Corduroy, Fine Dining at the Convention Center - Chef Tom Power's Magnificent Cooking

[JimRice]

The duck confit alone caused me to commit three of the seven deadly sins.

Gluttony: I want more duck confit

Lust: Oh, the pleasure of eating duck confit

Covetousness: I want my wife's duck confit

(the last may have lead to anger on her part, but we're talking about my sins here)

And now, after a late night (for us suburbanites anyway) with much good food, good wine, and good conversation, I'm hitting the fourth: Sloth

I liked all of the wines, with maybe the Chateau Gree Larogue Bordeaux Superior 2001 being my favorite of all. BiscuitGirl's pick was the Mas d'Auzieres, Le Bois de Perie, 2003.

[Biscuit Girl]

The duck confit alone caused me to commit three of the seven deadly sins.

Gluttony: I want more duck confit

Lust: Oh, the pleasure of eating duck confit

Covetousness: I want my wife's duck confit

(the last may have lead to anger on her part, but we're talking about my sins here)

And now, after a late night (for us suburbanites anyway) with much good food, good wine, and good conversation, I'm hitting the fourth: Sloth

I liked all of the wines, with maybe the Chateau Gree Larogue Bordeaux Superior 2001 being my favorite of all. BiscuitGirl's pick was the Mas d'Auzieres, Le Bois de Perie, 2003.

As Jim said we enjoyed the meal greatly. We managed to get a few good pictures while we dined and I posted them over on my blog. If you're interested in see some of the meal, hop on over and take a peek. The link to the blog is below.

[Barbara]

Biscuit Girl's blog contains a wonderful description of the meal. My only quibble is a matter of taste--my favorite wine of the night was the Chateau de la Negly, La Cote Rouge, 2003, which so wonderfully complimented the duck confit. My goodness, what a dish!

The real surprise, to me, was the sardine rillettes. On the way out the door, I told Tom Power that we needed to have a rillettes tasting: side-by-side bowls of duck rillettes and sardine rillettes.

Another, lesser, surprise was the pork belly preparation. I had the "summer" version during RW in August and thought it was just about perfect. The "colder weather" version we had on Wednesday was just sensational.

"You wanna go where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came . . . " The tables were all six-tops, so Chica Grace, Dame Edna and I were shown to the one next to the wall with the banquettes. Then, Ferhat came and told us that the JPWs were coming and did we want them to sit with us. Hell, YES!

So top this: dinner with Grace and the JPWs while eating Tom Power's cooking. I can die happy now.

[jparrott]

That Negly Cote Rouge is a seriously fine wine for the price.

[Barbara]

That Negly Cote Rouge is a seriously fine wine for the price.

What price? And, who sells it?

[Biscuit Girl]

Biscuit Girl's blog contains a wonderful description of the meal. My only quibble is a matter of taste--my favorite wine of the night was the Chateau de la Negly, La Cote Rouge, 2003, which so wonderfully complimented the duck confit. My goodness, what a dish!

That was my second favorite wine although I'd be happy with either one

[liam]

Although I live in Madison, Wisconsin, I seem to find a way to make it to Corduroy at least once a year. Thanks to Erik Ox for setting this one up. After dining at an adjacent table during last fall's infamous corkage incident, this year's meal included no wine-swilling jackals. Ah, tranquility.

The only comment I must make is: The duck egg and confit salad rocks!!! (No pun intended.) I couldn't believe how well the flavors and texture of the duck egg geled with the rest of this dish. Of course, the pork belly was great, too.

[Heather]

The cauliflower & parmesan soup is worth a trip, definitely. Get a glass of the Bourgogne to go with it. And maybe the duck confit salad too.

[Barbara]

The cauliflower & parmesan soup is worth a trip, definitely. Get a glass of the Bourgogne to go with it. And maybe the duck confit salad too.

