thetrain

Even if this is confined to some combination of the first three, it in no way excuses what is now public record. Carman's article, Heather's post and other pieces about this online are heavy on facts, which is great. But, If #4 is part of the mix (and I agree that there is evidence here that it may be), it should be punished more severely than the actions taken in recent years...if that's even possible with our system?

"The cooks and dishwashers also had another way to rebel, said James: They would leave the kitchen a mess at the end of their shift. “It was the dirtiest kitchen I ever worked in,” she said. “The line cooks were like, ‘If I wasn’t getting paid, I wouldn’t clean [the kitchen].’ ”

Uh, he can't feign ignorance if the kitchen he cooks in is a mess because people aren't getting paid AGAIN. He is keeping assets in his wife's name so he can continue to live comfortably while his fellow employees are not paid. These are facts. I cannot understand how this behavior is not immoral.

In response to people's former claims that it is necessary for Donna to work in order to pay back his debts and that we should support him Carmen writes - "But at the current rate of repayment, Donna will never satisfy the debt. The county treasurer said he just learned that Donna’s outstanding debt is accruing interest at a rate of 8 percent a year: Over the first year of Donna’s repayment plan, the amount he owes has actually increased by more than $5,000. " So no more feigning ignorance as a diner - your money is doing little to repay his tax debt and absolutely nothing to repay all his former employees.

Silly Question - is it okay to use my gas range? Or should I wait to get the okay from my landlord?

Those pizzas look very different from the one I got (which was pretty good) when Edan wasn't there.

In the past week I ate pizza at Local 16, Orso, and Pupatella. With the caveat that I have a preference for some sourness in my crust I'd rank them 1. Orso, 2. Pupatella, 3. Local 16. I don't think there is a huge difference between Orso and Pupatella, and for me the dough tastes better at Orso. Local 16 crust also has some good flavor, but just isn't cooked as well (but edan wasn't there). All three were tasty and Local 16 might be the elusive perfect preconcert U st. dinner spot - affordable, big enough that you can get a table pretty easily and good food...worth dealing with meh beer list.

Food here was considerably better than that from our trip to Bangkok 54 a few months ago. Started with the soup and the fresh spring rolls - which ended up being to massive rolls topped with tamarind sauce - unexpected; both were delicious. For entrees we had Thai Cashew with Tofu - a solid rendition that came with several chilis that could easily be avoided or included for varying spice levels - and the Southern Wild Pork. I lived in Thailand for a month and that Southern Wild Pork reminded me of the cooking I had with my host family, very good, rustic even, and the heat seemed to really build as you ate. Also had a jellies with jackfruit for dessert. Nothing earth shattering but major points for having a good jelly dessert, even if its not my favorite kind, coconut.

It was very busy when we first arrived, but Groupons were about to expire this week, so that could be the reason for the rush on a weekday. Most beers were $4, including Asian imports, and there were good HH specials as well that go until 8. We will definitely return and explore the menu more. In this case Groupon worked the way every business hopes - we finally went to a place we'd been meaning to try and plan to make it our local Thai place.

Contrast the no-alternative, ultra high priced tasting menu with the formatting choices some other chefs make. Frank Ruta at Palena Cafe offers a restrictive tasting menu (at least 6 people must sign on, no real customization/changes allowed) affectionately called the "head-to-tail feast" (aka the "Tavola di Perpetua e Felicitý") at $65 as just one enticing option on his larger, more traditionally formatted menu. We've all posted extensively about that on the Palena Cafe thread. It's been a hit as has the Cafe.

I think its important to note that at least one place Carmen mentioned is the same price - Eola's regular tasting menu is $65, vegetarian and offal $61. I went shortly after the switch and thought it was a great deal. You get a 4 course meal (choices for each course), plus several set starter snacks (4 if memory serves). You could easily hit that mark at other restaurants and not get nearly the same amount of food or number of dishes.

I've enjoyed the tasting menu meals I've had, with the caveat that none have been over $75. I prefer the slowed pace and the reliable/great service that a place only serving a tasting menu provides...although maybe I've just gotten lucky at the places I've gone. There is also a difference between a $120+ tasting menu commitment and $60-75 tasting menu commitment, and I think that distinction should be made.

