DC's Food Scene: A Perspective from One Transplanted Foodie

I am writing this in response to Mark Furstenberg's Washington Post Article from last week. Before I could get this written, Sam Hiersteiner wrote a defense in the Huffington Post. I don't have the voice behind me to be writing blog posts that make it to big DC newspapers but I do have an opinion that I think should be heard. I think that Furstenberg's article makes a few good points, the main being the availability to affordable produce. But I am biased because I grew up in a community surrounded by farms and ranches. We have had regular access to fresh produce, meat and dairy.

DC for a long time was known for meat, potatoes, and politics. A history of being a mediocre food town where steakhouses thrived, a few French cuisine places for the chic were dotted amongst them, but overall a place where food creativity came to die, just like non-partisan politics. While that food scene may have been true at one point in time, those like Furstenberg who make that claim now have failed to notice a quiet but powerful revolution that has been building in and around the DC area. The steakhouses are still top-notch but that's just one TINY aspect of our thriving regional food scene.

We are home to some of the best farmer’s markets, craft cocktail culture, thriving vineyards in Virginia and Maryland, sustainable seafood initiative in the Chesapeake Bay and have more new restaurants cropping up than you can shake a fork at. It should be impossible to ignore the fact that D.C. has made an entrance by kicking in the door!

DC has a strong history of being a great location for drinking. Hell, the Ricky was invented here and George Washington had one of the first distilleries while living here. There are bartenders and there are mixologists. Like a Sommelier (which we have some great ones), a mixologist has an understanding and ardent passion for their craft. We have nationally renowned mixologists like Derek Brown, Owen Thompson, BryanTetorakis, and Bill Thomas. All are known for pushing the limits of the cocktails they serve. Hell…we have such a craft bartending scene that there they started the D.C. Craft Bartenders Guild.

Furstenberg also seems to ignore a vibrant community of local organizations, like Bread for the City, DC Greens, Common Good City Farm and City Blossoms. Bread for the City launched City Orchard, the nation’s FIRST orchard run by a food pantry and it is 2.75 acres in Beltsville. The orchard contains 1,000 trees and bushes, including apple, Asian pear, persimmon, blueberry and blackberry. By the time they mature (in 2014), these plants will yield upwards of 40,000 lbs. of fresh fruit — all of which will be distributed to DC residents in need through Bread for the City’s two food pantry locations. Bread for the City and the others mention are all working to enliven people's interest in gardens, educate them about how to grow their own vegetables on apartment sills and in backyards, and provide access to healthy vegetables all across the city.

Yes, there is room to improve but every city has room to improve. Furstenberg talks about what “food scene” cities can boast about…Los Angelenos boast about their diversity and how far they will drive to explore it, of markets in Koreatown, Tehrangeles and Little Saigon.  I lived and ate my way through LA and I can tell you that many locals do not drive to explore it. Believe me when I say that I was one of the only 2 or 3 non-Asians shopping and eating on a regular basis in Little Saigon. The DC area has access to many diverse cultures, and those who have open tastebuds the cultural areas are far more open to allowing others to explore it. Young chefs in the area are also open to exploring other food cultures than which they may have been trained in. I think this is all a testament to DC’s strong food culture.

There is also this DC born-and-bred culture that is becoming stronger and we have a right to be proud of whether you are a native or a transplant. I think of Theo Rutherford and Nick and Dave Wiseman (cousins) whose dedication and work has helped to breed a stronger food, wine, and cocktail culture.

One Young Somm (aka Theo Rutherford)