Interview: Zena Polin, Owner of The Daily Dish

You have a Sunday off to eat a meal outside in peace and quiet. What do you eat and what drink(s) do you pair it with? I love to eat at local restaurants! Since I live in Dupont Circle, Hank’s is a favorite, particularly for the best fried oysters in town; Lupo Verde for their pasta; The Pig for everything pork and my newest favorite Chaplin’s for their ramen. If I go to those places I get a cocktail because they have some of the best mixologists in the business. If I want to hang and drink beer it’s hands down Denizens Brewing, and if I want wine, I’ve discovered Provisions 14, which has a great list of American wines many curated by my friend and sommelier Andrew Stover. You can make a dish using only 5 ingredients. Go! The trick here is to have the freshest of whatever it is your making. So fresh seafood, meat, produce… You can make a delicious meal with a protein and good olive oil, kosher salt and pepper. Here’s my favorite simple dish - our fabulous BLT: Applewood Smoked Bacon, Farm Fresh Tomatoes, Romaine Lettuce, Challah Toast and Mayo. If I could make it six ingredients I’d throw in our Gravlax, fresh salmon cured in-house.