Tommy Thai

Tommy Thai serves what’s known as Thai fusion, explaining on its website, “Our intent is to marry traditional Thai dishes with common American flavors to create new cuisine that fine diners everywhere can appreciate.” The restaurant offers a wide variety of choices on its menu, including appetizers, soups and salads, grilled entrées, noodles and fried rice, curry dishes, and vegetarian entrées. FW&D ordered a mix of these different choices, and certainly appreciated each of them as promised.
For starters, FW&D tasted some popular Asian appetizers, Spring Rolls and Chicken Satay. The Spring Rolls were stuffed with cellophane noodles, cabbage, carrot, celery, and mushroom, and were served piping hot and fresh with a sweet dipping sauce. The Chicken Satay, served with a peanut sauce, was also sweet but not overly so.

Spring Roll Appetizer

Chicken Satay

In looking around at the other diners, FW&D noticed that many people ordered the whole fish, so we asked the waitresses to bring us one to experience for ourselves. The dish was Crispy Flounder, offered with a choice of chili and garlic sauce or triple flavor: sweet, spicy, and sour sauce. We chose the chili and garlic. The fish arrived as an impressive display that took up the entire plate, leaving no room for the accompanying sides of rice and broccoli. Equally impressive was the sauce, served “family style” in a large vessel. The servers recommended either dipping the fish, pouring some on individual plates, or pouring the entire contents directly over the fish. Since the sauce was very spicy, we chose to dip it or pour it on our individual plates to allow each of us to control the level of heat. The servers said the level of spice could have been adjusted during the cooking process if requested. The beautiful whole fish was indeed very crispy, which some found enjoyable while others remarked that they would have liked the fish to be a little moister. But overall, FW&D decided this was the best and tastiest dish of the night.

Fried Flounder

A close second favorite was truly a fusion dish called Bangkok Jambalaya, a unique combination of Cajun and Thai flavors. The dish consisted of shrimp, chicken, and sausage with onion, bell pepper, garlic, and tomato and fresh basil in a Cajun cream sauce with hint of Thai red curry, served over penne pasta. The sauce was deliciously seasoned and complex—spicy, but not overly hot. Even those of us who don’t normally like spicy food enjoyed the dish because it was so rich with flavor. The basil really accented the Thai twist on this traditionally Cajun dish.

Bangkok Jambalaya

Next up was the Cashew Chicken, a more traditional Asian dish with sautéed roasted cashew nuts, garlic, and scallions in a light soy sauce and served with rice. This tasty dish would have stood out on its own, but compared to bold flavors of the other dishes, it seemed a bit mild in comparison. Yet it was definitely enjoyable—in particular the sauce had a nice, slightly sweet taste.

Cashew Chicken

The final dish we sampled was Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice with shrimp, pineapple, bell pepper, dried cranberry, curry powder, and garlic stir-fried with rice and egg. The dish was very hearty but not too heavy. The rice seemed almost delicate, lending the dish a light, fluffy texture. While fried rice tends to be a traditional dish, this version offered a couple of new twists, including delicious sautéed pineapple and dried cranberries, which gave it an unexpected and different quality. The pineapple could have made the dish too sweet, but it was well balanced and nicely seasoned.

Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice

All in all, FW&D enjoyed and would recommend Tommy Thai. The portion sizes were just right, and we nearly finished off all the dishes, leaving no room (unfortunately) to taste the desserts. The service was appropriately quick and the servers were pleasant, adding to the overall experience. If you enjoy well-prepared Thai food and fusion food that blends tastes from a variety of cultures, Tommy Thai is a good place to try.

In celebration of our 10th year anniversary, later this week, FW&D will announce a special promotion which will last only 10 days exclusively for our newsletter subscribers.  You must be subscribed if you want to know details about this promotion.  If you are not yet receiving our newsletter, you have until 3 pm EST Thursday April 26^th to sign up.  Subscribe now by clicking HERE.  Also, you may want to let your friends and neighbor know.

On Thursday April 26, 2012, we will send out our e-newsletter which will contain all the details about this special anniversary promotion.

Sign up today

Here is a porch in Springfield, VA which we recently finished.  It was a 2 day project and it completely transformed the porch by simply adding a decorative handrail, 5 timer controlled recessed lights for security purposes .  We can do this and much more with your porch so call FW&D today for an appointment and a free estimate! 703-933-8900

Porch rail install in progress

Porch rail install in progress

Porch rail complete

Front of home with new porch rail

Porch rail completed

FW&D announces a new style in sliding patio doors. Alside, a leading manufacturer of windows, introduces the Promenade™ French-Style Sliding Patio Door. The new premium patio door is designed to function flawlessly, protecting homes from inclement weather and reducing energy loss without taking up the space of traditional in-swing French doors. The patio doors also allow an abundance of natural sunlight into the home – what many homeowners desire when choosing a patio door.

French Style Siding Door

“French-style doors are a popular design choice for many consumers,” said Robert Schindler, senior vice president of marketing for Associated Materials, Inc., Alside’s parent company. “The challenge is that they require a considerable amount of space to operate. With this new patio door design, Alside has made it easy for homeowners to capture that same elegant appearance in a space-saving sliding door design.”

