One of my favorites, but I definitely have to be in the mood and take my time with it as well - With lots of fresh juice to wash it down!

Those that may be scared of the heat, try Costalilla's down the street - Not quite as good but not nearly as spicy, either.

They were at the Mount Vernon Farmers Market this morning...

Hmart, and I believe Grand Mart as well...

I was headed to New Amsterdam on Saturday to pick up some lunch to take back to work, and stopped here instead. I, Too, had the red - And also picked a '3' for heat after being told that their heat scale is very authentic. The result was not much heat, next time I will pick a '5', lesson learned - But the Ramen was delicious, the pork was perfect (it looked very fatty but was just the right ration of meat to fat and very savory), and everything held up after a 15 minute walk back. I expected to have to re-heat when I arrived, but upon opening the ramen was the perfect temperature and even the noodles didn't get soggy.
I also got a side of Oshinko (japanese pickles) and Kim Chee, both of which were very good - The Kim Chee was far spicier that the level '3' ramen.

I went there a few times when it first opened and had spotty service each time - They were nice but not very attentive once I sat down. I was hoping they were just ironing things out, it's a shame that isn't the case...

Grand Mart always has them - Also try Bestway and El Eden markets....

http://ecofriendly.com/

Julien did wonderful things at Society Fair in Alexandria, I can't wait to check out his work at Range...

Balducci's sometimes has it...

I have heard good things - Went by on Saturday but they weren't open yet....

Try meetup.com, there are several there that are geared for different aspects and geographical locations. I'd say as long as your idea is different, it should be a good idea!

You should contact Nate at Red Apron, he has a cart and is well-regarded...

The one thing about Graffiato is that the entire left hand side of the first floor is 1st come-1st served counter, very easy to walk in and find a place for 1 or two....And nice and toasty in the Winter next to the wood-burning ovens...

Grafiatto - The Pizza is delicious, you'll love the pasta and other things, and it is right across the street...

Try H-Mart, Grand Mart, and Eden markets - Probably in that order from most to least likely...

Actually, Brabo is part of the Butcher's block right next door:

http://www.braborestaurant.com/

The Tasting room is more casual and has charcuterie...

Any H-Mart or Grand Mart should have them - Also try Hanna Market at 17th and U ST NW.

http://www.seaurchinmaine.com/order.html

Have you watched the show "Kimchi Chronicles?" It will give you a broad sense of the food and culture - I am not a big fan of the in-kitchen segments, the weird interaction with Hugh Jackman made me uncomfortable, and JG's interpretations didn't thrill me, but you can see her do some basics.

Sorry I can't help you with SS, I don't know that area - But I have asked random strangers in H-Mart about some of the things I needed!

Reviving this thread - Anyone know any Uni options other than H Mart?

H Mart and El Grande occasionally have fresh Favas out of season, and I picked up some frozen ones (still in their "intermediate" pods) at the latter last week, but have yet to try them.

By all means, NEVER go to the Dupont Farmer Market in the Spring - Those are all MINE! :)

I am not sure what your H-Mart options up that way are, but I would see if I could find one or at least a solid Korean or Japanese market.

I Second Graffiato, it's a fun place, the portions are tapas-size (except for the pizzas) so you can try alot of dishes and it is a nice, casual place with solid food. Anything out of the wood oven is delicious and it is right across the street from Verizon...

I feel a bit bad about the report above, but call them as I see them. So when co-workers decided to order from DGS yesterday, I was anxious to give it another try.

I was tempted to order the soup again as it was so good the first time - But ended up starting with the chopped liver, which was really, really nice - the flavor was spot-on, savory and a tad sweet, the liver shining through but not overpowering. The texture was a but creamier than I was used to, not as chunky as most, and was served in 'cups' of raddicchio with somewhat boring toasts.

I also ordered the pastrami sandwich - I was not going to chance the Reuben once again! The meat was delicious, not at all mealy as before and was a very nice sandwich - HOWEVER - the bread still sucked, as it fell apart while eating even without being soaked with grease as before. A minor quirk was that the pastrami was cut very thickly, in chunks, and while I prefer it sliced thin on a sandwich, the flavor was so nice that it didn't matter as much to me.

The pickles were crunchy and not mushy like before; I tried both slaws and neither were anything to write home about.

All in all, a positive experience - there are some consistency problems that they need to work out and hopefully those will be resolved in time, but my new go-to light lunch just might be an order of chopped liver and a bowl of Matzo Ball soup....

You may try any of the Bestway or Eden markets in Alexandria...

Wow, I wish I could have had your sandwich - i just got back from there and I thought it was awful - the pickles were limp and mushy, my Rueben was so greasy the bread was falling apart, and the corned beef was mealy and tasteless. Even the kraut was bland.
However, the one bright star in the meal was the Matzo Ball soup, tasty broth with a light and fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth ball, simple yet elegant. The staff were attentive and pleasant.
On my way out, I saw another sandwich on the counter that looked better than mine, they may have consistancy problems (wouldn't explain the corned beef, though) - I would have stopped and spoken to management but I was already running very late (not their fault, mine!)

Looks good - It also looks like it is pretty big, especially at around 19 lbs - Are you sure you need to soak it? It doesn't have that "proscuitto" look like salt-cured hams normally do: http://www.countryhams.com/ediblememp...

But it's also pretty hard to tell in that tiny photo!

Enjoy, let us know how it goes....

Most country hams are already smoked, so that may be overkill - If you are dead-set on smoking a ham, you'll want to start with a fresh one and wet-cure it yourself (a boned fresh ham, rolled and tied, will be easier than a whole one) - Or even buy a cured one without the smoke-flavoring added and then smoke it.

Michael Ruhlman covers this in his book, but here is a link:

http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/americ...

You can get them at Eastern Market, Canales Meats, but I have also seen them at Safeway occasionally - Not that brand, however. I usually go for a Smithfield ham and order it online.

I don't know if you've ever worked with one of these before, but if not, allow plenty of time for soaking - I usually soak for 48-72 hours (and it is still quite salty!). I wrote a guide and history some years ago if you want to know more: http://tommyskitchen.com/?p=788

If you are worried about salt content, you can go with a "Williamsburg" ham, same style but less salt.

Now you have me thinking of VA ham, I cured my own last Easter but may have to do a Smithfield this year!

Is Bay Lo still there? I've heard rumors of it's demise....