Tuesday, October 5 2010 at 11 AM

Thanks for the tip. I appreciate it. 

I'm often in Rehoboth in October or November, so I'll look for it. I love the beach that time of year. To me, it's much more relaxing and enjoyable than being there in the summer. Places are still open, there's a nip in the air, there aren't big crowds — you feel as if you have the whole town to yourself. 

I've even gone in January and loved it, though it's much more deserted. …

Good morning, everyone, I hope you're enjoying the cool, crisp weather — what a jolt after the steamy end of last week.

Where've you been eating? What have you been cooking? What are you craving? Just tossing some ideas out there — doesn't have to be all about asking me questions … 

Commiserate? At turning 30? 50, okay …

You know what? Remember this, and repeat it to yourself for every birthday from here on out: The only thing worse than turning 30 is … not turning 30.

As for Corduroy, I think it's funny that you're looking for a place that won't "make you feel old" and yet you're considering a restaurant that a.) does not play music and is quiet as a library in prime time, b.) enforces a dress code and c.) actively courts an older crowd with its approachable, unfussy American cooking. 

I'm not saying it's not good — it's good, and one of the more enjoyable experiences you can have at a restaurant in the area right now. But just don't expect it to make you feel young.

There are a slew of alternatives in that price range or below — remember, Corduroy's prices have really jumped a couple of notches in the past few years.

I'd consider any of the following spots: Poste, Proof, Zaytinya, Cafe du Parc, Central, Palena Cafe … 

Sam, the best Peruvian spot within the city limits is Las Canteras, on 18th St. in Adams Morgan.

Terrific chupe de camarones (the broth tastes of shrimp, not cream, a result of a good, fresh stock), excellent ceviche, good, bright-tasting salads, and I've enjoyed a number of the fish and seafood dishes there. 

Cocktails are weak, and service is spotty, but this is a fun and rewarding place to, one of the few dependably good restaurants in that part of town. 

I think the question "Is Restaurant X worth it?" has so much to do with expectation.

At the level of Minibar, the expectation — after so many words over so many years swirling around the place — is to be blown away. To see something you've never seen before. Eat foods you've never encountered before. To be absolutely and totally transported.

I think Minibar delivers on those counts.

What's interesting is, that notion of expectation matters more, if anything, with holes in the wall and mom n pop ethnic spots than it does with the finest of fine dining restaurants.

If I unearth a fascinating and interesting hole in the wall with pretty good food, and then write that up in a glossy magazine … or even just share the discovery here in this chat forum with all of you — the reality is (and it's seldom talked about, but probably should be) there's no way you're going to have the same experience I did.

I came in (in this particular example) with no expectations, or low expectations — but you, reading my words (even if they are not gushing words; simply because they are my words, or appear in glossy pages), are filled with considerable expectations. It's not about the thrill of discovery, as it was for me. It's about being guaranteed a good time.

I'd also throw a couple others into the mix, depending on how much time you have in town: The Tasting Room and Columbia Firehouse.

The former is a small, Robert Wiedmaier-backed spot for mussels, flatbreads, charcuterie-and-cheese, and salads, with an excellent wine-by-the-glass list. It's often crowded, and you shouldn't go expecting to feast on a full meal. But if you can get in, it's a good time. I'd suggest going early, right when the doors open, and whiling away an hour or so before heading on elsewhere for main courses. Or making that your final dining stop of the day — especially if you've made lunch your big meal. (When I travel, I tend to do that; it's cheaper, for one thing, and I like to have my nights to walk the streets and explore.)

Columbia Firehouse isn't "cuisine," but if you're in the mood for a sandwich or a burger or a simpler meal than dining generally allows, it's good to know about. And a very good spot for drinking the night away and people watching in and around the bar.

What else did "me" enjoy? (Sorry, grammatical things like this are like fingernails on a chalkboard for me. And, I hope, for others, too.) *

Thanks for the early (possibly PR-aided) report. I'll be interested to see if Cuba Libre ends up being more like Jaleo and Zaytinya — or more like Zengo and Rosa Mexicano.

* Any other language/grammar peeves? Here are a few of mine … "Off-ten" for "often"; "impact" as a verb — and "impact" instead of "affect/effect"; "that said …" 

What else? 

Pumpkin's just coming in now, and I haven't come across a dish yet that I'm really wild about. Has anyone?

It's a hard ingredient to make tasty, I think. Afghans turn it into a dish called chalu, frying it lightly, stewing it, sugaring it and finally topping it with yogurt; delicious, though you tend not to see that kind of preparation in American restaurants. More often, pumpkin turns up in soups (which are often over-creamed) or as an ingredient in something like a risotto, like you had.

As for chestnut, I've yet to see it in any new dishes around town.

Thanks for being such a faithful reading — I really appreciate it.

Going at an off-time is, generally, a good piece of advice for all restaurant-going.

Generally, not always: I know of a couple of restaurants that tend to slack when it's not slammed, and things suffer. These are places that hum along when it's crazy-busy and everything tends to fall into place; it's as though they need the frenetic pace to function the way they should.

Most places, however — and the vast majority of the nicer restaurants in this or any city, I should point out — are better when they're not as busy. 

If you hit a well-regarded place at the start of service on a Monday or Tuesday night, you are sometimes the only couple in the dining room — or one of only a few for the first hour of service. 

