NBC4 Loves Us!

Our very own Michael Witte (maw) was recently caught on camera talking about DCFUD to local TV station NBC4. Congratulations, Mike, you did great -- and you didn't look nearly as nervous as you led us to believe.

For those of you who missed it, you can view the full segment here:

http://www.nbc4.com/video/9580990/detail.html.

The Ballston Farmer's Market Report

The Ballston Farmer’s Market debuted last summer, and only had a few vendors. This year, the market is back with many more vendors. The market is open Fridays 11am until 3pm, through October 13. It is interesting that this particular market does not have many produce vendors.

Sunnyside Farms sells organic produce, apple cider, and flowers.

I am very impressed with Firefly Farms goat cheeses. They are some of the best I’ve had, and all of Firefly Farms cheeses have won awards. Besides the cheeses listed here, they also brought two spreadable cheeses today. One is sweet and has ginger, almond, and honey, and the other is savory, and has sun dried tomato, herbs de Provence, and roasted garlic. Check here for a list of stores and restaurants that carry or use their products.

Baguette Republic of Falls Church is also present, and a good selection of hearty breads. They also sell at the Clarendon Farmer's Market.

I have been eyeing Virginia Lamb’s stand, but have not yet purchased their products.

I have tried Old Pioneer’s Kitchen’s Argentine Chorizo, and chimichurri sauce. Both were good, although unlike theirs, the Argentine-style sausages I am used do not contain both pork and beef. I hear that their Mexican chorizo is good as well.

Arondo of Hondo Coffee owns a plantation in Honduras, and roasts the beans in Stafford, Va. They sell several roasts, and the coffee is quite good. And, the coffee smells so good.

Dick’s Kitchen makes and sells various sauces, jellies, seasonings, and chutneys. His “Oh My God, Oh My God” hot sauce was sampled at a gathering of DCFUD writers. I believe that DCFUD's editor has promised an article about that particular hot sauce tasting. :)

Great Harvest Bread Company in Alexandria is at this market as well. I have a friend that loves their biscotti.

Virginia Green Grocer and Grace’s Pastries are present as well, although I have not tried their products.

The market also has live music at noon, and cooking demonstrations from area restaurants at 1:30 pm. Today, 1 Gen Thai Cuisine (a new Ballston restaurant) demonstrated several dishes. They made chicken satays, fried rice, and somethign similar to a vietnamese summer roll. Willow has already demonstrated dishes on two occasions, and Sangam Restaurant was featured last week.

And…I saved the best for last…many of these vendors provide samples. Firefly Farms, Baguette Republic, Grace’s Pastries, Hondo Coffee, and Great Harvest Bread Company have samples on their tables. Dick’s Kitchen has samples of some products, but you have to ask for them. And, you get to sample the dishes that are featured during the cooking demonstrations.

Voyant II: Going to the source

When fishing for drinkers last week with Ray's Article on new Voyant liqueur, we accidentally reeled in Robert Back, it's creator. He was kind enough to favor us with a few words on the creative process of getting you trashed:

Robert Says:

Thanks for the write up on Voyant.

You were right about making desserts with Voyant. At the Sensi restaurant in the Bellagio in Vegas, they are making Chai Ice Cream with it and you can put it over ice cream, brownies or use it to make Tiramisu or Bread Pudding.

Thanks Robert!

Where To Eat in Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke V

Update:
Oyamel has closed in Crystal City, and will reopen at 401 7th Street, NW in early 2007!

This fifth installment in the series will continue to focus on happy hour and daily food specials. The listed prices are after discount, but before adding tax and tip.

In the first installment of this series, I mentioned Tuesday nights at Ragtime’s Tuesday Night Raw Bar. It turns out that they also have a half price burger ($3.75 + fixings) night on Sundays from 6pm until closing. I stopped by last night and had a half a pound of shrimp ($6), and a drink, after already having eaten dinner. Weekdays from 4-8 pm, they have $1.50 Miller Light drafts, $2.50 rail drinks, and $2 micro brew of the month.

Faccia Luna in Clarendon offers a Monday evening pizza special in the Arlington location. 2 people share 2 small house salads or one appetizer and one twelve inch pizza with up to two toppings for $22.22, including two glasses of house wine or two non-alcoholic drinks. Faccia Luna also has a lunch special Monday through Friday of two slices of pizze with a salad and small soda for $5.75.

Molly Malone’s in Clarendon features half price ($4) burgers Mondays 4-10 pm Tuesdays 4-10pm is features half price ($5) Shepherd’s pie. Wednesdays 4-10pm is half price burgers ($4), and pub quiz night. Thursdays and Fridays 4-10 pm feature half price appetizers ($4-6.50), with Fridays including live music. Sundays feature half price ($4) Buffalo wings.

Cowboy Café features half price ($4) burgers all day on Tuesdays and 25 cent wings, $2.50 Miller High Life, and $3 Yuengling drafts Wednesday all day. Cowboy Café has a different blue plate special daily (all day) for $8.99. Their happy hour is 4-7 pm, and features $2 domestic bottles of beer, and $2.75 rail drinks.

Oyamel in Crystal City has a Taco Night on Tuesdays, during which fish or pork (soft) tacos are $1.50. Also included are a few other $1.50 items, including a Cesar salad with paper (thin) croutons. The webpage states that the tacos are $3.50 for two on taco night, but I was told on the phone that they are $1.50 each. Oyamel has a happy hour Tuesday through Friday 4-7 pm, during which drafts are $3, and rail drinks and margaritas are $4.

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke I

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke II

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke III

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke IV

Ragtime
1345 N. Courthouse Road
Arlington, VA 22201
703 243-4003

Faccia Luna
2909 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA
(703) 276-3099.

Molly Malone’s
3207 Washington Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 812-0939

The Cowboy Café (No webpage)
4792 Lee Hwy.
Arlington
(703) 243-8010

Oyamel
2250-B Crystal Drive
Arlington, VA 22202
(703) 413-2288

Free Chipotle

All right, we're not sure if many Fud-dies have the same pleasure of working in a Springfield, Va. industrial park as we do. But if your work atmosphere is more train tracks and shopping centers than DC power lunches and metro rides, you're in luck.

