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This just in from AP... "Restaurateur Stephen Starr has placed a bid to buy Striped Bass...Starr has submitted a 1-point-3 (m) million dollar bid for the restaurant in U-S Bankruptcy Court. He says he won't change the restaurant's name or motif." And the empire continues to grow....

I strongly suggest Cafe Dalat on Wilson Blvd across from Clarendon Metro.

I recommend Pigalle--he'll be fine there with steak frites. It's not BYO tho. It's definitely romantic.

Ah yes! Those lovely fries--mazman and i enjoyed those during my recent trip to dc. delicious. had some crappy fries tonite at society hill hotel in philly...wish we had a Firefly in Philly!

Thanks for all of this info...Now I just have to debate Sonny D'Angelos vs. Eastern Market, since I was definitely planning to brine. This is the first year I'm in charge of the turkey for the family dinner (I held a coup and took over; my mother is known for her over-grilled dried out turkey!) So, any specific tips would be appreciated. Carman Luntzel gave me her 'secret' tip--mayo instead of butter! I tried it once and it worked out quite well.

I will either call or have my cousin place the order. I stay in Fairfax.

Isn't the Sunday before Thanksgiving too early for a fresh bird? I was going to get my turkey at Sonny D'Angelos in Philly and drive to DC on Monday, but several friends expressed concern that it wouldn't stay fresh til cooked on Thursday. Any thoughts??

Do you have a ph number for Market Poultry? I couldn't find one on the Eastern Market website. Thanks

Hi Any suggestions on where to get a great fresh Thanksgiving turkey, somewhere other than Whole Foods?? I was thinking of Eastern Market--any favorite butchers there? Thanks

Oooh. Red Hawk?! Is that from Cowgirl Creamery? One of my all-time favorites. Did this place just open?

I am still reeling from my experience at the minibar Friday night. Truly awesome meal!! WOW. Honestly, I'm a pretty verbose person, and two days later I'm still without many words. I thought 90% of the dishes were dead-on, and some I'm still drooling over (especially the cotton candy foie gras, the lobster americane, the foie gras soup, the caesar salad..the mini mojito--god I nearly shoved that thing my purse!)...It made me think about food a whole new way, and now I'm creating little injections and raviolis and airs in my head... Just trying to figure out how soon is reasonable (for my budget) to go back! (I'm sure my dining partners liamdc and mazman will add their two cents soon)

I don't think Vetri is romantic at all. It's nothing specific I can pinpoint, but the aura there is very business-like, and a bit cold--maybe it's the tone set by the maitre d, or by Vetri himself, who is rather a cold fish except to his friends. More importantly, the place is a ripoff. Skip it.

Hi and welcome First, I have to strongly disagree with the Astral Plane recommendations--I was taken there recently on a 'romantic' date and honestly, this place isn't romantic at all. It's like being in an old moldy attic with overstuffed uncomfortable chairs, obstrusive yet inept service, and terrible food served in dim lighting so they hope you won't notice. Yuck! Honestly, I imagine the place was a big deal when it first opened, but that was decades ago! Skip it. Skip Friday Saturday Sunday too --- very boring, not terribly romantic, except for the upstairs bar. Both of these places are popular with the gay crowd, and they are very friendly in that respect, but that aside, they're totally missable. My recommendations--again, depending on what you find romantic-- 1. Django--small, cozy, friendly, consistently delicious farm-fresh food. The tables a bit close together and it can be a little noisy, but this wouldn't bother everyone. 2. Alma de Cuba--this is a bit more glamorous, low lighting, comfy seats (especially if you ask for a nook on first floor), sexy food--i.e. ceviche. 3. Beau Monde--this is a less expensive option, french creperie, fireplace, very bistro like. 4. Lacroix at the Rittenhouse--I haven't been yet, honestly, but I have friends going there for their anniversary this week and can report back. The price isn't unreasonable--I believe it's $55 for 3 courses. 5. Pigalle--french bistro in Northern Liberties, low lighting, great food, this might be a very nice choice. 6. Angelina--again, going just on what I'm hearing about this place recently, the food is well reviewed, it sounds reasonably priced (entrees around $20), and the setting is supposed to be beautiful. Have a great time-- And Definitely do go to Carman's for brunch!!

My mother is in love w/ Jamie Blakenship! Thanks to Jamie, her daughter (me) no longer complains about the long trip down 95 in an old car, but jumps at the opportunity to come home, visit mom, and go to Nectar! We went again last night. Jared was missing, apparently because he hurt his arm--for a third time?? (GET WELL SOON JARED!). But Jamie was there, with several new additions to the menu, and we experienced it all. We ate. And ate. And ate until mom was nearly asleep in her plate at the end of a nearly 3 hour meal (what a trooper!). It's nearly 10 am the next morning and I'm still full... We had: 1. Oysters w/ cucumber and dill. Each in its own little dish w/ sauce. Oysters were from Nova Scotia (didn't catch the name), and were pretty good, although I think a slightly brinier variety might do better--perhaps Stellar Bays? I had a glass of a sparkling Riesling with the oysters--delicious! (2000 Schumann Wagler Riesling Sekt-Trocken-Rheingau) 2. Pumpkin, yogurt and crisp sweetbreads soup. I could eat this daily. The sweetbreads were placed in a large dish, and the soup poured over. It was a perfect pairing, and a tremendous winter dish. A great replacement for the pea soup. 3. Duck w/ fruit, turnips and mustard oil. I wanted to take a picture of this dish--the colors were spectacular. Deep reds and whites. The duck was rare rare rare--nearly still quacking--which I thought was a bit daring, but ultimately a good call. There were some lovely mashed potatoes here as well. I enjoyed the 2000 Bergstrom Pinot Gris from Willamette with the duck. It was a nice pairing with the turnips. I'm off to Oregon soon, maybe I should go look up the 29 yr old that makes this wine 4. Cheese course. These were nice, but not terribly memorable cheeses. One reminded me of morbier, but wasn't, and another was like a chevrot, but again, was something else... 5. Berry cobbler w/ white russian milkshake. Oh, this milkshake! Fantastically delicious! Could've sucked down 3 of them. The berry cobbler was a nice warm touch on a very cold night, and came in the greatest little black casserole dish. All in all, a truly memorable meal. Mazman came late and joined us for the last two courses, and I know he loved that milkshake in particular. And afterwards he and I wandered over to Firefly, where I finally got to meet John W. and checkout his thoroughly happening joint (Tom Ridge was there last night! True star sighting ). I fully intend go back and enjoy his food next time. I simply have to get to DC more often! You guys have some great stuff happening here.

