Last year in the capital’s food news looked a lot brighter than 2020, thanks in large part to the Covid vaccine that helped lift restrictions on capacity and indoor dining. Restaurants have also managed to capture the anticipated slots across the finish line this year, and readers were particularly excited to learn about entrants from the Filipino fast food giant; A Lebanese masterpiece on the quayside. Dupont’s London golf café debuted; And even a place selling Indian takeaway inside a gas station in Vienna, Virginia.
Other hot 2021 headlines have included everything from the sudden death of a beloved DC chef to an assault at Nellie’s Sports Bar to an absurd tutorial on how former President Donald Trump favors it.
And now, here are the 10 most-clicked Eater DC news stories of the year (listed in descending order):
10. The original chefs from Bad Saint open their dream Fil-Am fast food restaurant
Bujibwe’s Longanesa Burger, Sinjang Fried Chicken and more ex-Saint Cunanan chefs and Paulo Dongka have landed in the Food Court of Block DC to delight readers through the depths of winter in January.
9. A “Real Housewives” bond on a $500 bill at Le Diplomate
All she wanted for Christmas was a seafood tower. when Real Housewives of New York The star Luann de Lesseps (also known as The Countess) bounced back on her check after ordering a copious amount of Gray Goose and snacking on the seafood tower at Le Diplomate, the meticulously appointed French café by Chef Stephen Starr and Biden-approved at Logan Circle , the internet couldn’t stop looking. A few days later, she settled on her tab at 22% after inquiries from New York Magazine He described the whole thing as an “unfortunate misunderstanding”.
8. How a hot new Lebanese restaurant in the capital turned a glass cube into an enchanted patio
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After Covid has forced many to spend so much time at home looking at the same four walls, it’s no surprise that a restaurant that gives dinner a visual feast has drawn readers’ attention. Taking inspiration from a charming garden in Beirut, Lebanese restaurant brand Eleli transformed a glass room with a large flowing limestone fountain first in Provence, France in the late 19th century. The bubble centerpiece is one of the few pieces of the restaurant that is not made in Lebanon. Citrus trees rise from green square plants. Hanging bird cages are filled with steel pigeons with headlights floating above them. Daisy floor tiles anchor the space with bright pops of blue and white.
7. Chef Andrew Laporta, owner of Storied Dupont Seafood Spot Pesce, dies at 48
The city collectively mourned the loss of Andrew Laporta, owner of longtime favorite Pesce seafood restaurant in Dupont Circle. Laporta died of natural causes at the age of 48, and seafood restaurant critic Tom Setsma considered the best in the capital to have his lights out permanently.
6. Filipino fast food giant Jollibee opened its first store in the metropolitan area this week
When the beloved global fast food chain from the Philippines unveiled its first metropolitan area location in April, its staunchly loyal fan base naturally freaked out. The Wheaton, Maryland location opened with fast food and delivery at the start, with favorites such as fried chicken joy with brown gravy, yamburger, sweet cheese pasta loaded with sausage and ham, and mango-peach fritters.
5. Crunchy burrito samosa that comes from a surprise pit stop
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Discover Eater, a delicious destination for home-style Punjabi cooking in an unexpected location: tucked inside a nondescript ExxonMobil gas station in Vienna, Virginia. The small stall called Chit Chaat cafe comes from husband and wife duo Raja and Bindu Puri. Diners can refuel and bring along cans of chicken biryani, pani puri assemble, burritos stuffed with fried vegetable samosas, and butter chicken.
4. A giant mini golf course with its own dining hall will open in DuPont this summer
Back in March, Eater broke the news about an eccentric attraction dedicated to Dupont Circle where guests can pair slurries with handcrafted cocktails, pizza, and tacos. Swingers, the London brand of adults-only mini golf, took part in color-blocked shows for its first US location in a massive two-level space that formerly housed Buffalo Billiards and Front Page oversized rods. The 20,000-square-foot complex first opened in June with a dining hall led by DC-based Knead Hospitality + Design.
3. Ex-Employees of the Trump Hotel in D.C. Served the Ex-President a Diet Alcohol in Seven Ridiculous Steps
Former restaurant employees inside the Trump International Hotel jumped through all kinds of hoops to please right-wing dignitaries while the hotel’s owner was in the White House. This included a seven-step serving, and an illustrated guide to serving Trump’s beloved Diet Coke. By the end of the year, Miami-based investment firm CGI Merchant Group had signed a contract to take over the $375 million hotel lease. It truly is the end of an interesting era at this prestigious property, with Trump now stripped of the hotel.
2. Protests took place at the Nellie sports bar after a videotape showed a black woman being dragged down a ladder by security
Nellie’s Sports Bar shocked DC this summer when a video emerged of a security guard dragging a black woman down the stairs by the hair, sparking protests. The capital’s prosecutor’s office took over the investigation and closed the pub voluntarily. A month later, it reopened and issued an apology too late while the #Indigo_boycott movement continued, according to Georgetown Voice. As a result, Nellie’s incurred a seven-day liquor license suspension and a $5,000 fine according to Washington Post.
1. D.C. will pay $13 million to buy the city’s most popular Wendy’s site
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In February, Mayor Muriel Bowser made a surprise announcement of plans to demolish Wendy’s on New York Avenue NE—also known as the epicenter of the traffic swamp humorously nicknamed “Dave Thomas Circle.” To improve the iconic intersection that locals love to hate, DC will pay the property owner $13.1 million and replace the traffic black hole with linear-flow traffic, bike lanes and three new parks.