Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke II

Due to popular interest, I will follow up my recent article, “Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke” with a series of articles on the same theme. I can probably keep this up for quite a while. It must be easy to ascertain that I am nearly broke.

Matuba has a $1 a piece nigiri sushi night on Mondays. I like Matuba, but have not been there in quite a while because I tend to visit metro accessible restaurants more often than not.

Cafe Asia has a Happy Hour Monday Through Friday, 4:30-7:30pm, during which nigiri sushi is $1 a piece, and select beers are $2. I was there a couple of nights ago and felt that the sushi was a good value.

Whitlow’s on Wilson has 1/2 price burgers all day on Mondays. I like their burgers, fries, and onion rings. Monday evenings can be quite busy there. They also have a Tuesday-Friday 1/2 price sandwich lunch special, but I haven’t had their sandwiches.

I generally go to La Tasca for dessert, since their desserts are excellent, but the restaurant does have some specials worth mentioning. The restaurant offers a free paella station at the bar Friday evenings 4:00-7:00pm. They also have Monday-Friday Happy Hour specials of $2.45 fried eggplant (berejenas fritas), and $2.45 fried potatoes (patatas panaderas) appetizers, $3 draft beer, $3 per glass and $13 pitcher sangria. Happy Hour specials are only offered at the bar. Desserts are 1/2 price on Sundays.

Matuba
2915 Columbia Pike
Arlington VA 22204
703 521-2811

Cafe Asia
1550 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA
703 741-0870

Whitlow’s on Wilson
2554 Wilson Blvd,
Arlington, VA 22201
703 276-WOWE (9693)

La Tasca
2900 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA 22201
703 812-9120

A Call to Arms: Keep Fair Food at the Fair!

There are some foods that shouldn’t exist in nature, like deep fried Oreos, foot-long corn dogs, fried cheesecake, candy apples, and and chicken-on-a-stick. As such, nature has banished them to the land of play and fun, the state fair, and kept them away from our everyday life. And it's for the best. Just imagine the cosmic imbalance that would occur if deep fried Oreos start appearing on every street corner, or if candy apples started appearing as dessert at, say, Citronelle.

Even so, those foods have begun to creep into everyday life. You can buy Candy Apples at some candy stores, and you can get deep fat fried Mars Bars at every takeaway in Scotland. But there's one food that's been protected throughout the years. It is the ultimate fair food: The Funnel Cake.

The Funnel Cake is so perfect because it is so simple. You take some dough, take boiling oil in a giantic drum, and twirl the dough in. You cover it in powdered sugar, and you eat. And you dump the powdered sugar all over your shirt. Luckily, you're at the fair, where calories don't count and no one notices the faint mist of powedered sugar covering your t-shirt.

Now, another bastion of American life, has brought these two worlds onto a collision course. The International House of Pancakes, that “American family tradition” (as the posters adorning the wall proudly proclaim) is in the midst of its IHOP Funnel Cake Carnival. That’s right, the ultimate fair food, Funnel Cake, is now available at your neighborhood IHOP. In fact, you get “two warm, delicious funnel cakes with creamy whipped topping, powdered sugar and your choice of fruit topping: strawberry, blueberry, cinnamon-apple or red, white & blueberry (strawberries, whipped topping and blueberries).”

It's a travesty, I tell you. How can you eat a Funnel Cake when you're not trying to balance it on one hand, afraid of dropping it on the ground, while ripping off pieces with the other? How can you serve fried dough, with approximately 40 grams of fat, in the real world -- where calories count? And how can IHOP tempt us with those glorious mounds of fried dough available any time want them?

I have to admit that I passed on the Funnel Cake during our last IHOP trip, choosing to believe that fair food should remain at the fair (and because I love my arteries). Still, I believe I can hear that sound off in the distance of the two worlds – the far-off, fantastical world of fair food and the natural, everyday world of diner cuisine – colliding. And I are very afraid.

So we beseech our readers. Should you live in the vicinity of an IHOP, don’t try the Funnel Cake. Make a statement: fair food belongs at the fair. But should you slip-up, and decide it’s just too long to wait for the next State Fair for that fried doughy goodness, perhaps you could save us a little piece?

Got Phở?

These past couple weeks have been loaded with the stress that comes from moving into a new place, and all the organization work that comes with it. Lately I’ve been feeling more broken than an escalator in any given Metro station. As a way to let off some steam, eat copious amounts of one of my favourite foods, and to generally learn about local eateries, I decided to do some research and review the area’s phở (pronounced “fuh”) restaurants.

Phở is the national dish of Vietnam, and is traditionally eaten for breakfast. It is a noodle soup that consists of what has to be the most flavourful and well-scented broth, with Vietnamese cinnamon, star anise, and added ingredients that suit an individual order. Traditionally, phở is made with beef (usually a brisket that is cut into paper-thin slices that are cooked in the soup), although today, there are many varieties including chicken phở (phở gà), vegetarian phở, and seafood phở (which is not considered real phở, but it’s still awfully tasty).

The noodle soup itself is brought out to you at the table, along with a plate of condiments including bean sprouts, jalapeno peppers, Thai basil, and Vietnamese coriander (fresh coriander is otherwise known as cilantro, but this variety is a distinctly southeast Asian herb). These condiments pair with the omnipresent Sriracha, Hoisin, and fish sauces, which ultimately provide for a good, solid, meal in a bowl. Phở warms on a cold day, and refreshes on a hot one, and if you’re feeling run down, it is a great way to reenergize yourself. If they could bottle this stuff, we’d be ready for the bird flu pandemic.

It’s worth noting that phở restaurants are not known for their stunning décor, or their superb service. Most phở restaurants have the atmosphere of a school cafeteria, and the service to match it. The food is the main attraction here. I’ve visited the restaurants profiled below several times, and each time I’ve had a traditional phở with brisket and eye of round steak, or a chicken phở (phở gà). Given that there are a ton of phở restaurants in the area, I’ve picked a few of the review-worthy places, and summarized them below. Prices usually hovered around the $5 - $6 range for a large bowl of phở , and the $4 - $5 range for a small bowl (which makes it a great bargain for a full meal in either size bowl), and even those times when it wasn’t as good, it was still good.

