• 12Oct

    DCFud Wants You!

    The good news is, some of us are over-employed (that’s good, right?).  Some of us have even moved away from the DC area *gasp* (you know who you are).  🙂

    But the bad news is a dry spell for the FUD at the moment.  So, to
    counteract this terrible state of affairs, we are looking for…..

    A FEW NEW WRITERS!!
    Were you annoyed by a restaurant?
    Do you have some random recipes to share?
    Have you discovered the best wine, restaurant, food truck, or….restaurant restroom in DC?
    Do you want to write a comparison article for a particular item or dish?
    Need some hipster cred?
    Then we want you for DCFUD.  Send any sort of writing sample to
    jay@dcfud.com, along with a couple ideas you’d like to write
    about.  It’ll be crazy!

    Permalink Filed under: Etc No Comments
  • 07Sep

    The Great Foodtruck Race Accepting Votes For Next Season

    Check out the official site.  They only have 3 DC Trucks listed…Pedro & Vinny’s, DC Slices, and Fojol Brothers. 

    I voted for the one I think is a best fit of the three for the show.  

    Vote away….and maybe we can get a DC Foodtruck in the next season of the show.

    -JAY

    Permalink Filed under: Etc Tags: , , , , , No Comments
  • 18Aug

    For those Marylanders among us…

    You don’t need to be a state to have a fair!  Don’t believe me, there are deep-fried Oreos and funnel cakes aplenty being served just 20ish miles over the border in Gaithersburg, Maryland.   The Montgomery County Agricultural Fair is the quintessential fair – animals, foods, rides, and all the country a city boy could want!

    Looking to take on a new hobby?  Stop and watch the intricacies of judging the perfect shorn sheep.  Trying to teach your children about child-birth?  Visit the birthing tent and see the miracle of life itself!  (Mind you, cows are the mothers at this fair!)  Want to get your pre-teen hooked on gambling?  Then the pig races are the place for you!  Opportunities and excitement abound!

    I personally enjoy shoving grease-soaked carnival treats in my mouth while watching the rides.  The twirly ones make me nauseous…but I keep eating.  I like being heckled by the keepers of the game booths – an odd mix of surly older folks and those who could probably star in one of A&E‘s many reality shows.  No where else on earth can one get so excited to play a game for $2 and receive a cheap stuffed animal that will either meet the dog later that night or pass on to one of our nation’s many land-fills.

    But wait, this is a food site…so let’s talk food.  Turkey legs, ice cream, cotton candy, sausage, lemonade…it’s not high-brow, but it’s darn tasty.  The stuff you know you shouldn’t eat and regret later. But while you’re chomping, heaven does indeed seem to be a place on earth!  And where else can you eat a hotdog in front of a pig?  Or a hamburger while staring a cow in the face.  There is a circle of life and it’s at the fair!

    So, download some “Meet Me In St. Louis” and get out to the fair!  Eat something with the sweet smell of manure in the air.  Do it, if you dare!  You may even see a mare.  Ok, enough already.  Montgomery County may not be a state yet, but we sure do love our farms and support our 4-H!

    AEK

    [ad][ad]

    Permalink Filed under: Etc, Events, Travel Tags: , , , , 1 Comment
  • 13Aug

    Strut Your Sweet Stuff – Enter Your Cupcake in the DC State Fair Cupcake Contest!

    More info on this contest is avilable in this Modern Domestic post.

    -JAY


    Inside the heart of every baker lies the soul of a diva. A competitor. A little voice that says “my cupcakes are the best.” Or maybe that’s just some of us.

    But admit it – I bet you make some pretty damn good cupcakes. So it’s time to show them off. The DC State Fair, which will be held on August 28th as part of Columbia Heights Day, is holding a cupcake contest. It’s where DC’s bakers can really strut their stuff and show what they can do with a mixer and a piping bag. Be creative and have fun with it!

    The winner of the cupcake contest will win fame, glory, and a delicious prize box of treats from Treet.
    [ad]

    Permalink Filed under: Etc, Events Tags: , , , , No Comments
  • 06Aug

    “Like” Silver Diner?

