During today's Washingtonian chat with food critic Todd Kliman, one chatter asked Kliman for his opinion about a YouTube channel started by General Store chef and owner Gillian Clark, which features a number of video reenactments of customer requests and behavior. Clark has gotten in trouble in the past for her somewhat less-than-polite behavior toward customers. The chatter notes: "The bulk of [the videos], under the title "A General Store Re-enactment" seem to consist of Gillian and Robin mocking their customers...But this public mocking of the people who want to give her money seems to be beyond the pale." Kliman agrees with the chatter, due to what he views as a lack of humor in the videos. more ›

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. more ›

Countdown to Westend Bistro It's almost here. The opening that all the foodies in town have been waiting for. The one that all the critics are getting more than a little excited about. The chef that makes all the ladies swoon with his French accent. Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert at the Ritz-Carlton on Thursday, November 8. Menus have been posted to their web site leaving many, including Don Rockwell posters, mystified. Rather than... more ›

For those folks who tune into Washingtonian food critic Todd Kliman's weekly chogs, we know he can get a little outta control. If you were paying attention to the chog this morning, you may have noticed this rather interesting exchange: DC: Hi Todd, Several well known chefs are lending their names to new restaurants in DC... Do you agree with DonRockwell of donrockwell.com that the latter two are merely "hype-driven, let's-give-the-restaurant-critics-an-erection outposts" or do you... more ›

Go home. Tell your boss it's for your own safety. Maybe it's the heat or people who are waiting to go on summer vacation, but it seems that there's madness in the city. I should have known it was getting bad when I spotted this tree with a ring of cheese curls around it. The madness certainly seems to have infected Todd Kliman of Washingtonian. If you didn't catch his chog this week, you... more ›

Welcome to this week's Feed, coming to you from Albuquerque, N.M.! This Feed will be a little more free flowing than usual. Why? I'm sitting on the patio, drinking a Fat Tire, enjoying the dry climate, and looking out on Sandia Peak. I just wanted to rub it in. 2007 RAMMYs To Feature Snakes That's what "Black Tie and Boas"—the theme of this year's RAMMY awards dinner—means, right? Tuxedos and Anacondas? Seems like a bad... more ›

For the last few weeks you couldn't read any D.C.-area food publication without seeing something about Robert Wiedmaier's Brasserie Beck. And all before it even opened. From Wiedmaier guest hosting Todd Kliman's chog, two pre-opening mentions in DCist's Weekly Feed, and frequent but casual mentions by The Washington Post and the blogosphere. And here Beck's is being written about yet again. Whoever the restaurant's publicist is, she's sure earning her keep. The best way to... more ›

To Beck With It The buzz is all over the place about Brasserie Beck, Robert Wiedmaier of Marcel's new Belgian gastropub on 11th and K, NW. Though not open quite yet (scheduled for an opening in the next couple of weeks), the Brasserie scored two articles in this week's Post, and a post full of restaurant eye candy over at the Washingtonian. The Post used Beck as the latest example in the growing trend of... more ›

It's hard to know where to start this week, given all the news in Washington's food world. Chef changes, award nominations, scandals, and battles have enveloped us without us even noticing. Let's dig right in, juicy stuff first. Review Not, that Ye be Not Reviewed A couple weeks back we told you about a fight between New York Times critic Frank Bruni and restaurateur Jeffery Chodorow. Now, close your eyes, replace Frank Bruni with a... more ›

This post by DCist Food contributor Analiese Bendorf more ›

In last week's Feed, we mentioned that the unearthing of Eric Ripert's impending move to D.C. was courtesy of Tom Sietsema in a May 2006 TomChat. We were mistaken, however. The scoop on the story goes to the Washingtonian's Todd Kliman, who uncovered the story in his chat first (link is unavailable, sorry, you can read his latest chat though). more ›

By DCist contributor Analiese Bendorf The Big Apple's Harvest Export Attention, all ye who still doubt whether one may dine seriously in DC (and we hope there aren't many of you left), you may soon be tempted to cancel that weekend jaunt to Manhattan. Washingtonian's Todd Kliman reports in this week's online chat that high-profile chef Eric Ripert, of N.Y.C.'s famed Le Bernardin, plans to bring his four-star culinary talent to D.C., where he will... more ›

