Thank You

[DonRocks]

I'll delete this in the morning, but I wanted to say - in an admittedly buzzed state - THANK YOU to everyone on this website for making this community what it is. Every single person here, from no-brainers such as mktye, crackers, hillvalley, to challenging rabblerousers such as Joe H and JasonC, to chefs and restaurateurs such as Dean Gold, Cathal Armstrong, Tom Power, John Wabeck and Mark Slater, to the rest of the 1400-strong community - you all make this place what it is. I hold no illusions that this community would be worth anything without you guys. I think I'm a good organizer, largely a fair moderator, a decent writer, a pretty knowledgeable food-and-wine maggot, but all that taken together accounts only for a mildly successful blog and not this wonderful, loving village that you guys have developed on your own. I'm well aware that donrockwell.com is nothing without you, and this website will continue with that in mind. I've gotten terribly busy of late, between my "real" job, writing for Washingtonian each month, and submitting my weekly reports to WETA (incidentally, do you know how much WETA is paying me for this each week? $40 DOLLARS! I haven't billed them yet, and I doubt I ever will.). I have regrets: I no longer have time to change peoples name on their birthdays, to wish them well on their first post (although that is going to change - I'm going to MAKE the time to do that), to read each post in Shopping and Cooking. But I also think it's a logical extension of the website to make a separate Baltimore and Annapolis forum, including Columbia, Howard and Carroll counties, etc. The posts are already there, now it's just a matter of splitting them off and perhaps finding decent forum hosts. If you think that's "ambition to grow," think again: I'm pretty sure we could start a New York forum and triple our website traffic, but I'm not going to do that, at least not yet, because in the past few years, I've gone from being moderately knowledgeable about the New York food scene to being entirely out-of-the-loop. That may change, but it won't change anytime in the immediate future. I know what my expertise is, and it lies squarely in the immediate Washington area. Do I want to institute Google Ads? No. And yet there's zero income from this website. I'm not a wealthy person, I make no money from this, and I take no free meals. So why do I do this for no money, no fame, and no future? Because some crazed demon from my wasted accounting degree is telling me that it's the right thing to do. I don't know what the future will hold, but I do know this: Believe it, don't believe it, call me a commie-lib or a wide-eyed Utopian, but I love each and every one of you guys, and I would do anything for you. Don't believe me? Try me in a moment of need sometime. You have my PM and email. I'm here, I'm not going anywhere, and I'm teary-eyed grateful that this community is comprised of great - yes, great - people like you. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year, I love you, and thank you so much for honoring me by being here. You're the best group of people I've ever seen. Let me know what you need me to do for you and I'll do it. Kind regards, Rocks.

[edenman]

Merry Christmas to you too, Don, and to the rest of you as well.

It's a pleasure, and I can't wait to see what this coming year will bring for us all.

[Ilaine]

Dear Mr. Rocks,

I picked up a phrase a long time ago, maybe from jazz musicians, maybe from actors, which goes,

"Thanks for the use of the hall."

No forum, no forees.

Best regards, Merry Christmas, and Happy Merry Chrismakwanzakah!

[Halloween]

You couldn't be more right about this community, Don. It's remarkable. When I joined dr.com, i never imagined that I would meet such warm, caring people, with such big hearts. It really blows me away. So, thanks to you, my beloved dr.com food family.

Happy everything,

Monique

[Heather]

Don, I PM'd this to you, but it deserves to be public.

Thank you for creating the sandbox that we all play in, and for babysitting when we get whiny or boisterous.

Thank you for allowing us all to speak our minds fairly about the places where we spend our money, even about the sacred cows or industry friends who participate here.

Thank you for letting us be "social" because it's allowed me to make some incredible friends.

Thank you for your lettres, which allow me to live vicariously through you when I have neither the time, nor the money to dine out often.

Thank you for not having a New York forum, because they can start (and have started) their own websites.

Thank you for being a "decent," often brilliant, more often hilarious writer.

Happy New Year to you and yours, Don. And "bon appetit!" as St. Julia used to say.

