Spiral Stairs

My guess is that there is not much of a demand. And anyway the idea that any nationwide chain producing respectable food is amusing.

Unless your definition of "respectable food" is extraordinarily stringent, of course it is possible for a nationwide chain to produce it. (E.g., Capital Grille; Oceanaire; Morton's; Legal Sea Foods; McCormick & Schmick's; Chick-fil-A (oh yeah!).)

I'm not saying any of those restaurants are the best purveyors of their chosen genre, and I'm not saying they aren't vastly outnumbered by chains that do not produce respectable food. But I don't think the hypothetical French restaurant at issue here would be expected to be among the finest French restaurants. Just respectable.

Fort Ward Park in Alexandria allows alcohol with purchase of a $25 ABC permit (along with the picnic area reservation/payment). They have 4 sites for 20 people - near a playground - although those 4 don't appear to have a shelter (shade tree is mentioned). There are some larger sites with shelter that aren't a whole lot more $$ to rent.

Thanks. I had run across that park in my searches, but by my reading of the rules, consumption of alcohol is permitted only "by a group of 50 or more." (Seems like a strange rule. I can understand the desire to prevent small groups of miscreants from congregating for the purpose of getting drunk, but I would think the rather byzantine permitting process would take care of that problem without need for a minimum group size.)

We may be leaning back in favor of doing it at home anyway, after hearing some stories of one-year birthday parties gone bad because the screaming damned honoree just wants to go to his crib.

We're planning our son's first birthday party which, as with all such things, is more for the adults than the honoree. We'd like to find a spot for a picnic that meets these requirements:

- Picnic table capacity: About 15-20 people, with kids, babies, and related paraphernalia.

- Some kind of available shelter.

- License to drink.

- Reservable.

- In or fairly close to DC (could do Arlington; Alexandria; close-in MoCo).

Having been to a DR.com picnic, it appears that the shelter areas at Ft. Hunt Park would be fine, except they are awfully big. And in my online scouting of alternatives, I am finding that it's very difficult to find an appropriate spot that allows alcohol. That is, of course, a non-negotiable requirement, the non-satisfaction of which will result in the non-celebration of my son's birthday.

We'd be open to affordable (read: dirt-cheap) options on private property, if such things exist.

Any ideas?

I walked by an hour ago. It looks like they might be opening (soft?) tonight (unless they already did so last night), though there was nothing posted on the door. The signage that must have prompted the stop work order referenced above is up; the tables were set for service (napkins, wine glasses and all); and I could see activity in the kitchen. I didn't get a good look at the decor, except to note that the chairs are orange and plastic. (They are orange and plastic in the "really expensive and hip" sense, not in the "found at a thrift shop" sense.)

On the upside, there's a ready-made, media-friendly moniker for the first employee of one of these stores who goes on a killing spree.

The Cereal Killer

...I did spend the rest of the night picking antennae out of my teeth.

[Crosses grasshopper taco off list entitled Things I Might Try Someday If Sufficiently Drunk and adds it to list entitled Things I Would Try Only If Necessary For Personal Safety Or National Security.]

Zagat says Locanda is opening next week.

I walked by it about a week ago. All the windows were papered over for the sake of opacity, but the exterior looked polished. A "Stop Work" order on the door cited unapproved signage in a historic district. At the time I walked by, I saw no sign at all. So maybe they have removed the offending sign.

(Is anyone else scared by the restaurant's use of the neologism "meditalia" in its self-descriptions? "Fusion" menus are hard to pull off. The photos on the restaurant's placeholder website look pretty though.)

... I can make more pesto, but there's only so much pesto a gal can eat.

I can't help you with any of your actual questions, but I can emphathize with this point. There is also only so much cabbage a guy (and his gal) can eat. I was quite happy to learn that the head of cabbage we received this week will be the last for the summer. It's not that I haven't liked the cabbage. Indeed, it's just the opposite: I have gained a new appreciation for a vegetable I would never otherwise have cooked. (And that was pretty much the goal of our CSA membership.) At the same time, though, a head of cabbage is still a head of cabbage, not a winning lottery ticket or brick of chocolate.

We got potatoes for the first time this week, and a lone tomato. Last night, I made a variation of the egg/sausage/sun-dried tomato casserole I linked to upthread, incorporating CSA zucchini, squash, and eggs. (That recipe continues to be a crowdpleaser in our house. It's really extremely delicious and totally adaptable.) As a side dish, I fried up the potatoes with garlic in the sausage grease. We ate well last night, but our arteries became noticeably more brittle.

CSA goods still to be addressed: Some cucumbers (which, I have found, I like to slice and use as hummus-delivery vehicles); the aforementioned head of cabbage (stir-fry, here I come!); a zucchini; a squash; some beans (everyone, join the stir-fry party!); and a few more eggs.