A Chipotle just opened in the Springfield Plaza on Old Keene Mill Rd. Ok, not such a big deal. BUT they're giving out FREE FOOD AND DRINK to celebrate their opening. Technically you need a coupon, but the nice guys at the door let us in, and gave us a stack of invites for tomorrow as well. Free food event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

So those of you stuck slaving away in scenic Springfield, console yourself with a burrito bol this week.

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of the Year

Restaurant Week in Baltimore has hit the midway point, and it's three weeks until the summertime version of Washington's Restaurant Week begins.

This will be my third RW in DC since I moved back to the area, and, so far I've made reservations for Bobby Van's Steakhouse. I had been hoding off dining there until after I hit the lottery or found Tom Hanks' wallet, but Restaurant Week will do. I'm also being dragged to a mystery in the District by some friends who want to keep it a surprise. Could it be Ceiba? Olives? Zola? There's not too many restaurants on the list this year I wouldn't try, though some more than others.

I'm curious what a chain (though, admittedly, a pretty good one) like McCormick & Schmick's would offer that's dramatically different than what they already make at lower price points. There are a couple of notable omissions from the list, such as Palena in Cleveland Park and Jose Andres' Oyamel in Crystal City. Odd, since other restaurants of his, including all of three Jaleos and Cafe' Atlantico, are listed.

A few notes to those who are new to Restaurant Week:

1) Make sure you note in your reservations or to your server that you're looking for the specific Restaurant Week menu. It seems every year some diners make the mistake of thinking everything on the menu is suddenly $30, and that's not the case. It is entirely up to the restaurant what they would like to provide for the RW price. Some places offer a few of their regular dishes at the discounted price. At others, they could develop a specific menu.

2) Substitutions are a tricky subject at some restaurants at any time, and particularly so during RW. Some chefs do not like to change what they feel is a masterpiece dish, where each ingredient combines to make a symphony of taste. Due to the demands of RW, other kitchens have already spent a lot of time preparing the RW menu in advance, and a substitution of a specific ingredient would be impossible to accomplish. Conversely, some diners do not like certain flavors, or have food allergies that must be addressed. Again, to avoid an unpleasant scene at the restaurant, call ahead. Most places will work with diners to help identify any food allergies in advance, and suggest other options.

3) Have no reservations about setting reservations - some of the more popular places are already booked during prime dining times, and only prepare a certain amount of the RW menu items. If you expect to walk into packed restaurant and order the RW menu at 10:30pm, you should expect to go hungry.

4) This is a great time to go to a restaurant that does not participate in RW. Have you been trying to score reservations to The Palm but keep getting shut out by the junior senator from Wisconsin? Or been desperately trying to go to Obelisk? Now might be your chance, as participating places are filled up.

What are your plans for Restaurant Week? What places do you want to attend, and which places will you avoid?

Splendid Competition

Any reader worth her Kosher salt knows our obsessive coverage of all things Splenda. Yet, it seems there are those out there who still do not embrace the joy of hydroxyl-chlorine substitution. How could this be?

Perhaps it's Splenda's dubious history: Two scientists in England were trying to create an insecticide. One asked the other to test the new white powder they'd concocted. In accordance with official Crappy English Humor laws, it was misheard as a request to taste it. Thus, sucralose was born.

As a humorous footnote to that story, Splenda has since been tested on numerous cute squeaky things…to delicious results!

But if we still haven't convinced you, here are some other low-cal powders to dust on your latte.

Xylitol - Also called Birch sugar, this stuff comes from raspberries, plums, corn, and, yes, birch. But to wrap your tongue around this sweet substitute, you'll have to go to Finland, its 'home country'. Also Japan and South Korea, if you're willing to stick with gum. I think Trident uses it too.

Pro: Repairs cavities, osteoporosis, and ear infections, no I'm totally serious.

Con: Wait for it…it's a laxative. Oh, and can cause loss of coordination, depression and seizures.

Maltitol - It doesn't decay teeth and has less calories. And it can be synthesized from regular everyday starch.

Pro: 'Baked goods'

Cons: 'Gastric Distress'

Isomalt - Like sucrolose, it's also produced from sugar. Unlike sucrolose, it has about the same volume too- Find this stuff in Candy, coffee, and chocolate.

Pros: Also repairs cavities, feeds good bacteria in the system, and of course, it's sweet.

Cons: Still has a decent chunk of calories, and has to be mixed with another sweetener to get it to sugar levels. And diarrhea

Stevia - Actually a type of herb, the 'steviosides' in it are 300 times sweeter than sugar. Folks go crazy for it in Japan, but you can also smuggle it in from China, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Israel, and parts of South America.

Pros: Well, the US has labeled it unsafe at the request of an 'anonymous food complainant'. As the various lawsuits against Splenda have proven, these always turn out to be actually filed by the competition. If Sweet n' Low is worried, you can probably be pretty sure it's good.

Cons: A faaaaint possibility of depressed male vitality. If you get paranoid about Mountain Dew, this ain't the sweetener for you.

Argentine-Style Beef Empanadas

Various events are hosted through "MeetinDC” , the local chapter of the larger social group "Meetin.org”. I recently hosted a "Mine & Yours” event through the group. The concept behind the Mine & Yours events is that one or two people demonstrate a favorite recipe, and the other participants do the same at a later date. I demonstrated a version of my family’s Argentine-style beef empanadas.

I use pre-made dough, and prefer to bake the empanadas. I use the La Salteña brand of empanada dough because there is plastic between the layers of dough, making the individual pieces of dough easier to separate. The La Salteña empanada dough is imported from Argentina, and is available at local Latin Markets, including Euro-Latino Grocery in Arlington, where the product is $3.49, and includes 20 pieces of dough.

I use a Pocket Gourmet Dough Press to seal the dough, but you can use a fork to seal the edges. I purchased the Pocket Gourmet at an As Seen on TV store in New York, but the one in the Ballston-Common Mall does not carry them. A google search for the product will come up with various places you can order your Pocket Gourmet, which generally includes three different sizes of dough press.

