Felice Anno Nuovo!

Well, we're less than 48 hours away from a new year and a new decade. Where did the time go? Can I finally throw away my Y2K ballcap?

But I must say I am looking forward to the new year. First, we have several new restaurants on the way. I won't go on about them since I have in posts past, but I think we can look forward to Pacci's, H&L Brewpub and 8407 coming in the months ahead. However we won't have Jackie's charcuterie to add to that mix since she finally pulled the plug on that. Just as well - it leaves an opening for yours truly. That's a niche I'll hope to fill at some point in the new decade if someone doesn't beat me to it.

We also can look forward for the first time to the SS Winter Farmers Market. They'll kick things off in a couple weeks (1/9) and you can get your fill of potatoes and cheese - maybe turnips too. Well, there will be more, but the offerings will be limited since we are talking about seasonal items. For you carnivores out there, you can now get good local meat all year round. I love that! I purchased a lamb loin from one of our vendors (the guy who usually sells only lavender) for Christmas dinner and boy was it good. Very simple preparation (coated with olive oil, salt and pepper) and cooked for about 40 minutes and then topped with this fabulous rosemary/ olive oil drizzle. It was a winner. And had plenty of leftovers for lamb sandwiches all week. Just finished the last bit for lunch today. Still tasty!

And speaking of home cooking, I will quickly say that our Feast of the 7 Fishes went very well. I think we ate for about 5 hours straight - just my speed. We ended up with 9 fishes - here was the line-up (and pics may come later, I can't access them right now, sorry).

Smoked salmon (Alaskan - not Atlantic, that is way too over fished) on top of rosemary and olive oil Triscuits (if you haven't tried them do yourself a favor and get a box) and then topped with creme fraiche, red onion and capers. A very big hit.

Brandade - this is a dish with potatoes and salted cod (I know, I'm a hypocrite, talk about being WAY over fished - but it's a must have with the Feast so I broke down) mixed together with garlic olive oil. I was a bit disappointed here - too much potato flavor and not enough cod. If I do this next year I need to cut out at least 8 oz of potatoes.

Salad with seafood - simple mixed greens with a vinaigrette and squid, shrimp and octopus. This was a winner, but my wife complained about the greens. But I love salad - so I think the greens have to stay.

Mini crab cakes - straight out of Maryland baby! Pretty straightforward, very little filler and covered in panko and then pan fried - with aioli. Another winner.

Tuna and white beans - needed some legumes in the mix and this did it. We do this often, but this time we took the extra step and made fresh beans and had a better grade of tuna than we usually buy for ourselves. Mix in some red onions and olio and that's it.

After our 5 antipasti, we did linguine alla vongele for the primi. Did it with just an olive oil and garlic sauce and had both fresh and canned clams. I took the easy way out and just use dried pasta instead of making fresh. I almost think it worked better with the dry pasta. Molto buono!

For our secondi we went back to Maryland and cooked about a 2 pound fillet of rockfish. Again, the simplest preparations worked best. I marinated the fish in olive oil, lemon and salt and pepper and let it sit for about 45 mins. I then put it in the oven at 400 for about 30 minutes. Once it was cooked through I pulled it out and then topped it with a putanesca (a mix of cherry tomatoes (local, hothouse toms), red onions, capers, olives, parsley and olio - about 4 cups). It really did top off a fab dinner.

For our dolci, a friend made an Italian cheesecake topped with currants. I am not a big sweets person but this was great. Again, I've been eating leftovers all week. To make sure everything went down well, I broke out my new digestivo - Fernet Branca. It went over better than expected. It's only meant to be drank in small amounts and I really think it does help with digestion after a big meal. It is a acquired taste and can be considered a little medicinal, but it has a nice finish that really warms up the body. I also cracked open the Sambuca for those who needed something a little sweeter.

All right, that's enough out of me. Wishing you all a happy new year. Looking forward to many fabulous meals in the year ahead and hopeful that our local restaurant and food scene continues to thrive. I think soon more people in the metro area will take notice and may begin to consider SS a dining destination area.

Happy Holidays

Just wanted to wish folks happy holidays. I hope you eat some wonderful meals during this festive time.

My Feast of Seven Fishes seems to be coming together nicely. I'll post some pics soon. I think we might end up with more than 7 fishes though. But who's counting. I'll also report on an Italian digestivo I'm serving. Our County liquor store did not carry this variety (Fernet-Branca), but were very nice and brought in a few bottles for me. Although I only needed one. I hear it's an acquired taste. We'll see how it goes.

And I'd love to hear from anyone who's been over to the caramel shop -- Velatis -- on Georgia Ave. I know they opened about a week ago. I think I'll make my way over tomorrow so I can include some of their goodies as part of the dolci for our Feast.

OK, go on now and eat, drink and be merry!

News and notes

OK, I have a few things to report on the local restaurant and dining scene.

First, it looks like our new caramel shop, Velatis (8408 Georgia Ave), may be opening its doors this weekend. So you better get to the dentist to make sure your teeth are up to this task. These are sugary sweets - so come prepared. My wife and I walked by today and there were about a dozen people inside making preparations. They had planned to open last month, but alas, we are in Mont. County aren't we.

But they will certainly be open to supply much of our sugar needs for the holidays. We learned the family who started the shop had both Italian and Greek ancestry - not a bad combo. And while the Velatis' sold the shop in the 1990s, the recipes made today are the originals! I look forward to chowing down on some caramels - which will be made right at the SS shop - very soon.

Next up, just south of Velatis, and immediately south of Pyramid Atlantic, in a former pawn shop, is a building that is undergoing tremendous renovation. I'm sure if you've driven or walked by you have noticed the transformation. It's not done yet, but it certainly stands out on the Avenue. It's quite a mod design. Anyway, I just learned that the owners are looking to lease the space downstairs to a restaurateur. The upstairs will contain a business of some sorts. But who really cares about that. No one has leased the first floor space yet, but you can be sure I will stay on top of this one. If the restaurant matches the setting, you can be sure it'll be a nice place.

I also heard that our new pizza place, Pacci's, had its brick oven delivered last night. It is so big it had to come through the ceiling. Wow! I can't wait to order an extra large pie there! But it looks like we'll still have to wait a while till any of us can do that. It appears Pacci's and 8407 are in line for spring openings. But I think most of us expected that anyway.

