Miss American Pie
Happy November, D.C. We’ve got food picks aplenty for all of the month’s holidays. Plus, with several Best of D.C. favorites announcing closures in recent weeks, we’re making sure to spotlight some new openings, and several mainstays, cementing their spot in the D.C. roster.
Classic, but with a twist
Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, as evidenced by the confused décor you’re likely to find in your neighborhood CVS. Restaurants across the DMV have pumpkin and apple pies for Thanksgiving pre-order, but some bakers are putting a unique spin on classic flavors. Hannah Wolfman-Arent, owner and baker at Velvel Breads, spoke to City Paper about what’s on her Petworth shop’s menu.
Velvel Breads is offering pumpkin and salted chocolate pies, plus an apple galette, all of which Wolfman-Arent says she has made in the past. This year, however, “I wanted my pies to have a ‘Velvel spin,’” she explains, so she’s incorporating some of the same Ashkenazi Jewish elements she uses in her year-round monthly menus.
Velvel Breads regularly offers rugelach, a flaky cookie with a cream cheese-butter dough. This same dough will be the crust for their pumpkin pie and apple galette, Wolfman-Arent says. “And for the chocolate pie, I’ll be making a rye butter crust to incorporate a whole grain flour that compliments chocolate nicely and is common in Jewish breads.” A gluten free pumpkin pie will feature a gingersnap crust.
A portion of the proceeds from each Velvel pie will go to the He Sapa Land Recovery Fund, a land trust fund that works to return Native land to Native people. Wolfman-Arent says her own family benefited from the 1862 Homestead Act promising free, stolen acres to those who built a home and tilled the land, settling in South Dakota between 1900 and 1915. “Grappling with the reality that our family benefited from land that was violently stolen from Lakota people,” Wolfman-Arent says, her cousin, Rebecca Clarren, started the He Sapa Land Recovery Fund as a form of reparation. More on the Homestead Act is in Clarren’s book, The Cost of Free Land.
To order one of Velvel’s pies, visit their online page. They offer pick-up dates on Nov. 21 and 22, and pies will stay good through Thursday. Wolfman-Arent says her family will have all three on their table this year.
News & Events
- If you’ve been dying to snag a table at Best of D.C. finalist Maydan, now might be the time. The restaurant is celebrating the launch of its new cookbook today with access to a special reservation slot for anyone who buys a copy, now through Nov. 13. The reservation applies to any of the restaurant’s sister eateries, including the just-opened cocktail bar Medina.
- Best Bar finalist The Green Zone will begin donating proceeds from its Arak Ramallah to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.
- Beloved Northwest plant shop and Best of D.C. finalist Little Leaf has officially shut its doors. Sister shop Salt and Sundry—winner of Best Home Goods Store—will remain open.
- Home of one of the best drag shows in D.C. according to WCP readers, Crazy Aunt Helen’s closed suddenly at the end of October.
- For Washingtonians looking for a replacement drag spot, Best Drag Show finalist Perry’s has been getting a lot of recognition as it rolls out a new breakfast menu, making it to the Washington Post‘s Tom Sietsema’s list of best restaurants in D.C.
- Single in D.C.? You might need a new go-to date activity. The top pick from WCP readers, Swingers, is closing its Navy Yard location. Thankfully, it is peak outdoor date season, and the National Arboretum was a close second for District daters.
- Thanksgiving isn’t the only holiday bringing good eats and creative menus to the area this month. Diwali takes place this Sunday, Nov. 12, and several Best of D.C. winners are featuring specials at all price points, including Rasa, Rasika, and Bombay Street Food.
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW D.C.’S BEST?
Congratulations to WCP reader Henry F. for getting the answer to last week’s question. Red Derby followed its 1989 (Taylor’s Version) release party last month with a killer Halloween party. Their calendar of events is frequently packed, so check back for more festivities.
Now, for this week’s trivia question:
The District’s falafel options are getting slimmer. One more awardee in the Best Falafel category announced they would close last month. Only three of the five 2023 winners are still open. Where can you still get falafel in D.C.?
a. Falafel Inc
b. Amsterdam Falafelshop
c. taïm mediterranean kitchen
d. Olive Lounge & Grill
e. Shouk
Congratulations to WCP reader Jamie S. for knowing the District’s falafel offerings!
A New Pop-up Pops Up
Where one caffeination station closes, another opens: Little Hat Coffee is now open in Streets Market on 14th Street where Spot of Tea was previously located. Austin Morgan spotlighted the pop-up for City Paper this summer, when the coffee shop was at Bryant Street Market.
Morgan writes:
While new to the pop-up game, teammates Hwan Choi and Frankie Contreras have no shortage of industry experience. Choi recently spent four years at Northeast staple Maketto, while Contreras brings both barista and consulting experience with well-known establishments such as Yellow and The Wydown. While they don’t roast their own beans (at least not yet), Little Hat works closely with A Toda Madre Roasters, based in Maryland, to supply their coffee[…]
Choi and Contreras take a fun and lighthearted approach to the pop-up scene while effortlessly cranking out items beyond your typical cup of coffee. Imagine a burnt orange espresso tonic over ice or a creative matcha-based drink.
Check out all of our Best of D.C. winners, runners-up, and finalists here. We’ll see you in two weeks for the seventh edition!