    In my inbox:

    -JAY
    ——————————————————-

    Hi JAY,

    Hope you’ve been enjoying your summer—and have been able to make it out to a Silver Diner to check out their Fresh and Local menu!

    We have a really exciting Facebook promotion launching on Friday August 6th that I thought you might be interested in. To help other people get a chance to try out the new Fresh & Local menu you tried at our event, Silver Diner is offering everyone who “likes” them on Facebook a $10 off coupon. We tried to keep it nice and simple, “like” Silver Diner on Facebook, enter your email address into the form and get your coupon emailed to you once we reach 5,000 fans.

    And, when a fan redeems their coupon they can sign up for the Eat Well, Do Well rewards program, which donates a portion of Silver Diners profits to support local school lunch and fitness programs. In fact, Eat Well Do Well is getting ready to make a big donation this fall, $30,000 to area schools during Farm to School Week!

    We would love if you could help us out and let your readers at DC Fud know about the promotion! It will be going live at www.facebook.com/SilverDiner on Friday.

    Permalink Filed under: Etc, Restaurants Tags: , , , 1 Comment
  • 29Jul

    Whole Foods Market Arlington – Cooking Classes, August

    In my Inbox:

    Michael just sent us this. 🙂

    -JAY

    —————-

    August 3rd – Veggie Burger Bonanza. Do you relish the thought of learning how to make your own veggie burgers? Join Chef Michael Kiss in this fun and informative class on how to put the flavor back in the bun. No moo, No cluck, and definitely no duck, just wholesome plant oriented burgers that are way better than anything from a frozen box. Vegetarian class.

    August 10th –  29 ½ Minute Meals. It’s a busy life folks, and sometimes we feel hopeless to maintain a healthy lifestyle for us and our families. If you can find 29 ½ minutes Chef Michael Kiss will show you how you can eat healthy and delicious food that most importantly is fast to prepare. This week’s dinner in a flash; Peanut Tamari Tofu wraps with Thai hummus. Stop for a moment and chew! Vegetarian class.

    August 17th **NEW SERIES** Hungry for Knowledge. In this new series, each month, Chef Michael Kiss will review and discuss one of the many dietary lifestyle books we have here at Whole Foods Market. In this non-bias exploration of all things food we will cook some of the recipes from the book as well as offer a 5% discount off the purchase price of the book of the evening. Our first book we will explore is “The Engine 2 Diet” by Rip Esselstyn. Rip is an Austin TX, firefighter that has developed a plant strong approach to healthy lifestyle. Vegetarian class.

    August 24th – Melons 101. Summer isn’t summer without a big ol’ wedge of watermelon, the juice dribbling down your chin and the fun spitting the seed further than your friends. In this informative class Chef Michael Kiss will show you the right way to pick the best of the season but we will also prepare a few dishes that might surprise you when you taste them. Sweet and savory dishes that all include melon in the ingredient list; this will definitely be a class with a rind. Ur,um… I mean appeal.

    August 31st – How to cook like a chef-Gazpacho Mania. This summer one of the hottest trends in cooling down is gazpacho. There are so many variation and new ones being invented by talented chefs every day. Join Chef Michael Kiss as we investigate what makes a classic gazpacho as well as learning how to get funky with nuvou gazpacho variations. Get excited for the flavor flamenco dance on your tongue. O’le! Vegetarian class.

    Classes begin at 7:00 PM. All Whole Foods Market Cooking Classes are free of charge. seating is limited to first come, no registration required. veggie burgers ready to go in the oven! I feeling healthy today![ad][ad]

    Permalink Filed under: Etc, Events, Recipes Tags: , , , , , No Comments
  • 29Jul

    Garlic-Crusted Roast Eggplant

    I’m not sure why, but I’ve always associated eggplant with winter; the illusions of our global market, I suppose, since the purple blobs are actually in season right now. I picked up a few lovely looking baby ones at the farmer’s market the other day, and have been mucking about with them, trying to do something interesting. Turns out, so far, that classic (or at least classic-ish) works best.

