“You just can’t get barbecue up here like you can down there,” I used to tell all my friends back home in North Carolina. That was before I met Willard’s. Way, way the hell out there in the suburbs near Dulles, Willard’s BBQ is what happens when Lexington, North Carolina transports itself right to Virginia. And for a Carolina Girl, that means Willard’s tastes just like home.

Ya’ll, they’ve got the pulled pork. They have the ribs, the brisket, the chicken, the catfish. Everything you’ve been craving, Willard’s has it all. And lord, is it done right.

When you roll up to Willard’s, you’ll be in a weird little strip mall. Right near a Hooter’s, and a lazer tag place, Willard’s is nothing special looking, and you certainly wouldn’t expect such big taste out of such a small place. But you’d be mistaken.

I was first pointed to Willard’s by Naomi of the DC-based style blog Rockstar Diaries, who called Willard’s her favorite BBQ. It just happened to be out near my boyfriend’s place in Herndon, so we decided to drop on by. It was, in all likelihood, the most valuable food recommendation I’ve gotten in years.

You stroll on up, order your meat choice (they’ve got Kansas, NC, Texas, Jerk, all the BBQ styles you could want), and then pick your fixins. You can get a platter, you can get a sandwich, you can get to-go tubs. They’ve got it all. I highly recommend the NC pulled pork (mm, vinegar) with mashed potatoes and collard greens. The platters come with cornbread. I wouldn’t go out of my way for the cornbread, but the BF feels differently. I just think it takes up valuable BBQ real estate in my stomach.

Then grab yourself your food, get some of their sweet tea (this experience would not be complete without it) and enjoy.

I’d recommend a pilgrimage to Willard’s to be paired with some other suburban activity. I’d suggest a hike at Great Falls, shopping at Reston Town Center, a visit to the Dulles part of the air and space museum, or an afternoon petting and feeding the baby animals at Reston Zoo.

But really, it’s probably worth the drive all on it’s own.

Willards BBQ is located in Chantilly, Virginia, at 4300 Chantilly Shopping Center
Unit #1A. It’s Metro-inaccessible, and I’d guess that it’s pretty bus-challenged as well. For those of you car-less, this is probably a time to investigate Zip Car.

It’s Friday. You ain’t got no job, and you ain’t got anthing to do but go find a food truck. Or maybe you do have a job. Either way, you should find a food truck. GO!

Find yourself a food truck for your happy lunchytimes.

It’s lunchtime, people! Get yourself outside and take a well-deserved break in the sunshine.

Could you feel it? As the clocks turned back on Sunday, little whispers of spring. I soaked up the sun, as did a lot of our photographers. Read on for a glimpse into this past weekend in DC.

‘Pleasure Binge Before Lent’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’

‘(069/365)’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’

‘Starry Starry Night’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’

‘Six Wild Irish Women’
courtesy of ‘tedeytan’

‘TR Island Muddy Trail’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

‘Dixie Liquors’
courtesy of ‘@jbtaylor’

‘illuminated cherry blossom’
courtesy of ‘martha_jean’

‘Heart Shaped Egg’
courtesy of ‘[F]oxymoron’

‘awaiting spring colors’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99′

It’s Friday. The Lean Cuisine won’t cut it. Get yourself some food truck action.

It’s Thursday. You know you want a little bahn mi from Sauca or a piece of pizza from DC slices! You know you do.

Don’t you deserve lunch from a food truck today? Of course you do. Read on for where they are….

LUNCHYTIMES FOR YOU!

Get your nom on.

To kick off the new year, we asked some of the most prominent folks in DC’s food and drink scene for their outlook on what will be big in 2011. We reached out to chefs, owners, bloggers, barkeeps, restaurant PR folks and more – all of them gave wise predictions on what will be big in the new year. Here’s what they had to say.

