According to Consumerist, maybe you ought to avoid the Au Boin Pain at M & 19th:

1 medium cup (only 2/3 filled) of lukewarm chicken noodle soup. The bits of chicken were actually cold (icy, even — do you guys freeze it?) … 1 Southwest Tuna Wrap, overflowing — literally — with chili-dijon spread. Thinking about it makes me want to gag. The “lahvash wrap” tasted like cardboard and was beyond stale. The whole sandwich fell apart on my plate, leaving just a disgusting mess…

I’ve had some weird stuff at chain-eateries in DC, but never anything this bad. Do you have a downtown lunch disaster story? Let us know in the comments.

As the world watches Rep. Jefferson try to justify the $90,000 in his freezer, I have to stop and laugh. First, at Rep. Jefferson for trying to deny the story in public, despite FBI video, wiretap results, and all manner of other evidence. Second, at Congress for keeping people like Jefferson, Ney, and Duke Cunnigham amongst their membership without firmly kicking their sorry asses back to their home states in handcuffs. Third, at the American people and the voters who elected these sad-sacks to come to our town and commit their crimes here.

As it seems a good percentage of the House is on the take, and the Senate can’t get off their asses to do anything about the wiretapping scandals that are rocking this country, and while the House Communications Committee can’t seem to tell why Network Neutrality is a must for the internet, all I can do is laugh.

With Congressional Approval Ratings at 27%, once has to ask, are we going to get a whole new crop of grafters?

Brickskellar. RFD. Saint-Ex. These are all great places in DC to get a beer. There are many more, like Cap City, Gordon Biersch, pretty much all of Georgetown, but you’ll find them all missing from the 2006 Top 50 places to get a beer. If you were curious, that list is topped by such august establishments as “D’s Six Pax & Dogz” (Swissvale, PA) and “Dilly Deli Wines and Gourmet” (Mariemont, OH).

Baltimore is blessed with two of the top 50 locations, with Brewer’s Art at 44 and Max’s on Broadway at 48.

But how did so many deserving locations in DC and the surrounds get so badly abused?

Anyone who’s anyone in the world of sciene fiction knows that Balticon is upon us this Memorial Day weekend. Sciene fiction buffs and anime geeks abound will flock to Baltimore to see celebs ranging from artist Lisa Snellings-Clark to straight-off-the-plane (we’re hoping there were no snakes) guest of honor Neil Gaiman. Gaiman will be presented Friday as the Guest of Honor at 8:30 p.m., for those not wanting to give a weekend to the event, and lucky for the us, there will be a Podcast available.

Oh my god! I can’t resist sharing this with you in its total screen hogging glory. Look at this weekend’s weather prediction from Accuweather.com. That would be a three-day weekend prediction.

Is this not the most beautiful image you’ve seen so far this week?

See all those days of sunshine and warmth – the beauty and purity that is a DC spring? Oh, I am beside myself in joy! This weekend, there will be no need to be searching for the sun.

As much as DC has been home to sweeping dramas of grand scale and grander intentions, this city often inflicts a heavy toll on the people who come here bright-eyed and idealistic. They come to DC to work for the government, to aid their fellow citizens, and before long their hopes and dreams are crushed beneath the boot of the bureaucracy, sucking the life out of them slowly. It’s not the province of just our government to disillusion, though, so can government contracting, working near K Street, or even just staring over and over and over again at the Capitol.

In years like these, when the NSA is actively tapping major phone trunks and data trunks, when we’ve had so many turning points in Iraq, we’re three times around the block now, and when all is looking deep and depressing, surely there must be a remedy to help us cope?

Drinking on U Street? The Jefferson Memorial? Iwo Jima? The fountain by World Bank? The Capitol? Leaving town for a week or six?

What makes you feel better when all you see in DC is hazy and jaded?

