ScotteeM

Why'd you do it, JG?

Tross, Welcome! Thanks for your post. I'm one of the jealous masses who did not partake (no, I didn't throw my name in for the lottery, but I'm jealous, nonetheless).

And a well-stocked fridge for when the Ambien kicks in. Oh, and hide the knives before taking Ambien.

Ed, I've never eaten at the bar, but as Joe H said, you can order from the regular menu at the bar. They also have a raw bar menu, if you like that sort of thing (I do!). Check out the website (but turn off your speakers first). Clickety and then click on the Kinkead's icon at the bottom of the page that comes up to get from Colvin Run to Kinkead's. The menu is a pain to read, but it will give you an idea.

I took a dear friend out for a special dinner at Le Paradou about a year ago. My recollection was that the total for the big degustation menu with wine pairings, bottled water, tax and tip was came to around $425-450, if not a little more. It is comparable to the cost of the Creatione menu for two with wine pairings at Maestro. It sounds to me as if the writer(s) took food prices and didn't factor in drinks, tax, or gratuity. And in the case of Le Paradou, the $110 figure might be for 3 courses each for two people before tax and tip and without any beverages. I'm just guessing based on one visit.

Then I vote for a Sunday!

I have my own printout, but I didn't share with the restaurant.

It would be here.

Just trying to stay on topic--notice the wink! But how do we know that leaner pork is healthier? Because Big Agribusiness says so? I'm not trying to start an argument, but I fall squarely in the Mo' Natural, Mo' Bettah camp when it comes to the food I and my family (including canines) eats. The trouble is, Mo' Natural isn't Mo' Profitable. I'll stick to regular pigs, or at least those with less genetic engineering and more natural diets. And I'll get my Omega 3s from fish, where they belong. <---again with the wink

Especially if it is sliced, breaded, and fried in bacon drippings.

Roast butterflied leg of lamb, savory tomato bread pudding (with tomatoes canned by Mr. S's Aunt Teresa, from her garden), and sauteed baby artichokes, fava beans, and leeks. (green stuff tonight)

I have that problem a lot on weeknights!

I do regret that I've not yet been to Ray's, but I've always enjoyed reading this thread, and reading all of Michael's posts. Michael, I hope you have a restful break. I hope all goes well with the new venture. And I look forward to eating at Ray's The Steaks shortly after it reopens!

I would seriously consider buying a time-share in that table. It's a great one!

Mr. S and I have long loved Kinkead's. When we realized that we hadn't been there in about a year, we headed there last Saturday (March 18) for an early dinner. We started with a dozen oysters. The price has jumped, but the quality of the bivalves made them priceworthy. We enjoyed Malaspinci (British Columbia), Hood Canal (Washington), and Duck Island (Long Island), in equal quantities. They were all plump, meaty and fresh tasting. As expected, the west coast oysters were sweeter, and the Long Island oysters were brinier. Mr. S enjoyed grilled whole shrimp in a nice broth, while I luxuriated in a plate of tuna carpaccio, covered with baby arugula, shaved fennel, toasted pine nuts, and raisins with a delicate vinaigrette. Yum! Mr. S then had Rockfish with mushrooms, mushrooms, and more mushrooms. There were two delicate wild mushroom ravioli, sauteed mushrooms, and a wonderful mushroom sauce. The flavoring was rich and strong in a good way. My entree was the black back flounder with baby artichokes & potatoes, tasso ham, crayfish, crab and thyme sauce. The flounder filet was coated with corn meal and perfectly fried. The topping was very flavorful, but I don't remember the sauce. It was there, but I don't recall what it tasted like. I think it was drowned out by the ingredients. I loved the dish, but eating the full portion felt overwhelming. I think I would have been happy with half as much. This has always been my dilemma at Kinkead's: I find the entrees tasty but overwhelming--too much of a good thing. I often resort to ordering several appetizers, and maybe a salad, instead of an entree. I've learned to make a wide berth around any dish containing applewood smoked bacon, as I find the flavor completely overwhelms my tastebuds and I lose the flavor of anything else in the dish. I would happily order half-plates of entrees, if they were offered. For dessert, I had a plate of three house-made sorbets, and they were all delicious. I honestly don't remember what Mr. S had--I'll try to ask him and add it later. I want to go back soon, though, because I missed having my all-time favorite, the grilled squid appetizer. I'd also love to have the Ipswich clams again, but that is definitely a dish I have to share with other diners! Mr. S and I have also enjoyed the Grand Selection, which is a large platter of oysters, clams, crab claws, and steamed lobster--plenty for two or three people to share, supplemented by appetizers, salads, and/or side dishes. Just be sure to ask for two little bowls of drawn butter, or you'll be passing the one that comes with it back and forth throughout the meal.

