dwt

We stopped in last night for dinner. The place was hopping, considering it was a Monday. There were even people out on the patio despite the chilly temps at 8:30. We scored a table after a few minutes wait. Beer selection was decent. We had Heavy Seas Loose Cannon (hers) and Lagunitas CensoRed (mine). Our burgers came out really fast, which was unexpected given the number of patrons -- maybe a good portion of them were only there to drink. Burgers were cooked to order and satisfying if nothing special. A side of onion rings was a little on the greasy side but still crisp and tasty. Service was friendly and efficient. Glad to see they are up and running and in good order.

Second visit here for dinner this past Sunday evening. I like that they have two invasive species items on the menu: Potomac River blue catfish tacos and wild boar sliders. We tried the sliders, which mimic typical banh mi flavors. They were good, the meat a little on the dry side but rescued by the condiments. The three sliders were more than I could consume without chucking bun pieces mid-way through the second one and foregoing at least half of just-ok fries.

No. It's intriguing. Thanks for sharing.

I went the inexpensive Weber kettle route for charcoal (only on the 2nd one in nearly 30 years). I can't justify the cost of a BGE nor do I want to suffer the hernia that would result from moving one of those beasts . The kettle is difficult to use as a smoker (I've only tried ribs); supposedly the BGE is better suited to smoking. But then I could buy a dedicated smoker and still have enough money left over, relative to the BGE price, to buy a truck load of pork butts and ribs.

I have both charcoal and gas grills. The gas grill gets more use because of its convenience. I prefer the flavors produced by cooking with charcoal/wood, but when I get home from work on a week night and have about 30 minutes to put food on the table, the gas grill just makes sense. Like Marks up thread, I'm fortunate enough to have my Weber Genesis, which is at least 8 years old, hooked up to a natural gas line. Maybe I would forsake charcoal if I could generate smoke reliably with gas. I know you should be able to do this with wood chips encased in foil, but the one time I tried the chips didn't burn. Not sure what I did wrong -- should try again.

This place is on Eutaw Street, near the Edgar Allen Poe House and the UMD Medical center. We had dinner there last night. If you go to their web site (http://www.alewifebaltimore.com/), the brief slide show gives you a good idea of what it's like inside -- dark, lots of wood surfaces. It's in an old bank building. I'm not an expert on architecture, but the outside says "Greek revival" to me. The inside features one small interior room, not pictured in the slide show, that may have been the vault, complete with steel door. They have a huge selection of beers, both on tap and in bottles. If you can't find anything you like, then you just don't like beer. They also offer cocktails and wine. I wasn't in the mood for beer last night, so I enjoyed a stiff Manhattan and a serviceable glass of pinot noir. Both of my dining companions branched out and tried a couple drafts they'd never tasted before. For food, daughter and I had the same thing, starting with the smoked tomato soup, which was good, and the Cajun pot pie, which was just OK. It was at least 90% rice, with little evidence of the promised andouille, crawfish, crab, shrimp and chicken, and while pleasantly warming on chilly evening, the flavor was largely one-note (cayenne). My SO had a black bean burger with fries, which she liked well enough. Service was pleasant and efficient on an evening when the front room consisted of 5 or 6 tables and a few customers at the long bar, such that the lone waiter was easily able to see to everyone's needs. It's likely we will return to try some other items on the menu and explore the beer list.

