Food!
Things To Eat Before You Die
Recently, Yahoo had a site of the day devoted to bloggers listing their favorite foods and meals; things they’d recommend to others or that had a special meaning to them. The address is: http://www.travelerslunchbox.com/journal/2006/8/21/calling-all-bloggers-things-to-eat-before-you-die.html.
It’s a cute idea, and as a professional hedonist, one I found quite attractive. I didn’t post my selections to the Traveler’s Lunchbox for a couple of reasons. First of all, my blog isn’t public, (and I prefer to remain a man of mystery when it comes to the Internet); and there’s no way I could limit myself to a mere five foods! This is important stuff here! So here are some of my ideas and suggestions. They aren’t in any particular order, (there’s no way it could be done, you’d truly be “comparing apples and oranges”); and some are based on a particular time and/or locale as much as the food itself. And that is also as it should be. Eating isn’t just shoving something into your mouth. It’s a moment that involves all the senses as well as one psyche. So, here we go, enjoy!
1. Goat kabob, Naan, and chick peas at Shineys.
Shineys is a wonderful Pakistani bistro in Annandale, and the best kept culinary secret in Northern Virginia. I was introduced to it by a couple of Pakistani coworkers about five years ago. They knew of my love of food and wanted me to experience the “true” taste of their cuisine. It’s fantastic, and Linda and I have been visiting there at least once or twice a month ever since. I’ve never had a bad meal there – chicken, beef, lamb, spinach, rice, samosas, all have been great! But their goat kabob is wonderful, their Naan, (flat bread) is just the right dryness that I love, and the chick peas are to DIE for. Even when Linda is fixing us a meal, I’ve sometimes run up to Shineys just to pick up a bowl of chick peas for a side dish. I could go on for paragraphs, but we’ve got a lot of ground to cover. I can’t recommend Shineys enough, though. They have no web site, but the address is at 4231-D Markham Street, in Annandale, (in the Seoul Plaza). Be aware, the place is VERY plain looking; you’re not there for the decorative effects. But the staff is VERY nice, and you won’t be disappointed with the food.
2. Calamari at Laporta’s.
Laporta’s Restaurant is at 1600 Duke Street. My old friend Ralph helps run it. They don’t also don’t have a website, (what’s up with that, Ralph?). I’d describe the menu as Continental, and I’ve had many great meals there. But the real star of the show is their calamari – very lightly coated, perfectly cooked. I get hungry just thinking about it. People go there just for the calamari. Certainly Linda and I have.
3. Linda’s escargot.
Well, for this I guess you’d need special reservations. I’ve eaten a lot of escargot in my day, in all sorts of restaurants. But Linda’s is THE best. Of course, we have it with fresh French bread, and she usually fixes a side dish of cold spinach with smoked Gouda sprinkled on it. The match is perfect. Cooked in their shells, smothered in homemade herbal butter – yum. The first time she fixed this for me, I proposed that night, (I’m not kidding). Yes, the butter is bad for me. BFD. This is sacrament.
4. Bing cherries on the Western Slope.
The area around Grand Junction Colorado is known for its orchards. Some of the best peaches and apricots I’ve ever eaten have come from there. But one food incident really stands out. I think it was 1965 and my mother was driving Ed and me from my cousins Jim and Dolores’s place to my Uncle Harry’s house (about 75 miles away). Along the way, we stopped at an orchard in an area now known as the Redlands. We bought some very good apricots and a small bucket of bing cherries. Shortly afterwards, we got caught in a terrible hail storm that followed us all the way south to Harry’s place. While the storm raged around us, my brother, my cousins and I stood under the eaves on the back porch gobbling cherries and spitting the pits out, seeing how far we could get ‘em. It felt like a scene out of Tom Sawyer. The cherries were great, as was the company and the free nature show as ice pelted all around us. The area’s much more built up now, and quite a few of those orchards are gone. And I’ve never had cherries quite so good.
5. Grand Marnier soufflé at L’Auberge Chez Francois.
The second best restaurant in the region. Everything about it is excellent. Unbelievable food and service; another place that I could just keep writing on and on about the wonderful experiences I’ve had there. Here’s their website: http://www.laubergechezfrancois.com/. Every time we go, I just gotta order the house specialty for dessert – the Grand Marnier soufflé. The perfect capper to a perfect evening. Light, sweet, and delicious.
6. Stone IPA and Arrogant Bastard beer
Linda and I used to make our own beer, (as many of you know). We gave it up for several reasons, but this is the main one. Stone Brewery is perfect. I LOVE this beer. The IPA is my fave and considered one of the best in the history of mankind. And Arrogant Bastard is well named. One will get you through the day. Stone’s site is http://www.stonebrew.com/ , and it can be purchased at Rick’s at: http://www.rickswine.com/ .
7. Mr. Vitall’s rice.
My old sitar teacher made this for me one time and it was love at first taste. I got the recipe from him and Linda fixes it for us often, (she won’t let me post the recipe!). It consists of basmati rice sautéed in butter, cooked in chicken stock, and a whole bunch of other steps. It creates a light rice dish with a taste that hints at butter and nuttiness. Very nice balance. Wonderful stuff.
