Please Introduce Yourselves

[Merry Mary]

Howdy. I have been lurking and I just signed up. Looking forward to food and fun.

[michey1st]

Hi Everyone! I have been lurking for the last few weeks and finally took the plunge and created an account

I am 33 and currently live in Bethesda but have been in this area for as long as I can remember... grew up in Olney, lived in Silver Spring, Germantown, Frederick, etc.

I am a relatively new foody, kinda getting sick of the same old stuff and am excited to try out new places that I never would have considered (or never knew existed) in the past.

Thanks for having me!

[goodeats]

Did anyone hear that Zagat himself came into restaurants last weekend and graded them solely based on walking in and looking at the decor and plate presentation? can i say that's odd?

I don't think that's odd if you've ever seen them as judges in the Iron Chef episodes....

eta: Welcome! Don't forget to check out the Events & Gatherings forum (or the calendar on the main page) for upcoming get togethers!!

[mackmittonz]

My name is Milton and I really enjoy finding new ethnic restaurants that no one has heard about. I'm guilty of turning all of my vacations into foodie tours...

[mdt]

My name is Milton and I really enjoy finding new ethnic restaurants that no one has heard about. I'm guilty of turning all of my vacations into foodie tours...

Welcome! Now how about some info on those ethnic restaurants that you have found?

[w3wa2003]

Hello - Im new to the board. Not in the restaurant industry, just love good food.

[Another Drew]

Hi everyone. I'm a long time foodie, first time member of a food board. I'm not in the industry. The closest I've come is having taken Saturday cooking classes at Gerard's Place for 5 years.

[jganzer]

Hi All,

My name is Jessica and my interest in food is not only in dining but also helping people make healthier choices - I am a dietitian. I love good food and finding interesting ways to sneak nutrition onto a plate.

[DaRiv18]

Hiya, Dave here. I live in the District and am really excited by all of the great restaurants in the area. In the past, I have really enjoyed getting to know sushi, espressos, and wine. In the past year, I've been really interested in cocktails. DC is an exciting place for cocktails, I have been impressed by the bartenders in the area.

My fiance and I also really enjoy seafood and dim sum, and find ourselves driving out of the District to Virginia alot for outstanding Vietnamese and Korean food in Falls Church/Annandale. We do eat out in the District, but find the service to be uneven amongst the same tiered restaurants -- so we end up sticking with our favorites (2 Amy's, Rasika, Granville Moore's and Central) rather than search out new expensive restaurants.

I also love film and sports and my two cats. Thanks for your time.

[dalaii]

Hello everyone!

I was introduced to this forum by TheMatt and I am very excited to starting trying all of the delicious offerings. I am new to the DC area and come from a relatively "food-sheltered" background - so all of the different cuisines look extremely appetizing. I may be a little conservative at first, but I tend to open up pretty quickly.

Stephanie

[pdk204]

Hey everyone,

I've worked in kitchens for the past 5 years of my life, both in D.C. and Pennsylvania, and am leaving for culinary school (New England Culinary Institute) in two weeks. Of course, it took me a trip out to Napa Valley to run into chef Nathan Anda from D.C. and have someone turn me on to this site, but better late than never. Lookin forward to reading all the great posts to keep me in touch while im in Vermont!

[pganyc123]

Hi everyone,

I've visited the site a number of times, but this is my first post (and my first time to the site in a while). My wife and I live in the DC area, and are avid foodies. We love the site, and always call on it to hear what the latest buzz is on DC-area restaurants.

Coincidentally, my family and I just had dinner at Minibar last night, which was simply amazing. (I can't believe we actually got in to eat there--it was a little like calling a radio station to get the reservations). There were six of us. We had a bottle of the Alain Soutiran NV Brut Rose to start, then each got wine flights to go with the food--5 of us got the sparkling wine flight, 1 got the rose flight. All in all, it was a surreal experience. The food and wines were fantastic.

I'm very happy to be a part of the community!

