Indy 67's Profile
Reservations for lunch?
Is Estiatorio Milos in the Cosmopolitan Hotel in the group you're considering? If so here's our experience: We made reservations at Milos for a Thursday lunch at 1:15 p.m. Everyone coming into the restaurant at that time also had reservations, but given the way the room began to clear out around 2:00 p.m., I suspect you could have walked in than without a reservation and gotten a table.
Lunch service there is noon to 2:30 p.m.
Dinner near Newseum
701 has an excellent pre-theater menu from 5:30 -- 6:45 p.m. They serve a delicious, three-course meal for $30.
Here's the link to the menu: http://www.701restaurant.com/menu.php?idmenu=23
24 hours in Vegas: build my food itinerary!
The menu entries may not be exciting to read, but they sure taste exciting. Lobster taco. Big yawn on the menu, but we took the advice of our waiter who said that was his favorite and ordered two -- one for each of us. Absolutely the most insanely delicious lobster taco imaginable. Ditto for the carnitas taco. We had other two other types of tacos -- beef and chicken/mole -- that were really good but did not measure up to the extra-ordinary lobster and carnitas ones.
We also ordered the Lucky Eight shu mai assortment. Our hands down favorite was the traditional pork and shrimp mixture with the beef a close second. Again, these are items you've seen on dozens of menus, but don't taste as good as Andres' version. In particular, the shu mai wrappers were thin and elegant.
The one dish I suggest you avoid is the scallop ceviche. I live in the DC area and eat with some frequency at Andres' Mexican restaurant Oyamel. I adore Oyamel's tuna ceviche which is a slighly different version of the one served at China Poblano. The shrimp cocktail (at Oyamel called Coctel des Camaron y jaiba) is lovely but doesn't break any culinary ground. Both these DC versions are served in generous portions. The scallop ceviche at China Poblano was dull and overpriced: three scallop shells, each filled with two little nuggets of scallop a drizzle of lime juice and some ancho chili sugar. (Frankly, the ancho chili sugar persuaded us since we'd recently eaten palm sugar in Thailand after eating some incendiary Tom Yum marinade.) Twelve dollars for the dish. That's two dollars per 1/2 inch nugget of scallop.
Recommendations to eat well and stay on my diet in D.C. Fish ? Italian ? greek ?
I adore Black Salt, but I thought of one more strike against it: the retail counter at the front of the store. If Tosca takes a hit for its institutional ambiance, Black Salt really takes a hit for the fact that diners have to walk throught the retail fish counter before getting to the dining room.
That wouldn't be my first choice for a client dinner.
Le Cirque Dress Code?
Interesting incident during our meal at Le Cirque two weeks ago: We were dining with friends who are Las Vegas residents. They had assured us that it was most definitely not necessary for my husband to wear a jacket at the restaurant and he packed accordingly. However, he did wear linen long-sleeve shirts to all the places where we ate dinner.
At Le Cirque, he wanted to order the cioppino which can be seriously messy to eat. He expressed some concern to the waiter about potential mess. The waiter replied by saying that Le Cirque's version doesn't include as much liquid as other restaurant's versions. Since my husband has very poor vision, he can make a mess when others wouldn't and he repeated his concern. The waiter replied, "I'll bring you an extra napkin you can tuck in your collar. I wouldn't want your white linen shirt to get stained."
Take away lesson: The waiters will serve everyone with professionalism, but they sure do notice what their clients are wearing.
Recommendations to eat well and stay on my diet in D.C. Fish ? Italian ? greek ?
"... need to stay on my diet which is working well..." Ditto. I've been very, very successful at Tosca.
In the appetizer category, I rotate among three offerings: red pepper soup with crab timbale, mixed green salad with balsamic dressing, and Pink Snapper crudo, Tuscan style.
For my entree, I order among the simple grilled fish choices. Sometimes, I order an appetizer-sized portion of their delicious charred octopus typically offered as an entree. These simply grilled fish dishes are accompanied by a simple steamed vegetable and a starch; I've been able to request two green vegetables instead.
Some folks think the atmosphere at Tosca is quite sterile, but the food is so delicious and the service so polished and responsive that this compensates for the understated ambiance. We probably eat there once a month.
Why no LV restaurants on San Pellegrino top 50?
