Feast of 7 Fishes

My wife and I hosted our 2nd annual Feast of 7 Fishes this year. We served a wide variety of fishes, with at least one being local. I tried for more, but had no luck. And we tried this year to think more about the sustainability issue.

I had planned to serve a brandada (salted cod and potatoes), but I think everywhere we looked, cod was on the do not buy list. That was disappointing since it is a very traditional dish for the Feast, but if people keep consuming it like there is nothing wrong, it won't be available that much longer - and that would be a lot worse.

But even without the cod, we had a nice mix of fishes. Pictured on the left is one of our starters - grilled squid with black eyed peas. We were hoping to make it with cranberry beans, but we couldn't find any. But the BEP did fine. We added some celery, red onion and carrots with a simple dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and spices. Pretty simple, quite tasty and it's not tough to find reasonably-priced US squid. They were frozen, but I think the frozen ones grill just fine. Also on the front end of dinner we served up some medium-sized US shrimpies with olive oil and lemon. These marinated in their own juices for a couple hours and were served room temperature. They were a big hit and the marinade was soaked up with some home-made bread brought by one our our guests - thanks Sandy! And to round off our starters, we simply took some black and green olives and marinated them with oil, spices and anchovies. Again, another inexpensive fish to complete our antipasti.

Up next came the primi course - here we served 2 homemade pasta dishes. We did linguine with crab and tomato sauce and we also served a crespelle (sort of like Italian crepes) stuffed with salmon and ricotta cheese. And as you can probably tell with the linguine, I made a little too much. But that worked out OK since I am a big leftover guy. With the linguine, I was pretty psyched since I found some Virginia eggs - Piney River Organics, part of Black Eagle Farm in Piney River, VA - at the SS Whole Foods. I am typically pretty dubious of some of the eggs that are sold as free-range and organic. I still try to buy as local as I can and this was the first time I had seen Piney River. And I was very happy with them; the yolks were quite vibrant with an orange hue ( a very good sign). These eggs helped me make a pretty mean pasta - when I mixed them with my double zero Italian flour. Once done and cooked I combined them with a homemade tomato sauce where I added some nice Virginia crab. I had to look for some local stuff, but it was worth it. I wasn't about to buy Indian or Thai crab. I'm sorry, I just don't trust they adhere to good environmental and worker standards in their catch. Also, I feel we really need to support our local crabbers and oysterman. I certainly hope we can bring back the Bay to what it once was. We definitely have a long way to go, but let's hope we get there.

Our second primi dish was the crespelle. I think after the linguine, it wasn't quite as exciting. But it did go fast, so my assumption is it was well liked. To vary the sauce, I added some cream to my tomato sauce. I didn't want two dishes with the exact same sauce. And this ended up being a pretty easy dish to do for company since I was able to make the crepes a couple days in advance and then the filling earlier in the day. Then all you have to do is fill, and roll up the crepes, top with sauce and throw them in the oven. Will make this again soon, but with a lighter filling.

To finish off the savory courses we served two fish - swordfish and flounder. And similar to the feeling I get when doing three courses in a nice Italian restaurant, nothing can really compare to homemade pasta. Both fish were prepared well - the swordfish was thinly-cut, grilled, in a simple sauce of olive oil and lemon, and the flounder was breaded, baked and topped with almond slices - but to me, fresh pasta always reigns. Also, I think most folks were pretty full when the fish arrived. We also threw together some rosemary potatoes and sauteed mushrooms. Needless to say, no one had room for the fennel and orange salad we had ready to serve to cleanse all the palates.

But there was still room for the various dolci we had, in addition to the copious amounts of red and white wine that were drank, coffee, and of course, some sambuca. It turned out to be a very satisfying and exhausting evening. But we've picked up some pointers for the third Feast. We'll take the best parts of the first two and see if we can find the right mix.

Happy new year.

SoCo Cooks

OK, here's my dilemma. I am not eating out as much as I used to, hence, fewer reviews for the blog. I want to write, but without eating at a variety of SoCo establishments, it makes it hard to keep up a restaurant/food-focused blog, right? Now I don't want to abandon my original plan, I do however need to modify it. I am simply cooking - and enjoying it - a lot more than I used to. I will admit, I think about food a lot!

So the plan for 2009 will be to begin incorporating recipes, cooking and other food-related items into the blog. If I want to keep this blog fresh, I definitely need to do this. This does not mean I plan to stop writing about different dining experiences in the 'hood, but I will now have more to draw upon. Make sense?

My first post based on this new plan will come later this week. For those not familiar, on December 24, Italians and Italian-Americans alike celebrate the Feast of Seven Fishes (and do yourself a favor if you have time, watch the short promo video on the web site). The Feast celebrates the 7 sacraments - or if you're like my wife, the 7 deadly sins.

Whichever you choose, the Feast is a wonderful celebration of life, family, friends and food, lots of food. And I think you can guess what is served - washed down with plenty of wine and other drinks. My preparation has already started. I am looking forward to preparing and cooking many more items, a few dishes on the tentative menu include: seafood crespelle; pan-friend gnocchi in a crab and tomato sauce; and Sicilian style swordfish. We obviously have a few more still to figure out.

OK, I hope this change doesn't drive away some of the few readers I have on this blog. Maybe at the end of the day, a few more will join us. Happy holidays.

Across the Street Cafe

OK, I'll admit I am starting out with a bias. I think the name is terrible. C'mon, Across the Street Cafe - couldn't they be a bit more creative.
If you don't know already, they are right across the street from the AFI at 8622 Colesville Rd.

But I didn't want the name to stop me from trying a new place in the hood. And unlike most other times when I've tried new places, I actually had several people joining me. I thought great, I'll be able to comment on several dishes.

But it was not meant to be. Although both the web site and the sign on the restaurant state an 11:00 AM opening for brunch on Saturday, the restaurant was locked tight. They did post a sign that said returning at 11:30, but we were all pretty dubious about that. The time was 11:25 and no lights were on in the restaurant and nothing looked like the place would be ready to roll in 5 minutes.

This was pretty disappointing. The brunch menu looks good and the prices are reasonable. They're serving a variety of egg dishes, a few different kinds of Benedict's, smoked salmon and bagel. All the stuff one might expect to find. But who knows what happened. Not sure if other folks have experienced this, but I am curious to hear. Also, if folks have tried it, let me know so maybe we can start a buzz and encourage them to open on time.

I will note that the new place next door - and no, it is not called that - Sabroso Grill was open and serving. We checked it out, but it is not a brunch place. They had lunch going though. A pretty meaty place. I will admit it did smell good. Might try them on another occasion.

Bolivia in SoCo

Well, if you didn't make it out Saturday morning for the Turkey Day parade, you missed a good one. While it was a bit cold, it was worth the temperatures. And I think Kefa Cafe was out on the Avenue as well selling some hot joe.

