What's so incredible? Why is she so awesome? How does she do it?

I know, I know, there was a time in my life when reading was reserved specifically for homework and transatlantic flights and I lied to everyone about not only what, but how often I read. Eventually I came to my senses and began to actually enjoy nonfiction. It turns out reading stuff you care about is infinitely better than reading about Essentialism or Postclassical film critiques. And that’s when I discovered I had totally wasted my academic career.

It wasn’t just the way the library suddenly became the professor of How to Do Anything You Want 101, although seriously, does no one else see the public library as a real life Narnia? It was the sinking realisation that I could have done way less work, had way more free time, and still been an amazing student. I could have worked on grand projects I was deeply invested in. I could have taken advantage of all the opportunities availible to me. I could have been awesome. Easily. Instead I spent a lot of time being mediocre and watching Adult Swim. While the crash course in American pop culture wasn’t a total waste, there’s no denying I could have done it way better if only I had known.

Except that’s not true, because I did know, or I could have figured it out after a minute of googling. I’m not interested in consoling away lingering feelings of failure, I want to know what really kept me from kicking ass back then because it’s undoubtedly the same thing keeping me from reaching my potential now. As tempting as it is to chalk my mediocrity up to a lack of knowledge or immaturity, you and I both know that we haven’t changed that much. I could have done better then and I can do better now.

I find myself saying the same thing about my career choices. I say the same thing about decisions in my personal life. I say the same thing when I find out that new years resolution I made last year, I actually made three years ago and let slide by for 1,116 days without progress (totally unrelated: I might have a slight addiction to tracking personal data). Years of obsessing over my perfect future and chasing after resolutions via web sites, complicated timetables, moleskines, and spreadsheets have disarmed my denial and left me with some pretty hard-to-swallow facts.

In fact, I didn’t learn much in college. Even more disappointing, I didn’t really try. I spent years of my life trying to unravel the mystery of my disappointment: was it the city? The fact that I didn’t find my tribe? The weather? The cost of living? The food? The timing? I’m always searching for an explanation. I’m wondering why I can never see that invisible wall holding me back. Present-day me is appalled. Obviously it was none of those things. It was me. I got in my own damn way.

My mate calls it “Leigh Cooper syndrome,” the state of being wherein you’re permanently convinced going somewhere else would solve your problems. Maybe she’s on to something. Sure I like jet-setting all over the world and knowing I can start anew anywhere, but I also spend more time looking forward to the future than I do paying attention to the present. Worse still, when I finally do pay attention, I find I’m still heaping blame upon stuff that has no bearing whatsoever. It’s the city! The weather! The roommate! The boyfriend! The mailman! I can still easily talk myself into moving to a new place, convinced it will be different. You’d think I’d have figured the ruse by now.

Then again, it isn’t exactly a ruse. Every time I zig and zag geographically it’s awesome. I spend my time doing something new. I find different people. I develop favourite cafes and restaurants. I fall in love with new countries. I go on unforgettable adventures. I develop new interests. I become a little less ignorant each time I move. I spend too much time in parks. I agonise over picking a hypothetical neighbourhood to purchase future property in. I adore it. What can I say, I’m a dreamer. Even though I am 100% aware that my problems don’t change the same way time zones do, months pass and I get itchy feet again. I think about how awesome it will be when I change everything — my job, my zip code, my “personal brand” — and wipe the less glossy moments of my life on the remains of whatever city or situation I am leaving behind. And that new place? Of course I don’t imagine fighting with my boss in it or being bored on laundry day. So naturally when I fight with my boss and have no clean underwear I feel like a roving goldilocks in search of the perfect fit. This one’s too quiet. This one too small. Why can’t this work out juuuuuuust right? Where is my perfect fit? Why can’t I find it?

