‘A Taste of America’ Votes Coming In Fast and Furious

Forget about what may or may not be happening on the floor.

The real action (at least this week) has been happening in cyberspace, as pols and food lovers put on their lobbying hats to help shepherd treasured goodies through CQ Roll Call’s month-long “A Taste of America” food fight.

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The contest, which will whittle 64 signature eats to eight contenders over the next several weeks, is already shaping up to be a doozy. The winner will be revealed June 13 at a reception during the 52nd Annual CQ Roll Call Congressional Baseball Game.

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Tom Colicchio: ‘Just Say No’ to Farm Bill

“Top Chef” judge and anti-hunger advocate Tom Colicchio has some choice words for members of Congress when it comes to the farm bill: “Just say no.”

Colicchio said he thinks the status quo is better than making deep cuts to hunger programs. (Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call)

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David Schweikert’s Not-So-Sweet Life

Rep. David Schweikert was having a rough go of it Wednesday night — a side effect of going cold turkey on excess sugar:

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The Arizona Republican admitted to HOH that he’s got a bit of a sweet tooth. Full story

Eva Longoria: Could She Be Here for the Food?

Actress Eva Longoria made one of her not-infrequent stops in Washington on Wednesday to testify on Capitol Hill, and she told HOH there’s a good reason to come to D.C. other than for political/policy reasons or the cherry blossoms.

“I’m a big foodie,” she told HOH, saying Washington’s burgeoning restaurant scene is home to some great eats.

Longoria has a lot of reasons to visit Washington. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

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Why Everyone Is Sweet on Scott Rigell

When last we checked in on Rep. Scott Rigell, the Virginia Republican was busy propping up various fast-food franchises stretched between Capitol Hill and Hampton Roads, Va.

With his travel diet now well-documented, HOH went digging closer to home — probing his staff for more information about the fabled dessert made by Rigell’s wife, Teri: lemon pound cake.

While our initial investigation focused on the family recipe (more on that in a moment), we soon discovered that the cult of Teri’s baking extends far beyond Rigell’s office in Cannon. Full story

What’s Eating Jason Chaffetz?

Rep. Jason Chaffetz suffered a rude awakening Sunday, when his lunch plans were foiled by a pair of tightly shuttered doors.

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“I’d been dreaming of my We, The Pizza slice of buffalo chicken pizza and dessert of choice, fries from Good Stuff,” the Utah Republican told HOH.

Although he makes his way to cheflebrity Spike Mendelsohn’s burgertorium with some regularity — “Nightly is the goal,” Chaffetz said — the House member had never wandered by on a Sunday, the only day of the week the burgeoning chainlet does not crank out any comestibles.

His next stop? Five Guys, where Chaffetz found himself staring down a well-appointed bacon cheese dog. Full story

Derby Day Addendum

We here at HOH consider our editorial mission to be, partially, one of public service. And what better way to convey that than to give our loyal readers a few ideas for how to spend the upcoming weekend.

Start it off right Friday afternoon with the grand opening of Hill Country’s Backyard Barbecue pop-up at the National Building Museum. Starting at 4 p.m. on the west lawn of the museum at Fifth Street Northwest between F and G streets, the HC crowd will serve up smoked meat, beer and tunes.  Full story

Franken Releases Hotdish Cookbook

If you missed the Minnesota congressional delegation’s annual “Hotdish Cook Off” last month, now you can try some of the recipes at home.

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., released a full-color cookbook of recipes from the 2013 hotdish contest Friday. Hotdish casseroles are a Minnesota tradition. HOH covered the contest, including reactions from some staffers to the abundance of calories.

The recipes include the contest winner, “Hermann the German Hotdish” from Democratic Rep. Tim Walz. Walz’s dish features brats, beer and tater tots.

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Artichoke Week Proceeds Apace

Count HOH among the skeptical about how delicious an artichoke-based or artichoke-inspired cocktail could be.

But we have to hand it to the folks at Boundary Road (414 H St. NE). They can mix it with the best of them.

