ozgirl06

Eats in "the 'peg"... It can be slim pickins. There is a restaurant around the corner (behind) the Fairmont hotel in the downtown area. It's pretty good. Also, if you're interested in Indian - there is a year old Indian restaurant also in the downtown area. They serve a buffet at lunch and order off the menu for dinner. Sorry I can't recall the names of these places, but it's been a year since I was in "Winterpeg". BTW- you may want to reconsider the Fort Garry. Sure, it's been around a while, but I wouldn't recommend staying there - a little on the sketchy side.

oops. you're right. sorry about that - i don't know where I got April 9th from. It's a shame about Stacks, but kosher delis (other than Max's) don't seem to stick around for very long at least in the downtown area. I did hear another rumor that a kosher steak place (name unknown) was thinking about going into downtown Bethesda. Anyone else hear something like that?

Wasn't April 9th still Passover? It seems like forever since the beginning of the month, but 1st and 2nd seders were April 5&6 and Passover is an 8 day holiday. For Stacks not to change their kitchen over for Kosher for Passover is entirely likely. Has anyone been by there lately to see if they've reopened?

I think the state of cleanliness of kosher markets could be a thread on its own. For some reason there seems to be some unstated rule that kosher markets must be cramped and dingy. Still, sometimes one just needs to go. Although, I gotta say that I think the KosherMart is slightly improved in cleaniless (certainly over Shalom's kosher in Wheaton). As for other grocery stores, I was fascinated to learn that Brookville, the now independent grocery in Cleveland Park used to referred to as the "Soviet Safeway". While I find that Brookville can be a little pricier than your standard Giant/Safeway, and I can't always find everything I need, for a neighbourhood store I really like them. I can find pretty much all basic grocery staple needs, their produce isn't too bad, and while I don't use their meat counter, I often see many people using it. I know that the (not-so new anymore) butcher Pam? Pat? is very friendly and seems interested in knowing what her customers are looking for or would like to see more of (ergo, the larger kosher meat selection). The other great thing about Brookville... they will deliver. I still find that I will hit a Giant/Secret Safeway, Whole Foods, Dupont Farmers Market, and Magruders on a regular basis, with an occasional Weggies trip thrown in to meet my shopping needs. oy, i'm exhausted.

Thanks all for the advice as to places to check out and places to steer clear of (kinki - yeesh, sounds scary.)! I head for Ottawa next week and I'll do my best to report back on my experiences - good or bad. Other questions... I am recalling a coffee/dessert place a couple of blocks from the Market. I can't remember it's name exactly, something like "Oh so sweet"? When I poked my head in last time, it was very crowded and seemed to have a good vibe. The cakes were enormous (do the cakes really need to be that big?!?!). Some looked better than others. Is the quality of coffee and/or baked goods any good? Or do people just go to hang out, see and be seen? Finally... Canadian Buttertarts. I usually make my own since I like the centers to be a little on the runny side. Is there a bakery that makes great buttertarts? So far, all that I have found have been likely sitting in the case a little too long or overbaked for my liking. Thanks again!

Does anyone out there like their matzah brie sweet instead of savory? Personally, I'm a savory kind of girl, but many of my friends prefer theirs with brown sugar and jam - more like french toast, pesach style.

uh oh, this discussion isn't boding well for me. no good restaurants?!?! I recently found out i may be headed to Ottawa for a 4-5 week stay. It's a work assignment and the office is located near the Byward Market. Already I'm thinking - lunch. Are there any food stalls/shops in the Market that are worth frequenting? Also, if there are no "great" restaurants, what are some of the places people just enjoy on a regular basis? I am open to all cuisines (except steak houses). During my last trip to Ottawa (January 2003), I noticed that there seemed to be a proliferation of bistro-esque, white table cloth places a couple of blocks away from Byward Market which, at the time received some praise. Unfortunately, I can't recall the restaurant names or where the praise was coming from. Also during that trip, I ate at Henri Burger. It was a nice meal, but I don't recall it being especially great. I liked the individual dining room setting, but not waiting outside in the cold trying to wave down a cab. I'd probably go back, but my friends in Ottawa would likely see it as a "special occasion" kind of place, and not an ideal choice for a casual dinner on a Wednesday night. Food/restaurant suggestions... anyone? Thanks!

uh oh, this discussion isn't boding well for me. no good restaurants?!?! I recently found out i may be headed to Ottawa for a 4-5 week stay. It's a work assignment and the office is located near the Byward Market. Already I'm thinking - lunch. Are there any food stalls/shops in the Market that are worth frequenting? Also, if there are no "great" restaurants, what are some of the places people just enjoy on a regular basis? I am open to all cuisines (except steak houses). During my last trip to Ottawa (January 2003), I noticed that there seemed to be a proliferation of bistro-esque, white table cloth places a couple of blocks away from Byward Market which, at the time received some praise. Unfortunately, I can't recall the restaurant names or where the praise was coming from. Also during that trip, I ate at Henri Burger. It was a nice meal, but I don't recall it being especially great. I liked the individual dining room setting, but not waiting outside in the cold trying to wave down a cab. I'd probably go back, but my friends in Ottawa would likely see it as a "special occasion" kind of place, and not an ideal choice for a casual dinner on a Wednesday night. Food/restaurant suggestions... anyone? Thanks!

