Oh, I so WANTED to love you- A Review of Georgetown Bagelry

Wanting to love people, and wasting time and money and precious energy trying to make it happen has long been a weakness of mine. Something, somewhere, tells me I should love them, because they are kind or attractive or patient or any number of things that are, in reality, never enough on their own.

Although I have happily, after much heartbreak (not the least of which was my own), largely given up on that habit in my personal life, it nevertheless seems to have been pushed off to the little (well maybe not so little) part of my brain that is devoted to food.

Months of perky, chipper little tweets from Mary Beall Adler from Georgetown Bagelry have made me want to try the place for ages. After an unsuccessful attempt a few weeks ago (where I discovered, that it is NOT, in fact, in Georgetown, but rather Bethesda), I went traveling for a bit, and hadn't made another attempt.

Today, in an attempt to actually get some non-food writing done (which you can see I have succeeded wildly at), I finally made the drive up there. Anywhere outside the diamond or across the river is a big deal for me. I had a mini-meltdown when I discovered that my boyfriend lived one block over the dividing line, and in fact paid taxes in Maryland! Gasp! Nevertheless, I have, largely on account of his inspiration (he knows the cities he has lived in more comprehensively than most local police, and I admire his getting out of his own bubble), begun exploring the no-man's land that comprise the DC suburbs. He would take issue with me even calling Bethesda, or Alexandria for that matter, suburbs, but baby steps, right?. I have been recently on a rather unsuccessful attempt to be very productive in coffee shops all over town.

Georgetown Bagelry should have been a great place to love. The tweets are always full of deals, they offer great discounts on already super-reasonable prices, it was busy enough to seem alive without being loud or distracting, there was free wi-fi, and a booth to call my own. A wide variety of bagel options rounded out the deal. Nevertheless, I left feeling 'eh'. The bagels were good, the cream cheese good, but neither blew me away. I still prefer Bagels and Baguettes on the Hill. I wanted to love them, but well, I just couldn't feign enough passion. It didn't help that the first time I ordered, I received a sesame instead of onion with my scallion cream cheese. Still tasty, but not quite what I wanted. The ordering process was itself was pretty painful. The staff was distracted, and not overwhelmingly good with communication- they seemed to have a hard time understanding customers. The second time I ordered a blueberry with strawberry cream cheese, and somehow got a tub of strawberry cream cheese and a milk? When I pointed this out, the server just gave me back the price of the milk, without the extra tax, and seemed mostly annoyed.



That said, its cheap, well-designed, and tasty. I was everything a good bagel shop should be. But like all the 'everything a good boyfriend should be' men I have had to painfully give up over the years, for some reason, there just wasn't the spark I needed.

Alas.

Give it a try. Who knows, maybe its the bagel shop YOU were meant to be with.

Mas Tuna Rolls, Por Favor! - Sushi Hana in Portland

So I have mentioned my addiction before. Sushi. It started as just something I did socially, with friends, just so they wouldn't have to indulge alone. And then something flipped. I had some gooooood stuff. In LA. And now I think about it all the time. I need more each time, and I am spending money I don't have in its pursuit. I neglect my family (or at least my dog's evening walks) in order to go out and score, and when I am at rock bottom and really jonesing, I do things I am ashamed of. Like order it from Chinese restaurants. I ignore the rubbery-ness and awful-ness of certain sushi go-rounds and even mediocre tuna with red pepper flakes triggers a binge.

Vacation is no different. The month I spent in China for work was torture. I did Sushi in China once, even though years of living in Asia should have made me wiser. I can still hear the dialogue in my head.....'But it's the nicest place in Beijing, where the Japanese Ambassador eats. Surely this would be ok'. Rationalization. I knew better, but maybe the inklings of the addiction were coming through even then. 'I will only have a few pieces.' Bargaining. I should have seen it coming. How did it end? With me puking at the sight of the 4 cases of beer the Irish guys ahead of me in line were bringing on the trans-siberian train the next day, coming off the worst night of sick in my life.

Anyway, my two trips to Portland this summer offered no respite from the craving. Fortunately, I have a boyfriend who is not only indulgent, but also encouraging of my little problem. He likes his sushi too. He had been talking about a little place in Portland for ages that was supposedly great and cheap. Keep in mind, however, that as he hates most things about DC, everything in Portland was both 'cheap' and 'great' in comparison. Add to that the fact it was in a strip mall, suspiciously located next to a Petco, and I was wary. Still, not many crack addicts complain about the quality of their rocks, especially when they are far away from their home dealers, so I hardly resisted trying it.