P.S. Thank you also to my fellow members for giving me a reason to ignore my work all day long.

[deangold]

My world is a nicer place because of this world being here. Thanks Don!

[ScotteeM]

I can't begin to put into words what this forum means to me, but thank you, Don and everyone, for being here! You all, and this forum, have changed my life for the better and helped me grow as a diner and as a home cook.

There are so many places and foods I never would have experienced otherwise. When I can't get out and about, I enjoy things vicariously, and when I can, I am bolder about trying new places or going out to eat alone.

Best wishes to all of you, and fond hopes for a happy, healthy New Year for us all!

[bilrus]

Don - thank you.

And thanks to all my "imaginary online friends" and all the chefs and restaurateurs out there for another year of fun and good food.

For some reason, this Christmas has made me realize even more than most just how lucky I am and you are all a part of it.

[monavano]

Thank you Don, and all who have informed, inspired, and at times perplexed me! Best wishes DR.com, for the New Year, and all the gastromonic wonders yet to be .

Cheers.

eta: Don, please leave your post up! It was lovely.

ps. I love you man!!

[synaesthesia]

Lots of people have said it before, so I'll just repeat it here...

everyone raise an imaginary or real if you have it next to your computer (Lord knows some of you probably do...)

TO ROCKS!

[laniloa]

While I loved interacting with everyone here while I was in DC, I have come to truly appreciate this community since moving away. All the people I've come to call friend with the only initial connection being an interest in sidling up to a bar for a good meal or comforting drink. Of course the connections went far beyond food once we got to talking, proving the universal appeal of good food and drink, prepared and served by people who care.

This board has become a tether of sorts. When I'm frustrated with this hamlet I now call home and need a dose of DC, I check in here. Thanks to everyone for making it what it has become and to Don for giving us a place to take root.

Oh, and I'll be back in town the last week of January and look forward to seeing folks.

[Meaghan]

Thanks for the drunken inspiration, Dark Wing and Rocks.

[Barbara]

Don,

Does this mean we can get away with murder in Shopping and Cooking?

Seriously, I'm looking at a holiday picture/card of people we would never have met without you.

You ROCK! (And, if those eGullet morons aren't kicking themselves, they should be)

[The Hersch]

Rock on, Rocks. As Ralph Kramden used to say, babe, you're the greatest.

[hm212]

Don - Thank You for creating this commmunity.

Hillvalley, Crackers and Mktye - Without you three supporting and helping there would be no community.

Thank you for the special dinners, $20 Tuesday and the on a whim HH.

This is one of the best places to go when I am having a day and can need a smile or laugh on my face.

The friends I have made through this group is worth much more than you would ever believe a website in cyberspace could be.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanza, Merry Festivas or whichever your holiday celebrations are -

Happy and Healthy New Year in 2007

(Don - I think you should leave this up for a few days)

[DanielK]

Thanks to Don and every one of you for some of the things I have enjoyed, because of this community, over the past year:

• "On a whim" happy hours
  
• The Rockville Pike Lunch Club
  
• Restaurant Kolumbia and Galileo Grill lunches
  
• Two amazing picnics
  
• Incredible DR.com dinners at Corduroy, Circle Bistro, and Bebo, amongst others
  
• More $20 Tuesdays than I really SHOULD have attended
  
• Great friends
  

Here's to an even better 2007!

[lackadaisi]

Thank you for creating such a wonderful community! It is amazing how quickly you were able to join together so many people with such different interests and backgrounds and give them each a place to find such comfort and interest. I know that my year wouldn't have been anywhere near as good as it has been if it were not for this site and your constant efforts to support and grow the community. DR has been a great place to come to share excitement, and to find a friend to share a bite, a drink, and some interesting conversation. Thank you for making this all possible. I can't wait to see where this goes, and I hope you (and everyone else on the board) have a great holiday season!

[MC Horoscope]

As I have said many times in the past, this has to be the worst Internet dating service I have ever seen!

