Yearly Archives: 2009

Food and Drink, We Love Food
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In Defense of Restaurant Week (+ My Picks For Best Bets)

Photo courtesy of
‘Condiments’
courtesy of ‘Amberture’

The dates for Restaurant Week were leaked last week, and now that I’m on Twitter, I’ve been hearing both sides of the eternal debate – is Restaurant Week worth it? Alex, the foodie over at Brightest Young Things and I got into a brief discussion, she is anti-Restaurant Week, and I’m pro, so I wrote her an email explaining my stance, the text of which follows. After I defend RW, then I’ll go on to share my picks for which places are the best bets this go round. If you’re not interested in my defense, you can skip right to that part, I won’t hate you. But, without further ado, here’s my pro-Restaurant Week diatribe for Alex:

I hear the haters, I do – I understand – the service during Restaurant Week can be crappy, the restaurant loses more than it makes so you get the cheapest food items they can serve, smaller portions, the kitchen gets tired of cranking out the same food over and over and the quality lacks. I get it. I hear you when you say if you’re a REAL foodie, you’ll stay far away during hell week and go back after the restaurants have recovered. But you know what I say to all that? Suck it. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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A selective kiss-cam

Photo courtesy of
‘kiss’
courtesy of ‘quigley_brown’

WaPo’s got the story today about the Washington Mystics’ no-kisscam policy. Personally I think the lack of that hideous time-killer is a selling point, but it’s fairly obvious why some people would be a little peeved by it. I will say, to Verizon Center’s credit, that I have never seen them engage in the obnoxious practice of showing two dudes for the “oh hah hah they will not kiss because they are straight isn’t their discomfort FUNNY” during the kisscam.

I once told someone who came with me to a Florida Panthers game that he should be warned – if they pull that crap on us I’m gonna kiss him. “You can bet enough people will whine that they’ll never do it again.”

Thanks but no thanks for proving me wrong, Mystics.

The Daily Feed
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So, what kind of beer did Obama invite them for?

Photo courtesy of
‘beers’
courtesy of ‘Amberture’

So, with all the foofaraw about the arrest of Dr. Henry Louis Gates, what President Obama said about the actions of the arresting officer and his police department, and the president’s ensuing invitation for the officer and Dr. Gates to join him at the White House for a beer, it’s refreshing to see people getting their panties all a-twist over what really matters- what beer will be served?

The folks at The Awl seem to believe that the LBJ-era policy directing that only domestic wines and beers be served at official functions means that the president, the professor, and the cop will be knocking back mass-market, watery crap.  Personally, I don’t see any reason to believe that- while even as a non-beer-drinker I know that Budweiser is awful beer, as the wife of a beer enthusiast I also know that there are many fine regional beers and microbrews made right here in the US that could be offered to White House guests without bringing about national shame.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Mystics Down Sacramento for Back-to-Back Home Wins

Photo courtesy of
‘Mystics post-game 7/18/09’
courtesy of ‘caciadoodl’

In their longest stretch at home this season, Mystics play was a show of the mostly good, the sort of bad and the sporadically ugly. Last night the team (9-7) defeated the Sacramento Monarchs, 87-73. Crystal Langhorne continued to shine in her sophomore season, leading the team with 19 points.  In this win and their Thursday win over Chicago (75-64) the Mystics demonstrated why they are currently 3rd in the Eastern Conference and have a serious chance at the playoffs. Tomorrow the team will play on the home court of No. 1 Indiana (to who they lost Tuesday 70-82) and then on to that of the New York Liberty.

The Daily Feed
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Kastles Win WTT Championship


2009 WTT Champions by Max Cook

In what can only be described as a miraculous weekend of tennis, the Washington Kastles pulled off two huge wins against the New York Sportimes and the Springfield Lasers to become the 2009 World TeamTennis Champions.  Both matches were no easy feat for the Kastles with the match point coming down to the very end.  Just when things could easily go in the other team’s favor, the Kastles stepped up their game and pulled through.  Both matches were a blast for Kastles fans and made for some amazing tennis.