Phở 75
This venerable restaurant (they’re nationwide now), has four locations in the D.C. area. The service varies, depending on the day, and so does the food. Generally, I find that the phở served at any of these (especially the ones in Arlington and Rockville) is some of the most flavourful around, and generally does not require much in the line of condiments. However, the meat can vary dramatically, depending on the day, and the mood of the chef. One one visit, the meat was exceptionally fatty, and practically all grizzle. Not that it matters because you’ll be so busy eating, you won’t care. Grade: A-

Nam Viet
A full Vietnamese restaurant (that serves things other than phở as well), Nam Viet started out in Cleveland Park, and has since branched out to two locations in Arlington and Alexandria, respectively. The phở was not as flavourful here as it was at other places, and thus required a little more in terms of the condiments. The atmosphere was nicer than a pure phở house, and the service was actually very friendly. Many of the non- phở items on the menu are quite good, and it makes for an easy and cheap night out in D.C. (just don’t try to park in the area). Grade: A-

Queen Bee
I had heard some really good things about this place, and the restaurant makes a significant point in reinforcing the fact that they are Zagat rated (the signs are everywhere). However, this was the only place that I was disappointed in. Also a full-service Vietnamese restaurant, the server seemed unable to communicate anything about the various dishes (and this was not due to a language barrier, he just didn’t do a decent job of explaining what certain things were, for those of us that don’t speak Vietnamese). The phở seemed somewhat flat, and therefore required more in the line of condiments, which led to my real issue, which was the stunning lack of condiments. My dinner companion ordered the seafood phở, and that was tasty, although I have had better in other places researching this article. Grade: B

Phở Cong Ly
This favourite of the local Vietnamese community has been in business in Springfield, Virginia for quite some time. It’s nothing special to look at, since it’s located in a strip mall on Backlick road, but hands-down, this place had the best phở of all the places I’ve been to. It’s a traditional phở restaurant, with no real other options (although there are some appetizer items on the menu), and about sixteen different ways to order your phở. Absolutely no condiments were necessary (although I did add some of the Thai basil, because I love that stuff). Very simple, and straight-forward, no complex décor, no Washington power-brokers, just phở as it was meant to be eaten. Grade: A

Phở 75 • 1711 Wilson Blvd. • Arlington, VA • (703) 525-7355
Nam Viet • 3419 Connecticut Ave. NW • Washington, D.C. • (202) 237-1015
Queen Bee • 3181 Wilson Blvd. • Arlington, VA • (703) 527-3444
Phở Cong Ly • 6671 Backlick Rd. • Springfield, VA • (703) 451-8864

Refreshing Summer Pasta Salad

Since it has been SO HOT in DC lately, I have been trying to recall recipes my mom used to make on hot summer days. One of my favorites was her Summer Pasta Salad. It's quick and easy. Just make it a few hours before eating, or the night before a picnic, work lunches, or a party.

Ingredients:
1 Box Tri-Color Rotini Pasta
1 can of Tuna (optional)
Some Mayo
Salt

Directions:
Cook pasta until done, and drain
Add can of tuna
Add mayo (to your desired consistency)
Add salt (to your flavor)
Chill in fridge until cold & serve!

Optional:
You can also add diced tomatoes, black olives, feta, sub chicken for tuna. Be creative

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke

Lately, I’ve been trying out bargain nights at restaurants in Arlington. Are my friends cheap? Well, yeah, that is one of the reasons I like them! Here are a few options that might be cheaper than the bargain recommendations you normally read about.

Monday nights at Rock Bottom Brewery in Ballston are Wings Nights. Their 25 cent wings and $2.50 a pint Rock Bottom draft beers is definitely a good deal. How are the wings? They are decent, but I will give a better wing recommendation later in this article. The Wings Night specials are available in the bar from 4:00 pm - 9:00 pm.

Tuesday nights at Ragtime in Courthouse are Raw Bar Night, from 4pm until closing. For $2.95 take your pick of: half a dozen Mussels sautéed in white wine/butter served with bread, a quarter pound spiced, steamed shrimp, half a dozen steamed clams served with butter, or a half dozen raw oysters. You will go through a bunch of plates, but it is still a good deal. They also have happy hour specials on beer and select rail drink

Wednesday nights are Wing Nights at Hard Times Café’s in Clarendon. Wings are 30 cents each on Wing Night (ordered by the dozen) and come in 4 varieties: original Texas, Chile Lime, Honey BBQ, and Honey Mustard (Cadillac). You can even order the wings grilled. I personally like the grilled Texas wings. They only slightly discount some of their beer during Wing Night happy hours, so Rockbottom is a better Wing Night is better for drinking ona budget.

Hard Times is best known for its chili, so feel free to order that as well if you don’t just want the bargain-priced wings. I personally like the Texas and the Terlingua varieties, but I have friends who like the Cincinnati and vegetarian versions. Hard Times Clarendon also has a chili dog stand for the summer Monday through Friday 11am-6pm across the street from the restaurant, at the metro .

And best of all, these bargain nights are on three separate nights, so you can go to them all in the same week. I can already hear my waistline expanding as I write this.

3028 Wilson Blvd
Arlington VA 22201
703 528 2233

Rock Bottom Brewery (Inside the Ballston Common Mall)
4238 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22203
703 516-7688

Ragtime
1345 N. Courthouse Road
Arlington, VA 22201
703 243-4004

No Magic Wand Needed

So the Rachael Ray / Bobby Flay talk (organized by the ASAE's Distinguished Speakers Series) didn't go exactly as planned. I know, your little ears perk right up when I say that--you're kind of hoping it devolved into a cage match, aren't you? Well, as wildly entertaining as that would have been, the truth is just this: Bobby's plane was redirected because of the thunderstorms, and he couldn't make it. Which was disappointing, but Rachael was funny and fascinating and clearly just as pleased as punch to be there, so the talk went quite well.

When asked what she thought was the secret of her success with 30 Minute Meals, she started talking about how she doesn't have everything all chopped up perfectly in little bowls beforehand, nor does she have any assistance on-camera. She makes the whole meal in the time allowed, by herself, and because she's not flawless or elegant or tidy or complicated, no one looks at her show and thinks, "...you know, I think I'll just make spaghetti tonight." They think (and this is a direct quote), "Wow, that's a MESS! I can do THAT!" And that's the appeal of Rachael Ray. No, she wasn't professionally trained, yeah, she uses shortcuts instead of devoting hours to each meal. But she's really good at showing us what we can do. She makes cooking unintimidating, so that maybe we discover a love of the kitchen, and we're inspired to try harder recipes in the future. She's the Harry Potter of the culinary world.

She's also adorable, of course. I say that not to comment on her career path, but to have an excuse to tell you that at least half the men in the audience were looking at her with their heads tilted and big moony eyes....and that includes my "date." Fabulous.

And that's why I made Rachael's very delicious Creamy "Grits" with Creole Shrimp for dinner the next night! I'm including the recipe here, but I got it from the 30 Minute Meals section at The Food Network. She calls for instant polenta instead of grits, but I couldn't find that so I went ahead and used grits instead. They're quite nice prepared with chicken stock and whole milk...just boil up 2 cups of stock and add the grits, then turn off the heat and add in a cup of milk. Yummo. Oh, great, now I'm saying it.

