This week’s feature takes a look at food issues facing vendors in the District—problems such as the availability and affordability of locally-grown products. The piece also delves into community initiatives that work in cooperation with small farmers:

Dialogue surrounding the ethics of animal treatment and the impact food production has on the environment has increased, while stores such as Whole Foods, which embraces a moderately green identity, are increasingly in vogue. According to a study conducted by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, conventional food distribution uses 4 to 17 times more fuel and emits 5 to 17 more CO2 emissions than the local systems. In addition, according to the New Economics Foundation, a think tank based in London, local purchases “are twice as efficient in terms of keeping the local economy alive.”

News reports on the conclusion of the legal battle regarding the ownership of the Jack’s Boathouse site that Vox had for you in brief yesterday.

In Leisure, Liana Mehring previews the steamy drama that unfolds during Spring Awakening.

The Sports section has a recap of Men’s lacrosse fourth-quarter loss to Villanova yesterday.

Voices has a piece arguing that proponents of Michigan’s Proposal 2 ignore the context of affirmative action in history and encourages the Supreme Court to take such facts into consideration as they decide the case.

Finally, the Ed Board applauds the efforts of the Georgetown adjunct community to unionize.

For all the foodies out there in Washington, next week will be a second Christmas. D.C.’s Restaurant Week is a week not only full of delicious top-notch food, but also great deals.

From Feb. 4 to 10, hundreds of area restaurants will offer a fixed lunch menu, all for $20.13, and a set dinner menu, fixed at $35.13. A certain set few even better deals for the price.

Many of these places include restaurants that usually charge $25 or $30 dollars per entrée, so these fixed menu prices, which usually include an appetizer, entrée, and dessert, are definitely a bargain, not to mention the fact that this promotion might be the only week us poor college students might afford to experience Washington’s finest dining.

We all know what it is like to get stuck in a rut … and it’s not pretty. Restaurant Week is an opportunity to try something new and expand your palate (literally). D.C. is a hub for exquisite and authentic ethnic food, and if you haven’t been to at least one Ethiopian restaurant, you’re not a real Washingtonian.

Check out the Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week website to make reservations and read after the jump for Vox’s suggestions for Restaurant Week, which are categorized by type of cuisine.

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Georgetown has but one, single dining hall—everyone’s favorite, Leo J. O’Donovan’s. The University considers purchasing a meal plan a “fundamental part of developing community among resident students,” which seems to be true, though it may be more of a point of commiseration rather than celebration. Here are a few  tips on how to get by dining at Leo’s.

• Get to meals early. We can’t stress this enough, especially at the beginning of the year. Lines are long and tables can be scarce, so go on off times. This means 11:00-12:15 for lunch and 4:30-6:00 for dinner.
• Unless you just love eating breakfast, there’s no reason to get a meal plan with more than 14 meals a week. Vox endorses the University’s recommendation to get the 14 plan your first semester.
• Keep track of the number of meals you use. Running out of meals is not a common occurrence at Georgetown, but make sure you don’t walk up to the card swipers without meals on your GOCard.
• When you notice that you’ll have meals left over at the end of the week, get grab ‘n go meals and save them for later. Even if you won’t eat all the food, just grab some soda and juice to use as chasers.
• Don’t be afraid to eat at Leo’s alone. It’ll probably be difficult to schedule a time to go to lunch with all your friends. There’s no shame in it: just get some food and keep yourself busy with a book or a laptop. It’s also best to do this when Leo’s isn’t too busy.
• Study at Leo’s. If you’re all right with smelling like Leo’s for hours afterward (and oh yes, it’s a distinct smell), head downstairs, find an outlet, and camp out. Not to mention, you also get infinite snacks and free coffee.
• Late night isn’t that bad. Vox’s previous recommendation to freshmen was to avoid late night altogether. Since then, late night (9pm-11pm, Sunday-Thursday) has gotten better, though it’s still somewhat of a gamble. Some nights they only have breakfast food or pizza-and-corndogs fare. At the same time, they always have the salad bar and cereal out.
• Invest in some tupperware. While most students get enough cafeteria food during meals, stealing Leo’s food is a cherished Georgetown pastime. If you do it right, then you won’t have to buy bread or fruit for four years. Read the rest of this entry »

Haven’t you always wanted a toasted marshmallow milkshake to follow your bowl of curried artisanal organic tofu? Well today’s your lucky day! According to a Zagat blogpost, two restaurants, ShopHouse and Good Stuff Eatery, have plans to expand to Georgetown’s M street.

