Greenification

It's no secret that Ted Turner has had his bite of restaurant industry experience, and now he's also trekking cross-country preaching the green to restauranteurs everywhere. [via: TreeHugger]

Click here to watch video

The Sky's the Limit. [Dinner Party]

Wow. Just wow. When I first looked at this, I thought it was gag and the picture was photoshopped. There was absolutely no way we had reached this point in disposable income and eccentricity. So when is too much, too much. Altitude.

Dinner in the Sky takes it to the next level in the dining experience. Complete with live music and the finest fare. They spare no expense.

This is a unique event meant for anyone who wishes to transform an ordinary meal or meeting into a magical moment that will leave a lasting impression on their guests!
Dinner in the Sky is hosted at a table suspended at a height of 50 metres, by a team of professionals. Benji Fun, our partner in this event, is the worldwide leader for this type of activity. [DitS]

Dinner takes flight! [via: killahbeez]

A Guide to Serving the Browns

That's right. We Browns, or Mexicans as we are also known, like to have special treatment when we attend restaurants. My personal pet peeve, and I think I speak for the entire community, is waiting, especially when my abuelita is there with me, we want to be able to walk in and just sit. None of that 5 minute wait nonsense.

These are rules posted for the serving staff at a Huntington Beach restaurant.

According to the waitress who passed this precious note along to the internet, the restaurant owners "also posted a dress code rule that ladies must wear makeup and skirts could not be below the knee." [Gridskipper]

More outrageously ignorant notes at Passive Aggressive Notes.

Bourdain: Real or Fake?

[Brasserie Les Halles, DC]
While a number of my peers are skeptical about Bourdains legitimacy, another bunch are huge fans (myself included). While I have yet to experience any of his cooking first-hand, and at the rate he's roaming the world and the media I doubt it will be anytime soon. I base my fanatism of Bourdain on his persona and character, which funnily enough is the very reason why some of my friends want nothing to do with him. His stories in Kitchen Confidential were more than just a set of imagery and verb. The book helped me solidify my vision of what I wanted to do and why I wanted to do it. He reassured me that no matter how bad it looks you can come out on top. I mean look at him now, right? In his previously posted interview with Google, he talks about how his book did this precise thing for many other people and how it also did the exact opposite for others.

One of the places that I've been dying to visit in DC for a while now is Les Halles. Clearly out of curiousity. Although I've heard a couple of bad remarks about the place (obvs from anti-Tony people), but have missed my opportunity to go the last couple of Restaurant Weeks. Through the blogroll this morning I came across a review of the restaurant off of a pretty well-known DC food blog and was happy to find a review quite different from what my "friends" keep relaying.

Les Halles is one of the best bargains in the downtown area for the local Francophile, offering some on the most well priced French bistro treats I've found in the DC area.[DC Foodies]

I really have to go check this place out now! I have to judge for myself. My next question was also covered in the review, thankfully. Drinks.

...there is a good selection of bottles to be had, including several Belgian 750s at under 2x retail, which is pretty good for a bistro. The wines-by-the-glass list numbers around twenty, incorporating an eclectic selection of wine from such places as Provence, Mendoza, and New York, ranging in price from $6.50 to $20.00 a hit. [DC Foodies]

Perfect for out-of-town guests (which I should be having some in the next couple of months).

If you've visiting guests from less metropolitan areas, Les Halles is a great place to introduce them to French cuisine without intimidation or bank account depletion. [DC Foodies]

One of my favorite things about Bourdain is his bluntness. His utter disregard for what other people think. He says what he feels and couldn't give two flying ducks about reactions or consequences. His brutal honesty is one I admire. And like so, expect a full on review of my experience there.

Food for a good cause

This Thursday, area restaurants will be participating in the annual Dining Out for Life event, where over 130 restaurants have agreed to donate between 25-100 percent of their night's sales to benefit Food & Friends. [DCist]

Since I missed Restaurant Week for a number of reasons, this is a bit of an incentive to come out and try something new in the city! Let me know if anyone goes out for this.

Full list of participating restaurants.

