[Restaurant Week, January 10th-16th, 2005]

the DCist says that it will run January 10-16. the web page is up, but does not have any restaurants listed. . .i'd wait for a day or two.

[Bistrot du Coin]

i kind of like the small glasses. . .that's how i recall being served wine whilst i was in france.

i've been to BDC several times over the years, and other than having to re-fill our own wine glasses, i have not had problems with it.

[Worst Beer Ever Tasted]

ahh yes, there are indeed some bad beers here. . i'll second the sam adams triple bock (i have a friend that described it as drinking soy sauce). nevertheless, at some point in 1995, there was available lone star ice and old milwaukee ice. . .that was some awful, awful beer. another awful beer that i remember is lucky lager. . .and i completely agree with the folks on here who don't like corona, count me in.

now, i will say that shiner is no where near as good today as it was, even in the 90s. i went to college in texas, and the guys drank shiner (12 pack bottles for $8), and the girls drank coors light (pronounced kerrs light). but i feel i must defend some of the beers on here. . .natty-boh, i.c. light, and old style to name a few. those are some of my favourite beers, simply on kitsch value alone, not to mention the local flair. . .if i'm in chicago or pittsburgh or baltimore, that's what i'm gonna order. . .i only wish that you could buy natty-boh at orioles games, like you can get i.c. light (and iron city) at pirates games and old style at cubs games. . .oh, and for ironic purposes (like the PBR and Schlitz craze that has been and continues to go on in "hipster" circles). are the beers bad, of course they are, but it's more than just the beer sometimes.

for those canadians on here. . i was a bar in state college, pennsylvania (home of penn state), and they had 4 or 5 types of molson on draft there. . i was loving it. . molson canadian, all night! course, i don't remember getting home that night.

[DC DelMarVa Thanksgiving! (hint hint)]

driving 12 hours to visit my mother in huntsville, al and spend time with my mom, aunt and sister. . .on the bright side, i get to make my annual pilgrimage to the jack daniel's distillery.

in the meantime, i have to make 15 pies by wednesday (my fiancee sells them at a craft fair at her work, and the people there clamor for them).

[Anthony Bourdain in DC for Book Signing]

well, he's also doing a book signing at the border's in tysons (route 7) today at 1.

[Thomas Keller & Michel Richard at Citronelle 11/16]

Sorry if i've missed this somewhere, but was wondering if anyone was going to this event?

Store Event

Where: Washington, DC

Event: An evening with Thomas Keller

Date: 11/17/04

Time: 7pm-9pm

Cost: $35.00/person

Contact: (202) 237-0375

Details: Join America's Top Chef, Thomas Keller, owner of The French Laundry in Yountville, Bouchon in Yountville, and Per Se in New York City for a reception and book signing to benefit the National Capitol Chapter of the American Institute of Wine and Food. Thomas will be joined by Bouchon’s executive chef, Jeff Cerciello, to discuss classic bistro dishes from their new book, Bouchon.

Chef Jeff Heineman of the Grapeseed American Bistro and Wine Bar will prepare the evening’s food; wine will be provided by Michel-Schlumberger.

Book signings are limited to books purchased at Sur La Table. Please bring your receipt for books purchased prior to the event. Ticket sales will benefit the AIWF.

[Fourth of July]

provided the rain doesn't stop me. . .biscuits and gravy for brekkie, bratwursts, burgers, and peach cobbler for the rest of the day. . for drinks, mimosas and margaritas. . all on the the rooftop deck of my apartment building on the hill, which is sure to be packed with other people, and other people's friends, and friends of those friends.

[Happy Hour]

Maybe I'm just getting old, but I have real trouble seeing $2 PBR as a good deal, seeing as how a six-pack only costs around $4. And if their "regular" price is $4, that's approaching highway robbery. Now, $2 pints at Brewer's Art, or half-price Belgians - that's value for money.

hmmm, good point. . perhaps i need to return and double check on those prices. black cat sells pbr for $3.50 for drafts . .. but the indie kids like their pbr, at least until schlitz or black label make their triumphant return.

[Happy Hour]

hotel helix has half priced burgers and beer until 7, i think (good burgers and $2 PBR). . .mccormick and schmicks has a $2.00 food menu, but drinks are not on special. . .andale is half priced wine and margaritas. . .that's all i can think of right now.

[My first Chik-fil-A]

I dearly wish Chick-Fil-A was a national chain, but it's not...quite. There are none at all in the Pacific NW, including Washington, Oregon and Alaska. Also none in Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska.

i feel the same way about sonic. i live in d.c., and the closest sonic is 2+ hours away. . at least there are a hand-ful of chik-fil-a's in this area.

my fiancee has this weird attachment to krystal. . .she grew up in chicago on white castle and finds krystal to be far superiour. . .personally, i have yet to try a white castle burger, as i only recently began my travels to her hometown.

[typically southern beverages]

having lived in the south (alabama) and gone to college in the south (texas-ok, it's like a whole 'nother country), the drink i miss the most is big red. lucky me went to college in waco, where big red was invented and made (as well as dr. pepper according to the dr. pepper museum located in waco), so waco also got some initial attempts at other products made by big red corp, like big peach. . although, i did find big peach at a gas station store in bristol, tn.

while people said bourbon, i'm surprised that jack daniels hasn't been mentioned (admittedly, i could have missed it), which is not a bourbon. . .jack is probably my all-time favourite southern beverage (especially since i don't like tea, of any sorts).

[Californian coming to Pittsburgh in June]

i, for some unknown reason cause i never order this, decided to order the buffalo chicken salad. . .lo and behold, under the melted cheese and the chunks of chicken was a stack of fries.  good thing i don't like salad dressing. . .

I'm totally missing something here. buffalo chicken, melted cheese and fries--in what way is this a salad?

well. . .it was all piled on top of lettuce.

[Californian coming to Pittsburgh in June]

I was expecting the Primanti Brothers sandwiches with the fries inside, but I didn't realize how many restaurants sold salads with fries on top.  I guess not every city is swept up in the Atkins craze.

yeah, i didn't know they put fries on salads either until me, fiancee and another friend were looking for a place to eat near PNC Park on a sunday morning, and the only place was a bar. i, for some unknown reason cause i never order this, decided to order the buffalo chicken salad. . .lo and behold, under the melted cheese and the chunks of chicken was a stack of fries. good thing i don't like salad dressing. . .

been to pittsburgh a few times, mainly for pirates games. . .didn't much care for the primanti bros. sandwiches at pnc, but the pierogies were good. . .