We finally made it to UB last night for the first time. We had a reservation for 8 -- fortunate because the place was swamped. Scored a parking spot on GA Ave just 1/2 block away, so the fates were on our side logistically. The space has changed a little since the re-opening (I'd not dined there before, but had visited one afternoon with a friend to check out the space just before they first opened). I recall there being sofas and/or lounge chairs near the front door. Those are gone and every inch of floor space is packed with tables by the front and high-tops just behind the host stand (before you get to the open kitchen and bar area). Every seat was taken. We were escorted into the rather austere dining room. Oddly, as busy as the place was, the two-top next to ours remained vacant. We ordered drinks -- a glass of pinot grigio (meh) for the SO and an old fashioned for me. Now here it was the first day of spring and I would have expected to be ordering a g&t or margarita -- but no! We had snow in the morning and it was a chilly outside -- hence the old fashioned. And it was very good. Probably the best cocktail I've had in many months. On to the starters: we shared the field greens with prosecco-honey vinaigrette and the Maryland blue crab and avocado salad (evoo/cilantro). The greens were lightly dressed and really good. The crab salad was one-note. There was no crab flavor, just cilantro and citrus came through, along with the avocado. I wonder if the crab meat was pasteurized, from Venezuela or some place similar. I know -- it's not crab season, so what can be expected? For mains: SO had the whole roasted branzino with grilled vegetables, which she enjoyed. I didn't have a taste, but the fish looked to be cooked nicely, the flesh still moist in spite of the fact that the skin was almost totally blackened. I had the lamb shank, "slow roasted, like in Provence." It came with a fricassee of potatoes, olives and cherry tomatoes. It was disappointing. There was no evidence of the promised herbs de Provence, and the meat was not dry, but not succulent either -- just dull. Oddly, the prime flavor ingredient for both the lamb and vegetables tasted to me like Sriracha! There was no mention of this on the menu. Now I like hot sauces, and I like Sriracha (in pho), but this seemed remarkably out of place in a Provencal dish. The lamb shank was listed as "limited daily" on the menu, implying it was something special and in high demand. Our waiter informed me that I had snagged the last serving -- wish I hadn't been so fortunate! It's just one visit. I haven't written it off, but I will certainly order differently next time -- maybe go the charcuterie route.

If you are really interested, you should read the "Pasta-Maker" chapter in Bill Buford's Heat. Eggs from free-range chickens fed a natural grain diet have less runny whites and, at least during the Italian spring and summer months, the yolk has a red cast to it. Burford learned pasta making from the same Italian woman who taught Mario Batali. She lived in the countryside and had access to fresh eggs from semi-feral chickens. Mario, to compensate for the poorer quality eggs he of necessity purchases for Babbo, compensates by adding extra yolks (3 eggs plus 4 yolks per pound of flour). He also adds salt and olive oil, which his former teacher never does because her eggs impart plenty of flavor on their own. Alas, I don't believe the county would let me keep laying hens in my Silver Spring back yard.

We had a great evening last Saturday. Watched Birdman at the AFI (what fun!), and then walked over to Sergio for dinner. As usual, no matter how long between visits, we were treated like VIPs. Sorry for the lack of variety, but we both went for the appetizer and main specials. The app was a variation on supli (a kind of crouqette), filled with mild-flavored sausage and mozzarella. Sergio stopped by and, seeing that I was using knife-and-fork, told me that I should eat with my fingers, like they do in Roma! For mains, we had the special of pork medallions in a funghi/vino/burro sauce. Everything was good -- nothing spectacular. It's the hospitality, the personal touch, that makes this place a treasure. There was a mix of geezers (myself included), Doubletree hotel guests, and local families with young children, all being fawned over by the staff. Good food, a warm, inviting atmosphere -- what more do you need?

We had an early dinner here 2 Sundays ago. The place was already humming, the bar and downstairs dining area being nearly full, within 1/2 hour of dinner service beginning. I didn't recognize any of the oyster varieties on the raw bar menu, other than local Chesapeakes. I noticed that many of the bi-valves were pricey, some listed at $3.50 per. I don't recall the two varieties I sampled, but they were very good and exactly as described on the menu. Mrs. dwt ordered the fish and chips, with which she was sufficiently happy. Daughter ordered the lobster roll, which she pronounced good, but she was enviously eyeing my bouillabaisse. And it was indeed wonderful. Most iterations of this dish make me wish that they served less mussels and more of the other seafood items included in the stew. But the mussels in this bouillabaisse were very fresh tasting -- none of that funk that I so often taste with mussels past their prime. The broth was savory and had a little hot-pepper undercurrent. This was a very generous dish, loaded with seafood. In fact, the papardelle that had sunk together in a clump at the bottom of the bowl were superfluous. If we return, I don't know if I could bring myself to order anything different. Service was pleasant, pro-active, and helpful.

