Ezell's Returns to Tacoma; Maria Hines and Holly Smith Go to Washington; Jess Voelker Eats Lots of Street Food

TACOMA—Hanna Raskin says fried chicken chain Ezell's is taking another stab at Tacoma, opening a new location at South 19th Street and MLK Way. Two previous Ezell's locations in the City of Destiny shuttered a few years back. Co-founder Lewis Rudd tells La Raskin he's aiming for national prominence, or at least 20-30 stores around the Puget Sound. [Seattle Weekly]

WASHINGTON DC—A few more details on the Great American Family Dinner Challenge. Two of Seattle's local James Beard winners, Holly Smith and Maria Hines, are venturing to DC along with Tom Colicchio and Ming Tsai, to cook healthy dinners for real families using a SNAP/food stamp budget. Sounds very Michelle-Obama-meets-Top-Chef, no? Locavore dreamboat and White House assistant chef Sam Kass will be judging the competition, which happens November 29. [EaterWire]

MEALS ON WHEELS—Jess Voelker shares a few thoughts from her experience judging last weekend's Mobile Food Rodeo. Among them: successful trucks stick to one idiosyncratic foodstuff. Her not-to-be-missed dishes included Cuban-style hash from Snout & Co., duck confit on flatbread at Big Food Mobile; Where Ya At Matt's oyster po'boy; Skillet's burger and poutine; and curry-covered doughnuts from Street Donuts. [Seattle Met]

[Photo: Jason Walsh/Flickr]