DaveO

Coach Greg Popovich, wine and dinner   This is a terrific story entirely apropos for the forum.  One might take a sentence/phrase in the story and subtitle this:   "From diddly squat to well known, well regarded oenophile-with results"

The newest best reason to never attend a Snyderskin game

3 hours ago, Tweaked said:

Insane first 10 minutes to Spurs/City.

Picking up on what you and Eric above said I went to the YouTube highlights.   Oh my!! a week of goals in the first 10 minutes of the game.  That IS  exciting. 

4 hours ago, ktmoomau said:

This is going to be an interesting location... 

I have found that once you are working somewhere all the press and publicity and image becomes far less significant to the staff and the ownership.  Its a restaurant/a bar/ a place that serves locals and less so folks from a bit further away.  The space is half the size.  I imagine it will be far less than 1/2 the rent.  It will require a lot fewer staff to make it work.  It will be significantly less expensive in every way possible. 

They can serve the same beer lineup and other drinks and serve similar or the same food.  If the quality is there it will work in that neighborhood.  If the quality is far better than other places "nearby" they will draw from a larger area of people.   They will not suffer the problem of the latest newest alternative opening every single week and diluting your regular customer base.  Good luck to them.

I don't follow golf, didn't watch any of the most recent Master's and have never paid much attention to Tiger Woods.  Regardless this article focusing on the surgery that allowed Tiger Woods to compete again at the highest level is informative and fascinating, describing the recovery as "miraculous". 

On one other note I saw that Tiger attributed his play to still maintaining "great hands", as his driving ability is not what it once was.  "Great hands" huh??   So maybe that is why I stunk while playing golf, grew frustrated, broke clubs, stormed off the course and ultimately quit.  OTOH it is possibly this quality that creates great soccer players. 

Photos:   During and following the fire.  What a tragedy.  I hope the rebuild starts soon.  

Over several visits to Paris I found Notre Dame enthralling and revisited several times.  I invariably found it to be an uplifting experience

On 4/10/2019 at 12:57 PM, DonRocks said:

This is a really good article:

"What They're Saying about the Orioles' Chris Davis and The Streak" on baltimoresun.com

Chris Davis got a hit, a big home run, no less.  That is the second day in a row that he has managed to get a hit

Actually I'm being a bit facetious.  The Chris Davis dilemma is unprecedented;  a player with a salary that high that is so unbelievably miserable--with years to go on his contract.   He started going downhill after he signed the big contract and last year was an unmitigated disaster.  Its not that the Orioles carry the lowest payroll in baseball, in fact they have been far from it for some years, but his salary was relatively very expensive and he has years to go on it.  

What does one do?   The article offers one suggestion.  But crap--its $92 over this season and the next 3 years, a huge chunk of money.  Its fully guaranteed.  Davis has no intention of walking away from it.  I can't blame him.  It secures his family's future.   Possibly as time goes on, and if he doesn't substantially recover, he and the Orioles will negotiate some agreement to leave early....but it is too early for that.  

I do know there are some "strategies".  The Yankees tried many ways to dissolve Alex Rodriquez's salary at the end of his career.   One could act like Trump attacking Sessions and try and drive Davis to quit...but try and imagine how that would look to any potential free agent in the future.  It would be a disaster.

....and then who knows....maybe he'll start hitting dingers again.   In the meantime its not a pretty situation.

Sad day for Arlington/Falls Church fans of a number of bar/restaurants.  The owner of Rhodeside Grill passed away.  I considered Rhodeside to be an above average, and strong long running bar/restaurant neighborhood hangout for many years.

1 hour ago, Shaho said:

With the lottery odds flattening out starting this year, rebuilding by trading away your best players and tanking for high draft picks is even more of a crapshoot than it has been in the past. The Wizards actually stand to benefit from this change, as even with a mediocre team and the 6th worst record overall, they have a 38% chance for a top 4 pick this year. Their best bet is to draft a good player this year, hold Wall out next year and remain mediocre enough to get another good pick, and build around the still young core of Beal, Troy Brown Jr, Thomas Bryant, and 2 high draft picks. If Wall can come back to at least 80% effectiveness, we still have a slim possibility of becoming a contender despite our salary cap limitations. The move to essentially give away Otto Porter hurts from a talent perspective, but frees up enough financial flexibility to work around even 2 supermax deals with draft picks and value free agency signings like Jeff Green.

