I went to Boxcar Tavern the first day (night) it opened – just two days before the New Year. When staring in from the outside it was impossible to see just how crowded it was, but upon opening the door, the excitement surrounding the new establishment was tangible. There were a lot of people (think standing room only) and it was loud and lively.

Boxcar Tavern is Xavier Cervera’s fifth restaurant on Capitol Hill. His empire includes Molly Malones, Lola’s Barracks Bar & Grill, and Senart’s Oyster & Chop House. With just one glance, those accustomed to dining on the Hill can tell whose baby Boxcar is. It has that “Cervera look.” The restaurant, situated right next to Tunnicliff’s Tavern on 7th Street SE in the old Petite Gourmet space, is long and narrow, filled with maple and marble decor. From the entrance, to your left is an elegant bar that stretches almost there entire length of the restaurant and to your right begins an endless row of small booths. Basically, it looks like Senart’s, just a bit darker.

Another similarity to Senart’s is Executive Chef Brian Klein, who is now running Boxcar’s kitchen.  The menus look the same physically as well; content-wise, Boxcar actually serves a Seafood Lasagna – my favorite dish at Senart’s before, sadly, it disappeared.

Photo courtesy of Tricia Barba

When I ran into Cervera the Monday before Boxcar opened, he was the model of composure (even with a cast on his left leg) and couldn’t stop gushing about other projects such as Pacifico and Park Tavern. About Boxcar, he was excited to see what it could do to this side north of Pennsylvania Avenue. His belief is that the modest prices (nothing is more than $20) would be a huge draw.

Photo courtesy of Tricia Barba

Now on to the experience: I really enjoyed it – Boxcar is like an upscale tavern.  That said, the first negative I encountered was the silverware, which was dirty–and I don’t mean one inconspicuous spot. Moving that aside I started with the country pâté. For me, pâté is either great or forgettable. I liked it a lot–much, much better than I had expected. My dining companion ordered the fried oysters which she thought were fine, if just a bit bland. The relish aioli was the best part. The other appetizer downside was that my pet peeve occurred. I was asked, “Are you still working on that?” while truly mid-bite, with half of the dish still on the plate.

Photo courtesy of Tricia Barba

I had wanted to order the seafood lasagna, but they were out for the night (something that I wish I had know initially). My next choice was the tavern filet. When I asked the waitress if this was a good choice her response was, “I’ve actually only had one thing on the menu.” A bit discouraging, but at least she was honest. I asked for it medium rare and it came out perfectly. The potato croquette also stood out a lot here. My friend ordered the roasted organic chicken and said it was good, but nothing special. She loved the mushroom bread pudding it came with.

For dessert we had the baked apple crumb tart. We loved it.

Photo courtesy of Tricia Barba

Boxcar is a welcome neighborhood place with good, reliable food. I’ll be back to try the sandwiches (11 varieties).

Boxcar Tavern is located at 224 7th St. SE. The closest metro station is Eastern Market (Blue/Orange Lines). For more information, call 202.544.0518.

If you remember the H Street corridor from years ago, the place where Smith Commons now stands was the home of a large carpet warehouse. The restaurant is just as massive: three stories with a main dining room and main bar on the first floor, a public house on levels two and three, plus a seasonal patio. Smith Commons is one of the classiest buildings on H Street, both on the interior and exterior, with clean lines, eccentric furniture and the quintessential exposed brick.

The first thing you’ll notice when walking through the doors is how open the space is. Here you aren’t crammed so closely together that eavesdropping on the people sitting next you is involuntary; instead, the excess space makes the restaurant a great place for groups.

Smith Commons bills itself as offering an “international menu of approachable cuisine,” so think  fusion. There’s a lot going on when you look at the menu –  not that there are a lot of choices, but those choices are quite different. The menu changes seasonally with recipes developed by Executive Chef Carlos Delgado, so it can sometimes be sad to see one of your favorite dishes gone, but then there’s always time to pick a new favorite for the night.

Photo Courtesy Tricia Barba

A regular problem with Smith Commons is how long it takes for your food to hit the table. I know that timing can be tough to figure out – you don’t want to put in the orders too quickly and have the entree come out too close to the appetizer, but you also don’t want to have to wait 20 plus minutes for your appetizer.

Smith Commons has one of the best Caesar salads in DC. It has these huge Romaine leaves and comes with anchovies, parmesan dressing, croutons, and also capers. During a recent trip here I ordered the seared scallops appetizer. The diver scallops were small, but I got four - really a good deal at just $12. The dish looked great. While I found the scallops just a bit too salty, the different “toppings” – foie gras, blackberry, raisins and relish – were fantastic, and give each bite (or two) a different taste.

Photo Courtesy Tricia Barba

My favorite appetizer on the menu right now is the Braised Pork Belly. It was tender, juicy and cut apart easily. Accoutrements (apple, turnip, and kimchi) complemented the dish nicely, and weren’t distractions.

The Trio of Duck entree my dining companion had was great. It came with Beans Cassoulet, chicken Sausage, and coconut. I couldn’t really taste the coconut, and I could have done without the beans cassoulet, but the sausage was fantastic. The duck was sliced perfectly.

Photo Courtesy Tricia Barba

I stuck with the Chesapeake Rockfish served with a Crab Risotto. The crab risotto was the highlight of the dish, with the grean peas and Orange Chutney adding a nice burst of color. The fish itself was a bit dry on one end, though better on the other.

