Escoffier

We have now reached the limit of 14 people. If you'd like to come but didn't manage to make the initial 14, respond here and we'll start a wait list. Sometimes peoples schedules and plans change and perhaps you can be added. If there is enough, we'll schedule another dinner for the next 14.

Welcome! Escoffier Grover Goodeats Scott Johnston Cucas87 aaronsinger Walrus Tripewriter TheMatt Nashman1975 IlanaKS StephenB SrtaJRosa u-bet! and just a reminder, the dinner is going to be September 7, starting around 7:30. Looking forward to seeing everyone. Goodeats is a very gracious hostess (and I'm my usual curmudgeonly self) and Will Artley is a great chef.

Grover and I have gone there a couple of times but the lure of Gamasot keeps us driving. Sahm Oh Jong is pretty good and I do like their panchan. --- [ETA Sahm Oh Jong has new owners and a new name, and the new thread is here]

Welcome! Escoffier Grover Goodeats Scott Johnston Cucas87 aaronsinger Walrus Tripewriter TheMatt Nashman1975 IlanaKS StephenB SrtaJRosa

The Farmers Table dinner at Evening Star Cafe on Mount Vernon Avenue in the Del Ray section of Alexandria will be held on September 7th at 7:00pm. There is room for 14 lucky diners. The attendees so far: Escoffier Grover Goodeats Scott Johnston Cucas87 aaronsinger Walrus Tripewriter TheMatt Nashman1975 IlanaKS StephenB I'd like to welcome you all. I hope you're looking forward to this event as much as Grover and I. Chef Will Artley has promised an evening of fine food locally sourced.

You should have been there yesterday when I brought some of my co-workers for lunch...two Vietnamese, one Chinese, one Phillipina, one Jamacian and two boring American mutts...a great time was had by all and no one left hungry.

Certainly am glad I followed the link so that I could find out that the word was really GENIUSES...

Let's welcome guest number 11, IlanaKS. Her first Rockwellian event... Welcome IlananKS, you're in the company of: Escoffier Grover Goodeats Scott Johnston +1 aaronsinger Walrus Tripewriter TheMatt Nashman1975 IlanaKS

...and so that takes care of all the twittering (lovely word, that one) that you could ever need. (Remember, you're an individual, just like everyone else.) Once you discover that every person elsewhere is just like you only they speak a different language, you can turn the thing off and do something constructive. (and in case you didn't know, I'm not a Luddite. I have all the wonderful tools that you just have to have to be continuously connected in this 99% wired world ... and of course, the one thing that no one has said is that you don't have to participate in this particular brand of hedonism, you can simply ignore it, which it seems most of the world does anyway )

Grover and I love RJ's food. He even made StephenB extremely happy so you know the food is excellent. I hate to miss this but we'll either be in or returning from Cape Cod at that time.

Does September 7 work for you? We'd love to have you come along. I met with the chef last night (okay, we actually had dinner together) and he's talking some seriously great food. I'll let goodeats drop more hints but, she's right...suckling pig will be the evenings final course.

you log into twitter and about every 30 or so minutes you look to see what deathless prose has been posted (it doesn't require or need very much attention given the level of discourse). After you read three or four (thousand? It seemed like it) messages saying things similar to...'at work now'...'going 4 kofe' ... etc, you can ignore 99.8%. Unfortunately, (like this message) most of us don't lead very exciting lives and informing people of every non-event in your boring life is only mildly more interesting than their boring lives (once).

Possibly Grover and Escoffier

This is something we do with 15 or 20 friends every April...we try to get there the first weekend they open.

There are already too damn many twits (a number of which I have to endure at work every day). I managed to sit through one whole 8 hour session of Twitter before passing out from abject boredom. Too many people who don't have anything interesting to say insisting on saying it...