Too late. This is exactly what I had LAST Friday. In fact, three us all ordered the cauliflower soup and some man at the next table told us we had made a wise choice!!! One of our number informed him that we were on the "Frequent Soup Plan"--for every ten we ordered, we got one free! No free soup, but Power sent out plates of an incredibly rich chocolate/hazelnut ice cream. We think he loves the ladies who eat.

[crackers]

The cauliflower & parmesan soup is worth a trip, definitely.

This morning Tom Sietsema was on 1500 AM with Mike Moss, gushing about Chef Power and Corduroy. In addition to reiterating his dining guide, where he called the cauliflower soup "sexy," he also said that the steak frites were so good that a French chef would be proud to call them his own. Surprisingly, he made a point to comment that the decor had been nicely improved.

[cjsadler]

I'm still not sure why I enjoy poached egg dishes so much (Palena's risi bisi, Eve's salad), as I don't particularly like poached eggs on their own, but that duck egg/confit salad at Corduroy is unbelievable.

Thanks to Rissa, Kat, and Ferhat for the wonderful hospitality-- txaggie and I brought my Step-Grandmother here for her birthday on Saturday and she enjoyed herself immensely.

[MBK]

Between the gray and dreary day outside, and me feeling a little bit under the weather this morning (um, right, stayed up way past my bedtime watching election returns...), I was in need of some comfort food at lunch today. What I was really craving was a bowl of chicken noodle soup, but I didn't think I'd be able to fly my grandmother up to make some in time for lunch.

So I decided to wander over to Corduroy ... and had what very well may be the perfect comfort meal! I had already decided I was getting whatever came with the mini ravioli, so when I found that it was roast chicken, I was sold. And when it came out, swimming in a delicious broth filled with herbs, I realized that I had just ordered Chef Power's version of chicken noodle soup.

What could make this meal more soothing? A steaming, delicious cup of Leaves of Provence tea, as recommended by the ever-friendly Christopher at the bar. If only I could've stayed there sipping tea all afternoon...

[JimRice]

Just home from another excellent dinner at Corduroy. If you like fish, and they have the monkfish special, get it. When the server told us that was the special, Barbara knew I was getting it. It was pan seared, which was like some of their other fish dishes, but it was served on top of several shiitake mushroom caps, with an onion sauce and green beans around the dish. Some of the most memorable dishes I've had there have been the specials they've had, and tonight will go down as another one of those.

[hillvalley]

A huge thank you to Chef, Ferhat, Scott, Kitkat and everyone else at Corduroy who helped make tonight's second holiday happy hour perfect and letting jparrott start drinking before they were open. And to Rissa for joining the celebration even though it was her night off. Chef sent out a special treat that consisted of a slice of silky raw tuna topped with Chef's infamous scallop tartar.

I think I can speak for the group when I say that there is no where else we would have wanted to start our holiday festivities. For me, they provided an oasis from the real world complete with fabulous, comforting food, nice, strong drinks, and people you want to spend time with. Thank you.

[lackadaisi]

I generally feel silly complimenting Corduroy because it is clear to anyone that knows me that this is my favorite restaurant. But there is no reason to leave unsaid the obvious: I love Tom Power's cooking, and I love his restaurant!

Several times, I have tried to write about the dishes that I love, but really, I can not choose. It is not about any one dish; it is about the variety of perfect dishes. It is amazing to me that the same hands can prepare the spring rolls, the cauliflower-parmesan soup, the lobster salad, the lamb with ravioli, the tuna with hijiki, and the sorbets (among all the rest), and have each of them become the perfection of itself.

As I can not write about everything I love about Tom's cooking, I will limit myself to his use of salt. In my opinion, Tom has a perfect mastery of salt. I am not generally a fan of the salt-less table trend; most chefs just can't pull it off every time as would be necessary. But, Tom can and does. I have never even considered adding salt to anything served to me at Corduroy. And, in the hundreds (if not thousands) of dishes I have consumed there, not one has been overly salty. Moreover, there have been many times that I thought that it was the salt that made the dish - such as the sprinkling on the perfectly ripe heirloom tomato salad and the japanese snow served with luscious tenderloin.

