Sundae in the Park

Mmmm. Thai Square is still such a gem.

Just yesterday, I reminisced with a known food dignitary about:

Roasted Duck in Red Curry Sauce ($10.95)

Tender slices of roasted duck in spicy red curry with diced pineapple and basil leaves

I see Thai Square carry out and Alsatian riesling in my future.

And Thai food + white (German for me) wines = intercontinental bliss

I searched for a thread on Thai Square, but I couldn't find one, so I apologize if I'm search-function impaired, but I thought this place deserved its own space.

I'm glad that Tom S. isn't hyping it anymore, because it's now safe to go back! While they are still busy, it's possible to get seated at some point in the evening, and they are now willing and able to fill takeout orders in a reasonable length of time.

When I eat here, I'm reminded of how much I enjoy eating simple, homey, Thai food. None of this bland, oversauced, and terribly underspiced poor excuses that they've been serving up at some of the many, many random Thai joints that have popped up (I do appreciate the attempts to use clever names, though I've wondered why no one has yet tried Thai Me Up!) as Thai food has increased significantly in popularity with the masses.

Last night we had three dishes: pad see ew with beef, eggplant with chicken and basil, and catfish with chilies and eggplant. The noodles were dry-fried, with just enough sauce and grease to caramelize the noodle edges. Yum! I like that they use Chinese broccoli, as is right and proper, instead of regular broccoli.

We had told the server, "spicy is good," in response to her concerned query about our choices. However, the (chunks of asian) eggplant and basil chicken dish, while bursting with basil goodness, was not exactly searing to the palate. (But how do I justify deep-frying my vegetables, if I don't get a restaurant to do it??!!) The dish was delicious, but mild. Maybe next time I'll tell them that "spicy is necessary."

The catfish was fried (thin steak slices) and served with thin slices of those cute, green, baby (Thai?) eggplants, a lot of basil, and the same basic brown sauce, with the crucial addition of a generous amount of chilies. While the flavor was excellent (and definitely needed rice to ensure consumer comfort), I have to say that my enjoyment of the dish was reduced somewhat because of the effort involved in finding and removing the spine and other bones. Each bite required rather delicate chewing to avoid stabby little points of fishy revenge. I understand, though, that this might not be a problem for others.

Great service - friendly but unobtrusive. My water glass barely had time to dip below full (key for me when chilies are involved) before it was refilled.

So that's me. I love this place! Anyone else want to cop to eating Thai comfort food? I'm curious if others have suggestions on dishes to try...

My guess is that even the manufacturer couldn't tell you whether it's "safe." It starts with Irish whiskey which would probably last forever if properly bottled, but then they add cream -- which is protein and fat, and an ideal medium for bacterial growth. Will the alcohol kill the bacteria? For how long?

Maybe I'm wrong. Send them an email and ask.

To add to the outpouring of confession, I have some random Chinese canned goods that have made it through several moves. Orginally, my mom sent them with me to college, so I would have something from home (Boston) to eat in the wilds of Virginia. I've since moved to New Hampshire and then back to Virginia, and now I'm on my second apartment here...It's probably time to let them go...

What about liquor? Does it ever go bad? And I don't necessarily mean unopened bottles of stuff that are perfectly capable of preserving themselves, but specifically, what about liquor from the Bailey's family? I have a bottle Brendan's (smells OK) that's been around since college...the first time around...

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.

The dining room is beautifully modern, though very, very light-on-bright-white during the daytime, and warms up considerably as the night progresses. The patio is a very comfortable place to enjoy a meal - I don't generally care for dining outside in DC, but Logan Circle isn't yet *quite* as busy as other parts of the city, so we weren't sucking down fumes with our food.

I wasn't sure what to make of the arugula pesto, which comes out to accompany the focaccia bread. I'm still not sure if I liked it, as I just couldn't wrap my mind around a non-nut? (I think) "pesto," but others at the table seemed to like it. The onion jam tasted vaguely like tamarind chutney to me, (am I on crack? Is that what properly confit-ed onions are supposed to taste like?), spread very easily on the bread, and was gone in mere moments.

