ScotteeM

I think Jacques meant the sweet corn veloute, which is magnificent, as are all of the soups I've tasted there. Enjoy!

I simply wear my official DR.com tee-shirt over my business casual.

One could probably also shake the grill to remove the loose ash from the coals before throwing down the skirts.

Based on the sneak preview, I would say it is definitely worth the trip!

Congratulations, Michaels! This is wonderful news for everyone!

I wasn't there yesterday, but last time I was at Eve for lunch I heard about Eamonn's that they're just waiting on the city now--I guess that means occupancy permits. I had the corn veloute as part of my Lickety Split last Thursday, and it was wonderful! Clams are out of season now, but still plenty of deliciousness on the menu. Chef mentioned to me that he had been down to Polyface Farms on Wednesday, about 3 hours each way, but worth it, he said.

My schedule for this Thursday may allow me a lunch visit. I'm working on that. It does look great!

We finally got there for dinner last night, for the first time. I'm just sorry we weren't able to do it while Danny was still there! We don't venture into DC often enough for dinner, although there are clearly some very good reasons to do so. My husband disliked the space intensely, because it was "dark" (his description). He was cranky about that even before we sat down. In spite of his dislike of the physical space, the menu excited him, and the wine list did, too. Before we ever tasted a single bite, he was talking about what he'd like to try on future visits. We started with those lovely bruschetta as we examined the menu and planned our order. He had the octopus, the special risotto (oven-roasted cherry tomatoes, a lovely slice of Buffalo mozzarela, and arugula pesto), and the branzino. I overheard another server describing the braised short-ribs raviolini with chanterelles, and requested that after the hearts of romaine salad, and before the hanger steak. Not only did we have no complaints about the food, we both felt that the risotto and the raviolini were "home runs," and loved every bite. I revisted my leftover steak and potatoes for lunch today, bringing back happy memories. While the food was spectacular, the service was tentative at times and slow at others. The staff were friendly and gracious, but it was several minutes before our server made his first approach to ask about drinks. The air-conditioning seemed to be malfunctioning, and it was very warm in the room, but a large glass of ice we requested for our water mitigated that issue. Possibly also because of the heat outside, we had to hunt around for the parking valet when we were ready to leave--we finally found him in the hotel lobby. Seeing the corkage policy upthread, we took a nice Chablis with us to have with our appetizers (we bought glasses of wine for our later courses). Unfortunately, this policy seems to no longer be in effect, as neither our server nor the hostess was at all familiar with it (or Rockwell, for that matter). No problem, we paid the $20 corkage fee. I was a little surprised that our server didn't discuss the corkage fee at the beginning of the meal (nor did the hostess, when we showed up with the bottle), as the few other restaurants where we have taken wine usually do so, and we try to be familiar with corkage policies ahead of time. I thought the information on this thread would suffice, and I did write in the comments section in my Open Table reservation (initiated from the restaurant's website) fulfilled the request for advance notice. I'm already dreaming of our next dinner there! In spite of my complaints above, the food was good enough to overcome all of it. I also like the flexibility of the menu, with half-portions of pastas and risotto, allowing for lots of creative combinations. I can't wait!

They're just waiting on the city permits now. A little bird told me.

I didn't laugh. But then, I work for a veterinarian who specializes in Traditional Chinese Medicine, so I'm used to those types of explanations. I did smile when I read the name on the home pregnancy test I saw in the pharmacy at Great Wall last week. I don't remember it exactly, but it was something like "Happy Fast Answer."

He had some negative comments about Extra Virgin a few months ago in his Food section column, and he's not yet published a full review on that place. I'm just saying. . .

A few years ago I enjoyed a late-night plate of ribs and sides at Blues City (thanks, NCPinDC for helping me remember the name of the place!). I liked their ribs better than Rendezvous, which I tried a couple of nights later. I also had a good burger and fries at Hueys (thanks again, NCPinDC). Where else do burger joints have live music? Thanks for your report, JLK, and I look forward to more. Someday I'll get back to Memphis.

Wow, Joe, you fooled me for a moment! Blake, let me add my belated welcome, and thank you for such thoughtful posts. Feel free to tell us a little bit more about yourself, like where you work at night. Most members here who are "in the business" put their affiliation in their signature, and although this is encouraged, I don't think it's really required, unless you are blatantly promoting the place. I myself am happy to remain solely a consumer.

I haven't tried it, eithe. I second this suggestion. Arrowwine also has an excellent selection of wines for less than $10 a bottle, and they offer special deals announced by email every Thursday, all of which are excellent values and many of which are extremely inexpensive. They offer tastings on the weekends, and their staff is very helpful and friendly.

OK, that just trumps my Cibola Farms Bison & cranberry sausage, with peppers & onions from the farmers' market. I fold. Never eating dinner again. . . .

I agree with Dean. It is a compliment to a server, and I've done it when making reservations. I haven't tried it when just walking in without a reservation, but I would think that as long as there is room the server's station at that time, it would be just fine.

