Tuesday, September 28 2010 at 11 AM

Neither have I.

I've got to think there's someone out there who has, so as the chat continues today maybe we'll have some sort of report. 

Thanks for the tip. 

I'd think you could get away with taking them to Ray's the Classics. And it's right there in Silver Spring.

Some people do get dressed up, but most don't — I don't think you'd see any great difference in how people come to dinner here as opposed to Outback. It's a comfortable, unpretentious place.

Your father can get a steak, your mother can get something plain too, and at the same time you and your siblings won't feel as though you're going generic. 

I'm sure they'll appreciate the singling out.

A chef has become a trendy thing, and now bartenders too — transformed into culinary chemists and christened "mixologists."

GMs ought to get together and figure out a way to glam-ify their profession. I've got to think that that process would start with ditching the name "GM."

How to sex up the title a little?

Who's got a new, improved job title? 

No car, no worries. You've got tons at your disposal … Cochon for a rootsy, porkified dinner. NOLA, Emeril's more inexpensive place. And a newcomer, Stella!, very much in the grand old style, very over the top in some of its preparations.

I think it is.

Minibar is sui generis — there's nothing else like it. Not in the city, and not in any other city, for that matter. 

That's not to say it's going to be your thing; I know a lot of people who love food, love going out, who don't consider going to Minibar to be going to dinner. I can understand that.

When I first wrote about it, I described it as "tantric dining," because you never comfortably settle in to your meal — as you tend to do at most conventionally great restaurants. You get a taste of something wonderful — just a taste, and then it's gone, never to be repeated. It can be frustrating. It can also be wonderfully exciting, tasting so many different flavors and textures in a single meal.

I wish I could help, but it's been a while since I've been down in Chapel Hill. Can anyone out there offer any good reco's? 

More important — how's the babe? 

Why, the Gun Club of Goldvein, of course! ; )

(It never dies, it never dies … )

You mentioned Manassas. And when I think "Manassas" and "guns," I think of Panino, a simple, unpretentious Italian restaurant. Not that Panino sells guns; it doesn't — but it's next to a taxidermist and a gun shop. And — the food's pretty good, in some instances more than pretty good. It's the kind of place every town wants to have.

Ha. Good one.

Although it's pretty costly for what I understand they're looking to spend.

And I've got to think that being so near anything bridal might be a sort of anti-Viagra for these on-the-sly'ers

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the piece. Thanks so much for writing and telling me.

No, you know — I haven't heard anything about the Food Revolution project in a while.

I've recently walked by the site, and the lettering is very, very similar to what you see on Jamie Oliver's TV show of the same name. And I do know that he has indicated that he plans to open a number of cooking centers around the country. 

Whoa, what's this? A recommendation from Clifton?!

No bitching, no put-downs, no talk of socialists? Just a plain ol' suggestion of where to eat? Wow.

You're showing us new sides of yourself, bud … I like it …

What else you got? In general? In your neck of the woods, or — well, anywhere really? 

Thanks for the tip about Stanley.

All this talk of New Orleans restaurants is making me very, very hungry.

And I could really go for a good cup of chicory-laced coffee — or two, or three. I'm suffering a little for having gone to Midnight Madness last night at the Patriot Center, to welcome the new-look Wizards home and inject a little pep rally-style fun into the start of training camp.

Got to bed around 3, but did get to see just how explosive John Wall is — and I suspect he was STILL holding back a little. Good to see Gilbert Arenas out there, too, looking trim and fit and fast. His suspension was far in excess of his misdeed, and I hope he proves all the stereotypers and skeptics wrong this year with a big, focused season.

Final thought, for all you Wizards junkies: Kevin Seraphin is a HUGE body, and pretty darn graceful. I know he's a project, but he's very intriguing. 

You need to read that again.

I'm not chiding him to refrain from bitching; I'm expressing surprise that he didn't bitch. "Clifton" is a chat regular, and it's rare that he doesn't spit in the chili, as it were, in his appearances on here.

I don't have any news, no.

For those who don't know: The comment you're referring to was a Facebook posting, and it accompanied a photo of the outside of the new, forthcoming Galileo.

It was intended, I take it, as a moment of pure exultation — I imagine Roberto Donna was feeling vindicated and happy that this restaurant, years in the making, is on the verge of opening, and opening at a time when he is under fire from many directions (the media, the legal system). 

I agree with you — I was stunned when I saw it. Without words.

I think there are some good things going on at Mussel Bar — I love the beer list, and the Brabo pils (brewed especially for Robert Wiedmaier, the exec chef) is a terrific glass for $7. But at this point, it's not a place I feel a great enthusiasm for.

I've had some good dishes, and some not-so-good, and I have found the place to be, in general, chaotic and disorganized, with some staffers saying one thing and other staffers contradicting them. 

Provence is, likewise, a place that has promise — but it disappoints more than it should.

Of all the new spots that have opened recently in Bethesda, I think the most satisfying at this point is Yamas Mediterranean Grill, a new "fast casual" Greek restaurant on Rugby that's been open about 8 weeks.

In many ways, it's not fair to compare those chef-driven places with this fast-casual place. They have pedigree; they have extensive wine and beer menus; they do complicated saucing. True, true.

But if I just wanted a good meal — a good meal, with good value and good food in a nice, comfortable setting, I'd take Yamas.

At the moment, it's realizing its aims much more often than those other two places are. 

Walk in, and you're hit with wonderful smells of roasted meats and garlic. They make a terrific gyro plate, with freshly prepared gyro meat, good rice, and good tzaziki. Salads aren't afterthoughts; they come with well-chosen produce, apparently from local farms — a simple bowl of tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion was super-fresh and delicious. 

Not everything is a hit; there are obvious misses, like the too-thick avgolemeno soup, or like the galaktobouriko, which is a bit heavier and a lot less creamy than it should be. But it's a place that satisfies on many levels.

Thanks for the tips.

And thanks for taking a moment to write in and offer a helping hand.

Enjoy him.

And enjoy this stretch of your lives, when it's relatively easy to hit restaurants at a variety of levels.  

Terrific!

That ought to keep our chatter happy and well-fed for days and days … Thanks so much. 

Ooh, that's a lot of pressure on you … Let me see if I can help you some … 

Here's a list of places I'd keep in my back pocket, if I were you —

Cafe du Parc (French bistro), Zaytinya (Greek/Turkish/Lebanese small plates), Jaleo (tapas); Cork (wine bar); Bar Pilar (American tapas); Central Michel Richard (a genius French chef's spin on French bistro and American diner cooking); Estadio (tapas); Poste (eclectic American); Kushi (superb sushi and grill); Palena Cafe (a short menu of Italian-, American- and French-influenced dishes, including a stellar cheeseburger, great pastas and often an exquisite soup); 2 Amys (the Italian small plates are superior these days to the boutique pizzas).

I know I'm forgetting a few — chatters, please send in any reminders or suggestions for next week, if you think of any …

Meantime, be well, eat well, and let's do it again next week at 11 …

[missing you, TEK … ]