DrXmus

Has there been any talk of preserving liquor/wine using CO2? I think the wine savers use nitrogen, but what about buying a little CO2 air duster (or using a CO2 tank) and putting a good-sized squirt in the bottle after pouring your drink(s)? The CO2 is heavier than air so it'll form a protective layer over the liquid to prevent O2 from damaging the "yummy bits". Homebrewers do the same thing when racking beer from one container to another...just purge the container with CO2 and the beer won't get oxidized during transfer.

I like Chef Geoff's in Tysons Corner but it's not a place I'll frequent. It's crazy loud during the week due to the huge bar and the happy-hour 20-something crowd suit-and-tie crowd. Last time I was there in August or so, there was a verbal battle between a happy hour reveler and management. Nice. It becomes a little more pleasant after about 7:30-8, if I remember correctly. They have an extensive and impressive beer selection. The prices are reasonable for the area and for the quality of food. I like that the menu is seasonal, but c'mon Geoff, leave the house-made tater tots on the menu year-round. Those things are fantastic!!! They looked like what you remember from your youth, but they tasted like potato, were crunchy and were served with a delicious aioli that I could've eaten with a spoon. My last meal there was a roasted chicken that was perfectly cooked. No complaints there:-) Honestly, the noise deters me the most. It makes the meal totally unpleasant for me to have to raise my (quiet) voice to converse with my table mates and have ask them to repeat themselves.

I tried a 3 month "sponsorship" with Yelp last year. For what we got, it wasn't worth it for our business (not a restaurant). While I'm not defending Yelp as a whole, I did learn that the reviews will disappear and reappear depending on the activity of the yelper. In our case, we had a horrible review that I think was fraudulent (I couldn't find any hint of a client that fit his story in our records). They wouldn't remove it when I asked because I couldn't prove that it was a lie. Thankfully, it disappeared after a few months. It reappeared for a short time then went away again. This person is a rare yelper so his reviews get pulled when he's inactive on the site. I wasn't harangued by the advertising rep, but I never did talk to the person in charge of my account once I signed up. I don't care because I didn't want to be bothered with her teaching me how to use Yelp, but still it was irksome. Our business has very few reviews so every one means a lot for my overall rating, but I can certainly see how a negative rating for a restaurant can scare some of your clientele away. Hopefully, as more people grow up with internet reviews, they'll learn that anyone's review is skewed by a single experience, their tastes and the reviewer's morals. Maybe each review will mean a little less. Just my thoughts. Take them for what they're worth.

I have a feeling I know the answer to this question, but do any DC stores (Hello, Joe?) have Creme de Violette? I'm in VA where the ABC store managers haven't even heard of it, much less have access to it. Thanks, Sandy

Greetings, DonRockwellites. My name is Sandy Christmus and I'm a new member. I don't work in the food industry, but I like to see behind the scenes and learn more about the food/drink culture in the area. I live in Vienna and don't venture into DC proper very often except for the occasional touristy day or a special meal or beer tasting event (and every home DC United game). I would call myself more of a drinkie than a foodie. I brew my own beer and I love trying different styles. I enjoy wine and plan on making some in the near future. I've got the makings for mead, I just haven't jumped in, yet. I recently renovated my basement and now have a full bar with 2 beer taps. I'm getting into spirits a lot more since the bottles are not stacked away in a cabinet. I'm enjoying the new cocktail culture (Todd Thrasher may be my hero:-) I love the science behind the food. I'm a veterinarian with a BS in microbiology from Clemson University, so I'm a scientist at heart. My first batch of beer was in a food microbiology lab in 1987 or so. I like making food and ingredients from scratch. I'm enjoying the renaissance of homemade bar ingredients. I've made my own grenadine and orange bitters, and have plans to make tonic water or orgeat syrup soon. I giggle every time a pass a store shelf with pre-made simple syrup for sale. I'm a pretty good baker, but I don't cook well. Give me a recipe and I'm a maniac. Ask me to make something that tastes good without instructions and I'm lost. I'm amazed at what a good cook can do with their knowledge and some ingredients. This is me in a nutshell. ('Oh, look at me. I'm in a nutshell!") I look forward to learning more about the scene in the area. See you on the boards.