sdelgato

I'm on the record as being pretty immune to the charms of charming little Kountry Korner places, and went into Ben & Mary's with the danger goggles in place. We simply has a very different meal than you, evidently -- steaks properly cooked, no kitsch, and canned green beans successfully avoided. As I said, not a "fine dining" experience but, in our experience, a fine place to dine after a day in the country. Oh, and by my math, the potato couldn't have been as bad as you said -- they've only been open since the Eisenhower administration. ← Oh but it was... The flesh of the potato was the same color as the skin. It reminded me of the chinese eggs that are buried in ash and lye. It was less than savory.

I actually live in Flint Hill, and that is true. But Four and Twenty will serve their last meal on July 28th.

You gotta be kidding?!?!? That has to be the worst restaurant I have ever eaten in. Yeah it has that 30 year ago kitsch, that only goes so far. The 2 sides thing kills me. When we were there last summer, I asked about the sides that were available, and the waitress said and I'm not making this up, "whatever you want , we got just about every canned vegetable there is". We would drive by and say we should stop and eat, well one day we did and it was lousy. Overcooked steak, a baked potato that probably was edible during the Truman administration, and those delicious "two sides". My wife had the fried chicken that you alluded to and Banquet serves a better one. Kitschy is one thing, bad is another. Ben and Mary's, while once was probably a fine place to eat, simply is not anymore.

Saturday night July 28th will be their last service. No news as to what the space will be. What a shame!! I for one will miss it!

BrodeurR, thanks for the reply. We ate (and stayed) at the Inn at Little Washington about 2 years ago (our last visit to the area) and we were very impressed. So impressed that we have a request for a reservation pending for the upcoming trip but it does not book more than 30 days in advance. So, we are waiting to confirm. Definitely eat there if you are in the area. As for 4&20, I have wanted to try it for a while but unfortunately its hours of operation do not coincide with our schedule. ← You will have to hurry. Four and Twenty Blackbirds is closing after 17 years of operation at the end of July. Its a bummer, really. Fabulous restaurant. I like the Public House too. 4&20 will be missed!!

Wow, thanks. I hadn't even heard of it before and I heard two different people say good things recently and was curious.

Has anyone ever tried Louisiana? A friend said it was fabulous, but she isn't very particular if you know what I mean... I think she said it was in Fell's Point?

I really think you need to give Four and Twenty another shot. It is really a fine place. Their menu completely changes often and some menus are better than others. It is hard to fathom, but Flint Hill has around 100 people living in it and 3 restaurants... I also adore the Public House. It has a fabulous wine list and great steaks. I would however skip the Griffin Tavern. Eshhhh. I've had better food from a vending machine. How does one screw up Fish and Chips?!?!

(kinda off topic) but I had "Kentucky Fried Ice Cream" at Moto (Chicago) a year or so ago... It was interesting to say the least. I loved it but I wouldn't (couldn't) eat more than a scoop however. More than a scoop would be over the top.

I don't quite understand this. You're saying that you're against things like government-mandated workplace safety standards, sexual harassment laws, nondiscrimination laws, etc. (these would all fall under "government control of our business habits")? It's a common misconception to suppose that workplace smoking bans are enacted to protect customers. They are enacted to protect workers. They have nothing to do with whether you or I want to be around cigarette smoke because, as you say, we can choose to go elsewhere. Saying that workers can "choose to work elsewhere" or can "choose to work in another industry" doesn't seem to cut it in this case (inhaling secondhand smoke is not a necessary risk of working in the restaurant or bar industry the way that the possibility of being burned alive is a necessary risk of putting out oil rig fires). ← I would like to know the percentage of restaurant employees that smoke... I think the number would surprise a lot of folks. Protect them from what? They already smoke. The ban is to placate militant non-smokers who falsely argue that they want the ban to protect the worker. They want the ban because they dispise smoke. Nothing more. If you smoke, go outside. If don't, keep your opinions to yourself.

Well okay, but would you care to comment on this link, please? The article's author seems pretty knowledgeable. I'm not concerned whether authentic Japanese Kobe beef is better than non-Kobe Wagyu beef -- I'm just curious if American bred Wagyu was/is shipped to Japan. The article was written in '98, and things have changed since then -- you can get Wagyu beef here now. The author, Tanith Tyrr, finally managed to find a small, independent producer who sold her an entire steer, after having banged her head on a wall, speaking to a number of Wagyu farmers who were pretty evasive about the fact that they shipped their stuff to Japan. ← I think the point that sdelgato was trying to make is that the Wagyu/"Kobe" beef served in most restaurants in this country is not nearly as good as what is in Japan. From numerous personal experiences I can 100% vouch for this fact. Wagyu beef in Japan is unlike most anything in this country and is, as stated in the above article, closer to that of high quality toro or a meaty foie gras. It seems to me that anything even remotely close to the Wagyu lineage is automatically branded as "Kobe beef" in this country. That is entirely untrue, and it's a shame that many in this country have been misled into thinking that they're consuming legitimate Kobe beef. ← yes, that is in fact the point I was trying to make... domestically produced waygu is certainly a fine product, but Kobe beef it aint. I will read that article, but I am sure the Japanese ban on American beef in fact included both live and not.

not true... Kobe beef, REAL Kobe beef is far superior to what passes as Waygu/Kobe here. The beef produced here is a great product, but pales in comparison. By a mile.

