Neighborhood in the news: Restaurant accolades and activism

Photo courtesy of Sfoglina.

We’re getting spoiled. Nowadays when a local publication puts out a best-of list, a local eatery is almost always featured.

Take, for example, WaPo’s desserts “worth indulging in”: Bread Furst’s chocolate chip cookies were praised by The Washington Post‘s Going Out Guide.

It’s an honor just to be nominated: Bread Furst’s Mark Furstenberg and Sfoglina’s Fabio Trabocchi are semifinalists for the James Beard Awards, “some of the most coveted accolades in the restaurant industry,” says Washingtonian magazine. They’re nominated in the “Outstanding Baker” and “Outstanding Chef” categories. The finalists will be announced on March 15th.

Edited to add: Furstenberg has moved on to the finalists round. The winners will be announced May 1st.

When you're prep cooks go on strike, but still get all their work done a day in advance because #love & #family. #ADayWithoutImmigrants pic.twitter.com/DvRNJ5shKY

— Little Red Fox (@littleredfoxdc) February 16, 2017

Activism also on the menu: Several DC-area restaurants closed for the February 16th Day Without Immigrants. Little Red Fox did not, but it did give its immigrant employees the day off so they could participate in the strike. What owner Matt Carr got in return was twice the work the day before from the prep staff – and the note above. Little Red Fox also donated 10% of its sales that day to Ayuda, an organizaion that supports local immigrants.

Older condos can be green: Van Ness East made it into another Post article about efforts by condo associations to retrofit older buildings to make them more eco-friendly.

“Raze The Building, Then Raise The Neighborhood”: Park Van Ness was a finalist in last year’s National Association of Home Builders “Pillars of the Industry” awards. The article credits the new construction with helping to raise the neighborhood.

Back to the restaurants, though: They seem to be what’s putting Van Ness and Forest Hills on the map. Eater DC lists ten neighborhood eateries attracting the region’s foodies. And it features some oldies but goodies along with the new. Which neighborhood faves did they leave out?