Oars! Good for more than propelling your rowboat! They also make up a goodly portion of the interior design at the Tombs, the subterreanean haunt located under the four-star 1789 restaurant in residential Georgetown. That décor, and the clientele of primarily Georgetown undergrads, has led more than one acquaintance of this former Georgetown undergrad to write the watering hole off as an absurdly preppy habitat for pink-polo-wearing douchetards. Don’t get me wrong: The douchetard demo is well-represented. But the patronage—neighbors, students, faculty, alumni—is more heterogeneous than you think, and the Tombs is also an example of what many in this town say it sorely lacks: a solid, homey neighborhood pub. For one thing, the food’s good—much of the kitchen space and ingredients are shared with the hoity-toity upstairs space. The grillmen know what to do with a burger (bacon bleu for me, please), and all the other bar standards are similarly well-executed. One other thing: The beer comes by the pitcher. I dare you to find a $7.95 pitcher of Busch Light anywhere within 15 blocks. Pretty much everything on the menu’s reasonable, especially during the late night “Study Snacks” happy hour. The other thing folks don’t realize about the Tombs is that, especially on the weekends, the Joe Hoya douchetards tend to head elsewhere, leaving the place to the normals. Also, it’s dark down there, which tends to obscure the oars.

The Tombs, 1226 36th Street, NW, (202) 337-6668

LL just got off the phone with a nearly manic Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham. Manic, because he says that he’s being unfairly deemed a pizza-banning legislator by a local TV station.

“I have been in media for 30 years, and there’s never been a more preposterous story than this one,” he says.

When WJLA-TV trained his cameras on him last week outside the John A. Wilson Building, he says, he mentioned nothing of legislation—only the jumbo slice pizzerias happen to be associated with certain problems, he says. “When they turn their speakers to the sidewalk, ramp up the volume, and have terrible fights occur not only outside the place but inside the place, when they provide kind of an unruly boardwalk atmosphere, they become a nuisance.” But that doesn’t mean legislation! He has no such bill in the works, Graham says.

“It’s wrong, it’s inaccurate, and it’s unfair,” he says. “To suggest that this is my point of view is absurd.”

LL is currently seeking a response from Channel 7.

UPDATE, 6:10 P.M.: WJLA-TV reporter John Gonzalez says Graham indeed told him, in response to a question, that he was considering legislation. “He said, ‘Oh yeah, I’ve already talked to the mayor.’ And I asked, ‘You mean to revoke licenses?’ He said, ‘I mean, yeah.’”

“I have it on camera,” Gonzalez adds. “I have the raw video!”

Read More “Jim Graham: I’m Not Trying to Abolish the Jumbo Slice!” »

As far as color scheme goes, Arlington’s Metro 29 Diner delivers everything I want out of a primo diner experience: chrome, turquoise blue, and a smattering of magenta. In matters of cuisine, the eatery on, yes, Route 29 (just east of Glebe Road) is just as satisfying, with one of those endless menus where you’re somehow glad you’ll always have the option to order broiled baby beef liver with choice of onions or bacon, even though you always order the tuna melt. (Or the matzo ball soup. Or the souvlaki. Or the spinach pie. Or pretty much anything Greek at this Greek-owned operation.) What Metro 29 thankfully lacks is an overdose of ‘50s nostalgia. No Paul Anka–packed jukebox, just decent eats in clean environs surrounded by a big parking lot at prices not quite as low and at hours not quite as long as you’ll get at Bob and Edith’s.

LL learned a lot of food trivia today. For instance:

• Vincent Gray loves wonton soup. Loves the stuff. Had it for lunch today. His chief of staff regularly picks up a double order for him from the Meiwah Express stand at the Reagan Building food court.
• There’s a great debate over which Starbucks to patronize among John A. Wilson Building denizens. There’s the regular old Starbucks on 13th Street NW, then there’s the “Secret” Starbucks inside the J.W. Marriott Hotel on 14th Street NW. The former is slightly cheaper, on the way from the Metro, has a better food selection, and is patronized by Dan Tangherlini. The latter is secluded, a good spot to eavesdrop on a secret political rendezvous, offers better service, and takes you past a cardboard cutout of President Obama on your way there.
• Kwame Brown and David Catania are closet McDonald’s fans.
• Harry Thomas Jr. enjoys Smoothie King.
• Jim Graham, Ward 1 councilmember and WMATA board chair, likes to eat Subway on the dais. “Ironic,” says one council wag, “because he never rides the Metro!”

