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Dave and the Drag Queens

Dave and the Drag Queens
Bread - The Staff of Life

Sunday, May 8, 2016

Mother's Day - A Great Day with my Honey and A Wonderful Memory of a Mother's Day Past

SBCP and I spent a great day together today for Mother’s Day. She has been working really hard studying for her classes and getting ready for her Graduation and the VA. State Exam. Which she is taking next week. SBCP spent the day taking and re-taking practice tests on-line. I made her the Mother of the Bloody Marys’ in a 27 ounce mixing glass garnished with 2 U-16 Shrimp, celery and speared olives. Over 20 years of tending bar I have made a few Bloody Mary’s in my day. Sunday afternoon at the Blackwater Inn I would burn through 2- 3 gallons of BM Mix. It was homemade of course. And it was not for the timid palette. My man Big Tom was responsible for consumption of at least a gallon every Sunday. He would “troll” the Boulevard and was usually successful. But that’s a whole other Blog Post. I may explain someday. It the interim –I offer Blackwater Inns’ Sunday Bloody Mary Mix- circa 1992. Makes enough mix for 10 – 10 ounce Bloody Marys’ or enough to get Big Tom to noon- thirty (maybe)

  • 2 46 oz. cans Sacramento Tomato Juice
  • 8 Tbsp. prepared horse radish
  • 4 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 30 hits of Worcestershire sauce
  • 30 hits of Franks Hot Sauce- Tabasco or your choice of hot sauce
  • Celery salt – to taste
  • S & P - to taste
  • Make mix up to 24 hours prior
  • 3-4 ounces of good vodka per 4-6 ounces of mix.
  • Mix well- shaken or stirred.
  • Serve with marinated olives, a celery stalk and a couple of shrimp- perched
  • Garnish glass with lemon and lime slices
The Mother of all Bloody Marys'  -
Now todays Mothers ‘Day was awesome....

I made Shrimp Cocktail – my honey’s favorite. 2 beautiful Rib eye steaks with sautéed mushroom and onions.

 


  However I think back to a previous MD posting. SBCP was not home most likely scooping up the grand babies.



It was Mother’s Day 2010. Our neighbor Marilyn and I were both going to be alone so we planned to spend the day together. Church- Lunch-and conversation. I offer you all a flash-back to MD posting May 10 2010. A truly memorable day. Good food- great conversation – unforgettable stories and unconditional love and respect from what would normally two strangers brought together by chance and circumstance.

Reposted - FROM MAY 10 2010-

I spoke through proxy to the infamous UD yesterday and he was eagerly waiting and salivating for the next TFN entry. I explained I had no real fodder for the blog. No great meals, no blockbuster recipes, no great restaurant reviews( another mental block mis- spelling spell, Imagine a guy in the food service industry for 17 plus years that can't spell restaurant ) . UD says Blog about Marilyn's cookbook. (Which will come in a later issue. So then I sit down and begin to ponder the crux of the meal itself. Not the content, not the venue, not the cost, or the dessert but the concept of the meal itself. The conversation, the camaraderie (which I can spell), the ritual of breaking bread. The ability to be at rest with those you care about and take in nourishment. A life sustaining effort, both on a physical and emotional plane. I mention this because I had a wonderful meal with my 70+ year old neighbor, Marilyn yesterday. It was Mother's Day, and we were both home alone. My Mom has been gone for a great while and Marilyn's daughter is far away. So it was a healing and bonding surrogate experience for both of us. I was originally scheduled to take her to dinner after we went to church together on Saturday night. But a surprise visit from my man LUMPY for volunteer car repair ran into the evening hours and I had to cancel. So I get up Sunday morning and call her… she says “I have some really nice hamburger meat, how about we just eat here" Now let me explain Marilyn. She was born the oldest of 14, in Colby Wisconsin. A farm girl who could drive the tractor, or birth a calf, or bake a wonderful loaf of bread from scratch. She has described a great visual of her Dad hanging onto the side of the tractor loaded with too much hay to offset the load from spilling over her dad hangs onto one side saying " Go Blondie Go… whatever happens don' t stop." Marilyn is also a smart business woman and a true spiritual soul. We feel blessed to count Marilyn as part of our family. We realized last year that fate and divine intervention had put us across from Marilyn and Jim to nurture both families. I would be remiss to mention that Jim is no longer with us and plants a huge void in our hearts every day. However during lunch the front door closed by itself as it grew a little colder which I attributed to Jim watching over us. So Marilyn and I have a great Mother's Day Bruncheon (my word). Fresh cooked hand formed burgers on the grill - 93/7 ground beef, some potato salad, beans, and a great salad with blueberries. Now the highlight of the meal was the conversation. Marilyn told some stories about business, camping, traveling and family that took us in all different directions. I countered with comparable anecdotes. We recognized some very similar tales that made me realize we experienced some shared circumstances. Useless purchases of unused trailers and campers that although well intentioned were bad decisions.

