Recap: U Street & Shaw Neighborhood Food Tour with Carpe DC Food Tours

If you’re a food lover like me or enjoy a good cheat meal here and there, a food tour is definitely up your alley. I’ve looked up tours when visiting other cities before but never thought to do so in my own backyard. That’s a problem. With empty stomach in tow, I ventured out to the city on a Saturday morning to right my wrongs.

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Carpe DC Food Tours is run by husband and wife duo Mary Collins and Stefan Woehlke, who found their passion for local foods through their international travels. The tour focuses on the U Street and Shaw neighborhoods of D.C. which have a rich African American history that is highlighted along the way.

Stop #1

We started off at Ben’s Next Door (1211 U Street NW), where we checked in and were quickly treated to our first meal: the famous Ben’s Chili Bowl half-smoke and chili cheese fries, paired with DC brau public ale. If you live in the area and you’ve never tasted Ben’s, I’m judging you. It’s a D.C. staple and has been in business for 57 years, with locations on U street, H street, and Arlington, VA.  

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Stop #2

Our second stop was Eatonville (2121 14th Street NW), which has closed since I went on the tour. The Zora Neale Hurston themed restaurant will soon be replaced by ‘Mule Bone’ in February 2016. It will still serve southern fare but gets a new look and name, with the kitchen being run by Top Chef alum Carla Hall. While there we tasted the fried green tomato, which was a nice shift from the heavier chili dog, and tasted Atlas beer, also from a DC brewery.

STOP #3

From there we moved on to Fast Gourmet (1400 W Street NW), which I have passed numerous times on my quest for parking on 14th street. I initially thought it was a gas station convenience store but was surprised to see a menu of amazing food inside. We tasted the ham & cheese empanada which didn’t disappoint. According to our tour guide/company founder Mary, Wale frequents this location for late night eats. That’s nice.

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Stop #4

On to stop 4...Etete! Located at 1942 9th Street NW, it’s a quaint Ethiopian restaurant on 9th street with a very comfortable vibe, which we appreciated after walking for a while. We were given some tej (honey wine), which they make in house, and their yemesir wot platter (cabbage, carrots, yellow split peas & greens) to share. I wish we could’ve tasted some tibs (chunks of beef or lamb) but Ethiopian veggie platters are always filling by themselves anyway. Etete topped off our eating for the day and we ventured off to Compass coffee for stop #5 and a cup of their Cardinal blend. Coffee is my friend.

Stop #6

From there we tasted raspberry kombucha and a chai tea called Love Potion #10 at Calabash Tea & Tonic (1847 7th Street NW), which looks like a cafe where Aladdin would have been a regular. The highlight at Calabash was their Monster cookie which is made with chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, cranberries and peanut butter. As someone who doesn’t have a sweet tooth, you should trust my judgment about how amazing this cookie was because I ate it and loved it.

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Moral of the story, go on a U Street & Shaw Neighborhood Food Tour with Carpe DC Food Tours if:

1. you’re a local who wants to give out-of-towners a different tourist experience.

2. you’ve never been to D.C. and want to experience a few local eateries in a short time.

3. you’re a local just who wants to try great food, and potentially make some new friends. Shout out to my friends Jen & Jen who were visiting from Florida!

For tickets and more information on tours visit Carpe DC Food Tours.

- Nyasha Chikowore

Photo Credit: Nyasha Chikowore

Spirit Spotlight: Cloud Nine Spirits

The entrepreneur is essentially a visualizer and actualizer. He can visualize something, and when he visualizes it he sees exactly how to make it happen. -- Robert L. Schwartz

Starting and maintaining a business is one of the most risky, yet rewarding things you can do in life.  There's no one I admire more than an entrepreneur passionate about their product, whatever it may be.  When I spoke with Jason Rotta, Chief Marketing Officer at Cloud Nine Spirits, I couldn't help but to feel his enthusiasm about the launch of Cloud Nine Spirits' radiate through the phone.  While he is not the founder, Jason has been working with Cloud Nine Spirits almost since inception. We discussed how and why Cloud Nine was created, and its imminent product launch.

Will Drink For Travel: Hi, Jason.  Thanks for taking the time to talk with Will Drink For Travel. How did Cloud Nine get its start?

Jason R.: Cloud Nine Spirits started a year and a half ago when our CEO, Blake Belluschi, moved to Vegas. In college, we messed around with our own home brewed beer and always talked about how awesome it would be to make a living off brewing (Beer in general. Who doesn’t like beer?). Once Blake moved to Vegas, he learned that legislation had recently passed allowing distilleries to operate in Nevada. 

The laws that were replaced had not been changed since prohibition. In light of the fact that Las Vegas (Sin City) is fueled by beverage alcohol , nightlife, and gambling (Sin Industries; they go hand-in-hand), he saw this as an opportunity to start Cloud Nine Spirits and take a shot at competing with the major producers and other craft distilleries. Fast-forward a year, Blake needed help to get the venture moving faster as he could only do so much in one day. Over the next six months, he brought on the rest of the team, each one of us bringing a different expertise and focus.

WDFT: The spirits game is very competitive.  What made you guys want to start your own spirits company?

Jason R.: We are pursuing the distillery for a couple reasons. Numero uno, we all share a common goal, which is we all want to work for ourselves. We don’t see ourselves working behind a desk all day as all of us are more hands-on and active (nothing is more rewarding than a hard day's’ work, especially making spirits); we don’t mind getting our hands dirty so long as we are having a good time doing it.

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WDFT: Working with friends can be tough. How have you guys overcome that?

Jason R.: Some say that it isn’t a good idea to go into business with friends because you run the risk of ruining friendships due to difficult business decisions. However, we don’t see this as an issue because we share similar mindsets, respect each other, and understand that work needs to be put in to make this a success. We know that there will be sometimes that call for us to put our friendships aside and work as business partners; however, this is something we are prepared to do. As long as there is a cold drink to be consumed after the business decisions are made, we will remain friends, and remain happy.

WDFT: So when can we expect to see the product on the shelf? 

Jason R.: Our flagship product, DEITY Vodka, is an organic, non-GMO, and Gluten-Free, ultra-premium vodka. Our goal is to have the product on shelves between January and March of 2016. Production of our other products will depend on how well DEITY performs. Our goal is to begin production of Seven Sands Gin in 2017 (Earlier if things go well), followed by Area 51 Agave Spirit in 2018 and High and Dry Whiskey in 2019. All of our products will be organic, and non-GMO; Gluten-free where possible.

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WDFT: What's in the future for Cloud Nine Spirits?

Jason R.: Our plan is to start off big enough so that we can easily achieve our production numbers, meet sales, and keep our distributor happy. Essentially, we aim to compete with the macro spirits producers on a micro level, i.e. Las Vegas. The ability to personally connect with a brand of vodka, gin, or whiskey, because it is made locally, is something that we want to show consumers is possible. Additionally, the quality of spirits that craft distilleries can produce is limitless; with plenty of room left for creativity and innovation. All of which Cloud Nine Spirits hopes to bring to the Las Vegas Valley (and beyond). 

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I love supporting small businesses and look forward to seeing Deity on a shelf near me soon! Check out more about their products here. Cheers!