Todd Thrasher's got a new juicer! We found that out when he offered us small glasses of his newest creation as a palate cleanser after our venison last night. I think the cocktail is called "Andrea's Carrots": carrot juice (Davoncrest carrots), tangerine juice, Lillet, coconut rum, rosemary simple syrup, and a granite made from the two juices. Although I usually eschew cocktails in favor of wine, this was definitely something I would order before or during a meal. This was our first visit to the Tasting Room. We had the best table in the room, tucked in the corner next to the fireplace. We had a great view of everything, but we could still carry on a conversation. I found out this morning that Camille-Beau took over that table after we left (we had the 5:30 seating; they had the 9:30). We chose the 9-course Chef's Degustation, which was indeed a great deal of food, but about the same quantity as other similar menus. I won't belabor the details of the menu, as those are mentioned upthread. Mr. S clearly enjoyed last night's dinner--he talked about returning to try the 5-course menu and the Bistro menu in the near future--high praise from him! My third course of foie gras carried a $25 supplement, which only seemed like a lot until the plate was laid in front of me. I got a large cylinder of poached foie, with tokai gelee and toasted brioche with Meyer lemon preserves, and Mr. Thrasher paired that with a glass of the same tokai that was used in the gelee. Our server, Evan, added a few grinds of a special pepper to the plate, which went perfectly with the foie. The tiny Davoncrest microgreens added just enough tang--who would think little baby greens just sprouting their second set of leaves would have so much flavor? Mr. S let me taste his potato gnocchi, and I thought they were wonderful, too. The freshness of all the ingredients serve to showcase Chef Armstrong's skill and creativity. The black sea bass had been line-caught on Thursday. The fresh baby asparagus (the size of matchsticks) on top added a bright crunchy note to the clean flavor of the fish. Sweetbreads--one of my favorite things to eat--were set off by wonderfully earthy braised carrots and carrot puree, fresh swiss chard, and house-made (?) bacon. I loved the mock risotto of potatoes supporting the perfectly seared Diver scallop. The morels with the lovely rare venison were bright and earthy (OK, I'm running out of modifiers). Even my cup of decaf at the end of the meal came in a French press that was pressed at the table. Although I usually drink my coffee black, I couldn't resist the tiny pitcher of steamed frothed milk that came with it. This morning, I'm enjoying a cup of Eve coffee from my own coffeemaker--not quite the same, but a nice reminder. The service was organized and coordinated. Evan is clearly enthusiastic about the food he serves, and his knowledge of it is most impressive. It's one thing to be able to recite the components of the dish being served, but Evan talked about all the dishes on the menus with affection and familiarity. He told us all about Davoncrest farm, and was delighted that we had read about it on DR.com. Todd Thrasher took time to chat with us about his wine pairing decisions--decisions, by the way, that were spot-on throughout our meal. Our cheese course was a quenelle of whipped brie de meaux with honey-soaked toasted hazelnuts. Mr. Thrasher brought us two glasses each with that course: a Lustau sherry to sip after bites of cheese and hazelnuts, and a lovely Spanish red to sip after bites of just the cheese. If Mr. S weren't going to be away for most of April, I'd have already made another reservation. I can't wait to go back!

Just don't say it out loud!

Thursday night we had Spaghetti con I Mosciole, recipe from Chef Trabocchi--not as good as when he made it, but worth working on in the future. Our main was shad roe with a balsamic beurre blanc, served over steamed baby spinach. Last night I tried flatiron steak for the first time. Mr. S loved it, marinated in garlic, EVOO, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, rosemary, and red pepper flakes, and seared 4 minutes per side in a hot iron skillet. We accompanied that with smashed fingerling potatoes with roasted garlic, and peas in tarragon cream. I'm taking tonight off and letting Chef Armstrong cook for me (and Mr. S)!

Tonight is my long-anticipated and postponed (from November) dinner in the Tasting Room. Five-thirty can't come soon enough!

Bangkok 54 is one of our favorite restaurants, and the pork belly with Chinese broccoli is one of my favorite dishes there. When we were there in February for a Sunday lunch, the pork belly was not quite as good as I remembered--it was tough in places--but not awful. The duck rolls were delicious, and Mr. S's shrimp Panang curry was wonderful and complex. Reading the recent comments, I decided to take one for the team and I went for lunch last week. The regular waitress was absent, and I heard another server tell a customer that she is on vacation. I ordered the pork belly with Chinese broccoli from the lunch combination. The egg roll that accompanied it was fresh tasting and crisp with fresh cabbage. The pork belly was better last week than in February. It was crisp and moist and with a bit of chewiness that I wouldn't call tough--what I expect it to be. The sauce was tasty, and not overbearing, and the broccoli was fresh and crisp. I was a little amused by a couple sitting nearby, who tried to ask the waitress whether they serve Sesame Chicken, since they didn't see it on the menu. After a brief conversation, they got up and left, apologizing. Either they meant to go into the Chinese restaurant next door, or they didn't realize that this isn't a Chinese restaurant. I'll go back for lunch at Bangkok 54 again soon. I expect I'll continue to find enjoyment there. Of course, I don't have any taste in Thai cuisine, and the fact that I like the food here is no guarantee that someone who knows and loves Thai cuisine will love this food. I still like it better than Rincome, Thai Square, TK Thai, and Sakoontra (which was downright bad on my last visit in January--I left most of my food and took nothing home). Mr. S is heading to Bangkok on a layover as he heads to Bhutan next month (for a much-needed vacation), so perhaps he'll come home with more of a point of reference about Thai food, and then set me straight.

Whoa, JLK--what power you wield!

Mr. S has had lunch at Butterfield 9 two or three times recently, and he has enjoyed it each time.

Also be advised that, even when using the numbers, you may get a wrong dish, as I did this week. But, whatever you get will probably be delicious!

I've eaten at Carlyle, Sweetwater, Silverado, and Mike's American Grill, and there is a sameness about the food. It's not awful food, but I am disappointed that they don't have more variety among their restaurants. Why bother with different names and decor if the menu is the same? I will say that I had excellent service the last time I ate at Sweetwater in Merrifield, and the food was very good (lobster bisque and grilled or roasted chicken with mashed potatoes).

Some of my coworkers went to La Lomita Dos Sunday night and raved about the food. I think service was a little slow, but they were not in a hurry.