Paul

[mdt]

Hi everyone,

I've visited the site a number of times, but this is my first post (and my first time to the site in a while). My wife and I live in the DC area, and are avid foodies. We love the site, and always call on it to hear what the latest buzz is on DC-area restaurants.

Coincidentally, my family and I just had dinner at Minibar last night, which was simply amazing. (I can't believe we actually got in to eat there--it was a little like calling a radio station to get the reservations). There were six of us. We had a bottle of the Alain Soutiran NV Brut Rose to start, then each got wine flights to go with the food--5 of us got the sparkling wine flight, 1 got the rose flight. All in all, it was a surreal experience. The food and wines were fantastic.

I'm very happy to be a part of the community!

Paul

Welcome! Do you happen to have the Minibar menu to post? I am sure folks here would like to see what is on the menu these days.

[luv2cook]

Hello!

My name is Norene - no restaurant affiliation but I do love to cook . Always looking for a new place to try and it's nice to hear what others have to say about different locations.

I am enjoying all the great information found here.

[robyale]

Hello DonRocks ppl!

Longtime lurk, first time post (in response to the "inactive account" email).

I have lived in the area since 2003. I haven't logged in for a long time because I am deployed with the Army Reserve in Afghanistan and will be back Spring '09. You all probably don't need a posting about the culinary details of a KBR Chow Hall.

Area favorites (where's you were likely to spot my wife and I before my deployment) include The Majestic, Ceiba, Jaleo, and (Hyattsville's) La Sirenita.

Shortly before I left last winter, had great experiences at Central and The Source.

I can't wait for a welcome home dinner at Alain Ducasse's Adour once I am back, and that place is open.

Here's to dreams of D.C. dining from Afghanistan, and see you all next Spring. Please keep my account alive here on donrockwell.com

-Rob

[agm]

Welcome! Do you happen to have the Minibar menu to post? I am sure folks here would like to see what is on the menu these days.

NQD and I were just there last week. I'll pull out the menu and post tomorrow.

[DonRocks]

Hello DonRocks ppl!

Longtime lurk, first time post (in response to the "inactive account" email).

I have lived in the area since 2003. I haven't logged in for a long time because I am deployed with the Army Reserve in Afghanistan and will be back Spring '09. You all probably don't need a posting about the culinary details of a KBR Chow Hall.

Area favorites (where's you were likely to spot my wife and I before my deployment) include The Majestic, Ceiba, Jaleo, and (Hyattsville's) La Sirenita.

Shortly before I left last winter, had great experiences at Central and The Source.

I can't wait for a welcome home dinner at Alain Ducasse's Adour once I am back, and that place is open.

Here's to dreams of D.C. dining from Afghanistan, and see you all next Spring. Please keep my account alive here on donrockwell.com

-Rob

In all seriousness, would you like to blog about a typical week of food for you? It might be kind of interesting to hear you busting on MRE's, picking them apart and actually trying to write about what it's like for a week. Are there any special Sunday dinners, for example? Whaddya think? Want to start next week? Would you be able to provide pictures?

P.S. Welcome, and thank you for posting! And more than anything else, thank you for serving - for making seemingly routine things such as dr.com possible. Dinner's on me when you return (not at Adour! )

Cheers,

Rocks.

[Walrus]

Hello new folks!

Please do take a gander at the thread on the DR.com Dino dinner, found here on the Events forum. A DR.com dinner is a great way to start easing into the DR.com community, and we would love to meet you all!

[Kanafa]

Hi All,

I hope I found the right webpage for newcomer introductions.

My husband and I work in software and love to cook, anything from simple to complicated. Our gardening skills are being tested, as we are from the Southwest--everything is slightly different here!

We've also found that there are an overwhelming number of choices for dining out here, but where to start? And what's really excellent/unusual/funky/fabulous/well designed?

Moving to a different part of America is a real challenge for us after years in the Southwest. Back home I'd learned the restaurants and markets. Our first good find here was Crystal Thai--the service is excellent, the atmosphere is lovely--the beautiful attire of the wait people is visually very nice, the food is very good.