That ends LL’s Food Day. He’s kinda hungry.

Tommy Wells has been Ward 6 councilmember since 2007.

Favorite Ward Haunts: “It really depends on the occasion. If my wife and I are beleaguered and had a rough week and we want comfort food, we go to La Loma. Sam Fuentes and his family take care of us….When you want to go to someplace nice, we like Trattoria Alberto [on Barracks Row, 8th Street SE]….For special occasions, we’ll go to Montmartre. We love the French food and good wine….When we’re [feeling casual], I’ll go to the Argonaut for sweet potato fries and a Dogfish Head 90-minute IPA, and nine times out of 10, the fish tacos.”

Home Cooking: “Marinated salmon on the grill, wild rice from Minnesota, usually with mushrooms and raisins in it, and asparagus.” Actually, make that mushrooms and Craisins.

Fave Wine Region: Côtes du Rhône

Power Lunch Locale: “I have been mourning the loss of Les Halles. It was reasonably priced and I liked the dishes….I generally don’t go to Chef Geoff’s because they vehemently opposed sick leave, so I’m going to Bluepoint [Grill] for a real change. The good news there is the bad news: The food is not great, but I never have to wait for a table”—meaning it’s easier to have a private conversation. Recently, though, he’s spotted more colleagues on the premises seeking seclusion.

Quick Bite: “Same place every time,” he says—a Japanese spot in the Ronald Reagan Building food court. “It’s called ‘Kabuki’ something,” he says, and he always gets the sushi deluxe with an orange juice. “And the weirdest thing is, it often costs different amounts.” Wells recently returned from a European vacation, and apparently the sushi stand missed him. “I went back two days ago, and they added other sushi pieces. they let me know they were doing that as a gift.”

Bag It: His sushi trips provided valuable intel on a pet piece of legislation. Wells, of course, is currently pushing a bill to charge five cents for paper and plastic bags. “The other odd thing is, sometimes they put it in a plastic bag, sometimes they put it in a paper bag. That indicated to me there’s no economic difference between the two.” Wells, of course, usually refuses the bag. But not always. If there’s a long line of tourists behind him and the counterperson sticks his lunch in a bag, he’ll take it. “I don’t want to be too weird,” he says.

Kaffeeklatsch: “I routinely meet with people in the back part of Firehook. I can have a fairly private conversation without constantly being interrupted by constituents. When it doesn’t matter, I go to Port City.” There was recently a coffee scandal of sorts in Ward 6, when the Murky coffeeshop on 7th Street SE was revealed not to have paid its taxes. Wells, however, had already avoided the joint, after owners painted over a intricate mural inside depicting an Eastern Market street scene. “I quit going there,” he says. “I boycotted the affront to community art.”

No Reservations: One place in Ward 6 Wells hasn’t been: Dr. Granville Moore’s on H Street NE. “I can’t get a table!” he protests. “I’m the councilmember! What’s that say about [owner] Joe Englert?”

Phil Mendelson has been an at-large councilmember since 1998.

Favorite Restaurant: American City Diner. LL pointed out this is a political pick; ACD owner Jeffrey Gildenhorn is active in local politics. Replied Mendo, “It’s a diner! You don’t have an appreciation for diners!”

Power Lunch Locale: M&S Grill, at 13th and F. He gets the blue plate special. For power breakfasts, though, it’s Old Ebbitt.

Legislative Agenda: Mendelson is a noted legislator on gustatory issues. He passed legislation to get rid of a $100 fee to have candles in restaurants. And he, for the third time, is about to introduce a bill to require mandatory nutritional labeling on restaurant menus. “You can go to Starbucks and have a day’s worth of calories in one drink but you wouldn’t know it here.”

Romantic Dinner Spot: “The Loose Lips will have to sleuth it out.”

Neighborhood Joint: “I don’t have time to be hanging out in neighborhood joints!” He went on to namecheck Colonel Brooks’ Tavern, Tune Inn, and Georgena’s.

Home Cookery: “I make a pretty good catfish. I’m not going to tell the secret ingredients….broil it with some parmesan cheese, nuts, and other secret ingredients.”

