ktmoomau

Oakland Was in the real Western Maryland this past weekend, for a cold, but not snowing, Autumn Glory Festival. Friday night at a friend's house we had Brenda's Pizzeria's to go eggplant parmesan which came in a big foil baking dish with cheese in a bag to add. It was really tasty. We also had the baked ziti which was good too it had braised pork. But the eggplant was better. A nice homey American red sauce kind of delight. Dropped off rental keys on Sunday and headed over to Canoe on the Run for lunch before Swallow Falls. Had a really delicious tomato and corn bisque. Their soups continue to be really good. Should have stolen a bite of a friends black bean which was so pretty with roasted pumpkin seeds on top. As I am a tad bit of a bread snob, I appreciate that the sandwiches here are normally on good bread, better than most other places you can get sandwiches in the area where your choices are white, wheat or kaiser.

I cook because I can't afford to eat out every night, but expect to eat really good food for every meal. That means someone has to make it and that person would be me as while the Hubby can cook- it isn't the same. It also feels good to be accomplished in a variety of things. And I enjoy cooking for the social aspect of kitchen talk with friends and family. Many things that are said in the kitchen are things that just aren't shared anywhere else.

I actually quite like the cookie plates because the Hubby isn't a big cake or pie person. He normally either gets cookies or the trio of ice creams, so it is nice to be able to not eat dessert alone, plus I often don't have time to make him homemade cookies.

Went last night as a last meal of sorts before some medical tests. The space was a little quiet, but I am sure it will pick up soon once people know it is there. I am not sure about the chandeliers with open ceiling, I think it looks a little silly, but that's just me. Had a half apple pizza and have revolution minus the mushrooms. The apple pizza was really good, I prefer Liberty Tavern's which may be my favorite pizza ever, but this was definitely good. I love the flavor between the salty meat and crispy apples with the cheddar. The revolution side really hit the spot on my pizza craving. I didn't realize how essential the carmelized onions were till my second piece, but definitely pairs well with the fresh, tangy red sauce. I liked the crust, nice and doughy. We will be back when I am not on a clear diet And it is nice you can get back to 10th street so easily. Should be a good addition to that neighborhood which has a lot of nice family homes. Told management they should put hooks under the tall tables, hope they do. I didn't have my purse hook with me so I was happy we had an extra stool. Anyway service was top notch, and you could see them teaching just how to do things to (I assume) new staff and that was nice to see.

Just wanted to comment on some good eats I had this weekend visiting the in laws: Saturday morning we stopped by Breadworks to pick up sandwiches for our day out. I love their veggie sandwich, and their curried chicken sandwich. I also think they have really good molasses cookies- very soft with a good, but not overwhelming molasses flavor. We went across the way to the little Italian Market- Oooh the pizza smelled so good, I might have to try it on the next visit. Bought some rosemary, garlic angel hair that I will cook tonight that smelled phenomenal. I really like their variety of fresh pastas. If I wasn't away for most of this week I would have also picked up some squid ink pasta. They also had some nice small portions of cheese in the back fridge- we got a soft creamy cheese with cranberry that I forget the name of, not a blue or gorgonzola or glouchestire as it was smooth and creamy... We also got a small piece of Reggiano Toscano and some sesame crackers for our day. Next we headed to Carter Mountain to pick apples- JEEP AND CONVERTIBLE OWNERS please note that road is gravel and it was REALLY dusty, I saw a couple jeeps and convertibles go up with top down and I am sure they will have to either put in a lot of work to clean their car afterward or spend a pretty penny on some detailing. This place was packed. I got a variety of apples, we picked up some cider and fresh apple cake doughnuts. These doughnuts are really good! Make sure to get them warm from the bakery section (they have an express doughnut line). Hubby thought the cider was a little to sweet, I thought it was very appley and just made from a sweeter variety of apple (almost honey crispish, but they don't have honey crisps there). We then headed up for Barboursville's special tasting day. They have two of these each year, and they not only have their normal tastings, but they also have vertical tastings of their Cabernet Franc and Barbera lines. You can also participate in Octagon Barrel tastings. And we nabbed the cville for the coupon for the 1999 Octagon tasting. It was such a nice day we pulled up and ate our sandwiches out on the grass. Then did the tasting. If you taste every singe wine offered you would have drank a whole bottle of wine. We did many, but not all of the tastings. I love Octagon, and they had one Chardonnay the Reserve that I liked, as well as some of the Cab Francs int he vertical tasting, but I was also shocked by their Rose- I hate Rose normally, but this one was surprisingly good. Ended the night downtown at Zocalo. Hubby's steak was fantastic and my grouper with pea risotto was really good too. I have now had a couple nice meals here. I want to figure out how to make the ancho chille sauce that was on his steak. I wanted to add that we ended at Splendora's and I highly recommend getting a half maple half pumpkin gelato.

