DIVERSIONS

Next time you’re worrying about what to cook, and cheese sandwich on an everything bagel pay Walton a visit in Silver Spring. He also does with an iced coffee. Be sure to douse whatlimited deliveries in the area. Don’t skip the ever you eat with their jalapeño and garlic coleslaw. —Sabrina Medora “secret sauce.” ket gets trimmed inside Wagshal’s before it’s

The sandwich comes with crispy fried onions The hospitality at the family-owned resPitmasters Back Alley BBQ taurant, even during a pandemic, is excep4818 Yuma St. NW; (202) 350-9791; tional. The staff regularly treats customers pitmastersbackalleybbq.com like friends. Adding to the charm is eccentric

Needing to sink my teeth into a tender and menus that display far more dishes than are flavorful beef brisket at the start of the panlisted online, comfy seating arrangements demic led me down a narrow path near 95-yearof regal cushioned chairs mixed with sofas, old Wagshal’s Delicatessen in Spring Valley. and amusing signs that instruct patrons not That’s where you’ll find the intentionally unasto rush the chef, because each dish is made suming Pitmasters Back Alley BBQ. A sign with love. adorned with a pig and the D.C. flag announces Many times when calling in an order, I’ve the takeout restaurant’s existence. Twenty been greeted by, “Hey Sweetie, what can I get weeks into the public health emergency, their for you?” Heat Da Spot has been open throughbeef brisket provides the simplest pleasure at a out the pandemic. They currently welcome cuschallenging time. tomers for outside dining in addition to pickup

My go-to order is the Austin brisket sandand delivery through Uber Eats and Grubhub. wich. Manager Warren Alonge says the bris—Julia Terbrock injected with its juices. Then it gets a beef rub, Lyman’s Tavern marinates, and enters the smoker for about 3720 14th St. NW; (202) 723-0502; eight hours. facebook.com/lymanstaverndc

decor like souvenir mugs, colorful clipboard and barbecue sauce on the side, but I haven’t A handful of weeks after D.C.’s stay-atneeded to try them because the brisket on bread home order began, I came across a tweet. “I is a wor thy enough would pay one million meal on its own. The glistening pink meat “There is only one dollars for the cheapest beer at the shittiest is caramelized in all the right places. Make secret—passion. dive bar in America,” it said. From my apartthe trip, because good Austin brisket stands You have to get ment in Mount Pleasant, I stared longingly at the alone. Salt, pepper, char, smoke. The rest is magic. If you’re not feeling like something between a good product first, and then you Raven Grill. I thought often of my favorite things at my regular haunts: the spiced Old Fashioneds a bun, Pitmasters sells a la carte meat ranging have to like and and trivia nights at Jackie Lee’s, under from St. Louis cut pork ribs and half smokes to love what you the metallic tinsel where my friends Carolina chopped pork and smoked chicken are doing.” threw their wedding party; the sloppy pinewings. Sides include apple burgers and punk cheesy grits, fried okra, cheddar biscuits, and shows at Slash Run; the fried chicken at baked beans. Service Bar.

Orders can be placed online for pickup and Most of all, I missed Lyman’s Tavern, owned delivery is available through delivery apps. by Jess Kleinmann and Kevin Perone. I —Marcus K. Dowling missed dropping into a patio seat after a long workday and nursing a sweaty highball, losing Heat Da Spot horribly at pinball, and having a place to bring 3213 Georgia Ave. NW; (202) 836-4719; first dates and friends I hadn’t seen in a while. heatdaspotcafe.com When Lyman’s finally reopened for takeout in May, I rejoiced. Once a week or more––

Once you spot the lowercase red “H” made usually more– –I’d walk up 1 4th Street from red crates outside the building, you’ll NW to its outdoor area to pick up a freshly know you made it to the right place in Park squeezed orange crush and an order of vegView. Heat Da Spot, known for the friendlietarian sliders. Impossible meat, ketchup, ness of its staff, opened in 2015. It’s one of my pickles, American cheese, chips: the stuff of favorite breakfast spots, serving Ethiopian and childhood, the stuff of normalcy. I’d house American food that is consistently delicious and those sliders like they were the last taste coffee that is reliably strong. of bar food I’d ever get. I hope I was just

