648509 Sat Aug 29 16:29:17 -0700 2009 7 14 Washington DC & Baltimore Area 0 4989153 My husband and I really loved a restaurant in Reading, PA (now closed) called Joe's. Joe's specialty was mushrooms, and every dish (except dessert) had some sort of mushroom in it. (the wine list was really nice too) Does anyone know of a similar place in the area? Joe's has been closed for years, but my husband still speaks so fondly of it. It would be fun to find a restaurant focusing on mushroom dishes for our upcoming anniversary. Thanks! Sat Aug 29 16:29:18 -0700 2009 288247 ivysmom 1 4994365 Not precisely what you are looking for but in early August I had dinner at Corduroy and had as my entree seared scallops on little beds of mashed potatoes served with the most amazing mushroom gravy. The gravy made the dish. I know Corduroy's menu changes pretty regularly but that might be someplace to look. Mon Aug 31 17:50:47 -0700 2009 4989153 27186 milocat 2 4995051 Euro Bistro in Herndon also has a couple of dishes with prominent mushroom gravies. The mushrooms are sizeable and make the dish. The jaegerschnitzle is one of them. There's another dish that is my regular dish there, but the web site is woefully bad and the lunch specials page isn't coming up (which is where I think the dish is listed). Tue Sep 01 03:56:11 -0700 2009 4994365 11368 Dennis S 2 5002186 This is a signature dish of theirs. Thu Sep 03 09:44:42 -0700 2009 4994365 18011 Jacey 1 4994445 While not mushroom-centric, the Liberty Tavern in Arlington seems to have some interesting selections. Trumpet and meadow mushrooms in dishes, things of that sort. Mon Aug 31 18:25:09 -0700 2009 4989153 1084729 overlander 1 4995091 Years ago, my husband and I made a trip to San Francisco. We wanted to re-create a meal we had eaten at The Blue Fox restaurant during a still-earlier San Francisco visit. We contacted the restaurant and explained our hopes. Management graciously dug into the restaurant's archives to prepare the signature lobster dish from the 60s or 70s. Perhaps your best strategy would be to make advance contact with a restaurant you enjoy -- a restaurant whose style of cooking seems conducive to mushroom cooking -- and explain your hopes to the chef/owner/maitre d'. If you don't have any likely candidates to contact, here are some recommendations: For a classic French menu, contact L'Auberge Chez Francois. For a restaurant that offers both classic and contemporary French cuisine, I suggest Marcel's. For a more modern menu, I suggest you contact 2941 or Inox. Aside from the mushroom issue, all are worthy anniversary candidates. Incidentally, my husband and I just came home from a trip to Santa Fe where we ate a pasta dish with mushrooms that was beyond amazing. It consisted of chittara (square-cut pasta) with sauteed mushrooms, arugula, and quail pancetta. I'm going to be on a campaign to get a local Italian restaurant to re-create this dish when we work off the calories from our trip!! Tue Sep 01 04:44:10 -0700 2009 4989153 61567 Indy 67 2 4997331 I like your idea of talking to a trusted chef, Indy. I especially like the sound of that pasta dish, wonder if regular (high quality) pancetta would work if I tried to make it at home? Hmm. Some years ago. Michael Wagner was the chef at a local Italian restaurant (Piccolo's) in Columbia and he taught occasional cooking classes. One was on mushroom cooking and he drove up to Kennett Square and bought a huge box of mushrooms - every single type he could find. Amazing. We had a blast learning how to cook with them. I've lost track of where he's working now. Tue Sep 01 16:54:10 -0700 2009 4995091 288247 ivysmom 3 5001514 Googling, it would appear that after Piccolo, he was at Aida in Columbia, and then went to Planet Hollywood (?) in Baltimore, and is now teaching at Baltimore International College: http://bic.edu/displayUnderGradFacultyBio.asp?Page=WAGNER Thu Sep 03 06:30:37 -0700 2009 4997331 18943 sweth