littlechinagirl

Yeah- I've often thought they should hire me. With my passion for (obsession over?) their product, I could sell the hell out of it. Dinerboy buys me a case of it when he sees it at Whole Foods. I've actually just requested the Gold Rush at Yes on Columbia, and it looks like they've come through! :) Faith in neighborhood markets restored.

Love the cheap crappy wine section at Todito. I've found some decent things there. And now I want an egg salad sandwich with bacon from So's Your Mom. Or the BLAT (bacon, lettuce, avocado & tomato). Or the curried chicken salad.... BTW- this question might be out there, but anyone know where in the neighborhood I can find a steady supply of Gold Rush Honest Tea? I've been hooked for years, but it seems the only places that carry Honest Tea near me carry the only flavors I don't like.

Cheesecake Factory now has sliders. I was forced to go for a friend's birthday last month, as it's her favorite restaurant. STAY AWAY! I would have been happier with 3 small McD's hamburgers on a plate. Which is quite similar to what I got, though CF's weren't as tasty. I've learned to stick with the taquitos...

I found it I found it! THANK YOU littlechinagirl!!! I went to the Yes market on Connecticut (conveniently right down the street from work) and bought three huge containers. And I will be back soon for more, if yall don't get it first . thanks again ←

Countdown: 28 hrs. 'til my first Ray's experience...

Littlewing- I saw some (Total) just last night (or was it Sunday?) at the Yes Natural Food Market on Columbia Rd (Adams Morgan). Sounds like you better run there before it's gone... (unless I beat you to to it!) ;)

Going down to "the county" (St. Mary's Co.) to Dinerboy's folks' place. Will feast on turkey, stuffed ham (a local favorite), and the trimmings, while missing my Mom's corn pudding (which I only ever appreciate when it's gone).

Woo hoo! Just made a res. for my very first Ray's outing- Dec. 1st at 8 (for Dinerboy's birthday). So- what should I not miss? (ok, so it's actually my second, but the first was for burgers years ago, so I'm not sure that counts...)

For me, having lived in that hood helped me change my mind about everything. It helped me see straight. It was the filthy bum and his exposed ass crack in front of the piss-covered brick walkway to McDonald's that tainted every single establishment on that block. I know, I sound like a spoiled yuppie... ← I'll pay anyone twenty bucks if they can crawl the entire alley behind Madam's Organ at midnight - the one running between Columbia and Kalorama Roads. Hell, if you make it to the parking garage near Belmont I'll give you ten. The only question is whether you'll get devoured by a rat, mugged, or die from dehydration due to vomiting. Eeewwww. ← This alley is literally my backyard. I walk it every morning from just about directly behind Madam's Organ to the parking garage. That's right- I'm street tough. That must be worth more than $20...

Glad to see Jeff finally getting the recognition he deserves!

No way... I knew this guy (Brendan Cox) in college. And I think he and Dinerboy played rugby together there, and worked at the same restaurant. I've been hearing he's in the DC restaurant scene, but didn't know he'd established a name for himself. Way to go Brendan! Eh, he might not even remember me....

I think I have a new favorite restaurant. Everything about Firefly charmed us last night. As soon as we entered we were greeted by the local celeb, Derek, who I immediately recognized through his "Bartender of the Month" photo (posted somewhere on this board). Turns out he and Dinerboy were already acquainted (through the Diner and some party, I think). What a nice guy, and a gracious host. I didn't mention egullet at that point- guess I still haven't quite gotten over my "I never thought I'd have a username in a chat room" thing enough to come out in public too much. I know, I need to get over it. On to the food- for starters, Dinerboy and I shared the pork/cabbage spring rolls and crispy fried oysters, at the recommendation of many of you. Wow! Both were excellent, and Dinerboy claimed that the spring rolls were the best he'd ever eaten. And he spent a few childhood years in the Philippinnes eating lumpia. Our friends got the mussels in a curry/celery bath, which they shared, lucky us. I almost filled up mopping up the sauce with bread. The Filerio (I'm sure I butchered the spelling) that Derek recommended was a great match for the apps. Onto the entrees- Dinerboy and I, as we often do, went with dishes we'd want to share with each other. My lamb (paired by Derek with a wonderful Burgundy- sorry, I don't have the name) convinced me finally that yes, I do love lamb. But even more, I loved the sides. My mac n' cheese was dreamy- not at all "watery", as I'd just read in Tom S's review, and the chard- oh, the chard! I'm fairly new to chard, but this, aside from the last bite ("would you like a bit of chard with your garlic?"), was incredible. In fact, along with the spring rolls, it was the highlight of the meal, for me. I was happy to share Dinerboy's ribeye with blue cheese and mashed potatoes- all very tasty and well done, even if the potatoes arrived a bit cold. But I think we both agreed that my dish was the winner. Our friends seemed to enjoy their trout with potato/chive salad and pork ragout with polenta, raisins, pine nuts, and ?. Dinerboy didn't let me escape without calling me out on the egullet thing as we said goodbye to Derek, who then said that they had been expecting us, and John W. wanted to say hi. What a treat! I felt bad for taking him away from his busy kitchen, but it was great to be able to meet the genius behind the food, and we felt like VIPs. Very nice- thank you Derek and John W. for taking the time to say hi to a fan. It was a lovely evening, and we can't wait to come back for more (and to try some of Derek's famous cocktails!)