So I wonder why their interpretation of what makes a "sealed container" causes them to only fill screw-tops. I cannot fathom any reason why a screw-top would be more of a "sealed container" than a flip-top. They say that they're shrink-wrapping the growlers, so perhaps they can't physically shrink-wrap a flip-top for some reason?

They use a plastic ring about an inch high and seal it with an industrial hand held heater. Comes out like the clear seal around the lid on normal jars/plastic containers. No way it would work on flip tops.

Anyone been shopping at the Clarendon Market this season and/or know what time the market starts? Seems to be conflicting info on the web showing 2:00 or 3:00.

I haven't made it up there yet, but was thinking of checking to see if my blueberry* and plums guys are around.

*Just did a little googling and looks like "Hank" doesn't come to the market anymore - but you can go to his Frog Eye Farm and pick your own.

Not sure when they open, but I stopped by for the first time last week near close (7pm). Toigo Orchards was there and had a good fruit selection, and there were two or three produce stands and Great Harvest Breads.

The Rockville location, oddly, now has a sign that says "gerenberry's". I would think this is a mistake on the part of the lighted sign company, except it appears to say the same thin on the window. Also, I'm pretty sure it USED to say "greenberry's."

Perhaps it is now owned by former Yankee catcher Bob Geren.

There was no Rockville location of Greenberry's - it was Greenberry. I assume because someone didn't know how to google their business name and see another company with virtually the exact same name was selling the same product in the same area they had to change it.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/La-Petite-France/122145067871048?sk=info#!/pages/La-Petite-France/122145067871048?sk=info

Another crepe cart has taken its place, open in the morning.

I loves me a good onion ring and what better day to have some is National Onion Ring Day? Does anyone know of a housemade onion ring in the area? Extra credit if the joint is in NoVA. The only place I can think of with fresh rings is Mad Fox in Falls Church. I'm not saying they're the best ever, but they're not frozen and poured from a bag into the fryer basket. (I have high standards, being from the South where I often had rings from The Beacon in Spartanburg, SC and The Varsity in the Atlanta area and most fast food locally owned places made their own rings.)

Eatbar's are housemade - light on the breading but still pretty greasy. The housemade penne pasta dish has also been consistently good recently.

Roanoke

I had a pleasant late lunch yesterday at Horizon Bar & Grill in Roanoke. The restaurant is about 3 years old but is in a beautiful space that must be at least 100 years old with original brick walls, tin ceiling, and some flooring. I had a ham panini with mushrooms, spinach, cranberries, and swiss cheese with a bourbon glaze. I thought it was nicely balanced, with just a smattering of mushrooms and not too much of the cranberries (which I have found other places to overdo sometimes). It was served with an apple slaw, which worked well for me. They had a bahn mi on the lunch menu, which tempted me but I passed on the theory that it could not possibly be better than what is available around here.

If anyone is taking the VA bar this summer, or any summer I guess, I'd recommend this place for dinner after day one. Nice, but not too fancy; food leans towards American, but with a little flair, reasonably priced. Great place to have a relaxing meal. And no one else from the bar exam was there.

Alejandro's Mexican Grille nearby serves serviceable tacos and has a salsa bar. Not as good as some tacos in DC, but still tasty and a good cheap eat.

Did you send the mussels back to the kitchen?

No, for several reasons. 1) I kept hoping it was just one, because while everyone makes mistakes and I assumed a place like Brasserie Beck wouldn't make a lot of them...then it was another...the first few were only a little off as well..situation snowballed near the end of the bowl 2) It was late, didn't want to wait for a new order 3) We were sitting in the bar area, and our server wasn't coming by too often because he was busy (understandable) 4) was finally using my Living Social coupon, so the cost annoyance was minimized. I am sure if i brought it to their attention, they would have taken care of it immediately. Just not the kind of thing you expect to happen in the first place.

First attempt at a real meal here was pretty disappointing. I usually just stick with beer and maybe a sandwich/fries/oysters, but this time split the sweetbread app, preserved lemon, fennel goat cheese mussels and a pear dessert. Sweetbreads were really good, and the dessert got high praises from my sweets loving companion, but the mussels...

About 1/4 of the mussels were bad/off. And all of the mussels were over cooked. Broth was okay, but hard to tell when every couple mussels you have a horrible taste in your mouth. Never had a bad mussel before, at a restaurant or my house, so I was surprised I came across so many at such a high price point.