Creamy "Grits" with Creole Shrimp

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
3 tablespoons butter, divided
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 ribs celery with green leafy tops, finely chopped
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
4 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme, intact
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1 to 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons hot sauce (recommended: Frank's Red Hot), divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup beer, 1/3 of a bottle
3 cups chicken stock, divided
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped frozen okra, optional
1 1/2 pounds peeled, deveined medium to large shrimp, tails removed
1 cup whole milk
1 cup quick cooking (sometimes marked "instant") polenta

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. When butter melts into extra-virgin olive oil, add garlic, onions, celery, bell peppers, thyme, bay leaf then season with salt and pepper. Cook veggies 7 to 8 minutes until tender, add in the Worcestershire, 1 to 2 tablespoons hot sauce (medium to spicy heat level) and the flour and cook 1 minute more then add in beer and cook it off, another 30 seconds or so. Whisk in 1 cup of stock then add tomatoes and okra, if using, and bring to a bubble. Add shrimp and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until shrimp turn pink and firm then turn off heat. Remove thyme stems and bay leaf.

Bring remaining 2 tablespoons butter, 2 cups stock, 1 cup milk and 2 teaspoons hot sauce, to a boil in a sauce pot. Stir in 1 cup quick cooking polenta. Stir constantly to mass the cornmeal. Once the mixture thickens to the consistency of whipped potatoes, season the "grits" with salt and divide among dinner plates.

Serve generous ladles of shrimp and sauce on a bed of creamy "grits".

A Wegman's on the Blue Line?

Courtesy of the fine Washington Post, this article about upscale development in Prince George's County, Maryland, contains good news for all foodies in the District, Annapolis and Alexandria.

In May, the county signed a deal with the high-end Wegmans Food Markets to anchor the Woodmore Towne Centre in Landover, a billion-dollar project that will include homes and more than 750,000 square feet of shopping space and is expected to open in summer 2008.

This would be the closest Wegman's to DC and a short distance from the Largo Town Center Metro stop. Currently, there are two Wegman's in Northern Virginia, one in Fairfax and the other near Dulles. A lease has been signed for a Wegman's in Gambrills, in Anne Arundel County, but with no firm opening date. The newest Wegman's in the region is in Baltimore County's Hunt Valley. When it opened in 2005, people were actually camped outside of it to be the first inside, like a campout for U2 tickets!

Why such excitement? Would only bored suburbanites go bonkers over a bloody grocery store? Hardly. Wegman's is a New York-based chain of megamarkets that caters to people who truly love their food. They have all the trappings of a regular market - bonus club cards, bulk food section, shopping carts - but they do it in a store about the size of a Smithsonian, with a friendly, knowledgeable staff. With all that space, they have the room to include pretty much anything you need for a gourmet meal made from scratch, or made by real chefs that can easily be passed off as your own. A fantastic butcher shop, fresh seafood, a great wine selection (Virginia stores only, at this point), a jaw-dropping prepared food section, deli, a cafe', coffee shop, pizza parlor, pasta bar, olive bar, sushi bar, kitchen equipment, stemware, bakery, cheese shop, organic market, regional and international food sections, cooking classes, and a produce area that could inspire poetry...PLUS they have a little choo-choo train that runs around the dairy section. This ain't your grandma's supermarket, unless your granny was Julia Child.

My alter-ego, the Five Paragraph Bitter Food Critic, will be doing reviews of the major chain markets in the area, plus some of the neighborhood markets and speciality stores. Without giving away too much from the reviews, the FPBFC is a big fan of Wegman's, and will be a bigger fan of one that's Metro-accessible.

Barbecue is an art...Be an Artist or be GONE!

This is what the sign in the kitchen reads at Gates Bar.B.Q. in Independence, Missouri, a city which is not known for its cuisine. When we visit we generally accept that it will be a trip punctuated by once-or-twice-daily trips to whichever fast food establishment currently holds my grandparents’ favor. Currently, we are big fans of Wendy’s, which is admittedly a big step up from last winter’s turn at Arby’s, and we ate there some.

On Friday night, we visited Gates as a reprieve from these fast food standards. From the outside, this could only be a barbecue joint, it just has that look about it. Walking towards the door we saw the long line winding out, and as we got nearer, we began to hear the Gates signature calls of “Hi - May I help you?!” from the two order-takers at the front of the cafeteria-style line.

They take your order well before you are far enough up to actually read the menu, but it doesn’t really matter; it’s barbecue - you know what they have. You do need to pick up on the lingo pretty quick – asking for “extra sauce” will be translated for you on read-back as “heavy on the sauce,” but you must figure out how to say “to stay” or “to take” to get the right kind of containers.

The line mistresses seem to have been hired for their booming voices and flawless memories: they’re handling three or four parties’ orders all at once, and I’ve never heard a slip: we alone ordered a few slabs (that’s ribs), and a mixed plate (short ends (more ribs), brisket, ham, and fries), cole slaw, barbecue beans, a bud light, a Budweiser, a Coors light, and some waters. Three dollar beers!! Three dollar beers!! Three dollar beers!!

Our orders all landed on our trays, we paid (about $67.00), and carried our haul to sit at one of the dark wood and leather seat booths to begin the mess-making. This is some fantastic barbecue, the ribs especially, with edges just-caramelized to crispy perfection, leaving the meat inside tender, juicy and flavorful. The brisket was tender, rich, and yummy, the ham juicy and tasty. The fries were, well, fries, and quite good at soaking up the copious quantities of sauce flung far and wide. The beans were fantastic, among the best baked beans I’ve ever had. They were sweet, but sweetness was only secondary to the rich, smoky flavors of the beans and sauce. The only complaint I had about the food was the slaw: too creamy for my tastes, with not enough bite. My parents thought it tasted good, but agreed that the texture wasn’t quite right. Friendly wait staff are all too happy to bring you more beer, and clear your piles of bones, as you eat. We had left-over ham and ribs for two days after the meal, and will say that the ribs, at least, were every bit as good that way.

This is some really good barbecue, so if you’re in the Kansas City area, I highly recommend making a trip to one of their six locations. I bought a bottle of the tangy, smokey sauce, and was thrilled to discover that Gates has an extensive website, complete with a number of enticing recipes.

Gates Bar.B.Q.
10440 East 40 Highway
Independence, MO
816-353-5880

Soul-inspiring

Humanity senses intuitively that, after a great undertaking, it is wrong to just go home, run the dishwasher, and feed the cat. No less than the great Terry Pratchett gives the example of woodsmen felling a huge tree; in the moments after it crashes to the ground there's an almost soulful pause as they stand around and think, bloody hell, that thing totally isn't up anymore!

