deangold's Profile
Good Jewish Deli in Rockville, Gaithersburg, Germantown?
The Lutefisk in Minnesota is inedible. It frightens small children. I blame this on the presence of Swedes and Norwegians! But then again, I should talk.... my people invented Kiska and I love it! ;)
What's the 2nd best sandwich place in DC?
Can you be more specific? I went to Saigonese yesterday seeing a sign for Bahn Mi in the window or on the sidewalk and had 2 really good sandwiches for $2.50 each. They were the tofu and the red meat {pork belly}. The ham was not at all interesting as the ham itself was boring as can be. The meat ones came with a liverwurst like schmear of pate, a good cuke, carrot & cilantro slaw and mayo. The tofu sandwich has freshly fried tofu, some mysterioius brown sauce, the slaw and was quite good. Right now my favorite quick lunch in Wheaton, well that and Max's.
Good Jewish Deli in Rockville, Gaithersburg, Germantown?
There are about 12 to 16 tables with seating for about 45 or so. They do a good take out business but every time I ahve been there there is more dinining is than take out. The menu is down home short order plus the corned beef and pastrami. Meatloaf, fried chicken, breakfast items etc abound.. Liver and onions and fried catfish etc.
I'm Looking for a Place that Does what Sushi Taro Used to do
Kotobuki is cheap and good. Sushi at Tako Grill is pretty darned good (but we are known by the owner and the sushi guys so that might help} but expensive, especially with good sake added.
Full Kee Sunday lunch? or..?
A bowl of Shrimp Dumpling noodle soup and a plate of fried leed stems {Fried Leek stems & blossoms} wold be a pretty good antidote to the cold. The salt & pepper fried three seafood dish is a really good plate of fried shrimp, scallop & squid with green chili slices. I have had mixed service issues.
New Big Wong has some really good, if not cheap, seafood. DO not order blindly off the menu as most of it is Americanized crap. But engage the staff in a discussion of seafood, greens, soups and some special dishes and you should be able to eat well. I always order my seafood first as it seems to make them comfortable suggesting more adventurous meat dishes. I think they do a fine black pepper beef rib (thin, cross cut short ribs, the kind called LA Rib in Korean markets or some Korean BBQ's.
Chinatown Express hand pulls noodles which I find best in broth with seafood. Nothing great about the dish except for the noodle itself, but super cheap. At one time the roast meats were superb, but then went down hill. Have not been recently so can't say how they are these days but if they have returned to form they would be good. In any case, if you use enough of the garlic and leek sauces on the table, they will be good sauce delivery devices. Do not go in to the bathrooms, do not look at the carpet. This is a dingy dive but the noodles are really nice. I used to like the soup dumplings {called juicy pork buns} but the last time I ate them (over a year ago or more) they were doughy. The filling and soup within were superb.
Houstons in Rockville Closing!!!
From what I heard, the increase on the rent was somewhere in the neighborhood of $38k to 55k. Hard to see how you can grow business in this economy to justify that much scratch. I htink there are currently 4 or 5 big box restaurant spaces on the pike all in shopping centers or buildings with a lot of visibility and parking.
What restaurant are you excited about for DC's restaurant week?
Some restaurants offer a limited menu for the restaurant week price and some offer their entire menu. It depends on the restaurant's choice.
Any Restos open on New Year's?
Here is a start from Open Table:
Dinner
http://www.opentable.com/opentables-new.aspx?iid=&t=reg&n=464,462,5021,468,465,463,2210,2966,4379,&f=&q=&mn=59&m=18&p=2&d=1/1/2010%207:00:00%20PM
Lunch
http://www.opentable.com/opentables-new.aspx?m=18&p=2&d=1/1/2010%201:00:00%20PM&n=464,462,5021,468,465,463,2210,2966,4379&mn=59&fmn=59&t=reg&f=&q=&rp=opentables-new.aspx
open on christmas?
http://www.opentable.com/opentables-new.aspx?iid=&t=reg&n=177,3824,3743,2294,3671,417,4841,3851,3869,826,181,495,808,3491,3347,&f=&q=&mn=188&m=9&p=2&d=12/25/2009%207:00:00%20PM
some good choices there.
rehearsal dinner suggestions - crystal city and beyond
If you can have the rehearsal on a Thursday instead of a Friday/Saturday, it can be done for less at a lot of places.
All you can eat sushi?
quite good sushi, maybe a little better than Hee Bin but the cooked food falls far short of Hee Bin or IL Mee with no cooked to order meats avaialble. Still it is the best in the area.
Where can I buy Virginia peanuts?
Apparently its Edwards brand
http://www.whitleyspeanut.com/countryham/
Where Can I Buy Fleur de Sel in Baltimore?
