Daily Archives: January 19, 2010

Food and Drink, Night Life, Penn Quarter, The Daily Feed
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Cuba Libre Coming to DC

Photo courtesy of
‘Mojito’
courtesy of ‘Katayun’

Philadelphia, Atlantic City and Orlando – now DC will get its own taste of Old Havana when Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar opens at 9th & H Streets NW this May. I’m particularly excited by this news as Cuba Libre is known for its large rum selection featuring over 75 Latin American varieties. Will this mean that the naysayers who are calling for the death of the mojito will be proven wrong? We’ll see, as Cuba Libre is also known for this summery cocktail with 15 variations to choose from… at the very least, I’ll be happy to sip a Cafe Cubano after dinner!

The food menu will be overseen by Chef Partner Guillermo Pernot, 2002 winner of the James Beard Award for Best Chef of the Mid-Atlantic Region. Concept chef for the Cuba Libre restaurants since 2006, he’s said to be inspired to create dishes as if Castro had never come to power. Indeed, that pretty much sums up the restaurant’s concept – to celebrate 1950’s Old Havana in every way. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Miriam’s Kitchen Begins Dinner Service

Photo courtesy of
‘090924-G-4159B-936.JPG’
courtesy of ‘aclintonb’

As of yesterday, DC’s homeless can now have a healthy, home made dinner at Miriam’s Kitchen.  Up till now, this local soup kitchen had only served breakfasts but has now expanded its service to include an evening meal, as well.  This is good news for the philanthropically minded late-risers.  If getting up around 5am isn’t your style, you can now volunteer in the evenings from 4pm-6pm. If you’re interested, check out the MK website and sign up. Those that want to be really cool  should sign up for breakfast service on either the 2nd or 4th Thursdays of the month.  That’s when the really awesome people volunteer, if you know what I’m saying.

The Daily Feed
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Beltway 3rd Worst Commute in US. Surprised?

Photo courtesy of
‘Temple Ahead’
courtesy of ‘diskychick’

The Daily Beast has been crunching numbers to come up with a list of America’s 75 Worst Commutes, and surprising exactly no one, our own Capital Beltway came in at #3.

But what actually did kind of surprise me was the “expert’s opinion” quote they came up with to go with it:

“It’s a rough road,” says Adam Tuss, transportation reporter for WTOP 103.5. “It has lots of twists and turns, people speed on it and it’s got a lot of slow points too. It’s certainly not a freeway without its challenges.”

Really? That’s the best explanation anyone could come up with? It has fast-and-slow points? It’s twisty? Not the fact that it’s 5 lanes across in places and the exit patterns are constantly changing? Or that there’s pretty much no useful alternative to it if you’re trying to get between Maryland and Virgina?

News, The Daily Feed
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Creepy Pervert Warning on the W&OD Trail

Photo courtesy of
‘DSCF1771’
courtesy of ‘Kingfox’

Arlington Police are currently investigating a pervert who is exposing himself to women on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail in the county. He has exposed himself to five different women in the past week. ACPD said today: “A white male subject exposed himself to woman at various sections of the bike trail. Detectives are looking for more information from the public regarding these exposures.”

If you know anything about this pervert and his tiny winky, please contact Detective Comer at (703) 228-4243 or Detective Austin at (703) 228-4241.

We Green DC
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New Twists on Green Events

Photo courtesy of
‘Day 7 – Duck Shoot’
courtesy of ‘DaGoaty’

From the deep, dark motives of rubber duckies to shivering dips in the chilly Chesapeake Bay to free tickets to the Washington Auto Show, there’s some creativity in the next couple of weeks’ green events. Without further ado, here are some new ways to save the planet.

Learn If a Duck Is Plotting to Kill You
Wednesday, Jan. 20
6:30 p.m.

Slow Death by Rubber Duck – Discussion and Book Signing
Downtown/U Street Corridor
Busboys & Poets, 2021 14th St., NW

To research their new book, authors Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie spent a week eating and breathing things that are abundant in our homes and offices, from dust to shampoos and toothpaste.

Slow Death by Rubber Duck: The Secret Danger of Everyday Things tells the story of the toxins that accumulated in their bodies during that short time and jumps from there to the corporations that make these toxins, the governments that stand by and watch, and the effect it has on people worldwide.

Come for a talk and signing. The book is said to be hopeful, empowering readers with simple ideas for protecting themselves and bringing positive change.
Continue reading →

Food and Drink, News, The Daily Feed
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Coming Soon: Taco Bell in Union Station

Photo courtesy of
‘Taco Bell’
courtesy of ‘Javier Aroche’

To all of our dear Taco Bell lovers out there — we’ve got some good news and we’ve got some bad news.

Bad news first … Taco Bell founder Glen Bell, Jr. passed away on Sunday.

Now the good news … A Taco Bell is opening its registers at Union Station soon now open in the Union Station food court!

