bobmac

Throughout my lifetime I have encountered the expression "served piping hot" as a kind of praise. I have never gotten it. "Piping hot" somehow sounds hotter than merely "hot" -- way too hot to be eaten without burning your mouth, and if it's that hot, how can you even taste it? So why is this a good thing? And what does piping mean? Where is it going to be piped to? Is this part of Calvin Trillin's theory that there are only four Chinese kicthens in the entire country that send the orders by pnuematic tubes to all the Chinese restaurants? Youth wants to know!

Whole Foods in our area was selling Dungeness crabs. Will they go, too?

I was disappointed on our last stop there -- meager portions.

The Common Man in Lincoln was good the last time was there. There's Gordy's (sp?) Steak House, also in Lincoln. Woodstock Station in neighboring North Woodstock is a fun place -- hearty food and their own brews. The front end of the same building has a more upscale place.

A Times book review quotes Mario Batali as saying that only a moron would rest meat under aluminum foil. I have done this. Does the meat pick up a foily taste?

Ditto on lobster, although I like to cook it in a variety of ways. And for the most part steak.

"Given that the Fresser household is the epicenter for Borscht Belt humor," Wow! Either the Borscht Belt has slipped considerably or the South has risen again. But keep it up. In our household the joke is, "Make me some ice water, will you? You do it much better than I do."

We have a Krups that makes a real full-bodied pot of coffee, but it leaks and my wife isn't too happy about that. So I got a Braun, a brand I've come to trust, but with the same amount of beans, it produces a much weaker tasting brew. I don't want something with bells and whistles, timers, built-in grinder, etc. Any thoughts?

Is it just me, or are most of the folks outside what is usually considered jazz?

OK, the first night we met a friend at the Circle Bistro. I wore a jacket, a dress shirt, no tie; wife dressed accordingly. Our friend, not a tourist (works for gummint), wore jeans. We waited forever for service. Funny aside: The menu advertised "Gloucester rock fish," and I asked the waiter if that meant striped bass. It did. Of course there were no striped bass in Gloucester that week. At that time of year they are mostly... in the Chesapeake Bay. We were happy with the food. I did the museums wearing leather shoes. My feet hurt like a mother. I ate in the museums surrounded by people wearing sensible shoes. Second night we met more friends, an academic (Georgetown), a former teacher, and a businesswoman. At their suggestion we went to the Daily Grill, perhaps because of its location. I was happy; would not have known it was a chain. Third day I got to Johnny's Halfshell. Again, sort of a delay in getting a waitress, but I came at an odd hour for lunch. As mentioned elsewhere on this board, $24 may be a bit steep at lunch for crab cakes, but, hey, I was on vacation. And they were superb, unlike anything I have ever gotten in New England -- very crabby with hardly a jot of filler. The remoulade and cole slaw were excellent (another Gulleteer found the slaw too dry, I would disagree). The fries were too good add a condiment to. Thanks for everybody's help.

Very little smoke escapes. I can't even remember if I've had to put the fan on. I've done pulled pork by using aluminum foil with no problem. Pretty good results. Of course not like my son gets in Kansas City with his big smoker.

Thanks. I was afraid of that. I can get a burger anywhere. I don't want unadventurous. I also see I spelled it wrong. Funny, I got many hits on Google with the wrong spelling, but now I see why I didn't find Ebbits website.

A friend in Washington recommends it.

Got my lapel pin -- the Union Jack. Loved the quail line!

I do 20 percent unless the service is bad. I'm not sure why tipping in New England would be different than any other region. I don't tip at Dunkin Donuts, but do at my local taco shop where they're doing something more than just pouring coffee.

I had one barbecued in Kansas.

Being a martini drinker, had a sip of a mojito once. It was good -- for a soft drink.

Aha! I saw Johnny's in a guide book yesterday and I'm always leery of those. We've got dinner covered, but I'm on my own for lunch. Sounds like I can't go wrong with the po'boy, is there any place in DC with good crab cakes? Also, what's good for lunch near usual tourist sites, museums, etc.?

How convenient! I just discovered Circle Bistro is in our hotel, and the prices are low compared to restaurants 40 miles out of Boston.

Thanks. Sounds like East Coast city food is East Coast city food. One of the threads mentioned Circle Bistro, which sounds interesting.

OK, so a blazer and slacks is OK. I once schlepped a suit to London, just to go to high tea. It was a pain. We're coming from Boston where once upon a time you would not think of entering a restaurant without a coat and tie. As for tourists, we're partly that (my wife will be there on business; I'm tagging along), but I don't agree with the theory that tourists always tip poorly and are picky about food, which is why I asked about distinctly DC fare. It's like drinking the local beer or the time I ate pig's ear in Kansas. Is it possible that waiters' sneering is obvious to the point that they provide poor service and receive a commensurate tip? It could be a self-fulfilling prophecy. We've got lots of Vietnamese places in Boston, so Ethiopian might be nice, although my wife recalls, wincing, that Ethiopian was the spiciest food she's ever eaten. In fact, I think it was in DC. Thanks for the suggestions. As for the lapel pin, what does that get you and is any flag OK?

What's acceptable in restaurants? Coat? Tie? Also what restaurants are uniquely DC?

"So, I guess my answer is, well, I'll have to eat a city squirrel and find out-though she might be referring to wharf rats. City folks get all confused with this nature business. " Robert Klein once pointed out that a squirrel is merely a rat with good public relations.

Does the fact that my wife calls me The Anal Retentive Chef answer your question?

Joe's American Bar and Grill, various Northeast locations. Not Your Average Joe's, another chain.