Heard around the DC Foodie blogoshere this week....DCist reported this week that while Starbucks closed down for 3 hours for employee training, Capital Hill coffee lovers will be without recently shuttered Murkey Coffee for an undetermined period of time. At least until owner Nick Cho settles up with the tax man. Death and taxes. What are you gonna do?

Several  DC area foods vendors will be serving up their fare when the words "Play Ball' ring out for the first time in the new National's stadium. This week, the Washington Nationals announced the lineup of local eats, including Ben's Chili Bowl, Hard Times Cafe, Mayorga Coffee, Boardwalk Fries, Gifford's Ice Cream, Red Hot and Blue, Cantina Marina, and Noah's Pretzels. See Marc Fisher's column in the Washington Post for more on these vendors.

Don Rockwell broke some exciting news on the ever expanding DC region pizza front. Edan MacQuaid, the ex-pizzaiolo at Two Amys and RedRocks, will be partnering with the owners of 2941 restaurant to open a new pizza place in downtown (old town) Falls Church, VA. The yet unnamed restaurant may be serving up pizza with DOC status, as well as antipasti ,from an exhibition kitchen. Also soon to be opening is Pete's Apizza in Columbia Heights. Expect New Haven style pizza (ah-BEETS, according the the website). Check out Charles Sweeney's (aka: Busboy) post on eGullet for more about the owners, and the pizza.

In this week's Wednesday Washington Post Food section, food critic Tom Sietsema stirred up a bit of controversy over his piece on tasting menus entitled  Degustation Disinclination Just Too Much. Sietsema likens what can be a several-hour-ass-numbing experience to a test of endurance where small dishes of crudo, cauliflower panna cotta and ragout of root vegetables can be lost in a seemingly never ending parade of plates. To the palate fatigue rescue may be dessert, inspired by a designer fragrance, which is gently wafted under your nose. At least, Sietsema reports, that's what happened to him at the trendy Moo restaurant in Barcelona, Spain. Funny, that happens to me when I walk into Macy's. Hmm.

Last, if you're a fan of Girl Scout cookies (and who isn't?) and like Tagalongs, The District Domestic has a lower fat version that you can make at home.