Author Archives: Rick Chessen

Mini-Review: Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza

Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza, 7776 Norfolk Ave, Bethesda MD (posted February 12, 2020) (Mini-Review) Since this is a mini-review, let me cut to the chase. The newly-opened Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza is good. Not drive-thirty-minutes-out-of-your-way good, but solid-option-in-Bethesda-if-you-feel-like-pizza good. Given the state of Bethesda dining, that’s a big deal. Anyone who thinks otherwise is, as Joe Biden would put it, ...READ MORE »

Matzo Ball Soup in DC — So Maybe You Think You Could Rank Them Better?

Posted by Rick Chessen

When DGS Deli closed last year, we lost the area’s most ambitious Jewish deli. You may not have noticed the vacuum if you’re craving a bagel and lox with a schmear or a pastrami on rye. Places like Call Your Mother, Ivy City Smokehouse and Stachowski’s can scratch those itches. But matzo ball soup is different. Like chopped liver and ...READ MORE »

Hitting the Ground Running at Emilie’s

Posted by Rick Chessen

Emilie’s, 1101 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington DC (Near Barrack’s Row) (posted December 9, 2019) Emilie’s has been open for less than two months and it’s already one of the toughest reservations in town. You could point to the inviting open kitchen or the welcoming staff, but at bottom there’s one reason for the crowds: the cooking of Chef Kevin Tien. For ...READ MORE »

Keeping Up with the Culinarians

Posted by Rick Chessen

The pace of DC restaurant openings never seems to slow. The conveyor belt is relentless. I’m eating as fast as I can but I can’t keep up. I’ve managed to report on several new places that I’ve loved recently like Seven Reasons, Cielo Rojo, and Mama Chang, but there are so many others that deserve attention. Just in ...READ MORE »

DC Restaurant Dish of the Year: Fried Rice

Posted by Rick Chessen

Fried rice is having a moment. It’s gone from familiar standby to popping up on every street corner, like a late ’90s Wall Street Deli. Part of the reason is mutability. The only constants are rice and a pan. After that, it’s chef’s choice. Fried rice will take just about whatever ingredients and flavor profile you throw at it. You can ...READ MORE »

Rick Eats (and Ranks) DC’s Best Falafel

Posted by Rick Chessen

Posted September 15, 2019 I recently started a strict new diet with a single loophole: I can eat whatever I want for the blog. Which makes it the perfect time to put together my definitive rating of DC-area falafel shops. There’s nothing that makes a diet more bearable than a comprehensive survey of fried chickpea-fritter sandwiches. Stay tuned for next week’s ...READ MORE »

Rick Eats the Holy Land

Posted by Rick Chessen

Rick Eats the Holy Land You know how football receivers sometimes have to make catches across the middle even though they know they’re going to get pummeled? That’s how I feel about this post. I just got back from Israel. And if you know my readership, you know that (1) a lot of them go to Israel regularly (I was last there ...READ MORE »

Crushing on Cielo Rojo

Posted by Rick Chessen

Cielo Rojo, 7056 Carroll Ave, Takoma Park MD (Open Tuesday-Sunday for lunch/brunch and dinner; closed Monday) (Reviewed July 31, 2019) It all started last Saturday morning when I was trying to figure out what to do for lunch. My wife had gone off kayaking with some of the other women in the neighborhood, and the world — or at least ...READ MORE »

Throwback Comforts Outshine Comfort Foods at The Riggsby

Posted by Rick Chessen

>> The Riggsby, 1731 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington DC (Dupont Circle) (Reviewed June 30, 2019) The Riggsby has been around for several years now, tucked away in the boutique Carlyle Hotel a few blocks off Dupont Circle. But don’t be fooled by the demure trappings. It’s a hotbed for some radical ideas. Let’s start with the menu, which is divided into ...READ MORE »

A Visit to Mama Chang (aka Why Bethesda Can’t Have Nice Things)

Posted by Rick Chessen

Mama Chang, 3251 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax VA (reviewed June 12, 2019) I just got back from dinner at Mama Chang in Fairfax. Let me start with the good news. Mama Chang is terrific. There’s a reason Tom Sietsema recently crowned it his #1 new restaurant in DC. While I may not place it quite that high, I have no ...READ MORE »