Administrative Announcement

[DonRocks]

Thanks for all the feedback on the (potentially) new Dining Guide Format - I put the kibosh on it because I didn't like it (hundreds of dollars, down the drain).

We need people who love (or who want to learn about) London. Our London forum is in dire need of catch-up with Andy Hayler's reviews. It's difficult (close to impossible) for me to keep up with him because I'm so busy doing other things here. 

Anyone wanting to learn, and I mean *really learn* about the geography and neighborhoods of London would be perfect for this. You'll essentially have the entire layout of the city memorized after doing this for a couple of months.

Please DM me if you're interested - I need help here, and about 100 other places.

[DonRocks]

I'll be as simple as possible:

donrockwell.com has never mined or analyzed anyone's activity, and has never sold or shared any member information.

In other words, when you register, what you tell me and Pat is *private*.

(It is always appreciated when members use their real names, either as their member name, or in their signature files - and it really does lend credibility to your posts, especially to new readers who aren't familiar with you.)

[DonRocks]

Wed, Apr 15, 2020 will be the 15th anniversary of this community, and on that day it will switch to being a read-only document. I hope you've enjoyed participating here as much as I've enjoyed being your host, and I promise you that all of your posts will remain in perpetuum as a historical resource.

Cheers,
Rocks

[MC Horoscope]

6 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Wed, Apr 15, 2020 will be the 15th anniversary of this community, and on that day it will switch to being a read-only document. I hope you've enjoyed participating here as much as I've enjoyed being your host, and I promise you that all of your posts will remain in perpetuum as a historical resource.

Cheers,
Rocks

Thanks for so much!

[dcandohio]

7 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Wed, Apr 15, 2020 will be the 15th anniversary of this community, and on that day it will switch to being a read-only document. I hope you've enjoyed participating here as much as I've enjoyed being your host, and I promise you that all of your posts will remain in perpetuum as a historical resource.

Cheers,
Rocks

4/1

[Escoffier]

What?  Not April 1?

[Steve R.]

The best joke will be on April 16th when we all try to post and cant. 🤯

[curiouskitkatt]

On 4/1/2020 at 1:06 AM, DonRocks said:

Wed, Apr 15, 2020 will be the 15th anniversary of this community, and on that day it will switch to being a read-only document. I hope you've enjoyed participating here as much as I've enjoyed being your host, and I promise you that all of your posts will remain in perpetuum as a historical resource.

Cheers,
Rocks

There is so much I want to say, but for now I will just say thank you for providing a platform for all of us to be able to have exchanges about everything ranging from where to eat , to the opportunities talk about just about anything. I am forever grateful. 

[mr food]

Wow! What's next Don?

[lion]

Wait was this an April's fool joke or for real?

[dcs]

On 4/4/2020 at 10:06 AM, lion said:

Wait was this an April's fool joke or for real?

I believe the answer is yes.

[Steve R.]

It's 12:25am on the 15th. 🤔

[zgast]

9 hours ago, Steve R. said:

It's 12:25am on the 15th. 🤔

Hmmm......

[Steve R.]

Uh-oh.  It seems that I can read everything but can’t post.🤯

[deangold]

On 4/1/2020 at 1:06 AM, DonRocks said:

Wed, Apr 15, 2020 will be the 15th anniversary of this community, and on that day it will switch to being a read-only document. I hope you've enjoyed participating here as much as I've enjoyed being your host, and I promise you that all of your posts will remain in perpetuum as a historical resource.

Cheers,
Rocks

Hey Don, if you make it read only, then you are making it impossible for POTUS participate. He doesn't read. I guess he could always point and say "Ohhhh, look at the pretty pictures!"

[dcs]

12 hours ago, Steve R. said:

It's 12:25am on the 15th. 🤔

When the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service announced that the federal income tax filing due date is automatically extended from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020, Don no doubt changed the effective date of read-only mode to the same date to remain in lock step.

[Steve R.]

Ahh, thanks.  That explains it.

[DonRocks]

I've had several restaurateurs in trouble turn to me for help.

These (moderated) forums will be open for posting indefinitely. 

Washington DC

Shopping and Cooking

News and Media

Events and Gatherings

Fine Arts Including History and Current Events

The Portal (Open Forum)

If there's anything else people need (subforums, other forums, etc), please write me. As always, anything you write here will be retained, and will always be accessible for people to read - this website is a permanent repository, and is not going away as a source of information.