When I first walked into Sushi Hana in Tigard, just south of Portland, I saw a basic sushi-go-round. It took a few seconds for the real magic of the place to become evident. Like any sushi-go-round, Sushi Hana uses little colored plates to show how much various items cost. Unlike basically any other sushi-go-round, however, the most expensive little plate is $3! Most are between $1.50 and $2.50. Add to that the Monday happy hour special during which all plates are $1.50, and you have one of the best deals ever.... basically all you can eat. And eat I did. Although no match for the boyfriend's 19 plates (which blew the mind of our tiny waitress), I did a respectable 10. For under $25.



All you can eat is great (my favorite for the DC area is Matsutake in Ballston), but a good deal alone wouldn't justify the longing that I currently am feeling for Sushi Hana.

No, what was most remarkable about Sushi Hana was the quality. The sushi was fresh, the rolls creative and well-constructed. Unlike too many buffets and sushi-go-rounds, the chefs were selective about what was put on the belt- they didn't put out things that would go off too fast, and had a remarkable sense of just how much of anything was desired at a given time. Of course if you wanted anything in particular, they were not only receptive to, but actively seeking out requests.

This brings me to the final reason Sushi Hana is almost enough alone to pull me back to Portland for keeps, and the title of the post. Throughout the meals, a chorus of 'Mas Nigiri' or 'Hand-roll por favor' accompanied the methodical activity of the sushi chefs behind the counter. Normally, hearing your sushi chef shout to the kitchen in anything but Japanese is a reason for concern. Of course, there are the one-off all-you-can eat situations for which, as my best friend puts it, 'quantity has a quality all its own'; even these places, however, usually hide their non-Japanese sushi chefs in the back (along with, thankfully, the prep area... not visible is basically equivalent to sanitary for this girl).




Sushi Hana chefs were amazing, however. They were clearly in love with their work, and every time I went there, they seemed genuinely happy to be alive and making sushi. And I went there three times. In one 10 day trip. Yea, I like the place. I can't imagine how it must feel to be a super talented sushi chef who happens to be from Guatamala, but I imagine its not great. Like an Alaskan surfer, or a Laotian tight-end. No one expects your talent, and it must be infuriating to constantly surprise people. These chefs, however, have found a home, and for that, I am grateful. Not as grateful as if they were my dealers back home, but happy nonetheless.

Of course, now that I have had the pure stuff, it will take me a bit to get used to the expensive home brew here in DC again, but, as my visit to Kyoto Sushi last night proved, I can't stay away long.

Oh, Sushi. Mercury poisoning tastes so good!

Savor: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience

Somewhere over DaNang, on SQ 837, it hit me. I need a beer. Badly. Three days of cross-pacific travel, followed by horrid food in a overpriced Chinese hotel, and a whole month of worrying about getting work done ahead of me adds up to one stressed girl. This is not surprising. What is surprising is the manifestation of the need for stress relief in the form of beer craving. This is new. In the past, stress drove regrettable binges of homemade cookie dough, financially ill-advised trips across the planet, and questionable romantic endeavors. Even a craving for a good whiskey or lots of bad gin and tonics. But never before beer.

Why the sudden prominence of beer in my consciousness? One word- Savor. Haochi DC was lucky enough to swing passes to this fabulous event, featuring craft beers paired with delicious food a few weeks back in a delicious worship of everything beer.




I was totally and utterly blown away. I mean, I liked beer ok, and had progressed beyond the natty-light-in-a-garbage-can-full-of-ice-at-the-party-of-that-dude-I-accidentally-made-out-with years ago, and liked a good stout, but I hadn't really given much thought to the nuances of good beer beyond, well, it being good.

I can even pinpoint the moment that all changed. Haochi DC was offered a seat in one of the sideline seminars during the event featuring beer and chocolate pairings. Best case scenario in my imagination was that this would be like a wine tasting, where things were good together, but my palate was sadly unsophisticated, and I would leave not really understanding why or having any hope of replicating the pairings myself. More likely, I figured this was just a lame attempt by the beer industry to move in on the wine market by making up their own lexicon of fancy-words. This fit right in with the trashy-is-hip, PBR-is-cool trendy demographic I feared would make up the main body of attendees. But hey, free beer? Im no snob, that was enough to get me to give it a try.

