FOOD!

[kompressorkev]

What's your favorite chocolate? Looking to try more 70% dark bars. Current favorites:

rogue rio caribe
amedei chuao
amano chuao
amano cuyagua
amano madagascar
michel cluizel noir
coppeneur chuao
galler noir

Also, any beer pairings you've found to work particularly well? Granted, it depends on the chocolate, but I haven't gotten too specific, just been pairing some (the Rogue especially) with Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout. Not a huge fan of spiced chocolates, though I do like an IPA sometimes. Would appreciate any recs, thanks!

[theetruscan]

What's your favorite chocolate? Looking to try more 70% dark bars. Current favorites...

Also, any beer pairings you've found to work particularly well? Granted, it depends on the chocolate, but I haven't gotten too specific...

A few you might want to add to the list:

Christopher Elbow
Recchiutti
Madacasse (I think)

The best chocolatier I've ever found is Jean-Charles Rochoux, I'm not sure if he makes bars.

Some of the serious, heavy-duty barrel aged beers will pair will with chocolate (and aren't much good with anything else). For instance, Lost Abbey Angel's Share goes brilliantly. Some of the richer Belgian trippels and quadruppels (I can't spell) should also go well.

[MoFiya]

Not sure if it is available outside the EU but I can recommend the austrian chocolate by Zotter. I didn't find it on the website, but he also has 'normal chocolate' e.g. without those crazy ingredients / combinations. But some of those are also worth a try. And most of them on the basis of dark chocolate.
Also, they really care about the origin of the cacao and other ingredients (fair trade + organic).

[kompressorkev]

Thanks etruscan and mofiya for the recs!

theetruscan: Glad to see Christopher Elbow and Recchiuti are local, I'll be sure to check those out. Didn't see any bars on the Elbow site but i'll stop by the boutique and report back. Rochoux has a nice website, I'm sure their chocolates are equally amazing - sadly didn't get to try it when I was in Paris and probably won't be back for a while. Speaking of chocolatiers, I briefly stopped by Patrick Roger in Paris for a friend but didn't buy any for myself . I never order chocolates internationally, for some reason, so I'll try your local recs first before trying to get some Rochoux. I'll try the beer pairings as well

mofiya: Looks like I won't be in the EU anytime soon, but I'll keep an eye out for Zotter. Good to see they're bean-to-bar!

[endersgame]

蛋挞

i just ate two of these still hot from the bakery..

the only chinese pastry that actually tastes good. everything else is crap..

[jscl]

heading to DC for the weekend... can someone recommend me some places for lunch/dinner/brunch? i tried to get a table at komi three weeks ago but they're all booked :/

[theetruscan]

heading to DC for the weekend... can someone recommend me some places for lunch/dinner/brunch? i tried to get a table at komi three weeks ago but they're all booked :/

For brunch I adore Tabard Inn.

[jscl]

^all booked for the next two weekends.any other suggestions?

[theetruscan]

^all booked for the next two weekends.any other suggestions?

Afraid of that. You can go in and wait, but sometimes you end up waiting well over an hour. Honestly, I'm not a very adventurous bruncher, I tend to find a place and stick with it.

Cafe Atlantico is one of the few restaurants I regret having missed in DC, and apparently they do a brunch. Perry's, in Adams Morgan, is famous for their drag brunch. It's fun, but a bit too much spectacle, and a bit too little nice brunch.

For other meals ... hmmm, I've completely forgotten my time there (I went out every night I lived in DC, except when I was out of town, somehow it's a blur ...). I always enjoyed Cork, but it probably isn't anything too special. The cocktails at the Gibson are amazing. Marvin makes a solid burger, but is way too hectic. Rasika is top notch Indian food, skip the tasting menu, gorge yourselves on the palak chaat and the ?sea bass? (some kind of delicious whitefish). Brilliant meal. Pizzeria Paradiso (Georgetown location only) deserves its reputation, and has a stellar beer list. Poste is in a dull part of town, but the food is fantastic and the staff are wonderful.

Founding Farmers is lauded to the stars, and crushes your soul. So overrated it's hard to put into words. Go for the bacon lollipops, and run away, everything else is pedestrian at best.

[theetruscan]

A friend suggested adding 1789 to your must-visit list.

[widmerpool]

What's your favorite chocolate? Looking to try more 70% dark bars. Current favorites:

rogue rio caribe
amedei chuao
amano chuao
amano cuyagua
amano madagascar
michel cluizel noir
coppeneur chuao
galler noir

Also, any beer pairings you've found to work particularly well? Granted, it depends on the chocolate, but I haven't gotten too specific, just been pairing some (the Rogue especially) with Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout. Not a huge fan of spiced chocolates, though I do like an IPA sometimes. Would appreciate any recs, thanks!

I like some of the spiced ones, ginger and lemongrass are good.

Young's Double Chocolate Stout is quite a nice beer, it gives a whiff of chocolate, but tastes like beer and isn't sweet.

[jscl]

thanks theetruscan! i'll report back after the weekend.

[munch]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/19/dining/19pot.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1

[jscl]

ended up going to 1789 for dinner this past weekend in DC and it was great. thanks for the recommendation theetruscan everything was really rich, tasty. portions are a bit small, but i guess that way we were able to try more things. we got the pear salad, roasted quail, veal cutlet, leg of lamb, and ricotta cheesecake for desert. veal cutlet was moist with a nice crust, leg was super tender. cheesecake was nice and light which was great considering how stuffed i was at the end. we enjoyed the restaurant setting, jackets required but not really a stuffy uptight restaurant.

i just got news that i'm off to chicago next month... any restaurant recommendations? alinea obviously, but they're certainly booked. wish i knew of my trip earlier in advance! which restaurant is 2nd to alinea? avenues?

[theetruscan]

Chicago has an embarrassment of riches.

Obviously there are many molecular gastronomy places, but that wouldn't be where I go.

Schwa is amazing, if you can get a reservation.

Trotters is what all of my friends remember as the winner, even after alinea and the rest.

Graham Elliot is fucking delicious. I would kill for that food.

I never get bored of the publican.

Longman & eagle is a fantastic brunch, though I think they are overrated for dinner.

Next is obviously the new hotness, but who knows if it is worth it?

Aviary may finally displace the violet hour for drinks.