episode 38: steakhouses and scandinavian travels!
we're talking about alllll the food I ate on vacation in Copenhagen and Stockholm, the symbolism of the DC steakhouse, and more!
short newsletter today y’all! gonna get all of my vacation content out into the world so we can resume normal life (sad!) lets go!!
food “guide” to Copenhagen and Stockholm 🇩🇰🇸🇪
for my first-ever international solo trip, I went to Copenhagen, Denmark and Stockholm, Sweden with the main goal of eating every good pastry within sight. and yes, I accomplished that goal! in the months leading up to my trip, I gathered a tonnn of recommendations (my Google Maps list is over 130 spots lol). so, i’ve compiled everything I ate into this page on my website. its organized by meal type and by city, and i’ve not only listed where I ate, but additional recommendations by meal type, and the link to my massive Google Maps list. hope this is helpful to you or your friends for a future visit!
Republicans at the steakhouse 🥩
we’ve talked before about the perception of DC as a steakhouse city, which has changed over the years to favor a more diverse array of cuisines and restaurants. however, those old-school steakhouses still exist, and yes, they’re frequented by many a Republican politician. Jessica Sidman for Washingtonian recently did a piece called “What’s the Deal with Republicans and Steakhouses?” which explores that very connection. campaign finance reports do show that Republicans outspend Democrats at every major steakhouse in the city 13:1 - totaling over $762,000. the article goes on to discuss how steakhouses got politicized in DC, the values represented by steakhouse attendance, the heyday of BLT Steak during the Trump years, and the legend of Capital Grille as the Republican hangout. you can read (much) more in the piece here, but i’ll leave you with a good quote below.
“Steakhouses are one more flash point in our increasingly polarized politics. We’ve become siloed within our own partisan beliefs, consuming news (and food) that agrees with our worldviews, which are reinforced by social-media algorithms. Even the restaurants where we eat can start to feel like political camps. Yes, a steakhouse can still just be a destination for a great rib eye on your birthday—but it can also lead you down a right-wing rabbit hole.”
Nutella’s identity crisis 🌰
during the mid-2010s Nutella craze, everyone was scrambling to use the spread in cakes, on crepes, pastries, or straight out of the jar. while the hazlenut spread was classified as a “dessert topping” for years, the US market was booming and the company recognized that a rich chocolate spread wasn’t exactly enticing to calorie-concious consumers. under the nut and seed butter classification, the same as for a dessert topping, nutrition facts were required to be shown for a serving size of 2 tablespoons, but for a jam product, the serving size was only 1 tablespoon. a smaller quantity would present the product to have fewer calories, so, the parent company Ferrero campaigned to get the product reclassified as a jam after the FDA released a proposed rule and opened a comment period. there was so much news around the comment period opening, it took a while to find the final rule, which determined that Nutella and other flavored nut butter spreads should remain in the RACC category of 2 tablespoons, not in the honey/jam/jellies category of 1 tablespoons. identity crisis, solved!
why is my honey shaped like a bear 🐻
I was using up the last of the honey in my bear-shaped honey bear container and I couldn’t help but wonder (a la SATC) why is honey packaged in a bear-shaped bottle? the answer comes from a 1950s dinner party. the Gambler family in Lancaster, PA bought a few beehives and started producing honey, which would eventually turn into Dutch Gold Honey, which still exists today. In 1957, the Gamblers were having dinner with other beekeeper friends, where they discussed novel honey packaging ideas, and liked the idea of a bear shape. in an era of teddy bears like Winnie the Pooh and Yogi bear, the bear bottle fit the trend. so cute! read more here.
the invention of the chicken tender 🍗
happy birthday to the chicken tender, which turns 50 this year! NYT did this piece called, “How Chicken Tenders Conquered America,” which is a fun history of the previously unheard of dish. these days, you can find a chicken tender anywhere! but before it was invented and embraced in Manchester, NH, the cut of meat along the chicken’s breastbone was either served attached to the tenderloin or completely unused. a chef at a Manchester restaurant called the Puritan noticed that piece would often come loose, so he prepared it separately with a marinade and deep-fried it. these chicken tenders soon became so popular, they outsold everything else on the Puritan’s menu.
the tender catapulted to national fame when Burger King made Chicken Tenders as a competitor product to the McNugget. they sold out all over the country. over the years, this cut of meat went from virtually unused and very cheap, to incredibly popular and the most expensive cut. all thanks to Manchester, the Chicken Tender Capital of the World!
