FunJohnny

Whatever approach you decide to go with -- please post a report on how it goes. This would be great for those of us who might like to try the same thing. Good luck and bon appetite!

Love This website! That Pumpkin better look out next Halloween. But seriously folks -- I agree that anything used on a plate as garnish outa be edible. My favorites are scalllions, radishes, etc. carved up to resemble another member of the plant kingdom. My wife, who is Chinese, does wonderful things with chiles to garnish her noodle platters when we entertain. What about the actual sculpting of the food as in a "turned" vegetable??

Don't forget the Shakes at Larry's. Great Ice Cream = Delicious Shake

Sara and sdelgato have neatly framed the issue, but I'll add my two cents: For me, when I'm deciding where to dine out the primary issue is the food -- what kind and quality of preparation. If I know that a place that I've decided upon has a good wine selection, so much the better. But, as I mentioned earlier, the problem with many Chinese places that my family frequents for convenience and for good, inexpensive eats, either don't serve wine at all or have a poor selection. Sometimes, however, I will decide go to an establishment simply on the strength of its wine list, and then, of course I wouldn't be taking my own wine with me. Nectar anyone? (I'm not implying that the only reason to go to Nectar is the wine list, but another major attraction!)

Having lived in a country where service y compris, I had the occasion to consider whether it was better to leave the tip amount up to the patron or automatically build it into his/her bill. Here's where I came down: Frog Prince makes the point correctly that in most cases where the servers are paid a salary for their work as servers and have an interest in patrons returning to the establishment where they are employed they provide good service. Where this scheme goes awry is the touristy places -- outdoor cafes and such that operate during the months when the tourists are swarming, or the eateries located near major attractions, don't expect the same customers to return and therefore often don't give a crap what kind of service is provided. This problem is compounded by the fact that the servers employed at these kind of places are seasonal and don't count on long-term employment either. For an American visitor subjected to shoddy service and then finding that he's forced to tip (most bills specifiy the built-in gratuity) this is infuriating.

Sure, I suppose one can continue to take advantage of either their ignorance of this particular technicality or willful violation, and let the chips fall. Since this regulation doesn't seem to be serving any public good that I can imagine, assume it's serving special interests, i.e. the wine distributors of VA. Even if that's the case it still seems pretty silly since most people bringing a bottle into a VA licensed establishment would probably have obtained their wine from a store in VA also served by the distributors.

QUOTE "Animal brands" or "fun brands" - light, fruity wines aimed at young, novice or occasional drinkers, in bottles with labels that feature humorous, whimsical and cartoonish drawings of animals (HMR Rex Goliath, Leaping Horse, Little Penguin, Yellow Horse) - more than doubled their on-premise sales in 2003, jumping to 3 percent of the market from 1.3 percent in 2002. Wonder what "young" means and where's Frog's Leap? Do novice drinkers ask to look at the bottle before they order? Oh well, I guess those of us who would like to see an increase in the number of winos, er I mean wine connosieurs should be heartened by this stat.

Eden Center is definitely worth noting as a point of major interest for anyone who enjoys Asian food -- basically Vietnamese/S. Chinese. There are so many restaurants ranging from the fairly fancy to coffee shops and pho joints. Also for groceries and hard-to-find at Safeway ingredients, Eden itself is great. One example is the duck legs they sell -- perfect for making confit. It's located on Wilson Blvd. at 7 Corners.

Glad to see that the menu typo on the original NamViet's (in Arlington) menu "prok" vice pork is still appearing on the offshoot's menu.

I agree that coffee shakes are the best, or perhaps chocolate ice cream with coffee syrup or vice versa. As for espresso -- I use instant espresso to flavor my home-made coffee ice cream and it works great, so why not a spoonful or two in a shake to kick it up ( I shan't add "a notch").

Well, I wasn't going to single out any specific restaurants or chains, but since the china has been broke -- Tara Thai (I'm mostly familiar with the one in Ballston, which opened to great fanfare) is the Thai dining experience that has disappointed me the most. While I love the seaquarium decor -- the food has been less than inspiring and the service.. well, 'nuff said. Another Thai place, Duangarat, which is high-end has also been disappointing, expensive and had poor service.

While it's been a bit longer since my last time in S.E. Asia (about 15 years ) I too am just as disappointed in many of the "Thai" restaurants here -- hence my inquiry about this place. They all seem to be operating from the same formula, and it's just not up to snuff. Thanks for the intel.

ABC law 4.1-315 "prohibits anyone from possessing alcohol on a licensed premises except that alcohol owned by the licensee and purchased under the owner's license. The only exception is for private parties conducted by legitimate groups in private rooms not accessible to the public. Only then may the licensee allow the group to possess and consume their own lawfully acquired alcohol. The practice of charging a customer a "corkage fee" for personally owned alcohol in not allowed in Virginia." Bringing alcohol into a private room is not as simple as it may sound here. We discussed this with an ABC agent and the problem with allowing a private party to bring in their own alcohol is that at no time can their alcohol come anywhere near the restaurant's alcohol. So say a private group brings their own wine in they can't order any other alcoholic beverages through us - no appertifs, after dinner drinks, etc. Very strange law .... WoW! This certainly is a bummer. Certainly don't want to get anyone in trouble, but the only reason I would bring in my own wine is if the wine available at the restaurant is sub-par. Althought the wine at those establishments to which I would bring my own bottle is poor, the food is not, but having a good meal without good wine to go along is... well it's a glass half empty

OK, but that is in the context of a "private function." I'm not sure that this disposes of the question of whether a customer partaking of the regular service in a restaurant in VA amidst other customers may bring in his/her own bottle of vino. Maybe I'm just being too literal...

News to me and I regularly take advantage at several establishments of the Asian ilk. (Why is it that Chinese restaurants if they even carry wine only stock cat p#**?) What I DO like about VA is that if you order a bottle or three and are unable to finish one, you may replace the cork and take it home with you -- kinda reverse corkage.

I wonder if it matters which "cinnamon" you ingest -- cassia, or true "Ceylon" cinnamon??

A colleague of mine said that he had a superlative meal at a new Thai place located at Albemarle & Wisconsin (Tenleytown) called Neisha. Food was great and served in abundant proportions. Daiquiries came in 16 oz tumblers. Anyone else been there and care to comment? Thai food has become a disappointment to me at so many places I remain skeptical.

OK -- Having reflected on Joyce, and his love/hate relationship with Ireland -- would he really want to go to an Irish bar, even in DC??? Soooo I'm thinking Zola

Childe Harold has take out -- suggest you phone your order in to avoid the wait.

Definitely the Irish Times!

I'm feeling verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves. Let me give you a topic. "Smooth Jazz" is neither "smooth" nor "jazz". Discuss... Smooth Jazz is the dinner music of Hell. Totally correct. If there are elevators in Hell, smooth jazz would be the music you hear on your way down!

TenPenh (10 and Penn Ave) for fusion!

How 'bout this: Chinatown for dinner, (hopefully inexpensive, share fried rice or a noodle dish), and then you class it up by taking her for dessert say at Zaytinya.

Hunter S. Thompson look out. Just another surreal lunchtime in DC!

Weather report from Foggy Bottom: Not that muggy. I just walked about 5 blocks from my office to Kinkeads. I was being treated by a "powerful lobbyist", but even with the free lunch incentive didn't seem that hot over here. Especially compared with yesterday -- now that was hot! At the moment looks like rain is in the offing...