(If anyone ever makes a "midnight mistake" and posts something they need deleted, just write me - likewise, I can always change your screen name to whatever you'd like, although one thing I wish I did in 2005 was insist on real names.)

[smithhemb]

Thanks, Don!  I really appreciate you doing this!

[DonRocks]

On 5/5/2020 at 6:42 AM, DonRocks said:

I've had several restaurateurs in trouble turn to me for help.

These (moderated) forums will be open for posting indefinitely. 

Washington DC

Shopping and Cooking

News and Media

Events and Gatherings

Fine Arts Including History and Current Events

The Portal (Open Forum)

If there's anything else people need (subforums, other forums, etc), please write me. As always, anything you write here will be retained, and will always be accessible for people to read - this website is a permanent repository, and is not going away as a source of information.

(If anyone ever makes a "midnight mistake" and posts something they need deleted, just write me - likewise, I can always change your screen name to whatever you'd like, although one thing I wish I did in 2005 was insist on real names.)

I also opened up Philadelphia (Katt) and Washington DC Coffee Shops and Roasters

[Poivrot Farci]

News and Media link does not work and does not appear on the main page unless one is logged in..

[DonRocks]

2 hours ago, Poivrot Farci said:

News and Media link does not work and does not appear on the main page unless one is logged in..

[Fixed]

[DonRocks]

You know, this community used to do a lot of charitable work - we've raised as much as $5,000 at one event which we donated to Emmaus Services for the Aging (thanks in part to the generosity of Michael Landrum).

As some of you know, I became badly injured, probably permanently injured, in 2009, and that charitable component has diminished over the past decade because I haven't been able to do things like I could.

What none of you know is that, relative to my net worth, I spend a disproportionate amount of time and money helping the neediest of the needy, but there's only so much I can do on my own. 

Tonight on the way back from picking up my $32 pizza and $15 gelato at Happy Gyro, I remembered I had a case of 1.5-liter Deer Park water in my trunk that I bought a long time ago, and felt guilty about because of all the plastic. Earlier in the day, DIShGo and I went to see some outdoor sculptures in DC, and came across a homeless encampment by a statue - on the ground around the base of this statue was an assortment of discarded clothing that was so filthy that each piece looked like it had been rubbed in mud, or worse. On the way home, I detoured back to it, parked, and gave each person two bottles of the Deer Park - presumably to drink once it cooled off in the evening, and then to use as a chamber pot during the night. It was disproportionate how grateful they were for such a negligible act, and it got me thinking - would any of our members like to fill up my trunk with items that these people could use? I don't mind starting small, but it would be nice to make this a regular thing - you'll need to use common sense (no canned goods that require a can opener (unless there's also a can opener), nothing that can easily spoil, etc.), but food, drinks, clothing, forks, plates, games for entertainment, soap, water, towels, pillows, blankets, socks, disposable razors, battery-powered fans, waterproof gear, tarps to protect their porous tents from deluges like we had tonight (these tents were porous and collapsing, and the blankets inside were wool - these people are sleeping soaking wet tonight) - any and all of these things, and more, will be used and appreciated more than if you haul them off to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. Just use your imagination, try and put yourself in their place (no electricity, no nothing), and think of what types of things they might need - these people are surviving day-to-day, and couldn't possibly be thinking about the long term, not in their situation, so the essentials are what they could use most.

I remember about fifteen years ago, a friend of mine worked as a bartender at Equinox - he suggested I do this, and I did. One night on the way to have dinner there, I took a box of old clothing - sweaters, jackets, shoes - parked on H Street, walked over to Lafayette Park, put down the box, and went to dinner. When I came back an hour later, I looked, and the box was gone.

If anyone is interested in doing this type of thing, I'm happy to deliver even just a few things - I'll eventually need to learn more about where these encampments are, but I know enough to get started. If anyone is willing to make some healthy sandwiches, I'll try and get to know some of these people, and let them know that we're bringing them dinner (I'll need some time to earn their trust first).

Cheers,
Rocks

[Steve R.]

Many years ago, my job at the NYS Office of Mental Health was to oversee the contracts with local non-profit corporations that served the mentally ill, including the large homeless segment of that population.  One of the agencies that I admired from the time they were formed to the time I retired was Pathways to Housing, then a local NYC agency.  It was headed by an Executive Director, Dr. Sam Tsemberis, whom I became friendly with and even played tennis with (beating him to a pulp of course).  If you (Don) or anyone else is so inclined, here's some background info on it  https://www.pathwayshousingfirst.org  & here's the link to the D.C. agency https://pathwaystohousingdc.org. I don't know the current leadership & certainly not the D.C. folk, but I'd guess that they're continuing the great work they've always done.  And, of course, if you want to reach out to Sam and drop my name, he may not hang up.

