I’ve written year-end dining recaps in the past. They included highlights from my favorite restaurants, reflections on dining trends, and what I was excited for in the coming year. 2023 is far more complicated for me to sum up. Cancer put a wicked spin on my life. It wreaked havoc on my sanity and affected my family and close friends in ways in which I’m probably not fully aware. My leukemia diagnosis in mid-February required a month-long hospitalization, a bone marrow transplant in August, and regular (at times daily) visits to the outpatient clinic at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer C ..read more

I LOVE chicken wings. They can be fiery Buffalo, sweet and sticky, fried and crispy, grilled, or dry rubbed and smoked. Wings are a blank slate, unique in the way they absorb flavor to represent a specific cuisine or a creative mix of spices, sauce, and technique. While some wing enthusiasts have strong preferences for flats or drummies, I am agnostic. My favorite wings require a pile of napkins to soak up most of the juicy goodness, although stains on my clothing prove that I’ve attained the highest level of satisfaction.  A visit to St. James Modern Caribbean on 14th Street, NW fulfills ..read more

Unconventional Diner and L'Ardente: two restaurants helmed by gifted chef David Deshaies.    The post Unconventional Diner and L’Ardente: Word appeared first on Been There Eaten That. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more ..read more

Pickled tongue, brisket, kasha varnishkes, borscht, cucumber salad, and Vernor’s Ginger Ale.  I can still picture my Eastern European grandmother toiling away in her small Detroit kitchen as my... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more ..read more

Pickled tongue, brisket, kasha varnishkes, borscht, cucumber salad, and Vernor’s Ginger Ale.  I can still picture my Eastern European grandmother toiling away in her small Detroit kitchen as my... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more ..read more

Consider the crane. It is a beautiful, long-legged, long-necked bird that carries with it symbolism that varies according to culture.  In Japan, the crane or tsuru, is a national treasure. They... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more ..read more

Consider the crane. It is a beautiful, long-legged, long-necked bird that carries with it symbolism that varies according to culture.  In Japan, the crane or tsuru, is a national treasure. They... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more ..read more

I recently reunited with nine friends from my teenage years. We had not been together as a group in decades.  Any trepidation about how life experiences and time would affect our... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more ..read more

There is a Japanese proverb- Fall seven times and stand up eight. It is a timely sentiment about resilience and perseverance, even when failure seems inevitable. I recently suffered a foot injury as... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more ..read more

Been There, Eaten That turns eleven years old this month.  Emphasis is on the word “old.”  I’m feeling it people. Aging comes with inevitable memory loss. Do I walk into a room to retrieve something... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more ..read more