Sundae in the Park

A Bolivan bakery has opened up in my 'hood, replacing the sketchy Asian bakery next to the new Wild Chicken, and got a nice writeup in the WaPo here. The info: 3900 Pickett Rd. Fairfax, VA 22031 703-978-8021 Tues-Sat:10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sun: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Has anyone gone yet? Can't wait to try it out, especially the saltenas!

OMG, the roasted ramps!!!!! The stalk is crispy and the bulb is cooked soft and the whole thing is a flavor/texture bomb. The rockfish collar appetizer, dressed with ramps, asparagus, and peanut romesco, is one of the best things I've eaten in ages and is almost entree-sized. The portions here are quite generous. We had a couple of nice cocktails - the rum shandy is perfect for a person who likes balanced, fruity concoctions with a little beer fizz. We had excellent service and a simply wonderful night. There are three two-tops (hightops) in the bar area. When we got there at about 5:20 PM (Sat.) all three were available, though the other two were taken within the next 15 minutes. When we left, there was a scramble for our table, and several couples were politely duking it out for first claim. We also had the extremely rich she-crab soup, the popcorn, the cornbread, and the slow-roasted pork entree. The chocolate pudding pie is small but very dense, but the CMP (a last-minute impulse add-on after we saw it on other tables) is a completely over-the-top malted ice cream sundae with a bruleed marshmallow creme top. I loved the whole cozy, friendly, delicious experience. It called to mind the atmosphere of the Zuni Cafe. I don't think we have anything quite like it here in DC.

Yep, my husband was very happy with his straight-up crab cake. My fried haddock sandwich was HUGE! A maybe 12-inch fillet fried as two pieces, given to me with two slices of wonderish bread and some decent lettuce and mealy tomato. The hubs used my bread to turn his crab cake into a sandwich and I ate as much I could of the totally-worth-the-calories, surprisingly greaseless, supercrunchy only on the outside fish with the better than average tartar sauce. I still needed help, though, which made me a little sad, because I wanted to finish All the Deliciousness!

The new location on Market street is behind the closed-off entrance to Power Plant Live! during the weekend nights. After a certain time of night there may be a cover ($5 after 11 PM this Sat) just to get into this area to access these bars/restaurants. I doubt it's hurting their business, as it was pretty busy the whole night. They also have live music playing. We looked in but didn't eat because we were still full. Pizza looked decent, though!

We went twice this weekend, once on the drive up to Baltimore, and again on the way back. Excellent tacos, where barbacoa < carnitas < el pastor in juiciness and flavor. The red sauce is HOT, and the el pastor meat is already perfectly spiced so you don't need additions. I was very excited about trying the huaraches, but their version was much less puffy and chewy than the versions I tried in Mexico City (where it was a lot like "Indian" fry bread) - it was kind of like an extra-thick fried tortilla, and I didn't really care for it. This place is so easy to find, it is a must-visit on the way to/from BWI. It was a little crowded both times we were there, but the line moves quickly and most of the time is spent waiting for your food to come out. Lots of folks there were talking about the TV show, but there was a healthy sprinkling of non-gringos. The parking lot looks like a tailgate party, as there is hardly any space inside to eat and you don't want to wait to eat your food! The menu linked above is current and they do take call-ahead orders, if you want to be planful.

The sauce on the hand-held pizza thing we had in Thailand actually was ketchup, and it was topped by a similar waxy, vaguely cheese-like substance as jayandstacey describes above, along with some really stringy onions. Most horrifying bite ever, even before the beach sand (though that was our own fault) was factored in.

Y'all are amazing!! We are going to eat as much as possible (though I just read about the kinetic sculpture race, which sounds like so much fun and may cut into some eating time ) and I'll report back on the respective threads. Thanks so much!

As a most-shellfish-avoider, I really enjoy the fact that I can eat almost everything here. We had the lovely lamb loin and duck (preps haven't changed from above), and I especially enjoyed the springy gnocchi (ramps, asparagus, mushrooms, oh my!).

Anyone know if the onion fries at R^3 are different from the onion rings at the other Ray's locations? They are AMAZING, almost tempura-light and by far the best of the fried things we had (regular fries and tots). Also, they have an excellent milkshake well worth the $5.