The Italy board has been talking about the San Pellegino list and their comments make for interesting reading. Most of the Italian posters are quite dismissive of this list, mentioning trend-driven decisions, the likely requirement that the restaurants must use some brand of Nestle bottled water, and other issues that have little to do with food.. Here's the link to that thread.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/847206
Mustard...the fresh wonderful French kind...where to buy?
I had a similar experience when friends visited Dijon, France and brought back some mustard from the source. As you say, amazing stuff!
I haven't found a local source for the real deal, but I've learned some coping strategies for better-than-US Maille. Look to see if the mustard has an expiration date (e.g. Clovis brand). If so, buy the smallest possible jar with the farthest expiration date.
Unless you're a huge consumer of mustard, don't expect the mustard to remain as sharp over time. I tend to use older mustard in recipes like a vinaigrette, marinade, or mustard cream sauce rather than straight on sandwiches.
Finally, flavored mustards (e.g. green peppercorn) tend to be milder from the start.
Good luck!
Lunch in/near Bellagio Hotel
I misread the web site. I saw the hours listed on the web site written "Sun-Sat" and had a senior moment when I decided the lunch special was a weekend deal only. My brain is now unscrambled. Apologies for causing zook and anyone else anxiety!
Incidentally, the menu states the days in a different way: "Monday through Sunday." Although both mean the same thing, the menu's version seems clearer to me!
Lunch in/near Bellagio Hotel
Thanks. That's on our radar screen for lunch Sunday. Our arrival day isn't one of the days Milos offers its lunch special.
Addendum to original post: We will be arriving on a Thursday.
From my investigations, I've come up with China Poblano and not much else. The restaurants in the Bellagio that offer lunch don't mean anything to me.
dinner near DC Park hyatt
Is Blue Duck Tavern too expensive? If I were staying in the Park Hyatt, I'd sure eat one of my meals there.
Westmoreland Berry Farm Now in Montgomery County! (in Bethesda on Sundays)
Their berry pies are also quite wonderful.
And, if memory serves, the owners had gotten that app and accompanying piece of hardward for their smart phone that enables them to offer the option of charging purchases. (The receipt comes via email.)
Lunch in/near Bellagio Hotel
We'll be arriving mid-day after a very, very early morning start from the east coast. We'd like to make a choice for lunch that will be easy-to-get to as I'm sure we'll be super tired. I'd really appreciate some recommendations for lunch either in the Bellagio itself or at a nearby hotel not requiring too long a taxi ride.
We are very eclectic eaters. Please feel free to recommend any type of cuisine.
Thanks.
Pre-theater dining near Arena Stage
My husband and I have established a nice tradition to eat Tosca's pre-theater meal before going to either the Kennedy Center and Arena Stage. We make 5:30 p.m. reservations.
The wait staff and kitchen are very, very conscientious about getting us out the door at the time we tell them. The choices on the pre-theater menu are lovely. That menu is posted online. Incidentally, if you aren't interested in dessert you can do just as well by ordering two courses only. However, my husband never passes up the opportunity to eat their sublime Tiramisu.
Driving from Tosca to the parking lots on Water Street is practically a straight shot. Just continue on F Street until 9th Street. Turn right onto 9th and continue driving until you reach Maine Ave for street parking or Water Street for lot parking.
Mapquest says that this trip is 1.4 miles (4 minutes)
Is there a less well known restaurant with available reservation for 2 in DC this Saturday??
Definitely phone any restaurant that's showing no availability. However, right now, you can get a reservation for 7:00 p.m. or close to it at the following desirable places via Open Table itself:
701
Againn
Bibiana
Dino
Equinox
J & G Steakhouse
The Oval Room
RIS
Lots of good options in that list!
Sunday Night Dining in Washington
I just plugged this Sunday's date i(April 15) nto Open Table and was able to get my choice of reservation time. Open Table believes the restaurant is open!
Then, I tried confirming the information another way. I went to the FAQ on the web site. Here's the answer copied from the web site:
What are your hours? (Answer)
We open at 11:30 AM every day, and close at 10 PM (Su, M), 11:30 PM (T-Th) or midnight (F, S). Click here for more details.
And finally, also from Zaytinya's web site, there's a discussion of the special Greek Easter menu available April 8-22, with particular mention of April 15.
Easter Sunday, April 15
Kick off Spring with an Easter Day lamb feast, featuring whole, spit-roasted lamb and mouth-watering sides of all varieties.
Join us during our two-week celebration of Greek Easter, one of the most important holidays on the Greek calendar.
