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” »

The James Beard Foundation has released its massive list of semi-finalists [PDF] in the restaurant and chef categories, and the D.C. area has plenty of contenders. So far, at least.

It’s a bit early to get too pump over this list, which was whittled down from more than 15,000 entries. At present, many of the categories boast 20 or more semi-finalists, but by March 23, each will be pared down to five. The winners will be honored on May 4 at the Lincoln Center in New York City.

With that said, D.C. was well represented among the semi-finalists. Young & Hungry sends out a hearty congratulations for those local chefs and restaurants that made the cut. They include:

Read More “Beard Semi-Finalists Just Announced: D.C. Is Well Represented” »

If I may, allow me to boil down Yuki Noguchi’s Morning Edition report today on how local restaurants are surviving this vicious economy: creating affordable prix-fixe menus, doing more with lesser ingredients, and, well, being Micheal Landrum.

For the life of me, I can’t understand why NPR would choose to focus on only two restaurants, Ray’s Hell Burgers and 1789 Restaurant. The former is owned and operated by Landrum, who, by sheer act of will, philosophy, and maybe lunacy, sells a 10-ounce steakhouse burger for $6.95, a feat that no one restaurateur in town can match. The latter is owned by the Clyde’s Restaurant Group, which has far deeper pockets than your average neighborhood eatery looking to escape this economic quicksand.

Read More “NPR’s Morning Edition Surprise: Ray’s Hell Burgers Will Survive the Economy!” »

Baltimore Business Journal reported today that Bob Kinkead, the Beard award-winning chef behind Kinkead’s, has his eyes on Phillips Seafood’s restaurant in downtown Annapolis, which he hopes to purchase and rename Hell Point Seafood.

Reports the Journal: Read More “Bob Kinkead to Open a New Restaurant in Annapolis?” »