DC Deb

On 9/27/2012 at 2:16 PM, brr said:

Chevy Chase is good but is consistently overpriced across the board. Figure to pay an extra $1-2 per 6 pack and $1-2 per bomber regardless of what it is.

Magruders used to be my go to place but their beer guy Ben left about 6 months ago and things are starting to slip a little - still generally great prices on cases - I would argue the best in the city. But because they don't have a beer geek dogging distributors they are starting to miss out on some limited release/seasonal stuff, e.g., Founders Breakfast Stout was not on their radar screeen until I asked for it. I still buy a lot of stuff there though

So I'm also starting to hit up Rodmans a little more - they don't have the same value on case prices but have a wider selection of bombers and 750s and price them very competitively.....and you can buy beer on Sundays there

It's been a while since I have posted....   FYI  Beer guy Ben (now assistant manager Ben) has been back at Magruder's for a while. They still have a great selection and have been open throughout the pandemic.  If anyone is into rare whiskey/bourbon, Ben can hook you up with that too. 

I have been buying from JJ McDonnell in Elkridge. I have a Restaurant Depot membership but they have also opened it to the public. Anyone can go in and get a one day pass now.

Has anyone tried the food there? I popped in to check out the menu when they first opened. The prices seemed high for a fast casual place. I didn't end up eating there. They never seem busy when I pass by. 

There is nobody in their family to continue running the school. They lost a lot of credibility when Chef Patrice Olivon left. The new people they hired were just not the same caliber.

I have some All Clad stainless pans that are still great after almost 20 years.  (I took a seasonal job at Crate & Barrel to get an employee discount. Had to quit when I spent more than I made....)

I have added more pans since then and you can tell the difference. Some newer pans and most utensils are made in China and finished in PA.  It's interesting to see how the logo has gotten more prominent over the years.

We have braised short ribs and made chicken stock in the Instant Pot.  The short ribs were really tender and had a surprisingly rich flavor.  The chicken stock turned out a little cloudy.  If you don't care about that, it is an easy and fast way to go. 

Thanks. I don't get over there much. I must have misunderstood the server.

We had dinner there last night.  My SO ordered the long bone ribeye (a.k.a. tomahawk chop).  The server said that it is a new item that they just started carrying this week.  Well marbled and charred.  He looked like Fred Flintstone but had a blast eating it.

Nido in Woodridge is open tonight.  No word on the weekend yet.

The owner was interviewed on Channel 4 last night.

Their quality has gone down significantly.  They had a staff turnover and the former pastry chef is now working at Bob's Bakery (behind Maxim's). 

We went to Lexington Market for lunch this week. It's a sad sight. The place just looks so tired and dingy. I am sure that the police situation in Baltimore right now doesn't help but I expected more traffic at 12:30pm. It's definitely not how I remembered it.

We ate at Faidley's and had crab cakes and fried soft shells. Lunch for 2 with no drinks was $75. The crab cakes were parcooked and sitting under a cover at room temp. They were reheated to order in the fryer. The fries were under cooked and tasted fishy. The experience just made me sad.

Thanks for the tips Don.

I am donating bone marrow to my sister on Friday. Good excuse to eat more red meat.

Hi Everyone.

I am finally going to Woodberry Kitchen for the first time this Thursday night. I don't usually get up to Baltimore but am having surgery at Hopkins the next day (which means no drinks, bummer).

Any advice on must haves? I am especially looking for meat or shellfish dishes.

Thanks

Deb

The bathroom at Soi 38 (21st and L St) is a neat space-saving design.  There are 4 or 5 individual closets on one side of a corridor.  They share a large sink area on the opposite side.  It's very open and clean and no dirty door handles to touch.

The Rockville location was surprisingly busy for a weeknight.  We arrived at 6:45 and maybe a third of the tables were taken.  By 7:30, every table was taken. There was still a line when we left at 8. There was also a steady flow of carry out.

Dishes today:

crazy beef with ghost chili--very flavorful but not as hot as you might expect

bubble scallion pancake--they looked neat because they were all puffed up but were quite oily; traditional scallion pancakes

 are better

hot and numbing combination--great complex flavors with plenty of heat; huge portion--it's going to be SO's lunch tomorrow

shredded duck with scallion and onion on iron plate--nice char to the onions and scallions--it reminded me of beef chow fun.  The duck was good except the fat was not rendered and the skin was flabby.  I had to leave chunks of it behind.

It seems like the menu is larger than the Fredericksburg and Williamsburg locations. Got to meet the chef today. Good visit.

Heading to Rockville tonight.  If any other Rockwellians are going please say hello.  I'm wearing a purple sweater and pony tail.

I ate at Corned Beef King recently and we chatted with the owner.  He has abandoned plans for Rockville Town Center because of the high rent and parking issues.  He is looking into other locations in Gaithersburg.  Stay tuned. 

Hi everyone.

I am thinking about buying a vacuum sealer.  I found some information on them and am thinking about either the upright Food Saver or the Weston Pro Advantage.  Does anyone have advice on either?

Thanks.

Deb

Finally made it to dinner there tonight.  The service was very attentive and the dining room is lovely.  Pretty quiet on a Monday night.

We had the following:

chicken pot pie fritters--molten pot pie filling in a crispy shell; would definitely order again

fried chicken--the long brine does make it very juicy.  I think the chicken was double breaded.  Very crunchy.  The dipping sauces were so-so but the roasted fingerling potatoes were good.

shrimp and grits--4 good sized head on shrimp grilled with good char on small bed of creamy grits.  I actully didn't like the tomato jam on there.  It was too sweet with not enough acid and took away from the flavor of the shrimp.

collard greens with ham--tasty with big chunks of ham but could have used some vinegar to brighten it up

Guinness creme brulee with pretzel crisps--disappointed.  The custard part was not normal creme brulee.  You can tell it was not baked because there was no sticking to the ramekin.  Very slight Guinness flavor, really more like a chocolate mousse.

I am traveling to New Orleans next week with my parents--family wedding in Baton Rouge.  Any recommendations on mid-priced restaurants and attractions near the French Quarter?  We are staying at the Hotel Monteleone and plan to walk most places.

We will be there from Tuesday to Friday AM, then drive up to Baton Rouge.  My folks are very spry so reasonable distance is not an issue. They are pretty adventurous eaters so that is not a problem either.  I have been to New Orleans once before but it has been a while.  There are some things I already know we will do/see:

streetcar to Garden District

Preservation Hall

French Market

Jackson Square/Cabildo

Thanks in advance.

I couldn't justify buying one before but after using them at work, I was hooked.  I bought a factory refurbished one and it works perfectly well.  It has a 5 year warranty so I am covered.

I read a lot of the comments on the VitaMix site and plenty of people have bought the refurbished ones and been happy with it. I am glad I went that route.

You could slow cook them for later.  Here is Joe Yonan's recipe.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/recipes/12-hour-tomatoes/9460/

The Bullfrog is going to have a physical location on H Street, at the Star & Shamrock Tavern.  Details to follow.

**Administrators:  Please update thread name, thanks.

You're some of the savviest diners anywhere - why are you doing this to yourselves? 

It was a 4 o'clock game and I skipped lunch.  (yes, the dog ate my homework too...)