Even though the menu changes every month, signature dishes include Braised Short Ribs with Pickled Celery and Mustard Oil; Lamb Chops with Haricots Verts, Potato Puree and Lamb Jus, so be sure to try those out as well.

My overall verdict? Smith Commons is an integral part of the H Street Corridor, and might just have the best building in that strip of DC. The menu rotates but is always solid, and the seating is comfortable while still managing to be cool and classy. The service is very good, though a goodbye from the hostess when heading out would make it even better.

Smith Commons opened in December 2010, and is ringing in the New Year as well as celebrating its first birthday this year. For $60 per person, guests can enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres from 7:00 – 9:00pm, a prix fixe menu with highlights like braised short ribs and lobster ragout, a complimentary Moet Imperial Champagne toast at midnight and live music and DJ entertainment until 3:00am. Seatings are from 6:00 – 7:30pm and 9:00 – 10:30pm.

Smith Commons is located at 1245 H St. NE. The closest Metro station is Union Station (Red Line). For more information and reservations, call 202-396-0038.

It seems like there’s never a shortage of restaurants opening up in DC.

To finish out 2011, Xavier Cervera plans to open his fifth Capitol Hill restaurant, Boxcar Tavern, located in the old Petite Gourmetspace on 7th St. SE right next to Tunnicliffs. The staff is currently in training mode, and it sounds like the plan is still to open by the end of the month. The Eastern Market Metro Community Association has a pic of the inside.

Places that are open 24 hours a day always excite me. Case in point: The Hamilton located in downtown DC (same block as another Clyde’s Restaurant group favorite, Old Ebbitt Grill) opened up to the public just this week. The restaurant and live music venue comes to us from Clyde’s Restaurant Group. The 37,000 square foot space has two floors, four bars and four dining rooms. Where else can you get sushi, charcuterie, and seasonal and regional American fare? For more information and a slide show check out Washingtonian’s Best Bites.

Veggie Burrito at Tortilla Coast
courtesy of Kevin H.

The booming 14th Street corridor welcomed a new arrival Monday: Tortilla Coast. Capitol Hill residents, staffers and definitely interns are already familiar with the first location right across from the Capitol South Metro. I’ve never been a huge fan of Tortilla Coast, though maybe I’ll like the Logan Circle locale more since the press release reads: “While the new restaurant will offer the same fun atmosphere and focus on freshly made food that guests have come to expect at the original Capitol Hill location, the Logan Circle restaurant will feature authentic regional Mexican cuisine.”  The restaurant boasts 152 seats (including 45 in the bar area) and, come spring, will feature a 48 seat patio on 15^thStreet NW.

Word on the street is The Pinch is coming to the old El Salvadorena space in Columbia Heights. Prince of Petworth reports that a recent liquor license application reads, “New restaurant serving contemporary American cuisine. Occasional live music or spoken word performance to be offered in basement area. Occupancy load is 99. Sidewalk Café 28.” The Pinch is shooting for a spring opening, according to PoP.

Also shooting for a Spring 2012 opening is Townhouse Restaurant & Wine Bar. Citybizlist reports that Townhouse entered into a 10-year lease for the 6,710 square foot ground floor retail space at 700 Sixth Street, NW, aka Chinatown. Townhouse already has one existing location in Sherman Oaks, CA and two in the Chicago area. According to its website, “Townhouse’s uniquely designed menu offers a large selection of small plates, sandwiches, salads and entrees to suit any taste.”

Photo Courtesy Lime Fresh Mexican Grill

Finally, if you want to venture outside of the DC lines, come January you can try Lime Fresh Mexican Grill in Arlington. The Florida-based fast-casual Mexican concept is “food conscious” and features a signature homemade salsa bar and 50 variations of hot sauces. Dine here and you have the option of whole wheat, multi-grain or low-carb items, plus everything on the menu has 0 trans fat.

Happy Eating!

According to hstreet.org 35,000 people pressed onto H Street NE for last year’s event. With even more activity and businesses open along the corridor now, one can only assume an even larger turn-out this Saturday when the H Street Festival 2011 takes over the street from noon until seven.

Along the six-block festival zone, there will be a wide variety of food, vendors, music stages, family activities, and more. Four stages will present ongoing music and other forms of entertainment throughout the day (and in some cases, well into the night) and there will be a fifth stage dedicated entirely to children’s entertainment. There will be food trucks, fashion shows, and a parade of art cars. Details about performances and entertainment are on the festival’s Facebook page.

If you want to see how all those things fit together, there will be expanded shuttle service available and a WABA bike valet. The event is free to enter and stroll around. Children and dogs are invited as long they can handle being around the sizable crowd.

Like

Unlike

Last summer, in a fit of humidity-induced insanity, my friends and I decided to taste test non-delivery pizzas around town. There were seven pies, and in an attempt to branch out a little, I picked up one from Seventh Hill. I figured this Eastern Market spot (which no one had heard of before) would finish somewhere in the middle of the pack with perennial favorite 2 Amy’s coming out on top. In a Cinderella story that ESPN would surely have composed a specific theme song for, Seventh Hill came out of nowhere and clinched the win.

