FOODIE & THE BEAST FEBRUARY 8TH, 2026

Before you bundle up for some football, do yourself a favor and bundle up with us for today’s Foodie & The Beast!

David and I kicked off the show with some seriously good date-night inspo (because romance doesn’t stop for game day), and then we filled the studio with people who are fired up about what’s happening right now in the D.C. dining scene.

-We’ve got an incredible founder story coming your way —> Geraldine Mendoza of Taquería Xochi, which just opened its fourth location in Navy Yard. Let that sink in for a second. This is a business that started as a pandemic-era ghost kitchen and is now slinging tacos, cemitas, tlayudas, and aguas frescas across the city all with universal praise. Geraldine’s journey from working with José Andrés at China Chilcano to building her own powerhouse brand is the kind of DC success story we love to celebrate. Wait until you hear how she did it.

-Then we caught up with two old friends of the show —> Robb Duncan and Violeta Edelman of Dolcezza Gelato + Coffee, back on Foodie & The Beast after years away and years of serious growth. From a scrappy Argentine gelato duo at farmers markets to cafés all over the DMV, they’ve built something special with a real commitment to seasonality, wholesomeness, and great coffee. And yes, their Valentine’s flavors are next-level.  

-And because there is always something happening in Bethesda, we’ve got Stephanie Coppula of Bethesda Urban Partnership in studio with the scoop on what’s new, what’s changing, and why Downtown Bethesda keeps leveling up,  plus Tyler Cotting from Pisco y Nazca with the inside track on how to eat and drink your way through Savor Bethesda Restaurant Week (Feb 19–March 1) without breaking the bank.

So before kickoff… kick back with us on Foodie & The Beast here.