Escoffier

Winchester

Does it also have skanky people hanging out the doors of sex toy shops waving vibrators at you, and the smell of booze, puke and piss in the sidewalks? (Granted I haven't been there in 13 years, maybe it's gotten better.) But I agree that One Block West is underrated. I've been there several times on Friday or Saturday nights when it wasn't more than half full. Do the good people of Winchester know what they have?

No, they don't know, or if they do, they seem to think it's "too weird" or "too expensive". I believe most of the business comes from places that know (and to some extent) understand outstanding food. I'd almost be willing to host a dinner there for DR members just so more people could experience the amazing food that comes out of the kitchen. Chef Ed deserves a lot of credit for bringing world class food to a town that maybe just isn't quite ready for it. I have a feeling that as more and more "city" people move towards Winchester, the level of sophistication towards fine dining will increase.

Winchester

Grover and I were in Winchester last weekend (okay, Thursday through Sunday) and to celebrate a special occassion, we decided we'd take advantage of Chef Ed Matthews of One Block West and his tasting menu. Because Chef Matthews uses ingredients that he has purchased (mostly) the same day, the menu is a flexible work of art. I'm not sure that comments on the food are necessary other than to say that the first course was amazing and each following course was even more amazing. The combination of ingredients, the textures and the well-blended flavors all came together to create probably the best dinner four of us have ever had. Here is the menu:

Pepperoni-Spiced Pork Terrine
Ground local Berkshire pork shoulder and scraps
Interior garnishes: Chorizo, Mangalitsa pork pancetta (house-cured), pistachios
Seasoning: ground fennel seed, pimentón, garlic, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, Chianti
Mâche
Roasted red pepper goat cheese truffle
Wine: Grotta del Sole Asprinio d’Aversa

Scallop Tartare
Diced sea scallop (dayboat, landed New Bedford), mango, avocado, capers, shallots, cilantro vinaigrette
Coconut-wasabi sorbet
Wine: Glen Manor Vineyards Petit Manseng Virginia 2011

Pan-Roasted Steelhead Trout (wild, origin Quebec)
Goose Egg (local) Fried Rice
Roasted haricots verts
Crispy local oyster mushrooms
Hoisin/Dobanjang/Fish Sauce/Garlic Chive glaze around bowl
Wine: Amalie Robert Pinot Meunier Willamette Valley 2010

Porcini, Arugula, Duck Confit Pizza
Grilled house-made naan dough
Topped with lemon-caper cream cheese
Fresh (Oregon) porcini stewed in butter, garlic, parsley (porcini trifolati)
House-cured duck confit (3-month curing process)
Wilted arugula with slivered garlic
Wine: Argyle Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2010

Mojito Sorbet

Rabbit
Pulled local rabbit bound with saffron-dill sauce in phyllo
Creamed fennel stalks
Salad of mâche and locust blossoms (Ed’s yard) with honey-lemon dressing
Crispy Morels (local)
Fennel cream/fennel pollen around plate edge
Wine: ADEA Pinot Noir “Deano’s Pinot” Willamette Valley 2009

Lemon Panna Cotta
Honey rhubarb compote
Lemon balm (Ed’s garden)

If you have never had the opportunity to eat at One Block West, I can't recommend it highly enough. Dinner for the four of us with wines, tax and gratuity was roughly $150 each. Click the link for the website: One Block West

NB: I found out later that Ed and I both grew up in the same place, went to the same schools and followed parallel career paths, however, I must say his is much more satisfying than mine.

We'll be out of town (dinner reservations at One Block West in Winchester) or we'd join you as well.

Really?

Yep. A rather informal one it was, too.

We had a DR.com hamburger 'meet' there a couple of years ago. They opened at night just for us. Wasn't breakfast, but your experience pretty much echoed ours. Good, simple, well made food.

Just remember if one person orders the all you can eat option, the whole table has to do the same. Parking sucks (to be generous). You might find space at the lot next door (I'm not certain how legal that is, but it works). If you find something you like (and you're doing the AYCE option), order it for the whole table or you'll get an order for one person. Banchan runs from okay to really good. Most of the servers speak English so you shouldn't have a problem being understood.

I say "Hi, I'm Earl. You owe me a drink but you probably don't remember. However, I'm giving you a chance to make up for your oversight".

