“What is this stuff?” my somewhat startled dining companion whispers across our table at Casa Oaxaca in Adams Morgan. I'm sure it’s a common question for those who order dishes containing huitlacoche, or corn smut, a rather questionable-looking byproduct of disease-ridden maize that's been eaten since the days of the Mayans and Aztecs. The stuff [...]

Derek Brown, arguably D.C.’s booziest historian, showed up last night to the J.W. Marriott's 1331 Bar & Lounge decked out in a blue-and-white seersucker suit. The summery ensemble matched the event—the dedication of a plaque commemorating the birthplace of the rickey, a hot-weather staple and D.C.’s native cocktail. Allegedly invented at the behest of a [...]