I don’t live near Eastern Market, but between working near by and friends in the area, I spend a lot of time eating on Capitol Hill. And time after time, I come back to Seventh Hill. It is a perfect little neighborhood joint, with just a few tables and friendly staff, a small menu and a couple daily specials, it’s a restaurant I never get tired of. Owned by the folks behind French bistro and next door neighbor Montmartre, it wouldn’t seem like a French team would know much about pizza, but they surely do. The stones that make up the oven — the architectural center of the restaurant — are imported from France, but the cooking is all Italian. Chef Anthony Pilla (only 24-years old!) makes a spectacle of his pie making, swiftly tossing dough in the air with the greatest of ease.

‘Don’t hate.’
courtesy of ‘jsmjr’

As I said, the menu is small, but I’ve yet to find anything I haven’t loved. As a girl who normally specifies that her pizza be “anything with meat” it’s pretty amazing that my favorite Seventh Hill pizza is all veggie. The Lincoln Park has zucchini, artichoke, portobello mushrooms, mozzarella and rosemary, a nice woody pizza that won’t leave you feeling like you just slathered baby oil all over your face. And though most of the specialty pizzas are meatless, when I’ve got a craving for something porcine I head for the Seventh Street — a salty prosciutto and roasted red pepper concoction. My final favorite, besides you know, all of them, is the Eastern Market. I’ve never seen a pizza with mushroom and olive tapenade and goat cheese before, but somehow it works.

Besides the small menu of speciality pizzas and the obligatory make-your-own list, there is usually a daily special of a pizza, a panini and a soup. Displayed on a chalkboard inside the restaurant, you can expect rustic soups and delicious, melty sandwiches. Splitting a small pizza and a panini with a friend is a great way to do Seventh Hill, especially since it leaves room in your tummy for the piece de resistance– the nutella calzone. It’s exactly how it sounds — Seventh Hill’s delicious dough wrapped around a healthy (ha!) shmear of nutella and fired in their brick oven. Served simply on a wood board dusted with powdered sugar, it is a gooey, messy, life-changing dessert.

‘Seventh Hill Pizza’
courtesy of ‘kspidel’

Seventh Hill may be just a tiny neighborhood restaurant, but it passes my time-honored test of “would I drive across town for it?” And I do, often. If you get there and there’s a line, don’t be deterred. Most of the orders seem to be carry out, and the guys behind the counter are quick. Now that the weather is starting to turn for the better, I can’t wait to spend some more time on their patio, munching my nutella calzone in a state of bliss. I don’t do yoga, I’ve never meditated, but I do eat pizza. Namaste.

Seventh Hill Pizza is located at 327 7th St. SE. The closest Metro station is Eastern Market (Orange/Blue Lines). For more information, call 202-544-1911.

Photo Courtesy Tricia Barba

Xavier Cervera’s Pacifico might still be working to get a liquor license, but Senart’s Oyster House, the restaurateur’s fourth Barracks Row location, looks more and more like a restaurant every day.

When I was putting together my list of 2011 Restaurant Openings, I noticed that Senart’s was originally “aiming” for a December 2010 opening. Of course, with the snails-pace that is DC sometimes, a “missed” target date is always expected. Still curious, I spoke with Shawn Case, one of Cervera’s right-hand-men.

Case assured me that Senart’s would open in early Spring 2011, and I can’t wait to see the distinguished 50-foot-long bar. With so many restaurants popping up on Capitol Hill, it will be nice having another with a nice local tie. Senart’s is named after another oyster house at the same location open between 1913-1939.

‘Senart’s Oyster House’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

The 80-seat restaurant will have a New Orleans vibe and serve various oysters, gumbo, and possibly even dry-aged chops, an idea Cervera is still throwing around. It will also serve more bar food than Cervera’s Chesapeake Room. The menu is still under works, and decisions on dishes & final assembly haven’t been made yet. So if you have a suggestion, get it in now!

Case tells me that as diners walk in they will see four gorgeous chandeliers over-hanging the 50-foot dark, walnut bar covered in white Carrara marble with a very tall back bar, as well as numerous flat-screens along the left.  The first 12 feet will be a raw bar, where the oysters will be shucked and prepped.  For you history buffs there are also two fireplaces at Senart’s, both resurrected from the previous oyster bar. And make sure to check out the old “ghost mural” on the side, which will be restored thanks to a government grant.

Sounds amazing.

I hear Senart’s might even open before the spring. Most of the time I agree with the motto – “the more options, the better,” and in this case I’ll add “the sooner, the better” as well. Few things beat sitting on a patio in the spring…

Side notes: If you are following Cervera’s Pacifico, still currently Capitol Video Sales (514 8th St. SE), the Latin tapas restaurant is trying to work out a voluntary agreement with the ANC. Two other restaurants to keep an eye out for on the Row? Nooshi and Moby Dick, depending on politics. EMMCA has the details.

Senart’s Oyster House will be located at 520 8th st SE. The closest metro is Eastern Market (Blue/Orange lines).

Photo Credit: Greg Powers

I have to believe that one of the worst locations to open a restaurant right now is on the south side of H St. NE. If it wasn’t hard enough to establish yourself, try doing it from behind chain link fencing and the giant crater that will hopefully be a street car track one day. I have a hard enough time figuring out where to cross the street that most of the time I just give up and end up at Sticky Rice. I was determined the other night though, so I made it through the war zone that is the construction barricades and finally found myself at Smith Commons, the newest restaurant/lounge to open on H St.

