DrXmus
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Everything posted by DrXmus
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I had a mixed Savored experience this weekend, too. The good: -easy reservation with the iPhone app. -30% off at 2941 on Saturday night (albeit 6:30PM, but that's OK with us) -the restaurant already knew I had the Savored reservation (this hasn't always been the case at Orso) The bad: -I told the server I had a Savored reservation (as the web site and app tells me to do) and he jokingly admonished me for making it public and that I was "supposed to be discrete". That's when I learned they already knew.) -Did we get worse service because the server knew he'd get a good tip? I don't know, but our service wasn't very good. -Tip added was 20%, not 18% as Savored says. Would I have given more? Maybe, but our service was worth 18%, not 20.
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I'd argue with this comment. While I never made it to the Eden Center version of Four Sisters, I'm always impressed with the number of Vietnamese eating with me. Maybe it was a higher percentage before, but that was in Eden Center and this is Merrifield, i.e. proximity to the Vietnamese population center must make a difference. -
I don't pay much, but I happy to let you be the pepperoni cutter for my pizzaria. I know not to put you in a high-pressure situation (although I appreciate that you have experience) so you can be the overnight pepperoni slicer. All I need is a couple of pounds for use the next day. I think you can do it, Billy. If you can't, I'm willing to go a couple of weeks pepperoni-deficient because I want to build your confidence. If we can't figure out how to get enough pepperoni sliced by the lunch rush, I'll have to let you go. I'm sure you understand.
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Cynar. I've been wanting to try it for months, but haven't wanted to spring for a liter of a drink that Jason Wilson says is a "love it or hate it" liqueur. I made an impulse buy at the ABC store today and I'm glad I did. I really like it, although it sits more on the sweet end of the amari spectrum close to Averna.
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After writing this review, we got a major jones for Bon Chon and ended up there for dinner after we found Four Sister's was closed due to lack of power after the storm. Bon Chon wins by a landslide!
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We went on a Saturday night at about 7:30 and were one of about 3-4 covers for the entire time we were there. Along with us, at least two other tables were using Groupons. The fried chicken was crunchy and hot as was the "popcorn chicken". We've only experienced Korean fried chicken at Bon Chon in Fairfax, so we were disappointed in two things. One is that there's no spicy glaze option. Sure there's the sweet/spicy dipping sauce, but it's not that hot and dipping isn't the same a lacquering. Two is that it was hard for Mrs DrX to find the white meat in the popcorn version or the whole chicken version. At Bon Chon, it's obvious. The little salad that comes with both dishes was nice, with plenty of vinegar to cut the meal. The frozen yogurt joint next door had people pouring through our entire visit, while Ultimate Chicken Bistro was pretty quiet. I have a bad feeling the Bistro isn't long for this world. After our trial Groupon meal, we won't be back.
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Some Costcos are carrying cases of 12 oz bottles of Mexican Coke for around $18/24 bottles.
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Olio2go - An Olive Oil Specialist in Merrifield
DrXmus replied to Luanne's topic in Shopping and Cooking
Interesting that there hasn't been a store like this in the area, and once Mosaic opens (a/k/a Merrifield Town Center) there will be two similar shops within 1/4 mile of each other. I'm looking forward to checking out both of them. -
Are both Argerich and Kissin flippant? Is one more flippant than the other? Do they ever out-flippant each other during performances? If it's four hands at a piano, could Argerich's left hand be flippant and his right hand be more serious? Does it ever become overly-flippant? If you'd asked me who was playing, I would've responded "a piano player". Maybe I would've said "two" but I can't swear to that.
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I'm no sound engineer, but...padded panels on the low ceiling, heavy curtains next to the big windows, absorbent stuff under the chairs/tables, padded artwork-y panels on the plastered walls, table-sized "cones of silence"...
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Pure Pasty is now open on Mondays from 11-4. We buy lunch for our office for our weekly meeting and I've always wanted to get pasties for the crew. Today was the day!! I'd much rather give my money to Michael than Whole Foods, and prices are comparable for a pasty vs a WF sandwich.
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I recently read (was it in the Post?) that tomatoes can be frozen for canning later, plus the skins slip off easily. The article says freezing won't affect the texture once canned compared to non-frozen 'maters. Has anyone tried this?
