01.08 - democracy is fragile
what’s going on in d.c. - food edition
Vegetarian, flexatarian, or just in the mood for a good non-meat centric meal? Brightest Young Things rated their top 20 vegetarian dishes in d.c. One of my faves, Fancy’s Radish’s Dan Dan Noodles, comes in at #12.
It hasn’t been incredibly cold, but winter is always a good time to curl up with some Pho. Here’s an Eater DC list of some top spots.
Two of D.C.’s Buzziest Cafes Are Run by Women of Color With Bold Goals, per Washington City Paper, “Ayat Elhag from Yellow and Nazia Khan from Cameo want coffee to be more about celebrating growers and less about latte art.”
new 2021 spots
Believe it or not, it is a new year with restaurant openings and the like to look forward to. Here’s 11 restaurants expected to open in the coming months. D.C. Eater also asked “dining experts” which 2021 spots are top of their lists.
what’s on our minds?
Wednesday’s insurrection on the U.S. Capitol (and our democracy)…There’s not much to say that hasn’t already been said 10x over, but I am sure for those of you who work in Congress or simply live near the Capitol, the constant sirens throughout the afternoon punctuated with the staccato of cell phone alerts from the news and friends/family is something you won’t soon forget. The juxtapositions of the day were particularly jarring - the brazenness of the chaos against the passivity of the police; the joyfulness of the rioters against the terror in the members and staff’s eyes; the sanctimonious speeches by some members of Congress after four years of tacit endorsement of violent rhetoric.
Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin’s 25-year-old son, Tommy Raskin, recently died by suicide. The Congressman wrote a heartfelt, loving, and heartbreaking statement this week that is worth reading in full.
Quick links to other weekly #goodreads:
Platforms Must Pay for Their Role in the Insurrection - per Wired, “Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have spent years fomenting and enabling yesterday’s violence at the Capitol. Policymakers need to do something about it.”
When COVID hit, a Colorado county kicked out second-home owners. They hit back- per High Country News, “How a group of nonresident homeowners tried to influence a rural Colorado election.”
How the School Reopening Debate Is Tearing One of America’s Most Elite Suburbs Apart - per Slate, “In a district where parents are epidemiologists and health policy experts, the meltdown happened one Zoom meeting at a time.”
what are we watching/reading?
A Teacher on Hulu. A Teacher is the kind of show that sticks with you - a female English teacher engages in a predatory sexual relationship with a popular male high school senior. The miniseries, starring Kate Mara and Nick Robinson (of Love Simon fame), is messy and complicated and digs in on issues related to female sexual predators, fetishization, and denial. It’s also extremely watchable, with 20 minute episodes that move at a fast clip.
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‘til next time -courtney