LauraB

We first went to Kingsbrook in the summer of 2006. Another vet had performed dental surgery on one of our cats and he was not recovering well. That vet offered us no assistance in helping him. Our cat was near death when, in desperation, we took him to Kingsbrook. They were absolutely wonderful. They went the extra mile for Thomas and saved his life. Since then, we have been taking all of our cats to Kingsbrook and we could not be happier. Everyone on the staff, from the doctors to the techs to the front desk are warm, compassionate, and professional. We trust them completely. So much so, that we have allowed them to do dentistry on Thomas, despite our fears from our previous experience. They took extra precautions and Thomas sailed through it beautifully. Kingsbrook is not inexpensive, but it is very much worth it. In 2007 we moved from Frederick to Rockville, yet we still take our cats to Kingsbrook because we cannot imagine finding a better veterinary practice anywhere. Last week we had to say goodbye to Thomas, who was 15 years old. He had suffered from a terminal illness over the last many months. Dr. Morse Davis and staff treated him with palliative care and compassion. During the final week Dr. Davis was in regular phone contact with us, giving us his cellphone number over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. And, while we are especially grateful to Dr. Davis for his treatment of Thomas, the other doctors are equally skilled and compassionate: Dr. Brent Cook, Dr. Adrienne Cardella, and Dr. Jennifer Walker. I know that most DR members are not in Frederick, but if you live within a 30-minute drive of the practice, which is on the south end of Frederick, it's worth it. Kingsbrook Animal Hospital 5322 New Design Rd Frederick, MD 21703 301-631-6900 www.kingsbrookvet.com Laura Belden

You know, I didn't post in order to win either. Although, I do love Japanese food. It was sort of a coincidence that I posted after Don announced the contest. I was motivated last Friday when I walked out of Quality Discount Tire & Auto and realized I had just had a second stellar experience with that company and wanted to share it with a larger community. After posting that, I realized that there were a couple of other places that I thought very highly of and hadn't yet posted about them in the DR thread. I am very appreciative of the many other recommendations made and may have found a new doctor in DC thanks to this thread.

Got an email from Fiola on Monday with this announcement: Fiola Brings Back Presto! Menu Designed for busy professionals, the special menu is available Monday through Friday from 11:30AM to 1:30PM, and offers guests who dine at Fiola Bar a choice of an appetizer, entrée and beverage for just $19. The Presto! menu starts today, Monday, June 3 and will be served throughout the summer. The menu includes Fiola favorites such as Burrata, Fiola Meatballs, Pappardelle with Heirloom Tomatoes, Chicken "Scarpariello", and the Fiola Burger. Beverage choices include Strawberry or Mint Lemonade, Iced Tea, or an Aperol Spritz.

Thanks for posting this. What a sweet story.

Found lovely golden beets at the farmers market and their greens were perfect too. Made a golden beet risotto topped with beet greens sautéed with garlic. Other ingredients were: chicken broth, white wine, unsalted butter, white onion, lemon juice, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and crumbled ricotta salata cheese. Lusciously creamy and delicious.

Whenever we need emergency HVAC services it always seems to be in the middle of the night or on a Sunday. I found Germantown Services during one such calamity in July of 2010 when we awoke on a Sunday morning at 2:00 am to the sound of water cascading from the ceiling. As soon as dawn broke I began calling repair services and Scott Sadler from Germantown responded immediately, despite the fact that we had no prior relationship with him. He was there within the hour and fixed the problem quickly at a very reasonable price. Since then, we have had reason to call him on 3 other occasions, most of which have been on the weekend, and he has responded promptly, fixed the problem to our satisfaction, and the fees were always lower than expected. Not only is he very efficient and competent, Scott is also a very nice guy. We wouldn't dream of using any other HVAC service. Germantown Services 2991 Summit Drive Ijamsville, MD 21754 301-428-9202 Laura Belden

Fitness Together is a personal training business where clients work one-on-one or in small groups of no more than 3/4 with a personal trainer. Studios are outfitted with state-of-the-art fitness equipment and highly-qualified trainers and, unlike your typical gym, everything is very personalized. FT is a franchise operation and there are FT locations all over the greater DC area. I have been a client of the Bethesda location for the past 18 months and I have been very pleased with my experience. The prices are typical for personal training but can be less expensive if you buy a package in advance that will cover 24 or 48 or more sessions. You are assigned to a specific trainer for each of your appointments and he/she comes to know your strengths/weaknesses and tailors workouts accordingly. I found the studio in Bethesda to be a very pleasant place and the staff to be very friendly and professional. Everyone on the staff is very good, but I want to highlight two: the Manager, Megan Broda, and my favorite trainer, Nick Sawaya. I can't praise these two highly enough. Finally, the building is located at the corner of Wisconsin and Bradley Blvd and there is free validated parking! Fitness Together 6708 Wisconsin Ave, Suite 301 Bethesda, MD 20815 301-656-3904 Laura Belden

