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LauraB

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  1. LauraB
    Can anyone recommend a good locksmith in DC? Thanks!
  2. LauraB
    Count me and my husband as fans of B Too, too. We've been twice, most recently late this afternoon. Both times we were there for a late lunch on a Saturday, so their brunch menu was in effect. Brunch runs on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00-4:00 pm, then the dinner service begins. I love the fact that this restaurant is open all day on the weekends so that you can drop in anytime. The brunch menu is quite comprehensive and I think almost anyone can find several dishes to enjoy. The menu starts with many breakfast-type items -- egg dishes and many waffle dishes, but also includes all of their mussel dishes, several appetizers, several entrees, quite a few sandwiches, 2 or 3 soups, and a good number of sides. So, you can have breakfast, or you can have lunch/dinner. Their drink menus are quite extensive and if you're a beer lover, this place is for you. On both of our visits we have enjoyed the food, the service and the ambiance. On our first visit I had the mussels marniere (white wine, garlic, shallots, parsley) -- this was a large serving of mussels, I couldn't quite finish them -- the broth was traditional and quite tasty. The mussels were served with their frites and these were very good -- crisp on the outside, tender on the inside. My husband had their lamb burger and, wow, that was a succulent burger. I was allowed only one bite and I thoroughly enjoyed it. On our visit today my husband went with their cornbread waffle with pulled pork, avocado and sour cream -- I'm not sure how Belgian that dish is , but my husband loved it (Belgium meets Carolina BBQ, meets Tex-Mex?). I had the roasted chicken with the frites, mixed salad, and chicken jus. I really enjoyed this dish. The chicken was quite well-cooked, although the breast meat got a little dry near the end; the chicken jus was delicious and unusual -- I couldn't identify the flavors. The salad greens were very fresh and the creamy dressing was delicious and I appreciated how it was served in its own bowl and not placed on the plate with the chicken. The frites, as before, were perfect. I also enjoyed a G&T made from Hendricks gin and Fever-Tree tonic with a slice of salted cucumber and a glass of a French Sancerre. B Too is a great neighborhood restaurant and we are so glad it's in our neighborhood!
  3. LauraB
    I stopped into G Sandwich today to pick up lunch. This is the new sandwich shop by day/tasting menu by night/gravy menu on Sunday nights place that Mike Isabella has just opened next door to his Greek restaurant Kapnos. I arrived shortly after they opened at 11:00 and was among the first to order. I waited maybe 10 minutes for my order to be ready. In that time I determined that I was quite glad that I was ordering take-out and not planning to eat in the restaurant. The music was deafening -- I can't imagine trying to carry on a conversation. It took me 15 minutes to walk home and the food did not seem to have suffered at all in the interim. We both loved our sandwiches. He had the Cubano Panino (pork collar, swiss, pickles, prosciutto cotto, yellow mustard); I had the Spring Lamb (tzatziki, romaine, pickled onion, dill). The lamb sandwich was served gyro-style, but the amount of the filling was such that it would have been extremely messy to eat that way, so I used a knife and fork. All of the roasted meats used at G are cooked at Kapnos, and it showed. That lamb was so succulent! It may have been a bit fattier than I would prefer, but wow, that fat was tasty! The other ingredients provided nice complimentary flavors and the dill really stood out, but in a good way. My husband loved his Cubano and that's saying something since he is a bit of a Cuban sandwich snob, having spent a lot of time in Miami. I'm not saying that this is an authentic Cuban sandwich, just that someone who's pretty picky about that genre endorsed it. In addition to the 12 different kinds of sandwiches they make, G also offers 8 marinated vegetable sides, 4 salads, 2 soups, sweets, house-made sodas and iced teas and a small list of alcoholic beverages, including 4 beers, 2 wines and 2 cocktails. We've been eating a lot of carry-out foods in the past 10 days, as we moved and are still living in chaos. During this time we have also had sandwiches from SundeVich and Taylor Gourmet. I have to say that after this one experience, I'd rank G above both of these: way above Taylor and somewhat above SundeVich. It may not be fair to compare after just one visit, but when I'm looking for my next sandwich, I'm going to G.
