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.)

Hanneford in Portland? Oregon or Maine? I lived my first 19 years in Portland, Ore. and I don't recognize the name. Maybe I'm having a brain fart or perhaps it's just that I wasn't as much of a foodie at 19 (that's about 14 years ago, BTW) or maybe it's in Maine? I tried to google Hanneford, Grocery, Portland and didn't get anything. If I was after good cheese in Portland, I might go to Zupan's or Strohecker's or Elephant's (though I'd probably ask my parents who are foodies and actually live there). I seem to recall going to a Hanneford in Albany, NY, which was not incredible but possibly a step up from the Price Chopper, one of the other big chains up there.

Man, I used to live about two blocks from Larry's in Queen Anne (a Seattle neighborhood) and I miss it. They claimed to have the largest cheese selection on the West Coast, and the wine and beer... don't get me started. Once, I asked the cheese guy for something really unusally and he says "we just got in this Gorilla's milk cheese, would you like to try some?" He was kidding, of course, but for just a second I could only sputter. Now I live in PG county in a state where you have to go to a special store to buy beer. You people bitching about Montgomery Co. ought to try shopping around my neck of the woods before you start whining! Whole foods? I wish! Not that I don't frequently make excursions outside my neighborhood/county/state to do my shopping, but it would be nice to have something close by where Monterrey Jack isn't considered exotic. At least it's a short walk to get my growlers filled at Franklins. Also, while I don't think they have anything "exotic" cheese-wise, I just discovered this place: http://www.southmountaincreamery.com/ from another thread on here and I'm excited to start ordering my (more everyday) cheese and other dairy from there. -John

I wasn't trying to mess, I was just trying to be funny and to point out that one person's divey (divy?) is another person's casual. I'm sure I'll get better at this by the time my number of posts gets up to a more respectable four digits. :)

Well, maybe divey isn't so bad either. I'm going to guess that the Irish Times is not REAL divey (i.e., windows bricked over, dancers in cages, tableside motorcycle parking) and assume that it's more cute-divey (i.e, has a smoking section, staff wear t-shirts and doesn't throw out a menu when it gets a small beer stain on the corner) and go with that one. I've been feeling rather poor these last 33 years or so, and IT sounds more like my price range. Thanks for your suggestions everyone! -John

Hi all, I'm meeting an old friend that I haven't seen for about fifteen years, while he's in town briefly for a wedding. We were planning to grab a drink quickly on Monday evening and he says he'll be close to the Union Sta. or Capitol South Metro stations. (I told him I'd be coming by Metro.) I don't know that area at all. Any suggestions on where to go, probably not to divey (don't think that's a problem in that area) and not to Ritzy? Maybe somewhere with some good snack-type food? Thanks, John

Oh c'mon. I can't believe nobody has any thoughts on CSA! You can't eat out every night. Hasn't anybody here participated in one of these programs? What was your share like? Too big? Too small? Not enough variety? Too many collards? (Though I'm not sure how that could be possible.) If you are curious, but don't feel like looking it up, here's a short definition: "CSA is a partnership of mutual commitment between a farm and a community of supporters which provides a direct link between the production and consumption of food. Supporters cover a farm's yearly operating budget by purchasing a share of the season's harvest. CSA members make a commitment to support the farm throughout the season, and assume the costs, risks and bounty of growing food along with the farmer or grower. Members help pay for seeds, fertilizer, water, equipment maintenance, labor, etc. In return, the farm provides, to the best of its ability, a healthy supply of seasonal fresh produce throughout the growing season. Becoming a member creates a responsible relationship between people and the food they eat, the land on which it is grown and those who grow it." I clipped that from this site: http://www.umassvegetable.org/food_farming...tml#What_is_CSA Where you can find more info. -John

I was excited about this thread because I rarely by seafood. I love it but my wife doesn't, so it's usually something I save for eating out. My wife went out of town this weekend, though, so I wanted to try making linguini with clam sauce, one of my favorites. I went to Han Ah Reum in Wheaton, which was the most convenient place for me of those suggested on this thread and I was very impressed. The clams were fresh, delicious and inexpensive. Yay! John

Where in Wheaton, please? ← On Georgia Ave. On the right as your headed north. Can't recall any landmarks off the top of my head. ← 12015 Georgia Ave. Isn't Google great?

Are there good places to go for this in the DC area? During the year-and-a-half that I have lived in the area, I have driven by the Yi Jo Korean Restaurant in College Park several times and been curious, but the fact that it was in the lobby of a Days Inn made me reluctant. (I don't know why, I've been to really good Korean BBQ in Seattle and LA that were in equally inauspicious buildings.) I finally went and thought it was surprisingly good. We ended up ordering two different beef items (no, I cant remember exactly what they were, it was actually a few weeks ago, before I even had posting permissions here) and the eel. They don't let you BBQ the eel at the table, they do it in the kitchen instead. The beef was done at the table, however. I prefer when the wait staff get the grill started and leave me to take over after that, which was not the case at Yi Jo, but it was still delicious. There was the usual assortment of pickles and such, most of which I do not know the name of (with the exception of kim chee) since they usually just come when you order stuff to grill. We also ordred a scallion pancake that turned out to be about the size of a medium pizza and was very good.

Hey All, (This is the first thread I've ever started here!) I did a search and saw that CSA had been mentioned on this forum a couple of times but had not been talked about a lot, so I thought now would be a good time, since this is when shares are being sold. Have people on this list participated in these programs? Do you have a favorite? (I won't explain CSA here, you can Google the terms and get a much more complete description than I could give.) I'm a transplant here from Seattle (Lancaster, PA before that and Portland, OR before that) and I was tempted to participate in a program while there, but never got around to it. This year I finally signed up for a share at Clagett Farm (www.clagettfarm.org) in Upper Marlboro and I can't wait for May so that I can get my first box of produce. That brings me to the other reason for this post... I am wondering if there are any other eGulleteers near me (Hyattsville) out there who have Clagett Farm shares and might be interested in sharing pickup duties. Anyone?