And while I cannot confirm this, rumor has it that Mayorga (8040 Georgia Ave) will be shutting its doors on their SS location. I'm not sure how much business they do since I have not set foot in the place in at least two years, but I just assumed they were doing OK. Maybe the recession hit them like other places? I guess if you're interested in getting one of their brews, you'll have to truck your way over to Rockville. If anyone can confirm or refute this news, please let me know.

One last thing, Frank Morales, is taking over for Sam Adkins as head chef at Jackie's. Morales was previously the chef at a place in Alexandria called Rustico. While I have never eaten at this establishment, it has received good reviews. He gets good marks for creating gastropub fare that matches well with beer. I look forward to seeing his influence soon at Jackie's. I'll try to get some more info on Morales and his plans for downtown SS. But it's obvious he prefers downtown SS over stuffy old Alexandria. As always, SS rulz!

The Feast approaches

We are just over 3 weeks out from the Feast of Seven Fishes. And I must say, I'm getting pretty excited. For those of you unfamiliar with La Festa dei Sette Pesci, it is celebrated by Italians and those of Italian descent all over the world on Christmas eve. It is believed to commemorate the 7 sacraments. And to do this, seven seafood/fish dishes are prepared for family and friends. My wife and I will be hosting our 3rd annual celebration this year. And with Thanksgiving behind us, I am all about thinking of the dishes we'll serve this year.

So with that in mind, I did some experimenting on Sunday night. I was pretty excited that the fish monger at Whole Foods gave me a couple big fish heads (just ask them) to make stock. I've made veggie and chicken stock before, and they've turned out great. By the way, if you have the time it's cheaper and you'll consume a lot less sodium if you can make your own stock as opposed to the store bought versions. And it's so easy. But with fish stock I learned, there's a bit of a learning curve.

I threw both heads (I think one was red snapper) in with several cups of water with some garlic, onion, carrot, salt, fennel leaves, pepper corns and a bay leaf thinking I was well on my way to having some killer fish stock. After a simmer of about 45 minutes my wife walked into the house and almost fainted. I think her words were, "what the hell are you cooking?" I had not noticed the strong odor, but it hit her like a ton of bricks.

I turned off the burner after about an hour and let it cool on my deck to start the defunkifcation of the house. I then filled a couple big plastic containers and stuck it in the fridge still hoping for the best. And while it wasn't the worst stock around, it was in fact quite strong. Some might say overwhelming. But I still wanted to use it in a dish I'm considering for the Feast - cioppino.

But, I want to make a modified cioppino. This is due to a dish I had in Spain a few months ago called arroz caldoso (soupy rice). It was kind of like cioppino, but with rice and it had a lot of fabulous seafood/tomato broth. Trust me, it was to die for.

Anyway, my attempt fell woefully short. Although I bet you're saying - it looks pretty good.

I used arborio rice in the dish and man, did it ever suck up the 3 cups or so of fish stock (which I had reduced some) I poured in. It was still edible, I mean the fish, mussels and clams were all good, but the rice really did overwhelm everything else. So at this point, this dish is definitely not Feast-worthy. Back to the drawing board. I think for my next attempt I'll try it with shrimp stock. Wish me luck.

Bolivians storm downtown, plus other news

Sorry for the long hiatus. Had to say goodbye to the person who helped nurture my love of food for the first couple decades of my life - my Dad. He was 84. And since I was the youngest and essentially an only child while growing up, I got the benefit of a little better standard of living than my brothers. This meant dinners out pretty much once a week. For the most part they weren't fancy, but my folks did love their seafood, and this for sure rubbed off on me. I'm just thankful that only a month before he was admitted to the hospital, my wife and I visited my folks for a long weekend and we all enjoyed a terrific Italian meal together. It started with mussels, then antipasti and of course pasta. My Dad had a hard time not ordering frutti di mare at any place that offered it. He certainly knew how to enjoy his food. Ciao ciao papa.

OK, on to another topic. Thanksgiving arrives tomorrow, and this past weekend I'm sure most folks know we had the SS Thanksgiving parade. I bet many of you were in attendance. We had a nice day for it - certainly better than last year. Folks lined Georgia Ave to get a glimpse of all the dancers, bands, floats, politicians and some of our four-legged friends. It was a good event.

Similar to last year, the Bolivian dance troupes were out. If you haven't seen them yet, do yourselves a favor and check them out next year. They're great. While I think there were 5 or 6 different groups out this year, we failed to match the number who danced last year. Are they too busy with other parades? Was there a mass exodus of Bolivians from the area? I don't know. But either way, we did get a nice sampling of dancers - men and women and very young and older folks.

I'm not sure what the county might allow, but the parade would be a perfect location for a vendor or two selling snacks to all us parade watchers. If those snacks paired nicely with the participants in the parade so much the better. But even if they didn't, I bet someone could clean up offering hand held treats. The kids most definitely clean up with all the candy that's tossed around. So what about us?

In other news, it looks like we have at least a couple months to go before we get any new dining additions to the 'hood. While Pacci's had hoped to open by mid-November, it looks more like the first part of 2010. Behind them will follow 8407 and Hook & Ladder. I know son of Nicaro, AKA 8407, was hoping to open this fall - but I now hear they still have a few months to go. Maybe Feb? My prediction will be that H&L opens last. While I haven't tried to poke my head in to see the internal progress lately, on my drive by this morning it seems they've got a ways to go.

But I guess that's OK, I'm not going anywhere and neither is my appetite. Have a great Thanksgiving. Safe travels if you're driving and hope you have the opportunity to eat some good locals meats and veggies with your dinner tomorrow. I'm told I'll have an free-range Amish turkey sitting at my table. Maybe sitting is not the right word, but you know what I mean.

Turkey day approaches - Are you prepared?

In just over three weeks, Thanksgiving will be upon us. I'm guessing that many of you cooking dinner for family and friends have given thought to the feast you'll prepare. I myself have been invited to a dinner and only have to think about a side dish (or two). Maybe my aunt's pumpkin roll recipe? But certainly something savory too. Need to figure this one out!

Anyway, I wanted to write a post for those interested in landing a local and sustainable bird that will most certainly be the centerpiece of your dinner. The MD Dept of Agriculture has a nice listing of MD turkey farms. The list is sorted by county and many provide a description of the type of turkeys that are still available.

