There’s a dark cloud looming over the hospitality industry right now, as the nation’s capital and the rest of the country hold our collective breath and try to determine this winter’s trajectory. Not only have D.C. restaurants and bars taken a devastating hit during Covid, the fear that cases may spike while we’re all stuck… Read more »
Read Our Fall 2020 Issue
FEATURED
No Holds Barred: Pastry Chef Paola Velez Fights For Change
An avalanche of accolades in a dizzyingly short amount of time could drive anyone to get swept up in the moment and lose a sense of who they are. And yet, the James Beard-nominated, RAMMY Award-winning powerhouse pastry chef behind internationally lauded fundraising initiative Bakers Against Racism strikes me as a woman who approaches each… Read more »
At Mercy Me, Chef Johanna Hellrigl Forges Forward
Johanna Hellrigl grew up in restaurants. The child of Italian immigrants, she spent days and nights alongside her mother, who took the helm of the family’s New York City restaurant after her father passed away. As adulthood rolled around, Hellrigl decided to study international affairs and work in democracy building during her post-grad years. But… Read more »
PLAY
Beginner’s Guide: Meditation
Breathe in, and out. Take a moment to clear your mind and settle. Feel your anxieties leave your body with each exhale, and breathe in positivity. You’ve just practiced a little bit of mindfulness, and according to experts, keeping this up as a daily habit will do wonders for your mental and physical health. Multiple… Read more »
Treat Yourself to a Glamping Adventure
For the better part of the year, Washingtonians have been sitting in front of their laptops with sweats on. We all need a vacation to destress and unwind from the chaos that is 2020, but the pandemic brings any plans of getting out to a halt. Luckily, you don’t have to stray far from the… Read more »
LIFE
The Power of Words: Planet Word Museum
Have you ever wondered what language elves speak or how computers learn to tell jokes? Or what about how forensic linguistics are used to solve crimes or the importance of media literacy in today’s political and social climate? Whether the topic is light and playful or more serious in nature, the District’s brand-new language arts… Read more »
New Pup-Friendly Locales in the DMV
What’s better than spending your quarantine hanging out with your dog at home? Easy: hanging out with your dog at the bar. One of the silver linings of 2020 is new dog bars opening in the DMV dedicated to bringing you and your pooch out on the town. Brewski’s Barkhaus, located in Alexandria, claims to… Read more »
EAT
A Chef With Intention: Reverie’s Johnny Spero
When Johnny Spero makes a life change, he goes all in. While simultaneously preparing for the opening of his modern American restaurant Reverie and the birth of his daughter Fiona in 2018, he stopped drinking. The storied chef and restaurateur made a conscious choice to live life as fully and clear-headed as possible when embarking… Read more »
Anju Chef Angel Barreto Fuses Passion + Tradition
At one point in time, Angel Barreto envisioned himself in a profession that many flock to the District for: politics. Today, you’ll find him in a role in another industry entirely but one that’s quickly become enmeshed in the culture of the city, as the executive chef of Korean restaurant Anju in Dupont Circle. Partway… Read more »
Under the Weather: How D.C. Restaurants Will Make It To Spring
Yes, we know you’ve leveled up in domestic god/dess status by nurturing your sourdough starter and rocking that weekly CSA box loaded with seasonal fruits and veggies. We’ve seen the photos. But with colder months on the way and threats of a Covid-19 spike looming large, D.C. restaurateurs are hoping you’ll occasionally consider putting down… Read more »
MORE EAT
The District’s Dining Resilience
Running a restaurant during a pandemic is no small feat, but these local eateries and delivery services are doing their best to grow and support one another in the midst of…well, you know. I hate to do this to you, dear reader, but remember the before times? When wandering the streets on your lunch break… Read more »
Sandwich Pop-Ups Are These Restaurants’ Bread + Butter
From ghost kitchens to pop-ups, sandwich-specific shops are cropping up all over town. Not only do they provide tasty, new options for diners, but some restaurants are able to hire back team members to meet the growing volume of sales – showing that sandwich pop-ups might be the greatest thing since sliced bread. Explore some… Read more »
Fall/Winter Forecast: 10 New Food Concepts
By now, the District has settled into a new normal, with limited indoor dining, innovative outdoor dining, and takeout and delivery staying strong. Many restaurateurs are now more confident about opening concepts that were underway before the pandemic and have been strategizing how to open under the new circumstances. They are finding new ways to… Read more »
EVEN MORE EAT
D.C. Restaurants Need Industrial Composting
As sit-down restaurants like Equinox and Oyster Oyster pivoted to takeout methods during the Covid era, D.C. has seen an uptick in compostable dishes and silverware, something fast-casual restaurants like TaKorean implemented early on given their business model. But as much as we want compostable dishes to solve our waste problem, we must still think… Read more »
Mozzeria Brings Joy, Jobs and Pizza to the District
Upon walking into H Street’s Mozzeria, you’re most likely to be drawn to their pizza oven. The larger-than-average oven clocks in at around 12,000 pounds and is emblazoned with the name of the District by way of the Bay Area spot. And while the oven is perhaps the most immediately striking visual element, there’s something… Read more »
Ben Lin Talks Catering During Covid
Ben Lin of B.Lin Catering has been shifting with the times since he realized his dream was to cook for others and not to work in the world of finance. His journey took him from dinner parties at his own place to cooking for members of the Supreme Court to finally starting his own catering… Read more »
DRINK
Sherry Baby: International Sherry Week
Did your mom have a bottle of “cooking sherry” at hand for special meals? Yes, mine too. Edgier and slightly boozier than just wine – since it is a wine “fortified” with a little grape brandy – but not as daring as brandy or other hard liquors, sherry seemed like the perfect, Goldilocks’ choice when… Read more »
CULTURE
Force of Nature Paul Wharton
Paul Wharton is a morning person. I could’ve easily guessed this within the first few minutes of our Zoom date, as he exudes a palpable enthusiasm that’s nearly impossible not to catch a high from through your laptop screen. But still, he confirms my hunch with a charmingly theatrical rendition of his morning affirmations. “The… Read more »
The Graphic + Sonic Exploits of The Food Villain
“Whoever did that is on some shit.” Prolific hip-hop producer, musician and evil food critic (we’ll get back to this) Daniel Alan Maman, better known as The Alchemist, says this as he leans toward his webcam, tilting forward in his chair. He’s describing the first project he’d seen by Eric Dolgas, a DMV area artist… Read more »
The R Mural Project Promotes Resilience
Resilience is all around us in the time of Covid-19. Every day, people continue to go to work, go to school and take care of their families despite numerous challenges. It is this strength that inspired D.C.-based Creative Theory Agency (CTA) to establish the R Mural Project, an interactive art installation designed to inspire the… Read more »
MUSIC
Sondre Lerche Creates Solace on New Record
Loading up your car with a suitcase, guitar, your albums and merchandise may sound like a familiar journey to musicians at the start of their careers. Relying on innovation, dedication and of course, their talent as they traverse the country or perhaps the world is certainly not uncommon. But for a musician of 20 years… Read more »
The Age of Aquarius + Covid: Yelle Releases “L’Ère du Verseau”
The last show Julie Budet and Jean-Francois Perrier attended before lockdown was in France in early March. Held in a former church in Budet’s hometown of Brittany, she remembers scrolling her newsfeed while in the front row and reading that French President Emmanuel Macron was in the middle of addressing the virus for the first… Read more »
D.C. Seeks Support for Music Venues
It’s been well over seven months since venues across the country were forced to a screeching halt since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. In light of this standstill, the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) was formed, linking venues and stakeholders across the country together to lobby the federal government for adequate support to aid… Read more »