Opinionist: A D.C. Dish
On Sundays, DCist publishes opinion pieces about life in D.C. Today's column comes to us from reader John Heaton. If you have an opinion to share, please email us.
Almost every city has it; some local delicacy that represents the roots or fabric of the area. NYC has cheesecake and pizza, Philly has cheesesteaks, and, going out to the left coast, the Seattle area has coffee and smoked salmon. What does D.C. have?
Nothing.
Some people could say crab cakes, but that is more of a Chesapeake Bay/Baltimore delicacy. Ben's Chili Bowl? Probably the closest we have, but that is more of a brand of chili and not a unifying dish that binds residents of the District across political and economic lines.
There are several possible explanations for this oversight in the development of D.C. Unlike most places in this country, which were founded by settlers or colonists, the District was created somewhat out of the blue along the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. People who worked along these waterways had more loyalty to the states that gave up land to form this new city. In came people from all over the United States, bringing different cultural influences that never quite stuck.
At no point in the development of the region has a singular culture, other than politics, taken root. Government employees come and go with the ebb and flow of elections, making it difficult for traditions to take hold.
Contrast this with other cities: Eastern European immigrants brought perogies to Pittsburgh while Italians gave NY pizza. In these cases immigrant populations enriched the areas they settled into making their cuisine as much a part of the city as they were. Although DC does have its share of immigrants coming in from around the world, it feels like no specific culture has made a lasting mark. Ambassadors, Heads of State, and government employees flock in just as much as someone uprooting their lives to start over. They just don't stick around for too long.
D.C. does have it's own pool of residents who call DC their home, who never leave. Why have they not left their mark on the city by way of food? It is hard to say. Philadelphia's signature food is the cheesesteak which originated from experimentation by a hot dog vendor in the early 20th century. The dish is not ethnically based as others mentioned. Instead, it was most likely popularized by blue collar workers getting a quick bite to eat. As it became more popular other establishments began to serve their own variations. Most of the food creations in D.C. happen in high end restaurants requiring not only complex preparation but money.
What makes a good local dish? I am not an avid foodie, but I would characterize it as something easy to make, relatively cheap, easily accessible, delicious and representative of the city. Almost all of the good dishes that fit this are taken or shared, with slight variation, by other locales. What is a city to do? Maryland already took the closest option we have, the Chesapeake blue crab, and we can't eat any of the tobacco growing in Virginia. D.C. is essentially food-locked from all sides.
Diversity and constant change are the very things that set DC apart from everywhere else. We should have something that symbolizes this while filling us up for lunch.
Here's my suggestion, why not have a dish that bridges the North and the South, East and West? How about this taste of democracy: NY Style Pizza topped by Spicy Beanless Beef Chili.
Don't knock it until you've tried it. I did this once recently while forced to choose between the two. In a massive compromise I layered one atop the other, bite after bite. It was really good and I rationalized it as a blue state/red state compromise that will benefit everyone. The Pizza symbolizes the Northeast while the chili covers just about the rest of the Continental US. It is easy to make both parts and anyone can do it cheaply.
Of course, this is just one idea. I am sure many people have similar ideas about what tastes they prefer. Until D.C. has some food to call it's own, D.C. will have to fight an uphill battle to establish her identity to the rest of the world. We are a long way from being a swamp. We can go further.
John spends his time as a computer systems engineer at a local university while dreaming of being on the beach with his wife or eating spicy food. When not daydreaming about beaches, John is obsessing over DC, out on the town, or taking pictures of the city, his dachshund, or his dachshund in the city. In the little spare time he has left he also volunteers for the non-profit Otakorp Inc. John is on the waiting-list for Redskins tickets and will be on it for the foreseeable future.