Was Keith Lee’s visit to Washington a disaster? Eh, not exactly.

Debacle is considered one of my favorite words within the English language. It sounds so expressive and descriptive. You haven’t got to know the definition of “debacle” to know that shenanigans were present; it appears like shenanigans were present. But let’s check the definition anyway. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, decrease is a noun meaning “a great disaster or complete failure; fiasco.” Fiasco can be considered one of my favorite words, for similar reasons.

When it comes to discussing what happened when Keith Lee got here to Washington, I just like the definition of “major disaster,” because to call it anything could be vague. Keith Lee is, after all, a viral food critic (“critic” does a LOT of labor in that title, but Keith Lee writes reviews, and people reviews affect restaurants) whose positive influence can change the fortunes of a restaurant seemingly overnight.”The Keith Lee Effect” is a real thing. And we understand it’s a real thing not just due to the videos we see of restaurant owners being super completely happy when he shows up, or the lines on corners we see on social media after he puts his stamp on a place, but due to the videos we see of store owners begging him to come check them out, hoping to get that stamp of approval.

I’m a fan of Keith Lee. I feel what he does is great. He understands the facility he has and looks like a genuinely real cat who has found fame (and doubtless fortune) and is using his massive platform to help others. That pendulum has also swung the opposite way. When Keith Lee went to Atlanta, well, he principally set the town on fire along with his observations and critiques of seemingly random and ridiculous rules he encountered at several Atlanta establishments. He also hit a nerve; he suddenly sparked a conversation concerning the Atlanta food scene. Do you recognize how much influence you’ve gotten once you post a video that principally says, “Atlanta restaurants are awesome,” and it triggers a flood of videos, articles, beefs, and responses? Most influencers can only hope they ever have that much influence.

So, as you’ll be able to imagine, when Keith Lee got here to DC, the chances were infinite, good or bad. I’ve lived in DC for over 20 years. I’ve eaten at a lot of restaurants, each popular and under-the-radar. I feel the DC food scene is… good… but I do not know if anyone goes to DC for the food, as opposed to, say, New Orleans. When I am going to New Orleans, I take into consideration food. When I take into consideration DC, I take into consideration brunch. And bottomless mimosas and stumbling down U Street on Sunday afternoons with my buddies. I take into consideration drinking.

Very.

If you reside and work in a city, chances are high you do too. I’m sure you are hungry too, but you are probably occupied with the drinks you are going to have with the food you are going to eat. Keith Lee has apparently noticed the identical thing. He identified in early film that DC restaurants seemed to be geared toward alcohol, which made life difficult for him since he doesn’t drink. Now I feel that’s each right and unsuitable. Loads of DC restaurants have amazing drink menus. But I never thought, “Man, there’s too much alcohol here, but nothing to eat.” Was the food at a few of those places disappointing? Absolutely. But it was accessible. I admit I burst out laughing when he said, “I don’t drink, so… I’m hungry.” That gets a 9.5 for comedic timing.

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Well, that comment pissed off a lot of people that felt he just didn’t know where to go or was misled. Maybe he was even crazy. And that began a discussion concerning the Washington food scene. Now, look, I get that he was defending and protecting his city and its culture, but he was making an commentary based on his experience and I can not blame him. Maybe he went to the unsuitable places, but ALL the unsuitable places? Eh, unlikely. Well, some people think he’s right. Others think he’s high and may keep the DC name out of his mouth.

People are funny. Especially because while most individuals I do know don’t complain much concerning the food scene here, all my friends drink like fish within the places they eat, and only on rare occasions praise the food because the sort of food that needs to be repeated. But the purpose is that folks were critical, and Keith heard the criticism and responded to itindicating that he visited about 12 restaurants but could only post about a few of them due to the standard of food and/or service at most of them.

He said he would not name names but shared photos, which in the web age is essentially the identical thing, and a few restaurants caught the homeless people — most notably Oohs and Aahs and Soul Wingz — and had to respond, which was funny because I do not think I’ve ever heard anyone say anything positive about Oohs and Aahs; most of us have stories about pests. But I’m not a gossip, so that you didn’t hear it from me.

It is value noting that there have been also a few success stories. Asshole at night AND Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant got understandably glowing reviews (I can vouch for each, but you do not care) from Keith Lee and his family, and well, there are videos of the lines at Jerk-At-Nite which are absolutely insane. And he posted a few other places he’s been.

So was Keith Lee’s visit a disaster for the town’s food scene? Probably not. At least not in the way in which that it seemed to upend Atlanta. I feel his commentary of the town’s food scene, while critical, was spot on. Especially when it comes to the places he goes. Keith Lee doesn’t go to Michelin-starred restaurants; he goes to places that perhaps need a boost or where he’s been told the wings and luxury food are exemplary. He goes to places that, let’s be honest, could also profit from a real influencer making their mark, not places where his review wouldn’t be respected. He’s culturally attuned to his influence and where it may well do essentially the most good. I wish he’d posted photos of a restaurant he hadn’t actually visited to highlight the standard of the food in the town.

But I feel most of us in DC are okay with our food scene. There are a ton of restaurants we will go to for really good, well-seasoned food. Keith Lee has been to a few of them. And considering how expensive this city is and the way exhausting it may well be, working in a city that runs on political Kool-Aid, all of us have to drink. So much. The restaurants in the town, perhaps, cater to the town’s residents. Plus, you’ll be able to eat well in the event you DON’T drink; not everyone drinks—you’ll be able to still find good food in the town. And there are others where the food is disappointing, but who cares once you’re downing a French 75 with the team?

I’m glad Keith Lee got here to DC and began all these group chats and Facebook conversations about our food culture. I’ll at all times love to see DC shine in a national role of any kind. If restaurants feel the necessity to change, high-quality. If they do not, high-quality too.

People eat daily, b. And in DC, apparently, we drink too. I do not see that changing anytime soon. So come on over and get that bottomless mimosa.