Hey all, We'll be in Baltimore on Sat.-Sun. this weekend and are looking for a) a great place for crabcakes (yes, I know it's not the season) and some lunch/dinner suggestions. We might try to get into Woodberry Kitchen, but I don't have any ideas about the other meals. We're staying downtown at the Hilton and would like things to be close by if possible. Low-key and cheap(er) eats suggestions for lunches would be especially helpful. Any ideas?? Thanks!!

Pear cider on tap, great fried things, being able to carry on a conversation even when the place is full...don't really need anything else.

The new decor and color scheme at the DC location is...strong (RED!), with the kitschy soccer element leaning whimsical in the restaurant and a bit startling in the bathrooms. It's great that the restaurant's been refreshed, but I do miss the soothing blue-greens of the old tile motif. No construction smell that I could discern. Food/service is just as remembered. The croquettes are served in a shoe dish! It's hilarious, though the croquettes don't hold a candle to the bacon-wrapped dates if you're going for fried things.

This was the experience of our table, as we ordered pretty much those things. The dishes were a bit sweet (curry, especially) and the spice level toned down (drunken noodles), but everyone enjoyed their meals and the decor and atmosphere is pretty and welcoming. It's a nice place to take a (friend's) mom out for a Thai meal when she is nervous about the cuisine, which is exactly what we were doing. FWIW the dining room was mostly full while we were there, and the staff and ourselves were the only Asian folks in the room...

Yep, they even check the less-obvious packaging in your carry-ons. They shook my nalgene and styrofoam container and made me pour out the HKG fountain water and throw out the congee. They did invite me to return to the gate and eat my congee, though. My security guy did recognize the absurdity of this, and was apologetic but firm. It's a looooong flight and I felt bad badgering the flight attendants for drinks, but really didn't have any choice Also, the Phuket, Thailand and Penang, Malaysia airports are small are relatively foodless (well, they both have Burger King/McDonalds and coffee/donuts - it's strange to see asian Dunkin's!). Eat something before you get to the airport!! The Bangkok airport is beautiful - lots of touches (indoor pavillions, statues, and orchid gardens) to let you know you're still in Thailand. There is various Western and Asian food available - I had a DQ blizzard (you can get mango cones and green tea ice cream) and a bowl of pretty decent ramen while watching a Beyonce video. Our culture has a long reach. Tortas Frontera in Terminal 1 at ORD was...fine, not really the burst of the flavor of the Americas that I was anticipating on my way back from Asia. I was going to get the cuban tortas until the sandwich maker told me that the smoked pork loin was "eh, like ham" and saw that it looked pretty wan. The chile-corm chowder didn't pack any punch, but the fresh guac from the guacamole bar was nice. I got mine dressed with bacon and sun dried tomatoes and it still tasted undersalted until I scooped it with the chips, which were more than salty enough to make up the difference.HKG HKT PEN BKK ORD

They took my congee!! And my water, but that was a (slightly) lesser outrage. Coming home from Hong Kong, they make you throw out all liquids again before you board the plane, even though you purchased the items in the terminal. Rage!!! That said, I already had a bowl of congee for breakfast, so at least I wasn't hungry - they only got my backup congee planned for midflight. The congee and wuntun shop (they have a digital number sign to show you where to pick up your food) in the main dining area (upstairs, after passport check) is pricy but wonderful. I ate there both coming and going and the dim sum, congee, and noodles were nicely prepared and very filling. Even the premade bubble tea in the case, which was very expensive, was pretty much perfect (I have no idea how they keep the bubbles chewy, but they do). If you are arriving late in Hong Kong and don't feel like heading out after checking into your hotel or eating hotel food, there are several spots in the arrival area that seem to be worth eating at. Cystal Jade La Mian is actually a sit-down place (you still have to flag down the servers when you are ready to order, per Chinese style) that has terrific, house-made la mian noodles. If you aren't sure of your stomach, don't get the spicy beef noodle soup, since it more than lives up to its three-chili designation. It's very, very tasty, though. The xiao long bao are great though but fried buns are less so. Really, all the noodle dishes seem to be worthy. HKG