This year's draft lottery will be critical, as obviously a game changing talent like Zion could change the trajectory of this franchise completely. Even if we don't land him, Ja Morant, Bol Bol, Darius Garland, and R.J. Barrett (my preferences in order) have All Star-level upside. I'll be watching the draft lottery, draft, and new GM selection with great interest. Replacing Ernie Grunfeld with a forward-thinking GM who understands scouting, team-building, and has a long term vision for real success could be the turning point the Wizards have long needed. 

NBA compensation rules are complex with many features, exceptions, and require skill and luck in creating a strong team.  Its not enough to give me a headache but too complex for me to devote too much time to fully understand all the permutations.  On a simple basis though I strongly doubt the Wiz could develop a strong team with two contracts both North of $40 million/year devoted to Wall and Beal.  As a prime unit at best they helped the Wiz get to a mediocre level of competitiveness that gets them into the mid range of the playoffs.  I can only assume that Wall's skills will diminish as a result of the severity of his injuries.  For the sake of the Wiz I hope Beal doesn't make NBA all pro this year (its probably close). 

I think upper management needs to be good and lucky with future draft choices.  (Lucky as in choosing Giannis 15th as a "future" and seeing him develop into the best player in the world this year-6 years after being drafted). 

Theoretically who is really worth the "supermax"?   Here are a few players off the top of my head:

Lebron, Giannis, Curry, Harden, probably Anthony Davis, probably/maybe Durant, probably/maybe Embiid (dependent on health).  They seem to me to be players that can push a team toward the title.   

Who else?   Any of my choices that you would opt to remove?

53 minutes ago, guanabana said:

Even better/worse: Beal could be named to one of the All-NBA rosters this season, which would make him eligible for a supermax extension. (Wall's supermax takes effect next season)

I agree.   Giving Beal a super max contract would completely strangle the Wiz payroll structure.  He spoke to the issue at the end of the season and acknowledged the situation also acknowledging he has plenty of money. But heck, if he merited the supermax and got it what a great coup for he and his family.  Oh my what a mess.  

On 11/4/2017 at 11:02 AM, Steve R. said:

I agree.  That being said, the danger is that his game (as inside the paint as it is) will get him full contact from guys much bigger then he is & it'll happen many times/game over many games/season.  Other teams have a lot of fouls to give & there'll be a lot of uncalled contact as well.  Can his game be more than a 3-4 year run or will the battering take its toll?  We'll see -- after all, Kareem managed a long career.  I'd suggest that his team pay some real attention asap to the kind of supporting cast a guy like him needs.  A strong banger under the boards and a feared outside shooter he can kick it to wouldn't hurt.

@Steve R.

Did the Milwaukee Bucks pay you a consulting fee for your spot on advise?  

Come to think of it Dolan should be knocking on your door and if you would like to fully experience DC restaurants there is a position for you down here.

This year Giannis was arguably the best player in the NBA, his team had the best record, the team added a group of outside shooters including a center who pulls the big rim protectors from down low and Giannis increased his assault on the rim plus he is everywhere on defense.

I f Dolan doesn’t pay you the big bucks he should at least choose you as the Knick representative at the draft lottery

On 4/10/2019 at 12:57 PM, DonRocks said:

This is a really good article:

"What They're Saying about the Orioles' Chris Davis and The Streak" on baltimoresun.com

Watch out Mike Trout, Chris Davis is on a hot streak

8 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Well, Bradley Beal is now the only person in franchise history (dating all the way back to the 1961-1962 Chicago Packers) to average 25/5/5 over the course of a full season.

As a long term fan of the Bullets/Wizards and one who roots for them to win (I know that is pretty pathetic) this statistical achievement does nothing for me.  This was the worst season in years.  Everything fell apart.  Injuries abounded.  By the end of the season only Beal of the expected starting team remained.  The starting forwards were traded.  The team is embarking on a new "program".  They will be encumbered by not having Wall next year, not knowing if he will ever regain his skill level, and paying him a salary that his skill level (at its best) doesn't merit or translate into enough wins. 