Great mail order source:
http://www.saltworks.us/
Good Korean BBQ
I love the skinny metal chopsticks as it insures I get my fill at Kay's expense! Actually a local Korean we used to frequent has them and I have gotten quite good at them but they take specialized muscle development as their weight balance is quite different that other chopsticks. Try grasping them up or down from where you normally grasp and see if that helps.
Or they are handy if a game of darts breaks out.
Good Korean BBQ
Honey Pig definitely isnot strong on the banchan but it does a great Chul Pan and the steamed egg is superb & super cheap.
Good Korean BBQ
Honey Pig is my current favorite although it does not have the range of some {ie no tongue}. But it is an incredible buy.
Hee Been is coming on strong for me. I didn't like it a few years back but just had lunch there today and really enjoyed it. My third visit. If you are a late night carnavore in need of meat and just meat (I mean only white sweet radish and kimchee and meat and sauces) it is $9.95. The lunch buffet has good sushi {better than getting it at whole foods, not quite as good as Kotobuki but its AYCE and better than Matuba or any other Korean AYCE joint I know. The banchan bar is superb. THe lotus root today was incredible, the white kimchee really good and the seasoned shiitake are great. Also they offer Shabu Shabu as well.
YeCHon just isn't as good as it used to be though still fine.
Some like Od Gad Jib which I do but the BBQ isn't the main attraction for me. They have AYCE and the beef is just not great AFAIAC. But I love the $25 combo with veggies, I forget the name, which comes with excellent pork belly. And they have Dong Dong Ju if you have an excess of brain cells and want to kill a few.
Nowhere else I have been to comes close to these IMO but I have yet to go to Han Gang which I hear mixed things about. Its on my list.
Tamales in DC/MD area
I think that Salvadoran tamales are quite wonderful. Favorites include Irene's in Wheaton.
All you can eat sushi?
There are two Korean buffet spots in annandale that do a surprisingly good jon on Sushi. I prefer Hee Bin to IL Mee but the sushi at IL Mee is a little better. Mostly rolls and both are pretty exuberent with the toppings and combinations. In Beltsville, Gahr Am {I think} is good.
Favorite restaurants in Wheaton
I forgot Pho Hiep Hoa. They have recently spurced up and now are back on their game. Very good summer rolls buthteir spring rolls tend to be a little underfried. I love the noodles with grilled pork & shrimp as well as the pho.
Favorite restaurants in Wheaton
It is sweeter than ever but also still as hot as ever. I have been going with the pork noodle soup extra spicy and it is less sweet.
Kosher in Montgomery County
Where is the Pastry Oven in Wheaton?
Agree on the Schwarma at Max's. A platter is enough for two!
Favorite restaurants in Wheaton
New Kam Fong
Irene's
Max's
Slipped on our last visit but usually good is Ruan Thai
Hit or miss on last couple of visits but on an upswing is Nava Thai but service is way off alter int he evening.
Your 10 favorite DC Metro restaurants
I love the Lamb Kabob and the Sheek. Not a fan of the chicken sheek kabbob but botht he bone in and boneless chicken are superb. Still for under $10 for the kebobs and the naan and really good raita (plus a few welcome shreds of iceberg and onion), this is a super bargain!!
Are there any 90%+ local/sustainable restaurants in the DC Metro?
Blue Duck {althought Marcho Farm veal is not what I would call sustainable}
Bar Pilar
Firefly
Dino {NB my own restaurant}
I am sure there are many more but these are ones whose menus I have recently looked at.
Grass-Fed Burgers in DC?
Monday, Jane Black at WaPo had this on FF
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/06/AR2009120602778.html
Meyer Natural Angus is not grass fed. They were involved with a less than stellar abattoir/processor {one of the most heavily fined for improper practices including animal welfare issues}. They supplied corporate organic giant Whole Foods, I do not know one way or another if they still do. I used to use Meyer until their practices came to light. They also own Coleman brand all natural beef.
Looking for Bao
New Kam Fong has them in Wheaton. Baked Pork and a Sweet bun are the kinds I have seen. They gace us a couple late at night saying they were much better in the morning when fresh. We microwaved them and they were pretty darn good.
New Year's Eve early dinner, not all-night party
Dino is serving a fixed menu
http://tinyurl.com/dinonye2009
Ray's Hell Burger (I Don't Get All The Hoopla)
I was there yesterday at 12:30. No long lines out the door, but a short line at all times. No wait for tables.
It does not not come with a side.
A find equal to Grace Garden?
I also think we are falling into the trap here of talking about Hunanese cooking or even Sichuan cooking as a monolithic thing.
As an example, Italian cooking is very regional. Tuscan cooking is often talked about as if it was one type of cooking. Tuscan cooking is very different in Montalcino, the Maremma, Florence, Lucca etc.
Similarly HKP is different from Joe's is different from Sichuan Pavillion {but by less{ than from the Sichuan at GG.
