Billy DeLion

I can't answer your question directly, but I can recommend that you call the Swiss Bakery on old keene mill road in Burke. I've noticed a few chocolate drink concoctions but don't know or partake enough to tell you if they have that exact brand.

BD

Thanks for the feedback.

It was a LeCreuset oven. I was worried about the oval shape fitting on my stoveteop burners, but that was no problem and comments I read seemed to indicate that the oval was easier to handle with a lot of weight and obviously would fit larger(longer) cuts of meat.

I braised my first dish this weekend, and wanted to give a head's up on the pan I got in case someone needs one.

I didn't get the cheapest deal possible but felt comfortable with the purchase after all factors were considered (namely the time it would take to travel to the leesburg outlet and gather various coupons for a second). The Costco in Newington had an 8 quart(7.5 litre) oval french oven in red for $157.

After browning a pork shoulder from Cibola, I added Chicken stock, half cup sauvignon blanc, quarter cup sherry vinegar, chopped up celery, carrot, onion, and apple. Two sprigs of sage and two bay leaves. Cooked at 270 for 3 hours. Strained and cooled the liquid overnight, skimmed the fat and reduced by a third.

Delicious.

I'm having company in a couple of weeks and was thinking about a sauerbraten dinner next. Any good recipes/tips/experiences on that woould be appreciated !

Back from the stores, 3 compartment plates are apparently not as popular as I thought ! For anyone keeping count here's what I picked up. It's all heavy duty so it should serve several passes through the food.

170 Regular plates

250 3 compartment plates

200 Dinner napkins

120 each Knife, fork, spoon plasticware

50 1 gallon Ziplock Freezer bags

35 .5 litre Deer Park spring water

Looks like some garbage bags(I think I read about someone supplying upthread ?) and plastic cups might help.

Looking forward to all this great food and company !

BD

I'll bring the divided plates and some water as well as my +1.

Looking forward to it !

BD

My wife and I are mostly soda drinkers and I was very pleased to see the Boylan's diet cola served to her. Boylan's is top notch when it comes to soft drinks and I'm always stocking it at home from Trader Joe's.

I treated myself to a couple (I think) Hook and Ladder Goldens. Tho wine is all the rage, I was slightly disappointed that our server couldn't give a description of the beer further than "It's lighter". However in my mind this was almost a moot point because I knew I was in Michael and Michael's hands. The Golden was delicious, perfectly balanced hop/malt and a nice dryness.

It was 7:30 Saturday and a nice crowd, all tables seated. I won't reiterate the usual suspects we ordered because they are covered many times over in this thread. I will say that the proscuitto wrapped figs were a revelation and that the peach charlotte was sublime.

We traveled 40 minutes from Nova for this res and I would and will do it again in a NY minute. Definitely an A+ experience (Just know the beers as well as the Wines ! :-) )

BD

Me ? I think I must be an anomaly, I just try to be a REGULAR guy. I'm not sure if I lack the requisite sophistication or I just don't have too much time on my hands.

BD

Handsome fella !!

Congratulations to you and your wife !

BD

Didn't try it, but what looked like a real nice buratta app was on the Dino menu. Wish I had the extra room to try all the things on the menu in one shot !

BD

I would treat a water quality report from WASA with a huge saline bath.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...-2005Jan21.html

BD

We had one of the most generous and superb dinner occasions last night. I look forward to being able to comment in detail on the Ray's The Classics thread in the near future. My wife and I have decided that although it is a long trip from our home, we will make it a regular call by adding it to our rotation. I can imagine many classic dishes and then classic print screenings at AFI next door.

Many thanks to Michael, Michael, Don, and hillvalley. Fantastic !!

BD

Once again, I've done it.....

Raving about Ray's can be a casual pasttime for me and now it's landed me in a precarious position. I now have a party of six which has entreated me to take them to Ray's on a Saturday night. "Billy you silly boy" you say "surely this is not a precarious position but a triumph !"

AHHHHH so right you are ! However............(note lower case)ahhhhhhhhhh.....

One couple has to bring their 1 1/2 year old. I'm not sure how leery I should be about getting into this predicament, I've never seen the child cry (honestly) and I have seen him be entertaining to all at a party at my house. He's actually the happiest child I know. I'm guess I'm just looking for some positive reinforcement from folks who might have experienced this particular situation before.

How early will I need to arrive to get in 6 + the child before it gets too late for him and I perhaps impinge on the childless who might not expect to find him there ?

They really really want to go to Ray's (and so do I !) Does a line form before opening ? I usually go later.

TIA,

BD

Was Bradley Ogden at Campton Place that long ? I recall him at Lark Creek Inn when I lived in San Francisco in the late 80''s. I thought Campton Place had moved along by then. Gosh I'm so f'in old !!!

