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durwoodx

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Everything posted by durwoodx

  1. durwoodx
    Say hi next time! We were also there on Monday apparently at the exact same time - we noticed all the things you mentioned happening as well. I personally thought the egg, bacon, red pepper sandwich was just smashing. The egg was cooked perfectly with just a bit of crunchy edge and the red peppers really blended well and put it over the top for me. The sweet potato (I think?) soup offered was nothing special, but the Bacon, Leek, and Potato Chowder was quite good. More of a thin, broth chowder than you usually see with substantial hunks of bacon. All of the bread products we sampled (croissant, various loaves, and a couple of different cookies) were all winners as well. Hopefully they get the shop running smoothly, because the product is really very good.
  2. durwoodx
    I know the (now) former brewer, and while I haven't discussed it with her personally, I get the sense from her Facebook wall that she is happy about this. I have a feeling she already has something else lined up already.
  3. durwoodx
    I've been buying their stuff at the Old Town Farmers Market for years and years. Very solid.
  4. durwoodx
    Was in the Arlington location getting my socks knocked off with my first KBC experience. Echo the praise for the Pork Buns. Well worth it. I also enjoyed a mixed order of wings and legs. Oddly the "wings" are a mix of wings and small drumsticks. The "legs" are HUGE. I will be sticking with just the wing order next time. Alternating back and forth from hot to soy and ginger seemed like a perfect compromise. Also, they WERE giving out the wifi password yesterday at least.
  5. durwoodx
    I was contacted by another member asking me about Aruba dining options which reminded me I never wrote and impressions from our trip: As far as restaurants go, Aruba is generally much better than most of the Caribbean. The only other island we've been to with better food was St Martin (on the French side.) The prices could be a bit eye-boggling if you were from the Mid-west, but we found to be comparable to much of the DC dining scene. 2 Fools and a Bull: I wish wish WISH we had known about this place before we arrived. It is by all accounts an astonishing meal, but you need to contact them sometimes weeks or more in advance to get a reservation. We were on the waitlist for 8 days during our stay and never managed to get in.... Same is true to a lesser degree of Carte Blanche. Perhaps the best meal we had all week was at Marandi, and it was also the most romantic island dining setting we had as well. Highly recommend. We also had good meals at Gostoso and Yemanja, and a passably good meal at Madame Janette (although we personally found it to be more hype than substance and a bit overpriced.) On the rustic, off the beaten path side of things: Old Cunucu House is out in the middle of nowhere on a dirt road in a neighborhood and probably the most authentic "native" Aruban food we found (although we never made it to Gasparito) Zeerover in Sabaneta is a great hangout spot with some very solid fried seafood. Lots of fun and on wharfs hanging over the water with cheap (for Aruba) drinks Costa Riba: Go there. Go there. Go there. On the very far edge of the island almost to Baby Beach. Just go and let the owner make whatever she wants to for you.
  6. durwoodx
    I was a member of this band from 2004-2008 (until I jumped ship to join the US Navy Band (you see what I did there)) and my wife is still there as principal French Horn. The level of the individual player in all the DC bands is staggering. The best players could land gigs in most of the major symphonies around the country (and quite a few have done so and moved on). Honestly I cannot think of a more underutilized FREE entertainment option in the entire Beltway area than a premier band concert. They happen all the time, all over the place, ranging from full concert band or symphony concerts to small chamber music groups to jazz big bands and are always admission free. As to 'donations' these bands are fully funded by the DoD and are not allowed to accept donations as such. Attendance at a concert would be the best way you could support them.
  7. durwoodx
    A second for this place. I used to have a monthly recurring order with them. They put the coffee in the mail to you the day they roast it, so you end up getting it 2-4 days after it has been roasted, depending on shipping issues. Very nice stuff. I might just set that back up again....
