milocat's Profile
Where to find hot cross buns?
Firehook Bakery in Alexandria has them as does Balduccis. I have seen them at Whole Foods in the past. Also in Giant.
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Firehook Bakery
3411 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC
Balducci's
600 Franklin St, Alexandria, VA 22314
Best grocery store cake (Alexandria-Springfield area)?
This may be too late but I had some Carrot cake at the Chicken Out restaurant recently and it was quite good. Got some after the women in line in front of me enthused over it. They have several whole cakes in the case at any one time and I am sure they would sell you a whole one. I go to the Chicken Out on South Washington across from Balduccis.
meringue mushrooms in NoVa?
They are candies of a sort made from sweetened meringue that are made in the shape of mushrooms and often dusted with cocoa powder to make them light brown like mushrooms. You mostly see them decorating the tops of the French Christmas cake, the buche de Noel, or Christmas log. The cake is usually yellow cake and chocolate frosting in the shape of a log. You decorate the top with candy or frosting green leaves and the meringue mushrooms. Supposed to look like a log that is in the forest. Ok, now I want cake.....
meringue mushrooms in NoVa?
In NoVa try the Tivoli Bakery (two locations: at the Rosslyn and Ballston Metros) and in DC try Dean and Deluca in Georgetown. Leopold's Cafe and Patisserie Poupon in Georgetown may be two possibilities. I have seen these in the past but it is best to call ahead to be sure.
Pizzeria Paradiso coming to Old Town?
Wow. That would be great. A perfect part of town for it to be in. I'm glad to hear they are starting to get these empty store fronts filled.
Bring Me Some Figgy Pudding
Rodman's now has a large selection of English Christmas treats, including various sizes and flavors of Christmas puddings (traditonal, brandy, rum, etc.) You boil/steam them per the instructions on the container.
They also have fruitcake like cake with a thick layer of white frosting that is from the UK. They have large and small sizes of the puddings so not much lost if you get a small one and don't like it. They also have jars of the brandy sauce that goes on top of the pudding. I love Rodman's.
Local food gifts for DC clients
This may not be appropriate to your needs but I thought I would put it out there. At a monastery just outside of Charlottesville, VA, nuns make gouda cheese to support themselves. It is amazing cheese, made I believe with local milk, and the Post even wrote about it some time back. That is how I discovered it. I have been buying the cheese every Christmas for at least 10 years. The sell it in 2-pound rounds encased in red wax with the black and gold monastery logo and they do only mail order.
E-mail cheese@olamonastery.org or write to Our Lady of the Angels, 3365 Monastery Drive, Crozet, VA 22932.
Where to find a great DC/Nova sandwich?
I was in Del Ray here in Alexandria for Art on Avenue a couple of months ago. I was waiting at a bus stop on Mt. Vernon Ave just south of Monroe street. A guy was at the stop with a box full of wrapped hoagie-type sandwhiches (turns out they were cheese steaks). We started chatting and he said he had just picked them up from the nearby Al's Steakhouse (http://www.alssteak.com).
The guy was from Philadelphia, lives in Montgomery county, and comes all this way, by bus and metro no less, for the cheese steaks. He called the place a "hidden gem" and says they are just like he had in Philadelphia. I don't eat beef so can't give a personal rec but there you go.
I used to live in Del Ray and the place has been there forever.
Fresh cherries anywhere in No Va?
Balducci's in Old Town had red cherries a few days ago.
pre-made mini pie shells
Balducci's in Old Town has them in the frozen food section. I don't think they are bite size, but they are small...
Best bread pudding in DC?
The pistachio bread pudding at Corduroy is one of the best desserts I have ever had. Not sure if it is always on the menu, but very worth getting if it is.
Where Can We Purchase a Pre-Cooked Turkey?
I live near the Balducci's in Old Town and they have begun advertising that they will fix your whole Thanksgiving meal, turkey to pie. At least in the Old Town store, they have a desk by the check out that seems to handle all the "take out" orders.
I get their roasted chicken on a pretty regular basis and it's very good. I recently had some of their pumpkin pie, also good. www.balduccis.com
Dining solo at Charleston (longish report)
I posted a bit ago about my plans to have dinner solo at Charleston in Baltimore. I went on Friday and the whole experience was fabulous. Thanks so much to those of you who encouraged me to go. Hands down one of the best dining experiences I have ever had.
I called around 4:00pm the same day and asked if the full menu was available in the bar area. They said yes, and they would set me up at a nice table by the window. The person who answered the phone said they were expecting a big party (50!) at 6:30 so I should come around 5:30 or 7:30 to avoid being overwhelmed. I chose the earlier hour and left my name.
I arrived promtply at 5:30 and when I walked in, I was about to say who I was, but I was greeted by name. They didn't seat me in the bar area, instead they seated me at a lovely table by a window in one of the smaller, more intimate dining rooms that looks out on the water. That thoughtfulness set the tone for the whole dinner. It is a propos to say I am a woman and at no point in the evening did I feel out of place or conspicuous eating alone.
The person (a woman) who brought me the menu, explained the tasting menu process, poured the wine and generally made sure my experience was good (not sure in the restaurant world what this person is called...) was excellent--professional and thoughtful without hovering. As were the little army of people who brought my food, cleared my plates, brought bread etc. Top notch.
