When our dining critic, David Hagedorn, suggested we publish a cheap eats story, I was delighted. Not because it’s an original idea (a lot of sources publish their own versions of cheap eats), but because I knew he would do a terrific job with it. I was also curious to learn which restaurants and menu items he’d pick.
I am happy to report that David’s story, called “Bargain Bites” (we like to do our own thing), is terrific and provides some tasty discoveries. I assume most folks have heard of Charga Grill, courtesy of The Washington Post, but some of the other spots, like Borek-G and Café Sazon, may not be household names yet.
Two of my favorites on David’s list are Arlington Kabob and Haute Dogs. Arlington Kabob is a delicious, healthy choice when you don’t have time to cook. You can serve it to your family guilt-free and savor every bite. Equally as pleasing, but definitely not guilt-free, is Haute Dogs. To me, hot dogs evoke memories of carefree summer evenings when I was a kid—fireflies, firecrackers and flashlight tag. Slathered in yellow mustard, a grilled hot dog is delicious decadence on a lightly toasted bun.
I made the trek to Haute Dogs shortly after it opened. I ordered the Chicago Style and was immediately transported to Portillo’s in Forest Park, Illinois. (My wife, Maureen, is from Chicago.) I’m not sure why I haven’t been back, but I am planning to head over there later this week. It’s that good.
Speaking of good things … I don’t consider myself the jealous type, but when your friend has a secret bourbon room hidden behind a bookshelf in his tricked-out basement, it’s easy to feel a twinge of envy. My next thought was, “We need to write about it!” So, my buddy’s bourbon room set our editorial team on a quest to find more homes with enviable drinking spaces to share with you. Here they are, in “Drinks on the House,” by Nigel Maynard, for your reading and viewing pleasure.
My colleague Lori, who lives just a few blocks away, was lamenting the loss of big trees in our neighborhood. It’s a conversation I’ve had with other neighbors as well. She suggested we write a story about Arlington’s tree canopy and tree loss, so we did. “Putting Down Roots,” by Kim O’Connell, looks at how our community stacks up, tree-wise, compared to our neighbors. It also examines some of the challenges of maintaining trees in an urban environment, and what you can do to help.
I hope you enjoy our May/June Food & Drink issue. If you are in the habit of reading the magazine at your doctor’s or dentist’s office (or another public place), please consider subscribing. You can sign up at ArlingtonMagazine.com for just $19.95. You also might see a card in this issue or receive an email from us that offers an even better rate. Either way, it’s a tiny amount of money for excellent content that’s dedicated to covering your community. I hope you will subscribe.
We also want to hear from you. Please email me at greg.hamilton@arlingtonmagazine.com with ideas and questions. Letters to the editor should be sent to jenny.sullivan@arlingtonmagazine.com. Enjoy the rest of your spring!
Greg Hamilton, Publisher