Beal is not as good or valuable as the other players in modern play who have achieved those totals.  He did it in a season where he took on more responsibilities because of the loss of other stars. Its a little like the unreal scoring totals Harden had earlier in the season while valuable teammates were hurt.   The difference there is that Harden's scoring turned into wins. 

Anyway.  Good for Beal.  Its an achievement.  If someone had done this on a team I don't follow it might mean more to me.  But that 25/5/5 on a team that went 32-50 and is going down hill doesn't do much for me as a fan who wants wins.

On 3/19/2019 at 5:47 PM, cheezepowder said:

Yes.  It's amazing how they've transformed the La Tasca space.  

This Washingtonian article describes how the menu and background for the Clarendon location is different than the Silver Spring location.

I had a couple of dishes (there's a link to the dinner menu in the Washingtonian article).  I had the dry soup with three chiles which was fried vermicelli in ancho, guajillo and chipotle chiles with cheese, avocado, and cilantro, and I had the ribeye aguachile, which was a rare, sliced ribeye, served cold, with radish and onion and a light burnt chile sauce.  I enjoyed both dishes.  I also received chips and salsas and warm corn tortillas.

Very friendly staff, like the staff at Ambar/Baba Bar.

I forgot to add -- they're offering at 25% discount for the first two weeks for reservations made through their website (though they gave me the discount without a reservation).  Facebook post with offer. 

Stopped by Buena vida as a single after a late night of work.  There was room at the bar so I popped in and went for the same two dishes ordered by cheezepowder .  One of the bartenders “warned me off” the ribeye as being very hot and spicy and I’m a wimp so I slid across the menu to the tartare dish.  Boy was that tasty.  Attractively spiced->excellent.  The dried soup is such a great looking dish, but it didn’t offer me enough taste.  OTOH with two or more I’d split it as an app.  Such a neat looking dish.  They have great chips with salsa.  Loved those.

Those management rats at Ambar/ BV/TTT comped me again, because we help them w/ staffing.  It’s too much for me.  OTOH I’ve had dinner on reservations at Ambar under different names so I get to happily pay also.

@cheezepowder I know they do a great job with training and they hire with a keen eye for personality type.  I strongly believe it’s one of the keys to their popularity.  BTW better known Ambar was packed on a Thursday evening.

A couple of folks had mains at the bar and they recommended them.   I’ll be back

Awww.   This is one for nostalgia.(for drinkers)   Mr Days is closing

The back story on their history is off a little.   After Dupont Circle they were in the alley in the back of a building on 18th between L & M, I believe. (boy I drank there a lot)   They opened in Clarendon while they still had the 18th Street location.  

As I recall for a number of years the owner's daughter was part of the ownership management team.   I guess she moved on.  Having opened in '77--that place has had an incredibly long run.

Fortunately every so often something occurs that takes me back to one of the great scenes in the history of filmdom.  As the scene moves along every little element gets better and better.  Never fails to bring me back to a happy place.....

SHOW ME THE MONEY  

21 minutes ago, Smita Nordwall said:

Thanks

ditto

1 hour ago, Steve R. said:

Thread drift alert - we just bought our 1st First Class tickets for a July trip to Seattle to visit friends.  It really was a big decision, since they were almost 3 times what coach seats would’ve cost.  But we didn’t have miles to spend &, well, it just seemed like a good idea.

I hate flying.  I really really hate flying long distances.   One of the best things I did was fly first class to Hawaii (with a stopover). Then I hated spending  such an absurd amt of money.  Life is tough.   Enjoy Seattle 

Come to think of it after Hawaii I so much preferred the Caribbean to Hawaii— and Hawaii is better.  Life is tough.  Enjoy Seattle

As a dismal season comes to a close, rife with injuries, various conflicts, and a terrible record the Wiz fired long term GM/President Ernie Grunfeld. 

Probably should have changed GM's years ago.   Ernie had 16 years with the Wiz, which is far too long considering the record during that stretch.  In fact Grunfeld had a total of 28 years as a senior NBA basketball exec.  (good job if you can find it). 

Hard to explain or understand how one (me, myself, and I) can stay a fan of this team after so many lousy seasons, occasionally brightened by a ray of hope--only to be dashed in a few years.   The team really needs to start fresh.  They are burdened by Wall's long term, uber high salary.  On top of that the seriousness of his leg injuries suggest he will never again approach his peak skill level--though we probably won't know that for at least two seasons.

