Yesterday, Domaso in Rosslyn played host to the Top Dog Half-Smoke Challenge. Ten chefs offered their variations on D.C.'s signature chili half-smoke from Ben's Chili Bowl. Entries ranged from broad interpretations with foie gras and sliders to more traditionally flavored sausages. more ›

Move over chili cheese dogs: Chicago dogs are taking over the city with the expected opening of ChiDogo's in October. With a Chicago dog, the usual recipe is a Vienna beef dog nestled in a poppy seed bun and topped with neon green sweet pickle relish, sport peppers, fresh tomato, dill pickle, chopped white onions, a sprinkling of celery salt, and yellow mustard (no ketchup!). The combination of spice, sweetness, and acidity contrast well with the hearty beef dog. more ›

Everyone was excited that President-elect Obama made his first big foray into the city this weekend with a stop at Ben's Chili Bowl. Some were more excited than others. Namely, the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, who put out a press release hilariously titled, "National Hot Dog & Sausage Council Says President-Elect Obama's Historic Trip to Famous DC Hot Dog Restaurant Reflects Excellent and All-American Taste in Cuisine." more ›

We've arrived at another Friday, Washington, so welcome to it. Some sad news to note off the bat, however, as the Post brings word that the last movie theater left in the Dupont Circle neighborhood, the AMC Loews Dupont 5, will go the way of Visions and the Janus 3 before it and close its doors forever in January. We can certainly attest that the last few times we went to see a film... more ›

LAist was comped front row seats by the Dodgers due to Malingering being struck by a foul ball last week, and she came back with some great photos, and earlier made fun of 4th of July on Venice Beach. But the biggest stories of the week was that the Mayor's Hot Tamale was revealed, and that a Kwik-E-Mart was erected in Burbank. Phillyist was busy doing the Fourth of July up right, exercising their... more ›

You heard it here first: The bloom is officially off the rose of the Fenty administration. On Monday, the Mayor held an opening ceremony for the District's public swimming pools, at which he failed to fulfill our simple request that he make sure somebody did a cannonball. The Examiner was there yesterday afternoon to witness the pitiful display of showmanship where Fenty opened the city's pools, not with a dive, but with a whistle. While... more ›

This week we'd like to congratulate the -ist network's Mother Hen, Gothamist's Jen Chung, who found herself a recipient of Wired Magazine's Wired Rave Award. If that doesn't sound terribly exciting, keep in mind another recipient was J.K. Rowling. Yep, that's right, the -ist network and Harry Potter now have something in common. Go us. Austinist has a chat with the ever-fashionable Golden Girl Rue McClanahan, and managed to catch some local fashionistas making... more ›

Fans had plenty of great things to say about the Nationals season opener at RFK last week: the hats, the weather, the midday beer-drinking. They also had some gripes. In addition to the unfortunate loss, one key complaint was, naturally, traffic. The Post noted that, "In the stands, Nationals fans complained. About parking-lot traffic, snack booths and long lines for just about everything, including hot dogs and ATMs." When the Nats move into their new,... more ›

Those of you anxiously waiting to hear if you'll have to permanently crush out your butts in Virginia eateries can happily light up another. Yesterday, the state's General Assembly voted to reject Governor Tim Kaine's proposed smoking ban in Viriginia's restaurants. In their very last session before they break for the rest of 2007, Assembly members urged the Governor to reconsider what some claim would be too-widely sweeping a restriction -- making it illegal to... more ›

Austinist gets arty with an interactive guide to SXSW, loved some local art galleries and a new art exhibit and lamented the possible loss of "Friday Night Lights" production to New Mexico. Bostonist was happy they finally found an Anna Nicole Smith connection to their fair city and that an Apple Store was opening up. They were less happy that new rules have been established limiting underage shows and that their Governor is spending... more ›

Standing at the center of the courtyard of the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia is a modest little hot dog stand affectionately known as Cafe Ground Zero. It has tendered its fare to hungry Pentagon officials for decades, but is perhaps most noteworthy for being the only known hot dog stand to come under satellite surveillance or to have at least two nuclear warheads targeting it at all times. At least, according to Cold War legend.... more ›

Washington is about to be overrun by film festivals, so get your comedies and dramas, your Hollywood actors and local wannabes, your serious documentaries and hilarious animations starting tonight. Well, not tonight. Tonight you'll be at Unbuckled. But the rest of the weekend is your film reel playground! more ›

Food incites emotion. Ask a guy to recall his mother’s most delicious dessert or his favorite meal on his last trip to Italy, and he’ll likely have plenty to say. Perhaps because they're food-related, shows on the Food Network conjure similar passions—just read any blog comment on perky Rachael Ray, sultry Giada DeLaurentiis or exuberant Emeril Lagasse. It seems that even when we’re not eating their meals, we often respond to the processes and presentations as if we’re a part of them. more ›

Torontoist immediately wins our heart by using the word "Jackass" in a headline. In fact, we love their use of it so much that we're going to use it as much as possible throughout this post. For example, it looks like there are Toronto-area jackasses besides those who misuse the sidewalk: look at the crap on sale on Toronto's craigslist. But it looks like Toronto doesn't contain the kind of jackasses who pee in public... more ›

Happy Day After the Fourth of the July, Washington. We hope you managed to get some sleep last night despite the all-night fireworks marathons taking place in many city neighborhoods. Not that we're complaining — since the view of the National Mall fireworks from the north was largely obstructed by a giant cloud of smoke, locals putting on their own displays pretty much saved Independence Day for many of us. There will be more... more ›

For those of us who compulsively pore over world almanacs, sports record books, and specialty dictionaries to extricate facts, numbers, and lists that double as security blankets, the Washington Post's "District Extra" section is a treasure trove. The District Extra is one of many local sections that the Post issues each Thursday to convince its area readers that the very national hometown newspaper is, well, keeping it real. more ›

MONDAY: Tony Kushner will discuss the plays of Arthur Miller with Jeffrey Brown at the Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave NW. Topics may or may not include who the baddest Jewish playwright of our time really is, and whether anyone who convinced the likes of Marilyn Monroe to convert has any competition in that category to begin wtih. Tickets are $13 each; two tickets are included with the purchase of a book. 8:15 p.m. WEDNESDAY:... more ›

Barry: I Will Fight Baseball: Former Mayor Marion Barry, poised to retake his old Anacostia ward seat on the D.C. City Council, said even if the current councilmembers ink a deal with Major League Baseball to publicly finance a new stadium, he will do what he can to foil the plan when he officially takes office next year. Barry says that with the incoming council there are enough anti-baseball votes to repeal any new business tax or plan to build the stadium on public land. more ›