You can mock the politicians who live on hypocrisy in D.C., condemn the awful drivers with their showy cars who participate in a twice-daily snail race along 495. We'd even let you get away with taking shots at our painfully inefficient and de-flowered subway system.
Never, ever, under any circumstances -- at least these days -- can you criticize our pizza or our subs, though.
Which is exactly what you did, David M. Shribman, in the opening paragraph of your review of Mark Leibovich's book "This Town" in the New York Times:
Of all the irritating things about Washington — the phoniness, the showy cars, the utter inability of a metropolitan area of 6.9 million people to produce a single decent slice of pizza or a passable submarine sandwich with oil and not mayonnaise — none is more infuriating than the local insider habit of referring to the place as “this town,” as in “He’s the most important power broker in this town” or, more likely (and worse), “The way to get ahead in this town is to seem not to be trying to get ahead.”
But in fact, in D.C., we have no shortage of delicious pizza and oil-dressed subs for book reviewers, presidents and others to delight in, or eat. And that means you, David M. Shribman, reviewer of books for the New York Times.
So, if you were wondering where you can find a dynamite slice of 'za, here are just a representative handful of the places you can go, David M. Shribman:
Best Pizza In D.C.
And, Mr. Shribman, D.C. has many great spots to grab a sandwich, too:
Best Subs In D.C.
We get it; you lived in D.C. for a while. You got a taste of what D.C. had to offer, but even you admit you departed from D.C. "a decade ago." Let us tell you, a lot has changed since 2003.
D.C. has great food, nowadays. It seems like a new restaurant is opening every five minutes (and the wait for said restaurants are much longer). Heck, even the New York Times thinks the food in Washington is great. In their roundup of "The 46 Places To Go In 2013," D.C. is listed among only six cities in the U.S.. Why? Because, as the New York Times puts it, of "the arrival of a vibrant, independent food scene."
Next time you write something scathing about D.C. food, try asking the author of the book you're reviewing what he thinks about it, because, maybe, you know, he might have some more insight about the town he wrote his book about.
And Mark Leibovich, the author of "This Town," told The Huffington Post his (well, OK, sort of lukewarm and noncommittal) take on This Town's food:
"No view on subs. Pizza much improved since I moved here in 1997. Pete's (New Haven style) a particularly great addition. Derivative, but good 'nuff for me."
Related
Before You Go
