curiouskitkatt

I have received information about an incredible dinner. The meal will take place on Thursday, August 30th at Q by Peter Chang in Bethesda. The address is 450 East West Highway, #100, Bethesda, MD 20814. Dinner will be served in a private dining room starting at 7pm. The service of the meal will be family style. . A Taste of Home: Chef Peter Chang’s Hubei Tasting Dinner $60 Per Person (exclusive of beverage, tax, and gratuity) 7PM – 9PM FIRST COURSE Wuhan Sesame Noodles Cilantro Shrimp Ball Hot & Numbing Shredded Chicken w/Crepe SOUP Ginko Duck Soup THIRD COURSE Chang’s Homemade Fish Cake Hot Pot Chrysanthemum Greens and Tofu Rice Ball Pan-Fried Rice Flour Steamed Pork Belly Grandma’s Shredded Pork with Green Pepper Chicken Mushroom Curry Stew Chopped Chili Curry Stew Coral Branzino FOURTH COURSE Sweet Osmanthus Dates Executive Chef, Peter Chang Reservations required: (240) 800-3722

Charm City Night Market mark your calendars for this inaugural event in Charm City. I like to deem this event a party with purpose. I have a hunch with the popularity of #crazyrichasians this will be a great opportunity to engage with a community that I have close ties too. Soju, sake, beer, tasty food, music, and so much more...

Taken directly from another forum of Baltimore locals I asked: --- Also in Little Italy, Germano's, La Tavola, and Gia's are also good. In Little Italy, Aldo's is excellent, but pricey. Samos is good. But it's BYOB, which may possibly be problematic for a tourist. Also good in Greektown are Ikaros and Zorba's. I second Zorbas and Germanos and Amiccis Rye Street Tavern can be hit or miss. I was there twice. It’s always crowded, but I wasn’t really impressed. Local bloggers seem to love it. Word is the fried chicken is good. Charleston is a sure thing. Ekiben is awesome, but very tiny. Grab & go. Get the yardbird, and the tofu bun! Thames St Oyster House is a sure thing as well. Curious to hear where you dine.

sometimes you are directly quoted in a piece.

Wasn't quite sure where to post this or start a new thread. The Hungry Pigeon served as host to former Baltimore native, Drew Lazor, who is freelancer now based in Philly,. He was promoting his new book, Session Cocktails. He prepared a spread of Bmore's favorite eats which included pit beef, steamed crabs, and coddies. I have never tried a coddie, which prompts me to ask, where in Baltimore can I find a good coddie? Attmans would be my first stop ,but someone I spoke to recommended Barrucuda's in Locust point, and I saw a rec on this forum suggesting Dylan's Oyster Cellar. This leads me to possibly trying all three spots. A coddie crawl is on the horizon.

There are times when I pour a bowl of cereal for dinner. Life is hectic, and being a single gal, cooking for one can be downright depressing. I have never learned to portion recipes for one, and I often become bored with a dish, and don't always enjoy leftovers.

Thank you! I can't take all of the credit. It takes a village, and btw I am enjoying your posts as well.

It began in January, and now in the heat of summer we are up to nearly 300 posts that are tagged #donrockwelldotcom. I will expand use of the hashtag to all of my posts relating to food, culture, events that I attend, books that I plan on reading, as well as adventures I partake in to all social media platforms that I engage in from this point forward. I am not sure if it will prompt people to join in on the conversation on this forum, but it's worth a shot. I often wonder what impact I personally have on my community, and on occasion someone tells me that one of my post prompted them to visit a restaurant, or go out and explore food and beverage beyond their comfort zone. I had no idea how much joy that brought me. I am truly enjoying everyone's input, and my only regret is that I am unable to venture to all of these amazing spots that you all are featuring. I know the majority of the activity on this forum centers in the DMV, but what if am doing is effective at all, the conversation will expand beyond the beltway. Baby steps. I was also excited to see the original announcement of the #donrockwelldotcom hashtag is the first hit when you do a google search. Woohoo!

@Ericandblueboybeat me to it. I was going to recommend the Ivy Hotel. It's a hidden oasis in the heart of Mount Vernon. I had dinner at Magdelena a few months back, and for future visits I will certainly indulge and check into the Ivy.

