dinwiddie

For that price, and since you are going to drink it with dinner as well as use it to cook the meal with, I'd go for something like a Chard. from Trunchard, Wolf Blass, Chateau Souverain, etc. or a good New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. But I agree with the others who say get a good, inexpensive wine to cook with and save the others for drinking with the meal.

It really depends on what they are pouring. Knowing the casinos tend to be very expensive in this regard, I doubt that it was something wonderful. However, I have no problem paying $15 (or more) a glass for a really good Cab like a Neal, Plumpjack, Pride, or even a Simi Landslide, but I do have a problem paying that much for a glass of Pinot Grigio considering that they are never that expensive. Of course, you aren't going to see those wines by the glass in a casino, you'd have to go to a good wine bar or restaurant to do so.

Urban BBQ is back open. They have expanded, now have tables and chairs as well as the stools, server beer and wine coolers, and more sodas (don't worry, they still have the great root beer on tap) The food is a good as ever and they would be glad to see you all.

I talked to Dave at Urban BBQ on Saturday. He said that realisticly they should be opening back up the first week of September. They need to get the inspections next week and then stock up and begin cooking.

Better to share than let go to waste, though I guess the waitstaff would have finished it. BTW, nothing wrong with dreads, from one deadhead to another.

I'm something of a food snob when it comes to restaurants, in that I like ethnic food to be real, and fancy restaurants to be fancy, but-- My in-laws love Olive Garden, and IHOP, and other chain places because they get lots of food and it is cheap. If you are only into being able to get palatable food and lots of it, and are not a stickler for authenticity, there is nothing wrong with Olive Garden. Give the lady a break. If you brother likes her, the fact that she will go to a dive bar with him, and doesn't expect him to spend as much on dinner as on a car payment, so much the better.

I hope you will not take askance that I'm posting since I am only a tourist when it comes to Portland, but we just got back a couple of weeks ago and I had some very good meals while there. And since I live in DC and eat out several times a week, I am fairly picky about restaurants. BTW, I cribbed this from my notes from another thread about Portland that is a little below this one. One night we ate at 555. It was very nice, but the Grilled salad (greens with roasted peaches, bing cherrys, and pecans) was over sauced and the scallops were a little salty. However, the rest of the meal, mussels and a hanger steak, was excellent, the service very good, and the price not unreasonable. The restaurant itself is a pretty place and they were very friendly. The wine list was fun and fairly extensive. I was a little concerned when they brought the 2002 vintage of the Fess Parker PN I ordered when the 2001 was listed on the menu, but they were quick to point it out before I read the bottle and explained that they were out of the 2001. The last time I was in Portland, Abeurgene was in this space, but 555 is a pretty good replacement. However, we had two better meals while there. My first choice would be Cinque Terre (right across from Street and Co)on Wharf Street. We had the 6 course tasting menu for $55. It started with oysters two ways (a Darmisgrotta raw and a Prince Edward Island fried) then crab and fresh peas risotto with white truffel oil. Next was the lobster tail with bread crumbs and basil oil. It was