UPDATE: Here’s the official word from Jamie Leeds, published during Tom Sietsema’s Washington Post chat this afternoon. It appears as if Leeds is selling Commonwealth in order to completely focus her efforts on a large expansion at Hank’s Oyster Bar in Dupont Circle.

Dish of the Week: Tacos Where: Tomatillo Taqueria Transplants to D.C. from the Southwest have long been asking, where are the good tacos/Mexican food? Many point to Taqueria Distrito Federal or Taqueria Nacionale. One of the best tacos that I’ve found in town is actually at Bar Pilar, with cubes of veal tongue, a fantastic spicy sauce, cilantro, and radish. Unfortunately, it’s not always on the menu. But thanks to a tip on Don…

Fried oyster po boy courtesy of buck82 Dish of the Week: Po boys Where: Acadiana, Breadline, Johnny’s Half Shell, Bardia’s, and Hank’s Oyster Bar Mardi Gras is coming up this Tuesday. It is that wonderful time of indulgence right before the abstention of Lent. And we all associate this indulgent day with New Orleans. What better way to celebrate than with some po boys? Nothing could be better than a mess of fried seafood…

It’s been a delicious year in D.C. The city has seen a number of interesting new restaurants and eatieries, including spots like CommonWealth, Art and Soul, Cork Wine Bar, Adour, and Ray’s Hell-Burger. The DCist food staff got together to look back on their favorite dishes, desserts, and drinks of 2008. Cork served up one of Eric Denman’s favorites — Pernod-braised lamb. The dish is a tender pile of shredded lamb shank atop small flagelots…

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…

CommonWealth, the new British gastropub from Chef Jamie Leeds, officially opened last night. DCist got a sneak peek on Friends and Family Night on Monday. The menu covers a lot of ground, from traditional bar snacks like Scotch eggs to workmen’s pastries and pies to fish ‘n’ chips, Welsh rarebit and mushy peas. Feel free to apply gratuitous amounts of the piccalilli – a relish of pickled cauliflower and carrots – to cut through the…

Drink of the Week: Gin rickey The gin rickey may be the closest thing D.C. has to a city drink. Named after famed lobbyist Col. Joe Rickey, and originally served at Shoomaker’s, the drink is similar to a gin and tonic, but with more lime and lacking the bitterness of quinine. The traditional recipe is 1.5 oz. gin, 1/2 lime, 1/4 oz. simple syrup and finished with soda water. The recently formed D.C. Bartenders Guild…

Drink of the Week Pimm’s Cup at Central, Bourbon and Tabard Inn The recent warm up has my mind on summery drinks. There are the usuals: mojitos, gin and tonics, daquiris, and margaritas. But there’s one summer drink that’s most associated with the lawn at Wimbledon: the Pimm’s Cup. The refreshing Pimm’s is traditionally made with Pimm’s #1 (a gin-based spirit infused with various spices and a hint of orange), lemonade, and garnished with borage…