  4. LauraB
    Thanks for this tip. I'm curious to know the sodium content of the Kirkland chicken stock.
  5. LauraB
    I would like to recommend the Yellow Ribbon Fund as a non-profit organization that is worth supporting. Based in Bethesda, the YRF was founded in 2005 to provide support to wounded service members and their families. I discovered them while searching for an organization to which we could donate exercise equipment to benefit wounded warriors. They placed our equipment and when I received a photo of a service member with a spine injury using our elliptical, that was all the reward I needed. The YRF sponsors all kinds of activities to benefit and support the families of wounded warriors and pays for hotel rooms, rental cars and much more for families who have traveled here from out of state to visit their wounded at Walter Reed. Restaurants in Bethesda, led by Jeff Heineman at Grapeseed, are supporting the YRF by donating part of their profits during restaurant week. Jeff is also contributing a portion of every tab from the special DR.com tasting menus on Friday and Saturday nights. If you're looking for an organization to make an in-kind or monetary donation, please consider the Yellow Ribbon Fund. Laura Belden
  6. LauraB
    Last week we moved from Rockville to Logan Circle. On the advice of a friend, we engaged the services of Two Marines Moving as our moving company. We were really happy to learn about them as they employ only former and current members of the military. It's a great way to support the troops. We have moved many, many times over the decades, including overseas and back. While we have never had a bad experience with movers, we have also never had as great an experience as we had with Two Marines Moving last week. I just can't say enough good things about it. Coy and his crew of 2 others (1 former Marine; 2 former Army) arrived punctually and got right to work. They worked without breaks for 6 hours. They were cordial, friendly, professional, a credit in every way to both Two Marines Moving and to our military services. They also wrapped every piece of furniture in heavy duty plastic to protect not only the furniture, but also the walls and doors. The pieces were so thickly wrapped that I couldn't identify what the piece was until it was unwrapped. Pricewise, I found Two Marines to be a very good value. They charge $59 per mover per hour. The estimate that I received when I first contacted them was less than I was expecting and much less than what I've paid for similar moves in the past. The actual price was very close to the estimate. In calculating the time elapsed, they round back: for example, if it's 3:12 pm when they're finished, they'll round back to 3:00 pm. If you're planning a move in the near future, I highly recommend that you contact Two Marines. If you engage their services, please have bottled water on hand to offer the crew and tip well. It's the kind and respectful thing to do. Laura Belden
  7. LauraB
    Two places where we've enjoyed brunch are : Cochon -- we were there this past March and really enjoyed our experience. A meat-centric menu and very delicious. I believe it's closer to your hotel than my other suggestion, Fork -- this has a more typical brunch menu and a more upscale ambiance. Had brunch there within the last year and would definitely go back. (I don't know what happened to the formatting here. It wasn't double-spaced when I typed it.)
  8. LauraB
    We moved to the neighborhood on Wednesday and last night we were thrilled to walk 3 blocks and have a wonderful dinner at Etto. We went early as we were too tired to wait for a table. Arriving just after 5:00 we were seated immediately, with just one other table occupied. The place began to fill shortly thereafter and every table was taken by the time we left around 6:15. There was a photographer from the Post taking pictures of the food, the décor, the people, almost the entire time we were there. I thought it was strange that they would be doing this during service on a Friday night. I overheard the photographer tell someone that the Post review would be appearing on either August 18th or 25th. Our overall experience echoed those described above. The food, service, and ambiance were terrific. We shared two small plates: a kale salad and Romano beans with heirloom tomatoes. Both were very good, but the kale salad was just divine: so fresh, so bright and citrusy. We each ordered a pizza: margherita for me; the sausage and "friarelli" for him. We had no problems with the pizzas being too wet and the crust and char were perfect. I agree with the comment above that the special flour (they mill the wheat themselves) really gives these pizzas a unique quality that is very appealing. I enjoyed my margherita very much, although I would give the edge to Pupatella's margherita, if forced to choose. My husband really liked his choice; I found the rapini a bit too bitter, and I say that as someone who really loves rapini. I inquired about carryout and was told that currently only the pizzas are available for carryout but that more of the menu may be included in the future. We'll definitely be taking advantage of that and returning often for a sit-down meal. There's a lot to like at Etto.
