A couple of weeks ago, Y&H asked you to nominate the entrees and appetizers and desserts that you felt were worthy of inclusion into a D.C. Dish Hall of Fame. Y’all tore into the assignment like a pack of wolves on a dead carcass.  I received Tweets, personal e-mails, and lots of suggestions via the comments section.

Then for this week’s Young & Hungry column, I contacted a few chefs for their input on HOF dishes. All told, between the public and chefs, you nominated more than 100 dishes, with very little overlap. I’ve narrowed down the list down to the 30 dishes that could represent D.C. well, if elected to the hall.

Now it’s your turn. You can vote for three dishes and three dishes only. The top five vote-getters will be part of the inaugural class of the D.C. Dish Hall of Fame. You have until Dec. 11 to vote.

Pass the word around!

Photo by Darrow Montgomery

The Margherita at 2Amys: Does it make the cut?

Earlier this week, I was noshing on the roast chicken at Palena Cafe, reveling once again in Frank Ruta’s ability to add and coax flavors from this generous, succulent portion of breast, wing, and leg meat. That’s when the thought struck me: This is, hands-down, one of the area’s greatest dishes. It deserves a spot in some sort of local culinary hall of fame.

The roast chicken is an obvious one, but what other dishes would make the cut? I’ve been pondering this and have drafted a number of nominees. The list is, by no means, complete. It needs your suggestions.

Once we get a solid roster of nominees, we’ll put them to a public vote here on the Y&H blog. The top 10 vote getters will go into the City Paper’s inaugural D.C. Dish Hall of Fame. Winners will receive everlasting glory.

The working list of nominees:

Read More “Seeking Nominees for City Paper’s Inaugural D.C. Dish Hall of Fame” »

Restaurant Rater audreys does what every good critic should do: not just review the food on the plate but provide a little perspective on the restaurant in question. Check out audreys’ review of Rasika:

Read More “Vox Populi: Restaurant Rater audreys on Rasika” »

One by one, we’re running through the 50 restaurants that made the cut on this year’s Young & Hungry Dining Guide. If you have visited the day’s featured restaurant, let us know what you think. If you’re planning to visit for the first time, tell us about your meal when you return.

I have such a love-hate relationship with this Glover Park institution. A while back, my wife had a serious, sudden afternoon jones for Heritage India. It was the kind of urge that reminded of the Randy Newman line: “You better get a burger or something in her right away. If you don’t, you’re gonna pay.” Well, when we arrived at the place a few minutes after 2 p.m., a good 25 minutes before Heritage’s lunch cutoff, they told us they were closed. The wife was crushed, and I had to adopt a tough-guy persona to get the staff to relent. On other visits, I’ve had to adopt thick skin, since the wait staff tends to treat you as if they have a hundred better things to do. It’s a good thing, then, that Heritage’s food forgives all sins. Its rich, fragrant curries, prepared with painstaking care to the art of Indian cooking, make all others seem anemic by comparison.

Heritage India, 2400 Wisconsin Ave. NW, (202) 333-3120

Photo courtesy of Heritage India