Sounds great, HillValley! I slept in this morning, and got to the Burke market late, but there was still plenty of produce. The peaches and nectarines, and the Hanover tomatoes were almost sold out, but I got a few of each. I got a couple of bunches of carrots, thinking I'd try for a soup. My husband was asking for vichyssoise, so I picked up some leeks and potatoes. There were several different varieties of corn at various booths, and I think I wound up with Silver Queen this week. I saw a sign for blackberries, but they were long gone. Two WF shopping bags and 1 cooler full later, I'm home with milk, eggs, spare ribs, sausage, tomatoes, cucumbers, and garlic. Time for lunch!

This suggests a connection between food production practices in the US and overall health, compared to similar countries with healthier food production. How, indeed! I can't recommend this book enough! I'm not even 1/3 of the way through it, and I already understand why, no matter how healthy we think our diets are in the US, we can't seem to lose weight or be as healthy as we should be. Most of the things we've been taught are "good for us," actually aren't what they seem. Eating organic/local/sustainable food is not the easy path, and in this discussion we have acknowledged that it is not the path for everyone. I'm aiming to follow it more and more as I learn more about it. It's interesting to me, and probably no coincidence, that the top chefs in the area have recognized it and are pursuing it.

I recognized the reference to Seinfeld. I just don't see how it applies to the discussion in this thread.

Not sure what you mean by this. Care to elaborate?

You raise an excellent point, Bilrus! (And by the way, my family back home in Philadelphia let me know that they don't consider either Pat's or Geno's to be definitive--I think "tourist attraction" was a term that was used.) We've already established that I'm old enough to have had Philly Cheesesteaks before Cheese Whiz was all the rage. I also long for the Chinese food I remember from my younger days, before the Sichuan chefs visited DC in the early 80s (or was it the late 70s?). I fondly remember a place in Beloit, Wisconsin, that we called "Farmer In the Dell" (it had been that in a previous incarnation) that served what I thought was delicious Chinese food. The closest I've come to that here these days is the Peking Gourmet Inn and my beloved Chinatown Carryout in Burke. I've read that the former is not "authentic," but it's more what I think of as "Chinese food" than the mediocre dreck I find in most of the "Chinese" restaurants around the area, many of which are not staffed by anyone actually of Chinese descent. There was a recent dinner organized by Grover and Escoffier to sample authentic spicy Korean dishes. They warned participants that it would not be as hot as some other cuisines, but would be authentic. I remember one participant commenting afterwards that s/he would have preferred more "heat." That's a great example of the conflict between authentic and personal preference. I'm not talking here about authentic ingredients, such as real Parmesan cheese. For those there can be no substitute. Even substituting Gorganzola in a dish that calls for Stilton will alter the taste in a major way. As we've seen in the Philly Cheesesteak discussions, tradition and authenticity can change over time. Some of us are old enough to have eaten things that later changed and became traditional. If we prefer our earlier versions, should we simply learn to love the new traditional? Not me--I'll still order my cheesesteaks with provolone, and preferably from an establishment that hasn't succumbed to the modern convenience of easy-melting artificial Cheese Whiz. (How could that ever become traditional, or be considered authentic, I ask?) We may try lots of different things, but we will return to what we enjoy. If enough people enjoy it with us, it will become traditional. Otherwise, we'll still eat it because we like it.

Still a whim, I say! After deliberating mightily this evening about what to do for lunch tomorrow, I have decided to Lickety Split as well! (OK, I'm in a rut.) I usually get there between 11:30 and 11:45, and sit at the near end of the bar. I'll be clutching my copy of The Omnivore's Dilemma. See you there!

I got inspired by this, and picked up some pretty pickling cucumbers last Saturday--some green ones and some little yellow ones. They're in a quart jar on my counter now. I made the concoction on Sunday afternoon, following Zoramargolis's description as well as a recipe from a cookbook by Sally Fallon. I've been turning the jar once or twice a day, and so far no overflowing or explosions! But I haven't seen any bubbling, either. Tonight I'll put the jar in the refrigerator. I hope this works!

What you say is quite true, and I don't think anyone participating in this discussion is suggesting that everyone should or must only buy local, organic, sustainably produced food products. Even Pollan doesn't seem to be saying that. It is, however, good to understand where your food comes from, and how it was produced. I have found a lot of answers in Pollan's book. I certainly don't eat that way exclusively, however. (I'm sure my lunch delivery from Pizza Joe's today is not organic or locally sourced, but I'll eat it anyway.) I'm not going to pay $12 for every chicken I eat for the rest of my life, but I try to buy the best quality commercial chicken much of the time (Bell & Evans) and splurge on Cibola Farms' or comparable for special meals. And in my experience, Bell & Evans at WF is not more expensive than the chicken at the big chains--often it is less expensive. All you can do is all you can do.