Monthly Archives: December 2009

The Daily Feed
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Track Santa with NORAD

Photo courtesy of
‘IMG_3296’
courtesy of ‘derobert’

The folks at NORAD work very hard every day of the year to track air threats against the United States, and they don’t stop for the holidays. WTOP shares a fun little holiday tool that lets you check NORAD’s Santa tracking to find out where the big guy and your presents are.  As of this writing, he’s delivering presents to children in Australia, but he’ll soon be making his way towards us. I’m about to jump on a plane to Italy from Dulles, so I’m hoping to catch a glimpse of him flying over the Atlantic!

Adventures, Essential DC, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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Last Minute DC Gifts

Photo courtesy of
‘Zipcar ad’
courtesy of ‘Karon’

So like me you’ve waited until the last second and now you’ve got to hazard the crowded shops and DC streets to finish up your Christmas shopping. You’re fairly limited with online shopping opportunities, you have no time for brainstorming, and you’ve got a gazillion other things to do, so you’ve got to put your nose to the grind stone and pound these last little (or big) tidbits out. Lucky for you, and me, there are plenty of cool DC-related gifties out there waiting to be scooped up.

Many of us will be heading through Union Station today and the shops there offer some fantastic last minute gift pick up opportunities.  You can find historic memorabilia and inauguration items at America!’s Spirit, or small paintings, pottery and jewelry at Echo Gallery Mezzanine Kiosk, or perhaps Lids, where you can pick up a Redskins or Capitals branded baseball cap. There’s also a solid wine and spirits shop that can provide that much needed Jameson for eggnog or bottle of bubbly for Christmas morning drinkypoos.  These shops are a hurried travelers delight and are definitely worth checking out, if you’re still gift hunting or needing to fill up those stockings. Continue reading →

News, The Daily Feed
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Merry Christmas From the Nationals

Photo courtesy of
‘Matt Capps’
courtesy of ‘KitAy’

The Nats have had an active off-season that just got more active. This morning at 1am, approximately, they agreed to a 1-year deal with closer Matt Capps with undisclosed terms. Capps is the third pitcher the Nats have signed this week (Eddie Guardado and Jason Marquis being the others) and will take over the closer duties for the team in 2010. The Nats have been uncharacteristically active this off-season, and appear to be making a run at .500 baseball for 2010.

Interviews, People, The Features, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks: Carlton McCoy

Carlton McCoy, sommelier for Sou'Wester. Photo courtesy Pfau Communications.

Carlton McCoy, sommelier for Sou'Wester. Photo courtesy Pfau Communications.

We Love Drinks continues our series where we look behind the bar, profiling the many people – from mixologists to bartenders, sommeliers to publicans – who make your drinks experience happen.

Ah, the mystique of the sommelier. How many times have you actually felt comfortable engaging in that dance of the wine list with one? There’s the delicate waltz about price point, the fear of disapproval of your favorite varietal. Unless you are a wine connoisseur or see something you recognize, no doubt it’s been awkward at best.

Enter Carlton McCoy, native Washingtonian and sommelier for Sou’Wester, Chef Eric Ziebold’s second restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental. Or rather, enter-exit-enter-exit-here-there-everywhere Carlton McCoy. I’ve never seen a sommelier with this kind of high energy. Almost like that perfect host at a private dinner party, checking in guests, smiling and milling about in an friendly open manner – he completely demystifies the role.

Gone are the days when people will accept a raised eyebrow reaction to a request for a moderately priced bottle. As we learn more about wine, we are less likely to approach a sommelier like a high priest, and certainly in rough economic weather that’s less likely to be tolerated. The best ones understand this and want to share their passion in an approachable manner. Carlton has this quality, times ten. I would never hesitate to ask him anything about wine, and I know he’d give an honest, no-nonsense reply.