Best of all is that, while eating this wonderful food - and drinking some great wine - I have had great conversations and made wonderful friends at Corduroy. Thank you Tom, Rissa, Pichon, Tom Brown, Ferhat, and everyone else at Corduroy for a great year! And, thanks too to the many others on this board who have filled my Corduroy evenings with laughter and friendship.

[Meaghan]

Do my words even have weight here anymore? I do not know. But I do know it would only be sin to keep this evening's tongue under wraps. The first present of the night came packaged as such: An amuse of sweet scallop tartare loafing atop just a tablespoon of its counterpart in tuna. The gem artfully glistens like a star atop a Christmas tree with the aid of calculated measurements of both olive oil and salt of the sea. Must be the time of year for cleansing: Next, my choice, the well-known carpaccio of lobster. More citrusy, more wet and papery than I had remembered, but a perfect plate to engage me with the brighter of the night's wine selections; it quietly moves me to the next level. That is: (surprisingly, a game that has never once passed my gullet) The goose. It arrives hearty in portion with its gravy of foie gras, a puree of mashed rooty vegetables, and a few just-cooked turnips. It was a duck-confit-meets-holiday-turkey delight. I could have taken it home, it was so good, so rich, but I knew it wouldn't be the same. And where else in this town have we indulged in goose? I reward the dish by finishing all.
For dessert, I give into tastes of the apple tartine (delightfully buttery and tragic for a soul like me, who has hopes of being in a bikini in less than a week), the kit kat (no need to comment), the pistachio bread pudding (a proper finish to such a meal and not too much on the plate) and the artisanal cheeses (petite, yet satisfying. I find it best eaten straight; no bread, crackers or jams).

Thanks Corduroy staff for being the most gracious out there.
There are few places better than this one on a holiday, or any day.

-Meaghan

[Barbara]

Guess where Dame Edna and I will be having dinner on New Year's Eve?

[Ferhat Yalcin]

please everbody , help me out here !!!

I truly know that all of you love hazelnut bars , in the real name ` Michel`s Chocolate Hazelnut Bars`. Everybody loves them , I love them.

the problem comes when they are called `kitkats or kitkat bars` .Chef is getting so mad when he hears `kitkats` and punishing the service staff.

Chef see it is not us , it is THEM calling the hazelnut bars as `kitkats`.I dont say kitkat. You should give them all the punishment

Merry Christmas to everybody and happy holiday.

[Barbara]

please everbody , help me out here !!!

I truly know that all of you love hazelnut bars , in the real name ` Michel`s Chocolate Hazelnut Bars`. Everybody loves them , I love them.

the problem comes when they are called `kitkats or kitkat bars` .Chef is getting so mad when he hears `kitkats` and punishing the service staff.

Chef see it is not us , it is THEM calling the hazelnut bars as `kitkats`.I dont say kitkat. You should give them all the punishment

Merry Christmas to everybody and happy holiday.

Uh-Oh. I never heard of them until the first time I went to Corduroy for an HH and Chef sent them out to all of us. Everybody called them "KitKats." Just tell him that life is too short and he has bigger fish to fry. This one's a loser and will give him gray hair if he keeps fighting this.

[DonRocks]

Uh-Oh. I never heard of them until the first time I went to Corduroy for an HH and Chef sent them out to all of us. Everybody called them "KitKats." Just tell him that life is too short and he has bigger fish to fry. This one's a loser and will give him gray hair if he keeps fighting this.

Plus, what does he expect, serving such a thing in [begin sharpening knife] an airport lounge?

