Follow WTOP’s Matt Kaufax as he explores hidden gems, local landmarks and unique stories across the D.C. area every week. New episodes of WTOP’s “Matt About Town” segment are released each Tuesday and Thursday.

After a pandemic that shut down many restaurants, and amid inflation and a rise in societal loneliness and isolation, D.C. chefs are doing something different to bring people together through food.

In Thursday’s episode of “Matt About Town,” WTOP’s Matt Kaufax examined how a resurgent movement is changing the city’s restaurant industry — one pop-up at a time.

The aims and overall message of this grassroots effort are pretty simple: building community through singular culinary experiences, affordability over big margins and a sense of genuine personal connection.

These elements are what D.C. chefs Jaren Morrow and Justin Chang say they want to see more of in the restaurant scene, not just in the District, but everywhere.

And the appetite for it (both literally and figuratively speaking!) is growing.

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