Rovers2000

We REALLY wanted to, but I didn't want to hassle them as when we called they said due to challenges they were having with the harvest - they weren't allowing anyone to visit until they were completely done (we were there in mid-October and due to the warm fall they had waited longer than many others to start). Quintarelli was much in the same way as the Dal Forno visits you mentioned - just a genuinely lovely family. Chatting in their cellar while greedily looking at rows and rows of dust covered bottles of amarone that dated back to the 60's and 70's is one of my favorite memories from our Italy trip. The winery is in good hands I think with Francesco taking over for his grandfather. I will be curious to see (and we will return) how the renovations turn out. They used the fact that there was some damage due to storms to the main building to expand their cellar capacity slightly.

The lovely proprietor of the B&B we stayed at knew the family and called to set everything up for us. When we had arrived she asked what we wanted to see and I essentially said that I wanted to see either Dal Forno or Quintarelli. Unfortunately at the time Dal Forno's harvest was running late due to the warm weather extending out - but despite the fact that they were undergoing some significant renovations to their home / winery (there was a giant crane in the road that I almost had to go off road to get around) they generously offered to let us come by. They were the kindest family. Francesco and his father (Quintarelli's son in law I believe) conducted the tasting and made sure the case we purchased was essentially bomb proofed for the journey back.

If you end up looking at Northern Italy, in particular Verona - I definitely have some recommendations: - We were in and around Verona for 3 days and stayed at Villa Archi (http://www.villaarchi.it/en/), spend the extra and stay in the panoramic suite - In addition to Quintarelli we visited Steffano Accordini (up in the mountains, while a hair raising ride to the top, the view was unbelievable). - We loved walking around Verona proper (20 or so min from the B&B, the amphitheater is really incredible and I can only imagine what it's like seeing an opera there. - In terms of restaurants we enjoyed Osteria Giuletta, Trattoria Al Pompiere and Ristorante Oste Scuro I'll also reiterate that this board helped TREMENDOUSLY and that Joe H in particular really gave us some advice that proved to be right on (I still have a jar of calibrian peppers for him from the autogrills )

I've been using toasted walnuts

In previous years, I've seen them in DC but for markups that are absurd even on the secondary market ($700 for last years GTS for example). I haven't heard of a store in DC getting any, but I'm also not that plugged in. I've been trying to hunt them down (I want a set to commemorate my daughters birth year that I can happily open at big life events, similar to getting birth year wines) but it's been trying. VA is impossible but in Maryland there are places with waiting lists and the price gouging isn't nearly as bad as DC.

My wife and I celebrated our 3rd (time sure flies) anniversary as well as our first "date night" post the arrival of our daughter at the Red Hen this evening. Before jumping into the food (short version: it was all delicious), I just have to call out the team for the incredible service. Whether it was our server Jonathan or Sebastian (who stopped by a number of times to chat about the wine) or Michael (who was expediting a few feet away from us) - they genuinely put on a "how to" course tonight in terms of making a table feel welcome in their restaurant. My wife and I remarked a number of times on how warm and inviting literally everyone we interacted with was. As first time visitors, the experience made me want to be a regular - if only it was easier to get to from Arlington! In terms of what we ordered: - Ricotta / Honey / Brown Butter crostini - found this to be light - we're suckers for ricotta and honey and the brown butter added a nice nuttiness to the mix. - Tuscan Liver Mouse / Fig Conserva - I could have eaten 2 orders of this - the fig conserva took a solid rendition of liver mouse up a few levels. Really nicely done. - Burrata with Grilled Zucchini / Farro / Mint / Pumpkin Seeds - I normally order burrata wherever I see it on the menu. However, this version, with the earthy farro contrasting nicely with a tart vinegarette and crunch of the pumpkin seeds was an interesting and delicious take. My wife really liked all the textural contrasts in the dish. - Rigatoni with Fennel Sausage Ragu - This has been commented on up and down the thread as a "signature". We had to restrain ourselves from licking the remaining sauce from the dish - so I'll just leave it at that. - Scallops (I forget what this was over, b/c my wife was greedily guarding her portion) - again, can't comment on the dish b/c my wife hoarded it. The small taste I did have showed perfectly cooked, very sweet scallops. - Suckling Pig Porchetta with Fingerling potatoes, salsa verde, fried capers - this was an awesome dish. A large slice of porchetta with the tang of the salsa verde balancing out the fattiness of the pork. I would order this again (and I will dream about how awesome left overs would've been on a sandwich the next day...) - Maple Custard with Hazelnut Crunch Topping - excellent. Almost came across like a creme brulee without the brulee. I'd order this again. - Apple Crisp with Ginger Gelato - this dish stood out for the ginger gelato. It really took the fall flavor elements up to another place. I have to comment on the gelato - whoever makes it in house for Red Hen does an excellent job. They brought out a complementary scoop of the mint gelato and both it and the ginger version had perfect clean flavors. The mint tasted like you had just plucked it from your garden. Wine: - Cornelisson "Orange" Wine (Mujebel Bianco) - going in, I'd been interested in trying an "orange" wine. They nicely brought me a taste of one they were serving by the glass before I committed to an entire bottle. The Cornelisson version was awesome (as are his other wines I've tasted). Slightly effervescent - the wine was able to balance across the myriad of dishes we enjoyed. I liked the additional structure the wine had and I'll explore other variants on this style when given the chance I think. So again - a great meal with impeccable service. The folks living in Shaw are extremely lucky. I also have to laugh - as there was definitely a crowd around the bar / front entrance when we were getting ready to leave around 815. Ah, I remember those days when we didn't think about going out to dinner before 830 or 9.

