neat to go to farms with alpaca, emu, rabbits, ostrich and etc. Even in our states MD/VA people farm raise many of these types of animals, so it is interesting people don't seem to notice it. No elk that I have seen, but I could be wrong. Maybe I should convert part of our beef farm to Elk. I would have to have high high fences. I could have school groups!

But now to thicken the question- if you shoot and eat squirrel is it game? I don't think people think of critters in their backyards as game, but deer are just larger critters in the backyard.

I don't disagree with you, but I wonder why it is that ducks are rarely if ever called "game". Additionally, the flavor of wild bagged game is so different from the farmed raised animals that they do not even taste like the same meat – I am not saying that it is always better just very different. Unfortunately, I think that most customers are unaware that what is called “game” on a menu* is no more wild than the bovine or swine they are passing up out of a sense of adventurousness.

*by no means am I calling out Rocklands as being the only restaurant to do this.

Well I know it is farm raised, but I like the leaness and flavor of elk, but you rarely see it on menus around here. So I will take it where I can get it. Yes, wild game tastes very different, but without access to it, unless I go home, I appreciate a variety of meats, even if farm raised here. And it is the best thing I have eaten at Rocklands so far.

Wow! The elk sausage with collard greens were great! I mean fantastic!!!!! Please put this on the menu more often!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I met up with friends and enjoyed the patio with our dogs (and the rain held off). I had the elk sausage with a side of red beans and rice and it all tasted very good with a nice cold root beer. The elk was nicely grilled a little spicy, but not really spicy. The collards were cooked blissfully with a little bacon and had wonderful savory flavor, while retaining the strong flavor of collards. And the red beans and rice soaked up all that goodness and added just a little bit more savory goodness to the whole thing. I would come back again for this, often. Now I wish I could have tried more of the game menu. I think game is something that is a little harder to find in this area and it would be lovely for Rockland to have it often. Really seriously Ballston Rocklands, I live a couple blocks away, I would be there much more often if that was a regular thing.

ktmoomau

First of all sorry for the delayed response, I did not have a Rockwell account for my current position. My name is Chris Mickey, and I am the General Manager of the Columbia Firehouse. I read your post last week, and would like to apologize for the experience that you and your friends had 2 Saturdays ago. I regret that I did not get a chance to speak with you when you dined with us, you actually spoke to one of my assistant managers. The part of your post that troubles me the most was that you were not informed when you called that it would be a limited menu for a party of your size. I spoke with the manager that took your reservation, and she assures me that the person that called and made the reservation was informed about the policy. Either way, if there was confusion you should have been given full dinner menus. I agree with you that we handled the situation improperly, and the managers involved have been counseled on how to handle situations like this in the future.

In response to your post we have also changed our policy when it comes to taking large parties. Now parties over 8 that call at least 48 hours before their reservation will be able to choose their own limited menus. The limited menu policy does help the kitchen serve the food in a timely and precise manor on larger parties. That being said, letting guests choose their own menus should avoid similar experiences as yours. This will also give us a chance to print personalized menus for each one of the parties.

As for the service you were given the night of your party, it was clearly not up to our standards. The server you had that evening usually provides great service. I believe it was a case of him not asking for assistance from the managers when he needed to. The manager supervising that dining should have had a better sense of the floor and the fact that your server was overwhelmed. Again both have been spoken to and I assure you that neither will let an experience like yours happen again. Thank you for your detailed post, forums like this give us a great chance to evaluate our policies and to hopefully correct bad experiences.

Thank you so much for not only responding to my post, but taking affirmative steps to alleviate the problems for the future. And congratulations on becoming a Donrockwell member.

Pup USA. Sort of like Bye Bye Baby, except for dogs.

You are the best!

I lived in Annapolis for a while, then worked in the State House, and now just come back to visit my Mom. Over the years I have eaten through a good bit of the menu at El Toro Bravo. It has always been good, not fine dining of any sort, but decent Mexican/ Tex-Mex at good prices. And they are very good at getting you in and out if you are in for lunch. Also the people there are always terribly friendly. I like the chimichangas, enchiladas with chile sauce and tacos. Stopped in a few weeks ago and again wasn't disappointed.

I didn't see a thread so I thought I would start one.