For Annapolis, I actually like this place a good bit. I am a little surprised it is in the mall, had it gone into one of the downtown spaces it would have done so well. But the grill with all the building that have burnt in downtown recently may not have been a great idea... I thought the asparagus salad, mac and cheese and steak were all really good. I also thought the potato salad was really good. I stole a bite of the rosemary lamb skewer that was a little tougher, but still good. Especially for Annapolis. Will definitely go back with the Momma when I go to visit. Also it is nice to have a couple other places int he mall that serve alcoholic beverages as California Pizza Kitchen used to be packed for that reason. I appreciate the simple menu actually. It is something there isn't a lot of in Annapolis, actually- simple grilled meats with fresh salads and tasty sides.

I miss the subs here... and the meatballs. I always impressed with this place. It is consistent and while not mind blowing, the food is really nice casual Italian food.

No offense, but I don't know about Constitutional Coffee it makes me think it is off Constitution Ave or in Capitol Hill. Because of proximity to Mason I was thinking "The Library Coffee Shop and Bakery" but that may promote lingerers, which may not be wanted. The Go Remy in me of course wanted "Clizzle Dizzle Coffee." Then I was thinking "Wilson Brews and Bakes."

Buzz Bakery just sent out their newsletter with talk of cider and pumpkin lattes. Haven't had either of those things there though.

Dark and Stormy's because I know that the weather will soon be brooding. (I like Oya's, but I make at home often) Warm Apple Cider (no idea whose is best Hubby is the big judge of that) Hot Chocolate- CoCo Sala Hot Spiced Chai- so many places make this, not sure I have a favorite. You might check and see if Equinox is having a seasonal happy hour, I think they had a cider happy hour theme last year around this time.

I can't get the Online Virginia Case Information for Deeds to work today, but you could do a deed search on the address if you really wanted to know.

That is it, thank you. It was a very nice wine. And I got a PM with the name so I am all set now!

I just wanted to follow up and give a thank you to Mr. Slater for picking out a really nice bottle of wine for us Friday night. When my Husband got the bill he was like wow you picked out cheap wine! So thank you for helping me choose a really nice affordable bottle for our night out. We also were sent out some deviled eggs with steak tartare and small cup of sherried crab bisque, which was perfect because I didn't have room for a whole cup but really wanted some, it is such good soup. It is rich and so sweet from the crab and the amount of crab just makes it so tastey. It is amazing how busy they are with about double or triple the space. I had the house special because I was really in the mood for rich food and it was really good. I really like the steak here as to me it just isn't as messed with as other places in a good way. We ended with key lime pie that is really custardy and made with real key limes that was wonderful. It is so hard to save room for dessert here, but I always have to. Anyway we had a nice date, close to home so the Hubby was happy. And a nice chat with Mr. Slater (who might have to send me the name of that lovely bottle of spanish temparillo with the bird on the label as I completely forget the name now if he reads this and has a spare moment, please?).

Liberty Tavern did a birthday dinner for me and we had the big banquet in the back for 10? Pretty moderate prices as the portions are big. Metro accessible. I think Sette Bello and Harry's Tap Room might be places to check out too, they might have private rooms for small groups. I know Cafe Asia sometimes puts big parties in the back room which is huge, they normally have a good amount of space between the tables so if they put multiple groups it isn't too bad?

I am in the Miracle Whip camp. I will eat mayonnaise, but I don't prefer it. But as it is fast being learned on this board I prefer sweet and tangy tastes.

If you are in the Phoenix airport in Terminal 3 Blue Corn Burrito (Grille maybe?) has some pretty tasty burritos. I haven't had anything else there, but was really pleasantly surprised that I ate something in an airport and wished I could get it in DC. PHX

I wasn't quite sure where to start the Heidelberg thread- feel free to move it to shopping and cooking, but I wanted to note it is a great place to eat, as well. In the winter Heidelberg is more of a bakery, shop and a deli. They have beautiful breads, pretzels and pastries, they have pies, they do cakes, they have a wide selection of marzipan goodies. They also have chocolates and cheeses and meats. They make sandwiches and etc. In the nicer weather though go for the wurst. If you drive by and see their tent out front that is when to stop by. They grill multiple types of sausages on the grill brautwurst, knackwurst, weisswurst and debreziner, which they serve with kraut on a really nice roll that is appropriately crisp and soft. I particularly like the curried ketchup to put on it. You can get a combo with a pretzel and drink, or with kraut and German potato salad and drink or add to that pretzel and a piece of apple strudel for the ultimate combo. If you can't decide on a sausage no problem they will cut you off a piece of each to sample. The kraut isn't too sour, but has a nice crunch and tanginess to it. The warm German potato salad is really good, the potatoes are tender and there is just the right amount of sauce not to overwhelm the potatoes, but to bind them nicely. The pretzels are wonderful, soft and chewy with a nice shell and just enough coarse salt. The apple strudel has nice cooked apples inside, the pastry is dense, but still light and very flavorful. Really worth a stop. They have tables and chairs outside, some with umbrellas to eat your goodies in good weather. They only have one table and a little counter area inside. Here is their website- it's pretty informative. Heidelberg

Which reminds me that the service was good in a down to earth way, especially considering the bunch they were dealing with. Our server was accommodating with a sense of humor, just the type of person you need in a low key pizza joint/bar. She wasn't easily offended, made recommendations, but not a hard sell and brought our food and drink efficiently. Really what more do you need?