I have experienced two of the worst meals ever at the Griffin Tavern. With Four and Twenty Blackbirds and the Public House so near why bother with mediocrity? The worst part of the meal (it was three weeks ago) the bill was more than either of the last two meals I had at the two aforementioned eateries. Don't bother with the Griffin Tavern... (IMHO)

What hype?

It's now the law that retailers must put the origin of the fish on the package or next to the fish/seafood displayed. Most do not however...

take one very ripe cantaloupe add a handfull of fresh basil, dash of salt and let it go in the blender. smokingly good... even better out of a frozen bowl.

OK, If we're going to be picky, that's WaGYu. As in: "Very witty, Stretch, you wag you!" ← I wasn't being picky. Kobe beef used to mean something. Now it doesn't. Even a bigger joke, some of the waygu produced in this country doesn't even grade Choice. Just another example of Americanization (bastardization) of ingredient I guess.

The only Kobe available the night I was there was the dog, but the surf 'n' turf is listed on the permanent menu, so I assume that it will be available beginning tonight. Feeling flush? Maybe we can split one. We'll have a couple of martinis at the bar and talk ourselves into it. ← Can we please NOT call it Kobe. It is American Waygu and not even close to the original. If you have ever had the original, you would know what I mean. It is like comparing apples and oranges. Seriously the difference is that great. Sorry off my soap box now...

Have you seen wholesale beef prices lately... And I don't mean the shit they sell at Safeway and Giant.

The thing that royally pisses me off about the Inn is the banquettes that bisect the room that clearly had been designed for four tables (because there are 4 lamps hanging down from it) has 6 tables crammed in there. You are literally on top of the table next to you. The fact that the food is more precious to look at than to eat is another. I think Patrick O'Connell is a fine chef, certainly has created a special oasis in the desert. But I think it might be time for him and his partner to re-invent the Inn at Little Washington, cause it sure isn't what it used to be...

And I found the over-the-top, overdressed look of the room at the Inn at Little Washington detracted from the food. It's all personal taste. The decor at Corduroy left me cold. But I'd cope if I could eat those scallops every night. ← I think I told you the other day that I thought the decor at the Inn reminded me of a Victorian whorehouse. Anyone watch Deadwood? It's a lot like the Chez Amis. ← except without the dead hookers... love that show!!

IS that to say a room affects the flavor of food or the quality of service? Huh? How can good food, served correctly taste any different or lessen because of the room you are sitting in? It is still the same food... Served the same way... Regardless of the environs, great is great. I have eaten there a number of times and have not been disappointed once. How does art on the walls or sitting at one table or another make a bit of difference. If it's great food, served correctly who cares? Maybe I'm just simple...

I'm embarassed to say I've seen a Sandra Lee cookbook (my mother-in-law's, not mine!) and it reads just like that: 1 package fettuccine, De Cecco® 1 1/2 sticks butter, Land O’Lakes® 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, Kraft® scary... ← bad analogy... She is a hack of the largest order. My idea of hell is watching her 24/7 for weeks at a time...

...ho. Remember the shit Bayless took for those really ill advised Burger fling (King) commercials.

Due to our extended aging cycle, the exacting and time-consuming standards necessary to prepare these cuts correctly, and the unpredictability of the frequency with which guests order these lesser-known cuts we have found it possible to offer only one of these cuts at a time and maintain the quality and proper aging of the meat. That is what Jarad meant by "it is one or the other." As much as I love the flat iron, the onglet (if you have to choose one) is the better, more distinctive choice. The onglet, or hanger, is from the diaphragm area. The flat iron is the fileted paleron muscle from the front shoulder, or chuck. Do not buy either of these cuts if they have not been aged at least twenty-one days (we age more than double that) before trimming. We are more than happy to answer any question concerning our product or any other cut of beef at 703/841-7297--leave a message and I will call you back at the earliest convenience. Further, if anyone is interested in a primer on the fabrication of any cut, feel free to visit us and we will be happy to give as detailed a lesson as you would like. Call to arrange a visit. We cut meat everyday, Tuesday through Sunday, from 11 AM until 5 PM, and all are welcome. Not only is this an excellent way to learn about beef, but it is an excellent opportunity to solve the seemingly impenetrable mystery of what it is that we do when we are not answering the phones. ← that makes more sense. thank you for the clarification