Category Archives: Food and Drink

Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks: Room 11

"The patio at Room 11" by squidpants, on Flickr

"The patio at Room 11" by squidpants, on Flickr

I’m not precisely sure why, but something about Room 11 reminds me of New Orleans. Not the crazy raucous Bourbon Street tourist madness that immediately comes to mind, but the lazy corner bar where the locals go.

Maybe because the actual space is so tiny, just a bar with an outside patio that dwarfs the inside. Maybe because the first night I was there, the clientele was such a fascinating mix of local characters. On one side, I could eavesdrop on the brothers Brown concocting their latest cocktail bar, on the other, a courtly group of GI Generationers enjoying the vino. The next visit it was the after-work young professionals crowd, enlivened by a dandy with a dog.

A complete cross-section of the Columbia Heights neighborhood? Well, not entirely. “You enjoying that wine and cheese?” a man sneered as he passed by.

But, no social commentary today. Let’s talk about that wine and cheese instead. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Farmer’s Market Delivered To Your Door

Photo courtesy of
‘Radishes’
courtesy of ‘Amberture’

I’m a busy lady. Without exaggerating, I live and die by my Google Calendar. But the one thing I always make time for is the Farmer’s Market. I’m a devout Farmer’s Market kind of girl, especially after a recent rendezvous with Michael Pollan. I love walking up to the market, bag in hand, and perusing the rows of colorful fruits and vegetables. It’s my Sunday morning ritual, and reminds me of all the things that are good and right in the world. The farmer’s market is my own little version of church.

At the market you can find babies, puppies, and people from every walk of life, all purchasing local, bright, healthy, delicious food. But every so often, my market ritual and my Google Calendar battle it out and the Google Calendar wins. And when that happens, I am faced with a weeks worth of produce from Whole Foods, or worse, Safeway. Until now. Bless Erin Hartigan’s heart, because Daily Candy introduced me to Harvest Delivered, founded by two women “who hand-select an assortment of fresh, seasonal fruits, vegetables
and herbs from sustainable local farms and delivers it directly to your home or office.” All for the incredibly reasonable price of $28, which includes delivery if you order every week. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Essential DC, Food and Drink, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The District, The Features
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We Love Events: Big Kids Block Party

Photo courtesy of
‘The Good Stuff’
courtesy of ‘DaveFayram’

In last weekend’s Washington Post, the article “Tips on Throwing a Neighborhood Block Party,” detailed the ins and outs of how to–legally–plan, promote and execute a block party in DC.

So now, my friends, it’s time to get the block partying on!

Look no further than the Big Kids Block Party, Saturday, October 3 from 6pm to midnight at Marion and Q St NW in DC’s Shaw neighborhood.  The party is being hosted and organized by the Q Street Nehighborhood Association, is properly sanctioned by local DC authorities and, as a BIG kids block party, is for the 21+ crowd (photo ID will be required for entrance.)

Did I also mention all the local restaurants/shops that are providing provisions for the event? I’m talking 200 half-smokes from Ben’s Chili Bowl, Mr. Yogato fro-yo (and they’ve got some sort of 100 yogurt cup competition up their shelves AND gift card giveaways,) lots of tasty goodies from Julia’s Empanadas, a cotton candy machine, rice crispy treats and more. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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I Don’t Mean To Start Something, But…

Photo courtesy of
‘weenie beenie hdr’
courtesy of ‘christaki’

I almost feel like I have to. This morning as I left my client’s office in Anacostia and drove (yes, I know, Car-Free Day, blah blah blah) back to my roost in Fairlington, I felt the urge to try something new for lunch. I’d heard tell of the Weenie Beenie being home to one of the DC area’s best half-smokes, but I always wrote it off. That little place, across from the Day Labor center? How could that place be any good? It’s a walk-up, for cry-eye.

Oh, how I was wrong.

This statement is controversial, and I feel it may need more basis in evidence, but I have come away thinking that this might just be the best half-smoke in town. I almost feel like there needs to be a side-by-side taste-test with Ben’s to prove it, but I’m thinking that the Weenie Beenie may yet rule the roost.

Who’s with me?