What I discovered with the first pairing felt like coming in from the darkness. After years of desperately trying to pretend I understood what the difference between 'oaky' and 'woodsy' was when tasting six different seemingly identical mediocre chardonnays, it was like a light bulb came on. Hoppy. Now there is a taste I can identify. When beer is said to have hints of chocolate, it has hints of fucking chocolate! I get it! It wasn't my tongue that had failed, it was the medium! After years of being a fraud at wine tastings, suddenly I actually got it. This was right up there in the revelation department with understanding fractions and decimals were the same thing, my parents were winging it more often than not, and that nothing about The Wall is really all that profound without heavy drugs and the mind of a 15 yr old (warning, those two are often related).

Not only did the beer bring out certain flavors in the chocolate, as one expects with a paired tasting, but the chocolate actually pulled things out of the beer that would have been otherwise overlooked. I have never had paired wines that so delightfully and comprehensively intermingled flavors with the food they were paired with. Its as though beer were made for chocolate, and all these years I totally missed it. Of course it helped that the beers in question were all from New Holland Brewery, my vote for the Best in Show at the event. Each beer was complex, interesting, and eminently drinkable. The brewer, Fred Bueltmann, was on hand and accessible to all my bumbling inquiries (thankfully forgiving of my newly-in-beer-love swooning and patient with my myriad of questions). Gail Ambrosius, a choclatier from Madison WI brought her A game as well, and the chocolates were exquisite. You can see all the pairings below, but my top pick?

Dragon's Milk, a rich ale brewed in old bourbon barrels from Heaven Hill, one of our favorite Bourbons, with one of the most unusual, yet natural chocolates I have ever tasted, Shitake. The combination was earthy and rich, almost like a cream sauce. Dragon's milk brought out the sweetness in the chocolate, and the Shitake balanced the creaminess of the beer. Interestingly, the Dragon's Milk would have been right at home paired with something richer as well, my vote would be the sea salt caramel, but would have been a totally different beer.

The other strong contender was the Black Tulip Trippel Ale and the ginger and Lemongrass chocolate. The Black Tulip cut the spiciness of the chocolate, resulting in a strong leading taste with a quick end of sweetness, rather than the lingering gingery-ness that would otherwise overwhelm the chocolate. The chocolate brought the fruitiness of the Ale forward. It was perfect, and meant for Thai food. Asian food sorely lacks dessert, but this would have made up for it 50 times over.








For now, I'm going to flag down a stewardess and bitterly drink my Tsing dao, dreaming of better brews and better days


A few other winners:

Available locally:

Steamworks 'Backside Stout'



Schmaltz Hebrew 'Original Pomegranate Ale'





Schlafly Reserve 'Oak-Aged Barleywine'



Magic Hat




Further Afield:

Rogue 'Nut-Brown'



Rock Art Brewery 'Vermonster'



Oskar Blues 'Old Chub' (in a can!)



Southernmost Pale Ale (from Key West)



Heinerbrau Maerzen



Coney Island "Sword Swallower"



General Guide to beer pairing:






For more info on all the beers and foods at the event, please check out the Savor homepage. or check out the info sheet below.

The Miracle of Soft Eggs- Brunch at Creme

I can make complex meringues, reduce a delicate sauce, and cut a pie crust together until the exact moment when it is mixed and not a moment after. I can't paint, sing, pretend I care about things I don't, choose flattering makeup, run 10 miles, or any number of other talents that the young yuppie often has, but I can cook. I don't know how or why, but I get it. Which is why the seeming miracle of a poached egg is so perplexing to me. Every time I try this, I end up with some nasty form of flavorless egg drop soup, crunchy with egg shells that got away and littered with bits of egg that are more boiled to death than poached. I have some sort of neuro-block it would seem against paying attention to a cooking egg. I can't soft-boil either, for much the same reason. My inflated sense of self importance almost makes me believe that there is some sort of cosmic conspiracy that will insert something shiny into my field of vision within 3 minutes of touching an egg. And I do so ever love shiny things :-)

All of this is quite tragic given the delicious uses of half-cooked eggs. Soft cooked eggs are delicious in salads, with vegetables, and even as a meal themselves. Of course their most common incarnation amongst DC food lovers is as the critical component of Eggs Benedict. At summer brunches throughout DC, deals are cut, relationships blossom, marriages falter, houses hypothetically decorated, clothing evaluated, hippies scorned, and babies longed for. Brunch is where the young yuppie cuts their teeth on the DC restaurant scene. Is the food often second-rate to that of normal meals? You betcha. Does that make it any less appealing to linger for a long meal with friends with nothing else to do all day after sleeping off the previous night? Not a bit.