Recently we discovered the Sunflower restaurant, which thoroughly meets the Vegan needs of our daughter and pleases us all with it's variety. (husband is not really interested in Vegetarian, but still likes the menu offerings there.)

We also love La Tasca tapas, Henry's, Red,Hot&Blue, Lebanese Taverna, Stray Cat/Lost Dog---We like all kinds of food.

Recently word of mouth led us to Artisan's Confections, and the whole family was stunned with their fabulous chocolates. Okay, here's me: I'll try almost anything, humble, funky, whatever, sharing a meal is a spiritual experience, then, here's my mother, who received the chocolates recently: Martha Stewart/World SeasonedArtist/a serious "Excellence" snob--she loved Artisans! I was really proud to be able to offer those chocolates, . Those are the kinds of win experiences that we have been looking for here in the D.C. area.

So we're interested in everything, from just really good to amazing. We're currently in need of some recommendations for Vegetarian/Japanese/Asian in the Arlington area.

We once naively traveled on 95 for 2 hours in traffic to find that a Centerville restaurant in the Washington Post Restaurant review was a darn chain restaurant, and while tasty in a fattening/unhealthy style, wasn't worth our time or travel. Andrew Weil has had a serious influence on how I cook and what I choose to feed my family; Anthony Bourdain has made eating out and cooking fun. So stereotype me! Not! please.

We are eclectic in that we will eat a delicious French or Eastern European meal one night, and then balance it with Asian or simple or healthy the next night, so I don't think we're snobs-- we do like the dining experience to be tasty, interesting, and preferably healthy.

My husband would love to find a really good Mexican restaurant locally--on the order of El Charro in the West . There's a Mexican restaurant near Santa Fe in Los Alamos, New Mexico, that is so good you can never quite compare another restaurant to it. And Cisco's, in Austin, Tx has the best Migas in the known universe in my opinion. Does anyone make Migas here? Scrambled eggs with fresh tomatoes, a few corn chips, and cheese? (shudder--it might even be Velveeta!) Sounds so simple, but I've not been able to reproduce it in my kitchen.

I'd like to find a great Indian restaurant locally--I've found one in Fairfax but that's a bit far for us to drive most nights. Clarendon's Delhi Club was awesome on atmosphere but my fish curry was bland, maybe I chose the wrong dish for me. Tandoori Nights was exquisite the one time we dined there. Any others recommended?

Mama Aisha's in Adams Morgan was astounding to me, but we went with a person who knew what to order, so, just like the issue with Dim Sum, I'm not sure how well I would do ordering on my own.

If I forgot some nationality, Ethiopian, Estonian, Afghani, please let me know what to try! <smile> Also, currently I'm searching everywhere for vegetarian dishes to cook that taste good. We've done a lot of experimenting with Indian and Asian cooking, and dabbled in MiddleEastern and Mediterranean. I find it interesting that the world's best dishes really share a finite, know-able set of spices and ingredients.

I recently made "Kanafa" from an online recipe given to me, and it was delicious, but oddly, it was so gentle in it's sweetness that I began to worry that a high fructose corn syrup culture might not be able to enjoy it as much as one without that history. Any opinions?

We look forward to learning from you about where to eat and where to shop for ingredients, and we are honored to be privy to this list of area expert opinions,

Tamara

[Walrus]

There's a Mexican restaurant near Santa Fe in Los Alamos, New Mexico, that is so good you can never quite compare another restaurant to it.

Ooooh -- where?! Spill! We go to Santa Fe every year Nothing like that here, but you could check out Los Tios in Del Ray for relatively inexpensive, decent Mexican/El Salvadorean food...

[ol_ironstomach]

I recently made "Kanafa" from an online recipe given to me, and it was delicious, but oddly, it was so gentle in it's sweetness that I began to worry that a high fructose corn syrup culture might not be able to enjoy it as much as one without that history. Any opinions?

Welcome to the mosh pit community!

