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Lunch at Restaurant Kolumbia on Tuesday works for me - what time?

Cool! I'm not really a dr.com newbie, but I'm definitely a happy hour newbie - I'd love a chance to put a few more faces to names (or screen names, or whatever). See you there!

NotQuickDraw and I spent a bit under three hours at PS7 tonight, our first time there. Not our last. Most of what we tried tonight has been described already - I can only echo the favorable descriptions, and for anyone who may have had a poor experience with any dish, you have my sympathies, because when this kitchen is on, it's on. The oxtail consomme - intensely flavorful, but light, a great stimulant to the appetite. A salad of tomatoes confit, Maytag blue cheese and various other things I can't recall was delightful, fresh, the tomatoes divine and the cheese in perfect balance, adding flavor but no bite. NQD's East and West (blue crab flan and kumamoto oysters) is not the sort of thing I would eat; she found the oysters very good (but she's not a real fan of oysters), and the crab delicious. Warm foie gras custard. My immediate reaction upon tasting it was a word not suitable for utterance in a public space, as NQD pointed out, so I won't repeat it here. Every once in a while I taste something so good it makes me laugh, whether from pleasure or surprise or actual amusement I'm never quite sure. This was one of those dishes. Rich in flavor, delicate in mouth feel, and probably could have been placed at the end of the meal as a savory dessert. Exquisite. NQD's lamb was perfectly cooked and delicious (or so she says). The faux risotto accompanying it was a huge hit; she'd gladly order a bowl of the stuff if she could. I had the beef two ways; the short ribs were delicious, with a crustiness on the outside and tender juiciness inside. I can see how the ribs might easily become dry, and that would be just a tragedy. The rib eye was cooked exactly as I ordered it, which was my mistake; cooked slightly less would have improved it, but that's certainly not something I can blame on the kitchen. It was delicious anyway, but would have been better at medium-rare than my usual medium (yeah, I know, Philistine!). Desserts - NQD went for chocolate, I chose peach, and we each got the better end of the deal. Both were delicious, it's simply a matter of personal preference. Wines were left in Danny's expert hands. Not being terribly knowledgeable about such things, I won't attempt descriptions, but each was a winner, even the sauvignon blanc that NQD wasn't thrilled by on its own but that came to life with food (the oysters and blue crab dish). Sparkling sake was a revelation - we had no experience with sake, sparkling or otherwise, and fell in love with this stuff. There were cocktails to start the evening, but other than the fact that mine had pear and vodka and NQD's had bourbon, I don't recall what was in them. We'll be back for another round. Service was excellent. I'm apparently incapable of remembering our server's name, but he was both knowledgeable and helpful, seems genuinely excited to be working there, and was careful to ensure not only that all of our needs were met but that the style and pacing of service was right for us. The rest of the staff were uniformly good, and Danny was, well, Danny, which is a very good thing for PS7 and its customers. OK, I probably sound like I was paid for this review, so let me balance that with a few negatives. We didn't like the menus, which open in landscape (sideways); NQD dropped hers a couple of times. Hmmm, what else? The bathrooms were a bit dark, and the music not really to my taste. As for the kitchen, no, sorry, I really can't say anything bad about the kitchen. Many thanks to Danny and everyone at PS7. We'll be back.

Now that I think about it, the top of the caja china is probably not designed to hold a great deal of weight. A pot or three of chili might not be the best plan. I'll have to take a closer look and see what the rack options might be.

Anyone looking for a heat source - There will be two pigs cooking in caja chinas. A caja china is basically a metal-lined box; the pig goes in the box, and charcoal sits on top of the box. Above the charcoal is, well, nothing. So if you have something that can sit directly on charcoal, or perhaps a metal rack that can hold food (or pots, or whatever) above the charcoal, we should have all the heat you'll need, until the pigs are done.