Taco Tuesday was an epic fail yesterday. How do I avoid sounding like an elite Yelper? I do not like posting negative reviews. The pattern I have been following about posting about my meals for the most part is that I only post the good, and forego the bad. I'm no critic, but bad meals matter too, right? This is a situation I run into often at restaurants in York, and pretty much most of the places I have been venturing lately. I go once, maybe twice and the food is good. Not spectacular, but good. I go back with hopes that the dishes will improve. Yesterday was a complete disappointment on all fronts. I arrived pretty excited to try the crab tostada that has been featured for crab week. I saw a few postings on social media, and the food appear to look amazing, hence the built up of my anticipation of having a good meal. I listened to the server describe the offerings, being that they were additions to the menu. I do not recall shrimp being in the tostada. More on that in a sec. The server informed me of a few items that were not available. Umm, okay, its Tuesday, the first day of service but I'll overlook that. No guacamole. Are you serious? How can you not have avocados, and its Taco Tuesday. Ugh, I should have picked up on that as being sign of what was to come. The tostada arrives, and I give it a once over, and I know it's not gonna be good. The black refried beans look dry, and color of the sauce that is dripping over the "crabcake" looks like a goopy slime, and it's finished off with token micro sprouts.The presentation was not good, but I could overlook it if the flavor delivered. I mean some people just aren't very good at plating. One bite of the cake, I knew immediately there was some other seafood that was mixed into this. It was shrimp. I feel as if I was duped. Perhaps, I'm being a bit dramatic, but when the menu offers crab, you expect crab, not shrimp. The flavor of the other shellfish was aggressive, and the delicate sweet flavor of the crab didn't have a chance. I was still hungry though. So I ordered what I had in the past, and knew was good. The sweet potato , and the braised short rib I thought for sure would redeem this meal. Nope. The sweet potato was baked, and kinda mushy. The bits of sweet potato did not have the crispy edges that it has last time I had it. And the toppings were sweet, as oppose to savory. I think roasted peach salsa was added, Hints of cinnamon made this taste more like a sweet potato pie versus the savory taco I was expecting. The braised short rib was awful. It tasted like refrigerated leftovers that was smothered with a sweet bbq sauce. This meal left me feeling cranky. The chances I will go back are nil, and I had high hopes for Paco's. hangry, kat

#yorksgotcrabs is running August 11th thru the 18th. A list of participating restaurants are listed in the link, along with deets on what dishes are available. Although this is not the traditional format of a typical restaurant week, it offers a opportunity to drive dining commerce into Downtown York. Tonight I will be popping in to Paco's Tacos to try the crab tostada. They have a vegan version that has me a bit intrigued. I may just have to indulge, and try both. #donrockwelldotcom, kat

Tuscarora Mill in Leesburg, Va.

Thank you for your feedback about Lancaster, Pa. Since I have moved back to the area, it has changed tremendously. I reside in York, west of the Lancaster over the bridge, but spend a better part of my time in Lancaster. There are so many nooks and crannies to explore that include art, science, music, performance art, vintage shops, indie movies, farmers stands, breweries and so much more. In just the last 5 years , the dining scene has flourished to include cuisines ranging from Trinidadian, to Ethiopian to Vietnamese. This perhaps as a direct result from Lancaster being America's refugee capital. I realize most travel to Lancaster to immerse themselves in the Amish experience, and I am not suggesting otherwise. I guess what I am saying for those reading this post consider Lancaster, Pa possibly on any day besides Sunday or Monday so you make it to the Horse.

This Sunday, I will be attending a chocolate tasting event at Bar Clavel in the Remington neighborhood of Baltimore. This seems like something that the members of DR may find interesting. I also learned that same event will be presented at Epista in District on Monday, Aug 13th. I tried finding a link for the DC pop up ,but it is not listed in Eventbrite. Ill need to do a little bit more digging to find the details , or you can go to Espita website and find out more. I imagine they would have some information about the event. The quick glance at the event, attendees will taste pre-Hispanic cold water base cacao drink, chocolate truffle, and cacao seed. I have learned that the chocolate source from La Rifa has been featured at the most recent pop up of Noma that was held in Talum, Mexico. Little fun fact I like to throw in about the event. I made an attempt to research more about La Rifa, but nearly all of the resources are not in English, and exceed my HS AP Level of Spanish. But seriously the event involves learning & tasting chocolate in a backdrop provided by Clavel. No further convincing needed, IMO. If you happen to attend the event in Baltimore, Clavel will be holding a market of sorts in their newly expanded dining room from 11-4 featuring Baltimore artisans, and art and pottery being sold by the members of Clavel's family. From what I understand, several members of Clavel have traveled to Mexico and have collected all sorts of pottery, and art so I imagine the selection to be eclectic. The items sold at their market will be cash only. So if you are looking for something to do on Sunday, you are welcome.☺️ Intrepid guide, kat

I have read your review of the spots you visited during your visit to Lancaster. I admit I am disappointed to learn that it was less than stellar. I have expressed in previous threads about dining in York as well as Lancaster, some hits, others not so much. My intent in writing about spots in this area is so that members in this forum take a chance to visit the area. Looks like I need to seek out more spots, with more frequency and more range. I tend to go to the same spot, or I should say spot. I need to broaden my dining spectrum and venture out to more places. With this all being said, I do admit no dining establishment as of yet, has met or have been comparable to restaurants in the DMV. I often scratch my head on this cause the bounty of ingredients to build a menu are plentiful, and delicious. The search for good cuisine continues...