You'll need to be committed to this since it does not appear that these farms deliver. But you do have some choices in both Montgomery and PG counties.

In addition, if you act before November 8 (this Sunday), South Mountain Creamery - located just north of Fredrick - will deliver a turkey right to your doorstep. Their delivery charge is just $3.75 and the birds are raised on a family farm in Thurmont, MD. The turkeys range in price from $30 for the smallest ones to around $80 for the really big birds.

I haven't ordered from SMC in a while, but those are good folks who run the farm. They have definitely have good quality products. If you do order, you should do yourself a favor and get some egg nog too. We drank a lot of this last holiday season. Tasty!

I know it's more costly to purchase a bird from a local farm, but I feel confident in the short-run (taste) and the long run (your family's health) it will be a wise choice.

Hello, candy corn-infused vodka...

it's me, SoCo. Guess what? Success! I had to trek about a mile from my office to Walgreens, but I found some appropriate candy.

As any sugar/corn syrup aficionado will notice this is not Candy Corn, but another Brach's product called Indian Corn. The top of real Candy Corn is yellow. The top of a piece of Indian Corn is brown.

But I think this will do to induce my sugary sweet vodka buzz on Saturday night. Indian Corn is made with cocoa (or so claims the bag), so perhaps this is a healthier version. That's the way I see it.

Either way, I'm looking forward to mixing a batch of this for Halloween night. I'm thinking though that I might pull back on the 1/2 cup of Corn to mix with 1 1/2 cups of vodka. I don't want the drinks to be too sickeningly sweet. I'm guessing more like 1/3 cup. I mean who wants to get sick on sweets 0n Halloween night, right? OK, now repeat with an eye roll.

I'll report next week on the results of the drink and how many trick or treaters end up doing Candy (or Indian) Corn cordial shots with us. Now beware of EVIL homes.

Three Days and Counting ++ Halloween drink recipe

Halloween will be upon us in three short days. So I hope you have hit Safeway before they run out of treats. I stopped by last night and they had some good deals going -- some 2 for $5! For starters, I picked up Raisinets, Milk Duds (spousal request), Twizzlers, Twix and some Hershey’s.

Also for old-time sake I grabbed a pack of Good & Plenty. Wasn’t sure if those were still made. I’m guessing there won’t be many requests for those. Too bad! Little brats should be grateful they’re getting anything. I mean, what have they done for me lately. And another thing – oops, I’m going off a bit here.

And check out this old G&P commercial from days gone by. Pretty cool. Maybe I’ll be Choo Choo Charlie this year? I just hope all his costumes are not sold out already.



Look for me on my porch with other tipsy friends passing out candy and trying to lay off the ghoulish cocktails I plan on concocting. I'll also pimp out my yard some with carved pumpkins, other misc decorations (one recent purchase is to the right) and scary music as the backdrop. Maybe Bauhaus? I've pulled out Throbbing Gristle in the past too. Not sure about this year yet.

And by the way, here's one drink recipe I'm definitely gonna try on Halloween night:

Candy Corn Cordial

Infused vodka: 1/2 cup candy corn and 1 1/2 cups vodka
Cordials: 2 ounces orange liqueur (or triple sec if you want to go cheap), juice of 1/2 lemon,1 large egg white, and then candy corn for garnish.

You'll need to infuse the vodka with the candy corns in an airtight container for a few hours and then strain. To make the cordials you'll need to add 4 ounces of the candy corn vodka, the orange liqueur/triple sec, lemon juice and egg white to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds. Strain into 2 chilled martini glasses and garnish with candy corn.

I'll obviously need to triple this recipe since I'm expecting some real boozies on Saturday night. OK, be careful out there.

A couple updates - 8407 and Pacci's

Got an update from Nancy Mola last week at the SS Farmer's Market on 8407. Nancy and Pedro were working the crowd and cooking up some lavender chicken - in addition to dishing up a fabulous little apple, endive and blue cheese salad. Here she is hard at work.

And by the way, these were serious local dishes. The chicken came straight from Evensong Farm, the lavender from Welsh Gardens, the apples from Quaker Valley Orchards and the blue cheese from Firefly Farms. I think that is great.

According to Nancy, they are hoping to open the doors at 8407 some time next month. If you have walked by the restaurant you have undoubtedly seen all the new windows that have been installed on both the top and bottom floor. The place is really coming around. I am sure there are a lot of folks looking forward to getting Pedro back in the kitchen on a full-time basis. Here he is last Saturday preparing the lavender chicken - which by the way I did NOT get to try.

So much for customer service! I don't know why they couldn't work around my schedule, right?

Here's hoping 8407 throws its doors open in November. Lord knows the old Nicaro has yet to live up to the high bar that Pedro previously established.

Update number two. Got a text on Thursday from Spiro at Pacci's - the new wood-fired pizza place opening next to the World Building on Georgia Ave. He received the necessary permits on Wednesday and they are moving at "full speed" to get the place ready to go.

It should be an exciting couple of months in the 'hood. Get your discretionary income ready!

Hold on, pizza is on the way -- Pacci's

For all those who’ve moaned and groaned about not having anywhere to turn for really good thin crust pizza in the ‘hood (although I still think Vicino bakes a good pie – ask for it extra crispy), it appears your prayers will be answered soon. You’ll no longer have to trek into town to 2 Amy’s or RedRocks, you’ll now have Pacci’s.

As I wrote back in July on the blog, Pacci’s will open up shop at 8113 Georgia Ave, just south of the World Building. Anyone who walks/drives by at the moment certainly won’t see a place that’s ready to throw open its doors, but I have been told that as soon as the necessary approvals are secured from the County (and that may be this week), then you’ll begin to see some serious work taking place.

Pacci’s will be run by Spiro Gioldasis, currently the GM at Mrs. K’s Toll House. The longtime establishment at the corner of Dale Drive and Colesville Rd. Spiro is hopeful to begin serving pizza as early as mid-November. Pretty exciting, huh?

And although mid-November is not that far away, I think we can be confident that the place will be up and running shortly since all the furniture and equipment they need has already been purchased and is being warehoused close by for quick delivery and installation. This is not to say there’s not a fair amount of exterior (and interior work) that will be need to be completed beyond furniture and equipment. But, I am holding out hope they have a good contractor lined up to do this work.

