Rovers2000

I think this is awesome. When I was in college (certainly not overseas but our house managed to look like a warzone sometimes nonetheless) I used to cook for between 25-35 people for a "Pittsburgh Thanksgiving" before everyone headed back home to be with their families. Being a bit on the neurotic/perfectionist side when it comes to hosting people, I think most people will genuinely enjoy the company and regardless of whether they're eating out of their laps or not, will appreciate all the effort. However, that didn't stop me from being crazed as the day approached, so to quell my nerves I always went overboard in terms of the volume of food that came out of the kitchen. At the end of the day, I love Thanksgiving leftovers so having turkey/stuffing/mashed potatoes left over for sandwiches was a good problem. Additionally, on the booze front, I always tried to ensure that the larder was stocked b/c again, I was going to drink the stuff eventually even if it didn't all go out the door during the festivities. Best of luck!

I'd definitely recommend a gratin (roasted broccoli is my personal go to). Squash/potato/sweet potato all would work. I've also done an assortment of stuffings/dressings (be it cornbread or apple/sausage) with a crockpot (although I'd hold off on the stocks/liquids until you reached your destination).

I would certainly be in.

I feel like its becoming more and more common in the area. As I referenced, Bourbon definitely has it but I feel like I've seen it at multiple places in DC/VA (of course, I can't remember any of them off the top of my head... )

DCist seems to have confirmed that the Black Rooster is going to remain open. I will have to swing by for a pint in a few weeks...nice to see a place like this stick around.

First and foremost I'd like to throw a round of thank you's out to everyone who worked to put this together, from Leigh and her masterful organizational skills to Brian for lending us a deep fryer (which led to delicious fried treats for all! ) to Don for being the inspiration for the picnic and finally to the gracious chefs (thank you to Restaurant 3, The Majestic, and Sou'wester) both professional and not for making this such a great day. Onto the food (I am still in a quasi-food coma), in no particular order b/c they were all delicious: - Pumpkin Whoopie Pies - I'll just get it out of the way now, I couldn't stop eating these. Across about 2 hours I made 3 trips and snuck one each trip. Like one of those oatmeal creme pies (which also are my kryptonite) but pumpkin. - Dans Steak Sandwiches - These were also unreal. The sauce/onion confit on the perfectly done steak was delicious. - Crab Rangoons - These fried little bundles of crab and cream cheese were so good that a few of us who were around the fryer came close to burning our mouths trying to eat them as soon as they came out. Well worth the risk of injury. - Suppli - Gennaro, I said it multiple times (and a few have already mentioned above) your Suppli were unreal. Congrats for knocking the dish right out of the park. The basil aioli was a great foil to the crispy fried goodness. There was much MUCH more and everything was delicious. I was very pleased to be able to meet some of the other posters and certainly look forward to more DR.com events in the future.

Being on cold drink patrol for tomorrow, if anyone has any special requests outside of the water, diet coke, coke/sprite/etc shoot me a PM and I'll pick it up tomorrow morning.

I actually really like Bourbon's chilli (and as a logical progression, I like their chilli mac as well). It's a tad thinner than I usually like, but it has an excellent taste.

Tried out Churchkey tonight with Gennaro and the +1. Arrived a bit after 5 and there were a few people milling around outside waiting for them to open the doors (as an FYI, it appears it'll be 5:30 moving forward). By the time 5:30 rolled around the line was all the way up the block. Got in and headed upstairs (it did not appear that they were ready for folks to sit downstairs at that point). Managed to grab one of the nice little booths opposite the bar and began to peruse the beer list. Across the evening I had: Otter Creek Russion Imperial Porter - Excellent, strong coffee flavor Sublimely Self Righteous Ale (9.09.09) by Stone - Good, somewhat smokey, felt like it could be aged a bit longer Allagash Curieux (Cask) - Fruity but I could taste the barrels of Jim Beam that this was aged in, excellent And a few sips of the +1's Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale - Actually felt that this being on cask did a disservice to the pumpkin flavor. I could smell it, but missed some of the taste. I must admit that I was impressed with the overall service considering the place was pretty packed. Additionally the upstairs was WAY bigger than I'd anticipated so the sheer volume of people they can fit in there is surprising. That said, they seemed to be making some effort to keep the crowd from getting too packed in. In addition to the delicious beers we sampled some of the food: -Fried Mac 'n' Cheese -Fried Risotto Balls -Deviled Eggs with Duck Pancetta -Cheese Flatbread -Pulled Pork Flatbread -Oatmeal Creme Pie -Caramel Popcorn I found all of it to be delicious. Whoever is manning the fryer did a heck of a job b/c the risotto balls and the mac n cheese were perfectly done. For me, the highlight of the meal is tied between the Deviled Eggs and the Oatmeal Creme pie. The eggs were perfectly done and the duck pancetta was a perfect accent. The oatmeal pie was basically two oatmeal cookies with a delicious creme filling (I wish I knew what they used b/c it was unbelievable). We found the cheese flatbread to be great (perfectly done crust) whereas the pulled pork flatbread was overpowered by the pickled vegetables/peppers on top and the crust wasn't quite as crisp (to be fair, we got this one during a period where the place was filled to capacity so some change in the doneness was to be expected). All in all, I will be back to try some more of their vast catalog of beers (they had all the bottles in the case, but no bottled list yet) and to try the food downstairs. For the 2nd night this place made a hell of an impression on me. I can't wait to go back.

