Dr. Delicious

We regularly make delicious pizza at home on a gas grill, but use a slightly less fancy approach that might interest you: Early in the day, we'll make pizza dough using "00" pizza flour. When it's time to make the pizza, we use a regular pizza stone (bought at Target), and heat it on the grill (around 15 minutes) to the highest possible grill temp (usually around 550). While this is happening, we spread the dough on the kitchen counter using a roller (we don't have the skill to do it by hand), then transfer the rolled-out dough to a pizza peel that has been covered in corn meal (or something that will prevent it from sticking). We fully dress the pizza on the peel (using all types of ingredients, including fresh mozz, shredded stuff, veggies, and meats). Then I slide the pizza off the peel and onto the hot pizza stone. Depending on toppings and personal preference, it usually takes about 7-12 minutes to fully cook. Yum!

First trip back in a couple years, and went with the old standbys: Black Pearl and El Gringo. Both were delicious, tho i had a pretty pathetic piece of fish in the BP, and the EG is just wrong in a stuffed, gooey, bacon-ranch, 5-tortilla needing kind of way. In addition, we got a large Pozole, which was amazing. I didn't know what it was when I ordered it, just going on faith from what I've read here, and i'm still not exactly sure what i was eating, but it was delicious, and could make multiple meals. Also, I tasted and felt this meal all night, and couldn't get to sleep. Worth it!

Location and Rates for Tonight - Website We rented #603 in the Antigua condo building at 8500 Coastal highway. The building, overall, was fine. Easy check in, they have carts to help unload/load your stuff, and the elevators (2) were quick and responsive. That said, the building does show its age, and could use a fresh coat of paint (at least). The pool is nothing fancy, just a big circular hole in the ground, 4ft - 8ft deep. It's not the biggest pool, but had plenty of room for all those that want to use it (most people are at the beach, anyway). It's private and closed in with a fence, and there's a staffer outside monitoring access. No lifeguard at the pool. There's beach access (a dune crossing) right behind the building, and there's plenty of space. There's also a lifeguard stationed right there, which is comforting. The condo (2br, 2ba) itself was good, and had updated kitchen and baths. You wont walk in the place and be blown away, but you will recognize that it will serve your vacationing needs just fine. The beds were hard, and can be tough on side sleepers (like myself). It's beachfront, with a closed in balcony (it has windows with screens that you can open), and we could see lots of dolphins in the early morning.

Here are my notes from our most recent trip: Harborside Fun atmosphere, on the bay, great happy hour specials. Good wings, slight kick, big order of calimari, with big rings, mussels served in a garlic wine sauce that was very tasty, full pound. Side salads are skip able. Seafood pasta bursting with scallops, shrimp, crab, and mussels. A cheesy, tomato, cream sauce that wasn't overly cheesy but was heavy. Huge portions all around. Barn 34 Appetizers were excellent. Lobster sliders is basically a full roll and for only $10. Mussels with sausage and peppers in a tomato sauce were very good, came with mini loaf for sipping, grilled Caesar was one large stalk, halved, grilled and dressed with croutons, one of the better versions of this I had. Unfortunately we were in the middle of our apps when mains came. They were good but not great. Tuna in soba noodles that were barely dressed wth the promised soy sauce. Steak with bernaise that had a strange hint of lemon and was cool if not cold. The steak was cooked nicely but not very flavorful. Large portions. Food could have been warmer. Hooked Got to Hooked at 5:45 on Sat night and there was already a 15 minute wait. Crab soup, very rich, sherry taste, large lumps of crab meat, very tasty. Kale Caesar, large portion, well dressed. Calimari, awesome spicy sauce. Toll house rolls bread service. French fries with truffle and bacon, as good as it sounds. Tuna, prepared with skill in a really light soy sauce. Demerits? My son pulled the longest hair out of his mouth at one point. Mother's Cantina Somehow there was a 1:15 minute wait at 5:45 on a Monday evening. This despite the restaurant having at least 3 empty tables (which is a lot given how small this restaurant is). That was annoying, but we sucked it up and waited anyway. Actually, it was their happy hour that caused the delay. The entire place was packed and i don’t think they could handle it. Anyway, the food here is awesome. I don’t have much to add to what I said the last time. I can’t recall if i mentioned the cheesy sauce that’s in their chimichanga, but it is really good. Trattoria Lombardi’s (Pizza) Tossed salad was pretty sparse, lettuce, tomato, a couple olives. House made dressing was good. No free refills, except on iced tea, which I thought was pretty odd. Big 16 inch pizza is standard. Very good pie. Lobster Shanty (Fenwick Isle) Skip the salads. Shanty fries were huge helping of French fries topped with crab meat and smothered in cheddar cheese. They were both delicious and disgusting. Crab and Lobster Thermidor was an ample portion, tasty, with large bites of lobster claw and crab. Cheesy, sherry, mushrooms (actually, lots of mushrooms so be forewarned). Side of mashed potatoes were really good. Lobster tail with crab imperial was a 6oz tail with a heaping portion of imperial. Big and thick hotdog for the boy. Kids meal came with fries and applesauce and a drink. House made rolls were excellent. My wife thought the place sucked, whereas I’m an easy mark, so ymmv. --- Seacrets (pras) Rosenfeld's Jewish Deli (yeah)