On the other hand, the conversation about food and restaurants is informative and often times funny. Thanks for a great year!

[JPW]

Damnit, Don! You made me tear up. Again.

[jparrott]

No.

Thank you.

[mdt]

To ROCKS!

[Spiral Stairs]

Let me add this to the well-deserved comments of others: I have participated in a number of online forums concerning a number of topics over the past decade or so. This site is, without doubt, the best-run and most judiciously moderated site of them all. Seriously. Most forums eventually deterioriate under the weight of their own success, devolving into adolescence and inanity. That simply does not happen here. Some of the credit for that goes to the extraordinarily sensible clientele. But most goes to the proprietor.

Don, you do a truly remarkable job of keeping the site on a steady course. And it just keeps getting better.

[JLK]

Who would have thought a web site could greatly influence my life? Well, it has. I'm finding a certain sort of freedom in this process of becoming a less-picky eater.

TO ROCKS!

[porcupine]

I'd like to say thanks, too - not just to Rocks and Hillvalley and mktye, but to the whole community. 2006 was an awful year for me (as a lot of you know), but your kindness and generosity helped me through the worst of it. A very happy new year to you all.

[DanCole42]

Why, why, why, Don would you create something the distracts me from my work so? Why do I want to blow my life savings on expensive restaurants? Why do I weigh so much more now than I did a year ago? Why do I cook more, and better? Why do you moderate so well that I don't have to wade through Marianas (marinara?) trenches of crap to find what I want?

I mean, what in the name of St. Michael do you think you're doing?

[Al Dente]

Don-- thanks for providing a space for me to air out my assless chaps!

You'll be relieved to hear I'll probably be trading them in for a pair of chinos in 2008.

Gratefully,

Al

[zoramargolis]

Being away from DC, and with no access to a computer for almost two weeks, I have returned with a heightened sense of appreciation for this site and the community who make it what it is. DC is definitely a better place for me to live, now that DR.com is an important part of my life.

Don, I am not among the lucky ones who have met you in the flesh, but I consider you a friend nonetheless. I join the others here, to express my appreciation and admiration for your generosity of spirit and all that you do for us and for the community at large.

[xcanuck]

Allow me to add my thanks. I only found this place a few months ago and already have met so many wonderful people. We've tried places we never would have otherwise heard of. So thanks, Don, and to all of the community. May the new year be a better one.

[jparrott]

DR.com led me to Firefly, then to derekmbrown, then to dirtymartini, then to the nascent days of Agraria, far too many experiments with gin, maraschino, and Chartreuse, to the drink in front of me now. And as you know, the best drink in the world, is the drink in your hand.

Cheers!

Happy New Year.

[squidsdc]

I may not get the time to post often, nor write very well to boot, but do try to participate in events when I can. I've met some wonderful folks and hope to meet more in the future. I wish everyone a safe, happy and HEALTHY new year, and offer many thanks for this avenue of escape, enlightenment, and friendships. The past few days have been quite stressful for me and I have needed the diversion of sitting at the computer and catching up on what's been happening, to keep my mind off the events at hand as sleep has evaded me.

Disclaimer: this is where I get to preach.

My husband is only 45 yrs young, thin and healthy all his life, and eats a pretty healthy diet. To make a long story short, he was just diagnosed with a possible arterial blockage and was scheduled for an angiogram and potential angioplasty. We, including the doctor, were all shocked to learn he has multiple blockages, and a quintuple bypass was immediately scheduled and successfully performed today. He is now doing fine in the ICU. All this due to a cocktail of bad genes, small arteries, and moderately high cholesterol, even though he has been on Lipitor for the past few years. Please everyone, let this be a warniing sign to you to get your cholesterol checked and start taking the proper meds as soon as possible, if necessary. And schedule a stress test early just to have as a baseline. It can save your life. (sermon over) Now I need a drink and a good cry.

Thank you, Don.

[bilrus]

a quintuple bypass was immediately scheduled and successfully performed today. He is now doing fine in the ICU.

Here's to a swift recovery, too.