“With the population of DC crossing 600,000 in the latest census, you will see a lot more small, interesting restaurants. Bistros opening in the up and coming neighborhoods.” – Ashok Bajaj, Restaurateur (Bombay Club, Oval Room, Rasika, etc.)

“I predict more and more hip cocktail spots as people start seeking niche bars that feature house specialties rather than having the same old familiar line up…I also think many more smaller niche restaurants with more creative international decor…DCites are starting to demand more!” – Erik Holzherr, owner of Wisdom, Fruit Bat, and the soon-to-be-opened Church & State

“I think in 2011, you’re going to see more restaurants getting into the retail business. Some have done it already, like Cork’s Cork Market and Co-Co Sala’s retail boutique. Others will be inspired by the success of such ventures as the Batali/Bastianich Eataly in New York City. We’ve already seen some announced for 2011, like the Armstrong’s Society Fair market; it’ll be interesting to see who else gets into the game.” – Missy Frederick, Washington Business Journal

“PIE. I’ve been hearing rumblings about this lately and, as you know Katie, I called this almost a year ago when you argued macaroons would take over. They didn’t quite make it. But PIE. It will. Because it is so fucking good. It’s love wrapped in love and you can’t mess it up. You can eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, cold, warm, sweet, savory. It will happen.” – Rachel Machacek, Contributing Editor, Washington Flyer magazine

“Chef-activism will increase as chefs find their voice. Look for more of them on the Hill. Not just chefs but food people of all kind. The people involved in feeding America are going to want to bigger say in food issues. At the same time the public’s interest in where our food comes from will increase. Vegetables will be the focus as more people try to adopt a vegetable based, not necessarily vegetarian, way of eating.” – Jose Andres, Chef & Restaurateur, ThinkFoodGroup

“The trend I’d love to see in D.C. this year is pop-up restaurants like LudoBites in LA and NYC’s The Hunger. (San Francisco even has a guerilla farmers’ market.) I think it’s the next step beyond food trucks.” – Erin Hartigan, Editor, Tasting Table DC

‘Nando’s Peri-Peri Dining Room’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

“I predict that beer will continue to be an even bigger draw for 2011 and new local brew pubs and breweries will be opening around DC. Restaurants will be expanding their lists to meet the demands of guests wanting to try new beers with food pairings.” – Heather Freeman, Heather Freeman Media & Public Relations

“I think the trend of gourmet ethnic food on the go. With mobile food trucks everywhere serving up a range of delicious food, I think the evolution on that same concept is smaller walk-up restaurants that serve up tacos, Korean, Mediterranean food to go. Muncheez in Georgetown does a good job with the concept, and I think more will come!” – Kelly Collis Frederick, CityShopGirl

“Pickled everything. I have a strong feeling every restaurant from NoMa, DC to Frederick, MD will have something pickled on their menu.” – Johnna Rowe, Johnna Knows Good Food

“I think we’re going to see a lot of opportunity for people to try a tasting menu or two, with the upgrade of minibar- enabling people to better get a reservation, to Komi’s expansion and the opening of RJ Cooper’s Rogue 24 I see greater opportunities for this. Might break the bank but should be an interesting year in this time of austerity.” – Russell Warnick, Endless Simmer

“Popsicles. DC Public Schools is working on secret recipe; they can be healthy, they are familiar and will be local.” – Jeffrey Mills, Director of Food Services, DC Public Schools

“One of the things I’ve noticed is a tendency towards “silver” or un-aged spirits. High West Distillery out of Utah (the world’s only ski-up distillery!) already has the Silver Oat Whiskey (which is already making waves), and I had the opportunity to taste some new samples from them, some of which are due out this month, and some slated for mid year. Silver whiskey can be very one dimensional and can get very sticky and ethyll-ey. Both of these products were spot on; they definitely did their research.” – Patrick Owens, Bar Manager, American Ice Co.

