Busboy

I was there again last month and again cursed the food selection -- all I could find was food-court dreck and the occasional Chi-Chi's or whatever. Of course, the lines everywhere are insufferable. Where is Paschals? I'm also still bitter about them changing the juke joint theme bar in T Terminal into something generic and forgettable. Sure, it was a damn airport bar, but it did manage to bring a little soul into the flourescent-lit, industrial carpeted landscape.

Large, formal parties at fine dining establishments usually tip well, in my experience, but mid- and low-end restaurants often get ad hoc groups where a number of people can come and go over the course of the evening, with everyone throwing in "their share." This is often, if not inevitably, disasterous for the server, and tips in the low single digits are not uncommon. Ensuring that the server does not get stiffed by adding on what is usually a modest tip -- 15%, not 20% -- is a fine compromise and ensures that the servers are adequately compensated for their work. Customers who are dissatisfied should be free to take the tip up with management, but unilaterally stiffing the help is no acceptable. Likewise, since many people tip 20% (or more), they can feel free to throw a couple of bucks on top without feeling that they've been jammed up front. Obviously, the customer should be aware that the tip has been added in advance, playing the customer for double tips is grounds for being stiffed. Pan, I think including a decent tip in every check would be a strong step in the right direction. Neither server nor diner should be forced to play gratuity roulette, enssuring that a minumum standard is observed would improve service, since servers would play fewer games and focus more effectively on doing their jobs, and leave room for either a modest additional tip in the case of exceptional service, or a word with the manager, in the case of cruddy service. Free associating here: When I was a waiter, certain classes of individuals were assumed to be cruddy tippers: tables of women (especially secretaries at lunch), African Americans, kids, tourists and foreigners. I am certain that these stereotypes often became self-fulfilling prophesies. I wonder how a standard, included tip, would affect service for these groups, who unquestionably got, and probably still get, shafted when they go out to eat?

I've had the good fortune to fly business class -- "espace d'affaires" -- on Air France recently and it's a very different way of airline dining. It starts with the two kinds of champagne in the business class lounge -- pink or white -- and ends with a cheese course featuring real French cheese. Not everything is perfect, but you can use your experience to steer away from obvious losers -- fish, say - and stick to what looks likely to transport best. Of course, there are three or four types of red and white wine and, on the U.S.-bound flights they just leave a bottle of champagne open in the galley so you can help yourself. Last time I flew AF, my wife looked at me on the connecting flight to Nice and said, with mock dismay, "foie gras again?" AF has a code-sharing arrangement with Delta and I caught thaqt flight once. The meal prepared in the U.S. for the France-bound flight was unimpressive, right down to the mystery cheese at the end, but the Paris-based caterer did a reasonably impresssive job. Domestically, I think Delta's most important recent innovation has been to stop serving food on flights less than -- I don't know, nine hours? -- thus sparing passengers the pain of eating it. Olympic Airline's food sucks, but then, they're about to go under. When I'm spending my own money for a long flight across the ocean, my favorite thing to eat for dinner is an Ambien, which knocks you out until you get to Europe, where a decent meal can almost always be found. [enrevanche -- looked for you Friday night at the Village Vanguard, but you must have been at another club....]

Last night, while the Perlews and crew were wading through weiner after weiner, in search of their perfect dog, I looked into my refrigerator and found mine -- Big City Reds Beef Polish Sausage. At four to package, they are huge and, as the name implies, more sausage than hot-dog in girth and appearance. The spicing, however, screams hot dog, and the passion with which it marries itself to a sub roll (nother smaller will handle it) fried in butter reveals its true nature. I scored mine, to make the natural casing easier to penetrate -- no need to worry about these dogs being juicy enough -- and fried it in a skillet until it was hot through and just burnt on each side. Then, into the bun with raw onion, blue cheese (not bleu cheese, this stuff is called "Pirate's Treasue" and does not come from France) mustard and ketchup. FO, man. Learn (a little) more here. PS, props to all you slaw dog eaters. I got turned onto those at a Dairy Queen in Cobb County, Georgia and have been a staunch fan ever since.

Marlon Brando rasping in Last Tango in Paris: "Buttah. Get da buttah."

Was that at Bardeo or Ardeo? Bardeo. At the bar.

I find the stuff more of a weed than a delicacy -- can't get the image of it growing through the cracks in my driveway out of my head -- but I did once try a pretty good recipe with it. Just toss it with roasted or fried potatoes, fried pancetta or your favorite cured pork product, and a vinaigrette. Simple, summery, tasty.

Don't forget the picnic on July 18th as you schedule this outing -- I think some people, possibly including me, may want to do both.

