Lancaster County Connection: Do you like Amish- and Mennonite-prepared food? Then get ready to live less simply. “The farmers and manufacturers of food in Lancaster have really been stepping it up in quality recently to move beyond ‘Dutchy’ fare, and are providing high-end products that meet the standards of more discerning customers in urban environments.” Including those, assuming permits are given the thumbs up, in the District. [PoP]

Regimented Kitchen: Over at Ardeo + Bardeo, executive chef Nate Garyantes says his years in the Army have influenced how his kitchen operates. “Cooking is the easy part…Leading a team, mentoring others, running food and labor costs is challenging. My experience in the army helped and moved me in a positive direction.” So did his time as sous chef at Minibar! [WeLoveDC]

New Kitchen: In Woodley Park, New Heights chef Logan Cox is preparing to make his departure. He’ll resurface at Ripple in Cleveland Park. [WaPo]

Pike Chatter: It seems that a now-shuttered club on Columbia Pike in Arlington County may become an Afghan or Pakistani restaurant. [ARLNow]

Photo of a Lancaster County sunset by Flickr user Bob Jagendorf using an Attribution 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license