tcarman

Need more ways to waste time on a Friday? Check out this week's Greatest Hits from the Young & Hungry blog. Feedback welcome. -Tim

Yeah, sorry about that, Pat. It was a production error. We ran an online correction on it. You can read the whole story here. -Tim

Shameless self-promotion: We just launched a new food blog at the City Paper called (what else?) the Young & Hungry blog. Check it out here. I'll be posting to it many times a day. Rocks may think it's the sign of the apocalypse (at least as far as my food-writing career goes), but hey, at least I have a full-time job again. I hope you enjoy. And I accept feedback with only minor amounts of grumbling.

Javier Angeles-Beron, the former executive chef with Latin Concepts, is opening a new Latin-American place in Olney called Aroma. More info here.

Ah, but you must remember what most fish eat in traditional aquaculture: other fish, including their own species and not those creatures lower in the food chain. The new generation of aquaculture facilities may have figured out how to feed fish without using more ground-up fish. It sounds pretty ingenious from what I understand of it.

Yes, he did. I thought this matchmaker might want to remain anon.

Thanks for the kind words, Don! On another subject, here's an update on Barton Seaver. It's not entertaining, but it may be informative. It's certainly very interesting to me to see where Seaver is headed.

Gosh, Monavano, I hope you're not suggesting that I liked the sub because I knew the source of the rolls, rather than because, well, you know, the sammie tasted good. I mean, not even my shrink can psychoanalyze me that well.

Here's a little more information on this mysterious neighborhood joint. Angeles-Beron had hoped to build a semi-adventurous menu, combining Latin and American influences, but the owners (one of whom owned L'Appetito on MacArthur Blvd for years) just couldn't afford to hold onto the chef full-time. So instead Angeles-Beron designed Yorktown's opening menu, including homemade stone-baked pizzas. Looks like Angeles-Beron won't be there to execute the menu, though.

That's fair enough. I guess my feeling is this: Teddy's is a known commodity. It's been around 14 years--nearly seven under David and Delia. The food hasn't changed with the move. The circumstances of the move are far more newsworthy than another thumbs up on the roti. My definition of a food writer, though, may be broader than others. Bottom line: Teddy's could use the business, and I would highly recommend the roti and buss-up-shut. The home-made pepper sauce for their curries is absolutely terrific, too--and hot!

Speaking of which, this is hot off the press--or the web, whatever.

Xcanuck; I feel I owe you a refund--or at least some Tums. I have to admit that the danger of writing about places like Pinks--particularly in my irregular Dishing Expedition feature, when I sample only a small handful dishes--is that many other dishes may suck. The owner/chef did help me navigate through the menu, but not because I was a critic but because I asked. I feared that some of the other items may not compete with the peanut butter soup and the egusi stew. I can really only vouch for those and half-heartedly endorse the curry chicken. But I have to say, half the enjoyment of Pinks is eating there and talking to the owners and the customers. No one will let you eat in peace there, which is kind of nice.

Nope, I don't write 'em. That duty falls to my editor, Andrew Beaujon, who's a pretty serious music guy. Hence the R.E.M. puns--two in one column, if you noticed!

I don't want to speak for Todd and Tom, both of whom I respect for the amount of work they do and the thought they put into their jobs, but I feel safe to say that we all feel pressure to beat the competition. I know, personally, that if either Todd and Tom review a restaurant first, I will likely look elsewhere for a place to write about--unless I think I have some killer perspective on the same place (which, frankly, doesn't happen often).

Capitol Icebox raises a valid point about devoting column space to high-profile chefs, and the fact is, I don't reconcile it. As I tried to acknowledge in the column, I'm part of the problem, too. My column all too often caters to the buzz-worthy. The only way I sleep at night is knowing that I also give over full columns to places like Nava Thai, Great Wall, Wingmaster's, Abay Market, Cosmopolitan Bakery and Carry-Out, Texas Ribs and BBQ, Bob's 88 Shabu Shabu, the Ohio Restaurant (which it was still open), College Perk, and Sweet Mango Cafe. Not short blurbs, but full columns.

You know, I understand that part of the role of a community like donrockwell.com is to play the watchdog of the watchdog media. While I'm very grateful that Cheezepowder and Rocks read and enjoy Y&H and our other food features--two down and the rest of the city to go!--I trust that you will tell me, whether here or at the City Paper, when I have ventured far off-course. Both sides are worth hearing--though, clearly, compliments are easier to stomach. Oh, yes, I take story tips, too. As always, feel free to contact me at tcarman@washingtoncitypaper.com. -Tim P.S. Hey, I reached clam status!

I don't know yet, Cheezepowder, how the sale will affect Y&H. Our editor, Erik Wemple, has told us that budget cuts are coming. They will be sizable--sizable enough, perhaps, to merit editorial layoffs. Erik has told us that he will fight to keep his staff, but I think we all realize that will be impossible given the size of the cuts. I will keep plugging along until that time--and I hope it never comes, because I love this gig--that they tell me to pack up my cookbooks and go home. Thanks for asking. -Tim

Heather, I'm glad the answer proved satisfying. Truth is, the more I talked to chefs about pickling/canning, the more I heard about others who do the same. I figure those four chefs are only the tip of the iceberg. In a wholly unrelated matter: For those of you who have a favorite in the food court at Union Station--or maybe just a sentimental attachment to a place--you might want to rally around them. Wingmaster's Grill has been booted after 18 years at Union Station. It may not be the last one. Learn more here. -Tim

As part of our ongoing changes at Eats Central, we've started doing Podcasts. (Let out your collective groan now.) You can find them on iTunes under--what else?--Young & Hungry. Or you can just click on the Y&H columns on the City Paper web site that include Podcasts. So far those would include: Ann Cashion discussing her taqueria. (The download is right under the picture.) I discuss my adventures in strawberry picking.

If you want to read more about the situation at Mio, you can read my take on it, which was, ahem, published two weeks earlier than the Post's.

Hi y'all; Check it out. We're starting this new feature with the Eats section online. It won't be a chat per se, like Tom's and Todd's, but it will be a regular weekly feature where we hunt down answers to the toughest questions you can pose. Please join us--and pass around the link. The more questions, the better. This is the first of many changes you'll see to the Eats online section over the summer. As always, let me know what you think. -Tim

This Bosnian take-out place is really worth a taste if you're in the neighborhood. Or even if you're not.

The short version on how the Beard Awards mucked up the Best Chef Mid-Atlantic category.

I figure you know this already, but I wanted to make sure that I don't take credit for work that I have nothing to do with. The Food Issue (which focuses on service) includes some fine journalism by Anne Marson, Kim Gooden, and John Stubbs. If you haven't seen it already, you can now find it online.

Joe; I fear this thread is getting way off the TS topic--and probably requires a Rockwellian smackdown and reorg--but I couldn't let your comment pass without a few thoughts of my own: 1. I'm pleased that y'all (well, some of y'all or even a tiny fraction of y'all) like the direction we've taken Young & Hungry. 2. The most recent story on Thai X-Crossing was actually written by Anne Marson, who is the only other contributor to the Y&H column. She's very knowledgeable about food and takes over the column about once a month. 3. I find the Rockwell boards quite useful in hearing how our work hits its mark or doesn't, how it tickles or annoys you. If we dish it out, we have to take it, too. My only concern is that I don't know all the players here, and who may be affiliated with whom or what. If you are affiliated with anyone in the restaurant industry, it would be helpful to know when you post about Y&H, good, bad or otherwise. Cheers, -Tim