Sam Molavi IN at Ripple; Construction Progresses at The Passenger

TREND WATCH— Smithsonian dives into invasive species as menu items, looking at the trend nationally. Thip Khao gets a shout-out (they're not alone). [SM]

CLEVELAND PARK— Ripple has a new chef de cuisine. Sam Molavi has taken on the role. The chef previously was a sous chef there, and most recently ran the kitchen at Compass Rose in D.C. His role at Ripple is a new position. [EaterWire]

SHAW— Looks like construction is moving along over at The Passenger's new headquarters:

If all goes well, you'll be peeing in those pipes in 8 weeks! pic.twitter.com/3dbfI3NX95

— The Passenger (@PassengerDC) February 10, 2016