Because the best version of my life is not going to just spontaneously come together like that. This is the same reason university was boring. A dull subject or a bad professor can only bear so much of the blame. No matter how killer your education was (and mine was pretty unbelievable), the one skill I needed to learn was how to take responsibility for my own learning. No one else is going to do it for you. No one is pushing me. If I want those things, things like fulfillment, growth, a stellar career, a tribe of kindred spirits, a life seriously lived, it’s on me. It’s my job.

All through university I was waiting for these things to magically fall into place, and when they didn’t, I would seek out elaborate explanations. I loved the illusion of fellow compatriots who would help me shoulder the responsibility of my own happiness instead of facing it head on, alone, like everyone must. But when taking out the trash is your duty and your apartment smells like garbage, well, you’ve no one to blame but yourself. That’s why it’s easier to fight with your roommate about recycling than it is to actually recycle. Rather than blaming the true culprit, myself, for any unhappiness that came up, instead I whined and moaned about dull subjects and bad professors and the city and the weather and and recycling and anything that would prevent me from having to feel the crushing weight of real responsibility.

With much embarrassment I admit University was the time to learn my lesson, and when I didn’t, “responsibility for my own learning” became “responsibility for my own life.” Even after graduation I was still waiting for something else to swoop in scoop up the job. For once, figuring out what you want is the easy part. Figuring out how to get it is pretty easy too; it’s applying the knowledge that’s so tricky. I knew what I should have done, but I didn’t even attempt to do it.

As enraged as I am that this whole time I didn’t have to wait, that I could have been kicking ass years ago, the truth is, you learn your lessons when you learn them. Can’t rush it. It took me as long as it took me to figure out I can be hands off and let the big life decisions be made for me all I want, but even when I let someone else take the wheel, the responsibility for the outcome still has my name tattooed all over it’s backside. So now, I’m staring it down like I should have long ago. It’s time. My life is amazing, and I want more. I want more fulfillment. I want a dreamier job. I want to keep improving my Korean. And hells yeah I still want a six pack. Knowing is the easy part. No one else can help get them. It’s on me. And that’s both the most terrifying and the most empowering thing I ever learned.

I am thrilled that libraries exist, expanding my life goal list to unreasonable lengths, but the advice of experts and the how-to hypotheses can only take you so far. If I want to step it up, I’m going to have to do things a little differently. Right now, that means amputating my many flailing attempts to “figure it out.” It means doing more than I talk about doing. It almost certainly means shutting up for a while. It means feeling lost and scared witless but moving forward anyway. So this is me, moving forward. Taking responsibility. Stepping up. Wish me luck!

Hey kiddo,

Here’s the thing.

You are infinite and everything is perfect. I’m from the future, so I know these things. I know it all shakes out brilliantly. I know you cleaned up nice. And guess, what? Everything is perfect here in the present too. I know all this, but still…

I wonder.

I wonder about the law of the ugly green chair and that ridiculous 100 things binge you went on that nearly made you give up socks. I wonder what filled the empty space you created. Was it as wonderful as you imagined? I wonder where you’re living. Are you the vagabond you always dreamed you’d be? Did you finally take Leo’s advice and do one thing at a time? But sometimes in all the wondering you and I tend to do, we forget.

Don’t forget.

Don’t forget that what you care about hasn’t really changed since you were six. Don’t forget to stop and drink wine with friends. Don’t forget no one really cares when or how or if you sleep. Don’t forget everything you could ever be or want you already are and have. You know what really matters.

No kow-towing required. Keep marching to your own beat.

Four years ago, I spent most of my free time figuring out how to land better gigs. Now that I’ve got gigs I like, these days I’m working on how to keep my clients happy. I’ve come a long way. Back then, I was totally afraid to say no, even when it was in the client’s best interest. I thought dressing appropriately was important (do good work and no one cares). Most dangerously of all, I thought all you had to do to land the job was be the best. Just be the best at what you do and the work will come. I couldn’t have been more wrong. For starters, after you reach a certain level, there are plenty of people as capable as you are, and simply being the best isn’t good enough. You need more. You need to be pleasant to be around. You need to bring out the best in the people you work with. You need to market yourself properly. That’s what being the best really entails.

