HORSEPLAY

[ Fortunately, hitting a couple of wineries on the way back (Gray Ghost and Unicorn) and getting to spend the day with the extended family set the mood back to mellow and happy. ←

The good ole days!! Oh, how I do miss them.

When I crush out a cuisine, the saucing definitely tends to be heavy-handed, overflowing even. But that's me. When a dish is really fine, it is best to first smash out, then crush out. You don't want to leave anything undone. Save banging out, however, for staff meals. Don't you agree John? ← Do you at least snuggle afterwards?

Jackson Hole is pretty good, but their burgers are no match for J.G. Melon's on 3rd Ave IMO ←

Mr. H, Next time you're in NYC check out, if you havn't already, Jackson Hole on E. 64th street. I believe they have the best burger in the world. They advertise 7oz. but they usually weigh in considerably more. With so many different toppings, you would be hard pressed not to find one you didn't like. And they've been around since 1972.

I did not move to Reston until I was 41 years old. I did not have children. Schools had no bearing on my decision to live here. Nor did they play any role in my decision to live in Silver Spring or in McLean Gardens. I am sorry but it is impossible for me not to respond to you. There is no one on this or any board who will obsessively, endlessly, passionately promote DC more than I. Once a month my wife and I visit the National/Warner/Kennedy/etc. Once every two weeks we eat somewhere downtown. I drive from Reston to the Mall and walk the four miles roundtrip from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial and back-once every two weeks in the spring and summer. I feel priviliged to have been born here and to have grown up here. I have also made the active decision with a business that allows me to literally live anywhere in North America to live here. To CONTINUE to live HERE, if you don't mind, since I love this city-my CITY-so much. As a rare native born Washingtonian I claim this right. I would add that I also married a native born Washingtonian! I would also note that in the early '60's I took girls on dates to the Jefferson Memorial thinking what a great place for a first kiss (!),in the late '60's I was gassed at Dupont Circle as a war protester; later, I saw Hendrix, stoned, play the Star Spangled Banner while I, also, was stoned at the Ambassador theatre at 18th and Columbia in '69. I've been to the Folklife Festival a dozen times, fireworks on the Mall thirty or forty times, eaten fish sandwiches on Maine Avenue in five decades and am one of the few who have taken the tour of the haunted catacombs under the Lincoln Memorial which the National Park Service used to host at midnight. Of course I've been to the White House, the Supreme Court, worked on a second degree in the National Archives and had many "last cigarette evers" outside of the jaw dropping, awe inspiring artistic and literary majesty of the Library of Congress. I also drove a cab for eight or nine years in the city and gave countless, endless tours of all of DC, from the observation platform of the National Cathedral (the HIGHEST POINT OF THE CITY) to a rise in Southeast overlooking the expansive city which is the most impressive view of Washington. I know a bit about Washington. I know a bit about its culture. And its opportunities. As well as its past and what it is today. I live in Reston. In a 31 unit townhouse cluster. A neighbor and a good friend is the former CFO of AIG and lived, before Reston, in Knightsbridge in London for 8 years. Today he lives in London for two months, Malaga for two and my cluster for eight. Another neighbor is head of sales for an IT services company (not quite the position today that it may sound!). He is from India as is his wife. A third neighbor also has a "second" house in his hometown-Sydney. He bought a house here while on assignment for his Australian company. A fourth neighbor just moved from Praha (Prague in the Czech Republic), a fifth from Budapest (where my best friend was also born and lived for his first twenty + years). Did I mention the neighbor from Bremen? The neighbor who just moved back from Tel Aviv? The neighbor who's last assignment was the first secretary in the American embassy in Singapore? Of course there are others. Of course there is myself who travels over 30 days a year in Europe on business and does driving trips through six or seven countries no longer using a map. Don't talk to me about a lack of culture in the suburbs or agreeing to disagree. Because one lives "outside the beltway" does not mean they have any less culture, any less "couth" than you or anyone else. The wealth of living in a truly international community is absolutely invaluable. The wealth of travelling internationally is also. One does not need to live in the city that I was born in and grew up in to know this. And, as for schools in the suburbs, do you have any idea of the ethnic composition of Thomas Jefferson, arguably America's best school? It's in the suburbs. Or Montgomery Blair, Montgomery County's magnet school, my alma mater, in Silver Spring? I'm sorry but the arrogance of those who move to the city which is mine can be stifling and overwhelming at times. Whether McLean, Georgetown, Landover or Middleburg we are all Washingtonians. This city, my city, does not limit it's opportunities and cultural wealth to either its borders or to those who live within its geographical boundaries. Forgive me but sometimes I think its necessary to point out that life doesn't end when one crosses the river. Nor do cultural opportunities. This is an extraordinary city, one of the Great places on earth where many people come together. Just not all live where you think they do. Some, perhaps many, perhaps even most, are "out here." ← Sometimes I get a bit carried away. Sorry. ← The only thing this post needs is "Pomp and Circumstances" playing in the background. I'm just playing Mr. H I truly respect your devotion to this town. As a born and raised New Yorker I strongly relate to the type of pride you display.