With an old friend in from out of town and a new one just arrived for her first big-kid DC job, brunch was calling. Thanks to the recommendations of DC Concierge, I chose Creme in U Street to inaugurate the season. I couldn't believe that despite a good friend living across the street, I had never noticed the place! It was tiny, and didn't take reservations for brunch, so our group of 6 had to wait about a half hour for a table, which isn't bad, especially since the same cosmic forces that interfere with my egg preparation seem to affect the ability of anyone I care about to be on time to anything, while driving my own paranoia about being late to such a degree that I am chronically 15 min early. All in all, this means that no matter what, there is a half-hour wait, so no problem.

I saw two things on the menu that intrigued- Chicken and Waffles, that Clydes favorite that is oh so good after a night of beer tasting (and facilitates the brunch attendance of any self-respecting dude who is not trying to sleep with you), and the Eggs Benedict with wild mushrooms. Our table had both. The Mushroom Bene, as the Eggs Benedict was called, was fabulous. The mushrooms were fresh and tasty, the Hollandaise rich and not too salty, and the poached egg in that perfect miraculous form that so eludes me, with a runny yolk and firm solid white that requires rapt attention by a chef who is swamped with a brunch crowd. So simple, but in may of the brunch factories of DC, the details are lost, and you get either a protein shake of raw eggs fit for a dude trying to 'get huge' or chewy hard-boiled eggs reminiscent of the less delicious parts of a polish deli. The chicken (white and dark) was proclaimed better than Clydes (bonus, since Clydes doesn't even offer white meat with their Chicken and Waffles- well, they do, but its sans the spices which make the chicken worth eating). The waffles were thick and fresh and the salad a little salty though better than your average garnish. I also had the bacon which was thicker than I like, but I imagine perfect for most people's preference. Roasted potatoes and an Eggs Benedict with crab rounded out our selections, and all was delicious. Portions were sizable without being ridiculous, and all were happy.



I also sprung for the expensive Hibiscus Mimosa. While too expensive at $12 for a flute, it was just delicious enough that I will probably continue to be annoyed at the price, but order it anyway.



The atmosphere was loud, but conversation wasn't too hard, as the tables were small and intimate. Hard to hear the servers, but tolerable. The interior is tidy and modern.

The best part? The prices were super affordable- $10-14 for most mains, with an option for a $16 unlimited mimosa (not the hibiscus kind however). This makes a $20 brunch a real option.

What do I take away from all of this? Poached eggs and mushrooms are inspired. And I now have a source of them for a reasonable price that will keep me from initiating any more egg disasters, and do wonders for my self-esteem :-) Yea Creme!

Yea Milkshakes- A Review of Good Stuff Eatery

The Eastern Market area is in sad need of some good cheap food options. I have worked my way through every sorry delivery option around, and cry a little each time I am reminded that Papa Johns is the best pizza available. So when a new little burger joint seemed to be moving in the neighborhood, I was of course curious.

So yesterday, back from two months of traveling, I was tired and starving- it was the perfect opportunity to try out Good Stuff Eatery. I illegally parked my little Honda and ran inside to get something quick to go while my dog waited patiently in the car. I figured it was 2 PM, there was no line, how long could it take?
Apparently, a while. This was the only real down point to the place- there was literally no line, but it still took about 10 minutes from order to serving. If this place is to succeed as largely a take-out quickie place, it needs to move faster. There was seemingly no specialization amongst the staff. The girl that took my order also made my turkey burger, and the one who served up the tray also made the shake. There were 3 or 4 other staff hanging around who's role was really anyone's guess. Maybe things just looked disorganized because it was a down time, but still, no excuse for not getting on top of orders with a little haste, especially when a customer has nothing to do but watch.