followed by a perfectly cooked hanger steak with chantrelle mushrooms. The next course was cheese, pecorina and toma with peanut jelly and an italian baggette. Last was the dessert, lemon grappa panna cotta and maple gelato with biscotta. Service was exceptional and the wine list, while all and only Italian wine, was very reasonably priced, very extensive and long, and very representative of Italy. They also had a nice selection by the glass. I had a 2000 Antinori Toscana Tignanello which was exceptionally well priced at $100. Our other great meal was at Hugo's. A four course meal for $60. The food was excellent, very well presented (maybe a little over the top, but really pretty), and the service very good. I ordered two half bottles (a 2002 Daniel Dampt Cablis and a 1996 Chateau Meyney St. Estephe) since it was only the two of us. For our first courses I had Maine raised rabbit chartiterie with grainy mustand mousse, pistaschio, and celtic vinegar. My wife had the smoked shitake mushrooms and asparagus with capri pasta, milk foam and lily buds. The second course for her was the crispy skin loup de mer (rockfish this time) with artichoke en croute, basil seeks and warm olive oil panna cota. I had the honey mead glazed pork belly with sweet potato tot, tomatillo relish and ginger red pepper coulis. Third was the pan roasted tasmanian sea trout with fried fennel, pineapple salad and smoked trout roe. I had the Sous Vide duck breast and leg with golden beet, kola nut pudding and pickled plum. For dessert I had a superb Mita Cana Spanish sheeps milk cheese cake while my wife had the Maine rhubarb and pineapple with Greek yogert panna cotta and Thai basil. The plates may have looked skimpy, but we left stuffed. Very pretty place, but unless you want to sit in high bar type chairs, don't take a table in the window. Another excellent meal was at the Roma Cafe on Congress Street. Excellent Italian food. We just walked in late (at about 9:30 and they stop serving at 10) but we were treated extremely well and the food was delish. Nice place, white linens and soft music, excellent service. I started with the fresh mozzarella and plum tomatoes with roasted peppers, pesto and garlic crostini. It was out of this world. The pesto was some of the best I've had in a long time. My wife had the calamari and it was perfect. For entrees we had the pasta de mer, perfectly prepared and full of lots and lots of seafood (I got to eat the mussels since she doesn't like them) and a wonderful duck breast rubbed in jerk spices and served in pan juices. Very enjoyable but we felt guilty about keeping the staff there just for us as everyone else had finished and gone by the time we started our entrees. I was at Fore Street a couple of years ago when I was in Portland on business. I had a great meal and the bread was wonderful. I liked the wine list too. I was eating by myself, but I got a nice table, the service was very good, and I was impressed by how well I was treated as a single diner. One funny, just before I finished my meal, a group of young women came in, a bridal party the day before the big event. They were looking at he wine list trying to figure out what they could afford. I had a bottle of a nice Panther Creek PN, and since there was about a glass left in the bottle and I didn't particularly want to carry it to the hotel, I offered the rest to the table saying I wasn't going to finish it and I didn't want it to go to waste. As I was leaving I heard on of the bridesmaids exclaim, "Do you see how much that bottle cost?!?" I thought it was reasonably priced but I guess they aren't into wine as much as I was. I hope they enjoyed it.

