By Katie
‘The art of dining well is no slight art…………..’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’
Happy long-weekend Friday folks! We’ve got some fun food news – a new italian restaurant by Ashok Bajaj, a boozin’ breakfast, half price wine, and Top Chef viewing parties. Read on foodie, there’s plenty of news for you in all the news fit to eat in the District this week. Continue reading
By Ben H. Rome
‘090127 Alex Ovechkin-1’
courtesy of ‘Dan4th’
Gonna be in New York City next week?
To help ring in the new NHL season, Caps winger Alex Ovechkin will be personally ringing up a limited number of fans who pre-order NHL 2K10 (of which he’s the cover child) at the NHL Powered by Reebok Store on Sixth Ave in downtown NYC from 4-6 pm. He’ll also be playing against contest winners on the Wii version of the game.
Best part? Ovie will arrive at the store riding a Zamboni down Sixth Ave with a police escort. No, really.
By Max
Attention photographers! Have you heard of FotoWeek DC? If not, you must not have been in a coma for a couple of years in which case a) I’m truly sorry and b) you can now consider yourself informed. For everyone else, have you submitted your best photos yet? With over $20,000 in prize money and the chance to be honored in an international photo contest, this is a great opportunity. The deadline for entering your photos is September 13th, just over a week away! So check out the contest categories, look through your collection of photos (or take some new ones), and submit them soon.
For those of you who love photography but haven’t a clue how to use a camera, you have an entire week to look forward to in November that will feature photography shows in galleries and embassies all across the city. There will also be lectures to learn more about your favorite photographers and workshops to help you with your photography skills. If you’ve got cash burning a hole in your pocket, the awards ceremony at the National Geographic HQ is a must.
I. Can’t. Wait.
By Corinne
Bagpipers at the Virginia Scottish Games and Festival by Corinne Whiting
Considering the headlines that dominate news pages these days, who could blame us for craving a bit of escapism? Luckily, an avalanche of September festivals offers ample excuses to wear kooky costumes or to (attempt to) speak in charming accents, to relive the past or to leap into the future. Sometimes we just need a few blocked-off streets or patches of green to catapult us out of familiar surroundings and demand we get lost in the sights, sounds and tastes of another time and place.
Some festivals draw repeat attendees who share such a passion for re-enacting and re-creating it seems more a way of life than a weekend hobby. (Some of these participants seem, sadly, to have been born into the wrong century.) Other fests prove more laid-back—a mix of cultural authenticity and comical distortion. But common denominators? The beer’s usually a-flowin’, the people watching superb.
The season kicks off September 5 and 6 with the Virginia Scottish Games and Festival in The Plains, Virginia. I first attended this lively event a few years back (having just returned from 16 months in Scotland), with expectations, in hindsight, a bit too lofty. (Yes, silly me, I thought I would actually meet some Scots and hear some of those dreamy, melodic accents.) Instead I did find some authentic culture (cuisine like tasty yet feared haggis and steaming meat pies) sprinkled with a bit of stereotype (or perhaps slightly-fudged cultural truths, like the presence of England‘s Newcastle beer) and a few unexpected oddities (a parade in which kilted Americans showcased their plaid-clad “Dogs of Scotland”). But the atmosphere carried charm all the same. I watched proud Virginians sport their family tartan, sheepherders demonstrate their craft, Highland dancers do their joyous jigs and bagpipers echo the captivating drone of their instruments up into a piercing blue sky and out into the rolling Virginia hills. It’s Scottish culture with a twist, but a highly enjoyable day in the countryside all the same.
By Don
‘331’
courtesy of ‘me and the sysop’
Nostalgia is a scary thing, and kind of amazing. Ten years ago I’d have laughed, now I kinda wanna go.
MC Hammer is going to headline a “Retro Replay Concert” at Six Flags on Sunday, September 27th.
You can totally play it off as an ironic event if, unlike me, you were actually issues some capacity for shame: the event’s free to anyone who has already paid their way into the park. If you drop the $10 for ‘preferred floor access,’ however, I got nothing for you.
Show starts at 4, whether you have found your parachute pants yet or not.