8. Five Guys hamburgers
The best burgers in the region, (and the fries are fantastic too!). This is one of those places where you can tell the pros, EVERYONE who knows food can be found there – rich and poor, black and white, etc. Only the Maine Avenue fish market has a more diverse crowd. http://www.fiveguys.com/ .
9. Virginia Gentleman Bourbon
The blood is the life, Mr. Renfield…
http://www.asmithbowman.com/
10. Pizza from Villa Capri
Long gone, unfortunately. My old friend Ron introduced this place to me around 1973/4; they were located on Pickett and Van Dorn Streets. It was beautiful thin crust pizza with lots of cheese and very little tomato sauce. I’ve never had any other pizza as good. It was a nice family restaurant.
11. Banana Split with my Dad.
It was the summer or 1965, and my family was vacationing (again) in Colorado. We were visiting my Uncle Hobart in the town of Cortez. I always loved ice cream, as did my father; but I’d only had it plain or as a sundae. I remember asking him about banana splits and one afternoon he took me out to the soda counter at the town’s drug store and we ordered up a pair. It was just him and me there and I really enjoyed the split. For years afterwards, whenever we’d go traveling we would stop at the local dairy freeze/King/Queen/whatever and sample their splits. It became sort of a tradition with us. But I’ll always remember that first one the best.
12. Beers at the Vienna Inn.
They don’t serve the best beers, (see #6 above), but the V.I. is my favorite place to drink ‘em. Like Five Guys and Maine Avenue, everyone comes there. Casual, unpretentious in the extreme and very comforting. Check ‘em out at http://www.viennainn.com/ .
13. Steak tartar and French fries at Café de Paris.
Ah, the memories! And now it’s no more. I’ve mentioned the Café in the past. After a long night of serious drinking in Gtown you always wanted to end up there just before last call (2AM), order a couple of nightcaps and a plate of steak tartar with a side of their fries. The taste was incredible. The potatoes were really quarter sections – very thick. I’m not sure how they were prepared but believe there was a hint of wine and Worcester Sauce. Whatever, they were the best I’ve ever had. And the steak with French bread was another treat. A wonderful balance of meat and herb, perfectly spreadable. And the bistro was perfect, it really did look and smell like a French eatery. The clientele reflected that, a real international gathering. And because it was open 24/7, it was always available. Linda is still appalled about one of our earliest dates. I picked her up for Sunday breakfast and took her there. She couldn’t get over me ordering steak tartar at 8 in the morning. I am a professional. I really miss that place. A real treasure.
There are other dishes, places and memories, but I think a baker’s dozen should do it for now.
Recently, Yahoo had a site of the day devoted to bloggers listing their favorite foods and meals; things they’d recommend to others or that had a special meaning to them. The address is: http://www.travelerslunchbox.com/journal/2006/8/21/calling-all-bloggers-things-to-eat-before-you-die.html.
It’s a cute idea, and as a professional hedonist, one I found quite attractive. I didn’t post my selections to the Traveler’s Lunchbox for a couple of reasons. First of all, my blog isn’t public, (and I prefer to remain a man of mystery when it comes to the Internet); and there’s no way I could limit myself to a mere five foods! This is important stuff here! So here are some of my ideas and suggestions. They aren’t in any particular order, (there’s no way it could be done, you’d truly be “comparing apples and oranges”); and some are based on a particular time and/or locale as much as the food itself. And that is also as it should be. Eating isn’t just shoving something into your mouth. It’s a moment that involves all the senses as well as one psyche. So, here we go, enjoy!
1. Goat kabob, Naan, and chick peas at Shineys.
Shineys is a wonderful Pakistani bistro in Annandale, and the best kept culinary secret in Northern Virginia. I was introduced to it by a couple of Pakistani coworkers about five years ago. They knew of my love of food and wanted me to experience the “true” taste of their cuisine. It’s fantastic, and Linda and I have been visiting there at least once or twice a month ever since. I’ve never had a bad meal there – chicken, beef, lamb, spinach, rice, samosas, all have been great! But their goat kabob is wonderful, their Naan, (flat bread) is just the right dryness that I love, and the chick peas are to DIE for. Even when Linda is fixing us a meal, I’ve sometimes run up to Shineys just to pick up a bowl of chick peas for a side dish. I could go on for paragraphs, but we’ve got a lot of ground to cover. I can’t recommend Shineys enough, though. They have no web site, but the address is at 4231-D Markham Street, in Annandale, (in the Seoul Plaza). Be aware, the place is VERY plain looking; you’re not there for the decorative effects. But the staff is VERY nice, and you won’t be disappointed with the food.
2. Calamari at Laporta’s.
Laporta’s Restaurant is at 1600 Duke Street. My old friend Ralph helps run it. They don’t also don’t have a website, (what’s up with that, Ralph?). I’d describe the menu as Continental, and I’ve had many great meals there. But the real star of the show is their calamari – very lightly coated, perfectly cooked. I get hungry just thinking about it. People go there just for the calamari. Certainly Linda and I have.