[JimRice]

Had an impromptu restaurant week meal at Corduroy this evening. Barb happened upon a cancellation at 7:00. Enough has been said about all of the food, but one thing that hasn't been mentioned in a while is the wonder of the sorbets and ice creams that come out of the kitchen. Normally I'm not much of a sweet person, but the sorbets (pear, pineapple, and banana) are wonderful, tart, flavorful expressions of the fruit. Barbara got the ice creams which were vanilla and chocolate. They were excellent as well, with the little bits of vanilla and chocolate visible, and were incredibly smooth on the tongue. The best part was Barbara giving me a bite of her vanilla ice cream to pair with the banana sorbet. This had the flavor of the best banana pudding ever. A scoop of vanilla ice cream, a scoop of banana sorbet, and a house-made Nilla wafer to go with it, and you have a winner. Chef? Think it would sell?

Oh, and remember that every time you rush through a meal, you make Ferhat cry. Please, think of Ferhat. Speaking of, he steered us toward a white burgundy that was kickass with our scallops and striped bass.

[lackadaisi]

A scoop of vanilla ice cream, a scoop of banana sorbet, and a house-made Nilla wafer to go with it, and you have a winner.

Sounds similar to the vanilla ice cream that can at times be found inside the strawberry sorbet, which is amazing. Having tried the banana sorbet on Friday, I think you might be onto something.

[sunshine]

We returned after a long hiatus (not for lack of desire) to Corduroy recently and had a fantastic meal that just made us reiterate that this place is such an underrated secret and we're so lucky to be in on it. I had the lobster salad (chopped lobster and shallots held together with mayonnaise with microgreens on top- so fresh) and the Niman Ranch pork belly with savoy cabbage - huge piece of fatty seared tender porky goodness, sitting on a bed of cabbage and carrots in a luscious sauce. The marvel of the night was the beef cheeks with tarbais beans. Super-rich, melt in your mouth morsels of beef atop beans that were infused with the beefy flavor with some green beans to top it off. Man, it was so good. Another at the table had the scallops with mashed potatoes and chardonnay sauce. Four perfectly seared scallops atop little mounds of buttery mashed potates with shiitake mushrooms and a chardonnay cream sauce. I had a bite, and the combination is divine. We also tried the porcupine - very clever. Great if you like deep-fried cheese -- which I do.

The much-touted duck confit and egg salad was a special of the nite. After reading everyone's rave reviews, I wish I had ordered it. I'm glad that Corduroy has its fans on this site, because it deserves it. The restaurant wasn't full on a Saturday nite. Our companions, who were first-time visitors, were so impressed that they'll be going back. New converts. I'm doing my part.

[Chica Grace]

Uh-Oh. I never heard of them until the first time I went to Corduroy for an HH and Chef sent them out to all of us. Everybody called them "KitKats." Just tell him that life is too short and he has bigger fish to fry. This one's a loser and will give him gray hair if he keeps fighting this.

the problem is these divine "Chocolate Hazlenut Bars" LOOK like kit kats. So if Chef Tom does not want everyone to call them by the way "they LOOK", then we need to help with a "naming contest". I'll throw in the first few names : what about "TOM TOM's" or "POWER BARS". This is about marketing the brand. any other suggestions?

[Edit] Ok, as usual, just reading the latest posts , I need to get over there again at some point. but UUGHH! I can't get my act together for a few weeks. Work just interferes with my life.

[Tweaked]

and doesn't Michel refer to them as Kit Kat bars? He acknowledges them as the inspiration of the dessert in his cook book.

[New Foodie]

Just returned from a wonderful winter lunch at Corduroy and continue to say nothing bad about the place. Ferhat was our ever-gracious server and was pleasant as always

Two of us started out with the Potato-Garlic soup. Another Tom Power masterpiece. I always assume a potato soup is going to be thicker, more of a chowder, but it was a wonderful surprise that this was a bit lighter. Had to use some bread to sop up the last remaining drops in the bowl. The third member of our party had the Celeriac soup and was pleased as well. We were trying to figure out the base of the Celeriac soup because it definitely seemed to be something seafood based.