This refreshing attitude comes backed with a pretty impressive pedigree. He’s an Advanced Level Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers (that’s one level away from being a Master Sommelier, of which there are only 168 in the world). But Carlton began his career in the culinary world, attending the Culinary Institute of America with stints at famed New York restaurants Aquavit and Per Se. He returned to DC to be Chef Ziebold’s assistant sommelier at CityZen while also managing the cheese cart there. His official duties at Sou’Wester include managing the some 250 bottle wine list, all-American beer list and cocktail menu. Having worn many different hats suits his expansive style well.

He’s also refreshingly humble talking about the cocktail program, his first! “Chef and I are lightweights,” he jokes, “so these are $10 cocktails you can have without falling over.”

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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DC, VA And MD Residents Are NOT Happy, According To New Study

Photo courtesy of
‘Head in Hands’
courtesy of ‘Alex E. Proimos’

A new study published by the journal Science reports that DC (36th), Virginia (28th), and Maryland(40th) rank in the bottom half of the “happiness scale”. What does that mean? Professor Andrew Oswald of the U.K.’s University of Warwick, who co-authored the study, says that “[…] ” our study shows that we can and probably ought to give up thinking of piles of dollars as the criterion for success and go over to a broader quality of life criterion.”

Easier said than done in THIS recession, right?

It could be worse … we could be the in the top three (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut). So how’s THAT For something to smile about :-D

Entertainment, Interviews, The Features
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The Harlem Globetrotters take to the capital’s courts

Blakes on the ice with Capitals players
“Buckets Blakes” with the Washington Capitals
Courtesy Washington Sports & Entertainment

In early December, I sat down with Harlem Globetrotter “Buckets” Blakes over some tacos and salsa—the spicy garnish as well as the flavorful tunes playing overhead at Rosslyn’s Baja Fresh. A warm soul with a wide smile, Blakes arrived all suited up and with his basketball perched nonchalantly on his hip. When the behind-the-counter Baja employee jokingly extended his hands for a pass, Buckets playfully tossed the ball his way, afterward posing for a photo with the ecstatic fan.

Buckets Blakes (#15), now in his eighth season with the Globetrotters, clearly enjoys these press junkets he’s sent on as one of the team’s more experienced players. He kept busy during this past DC/VA tour—taking to the ice rink with the Capitals (learning “just how bad he is at hockey”), gift-wrapping at Tysons Corner, surprising Horton’s Kids youth with free eyeglasses and even, to the delight of some Wizards fans, swiping tickets at the Verizon Center (“Hey, I’ve got to make some cash somehow!” he joked). Blakes returns to the area with his teammates next week as they take over the court December 29 at Fairfax, Virginia’s Patriot Center at 7 p.m. and then at downtown’s Verizon Center December 30 at 7 p.m.

The Harlem Globetrotters are as American as apple pie. Who doesn’t hear Brother Bones’s whistled version of “Sweet Georgia Brown” and envision those red, white and blue-clad, towering magicians miraculously spinning basketballs atop long fingers and catapulting balls into the net from a court’s length away? The group, formed by London-born immigrant Abraham Saperstein, evolved in the 1920s on the South Side of Chicago where the original players grew up. The team (then called the Savoy Five) turned professional in 1927, later getting a new name when promoter Saperstein wanted to give the impression that the all-black team represented that mostly black New York borough. Famed for their unique combination of athleticism, theater and comedy, the Globetrotters have fluctuated between playing competitively and for show, resulting in one of the best-known sports entertainment franchises in the world.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Hey Flickr, we spotted M.V. Jantzen first!

Photo courtesy of M.V. Jantzen

Santa the Magnificent, courtesy of M.V. Jantzen

Congrats to M.V. Jantzen for having his picture from the 14th & U snowball fight (pre-weaponization) used in the Flickr blog! The blog entry has snowball fight pictures from all over but we know who’s really best, don’t we?

