MBK

Three words. Rocks is right. That Risi Bisi is divine. Blueprint for moving me from chattiness to silence? Put a dish of that in front of me.

Yep. (See the June 19 post, which I can't figure out how to specifically link to...)

It's nothing fantastic, but it is convenient to your requested location -- I had a burger yesterday that was fine ($9.25 if I remember correctly). My colleagues seemed happy with their French Dip and Cuban sandwiches. But whatever you do, don't believe them when they tell you they have sweet tea, as well as regular iced tea. The two of us from the south were thrilled to hear it, and then disappointed to take a sip of lemon-flavored and slightly sweetened iced tea. Not the same thing. Not the same thing at all.

Was just there yesterday -- they're quick and no reservation required. Also, they have lots of tvs with World Cup matches on, if that's an added draw for you.

Baguette with Chateau d'Estoublon olive oil (a gift from a friend who was recently in Provence) and nicoise olives Snap peas with mint Cranberry-walnut couscous Salmon with mint, cilantro and basil White peaches and raspberries over vanilla yogurt To drink, a 1998 Sybille Kuntz Riesling. Yum! I love summer at the Dupont market!

So it's a lovely evening when my friends and I step out of a movie in Georgetown around 9 o'clock last night, and we begin the age-old "dinner debate". These are somewhat new friends, and don't yet know of my food obsession, so I begin by listening ... "It's a beautiful night," says one. "Let's go get drinks and appetizers on the waterfront." My heart sinks. But in the spirit of not imposing my will on all, I quietly agree. We make our way through the throngs of revelers, including a number of prom groups, me silently cursing my decision to be deferential tonight. But apparently the gods are smiling on me because, shock of shocks , there is an hour wait at the fine waterside dining establishment selected by my friend. "An hour," says my other friend. "That's ridiculous. Let's go to plan B. Isn't Citronelle not too far? And don't they have a bar menu?" And there was joy in Mudville. After a delicious cosmopolitan with drunken raspberries that made for a drunken MBK, I found myself relaxed from my harried day at work and even more harried few minutes on the waterfront. Friendly service steered us to the Cobia with Crab Risotto and Saffron Potato Puree and the Chateaubriand with Wild Mushrooms, Porcini Flavored Diced Yukon Gold Potatoes, and a Syrah Sauce. And neither disappointed. What a beautiful way to begin the weekend, and try one of DC's finest dining establishments on a whim!

Stopped in to pick up a cupcake on my way back to the office from lunch at Bobby Van's (I wanted to watch soccer, my friend wanted to be within 2 blocks of his office... I guess we both got what we wanted, although I also got a mediocre burger...) But back to the cupcakes at Reeve's -- YUM! They had pies, cupcakes, donuts, cookies. AND, they seem to be doing a carry-out business in fried chicken, mashed potatoes, wings, etc. When I got there I was third in line, but the line grew and as I was walking out it stretched all the way to the door. We've been talking about mom-and-pop establishments lately, and this is one to remember!

Perhaps meriting its own thread, Cozy Cafe also makes fantastic shakes/smoothies (I always loved the peach one) that were a perfect treat after walking to work on a hot, muggy, August day.

The Best Sandwich Place is in the first floor of 1801 K, a building you can enter on either K or L Street. (It's right next door to the Borders bookstore that looks like it's rising out of the ground.) I used to work in that building, and the proprietor and his friendly staff could count on seeing me a few times a week. While I worked in the building, the shop just about doubled its size, adding a seating area. Their turkey sandwiches are fantastic -- as someone posted elsewhere, it's fresh roast turkey, sliced right off as you order, that I would often top with fresh avocado. Yum! Haven't found a sandwich as good near my new office, but that's par for the course -- I think all of the lunch options near 18th and L are better than those near Metro Center... Also good are their egg and cheese sandwiches at breakfast. I don't remember them having fresh baked bread, as someone else posted, but it's been a few months since I've been there, and things may have changed.

