Gary Tanigawa

Last night, Restaurant Eve had softshell crab as an appetizer on its tasting menu. I'm not sure if its on the lunch and bistro menus but you could always call to find out.

I also would NOT recommend Commander's Palace (at least for brunch). Ate there last year and it was good enough to try again last month. My main was presented without the fried oysters so there was some delay while the plate was taken back to the kitchen to be fixed, and then the poached eggs had yolks that were more like "boiled" in consistency. The bread pudding was worth the upcharge for dessert. Pacing of courses was leisurely, but I think that was intentional and I did not mind (the neighboring table was in a hurry and they seemed to become more frustrated as the meal progressed). I second the Delmonico's recommendation, although I haven't eaten at either Prime or Craftsteak so can't make the comparison. Two lunches there were good.

Valentino in Las Vegas (the Venetian) has A. Rafanelli.

Yamazato is at 6303 Little River Turnpike in Alexandria. BackwardsHat, did you try any of the specials listed on the whiteboard? As you said, I would say the sushi and sashimi there is consistently "good" but not great. Kampai is okay, but I dislike the pushy servers I have had there on a couple of occasions.

Ate at Kotobuki on Tuesday and the fish was better than I remembered, so perhaps it is related to delivery date. Rice was still too firm for my taste, but that problem might be solved by dining early in the evening.

My local shop has 1990 Boscarelli Vino Nobile di Montelpulciano Riserva for sale. Anyone have recent experience tasting it? Assuming proper storage, should it be ready to drink or "over the hill"?

Not sure, maybe the 7th or the 8th. Perhaps the fish delivery is on Tuesday or Wednesday? I have started to adopt the advice from Kitchen Confidential to avoid fish in restaurants on certain days.

That's comforting Kris! I thought the spaghetti above looked more like lo mein noodles. So that was the impetus for asking my question.

Is there a Japanese-style spaghetti? By that, I mean is the spaghetti different from the pasta I would buy in the U.S. (e.g., De Cecco which is widely available here)? For example, is it made from durum wheat? Is the spaghetti generally made in Japan or are Italian imports popular? How does it cook up: al dente or is there another preference in Japan? Are other shapes and sizes (the one in the photograph appears to be on the thick end of the spectrum) popular in Japan? I would have assumed that the sauces would be different (as evidenced by the descriptions above), but I have no expectation of whether the spaghetti has been "adapted" to Japanese preferences. Tasting Japanese-style mayonnaise was a surprise

I went to Kotobuki. The sushi is worth the price ($1), but I doubt it has any relation to Makoto (perhaps Ivy once did) because the fish is okay at best.

Went to CP Steak for a late dinner last night. First time there but not hard to find as the surrounding buildings are closed in the evenings (isn't La Colline nearby?). Valet parking ($5) probably necessary because the number of legal on-street spots looks to be limited. As others have mentioned, the dining room is impressive. Must be great to sit next to the floor-to-ceiling glass exterior wall when the Capitol is lit. Noise level is high (not annoyingly so) and recorded jazz was played as the crowd thinned. (Is the same designer hired to do the restrooms in all of the recently opened restaurants in DC? At least water does not splatter out of the basin here.) No service issues but most of the crowd was leaving by the time I arrived. Had the romaine salad; the "crisp pancetta" (bacon strips) complemented the blue cheese in the dressing. Grilled marinated hangar steak had a great texture and flavor (sprinkled with fleur de sel?). I enjoyed both dishes. Do not think others have mentioned it, but the portions are large. Side of hen-of-the-woods was okay; it seemed a bit dry. Dessert was bread pudding, which I cannot describe in detail because it is missing from the web site's menu , topped with a raspberry (?) sorbet. Nice contrasting textures: cake and custard, not too sweet. Corkage policy (see above) is set out explicitly. Is the eWinebook still being used? I did not see it. Looking forward to returning for the dry-aged ribeye and the cheese plate!

Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse is at 66 Canal Center Plaza in Alexandria.

Thanks Patrick.

Just wanted to keep everyone out of trouble Of course, you can always accept it (I think) if it is truly a gift because possession is not a violation of the law (as you correctly stated)!

