3064 Mt. Pleasant Street, NW
“Dear PoPville,
Something strange is going on at Bold Fork Books, the beloved cookbook bookstore in Mount Pleasant — on a recent visit, their stock of new books seemed to have diminished by 60-70%. Many shelves had only a few new books on them, and the covers of several remaining books were turned to face outward to cover the obvious gaps. An employee said they were “selling down” their stock of new books, and had added two full shelves of “vintage” cookbooks with yellowing dust jackets, which their sandwich board out on the sidewalk also advertised. When I asked if they were going to stop selling new books altogether,
or what happened after the “selling down” was done the employee said she had no idea what was coming next. Hopefully this is just a temporary quirk, but a big part of Bold Fork’s charm was its incredible supply of new and newly-released cookbooks of all kinds. Respectfully, with a rare exception here or there, I’m not interested in buying cookbooks with recipes from 50 or 60 years ago. And in any case they should tell their loyal customers what’s going on!”
On June 29th they posted on their IG, which they currently have pinned:
“America’s legacy is reflected in its cuisine—broad, expansive and ever-changing.
While DC is overtaken by spectacle this week, we are taking a look back at our nation’s culinary history. From Indigenous peoples living and cooking on this land long before America’s founding 250 years ago, to the waves of immigrants bringing their culinary traditions from around the globe, to all of our regional particularities and peculiarities, we’re featuring a selection of vintage cookbooks from across the country that tell the story of who we were and how we ate.
Over the next few days, we’ll highlight some of our favorites from the collection region by region. You can find these titles and more on our website or come by the shop to flip through these gems in person. From quirky community cookbooks to hardcover classics, we can’t wait to share them with you.”
Ed. Note: I’ve messaged Bold Fork Books for comment and will update if/when I hear back with more details.