“I’m thinking going back to big family-style dinners (like Carmines).” – Olga Berman, Mango & Tomato

‘Dining Room at 1905′
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

“I think the new hot trend will be in upscale ethnic food. Taking simple, delicious fare typically associated street food and sourcing the highest quality ingredients to be able to charge a premium in a semi upscale sit down environment. I don’t mean Italian, I mean more Vietnamese, like BaBay or Indian, like Rasika. But I also think 2011 will be the breakout year for the average resident of DC to really consider what was previously seen as “weird” food as damn good and unique cuisine. Look for more Latin (Colombian, Ecuadorian and further South), Middle Eastern that is NOT called Mediterranean, and possibly some good West African food.” – Karl Johnson, Owner, Pound Coffee NOMA and coming soon, Pound The Hill

“The un-pronounce-ables, or better yet, the “what IS that?”: soju/sochu, cachaça, Rhum agricole will be everywhere as well as the easy to pronounce pisco and sake.” – Rachel Sergi, Bourbon and soon-to-open Jack Rose”

“I think we are going to see an increase in privately held, small group dinner parties–either for cost by a chef or people taking more of the host lead–in the form of supper clubs. I suggest this based on the economic crisis and also the increased need for people to feel connected to their food and the people making it. There have been similar start-ups throughout the country of supper clubs and I think they offer a lot of cache, wit, whimsy, and connection for the diner that is unique. Alongside that, we are starting to see that consumers are spending a little more money than last year, allowing small food niches like this to grow.” – Allison Sosna, Executive Chef of Contract Foods at Fresh Start, DC Central Kitchen

“If there is one drinks trend that I hope will take off in 2011 is BITTERNESS!! Bitter ingredients, whether it’s my personal fave, Chartreuse, or any number of the amazing and varied amaros, digestifs and straight crafty bitters that are re-entering the market and newly available. I think it’s the least appreciated sense of taste and when a cocktail is in balance, bitterness is refreshing and crave-able. My favorite drinks of 2010 were bitter and delicious.” – Jill Zimorski, Beverage Director, ThinkFoodGroup

“I think we’re going to start seeing more gluten-free menu items on “traditional” restaurant menus. It seems like everyone I talk to knows someone with celiac or gluten intolerance, and restaurants seem to be responding to that.” – Nichole Remmert, The Hill Is Home

I met Rachel a while back at a media preview at a local restaurant. At this point, many moons later, I don’t even remember which one, but we became fast friends and I began my raging obsession with this wonderful woman. Rachel writes about restaurants for Washington Flyer, but as we got to know each other, our conversations would always go back to one thing: boys. We’d talk about her love life, she’d give me solid, calm advice on mine, and I quickly learned she was writing a book on her experience dating.

I even got a sneak peek at the manuscript, and so when she finally got a publish date for her book, The Science of Single: One Woman’s Grand Experiment in Modern Dating, Creating Chemistry, and Finding Love, I was thrilled. So now that the release date of her book is TOMORROW, I thought I’d finally share one of my favorite people with you all.

Katie: How long have you lived in DC? When and why did you move here?
Rachel: I moved to DC almost 8 years ago (though I grew up in Northern Virginia and lived in Arlington for a few years after college). I’d just spent a year in NYC, and after offering up my first born to live in a shoebox walk-through bedroom on the Upper East Side, rent control in Adams Morgan tasted pretty sweet. I can’t say I choose to live here for an specific reason except I wanted to live in a city, it was a simple move and DC is more my speed.

What do you love about DC?
The pace. The seasons, especially fall. When the town clears out over the holidays. Seaton Street NW (it’s so freaking cute). I’m kinda into the DC flag right now. In general, how cool this city has become. I mean, we have food carts.

What would you change about DC if you could?
More vegetarian restaurants and voting representation.

