Yesterday, we got word that the Tune Inn will be featured on an episode of the Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. The filming on the floor of 63-year-old bar, a Capitol Hill institution, is closed to the public.  

In the recently spruced-up kitchen, the cameras will zoom in on chef Mike Tate, who will talk to Food Network producers today to find out what's on the menu. The Tune Inn, which is on Esquire magazine's top 100 bars list, is known for its burgers.

 So where does the bar fit into the name of the show? "We're a dive bar," says manager Susan Mathers. "We don't mind it. We revel in it."

>> What do you think Guy Fieri should eat for the filming? Let us know in the comments.

Every spring, the food world comes together in New York to celebrate its brightest stars at the James Beard Awards. This year’s ceremony will happen May 3 at Avery Fisher Hall, and finalists will be announced on March 22. But who’s in the early running for a medal? Here are the Washington folks who have made the semi-final cut.

On the New York Times' You're the Boss blog, first-time restaurateur Bruce Buschel is writing "The Start-Up Chronicle," which documents the making of his Southampton, New York restaurant. Last month, he posted a two-part list of 100 do's and don'ts for his servers, and restaurant-industry controversy ensued.

The list runs the gamut from hygiene (number 12: Do not touch the rim of a water glass. Or any other glass.) to attitude (number 58: Do not bring judgment with the ketchup. Or mustard. Or hot sauce. Or whatever condiment is requested.).

We know everyone has pet peeves when they eat out. So, we want to know your thoughts on the list: Would you add any rules or take anything off?  Servers, please chime in, too. Are Buschel's rules realistic or idealistic? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! 

Tomorrow, look for a line of white coats outside the Occidental in downtown DC. The restaurant is one of seven national locations where Magical Elves, the production team behind Top Chef, is holding a casting call for the show’s next season. We want to know who you think should show up. Which Washington toques have the chops to join Carla Hall, the Voltaggio brothers, and Mike Isabella as cheftestants? And which pastry chefs would you want to root for on the forthcoming Top Chef spinoff, Just Desserts?  Let us know in the comments!

Last week, Jane Black wrote this on the Washington Post’s All We Can Eat blog: “Congratulations to Barton Seaver. In its November issue, Esquire Magazine will name him ‘chef of the year’ and Blue Ridge, Seaver’s farm-to-table restaurant in Glover Park, one of the best new restaurants in the country.”

Seaver, who’s made his name synonymous with sustainability and local food, was the chef at Café Saint-Ex, then headed up the splashy Hook before leaving that Georgetown restaurant in June 2008, saying he wanted to spend his time as an advocate, not a chef. The Washington Post item went viral in the foodie blogosphere, and a number of sites questioned the ethics of Esquire’s food writer, John Mariani, who told Black he ate at Blue Ridge once for lunch and Seaver knew he was there.

As for us, The Washingtonian named Seaver one of 20 fabulous singles in 2006 and Washingtonian.com did a Favorites interview with him last year, so we know he loves Champagne, spells his name with all lower-case letters, and goes to early-morning spinning classes. As for his cooking talents, we want to know what you think. Does Seaver deserve to be anointed “chef of the year”?

Let us know in the comments.

• Related: Barton Seaver Tours the Glover Park Farmers Market 

On the Best Bites Blog’s Twitter feed, we give you reports of all the great (and not so great) dishes from around town. Now, we want you to be a part of our eating team too. Tweet at us (@bestbitesblog) with reports of any dish you’ve had that is utterly delicious, and—in 140 characters or less!—tell us why it’s so great. Post it with the hashtag #tweeteat, and every Monday, we’ll publish a roundup of your favorite eats. 

Bravo just posted the cheftestant bios for its hit cooking competition/Glad ad Top Chef, and there are not one but three players with Washington ties. That’s big for a show that in all its seasons has given us only caterer Carla Hall to root for as a hometown prospect. (Spike Mendelsohn was living in New York during his stint on the show.) And Bravo’s thrown in another twist of novelty: Two of those three are brothers. There’s Bryan Voltaggio, longtime chef de cuisine at Charlie Palmer Steak, now chef/owner of the Frederick destination restaurant Volt, and little bro Michael Voltaggio, who impressed as chef at the Greenbrier’s Hemisphere and is now chef de cuisine at José Andrés’s many-starred Los Angeles restaurant, Bazaar. Also competing is Mike Isabella, chef de cuisine at another Andrés restaurant, DC’s Zaytinya.