captainjaroslav

Definitely more formal than Seattle or just about anywhere on the west coast in my experience. Maybe that's not so much dress "code" (i.e., an official policy) but I think you stand out from the crowd if you go too casual in this town. This is neither a put-down or a... put-up(?). Sometimes I think it's fun that everybody dresses up a little more, sometimes I think it's a PITA.

Right on! I'm going to try Matchbox, that sounds perfect. Thanks for the last minute help, peeps!

Hi All, I realize it's a little late, but I'm going to a movie at GP tonight and I wanted to find a good pre-movie happy hour to get some cheap drinks and food. I'd love to avoid any of the big chains around there and I'm meeting people at 6, so a HH that ends at 6:30 might not work out as well as one that goes a little later, but those are my only requirements. Any recommendations? -John

As a Hyattsville resident and, thus, someone who eats in the area somewhat frequently, I agree on: Franklins - for burgers and beer, I've never really been impressed with much else there. Tiffin (or Udupi palace, which is all vegetarian and has no booze, but is run by the same people) in Langley park. Some places in SS, especially Mandalay, which, unfortunately for some of us, used to be in CP. I would add: Pasta Plus up Rt. 1 in Laurel, about the same distance as going to SS. Great, informal Italian. I've never been to Lupo's, but I've heard PP is better. La Sirenita or any of the other Mexican places in the "Little Mexico" area of Riverdale. Yi Jo Korean Restaurant in College Park. If you're not too adventurous, Korean may not be what you want, but this place should get more recommendations than it does. I think being in the lobby of a Days Inn doesn't help them, but people should get past that and eat there, especially now that Mandalay has moved away. I realize these suggestions come too late for the original post, but I haven't been on the forum in while and I wanted to get my two cents in on this topic.

You can't just leave a comment like that out there, Silentbob. Is there something that meets my requirements and is GREAT?

Well, Marcel's sounds good, but $150/person does sound like a little more than I would be comfortable with suggesting. I forgot to mention that they really liked Cafe Atlantico when they were last here, which would be another reason why Zaytinya could be a hit. On the other hand, trying a different chef might be nice, even though Zaytinya sounds like a very different menu. Given that, I was leaning toward Palena, but, at least according to the WP review, it's not open on Sundays. So, I'm leaning toward Zaytinya, but everybody's suggestions all sounds good, so I haven't made up my mind yet.

Hi all, My folks are coming to town and we're going out for dinner this Sunday night. I'm too poor to eat out very much, so I don't know "nice" restaurants as well as I ought. Here are my requirements... -Must be open on Sunday and fairly late. (8pm is considered an early dinner in my family.) -My father loves his AmEx card, so if he can use that, it's great, but I realize you all probably don't memorize what cards various restaurants take, so we can ignore this item... unless you just happen to know. -My parents like their martinis before dinner, so a full bar is a good thing. -They are pretty adventurous eaters and won't really shy away from anything but are probably more inclined toward fusion-ish food than a specific non-European ethnicity. -Price: can be reasonably pricey, but not Inn-At-Little-Washington-pricey. -In the city or in Maryland (unless you really think there's somewhere in Va. that we can get to just as quickly given our starting place in Hyattsvilel.) -They love to eat at the hot-hot-hot places that simply everybody's talking about. Good, hip decor adds to this. So, any suggestions you all can offer would be appreciated. (I feel like this is pretty wide open so I ought to know a place already, but I don't.) Thanks in advance! -John

Looks like somebody else might gladly help you eat that chicken!

I'm glad somebody else is documenting their CSA share. I thought about doing that, but then realized that I'm too much of a slacker. I've thought about joining a CSA for years but this is my first time actually doing it. I bought it before my wife found out she landed a summer job in Maui, too, which might have changed my mind, I may have to temporarily convert to vegetarianism just to keep up! I joined Clagett farm, but I was hoping to find several people in my area who were willing to share pick-up duties so I would not have to go out every week. I found one person, which is not as many as I would have hoped, but it's a start. It's nice to go out to the farm every once and a while, to see where the food comes from and to take advantage of the you-pick items. The shares have been pretty small so far, but that's okay for me, since I'm still transitioning to the idea of planning meals based around my share. I am, however, jealous of the asparagus, possilbly my favorite vegetable in the world. Either Clagett Farm doesn't grow it or it's not ready yet. (Probbably the former, it's a little late for asparagus, isn't it?) In a fit of insanity, I've also planted a bunch of veggies in my yard, so it's going to be a good year for me to really learn to do some preserving. I made Kim Chee once before and Clagett seems like it will provide a ton of Napa cabbage, so I'll probably be doing that again. It's a little late for signing up now, but if people are interested in finding CSAs, the USDA provides a database of them that you can search by your ZIP code here: http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/csa/csastate.htm It seems to be down right now, though the page does contain links to other sources for finding CSAs.

In my part of Md: Udupi Palace or Tiffin in Langly Park Mandalay in Silver Spring (used to be cheaper and used to be in College Park) Franklin's in Hyattsville for a good burger and a great beer (every time I venture outside the burger section of the menu, however, I'm somewhat disappointed) Pasta Plus in Laurel (this place, decor and architecture aside, is a jewel, imagine if Pasta Mia, which could also be mentioned on this list, had more tables, more menu options, polite waitstaff and took credit cards... oh... and was in Laurel) La Sirenita in Riverdale (another jewel. It's the only one I've tried out of a number of real Mexican restaurants, i.e., run by Mexicans for Mexicans in this little part of Riverdale) -John

I wish the better Chinatown places like Full Kee had more interesting lunch special menus, though. $15 doesn't sound so bad when you're talking about dinner, but if you just pop in to eat lunch by yourself, it doesn't qualify as cheap eats in my book. From what I remember, they do have lunch specials but it's all the standard General Tso's whatnot. -John

I'd have to back up your supposition that it might just not be a date-friendly cuisine. Unless of course the date loves BBQ as much as I do. Pulling rib meat off the bone with your teeth or eating a big, sloppy, pulled pork or Texas-style brisket sandwich just doesn't seem right paired with white tablecloths and candlelight. And if the place doesn't serve these things, is it really BBQ?

I emailed them before I even posted here.

It was definitely SWEETENED. I also prefer yogurt as a savory condiment. While I love sour cream I'll often use yogurt in its place on baked potatoes, tacos, etc. The stuff from SMC would not work for that, it would be like putting frosting on a steak. I ordered: whole cream-top milk plain yogurt fruit yogurt free range eggs scrapple I think that's it. I want to start getting more of my dairy from them, but I need to use of what's already in the fridge. Also, most of their prices are pretty competitive, but the cheese is kind of pricey compared to what I get at the supermarket. It's probably better, though.

I just got my first home delivery from South Mountain Creamery: http://www.southmountaincreamery.com/ and overall, I'm very satisfied. It was a small first order but it all seems good and I love the idea of getting a delivery from a local dairy! But... I'm a big fan of plain yogurt in all its earthy sourness so, imagine my surprise when I popped open my yogurt and discovered it was sweetened! Does anybody else consider this VERY odd for "plain" yogurt? (My wife says the fruit yogurt seemed really sweet as well, but I generally feel that way about all fruit yogurt.)