I did the VIP Snallygaster ticket last year and very much enjoyed it - we stayed for about 2 hours, enjoyed a bunch of the rare beers I'd never tasted then left as the crowds got bigger. It was worth the money for the first hour for sure. I'm not going this year (my wife glared at me when I suggested going with the new baby ) and I agree with Daniel's point above re: the a la carte aspect. But that said - this weekend should be beautiful and I'm sure it'll be a fun event.

Don, appreciate the thoughtful response. I blew right past the whole NYC commissary piece which I agree - adds an interesting wrinkle to it.

To me there is definitely danger in taking some of the leaps of faith that are taken in this article, particularly as it appears when it went to press it was anecdotal based on health inspections and due diligence by the restaurant...

Make that at least 5. I had been debating this for awhile and after making a trip just before my daughter was born to Glen Manor - decided to pull the trigger. I am very excited to get my hands on this.

It looks like you can purchase the issue via iTunes

Ordered take-out from "Liberty to Go" on Saturday to feed the family in town to help us with the new baby. I had never utilized this at Liberty before and I came away pretty impressed. The entire menu was available and the packaging (sauces in separate containers, etc) was excellent. When I got home I plated everything and folks were pretty excited about what was delivered to the table. The highlights being: pork chop with peach gremolata, halibut with corn risotto and a giant sized portion of rigatoni with "gravy" and meatballs.

Her name is Reese Rebecca Hofman . Our choices from the Quintarelli are: 2004 Amarone 2005 Albert 2000 Amarone Selection do Giuseppe However - we spent Saturday at Glen Manor visiting Kelly bc my wife wanted a "taste" to celebrate passing 38 weeks. So technically her first taste was a bit of Holder Hill!

To my daughter, born at 11:57 last night and my wife who was a trooper throughout the process. We will be enjoying a Quintarelli in celebration when we are discharged (that my wife has been eyeing since we returned from Italy last October!)

Jersey Mikes is my go to when I'm in the airport in Vegas and need food for the 6 hour flight (while more than likely dealing with a bad hangover ). I don't think they're revelatory, but I agree - they're great for picnics (or for making the folks on the plane jealous) and what not.

