In 2019, DCist writers devoured food—and food news—all over the city, from seafood and tropical cocktails in Brightwood to classic Greek dishes on a 14th Street rooftop. Still, they’re hungry for more. Here, in their own words, are the dishes, cuisines, and more that they want to see more of in D.C.’s food scene in 2020.

GOING ZERO PROOF: The continuing expansion of low-proof/no-proof drinks at the bar. While many bartenders I talked to have championed mocktails and lighter spirits for years, there seems to be real intention (and interest) around crafting thoughtful options—without losing flavor and pizzazz—for all types of drinkers. Whether it’s Petworth newcomer Dos Mamis‘ prominent menu of boozeless cocktails or D.C.’s first low-ABV beer hall coming in early 2020, inclusivity (and the promotion of safety and wellness) in any arena is something to celebrate. —Kate Stoltzfus

AFFORDABLE TASTING MENUS: As more restaurants top best-of charts with set tasting menus, I would love to see multi-course meals keep edging into affordable territory. No, I’m not talking minibar or Pineapple and Pearls—I know those won’t change. But price points such as Little Serow’s ever-changing $54 menu make the restaurant feasible to a wider demographic, and I was sad to see Rooster & Owl discontinue their weekly “What If Tuesday” experimental dinner for $35 before I had a chance to visit. —Kalina Newman

CARRYOUT COVERAGE: I want to see more coverage of carryout restaurants in D.C. Some of the sources Laura Hayes spoke to for her WCP story on the lack of full-time food critics of color in D.C. spoke about how prominent carryout culture in D.C. is—yet, it gets practically no attention from major food critics. Sure, who doesn’t love a $29 steak from Le Dip? But your average D.C. resident is more likely to eat (and be able to afford) takeout from the multicultural takeout options across the District. A personal favorite of mine is the chicken curry special from Jam Doung Style on North Capitol Street. I want to know yours, too! —Elliot C. Williams

MINI MARTINIS: I enjoy martinis, but I almost never order one when I’m out. The large glasses in many bars lead to either too much gin or too much water in the final product. For 2020, I’m hoping the smaller martini trend will land in D.C. and stick around for a while. Similarly, half-pints of beer are always welcome at places with a dizzying array of tempting taps. —Gabe Bullard

YAK, ANYONE? Mouthwatering doesn’t begin to describe the yak momo at Royal Nepal. Sorry, beef industry, but this high-elevation game meat has got you out-flavored. The spice combinations in Nepali cuisine will be familiar yet exotic to someone who’s made the rounds at Indian restaurant buffets. Exhibit A: the goat curry, which evokes a vindaloo, but not quite. I shouldn’t have to traipse to Alexandria to treat my taste buds this way. A few restaurants around town identify as Himalayan, but they don’t seem to have generated Royal Nepal’s buzz or its fanbase. That needs to change in 2020. It can’t be as hard as, say, scaling Everest.—Carmen Drahl

KOREAN IN THE DISTRICT: More good Korean spots! Sometimes I really miss eating those staple foods I grew up with, and getting all the way out to Annandale, where Korean restaurants are plentiful, can be tough. It would be great to have more 24-hour barbecue places open up in the District. I’m not talking small plates—those have a place here too, but I’d like to see more spots that offer those delicious, massive Korean pancakes that take up an entire plate, a wider range of traditional fish dishes (like broiled mackerel), and big, spicy stews that are perfect for chilly months like this. —Stephanie Williams

EAT YOUR POLITICS: In this city where many of us live, breathe, and (yes) eat politics, even the chicken sandwich got decidedly in the culture game this year—and there should be more of it. Restaurants and bars do not exist in a vacuum; they are run by people and organizations with missions and values. Dos Mamis in Petworth is as much about female empowerment and a safe-space agenda as it is about low-ABV cocktails; Eaton DC brings a strong community-focused message. D.C. should see further growth of like-minded spaces. We as diners must continue to be aware of where our dinner dollars are going. Restaurants must be more conscious of not just how free-range the chicken in that sandwich is, but whether the people serving it are treating others well, too. —Evan Caplan

