Lola007

Does anyone have a source for bomba rice? I can't seem to find it anywhere locally.

I can't think of any place locally where I've seen it, but La Tienda (http://www.tienda.com/food/products/rc-03.html) has it.

Just opened a bottle of Limoncello, a gift from friends who just returned from Sorrento. Awesome stuff.

More news about the benefits of coconut water!

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1990805,00.html

[EDIT: if clicking on the link above doesn't work, you may have to copy and paste the link into your browser. The article appears in the latest issue of Time, the one featuring the Facebook story.]

Besides helping relieve hangovers, the article also says that in emergency situations, coconut water is used in IVs to replenish fluids. This is starting to sound like that old Saturday Night Live skit, "It's a floor wax, it's a beverage, it's a...." (I forget the name of the product). Anyway, I'm thinking up ways to use coconut water in cocktails (pre-hangover use).

I agree with you. I have had "moist" pizza (and there is a difference, at least to me, between "slightly wet" and "soggy"), but have never had soupy pizza when I was in Naples or anywhere else in Italy for that matter. It hasn't been my experience with pizza made at the homes of Italian friends either. And here in the States, the best authentic Neapolitan pizza I've had has been at Luzzo's in NYC. I find the consistency of the slightly charred crust to be light, airy with bubbles and a good cheese-to-sauce ratio. I've also been enjoying Il Canale's pizza here in DC and like 2 Amy's (but recently I've started to ask for my pie well done because the middle of the pie has been too liquidy for my taste).

Ironically, Luzzo's is a coal fired pizzeria, and therefore NOT authentic Neapolitan. It's true. They do make great pizza though.

You have a point in that Luzzo's oven is coal and wood fired and therefore not regulation wood fired only.The owner and pizza maker is himself from Naples, but is not necessarily a purist. Still Luzzo's pizza is considered by many to be excellent Neapolitan-style pizza. Here's a good description of Luzzo's pizza and oven:

http://nymag.com/res...893/index1.html

an authentic Neapolitan pizza should not be, "soggy" or "soupy". I guess many are, but I would not describe the best pizze in Naples this way.

An authentic Neapolitan pizza should be "moist" and "soft". A good pizzaiolo knows the difference, and how to produce the proper consistency.

My 2 cents.

I agree with you. I have had "moist" pizza (and there is a difference, at least to me, between "slightly wet" and "soggy"), but have never had soupy pizza when I was in Naples or anywhere else in Italy for that matter. It hasn't been my experience with pizza made at the homes of Italian friends either. And here in the States, the best authentic Neapolitan pizza I've had has been at Luzzo's in NYC. I find the consistency of the slightly charred crust to be light, airy with bubbles and a good cheese-to-sauce ratio. I've also been enjoying Il Canale's pizza here in DC and like 2 Amy's (but recently I've started to ask for my pie well done because the middle of the pie has been too liquidy for my taste).

The bad news: The P Street Whole Foods is apparently no longer carrying Zico.

The good news: They now have O.N.E., and (although I haven't compared the two side-by-side) it's the only other brand I've tried that I enjoy as much as Zico.

The only reason I want to be a billionaire is so I can drink a gallon of coconut water every day (while getting my 90-minute massage). Is it really so much to ask?

The good news: The Tenleytown Whole Foods stlll has Zico.

The bad news: Zico just came out with plastic bottles and apparently has changed the formula. They say it's now from concentrate and that the taste is different:

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2010/05/zico-goes-plastic-let-coconut-water.html

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2010/05/coconut-water-update-zico-defends-brand.html

Other Zico-related news:

Rocks is in good company. Super-model Gisele is a Zico fan (I actually first noticed the plastic Zico bottle when I saw these pictures):

http://www.ourvanity.com/news/gisele-bundchen-zico-coconut-water-fan/

Their gelato is delicious, but I see them as doing something kind of different from Dolcezza. Dolcezza is more heavy handed (I don't mean that in a bad way), they're trying to play around with ingredients to come up with new and interesting or at least more intense flavors...like using tarragon or cardomon to add a twist to fruit flavors, or trying things out like coconut milk. Pitango's offerings I think tend to be more pure and focused on a single-note, if you will. They're both great, but in different ways (except for both trying quite hard to drive me to the poorhouse).

I stopped by Pitango in Logan Circle earlier this evening and got a scoop of the Bourbon Vanilla and the Tangerine. I think there is something to what you're saying about Pitango focusing on single-note flavors. I think that's why I like Dolcezza's gelato is better. It's richer, more complex. Still if I'm in the area, I'll stop by Pitango. Couldn't resist going inside Whole Foods. Everytime I go to that location, it's a zoo.

I've been meaning to post about one of my new favorite restaurants in NYC--Pylos. It's a modern, reasonably priced Greek restaurant in the East Village that serves amazing comfort food .