The flowers kicked ass this week. We got one gigantic sunflower, some irises that bloomed shortly after being placed in water, colorful snapdragons, and black-eyed susans.

It does not seem to me that Ms. Paris's complaint focused on (i) any delay in being seated on the patio, or (ii) the unavailability of a large portion of the menu. Rather, her complaint appears to be based on communication breakdowns about those issues; namely, (i) perceived snottiness concerning being seated on the patio, and (ii) the server's failure to note the unavailability of a large portion of the menu in a timely way.

I dunno. If it happened as told, they seem like legitimate complaints to me (though they probably would not have rendered my evening "very, very disappointing"). Truth be told, I have not found service to be Sonoma's strong point. I have not had any issue that caused me a great deal of consternation, but it has seemed a little rough around the edges at times, and it does not surprise me that someone may have said something in a way that suggested snottiness.

This week's delivery from the Jug Bay CSA included:

- Beans (Uh, they are the size and shape of what I call "green beans." Some are green, and some are pale yellow.)

- Cabbage

- Broccoli

- Beets

- Squash

- Zucchini

- Cucumbers

- Assorted herbs

I am quickly realizing that I will be doing a LOT of roasting and stir-frying this summer. I simply don't have the time or energy to use these ingredients in more complex recipes. So last night, I chopped up the squash, beets, and zucchini into little cubes, gave the same treatment to non-CSA potatoes and a red onion, added garlic, olive oil, and herbs, and roasted two baking sheets full of the resulting mix.

It worked out pretty well. We ate some sliced cucumber topped with sea salt too. That was pretty good.

Frankly, though, the jury is still out on this whole CSA experience for us. If we do it next year, we'll probably seek out a share. Because as it stands, it sometimes feels like more of a chore than a pleasure to address the sheer volume of the weekly harvest (in what is supposedly a poor year for our CSA's farm). Usually, there are no more than three nights a week when I have the time and inclination to cook "seriously." (And there are usually zero nights a week when my wife has such time and inclination.) As a result, we have had to toss a few things, which causes me great angst.

This weekend is the 2007 National Capital Barbecue Battle. Here's the website: http://www.barbecuebattle.com/

Has anyone been in previous years? I'm wondering what kind of food vendors they have. I see that Safeway will be giving out free samples of things, but I'd like to know if I'll have more options than just waiting in endless lines among people seeking a miniscule freebie.

I am also curious about this, and was about to post the same query. The website is not very clear about the way the "free" samples (it costs $10 to get in) work. Will the Safeway Sampling Pavilion (or whatever) have samples prepared by people and places other than Safeway? Or will Safeway personnel be doing the cooking? Who fights in the battle? Do I get to taste the foodstuffs prepared by the competitors? And, as The good Doctor asks, are the lines so long that I will be more annoyed than satisfied?

... I think anyone who has looked into the matter even superficially will conclude that a duck or goose raised for foie gras has an almost incomparably better life than a Perdue chicken. ...

Well, the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare issued a report in 1998 in which it opined that "the management and housing of the birds used for producing foie gras have a negative impact on their welfare," that "[t]he traditional technique of force feeding has been substantially modified during the past thirty years to rationalise and industrialise the production of foie gras and increase profitability," and that "[t]here is evidence that not only animal welfare has not benefited from the change but that instead it has deteriorated."

(Link to large .pdf here. See conclusions on page 66.)

I suppose that passage, if true, does not mean that a Perdue chicken isn't even worse off. But at an absolute minimum, it appears that this is not an issue as to which any superficial review by a reasonable person will inevitably lead to a single conclusion.

(By the way, this is NOT my pet issue. I found the report above because I Googled, not because I have a stash of animal rights propaganda. I've eaten foie gras. I may do so again. I just object to rabid and, to my mind, irrational rants like the one linked in the initial post. I think they do a disservice to both sides of whatever debate they appear in.)

I must take issue with your characterization of that screed as “great” commentary. In fact, I would say it is pretty terrible. He spends the first two-thirds of the piece mocking “Vegan Central” with various silly analogies and offensive descriptions, but then claims to “respect the animal rights groups’ opinions.” Next thing you know, he’ll say that a lot of his best friends are vegetarians. It isn’t particularly well-written either. Right off the bat, he says that “they” – meaning, I guess, animal rights activists – “never fail” to rely on an inapt adjective – “inhumane” – when stating their positions. How about a cite for the proposition that “they” “never fail” to use that term? I suspect there isn’t one. In any event, his argument is stupid. I looked at the Whole Foods press release concerning its decision to stop selling live lobsters, since that is one of the examples he cites. True, the press release repeatedly cites the company’s commitment to “humane” treatment of animals. So I looked up humane. It is defined in Princeton’s online dictionary as “marked or motivated by concern with the alleviation of suffering” or “showing evidence of moral and intellectual advancement.” Apparently, this joker thinks “humane” means “human.” It doesn’t, and I hardly think it productive to mock those who believe that the alleviation of suffering among animals is a principle worth considering as we make decisions on our consumptive practices.