Jason’s version of Argentine-style (baked) beef empanadas:

• 1 lb. chopped sirloin
  
• A small amount of oil to sauté the ingredients
  
• One small yellow onion
  
• ¼ cup dark raisins
  
• ¼ cup green olives stuffed with pimentos, cut in half.
  
• One coarsely chopped hardboiled egg
  
• Salt, pepper, and ground cumin to taste. I probably use about 1/8 of a teaspoon of both cumin and ground black pepper
  
• One package of La Salteña brand empanada dough. Get the version intended for baking. You can buy the version intended for frying, if you prefer to fry your empanadas.

Sauté the chopped onions until they are translucent. Add the chopped meat, salt, pepper, and cumin, and sauté until it is browned evenly. Add the raisins, olives, and hardboiled egg. Refrigerate the mixture until is it cool or the dough will not retain it's shape while you are trying to stuff it. I sometimes make the filling the day before. Use 2 or 3 tablespoons of mixture per piece of dough. Keep a cup of water handy, and dip your finger in the water, and then touch the inside edge of the dough prior to sealing. Moistening the inside edge of the dough will help the dough stay sealed. Then close the empanada (into a half moon shape) and use a fork to press down all around the outside edge in order to seal it. This will form a pattern of lines going away from the empanada.

Place the empanadas on an oiled cookie sheet, and bake at 350 degrees until done, which should take approximately 20-25 minutes. You should turn the empanadas over when one side is brown, maybe halfway through the cooking time.

The empanadas are either served with a salad, or as appetizers.

Euro-Latino Grocery
2700 Pershing Dr. (at Washington Blvd.)
Arlington, Va.
703-524-6800.
Hours: Monday-Saturday: 9 am. to 8 pm. Sunday: 9 am. to 1 p.m.

Just one more exquisite sushi place

“Just what dc needs, another Sushi Restaurant.”

You may recognize this as the mating call of the DC Pretentious Urbanite as he tries to be suave at a prospective mate. This species can be spotted blocks away by their distinctively boring plumage, arrogant squawk, and, above all, unwillingness to admit that there’s no such thing as too many sushi restaurants.

Evolve, Pretentious Urbanite! The ability to experiment with new types of raw fish is a hallmark of civilization. Also, if you don’t cut it out, I swear I’m willing to substitute in for natural selection. If you had your way, we would not have DC’s newest, and most awesomest sushi place, Wasabi.

When it opened about 2 weeks ago, a decent number of DC-ers had never heard of conveyer belt sushi. You know, you sit at a counter, the sushi comes around, you choose what you want, the plates get counted at the end, dim-sum style. It’s a mainstay of most civilized cities, but bizarrely not here.

But this is not the usual conveyor belt sushi with large rubbery chunks of fish protein and rolls that look like the chef is being paid by the pound. When I was finally able to get a seat at lunch last Thursday, what met my waiting chopsticks were absolutely lovely, fresh tuna and salmon sashimi, freakishly perfect and unusual rolls, and then a whole bunch of stuff I’d never seen before at a sushi restaurant. Like melting yellowtail and flounder sashimi that had been marinated in soy sauce and herbs, cerviche-style. And spinach in a sesame seed sauce, tightly packed like a sushi roll. And what looked for all the world like kobe beef tartar, but probably wasn’t.

Don’t like it in the raw? Some of the sushi was cooked, like a duck and herb roll that looked delectable, but for those who despise anything with rice, there were a number of ‘Peruvian inspired’ fish and chicken dishes…and was that calamari tempura I just saw go by? The end result is, take your sushi-hating friend and invite her out for “Japanese Tapas” instead. This place is happy to cater to it. Also of note, The edamame- I know that sounds silly, but it was fresh, perfectly cooked, and had the biggest, tastiest salt crystals I’ve ever had the pleasure to crunch down on. Order it from the additional menu.

There are a couple teething troubles to work out- the waiters seemed ill at ease, and getting the check took a serious bite out of my afternoon nap. Conveyer belt sushi was created so that Japanese salarymen could cram and go, a paradigm that Wasabi will never duplicate unless their Hostess stops taking names by working forward from the last person in line . But that notwithstanding, this is my new favorite sushi place for three reasons:

1. They have take away. And I don’t mean that aweful, dry supermarket fluff either. If you ate it in the restaurant, there’s a decent chance it will be in the takeaway case, along with surprising complete bento boxes, seaweed salads, and traditional deserts. There’s also the same hot fish and chicken dishes, but they remain untried.

2. They are open for both Lunch and Dinner. A rarity in the Farragut North area

3. It’s right next to my office. That’s right, one block’s swagger and I can be in fishy heaven every day.

So here’s a standing offer for the next month: If this sounds like the place for you, drop a note to dcfud.writers@gmail.com to munch some ocean byproduct with me and feel happy with the world. Totally serious, I take my lunch at around 1:00, except Wednesdays. No Pretentious Urbanites allowed.

Wasabi
908, 17th St

It's Like a Mcgriddles, But Less Terrifying

The best thing I ate in Belize (last week--miss me, guys?) was fresh-off-the-boat lobster meat, rolled in coconut, and flash-fried, and served with coconut rice, stew beans, and fried plantains, with very strong rum punch, served under a palapa on the beach during a thunderstorm. These foods, along with "fry chicken," are practically the national cuisine of Belize, and thunder is practically the national anthem.

I cannot tell you how to make any of that. But I discovered another, secret Belizean food, though, when I was in a grocery store trying to buy breakfast very early one morning. I had a bus to catch in fifteen minutes and needed provisions for the four-hour trip. All they had fresh and local at this grocery was key lime pie, and though I will never complain about having only pie for breakfast, I wanted something a little more substantial as well. As I stood at the counter waiting for the very sleepy, laid-back woman to get me a slice of pie, a small crowd started to form. No one was ordering anything, they were just milling about.