party of one! 🍽️
as a girl who just came back from a solo trip, I endorse this rising trend: solo dining. according to OpenTable, reservations for tables for one have risen 29% over the last two years in the US, and they’re up in the UK and Germany. in Japan, 23% of people eat out alone. so, restaurants are beginning to cater to this trend, increasing counter seats and offering smaller portions. this rise could be attributed to a variety of factors: more people are living alone, remote work has risen, interest in solo travel has risen, and social interaction while eating is less important as a result of covid. i’ll admit, I’ve rarely done this in my hometown, seeing as the argument for eating at home and saving money always wins out. but, there is something lovely about treating yourself and reading a book, or just listening and observing the ambiance around you. read more, here.
restaurants and rising costs 💵
this quote feels exactly representative of the decision making process of dining out, “On the one hand, you get the possibility of technique and flavor you cannot, or don’t want to, create yourself, plated and served with attention. On the other hand, going out to a restaurant means risking mediocrity or outright unpleasantness for which you still have to pay. Every meal is an attempt to solve for this unknown, with a different equation each time.” this calculus becomes even harder when everything, including restaurants, are sooo expensive these days.
of course, this situation is the result of hard decisions made by restaurant owners, prices reflective of high costs of labor, high costs of quality ingredients, and managing consumer expectations of what those things should cost. this Eater article features stories from restaurant owners across the country on strategies they are using to get by in this expensive era. a restaurant in Mississippi is using less-popular cuts of meat and local produce to reduce costs and maintain quality, a vegan cookie shop is increasing prices to maintain ethical sourcing, and more. read more from Eater here.
fall restaurant guides + lists 📋
I’m rounding up some guides from news outlets that I have been seeing on hot new restaurants to visit in DC and around the country. links below!
Washingtonian has a variety of lists, including the new restaurant openings they’re excited for, the Hot List of restaurants they’re loving, and the three restaurants that got added to the Michelin Guide for DC.
NYT published The Restaurant List of their 50 favorite places across the country this year. the list features Moon Rabbit and Pascual in DC - both of which are on my list to try!
Bon Appetit published the 20 Best New Restaurants of 2024 - which features Bar Del Monte in DC, a fantastic addition and a great representation of neighborhood Italian.
restaurant review: barr + bakeries 🥐
had sooo much good food on my trip but barr was probably my favorite of the sit-down meals, and then literally every bakery I went to was fantastic. you can see the full list of bakeries by city in my list, but for now i’ll feature the incredible pastry spread from Lille Bakery in Copenhagen - that cinnamon roll was fantastic! lunch at barr was lovely too - I tried lots of smørrebrød - or an open-faced sandwich on rye bread - and yes, I actually liked the pickled herring!
f*cked up food 🤮
in time for fall ◡̈
d.c. happenings ✏️
openings
JINYA Ramen Bar expanding to Union Market
Nick’s Pizza opening on Upshur in Petworth
Trini Vybez opened on 14th
Taqueria Los Perez coming to H St
Saint George’s Boulangerie coming to Radici spot in Eastern market
Barrel House Cafe & Bar from Wunder Garten owners coming to old Foxtrot in Logan
new Korean spot coming to Eckington called Food Gallery DC
new Korean fine dining spot Shia coming to Union Market
Italian/Indian restaurant Nero comint to Dupont
Maman Joon coming to BKK in Truxton
Poplar wine bar coming to Brightwood Park
closings
other
DC chefs broked the record for the World’s Largest Pupusa last weekend!
home cooking 👩🏾🍳
lol, I really haven’t much. since I came home i’ve been stocking up on salads and greens and excited for some fall produce ahead. in an attempt to be more ~balanced~ i’ve been doing a new breakfast plate: scrambled egg, a spoon of cottage cheese, a little kefir, a vegan breakfast sausage, toast, and some fruit. this way, I can finish that tub of cottage cheese before it inevitably goes bad. taking recs for any good October produce recipes!
wheeee have a good weekend!
Yea I love how in Japan they have really nice solo seating arrangements where your back is to everyone, or you have dividers between seats. It's much more apparent when you're eating alone in the States. I would do it in Japan but still don't do it much in the US unless I'm sitting at a bar...at that point I just do takeout when I'm traveling solo.