Now whenever I work with someone who does just that, I ask them what they think the most important part of the job is. I ask them if they have trouble finding work (they never do). I ask the their other clients why they like working with them so much. Although film gigs are a specific kind of beast, what I learned on set helped me keep my web design clients happy. And you know what? Whether you’re after landing better gigs, turning them into long-term gigs, or getting more client referrals, building any of that good mojo requires the same things.

Shut the hell up.
Stop bragging and get to work. Seriously, no one cares who you got to hang backstage with or what car you got to drive. The guys who sit around in pissing contests are too busy name dropping which films they’ve worked on to actually get anything done. The really accomplished people never talk about it. They’re too busy accomplishing more stuff. If you’re really so competitive you can’t shut the hell up, at least compete about what you’re doing not what you’ve done. Everyone on set likes a good bet going, so challenge people to see who can work harder. Who can get the DP to learn their full name. Who gets called back first. Who makes fewer trips to the grip truck. When you shut up and pay attention, you start to anticipate what other people need, and every field needs people who pay attention more than people who talk a lot.

Laugh instead of complain.
You work in film, buddy. Of course you don’t have all the stuff you need. Of course the project’s behind. Of course that thing is broken. The situation is always less than ideal. As my buddy Joe likes to say, “Creativity is not the absence of limitations, but their presence.” Expect it, get over it, and when the going gets tough, crack a joke and keep everyone in good spirits. Complaining will get you nowhere but the bottom of the morale barrel. So laugh instead. Your boss will appreciate it.

Don’t be a hero.
Don’t try to carry all the four by fours in one go. Don’t try to set up those C-stands at lightning speed. Don’t try to cut corners on your render. The deadline may be looming, but take a breath and do it properly. The risk of damaging equipment, wasting hours on a silly oversight, or injuring other crew members is too great. If you can’t move that amp by yourself, say so. If you need to borrow someone’s gloves, say so. Don’t try to be a hero, just try to be helpful.

Help without discrimination.
You’ve taken care of your own business but you don’t get to check out yet. It doesn’t matter which unit you’re in. If you see something you can help with, then help with it. Newbies seem to let the fear of stepping on somebody’s toes stop them from lending an often much needed hand. Don’t discriminate against who you can help, just help when and how you can. I’m all about a healthy break now and again, but you are here to work. The more you help, the more you’ll get called back.

Trust other people will do their job.
Give your colleagues the benefit of the doubt. They were hired to do their job, so trust that they will get it done. A team ceases to function the moment you stop trusting other members, and every crew is a team. You’ve got to hold people to their word, and you just might be surprised how many will step to the plate. Every once in a while, you’ll come across that guy whose job you really could do better, but by and large that guy is rare. It’s better to trust others will get it done and occasionally be proven wrong than the other way round.

Specialise, specialise, specialise
In Hollywood there are people who do nothing but run the teleprompter. There are teamsters that make a living as set drivers. The industry is big enough to support ultra-specialised technicians. It’s tempting to look at the small indie film world and think you have to be a jack of all trades. Knowing a little bit about everything is only helpful when it informs what you do. So pick something and master it. Get into the gritty and know as much as you possibly can about it. Spend more time on it than the next guy. Drill down and really specialise in something. Film is collaborative, so you won’t be able to do everything yourself anyway. Be good, really maddeningly good, so good they can’t ignore you good, at your thing. So when someone asks, who’s that? Everyone will know. You’re the awesome sound guy. You’re the camera op who does killer docs. You’re the compositing genius. The PM who will save you 50k.

See it through.
If you say you’ll be there at eight, be there at eight. If there’s a set, you’ll need to strike it. See the thing through and you’ll garner a great reputation. I have two drummer friends: Travis and J.R. J.R. is not as talented as Travis but he gets way more gigs. Travis spends a lot of time whining about how hard it is to get drumming gigs. J.R. on the other hand, is gainfully employed because he shows up when he says he will ready to play. He gives back tracks on time. He always brings his own mics just in case. He stays late when the album needs finishing. It doesn’t matter that Travis is a drummer savant, producers and professional musicians would rather work with J.R. So would I.