Finally got around to cracking open a bottle, which was eagerly sampled by a dozen or so willing volunteers. These were highland games athletes and judges, people who as a group have consumed somewhat more than their fair share of single malts. Everyone found it interesting, most commenting on the complexity of the taste, and the obvious influence of multiple woods that aren't normally used for whisky. Several people mentioned the "bite" - some negatively, others appreciatively. I didn't find it particularly aggressive, but when later switching to a traditional single malt did find that one much smoother in comparison. Some thought (including me) that they've found an interesting way of getting great flavor out of the various woods, but that perhaps the recipe needs some tinkering. For those who require a smoother whisky, this was too young. One person thought it was excessively sweet and fruity. Overall, most liked it, but not all; everyone agreed it had potential. One person originally from Newfoundland said it reminded him of the whiskies from that area, which led to a discussion of sending him back home for a shopping trip. For me, it's a keeper. Needs work on the recipe, and I hope that they're also putting some aside for longer, more traditional aging, but I do like it, and it makes an interesting change from traditional whisky.

It's clearly not the main point of your post, but a statement like this can't just be casually dropped in without evidence to back it up. I think we're going to have to have a taste test to determine if your burger-making skills live up to your claim. This weekend works for me ...

Yes, but if you specifically request mild, shouldn't the server mention at the time of ordering (if it's not already on the menu) that mild isn't an option, and give you a chance to pick something else?

Are you near that Getty gas station? We pass by your place on trips to my wife's parents, and have talked about stopping in, but since we travel with a dog, that hasn't been practical.

Looks interesting, but can a single-malt aged only six months really develop its full flavor? I'm highly skeptical. But I'll gladly buy a bottle, if you get it.

I'm not sure. The next few months are booked pretty solid through the first week of November. My family is bugging me to do something for my birthday (late October); this one ends in a "0" and they want to make more of a fuss over it than I do. The closest open date will probably be around Veterans' Day. If we don't do it then, it probably won't be until spring, since the caja china doesn't work very well when the air's below 40 degrees.

I've done two this year. Lots of fun. Ordering: I got mine at Springfield Butcher. Great service, great product. They require a week's notice for a pig. They're not cheap, though (price varies). You may be able to get a cheaper pig through one of the latin markets, but I haven't taken the time to do the research. Cooking: There are many ways to do it, so the main question is what is the end result you're looking for? A basic American barbecued pig will be very different from a Hawaiian kalua pig, which will be different from a Cuban or Puerto Rican lechon. Size also makes a difference. I did it the easy way, using a caja china. It's a metal-lined wooden box; the pig goes in the box and the charcoal is stacked on top (of the box, not the pig). Cooks in about 4 hours, which is a small fraction of the time of most other methods. The major downside is the lack of smoke, but that does allow more of the actual pork flavor to come through.

Michael does have a valid point, although whether it applies to PS7 remains to be seen and certainly cannot be determined from examining a web site menu. After a recent experience with Citronelle's tasting menu with wine pairings, and tonight's dinner at Laboratorio, also with the wine pairings, I can definitively state that on each occasion neither my wife nor I was approaching falling-down drunk, but also that neither of us should have been allowed anywhere near a set of car keys, and if given a breathalyzer exam we each would have failed miserably. Even now, an hour after the conclusion of my meal, my fine motor control, not to mention my large motor control, reaction time and judgement, remain impaired. Fortunately, we planned ahead and took a taxi on both of those occasions, but it is something that perhaps more restaurants should look at carefully.

NQD and I just returned from Laboratorio. Thanks to Joe H. mentioning earlier that there were reservations available (we had assumed there weren't), we managed to snag a table (7) before it closed. Ummm... Wow. I've been trying, as we experience new places and new tastes, to share some of those experiences here. I think I've done a fairly good job on occasion. Tonight, ehh, screw it. You've either been, and you know, or you haven't, and you don't, and they're closing, and you won't have a chance to anytime soon, so there's really not much point in me saying anything about it. If you're in that second group, all I can say is, it sucks to be you. Thank you, Roberto Donna. (And thank you, Joe H.). Maybe I'll say more in the morning, when I'm awake and sober. Or maybe I won't. For now, I'm pretty damn happy.

On our first visit to Palena several months ago, NQD and I were joined by another couple in the back room. This was, I repeat, our FIRST trip to Palena. Among the many delightful things the four of us tried that evening, how could we miss out on the chicken? Our server did have to get approval from someone (manager? Chef?), but yes, we had the chicken. I probably would not have asked about the burger.