I have to admit, I'm pretty fired up to head over here this afternoon/evening around 5-5:30. Planning on trying the Allagash cask, the Weyerbacher cask, and maybe some of the Founders Breakfast Stout as well as some of the food.

Agreed, thanks Pat. I'd also completely forgotten about this. I don't think it should hinder me in terms of getting down to the picnic but its good to know the street closings just in case.

This happens to me, but I'm on IE 6 here at the office so I don't expect anything to work correctly. For what its worth Firefox 3 (at home) everything works fairly smoothly.

I generally prefer mine roasted as well (so easy, salt/pepper/olive oil), Liberty Tavern sautees theirs with a bit of bacon. Quite delicious (which reminds me I need to get back there for dinner at some point...although its always a battle to not order their vermont pizza ).

My god...the picture of the "beer organ" almost made me begin to weep at my desk . I am going to have to make a trek down here to do a beer tasting once they get up and running.

I ended up Classic and Comforting as well (I'm feeling a bit of a trend here...) And agreed, I was hoping for: peppercorn crusted, medium rare, with blue cheese, grilled onions, and sauteed mushrooms (i.e. my normal hell burger order).

Yep, I grew up about 45 minutes north of Philly but my parents are from NYC/NJ and always referred to it as "Taylor Ham" even though "Taylor Pork Roll" is whats on the actual box.

First and foremost, I'd like to thank Don for organizing this event and Brian for being such a gracious host. Last night they had their 3 dollar drafts (Allagash, Dogfish Head, Bells Oktoberfest, Hofbrau Oktoberfest, Sam Adams Oktoberfest, Dans Pale Ale) but also an excellent selection of half price wine by the bottle. I personally had the Hofbrau Oktoberfest (very light for an Oktoberfest), the Bells Oktoberfest (excellent, Bells never lets me down), and a bottle of Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin (its brewed in my hometown of Easton, PA so I figured I had to try it). I was there until about 730 and there were about 10 of us in 3's spacious back lounge. In terms of food we were determined to get through the entire offering of appetizers (which at half price I felt was a flat out steal) and by the time I left, all had been ordered. Brian was kind enough to kick us off by bringing out a platter of his "bacon on a stick" which was house cured and accompanied by dollops of mustard which I found to be a nice side kick for the bacon. After this small preview of "Bacon Week" I may have to make my way back to try the bacon wrapped shrimp. At that point we went to work sampling the entire apps menu. I would say that the name of the game here is to stick to what they they do best - dishes with a southern bent: - Southern Fried Oysters: The plate of oysters had a large portion of lightly fried oysters with a coat of cornmeal that was light and airy as opposed to over-battered which seems to be all too common. I would order these again in a heart beat. - Scallops & Grits: I'll admit right out front that I'm a sucker for all things grits, so I really enjoyed these. The scallops were nicely done (not rubbery at all) and went very well with the grits/taso ham. I would definitely consider getting these as a main course the next time I dine at 3. - Short Rib Quesadillas: While I tend to go back and forth regarding corn vs. flour tortillas (corn tortillas are used for this and I'm still undecided about their texture) I really enjoyed the short rib filling and thought that the Chiptole sour cream was a nice addition. They also aren't the typical overflowing with cheese quesadillas which really let the base filling come through. We tried some of the more traditional apps (Calamari, Stuffed Mushroom, etc) but on the whole I think they were fairly standard bar food. This didn't come as a huge surprise b/c their focus is so strong on their southern tinged items, I'm not sure why you'd want to move away from them for the more "classic" bar foods anyway. So to wrap it up, as I've mentioned in other posts in the Restaurant 3 thread and here, I firmly believe that 3 is head and shoulders above its competitors in the area in terms of its happy hour and last night only gave me continued confirmation of that.

