A website devoted to eating in DC
Someone asked me this weekend whether any recent restaurant meals have been disappointing. I mostly demurred because I’m still in pandemic mode when we all agreed not to say anything critical about restaurants just trying to survive. But things feel different now. Restaurants are bustling. Reservations at hotspots like Albi and Daru are impossible to come by. And people (like ...READ MORE »
Hanumanh, 1604 7th St NW (Shaw); Rating 9.3; $$ (moderate) There are singular works of art that cement the reputation of the artist who created them. DaVinci didn’t need to pick up a brush again after the Mona Lisa. Shakespeare could have hung it up after Hamlet. And Chef Seng Luangrath could have clapped her hands in the air like ...READ MORE »
Queen’s English, 3410 11th Street NW, Washington DC (Columbia Heights); Rick’s Rating 9.2; $$$ (Expensive) “The Queen’s English” — the grammatically correct and coherent expression of the English language — traditionally becomes “The King’s English” when the sovereign is a king. Let’s hope nothing like that happens at Queen’s English in Columbia Heights. For one, I prefer to minimize any ...READ MORE »
I was smitten with Venezuelan-born Chef Enrique Limardo’s cooking the first time I ate at his first DC outpost, Seven Reasons, back in 2019. His food was gutsy and flavorful, not precious and muted. He wove together Latin, Asian, and other global flavors into something uniquely his own. Plus he knew how to execute a dish, which isn’t faint praise ...READ MORE »
I’m back. I didn’t know I was taking a blogging sabbatical but that’s how it worked out. Things just kept coming up — volunteering in Poland with World Central Kitchen, my son’s wedding, new episodes of Guy’s Grocery Games — that made it impossible for me to find time to write. Oh, and then I got Covid and lost my ...READ MORE »
This is the week I got my groove back. Thamee and Taqueria Xochi reminded me how much I love searching for that perfect bite and the absolute thrill of sometimes finding it. Suddenly I was Anthony Bourdain again, intrepidly connecting with people and cultures through food, as opposed to what it’s felt like these past eighteen months: Andy Dufresne down ...READ MORE »
The New York Times is trying to kill me. I don’t know what I did, but obviously it was something that hurt them a lot. Because their new list of the 50 top US restaurants hit me like a Tyson Fury right hook. Despite a lifetime obsession with finding the best places to eat, it turns out I’ve been ...READ MORE »
Pro-tip: eating at home is not the same as eating in peace An early and short post this week because I’m off on a cross-country road trip that will take me to some of my favorite food destinations. Will report back by Labor Day. In the meantime, stay safe and cool, and for any unvaccinated adults still out there, please heed ...READ MORE »
Late Summer BLT (homemade, but if you stop by I’ll make you one) It’s late August and that means it’s time for those familiar signs of summer’s end: good tomatoes, county fairs, and outraged Facebook posts about the earliness of the Halloween candy display at Giant. This year some of the Facebook replies will note how early Rosh Hashanah is — ...READ MORE »
Um…hey…how’ve you been? Great to see you again. I think it was last February, if you can believe it. Yeah, time does fly during lockdown. Or does it stand still. Either way, it’s been a while. I wanted to let you know that I’m back and posting regularly again. Thanks for sticking with me, or at least forgetting to unsubscribe. I’ll ...READ MORE »