Week in Review – 11/7/2021

Image: Terry O’Neill photo of Audrey Hepburn and Peter O’Toole on the set of How to Steal a Million (1966).

It is time for our weekly round-up of activity on our site and other dining news. We added two relatively new spots to our recommended restaurant list and checked in on a favorite.  In news, the RedEye Night Market was swamped, Captain White’s pulls up anchor at the wharf, and FedEx annoys wine buyers.  And a few more tidbits!  So read on!

Updates to Recommended Restaurant List

Added:

Little Food Studio – Danielle Harris’s wisp of a shop in Petworth is worth a trip.

Oyster, Oyster – Rob Rubba’s revelatory plant-based tasting menu spot is worth your attention.

Page Updated:

Chaia – The venerable vegetarian taco spot now has a third location.

D.C. Dining News

It’s Black Restaurant Week – The number of restaurants formally participating is limited, though it does include FishScale – a favorite of ours.  The limited number should not stop you from supporting places you love.

Captain White’s Floats Away – The decades-old anchor of the wharf fish market has been battling the developer of the “The Wharf.”  This week, the shop pulled anchor and moved on (with many people realizing for the first time it was on a barge).  The developer put out a transparently disingenuous statement about its commitment to the fish market.  We are not opposed to change, but considering how other things have gone at the “The Wharf” we are not inclined to credit anything the developer says.

For foodies, the big, anticipated event was the RedEye Night Market bringing together dozens of stalls from restaurants serving the gamut of Asian cuisine.  It was so popular that it got crushed.  The good news is D.C. can and will support an event like this. The bad news is most people had a bad experience – or like us didn’t even make it in.  On the third hand, people will probably be forgiving of the first-time effort, because these things are not easy to pull off.

In a story from last month that we missed and is now posted in Washingtonian, but hard to find, Nancy Scola looks the boom of vegan places in D.C. and why that means they have to fight about it.

Rick Eats DC is still trying to find his after-times dining groove, apparently Thamee and Tacos help.

In utterly predictable outcomes, the man who posted the video of the Popeye’s by Eastern Market claims he has been suspened.  I wonder if he has video from other shops, it might help his bargaining position.

Wine

Dave McIntyre discovered that Fed Ex is requiring a ID scan to deliver over alcohol.  Something we faced that same exact day – but were lucky enough to be home to sign after getting conked by the booster.  Many do not sit at home waiting all day for FedEx.  We use neighbors, doormen, or friends to help us out.  Do we now have to ask them to get their driver’s license scanned for doing us a favor because FedEx corporate doesn’t trust drivers?  That’s too much. FedEx told McIntyre the driver can manually enter DOB instead, but our driver was unaware of that option.  Wouldn’t be surprised if by next summer when we pay a visit to a wine region, USPS or UPS have replaced FedEx as the shipper of choice. BTW, McIntyre’s piece this week was an interesting look at reducing bottle weight.

New Zealand’s wine industry braces for a hit. Looks like global supply will be down.

Other News

Samantha Power moves on from weightier topics to dis dark chocolate.  And Barred in DC gets an interesting poll result that puts Reese’s in the front of the pack for popular candy.  And there is a Huff Post piece about why Hershey’s tastes like puke, but it cites the Daily Mail, which is a little like Emily Litella citing Iago.

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That is it for the week, be sure to check back often.  And if you are looking for a great place to eat in D.C., then we can help with that too!  Our dining guide has 300 plus recommended restaurants that you can sort by cuisine, neighborhood, and current operating status (dine-in and/or take-out, etc.) in either LIST or MAP format.

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Stay safe. Be kind. Get the jab, bring proof and a mask.  Tip big.