Gifted- Thanks so much for supply those websites! My mother (in Atlanta) called me last night to brainstorm on recipes for a vegan guest coming for Shabbat dinner just prior to the chag. We came up with a couple of ideas that are tried and true recipes, but these websites provided great new ideas. Her vegan guest will likely be beside himself with the choices available to him. I have often wondered how vegans make it through the pesach week - especially if they don't eat kitneyot. It can't be easy.

oh, Tim Tams... how i miss them so! When an Aussie friend comes to visit the States, she always brings a small stash of Tim Tams and Violet Crumbles. yum.

One other option... It's not quite metro center, but what about Luna Grill and Diner between Dupont and Farragut Square? They open at 8:00am.

that schmancy bar next to yannis - is still in fact yannis. when that strip of stores was being renovated, yannis expanded and now has a more appealing looking bar. i haven't been so i can't comment on the quality of the drinks, but it does look nice from the outside.

reservations needed? probably. better safe than sorry. dress code: for men a jacket is required (though not necessarily a suit). for women any nice dining out outfit will do (dress pants, skirt, dress - the options are endless.)

i went out there yesterday (sunday) - arriving at just past noon. It was packed -- particularly the Marketplace section (meats, fish, bakery, prepared foods etc.). The store was manageable if you had a very zen attitude about crowds and weren't pressed for time. I did overhear a couple remarking that they were surprised it was so busy that day, as it was "empty" the day before (saturday). Not sure what their definition of "empty" was. It was certainly worth the trip, although I was a little disappointed that there wasn't a greater offering of "unusual" products (ie. imported items I can't get in other grocery stores, without spending a fortune at Sutton Place, etc.). I was hoping to find really good imported yogurt - but no such luck. Oh well. I'll still go back.

I also noticed several weeks ago that Cleveland Park is going to get a Coldstone Creamery, on the same block as Indique. Has anyone had their ice cream? The neighbourhood could use another ice cream place, just in time for summer? Oh, how I still miss the Uptown Scoop.

It was great to see the Queen Vic Market in Melbourne on the list. It is truly an amazing place! Gotta love the fruit and veg vendors who yell to market their goods. On a different continent, I really like the Dekalb Farmers Market in Atlanta. You shouldn't want for anything there. They seem to carry everything.

I usually find myself ordering from City Lights of China (will deliver up to Tenleytown, I believe). I'm a big fan of the steamed veggie dumplings. Spices does deliver, but has not only a minimum (which I can accept for the DC area), but also charges a $1 surcharge which I disagree with - considering that in NYC rarely is there a minimum and never a surcharge. I hadn't realized that Indique will deliver. I only knew about pick-up service. This is really exciting news. Woo hoo!

I hadn't seen much posted on 1789 - perhaps because it's been around for quite some time. But, this past week I had such a lovely experience there that I felt good things rather than a gripe (as often seen on the washington post site) should be shared. Two friends and myself went out to celebrate a successful defending of a friend's PhD dissertation. To sum up the ambiance, service and food were all wonderful. We all enjoyed our meals greatly, but it was the waitstaff that made the evening spectacular. To start off the evening right, we had a bottle of Veuve Cliquot champagne. Ummm, bubbles. We started with an amuse of duck cofit, stewed red cabbage, and gorgonzola cheese. A really nice combination of textures, flavours, and colours. For starters there were: a salad of frisee, red grapefruit, proscuitto, hazelnuts, & cheese; a foie gras with grapes and a muscat reduction; and a mushroom tart. The mushroom tart, although a little too oily maintained its light and cruchy crust while the mushrooms were meaty and woodsy. There was a layer of a "stinky" cheese, although I couldn't discern which one (and I'm not recalling it from the menu). The foie gras, paired with the fruit was rich (as foie gras is) and was plentiful enough to tide one over through the rest of dinner -- although we went on to eat more. Of the 3 dishes we agreed that the salad, while good was the weakest of the 3. We continued on with the Wild Rockfish broiled with lemon crust and served with Lyonnaise potato and caper butter sauce; Rack of Lamb with creamy feta potatoes, garlic spinach, and rosemary-Shiraz sauce; and Winter Vegetable Gathering potato and cabbage strudel, wilted greens, goat cheese flan, honeyed sweet potatoes, and wild mushrooms. The lamb was cooked to perfection as was the fish. The vegetable medley was a great mix of tastes and textures. Much like the vegetable plate at the former The Mark, I was thrilled to have a vegetable plate that demonstrated creativity in a wide variety of ways - it certainly was not sauteed carrots and peppers with an obligatory starch. The wait staff during service was engaging and informative and attentive. During dessert they really went above and beyond the call of duty. As a very kind gesture on the restaurants part, they brought us an additional 1/2 bottle of Veuve Cliquot and a dessert on the house. The dessert was an apple gallette with a caramel sauce and sour cream ice cream. The gallette crust was rustic and dense with a texture somewhere between a cake and a cookie, the apples soft and caramelized. It was the perfect warm dessert to a cold March night. Personally, I loved the sour cream ice cream - full of vanilla flavour upfront, with a mild tanginess at the end. Really lovely. Irregardless of the restaurants generousity, we couldn't have asked for a nicer dining experience. It was worth every penny and nicer things couldn't be said about our wait staff who were personable, informative, helpful, and attentative. We couldn't have asked for a nicer evening.