But I have one question - with all the Bolivian groups that were part of the parade, how can we not have one Bolivian restaurant in downtown? Please, I want to know.

I mean, did you see all of them. Some were really great. Most of the groups were kids, but two or three had some adults. And there seemed to be a mix of outfits too. There were ones like the pictures here, and there were others that had a more indigenous look. Unfortunately by that time our camera battery had died so we were only able to shoot the flashier outfits.

But back to the food. Now I know almost nothing about Bolivian cuisine, but I am intrigued. According to the reliable world wide web, one popular item in the country are humitas, little balls of corn dough, stuffed with cheese and then wrapped in a corn or banana leaf before being steamed. That sounds good.

Another popular dish that folks will know are empanadas, but also the fritanga, a dish of greasy fried pork. I think they may already sell this one at Tastee Diner. Quinua, a grain you may have tried is also big in Bolivia since it does well at high altitudes. It looks like they add it to a soup with chicken, onions, pork or other ingredients. That would have been nice Saturday morning with those 30 degree temps.

Now I am not holding my breath for a Bolivian place, it's unlikely to come and even if it did, could they do enough business to survive? But it was fun watching all their dance troupes on Saturday morning with all the other participants - the Irish garage, boy and girl scouts, the HS marching bands, the Mustang club, the dog trainers, Mrs - not Ms. - DC and a bunch I'm missing. If you bailed due to the temps, do yourself a favor and head out next year. You can end with a nice brunch at Nicaro like my wife and I did.

That was a nice way to watch the parade, sitting in warmth, sipping on a bloody mary and chowing down on beignets. MMMM.

Taste of Silver Spring??

OK, my euphoria is starting to dissipate. While I am still excited to have a Democrat moving to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, I can now start to think about things other than politics - and what better than food.

However, I really don't like having to write a post about this topic. I would much rather write about a real taste of SS not this Chamber-produced product. While many other parts of the metro area have events highlighting local restaurants, we are stuck with - at least for now - this event put on by the Greater SS Chamber of Commerce.

The event is not an outdoor, weekend event, but is an indoor (taking place at Discovery HQs) gathering and on a Wed evening. But that's not the worst, if you want to attend, get your checkbook out and plan to write a check for $50! Unless you are a member of the Chamber - which I am sure most of my SoCo readers are - then it's only $40. One other item worth noting, it appears the only restaurants that are eligible to participate may be ones that are members of the Chamber. I'm not 100% sure on this, and I really hope it's not the case. But the Chamber's web site does hype their "member" restaurants.

C'mon. This is completely bogus. The entry fee does get you a beer or wine and all the tastes you want - but what if you just wanted to stop by and try a few things and didn't want to spend a C note for you and your significant other? Can't we have an event where you simply hit the tables in which you're interested and not feel compelled to gorge yourself to make up for the money you're spending? I would feel better if some of the money was going to a worthwhile local charity, but there is no mention of this on the Chamber's web site.

Anyway, the event is Wednesday evening, November 19 at Discovery. And note, if you want to attend you need to make reservations by Nov. 12 by calling the Chamber (301-565-3777). The participating "member" restaurants include: Across the Street Cafe, Asian Bistro, Blair Mansion Inn, Caribou Coffee, Dish Catering, Eggspectation, Ghar-E-Kabab, Gifford's Ice Cream & Candy Co., Kirsten's Cafe, La Prima Catering, Lebanese Taverna Cafe, McGinty's Public House, Moorenko's Ice Cream Cafe, My Kitchen, Nicaro, Noodles & Company, Olazzo, Party Rescue Team, redDog Cafe, Romano's Macaroni Grill, Silver Spring Thai Flavor, York Castle Tropical Ice Cream and Whole Foods Market.

There are some winners here, I really like Nicaro, Ghar-E-Kabab, and Olazzo, but what is Party Rescue Team? Is this a restaurant? And I consider Whole Foods a grocery store. Also, La Prima closed its doors, right? Why are they still participating?

I think for 2009, we need a real Taste - maybe on a Saturday in October? A nice fall day where folks can stroll around and try a few more non-chain places. We need Thai Derm, Mandalay, Jackies, Lotus Cafe, La Bamba and a few others there. Could it be that hard to pull off? And if anyone does attend this event, please let me know how it went. Thanks.

La Taqueria

After some decent internal debate, I convinced myself to try the Taqueria El Mexicano at 8417 Georgia Ave in between Wayne and Bonifant. And I can't say I was terribly impressed.

I was really hoping to find a gem in the rough. But I left the place a little disappointed. I chalk part of my disappointment up to limiting myself to the vegetarian options - of which there were few. Perhaps unabashed carnivores would fare better than me. But given my own rigid rules about steering clear of meat unless I know its origins, I had to stick with what ended up being a vegan lunch.

But it was more than just the menu that disappointed me. I was hoping to find a bit of a divey-spot, especially given its location; one would think it could very well be a dive. In my mind I was thinking some place with a limited menu, cheap, kinda spartan interior, but with good food.

La Taqueria has the potential to be a dive, but it's unfortunately trying to strive for something more. This is not the kind of place that should have white tablecloths. Are they trying to appeal to the Anglos in the neighborhood and they think we need this? At least for me, I want the opposite! How about less spent on the decor and more spent on food quality and preparation?

While on the one hand they're trying too hard with the tablecloths, on the other they didn't have real silverware. I mean it's OK with me if they want to go cheap, but why use silver-coated plastic silverware that try to look like the real thing? Just give me a real fork or just the basic white or black plastic model. And I could have used a fork with my meal, but was only given a spoon. And since my Spanish is extremely limited as was the server's English, I had to make do with a spoon. I survived, no big deal.

On to lunch. Given the limited vegetarian options I was pretty disappointed when I was told no cheese papusas. It was time to get creative. I pretty much had maybe 2 or 3 choices. I ended up choosing a platter of 3 small tostadas, a taco, rice and guacamole. And I was thankful they had a bar so a couple cold Mexican beers with lunch did improve my mood.

The tostados were fine, but not exciting in the least. I'm not sure why, but at the time I didn't even notice it lacked cheese! It consisted of a tortilla, beans and cabbage. I also topped it with some green salsa and guacamole. I mean you can't go too wrong with that combination. But it was pretty boring. However, not as boring as the taco! When it was served it was simply warmed corn tortillas filled with beans - no mas. C'mon, couldn't the kitchen staff be a bit more creative? Have they never encountered a vegetarian in the restaurant? I had to send it back and ask at least for some lechugua - lettuce. Luckily I could add some salsa, guac and rice too. And a second time, I somehow didn't notice there was no cheese. I know I said queso when I put in the order, but not surprisingly a lot was lost in the translation.

