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Rovers2000

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Everything posted by Rovers2000

  1. The issue I have with not mentioning when you dined is simply based around the fact (and I may be off slightly) that Sei was only open for around a month at the time of your first visit. Generally (and I believe many on here have weighed in on this) I try to give a restaurant a solid 3 months to work out the kinks. Thus, giving some sense of timing within your review probably would have helped give a sense of why there may have been some issues regarding service/etc. Personally, as someone who uses reviews frequently to guide me, I would probably take a review that happened a month after a place opened to the public with a bit of a grain of salt, whereas one that was more recent I would take more to heart. But thats just me.
  2. Does anyone have any go to guides/books/lists of techniques/recipes for someone who is interested in learning more about the process of canning (and obviously eventually picking it up ). It's something I've always wanted to check out but never (until now!) looked into it. Any tips/ideas would be very much appreciated !
  3. Thanks for the tips! I had heard about Mike's pastry and since I have a soft spot in my heart for all things cannoli, I am going to have to check that out.
  4. I'm heading to Boston with the +1 Thursday evening. Planning on spending Friday doing some tourist activities (Quincy Market, Sam Adams Brewery, etc). Does anyone have some good breakfast/lunch recommendations? I'd love to head down to Quincy early so either down in that part of the city or near Boyleston would be much appreciated. In reading upthread some, I'm thinking the Beacon Hill bistro might be a nice start. Thanks in advance!
  5. Had never been to the Ashburn location, but after all the comments on here I figured this was a place I should check out. Sat at the bar around 7:15 with the +1. The bar staff was extremely friendly but clearly were learning on the job (some staff from Ashburn was there training and definitely knew what they were doing). We split the sausage pizza which was delicious and enjoyed an always delicious bells brown ale on draft as well as on of the Dogfish Head Punkin ales also on tap. I would have probably ordered an app or one of the pizzas on special but they weren't mentioned until after we ordered, I think this was more a function of eating at the bar as, like I mentioned, they were clearly in the process of learning. However, the (random) highlight of the evening was the DELICIOUS pumpkin ice cream that the bar tender mentioned in passing. Sweet lord was this stuff good (pumpkin pie, but in ice cream form). They get it from a farm in Maryland (that doesn't have a store so I can't buy this stuff by the gallon ). All in all I think this is a nice little neighborhood spot and I will certainly spread the word to the folks I know who live nearby.
  6. I actually wasn't aware that was the case in Alexandria (I know it definitely was frowned upon when I was living in Ballston). Thanks for the helpful FYI As I'm now a home/condo owner in Cleveland Park I feel the sometimes cranky residents would be annoyed if I was tending a weber anywhere near the premises, regardless of the resulting tasty treats
  7. This is very true, however, the lovely grill flavor/crust is basically impossible to get indoors. While I love my apartment, it crushes me that I don't have access to a grill (esp. while I salivate as I read the posts above).
  8. Went to Restaurant 3 and sat at one of the small tables near the bar last night for a few pints and some food with an old friend. I have to say, I think this is the most enjoyable spot in Arlington for happy hour. Being able to easily converse while downing $3 pints of Hofbrau Oktoberfest (and Bells Oktoberfest which I had yet to try) in addition to some appetizers was a welcome change from the generally packed Clarendon/Arlington happy hour scene. I will continue to go back and look forward to trying it out for dinner. As a quick aside, regarding the post above: If I were even to consider accepting a comp my experience would have to be a whole lot worse than "meh". But, to each their own.
  9. This is sad. When I used to work on K Street, I always liked heading over to the Rooster for a Reuben and a few pints. The service was always friendly and I liked the very much low key vibe the place had.
  10. I was there on Friday night and had this as well. I made the mistake of sharing some with my cousin and his wife and literally had to beat them back so I could finish the rest myself. I thought the black peppercorn gelato was delicious but I agree, I would've eaten a bowl of the ricotta crema all by itself.
  11. I'm big on the country style as well. I use it in marinades and for heartier sandwiches. I'll sometimes throw in the whole grain for a bit more texture (in a potato salad or something).
  12. I am a huge fan of the Shipyard Pumpkin head. I find that there are quite a few pumpkin labelled beers that overwhelm me with cinnamon without as much pumpkin as I'd like. I feel that the Pumpkin Head, there is definitely more of a pumpkin note which I really like (and I would put it more on the "smooth" scale). You can get it at D'Vines in Columbia Heights. I do like Dogfish Heads Punkin but it's got a much stronger flavor profile.