We had a very enjoyable meal the other night. We started with 2 types of rolls, #6 Chả Giò and #7 Nem Nướng, both of which were great in their own way -- the crispy-ness of the fried rice paper, the jerky-ness of the Vietnamese pork. They also came with tasty dipping sauces, and a helpful explanation from our server, which was forgotten within moments of her walking away. I don't know what the sausage was in #42 Cơm TayCầm Đặt Biệt, but combine it with the crunchy rice at the bottom of the pot, and you have yourself a tasty morsel. #65 Bún Đặt Biệt was a standard meat and noodle dish, and was solid if unspectacular. You wouldn't want it as your only main, but it served as a nice accompaniment to the other dishes we got. Finally #126 Bò Lúc Lắc was as described by thuand above, small and tender chunks of beef in a tasty soy-based sauce. It also came with a dipping sauce for extra flavor enhancement. My one quibble with the dish is a minor one: I could have done with less watercress (which just gets in the way) and more onions. The service was very good, offering tips on how to eat the food, and multiple water refills without having to ask.

I had some excellent tacos at Condado. $3-$4 a piece, large, overstuffed. For the shell, my friend suggested the Sweet Lucy, which include a soft and crunchy shell, guac and cheese...and that's just the tortilla! But you gotta have the crunch and something soft to hold it all. I got chicken, chorizo, and pulled pork, all very tasty. Th y have all kids of toppings and salsas. I'd be a regular here if I lived in Columbus, even tho the music was a bit too loud for my taste.

Any recs for a crab shack when driving between DC and OC? We'd like to stop on our way out there, and are total noobs when it comes to eating steamed crabs.

We had a good meal here last night. They start with a basket of sliced bread served with a hummus (in lieu of butter), that I believe is mixed with saffron (it was yellow, and I didn’t get a curry taste from it). First out was the Tomato Salad, which included square-shaped chunks of heirloom tomatoes and a sliced midsection of burrata cheese, dressed with olive oil and pepper. It was a simple and tasty offering. The Calamari Frito was excellent: a large portion, all rings, and I thought the breading was really good, not overly heavy, and fried to a nice golden brown. It also came with a trio of aioli sauces, one that was tomato based, one that was spicy, and one that I don’t remember, though I liked all three. Moroccan Tuna was 5 slices of seared ahi tuna steak dressed in a harissa vinaigrette, and served atop a scoop of guacamole (scoop not listed on the menu). The dish was quite good, and the guac was a nice addition. Not so nice were these straw-like pieces of I-don’t-know-what that topped the dish, and were seemingly added for presentation-related reasons only. Empanadas came 5 to a serving, with a red pepper sauce. They were supposed to be filled with ground beef, but I’m confident these were filled with ground lamb (and mint, both of which have a pretty distinct flavor), which to us was unfortunate, as it’s not what we thought we were ordering and we’re not the biggest fans of lamb. Finally the Petit Filet Mignon, with sliced fingerling potatoes, spinach, and red pepper sauce (same as the Empanadas). We asked for it medium rare and it came out medium, still it was a nice piece of meat, and the potatoes, spinach, and sauce all helped the dish and weren’t done as an afterthought. Good service, and nice pace. It was 6:30 on a Tuesday, with a mostly empty restaurant, so there were no noise issues noted above. My quibbles: They were out of the two items (of 5) I wanted to try the most, Baccalao and Croquetas, meaning they were out of 40% of the things I hoped to order. The décor is kind of rundown (the chairs are in particularly bad shape). They serve tapas, but seem surprised and ill equipped to handle the sharing of dishes (examples include serving the salad and calamari, but not giving diners any additional empty plates, looking confused when additional plates were requested, and then only bringing out 1 plate; putting only one steak knife on the table when we’ve been sharing the entire meal).

