mattm's Profile
Stop the presses...Rays Hell Burger Now Serves French Fries
The burger at Ray's the Classics is not the same quality as that at Ray's Hell Burger. I haven't done the side by side comparison, but the I definitely recommend getting burgers at Ray's Hell Burger. Maybe it's just that the staff is focused on the burgers there.
Scharfen Berger Chocolate
Sad to hear the factory closed.
I've found the best prices on Scharffen Berger at MOM's.
Best Milkshakes in DC
Ray's had milkshakes when I was there in May. They weren't listed on the paper menu, but they were up on the chalkboards at $4.95. I wasn't hungry enough for both a 10 oz burger and milkshake at the time though.
Potbelly's milkshakes and malts aren't bad. I think Big Buns in Arlington has better, but I don't think either match Good Stuff.
Have done a board search, still have a few assorted questions re: College Park, Baltimore....
Marathon, though a decent lunch place, is not somewhere to go with an expense account and a desire for a great dinner.
BGR: Burgers in Bethesda
I did not personally voice a complaint to the manager. Several of the other customers did, to varying degrees of success (free beer for one, but no speedup for anyone).
@chicken kabob:
The food wasn't bad. The burger was above average, but it just wasn't worth the incompetence.
Please Rec Bakery in DC or NOVA for Cake
The chocolate cake Victoria's serves at the Fairfax Chocolate festival is fantastic. I'm not sure, however, which one it is on their site.
http://www.victoriascakeryinc.com/
BGR: Burgers in Bethesda
I went to BGR on a Saturday night, primarily because of its appearance on the Washingtonian Cheap Eats list. I was really disappointed. The short version is that the food was okay, but the service and management was terrible. They ask you to be patient because everything is cooked to order, but the food does not justify the incompetence on display.
The restaurant wasn't all that crowded when I arrived. The line reached to about the door, but there were tables open inside and outside. I wasn't keeping track of time while in line, but would estimate the 15 people in front of me took >20 minutes to order. This seemed slow, but I could be patient waiting in line. I was not prepared for the wait after ordering though.
The time of your order is printed on your receipt even when you pay by cash. It took 42 minutes from the time I ordered until the time my food was ready. This is absolutely ridiculous for a hamburger. And it wasn't only my hamburger, but everyone else's as well. During this time there was ample opportunity to converse with the other patrons to hear about the other problems.
BGR ran out of hamburger buns. This is a hamburger joint. How do you run out of hamburger buns on a Saturday night? And why isn't it possible to send someone to get hamburger buns? They also ran out of what another patron termed, "the good beer". At least they were nice enough to give them the other beer for free.
There were about 6 staff on hand. There appeared to be one manning the grill, one at the cash register, and one at the fryer. I have no idea what the others were doing. One of the them came out to clean the outside tables when another patron complained. He stated that it wasn't his job to do so, but would clean anyway to make people happy.
I had the southwestern burger and the shake of the month, a blueberry milkshake. The milkshake was soso. It appeared to have quite a bit of ice filler. The burger was better, with a nice blend of chipotle pepper. I didn't get the lettuce or tomato I would have liked, apparently because I wasn't specific enough when ordering. The cashier also didn't say anything about this when I ordered. Perhaps the southwestern isn't served with other fixings.
Skip BGR. The milkshakes at Good Stuff are far superior, and the burgers at Ray's are better, and there at least your wait will be justified by the number of people in line.
Soft Serve Ice cream - D.C. metro area?
Try Woody's in Fairfax, VA. Woody's has soft serve ice cream with outdoor only seating. The ice cream is reasonably priced and dogs eat free. It is seasonal, however, and I'm not sure when they open for the year.
Woody's is on Main St. (Rt 236) right by the Carlos O'Keely's (don't park in their lot on happy hour nights).
Milkshakes at Godd Stuff Eatery - Capitol Hill
I concur on the milkshakes. I had the mixed berry (it's been awhile, and it could be called something different) shake several weeks ago. It was a great shake, made with real berries. The thickness was just to the point where you need to suck hard on the straw for it to come out, which is how I think a shake should be. I think it was topped with whipped cream.
