DCist Jabs Going Out Gurus Over Shake Shack Coverage

Well, it hasn't even been a week since the last round of the great DC versus New York debate, but the arrival of Shake Shack has once again reignited passions. Yesterday afternoon, the Post's Going Out Gurus checked out opening day of Shake Shack DC Invasion 2011 and declared that the chain's arrival has now put DC "on the map," explaining that all the media attention this week made it seem like this was more than just your average burger joint opening. Rather, the article says, it seemed to be "yet another example of a New Yorker bestowing his culinary stamp of approval on the DC market."

Those comparisons never go over well, and, sure enough, DCist came out with a responded shortly thereafter, writing that, "Whether or not you agree with DC's status in the tiers of the food world, it is insulting to view Shake Shack's arrival as culinary 'validation.' There are Shake Shack locations in Miami, Saratoga Springs, Dubai and Kuwait. But, obviously, the culinary stamp of approval is so much better in New York." DCist goes on to argue that DC is one of the most economically viable cities in which to open up a new restaurant: "If anything, we should be talking about how attractive the D.C. market is, and how absurd it is that it took Meyer and others to open other restaurateurs' eyes."

But this one doesn't seem to be a full-fledged fight — a later tweet from the Gurus seems to indicate that they don't really believe a burger joint can put a city on the map. Truce?

· Shake Shack Finally Puts DC On The Map [WaPo]
· Going Out Gurus: Shake Shack Puts DC 'On The Map' [DCist]
· All Shake Shack Coverage [-EDC-]

[R. Lopez, 5/17]