Food and Drink: September 2007 Archives

California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has declared September “California Wine Month” for the third consecutive year. Since September is almost over we thought we would get into the spirit and raise a glass to the California wine industry (not that we think they need their own month). We would have celebrated sooner but we were busy getting tipsy off our own local Virginia Wines, as you may recall. The Wine Institute, a.k.a. the self-proclaimed “Voice for...

Written by DCist Contributor Stephanie Taylor Douglas Powell, a food scientist at Kansas State University, told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that consumers who seek raw milk are just part of a trend embraced by an affluent, food-obsessed culture. Whether you think affluence is part of the question or not, there are a growing number of Washingtonians who are doing just that, and they have organized themselves to bring un-pasteurized milk to the District, despite having...

Like ravenous dogs preying on fresh meat, local bloggers have pounced on the news that local organic grocer Yes! Organic Market will be coming to the Union Row building project, located at 14th and V streets NW. In a press release from Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham, the 5,000 square foot market is scheduled to open in Spring of 2008, offering residents, “natural foods as part of a unique shopping experience.” Despite the ominous approach...

Neither Mozart nor Hockey Themed Washington works hard to burnish its dining credentials. D.C. fat cats who are literally fat need somewhere to eat, and they're not going to throw down lobbyist dollars for just any slop. No. D.C. is a dining destination, beckoning the up-and-coming chefs and their myriad foodie followers. People are noticing, too. From the New York Times to the National Geographic Traveler, we're a getting noticed -- enough so that a...

It’s hard to say if Tapatini’s owner Jordan Cappolla should be commended for bringing sleek style and superior sushi to a neighborhood where it was previously impossible to get a decent raw fish fix, or if he should get 80 lashes with a wet noodle for everything else on the menu at Jordan’s 8.

Clockwise from top left: Comet Ping Pong, Red Rocks, 2 Amys, Bebo There are many factors that affect a pizza. The type of flour used for the dough. The temperature of the oven. The quality of the toppings. The skill and hands of the maker of the dough. The vigilance of the pizzaiolo (the person manning the oven). D.C. may not be known as much of a pizza town, but a few of the...

Are wine bars the next bistro? Following closely on the heels of Proof and Sonoma, Veritas Wine Bar will be opening next Monday, September 17. The list is largely composed of Euro-style California wines, with over 50 available by the glass starting at $8 and going up to $28. Also available are various red and white flights, chosen by varietal, region or cutesy names like "m&m&m" and "Mick's picks". Three deadly zins, anyone? The web...

Virginia’s love for wine is no secret. It dates back centuries with Thomas Jefferson’s personal endorsement of wine as a suitable beverage. However, when you mention “Virginia Wines” to anyone, you are met with one of two reactions: an overwhelming expression of excitement and testament to how fabulous they are or an exasperated eye roll that says it all. Whichever one you fall under is fine with us, but as avid wine drinkers we feel...

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...

Capitol Hill is finally moving up in the District’s hierarchy of Places to Eat, and Locanda is helping the neighborhood make that move with its adventures in noodles. Not since the long-gone days of Roberto Donna’s Il Radicchio has Pennsylvania Avenue seen pasta this perfectly cooked. Filled with ricotta and asparagus, braised leeks and cheeses or whatever else chef Brian Barszcz (an Oblelisk and Tallula alum) wants to stuff them with, count me in for...

We are food lovers, food enthusiasts, foodies -- whatever you want to call us. Basically we like to eat (good food). Alongside our enthusiasm comes the difficult task of trying to restrain ourselves from ordering everything off the menu when dining out. It's not because we’re that hungry, but because we want to sample all that the chef has to offer. This is one reason tasting menus are so fun. You get to try multiple...

For anyone living in Washington who grew up in the West, the dearth of authentic Mexican food in this city is likely a constant complaint. D.C. is the home to several sizable ethnic groups, Salvadorans among them, and while we applaud the ready availability of authentic, and delicious, Salvadoran cuisine, the attempts by these same lovely folks to cook Mexican food is almost uniformly terrible. They use the wrong cheeses. They don't know how to make or deploy good red sauce. They forget to add flavor. Ordering Mexican dishes at a Salvadoran restaurant is an exercise this writer, who grew up in Tucson, AZ and lived in Los Angeles for five years before moving here, engages in on probably a bi-annual basis, just out of sheer desperation, but it always ends up making me angry. It's just not the same. And then I start fantasizing about importing a cook from Arizona and making millions by starting my own Mexican restaurant.