America! FOOD YEAH!
As we noted yesterday, today is Patriot Day; so conceived to commemorate the 9-11 attacks—even though we Americans aren't the greatest at "commemorating," see: Veterans' Day, Memorial Day, etc. Just six years on, though, feelings are still raw and memories vibrant. Resiliency is a virtue of our citizenry however, and if nothing else, we can get a hearty laugh out of OBL's radical beard transformation, his decidedly porno 'stache, and threats of attack via the Hokey Pokey.
At any rate, Patriot Day is our generation's version of Pearl Harbor Day, and as such, it isn't really a cause for jubilation. We should use it as a chance to celebrate, however. So, we're using this opportunity to celebrate What Makes America Great by looking at American food culture and some of its exemplars in our area. We polled DCist staff, and here are some of our favorites. Forward ho, citizens and patriots.
The Cream of the Crop
Colorado Kitchen
This eatery on Colorado Ave. and 14th St. NW serves up some of the best examples of homestyle soul food to be found in D.C. Fantastic food coupled with a small, kitschy dining room makes you feel like you're eating at Grandma's house. The price is right, and if you recognize that service is going to follow the vibe of the place, you'll have a great time. Specials are probably your best bet here—I've never had one that was bad.
Vermilion
Fresh ingredients from local suppliers in the hands of Vermilion's chef, Tony Chittum, vault this Old Town Alexandria restaurant into the top category of Good American Eating. The barbecued chicken with corn succotash and local ham will make you think this dish is the culinary descendant of Washington and Jefferson themselves. The lamb is similarly legendary. A recent nod from the New York Times won't help you get a table, though.
Photo from chcharlie
Hank's Oyster Bar
Hank's reaps the bounty of America's coasts and lays it out on a plate for the taking. A Maine lobster roll brings back the summers all you New Englanders spent Downeast, and shellfish from Cape Cod will have you talking like a Kennedy in no time. Since they're expanding to a new location in Old Town, those of us who can't squeeze into the Dupont location will have somewhere else to go. DCist staff gives the tiny restaurant raves for their Mac & Cheese—a quintessential American dish.
Grease
Let's face it, some of America's best food is breaded, deep fried, and delicious. These local spots won't help your acne, but they'll make you happy.
Ollie's Trolley
The ultimate dive for beer, burgers, and fries, Ollie's Trolley on 11th and D 12th and E, NW will fill your grease tank for a month. The spicy fries are completely addictive, which is good, because you need something to focus on rather than the drunk and rowdy patrons. Ollie's provides a perfect contrast to an evening that started with that independent film at E Street.
Five Guys
Arguably Washington's best location for America's best sandwich and one of America's best nuts. Five Guys has a ton of locations, does anyone have an opinion on which is best?
Ben's Chili Bowl
This might be Washington's greasiest of spoons, and its most famous. Ben's has been in the area for decades, weathering the storm of the '68 riots and the subsequent economic downturn in the U Street corridor, as well as the construction of Metro's green line through the area. The 49 year-old establishment is the official home base for the Nation's Capitol's only culinary talisman: the half-smoke (even though we've had better iterations from food carts).
Restaurants with American Place Names in Them
Great American Restaurants
This D.C. restaurant group squeezes 9 eateries into this category with their name. They get double points for Mike's American, a steakhouse of theirs out in Springfield. They also serve American vittles at Artie's in Fairfax, Sweetwater Tavern (Centreville, Sterling, and Falls Church), Carlyle in Shirlington, Silverado in Annandale, Coastal Flats in Fairfax and Tyson's Corner, and Best Buns Bread in Arlington. I've somehow managed to never eat at one of their restaurants, but they get shoutouts on the TomChat now and again. Anyone care to chime in?
Florida Avenue Grill
The Grill is neck and neck with Ben's as the District's most venerable eatery, serving a mix of soul food, breakfast food, and D.C. specialties to a wildly diverse crowd. It's also possible that it has the friendliest service in town. In short, it's an eatery that's comfortable in its own skin: part diner, part neighborhood hangout, part hangover-remedy. Calling it an institution makes it seem a little too staid and static; it's a living, breathing place. Even on an occasion when the air outside smells funny or the air inside gets a little thick with grease and coffee fumes, it's uncommonly welcoming. When chi-chi restaurants are trotting out myriad versions of Eggs Florentine on Sunday mornings to absurd lines of flannel-panted 20-somethings, Florida Ave. slices off a pat of butter, throws it on the skillet, and then lays down the fattest, grayest slice of scrapple you've ever seen. And it's terrific.
American City Diner
This greasy spoon in Chevy Chase may be Washington's best example of a classic American diner. With breakfast available all day, you can satisfy your French toast craving and get a side of onion rings while you're at it. I've only ever had a milkshake at the diner, but it was one excellent milkshake. Here's a little video tour of the diner's façade. We probably could have made a whole "diner" category, but we may have been overlapping too much with grease. Here are some other diner picks while we're at it: Pete's Diner at Penn. Ave and 2nd St., SE; Bob and Edith's (both I and II) on Columbia Pike; the Waffle Shop at 10th and E St., NW; and, the Tastee Diner on Cameron Street in Silver Spring.
Kentucky Fried Chicken
Is it better than Popeye's? It's probably worth learning to fry your own chicken at home. I'm really just including it as a segue to our next category:
What Everyone Else in the World Thinks of When They Think "American Food"
Where would America be without fast food? Probably smaller assed.
McDonald's
Fat Don's is probably our #1 culinary export. Embarrassing, yes, but still so delicious if you have a craving. If you're still able to eat there after Supersize Me, you'll know that every once in a while it's really great to have a Big Mac, the king of fast food french fries, a half gallon of orange soda, and a magma-hot apple pie. Even foodies can appreciate the allure of two cheeseburgers for $1.
Of course there are countless other options in the Washington area for "American" food. Hit up a steakhouse or a Tex-Mex place. In reality, any food you get here (unless it's at an embassy), is going to be American. Ethiopian, Salvadorean, French, Italian, Thai, or Japanese all add to the fabric of the American dining experience. Being the world's melting pot adds up to some fantastic "ethnic" dining in our region. Feel free to add your favorites in the comments.
Oh, and for those of you looking for some food or hunger related volunteer activities, may we suggest D.C. Central Kitchen, Food for All, D.C., Food and Friends, From the Ground Up, Bread for the City, or Brainfood.