NotQuickDraw and I, along with a friend not on this board, went to Viridian for dinner on Tuesday. Our first time there, even though NQD and I go to the theater around the corner fairly frequently. It was, of course, Restaurant Week, and also an extended happy hour (until 11pm on Tuesdays). First, let me say that the chef, Antonio Burrell, can cook. There were some wonderful flavors coming out of that kitchen. Viridian's approach seems to be to present the main item (protein or vegetable) in a fairly pure, unadulterated state, along with sauces or other accompaniments that provide complementary or contrasting flavors. They've succeeded very well. Unfortunately, that's not necessarily a good thing - we found that in many cases the featured item on the plate was the least interesting. We started at the bar, since that's where they offer deep-fried truffled deviled eggs. NQD loved them; I found the taste too mild (not at all bland, just mild). That did help preserve the essential "egginess" of the egg - many an amateur cook has overwhelmed their eggs with too heavy a hand on the seasonings, but since I kind of like them that way the restraint shown here wasn't to my taste. We also tried the duck parfait with pickled blueberries. NQD and I both loved the flavor; our third party did not. Although the taste was light, the texture and mouthfeel were extremely rich, and although the blueberries cut that somewhat, eating an entire order is probably not something I would do. Well, OK, I probably would, because of the flavor, but I'd feel guilty doing it. Our third party did suggest that a crusty bread would significantly improve the dish. Now THAT I'd make a meal of. At our table, we (well, they) had two orders of the beets. They were presented in a tower of roasted sliced beets layered with (from the menu) "pipe dreams farms goat cheese, oranges, and walnut coulis." I'm not a beet fan, but the others loved this. There were also two large dollops of beet puree, one red, one orange, on each plate. NQD, who loves beets in any form, enjoyed those as well, but they were too plain for our friend. I ordered squash on pastry with "onions, tomatoes, herbs and keswick creamery ricotta." This came out looking like a flatbread or small pizza. Pastry may have been a mistake here, because any flakiness or lightness was lost under the weight of the ingredients, and the pastry was a little tough. The flavors of the tomato/onion/herbs/ricotta were wonderful, light and summery. Delicious stuff. But the thin slices of squash were fairly boring. As the featured item in the dish, they were presented pretty much untouched. Roasted, or marinated then grilled, or simply seasoned better, they would have been more appealing. NQD's lamb "poached with star anise jus, black currants, roasted garlic, sorrel" was good, but she found the meat chewy. As was the trend, the lamb was very simply prepared, with much of the flavor coming from the other items on the plate (which she loved). She accompanied that with a side of braised cabbage, which she didn't care for. She found it plain and only very lightly cooked, still crunchy. Great for a lover of raw cabbage, but not what she expected from a braised dish. Our friend's barramundi "seared with beet risotto, lobster, beet-ginger reduction" wasn't a big hit. Again, the main item was the letdown; the other items on the plate were the stars. I had gnocchi "parisian, with chanterelles, sweet corn, green onions, truffles". My gnocchi were overcooked and somewhat mushy, and had little flavor - a big disappointment. The rest of the dish, however, was fabulous, light and fresh and bursting with flavor but well-grounded. With better gnocchi this would have been a nearly perfect summertime comfort dish. We shared a bottle of Ridge Pagani Ranch Zinfandel (2003), from a short list of half-price offerings. I'm not sure if that was for RW or happy hour. I'm not enough of a wine drinker to even attempt a coherent description, but we were all quite happy with it, especially at $32. Dessert for our friend was a very good flourless chocolate cake, with a mint sauce and mint ice cream distinguishing it from others we've encountered recently. NQD's Italian citrus cake was simply outstanding. I had coconut rice pudding with grilled pineapple and rum syrup. Growing up in a Puerto Rican family, I've had more than my share of rice puddings. Our version has fairly intact grains, this was not that; whether that's good or bad is a matter of preference. The coconut flavor was obvious but not pushy. The sweetness was restrained, and as I was tasting just the pudding, I thought it lacking, but the grilled pineapple added plenty of sweetness. This is clearly a complete dish, not a collection of parts. Other than personal preference issues, the only real criticism is a little starchiness in the mouth feel, fortunately not in the taste. So, overall, if you want your main ingredients to stand mostly on their own, relatively unadulterated, with a few accents on the plate to enhance and support the main, you may love this place. For our taste, the main ingredients didn't necessarily stand on their own, and could have used a little more attention; the rest of what was on the plates was delicious. The full menu was available for RW with no upcharges. Our bill at the bar was $33, at the table $169, both before tip.

