“Merlindia defense dept. has been put on notice. Future curry may not be served,” the Fojol Bros. announced on Twitter.

“Fight for your right to lunch!” tweeted the sandwich food truck El Floridano.

“Keep the sweets on the streets!” tweeted the mobile café Sweetbites.

Food truck vendors have been concerned these past few days. The news of some Business Improvement Districts (BID) proposing to modify the mobile street food vendor laws has quickly spread throughout social media. (more…)

Photo by Mr. T in DC

Capitol Hill-based Peregrine Espresso, one of D.C’s popular coffee purveyors, announced last Friday of a second location in Logan Circle. The new coffeehouse will be located at 1718 14th St. NW, a spot once occupied by Flowers on 14th.

“It’s going to be many months before we open but we are very excited to be joining that vibrant retail and dining corridor and couldn’t keep it in any longer,” according to the announcement on Peregrine’s Web site. (more…)

Photo by excalipoor

It appears that the DC staple, Busboys & Poets, has its sights set on the Big Apple. According to a New York based blog  Harlem Condo Life (via UrbanTurf DC), Busboys and Poets plan to open up shop in Harlem, its first venture outside the DC area.

If the news is true, this will be a big first step for DC restaurants. Rarely, if ever, do DC based restaurants make the leap to New York, but all too often DC receives New York transplants. The NY Magazine food blog Grub Street recently posted an article titled, “Is DC the Next Big Food City?” Inside, the blog cited the upcoming (and recent) moves of famed New York establishments like Carmines and Serendipity 3 as indicators of DC’s potential new label as a foodie capitol. With Busboys & Poets move to Harlem, it seems the tables have turned.

So, what do you think? Will Busboys & Poets succeed outside of DC? Does it even make sense for the quintessential DC coffeeshop and restaurant  to set up shop in New York?

The District Ranks is a series of blog entries about DC rankings and statistics found in articles, research study and reports.

The Daily Beast compiled a list of the most caffeinated cities across the country. The following categories were used during their research:

1)  The availability of coffee
2)  The average monthly outlay for coffee
3)  Total caffeine consumption from all sources, including tea, sweets, energy drinks and pills

The District landed on the 11th spot among a list of twenty cities. (more…)

It was only a matter of time that a third Vietnamese noodle soup restaurant will find it’s way into another busy intersection of NW (in Gallery Place/Chinatown) to serve the classic dish of Phở. As reported by fellow bloggers, Dan of PoP and Paul of MVT, Pho DC will be opening soon.

The new restaurant will be located at 608 H Street, NW.

What makes this pho restaurant unique in comparison to their counterparts in Columbia Heights (Pho Viet and Pho 14) is their application for a license with ABRA.

(more…)

Save the date!

Fundraiser
★★★
The Argonaut Benefit
Rock and Roll (Upstairs Bar)
1353 H St NE
Washington, DC
Wednesday June 30, 2010, from 5-11PM

Tickets: $20 (Complimentary Cocktails)

100% of proceeds will benefit The Argonaut

“In the early morning of Sunday June 20, The Argonaut experienced a devastating fire at 1433 H St NE. Please follow the link for more, detailed information here.

A beloved restaurant on H ST since 2005, the Argonaut has been a staple to locals and families. They also provide the food and catering for both patrons and bands at Rock & Roll Hotel. As part of family of businesses on H St NE, Rock & Roll Hotel is happy to throw a benefit for Argonaut.”

Image/Source: Argonaut

by Tracy Clayton

All photos after the jump… (more…)

Miss Whiskeys
June 2, 2010 at 5 PM

“We are the DC Brau guys, and we’re definitely trying to ferment our own American Dream.”

Beer lovers, we have learned from DC Beer that DC Brau (a new brewing company based in the District) will be teaching a homebrewing tutorial at Miss Whiskey’s on June 2, 2010. Owners of DC Brau, Jeff Hancock and Brandon Skall, will launch their new venture soon. The company will be the first brewery located in the District since 1956.  (more…)

All photos by Kim Maxwell Vu

It’s a bit of an understatement to say that Dupont Circle is better known for its bars than its Turkish food. But Latif Guler, the owner of the soon-to-open Agora on 17th Street, hopes to change that.

And if anyone can, it’s certainly the owner of the popular bar Jack’s, which closed earlier this year so that Guler, a native of Turkey, could focus on what he loves. “Before, it was more like a bar,” he says. “Burgers, steaks, not a foodie place. Here, I want to educate people. I want them to learn about the food and wine of my country.” (more…)

(Editor’s Note: Cameron is the newest member of the ReadysetDC team!)

A servatron grabbed me by the wrist and silently led me to a coat rack of white plastic smocks. After some consideration, she dressed me in one replete with golden epaulets and cuffs, and moving like a music-box ballerina, led me to my table. My friend was dragged to another. A second servatron earnestly mimed for me to put my hands out, then sprayed them with scented cleanser. A third stroked my golden shoulders, winking at me. Then the show began, and things got weird. (more…)