For my money, Earls does one of the best breakfast sandwiches in the area. Great sourdough bread (buttered then grilled of course) with just the right amount of egg/bacon/cheese. Always consistent and always delicious. I have had the Chipotle Turkey as well (in my mind, add chipotle mayo to just about anything and it gets an upgrade) and found it to be quite good. My only wish is that it opened a little earlier on the weekends (I believe its 1030)...but not everyone is an early riser

Twist my arm, I'm in. I've already had the pot roast quesadillas (I will happily eat them again) and the wings (ditto) but I really want to give some of the other items a shot. If they still have the Hofbrau Oktoberfest on tap I will be a happy man.

I'm going to try and get out of the city and over to Clarendon by the time this gets rolling. For anyone on the fence, I would highly recommend stopping over. Restaurant 3 has easily the best happy hour on the Orange Line Corridor (in my opinion of course )

Spend today walking (and more importantly, eating) around Boston. Initially I was planning to head to Beacon Hill Bistro but we got a bit of a late start and ended up at "The Paramount" which was about a block up the street in Beacon Hill. What a lucky break, this place was awesome. Definitely not a take your time spot (you walk through, place your order, they give it to you and find you a seat) but it was perfect for 2 who were looking for something filling to get us through a day of walking. Had a delicious bacon, blue cheese, and spinach omelet with home fries and a buttermilk pancake. The +1 had a big bowl of fresh fruit and a greek omelet. Both were outstanding and I would highly recommend this place. After walking across the city we hit both Modern and Mikes Pastry. I have to admit, both of our preferences feel with Mikes here (particularly the Lobster Tail which was like a croissant filled with whipped creme/cannoli filling that had puff pastry ribbons wrapped around it ). I did enjoy the pistachio cannoli from Mikes, but I prefer a less sweet filling (like 2 Amy's back in DC). Thanks again for the recommendations!

I enjoy cooking for 2 main reasons: 1. Often, the act of actually serving something that makes others happy is more enjoyable than eating the food I actually prepare. Don't get me wrong, I love to eat (both my own cooking and others in a restaurant setting or not) but there is something about seeing a room lit up with smiles based on something I've prepared that is just wholly satisfying. 2. As Dan mentioned above, the whole control factor is a big part of it for me as well. I'm a perfectionist and also believe (be it right or wrong) that I can generally do a task better than someone else. It's for that reason that I enjoy cooking alone. While others often ask to help, I much prefer handing them a beer/cocktail and having them mingle with the other guests while I move about the kitchen. For whatever reason I've always found the solitude of the kitchen enjoyable.

They actually had it at the Van Ness Giant. I happened to be in there last night and my eye was caught by the famous (at least in my parents house) little red box

English muffin with a fried egg, taylor ham (a childhood vice), with some aged chedder. And of course black coffee.