Marilyn had a great memory of renting a camper and driving to Wisconsin to see her family. (Because Jim always had to make an entrance) They rent the RV from a guy in Gainesville, they pick it up in a field behind a house where there are other campers. They pay the guy a couple thousand dollars cash, and he says drop it off here when you are done, and I will check it out and get back to you if there are any issues. They have Marilyn's daughter, her husband and two grand kids with them. They drive the camper without incident to Wisconsin. Jim makes his entrance and they head back home. On the way back the RV develops an equipment issue. They stop at an RV dealer in Minneapolis to get the part installed and make their way home. They make it back to Virginia in one piece and launch the grandkids home. The RV gets dropped off and they recommend this RV rental guy to a friend a few months later. They get a call from the Virginia State Police and are informed the Winnebago they drove to Wisconsin was stolen. The catch is the unit was stolen from the same dealer in Minnesota that they stopped at to get the part fixed. The whole family could have landed in a Minnesota jail if the dealer ran the VIN number. A great story on all levels. Shared over an impromptu meal shared by two souls brought together by fate or luck or serendipity. (Look it up). So no major recipes or big food revelations. But just an opportunity to speak to the human nature, spirituality and bonding of the MEAL . A MEAL…. the breaking of bread, the staff of life which keeps us grounded to the importance of the little things. I spoke to Marilyn about the publishing of this blog, and asked if she was ok with it. I thanked her for the company, and the meal. Marilyn says “spending time with you was like being with the son that I never had". I tell Marilyn “you are like the Mom that I no longer have “ The MEAL ….. Sometimes - it's not about the food. I thank you all for your support. My heart is with all of you.

Thanks for the attention- please don’t lose interest. I will keep you well fed.

Marilyn has since moved to be closer to her daughter in Pasadena Ca. We miss her every day. However a great young family has moved into her home, I love to hear the kid’s laughter echoing throughout the neighborhood.

I would like to pay tribute to all of the Mothers out there. It’s a full time – underpaid – under – appreciated job. You all shape the future – please keep it up!


For Rita – I love you Mom~TFN

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Osteria Nino - Staffords Loss Shirlingtons Gain




 
First I must apologize for a much too extended sabbatical from the TFN blog. Sometimes life gets in the way of life and you lose track of what you enjoy and what is truly important to you. So I will try to post at least every few weeks and keep you all abreast of my adventures and my tastings.
In spite of a lack of timely postings the blog still has more than 6000 views.
 

SBCP and I recently had the opportunity to drive to Alexandria on a Sunday. Aside from I95 it was a pleasant trip and did not take 6 hours. (Which is possible in Northern Virginia on a weekend.) We were checking the travel time and route for a state test for which she was registered. We wanted to be sure the path was familiar. I had in the back of my mind to have dinner at Osteria Da Nino Cucina Italiana & Bar. Nino’s was located in Shirlington and the work home of some good friends and wonderful people. Niño Pino was the former host and part owner of Zibibbo73 in Stafford. A location I was fortunate to have worked at for a couple of years when they first opened. In the restaurant business you say “ I helped open so and so with whosit back in the day” Which means you worked at a place when they first opened. The first few months in the restaurant business are the roughest. So that statement is like a rite of passage. Working out the kinks in a restaurant is like being reborn daily. You never know what will happen on any given day.

When Nino left Zibibbo73 he took some good friends and servers from Stafford and opened Osteria Nino. The space is modern and beautiful and the tables are spaced so generously that you experience an unmistakable intimacy in a huge space.

Nino is the consummate host. He has a way with the clientele that makes you feel welcome and at home. He greeted us with warm hugs and gratitude. He was truly happy to see us! We spent many minutes talking and checking out the layout of the property. Our good friend and favorite server Christin had not arrived for work yet and Nino sat us at the best table in the house. A four-top at the window corner. Our server was smiley and well-spoken and described the specials to a tee. While we ate a regular customer called and asked for his special table (our table) and Nino apologetically explained that there were guests already seated at that table. 


We opted for the mussels’ appetizer in white wine.  Nino approached and recommended some salumi e fromaggi. A small plate of cured sausage and cheeses. That anti pasta was delivered immediately. A wonderful mix of soppressatta, pistachio cheese, olives and fig jam. The mussels were fresh and sweet and tender. Huge thin slices of garlic were reminiscent of the final minutes of the prison scene from the movie Goodfellas. Where Pauli would slice the garlic thin with a razor so it melted in the pan with just a little oil. I offer a link to that memorable scene. -  

Garlic with a razor    

SBCP ordered the Salmone e Puntarelli - Wild harvested salmon, gigandes beans, salmoriglio, kale, & tomato comfit.

My wife stated that the salmon was perfect. The skin removed and cooked perfectly. The beans were I thought butter beans, plump and delicious. And of course the kale was kale so she was happy.  

I enjoyed the Filletto di Branzino - Fregola, orange, fennel, asparagus, castelvetrano olives, & Sicilian salmoriglio, The filet was a whole fish, which was awesome. The Fregola was a pearl pasta reminiscent of Israeli Cous Cous. Plump and buttery and with a wonderful mouth feel.  

The entrees -


         

  

The entrées were spectacular. The service was attentive but not overwhelming. Christen arrived and more hugs and warm feelings were abundant. Nino and his staff were phenomenal.

We arrived early and were thankful for that. As we finished the restaurant began to fill up with their regular Sunday business.   

We felt blessed to have an awesome meal hosted by familiar friends and to have the ability to make new friends.

 

Osteria Da Nino Cucina Italiana & Bar a true gem tucked away in Shirlington VA. Great hosting, warm hospitality and wonderful food.

A link to their website - Osteriadaninova.

    

Thank you Nino for a great evening!
 
Nino and I -
 

 

TFN