What to Eat, Drink, Buy, and Do in May: The Bon Appétit Checklist
From clever coffee to boozing in D.C., here's everything food-related that should be on your radar this month.
Scott Suchman1/7Visit: D.C.’s Tastiest Block
For proof that our capital’s culinary scene is more than just power restaurants, grub-crawl your way through Derek Brown’s trio of new bars, occupying adjacent storefronts in the diverse Shaw neighborhood. Start with broth-poached whelks at the seafood enclave Eat the Rich, hop over to Mockingbird Hill for a brief education in Sherry and ham, and then wrap up the night with sweet bourbon balls at Southern Efficiency (pictured left).
4/7Brew: A Caffeine Revelation
A coffeemaker that delivers a barista-quality fix without any fussy timing and temperature-taking? It’s coming. The Ratio Eight Coffee Machine marries the precision of a Chemex with the convenience of a drip maker. Built by hand in Portland, OR, the first 500 units ship this month. Pre-order now for July delivery. $480; ratiocoffee.com
5/7Read: A Butchery Book You’ll Actually Use
Tom Mylan’s The Meat Hook Meat Book (Artisan Books; $37.50), named for his butcher shop in Brooklyn, may be the world’s trippiest guide to breaking down and cooking protein. Chalk it up to the psychedelic photographs of meat in space and stoner-delicious recipes like duck-fat poutine.
6/7Explore: The Next Culinary Mecca
In the coming year, La Jeune Rue, chef Antonin Bonnet and investor Cédric Naudon’s ambitious project in Paris’s 3rd arrondissement, will be the site of 20 restaurants, bars, and shops—all emphasizing sustainability. Up first: a Korean street-food joint designed by Paola Navone and an ice cream shop from Vincent Darré. lajeunerue.com
Chef7/7Watch: Food Trucks Go Hollywood
Why see Chef, Jon Favreau’s tale of a down-and-out dad who launches a food truck? Because Roy Choi, founder of L.A.’s Kogi BBQ Taco Truck and a co-producer on the film, says so: “If you’re a cook, we thought of you, to be like, ‘That’s real’—the food, the language, the jokes, the energy.” In theaters beginning May 16