    The main thing I’ve learned is that purging is absolutely essential: the final product is much less greasy and grainy, with better flavor. Purging goes like this: you slice the eggplant, salt it pretty generously on both sides, and leave it in colander for just over an hour. The salt draws out some of the moisture from the outside layer, making it firmer and sealing the insides. Then, you rinse the eggplant (very well, you don’t want all that salt in your dish), and dry them with paper towels (I squeeze them a bit to be sure). Then cook them. This is especially critical if you’re frying, but important in other prep too, for eggplants. Also works on plantains, tomatoes, etc.

    My best dish this eggplant week was, as I said, simple and fairly classic. I used:

    1 Italian eggplant, sliced into circles ~1cm thick, and purged
    3 large cloves finely minced garlic
    1.5 tbs herbes de Provence
    1/2 tsp cayenne
    Olive oil
    Salt
    Fresh black pepper

    While the eggplant is purging, grease a tray with some oil, and make a dressing from the garlic, herbs, cayenne, and about a tablespoon of oil. Preheat your oven to 425. I actually made this in my toaster oven, because it’s bloody hot these days and I wanted to minimize the heat in my kitchen.

    Once purged and dry, arrange your eggplant on the tray, and top each slice with your dressing (which should be very thick…almost a rub). Throw that in the over for about 25 minutes, or until the tops are a little bit browned and crispy.

    Serve as hors d’oeuvres, side dish, or even as a whole meal if you make a larger batch.

    – MAW

    Permalink Filed under: Etc, Ingredients, Recipes Tags: , , , , , No Comments
  • 21Jul

    Just can it…can it real good!

    Attention Mother Nature…you may think you’re super smart, the mastermind of earth and all her bounty, but I’m on to you.  Sure your plants are busy all summer, like a video editing machine at the RNC, but I know the truth.  I may make fun of those folks playing poker with sunglasses, but I have learned to recognize a bluff when I see one.  And winter is yours!  I knew my years of watching Little House on the Prairie and The Waltons would not be in vein.  I have captured your sunny, sweet flavors, your ripe fruits and your succulent vegetables.  I am canning.

    Cunning, I am.  Witty?  Well, thank you sir.  A decent cook?  Better than decent.  But I needed some help on the beginning of this journey.  My Fodor’s?  My Frommer’s?  My Bible: the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.  True, many a fruit and vegetable are not in plentiful enough supply to start canning like a madperson yet.  I started this odyssey after the blueberries came and went (I was actually perfecting my blueberry pie recipe – cream cheese crust – a toddler couldn’t mess it up!) and, minus the fresh fruit, I hate all things strawberry.  But keep the faith!  Peaches are coming, zucchini are growing, and cucumbers are right around the corner.

    While waiting for the harvest,  I have been practicing.  Lord knows, I’m not going to mess up on a 20 pound batch of peaches!  Today, I tested a yellow tomato and honey butter – hard to find yellow tomatoes?  Yes!  But they won’t be in a few weeks.  And if you’re afraid of the canning process…testing gives you the opportunity to perfect your technique.  It can be intimidating.  The heat, the sterilizing, the crazy amounts of sugar!  I realized very quickly I need a larger pot.  And more canning jars.  Luckily, the jars can be purchased at any Walmart or True Value these days.

    Do I really know if the rich flavor of that gorgeous peach will be preserved in a glass jar when I pop the seal on January 16th?  I have no clue.  But I’m an optimist and believe in the power of Mother Nature.  And I can be sure they’ll be better than the peaches I find in Giant on aisle 9 drenched in a sweet syrup.  I dare you to try it.  I’m sure there are a bunch of secretive canners out there – be proud, be brave, and in the winter, when roots vegetables are the kings and queens of our dinner tables, the peaches, plums, and preserves of summer will be the envy of all our dinner guests.

