The Weekly Feed: New Internet Buddy Edition
Chatty Cathys
Warren Rojas of Northern Virginia Magazine was on Rockwell this week shilling his new chat, Grill Warren. Do we not have enough food chats/chogs/Q&As in this town? I guess it's an alternative if you can't get your question answered by one of the three Ts, but this is getting a little out of hand. Or maybe DCist is behind the curve on this one, and we should be starting our own chat. But would anyone really want to read pages of DCist commenters giving us a hard time? Maybe you would. We could name it "DCist's Chat'n'Chew a.k.a 'Why DC isn't New York' or 'Ignore the Topic and Argue about Gentrification." As for our friend Warren, I'd be a little skeptical of a guy who creates a NoVA best bargains list, and doesn't include a single Vietnamese joint.
Fatburger = Bad?
According to City Paper, it looks like Fairfax will be getting a Fatburger. Though it doesn't have quite the cult following of In-N-Out, Fatburger is another popular burger joint that starts with fresh, unfrozen beef, and allows you the choice of having your burger fried or flame-grilled. City Paper reporter Jule Banville asks, "Why do we eat this crap?" and indicates that it shows what is wrong with America. Because burgers are so much worse than any other grease-laden, cream-laden food you'll find in other restaurants or in other countries? Honestly, a place like Fatburger is a step closer to the right direction, and getting away from the frozen, poor-quality crap served at most burger chains.
Photo from allyzay.
Small Bites
Rowhouse Chickies
Speaking of moving in a better direction, we hear via Counter Intelligence about Chix, an organic rotisserie chicken joint. Housed in a beautiful rowhouse near 11th and U, it serves up chicken with a choice of three different marinades, as well as a variety of wraps, salads, and soups. Call it Chicken Out for the granola set.
Yeah, We know it's in the Old Dominion of Evil...
We love anything Cathal Armstrong does. So as a nice match to Restaurant Eve's amazing Lickety Split $13.50 lunch menu, the Majestic has added "The Royal Pick" - go to the bar, choose any one item on their menu and add a soda or tea for $12. The deal runs Tuesday - Friday 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
Caution Around Columbia Heights
Food service folks, many of whom leave work in the wee hours with pockets full of tips, are faced with special safety concerns. Given the recent spate of crime in some areas, restaurants owners like the people at Logan @ The Heights have chosen to institute some new safety rules for their employees, such as walking in pairs and changing into street clothes when they leave work. Kudos to restaurateurs who are looking out for their employees, but I think everyone can agree he or she'd like to see a lot less crime out there. So make like some of your favorite food workers and be cautious when stumbling around in the night.
Local kids Do Good
Kim O'Donnel of WaPo blog, A Mighty Appetite fame, will be doing a book signing at Tabletop in Dupont Circle, Thursday, Dec. 6, 6 to 8 p.m. We'll take a look at her book and see if there's anything worth sharing in the next couple of weeks.
And, in case you've been hiding under a rock, former Maestro chef Fabio Trabbochi's Fiamma received three stars from the NY Times. It merely asserts the fact that the folks in D.C. know what they're talking about when they say Washington is home of great food and talented chefs. Now if we can only convince him to come back...