Washington DC

[BBhasin]

Dear Tom,

Great to have you on Egullet

This was a while ago, all the Food Pundits were discussing live on NPR the 'Washington DC dining scene' .A visitor from NYC called in to observe that while in New York they 'dine out ', washingtonians simply 'Eat out'. I could not catch your responses as I was was driving and had lost the signal but I have always wondered what you would say.

bbhasin

[Tom Sietsema]

I get so tired of Washington being compared (unfavorably) to New York sometimes, and frequently by New Yorkers who either haven’t dined here recently or eat in all the wrong places!

That ancient saw about Washington not caring about its restaurants simply isn’t true anymore, and hasn’t been for years now. Lots of interesting things are happening here, stuff that is drawing the interest of outsiders. Zaytinya, Maestro, Michel Richard Citronelle – there are a number of kitchens that are raising the food bar, locally and nationally.

Do we have as many restaurants? No. But for people who care about food, Washington is among the top 10 restaurant cities in the U.S.

[Bux]

This New Yorker hasn't dined recently in the DC area recently--at least not in public--and I haven't had much chance to eat much in either the right or wrong places, so I'm not in a position to do much more than ask questions. In this regard I would have been curious to know if the NYC visitor was referring to the restaurants available or to the attitude with which Washingtonians go out to eat. One can eat very well without "dining." By the same token, one can dine quite luxuriously without eating well. Do you think the restaurateurs are driving the interest of diners or that an interest in dining well is driving the newer restaurants?

[BBhasin]

This New Yorker hasn't dined recently in the DC area recently--at least not in public--and I haven't had much chance to eat much in either the right or wrong places, so I'm not in a position to do much more than ask questions. In this regard I would have been curious to know if the NYC visitor was referring to the restaurants available or to the attitude with which Washingtonians go out to eat. One can eat very well without "dining." By the same token, one can dine quite luxuriously without eating well. Do you think the restaurateurs are driving the interest of diners or that an interest in dining well is driving the newer restaurants?

Great question and a very interseting observation, Bux.!

Now you have me sitting on the fence, I dont want to start anything between Wash DC & NYC so I am afraid I am going to have to plead memory loss (In all honesty, I don't remember).

As to your question about what is driving newer restaurants I think it is a little bit of both.

Edited May 29, 2003 by BBhasin (log)

[Tom Sietsema]

I concur.