The restaurant itself is a massive structure — three floors plus a deck that will be open sometime in the Spring. The second and third floors are billed as the “Public House” and while they have tables for full dinner service, they are most definitely made for drinking. There are big cushy sofas and banquettes for lounging, but it’s put together in a haphazard way that’s more eclectic-cool than college hand-me-down chic. It’s the perfect place to belly up to a leather bench with a one of Smith Common’s cocktails. I tried the Felicity Watermelon Smith, which is tequila, lime juice, ginger syrup, watermelon, basil and club soda. Had I not been driving, I would have had about five more of those. Friends at our table gave high marks to the classic margarita as well, and a big thumbs up went to the traditional Pisco Sour.

Smith Commons isn’t all liquor all the time though. Their beer list is extensive, with about forty permanent and seasonal craft beers both on tap and bottled, coming from the United States, Canada, Belgium, Germany, Scotaland and Ireland. The wine list isn’t huge but has something for everyone, with plenty of wines by the glass for under $10.

Photo by Greg Powers

But what of the food, right? My meal started off strong. The beef carpaccio was beautifully prepared with just the right about of salt and pepper and caper oil, and my “mushroom cappuccino” was so creamy and flavorful it gave my mom’s Thanksgiving cream of mushroom soup a run for its money. My main course was a bit underwhelming though. My sea bass was cooked fine, but without a hard sear or a little bit of crunch to it, it was just a little mushy. It would have been perfect for my grandmother though – a bit on the bland side and quite easy to chew. The folks at the table that ordered the lamb chops with potatoes and grilled eggplant were in better shape than me — the lamb was lovely and rich, and the winter veggies made for a comforting dish on a cold night. Once again for dessert, I chose wrong. While I ordered the underwhelming chocolate crepe, my friends at the table with the Belgian chocolate lava cake were the big winners. (I should have known better, Executive Chef Frederik De Pue is from Belgium after all.) It was oh-so chocolately, but with a tiny portion cut with vanilla whipped cream, it was perfect.

Though the food was at some points less than exciting, the dishes made for snacking while drinking definitely have the most appeal. The Public House menu is rife with fancy bar favorites like crab cake sliders, fish & chips, those tasty lamb chops and Angus beef sliders. A friend recently tried the burger off the dining room menu and deemed it “bitchin’.” That’s high praise if I’ve ever heard it. And Smith Commons wants you to indulge your inner nibbler with their “Smith Hour” happy hour. Tuesday through Friday from 5pm to 7pm, bars on all three levels will feature $5 favorites, a specially chosen selection of beer, wine, cocktails and small plates.

Photo by Greg Powers

My best advice with Smith Commons would be to go with friends who love to chat and drink, and wear comfortable shoes. On a random, cold Thursday night when I was there, the entire restaurant was packed. So much for my theory about that tough location behind the street car tracks.

Smith Commons is located at 1245 H St. NE. The closest Metro station is Union Station (Red Line). For more information and reservations, call 202-396-0038.

Much like the diners of my youth, Ted’s is a fantastic fall back restaurant. Not to say that it’s not a destination unto itself, it just works as my go-to place when nothing else excites me. And in this dreary time of year, I’m uninspired and therefore eating at Ted’s a whole lot. And it’s really working out well for me.

The thing I may love most of all about Ted’s is the breakfast. Not only because the food is great in that kill the hangover pain way, but because it’s available every day, all day. Number one, in what universe is breakfast all day not genius? And two, where are the other restaurants that serve me breakfast on a Tuesday when I’m “sick” and/or “working from home?” Thanks Ted’s, for serving my needs. After a breakfast from Ted’s, there’s really no need for another meal that day. Just like all their dishes, portions are large and we aren’t exactly talking about figure friendly ingredients. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

‘No Shame!’
courtesy of ‘essgee51′

I employ the “go big or go home” approach to breakfast here, and as a result have had a food epiphany at the hands of the T.U.B.S. Sandwich. Not for the faint of heart or sodium intake, it’s two slices of Texas toast hugging a heavy serving of scrambled eggs, a fried egg, sausage, a few slices of bacon and cheese. It’s heaven. I don’t know if I could eat it more than a couple times in my life, but I’m definitely better for that brush with cardiac death. Other quite honorable mentions include the aptly named Walk of Shame Breakfast Burrito, and the old school pancake stack.

There are, strangely enough, days when I’m not in the mood for breakfast. The menu can be daunting, just as much for the fact that it is the size of a newspaper than for the caloric content that lies within. I usually stick to the sandwich and burger area of the menu (see above re: portion size) but I have never been disappointed. The Rachel (or turkey ruben to you laymen) is creamy and satisfying and flashes me back to those diner days of yore in a second. I’m also a huge fan of the burgers — my favorite is the Southwest (West Virginia) Burger because between the avocado, green chile sauce and white cheddar, it’s a feat of delicious physics. I also have it from a reliable source that the Peanut Butter Bacon Burger, while one of the most disgusting sounding burgers I’ve ever heard of, is actually quite good. He qualifies things by saying it’s not for the meek, but the combo of sweet and savory will leave you happy on the way to your EKG.

‘Rack of Ribs’
courtesy of ‘essgee51′

Again, I can’t really speak to the entrees because I’m more of a comes-with-a-bun type of gal, but my dining companions have given high marks to the Chicken Fried Steak and the meatloaf. Both reminded them of Mom, and I really can’t think of a much better compliment than that.