  13. The Diner in Adams Morgan (although it's been quite awhile since I've been there) is another late night option.
  14. Thanks for directing me to reach out to H&W directly. One of their sales reps directed me to: -D'Vines in Columbia Heights -Total Wine in Sterling -Ace Beverage (who hadn't had it in when I stopped by earlier in the week) I've never been to D'Vines but am planning on stopping over either today or tomorrow to check.
  15. I'm turning to this board for help again with a search for some beers, specifically the Pumpkinhead Ale from Shipyard as well as their limited edition called "Smashed Pumpkin" which is in 22 oz. bottles. Ace beverage came through with Summer Ale so I'm hoping they'll have the Pumpkinhead as well...however, the Smashed Pumpkin apparently is a limited release so I'm curious if it'll make its way down to the DC metro area. If anyone has any insight to this (I know Hop and Wine is a distributor for the brand in this area, but very few stores around here actually carry the seasonals). Thanks in advance.
  16. Decided to try Johnny's this past Friday during restaurant week. Upon arriving had a few Star Hill Pale Ales at the bar while we awaited the other half of our group of 4. The weather was nice so I was surprised to see only a handful of the out door tables full at 730. After being shown to a table, I ordered the broiled oysters with asiago which I thought was an excellent app (6 large oysters) which I followed with salmon that had a nice mustard sauce (and was perfectly done) and a side of bland zucchini. For desert I had a spice cake with plums which, while not bad, was kind of underwhelming. All told, while it was an enjoyable meal, had it not been restaurant week, I don't feel like I would've gotten my moneys worth from the food. I think it would be a great spot to grab some food/drinks at the bar or at lunch but I don't think I'd rush back there for dinner.
  17. Agree with the above posters on the peaches (the apricot version of these was even more delightful, I hope it will be back next year), twice I've had skeptical dining companions try them and each time they were blown away. As a quick aside, I've dined at Dino twice during their restaurant week (between Aug. 1 and now) and I (and my guests) have been extremely impressed with the hospitality shown by the staff irregardless of how busy the place is.
  18. I've eaten at the Seven Corners location a few times (I generally get the Chesapeake pizza which has crab and asparagus over a pesto). I think the food is good and the service, especially in the bar area, has always been extremely friendly. Do I go in here expecting a culinary epiphany? Absolutely not. I go in expecting decent food and some great beers with friendly service(the bartenders are always up for creating interesting black and tans using the various levels of IPAs and always offer tastes of new items, etc) and I have to say up to this point, they have yet to miss the mark.
  19. Here is a link with a picture of this monstrosity. Bonus points for the title "KFC's Double Down Cuts Out the Bun and the Dignity" http://www.kidglue.com/2009/08/26/kfcs-double-down-sandwich-cuts-out-the-bun-and-the-dignity/
  20. I wholeheartedly agree with this. There have been quite a few restaurants that I was introduced to by way of restaurant week (Vidalia, PS7, 1789 to name a few). While some offered better RW Menu's than others, by and by large there was something I experienced at each meal that made me want to go back or recommend it to a friend. Additionally, from a value perspective, I don't get wrapped up in whether or not I'm going to save a few bucks here and there...instead I look at it as a reason to convince a few friends to join me at a restaurant that we haven't tried yet in my quest to continuously add new places into my (and their) repertoire. At the end of the day, I think it serves as a decent enough driver to get people out of their comfort zones in the name of saving money based on how the week is advertised (regardless of them doing so or not when the bill comes).
  21. I'm contemplating starting delivery from South Mountain Creamery, but as I live in an apartment I was wondering if anyone else has experience having delivery to a multi-unit building. Do you put a cooler outside? Is there a way to schedule the delivery for a specific time? It seems like a great product and I used to have something similar when I lived in PA so I'd love to start it up again.
  22. I had dinner there last week with an old friend in from out of town and while we didn't order the anniversary menu's, I have to say that the apricots were an absolutely delightful summer treat. The rest of the meal was excellent and as always, the Barolo we had was delicious.
  23. Had a late lunch at 2 Amy's today, ordered the Etna (extra crispy) with a glass of the Caltaldi Madonna Montepulciano. The pizza was perfect (I generally order my pies extra crispy there and have never had an issue with the gloppiness that others have mentioned). I'm also a big fan of the goat cheese and salmon crostino. I don't think you can beat the place in the late afternoon when its relatively child-free. Closed out the meal with a nice limoncello, I wish I could get my hands on the recipe they use.
  24. Joe, thanks to you I'm currently enjoying a delicious Shipyard Summer out on the deck! I'm sure I'll be stopping by to pick more up throughout the summer (and hopefully you'll stock the Shipyard Pumpkin this fall ). Thanks!
  25. In higher acid pies (like cherry), using tapioca instead of flour or cornstarch will help prevent the pie from being too runny.
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