With D.C. food truck operators starting an online petition this week urging D.C. Council to pass newly proposed vending regulations, the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) today fired back with its own Internet campaign designed to stop the new rules in their, um, tracks. In a press release, RAMW tells city officials to "go back to the drawing board," calling the new regs "inadequate and woefully short of actually adhering to the existing law that plainly requires the assignment of designated vending spots for food trucks." Read more Restaurant Association Tells City, ‘Go Back To The Drawing Board’ With Food Truck Rules
A weekly roundup of restaurant openings and closings in the D.C. area
OPENINGS:
- 'A Deli' Italian Cafe, 1300 2nd St. NE, opened Feb. 1
- Black & Orange, 1931 14th St. NW, (202) 540-5365, opened Jan. 31
- Crepes On The Corner, 257 15th St. SE, (202) 525-4795, opened Feb. 1
- Odd Bar, 3165 Wilson Blvd., (703) 276-3165, opened Jan. 31
- Unum, 2917 M St. NW, (202) 621-6959, opened Jan. 31
CLOSINGS:
- Eleventh Street Lounge, 1041 N. Highland St., Arlington, closed Jan. 29
When Shaw's Tavern ran afoul of city liquor rules last year, resulting in the Florida Avenue eatery's abrupt closure, it prompted immediate speculation about the fate of Engine Company 12, the proposed three-floor restaurant and bar at the old firehouse on North Capitol Street and Quincy Place. That's because both businesses had the same proprietor: Abbas Fathi. The fact that city regulators ultimately deemed Fathi "unfit for licensure" at Shaw's seemed to foretell a similar doom for the firehouse project.
Perhaps seeing the writing on the wall, Fathi officially withdrew his liquor license application for Engine Company 12 earlier this week. His letter of withdrawal, dated Feb. 1, came the same day as a scheduled hearing before city liquor regulators. It turns out that Engine Company 12 was wrangling with some of the same issues as Shaw's. Read more Echoes of Shaw’s Tavern Fiasco at Engine Company 12
Port City Brewing Company turns one year old today. To commemorate, the Alexandria brewery is releasing a special anniversary beer, appropriately called "One," tonight with a synchronized tapping at more than 30 bars and restaurants throughout the area.
The first of several local production breweries to get underway in the past year, Port City has plenty to celebrate. Founder Bill Butcher reports he produced 20 percent more beer than originally planned to keep up with demand. The tasting room has expanded hours for growler fills and brewery tours. Butcher is currently planning a brewery expansion. Not to be overlooked, head brewer Jonathan Reeves designed and installed a custom-built device he calls the "Hop Cannon" that allows him to dry hop his brews in a way that prevents oxygen from tainting the beer.
Similar to other Port City special releases like this winter's Tidings Ale, One is a complex beer. The Belgian imperial stout is brewed with tons of candi sugar and eight different hops, and rings in at 9.5 percent alcohol by volume. The following bars and restaurants will be tapping Port City's anniversary brew at exactly 6 p.m. tonight:
Read more Happy Birthday, Port City! Special Anniversary Beer Released All Across Town Tonight
After two months of renovations, Bar Pilar is finally reopening tonight. Well, partially, anyway. A rep for the Logan Circle watering hole emphasizes that "JUST the downstairs bar will be open at 5 p.m., and just for drinks, no food. Still no timeline on when upstairs is opening."
Bar Pilar, 1833 14th St. NW, (202) 265-1751
If you haven't checked out our regular "Cocktail Guess" column, here's what you've been missing: our thirsty writers Alex Baca and Shani Hilton set out every other week to test the mettle of D.C.'s top mixologists by ordering drinks in either a specifically vague or just plain challenging manner. Then they rate the results on both taste and creativity. Back in October, one of the gals paid a visit to Bloomingdale's Big Bear Cafe, where she told the bartender, "Make me a tequila cocktail with no citrus or peel." To which, the astute server aptly noted, "You know almost everything has citrus in it, right?” Nonetheless, the bartender whipped up something pretty tasty, combining the agave spirit with cherry juice and ginger beer. On a scale of 1 to 5, the impromptu libation earned 3 points—not too shabby, by our standards. (Our critics are tough!)
