AnneW

I'm pretty inexperienced with eGullet, so I don't know if anyone ever sees a message in reply to a 2-year-old thread!! I did a search today on culantro and it led me to this old thread. A Puerto Rican friend's mother was trying to teach me how to make sofrito (to add to the beans), and told me I needed cilantro *and* culantro. Her English isn't great, so I kept thinking I was misunderstanding her until I found this thread! Many thanks to you two who provided those helpful links.

Nectar last night was a huge success. My husband and our friends loved it, and I'm a hero thanks to you all for having steered us there. One of my friends said it was the best meal he'd had in DC, and he's lived (and eaten) all over the world. We did the tasting menu, with wines chosen by one of the owners (didn't introduce himself -- Jared?). The courses were: an oyster in Bloody Mary sauce (only one I didn't love -- sauce seemed to overpower the oyster), cucumber gazpacho with tuna tartar (came on strong but mellowed into a really nice and unexpected combination of flavors); heavenly scallops with chorizo and some veg; beautiful fois gras with a piece of carmelized pineapple and a fantastic sauce; hangar steak with polenta, girolles and another amazing sauce. Plus cheeses like none we'd had before, and then came 5 desserts (my favorite: one with roasted fruits and a piece of the best shortbread ever). Each wine was a new delight. We just had a great time. We also cleared the restaurant after having been there for over three hours. I have a headache this morning and I may not eat again til Tuesday but it was worth it. Thanks again to you all.

Thank you all so much for your responses. We're going to try Nectar -- we love Palena but I wanted to spring something new on him. Nectar sounds like our kind of place in that it's a little more informal in spirit (though I hope not in cooking!). I'll keep Maestro and Eve on my list for other times. Firefly is lovely but I must confess that it's a place where I've been disappointed -- wonderful brunch one weekend, less outstanding Saturday dinner a couple months later. Give its fans here, I'll give it another try soon. Again, thanks for your time in responding. I'll let you know how it goes! Best, Anne

I've been wandering around in this forum looking for inspiration for a birthday dinner this Saturday night. I also looked on the Post's site and read some reviews. It seems all the restaurants I'm thinking about -- Equinox, Kinkead's, Citronelle, Laboratorio, Vidalia -- inspired reader reviews on the extreme ends of the spectrum. Not so helpful. Can anyone out there recommend a really good restaurant that we can count on to *be* really good (and worth the money) on the night we're there? Does such a place exist? For reference, we really like Palena (but I want to try something new), have had good meals at 2941 and Obelisk, and found the Inn at Little Washington overrated and not worth the price. Thanks so much for any thoughts you migh have.

Thank you all so much!!! I'll let you know what I end up with . . . I really appreciate the replies. Best wishes, Anne

Hi -- This is my first post on what looks like a great site. I'm cooking tomorrow night for a friend who lived in Portugal for many years. Does anyone know where I could find a great recipe for some sort of fish stew? Thanks for any help you could provide. Best wishes, AW