Besides wood-fired brick oven pizza, Spiro says they’ll also be doing salads, appetizers and, I hope you’re sitting down, gelati. If I can get maybe some good cured meats or perhaps some marinated veggies to start, then a nice funghi pizza and to end a pistachio gelato and of course an espresso, I may never leave. And for us drinkers, we’ll also be able to quaff beer and wine (no hard stuff yet). I'm hoping that Spiro serves some decent Chianti and Montelpuciano D’Abruzzo.

It’s also worth noting that Pacci’s plans to have an outdoor patio - by the looks of it on the north side of the building. It will seat 60-80 people. This seems pretty big to me. It’s likely they’ll need this since it doesn’t look terribly roomy on the inside – although the place is quite deep. Not sure what the plans are for the south side of the property with the huge awning. Maybe that goes? What else, turned into a drive through window?

And while Spiro did not mention any local vendors in particular, he did inform me that he will try to support our local farmers. This is certainly good news in my book. So I am hopeful we’ll see cheeses, veggies and meats from around the area. That’s not to say I’ll turn down a fine Italian cheese, but we’ve got some kick-ass cheese producers locally. Has anyone tried Blue Ridge Dairy’s fresh mozzarella or ricotta? Both are excellent. Let’s hope these make it on the menu.

OK, I’m ready to order.

South SS Block Party - this Saturday

Just wanted to spread the word about this Saturday's (Oct. 3) South SS Block Party. It will be held in Bethesda - just kidding. The festivities will be happening on Newell St, right off East-West Hwy and close to the intersection of Kennett St. You can go to the South SS block party web site for a map.

Head on over after you finish buying your grub at the Farmer's market and the Fenton Street Market. You'll need some lunch after all that, right?

In addition to good beer from Hook & Ladder, local restaurants will also be serving up their fare. They include Ghar-E-Kabab, Mamma Lucia, and Taste of Jerusalem. The party will be running from 1:00-6:00 pm. Hope you can make it and support the community.

A Great Meal

Last weekend, for the first time in probably about three years, my wife and I, along with a friend, dined at Jackie's (8081 Georgia Ave, entrance on Sligo). The long drought was partly due to the opening of Nicaro, but we also became a bit soured on Jackie's because we thought the prices did not match the quality, as well as a hit or miss wait staff. In addition, when we last ate at Jackie's neither one of us was eating meat (outside of fish), which left most of the menu untouchable.

However, we are both now experimenting with humanely-raised meats which makes Jackie's really an ideal place to dine. But first, I'll start by saying that as we walked south on the Avenue, we did make an attempt to check out the new Nicaro. But you know what, we could not make our way through the door. There was just something about it that didn't sit right. And then when we reviewed the menu and saw a fish sub as one of the featured dishes, that kinda clinched it for us.

Now that may sound a bit harsh, and don't get me wrong, I have no problems with a good submarine sandwich, but this is not what I think of when I think of Nicaro. But I guess I'm thinking of the old Nicaro. However, after reading their review in the Gazette last week, I'm glad we kept walking to Jackie's. The typically easy to please Gazette found a Nicaro steak, "undercooked, tough and chewy with a significant rim of fat" along with a less than impressive wait staff. In addition, the Gazette stated that Nicaro adds an 18% gratuity to all parties of four or more. Unbelievable. While customers can ask for the gratuity to be removed, it is unacceptable that it even shows up at all.

All right, enough of that. I do want to give Jackie's plenty of props for a terrific meal. First off, even on a busy Friday night with no reservation, we were seated quickly. It was nice the host remembered us after all this time. Second, while perusing the menu we quickly noticed the more than reasonable wine prices. These prices were not just reasonable for DC, but SS too. At least two of our choices - a Malbec and a Tempranillo were $6 and $7 respectively. And not just for short pours either.

So far so good. And given our expanded diet, there was a lot more on the menu from which to choose. I will say for those who don't eat meat or fish, the menu is limited. I believe that night there was only one veggie entree. However, I would not be surprised at all if you asked, or called ahead, that the chef would not be able to put together a veggie plate. We all had plenty of good veggies with our entrees, so you might want to give this a try.

We started with three appetizers - the sauteed peppers to the left, a nice beet salad, and a plate of fried oysters with pickled veggies. All three were winners. The peppers were served with a pesto-like sauce and corn bread. These were more mild than hot peppers, and full of flavor. The beet salad was simple, but very fresh and not drowned in dressing that often can ruin a salad. And how can you go wrong with fried oysters? These plump little devils had a thin layer of breading and were perfectly cooked. I would have been happy to eat an entire plate as my entree.

For our main courses we did two meats and one fish. The two meats were a skirt steak and a pork loin. And to be sure of their origin, I checked with the server and both were local and humanely-raised. My wife went with a Carolina Wreckfish - a member of the bass family and listed as a "best choice" by the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Of the three, I think my pork loin was everyone's least favorite, nonetheless it was still a great piece of pork. It just had trouble competing with the medium-rare and juicy steak along with the flaky and very tasty Wreckfish. Now I do want to be clear, all three of these entrees were still above the $20 mark, but given the quality of the dishes, the wonderful sides that accompanied them, and knowing that they came from local farms (at least the meats), we had no problem paying those prices. It made it easier knowing the wine we ordered was at such good prices.

The meal ended with a couple Tawny ports. Was a fabulous way to round off a great meal. We'll certainly be back soon to see what else Jackie's has to offer. If you have a little money to drop on dinner and don't want to head to the city - and you're OK with meat - I would heartily recommend Jackie's as an option.

Back in town

Well, I missed the inaugural flea market. It sounded good, but not great. I'm certainly glad something got going in that parking lot. I'm sure if it can keep going, it will improve in time.
I was out of town for a week - in Pittsburgh - but I am back and ready to eat some good SS grub.

While I was out, I did have to make a couple pilgrimages. First, to Primanti Brothers. If you're not familiar with them, their sandwiches are served on good Italian bread along with your choice of meats, or fish (even imported sardines), egg or cheese. In addition, they also come with a big handful of french fries shoved on top and cole slaw. Not the healthiest sandwich around, but definitely a Pittsburgh classic. I had the colossal fish and a couple beers. When in Rome, right? I mean who can pass up the classic taste of an Iron City Light. Certainly not me.