Came across this article in this mornings Wall Street Journal and I thought it was interesting (this is actually the front of a section of the actual paper and is fairly prominent on their online site) so I thought I'd post it here. It made me wonder if there are classes like they mention here in DC? Don, not sure if adding this in it's entirety is cool (since it might be behind the subscription wall) so if not, I can remove. By ANA CAMPOY Pots are boiling on every burner and the kitchen counters are covered with a jumble of bowls, measuring cups and jars. Steam fills the house with the scent of vinegar and caramelizing sugar. We're canning. This two-century-old technique of preserving food—or "putting up," in canning-speak—is making a big comeback. The worst recession in decades and a trend toward healthier eating are inspiring many Americans to grow their own food. Now the harvest season is turning many of these gardeners into canners looking to stretch the bounty of the garden into the winter. Canning statistics are hard to come by, but Elizabeth Andress, project director of the National Center for Home Food Preservation, a government-funded program that advises consumers on how to safely preserve food, says requests for canning classes are flooding in at a rate not seen in many years. Hundreds of cooks gathered at the end of August in simultaneous countrywide canning fests organized by Canning Across America, a new Web site for canning devotees (www.canningacrossamerica.com). At Jarden Corp.'s Jarden Home Brands—the maker of Kerr and Ball brand jars—sales of canning equipment are up 30% this year through mid-September, over the same period in 2008. And canning classes from Brooklyn, N.Y., to Boise, Idaho, report seeing skyrocketing enrollments this year. Canning has been around since the dawn of the 19th century, when, at Napoleon's behest, a Frenchman developed a method of sealing food in bottles to prevent spoilage on long military campaigns. The process was later adapted to factory-sealed metal cans, but at home, "canning" is still practiced in thick glass jars. Lately, canning has found new appeal as a healthier alternative to the chemicals and preservatives found in many prepared foods, says Brenda Schmidt, brand manager at Jarden. By preserving their own fruits and vegetables, people can also customize the amount of sugar or salt used. Canned foods will keep for varying lengths of time, depending on the recipe, but the National Center for Home Food Preservation says that you should can only what you plan to eat within a year. In the weak economy, others are turning to it as a money saver. A few seeds planted in the spring can yield enough canned produce to last a year. But Ms. Andress, of the canning education program, warns that canning food isn't always cheaper than buying it from the grocery store. I decided to take a class to find out for myself. I found a teacher through Slow Food Dallas, a chapter of an international organization that promotes traditional ingredients and food. I signed up for a private class with one other student, then bought supplies at my local farmer's market in Dallas, where I paid $8 for four pounds of fresh, firm cucumbers grown in Lipan, Texas, west of Fort Worth. I bought vinegar, pickling salt, dill seeds and peppercorns at the supermarket and canning jars at the hardware store—all for $25.42. The canning teacher brought a big pot with a rack, which would have set me back another $25. My classmate showed up with $10 worth of peaches, some lemons and a bag of sugar. We were all set for our canning initiation. I quickly discovered that preserving requires more rigor than my usual haphazard cooking method of tossing vegetables around in a sauté pan. Our teacher devised an assembly line to process our two products, pickles and peach jam, to make the most of our limited counter space. Strict Procedures Canners must follow strict procedures, sticking to food safety guidelines issued by the U.S. Agriculture Department. The main threat is a microorganism called Clostridium botulinum, found on the surface of most produce. In a low-acid environment with no air, such as a food-filled jar, these bacteria can produce toxins that cause botulism, a deadly form of food poisoning. One way to prevent that is by using a pressure cooker to heat food to a high temperature. The other is by adding vinegar or lemon juice to the food during canning. We used the latter technique, stuffing our fruit and vegetables into jars and then boiling them in a big pot of water. First we washed our containers—pint and half-pint Ball brand glass jars, which have been made since 1884—in the dishwasher. Then we made the brine—a mixture of salt, water and vinegar for the pickles—and heated it on the stove. The peaches were blanched and peeled. Peach Jam At my station, I chopped a mound of cucumbers as best I could. I had already cut my finger by the second or third cucumber, and the slices ranged from fat to skinny. Although their irregularity was not intentional, I liked to think it gave them an artisanal quality. Meanwhile, my classmate stirred a mixture of sugar and peaches over the stove. Recent heavy rains had forced the grower to pull them early from the tree, so they were as hard as tennis balls and refused to disintegrate. Instead of jam, we decided, we would make chunky peach preserves. The next stop was the packing station. We squeezed as many cucumbers as we could into the jars, which were piping hot from the dishwasher. (Heating the jars prevents them from shattering when you pour in hot brine and preserves.) Once the jars were full, we placed round metallic lids on them and held them in place with a separate ring that was screwed on over them. Then we submerged the jars in boiling water in order to destroy any microorganisms and remove oxygen. Slowly, the counter filled with jars that emitted a satisfying popping sound as the lids sealed, ensuring the food will keep without spoiling. The Verdict: Delicious Before the last batch was done, we were spooning peach preserves onto pieces of a baguette. The verdict: delicious, sweet, tangy and rich, despite the unripe peaches. The dill pickles had a sharp, full flavor that made store-bought versions seem overly sweet and dull. In about four hours we produced eight one-pint jars of pickles at a cost of $2.14 each, and seven $2.60 half-pint jars of preserves. Those figures do not include our teacher's $100 fee nor the energy, water and labor we expended, but they do include all our ingredients and the jars. That's less than the $2.43 I paid for dill pickles at the supermarket, and the $3.12 I paid for store-bought preserves. Although home-canned goods are not exactly a bargain, their taste is dramatically better and, in my view, well worth the labor. I'm not motivated enough to tackle a canning session on my own, but I'm definitely interested in team canning, which was as much fun as a dinner party and more productive. My next canning project is already in the works. I have a bountiful crop of gypsy peppers and a good recipe for pickled peppers. All I need now are a few fellow canners to put them up. Write to Ana Campoy at ana.campoy@dowjones.com