There are many variations on kanafeh...I don't think any American would accuse the delicious Lebanese pastries at Mirage (Bailey's Crossroads, a few doors to the left of Lucky Three) of not being sweet enough

To some extent the type of cheese used has a big impact on how sweet the overall pastry ends up. The Turkish variant (kí¼nefe) uses a somewhat firmer and very slightly sour cheese, but more pistachios. Pictured below is what is reputed to be the best kí¼nefe in Antep, the pastry and pistachio capital of Turkey, about 30 miles north of the Syrian border.

dessert, 9 April 2008

[zoramargolis]

Hi All,

I hope I found the right webpage for newcomer introductions.

So we're interested in everything, from just really good to amazing. We're currently in need of some recommendations for Vegetarian/Japanese/Asian in the Arlington area.
<snip>
My husband would love to find a really good Mexican restaurant locally--on the order of El Charro in the West . There's a Mexican restaurant near Santa Fe in Los Alamos, New Mexico, that is so good you can never quite compare another restaurant to it. And Cisco's, in Austin, Tx has the best Migas in the known universe in my opinion. Does anyone make Migas here? Scrambled eggs with fresh tomatoes, a few corn chips, and cheese? (shudder--it might even be Velveeta!) Sounds so simple, but I've not been able to reproduce it in my kitchen.

I'd like to find a great Indian restaurant locally--I've found one in Fairfax but that's a bit far for us to drive most nights. Clarendon's Delhi Club was awesome on atmosphere but my fish curry was bland, maybe I chose the wrong dish for me. Tandoori Nights was exquisite the one time we dined there. Any others recommended?
<snip>
If I forgot some nationality, Ethiopian, Estonian, Afghani, please let me know what to try! <smile> Also, currently I'm searching everywhere for vegetarian dishes to cook that taste good. We've done a lot of experimenting with Indian and Asian cooking, and dabbled in MiddleEastern and Mediterranean. I find it interesting that the world's best dishes really share a finite, know-able set of spices and ingredients.
<snip>
We look forward to learning from you about where to eat and where to shop for ingredients, and we are honored to be privy to this list of area expert opinions,
Tamara

Welcome to DR.com--you've arrived at the right place to join in to the discussion about good places to eat and great dishes to cook and where to find the best ingredients.

Let's cut to the chase about Mexican restaurants. I'm from L.A., and it's pretty much a universal experience of everyone who moves here from the southwest that it is nearly impossible to find the kind of good Mexican cooking that was ubiquitous where we used to live. I'll steer you to two Arlington places that I consider decent: Guajillo 1727 N. Wilson Blvd., in the same small strip mall where you will also find Ray's the Steaks and Ray's Hellburger (two DR.com favorites that offer high quality at low prices. Your vegan daughter can join you and eat mushroom dishes at either place). But back to Guajillo--they make fresh tortillas (albeit with masa harina not fresh masa) and the carnitas taste authentic. I've never had chicken that wsn't overcooked, though. But the molé Poblano is not bad. Taqueria El Charrito Caminante (2710 N. Washington Blvd. in S. Arlington) is a taco/burrito/torta place that's mostly for carry-out (no tables and just a few stools at a tiny counter). But they have good soft tacos: chorizo, goat, lengua as well as chicken and beef. It's run by Salvadorans, so they also have pupusas. Taqueria El Poblano (2503 N. Harrison St.) in the Harris Teeter shopping center off of Lee Highway is "L.A.-style" Mexican, and can be good but is uneven in quality. In Arlington, you'll also find the best Latin grocery store in the area, Chapparal, directly across from the Arlington Whole Foods store at 2719 Wilson Blvd.

