What We're Missing: Good Food Carts
In an extremely occasional series, DCist likes to bitch and moan about what other cities have that we don't. Previously, we've whined about how much we miss Wawa and a how hard it is to get lubed up in a hurry. If you've got something else you think D.C. is missing and deserves to be scrutinized by a large group of bitter, paranoid, unpaid bloggers, please leave your suggestions in the comments.
We live in a city. It's a bona fide city too. Where people walk more than they drive, pay too much for tiny apartments, and get upset when tourists start to infringe on their personal space. So it should be no surprise that sometimes, especially on days when we're walking briskly through a crowd of be-fanny-packed families and feeling strapped for cash after forking over our entire paychecks to a blood-sucking landlord, we'd really like to be able to make a quick pit stop at a conveniently located food cart and actually be able to get something to eat that doesn't make us feel dirty. You know what we mean?
Sure, there are food carts on the streets of D.C. It's not like we don't have any -- or even any halfway decent ones. Several DCists can often be found lunching at Pedro & Vinny's burrito cart at 15th and K Streets NW, where the service always comes with a smile and the veggie burritos are generally above average.
What we're missing, though, is some friggin' variety. The Post ran a brief story on the issue back in November, and although it points to a few "veterans still going strong," the bottom line is pretty apparent: the District's 1998 moratorium on new food cart licenses has removed any incentive for competition, quashed any hope of improved quality and variety, and -- worst of all -- led to a uniform tide of guys selling inferior hot dogs, egg rolls, pizza, and Mr. Pretzels. Wherefore art thou, Korean BBQ? Would a little falafel, or perhaps a knish be too much to ask? Dare we dream of a curry cart? New York and Philadelphia, unencumbered by license restrictions such ours, have these options and more in spades.
All this talk has made us hungry, but it's also made us wonder whether it isn't time for the D.C. Council to lift the food cart moratorium and open up the streets to competition. If the concern is space issues on the sidewalks, we could always pattern ourselves after Philly or Portland, Ore., and set aside separate space for food trucks during specific hours. Readers, are you with us? Would you be willing to give up a bit more open space to make room for tasty kebabs and crepes?
DCist Food Editor Michael Mugmon contributed to this post.