So I'm doubtful I will make it back to the taqueria. Although their breakfast menu did intrigue me. Maybe one day I'll try what I can only imagine is a Latin bagel - or as they call it, a baguel. Sounds kinda good, huh? I think my next Latin outing on the Avenue I will give La Bamba a try. The wife of a Mexican neighbor of mine gives it good marks. I can't imagine it could be any less exciting than La Taqueria. Oh well, I am glad I tried it.

SS Farm Market - one more time

Due to the Thanksgiving Day parade in SS on 11/22, our last farmer's market of the year will be 11/15. Sorry for the confusion.

Correction - SS Farm Market

OK, I guess it's the last time I trust the SS Penguin. Although now I have no proof!! They edited their site at some point since yesterday to make the correction. And I can't even get a cached version. Believe me, I was sober when I wrote the post.

Anyway, I wrote yesterday stating that this weekend was the last SS Farm Market of the year - based on what I read in the Penguin. But then a reader wrote in to say the Farm Market's web site lists 11/15 as the final Saturday for 2008. Now, we have a new date. According to Fresh Farm Markets, 11/22 will be the last one in SS for the year. So don't fret if you cannot make it this week.

And won't it be nice that after election day, we'll still have 3 weeks to buy our local produce knowing that Republican Party policies have been completely repudiated and Barack Obama is moving to Pennsylvania Ave! Am I counting my chickens too soon?

Don't miss it - last SS Farmer's Market of the year

I know - it is lame. How can our farmer's market end its annual run in October? I mean, it's not like we're living in some frigid climate. It seems the market should run at least till the end of November - and start in April - not May!!

But, this is what we have. It is nice to know that the Takoma Park market runs year-long now. The vendors will start thinning out soon, but there are some stalwarts who make it all the way through the winter.

So if you have some free time this Saturday morning, try to make it over and show a little love to our local farmers. They have still been selling some nice-looking chard and other greens. Also, there have been plenty of potatoes, string beans, cauliflower and fruit too.

You can also still pick up freshly-baked bread. And of course, the goat cheese lady is always out there. And for you carnivores, there's plenty of grass-fed and humanely-raised beef - I think chicken too. I'm hopeful next year that some jamon may be for sale. If you have a hankering now for some pork, I would recommend a vendor at Takoma Park. Their pork is fabulous and it is a very well run farm.

And if you have any veggies still growing at home - I still do - watch out, 'cause I think the first frost will be upon us soon. You may want to consider providing some protection to your plants - maybe a frost blanket - or bringing potted herbs indoors when the frost hits, or if your basil is still good, yank out the plant and freeze it. Just throw your basil in a blender with enough olive oil to liquefy it, pour it into ice trays and after it freezes, stick the cubes in a freezer bag and you'll be set for the cold months. I'll be spending part of my Saturday doing just this.

Celebrate 25 years of Thai Derm

In September 1983 Thai Derm opened its doors to downtown Silver Spring. I however, was not in the area. I was making my first ill-fated attempt at college. For others, who's to say. You might have been cruising down the Avenue rocking out to top songs of the day such as Electric Avenue by Eddie Grant (can you say one-hit wonder) or perhaps Down Under by Men at Work. And deny it all you want, you know you were.

And just in case I lose you, I'll alert you now that for 2 more weeks - to celebrate their 25th anniversary - TD is offering a 15% discount. Click here for the discount. But you only have till the end of the month. Take advantage of it!

Now I'll continue. I would have to think that back in 1983 a Thai restaurant in SS must have been pretty exotic. I'm not sure what else was around the 'hood at that time, but I'm guessing TD might have been the only place serving Asian food. I know the Quarry House was around then, and of course Crisfield, but what else, maybe Vicino? I am confident the area I now call SoCo is a hell of a lot different than it was in 1983.

Enough reminiscing, let's focus on one of my favorite places in the area - Thai Derm. Now anyone who knows TD knows it's nothing fancy. But that should not be a deterrent from you dining there. On almost every occasion eating at TD I have left quite satisfied - and full. TD is a family-run restaurant run by the Thumprasert family. They have a varied menu and daily specials. The small staff they employ are very nice - although not always with a firm grasp of English - and their prices are quite reasonable.

Here's one example of the low prices. While I really like Mandalay, located directly across the street from TD, if I wanted a Singha there, it costs me $5.50 (not positive on that, but I'm pretty sure). However at TD I can get the same Thai beer for $3.75. What's up with that? Due to this highway robbery, I now drink Yuengling at Mandalay. OK, enough about my beer consumption.

Let's get back to the TD food. Now since I'm a pretty selective meat eater, I cannot comment on all their dishes, but I can comment on quite a number of vegetarian and fish dishes. To start, I do love the fried tofu. It comes out nice and crispy and served with a kinda sweet n sour sauce topped with peanuts. It's good! The spring rolls are good too, but pretty basic. And in the colder months the lemongrass and coconut milk soup is wonderful - subbing shrimp for the chicken. The lemongrass and coconut combine to make a wonderful flavor.

On the noodle side, of course their Pad Thai is good, but c'mon, be more adventurous. Maybe try the Pad Zie Eiew (thicker noodles) or maybe #19, a noodle soup dish. I've been getting that lately with tofu instead of pork. It's a spicy one. Some of my other faves include the #63, spicy seafood. You need to dig coconut milk if you wanna order this one. Number 55 is also a good one, but of course for me , tofu not chicken. On almost any dish they serve at TD you can swap out meat for tofu - so it really expands your vegetarian choices.

Also check the special board - there's usually 3 per night. And if you go on a Friday, the deep fried whole fish is a great dish. It's kind of unusual, but the times I've had it, it has been really good. And if you like things spicy, ask for the spice tray. There are 4 spices on there and they will definitely increase your dish's temperature! But watch out, some dishes come laced with jalapenos and they come out of the kitchen smokin.

I'm not much of a dessert eater, but their ice cream coconut dish is a nice way to finish off a meal. That is, if you have room. And since I always eat mine and typically part of my wife's dinner, I almost never have room.

OK, maybe I'll see you there. If a couple sits down and one of the servers runs over with a Thai beer - often without prompting, you gotta love that - you've spotted me.

Update: Pomegranate Cafe

Wow, people actually read this thing. Thanks to Robin, we now know a bit more about the Pomegranate Cafe. It was scheduled to open on Oct 1, but that didn't happen. However, we should expect an opening soon. And as the name implies, they will be serving rice bowls, rolled sushi and dumplings. What? Maybe the owners are really big fans of this superfruit. Also, if you didn't know, next month is national pomegranate month. So if you don't make it to the restaurant, at least eat a pomegranate.

New restaurants on the way

Got a tip from a reader - thanks Elliot - about two new places coming to the 'hood soon. The first place is Thai, called Thai Flavor. A less than intriguing name, but I won't write it off for that. Its location is 8650 Colesville Rd, right across the street from City Place. Thai Flavor replaces everyone's favorite, Letty's Latin American Grill - which if you hadn't noticed closed in May. And even though this establishment is not technically south of Colesville - my blog's raison d'etre - I will still blog about it. And no I'm not being serious with that.