Continue reading →

The DC 100
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Omnivore 100: #59 Poutine

Photo courtesy of
’08-dec-26′
courtesy of ‘sashafatcat’

I can’t tell you just how excited I was when I volunteered to write this week’s Omnivore: 100 feature and stumbled across the traditional French-Canadian dish, Poutine, as an option. As a native of Canada, I’ve been missing poutine ever since I moved to this great land and I wish Americans didn’t find the concept of fries covered in cheese and gravy so revolting. For 12 years, I’ve been talking up the glorious amalgamation of fat, grease, and sodium that is a plate of poutine to friends who can muster no other response than snide remarks like “sounds like poontang.” I swear to God that sometimes I feel like I’m living the life of a South Park character (I’m not the only person who’s made this observation, and you can probably guess which one I’d be…cough, Cartman, cough)

So let me impart some Canadian wisdom (Liam, isn’t that an oxymoron? Har har, very funny…) upon you all about one of the greatest dishes ever. Yes. I said it. It’s one of the greatest dishes ever. There is NOTHING like sitting down to a plate of fries covered in gravy and cheese curd (especially after a night of boozin’ on Montreal’s Rue Ste. Catherine – MTL’s equivalent to 18th St. in Adams Morgan). Yes, it probably takes a few days off your life, but c’mon, by the time it actually hits you, your meals will all consist of apple sauce anyway. Continue reading →

Business and Money, The Daily Feed
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Fenty Proposes Ballpark Tax Shift

Photo courtesy of
‘here’s a question for you two…’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

I would gladly pay you Tuesday for a Hamburger today, is what J. Wellington Wimpy from Popeye always said. Apparently now, Mayor Fenty wants to take Wimpy’s route, and use $50M from the Ballpark Tax toward the General Fund for the city over the next four years. The Ballpark Tax is charged to DC’s large and medium businesses as a way of financing the stadium’s purchase, and now those same medium and large businesses aren’t happy to see that money being diverted back to city coffers during the crisis.

The Features, Weekend Flashback
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Weekend Flashback: 7/24 – 7/28/2009

Photo courtesy of
” courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

It’s about time summer showed up. We were missing you, stifling-hot days with sticky humidity and sudden downpours! Thanks for arriving late to the party and reminding us August is knocking on our back door.

Try as you might, however, you couldn’t keep us down. No way! We defied you this weekend, with multitudes of sports, BBQs and kids being kids! Our area photographers refused to submit!

Ok, so yeah, I’ve had double caffeine this morning. How about you? Chill a moment and check out the weekend from viewpoints other than your own… Continue reading →

News, The Daily Feed
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14th Street To Be Closed Between Constitution, Pennsylvania

Photo courtesy of
‘Streaks of Light’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’

14th Street will be closed from Constitution Avenue to Pennsylvania Avenue starting at 5am tomorrow for a special event, and won’t reopen until 6pm. I’m not sure yet what the event is that’s causing the closure, but DC’s Text Alert Service has a guide for planning your commute along different routes. If you can, tomorrow, work from home. I fully suspect this to be all kinds of bad for traffic and getting around town tomorrow.

Crime & Punishment, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Alexandria Police Chief Arrested for DUI

Photo courtesy of
‘How Much is that Bottle in the Window?’
courtesy of ‘Karon’

The Post is reporting that Alexandria Chief of Police David Baker was arrested for DUI in Arlington over the weekend, with a blood-alcohol content of .19, more than twice the legal limit. He was involved in a collision with another car, with $1800 in damage to the two vehicles. Chief Baker has been placed on administrative leave while the case is investigated. He faces a minimum of 5 days in jail as his BAC was over .15.

A blood alcohol content (BAC) level of 0.08 percent is considered legally impaired. However, alcohol can start to affect many of your senses after only one drink. No matter the circumstances, you should never drink and drive. It’s not worth the risk of putting yourself and others in danger.

A blood alcohol content (BAC) level of 0.08 percent is considered legally impaired. However, alcohol can start to affect many of your senses after only one drink. No matter the circumstances, you should never drink and drive. It’s not worth the risk of putting yourself and others in danger.

The largest group at risk for drinking and driving are those who binge drink or are struggling with an alcohol use disorder (AUD). This means they consume a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time, putting them at risk for harmful side effects and according to Leppard Law PLLC many legal problems. It takes roughly 30 minutes to two hours for alcohol to be absorbed into your bloodstream. During this time, your breathing may slow down and your cognitive skills may be delayed. Because of this, it is always dangerous to drink and drive.