Tell me about your book – why did you write it?
To be frank, I seriously used to suck at dating. I found the entire process of finding dates and going on dates to be trying at best. And then, after one particularly bad date, the guy, uh, jogged away from me. He didn’t stop to say goodbye or hug or anything. Just picked up his pace to get out as quickly as possible. It was humbling to say the least, and while his reaction to our date was probably more about him than me (I’d like to think), it got me thinking that there had to be a better way. So I decided to really put myself out there and make a project of dating; perhaps if I treated the entire thing like an experiment, I could detach myself from the outcome and actually learn something rather than becoming distraught over every dating “failure.” My book is an account of what happened when I tried out all the different ways of dating–online, singles events, blind dates. I also hired a matchmaker and a dating coach, read dating self-help books, and even went to other cities to date.

In your book you try out dating in other cities. What did you figure out about DC versus other similar American cities?
If I’m totally generalizing, dating in DC tends to be a bit more … stiff and formal when compared to, say, LA. Mostly though, I realized that dudes are the same no matter where you go. And I don’t mean this in a negative way.

Are you still single? If so, who is your ideal man? Where do you think you would find him in DC?
I am currently dating. My ideal man is up for anything, unpretentious and not bothered by the fact that I write about dating. I used to wish I would find this ideal man waiting for me on my stoop, bearing a bouquet of peonies, perhaps even serenading me. I’ve since recovered from this fantastical thinking and I meet most guys I date online.

What’s the best first date spot in DC?
Anywhere with exposed brick, low lighting, that’s not too loud and preferably within a 10 minute walk of my apartment because I am lay-hay-zee. Places that come to mind that might have one or all of these criterion (not including proximity to my neighborhood): L’Enfant Cafe, Room 11, and Smith Commons, which is just about to open on H Street NE.

What’s the worst first date spot in DC?
The Holocaust Museum. Do not go there on a date.

How do you think unique aspects of DC, like the Metro or the National Mall effect the dating here?
You’d think the Metro would be a great place to meet someone, but every time I walk into a station, everyone’s on their phone or has their head buried in a book. If people would just look up and take a gander around them, I wonder how many Metro Matches there would be. In fact, I think Metro should launch a personals program! They could make money off that instead of raising fares. And then we could have working escalators. I digress… The Mall is an amazing green space for picnic or Frisbee dates, which, to me, are the perfect kinds of dates. The museums around the Mall also are solid date spots (and free!). I like the idea of being able to move in and out of conversation as I walk through an exhibit. When you date around a lot, the across-the-table stare down gets mighty old.

What’s your best advice for DC singles?
Slow down, smile at the cute girl or guy next to you, put a profile up on an online dating site (preferably one that does not indicate that you work and play hard – please, for the love of all that is holy, don’t write that), and, in general, take a percentage of the focus that you’ve applied to your wildly successful career and place it squarely on your dating/personal life.

Rachel’s book, The Science of Single, is available for pre-order now on Amazon, and is released tomorrow. You can also get your very own copy at a number of local bookstores, or stop by Rachel’s book talk at Politics and Prose (5015 Connecticut Ave., NW) on January 9 at 5 p.m. to hear her discuss her book. Rachel is also available on her blog, as well as on Twitter.

Ballston is popping these days with some of my favorite restaurants. Since the new Sweetgreen location started dishing up salads, and Buzz promises to open thier doors soon, what I once considered a foodie dead spot (minus Willow) is now on my radar. Especially with the news that the Ballston location of Rustico has launched Sunday brunch, which they began serving on Jan. 2.

Rustico now serves brunch from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. to hungry Arlingtonians. Since doughnuts are all the rage (nod to Birch and Barley), Executive Chef Steve Mannino is serving shared treats such as Mama Mannino’s ricotta doughnuts or Grilled pineapple skewers with cheesecake dip.

Main dishes sound pretty tasty, they boast Peanut Butter-stuffed French Toast with bacon-studded maple syrup, Garlic Shrimp and “Grits” with roasted peppers, onions and soft semolina polenta and Smoked Salmon Tart with spicy cabbage slaw and crispy capers, as well as traditional favorites including Eggs Benedict with Virginia ham, spinach and crab hollandaise, Breakfast Egg Sandwich with thick-cut bacon on a croissant and the Frittata of the day.

