Results tagged “food”

Yours truly has a love-hate relationship with junk food. But so do you, dear reader: one of the most popular posts in this here site's five-year plus history was Andrew Wiseman's thoughts on the fast food joints that the nation's capital misses out on.

For those who anxiously refresh DCist in anticipation of the next [food item]pocolypse, your patience has paid off! Empty stomachs in search of sustenance before an evening of waddling around in costume, take note: Chipotle is definitely doing their annual "dress like a burrito -- or you know, just throw a whole bunch of random bits of foil on your person and we'll be so busy that we won't even care -- and you'll get a free burrito" Halloween promotion. (Personally, I'm a fan of the "Mega Man" strategy of covering the forearms with burrito-wrap, but don't let me tell you how to express your own inner burrito.) You'll be hard-pressed to find an easier giveaway all year -- just grab whatever foil is sitting around in your kitchen drawers and hit up one of the numerous local Chipotles after 6 tonight.

Joe Englert's got company. Following on the news that the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue briefly closed the Argonaut today for back sales and use taxes, OTR released a list of seven other restaurants that met the same fate. Collectively, these restaurants owe more than $860,000 in sales taxes: INTI (1825 18th Street NW), Prince of Georgetown (3205 Prospect Street NW), Besta Pizza (5029 Connecticut Avenue NW), Porter's (1207 19th Street NW), Prince Café (1042 Wisconsin Avenue NW), Mendocino Grille (2917 M Street NW) and Café Nema (1334 U Street NW). None of these restaurants belong to Englert's greater restaurant collective, which suggests that OTR is engaged in a broader collection campaign. Mendocino Grille was recently sold; it's unclear whether the delinquency occurred under the new or old management. And INTI is a quite small business that may have started on a microloan. No one answered the telephone at any of these spots or at OTR.

"Steak in a Sac"? Flickr contributor Maryland Route 5 has been taking some fantastic photos of the Arlington County Fair over the last couple of days. But it was this one which really caught our eye, if only for the pure amount of meats slathered in artificial cheese or stuffed into casings on offer at this particular stand. If you haven't gone to indulge in your share of internationally-styled flesh and fries, the fair runs through tomorrow. Vegetarians beware, indeed.

Dish of the Week: Ibérico de Bellota Pork

It's tough being a kid. There's homework, early bedtimes, and the universally dehumanizing "kid's menu." It's all the same fare, no matter the restaurant -- chicken fingers, grilled cheese, barren pizza -- and much less of it. Is it too much to ask for something legitimately tasty to eat while the big people talk about boring things like politics and finance?

Those of us looking to support this weekend's Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure that are less running-inclined—a relatively small number in D.C., apparently—are in luck. Georgetown Cupcake is serving up a much sweeter and more sedentary way to contribute. The Potomac St. NW bakery has designed an honorary pink ribbon cupcake to raise money for the team it is sponsoring in the race, and will be selling the cupcake until June 6, the day of the race. Pick up a few of the scrumptious Madagascar Bourbon vanilla cupcakes with vanilla butter cream frosting if you want to help the bakery reach its fund-raising goal of $10,000. 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of the treats go toward the breast cancer charity, and rumor has it that little bit of love makes the 'cakes taste even better.

Yesterday, City Paper's Tim Carman spotted a story in the San Francisco Business Times about how Revolution Foods, a California-based group with the admirable mission that "all students should have access to healthy, fresh food on a daily basis," may be expanding to D.C. in the next year. Revolution Foods has partnered with Whole Foods in the past, and places an emphasis on teaching kids good nutrition habits in addition to providing meals.

The Washington Business Journal is confirming that Wagamama, the British-based ramen chain who has a bit of a cult following amongst the cheap noodle and beer-loving among us, will be officially opening at 418 7th St. NW in May 2010. It was no real surprise (after all, we had an inkling this would happen back in June 2008), but it does serve as confirmation that we're still a long time away from eating Wagamama for lunch. The news also serves as a chance to reflect on the loss of the revered local media chain, which has been gone for seven months now. Did anyone even realize that it had been so long since Olsson's shuttered its doors?

The Post reports that Rahman "Rock" Harper -- former "Hell's Kitchen" winner and an Alexandria native -- will return to the area to run the show at Next Door, the new U Street space neighboring Ben's Chili Bowl. Next Door is slated to open in time for the Inauguration. Harper, who in 2007 managed to skirt Gordon Ramsey's caterwauling long enough to win $250,000 and a job at Green Valley Ranch Resort in Vegas, was previously the Executive Chef at B. Smith’s in Union Station. Harper's arrival also signals a slight change in direction for the space -- Next Door had been looking like a long bar featuring little more than Ben's staples. But with Harper at the helm, the space is looking at installing tables and significantly upping the menu selections.

Morton's the Steakhouse is celebrating it's 30th anniversary on Sunday. What's this matter to you? Free burgers! Stop by any of Morton's six D.C. area locations between 5 and 6 p.m. tomorrow and you'll be treated to free sliders from the restaurants 12·21 menu. Sure, this giveaway is happening right smack dab in the middle of the Redskins game -- but hey, if you're too busy watching that, it just means more mini-cheeseburgers for the those of us in need an afternoon pick me up. Here's the list of nearby Morton's.

      

If your idea of a good Thai meal involves fruity cocktail drinks served in cartoonish, neon-colored surroundings, then Nava Thai in Wheaton is not the restaurant for you. There are no punny names, no sushi bar, and no fried bananas here, just excellent, authentic Thai food. Yes, the ambiance leaves something to be desired (the walls are a nauseating shade of green), and the location is less than glamorous (practically hidden in the back of a Thai grocery store). But if you want to eat Thai food designed for the Thai--not the American--palate, Nava Thai is the place to be.