Thanks again everyone! We have 8:00 reservations for Firefly through OpenTable. I'll be sure to say hi to Derek, though I just remembered our newlywed friends layed off the hootch recently. Pooh on them. More for me, I guess!

Ahh...Derek! I always missed him at Palena. After all the drooling over him on this board, this might tip the scales back over to Firefly. Would I have trouble getting a table at Firefly or Tosca?

You guys rock. Thanks for the great suggestions- I'd forgotten about Tosca and Marcel's- and the pre-dinner drinks at Town and County would hit the spot. Oh, and the Tabard Inn- sounds like the perfect place for cozy desserts (or dinner?) by the fire. Now I'm thinking of either Firefly or Tosca... I'm sure I can't go wrong with either. Is Tosca near Tabard Inn? Would it make sense to go from the Mayflower to Tosca to Tabard?

Sorry to be posting another "where do I go" question, but I've just learned that friends are in town and want to go out for a "nice" dinner to celebrate their recent wedding and our (not-so-recent) engagement. The Mayflower was suggested, as that's where the husband is staying, and he was drooling over the room service menu. They're from B-more and not familiar with the DC restaurant scene. (I assume he was referring to Town and Country, but I have no clue if there's a can't-miss restaurant in the Mayflower that I'm blanking on...) So I'm looking to steer them more toward one of the many places that I've been dying to try. Firefly, Courduroy, Zaytinya, Nectar, Pesce, and Komi immediately come to mind. We'd prefer to go somewhere within walking distance of the Mayflower, "nice" (don't know what "nice" means to them), and somewhere we could get a table at such late notice. Or does the Mayflower hold a culinary treasure that's been eluding me all this time? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Yay! Congrats!

Yes- right on 18th St. I've been fine eating there, but the one time I ate at the Dupont Circle location, I ordered inedible beef tacos. Each mouthful (of which I only endured a couple) was swimming in thick, yucky grease (reminiscent of public school tacos- though those were better).

I love the Nectar/memorials idea. Congratulations!! (when my fiance proposed a few months ago, I was wearing champagne, sea water, and a bowl full of conch chowder and my hair was fashioned into a water/wind mohawk) (windy/wet sunset sail in the Keys)

We've learned (the hard way, over and over) to only buy paper products at the Columbia Rd. Safeway, but in a pinch, Dinerboy will pick up a bag of frozen shrimp- which, they've told him, is the same shrimp in their display case.

Tippy's!! (sorry- Toucan!) I've been going there with my parents since I was a toddler. Always crowded with (not so) secret (anymore) agency-types. Is that blond waitress still there? The one that's been there 20+ years? What a dive. Love the queso. And burritos. And little red plastic baskets. And burly tattooed guy behind the counter.

Sadly, Saigonnais closed its doors last week. The owner (Tin?) is moving out to California and was in good spirits, according to Dinerboy. We'll miss our cozy neighborhood place- especially its pho, cha gio, and friendly staff. I've been sorry to see the place mostly empty the past few times we've been. (well, we've actually only been a handful of times in the past year...)

Took my parents to Colorado Kitchen for an early Sat. dinner (following a full day of wedding planning and battling crowds at the new museum). They LOVED it. So much so that my upon leaving my Dad rushed to the kitchen to tell Gillian Clark that she "has a good thing going here" and my mom gave her a thumbs up. Parents....

Sorry I didn't make it, Mark- as much as I love dark, smoky dives with killer burgers and wings, sunny leisurely rooftop dining won out in the end (see Straits thread). I'm sure I'll make it to Asylum before too long.

The evening began with my usual hour-long, obscenity-filled commute from Reston to DC, as Rocks' high praise of Straits echoed through my mind. By the time I pulled into my 'hood and freed of my car, they were reverberating throughout my entire being. "Stir-fried dishes so clean and so complex". "Order a Tiger beer". "Oh, the carrots". Dinerboy saw the determination in my eye as soon as I walked in the door and knew he didn't stand a chance of ordering in and lazing on the couch before his graveyard shift. I was in mission mode, and out the door we went. We did exactly (well, almost) as we were told. Snatched up the last table on the edge of the roof and settled in. Our server was great- helpful and pleasant, excited about the food. I was already feeling sympathy for the mob across the street. I ordered the Tiger beer, Dinerboy had to opt for the (delicious) iced coffee, and we started with the 5 spice rolls (no Acar for us- sorry Don). I could make a meal out of these rolls every day for a month and not tire of them. I was surprised to find them... homey. Comforting. Almost like meatloaf (but much better). The #8 and #12 followed. We were not disappointed (loved the shrimp, especially), but I can't wait to go back and try the rest of the menu. Don's right- go now while it's still beautiful roof weather. Thanks, Don, for inspiring a lovely evening. And man, those shrimp chips are like crack!