amanda mcclements

Today's Five Bites are from Mary Cunningham, a seafood lover. 1. Camarones a la Limeña (sautéed shrimp in garlic, butter and white wine) at Las Canteras (at right) 2. Granchi de fiume pasta (crawfish and lobster sauce) at Vapiano 3. Crab bisque at Ray's the Classics 4. Moules biere blanc (mussels with cream, bacon and leeks) at Dr. Granville Moore's 5. Crunchy calamari at Zengo Call for Five Bites! My Five Bites pantry is about to be bare! Let Metrocurean readers know which dishes you're enjoying around town by e-mailing five of your favorite dishes or drinks and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean AT gmail DOT com. (Photo by Anne McDonough.)

There's been some talk about Good Stuff Eatery , a new burger joint opening soon on Capitol Hill, but you can add an extra side of buzz thanks to a reality show tie. T his bit on Eater today points out that "Top Chef" contestant Spike Mendelsohn (at right) and his family are behind the new spot at 303 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. (Thanks to a reader for sending me the link.) From the chef's website : "You know, 'Good Stuff' is more than a descriptive title. It's a declaration, an inspiration and a rallying cry...because Good Stuff Eatery isn't just another burger joint. We're on a mission to bring together good food, good times, good people and good-ness to a place where good stuff means more than just better-than-average food."

It's been an award filled week, and to keep things going, nominees for the RAMMYs — DC's Academy Awards of food — were announced last night. The biggest news is that because our dining scene is so freakin awesome, the judges broke the rules and nominated six spots for Best New Restaurant, instead of the standard five. Brasserie Beck, Central Michel Richard, Hook, Proof, The Source by Wolfgang Puck and Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert all snagged nods for the category. In addition to Best New Restaurant, a winner from the following nominees will be chosen by a panel of judges: • Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year: Equinox, Michel Richard Citronelle, Restaurant Eve, The Oval Room, Vidalia • Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year: Oyamel, Poste Moderne Brasserie, Vermilion, Willow, Zaytinya • Chef of the Year: R.J. Cooper, Vidalia; Todd Gray, Equinox; Michel Richard, Michel Richard Citronelle/Central Michel Richard; Robert Wiedmaier, Marcel’s/Brasserie Beck; Eric Ziebold, CityZ...

Nominees for the prestigious James Beard Foundation Awards were announced today. Representing the DC area are: • José Andrés (at right) for Outstanding Chef • Central Michel Richard for Best New Restaurant • Johnny Monis of Komi for Rising Star Chef of the Year • Cathal Armstrong of Restaurant Eve for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic • Eric Ziebold of CityZen for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic • Terry Theise of Terry Theise Estate Selections for Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional For a complete list of nominees, click here . Congrats to all the nominees! (Photo by Pablo de Loy.)

Today's Five Bites are from Emily Booth, an American University student, Sur La Table employee and self-proclaimed amateur epicure (at right). 1. Sformata di zucca (Calabaza squash flan with truffle oil and 12 year balsamic) at Dino 2. Yum tofu at Sala Thai 3. Moroccan spiced salmon with an apple cider reduction at Hank's Oyster Bar 4. Bantijan Bil Laben (fried eggplant with garlic-yogurt sauce) at Zaytinya 5. Gingerbread cake, poached pears, anise and hazelnut ice cream at Poste Call for Five Bites! My Five Bites pantry is about to be bare! Let Metrocurean readers know which dishes you're enjoying around town by e-mailing five of your favorite dishes or drinks and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean AT gmail DOT com.

Today being the vernal equinox, also known as the first day of spring, it seems like an appropriate time to mention DC's Equinox , its own rebirth and some of the cool local product they're serving. Thanks to the recent revamp of the dining room (above), the restaurant doesn't look its nine years. And chef Todd Gray is cooking with renewed inspiration. A pioneer of the local foods movement in DC, Gray is now sourcing beef from Camalier Farms in Warrenton, Virginia — it's what locals might call a gentleman's farm. (The prominent local family founded Camalier and Buckley , a retail chain no longer in business, and the farm has not been a commercial venture.) Through family ties, Gray connected with one of the Camaliers about raising custom livestock for the restaurant. "We met at his farm last September," Gray tells Metrocurean, and "we drove the property in a 4-wheel drive Jeep with his two sons. We talked about all of the opportunities we could have r...

I was delighted to be a guest Tuesday on Post columnist Marc Fisher's radio show, Raw Fisher Radio. Listen to Metrocurean and Counter Intelligence dish about the local food scene, food blogs, what's hot (and what's not) in the city and more. You can also find the show on iTunes here .

Share Our Strength’s annual Taste of the Nation is the preeminent tasting event in town, and if you've never been, you owe it to yourself to go. It's coming up March 24, and for the price of one big meal on the town, you can eat and drink yourself silly with samples from more than 50 area restaurants and around 20 wineries. A highlight this year is the new bar chef competition, featuring Gina Chersevani of EatBar , Justin Guthrie of Central , Tiffany Short of PS 7's and Adam Bernbach of Bar Pilar . The four competitors will compete to create the best sweet cocktail and savory cocktail. The event will run from 7-10 p.m. with a VIP preview from 6-7 p.m. at the Hilton Washington (1919 Connecticut Ave. NW). Tickets are $85 for general admission and $200 for VIP access. All proceeds from ticket sales go directly to Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger. Call (877) 268-2783 for tickets or click here .

