BEN RHAU

Ben Rhau is Managing Editor at Mode Media (Foodie.com, Glam.com).

What was the food highlight of your year?

Friends of ours who’d recently taken a cooking class in Hanoi hosted a small dinner party where they prepared and served a Northern style pho. Their house smelled gloriously of charred onion, roasted bones, cinnamon, star anise, and clove. Like other guests, we assumed that the sliced peppers on the side were jalapeños. They were actually thai bird chilies, which are (for the record) a bit hotter.

What was the music highlight of your year?

Sharon Van Etten’s performance of “All I Can” this year at The Independent was probably the funniest and most memorable. Guitarist Doug Keith interlaced the opening lines with a Smoove B style talking sequence, resulting in a bizarre call and response duet with a mostly straight-faced Van Etten. Highlight #2 was being introduced to the not-new music of Brandi Carlile. What a talent.

Was there a moment when food and music came together in a memorable way?

Seeing Yo La Tango for the first time at Outside Lands while famished, dehydrated, and grimy with the unique combo of sweat, music festival filth, and sunscreen. I had a half-vegetarian, half-lamb poutine from The Whole Beast with a crappy, $8 lemonade while listening to Autumn Sweater. At that moment, I was tasting the best thing in the universe.

@brhau

MICHAEL SLABOCH

Michael’s resume touches on nearly every aspect of the music industry from live event (Pitchfork, Wilco’s Solid Sound festival), to label (Numero Group), to studio/film/TV (producer, mixer, mastering engineer), to educator (Columbia College Chicago), and judge (The Grammy Foundation).

What was the food highlight of your year?

I finally made it down to Prince's Hot Chicken in Nashville which was by far the my favorite thing I ate all year. The hot chicken "scene" around the country seems to be growing bigger and bigger with every passing day, but this James Beard American Classic is arguably the best hot chicken I've ever had, due to a perfect balance of tenderness, spices and batter that work together so well. It's got a great atmosphere as well, but be prepared to wait 30-60 minutes since it's packed anytime of day.

What was the music highlight of your year?

Steve Gunn with a full band at Schubas in Chicago. Steve is an amazing guitarist and songwriter who has mostly been playing solo the past few years, but for this tour supporting his remarkable new album 'Way Out Weather' he had a full band that really gave the songs new dimensions in all the right ways.

Was there a moment when food and music came together in a memorable way?

I made a last minute trip to NYC to see Yoko Ono backed up by Yo La Tengo at Union Pool in Brooklyn this summer as they rehearsed for their big Glastonbury show. Needless to say it was amazing to see Yoko in such an intimate venue/bar and Yo La Tengo as the Plastic Ono Band was phenomenal.

For the past six years every time I go to NYC I try to get a reservation at Momofuku Ko, but it has never worked out until this trip. Knowing that Ko was moving to a new space this autumn, I was so happy to experience the original location before they moved. Everything was delicious, but the cut of ribeye cap they had that night was by far one the best things I've ever eaten.

@mslaboch

MATT COHEN

Matt Cohen is Associate Editor at DCist and a columnist at The Week.

What was the food highlight of your year?

There’s this ramen restaurant in D.C. called Toki Underground that’s arguably one of the most popular, highly regarded restaurants in the city. It’s got a reputation not only for serving the best ramen (again, arguably), but also for being impossible to get a table at. The restaurant, situated above one of my favorite dive bars in Northeast D.C. is a tiny space (the entire place seats maybe 20-30 people), doesn’t take reservations and there’s always at least an hour wait. I’ve lived in D.C. for four years and have tried to go to this place many different times, only to find that the wait was almost two hours every time. I finally managed to eat at Toki Underground this year, and it was glorious. An exceptional ramen place that’s easy on the wallet and surpasses its reputation. If you’re ever in D.C., make it a point to go here (my advice is to put your name on the list, then go drink at the bar below, The Pug).

What was the music highlight of your year?

Oh man, there are many to choose from, but I’ll try to keep it to three: 1) I’m always skeptical of band reunions, but I thought the show I caught of Texas Is The Reason’s reunion tour at the Black Cat in D.C. was particularly memorable, if only because it felt like such a warranted, welcomed reunion. So many bands reunite and tour for the wrong reasons, but theirs felt so natural and organic, and created such an energy between the band onstage. 2)  I’m not a huge festival person, but I went to Pitchfork Festival for the first time and really enjoyed it. So many great bands—The Breeders, Swans, Bjork, Waxahatchee, Yo La Tengo, El-P and Killer Mike, Pissed Jeans, Wire—all in one place. It’s hard for anything to top that. 3) Reviewing albums for year-end lists last week, I had the revelation that friend’s bands made some of my favorite albums of the year. I couldn’t be more excited for them. 

Was there a moment when food and music came together in a memorable way? 

There’s a legendary free summer concert series in D.C. at a park called Fort Reno that’s been going on for decades. Over the years, many of D.C.’s finest have played it regularly—Fugazi, The Dismemberment Plan, Q and Not U, Teen Idles, Ted Leo, etc.—and its become a summer staple for me. I can think of no better moment of when food and music came together than packing up a homemade picnic with friends and trekking over to Fort Reno to eat and catching some of the best local bands play. 

@matt_d_cohen