Ate at Asia Nora last night... My friend and I shared two appetizers, the Ahi Tuna Tartare with Crispy Nori Tempura and the Thai Style Beef Carpaccio with Lime, Chilis & Fragrant Herbs. We agreed that the tartare was the clear winner (but also agreed that if stranded on a desert island, if we had tuna tartare and a bunch of books, we'd both be happy for quite a while, so tartare might always be a clear winner). What made this tartare even better was the sheets of nori tempura on which it was nestled. Others have posted on the chef's abilities with tempura, and they're right -- this treatment of the nori brought out the subtleties of nori's flavor, with the crisp lightness of perfectly-done tempura. The carpaccio, on the other hand, was forgettable. The flavor of the lime and chilis got lost someplace between the kitchen and our table. For mains, we shared the Pan Seared Wild Sablefish with Tamarind Rice Noodles and Green Curry and the Seared Day Boat Scallops with Baby Bok Choy & Yuzu-Sake Butter. I thought both were great, if not quite excellent. The sablefish was moist, and perfectly seared to have a light, crispy, airy crust. The accompanying noodles were, to my taste, a bit salty (but my friend didn't seem to mind them one bit). The scallops had that texture that only a perfect scallop has -- plump and soft, with a slightly seared outside. They sopped up the delicious yuzu-sake sauce well, and were nicely accompanied by a turnip mash. And I don't know what it is about bok choy, but I love it, and last night was no exception, and I definitely ate more than my half. On our waiter's recommendation, we had a bottle of the Wittman 2004 Spatlese Riesling. It was sweeter than we wanted, and I regretted not sticking with my original idea of a Gruner Veltliner. The space attempts to evoke Asia, but to my mind is a little too cluttered to do so cleanly. I felt cramped, and I'm unsure whether it was the low ceilings, the proximity of other tables, or the sheer number of decorative touches. I thought fewer wall-hangings would have given the eye comfortable resting-places; as it is, I found my eyes darting from piece to piece, unsure of where to pause. (My dining companion pointed out that he found the restaurant open and spacious, because his seat faced into the open center area. So it may be that I just got the unlucky seat!) All in all, a pleasant and tasty meal, although I'm not sure the experience as a whole lived up to what I wanted it to be. (Perhaps a problem of unreasonable expectations.) I'd go back, but it doesn't join my list of favorites.

Because I didn't know what douchi was...

I just called, and they're opening today at 1. Usually they'll open at 10am, but since today's their first day, they're still getting things ready.

Another fun place (if you're at all intrigued by planes) is that park right by National Airport -- I don't know its name and hopefully someone else here can chime in (Gravelly Point, maybe?), but you can set up your picnic near the water and watch the planes take off and land. I love to bring sandwiches from the Italian Store and a book or newspaper and just chill out there. (Don't know about the legality of wine there, either.) And ditto on the kudos for your idea. Diversions while studying for the bar (especially pre-July 4, as that's when the REAL studying begins) are much-needed!

If you're willing to shlep a bit, I'm sure Sette'll have it (Conn and R). Lucky Bar probably will too, that's closer to you. I'm considering checking out ESPN Zone, closer to my office and presumably they'll have it.

I have loved the chateaubriand both times I've had it... with the brandy mushroom sauce... can't go wrong with the shrimp diablo and/or the crab bisque... and I second the key lime pie recommendation. Enjoy!!

So I've gotta say... I'm a Colorado Kitchen brunch lover, but my experience today was disappointingly so-so. For the first time, I branched out from my standard shrimp and grits (my favorite rendition of that old favorite in the DC area), and went the crabcake benedict route. And the branching out was a mistake. Next time I go, I'll have to return to the tried and true. First, the good. Really, the extraordinary. Those donuts. I love those donuts. I dream about those donuts. I can't decide whether I like the powdered sugar ones or the nuts and honey ones best, it probably isn't even a decision I need to make. It always surprises me that my least favorite is the chocolate -- but maybe it's that the milk chocolate doesn't stand up to the deliciousness of the donut as well as rich dark chocolate might. Hmmm... But the benedict. You know, the crabcakes were nicely spiced, full of chunks of crab, resting on top of a thin slice of tomato, and a crunchy English muffin. But they were covered with a liberal helping of a hollandaise sauce that reminded me of... well... concentrated melted butter. It was so heavy and buttery that I found it impossible to finish, and the dish was overwhelmed. I did snag a bite of my +1's fried catfish, though, and it was fabulous. Chef works wonders with all things (donuts, catfish...) fried.