Today's list comes from blogger That Guy At The Bar who offers some of his favorite bites and sips from dining at bars around town. (Check out his restaurant restroom pics .) 1. Kobe beef sliders (pictured above) and a Bombay Sapphire and tonic at The Source ("Their sliders are by far the best in town," he writes.) 2. Yellow fin tuna tartare with avocado and soy and lime emulsion with a Stinger at Charlie Palmer Steak 3. Roasted sea scallops and a dirty Ketel martini with spiced olives at Wildfire Restaurant 4. Sauteed veal sweetbreads and a glass of Prosecco at Proof 5. Mojitos ("mint aides the digestion, after all") at Cafe Citron Let Metrocurean readers know which dishes you're enjoying around town by e-mailing five of your favorite dishes or drinks and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean AT gmail DOT com. (Photo by Darko Zagar.)

In what sounds like an ideal Sunday afternoon to this oyster lover, Hank’s Oyster Bar will host its first oyster fest from 1 to 4 p.m. March 30. The party will offer all-you-can-eat oysters, including New Points and Rappahannocks from the East Coast and Penn Coves and Olympic Miyagis from the West Coast, as well as a selection of beers including Allagash White, Allagash Dubbel and, one of my faves, Victory Prima Pilsner. If you can't fill up on raw oysters (you should practice), there will be other food available including fried oysters, stewed oysters, onion rings and French fries. Tickets are required for the event and cost $65 per person. Get 'em while they last at Hank’s Oyster Bar in Dupont Circle.

Wagamama , the popular UK-based noodle bar, is on the way to DC, according to the Washington Business Journal . Business Journal writer Tierney Plumb wrote in a Tuesday story: "U.K.-based noodle house Wagamama will enter the region with its 5,800-square-foot location on Seventh St. NW late this year or early next." The international chain opened its first US shop in Boston in April 2007. Rumors of a DC outpost have been swirling for some time. The Business Journal also reports that Wagamama wants to open more locations around the metro area. As a pence-pinching student in London one summer, I fell hard for the affordable noodle joint. And I can't wait to see how it's received in DC. Eaten at a Wagamama? What did you think? (Image from wagamama.com .)

The restaurant industry has been fertile ground for reality TV (see "Top Chef," "Hell's Kitchen," and the hot mess that was genre pioneer "The Restaurant"). NBC, network of the latter, is headed to DC on March 22 to cast for a new restaurant reality show. From the casting call: "Have you and your spouse, friend, family member, business associate or colleague dreamed of opening your own restaurant? Is one of you a whiz in the kitchen while the other is a front of the house superstar? Do you have what it takes to open and run a successful restaurant? Has financing always been a problem?" If so, they want to meet you and "help make your dream come true." The show doesn't have a name yet, but the material implies that a financial prize is at stake. At least, I assume that's the dream-come-true part. For more details on the casting, held at the Sofitel from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., click here . So, if you were opening a restaurant in ...

Last week Slate published a story on an $11,000 commercial coffee maker getting a lot of buzz (sorry, pun not intended). The Clover machine (at right) brews one cup of regular coffee at a time. Slate writer Paul Adams says: "The immediate consequence of the Clover and its precision isn't necessarily better coffee, but more attention to coffee. By creating this rigorous laboratorylike brewing environment, it encourages cafes to explore the nuances of different beans, where and how they're grown and dried and sorted and roasted. And the attention to nuance gets passed along to the customers..." Want to see what all the Clover fuss is about? Head to the new Grape + Bean in Alexandria. Blogger Jacob Grier is occasionally behind the counter at the new coffee and wine shop and writes about the wonders of the Clover here , complete with pictures. Grape + Bean 118 South Royal St., Alexandria 703.664.0214

Today's Five Bites comes from Jennifer Keene (at right). 1. Wagyu beef sashimi at Proof ("I could eat this every day!" she writes.) 2. Cheese grits at Colorado Kitchen 3. Paneer makhani at Heritage India in Glover Park 4. Lasagnette at Dino 5. Texas toast with bacon at Austin Grill ("My guilty pleasure," Keene writes. "The free chips and salsa don't hurt either.") Let Metrocurean readers know which dishes you or your little ones are enjoying around town by e-mailing five of your favorite dishes or drinks and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean AT gmail DOT com.

Don't forget to eat out at one of the more than 150 restaurants participating in Dining Out For Life this evening. Restaurants will donate 25 to 100 percent of proceeds to Food and Friends, an excellent organization that provides meals to people facing HIV/AIDS, cancer and other illnesses. For a full list of restaurants, click here .

If you're looking for a new frying pan or a special cooking utensil, chances are you have to trek out to a chain retailer like Sur La Table or Williams-Sonoma. I'm lucky to have Home Rule up the street, but overall, DC is lacking in the boutique kitchen shop department. Capitol Hill native Leah Daniels will help fill that void when she opens Hill's Kitchen at 713 D St. SE later this month. “People are trying to do a lot with food [on the Hill] but there are no kitchen stores,” Daniels told me in an interview for Roll Call newspaper. The two-story shop will be stocked with pots and pans (including brands like All Clad, Lodge, Staub and Mauviel), bakeware, cookie sheets, measuring cups, cookbooks and cookie cutters in the shapes of all 50 states, plus one for DC. Daniels, who sold tomatoes at Eastern Market as a child, is finishing up renovations to the 1884 row house she purchased for the shop. The first floor will house the retail operation, while the second floor — eq...