Which goes a long way to explain the reverential silence at our table at the end of a meal at Crème Cafe. This meal was a true work of art, staggering in size and scope, and now it was no more.

I'd read about Crème in the recent Washington Post article where they introduce it as the new Soul place for cool kids to be (but warn against the deserts). The U-street space is done up in warehouse-chic, airy and loud, and there was no line despite the online warnings. We sat down to hot bread with herb humus. I was sold.

Our server was the perfect antidote for a soul bruised by one hundred "Hi-my-name-is-Jenn-and-I'll-be-your-server-today" 's. She was sweet, friendly, and fast- the type of server that makes you wish you had a brother to set up. In this order she brought: Crab cakes made of pure crab mixed with a buttery herb sauce. No I mean it, pure crab. Amg, who originally ordered it, only ended up with a bite as the whole table scrambled for a forkful. Then a buttery grits with prawns, flavored with anduille, scallions, and happiness. There was a fragrant lamb done both as a piece and ground with cumin. But the pride of the table was a brown-sugar roasted pork shank with beans overflowing the plate. It fell off the bone like a caramel string cheese.

Our plates were brought by a jovial guy in an apron who made cracks about our crab-eating habits - who turned out to be the chef. Despite the long line now forming outside the door, he stopped for a few minutes to swap his food philosophy - treat 'em like family. We asked to be adopted.

Even the deserts turned out to be trippy: coconut cake like a moist Jamaican afternoon. Either they read the critique in the Washington Post, or the reviewer was insane. If I was going to start a religion- which I may- I can think of worse inspiration.

Crème Café Lounge (Creme Cafe)
1322 U Street NW

Who's the Cutest Little Creperie?

If anyone heard delighted squealing and the clapping of hands coming from the vicinity of Thomas Jefferson Street last weekend, that was me walking into Snap for the first time. The creperie and bubble teahouse opened last summer in a converted townhouse in Georgetown, and it's a good thing.

The menu is long: part classic (sugar crepes), part modern (prosciutto, asiago, and fig spread), part sweet (a bajillion different bubble teas), part savory (pesto and chicken), and part weird (red bean paste crepes...I'm not knocking them, because I didn't try them, but nonetheless weird. If you've had one, email me and tell me...should I try this crazy crepe?).

If setting is at all important to your dining experience, you may be both pleased and baffled by Snap. It is housed in an attractive pied a terre townhouse right off the C&O Canal, with clean, modern bright blue and white walls, black and white photography, and a neat fireplace, but the charm of the setting is partially negated by the necessity to pay first, at the counter, with a credit or debit card. (Snap accepts no cash.) The back patio is breezy and pleasant, with tree branches overhanging the tables, but you set and bus your own table.

The crepes, however, are absolutely heavenly: light, firm, and delicately sweet. I highly recommend the lemon curd filling with fresh strawberries (the strawberries offset the tartness of the lemon, as well as giving the sauce something to hold onto), and the fluffy egg and cheese crepe. I also really enjoyed the very rich, satisfying butterscotch and banana...it's just butterscotch chips and sliced bananas, but it's greater than the sum of its parts.

I also had my first bubble tea there. I've been hearing about this stuff forever, so I was a little disappointed to discover that the tapioca balls are not tiny and sweet, but tasteless, marble-sized, and slippery. I kept worrying about getting one stuck in my throat. Maybe it's an acquired taste? The strawberry milk tea the bubbles were in, however, was lovely, and I will be ordering it again (neutered this time).

Iota's Food: Surprisingly Doesn't Suck

I’m not sure whether it was unfair of me to be automatically skeptical of the cuisine provided at a venue largely known for its live music, but that was my prejudice, and I was sticking to it. Imagine my surprise when it turned out the cuisine at Iota was edible – even tasty!

We started off the night just grabbing some chicken fingers, but I thought their take rose above the usual fare. They weren’t overly reliant on their breading for flavor (though there was plenty of crunch there), and the honey/mustard sauce hit the spot, and didn’t have the weird, congealed goopiness that many other offerings have.

Later in the night, we were still hungry, and ended up a little more hardcore in our ordering. I got the prosciutto and gouda sandwich, and it was great! Gouda’s not my first choice in terms of cheeses I’d pair with the salty, cured meat, but it worked just fine, and came with a hard & hearty roll to match. Best were the fries on the side – incredibly crispy, and very well-seasoned: I noticed hints of pepper, garlic and perhaps even rye.

The place even has a cheese plate, with everything from a fig spread to a manchengo to more pungent varieties. Perhaps a stuffy companion to the Corona I was drinking, but it still hit the spot.

Not every dish is a winner; two friends ordered the shrimp puttanesca pasta, and I found the linguine limp and the sauce spicy but uninteresting. But rest assured that if you find yourself catching a band at Iota and forgetting to eat dinner beforehand, you stand a decent chance of leaving the place satisfied (unless, of course, the band totally sucks).

Capital Q - Reviewed By the Five Paragraph Bitter Food Critic

Apparently the Five Paragraph Bitter Food Critic is prone to the powers of suggestion. Just as a mere reference to Mary Prankster makes me crave a Baltimore crabcake, the picture of the gooey, sauce-soaked ribs from the Chicago RibFest pointed me towards some local barbecue. Capital Q in the not-terribly-Chinese-anymore Chinatown has received all sorts of glowing press for the quality of its meats, most notably on Al Roker's Food Network show. Since Al knows BBQ like Bo knows football, I was eager to sample owner Nick Fontana's Austin, Texas-inspired chow. I have eaten at the `Q once before, but it was right before closing time before a holiday - I'm not going to dare judge any place in that kind of circumstance. I may be bitter, but I am fair.

And while I am no Chef Yaneev with advanced culinary training and the cool poofy hat, I am a barbecue junkie and a good man to have in a smoke pit. I've worked for a few barbecue places and steakhouses, and, like Al Roker, I too have traveled the country eating at barbecue places. I worked as a radio deejay and comedian for a while, and nothing beats roadside barbecue stands on the way to the next gig. Unlike Roker, though, I exercised, and didn't wuss out and get the gastric bypass surgery.

So, a sunny Monday afternoon with barbecue and margaritas seemed like a great way to start a week, and the 3 meat platter at Capital Q was practically throwing itself at me like a drunk girl at Rumours. 3 meats, 2 sides...fair enough. I selected the ribs, the turkey and brisket, along with corn and mashed potatoes. Seventeen bucks is a little high, but, it's cheaper than airfare to Texas.