    AEK

    Permalink Filed under: Etc, Ingredients Tags: , No Comments
  • 06Jul

    Want to be a Secret Eater?

    Found this on Craigslist.org.

    -JAY

    —————–

    Restaurant Writers – no food restrictions (D.C., Crystal City, Bethesda)

    Date: 2010-07-06, 1:11PM EDT
    Reply to: job-awkvh-1828396460@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

    i-SPY hospitality provides mystery shopping services for restaurants in Wash D.C., NYC, Philadelphia, and Atlantic City, NJ.

    We are looking for restaurant “shoppers” in the D.C. and surrounding areas, with superior WRITING and MEMORY skills and the ability to follow succinct instructions, and an interest in DINING OUT.

    To be considered, you must have NO diet restrictions (food or alcohol) whatsoever (sorry, no vegetarians).

    You MUST be flexible dining in D.C., Bethesda, MD and Northern VA.

    You MUST be able to commit to at least ONE meal per month.

    You MUST be comfortable writing, in a professional, grammatically correct manner.

    Our shoppers are reimbursed for dinner for two, plus paid $15.

    Following the meal they are required to write about 3 to 4 pages of narrative, which takes about 2.5 hours, and due within 24 hours.

    Potential shoppers are required to fill out an application on our website http://ispy4u.net/shoppers.htm AND an Independent Contractor’s Agreement, which you will be forwarded after we receive your online application.

    We are having training meals 7/22 and 7/23 in D.C. to determine if candidates are a match; candidates will be introduced to the process, provided a writing sample of what is expected and then asked to write a sample narrative after the meal, due within 24 hours of our meal.

    The following is what makes a successful mystery shopper?
    1. Superior retention and writing skills.
    2. Ability to pay strict attention to detail.
    3. Follows instructions.
    4. Enjoys personal interaction in a social setting.
    5. Reliable to follow through on committed assignments.

    marc kravitz
    i-SPY hospitality audit services
    ispy4u.net

    marc@ispy4u.net

    • Location: D.C., Crystal City, Bethesda
    • Compensation: $15
    • Principals only. Recruiters, please don’t contact this job poster.
    • Please, no phone calls about this job!
    • Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

       
       

    PostingID: 1828396460

    Permalink Filed under: Etc, Restaurants Tags: , No Comments
  • 01Jul

    In My Inbox: Dine Golden – Golden Triangle Specials

    Yet another installment of “In My Inbox.”

    -JAY

    ————

    Dine Golden | Park Golden
    July 01 – August 14, 2010

    Over 25 restaurants in the Golden Triangle are offering food and drink specials after 5 p.m. during the Dine Golden | Park Golden summer promotion. To sweeten the deal, select parking garages are offering a $5 flat rate after 5 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Take advantage of either or both of these promotions for a wonderful summer evening in the Golden Triangle; don’t forget Golden Triangle Summer Concerts are on Thursdays too! Visit the Dine Golden | Park Golden website to learn more and see our interactive map of participating restaurants and parking garages.

