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Food Is a Source of Comfort on Capitol Hill

December 10, 2010

The New York Times

Junk Food Is a Source of Comfort on Capitol Hill

ByJENNIFERSTEINHAUER

WASHINGTON

As Congress passed a law last weekthat would stuff more fruits and vegetables into school lunches, several blocksaway the people lined up for hot dogs. The choices were many: all beef withpeppers and onions; a deep-fried Angus number; one wrapped in a pretzel roll,topped with Cheez Whiz.

The dog doings were at DC-3, a newaviation-themed hot dog spot that takes its place among many high-end junk-foodpurveyors that have popped up around Capitol Hill recently. Over at the WhiteHouse, a farmers’ market has sprouted, a garden has been cultivated and holidayguests are being offered poached fruit. But the area surrounding the Capitol isawash in milkshakes, grilled cheesesandwiches and mildly baroque pizza.

Leading the charge is the MatchboxFood Group, DC-3’s parent company, which began with a pizza joint in nearbyChinatown and has recently opened a sister “pizza bistro” on Eighth Street,along with Ted’s Bulletin, a midprice comfort-food outpost.

On H Street, the other side of theCapitol, Liberty Tree is serving pigs in blankets, macaroni and cheese andfried clam sandwiches. On the pizza front, in addition to Matchbox, there isWe, The Pizza, dished out by “Top Chef” graduate Spike Mendelsohn, and SeventhHill Pizza, a new spot near Eastern Market.

Very little that occurs inside theBeltway is a genuine allegory for national passions, but the proliferation offood that is affordable, nostalgic and deeply accessible may be about as closeas it gets.

Mr. Mendelsohn has worked with MichelleObama extensively on her anti-obesity campaign. But that didn’t stophim from starting a Capitol Hill-area burger spot, Good Stuff Eatery, and We,The Pizza, which opened four months ago.

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