Family Heirloom: Corn pudding. Again, he’s protective: “It’s got secret ingredients.”

Coffee Preference: Mendelson’s an inveterate home-brewer. He brings a silver Thermos of Quartermaine’s, half French roast, half decaf house.

Dais Munching: “You will never see me with a Subway sandwich or an Au Bon Pain sandwich, really. Something like a snack—nuts, recently I’ve been big on granola bars.”

Breakfast Politics: “When I worked for Jim Nathanson, he’d tell me about the difference between Dave Clarke and John Wilson['s council breakfasts]…Dave Clarke would serve, really, burnt donuts, and John Wilson had this spread with a cotton tablecloth and a silver platter. Made everyone so fat and happy that the council followed their chairman.”

Favorite Breakfast Item: “Everything!” chimes in top aide Jason Shedlock. Says Mendo, “I’m afraid Jason’s got that right.”

Carrie S. Kohns is chief of staff to Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. She has been described to LL as a “definite foodie.”

So Hot Right Now: “Sei, on 7th Street. Love the fish-and-chips roll.”

Old Standby: “You can’t go wrong with BLT [Steak]. That’s an old standby. Delicious every time, great service—best steak in town, for sure.” She gets the filet—”baseball cut, medium rare.” Wedge salad to start. Oh, and the popovers! “That’s what keeps you coming back.”

Source of Foodie Intel: Kohns isn’t a Zagat or Don Rockwell devotee—she’s all about word of mouth. “I have lots of friends who are trying new places.”

Power Lunch Locale: “The bullpen,” referring to the John A. Wilson Building’s mayoral office space. “We usually grab a salad from Devon & Blakely (1331 F St. NW). It’s a make-your-own place….I don’t have a policy of having someone bring my lunch…but if a person is going to Devon & Blakely, I usually write a list on a little Post-It.”

Coffee Order: Regular drip, with half-and-half and a little Splenda. Sometimes homebrewed, sometimes not.

Neighborhood Fave: Posto, on 14th Street NW. She and husband Daniel Kohns live nearby. “We’re there all the time.”

What the Boss Eats: “He’s sort of a creature of habit.” For breakfast, it’s always oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar. “Big tea drinker….Herbal tea, not caffeinated.” “When he’s here and having lunch, it’s usually a salad at his desk. I’ve seen him do Corner Bakery or M&S.” And no potato chips. Ever.

Weekend Cookery: “Stuffed chicken breasts….I do like spinach, bacon, and chicken. You can either pound and roll [the chicken] or make a little pocket.” And Kohns says she makes a mean pot of collard greens—with smoked turkey sausage. (Communications Director Mafara Hobson holds that smoked ham hocks are a prerequisite.)

Family Heirloom Recipe: The peach stuffing made by mom Carol Fennelly. That’s right: “Like stuffing for like Thanksgiving, but with peaches in it.”

Marion Barry is Ward 8 councilmember and a former four-term mayor of the District of Columbia.

Favorite Restaurant: “Don’t have one.” Barry then goes on to name dozens of restaurants, past and present, that he has patronized. “Player’s [Lounge, now Georgena's]—that’s at the top of that list.” There he favors the fish, collard greens, and candied yams. Also rating mentions: Mama Cole’s, in Ward 8; Maggiano’s; La Tomate; McCormick & Schmick’s; Tony & Joe’s Seafood; the Four Seasons; and Capitol Grille.

Power Lunch Location: “Old Ebbitt Grill….A good trout parmesan. A good corn chowder soup. They’ve got good clam chowder there, too.

Ben’s Chili Bowl Order: “I used to go for the beef half-smoke, but I stopped that a long time ago. I think they have veggie dogs, turkey dogs.”

Guilty Pleasure: Chitlins. “I was in Jamaica, they had these fat pigs in the sewer. I said, Goddamn! Almost never had another chitlin in my life.” About a year later, though, he relented. These days, he indulges about twice a year.

Favored Establishment of Yore: Duke Ziebert’s, at Connecticut and L. “First, I remember Duke, who was a colorful guy. Always got a story to tell. It was a political hangout place, all the Redskins players, too….Duke was done wrong. The Lerners tripled his rent.”