While I am very reluctant to turn my back on a restaurant and staff with which I feel very close - Thai Derm on Bonifant - I am kind of excited about Thai Flavor given what I've read. According to a report on Localharvest.org, Thai Flavor is an upscale carry out and eatery that provides a variety of healthier food choices through support from Silver Spring Fresh Farm and Takoma Park Farmers Market. The restaurant says it prides itself on superior service, affordable prices, and amazing taste. They say their goal is simple - excite the customer’s taste buds, provide prompt service, healthier choices and affordable prices.

That all sounds good to me. If they can pull all that together, I would assume they will do quite well. However, that does mean three Thai places in a 3-block area (including Thai at Silver Spring in the Peterson Companies "Downtown" SS). We shall see if we can sustain all three places. And while the restaurant likely won't be opening till the end of the month, their web site is live and a menu is available. So you can plan ahead and figure out what you want now.

And after walking by the restaurant and reviewing its menu, it appears Thai Flavor is smaller and will have a much more limited menu than either Thai Derm or the other one (hey, I'm like John McCain - I can't say the name of my competitor). I'm guessing it'll be more of a takeout place. It has about a dozen main dishes. But surprisingly, I don't see any tofu. Come on, no tofu! Maybe if their seafood and meat are locally sourced and humanely-raised, it'll be OK (at least for me). But given that no item is more than $8.95 on the menu, I am more than a little dubious. This definitely needs further investigation. Stay tuned!

Now we can only hope that the rest of block gets a bit of a makeover. I mean not to be a hater, but what's the story with Fashion at Times and SS Men's Wear? I can only think they have had long-term leases and their rent still remains pretty low. Does either have a regular clientele?

OK, on to number two. The second place on the way is called Pomegranate Cafe. Pomegranate is set to open in the new luxury apartment building, the Bennington in Silver Spring at 1215 East West Highway. From what Elliot tells me, the film is off the windows and a final inspection has been done. It would appear that Pomegranate should be opening pretty soon.

Other than that, I really can't say much more about this new dining spot. And although earlier in the year a place called the Pomegranate Bistro opened in Potomac (a kosher deli and restaurant), there does not appear to be a connection to our new place. Although if I am wrong , someone please correct me. And if anyone out there has some additional info on Pomegranate please shoot me an e-mail.

To the East, to the West

Hi kids. Just wanted to give you a heads up on a couple things going on this weekend - albeit outside of SoCo.

First, just to our east, we have the 27th annual Takoma Park Street Festival on Sunday (10/5). Although they do have a website for the event; it provides very little information on what is going on. They do say there will be crafts, music, children's activities and food vendors. But they do not list any of the food vendors - so I'm at a loss. For those who know Takoma Park, we know there is not a preponderance of restaurants. My guess is that perhaps you'll see Mark's Kitchen, Savory, and maybe that Middle Eastern place. No disrespect intended, but nothing terribly exciting.

Secondly, to our west, we have the 19th annual Tate of Bethesda happening tomorrow (10/4) from 11AM-4PM. Admission is free, however if you want to actually taste some food, then you'll have to fork over some money. Hey, nothing is free in Bethesda baby. They will be selling "taste tickets." These gems will go for $5 (for 4 tickets). The tastes will be between one and four tickets.

There appear to be a lot of restaurants participating this year. If you head over, you can try exotic tastes from Austin Grill, Ben and Jerry's, Chipotle, DrinkMore Water and Trader Joe's. Oooh, sounds yummy. OK, I'm being a little catty. I just have a grudge against Bethesda. My partner and I have been avoiding it like the plague over the last few years. To me, whenever we were there, it was simply a sea of white faces. I mean the only diversity we saw were from the service staff employed at the restaurants. For full disclosure, I am white - although given my Italian descent I have been described as a little swarthy - but at the end of the day I cannot really consider myself anything other than white.

But hey, we have plenty of diversity in SoCo and to me, that is what makes it such a great place to live. You can see it as you stroll down the Avenue on a Friday night - whether you're choosing La Bamba, Olazzo, Taste of Jerusalem or perhaps the Lotus Cafe. And the diversity not only includes race, but class too. We are more than a bunch of upper income families. I'm not saying we don't have our fair share of professionals, but we also have plenty of working class folks too.

All right, maybe soon we can pull off a taste of SS. A couple years back SS Singular blogged about why we haven't done this. As Sligo says, "even friggin' Wheaton has one." And again, this was from Oct 2006. Over the last two years we have plenty of new spots that could help support our own taste. OK, I'll start to work on this for '09!

West African - SoCo style

Given that real bloggers like Sligo from Silver Spring Singular recently had a longer than usual spell between posts, I don't feel as bad since it's been more than 2 weeks since my last entry. However, I am afraid that the few readers I had, might have gone on to more reliable blogs about the SS dining scene. But if any remain, you have my pledge to eat out more and write about it.

So anyway, my partner and I trekked back to the Roger Miller Restaurant at 941 Bonifant St (right across from Mandalay) over the weekend to give their dishes another try. It had been many years since our previous visit and I knew we were way overdue to give it another chance. I shouldn't let one dish of that African classic - fu fu - scare me off for good.

And I am quite glad we gave it another try. While it was too rainy to sit on their deck, we went early enough to secure one of the few tables they have inside. As expected, the TV was going strong with francophile African music videos. When walking into Roger Miller you can quickly forget you're still in SoCo.

The place itself is named after a famous Cameroonian footballer. Miller was a star player in the country and was called one of the 125 best footballers ever by Pele a few years ago. And you can be sure that when the African Cup is happening - and other matches too - Roger Miller is a lively spot to watch the games. When Cameroon was in the finals last year, it was SRO inside and there must have been 50 folks out on the patio trying to crowd next to the window to see the TV in the back.

The menu is quite varied with a mix of meat, fish and vegetarian entrees and starters. In addition, the prices are more reasonable than I remembered. One of our starters, fried plantains, only went for $2.50 per order and it was not a small portion. They were quite good too. While we were hoping to try a second appetizer called Moi Moi (ground black eyes peas), they unfortunately did not have that dish. But we were happy with a dish of fried spicy shrimp. And be forewarned, watch out for the hot sauce. It is smokin! It was served with both the plantains and shrimp. And like Brylcreem, a little dab will do ya.

Actually, most of the Brylcreem jingle could fit this hot sauce - well maybe not the last 2 lines. If you'll indulge me, here's the jingle: Bryl-creem, a little dab'll do ya, Use more, only if you dare, But watch out, The gals will all pursue ya,-- They'll love to put their fingers through your hair.

And if you have another minute, do yourself a favor and watch this old commercial for Brylcreem. As Fenwick, from the classic film Diner would say - a definite smile.