The decor is simple, yet chic, and the terra cotta pitchers that grace the ceiling are a nice touch.The service is really excellent too. But the main reason to come is the FOOD. I usually get the lemon chicken soup, which was probably the best I've ever had outside of the homes of Greek friends. And what can I say about the moussaka--it's presented like a compact little mountain of eggplant, bechamel sauce, ground beef. Delicious, and not messy to eat!

Pylos also boasts an extensive list of Greek wine, but as I'm not a fan I stick with French champagne or sparkling water. Last but not least, the prices here are extremely reasonable--at least 30%-40% less than those of over-priced Midtown Greek restaurants I used to be a regular at Molyvos since it's close to the place I usually stay and has very good moussaka, but now prefer Pylos because the atmosphere is more lively and the food and prices are better.

if you go early and have a small party, you can get in without a reservation or grab a seat at the communal table in the back, but it's usually best to have a reservation.

Pylos

(212) 473-0220

East Village

128 E 7th St

New York, NY 10009

www.pylosrestaurant.com

A friend of mine has been raving about Puro Café for weeks, and I finally got around to trying it yesterday. I found the experience very relaxing. Puro Café (which is across the street from Café Bonaparte) is an oasis of calm in the midst of the hustle bustle in Georgetown. From the moment you walk in, you feel like you've been transported to a modern Italian coffee bar. The decor is futuristic, modern; everything is white inside the space (although the low-to-the-ground chairs, while chic-looking, did not appear to be comfortable. Fortunately, we sat outside where there are directors' chairs, banquettes, and other seating).

Puro Cafe serves a variety of hot and cold espresso drinks along with Moroccan style-tea (served in traditional glasses), Italian sodas, lemonade, and other beverages. They also serve panini, salads, and light breakfast dishes like salads, Greek yogurt, and pastries. And I can't forget to mention the alfajores, petits fours, and macarons, which for some unexplained reason ( a moment of rare self-restraint, I guess), I didn't try yesterday.

The highlight of the place is its outdoor patio. It's a huge space, which is tastefully decorated with sun umbrellas and billowing curtains (the only thing I would add would be a fountain or perhaps a waterfall). My friend and I enjoyed our iced coffee drinks. I had a Nutelino, an iced coffee drink made with espresso, milk, and Nutella. It was heavenly. My friend got an iced Caffe Latte and also ordered a veggie panini (eggplant, roasted peppers, mushrooms, and maybe zucchini). It looked fresh and well-made. Prices range from $9.75+ for a panini (which is on par with Pain Quotidien and a little higher, but higher than nearby Wisey's which also serves similar panini and sandwiches). Coffee drinks were around $4.50+.

My friend told me that Puro Cafe has applied for a liquor license. I hope it gets it soon. The outdoor patio seems like a perfect place to grab a drink and sit back, and relax. My friend and I were so relaxed that we lost track of time. I think we were there for almost 3 hours. We had the place pretty much to ourselves—just a few other people joined us on the patio, and it was great to be able to catch up with a friend and not be rushed and enjoy the tranquil atmosphere I look forward to going back and trying the alfajores and macarons.

Now that I've tried Il Canale's pizza, I need to revise my list. IMHO, Il Canale's pizza is a close second to 2 Amy's. And on a bad day at Two Amy's (when the pizza is too soupy), it would be #1 on my list. In fact, I actually think Il Canale's crust is better than 2 Amy's, but they could be more generous with the cheese and toppings. Il Canale's pizza reminds me of Luzzo's pizza (Neapolitan style pizza) in NYC, which I've found to be consistently excellent.

1) Two Amy's (love the margherita)

2) Il Canale

3) Pizzeria Paradiso (the Atomica!)

4) Sette Osteria (forgot to mention it the first time I posted)

5) Vace

Today's Living Social deal: $20 gets you $40 of food and drink at Il Canale:

http://livingsocial.com/deals/2263?ref=DCDeal052010email&utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Find+out+more+%26raquo%3B&utm_content=LZablotsky%40hotmail.com&utm_campaign=DCDeal052010

Tofino; Victoria

Lucky you! Vancouver island is gorgeous. Haven't been to Tofino, but my cousin stayed at a fabulous lodge there a few years ago. If I find out the name and some other recs, I'll post. In Victoria, go for high tea at the Empress. It's been a few years, but I recall that Chinese food in Victoria was good, in fact in my recollection, better than the restaurants in mainland Vancouver's much larger Chinatown (that's probably because all the good Chinese food on the mainland has moved out to the Vancouver suburbs like Richmond).

Victoria

Going to Vancouver Island for Vacation in July. Staying in Victoria and Tofino. Any good places we shouldn't miss?

