Weekly Food News Round-Up

All the DC news that’s fit to eat (and drink).

Have tips? Send them to [email protected].

Happy lunchtime, DC! Just like last summer (but maybe moreso), we’re beating the heat by drinking. A lot. Make sure to hydrate between all of that ambitious weekend boozing, because passing out from dehydration is definitely not the look right now. This week’s food articles are especially of note, as they delve into the mysterious beginnings of the Doritos Locos Taco, taste test things we don’t have enough time for, and pit the world’s foods against each other. Dig in!

This week in BYT food:

• The latest Drink Diary is penned by Lukas B. Smith of Daikaya. Not only is the writing fantastic, but the drink chronicles described are drool-worthy.
• We loved the RAMMYs so much that we went snap happy with the whole event and the stylish crowd. 
  
• We faced off against Roofer’s Union’s brunch, and brunch won. You can’t beat the joy of eating.
• Want to dive into the food and beverage industry? You probably shouldn’t have missed Taste Talks.
• Welcome to Bottomless Brunch at Toro Toro, in which the limit does not exist.
• Looking for oysters in DC? There’s a guide for that.
• Looking for a free stay at the Renaissance Hotel with a free dinner? There’s a giveaway for that.
• The early word on Crane & Turtle? It’s breathtaking. It’s what Pinterest dreams are made of.
• It’s almost the weekend. The only way to become a truly seasoned brunch pro is to PLAN AHEAD so that no hangover stands in your way. Go ahead and make those 1:00 reservations for one of these five new brunches to try.

Upcoming food events:

• DGS’ Delicatessen After Dark is back tonight. The quarterly cocktail club will pay tribute to Summer in the Catskills tonight, celebrating drinks of a Jewish New York bar scene that influence our drinking culture.
• Smithsonian Folklife Festival is in full swing, and yes, food is part of American folklore, too. You have two more weeks to eat it all up.
• Your favorite chefs are behind bars. That is to say, your favorite chefs will be tending bar at Chefs Behind Bars tonight (and supporting No Kid Hungry while they’re at it).
• Drink the District is back for Red, White and Brew this Saturday. You needed another reason to wear your American Apparel flag tank top, right? Plenty of food trucks will balance out your ambitious drinking.
• VinoFest is this Saturday, too. It’s not a DC summer without local booze and local music.
• Saturday also boasts and American wine tasting at Politics & Prose, which is easily one of the most DC things we have ever heard of.
• With all of that Saturday drinking, you’re going to be crawling on Sunday– you might as well crawl with industree’s Market Crawl so you can gradually and comfortably nurse yourself back to health, or the opposite of that.
• German wine princess Sabine Wagner invites you to a German wine tasting at B Too on Sunday evening. How does one become a wine princess? Just send us that application when you get a chance.
• Accept that your hangover won’t end, and make your way to Firefly’s “Summer Wine Road Trip.” Starting this Sunday and continuing every Sunday through Labor Day, you can find ½ priced bottles of wine from different featured regions.
• Also on Sunday night, Carla Hall will be at Smithsonian’s Ripley Center talking about international home cooking— and probably yelling about peas. It’s a yelling we welcome.
• Chez Le Commis is at the Dolcezza Gelato Factory this Sunday, and we definitely told you it’d be sold out, so don’t be shocked! Start asking around for a spare ticket ASAP.
• The Embassy Row Hotel is opening its rooftop patio and pool to patrons on Tuesday. Considering the millions in the hotel’s renovation budget, our expectations for poolside cocktails are understandably, exceedingly high.

Everything else that’s fit to eat (and drink):

• All those foods with the word “natural” on the label? They make about $40 billion a year. And they’re not really natural. Pro tip: if you’re looking for natural food, it probably doesn’t have a label.
• It’s 2014, of course we as a species are ready to welcome a major food museum with open arms (and mouths).
• Welcome to this, the 2014 World Cup of Food. We spend enough time arguing about it, don’t we? This is essentially the most refined version of “Who would win in a fight between a taco and a grilled cheese sandwich?” you’ll ever find.
• We hate to tell you this, but you’ve been eating a “less salt!” version of your favorite crappy food for some time now, and no one bothered to tell you.
• “Low Sugar is the new Low Fat.” Haven’t we learned to moderate yet? Aren’t diet trends fun?
• You can ball on a budget, so why shouldn’t you be able to grill on a budget? And who says the two have to be mutually exclusive?
• Hey fast food companies– ain’t nobody got time for promotional selfies, or this overplayed meme for that matter.
• The history of the Taco Bell Doritos Locos Taco dates back to the 1990s. What a torrid, emotionally confusing time for the country.
• SeriousEats tried all 18 Trader Joe’s trail mixes. We must have done something really, really good to deserve this.

photo by Jeff Martin