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Everything posted by iamthestretch
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The key to getting your nice, thick steak nicely cooked through without being charred is a two-tier fire, whether you're cooking with charcoal or gas. In a kettle, put most of the coals on one side, sear the steaks 2 to 3 minutes each side then move to the cooler end of the grill and cook to taste, usually 6 to 8 minutes more in total for medium rare. Leave the lid off unless you like a sooty flavor note. On a gas grill, crank all burners up to 11 and preheat closed until very hot. Then turn one burner down to medium, sear over the hot side and finish over the cooler side as above. Lid down builds a better crust. If you can screw this up, Christopher Kimball will personally come to your house and punch you out.
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Idiga Adega. Why you nodiga? Soon noAdega!
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There's always the Penn Quarter to Dupont sort-of-a-straight-line tour. Starts eclectic, ends emetic. Still, no worries, right? Sangria at Jaleo. Mojitos at Cafe Atlantico. Homemade mango vodka at Matchbox. Gin Rickeys at the Round Robin bar in the Willard. Dirty Martinis at the Off The Record bar in the Hay-Adams. Gimlets at the Mayflower. Whatever you can get away with at BdC.
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You could always just blow your own trumpet.
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We got to go to Cafe Atlantico last night, though not to the minibar. The tuna and coconut ceviche was superb and the the bacon-wrapped pheasant with seared watermelon was intriguing, if not ultimately as supremely succulent as it sounded. But the best, best, best part was watching my better half innocently order and polish off the portobello mushrooms with huitlacoche and queso blanco while gleefully anticipating the moment she would get around to asking what that curiously earthy, but not unpleasant, taste actually was. When the golden moment came, I thought she was going to be the second egulletarian to publicly blow chunks in that particular venue. But she said she decided it would be a waste of several perfectly good mojitos. Tempers, and tummies, were soothed by some terrific tres leches cake.
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Oh good, a food fight. Now, what's appropriate in this context? Oh yeah -- bite me!
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See, that's what I'm talking about. I must have driven past Roger Miller a dozen times and thought: "I wonder what Cameroonian food is like?" (Also: "What's up with the astroturf?") Next time, I'm going in. And Mark's Kitchen will fit nicely with an early trip to the Takoma farmer's market this Sunday. Thanks, JPW. Oh, and you're a Silver Springer, right? How's Parkway Deli?
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Let's say, hypothetically, you had a friend who recently blew off a well-padded, Inside the Beltway boondoggle for a much more rewarding, but considerably less remunerative, creative gig. And let's also say that -- while fitter, saner and at considerably reduced risk of randomly braining a passing congressman with a hardback copy of the CQ Washington Information Directory -- your friend (call him Sir Eat-A-Lot) was really, really missing the fringe benefit of regularly dining out on somebody else's dime. Where would you send this impecunious notional acquaintance to find food that tastes like it ought to cost much more than it actually does? We're talking Palena cafe here, or Corduroy happy hour appetizers. Big, fat, honking deals. There's just got to be more of them out there, right? Come on, let's get a good cheap eats thread going that doesn't peter out into "read the Washingtonian guide." There's imaginary mouths to feed.
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Sorry, I know I've tried this one one before. But I think it might work in the U.S. and Canada. And I dig it...
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"OK brain. You don't like me and I don't like you, but let's just get through this and then I can continue killing you with beer." Um, pastry for the people? (Digression ends.)
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East Potomac Park? Then it'd have to be a doobie picnic. I run around there fairly often and the rule seems to be: If you're out of the car, you're fishing. If you're in the car, you're smoking a fattie. We're going to need a lot of donuts...
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I hope they kept the same beer list. Sam Smith's IPA goes oh-so-well with the lamb vindaloo. Dammit, why did I already eat lunch?
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Had an excellent first dinner at Firefly tonight. Won't be the last. In fact, it was a positively Jack Sprat experience. I've never had any use for oysters, but now accept that they can be fried to a tempura crisp and be spicy and delicious. My wife has never had anything but contempt for beets until she had a few roasted with goat cheese. Full credit, too, for grace under pressure. The place was slammed, with every table full, from the time we sat down to the time we left but the service stayed gracious and the food showed up on cue and on the money. Man, I've got to learn to do that with my own roast chickens.
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Finally made it to Nectar. Clear highlights: the pea soup with crispy ham, the scallops with chorizo and curry, the invisible chocolate sauce, the animated conversation going on at the bar about prostitutes. Good times...