Horseplay: are you associated with Aster? The Washingtonian's current issue just gave Aster a nice preview sort of writeup. I can vouch for the attractiveness of the room, having eaten there when it was the Black Coffee Bistro. The food sounds very interesting, but the prices, um, sound like they are aimed at the horsey set (owners, not groomers). ← Yes Bob, I am associated with Aster. I'm the Maitre 'D/Bartender/Host/Janitor/. . . But yes you are right we are not an inexepensive restaurant. We are a fine dining establishment and and our prices reflect what comes out on the plate, as well as what is on the walls and the staff of professionals that service our guests. We are not targeting the horsey set, although right now they make up the majority of our clientele. Rather, we are targeting the foodie, such as those who post on and read egullet. The Washingtonian "Best Bite" article was great in that the magazine reaches Chantilly, Reston, Herndon, Ashburne, Great Falls, etc. Aster will succeed when the foodies in these areas find out about us. Bob, thank you for your interest and I look foward to having you as my guest. Cordially, Craig Erion Maitre 'D Aster

This is a really great point and I think it speaks directly to why there are not more L'Auberge etc. type of restaurants in the suburban areas of DC. ← Why does a restaurant in the suburbs where 90% of the population of the D. C. metro area lives NEED anyone from inside the beltway to travel to it to survive? Why does there need to be foot traffic for a destination restaurant to survive? Why does every restaurant opening on every pad in the suburbs have to be marketed to families? And, the very fact that the competition from chains is THE competition is the reason that when an independently owned restaurant opens the frequency of it succeeding is greater than the frequency of a similar restaurant succeeding in D. C.? I was born in D. C. and have lived downtown, in Montgomery County and in Reston. I am struck by people in the suburbs who really don't "understand" D. C. and who rarely go into it except perhaps to work, having any real idea of what Washington is all about. Similarly I am struck by people in D. C. who assume that the world "outside the Beltway" is all vans, pads and chains. Both have much to learn from the other. Tysons is every bit as urban as downtown Washington. Bonefish Grill squarely markets itself to adults with its supper club ambience and after 5 opening. No it's not Black Salt nor Kinkead's. But the four that have opened in the past two years are all successful, clearly demonstrating that the very LACK of adult restaurants is what helps ensure the success of a decent one (albiet part of a chain) when it does open. There are a half dozen examples of decent to good individually owned restaurants in Western Fairfax that have been open 5 years + (i.e. EuroBistro, SBC Cafe, etc.) and are successful. Leesburg supports Tuscarora Mill, Lightfoot Cafe and Zaferelli's second restaurant, all in or near an old Town "pocket" (if you will) close to a 100+ store outlet mall, a new Costco and Super Target and countless clones of outposts of national chains. There is no foot traffic in front of any of them. Certainly not like Old Town or Georgetown or Adams Morgan. Yet all three would fit into any of these neighborhoods and survive. I could also add not only Old Town Fairfax but also independently owned restaurants that have surivived for 10+ years intermingled with the strip shopping centers on the nearby Lee highway. And a dozen other areas in Fairfax County, a dozen more in Montgomery (Olney?) not even counting Bethesda; look at Jerry's Seafood in Lanham which is the best Maryland style seafood restaurant in the Washington area and rarely mentioned on here. Clearly, there is NO foot traffic in Lanham! It's in its third decade now. Great Falls has several restaurants in two or three different locations marketing themselves not to families but to adults. I am not including L'auberge in this. But L'auberge does illustrate a point: the actual lack of or paucity of these types of restaurants generates a great deal of interest when one does open. If it's decent it will survive. If it's good it will be successful. If it's excellent even those from "inside the beltway" will drive out to it. ← Mr. H www.asterrestaurant.com come on out. . .you'll like the food . . . amongst other things

I would think that he has been around long enough that any restauranteur worth their salt would recognize Sietsema and his dining companions by now. ←

StarChefs.com. Be prepared to spend $ p.s. Please wait till we find our line cook

Dude, you like the taste of meaty, beefy steak? Get the cowboy cut. You'll be tasting long time. It took me an hour at least to finish. But every bite was worth it. And can anyone tell me who that hunk in the Red Sock cap is cooking?

I've lived in this area for almost two years and did not realize there were so many places to explore. thank you all for your posts. Craig

Check out Makako (I think that's how you spell it) in the shopping center at McClaren and Centerville Rds. I've been three or four times and evrytime was really good. As far as good bar food goes, you're pretty close to Reston Town Center. They have a wide selection of tried and true establishments.

Not unless he can control his GI functions during service

If you're willing to make the drive, Global Market in Manassass is the legit spot for ethnic ingredients. Wegman's it is not, it's quite bare bones. But i'm 99%sure they have what you are looking for.