My second pilgrimage was for pierogies to a classic spot just outside the city in the working-class town of McKees Rocks. The place is called Pierogies Plus. It is run by a bunch of older Polish ladies and man, do they make some mean pierogies. I brought back 5 dozen with me - some plain, potato/cheese, sauerkraut - a nice mix. I haven't fried any of them up yet - with butter and onions of course - but I have plenty of times in the past and I know these will be spectacular.

But now since I'm back in SoCo, I need to find some worthwhile news to write about. I'll do some digging this weekend and see what I can unearth. Is it time to give the new Nicaro a try? Not sure I'm ready for that.

Mediterranean So-Co Style

So, we got a hankering for some falafel on Sunday afternoon and thought, OMG, where can we find good fried chick peas in our neighborhood? And then we were like, oh yeah, who doesn’t sell this stuff around here anymore.

But alas, when we tried the door at the Big Creek Café, it was locked tight. Damn those God fearing Greeks. Just kidding, I’m sure those guys work hard enough. They need the place shut down one day a week just for recovery -- whether it’s physical or spiritual. But instead of heading north on Georgia to the Greek Place – it’s kinda on our do not patronize list after hearing stories from Nikos and Simos at the BGC – we decided to head south.

In actuality we were planning to get a couple calzones at Vicino (they are quite good), but then we walked past Taste of Jerusalem (8123 Georgia Ave, next to the World Building). We stopped. We pondered. We checked out the menu. And since it was so nice outside, we sat in their sidewalk patio and figured we’d give them another try. We first ate at ToJ right after they opened a few years ago. We liked it OK, but weren’t blown away and we thought the prices were a little steep compared to the food quality. On top of that, the place lacked any ambiance at all. The lights were quite bright throughout the entire dining room.

But we figured it was the afternoon this time, we planned to eat al fresco anyway, and we could see from the menu that the mezza prices were reasonable. We tried four different dishes. Two were really good, and two were just so-so. I’ll start with the latter.

The two so-so dishes were spinach fatayer and the lebneh. We’ve had spinach pies a lot of times before and these just didn’t rate with the others. First I don’t think there was enough spinach filling, and second, the dough was a little too soggy on the inside. I would have liked it to have been more flaky. The other dish, lebneh (home-made cheese topped with olive oil), was a decent starter, but it didn’t pack a whole lot of taste. It might have been a bit too mild for my taste. But either way, it would have been much improved had the pitas we were served to scoop up the cheese had been of better quality.

OK, but I did say we really liked two dishes – those were the hummus and the falafel. We scarfed down both of those pretty quick – even with the lackluster pitas. The hummus was very tasty, not too much tahini, with a nice puddle of olive oil in the middle. While we really liked the hummus, the falafel was fabulous. These were 5 little heavenly balls of fried of chick peas. In my opinion, these rate better than the ones served at both our Georgia Ave Greek places and at Lebanese Taverna. And I’m glad I got them on their own and not in a falafel sandwich, because I think the pitas would most definitely have taken away from those fine little chick pea balls. On top of all that, these two dishes were the cheapest of the four - $4.95 and $5.50 respectively. I will also say the service was friendly and prompt.

I am not quite ready to say I’ll be back there soon. But I certainly will be tempted to go back for lunch at some point and order more hummus and falafel. They have a lot of other good veggie options to try as well – Baba Ghannouge, Tabboule, M’Saka, and lentil soup to name a few.

I’m a bit surprised to see that ToJ has lasted as long as it has. It never appears terribly busy. With three other restaurants in the hood serving similar fare – typically at lower prices – I’ll be keeping my eye on them to see if they can keep their doors open. I hope they can and I’ll try to throw more of my business their way.

Is it worth a Dama?

Well, has anyone been to Dama yet? This is the new Ethiopian restaurant that opened up on Roeder Rd, just to the west of the parking lot to the County liquor store (on Colesville).

Since I am not a big fan of Ethiopian cuisine, I doubt I'll be dining at Dama any time soon, but wanted to throw it open to others to see what they think. Maybe I can be convinced to give it a try.

A Yelp reviewer says the wait staff doesn't have the best English, but if that doesn't bother you, the reviewer also said they staff is "very pretty, young." One other on-line review says the food was excellent.

I've also seen mention that Dama will/is serving a vegetarian steak. Now I am not sure exactly what this is, but it does give me pause especially with some things I've read recently about fake meat products. What I found was that many fake meat products contain industrial-food byproducts, chemically processed soy and grain powders, artificial flavorings, colorings, and other chemicals. In addition, many vitamins and minerals are leached away during their high-heat production.

Brendan Brazier, the author of a vegan nutrition guide advises people to drastically cut these products out of their diet, and if possible, drop them all together. It seems the better choice is to stick with products made primarily from whole-food ingredients rather than relying on products made from soy protein isolate, hydrolyzed vegetable protein and TVP.

Or if you choose not to eat meat, just go with veggies and legumes. I feel confident that places like Dama and others can supply you on that front. If it wasn't for the injera, maybe I'd be more open. I guess also it's that lack of texture for me. There doesn't seem to be much of a crunch in Ethiopian food, right? Or did I miss it?

Either way, I'd love to hear what folks have to say about Dama. And if someone did try the veggie steak, how was it?

Whole Foods chief: there is no "right" to health care

Sorry for the hiatus. I know I am way behind on local food news with the "Newcaro" story on SS Singular and then Thayer Ave giving us the Fractured Prune update. But I had to make my annual pilgrimage to Vacationland (AKA Maine) to stuff my face full of lobsters for a week - and boy, did I.

Talk about fresh, caught that morning, brokering a deal with a lobster wholesaler right on the dock, and then bringing them back to the rental house to steam and BBQ. And at least for the moment, this is as close as I can get to really know what I am eating (for something that had parents) and where it has come from. I see the lobster in front of me before it is sacrificed for the meal. And trying to be as humane as possible, I sever the nervous system of the lobster by putting a sharp knife through their head. Although writing that sentence does make it seem quite cruel, it appears - though others argue against it - that this is the most humane method. In addition, I cannot argue with the results - mouth watering delight!