And of course no meal at Rustico is complete without the beer, so they assure us that they will feature a number of special morning-appropriate brews like Beer Geek Breakfast, a Stout rich in oatmeal and coffee, from Danish gypsy brewer Mikkeller.

Rustico is located at 4075 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA and is Metro accessible at the Ballston station on the Orange line. For reservations or more information, please call 571-384-1820 or visit the website at www.rusticorestaurant.com.

Last year, when we created the reader’s survey, we found out that you guys really like to read about food. I felt validated, and proud of what we’d created for food here at We Love DC. Pretty soon after that, though, I got a new demanding day job, where I wasn’t able to write much. I let the food coverage dwindle, but was continually bothered that I wasn’t able to write. I racked my brain for a new food writer for We Love DC, and thought back to Ashley Messick, who I profiled in February. I loved her blog From Komi to Marvin, where she ate her way through the 100 Best Restaurant List from Washingtonian. I knew that she had eaten a TON in this city, had a good palate, and a funny wit about her.

After a little sweet talking she agreed to join our team, and I was thrilled to bring her on to get our food coverage back on track. So I have to say, Ashley was maybe my favorite thing of 2010′s We Love Food, but since it has to be an entry, not a person, here are our greatest hits from 2010, brought to you by Ashley and Katie. (Side note: We are, again, looking to expand our food writing team, if you’re interested in joining us, let me know via email.)

‘Cold Plate’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’

Favorite First Look:

Katie: I had been following the Capital City Diner saga since the beginning, and was tapped to write it up for DC’s Daily Candy (RIP) so I met Matt and Patrick long before the diner opened. I was stoked to get in there for a First Look and thought my final product turned out quite nicely and captured the essence of what they were trying to achieve with the diner.

Ashley: I’m downright obsessed with hot dogs, so I stalked the progress of DC-3 in a truly embarrassing fashion. When it did open last month, I pounced on it. I really can’t think of a more fun meal than chowing down on hot dogs and cotton candy, all in the name of research. And the piece ended up being quite cathartic — I let the Internet world know my deep, dark secret…that I am from a family of carnies.

Favorite Round Up:

Katie: When the snow struck last year, we all had apartment fever. I would search Twitter in hopes of getting clued in to who was open, so I decided to turn it into a feature, “What Snow? Restaurants & Bars To Stay Open In DC Blizzard” for everyone to see. It turned out to be one of the greatest hits of the snowstorm, and I think people appreciated it. I was happy to keep at it, since I was bored out of my gourd. I also want to give a small nod to my Un-Valentines Day Round Up of things to do if you’re single. It gave my then-single self personal satisfaction to know I wasn’t alone.

Ashley: While the sheer volume of information featured in the Thanksgiving Round Up and the Farmers Market Closing Schedule makes me pretty proud of my organizational skills, the response to the Gluten Free in D.C. post was overwhelming. I got the idea for it after a girl I work with went gluten free and was forced to eat peanut butter at her desk every time we ordered in lunch for the office. It is, to date, the post I received the post positive feedback on, and I’m so happy to have helped the gluten free of Washington (and beyond!) navigate this wheat-ful world.

’11.23.10′
courtesy of ‘Paige Weaver’

Favorite We Love Food:

Katie: One of my favorite hidden DC gems was able to sparkle when I featured Et Voila! in a We Love Food. I got an email from a reader a month or so later saying she was visiting DC and had read about that tiny place you can only get to by car and she wanted to try it but couldn’t remember the name. I linked her back to this We Love Food and she said she’d go. I like it when I’m able to truly sell a place that I love to you guys, and I learn that you actually go and enjoy it. Makes this whole writing thing worth it.

