On Friday night we got together with our friends Steve and Marilyn at Seven Seas in Rockville. One of their all-time favorites, we have been meaning to try it for a while- and it did not disappoint. When Seven Seas opened in 1987, owners Edward and Corinna Shen were eager to change the general perception was that Chinese food consisted mainly of dishes like General Tso’s chicken and spring rolls. The restaurant specializes in authentic seafood dishes and incorporates different regional influences including Cantonese, Taiwanese, Szechuan and Hunan style cuisines in its food.
Edward and Corinna believe in excellent service and hospitality with a personal touch. They take the effort to remember the names (or at least faces) of their regular customers and spend time getting to know them on a personal basis, as demonstrated with their friendship with Steve and Marilyn. Both of them stopped by our table and were very nice. The food and hospitality at Seven Seas really sets them apart from many other Chinese restaurants in the area. If you find yourself in Rockville and craving something delicious, check it out for yourself. (And don’t forget to print out one of the coupons they post on their website)
On Saturday afternoon we joined several of David’s colleagues at Wolf Trap for an afternoon performance of Les Misérables. The only national park devoted to the performing arts, Wolf Trap consists of 117 acres of wooded countryside just outside Washington, DC in Vienna, Virginia. This was my first (and long-overdue) time at Wolf Trap which includes the outdoor main stage, the Filene Center, and The Barns at Wolf Trap where there are performances all year round.
The 6700 seat auditorium includes 2600 covered orchestra seats, 1100 covered balcony seats and 3000 lawn seats. This is not from the performance we went to- but gives you an idea for the beautiful setting. We were waaaay down in the orchestra section.
There are a number of excellent performances, events, and classes offered at Wolf Trap, and patrons are permitted to bring their own food and (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) beverages. So pack up a picnic this fall and get to Wolf Trap!
After watching a wonderful performance and meeting many of David’s new coworkers, spent Saturday evening at a wine dinner at Dino Restaurant in DC. This is another place we have been hearing great things about but had not been able to get to until this weekend.
We sure were thirsty (and hungry), Bring on the goodness!
David and Mike discussing wines (or more likely, food)
As a buyer and coordinator for wine, cheese and specialty foods at Whole Foods in Southern California, our host and restaurant owner Dean Gold built upon his passion for Italy with annual trips where he learned much about their great food. On visits like these, Dean made connections with incredible artisan producers with whom he still has relationships, and their products form the foundation for the menu at Dino. We were lucky for it!
Dean
Everything was delicious! We enjoyed stuffed tomatoes, squash blossoms, paté on crostini, grilled scallops wrapped in pancetta, pasta, sucking pork, a cheese course and a dessert of Peaches with pastry cream & lady fingers. I think David’s favorite was the duck pasta- a sort of a bolognese, the sauce included ground duck, pork & veal with cream & tomato. The whole night was wonderful.
Mike, David and Jace
Of course the real focus of the night were the wines. I might get a few of these wrong, but to accompany all this tasty goodness, we drank:
Non Vintage Weingut Max Ferd. Richter Mülheimer Sonnenlay Riesling Brut (Germany)
1996 Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett (Germany)
2002 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese (Germany)
2001 Dr. H. Thanisch Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling Spätlese (Germany)
1985 Casetta Barolo Vigna Mandorle (Piedmont, Italy)
1997 Feudi di San Gregorio Taurasi Riserva Piano Di Montevergine (Italy)
1998 Château Maucoil Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Rhône, France)
1998 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée (Rhône, France)
2000 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Rhône, France)
2000 Domaine du Galet des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes (Rhône, France)
1990 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Auslese - (Germany)
1996 Château Doisy-Daëne (Bordeaux, France)
2003 Falesco Pomele Umbria IGT (Italy)
the damage
On Sunday morning we felt the need to work off some of that dinner, so we put on our hiking shoes and headed to Great Falls. The Billy Goat Trail on the Maryland side of the park is a 4.7 miles hiking trail that follows a path between the C&O Canal and the Potomac River.
The trail has three sections, Section A is 1.7 miles Section B is 1.4 miles and Section C is 1.6 miles. Section A is by far the most popular of the three and the only part we did on Sunday. It follows the Potomac river along the scenic Mather Gorge. We had a nice afternoon outdoors and felt much better about overeating the night before.
With a pit-stop at Sears to get a new car battery for David, we watched No Country for Old Men and relaxed at home the rest of the day. That evening we got a call from Monty and Melissa asking if we were interested in joining them (and baby Asher) for a hike at Sugarloaf Mountain. Another place we’ve been meaning to visit, Sugarloaf is a relatively low mountain (approximately 800 feet high) in Maryland, and is an admission-free privately-owned scenic park. So we got a good night’s rest and put back on our hiking shoes for a day at Sugarloaf.
We hiked, we took pictures, caught up with each other, saw a little nature- it was a great day.
Jag, Monty and Asher consult the trail map
On our way home from the hike we stopped for lunch and came across the City of Gaithersburg’s 70th Annual Labor Day Parade. Participants in this year’s parade included the Maryland Nighthawks Basketball team, Bolivian and Salvadorian dancers, the Tai Yim lion dancers, African drummers, and an assortment of fire engines, veterans groups, high school marching bands, horses and clowns.
Peruvian Dancers
there were all kinds of folks in this parade!
After returning home and changing, we went to Becky and Aaron’s place for sushi, drinks and the boys’ Fantasy Football draft.
What a great weekend! We saw friends and family, ate wonderful food, drank phenomenal wines, hiked a bit, caught up on sleep and did it all within 30 miles of home!
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