Remember whose project this is.
Is this your project? If you’re head honcho, then you’re allowed to tell people how to do their job. Otherwise, you will have to defer to the big boss man. I believe in lending your professional opinion and expertise, but at the end of the day, it’s not about what you want or how you’d do this, it’s about what the client wants. They need to be happy with the product, not you. This is the hardest part of the job, because oftentimes the big boss man doesn’t know what he’s doing and the client doesn’t know what she wants. It’s your job to figure out what they actually want and then deliver it. Never forget this, and you’ll find it a lot easier to say “sure thing!” with a smile.

Be grateful for the work.
You’re working with people, remember? Treat them like people. Be polite. Be considerate. Thank them for their time. Apologise for the inconvenience. Ask if it’s alright. Watch the corners when you’re carrying stuff. Shower before you come to work. Check your shoes for gunk. Tell others when they’re doing a good job. Express your gratitude. Being a little bit human goes a long way, so make the effort to be civil. When others are petty or snippy, meet them with kindness. Remember that being hired is a gesture that deserves some thanks. Never take the gig for granted and you’ll bring your best self to work.

I have a slight obsession with Korean food. Ever since I fell in love with the jjajangmyun joint next to the KCCLA in Los Angeles have I harboured a special compartment in my heart for the stuff. That tender spot was made ever more permanent by the restaurant’s 47″ flat screen televisions, all of which played K-Dramas. I went religiously for a weekly appointment with sticky black noodles and My Lovely Sam Soon. Hey now, you didn’t think I became an Asian-phile by accident, did you?

I like to think I manage my obsession in healthy ways. I’m an avid food blogger, a manic noodle reviewer, and one of those obnoxious people who photographs everything they eat so you know I’m serious about all the gastronomic delights the internet offers. Entrenched as I am, I still have a hard time finding good resources on Korean cooking.

Oh there are some good cookbooks, some translated into English some written by the proud children of immigrants. There are some awesome Korean ladies making thorough cooking demos online. There are amazing appreciation sites out there, my favourite even run by South Korea’s Tourism Organization. They’re wonderful resources, but that doesn’t change the fact that all my friends are afraid to cook Korean food.

Some of them are even afraid to try Korean food. Part of me died inside when I found out.

Self, I thought, This has to change. So on aforementioned appreciation site, KoreaTaste.org, I’ve started making some videos that (hopefully) demonstrate how easy Korean food is to cook. I’m making these videos for you, guy who only owns one pot and is afraid of spices. I’m making them for you, lady who’s sick of Thursday night meatloaf every week. For you, person trying to eat healthier, and for you, student on a budget. I encourage everyone seek out more authentic Korean food and Korean recipes, but the truth is, Korean food doesn’t have to be something you gear up for or something requiring a special shopping trip. It’s an everyday cuisine, so with a few adaptations, hopefully these videos will help Korean food find its way into your home.

I know it’s a regular staple in mine. Last night I made soondubu jjigae with the leftovers in my fridge and ate it as I got hooked on yet another drama, this time First Shop of the Coffee Prince. Full recipe information for the video can be found here and I’d appreciate your comments. Give it a big thumbs up if you like what you see!

The changes to my vlog aren’t the only big changes afoot. You might have noticed unlikelysquiggle.com has had a few tweaks and upgrades here and there. I’ve highlighted them below.

Strangeland is mobile.
My regular travelogue, called Strangeland, is coming up on its one year anniversary and it’s time to take it up a notch. To up the ante, it’s now going to be entirely shot, edited, and uploaded using my iPhone. I mean entirely: original music (yikes!), editing, text overlays, and all. Of course, the travel vlogs aren’t the only videos I make, so I thought it only fair to tell you when I’ve had to shoot on something more powerful or take the footage onto my computer (usually to colour correct or clean up audio). I’ve created an icon system outlined above to let you know.