ShopHouse, a Southeast Asian Kitchen, mimics “Asia’s version of fast food” with an array of items that are “remarkably light and well-balanced,” according to their website. The shop currently has a location in DuPont, and plans to open at 2805 M. St. NW later this summer.

The restaurant will replace Furin’s, a diner that closed last July. Restaurant critics call ShopHouse the Asian equivalent of Chipotle, with an architectural model inspired by the traditional shophouses seen in urban parts of Vietnam, Singapore, and Thailand.

A burger joint on Capitol Hill, Good Stuff, reviewed on the Washingtonian‘s list of Cheap Eats 2011, ”shows no signs of white-collar pretension.” Owner Spike Mendelsohn, Top Chef alum, hinted at a potential opening in Georgetown two years ago. I think we’re ready for the real deal, Mendelsohn.

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If you love mouth-watering burgers and delicious milkshakes, then it’s pretty likely that you love Shake Shack as well. This popular eatery, with a new location a short GUTS bus ride away in Dupont Circle, is one of eleven eateries started by renowned restaurateur Danny Meyer.

On Tuesday evening, the Lecture Fund hosted Meyer in a packed Riggs Library to talk about how he got into the restaurant business, what he’s learned in the process, and how hospitality guides his current success as the CEO of the Union Square Hospitality Group.

Meyer started by telling the story of his own college life as a Political Science major at Trinity College, where he believed that the only career path that he could consider was to become a lawyer. “I will never forget how blind I was,” Meyer said. “I was thinking about what I could do versus what I should do.”

He emphasized the importance of following your passions: “To be doing something with your short life that you don’t want to do is absolutely ludicrous. Your passions are there. Your gifts are there.” Meyer explained that after entering the restaurant business, he realized that work must be something you love: “I have a very highly developed love for doing things that make other people happy.” For Meyer, making other people happy came in the form of great food, service, and hospitality.

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It’s official. The frozen yogurt craze is in full swing in Georgetown now that Pinkberry has arrived. Perhaps the trendiest and most popular frozen yogurt shop of the moment, Pinkberry has captured the hearts of many across the world with over 170 locations in 16 countries. As a loyal fan of the yogurt chain ourselves, Vox couldn’t wait to get our hands on one of those icy, fresh desserts now that they are in walking distance of campus.

The interior of the shop is similar to its other locations: tastefully decorated (pun intended) with contemporary and naturalistic elements such as sleek, modern shapes, a pebble floor, and a sky-blue and grassy-green color palette.

And the yogurt is almost better than Vox remembered it. The sweet yet slightly tangy Original flavor accompanied with ripe, juicy strawberries is perfectly refreshing, even on a frigid winter day. Pinkberry also offers a few other seasonal flavors, including a mouth-watering Mango, Blood Red Orange, Pomegranate, and even Peanut Butter. And with a variety of toppings ranging from fresh fruit to shaved chocolate to crunchy cereal to cheesecake bites, Pinkberry’s got it all. It’s no wonder that this place was bustling with customers when Vox got there.

But is this all too good to be true? Indeed it is. As much as the chilly treats are enjoyable, there is a major setback to this dessert: the steep price. A medium yogurt with toppings, which costs $4.95 at our hometown Pinkberry in California, is a whopping $6.95 here in Georgetown. We’re sorry, but the fact that a frozen yogurt could cost more than a lunch at Chipotle to be taken lightly.

Due to its high prices, Pinkberry may find it difficult to become a favorite hangout spot for college students. However, with the help of wealthy local residents and tourists desperate for a break from the sweltering DC summer climate, Pinkberry should have no trouble finding success here in Georgetown. With that said, who knows how Monday’s arrest of Pinkberry’s co-founder, Young Lee, will affect the thriving yogurt chain. Allegedly beating up a homeless man is not the greatest PR, but that’s a whole other story.

Photo: Alex Rice

Einstein Bros. Bagels has returned to Georgetown. Six months after their Wisconsin Avenue location closed, the bagel-based eatery has reappeared in the Car Barn today. Open only on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., the kiosk will compete with The Corp’s various stores, Wisemiller’s and Saxby’s to meet the Hilltop’s workday bagel needs. A flyer promoting the establishment suggests that a full store is “coming soon,” but lacks a time frame.

Unfortunately, the bagel store is closed on the weekend, like most of the other restaurants run by Auxiliary Services. For now, Hoyas seeking a bagel brunch on Saturday or Sunday won’t find satisfaction in the Car Barn. Hopefully, the full store’s hours will more closely mimic those of Starbucks and Cosi.