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Great American Dine Out This Week

Photo courtesy of
‘proof.glass’
courtesy of ‘Ghost_Bear’

Through Saturday, September 26, every time you eat at one of the (roughly 75, according to my search) participating restaurants in the DC area, they will donate a portion of the proceeds to fight childhood hunger. Share Our Strength’s Great American Dine Out seems like as good an excuse as any to check out Proof, Georgia Brown’s, or even hit up Bruegger’s one more time this week. But then, do we really ever need an excuse for good food?

Food and Drink, The DC 100, The Features
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DC Omnivore 100: #98, Polenta

Polenta

"Polenta" by Jenn Larsen, on Flickr

It’s time for another item from the DC Omnivore 100 list of the top one hundred foods every good omnivore should try at least once in their lives.

There’s something so comforting about polenta. Maybe it’s the mushiness. Last night, fighting off a fever, I had an intense craving for this cornmeal goo, so I dragged myself off to the store to rustle up a plate.

Polenta is one of the staple dishes of Northern Italy, though it also can be found throughout Eastern Europe and Turkey. Honestly, there’s not much to it – boiled cornmeal using either the yellow or white varieties, fine or coarse grained. But it’s a bit labor-intensive. Like risotto, it requires constant stirring as the cornmeal grain’s starch slowly gelatinizes. But once it does – oh happy day. You get a soft, creamy mixture, and that’s before adding any other delicious ingredients like butter or cheese! It’s also extremely economical, filling peasant food that can be prepared in so many ways, from breakfast to dinner.

If you see polenta on Italian restaurant menus around DC, chances are it’ll be paired with sausage – this is a pretty traditional mix of mild and spicy. Tosca takes it to another level, matching it with sea urchin ragu and caviar (for lunch!). But polenta doesn’t have to be served straight from the pot – you can also cool it and fry it up. Fried polenta has a more complex flavor than when just boiled – the taste of corn is more pronounced. I was inspired by the grilled polenta I recently tried at Vegetate to make an attempt at this style myself. Continue reading →

Adventures, Entertainment, Food and Drink, Fun & Games, Night Life, The Daily Feed, The District, The Hill
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Half Way To St. Patty’s Day Celebration

Photo courtesy of
‘Don’t Have Any Words at the Moment’
courtesy of ‘marciadc’

I’m guessing that even if you’re Irish, you probably didn’t realize that tomorrow is the halfway mark to 2010’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

If you’d like to celebrate this VERY special occasion, have a pint or you’re just looking for a good time, check out the St. Patrick’s Day Festival at Kelly’s Irish Times and the Dubliner tomorrow.  Festivities begin at 4pm and last until 12pm with drink specials, raffle prizes and live music.

Entry is $5 in advance, $7 if you’re sporting green and $10 if you just want in at the door, and can be bought through Lindy Promotions.

Adams Morgan, Food and Drink, Interviews, Life in the Capital, People, The Features
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He Loves DC: Ben Eisendrath

Ben Eisendrath of Grillworks, Inc

Ben Eisendrath (image courtesy of Grillworks, Inc.)

“If you want high-rise, get on the train.”

Tucked away on an Adams Morgan side street, off the alley entrance and past the Harley, lies a secret patio that just happens to be the headquarters of a foodie subculture – Grillworks, Inc.

Local entrepreneur Ben Eisendrath had been introducing friends to the glory of South American-style wood grilling for years before he chucked the daily grind to re-launch his father’s invention and transform it into a viable business. From “grubby greasy shop drawings” to 3D CAD renderings, Ben translated his father’s elegant design for the modern world. Shops in Michigan and Virginia now produce what’s known as the “Maserati of Grills.”

I’ve known Ben for over a decade, and in the majority of those years the highly coveted grill party invites have seen quite the menu range. From regular ol’ burgers to caribou sausage, from butterflied salmon on a bed of dill to goat leg – and those are just the protein options!  The simple beauty of the grill’s design enables it to weather all seasons, and it’s slowly expanded from just a quiet secret amongst locals to celebrity chefs and newscasters. And honestly – there’s just nothing like the hypnotic dance of the wood burning flames as they light the night.