So did a pizza tasting last night at Red Rocks and Pete's. Posted about Pete's on it's thread, but overall Red Rocks won. We ordered the margherita, salsiccia and pesto pizza. I started with a glass of Musaragno Pinot Grigio 2007 Veneto, Italy. I really liked the hints of honey in the wine, it was a nice well rounded white that wasn't really crisp, which was nice since I had just come from the gym and the sweetness was nice but not overbearing. The margherita was my favorite. The crust was chewy but not overdone, thin, but still crusty in a rustic way. The sauce was really fresh tasting. It really tasted like nice ripe tomatoes. The buffalo mozzarella had good flavor it was buttery and creamy, but there wasn't too much cheese to overwhelm the wonderful tomato flavor. The salsiccia was good a little more cheese, not a ton of sausage, but very well balanced in flavor between the tomato sauce, cheese and roasted red peppers. I also really liked the pesto with ricotta, mozzarella and tomatoes. This was really creamy, but a nice balance with the basil and tomato flavor. Overall I really liked Red Rocks. It is similar in style to 2Amy's without the wait. Next time I will have to try a few of the starters, maybe the olives. I still think 2Amy's might be better, but it is just so darn tedious to get into.

Speaking of subjective taste... Did a pizza tasting last night at Red Rocks and Petes. At Red Rocks ordered the Margherita, Salsiccia and Pesto. At Pete's ordered a New Haven pie. Will put what I thought of Red Rocks on their thread. But if you compare multiple styles against themselves I think Red Rocks won. The clam pizza was salty. I will admit I don't like salt as much as some people, but the pizza to me was a little dry so the salt really stood out. If the clam flavor had been bolder maybe I wouldn't have noticed it. The crust was really chewy- too chewy, almost cardboard chewy. It just was dry overall. Needed a bit of a flavor boost and some more white sauce and to be cooked a little less. I liked their Staven pizza I had on a previous visit much better. Although the crust was a bit chewy then it wasn't nearly as chewy as this time. And the flavor combination on the Staven is really nice. I have no idea if New Haven style pizza is supposed to be chewy, maybe I am just not a New Haven style kind of girl. Or maybe they just overcooked our pie. But with Red Rocks three blocks away it is a tough choice for someone who isn't looking for any particular style. It is the best delivery pizza in that area though.

Went to the bar at Willow the other night to try the $5 menu because I wasn't up for cooking and it is conveniently right beside our condo building. Had a glass of Gruner Veltliner, which was refreshing and crisp not really any after taste, it was ok. It would have been really well liked by my SIL. We ordered the gougeres, spring rolls, chicken nuggets and crab and artichoke dip. The gougeres were great- put the ones at Central to shame in all seriousness, light puffy, cheesy the dough wasn't over worked or cooked and the dipping sauce with them adds a nice salty balance to their taste. The Spring Rolls were good- they were like two bites size which made it nice for sharing and the dipping sauce was good, they are not something I would have to reorder but they weren't bad at all. I am not sure how I felt about the texture of the chicken nugget- it tasted like they minced breast meat then put it back together breaded and fried it. The texture as it broke apart in your mouth was just a little odd. A nice flavor but really odd texture. The crab and artichoke dip was by far the best dish with a really nice rich crab and cream flavor balanced by the tang of the artichoke and a nice crumb topping. Had sticky toffee pudding, one of my favorite desserts, for dessert I like the fruit sauce they serve with it that really cuts some of the sweetness in a great way. It tasted very peachy a little lemony then had all the good sweetness of the toffee with the dense but moist cake. It was a nice time to sit at the bar, service was nice and it was a good deal for Hubby and I who weren't too hungry for a big dinner. I would go back am interested in trying some other things recommended by our neighbor at the bar- fish and chips and blt with halibut. Will probably do a girls night happy hour here as it was very affordable and a nice place to relax at the bar after work.

That's what I thought. Sad too I was looking forward to having his cooking closer to my normal eating eats. I guess I should have gotten there sooner.

Does anyone know of a location for frozen yogurt or custard in Annandale? Every time I eat really spicy stuff out that way (Honey Pig is a frequent in particular) I crave the stuff. Thanks!

I am very happy to have Taqueria Poblano near our house, and while the condo was being renovated it was a nice affordable meal. Went recently ate there and I got the shrimp tacos al carbon, which were very good, might have to get them again next time. Not tough, but a good flavor and I can't lie that I like the melted cheese part. Hubby gets the crispy LA tacos, but recently he got the enchiladas and those were really good, as well, I kept stealing bites. And they have a good breakfast burrito. They now have ads now and then in the Clipper magazine for a buy one entree get the second half off deal, which makes it a very tasty bargain.

I love that Sweet Tea. On trips down to the beach I stop and get a couple gallons of it for me and the Hubby's fam. I truly believe it could rot out your teeth in about a month's time, but it is soo good to me. And of course once stopped I must get a chicken sandwich.