Ok, but how was the food? Well, the milkshake was amazing! I had a Milky Way shake, which was served with caramel and good fudge in the bottom, fresh homemade ice cream, and bits of malted milk (not so big as to get stuck in the straw, and not so small as loose value as texture). My only thought- they should use bigger straws. Even though it never really got stuck, I had to pucker my mouth and pull my eyes back into my head a bit to get much up through the straw at times. I never understand why places that serve milkshakes (especially ones like this that seem to specialize in them) don't automatically have big fat straws. Makes the experience so much better, especially when there is goo and candy involved.



They also offered a variety of other flavors, to include toasted marshmallow, soursop hop strawberry, and a d-lecheable leche. Will keep trying them and update :-)

As for the burgers? I had a turkey burger that waaaay overdid the cilantro and lemon. A little lemon/cilantro in the avocado spread could be a nice touch, but in an attempt to slam my face repeatedly into how fresh things were there, they waaaaaayy over did the tastes. It completely overwhelmed what I think was a good turkey burger, but can't be sure. Cilantro is one of those tastes that our brain processes as 'fresh'. Parsley and lemon work too. Overwhelming a dish with cilantro is an amateurish way of making it evoke a 'freshness' ethos; in this case, this was particularly misplaced, as most of the food is already quite obviously fresh. There was no need to resort to the cilantro overkill tactic, and it in fact ruined the more subtle freshness that I am pretty sure was there.

The regular burger was delicious, but not much better than five guys (which I love), yet $3 more.

The fries were fantastic- crispy with sea salt, cracked pepper, and rosemary, but not too much of either. They are unique, reasonably portioned (small and large sizes), and delicious.

This is the place to go in the Eastern Market area when you are craving great shakes or fries. Potentially, it could be a great showcase for fresh ingredients and produce in burger form- a little more confidence, and I doubt the cilantro/lemon overload would be a problem. As for the regular burger, to be honest, I think you are better off going to five guys (because I am cheap)- unless you want to fru-fru it up, and in that case check out Ray's Hell Burger in Arlington. That said, the burgers are tasty, and if you came for the shake, hell, stay for a burger!

Damn, now I want a milkshake...

Embarassing Things I Love- Part 1- Kröllebölle

So, I can be a pretentious eater. I know. I scoff at supermarket cheese (Eastern Market Cheese Nazi is the man for me), turn my nose away from overcooked meat, and will go to incredible (and often unwise) fiscal and geographic lengths to avoid chain restaurants.

All of this pretension has been acquired in the last ten years. I grew up eating recipes made from soup cans and packages of things bought in bulk, with a once-a-year fancy outing to the Olive Garden to celebrate some common nerd-kid achievement (straight A's! New School! Science Olympiad 1st Place!)

One year in China at age 20 with a corporate expense account and a fancy boyfriend, however, and I was ruined. Well, almost.

Today I had to return five legs to IKEA. I bought six for an ambitious project involving making my new 100 lb TV circa 2003 acquired free from a pilot friend that replaced the buzzing no-name brand obtained free from an Irish guy that lived with us once (which is a whole other story) circa 2000 stay securely on an IKEA shelf that came with the apt and was clearly designed for a plasma bought sometime since Friends went off the air. Hey, I spend my money on food, not gadgets, that should be clear from both my waistline and VCD collection.

Anyway, once I discovered that the project really only involved one leg and a lot of screws (stop giggling), I needed to return the extras. (I stuck a picture in below- hey, I'm pretty proud of this, I designed and built it myself! And it hasn't squished my dog yet!) So began my third visit to IKEA in a month. And I hate shopping.



Well, while at IKEA, I found myself drawn to the cafeteria. I try to bury this feeling like a memory of a gropey uncle, but I suddenly find myself in line , not because I don't have time to get something better, but rather because I have been thinking of Swedish meatballs since I first decided to return to IKEA. When I first bought the extraneous legs, a friend and I made a much-needed stop to sit and collect our thoughts (and talk ourselves out of some unwise modular furniture). Well, something drew me to these little guys, sitting there all congealed and dry looking behind the glass in the mini-cafeteria. Cutsy Swedish names may have been the culprit: kröllebölle....mmmm....I own at least one ill-fitted duvet cover for much the same reason.

I don't know what it is about them. The meatballs are overcooked, the cream sauce processed, and the lingonberry jam, well, its jam made by a furniture store. But somehow, together, something magic happens. The processed-ness of the cream sauce manages to penetrate the meatballs tough outer shell, and the blandness of the resulting combination is just enough to make the lingonberry jam palatable. Its a thing of beauty.



