Following a post not too long ago about pairing leftover Halloween candy with wine, a commenter posed an important question: Where can you find Maynards Wine Gums? These curious flavored gelatins are a mainstay in the canon of British candy. They rank high alongside Cadbury Crunchie (Butterfinger’s much more elegant British cousin), Cadbury Flake (a chocolate stick comprised of thin and delicate concentric layers of chocolate), and Nestle’s porous Aero bars (available in mint, caramel,…

We are fully aware that pizza is a very contentious issue here in D.C., what with all the wood-fired homegrown options, upscale regional inspirations, and the occasional pie that’s been specially designated Napoletana. We’ve certainly had more than our share of the stuff from celebrated area ovens such as 2 Amys, Pizzeria Paradiso, and the like, but lately we’ve found ourselves craving a simple pizza-by-the-slice unencumbered by framed certificates or toppings exotica. We recently found…

Recently, we’ve forsaken the tranquility of a typically lazy Saturday morning in favor of madly dashing off to the Del Ray Farmer’s Market in time to snag a coveted loaf of Bonaparte Breads’ Pain Normande. A perfectly rustic bundle of yeast and flour, the Pain Normande is fully loaded with tender pieces of dried apple, black and golden raisins, and walnuts. Sure, plenty of local bakeries purvey a range of fruit-studded handmade loaves, but none…

Most of the time, eating a sizable chunk of cheese in one sitting is unthinkable — and usually pretty unhealthy. But we discovered something recently that made us feel a little better about it. At Alexandria’s outpost of Russian Gourmet, a specialty store carrying all manner of Eastern European and Russian grocery items, we picked up four varieties of chocolate-covered cheesecake bars. And lest you think this is purely a Russian treat, we managed to…

Horace & Dickie’s is a tiny carryout that is occasionally touted as one of the last practioners of a homegrown D.C. culinary tradition: the massive fried fish sandwich. This steamy fry shack on a quiet corner of H and 12th streets NE is a one-of-a-kind neighborhood joint; a standing room only storefront that specializes in fried fish and chicken served open-face on a handful of bread and presented in a square of tin foil. On…

With all the great Ethiopian and soul food restaurants arrayed along U Street, it can be easy to overlook The Islander, whose kitchen has been preparing the Trinidadian take on Carribean food for 30 years. Characterized by slow-cooked stews, curried goat and oxtail, all of which can be bundled within a blanket of roti, Carribean cuisine is a colonial fusion of African and South Asian cuisines. Though the sparsely decorated interior is hardly transporting,…

We were dismayed to see that the Washingtonian recently dissed one of our favorite cheap eats joints in Alexandria, Café Monti, saying “the lackluster goulash, watery pastas, and stale tarts had us heading for the door.” This flip comment caused our jaws to involuntarily slacken in shock and disbelief. The NoVa DCist contingent has patronized Monti several times over the past couple of months, and the quality has only improved, and the supposed lack of…

We’re not always up for a brunch buffet, as the mere idea reminds us of those towers of bacon and sheets of monolithic egg substance that usually dominate them. But in a rare instance, there emerges a buffet that cannot be resisted. Taverna Cretekou, an Alexandria Old Town mainstay, has one of the most comprehensive buffets we’ve ever seen (and that includes all those hotel buffets that include offerings as bizarrely diverse as chocolate mousse…

As you might know from a previous post, we’re a fan of brunch, and, in particular, Majestic Café’s renditions of Southern and Creole. But Majestic doesn’t offer eggs Benedict, which is a standard in most brunch-oriented places. Even the worst of the worst access-road diners offer the stuff. So, sadly, we have to go elsewhere for our Benedict fix. This past weekend, we were moved by several good reviews to try out Tallula — the…

D.C.-area food critics have often lamented the dearth of German restaurants, and normally, we, too, would join in with complaints, as we are fond of the hearty meat-and-potatoes peasant food and earthy beers the Germans do so well. But since dining recently at Capitol Hill’s Café Berlin, we will forever bite our tongues; our meal here took us right back to the beer halls we have visited abroad. The menu offered all of the requisite…