Our entrees were Crispy Wild Striped Bass with Sherry Vinegar Sauce, Roast Sunnyside Farm Breast of Free-Range Chicken with Mini Ravioli and Duck Confit with Savoy Cabbage. My friend really liked the sauce with the bass and I enjoyed the bite I had of her dish. The chicken was also delicious although I didn't get a chance to try to ravioli. They weren't the goat cheese ones served with the lamb sometimes, but I think were instead filled with some vegetables? I LOVED my duck confit. A bit heavy for a lunch, but great with the cold weather outside. The duck was literally falling off the bone, and the crispy skin had such a great flavor. I think the cabbage on which it was served was the same, or very similar to, the cabbage served with the pork belly I had last winter.

We were too stuffed for dessert although I was very tempted to make room for the chocolate sabayon. This was my first trip to Corduroy for lunch, and now that I work a mere 3 blocks away, I will certainly be back soon. If you wanted to forgo an entree, you could easily make a full meal of 2 appetizers (soups, salads, etc) for right around $10-11. Sometimes I pay that much for a stupid sandwich and drink from Cosi!

[cgarden]

I was just there for lunch as well (in fact, I think you were at the table in front of mine) - I had the salad (trying to be healthy) and then the pizza (giving up on being healthy). It had a nice cracker-y crust and was topped with tomatoes and lots of black olive slices. It was surprisingly non-salty (not underseasoned, just I usually think of olive pizzas as having a pronounced salty taste) - very good, though I'm now too full to accomplish anything at work this afternoon.

[Scott Johnston]

Stopped by Corduory for a brief happy hour yesterday and had Tom Power's wonderful parsnip soup (absolutely delicious) and the excellent burger. So, so good.

[Biscuit Girl]

The third member of our party had the Celeriac soup and was pleased as well. We were trying to figure out the base of the Celeriac soup because it definitely seemed to be something seafood based.

We were there about two weeks ago and Jim had the soup you mention. You're right about the seafood, it's lobster. I had a spoonful or two and it was absolutely out of this world! If it's on the menu next time we go, I'm getting it (and maybe I'll share a little bit with Jim )

[Meaghan]

What kind of soup is on the menu this week (meaning today forward)?

[Ferhat Yalcin]

Right now there are 3

-Celeriac Soup (lobster stock base)

-Parsnip soup

-Potato Garlic Soup

[Roo]

The celeriac soup that I had (described by NewFoodie above) was absolutely divine. I did not expect the lobster stock base but the choice was inspired. Certainly the best Power soup I've had to date. The celery flavor is subtle, as the lobster stock comes to the forefront. As well, the soup is the farthest thing from heavy, being much less thick than the cauliflower parmesan soup, for instance. I can't recommend enough, though the potato garlic soup that I tried was pretty good, too.

[laniloa]

Right now there are 3

-Celeriac Soup (lobster stock base)

-Parsnip soup

-Potato Garlic Soup

In less then 24 hours I will be enjoying one of these. The only trick is deciding which (yeah, I know I could sample them all but then I won't have room for lamb or pork belly or whatever else is calling my name)? How am I supposed to stay focused during my meetings when there are soup choices to be made?

[Ferhat Yalcin]

In less then 24 hours I will be enjoying one of these. The only trick is deciding which (yeah, I know I could sample them all but then I won't have room for lamb or pork belly or whatever else is calling my name)? How am I supposed to stay focused during my meetings when there are soup choices to be made?

dont worry , we`ll make 2 choices unavailable so there wont be any hard time for you to decide

[laniloa]

dont worry , we`ll make 2 choices unavailable so there wont be any hard time for you to decide

But then I won't have the delicious agony of choosing.

[Adam23]

Awesome meal over the weekend.

They had a very very good duck confit salad starter. The parsnip soup is fabulous. Seems like it has a seafood broth in the background and its very good.