[Lydia R]

Today is the second anniversary of my first “chow” meal: a Chowhound NYE lunch at New Fortune.

I had the privilege of meeting DanielK, hm212, PollyG, PandaHugga (James G) and Steve [a dedicated CH'er who has yet to post on DR]. I went away knowing that there were like minded food folks who were both excellent dining companions and patient educators. This CH group went on to have a smackdown of Thai restaurants similar to the current Some Dim Sundays here.

Little did I know, at the time, you were leading a tough band of eG insurgents and DR.com was brewing just over the horizon. Not only did many DC Chowhounders migrate, but eventually even CH's “he who shall not be named” began posting.

This community has provided me opportunities that would have been difficult to imagine as I walked away from New Fortune two years ago. This includes some greatly memorable meals including a dinner at Corduroy with squidsdc and her husband. I hope the hospital staff treats Mr. squidsdc with the same impressive care and attention our table received that night.

Although you have a dedicated legion of helpers (MKTye, Hillvalley, Crackers, CJSandler, etc.) I've met you and know the policies, if not most of the administrative keystrokes, are yours.

Thank you Don

[Barbara]

I may not get the time to post often, nor write very well to boot, but do try to participate in events when I can. I've met some wonderful folks and hope to meet more in the future. I wish everyone a safe, happy and HEALTHY new year, and offer many thanks for this avenue of escape, enlightenment, and friendships. The past few days have been quite stressful for me and I have needed the diversion of sitting at the computer and catching up on what's been happening, to keep my mind off the events at hand as sleep has evaded me.

Disclaimer: this is where I get to preach.

My husband is only 45 yrs young, thin and healthy all his life, and eats a pretty healthy diet. To make a long story short, he was just diagnosed with a possible arterial blockage and was scheduled for an angiogram and potential angioplasty. We, including the doctor, were all shocked to learn he has multiple blockages, and a quintuple bypass was immediately scheduled and successfully performed today. He is now doing fine in the ICU. All this due to a cocktail of bad genes, small arteries, and moderately high cholesterol, even though he has been on Lipitor for the past few years. Please everyone, let this be a warniing sign to you to get your cholesterol checked and start taking the proper meds as soon as possible, if necessary. And schedule a stress test early just to have as a baseline. It can save your life. (sermon over) Now I need a drink and a good cry.

Thank you, Don.

I'm just shocked to read this. I so enjoyed meeting your husband and sharing a dinner with you two at Corduroy. Please let Jeff know that we are all pulling for him (and you, too).

[laniloa]

This is a perfect example of the power of this board. I've met Squids and Mr. Squids once, maybe twice and I was so saddened to read this. Best wishes for a speedy and full recovery.

[legant]

It's time for year-end reflections and acknowledgements….

This year, I proclaim gratitude to the DR.com community for:

… steering me to new restaurants (PS 7, Bob's Shabu-Shabu);

… challenging the way I view food and it's production and preparation;

… honing my skills in the kitchen (my very own salmon pot pie!);

… engaging in fellowship at the various $20 Tuesdays and blow-out events;

… daring me to be creative (remember Bok Choi Baby?);

… introducing me to new dishes (takikomi gohan) and concepts (sous vide);

… inspiring me, through words and pictures, to try something new;

… those who allowed me to taste off their plates;

… those who looked over my shoulder and guided/encouraged me as I tried new things;

… those that touched my life, if only for a moment, and are now lost to me;

… my cooking buddies;

… friends, new and old; and

… one helluva picnic.

Special shout outs to:

… Antonio Burrell for steering me off the beaten path;

… my cooking gurus who have taught me so much;

… Ann Cashion for her reflections and candor; and

…the bartenders who have taken very good care of me, trying times or not.

And, most importantly, to Rocks for:

… providing this space, this community;

… his support and encouragement; and

… his willingness to admit when he's wrong.

For these things I am truly grateful.

Ache!