I also have a non-meat-eating daughter, although I am lucky because she is not vegan and will eat seafood on occasion. Getting adequate protein into a growing vegan is especially challenging--but I know that there are a couple of new vegan cookbooks out, and if you don't have a good one, I suggest browsing Amazon. And resign yourself to preparing two different dinners one for you and your husband, a separate one for your daughter, on occasion. My strategy is often to make a side for us that can be her main. And if all else fails, I can usually get away with giving mine a big salad with nuts and seeds and bread with hummus. If you haven't yet found Trader Joe's in Bailey's Crossroads, (5847 Leesburg Pike) near the intersection of Leesburg Pike and Columbia Pike, that is a great resource for all manner of international/organic/health-foods as well as regular groceries, wines and cheeses, which is much less expensive than Whole Foods. The chain started in Los Angeles, so I was very familiar with TJ's before they opened here. Just west of the shopping center where TJ's is located, on a side street (just across the side street is the strip where Lucky Three Restaurant and the middle eastern bakery that ol'ironstomach referenced) are an Asian grocery (Rabieng?) next door to a middle eastern/Greek store (Aphrodite), both at 5886 Leesburg Pike.

In the same strip mall as Trader Joe's is Full Kee (5830 Leesburg Pike), one of the better Chinese restaurants in the area (don't miss the shrimp dumpling soup). And east of the Trader Joe's mall, at 5364 Leesburg Pike is an excellent Afghan restaurant called Bamian. In Arlington, your best bet for Indian food (Pakistani, actually) is Ravi Kabob at 305 N. Glebe Rd., just north of Route 50.

There are lots of good Vietnamese, Thai and Korean restaurants, which you will discover as you explore this board. Let us know what you find as you get to know the area, and folks here on DR.com will always be glad to help and offer suggestions and recommendations.

[DanCole42]

I'll second that about Guajillo. Welcome to the boards!

PS - Listen to Zora.

[levjn]

Hi All,

I hope I found the right webpage for newcomer introductions.

My husband and I work in software and love to cook, anything from simple to complicated. Our gardening skills are being tested, as we are from the Southwest--everything is slightly different here!

We've also found that there are an overwhelming number of choices for dining out here, but where to start? And what's really excellent/unusual/funky/fabulous/well designed?

Moving to a different part of America is a real challenge for us after years in the Southwest. Back home I'd learned the restaurants and markets. Our first good find here was Crystal Thai--the service is excellent, the atmosphere is lovely--the beautiful attire of the wait people is visually very nice, the food is very good.

Recently we discovered the Sunflower restaurant, which thoroughly meets the Vegan needs of our daughter and pleases us all with it's variety. (husband is not really interested in Vegetarian, but still likes the menu offerings there.)

We also love La Tasca tapas, Henry's, Red,Hot&Blue, Lebanese Taverna, Stray Cat/Lost Dog---We like all kinds of food.

Recently word of mouth led us to Artisan's Confections, and the whole family was stunned with their fabulous chocolates. Okay, here's me: I'll try almost anything, humble, funky, whatever, sharing a meal is a spiritual experience, then, here's my mother, who received the chocolates recently: Martha Stewart/World SeasonedArtist/a serious "Excellence" snob--she loved Artisans! I was really proud to be able to offer those chocolates, . Those are the kinds of win experiences that we have been looking for here in the D.C. area.

So we're interested in everything, from just really good to amazing. We're currently in need of some recommendations for Vegetarian/Japanese/Asian in the Arlington area.

My husband would love to find a really good Mexican restaurant locally--on the order of El Charro in the West . There's a Mexican restaurant near Santa Fe in Los Alamos, New Mexico, that is so good you can never quite compare another restaurant to it. And Cisco's, in Austin, Tx has the best Migas in the known universe in my opinion. Does anyone make Migas here? Scrambled eggs with fresh tomatoes, a few corn chips, and cheese? (shudder--it might even be Velveeta!) Sounds so simple, but I've not been able to reproduce it in my kitchen.