The Newsletter is public
I’ve been publishing a monthly newsletter for a few years now, but it was buried pretty deeply in the site. Now I’ve migrated it over to a different email provider and given it a more prominent position on the site. So tell your friends and tell your family! Everyone is welcome to sign up on this page.

Up for Dessert
I spend a lot of time writing about food, enough time to run an entirely separate blog. Which is exactly what I’ve done. My mate Mae and I both spend an inordinate amount of time agreeing on all things gastronomical. After the in-depth discussion of VitaMix transpired during our last phone conversation, we decided it was high time to take our recipe swapping out of our kitchens and onto the internet. We’ve created a foodblog called Up for Dessert. All the food-related content you used to find here — pictures of what’s on my plate, reviews of delicious noodles, and the occasional chronicle from my vegetable garden — will now have a new home over at upfordessert.tumblr.com. You should follow us there to hear about our food adventures, the importance of sustainability, and the supreme deliciousness of ripe avocados.

What happened to the “blog” section?
Technically nothing. All the content that was available on unlikelysquiggle.com is still available for free. I’ll still be writing about anything and everything that tickles my fancy. If you look at my last 100 posts, an overwhelming majority of them have video components. Calling it a “blog” doesn’t do what I post justice. I’ve simply changed the label to something more fitting: a vlog.

Work/Life Balance
When I first started unlikelysquiggle.com, I purposefully avoided writing about my professional projects. That doesn’t really make sense anymore. After all, the film community is rather tight-knit, so why not spread the love and share what I’m up to? Expect to see more clips from my paid gigs, launch announcements, and demo reels alongside all the silly stuff I post for fun.

What is it about November that always ends up being travel-filled? Not that I’m complaining; it’s totally my favourite month. Posted on 18 September 2010 by Leigh on Twitter.

November is my favourite month. Last November I was off galavanting around the country for 21 days out of the month. It was epic, to say the least. If my Dopplr account is any indication, this November isn’t going to be much different. In fact, I don’t think I’ve had a slow November in quite a few years.

In 2010, I’ll be taking two road trips and two bus trips, I’ll wind up sleeping on couches, hotel beds, and sleeping bags, and I’ll have repacking down to a science. I’ll be shipping three products within four days of each other and hopefully keeping up with my blog and vlogs to boot. I’ll be rushing around trying to finish up my remaining 2010 Resolutions (gotta get re-certified in CPR, among others). Despite all the madness, I find November to be a month of introspection and gratitude, which also makes it a time to stop enjoy what you’re doing. It seems like a contradiction, but November is my favourite month both because it’s so busy and because it’s so calm.

Thanksgiving is part of the picture. Unsurprisingly, it is my favourite American holiday. It’s a whole day dedicated to food, for starters. It’s also one of the few holidays where nothing is required. No gifts or cocktail parties to navigate, just the time to think about what you’ve got and to tell the people you love how grateful you are to have them in your life. It’s a historical holiday too, and now that I live in DC I feel a whole different connection with the country’s history. The colonists certainly didn’t do well by the natives, but I at least will be thinking of them and thanking their ancestors before it’s time to chow down.

Generally November exhibits the kind of balance I strive for: work hard, but play hard too. As much time as you spend out in the world exploring, spend the same at home with your friends and family. Make and do and think and take time to just be. Live to the fullest this November and maybe it’ll become your favouritr month too.

This is news to me.

I was hungry, and it was 5:30 in the morning. So I looked into my coin jar, pulled out five quarters and headed to the minimart across from my apartment complex to buy a snack. Something meal-like but hopefully not terrible. I figured I’d kill about fifteen minutes deciding what to buy.

As it turns out, you can’t by anything with five quarters. I don’t mean the pickings were slim, I mean exactly what i said: you can’t buy anything.

I go down to the minimart from time to time when I’m up late, sometimes just to get out of the house, sometimes to satisfy an instant noodle craving, sometimes because nothing else is open. Maybe I’m going to the wrong convenience store but I was floored that there wasn’t a single thing I could buy with my five quarters.

