Monthly Archives: November 2009

The Daily Feed
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Amanda Palmer at the State Theater

Photo courtesy of Me

Amanda Palmer at State-0736, courtesy of Me

I had the good fortune to get to see and shoot Amanda Palmer last night.

Let me clarify – shoot as in take pictures of her. I am not the person Who Killed Amanda Palmer?

Let me also save you Gaiman-heads the trouble: No, he was either not there or not in evidence. Palmer’s dad was, however – he lives in the area and sings with the National Cathedral, according to the now-defunct Blade. Palmer did a duet of a Leonard Cohen song with him during the encore, something that’s become a tradition when she plays in the area.

The show was great and I’m becoming more and more fond of the State Theater as a venue. The management is relaxed and courteous, the sound’s good and the on-tap beer selection above average. More pictures after the jump.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Additional coverage for the naked motorist

Photo courtesy of
‘opinionated’
courtesy of ‘spiggycat’

Not the kind of coverage he really needed, mind you, but some more facts about the naked dude in Arlington I told you about Wednesday. Washington Post’s crime blog has additional delightful facts, like the fact that the stolen car he was found in by police? His ex-girlfriend was the one who’d reported it stolen several days prior.

WaPo’s writers seemed surprised she’d still want it back after the Naked Man incident, but really, you can do wonders with Febreze.

The Daily Feed, We Green DC
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Local Food Cart to be on Good Morning America Weekend

Photo courtesy of
‘Street food’
courtesy of ‘timkang’

Tomorrow, the Local Sixfortyseven food cart, which serves up local, sustainable foods, will be on Good Morning America Weekend as one of four finalists in its Best Food Carts Challenge.

You may have seen them before at the farmers market in Centreville or Reston, or at area wineries and events. I’ve not yet but love the concept, and a Washington Post review of their food makes my mouth water.

If you’re a fan, watch them tomorrow, then vote for them.

News, The Daily Feed
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Fire In The Sky, Thunder In Your Ears

Photo courtesy of
‘Thunderstorm over Villa Adelina’
courtesy of ‘Maluilo’

Boy oh boy did DC get her share of nature’s greatest light show last night.

If you didn’t see it, you might’ve been sleeping. But if you didn’t hear it, then I’m jealous because I’m a light sleeper and you’re not.

This November weather rarity was explained by NBC4 Meteorologist Tom Kierien: a front from the Midwest picked up speed while moving through the mid-Atlantic region, generating isolated thunderstorms with frequent lightening. This is odd during the post-spring/summer months due to cool temperatures, but somehow the airspace above our fair city provided enough lift to create the rainy show we were treated to on Thursday night.

Sounds good to me. I mean, it could be worse: below 30 and snowing! (Knock on wood.)

Entertainment, Essential DC, Food and Drink, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, Night Life, The Daily Feed
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Saving The Planet One Drinking Game At A Time

Photo courtesy of
‘Max’s Cup Tower’
courtesy of ‘Kevin Lawver’

I’m all about enjoying a good alcoholic beverage, playing games and being environmentally responsible, so when VAT19 gave me the option to embody these principles in one amazing product, I jumped on it.

This set of  Reusable “Plastic” Cups allows us drinking game players to play pong, flip cup, beer die, etc. to our hearts content, all while knowing we’re saving local landfills from hundred of the classic, red Solo cups.

And no, users of these cups will not throw out these melamine, dishwasher safe cup; they’re much more substantial then the cheap, plastic version.

The Features, Where We Live
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Where We Live: Cleveland Park

Photo courtesy of
‘ladybridgev1c’
courtesy of ‘melody.a.thomas’

Cleveland Park is the focus of this week’s Where We Live.  This neighborhood has so much to offer, including great Metro access, proximity to major attractions, charming residential character, and some very cool neighborhood hangouts.  It’s one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the city, with its views of Rock Creek Park and tree-lined streets, and it is a bit removed from the urban grit of downtown.  Read on for more information on Cleveland Park, including how it got its name and what to check out when you’re there.

History: Back in 1793, an aide of George Washington named Uriah Forrest built an estate called Rosedale.  More estates were constructed in the area, a suburb of Washington City, throughout the nineteenth century.  This was considered an upscale suburb in that era, as the higher elevation and breezes were an escape from the hot, humid air of the city.  In 1886, President Glover Cleveland purchased a house in the area and remodeled it as a summer estate.  Even though Cleveland lost his bid for reelection in 1888, the name Cleveland Park stuck with the neighborhood.

Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Crumbs Comes to DC!

