The Washington Post Launches "The $20 Diner" Column

The Washington Post will go head to head with Washingtonian's Cheap Eats and other advocates for affordable dining with the debut of a new column from Tim Carman. The Weekend Section has launched "The $20 Diner," where Carman vows to highlight lesser-known restaurants where a person can dine grab dinner for $20 or less, not including alcohol. From his "manifesto" introduction:

Look, I like being pampered as much as the next Washingtonian who drops $100 on dinner and expects two hours of exquisite cooking and tableside fawning to readjust his attitude, sort of the fully clothed equivalent of flotation therapy. But this is therapy that few of us can afford on a regular basis, at least not without a generous expense account or access to our parents' credit cards

In his introduction, Carman disputes the notion that fine dining is dead (look at Minibar, after all) but acknowledges that such restaurants only appeal to a small percentage of the population. The new column, he says, will focus on places that lack a publicist and don't get a lot of media attention, and feature chefs with "inherent knowledge" of how a dish should be spiced. First up: Swahili Village Restaurant and Bar, a place Carman says he can't imagine "earning regular mentions on Eater.com." Well, here's Mention #1.

· The $20 Diner Manifesto [WaPo]
· Swahili Village Restaurant [WaPo]

[Photo: Swahili Village Blog]