Playing catch up by the slice

Wow. So yours truly has been absent for a hot minute. Not for any other reason than a mixture of writer's block, lack of time, and plain old laziness. I've also abstained from blogging due to the fact that I haven't uploaded any more pictures from "back in the day" and I feel a lot of that is necessary to continue on this little blog, tracking down all the crevices and nooks I sometimes forget about in my life that are of great relevance and importance to both who I am today and the main objective of this blog. I will sort through some more photos probably not this week, as I am preparing to fly on an airplane and land in the sunny side of California to visit some friends and meet some family, but I will elaborate more on that a little later into this entry (or next), but next.

There's so much to blog about, I'm even unsure where to begin. I guess there's always the beginning, so I will brief upon my weekend and then later on write up some more entries on random stuff I want to post. Also note the layout of the blog has been changed because the last template kinda sucked and was highly aesthetically unpleasing. To me anyhow, and in the grand scheme of things, it is only I that really matters.

I will begin with Friday, where all fun usually originates. It all started with my amazingly delicious breakfast of Cream of Wheat which due my extreme gracefulness, ended up on my crotch, making it nearly impossible to circulate the work place without getting laughed at or having to wear my coat to cover it up.

[My life is over]
My day continued on smoothly after that little bump with an action-packed lunch hour full of Indian food at Naan & Beyond and Frogs! at the National Geographic Explorer Museum Had a most delicious Tandoori Chicken Tikka and about 3 lbs. of Veggie Samosas (yum!) - almost tempted to go back today for more.


[more pictures here]
Thanks to an awesome friend, I was able to score a ticket at the very, very, very last minute to the BJ Novak show at GW's Lisner auditorium. Which in my opinion was fantastic, despite the fact of a few jokes with no punchline by BJ (ie. shy puppet), over all the set was short but sweet and incredibly hilarious and ingeniously elaborate as this:


His opening act, Dan Mintz, was also pretty ridiculous and although offensively funny at times, his whole routine can best be depicted in these following 4 minutes of video. "Are you going to rape me?" rofl.


Shortly thereafter, drinks ensued at the Black Cat preceded by drinks at some swanky joint about 3 doors down where I felt severely under-dressed in my gym gear. Drinks went down smoothly. So smooth, in fact, that we ended up at the Red Derby (not before stopping for some slices at the pizza [1] joint next to the Cat, where apparently speaking Spanish to Spanish speakers is looked down upon by certain people) for some more $2 beers and an iPod battle which I won, despite the fact that the drunk bartender (not Patrick, GUE <3's Patrick) insisted on playing some chick's emo ass, depressing shit in hopes of, well in hopes of whatever. Time to go home.

Wait! But we're hungry!! Jumbo Slice time! [2]

Eventually I made my way home to catch some Z's in hopes that I would wake up in time to make my 9am art class. Not only did I show up, but I was the star of the class with a sweet portrait I did of Beethoven. (The following was taken with my phone, but I will try and get a better shot of it on here tonight).


[Charcoal on Watercolor with Eraser]
I had to head home to bathe out of the caked on charcoal and grab my photo taking equipment for a fun-filled afternoon at the Kennedy Center for the Japan! Culture + Hyperculture event. Which was an interactive display of Japan's most exciting and attention grabbing (at least if you have the attention span of a flea like myself) technologies and culture phenomenons, such as manga and gundam model toy collections.


[More pictures here]
To be seen and played with were also really sick art installations and live robots, including Honda's ASIMO, which is apparently the most advanced humanoid robot to date. Although ASIMO's functions are pretty basic, and his highlights were things such as kicking a soccer ball and climbing some stairs, it is incredibly exciting to think that at some point in the near future, maybe even in my lifetime, people will own robots like they own dogs and cats. The fact that the Ghost in this Shell sounded like Akira's voice made me want to kidnap him and take him home with me.


After discovering what the future looks like, we headed for some grub to Axis Bar & Grill on the U street corridor. I wish I would have gotten pictures of the food and the place. The locale was very nice, it reminded me of an old house, with a second floor, and hollow wood steps leading to the loft-like upstairs section. It had a mod bar with a lot of steel cable railings and exposed brick.

The place had a cozy feeling. It would have probably also had a great atmosphere had it not been for the diva queen of a waiter we had, who seemed displeased at our presence. Not to mention he had no idea what went on in our table, he seriously stopped by to ask how are drinks were, a second after they had been dropped off. Who asks that? "Um, hi. How are your drinks?" Whatever.