M.V.’s work has appeared here on WeLoveDC many times, including for the shot about which got him selected as runner-up in last year’s holiday contest. Let me go on record that I voted for his shot to win as far as you know. Considering how often it’s shown up here to illustrate holiday posts we should probably redo our logo to include it…

The Daily Feed
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Say Goodbye to Tai Shan While You Still Can!

Giant Panda

The 3rd annual ZooLights display at The National Zoo is now open again after taking a few day hiatus due to the recent snowpocalypse.

This is your warning to get your goodbye’s in while you still can! Everyone’s favorite panda, Tai Shan, will be bidding DC adieu in early 2010. You know you’ll be kicking yourself in rear-end if you miss out on this chance to catch a glimpse of cuteness before he leaves us for China.

So go early and go often!

Tickets are available at the gate ($5 for members and $8 for non-members). ZooLights are open between the hours of  6-8:30 p.m.   Visit nationalzoo.si.edu for more information.

Eat Like Me
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Eat Like Me: 2009’s Best Dishes

Photo courtesy of
‘Shrimp and Grits at West End Bistro’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’

Oh, you’re not sick of best-of lists yet? GREAT. Cause here’s another one.

You guys, I ate a lot of food in 2009. And I am a better, happier (fatter) person for it. The best part is, I did it for you – my fine fearless foodie reader – to tell you what you should eat and what you shouldn’t waste your money on. In case you’ve missed it, I’ve been doing this feature at the end of each month called Eat Like Me. It’s a feature that names all the places I’ve eaten that month, and then awards the best dishes, so that when you head out to spend your hard earned dollar, you know what is tasty to order. So I took all of those best dishes from the individual months, considered them nominees, and then named the best-of-the-best. Keep in mind that all of these were fantastic dishes (the best of the month! And considering how many places I’ve eaten since May, that’s saying a lot!) so it was a tough choice – I’d eat ALL of the dishes listed below any time, ever. So to the dishes on the list, and the Chefs who cooked them, you’re all winners in my book. (Aww, group hug!) But what I looked for when naming the best dish of 2009, I looked for dishes that made me go “ooooohhhh yeahhhh” when remembering it. The dish that made me squeal a little on the inside. The dish I’d reach for first when offered them all on a big platter.

Collecting and looking at this data, here are my general thoughts about what I loved in 2009. I love a nice sweet cocktail. I’m a girl, with a sweet tooth, what can I say? Also? I apparently love soup. I didn’t know how much I loved soup until I saw the total list. Fresh, house-baked bread will win me over. There’s quite a bit of cheese on this list – dishes that feature cheese and dishes that had cheese in them. Unique and fun textures also are indicators of a great dish. Bold flavors, and interesting food all have a place here.

But enough talk about the list, let’s get down to it. Without further ado, here’s my ideal meal of 2009 starting with a nice cocktail and ending with dessert. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Cure Those Post-Hannukah Blues

Photo courtesy of
‘Christmanukah’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

As a fellow member of the tribe, I know what it’s like to have the seasonal blues once Christmas comes and Hannukah’s over. With that said, I invite you all (Jew or non-Jew) to check out “Good For The Jews” this Thursday (yes, that’s Christmas Eve aka the 13th night of Hannukah) at Jammin’ Java in Vienna.

The evening features Jewish music for people who don’t like Jewish music. There will be no songs about dreidels or Israeli folk dancing, just good old comedic ramblings about your favorite non-Christmas-celebrating neighbors.

WaPo loved it. The A.V. Club got a kick out of it. And The Baltimore Jewish Times went as far as to say, “This is not your father’s Judaism: [this is] Jews with an edge and proud of it.”

So do yourselves a favor and skip out on the Chinese food and a movie. Go see “Good For The Jews” on Christmas Eve. Then … go get yourself some lo mein and egg rolls on Christmas Day. They’ll taste that much better a day later anyway.

