Spotlight: U Street Girl

Catherine moved to U Street over 3 years ago, not knowing much about U Street other than Ben's Chili Bowl and the 9:30 club, because her roommate really loved the neighborhood. An English/Journalism major and professional writer, she came to blogging after getting laid off. Now she uses her extensive knowledge of the U Street neighborhood, writing and reporting skills, and love of food, culture, and nightlife to report on the need-to-know stories on U Street.  I'm a big fan!!



Tell us about your blog.

U Street Girl covers all the happenings in the U Street area: epicurean, social, culture, and lifestyle-related. I also feature the history of the neighborhood, occasional travel stories, and some of my favorite recipes from my kitchen.

How did you get into blogging?

I quickly realized that the Washington Post wasn't going to report on what I wanted to read about my neighborhood. While there are a lot of local blogs that cover U street, none focused on the neighborhood solely. Being a resident of the neighborhood with a need for a creative outlet, I started the blog. I also want to serve the U Street neighborhood and let everyone know what's going on here.

Favorite ingredient?
This is a hard question, I'm tempted to say something decadent like truffle oil, but the answer probably is anything super fresh from the 14/U farmer's market. Love the donut peaches I got last weekend.

How would you describe DC Cuisine?
Eclectic, inventive. It's funny that DC has the reputation that it is a trend-follower when it comes to food, but we're really breaking ground on craft beer front - places like Birch&Barley/Churchkey are so exciting.

What is your favorite blog post and why?

I'm really proud of the post I wrote about removing a comment from my blog. I'm glad I was able to stand up to someone who was trying to intimidate me with legal action. And I'm grateful for all of the support I received after I posted it. On the lighter side, I've really enjoyed writing about the history of the U Street neighborhoodin the Looking Back features I've done.

How long have you lived in DC and how did you end up here?
I've been in DC for over 7 years now. I went to college at GW, though I'm not sure I'd count my time at college as living in DC - I really began to love and appreciate the city once I moved to U street over 3 years ago.

What is your favorite local restaurant and why?
I can't choose one..In the U street area, I really love Dickson Wine, Bar Pilar, and Cork. I'm a fan of small plates and wine, and each of these places does those well. I'm really excited to check out the brand new Estadio too. Outside of the neighborhood I really like Proof, Corduroy, and Rasika.

What are your most exciting challenges right now?
I had this great tomato "sushi" dish in Charlottesville that I'm working to recreate - smoked tomato as the "raw fish," creamy creamy mozzarella as the "rice," and a balsamic reduction as the "soy sauce." Sounds so simple but it's been tough!

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