OK, here's the count so far. I met malawry at the Dupont Farmer's market this weekend and we decided, in light of the presence of high quality BBQ we'd put off the chicken challenge in favor of something more summery, which we haven't decided on at this time. Mnebergall -- BBQ Malawry -- TBD Busboy & Friends – TBD Hillvalley – Salad MR.& Mrs. mktye – Bread and Asian salad Al Dente & Friend – TBD hjshorter & Family – Potato salads and juice boxes laniloa – dessert w/ chocolate, oatmeal-fruit bars bilrus (?) Still plenty of room at the picnic table, folks, and key food groups remain uncovered! And who better to appreciate the high quality and excellent taste of your favorite summer specialty -- and feed you theirs, in turn, than the DCeG crew?

I like Bardeo fine and drop in every now and again, but I've never found the food particularly memorable and, holy s*** can you run up a tab quick in that place. One Sunday my wife and I dropped in for a nutritios brunch of hamburgers and wine, while the kids stood in line across the street at the Uptown (this is one thing kids are very good for -- then they call you on the cell when the line starts moving). We ended up dropping something like $75 in about half an hour. I'm just not sure that the price/value equation is totally balanced at that place.

Do we have a rough count? I guess I'm in, w Mrs. Busboy. Has the motorcade to the park gone from suggestion to assumption? Should we all remember to bring our own beverages?

I just drove by the place -- it is literally 2 minutes from Rock Creek Park. Of course, scoring a picninc table is another matter.... And, lest there be any confusion, while the Rib Pit itself is kind of a grimly decorated establishment, the surrounding neighborhood is a thriving, multi-ethnic, multi-income neighborhood that may bear further exploration, based on its Latin and Carribean restaurants and markets.

Bartending is a skill, a craft, that takes a little while to get good at and a long time to perfect (as if...). No matter how easy it looks, from the other side, it's not. My tip: no matter how crowded and crazy it gets, no matter how deep in the weeds you are, take a deep breath, remind yourself that you're in charge -- it's your bar -- and set a pace that you can live with. Don't take any guff from the swine. Much easier said than done. Edited to add: good luck, a talented bartender is an asset to the community.

I once read that wealthy Hong Kong business types were ordering Grand Cru Bordeax at restaurants and cutting the wine with club soda or coke, essentially creating $50-a-glass wine coolers. I once witness a drunk Congressman mixing, inadvertantly, a half glass of Grand Cru Burgundy with a half glass of Grand Bordeaux. It was the only cabernet/pinot blend I've ever seen, but I had no desire to taste it.

Once bought something called, "vieux Lille" in Paris. The only cheese I've ever had that was too strong for me. from a website: " La croûte se transforme peu à peu en champ de fermentation et se couvre d'une pellicule visqueuse, grise ou gris-rosée, responsable de la très forte odeur putride, caractéristique du fromage. "

Nam-Viet/Pho 79 right across from the Uptown put out a darn good bowl of pho, right there in your neck of the woods. Pretty swell curried squid, too. On Eden Center, I agree that 4 Sisters is overrated. I haven't been to the pho place mentioned above, but the restaurant immediately next to four sisters has a long and excellent menu, including good pho.

As I mentioned above, Rock Creek park is a quick jaunt from there. Hell, so is my house, but the front porch only seats 8. At any rate, I'd be happy to cruise for an easy-to-find -- and shaded -- picnic site, meet up at the Pit and guide people there, if folks want to eat somewhere beside their cars. May need a volunteer to guard the site whilst ribs are procured, or we can take our chances.

