Ben’s Upstairs
August, 2016. I was driving back from Front Royal, VA, the gateway to the Shenandoah National Park, when I got an unexpected call from a long-time restaurateur friend. “Manuel, it’s…
Tara Temple
June 24, 2014 It used to be part of the Tara Thai chain. But with a new owner, new renovations and Buddhist sculptures flanking the entrance, the name morphed to…
Bookalokal
It was time to celebrate the Lunar New Year, and 2014 was the Year of the Rat. I picked up my 15-year-old son Colin from Herndon, VA, and drove him…
Vapiano
I applied for the GWU Business Plan competition in 2011 and 12 with high hopes that perseverance would pay off. After all, I had a couple of notches such as…
The Owl Bar
When a devastating EF-5 tornado struck Joplin, Mo. on May 22, 2011, I had the honor to volunteer with the AmeriCorps. I picked up a lot of debris and pulled…
Carlos’ Coppi’s
Down the road from Ben‘s Chili Bowl on 12th and U, tall cranes dot the skyline along the 14th St corridor. The young, vibrant masses are moving in, and shopping…
Alba Osteria
I was going for a run around Chinatown and Mount Vernon Square when I sensed the unmistakable gamey smell of roast pig. I followed the scent and arrived at an…
Meskerem
When Meskerem opened on March 15, 1985, there wasn’t much of Ethiopia in D.C. Its owners were amongst the first wave of immigrants who fled their homeland after a Marxist…
Building Bridges
The next day, I hopped on a train to Northern Ireland to see Mark and Lee, my folklife fest friends who I had not seen since 2007. They took the entire…
The Block
The Channel was a great place to relax, enjoy a pint, catch up with ole friends, and watch an English Premier League game or two. My favorite high round table…