REPRESENTATION IN FOOD COVERAGE: Laura Hayes of Washington City Paper struck a nerve this year with her unflinching piece examining why there aren’t any full-time food critics of color at major D.C. outlets—even though the city is nearly 47 percent black—and how that hollows out food coverage. So in 2020, I’m looking forward to that conversation continuing, and for editors at those major outlets to answer for the lack of diversity, explain their plans for fixing the problem, and decide whether that means hiring full-time food critics of color. —Lenore T. Adkins

BUILD-YOUR-OWN … OATMEAL: Fast-casual restaurants often give diners choices about how to customize their meals. A rice bowl with beef, chicken, or veggies? Did you want that salad in a wrap or a bowl? And, of course, what kind of toppings sprinkled on top? I want those choices for a savory breakfast cereal. I’ve always been a bigger fan of grits with runny eggs (or shrimp!) than with sugar, and I love a good congee with onion and sausage, so I think it’d be great for other morning staples like oatmeal to take a savory turn. A Baked Joint offers steel cut oats with a poached egg, smoked ham, and assorted veggies, and to that I say: great! I want more! I envision a Ford assembly line for savory oatmeal: You choose your base, then you pick a protein, followed by veggies, sauces, cheeses, and toppings. Let’s make it happen, 2020. —Rachel Kurzius

CHEERS TO A DIVERSE BEER SCENE: When it comes to taste of beer, the demographics of a brewer probably won’t affect your palate, but I tend to think more diversity in brewery ownership is a good thing for the greater industry and market, which has long been dominated by straight, formless-bearded, IPA-guzzling white guys (note: I’m one of them). Reversing that trend in the past two years, the city’s first 100 percent gay-owned brewery Red Bear Brewing opened in NoMa, majority women- and LGBTQ-owned Denizens Brewing Co expanded to Riverdale Park, West African-inspired Sankofa Beer Company added a second beer to its catalogue, and deaf-owned Streetcar 82 Brewing Co. helped make Hyattsville a craft beer destination. The industry, here and beyond, has never been this diverse and neither has the beer. Here’s to more in 2020.—Sam Nelson

MORE STOCKED SHELVES: All the debate about “ethnic” grocery store aisles aside, I just want more local stores to stock more ingredients commonly found in immigrant cuisine. This means more varieties of dried whole chiles, hominy, nopales, berbere, whole ginger, fresh scallions, whole fish, chili oils, cassava, ground pork, offal, spam, etc. Just, you know, off the top of my head. —Ruth Tam

ALL DAY LONG:I try to visit a lot of new places for my job, so it’s a treat when I can spend time at an old favorite. I’m especially eager for the places I can walk into any time of day and find something exciting to eat or drink. These all-day cafes offer strong coffee programs in the morning, and delightful cocktails at night. I’d love to see more spots available for the any-time-of-day hang—until then, I’ve got plenty of great options, including Elle, ABC Pony, Colony Club, and Slipstream. —Lori McCue

BRING ON THE DIM SUM: My truest desire is for more dim sum in the city. If I could, I would eat pork soup dumplings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner three times per week. I still haven’t found anywhere in D.C. proper that offers me even the faintest hope of living out this dream. I know there are really good dim sum places in the ‘burbs, but even there, I’ve not been successful at finding a pork soup dumpling that lights my fire. Also, I’m going to cheat and ask for something extra: please, please, more bubble tea. —Natalie Delgadillo

MORE MOCKTAILS: I’m really excited to see where the non-alcoholic cocktail trend ends up. It’s been a long time coming and I’m glad that it’s being supported on a commercial level. I’m sure all of the creative people in D.C. bars will continue to come up with some pretty great stuff! —Patrick Fort

Related:
Here’s What DCist Writers Loved In Local Food In 2019
Overheard In D.C.’s Best Of 2019