Scallops main course was excellent as always. We also had the beef cheeks entree which was superb. Perfectly braised, tender and delicious. A perfect entree for a cold night.

Overall, a superb experience again.

[JLK]

Adam - see post #630 above.

[Scott Johnston]

I had the pear sorbet tonight. It was incredible, you get this extreme blast of Bartlet pear which then melt in your mouth. Its like the most incredible pear you ever had. Then we had the hazelnut ice cream, which also was incredible, light and really creamy. Sorry to repeat myself...these sorbets are just incredible!

[baczkowski]

OK, this place deserves all the cred it's built up on this board. We (wife, in-laws, and myself) went for my wife's birthday on this cold, federal holiday, Monday and had wonderful meals despite every reason possible for a subpar experience. I tasted all four dishes and my crispy fluke was excellent but a clear fourth behind the other three that could swashbuckle for top honor: the scallops, beef cheeks, and the special tenderloin. My father-in-law called it "the best meal [he's] eaten in a long time" and started brainstorming which friends he wanted to bring there to impress.

With the in-law meal junket ending for a while and our bank accounts greatly drained, I reflected during my long drive back to Frederick on the comparably priced places ($50-$60 per person with food and drinks) we've been in the last six months--Corduroy, Rasika, RTC, Frederick's Tasting Room, David Craig's, Firefly, Fogo de Chao--and Corduroy clearly wins for best food (in fact, I'd rate our meals in the order listed). The fact that it's even priced in the same area as most of these places is startling. Go. You won't be disappointed.

Pax,

Brian

[jcook07]

Pardon the dissent from a new user here, but I'm not sure I understand the level of adulation that posters have expressed for Corduroy. We were there for Valentine's Day, which might account for some of the problems, but...

The roast chicken was exceedingly salty; and its accompanying vegetables were soggy with the "reduction" sauce.

The steak was a poor cut, and not very distinguished in terms of taste or presentation - we expected more.

The butter was cold (I know, a minor complaint). And the service, while friendly, was clumsy.

On the plus side, the appetizers (the beet salad and bufala mozzarella with fried crust) were tasty; the chocolate sabayon was divine, as other posters have said; and the half-bottle of California red (Patz and Hall) recommended by our waiter was excellent.

All in all, not bad, and certainly reasonable next to some of the other meals I have had in DC, but rather disappointing.

Was this just an off night?

[Heather]

The steak was a poor cut, and not very distinguished in terms of taste or presentation - we expected more.

What cut was it? I've never had the chicken, and so can't comment on it.

Did you mention any of the problems to the manager? Rissa is very responsive.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Was this just an off night?

Sounds like it. I would give the place another chance. Michael Landrum, impropreiter of Ray's the Steaks claims that Corduroy has the best steak in town.

[jdl]

What cut was it?

Prime rib eye, no? That's what my better half ordered that same night, and she rather liked it. But, obviously, your mileage may vary.

[Heather]

Prime rib eye, no? That's what my better half ordered that same night, and she rather liked it. But, obviously, your mileage may vary.

There's a flatiron on the bar menu, but it was Valentine's Day, so they probably weren't at the bar.

[Pat]

All in all, not bad, and certainly reasonable next to some of the other meals I have had in DC, but rather disappointing.

Was this just an off night?

I'm going to say off night. I've never had a bad meal there, though I don't go there as much as some people. The only food complaint I recall from anyone I've been there with is that my MIL didn't like the texture of their ice cream. (I think Chef Power was doing something different with it than she expected.)

The only significantly clunky service we had was for a RW meal, so you may have your answer in that you were there on a holiday.

[cloax]

had an impromptu dinner in the bar area tonight.

co-worker from out of town wanted good food, so a friend and I decided to take her to corduroy.

I had the venison off the main menu, which was out of this world. It was perfectly paired with green beans and chestnut puree.

My friend had the pasta off the bar menu which is delicious and hearty.