I called the restaurant and learned that they also do takeout. I'm assuming the full dinner menu posted online is available (I didn't bother to ask).

I, for one, remain excited for my return trip in a couple weeks to the Tysons outpost for brunch.

According to the permit taped to the window, Cava Mezze will open a restaurant in McLean in the shopping center that has Total Wine, McLean Hardware, and others. I don't know when this will happen.

Sola: Where everything was great, except for the food! So this was our one splurge meal, a Michelin stared restaurant, that has a modern French-Asian fusion vibe. The room is incredible--a cave like structure, underground, sparsely appointed, with sunken tables and custom wooden seating, all interconnected and surrounding the tables. The service was attentive and informative. The plating and presentation we what you'd expect from a modern and Michelin-starred establishment. It's just too bad that the food sucked. We had a 5 course tasting menu, and I can't remember a single dish. Wait, no, we had foie gras and an asparagus dish, because every restaurant serves foie gras and some kind of asparagus. Anyway, I was very excited for this meal, and paid a good chunk of change, and the food was ordinary. Also, they make you take off your shoes and put on house slippers, and then walk on that wooden benching to your table, and it's all supposed to be very fancy and exciting, but I thought it was stupid. And the waiters are all in socks, and they kneel down at your table, and walk by it on that wooden benching, and don't you know if you sit on the end, their pants swish you every time someone walks by. I'm not saying I got kicked every time someone walked by me, but I'm not saying I didn't get kicked either. So, yeah, not good. Restaurant Frenchie: A 5 course tasting meal and wine pairing. I've never egotten a wine pairing before, and so we decided to go for it here. I was surprised at how much a thoughtful pairing made a difference and mattered to the taste of the food and the wine. What was a shame was the 2 oz pour they seemed to limit you to with every pairing. To my mind it was laughable how small the pours were, especially at the price we paid, but maybe you give up pour size to get something thoughtfully paired. Anyway, the food was excellent, more foie gras and asparagus to be sure, but well prepared and presented modern French cooking. Juveniles: A small bistro, striving modern bistro fare. It was very good. Pirouette: A 6 course meal and the best meal of the trip. I found a pic of the menu, for your enjoyment. We had the first salad listed (it reminded me of a salad we used to get at Courduroy, also having an egg if some kind, perhaps duck). I believe we also had the veal head and pollack. And some other things that I will add as the fog lifts. Le Train Blue: A truly remarkable dining room, that's like eating in the middle of an art museum. We had a very good meal, too, including an excellent cheese plate, that was huge. Excellent and attentive service. Cafe des Abattoirs: A small restaurant near the Opera area, where we stayed. They specialize in beef, and we had a good steak, tho seeing what others got, we could have had a great steak (which, to us, means a leaner cut) if we ordered better. Relais de l'Entrcote: an amazing all you can eat steak fries joint with a special house sauce (oil, butter, Dijon). This place was filled with locals, and we got lucky to stumble upon it. I only wish we found it earlier in our trip, so that we cold have gone more than once. Pic posted here is what they serve. Au Petit Riche: this was near our hotel, and it's in the guide book. Total tourist trap that sucked donkey balls. Avoid! Some miscellaneous remarks: there were several other cafes at which I had a great burger or great croque monsoir...I just forgot to get their names. These place are a dime a dozen, anyway. We had excellent service everywhere we ate. In fact, we had no problems with any of the people there and didn't see any rudeness like you hear about, and we speak absolutely no French whatsoever. Everyone was incredibly nice, which was a pleasant surprise. All the restaurants in the same class serve the same food. Bistros all sever the same sandwiches, modern all serve foie gras and asparagus, etc. Our trip ended over a month ago, hence the lack of detail, and so I apologize for that. I may continue to edit this post if/when things come back to me.