re: Canadian vs. U.S. wheat... this is a long standing rivalry between the 2 countries mostly based on propaganda. The Canadian Wheat Board (CWB), the only exporter of western Canadian wheat (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and parts of B.C.) has as part of its marketing strategy a varietal control system (farmers can only grow certain varieties of wheat, mainly for the spring and durum wheats). This varietal control system results in wheat kernels that more uniform is size and colour. Also, the Canadian grain handling system (farm to elevator to mill) involves more mandatory grain cleaning than the U.S. system. A combination of these 2 factors, plus some others leads the CWB to boast that their wheat is "better" than U.S. wheat. This is a marketing tool and not based on fact. While U.S. farmers have the right to plant whatever variety of wheat they like and grain cleaning is not mandatory, it does not in any way change or alter the quality of the wheat. The quality of wheat is determined mostly by the weather... drought, disease, etc. which then affect the protein level and grade of wheat. Factors that affect the quality of flour are 1)how good the crop is to begin with and 2) the skill level of a flour mill to get the best mill grind out of a blend of proteins of wheat. AP flour is often a combination of Hard Red Winter wheat (grown throught the center and eastern part of the U.S. and in eastern Canada) and Hard Red Spring wheat (grown in the nothern plains states and western Canada). Depending on the crops of each country, a mill might seek out a specific grade/protein of wheat from a particular supplier. This is particularly true for organics. It all comes down to supply and demand. A flour miller will most likely seek out what he/she needs from wherever they can get it at the best price. Sometimes that means buying Canadian wheat over U.S. wheat, sometimes it doesn't. But, in terms of quality, generally speaking there is nothing inherently better about Canadian wheat vs. U.S. wheat. As an amateur baker, I know that I am mainly concerned with the protein level and gluten. Large scale bakers or artisanal bakers can get tailored made flours by contacting mills. They may have preferences over which wheats they prefer because they have performance history with a certain blend. However, when I buy a bag a flour off the grocery shelf unless it states specifically where the wheat comes from, I have no idea if it's U.S. or Canadian wheats in the bag, and my baking results can't tell the difference. I realize this is a long post, but this is a subject that people build their careers on.

slkinsey- Thanks so much for that tip! My friend in NYC would love to take advantage of this offer, but would like more details. Is there a link that you could provide to the NYTimes? thanks!

I can't speak to the meat dumplings at City Lights, but I love the steamed veggie ones!

There is also Cleveland Park Liquor (Connecticut Ave near Yanyu). The guys at the store are very friendly and knowledgeable. The store usually offers tasting classes most months out of the year. You may want to call to make sure they are having classes in March.

On my days off from work, I'm a fan of Indique for lunch.... Particularly on warm sunny days when you can sit outside at the tables on the balconies overlooking Connecticut Ave.. It's a surprisingly calm and peaceful setting and the food is delish.

What about Nutella? It isn't for a strict chocolate purist, but it works great!

Wegmans for me as a DC urban dweller certainly won't be a weekly jaunt, but I'm greatly looking forward to the pilgrimage out to Chantilly when the store opens. I'm thinking it will be a monthly adventure out to the suburbs with a big payback. I do wish though that if Wegman's is offering a kosher deli in the store, they would have also considered a Maryland location closer than Baltimore. Off topic, I just want to say that this is my first post, but have been an avid reader (one of those mentioned in the Washington Post article who spend hours reading eGullet) for months. Very happy to be here.