Offering six different kinds of bagels and a sandwich and salad here and there, the kiosk is largely self-service. You choose, slice (with a plastic knife), toast and schmear your own bagel and pour your own coffee. A bagel and cream cheese is $2.85.

While the effort to liven the quiet atmosphere of the second floor of the Car Barn is commendable, the bare-bones structure of the kiosk and the proximity of Wisey’s makes Vox question the viability of the new store once the novelty wears off. The proximity and popularity of Wisey’s, which also sells bagels, will certainly overshadow the new Einstein Bros. for the time being. Only if the full store eventually has the variety of offerings and hours of its Wisconsin Avenue antecedent will it become another Hilltop standard alongside UG, Midnight, Starbucks, Wisey’s and Saxby’s.

The location will be mildly convenient during finals periods, when some students seeking a study space less crowded than Lauinger Library use the Car Barn. Particularly during fall semester exams, the availability of hot food inside the Car Barn should encourage more students to study there.

Photo: Jackson Perry

A Note to Readers: Unfortunately, Vox can’t cover every great eatery in Georgetown, so scroll down to the comments and let us and incoming freshmen know your own favorite dishes, dives, and hidden culinary gems.

There comes a time in every Hoya’s life when another trip to Leo’s proves daunting and he or she begins looking for some more varied options. Some good places to start include:

The Basics –

Wisey’s: Officially “Wisemiller’s Deli,” Wisey’s is the closest walk from the front gates and offers up a delicious, artery-clogging set of sandwiches that serve as an accessible alternative to the Leo’s buffet.

Be sure to grab a Chicken Madness at least once during your freshman year (it would be quicker to list the toppings it doesn’t have). If you’re trying to avoid the Freshman 50, you can also check out Wisey’s healthy cousin on Wisconsin (look for the green sign), which serves up some lighter sandwich fare.

Sweetgreen: Opened in 2007 by Georgetown alumni, you can now find Sweetgreen all over D.C. Walk over to the M street branch to enjoy an expansive salad selection along with the best frozen yogurt this side of the Potomac.

Qdoba and Chipotle: Dueling Tex-Mex stops on M street serving up a fairly generic and identical menu of taco and burrito selections. Aside from Chipotle’s tendency to douse their meat in pepper, these joints are mainly popular for their cheapness. Qdoba offers a half-off burrito special Monday nights that will sometimes see a line stretching down the block.

The Tombs: Classy and a bit overpriced, the Tombs is pretty much the Georgetown tavern, located just a block off campus and known equally for its bar and burgers.

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Our very own Leo O’Donovan Dining Hall is a bit of a bonding experience for all freshmen and sophomores, who must submit to the mandatory meal plan, barring a few exceptions.

Vegetarianism doesn’t get you a pass on Leo’s, but you bleeding heart animal lovers will be pleased to hear Peta2 voted Georgetown the 10th most vegetarian friendly campus of 2008. Though we have yet to repeat the performance, Leo’s vegetarian options aren’t all that bad. In fact some Leo’s-weary diners become what we like to call “Leo’s vegetarians,” in self-defense from the dubious post-Thanksgiving turkey mélange.

Anyway, whether you carry out a (totally safe) Grab ‘n Go sandwich, or enjoy your chicken fingers beneath Leo’s nod to the Sistine Chapel, surviving Leo’s requires an iron-clad will stomach and a reliable Tupperware set. Not to mention the well-developed knack for double-think that allows students to smuggle out a backpack full of nauseating food after every meal.

Luckily for all you newbies, some of your fellow Hoyas have compiled their favorite Leo’s recipes (we like to call them coping mechanisms) in O’Donovan’s On The Waterfront. Since these tips won’t get you through the whole year unscathed, here are Vox‘s tips for dealing with Leo’s, originally compiled by former Voice Editor Juliana Brint:

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Although most internships are sadly unpaid, it’s not all hard work and making copies. June 10-19, D.C.’s discount labor get free and reduced fare at restaurants, museums, and shops in the city during the InternsRock: Intern Appreciation Week, hosted by the Washington Center.

Some of the promotions include 20% off at Tombs, a free Sprinkles cupcake, and free admission to the Newseum. All you need to do is present proof of your internship – like a letter from your supervisor, a note, or an e-mail – at one of the Washington Center offices near Dupont (1333 16th Street, N.W., 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday) or Union Station (1005 3rd Street N.E., 10 a.m.-11:00 a.m. daily) and you get a wristband that will access all the discounts.

Image: Washington Center