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astrid

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Everything posted by astrid

  1. astrid
    Hmmm, after all the recent complaints, it looks like I just got really lucky. It's really a pity because our dinner there was really really good, so it sucks that so many folks had bad experiences with them.
  2. astrid
    Ditto for me. We made our first visit to Pupatella on Saturday and I just found my new favorite pizza place. Everything we got was tasty, but the special frutti di mer pizza was particularly wonderful. It was crammed with fresh cherry tomatoes and ocean dwellers, and the crust is as pillowy and light as the website promised. We actually went to 2 Amys the Sunday before and I like Pupatella’s toppings and the crust better. The wait is definitely shorter, at least for now. There’s Safeway parking across the street! Plus you guys cut my pizza without being asked! Yup, you'll be seeing a lot more of me in the future.
  3. astrid
    10 minute wait for a host is problematic, though I've dealt with AWOL or unpleasant hosts at restaurants and then went on to have a good meal. We don't know if the management was called at all by the waitperson. I'm not trying to excuse AGAINN, since for all I know my (1) good experience could be the aberration rather than RWBooneJr's. All I can say is that we were promptly seated, kindly and patiently waited on, the food came out at the right time and our waitress checked in several times to make sure everything was okay. The folks around us also seem to have a good time. The restaurant was about half full when we went, so maybe that made a difference. I can't imagine all the AGAINN management went AWOL. There's always a chance of hit and miss with front of the house, but the back of the house was definitely on top of their game. Our food was consistently good. The proper pronounciation is EGG-won..
  4. astrid
    How weird! I'll defend AGAINN DC, then. We had a really pleasant first meal at AGAINN the next day, on Thursday night. We were led directly to our table. The serving staff was pleasant, attentive, and very helpful throughout. The food was wonderful, we enjoyed everything we had (mussels, benton ham, country pate, pork confit, hanger steak, sticky toffee pudding and English trifle). Everything was expertly cooked and plated. It sounds like your bad experience was due to one really incompetent server, that really sucks!
  5. astrid
    I'm a bit surprised that there's no movement on this post. I guess if a restaurant has been doing a consistently good job for years, there's no reason to repeat the sentiment. I took advantage of RW to make a first visit to Tosca. I think it's fantastic and hope for many return visits. The service was expert, attentive but never hovering. All the food were good to great. The ribiola tortelli with porcini sauce that my +1 ordered is the single best pasta dish I've ever tasted, it was nutty/apricot/caramel/truffly and very rich. My +1's scallop entree was perfectly cooked and well sauced. My squid ink pasta with crab meat was very tasty if not quite exceptional. My pork loin was the relative weak link, it was well cooked but dominated by a smoky char. The rice pudding and cheese options were both very good.
  6. astrid
    I'm in, at least +1 and possibly several more. Looking forward to meeting you folks!
  7. astrid
    You can do both. If I had a cold frame, I'd use it to grow greens this fall/winter/early spring, then switch to seedling production and hardening around mid March.
  8. astrid
    You're in for a treat. I had RW lunch there yesterday and it was basically a dream RW experience, the sort of experience that makes me wish I could afford to eat there regularly. It's definitely made my list of special occasion places. We had the beef rib and duck confit, both were perfectly cooked, tasty, and were huge portions. I liked the marrow app I got, it went great with the garlic confit. The scallop app my dining partner got was great too. The service and setting were also great.
  9. astrid
    I love TJ's new tiramisu cake. It manages to moist and rich AND light as air.
  10. astrid
    In addition to jerky, Rives Quality Meats also sells rather phallic looking "snack stix" that's basically a skinny and tasty summer sausage. I can easily envision an eating contest centered around them. I should have mentioned this earlier as well: the official slogan for Ed's Roadhouse is "Nobody Beats My Meat." Ed's also planning to sell meat rubs under "we've got your meat covered."
