Heard around the DC Foodies blogosphere this week...This week, Arugula Files takes on the love/hate relationship we foodies have with Lauriol Plaza. Even in a restaurant where "the cooks turn over quicker than pancakes", Arugula Files points to the Masitas de Puerco- Cuban pork with bitter oranges as one of her favorite dishes. Also not to be missed are the Enchladas de Mariscos, and the tortillas. And, don't go on a Friday or Saturday night, as "that's just asking for trouble."

"14th and P is slowly turning itself into quite a foodie destination", notes Brightest Young Things, referencing the opening of Pitango Gelato, which opened this week in DC. The Baltimore-based gelataria gets their dairy from a farm in Pensylvania, and uses organic, fresh, local (whenever possible) ingredients to craft each flavor. DCist reported that the dairy was built by owner Noah Dan, to ensure that the raw milk (which is pasteurized) he uses as the base for his gelatos is the highest quality possible.

Recently, District Plates penned "In Summer, You'll Find Me Putting On the Dog" for the Washington Post. In it, he noted that summer officially starts when " teeth snap through the natural casing of a juicy, fresh-from-the-grill hot dog and my nose fills with the sharpness of mustard and pungent onion." If you're not outfitted to make dogs yourself, District Plates recommends Zwiegles hot dogs (available at Wegmans), and Martin's potato buns. As for condiments, District Plates offers a recipe for Spicy Beer Mustard that will "take your breath away."

Lucky Ms. Cavanaugh Goes to Washington met with Chef Todd Gray, of Equinox, to learn how to prepare a regional specialty- soft shell crabs. Fortunately for readers, she shares one of her favorite dishes of Chef Grays; Soft Shelled Crab with Vidalia Onion Puree, Rappahanock Spinach and Equinox Bacon. For cleaned crabs, Ms. Cavanaugh recommend buying from Whole Foods, or Black Salt in Palisades.

Finally, for your foodie pleasure:  this week in her regular feature "Market Mash Up", The Food Scribe took rather late-in-the-season-ramps and paired them with first-of-the-season-tender-zucchini in a side dish complimenting halibut. While strawberries are going strong at the farmers markets, try The Bitten Word's Strawberry Citrus Salad, or pick up farm-fresh asparagus for Roasted Asparagus with Red Pepper Puree and Microgreens from The Garden Apartment.