If there's an active member of the board at a restaurant, it's nice to say hello and give each party a chance to put a face to the name. If there isn't, then what would be the purpose of mentioning the board? If, after your meal, you've decided that you had a wonderful experience and that you're going to talk about it on the board, then it might be nice to say so to your server or the manager. However, if it wasn't a great meal, then telling them that you're planning to trash the place online would probably just piss people off.

Wonderful timing here, since I happen to have a fair number of tomatillos on hand, along with some onions and cilantro, and a few pounds of leftover roast pork. I suspect this will become a fairly large amount of salsa for two people. Can we expect a longer shelf life with either the raw or cooked versions? Is either approach suitable to freezing (I've never tried canning, and this just isn't looking like a good week to start)?

A few years ago (OK, so it was over ten, maybe 15), I read a review about the then-latest Richard Thompson album. The reviewer was basically complaining about having to write a fairly boring and predictable review: brilliant guitar playing, even better songwriting, one of the very best albums of the year. Yeah, OK, so what else is new? I get the same feeling coming back from Corduroy. I could tell you that the chilled spicy tomato soup was delicious, richly flavored but light, and wonderfully refreshing on a miserably hot day. I could tell you that NQD's salad of beets, baby carrots and goat cheese was equally delicious. I could mention the richness of the pork belly, or the way it melts in your mouth, or the feeling of surprise that such a wintery food works so well in summer. And the wine, and the desserts, and so on. Or I could describe the excellent service, or talk about Rissa's amazing hospitality, and the way she makes you feel like she's welcoming you to her home, not her restaurant. Oh, and that ham! But what would be the point? You know all that. It's old news, and I hate sounding like a broken record. So I won't bother to tell you these things. I'll just ask a simple question. Have you been to Corduroy recently? And if not, why not?

NQD and I ate at Sunflower once several years ago. Although I'm a devoted carnivore, I have had many wonderful vegetarian meals in my life. None of them at Sunflower. I'm not a big fan of mushrooms, and generally dislike most forms of imitation meats or other processed vegetable proteins (including tofu and seitan and wheat gluten). Consequently, I found very little on the menu that seemed worth trying, and whatever it was that I finally ordered (long since purged from my memory), I found it to be one of the worst meals I have ever had. Anywhere. Including public school cafeteria lunches. But YMMV.

That's it! I've been trying to remember the name of that restaurant (a co-worker might be stopping in Reykjavik) It's been eight years or so, but we had a great meal there. Love that Icelandic lobster - small, sweet, and delicious. I'll gladly second this recommendation. Otherwise, lamb or seafood will be good just about anywhere. Some of the more traditional Icelandic foods can be somewhat challenging. If you have the palate for it (and the stomach), go for it - rotten shark is a bit beyond me.

NQD and I both fully admit that the ribs at Ribsters are not great. Probably not even good. They're certainly not authentic. Anyone from Memphis or North Carolina or anywhere that prides themselves on their ribs would turn their nose up at them. Fair enough. But as has been noted on this board several times, there just aren't any really good ribs in the DC area. Sure, we could go to some of the places that at least attempt to make ribs the "right" way (whichever regional definition of the "right" way that might happen to be). But they'd just fall short of what they should be, and we'd just be disappointed - again. So we go to Ribsters. No, it's not a question of bad over mediocre. It's a question of familiarity and comfort. NQD and I both grew up in New England, a place where people know as much about making ribs as people in Memphis know about lobster rolls. Boiled, finished on the grill, and smothered in a thick, overly sweet sauce? Well, yeah, that's how folks make ribs up there. That's what we both grew up thinking ribs were supposed to be. And we loved them. OK, so we know better now. But in the absence of the good stuff, we go for the taste of our respective childhoods. You may say they're the worst ribs in the area, and you're probably close (although I've had worse). But for us, that's pure comfort food.

A couple of salts, yes.

My wife and I may be there - we're trying to decide between abstaining and hair of the dog.

That's a taste I have not sampled in a bit over 13 years - I'm in no hurry to repeat that experience. No ill effects this morning other than a mouth in severe need of a sandblasting. Well, that and the scale, which after giving us both good news each morning for the past month, has turned into a cruel and heartless bastard today. Perhaps Notti Bianche and Citronelle on consecutive nights was not consistent with a solid weight-loss strategy. Who would have guessed?