As we mentioned before, the 2009 Washington DC/Baltimore Zagat Guide was released yesterday. While there have been numerous questions about the methodology used for ratings, the Guides still deserve a lot of respect for compiling the opinions of so many diners and venturing where no Michelin Guide would go. Zagat Guide founders Tim and Nina Zagat were in town publicizing the newest edition and hitting up some of the top local restaurants when they sat......

These days when most people label someone as a home cook, instead of a culinary professional, they tend to imagine someone along the lines of Rachael Ray or Paula Deen. And while those two TV personalities have done a lot to get people interested in food, there is another side to home cooking. A whole world of serious, dedicated, and adventurous home cooks are putting down the can opener, stepping away from the bags of......

For most D.C.-area food nerds, any mention of Eric Ziebold brings the sound of excited titters. As the executive chef of CityZen, Ziebold brings to our area the thoughtful, service-oriented cooking of the world-renowned French Laundry, where he was the restaurant's first-ever sous chef. He also spent time in the kitchens of Spago and Vidalia, and staged in France. In 2005, he was named one of the country's best new chefs by Food & Wine......

Chef Ron Tanaka has worked in some of the finest kitchens in D.C. Starting at Morrison-Clark Inn, he eventually found his way to Palena, Citronelle, and CityZen. He is currently the chef at Cork Wine Bar, where he serves up small plates to accompany a list chock full of Old World wines. We sat down to talk with the rather unassuming chef, who did not even want his picture used for this interview, as......