When talking desserts at Ted’s, they less remind me of Mom than they do of the vending machine at my middle school. And you better believe that’s a good thing. We’ve got their version of Twinkies, homemade Pop-Tarts, Oatmeal Cream Pies that would make Little Debbie jealous plus a few superb non-plastic wrapped delicacies. I’m a big fan of the giant slab of carrot cake, though time after time I end up with a Pop-Tart. I’m a sucker for sprinkles.

‘12.10.10′
courtesy of ‘Paige Weaver’

Is Ted’s technically a diner? By no means. It’s classy light years beyond the diners I grew up with, though it still hits the high points I remember so fondly. And now that I don’t have to leave at 10pm when my mom comes to pick me up, it’s even better.

Ted’s Bulletin is located at 505 8th St. SE. The closest Metro station is Eastern Market (Orange Line). For more information, call 202-544-8337.

Like

Unlike

Ever since Locanda abruptly closed last summer, I’ve been anxious to see what would open up in its place. I would walk by the giant picture window every few weeks and there Locanda would sit, fully made up for service knowing full well it wouldn’t be serving anyone anytime soon. It was like a shrine to pasta plates of time gone by.

And then just as unexpectedly as it closed, one day a year later the ghost place settings were gone and work was in progress for a new restaurant. Enter: Ba Bay.

At first glance, it seems like not much has changed to the interior of the restaurant. The space is still noticeably narrow, the bar is still on the back left wall, and the decor is sparse. However, the subtle changes that owners (and cousins) Denise and Khoa Nguyen have made are what gives the restaurant its homey feel. Gone are the Eames-style chairs and high-impact lighting of Locanda, and instead they’ve lowered the lights to a ambient glow and replaced the tables with warm wood-tops.

‘The Bok Choy of Your Dreams’
courtesy of ‘Madame Meow’

The staff is casual and significantly cooler than me, and reminds me more of friends showing me their favorite restaurant than someone hoping I don’t stick them with a 7% tip at the end of the night. Owners Denise and Khoa are more than friendly, and are happy to walk you through the menu pointing out some of their favorites. And they should know the menu – many of the dishes are derived from their grandmother’s original recipes. Taking on the task of recreating these family dishes is Chef Nick Sharpe, formerly of Sonoma. Chef Sharpe has a decidedly un-Vietnamese culinary background (in fact, his background is in Italian food) but he has taken on the Nguyen family food secrets wholeheartedly.

At first I was a little disappointed to see that Sharpe hadn’t worked his Italian background into the dishes in a noticeable way, though once I thought about it more, that sounds like a fairly odd combination anyway. While most of the dishes stay true to their traditional recipes, some seem to have been altered to appeal more to American palates. (Whether or not Americanizing traditional ethnic food is a good idea is a discussion for another time.) For instance, the Shaky Beef, a dish wherein small cubes of beef are shaken in an incredibly hot pan until cooked entirely through, is now prepared as a whole piece and then sliced after to keep the meat tender. In my opinion, an improvement.

Photo Courtesy of Ba bay

Photo Courtesy of Ba Bay

We weren’t really in the mood for dessert, but when pressed to order something sweet, I’ll do it. We ended up with Avocado Milkshake with caramel and the Coffee Pudding with condensed milk ice cream. Whether it was the fact that we were just too full, or that they actually weren’t that great – I was not impressed. I would have been much happier with some fruit sticky rice instead of these mousses that were a bit flavorless and not much to write home about.

Photo Courtesy of Ba Bay

Ba Bay is located at 633 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. The closest Metro station is Eastern Market (Orange line). For more information, call 202-547-1787.

DC-3 is the newest restaurant from the team behind the uber-popular Matchbox and Ted’s Bulletin. Located right down the street from Ted’s along 8th St. SE, DC-3 looks more like a shrine to the plane it’s named for than a restaurant. A giant propeller greets you as you walk in, and I implore you not to stand up too quickly if you’re sitting at the table underneath it, lest you meet the Raiders of the Lost Ark-style fate of those bumbling Nazis.

Courtesy of matchbox Food Group

But you’re not coming here for a street meat dog, right? I sure wasn’t. The menu is a little daunting since with seventeen specialty dogs, it’s pretty tough to choose which direction you want to go in. The first on the menu, and most popular, is the Chicago 7. It’s a classic Chicago hot dog complete with tomato, pickle spear, “Nuclear” green relish, onions, sport peppers, yellow mustard and celery salt. It’s a lot in one bite, but the relish and the peppers really are a wake-up call for your taste buds. My personal favorite was (surprisingly) the Q’s Seoul Bulgogi & Kimchi. By no means the prettiest thing I’ve ever eaten, it’s a beef dog with marinated rib-eye Bulgogi and pickled kimchi. This, friends, is not your mother’s 4th of July hot dog. The kimchi is really spicy and the beef is super flavorful. It would have been just as good over rice instead of a hot dog, but in this case it somehow works.

Courtesy of matchbox Food Group

Not everything was as successful as the first two, and unfortunately it was the local favorites that suffered. DC-3 does do their version of a half-smoke, and while it is quite good and would probably impress just about every tourist who has always wanted to try one, Ben’s Chili Bowl doesn’t exactly need to worry. I also wasn’t a big fan of the Bay Bridge Pretzel Dog. It has all the components to make it a great dish, but while the Q’s Seoul dog made odd toppings work on a hot dog, the Bay Bridge falls short. It’s a large hot dog on a thick pretzel roll, and by the time you put their (albeit tasty) crab dip on top, it’s a little too rich to eat. I do give them props for rocking Old Bay on a hot dog though; I’m taking that idea home with me.