Tickets are still available at www.JamminJava.com or by calling (703) 255-1566

Music, News, The Daily Feed
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9:30 Club Says Fight the Merger

Photo courtesy of
‘Sold Out’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

Last night I got an email from the 9:30 club. Usually, their emails are about the sweet shows they get, and about DC Music, but this one was about something else entirely: the LiveNation/Ticketmaster merger that’s in the works. Specifically, they’re hoping that it won’t go through, because it would be bad for DC:

As a concertgoer you have already felt the pain, and if Ticketmaster and Live Nation get their way, it’ll get worse. In the last 12 years, since Live Nation and its predecessor started its widespread takeover of the concert industry, concert ticket prices have shot up 82% while the consumer price index has gone up just 17%*. We are concerned that if the two concert industry behemoths, Live Nation and Ticketmaster, are permitted to merge, the variety and quality of artists coming to local venues will be affected, and your costs could rise further and faster.

And it’s signed:

The 9:30 Club, I.M.P., Merriweather Post Pavilion, Jam Productions, Metropolitan Talent, Another Planet Entertainment, Frank Productions, Stone City Attractions, Rams Head Live, The Black Cat … and independent concert promoters and venue operators nationwide.

If you want to learn more, you can check out TicketDisaster.org and read up on the merger, and how to object as a concert-goer. Me, I think those bastards at TicketMaster can die in a fire, so I’m all for tanking this. “Convenience” Fees my ass…

The Daily Feed
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Arlington Snow Removal Request Line

Photo courtesy of
‘Hemley Lane Dec 20th 2009’
courtesy of ‘Photos by Chip Py’

My street? Still a block of ice. So when Arlington tweeted the snow removal hotline, you bet your holiday ass I called right then and there. And they were totally friendly! And will return my call when the snow is removed! Need to raise a little hell of your own? The hotline for snow removal problem spots is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Call 703-228-6570 or email des@arlingtonva.us.

The Daily Feed, We Green DC
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What Snowpocalypse Can Do for You

Photo courtesy of
‘Rowhouse Turret with Snow’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Believe it or not, what’s left of Snowpocalypse can help you save money. By looking at what’s melting on your roof, you can tell if your heat is going through the roof — and launching your utility bill sky high, too.

If the snow on your roof melted quickly, it may mean that your heat is zooming toward the heavens, along with your hard-earned dollars. You can save on heating and cooling simply by insulating your attic. And of course that means you’ll burn less fossil fuel.

Arlington’s Fresh AIRE blog has pictures that show you just what to look for. For starters, try comparing your roof to your neighbors’. It’s just another way to keep up with the Joneses.

The Daily Feed
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Santa Killed Rudolph at Macy’s

Rudolph broke his neck.

That’s kind of how it looks, right? Santa looks like he is beating the poor reindeer senseless, maybe clubbing his head with whatever is in his grubby little mitt. Santa has been known to be jolly at times but is also well known for being a hard ass on the elves. I didn’t know he also beat his reindeer. This is even more of an abuse than George Washington keeping a camel at Mount Vernon.

Seen at Ballston Mall, outside Macy’s. Santa fled the scene moments later.

News, The Daily Feed
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DC To Make Public Office Building Energy Efficiency Levels

Photo courtesy of
‘Peeking Through’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’

In 2010, DC will require owners of buildings with more than 200,000 square feet of office space to track their energy efficiency to be made part of a publicly available database of energy efficiency information. DC will be the first to require that this information be made publicly available starting in 2012. All office buildings of that size will be given Energy Star ratings that will be available to potential tenants and others.

Entertainment, Fun & Games, Talkin' Transit, The Features, WMATA
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Metro Singalong 2009

Photo courtesy of
‘Navidad en el metro’
courtesy of ‘Daquella manera’

With apologies to purists of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, Johnny Catoe and Metro gave to DC…

12 budget shortfalls of 22 40 175 million dollars!