But back to the topic at hand, if folks missed it, John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods had an article in the Wall Street Journal last week on "improving" health care in the U.S. Mr. Mackey describes several free-market reforms that the government should take into consideration. Mackey wants "less governmental involvement and more individual empowerment." Yes. If we all act individually and not collectively, I'm sure we can leverage our insurance providers to establish less expensive and more comprehensive coverage for our families.

This is the same ethos Mackey has for unions - more individual empowerment. The last thing he wants is his employees coming together to collectively seek a bigger voice on the job. If you didn't know, this so-called progressive is rabidly anti-union. At the first whiff of employees talking union, the company jumps into action to squash any attempt by employees to exercise their democratic right to form a union.

But I digress, sorry. Of all Mackey's idea's, what bothers me the most is his assertion that the "right" to health care does not exist in the US. OK, true. But that doesn't mean we can't change things so that U.S. is not the only industrialized country without some form of universal health coverage. The suffragists fought to gain the franchise for women, right? Previously that "right" did not exist. And what about the Brown v. Board decision which overturned separate but equal? The court ruled this was a violation of the Equal Protection clause (14th amendment).

So now, forward-thinking people are working hard to ensure this new "right" is available to all Americans. Mackey should be on board with this given his philosophy on health. Earlier this month in London Mackey talked about his store's healthy eating initiative which will rid the WF shelves of unhealthy food and try to better educate customers.

This is good. If we're healthier we're less likely to fall ill. This should be the logic he uses for health care -- prevention. But Mackey's ideology trumps this. It appears he only wants the free-market to set the guidelines. We see how well that has worked for us with approximately 46 million (18%) Americans under 65 without health coverage. Why can't there be an affordable option (like a public option) for people to choose for their coverage? If people have this option, it is likely that more people will be pro-active about their health care and not simply reactive, so they don't have to visit the emergency room when an illness strikes.

This happens much too often today which is why the US is expected to spend $2.5 trillion (17.6% of GDP) on health care in 2009. Staggering. Worse, if nothing is done by 2018 this may reach $4.4 trillion.

This all leads me back to being very disappointed with Mackey and his proposed reforms. As business leaders go, he seems to be better than most - even with his stance on unions. I would have guessed given his holistic approach to food and health, he would have been supportive of a plan - whether run by the public or private sector - that allowed the largest number of Americans to receive health coverage. I know there are people calling for a WF boycott. While I am not one of them, it does make me second guess the amount of money I drop at WF on a weekly basis.

But should I shop at a store that pays its employees poorly and provides them no health insurance, and also stocks its shelves with mostly junk and overly processed foods rather than at WF? Safeway is at least a partial option since it's a union shop, but frankly I want more than that. I want sustainable meats and fish. I want fresh and local veggies and cheese. I want a good bulk section. Maybe I want too much.

Eating locally or altering what we buy?

If you missed it, there was an interesting article in the food section of the Washington Post last week called, Meat of the Problem. Now I have been back on the meat bandwagon a couple years now. I am not a complete carnivore, there are still many days during the week when I don't consume any meat. But I have to say, I have enjoyed allowing myself spare ribs, burgers, sausage, steak, etc. Not really doing chicken yet, but maybe soon given the information I just found.

I felt OK about the meat consumption since I try to be a very conscientious eater of animals - where did it come from, how was it raised, is the farm a sustainable operation? At least asking these questions make me (and perhaps unfortunately everyone who eats with me) really think about my food choices. I mean there is no way I will eat factory farmed broccoli, please!

But the Post article and the academic piece on which the article is based (Food Miles and the Relative Climate Impacts of Food Choices in the United States) bring to light important information that should be taken into account if you have an interest in lowering your carbon footprint at the dinner table.

The authors of the Food Miles, Christopher Weber and Scott Matthews, argue that changing our diet will go much further to lowering our carbon footprint when it comes to food as will just eating a local diet. This is unfortunate news for yours truly. I was feeling really good about buying my local pork, bison and beef, but now, I need to rethink these choices. I know I'm still OK when it comes to my 3 questions, but I guess I should be thinking about things a little more broadly.

Weber and Matthews argue that continuing to eat read meat - even if it was locally and humanely-raised - still contribute a lot of green house gas (GHG) emissions. Their analysis shows that for the average American household, “buying local” could achieve, at maximum, around a 4-5% reduction in GHG emissions. But if that household shifted less than 1 day per week’s consumption of red meat to other protein sources or a vegetable-based diet could have the same climate impact as buying all household food from local providers (which we know is not realistic).

This is a very similar argument that Mark Bittman makes in Food Matters - available from our Montgomery County Public Library system (and they'll happily transfer it to the SS branch for you). Bittman talks about being a sane eater. By this he mean not going on some kind of fad diet, but by increasing the amount of plants we eat and decreasing our consumption of meat. Easy for him to say, he didn't go almost 20 years without eating beef, chicken or pork. I have to a lot of making up to do.

But now I need to think twice about it. I do want to do my part, and I know following this advice will make me healthier in the long run, help improve the planet, and save me money at the market too. It's unfortunate that one of the choices we're given to help lower our GHG emissions is fish. But because of the problems with sustainability with so many different varieties of fish (FYI, a couple good choices are Arctic Char and Mackerel), this option seems pretty limited. So I guess it's less meat, more veggies and maybe now some chicken.

KFC, here I come. Oops, can someone direct me to a local and humanly-raised chicken-frying outfit?

The old Nicaro - the new Nicaro

Here's a quick update on Nicaro (8229 Georgia Ave) - it is scheduled to re-open on Monday, August 3.

After reading some chatter on-line from our readers here and from ThayerAvenue.com (thanks Eric), my wife and I decided to go by the place on our way home from work to see what we could find out. We peeked through the window and could definitely see some activity, but the door was still locked so we didn't think we'd find out too much. But right before we left, the front door opened and out walked the new owner, Luis.

He gave us the scoop about the Monday opening (over a couple beers at the bar) and said he plans to keep the name Nicaro. The new Nicaro will definitely be a family-run place with Luis, his wife and daughter working as hostess after her school days are through.