Not macaroni and cheese. Not cup of noodles. Not an ice cream cone. Not a sandwich. Not a candy bar. Not a piece of pizza. Not a granola bar. Not a bag of pretzels. Not chewing gum. Not a pack of cigarettes. Not even a can of soda or a cup of coffee. Not even a hard, green banana. Nothing in that store totaled under $1.25 with tax.

Uh… what?

I used to think it was just vegetarians and vegans that had a hard time finding food we could eat when convenience called. I was so utterly wrong. Apparently omnivores can’t either because not even spam costs less than $1.25. This is a deeply disturbing discovery. Sure dads today must give their kids two dollars for a snack instead of the one our dads gave us, but that’s not the bit that bothers me. I’m bothered because there was only option left: McDonald’s Dollar Menu.

Call me crazy, but a hamburger — a whole patty of meat, two pieces of bread, and condiments — must cost more than a banana. It has to. Even if it’s just a plastic and corn model of a hamburger, logically it should cost more than a banana. Look at the raw ingredients. And yet, I couldn’t afford a slurpee at the 7eleven but I could afford a hamburger in ten minutes when the fast food joint next door opened.

There is something seriously wrong with this picture. It goes back to that whole real price of food rant I gave a while ago. I get it now, I understand why you’ve got no options when you’re from a low SES bracket. I get it. If I lived next to a 24 hour grocery store, the story might be different. But it might not. My options were already pretty limited at that hour but the choice is overwhelmingly one-sided. It’s math I’m not sure I really understand.

I went home hungry and scrounged up enough ingredients for half a cheese sandwich instead.

1. Automatic Backups. The OS has an automatic backup utility built into it called Time Machine and it’s pretty slick. Always protected, all the time.

2. Easy data management. If you pay the mac store reps $89 they’ll migrate all your info over from your old computer to your new one. Once you go mac, you can use the built-in Migration Assistant to move your info from your old mac to the new one with the click of a button.

3. Macs require no maintenance. They don’t get viruses, they don’t require defragmenting, they don’t need security software, and every utility you need is already included in the software. The only thing you’ll need to buy is Microsoft Office. The OS doesn’t come with stupid trial software (called bloatware) and you’ll never have to reinstall your OS. No bluescreen of death, ever. They’re just a hell of a lot more stable and secure in general.

4. All the compatibility issues of yesteryear are no longer issues. Macs can read any PC-formatted drive, they can read any open file format (.doc, .xls, .pdf, anything you can think of). PCs on the other hand, can’t read mac-formatted drives. And if you really really needed to, the new macs are intel based, so you could install windows on your computer as a dual-boot (but really, why would you? OS X is so much better!). The mac store reps call it Boot Camp.

5. These puppies are wicked fast. Scary fast. Snow Leopard, the OS is lightweight and the machines are so locktight. When you buy Apple, you’re buying a brand, yes, but you’re also buying a format. So everything Apple makes is custom built to work with everything else Apple makes. PCs are cobbled together by competing manufacturers and so you get driver problems and hardware incompatibility issues, but because Apple makes every component in their computers, it all works seamlessly inside that little silver case. This means it will all work seamlessly with your iPod too.

6. They last forever. I had a roommate that had her mac laptop STRUCK BY LIGHTNING and it still ran for four years. Mine is going on six years old and it still runs great. It just couldn’t keep up with the demands of HD video playback, a notoriously resource intensive codec and for work, I really need to be able to edit HD in real-time, without waiting around for stuff to render. I’ve converted my old mac into an entertainment system. I got a free OS upgrade, a free battery replacement, and lots of patient genius representatives that spent a good two hours trying to figure out why my USB bus suddenly stopped providing enough power to spin a 7200rpm drive (they fixed it, by the by).