As many of you know, the Metrobloggers have a favorite pastime. And yes, it typically involves drinking a few jolly alcohol beverages. Maybe us Metrobloggers who like to partake in the occasional spirit will be interested to see how Diageo – one of the biggest players in the alcohol world – is trying to influence US, bloggers and inside-the-beltway people. They’re doing – and branding – their own blog to take on regulators and critics head on, even calling their DC-based press conference out on some “facts” that turned out to not be facts at all.

So Washington, you disappoint me with your lackadaisical regard for personal physical fitness. Five days in and the Marine Corps Marathon registration is still open! This can mean only one thing. Its time for you to be forced into shape – its time for..

Fitness Boot Camp!

With separate Boot Camps most mornings for men and women, Fitness & Image Results instructors will push you to sculpt your body and to re-vitalize your fitness and energy once again.

Oh and before you start to question the effectiveness of Boot Camp, I can verify the results. One of my supermodels does Boot Camp and damn! She’s got a clock-stopping tight body!

Over the weekend, I was driving around town in the gorgeous weather, listening to Washington Post Radio, hoping to get a glimpse at the Nationals game. Instead, I heard former Post columnist Bob Levey and one of the Post’s media “specialists” talking about the video that was released this past week of the plane crashing into the Pentagon on 9/11.

That didn’t faze me, but what came next was absolutely galling. In not a few short leaps, Levey moved from talking about people who don’t believe an airplane crashed into the Pentagon, to talking about webloggers are encouraging these sorts of theories online. What’s more insulting, that Levey talked about bloggers as simply conspiracy theorists, or the fact that he’s lumping all bloggers together?

I guess what I have to ask next is: Is the Post biased against bloggers? Is this some sort of mainstream media pushback against a group of writers who are stealing their Style, Sports and Business sections from them and giving them away for free to a younger demographic who no longer needs a paper copy?

Why is there such resentment for bloggers at Washington Post Radio?

Okay, I’m being a little dramatic – but what do you do when you’re a pescovegetarian foodie recently diagnosed with celiac disease? My first inclination as said person was to say “jump out a window”, but barring that, I found plenty of good, allergy-free stuff at Hank’s Oyster Bar, just east of Dupont Circle at 17th and Q.

Since the recent discovery of my wheat and gluten intolerance, and with a husband who is allergic to rice, you can probably appreciate the delicacy (pardon the pun) of trying to find a restaurant that won’t send us both to the hospital. It actually hasn’t been so bad, although I could kill him for tauting me with the bread basket… He had a hankering for fried oysters last night, so we headed over to Hanks to try our luck. It was packed as always, but we had the good fortune of being a small enough party to get a seat outside right away.

All in all, it was a great experience. We’d been there once before in my former days as a gluten consumer, so I can vouch firsthand for the delicate, non-greasy yumminess of breaded and fried items (however, I would not recommend the vomiting after – thank god for doctors). A quick mention of my issue to the waiter ensured that nary a puff of flour would taint my dinner. We both enjoyed the grilled cuttlefish with spinach and raisins to start, and while I enjoyed some of the Bay’s finest softshells, sauteed with an apple reduction, Andy munched out on fried oysters (and the ironic little goldfish crackers they bring to the table, that jerk…). For those of you who like eating critters of the 4-legged variety, burgers and steaks are also a possibility – and for those who don’t dig on meat whatsoever, there’s also a super rokkin’ looking veg plate and sides like steamed asparagus, mac and cheese, or onion rings. The menu changes daily, so there are always new offerings in addition to the standard fare. Hank’s doesn’t have a dessert menu – however the waiter produced a little bowl filled with broken pieces of dark chocolate at the end of our meal – um, that’ll work…

Service was wonderfully paced and pleasant – and of course the 17th and Q corner is perfect for all of your people-watching needs.

I’ll keep posting my other allergy-free restaurant findings as they emerge – but even for you enviable humans who can eat the grains and the glutens, Hank’s is a lovely little spot whereby you can get your food on.