Now to the food. I had a four-course menu with dessert, including wine pairing. After starting with an excellent Manhattan made with a nice bourbon whose name I completely forget, I had the chestnut soup. Velvety and mostly savory with just a touch of sweetness. Next I had the bib lettuce salad, which was simply dressed and very fresh. My third course was fried local oysters, also excellent. My last main course was squab with peas, something I have never had before. Dark meat like duck, but not as strong tasting. Quite good. The bread they serve with the meal is excellent, especially the one with raisins and fennel and the french rolls. I went through quite a bit of butter....
For dessert I had a fancy conconction made with concord grape sorbet and a wonderful muscat dessert wine. They brought a tray of small pastries and cookies. A nice touch which I actually had to have packed up to take with me!
The whole unrushed experience took almost two hours. Truly wonderful. If I am gushing it is because it was a gush-worthy meal.
lunch spots in old town?
The falafel place is called SandVeg and is on King Street just on the corner with Washington Street (across from Cosi). I love their falafel which are freshly fried with each order and they have a nice condiments and fixings bar with lots of pickled and fresh veggies. I see lots of people getting the falafel with salad too, which looks good.
Search for marzipan
Rodman's near the Friendship Heights station has Odense marzipan in a tube. This is high quality for baking. Many grocery stores carry it as well in their baking ingredients isle
Shelf-Stable Half-and-Half Individual Serving Containers -- NOVA -- Help Me Find Them!
I vaguely remember seeing something like this in the Safeway in Old Town (South Royal Street) in the coffee section. Since my memory is vague, may best to call them if you are not in the neighborhood.
Solo dining at Charleston
This is fabulous to hear! Table 87? I will make a note of that.
Corduroy Recs
I went for the first time in early August and it truly is a wonderful experience. I second the rec on scallops. When I went they were on small beds of mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy. Awesome. And the dessert I had was a sublime pistachio bread pudding, silky wonderfulness. Truly. Great wines by the glass.
Solo dining at Charleston
Thank you! This is very helpful. I am leaning toward sitting in the bar area now and I will definitely contact them as my visit gets closer.
Solo dining at Charleston
The online reservation link on the restaurant website sends you to Open Table. I was certainly surprised but not devastated by the two minimum for reservations. I can just show up. I just want to know what the experience would be if I did. That's all.
Solo dining at Charleston
I'm not going to give Charleston a hard time about the Open Table reservation policy as it can be easy to fit in one person at the last minute. I had planned to call the week of my visit to verify in any case and it's good to know no smoking is allowed in most restaurants. I mostly wanted to know if anyone has eaten there solo and what the experience was. Also I want to second chowsearch's query on the bar menu.
Solo dining at Charleston
I'll be in Baltimore one Friday evening next month (going to see the Poe exhibit at the BMA!) and would like to have dinner at Charleston. They don't allow reservations for fewer than 2 people so I guess you just show up and hope for the best. I don't mind being seated in the bar area, but want a table not at the bar. However, if they allow smoking in the bar area, I would want to be seated in the dining room.
Has anyone dined solo at Charleston? If so, what was the experience?
family friendly dining in old town alexandria
Caffe LaFontaine on South Royal Street one block south of King Street has savory and sweet crepes and is well priced. I went with my little nephews a while back and they loved it (www.fontainecaffe.com).
Mushroom-centric menu?
Not precisely what you are looking for but in early August I had dinner at Corduroy and had as my entree seared scallops on little beds of mashed potatoes served with the most amazing mushroom gravy. The gravy made the dish. I know Corduroy's menu changes pretty regularly but that might be someplace to look.
Where to Find Really Good Fleur de Sel Caramels (Sea salt Caramels) in DC
I am a big fan of the Sugar Cube, a candy store on the 200 block of N. Lee Street in Old Town Alexandria (near Overwood). They have fleur de sel caramels (chewy!) that are fabulous. Don't know the name of the makers but the store's website is www.sugarcubesweets.com. Two sisters own it (I believe) and they keep it stocked with the most amazing sweets.
ISO Coconut M&Ms -- NOVA, Arlington
And also interestingly, after posting this, I saw the coconut ones in the little convenience store in the building where I work! But you would need a badge to get in so it's not very helpful. The CVS on S. Wash always has the limited time only flavors (I think I bought cherry once....) so I'm guessing the buyer is a big M&M fan.
ISO Coconut M&Ms -- NOVA, Arlington
I saw them recently in the CVS on South Washington Street in Alexandria so likely they are at other CVS.
Fresh Figs - Who's Got 'Em?
A vendor at the farmers market in Alexandria had them as far back as July 4 weekend. Balduccis in Alex. also has them when they are in season but I was there yesterday and didn't see them.
How do you really feel about Eastern Market?
Absolutely. I go a number of times per year and I live in Alexandria. I usually go on the weekend. Besides the food, the vibe and ambiance are great, locals and tourists alike having a good time. Some of my food favorites: crab cake at Market Lunch, the gingerbread w/chocolate frosting from the bakery inside (bakery name eludes me but it's fabulous!), produce from the vendors in summer/fall, the bannana bread from the guy featured in the Post Magazine a while back (great stuff), and the woman who sells small, individual sized pecan and sweet potatoe pies around Thanksgiving....
Wine classes?
The Grape and Bean in Alexandria will start wine tastings in September. They are on S Royal in Old Town. www.grapeandbean.com.