(Incidentally, “inhumane” does not appear in the Whole Foods press release, despite this person having placed “inhumaneness” in quotes when discussing the Whole Foods decision. In any event, “inhumane” is defined by the Princeton dictionary as “lacking and reflecting lack of pity or compassion.” Is it unreasonable to adopt pity and compassion as principles worthy of consideration?)

I must also take issue with your apparent characterization of those who oppose the production and consumption of foie gras as animal rights “fanatics” putting on a “show.” For the record, I have mixed feelings on the matter. I am not in favor of legislation banning the sale of foie gras. However, I recognize that the animal rights position is principled, even if I find myself persuaded by other principles on balance. The worst way to persuade people like me, who see some merit to both sides of an argument, is openly to mock the other side and utterly fail to approach its position with any respect or intellectual rigor.

This guy makes absolutely no attempt to characterize fairly the “other side,” and resorts instead to generalizations and ad hominem attacks. As someone whose job it is to construct and defend arguments (a lawyer), I find this to be a pretty poor display of that skill. This guy strikes me as the print equivalent of a radio shock jock. (He doesn't help his case by injecting irrelevant and inflammatory fuck-you's, like his flaunting of his vehicle.)

More fun with veh-juh-tubbles!

This week, we got broccoli, cabbage, leaf lettuce, head lettuce, arugula, spring onions, squash, zucchini, a cucumber, snap peas, and assorted herbs. We will be out of town this weekend, which put me in a state of panic. So I gave my neighbor the broccoli, some arugula, some remaining scapes from last week, and the head of lettuce.

Beginning what promises to be a frantic effort to use our remaining vegetables before the weekend, last night I made Braised Cabbage with Onions (using the CSA spring onions) and roasted squash/zucchini. Both worked out pretty well, but the cabbage is really good. The recipe came from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. Tonight, I'll probably use the remainder of the arugula for a frittata, per Zora's appetite-whetting suggestion. (But I just couldn't bring myself to do anything with the broccoli. Sorry Zora.)

Our CSA update this week says this is proving to be a poor season compared with the last three. For this CSA novice, though, I would fear any greater quantities. We're told to expect the beginning of beans next week; tomatoes are two to three weeks off.

(Incidentally, for others who may be suffering from CSA vehjuhtubble overabundance, the current issue of Cook's Illustrated has a primer on freezing summer vegetables. Unfortunately, everything has to be blanched before freezing. Why can't the advice be, "Take vegetable, put in freezer"?)

Here's my update.

1. Garlic scapes -- One bunch has been turned into pesto. I intend to use half the pesto on a pizza tonight, and the other half with pasta, perhaps tomorrow. I've only finger-tasted the pesto. Echoing legant, it's mild. More "grassy" than garlicky to me. But we'll see how it goes when consumed properly. (By the way, our CSA guy said trim off the bulbs and a couple inches below them. I also trimmed off the very bottom, because that area seemed kind of tough.

2. Lettuce and snap peas -- Became a salad. Problem is, I just don't like salad that much. (Unless it's topped with bacon and a poached egg, or similar extravangances.) The peas were very sweet. I think I preferred just popping them in my mouth to eating them in a salad with a vinegary dressing.

3. Eggs -- We are getting a dozen eggs a week in our CSA. This is orders of magnitude more eggs than we usually consume. I have been using them make this extravagantly good sausage, egg, and sun-dried tomato casserole. It is really, really good, and suitable for any of the three meals in a day. It's adaptable too. I added shell peas from the CSA, and replaced the shallots with CSA spring onions, and it remained delicious. (Also, I'm making omelettes. Lots of omelettes.)

4. Broccoli -- Yuck. Still in the fridge. Any ideas (besides giving it to a neighbor, which is the current plan) for someone who doesn't like broccoli at all?

5. Strawberries -- No recipes; just eaten with my lunches this week.

6. Radishes -- Given to a friend who actually likes them.

And a CSA-related reflection: I wish pick-up for our CSA was later in the week. Ours is on Monday. It's very difficult for us to do serious cooking during the week, thanks to busy jobs and a 10-month-old roommate. So most of it sits around until the weekend. I would be jazzed about a Thursday pickup. Things would be fresher when I use them and I would enter the weekend with residual excitement about the goods.

last year since we subscribed to bull run and got a few weeks worth of scapes, i ended up making pesto and freezing it (no cheese added until we actually ate it). it was really nice to have frozen pesto throughout the entire summer to just pull out and eat at our leisure.

...

I've seen others advise not to add the cheese to it before freezing. Why's that?