Then, just as the clocked over to 8 a.m., a baker appeared with a tray of...waffles? She hadn't even gotten them to the counter when the small crowd rushed her and started grabbing as many as they could. Let me tell you--the Belizeans eat quite well, and if they all want a particular food item, you want it too, trust me. I grabbed two before they could all disappear and oh, wow. It was simple, it was processed, it was hardly culinary creative genius, and it was delicious. It was...a ham and cheese sandwich on waffles.

Thaw two plain toaster waffles. On one waffle, put a slice of cheese--I used white American cheese singles because that seemed to be what they did, but you can use whatever you want. On the other waffle, put a slice of ham. Stick them in the oven at 350 until the cheese melts, then make a sandwich and eat it on the walk to the metro. Revel in the jealous stares of the waffle-less commuters around you.

But if you can find coconut-fried lobster, for the love of God, tell me where.

Baltimore- the city that gets in on it

Baltimore’s latest slogan is “Baltimore- Get in on it.” Precisely what one is supposed to ‘get in on’ is left up to the beholder. The slogan has not met with universal approval. One city councilwomen asked in confusion, “Get in on what?" Well, one thing you can get in on Baltimore’s very own Restaurant Week. From July 24th -28th you can eat a set dinner for $30, including a choice of appetizer, entree and desert. Some restaurants have a lunch option, while others offer the deal through the 30th.

In Washington, DC restaurant week is met with considerable fanfare, as gastronomes flock to enjoy expensive food at a comparatively cheap price. The whole idea is to present the opportunity to eat beyond one’s means without the financial repercussions, to get a true taste of the wonder and variety of food available in the city.

Baltimore’s exclusion and inclusion of certain restaurants is therefore of considerable confusion. Restaurants like Unos Chicago Grill, Café Hon (where one could theoretically eat $30 worth of food, if one’s arteries lasted that long), Mother’s Federal Hill Grill (according to their menu, a normal meal would be considerable below $30) and Red Maple (primarily known as a local bar and club) are surprises.

At the same time, some of Baltimore’s favorites are missing- I am looking at you, Brewer’s Art, the Bicycle, Sashas, and Charleston. However, I definitely advise on getting in on a number of the offering, including Sotto Sopra, Saffron, Petite Louis Bistro, Tio Pepe and Obrycki’s. More information is available at http://www.baltimorerestaurantweek.com/.

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke IV

There are many Arlington restaurants that feature happy hour or daily specials, so it is time for the next article in this series. The prices I mention are after discounts (but before tax and tip).

Mexicali Blues in Clarendon offers half price original burros ($3.50 plus add-ons) all day and night on Tuesdays.

Mister Days in Clarendon features a $9.95 t-bone steak special on Mondays (while supplies last). Wednesdays - while supplies last- the restaurant features a $2 food menu, including a choice of grilled cheese and fries, cheeseburger and fries, cup of chili, hot dog and fries, Buffalo wings, nachos, cheese sticks, cup of soup, or house salad. On Thursdays from 5 to 7 pm, the restaurant offers a free buffet dinner. On Fridays form 4 to 7 pm, the restaurant offers half price wings (10 wings for $3.48), with a choice of BBQ, buffalo, boneless, or regular options. All of Mister Days’ specials require the purchase of a drink, even if it is a soda. The restaurant also has happy hour drink specials.

Eleventh Street Lounge in Clarendon offers the following dinner specials: Monday half price salmon (at $8.25); Tuesday $11.00 for a 10 ounce ribeye steak; Wednesday and Saturday half price burgers ($4.75); and Thursday half price small plates ($3.50-$5). There are also happy hour drink specials. The food specials are from 5 to 9 pm, the drink specials are from 5 to 8 pm, and a DJ spins Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings from 9pm until 2am.

The Front Page in Ballston has half price burgers ($4.00) on Wednesdays between 4 pm and 11 pm, and features dollar drafts that evening.

Mexicali Blues
2933 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, Virginia 22201
(703) 812-9352

Mister Days
3100 Clarendon Blvd.
Arlington, VA
(703) 527-1600

Eleventh Street Lounge
1041 N. Highland St.
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 351-1311

The Front Page
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, Virginia
(703) 248-9990

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke I

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke II

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke III

A good idea or horrible mistake?

As part of my weeklong desire to drink away the heat, I stopped by my friendly neighborhood Virginia ABC store. I've never been in a government-run liquor store before, and was interested to compare this place to private-run stores in my hometown in Maryland. The VABC store had all the staples of liver-crushing goodness - fine aged tequilas, dark spicy rums, flavored vodkas - and the low-end ten gallon plastic drum-sized gins and whiskeys. It was a good mix of high-end taste and low-end value. A couple of their prices seemed a bit high - Sauza and Jose Cuervo tequilas seemed about 10 to 25% more expensive than Maryland and DC - but they had some good specials and discounts to bring it back to par.

What really caught my eye was Voyant Chai Creme Liqueur, a relatively new entry in the market. The website describes it as:

Aged Virgin Island Rum, Fresh Dutch Cream, Black Tea from India, Premium Spirits from Holland and a Distinctive Blend of Spices from Asia give Voyant Chai Cream Liqueur the Rich, Creamy Smoothness that you should expect from a Premium Liqueur.

Other than an Annoying Habit of Randomly Capitalizing Letters incorrectly in a Sentence for No Reason, the stuff sounds prettty good. In three hours, give or take, I will be partaking of this new beverage. The Voyant website offers some recipes, a few of which sound pretty interesting, but definitely a little heavy on thicker liqueuers and milk. The stuff sounds perfect for a cold winter day; in fact, I can already picture using this in a rum & coffee mixture to keep warm at football games and ski lodges. Has anybody tried this stuff, and have some tips to share?

I'll do some experimenting tonight...all in the name of research and service to you, dear readers. Behold the effort...nay...the sacrifices I make for you.