Ashley: The truth about the We Love Food posts is that they’re my absolute favorite, since, well, I love food. And what I’ve learned over the years and many, many meals is that I love an off-the-beaten path restaurant despite (or maybe because of) sometimes being relatively unknown. My first We Love Food post was about Market Lunch, a place that takes a little bit of dedication and a lot of patience, but is well worth it all. I can’t even tell you how many of my friends told me they hadn’t even heard of it before. Who had I been eating my Brick sandwiches with all these years??

Favorite Commentary:

Katie: It’s rare that I have DC things that I feel a very strong need to yell about, but it happens from time to time, and when it does, I tend to vent to you guys. In 2010, you could find me yelling about Wagamama’s (possibly) not opening. Off-the-food-topic, I yelled about people on the Metro who listen to their headphone music on blast, and most recently I yelled about how I don’t want another single cupcake bakery in DC. NOT ONE SINGLE ONE. NOOOOO THANK YOU. (Whoops, there I go getting all riled up again.)

Ashley: For me, I don’t get too up in arms about many food-related things, but due to the sheer volume of burger and cupcake joints in the news this year, I started to get pretty annoyed. While Katie rocks an annoyed article about cupcakes like none other, I tend to steer towards the darker side of burgers (not the burned side) and covered the weird burger lawsuits we saw this year. And while we’re talking burger controversy, I had a few thoughts on Spike Mendelsohn’s spot on the Vanity Fair Next Establishment List.

‘table settings’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99′

What we’re most proud of:

Katie: 2010, is, in my mind, the year of the food truck. With the onslaught of interesting, portable fare driving around the streets of the District, Ashley began the Food Truck Tracker to show you, our dear reader, where the food trucks are parked for lunchtime. It’s been your daily guide to eating well, and I’m so happy Ashley has the energy, foresight and twitter power to create it for you by hand each day.

Ashley: After the success of the gluten free post (and possibly a few too many glasses of wine), it dawned on Katie and me that we should do a little research in to other dietary restrictions. And what’s better research than living the life? Enter Vegan Week. It was definitely a tough week for us meat and cheese lovers, but we learned a lot about veganism and ourselves, most notably that the Vegan Pad Thai at Nage was definitely worthy of non-Vegan Week.

What will 2011 hold? We’ll be with you every step of the way to find out. Forks out, folks.

So, I don’t do this very often, but I’m fugunna do it right now. I’m going to be a hater. I know, I know, this site is called We LOVE DC, but that’s the thing about We Love DC – we think DC dates the wrong person once in a while, and may or not have worn something that we thought was pretty much atrocious. This is one of those times.

DC, if you accept one more cupcake place into your streets, I will lose it. Seriously. Even if that cupcake place is one of Sex & The City fame, and lord knows how much I love SATC. And here’s the thing: like the next girl, I enjoy a well-timed cupcake. I like red velvet. I can get behind a moist lemon cake in a cup shape. I can. And I do. But really, I do not need one single more shop where I can buy said treat. NOT ONE. NOT EVEN ONE MORE. NO THANK YOU. We have more than I care to recall, and with the Crumbs opening (and the massive PR fail that came with it), I finally hit my limit. We are not where New York’s trends go to die.

So Magnolia Bakery, while we appreciate the fact that you are considering opening your overly-iced doors in DC, I must say: DO NOT WANT. REJECTED. You’re beating the dead cupcake horse, and I would like to please return to sender. Thank you, and good night.

Snow in the District is beautiful, let us not forget.

‘Section 60′
courtesy of ‘KentonNgo’

‘The first Inch of winter 2010-11′
courtesy of ‘ianseanlivingston’

‘snowy fence’
courtesy of ‘ekelly80′

‘A few footsteps’
courtesy of ‘Aaron Webb’

‘Christmas tree & lights’
courtesy of ‘ekelly80′

’350/365 – capitol hill, first snow’
courtesy of ‘dracisk’

‘First snowfall of the winter’
courtesy of ‘flipperman75′

‘the snow turned into rain……tears’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’

‘snowy ornaments’
courtesy of ‘ekelly80′

I think most twenty-somethings (or really, people with good taste in general) have a special love for Chipotle. The Mexican chain is brilliant when you’re super hungry and need food fast, and aren’t up for a greasefest of hamburgers and fries. But how many burrito bowls can one girl eat before she’s ready for something new? (More than you think, probably, but just go with it.)

