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Bob Wells

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Everything posted by Bob Wells

  1. Bob Wells
    I'll second the Italian Store's prepared food. Veal parm, chicken Marsala, spaghetti Bolognese etc..... the classics.
  2. Bob Wells
    Hey Al -- the Mrs and I (and now the kids as well) have been going to RTB occasionally for over 20 years. Definitely worth a try. To me they seem to do best with carb-y sorts of things and grilled meats. The pita is very good. I've always enjoyed the Pides. BTW, this is Clifton in name only.
  3. Bob Wells
    That's a meal I could get behind. I'm all about the protein these days. I just have to remind myself that I'm in SR and not BBH (that's Boothbay Harbor for the flatlanders )
  4. Bob Wells
    Well, he said he's gotten complaints vs actually experiencing poor service himself but kudos to him for passing them along. Personally, at this point I'd hate to be trapped at that casino for a meal.
  5. Bob Wells
    Almost every week there is a complaint about one of these places in TS's chat -- service, noise, value, etc -- but he still backs them; Salt Line in particular. He doesn't seem to get that when people go to a place for a pre-game meal, slow service is absolutely a dealbreaker. And the food at none of them seems good enough to overcome the other faults. Maybe it's my New England roots, but the bar seems mighty low around here for seafood joints. Ford's Fish Shack out by me has always been mobbed, but the food just seems a beat or two off from where it should be.
  6. Bob Wells
    Primanti Bros. Felafel?
  7. Bob Wells
    Funny thing about mambo sauce -- the only place I've ever had it was way the heck out in Hamilton VA, at the late, lamented Planet Wayside, the first eatery featured in the WaPo's late, lamented Crummy, But Good feature. It was great as an accompaniment to PW's awesome potatoes. Now that we have a BonChon, no need for me to venture to a bulletproof-glass place (did enough of that in college too).
  8. Bob Wells
    Just noticed this thread. Some quick hits from our August beach visit: 1. Po Boys in Milton: Should be a must for everyone who spends more than a day or so at the beach. 2. Vanderwende Farm, Route 404: Consensus was the ice cream not as good as Hopkins Farm. The cows were great, though. 3. Palate, Route 1: Nice adult setting and clientele. Food on the adventurous side and very good. Crab bruschetta was a standout. 4. Lupo: Excellent as always 5. FINS: Solid seafood joint. Good if you want that beachy vibe. 6. Jimmy's Grille, Bridgeville: Still a great spot for a meal on way to or from the beach. Love the fried chicken, baked goods, and wide array of sides such as corn pudding. Can't speak to the other locations (And have seen pretty mediocre reviews of them).
  9. Bob Wells
    I think we are past "spoiler" territory. Chef Ype kicked butt. The episode featured four "Diner" chefs, but in fairness, when I saw the other three cheftestants, I predicted he would win easily since the others all ran their own little eateries while he is the head chef for a growing, polished chain of diners that happens to serve good food (some of which is pretty adventurous). He didn't let me down.
  10. Bob Wells
    I bought some Muscadine grapes for old-times sake from Hess Orchards at the farmers market at the Stone Springs hospital on 50 a few weeks ago. My family, who had never had them before, were completely turned off by the thick skins so I had the whole box to myself.
  11. Bob Wells
    My office is a block away. People went after it opened, then it sort of faded out of view. It was in a weird niche for this area -- somewhere in between expense account and fast casual.
  12. Bob Wells
    One place that rarely gets mentioned but that we have enjoyed on a couple of visits is The Dons in Cascades? Anyone else ever been there? Ciao in Centreville can stack up against any of the thin-crust NOVA joints.
  13. Bob Wells
    One block from the Elevation Burger mother ship! I'd say they have done pretty well. This past July I walked by their location in the Old Port section of downtown Portland, ME, where they offer an $18 "Surf & Turf" burger topped with lobster. I spent nearly 16 years at TA and ate a lot of good food in the Falls Church area.
  14. Bob Wells
    Great post. Yes, in a former life I was a real estate atty and spend a year in house with an outlet developer. I definitely get into this sort of discussion combining food and RE. I like your thoughts about the restaurants that outkick the coverage. Ciao is a great, great restaurant. My kid and I get our hair cut a couple doors down at CC's. There are tons of dumpier, shlockier plazas in NOVA. Centrewood is not terrible, but the presence of Ciao is definitely a feather in its cap. Now, before its recent facelift, the Westfax Plaza at 50 between Lee Rd and Avion Parkway in Chantilly could definitely be said to punch above its weight class with Thai Basil and Picante! They did a great job renovating that plaza and making it fit with the one across the street with Pho 98, Cheng's Asian House, and Al Fresco. I also worked (with the great Warren Rojas) at Tax Analysts, the owner of the Orso building!