Photo courtesy of
‘Buon Appetito!’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’

Crumbs, the delicious NY cupcake shop, is expanding to DC! “The D.C. market was the next logical choice for our expansion,” said Jason Bauer, CRUMBS CEO and co-founder. “The CRUMBS brand has strong name recognition in the market and we decided to listen to our fans who have been asking us for many months to come to D.C.”

True, DC has lots of cupcake shops. But personally, I am stoked about the arrival of Crumbs in March 2010. Their cupcakes are huge, first of all, and they also come up with some creative flavors and decorations. Check out Orange You a Chocolate Lover— cute, right? Bring on the happy.

Entertainment, Music, Night Life, The Features
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Got A Song Request? Jacqui Naylor’s Got You Covered. Literally.

Jacqui Naylor 004

I’ve seen a lot of cover bands in my day. You know the types: 40-something guys who need something to do when craving time away from the wife/family or a hobby after work to share with “the boys.” Jacqui Naylor is nothing like that.

Naylor has made a career that spans over a decade out of covering American popular songs from The 20th Century Songbook. From Gershwin’s “Summertime” to Fitzgerald’s “Black Coffee” and even REM’s “Losing My Religion”. Each song is sung with strength and valor in honor of the Great American Jazz Standard.

Naylor came back to DC for two reasons, she said. “There’s a real history here [at Blues Alley] but there’s also a sweetness in DC. There’s just something about it.”

DC would have to agree with you Miss Naylor, seeing as your fans packed the house.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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That Time I Ate My Words (And Then Got Truffles at 1789)

Photo courtesy of
‘Taste Festival 2009’
courtesy of ‘mirvettium’

The other night at a media dinner surrounded by food and drink journalists I blurted out the sentence “I can’t believe anyone would spend $350 on a bottle of liquor! You drink it, and then it’s GONE!” and everyone looked at me like I had five heads. I should learn to keep my mouth shut, and think about who my audience is before I speak. (Emphasis on SHOULD, reality is I probably never will. Let’s pretend it’s endearing.) So anyways, point is, today, I eat my words. And my words taste like truffles. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Swinging near the ballpark. Trapeze, that is.

Photo courtesy of Me

The Trapeze School of New York has been offering classes on the site of the old convention center at NW Hand 9th for about four months now but that time is going draw to a close. It’s always been intended to be a short term deal, though the classes running though the end of the month make it six months of operation, not the four the Washington Post originally reported.

It seems a more long-term home is on the horizon for TSNY, whose class schedule lists them as “closed for construction” at the end of the month and with a promise to open in 2010. They haven’t yet returned my call to confirm, but its almost certain that they’re the unnamed trapeze school named in a recent zoning board decision allowing a trapeze school “which must relocate from its present site” to set up in the area right next to Nationals Stadium.

The city calls the area the “Southeast Federal Center Overlay district” which is pretty lofty-sounding for an eight block area. You can look at Google maps’ sat view here – it’s the area below M between the Navy Yard and 1st SE. I’m not sure how gung-ho I’d be about swinging through the air at high speed in January but I’m all in favor of something more interesting in that area than parking lots and big holes in the ground.

History, News, The Daily Feed
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The Lincoln Memorial Goes Online

Photo courtesy of
‘under the pillars’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

History buffs take note — there’s a new, interactive Web site being launched in honor of the 146th anniversary of President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

This multimedia expansion of the pristine marble temple was launched today by the National Park Service. The site includes videos, panoramas and oral testimonials from the park rangers who have worked at the memorial for decades, according WTOP.

If this catches on as a web trend, similar sites may be launched in the coming months. The nonprofit Trust for the National Mall is currently raising money to build the sites for other Washington memorials.

The site should be viewed with a high-speed connection. Still having trouble viewing the site? NPS recommends downloading the latest version of FlashPlayer.

Food and Drink, Night Life, People, The Features, We Love Drinks
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Drinks Preview: The Passenger

Photo courtesy of
‘The Passenger 7’
courtesy of ‘maxedaperture’

Let’s say you love hand-crafted cocktails, but your friend is all about Miller High Life. Up until this point, I’d be hard-pressed to recommend a place where you both would feel comfortable. Thankfully, brothers Derek and Tom Brown have created a bar where the two of you can happily cosy up in a booth together.

