Jai Williams

Lifestyle Culinary Photojournalist & Writer

United States of America

Jai Williams is a photographer and writer whose work appears on the award-winning website Woman Around Town, as well as on Washington Post, Vice (Munchies) and the Washingtonian to name a few. Two of her photographs were selected for an exhibit at the Washington Historical Society, For the Record: Artfully Historic D.C., where “50 Most Endangered Places in D.C.” were highlighted. Her photographs can be seen in two books from Globe Pequot Press, Discovering Vintage Washington, D.C. and New York’s One-Food Wonders: A Guide to the Big Apple’s Unique Single-Food Spots.

Portfolio

2016

Edible DC
09/01/2016
Wow a la Lao

Thip Khao's Asian Flavors Begin in Chef's Backyard Garden

DCist
08/12/2016
A Guide To The D.C. Area's Best Beer Gardens

What makes a beer garden? Is it the beer that ends in "radler" and "weizen"? The garden? The seemingly ubiquitous picnic table-style layout? These are some of the components, but it takes a certain charm to pull them off in a city that's becoming laden with offerings, where spouts of craft beer just aren't enough to popularize a new joint.

Woman Around Town
06/01/2016
Indique: Cleveland Park's Indian Treasure - Woman Around Town

On any given day in Washington, D.C. there are hundreds of restaurants to choose from, but Indique in Cleveland Park requires your attention. Chef K. N. Vinod isn't new to the culinary scene. His passion for Indian cuisine spans more than 20 years.

DCist
05/23/2016
First Look: Shouk, Israeli Fast-Casual In Mount Vernon Square

Shouk (pronounced "shook") is already shaking things up in D.C.'s fast-casual scene. With its small interior, which is attractively designed but doesn't make particularly good use of space (we see you, decorative burlap sacks of legumes and artfully arranged wooden crates), stepping inside Shouk is initially reminiscent of entering other new eateries of this category.

Edible DC
05/10/2016
A Night of Celebration at EdibleDC's Eat/Drink Local

by AJ Dronkers, Associate Publisher & Digital Editor Holding large events is a task that isn't for the faint of heart -- especially when you rely on a really small team. But after the success of our Drinks Invitational last year at the Long View Gallery in Shaw, we couldn't resist doing it again.

Woman Around Town
04/21/2016
Shake Shack Introduces with Chef Erik Bruner-Yang the Crispy Peking Chicken - Woman Around Town

It's been five days since Shake Shack released its Crispy Peking Chicken Sandwich with James Beard nominated Chef Erik Bruner-Yang. Shake Shack is known for supporting local food retail companies such as Gordy's Pickles for their Pickled Jalapeño Burger as well as Pollystyle, an artisanal baked goods shop, whose graham crackers are used for their Jefferson's Jam Concrete, a custard-like sundae.

thrillist
04/28/2016
13 Bars Outside DC That Are Worth the (Very Quick) Metro Ride

Guys, it's time to leave the District and go exploring. There are so many bars slightly outside of DC, all waiting to be patronized by you. Enough with the "It's too far," or "Where is that located again?" You know that there are some killer spots in Virginia and Maryland, but it's time to move past that city snobbery.

DCist
04/06/2016
First Look: The BBQ Joint

When Andrew Evans was the owner and chef of the The Inn at Easton, a now-shuttered boutique hotel and 45-seat fine dining restaurant on Maryland's Eastern Shore, he didn't expect that his culinary life would take a turn toward barbecue. Trained at the Culinary Institute of America, Evans has worked and dined around the world.

Woman Around Town
03/30/2016
A Tale of Two Chefs: A Passion for Regional Cuisine - Woman Around Town

Known for its luxurious accommodations, the Belmond Hotel Collection embodies opulence with its 46 iconic hotels built in some of the most desired locations in the world. One hotel in particular, the Belmond Splendido Mare, juts out from the jagged cliffs along the coast of Portofino overlooking the Liguria Sea.

Edible DC
03/15/2016
DC Noodle Trends Japanese, Laos, Burma and Philippines

by Jacob Dean, special to EdibleDC and photos by Jai Williams When Mess Hall (703 Edgewood Street NE) opened its doors for the second annual occurrence of Ramen World, it was more than an opportunity for people to gorge themselves on unlimited food, Japanese Kirin Lager and mixed drinks.

