Opening Day, Washington Nationals
My mom’s company has Nats season tickets. I’ve been fortunate enough to go to the Nats’ home opener the past couple years. I went to the DC opener in ’08, and was at RFK before that. Growing up, my dad and I were Orioles fans. My dad grew up a Reds fan, so the Orioles were mostly a product of proximity and convenience. I miss Camden Yards and Boog’s BBQ, but love the new Nats Park. You don’t even have to like baseball to have a good time (which makes season tickets a good buy for a company), but if you do, the seats are perfect for watching the game. If you weren’t out there with us having a half smoke all the way and a bud, get out there before its too late.
On the way in we got a free hat, a beer, and some nachos.
Then it was time for some baseball. The first pitch (a strike):
The president’s race:
Teddy was cheezin after the win. I couldn’t leave without the first dog of the season. An ice cold beer and a hot dog with mustard and onion is my idea of how baseball is supposed to taste. I also stole a few bites of my wife’s pretzel.
It wasn’t the coldest opening day I’ve been to by a long shot, and it was definitely a great day at the ball park.
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Paul Garmirian, McLean Cigars, Four Roses single barrel
I was in McLean for a doctor’s appointment today. I had a physical and a fitness assessment that both went well, so what better way to celebrate than with some brown sauce and a cigar (full disclosure, my celebration also included a cheese burger). Since I was in in the neighborhood, I stopped at McLean Cigars. I didn’t think to take a pic, but they have boxes and boxes of aged cigars, as well as younger PG sticks, and a selection of non-PG cigars. I picked a few to take home, and decided to smoke one from the 1995 gourmet especial line. There is an ABC store right across the way, so I grabbed a bottle of Four Roses single barrel.
The PG was quite good. Some of the younger PGs have too much white pepper flavor which I’m not a big fan of. This stick had flashes of white pepper, but it was not a dominant flavor. The gourmet, gourmet II, and artisan selection are all PG lines I’ve enjoyed in the past. I bought a box of the latter for my engagement party. I had a soiree once, and it put me down. It was way too strong for me. Even so, I did enjoy the flavor of the soiree, briefly. There is something special about the PG’s with some age on them. The gourmet especial was particularly enjoyable, and I’m looking forward to the other cigars I picked up today.
Four Roses is one of my favorite bourbons. In terms of price point and drinkability, its a lot like Elmer T Lee. Both are in the $30s, and I often find myself reaching for one or the other. When I was in Africa last year, there was often one of two options available if you wanted some brown (though some places were better stocked than others). There was generally a blended whiskey available, I believe Teachers, and Four Roses. Granted, this was not the single barrel version, but a very decent bottle none the less. I’m not sure why/how Four Roses has Kenya and Tanzania locked up, but similarly perplexingly, I’m not sure how Four Roses isn’t more popular here in the US. Its an excellent value, and close to the top of my extensive list of favorites.
While in my smoking room/office, I checked on the progress of this year’s tobacco crop. I start in a grow closet in the early spring to extend my season and start with strong seedlings. My seeds germinated, and are coming in nicely. I’ll have more posts about the progress of the tobacco, so stay tuned.
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World Cup 2014 Brazil, why you should care, why you should watch
The 2014 World Cup kicks off on Thursday, June 12th. You can watch the hosts, Brazil, play Croatia. For about a month there will be match after match of world class soccer. I have friends that grew up playing soccer, and those that did not. Regardless of your soccer background, not being able to appreciate soccer is unforgivable. Its not a difficult game to understand. Its not hard to see how talented the athletes are. The most common complaint I hear is about the low scoring (in comparison to American sports) nature of the game. I compare it to hockey. The scores are lower, but the goals only count for one, and there is constant action. I love football. But consider that football has 11 minutes of actual playing time. Soccer gives you a full 90 minutes of action. The second most common complaint I hear is that there is not always a clear winner. Let me first say that I do not agree with this statement. Premiership soccer uses a point system, not completely unlike nascar. Wins and ties earn points, losses do not. So when an underdog team holds a better team to a tie, they get a point. This can be viewed as a win in many circumstances. If you don’t know or care about the situation of the two teams, it may appear that an even score equates to an even outcome, even though one team more than likely has made out better than the other. Soccer is the beautiful game. Its unrivaled in its grace and spectacle. If you’re not open minded enough to enjoy it, you’re only cheating yourself.
