ScotteeM

After reading all of the laudatory comments on this thread, and WWMeade's previous wonderful experience, he and I looked forward to our reservation last night with happy anticipation. We decided to go "all in" and get the full seven-course tasting dinner. The staff were all very attentive to my gluten intolerance and were careful to ensure that my food was all "safe." However, the service overall was inconsistent, sometimes very attentive and sometimes very absentminded. Of the seven courses I tried, I can't say that I would want to eat them again. Much of my food was overcooked: pork belly that was dry, tough and stringy, snapper that was dried out. The boudin blanc had four patches of blackened surface around it, not the nice browning described above. A "mistake" on the menu described the snapper as being accompanied by morel mushrooms, when it in fact was paired with mixed "wild" mushrooms. When we mentioned to the server that we were expecting morels, he consulted the kitchen and returned to announce the error on the menu and that we would have morels on our next course. Sadly, those, too, were overcooked. Initially I thought it was a fluke, but as we went through our subsequent courses, it became evident that it was a trend. Even my cheese was hard and crumbly, rather than the soft creamy texture that I would expect, based on descriptions of the cheese. By the time we got to our fifth course, the sun had set and the room was very dim. My food became amorphous brown and black shapes on a white background, mocking the kitchen's attractive plating. I asked for more light, and it was promised, but never delivered. I don't know who was in the kitchen. Later in the evening every table and every seat at the bar was filled, but when we arrived before 6, there were few other diners, so I can't attribute the disappointment to an overloaded FOH or BOH staff. At this price point, a restaurant only gets one chance to impress me. As with many things, first impressions are important. I am not at all inspired to return to Marcel's.

It's always possible, with a CSA, that one will get something that one needs to gift to an afficianado. I cultivate such aficianadoes, and gift the occasional "treasure" that I can't appreciate in my CSA bag (like habanero peppers or cilantro).

I made slaw with peeled and grated kohlrabi a couple of years ago from a recipe I found somewhere on the Interwebs. It was pretty good. Kind of tasted like broccoli to me.

Bumped this thread up because Lyon Hall is mentioned in the "New & Noteworthy" section of the latest Washingtonian. Is it open yet? I don't see it on Open Table, I can't find a website, and there's no announcement on the Facebook page that it has opened. Anyone know?

I missed this when you posted it, Don, but there was no frisee and no pepper. The endive leaves were piled like logs (not neatly stacked) and just not pretty. Nor tasty.

Duck breast prosciutto and Jambon Parisienne, both from Stachowski Brand Charcuterie. Brillat Savarin frais and Gotes Catalanes from Wegmans. (Wegmans has a very impressive cheese program, BTW.)

I looked at the Super H Mart in Annandale last weekend and didn't see it.

Excessively greasy combination fried rice from a restaurant where it should be better than that.

I was at the shopping center in Burke where Aladdin's is today, and it was open. I tried it once a few years ago and was unimpressed. Never went back.

I'm a big fan of the Simply Recipes blog, and this recipe for Beet Hummus would qualify as low-iodine if you use Kosher salt. This is the latest recipe on the blog, and I'm eager to try it myself, on cucumber slices.

Staying away from your kids has got to be a hard one!

Heather, I'm so glad you posted this, and I will be following this thread with interest. I am one year in on my very strict wheat/gluten-free diet, so I understand the challenges (logistical, actual, mental, and emotional) of embarking on a restricted eating plan. The first few weeks I focused so much on everything I couldn't have that I burst into tears in the grocery store at least twice. I eventually learned to focus on what I could have, and I have learned what questions to ask to safely dine in restaurants (some are safe, others not so much). I am sure that you will find good things to eat, and will get helpful input from fellow Rockwellians. I'll keep my eyes open for suggestions to pass along.

Heading for the Whole Foods in Clarendon (wine sale) this morning, we made RHB our first stop for lunch. I had the Fat Boy, minus the bun (gluten intolerant) and an order of fries. Although it was an out-of-season tomato, the slice on my burger, under the foie gras, provided a nice acid complement to the foie and the grilled burger. The fries were excellent: crispy outside and soft interrior, actually tasting like potatoes (important to me). Also important to me is that nothing with wheat flour is fried there, so the French fries and sweet potato fries are "safe" from cross-contamination. I think this is my favorite lunch place in the area.

