Food (Section) Fight!: Week 31

Food (Section) Fight! is my weekly look at The Washington Post's Food section and The New York Times' Dining section with my verdict on which section had the better content for the week.

New York Times
1) "You Say Tomato, We Say Bonanza," feature by Melissa Clark. Clark celebrates the quintessential summer harvest: the fresh tomato. Tomatoes are just hitting their peak now. For those of you who've still only experienced tomatoes from the grocery store, go out and get yourself a locally grown fresh tomato. They are so amazing right now and vastly superior to the anemic, tasteless variety in the produce aisle. Clark prefers them raw, as do I this time of year. She offers three great salad recipes: Cherry Tomato Caesar; Tomato, Fresh Fig and Blue Cheese Salad; and, my favorite, a Spanish take on Panzanella (Tomato Bread Salad with Chorizo and Herbs).

2) "Sipping on a Sunset, Italy in Mind," article by Jennifer Steinhauer. The Italian Aperitif Aperol is having its moment in the mixology sun. You see it on cocktail menus everywhere. Steinhauer pays homage to the spirit while offering up a few cocktail options. This afternoon, I was moved to buy a bottle of Aperol, from which I concocted a cocktail that will be among the first post-Dallas Drinks cocktails I write about.

3) "An Empire Stretches Its Dough," restaurant review by Pete Wells. Wells reviewed Nicoletta, a new East Village pizza restaurant from Chef Michael White that looks to be the start of a new chain. Wells is less than impressed, rating the restaurant "fair," although that seems generous given the number of criticisms he lobs. There is amazing pizza to be had in New York (I'm still very partial to Gramercy's Posto). There is no excuse for something that sounds so sub par.

4) "Should a Wine List Educate or Merely Flatter You?," the Pour wine column by Eric Asimov. Asimov asks some interesting questions in his wine column this week. He acknowledges the discomfort a diner can feel when examining a wine list that contains nothing familiar. Should a restaurant be obliged to offer some Napa Cab or, in pursuit of its vision, push the diner to try something new? He sides with the latter and makes a good argument for it.

5) "Countdown to a Summer Feast," How to Cook Everything column by Mark Bittman. Bittman whets the appetite with simple recipes for Eggplant Parmesan and Pasta with Pesto, both of which sound quite appealing with an Aperol cocktail in hand.

Washington Post
1) "In a perfect world," feature by Tim Carman. Carman creates a colorful portrait of Jamie Stachowski, purveyor of the Georgetown Stachowski's Market and Deli.

2) "In this heat, dinner should be no sweat," feature by Tony Rosenfeld. This time of year I'm thankful to living in a relatively small space that's easy to cool with air conditioning. But my kitchen can still get pretty hot, so this feature story with a bundle of no-cook recipes is just right as continue to face 90+ degree days in the D.C. August. Herbed Pita Bread Salad, for example, sounds really good.

3) "Brewed to turn heads in Washington," article by Daniel Fromson. It seems D.C. is heating up as a place for making booze. No complaint here, as I've become quite a big fan of DC Brau. As good as that is, it sounds like 3 Star Brewing is going to really push the envelope. The beer has its official launch tomorrow at Churchkey.

4) "Familiar plates, but there's an upgrade in the glass," First Bite column by Tom Sietsema. The food at the new Capitol Hill Hank's Oyster Bar sounds similar to what you'd get at the Dupont and Alexandria locations, but what's special about this new locale is the bar, Eddy Bar, presided over by Gina Chersevani. Love the picture of her carving ice from a giant ice block.

Verdict
The New York Times. Aperol, pesto, wine lists and all those gorgeous tomatoes. The Times hits a home run this week.

Score
The New York Times: 16
The Washington Post: 14