For the entire festival, we will be featuring a Chef’s Experience menu celebrating spring lamb. For the full experience, enjoy this indulgent 10-course prix fixe menu for two, throughout the week. Selections will also be available a la carte. Click here to see the menu. Chef’s experience menu is $99 per couple exclusive of tax and gratuity.
I think it's reasonable to conclude that whoever answered the phone didn't know what he was talking about. Please phone again or simply make a reservation via Open Table if this place appeals to you.
Sunday Night Dining in Washington
If you're willing to use transportation, head over to Zaytinya. It offers everything you're looking for except I'm not a big fan of the by-the-glass Greek wine choices. Their by-the-bottle choices are wider; most recently, we particularly enjoyed Vermentino, a Corsican white.
One of the current specials, the phyllo stuffed with lamb and lamb sausage was the hit of the evening, a tough standard considering everything else was really good. The sea scallops ran a close second for favorite. (The write up on the menu reads really flat; it certainly doesn't capture the sweetness of the scallop and the great tasty sear.)
Love, love, love the fact that the desserts are offered in mini and regular sizes. The yogurt and apricot dessert is deservedly the signature dessert.
Always a lively crowd. A recent Sunday may have been livlier than usual since Zaytinya was one of the few restaurants open near the Verizon Center the night of the Springsteen concert.
Fresh Chanterelles in NoVa/DC??
For your sake, don't make a trip to Arlington Farmer's Market without calling the vendor first to confirm she has chanterelles. Below, I've provided a link to the farm that has a stall at the market and, unfortunately, the list of varieties on that page does not include chanterelles. Perhaps one of the other varieties will work for you; their mushrooms are really delicious.
http://arlingtonfarmersmarket.com/producers/mother-earth-organic-mushrooms/
The same farm stocks the mushroom stall at the Saturday Falls Church Farmer's market if that is a more convenient location.
Gefilte Fish
Are you referring to three varieties of gefilte fish or does Whole Foods recipe include salmon? If it's the latter, your wording made me smile. I love the addition of salmon to gefilte fish. My own recipe includes salmon. However, there is nothing traditional about salmon in gefilte fish. Some type of white freshwater fish (e.g. carp, whitefish, and pike) is the traditional fish.
Gefilte Fish
I'd explore your closest Balducci's.Someone is grinding fish to make fresh gefilte fish for sale at their prepared food counter, although whether that is the central kitchen or each individual store, I can't tell.
If you simply buy Balducci's prepared fresh gefilte fish, the price is $16.99 for six slices.
Incidentally, one year when I was elbow deep in griding my own fish, I resolved to buy some of Balducci's own. A few days later, I did. My best recollection is that the recipe skewed sweet, which reflects Galicia (western Ukraine and southeast corner of Poland) preferences for sweet preparations of everything. I suggest you buy a piece as a test drive.
Finally, if all these all of these options don't pan out, consider buying the jarred stuff and doctoring it for a fresher flavor. Drain and reserve the liquid from the jar. For each jar, slice a large onion into thick slices or rings. Separate and then saute in olive oil. Meanwhile, peel one or two medium fresh carrots. Cut into thick chunks and add to the saute pan and cook. Add two tablespoons of green whole peppercorns near the end of the sauteeing. Add the reserved fish liquid. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes.
Place gefilte fish balls in a Dutch oven and cover with the prepared stock. Bring the liquid gently to medium temperature and then, reduce to simmer. (Handle the gelfilte fish gently.) Simmer for 30 minutes. Cool and refrigerate overnight.
Olive bars in DC?
Olive oil stores seem to be springing up all over the place. The one in Shirlington is call Ah Love. This place sells estate olive oil along with lots of store brand name infused/blended oils and balsamic vinegars. The new store in Tysons, whose name I don't remember, only sells its own store brand. Their products incude olive oil, infused/blended olive oils, and balsamic vinegars. (The store is located on the lower level between Nordstroms and Bloomingdales.) Both of these stores have good arrangements for tasting.
Where to stay within walking distance to restaurants?
We stayed at the Pere Marquette in the CBD. From there, we walked to Luke's, to several places in the Quarter (breakfast at Stella's, lunch at Napoleon House, dinner at Bayona), and if the weather had been milder when when visited in early December, we would have walked to the places we ate in the Warehouse District (Cochon and Emeril's).