Special Events, The Daily Feed
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TEP & Ben’s Chili Bowl Fundraiser TODAY!!!

Photo courtesy of

‘Summer = Grill = Hotdogs!’

courtesy of ‘TheBusyBrain’

I know it’s last minute on a Sunday, but if you’re in the mood for some half-smokes, beer and good company, all in the name of raising funds for The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School, this gathering is for you. DC’s very own Ben’s Chili Bowl is sponsoring the event and generously providing half smokes, chili, cheese, the works. There will also be vegetarian options and other delights.

Suggested donation: $20. Brokeass? Throw us $5 or a six pack and they’ll call it even. The party is being hosted by TEP Capital Campaign Board members, who are raising funds for a facility, since charter schools are not provided an actual building.

Location: 605 Q Street NW, (2 blocks from Howard/Shaw metro stop)

Time: 6-9pm Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Restaurant Week Announced (/Leaked)!

Photo courtesy of
‘Zaytinya’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’

RAMW said it wasn’t going to release until Monday, Open Table doesn’t have the promotion listed on the home page, but the dates have been leaked on Twitter, (August 24-30) and people are referring to last year’s list as a starting point for when to reserve click here for it. These are good guesses for what will be there this year, right? Right. So you could go ahead and stake out your claim on these spots now and hope they’re on it when it gets announced Monday.

Now, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. SORT IT BY PRICE. Hello?! This is what Restaurant Week is all about people, eating at places you couldn’t usually afford. Now, you can’t sort by price quite yet, because Open Table hasn’t done the full list yet, but here are my initial picks for you without looking at it fully, the way I like to when I sort it. Also, this is without knowing who is extending the list. I’ll dig deeper for you on Monday, but if you’re in a hurry, here are my quick picks, guaranteed for a good time.

1789, Cafe Atlantico, Ceiba, Equinox, Me Jana, PS 7’s, Volt and Willow. Now go forth and reserve, my fair readers.

The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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Red Line Incident

Photo courtesy of
‘Metro – Vault – 12-15-08’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

A man was hit and injured by a Red Line train at the Van Ness-UDC Metro station this afternoon after he put himself on the tracks intentionally, according to WMATA. DC Fire & EMS retrieved the man from under the first car of the train and transported him to an area hospital. Until the incident scene is formally documented, the Red Line will be single-tracking from Cleveland Park to Friendship Heights, resulting in (yet more) delays.

Is this Metro’s worst year? It’s look like it.

Update: Metro says that “normal” (degraded) service has returned after the accident.

Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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DC: Meet The Amazing Race

Photo courtesy of
‘uh, where are we?’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

So you think you know DC? The city’s hidden gems, obscure facts, secret tunnels and back routes? Next Saturday, Aug. 1st, offers you a chance to put all that trivia valuable knowledge to good use.

It’s the first-ever GO Urban Adventure Race, a nationwide series of scavenger hunts that kicks off here at home. Next summer, DC will host all winning teams in the championship race.

Here’s the deal — teams of two will receive clues via text message and will travel by foot, Metro or bus to a GOpoint. They must complete a physical or mental challenge to get their next clue and move on. Clues are tailored to DC’s unique make-up and history. After finding 12 GOpoints, competitors race to the finish — and a party, of course!

All proceeds benefit The Vallon Institute, which raises money for environmentally and health-friendly programs. And the race is green, with organic t-shirts and perks for doing planet-friendly deeds. Sign me up!

The Daily Feed
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Who doesn’t love Gargoyles?

Photo courtesy of
‘St. Patrick’s Church – Cornered – 3-4-09’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

They’re so cute and evil! They’re so… Hunchback of Notre Dame. Or Batman Returns. They kind of remind me of Dobby in Harry Potter. Alright, you can project your own pop culture references onto these little guys when you go on the National Cathedral Gargoyle tour. Admission is $10 per adult; $5 per child (12 and under); or $30 per family. No reservations necessary.