First, if you believe anything you read on Yelp, you're in trouble. Secondly, banchan is a collective noun (it's whatever happens to come to the table when the server decides its time for banchan). Third, the seafood pancake is haemul-pajon and Vit Goel's is a so-so version. Okay, no more numbering. Korean food comes when it's ready and so you never know what's going to show up when. Roll with it. You should never drink water with spicy food. The only thing that does is spread the burn over a larger area of your mouth. Rice is for spicy. You should take a spoonful of Soonduboo, place it in your rice bowl, give it a few seconds (minutes for some people) and then eat the tofu and rice together. Not sure why you would feel that Vit Gol is "dumpy" on the outside, it's in what appears to be a small business building (which is what it happens to be ). Unless the server are really busy, they almost always say "ahn yeega sayo" ("come back" or "see you soon" or any variation thereof you might like). Koreans as a group tend to be somewhat shy and tend to not understand why mee-guks would eat Korean food. They also doubt that mee-guks would like spicy food.

Maybe there is a poetic justice to swearing off your kids to enjoy "bastardized" sushi rolls. I'm not trying to judge anyone's guilty pleasure, but I just don't get creating a kid-free zone for BBQ pork sushi. If anything, that should be on a kid's menu.

I'm sorry, but BBQ pork and sushi should never exist in the same paragraph, much less in the same forum. Call me old-fashioned (go ahead, I dare you) but sushi is fish and rice (okay, maybe tomagi too). Anything else is not sushi, it's blasphemy.

Was it up by the flea market? If so, I was there too.

Do you know how many flea markets (and street markets, and impromptu markets, and wine markets) there are in Paris? Every neighborhood has one. . One of our favorites is in the 1er arondissment close to L'huître seafood restaurant. (Which is down the street from Lapin which for some reason serves a lot of rabbit dishes).

Now you know timeismoney! Notimetospeakclearlyandslowly,gottagettothatnexttable. So, what'll you have?

I used to go there quite reqularly for hamburgers and blue grass when I lived on Baggett Place. Sitting way up in the back and the hamburgers was always a treat. A shame it had to close.

Their website doesn't list hours, nor does their yelp listing. They don't answer the phone. Next time!

Too bad you didn't make it, Dean. We just left about 30 minutes ago. Omakase was amazing (and the large fed the two of us). It helps that Shinmoto-san knows us, so he made two of everything for us so there was no debate over who got what.

To Sok Jip and Gom Ba Woo are on opposite sides of Columbia Pike, but are very walkable.

Actually, To Sok Jip and Gom Ba Woo are on the same parking lot. Gom Ba Woo is beside the grocery store on one side of the parking lot and To Sok Jip is directly across the parking lot and in front of the grocery store.

If you really wanted to do a mobile Korean dinner, I'd suggest the Haemool Paejon as Don suggested along with the mandoo at Gom Ba Woo and then the Belt fish and Chicken soup with noodles (Kall Guk Soo) at To Sok Jip.

While driving in Annandale today, I noticed a new restaurant on Little River Turnpike called Gangnam Sushi House (Facebook page) replacing Osaka.

Eat there quickly, next week the name will change again. That place has had about 300 different names.

This is the list of people I have attending tomorrow evening:

The Matt

Porcupine and Mr. Porcupine

Grover and yours truly.

I've notified the chef and the ingredients have been purchased. Until tomorrow evening at 6:30...

And the thing above their fireplace is called?

Irving?

Annandale recommendations from Danny Lee of Mandu. I'll have to check out the last two (Siroo Bakery for rice cakes and the Korean guy outside HMart - I like the Korean sweet pancakes).

And naturally To Sok Jip is right there at the top. We manage to get those pancakes at the Annandale H-Mart about twice a month (usually after a trip to Tanpopo for sushi and ramen).

Near Monticello, I've always enjoyed the buffet at Michie Tavern (pronounced Meeky).

Close. As a native C'villian, it's pronounced "Mickie" (or "micky" if you prefer).

Last chance. I have to give Del Ray Cafe the final count this evening. People who are attending, there is a parking lot behind the building and plenty of street parking.

I understand that Sprecher's of Wisconsin is going to produce a 5% alcohol version of their root beer. This is going to be produced in small batches initially to test the waters. If successful, it will go into mass production. Anybody tried any (or for that matter found any locally)?

Sorry to hear that.

Just a quick reminder that this dinner is only a week away. If there are others who are interested, now is the time to let me know so I can let the chef know.

Let me check on the date if there is still room? But I might be in with a +1.

That won't be a problem. We can have up to a total of 12 which means there is room for 5 more. I will just need to let Chef Tonello know the total on Monday the 11th so that he can purchase the food and start the preparation. This is all fresh, completely off-menu, and cooked specially for we who are dining.

We will gather at 6:30 pm for a sparkly, before dinner aperitif and a chance to meet both Chef Tonello and Laurent the owner. Dinner will be served at 7:00pm.

Great. I'll notify the chef tonight.