A friend and I are in Lake George for the weekend so we asked the hotel concierge to recommend a good place to eat. When we replied that we had no particular cuisine in mind, he recommended Mario's on the north end of the village. We headed there quickly (I hadn't eaten since breakfast and it was now past 7:00pm). Mario's is located on a hill in a converted house. We parked (lots of parking, very few spaces available) and entered. We were greeted by a very nice young lady who told us we would have about a 20 minute wait. We asked if there was a bar or lounge where we could wait and were directed to the bar. Walking through the restaurant, there were no seats vacant anywhere. The house was completely filled. There were locals and visitors both filling every table. (we knew the difference..the locals dress better). At the bar, I ordered a Manhattan, unfortunately, this was the only low-light of the evening, the Manhattan was made from what seemed like a mix. The service however was pleasant and everyone around the bar was having a good time. I saw the chef walking through the bar and heading to the kitchen and asked what he recommended from the menu. "Veal Saltimbocca and Osso Bucco", came the prompt answer. Osso Bucco just happens to be one of my favorites so my mind was quickly made up. We were quickly summoned to our table. The service was fast and friendly. The water and bread were delivered (the water cold and the bread nice and hot and extremely good). Our server listed the specialties of the day but before she could get through the list I said Osso Bucco and my friend said Veal Saltimbocca. We were asked for our preference in salad dressings and I requested the house made which was creamy Italian. Off she went...after a wait of about 5 minutes our requested bottle of Ruffino Reserva was presented properly and I did the wine ritual. The temperature of the wine was spot on...just slightly chilled but not cold. After a few minutes of conversation and a bit of wine drinking, a runner showed up with our salads. OMG, that was the best creamy Italian dressing I've ever had..a bit of bite, no sweetness, just the perfect accompaniment to the greens. I don't think there was a bit of anything left when the salads were finished. The finished dishes were promptly removed only to be replaced by the main event of the evening. My Osso Bucco was a large portion of veal shank falling off the bone. There was a hint of wine in the gravy (sauce?) that added just a nice bit of bite to the extremely well cooked veal. As if I needed more, dinner was accompanied by a rather largish bowl of what appeared (and tasted) of house made pasta with a pleasant tomato based sauce. I'd tell you more about the spaghetti but I didn't have more than about two bites because of the quality and quantity of the main course. We both finished off everything on our respective plates. The level of conversation was minimal (and if you know my friend Jonathan, you know he can talk and generally does). We finished off dinner with a house made cannoli. No words for this, it was excellent and a great way to finish dinner. The bill including wine was around $98 which was a very good price for such good food.

Now you didn't think I'd overlook you, did you? The list so far:Escoffier Grover Goodeats Scott Johnston Cucas87 aaronsinger Walrus Tripewriter TheMatt Nashman1975

Okay, there's room for 4 more lucky people. I'm going to talk to Chef Artley on Monday night and after I do, I'll post a tentative menu.

I think I've volunteered goodeats to be the gracious official hostess (I don't think she knows it yet). I'm going to talk to Chef Artley Monday night and see what he thinks and what he'd like to feed us (a lot depends on what's fresh the day of the dinner). I've added you to the list. I think this will be an excellent dinner if what I've eaten at Evening Star is any indication. (Carrot soup with house roasted walnuts and aioli, roast porkloin dipped in an organic potato chip batter (damn fine and an amazingly wonderful flavor. Even though I was full, I finished every bite)).

Okay, let's see, we have the following people expressing interest so far: Escoffier Grover Goodeats Scott Johnston +1 aaronsinger Walrus Tripewriter TheMatt Nashman1975 We're more than half way there. Shall we decide on an date and should I approach Chef Artley about designing a menu for us?

How about sometime in early September? Obviously this is outside the $20 Tuesday limit, but a Tuesday night?

They have traditionally been held on Sunday nights, but I was talking to him last night and they'll arrange for any night we want to come.

Evening Star has created a Farmers Table where 14 lucky people get to eat Chef Will Artley's excellent food paired with wines from Planet Wine. I want to gauge interest in having a special dinner for 14 people at Evening Star. Food will come from selected local farms and will be prepared specially for the lucky 14. Past dinners have spotlighted dishes such as Spring Lamb with tasso ham and local cheddar grits and braised spinach; wild mushroom & thyme stuffed Amish chicken with braised field greens and potato gratin; Goat cheese and vine ripened local yellow tomato gazpacho with cucumber relish; and lots more goodies. Dinners with appetizers such as Va country ham and cheddar biscuits, an opening course such as gazpacho, and a main course of plan roasted Salmon with Summer succotash, roasted fingerling potatoes and tomato beurre blanc, Wild mushroom and thyme stuffed Amish chicken or Grilled Hanger Steak with garlicky mashed potatoes, pan tossed baby green beans and demi glace, a cheese course and dessert have been priced under $50. This is an excellent way to support local food producers and enjoy amazing food and wine at a amazingly low price. Under Chef Artley, Evening Star is rapidly becoming a destination dining venue. Sign up and find out what a hidden gem exists in Del Ray.

Read the entire "Why did I get this notice" notice on the next page. It says that this site hasn't hosted any nasties or other unwanted software but might have in the last 90 days (more or less what it says).I'm not sure that it's clean but I don't think it's all that bad.Now on to the good stuff...too much meat? Nonsense...why just eating Honey-toasted Cheerios for 36 months has brought my chloresterol almost back to terminal ...lots of meaty goodness here (even if we did have really glacial service the lunchtime we were there). It sounds like the service has improved so I'm up for a repeat visit (besides, Grover is one fine food ordering person)

Maybe we can get Grover to organize another Korean night nosh. I think if YOU ask her Dean, she'd probably say yes (a $20 Tuesday sounds just about right).