I like Taste of Saigon in Rockville (I haven't tried the one in VA) but it is more upscale, and while it has lots and lots of Vietnamese dishes, it also shows the French influence that was so strong in Viet Nam. But the food is good, the family that owns them is indeed Vietnamese, and it is reasonably priced.

Well they had locally churned butter, maybe he bought the vinegar from a Celt.

Yep. I copied it from a post I did elsewhere, and they have an automatic censor.

Sorry I missed it, but Maine was good too. Glad you guys had a great time. See you and the Cru soon.

We just got back from 5 days in Maine. Beautiful weather, drove a lot, and had some great meals in Portland. One night we at at 555. It was very nice, but the Grilled salad (greens with roasted peaches, bing cherrys, and pecans) was over sauced and the scallops were a little salty. However, the rest of the meal, mussels and a hanger steak, was excellent, the service very good, and the price not unreasonable. The wine list was fun, but I've seen bettter (well maybe not in Portland)It is a pretty place and they were very friendly. Excellent resteraunt. I was a little concerned when they brought the 2002 vintage of the Fess Parker PN I ordered when the 2001 was listed on the menu, but they were quick to point it out before I read the bottle and explained that they were out of the 2001. However, we had two better meals while there. My first choice would be Cinque Terre (right across from Street and Co)on Wharf Street. We had the 6 course tasting menu for $55. Excellent. It started with oysters two ways (a Darmisgrotta raw and a Prince Edward Island fried) then crab and fresh peas risotto with white truffel oil. Next was the lobster tail with bread crumbs and basil oil. It was followed by a perfectly cooked hanger steak with chantrelle mushrooms. The next course was cheese, pecorina and toma with peanut jelly and an italian baggette. Last was the dessert, lemon grappa panna cotta and maple gelato with biscotta. Service was exceptional and the wine list, while all and only Italian wine, was reasonably priced, very extensive and long, and very representative of Italy. They also had a nice selection by the glass. I had a 2000 Antinori Toscana Tignanello which was exceptionally well priced at $100. Our other great meal was at Hugo's. A four course meal for $60. The food was excellent, very well presented (maybe a little over the top, but really pretty), and the service very good. I ordered two half bottles (a 2002 Daniel Dampt Cablis and a 1996 Chateau Meyney St. Estephe) since it was only the two of us. For our first courses I had Maine raised rabbit chartiterie with grainy mustand mousse, pistaschio, and celtic vinegar. My wife had the smoked ****ake mushrooms and asparagus with capri pasta, milk foam and lily buds. The second course for her was the crispy skin loup de mer (rockfish this time) with artichoke en croute, basil seeks and warm olive oil panna cota. I had the honey mead glazed pork belly with sweet potato tot, tomatillo relish and ginger red pepper coulis. Third was the pan roasted tasmanian sea trout with fried fennel, pineapple salad and smoked trout roe. I had the Sous Vide duck breast and leg with golden beet, kola nut pudding and pickled plum. For dessert I had a superb Mita Cana Spanish sheeps milk cheese cake while my wife had the Maine rhubarb and pineapple with Greek yogert panna cotta and Thai basil. The plates may have looked skimpy, but we left stuffed. Very pretty place, but unless you want to sit in high bar type chairs, don't take a table in the window. A third excellent meal was at the Roma Cafe on Congress Street. Excellent Italian food. We just walked in late (at about 9:30 and they stop serving at 10) but we were treated extremely well and the food was delish. Nice place, white linens and soft music, excellent service. I started with the fresh mozzarella and plum tomatoes with roasted peppers, pesto and garlic crostini. It was out of this world. The pesto was some of the best I've had in a long time. My wife had the calamari and it was perfect. For entrees we had the pasta de mer, perfectly prepared and full of lots and lots of seafood (I got to eat the mussels since she doesn't like them) and a wonderful duck breast rubbed in jerk spices and served in pan juices. Very enjoyable but we felt guilty about keeping the staff there just for us as everyone else had finished and gone by the time we started our entrees. All in all, Portland has some execellent places to eat, and we didn't even try them all.

I used to be a member of the ABC crowd, but then some of the guys in the DC Cru brought some nice Chablis to one of the dinners, the next time it was a Landmark Chard, then a Lewis. I got hooked. I am one of those folks who doesn't mind having to buy some of the Martinelli chards to get the PNs I want (thought I do mind buying so much PN to get the better ones). Early on, I wasn't drinking the good CA chards, and I was turned off by the bitterness or the overblown oak that was present in the run of the mill cheap chard, but once I tasted the good ones, I was hooked.

We didn't do Toaca last year, but the year before it was definitely a limited menu. We ended up ordering off of the regular menu, and having an unbelievable meal.

My wife and I are going to be in Portland for a Monday thru Friday in a couple of weeks. I'm looking for suggestions for places to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. We plan to do day trips from Portland, so lunch places outside Portland and must sees are also wanted. Fred has been kind enough to recommend 555 and Duckfat. I ate at Fore Street the last time I was in Portland (a couple of years ago) and enjoyed it. I want to try Hugo's too. My criteria, good food, nice atmosphere, not too much "touristy", price is not a problem. We enjoy seafood, but want to try the best Portland has to offer, regardless of type. I'm not interested in bars per se, but if there is someplace where I can get a good glass of wine (or a bottle) and listen to music, I'd love to know about that too. If anyone has suggestions for that hidden, must see place or town, and someplace that I just have to go to have lunch, I'd love to hear about them.

The best wings in the area are from Urban BBQ in Rockville. They call them "dirty wings" and they are spicy, meaty, and finger licking good. They are Tom Sistema's favorite too.

Of course, TJ and Fred, you won't be at the next Cru dinner and OF COURSE, the dinner at Komi is taking place while the wife and I are in Maine. Youse guys better write up good notes.