Ben could easily pick up and move to another city. A Michigan native, he came to DC in 1993; his grandparents have lived here for a long time, and it seemed a manageable starter city for someone who’d never lived in a metropolis before. But somehow, as with so many of us, the city sucked him in. Ben’s a Washingtonian now. I asked him to talk about why he loves DC, the challenges of being a local entrepreneur, and where he goes to get his grub. Continue reading →

Essential DC, Food and Drink, Penn Quarter, The Features, We Love Food
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Post-Restaurant Week Deals

Photo courtesy of
‘Indigo Landing Sunset’
courtesy of ‘needlessspaces’

Summer Restaurant Week came and went this year without much fanfare. Some of my friends said they hadn’t even heard about it. I’m usually uber-competitive about it, but this year I barely blinked. I don’t know what it was. Maybe it was the extra five dollars tacked on to the normal price, but mostly, I feel like it was the fact that in the middle of this recession you can get better deals all year round for the same or less than the $35 price tag that comes with Restaurant Week. To prove my point, I checked out a selection of Restaurant Week favorites, and came up with a hefty list of regular all-the-time prixe fixe menus at some of the area’s best eateries. You can eat at some of a DC’s foodies favorites if you’re willing to do a little leg work, or eat a bit on the early side.

Most of my favorite places in Chinatown and Penn Quarter, especially, do pre-theater menus. You usually have to arrive before 7 p.m., but that’s perfect for an after-work dinner date. Or, alternately, head to some of these places for lunch, where you can grab otherwise super pricey food for cheap. The other option is to saunter up to the bar at some of the city’s best, where you snag some of the same dining room meals for less.

When compiling this post, I wanted to stick with full meals here (for happy hours, refer to my fried happy hour food and healthy happy hour food posts) and so I only feature full meals offered at the bar for less than $35. So, foodie, there are ways to eat your way through the city for less all year long, you just have to be smart about it! Continue reading →

Arlington, Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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The Waffles Debate + Win Free Dinner For Two!

3ChickenandWaffles
Restaurant 3’s Chicken and Waffles Dish – but with WHAT side?!

I recently had the pleasure of having dinner at Restaurant 3, where I talked with Co-Owner Jonathan Williams about their Chicken and Waffles dish. He was joking around, saying they were trying to settle a debate on whether the chicken and waffles should be served with a side of maple syrup or a side of gravy. The argument has been raging internally at Restaurant 3 with the Owner and Chef on different sides.

You see, I feel very strongly about this, and what the correct answer is, but I promised to remain neutral and open it up to you, We Love DC readers to decide. Vote in the comments – gravy or maple syrup, and I’ll use random.org to pick a winner to get a free dinner for two at Restaurant 3. Also, in addition to offering the dinner for two, Restaurant 3 will actually alter the dish according to customer feedback. If the majority of the group says gravy, the restaurant will adapt the dish. Hurry, voting ends at noon on the 18th! I’ll announce the winner of dinner for two, and what dish will be served at the restaurant later that day.

To give you a little insight into the debate at Restaurant 3 I talked to the opposing sides. “The balance between salty and sweet is the classic twist on flavors that make Chicken n’ Waffles ridiculously delicious. The chicken has a crisp salty flavor, it is the sweet maple syrup that is the contrast. And who wants to eat a fluffy waffle without maple syrup?” says Jonathan Williams, Co-Owner of Restaurant 3. His Executive Chef does NOT agree. “Chicken n’ Waffles is not a light breakfast dish. It is a savory, hearty dinner dish that combines the sweet Belgian waffle with the crispy fried chicken. A hearty, savory gravy poured atop the Chicken n’ Waffles gives it the kick the pushes the dish into dinnertime.” says Brian Robinson.

So the fate of chicken and waffles lies to you, dear reader – so what do you say? Should it be served with maple syrup, or with gravy?

Food and Drink, Night Life, The Daily Feed, The District
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Flight of the Gin

Photo courtesy of
‘Gin&Tonic’
courtesy of ‘hildgrim’

Now I’m a big fan of both gin & tonics and wine flights, but I’m not so sure how I feel about the “gin flights” now being served at New Heights in Woodley Park. This alcoholic adventure of rotating gin & tonic features selections from the restaurant’s 30 different and unique varieties of the historic spirit with flavors that range from juniper to candied licorice to olive and honeysuckle, combined with a variety of tonic waters.   As the weather cools, offerings will shift to heavier and more full-bodied gins and tonic waters to better suit the season. Before you dive right in, may I suggest you also take a gander at their food menu, so as to avoid any possible trouble.