I shoulda checked Southwest.com for a round-trip to San Antonio instead. The brisket was tasty, but incredibly overcooked. Brisket should not be gray, but more medium-rare with a noticeable smoke ring. The Q's brisket lacked that distinctive mark of true Texas barbecue. However overcooked, it was good, and the Q's sauce really made this meat shine. There were two turkey breasts available for the meat cutter to chop my selection from, and instead of the juicy, fresh bird, he chose the dried-out end piece that looked like it sat around under a heat lamp since last week's lunch rush. This turkey had nothing in common with the exemplary smoked bird served at Rudy's BBQ throughout Texas and Oklahoma.

The kicker, though, was the rib. And I don't mean like the kicker at a casino or on a football team, but the kick-in-the-a$$. The meat cutter took a third of a rack of ribs in his tongs, and sliced off *one rib.* ONE mutha-farkin' rib. It's like Chris Rock and Isaac Hayes in "I'm Gonna Get You Sucka" but in reverse! The cutter then sliced off the rib's side trim (the fatty part of the rack removed from most restaurants) from the back of the rib rack and plopped that on my plate. There is more meat on Nicole Ritchie than on a rib trim, and I had to work to get more than two bites out of the charred, substandard cut. Apparently the Texas Hospitality displayed through the generous portions found at places like Coopers, Stubb's and The Salt Lick didn't make it to this side of the Mississippi.

Bacteria 4 U

Where oh where did American yogurt go so wrong? How come mostly all that is sold is a uber-sweet fruit flavored cup of gelatin-filled pudding or chalky-thin no-fat Dannon plain? Whatever happened to tangy, creamy, healthy, dairy fresh-tasting yogurt? Like the kind that is sold in every store in Europe?

Happily, about a year ago I suddenly became aware of Greek yogurt. Where it was before that I have no idea. I had never heard of it and then ... it was everywhere, in every Whole Foods, natural foods store, Trader Joe's and upscale grocery. It comes in full fat, 2%, and no-fat tubs, not individual serve cups, and (I swear this is not a prepaid ad) is called Fage Total Greek yogurt brand. It is supposed to be the #1 brand actually sold in Greece. There is no excuse to ever buy the thin chalky or yucky sweet stuff again. Ever.

First of all Fage yogurt still has all the active microorganisms that commercial yogurt manages to kill in the processing. You know, the stuff that originally made yogurt a (maybe THE) original Health Food. Now Dannon its promoting its (fruit filled, sugary) Activa brand - yippee, big deal. Its hook is that one of Dannon's huge line is actually what is supported to be - yogurt that still has live acidophilus bacteria to support and maintain a healthy digestive tract.

Second, Total is VERY thick and very creamy. It is an excellent substitute for sour cream, thin cream cheese, or even mayo in many recipes. If you want sweet or fruity just add some jam or sugar (try brown - lovely!) Their website does list fruit-flavored ones but I've never seen any except the plain, so maybe they are sold only in Greece. I actually like the full-fat but the others are much superior to other low or no-fat yogurt. Truly delicious. Wish I knew how to say that in Greek.

BTW, Trader Joe's does have a line of its own of Greek and also what they call Mediterranean yogurt. Not bad -- but not as good as Fage Total. Sorry Joe.

This post is by bacteria activist and guest blogger MHF

Chicago: The city of broad shoulders and short ribs

(cross-posted from Thrown for a Loop)

Don't tell my rabbi!

If there was justice in the world, there would be no RibFest. After all, ribs are hard to eat, messy and don't really contain all that much meat for the amount of trouble it takes to get to it. It took centuries of poverty and slavery for this castaway cut to have been elevated into a culinary art form. Only through the crucible of great injustice could the joy of ribs have been discovered.

RibFest is an annual event in Chicago's North Center neighborhood, centered at Irving Park and Lincoln Avenue. Thousands of people come out every to eat messy pork products in public in front of total strangers and their dogs and despite the unseasonably cold weather last weekend, it didn't dissapoint. Here's the rundown:

Cy's Ribs won the competition last year, so that's where I went for the main course: a half slab of baby backs, smothered in a Kansas CIty-style sweet and tangy sauce (pictured above). The meat was tender, if not plentiful, and the sauce was properly thick, smooth and sweet when licked off the bone, but packing a spicy finish that was crisp, but not overwhelming. Good stuff.

Probably not a local catch.

Grizzly's Lodge's Alligator. Served on a skewer without any sauce other than the cajun rub it was marinated with, this exotic meat tasted like very dry chicken. I've had alligator jerky before (so-so) but now I can die having consumed gator meat on a stick, perhaps because of it.

Homemade root beer: You can really tell the difference between soft drinks made with high fructose corn syrup and those made with real cane sugar - it's the reason why Mexican Coke tastes so much better than its American counterpart. Although some may have considered it a bit too flat, I liked it.

Colvin's boneless rib sandwich: One of my RibFest companions had this sandwich, which is really seperated rib meat pressed into a rib-shaped boneless pattie, slathered in sauce and served on a bun. He said he liked it, but what's the point of going to RibFest if you're not going to eat something messy? None of us were on first dates, so there's no excuse.

Deep Fried Twinkies, Snickers and Milky Ways: I promised myself that I'm going to the state fair this year, where I will probably have one of these. However, I would like to be able to do so in reasonably good health and without the aid of those scooters used by people who are too fat to walk. Skipping desert was my one act of self-control the entire day.

I'm back on the sauce

Ask a Chef: Better Burgers, Beef, and Veal

Doug asks: Why it is that my burgers never turn out to be "restaurant quality" when I grill?

Chef Yaneev writes: This, actually, is a very common question. Generally, people who have burgers that aren't quite what they expected tend to make one of two mistakes. They're either making their patties too big (which is bad because by the time the middle of the patty is cooked to temperature, the outside is charred beyond belief – a good burger should be no more than three-quarters of an inch thick), or they're using beef that is too lean (see the tip in my last post about fat).

Joanne asks: Is it necessary to sear meat in hot fat before stewing or braising it in broth or water?

Chef Yaneev writes: Many chefs have different reasons for doing this (or not doing it). One common answer is that this "locks in the juices." Unfortunately, that's not true. The reason that those chefs who opt to sear meat do so is because searing meat gets the outside of the meat hot enough to brown, which adds flavour. Any food cooked solely in water or broth never gets hotter than the boiling point of water (212 degrees Farenheit at sea level). Browning in fat allows the outside of the meat to reach much higher temperatures - usually 300 to 500 degrees. Those high temperatures quickly create intense flavours, rich brown colours, and crackling crusts. This is due to a chemical reaction called the Maillard reaction, where carbohydrates react chemically with amino compounds in proteins to create browning, deeper flavours, and great aromas. Personally, I always sear meat before stewing or braising it. Some chefs disagree, but hey, the flavour difference is certainly there.