Luis is Venezuelan, but does not plan to serve dishes from his homeland. He plans on keeping a New American bent to Nicaro and serving food along the lines that Pedro did. Luis comes to SoCo from many years in the industry, having previously run the Potomac Grill in Rockville.

It's been certainly sad to walk by Nicaro and see the place shut down, so I am excited it will have new ownership and again be serving the hood. While Luis has big shoes to fill, I am hopeful the new Nicaro will be a pleasant addition to the SoCo restaurant scene. And it seems we win on both counts since we know Pedro's new place, 8407, will be open later this fall.

Quarry House Yard Sale - Tomorrow, 7/25

Sorry for the late notice, but I just received word that there will be a Quarry House and Jackie's yard sale tomorrow (July 25) from 5-11PM. It will take place in Jackie's back room (8081 Georgia Ave). The money raised will go to charity.

Word has it that some of the old art and beer steins from the Q House will be available and then a bunch of odds and ends like stemware, plates, platters, pillows, and vintage furniture from Jackie's. In addition, some regulars and staff from Jackie's will be offering jewelry and rock posters. Pyramid Atlantic will also be there with handmade papers and books.

I don't know about you, but I have longed to get a hold of some of the classic beer art (yes, I know, it's mainly commercial stuff) from the walls of the Q House. Although I don't know if this piece of "art" will be available, but I'll be looking for something like this.

Let's hope I come home happy.

Pizza on the Avenue?

I'm not holding my breath on walking to a good brick oven pizza place anytime soon, but I am glad to see someone interested in renovating Georgia Blue, the beat up little hovel which sits just to the north of the World Building. Not sure when the last time Georgia Blue served anything, but Google still lists the proprietor of 8113 Georgia Ave as Polonez Gourmet Deli. The only thing I know about Polonez is that is was a Polish deli. If they made pierogies I would have been set. Man, I love those little potato filled guys.

Anyway, as was reported a couple months back in the SS Penguin, next up for 8113 Georgia Ave looks like Pacci's, Brick Oven Pizzeria. Penguin staff reported the owners of Mrs' K's are behind this move. While I did not speak to anyone at Mrs K's, the MD Dept of Assessments and Taxation does list the same address for the ownership group of Mrs K's (Quick Cuisine) and Pacci's (8113 LLC).

I'm not overly concerned about this as long as Pizza Hut or Papa John's is not trying to fool us like Coor's tries to do with the beer drinking masses with its Blue Moon, Belgian-style beer.

I've always believed that spot had potential and it's disappointing to see it there empty. And what's the deal with the awning on the north side of the building? It looks like at some point it could have been part of a pick up window. Could there actually have been a drive-through place for pierogies? Oh man, I'm dying.

Well, let's see about Pacci's. I've seen no workers outside the building and I cannot see anything that's been done to the building. It doesn't fill me with a lot of hope for something coming anytime this year or even next year. Moreover, the tight credit markets don't help. I guess if things do fall through I'll look into this spot for myself. As I've said, I like the spot and maybe my Italian deli/market/sandwich shop would do well there. Perhaps in a couple years I'll have the financing ready. Probably not, but it's still nice to think about. Any potential customers out there for a nice mortadella sandwich or maybe grilled eggplant with ricotta on some crusty Italian bread?

Vote for Pedro

Now wait a minute, this is a pic of Pedro Matamoros, formerly of Nicaro, right? I mean I googled 'Pedro' and all these pics came up, so I just assumed...

Anyway, we all know who I'm really talking about. I assume most of you SS blog readers have already read on SS Singular or via the Washington Post about Pedro's new dining spot in town - 8407.

Nicaro is just a distant memory now, OK, hold on while I wipe the tears from my eyes. But supposedly we don't have too long to wait - maybe October - for the new digs to open at 8407 Ramsey Ave, right across from the SS metro stop. While I don't expect any exotic Hawaiian-style drinks to be on the menu, I do expect the same kind of top notch food that was served at Nicaro.

Also, I did hear that most - if not all - of the staff who helped make Nicaro such a great place, will be offered employment at 8407. So I do hope to see Rich, Brent, Shola? and maybe others there.

And here's what I hear from Nancy Mola, the former manager at Nicaro, and Pedro's business partner at 8407. First off, the new place is big - 5,800 square feet. They'll have 2 floors, the first will contain a bar and lounge (with couches for what else, lounging). And get this, there are like 6 doors off the main bar that will open up on to Ramsey, so when the weather is nice, this should be fab. You'll be able to start drooling for a drink and a snack as you approach the SS metro stop as the restaurant comes into view.

On the second floor there will be 3 dining rooms, yes 3, along with another bar. There will be seating for approximately 150 folks up on the 2nd floor. Does this mean no waits ever for dinner? I guess we'll see how popular it becomes. And as already reported, 8407 will be doing small plates such as charcuterie, cheeses, and I'm sure much more. You'll be able to order casual items like sandwiches and burgers and more high end choices like a nice local steak. I stress the local because Nancy and Pedro are committed to supporting our local farmers for both meats and veggies - and I hope fish too (although that's a bit more complicated).

Nancy says that 75% of the menu will be available all the time - for lunch, dinner and late night snacks. I assume the other 25% will probably kick in at dinner times. And for those just wanting a coffee and to lounge, wi-fi will be available at the new place.

So keep your eyes and ears out for more news. Nancy, Pedro and others will be looking to spread the word on the new place. For those on Twitter, you can keep up with them at Twitter.com/8407. If I get more info on 8407 - or Nicaro - I'll be sure to do a post. But one note on Nicaro, no one should be holding their breath for them to open next week (the end of the supposed 2 week closing period). Maybe they'll open their doors in August. Till then, keep walking and get your gyro on, or maybe some pasta at Olazzo.

The Greek Battle Begins

It's supposed to start on Wednesday at 11:30. It will be epic. Think back to the Greek civil war in the 1940s. Not sure which side is the left and which one is the right, but all I know is the left cooks a lot better than the right, so they'll have my support.

If you're not following, the Big Greek Cafe, is scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, July 8 at 11:30 AM at 8223 Georgia Ave. The BGC is replacing the very short-lived Oasis Pupuseria. What, we're they open even two months?

But, we still have the Greek Place just up the block (8417 Georgia Ave), which was previously the Big Greek Cafe until a squabble took place between the owner and the family who was actually operating the restaurant. Everything is clear, right?