Can you elaborate on what you did not like about the service, and atmosphere? I find as I get older, I am preferring the backdrop of more casual places with just good ol" simply prepared food. I am finding myself seeking out casual spots with expertly prepared food versus high end dining. Its like picking out a wardrobe, comfort over fancy.

My all time favorite flavor, for any brands for that matter, was their Cappuccino Commotion. Not sure why the flavor was retired. It was delicious. Coffee ice creams studded with macadamia brittle and thick broken pieces of dark chocolate. I have been on the hunt for a flavor that comes close, but no dice.

When in doubt, this guide shall prove helpful. Lump crabmeat as of lately has not at all impressed me. I find it to be bland. It may have been due to the fact that it has been sourced from vendors that freeze their crabmeat and is sold in volume to whichever restaurants I have been dining at. If you want the real thing, the only alternative is to pay the expense to pick it on your own.

Iceberg lettuce deemed the superior lettuce.

A great opportunity !

A Brief Primer on Pho While Diep Tran serves plenty of things besides pho at Good Girl Dinette, noodle soup is built into her history. Her family members and their shop Pho 79 were among the earliest purveyors of pho in Orange County, California—an area that has since become one of the country’s strongholds of exceptional Vietnamese cuisine. Since even Dave Chang isn’t completely fluent in pho, we thought it’d be useful to give a quick rundown of Vietnam’s most famous culinary export. A very, very, very brief history of pho: At the most basic level, pho is a soup of rice noodles, beef or chicken broth, and your choice of meat. It is a culinary product born from the mingling of Vietnamese, French, and Chinese cooking traditions during the early twentieth century. Pho originates from the area in and around the northern city of Hanoi, where street vendors first popularized it. It has since spread, first to southern Vietnam, then all over the planet with members of the Vietnamese diaspora. Like many of the world’s great dishes, pho has proven to be preternaturally amenable to change. The broth took on a sweeter edge when it reached South Vietnam. During wartime, meat rations led to the creation of chicken pho. Each successive generation of pho-makers incorporates their experiences and tastes. By the time pho landed in America with refugees of the Vietnam War, it had veered quite a ways from a straightforward bowl of noodles. The bowl of pho most Americans know and love is based on an aromatic beef broth, redolent of charred ginger, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom. The noodles are thin and chewy, and the meat has come to play much more of a starring role. You’ll find combination bowls piled with brisket, flank, tripe, tendon, meatballs, and raw slices of tenderloin. Pho in America is almost always served with wedges of lime, bean sprouts, and herbs, and in most shops that don’t specifically identify their pho as northern Vietnamese in style, there’s always a bottle of hoisin and a bottle of sriracha on the table. Shop names: Pho shops often have names that seem inscrutable to the uninitiated, but many are rife with meaning and connections to their owners’ past lives. The numbers you’ll see in many restaurant names (Pho 79, for instance) represent the year that their proprietors left Vietnam. Other times, the number represents a significant date in Vietnamese history, whether it was the ousting of the French or the separation of the country into North and South. Some pho shops are named for other famous shops in Vietnam, or important historical figures. A relatively new naming convention, the pun, has caught on in more recent years. It’s hard to say whether or not places named Pho King and Phobulous are really a step forward, though. Further Reading: In their discussion of pho, Diep and Dave bring up one of the great food writers of our time, Andrea Nguyen, who recently published an excellent pho cookbook that includes a much deeper history and explanation than what we’ve included here. This prompts me to have a bit more respect for pho spots that garner a number than the pun. Just my 2 cents.

We have @pjnewman to thank suggestions for location of picnic

It warms my heart to read all of the delicious responses to this year DR picnic. I was so sad to miss it on account I was tending to domestic repair issues on the homestead. There is no reason more of these similar events can't happen more often. Perhaps a revival of HH at various locations throughout the DMV, or smaller gatherings throughout the community. I know Rocks said the social aspect of this forum was killed off by Facebook, but I think there is hope for this forum to thrive through interaction offline. Each and everyday I am out and about, I mention this forum in passing whenever I can. I am thankful to be a part of this group, and will continue to spread the value of Don Rockwell.com.

A great interview with Scott Schroeder of the Hungry Pigeon on Medium.

May I ask a couple of you possibly bring a large cooler to store the ice that guests may be bringing. I presume people will be bringing coolers to transport their goods for the picnic, but if possible could someone or a couple of you bring an empty cooler for us to store ice for beverages. 9 days and counting.