***UPDATE*** July 20, 2006 - So, Voyant is pretty good. It tastes just like chai, but with a bit more fun. Think of a spicy Bailey's Irish Cream. It's sweet, and has the look and feel of those hazelnut coffee creamers. The aftertaste of ginger and black tea is awfully pleasing. I initially drank a small snifter of the liqueur, and then began mixing it with other alcohols. I made a simple vodka martini using 1 oz of the Voyant, 3 oz of Skyy vodka, and that was good. Using vanilla vodka made it a bit too sweet for my taste, but I could imagine that replacing the Appletini as a sweet introduction to the world of vodka martinis. Perhaps a 1/2 vanilla vodka, 1/2 Voyant shot could be called "The Ginger Snap." It mixes well with coffee and milk, as I guessed it would.

As for desserts, I could see it punching up anything from an apple pie to a bowl of oatmeal. I've got an ice cream maker that's begging to be used, and a chai ice cream might not stink. However, that will take a backseat as my first dessert with this stuff will be a tiramisu-like concoction, substituting the typical espresso-soaked lady fingers for a dip in alcoholic chai. If it's good, I'll post the recipe. If it's not, well...you're best off not knowing!

Stay Cool and Get Plowed

The next couple of days are going to bring to mind several burning questions, not the least of which is "why in the hell did the Founding Fathers build the Nation's Capital on a swamp?," and, for the purposes of this post, is "how can I beat the heat and drink myself into denying either my existence or the 98% humidity?" As a former bartender, I get asked these questions, kind of like an alcohol-fueled Barry and Ira, the two ice cream guys in City Slickers. While the booze is important, the mixer may be more so.

1) When it's scorching, nothing does the trick quite like a good sour mix or fresh-squeezed limes. Most sour mixes are made up of limes, some lemon and an ungodly amount of sugar. However, that dose of vitamin C can really recharge your batteries on a crazy hot day. The margaritas at Lauriol Plaza, Oyamel and the Banana Cafe' are all winners, though Oyamel is closed on Mondays. Now I know how The Boomtown Rats felt, if not Brenda Ann Spencer.

2) Fizzy drinks cut through dry mouth like emo kids listening to Death Cab for Cutie. Drinks made with tonic or soda waters, or ginger ale can keep you sane. Tonic water contains quinine, a potion that helps treat malaria and leg cramps - who knew gin and tonic could classify as medicine? Excuse me while I go self-medicate...

Some bartenders freely swap ginger ale and Sprite, and that's one of my pet peeves, along with people who wear sports gear unrelated to the teams or the sport they're watching. You know what I'm talking about - the dude who wears a Portland Trailblazers NBA jersey at a Washington Nationals/New York Mets basketball game. Gawd I hate that. Along that line, ginger ale is slightly spicy, and should be used to contrast overly sweet alcohols or mixers. Sprite can smooth over strong, sharp drinks with its citrus base. A well-stocked bar will contain both beverages, and the wise mixologist knows the difference. A Jack-and Ginger would taste like refried hell with Sprite, though a splash of Sprite in a margarita made with a sharp tequila like Sauza Hornitos can make it more tolerable for those who like lighter drinks.

3) Ice cream is good; fruit is better. Some people swear by ice cream drinks when the heat's on, and a good frozen mudslide can be a fine idea, but who wants to walk the streets with too much dairy in their gullets? I learned the lesson of Ron Burgundy well when he said on that fateful sweaty San Diego day, "Milk was a bad choice."

I prefer lighter, fruit-based frozen drinks on days like today. A Banana Nutbread is an awesome drink but is heavier than Beltway traffic. I'd suggest an old standby - the pina colada - and a tolerance of the Rupert Holmes' song.

(For the record - I had no idea that guy had a greatest hits collection, and if I had to guess, it would have come out on cassette single. I figured he did that one song, realized he'd have to play it EVERY SINGLE DAY OF HIS LIFE and just ended it all Budd Dwyer style. Nah, he's a famous writer, playwright and seems to have weird taste in eyewear. Learn something every day...)

There's nothing wrong with adding crushed ice to an old favorite. A frozen Cuba Libre - a.k.a. rum and coke - is awesome, as is a frozen Cape Cod, Fuzzy Navel and Long Island Ice Tea. A frozen Mai Tai is like drinking an adult Slurpee but without that weird spoon-straw thing.

4) Malternative - the term used by the industry to identify drinks like Cider Jack or Bacardi Silver, these beverages, besides having more sugar in them than the Nintendo 64 kid, can really cool you down on a hot day. A Mike's Hard Lemonade usually doesn't suck, and to make them a little more palatable and colorful, pour a shot of a colored liquor like Chambord, Midori or Key Largo Schnapps. Watch the whole beverage change color and provide a bit more kick!

5) Combine them all and make the ultimate summer drink - The Frozen Tom Collins. Sour mix, a good gin like Beefeaters or Gordons, a splash of tonic and fresh lime juice - prevent malaria AND scurvy, get refreshed. I make mine served over crushed ice, and then float a layer of Grenadine, blue curacao or Midori for fun. Using a little umbrella is up to you.

What do you folks like to drink on a hot day? I'll be glad to do some research.

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke III

I have eaten at most of these places, but have not actually tried all of the specials listed in this article. Some of these specials are a little more expensive than the ones about which I have previously written.

RiRa Irish Pub in Clarendon has half price burgers ($3.50-$4.50) all day Wednesday until 11pm, when their kitchen closes. They have live bands at 10pm, and the next few Wednesdays feature DC Motors (tonight), Paul Zunno (7/19), and Ted Garber 7/26).

Kitty O'Shea's in Clarendon has half price wings ($3.65 for 10 wings) Monday 4pm-closing. They have half price chicken pot pie ($5.50) shepherd’s pie Tuesday ($5.50) 4pm-closing. They also have ladies night drink specials on Tuesdays. Wednesday evenings feature half price fish and chips ($5.25) 4pm-closing, and quiz night, starting at 9pm. Thursdays feature half price burgers ($5.25) all day.

Ireland’s Four Courts in Courthouse has a choice of Shepherds pie, chicken pot pie, or seafood pie Sunday evenings for $7.95. They have $5.95 burgers Monday evenings, $7.95 Fish & Chips Tuesday evenings, and $45 cent wings Wednesday evenings.