And if anyone knows where I can purchase this magical product, please respond. I mean, wow! All right, I guess I went off on the Brylcreem tangent long enough - back to our story.

On the entree side, the prices remain low. Almost everything is less than $10 except for a few of the seafood dishes. The fish dishes are well done and pretty simple, and although we didn't order it, the grilled veggie platter looked fab. In addition, there are several traditional dishes on the menu which need explanation by the staff - that is if you are not familiar with West African cuisine. I look forward to going back and being a bit more adventurous - maybe trying the Bongo Chuei or the grilled tofu. I'll leave the goat for others to try and comment on.

The staff (all two of them) were courteous and friendly. French is the dominant language; but don't worry, English comes out quickly if your high school francais has faded. The place is not fancy however; it actually fits into that stretch of Bonifant well. And Roger Miller is a family run operation in business now going on nine years. And for west Africans moving to the states, it's really more than a restaurant. From what I understand emigres who make their way to Roger Miller can find help as they try to situate themselves into a new country.

If you haven't been I would recommend giving it a try. But don't be surprised if it's full and you can't get a table. The good thing is you're right next door to Thai Derm, across the street from Mandalay and just down the block from the Q House. You won't go home hungry.

Beer and wine in the 'hood

For the folks who have yet to venture over to SS Mart Beer and Wine at 8211 Fenton St., I would recommend that you postpone your visit - but only until you're in need of beer and wine.

As their name implies, this is a shop for beer and wine. I had originally thought that beer and wine would be their emphasis, but that they would stock other goods too. And while they do stock some other items, I would wager that 80% of the store is only for those 21 and over (unless you have a good fake ID). And I was a bit surprised at the selection they offer. On the beer side they have some good offerings - Sam Adams, Bass, Guinness and then some other decent brews like Yuengling and Stella. In addition they stock a couple exotic-looking Ethiopian beers. And for all you American lager fans don't fret, SS Mart carries all your faves - Miller Lite, Icehouse, Coors, Bud, etc.

For those not looking for a cold one, SS Mart does pretty good job on the vino too. There was a much bigger red selection than white and at least on my visit they had some good choices for Italian reds, especially given the arcane liquor laws we have in MoCo. And as one might expect the prices were pretty cheap. The bottles I saw ranged in price from around $5-$12. And if push came to shove and you needed to take a bottle of wine to a friend's house in the hood and our County store was closed, you could do OK picking up a bottle or two at the SS Mart. I don't think you'd get funny looks like you would by setting down a bottle of Manischewitz or one of those Chianti wicker wine bottles - although truth be told in my Italian-American household growing up it was a pretty regular staple to go with Sunday pasta.

One last thing, I don't want to leave out the selection SS Mart carries of what I can only assume are staples in the Ethiopian community. To me, those items were the only ones that stood out to compete with the alcohol. And hey, while I would like the store to be a little more varied, I am happy that I have a short walk to purchase that magical combination of water, hops, malt and yeast (and no, don't believe Bud, rice does NOT belong in beer).

Tragedy strikes Lotus Cafe

According to a report in the Washington Post today, a man who may have been smoking in bed was killed early this morning when the mattress in his SS apartment caught fire.

The 31-year-old man, whose name was not released pending notification of his family, was originally from Baltimore and had recently started working at the Lotus Cafe. He was apparently living in a second-floor apartment in the same building, which also includes apartments housing others who work at the restaurant according to the MoCo FD.

The FD said residents of those other apartments smelled smoke shortly before 2 a.m., and realized there was a fire in the man's bedroom. They dragged a ladder to the window, and grabbed fire extinguishers to use against the blaze, but were driven back by the smoke and heat.

Fire and rescue crews evacuated the man and put out the fire. He was then taken to the Medstar burn unit at Washington Hospital Center. Tragically, he did not pull through. The blaze did not damage other parts of the building.

This is the second time in roughly 12 months that the Lotus Cafe/My-Le has endured a fire. In 2007 when this happened, arson was suspected. But it appears no firm conclusion was ever reached in that case. Unfortunately in this incident, it looks as though carelessness played the over-riding role. My heart certainly goes out to the Lotus Cafe family.

Maybe palace is not the right noun

In an effort to expand my culinary horizons, I recently ventured into Tian Jin Palace, near the corner of Georgia Ave and Bonifant St. Had I not started this blog, I feel pretty confident I would not have chosen to dine (OK, get some take-out) at this establishment. But, as I've said before, I want SoCo Eats to uncover the highs and lows of our local restaurant scene.

In case you're not aware, Tianjin (spelled as one word for the city) is a large city in Northern coastal China and actually has the 3rd largest urban area in the country (over 11 million residents), only behind Shanghai and Beijing. And while it does have four sister cities in the US, Silver Spring sadly is not one of them. Maybe if we ever incorporated ourselves! Nonetheless, we still have the Palace serving up both Chinese and Thai dishes. One could have previously gone to the Palace for sushi, but alas, those days are no longer (you'll need to head for Sushi Jin on Fenton for that - if you dare).

The menu at the Palace is pretty standard for an American-style Chinese restaurant. It's likely you would not even need a menu to place your order. You have your egg rolls, tempura and various soups to start, and then you have your typical mix of beef, chicken, seafood, pork and veggies for your entrees. In addition, the Palace has a low-fat menu too! On this menu one has a choice of a few dishes with no MSG, less oil and less salt. Moreover, according to a proudly displayed sign in the window, the Palace is also in compliance with MoCo Resolution 16-134, restricting the use of artificial trans fats. Long live natural fats!

But trust me, even though they are in compliance, you might still want to take a hard look at the choices on the Low-Fat menu, because it appears to me that the MSG, oil and salt saved from these dishes, are liberally applied to just about all their other entrees.

I will say on my one outing to the Palace, their egg rolls were fine, but my crispy eggplant was dreadful. I wanted to try something I had not ordered elsewhere and man, my mistake. The eggplant were not at all crispy and come to think of it, I'm not even sure it contained any eggplant. It was hard to tell amidst the thick covering of batter. And that was it. No other veggies, just eggplant - with some sweet-sour sauce and rice. However I can say, they didn't scrimp on the quantity. Those eggplant were busting out of that Styrofoam container.

Now maybe it's me, maybe it was my choice of entree, maybe I'm just a hater, but there are some folks out there who do really like the Palace. I noticed several entries on Washingtondc. menupages.com that were pretty positive - "food was very good"; "chicken and hot garlic sauce is awesome"; "very fresh" - maybe I went on a bad night.

I will say the place was pretty clean, their prices are low ($7-12 for dinner) and the folks who run it were quite nice. However, there was an odd-looking, kinda 60's-holdover couple in there when I picked up my takeout. Now they weren't eating, but folding the takeout menus. The lady raved to me about the Palace and said, "everything is good." I love when I hear that. Really makes me feel confident about the food. The only other table was a younger couple. They seemed to be enjoying their dinner. But what struck me was they appeared to be drinking some kind of Fanta-type drink; it was bright red. I'm not sure, but it could have been Brawndo! Either way, it looked like the Palace lacked a liquor license. A definite turn-off in my book.