The tuna and streak tartar appetizer was tasty and generously apportioned (em, each was about the size of a small can of cat food - I'm sorry, but that analogy is stuck in my head and I can't think of a better one). The (fresh, high-quality, not-at-all fishy) tuna was chopped and very lightly dressed with herbs, and the yolky steak mash paired nicely with a tangy mustard sauce. This dish was served with several homemade, seasoned crackers. In contrast, the scallop appetizer only had one scallop. The disparity in portion size was surprising, but there was more than enough tartar to share.

For mains, we tried the trout, the barramundi, artic char substituted for the red trout, and the lamb. All enjoyed their entrees, which prominently featured vegetable or fruit-spiked sauces and sides. The phrases "bright," "summery," "light," and "coulis" kept springing to mind. However, the feelings inspired by the different tastes, while all kind of generically "good," were not as memorable as the pretty and colorful presentation of the dishes. I am partial to strong flavors, or maybe I just miss my finishing pat of butter.

Desserts included the champagne sorbet, the flourless chocolate cake, the citrus cake, and the lemon and lime bars. The lime bar was extremely tart and verrrry easy to gobble up. The lemon bar was less tart, but still retained a lemony, fruity essence. The citrus cake was strangely unheavy and mildly flavored, and went well with a luscious-and-yet-also-oddly-light orange cream.

Overall, I enjoyed the experience very much. Sometimes, I feel that I eat out so I don't have to know exactly how much oil and butter is going into the creation of my meal, but it's nice to have an option that can deliver diverse flavors on a slightly lower (in theory, anyway) caloric budget.

Oh, in addition, the "run of the menu" approach they take for Restaurant Week makes it a great place to sample during the promotion period. Their attitude AND food leave a good taste in your mouth!

Is it the charcoal grilled dish? If so it is really good.

Try the smoked eggplant dish!!! Admittedly, I'm an eggplant fiend, but sometimes I daydream about this...

They seem really sketchy, because you have to fork over your credit card number, and then all you have is a printout coupon to present to the restaurant. However, I've used their gift certificates at La Colline and Hee Been with no trouble at all. You just have to pay attention to the special parameters set for each certificate (e.g., dinner only, minimum of 4 diners, $ amount minimum, etc.).

The last couple of months the food has been below normal. We're there at least once a week for the last 2 years and there has definitely been something off with the kitchen. That said the last time we were there, which was early last week the food was back to normal. I'm hoping this continues.

Ha! I quoted successfully and didn't triple space (I think)! Yeah!

As long as we're talking about rotisserie chicken...

There's a place in Fairfax, Wild Chicken, that I'm afraid will go out of business and deprive me of my cheap chicken lunches. All they do is chicken (well, with yucca and salad, fries, and sauces), but it's pretty good. The catch is that they're difficult to find - in the strip sort of across from the Border's plaza (with the Chipotle) on Rt. 29 just past the Rt. 50/29 split, in one of the stores at the back of the building. You really have to be looking for it. Go, if you get a chance! Get the whole chicken and save the bones for stock. Ummmmm.

Wild Chicken

11039 Lee Hwy

Fairfax, VA 22030

(703) 383-0266

Every time I go to Minerva (Fairfax), my usual order comes out slightly different. The eggplant bharta two times ago was out of this world, lick-the-bowl-as-my-mouth-is-on-fire, fantastically good. This past time it was just, "pretty good," with less heat and a little too much grease. The lamb korma/pasanda has ranged from "turkey-gravy-like and oversalted" to "delicately spiced, creamy yumminess," generally leaning towards the latter. The vegetable samosas are usually decent, but this time they were dry and hard, with little filling. The naan is always great.

I love going out to Colvin Run Tavern for RW. I went last January, and they made up a new menu so everything on it is included in the RW special. The menu has a wide variety of choices for each course (5 or 6, I believe), so you aren't limited at all, and everything I had was wonderful.

I was lucky enough to try A&J Chinese Restaurant (Annandale location) for the first time last night with a friend who knew virtually the entire menu by heart. It took us a little while to negotiate (because we both wanted everything), but we settled on 9 terrific dishes, listed here in increasing order of I must have this again (soon!):

5208 - Vegetarian delight w/ gluten, dry bean curd, and mushrooms (cold dish): the mushrooms were well- marinated, but I’ve never really cared that much for gluten. Non spicy, soy sauce-based flavor. Great dish if you like gluten.