Rob asks: If veal is essentially young beef, shouldn't it be thought of as a more tender "cut" (i.e. more suitable for drier cooking methods)? Why is it that almost every recipe I've seen for veal involves moist cooking methods?

Chef Yaneev writes: Have you ever noticed that at a lot of restaurants, veal isn't really done right, and winds up tasting like you're eating a tire? That's because they usually use drier cooking methods. Veal has a high proportion of connective tissue to muscle fiber because the young animal has not had time to put on extra weight. However, because it's a young animal, veal's connective tissue is more soluble than that in beef. Cooking veal with moisture (i.e. a moist cooking method) therefore makes sense because it allows that connective tissue to soften.

Got a food question you'd like me to answer? Send them into to dcfud.writers@gmail.com, and I'll answer them in my Ask a Chef column.

Uncle Brutha’s Hotsauce Emporium

I recently happened upon Uncle Brutha’s Hotsauce Emporium near Eastern Market, and had a conversation with the proprietor, Brennan Proctor. Brennan was a production sound engineer for many major music videos between 1999-2003. He originally began formulating his sauce for use on hot wings. He would bring the wings to potlucks and to work. His clients started asking for the sauces. Eventually they would ask for them by the case, and he started getting new clients with the understanding that he would bring them hot sauce. Brennan perfected his sauces and won twenty awards between the two sauces.

I brought both of Brennan’s sauces, the red and the green to a meeting of DCfud writers, and the sauces were a big hit. There wasn’t an onion ring or burger at our table at Brickskellar that wasn’t covered in hot sauce, and our beloved editor actually drank some straight from the bottle. The green was the favorite with 1/2 a bottle consumed, while the red had 1/3 of a bottle consumed. The green sauce is thicker, so pours slower, leading me to believe that if the consistencies had been the same that even more of the green sauce would have been consumed. You can taste both sauces as well as the other hot sauces that Brennan sells at the hot sauce tasting bar at the store.

The green sauce is made with serrano chilies, and flavored with ginger and garlic, and is tasty without being very hot. The red is a little hotter and is made with 4 kinds of chilies. For the red sauce, habanero, red and green jalapenos, and serrano are used. I like both sauces.

Some other hot sauces that are sold at the store include “Crazy Mother Pucker’s”, “Pain is Good”, “Dave’s, Mama Africa’s” (from South Africa), “Susie’s” (from St. John), and “Marie Sharp’s” (from Belize.) There are also some with politically inspired names, like “Monica Lewinsky Sauce”, “Where’s the WMD’s?”, “Weapons of Ass Destruction”, “Saddam Insane”, and “Bomb Ladin.” There are some sauces referencing various parts of the anatomy including “Colon Cleaner”, “Ass Blaster”, “Red Rectum”, “Bayou Pecker Power”, and “Liquid Lava, It Will Pucker Your Pecker.”

Uncle Brutha’s also carries BBQ sauces, marinades, dry rubs, spices, and condiments, and is in its third month of operation. Their own 2 sauces are also available in area Wholefoods.

Uncle Brutha's Hot Sauce Emporium
323 7th Street SE
Washington, DC 20003
Hours: T-Th 10-7, Fri. 10-8, Sat. 9-7, Sun 10-5
Closed Monday
(202) 546-FIRE

Adios Yuca

Erstwhile salsa dance club Yuca got the boot the other day, being evicted from their building. While it isn't looting of Katrina-like proportions, it is rather funny to see the basic human desire to acquire plush leather couches and uncomfortable bar stools for home use extends to Northwest DC, too.

Photos courtesy of an anonymous friend who described the scene as "chaotic." People were trying to take away furniture bigger than their cars!

Got Dibs?	Is that Stephen Page of Barenaked Ladies claiming that couch?
More chairs than Marlo...	WWJD?

Hot tips

Since this is my first posting for DCFüd, what better way to start than a post about one of my true loves in life: barbecue. Of course, now that summer is pretty much here, people will be firing up the grills and enjoying that great summer flavour. As a professional chef I have opportunity to see some of the best and worst of barbecue ideas, so I thought I'd post some tips here.

Use The Right Heat For The Job. There are two types of heat for food on a grill – direct and indirect. With direct heat, you spread your coals out evenly (or cook directly over the burner on a gas grill), and cook directly over the hot coals. This works very well for burgers, hot dogs, and items that don't cook for all that long. With indirect heat, you pile your coals to one or both sides of the grill, and leave the middle empty (or switch the side burners on, and leave the middle off) or with a pan for drippings. You'd then put your food in the middle, so the heat is more even. This works for foods like chicken, that typically cook for longer.

Fat Is Good. While most health-care professionals will advise you to limit your fat intake, when you're barbecuing, you need to choose meats that have good marbling. Fat will keep the meat moist over the high heat, which will prevent it from drying out (chicken and/or turkey should always be grilled with the skin on – you can always take it off before eating it). When grilling any kind of meat with a fat cap, always start the grilling fat side up. Turn it over about three-fourths of the way through.

Avoid Excessive Flipping. Give your food time to cook, and don't be worried about it. This is especially true for burgers and steaks, which should only be flipped once. Any more than that, and you lose the juices in the meat. If you're using the right heat method, you won't need to flip very often.

Try New Things. Try grilling some fish, or vegetables. Yes, even the vegetables you don't like take on a whole different flavour when they're grilled, so why not try some veggie kebabs? For a really nice touch, grill some fresh fruit (not for very long, mind you, but just enough to accent the natural sweetness of the fruit). That works for everything except watermelon (and to eat watermelon any way other than the normal way is just downright un-American if you ask me).

This post is by Guest Blogger Yaneev. Thanks, mister!

Reluctant health, day 10

Today's Haiku:
I dreamed of cupcakes
Covered in chocolate sprinkles.
My pillow's missing

Today's Lunch spot:
Jonathan's Gourmet Deli - This place takes their salads very seriously.

Today's recipe: Spicy Potato Skins

4 large potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground coriander seed

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Bake the potatoes for 1 hour. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise, and let them cool for 10 minutes. Scoop out most of the insides, leaving about 1/4 inch of squish against the potato skin. Cut each potato into three pieces and brush with olive oil. Combine the salt and the spices and sprinkle the mixture over the potatoes. Bake the potato skins for 15 minutes or until they are crispy and brown.

