Roger Troutman

Holly--did you make it to Ben's yet?

Can you actually buy them in the supermarkets around here? I've never noticed them. Apparently they've been around a long time.

Exactly. Want some hot dog with that salad? Personally, I prefer a good hot dog with minimal embellishments, like a bit of chili (easy on the beans), and maybe some diced onions. Not with so many toppings that the flavor of the dog is obscured. And where would Papaya King place their franchises in D.C.? I can't think of too many places where it would succeed. Maybe on 18th Street in Adams Morgan, where all the drunken kids would be delighted to throw wads of money down on hot dogs and fruity drinks.

I used to live in Morgantown, so perhaps I can offer some suggestions. New York Times article on dining and leisure activities in M-town: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/09/travel/0...print&position= There are not a lot of "Excellent" restaurants in Morgantown, but there are some "Very Good" ones. Madeleine's, across from the Hotel Morgan, is supposed to be good. Oliverio's, down on the waterfront, is worth checking out for good Italian-American food. For excellent pub fare, head to The Boston Beanery. Both their sandwiches and wings are great. For a good slice of pizza, go to Casa D'Amici. Great Wall, on the corner of High and Pleasant Streets, has some seriously good Chinese take-out. This being a college town, there are too many bars to count. I like Gibbie's on High Street. The art-deco interior has seen better days, but is mostly original. West Virginia Brewing Company is known regionally for their excellent beers. The food is supposedly good, but again, I've never eaten there. If you're feeling adventurous, check out the Metropolitan Billiard Parlor, which is hidden beneath the Metropolitan Theatre. You won't find a particularly good selection of beers (all bottles), and the pool tables are beat up and ancient, but the place is a step back in time. Try some of their pepperoni rolls. This is a food item that is not found far beyond northern West Virginia. For your morning coffee, The Blue Moose Cafe is the only place in town with anything good. I used to live right around the corner and have fond memories of stopping in for a huge iced Earl Grey on hot summer days.

R.I.P. Heller's

Tonic in Mt. P has free WiFi, and a couple of good beers on tap. Of course that's miles away from downtown, both figuratively and literally.

Is there anything inside the District with a similar selection of beer as Total Beverage or Norm's Beer & Wine? Most of the liquor stores that I have visited only have a modest selection of brews. Burka's in Cleveland Park is the best that I've found so far. While they have a pretty good selection, it doesn't compare to Norm's. And even Total doesn't have the variety that they once had, as their focus seems to have shifted more toward wine in the past few years.

Contrary to what many believe, Foggy Bottom is actually contract brewed in Utica, New York. It's really not very "Washington" at all, in my opinion. I hope that someday they are able to open a real brewery in D.C., but from what I know, this isn't happening anytime soon, if ever

The pizza from Vace is incredible. This is what I look like, when I first open the box containing the fresh, steaming hot pie:

Someone could make a killing if they would purchase some vintage equipment and open up an old fashioned Automat here.

Here is my take on grocery stores in the area: I used to live in Loudoun County. The Giants and Safeways out there were many, many times nicer than those in the District or close-in suburbs. And Wegman's seems like the nicest grocery store in the area, but it's way too far away to visit more than occasionally. Food Lion has a terrible selection of produce and meats, and their selection of just about everything else is lacking, but what they do have was generally less expensive than the Giants and Safeways. There were never long checkout lines, either. I now work near the Harris Teeter in Ballston. It doesn't seem like anything special to me. Aside from Whole Foods, I like to go to the Social Safeway, or the Giant on Colesville Road, just across the D.C. line. Ireland's Four Provinces in Cleveland Park was once a Giant. Here's a little something to feed your hunger for D.C. grocery store nostalgia: http://groups.msn.com/dcgrocery/pictures

What are the differences in price between liquor stores in the District and Virginia? I recently moved to D.C. from Virginia, but I haven't really paid that much attention.

Has anyone here tried the new place that just moved in next door to Tonic?

I grew up in Davis/Thomas, so perhaps I can offer up my experiences. Although I haven't been there in years, The Golden Anchor was always a good place to eat. At one time, they had fresh seafood flown in daily -- maybe they still do. In Davis, Sirianni's Pizza Cafe is great for pizza and italian fare. Don't miss the parmesan wedges. Best pizza around, in my opinion. Blackwater Brewing Company, also in Davis, is good as well. The Purple Fiddle has great sandwiches and incredible homemade ice cream, not to mention a great beer selection.

Both myself and WoodleyGrrl will be there!

Do they have trees or fire hydrants in the bathroom?

I love mojitos One of the few girly drinks that I enjoy While I've not visited most of the aforementioned bars, I can say that Chi-Cha Lounge makes a mean mojito.

He was right about the steak at Tonic. It was pretty lackluster when I had it a few months ago. I didn't get any anchovy butter on mine, even. And the service could be a little better. The other night when I sat at the bar for a couple of hours, at least once I had to wait around a few minutes for another drink to arrive, and they weren't busy at all. But it's a fun place where people feel welcome. That's what really matters. The cheesesteaks and tater tots really matter, as well. Most of the customers knew the bartenders by name, and in return, the bartenders knew peoples' drinks. It's nice to have a place like this in my neighborhood. The cheesesteaks are good. They come with tater tots.

Suddenly, the fact that my dog used to sort through the cats' litterbox for a light snack is slightly less disgusting.

I concur with WoodleyGrrl. It was certainly one of the finest dining experiences I have enjoyed in the area, and I can't wait to get back there

Gotta love karma. All ye who steal from the grocery store will suffer in some way as a result of your crime, be it a simple case of diarrhea, or many long hours in agony from acute food poisoning

Montgomery County government is a paradox. They shun new development of almost any sort. They shoot down the proposal of new commercial and residential developments, citing the negative effects sprawl, yet they refuse to make any capital improvements to ease the awful congestion that already exists.

The best Kobe beef I've ever had came from Bryant Farms in Pennsylvania.

" I said low carb!!!!!"

Now that is gruesome. Don Geronimo has been eating a lot of live cicadas on the air lately.