Last night, the same writer, Ms. Hilton, returned to Big Bear, only to find out that the same drink is now listed on the actual menu, under the flattering title, "The Muckraker." Aw, shucks, you guys! "Yeah, that may have been named for you," she was told. She decided to order another one. It's still pretty good, she reports.
Photo by Shani Hilton
This week's Young & Hungry column explores D.C.'s burgeoning gluten-free pizza scene and how even many of the city's upper-crust (ahem!) pizzerias are now offering non-traditional wheatless pies. Perhaps the latest joiner is the venerable Pizzeria Paradiso, which has been experimenting for months with a new homemade crust made from brown rice, sorghum, and buckwheat flours. In the article, proprietor Ruth Gresser said she planned to launch the gluten-free option around mid-February. And, sure enough, today, Paradiso set a date for its wheatless dough debut via Twitter: Feb. 15 at its Old Town Alexandria location, with gluten-free beers on hand to wash down the gluten-free crusts.
Gina Chersevani (ex-PS7's) plans to open a "cocktail deli" near 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue SE. Is she talking about the former Ba Bay space? [Prince of Petworth]
A petition urging D.C. Council to pass new food truck regulations has garnered more than 500 signatures in just 24 hours. [HuffPo]
Marvelous Market founder Mark Furstenberg backs out of a new bakery deal in Dupont Circle. [WaPo]
Againn's executive chef Michael Sindoni splits for Dallas. [Dallas Morning News via Eater DC]
Siblings Winnette and Timothy McIntosh, proprietors of Capitol Hill's boutique bakery The Sweet Lobby, are competing on the Food Network show Cupcake Wars. The episode airs Sunday after the Super Bowl. [The Root]
What's up with the latkes served aside French toast at Irish Whiskey? [Bitches Who Brunch]
Here's a peek at the cocktail and beer list for the forthcoming Boundary Road. [H Street Great Street]
Photo by Kagor/GNU Free Documentation License
Tonight: the D.C. Meat Week crew converges on Smoke & Barrel. But, if you haven't RSVP'd, don't bother calling. The event is completely sold out. Same goes for the Chez Billy preview at Montserrat House. Other options: Church & State debuts its new seven deadly sins-themed cocktails, including the "Wrath," made with tomato vodka, vermouth and Sriracha, among other things. Also: Poste has a new pre-theater menu, with choices including coq au vin and flounder almondine.
Coming up: a slew of Super Bowl-themed events on Sunday, including a literal sausage party at ChurchKey and a hot wings-eating contest (and I mean, really, really hot!) at Fuel Pizza.
For more info, click on any link in the Y&H food events calendar above.
Got something tasty going on? Email tips, daily specials and event listings to hungry@washingtoncitypaper.com
Self-described "mixtress" Gina Chersevani splits from PS7's. [Washingtonian]
A guy drives 20 hours round-trip from Michigan to try Spike Mendelsohn's warm, savory corned beef from the Sixth & Rye truck. And, boy, did that Cadillac smell by the time he got back. [Automobile Magazine]
In case you missed it, here's what D.C. chefs José Andrés, Mike Isabella, and Haidar Karoum, among others, served up at the National Portrait Gallery's fete honoring farm-to-table pioneer Alice Waters last month. [Smithsonian]
New trucker-in-chief: BBQ Bus boss Che Ruddell-Tabisola takes over for Curbside Cupcakes' Kristi Whitfield as executive director of the D.C. Food Truck Association. [WaPo]
Hill Country raises $3,800 for Texas wildfire relief. [Fort Worth Star Telegram]
The forthcoming New Orleans PoBoy Shop aims to open in April in Dupont Circle. [Prince of Petworth]
Health inspectors closed Heller's Bakery in Mount Pleasant for code violations last week. It reopened later the same day. [WaPo]
A documentary about D.C. Central Kitchen's Culinary Job Training program nabs $40,000 in financing. [HuffPo]
Photo by Rick/Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license
