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Honestly, with a commodity such as tea (and it is a commodity) you may be best off going mail order. I've been using Upton Tea for several years now and have never been disappointed with price, quality, freshness or service. If you want to to stay local for other reasons I've never had a problem with Teaism, but their selection and turnover just can't compete with the good online offerings.

I'm guessing that it's some abbreviation abomination. You know, like all the cool people say when them come into the city from the 'burbs: "We're leaving from my friend's place in NoMa, getting dinner in CoHi then drinks in AdMo. After that we might go clubbing in the Du' ".

There was a bit on the BCC car show Top Gear about a service in London that dispatched drivers to ferry drunk people home. The ingenious twist: the drivers arrived on these small collapsible motor scooters. The driver would meet you at the bar, put his scooter into your car trunk (they fit in most cars), drive you home and then scooter his way back to the dispatch.

We drove up for brunch to meet my parents today, and that meal really has me wanting to return. Soon. It's normally tough to accurately judge a place at brunch, but it was clear that the kitchen puts great effort into the menu and doesn't just slide by on standards since brunch doesn't "count" for fine dining review purposes. The stellar ingredients were really allowed to shine through. Even dishes that could have been excused for being heavy, dense comfort food/hangover cure fare were anything but. The smoked chicken and sausage over grits was a good example; could have been a gloppy mess. They also have the best gluten free bread that we have ever tasted, baked fresh each morning by the wife of one of the chefs we were told. This in and of itself is no small feat. BTW, The Full Monty is about the best way to start a day I've encountered in a long time (Old Bay-laced Bloody Mary with maple cured bacon and steamed shrimp for garnish, served with a Natty Boh chaser).

I'm not sure that would prove anything. Don's guide is completely subjective (as are Yelp's .... um, theoretically). This is what makes it so insidious. Yelp becomes something that people rely on as a trusted resource based on this collection of reviews from hive mind "experts". But they are being manipulated in a decidedly un-subjective way!

FYI, whether Ebbitt has finally met market saturation with their pricing or the economy is having some effect, there appear to be plenty of tickets at, near or even below face value on offer for this weekend.

While the corporate entity's methods are pretty deplorable I find the distasteful actions of some reviewers to be even worse, actively pawning their "status" for preferential treatment. Yelp reminds me a bit of the whole 'mommy blogger' phenomenon. There are a lot of self-absorbed, entitled people out there with way too much time on their hands.

I also would not recommend arriving on an empty stomach unless you plan on planting yourself in front of one of the cheese and cracker tables for a bit, but that takes away from valuable oyster time. After a couple years off I'm excited to be going back. I just *really* hope they have Belons again; it's a rare treat in our area.

If my stop for coffee on the walk to work yesterday counts then, yes, they are still open Their website has been in disarray for a long time.

So, we've got the bars covered ... Anybody happen to spot six-packs around town? They were on and off at Cairo Liquors for a while, and I believe I saw them at deVino's at one point, but no luck lately. I'll admit I haven't been looking very hard

Ghana Cafe is moving 14th and RI Ave, just across the street from ChurchKey/Birch and Barley. At least that's according the banner that was up the last time I walked by.

I went to The Pug on H St for the first time last week and was delighted to see Pork Slap on offer. I had previously only seen it in stores (and only at Cairo which is no longer a block from my house ). Last night at H St Country Club I had their Moo Thunder Stout for the first time; I could never find it in stores with Pork Slap. Wow. My opinion of the brewery is not diminished. They may have silly names, come in a can and are fronted by a website that looks like a Fisher Price playset, but these are some seriously good brews.

If all you are looking for is sandwiches Big Bear is a straight shot down 1st St. You'd probably even have time to linger over some coffee.

Take a close look at the closing credits where they state that the production team has a say in the judge's decisions. In this season we actually have 4 or 5 really solid chefs and not a head case among them. They see the need for a "wild card" in there presumably to keep viewers' interest. I guess Robin is going to piss of the other contestants more than keeping Mike I around (see the preview for next week). If she makes it past next week you know the fix is in.

I second Smith Meadow. And if you don't feel like driving all of the way out there just to shop, their B&B is very nice. The incredible meat products are just a bonus.

A Thanksgiving staple for the past few years has been a super easy stove top method from Gourmet several years ago. First step is to brown halved or quartered sprouts over high heat in a wide pan (we use a combination butter/olive oil). Set sprouts aside. Reduce heat, caramelize shallots, add pancetta (optional, can also use chopped bacon at the end). Sprouts back into the pan, add just enough stock to cover the bottom. Cover and cook for a 3-4 minutes until sprouts are done. Toss with butter and parmesan to finish, S&P to taste. These are the best sprouts I've ever had.

There were some definite service kinks being worked out, but we loved the space (upstairs for beers and snacks, downstairs was fairly empty actually). Much bigger than I remembered from the previous venues. The beer list continues the themes Rustico has going on: well chosen domestic micros with several unusual or downright rare imports on tap. Prices range from decent ($5 for several domestics) to splurge ($14 for Old Dubh on cask). The upstairs catwalk/cold keg storage is very cool. There was applause from the crowd when Greg went to change the first keg of the evening. Menu read like Rustico as well, just different labels (flatbreads instead of pizzas). Snack foods ranged from spiced nuts ($8, not sure they were worth it, but gratis this evening given the service delays) to the aforementioned foie tots, regular tots, charcuterie (deli slicer on the counter, didn't see it being used), much more I can't remember. Salads and sandwiches were in the $10-14 range, flatbreads $11-16 or so. And to our delight they do have the gluten free chickpea crusts as an option. We didn't get a peek at the Birch & Barley menu. Verdict: this place is dangerously close to both my house and place of business.

WP has a the tap list for the public opening tonight (no bottles yet, but who cares!): click.

According to multiple sources this morning Thursday is the official opening night. I'll have to wait until next week to check it out!

Peeked in on my walk to work today, it's at least window dressed for a soft opening (maybe that was the Monday date?). Greg was tinkering behind the bar, I suppose that's a good sign.

Monday?!?! Signage is a good (ahem) sign.

Now I think we know why he has been so vocally defending Rasika in the chats as of late. Several folks have taken him to task for it citing recent experiences, but at least he's sticking to his guns. Wonder when the print deadline was?

Nerd

We had a United flight this week and the in-flight magazine actually had a small article on the growth of the coconut water industry. Besides ONE and Zico they mentioned Vita Coco as a less expensive alternative. I have no idea where it can be found in the area, though.

It's Saturday and Sunday. Saturday has the oyster cooking competitions and Sunday is the actual shucking championships (winner goes to worlds in Galway, Ireland). Oyster vendors (raw, grilled, scalded, stew, etc.) are around both days. If you stick around late enough on Sunday you can score some cheap bushels to do with what you wish.