Dietary Advice: “I eat very little beef…Beef is the worst thing for your body. It wreaks havoc on your stomach. It takes three times as much hydrochloric acid to digest it,” says Barry, a chemist by training. “All these people say beef is the best thing since sliced bread. That’s bullshit.” And one other thing: “No liver. I like liver, but it’s a repository of all the waste in the body. I figure that stuff is still in there.”

Today’s Lunch: “Something I didn’t like—chicken salad on wheat bread.”

Cooking at Home: “At home I eat turkey sausage, grits, and eggs, and I drink two bottles of water.” His specialty, though, is salmon. “The thing for me is do the right seasoning. Occasionally I will use cajun seasoning. Let it marinate overnight—garlic powder, sometime Worcestershire sauce. There’s other secrets I got I don’t tell nobody….Wrap it in aluminum foil. The juices circulate, keep it moist. Ten or 12 minutes at 350 to 400 degrees…The key is not to overcook it or undercook it, unless you’re eating salmon tartare.”

Tipping Policy: “I tip based on service—no service, no tip….20 percent for excellent service. It goes downhill after that.” He recalls the last time he ventured to the old Lion d’Or on Connecticut Avenue. “I used to go there all the time. One time I went and the bill musta been a hundred-some dollars, I tipped maybe $5…Two days later, my credit card slip showed up in the Washington Post. I went off!…I went to the owner….I explained that I tip based on service.” The owner, he says, offered to comp him several meals. “I said that, ‘No, I don’t want that. I’m pissed.’ The article in the Post said, ‘Marion Barry: Cheapskate.’…I’m telling you, I’m not ever coming back here again. And I’m going to tell all my people never to come back here again.” Barry pauses. “Four or five months later, he closed. I’m not saying I had anything to do with it, but word gets around.”

Yvette Alexander is the Ward 7 councilmember.

Favorite Restaurant: “I have to say, the best place in Ward 7 is MoRuss Seafood on Minnesota Avenue.” MoRuss, owned by a pair of former chefs from Ruth’s Chris Steak House, is in the Twining neighborhood. Her go-to dish? “Blackened salmon. They know when the Ward 7 councilmember comes in, they get the blackened salmon going.” Get the cabbage and mashed sweet potatoes on the side, she says. (2902 Minnesota Ave. SE, 202-583-2722)

Power Lunch Location: “Denny’s (at East Capitol Street and Benning Road)! I get the waffle slam. And they have turkey sausage.”

Trusted Political Caterer: Fat Face BBQ, on East Capitol Street

Quick Wilson Building Nosh: “I like either Corner Bakery or Au Bon Pain.” At the latter, she says, she goes for the Southwestern Corn Chowder.

Beverage of Choice: Alexander’s a Starbucks girl. She picks up a “grande extra-hot 200-degree skim caramel macchiato” at the 8th and Pennsylvania SE location on her way in to work. Why so picky about temperature? “When you make the mixed drinks, it gets cool.”

Council Breakfast Story: Before monthly legislative meetings, councilmembers take turns catering a buffet-style breakfast for their colleagues. Usually it’s a pretty standard affair, with eggs, potatoes, bacon, coffee. Not so for the first breakfast Alexander hosted: “We had linen tablecloths, fresh-cut flowers, jazz music, waffles to order, omelets to order,” she says. That spread, courtesy of event planner George Worrell was to celebrate a double event: Alexander’s first council breakfast and her birthday.

Los Angeles has ‘em. So does St. Louis, San Francisco, and the whole state of North Carolina.

Is the District next?

We’re talking letter grades here, specifically as applied to the cleanliness of restaurants, markets, taverns, and other establishments slinging comestibles. Anyone who’s been to L.A. has seen a big block “A,” “B,” or even “C” posted prominently outside all food-serving establishments. (You don’t stay open with anything less than that.) The thinking goes that the public scrutiny forces restaurants to aim for a level of sanitation beyond the bare minimum.

Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh says she’s introducing a bill at tomorrow’s legislative meeting that would implement an L.A.-style system here. In a press release, Cheh points to a “definitive study” that “13.1 percent decrease in the number of foodborne-disease hospitalizations in Los Angeles County in the year following the implementation of the program.”

So is this a valuable consumer protection measure or creeping nannyism at a time when restaurateurs are facing economic hardship?

Orange County, Calif., recently decided it was the latter, and rejected a letter-grade system. Don’t expect a warm reception from local restaurant owners—will update with any official reaction.