As D.C. Mardi Gras celebrations became more ostentatious, so did the cocktails—with colorful and flamboyant Hurricanes and heavily-decorated Pimm’s Cups.

It’s hard not to love a fried food, especially chicken. One might argue over which cut is best—dark meat or white, wings or drumsticks?— but the consummate fried bird has a crackling brown exterior and moist and flavorful meat within. Like dumplings or noodles, fried chicken spans cultures; it’s not just a Southern thing, as the international success of the Other KFC can attest. Even vegetarian and vegan approximations of the dish are surprisingly good,…

What’s so special about the third Thursday in November? A big fat nothing, you may be thinking to yourself. Well, cheer up: For fans of wine and parties, it marks the release of the annual batch of beaujolais nouveau, a young, easy-drinking French red wine.

Dish of the Week: Brit cuisine This week the Washington Post seems to be playing up a Brit angle, with a review of CommonWealth and a piece about toffee made with treacle. And fantastically so, as Guy Fawkes Day/Bonfire Night is coming up on November 5. If you remember your European history, you’ll know that Guy Fawkes was the fellow who attempted to bomb the Houses of Parliament. In celebration of his capture, the Brits…

Central’s chef de cuisine Cedric Maupillier (left) and head chef Michel Richard receive the James Beard Award for best new restaurant While reality fans and food enthusiasts have spent the past week anticipating tonight’s Top Chef season finale, the James Beard Foundation – the Academy of the food world – spent Sunday night announcing their picks for top chefs and restaurants of 2007. Once again, the D.C.-area’s nominees provided a strong showing this year…