Then the food comes out. Our motley choices due to the nature of the menu arrived. Veggie Kabob. Beef Kabob. Chicken and Penne Pasta. One second after the food is placed on our table by someone else, who I am told was the owner, he jumps back at us, "How's everything?" dude. Seriously. Go away. Let us try everything, THEN come back and ask. Somewhat reasonably priced. Taste: Mediocre at best. Nothing out of the ordinary. I mean with the the server's attitude you would have sworn we were eating at a fancy schmansy restaurant. which was clearly not the case. If anything gave that away was the way he would fly up and down the stairs like a little kid racing down for presents on Christmas morning. Needless to say I was displeased and will probably not be going back.

Moving on. After this we regrouped for a quick killing of a six pack in Petworth Columbia Heights before heading out to, yep, you guessed it. The Red Derby where we met some friends and an over abundance of brain cell killing.

Wait, but we're hungry. Jumbo Slice disco time! [3]

Sunday was spent picking up the scattered pieces of my brain and piecing together what little I remembered from what appeared to be a fun night on 14th Street. In a rage of starvation, and with every ounce of my strength trying to avoid eating left over Jumbo Slice pizza from the night before, I raided the bare desert of a pantry and cooked up some pseudo-Mexican fare reminiscent of the the younger years, I sometimes refer to as "the faded years". First, as an appetizer, Flour Quesadillas with Spinach and Turkey. Followed by a delicious entree dish of Chilaquiles composed of left over, old tortilla chips, a can of tomato sauce, dehydrated onion flakes, a pound of shredded cheese, and a few dollips of questionable sour cream to hide any flavors which we may not take a liking to. Surprisingly, I've had worst food at sit down restaurants and it was a hit.

Through all this I'm still a Virginia cut-out temporarily transplanted in DC. The winds outside and the nook I've molded into the couch severely deter me from any type of sudden movement. How to avoid life for just another hour or ten.

Step 1: Die Hard 2 - fuck yes. Riding snowmobiles through Dulles, Virginia, because it just snows THAT much here, and avoiding solving a very easily fixed security threat by NOT going to the Wal-Mart that is ten minutes away from the airport to purchase some lanterns to light the runways and prevent a million deaths. So good.

Step 2: Firefly - As much as possible. I'd heard SO much of this series, yet didn't pay much attention to it for whatever reason. Now I'm addicted. It's like watching a live action Cowboy Bebop.

With Heroes being off the air (for now at least), I have nothing to fill my little brain with the impossible. Can't wait to complete this series, short-lived as it may have been, and hoping to follow suit with the feature film, Serenity.

Eventually, I made my trek home where I was greeted with pizza [4] for dinner and a warm bed to forget all my troubles away in, but not before packing all the left over pizza [5] to take to work with me for lunch on Monday.

That's a hell of a lot of pizza.

Pho-king Delicious!

After several months of being addicted to Java Green on 19th, by pure chance we opted to walk down an extra block (because I couldn't remember where Oodles n' Noodles was, I haven't been there in years and I'm even unsure if it still exists) we ended up crossing paths with a gigantic, bright orange sign that had Pho written all over it.

I hadn't had Pho in a while and was dying for some, it was windy and chilly outside. Perfect day for a steamy bowl of Pho Ga!!! Asian Bistro was the Place to be, on 19th and L (NW). My chopstick fetish had a new outlet, a new source, a new playground.

We walked in and the place was packed, too cold for outside seating. It would come to be a menu of Asian-fusion of sorts, including a vast array ranging from Pad Thai to Pho to Kung Pao Chicken. The vegetarian variety also leaves the Bistro a good and viable option for those of the vegetarian/vegan kind.

Although the soup was a bit Americanized (Chicken Breast), the taste was there. The toppings were generous and the noodles were not missing. Although some people would lead me to believe that decent Pho is inexistent in the District and may only be acquired in the 'burbs, I would like to point out that this being one of the few options within walking distance from my place of employment, it gets 4 out 5 stars in my book!

I can only wait to come out to Cali in a few months and hopefully meet the Viet-kieu mecca of Orange County in the hopes of tripping over some delicious Vietnamese goodness.

Kitchen not-so-confidential

One of my favorite reads of 2006, was definitely Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. Lent to me by a fellow who, as me, thoroughly enjoys the methodology behind the act of eating.