Creole Seasoning
Todd's Dirt may please you. That's a local spice blend sold in Whole Food Stores and Giant stores -- or online at toddsdirt.com (URL below)
There are three blends: Original, Crabby, and Bayou. The middle one isn't liquid but may capture the flavor profile you want. I use all three blends, but my favorite is the Bayou.
http://www.toddsdirt.com/index.htm
Inn at Little Washington
Sophie was our server the lone time we ate at IALW. Put my husband and me in the group that thinks she is a very sour, negative contributor to the dining experience. In fact, she had such a strong impact on our meal that my husband and I regretted our decision to eat there in spite of excellent food. I've had equally amazing tasting meals at Citronelle, Komi, and CityZen that pleased me more. Not only are those meals approximately $100 less for two, but they aren't accompanied by a dose of nastiness.
Quiche in Arlington or Falls Church for dinner??
If you're willing to drive to Great Falls, the casual bistro of Auberge Chez Francois is likely to fill your need. The bistro, called Jacque's Brasserie at L'Auberge, is in a space under the main restaurant. If you enter from the main restaurant, you'd face the challenge of steps. Instead, drive around the back and you'll find an above-grade entrance to the Brasserie.
Incidentally, the Brasserie doesn't post its full menu so I can't confirm quiche is offered in the evening. However, this restaurant is such a long-standing part of the community, I'm confident they'll do special requests with advanced arrangements.
Top Chef Texas Finale Part 2 - Ep. #17 - 02/29/12 (Spoilers)
Forget what an a** he was in the first episode. He supplied more than enough new examples in this episode. Every time he opened his mouth, it was to suggest a way to cook using some sort of toy when the situation didn't require it. And, worst of all, from the competing chef's point of view, he could barely manage to execute the tasks he was given. Can anyone say "questionable knife skills"?
Over the years, there have been two instances of camera men deserving a bonus. One was an incident years ago in which the team forgot to pack the protein they had prepped the day before. (Some else will have to supply the specifics.) The camera noticed the abandoned meat and zeroed in for a tight shot that was effectively edited into that week's show. Last night, the camera zeroed in on Tyler cutting up celery. His slow and timid cuts were not the knife skills of a professional.
When Tyler suggested that Sarah sous vide something, did anyone else have a flashback to the final in which Casey recommended that Carla sous vide her meat? We all know how well that turned out.
I have thought Sarah displayed lots of unflattering behavior on the road to the final, but last night, I think she avoided more of the same. She identified the way in which Tyler could do the least damage to her cause and followed her vision of her meal despite his constant nattering about this piece of equipment and that piece of equipment.
DC Weekend - looking for Lebanese & other ethnic; also solid Gourmand option
Bamian is a great Afghani restaurant in the Bailey's Crossroads area of Virginia. Here's the link to the web site: http://www.bamianrestaurant.com/
The Lebanese Taverna is still around and, at least in the Washington Blvd branch of the mini-chain, still doing an excellent job. The father and founder of the business is at the helm of this branch. Here's the link to their web site: http://www.lebanesetaverna.com/index.html The Washington Blvd branch is referred to as the "Arlington" branch although the Pentagon Row restaurant is also in Arlington.
Fettoosh is a neighborhood joint on Wilson Blvd that serves excellent Lebanese food, but I like to go there for the Moroccan specials. The WASHINGTON POST's "Going Out Guide" includes a detailed reveiw of the Arlington Fettoosh.
Incidentally, you may find yourself in the same parking lot another time during your trip. Fettoosh is next door to Pupatella's. This place has the ambiance of a school cafeteria and the food of an award-winning pizzeria in Naples. Here's the link: http://www.pupatella.com/_/home/home.html
Asian recs next:
Bangkok Golden serves both Laotian and Thai food. The Thai items are competently prepared but can be found better prepared elsewhere. However, the Laotian food is stellar.
http://bangkokgolden7corners.com/
Exquisite and Exciting Meal in Washington, DC - Restaurant Nora or Fiola?
Sadly, Restaurant Nora has offered neither exquisite nor exciting meals for at least five years. Fiola definitely would be an appealing option. Others to consider: Marcel's and Blue Duck Tavern (the new chef is already getting very positive reviews).
tysons chain hell
Actually, the OP seems to care. His name and his post suggest that he cares deeply.
tysons chain hell
The Palm never feels like a chain, but the two in our area are actually part of a nationwide chain with some limited international locations. I was once surprised to discover there are approximately 30 Palm restaurants.