  9. LauraB
    To Helen Thomas.
  10. LauraB
    My sincere sympathy. Losing a pet is very painful.
  11. LauraB
    I've been to all of these places and while I liked them all, there is just no comparison between the Ashby Inn and the other two. The Ashby is one of the best restaurants in the greater DC area -- top 5 for sure. And the accommodations at the Inn are lovely as well. It's a special occasion type place. In fact, I just celebrated my birthday there with dinner and an overnight last week. My recommended room choice is the Glascock Room -- it's the only room we've ever stayed in, and we've stayed there 4 times. Obviously, this would be my number one choice if you want to make it a special night -- and why not? It's your last night alone as a couple before picking up the kids, right? If you decide on the Ashby, get on the phone immediately to book dinner and a room, especially on a weekend night.
  12. LauraB
    2.5 stars from Tom. That feels just right to me. http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/restaurants/the-red-hen,1252909.html
  13. LauraB
    Same with the Rockville location. And, after 6:00 pm, deafening. The food is really good, though. So, we try to go before 6:00.
  14. LauraB
    That's him. He is intense, yes. He's very passionate about good food. He's been in the biz a long time -- used to be at Woodberry Kitchen, which I think has a similar mission to that of Red Hen. I could see where his intensity might be too much for those whose approach to food is a bit more casual than ours.
  15. LauraB
    We had an absolutely delightful dinner at the Red Hen this evening. We loved everything about the experience from the design and ambiance of the restaurant, to our fantastic server, to the very, very good food. Oh, and the price: my husband commented after paying the bill, "That's the least expensive meal we've had in a long time." Value: A+ We were fortunate to have as our server, Ejeon (yes, that is the correct spelling, I asked.) His knowledge of and enthusiasm for the food was electric. I'm sure we would have enjoyed the dinner just fine without him; but with him, it was elevated to an entirely different level. We followed several of his recommendations and they proved to be exactly right. For example, I was contemplating a French Sauvignon Blanc and, after hearing what I like in a wine, he noted that it might be too fruity; he suggested the Slovenian Toh-Kai and he even brought tastes of both wines for me to compare (all this for a 'wine by the glass'). And, he was right. I preferred the Toh-Kai -- it's an interesting wine and complimented my meal very well. And it was $7.00! Oh, and, lest I forget, I had a gin martini to start off, made with Botanist gin which I learned to love at the Gin Bar at New Heights. Price? $8.00! We both began with a crostini: the Tuscan Chicken Liver with Parmesan & Thyme ($6) for him; the Baby Tomatoes, Spring Onion & Basil for me ($6). He could not stop exclaiming over how good his was. I was initially hesitant about the tomatoes crostini, thinking that it is still early in the tomato season and it could turn out to be very pedestrian. I was leaning toward the Smoked Trout. Ejeon steered me toward the tomato and I am so glad he did. One bite and I nearly burst into tears. I haven't had a really good fresh tomato since last summer and this was like coming home. The tomatoes were red and yellow and served on excellent bread with basil, scallions and a simple olive oil vinaigrette. The portion was also much larger than I was expecting, so for $6, it was a great value. Our next course was Mezze Rigatoni with Fennel Sausage Ragu & Pecorino Romano ($16) for him; the Seared Scallops with English Peas, Guanciale & Dill ($20) for me. My scallops were very fresh and high quality, perfectly seared, and delicious. The only place I've had better scallops recently is at the Rappahannock Oyster Bar at Union Market. The accompanying farro/pea mélange was fine, if a bit salty, although I'm not sure it did the scallops justice. I think a better partner for them would be something lighter than the farro. I also think I'm just not much of a farro fan. Every time I eat it I think I would have preferred rice or just about any other grain. The Rigatoni was the star of the night. I managed to steal several bites and I was seriously envious. That fennel sausage! Dare I call a sausage elegant? Well, it was. The fennel flavor was subtle, yet very evident. The pasta was cooked to a perfect al dente. And the ragu sauce had a lovely, light texture, delicate and beautifully flavored. This restaurant is a real gem and a gift to any neighborhood. Very soon we will be moving to an adjacent neighborhood and we can easily imagine becoming regulars here. **And ladies, they have handbag hooks under the bar!