Something should be said for the attention to detail the owners put in to designing the menu. Not only did they head to New York to do extensive research, but the ingredients of each specialty hot dog is thought out in such a way that everything makes sense. The Cincinnati Coney has real Cincinnati chili on it, the Philly Cheesesteak dog has Cheese Whiz on it, and the Razorback dog is Arkansas’ own Petit Jean Cheese & Bacon Dog. The detail I was most impressed by though, was the attention paid to the bread. No plain old steamed buns here (except in the meticulously planned out NYC Street Vendor Dog), instead the owners have designed the bun of each speciality dog to compliment the ingredients. The heavy pretzel bun stands up to the richness of the Bay Bridge Dog, while the Lyon Frankfurt Loaf (my personal favorite) is like eating a hotdog out of buttered challah.

Photo Courtesy of matchbox Food Group

Are these the most perfect hot dogs known to man? Well, not necessarily. But for between $4-$7 you can get some mighty creative options. And if this gives me an excuse to eat a bacon-wrapped hot dog in the name of creativity, I’m all over it. Oh, and they have cotton candy. ‘Nuff said.

DC-3 is located at 423 8th St. SE. The closest Metro station is Eastern Market (Orange Line). For more information, call 202-546-1935.

I don’t love the “Hill” in the way some people do – I’m not so political and certainly am not involved in all the Congressional happenings, but I do adore the neighborhoods that make Capitol Hill fabulous. Eastern Market has such charm, and I’ve found myself spending weekends on Barrack’s Row. What better excuse than to celebrate a part of the city that I love than by heading to The Hilly’s on Friday night?

Awards will be given to some of the Hill’s best eats and drinks – favorites like Granville Moores, SOVA, Ted’s Bulletin are all up to win. Plus local businesses like Frager’s and Bikram Yoga are up for awards, too. Ticket prices are $65 for CHAMPS members, $75 for Buy Local members and $80 for the general public.Price includes open bar and food, with guest bartenders from Wisdom, Tunnicliff’s, Argonaut and Matchbox.

Capitol Hill staffers have been keeping a very appealing, little secret from the rest of DCers and her name is “The Pearl Lady”. Apparently every year around the holidays, The Pearl Lady who owns a pearl shop in Beijing, visits DC to sell her pearls at ridiculous low prices. According to a WLDC author, The Pearl Lady usually operates out of a townhouse and the scene is a total madhouse with Congressional staffers waiting in line for hours and departing with strands and strands of beautiful, opulent pearls.

According to The Pearl Lady’s website (www.pearl-lady.com) she’s got some serious VIP clientele including Laura Bush, Madeleine Albright, Condolezza Rice, and Bill Clinton (cue pearl necklace jokes.)

The Pearl Lady opens shop today at 446 New Jersey Ave, SE from 10am to 6pm and will be opened everyday until November 16.

Unless you’ve been hiding in a hole for the last few weeks, then you’re well aware that today is Election Day 2010!!! If you’ve indeed been in a cave of darkness, then you can find your polling place courtesy of this DCBOEE map. The DCBOEE also has complete lists of the candidates in Ballot Order and ANC candidates.

In addition to casting your vote for specific candidates, DC is also voting on Charter Amendment IV (aka “The Elected Attorney General Charter Amendment”). Currently, the Attorney General for the District of Columbia is appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Council of the District of Columbia. This Charter Amendment, if passed, would amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to allow voters to elect the Attorney General for a 4-year term of office. If voters approve of this amendment and the U.S. Congress does not reject the measure, residents of the District of Columbia would begin voting for the Attorney General in 2014.

This morning President Obama issued the below video. His message is simple. Get out and exercise your right to change history by voting.

Like

Unlike

Dear Congress:

You’ll let a comedian come in and testify as a fictional character, but we’re still waiting for voting representation? Thanks for nothing.

Love,
DC, you know, your neighbors

PS: Colbert’s testimony was actually pretty pointed and is worth a watch, which you can do after the jump.

God bless The Hill for giving Washingtonians a chance to judge based solely on appearance, every once in a while.  It’s a luxury we can seldom afford. In case you’re wondering what I’m talking about, The Hill has released its annual “50 Most Beautiful” list.  So, you know what to do.  Breeze through and wonder how Senator X beat out Senator Y, or how staffer X got number 2 when she is clearly less pretty than number 17. Scott Brown did, of course, make the list, but notably absent was Rep. Aaron Schock. All in all, the Democrats destroyed in terms of looks, with 29 representatives on the list, to the Republicans’ 17 and the Independents’ 4. I guess liberals really are hotter. What are your thoughts? Did anyone get gypped? And who would you have picked for number 1?

After years of scouring, the DDOT historians have posted some fantastic photos of our beloved city from the 1940s thru the 1960s to their Flickr account. The set features cityscapes from all over the district, including an awesome shot from an open air parking lot on H Street NE, a Harlem-esque looking F & 13th Street, and Tenley Circle with streetcar tracks.

My favorite pic is the shot of Rosslyn looking over the Key Bridge to DC taken in 1945.  It’s amazing to think of the now skyscraper filled neighborhood as only having two and three storied buildings. Some may remember one of last remaining relics of that era, Tom Sarris Orleans House, which tragically closed in 2008. That place was definitely a DC insiders go to.