By John Athayde
Washington Highlands has a new library coming to the Southwest DC neighborhood. Designed by British architect David Adjaye, it sports an ultra-modern look and floor plan where apparently right angles are hard to come by. The project rendering appears to be quite out of place for DC and will stir up probably the same sentiments about the Frank Gerhy Corcoran extension or Eisenhower Memorial Award.
As the rare, neo-classical loving architecture guy, I think it is reminiscent of a preschool meets the design studio project of a sophomore architecture school student who loves Zaha Hadid.
Apparently I’m not alone as the neighborhood has been speaking out against the design as well. Adjaye has countered these complaints by stating that “Modernity need not be a frightening thing.” Modernity, Mr. Adjaye, isn’t frightening in and of itself, nor should it be barred from use in the design of this library. But something utilizing a more austere form would be welcome. For example, the Bibliotheque Nationale de France (photos: [1] [2]).
According to their website, Adjaye Associates is also designing a library to replace the existing Francis Gregory facility which at least has some remote archetypal connection to the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Memorial (and therefore the classical temple).
By AcaciaO
Little Miss Whiskey's downstairs bar, H St
From the outside, the rowhouse-turned-bar has purposefully little to draw the attention of the casual passerby. Only the purple halo of light around the front window and red-lit address — 1104 — hints that something’s going on there that wasn’t before. Stepping inside however, is like a trip down the rabbit hole: violet light seeps from every fixture and reflects off gilded, well, everything. The velvet wall-papered walls are also covered with frames, mirrors, sconces and other random adornments, all painted gold. If I had seen the Cheshire Cat himself, smile floating in the corner of the bar’s upstairs lounge spot, I would have hardly been surprised. Continue reading
By Don
‘SUIT oyaji in Wall st.’
courtesy of ‘jacopast’
Men’s Warehouse is having its 5th annual National Suit Drive. If you’ve ever heard of the excellent charity Dress for Success which helps women in need get business-appropriate attire, well, this one’s for the dudes. I don’t know why they kick off the event almost three months in advance with the Capitol PurSuit Drive in June but they’ll be collecting suits all through the month of September. Though it’s called a suit drive, they’ll take any professional item that’s lightly worn and which can be passed on to men who need clothing to help them land a job. The full list of needed items are here but they include suits, sport coats, pants, and ties.
You can drop your items off at any Men’s Warehouse store; in the District that gives you one choice, just south-east of Dupont off Farragut Square, just steps from the Farragut North metro stop. If you live or work outside the city you can use the store finder on their website.
‘follow your path’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’
Carl: Since Mother Weaver is coming to town on Friday, I plan to entertain her by taking her to see the lazy-ass welfare pandas, perhaps a concert at Millennium Stage, and definitely a visit to Ted Kennedy’s grave, not that it is entertaining, but it would be a meaningful visit. In the evening on Saturday Mom will enjoy a trip to Science Club for some $4 PBRs. On Sunday we will get up early and do some kayaking at Great Falls before I take her back to the airport. She may have other plans, but as long as she is staying under my roof, she will do what I say. How’s it feel now that the tables are turned, Mom?
Donna: With the weather this great, I’ll be outside as much as possible–on the deck, on the trails, and at the Virginia Scottish Games and Festival in the Plains. This shindig includes Celtic crafts, bridies (see, I used Wikipedia as a source) and caber tossing, which my friend Cat describes as big hairy men tossing telephone poles end over end. I’ll be lobbying to stay for the Saturday night concert with the Glengarry Bhoys. Having just returned from a couple days in the Rockies and still hankering for good beer, I’m also hoping to head for the patio of Fireflies in Del Ray, which carries a few Colorado microbrews like the rich and sweet Breckenridge Vanilla Porter. Mmm, mmm good!