I had seen Anthony Bourdain on television, but it wasn't until I read the book, that I realized how big of a bad-ass this guy is.

One thing that stood out through his preface and some of the chapters, was his adamant dislike of the Food Network. Hilariously enough, in an updated version, he talks about his meetings with some great chefs of whom he had spoken not too kindly in his book, being completely nice to him and inviting him out to dinner, some even cooking for him!

Well today, through Serious Eats, I came across a blog entry of his where he monsoons down upon the FN once more. I find it highly entertaining.

They have nothing newer, or fresher or better - after all that time - than my first, stumbling, nascent attempts at making travel/food television? They don't have any material from anyone else - like from someone who doesn't make constant rude and obscene suggestions about their stable of "stars?" Surely they haven't reached so far down the bottom of the archives as to want ME back?! [Serious Eats via Eater]

On his blog entry he goes on to describe his conspiracy theories, of why the Food Network would be rerunning his old series "A Cook's Tour", right as his Travel Channel series No Reservations is about to air.

They're not putting the show back on because they like it. They're trying to destroy me!" I theorized. People will surely comment on the striking - even horrifying - decline in my appearance since those few years ago - and will wonder why they would still watch someone who is clearly dying of some hideous hair whitening, skin puffing, tropical bloating disease. Or maybe they're putting it back on as a deliberate strategy to break off and confuse a segment of potential audience who might otherwise be tuning in to the exciting new season of NO RESERVATIONS (the vastly superior and more expensive series on TRAVEL CHANNEL)! Maybe ... maybe it's vengeance for some of the Rachael Ray cracks. [Anthony Bourdain's Blog]

This is exactly the kind of stuff that made Kitchen Confidential such an entertaining book for me. Well, that and his massive sexually-charged, drug-hazed, violent kitchen tales that make me want become a chef. Check out his book if you get a chance. If you're not really the reading type, check out his cook book (which is going on my wish list) and cook something up.

If you so desire, I'm always down to go check out the D.C. version of his fantastic NYC restaurant Les Halles.

Breakfast Culture

Everybody knows there should be three meals in a day. Not all of us are that disciplined. Everybody knows the most important meal of the day is breakfast. Again.

Although the fact that I don't always take the time out, during my rushed mornings of commute, to have a decent first meal should not, in any way, shape, or form, lead you to believe that breakfast is not my FAVORITEST meal of the day. EVER. In life. I love it. If I had a choice, I would probably eat breakfast three times a day. (Please note I can get quite inventive with breakfast).

I like going out to different places and choosing things that look interestingly delicious, and later on try to imitate them in my own kitchen. With a large percentage of success, this practice has been known to deliver some stomach-turning pieces.

Last item on the menu for Breakfast Imitation Project:

Banana Stuffed Challah French Toast from Ardeo on Connecticut past Cleveland Park.

Their brunch version was presented in fancy plates with not very much effort on the presentation. Then again, how much presentation can you really give French toast.



It was tasty, although I felt it something missing. So I took it upon myself to break it down in the kitchen and see how my duplication skills were working. The only thing I seemed to do differently was that I flambéed the bananas in vanilla extract which added a distinct and rich taste to the concoction. I've never really had Challah bread before these two times, but I can easily say it made great French toast.





It was delicious and it had some fans. Success!

Now, I have an incredibly huge sweet tooth, but I also love my eggs, and clearly my beans. My favorite breakfast ever (and this I could eat 3 times a day if it wasn't a guaranteed heart attack). Fried eggs, bacon, and refried beans with a side of tortillas and salsa verde (green hot sauce) or chipotle peppers. It makes me hungry just thinking about it. Not to say that I don't break a yoke every now and again. (particularly after a long night of drinking)



Nothing like this waking up after a long night of drinking. It'll heal ya right up. Most of the friends I've made up here (most, yet, not all) are a bit apprehensive to the refried beans. For whatever reason. La Sierra is my favorite brand of canned refried beans although not always available in the DC area. My second choice is always Mama Lycha. That's it. It's those two or they have to be made from scratch. Anything else I've tried here makes me want to gag. Nothing compares to just re-fried (like 5 times) beans. Straight from the slow cooker to the frying pan. (!)



I do not know. Maybe people here are afraid of gas. *shrug*