bioesq

Maybe you guys can help me. My parents are going to be staying at the Embassy Suites in Tyson's and I'm trying to find a place that's going to do a nice Thanksgiving buffet with a mostly traditional spread: turkey, dressing, blah blah but done real well. I'd prefer to stay in the Tyson's area because it's just easier on everyone but if I can't, I can't. Please flood me with PMs of where to go. Much thanks in advance

If you decide that Tyson's doesn't fit the mood, and don't mind driving west for an hour or so, the Ashby Inn in Paris has an interesting Thanksgiving menu this year. Brian Pellatt is a wonderful chef, and the setting is lovely.

So... those olives you get in the olive bar of your local mega mart by the pound...

How long do they last in the fridge?

If they're covered in brine, you should be able to refrigerate them for at least 4-6 weeks. If not, they'll begin to soften considerably and have an off-taste in fairly short order.

The great state of Oklahoma will celebrate its Centennial birthday on Nov. 16. A group of displaced Oklahomans want to mark the day by having a celebratory luncheon at a restaurant that makes a respectable Chicken Fried Steak. Any recommendations, especially those in the District, would be appreciated.

Back in the day, Ben's Chili Bowl and the Florida Avenue Grill used to serve them up.

Hi guys! Tomorrow is my sons' eighteenth birthday. He is not having a party (at least that I know of) but what restaurant do I take him to? Don't worry, I suggested he invite a bunch of friends to Hooters but I think he wants family for tomorrow (aww...). I have asked him but he wants me to come up with a place. Suggestions please! I have been out of the loop for quite a while! He is not the most adventurous at trying new things, but he loves fine dining! Thanks so much! Love y'all!

Both of my sons really liked The Palm at that age. And, when you're eighteen, it's likely that you can actually finish the giant slab of meat that they put in front of you.

I remember going as a kid, enjoying the Prime rib and the bountiful salad bar. Last time I ventured in was about 9 years ago--not the same unfortunatley. It is now a tour bus haven. The building and property has been owned by Louis Farrakhan and Nation Of Islam--nice little piece of real estate. I miss the old place as well as Hot Shoppes-which had the best damn chicken noodle soup in the world-Off topic but in my mind

I don't think that the Sarris family sold the property, especially with the developers circling these past few years. And, for those who collect DC trivia, Tom Sarris used to operate a quasi-jazz club on the premises called the Mardi Gras Room (it may still be there--I haven't in almost thirty years). Some of DC's best musicians, like Danny Gatton and Dick Heintze, used to play the room in tuxedos.

My twin 5-year old godsons are coming by for an overnight at uncle Al's Saturday night. We don't have chil'ren of our own yet, so my cooking experience is limited when it comes to kids. I'm looking for ideas for something fun that we could all enjoy. It might be good to get them involved in the prep somehow as well. Ideas for breakfast are welcome too!

The movie selection for the night is ET. Do kids still watch movies that aren't cartoons?

Consider, too, picking up a 12-slice, 16” pepperoni pizza from Guiseppi’s. In my own, rather dated experience, you will only need enough salad for two people since the lads will likely touch nothing green willingly for several more years. The time that you save by not cooking can be put to good use explaining that the flying bicycles are not real; I failed to do that twenty years ago, and my younger son promptly launched himself and bike off of the garage roof, thereby earning me the coveted Sibley ER Platinum parking pass.

And, the leftover pizza will make for a wonderful breakfast, especially if there’s any Coke left.

New places to reminisce on (or not): Mama Maria's and Enzio's and Zebra Cafe, both on Wisconsin, have closed.

The late Zebra Room was a worthy dive bar, dating back to the Kennedy Administration, that had neither pride of ancestry nor hope of posterity, but served as a community gathering place for years, and had unimaginably terrible food. It was a treasure. The late Carl Albert, when he was the Speaker, used to get regularly soused there, and sometimes would exit his parking space by hitting the car behind and in front of him in order to gain more maneuvering room. Usually, though, one of DC’s finest would drive him home after being tipped off by the bartender.

Consider the parlor at the Tabard Inn on N Street-- (202) 785-1277. I believe that they serve in there, but check to make sure. It's quirky and relaxing.