On specific topic, I greatly appreciate your above post and think that any such help is greatly needed at all times, but especially now.

[DonRocks]

Folks, we upgraded tonight to the new version (it wasn't optional), and what you see is what the new Invision Power Board looks like. I'm certain it's going to be better, but like any visual change, it's an initial shock to the system - give it a day or two to let it sink in.

Cheers,
Rocks

[DonRocks]

Invision has a new feature that automatically archives topics without any posts in the past five years (5 is the maximum setting). I can manually unarchive them, so if you want to post in something that was last updated in 2007 (it happens more than you might think), just send me a PM, and I'll manually unarchive it for you.

They (Invision) also told me that a lot of website owners have written them about this, and they may reverse this in the future (I suspect they will, but it may be a few months). I don't want any thread here to be archived since this is an evergreen website.

[DonRocks]

Hello everyone, Invision (the company who built this software) has strongly recommended that when members sign in, they use their email address; not their member name.

For 15 years, we've allowed people to sign in using their member name (you can also sign in with your email address).

In no way do I expect people to remember the email address that they signed up with 16 years ago, so if you write me, I'll be happy to send it to you. Also, within your own profile, I believe you can change it yourself to something current which you'll be able to remember.

Sometime, maybe in a month or so, we'll require "email address only" as your means of signing in (along with your current password, of course).

This is snot <--- that was an actual typo that I'm leaving in.

This is not a big deal, but I don't want to catch anyone off guard, so would you please start signing in with your email address, not your member name? As always, your email will not be known by, or shared with, any other member - I remain completely devoted to your privacy.

Send me a private message if you have any questions, concerns, etc.

Cheers,
Rocks

[Steve R.]

I guess I gotta stop using my Social Security #, huh?

Happy Holidays.  And, thanks.

Steve R.

[Bart]

Don -

   How do we log in with email addresses?  Do we need to log out first, and then enter the email address instead of the current username?  I'm concerned that once I log out, I won't be able to get back in!!!  😉

[zgast]

On 11/29/2021 at 5:28 PM, DonRocks said:

This is not a big deal, but I don't want to catch anyone off guard, so would you please start signing in with your email address, not your member name? As always, your email will not be known by, or shared with, any other member - I remain completely devoted to your privacy.

Send me a private message if you have any questions, concerns, etc.

Cheers,
Rocks

I don't want to speak for anyone else, but not only do I remember the e-mail address I signed up with, but it's still my primary address.  Is there a way to change passwords, though, in the new system?  I've never been able to find that.

[dcs]

2 hours ago, zgast said:

I don't want to speak for anyone else, but not only do I remember the e-mail address I signed up with, but it's still my primary address.  Is there a way to change passwords, though, in the new system?  I've never been able to find that.

Go to your handle on the upper right and click on the down arrow - go to settings - there is a line for your password and a link that says change.

[DonRocks]

On 11/30/2021 at 9:11 AM, Bart said:

Don -

   How do we log in with email addresses?  Do we need to log out first, and then enter the email address instead of the current username?  I'm concerned that once I log out, I won't be able to get back in!!!  😉

I changed it yesterday to allow either (figuring that in a month-or-so, I'll change it again to only allow emails). It's a simple menu with three choices:

I'm here to help anyone who needs it - if anyone needs anything answered, just send me a direct message, or email me at donrockwell@dcdining.com.

Do note this "warning message" is a generalized thing meant for the long term on all Invision websites (thousands of them), and not some dire warning about this particular website!

[DonRocks]

Please excuse the 13-year interruption in service.

[DonRocks]

2 hours ago, jca76 said:

how it there not yet a thread for the fantastic new(ish) bar del monte in mount pleasant? 

A partial explanation may be that we haven’t accepted any new members in, like, ten years?

This should probably change because the attrition will eventually hit 100% including me! 🙂

[lotus125]

16 hours ago, DonRocks said:

A partial explanation may be that we haven’t accepted any new members in, like, ten years?