Reluctant Health, Day 9

Today's Haiku:
Today I'll eat lite
Just one burger and some fries
before breakfast time

Today's Lunch spot:
Thyme Square in Bethesda- Service can be a little (really) slow but it's about worth it for the local produce and organic pizzas and chicken and things.

Today's recipe: Chilled Minted Cucumber Honeydew Soup
Alright, this is just turning into a series on cold soup. bear with me here.

1 cucumber
2 Cups honeydew melon
8 oz plain non-fat yogurt
1/4 cup mint leaves
2 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

Cut cucumber into 1-inch pieces. Combine cucumber, honeydew, yogurt, mint leaves and juice. Puree mixture for 30 seconds, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and Chill at least 2 hours, garnish with mint.

High Times in Chicago

(cross posted on Smorgasblog partner Thrown for a Loop)

Adjusting to life outside of law school is a trying experience. Mainly, this is because the yearlong dichotomy between working and going out gets thrown completely out of whack when the work portion of the week recedes into a neat little 40-hour box. You simply can't party for the rest of it.

That doesn't mean you can't try.

After about a week of trying to balance working and going out in equal measure (about 7 hours per day on each, natch) it starts to wear you down. Where do you go when you're worn down and can't make it to the next bar? A diner.

For a few months, I've been hearing very nice things about Eleven City Diner, a new supposedly-authentic New York style diner/deli in Chicago's South Loop. This post was going to be a review of the food we had there on Saturday, but the food, although good, was not as memorable as the highest waiter of all time.

With his hat pulled down to shield his eyes and five days of stubble on his face serving as a testament to his scatterbrained nature, our waiter stood behind the counter where we sat, staring at the soda fountain. Then he went to the touch-screen order-entry device and stared at it for a few minutes. He paced towards us, so we perked up, ready to order and very badly in need of some water. He looked at the people sitting next to us, got distracted by something in the distance above us - my guess is the ceiling fan - then went back to the other side of the counter.

After about 10 more minutes of aimless wandering, he came over to take our order. Our orders were simple. My lunch companion and I were both getting Reubens and soups; one chicken and one matzo ball. The matzo ball order was accepted without trouble, but our space-cadet waiter stumbled on the concept of chicken soup.

"So... you mean you just want, like, the broth?"

"No, I'd like chicken soup."

"Because all the soup has chicken broth in it... the chicken noodle, the matzo ball, the, ummmm, kreplach..."

"Which one of those soups has the word 'chicken' in the name?"

"Whaaaaa?"

...and so on. Eventually, we were able to convey our uncomplicated desires for simple food, and he went on his way, having written nothing down.

Then he came back.

"Ummmm, what did you order again?"

This time, we knew to be very specific about the type of soup we wanted. He hovered around the touch screen for a while, then had a very, very hard time entering in two sandwiches, two soups and two drinks into a machine he supposedly uses all day.

After a wait far briefer than the time it took to get his attention after we sat down, one Reuben arrived, accompanied by a corned beef sandwich. No soup. The chef, who brought it out, was a little stunned by how wrong the order was, apologized and brought back the corned beef. We had to ask him for utensils, since the waiter never brought those either.

The chef spoke to our waiter and then went back to the kitchen. The waiter came to us and had the gall to ask, "what was wrong with the order?"

How about, "it was wrong!" How about, of the four items you punched into the computer, straight off the menu without modifications, you had a 25% success rate in terms of getting us what we wanted. How about, I know the tiles on the wall are interesting to stare at, but we're hungover and hungry and why don't you just contemplate the mysteries of the universe at home instead of when your paying customers want their damn Reubens?

Soon, our food came out, but the soup arrived at the same time as the replacement Reuben, which is very, very bad diner/deli style. How do you decide which one gets cold while you eat the other?

All told, the Reuben, despite the inauthentic mass of cheese on top, was darn good.
*
*I ate the pickle before photographing the sandwich.

What was the only time he behaved like an attentive waiter? When the check arrived. Tried as I did to wait for him to get distracted by a drizzle of chocolate syrup on the counter or a bicycle going down the street outside, he focused with laser-like intensity on the check. What reason would I possibly have for stiffing him?

Reluctant Health, day 7

Today's Haiku:
Lowfat cottage cheese,
your expire date is May.
But that was last year.

Today's Lunch spot: Java Green for salads, rice bowls, and other veggie stuff. 15 million online reviews can't be wrong.

Today's recipe: Lowfat Chinese Eggplant - Really, it can be done. I wouldn't kid about this.

1 large Eggplant
1 bunch Scallions, sliced
2 Tbsp Hot Szechuan sauce
2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce
1/4 c Cold water

Peel the eggplant and cut into 2-inch thick wedges. Saute in water (or broth if you have the urge) in a non stick pan, turning to cook the wedges evenly for about 3-5 minutes per side, or until they're tender. Add the scallions. Mix the sauces and water and pour into the pan. Stir, munch.

How Do You Say "Let's Go....Sometime" in Spanish?

I went to Andale last night, following a powerful craving for margaritas and the sage advice of the Going Out Gurus. (Also because Cafe Atlantico was closed for the evening. Come back, beloved Cafe Atlantico, provider of delicious conch fritters and famed tequila concoctions, come back!) I'd always meant to go to go Andale, and now I have, and can't I just discuss my fabulous new sparkly flip-flops or tell funny stories about my dog instead? No? FOOD blog, you say? Fine.

Andale ("Let's go!" in Spanish) is just okay. I don't mean "okay" in that well-yesterday-I-dined-at-the-French-Laundry,-where-did-YOU-eat? way; this is coming from a girl who loves the whole spectrum of dining establishments. And Andale, in my opinion, is overrated. The hostess wouldn't smile or make eye contact, but the waiter was efficient and friendly and knowledgeable, and made lots of recommendations, which we followed. The appetizers were scrumptious (we had the queso fundito con chorizo and totopas con Mariscos...hot little tortillas topped with crabmeat, shrimp, Manchego, and avocado salsa) as were the sides (mashed sweet potatoes, roasted corn puree). But the entrees didn't live up to the rest of the meal. The pan-seared grouper fillet (with a sauce of toasted pumpkin seeds, garlic, sour cream and serrano chiles) was very nice, but the grilled pork porterhouse chop (in a red mole sauce of Ancho chiles, garlic, Mexican cinnamon and cloves) was dry. The one saving grace that guarantees I will be back? The margaritas are sublime. I had the Blue Agave, and a had a generous sip of the Slow Matador, with raspberry puree...a delicious if slightly disturbing mental image, considering the name and all.

I wonder if they serve huge bowls of mashed sweet potatoes at the bar....

