Food and Drink, The Daily Feed

Restaurants Love to Cook, Serve & Tweet!

barcode

“These days at a restaurant you have plates, tables, food and Twitter.”

-Barcode owner Antonis Karagounis

“People regularly ask for restaurant suggestions from other Tweeps on Twitter. When we are able to find those requests and immediately welcome them to our restaurant, they are floored by the quick response and personalized welcome. We’ve been lucky enough to gain many new diners this way.”

Bourbon Steak Publicist Sangeetha Sarma

A recent Restaurant Week experience reminded me that you can’t always expect restaurants to be on 100% all the time, but if someone or something fails, speak up.

Like many patrons, I had an issue, vented about it on Twitter, and received a very satisfying response. SO I decided that every Friday I will write a small piece about The Week’s Winning Food Tweet. This could be a restaurant itself, a food truck, a chef, a manager, etc. The winner will be someone (something?) who puts a smile on my face for a different or interesting perspective.

The free, 140 character service has revolutionized the restaurant industry. It’s necessary for restaurants to actually engage their followers in order to create loyalty and really make patrons & potential patrons feel like friends.

I wanted to take a look at the Top 5 ways that restaurants use Twitter effectively. That means they aren’t just tweeting the daily specials, but following my rules to inform, satisfy, calm and entertain!

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Adventures, Business and Money, Essential DC, Food and Drink, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, People, The Daily Feed, The District

Who’s Standing Next To Me In Line?

Photo courtesy of

courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

Vox Populi has conducted an unofficial survey of those sad, sad people waiting in line at Georgetown Cupcake through hail, sleet, humidity, blazing heat, etc. The poll gives us an inside peak into the GC shopper political affiliations, average wait times, where GC shoppers are from, are they repeat visitors and how did they hear from GC. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of GC visitors were first timers and they had not heard of Baked & Wired :(

Adventures, Business and Money, Entertainment, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, News, Special Events, The Daily Feed

Free Cupcake Madness

In honor of the premiere of their new reality show airing tonight at 10pm on TLC, Georgetown Cupcake is giving away a free, special edition cupcake all day today.

Some co-workers and I stopped by the M Street shop at 10am to snag our freebie and were met with a line and some questionable cupcake giveaway flow problems.

Words of caution: If you’re dying for a cupcake, you must be willing to battle the lines, which will undoubtedly grow longer as the day goes on, and the hot, humid and gobs of sweat inducing weather. You’ve been warned.

Business and Money, Entertainment, Essential DC, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, People, Special Events, The Features

Reality TV: “DC Cupcakes” Premiere

Photo courtesy of

courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

Last night’s preview party for “DC Cupcakes” was filled with pink boxes, votive candles, delicious mini cupcakes, champagne and a fantastic look out at the trials, tribulations and success of locally owned and operated Georgetown Cupcake.

The first episode of the six-part series premieres this Friday at 10pm on TLC and opens on Valentine’s Day, the busiest day of the year, where the cupcakery must meet a demand increase of 500% (the shop usually sells 5,000 cupcakes a day, so we’re talking 25,000 cupcakes here,) AND tackle a last minute challenge for a good cause. Like every small business, and reality TV show, there are bumps in the road, conflicts, mishaps, lovable characters (look for comic relief from head baker Andrew and shop staffer Yasmin) and late nights. Also, be prepared for a blast from the past, as the episode contains Snopocalyspe covered streetscapes. SnOMG!

While some might argued that the cupcake craze has jumped the shark, there’s something sweet (pun intended,) charming and inspirational about two sisters quitting their finance and fashion industry jobs to join forces and simply bake cupcakes. According to co-owner Sophie LaMontagne, the two sisters originally defined success as “making the rent and baking with their mom at their side.” LaMontagne exuberantly added “I get to come to work in sweatpants and make cupcakes!” Got to admit that sure beats pantyhose. Continue reading

Eat Like Me, The Features

Eat Like Me: April’s Best Dishes

Photo courtesy of
‘veggie roll’
courtesy of ‘Ag-Images’

I usually use this intro text in Eat Like Me to pontificate ($10 word! I win!) on what part of dining out in DC I’ve been thinking most about recently. This month I’ve been thinking more about styles of restaurants.

I would be the wrong person to be food editor if I didn’t say that I love every kind of restaurant, and have an affection for most styles of restaurants. I can get behind a chinatown hole in the wall, and love a simple stainless steel tea kettle just as much as I can get behind a Georgetown patio with fire pits and fancy cocktails. I’ve been mostly thinking about what draws me in and makes me love a place more than another.

I think it’s in the details. (For me, most things are in the details.) I think about the places that I love eternally – Againn, Et Voila!, Westend Bistro, and have been trying to figure out what strings them together, aside from the obvious good food. At Againn, aside from the seasonal, thoughtful food, I love the details of the restaurant – the tiles that line the walls are the same tiles used in the London Underground. The fox and hound door knockers on the bathroom are something I make sure to point out to anyone who goes to Againn with me. And the details bring me back to Et Voila!, too. They serve coffee with steamed milk, and wrap fries in newsprint. The skylight adds sunlight and charm. Westend Bistro’s pass lets me take a look into the belly of the operation, and makes me appreciate the work that goes into the food. I’m starting to believe it’s the little things that bring me back to a place time and time again. It’s the little things that make me answer my most hated question of “What is your favorite restaurant” with a different answer each time.

This month the details were where it’s at. Birch and Barley’s pastries, an addition of wasabi to mashed potatoes at Zentan, and the perfect whipped frosting on a Georgetown Cupcake. Lovely, subtle details are available at every type of restaurant, but here are the best of the best of April. Continue reading