So go satisfy that craving you have for “cheap taco-y goodness” in memory of Mr. Bell. I’m sure he’d apprecaite it.

Mythbusting DC, The Features
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DC Mythbusting: International City

Photo courtesy of
‘Flagged entry’
courtesy of ‘afagen’

Hi, and welcome to a new year of Mythbusting!   We’re going to start out the year off with a myth about the character of the District.  When I first moved to DC, I always thought it was such an international city– walking down the street, you hear people speaking foreign languages,  and with all the embassies it seemed like it was home to people from many different nations.  And I’m not alone– there are clubs in the city focused on bringing international professionals together, and DC is known as a major global city.  But is the District home to more people from foreign countries, and more foreign speaker, than other peer cities?

Continue reading →

Life in the Capital, News, The Daily Feed
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Drivers Beware! The Parking Meter Conversion Is Complete.

Photo courtesy of
‘me limit 0:00’
courtesy of ‘theilr’

The parking meter conversion is scheduled to reach its completion today and DC residents must now be aware that  new enforcement hours and higher rates – including  Saturday enforcement and some meters running to 10 pm  — are in effect.

Not sure if these changes have anything to do with you? WTOP has the low-down on what you need to know.

But one thing’s for sure, it’s probably a good idea to start paying attention when parking on the street. You don’t want to go and get a ticket for forgetting to read a sign.

News, The Daily Feed, The Mall
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The “Nuns Impact On History” Comes To The Smithsonian

Photo courtesy of
‘These look like nice nuns’
courtesy of ‘Valerie Everett’

Ever wonder what nun’s do in their spare time? Wonder no more! The International Gallery at the Smithsonian opened a new exhibit on Friday featuring the stories of 12 Catholic sisters who arrived in New Orleans in 1727.

The exhibit demonstrates the overall impact of Catholic nuns had in the shaping of our nation’s culture and the evolution of social service over the past 300 years.

A wide-range of displays are featured, including: a letter from President Thomas Jefferson assuring the women that their work could continue following the Louisiana Purchase, the role of the sisters in treating soldiers on the front lines in the Civil War, the founding of the Mayo Clinic and other historically documented events.

“Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America,” is on a three-year tour and will be open to the public until April 25.

The Daily Feed
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Nickles’ War on the Judiciary

Photo courtesy of
‘DC Court of Appeals and Lincoln’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

The City Paper has a fascinating read today on what it considers DC Attorney General Peter Nickles’ War on the Judiciary. Right now, AG Nickles is in major conflicts with a number of different judges for attempting to short circuit judicial oversight of a number of city agencies. In a town that has been so fiercely against the unitary executive, it seems odd to see the Mayor try to emulate the former President in his quest to free the executive branch from both legislative and judicial oversight.

Reading some of the history of the six consent decrees that currently affect the District, and their origins, certainly gives one perspective on why Nickles might want to be free of oversight. It’s hard to see, though, why the District shouldn’t abide by prior decisions of the Court.

Featured Photo, WMATA
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Featured Photo


‘B&W Train Tunnel’
courtesy of ‘MikaAltskan’

What a year it has been for Metro, and the first month isn’t over yet. Service on the rails has been particularly messy this January, and just when it looked like Metro had decided to take the fight to the people, its general manager calls it quits. Despite last year’s tragedies and this year’s very rocky start, there’s still a magic about the system. Architect Harry Weese‘s vision for the Metrorail stations is iconic, modern, and yet still brutalist in nature.

For me, the best part of the system is the interface between the public parts of the station — the platforms, mezzanines, and escalators — and the inaccessible areas, especially the tunnels and the rail bed. Teenage photographer MikaAltskan managed to snap this shot looking into the tunnel from one of the stations. It shows off the curves of the concrete and rails, and the lights punctuating the distance before veering into an unknown, yet familiar place.

The next time you are waiting for the train that seems to never want to arrive, take a look around you and notice the cathedral-like look of the station where you happen to be waiting.

Fun & Games, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Operation: SNOW PEA

Photo courtesy of
‘DSC_4606’
courtesy of ‘Ghost_Bear’

So you’ve watched 24 and are hankering for some personal spy action, right? Or perhaps you’re in the mood for something a little different during the cold, dreary days of winter. Well, for a limited time, you can be a double agent right here in the “City of Spies.”

The International Spy Museum is running Operation: Snow Pea through the end of February, giving you and your friends the chance to experience the museum and a special operation for the price of one admission. Simply provide the secret password (SNOW PEA) to one of the museum’s operatives or on the online order form and receive admission to the museum PLUS one of the following for only $20.10:

  • Be an intelligence officer on an international mission in Operation Spy.
  • Thwart a cyberterrorist attack on the nation’s capital! Play Polar Bear Spy in the City.
  • Enjoy creative cocktails and clandestine conversation at Spy at Night.

Offer isn’t valid between 2/12 – 2/15 and expires February 28. Get your spy on before the tourists come back…