UPTOWN: KIFSSIA I’d like to think that my home away from home is in Paris, or Manhattan, but it’s actually the Hotel Pentelikon in the Kifissia area of Greater Athens. A leafy refuge from the barely-controlled insanity of downtown, Kifissia is quiet, conservative and affluent. I it find too far from the action, a good 30-minute ride down the Metro’s Green Line from Monastiraki, anywhere between 15 minutes and an hour by cab -- closer to an hour between 9AM and 10PM. Nevertheless, the Pentelikon, with its mere 50 Greek-Deco rooms and 12-foot ceilings – swimming pool refurbishment is scheduled to be finished in time for the Games – is a very civilized place to spend the night. Lobby at the Pentelikon In Kifissia, one is far more likely to be awakened by birdsong than by traffic, and the shopping district, though generically upscale-international, is considered one of Athens’ finest. In addition, Kiffissia is well worth a detour for the food-oriented traveler. The Pentelikon – named after the mountain that supplied marble for the Acropolis -- itself has two restaurants of note. VARDIS is one of only three Michelin-starred restaurants in the Greece. It claims to serve “distinctive Mediterranean cuisine” but, like everything else at the Pentelikon, the food is really trying to be French. My one meal there was fine – an excellent duck breast with honey and red wine – but memorable largely because the service was so stiffly formal that my dining companion almost fled the room. The enduring image of the evening was of the runner bringing the food to the gueridon (sp?) and pausing to watch as the waiter served it, under the icy stare, in turn, of the Maitre d’. It was like auditioning for a role as dinner guest. I would go back again, but only in a group large enough to outnumber the serving team, and only with Greeks, whose natural ebullience would go far to combat the chilled solemnity of the floor staff. LA TERRASSE serves similarly francophilic food, but at a more bistro-like elevation. The room is open, light, with the terrace facing a shady, less-traveled street. It’s starchy enough that, after an all-day drinking and culture binge, I felt compelled to shave and dig out a sport coat before I could be comfortable there one Saturday night; but starchy in appearance, rather than attitude. The place resembled nothing so much as the grill room at a country club: the local gentry had shaved and dressed for a long, pleasant evening with their first wives, at a restaurant where they knew the waiters by name and the menu by heart. It was kind of wholesome, and I don’t mind cleaning up for a good meal – and the meal was good. The highlight was a lamb shank stewed with red wine and olives, wonderfully moist and deliciously rich. The waiter, in contrast to the crew across the lobby, was more than affable, and took the time to jot down the names of a few of the dishes in Greek, for my future reference. They also do a great duck confit. HOTEL PENTELIKON; VARDIS RESTAURANT; LA TERRASSE RESTAURANT Diligianni 66, Kifissia, 210-6230.650-6 If you’re in the mood for Greek food, the Pentelikon is, obviously, no help. Fortunately, the excellent GEFSEIS ME ONMASIA PROELFSIS (Flavors with Appellation of Origin) restaurant is only a 15-minute walk from either the hotel or the Kifissia subway stop, and easily locatable by even the most clueless tourist or cab driver, given its location on Kifissias Avenue, Athens’ main drag. It is located in a lovely old antique-bedecked house; in the summer, the back yard terrace is even more delightful. The owner speaks English but seems to enjoy speaking French more He's recently decided to translate the menu into English, which is more convenient but perhaps less fun than having him walk you through the offerings himself. The chef is evidently notable, and evidently did a turn at a restaurant called Milos, in New York City. The restaurant is operated in conjunction with a wine shop, and offers a wide variety of Greek wines at every price level, and French wines including grand cru Burgundies and Bordeaux. The wine list remains untranslated, though the French listings and non-Greek varietal names are in French or English. Gefseis is another Greek revival restaurant, selling only dishes prepared with Greek ingredients, though often with a “continental” twist. A favorite dish of mine is the millefeuil (Napoleon) of sardines – the little fishies are stacked like firewood, interlaced with oven-dried tomatoes and sauced with an herbed buerre blanc. On another occasion I was served a wonderful Greek version of coq au vin, the old bird having been perfectly braised in a good Greek red wine with olives, and served on a bed of orzo spiked with a cilantro puree. The richness of the cock and the freshness of cilantro set one another off wonderfully. One evening an Atkins-oriented friend of mine ordered a cheese appetizer that featured five spoonfuls each of two types of cheese – with each spoonful from a cheese at a different stage of the aging process. It was a delicious, and an educational, dish. And Gefseis has served me both the best octopus and the best fava puree I’ve ever had in Greece, or anywhere. GEFSEIS ME ONMASIA PROELFSIS; Kifisias 317; 210 6202 158; 42.80 dinner alone DOUVLAKIA, (the little pig) just a couple of blocks from Kifissia’s shopping district, is a friendly little place with a pig fetish so pronounced that I am half convinced the place is some weird Greek answer to Outback Steakhouse. Pigs are everywhere, the cute little tin kind you make clocks and wall-hangings out of, and the tasty grilled kind you make a meal out of. The restaurant itself is bright and friendly place, with a farmhouse feel, and open kitchen and…pigs, everywhere. Despite a certain kitschiness, the place was so damn friendly looking that I finally walked in one night, even though there was not a word of English visible anywhere. We were able to locate an English- speaker, who immediately apologized – “I’m sorry, we only have tables in the non-smoking section.” Welcome to Greece, where the apologize when they can't find a place for you to light up. They had an English menu and I ordered the salad, the kleftiko and a bottle of white wine. The kleftiko is a gyro variant: marinated, grilled pork cutlets served open –face on pita with onion, a roasted pepper sauce, and paprika. It was a great taverna sandwich in a friendly place, and welcome contrast to most blandly internationalized Kifissia establishments. DOUVLAKIA, Othonos 99 (at Kifissas Ave.) telephone 8011093 23€, including much wine. The KEFALARIO SQUARE AREA sports maybe twenty or thirty restaurants, all set cheek-to-jowl near and around the park. If you are staying in the neighborhood – or have just popped up to hit Ralph Lauren or Marks and Spencer, you may say to yourself, “surely, one of these restaurants must serve decent Greek food.” You will be wrong. There is a decent sushi joint and a Lebanese restaurant that is tolerable. Otherwise the food is aggressively bad. There is an Applebee’s there. Run away. There are two other reasons to drop by Kifissia. The first is CAVA VINIFERA, the wine shop operated in conjunction with Gefseis restaurant. It offers a wide selection of Greek and French wines, from rather cheap to distinctly expensive, in a cramped couple of rooms. They didn’t speak much English when I was there, but all worked out well. For what it’s worth, I find inexpensive and mid-priced Greek wines quite drinkable and occasional delightful, with more expensive bottles being less satisfying on a cost/benefit level, but interesting, nonetheless. The second non-restaurant reason to venture to the northern suburbs, is ERIC KAYSER, ARTISAN BOULANGER. Apparently Kayser is a renowned French baker who is opening a series of shops on France and elsewhere. Not realizing that his Athens boulangerie sits just a stone’s throw from Cava Vinifera, I did not hunt it up when I was on my wine run. But the Pentelikon serves the breads at breakfast; they are exquisite, and deserve to be explored at length, preferably in a degustation with Greek cheeses and wine from the shop just down the street. CAVA VINIFERA, Kifissias 317, 210 8077 709 ERIC KAYSER Artisan Boulanger, Kifisias 321, 210 8089.105-6