Well done!

I've lived in Fairfax County for almost 30 years, and this area does not have a good track record in supporting really good innovative restaurants, outside of Tyson's Corner. And yet folks are more than willing to wait in line for a seat in one of the ubiquitous mediocre chains. So I'm a little skeptical about Fabio succeeding in Fairfax County, much as I'd love to have him that close! Arlington (along the Metro) or Alexandria (Old Town or Del Ray) might provide a more faithful clientele. If the stars align, I will be one of the first in line to hail his return to our part of the world!

According to their registration page, Potomac Vegetable Farms delivers to a site in Bethesda, "and specific offices in DC". I recommend contacting them for further details on this. They have three sizes of shares. My husband and I have been getting the regular share for the past two years, and that means that we rarely if ever have to purchase vegetables in the supermarket or at farmers markets in the summer. A mini-share would be good if you don't eat a lot of vegetables or tend to eat out a lot. We have been extremely happy with PVF's produce and their service. Last year was a very abundant season for them. We learned to prepare and enjoy some vegetables that we never would have tried if they hadn't been in our weekly delivery. We're practically counting the days until registration opens for this year.

Did this ever happen? I'd love to know!

Stachowski Brand venison pate. Truly mind-blowing and makes us re-think pate.

Heading for North Arlington to run errands yesterday and looking to try something new for lunch, we settled on Layalina, based mainly on Don's placing it at the top of his list for that area in the Dining Guide. OK, it was raining, but we were the only diners in the place the entire time we were there. Service was gracious and welcoming. The decor was charming, and helped us feel like we were being swept far away from Northern Virginia. To our extreme regret, we weren't very hungry, and WW was going for a run with the dog later, so we decided to share only three small plates: artichoke salad, the daily special of roasted cauliflower, and the soujuk. Wow!!! We practically licked our plates! It was our first time trying Syrian cuisine, and we loved every bite. The salad seemed simple enough, but was refreshing and light, and a good contrast to the complex beef sausage and the cumin (?) flavored cauliflower. Pomegranate seeds provided lovely punctuation marks everywhere. We discussed our next visit even as we finished our little meal, and spent the rest of the afternoon wishing we could go right back for more. Based on comments above, I'd love to try Rima's chicken that requires 24-hour notice. The Kibbee Nayeh sounds so good it might be worth breaking my gluten-free diet to try (not much is worth that). This lovely place will become a prominent part of our rotation, to be sure! As others have said, this is not just "middle eastern" cuisine, but uniquely Syrian (and Lebanese, which we look forward to trying). It is certainly a cuisine I'd like to get to know better.

Fingers are crossed at my house! But, really, I think he'd do very well back here in DC.

First, I remember the taste of Coke from the late '50s and early '60s. We didn't have it very often, and probably more often had the syrup when we kids had tummy upsets. It was a very different taste from the Coke of today. Second, I would think that, with all of the Coca Cola bottling plants around the world, that they can (and probably do) adjust the recipe to comply with local regulations or to appeal to local tastes. I suspect that the essential oils were more likely replaced with a less expensive substitute, just as the cane sugar was replace with HFCS. That being said, maybe I should add "Mexican Coke" to my shopping list and give it a try.