This week over on Don Rockwell, Sushi-Ko’s master chef, Koji Terano, has been taking questions from foodies about one of our favorite food genres: sushi. Although we enjoy reading "TomChats" and "chogs" with Todd Kliman, we also enjoy the rare opportunity to talk with chefs firsthand. Koji pulls back the nori, as it were, and dishes about buying fish, ordering sushi, and embracing Japanese chopstick customs, among other things. On fish quality Koji confirmed... more ›

It seems like it's the season for pastry chef musical chairs, as the Washingtonian's Todd Kliman lets us in on a bevy of changes in Washington's world of caster sugar and ganache. more ›

Just when we thought it was safe to go get some frozen custard, corporate evil rears its ugly head yet again. Del Ray institution, the Dreamery, is being forced to change its name by Integrated Brands, Inc., the folks who make Edy's. "Integrated Brands." What kind of name is that? Apparently the kind that hates fun. And freedom. Anyway, Dreamery owner Liz Davis is holding a contest to come up with a new name. Fortunately, the name change will have no effect on the custard or the monthly brat[wurst] nights. The winner of the contest gets free custard for a year. "Suck It, Edy's" has already been submitted, so don't even try. more ›

Wondering about the Next Kliman After yesterday's news that Todd Kliman was leaving the City Paper, we got to wondering about who his eventual replacement would be. Kliman -- like many food writers -- did not get the position from any formal "food writing" training, but from a love of writing and food. In a prior life, he was one of Howard University's coolest professors, and it took him a year to finally land a... more ›

Just two days after the announcement that Garrett Graff was joining the Washingtonian as Editor-at-Large, it has been announced that Todd Kliman, award-winning food writer for the Washington City Paper, has been named Dining Editor for the city's monthly glossy. According to Don Rockwell, Kliman will

hav[e] editorial control over the upcoming Best 100 Restaurants and Cheap Eats issues. Thomas Head and Cynthia Hacinli will remain at the Washingtonian and work with Todd, who will begin his new job next month.

http://restaurants.washingtoncitypaper.com/hungry.php?week=20050610">came to the same conclusions about Leopold's, and Sietsema and Kliman aren't alone. We haven't been to Leopold's, but the deafening cry of "don't expect good service!" is enough to make us want to take a pass-- and the Kafe's Craigslist ad doesn't help much. The caps give us a headache. more ›

Todd Kliman was the only winner from D.C. at this year's Beard Awards. Last night at the Beard Award's Restaurant Gala (a separate event from the Journalism Gala Sunday evening), Marc Vetri of the eponymous Vetri in Philadelphia won the award for Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic region, despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that the category was dominated by the D.C. area. Michael Flynn, nominated for best wine service at Kinkead's, lost out to wine director Tim Kopec of New York's Veritas. more ›

A few weeks ago we reported that the City Paper's Todd Kliman had been nominated for a prestigious Beard Award. And Friday night at a gala in New York, it was announced that Todd, who's Young & Hungry column has recently covered suburban ethnic restaurants as well as the joys of shad, won the award for Best Newspaper Column. more ›

When Tom Sietsema gave a shoutout to Don Rockwell during last weeks' Ask Tom, it was a quiet nod to one of the lesser-known food writers active in D.C.:

Speaking of online food discussions, Don Rockwell, a former egullet host, has just launched a fun one: DonRockwell.com. Don is a fine writer, has good taste and eats out almost as much as I do. If you care about food in Washington, his is a site to monitor.

The 2005 RAMMYs aren't the only culinary awards on the horizon. The nominees for the 2005 James Beard Foundation awards were announced yesterday (.pdf). The awards are separated into three general segments, cookbooks, journalism, and restaurants and chefs. In the journalism segment, Todd Kliman of the City Paper (who most recently "reviewed" Perdu) was nominated for Best Newspaper Column for his weekly "Young and Hungry" feature. Tom Sietsema of the Post has been nominated for Best Newspaper Feature about Restaurants a number of times, but this is the first nomination for Kliman, who has been writing for the City Paper since late 2003. more ›

For his April 1 column, City Paper writer Todd Kliman reviews a peculiar kind of restaurant. If smelling is "at least half of the pleasure to be had in wine" Todd reasons "why should it be any different when it comes to food?" Thus he visits a restaurant which sells no food at all, just an "experience of uncorrupted sensual pleasure" - a nine-course "meal" of scents for $65. He goes on to describe the rich and intense aromas: Classic Chicken Noodle Soup, Artisanal Baked Bread, Truffles and, of course, coffee between courses. (Well, the scent of it, at least.) He concludes the restaurant is "the daring reductio ad absurdum of dining out in an age of relentless, breathless experimentation." more ›