Necessary Change?

As widely reported, Mike Isabella is shutting down all of his DC area restaurants after Christmas. I don't want to dance on his grave. It's sad, nearly as sad as what caused this -- a toxic environment for his female employees. A ton of restaurant workers now have to stress over the holidays as to how they are going to pay the rent in January. I never made it to the well-rated Arroz but had mixed feelings about his Arlington establishments. Kapnos was great, Pepita was lousy and Yona clocked in terrific in my first visit and terrible in my second. I do believe things happen for a reason though. It's not so much that Mike Isabella did bad, it's that he did the kind of bad that has been going on forever, and it's time to get woke. TV "reality" shows be darned. A dominant male, slightly tipsy, moody, flirty head chef and restaurateur is no longer acceptable. For that matter, female chefs and restaurateurs still make up a teenier portion of this industry than in almost every other business. There are fewer notable female chefs than there are new female representatives in Congress. It's time for the food industry to get with the times and realize that women are just human beings who are capable of creating amazing meals ~and~ running complex businesses. Let's use the Isabella downfall not simply as a single lesson learned but a chance to take a step forward. I, for one, would be thrilled if the replacement restaurants are female-forward.

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Afghan Bistro

With family members moving to Springfield, it has been a struggle to find good places to eat so far afield. After flirting with some chain restaurants near the mall, we tried a Pakistani restaurant (there are many, many Pakistani restaurants there), but it fell flat. Finally, someone suggested this amazing place. It's a little hole-in-the-wall in a strip mall. With oilcloth table coverings, the vibe seems questionable. For about a minute. Then you are warmly greeted and given menus with a plethora of choices. My party ordered a great number of items and every dish rose above expectations. The staff are eager to please and checked in to make sure everything was okay, from food to drink needs. When a member of my party dropped a piece of silverware on the floor one of the waiters swooped in with a replacement before we could even ask. But onto the food. We ordered the Potato and Leek turnovers, the Aushak (leek and sc...

First Watch

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RASA

The popular grain bowl trend gets a twist with this Indian-inspired takeout bowl place. Same concept -- a base, greens, toppings, etc., but the options are mostly Indian inspired and the majority of offerings are vegetarian (although not vegan, given the heavy use of Ghee in cooking). My take is mixed. Some of the items were outstanding, some less so. I got the Lemon Tumeric Rice, which was delightful. Fresh and tangy, with a little bite, it was one of the best rice dishes I've ever tried. On top of this I got the Tofu/Cauliflower protein. It was half and half. The cauliflower was perfectly roasted, the roasted onions delightful, and the nuts were a beautiful added crunch. The tofu, however, was watery, and the green and red peppers well past prime. Next, I added sauteed spinach, which was incredibly bland, and the peanut sesame sauce, which was "okay" but forgettable. I didn't do additional toppings, although there were ...

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