I was in Miami this weekend and had the opportunity to buy some rum that I read about on this board, but had not seen in my local area (Wash. D.C.) Looking forward to trying the Ron Botero Anejo, Ron Zacapa Centernario, and Flor de Caña Grand Reserve which I carried back. I did not pick up a bottle of Zaya because I had not heard about it before Did I make a mistake? The Beverage Institute describes Zaya (12 Year Old Aged) Rum as: "Rich mahogany hue. Burnt fruit spice cake nose. A rich, sweet entry leads to a sweetish medium-bodied palate with coffee, caramel, molasses, and brown spice flavors. Finishes with a somewhat thin, peppery, mocha fudge fade and a wash of wood spice. A very liqueur-like aged rum, perhaps a little too sweet for the category." Anyone tried it?

From the NY Times: "Older Okinawans clinging to the islands' traditionally healthful diet still boast the longest life expectancy in Japan, the country with the world's longest-living people. But younger islanders, who grew up coveting the America they peeked at inside the bases here, began gobbling up hamburgers, fried chicken and pizzas as soon as their incomes permitted them to do so. . . . So even though Okinawans rank as the second-shortest Japanese, averaging just below 5-foot-2, they now are the heaviest, averaging 135 pounds. " story requires free registration

I would be wary of bringing Cuban rum into the U.S. without "worry" unless you can PROVE to the customs agent that it is not contraband. The following is copied from the U.S. Customs site with "cigars" replaced by [rum]: Only persons returning from Cuba after a licensed visit there are permitted to bring Cuban [rum] into the United States, provided the value of such [rum] does not exceed $100 US dollars and the [rum] is for that individual's personal use and not for resale. All other importations of Cuban [rum] are illegal. All offers to buy or sell such [rum] in the United States involve [rum] that was imported illegally. Contrary to what many people may believe, it is illegal for travelers to bring into the United States Cuban [rum] acquired in third countries (such as Canada, England, or Mexico). It is also illegal for U.S. persons to buy, sell, trade, or otherwise engage in transactions involving illegally-imported Cuban [rum]. The penalties for doing so include, in addition to confiscation of the [rum], civil fines of up to $55,000 per violation and in appropriate cases, criminal prosecution which may result in higher fines and/or imprisonment. These prohibitions are applicable to all goods of Cuban origin and are an important element of the comprehensive program of economic sanctions against the Cuban Government which have been in place since 1963. Those sanctions have had the support of the last seven Administrations.

Las Vegas. The "old" Rosemary's is on Sahara Avenue and the "new" Rosemary's is in the Rio Hotel & Casino. Michael and Wendy Jordan are the chefs/owners/husband-wife.

I believe you're paraphrasing Justice Potter Stewart

Went to Makoto tonight and had an interesting second course: dumpling sitting in a thick (almost slimy) sauce with small mushrooms, topped with two small pieces of uni. The best thing about it was an earthy (barnyard?) fragrance coming out of the bowl. I spent a minute with my nose over the bowl before digging in. Also had the soba with yama-imo (mountain yam) which adds a bit of sliminess for those who enjoy it.

morda, Kotobuki gets ** (!) from Sietsema in this Sunday's WP Magazine. I have heard the same rumor and it is on my list of places to try.

Not to be overly obsessive but, to make the record clear, I looked at the Hine Antique bottle more closely tonight at a store which sold both versions (old and new). The new bottle has a redesigned box and bottle. The version I inspected, and the two bottles I have at home, are labeled "Antique" but I could not find XO on the packaging. The Hine site, however, appears to show a bottle which is labeled "XO" above the "cognac" although the picture is not clear enough for me to be sure. I think Hine needs to be consistent with its marketing. No response necessary, I just wanted to confirm my previous impression that "XO" was not being used on the redesigned bottle.

