You're probably paying for "free" bread
By Anna Spiegel
Published on April 17, 2026.
Free bread is still available at restaurants in D.C. but rarely truly free, according to some experts. The Atlantic has published a report that named Stephen Starr's cranberry-walnut loaf as the best free restaurant bread in America. The article also highlighted the difficulty of free bread being paid for in less obvious ways. Restaurants still receive free bread, with chefs at Caruso's Grocery on Capitol Hill and Cucina Morini offering free Italian bread and garlic-basil oil at upscale Sicilian restaurant. However, these chefs are paying for the quality of the bread, which is often underestimated by the "Q factor" which is built-in costs with no line on the bill.
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