My wife and son took me out to dinner last month at Cafe 15 for my birthday. I made the reservation on OpenTable and there was no problem at all. The room is small, probably only holds 50-60 max. but nicely set up and very soothing. Service was everything one could ask for, discrete, efficient and friendly. I took a 2002 Martinelli Sonoma Coast Charles Ranch Chard. and a 2002 WesMar Piner Ranch PN with me to dinner. The server opened both and put the Martinelli in an ice bucket next to the table. The meal started with an amuse from the chef, a foie gras and fig soup. Startling flavor from the figs really set up the foie gras. Excellent, even my wife liked it (and she does not like foie gras) For dinner, my son started with the warm spring vegetable casserole in basil olive oil. He then had the pan-seared sweetbread salad with green asparagus and a hazelnut vinaigrette. For his main course he ordered the rack of Colorado lamb and parmentier with fennel puree and minced lamb vegetable confit. All were delicious. He especially like the fenel puree with minced lamb, saying that the flavors married especially well. For dessert he had the signature dessert, a beer brioche with beer ice cream. Interesting to say the least, and very good. My wife had the Chesapeake lump crab cake in spiced crust. It was served with a crunch vegetable tartar. No filler to be seen, perfectly cooked, and full of flavor. She then had the Maine lobster with ginger flavored onion ravioli in a kaffir lime sauce. This was the dish of the night. The lobster, steamed and served out of the shell was perfectly cooked and beautifully presented. The ravioli was delightful and the sauce perfectly complemented both. For dessert she had a spiced orange terrine with coconut icecream. I started with the duck foie grass terrine with fig marmalade, port wine aspic and country bread. Smooth, rich and creamy, it was to die for. The fig marmalade was so rich it was sinful. I then had the risotto with woodland mushrooms, asparagus, and parsley puree with shaved Parmesan cheese. The risotto was very creamy, but a little too much parsley for my taste, however it was very good. I went on th the Black Angus tournedos with a tian of vegetables and sauteed fingerling potatoes. The beef was perfect, you could almost cut it with the fork. The tian of vegetables was beautifully set up, and the presentation perfect. I ended with three scoops of sorbet, two passon fruit and one of rasberry, served in a dark chocolate waffle basket. The sorbet was perfect. I love passon fruit sorbet and this was one of the best I've had, sweet yet puckeringly tart. Coffee for me (French press) cappuccino for my wife and lemon herbal tea for my son ended the meal, so we thought. However they brought out a plate of chocolates and candies with three sinfully rich dark chocolate truffles. Then they brought out a plate with Happy Birthday written on it in chocolate with a square of tiramisu and a candle. They didn't sing than goodness. We left so full we could hardly move. The wines were perfect with the meal. The Martinelli was delicious. Very concentrated, with flavors of pears, figs, honey and spicy citrus with just enought oak. Nice mouth feel and a long finish. The WesMar was out of this world. A nose of plums and caramel, it tasted of black plums, cherry, anise and coacoa. The mouthfeel was thick and smooth, overpowering the tastebuds at times. The finish was long and memorable. Powerful wine and very much a RRV PN. They did not charge me a corkage fee, thought I don't know if it was because it was Sunday or my birthday. In any event, they said that they do not get many people who bring their own wine. I left a glass of the WesMar for the servers, who said they would be sure to drink it at the end of the night. Because it was also Mother's Day, they gave my wife a beautiful rose as we left. All in all, it was a very enjoyable experience and shows that hotel restaurants do not have to be boring.

BTW Fred, That Whispering E you brought Saturday was absolutely awesome. WOTN Thanks for bringing it.

But where??? ← BTW Fred, that Whispering E was awesome.