Last night, The Passenger opened its doors to the public. The night before, I was lucky to attend a preview of the new bar and sample the atmosphere. It’s still a work in progress, the rough-and-ready quality mimicking the surrounding neighborhood. If you were familiar with the Warehouse, the space revamps the front bar and the back area near the theater. It’s got a black diamond quality, with exposed brick, hardwood floors and a long photographic mural that’s meant to remind you of the view from a train’s windows. Booths line the walls and by this weekend the back section will be finished to resemble a mirrored dining car.

If you’re expecting an upscale exclusive club atmosphere with pinkies raised over clinkety-clink glasses, well, you’ll be disappointed. What we have here is a funky, eclectic neighborhood bar that’s set to evolve organically. And I’m not kidding, in addition to those famous made-to-taste cocktails you can also get Miller High Life and a chili half-smoke.

This is a bar where both mods and rockers are easily at home. Continue reading →

Fun & Games, History, The Daily Feed
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2009 White House Christmas Ornament Poll: Naughty or Nice?

2009 Grover Cleveland White House Christmas Ornament

2009 Grover Cleveland White House Christmas Ornament

The 2009 White House Christmas ornament is upon us and this year’s edition celebrates the presidency of Grover Cleveland. Cleveland, the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms, was the president from 1885-1889 and 1893-1897. He was also the first president to have electric lights on the White House Christmas tree.

The front of the (deep breathe) 2009 Grover Cleveland White House Christmas Ornament depicts a view of the South lawn and The White House on a winter night. A lit Christmas tree and holiday decorations in the Oval Room can be seen through a window. On the back, the ornament shows one of many famous Cleveland family Christmas parties.

What do you think of this year’s White House ornament?

Hate it

Like it

I abstain

—>

The Daily Feed
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From the Blade to the Agenda

song-chart-memes-gay-agenda

If you missed seeing mention of it on the twitter account (before it was deleted/renamed) or in City Paper, you could hear Kevin Naff confirm on the Kojo show: the new venture that he and other former Blade staffers are starting up will be called the DC Agenda. They’ll put out what they call a “modest” first issue this Friday which could very well be little more than a slim zine to let people know they exist.

For the five of you who don’t get it, the name is a sly joke on the epithet “the gay agenda,” which has also been riffed on in a fair amount of humor. My favorite is above but plenty are out there. Good luck to Naff and the other former Bladers!

The Daily Feed, We Green DC
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How Much Does No.Va. Recycle?

Photo courtesy of
‘bottlesphere’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Wait — don’t toss that bottle! Yesterday, Virginia released a report of its recycling rates that shows we’re doing well, but could do more.

In both 2008 and 2007, Virginia’s rate stayed the same at 38.5%. Northern Virginia’s rate was just below that at 37%, up only 2% from the previous year, putting it in fourth place behind the Richmond (53%), Fredericksburg (47%), and Bristol (40%) areas.

Kudos to Falls Church for doing the most in the area; at a rate of nearly 60%, the city recycled 8,600 tons of materials. For comparison, the 2007 national rate was 33%.

When it comes to items you or I might toss into the recycling bin, electronics and commingled recyclables were up by half or more. That’s great! Is it the whole picture? Continue reading →

We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends, November 21-22

Photo courtesy of
‘Reflections in the water’
courtesy of ‘brianmka’

This is a tough weekend. Either you’re on the treadmill running a mini-marathon trying to offset the impending turkey day feeding frenzy or you’re trying to figure out what to pack for the trip. Some of us oh-so-fortunate folks are hosting out families.

What’s the appropriate font to use for excessive sarcasm?

That aside, some of us are finding time to squeeze some fun in. Here’s what we’ve got going on this weekend. Share your plans with us in the comments.

Cathy: This Saturday, while the weather’s still great, I’m going to tear up some trails in VA. I’ll do double duty in Luray by checking out the Luray Caverns as well as hiking in the Shenandoah National Park. I’m aiming for the Big Devils Stairs. Hope they live up the hype (well, just that they actually resemble large satanic-looking rock-formed steps). Sunday will be spent watching football through my eyelids, cooking Kirk’s almost-famous chili, and going on a long run around the Mall to stave off what I can already tell is going to be a jolly (and artery-clogging) holiday season.

