$10 Guacamole

So you wonder why the Dupont Farmer's Market is so expensive? Did you know conventional crops in the U.S. are subsidized heavily by the government (yes!) but that organic crops are not? I, for one, did not know that.

Take a look at this article in Grist magazine for more details. Then take yourself to Whole Foods and buy that avocado (they're proud to be from California!) that looks like it should absolutely not cost $3. It'll make some damn good guacamole!

The Stigmatized Car

It's easy for Americans - some in particular - to say the French are silly, or naive, or to change the name of French fries to Freedom fries. I tend to disagree. They are also more fashionable, know more languages and eat better food (French fries aside).

An article in today's Christian Science Monitor only supports my thesis - as the French are supporting a campaign to encourage residents to quit driving into town. Noting that reasons to find alternative transportation (or as those punchy French call it, "clever commuting") continue to grow (global warming and rising fuel costs, to name a view), those clever French folks are actually taking action.

Of course, we've reached a tipping point in America too. You know when GM introduces a hybrid, change is afoot.

More food news for the 14th Street crowd

Coming soon to a theater near you - the Studio Theatre, that is. Viridian is a new restaurant supposedly opening this fall, on 14th just north of P Street, in the Whole Foods Corridor. The owner also owns Perry's. The most uplifting news? The plan is to donate one table's proceeds to local good causes.

I did read someplace that it's already open, so if I'm behind, please let me know.

And in case anyone is wondering what the heck Viridian is, it's a blue-green pigment.

Porn Yesterday

My favorite excerpt from a Washington Post article entitled "Recruits Sought for Porn Squad":

"I guess this means we've won the war on terror," said one exasperated FBI agent, speaking on the condition of anonymity because poking fun at headquarters is not regarded as career-enhancing. "We must not need any more resources for espionage."

I have to say, porn on the web bothers me a lot less than spam (sometimes they are indistinguishable), than Michael Brown's failed career at FEMA, and than the lack of an evacuation plan for Washington in the case of terrorism. But my vote doesn't count for much.

You know DC is too small...

...when your boss comes into the office and tells you she was out last night with a friend of your husband who went to middle school with her husband in South Bend, Indiana. That's 611 miles away! Usually I like the three degrees of separation DC has to offer, but there are times I want to walk into Dupont Circle without seeing someone I know.

busboys, poets, pizza and meze

No doubt some of you in the new U Street/Columbia Heights corridor are intrigued by all the recent growth in the area. To that end, I thought I’d share my weekend discoveries.

Friday night: meze. Tabaq opened last month on U Street between 13^th and 14^th, and it is a new gem in the neighborhood. A nice vibe, a good bar – even if the drinks are not great, they are strong. At 8:30 on a Friday night, it was easy to sit down for dinner (not so at the new-ish Al Crostino, next door, where there was an hour wait). Dinner is small Mediterranean tapas plates with a mix including hummus and baba ghanouj, lamb shanks, mussels, foie gras, beef ravioli, and everything in between. The menu is truly huge, with a lot of tasty options. The food was delicious, and the wine list did not leave much to be desired either.

Saturday: pizza. Delivery from Radius in Mt. Pleasant. Working without a menu, we ordered meatballs and tomatoes. The cost was high – turns out toppings are expensive. Delivery was fairly quick, but the pizza turned up completely soggy. You couldn’t pick it up. The cheese was good, and along the edges the crust was crispy, but that’s about it. I’d try going up there and eating the pizza in person, but I wouldn’t order it again.

Sunday: ever since hearing about Busboys and Poets, I’ve been excited to visit. We spent Sunday afternoon there, and my expectations were met. Busboys and Poets, which opened last Tuesday, is a hip, sunny, bright, clean Tryst. There are tables around the perimeter where people can eat a square meal of lunch or dinner (breakfast is coming, they say). Inside are comfy couches and chaises where people settled in for the afternoon. Wi-fi makes it easy to set down with a laptop. I sat down with a textbook and drank coffee for a good two hours without anyone bothering me except to ask if I wanted a refill. Food is very reasonable – they have sandwiches, pizzas, salads, and burgers, and all of them looked good. I can only speak directly to the Portobello and Goat Cheese sandwich, which was delicious. A full bar rounds out the experience, with Magic Hat #9 on tap! And there is a bookstore inside in case you need reading material.

All in all, a weekend full of delicious discoveries.