Al_Dente

Using sea salt or kosher salt instead of iodized-- HUGE difference.

Probably Milwaukee's Best. Though they later came out with an even worse Milwaukee's Best Light which I think my college buddies bought in the interest of appealing to the ladies. I remember walking from my dorm with a few guys to the liquor store to buy huge quantities of Milwaukee's Best "suitcases" (24 beers) and carrying them back the mile or so to our dorm. It was a wonder we didn't require donkeys or camels to haul the enormous weight. Some of the guys who could pack it away better than I could would go for the century weekend-- 100 cans of this crap between last class Friday and first class Monday. Quite a feat despite the low alcohol content. I don't even think I could drink that much water! Then there was the 1/2 pound of dope stuffed into the cushions of my sofa...

I had yet another excellent Bombay Curry Company experience last night. After a brutal day at the office, I bit the bullet and paid the premium for Take-Out Taxi and had some great stuff delivered. Their Chicken Kadai is fantastic-- lots of fiery zip without overwhelming the more delicate flavors in the sauce. The Tandoori Chicken was perfectly seasoned and moist. Even the pappadums were really tasty. If you're ever in Delray, look them up (and invite me)!

I'm with you on the dedededelirium tremens. Belgian beers in general are fantastic. I also dig ANY Chimay. Is it me, or do beers make you think more specifically of an experience having them than with wine-- especially in the country of their origin. I remember drinking monk-made in Belgium, bitters in a London pub, Guinness in a dirt floor pub in god-knows-where Ireland, and local German brews in Bavarian beer halls. Wine, on the other hand, is more internationally ubiquitous perhaps? I mean, I've had many memorable wine drinking experiences (and a few I don't remember so well), but I don't have that strong association with a place? Is this making any sense? Sorry, I'm on my 3rd Anchor Steam....

Being that I was a good boy until about 18, I never got around to the spiked watermelon concept. However, if you or the party hosting the party have a pool, you must experience this watermelon memory of mine (legal disclaimer: I'm not responsible for any drownings that may result in this). Get a big ol watermelon, a big ol pool (cement pond), and a big ol jar of vaseline. Grease that melon up, and throw it in the middle of the pool with two opposing teams on each side. Each team dives in, and drives the melon rugby-like, to the other side for the score. It's more fun than a greasy watermelon in a pool!

Are we ever going to get back on topic? At least just let the thread die a natural death...

The deli does have about 6 tables in the back if you want to eat in. Certainly nothing fancy, but you can peruse the Godfather, Sopranos, and Scarface posters on the wall. There is also one of those cafeteria style SoHo joints in the Metro Center office complex (where I work, unfortunately). I'm convinced they've developed some kind of carbo-protein compound that is shipped in by the truckload to be shaped, colored, and textured into the wide array of foods they offer at $6/lb. Somehow everything tastes the same.

As soon as I saw the word Comcast I felt sick to my stomach. They absolutely suck! Down with the monopoly!!!

Thanks for the info. Come to think of it, it may very well have been a Cotes du Rhone. I'm happy to know there is an explanation for it other than my entertaining the freakish possibility that the wine was produced by Johnson&Johnson and poured from a tin flip top box.

One of the strangest, yet most unmistakable, characteristics I've ever experienced with wine was band aid. Took me straight back to my childhood with good ol' mom opening that tin box of band aids to patch up a skinned knee. Also vaguely doctor office-ish. It was amazing how much it smelled just like it. I wish I could recall what bottle it was. I couldn't drink it.

true... tho it is handy for getting that crab claw whack just right-- so you end up with one big piece of meat...

I can't believe no one has suggested this, but perhaps we should approach Martha Stewart about reporting on the big house dining scene?

I don't know if it's still any good (it's been about 5 or 6 years since I've been there), but if you're up for the drive, try this old chicken house-- http://www.redroost.com/

If you don't mind going a little further afield, there is a town on the south central coast of Turkey called Cirali that will grill up the live fish you select out of a big old rowboat filled with seawater. It's the restaurant right on the beach in between the Lycian ruins and the foot of the mountain with the flames shooting out of the ground. Ah, one of my fondest travel memories (the tall blond dutch chick I shared dinner with didn't hurt either)....

what's Sutter Home? (gimme a clue pls...) I'm a non-drinker, so I take it that zinfandels aren't a good thing? Soba I'll put it this way-- If there was such thing as powdered wine (just add water), it would taste like Sutter Home White Zinfandel.

I worked for a company that had a sales guy who thought he was quite the sophisticated man about town. We'd meet clients in the lobby of a hotel and he'd say, "let me ask the CON-serge about a dinner recommendation". When we arrived at what was usually a fine dining establishment he'd request a Mai Tai. I once offered to split a Flaming Volcano with him instead but the joke was lost on him. His boss (the freakin CEO for chrissakes), and mine for that matter, insisted on visiting Sutter Home when we took clients up to Napa Valley from San Francisco. And you guessed it, he wanted to go for the White Zin.

When in Scotland a few years ago I tried haggis. Had much the same experience as you, so I gave it another whirl a few days later (both incidents were alcohol induced). Tasted just as bad. I'm not up for a third attempt. Reminds me of the movie "So I Married an Axe Murderer". Mike Meyers' character says that he believes all Scottish cuisine was based on a dare.

By the way, checked out your site and joined. I look forward to giving this a try...

Digital City isn't a good source. This website sure is, and so is the Wash Post food section on Weds, and sometimes the style section mentions these things too.

Went last night and had the Prosciutto White Pizza. I sat at the end of the bar closest to the pizza oven and watched them carefully assemble a few. 890 degrees in that oven! The crust was perfectly crisped, and the dried herb mixture they sprinkled on really stood out-- not like other places where they tend to just be green flecks with no taste. Nice blistering action on the cheese without creating giant bubbles. Next time I'll try those tasty looking mini-burgers...

I had to go through 3 of the Williams Sonoma variety before I found one that would last for more than one or two uses. Finally though, I have one of theirs that seems to work quite well. I used it with a whole chicken roasted indirectly on a grill this past weekend and it came out perfecto.

That's the one... exactly...

Ugh... those festivals downtown are just sooooooo crowded. It's impossible to get any substantial tastings done when you spend hours in line. I think I'm swearing them off...

Thanks for the info on the Santorini Fava, Steve! I'll be dedicating my entire weekend to re-creating it...

Hmmmm... not so sure about that. I can't find any documentation, but I thought cash discounts were also illegal. Wouldn't everyone use such a loophole if that were the case? What always confused me is why gas stations can get away with charging less for cash. I wonder if the law regulates industries differently, or if states are the ones actually govern such things. I will have to go digging for the papers. You can discount for cash. You can't surcharge for credit Was the thrust of it. Remember in law wording is everything. I work for a company that provides credit card services to restaurants and hotels. There may well be laws by state, but I don't believe there are any federal laws on the books about this. The real issue stems from the Visa/Mastercard association. They do not allow their merchants to discount for cash, charge a premium for cc's, or have a minimum charge for cc's. If you're reported to them, they will have your credit card processing account revoked. I used this knowledge only once when a cab driver tried to tell me my fare had to be at least $25 for me to use my card. Funny thing was, I was coming back to my hotel from a seminar on Visa/Mastercard regulations.