Capital Chefs, Food and Drink, The Features
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Capital Chefs: Cooking with Chef Glenn Babcock of Nage Bistro

Photo courtesy of
‘garnish’
courtesy of ‘needlessspaces’

WeLoveDC authors Cathy (cooking queen) and Katie (restaurant aficionado) have paired up to bring you a double-hitting feature about great seasonal dishes that chefs at local area restaurants are whipping up this fall. Katie gets insider info about the chef and the restaurant, and Cathy recreates the chef’s recipe at home. Cheers to that.

To our surprise, Chef Glenn Babcock, the new owner/executive chef of Nage Bistro made an industrial kitchen with some clout a fun, un-intimidating and easy place to be. Nage Bistro is located in Dupont – on Scott Circle across from the Australian Embassy. Cathy and Katie visited early on a Saturday morning and strapped on aprons – determined to learn how to make Chef Babcock’s Butternut Squash Soup.

Katie: So, let’s get one thing straight here – I like to cook, but I don’t LOVE to cook the way some people do. I don’t set aside time to slave over the stove to create a great meal. I have one barely-organized recipe binder, and I would much rather read Ruth Reichl or Gael Greene than Mark Bittman’s How To Cook Everything from cover to cover (though it is my absolute go-to book when in a pinch!). I go to the Farmer’s Market every single weekend, and I don’t tend to bust out the Bertolli if/when I do cook. I’m proficient, I’m fine, but I’d much rather park myself at a restaurant than whip up a nice Boeuf Bourguignon, no matter how popular Julie and Julia is at the moment. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, Foodie Roundup, The Daily Feed
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Foodie Round-Up (Sept. 7th-11th)

Photo courtesy of
‘That’s Hot’
courtesy of ‘staceyviera’

Is it just me, or is today quite possibly the worst Friday in recent months? Between the significance of the day, some massive MASSIVE “exercise training” fails, and general crankiness, I’m just not feeling it. But you know what makes me feel better? Food. So without much other pomp and circumstance, here’s all the news fit to eat in the District this week. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks: Cork

"roseflight" by Il Primo Uomo, on Flickr

"roseflight" by Il Primo Uomo, on Flickr

There’s a slew of new boozy places in town, and I’m going to be busy trying to hit them all. So I thought for this week’s edition of Drinks I’d focus on a bar that has been on my list for a while, but somehow haven’t gotten around to writing about. 

Well, maybe I was being selfish!

Cork was a raging success before it even opened. Just the initial rumours of a wine bar on the 14th Street Corridor was enough to send us Shavians into a frenzy, pros and cons fiercely debated. Though owners and Logan Circle residents Diane Gross and Khalid Pitts were strongly dedicated to keeping it a neighborhood spot, the advance chat was so good that it was impossible to get in for weeks, if not months, after it opened. Suddenly the brave little wine bar that could was the toast of Food & Wine. And with Cork Market & Tasting Room opening this fall a little across the way, there’s no sign of a slowdown.

Sad to say, I still can’t recommend Cork on a weekend night. It’s just too crowded, there isn’t much space to wait for a table in the bar area (there isn’t much of a bar area for a wine bar, actually) and the decibel level is extreme. Of course if all that doesn’t bother you, go for it. It’s certainly a lively scene. But I’m more an off-night girl myself.

On a quiet mid-week night, the owners’ mission to “demystify the world of wine” really comes through, and it’s a true pleasure. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed, The District
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Grabbing tomatoes on the way to the Metro is awesome.

