foodtrip's Profile
Restaurant Eve Tasting Room - 2 Separate Tables for Party of 4?
It's been a couple of years since we were at the Tasting Room at Eve, but if nothing has changed since then, this would definitely be possible. We were seated at a 2-top on a banquette with another 2-top right next to us. It would have been very easy to combine the two tables into a 4-top.
a bed and breakfast?
I have to recommend the Ashby Inn in Paris, VA, about a 90 minute drive from DC. Their chef, Tarver King, is simply phenomenal and the rooms are really pleasant.
restaurants in or near Omni Shoreham Hotel
Second New Heights. Just had dinner there this evening and it was delightful. The ambiance is exactly as you have described in your request. The food was good, the service excellent, the sound level makes for easy conversation. And they could easily accomodate your group of 8. And, as Marty L. said, it's literally across the street from the hotel.
Komi or Obelisk?
A third vote for Komi. While I do like Obelisk, and years ago it was my favorite in DC, Komi now eclipses it by far.
Turning 50: need comfort through stellar food.
I'd highly recommend The Ashby Inn in Paris, VA. It's a lovely, historic property with excellent food, wine and service. There is no 'view' per se from the dining room, but it is nestled in the foothills of rural Virginia. There is a very nice outdoor patio, which in early June may be an option. You can spend the night in one of their nicely appointed guestrooms -- we especially love the Glascock Room in the Schoolhouse building -- it has a large balcony with beautiful views of the Inn's grounds and the surrounding countryside. Breakfast is delightful. It takes us no more than 90 minutes to reach the Inn from our home in Rockville.
APRIL COTM AMFT/Greenspan: Nibbles and hors d'oeuvres; soups; salads, starters, and small plates
blueroom, there is a recipe for Salmon Rillettes on the very next page (p. 26) in the book. Haven't tried it yet, but it looks good.
Rooftop Resturant in DC/Metro Area?
If you want to propose with a spectacular view of the city as the backdrop, I would recommend you do it on the terrace at the Newseum and follow that up with a lovely dinner at a great restaurant. The view from the Newseum terrace is incredible -- spectacular view of the Capitol. If you can manage it at sunset, that would be really special. You might want to check with the museum management to see if their hours correspond with sunset on the date you have in mind. Good luck and congrats!
Rooftop Resturant in DC/Metro Area?
The rooftop at the W isn't all that good for drinks or food. I've found both to be quite mediocre and very expensive on 3 visits. Also, the view can be quite compromised, depending on the weather. Unless it is a gorgeous, warm day, they very likely will have the horrible plastic screens down which seriously impede the view.
Rooftop Resturant in DC/Metro Area?
I was less than impressed with Ardeo's rooftop dining area which I visited for the first/last time about 18 months ago. There is no view of anything -- it is surrounded by a fence. There is, however, the very loud sound of the building's HVAC unit. Really not a very charming space.
Your First Cookbook?
My Dad gave me 'The Good Housekeeping Cookbook' when I got my first apartment as a sophomore in college in the early 70s. I can't say how it compares with JoC or FF as I never have owned those books, but it served as a pretty good reference book for me for quite a number of years. I've given away a lot of cookbooks over the years, but I still have this one, even though I haven't cooked from it in almost 30 years. It is stained and dog-eared and the dust jacket disappeared decades ago. For nostalgia's sake, I just can't bear to part with it.
Do you write in your cookbooks?
Yes, I do write in my cookbooks. I started this practice sometime in the late 90s after having cooked a recipe from one of my books that I didn't like and realized that I had made this before and didn't like it then either! I realized that I needed to 'review' the recipes I cook in order to avoid bad ones in the future and have a record of the good ones as well. I always note the date that I first cooked the recipe and then review how much we liked it, any changes I made, or would make in the future. To me, this is not defacing the book, it's enhancing it. I admit that I do fantasize about my daughters cooking from these books after I'm gone and my notes being a special connection between us.
Recommend a beginner's vegetarian cookbook?
As someone who has had only positive experiences with Madison's book, I'm curious to know how it is poorly edited. Thanks.
outdoor dining
Cafe du Parc
http://www.cafeduparc.com/
Tabard Inn
http://www.tabardinn.com/restaurant
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Tabard Inn
1739 N St NW, Washington, DC 20036
February 2011 Cookbook of the Month: THE ESSENTIAL NEW YORK TIMES COOKBOOK Chapters 9-12
Thanks for posting about this recipe (Salmon and Tomatoes in Foil). It sounded perfect for my purposes and it was! This is so easy and so quick and delicious and attractive as well. One that I'll definitely be making again.
Help: Need salad dressing without any vinegar
Lemon juice is definitely the way to go. I've been making a lemon garlic vinaigrette for years that is so simple and so delicious. Nice bright flavors:
For 1/2 cup of dressing:
6 TBS EVOO
2 TBS lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 garlic clove
freshly ground black pepper
Chop the garlic very fine and mix together with the salt. Whisk in the lemon juice and olive oil. Add the black pepper to taste.
