The Meandering Ones » Food & Cuisine

DC 2010 new summer restaurants: pizza from Mendelsohn, mussels from Wiedmaier and much more.

SQ — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:24:11 +0000

We’ve been looking forward to Robert Wiedmaier’s latest effort – Mussel Bar By RW – but there’s much more, including Spike Mendelsohn’s pizza joint. Zagat covers the high points here.

Restaurant critics speak out, express their opinions on citizen criticism, or “Cit-Crit”.

SQ — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:14:55 +0000

Bon Appetit posted a pretty good article about citizen criticism which focuses solely on what the paid critics think about the medium. Overall, I’d say more critics are displeased or off-putting than embracing, and many fail to cite any solid reasons for their distaste.

Our opinion (since we heard you ask): it’s just one more avenue from which to make dining decisions. We’re guessing if 20 out of 21 solid reviews all have nothing positive to say about a restaurant’s food it might be worth listening. On the other hand, if the citizen critic seems to be preoccupied with the beautiful crowd or the time waiting to use the WC we’re not so sure this someone we’d listen to.

Heck, half the battle is making sure you’re getting food that didn’t fall of a SysCo truck the previous week.

BLT Restaurants chooses the name GO Burger for new restaurants to open in DC, NY, LA.

SQ — Mon, 17 May 2010 23:04:10 +0000

BLT has announced their naming contest winners and their new burger joint’s name. Not surprisingly, the winning name (GO Burger) was sumbitted by a number of people, so I guess they all get 50 cents apiece for their efforts.

More importantly we get another burger joint, opening soon in Georgetown.

Crêpe Amour opens in Georgetown.

SQ — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 01:47:11 +0000

Crêpes seem to be the latest big thing to join cupcakes and burgers. Crêpe Amour, an early entrant to the incoming tsunami, opened last week.

Let us know your take.

Queen Vic gastropub to open in the Atlas District (H Street) with eel pies.

SQ — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:27:39 +0000

Atlas District (credit: Flickr/cynroux)

You’ll have to wait until June to enjoy a tasty eel pie at The Queen Vic. Yum.

Great to see yet another add to the seriously up and coming Atlas District.

News: Robert Wiedmaier readies ‘The Mussel Bar by RW’ in Bethesda as Beck and Marcel’s continue to delight.

SQ — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:08:52 +0000

Robert Wiedmaier

Robert Wiedmaier has announced he’ll open what we think will be a surefire bet: a new mussel bar in Bethesda.

The Kitchen Troll still contends Wiedmaier’s Brasserie Beck sells the best mussels available.

The Mussel Bar by RW opens early June.

French Prez Nicolas Sarkozy hits Ben’s Chili Bowl for lunch.

SQ — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:07:47 +0000

Sarkozy at Ben's Chili Bowl (credit: TMZ.com)

Is there any doubt French President Nicky Sarkozy loves America and everything it symbolizes? TMZ reports the French prez took it one giant leap further today by testing his refined guts with a lunch at Ben’s Chili Bowl.

Not for the uninitiated if you ask us. I wonder if his earlier rants about the American health care system have anything to do with the cost of antacids at that Rite Aid he probably visited right after landing in the Land of the Free?

Hay-Adams Hotel may add floor and insert a restaurant with awesome, birdseye White House views.

SQ — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:49:35 +0000

Hay-Adams Hotel (credit: Flickr/NCinDC)

DCist reports the Hay-Adams Hotel is strongly considering adding a floor to the building and opening a restaurant in the space. If this comes to pass, average folks like us will for the first time have an opportunity to check out The White House with the same clear birdseye vantage point movie directors and the Department of Veterans Affairs Vermont Avenue bigwigs have had for decades.

Score one more for the people – er, at least one more for those willing to pay for food with a view.

Foursquare makes you the mayor of the places you go most. With Zagat integration, it could revolutionize restaurant reviews and awareness.

SQ — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:45:13 +0000

Foursquare just signed a deal with Zagat. If you find yourself running around with a smartphone in hand and don’t know what Foursquare is, you should take a look.

I think this could be the model that pushes participant-based reviews on the map, perhaps even adding elements of crowdsourcing that will revolutionize the way these places do business. I could easily see a tool like this combining with Opentable to deliver easy reservations and queuing.

Top Chef headed to Washington.

SQ — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:22:01 +0000

The Washington Post is reporting that Top Chef is coming to DC for its 7th season.

What took so long? Three of the show’s contestants and both finalists are local chefs, and even Spike recently opened Good Stuff Eatery in DC’s Capital Hill.