Clare and Don's Beach Shack in Clarendon has $6 Fish and Chips Monday evenings. They have a pasta special Tuesdays where 2 people get (shrimp chicken, or tofu) pasta, and a domestic draft for $22. Wednesdays is a blackened grouper or blackened tofu sandwich and a scoop of Lazy Sundae's Ice cream for $11. Thursdays feature tequila marinated charcoal broiled chicken with a margarita for $12. Saturdays feature a coconut chicken or tofu sandwich with a piña colada for $11. Sundays feature a pulled pork sandwich with a domestic draft for $10.

RiRa Irish Pub
2915 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201
703.248.9888

Kitty O'Shea's
2403 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22201
703-522-5295

Ireland’s Four Courts
2051 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, Virginia 22201
703-525-3600

Clare and Don's Beach Shack
3014 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201
703-465-SURF

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke I

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke II

Soussi, sans soucis?

Soussi opened just before I moved to the neighborhood back in 2002, at the corner of 18th and Kalorama. I walked past it for more than three years, vaguely wondering if it was worth a try, but never bothering to find out. I'd not heard anyone say anything about it, other than my semi-delinquent street musician of a housemate, whose judgment on anything but music is suspect.

I ignored Soussi for too long; when I ended up there for the first time - just a few short weeks before moving out of the neighborhood – I wished I’d gone sooner. My first visit was on one of those warm early spring days, and we sat out on the lovely and comfortable patio, set to watch the WAKA kids stumble from bar to field (or is it the other way around?) amongst the commuters walking home, and the other happy hour crowds gearing up for a night of 18th Street's charming(?) tackiness. On two subsequent trips, gorgeous summer evenings inspired the same effect.

Service was slow the first two visits, despite the place not being at all packed, but very polite and friendly. On the second visit, unfortunately, our server was really kinda pushy. Once ordered, the drinks and food took their time appearing as well. On my third visit, service was prompt and very accommodating, even of NBC 4’s Scott and cameraman Jim! My server kindly obliged bringing out my meal twice so that the best shot could be had.

Soussi's enticing list of 'martinis' (some of which even contain gin, vodka and/or vermouth), most costing seven to eight dollars, promises much more than it delivers. Tasty, to be sure, but they’re fairly light on the booze. Two dirty martinis and a Tres Français (which was a bit too much like drinking straight Campari for my tastes), should have left me more than vaguely relaxed.

The beer service, on the other hand, is excellent. Though a small list (basically Hogaarten, Leffe and Stella, plus undrinkablesstandards like Miller Light, etc.), Soussi employs a "French-style draft," of which I had never before heard. The system looks unfortunately like a bidet – the glass is inverted over an upwards stream of cold water – but bartender Will says that it “just pours a better beer.” I like Leffe and Hogaarten, and they did taste pretty good, so I was happy.

And then there's the food. Nothing I or my companions had was anything less than good, and some was excellent. This is why you go to Soussi; good North African food at reasonable prices is a rare find in DC, and this is that.

We tried lots of dishes, both from the smaller plate and main menus - the lovely-but-not-really-unique bruschetta, a very tasty merguez sandwich with harissa, and a few real stand-outs.

Of the small plates, two really spring to the fore: the shrimp tagine and the merguez sausage. The tagine consists of a few shrimp, prettily arranged in a delicious, thick, earthy-tangy sauce that, after the shrimp are too quickly gone, makes a wonderful dip for bread. The merguez plate is a number of the small, spicy lamb sausages cut in half and arranged atop a bed of mixed greens. I really like merguez, and the salad underneath set it off quite well.

On the entrée menu, the two steak dishes we tried - the tagine and pomme frites - were excellent. The meat was tender, flavorful, and juicy. The tagine is of course the more remarkable dish, as it's not something you find that often in DC. Cooked with peppers and onions and a thick, earthy, somewhat spicy sauce (and, I believe, dry rubbed with spices), it is delicious. The steak pomme frites was similarly tender and flavorful, and adorned with frites which, while not remarkable on their own, made good dipping fodder for the assorted sauces left on our plates.

The lamb couscous with a sweet+sour plum sauce was also excellent. The meat was very tender and juicy, with a sweetness that was noticeable but not at all overpowering, the flavors subtly developing with each bite. this was one of my favorites, and definitely worth another go.

At only $15.50, I was dubious of the mahi mahi with couscous and mango salsa, but since I love both mango and mahi mahi, I went ahead and got it. Twice. It turned out to be, hands down, my favorite dish on the menu. The fish was beautifully prepared, dry rubbed I think with a tangy, slightly spicy compound (dried harissa?), with a mango salsa that was chunky and delicious, but didn't overrun the fish's flavor. The lump of couscous was a lovely, subtle addition to the plate, which was completed by a few lightly (perfectly, in fact) steamed veggies. Yum!

Another thing for which I must commend Soussi is their portions. Nothing is overwhelmingly huge, but nobody felt unsatisfied at all. This is an apparently lost art at many area restaurants, which either overload the plate in the name of ‘value’ or serve miniscule portions in the name of fashion. For all their drinks menu leaves to be desired, Soussi's food speaks for itself. I don't think I'd go every week, but I expect that I'll be seen there with some regularity in the future.

The Great Popcorn Challenge of 2006

I never liked popcorn as a child, teen, or college student. However, it seems as if in the past few years I have been developing a taste for the quick and easy snack. I've tried a variety of microwave brands, rejecting a lot along the way, but my favorite has always been the Corn on the Cob by Orville Redenbacher.

During the winter, a friend of mine from the Chicago area brought me some popcorn from Kernel Fabyan's as a housewarming present. I haven't stopped thinking about it since.

It was fantastic. It was Nelly's Combo Pop, the perfect combination of caramel popcorn and cheddar popcorn all tossed together in a pretty gallon sized tin. It was gone within the week.

I have decided to come up with The Great Popcorn Challenge of 2006. I am going to try a varitey of different popcorns, and comment on each type.

I ordered from Garrett Popcorn (another Chicago store) on Monday - it should be arriving today. I decided to stick with the caramel/cheese combo and purchased their CaramelCrisp® & CheeseCorn™ MIX. We'll have to see the difference. I don't know if it can live up to the Fab though.