Tamara

I also live in Arlington and had to suggest a couple spots that came to mind that you may like - For a vegetarian/Japanese/Asian - have you tried Mei's Asian Bistro on Washington Blvd (behind the Giant and across from Rocklands). We aren't vegetarians - but love Sunflower as well - and I am addicted to their General Tso's "Chicken" - Mei's has it as well and is closer to us than Sunflower. Mei's has a TON of Vegan & Vegetarian Options - http://meisasianbistro.com/veggie_cuisine.html - I still prefer Sunflower, but for proximity sake and that they also serve Chinese, Japanese and have a Sushi bar - it sounds like Mei's would suite the whole family! The owners are very friendly and work very hard to make the restaurant a success! )

I have to second the El Charrito Caminante on Washington Blvd for very good "take out" - and it's unbelievable how inexpensive they are! ) Another old Mexican "dine in" restaurant in Arlington we like is El Paso Cafe - it's on Pershing near the intersection of Glebe. It's a little more "local" feeling than Rio Grande and such.

Happy Dining! )

[doctoro]

...Since this is my first post and this is...well you get it, I am humbled by the wealth of information on this site, and happy to be a part of it.

I stumbled here by accident, and boy am I glad I did.

I am a server at Il Fornaio In the new "Mid Town" Center located as a part of the not so new and improved Reston Town Center.

I have worked in the business for most of my working life, have 2 years of Food and Hospitality classes from NOVA CC.

and have been a server most of these years, although I have been a bartender and a manager in my younger years.

I worked at Da Domenico Ristorante in Tysons Corner for about 15 years and was happy to be part of a close knit establishment.

I have never worked downtown and have always wondered what working in a restaurant in the city would be like.

I just never had the nerves to deal with commuting.

I figured a little less cash and brash is the trade off to commuter hell.

I am hoping for a rejuvenation out in the burbs. But all I see is steak houses in Tysons Corner, and am looking forward to Passion Fish

opening in Reston.

I have grown up in this area and can lend some information on anything from local sports teams, Redskins Fan, to previously closed restaurants.

Inflation and bills have taken its toll so I don't eat out as often as I once did, but still love an occasional culinary binge tour to the city.

I hope to be a avid user of this site and I'll see you all on the boards.

[Treva]

Hello, I'm happy to have found this group.

After five+ years of international travel and sailing, I have recently returned to Maryland for an extended stay. During my time away I freelanced as a chef on private yachts and did some cooking at private Caribbean villas. I lived in Antigua, Guatemala for a year where I missed fine cheeses more than any other food item - though I developed an appreciation for frijoles negros prepared in the loaf style. At present, I work part-time for my friend Stacey Adams-Zier at Tastings Gourmet Market in Annapolis where I try and try to get my fill of her fine cheeses, but I've become obsessed and have begun to make notes and twitters about cheeses. My other culinary obsession is with specialty coffee. Don't get me started... I went to the 2008 World Barista Championship in Denmark and watched nearly every barista, each a national champion, from over 50 countries pull espressos, serve cappuccinos and make their signature drinks. I read coffee blogs.

I'm interested in the underground restaurant trend and started a DCbaltAnnapolis interest group on ghetto gourmet.

I learn about cooking wherever my travels take me. One of the highlights was six weeks in Oaxaca learning from various Oaxacan chefs and being fortunate enough to cook with Chef José Luis at his restaurant El Teatro Culinario at Casa Crespo. José has won high international acclaim since that time.

There's more. I could write about about living in California in the 80s when I was too poor to buy wine and so visited every winery on the central coast for free tastings. Or salmon fishing for three months in Alaska & The Queen Charlottes. Or the cheese market in Alkmaar. Or my uncle's fried catfish and his huge cast iron skillet. Or my dad's fried oysters. Or anchovies in L'Escala, Catalunya. Or mozzarella and pecorino in Sardinia. Or jams in Bonafacio. Or mushroom foraging in Sierre Norte. Or lambie in St. Lucia. Or mezcal in Oaxaca and my favorite Tequila Bar - in of all places - Guatemala.

Annapolis restaurants continue to be a disappointment. I find myself in Baltimore and Washington foraging, which has brought me here.

Right now, I am looking for mezcal.

See you on the boards!

[zoramargolis]

Treva--your life experiences are amazing, and your wide-ranging interests suggest that you will be a greatly appreciated participant on the board. I hope that you can come to the Fall picnic to get to know some of the passionate food-lovers who comprise the DR.com community.

