It was a tasty year, indeed. From juicy burgers to fresh juices, here are the top food stories of 2015.
Kolache explodes in popularity
In 2015, we saw a Texas/Czech favorite make its way to the District. Now, fans of kolache line up every Saturday to get a taste of the sweet and savory stuffed pastries from Republic Kolache Co.
The half-smoke sausage with cheddar cheese and house-made pickled jalapeño relish is a big seller, as is the chorizo sausage, soft-scrambled egg and sharp cheddar cheese kolache.
Read more about the breakfast food craze on wtop.com.
(Courtesy Republic Kolache Co.)
Courtesy Republic Kolache Co.
Who needs carnitas when you can have goat?
It’s thought to have been one of the earliest domesticated animals, and it’s a staple protein in several cuisines and cultures around the world, but for many Americans, goat is new.
Not at Arlington’s Fuego Cocina y Tequileria. Executive chef and owner Jeff Tunks is making goat mainstream with his Jalisco-style roasted goat tacos.
Read more about the meat you should eat on wtop.com.
(WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
Lettuce goes luxury
Meat-eaters and vegetarians, alike, are flocking to fine-dining restaurants to try elaborate dishes and tasting menus that don’t include a single serving of meat — or dairy.
Read about the rise of vegan fine-dining on wtop.com.
(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes
Nitro coffee has folks buzzing with excitement
Nitro coffee is the newest caffeinated craze to hit the District. There’s no alcohol in the beverage — it’s just cold-brew coffee made from Stumptown beans, infused with 100 percent nitrogen — but it delivers a buzz, no less.
“I’ve never been higher on coffee in my whole life,” says Dolcezza owner Robb Duncan, who makes the beverage at the shop’s CityCenter location.
Sushi rolls get supersized
Buredo is on a roll. The 14th Street fast-casual lunch spot that opened this summer makes burrito-sized sushi rolls — and D.C.’s downtown crowd is eating it up.
The menu has something for everyone, but unlike a typical burrito joint, it’s not build-your-own. A few menu options are modeled after more traditional sushi rolls — albeit in a much larger format. The Hanzo has yellowfin tuna sashimi with avocado, cucumber, pickled fennel, arugula, tempura crunch and lemon aioli, and the Sofie is made with shrimp tempura, avocado, pickled cabbage, carrot, toasted sesame seeds, red tobiko and sriracha mayo.
Read more about the concept on wtop.com.
(WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
Pack your bags: D.C.’s latest dining destination requires a ticket
Some of D.C.’s biggest chefs and best-known restaurants are opening eateries in an unusual location: the airport.
Read about the trend that’s taking flight on wtop.com.
(Courtesy OTG/Page)
Courtesy OTG/Page
A homeless food program that’s a step above the rest
Steve Badt, a chef who worked in restaurants in New York, Boston and D.C., didn’t see the need to treat a local homeless food program any differently than a program in one of his restaurants. And his approach to feeding the local homeless community made a big impact.
Read more about Miriam’s Kitchen’s revolutionary food program on wtop.com.
(Courtesy Miriam’s Kitchen)
Courtesy Miriam’s Kitchen
It’s time to get schooled in ramen
Ramen’s popularity has only grown in the U.S. since David Chang popularized the Japanese noodle soup in 2004. But do you really know what you’re eating? A popular D.C. dining destination launched “Ramen 101” classes, so you can learn the history and the etiquette behind your favorite noodle dish.
Read more on wtop.com.
(WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
Filipino and Laotian cuisine makes a big splash
Cliff Wharton has no idea what initiated D.C.’s recent obsession with Filipino food, but he thinks it’s awesome. Wharton is the chef behind Urban Heights, one of four Filipino restaurants that opened this year.
And Filipino is just one of several Southeast Asian-inspired restaurants to make its way to the District. In December, D.C. welcomed its first Laotian restaurant when Thip Khao opened in Columbia Heights.
Read more about D.C.’s recent boom in international cuisine on wtop.com.
(Courtesy Urban Heights)
Courtesy Urban Heights
PornBurger strips away tradition and finds pleasure in the unique
Mathew Ramsey has a solution for burger fatigue. Sometimes it’s as simple as whipping up kimchi ketchup or replacing bacon with crispy duck skin. Other times, Ramsey takes on more complicated challenges to beat burger boredom. He adds bone marrow to onion jam, tops grass-fed beef with foie gras mousse or uses Yorkshire pudding as a breaded vehicle for his stacked creations.
In 2015, the creator of PornBurger continued to grow his “food pornography” website and his popularity in the local culinary community with his always-sold out dinner parties. And just in time for the New Year, Ramsey is out with his first cookbook, “Hot Buns and Juicy Beefcakes.”Read Ramsey’s tips on how to take your homemade burgers to the next level on wtop.com.
Eat with your eyes
Thirty-seven years ago, it was a small dining room in a former auto repair shop in the tiny Virginia town. Now, it’s one of the country’s greatest restaurants.
WTOP sat down with The Inn at Little Washington’s Patrick O’Connell to talk about how the chef and visionary designed the acclaimed dining destination. Read the history on wtop.com.
(Courtesy Gordon Beall/ The Inn at Little Washington)
Courtesy Gordon Beall/ The Inn at Little Washington
Ugly vegetables make pretty juices
Shiny green apples, blemish-free beets and round red tomatoes paint the picture of most grocery store produce aisles. But there’s an ugly truth behind all of the pretty produce. Research shows that up to 40 percent of fruits and vegetables go uneaten or get thrown away, mostly because they do not meet consumers’ cosmetic standards.
Two Georgetown students, however, are working to change that statistic with their business, MISFIT Juicery. Read the full story on wtop.com.
(Thinkstock)
How to make the perfect pie crust
When it comes to making a pie, there’s no need to buy the crust. David Guas, chef and owner of Bayou Bakery, shares his favorite pie crust recipe and a step-by-step guide on how to pull it all together.
Find the full guide on wtop.com.
(Courtesy Bayou Bakery)