This should probably change because the attrition will eventually hit 100% including me! 🙂

Sorry to veer away from the Bar del Monte discussion (which is great, btw; echoing everything that jca and Marty said).  But is it true that there haven't been new members in years??  This Board is great.  It's also slowed down -- I think starting in the pandemic?  I realize that we're all to blame for not posting more.  But here's hoping that we can get new blood. 

[susan]

I think when Dean Gold got kicked off this board, things started to get dull. There were some lively and sometimes outrageous discussions in the old days between members and it was entertaining and informative.  I don't see much of that any more here unfortunately.

[dracisk]

Dean Gold got kicked off?

[susan]

Yup! He sure did!

[Escoffier]

16 hours ago, dracisk said:

Dean Gold got kicked off?

'fraid so.  Mind you, the slowing down of new members and posts is not a problem only here.  Like everything else, forum based websites (such as this one) are cyclical.  A lot of people have moved on to the "next thing".  First Twitter, then Facebook, now?  who knows?  Unfortunately, life is change and change is life.

[lion]

1 hour ago, Escoffier said:

'fraid so.  Mind you, the slowing down of new members and posts is not a problem only here.  Like everything else, forum based websites (such as this one) are cyclical.  A lot of people have moved on to the "next thing".  First Twitter, then Facebook, now?  who knows?  Unfortunately, life is change and change is life.

Very true. But isn't it equally possible that quaint forums or boards could be popular again? You live long enough...😀

[susan]

Also, a lot of people don't know about this site. No one I have ever mentioned it to has heard about this forum. How would someone come upon it to join? 

Also, there used to be really lively discussions on food, restaurants, chefs, people in the industry. Some were quite heated, hence Dean Gold getting himself in trouble over an issue (I wish I remembered what it was!). 

[Escoffier]

8 hours ago, susan said:

Also, a lot of people don't know about this site. No one I have ever mentioned it to has heard about this forum. How would someone come upon it to join?

Sometimes you just have to blow your own horn.  How to stir up interest?  How to become more relevant?  Those are the questions that every forum owner/manager/head are asking themselves.  I don't have an answer but wish I did. I'm struggling to help keep a car-oriented forum going and the only thing the effort creates is frustration. 

8 hours ago, susan said:

Also, there used to be really lively discussions on food, restaurants, chefs, people in the industry. Some were quite heated, hence Dean Gold getting himself in trouble over an issue (I wish I remembered what it was!). 

Well, even though it's popular, I don't think Wordle is the answer.  Some of the people who used to make DR a destination (Stephen Banker for one) are now only names from the past.  Churn is normal unfortunately and some people seem to think reviews on Yelp (which is non-participatory to some extent) is the end-all of food reviewing, food talk, food exploration.  Dean was (and still is) a bit opinionated. Until he moved to Baltimore, we remained in contact. I never asked him why the banishment.  Perhaps I should have. 

[dcs]

Impassioned!

[susan]

We also had Michael Landrum. Another impassioned one. Where is he now?

[zgast]

On 8/3/2024 at 11:13 PM, Escoffier said:

Sometimes you just have to blow your own horn.  How to stir up interest?  How to become more relevant?  Those are the questions that every forum owner/manager/head are asking themselves.  I don't have an answer but wish I did. I'm struggling to help keep a car-oriented forum going and the only thing the effort creates is frustration. 

Well, even though it's popular, I don't think Wordle is the answer.  Some of the people who used to make DR a destination (Stephen Banker for one) are now only names from the past.  Churn is normal unfortunately and some people seem to think reviews on Yelp (which is non-participatory to some extent) is the end-all of food reviewing, food talk, food exploration.  Dean was (and still is) a bit opinionated. Until he moved to Baltimore, we remained in contact. I never asked him why the banishment.  Perhaps I should have. 

I think members can help out by actively pitching it to acquaintances that love food and restaurants as much as we all do.  Don has carried the load all by himself (forgive if others are helping behind the scenes and I've just missed that.) 

I'd hate to see this forum die out - I don't even live in DC anymore but use the site daily for Wordle (there are only three of us posting there) and to keep tabs on the DC restaurant scene.  But where it's truly shone is in my travels the last few years. I've picked up top notch recommendations for some of the more far-flung destinations that don't appear or wouldn't stand out in my general searches.  This is a highly honed group of amateur reviewers - and one I appreciate greatly.

 

[DonRocks]

3 hours ago, zgast said:

Don has carried the load all by himself (forgive if others are helping behind the scenes and I've just missed that.)