The Cynar Spritzer is a cocktail of Cynar, maraschino and grapefruit. (Jason Dick/CQ Roll Call)

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Mini-Golf Returning to National Building Museum, With Barbecue

The National Building Museum is bringing back one of its most popular exhibits, air-conditioned mini-golf courses, from Memorial Day, May 27, to Labor Day, Sept. 2. And it’s bringing along some smoked meat and beer.

This year, the exhibit has been expanded to two nine-hole courses and will again be designed by leading architects. This year’s theme will be “Building the Future” and draws inspiration from things such as green urban planning, the reality of our office space, pinball and others. Full story

Artichoke Week! Not Kidding!

Perhaps there just aren’t enough artichokes in your life.

Thankfully, HOH is here to direct you to friendly neighborhood restaurant Boundary Road (414 H St. NE), which is letting loose with Artichoke Week. Through Friday, drop by for artichoke inspired food, cocktails and wines.

And if an artichoke inspired libation isn’t enough for the artichokiphiles out there, just sample some of Boundary Road’s stock of Cynar, the artichoke liqueur. (We couldn’t make this up if we tried.)

Boundary Road will sell you Cynar, an artichoke liqueur. (Jason Dick/CQ Roll Call)

Discerning HOH readers will recall that the Boundary Road gang has kind of thing for challenging drinks. At their one-year anniversary party in February, they offered $5 shots of Becherovka, a mysterious Czech herbal liqueur.

Ted’s Makes a Break for the Burbs

Barracks Row breakfast titan Ted’s Bulletin is branching out yet again — this time, hopping across the river to give Northern Virginians a taste of what they’ve been missing.

(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The 14th Street Northwest spinoff has yet to materialize, but Team Ted’s has already signed on to export its boozy shakes and house-baked treats to Reston Town Center later this fall.

“Opening up a Ted’s in Virginia is truly a milestone for us, and we are excited to join the Reston Town Center community,” Matchbox Food Group principal partner Ty Neal said of the westward expansion. “We are so grateful for the opportunity to share Ted’s, a concept born out of the memory of my father, with a larger audience.” Full story

Remember the Maine (Reception)

(Warren Rojas/CQ Roll Call)

Maine solons Susan Collins and Angus King hung out with a few hundred of their new best friends Tuesday night at the inaugural Taste of Maine reception.

(Warren Rojas/CQ Roll Call)

The event, sponsored by the Maine Chamber of Commerce, brought together roughly two dozen Maine food and beverage professionals for a meet and greet with Capitol Hill’s most famished. (We spotted Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., slipping out with a sample cup of something tasty.) Full story

Next Black Tie Affair Goes NOLA

It’s still days before the glitterati cram into the Washington Hilton for the annual running of the bullpucky known as “Nerd Prom,” but we’re already looking forward to the next stop of the black-tie brigade: the Mardi Gras-themed Radio & Television Congressional Correspondents’ Dinner.

(Courtesy RTCA)

Radio & Television Correspondents’ Association dinner Chairman John Wallace told HOH he’s devoted the past year to planning a blowout party, scheduled for the evening of June 5 ($245 per person), that brings the best of the Big Easy to D.C.

That entailed a few things. First, shifting things from the Convention Center to the National Building Museum. The “wrap-around balconies remind me of the French Quarter,” he said. (Just watch out for the man-eating aquatic features.)

Second: hiring a cheflebrity — “Suffice to say, it’s one of the top chefs in the country,” Wallace stated, adding that the name will be revealed April  29 — to plot an authentically N’awlins dining experience. And finally, recruiting four distinct Crescent City bands, as well as “tribes” of dancing Indians, as entertainment. All this, and carving out time to crown a king and queen of the evening.

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The Maine Event

Collins and King are tentatively scheduled to be at the Taste of Maine reception Tuesday night. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Nearly two dozen hospitality vendors — including breweries, distilleries and celeb-endorsed sweets-makers — will give homesick New Englanders what they’ve been missing most during Tuesday night’s Taste of Maine reception in the Russell Senate Office Building.

The inaugural event, sponsored by the Maine Chamber of Commerce, is invite-only and is expected to be restricted to Senate staff and select media. Full story