Upcoming dates (all Sundays at 2 p.m.):
July 26
August 23
Sept. 27
October 25

Food and Drink, Interviews, Life in the Capital, Penn Quarter, People, The Features
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She Loves DC: Jill Zimorski

jill and wine

Jill rushes up to greet me wearing a bright green cardigan and a cute black Ann Taylor dress. (I know, because I have it in pink!) She’s not what you expect in someone whose credentials boast “Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers” and “has completed the Advanced Certificate Course offered through the Wine Spirits and Education Trust.” Jill just looks like she could be any of my girlfriends, but with a totally rockin’ day job – beverage director for Café Atlantico, the popular Penn Quarter eat place that hides Minibar. She’s been with Jose Andres since 2006, and seen Cafe Atlantico through quite a bit. We sat down to talk about my favorite subject – DC, paired with my other favorite subject – food and wine. (Heavy on the wine, given Jill’s passion!)

Me: Name the best part of DC in your opinion?
Jill: I think it would have to be the endless variety of people who you can meet, and what you can do here. My list of things I want to do is long, and some of it you can do on your own and other things with friends. Continue reading →

Getaways, The Features
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Getaways: Monticello

The Monticello

“I am as happy no where else and in no other society, and all my wishes end, where I hope my days will end, at Monticello.” –Thomas Jefferson, 1787

Strolling the grounds of one of America’s most famous homesteads, with its tidy green spaces and views of the Blue Ridge Mountains stretching out from either side, one could see why Thomas Jefferson sought always to be here, at Monticello. Monticello, with its book-lined walls, its stretching gardens and its needs, was — for Jefferson — the only place worth being, even during his trips to France as U.S. Minister or his time as president. And honestly, who could blame him?

The day trip to Charlottesville, Virginia, from DC was inspired in part by a graphic essay by Maira Kalman in the New York Times called “Time Wastes too Fast.” Kalman retells her own pilgrimage to Monticello with a quaint and quirky awe at the man, his accomplishments and his life there. “If you want to understand country and its people and what it means to be optimistic and complex and tragic and wrong and courageous, you need to visit his home in Monticello,” she writes. Okay Maira, I’m sold.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Blogging the Fire Department

Photo courtesy of
‘DC Fireboat and Memorial Bridge’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Yesterday a friend sent me what is becoming my new favorite blog, Raising Ladders, which is the story of Alex, a probie firefighter/paramedic with Engine Company 15/Rescue Squad 3 in the District of Columbia. The writing is phenomenal, and you get to see a whole other side of our city from the vantage point of a young firefighter working in the city he loves. Be ready, though, I’ve lost a couple hours to the site in the last couple days, and you very may well get sucked in, as well. I dare you not to gawk for at least 15 minutes at his photography, though. Dare you. Oh, and if you don’t read the story about talking with the crackhead? You’re missing out.

The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Watch as Teddy Devours Secretary Sebelius

Okay, so that’s not exactly what happens in this PSA about the Flu. But with the sound off, it sure looks like Teddy is going to raise the Secretary over his head and stuff her into his gaping, grinning maw as an after-race snack.

Or maybe I just haven’t had my coffee yet.

Seriously, though, wash your hands and stay home if you’re sick, the Flu bites.

The Daily Feed
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DC United in Talks to Build Stadium (Again)

Photo courtesy of
‘DC United at RFK – Now and Forever -5858’
courtesy of ‘Joe Tresh’

Now and forever, not so much? Washington Business Journal reports today that DC United CEO Kevin Payne has restarted his discussions with DC council member Jack Evans, D-Ward 2, and Delegate Eleanor Holmes-Norton, D-D.C., about the potential of a new soccer stadium being built in the district around Poplar Point near the Anacostia river. Payne’s been here before, as he was in talks several months ago with Mayor Fenty, but the Mayor abandoned talks when it was evident they could not possibly swing funding a project of this magnitude.

The hope of United officials is to build a 20,000-seat stadium costing at least $175 Million so they can leave the archaic RFK, where DC United has won 100 games in 13 seasons (not too shabby!) With their $1.2 Million lease expiring after the 2010 season, commissioner of Major League Soccer, Don Garber, suggested the team relocate if they can’t find adequate funding to build a new stadium. Booo!!!! Bad idea. Continue reading →