Had brunch at the Tysons outpost this morning and it was excellent. It's a huge spread, including a bevy of items too many to list. Standouts were the egg hash, bacon, homemade breakfast sausage, fried chicken, Mac and cheese (I'd go back just for this), deviled eggs, eggs Benedict, and many others. They also passed around 6+ food items in the dining room that aren't available at the buffet table. $30 per person and totally worth it.

I think I've found my new go to place for Chinese. We ordered the following: Fried dumplings: huge dumplings, stuffed with pork, and actually showing signs of being recently fried. Hot and spicy shrimp wanton: we assumed these were fried, but they weren't, and that was a blessing in disguise. Tasty soy-based sauce with sliced scallion, thin and not gloopy. Spring rolls: I scarfed this thing down immediately. I think it tasted good Hot and sour soup: excellent crunchy noodles. Didn't taste the soup. Crispy Spicy chicken: shredded chicken breaded and fried in a sweet and spicy sauce. Orange beef in a spicy sweet brown sauce: large pieces of medium-rare cooked beef, also lightly breaded in a sweet sauce. This was awesome Gold Sands shrimp: large shrimp, lightly breads, yet strangely presented without sauce. It was dry and needed it tho. The only thing I wouldn't get again Combination lo mien: I liked it but no one else did. They didn't like the noodles. I'm easy, tho. A really excellent meal. The sauces were the standout, even those that were meant to be thick, never passed into gloopy territory. ETA: So, I couldn't even find this thread, and totally forgot that I ever even ate here a few years ago and didn't care for it, given my review above. New chef, indeed!

I'm a firm believer in the fried chicken from both Safeway and Giant. For a mere $6.99 you get a large 8 piece variety pack. You can't beat the combo of price, taste, quantity.

I only know about this movie from the clips of it used in Metallica's video for One.

Another quick report from Disney, SeaWorld, and points in between: Morimoto: We went to the restaurant in Disney Springs (nee Downtown Disney). The bento-box style plate that their lunch special comes in really makes for an excellent presentation. Also, the food was very tasty, and the portions were large. I've never had Peking duck before, but I noticed nice layers of crispy skin, fat, and meat. My only problem was with the kids hotdog, which was too fancy by half. It came out in two small, flat-bread like buns, with asian-style accoutrements. So, if you have a kid who wont eat that weird shit, all your left with is half a hot dog. HALF A GD HOT DOG! for $12! Also, service was slow particularly given the restaurant was half empty. Sanaa: The signature dish for this restaurant in the Animal Kingdom hotel area is their bread service, which comes with 5 assorted nan and 9 sauces. It's legit. For mains, we got Butter shrimp and Goan seafood curry that was just ok. In all honesty, all the mains we got were lacking in taste, and there was no depth. Also it was advertised as a place to watch the animals, but unless your at one of only 5 tables at the window, you can't see shit. Tusker House: Animal Kingdom. Same as my latest post, an excellent buffet with character dining that includes Mickey, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy, which is a combo that's hard to top. Be Our Guest: In the Magic Kingdom. Ordering and getting drinks is a shit show free for all. So, for spite, you can grab any drink you want regardless of what you might have paid for. I went in with very low expectations, as I had heard that this place sucks, but I got a very good hot ham and cheese sandwich. It was huge, toasted bread, not soggy, lots of heavily salted fries. Tasty. Earl of Sandwich: in Disney Springs. Similar to Potbelly but not as good. Still, a tasty sub. Price was right at 6.99. One of the few places on Disney where you don't feel ripped off. Tony's Town Square: In the Magic Kingdom. Basic Italian fare that's perfectly fine. I had a chicken parm that was enormous. Good bread service. Anthony's Coal Fire Pizza: This was a random pizza joint somewhere between disney and SeaWorld. We got a ricotta and meatball pizza. It was excellent, and I'd recommend it. Lots of toppings. We didn't order a salad, but we could see fresh and tasty looking salads coming out of the kitchen. Shark Grill: SeaWorld. Amazing atmosphere, what with being in front of all the fish tanks. I got the seafood pasta, which came in a very cheesy and tasty sauce. It had good amounts of scallops, shrimps, and mussels. Big portion. Large bread basket with rosemary rolls. Unlike Morimoto the kids meal came with a huge hot dog. Also, there's some hot dog place at the end of Main Street in the Magic Kingdom, that serves a dog large enough to make Jenna Jameson blush. You can get it smothered in toppings, too, for a nominal charge. It's one of the better deals in the park, and a good dog, to boot.

