Food and Drink

POV: You're tired of cooking after Thanksgiving, but don't want to break the bank for lunch. We've got you covered with four tasty lunch options around $15.

Call it the Cafe Milano of the local D.C. political world.

What I’m hearing: White House secretaries and the Georgetown glam set have made Cafe Milano the power spot of official Washington. But in this town of social bubbles, if you’re looking for the see-and-be-seen haunt of local D.C., you go to the banks of the Anacostia River to check out The Point.

There’s no need to do the heavy lifting in the kitchen this Thanksgiving when you can let the pros do it for you. Check out these local take-home holiday meals.

• Pro tip: Order deadlines for most of these options end this week, so get a move on.    

Holy turkey!! We’re only two Thursdays away from Thanksgiving.

Driving the news: If you don’t feel like cooking this year  — or want to avoid your aunt’s dry dressing — here’s a roundup of places around Washington to grab a holiday dinner. 

D.C.’s restaurant servers and other tipped workers will see the way they get paid shift in a profound way now that voters have passed Initiative 82, per the Associated Press.

Why it matters: I-82’s passage raises the minimum wage for tipped workers. Opponents say it’ll lead to an increase in restaurant service charges and fewer tips.

For the second time in roughly four years, D.C. voters will determine how tipped workers get paid, this time through the Initiative 82 ballot measure.

• And just like last time, folks are confused.

What’s happening: The initiative would require employers to pay D.C.'s $16.10 minimum wage to tipped employees such as restaurant servers, nail salon workers, and valets regardless of how much they earn in tips. 

Blank Street Coffee, a small-format coffee shop that prides itself on serving quality coffee at prices lower than Starbucks, is opening its first D.C. locations.

Details: The two new shops will be at 1847 7th Street in Shaw and 1250 Connecticut Ave. in Dupont Circle.

• The brand plans to bring a total of ten locations to the D.C. area.

The Dupont location will hold a soft launch today while the Shaw location will soft launch tomorrow. Both locations will celebrate a grand opening on Friday with $2 drinks and all proceeds going to D.C. Central Kitchen.

How it works: Blank Street’s shops are small, meant for customers to grab their drinks and go. The menu has all the coffee basics plus a few seasonal drinks, and pastries from Fresh Baguette and Green Almond Pantry.

• A small latte starts at $3.50.

Background: The coffee shop first opened during the pandemic and has since launched over 40 shops across New York, Boston, and London.

The recent closing of Bad Saint stunned followers of the pioneering Filipino restaurant, a favorite of D.C. and national chowhounds alike after Bon Appétit six years ago named it America’s second-best new restaurant.

Why it matters: Although there’s hope that COVID-19 will become endemic, pandemic pressures continue to mess with small businesses in particular