The Doctor

Well I'm back so I thought I'd give a brief report. The house we got was so swank and so close to the beach that I didn't leave the compound the entire time I was there. But I did manage to stop at the High Cotton BBQ place on the way out of town since it was right on the way. While not the best I've ever had, it was pretty darn good stuff, and cheap. For $4.95, I got a pulled pork sandwich combo that came with two sides and cornbread. One of the sides was a Brunswick stew, which was filled with pulled chicken and vegetables. I'm still impressed that it was considered a side when it was hearty enough to be a main course. The corn bread was unique in that it was more like a corn brownie. I think I would have preferred traditional, but it wasn't bad. The pork itself was also tasty. p.s. There wasn't any traffic at all on Saturday night. We made it from DC in about 4.5 hours. Arrived in Southern Shores at 6 pm.

Very informative post, chianti. I'm probably going to have to take my chances with the traffic, though. What time does it start to taper off? I'll probably be getting to the vicinity about 7 p.m.

Much obliged, Soup. Do you know the name of this little shack of yours, or have an address? Might have to stop by there. Is this down in Nags Head?

Hi All, Headed down to the Outer Banks starting Saturday and into the following week. (I'll be staying in Southern Shores, south of Duck and North of Kitty Hawk.) About a dozen of us have a house rented and will be doing most of our own cooking, but is there anything not to be missed? With so many people and varying schedules, we won't sit down to anything fancy, but I'm sure we'll do some exploring, so I thought I'd see if anyone here was familiar with the territory. Are there any walk in places where you can grab some fresh seafood (even maybe to cook up ourselves?), or maybe some BBQ? Where do the locals go? Thanks for your attention!

After reading the Tom Sietsema chat yesterday, I'm a little confused. So do I have this correct: There are two Hollywood Easts, and the one I want has "on the Boulevard" in the name, and the other one I should avoid?

Are you sure you're thinking of Tosca, or was it the lunch you went to? When I was there last summer for RW, the whole menu was available, but some items had a slight surcharge. You could even choose smaller portions of their pastas as an appetizer, or have a larger portion for the main course. I'll be going back again this time.

dbortnick, I noticed you had a post last year about Tosca: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...ndpost&p=489974 How does that compare with what you're looking for? I'd be interested in your input.

Stopped in over the weekend for the first time. Do their menu's prices change at all for lunch or dinner? All the entrees like the panang curry and pad thai were $5.95 I believe, we were there around 1:30 pm on a Saturday. Has to be the cheapest Thai I've had in the region.

Here's the link: http://dcexaminer.com/special_section/10/

Yes, since moving here 6 years ago, I have noticed a dearth of soft-serve places. Back in Western New York, my favorite custard place was Dee Dee's Dairy in Niagara Falls. I ain't been there in years, though. I'm headed back in a few weeks, so I'll try to get there then to make a comparison to the Dreamery. And I work a few blocks from Dickies, so I'll probably make it there this week sometime. Something struck me as odd about an ice cream place in that part of the city, so I never bothered to check it out.

The Old Ebbitt has a very DC feel and isn't hard on the bank, either. Monday through Thursday from 3-6 and 11 pm-1 am all their raw bar stuff is half price. Capital Q will do in a pinch, especially if you have to rely on public transportation. I'd prefer Rocklands myself, but it's harder to get to. And the difference between Capital Q and Rockland's isn't as great as the difference between those two and the places way out in Virginia, so given the circumstances it'll do. Southern. Vidalia definitely, but it's very upscale. Do you mind going to dives? For southern you might have a few options then. There's the Florida Avenue Grill, especially good for breakfast. Then there's also the new Oohs and Aahs at U and 10th Streets, very metro accessible. Steaks, Ray's of course but odds of getting a table are slim. You say you can't get good steak in Montreal? Is that why they invented Montreal Steak Seasoning?

Where were you getting custard in Buffalo?

Just wanted to say I also appreciate this review. Always looking for something near the Cheesetique and the Del Ray Dreamery. Actually, had a friend in town last weekend and I wanted to introduce him to both places. We were reading the eG review and Evening Star was mentioned. I was disappointed to find there really wasn't a thread about it here. Problem solved!

Have to chip in here, I've never had an experience at Capital Q that beat any experience at Rockland's. That said, after trying some more authentic joints in the burbs recently, I don't put Rockland's on a pedestal anymore either. I know nothing of this Reidel's, but if I were in this position, I might reconsider Old Glory. If you're already resigned to just having mediocre BBQ anyways, you might as well do it in a place with decent table service and a cool atmosphere.