Let me also sell soccer another way. It is unpatriotic to not support USA in the world cup.
So lets assume I’ve sold you on soccer. How to get started? DVR some matches. Check out the US National Team Soccer schedule and catch some of our games in the lead up to the World Cup. Take a look at fox sports 1, and beinsport for additional games. Go to a MLS game near you. The man who can sit near DC United’s La Barra Brava and not get into it is dead inside.
The US plays our rival Mexico, tonight at 11pm EST on ESPN.
Here is a link to my original plea for y’all to get into soccer.
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Oak Marr Golf, Golf Buddy Voice, Clare and Don’s
I have a golf trip coming up, so every time the weather breaks and work is slow, I try to get out for at least 9. Today, there was a low chance of rain, and temps in the 50s, so I headed to Oak Marr. I actually went to Jefferson first, but it was mobbed. I went to Oak Marr thinking I might just hit the range, but when I arrived, nobody was on the tee box, and the starter said I was free and clear. I payed my $21 bucks, and started my 9. I played pretty poorly, but had fun. I’m pretty sure that this was the first solo round (or half round I suppose) that I’ve ever played. I ran into a pair of older ladies playing a few holes ahead of me, and started playing three balls to pace myself as no one was behind me. I also got to try out my new golf GPS, the golf buddy voice. My dad uses a fully featured GPS, and when I play with him, I often find myself asking him for yardage. Per my skill, I can usually guess close enough, but sometimes I am surprised by the actual distance. The golf buddy interested me because it is very small, affordable, and easy to use. I don’t see myself pulling out a full GPS all the time on a golf course, but the golf buddy is automatic, and yardage is just a glance (I didn’t get a great shot of the screen, but its easily legible) or click (it will read you the yardage) away. Perhaps the best advantage is the size. You can clip it to your belt, hat, or pocket. I’m averaged sized, and it fits in my fingertips (as shown below). So far, I’m impressed.
I got though 9 holes, playing three balls most of the time, in about an hour and a half. Thats a great way to spend a long lunch.
While its nice, y’all should get out to Clare and Don’s. The other night, I had fried pickles, a couple coronas, and some fish tacos. The perfect start to al fresco dining season.
And since I have it handy, heres a pick of an awesome greek salad the wife made the other day:
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Song Que at Eden Center (beginners’ guide to the Eden Center), Dolcezza Gelato, Gibraltar, OHOP
We started the weekend by getting some breakfast at Mike’s Deli. Delicious and filling.
If you live nearby and have not been to the Eden Center, you are really missing out. It is slightly intimidating to the uninitiated, but with a few simple tips, you can find out what all the fuss is about. I wanted to go to Nhu Lan, which was featured in Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, but it was closed. So we went to perhaps the most popular banh mi spot in Eden Center. Song Que is easy to find, as it is outside (the Eden Center has a few mall-like inside areas), and in the main corner under the clock tower. The cashiers generally speak english well, and the sandwiches are numbered. I like the #2 (pork and pork skin). If you get a banh mi, and a bubble tea (all the flavors are good, but I got thai iced tea), you’ve had a great first Eden Center experience.
We went to see a movie at the Angelika, but first stopped at Dolcezza Gelato. We shared some gelato (always particularly good), and I got a gibraltar. If you’re not up on your espresso drinks, a gibraltar is kind of a like a cortado. Essentially, its espresso, hot milk, and no foam. The absence of foam is what differentiates it from a cappuccino. The type of glass in which is is served, its namesake, is what differentiates it form a cortado. Some call it the fools cappuccino, but to me, its just a decent cupa with a hipstery name and following. Not unlike a flat white. At 4.5 oz, its a good size before a movie. We saw the grand budapest hotel, and found it quite enjoyable.
Sunday, the weather was crappy again, canceling my golf plans, and turning this entry into a food-exclusive post. I did nothing this weekend but eat. At least we had some good food. OHOP is about as good as it gets if you want a huge classic breakfast. It doesn’t matter what you order, as long as you get the bacon.