If I'm not mistaken, I believe we're smack in the middle of Oktoberfest. What are you eating and drinking to celebrate? Have you seen any interesting German beers available in local restaurants/bars/stores? I'm looking for some beer to go along with my brats and sauerkraut...

The traditional DC restaurant for Ockoberfest is Old Europe just below Calvert on Wisconsin Avenue.

Baltimore and Pikesville offer much more than you can find here. One of the best is Accents Grill in both locations, and the family has opened a dairy restaurant in Pikesville that is supposed to be very good called Cocoaccino's.

My first wife insisted on keeping Kosher. I recently married a Methodist who makes wonderful potato latkes. So it goes.

I'm interested in what you all would do.

Thanks.

Clarification edit** It was wednesday night. the restaurant was about half full. not crowded at all.

I would have thanked the server for her concern, cancelled the entrees, asked for the check, tipped generously and left without further discussion. There is no need to suffer incompetence.

I was there today and checked with Rodman's wine buyer. They used to carry the Chapoutier Belleruche but no longer do. His attitude was that the wine just wasn't that exciting. Although he did point out that Chapoutier is the one negociant who puts braille on the labels. The Rodman's wine guy pointed to what he thought were better, small mom-and-pop wines from Domaine Berthet-Rayne, whose 2006 Cotes du Rhone is $9.99 and 2005 Cairanne is $13.99. They also have a CNDP in the mid-twenties.

I bought a bottle of the Cairanne and will "give it a whirl" to use the famous Gary Vaynerchuk phrase, in the next few days. Across the street from Rodman's, Paul's also had these wines for $1 more. But if you tell Rick that someone is selling a wine cheaper, he'll meet the price, on pretty much anything in the store.

Many thanks for the Rodman's information. I'll try to get over there early next week and pick up a few bottles of those wines you noted unless, of course, you report back that the Cairanne wasn't a good buy.

Paul's is a remarkable place, and my dad started shopping there in the Fifties. It has become a wonderful outlet under the current owners and, while I miss the late Sonny, who was the driving force and a great character, Rick has done his father proud.

Is the CdR Belleruche available anywhere else locally besides Schneider's and Super Fresh?

I've seen it at Rodman's up on Wisconsin at Garrison.

CdR "Belleruche" is charming. The '03 is juicy, the '04 more subdued but very good. Keep an eye out for the '05. You may want to buy cases of that.

The Super Fresh in Spring Valley frequently puts the Chapoutier Bellaruche on sale for $9.99. I'm drinking the last of a case of 2003, which is very nice, and will post here when next I see it at that price.

Was the cooking done in a barbecue? A fire pit? I've always associated wood-fire cooking with campfires. What kind of wood did you use? What did the fire look like when you started to cook--ie. was the wood still basically intact and flaming or had it transitioned to glowing coals? What sort of grate were you cooking on? How would you compare it to charcoal cooking?

I grilled dinner on a 22 1/2" Weber with a cast iron grate insert, and used a combination of oak charcoal that was made up in Harford County, and a few blocks of hickory wood. I usually wait until there's a fair amount of white ash so as to ensure that the grate is at it hottest point. It's charcoal cooking and, too, wood grilling; an excellent combination of flavor and heat.

Wood-grilled, dry-aged rib-eyes

Wood-grilled asparagus

Wood-grilled peaches

Wood-grilled corn with garlic-lime butter

Fresh peach sorbet

1998 Hickinbotham Shiraz

(And, to the two rabbits grazing happily in our herb garden, you're next.)

DonRocks said:

Has anyone been to Upper Crust lately? This used to be my favorite place in the DC area for breakfast sandwiches (bacon, egg, and cheese on a croissant mmmm), then it declined in quality for awhile, then recovered a bit, and now?

It's not fully recovered. If I may make a suggestion, the next time you travel to Middleburg, stop in Aldie at the Little Apple Pastry Shop. It's just past the mill on your left, and the two women who run it are not strangers to butter and lard. Their pies are superb, and the country ham biscuits are the real thing. They are not cooking for tourists.

My beloved wants to take a drive out to Middleburg this Saturday, and stop for lunch in the town. I've been to the Red Fox Inn, but about 2 years ago for dinner. And 15 years ago I had lunch at the Coach Stop. OK, so I don't get out that way much. Has anyone been there recently, and what did you like or dislike out there?