Jaleo At Home

Thursday night found me with shrimp to use up and a craving for Jaleo-style garlic shrimp. Unfortunately, no one bought me the Jose Andres cookbook for Christmas, despite all my not-so-subtle hints. Instead, I decided to improvise, and came up with this pseudo-Spanish meal:

Garlic Shrimp:
Some shrimp, peeled and deveined
half a lemon
red pepper flakes
a couple crushed garlic cloves
olive oil
cilantro, chopped.
a bit of red onion, chopped
salt and pepper

Sautee red onion, then garlic, in olive oil. Squeeze lemon over shrimp. Toss with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Add shrimp - cook until opaque. Add a bit of cilantro, and you're done.

Paprika-scented potatoes
Red potatoes, cut into small pieces
Olive oil
salt and pepper
paprika (I used Hungarian sweet, b/c it's what I had)
Smoked garlic (Not sure how hard this is to find - I found it in the big market when visiting Philadelphia).
cilantro, chopped (just a bit).

Toss potatoes with other ingredients, and just a light coating of olive oil. Bake at 400 for about 50 minutes or so.

Spinach and mushrooms in sherry vinegar
Note: What I'd hoped to make was a spinach sautee with pine nuts, as I'd had at Jaleo recentlyr, but I couldn't find my pine nuts. I improvised with the vinegar, but it was a bit stronger than I'd hoped. Perhaps a bit less (didn't measure) and some brown sugar?

Some baby spinach
some red onion, chopped
a clove or two of garlic, minced
some mushrooms, chopped
sherry vinegar

Sautee onion for 10-15 min on low, to let out some of the sugars, add garlic, then mushrooms, then spinach. Add a drizzle of sherry vinegar to finish.

Virginia's Crunchy Half

Southwest Virginia may not be on you list of must-make weekend trips - yet. But I hope to correct that oversight. Not only is this 5 hr drive worth making for the authentic bluegrass music, but there is some interesting food to try too.

The capital of funky SW VA is Floyd. This small rural town was a mecca of communes and hippies back in the 70's, and guess what- they're still there, just older and unreformed (thank goodness). So are the local farmers and proud rednecks. All happily living side by side. This makes for a fun culture which all come together every Friday night at the famous Floyd Country Store This place is not exactly undiscovered, there was a Washington Post article on it not that long ago. The point is that bluegrass and mountain music are alive and well. If you liked Oh Brother Where Art Thou, this is the place.

Anyway enough about the music; where to eat in Floyd is the question. The best Natural Food store in the area is Harvest Moon, a wonderful shop, and above it on the second floor is Over the Moon Bakery and Coffee Shop - a lovely combo café and high-class crafts gallery (it's that kind of town).

Another cool café is Café Sol - again sharing space with a wonderful imported batik clothing store, Wintersun , and also a small theater also called Café Sol which offers world music. And finally, Black Water Café - above a combo music and bookstore, Notebooks. Not bad - three cool cafés in a town of 431! That's right, population 431 in 2004.

Older, odder, and even cooler is Oddfella's Cantina, the original hippy restaurant. Local artists on the wall, natch. This is a full service restaurant with waiters and some great eclectic dining. The accent is on organic local ingredients and they are serious about it, served in recipes with a Tex-Mex /SE Asian slant. Always plenty of veg options. Open for lunch Wed - Sat, Sun brunch is also fine and there is often live music on Thursday or Friday.

Two places for old, authentic country cooking are The Pine Tavern and the Blue Ridge Restaurant. Blue Ridge has a full menu breakfast, lunch and dinner with real home made biscuits, mashed potatoes, sausage gravy, country ham, and homemade pie. The Pine Tavern serves big family-style meals. That's 2 or 3 meats with sides with big bowls that everyone helps themselves from. Two or three meats means fried chicken, country ham and roast beef with sides - ready? Mashed potatoes, dumplings, green beans, pinto beans, cole slaw, fruit cobbler and home made biscuits. You get all of it. For $12 with three meats, $11 for 2.

The best of these incredibly reasonable family style country restaurants is not in Floyd but about 1/2 hr away. Its called >The Homeplace and is definitely, absolutely worth the trip. Catawba, Virginia.

To wash it all down, you can complete your weekend with two good wineries, Chateau Morrisette which has a full, upscale restaurant and Villa Appalachia, which specializes in Italian style wines and is a fun visit too.

There are B and B's in the area too and did I mention that you are smack on the Blue Ridge Parkway for hiking, biking and camping?

This guest blog is by reformed New Yorker MHF, to whom we really should just give an account.

Finding a good Nuevo Latino brunch in Ballston is a Breeze

Last weekend a friend and I decided to try Caribbean Breeze’s new brunch buffet offering. This was my first time at the restaurant. The restaurant is a relatively new Nuevo Latino restaurant with a nice stylish décor in Ballston. Service was good, but bordered on being too attentive at times.

I avoided standard brunch offerings like bacon, sausage, roast beef sliced to order, an omelet station, and scoops of scrambled eggs. I did not try the waffles, although the chocolate sauce, strawberries, and whipped cream looked inviting.

I instead concentrated mostly on the Latin-themed dishes. My favorite items were the chicken empanadas, and I am an empanada fanatic. My friend tried –and enjoyed- a different chicken empanada, which included tomato. The black beans, and the pork tamales were also good. The paella was good, although it did not contain seafood. The potatoes were tasty and flavored with a tomato-based sauce. The salmon was good, although the accompanying pine nut and red pepper salsa was too thin. The teeny portions of creme brulee, rice pudding, and chocolate cake were all surprisingly good, and you can serve yourself as many portions as you need. The creme brulee was flavored with gran marnier.

I was impressed with the brunch, even at $20 per person. Brunch is on Sundays from 10:30am to 3pm. I have not tried their lunch or dinner offerings, so can not vouch for them.

Caribbean Breeze
4100 N. Fairfax Drive, (at Randolph St.)
Arlington, VA 22203 USA
Telephone. 703-812-7997

Reluctant Health, day 3

Today's Haiku:
One hundred-ten cals
can't make up for the limp taste
of a skim latte

Today's Lunch spot:
Asylum on Sats and Sundays only for Ova, Lacto, Vegan-friendly stuff. If there's nothing in it, it must be good for you

Today's recipe: Chilled Strawberry Soup
ZAF is on a cold soup kick, so everyone's just gonna have to deal with it.

1 quart strawberries, stem tops removed
12 ounces fat-free vanilla yogurt
A pinch of ginger
Juice of 1 orange
4-6 mint leaves

Place ingredients in blender and puree until smooth. Chill and serve with a small dollop of yogurt and a mint sprig as garnish. Feeling un-diet-y? Add a shot of Grand Marnier or sweet champagne.