Photo courtesy of
‘Rehoboth Beach = Outlet Heaven’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’

Katie: This weekend I’m going on a staycation. Heck yeah I am, because I, Katie Food Blogger, deserve a vacation yet cannot afford it or get the time off work for it. So I’m going to staycation my tookus off by doing what I do best – going out 66. A friend and I are going to the outlets in Leesburg on a shopapalooza since my obsession with Ann Taylor has reached a new high, and who doesn’t need more J.Crew? Everyone needs more J. Crew. We’ll also probably stop by a few wineries, because you guys know that’s basically all I do on the weekends. Sunday I’m hosting a pre-thanksgiving thanksgiving for my friends and cooking the hell out of a Smith Meadows Farm turkey. I’ve been giving it evil looks daily just so it knows who’s boss.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Hey RFD: Bring back the paper towels

Photo courtesy of
‘Disturbingly powerful hand dryer’
courtesy of ‘harrysaxon23’

After WLDC’s first photo walk a few weeks ago we adjourned to RFD, a place I’ve long loved for its great selection of beers on tap. However there’s a somewhat off-color but highly accurate truism: you don’t buy beer, you just rent it for a while.

Unfortunately RFD has done some renovation on the room their product sends you to repeatedly, and their race to the bottom continues. Last time I was in they’d painted over the somewhat hackneyed but part-of-their-character beer-themed quotes on the wall. Now they’ve removed the paper towel dispenser and put in one of those Dysan jet-engine-powered hand dryers. Unfortunately the science says that these things are notably inferior to paper towels in getting germs off your hands. Ditch this thing, RFD, and bring back the plain and simple towel.

Yes, I read a publication named BarfBlog. So sue me.

The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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Metro Delays SmartBenefits Changes

Photo courtesy of
‘I Hate You, Metro’
courtesy of ‘marciadc’

David Alpert over at GGW has the scoop – after much “discussion,” WMATA will be delaying the SmartBenefits changes until 2011. All that stuff about purses and changes? Yeah, not happening now for another 13 months.

GM John Catoe, Jr., “master communicator extraordinaire,” announced the decision last night at the Prince George’s budget forum. He mentioned that WMATA had made the decision on Tuesday…wait – what day is today?

Um, yeah. THANKS FOR TELLING US, METRO. As of right now, I’m still not seeing any official press release regarding the decision. With employers and employees needing to make some hard decisions this month regarding their Metro benefits, don’t you think it would make sense to let them know ASAP?

Update from GGW: “According to another attendee at that meeting, Catoe also said that Metro got permission from the IRS to keep unused SmartBenefits in the employee’s ‘purse’ instead of refunding it to employers.”

Good thing Metro has us bloggers to keep an eye out. We should be given seats on a Metro oversight board. Hey, Jim Graham – make it happen!

The Daily Feed
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Fairfax Going Rogue with Palin

Photo courtesy of
‘So Palin is 40% off already.’
courtesy of ‘diaper’

DROP WHAT YOU ARE DOING! Now, open up your Outlook and Google calendars and add an all-day event for Saturday, December 5th. Simply title the event “My Dream Cometh True”. Now save. In other words, Sarah Palin is coming to Fairfax, Virginia in just a few short weeks! Are you ready to go rogue? You can do it…and save money. According to the above picture, the book “Going Rogue” can be had for up to 40% off.

But before you set aside your weekend to focus on Palin Palin Palin, make sure to determine if you are actually a real American from real America or not. Palin doesn’t like non-real Americans, and people from the DC area (and especially northern Virginia according to McCain’s brother) are very much not real Americans. But maybe by holding this out in Fairfax she feels she is on the border between real and fake America? I don’t have my real vs. fake map handy, but I’d have to say that Fairfax is mostly fake based on the definitions alluded to during the Presidential campaign. But if you do go, just make sure to act extra patriotic so she can’t tell where you are from. I suggest looking like someone who could kill a wolf with an assault rifle from a helicopter.

Continue reading →

Fashionable DC, The District, The Features
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Fashionable DC: MidCity


Photo courtesy of Kelly Collis Fredrick

I recently attended two events held in what I knew as the 14th and U Streets corridor – the Dog Days of Summer in August and about a month later, Fashion’s Night Out. The vibe of these events, the display of unique items from both clothing and home décor boutiques, made these memorable shopping excursions.

Who was organizing these popular events? I traced it back to the MidCity Business Association (BA). MidCity BA represents businesses on the commercial corridors that stretch down 14th Street from Florida Avenue to Thomas Circle and along U from 9th to 17th as well as several side streets way beyond the 14th and U district. Many don’t know that MidCity is actually a historical term for this collection of neighborhoods dating decades back.

Over the past few weeks, I spent time with a few of the boutique owners, as well as Natalie Avery from the MidCity BA, to better understand the neighborhood and community (and was able to sneak in some shopping too!).  As a life long Washingtonian, it was a great experience to learn about the rich history of this neighborhood and the strong sense of community that still exists there today.

Continue reading →