  8. durwoodx
    I had the privilege of being invited to their soft opening Saturday evening. I like the look of the place. Very dark colors on the upper end of the room and no faux roofing panels to remind you that you're in a strip mall. They have obviously put a lot of work into it. The bar still has that "new bar" smell. We also returned to dine on their official opening evening on Monday (and it was completely packed by the time we departed at about 6:30 PM). This review in no way touches on service issues (of which there were quite a few.) Come on, folks....they just opened. The hit of the menu so far is the Crab Flan with a Lobster Roe Buerre Blanc. (Holy crap - look at that dish title. Are you sure we are in Fort Hunt? Really?) I haven't had a whole lot of experience with savory flans, but if they're all like this (which they probably aren't) I will try them more often. From the other starters we tried, the Rockfish Gravlax with Capers and Marinated Red Onions were also very interesting. More of a meaty feel to them with a bit more transparent flavor than salmon would have had. The Warm Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese, Red Onion, and CRISPY PROSCIUTTO !! (the emphasis is all mine) is highly recommended as well. Crispy prosciutto. Nom. The Potato and Leek Soup, while livened up by some crispy leek stems floating atop it, was serviceable, but not overly exciting. For Entrees (in order of our preference) my wife's enjoyment of the Sauteed Crab Cakes with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes cannot be overstated. Enhanced with a lovely lightly seared crust on the outer edges, it was hard to see how they held together at all with absolutely no detectable filler. The Grilled Ribeye of Beef with Garlic Herb Butter and Shoestring Potatoes was a lovely surprise, as I usually assume I will be disappointed by steaks in most places. The biggest shock of the dish was that is was still a perfectly cooked medium rare even though it was only perhaps a half-inch thick, yet still had an enjoyable crust on the outside. The Shoestring Potatoes was also quite good, although I didn't get to have all that many of them between my spouse and two year old son stealing the majority of the portion when I wasn't looking. The Pan Roasted Veal Sweetbreads with an Oyster and Sherry Sauce would have been great as an appetizer, but as an entree (which I usually find with sweetbreads) it was just a bit much. The sauce was stellar, and the first bites were rapturous, but by the time I was halfway through the second piece.....less so. Oof. The Cotswald Mac and Cheese with Crispy Onions I cannot give much of an opinion on, as our two year old companion did not allow us much more than a half spoonful to sample..... In summary, there simply is not better food to be found between the beltway and Bistro L'Hermitage in Occoquan. Give it a couple of months to settle and there is something quite promising here. Menu: http://riverbendbistro.com/dinner/
  9. durwoodx
    Finally stopped by here after being urged by several people from several sources (including Don) and will definitely be going back. I grew up in New Mexico about 30 minutes from the border, and the Menudo here took me back to the days of my youth - tasted like it was made in my hometown, not in a strip mall in the Route 1 south corridor in Northern Virginia. If you have any interest at all in this style of food I highly recommend.
  10. durwoodx
    Just got reliable Intel that they are doing private soft opening this weekend with doors to officially open Monday for dinner.
  11. durwoodx
    I noticed this a few weeks ago. Reasonably to pretty good ceviche. And 3/4 of a mile from my church gig. Perhaps I didn't go there often enough.....
  12. durwoodx
    Always glad to help! http://lmgtfy.com/?q=grounded+coffee
  13. durwoodx
    I just have to make a quick shout out to the croissants here. Seriously, if there are better croissants in the DC area I would love to know about it. The owner said they make the dough every evening from scratch after closing then come in at 4 AM to finish making them. Light and flaky with just enough crust to give it texture, and the dough is deliciously buttery without being greasy. I drive 4 miles out of my way to get one 2-3 times a week. Sadly, they frequently sell out before I can get there.
  14. durwoodx
    I got an update last night from some folks I know that are in the know: apparently staff hiring is ongoing, most of the construction is done, permits are clear, and a soft opening is 2-3 weeks away. For those of you living up near actual civilization, you cannot imagine what the mere prospect of a decent restaurant down here means to us.....
  15. durwoodx
    "Within the next three weeks or so" is all I got - the original target date was almost a year ago....
  16. durwoodx
    Potentially ecstatic news for those of near the restaurant wasteland that exists along Route 1 south of the Beltway. River Bend Bistro looks to be opening its doors fairly soon. Located about halfway between the Beltway and Mount Vernon (at 7966 Fort Hunt Road, to be precise), this place shows every sign of being several notches above any other place I can think of in that area. The chef, Caroline Ross, is a former sous chef at Bistro Bis, also spent some time (according to an internet article I found) at Restaurant Eve and Cafe Milano, and is the former General Manager of Rick's Wine and Gourmet (RIP). They have apparently been doing battle with the great Fairfax County permit machine for almost a year but are almost done. A friend I have on staff told me they most likely be open "within the next three weeks or so."