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I'm sorry too. One quick question, since it sounds like you guys got through more than a few pies, did anyone notice a slight soupiness to the pizza? The first few I had there were good, but the last two have had a distinct pooling of moisture (and not just from a heavy hand on the olive oil), leading to some unwelcome sogginess. I doubt it's the execution that's at fault as they snitched 2 Amys chef and day pizza cook. Perhaps a different batch of mozzarella that's weeping out more in the oven? And, yes, I know -- picky, picky, picky!
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It's a bit out of the way (well, unless you live there) but there are two good Thai choices in Wheaton that don't bother with punning names, (much) neon or overpriced cocktails. Ruan Thai is really bare bones, but the food is authentic and the price is right. And I've had three meals recently just up University Boulevard at Dusit and haven't had a disappointing offering yet. The noodle dishes are particularly good. Edited to say: "Woohoo! I'm a full member at last. Do I get a commemorative doohickey?"
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Red Dog Café in Rock Creek / Silver Spring
iamthestretch replied to a topic in D.C. & DelMarVa: Dining
I was between errands on the East-West Highway today, so I made a side trip to Red Dog Cafe for lunch, partly because that Grubb St. shopping center has long been on my list of things I've heard a lot about but never actually managed to find. Sort of like compassionate conservatism. Anyway, it's a casual space done up in a DIY Cosi motif, but everything is functional and comfortable. They seem to be off to a good start in the neighborhood too as, without resorting to excessive alliteration, there were a lot of local ladies lunching. Being just about full in their first week of operation, the kitchen and wait staff were struggling a bit, but were trying cheerfully to get into the groove. I got the Asparagus soup and the Pulled Pork Ripieghi -- which arrived in reverse order amid some confusion. The pork was not really "pulled" in the traditional sense, rather braised (I'd guess) and chunked, but was tasty and succulent. It came with a Piedmont (who knew?) BBQ sauce that I liked for its pronounced vinegary kick and was folded inside an interesting disc of half inch-thick, spongy flatbread. An unusual sandwich I'd happily try again, maybe in its lemon chicken incarnation next time. You get a choice of sides and I can vouch for the coleslaw, which was fresh and crisp. The big mug of soup was thick and satisfying, if a little bland to my taste. Total cost: $12. My guess is it'll quickly become a standby for folks in the neighborhood and a worthwhile occasional stopoff for anyone else passing through the area or headed for the bright lights of the New! Improved! Downtown! Silver! Spring! -
Had an excellent meal at Corduroy last Friday night and thought this was worth resurrecting. With Spring springing out all over I got the call from She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed to book "somewhere good I haven't been to yet" to celebrate the rising of the sap. First thought, Nectar, but nothing before 9:00. Second thought, Firefly, but nothing after 5:45. Third thought, "I bet we can still get into Corduroy at 8:00." Natch. (And "Why?" But that's a separate question ably addressed by Rocks at the top of this thread.) We started with cocktails -- they mix a proper G&T -- and moved on to a 2000 Domaine Tempier Bandol, all blood and iron. ($51 here, $70-$75 at several places within a few miles' radius.) The starters served up the first home run in my lobster salad -- a perfect mix of sweet meat, cool, tart tomato, crunchy cucumber slivers and a binding swirl of intense, green basil oil. The kind of dish that provokes instant squabbles. "Wow, can I have some more?" "Screw that, you ordered the mixed greens, now eat them, sucker." Mains were good -- my lamb top sirloin with mini goat cheese ravioli -- to great -- her seared tuna with hijiki. Unreal melt-in-the-mouth fresh fish with plump, chewy sesame-spicy-anise rice. I'd have more details, but I didn't get much of it for some unknown reason. Dessert was sorbet (banana and melon) and Alsatian apple tart. Both competent. But personally, I just love any place with six dessert selections and at least 20 choices of nightcap to accompany them. Don't miss the Yalumba Museum Reserve Muscat. Nuts! Spices! Raisins! Oh yeah! All in all, a really good dinner. Last word goes to the other half, the jaded NY expense-account veteran: "Who knew? It's like they hid the Gramercy Tavern in the Holiday Inn."
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I. can't. stop. Old man: Take this doll, but beware; it carries a terrible curse. Homer: Ooo, that's bad. Old man: But it comes with a free serving of frozen yoghurt! Homer: That's good! Old man: The frozen yoghurt is also cursed. Homer: That's bad. Old man: But it comes with your choice of toppings! Homer: That's good! Old man: The toppings contain potassium benzoate... Homer: (confused look) Old man: That's bad. Homer: Can I go now?