3. Linda’s escargot.
Well, for this I guess you’d need special reservations. I’ve eaten a lot of escargot in my day, in all sorts of restaurants. But Linda’s is THE best. Of course, we have it with fresh French bread, and she usually fixes a side dish of cold spinach with smoked Gouda sprinkled on it. The match is perfect. Cooked in their shells, smothered in homemade herbal butter – yum. The first time she fixed this for me, I proposed that night, (I’m not kidding). Yes, the butter is bad for me. BFD. This is sacrament.
4. Bing cherries on the Western Slope.
The area around Grand Junction Colorado is known for its orchards. Some of the best peaches and apricots I’ve ever eaten have come from there. But one food incident really stands out. I think it was 1965 and my mother was driving Ed and me from my cousins Jim and Dolores’s place to my Uncle Harry’s house (about 75 miles away). Along the way, we stopped at an orchard in an area now known as the Redlands. We bought some very good apricots and a small bucket of bing cherries. Shortly afterwards, we got caught in a terrible hail storm that followed us all the way south to Harry’s place. While the storm raged around us, my brother, my cousins and I stood under the eaves on the back porch gobbling cherries and spitting the pits out, seeing how far we could get ‘em. It felt like a scene out of Tom Sawyer. The cherries were great, as was the company and the free nature show as ice pelted all around us. The area’s much more built up now, and quite a few of those orchards are gone. And I’ve never had cherries quite so good.
5. Grand Marnier soufflé at L’Auberge Chez Francois.
The second best restaurant in the region. Everything about it is excellent. Unbelievable food and service; another place that I could just keep writing on and on about the wonderful experiences I’ve had there. Here’s their website: http://www.laubergechezfrancois.com/. Every time we go, I just gotta order the house specialty for dessert – the Grand Marnier soufflé. The perfect capper to a perfect evening. Light, sweet, and delicious.
6. Stone IPA and Arrogant Bastard beer
Linda and I used to make our own beer, (as many of you know). We gave it up for several reasons, but this is the main one. Stone Brewery is perfect. I LOVE this beer. The IPA is my fave and considered one of the best in the history of mankind. And Arrogant Bastard is well named. One will get you through the day. Stone’s site is http://www.stonebrew.com/ , and it can be purchased at Rick’s at: http://www.rickswine.com/ .
7. Mr. Vitall’s rice.
My old sitar teacher made this for me one time and it was love at first taste. I got the recipe from him and Linda fixes it for us often, (she won’t let me post the recipe!). It consists of basmati rice sautéed in butter, cooked in chicken stock, and a whole bunch of other steps. It creates a light rice dish with a taste that hints at butter and nuttiness. Very nice balance. Wonderful stuff.
8. Five Guys hamburgers
The best burgers in the region, (and the fries are fantastic too!). This is one of those places where you can tell the pros, EVERYONE who knows food can be found there – rich and poor, black and white, etc. Only the Maine Avenue fish market has a more diverse crowd. http://www.fiveguys.com/ .
9. Virginia Gentleman Bourbon
The blood is the life, Mr. Renfield…
http://www.asmithbowman.com/
10. Pizza from Villa Capri
Long gone, unfortunately. My old friend Ron introduced this place to me around 1973/4; they were located on Pickett and Van Dorn Streets. It was beautiful thin crust pizza with lots of cheese and very little tomato sauce. I’ve never had any other pizza as good. It was a nice family restaurant.
11. Banana Split with my Dad.
It was the summer or 1965, and my family was vacationing (again) in Colorado. We were visiting my Uncle Hobart in the town of Cortez. I always loved ice cream, as did my father; but I’d only had it plain or as a sundae. I remember asking him about banana splits and one afternoon he took me out to the soda counter at the town’s drug store and we ordered up a pair. It was just him and me there and I really enjoyed the split. For years afterwards, whenever we’d go traveling we would stop at the local dairy freeze/King/Queen/whatever and sample their splits. It became sort of a tradition with us. But I’ll always remember that first one the best.
12. Beers at the Vienna Inn.
They don’t serve the best beers, (see #6 above), but the V.I. is my favorite place to drink ‘em. Like Five Guys and Maine Avenue, everyone comes there. Casual, unpretentious in the extreme and very comforting. Check ‘em out at http://www.viennainn.com/ .
13. Steak tartar and French fries at Café de Paris.
Ah, the memories! And now it’s no more. I’ve mentioned the Café in the past. After a long night of serious drinking in Gtown you always wanted to end up there just before last call (2AM), order a couple of nightcaps and a plate of steak tartar with a side of their fries. The taste was incredible. The potatoes were really quarter sections – very thick. I’m not sure how they were prepared but believe there was a hint of wine and Worcester Sauce. Whatever, they were the best I’ve ever had. And the steak with French bread was another treat. A wonderful balance of meat and herb, perfectly spreadable. And the bistro was perfect, it really did look and smell like a French eatery. The clientele reflected that, a real international gathering. And because it was open 24/7, it was always available. Linda is still appalled about one of our earliest dates. I picked her up for Sunday breakfast and took her there. She couldn’t get over me ordering steak tartar at 8 in the morning. I am a professional. I really miss that place. A real treasure.
There are other dishes, places and memories, but I think a baker’s dozen should do it for now.
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