It's a little like having a personal chef — a personal chef, who also comes with a personal staff. A total focus on you and your dinner.

Great cooking is about precision, and it's a lot easier for the cooks to zone in on your dishes and get all the details right when they're not slammed with other orders.

And great service is about devotion and pampering. Again, a lot easier to deliver when there are fewer tables to keep watch over. 

That's out of our jurisdiction. ; )

But seriously, you should send in your request to Bon Appetit — they do a regular feature in the front where they fetch recipes for restaurant dishes their readers (PR-aided readers?) loved. 

That cantaloupe soup sounds good. I'm curious about the dip — is it really that good? I guess it depends on how much mayo was in there.

…

… Just thought of another language peeve: "utilize" for "use." 

I love this — thanks for the reports.

I hope we can make this a thing on the chat, sort of like Dan Patrick used to do (still does?) on his show, where callers come on and list their height and weight. So, here, we give OUR specs — where we've been and what we've eaten … or what we've cooked and enjoyed … or what we're craving.

How about it?

My turn: Last night, I had fish tacos and a half bottle of wine …

Shouldn't the choice be obvious?

Take him to El Bulli.

Work every angle to secure a table, fly to Barcelona, take a car to Roses, and treat him to the meal any self-respecting, prepubescent foodie must experience, if only once: The culinary magic of the one and only Ferran Adria …

Wow. 11-year-olds dining at Komi.

How is this kid going to survive college? Or high school? Or even adolescence?

It's making me think of that line in Gatsby, about Tom Buchanan and his successes at Yale, how "everything afterward savored of anticlimax." 

You could try to get a couple of seats at Minibar. But just keep in mind, they book a month in advance.

You could also try Citronelle. Or The Source. CityZen, Eve, 2941 … I think any of those would be a suitable follow-up. 

Yep.

I was just talking with my wife, who just brought me a hot cappuccino (it's nice working from home). She wanted to know what's what on today's chat, and I told her. I also told her I was collecting language peeves and grammar peeves.

She made a good point, which is that the sins of pretension are worse than the sins or ignorance (that's not her phrasing, but you get the idea. Sorry, E).

I think that's important to remember whenever people rise up and accuse you of being a grammar nerd or grammar geek, and thinking you're just being a persnickety old schoolmarm.

Ugh. Yes.

The restaurant industry is full of little language annoyances like this.

"Sear off." 

"Reservationist." 

If I were you, I'd arrive right when the restaurant opens. 5:30 p.m. Take no chances.

I've had the barbecue there, too — you're talking about The Pit Stop, yes? Right there at Gilbert's Corner, a few miles down the road from Chrysalis Vineyards?

It's … okay. I wouldn't call it some of the best north of Chapel Hill. I wouldn't even call it some of the best in the area. It's all right. I like the sauce; I like the energy of the operation. But the meat just isn't luscious enough. Not a slow enough smoke job, is the problem, I think.

Your assignment for next week, Clifton, is to find the name of the place in Berryville.

Incidentally: I didn't get a chance to answer it here last week, but I did see your missive on cooking fish in Mountain Dew.

Sounds … interesting. 

In the restaurant biz, "bake off" is synonymous with "bake."

"Bake off those pie crusts, we'll fill 'em later."

Same as "sear off." 

"Chef, we seared off all the pork loin — should we start on the lamb?"

By the way: that processing of "searing off' is meant to save time; it means that in many high-end restaurants when you order a piece of meat, you're getting something that's been cooked twice. The first time, the "searing off," takes care of the bulk of the cooking time. The second time is to finish the job, to take it from medium-rare to medium and allow it to be served warm. Or warm-ish.

The gap between "searing off" and second cooking is not a matter of minutes. Often, it's a matter of hours, because the "searing off" typically happens in the afternoon, long before service begins.

Nice thought, isn't it, that the meat you order has been sitting around a kitchen for hours upon hours before being heated again and served. 

Yes. Awful.

Thanks for these.

I want to also say how much I hate CNN's "The Situation Room." Such BS and hype.

"Situation" is so vague as to be meaningless. And that's the appeal to the suits, here, I'm sure. In CNN's hype-age, everything is made into a situation. There are no more events. If it's being covered, it's a crisis. The world hangs in the balance.

I don't see anything wrong with exposing a child to a good restaurant.

I mean, why not? If you have the means — why not?

Expose him to galleries and museums, expose him to good restaurants, expose him to plays, and dance performances, expose him to real bookstores …

… And expose him also to making art, to expressing himself through painting and dancing and music and writing. Expose him to the idea that art and culture are not signs of taste and refinement, embodiments of the good life, but rather means of functioning in the world and making sense of its craziness and cruelty and randomness.

So, yes, I support the idea of introducing a child to cuisine and its rewards, as well as its many (and complicated) meanings. Bragging about it? That's a different story. 

Sounds terrific.

I can't speak for everybody else, but you've got me excited to try this. Of course, one of the great things is, you don't have to worry about spoilage — as you do for nearly every other thing you spend hours upon hours in the kitchen on.

I'm running late, everyone — thanks for the great chat today. Talking about peeves — what a great way to work off feelings of peevishness, don't you think? I hope some of you reading in after the fact will take a moment to send a few along for next time.

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

[missing you, TEK … ]