Lucky you! Vancouver island is gorgeous. Haven't been to Tofino, but my cousin stayed at a fabulous lodge there a few years ago. If I find out the name and some other recs, I'll post. In Victoria, go for high tea at the Empress. It's been a few years, but I recall that Chinese food in Victoria was good, in fact in my recollection, better than the restaurants in mainland Vancouver's much larger Chinatown (that's probably because all the good Chinese food on the mainland has moved out to the Vancouver suburbs like Richmond).

I have not been in 10 years, but I would recommend at least stopping for a drink at the Bengal Lounge in the Empress.

+1. I was there 2-3 years ago. Elegant surroundings and gracious service.

I was all set to get another shameful Swedish meatball fix when I noticed that the College Park location offers a local special: crabcakes. While IKEA continues to do incalculable damage to its homeland by calling their meatballs 'Swedish', in some sort of inadvertent gesture of mercy they don't refer to these as 'Maryland' crabcakes. A sandwich and side run $6.99; ten bucks gets you two crabcakes and two sides.

In the pantheon of mediocre food renditions, this one didn't come off quite as poorly as I'd imagined. Sure, there's a fair amount of filler, but there's also plenty of some kind of crabmeat in there (probably the Asian swimming variety) as well as recognizable bits of green onion and (strangely) red pepper. And they tasted crabby. The tartar sauce is weak, but the huge heap of fries weren't bad (compared to Popeye's). And in fact, the most awful thing on my plate turned out to be the flavorless and typically overboiled mac and cheese.

Sucky, but edible. I'd still rather have the meatballs.

Can't say that I'm surprised by anything you experienced. The only dish I like is the meatbells, but sometimes I think it's because of the lingonberry sauce...

What a shame about the mac n' cheese...

The problem with Daniel, as can be seen on threads on other boards like eG and Mouthfuls, is that it really helps your experience if you're a regular. They get treated especially well. It's also stuffed suits and not particularly hip.

But now that you mentioned Daniel, DBGB, Chef Boulud's casual eatery down on the Bowery, is a great place for your less stupendous meal.

Per Se, hands down.

What you've said about Daniel hasn't been my experience. I've been fortunate to dine there a handful of times over the years, so I'm hardly a regular. The service and food have been consistently excellent, and staff has gone the extra mile to accomodate special requests and extra touches. All I can say is that friends of mine and I have had spectacular celebrations there (including New Year's Eve, which was one of the best meals I've ever had in any NYC restaurant).Can't say that I identify with what you mentioned about stuffed suits either. As for the hip factor, well, to each his own. Have you actually been there yourself, and have you been there after the remodelling? Daniel is cool enough for me, and I feel comfortable recommending it to anyone who's looking to celebrate a special occasion. Having said that, I've also had a couple of great meals at Le Bernardin as well.

I wish they had a web cam so you could see if the two tea service tables were currently available.

I love going to Ching Ching Cha, but those table are a big part of the experience for me.

Back in 2006, I took a friend to a Smithsonian Associates tea event, an evening of tastings, lecture, and Chinese history. Two days later, we wound up at Ching Ching Cha, her first time there. When we sat down at one of those tables, she had the most oddly confused expression on her face.

As the server came up to greet us, my friend asked "was this table on stage, two nights ago at the Smithsonian gallery?" The server indicated yes, the table was a classic example of classic tea service design from a specific region in China, and they had lent it to group conducting the event.

Kind of a twilight zone moment for me, I would have never noticed that level of detail. Which is why I should drink even more tea.

mmm polyphenols...

I thought of your post earlier today when I had lunch at Ching Ching Cha. There were only three other people there when we arrived. We parked ourselves at one of the tea service tables and enjoyed a quiet, leisurely lunch. I had my favorite Yunnan Gold Needle tea and got an a la carte order of the silky steamed tofu. My friend had one of the flowering teas and chicken dumplings. I was kind of stressed when I first arrived, but after having the soothing tea and spending time in that tranquil space, it all seemed to melt away....

And if you want to sit at one of the tea service tables, I'm fairly certain that you have a good chance of getting on weekdays (the earlier you go the better).

I've been to a couple of birthday and anniversary celebrations at Le Bernardin, and they were fabulous. Haven't been to Per Se. For a blow-out dinner, personally I'd go to Daniel. It's my favorite splurge restaurant in NYC. If not Daniel, then Le Bernardin. For a more moderate restaurant experience, I'd recommend the Bar Room at the Modern.

I also like some of weinoo's suggestions (for example, Eleven Madison Park and Lupa).

How prevalent is english use there? We are toying with the idea of a 12-13 trip this summer but have zero language skills for the area.