[DanCole42]

I'm interested in the underground restaurant trend and started a DCbaltAnnapolis interest group on ghetto gourmet.

What exactly is the underground restaurant trend?

I don't share my dining area with Mole People.

[mdt]

What exactly is the underground restaurant trend?

I don't share my dining area with Mole People.

Folks running invite only "restaurants" our of their homes. They charge just enough to cover food costs and can be BYOB. They are typically found via word of mouth. I believe that there was a WaPo article a couple(?) of years back.

[cjsadler]

What exactly is the underground restaurant trend?

NY Times article on it from a few weeks ago.

[Treva]

Treva--your life experiences are amazing, and your wide-ranging interests suggest that you will be a greatly appreciated participant on the board. I hope that you can come to the Fall picnic to get to know some of the passionate food-lovers who comprise the DR.com community.

Thank you for the warm welcome, Zoramargolis. I was bit surprised re-reading the introduction before posting it. That person sounds more experienced than me! It was an unfathomable leap of faith to start and maintain the more or less solo traveling enterprise. Determined for more more deliciousness. Now I reach for the next adventures, new culinary collaborations and a local community. Looking forward to the pumpkin-themed picnic on 10/19!! Times and directions and what to bring, etc.?

[Heather]

The picnic thread is here, and we'd love to have you join us. October 19, Ft. Hunt park, noon-5pm.

[DareJohnsn]

Hi Everyone

I run a small DC based wine importing and retailing business, www.FirstVine.com, with my partner Tom. One of our customers and subscriber to our weekly newsletter recently wrote a really terrific unsolicited blog post about us that I'd love to get out:

http://jofishandjim.livejournal.com/#entry_19986

Looking forward to participating in this board!!

Dare

Dare Wenzler

First Vine Wine Imports + Sales

[fosterrc]

My name is Craig and I do Marketing for a living. I work in the Reston area and have nothing to do with the restaraunt business.

I live out in WV but travel back and forth to work and usually work through lunch most of the time. Convienence and speed is one of my main concerns for lunch, but dinner, I like to sit back and relax. I'm pretty picky about what I eat and I go for cheap rather than fancy most of the time.

I don't like to not know something, so I come to this site to see what the talk is about for local restaraunts. So when I hear about new places, this is the first site that I go to.

[hungryagain]

I'm John & I love DC's wide variety of restaurants, as well as the rich culture of food that lives in some of the small ethnic markets. Foodway in the Chirilagua is one of my faves.

[Malawry]

My name is Craig and I do Marketing for a living. I work in the Reston area and have nothing to do with the restaraunt business.

I live out in WV...

Hi Craig, I live in WV too. (Actually, there's a Craig Foster in my HOA and I'm wondering if you're him...) Have you found anything worth eating between Reston and the WV border?

[kttobin]

Hello Rockwellians-- I learned about this forum from a chef at the Dupont Circle farmers market a few weeks ago, though this is my first post. I live in Chinatown and like to cook elaborate, locally-sourced meals for friends and co-workers. (Last week was a four-course Italian affair--molto benne!) By day, I am a government consultant, but by night I do a different type of consulting--freelance catering of small dinner parties. So, if you want to host a meal for 4-8 people, I'll work with you to plan the menu, then will take care of the cooking. When I have a website up and running, I'll post it. In the meantime, if anyone has been a caterer in the past and would like to pass along some pointers, I'd be very appreciative!

Nice to "meet" you all -- Katherine

[tbsindc]

Hi There,

My name is Tee and I'm not associated with any restaurant. I really enjoy going out to eat and trying new things. Before, I thought going out to eat was just burgers or chicken. Each week, I go out for drinks and apps with friends. I hope to hear about new restaurants to try. I have learned that some really good restaurants don't get the same type of reviews to get the word out.

[chefleen]

Good Day-

My name is Colleen and I am a Personal Chef in the area--career changer 8 years ago and never looked back! Joined this and eGullet a year or so ago and have lurked a lot and found much useful info on sources and dining 'destinations' reporting. Now, it's time to actively participate...and one day meet some of you at these great gatherings. Sadly, I have to work the night of the Vidalia bird dinner, so the husband will be attending for first hand reporting.