  16. LauraB
    Thank you, Jeff. The pleasure was all ours! We thoroughly enjoyed the meal -- the beef was melt-in-your mouth tender and perfectly cooked to a medium rare; the chicken crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside (perfect!); the etouffe was spicy in just the way we like it. The amuse of your housemade charcuterie was a nice touch. And we were absolutely delighted to meet you and your wife, Shannon, on her debut evening on the floor, after a long sabbatical gathering child-rearing material for her comedy act. We were thoroughly entertained by you both. We've had many nice meals at Grapeseed over the years, but last night was the most fun we've ever had there. And thank you again for everything you're doing for the Yellow Ribbon Fund. They're good folks doing good work, just like you.
  17. LauraB
    My husband and I adore the Ashby Inn. Over the last few years we have been for dinner and an overnight stay 4 times, most recently last night, to celebrate my birthday. We have also driven out there on Sundays for brunch on multiple occasions. If we lived nearby, we'd be weekly visitors. I just can't say enough about the talents of both Tarver King, the chef, and Neal Wavra, the GM and Sommelier. The Ashby Inn is also the site of possibly the best dish I've ever eaten in my life, and that's saying something. It was a couple of years ago, during brunch. It was a Copper River Salmon crudo -- the rest of the preparation has escaped my memory. If I were ever facing execution, as my last meal, I'd request this and possibly the Squash Blossom dish we were served last night (more on that below). We always stay in the Glascock Room in the School House, a short walk up the road from the main Inn. The GR is on the top floor with a large covered porch overlooking the gardens of the Inn and the rolling countryside beyond. It's a very bucolic view. The room itself it quite large, with a fireplace, King-size bed, and comfortable chairs and surroundings. They also offer a complimentary decanter with 2 servings of locally-made Port, which is, while not the best Port I've ever had, quite nice. Last night, after dinner, we sat on the porch and were absolutely enchanted by the fireflies. Dinner last night was, as always, superb. The highlight, however, was the starter, a grilled squash blossom filled with blue crab and accented with lime, peanut sauce, coconut, and chili. This Thai-flavored dish was just exquisite -- the flavors were perfectly balanced, none dominating, yet all making themselves known and the crab was luscious. The wine pairing was a 2011 Doenhoff Kabinett Riesling that was perfect. Breakfast at the Ashby is always a delight and this morning's was no exception. The coffee is from the Black Dog in West Virginia and it's very good. While we were in the breakfast room, we spotted a staffer walking down the path next to the room carrying a large tray filled with the most beautiful squash blossoms you've ever seen, cut just that morning from the Ashby's large garden. All of us in the dining room, all of whom had had the blossoms for a starter the night before, were gawking out the window and exclaiming our excitement, almost as if the Queen's jewels were passing by. After breakfast we returned to our room to spend a few hours reading while it rained, before enjoying lunch at the Ashby. To our great delight, the squash blossom preparation was again featured and both of us ordered it and it was almost as good as last night, with the exception that the peanut sauce dominated a tad too much. If we hadn't had it last night, we probably wouldn't have even noticed. For entrees, I had the Grilled Wahoo with pasta porridge, smoked onion jam, speck ham, pecorino and arugula. What a lovely dish! The wahoo was cooked perfectly and quite moist. The pasta porridge reminded me of a German spaetzle, only more refined and lighter. The speck ham was very thinly sliced and delicious, and not salty. My husband ordered the Snapping Turtle Ragout with buttered polenta, cippolini onion confit and sorrel. He enjoyed it a lot, although it was a bit saltier than he would like. If you love squash blossoms, get thee to the Ashby Inn while they're still available. If you love sorrel, they apparently have an abundant amount in the garden: last night's dessert menu featured a sorrel ice cream which my husband ordered and quite liked. This morning's breakfast featured sorrel pancakes. And, if you just love great food and a very welcoming, relaxing ambiance, go there anytime!