7. Freebies. The Apple summer deal is going on, so if you buy this month or next you’ll get a lot of freebies. A free printer, a free iPod Touch, a rebate on MS Office, they do a lot of summer deals at the apple store and god damn if the iPod Touch isn’t a really fun little machine. Think of all the travel you do!

8. They’re incredibly usable. They’re just fun. They come standard with a lot of really fun features and you can do anything you want right of the bat really easily. You can make movies, download music from iTunes, stream netflix, record your own songs, make photobooks, all sorts of fun stuff. They’re pretty, they work well, and most importantly, they’re easy to use. The biggest thing you’ll have to learn how to deal with is using the command button (the cloverleaf) instead of the ctrl button. Other than that, almost everything else is the same nowadays.

9. Mac developers are awesome. We’re a passionate bunch, and the cocoa development group is incredibly dedicated to creating awesome, well-formed, elegant programmes and solutions. They’re so much out there that’s mac only and near-perfect software. The Panic team has some amazing applications, Daylite changed my life, and everything from Adobe to Skype is just so much prettier on a mac. The devloper base alone is reason to switch.

10. They’re cheaper. No joke. If you put a Sony Vaio, a Gateway, a Dell, and an Alienware PC with the exact same speeds and specs side by side, you’ll find Apple’s version is actually a better value. Sure you can’t get a mac for cheap, but you also can’t get a bad mac. I can find several $400 laptops that, pardon my french, blow chunks and are impossible to use. But even the $700 mac mini, the cheapest mac you can buy, runs like a dream. That’s what I call value.

There’s more too, the amazing possibilities it allows, the premiere software it offers, the de-facto status among creative professionals, but for now, 10 reasons are enough. You fanboys and girls out there, any other important reasons I’m forgetting?

Inspired by Anger Burger’s post last week, I thought it might be fun to talk bout the jobs I’ve held — the brilliant, the miserable, and the utterly ridiculous.

And those are just the jobs I can talk about. What about you? What fields have you dabbled in? What odd jobs have you taken?

Metrocurean DC is a local foodblog with a regular feature called “Five Bites on Friday,” a weekly roundup of one local chef or reader’s five favourite places to grab a bite to eat.  It’s great for finding new spots to hit up, reaffirming your love of old standbys, and for unearthing the latest incarnations of long-standing restaurant groups so abundant here.  Even better, Metrocurean regularly posts the occasional unpublished or speakeasy deal to save you a dime for other dinners out.  It’s worth checking out if you’re in the area.

Two DC chronicles the explorations of a couple new to the DC area, complete with in-depth looks on DC standbys (think Julia’s Empanadas and Ben’s Chili Bowl), hopeful visits to the newest in the neighbourhood, and a number of take out places I’m itching to try. This is the best blog in the area to be perusing if you’re trying to get your bearings.

And of course, what Washingtonian would be legitimate without a gander at the DCist’s food & drink section, which mostly regales restaurant openings and publicity frenzies.  Still, it’s worthwhile to hear from the perspective at the top: which chains are opening new spaces, which yoghurt reigns supreme, who the current contenders for best burger are, which chefs won awards, and of course, which restaurants you’ll need a months-before reservation for.

If you’re trying to get away from all the ribbon cuttings and tasting menus, might I suggest you check out Tyler Cowen’s Ethinc Dining Guide to the greater DC Metro area.  Like his beloved hole in the wall establishments, Tyler’s blog is no-frills and to the point.  You’ve come to find the best noodles.  Or tofu.  Or Korean BBQ.  Or family-friendly Ethiopian vegetarian restaurant.  You want serious Himalayan food and Filipino bread and you want it now.  Tyler Cowen will turn nameless strip mall facades into a street map of finding your way around the ethnic spots worth hitting up in DC.

If home cooking is more your speed, there’s always Ed Brske’s blog about gardening, cooking, and eating in the DC area. Ed writes about everything from squash cassaroles to nearby school lunches to legislation that affects family meal time, all from his backyard in Columbia Heights. As a former reporter, Ed’s posts are always timely, high quality, and deeply relevant.