As a frequent business traveler, a TV in the bar area is a prerequisite for any place I eat, as I'm often dining alone, and don't care to spend my time staring down at my phone.

We were there on Friday for an early lunch. The Tots and Tentacles app was very good, and came with two amazing sauces: one was a tarragon mustard (more or less) and the other reminded me of a classic tomato-based Patatas Bravas sauce. I could dip anything in those sauces and enjoy it! It was an ample portion to boot, and could be a full meal on its own. I got the Seafood Pasta for my main and really liked it. My one quibble was that I didn't think the mussels included in my portion were done completely. Out of the 5 mussels, 3 of them were only barely opened. I still ate them, and they were fine (so was I), but I was a little disappointed to see them included. Also note that the pasta is very al dente. My wife wouldn't have been able to eat that dish, given how she likes her pasta, and so I can see others being similarly turned off. My boy had a giant grilled cheese sandwich (2 types of cheese, tho I don't recall which) and good homemade chips. My wife had a lobster roll which was perfectly fine. Excellent and attentive service.

Any suggestions on good places to stay in Ocean City? I'd like to make a return trip with the family this summer, but don't want to pay for the Hilton again. I've heard Carousel is nice...

Official Obits: New York Times: "Harold H. Saunders, Mideast Peace Broker, Dies at 85" by Sam Roberts Washington Post: "Harold H. Saunders, diplomat in Camp David Accords, Iranian hostage crisis, dies" by Matt Schudel Kettering Foundation: "Dr. Harold H. Saunders: 1930-2016" Before Hal's passing, we had time to prepare a book in which people would share their reflections on working with him. Here's what I wrote, which given space limitations, only scratches the surface of my gratitude. Hal, It's been almost 20 years since a young and clueless kid walked through the front doors of the Kettering Foundation, but as luck would have it, you were there (with Jim) to help guide me. Indeed, what an unexpected pleasure it has been to have a man of your experience, stature, and understanding there to mentor and mold me into the adult and professional that I am today. The passion you have for your work, and your tireless work ethic have been a sight to behold, and if I am demonstrating any of these qualities in my own work, it can be directly attributed to your excellent example. Mostly, though, I appreciate and will miss our simple, easy, and quiet moments together over a cup of coffee in the hallway, hearing your thoughts or sharing my own. I'll miss your wonderful stories from your days in government, always wondering what incredible thing I'll hear next. I would also be remiss if I didn't specifically thank you for your support throughout all of my academic pursuits. You have been championing me from the beginning, and I am truly grateful for that. It's been quite a journey, and I'm honored to have shared it with you. Love, Phil Lurie

I wanted to like this place, if only to avoid parking at Tachibana, which can be a chore, and the possibility of saving money long term (among other issues). I don't know sushi or related quality issues all that well, and so I hoped Don's caution regarding quality above would be lost on me. It wasn't, even to an amateur. I will say that I genuinely liked the Miso Soup (nearly double the Tachibana portion) and Utah Roll (a shrimp tempura roll covered with a slab of tuna). The other items were unremarkable. The main problem was their tempura, which lacked flavor and was soggy and limp. The Utah Roll worked because that slab of tuna masked the issues with the rest of the roll. Other rolls we got that were tempura based weren't so lucky. The spicy tuna and salmon rolls were fairly tasteless, I'm assuming due to quality, as opposed to preparation. Anyway, if I could find 1-2 more legitimately good rolls, I could see myself making Ichiban my sushi place of choice in McLean. They have a much better customer experience, imho. Alas, that seems unlikely.

Tonight I'll tilt one back to Harold "Hal" Saunders, a beloved friend, colleague, and mentor, who devoted his life to peace. RIP. I commend his obit to you: "Dr. Harold H. Saunders, 1930-2016" on kettering.org

There are two in Falls Church that I know of. The other one is where Famous Daves and the Chipotle are. Actually this place came up in convo the other day. I feel it's got to be underutilized. I've never been but surely they make a hell of a ham sandwich. I mean, they have to, don't they?

Tonight I'm raising a glass to...me! For having successfully defended my dissertation earlier today. Yay! Don, please change my screen name to Dr. Delicious