With daughter attending school up there, looks like we will be visiting Charm City more often. Two Sundays ago we stopped into Nick's for a late lunch/early dinner. I enjoyed the looks of trepidation on the faces of my 3 dining companions as I guided them into the nether regions of the light industrial area where Nick's is located. From the parking lot, the walkway to the entrance is bordered by their outdoor deck to the right and the restaurant on the left. We were greeted by a chalkboard that stated "Open Just for You." If that weren't inviting enough, my companions' fears were eased when presented with a vista of the Hanover St. bridge and the middle branch of the Middle Patapsco River. Inside there is a large bar area and two dining rooms. There were very few patrons late on this Sunday afternoon, maybe a half dozen in the bar watching football, and perhaps and equal number of parties in the dining area. The food lived up to the view -- nothing spectacular, but thoroughly enjoyable. We had blue point oysters on the half shell (very fresh), crab cakes, and broiled fillets of rockfish. Everyone was pleased with their food. The only weak link was the fries (most of which went uneaten on my daughter's plate, and I was not tempted to sample them, based on appearance). I enjoyed the sides that came with my rockfish: garlicy sauteed spinach and macaroni and cheese (a bit runny, but still satisfying). Our server (Amada) was helpful and charming. We will be back.

Do they serve adult libations?

Chez Billy Petworth did right by us.

We went to Recette a couple years ago and the food was absolutely wonderful. The only downside was the cramped the interior -- granted we probably had the worst table in the house. But the food, oh my!

We had dinner at the Petworth location this past Saturday evening. We'd been out in the blustery cold at a soccer match on the Catholic U. campus and figured bistro fare and a couple glasses of wine would warm us nicely -- mission accomplished. It was a very nice dinner. We had the exact same apps and entrees Jenny wrote about in her post kicking off this thread. They were exactly as she described. There's nothing jaw-dropping to report, just good, solid cooking. Service was well above average: attentive, friendly, helpful, but not intrusive.

Do you have a fool-proof method for ridding clams of their grit? I generally use them in soups/stews and pasta dishes. The only method I've found reliable is to cook them separately and strain their juices through a sieve lined with paper towels, then add the juice and meat to the dish when it's a minute or two from being done. That works fine, though I'm probably losing some of the liquor to evaporation waiting for the last, most stubborn clams to open. And somehow it just seems more pleasingly rustic and festive to have clams in their shells nestled amongst the linguine. I'm surprised at how little agreement there is on this topic. The author of the cioppino recipe I prepared last night said to soak the claims in water for an hour so that they would purge themselves. Marcella says to soak them for 5 minutes and then scrub them each 4 or 5 times, changing the water after each scrubbing (I diligently followed her instructions recently but still produced a gritty linguine with clam sauce). Bittman claims "hard-shells require little more than the cleaning of their shells." Then how did my littlenecks produce grit after being scrubbed 5 times in 5 changes of water? BTW, I've only used littlenecks because they are readily available.

Last night, I made this cioppino recipe that appeared in the WaPo Wednesday food section: http://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/recipes/cioppino/14319/ It turned out fairly well. At least my two diner companions enjoyed it. I thought it was worth the effort, but nothing special. I made a few minor modifications: tripled or quadrupled the amount of olive oil (1 tablespoon didn't seem enough for all the aromatics) used 20 littlenecks threw in 3/4 pound bay scallops that I'd saved in the freezer used 8oz. Atlantic salmon, on sale at WF, in place of halibut (why use expensive halibut in a stew?) If I made it again, I think I would increase the red pepper dose or maybe just put a bottle of hot sauce on the table so everyone can choose their own heat level.