So yea, I love the stuff. I have never bought the take-home variety, but I am fairly confident it just wouldn't be the same. Maybe next time I will buy a pack to give it a try anyway. I am sure I will be back soon. My Schunenbergen needs a Bralogogen with a Garnotter and Mangbanden. Or something like that.

Tasty Bruchetta, Damn the Season! A Review of Cafe BellaLuca!

So I love good Bruschetta. I hate the pretentious way people say it - Bru-sketta- but putting up with snarky waiters and the 'Sam-u-el' crowds who can't get enough of Mediterranean-style Italian cuisine (as opposed to those hole in the wall mom-and-pop places that make the most delicious heavy pastas) is worth it if for no other reason than the simple deliciousness of toasted bread and tomatoes at peak freshness.

Now lots of places mess this up. Heavy, bursting-ripe tomatoes need nothing but a tiny bit of high-quality olive oil, a few bits of garlic and really fresh bread to make this perfect dish. As is often the case in life though, it seems restaurants can't control themselves, and add all sorts of additional spices, and, god forbid, even cheese. Its not that I don't like these things together in other forms, mind you. Rather, in the case of Bruschetta, they usually detract from the complex, weighty, and delicious flavor of perfectly ripe tomatoes.

Unfortunately, I am in the desert. And its March. So when I ordered the Bruchetta at Cafe BellaLuca in Truth or Consequences, I shouldn't have expected the 'perfect' celebration of the tomato I so love. What drove me to order something so obviously out of season? Perhaps the hot spring water I soaked in for an hour before dinner got to me.

When a plate of toasted bread heaping with not-so-ripe looking tomatoes and a bunch of other stuff, to include olive oil, balsamic, mozzerellla, basil, lettuce, and at least 2-3 other things was presented, I shouldn't have been surprised. I was decidedly unhopeful for my dinner, but given that I didn't want Mexican or Dairy Queen and am in the middle of nowhere, I was happy to find somewhere that even made a go at Italian food.



The amazing thing? It was DELICIOUS. Its all about the vinegar. It was just pungent enough to compensate for the lack of taste inherent in tomatoes out of season, and they were cautious enough with its application not to overpower the good-quality cheese. I was taken aback. I am going to return home, reexamine all of my fresh tomato-based dishes that I normally file away until June, and see what may be salvageable with the application of some fine vinegar (although I too have a tendency to overdo a good thing, and ruin it when it comes to vinegar; I think I would drink the stuff directly out of the bottle were no one looking).

I was suddenly very optimistic for the whole meal! Unfortunately, nothing else lived up to this early creative and well-executed dish. I got the lasagna, which I think used canned or frozen spinach. Now if there is a single ingredient for which there is no equivalent non-fresh version, it's spinach. You can taste the bitterness of frozen/canned immediately, and it completely overpowers a dish. Add large pieces of obviously canned tomatoes (or maybe just the bruchetta's more tasteless cousins), and it was not good. Even more painful was the $14 price tag for a small dish. For a small meatless pasta dish, made with primarily non-fresh ingredients, this was outrageous. There were a variety of other pastas, pizza, and a few steak/seafood options. Maybe I just choose poorly, but given the quality control on what I did get, I am not hopeful.



I hope dessert would redeem, and perhaps the lasagna was a one-off bad choice, but alas, the cannoli, for which I was initially excited as it was not covered in pistachios like most, was dry and tasteless. Now I like a cannoli that is a little sour on the inside with a sweet crunchy shell, or a shell that is flaky and strong-tasting with a sweet creamy filling, but these were the unfortunate combination of a sour filling with a bland dry shell. I didn't even finish them. Me. I didn't finish my dessert. Unheard of. Add the fact the expresso machine was broken, and the second two-thirds of this meal were profoundly disappointing. I should have tried the Gelato. Other deserts were your typical Olive Garden variety, although I imagine at least homemade- Tiramisu, Creme Brulee, molten chocolate cake. I was reluctant to go for them as the presence of all three made it seem a bit too chain-Italian generic. If only one were on the menu, and a few other more unique options, I would have felt more confident.