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Sfizi, Falls Church City, Restaurant Week
I’ve been to Sfizi when the service was not great. Today, the service was awesome. We left over 20%. I’ve always found the food to be very good. Tonight, we got the salsicce alla brace (my go-to), and the gnocchi special. The food was excellent, and the wine (half price for restaurant week), was delicious. I hope that the service continues to be as good as it was tonight, and when I go back, I’ll give y’all an update. As it stands, I definitely recommend Sfizi. Except for the insalata frutti del mare, which is better at Argias, I prefer Sfizi overall. Swing by and give it a try.
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Pilin Thai, FCC Restaurant Week
Sweetrice is much closer to our place than Pilin Thai, but during restaurant week, the deal at Pilin Thai cannot be beat. Pilin Thai offers a three course meal for two people for $25 (not per person, total). They also have a half price wine list, essentially house wines. I picked a merlot for $12. So, for $37 dollars, we got three courses each and a bottle of very drinkable wine. Pretty awesome deal. This isn’t my favorite Thai restaurant in the area, but the food is good, and if they say it will be spicy, it will be spicy. If you like Thai, its definitely worth checking out.
As an aside, why don’t American restaurants offer house wine? In Greece, Spain, Italy, etc., you can get an affordable and drinkable carafe of wine at almost any restaurant. There must be some logical reason, but it is beyond me.
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Weekend Catch up, Teddy, Tennyson, “fun” run, painting, El Clasico
I started a new book about TR. I’m not very far in, but enjoying it thus far. I thought about trying to explain why this book is so manly/badass, but which antidote to pick? I suppose when Teddy was shot, diagnosed himself as fine for the time-being, and gave a speech, saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, I don’t know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot; but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose.” Teddy was known to blow through a book a day, so I’ll let y’all know what new books I’m on in two days…
I’m also concurrently reading some Tennyson. If you’re not familiar, he brought us such quotes as:
“Theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die.”
“Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”
“Who are wise in love, love most, say least.”
“I am a part of all that I have met.”
This weekend I also won friend of the year by helping my buddy CW move out for the 2nd weekend in a row, and then painting his old house with him.
We did get compensated with tacos and beer. The former were from cafe rio, and not half bad.
I also did a 5k. I say, “did”, and not, “ran”, because ran would be inaccurate.
The run benefited Bright Beginnings, a charity my wife works with though the Junior League of Washington.
As you can see above, the buds are on the cherry blossom trees. It won’t be long. Also, check out the bathroom break mid-race that runkeeper recorded. Pretty funny. My and my mom’s walking time was 9 minutes worse than last year. Clearly, we were not too worried about our time. My dad, however, tied for third in his age group.
After all was said and done, I rested my body while watching El Clasico.
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First round of the season, Jefferson Golf Falls Church, Office fire
I decided to take advantage of another short break in the winter weather, and get in the first round of spring (the small flowers are proof of spring). The break came on a work day, so I picked a 9 hole course close to the office. Jefferson District Golf is quite convenient to me, so I like to go when I can’t fit in a full round. The course looked pretty good despite being early in the season and overcast. It was fun to get back in the swing of things anyway. As we were nearing the end of the round, all of our phones started going off, and we heard a lot of sirens. Turns out, one of the office buildings our company occupies was on fire. My wife was in the building shown below. Everyone on her floor was fine, but I don’t know anything beyond that. That last pic is from the company’s other office building, via my wife.
The story is developing on FCNP.
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Falls Church City Restaurant Week
http://fcnp.com/falls-church-restaurant-week-2014/
They finally announced the deals for FCC Restaurant week (March 24-30). Just like last year, it looks like the best deal to be had is at Pilin Thai. I went last year, and the amount of food and wine we got for the price was crazy. I’ll definitely be going back to PT this year. Sfizi has 1/2 wine all week. If you haven’t been to the Eden Center yet, several restaurants are participating, so this is a great excuse. Curry Mantra II is offering 20% off. I love this place, so I’ll definitely take advantage of that. I’ll see y’all out in FCC.
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