Lucky for us, Merzi on 7th street is much like Chipotle, except with an Indian twist. Same fast-food concept, same create-your-own feel, but with fun new flavors like tikka masala and chutneys. Also, bonus, it’s locally run and owned, and you guys know how I feel about supporting small businesses. So read on, my lovelies, for a first look at the new Penn Quarter eat place.

Merzi, which means “choice” in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi, is certainly that. Orders at Merzi are built from either a Naan Roll, filled with a choice of meat and vegetables; a Rice Bowl with long-grain Basmati rice; Salad withfresh lettuce, or Chaat, an aromatic blend of onions, peppers, corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, and chickpeas, topped with a lightly sweetened yogurt sauce and tangy tamarind date chutney. You can either choose to go vegetarian or add proteins such as their signature Tandisserie™ Chicken, braised shredded slow-cooked beef, marinated grilled lamb, or grilled shrimp.

After you’ve built a base, add on warm sauces, like a hot tomato masala, a blend of fiery chilies and traditional Indian spices combined with herbs; medium tikka masala, or a mild makani, the sauce that typically accompanies butter chicken. Cold chutneys include a hot chutney, red chilies crushed and combined with fresh herbs and tomatoes; medium chutney, green chilies chopped and mixed with fresh herbs, mint and seasonings and a mild chutney, a sweet and tangy chutney made of pulped tamarind and dates, infused with select seasonings. My favorite was the medium chutney, which still has a kick. My mouth WAS on fire afterward, but there are good bottled sodas and a fresh mango/yogurt smoothie to wash it down with.

Merzi is located in Penn Quarter at 415 7th Street, NW. Closest Metro stop: Gallery Place/Chinatown (Red, Yellow, Green lines) and Navy/Archives. For more information, call 202-65-MERZI.

We love DC here, did you know that? Well, we do. It’s true. And we always appreciate it when someone else has a crush on the place we hold dear, and so today’s DC-loving award goes to Tim Carman.

Carman, formerly of the City Paper’s Young & Hungry and now a food writer over at WaPo took down the New York Times in today’s column “Dear New York Times: We get it. Your restaurants are better than ours.” Carman’s snarky criticism of the brash junk-food berating the NYT gave our fine city last week is a must-read for any DC foodie.

My favorite line? “District denizens are just beginning to evolve beyond their lizard-brain lust for red meat.” I highly recommend you read it on your lunch break over a meal from one of our sub-par eateries.

Update: It just came to my attention that Maria over at Hill Is Home should get an award too. Read: New York Also Thinks DC Looks Fat In Those Pants.

Sometimes I think that Courthouse is a dead zone for food. If I want actual chef-driven food I go to Ray’s, or I walk up to Clarendon. No longer! David Guas is here to save Courthouse and his new place Bayou Bakery is my new neighborhood gem for the area.

The New Orleans themed eat place serves up beingets, chicory coffee, and delicious sandwiches on fluffy hoagie rolls made from local ingredients. In the morning, people stop in for coffee and breakfast; Guas recommends the yogurt made from a Pennsylvania dairy topped with homemade granola. The lunch crowd rushes in for sandwiches and savory fare, sitting up front in booths and stand-alone tables. Settle down and sip some cider or hot chocolate in the back section with overstuffed chairs and couches and wireless internet. At night, Bayou turns into a date spot, with a good selection of beers and wines by the glass.

The feeling is super-relaxed, easy going and comfortable. And like most of my favorite restaurants, the delight is in the details – from hand-painted window panes to real Louisana hot sauce on each table, you can tell Guas poured his life into the concept.