It's the immature flower stalk of the garlic plant. In order to get the bulb to develop underground, it is necessary to discourage the plant from putting its energy into flowering and going to seed, so the flower stalk gets cut off. Every part of the garlic plant tastes/smells garlic-y. The scape will probably be a bit milder than garlic cloves. So you can chop up and saute a garlic scape with some of your choi to give it more flavor.

There is a brief piece on scapes in the Post food section today. I plan to use some of the scapes I got from our CSA to make a pesto, possibly the one described here. I might saute the rest and eat them on their own.

Our first CSA pick-up (the Jug Bay CSA) was last Monday. We took home two small containers of strawberries; about eight spring onions; a big bag of spinach; shell peas; various herbs; a dozen eggs; and assorted flowers. (The eggs and flowers are extra-cost components of the subscription.)

The shell peas were represented to be snap peas when I picked them up, and being the buffoon I am, I attempted to use them in a stir-fry without shelling them. Once I bit into one, I realized the shells were not edible, and I had to pick through the hot stir-fry and shell them all. Ugh.

But that goes to something that I, at age 37, still don't understand. Do the posted hours mean that is when you'll get kicked out, or the last moment you will be seated, or the time you won't be allowed to order anything else. I think it varies from place to place which is why I am eternally confused by it. ...

It is because of this possibility of confusion that I would expect a restaurant to advise me up front if their schedule will restrict the dining freedom I would usually experience. At a bare minimum, I would expect a server or manager to stop by to let me know the kitchen would be closing, and ask whether we wanted anything before that happened.

However, in our house as in yours, our resident baby makes it more likely that we're joining the blue hairs for an early dinner than challenging the kitchen's willingness to cook a late-night meal.

Does anyone use the meat grinder attachment for a Kitchenaid stand mixer?

The Bittman article makes me want to grind my meat.

God I love it when people here fess up to stuff like this. It makes me feel so much less like a heathen.

I periodically have a McDonald's itch that I have to scratch. It's been a few months, but it's lurking. I attribute this to the fact that I worked at McDonald's in high school. Whatever addictive substance with which they infuse their food still resides in my muscle tissue in high concentrations.

P.S.: I had two frozen burritos for dinner last night. And they weren't any kind of friendly organic version branded with the possessive form of a woman's name.

P.P.S.: That felt good.

Pursuant to Don's exhortation to post our most recent dining experience, I offer the following commentary on Delhi Dhaba's Bethesda location.

We had the buffet lunch there on Saturday. A massive dog-themed street fair had closed the street (Woodmont), and Delhi Dhaba was one of the few restaurants with enough outdoor seating to accommodate four adults, a child, and an infant. The buffet was small and nondescript, but contained nothing offensive: decent butter chicken; okay tandoori chicken; dal; a potato/pepper dish that was pretty good; palak paneer that was a little light on the paneer (had to go fishing with the ladle). There were a couple other things, but I can't remember what they were. Naan was a bit dry.

I did enjoy the gulab jamun for dessert. It wasn't as sickly-sweet as that dessert (along with many other Indian desserts) often is.

Service was par for the Indian restaurant course: Not what one would call attentive or speedy, but no one punched me in the face.

So, not bad. But since I have to get in my car to go there, I'd veer eastward and head to Woodlands to satisfy my buffet itches every time.

Just for another idea for you or anyone else out there who may want to couple a great dining and hotel option: Old Town Alexandria for great strolling, the PX for a cocktail as you are dressed to the nines, the Tasting Room at Restaurant Eve for an amazing dining experience, and the Morrison House for one classy and charming hotel.

The only reason I am not demanding that our list of options include an R. Eve visit is that we've decided we want to go somewhere new, and we've already experienced the bliss that is the Eve Tasting Room. Blowout dinners like this are few and far between for us (especially now that we're in infant-rearing, and infant-financing, mode); we may not get to have a dinner like this again for some time.

Having now floated all of these ideas with the other person who will be there, the current seems to be flowing toward Georgetown...

I don't know how much time we'll spend outside the hotel. We both enjoy the decadence of a truly luxurious room, which makes the room itself part of the "getaway," without doubt. It has been suggested to me that a room at the Four Seasons coupled with dinner at Citronelle would provide the best of both worlds, albeit not with the convenience of one-stop shopping. It's an enticing possibility...

Let's say you and your spouse have decided to celebrate your anniversary by spending one night at a local DC hotel and having one blow-out dinner at the well-respected restaurant located in such hotel. It will be just the two of you. (And perhaps your infant son, who will be tended to by a hired babysitter while you are drinking, dining, strolling around, and otherwise celebrating.)

Let's further say that you have narrowed the field to the three obvious choices: (1) Ritz-Carlton + Maestro; (2) Mandarin Oriental + CityZen; (3) Latham Hotel + Citronelle.

And let's further say that neither you nor your spouse have ever been to any of those restaurants or the hotels in which they are located.

Which would you choose?