Every week, Washingtonian food editor Jessica Sidman rehashes the latest news from Washington’s food and drink scene in a newsletter, which you can subscribe to here.
Good afternoon!
Food Editor Jessica Sidman here for your weekly food news update.
In case you missed it, the finalists for the annual RAMMY Awards—often referred to as DC’s restaurant Oscars—were announced this week. Daikaya, Minibar, Iron Gate, and the Source are among the most-nominated restaurants this year. However, a lot of notable names (Bad Saint, Pineapple and Pearls, Komi) are missing because they’re not members of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, the group behind the awards. Personally, I think they should open it up to non-members (like the James Beard Awards) and make some other changes (like get rid of the five-year moratorium for past winners). But that’s a debate for another time…
Meanwhile, baseball season is in full swing (sorry, sorry). If you’re headed to Nats Park, check out our suggestions for where to eat in the stadium as well as the best bars nearby. Navy Yard in general is really turning into a dining destination, especially with upcoming openings like District Winery and the Salt Line. You’re also not going to want to miss the waterfront rosé garden at Whaley’s, slated to open the week of April 17 (weather permitting). And coming next year: Shilling Canning Company, a restaurant focused on Mid-Atlantic cuisine from a former sous chef of the Dabney.
A couple other new opening and changes to put on your radar:
Stable
DC’s first Swiss restaurant opened on H Street NE yesterday. Yes, there is fondue and raclette. But there’s also a lot more to Swiss food than gooey cheese: “It’s a crossroads of our neighbors: Italian, Austrian, German, French. We took the best of them,” says chef David Fritsche.
Poke Papa
While the poke trend has been hot for a while now, this Penn Quarter restaurant will be the first in the District devoted exclusively to the Hawaiian raw fish dish. Also, there will be poke wraps (the new sushi burrito?). It should open any day now.
Del Campo
The South American steakhouse isn’t new, but it did recently get a big revamp for its fourth anniversary. Out are the white tablecloths and in are a slew of new dishes, including many inspired by Peru’s Chinese and Japanese immigrant communities. The whole Peruvian chicken, spatchcocked, slow-roasted, and finished on the grill, looks particularly good.
One last thing for those lamenting the rise of the $14 cocktail: We recently got our hands on some vintage DC bar menus from the 1940s through ’60s. They’re a lot of fun to peruse, but the 25 cent old-fashioned may make you cry.
That’s all for now. Send your thoughts and questions to me at jsidman@washingtonian.com.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