4109 - Thousand-layer pancake (hot dish): it’s fun to pull this apart, but it’s a little messy and tastes mostly of fried dough (nothing wrong with that, just kind of boring). Interesting, thready texture.

4104 - Scallion pancake (hot dish): good, with lots of layers (probably the best I’ve had around here), but a bit thick and heavy. Also, I prefer to have vinegar sauce with my scallion pancake, rather than just straight vinegar and soy sauce.

2102 - Spicy wonton w/ hot red sauce (hot dish): tasty, but not very spicy. Not exactly swimming in hot oil, as you’d imagine after having the spicy baby wontons a la Chef Chang.

5102 – Sliced beef (marinated & cooked w/ bean paste) (cold dish): these slices were good wrapped in pieces of the thousand-layer pancake. Mild, flavorful, and very prettily (and thinly) cut.

5203 – Cucumber salad in hot garlic sauce (cold dish): spiciest thing on the table! Fiery and vinegary, and yet somehow cooling. Great summer dish.

5207 - Bean curd skin w/ mustard greens and soy beans (cold dish): mustard greens for the weak! The greens are diced up and doused with vinegar, so they aren’t bitter at all. Tossed with edamame and light curd skin, this mild, salad-y dish is very refreshing.

4101 - Pan-fried beef bun (hot dish): SQUIRT! Juicy, beefy inside, crispy outside, nice thin dough. Tastes like home.

5101 - Smoked chicken (cold dish): hands down the best thing on the table. Delicately smoked with both the smell and flavor permeating the meat. Large portion of beautifully-arrayed chicken slices.

At ~$16 each (for 2) with a lot of leftovers, this meal was quite a steal. Of those dishes I liked least, I would still order each one again (though maybe not all at once). Even so, I already have a whole new meal picked out for next time. This place is right down the street from me, and apparently they also serve breakfast foods on the weekends! I’m going to be in deep-fried trouble!!!

Curry-type spices are also great for roasted potatoes!

The best part of my culinary journey has been finding out that I like new things - ingredients, combinations, flavors, etc. My dining partners are probably sick of my gushing about how some <fabulous/inventive/ attractive> chef has shown me the wonder of xyz, when, "I didn't even like it before!" That's how I feel about the roasted, marscapone-stuffed dates. Two ingredients I thought I'd disliked, brought together for a moment of revelation. The salty/sweet/crunchy/creamy tastes and textures pop in sharp relief in my mouth as I make a surprised and wondering face. This is exactly the type of experience that will continue to fuel my current food obsession for a good, long while...(and that was just the begnning of the meal!)

Thanks for the welcome! I figured it was time to dive in - I've been lurking around since this board was just a gleam in Don's eye...

(deep breath, jumps into the pool - will the others play with me?)

Hi all,

While I lived in the area, I was a frequenter of the Ghin Na Ree (or, as I call it, "Tiny Thai") lunch special, and as far as I could tell, the mom-chef always prepared the meal to order. As Tyler Cowen says, it's a genuine mom and pop, with only their children for additional staffing, so I think the reasoning behind the limited lunch menu is so there are less ingredients to prep in the morning. That said, regardless of kitchen size, I haven't really had any experiences at other eateries with such limited, time-sensitive menus.

As far as the food goes, the spicing it quite mild, unless you ask for it to be otherwise. Also, they don't really trust you with the "spice kit" until you're a regular, or look authentically Thai. The flavors are kind of "dark" and heavy, a lot of tamarind, fish/soy? sauce, and oil, but I like it. There's better Thai in Arlington, but for that part of town, it's a convenient (and cheap!) place to get lunch - as long as you want something off the lunch menu.

Oh, and I have heard that the service can be a bit...brusque. I guess it pays to be a regular!

As for other offerings in the area, yes, yes, and YES! to Taqueria el Poblano, Caribbean Grill, and the Heidelberg Bakery. About a mile further south?(towards DC) on Lee Highway are the "awning shops," which feature Crisp & Juicy (more rotisserie chicken), Rudolph's (bread + pastries only, no sandwiches), Cafe Parisien (sidewalkish French fare), and the little fish shop in the parking lot (GREAT sandwiches).

I ate so well when I lived in Arlington...