Thanks for the ideas. Should have plenty of time to go to Racine; we're finishing up in Elkhart Lake around 1:00 and the flight from Milwaukee doesn't leave until 8:00. mmm, pizza and kringles (whatever they are)...

My favorite kringle flavor when I was little was Maple Walnut. Would be the perfect after pizza dessert.

So, are you saying that you waited just over an hour without even once checking back in with a hostess and/or saying anything to a manager? So you could see how the restaurant would respond without being prompted and so you could see whether you'd be comped anything? Was that really more important than bringing the issue to the attention of someone who was perhaps in the position to do something about it and to help make sure you had an enjoyable evening out?

If you reread his posts you will see he checked back in about a half hour after he first arrived once he saw people without reservations get seated ahead of him.

Ikea would have several options in that size range, some under a dollar a piece, and should have enough in stock.

One to add to the list - Food Dudes in Kill Devil Hills. Pork tacos and fish sandwich were delicious, the pork was juicy but kept its integrity. The homemade hot sauce was a good combo of hot, garlic, and sweetness. Okay beer selection for the area as well, no drafts but a few random semi obscure ones among a mexican centric list.

Kill Devil Grille, warning, gets crowded quick for lunch even on a Friday there was a small wait within 15-20 min of opening, although it could just be a holiday weekend uptick. Grouper (or Wahoo?) special was tasty even though the fish was a little over cooked. Fried chicken special went fast, all the orders were sold before the place filled.

The only thing I'll have to buy to make this is the "ball park" mustard.

Don't buy it, or stadium mustard, in Cleveland or you'll end up with the wrong kind!

And thank you Zora for creating a winning simple recipe that nearly anyone can make, looking forward to trying it.

This is different. This is not overall poor credit effecting credit worthiness. My company's credit is pristine. This is about one industry where the few with the greatest market share work in concert with one another to immediately terminate pre-approved credit in an incredibly short timeframe.

Keeping things restaurant specific: I could be 60-90 days with Keany produce, stop paying, then go 60-90 days with Coastal Sunbelt, stop paying, then maybe do business with Karam Produce etc, etc, and never be without product. Eventually my credit rating would be decimated, and my ability to procure future credit from a meat vendor, or seafood vendor may be compromised. I'd likely be sued.

But yesterday we were denied credit by a vendor with whom we have never had an issue with in 10+ years because we were a whopping 22 days late on paying a bill of $230.00 to a completely different company.

I am not at all surprised that this happened. I know the rules, I have put people ON credit hold in the same system. But for the first time (since it happened to me), I thought "How can this be legal?"

There is nothing I can think of in anti-trust law that would prohibit this. They aren't doing anything anti-competitive like making you pay a higher price or use a certain distributor - they are just protecting themselves from getting burned on collecting payment. You can still buy from all of them - you just have to pay on delivery right? Or just use one of the few distributors willing to operate outside of the list at a higher risk of being stiffed. No law I can think of requires companies to extend you credit, they just do that to woo you as a customer for convenience.

Spike, if I want to see things that look like cheap knock-offs of NYC, I'll look at both your menus, which are directly cribbed from superior establishements such as Shake Shack, Artichoke, and Stand. In the meantime, you'd do well to tuck your stupid hat a little lower and keep your mouth shut for a while.

The one thing I like at Good Stuff is the mushroom burger - which I didn't realize at first is a direct rip-off from Shake Shack's. I can't believe the gall he has directly copying something from a very similar competitor with out any citation or acknowledgment.

There may or may not be a very exciting concept taking over in the revamped American Flatbread space.

Don't toy with us.

Ouch, steep, but I need to make my chicken and morels dish something fierce! I'll check out Courthouse next Sat. Thanks.

She didn't have them this past Saturday. If you are really desperate, I'd forage around here for your own if you have the time. Found some two weeks ago, and know someone who found some last weekend.

How's the beer at Eventide?

I wouldn't say superior, but definitely better than average. 8ish bottles, usually an eclectic mix of types (pils, pale, IPA, trippel, etc.) and somewhat different brands. Occasionally they have a cask. Just remembered Restaurant 3 may also do the trick - more beer offerings and wasn't too crowded around 8 on a Friday recently, but I've never had their food. Warning - don't order the Port City IPA and expect hops.

Anyone seen any softies in area markets for a decent price - have seen at both BlackSalt and River Falls ($9.99/ea at both places).

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