Rebecca: I’ve been out of town for the last four weekends, so I’m ALL about chilling out in DC. Friday I’ll check out the movies at Bethesda Row. With all the summer blockbusters, it’s time to catch an off-beat, foreign flick. If you haven’t caught the fever, it’s College Football season, so my Saturday’s will now be dedicated to cheering on Mizzou and Notre Dame. If you’re interested in local college teams: UMD plays Cal at 10pm and Georgetown takes on Holy Cross. Sunday I’ll mosey on down to the U.S. Capitol’s West Lawn for the NSO’s FREE Labor Day concert. Must remember to bring a picnic, blanket and some candles. All I can say is “Thank God Monday is a National Holiday!” Sleeping in late. That’s my plan. Continue reading
By Donna C.
‘Pumpkin Pie’
courtesy of ‘benklocek’
Hard to believe, but true — soon it’ll be time for pumpkin pie! And pumpkin dip, and pumpkin muffins…nom, nom, nom.
As the fall harvest starts, Arlington is celebrating local foods like the great pumpkin. Its Farm to Table Month runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 14, with locavore dinners at several restaurants including Willow and Eventide.
There will also be movie nights, with films such as The True Cost of Food and FRESH. Next Tuesday’s kickoff is from 6-9 at, where else, the Whole Foods in Clarendon.
By Tom Bridge
‘Phat Wad, Break me off some’
courtesy of ‘Refracted Momentsâ�¢’
The Redskins find themselves in an interesting situation. They have a reported 160,000+ wait list for season tickets, and a number of people defaulting on multi-year season ticket contracts. It appears that unlike other area professional sports teams, the Redskins are suing those who break those commitments for the full amount of of the contract, and then selling the tickets to brokers.
The Snyder-lead Redskins aren’t suing everyone who breaks the contracts, just many of them. Why they’re not, instead, just breaking the contract and going to the first name on that 160,000 person waiting list? That I can’t tell you. But I can delve into some of the politics of being a ticket broker. Let’s talk about that for a second. Continue reading
By Rebecca
‘and their (clothes are) off!’
courtesy of ‘m hoek’
Sorry for the semi-disturbing picture. Avert your eyes! Avert your eyes! But I couldn’t help it. I mean the event’s title is the Full “Corn Moon” Bike Ride. So, you’re better blaming the Washington Area Bicyclists Association who will be leading this nighttime tour of the Capital Crescent/Georgetown Branch Trail. The ride starts at 8:15pm right next to Cycle Life under the Whitehurst Freeway at the Georgetown Waterfront by moonlight starting from the Georgetown Waterfront. You’ll bike the non-hilly, cement paved trail all the way up to City Bikes in Chevy Chase, where you can feast on some BBQ before heading back.
By Cathy
‘DC Foodie Blogger Happy Hour’
courtesy of ‘CathyLovesDC’
Last night at Poste Brasserie, I stepped out onto the DC foodie scene, mingling with as many of the 60 local food and gardening bloggers as I possibly could. WeLoveDC’s resident foodie, Katie, couldn’t make the party, and she sent me in her stead (poor me…).
Thanks to Mary (Arugula Files) and Amelia (Gradually Greener) who planned the evening, WeLoveDC was present at an incredibly successful gathering.
Nestled into a private corner of the outdoor patio, the weather was impeccably gorgeous, the wine was flowing freely, Continue reading
By Tom Bridge
‘robus’
courtesy of ‘nevermindtheend’
Avoid the area at Connecticut Ave NW and Florida Ave NW as a female pedestrian was truck by a bus there this morning. It’s not clear at this time if the pedestrian or bus driver are at fault. The woman has been transported with life threatening injuries to GWU Hospital Center.
By Max
PARK(ing) Day by Laughing Squid
It’s amazing when you stop and think about how much of our cities are dedicated to cars. What was once fertile green land is now sealed in pavement, concrete, and pollution. Well on September 18, we have a chance to claim a little bit of that space back with Park(ing) Day DC. The idea is to take over a parking space (or two or three) for the day and turn it into a park. Get it? Park(ing) Day? Check out this video to see what people have done in past years in NYC.
I think this is an awesome idea and can’t wait to see what people do in DC. What a great way to combine artistic creativity with environmental awareness. If you have ideas, want to volunteer, or even want to sponsor a space, be sure to sign up and get involved on their website. Oh, and be sure to take photos on the 18th and submit them to our Flickr pool!