[DonRocks]

I'll delete this in the morning, but I wanted to say - in an admittedly buzzed state - THANK YOU to everyone on this website for making this community what it is. Every single person here, from no-brainers such as mktye, crackers, hillvalley, to challenging rabblerousers such as Joe H and JasonC, to chefs and restaurateurs such as Dean Gold, Cathal Armstrong, Tom Power, John Wabeck and Mark Slater, to the rest of the 1400-strong community - you all make this place what it is. I hold no illusions that this community would be worth anything without you guys. I think I'm a good organizer, largely a fair moderator, a decent writer, a pretty knowledgeable food-and-wine maggot, but all that taken together accounts only for a mildly successful blog and not this wonderful, loving village that you guys have developed on your own. I'm well aware that donrockwell.com is nothing without you, and this website will continue with that in mind. I've gotten terribly busy of late, between my "real" job, writing for Washingtonian each month, and submitting my weekly reports to WETA (incidentally, do you know how much WETA is paying me for this each week? $40 DOLLARS! I haven't billed them yet, and I doubt I ever will.). I have regrets: I no longer have time to change peoples name on their birthdays, to wish them well on their first post (although that is going to change - I'm going to MAKE the time to do that), to read each post in Shopping and Cooking. But I also think it's a logical extension of the website to make a separate Baltimore and Annapolis forum, including Columbia, Howard and Carroll counties, etc. The posts are already there, now it's just a matter of splitting them off and perhaps finding decent forum hosts. If you think that's "ambition to grow," think again: I'm pretty sure we could start a New York forum and triple our website traffic, but I'm not going to do that, at least not yet, because in the past few years, I've gone from being moderately knowledgeable about the New York food scene to being entirely out-of-the-loop. That may change, but it won't change anytime in the immediate future. I know what my expertise is, and it lies squarely in the immediate Washington area. Do I want to institute Google Ads? No. And yet there's zero income from this website. I'm not a wealthy person, I make no money from this, and I take no free meals. So why do I do this for no money, no fame, and no future? Because some crazed demon from my wasted accounting degree is telling me that it's the right thing to do. I don't know what the future will hold, but I do know this: Believe it, don't believe it, call me a commie-lib or a wide-eyed Utopian, but I love each and every one of you guys, and I would do anything for you. Don't believe me? Try me in a moment of need sometime. You have my PM and email. I'm here, I'm not going anywhere, and I'm teary-eyed grateful that this community is comprised of great - yes, great - people like you. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year, I love you, and thank you so much for honoring me by being here. You're the best group of people I've ever seen. Let me know what you need me to do for you and I'll do it. Kind regards, Rocks.

And again, nearly five years later ... thank you!

[DonRocks]

And again, nearly five years later ... thank you!

I just want to bump this up in case anyone didn't see it earlier. Thank you to everyone for all you do here. Last night, as I was getting that blog entry ready for publication, I was working, and working, to try and get it assembled. I was tired, and all I wanted was to kick back and just mindlessly read through the posts here, without having to do any work while I read. That really emphasized the point that it is SO easy to just be in "read-only" mode here, but if everyone was, then there would be nothing to read! It is the writers (and of course the moderators and membership directors) here who make this website what it is, and without you, this would be nothing more than a regular old blog ... that would be me, clapping with one hand in a dark room.

Cheers,

Rocks

[JimRice]

I just want to bump this up in case anyone didn't see it earlier. Thank you to everyone for all you do here. Last night, as I was getting that blog entry ready for publication, I was working, and working, to try and get it assembled. I was tired, and all I wanted was to kick back and just mindlessly read through the posts here, without having to do any work while I read. That really emphasized the point that it is SO easy to just be in "read-only" mode here, but if everyone was, then there would be nothing to read! It is the writers (and of course the moderators and membership directors) here who make this website what it is, and without you, this would be nothing more than a regular old blog ... that would be me, clapping with one hand in a dark room.

Cheers,

Rocks

And thank you. There's a reason we all hang out here.

Cheers,

Jim Rice

[Ilaine]

Hmm, well, I probably could not improve on the silly things I said five years ago, and I still mean them with all my heart.