Headed down to Charleston for a final trip before the baby arrives in August ( ). Spent Friday / Monday in Charleston proper with two days out at Isle of Palms sandwiched in between. Really enjoyed Isle of Palms as our aim was to sit on the beach all day and relax - we stayed at the Inn at Wild Dunes since we were only there for a few nights. It was nice, with solid pool / beach options - though the food was outlandishly overpriced so we only ate breakfast there once (we had a 50 dollar credit) - you can do better with some of the options below: Toast - My wife had visited Toast with a bunch of her girlfriends a few years back so as we stepped off the plane around 9am she asked that we make a beeline here. Definitely on the touristy side, but I found the food to be good in a "low country diner" type way. I enjoyed the "Eggs Meeting Street" - two poached eggs over crab cakes and fried green tomatoes - some advice, get the remoulade on the side. I saw a nearby table order it and the food was positively swimming in the remoulade. Getting it on the side allowed for a bit more balance. My wife got their deluxe french toast which was a positively gigantic serving and was more like a bread pudding (in a delicious way). Add in a bacon bloody mary and a red eye coffee and it was a nice way to fortify ourselves for a long day of walking around the city. The Ordinary - We debated on whether to try to get into FIG or to hit the Ordinary and in hindsight, I think we made the right choice. Just a tremendous meal in a lovely old bank (we were upstairs which was definitely a bit quieter). Started with some oysters on the half shell, broiled oysters with ramp butter and Parmesan (so good!!) and some oyster sliders - all of which were big hits. The waitress also brought us a scallop ceviche with yuzu which I absolutely loved. For our mains I had two of the best soft shell crabs I've ever had, lightly dressed so the sweetness of the crab jumped off the plate. My wife enjoyed the house special (apparently they only have something like 14 orders of these each Friday) of baked stuffed lobster. Nicely balanced with minimal "stuffing" so as to not overwhelm the lobster. I was so full at that point that I can't remember what we had for dessert but I would wholeheartedly recommend a trip here if you're into well prepared, impeccably fresh seafood. Poe's - First dinner out on Isle of Palms. Quick drive from where we stayed and thought it was a perfect spot to sit outside and enjoy a nice burger. Their beer selection was good - though they had a weird selection of "seasonals" that skewed towards the dark / heavy even in the beginning of summer. Almost went back here a second night but decided against it. I stuck with the burger which was giant and their house coleslaw (delicious). My wife enjoyed the grilled shrimp tacos. Mozzo Deli - I am admittedly a sucker for a good deli - and after our uninspiring first day breakfast at the hotel - so I decided to give bettyjoan's recommendation a try. Very glad I did. Picked up a breakfast sandwich for my wife and a bagel with lox, capers, onions and cream cheese for myself. Both excellent. Also picked up subs for lunch as we had a fridge in the room. She (a native buffalo-ian) gave their buffalo chicken finger sub a hearty thumbs up and my fresh roast beef with horseradish cream, lettuce and tomato was excellent as well. As mentioned in the thread - they have a variety of prepared salads etc that all looked appetizing. Well worth the drive to Mt. Pleasant. HUSK - Stopped here for lunch before another day of walking around Charleston - we were rewarded by a slightly less tourist bombarded establishment than I'd imagine at dinner. Lunch was more casual than I'd anticipated with folks coming in wearing shorts which I thought was interesting. We started with the crispy pork with peach honey mustard which was essentially what I'd imagine you'd get if you merged funnel cake and pork - it was pretty addictive. Also had the pimento cheese spread with crostini which was delicious. My wife enjoyed the burger - for something that has as much going on as this does - it really all works together well. I had the glazed quail with napa cabbage - which while a small portion was perfect for lunch. My wife couldn't resist one of their milkshakes which had vanilla iced cream, blueberry compote and a sprite like soda - also had a lot going on but somehow all worked together. I'm glad we visited for lunch b/c I would imagine it's a bit of a mad house at dinner. All in all a great trip - loved walking around the city and I genuinely loved the beach at isle of palms (the water was 75 degrees when we were there in late May).

As a season ticket holder - I am devastated. The fact that this team is evolving into something that hopefully will drive sustainable success makes me happy - but I have a weekend of moping around ahead of me

Their gnocchi has never failed me. The current rendition with ramps, asparagus and peas is subtle and just wonderful. If they move it to the summer version with tomatoes and corn by the time you go - you are also in for a treat.

It was a great game to attend in person. My ears (for better or worse) are actually still ringing.

I think they actually are no longer under the same "umbrella" organization as the Adams Morgan branch (which I think was sold to their bar manager). I did validate that their twitter feed was still active (promoting their Kentucky Derby events) as of about 20 hours ago and I've seen people in there as I've driven down Wisconsin as recently as a few weeks back. It appears that the web presence stayed with the AM location when they split, but the GP locations Facebook is active and may have a recent menu.

It's been awhile since I've been there, but the Glover Park outpost of Bourbon might work - their upstairs usually has a pretty sparse crowd (and they have a big table up there that could handle the group). The food isn't going to blow you away but they usually have some interesting craft beers as well as a large bourbon menu.

As a Yankee's fan growing up in the 80's, it's someone I'm quite familiar with: Dave Winfield

I was there to meet friends before a birthday and you can eat there (you essentially have to grab one of the big chairs or the couch with table - and eating gets awkward b/c its not really the "dining" table height). In addition to a replication of Palena's Manhattan I enjoyed a fry plate that was reminiscent of Palenas prime. I literally almost squealed with delight at the sight of the fried lemons.

Is this northside social?

My Buffalo born and raised wife insists on Franks Red Hot anytime I'm making any sort of "buffalo" styled dish