chefbrendis

I'm a chef in DC and my in laws just moved to tampa and cannot find good asian food I'd love to hear about any good restaurants having real chinese, thai or vietnamese cuisine

Funny you should mention that. Today I was gawking at the application for an alcoholic beverage licence posted on this cute little brick unit, freshly painted in royal purple trim... when out popped Jamie Leeds. She told me the new place is going to be an oyster bar called Hang's Oyster Bar and that it's set to open May 15th. The space is located at 17th and Q Streets, next to Trios. Hope to hang at Hang's. ← Is it Hang's or Hank's?

Not to be self promotionary but Circle Bistro has a veranda off of our lounge and five dollar maritnis on tuesdays

insert sound of ass laughing off here________

_______ Three Ways (insert lamb, pork, brussels sprouts, orangutan, etc.) is qucikly becoming one of those menu standards (cliches?) like mini-burgers, foie gras finger sandwiches and a new addition to the list - hot chocolate with house-made marshmallows. Fortunately, I haven't tired of any of them - except the foie which I never really liked anyway. ← Who will be the first to embrace the twelve way format?

I've always had good luck at Schneiders', well chosen selection, lack of pretense, a good time. Incidentally, Ron Brenner a great guy was also my baseball coach for little league

isn't there a Global Market in Pentagon City, too? next to the Sur la Table. ← Yes, in the first group of stores in 'Pentagon Row', down the block from Sur la Table. ← I thought that was a World Market, like Pier One

Well I am not the most involved with cheeses although I wouldnt mind some input in the whole thing. I am currently prepareing a dessert menu in which I am making curds for. My recipe id 6L 35% ctream/ 1.2L fresh squezed lime juice. I mix it let it sit at room temperature for about 3 days then hang it in cheese cloth for 24hrs then press it in a perferated hotel pan for another day it turns out just fine but I am wondering where ekse I could go with it as t seems that there are many opther avenues that I could use to make other products. ← That recipe reminds me of one for Paneer an Indian Fresh Cheese used in all sorts of dishes. It holds up to use in a lot of savory preparations, Mattar Paneer and Saag Paneer both use a "creamy" sauce and are characterized by holding their shape well iin the simmered dishes. Maybe you can use your cheese like fromage blanc and make a tart with a mellow fruit base??

I have had on my cheese course in the past a fantastic mixed milk Cheese from Umbria, called Tri Latte you may be able to find it from DiBruno Brothers House of Cheese in Philadelphia

There are two Epoisses out there and readily available, the Epoisses du Bourginon and the Epoisses Chablis. Which one did you have? The CHablis is a personal favorite

If you are into Wisconsin Cheese Bud's Cheese Haus is the place to get some phenomenal seven and ten year old cheddar.

Looking for other cheese lovers to talk cheese and compare tasting notes, sourcing and transcendental cheese experiences.

Now you need to contextualize your statement. What constitutes bad in a restaurant with such high aspirations, prices and obvious commitment to posh and circumstance? I'm sure the veal was fine if a bit undercooked, but this is Ducasse, a hero to almost all chefs, the mere imposition of his will should ensure that little things like that do not occur. Christian Delouvrier is another culinary icon, is everything always perfect, no, no restaurant can be perfect all the time, but some restaurants have put themselves out there where scrutiny, justifiably so or not, is just that more intense. The other question, that of elaboration should probably be judged in terms of Bruni's previous reviews, is he generallly more forthcoming about flaws, or is this Ducasse thing more of a "vibe" issue. It is always hard to see a four star establishment taken down a peg, kind of seeing a sports hero finish a career in another city at a fraction of their previous ability, but maybe Bruni is merely holding Ducasse accountable for its perceived gaffes. I deeply admire Alain Ducasse and will not be dissuaded from dining there again because of this review, no person should, including Bruni...

At least in the first three instances, it is quite clear from the language that these were single and not recurring instances. We know the veal was not overcooked on a recurring basis, because it says "on one occasion." This tracks for the lamb and sea bream as well. Now when it comes to the pasta dishes, which were "beset with pasta problems," I don't know whether these examples recurred or not, but I suspect it would not be relevant: it seems to me the most likely explanation is that the dishes were as intended and were just not to the critic's liking. So if they were that way ten times instead of one, it wouldn't make a difference. So if no individual dish was a "recurring letdown," the term "recurring" must be redundant with "numerous." In terms of "numerous lackluster dishes," I suppose there's no way to know if we're seeing a complete list or a list of examples. And that's not our fault; it's the writer's fault. It would have taken two or three words to clear that up, and the lack of those words cuts in favor of this being a complete list. Certainly, though, given the shallowness of what analysis we can see, I would be very reluctant to presume a deep reservoir of backup analysis and examples that were kept from us. ← I think recurring modifies problems rather than individual dishes, and at 250.00 a poorly folded napkin probably made it into the back of our reviewer's mind

greetings- Trimbach Riesling 2002 Food pairings wise, think poached oysters, or raw with a bit of the wine used to make a nice gelee. Briny oysters and the acid notes on the somewhat truncated finish make a very nice combination. Secondly, try it with foie gras, especially a preparation using a soft acid component, aged vinegar, for example. Thirdly, fried stuff with mayonnaise. I'm a big proponent of fried stuff with mayonnaise,, but the ability of the wine to cut through the richness makes a nice foil.

