Bummed about the Twinkies bankruptcy? Head to Ted's Bulletin for the "reverse" version—the filling’s on the outside, not within the cake. [WaPo]

Take a peek inside Mintwood Place [Eater DC]

Fruit Bat has a new cocktails menu. [Frozen Tropics]

Talk about sharing the wealth: President Barack Obama apparently isn't at all selfish with his french fries: "He actually asked if we wanted some." [The Republic]

Here's a romantic, if not gushing, take on restaurant week. [Express Night Out]

Even rich movie stars appreciate prix-fixe specials: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie partake in restaurant week at Charlie Palmer Steak. (Well, he had the steak, she got the chicken.) [Washingtonian]

Former Jaleo and Zaytinya manager David Batista talks about his plans for All Souls in Shaw. [Prince of Petworth]

Photo courtesy of Ted's Bulletin

Eater DC

Photo by Chris Shott

Guacamole MacGyvers: Some helpful tips if you venture to Gaithersburg's Tortacos: "The guacamole was excellent–the drawback there was that their chips are made from flour tortillas, not corn, and were overfried to boot. Porcupine came up with the brilliant solution of taking one of the double corn tortillas comprising each of the tacos, tearing it into chip-sized pieces, and eating the guacamole with those." [DonRocks]

Oily Anticipation: Shirlington's olive-oil-and-vinegar store is supposed to open on Thursday. [ARLNow]

Choices to Ponder: If you've been interested in a community-supported agriculture share, here is what you should know before you are inundated with leafy greens. [Washingtonian]

Famous Diners: German Chancellor Angela Merkel ate at 1789 last night with President Obama. [The Feast]

Photo by Flickr user racheocity using an Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license

Improvements Pho the Future: Pho 14 in Columbia Heights will be expanding its space on Park Road NW and its menu. [PoP]

Those Aren't Bay Leaves: The owner of Diredawa Cafe on Georgia Avenue, already tied to the taxicab bribery scandal from two years ago, is also accused of dealing khat, the leafy drug popular in East Africa and parts of the Middle East. [City Desk]

Hostess Hazards: El Centro, D.F., is now open on 14th Street NW near the Black Cat. But watch your step when you waltz in! "There's a tricky bottle neck by the hostess stand – servers are bringing out trays of food right where the servers are leading guests to tables. I watched servers trying to get past guests and thought 'this is a disaster waiting to happen.' If you go, please watch out for the servers until you are safely seated!" [DonRocks]

Pop Tarts Keep Popping Up: Buzz Bakery of Alexandria is opening up a new location in Ballston, and "will add treats like breakfast pop tarts, made-to-order waffles, individual serving quiches, homemade ice cream, sorbets, popsicles and 'take-and-bake' products." [ARLNow]

Photo by Flickr user Mr. T in D.C. using an Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license

Like so many other transplants who move to D.C. — we don't have to name names, right, Taylor Gourmet? — Chicago native Bob H. really missed some of the iconic bites from his hometown. Like a Vienna Beef dog in a poppy seed bun topped just the right way. Or a hand-dipped Italian beef sandwich loaded with sweet (or hot) peppers.

When he couldn't find these classics in D.C., he decided to fix the problem himself. He started his own Windy City-themed restaurant that features (you guessed it) Chicago dogs and Italian beef sandwiches. ChiDogO's officially opened yesterday at 1934 14th St. NW, and I was one of many standing in line for a bite.

After following ChiDogO's for the past few months online and seeing the mouthwatering photographs, I finally had a chance to sample the famously fussy all-beef hot dog. (Don't even think about skimping on the proper toppings.) The dog was good, the fries were probably better, but the prices were a little steep for the portion sizes.

According to the menu, a classic Chicago dog goes for $3.19 and a beef sandwich for $5.75, with bigger portions available as well.

I left a bit hungry, but I'd still go back to give it a second whirl. Question is, will the District's most famous Chicago transplant stop by this Second City recreation and pass judgment? Or will it feel like a betrayal of D.C.'s own icon, Ben's Chili Bowl, where the president-elect made his famous stop?

No time to waste, let's get straight to the news.