I have used the services of Quality Discount Tire & Auto in Kensington, MD twice in the last two years. My most recent visit was this morning and I emerged just as pleased as on my first visit. Each time I have received excellent, prompt service and advice. The prices are extremely reasonable: On both visits my final bill was considerably less than what I would have expected and probably would have been charged elsewhere. The owner/manager, Steve Colburn, is a very nice, entertaining guy who has a great deal of experience and really knows what he's about. I would recommend Quality Discount Tire to anyone without reservation. Well, maybe one reservation: the waiting room leaves a lot to be desired -- it's tiny and cramped and has no amenities except that it's right there by the front desk and Steve's banter with the customers and staff can be quite entertaining. On the other hand, you won't have to spend much time in it either. My visit this morning to buy a new tire and have all my tires rotated and balanced took exactly 30 minutes. Quality Discount Tire & Auto 4000 Howard Avenue Kensington, MD (301) 493-6902 Laura Belden

I bow to your superior knowledge. I will cross bacalao off my list of 'must eats.' But, I can assure you, it was no *mild aroma*. Oh, and I should mention that I was with two other people on that visit and they both had the same reaction.

I was there within the past two years, so presumably following the renovation.

That was exactly my experience the one time I visited. The smell was just sickening.

I have no idea what that dish is, but the table, the plate and the menu look like: Range

Thanks for mentioning the Raichlen book. I had not heard of it. It was another Raichlen book, How to Grill, that allowed me to overcome my fear of grilling years ago. Sounds like it would be a good guide in this process. Keep us posted on what you decide to do.

^Interesting. I definitely think that the Café is not what it used to be. I've been to the Café many times over the last few years and always loved it. Recently, not so much. Sometime in the last couple of months my grown daughter and I went with the express purpose of ordering the burger because we'd never had it and knew that it was supposed to be one of the best in DC. We were both very disappointed -- it was overcooked and dry. We were left scratching our heads. Frankly, I've had a better burger at the Burger Joint in Gaithersburg.

Assuming it's a slice of pie, it's that it's a 'constructed' piece of pie, rather than a 'deconstructed' pie?

Apologies if there is already a thread on this topic. Did not see it. Over the summer we will be moving from a house in Rockville to a condo in DC. The only thing about this move that I don't love is that we'll have to give up our outdoor grill. We grill often, so this will be quite a loss. I've been wondering about acquiring an indoor grill. I assume no indoor grill can come close to the results achieved with an outdoor grill. Still, I'd love to hear from those of you who use one and any suggestions you have for features and brands that you'd recommend. Thanks!

Given how blustery and chilly today is, I felt like something a bit more hearty than I'd normally make at the end of May. Penne with chickpeas, kale, tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, garlic, onions, mirin, parmigiano reggianno.

You make a very good point. SF sourdough is something unto itself and really can't be replicated.

Oh my God! This is unbelievable! Back in the day, I worked in the financial district in San Francisco and we lunched regularly at the Tadich. Loved it!!! It was very old school. Never imagined that it would 'franchise' itself. I'll be one of the first in line to dine here. Grilled Pacific seafood, oh yes. (Of course, I'm a little bit skeptical about the success of the translation of the concept to the East Coast, but I'm willing to research, personally, how well it goes.)

Filter in Dupont?

That might explain the really lousy service at Range -- not enough wait staff.

+1

^Have to agree. Thanks to eatWashington, I discovered a lot of great ethnic food shops. Anytime I ran across a recipe in a new-to-me cuisine, I would just check EW and I'd learn exactly where to find the ingredients. When the site disappeared off the web, I was distraught. So sorry to hear of your mother's illness, Julia.

Homemade miso soup from a recipe in The Angelica Home Kitchen. Woah, the miso needs serious dilution. Does anyone have a really good recipe for miso soup?

^As a Southern California native, I completely agree with Zora. What I'm eating right now: Left-over fried chicken and biscuit from lunch today at Family Meal.