The burger and chili were okay. I have definitely had better elsewhere.
The place has some notoriety because it's run by Spike from Top Chef. When I was there, he was in the kitchen, identifiable by being the only staff member working with his bare hands.
Eggs in Ice Cream
Why do some ice cream recipes call for the entire egg, but others call for only the egg yolk? I understand that the egg yolk is an emulsifier and creates a creamier texture, but what does the egg white do?
Unique Eats in DC
Since you're staying in Fairfax, I'll limit my recommendations to that part of the area. All of the above recommendations are good.
I'm partial to Tong Thai in Fairfax, located in University Mall. They do drunken noodles, pad thai, green curry, country style curry, and the cilantro beef salad appetizer well.
If you're interested in Korean fried chicken, check out Bonchon Chicken in Annandale.
If you want Ethiopian but don't want to drive into DC, there's a shopping center next to Skyline Mall on George Mason Drive. The food is comparable to what you will find in DC, but the atmosphere will not be - smoking is still permitted in restaurants in VA but not in DC.
Best Pies in Metro region
The Pie Gourmet can indeed be hit or miss. If memory serves, the chocolate silk pie was very good.
Univ of MD at College Park Ice Cream?
It's been a long time since I had an ice cream at Moorenko's, but I would rate the UMD ice cream about equal or a bit worse than Moorenko's. Some of the flavors don't move as fast, so they aren't as fresh as. (The containers provided for social events on campus, however, are fresh.) I also like strong ice cream flavors, and UMD flavors aren't always that robust. I've had the vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, butter pecan, and Fear the Turtle (I think caramel and nuts with some chocolate in a vanilla type base).
Overall, I would definitely recommend stopping in if you're in the area, but I wouldn't make a special trip.
Oh, and the directions provided by dzoey are accurate.
DC/ NOVA Help with Chinese Food
Be aware that China is a big place, and there are distinct cuisines within Chinese cooking. The regional variations are substantial, and the variety available in the DC area is diverse enough that you should be able to tell the difference. You'll probably find you prefer some styles over others.
Also be aware that just about every Chinese restaurant has Americanized Chinese food on the menu. If you want to avoid it, just don't order it.
Sichuan (Szechuan): Known for the hot, numbing spicy dishes, though there are other things as well. Examples: Joe's Noodle House, China Star, Hong Kong Palace (apparently, though it cracks me up to hear Hong Kong associated with Sichuan).
Cantonese: Usually when people say dim sum, they mean the Cantonese version. I also think of crispy noodle and fat noodle dishes. Examples: Mark's Duck House.
Taiwanese: I don't really know it well enough to describe it. Maybe someone else can help here. Examples: A&J's, Bob's Noodle House.
Shanghai: Known for xiao long bao (steamed soup filled dumplings), crab, and sweet dishes. I don't know any good local examples.
There are other categories as well, but I don't know them well and definitely can't provide good examples of local restaurants.
Homemade ice cream recipes?
For vanilla ice cream, I think you need vanilla bean. The flavor of a vanilla extract just isn't the same.
Matchbox in D.C. - Chinatown
I agree with the criticisms of Matchbox. I went on a weeknight with a friend for dinner, and the wait was substantial (30-45 min?). The music is moderate volume, but the interior choice of materials makes the place an echo chamber, so it gets noisy and difficult to carry on a conversation (even for those with no hearing problems). I had the pizza, which was ok but not remarkable. I think the pizza's appeal is supposed to be that it's wood fired.
Asian bakeries in DC?
If the DC part isn't a strict requirement, here are some options.
Shilla is Korean. Maria's is Chinese. I think all of the Maria's locations use a central baking location.
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Shilla Bakery
7039 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 22003
Maria's Bakery
4316 Markham St, Annandale, VA 22003
Maria's Bakery & Cafe
1701 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852
Maria's Bakery
6799 Wilson Blvd, Falls Church, VA 22044
Dim Sum
There are no clear dim sum winners in the DC area. Reviews of the popular places are mixed. You basically have to take your chances.
