
The most popular food & drink story in 2011 was Alejandra Owens’ “Saturday Night Sips: Fighting Hunger in DC.” (Alejandra Owens)
Following are the top food and drink stories each month on Borderstan in 2011. The top story each month was the one that was read by the most readers. The writer’s name is next to each story.
Top food story for the year in terms of reader views? The run-away winner was Saturday Night Sips: Fighting Hunger In DC from Alejandra Owens.
- January: Saturday Night Sips: Fighting Hunger In DC (Alejandra Owens)
- February: Meat Week: A Visit to American Ice Co. (Laura Herman)
- March: The Oven is Hot: Pizza No. 17 Open for Business (Matty Rhoades)
- April: Korean Food? Bibimbap? Try Mandu on 18th Street NW (Alejandra Owens)
- May: Peregrine Espresso to Open This Week (Luis Gomez)
- June: Restaurant Profile: El Centro DF on 14th (Alejandra Owens)
- July: Charcuterie in the Basement: Local 16 Thinks Meat, New Menu (Ashley Lusk); and Standard BBQ Delivers on Promise of Good, Cheap Eats (Alejandra Owens) There was essentially a two-way tie between these two posts.
- August: Florida Avenue Grill Serves Up Breakfast Right (Alejandra Owens)
- September: Borderstan Brunch Guide: We Polled the Team for Favorites (Laura Herman)
- October: Attention Oenophiles! DC Wine Week Events in Borderstan (Ashley Lusk)
- November: Smucker Farms of Lancaster Co. Opens Shop at 14th & W NW (Maggie Barron)
- December: Pearl Dive Oyster Palace is the Real Deal (Ashley Lusk); and Two Best Things I Ate Last Week: 1905 Edition (Alejandra Owens) There was essentially a two-way tie between these two posts.
From Michelle Lancaster
Borderstan is covering four contested Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) races in the three local ANCs: ANC 1B02, 1B04, 2B09 and 2F06. The general election is Nov. 2. Today’s interview is with Ramon Estrada, the four-term incumbent in ANC 2B09. He is being challenged by Sunit Talapatra (see interview).
After serving almost eight years as an ANC commissioner, Estrada is a known figure in the area for his efforts related to nightlife venues and establishments with liquor licenses. He has been elected four times (terms are two years) by voters in his district; in 2008 Doug Rogers ran against Estrada and got 40% of the vote. This is the only district in 2B that borders on 14th Street, and it straddles the Dupont-U Street-Logan Circle neighborhoods.
In April he was one of two ANC commissioners who asked the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) to enforce the limitations on bars and restaurants in the Arts Overlay District along the 14th and U Street corridor. Several residents along with Peter Raia, ANC 1B-02 and Estrada asked the commission to enforce the 25% limit on storefront frontage for bars and restaurants; this limitation has since been raised to 50%.
ANC 2B09 is the northeastern panhandle district of ANC 2B, running from New Hampshire Ave. NW eastward to 14th St. along U St. with the southern boundary being S St. for most of the way (see map below the fold). You can learn more about the district at DC Citizen Atlas. ANC 2B covers most of the Dupont Circle neighborhood and has nine commissioners.
ANC commissioners are elected from Single Member Districts (SMDs) in the city’s 37 ANCs. While the number of commissioners in each ANC varies, each SMD has approximately 2,000 residents. (See links to related posts at bottom.)