Now perhaps I am being judgy, given where BellaLuca is located. I am only here a night, but I get the distinct sense that Truth or Consequences is not brimming with culinary masterpieces. Given the choices, it seems like a pretty good option. The interior is warm, open, and inviting, , the initially overly cheesy aggressive approach of the waiter, once it was clear I just wanted to read in by the window and not make lame jokes the service was polite, effective and excellent. It took a long time to get my food, but I was there early, so it could have just been that the pan of lasagna wasn't ready yet. Fresh beats quick, and it wasn't too long (about 20 min).

Worth going, if you are in T or C, but mostly beacuse there are few other options. Even the attempt to have something nice and interesting is commendable here- I hope the chef keeps trying, and works on every dish count. For now, just order two plates of Bruchetta, and get some ice cream at Dairy Queen!

Shady Dell and Dot's Diner, Bisbee Arizona

So I have been missing for 10 days, I know. Been on a road trip out to a work conference near Tucson, and have been delightfully out of contact. Conference started today though, so since I am back in work mode anyway, I thought it was time to post a bit. I have collected a huge backlog of places from this trip already, so beware a storm coming!

I am staying in Bisbee Arizona. Bisbee, in addition to being endlessly fun to say, is this incredible and unique intersection of hippies and libertarians, where everyone can agree that everyone can be however they want. It's up high in the mountains with lots of wonderful breezes, cheap prices, sunlight, and a fantastic and assorted amount of crazies to check out.

Shady Dell, where I am staying is one of the most delightfully odd places I have ever come across. Its a trailer park. Yes, a trailer park. Before you are overcome with worry that your favorite urban liberal has suddenly lost her teeth and looking for someone with a nice truck to make babies with, know that its unlike any trailer park I have ever seen.

I am staying in a 1957 El Ray. The whole park is full of these neat vintage, fully restored trailers from the 1950's. They are restored perfectly, down to every little detail, with working fixtures, stoves, bathrooms, etc. There are even period radios and TVs that broadcast programs and music from the era. Its amazing, nothing is out of place. I even have a little piece of astroturf and some bright blue chairs outside my trailer to call my own. Even the staff wears period outfits/makeup etc. Its a little creepy, and totally fun. Its so well done, so perfect and so comfortable that were it anywhere else, it would cost hundreds a night and feel fake. But here in Bisbee, the park serves the function it would have even in 1957- its a relatively cheap, relaxing, easy place to stay while exploring a great little town. For $85 a night, there is no better option around! There are few things in the world that make me as happy as weird Americana, and here it is in full force.

On site is this cute little diner, called Dot's. Now its closed on Wed and Thur, opens at 7:30 in the morning and isn't open for dinner. Since I am staying Mon night through Thur morning, and have to leave for work at 7am, this means that a rushed trip back at lunch time was my only chance. It was worth it!

I got a burger and chips (they don't have fries) which were good, and the most delicious chocolate malt ever. Their pies and cakes are glorious looking, which accounts for why I plan to head back in two hours, right before they close, and get some pie and more ice cream. Everything just tastes 'real', totally unlike fake diner food you get at chains. They had a black bean burger, which with mushrooms and cheese sounded delicious as well. Breakfast all day. Although frying an egg isn't rocket science, a willingness to do so with a ton of fresh butter and a local organic egg that actually tastes like egg would be delicious, I am sure. Alas, I only have time for one meal and one pie gorging that I am sure to regret tonight.

The service is half the fun too- everyone knows everyone from this little town, and locals are stopping in with standing orders all the time. Despite being a replica in the most obvious way (themed trailer park, costumed staff) the fact that it has 10 seats, is in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, and does a genuine local business mean that Dots Diner is something fundamentally different than a tourist trap or fake nostalgia. Rather, it, and Shady Dell in general, reflect a genuine desire to live in a different world from the modern one which is America today. Crazy little Bisbee is the rare unique setting in which such a thing can be genuinely done, with little irony or cheesiness. No one is denying the reality around them at Shady Dell and Dot's; rather they are enhancing it with their own unique choice of lifestyle. I am glad I got to join in for a few days (or even just a lunch, and pie!)

Le Pain Quotidien - Eastern Market Location - Review

So I have been to this place a bunch of times, with very mixed results.

On a weekday, it is a wonderful place to sit and read (although I agree with previous reviews- they really need blinds or curtains, the sun is scalding, and now that its getting warmer, its downright uncomfortable in there).