The co-worker went with the roast chicken. What came was a perfectly cooked bird. For whatever reason, she barely touched it.

Rissa somehow found out and came over to see if everything was ok. Even after being reassured by the co-worker that the everything was ok, Rissa removed the chicken from the bill, even under my protest. A class move, and very appreciated by me if not by the co-worker. I actually felt a bit embarrassed.

As for drinks I had two glasses of the Thunder Mountain, which was a nice pairing for the venison. Friend with the pasta had 2 of the ale on tap.

All in all, another wonderful, solid meal.

-j

[Heather]

Delightful meal, excellent company at last night's Corduroy Cassoulet Convocation.

Amuse: Parsnip soup, tarragon cream. Another stunning soup from Chef Power, sweet parsnips and foie, with a little butter to cut the richness. We asked for one order of soup, split into four demitasse cups.

Apps: Two of us had the seared Sea Scallops with wild mushrooms and chardonnay sauce, the other two had the special lobster salad. I can never get enough of the scallops - the funkiest little surf & turf ever. The lobster must have been good because I only got a tiny little taste of it.

We drank the '95 Domaine Pichot Vouvray "Moelleux" with the above. Sticky apricot with a nice hit of grapefruit acid, a little funkiness in the nose and earth in the back of the throat which matched the mushrooms nicely. I liked it, but it got mixed reviews at the table. It's great paired with the soup.

On to the cassoulet. House-made garlic sausage, lamb shanks, duck confit, a little pork belly, tarbais. It was finished in individual dishes that gave everyone a portion of crust to mix in. I have about 2/3 of this in my refrigerator for breakfast this morning. Delicious, especially the sausage, and the beans were perfectly cooked.

Chateau de la Negly, Coteaux du Languedoc, don't remember the other details. Hot nose, not very fruit forward, and menthol cigarettes on the palate (that might be the first time I've mentioned Kools when describing a wine ). Interesting, and it did it's job of cutting through the richness of the cassoulet.

ustreetguy had the sorbets (pineapple, banana & pear) with grappa, mdt and I had ice cream (vanilla and cocoa Grand Marnier), and Scott ordered the chocolate tart. The pear sorbet and the tart were standouts.

Thanks to Chef Power, Rissa, Ferhat, the staff, and our extraordinarily patient waiter Tom - we loved the foil dinosaur you made for Scott to take his leftover tart in. The next time I make cassoulet you're all invited to our house.

ETA: How could I have forgotten to thank Barbara? I abase myself, dear lady. Many many thanks for putting this together.

[cucas87]

Not much to add about the Corduroy Cassoulet Convocation after reading Heather's excellent post. It would not be an exaggeration to say that I waddled out of Corduroy last night -- full and very, very happy. Before dinner we spent a few hours in the bar, enjoying a few drinks and the lovely spring rolls and parsnip soup, so for the first time ever I did not order my own appetizer at the table. Of course I was more than willing to taste the duck egg salad (which seems to have improved -- how is that possible-- since I had it last). The cassoulet was delicious and served in a very generous portion -- which will provide me with another wonderful dinner tonight. And to top it off we were treated to Rissa's incredible homemade macaroons (that looked just like mini miniburgers). It was a perfect "good-bye to winter" dinner, and we all were left wondering how Chef Power managed to get the weather to cooperate so perfectly with our dinner plans. Thank you Chef Power, Rissa, Ferhat, Katt, the staff, my dining companions and, of course, Barbara and DameEdna.

[jparrott]

Yum. What can I say.

I think this may be the first time someone else has described a red wine I've liked as "hot." It cut through the cassoulet well and reminded me that there are still a few folks in the Languedoc not trying to make Parker wines.

[Heather]

I think this may be the first time someone else has described a red wine as "hot,"

You know what I mean, right? I'm not much of a Parker gal.

Corduroy's wine list makes me feel competent enough to make my own selection. Like that very much.