My favorite breakfast in the world is roti canai and a tea tarik. We were able to grab this a few times in Little India while in Georgetown, Penang and it was heavenly. We also tried a roti chocolate, which is a ridiculous, crispy stuffed crepe/pancake that makes for a most decadent end to breakfast. Per Biscuit Girl's suggestions, I followed the advice of food writer Robyn Eckhardt (see aticles linked above) and we went to Aik Hoe (dim sum) and Tek Sen (Chinese/Malay), and both were superb! At Aik Hoe it was a bit confusing, as it is self-service and folks will literally walk into the kitchen to grab their favorites. If you don't, you won't get the good stuff! So you must screw up your courage and march in (carefully, minding the slippery floor), which is a cultural experience in itself. Lots of typical dim sum dishes - buns, animal feet, fried things - as well as noodle dishes. We tried the roast pork, fish curry, greens, and house-made tofu at Tek Sen. All were terrific, especially the roast pork (if only we could have had the chiles version! We toned it down for the child), but the tofu was the best - perfectly fried, smooth custard on the inside, simple but wonderful garnish/sauce. We hit a few hawker areas and tried lots of things - plates and plates of char koay teow, various satays, some laska (not our favorite flavor profile - don't like sour as much), chicken rice, and finally, the char hor fun. This is one of my favorite dishes and I was searching for it after my last trip. My cousin had ordered it as "Hwa dan ho fun" and, after coming back home, I found several likely-looking recipes for "wat dan hor", but this was pretty much it!! So delicious. The hawker stall areas are really amazing, with all the variety of people and food and smells. I walked around and looked at the various things forever before actually eating anything. It's such an interesting esperience!!! Smoky, though. Penang is such a great spot for food but it's so damn hot!! At least in April. Besides other inconveniences, the heat depresses the appetite. We simply couldn't eat more than we did, even though we really wanted to (no coconut tart)!! So be warned. We had originally booked an apartment through the Straits Collection, liking its location on Armenian Street. While the street is neat and very centrally located, we didn't care for the apartment itself (open courtyard/roof to the outside! tons of mosquitoes! AC only in the bedrooms! Still, if you can get past these issues, it was a huge and beautifully furnished apartment in a terrific location, and the proprietors are sooooo nice), so relocated to Trader's Hotel for the other nights of our stay (thanks again Biscuit Girl! Your rec really saved us!). It's an older but nice property with typical hotel amenities (lobby, restaurant, rooms on upper floors w/out bugs, AC throughout, etc.) with a very pretty pool (kind of essential, it turns out, for the hot midday). Trader's is right next to a big mall and a block off the free tourist shuttle bus route, and was also within walking distance (10-15 mins) of both Tek Sen and Aik Hoe. Georgetown is really a very small place and quite accessible - highly recommended if you are in Malaysia.

A trip to the Tian Tan Buddha, also known as the Big Buddha, is an excellent way to kill a short day in HK while waiting for your next flight. We stayed out at the airport, so it was an easy trip from our hotel (the Sky City Marriott - nice, modern space with a beautiful indoor pool and very convenient free hotel shuttle to the airport and nearest metro station) because you don't have to leave Lantau Island. The gondola station to the Buddha is also visible from the Novotel, which is built right on top of the mall/metro station in that plaza. The gondola ride takes you over the mountain (there is a hiking trail, if you are so inclined) and to the village (very commercial including a Starbucks) that leads to the Buddha statue and the monestary serving it. Across the sky walkway from the mall, there are additional shopping spaces. If you go down the escalator and hang a left, there are various little food shops and stalls where you can get excellent buns, noodle soups, and fruit. Grab a bite, then pick up some buns.mangosteens(!!!) for the excursion. It's a great and easy day!

In Penang, stinking of the food hawker stalls, wishing i had a smaller belly but much more stomach space. Goddamn, but the internet is amazing!!

Rabieng is my favorite Thai place in the greater DC area, and I've had most of the dishes that struck out the other day dozens of times previously. This was the first time that anything was wrong with my meal in many, many visits for almost a decade. I'm inclined to double down and go back to get the same exact meal, maybe with a few words to my server beforehand about sweetness, etc., and I expect everything to be fine-great. So go and report back!! I'm assuming they had an off day/new cook, and they've definitely earned my benefit of the doubt over the years.

