hjshorter

And as always, save when discussing synth-heavy Britpop bands, I agree with everything Charles said. More thoughts...I'd hit Dino for wine and small plates, but not for dinner. Bebo Trattoria gets high marks for food but some of the worst service stories. This thread on donrockwell.com will give you some idea of the extent. It's absolutely worth seeking out Ethiopian food here. I like Etete, a tiny, stylish place near the intersection of 9th and U Street NW.

2 Amy's is a solid choice for pizza, although I prefer the charcuterie and small plates there. Comet Ping-Pong is a worthy option, with a different atmosphere. Try the soft shell pizza if it's still on the menu. Reports are that Jaleo can be hit or miss these days, but I had a lovely lunch there a couple weeks ago at the downtown location. Zaytinya is a scene, and worth a stop for lunch at least. The food can be uneven but the Turkish Coffee Chocolate remains one of my favorite desserts in the city. Bistrot du Coin is great late night or Sunday afternoon, but for the ambiance and not for great food. If you can get a reservation try Central, but I'm liking the new, more gently priced Brasserie Beck (more extensive thread here) for moules frites and a Bavik on a hot summer day. Latest reports are down on the service, but with luck they will turn that around very soon.

Boy Gets Grill, by Bobby Flay, autographed by the man himself. (I have many Campbell's, Gorton's, etc., cookbooks. My grandmother got them back in the 40's as a young housewife. Those have a place of pride in my collection.)

Nigel Slater, in The Kitchen Diaries, suggests orrichiette with favas, mint, and ricotta. I'm going to try this tonight, with lemon zest, salt and pepper beaten into the ricotta, and parmesan shaved on top.

I'll check out the new Wednesday market in Takoma Park and report back.

Comet now opens at 5 PM weekdays, and 3 PM on Sundays. Ice cream sundaes are now available in addition to ice cream by the scoop. Flavors are strawberries & cream, or tin roof (fudgy chocolate and peanut). $7.50 each, and large enough that you'd be well advised to split one, especially after devouring a whole pizza.

Report from 5/23... Softshell crab pizza: $17 Allagash White: $6 My son flirting with Carole Greenwood: priceless Another good meal here, not perfect, not inexpensive, but who cares? I got to sit back, drink some beer, eat a great pizza, watch my son groove to the music and my daughter try to lick the pizza drippings off her elbow. "Super tasty" is their verdict on the pizza. I agree.

Faidley's crabcakes are pretty darn good, especially with a Budweiser. Bus, if you don't want to host I will volunteer. This deserves some follow through.

Goodness gracious, this sounds like a perfect eGullet event!

Most of the parents at my daughter's elementary school in our oh-so-PC community are extremely intolerant of sugar (to the point that the parent listserv is up-in-arms and petitioning the school system to remove chocolate milk from the cafeteria ) so no one brings in birthday treats anymore. No end of the year parties either. And don't even get me started on the flap about the styrofoam lunch trays...

I don't consider Alan Richman a journalist.

Richman wore out his welcome with his hit piece on New Orleans - a city that really did not need another beat-down at the time it was published. He reads like a guy in love with his own edginess; the facts and people's feelings be damned.

Richman seems to be stepping on Carlo Petrini's patch, albeit more in mockery than in sorrow. I am more inclined to believe Rancho Gordo's take on the farmers and merchants, and the market's clientele, than some Italian food snob or East Coast snark merchant. And I think Mr. Richman's "candor" is about as authentic as those $400 sweaters. God, I hope they washed their hands first.

They know their market, especially in a downtown location. Do you know how hard it is to prep a pineapple at the office? How how long it might take one person to finish a watermelon? I can't get that worked up about WF selling cut fruit. I just hope the containers are recyclable. Some of their prepared food containers aren't, and that's a shame.

There are far better options in that part of town. Why eat a corporate burger?

Are you planning to freeze them or make a ton of ice cream? Because if you aren't, and you don't make jam, then honestly it really isn't worth it to drive out and pick berries. Especially when it's 90+ degrees outside. (The exception: folks with adorable tykes just dying to get the strawberries-all-over-the-romper shot to send to the grandparents. "Baby's first berry picking!!!!")

No, you're absolutely right. And there is absolutely nothing around that Marriott. You will be stuck with room service at that hour, unfortunately.

I checked out the Silver Spring FreshFarm market this past weekend and was pretty disappointed. No meat vendors this year, and the number of Fruit & veg vendors has shrunk. Atwater Farms is selling bread there now so that's an improvement, but the market seems to be in this spiral -- not enough good vendors, not enough customers, even fewer vendors -- and I can't see how it will pick up. Anyone in the area that wants a good market knows that the Sunday Takoma Park market will have 2-3 times the number of vendors.

Yes, Le Dejeuner sur l'herb (1863) is the meal in the buff. Really, cake has not been the same for me since Wayne decided to have a go at it. The essence of cake is so, well, *cake-y* in his work that no real cake could ever taste as good. I knew these were too easy!

This is probably too easy but... 14. a meal au naturel 15. you might go for one of these at a birthday party

#10 The Garden of Earthly Delights, specifically the central panel, by Heironymous Bosch. Very early 16th century. Hangs in the Prado Museum, Madrid. Link to the painting (scroll down). There's The Last Supper, by William Blake, 1799, the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC.The only tootsie roll art that springs to mind is this but I don't think that's what you had in mind.

Thanks for the update! You really lucked out with the weather. I'm glad you liked Trio - it is hands down one of my favorite places in Washington.

Why is that sad? Maybe they are taking the "old" part and thinking "aged" or "concentrated." Sounds like an opportunity to educate. (And I'll freely admit to not knowing much about the differences myself.)

If you think he's wordy here... Is the issue that the review form itself is boring (or trite), or is it that so many reviewers are poor writers? I'm inclined to suspect the latter. (Trolling? Moi?)

Was Charles was advocating those? Sure you can. You just demonstrated how to do it. That's precisely what I like to know, along with the address, phone number, and any notable specials.