    Participating Restaurants
    Ask your server about Dine Golden specials
    • Aroma Restaurant – 1919 I Street NW
    Buy one entree, get one entree free
    • Blackfinn American Saloon – 1620 I Street NW
    Buy one seasonal entree, get one free
    • The Bombay Club – 815 Connecticut Avenue NW
    Buy one entree, get one dessert free
    • Café Lombardy – 2019 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
    Buy one entree, get a glass of wine free
    • Café Soleil – 839 17th Street NW
    Buy one entree, get one appetizer free
    • Current – 1215 Connecticut Avenue NW
    Buy one entree, get one appetizer free
    • Elephant and Castle Pub & Restaurant – 900 19th Street NW
    Buy one dessert, get one free
    • i Ricchi – 1220 19th Street NW
    Buy one signature cocktail, get one free
    OR Buy one entree special, get a dessert free
    • Kababji Grill – 1351 Connecticut Avenue NW
    Buy any one item, get one free (excludes spirits, wine and beer)
    • Kaz Sushi Bistro – 1915 I Street NW
    Buy $25 worth of food, get one drink free
    • Kellari Taverna – 1700 K Street NW
    Buy one drink, get one drink free
    • Luigi’s Famous Restaurant – 1132 19th Street NW
    Buy one appetizer, get one free
    • M Street Bar & Grill – 2033 M Street NW
    Buy one entree, get an appetizer or dessert free
    • Madhatter – 1319 Connecticut Avenue NW
    Buy one appetizer, get one appetizer free
    • The Melting Pot – 1220 19th Street NW
    Buy one entree for two, get a chocolate dessert for two free
    • Mezza Luna Restaurant & Lounge – 1140 19th Street NW
    Buy one entree, get one entree free
    • The Oval Room – 800 Connecticut Avenue NW
    Buy one entree, get a dessert free
    • Ozio Restaurant & Lounge – 1813 M Street NW
    Buy one classic martini, get one free
    • The Palm – 1225 19th Street NW
    Buy one appetizer, get one free in the dining room
    • Penang – 1837 M Street NW
    Buy any one item, get one free
    • Public Bar – 1214 18th Street NW
    Buy one entree, get a drink free
    • Recessions Lounge & Sports Bar – 1823 L Street NW
    Buy one entree, get one appetizer free
    • Sam & Harry’s – 1200 19th Street NW
    Buy one prix fixe set course, get one free
    • Science Club – 1136 19th Street NW
    Buy one entree, get a dessert free
    • Smith & Wollensky – 1112 19th Street NW
    Buy one appetizer, get one free with purchase of an entree
    • Taberna del Alabardero – 1776 I Street NW
    Buy one paella, get one free
    • Teatro Goldoni Restaurant – 1909 K Street NW
    Buy one prix fixe 3-course meal, get one free
    Restrictions may apply to food specials.
    Participating Parking Garages
    • 1625 I Street NW
    • 1050 Connecticut Avenue NW – Enter from 18th Street
    • 2021 K Street NW – Enter from 20th Street
    • 1225 19th Street NW – Enter through alley
    • 1901 L Street NW
    • 1700 K Street NW
    • 1150 Connecticut Avenue NW – Enter from 18th Street
    • 1015 18th Street NW – Enter via alley from Connecticut Avenue
    • 2025 M Street NW
    • 900 19th Street NW

    Golden Triangle Summer Concerts
    Thursdays | 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. | June & July | Farragut Square Park
    Four more concerts remain in the Golden Triangle Summer Concert Series! Be sure to come out to Farragut Square Park to join in the fun whether it is salsa dancing or listening to your favorite Dave Matthews Band tunes. Each week you can register to win a VIP Picnic Package to make the concerts even more fun. We’ll be giving away this six-person picnic spread at each show that includes soft drinks, sandwiches, and cookies compliments of Firehook Bakery, along with picnic blankets, coolers, and VIP tickets to the DC Improv Comedy Club.
    Check out the upcoming shows and weekly prizes for the concert series in July:

    July 1 – Cazhmiere (funk & soul)
    $100 to Elephant & Castle Pub & Restaurant
    $100 to Famous Luigi’s
    July 8 – Sin Miedo (salsa)
    $100 to Jos. A Banks
    $100 to Kellari Taverna
    Three month gym membership to Washington Sports Club
    July 15 – Crowded Streets (Dave Matthews Band Tribute)
    $100 to Beauty 360 ** new addition
    $150 to Morton’s The Steakhouse
    Free lunch for two people for a week at Roti Mediterranean Grill
    July 22– Kelly Bell Band
    $200 to Filene’s Basement
    $100 to the Madhatter
    $100 to Blackfinn American Saloon
    In the event of rain, check www.goldentriangledc.com after 2:00 p.m. on Thursdays to find out about cancellations. Learn more »[ad]

    Permalink Filed under: Etc, Events, Restaurants Tags: , , , , , , , , , , No Comments
« Previous Page Next Page »

Categories

Archives

Pages

Blogroll