Hi I'll be spending a few days in Portland in November and would like to visit some wineries and tasting rooms. I went to Archery Summit and The Tasting Room last year--any suggestions?? Places that don't charge outrageous fees are preferable. thanks

FYI They have now added at least two vegetarian specials to the menu--you just have to ask for them. Veg and rice, and veg and rice stick I believe. Also, they are now open til 9 rather than 8.

Thanks. I'm actually staying at the Hotel Vintage and then the Doubletree, but will be spending my lunchtimes near the Hilton. These suggestions are helpful. One other request--I'll be seeing a show at the Aladdin Saturday night, and will only have about an hour or so to grab dinner beforehand. Is there any place really good near there, or am I better off eating wherever I want (maybe Cafe Azul) and then cabbing over?

I appreciate this nuanced understanding of the star system, which essentially mediates restaurant success with restaurant aspirations--I suppose it's analagous to measuring college student achievement based not on whether they complete a bachelor's degree, but rather whether they complete what they set out to earn--an AA, BA, certificate, whatever. But, this logic has problems as well--just as we know that social straification is increasingly predicated on bachelor's degree completion, well, restaurant stratification is influenced by these star ratings. The stars are one of the main 'credentials' of note. And you simply can't count on the average joe to read through the fine print, assess the other restaurants' ratings in comparison, etc--they just look at the number of stars and say (as I've heard members of my own family do dozens of times) "Oh, it's only a 1 star place--forget it," while others will be very impressed that Kinkead's got "2 whole stars!" (forgetting to measure it against its aspiration of 4 stars). This ignorance of the subleties is prevalent--you all know that, I'm sure. Maybe all restaurants should aspire to the 4 star rating, and should be able to achieve it, measured against others in their same 'category.' If a place is the best little cafeteria around, why not give it 4 stars? Thoughts?

Hi Going to be spending several days at a conference at the Hilton--good, reasonable close-by (but not IN the hotel!) lunch suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Especially seafood/oysters. Thanks!

I'm sorry to rant, but how in the world does Kinkead's deserve even two out of four stars, especially when accompanied by a negative review that laments rude service, inconsistent entrees, and inept wine service?? When will the critics stop giving Kinkead a pass--and draw Washingtonians' attention to the simple fact that this place is a has-been?? My hard-earned money was completely wasted there two months ago, when my friend and I suffered through nearly inedible food and embarrasingly awful service, to the tune of over $100. Yes, the place used to be good--5-10 years ago! Two stars puts Kinkead's in the same league as Bardeo--which got a positive review?? And Firefly? (Well, admittedly, I haven't been there YET... ) (By the way, I'm very aware that this is a major hazard of allocating stars, points, whatever to restaurants...but how can the disconnect between review and stars be so great?)

Just got the list of wines my guests will be bringing: 2001 Stephen Ross Bien Nacido (Santa Maria CA) 2000 Julian Reserve (Willamette) 2001 Mountford (New Zealand) 1993 and 1994 Panther Creek (OR) also, possibly a 2001 EIEIO (my favorite) Any specific suggestions to accompany those??

I could buy mushrooms and lamb, and whatever else, at the Reading Terminal Market in Philly before heading to DC to cook dinner. If anyone has favorite purveyors in the market, please let me know. Do you think I can get NY lamb there??

Thanks everyone-these are all great suggestions! If anyone has a favorite braised lamb, or mushrooms w. miso recipe they want to share, I'm all ears. I hear Costco has good lamb from New Zealand??

Where can I find these cheeses y'all are talking about? (I live in Philly, am using my mom's house in Falls Church for this dinner--so somewhere in NoVA would be best). I can definitely wait and do cheeses after the lamb. Any thoughts on whether I should serve anything at all when people are arriving? Also, I like the idea of the mushrooms & miso appetizer...but do you think there's any way to work salmon into the meal?

So, perhaps I'll start with a cheese course (I hear cheddar and blues go especially well with PN), followed by salmon (of some sort, maybe steamed w/ ginger and scallions, or poached, or this recipe John suggests?), then lamb (shanks, or rack of lamb, definitely with mushrooms of some variety), then this bolcone dolci thing that is merginues w/ whipped cream and strawberries. Does that sound reasonable? I'm not much at putting an integrated menu together...