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Y'know who has good cocktails? Trummer's on Main. /actually, I've never been //the lame joke seemed easy ///sorry
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OK, I've done my due diligence and I can comfortably say I'm done with Argia's. We tried another night (Thursday) and earlier (6:30 or so) hoping we'd find the kitchen in its prime and ready to go. The young server was nice enough. The bread was OK. The Italian Shrimp and Grits (polenta and shrimp) was the highlight of the night. While we were both kind of freaked out about the cream sauce that covered the entire dish within the bowl, the dish as a whole was very good. The polenta was hearty and well-cooked. The shrimp were delicious and tender. Flavors were great. I really wanted a housemade pasta dish, but they were all served with meat sauce (I'm not a meat sauce guy). I had the Fusilli "with shrimp, pancetta, asparagus, smoked mozzarella & fresh thyme tossed with white wine-butter sauce". The fusilli were mushy and overcooked. The pancetta and asparagus were good, but how do you screw those up? Well, my mother-in-law boiled asparagus until they're green husks of what once was, so I take that back. What the hell were blobs of mozzarella doing at the bottom of the bowl, though? I got so smoke from them and they were just texture...and a weird one at that in this dish. I didn't finish the plate. Not good and definitely not good for $19. Mrs. DrX had a fetuccine dish with shrimp, capers and pine nuts. She wasn't enthralled, although the shrimp were properly cooked, which is a plus from our last visit. Ugh. Expensive food and not very good. I won't be back, but I feel OK with that. We gave them two tries, which is more than some restaurants get, right?
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Still stuffed after a huge meal. Seriously, take the extra pizza home (we did and I'm still full). Three smalls, 2 'zas and 2 desserts?? For $35 frikkin' dollars? Seriously, who does this? Here's a general RW question. Are servers happy about RW? It seems like they might be working as hard for smaller tabs and tips. We tipped 30% because for all the food he brought and running he did, 20% just didn't seem right.
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No idea when the restaurant is to open, but the Target opens Oct. 14th. In general, the Mosaic development says they'll be open in the fall. Jeff Black has said he wants to open his joint within Mosaic by December (to take advantage of some tax breaks), so the restaurants don't necessarily all have a fall opening.
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This sums up my feelings, too. I don't have a thought about the DC dining scene's dress codes, but when I'm at an all-inclusive Mexican resort, which is where I vacation about annually, I'm irked in many ways when I see people in shorts at dinner, where dress code is long pants and nice shirt. I'm suffering in long pants so why does someone else think they can be comfortable when I can't. My feeling is that these people feel they're above the rules - and restaurants/resorts/etc. don't want to kick them out because business is business. In a restaurant a cover is a cover. It's money in the till. How much is someone in cargo shorts and a Polo really affecting the rest of the room. Not so much, but it sure irks the shit out of some of us.
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I just had to have a bottle of Fernet Blanca because I'm enjoying other amari, and let's just say, I'm enjoying the other amari much more than the Fernet. I do like the mint/menthol flavor in Fernet, but I'm not as crazy about the alcohol warmth. I've been thinking of tinkering with what I have on the shelf and making the Fernet more to my liking. In that vein, I'm drinking my first experiment: 3:1 Ramazzotti:Fernet Blanca. I'm a huge fan and this is just my first try! The menthol still comes through, but the alcohol is diluted enough to be almost imperceptible. It's not Averna-sweet and the herbs/bitters are great.
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In my review of Sou'wester in the restaurant's main forum, I commented that the BBQ chicken and grits was our meal highlight, too.
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BTW, who do I have to blow to get rid of the "ventworm" tag?
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I'm using the 5er. For the highball, I often use the 4 year Flor de Cana.
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It's my go-to for a Rum Manhattan because it's what my grandfather taught me. I was his bartender before I was in high school. Rhum Barbancourt, sweet vermouth, splash of port, bitters. I've never seen the port in other Manhattans, but it can be a nice touch. Also, Barbancourt is great in an Anejo Highball: ice, 1.5 oz rum, 1/2 oz orange curacao, 1/2 oz lime juice, 2 dashes Angustura bitters, 2 oz ginger beer.
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I haven't been inside, so I don't know if they fit your standards, but Red, White and Bleu is in Falls Church.
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Doesn't Stock make a bottom shelf maraschino liqueur? Is there anyone else?
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Mine took significantly less time last week...and the week before that. Orso 2.0 (3.0?) is fantastic. It's piling on, but most dishes are fantastic. A friend's daughter got a white pizza (I forgot the name) which was too heavy (for her) on the sliced garlic and there was dissention around our table on whether the gnocchi were too soft. The majority of us said they were great, but others preferred a denser, more rustic version. Otherwise, we haven't hit a clunker. We were even lucky enough to shoot the shit with Will as we left through the garage last week. Nice guy. Very personable. Very affable. Note to all: don't let him drive your car. He has a beat-up Jeep for a reason