Cool for the Summer

The shift in season is bringing new life into D.C.: University students return to school, residents return from vacation, and the Council returns from recess. The District is abuzz, as are cities across the U.S. A new report from Yelp found an increase in new business openings registered on the website when comparing January—July 2023 to the same 2022 time period. The study suggests a positive, economic, public sentiment, Axios reports. D.C. specifically saw an 18 percent increase in new business openings compared to last year; It’s going to be a busy fall, readers.

Shana tova

The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, begins at sundown on Friday, Sept. 15 and ends at sundown on Sunday, Sept. 17. To help Washingtonians celebrate the first of the High Holy Days, local businesses are stepping up to lend a culinary hand. 

Call Your Mother closes their Rosh Hashanah orders today, Sept. 12, at 4 p.m., so place yours ASAP if you want your latke platters sourced from the 2023 Best Bagel winner. 

Best Bakery Runner-up Bread Furst—and WCP Editors’ Pick for Best Fancy Breakfast Sandwich—has a special menu for the upcoming holiday, and has already announced their menu for Yom Kippur as well. 

Looking to celebrate sans gluten? Best Gluten-Free Menu Finalist Rise Bakery will be doing challah preorders now, and will have their loaves available for retail through Sept. 17.

News & Events

• Six months after the initial announcement, Best Food Nonprofit Runner-up World Central Kitchen’s first ever cookbook is finally available. The World Central Kitchen Cookbook: Feeding Humanity, Feeding Hope is a collection of recipes from the different places around the world to which WCK’s Relief Team has traveled, and features “inspiring narratives from the chefs, volunteers, and communities we’ve met along the way,” the organization writes. 
• Finalist for Best Shopping Center Union Market is teaming up with Tiger Fork and Best Rooftop Bar Finalist Hi-Lawn for a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration next Wednesday, Sept. 20, and Thursday, Sept. 21. Eden Center—another Best Shopping Center runner-up—hosts their own Moon Festival celebration Sunday, Oct. 1.
• The nonprofit behind the Best Farmers Market winner FRESHFARM is launching a new weekly outpost at Union Market this Sunday. The organization expanded to open a direct-to-consumer farm stand in Ward 8 this past April, the first of its kind in the ward. At the time, FRESHFARM Executive Director Hugo Mogollon emphasized that, “To operate a farm stand you need the trust and understanding of the community.”  
• Casa Kantuta’s Hispanic Heritage Month series spotlights the Latine service workers in essential, behind-the-scenes positions. The weekly pop-up events begin at CK’s Adams Morgan location on Friday, Sept. 15, and continue every Tuesday until Oct. 15. Beverage Director Lou Bernard spoke with WCP about the chefs, bartenders, and culinary creatives headlining each event, and the larger mission behind the series.

• The D.C. summer heat is finally beginning to give. While we continue enjoy some longer days, take in the cooler temps with the National Arboretum at one of their forest bathing walks. The arboretum—the 2023 Best of D.C. winner for the Best Place to Go For a Walk—will host three during the fall season, with the first one scheduled for Sept. 23.

Autumn Leaves Falling Down

f you don’t feel like heading to the National Arboretum, there are plenty of places in the DMV to enjoy the fall vibes. The leaves aren’t quite changing yet—and recent weather patterns suggest it might not be that impressive when they finally do—but here are some of our reader’s favorite places for a DMV stroll.

• Rock Creek Park
• The National Mall
• Anacostia Park
• Georgetown Waterfront Park
• Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens

Check out all of our Best of D.C. winners, runners-up, and finalists here. We’ll see you in two weeks for the third edition but, in the meantime, a request: If you feel like there’s a category or business missing from our Best of D.C. winners, let us know by filling out this five-question survey.

Congratulations to WCP reader Tonisha Y. for guessing correctly on the last newsletter’s question! Teal was the Best of D.C. color in 2015!