DCist
02/11/2016
First Look: The Columbia Room Reopens in Shaw

Derek Brown, co-owner of the newly re-opened Columbia Room (124 Blagden Alley NW) and widely lauded spirits preparer and booze evangelist, is standing to my left and speaking with two of his guests. Suddenly I overhear him ask whether the chairs are either too hard or too cushy.

DCist
02/03/2016
Colossal Five: Port City Celebrates Half A Decade Of Brewing

When Bill Butcher first opened Port City Brewing (3950 Wheeler Ave, Alexandria, Va) on February 5, 2011, the kind of craft beer marketplace that the D.C. area has wholeheartedly embraced did not exist. "We were the first packaging brewery to open in the area", said Butcher. "Before we opened, D.C.

DCist
02/01/2016
Travel Back in Time with Taberna del Alabardero's Monthly Wine Dinner

If you're not familiar with Taberna del Alabardero (1776 I Street NW), it may be because of your age. An old-school Spanish restaurant located about a block from the White House, Taberna is like a ship in a bottle, sealed away from time and memorializing an era that a younger generation would be at a loss to recognize.

The Daily Meal
Turducken: The Ultimate Super Bowl Spread

As Super Bowl 50 approaches, football fans can be forgiven if they get a bit nostalgic for the booming voice and exuberant personality of John Madden .

DCist
01/14/2016
Ivy City's One Eight Distilling Celebrates Its First Year

This past Friday, January 8th, the crew of One Eight Distilling (1135 Okie Street NE) prepared for a very special celebration. Located on a quiet corner in Ivy City, the distillery-one of only three within the District-had just turned one year old. Inside the rambling warehouse, the mood was lively and anticipatory.

2015

The Daily Meal
Five Bites of Fire, Flour, & Fork 2015

The second iteration of Richmond, Virginia's culinary darling, Fire, Flour, & Fork brought an array of chefs, mixologists, and those truly enthused by food together for a festive five-day celebration. Those who arrived either on Wednesday or Thursday were able to slowly immerse themselves into a welcoming scene; however, by Friday, as multiple events commenced a frenzied, excitable experience incurred.

DCist
09/14/2015
Photos: Snallygaster Returns With 300 Craft Beers and Ciders

Snallygaster, D.C.'s most monstrous craft beer festival, returned to Yards Park this Saturday for a somewhat soggy celebration of fermented hops, barley, and wheat. The beverage selection, curated by Neighborhood Restaurant Group Beer Director Greg Engert, hit a dizzying 300 beers and ciders this year-quite literally something for everyone.

Edible DC
07/13/2015
America Eats Tavern Highlights Virginia's Food Roots

As the first colony settled by the English in the 'New World,' Virginia's cuisine has changed over the course of its quadricentennial history. From the indigenous people originally present to the wave of colonists and slaves that came afterward, together they built the foundation of recipes that we've come to love and utilize.

DCist
07/15/2015
[Photos] Arepa Zone and Bao Bar Win Big at Launch Pad

Dock 5, Union Market's semi-hidden event space (1309 5th Street NE) played host on Sunday to the final round of Launch Pad, a competition to see which of five promising local food entrepreneurs would receive a six-to-twelve month lease at Union Market and a number of other prizes, including a membership at Mess Hall.

Girl Meets Food
09/01/2015
D.C. Eats: Three Neighborhoods and Where to Eat While There

The Nation's Capital, a place where monuments, history, and politics merge together to create one of the most unique cities in the world. Over the last five years Washington D.C. has changed drastically. With a taste for locally grown produce and skillfully crafted cocktails, the District wants to be recognized as food destination such as its big brother, New York City.

The Daily Meal
08/20/2015
Along the Knightsbridge Tomato Trail in Washington, DC

In the Chesapeake Bay region, August means two things: an abundance of heirloom tomato varieties in every size, shape, and color, and the arrival of thirty-one uninterrupted days of sensuous summer pleasure. When not eating tomatoes, hedonist foodies long for them, gazing wistfully at them in farmers markets or secretly coveting them in their neighbor's garden.