Best of DC

Every year, the Washington City Paper asks DC residents to vote for their favorites in just about every category imaginable from favorite Bloody Mary to favorite doctor (One Medical Group, oh yeah!) to favorite strip club. Yep, no service goes unnoticed. And they also throw a fun party to showcase the winners. This year it was held at the Carnegie Library Building in Mount Vernon Square.

As an avid foodie, I recognized many familiar and beloved faces at the Best of DC event. One of which was Thip Khao, winner of the best Asian Restaurant Category. Thip Khao serves up quality Laotian fare which is mostly unfamiliar to many DC residents. The name Thip Khao refers to the adorable baskets that hold individual servings of sticky rice.

I’m also an Instagram addict and I follow local artist Kelly Towles, so I instantly recognized his US Capitol figure. Previously, Towles featured the figure on t-shirts but this was a full blown up rendition which set the stage to showcase so many local businesses and entrepreneurs.

The Belgian Embassy offered up one of its iconic dishes – the Belgian Waffle. There was a sweet option but I opted for savory. The smoked salmon waffle sadly was already gone but they offered chicken pate on a waffle instead. The subtle sweetness of the waffle itself paired with the savory and creamy chicken pate was great, but it was a lot of pate!

I was so happy to find Cotton and Reed at this event. I never used to consider myself much of a rum fan. I found rum drinks too sweet. Turns out I just wasn’t drinking the right rum. I moved to the Dominican Republic where I had my first taste of truly amazing rum. Brugal blew apart my idea of what rum should taste like. Then I tried Barbancourt from Haiti, and it was unlike anything else I’ve ever tried. It’s like thinking that all beer tastes like Coors Light and then discovering an IPA.

I first tasted Cotton and Reed at The Passenger, an awesome local DC bar and I was hooked. Then I heard about a Cotton and Reed pop up in Adams Morgan and my love for their rum was confirmed. So, I just had to stop by and give them some love. Stop by their tasting room at Union Market especially if you’ve never considered yourself a rum fan. You just might be a convert.

There was a lot of buzz when Buredo opened in DC. My friends and I made it a point to try them just after they opened. We had a sushi burrito picnic on a beautiful day in Franklin Square. And then I kinda forgot about them. It was good but there’s so much good food in this city. When I saw Buredo again at the Best of DC event and tried their shrimp tempura burrito, I was reminded that I need to get myself over there more often. So delicious!

And then there were the breweries! Of course, good old DC Brau made the list. I live near their brewery and tasting room and love taking advantage of the $2.50 pint special on Fridays. Best deal in town! And I was also thrilled to see 3 Stars Brewery. I’ve loved all of their beers and I need to try the Go Go Weiss, a collaboration with Other Half Brewing in Brooklyn. It’s a sour ale with cherries and cherry blossoms. It’s pink!

I felt as if I had to choose my favorite among the favorites and while it was tough to do among so many great food and drink options, I was delighted by Daikaya’s cocktail the Hara Hara. Gin has always been my drink and this featured Joseph Magnus gin, Rinomato (an Italian bitter aperitivo), cherry blossom paste, grapefruit, lime and Thai basil. Just a touch of sweetness. It was delicious, unique and refreshing.