11 pole hogs hogging

10 SmarTrip card upgrades … no, wait … here we go … um, maybe … yes! … no, this one’s correct!

9 tourist tip guidelines (plus ancillaries, corollaries and exceptions)

8 doors opening to nowhere

7 not-so-hard questions

6 sweatbox stations

FIIIIIIIVE customer friendly operators!!!!!!

4 busted escalators

3 in-the-dark Metro board members

2 Metro shower curtains

and one disillusioned, disgruntled rider!

Have a great holiday, everyone! See you in 2010.

The Daily Feed
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AA Flight from DCA Overshoots Runway in Jamaica

American Airlines Flight 331, a 737-800 originating from DC National Airport, overshot the runway on landing in Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica, with heavy rain. The plane broke into pieces and came to a stop on the beach, just short of the water. At the moment we are hearing 154 on board, no fatalities, 91 injuries, 3 reported serious. Survivors escaping the fuselage emerged into dark and rain, then had to walk down the beach to get to waiting buses. More from NPR, and discussion on Airliners.net.

The Daily Feed
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Jason Marquis Joins The Nationals

Photo courtesy of
‘Photo 040’
courtesy of ‘Dinur’

The Nationals got a new addition for the new year today. 31-year-old right-hander Jason Marquis signed a two-year contact today and will join the squad for the 2010 season.

What do Nationals fans have to look forward to with this off-season acquisition? Marquis is coming off of a 15-13, 4.04 ERA season with the Rockies — who he also represented in the 2009 All-Star Game. The guy’s one of only 10 other pitchers in the game today who has notched a double-digit win total since 2004 and is the lone player to have reached the last 10 postseasons (his previous teams include the Braves from 2000-2003, the Cardinals from 2004-2006, the Chicago Cubs from 2007-2008, and most recently the Rockies).

Welcome to the Nat Pack, Jason. We hope to see great things from you!

[And yes … I realize I just said Nat Pack. We’ve really gotta get some better team nicknames. There’s a good New Year’s resolution if you don’t have one already.]

The Daily Feed
By

Local Businesses Hurt By Snow

Photo courtesy of
‘life goes on’
courtesy of ‘zoetnet’

The great snowpocalypse is over. And now — we even know how to survive it should it decide to come back again some day!

Some of us went sledding. Some of us stayed inside, covered in blankets, with hot cocoa and a movie. Others saw snow for the first time and looked up in awe, while others who were more accustomed to traditional winters brushed it off after a few hours.

But let us not forget those who are now hurting from the great fun everyone else was having.

The weekend before Christmas is always a huge money maker for retailers. Thanks to the biggest snow storm in DC history, retailers were left feeling the freeze.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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What exoneration do you expect to find?

Photo courtesy of
‘Bheja Fry’
courtesy of ‘kkalyan’

Here’s the long and the short of the DC Police Union’s position: maybe there’s some perfectly good reason that Detective Baylor, after choosing to get out of his vehicle and confront the snowball scofflaws, would have needed to have readied his weapon.

There’s no other way I can think of to take Union chief Kristopher Baumann’s assertion that Chief Cathy Lanier should have refrained from passing judgement. Said judgment being, in case you have forgotten, placing Detective Baylor on desk duty – with pay, of course – and calling his actions “inappropriate.”

Tom took issue when Chief Lanier presumed guilt on the part of an accused officer last week, but this situation has one major difference that Baumann seems to be missing: there is visual proof that Detective Baylor drew his weapon after getting out of his car to confront the snowball throwers. The only thing up for debate is whether there can be any justification for creating this confrontation and then escalating it by producing a firearm when no other weapon – beyond snow – was reported to have come into play.

Perhaps Baumann can think of one, but I cannot and it would seem Chief Lanier concurs. No doubt someone with over-sensitive pride might think that responding to getting hit with a snowball with bullets could possibly be reasonable, but I think that flavor of hothead is better served to a life of crime than law enforcement.