City Desk » Michael Landrum http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk 68.3 Square Miles of D.C. News and Opinion Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:22:45 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 Carman on Why D.C. Has So Little Great Ethnic Food http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2010/01/14/carman-on-why-d-c-has-so-little-great-ethnic-food/ http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2010/01/14/carman-on-why-d-c-has-so-little-great-ethnic-food/#comments Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:15:11 +0000 Andrew Beaujon http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/?p=43119 blog_eden-1

Tim Carman was on Warren Rojas' chat today, and a reader asked him about the difference between D.C. and Virginia's dining scenes. CARMAN:

But the main difference is that NoVa is stuffed with great ethnic eateries: Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and on and on. It's a matter of economics. The lower rents afforded by surburban markets attract the mom 'n' pop shops. I really wish DC could do something to attract more small ethnic restaurants back into the area. I've heard a rumor Chinatown is working on something like that.

He also says that D.C. street food sucks and lists his favorite restaurants in Northern Virginia:

Photograph: Song Ha, Eden Center, 2005. Photograph by Darrow Montgomery

]]> http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2010/01/14/carman-on-why-d-c-has-so-little-great-ethnic-food/feed/ 12 Landrum to Sietsema: You Could Have At Least Called http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2008/11/05/landrum-to-sietsema-you-could-have-at-least-called/ http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2008/11/05/landrum-to-sietsema-you-could-have-at-least-called/#comments Wed, 05 Nov 2008 20:44:32 +0000 Tim Carman http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/?p=9481 Leave it to Michael Landrum, the self-proclaimed "Improprietor" of Ray's the Steaks, Ray's the Classics, and Ray's Butcher Burgers, to post this love note to Tom Sietsema after the Washington Post critic's recent dust-up over a First Bite review of the Commissary:

The one thing that doesn't make sense to me about this whole thing is what was Tom doing dating someone from Logan Tavern/Merkado/Grillfish in the first place? I mean, isn't that a little like Louis Menand dating Danielle Steele? Or Pauline Kael dating Michael Bay? (Don't get me wrong, Danielle Steele and Michael Bay are very successful at what they do and very good at their craft, but imagine how the conversation would go when Michael Bay has a new movie out..."So, honey, seen any good movies lately? No? Well, what should we go see? You know, I heard about this really good new movie that just came out. It's a provocative, insightful, layered post-modern hommage to a classic Hollywood masterpiece. Except instead of a dark, wild, disturbing projection of our deepest psycho-sexual fears and un-tamed longings in the form of a giant ape named Kong, it's got cars that turn into giant robots from outerspace...Whaddya mean you won't see it...You never want to go to ANY of my movies...I'll be on the couch."

Not that I'm jealous or anything, but if Tom really wanted to date someone in the restaurant business, would it have hurt him to at least call?

]]> http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2008/11/05/landrum-to-sietsema-you-could-have-at-least-called/feed/ 0