Andelman

So, does anyone know where to get good rye and pumpernickel bread? The German Store? Heidelberg Pastry? Thanks. Although I am not a huge fan of their pastry, Heidelberg Bakery does have pretty good German style bread. I can't vouch for the pumpernickel, but the rye isnt bad and they have a pretty good multi-grain. Probably the best place to go in the area (Arlington/Alexandria) for that style of bread. If you are out in the BUrke area, then I would recommend The Swiss Bakery on Old Keene Mill Rd. and Lee Chapel.

I agree that Hung's effort was lacking and he was obviously playing it safe. However, I think Hung has much better potential as a "Top Chef" than Howie. That being said, I think Hung started off the series quite strong, but he seems to have been beat down a bit by his peers and is not producing the same caliber food that he was at the beginning of the show. I hope he can turn it around, even though he seems a bit cocky. Did you see him break down those f--king chickens last episode......

I am personally glad to see Howie go. In a total wuss move, he decides to "excuse" himself from the competition rather than face the fact that they were going to kick him off anyway. His canapes looked horrible. WTF was that mushroom thing, I expected much better from all of the contestants on that challenge. Salmon mousse on a cucumber slice? I loved how Cohliccio (sp?) called him out on that one. Still my favorite show on TV, by far.

I am glad everyone enjoyed the class, I had a great time and it was nice to meet everyone in person. BTW, the brownies that Catherine is referring to are now available in the shop @ $2.00/ea. Please come by and say hello if you are in the neighborhood.

My wife and I are thinking about going here tonight for an early dinner (around 6 PM). We will have our 5 month old with us (the 3 1/2 year old will be with nana...). Will this be an appropriate place to go? We will most likely try and sit outside, does anyone think it will be difficult to get an outdoor table around 6 PM for some small plates and a few drinks? I am just trying to be prepared. Thanks.

Thats funny, I ate there yesterday for lunch and sat at the bar. I got there around 12:30 and was done by 1:10. To be honest, it was a little TOO fast for my liking, as I was hoping to linger for a bit. The food was good and I luckily didnt feel too stuffed after a 3-course lunch (something I never do...) BTW, I was the only person at the bar at 1 PM....

I know, its ridiculous. I said the same thing and apparently the CVS at Courthouse is VERY busy and they feel a need to have another store 1 metro stop away. Again, this is not 100%, but I have heard the same thing from development folks and Arlington County Government folks, so I think it is a done deal. There is also a new restaurant going in on the corner a few blocks down from the old Queen Bee and record store (not sure of the cross street???). The owner I believe is the same owner as Clarendon Grill and Clarendon Ballroom. I think some other folks on this board may have some more insight on that project.... Unfortunately, there is not a whole lot of retail space available in Clarendon, however, there are more buildings going up (and down...) along the Wilson Blvd corridor, so hopefully the retail scene will improve. I am looking for about 1500 sq. ft. of space myself, so if anyone knows of anything.....

It is my understanding that they are going to build condos on top of the existing structure. I dont think they are going to be tearing down that strip of stores but just adding on. In other sad Clarendon news, and this is not 100% confirmed, but all of those empty storefronts just west of Highland St are not going to be occupied by 5 separate businesses. No, instead the 5 empty spaces are going to turned into one, giant CVS. No joke. Its really a shame because those spaces are great spots, right next to a metro. Arlington is starting to look more and more like Fairfax County everyday......

Glad you enjoyed the chocolates. We have had the Lemon-Hazelnut in the repertoire for some time and it has become a very popular piece. Just FYI, the summer is when we typically work on new flavors, new designs, packaging, etc...So, please stop by if you are in the area. We haver new flavors we are sampling out and we usually sell these at a discount until the enter the "main" line of chocolates. We are trying hard to increase our retail business, and after Labor Day we will be extending our hours to accomodate potential customers. We will also be adding new products in the Fall, hopefully to include some "Drinking Chocolate" mixes and other chocolatey items besides our bon-bons. Also, we will be adding more dates for our classes in the Fall and I would happy to organize another DR group class at a discount if anyone is interested. So anyway, I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and please stop by the shop and say hello. Regards, Jason

I am heading up to Chicago with a few friends for the Pitchfork Music Festival this weekend. We are in search of a decent place to eat tonight with a good bar to follow. For the food we are thinking relatively cheap, Mexican, Pizza, etc....We probably wont be eating until like 10-10:30. Also, if anyone has a good bar suggestion. We are Black Cat Red Room/Rock and Roll Hotel/930 Club type people. Anyone? Anyone? We wont have a car, but are willing to cab/subway for good options. Thanks in advance. Jason