But hey, if you're close and craving some greasy Chinese, why not?

MoCo Bordeaux

OK French wine fans, here's your chance. Our risk-happy MoCo Dept of Liquor Control (gotta love the name) actually purchases wine "futures" for the purpose of securing "allocations of these great wines to better serve customers." And their 2005 purchase has paid off! The experts are calling the 2005 Bordeaux vintage exceptional and our County is now offering its humble citizens the opportunity to purchase these wines at County stores.

According to the very friendly Diane Wurderman at the DLC, the County still has many of the 2005 Bordeaux available. They received very limited quantities of some of the big ones (like 5 cases of the Margaux Margaux), but even on that they still have almost 2 cases available. All stores have some 2005 Bordeaux, but of course each store is different.

And fortunately for those interested, Diane at the DLC can help you navigate for any specific wines, and she can guide folks to stores with a decent supply of the 2005 Bordeaux. Additionally, the County can transfer wines to a convenient location if what you want is not carried in your favorite store. Now what more can the County do to enable our alcoholism, hmm?

As you'll see below, there is a great variety of Bordeaux the County has for sale. There's something for almost every budget. And to answer my own question, the County will provide an 8% discount if you purchase a case (and you can mix and match bottles to hit the magic mark of 12). So, even though Jennifer Deseo at the SS Penguin is under the impression the County's offer is being made "at prices too high for your broke Silver Spring ass," I beg to differ. Now I will not be making a purchase of anything higher than a C note, there are a few varieties that have received high marks and are going for good prices (I have highlighted the ones I like in bold).

All right, go get your drink on.

Chateau La Mouliniere,	$10.69
Chateau Suau (white)	$12.55
Chateau du Moulin Rouge	$13.05
Chateau Suau (red)	$13.45
Ch Pontoise Cabarrus Cru Bord	$15.85
Chateau Saint Colombe	$18.65
Ch Lilian Ladouys Grand Cru	$19.79
Domaine Zede Margaux	$20.95
Ch Chantegrive Bord Rge	$21.39
Ch Chantegrive "C" Caroline Graves Blanc	$22.05
Ch D’arsac Margaux	$26.59
Ch Carmensac Haut Medoc	$27.95
Ch Clos Rene Pomerol	$38.09
Ch La Croix du Casse Pomerol	$39.49
Ch Larrivet Haut Brion	$42.65
Ch Lynch Moussas Pauillac	$43.99
Ch Cantenac Brown Margaux	$52.55
Ch Rayne Vigneau Sauternes	$53.25
Ch Coutet Barsac Sauternes	$69.99
Ch Gruard Larose -St Julien	$79.05
Ch Talbot St Julien	$81.29
Ch Pavillon Rouge Du Ch Margaux Margaux	$86.99
Ch La Fleur De gay Pomerol	$135.55
Ch Calon Segur St Esteph	$137.85
Ch Figeac 1er St Emilion Gr Cru	$161.65
Ch Pichon Lalande Paulliac	$189.89
Ch La Mission Haut-Brion	$499.75
Ch Mouton Rothchild 1er Pauillac	$1,133.05
Ch Cheval Blanc 1er St Emilion Gr Cru	$1,133.05
Ch Lafite Rothchild 1er Pauillac	$1,200.89
Ch Margaux 1er Cru Margaux	$1,359.25

Obama night at Jackies on Monday

I didn't say which Obama though. And doesn't this guy look like he'd fit right in at one of our local watering holes? Although he'd have to smoke that cancer stick outside.

But the news is that downtown SS Barack Obama supporters will be gathering at Jackies (8081 Georgia Ave) on Monday night for a Convention Watch Party.

I'm not sure the exact line-up, but Michelle Obama will be delivering a speech on Monday evening. The gathering will take place from 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm. And word on the street has it that the folks organizing the event will have an exciting guest speaker.

The suggested donation to attend the event is $25, but there will be complimentary BEER and discounted cocktails.

I imagine if word gets around Jackie's will be SRO on Monday night; we do live in quite a Blue neighborhood. All right, let's turn out and get drunk for Obama ; it's the least we can do. And we can't afford to have "that wrinkly white-haired guy" take the reigns, can we? I've heard that evangelicals are pushing him to re-institute prohibition. Now I can't point to a source for this - but I will continue to spread this rumor.

Lobster in SoCo?

Well, do pictures count? 'Cause I can tell you right now you're not gonna get lobster this good in our hood. Now granted, the tails on these guys aren't the biggest, but man, they were good.

I'm a bit hesitant to give the details about where they were purchased, but since I probably can count the numbers of readers of this blog on 2 hands, I think I'm OK. If you haven't visited Georgetown, Maine, I highly recommend it. These guys were purchased from the 5 Islands Lobster Company in what arguably is the most picturesque harbor in the state - or the east coast for that matter.

Part of the reason for their small size is that in August most of the lobsters brought in by the local lobstermen are shedders (soft-shell). These typically come in smaller than the hard shells. But unlike the soft-shells we're used to, you don't eat the entire crustacean. But the shell is easier to crack than the hard-shells. I took these luscious creatures and first steamed them and followed that up with some grill time and a nice garlic-butter sauce. Heaven on a plate!

Earlier in the week, my partner and I went the more traditional route and had lobster rolls and some rings. These luscious sandwiches were purchased at Mama D's which now makes it home right out of the Georgetown Country store. Mama D took over the counter at the store earlier in the year and expanded the menu. And I am glad they did! The rolls were fab - not too much mayo or other filler and just a small piece of lettuce to add a crunch. And as you can see from just looking at those rings - wow. They were simply thinly sliced onions before we put in the order, but then they were floured and dropped in the fryer. And that order is a small!!

My one complaint, you can't get a beer when eating at the counter. The store has plenty of brews, but they don't have the license to sell them for consumption inside. It was a hardship - but I did overcome it.

I'll end this non-SoCo post with one more pic; this one is from the Portland Farmer's Market. This market, in Deering Oaks Park, is held every Saturday from April to October. (Editor's comment - if this farmer's market can start in April, I think the much warmer Silver Spring market can start earlier than May, right?) Anyway, given the cooler temperatures in Portland, their produce was about a month or so behind ours. As you can see they had some wonderful carrots, onion and beets for sale. In addition, there was plenty of potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes along with some good looking beef and pork products. You couldn't ask for much else. We stocked up well for our week long stay in 5 Islands. One item that was missing was Maine cheese.

But luckily, we remedied that problem by driving to a great little farm about 45 minutes from Portland - Nezinscott Farm (they don't have their own website but you can check out this link with a short video of the farm). And OK I lied, one more pic.