The doors’ 5″ top, 7″ bottom and 3″ side rails feature mortised joints that help to achieve the traditional “French door” character and charm. For easy, quiet operation of the door panel, these patio doors are developed with a steel tandem roller system with nylon-encased steel wheels. Promenade patio doors require little maintenance; will never need painting; and are made with premium vinyl that won’t chip, peel, crack or warp.

Designed with energy efficiency in mind, dual internal and external weatherstripping on the patio doors provide improved energy-efficiency performance. Alside also offers ENERGY STAR® qualified ClimaTech® insulated glass package options that help reduce the transfer of heat and cold, leading to improved energy savings year round.

Promenade French-Style Sliding Patio Doors are available in 2-, 3- or 4-panel configurations. Homeowners can choose from a white or beige door and a collection of decorative glass options. For added visual appeal, cut or polished V-grooved glass patterns and six elegant handle styles also are available.

For additional information on Promenade French-Style Sliding Patio Doors or other Alside products, please contact FW&D or visit www.alside.com.

FW&D Review of Ramparts Tavern & Grill, Alexandria, VA

After a brief hiatus, FW&D is excited to resume its monthly restaurant reviews! This month, FW&D visited Ramparts Tavern & Grill, a favorite of Alexandria and Arlington locals for over 30 years. Walking in the door, you sense that Ramparts is the kind of place where “everyone knows your name.” While Ramparts has been around practically forever, it was sold about 3 years ago and is now under new management.

Outside look of the restaurant

Food Selection and more

Part restaurant and part sports bar, Ramparts is divided into two distinct areas. In the restaurant, warm colors, dark wooden beams, and interesting art on the wall lend a casual yet inviting atmosphere. A bar along the back is highlighted by a brick red accent wall with shelves to the ceiling containing backlit bottles of wine. The effect is quite beautiful. A sign near the bar says “Food & Friends,” which sums up what Ramparts is all about. On the sports bar side, you’ll find 21 HD flat screens, live music Wednesday to Saturday, and trivia nights. A large private room offers rental space for parties and events.  Ramparts has something for everyone!

The restaurant features daily lunch, dinner, and happy hour specials; a kid’s menu; special events like wine pairing dinners; and an extensive beer and wine list (more than 80 of each!) from all over the world. Each day, the menu has a special theme. Monday features half price burgers, Tuesday is “Super Supper,” Wednesday has 45 cent wings, Thursday is ribs night, Friday features steak specials, Saturday offers half off bottles of wine, and Sunday showcases comfort food.

The menu reveals an elegance and sophistication, courtesy of Chef Jermaine Keys. While relatively new to the restaurant world and to Ramparts, Chef Keys has a vision and expertise that he seems born with. Chef Keys stepped out of his busy kitchen for a few minutes to talk with FW&D, and told us that he grew up inspired by the wonderful food his mom and grandmother prepared. However, he never cooked with them, he always preferred to do his own thing and come up with his own creations. And luckily, at Ramparts he is encouraged to do just that. He makes two to three specials each day in addition to the extensive regular menu. His cooking boasts a Southern flair, as his family was originally from North Carolina. For Chef Keys, cooking is not just a job. He loves what he does, and that comes through in his food.

To get a true sense of the menu, FW&D headed back to Ramparts 3 times over the course of a week to sample several of its nightly specials. Needless to say, the waiters and staff got to know our name, and were very friendly and helpful.

Monday Night, Half Price Burgers

Due to the popularity of half price burger night, FW&D arrived late to avoid the crowds, around 7:45 pm. However, the place was still packed, with a 15–20 minute wait. There was not even a seat at the bar. The room had a smoky haze from the constant firing up of the grill. The special burger menu had over a dozen choices, with 8 oz Certified Angus burgers as the norm. We ordered the MexiCali burger and Healthy Turkey burgers and complemented with a glass of Dynamite Cabernet Sauvignon wine.

Turkey Burger Mexicali Burger

The MexiCali burger was blackened and topped with pico de gallo, guacamole, roasted red bell peppers, and sautéed onion. When the burger arrived at the table, it was a colorful spectacle to behold. Ordered medium rare, the burger was cooked perfectly. The seasonings on top didn’t overpower the juicy goodness of the burger, and the kick of the pico de gallo added a spicy touch. The selected side for this burger was fries, which were cut thick with the skin on.

Mexicali Burger

The Healthy Turkey burger was enhanced by the flavorful and satisfying toppings of avocado, roasted red bell pepper, and sautéed onion. While onion can be overpowering, this was sliced thinly and allowed to caramelize to bring out a sweet flavor and delicate texture. Both burgers were served on a Brioche roll that was strong enough to hold up to the big burgers, but not too much bread. The side for the turkey burger was baked beans, which had green peppers and onion, and a nice sweet-smoky flavor. FW&D didn’t leave the restaurant until after 9 pm, and the place was still packed.

