mnebergall

I will admit that Stretch PM'ed me this morning and asked if I do him the favor of coming over and shooting him. I told him that I did not think that would work to relieve his pain. His headache would survive him. edited to add: didn't I hear someplace that Strech had a gold medal in Olympic hurling that he won at Lake Phlacid.

The menu and quality have not changed.

Is this thread about a particular restaurant or french service (which some seem to think is an oxymoron)?

I went yesterday. The popularity seems to have dropped off. There was no one in line when I arrive shortly after noon, and again when I left about a half-hour later, after eating my sandwich. Beware of rain today. If you go, call ahead to see if there will be indoor seating. There was a private party going on in the room behind the grill yesterday.

Had dinner last night with some business associates at Corduroy. Wonderful meal. Chef Power sent a plate of the Ron Jeremy spring rolls to the table (thanks again Chef). Very tasty. I ordered the mozzarella porcupine (deconstructed fried mozzarella) but asked if the chef could do the scallops tar-tar instead. The scallops came and they were every bit as good as my description of them at the eGullet dinner. I ordered the lamb loin with mini ravioli. The lamb was perfectly medium rare with a great roasted crust on the outside. The mini ravioli were an excellent accompaniment. The Alsatian apple tart was exactly what I expected and it was delicious. A couple of bottles of Oregon Pinot Noir set things just right. I gotte tell ya, this place is a real gem. The quality of the ingredients and the level of preparation greatly exceed the price point. Thanks to Chef Power and Fero Style for a great experience. The staff is more than just knowledgeable. The first bottle of Pinot we ordered was a 1999. The waiter knew that they were out of the '99 but had the '01. He was able to scrounge up a bottle of the '99 anyway (from Chef Power's personal stash I suspect (thanks)). And when we went to order our second bottle, he was able to describe how it would be different from our previous bottle. Very well trained staff. I was impressed.

I would not forget to bring some of the 'emmm "breath mints" just in case you need one.

Is this a BYOB event? If so, I would presume ice cold beer would be in order.

If it is George Romero you mean, then I might point out that dietary restrictions of any nature are not much of a concern for insatiable, rabid, brain-craving zombies, although they might not like the no substition rule at Buck's. ← George Romero

I can't think of any sushi places, good or otherwise, in the Old Town area. I seem to recall a Japanese steakhouse type place in one of the office buildings along the river between the power plant and King Street, north of Old Town proper. I do not know if they have sushi.

Went in last night with FunJohnny and mdt. The place was packed. We grabbed some stools that came open at the counter across from the bar. Apparantly there is no cocktail service that, you have to go over to the bar, elbow between the customers sitting there, and try to get the attention of the bartender. So, I went to see if I could get us a table in the restaurant, nope, hour and a half wait. OK, we had no reservation so no big deal. But wait, there is a counter in the back overlooking the kitchen with chairs and what appear to be napkins and silverware. Could we sit there please? Oh no, we can't possiby seat you before all of these other people who came in ahead of you. We were there for 15-20 minutes and those seats were empty when we came in and they were empty when we left. Oh well, chalk it up to a very busy Friday night and the fact that the restaurant is new. Or, perhaps they had them reserved for some people who were late for their reservation. Bottom line, we left without trying anything. The wines by the glass list looked impressive though.

You'll never get any ducks looking like that, your face will scare them all away.

To sort of bring this full circle, the reason this thread got started was because that new place in the space that used to be Whitey's (which used to have the best onion rings) put miniburgers on its menu. It seems that those who contemplate opening a new restaurant in the DC area survey the local scene to see what is popular and always notice miniburgers. They think they have to have them on the menu in order to be perceived as on top of things. It sort of a "me too" syndrome. But, as they saying goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Now, who started this trend to begin with so we can figure out who it is that is being flattered?

Alert, Alert, Alert: Todd Thrasher has been sleeping overtime and has dreamed up a new concoction that will be unveiled next weekend: "Hot" Chocolate. PS: Alas, the tomato water Bloody Mary's are now out of season. But, CiderCars are still available.

I'm game. But no more than two, I promise.

I'm game. But no more than two, I promise.

Does anyone make miniburgers using country sausage instead of ground beef?

Sounds suspiciously like miniburgers to me.

Stretch and I met up at Belga Cafe for lunch today. He had some pita sandwich that I will let him comment on, and I had the croque monsieur, both of us had the frites with their homemade mayonnaise. Stretch started out with their Kip & Krab Sigaar which is a deep fried spring roll stuffed with minced chicken and crab meat. It is a fairly sizable portion and Stretch let me borrow a couple of pieces. Very tasty with the spicy Thai dipping sauce. The croque-monsieur was what you would expect (except that I was expecting it to be grilled on both sides and have some sort of egg wash on the bread, this was toasted on only one side and was buttered, not egged, perhaps that is the Belgian style). Dipped in the mayo it provided a satisfying lunch, along with the frites. The frites are wonderful. Served in the now ubiquitous paper cone with the spiral metal stand, they were perfectly crunchy with just the right amount of salt. Because is dipped my sandwich in the mayo, I had to ask for extra in order to get through the frites. Service was fine, the kitchen is a little slow, they have only been open for lunch for a couple of days and they are still getting their sea legs back there. I will wait until the weather turns a little colder before I return to try the beef stew. As it is, it will be tough to stay awake during my 3:00 conference call.

MOM (My Organic Market) does not hold a candle to Whole Foods. But, if you are just looking for a couple of things and don't what to make the schlep over to Whole Foods, its worth a stop. What do you have to lose.

My understanding (based solely on hearsay and not on any first hand knowledge) is that Cutco is a multilevel marketing outfit and their prices are high and the quality low.

I'll be packin heat this time. ← Just make sure you are carrying no more than $20 worth of ammunition.

Ah ha, further evidence of the ubiquity of the miniburger.

I never imagined that this thread would become so entertaining. Keep 'em comin'.

Issue number 1 is: what restaurants will be open that day. I would look at hotels which are more likely to be open. Do not look for the A team to be working that evening. Corduroy comes to mind as a possbility. How about the restaurant in the Sofitel or that new place out at L'Enfant Plaza.

I stopped by bar at Restaurant Eve yesterday evening for a libation before the football game and was enticed by the wild venison on the specials menu. Let me tell you, it was unbelievably good. A couple of medallions of perfectly crusted, rare-medium rare venison loin atop one of Chef Cathal's special underlings. The underling included wild huckleberry preserve, some sautéed swiss chard, some yellow squash matchsticks, combined to deliver an unctuous blend of late summer/fall flavors. My advice, call and see if he has any left and if he does, run, don't walk. Capped it off with the toffee dessert, unexpectedly good. Just ax Rocks, I gave him a bite (it was his helping of the venison that enticed me, they had to give me a napkin to wipe the drool off of my chin). P.S. A new tasting room menu is due out very soon.