Yesterday we went to Oyamel for lunch, and although it was a little early (11:30) and the weather was not fit for man or beast, the place was surprisingly empty. This was our first visit to the "new" location. I really liked the space. It was small and maybe a little close, if there had been other diners there, but the colors are bright and the decorations festive. The staff were all very friendly and helpful, and I was quickly presented with the specially printed gluten-free menu, which wasn't too much different from the regular menu. We ordered as things caught our eyes on the menu, which is how we started with the Brussels sprouts in arbol chile sauce with pumpkin seeds, peanuts, sesame seeds and lime. I could have eaten several plates of those by myself, they were that delicious. With them we had the pit-barbecued pork tacos, which I really liked. I wasn't blown away by the scallop ceviche, but I can't say it was bad, just maybe not my thing. I liked the steamed mussels better than WW did, mainly because I prefer more assertive sauces with them while he prefers to taste mostly mussel. The last dish we shared was a poblano pepper stuffed with ground pork, nuts, apple and tomato, covered with a thick white sauce of ground walnuts and goat cheese, sprinkled with some bright red pomegranate seeds. It was visually very beautiful and looked more like a dessert than a savory course, but it was amazing! That and the Brussels sprouts were the real standouts of our meal. There were so many more dishes I wanted to try, and reading this thread confirms my desire to return.

Several months ago I had a heavenly plate of snails at Zaytinya in Penn Quarter. Matter of fact, Mike Isabella won a quickfire challenge on Top Chef with that snail recipe. It's more Greek traditional than French, but it was delicious and my favorite dish of the meal at Zaytinya. Check out the menu here.

Just back from brunch at Choices. It was a very nice, properly prepared basic brunch. I had steak and eggs, which was 2 petite sirloins, medium rare, 2 eggs sunny side up, home fries, and toast. For $2 extra, I had gluten-free white bread toast. I took a taste of the toast and then called the waitress back to make sure it was gluten-free. It was the closest thing to "real" bread that I've found since going GF a year ago next week. Most GF breads that are available are pretty awful. This smelled and tasted "yeasty" and had more of the texture of wheat bread than any other GF bread I've tried. I happily ate every crumb. WW had the "big breakfast" of French toast, eggs, potatoes and sausage. His "regular bread" French toast looked great, and he seemed to enjoy it. I was hoping to be able to take home a loaf of bread or some other GF products, but they aren't really set up for retail sales, and until there is enough demand I don't blame them for not offering it. But I was told that I could make a special order and pick it up. That being said, it is a nice, cozy space in a historic house right on Route 123 at North Street. The staff are all very friendly and helpful. The food is basic and homey, at least at brunch, and very tasty. Another time I'd be tempted to try one of their home-made ice creams. There are at least a dozen flavors on offer, maybe more. This is not a GF restaurant. It is, rather, a good restaurant that understands and accommodates gluten and other food sensitivities not by omitting offending ingredients but by providing good alternatives. I can't wait to go for lunch and maybe have a sandwich!

WW and I lunched here last Tuesday. I wanted to love the place, and it is quite a beautiful setting and space, but it didn't live up to my expectations. Our waiter was initially attentive and very helpful, checking with the kitchen about adjustments to menu items to accommodate my gluten intolerance. However, he did not bring our food to the table himself, and the people who did could not answer questions about my dishes. He did return to the table a couple of times to provide further clarification. But after taking my coffee order just before desserts were served, he never came to our table again. I would have liked to have known what sorbets I was eating. I did my best to guess. I started with a "salad" of Belgian endive, spiced pecans, and a soft cheese, with slices of pear on the bottom. I'm not sure where the chef was going with this presentation, but it was neither attractive nor easy to eat. It was a plate of separate elements that wanted to go together but just didn't. A dressing might have helped a little but there was none. WW said his mushroom veloute was very good, but not quite as good as those coming out of the kitchen at Restaurant Eve. My entree was pretty enough: a rolled filet of fluke resting in the center of a bowl of pink foam, under which lay a cauliflower puree. I think there were pistachios under the fish (my notes aren't helpful here). The rolled filet was roasted, and crispy brown on top. Had that crispy top been skin, all would be well, but it was fish flesh, and therefore dried out and tough. It lacked any discernible seasoning. I wasn't able to taste WW's braised short rib over a "risotto" of farro and quinoa, so had to take his word that it was bland. WW did enjoy his eggnog Napoleon. My four scoops of sorbets (best guess is two pear and one each of mango/banana and hybiscus/lychee) were OK. The presence of ice crystals in the sorbets was not a good sign. Unfortunately there was nothing else of a sweet nature that was safe for me to enjoy. This restaurant is barely 15 minutes from our house, but it's not a destination to which we are eager to return.