Ray’s the Steaks at East River opened its doors in Ward 7 to much fanfare earlier this month. Part of Michael Landrum’s local Ray’s brand, the new location has quickly taken on the weight of being more than just a restaurant. Race, socioeconomics, neighborhood revitalization, jobs, unemployment, and access are among the weighty themes woven into the fabric of discussion of the nascent restaurant. But how’s the food? Landrum says in unofficial press releases and…

It was around this time last year that we collectively mourned the fact that the District just doesn’t have very many good bagel shops. Spare the few options most of us could name off the tops of our heads, we realized that within the confines of the city, there seemed to be a relative paucity of bagel providers. And now, a year later, we add one more bagelry to the list, and it’s in an…

A few months ago, we were told a story about a couple that had just bought a condo on the Georgetown waterfront with a prime view of the … Whitehurst Freeway. (Ooops, you didn’t see the highway during the open house? The curtains must have been closed.) “Oh, we have a strong citizens’ association!” the wife said. “We’re going to have the freeway taken down.” We thought, boy, it’s amazing how far one’s condo fees…