It'll be curious to see how the 'hood handles 2 Greek restaurants literally 2 blocks apart from one another. We survived many years with the only place in SoCo to get a falafel fix being Lebanese Taverna. Now we'll have 3 places all within very close proximity of the other. The question is: can we support them all?

I see Lebanese Taverna surviving since the restaurant has been in SS for several years now and obviously there are others in the area. It has name recognition - and good food too. However, I just cannot imagine that both the Greek Place and the BGC can survive. It might have been better a few years ago when money was growing on trees for homeowners - otherwise known as Mont County real estate prices - but not anymore. This will be a battle royale. I'm wagering by the end of the summer you'll be seeing $1.00 gyros, then $0.99. You get my drift.

In a month I'll run a scientific poll of all my readers to see which one folks prefer. Maybe I can get a commitment that the loser relinquishes their space to a braiding salon.

Please note: According to their ad on the SS Penguin, the first 50 guests at the BGC on Wed will receive a free Gyro platter. I don't know about you, but I'm bringing my sleeping bag and camping out Tues night. I mean, come on, a free gyro platter! It ain't $0.99 yet.

Nicaro - Closing??

In case you were heading to Nicaro for dinner tonight, or tomorrow, or anytime in the next couple weeks, think again. As of today, June 29, Nicaro will be closed for "2 weeks." I added the quotes since I am a bit dubious about the mid-July re-opening.

Word on the street is that head chef, Pedro Matamoros, is heading west. Well, not too far west, Ramsay Ave in SS. Pedro is working to open a new place where Teddy's previously served the best roti in town. You do know roti, right? It's that fab West Indian griddle-cooked flat bread traditionally served with a curry dish of potato mixed with seafood or meat.

I've actually never had, but it does sound interesting. You may know Teddy's as a previous incarnation, the Luau Hut, which was recently featured on the award winning Silver Spring Singular. However, Pedro's new restaurant is not scheduled to open till the Fall.

Supposedly, a new ownership group will be re-opening 8229 Georgia Ave. However I don't want to say Nicaro will be re-opening since that really won't be happening. It looks like when the doors do re-open, Nicaro staff will be in place, but perhaps just to train new servers and cooks, maybe? It's all pretty uncertain at the moment. However what is certain is that the Nicaro we knew and loved (at least I did) has shut its doors. What's to come at 8229 Georgia and at 8407 Ramsay is a mystery. Stay tuned. If I find out more I'll let you know.

Buy Local Block Party

In my efforts to encourage folks to buy local produce, meats, etc, I wanted to help get word out about an event taking place on Sunday, June 28 from 1-4:00 PM in (or at?) Arts Alley, right next to Mayorga Coffee at 8030 Georgia Ave called the Buy Local Block Party.

While there won't be many food vendors at the event, it does look like something worth checking out. Moorenko will be there to cool everyone down with its wonderful ice cream and if that doesn't work for you Hook and Ladder will be out pouring their finest brews. You'll no doubt see me in that line. I may have to break out my rather large German beer stein for the afternoon.

You'll be able to enjoy your sweets and brews accompanied by some Afro beat hip hop sounds - I won't even attempt to comment on this since I absolutely know nothing about it - and then later a couple DJ's from the good folks at Roadhouse Oldies will likely be spinning some old school vinyl.

In addition, Pyramid Atlantic will be there, also portrait sketching, yoga demos, and our own Jerry McCoy regaling folks with stories of SS history.

It's undoubtedly an event not to be missed. See you there.

Back in the states, but...

not yet back in SoCo. Had one day back in the hood - ate some great crayfish (thanks Eric) - but then had to head to Ithaca, NY first thing Monday morning. Drag! So since I wanted to do a new post, I figured I'd do one highlighting a really good little Korean place here in Ithaca (specifically Collegetown) called KoKo.

I've been there a few times now and always look forward to sinking my teeth into one of their sizzling hot pots. But, before you get to your entree, KoKo - like many other Korean restaurants - provides a few different panchan (small dishes served gratis before your entree). Tonight, I got kimchee, some pickled zucchini, bean sprouts, some interesting cold potato cubes, and a sizzling egg. Yum! I wish I could add sound because this bad boy was really sizzling when it hit the table. First time I ever had anything like it. I waited a few minutes before I ate it and the egg had pretty much cooked and was surrounded by a wonderfully seasoned broth.

And since I don't eat Korean all the time, I typically forget about the panchan. Tonight was no different and of course I had also ordered an appetizer. I don't really regret it, but all total it was a lot of food. The app was a wheat flour pancake filled with kim chi. Again really nice, served with a soy-style sauce. Add some hot sauce and I was in good shape. Fortunately I had plenty of water and another reason I like this place, I was able to bring in my own beer. I walked down the street from Ko Ko to a kinda dumpy little convenience store, but they really have a good beer selection. Maybe 'cause it's a college town? Maybe 'cause I'm used to the ultra-lame selection at our County stores? Either way I walked out with a big bottle of Blanche de Chambly, a white ale from Quebec. Tasty.

Once done with my pancake, and some of my panchan, I was ready to dig into my sizzling hot pot. You can choose from 3 kinds - seafood, meat, or vegetarian. Given the amount of meat I had consumed on my vacation, I opted for the veggie route. Two days in a row for me now. Not bad. So this one was filled with tiny cubes of tofu, carrots, zucchini, onions with a raw egg dropped in the middle. Of course since it's a hot pot, the egg does get cooked. Don't worry. All the veggies are sitting on a mound of rice which because of the sizzling hot pot stays warm and the rice on the bottom gets this nice crispy texture. You actually have to jab the rice with your chopsticks to pry it off the bottom. Love it when you need to do that.

So if you have reason to be in Ithaca - it is pretty this time of year - and you get a hankering for Korean try Ko Ko. I'm not saying it's the best, because it is a bit of a dive, but I have certainly found they serve some tasty dishes. Once you're done you can walk down the hill a bit to the Chapter House and get your beer on.

And I will give a plug for the DC Korean vendor on the corner of L and 14th streets (SE corner). Try them out; you won't be disappointed. I know there's plenty of good Korean places in No Va, but if you don't feel like hauling your ass over the Potomac and you're already in the city, try out this mom and son vendor.