Photo courtesy of
‘Heirlooms’
courtesy of ‘lorigoldberg’

FreshFarm Markets has applied for a permit to close Vermont Ave. between Lafayette and McPherson Squares on Thursdays from 1-8pm for a Farmer’s market. Personally, I think a weekday market more accessible than Dupont Circle is a fantastic idea, especially since it would be situated right in front of a Metro on a block that hardly anyone drives on, but you know, blah blah blah, traffic, the White House may or may not be involved, and in a political climate where people freak out because the President of the United States tells children they should study hard and stay in school, heaven forfend anyone named Obama should endorse eating more fresh fruits and vegetables.

Anyway, I think it’s a great idea. How about you? Is this your route home every day?

Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Food
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We Love Food: Plume

Table Decor at Plume

A few weeks back I was in the midst of plotting our 14th wedding anniversary. Usually we take a trip, but this year due to economy and employment, we decided to “stay in” town and dine. But where?

I was reminded by a passing acquaintance that the Jefferson was re-opening during that time, including Plume, the hotel’s restaurant offering. So I quickly set up a reservation for dinner and prepared for another fine dining experience in DC. Especially after Jenn and Catherine had enjoyed their first look at the place.

What we had that night was not just a dining experience, it was dining heaven.

Continue reading →

Downtown, Entertainment, Food and Drink, Fun & Games, The Daily Feed
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Party Like It’s 09.09.09, Oh Wait It is 09.09.09!

Photo courtesy of
‘DSC05164.JPG’
courtesy of ‘The_WB’
Celebrate Niner-Niner-Niner Day with copious amounts of  Magic Hat #9 at RocketBar at 714 7th St NW in Chinatown starting at 7pm today.  Free Magic Hat t-shirts go to the first 99 people, there will be 3-for-$9 specials on all #9s and awesome giveaways like free rounds of beer to parties of 9, a custom cruiser bike and iPod shuffles.  Pretty solid marketing promotion for a tasty beer if you ask me. Hooray beer!

Essential DC, Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Best. Service. EVER.

Photo courtesy of
‘photo.jpg’
courtesy of ‘erin m’

Meg over at 2birds1blog tweeted about this GROUNDBREAKING service of… wait for it… COFFEE DELIVERY! AAHHH!!! YESSSSSS!!!!! I just had that brilliant idea a few weekends ago when I was moving apartments and really, really needed coffee but couldn’t go get it. (See? See, I did, I swear.)

This. Is. Life. Changing! The Craigslist Ad says: “We currently deliver to the entire Washington DC NORTHWEST district, and BETHESDA/CHEVY CHASE, MD area. This will soon change as our company is projected to grow very quickly. While in the future we intend to have an on-call service, coffee orders need to be placed at least 5 hours in advance at the moment. Hot coffee will be delivered hot, and iced coffee will be delivered cold. We are in the process of negotiating discount prices with several coffee retailers, but the pricing right now is still only $5 plus the price of the coffee. Order 5 coffees for the office for only $20. Place your orders now to ineedajavagirl@gmail.com”

I will be their most loyal customer, unless somewhere in the subtext of that description I’m supposed to get that they’re actually strippers or um, shady masseuses. But if they for real deliver coffee, as in, the Caribou kind, not the scantily clad kind? Best Business Idea EVAR. EVARRRR.

Food and Drink, The Features
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First Look: Bibiana Osteria & Enoteca

Photo courtesy of
‘Bibiana Outside Vertical’
courtesy of ‘needlessspaces’

I took a calculated risk eating at Bibiana Osteria & Enoteca on Labor Day Monday. First off, it’s Monday, the notoriously worst day of the week to eat out. Second off, Bibiana only opened on Friday. Third off, it’s Labor Day. No Chef will be working. But (isn’t there always a but?) I had a friend in need of a totally new, fresh place for dinner, so crossing my fingers and holding my breath, I suggested Bibiana. Plus, I’m currently in the middle of reading former New York Times food critic Mimi Sheraton’s memoir Eating My Words, where she argues, “As for reviewing an establishment too soon, my feeling is that as soon as a restaurant is open and full prices are being charged it is fair game.” Touche, Mimi. So with Mimi on my side, we struck out to discover Ashok Bajaj’s seventh restaurant in the DC area.

Was it able to stand up against all the forces it had going against it? You could have told me it was any Friday or Saturday night months from when it opened, you could have fooled me. Everything from the food to the service was absolutely on point. Continue reading →