Livermore; San Leandro; Hayward In Livermore, we had a perfectly adequate meal at Zephyr Grill & Bar. I only mention it because literally everyone we asked (and we asked quite a few people!) told us to go there, and while it was pretty decent, there was nothing mindblowing about the place. I had a nicely prepared corvina and the sides were...nice, fine, forgettable, etc. My companion had a salmon that she didn't care for as much. Just so you know! We did have a pretty great lunch at a little Thai place in town, though. Also in Livermore, Lemon Grass Restaurant serves up some generous lunch plates. We had a red curry and roasted duck, and both were very good. The duck was cooked really well, with crispy skin and fat rendered all the way through, over a bed of wilted greens - good contrast with the fatty duck. The dishes came with a very nutty and chewy (in a good way) brown rice. The Indian buffet lunch at the place a few doors down, Sansar, was disappointing. The selection was OK but the food was salty and quite cool. In San Leandro, there was a Vietnamese place, LeSoleil, that I didn't care for. The cooked dishes were gloppy and sweet and the pho was only OK. So far when in San Leandro, I've found it best to just head across the bridge and eat in San Mateo. In Hayward, there is a pretty decent Chinese dim sum (every day) place called New West Lake Restaurant. It's a classic dim sum place where you order off the set menu, instead of carts. There is also a lot of seafood swimming around in tanks. We ordered a variety of fried and steamed dumplings and other things and everything was good to great. Also in Hayward is Oasis Grill, which is NOT the wonderful Mediterranean place I once ate at and was searching for. It is a merely fine place to pita sandwiches from rather inept (language barrier and/order unfamiliarity with their own menu issues) order-takers. Not much seating space and a very plain store.

Discovered the most perfect sandwich at yet another trip to Porto's. The roasted pork on Cuban bread sandwich is good, but add some greens from your side salad with cilantro dressing and WOW! Fabulous, with a modicum of healthy. We also had a nice meal at Palate [Closed in Mar, 2012] in Glendale. They have a lot of house-made charcuterie, potted meats, and pickled things, as well as a well-edited list of larger dishes and lots of wines by the glass. Everything we had was tasty and fresh. My memory of specifics is a bit fuzzy, as it was a while ago, but the menu changes every week anyway, so it doesn't really matter. The back is much more bar/lounge-like (there was even live music on a weekday!) while the front is moderately formal. It's quite a nice surprise in the middle of Gendale's auto mile.

Thanks! This is the second recommendation we had to seek them out. We found a few NYT articles they wrote that will form the foundation for our trip in Penang - we don't have a lot of time, so the 36 hours in Penang itinerary is pretty much perfect. Will report when I get back!

Our lunch there a few Sundays ago was extremely disappointing. The only dishes that worked were the roasted pork with noodles (delicious; tangy and lighter than expected) from the street menu and the mango with sticky rice dessert. Everything else was inappropriately sweet and dry at the same time. Chili cod - overcooked, dry, hard fish and very sweet chili sauce. Pad se ew - floppy noodles, no burnt-wok smell/taste, and sweeter than normal. Jerked beef with sticky rice - very dry rice (meat was also dry, but that, at least, was as it was supposed to be). The duck in the duck dish was overcooked and dry and the red curry was very, very sweet. I had brought friends for the first time and was very sad about the experience. The roasted pork with noodles came out second, so we didn't know anything was really wrong until the rest of the entrees came out. And then...everything had major flaws! So I guess this is an interesting point of discussion - what do do when you don't like any of the food??!! It's one thing to send back a dish, but the whole meal? Especially when the real answer is that you don't want to eat any more food coming out of that kitchen! So we didn't say anything to management (again, we had guests) and high-tailed it outta there. First time I haven't brough home leftovers from my meal

Nice, thanks!! I found some mint M&M's the other day at a CVS, tried them, and found them GOOD.

Dropped in a little before close the other night at the Lee Highway location and the bird was neither crisp nor juicy. HOWEVER, the flavor was outstanding, better than Wild chicken or Pollo Rico, even in such reduced circumstances. The newbie with me concurred and quite liked it. So aim not be the last customer of the night and all should be well.