  17. durwoodx
    Apparently it opened a couple of weeks ago (hadn't noticed) and we hit it up for take out today. Given the take-out limitations, things seemed very promising. It's hard to judge naan that has been packed in aluminum foil for 15 minutes to get back to the house, but the flavor was good (if the texture seemed to have been ruined by the passage home.) At any rate, they do by all accounts bake it fresh on premises. The Samosas we ordered were very presentable - not overly greasy and still fairly crisp. The Palak Paneer seemed to please my wife, but left me a bit flat. The Chicken Tikka Masala, however, was much, much better than I had any right to hope it would be. Most notably, there didn't seem to be a single dish that featured pre-packaged ingredients - fresh cut vegetables were very much in evidence throughout the meal. While this place may not be challenging Rasika for the new DC Indian cuisine crown, I can hardly imagine you doing better down in our little south of the Beltway restaurant wasteland. Plus, holy crap, THEY DELIVER!!!
  18. durwoodx
    I saw this place the other day and am cautiously optimistic. I just hope it is better than anything else in that culinary wasteland of a strip mall, which is an EXTREMELY LOW BAR.
  19. durwoodx
    One of the top 5 meals I have had in DC. Alas.
  20. durwoodx
    Heading to Aruba for 10 days of glorious vacation soon. Anyone been and have any recommends? I'm not expecting much, but anything that is a notch above some horrid resort buffet would be a nice surprise.
  21. durwoodx
    This place has actually been closed for about 2-3 years. Just if anyone cares.....
  22. durwoodx
    Anyone have a good read on whether this place would be all right to bring a (most of the time) well-behaved toddler or is it a bit too nice?
  23. durwoodx
    I stop by here probably an average of twice a week. The quality of the coffee goes without saying. The food is generally pretty darned strong. (Honestly I would overall rate it more successful than Lyon Hall.) Of the breakfast sandwiches, I actually prefer the non-meat versions. I have found the bacon to be overpoweringly salty and tough, and the sausage (while the meat itself is darned good) to be just generally unwieldy (both from a taste and logistical standpoint.) Both the salmon and spinach sandwiches - spot on. Only (slight) criticism here is lack of consistency. Sometimes the egg comes out perfectly over-easy/medium. Sometimes either raw or completely cooked through. Scones are by and large the best thing there. Some can be a bit flat if they've been sitting for awhile (I'm looking at you, Cheddar Chive - but dang it all, you are SO good fresh) but most of the fruit based are simply some of the best I have ever personally had. The pop-tarts are leagues apart from the versions at Ted's in Barracks Row. Flaky and layered and delightful. Of the lunch sandwiches I have had, the now sadly off the menu lamb was quite good. The smoked salmon also delightful. I also enjoyed a BLT today that was better than any version I have had from a restaurant that I can remember. My sole quibble is with the grilled cheese. Why are these so hard to make well? So heavy and gloppy. My kingdom for a great grilled cheese from a restaurant! Overall, a great improvement over the former tenants (sorry, Murky coffee fans) and a place I look forward to frequenting for years to come....
  24. durwoodx
    A hearty congratulations to the newest record holder for worst meal in DC. I didn't think anyone could top the level of awful I had previously found in the area, but huzzah to you guys - you did it! Arriving late morning to see some friends performing in their celtic band, I discovered the full menu was not available. A brunch buffet, you say? Well....all right, but my level of skepticism was high. Justifiably, it turns out. Potatoes half cooked and beyond greasy full on into oily. Bacon about the same level of doneness and viscosity. And the eggs - green. Not a fun Irish St. Patick's Day green but an "Oh dear heaven above what did you do to those eggs" green. And tough. Green and tough. Several of us wisely (we thought) eschewed the buffet and chose to wait for the full "Irish Pub" menu to open up at noon. While it may not actually have anything as pedantic as Corned Beef and Cabbage, it does feature such charming fare as "Banger Rolls" and "Boxty Rueben Bites." One member of our party ordered some sort of chicken dish that was served raw in the middle. Yes, that's right. The chicken was medium rare. Make my pain work for you. Avoid like the plague.
  25. durwoodx
    And carnevino is exactly what I had my eye on. 240 day dry aged? Yes, please, and thank you!
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