Pea shoots ripped out in the prime of life and forced to serve as an inedibly fibrous garnish to "new American" cooking, rather than being allowed to flourish and produce one of spring's great treasures: fresh sweet peas.

How about picnic tables and beer taps? How about some shade? Plenty of shade, under vast and ancient oak trees. HV -- I have had occasion to work woth the guy who bought Katie Graham's house. He's not really the "y'all just drop on by for a dip" type, unfortunately.

Picnic tables, they have. For beer on tap, you have to walk to the nearby Good Guys. Not that you know what that is. Even better than a private pool, you can take a refreshing dip in nearby Rock Creek.

The Rib Pit is a pretty quick shot -- less than 10 minutes -- to Rock Creek Park if you know the back way in, down Piney Branch Road to Beach Drive. With any kind of luck I might be able to lead the motorcade in, otherwise, I'll get the directions down pat (one wrong turn and you're trapped in Sunday Church gridlock) and post.

The Asian noodles would be great. And, as for coordination, I'm intending to take a very low-key role, in hopes that we will end up with an ideosynchratic mix of personal specialties and seasonal delights -- and that Al and mnebergall can get their butts straightened out in advance. BTW Al and mnebergall, I'll be heading over to the park this weekend to check out the facilities more formally. Is there anything you need that you won't be bringing, that I should look for?

We can play the cook-off thing by ear -- if mnebergall is bringing 'cue and someone else chips in with a fine protein product, we may have to postpone the "pullets at twenty paces" act and focus our respective geniuses in another direction. But, glad you're in. DuPont Sunday morning?

Summer’s here, and even if you don’t know how to cook, you know how to slice up a fresh Cherokee Purple from the farmer’s market, so I propose to organize – as promised, weeks ago – a pot-luck picnic for Sunday, July 18th, beneath the vast oaks of Georgetown’s Montrose Park. If anyone is interested and in town, that is. I think it would be fun to have DCeG-ers tote a fine home-made picnic dish or two to the gathering, quaff some sub-rosa rosé, let the kids run amok and enjoy a fun summer afternoon. Rather then hew absolutely to the anarcho-rural traditions of pot-lucks, I propose to coordinate dishes to assure that we’re not overwhelmed with tomato-mozzarella salads and that we have a broad array of summer plates. Other than that, let a thousand flowers bloom. RaisaB is allowed not to cook, if she flies cheese in from France; anyone else has to petition. Montrose Park is a delightful park near the Social Safeway, featuring a playground for little kids, and Rock Creek Park, for kids old enough to traipse properly (it would be nice if some kids could come, does anyone have any, besides hjshorter and me?). It also has benches and grills and, sometimes, bathrooms. Right next door sits Dumbarton Oaks, whose gardens are well worth the modest admission to anyone with a yen to see how Gatsby might have landscaped, were it not for all those drunk flappers tromping through the begonias. Parking is not nearly as bad as you’d think. Assuming timing and rules of engagement can be negotiated, the highlight will be a roast-off between Malawry and me to see if brining is, indeed, the greatest thing since sliced pastrami, or just factory processing you can do at home. All points are negotiable, of course, though my own timing is somewhat constrained. I expect a 2PM call time would work; the early arrival of a few hardy souls would ensure acquisition of enough picnic tables to hold the feast. Let me know if there is interest and availability, and I will take it from there.