  11. astrid
    Both Rives Quality Meats and Ed's Roadhouse were excellent. Rives Quality Meat jerkies are very meaty and it was easy to eat a large amount in a short period of time. Both beef and turkey jerkies were easy to eat and flavorful. I was particularly impressed with the BBQ flavor. The price was pretty good ($15/lb) too. Ed's Roadhouse jerkies are made to order, so it took over 2 weeks to get the end product. They are in small, thin pieces so they lasted a lot longer. The flavors are very good (particularly the hot and fruity varieties) and he was not joking about the heat.
  12. astrid
    LOL I am really looking forward to the sous vide airline food of the future. Also looking forward to getting HGH shots with my SSI - I've always wanted muscles without work. @OD44: Thanks for the linky. Not sure that will fit on my kitchen counter, but certainly an intriguing option.
  13. astrid
    Has anyone here tried the Sous Vide Supreme? I have a majorish birthday coming up and I'm thinking about asking for it.
  14. astrid
    Yikes! Could it have been an off night? I'm not a wine connoisseur so I can't comment on the wine list, but we had a fine 2009 Christmas Eve dinner there.
  15. astrid
    This guy reviewed 500+ jerkies and gave each a beer pairing. His review of Climax jerkies matches pretty well with my experience (the "premium cut" stuff is acceptable, the foil pack stuff is definitely above par). I've already succumbed to two more jerky orders, one to Rives Quality Meats and another at Ed's Roadhouse. I'll report back about my experience with both.
  16. astrid
    I had an okay meal at one of the Orlando Seasons 52 restaurants this spring. It's basically an upscale version of Bone Fish Grill. It's a nice place to take non-epicurean business associate/in-laws/first date, but I would never go back there for the food.
  17. astrid
    Shopper's and Grandmarts also sell lard in their Hispanic foods section. That stuff is hydrogenated for shelf stability, so probably very bad for you.
  18. astrid
    Both Rock Hill Orchard and Homestead Farm are open for sour cherry PYO this weekend. Anyone here have another favored sour cherry PYO location? While I like both of these places, I'm planning to pick and can about 30 lbs of cherries this year, so I'd like to seek out the best option in the area. Also, Homestead seems to be raising their prices from past years, I remember the cherries being under $2/lb two years ago, but it's $2.29/lb now.
  19. astrid
    I made garlic scape pesto once. It's pretty good but very very strong. If I were to make it again, I'd cut it with a lot of basil.
  20. astrid
    Green garlic is very good in stir fries, particularly ones with a lot of Chinese bacon or similarly greasy meats.
  21. astrid
    IKEA's desserts are probably their strongest offerings. They tend to be a little stale tasting and a little too sweet, but still offers a rewarding taste and texture profile. I usually go to the Costco across the street (this is for Potomac Mills) for food. I've never had any IKEA food item that beats a freshly made Chicken Bake chased with a hot churro.
  22. astrid
    I haven't had that problem. Do you use Greek style yogurt in the filling? I made my first batch with just mascarpone and it was a runny mess, but adding yogurt stabilizes the mixture. Even when I leave them in the oven for too long, I get small grease puddles in the pan but the filling stays put.
  23. astrid
    We visited Marvin about a month ago and really enjoyed all the dishes. We tried about half of their appetizers and ordered one of the moules. Everything was tasty, well cooked, plump, and nicely portioned for the price. Just two problems keep me from making it a regular spot: (1) the food was consistently very salty and (2) it was really really really loud inside.
  24. astrid
    The dates are easy to make. Cut a slit across a medjool date and remove the pit carefully, then fill with a mixture of 1/3 Greek yoghurt and 2/3 mascarpone. Cook in a toaster over at around 400 degrees for around 5 minutes, sprinkle on some fleur-de-sel (or kosher salt), and serve immediately. I don't bother with olive oil, but I guess a spritze of oil could keep the date a bit softer and more moist. You can fill the dates a few hours in advance and then heat for a party. Make 2-3 per eater. They're delicious in small doses but can be pretty cloying if you eat more than a few.
  25. astrid
    Todai is a good value in its market segment. The food is all pretty fresh because of the volume of customers. The sushi and sashimi is nothing special, but they don't overwhelm the fish with rice like cheaper buffets.
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