Do they have a website, or does anyone know anything more about their pre-theater menu? I've seen websites listing a $19.95 three course pre theater menu, but I have no idea if it would be good on a friday (when I'm aiming to go) or what the menu choices are like.

As another Buffalo transplant, I'll vouch for the Wegmans support. Wegmans are a dime a dozen back there, so when you move here and are exposed to the craptastic giants and safeways (and acceptable but stupid expensive Whole Foods), your Wegmans memories become almost larger than life. Thus we may seem a little overzealous when talking about it. (semi-related: has anyone seen what stuff they've stocked for former Buffalonians? Word on the street is that they have Bison dip, but do they have anything else?)

Went today for the first time in a few months. Tried the soup and the new Hot Dog. Both very good. He puts a ton o' sauerkraut on that thing. But it's good kraut, not cloying at all.

They ain't gonna be house made? Well, if that's the case, I hope they use Sahlen's from my old hometown of Buffalo, New York. Even Bob Kinkead himself is aware of their tasty goodness: http://washingtonian.com/capital_comment/2...0205capcom.html Honestly, a grilled Sahlen's will make you rethink meat that comes in a tube. Anyone know if the area Wegmans have them in their selection of foods they carry for Buffalo ex-patriates?

This is something I had hoped would be discussed a little more here. With the advent of the new Ray's, I've often worried if one could distinguish a meal based on whether or not Michael was in the kitchen. (When I run out of things in life to worry about, I usually look for new ones.) In the year or so that I've been following the RTS discussions, I think the above post is the first I can remember where someone wasn't entirely happy with the way the steak came out. Cause for concern?

So these pronunciations apply even if it is spelled with a second A (ie, makhani)? Is so the second A would be silent.

Hi folks, new question on the butter chicken: I've seen it spelled "makhani" and "makhni." How should this be pronounced? For the latter, I would guess "MOCK-nee," but can it also be pronounced "Ma-CONN-ee?"

I just looked at the Old Ebbitt's website, and after a little searching, found the Orca platter listed on their appetizer menu. Looks like it's $84.95 regularly. So I guess half price would be $42.50 ish? I think if you eat it all yourself it should be free.

The discount is valid anywhere in the establishment, provided it's during the window of hours. (Monday through Thursday, 3 pm to 6 pm and 11 pm to 1 am.) There's no stiputlations on what or how you have to order (provided it's from the raw bar menu, of course). It's one of the city's most significant discounts. The new orca platter (plan to have my first in two weeks) I think is like $79.95 or something regularly, so the happy hour discount is $40 off!

I'll have to get out there soon myself. Probably like you, I had to wait until the weather improved to try it. But I did make the inaugural visit to Urban BBQ over the weekend. Great stuff, its location makes it a welcome addition to the area. Probably the only BBQ place I'll ever try in Maryland. The Old Dominion Root Beer on self-serve tap is a nice touch. Had what I usually get on maiden visits, the pulled pork. Not as finely "pulled" here as I've had it at other places, but that's not really a positive or negative, just a difference. (What I mean here is that the chunks of pork were larger than most places.) The cornbread was probably the moistest I've had at a BBQ joint, which is a big plus in its favor. The cole slaw was good, served in a diced style with a lot of green and red herbs and veggies and things. Didn't get to try it, but the potato salad looked very non-traditional. Had an orange tint to it, maybe from some eastern spices. They have three or four main sauces for you to apply, plus a chili powder of some kind. The Carolina and the Yella were very good. Borrowing from Tom S., I would say the red sauce was a bit cloying. They also have a thick spicy sauce, but that's not my cup o'tea. The staff were very pleasant, too. Three of us walked in all slack-jawed and gaping at the menu, and they helped us through and were very nice. A few posts up I gave praise to Willards, which I would still probably rate higher than Urban. But the two are quite a ways from each other, so there's plenty of room for both to thrive. My opinions could also shift soon, after trying their versions of my traditional second-visit meal, the ribs.

Ohh, false advertisement alert!! Went to the Breadline, and no oyster po boys in sight! Instead, they were featuring the soft shell crabs today. I was a little disappointed since I had my heart set on the oysters. But I happily settled for the cuban pork. Lesson learned today: blogs may not always be truthful.