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Let's not forget about the pampered but ultimately doomed lobster Mr. Pinchy! Homer: [eating, crying] Oh, man, that's good. [sob] Pass the butter. Bart: Are you gonna eat that all by yourself? Homer: Uh-huh. Pinchy would've wanted it this way. My dear, sweet Pinchy. [takes a bite] No more pain where you are now, boy. [rips him in half and sucks out the meat inside.] Oh, God, that's tasty! I wish Pinchy were here to enjoy this. [takes more bites] Oh, Pinchy... Same episode also featured the world's worst health food: Lisa: Ah, this is my kind of aisle. Soy substitutes, whizless cheese ... [gasps] oven-roasted cud! And it's packed in its own drool!
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Well worth while. "Listen boy, crying isn't going to bring your dog back. Well, unless your tears smell like dog food. So you can either sit there crying and eating can after can of dog food until your tears smell enough like dog food to make your dog come back -- or you can go out there and find your dog!" Mmmmm. Dog food. Aaaaarrrggghhh.
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Ha. Interesting. I was there last night too, with the better half. And we both agreed it was probably the start of a beautiful friendship. We sat at the handsome stone bar and were ably attended to by Sarah. Kicked off with a Caprese salad -- very nice Buffalo Mozzarella though served a little cold for my liking -- and the (very ample) cured meat sample platter. I particularly liked the Mortadella. Followed that up with the simple tomato, buffalo mozz, basil pizza, which I also think is straight up there onto the top 5 in DC list. If you want to split hairs, the crust is maybe just a little bland tasting, but it's also thin, nicely crispy and decked with good cheese and an excellent tomato sauce with a real deep, roasted flavor. Finished off with a Zeppoli, which was OK but not the high point of the evening. We drank Prosecco, an excellent $35 Sicilian Cerasuolo and some Vin Santo/Moscato d'Asti. Service was excellent, as evinced by this exchange with my wife: "Another Moscato?" "Yes, please, and could you possibly open another bottle, this one was a little flat?" "I'm sorry. Certainly. And that one was on me." "You don't have to do that, I'm quite happy." "No, I want to. Here you go. Cheers." A really pleasant spot. But for sure go early. It was jammed by the time we left at eight.
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I'm not sure I've ever seen the words "New Zealand" and "style" used in the same sentence before! As for the lattes, let me guess, they don't use a machine but instead give it to a giant Maori rugby player who performs a vigorous Haka until it's blended to your satisfaction? Do you have an address for this place, as I'm seriously intrigued? Antipodean cooking seems to be busting out all over these days, though this sounds like a more modest operation than the latest NY outpost.
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I think we may be in danger here of conflating the man and the medium when discussing these online chats. I don't know Tom Sietsema from a bar of soap, but based on his work there are a couple of things that stand out. First, his reviewing persona, at least, is not exactly burdened with a crippling lack of self-esteem. But that's hardly a bad thing when your stock-in-trade is making highly subjective judgements on a topic that just about everybody thinks they know a bit about by virtue of sitting down to three squares a day. And second, he's undeniably an energetic and entrepreneurial critic who has gone far beyond the initial confines of his beat to produce, in the chats, what is essentially a free gift to DC diners. (That is assuming that you, too, choose to represent yourself to the Post's voracious data gatherers as something along the lines of Heywood Jablome, age 69, bojonessux@hotmail.com.) But the problem, of course, is that once you hand out enough free gifts, they just morph into another entitlement. Which is why, in addition to the hundreds of questions Mark mentioned, I supect there are at least as many "Why didn't you answer my 'Hey. Are there any good places to eat in Georgetown? Thanx.' query for the last 5 weeks?" remonstrances. And with that level of basic background noise, I don't think he can have the kind of detailed, measured (?) conversations that this particular audience is interested in. He could, of course, choose to jump in on eGullet with both feet, but frankly that would be working for free so why should he? Or he could set up a similar, board-based rather than chat, forum under the aegis of the Post to really get in-depth. But that would become a 24/7/365 life-sucking monster faster than Gillian Clark would kick your ass for asking for the "Atkins burger." So I agree with Malawry; read the chats after the fact to avoid the annoying format issues and be happy with the occasional nuggets that do crop up amid all the other ore. Send Gene Weingarten all the esoteric food questions -- he eats for the first team...
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Given the current public morals furore over here, and the fact that that promo was broadcast on British TV with relatively little fuss, it could be viewed as a neat summation of current transatlantic cultural differences. Or it might just be an average bunch of Clarendon residents critiquing the architect of the new neighborhood Cheesecake Factory... (I realize this has nothing to do with Nectar. I've not been yet. My bad.)