• Capitol Hill Sporting Goods at 727 8th St. SE will soon be replaced by a funky new tavern serving up American fare and offering live jazz and blues. (The Hill Is Home)
• During President Obama's trip to the Subcontinent this past weekend, the Indian government provided him with an extra 12 food tasters in addition to his usual first line of culinary defense. Now what happens when he goes to eat for free at Ben's Chili Bowl? (Food Safety News)

• Apparently 90 percent of all American households eat turkey on Thanksgiving. If you find yourself falling into that category, well, then this item is for you. (Northern Virginia magazine)
• The McRib sandwich and Facebook were somehow made for each other, notes WaPo's Jim Shahin. (All We Can Eat)
• Hey, Biergarten Haus, look out! A new Bavarian beer garden is on its way to 720 L St. SE. (Prince of Petworth)
• Alejandra Owens is hosting what might just be the first ever Twitter Turkey Summit this Wednesday in which you can discuss how not to ruin Thanksgiving dinner. (One Bite At a Time)
• Former IndeBleu chef Michael Hartzer is pairing up with the owner of Bourbon to open the Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Adams Morgan. The selling point? One thousand kinds of whiskey. (Going Out Gurus)
• Thanksgiving Day is hectic enough on its own, why go the extra mile and make homemade cranberry sauce? (Serious Eats)
• The CityVista building at 5th and K Street NW will be the site of a handful of future joints, including Michael Landrum's newest endeavor: Ryse, an "urban bakeshop/cafe". (WeLoveDC)
• PETA sympathizers look away: Executive chef Wesley Mortono at AGAINN has announced plans for a series of monthly dinners celebrating the fall hunting season, starting with Nov. 16's wild game meal. (Girl Meets Food)
• Just what we need: another burger joint. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay plans to throwdown a Bobby's Burger Palace on K Street NW. (Washington Business Journal)
• The folks over at Thrillist have a sneak peek of The Atlas Room, which opened this past weekend at 1015 H St. NE. (Thrillist)
• I'm calling bullshit on the USDA. The agency wants us to lose weight but eat more cheese at the same time. (New York Times).
• Alyssa Shelasky, author of Apron Anxiety and fiancee to Good Stuff Eatery chef Spike Mendelsohn has announced that her blog will soon become a book. (Apron Anxiety)

Photo by Robyn Lee via SeriousEats.com

There's lots of news to pass along, so let's not waste time with idle blog-chat.

• The Prez parties at graham elliot in Chicago for his 49th. [Obama Foodorama]
• Is D.C. a "food city" or just a second-rate Big Apple? [Grub Street]
• Metrocurean is getting a facelift, complete with video. [Metrocurean]

• Even more food trucks coming to our streets. [DCist]
• Kitchens of the future: green jelly refrigerators! [The Food Section]
• Congratulations, West Virginia, you're fat. [New York Times]
• TLC has hasn't listened to its critics: The cable channel is bringing back D.C. Cupcakes for a second season. [Washington Post]
• DCist asked readers who will win Top Chef D.C. and where the finale will be shot. Perhaps in a less geek-intensive city? [DCist]
• The Target in Columbia Heights will be selling fresh groceries in October. Its new layout is pissing off people now. [Prince of Petworth]
• Oh, Rickey, you're so fine. You're so fine, you blow my mind. Oh Rickey! [Washington Post]
• It's the summer of ice cream sticker shock. [New York Times]

Photo by loomingy1 via Flickr Creative Commons, Attribution License

When is potato salad not potato salad? When it's a symbol for universal health care.

Safari DC, the District's only restaurant specializing in Kenyan cuisine, has apparently closed. The windows are papered. The awning has been stripped of the eatery''s name. And the telephone line has been disconnected.

This is sad news for the the loyal Kenyans who frequented the Petworth establishment and who were never happier than on Jan. 20 of last year, when one of their own become president of the United States.

Will D.C. come across as a cartoon parody of itself? Will the cheftestants be forced to make their own chili for the District's famous half-smoke? How often will the producers draft José Andrés to add some genuine "talk to the tomatoes" eccentricity to the show?  Will the Obamas make an appearance to show off the White House garden? Was the White House garden even planted when the show was filming?

We'll start to get some answers to these questions, and more, tonight when season seven of Top Chef premieres at 9 p.m. on Bravo. What I've read so far about the upcoming challenges doesn't give me a ton of hope. Cooking at the CIA? Since when are spooks known for their discriminating tastes?

OK, OK, I know. I"m pre-judging, so allow me to get back to basics, such as where to watch the show. Y&H will likely be camped out at home, so he can scream at the TV in private, but the Washingtonian is hosting a watch party at (where else?) former cheftestant Spike Mendelsohn's burger joint on the Hill, Good Stuff Eatery.

The Going Out Gurus has compiled a more comprehensive list of places to watch the show.

If you know of any other bars or restaurants or lounges hosting watch parties, let us know in the comments. Otherwise, here are a few cheat sheets for tonight's program:

1. The official Bravo biographies of the cheftestants;
2. Washingtonian's more extensive biographies of the competitors;
3. Y&H's look at the local contestants;
4. And finally, WaPo's words of caution after viewing the season debut: "[I]t feels as though 'Top Chef' has burned off a lot of its original allure."