Their Ethiopian breakfast, featuring spongy being dramatic. injera, ful (mashed beans), eggs, onions, pepCall ahead for takeout or just order at its outpers, and tomatoes, is one of their most popudoor bar. Patio seating, with great dog watchlar dishes, but my usual order is a bacon, egg, ing, is now available. —Morgan Baskin

Coverage Areas

By Brendan Emmett Quigley

Across 1. She might share your squad goals, briefly 4. Curries have a lot of them 10. Back muscle 13. Stand-up comic Wong 14. Merciful 15. Easy Rider star 16. 1988 comedy that takes place in a circus 18. Company originally named AuctionWeb 19. Jewish youth grp. 20. Chargers rack them up: Abbr. 21. She tore up the 2020 State of the Union 23. Margarine containers 25. Firmly established 26. Like contactless payments: Abbr. 28. Piece de resistance? 30. Slot in the back of some flat-screen TVs 31. Buddy List company 32. Twins manager Baldelli 34. Any “Love Train” singer 38. Little twerp 42. Whence Goya’s duchess 43. See eye to eye 44. Letters before “mart” 45. Void’s partner 48. Startup loan agcy. 49. Not drinking 50. 1984 Wimbledon winner 53. Country where Sergey Brin was born 55. Meteorological disrupter 56. British flying grp. 58. Meal in a bowl 61. London home to Picasso’s “The Weeping Woman,” with “The” 62. “Them’s the breaks” 65. Speed 66. Bunny season 67. Dead letters? 68. Use a crowbar 69. Rasta’s coverage 70. Spot for a platform: Abbr. Down 1. Pampered person? 2. First half of a con game? 3. 1999 movie with the tagline “Mischief. Mayhem. Soap.” 4. Black Monday channel 5. Entertainment that some performers have a hand in 6. Chatted while typing 7. Cornfield cries 8. Dir. at roughly 2:00 9. Oozed (through) 10. Some wolves 11. Placate 12. “Get a load of this!” 15. Holy terror

LAST WEEK: OH!

17. Frat “T” 22. Tree with toothed leaves 24. Star Trek sheeple 25. Burger King selections 26. Actress Rivera of Glee 27. Horse’s ass 29. Actor Joel of Community 33. Smoke 35. Stunning revelations 36. Seem 37. Every 365 days, briefly 39. Some playground chaperones 40. Kept at arm’s length 41. They may be rough or open 46. Mausoleum sight 47. Let free 50. Had a date, say 51. Coats’ predecessor as Director of National Intelligence 52. Spreadsheet square 54. Place to get a salt scrub 56. Elaborate con 57. Mennen product 59. Make bootees, say 60. The Last Dance channel 63. Besmirch 64. There are 744 in Aug.

6 $ / $ ' $ - $ 5 3 / ( $ $ ' $ * ( : ( 5 ( / , $ 0 * ( 7 2 ) ) 2 ) 0 < 4 8 ( 6 2 $ / 7 2 , / ( 6 7 5 8 ( 6 1 ( ( ' 1 7 . , $ ) $ 6 + , 2 1 3 / $ 7 2 $ ' 0 ( 1 $ 6 + ( 6 4 8 , 9 , ( : 7 < / $ : % 8 / / 2 1 2 % < ( $ 5 * 2 $ / 6 1 ( : < 2 5 . 0 ( = = 2 $ : ( ( $ 7 6 8 3 2 .$3 , , 5 , 6 / ( 6 + 3(33( 5 0 , 1 7 3 $ 7 , 2 ( 5 6 ( < 2 / . , & $ 1 7 & 5 ( ' (.(6 / ( 7 * 2