Pat carried the load for many years. Don’t forget cheezepowder’s relentless pursuit of restaurant openings and closures. There are so many more people that I probably shouldn’t have even named these two, but I feel a strong obligation to them.

There’s a lot of misunderstanding here, primarily because most people don’t know that I’ve been badly injured with an extraordinarily painful nerve entrapment since 2009, and it wasn’t until 2022 that I got one of four surgeons in the world who perform the decompression surgery I desperately needed. I was also slammed by a joyriding car in 2021, and have needed lower back surgery for 15 years (which didn’t come to light until recently because I was in so much pain from the nerve entrapment - it’s complicated). I really didn’t want to say this stuff, but I don’t feel like I have a choice. There is now a light at the end of this incredibly long, dark tunnel of medical hell.

This website isn’t going anywhere. I recognize its value as a repository of information. When I said we haven’t had any new members in ten years (just a guess), that’s because approving new members is a 10-20 hour-per-week job that’s incredibly difficult to do well over the long term, and I haven’t taken the time to learn the process (we’ve always had very strong membership directors). Maybe I’ll start accepting new members, slowly at first, but I still have two injuries to address (you wouldn’t have any idea if you saw me; you’d simply think I gained weight, and quite honestly I’ve had no desire to be “a fat food writer” - this, too, will change once I’m able to really exercise again).

I really appreciate the VAST majority of people here. In nearly 20 years, there have been exactly two members who I simply couldn’t deal with anymore - one personally threatened me (and scared the hell out of me); the other libeled me, twice, to the point where I could have taken legal action, but didn’t bother. That’s all I’m going to say because I strongly believe in protecting people’s personal information and privacy, and have lived by that credo since this site was founded on Apr 14, 2005.

Cheers,
Rocks

[Escoffier]

I just looked and I joined Don and company January 6, 2006.  Damn! I've been here (on and off) for a long time.  I've also met (and had meals with) a bunch of really great people.  Grover and I met Stephen Banker here and became life-long friends, Dean G. supplied many memorable meals at Dino's when it was in Cleveland Park and there have been so many others.  (RJ anyone?).  Kudo's Don and I hope the surgeries go well and we can share a bit of Scotch once again.

[DonRocks]

54 minutes ago, Escoffier said:

Kudos Don and I hope the surgeries go well and we can share a bit of Scotch once again.

Del Ray Cafe - we were there together.

[zgast]

21 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Pat carried the load for many years. Don’t forget cheezepowder’s relentless pursuit of restaurant openings and closures. There are so many more people that I probably shouldn’t have even named these two, but I feel a strong obligation to them.

There’s a lot of misunderstanding here, primarily because most people don’t know that I’ve been badly injured with an extraordinarily painful nerve entrapment since 2009, and it wasn’t until 2022 that I got one of four surgeons in the world who perform the decompression surgery I desperately needed. I was also slammed by a joyriding car in 2021, and have needed lower back surgery for 15 years (which didn’t come to light until recently because I was in so much pain from the nerve entrapment - it’s complicated). I really didn’t want to say this stuff, but I don’t feel like I have a choice. There is now a light at the end of this incredibly long, dark tunnel of medical hell.

This website isn’t going anywhere. I recognize its value as a repository of information. When I said we haven’t had any new members in ten years (just a guess), that’s because approving new members is a 10-20 hour-per-week job that’s incredibly difficult to do well over the long term, and I haven’t taken the time to learn the process (we’ve always had very strong membership directors). Maybe I’ll start accepting new members, slowly at first, but I still have two injuries to address (you wouldn’t have any idea if you saw me; you’d simply think I gained weight, and quite honestly I’ve had no desire to be “a fat food writer” - this, too, will change once I’m able to really exercise again).

I really appreciate the VAST majority of people here. In nearly 20 years, there have been exactly two members who I simply couldn’t deal with anymore - one personally threatened me (and scared the hell out of me); the other libeled me, twice, to the point where I could have taken legal action, but didn’t bother. That’s all I’m going to say because I strongly believe in protecting people’s personal information and privacy, and have lived by that credo since this site was founded on Apr 14, 2005.

Cheers,
Rocks

Absolutely didn't mean to diminish the contributions of anyone.  I also just checked and I only joined eight years ago!

I think what I'm trying to say is - good luck with the surgeries and there are still people here willing to help out if you need a hand. 

[Escoffier]

7 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Del Ray Cafe - we were there together.

That we were.  We can always go back.  Laurent and company are good friends.