I Have to Call You Back, It's On
If you're a DCist regular, you know that we've posted once or twice or thrice or more times about Warren Brown and CakeLove. We find ourselves here yet again, with Warren stepping up to washingtonpost.com's chatters to discuss the local furor that is his refrigerated cake. We thought about live-blogging the chat, but decided that was too meta for us; we're opting for the post-incident run down instead.

Fortunately for all of our sanity, the chat was tame enough. The intractable debate between the "let it sit and warm" and the "need to eat it now" camps on the cake made little headway. Warren again "invited" us to let it warm up, likening it to the process of chilling white wine (a poor analogy, for those of you studying the LSAT). Rabble rousers continued to poke at him about how it isn't realistic to wait (all of whom are apparently starving to death). We just like cake, and think all of it tastes pretty good cold or room temperature.

The chat wasn't all hissing and scratching, though. Turns out CakeLove2 is opening up in Silver Spring in the next few weeks, and Warren will continue to travel all over creation with his Food Network showSugar Rush. He's eyeing opening a place friendly to people with special dietary needs, and he knows a good recipe for seven-minute icing.

While we're skeptical about the primacy of his cakes in the D.C. market, we certainly applaud him for striking out to bake up some goodness, butter, fat and all.

Have You Seen This Woman?
You might have, because she's a local. She also has a new book out, The New American Cooking, that shows, through recipies, how the changing face of America is causing a changing plate as well. DCist has spied the authoress at the Dupont Circle Farmers Market, and have heard her on both local and national radio programs. If you want to check her out for yourself, pop by the Cleveland Park Branch Library (3310 Connecticut Ave. NW) at 6:30 on Monday the 12th. Look for a more in-depth look at the D.C. resident's new cookbook in the coming weeks.

Had Enough Santa?
If your kids (or roommates) are anything like we were as kids, they will be clamoring for every single opportunity to sit on Santa's lap this season. Don't celebrate Christmas? Count this a point in your favor. If you're looking for a way out of the reindeer and elf-themed horror show, consider DC Coast's Holiday Baking for Kids class with their pastry chef, David Guas. You and your ankle-biter can go for $50, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday the 10th. Stop by DC Coast at 1401 K Street, NW or call 202-222-0987 for more information.

On the Rez
You know what DCist likes? We like it when you call a restaurant, ask for a reservation, arrive at the appointed hour, and are seated within a reasonable amount of time. You know what else we like? We like it when you're out strolling with friends, checking out local architectural landmarks or visiting our animal neighbors, and are able to grab a table at a popular place without a reservation. Somehow, however, people are getting worked up about being able to have both. We know, we can't believe it either.

Woodley Park eatery Dino has prompted a commenter in Tom Sietsema's chat to lambaste the establishment's friendliness to the neighborhood. Proprietor Dean Gold, responding like the class-act he is, said that the restaurant was taking reservations for half the tables to manage the crush of folks clamoring for their cheese courses and smoked meat plates (get the bresaola!). The compromise seems rational to us. Would you rather have an hour wait for a place that doesn't take reservations, or have little chance of eating at a place because it's booked up?

Joan Nathan photo by Murray Bognovitz for National Public Radio. CakeLove photo from flickr.com user furcafe, and used under a Creative Commons license.