  15. Bob Wells
    Suggestion for Don: As an accompaniment to your Oldest Restaurants list, how about a Locations of Death list? The cut-off could be 3 or 5 restaurants at the same address. Example: That building on Lee Hwy that's perpendicular to the street and also cannot be accessed directly from northbound Lee. When I was working in Falls Church that place had at least five different restaurants. Just google mapped the place. It's 5731 Lee Hwy and is currently the home of "Asian Kitchen."
  16. Bob Wells
    Oh yeah -- it's not known for much of anything, other than our dogs (that's Willie on the kitchen table and some related breeds. While the breed is quite unusual in the US it's much more common in Europe and in places like the Vendee they are still used to hunt for supper (rabbit). But not much wine to speak of, and just a few local dishes of some repute. But that salad is a winner!
  17. Bob Wells
    Glad to see La Cote D'Or is alive and well. At my prior job (back when the neighborhood was still pretty shlocky), this place was our go-to for nice lunches. My best memory is getting an authentic Salade Vendéenne, something I had never heard of but had to try because we have Petits Bassets Griffons Vendeéns dogs, which hail from the same obscure, rural region of France, the Vendée. BTW the salad was delicious (and extremely unhealthy LOL).
  18. Bob Wells
    "The Rachel Sandwich (aka Roast Turkey Reuben Sandwich)" on closetcooking.com As I said, "some call it a Rachel." Carry on, Montesquieu.
  19. Bob Wells
    For once in my life, I actually was being serious. This one uses cole slaw instead of sauerkraut. http://www.marthastewart.com/318037/the-rachel-sandwich
  20. Bob Wells
    I think some call it a Rachel.
  21. Bob Wells
    I just got my email for a free birthday sandwich at Mission so when I go into collect at the Greenbriar store I will look closely at the pics on the walls.
  22. Bob Wells
    The beet plate was good but for the $$ I'd have honestly rather tried the two other breads.
  23. Bob Wells
    Finally made it to TuG for a belated birthday dinner this evening and damn that is some good food. We shared: garlic knots, bagna cauda, parsley [11]: I've eaten a lot of garlic knots in my time -- they are yooge down in FL -- and these were off-the-hook good. Lotsa garlic, lotsa butter. brown rice bread, patty pan squash, dates, pine nuts, yogurt [14] : Possibly the highlight of the meal. The whole so much more than the sum of the parts. cheese course, goat gouda, cherry mostarda, cocoa nibs [16] : Simply another winner. This gouda is aged longer than your typical red-rind gouda. The nibs are more for the crunch than anything (very subtle), but the cherry mostarda is excellent. pasta alla norma, smoked ricotta, eggplant, olive [20] : Homemade pasta and nicely smoked eggplant turned into a whip with the ricotta make for a wonderful dish salt roasted beets, romesco, candied beets, green goddess, red fife cracker [26] : A nice dish with a wide variety of ingredients. The romesco packs a real punch. On the lighter side of things. Candied beets sort of like craisins. marsala custard, bing cherry, hazelnut cookie [9] semolina cheesecake, rhubarb + cider jam, rosemary [12] : Two excellent desserts. Both quite filling. The cheesecake is on the less-sweet side, which I like, but the rosemary was overpowering (fortunately you can move it out of the way). I loved the custard, with another helping of beautiful cherries. Lagniappe: Mint-cucumber shrubs to start: Very refreshing. Mrs. W was not a fan (she's not a fan of kombucha either) Chocolate mousse for my birthday: I liked it, Mrs. W did not. Libations: Strawberry-Balsamic Shrub [8]: I guess you have to be a shrub fan. It was too much for Mrs. W, but I was happy to finish hers. Bong Bong [12] Red Newt Cellars Riesling, Lambrusco, orange bitters : I loved this cocktail. VERY refreshing You Jump, I Jump [14] Del Maguey Vida mezcal, Campari, Dolin Dry, pamplemousse : I took a flyer on this one and it was not to my liking. But very pretty pink color. Overall: An outstanding meal, full of interesting ingredients and combinations, almost all of which worked to a T.
  24. Bob Wells
    Thanks for the tip! Got some takeout from Chennai Express yesterday and liked it a lot -- Chicken 65 and Cauliflower Manchurian. Both are listed under appetizers but the portions are quite generous. The dipping sauce that comes with the cauliflower (mango-pepper?) packs a real punch. Works well with the chicken too. The dosas (29 different ones on the menu) coming out of the kitchen looked great. Ten uttapams listed too. The biryani looked to be so good that one woman was eating it with her fingers. I was in there for about 30 minutes waiting for my food and was the only non-Indian guy in there. Love that. The place is small, but for the combo of authentic food and reasonable prices, it's a real winner.
  25. Bob Wells
    And people say our area is dull and boring. My kid and I love the NVTTC.
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