I've always believed in the sincere buying of a drink at the bar for a customer who needs to "give up" the table, not to rush anyone, but be honest about why you need the table, do it in a way that makes the guest feel good about the experience, or simply remove the table from between them if they are really thick. In regards to the Vienna post...In Europe a diner, especially at a more upscale locale, basicallly purchases their table for the night, a thing as important as a good meal should never be rushed, in turn the tables don't turn, thus a higher pricing point. American restaurants are run differently, especiallly superlative ones with but a handful of tables.

For anyone interested a Taste of the Nation/Zoofari type of event to benefit Tsunami Reelief efforts will be taking place on January 26th. Circle Bistro, Citronelle, Ristorante Tosca, Ristorante Terraza, Equinox, Marcel's, Galileo and others to be named later will be participating. The event will be held at Casa Italiana Language School from 6pm to 9pm. The donation is 50.00 and there will be both silent and live auctions. All proceeds go to The American Red Cross and UNICEF Relief efforts. A good time will be had by all.. For more info go to Casa Italiana Hope to see some egulleters there -Brendan

I've followed this thread for some time and have been very interested in what everyone has to say. I think that yes DC is worthy of being promoted and we are a significant food town, but comparisons to NY or San Francisco are moot. To quote Meatballs, "It just doesn't matter". Listen, everytime we as people with vested interest in the perceptions of our dear home city as it compares to someplace else get involved in the disagreement over whether we are better or worse than NY it marginalizes us. Is there some award for being the best food city? No. Does it matter if there was? No. And even so, cooking, eating and drinking for awards is not the way I believe most chefs here work. We cook for ourselves and our guests, our families and our friends. What does it matter if we're the place for ethnic restaurants, we have some other fantastic places to eat as well. I can go to any corner of our city, or the immediate suburbs and have meals ranging from fantastic to not so hot it is the same as everywhere else. F The Chronicle In the end it comes down to confidence. In reviews here online or in papers across the world the best critiques begin with the perception that a chef is cooking with confidence, when a restaurant is fulfilling its promise with a serious commitment to what they are doing, not the place around the corner. When we begin to compare instead of believing in what we do wholeheartedly we marginalize ourselves. Chefs don't cook so they can be compared to other chefs, chefs cook because they have something to add to the dialogue of great food. I for one don't care whether we"re better than somebody else's town, this is our town and we own it, no person or publication can take that away from us. Eat for DC eat in DC, Cook for DC, the people who lament the fact that we don't have x or y like San Francisco does or that we don't have superstar Neighboorhood joints like NY they can go hang. We have DC its OURS and nobody can take it. When we believe confidently in our cioty and its restaurants and restaurant professionals, that's when our own perceptions change and this keeping up with the Joneses bullshit can end. Recognition is validating and great but our perception of ourselves is what matters most.

Italian Store, Italian Store, Italian Store, Italian Store Get there early or take a number. Everything is deeply satisfying there, but the Capri and the traditional Milano with hot and sweet peppers are not to be missed.

For Vietnamese try Huong Que(Four Sisters) in Eden Center at Seven Corners. Hands down my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in the area. Try the quail with Black Pepper and Lime, simple and addictive. For Indian I've always had a soft spot for Haandi in Falls Church. It is not as wonderful as it used to be, but the Lamb Vindaloo, Daal Mahani and the Samosas are still top nottch

I talked with Jeff back in the Spring when he was getting everything together for Black Salt. He came out to Middleburg to check out some things and meet with his Kitchen designrer, who had worked on my previous kitchen. He was so upbeat about what they were goping to create, a real believer. I believe he worked on the opening of Pesce and Black salt will probably deliver on its promise. Always great to see a worthy place open up thats not in the Penn Quarter. This may be the source a lot of non industry people have been looking for for their fresh seafood, without having to resort to the overhyped and over priced Whole Foods fiasco.

Words of wisdom. I too am a big fan of Montmartre, particularly the Hanger Steak -- have only had the lunch version though. The last time I was there just before Thanksgiving the soup was a saffron cauliflower with mussels -- delicious! Have to go back soon to try the Chestnut soup. Aren't turnips a mainstay of French bistro? Edited to apologize for being redundant concerning my fanhood. ← Turnips, carrots, rutabaga any and all root vegetables are staples of bistro cooking, its about maximizing flavor from humble ingredients.

I think the root of the donut or small donut trend on pastry menus began with the traditional Bomboloni of Italy. Again co-opted and turned to the influences of the truly ubiquitous American regional cuisine. The donut movement also has roots in the revitalization of comfort foods in new haute clothes that began in the early to mid 90's. A mini burger is just what it is, and I think that perhaps the chef's that utilize this venue for expression are choosing it for its creative outlet. For example if a chef has three to four preps for a burger that hold equal merit andf have the ability to synthesize on the plate or be wholly disparate, they may choose this mini burger route to display them all for their guest

Only if it is renamed "Petite Tavern" has reallly astronomical prices, a six burger tasting menu and wine pairings. Oh and really overrated service