By Tom Bridge
‘Screaming Eagles and La Barra Brava’
courtesy of ‘BehindTheBadge.com’
The Screaming Eagles and Barra Brava did their best last night, but it wasn’t enough to put D.C. United in possession of another trophy. They lost the US Open Cup to the Seattle Sounders 2-1. The turning point for the game came in the 67th minute as Seattle Sounders FC forward Fredy Montero put one by keeper Josh Wicks. But the goal wasn’t the end of United, what happened next was: keeper Wicks stomped on the torso of Montero, and drew a red card. Wicks had been playing out of his mind, and one flash of temper was enough to sink United. They’d bring a score back in the 87th minute, but keeper Kocic wasn’t up to the task.
Wicks likely deserves some time to think about what he’s done from the bench, which would likely cost the club their nascent playoff spot, but I can see no alternative for a player who deserves to learn a painful lesson about sportsmanship.
By Ben H. Rome
‘WMATA’
courtesy of ‘sofafort’
And the Metro angst continues.
Kudos to James Hohmann over at WaPo for his breakdown of yesterday’s absurd circus between WMATA and its board members. What’s utterly appalling is Metro’s insistence that their August 5 press release was enough notice.
While the notice does mention “major track maintenance rehabilitation program during the three-day Labor Day holiday weekend,” it does not list September 4 – 7 as dates that particular stations will be closed. Only the weekday evenings particular stations would be shut in the evening. Nowhere in the release does it state anything about three stations being closed for three days. Continue reading
By Kirk
‘Mykonos; Î�λληνική Ï�ημαία’
courtesy of ‘Global Jet’
Welcome to the first installment of the WLDC Ethnic Food Survey. The idea here is not to provide you with an exhaustive list of your ethnic food options, but to give you a brief overview of what we feel are your best bets for any particular type of regional cuisine in the city. Doubtless, there will be outrage from you at the glaring omissions in these articles, but we’ll do the best we can.
This time around, I’ll be giving you a tour of the wide world of Greek cooking. Greek food is widely available, albeit generally poorly executed. You can get a mediocre gyro just about anywhere, but once you visit a proper, Greek establishment, your eyes will be opened to the awe that is Hellenic cuisine. Here are my favorites in DC:
By Ben H. Rome
‘*bounce*’
courtesy of ‘nevermindtheend’
Just as Karl and I were saying in the comments thread on the Labor Day closings, Metro needs to seriously fix their communications department. WaPo just broke the story that several Metro board members weren’t even notified or consulted about the closings and they’re (rightly) ticked off.
Metro board Chairman Jim Graham said the board plans to discuss the closures and WMATA’s communications “procedures” on a conference call tomorrow morning.
In addition, WMATA announced – today! – that General Manager John Catoe, Jr will take questions during an online chat on Friday. Riders can also vent make their views known tonight at 6:30 during a regularly scheduled Riders’ Advisory Council Meeting at Metro HQ.
The quote of the day that proves our point deliciously is by Fairfax County Supervisor Jeff McKay, a Metro board member: “We get an F in communications but an A in strategy for [setting the date for] the least-disruptive work,” he said. “I can defend the decision; I can’t defend the way we explained it to people. . . . That’s just a complete breakdown in strategic communication.”
DUH.
By Katie
‘Commonwealth’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’
Don’t feel like cooking on Labor Day? (And why would you, we’re celebrating NOT working!) Lucky for you, CommonWealth Gastropub in Columbia Heights is running a might tasty special from noon to 10 p.m. Guests can get a pulled pork sandwich, two sides and bread pudding all for $12. In addition to a yummy pork sandwich, you can be the first to try the new CommonWealth Brown Ale beer.
CommonWealth Brown Ale is a traditional brown ale with roasted malt notes and a nutty finish brewed specially for them by Alewerks in Williamsburg, Virginia. A pint of the CommonWealth Brown Ale is available for $3 with the purchase of the Labor Day special or separately for $5, US Pint, $6 UK Pint.
Cheers to working hard, but playing harder.
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