ep 33: (pink) lemonade, brat (green), watermelon (red)
this week we're discussing pink lemonade, brat green-colored recipes, and watermelon! its summertime in a heat wave girls!
Tyra Banks’ DC ice cream pop-up 🍦
well…this was not on my bingo card for 2024! supermodel and entrepreneur Tyra Banks is doing a DC pop-up of her ice cream store SMiZE & DREAM, which has been available as a pint-pop-up in LA and a mobile ice cream truck in Dubai. she is now opening a scoop shop on Connecticut Ave in Woodley Park that will start serving on July 19. the vibe is billed as “rich and indulgent” and many flavors include a “hidden” cookie dough truffle inside. there are also plans to open an “entrepreneurial learning center,” aiming to teach underserved youth about the ice cream industry. the pop-up runs through September and the first 202 guests (lol, get it!) will receive a free scoop. why did she pick DC, you may think? her brother, Devin Banks, works at the Architect of the Capitol’s office, soooo DC lol. welcome, Tyra!
pink lemonade! 🍋
I’m not sure what I thought pink lemonade would be made of (strawberries and lemons?) but turns out, pink lemonade rarely even contains lemon juice!! there are competing stories as to how the beverage originated in the 1800s, from tales of dropping red cinnamon candies into lemonade or the use of dyed water from pink tights (ew!). regardless, the drink always got its sour taste from acid instead of lemons, usually tartaric acid. nowadays, citric acid is what’s used in pink lemonade at the soda fountain or in powdered mixes. if you want to make pink lemonade at home with more natural ingredients, you could use a splash of grape, cranberry, or beet juice, or a fruit syrup made from berries in your lemonade mix. read more about the circus origins of this pink drink here.
Washingtonian’s Best of 2024: Restaurants ✅
the June issue of the Washingtonian magazine featured a Best of 2024 segment, covering a variety of categories including places to shop, things to do, local news, and food and drink. the restaurant categories ranged from Best Omakase Deal (Kiyomi on K St) to Best Place to Eat If You Don’t Want to Do The Math of service fees (2 Amys). I loved the category of Best New Restaurant Trend going to “Creative Martinis” found at Caruso’s, Albi and Your Only Friend and the Best Rooftops category going to Perry’s! they also polled readers, who voted for Jane Jane and OKPB as Best Cocktail Bars, Andy’s as Best Pizza, and Best Ice Cream as Jeni’s (eye roll).
the history of the Caesar salad 🥗
as a Caesar salad LOVER I was today years old when I found out the salad was invented in Tijuana, Mexico! but even those at the heart of the city, who still serve the salads to this day, are working on untangling the origins of the world-famous dish. the owner of the building that was home to Caesar’s restaurant hired a historian to learn more.
he found that an Italian immigrant named Césare Cardini served the salad at the first location of Caesar’s that he opened in 1926 in Tijuana, but had invented it in 1924 at another restaurant called Alhambra Café. however, it’s also possible Cardini borrowed the recipe from his cook Livo Santini’s mom, who made it for the both of them when they were homesick for Italy. this original recipe included a whole egg and lemon juice but no anchovies, and the lettuce leaves were individually coated with the dressing. residents say the fame of the salad has brought pride to a city that in recent years, has seen its public image tarnished by violence and crime. read more in this piece from NYT on the salad, here.
DC restaurant list 📰
over the years I’ve tried a few methods to keep track of all my favorite DC restaurants. Instagram guides are a little clunky and a spreadsheet is just too hard to maintain. so, I finally decided to just make a giant google maps list. with this format, everything is all in one place instead of categorized by meal type. regardless, it includes literally every restaurant/bar/coffee shop/food establishment that I have been to in DC that I have liked. if you ever need a recommendation for an upcoming DC visit, or if you’re a local looking for something new, this is for you! (and yes, I know I’ve forgotten places, so the list will continue to shift. fyi!)