My wife and I had dinner last night at Amina Thai Restaurant. (5065 Nicholson Lane). This is the DC area's first Halal (Muslim) Thai resturant. Since they are observant, there is no pork or alcohol. Dinner was in a word, delicious. This is a very small place (40 seats) but pretty with blue and yellow walls and photographs of Thailand on the wall. Blond tables and comfortable seating. After a coupld of Thai coffees, we started with a Tom Kha Gai (soup made from coconut milk, galanga and lime base with chicken and mushrooms and hot sauce) I thought the $4.25 price tag was a little high until I saw the bowl, at least twice the size of what is normally served in the Thai restaurants I have been to. It was excellent. Next came an appertizer, Yum Nua, grilled steak thinly sliced with red onions, cucumber and tomatoes in a spicy lime dressing served on shredded bok choi. We followed that with an absolutely delicious entree of Spicy Eggplant, slices of baby eggplant stir-fried with hot chili, garlice and fresh basil. The eggplant had a smoky flavor that was sublime. While it could have been a little spicier for my taste, it was excellent. As the centerpiece of the meal, we had Pla Lad Pik, crispy whole fried flounder with spicy fresh chili, basil and garlic sauce. Beautifully presented, cooked to perfection, and very flavorful. It was not so drenched in the sauce to make it soggy. It could be ordered in three sizes, we took the medium. We finished with a couple of orders of mango with sticky rice. Again, very good and a large serving. Service was exceptional. Always prompt, never intrusive, dishes were wisked away as soon as you were finished with them but never rushed. Water glasses were always full and everyone always was polite and smiling. The whole meal, dinner, tax, and tip came to $70. If we hadn't ordered the fish it would have been less. I will definitely be back.

This has got to be the most rediculous thing I have ever heard of. They are glasses, there is no way that sloshing some wine in them will "season" them. When I have wine, I expect a clean, proper glass. What next, serving your wine over ice?

You mean the Old Hickory Grill? They used to be good, but have been going downhill. I don't think I've been there since Isabel left us without electricity and a roach crawled on the table next to us. If there is another BBQ place, please let me know! BTW, has the Cuban place openened where Pepino's used to be? ← The Cuban place has opened up but I haven't tried it yet. Closed on Mondays and as it would happen, it was a Monday when i was driving by and thought about going. I love Old Hickory Grill. Great ribs, but the steak salad is what I almost always order. Huge, with lots of perfectly grilled steak. I ask them to add more grilled onions to mine and hold the crutons. The sides are good too, especially the redskin mashed potatos. One place that has been around forever, but is not my favorite is Sibel's. But they make great ice cream. I occasionally stop there for breakfast but they are a bit high. Service is friendly though.

As a disclaimer I have to say that my son works at Urban BBQ on Saturday nights. We started going there for lunch on Saturdays after his guitar lessons across the street. He liked it so much that he asked for a job. That said. I think that this is the best BBQ in the area. I really love the ribs, St. Louis style, meaty and tender with a great flavor. They also have a great brisket. The dirty wings are my favorite of any in the area. They aren't the typical Buffalo wings, instead they are marinated in a mixture of hot sauce and Thai chili sauce, then finished on the grill. Absolutely delish. The pulled pork is quite good, and the BLT is wonderful. They also make a nice roast chicken. Suprisingly the crab cake is very good, not what one would expect from a BBQ place. Soul rolls are different, quite good actually but you have to be into that type of thing. One thing to make sure to try is the Apple Crisp dessert. For the price ($4) it can't be beat. A large single serving apple pie really. They make it themselves (as they do for everything except the corn dogs and the sandwich rolls) and if you like apple pie, this is for you. They serve a draft root beer that is very good, and if you like such, a great root beer float. My favorite sides are the mac and cheese and the collard greens. It is very small, just 10 stools, but they are expanding soon. Also, they just got (or are getting in a couple of weeks) their beer license. The folks are very friendly and really into making sure you enjoy your food. And being able to munch on the salted in the shell peanuts while waiting for your order to come up is also a plus. I highly recommend this place to anyone who wants a great BBQ.