Rachel: Well, I’m fresh off a stint in Nashville to audition for American Idol. It didn’t go my way but I learned a lot and am ready to rock out harder than ever before after being “cut” from the program before ever seeing any air-time. I’ve got a gig booked for Saturday night at the Tonic Lounge (located at 2036 G Street NW, near the Foggy Bottom Metro). I’m not the only entertainment on tap, several artists from the DC area will take the stage too. So grab a drink at the bar, stay for the tunes, and if you’re a Glee fan I guarantee a solid new cover added to my repertoire from the second half of last season’s show. Not gonna tell you what it is, you’ll have to stop by to hear it. Show starts at 8 p.m. with a $5 cover. I’ll also have albums on sale with proceeds going to the National Kidney Foundation in honor of my late father who received a heart transplant in 1999. Hope to see you there! It should be a rockin’ good time.

Patrick: Weeks of no social life ends this weekend. Noises Off! opens this Saturday at Keegan Theatre in Dupont Circle. As the stage manager I’ll be in the booth playing the role of incompetent sound technician #1. No seriously, come see the show and watch the actors freak out at me during Act III. The show will run through August so I hope to see everybody there eventually. While I’m running the show I’ll also be trying to figure out where to eat and drink before and after performances- anybody have any suggestions for places I should check out around 17th Street?

Max: Friday night I’ll be killing two birds with one museum at the Hirshhorn After Hours – drinking alcohol and viewing the Yves Klein exhibit that I’ve heard great things about.  I’ll also be swinging by the opening for PORTRAY, a photography exhibit curated by Frank Hallam Day at Addison Ripley in Georgetown. Saturday night I’l be attending the closing party for Mixology II at Curator’s Office, a photography show that benefits Doctors Without Borders, and then checking out work by the new 2010 Hamiltonian Fellows.  Sunday I’ll be sleeping as much as possible, but I’d like to go see Inception since everyone seems to be freaking out about it.

”
courtesy of ‘julianne’s’

Dave L.: To commemorate a personal milestone of reaching my late 20s (trust me, that’s impressive if we’ve met), I’ll be ringing in the celebrations with my good friends Dave Matthews and Zac Brown at Nationals Park. After the show, it’s a whirlwind weekend of the normal activities: alumni league softball with a chance to win the division, a little bit of a cookout/pool party, some craziness at Little Miss Whiskey’s, and then practicing for four upcoming gigs: one next week and three in August.

Rebecca: Sometimes there’s nothing grander than keeping one of your weekend nights completely open, so that’s what I’m doing with my Friday night. I may go down to the Waterfront. I may go check out Inception. I may check out Drive-By Truckers at the 930 Club. I don’t know. I’ll go where the mood takes me. Saturday: I’m desperate for some farmers market produce, so the Georgetown Farmers Market is calling my name. Depending on the level of hotness and humidity, I’d like to bike down to the Mall and tour around. Haven’t gone down there in a while. Sunday: Relazing by the Volta Park pool sounds like a good idea. I hope I can catch some sort of a tan for my pasty whiteness.

Jenn: I’m breathing a deep sigh of relief as I face off a weekend not as crazily jam-packed as usual. Tonight I’m off to see my last Fringe show, Terre Haute, about the correspondence between Timothy McVeigh and Gore Vidal. Should be a barrel of laughs (just kidding, I think it will be a deeply philosophical debate). Friday sees me out on 17th Street to slurp some oysters at Hank’s and then sip some raki at Agora (hmm, dangerous combo?). I’m sure I can slip some Rickey’s in there somewhere, the contest ends soon so get out there and enjoy. The rest of the weekend is devoted to the zen of house chores. They have to be done sometime!

‘Silver Strollers’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

Tom: Given the horrific weekend forecast, I’m moving all my activities to the early morning: a quick trip to the farm and the farm markets in the morning on Saturday, and light yard maintenance on Sunday.  Of course, there are a lot of great places to hide in the shade and from the heat in this kind of weather, and I may let my air conditioning off the hook for the weekend.  I was thinking I might go down to the Sculpture Garden and put my feet in the fountain, or go see Toy Story 3, finally.  I’m also thinking that in that kind of heat, there’s no way I’m cooking. I’m thinking Ray’s River East.

Kirk: This weekend is my first in town in two weeks, so I’m thinking I’ll stick with some of my classic activities.  Like Rebecca, I’m keeping my Friday open to see where the winds of fortune direct me.  I’m guessing it will be to Red Derby, but who knows.  I’ve had this urge to cook all week and I’m planning on using Saturday morning and afternoon to satiate it, and then some.  On Saturday night I might cruise over to HR-57 to catch some jazz, and then on Sunday I’ll probably take a contemplative stroll through the National Cathedral, listening to whatever guest choir happens to be signing.

Michael: This Saturday I am going to see these guys and I can’t wait!

Like

Unlike

Whenever I mention Market Lunch to people, and I do often, I always get the same response: “Oh, I’ve heard that place is so great–but I’ve never been.” I don’t know if it’s the lines that scare folks away, or the Soup Nazi-esque ordering system, but don’t be afraid! It’s a quintessential Washington experience that no one should miss, and a great meal to boot. My trips to Eastern Market are almost always wrapped around meal time to make sure I can take advantage of all that Market Lunch has to offer.

It’s true, the lines are long, especially for breakfast. It’s routine to see folks waiting in line while reading a book. A LONG book. But the line moves quickly (unless you’ve got a confused newbie in front of you, grrrr) and you have some time to chat with your fellow Washingtonians while you wait. Once I met a man in line who said he ate the famous Brick sandwich every Saturday morning for ten years. I didn’t ask him how many bypass surgeries he’d had as a result–sometimes ignorance is bliss.