Stop by the Arlington hot spot at 1515 N. Courthouse Road a block from the Courthouse Metro Station.

A while ago I was sitting at the bar at Stardust (RIP, I miss that place!) and the bartenders were telling my friend and I all about the people who would steal the salt and pepper shakers right off the tables. Stardust was known for quirky condiment containers, like two pigs dancing, or cactus-shaped shakers. You get the idea. And ever since that conversation I’ve been interested in whatall people steal from restaurants.

So I asked around, and behold, dear reader, a list of the ridiculous things that people steal from restaurants around DC.

The scene: Cafe Saint-Ex
Items Stolen: The bust of the Roman God Mercury, an antique three foot tall ash tray, patio plants
Jasmin Quioco, the Director of Community Outreach at Cafe Saint-Ex, reminisces, “A few years ago I was setting up for brunch and saw a guy struggling to bring in a covered object into the restaurant. When I opened the door, he said, ‘I’m really sorry, my friends and I had a few too many drinks last night and this ended up in my apartment. We love Saint-Ex and wanted to bring it back.’ They had stolen the heavy bust of Mercury that sits next to table 4.”

The scene: Whitlow’s on Wilson
Item Stolen: Harry S. Truman
Manny Fliakas, General Manger of Whitlow’s, remembers, “Last year, I received a manila envelope with no return address and inside was a framed picture of Harry S. Truman. We had this picture on the wall by the main bar and it was stolen four years prior. The letter attached stated that the individual who stole it was cleaning out their house and preparing to move when they came across the picture. They apologized for their childish actions and assured me they had become a better person.”

The scene: Proof
Items Stolen: A framed photograph of a naked lady (see above)
This photo hangs on the wall above one of the urinals in the men’s restroom at Proof. Luckily, they figured out who stole it from the security camera outside of the building, recognized him and contacted him for its retrieval. He brought it back, along with a bottle of Scotch as a gift and an apology.

The scene: Kushi Izakaya:
Items Stolen: Well-crafted chopsticks and chopstick holders, unique and decorative sake cups
Ari Kushimoto, Co-Owner at Kushi says, “The number one item stolen is chopsticks. People love them too much to a point that they want a pair or two for their home!”

The scene: Jackson 20
Items Stolen: Bessie the pig (see above), Andrew Jackson, Hamlet the pig
GM Reagan Corbett says, “Jackson 20 has had a number of items stolen from the restaurant – from the pig napkin rings to the bronze statue of Bessie the pig, which sits at the entrance of the restaurant. We had a search and rescue out for Bessie and she was returned 24 hours later. Turns out she was kidnapped by a guest in the middle of the night who took her home in a cab, but brought her back the next day. Recently, we had a small bust of Andrew Jackson and a set of antlers with funny stories from the opening of our restaurant, stolen from the restaurant – they were in the window sill at the back of the dining room. Basically, everything that we use for event table décor has been taken, including Hamlet #1, our mini bronze pig who was stolen from the dining room. Now, Hamlet #2 goes to the office every night at about 10 p.m. – we keep him in the safe so no one takes him too.”

The scene: Cork Wine Bar
Items Stolen: Flower vases, wine lists, wine glasses full of wine
Diane Gross, Co-Owner of Cork says,”What do people steal from a wine bar? Well wine lists of course! They also walk out the door with wine glasses full of wine. We have to chase them down when they do this and politely ask them to leave their glasses on the table.”

The scene: Restaurant 3
Item Stolen: A decorative 3-foot pepper mill
Jonathan Williams, Owner of Restaurant 3, says, “A couple weeks ago, someone stole our decorative 3-foot pepper mill. Luckily, the owner of a nearby restaurant saw the culprit standing outside of his place very late that night and recognizing the painted pepper mill, took it back from the guy and brought it to us. It was all pretty funny.”