Tuesday “Super Supper”

On Tuesday night, FW&D returned for “Super Supper,” where the chef prepares 5 meat/fish choices—you choose one, but get all 5 sides. It was indeed super! In addition, the menu featured an appetizer special and another fish special.

Super Supper

We started with the appetizer special, the Thai Chili Sizzling’ Shrimp. Boy, did it live up to its name! The dish featured Tiger shrimp with roasted red pepper, grilled onions, cabbage, tomatoes, and chick peas in a Thai chili sauce that was a beautiful glaze over all the ingredients. It arrived piping hot, literally sizzling on an iron skillet. Smoke from the skillet rose for the next few minutes, making it hard to take a photo! The sauce was definitely the star here, very spicy yet with enough sweet to balance and keep it from being too much.

Thai Chili Sizzling’ Shrimp

For the entrees, we sampled grilled swordfish with maple orange glaze and the Corvina with tomato basil cream sauce. The swordfish was cooked perfectly and was a generous portion. Again, the glaze was the star of the dish. The maple orange sounded like it might be too sweet, but again it was perfectly balanced and the glaze shone through every bite. The 5 sides were crab-stuffed cornbread muffins, roasted veggies with smoked bacon, Cajun shrimp fried rice, corn pudding, and baked beans. The cornbread muffins were more savory than sweet, and the crabmeat gave them a nice hearty texture. The veggies were delicious and made you feel virtuous until you remembered they were cooked with bacon. The Cajun shrimp fried rice had a nice authentic flavor to it, with a little spicy kick. But the winning side of the evening was the corn pudding. It was sweet and had a creamy, almost silky, texture. We would have been happy with a plateful!

Grilled swordfish with maple orange glaze

The Corvina, a mild white fish, was lightly breaded then pan seared and served over a sauté of pappardelle pasta with capers, roasted red bell peppers, crab meat, artichoke, and tomatoes. Reading all the ingredients, we worried that the dish would be too heavy, yet it was prepared with a remarkably delicate touch. All the ingredients worked well together. The capers gave an unexpected tang, and the tomato basil cream sauce had a slight kick that kept the dish from being too mild.

Corvina with tomato basil cream sauce

Thursday, Ribs Night

Thursday night was our final sampling at Ramparts. Chef Keys takes his time preparing the ribs, and they are some of the best that FW&D has tasted in the area. The chef’s secret is roasting them with herbs, brown sugar, and olive oil for 3–4 hours, then grilling them. For the special, you get your choice of 7 sauces/rubs, and 2 sides. We chose a half rack with the Carolina BBQ sauce, and a half rack with the ginger chili dry rub. The BBQ meat was so tender, it literally fell right off the bone. The vinegar-based Carolina BBQ sauce was tangy and little sweet. The ginger chili rub was delicious and spicy, and luckily the ginger did not overpower it. FW&D commented that we would buy that rub if Chef Keys sold it, it was that good! For sides, we selected potato salad and fried okra. The potato salad contained large chunks of redskin potatoes with the skin on, topped with a creamy sauce flavored with scallions and bacon. We chose the okra because when do you ever see okra on a menu? It had a pleasant soft texture, and thankfully it was not “slimy” as okra is known to be.

Ribs

In addition to the ribs, there were two other specials on the menu, and FW&D also sampled the fried chicken with cornbread stuffing, topped with brown gravy and finished with a side of sautéed spinach with grilled onions and smoked bacon. Talk about Southern comfort food at its best! The batter coating had a nice flavor and was provided just the right amount of crispiness. Inside, the chicken was cooked to perfection:  tender, juicy, and moist. The cornbread stuffing was nice and dense, and it contained shredded chunks of chicken to add to the texture.

Fried chicken with cornbread stuffing

Overall, FW&D was thrilled with our experiences at Ramparts and now considers Ramparts one of our local favorites. We would recommend it for many different occasions. It can be the perfect spot for a drink while watching the game, a girl’s night out, date night, family gathering, or a private party. If you are looking for “upscale comfort food” expertly and lovingly prepared, Ramparts is an excellent choice. FW&D looks forward to returning soon!

Good to the bone!

Remember how clear the view was when FW&D installed your new windows. And now after a few years of not always getting them washed at Spring cleaning or the Fall cleaning, because we’re busy doing the things we enjoy in life, the windows are showing signs, especially when the sun hits them, of dirt and streaks.

Let sunshine back into your life!

I recently met Steve Mields of Blue Sky and used his service to clean the windows and doors in my Fairlington townhouse. Not only did he clean the glass on the inside and outside, he cleaned the frames and then pulled out all of the screens and dusted them off with a brush.

Let the sunshine back in your life

Thorough window cleaning job

Complete window cleaning

I only recommend the services of people I like and trust and Steve of Blue Sky did an outstanding job with a task that I dread doing every year. Now the natural light once again gleams in my home.

A really clean window

If you would like to have your windows glisten once again you can contact Blue Sky at 571-721-8331 or email Steve at shmields@aol.com. As a reminder, during your Spring cleaning you find that there’s something in your home you would like to fix or change, call FW&D for a free estimate today.

Watch the video HERE