These happy cows provided us with some wonderful cheese for the week (helped out by some sheep). We also appreciated the offering brought forth by their pork colleagues which produced some award-winning bacon. Needless to say, with the amount of pork, butter, lobster and other foods consumed last week, my arteries are now on vacation.

But it was all worth it. The Portland/Georgetown area is not too far from SoCo (under 600 miles). We were able to pull into Portland on a Friday afternoon (4:00) with a 6:30AM start. Not too bad. And unlike my childhood days, we even stopped for bathroom breaks and a quick lunch.

All right, I have gone on more than long enough with my non-SoCo post. I'll be back soon with some fresh news about some hot and hip local dining destination. On second thought, maybe I'll just write about someplace in our neighborhood.

On Holiday

Hey friends,

Won't be doing a real post till next week. In Maine chowing down on lobsters! Quite tasty, I must say. I'll post some great pics of wonderful Maine dishes next week. And they won't be all seafood either. Had a great Mexican style dinner tonight with fresh Maine ingredients.

OK, hope you have some good meals while I'm gone.

Salted Cured Meats - Update!

If you're like me, I know you've been waiting with bated breath for the arrival of our own SoCo establishment specializing in salted cured meats. And yes, the San Daniele proscuitto sold at Whole Foods is wonderful, but I would love more variety and the option to buy other cured meats from my homeland.

If you're not sure what the hell I'm talking about, well I'm talking about the new place being planned by local restaurateurs Jackie Greenbaum and Patrick Higgins. They plan to open Jackie's A Go-Go right next door to their current Sligo Ave hot spot - Jackie's. At first the plan was simply to take over the space previously occupied by Decade Hair Design. But now, the salon on the western edge of the building - Salon Kisash - has also gone under (side note - what's going on with SoCo? Two salons going under in only a few short months. Did neither do Dominican braiding?). According to the grand dame herself, with the extra square footage, they are now contemplating a pizza counter too.

But we can certainly expect a lot more out of the shop than cured meats and possibly pizza. In a February article in the City Paper, Jackie describes a shop that will be part take-out, package store, bakery, chocolate shop, housewares, and tchotchkes. But - not all at once. She plans to start small and build up to the full panoply of goods and services.

As of early August, there is still no specific ETA for the Go-Go. The City Paper article stated a March '08 opening, but we are 4 full months past March and walking by the shop the other day, it did not look ready for prime-time yet. I would wager we're looking at closer to the end of the year. But, I for one am happy to wait. Having a spot like this in the 'hood will be fabulous!

While I am not a huge fan of the crowd which now frequents Jackie's - to me it's turning too much into a scene-place rather than a spot for serious diners - I am more than ready to turn over a percentage of my earnings to purchase fresh bread, some good vino and quality cured meats. Once I hear more I'll pass it along.

Lotus Cafe - Redux

I know I recently added a post on the Lotus Cafe, but I wanted to do another since I actually sat down and had a meal - not just took some mediocre pics.

Anyway, for anyone who previously visited while the restaurant operated as My-Le, or perhaps Kim Than, and liked it - then you'll like Lotus too. In my humble opinion few things of substance have really changed. Yes, the front room is going through a transformation with a full bar on its way in hopes of creating a lounge scene. How this will happen really escapes me. But we'll see. In the main dining area, a large TV screen has been added to the back wall, but other than that, things are very similar. Yes, there are some new tables, a new paint job, and some newly-hung artwork (I'm being generous with the term artwork), but all in all this is the same place we all knew and loved.

In addition to similar decor, the service and food quality are on par with the old days. This has its pros and cons. I'll start with the pros - the food. At least one my first visit, the quality had improved from the last days of My-Le. In 2007, I felt the quality and consistency of the dishes at My-Le had gone downhill. Lotus appears to be taking a step in the right direction. The two vermicelli dishes my partner and I had were very good. And the summer rolls we started on were as good as the old days. However, the menu lacked a vegetarian version of the crispy spring rolls. This should be rectified fast! Summer rolls in warmer weather is fine, but on cooler days you gotta have the crispy ones!

On the con side, the service was very similar to years past. There is no way to satisfy all the customers on busy nights with one or two servers (and more often that not it was one server). Granted, the night we dined at Lotus was slow, but still, one server for the whole place - fogedaboutit. If the dining room gets packed and folks fill the outside tables, get ready to wait. And when the front of the house gets behind, so does the back of the house. My hope is that when Lotus establishes itself and begins to draw a consistent crowd it will be staffed accordingly.

Also, if folks didn't notice, Lotus received a nice review in DCist earlier in the week. So get out there and throw them some business. When it cools off, the outside patio is great. What's better than whiling away the evening and watching metro and CSX trains fly on by.

DC Restaurant Week

If folks are not aware, the DC restaurant week will be starting soon - August 11. And there are actually a few MD restaurants that participate too. The only one in SoCo is Ceviche. Not that I'd give a strong recommendation to dine at Ceviche even during restaurant week. The last few times eating there, I definitely felt that the quality of the food had gone downhill.

Although I'd be interested in hearing what others had to say since the last time I ate at Ceviche was in 2006.

And for those not aware, the prices for the 3-course lunch is $20.08 and for the 3-course dinner is $35.08. If you want to take a trip into the city there are certainly many places participating where you can find top-notch meals - and probably spend a lot less than you would during other weeks. Some of my faves that have signed on include: Bombay Club (great Indian food); Cafe Atlantico (who doesn't love Jose Andres - and check out his new show on PBS called Made in Spain; it's quite good); Equinox (high-end new American); Sushi-Ko (the best sushi in town in my opinion); and Tosca (fresh and exciting Northern Italian dishes).

In addition, for those who do plan to book, I highly recommend using Open Table. It's a free on-line reservation service. Typically diners get 100 points for each reservation made using the service. Essentially 100 points equals one dollar. It's worth noting that some places have 1,000 point reservations - usually early and late dining during the week. But this is a free service and if you eat out at places found on Open Table it makes sense to book there. I'm now at close to 8,000 points. I figure I need to continue using it a couple more years till I rack up enough points for my partner and I to have a nice meal completely gratis.

Now get out there and enjoy some good food. I will be out of town on vacation that week, so it'd be great to hear from folks on what was good and not so good. I'll do another post on this next month. During that week I will likely only be consuming lobster and beer.

Is Nothing Sacred?

Well, it's gone. I was walking to get my usual breakfast of fried rice, egg rolls and a steak and cheese submarine and lo and behold as I went to open the door of the Golden House, there was no door. It was simply not there. I was devastated! I'm not sure the exact timing of the demolition, but needless to say, no one called to inform me about it.

Just kidding - we all know the Golden House has been shut down for months now, maybe more than a year. Who can remember. And also, who can forget walking by and smelling that wonderful fragrance of fast food Chinese. MMMM!