Some tips:
-Arrive early. This gets you in before the big rush, and there will be enough customers as the restaurant fills to keep the food turning over.
-If you are going for one of the wheeled cart experiences, try to get a table near where the carts exit the kitchen. The food will be freshest then.
Some other places that I don't have addresses for:
Mark's Duck House, near Seven Corners
Lucky 3, near Baileys Crossroads
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Oriental East
1312 E West Hwy, Silver Spring, MD 20910
China Garden Restaurant
1100 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22209
Hong Kong Palace - CUKE in the stir-fry???
Just so everyone knows, Chengdu is a city located in the province of Sichuan.
Shortcuts and ingredients you don't need to buy?
I don't think there's a way around different types of flour. If recipes call for bread flour or cake flour, you're best off using those.
You can avoid buying spice combinations like taco seasoning or Italian seasoning. These are just mixes of other spices which you can do yourself and balance to your own taste.
You can improvise a double boiler by finding a metal bowl that fits into a pot.
Introducing Places
This is a very nice addition!
Is there any possibility of enabling a geographical search of the database?
$20 Burgers in DC vs. Chain Hell?
I feel ignorant. How are the chains able to get around the property tax problem?
Is it higher sales volume? Better political connections?
Bangkok Golden -- any good?
I've never understood exactly what the business relationship is between Bangkok Golden and Tong Thai (located in University Mall, Fairfax). Some of the menus at Tong Thai say Bangkok Golden, but the sign outside says Tong Thai.
Anyway, Tong Thai is my favorite Thai restaurant in the DC Metro area. I recommend the pad thai, drunken noodles, and curries. The coconut-based curries aren't greasy. The country style curry has no coconut milk, and is usually very chile hot. The beef salad appetizer (don't remember the Thai name) is also worth trying.
I've never tried the Seven Corners or Fort Washington locations.
Turkish food and black and white cookies?
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/391690
I don't know of any Turkish food in or around College Park. It's all a bit of a drive.
Moving to Falls Church - restaurant recommendations
The Lebanese Butcher in Falls Church is a board favorite for Lebanese food.
I recommend the baklava at Mirage on Rt. 7, next to Lucky 3(?). It's on the same side of the road as Border's, a 1/2(?) mile up towards Seven Corners.
And don't forget the many Vietnamese options at Eden Center, which is at Seven Corners.
Steamed BBQ Pork Buns
The spelling and pronunciation can vary a bit. It's the trouble with different Romanizations of the Chinese language, which also has different dialects.
No leads on where to get an at-home version.
Taste of Morocco- Silver Spring, MD
I have eaten at the Clarendon Taste of Morocco, but not the Silver Spring location. Most of the food was similarly uninspiring, but the chicken bastilla was quite good. I remember a crispy, flaky pastry shell dusted with cinnamon and sugar containing a hearty, savory filling.
Pyramids has better food, but is definitely a dive. I think the bastilla I had there was just as good. The prices are in line with the decor, but be aware they may not be accurately reflected in the menu, which was out of date at my last visit. It's an excellent cheap eat.
Locally made ice-cream & sorbets - recommendations???
Max's in Washington DC on Wisconsin Ave: this was a chowhound recommendation, I think from Steve.
York Castle in Silver Spring on Georgia Ave: They have a large tropical flavor selection. I think the ownership is Jamaican.
Woody's in Fairfax: This is a local soft serve stand with seasonal hours and is closed Sundays. Prices are reasonable and dogs eat free.
Ballston area Chinese
Chinese food in Ballston is mediocre. Food in Chengdu (in Sichuan province) is much better than anything I've had at Sichuan Wok, though it's been a couple years since I've eaten at Sichuan Wok. I would characterize their cooking as "Central Kitchen" style, meaning that it tastes the same as any other Chinese takeout kitchen's.
Is there such a thing as a good "pizza by the slice" spot in DC & Metro Area?
Luciano's sausage is also pretty good. The place has been there a long time.
I also recommend the pizza at Mama Lucia's in Fair City Mall in Fairfax. I don't recommend places of the same name at other locations.