My wife and I ate at Palena la couple of weeks ago on the spur of the moment. Our son was at work so I called and got an early reservation (6 p.m.) with the intention that we would be back home in time to go get him when he got off. There is only one way to describe the food at Palena - Absolutely stunning. The dining room is simple, pleasant and elegant. Up front of the restaurant is the Cafe where a simpler menu is available and there is seating on the patio in front of the restaurant. Dinner in the dining room is priced at $55 for three courses, $62 for four, and $69 for five. You can select from any of the three sections (first, second, and main courses) which have 4 selections each. The fourth course is traditionally a selection of artisanal cheeses and the fifth dessert. However, if you want to mix and match, no problem. My wife started with an absolutely delicious Manhattan as we were trying to decide what to eat. Believe me, it is harder to do than you would think even when there are only 12 dishes to choose from, because you keep saying, but that looks good too. She finally decided on one dish from each course. She started with the salad of roasted heirloom beets, lobster and blood orange. The beets (golden and red) were sweet, the lobster a whole claw, and the blood orange gelee sweet and tart at the same time. A thin slice of dried, candied blood orange garnished the gelee and was a treat in itself. Next she had the Dover Sole filet. Pan roasted with yellow flesh potatoes and leeks with Kumanoto oysters in a sea urchin sauce. The sole was to die for, firm yet flavorful. The potatoes were just the right texture and the flavor of the sauce was so good you had to check that you still had bread to make sure you could sop up the last drop. The oysters were plump, briny and smooth and the sea urchin sauce added just that touch of the sea that made the dish. Her third dish was the Spring lamb from Gilson Martin Farms (PA). It was served marinated and pan roasted with rapini braised with raisins, almonds, potato and piquillo pepper. Ablsoutely wonderful. She likes her lamb cooked medium and this was perfect. Again every drop of the sauce was captured with the bread before letting the plate leave. I chose one selection from the second courses and two from the main. I started with a ricotta and nettle ravioli with Gaeta olives, trumpet royale mushrooms, and a light tomatoe sauce with shaved pecorino cheese. The ravioli were light and tender with an absolutely stunning filling. The tomato sauce was so light as to be almost magical, presenting the ravioli with a perfect counterpoint that only enhanced the ricotta. My second course was the New Zealand Snapper. Braised with endive, black truffle and crayfish, it was served with a spinich flan and warm tomato saffron vinaigrette. This is the best piece of snapper I have ever eaten. The spinich flan was delicate, full of flavor without being overpowering like spinich can be, and perfectly paired with the fish. The snapper was firm yet flaked easily. The vinaigrette accenting the flavor well. This is the kind of dish that makes one put down his fork between every bite just so you can enjoy. Third I had the Grilled Snake River Farms Prime Kobe Style American Beef. Now I was in Heaven. It was served with Piemontese corona beans, puntarella, and a warm anchovy-balsamic vinaigrette. The beef was perfectly grilled, rare just as I asked, with a flavor that was intense and restrained at the same time. The beans and puntarella were bursts of flavor that counterpointed the beef perfectly. We finished by sharing a cheese course and a dessert. The cheese came with an dense date bread that was made in house. Sliced thin, it was the perfect server for the cheeses. The cheeses (as does the menu) change based on what is available and good (or excellent in the case of Palena). Five cheeses, all served with just enought that the two of us could get a couple of bites of each. First came a Robiola Rocchetta (Italian made with cow, sheep and goat milk) soft and creamy with a mild flavor it was Karen's favorite. Next was a ash washed goat cheese from Pipe Dreams Farm in Pennsylvania. One of my favorites, it was tangy and smooth with just the perfect texture. Third was a Spanish sheeps milk cheese called Manchego. A firm hard cheese, it was almost like having a fine Picorino, good, but not our favorite of the selections. Fourth was a Fougerous from France. Wonderfully creamy, brie like with a rich and pungant odor and taste. Last was my favorite, a Gorgonzola Cremificato from Italy. A rich, soft, pungant cheese that attacked your tastebuds with an agressive rush of powerful flavor. Perfect on the dense datebread, it was everything one could want in a Gorgonzola yet had a creamy texture like a brie. Wonderful. For dessert we split a pumpkin cheesecake with a pomogranite coulee. Light, creamy and delicous. Coffee for both of us accompanied dessert. I took a bottle of the 2002 Loring Clos Pepe Vineyard PN with me. WOW what a wine. It went well with the meal, though it was a little overpowering for the fish. However, by the time we got to the lamb and beef, it was showing stunningly. I posted the TN in the appropriate section. Glassware was more than adequate, the proper glasses brought for the wine, and the corkage fee while a little high for DC ($20) was not onerous. Service was attentive yet the pacing of the meal was leasurly. Partly because of the early hour, partly because we wanted it to be that way. We arrived at 6pm and left the restaurant at 8:45. Even thought the portions seemed small, they weren't. Served on large plates and presented beautifully, we were absolutely stuffed when we left.