And what's in it for me? A library. Yeah right, reading is overrated. Who wants to have the ability and convenience of reading a book for free, when you call walk down the street and spend $20 for it at Border's? Again, kidding. I will be quite pleased when the day (or should I say year) comes when the SS library will open. I just hope I'm still alive.

And for Golden House, folks know you don't have to travel much farther to taste some of their exciting dishes. If you're not aware, they serve the best "Chicken, Subs, Seafood, Szechuan, Hunan, and Mandarin." That's at least what their website tells me. And hey, I believe them. I don't need independent verification from folks who have eaten there or some high-falutin' newspaper. Why would they lie? Any place where I can order chicken chow fun, a steak, ham and cheese sandwich, and lobster (lobster fried rice that is) all at once is OK in my book. I know the next time I'm hankering for these 3 dishes, I'm walking - no running - to Golden House! Who's with me?

Lotus Cafe - Open for business

Hey kids, we have Vietnamese back in the 'hood (I don't really count that Vietnamese place on Ellsworth as being in the 'hood). And the folks running Lotus Cafe (8077 Georgia Ave) used to help run Kim Than (the restaurant at this spot before My Le.) They had left the area for about 10 years, but are now back and looking to make a new go of it. They expect Lotus Cafe to have a hipper vibe than Kim Than or My Le (that won't take much since both of the previous places lacked any vibe at all). The new folks see Lotus almost as a restaurant and lounge - well, the lounge part will come in time, maybe later this year.

Looking over their menu, I can certainly see many dishes that were served back in the Kim Than days (and served when it was My Le too). The starters are what you might expect, summer rolls, crispy spring rolls, fried wontons - but also calamari fries (muc chien). Then there's a nice selection of noodle entrees, chicken, beef, vegetarian and several grilled entrees with vermicelli noodles (always loved them). But one I see missing is tofu vermicelli. I'll have to put in a special request for that. And what Vietnamese restaurant would be complete without Pho, the traditional Vietnamese beef noodle soup. Lotus has a few Pho dishes with beef, chicken and seafood. The prices do appear to be a dollar or two higher per entree than previously, but I had always wondered how the previous places stayed in business with some of the low prices they charged (and they certainly did not scrimp on quantity). The new owners will also be adding some new dishes to the menu in the weeks and months to come. Maybe in time there will be nightly specials?

I also should note that Lotus is serving lunch specials from 11-3 Monday-Friday for $7.45. They have 20 different options for these specials. The new owners have yet to completely finish all the renovations but a quick peak inside definitely showed some improvements. In addition, the patio has had a nice makeover too. I look forward to a dinner out there very soon.

Some other items to note right now: they are open Mon-Sun from 11AM-10PM. At present they serve bottled beer and wine (draft beer and a full bar are on the way - part of the lounge experience). But at least where liquor is concerned, given our county of residence, it might be a ways off.

I am certainly happy to see new (old) owners take over the spot. Since My Le has closed, my partner and I have certainly eaten much less Vietnamese food than usual. I expect that to change soon. I have a lot of making up to do. Vận may.

2,000 miles away...

I know I am way off topic here, but I wanted to add a short post on this fabulous restaurant in Scottsdale, AZ. Now I am not a big fan of Phoenix or Scottsdale, but I travel there for work fairly often and have had some time to check out the local restaurant scene.

And I would highly recommend if you are in the area, you make a special trip to a place in Old Town Scottsdale called Sea Saw. On the whole, the places I've eaten in Old Town are OK/good, but not great. It seems mainly a place to be seen for the young and good looking crowd, and for tourists to visit. I do not think of it as a dining destination. But Sea Saw is the exception.

It is run by Nobu - no, not that Nobu - but Nobu Fukuda. It is essentially a Japanese tapas restaurant. But not sushi - more a fusion mix of Japanese. And its small plates range from great to fabulous! Potential visitors should know it is expensive. When I stopped by this week the cheapest item on the menu was a $6 cold edamame soup (with crème fraîche and what one of the chefs told me was vegetarian caviar), but most of the dishes were in the mid to high-teens with some in the low to mid-20s. And again, these are small plates so most eaters would need 3 or 4 to fill up.

In addition to this place being quite far from SoCo, it is also does not adhere to a "buy local" ethos. When I asked if a juicy looking lamb chop on the grill was local I was informed, "No, it's from New Zealand." So these chops made nearly a 7,000 mile trip to Scottsdale. Wow, this a long way. I would have to believe that somewhere in the southwest or western US Nobu could find some high quality lamb chops. But for now he chooses NZ. And I'll admit I ordered a melange of Japanese mushrooms (to die for) and as one would expect there were Japanese and Hawaiian fish scattered throughout the menu.

On my next visit I will continue to lobby for a SoCo Sea Saw. Wouldn't it be cool if it could take over one of the garages on Mayor Lane and help transform this strip into a lively dining alleyway. But I'm not holding my breath. For the time being us locals will need to head into DC to get something close to Sea Saw.

Attack of the killer tomatoes??

I'm sure everyone is aware that the FDA and the CDC are fervently trying to track down the genesis to the recent salmonella outbreak. At first it was thought that tomatoes were the culprit, now according to a Washington Post article, about two weeks ago the tomato theory began to falter.

FDA and CDC officials currently believe other salsa ingredients deserve closer examination. Experts in food-borne illness say that jalapeños are on the short list of suspects since they would best fit the timing, duration and distribution of the outbreak.

But I believe, whatever is determined as the cause of this outbreak, should spur us to be more informed consumers and try our best to buy fruits, veggies, meats, etc. as close as we can to home and get to know local farmers.

Every Saturday (9AM-1PM) folks certainly have the option of visiting the SS Farmers Market on Ellsworth where local farmers sell cheeses, meats, veggies, fruits, and more. If you miss it, you can head a little southeast of SS and visit the Takoma Park Farmers Market (10AM-2PM) in the old town area. Now I know this option is not for everyone. Cost of the items most definitely limits the clientèle - which is unfortunate since many of these products are top notch. But these small farmers cannot compete in price with factory farms.

But I do want to alert folks of an option of which you may not be aware. Now this is not an option for all your food needs - just some - but typically the price is right! This option is the urban farmer - Charlie Koiner - right in SoCo (NE corner of Grove St and Easley St), just a few blocks from downtown SS. Charlie has more than an acre where he grows a variety of fruits and vegetables and if you visit his farm you can purchase items for very reasonable prices. You can typically guess that Charlie will be selling whatever is in season - greens and scallions early in the year, tomatoes in July and August, etc. His fruit is also quite popular - blackberries, blueberries, and many other varieties.

If you haven't met him he's a great guy and my guess is that tending to his farm keeps him young (he's in his mid-80s). So do yourself a favor, if you're in the area stop by and check out the urban farm. He has a sign posted right near Grove and Easley listing what he has for sale. And if you see his silver truck (with a cab) you know he's home and open for business. But more than likely you'll see him in the garden taking care of everything.