Why should you go to H Street NE?

Recently, H Street NE has come into its own as a foodie destination. In 2006, the Palace of Wonders opened and jump started the bar scene, followed by Granville Moore's putting H Street on the map as a foodie destination. Since then, the area has exploded with excellent, reasonably priced eateries and nightlife (Taylor Gourmet, H Street Country Club, Sticky Rice, and Rock n' Roll Hotel).

The most recent newcomers on the scene are Dangerously Delicious and the Star & Shamrock.

I have mentioned Dangerously Delicious a few times before and couldn't wait for it to open. The shop is a Baltimore import that was recently featured on the Food Network show, "Best Thing I Ever Ate." Rodney Henry established Dangerously Delicious to support his music career, and it has a rock and roll vibe that includes live music performances. More importantly, it has an impressive selection of sweet and savory pies. I tried the Food Network-featured Baltimore Bomb pie, while my friend Emily enjoyed the Chocolate Chess pie. The Baltimore Bomb is made of Berger cookies (a Baltimore delicacy) mixed with vanilla chess filling - it has a great texture and I think it tastes best when heated. But I was more impressed with the Chocolate Chess pie, which has a nuanced, smooth chocolate flavor that melts in your mouth. I have yet to try a savory pie or any of the fruit pies, so several more trips are in order to fully experience the awesomeness that is Dangerously Delicious Pies.

Star & Shamrock is a brilliant blend of a Jewish deli and Irish pub. The sandwiches were delicious and I was impressed with the selection of reasonably priced beer, bourbon, and whiskey lists. (Any place that carries Kilkenny beer and Bakers bourbon is clearly a cut above the rest.)

H Street may not be metro accessible, but its restaurants and bars make it well worth the trip, so check it out!

Calling all beer snobs...

Recently, I checked out two new meccas for beer aficionados: Againn and ChurchKey.

Againn is DC's newest gastropub. The service is friendly, and the variety of beer, scotch, and bourbon is impressive. The menu opts for traditional British pub fare - fish and chips, pies and stews. Though unassuming, their dishes are excellent.

ChurchKey has an amazing beer selection and unpretentious food, like tater tots and fried mac 'n cheese. The atmosphere is relaxed and fun - I can't wait to go back!

Why I'm leaning toward beer at happy hour...

I love wine, so Keith Wallace's expose on winemaking made an impression, especially this part:

Sometimes wineries go too far in their quest to make the best wine possible, and end up doing something patently illegal. In 2004, winemakers at the KWV winery in South Africa were caught adding vegetable flavorings to several of their Sauvignon Blancs. The idea was to give them varietally correct aromas of green pepper and grass. They were successful: The wines racked up several awards before the fraud was discovered.

He goes on to detail the disturbing and dangerous lengths to which some wineries go. Apparently the best way to avoid this is to buy higher-end European wines, as Europe has more stringent standards for winemaking than the U.S. or Australia.

Or you could just switch to beer...