brat summer (cooking) 💚
its brat summer for music and for cooking! the green hue of artist Charli XCX’s hit album BRAT has taken the girlies by storm, as we point at any object with a lime-green hue and exclaim “brat!!!” the New York Times newsletter The Veggie has done the same with a roundup of very green recipes for this very hot summer, including a chilled zucchini soup, a cucumber-avocado salad, a green goddess slaw and more. other foods that fit into brat summer, bratwursts, midori sours, club sandwiches.
watermelon season 🍉
its summertime and its watermelon season! this NYT article talks about the health benefits of watermelon, for one, its very hydrating, seeing as its made of 91% water. this is important in the summer when we lose so much fluid through sweat. while watermelon tastes very sweet, it’s actually quite low in sugar, and also contains micronutrients that could be good for heart health. the article has some cool recipes too, like a watermelon ginger beer and a classic watermelon feta salad for your summer potluck needs.
The Bear Season 3 👩🍳
I cant talk about the contents of Season 3 of The Bear because…I haven’t even seen season 2. I’m sorry! its a stressful show! I’ve been busy bingeing Love Island USA! but I promise I will work through The Bear soon and give it the attention it deserves. if you’re well on your way into Season 3, you might enjoy these articles about all of the easter eggs and chef cameos as Carmy continues his “Yes Chef!” journey. with my bingeing track record I promise to look at these in like three weeks haha!
happy hot dog contest!! 🌭
July 4th is over and so is the annual beautiful spectacle of the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest. the record-setting Joey Chestnut was not able to compete this year due to his partnership with Impossible Foods, but there was a small tribute to him at the start of the contest. Chicago native Patrick Bertoletti won with 58 hot dogs and Miki Sudo won the women’s with 51 dogs. to see all the beautiful pictures of this American pastime, take a gander in this BA roundup here.
restaurant review: NuVegan Café 🍗
every year I am reminded that I have forgotten how good NuVegan is! the Black-owned vegan soul food restaurants has one of the best mac and cheeses in the city and yes, its all vegan. I love their chicken drummies and they have so many sides to choose from too. would definitely recommend for your next takeout comfort meal!
f*cked up food
everything is good fried….right…..
d.c. happenings
openings
Monstera Burrito opening inside Grace Street Coffee in Georgetown
Bagels and Baguettes opening in the old Bethesda Bagels space on Connecticut
Insomnia Cookies coming to Hip City Veg spot in Navy Yard
Tropical Smoothie Cafe coming to Columbia Heights
Apapacho Taqueria coming to La Cosecha in Union Market (old Las Gemelas space)
Amelie DC in Logan Circle opens on Bastille Day
Ashok Bajaj restaurant Rosedale coming to Cleveland Park
River Club Restaurant (from Residents folks) coming to Georgetown
Duke’s Grocery re-opening on 17th St
Starbucks coming back to Union Station in September
San Pancho burritos opening in Takoma Park
closings
Post Pub is closed again/for good
Bubbie’s sandwiches closing on M St
Blend Bar on Upshur is closed
BLT Steak closing Downtown
Hana Market rowhouses for sale :(
other news
Sharbat Bakery doing Shawarma/Doner now
Dupont Italian Kitchen expanding space
free drinks at Boundary Stone for brunch!
Chef Robert Curtis of Bourbon Steak and Cana has passed
home cooking
got some great produce from an office farmers market, and with it I made:
nicoise salad - great use of green beans and radishes, so tasty and filling.
salmon with fennel salad - this rocked, its a great use of the whole fennel bulb. I loved the balance between the crispy salad and cool yogurt and the hot fish!
also tried out these recipes with some pantry staples:
DIRTY MARTINI POPCORN - made this for a movie night with friends, melted blue cheese with butter and spices and chopped olives, and tossed the popcorn in it. so tasty and a fantastic idea from cheesegal!
dumpling and tomato chili crisp salad - I only had dried basil and that definitely took away from the freshness of the dish, so i’ll definitely be trying it again, I know its a fan fav!
thanks all, have a lovely weekend!