Sink Your Teeth Into The Meaty Selection at The Butcher’s Market

Find Chef Bill Williamson sawing through prime cuts of beef on the bottom floor of Purple Patch in Mount Pleasant.

A butcher shop born out of pandemic is here to stay, according to the couple behind the Mount Pleasant venture. In June, Purple Patch owner Patrice Cleary refashioned the bottom floor of her Filipino restaurant to make room for her romantic partner, Chef Bill Williamson, to sell gourmet cuts of meat, seafood, and fresh pasta. […]

by Laura Hayes

Pastry Chef Jonni Scott’s Resilience Helped Her Through Double Layoffs

After losing her job at Cranes twice because of the pandemic, Scott says she's rethinking the path forward for her profession.

If you look at pastry chef Jonni Scott’s Instagram page, you wouldn’t know she’s had a tumultuous, tear-filled 2020. In recent weeks she’s become fully engrossed with crafting macaroons that resemble Pusheen, a chubby cartoon cat you might see in online gifs or printed on T-shirts. Scott is into “kawaii culture,” the Japanese phenomenon of […]

by Laura Hayes

Hilton Brothers to Close Seven Bars ‘for Foreseeable Future’ on Halloween

"This was one of the toughest decisions we’ve had to make, and we believe it’s the right one."

The brothers and nightlife impresarios behind many bars and restaurants stretching up 14th Street NW and down U Street NW will close seven establishments for the foreseeable future on Halloween. Eric and Ian Hilton say they fought for six months to keep American Ice Company, The Brixton, Echo Park, El Rey, The Gibson, Marvin, and […]

by Laura Hayes

Chef Tom Cunanan Takes Over The Mercy Me Patio Next Week

It's the first in a series of rotating dinners at the West End restaurant.

Former Bad Saint Executive Chef Tom Cunanan has time to play as he prepares for his next big move in D.C. Those who already miss his Filipino cooking can buy tickets for a two-night pop-up next week on Mercy Me’s expansive back patio in West End. The meals, set for Sept. 16 and Sept. 17, […]

by Laura Hayes

Prescription Chicken and TaKorean Team Up on Virtual Food Hall in Shaw

They're looking for at least one more food business to join their delivery-focused enterprise.

Prescription Chicken has long been a nomadic food brand in the District. Co-founders Valerie Zweig and Taryn Pellicone launched their chicken soup delivery business in 2016, long before pandemic made takeout and delivery an essential service.  But being a delivery-only company comes with challenges—namely that third party apps can change their delivery radiuses at will, […]

by Laura Hayes

Restaurant Workers Learn to Deescalate Confrontations With Angry Customers

"Put on your problem-solving face and stand diagonally across from them so it doesn't look like you’re squaring up for a fight."

Jon Schott is just about at his breaking point. He’s been working six days a week at three bars and restaurants in Alexandria ever since they were permitted to reopen. While he can stomach the scramble that comes with being short-staffed at The People’s Drug, King’s Ransom, and The Handover, the bartender and part-owner is […]

by Laura Hayes

Kids of All Ages on What They Miss Most About Dining in Restaurants

"I want to know the secret to their noodles."

Area youth aren’t shy about wanting a break from home cooking and the occasional takeout meal. “I miss being able to go out and eat food that’s not cooked by us,” Aden says. The 12-year-old, who lives in 16th Street Heights, can’t get enough of Katsuya Fukushima‘s cooking at his various restaurants, including Daikaya and […]

by Laura Hayes

Souk’s Color-Based Pastry Boxes Help Washingtonians Taste the Rainbow

The first boxes from Winnette McIntosh Ambrose will be available to pre-order on Sept. 21.

Souk, a global spice shop and bakery on Barracks Row, is launching a series of weekly pastry boxes inspired by color. Each collection of four pastries and two bonus items, such as a jar of preserves, will be built around ingredients of a single color or several complementary colors.  The items will be made with […]

by Nevin Martell

Try Cemitas and Other Mexican Comfort Foods at Taqueria Xochi on U Street NW

After losing their jobs at China Chilcano, Teresa Padilla and Geraldine Mendoza have teamed up on a carryout restaurant.

At Taqueria Xochi, Chef Teresa Padilla will share the most comforting dishes from different corners of Mexico with Washingtonians. There are tlayudas from Oaxaca, cemitas from Puebla, and little bundles of lamb called mixiotes from Mexico City. “All of our recipes are from Teresa’s family,” says Geraldine Mendoza, Padilla’s business partner and the restaurant’s director […]

by Laura Hayes

Immigrants Try to Make Ends Meet by Selling Pupusas to Neighbors and Friends

The undocumented workers who used to staff D.C. restaurants are scrambling to support their families.

Alberto calls softly to his mom and puts down the bags in his hands when he hears a knock at the door of their Takoma Park apartment. He can guess who it is. He’s on his way to drop off two orders in Shaw, but he’ll take care of these regular customers first. Every Sunday, […]

by Michael Loria

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