Where to eat soft shell crabs. Plus: New York bagels, Oval Room revamps, and more.

Brabo’s soft-shell crab over corn, ramps, fiddleheads and bacon. Dish of the week: Soft-shell crab Asparagus. Tender, delicate lettuce. Overpriced ramps. All of these items are popping up in area markets, a signal that spring truly has sprung. But for me, the best way to usher in the glorious seasons of eating that lie ahead are those deliciously naked blue crabs: soft shells. Soft shells are blue crabs that have recently shed their shell…

Paying your taxes can be a real bummer, but the plethora of special Tax Day promotions and giveaways on deck will hopefully brighten moods in Washington today. For those of you able to be near the IRS Building (10th and Pennsylvania) from noon to 1 p.m., you’ll be able to get a free 6 oz. Blizzard from the Dairy Queen’s Blizzard mobile. A number of local restaurants are also offering Tax Day promotions: >>…

Image courtesy of snoshuu Dish of the Week: Chinese hot pot Winter isn’t winter for me without huo guo, or hot pot. Whether you call it Chinese fondue, shabu shabu, Mongolian hot pot or steamboat, one thing is for sure – it’s hard to imagine a more soothing, communal dish. Most families start off with an electric frying pan filled with chicken broth, and small bowls of dipping sauces. My family would always gather…

Dish of the Week: Soon doo boo chigae (Korean tofu stew) Where: Lighthouse Tofu/Vit Goel, Mandu, Adam Express When most people think of Korean food, they’re used to mostly barbecue and rice dishes like galbi (short ribs), bulgogi (rib eye), and bi bim bap (rice mixed with vegetables and meat). But there’s a whole world of deliciousness in their stews and soups, like yook gae jang (spicy beef and scallion soup), kimchee chigae (kimchee stew),…