I think I might try Dale and Thomas next. They have a ton of tasty looking flavors, such as Chocolate Chunk N'Caramel, Pineapple Coconut Breeze, Peanut Butter & White Chocolate Drizzle Corn, Buffalo & Blue, Sun-Drenched Strawberry, Really Really Raspberry, Blueberry Bushel, Sweet & Spicy BBQ, Sweet Georgia Pecan, and Southwest Cheddar Chipotle

I'm extending this challenge to the audience. Any recommendations to try next? Any DC area local specialities?

What is YOUR favorite popcorn?

Milk in the raw, part 2

Vegas marriages, loud parties in a small apartment building, and raw, unpasteurized milk. All of these are things with a finite lifespan. The milk in particular needs to be imbibed within two or three days after squirting out of the cow, before terrible terrible things happen to it... and to your insides.

If you've already drunk all you can of that sweet sweet white stuff, here's what to do with the rest.

Flan (inspired by Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything)

2 cups milk. If you really are using unpasturized, scald it first (heat to small bubbles form around the edges), otherwise get super organic 2% or whole milk from a natural foods store. It makes a difference. really.

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
grated zest of 1/3 lemon
2 large eggs plus two large egg yolks
1/3 - 1/2 cup sugar, according to taste

First make the caramel:

1. In a heavy frying pan heat 1 cup sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally but mostly just leaving it alone until it liquefies and turns a warm brown (caramelizes). This takes about 10-15 minutes.

2. Pour or spoon a small quantify of caramel to cover the bottom of about six porcelan ramekins, tilting each cup to help spread the sauce. Do NOT touch the caramel or you will get a bad burn. Set aside.

To make the flan:

1. Preheat oven to 300. Have a baking dish (a small lasagna pan is perfect) large enough to hold all the cups and deep enough to bring boiling waiter to within 1" of the top of the cups. Boil some water and keep it handy.

2. Heat the milk in a sauce pan with the nutmeg and cinnamon over medium until it begins to steam but never boil...or even simmer. Keep warm over low heat.

3. With an electric mixer beat the yolks, eggs and sugar until thick. Add lemon zest.

4. A skin will now have probably formed over the warm milk. Take a fine strainer and slowly pour the hot milk through the strainer into the egg mixture. If someone else is around it helps if they are mixing the eggs and milk as you strain it. Or mix it now yourself.

5. Place the ramekins in the deep pan. Ladle some mixture in each cup.

6. Very carefully pour the boiling water into the pan without letting a drop get into the cups. Use a funnel if you have to.

7. Bake about 45 - 50 minutes until firm when lightly jiggled.

When done remove pan from oven and the water bath. You can chill, but they are lovely warm or at room temp too.
To serve: take the point of a sharp knife and run it all around the edge of the ramekin. Quickly invert the ramekin over a small dish. The caramel will have formed a lovely sauce and the flan will be upside down. You will still have a lot of solid caramel in the cup which won't come out. Wait till no one is looking and lick it. To wash to cup just add a 1" of water and let it soak. It will dissolve in about an hour or two.

How About a Good Butt Rub?

Chicken, that is. I was camping and canoeing on the Lumber River near the North Carolina / South Carolina state border with some friends from Savannah, Georgia. One of them had brought a bag of Butt Rub with her. We rubbed it into the chicken, cooked it over the fire, and I've been craving it ever since.

Butt Rub can be bought online through a variety of 'rub dealers'. It's a meat seasoning that you can rub in, massage on, or add to a marinade for your meat of choice. I prefer chicken. Here's an easy recipe that I have probably made 4 times in the past two months. I love a good butt rub.

All you need for a tasty Butt Rub Chicken:
Chicken breasts / Meat of Choice
Butt Rub
Kraft's Zesty Italian dressing

I marinate the chicken in the dressing for an hour or so, then just put the chicken & dressing in a glass baking dish. Then, rub in some Butt Rub. (Or sprinkle on it you don't like the spiciness). Then, bake until done! Enjoy!!!

OR, you can just rub in the rub to whatever meat you want, skip the dressing, and grill!

Tonight, I'm making some Butt Rub Chicken with stuffed red peppers (stuffed with corn, feta, mushrooms, olive oil and vinegar). I'm drooling already.

Milk in the Raw. Part 1

‘Th’state says I can’t sell that to you’

I c’n do that…

In southern Virginia there has been an unlikely meeting of the minds on the subject of organic farming. The hippies do it to live a natural lifestyle and to take power away from the man. The far right does it for the same reason they homeschool: ‘ I jus’ wouldn’t put that stuff they sell into my kids.’

Raw, organic, unpasteurized, non-homogenized milk may not be for kids or pregnant folks, and of course, technically it’s illegal. As a rule of thumb, drink without guilt if you’re comfortable eating chocolate mousse; the infection risk is about the same as that posed by raw egg whites (tho the diseases can be worse). This is what we did with the raw milk of Louisa the Jersey cow:

We drank it. Raw milk tastes like a thin, sweet, milkshake.

Then we skimmed off the top layer of cream...

...and yeah, we whipped it up and stuck it on pie and in some coffee and stuff, but mostly, we made butter. Here’s how it’s done.

All-natural, organic, silky, wonderful butter
If you aren’t lucky enough to have an entrepreneurial farmer nearby, I suggest starting with heavy organic cream. Get the most natural, hormone-free stuff you can find. I know Whole Foods has it, not raw but as close as you can buy ‘round here.

Pour about 2 pints...or as much as you want really, into a blender. I found out the hard way that using regular beaters doesn't cut it. Blend on high for about 7 minutes. First it will whip up, then it'll deflate back down and start getting all grainy-looking.

What to Eat Before Getting Motion Sickness at Kings Dominion

This summer, I decided to give myself the happy childhood I so rightly deserved. Trips to the non-Air and Space Smithsonians that my school field trips forgot, and civilly disobeying the "No Swimming" signs in the Potomac have been my hallmarks of Summer-06, replete with the crowned jewel of my immaturity empire, a season pass to Kings Dominion near Richmond. It *should* only take about 90 minutes to get from the Beltway to the faux Eiffel Tower at the park, but the real art in any roadtrip is the travel, not always the destination. There's some good old fashioned eating between the speed traps and sprawl-induced traffic jams. Here's my comfort food-based guide to surviving a drive to the park.