Just a quick trip report. We were able to make it to Pepes Pizzeria in Fairfield on the way up to the cape. I can honestly say that this is some of the best pizza I have ever had. We got a plain cheese and a white clam, both were excellent. Nice , thin crispy crust and LOADED with large clams. On the way back from the Cape we stopped at the original Pepes in New Haven for a late lunch. We got the clam pizza again, and a pepperoni. My only complaint was that the clam pizza was a little bit overdone on the edges (I know this is a trademark of the New Haven style, but this particular pizza could have come out a minute sooner) We got gelato and Italian ice at the place down the block, they were both pretty average. Oh, but that pizza.... On the cape, we ate Moby Dicks up near Wellfleet for dinner one night. It was pretty good and very family friendly. We got steamers, mussels, fried clam sandwiches, chowder, Wellfleets on the half-shell...all were very good. Its also BYOB. I ate by myself at Sir Crickets Fish and Chips after I went fishing (bad day, 2 small stipers and a lot of bluefish). I really liked this place. I enjoyed a well prepared oyster roll with fries. We cooked in a few nights and had some excellent lobster rolls at this place in Rock Harbor (near Orleans). Finally, we got ice cream at the suggested Nauset Ice Cream shop in Eastham. I thought it was pretty good, nothing great though. However, I would much rather give them my business than the Ben and Jerrys across the street. It looks like they made most of the ice cream in house, although I did see a few tubs of Giffords in the case, which I thought was interesting. All in all, a nice vacation on the cape. However, the highlight for me (food-wise) was what we found in CT. Thanks for all of your suggestions. J

Thanks for all of your suggestions. We will actually be staying the night on the way in Stratford (next to Fairfield) so we may have to try the Super Weenie. I am flyrodding for stripers all week, so hopefully there will be a few of those to take back to the house and grill.... Again, thanks for the suggestions. I will be sure to report back.

We are driving up to Cape Cod in a few weeks for vacation. Does anyone have suggestions on some good places to eat? We are definitely stopping in New Haven on the way to eat at Pepes (or Sallys, or Modern) for pizza. Any other worthwhile stops on the way. We are also going to be staying in Eastham (near Chatham) on the "Cape" for about 5 days. No fine dining please, we will have a 3 1/2 year old and a 3 month old with us.....Lobster rolls? Ice Cream? We eat just about anything and are definitely looking for some local favorites. Many thanks in advance.

We went to Cafe du Parc for lunch this past Monday. I went with the wife and our 10 day old daughter. You forget how easy it is to go out to a meal with a small infant, we never would have been able to have a leisurely lunch with our 3 1/2 year old. Anyway, we split a charcuterie app of rillettes, pate, ham and cornichon. Everything was excellent and well seasoned. It was also nice to have the rillettes served at room temperature. I had the sous-vide pork w/ pommes frites. It was tasty and well seasoned although I thought it would be a bit more tender. The frites were very good and comparable to the ones we had at Central. My wife had a bowl of cold asparagus soup which she enjoyed. We split a very well made mille-feuille for dessert. All in all, we had a delicious meal and we will definitely go back. This place sort of reminds me of Courduroy in that is has very tasty food and will probably fly under the radar. The dining room does not have the buzz of Central (or the upcoming Becks) but the food is well above average. Check it out if you get a chance. BTW, we didnt have wine, but I think an establishment serving that quality of food should definitely have vintages on its wine list. Just my $.02.

They sell dry ice at AIRGAS on Route 1, right near Potomac Yard. Its pretty reasonably priced.

My wife bought some of the Whole Foods brand ice cream the other. The flavor was okay, but it was really icy. I am not sure if it was bad production or bad storage. I will stick to the Haagan Daas and Ben and Jerrys for my Ice Cream fix. Speaking of IC/Gelato we stopped at Labortorio de Gelato in NYC a few weeks ago. It was pretty damn good stuff. The guy who owns it used to own Ciao Bella. Check it out next time you are in NYC.

Are you kidding me.....Downtown is starting to look more and more like Times Square every year....I am all for revitalization of a once underutilized area of the district, but its a shame that a historic, landmark building of DC's past will be turned into a tourist trap. Ugh.

