EllenH

Well you guys are in for a treat...just ate at CK last night for the first time. Yum! Started with a bibb lettuce salad w/ golden raisin & hazelnut viniagrette; very simple but hit the spot! Then I had the monkfish stuffed with crab, with creamed corn & tomatoes and husband had the pork chop with mushrooms. WOW! The mushroom sauce was amazing. Everything was flavorful & satisfying. Finished off with strawberry shortcake. This was my only (slight) letdown of the night, as it was basically a big biscuit with chopped fresh strawberries and whipped cream; the biscuit was a little dry like it had been sitting out for a while so the whole thing was tasty but dry since there wasn't any type of sauce. We got seated right away but by 8:45 the place was packed with a line out the door. Loved the atmosphere (fun & casual) and the food was amazing. Bonus was the totally reasonable price tag -- we will definitely be back.

One of my Baltimore favorites hasn't been mentioned yet.....the Blue Moon Cafe in Fells Point for breakfast. Had some amazing biscuits, hash browns, and eggs benedict w/ crab there a month ago. YUMMM!

Maple Leaf? Welcome to eGullet Ellen. Always pleased to see a fan of local dumps. Snake and Jake's? Cooter Brown's? Chart Room? Carrollton Station? Nick's Big Train Bar? Lagniappe? Johnny White's ? Saturn Bar? What, pray tell, is your favorite horrible dive bar in New Orleans? There are so many fine choices. Haven't checked this thread in a while...my favorite(s) included Maple Leaf (danced the 2step with Rockin' Doopsie one night...), Cooters (drink 'round the world anyone?) and Snake & Jake's (roommate's boyfriend tended bar -- ended WAY too many raucous nights there with the sun coming up!). But the place for the Jaeger shots...I'll never tell

Jager was the shot of choice at my favorite horrible dive bar in New Orleans. We would line up at the bar & the shots would come in those plastic test tubes (very similar to what my mom used to give me cough syrup in, a "dosing tube"). The trick was everyone downed them simultaneously, test tube clenched between teeth & no hands allowed. This was the preferred way to start a really FUN evening I've only had goldschlager once & it made me scarily loopy -- I can't imagine combining those two plus rumpelmintz! Yikes.

Well, I indulged my curiosity tonight and ventured solo to try the Cafe menu at Palena....WOW. Is this the best food deal in DC or what?? I stuffed myself silly -- 3 courses, fizzy water, wine & coffee, and still paid less than their prix fixe menu. Started with the beet & cheese salad, excellent! The beets were plentiful & I think there were several different kinds on there (I'm not a beet expert). The creamy cheese & crisp greens were perfect foils for the beets. Then the infamous roast chicken. Second only to corn-fed scottish free range chicken eaten at The Witchery in Edinburgh (and that cost a hell of a lot more than $9), this is the BEST chicken I've EVER eaten. Sipped a glass of Pinot Blanc from Alsace that was very nice. (Also no wine expert -- the pinot was the only grape I recognized on the list) Finished with the chocolate hazelnut torte & coffee; the torte is truly heaven on a plate. Maybe a tad heavy for a hot summer evening, but figured I had to try it! Service was friendly and just chatty enough throughout. Got there at 5:45 and was seated immediately, the place didn't start to fill up until 6:15. I will be back!

Getting my fix of latin & haitian food at the Smithsonian Fest tomorrow, avoiding the Mall at ALL COSTS on Sunday!

Speaking of defunct distilleries, I managed to pick up a bottle of Port Ellen on a trip to Scotland last year, I found it in the giftshop at the Edradour distillery. The PE was a gift for my dad so I get to sample it on visits home Also, just spent the weekend with friends who opened their Laphroig 15 -- ICK!! Not for me. We had it in a comparison tasting with the Highland Park and it was totally overwhelming.

Thanks everybody! That PLOWED society thing is fun, but I noticed that another one I like (Lagavulin) got called "chloraseptic". Yikes. Philistines indeed. For me & hubby, the peatier the better! Only one exception so far -- we sampled Talisker at a restaurant in Edinburgh & were warned by the waitress that it would put hair on our chests.....that one was a VERY SLOW sipping scotch

I am about one half-step up from a novice in terms of single malt expertise. My cabinet currently contains Highland Park and Macallan Cask Strength. Any suggestions on what to add to this, perhaps for an evening of tasting with friends? A nice variety in flavors would be fun. Anybody ever done a scotch tasting? Would you have food with that? (cheese or something) Cheers

Forgot to add to the above -- after lunch/dinner at Iron Hill, go across the street to Cafe Gelato for dessert! I spent 10 wonderful days in Italy, eating gelato about 3 times a day , and the stuff in Newark is a pretty good version of the stuff. Eat it at the cute little outdoor seating area on the sidewalk & watch the people go by... Word of warning, I would skip the regular food there tho'. It's pretty overpriced for the mediocre Italian you get. Disclaimer - haven't eaten the regular menu in about a year so may have improved since then.

I grew up in Newark, so go back to visit my folks every month or two. A favorite lunch spot is the Iron Hill Brewpub on Main Street. This is sort of a mini-chain, I believe they also have outposts in Wilmington and Manyunk PA. The beer is nice and the food is tasty -- classic american. Atmosphere (at least in Newark) is hip/casual, usually the crowd is predominantly University of DE folks. I have no idea about Dover, sorry!