I used to live in Belgium (in the Dutch-speaking part). While visiting different cities, I had occasion to use my French, but found that most young people working in shops and restaurants spoke English pretty well. And Brussels is very international, so a lot of people speak English. You will also find that people in Bruges are used to tourists and speak English too. Unless you plan on venturing outside of the major cities (like Brussels, Antwerp, Bruges, and Ghent), you should be fine. And if you do go, make sure you visit Van Hecke chocolate shop in Ghent. The chocolates are amazing. Actually, that shop was one of the few places where I had trouble communicating on my own without a Dutch speaker with me becaue the people working there were like my grandmother's age and had little knowledge of English. But even when I went there by myself, pointing and gesturing went a long way...

The farmers' market at UDC is reopening this Saturday on the UDC campus across the street from the Giant. Hours are 7:30 am-1:30 pm every Saturday through November.

I only went a few times last year and mostly bought tomatoes. I wonder if they'll have more vendors this year.

http://openairfarmersmarkets.blogspot.com/2010/05/district-of-columbia-udc-van-ness.html

I like the suggestions of Plume in the Jefferson Hotel where you could start your evening out with cocktails at Quill (See: http://www.donrockwell.com/index.php?showtopic=12248&pid=163265&st=0entry163265 for my review). The back room at Palena would also be a good choice. Hope you have a happy anniversary!

(I'll be happy to teach wine classes if people want me to, but honestly, I think I could pretty much teach online by giving just a few sentences of guidance a week, and replying to any questions people may have.)

That would be great--online or at wine tastings or other events.

Here is the compendium of all my wine advice over the years:

1) Personal taste counts for everything.

2) There are only two kinds of wine: the kind you like and the kind you don't.

3) Read a little and drink a lot.

4) Scores and peer pressure can't make you enjoy a wine you don't like.

Like Rocks, I am a Burgundy lover. There is no fast way to learn about Burgundy (thank Napoleon for the inheritance laws in France today, which make Burgundy almost impenetrable). You are lucky enough to have a family member who collects Burgundy. Ask him to show you his favorite bottle some day. Offer to pay him for it if that helps. Perhaps then, you will have what we call "the Burgundy Moment", that moment when the wine shows you things you've never experienced, that moment when you finally "get it". Have a wine party and taste Burgundy next to pinot noirs from other places. It could be that Santa Barbara pinot noir appeals more to you now. Try Bordeaux. Try Rhone wines. Try Spain and Italy. Feel free to ask for recommendations. Above all, enjoy yourself.

I think this is great advice. I have a family member with expertise and have taken some classes, gone to tastings, etc. Still I feel I have a lot to learn, which I seem to do best by diving in. I'm at the point where I have a sense of what I like and don't like. The challenge for me is keeping track of the great wines I experience. And from time to time I try to break out of my comfort zone, which I'm better able to do when someone knowledgeable gives me a little push to try something different.

Apparently it is no more.

That's too bad, but I can't say that it comes as a big surprise. The few times I've been to Arisu, it's either been completely empty or there were just a few other patrons. And after having a lukewarm, disappointing bibimbap last fall, I haven't been back. I did enjoy Arisu's mandu soup and cozy atmosphere though. It's a nice space for a lounge or tapas restaurant...

I've had good experiences at Firefly and earlier in the week, haven't found it to be too noisy. Urbana has a good happy hour with some delicious appetizers, pizzas, etc. on special, but it is usually terribly noisy and too dark to my liking. As for Bistrot du Coin, I really like the food and atmosphere, but it's definitely not quiet. Among the options mentioned thus far, if you're looking for some place low key, I'd go with Firefly.

I cross-tasted the Zico and the late-comer Naked brand today. Nutritional content is virtually identical, yet the Zico tastes much better to me - it has much more sweetness despite having no sugar added. I still haven't found a brand that I like as much as Zico.

Coming soon: CoCo-Xtreme from PepsiCo - the healthful benefits of natural coconut water plus 150 mg of caffeine.

Okay, I'm lying about CoCo-Xtreme, but can it really be far behind?

I recently tried Naked's coconut water too and agree that Zico's tastes better. I've also tried Vitacoco. I like Vitacoco's coconut water with pineapple, but didn't find the plain water to be better than Zico.

As for a caffeinated product, instead of adding caffeine, they could just add guarana to Zico, which would make for a great natural energy infusion.

The Whole Foods itself also has seating, and it may be that the tables can be pushed together. I've never seen very many people there, so finding room for 6-8 should not be a problem. The atmosphere is not as coffee-shoppy as Starbucks, of course.

The Marvelous Market space is weird. You would think a sandwich shop/bakery should be ideal for some indoor seating, but this one is not like the MM in Georgetown; they don't have a very good set up at all.

I agree with sacrilicious' assessment about WF and MM. I once saw a poetry group meeting at the Whole Foods. There were about 8-10 people, and it looked like they pushed the tables together. And the Marvelous Market seating is pretty uncomfortable.

The Tenleytown Starbucks has ample seating, but is usually pretty crowded. So, your best bet in the immediate vicinity would probably be Whole Foods.