*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** 

Taste of Eighth Street                                                           Contacts:

Capitol Hill/Barracks Row                       Martin Smith

Eastern Market Metro                             202-544-3188                 

                                                              SharonBosworth

                 BARRACKS ROW MAIN STREET

TASTE OF 8^TH, SATURDAY MAY 1^ST

On Saturday, May 1st the international restaurant scene on Barracks Row (8^th Street SE at Pennsylvania Ave) becomes even more spectacular as fourteen different eateries join together for their annual sampling celebration, Taste of 8^th 2010. This year, newcomers  Zest and Ted's Bulletin swing the pendulum back towards North America: Zest celebrates wholesome, right off the farm vegetables -soups, sandwiches, fish and meats prepared for the American palate, while Ted's Bulletin is both the culinary and architectural reincarnation of a 1930's diner - with a menu of specialties revived from that era.

A United Nations of cuisines has grown up on the 8^th Street corridor over the past ten years: Belga Café, known throughout DC for fine Belgian fare sits directly across the street from Cava Mezze, which opened last year to raves with a menu of modern, elegantly presented Greek small plates (like tapas). Up the street is authentic Thai food at Old Siam while Las Placitas constantly amazes diners with large platters of the succulent meat, rice, and plantain combinations of El Salvador. Exotic blends of flavors of the multicultural Caribbean are represented at Starfish Café while at Asian Fusion, the entire Asian continent is at the chef's disposal for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean specialties. Chat's will offer fine wines for the sophisticated palate to sample.

American Soul Food is the focus of Levi's Port Café. Neighbors speculate that owner Johnnie Kersey turns out the best pork barbecue and macaroni and cheese in the entire mid-Atlantic region.  The expected local Italian and Tex-Mex spots become unexpected gems on 8^th Street: Trattoria Alberto provides authentic Italian recipes while at Banana Café, Mexican favorites join Cuban classics.  Beginning or ending the Row, depending which way you walk, Capitol Hill Tandoor and Grill offers Indian and Pakistani masterpieces in a lovely simple dining room - enter from the western world and be prepared to let the complex exotic flavors take you for spin to the land of the Rajs.

What to do with so many choices? Taste each one, of course! Sample everything our chefs can cook at the Taste of 8^th. Tickets are $5.00 each or 5 for $20.00. Tickets go on sale April 20 at retailers on 8^th Street - Capitol Hill Bikes, Chateaux Animaux, Groovy DC, Hill's Kitchen, and Homebody.  For last minute tasters, tickets can be purchased the day of the event at these retailers or at the Barracks Row Main Street Ticket Booth set up near 8^th & E Street, SE.