  18. LauraB
    We went when it first opened and vowed never to go again. In May, due to time constraints, we were unable to dine pre-theater anywhere else, so tried it again. The food was still awful. And the ambiance? None. We did not have a great experience at Station 4, but certainly it is vastly superior to the Catwalk. If you can, consider Sou'Wester in the Mandarin, or even better, the bar menu at CityZen (3 courses, $50/pp). That has become our regular haunt for Arena pre-theater.
  19. LauraB
    Jeff, I am so pleased to know that you and other Bethesda restaurants are supporting the Yellow Ribbon Fund. As the parents of a Green Beret who suffered a traumatic brain injury in Afghanistan in March, we are especially appreciative. We recently discovered the YRF while searching for an organization that we could donate exercise equipment to as a benefit to wounded warriors. We are very impressed with the work that they are doing. We will be in for the special menu tomorrow night!
  20. LauraB
    This sounds really intriguing. However, July 15th is a Monday. Don, do you mean Weds, July 17th? Or, Monday, July 15th?
  21. LauraB
    I'm guilty of this. When I say, "I really wanted to like this place," it's usually to preface comments for a visit that was disappointing. Why I want to like a place? It's very conveniently located; it's a cuisine I love; it's a concept and an ambiance that I find appealing. When the reality of the place falls short of my hopes for it, I'm inclined to indicate that I went in there with every hope of liking it, but it did not deliver.
  22. LauraB
    Another choice: 'Ultimately,'
  23. LauraB
    +1
  24. LauraB
    Oh, my God, yes. While 'spot on' is one of my top 2 annoyances related to food writing, my greatest single annoyance is the phrase: "At the end of the day." It's been many years now since this odious phrase began being used in the popular media and it has spread like a virulent pest. Is there a talking head who doesn't use this phrase multiple times during an interview? In the very beginning it might have been charming, but it has become such a cliché that it has soared way beyond trite. It is the lazy person's 'go-to.'** And for me, the listener, it's the equivalent of finger nails scratching on an antiquated blackboard. **(And, yes, I use 'go-to' ironically. It's definitely a candidate for the trite list.)
  25. LauraB
    I have to agree that dinner at the bar at Corduroy is one of the greatest dining secrets/bargains in DC. I've been several times, most recently last Monday, and every time it's been a great experience. I like ad.mich's description above: "elegant, relaxing, well-managed, and absolutely freaking delicious." That captures it. Last Monday I had the red snapper bisque (because, when you dine at Tom Power's restaurant, you DO order soup) and it was so good I had to restrain myself from licking the bowl. For the entrée I chose the big eye tuna and was just delighted with how perfectly prepared it was. My daughter also had the bisque and for an entrée, the pork, which was succulent with lovely flavoring. She had the bread pudding for dessert and kept repeating, "so good, so good." In a few short weeks we will be moving from the suburbs to a place within a 6-block walk of Corduroy. (Don't think that wasn't a determining factor in our choice of the place!) I am determined to make dinner at the bar at Corduroy a weekly experience.
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