‘Eastern Market Lunch – Breakfast Brick’
courtesy of ‘CathyLovesDC’

And the Brick is what breakfast is all about. It’s a homemade biscuit with your choice of meat (mine is always sausage), eggs, cheese and that which makes it what it is–the fried potatoes. It’s called the Brick because that sucker will sit in your stomach all day, but it is well worth it. There is another school of thought with the Market Lunch breakfast–those who love the “blue bucks.” To the layman, those would be their famous blueberry buckwheat pancakes. They are made essentially just of butter and fluffiness, but folks are downright obsessive when it comes to these pancakes. I’m still partial to the Brick though. If I’m waiting in that line, I want something that will stave off hunger for at least a week. It ain’t pretty, but it’s love.

‘Breakfast Over’
courtesy of ‘Rory Finneren’

Though they are known for their breakfast, take the name literally sometime and try it out for lunch. Whereas you’re able to get breakfast favorites in the morning, lunchtime is all about D.C.’s culinary specialties. Crabcakes, soft shell crabs, fried oysters and fried whiting sandwiches are just a little sampling of what the chalkboard menu has to offer. If they’re in season (go now! they are!) you must try the softshell crabs. They’re flash fried in a way only a Eastern Shore girl like myself could love and served up either on a sandwich, or in platter form. If you’re there and you’ve waited in line, spring for the platter. The fries are heavenly and the potato salad will leave you speechless.

‘a taste of the Chesapeake’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99′

There are things to keep in mind when eating at Market Lunch, especially for the first time. First–cash only. I can’t tell you the weight of the epic eye rolls you will get from the diners behind you in line if you try and pay with a card. Second–know what you want. See above, re: eye rolls. Third–there is little to no seating. The coveted seats at the long table go quickly and are only available to those who are physically eating and no doing much else. I prefer to take mine to go and sit out on the grass in the shade. Fourth–breakfast is not served on Sundays. Everyone learns that the hard way.

So go, don’t be nervous, you’ll thank me. Just don’t go Saturdays around 10:30am, that’s when I go. One more person in line and I just may lose it.

Like

Unlike

2nd Annual Congressional Softball Game

Yesterday at Guy Mason Park in Glover Park, female members of the media took on female members of Congress in the 2nd annual Congressional Women’s Softball Game to benefit Young Survival Coalition.

Both teams were stacked with a who’s who list of Washington pols and reporters, including Captains Dana Bash of CNN and Shailagh Murray of the WaPo, and Captains Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a principal organizer of the event, who was diagnosed with breast cancer two years at the age of 41. MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell and Sen. Amy Klobuchar announced the game and kept the friendly banter going.Very entertaining.

Off the field, it was a politico convention. DC’s First Lady Michelle Fenty kicked off the game was the first pitch. Supreme Court Justice, and Yankee’s fan, Sonia Sotomayor hungout in the Congressional dugout and Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in the second inning. Also spotted at the event were Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Minority Leader John Boehner, Majority Whip Eric Cantor, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, etc.

Speaker Pelosi at the 2nd Annual Congressional Softball Game

Despite getting insider tips from the Georgetown Hoyas, the Congressional team fell to the Media team 13-7. Personally, I’m quite surprised the media team pulled it out, because from the innings I caught, their team was Strug-g-ling. I’m talking missed pop ups and dinky throwing. Perhaps the Congresswomen were not as solid at base running as I thought. My suggestion for next year is to add some bloggers to the mix. This way we, and yes I’m including myself in the media group, can dominate.

Like

Unlike

Summer is my favorite season, I’ve made no secret of that on this here blog over the years. DC comes alive in the summer, with events galore. And if you’re new to DC, or new to We Love DC, or even an old faithful reader (and we love you for that, truly) I just wanted to take some time to point out that we’ve got you covered for summer.

So here is my short list of things I love about summer in DC and links to articles that we’ve written in the past to help you get the most out of it. (We call this unabashedly re-purposing content.)

So without futher ado:  

‘mmm…free goo…’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99′
1) Ice Cream: Last summer I rounded up all my favorite spots to eat ice cream, and you guys all told me in the comments the places that I missed.

‘Donovan House Pool Side Bar’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’
2) Rooftop bars: I wrote up a list of everyone’s favorite rooftop bars.

‘Chilled Soup, Hot Summer’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’
3) Cold food for hot days: Last summer I wrote up a whole article on my favorite cold foods, included recipes and told you the best places to get them if you didn’t want to make them at home.

‘Rehoboth Beach’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’
4) Going to the beach: My girlfriends and I visited Rehoboth and I recounted the lovely experience for you.

‘Just Another Sight’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’
5) The Mount Vernon Trail: One of my favorite places to run and cycle in DC is even better in warm weather.

‘This Makes Rosslyn Fun’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’
6) Outdoor film festivals: Last year when HBO took away (and then gave back) Screen on the Green, Tiffany went looking for alternatives for you. Most of them will be happening again this summer. Personally, I love Rosslyn’s films (this year they’re doing I love the 90s!)

‘Stella on the Harbor’
courtesy of ‘needlessspaces’
7) The Food & Wine Festival: I had so much fun at the National Food and Wine Festival at National Harbor last year that I’m dying to go back.