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 pre-washed lettuce and trying to recreate the elegance, art, and skill of haute cuisine at home.

The Associated Press had a story over the weekend reporting that as part of their restructuring efforts, Giant Food grocery stores are discontinuing many products that don't sell as well to make room for larger quantities of fewer products.

Amsterdam Falafelshop now accepts payment in Euros. Is it a sign of the increasing value of the Euro, which is now worth $1.50 USD? According to Falafelier Pete Barich, it was because tourists from out of town would come into the restaurant late in the evening after banks and other currency exchange storefronts had closed. Rather than turn away paying customers, Amsterdam decided to allow payment in Euros.

Mayor Adrian Fenty and Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee announced this morning D.C. Public Schools' plan to outsource its food service operations—a move that they say will save the city millions of dollars and offer new, nutritious meals to students.

Which stories did DCist readers think merited the most attention this year?

FRIDAY:

Aside from donating to charity or saving for your child's college fund, the best use of $6.75 is the quarter-chicken platter with fries and salad at Skorpios Maggio's Family Restaurant (affectionately known as Skorpios) in Vienna.  Hot rotisserie chicken, dusted with a lemon peppery spice blend, served to you on a divided plate with thick cut steak fries and a simple lettuce salad covered generously in feta and dressed with oil and vinegar, and a side of pita to mop up the juices that ooze out of the end of this delicious run-on sentence.  Rice pilaf and spinach rice are suitable side substitutes, if you're so inclined.

Over the last two weeks, Todd Kliman's chatters have gotten riled up over CityZen's Parker House rolls. A chatter wrote in about his/her experience at CityZen a few months ago with pleasant servers and delicious food. But then he/she complained that his/her party of seven requested a second serving of the Parker House rolls. Apparently the server hesitated and seemed uncomfortable, but said he would check with the kitchen. The chatter said that they did not receive more bread or more information, and as such, the individual expressed that he/she felt ripped off, and had written a letter of complaint that was ignored. This prompted him/her to decide never to return and tell friends not to dine there.

FRIDAY:

>> Canada's The Most Serene Republic bring their large and melodic sound to The Rock and Roll Hotel tonight, with Bellflur and Watch Man Walk. $10, 8:30 p.m. >> Married Charlottesville rockers Paul Curreri and Devon Sproule will share the stage out at Jammin' Java tonight, touring in support of their latest releases, Sproule’s Keep Your Silver Shined and Curreri’s The Velvet Rut. 8 p.m., $10. >> Rescheduled from last week, Judith Jones, cookbook...

NBC4 reported last night that food banks are not the only local charities feeling the holiday crunch this year: the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program in D.C. also says it is suffering from a decline in donations compared to last year. So we are posting this photo of a crying baby we found to make you feel bad -- bad enough to donate some toys to needy local kids, that is. There are something...

>> Oh noes! The Ron Paul blimp launch was delayed, and rescheduled for its D.C. appearance on Wednesday at 3 p.m. [via Wonkette] >> D.C.'s Beacon House Falcons of Edgewood Terrace won Pop Warner Football’s Pee Wee Division I Super Bowl championship on Saturday. [Notions Capital] >> Former D.C. Police Chief Charles Ramsey no longer thinks handgun bans are such a good idea now that he works for a city that doesn't have one....

Is everyone already leaving town for the holidays? Our calendar here at Reader, Meet Author is looking a little lonely right now. If you have any tips or complaints that we're not posting all the awesome poetry readings, feel free to email us. MONDAY: Caroline Kennedy will be at Politics and Prose to share the Christmas prose most dear to her. It's all in her latest book, A Family Christmas, which includes tributes to Irving...

Many people only think to donate non-perishable food items to food banks during the holiday season, but it seems this year in D.C., not enough people have gone even that far -- on Saturday the Post reported that area food banks are critically short of food donations at the very same time that demand for free and discounted food is going up. The Capital Area Food Bank reported that it only had about 230,000 pounds...

Flying food? Perhaps you've noticed the odd little vehicle with wings near 8th and H, NW selling empanadas and other Mexican fare. It's On the Fly, a new food business started by one of the founders of Zip Car, Gabe Klein, L'Enfant cafe owner Christopher Lynch, and architectural designer Michel Heitstuman. The car is one of the first in a planned series of food carts and small stands that will swarm the city. This...

A Giant Food opened this morning on Alabama Ave. SE in Ward 8, making it the only full-service grocery store in the Anascostia ward. It's also the first supermarket to operate in the neighborhood in over a decade. On Saturday the Post ran a story highlighting the lengths Ward 8 residents have had to go to up until today to purchase groceries. The "Camp Simms" Giant joins a bank and a hardware in a shopping...

>> Detroit garage rockers Gore Gore Girls are at DC9 with two local acts: the Highballers and the Droptops. 9 p.m., $10. >> Don't miss our full preview of the Stones Throw concert tonight at Black Cat. 8 p.m., $20. >> Looking to crash one of those well-monied D.C. holiday parties for free food and drinks? Via BrightestYoungThings, a handy list. >> Thievery Corporation's Rob Garza's latest side-project, Dust Galaxy, will be at the musician's...

It is truly the most wonderful time of year — for caterers, that is. D.C. knows how to feast. Between all the holiday/non-denominational/winter solstice parties for every single nonprofit/government/lobby/press room in town and our own personal holiday events, the humble art of bringing a homemade dish to any event has fallen by the wayside. Personally, I’ll be bringing a dozen Krispy Kreme jelly doughnuts to a Hanukkah party this weekend. On the other hand, there...