Food

Culinary Terms That Really Should Exist By Now

Illustrations by Claire McCracken
Illustration by Claire McCracken.

Brotein

(n.) Hulking portion of meat proferred by tatted-up DC chef. Example: whole lamb shoulder at Kapnos.

Illustrations by Claire McCracken
Illustration by Claire McCracken.

Entréetizer

(n.) Dish bigger than a small plate but not substantial enough to be a main course. Example: scallop boudin blanc at Convivial.

Illustrations by Claire McCracken.
Illustrations by Claire McCracken.

Egotastical

(adj.) Dish more remarkable for its use of modernist kitchen toys than for its deliciousness. Example: Dragon’s Breath popcorn at Minibar.

Illustrations by Claire McCracken
Illustrations by Claire McCracken.

Linejacker

(n.) One who pays a stand-in to wait in a restaurant line. Frequently spotted at: Rose’s Luxury.

Illustrations by Claire McCracken
Illustrations by Claire McCracken.

Nixologist

(n.) Bartender who refuses to use pedestrian, mass-market ingredients including sodas and juices. Frequently spotted at: Restaurant Eve.

Illustrations by Claire McCracken
Illustrations by Claire McCracken.

Servonizing

(n.) Lengthy detailing of menu items’ provenance by server. Frequently witnessed at: the Dabney.
This article appears in the February 2016 issue of Washingtonian.

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Ann Limpert
Executive Food Editor/Critic

Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.

Food Editor

Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.