"[Eli Lehrer] argues that 'molecular gastronomy' will be the ruin of fine dining in the District. He singles out my restaurant, Rogue 24... I would like the chance to respond..."

"All cooking is essentially manipulating molecules and any first year culinary student who has watched bread rise knows this to be true."

Next Song for the Jukebox

So DC Is Making Beer Now! But Wait... Why Aren't We Getting Cheaper Prices?

Tammy Tuck of City Paper tries to understand why the prices of local craft beers are so high in the District compared to notoriously expensive cities like San Fransisco:

"Ask craft-beer folks about prices and they tend to stress their product’s artisan quality. Of course you can find some cheaper swill, the logic goes. But it’ll be made with rice or corn instead of barley and other fine grains. A can of National Bohemian, for instance, will set you back just $3 at Smoke & Barrel—and a mere $2 at the Raven. To craft devotees, that’s like opting for a McDonald’s burger."

Ok, so good things cost money. But, surely it wasn't always like this, right?

"The modern craft beer movement began in California. Pioneering breweries, like Anchor and Sierra Nevada, have been in operation since the late ’70s and early ’80s, when lower-priced mass market brews set the tone for the industry. In contrast, D.C.’s beer scene came of age much later and grew out of the rising popularity of Belgian beers, which tend to fetch higher prices to begin with."

But what about the global brewing giants? It's not unusual for a mega-corporation to exert influence in the market. Tuck explains:

"Another big factor impacting the price of craft beer at the distributor level is the bigfooting influence of Big Beer [...] In other words, when the price of Blue Moon, a Coors product, goes up a buck, your beloved Bell’s Two Hearted Ale may suddenly suck up another one of your singles, too."

Ah, so maybe if we examine the distributor level of the business we can find some answers for consumers. What about them? Aren't they being a little greedy?

"Craft aficionados, of course, love to gripe about the middleman. And it makes sense: The distributor isn’t anyone’s beloved local beer bar, and he’s not anyone’s innovative craft brewer, either."

Unfortunately, the new wave of establishments that we love and which bring vitality to so many Washington D.C. neighborhoods may have a part to play in the price:

"every one of the complaints leveled against wholesalers and distributors could be leveled in other markets too. To understand D.C.’s price situation, it makes more sense to look at those snazzy, beer-focused taverns that have sprung up here over the past decade"

Not surprisingly, the upward trend ultimately rests on the consumers themselves:

"The District’s neighborhood politics—which make it very easy for local residents to get in the way of liquor licenses, adding new costs for retailers—also pushes prices above where they’d be elsewhere. Washington may have seen a gastro-pub population boom, but many of those births required tavern owners to hire pricey lawyers to navigate Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, who are able to wring sometimes costly concessions from new establishments. The overall effect also reduces competition."

As a former bartender at Tonic at Quigley's Pharmacy when they spent a year struggling for a liquor license, I had a window into the political side of all this. DC's ostensibly grass-roots neighborhood governing system presented more than a few hurdles for Tonic's owners in 2008. 

And while few people openly complain, there have been comments made mostly by tourists and out-of-towners in Tonic about the cost of fare and booze seeming a bit excessive. But what are the owners going to do when they have more than a year's worth of legal bills?

Hopefully, I'll be able to bring a little more perspective on the District's growing beer industry in the coming months. Stay tuned.

Mount Pleasant's Tonic Fills Up to Take A Bite Out of Breast Cancer

Lightning struck again for Take a Bite Out of Breast Cancer last Tuesday evening. Only this time, the crowd filled Tonic in Mount Pleasant - sister to Tonic in Foggy Bottom.

Once again, Lisa Shapiro of Dining in DC made it through along with Rick Amernick and his DC Captial Striders Running Group. The group, which often gets involved with volunteer or charity races and events, has over three thousand members. 

I haven't seen the numbers from that night yet. But it seemed like every corner of Tonic was occupied by customers.

There's a heap of pictures posted for your viewing pleasure after the jump.

And I want to thank everyone again for coming out to both Tonic's for the Take a Bite events. Thanks for showing your support.  

Foggy Bottom's Tonic Welcomes Take A Bite Out of Breast Cancer

If you were one of the unlucky ones who didn't get a chance to visit Tonic at Quigley's Pharmacy this last Tuesday for Take A Bite Out of Breast Cancer, all I can say is that you missed something special.

Dining In DC's Lisa Shapiro, who is the Chairwoman and founder of the campaign, was among the many guests who participated. 

Others bloggers included Kate Michael of K Street Kate and Bindesh Shrestha of Desigrub. Bindesh actually served as the co-ambassador to Tonic with me and came through with a congress of friends who were a pleasure to meet and dine with.

Thanks to everyone for coming out.

I've compiled pictures of the evening after the jump.

Oh, and if you missed this past Tuesday's event you still have an opportunity to contribute through Tonic in Mount Pleasant this coming Tuesday, October 18th. That day, 25% of sales (including alcohol) will go towards the charity.

There are other restaurants and bars participating throughout the rest of the month. So if Tonic on Tuesday doesn't work for you check out the other participating restaurants at the Take a Bite Out of Breast Cancer website.

Bad Tipper Summons Internet Wrath... What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Image: Victoria Liss via Facebook

There's an amazing story that's been circulating on the Internet these past few days that highlights the kind of unnecessarily malignant treatment of service-industry workers - a topic DLDGLG feels a duty to discuss. Unfortunately, this drama quickly pivots, almost predictably, to a demonstration of the hazard of misguided Internet mobs.

A bartender named Victoria Liss received not just a heartless gratuity on a check but also a vicious tip regarding her weight while working at Bimbo's Cantina in Capitol Hill, Seattle. The customer, identified on the credit card receipt as Andrew Meyer, wrote, "P.S. you could stand to loose [sic]a few pounds" in addition to leaving no tip.

Clearly, this patron's dietary advice is the definition of an ad hominem attack.

In her anger, Liss decided to turn to the Internet, essentially releasing the kraken. Using Facebook against the previously anonymous Meyer, she posted a picture of the scribbled insult. Solidarity with her begins to form around the Internet.

Taking it a step further, the west-coast bartender decided to single out her nemesis on Facebook after some research. From there, her swelling audience was provided a target for their ire. It's at this point that our tale of comeuppance goes viral:

"The story made its way to the Seattle Weekly, Stranger, Gawker and Jezebel, hitting a nerve with fellow bartenders. There was talk of 'waiter rage,' 'wanted posters' and enlisting techie friends to help unload 'haterade' on the 'douche.' Angry messages were sent to the man, depicted as the cheapest, meanest customer ever to have stepped foot in a bar.

Except there was one problem. It was the wrong Andrew Meyer."

Whoops!

Since then, Liss has apologized for her hasty accusations and wisely increased the privacy settings on her Facebook. Dan Savage, who had previously contributed his own colorful perspective on the incident, seems to have replaced his fiery words for a similarly apologetic response (which he calls "The Great Andrew Meyer Pogrom of 2011").

Unfortunately, a lesson in human dignity in the service industry and the inspiration of basic human solidarity became completely lost to a lesson in Internet bloodletting.

A collective face-palm could be felt around the Internet these past few days. Particularly, among bartenders, who saw an opportunity to expose some of the callousness that they confront day after day.

Note: This post has been revised since its original publication