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The Hungry Bride Gets Hitched

Posted Oct 14th 2009 3:00PM by Slashfood Editor
Filed under: Site Announcements, Celebrations, The Hungry Bride

Photo: Sara Bonisteel

By Josie Swindler

The Hungry Bride has been sated. She was married last Saturday in a simple and beautiful ceremony on the grounds of an estate in Washington D.C., the city in which she and her handsome groom, Jon, fell in love years ago. In addition to being Sarah's co-worker (visit me at ShelterPop.com for home decor ideas!), I was lucky enough to be one of her bridesmaids.

On the day of the long-awaited event, Sarah was as calm, cool and collected as ever and in true food-editor form, she remembered to eat breakfast. The details were thoughtfully chosen and worked together seamlessly. The girls' bouquets even had fragrant herbs like rosemary tucked inside!

After the simple ceremony, guests sipped on lemonade and sangria and waited a bit impatiently for what we knew would be one of the best meals we had had in quite a while. We all knew that baked chicken with droopy carrots and dried-out fondant-covered wedding cake wouldn't be on Sarah's menu. Instead, we were treated to lamb chops, macaroni and cheese, dim sum, s'mores and even cookies and milk.

Click through the gallery of pictures after the jump for pictures of the spread and the beautiful bride.

Continue reading The Hungry Bride Gets Hitched

Ben's Chili Bowl Founder Ben Ali Dies

Posted Oct 8th 2009 2:30PM by Sara Bonisteel
Filed under: Restaurants, Business, Beef, Food News

Photo: Alicia Griffin/flickr

Ben Ali, the founder of Washington D.C.'s historic Ben's Chili Bowl, has died at the age of 82.

Ali founded the landmark eatery on U Street with his wife, Virginia, during the Eisenhower administration, and it's become a hangout for presidents -- President Obama visited on Jan. 10 -- and entertainers -- Bill Cosby, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald. Cosby was the only person to get a free meal at Ben's until Obama's election, when Ben's put up this sign in the window: "Who eats free at Ben's: _Bill Cosby _The Obama Family," the Associated Press reports.

The restaurant is renowned for its chili "half smokes" -- beef sausages larger than the average hot dog that are smothered in chili -- as well as its bowls of chili. The James Beard Foundation named Ben's Chili Bowl an "American Classic" in 2004. And the menu, Gourmet.com notes, isn't for the faint of heart. "Our chili will make a dog bark," it begins.

Continue reading Ben's Chili Bowl Founder Ben Ali Dies

Washington, D.C.'s Historic Eastern Market Re-opens

Posted Jun 26th 2009 10:30AM by Rebecca Flint Marx
Filed under: Openings, Business

Eastern Market Photo: ngolebiewski/Flickr

Attention, residents of the nation's capital: After two long years of waiting, Washington, D.C.'s historic Eastern Market re-opened this morning.

The Capitol Hill market, which had been in continuous operation since it opened 1873, closed in 2007 after a devastating fire. Home to many farmers and a wide range of culinary delights that included everything from buckwheat blueberry pancakes (known in local parlance as "bluebucks") and cured meats to pumpkin ravioli and crab cakes, the market was the shining jewel in its neighborhood's crown.

While the fire that closed the market was a blow to a historical site, it also presented what some considered a long overdue opportunity for improvement.

Learn more about the opening party and $22 million renovation after the jump.

Continue reading Washington, D.C.'s Historic Eastern Market Re-opens

Washington Hotel Keeps Honeybees on Roof

Posted Jun 19th 2009 1:30PM by Sarah LeTrent
Filed under: Artisan Foods, Food News

Bees fly to the hive on the hotel rooftop. Photo: The Fairmont Washington, D.C.

Some permanent hotel guests in the nation's capital are definitely causing a buzz. The Fairmont Washington, D.C. recently brought 105,000 Italian honeybees to their roof to make the sweetener for the hotel's restaurant, Juniper.

As "chief beekeepers," executive sous chef Ian Bens and executive pastry chef Aron Weber share the responsibilities of maintaining the three colonies -- Casa Bianca, Casa Bella and Casa Blanca.

So why bees? Weber tells Slashfood he got the idea when he visited the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto and saw their rooftop hives flourishing in an urban setting. The D.C. Fairmont already had an interior courtyard garden that produced fresh herbs and edible flowers like lavender, peppermint and rosemary, so the bees seemed like a logical step to further extend the chefs' ideology in keeping products as fresh and local as possible.

Continue reading Washington Hotel Keeps Honeybees on Roof

Good news, Washington Nationals fans!

Posted Mar 26th 2008 2:00PM by Ellen Slattery
Filed under: Openings, Newspapers

No more smuggling outside food into the stadium, because at the new Nationals baseball park, they're letting you bring your own food to the game, no questions asked.

Unlike neighboring RFK Stadium, the current home of the Nats, fans can tote in their own sandwiches and sodas instead of paying an arm and a leg for them at the stadium.

Nationals spokeswoman Chartese Burnett was quoted in a WTOPNews piece as saying, "I don't know who's going to want to bring in food with all the great offerings at Nationals park."

Gee, I dunno, Chartese - maybe people who don't want to shell out their life's savings for lunch at the ballgame. But if you get hungry after eating your meals from home, a full list of the stadium's vendors - including Ben's Chili Bowl, Boardwalk Fries, and La Piccola Gelateria - is available here. The new stadium is slated to open March 30.

Latte artists in action

Posted Feb 16th 2008 9:30AM by Ellen Slattery
Filed under: Coffee, Newspapers, America, Coffee shops

This weekend, if you're in the D.C. area, you should check out the Millrock Free Pour Latte Art Championship. It's held three times a year and features the best latte artists in the country battling it out for a top prize of $5,000.

The practice of latte art has been going on for years, and is an opportunity for local, independent cafes to distinguish themselves from chains. The precision and careful technique required for each masterpiece is appealing to many customers used to the "get in, get out" mentality and rushed service of larger coffee chains. Coffee art is like mint on your pillow in a hotel or a soft blanket on an airplane, delivered without being asked - nowadays, it's unexpected but greatly appreciated, and denotes an attention to detail that is often missing from our day-to-day life.

Contestants compete in "free pouring," a technique in which a slight maneuver of the wrist can produce museum-worthy rosettas, tulips, and hearts on the surface of the drinks. If done properly, the dark espresso brings out the glossy designs in the crema, producing a stunning effect that is almost too pretty to drink. However, in cafes, the deconstruction of the drink by the act of sipping is part of the fun.

The baristas have five minutes to make up to three lattes using espresso and steamed milk, and are rated on beauty, balance, color infusion, definition, and creativity.

Check out this cool Washington Post video of two guys from an Annapolis, Maryland cafe who demonstrate this unique talent.

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4	Hanna Raskin	27	0
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6	Jennifer Lawinski	15	0
7	Sara Bonisteel	14	0
8	Michael Thomas Hastings	9	0
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12	Joshua M. Bernstein	5	2
13	Mike Pomranz	5	1
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15	LeNell Smothers	4	0
16	Erin Meister	4	0
17	Max Shrem	4	0
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19	Sarah Christine	3	0
20	Kristine Hansen	3	0

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The Hungry Bride Gets Hitched

Ben's Chili Bowl Founder Ben Ali Dies

Washington, D.C.'s Historic Eastern Market Re-opens

Washington Hotel Keeps Honeybees on Roof

Good news, Washington Nationals fans!

Latte artists in action

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