My folks live in Middleburg, and usually elect to eat lunch at the Hunter’s Head (part of Sandy Lerner’s Ayrshire Farm complex), or the Blackthorne Inn, formerly the 1763. Both are a few miles west in Upperville. They have enjoyed a few meals at the French Hound on South Madison, but you’ll likely need a reservation there. For the wasteland that is Middleburg dining after the Aster closed, it’s the only place that I can recommend without feeling guilty about your afternoon.

So what other places are doing donuts? From what I know Colorado Kitchen and 2 Amys are still doing them. Is Tabard Inn?

Cava up in Rockville does a wonderful variation called loukoumades, which are tossed in cinnamon and honey. They serve three to an order, and my wife and I struggled to finish two of them. They were lovely and freshly-made.

One ingredient that I think works great that I haven't seen mentioned above is chipotle peppers. Their smokiness works great with bbq.

They add a wonderful dimension. I eyeball the sauce as well, but have tried to reduce it to measurements here.

•1 tablespoon brown sugar

•1/2 cup ketchup

•3 tablespoons bourbon

•1 tablespoon garlic salt

•2 tablespoons pureed chipotle in adobo

•1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

•1 teaspoon mustard powder

•1 teaspoon black pepper

I've had a two meals this summer that included lobster (one baked and the other in a stew) still in their shells and the lobster has had a bitter taste. Is this a side-effect of cooking lobster too long, size of the lobster, or is it potentially from a preservative of the lobster? One was in Massachussetts and one was in Silver Spring. Different lobster worlds for sure (though Massachussets certainly isn't Maine). The baked lobster (in MA) was huge and definitely overcooked. The stew I had was not noticeably overcooked. Just curious. I did some Googling and didn't find anything.

Pax,

Brian

The size shouldn't matter if it's cooked properly. Lobster meat can taste bitter if it has been thawed too long in water and absorbs chlorine, but that doesn't seem likely with your baked lobster. If the baked one was stuffed, there could have been an ingredient, like garlic, that imparted the bitterness.

With The Palm temorarily shuttered for renovation, a table on the patio of the Old Angler's Inn and a vodka martini the size of a Duron paint can.

Lou Malnati's deep dish pepperoni pizza (care package from younger son).

Salad of shaved fennel, oranges and greens

Il Poggio 1999 Chianti Classico Riserva

Lemon sorbet

Okay, I think this brings up another issue. We all know that the interior fat marbling of a steak is one of the best indicators of flavor. But does the big hunk of fat on the outside (fat cap? gristle?) do anything other than annoy the diner?

I say no.

The fat is on the sides. How could it possibly seal in anything? The top and bottom of the steak are open to the grill. You'd need the entire steak to be wrapped in fat for any "sealing" to take place.

The whole point of grilling over high heat is char - if you leave the fat on, you have an entire side of your steak being charred that you're not even going to eat!

The fat is too big to "melt" into the steak like the interior marbling does, especially in the short time it takes to grill a steak to medium-rare.

Finally, I've heard the whole "move it to a cool spot" technique before. The key to good steaks is to leave them alone! This way you get good grills marks and char. Every time you move the steaks to a cool area you're taking them out of Maillard range.

Of course, I'm speaking entirely from theory and very limited experience. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this?

The outside fat adds extra flavor as it sears, seals off the edge of the meat from the possibility of overcooking and, as it drips onto the charcoal, further enhances the smoke flavor notwithstanding an occasional flare-up. Perfect, cross- hatched grill marks, while visually appealing, are a matter of presentation, and not flavor; in short, style over substance when dealing with a minor inconvenience such as a few flames spiking. The key to good, grilled steak is to buy the best meat possible, use quality hardwood and develop the experience and instinct that allows you to avoid grinding your teeth over theory. The other thing that’s helpful, and I speak with forty-plus years of experience putting meat on a fire, is to have your third Martini only after the steaks are finished.

Trim off all but 1/4" of fat post-oven. If you remove more than that, you'll lose the seal/flavor effect that the fat imparts on the grill. To avoid having to remove the steaks during a flare-up, just build the fire so there's a cool spot on one part of the grill, and put them there until the flame ebbs. Judging from the look of those steaks, though, you're doing everything perfectly.