[Hobbes]

Hey There,

Just want to give you all a warm, 'Hello', and introduce myself to you all. I am a Washington DC area native and grew up in Bethesda, MD. I have tons of interests including music, arts and not to mention food (of course). A little about my background- I am an ex-member of the restaurant industry. I have been formally trained (went to the French Culinary Institute) and have worked with the likes of Jean Georges (in NYC at his flagship), Homaro Cantu (Chicago, Moto) and Roberto Donna (Galileo), right here in Washington DC. I am now working in the Interactive Design industry developing website for the past 2 years. I simply just love to eat and talk with people about food. I look very much forward to being more active here on DR and to meet more of you in this great food town of ours. If any of you are going to the Vidalia Bird Dinner I'll be sure to see you there.

Well take care and I'll see you all around

.erik

[md2952]

Wanted to Introduce myself and our product. Please visit the website and let me know what you thaink. Thank you. Take care.

[md2952]

Hello. My name is Michael Donegan. I am with www.goout2eat.com .. Did not spell well below. Let me know what you think of our website. Thanks. take care.

[jess3]

my name is Jesse Thomas and I have a creative interactive agency in Tysons Corner, VA.

check us out, jess3.com

I love food.

// jesse

[Heather]

my name is Jesse Thomas and I have a creative interactive agency in Tysons Corner, VA.

check us out, jess3.com

I love food.

// jesse

Hey Jesse, nice to see you here.

[bylinemjf]

Welcome, Sue! The more Cleveland-area natives, the better!

Another Cleveland-area native here - my name is Missy, and I've been intermittently following the board for a couple years now. I write about the business of restaurants and retail for a local publication, and I find that this is a great source to stay informed on what's happening - and to find out where I should be going for the best pupusas, to boot.

[bobbyquine]

Longtime lurker, first time poster.

I've been in DC about 5 years now. I live up in Columbia Heights and my girlfriend and I are always looking for new, fun places to eat on a budget.

Amazing community you've built here!

[djw]

Greetings and salutations!

My name is Julia, I work with Danny at our lovely italian trattoria down in foggy bottom. I had heard some buzz about this board through various friends in the industry, and decided it was time to join after teaming with Danny at Notti Bianche. I am bilingual and speak fluent Spanish, a talent I hope to utilize in the restaurant.

I look forward to meeting everyone, though I doubt I'll get much of a chance. You know how much of a slavedriver Danny is.

In any case, you're more than welcome to stop in and say hi. I love to meet others who are as fond of cuisine and the art of the restaurant business as I am.

Gracias.

Julia, if I can remember your name (I am terrible at names) I will introduce myself next time I am at Notti Bianchi. It's so nice to have an Italian restaurant with good food.

DJW

[parluk]

Hi--my name is Pam and I love eating out!! My favorite places in the D.C. area (I live in Arlington) are: Rays the Steaks, Liberty Tavern, and the Majestic. This is a great resource!!

[friday2]

Another long-time lurker here. I could have sworn I posted about some of my experiences, but I guess it was all in my mind.

I'm a psuedo-foodie, meaning I love to read about food, look through cookbooks, read about and go to new restuarants, but I'm not very food-adventurous. I don't eat seafood, and usually limit my meat choices to boneless, skinless, chicken breast, ground beef or filet, or turkey breast. It's not unusual for me to eat vegetarian for days, but bacon is one of the best things in the world.

Unfortunately, I am a cubicle rat who is probably going to be cubicle-less in the next month or two, which means I'll be enjoying Top Ramen far more than I will be eating out.

[pollosmoky]

Hey, Kids!

Just poking my head in to introduce myself. I'm not in the food business, but I love the boards here and am trained as a folklorist with an interest in foodways - unfortunately, a livelihood as one isn't really feasible.

Thanks for all the great info, hope I can return the favor some day!