The food is top-notch- best muffins around, unlike anything I have had elsewhere. Avacado tartine was wonderful, and I am crazy for the apple cider. I like that the menu has the caloric values listed....keeps me from going too crazy :-)

The service though.....unbelievably awful. On a normal weekday, its pretty average, no complaints. But I went this past weekend, and it was prob the worst experience I have ever had. Ironic, since I thought the place it replaced, Bread and Chocolate, won that award for Eastern Market. Seems I was sadly mistaken.

We wanted to sit outside- they only have 10 tables or so out there. There was a sign to wait for the hostess to seat you (an nowhere to wait, which is annoying when it gets crowded on a weekend). We couldn't find anything that looked like a hostess, and the other door (front) had the same sort of chaos going on. We finally asked someone, and they just said to find a table on our own. Which was even more chaotic, but eventually, we waited out a table, chased off the other people who were about waiting (it was hard to see who was first, since there was no line or place to wait together, so people were scattered), and sat. And sat. We waited 25 min, and then I got up and got a menu myself. We waited 15 more min, and I asked a passing waitress (they have not making eye contact down pat, it was impossible to flag someone) if we had a waitress. She responded, visibly annoyed at me 'arugh, I'll tell someone inside'. A neighboring table overheard, laughed, and said that it took them 45 min to get served, don't hold our breath. Another table that sat down after us had similarly given up and retrieved menus themselves. We waited another 10 min, and no waitstaff came to our table, so I went inside. I spoke to who I think was the manager at the take-out counter, and asked if we could just order at the counter and eat outside, since we hadn't seen a waiter. He agreed, and I think yelled at someone who was supposed to be serving outside, but that's unclear. I asked for the muffin I had been craving, and of course, they were out of it. At that point, I was done. We left, having spent an hour there, and never having even been offered menus, much less food.

A shame, since when its not crowded, the food is excellent, and the service good. But I think they really need to work out some sort of system on weekends. I don't think I will be back.


http://www.lepainquotidien.com/

Asia Nine Bar & Lounge- Review

I came to Asia Nine for a birthday, and was blown away by the service. My friend had neglected to make a reservation for her birthday, despite it being 20 people at a popular restaurant on a Sat night. I know. I was chatting to the bartender while waiting for her to arrive and mentioned this, and, after a look of panic, he jumped to it. Without my even asking (I was expecting to not get a table and be awkwardly crammed at the bar all night, only to give up at the first polite moment and go elsewhere), he managed to section off an end of the bar, set up a system for us to order efficiently from the bar, and tell the hostess to send everyone back to our area. Totally above and beyond, and I am so grateful- what luck!

The food was pretty good (standard Asian-fusion stuff), and the drinks were great fruffy things. Great Saki and Shochu selection as well. But what really made the place was the incredibly accommodating service.

Not as annoying trendy of a crowd either, surprisingly, given the decor and feel of the place. A great place to have a trendy night without it being over the top pretentious.

Red Velvet Cupcakery- Review.

(thanks cupcakestakethecake.com for the pics!)

So in my recent and growing obsession with tiny frosted cakes, I had oddly yet to get to the new Chinatown bakery, Red Velvet Cupcakery. Especially strange, since 50% of my social time is spent wandering Chinatown trying to figure out what to eat....Anyway, finally made it here last weekend with the boyfriend and his sister (also a cupcake fan). Now maybe its not the smoothest thing in the world when meeting the family of the significant other for the first time to buy four cupcakes in one shot, but I do have such a tough time choosing. Terror of commitment. Yea. That's the message I wanted to broadcast in this situation. Oh well, I enjoyed them!


I can't give any cupcake place less than a 4 stars it seems, cause I really do just love them. This place works if you choose wisely- the devils food frosting was too chewy- not nearly as tasty as it looks. The big winner- Peanut butter. sweet, but a little salt on top makes it not overwhelming, like most dessert peanut butter things. Delicious without being sickly, its about the best peanut butter cupcake I have ever had.

Also had red velvet, which was pretty tasty- good amount of cream cheese for my tastes.

Birthday cake- this was great as well- delicious cake. Its like most places just give up when making yellow cake- this was flaky and moist and yummy!

Overall, great place to hit up if you are in Chinatown anyway, and in the mood. Not the best cupcakes around, but a tasty, if expensive, diversion.