BackwardsHat, I would predict that you will not like Makoto is you go there for the nigiri instead of just ordering the "kaiseki" dinner. DonRocks' description of Makoto (do a search for the thread at the end of 2003) is great, including what he dislikes about the restaurant, so read it before going. The nigiri in the context of the set dinner is fine, but just having sushi there might not be very satisfying. P.S. The aji plate at Nouveau East is actually a small dish (4 pieces of sashimi and 2 pieces of nigiri) instead of a "platter" (a mackerel is a small fish). It probably is fine for bento boxes and large groups. Ask the sushi chef for any "specials" and you might get a better dish. Edited to add: I went to Makoto tonight because I was unsure as I wrote the above why I was going back on my original unqualified recommendation of Makoto. The sashimi and sushi that come with the dinner are fine, but they are not the highlights of the meal. According to your criteria BackwardsHat, 1) The maguro and hamachi I have had with the dinner have been good (not great). I have not eaten the fattier versions of tuna or yellowtail at Makoto, but the toro ordered by others and prepared in front of me looked okay. 2) I am not sure about the preparation of ala carte orders (which you would be have) but the pieces in the dinner are generally smaller than you might expect and sometimes a bit ragged. I ordered hotate as an extra and it was good. 3) and 4) Rice is fresh, not too packed, or too large. The problem with Makoto for someone who intends to order only nigiri is that the cooking is done in a location contiguous with the dining room so the smells would clash with enjoying a meal consisting solely of raw fish and the sushi chef is so busy doing orders for the set dinners that he might give enough care to your ala carte order. He also appears to be too busy to interact directly with customers (I usually sit in front of him at the bar). So with those caveats, I would be interested in what you think of Makoto's nigiri. I am sticking with the set dinner, which I still recommend, but retract the unqualified recommendation of Makoto for sushi.

I would not recommend the fugu dinner at Kaz Sushi unless you are doing it strictly for the novelty and do not mind spending a lot of money. Most (all?) places in the U.S. are serving pieces that have been frozen in Japan and then shipped here. There is probably negligible tetrodotoxin in what is served; at least I did not feel any numbing sensation when eating the dinner at Kaz Sushi. I am no expert, but it could also be that what is considered safe enough to export to the U.S. are fishes within the family Tetraodontidae that by their nature have low levels of tetrodotoxin (the genus Takifugu is the famous one, but some fishes in the genus Lagocephalus, Sphoeroides, and Diodon are also served according to the linked Wikipedia entry). My memory of the dinner is that there were (not necessarily in order) courses of sashimi, a salad made from the skin (typical foul dressing found in Japanese restaurants), sake containing a fried fin, a stew (could not taste anything fishy with all the other flavors), and a kara-age preparation. The sashimi is thinly sliced both for economy and because the flesh (I am told) is tough. There was also a special dipping sauce accompanying the sashimi because of its bland flavor. A course using the sperm is also traditional but I no longer remember (dinner was last winter) whether this was served at Kaz Sushi. So the dinner has a lot of courses but not much of the ceremony that might occur in Japan (this could include presentation of the whole fish before it is taken to the kitchen for preparation). Many people know that deaths occur mostly among amateur cooks trying the liver/reproductive organs or fishermen not knowing how to remove the poisonous parts of the fish. Deaths in a regulated restaurant are really rare. Something I had not known before reading the Wikipedia entry is that Pseudomonas bacteria living within the fish produce the tetrodotoxin instead of the fish itself being the producer. If you are still interested, call Kaz Sushi or put yourself on its email list for next winter. I recall getting an email a few months ago that the fugu dinners might no longer be served in the future because of low interest among its customers.

Thanks for the rapid response Jason and the link. My bottle is identical to the bottle pictured on Hine's site. I found the receipt and now understand the price discrepancy. The cashier needed to do a price check because the (new?) UPC was not scanning on her register. So a manager shouted out a string of numbers for her to manually input. I knew there was a small sale on Hine Antique from the display where I had picked up the bottles, but I was surprised when the total appeared to be low (I had also picked up a small assortment of Scotches as well, and some miscellaneous grocery items). I looked at my receipt last night and the description reads Hine VSOP! The manager apparently gave the cashier the wrong UPC. I called the store this morning and confirmed that the price for Hine Antique XO is $80. So it was a mistake instead of being a deep discount to move the product. BTW, I think Hine will need to enlarge "XO" on the box and the bottle if it wants to market Antique against the other XO cognacs. I didn't notice the addition when I opened the box in the store. Thanks again.