Got approx. $250 to spend and need a great restaurant recommendation
It would not be possible to dine at Komi for $250 for two people -- it's $135 per person, so you're starting at $270, before wine, tax and tip. Obelisk is a definite possibility.
February 2011 Cookbook of the Month: THE ESSENTIAL NEW YORK TIMES COOKBOOK Chapters 9-12
New York Strip Steak with Horseradish-Mint Glaze (p. 566)
This was absolutely delicious and very easy! Normally, I would grill strip steaks, but these had been in the freezer for awhile and needed to be cooked and it's way too cold and snow-covered to think about grilling outdoors. Also, I had some horseradish I needed to use up, so this recipe really fit the bill. Although I wouldn't usually choose this type of glaze for steak, it worked beautifully and the steak was cooked to a perfect medium-rare -- I followed the directions exactly. Served the steak with horseradish-scallion mashed potatoes (a CI recipe) and kale sauteed with garlic. Lovely meal. This was the first recipe I've made from this book, so it's nice that it was a winner! I would definitely make this again.
Give me your beef short rib recipes
I realize it's too late for your short ribs dinner, but maybe for the future. I LOVE short ribs and have made them a dozen different ways. The best one ever (so far) is in the cookbook, 'Sunday Suppers at Lucques.' It's 'Braised Beef Short Ribs with Potato Puree, Swiss Chard, and Horseradish Cream.' (page 301). This was our Christmas Eve meal this year. And, while I made the horseradish cream, we never even used it. Those ribs don't need any help! The potato puree was unbelievably delicious -- well, it should be, with all that butter. Worth every calorie!
Blast from the past - Salmagundi's [moved from San Francisco Bay Area board]
I'm sorry I don't have any recipes for you. Just wanted to say thanks for a great walk down memory lane. I used to have lunch there numerous times a week when I worked in the financial district in SF in the late 70s. I don't know how I'd rate their food today after 30 years of great dining, but I loved their soups and salads then!
10 best ingredients in my kitchen
EVOO
Onions
Garlic
Chicken stock (homemade)
Cilantro
Parsley
Lemons
Cumin
Capers
Quinoa
Cookbooks you shouldn't have purchased...which books just didn't work for you?
I am so grateful to have found this conversation. I had heard about Chicken Marbella for years as being the best dish on the planet, yet I somehow never got around to making it. I even felt a little guilty about not participating in this global phenomenon. Finally, about 15 months ago I broke down and cooked it, and based on all the hype, I was expecting gourment nirvana. Imagine my astonishment when I HATED it! I began wondering if there was something wrong with me and I found myself unable to confess to anyone that I hated Chicken Marbella! Thank you all so much for relieving me of that notion. No, there is nothing wrong with my culinary instincts -- that dish is just plain horrible!
Romantic Restaurants in the Area near Holocaust Museum
I'm really surprised that no one has mentioned Sou'Wester at the Mandarin Oriental, which is within walking distance of the Holocaust Museum. It has water views, which I would consider to be romantic. I haven't been there myself, so can't comment on the food. However, it has been positively reviewed. http://www.mandarinoriental.com/washington/dining/souwester/
Anyone try the Michel Richard menu at the National Gallery of Art?
When does the Italian menu start? i still haven't made it to the Michel Richard French menu. I really hope I still have time!
Favorite Salsa?
YES! I am a very critical salsa judge and Rio Grande/Uncle Julio's salsa is the real deal! (We go to the one at the Rio Center in Gaithersburg.) I go there only for the salsa and the classico margarita. (I may have the name wrong on the margarita, it doesn't seem to be on the online menu.)
Where to lay our heads after dining at Inn at Little Washington
The Foster Harris House is just down the street. It's lovely and has an incredible breakfast -- one of the best breakfasts I've ever had. http://www.fosterharris.com/
Epicurious Glitch
If this subject already has a topic, please forgive, I couldn't find it.
The Buzz Box used to be one of my favorite features on Epicurious. However, in the last several months I've noticed that many, if not all, of the recipes featured on Buzz Box are there only because a single review has been repeated dozens of times. For example, a recipe might say that it has 64 reviews, when, in fact, 30 of those 'reviews' are the very same review repeated 30 times. It seems to me that this must be some kind of technical glitch and not a reviewer actually submitting their review dozens of times. I've written to Epicurious several times about this problem and have never received any kind of reply beyond boilerplate. It seems to me that they would want to fix this problem, but as far as I can tell, they're indifferent.
Am I the only one who is bothered by this?
BAAAAA HUMBUG! - Where to get best deals on Lamb for Xmas Dinner
I just saw lamb shanks at my local Safeway yesterday morning. I can also vouch for the butcher on Del Ray Ave -- excellent quality.
Lunch in Bethesda?
For Italian, we really like Assaggi Mozzarella Bar. http://www.assaggirestaurant.com/
Easton, MD
I haven't been there myself, but The Bartlett Pear Inn has been getting good reviews.
Dinner recommendation near Reston town center
Second the recommendation for PassionFish. It's excellent and would be a good location for a work-related dinner -- not overly noisy.