1) I've always maintained that the true South doesn't start at the Mason-Dixon Line between Pennsylvania and Maryland, but at the point where you can rely on a Waffle House at every interstate exit; therefore, the South technically begins around Potomac Mills. Open 24 hours, Waffle House is known for breakfast foods - huge waffles, greasy hash browns with your choice of toppings, and coffee stronger than a wino's stench. They also serve dinner foods and sandwiches, like burgers and chicken. Stay away from the shoe-leather steaks, and you'll eat well for under ten bucks.

2) With a name like Cracker Barrel, you know you're not in the District anymore. Another Interstate exit staple, Cracker Barrel serves up massive meals of Southern-fried comfort. Their breakfasts are legendary - fantastic pancakes, smoked breakfast meats and hashbrown casseroles. Their dinners are no joke, either, with country-fried steaks, chicken dumplings and a heaping serving of gravy on everything.

3) Feeling a little less chainy? If you're in Woodbridge, just off Route 1 is Dixie Bones a barbeque joint that invited me to attend after my lackluster visit to Capital Q in Chinatown. So far, I've only had a couple of sandwiches, which isn't enough for a full review, but their sweet, slightly-smoky sauce is fantastic. I can't wait for another trip to Woodbridge...that is a sentence I never thought I'd write in my life.

4) So, you say you've had Waffle House, and have mastered the Cracker Barrel menu. Like Stewie from Family Guy, you're addicted to "click-click-bloody-click pancakes!" There's one place for you, my friend - Aunt Sarah's Pancake House. As any self-respecting UVA Cavalier can tell you, Aunt Sarah's makes some good `cakes. Light, fluffy - always good. They don't stay open as late as the other I-95 joints, and, sadly, the Charlottesville location seems to be a lot cleaner than the ones in Fredericksburg or Richmond. Here's hoping somebody steps in with a mop, some Scrubbing Bubbles and a bad attitude, and saves those pancakes.

5) When a place advertises an all-you-can-eat buffet and sub-$10 prime rib, you're either in Vegas or the Iron Skillet near Bowling Green, Virginia. I hadn't been there in nearly 15 years, when I would refuel there, driving from Maryland on 301 down to my uncle's farm in Buckingham County, Virginia. A recent trip has shown that they've cleaned the place up, and the portions are generous, if not thrilling, and the "stinky trucker" odor has subsided.

6) Once you get to Kings Dominion, you're stuck eating their food. You can try to sneak chow in from the nearby Burger King or 7-11, but those security guards at the park examine backpacks like they're looking for Waldo. Kings Dominion offers the theme park classics - funnel cakes, overpriced pizzas, listless hamburgers. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a Frozen Lemonade stand or Dippin' Dots - Ice Cream of the Future! kiosk (by the way, hasn't Dippin' Dots been the ice cream of the future for like, 20 years now? When the hell does the future get here?) but those are two tasty places for a quick sugar high. Your best bets at Kings' Dominion are the Subway shops - they offer decent sandwiches at $5.99, which is about the best deal in the place. Also, the Bubba Gump Shrimp joint near the new Italian Job roller coaster makes surprisingly good Cajunesque chow. Plus, they serve beer and margaritas, which come in handy if you want to survive a place with too many kids, rigged games, long lines, broken rides, people with questionable hygiene and clothing styles, and where the word "door" somehow picks up extra syllables.

Recovering from July 4th? Hit Up Bluestate!

Looking for a place to dance away three days of hard, post-July 4th work? Head over to Bluestate this Saturday, July 8th. Your favorite local food bloggers (okay, maybe just us) will be there. Good music, good beer, good fun. What else do you need?

That burning smell is our visitor logs

There are people out there who use work for something other than gmail and Fark.com. They do exist, but I'm not one of them. No, my employer's precious dollars pay for me to sit on FUD looking through the visitor search logs.

Why are you all looking for Pepper Spray recipes?

It's our number one search, as far as I can tell. I mean, are the people of DC really so desperate for personal defense? Alright, scratch that. But really folks, we got mace the seasoning, not Mace the illegal burny stuff.

Anyway, just because it makes me sad to think that all your searches have been in vain, here you go. It's a little complex- don't try it unless that stalker is getting really persistent.

The recipe:
In a blender, puree until completely smooth 15 Habanero peppers and 1 quart of 200 proof Ethanol. You can get it in a hardware store. Let the mixture sit at least overnight, or longer, at room temperature. Strain the stuff through cheesecloth and stick it in a large glass Pyrex container.

Now here's the tough part. Bring it to a slow boil...but do not use naked flames! That would be bad! Make sure you are on one of those silly flat heating element stoves. Keep it there until about 90% of the liquid evaporates, then remove it and let it cool down.

What you're looking for is the red oil floating on the surface. If it aint there, boil again. Now separate it out by sticking the mix in a long thin water glass (throw it away after) or a test tube if you have, and draw off the oil with an eyedropper.

That's it. You wanna use it in a spray, mix with isopropyl alcohol, at a ratio of 1 to 9, and stick it in a very very very secure spray bottle. Or you could plop down the 15 buck and just buy a can. Incidentally, researching this lead me to also find a simple recipe for tear gas. That's Great.

Brisket, Beer, and Blues: Beale Street Style

Brisket, Beer, and Blues: Beale Street Style

I just returned from a 4th of July weekend road trip to Memphis. While we did miss some of the places we had considered trying (including Rendezvous, Blues City Café, BB King’s), we did run across an interesting appetizer or two at Silky O’Sullivan’s on Beale Street. We sat at the outdoor patio, drank beer and hurricanes, and watched and listened to blues performers. I had the Beef Brisket Nachos, which had brisket, cheese, BBQ sauce, jalapenos, and nachos. It was tasty.

Silky O’Sullivan’s
183 Beale Street
Memphis, TN
(901) 522-9596