BD

Based on the reccomendations I'll probably have to give Rafagino's another try, however my experience there was less than stellar. The food was adequate, if I recall I had a grilled calamari appetezer(good) and a linguini/seafood dish(okay), but the service was decidedly not good. The small strip mall space led to servers with other table's dishes constantly bumping into our table for two as they hurried about, yet when we needed attention for food and drink we were fairly well ignored. It took a very long time to get our initial order in also. Price/Entree value seemed a little on the high side for what we recieved also.

I'll concede that it is somewhat unfair to definitively comment on the place after only one visit and out of respect to my fellow posters I'll probably try it again but my initial visit left me unimmpressed. I did a similar drive -by quick meal at a place called Pino's a few strip malls away(with the same strip mall ambience) and while also a one time experience (take it for what it's worth) the food there seemed tastier.

BD

Took a walk in Old Town today and came upon the soon to be Eamonn's. Lo and behold the door was wide open in homage to arriving Spring and the gorgeous weather. Unable to contain my curiousity I walked in and spoke with the contractor.

What a lovely space !! I had never really looked into the Scottish restaurant, I'm not sure you could even see into it from the window. Being inside the first thing I noticed was a lovely row of metal chandeliers running the length of the long and narrowish space. Next I admired the great tin ceiling. It's a beauty !! The contractor told me that they were both remnants of the existing space and just needed to be shown off. He estimated about 2 1/2 months until finish.

He also mentioned to me that there is a private room going in upstairs, which will have it's own side entrance. I'm hoping, hoping, hoping it might be available for private parties. I've got an anniversary to celebrate next year and some money to spend !!

BD

I second Jacques' method, worked like a charm.

BD

Despite the admonition from Rocks to keep it food related....

HOYA SAXA

Beat Marquette !

Stopped in last night after reading about the bar here. I have to say the beer was delicious. I had the Saison DuPont Vielle Reserve and the Clipper City Uber Pils draughts. Mmmm. Mmmmmm Good ! The bar looked nice, I didn't sit at it due to talking my wife into going out for dinner, but I could imagine some nice quality time there. The room was fairly ordinary, wooden table and chairs, exposed ceiling, a small area for the fireplace. Unfortunately pizza service wasn't good. First we were brought someone else's order which we began to eat, then when we were going to question what was brought to us, our pizza was brought out. Our pizza was burnt in areas on the top, and not in a good way

Wife was not happy, I was reveling in the beer. Thor waited on us and seemed a young affable fellow.

I'd say on first glance that the bar and the beer are the place to be.

BD

PS I noticed no smoke in the place from tobacco.

Thanks for the heads up !! I've never had shad roe and don't know if I'll get the time to grab some from you, but I appreciate your effort to take the time to notify the Rockwellians of an available seasonal item. It will make me take the time to experience your restaurant when I can. ( Not that Nadya didn't have me interested already )

BD

We had an 10+page post on disabled issues and segway fanatics, nothing which relates to the mission of this site which is FOOD.

I looked for the "mission statement" you seem to cite, I couldn't find it. I did find a welcome from Don though. Please note the line in which it is stated, "...I hope you'll feel welcome in joining and nurturing a vibrant, dynamic community. It's not going to be about the food; it's going to be about people."

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to say Welcome!, and to thank you for stopping by. Please click on "Register" and become a member - it's quick, it's easy, and it's free (and always will be). As a member, you'll be able to post, search topics, contact other members, attend fun events, make new friends - even get to try a piece of ventworm cake (click here)! There's really no reason not to register, so please do!

Please forgive my slowness in getting the topics populated with some of my older writings - I'm trying to get this forum up-and-running in my spare time, and it will be a couple more weeks before things are fully functional.

When other people begin posting I'll be moving my initial postings out and/or down into the threads, if for no other reason than because I don't want to see my name everywhere. I'm determined to use a light touch to moderate this forum, and wish to remain discrete and as behind-the-scenes as possible. Each and every individual here is more important to me than the site itself, and I hope you'll feel welcome in joining and nurturing a vibrant, dynamic community. It's not going to be about the food; it's going to be about people.

Welcome!

Rocks

I might have been overly critical because I enjoyed my brief interactions with Mr. Shinmoto on a few occasions at the sushi bar.

I did not know that he left. We always did our best to sit in front of him at the sushi bar(practically every time out of the dozens we were there) and were very pleased with his skills and his company. I would still go back but with a little sadness now.

BD

Grover is spot on with Yamazoto. (Caveat, I haven't been in about a year) I used to live in the neighborhood and stopped in on a regular basis. Wife and I were very happy with the sushi/sashimi and we have been sushi bar denizens in several major cities. They didn't have the thai when we used to go there, but if they've kept up their general quality I would have no hesitation ordering it.

BD

Mmmmm Old Rasputin for dessert, I like the way they think. I'd like to know how they fit Miller Lite into that PR though .

BD

This means "Mama, I sneeze in Des Moines."

Ok, I'm now impressed. Talk about quick wit.

Interesting to note that he describes himself as partially disabled.

BD