For next season they have Beal, who is good, they have Wall's contract and no player, they are stuck with a big waste in Mahinimi, and they pretty much have to figure out what to do with the rest of the roster.   Quite a few players are free agents.

Might be a good time to root for James Harden's team (God forbid)

18 hours ago, MC Horoscope said:

I take back everything I said about tuning out. The Elite 8 games have been great! Virginia - Purdue was a classic, and I could have been happy for either team winning!

The Washington post had a nice article about how great and competitive all 4 elite 8 games were

Just watching one was emotionally exhausting.

9 minutes ago, Smita Nordwall said:

Can you share the recipe for the chicken, please? 

 

After looking at the photos I quickly reviewed various recipes for chicken cacciatore without tomatoes.  My my...its a favorite dish of mine-but ALWAYS make it with tomatoes.  Always--say a couple of decades.   While there are recipes on the web w/out tomatoes (and some look quite similar) I too would like yours, Trelayne.  It looks great, as do the pears.

A couple of weeks ago I met a friend at a sports bar to watch some NCAA basketball.  We sat at the bar.  Its not an extraordinary place whose food might be well recognized here, but it is a substantial sports bar with plenty of TV's, the opportunity to watch multiple events and an "okay-acceptable" menu that can work with watching sports

Service at the bar sucked.  Two different bartenders served us.  Neither was good.  We didn't complain.  We tolerated it and watched some games. 

At the DMV bartender school I took a call for our placement services from the GM from this place.  He is looking for some bartenders.   The place is well established with a group of bartenders working full time and part time.  At busy hours they will staff up with 2 or possibly 3.    They can be busy serving the bar and doing service bar (drinks for the tables).  Its a large place.

First I took all the requisite information so we can provide this information for currently more than 3,000 grads subscribing to these leads; both new and experienced including deep experienced.  After we went through the details I described the "poor experience" from a few weeks earlier.  I didn't reference the individuals, but as I described it he identified two staffers by "looks".  I'm pretty sure we are thinking of the same two individuals.  

He is planning on getting rid of them. 

There are MANY employers in the restaurant industry who will hire based on personality and a sense of a strong motivation to give great service.  It doesn't have to come with deep knowledge or experience.  People can learn the knowledge part about the restaurant and the technical parts of bartending over time on the job.  If they focus, pay attention to what experienced good bartenders are doing, and work on it they can pick up the techniques that will make them fast, efficient and effective.  (We are better at it--but that is a different story).

If they get proficient they can do whatever they want with it. 

We have grads who are miserable at the customer service level.  We also have grads that excel.  I know this aspect of FOH customer service is sort of status quo--there are people who are good and not good.  The only difference these days is that there are fewer people entering the industry.

On 10/25/2011 at 11:09 PM, Joe H said:

We're now 64-my post above was four years ago. An incredibly powerful, passionate statement from Phyllis that again brought tears to my eyes.

I re read her article from 2007 thanks to Don's post above.  I concur with what Joe said in '07 and '11 and what Don said in 2007:  the article is invaluable and meaningful.  I know there have been some improvements in Parkinsons's treatment between 2007 and now.  I hope some of those improvements might have found there way to Phyllis Richman and enhanced her life.

6 hours ago, MC Horoscope said:

I take back everything I said about tuning out. The Elite 8 games have been great! Virginia - Purdue was a classic, and I could have been happy for either team winning!

5 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Likewise Michigan State - Duke

I watched only one game this weekend:  Texas Tech - Gonzaga.  It too was excellent, high quality play, remarkably close the entire game till the very end, simply great competition.  

I knew nothing of Texas Tech.  It turns out they and Virginia had the stingiest defenses in college ball this year.  They were stealing or deflecting the ball in the paint all game long at a remarkable level.

Hopefully a competitive final four

1 hour ago, Ericandblueboy said:

I Ricchi has been on Groupon for a long time, which may be why the prices are inflated.

Hah.  I get groupon solicitations.  I NEVER look at them.  I'd look for that deal.  Maybe I'll start perusing them, after not looking at one for years.