Does anyone know if Colorado Kitchen will be open for brunch tomorrow? I got an email from them listing the days they'd be closed, but seem to have deleted it. Wouldn't want to trek up there to find no delicious donuts and reminiscent-of-home shrimp and grits...

What a great topic to start. I think I have more shelves in my pantry dedicated to tea than to any other food item. (That might be a sad statement on the frequency with which I cook, but I choose to see it as a testament to my love of the beverage...) I don't know Ten Ren -- where is it? I tend to buy my tea on trips to Asia (and always have chrysanthemum tea in the house, so am excited to hear I can find it at dim sum places as well!). Upton Tea Imports comes highly recommended as well, although I haven't had the opportunity to try them yet. I occasionally stop into the Japanese shop on Connecticut Avenue in Dupont (is it called Ginza? I never remember) to stock up when I'm running low. When having tea out, I tend not to stray far from Teaism, mostly because of its proximity to my house, and the fact that they carry gen mai cha, one of my favorites. I still need to check out Ching Ching Cha -- I've stopped in to buy loose tea there before, but have never sat down and enjoyed a drink there. And, this article about America's only tea plantation might also be of interest to some. I haven't been, although I did enjoy the China Tea Museum, located in Hangzhou. You get there by strolling through the Longjing (or dragonwell) area that produces some delicious tea.

And now the truth is told. Nothing's better than real Louisiana coffee, either French Market or Cafe du Monde. Tastes like home.

Anyone been here more recently, have anything more to say? Don's post makes it sound delicious, but of course things could have changed in the last few years. Worth heading to next week?

Love the reviews on slate. Wish I could make the talk tonight but there's no way I can make it there by 7...

CNN coverage...

I used to fly ANA business class from Dulles to Narita pretty regularly (gotta love the expense account travel), and was always very pleased with their food service. The thing with food on flights that long is, sometimes the timing and frequency of service is just as important as the quality of food. And a couple of the best things about the dining on those flights were the frequent refills on water, and the availability of snacks in the galley all flight long. The best snack? Steaming hot bowls of udon. On the flight over, those snacks got me more excited about my trip; on the flight back to the States, they gave me a last taste of my travels. Cathay Pacific also gets a nod from me, in part because they served my companions and me champagne and chocolate cake on a flight from Hong Kong to Narita on my 19th birthday. (The pilot also sang "Happy Birthday" on the PA system, which was less enjoyable for me, and - I assume - for the rest of the passengers...)

Vietnamese Slaw (adapted from Asian Cook, by Terry Tan) 1 head white cabbage (thinly sliced) 1 cucumber (seeded, peeled, and julienned) 2 carrots (shredded) 1 bunch scallions (thinly sliced) 5 cloves garlic (chopped) 2 tbsp ginger (chopped) Combine above ingredients in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Set aside for at least 30 minutes to sweat, then drain and squeeze out excess liquid. In another bowl combine: 6 tbsp sugar 3 tbsp white wine vinegar juice of 2 limes 3 tbsp sesame oil 1/2-1 tsp dark sesame oil 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 2 tbsp fish sauce 3 tbsp chopped cilantro 1 tbsp chopped mint Add dressing to vegetables, mix well. Garnish with chopped peanuts.

While deep in the heart of Texas, our kitchen turned out a couple of tasty dinners... Sunday night: Brisket Smashed potatoes Baked beans Coleslaw Charoset (don't ask why my friends wanted charoset... it not being Passover and all... good thing my cousins had some extra Manischewitz sitting around) Berries and cream Monday night: Smoked turkey Creamed corn Green beans Coleslaw Cornbread Sweet tea Blueberry pie (made with berries we'd picked that morning)