The Weekly Feed
We've noticed that an increasing number of food resources have popped up recently in the D.C. blog world. In addition to the eGullet D.C. and Delmarva forum, DCFoodies, and DCFüd, new arrivals include Don Rockwell's new project, frequent DCist commenter Matt Singerman's vegetarian food blog, and the not-really-new-but-new-to-us DC Food Blog. To help keep all of these sites -- and any other food news that comes our way -- together for you, DCist introduces The Weekly Feed, a compilation of the week's food news.
Really Want to be Cheap? Save Your $5
Back when we lived in the hinterlands of P.G. County, we saw the Cheap Eats issue of The Washingtonian as a handy guide on where to get good grub in the D.C. area without hurting our wallets. That view has changed significantly since moving into the District and improving our palates. This month's issue -- conveniently timed to coincide with the annual intern swarm, as usual -- is particularly bad, and other area foodies have made the same observation. (full disclosure: yes, this DCist started the first thread. The second started independently.) There's lots to dislike about this annual feature, like inclusion of consistently mediocre restaurants like Sorriso, Lauriol Plaza, and Cafe Spice -- none of which are particularly affordable. We'll never understand the allure of Lauriol Plaza, and chain restaurant Cafe Spice received a pretty rough review from the Post. Also, it looks like the editors of this issue took a bit of a vacation. For example, on the quick reference Silver Spring's Mandalay is listed as located in College Park, its old home. And the cuisine in the capsule is described as Malaysian. Finally -- and this bit riled us the most -- there are zero Ethiopian restaurants listed. In one of the few American cities where one can find a "Little Ethiopia," this oversight is maddening. And it's not new -- no Ethiopian spots showed up on the 2004 list either.
More Seats for Soul Food Fans
Speaking of left out of the Cheap Eats issue: if you haven't had a chance to stop in at Oohhs and Aahhs, the soul food restaurant at 10th and U streets NW, you now have no excuse. A couple weeks ago, proprietors India and Oji (we apologize for not catching your last names) expanded from their tiny six seat counter to a larger upstairs dining room -- which means no more fighting to sit down and enjoy their to-die-for macaroni and cheese. For $14, you get enough food for two days. The one problem with the upstairs dining area: you don't get to enjoy the conversation with India and other patrons, which was a highlight of our meal.
Would You Like some Nicoderm with Your Meal?
It seems that each week a different restaurant emerges as the target of numerous gripes on Tom Sietema's weekly chats. This week, it was Old Town's Restaurant Eve. The chief complaint: rude service for diners who left the table for a mid-meal cigarette. However, there are always two sides to a story, and here we have to side with the chef. At Fridays or some other cookie cutter chain, where the food isn't cooked with the degreee of care Cathal Armstrong gives it? Go ahead, leave the table and puff away. But when you're eating fine cuisine, timing is a crucial element. A few minutes extra sitting on a table and the quality of the food really suffers. We think they were right to question the patrons. Of course, one could argue that the patrons should have the option to leave -- but then they may just complain about the food. Its really a lose-lose situation for the restaurant.
It's Summer, Get Crabby
Finally, with Taste of DC unceremoniously cancelled, maybe you should consider a road trip to kick off your summer. Most of the local beach resorts will be jammed with tourists, but if you're willing to go well out of your way, DCFüd gives Delmar's Old Mill Crab House high marks. DCFüd writer MJF gets all of the obligatory Wayne's World/Delaware jokes out of the way, but we wonder -- how does Old Mill stack up to Annapolis institution Cantler's?
Image of Oohhs and Aahhs sign courtesy of Tom Lee