Shaw? Probably too expensive, now..Maybe an old warehouse near to new ballpark? I dont think you really need too much space for a great venue. There is a small, indoor market in Ardmore (suburb of Philadelphia) that is open year round. It is probably about the size of the indoor pavillion at Eastern Market. The have a great Amish bakery, cheesemonger, coffee, bread, etc....I believe something like that would work in the suburbs here as well. Anyone want to invest in some space in Arlington?

In my original post, I am by no means suggesting we replace existing sites (i.e. Eastern Market) with new vendors. I think Eastern Market is a good, small market. Those establishments have been there for many years and they are what they are. My comment about have a place like Reading Terminal in DC was more about the fact that it would be a good avenue to support new, small, local businesses. Maybe DC Metro consumers prefer not to support these small businesses and instead flock to the chains, large supermarkets (i.e. Wegmans) out of convenience. Is there a need/want in this area for more small businesses? What are we missing (food-wise)? I have lived in DC/Virginia my whole life, so I am by no means an "outsider". I just think the growth for these indie businesses is slow compared to other major metropolitan areas. Just my $.02..

I am not sure where the funding came from for Reading Terminal or Chelsea Market. I agree with you that residents probably would not want to pay taxes for such a venue. I was thinking more in the private sector. I realize it is a total pipe dream to have something of this nature, but I just wish there was an avenue for more people (like myself) to peddle their wares. Almost everyday I drive by a stretch of empty storefronts on Wilson Blvd near the Clarendon metro. I guarantee those spots will be filled by either a chain, bank, Sprint store, etc., etc...Believe me, I know it all comes down to finances, but wouldnt we all love to see some small, independently owned stores (not just food...) in those spaces. I think most residents in Arlington would.

Of course I dont think of DC as some sort of culinary wasteland, there are many, many great establishments in this area. Maybe it is the mentality of the food consumer. I think that more people in this area are inclined to do the "one-stop shop", rather than use different places for their culinary needs. Of course I am preaching to the choir here, as most people that participate on DR.com probably think outside of the one-stop shop. Yes, the farmers markets are great, but I was thinking of more permanent joints. I understand how difficult it is to find "small" retail space in this area, and I have had numerous people approach me about renting out kitchen space in my shop. I just think there are a lot of folks out there who manufacture great products that have no way to market/sell them outside of the farmers markets. Maybe there isnt the market here, like there is in NYC and PHL, I dont know...

I am not sure if the question has been discussed before, but I have been thinking a lot about it since I returned from a recent trip to NYC. It seems like the DC Metro has a certain lack of small, family owned food establishments. I am thinking outside the realm of restaurants here. It seems as though in NYC (and Philadelphia) there are a growing number of interesting food businesses popping up left and right. Bakeries, cupacke places, chocolatiers, coffee shops, etc, etc....Why doesnt this happen more in DC? Is it the demographic, the rent prices? Anyway, I just am curious as to why people think this may be. Would DC benefit from a place like Reading Terminal Market (in Philadelphia) or Chelsea Market in NYC? A place where many small food business can share one collective roof. I think there are a large number of talented food professionals in the DC area that would love to own their own small, independent businesses. Anyway, I am interested to hear what other people have to say about this subject. Thanks.

Here is a video about Noka that I found online. I dont know why, but I find this company even more disturbing after watching this..... This is from the guy who wrote the article (Scott) Thought some of you might get a kick out of this video. It's an "inside tour" of Noka's shop in conjunction with an article in today's Dallas Morning News. The opening shot is of their tempering machine--a ChocoVision Revolation 2, with a whopping 1.5 lb. capacity (about 700 gr.). That may not seem like much, but when you consider that the Revolation 2 can turn $20 worth of Bonnat into anywhere from $463 to $3,120 worth of "Noka Chocolate" in a single batch.... http://tinyurl.com/ywgaps Cheers, Jason

Those prices for the Valrhona are pretty good. Just FYI, I sell all of the Valrhona couvertures out of my shop at $10.00/lb., which is probably the cheapest you will find anywhere and you don't have to pay for shipping (if you come pick it up....) Right now we have the 61% Extra Bitter, 64% Manjari, 66% Caraibe, 72% Araguani, and the 40% Jivara Lactee (the finest milk chocolate, IMHO). All of these chocolates are in "feves" or "buttons", not block, which makes them a bit easier to use. FYI, the 66% Caraibe makes for some nice brownies......

You are correct, it was Bonnat, not Pralus. In any regards, it is still a nice chocolate. Even though they dont flat out say "we make our own chocolate', the marketing is deceiving and i think the uninformed customer would think that they are indeed getting beans and making the stuff themselves.