I can see where you and Don are coming from, but I think the fennel kicks it up a notch from the usual vegetable-soup-style Manhattan chowders. And getting the seafood flavors to show themselves is essential (steamed clams, funky fish, seafood stock). The author of that recipe was obsessed with amping up the fennel flavor. And I do enjoy it. At some point I'll cave and invest in a bottle of pernod

How about Manhattan style? I've been using this recipe as a base: http://tinyurl.com/omtpwd9 I don't use the chicken broth and clam juice. Not having time to prepare my own fish stock, I use the Kitchen Basics brand that comes in a carton (quelle horreur!). I plan to try the stock from Pesca Deli that Zora mentioned. I haven't bothered with the pernod, though I would like to try it some time. And I don't use only scallops. I just add whatever fish and shellfish suits my fancy, which almost always includes a couple dozen clams and some pieces of salmon previously trimmed from fillets and stored away in the freezer. Thanks for starting this topic. Chowders, bouilliabasse, zuppa di pesce, and gumbos are among my favorite dishes.

I'm feeling sorry for myself. I want my money back from all the sub-par Pho places I've patronized over the past 10+ years. With the arrival of cooler weather, I've been taking a mini tour of Pho restaurants within reasonable driving distance of Silver Spring. My La Cay -- bland. Pho Viet Grill (Hillandale) and Pho Hiep Hoa (Silver Spring), better and about on par with each other. I had lunch today at Pho 88 for the first time. As soon as the bowl was set in front of me, I could tell by the color of the broth that it was going to taste richer than any Pho I'd had before. I wasn't disappointed. Used about 1/2 my usual dose of Sriracha because I didn't want to mask the broth's flavors. I had one more Pho restaurant on my tour list, but now I don't think I'll bother.

I don't get it either. Seems every time I look at the lamb offerings in WF the meat is from Australia

Rehoboth Two weeks ago, we went for a long weekend. I have nothing new to add to the many laudatory posts on the Henlopen City Oyster House. It continues to be very good. I was impressed by their raw oyster service and discovered a new favorite: Stadish Shore from Duxbury, MA (http://www.standishshoreoysters.com/). The entrees we had at The Pig and Fish were every bit as good as those at Henlopen City Oyster House. We focused on the fresh catch section of the dinner specials menu. They offer about a half dozen different fish and shell fish with two preparations from which to choose. We enjoyed halibut with polenta cake and pesto. The fillet was a generous portion, and well prepared, justifying the $28 price of entry. The polenta cake was also good and too large for me to finish. We sat in the front room where the bar is. It can get loud when crowded (all hard surfaces). There is a back room that is probably quieter.

Closed! I needed to replace the battery in a smoke alarm at my father's house, which is in the area, and so headed over to the CVS at the declining Plaza Del Mercado shopping center. It dawned on my as I walked from the parking lot toward the CVS that the El Nopalito signage was gone. The storefront was empty and a banner hung out front announcing La Fogata, a Peruvian restaurant. It's not a great loss, but El Nopalito did serve decent food with enough variety that a party whose members had disparate tastes could usually find something on the menu to their liking.

I thought there was already a thread on Thai by Thai, but I cannot find it. I specifically recall someone posting about the authentic Thai menu, which is the only menu I've ordered from at the Fairfax location. They have a duck noodle soup that is fantastic. Assuming Annandale operates in the same manner, you must ignore the Americanized menu postings and ask the person who takes your order to show you the Thai menu that they keep behind the counter. Much happiness will ensue

I enjoyed Hasaki a couple years ago: http://www.hasakinyc.com/ My dining companion ordered a sushi/roll combo. I had the omakase. We were both very happy with our selections and the price points were reasonable for the quality. Our server was delightful (we sat at table, not the long sushi bar). The only drawback is their no reservations policy. Be sure to check the google maps street view before you go. I walked by at first not realizing I'd missed the entrance because it is below street level.