The black bean sauce usually has some pork in it. I wouldn't count on it being vegetarian. All of the dishes I've had there and liked also have meat in them. They may have bibimbap, which can easily be made vegetarian. I'm not sure they have it on the menu, though.

Glad you enjoyed it! And I agree with Steve - kimchi comes in all colors of spiciness and I highly doubt they gave you a special tourist kimchi. :) Thanks for the report.

Another vote for To Sok Jip. Everything is good. This is the only place I've ever seen Korean grandmas wait in line to eat.

If you're into Korean food and you're feeling adventurous, add Da Rae Won to the list! They specialize in handmade noodles made in-house. You can order them with jja-jang-myun (black bean noodles) or jjam-ppong (spicy seafood noodle soup). It is my family's favorite place to eat and it is delicious!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jajangmyeon

Fishnet also sounds amazing... :)

Thanks, CapeCodGuy! This is great!

Thanks Garris for such a comprehensive response! And for the welcome! I'll definitely keep a lookout for your monthly threads. It's really a shame that the PVD/RI board isn't as active as it used to be. I'm so used to hearing about restaurants on Yelp or local blogs and then searching Chowhound for what people -really- think. :)

I'll search through the archive here, and I'll definitely be posting about what I find once I arrive! Thanks again! Can't wait!

I'm so excited to be moving to Providence this summer, and I'm trying to find out more about the Providence dining scene. Having lived in Boston and DC, I relied heavily on DCist, the late Bostonist, Eater, etc. Are there any Providence-based food or restaurant blogs that I should be reading? So far all I've found is the Providence Journal food blog.

I agree. Our server recommended that we poke a hole in it to let the steam out before eating it, but alas there was no steam.

I'm not a xiao long bao expert, but I can say that when I went to Bob's Shanghai last night, the xiao long bao were delicious. They had two types: pork and crab yolk. The dumplings were intact when they arrived at the table, but my only gripe is that the soup inside was warm, not hot.

Some of the other dishes we ordered were also delicious: snow pea leaves, tea smoked duck and the chef's special dumpling (leeks and egg). The duck was intensely smokey.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the service. Overall, a great experience!

Pizza CS for excellent Neapolitan pizza at an unbeatable value ($12 for a pie, ice cream and fountain soda).

Has anyone been to the upstairs izakaya at Daikaya yet? Is it true that there's "fusion" involved, or did I hear that wrong? In any case, I'm excited to see how they measure up to Izakaya Seki.

To Sok Jip is fantastic. I only got to try their fish (grilled mackerel and in the spicy cod soup). It's scary, though, even for this semi-Korean speaker!

True. The one restaurant in my neck of the woods that has some of the best and hottest dolsot bibimbap is Arirang in Rockville. They're also known for their soondubu (spicy tofu stew - also served in dolsots). I guess they just really know their dolsots!

Otherwise, most other dolsot bibimbaps I've had in Montgomery County have been "fine" at best.

@Kris in Beijing - Thanks for your reply! Does Bob's Red Mill make white grits? I've only seen yellow (polenta). I haven't heard of White Lilly, though! I'll look into it. As for Quaker Oats grits, the non-instant is actually not bad, but it's so finely ground that it doesn't have that heft.

Anyway, I'm excited to try Charleston Favorites because the directions actually say "Rinse to remove pieces of bran." That sounds hardcore!

Hey all. I was at The Fresh Market in Rockville this morning and I came across a bag of Charleston Favorites Stone Ground Grits (white), and it's a -canvas- bag. That's promising. Will report back this weekend when I have 30 minutes to prepare for breakfast. :)

Another vote for Fork & Wrench. There's a second-story dining room that overlooks another dining room, and it would be perfect for a private event for a group your size. The food there is excellent, and the decor is rustic/chic (Is that a thing?). Come to think of it, maybe I'll have my next birthday there. :)

Another vote for Pioneer in Catonsville. It is excellent. And don't forget to ask for the tiger sauce! Hope you enjoy Baltimore!

From the Bethesda Metro Station, you can walk to Black's Bar & Kitchen. You can order the market fish or other items from the "grill" portion of the menu. Sides are ordered a la carte. They also have a great oyster happy hour and nice bar scene. Black's is a weeknight go-to for me. Pretty easy to go gluten-free here while still getting some solidly good food.

From the Rockville Metro Station, you can walk to Rockville Town Center which has Sushi Damo (decent), and Carbon Peruvian Chicken Grille (pretty good).

If you don't need waiter service, I highly recommend Pizza CS, a five-minute walk from Twinbrook Metro. Stellar Neapolitan pizza with a casual and clean atmosphere. Around $12-14/person, and they also with a small selection of beer and wine.

Thanks, Terrie! That's really close to me!

If I order from Anson Mills at least, I have to buy a minimum of four bags of something, and I don't really need anything else that they sell. Adluh sounds pretty great!

I haven't! Thanks!

I love grits! I can have grits for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I've only had Quaker Quick Grits (better than instant!) and grits from Trader Joe's (not bad). Of course I've had Anson Mills grits at restaurants, but I don't think I want to order online.

Can anyone tell me where I can buy quality grits, preferably in Montgomery County? I'm looking for the real thing!

Second Matchbox.

Basil-fed snails, you say??? Wow. I don't even know what to say. That sounds amazing!! Rogue 24 for my birthday in May! :)

Have you decided where to go?

For what it's worth, I will say that Marcel's and 1789 are not much "fun," nor are they "modern" so I'd recommend against them.

I've been reading a lot about Rogue 24 lately, so if I hadn't already made my reservations (Patowmack Farms out in somewhereville?), that's where I would probably look first. Good luck!

Congrats on your upcoming wedding!

Could you specify a few things? Otherwise you may get responses that you're not too keen on.

For example...

-What is the specific price per person that you're hoping for? Dollar amount is best.
- Is there any area in DC that you'd prefer?
- Is it important that the restaurant is Metro-accessible? Will your guests have cars?
- Any preference in types of cuisine?
- How important is it that there's no food/beverage minimum or no requirement to pay up front? From my experience rehearsal-dinner shopping in DC, this may severely limit your options.

Pabu is fantastic! It is one of the few places in MD/DC/VA where I found chawanmushi (savory egg custard), which was done very well. Is it better than Seki? I think it depends on what you're looking for. One thing that turns me off is how the menu seems to apologize for its more unusual offerings ("Kokoro sake-cured chicken heart 'the best part of the chicken,' " for example.)

I prefer Seki because it feels a lot more homegrown and the menu options seem riskier and more interesting, but I can be convinced otherwise! I'd love to hear what others have to say.

As far as price goes, I'd say they're just about even. Maybe $30-40/person before alcohol.

I don't know if it's out of your way, but I really like the tonkatsu at Temari in Rockville. Nothing fancy, just a nice, thin piece of pork with a crispy batter served with that delicious sweet/savory sauce and pickled radish. They also have tonkatsu curry, which is my go-to when I'm there.

I second 8407. I've been twice and the food is very good. The duck breast is my favorite dish there, and their duck fat fries are fantastic.