Monthly Archives: February 2010

News, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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SNOMG, damnit!

Photo courtesy of
‘damn the snow — full speed ahead!’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

After a second snowpocalypse, do we stop getting excited about them? This question is not abstract; I really mean it.  It looks like we’re in for yet another snow storm, perhaps larger than any we’ve had so far this year. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch, calling for up to 20 inches for the DC area.  Who’s ready to be snowed in for yet another weekend? Not this guy.  Still, it seems inevitable.  So, make a run on milk and bread and find some sweet board games, or something.  I don’t think you’ll be going anywhere this weekend. And stick with WLDC for all of your Snowpocalypse 2.0 coverage.

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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New Lunchtime Option: Mixt Greens

Mixt Greens 3 front

Sick of Chop’t? Can’t get to Sweetgreen? Scared of Organic To Go? (So am I.) You’ve got a new option in the area: Mixt Greens. Founded in San Francisco in 2005, the shop pioneered the combination of gourmet salads and environmentally sustainable restaurant practices. They offer tossed-to-order, gourmet salads and sandwiches served on organic breads along with organic, house-made iced teas and lemonades. Did I mention it was organic? Prices from $7.95 to $11.95 for salads and $8.95 for sandwiches, which are served with a side salad of greens.

Coolest thing about Mixt Greens? Each location has what they call an “edible living wall” of seasonally rotating herbs and vegetables. The wall highlights indoor urban agriculture, a low-energy, high-yield farming technique, showcasing that sustainable, fertilizer/pesticide-free, healthy food can be grown indoors in urban environments. I dig.

The first location opened last week at 1200 19th Street, NW, and the second is opening on Tuesday at 1311 F Street, NW. Two other locations are planned at 1700 K Street, NW and 927 15th Street, NW.

Alexandria, Fashionable DC, Interviews, People, The Features
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Fashionable DC: Treat Boutique

treat_lawrence-luk-for-express-450

Jen Donohue of Treat Boutique. Photo credit: Lawrence Luk

One of my favorite pastimes is visiting independent boutiques in the DC area and talking to the owner. I am fascinated by their motivation to take a risk in retail. When Treat in Old Town Alexandria opened in 2007 and was described as a sample sale boutique, I made a special trip to check out this unique shop. I was greeted by a warm, friendly smile from the store’s owner, Jen Donohue.

I am fortunate to have spent time with Jen through the years and I am inspired by her entrepreneurial spirit, fabulous sense of style combined with hard work that has made Treat one of the best boutiques in the DC area.

Jen is a copyright attorney at a large law firm in downtown DC and my type of girl as both a lover of fashion and great bargains. She first got the idea to open Treat in 2005 when she was visiting New York City and waiting in line at a sample sale. The pure madness of the lines with their pushing and shoving was not her favorite thing but a great deal on designer labels was – she came home with a coveted pair of Manolo heels. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed, We Green DC
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Time for a Beer

Photo courtesy of
‘Beer!’
courtesy of ‘oparrish’

Update: This event has been canceled due to snow. Still looking for some liquid courage to see you through the storm? Join the crew for a happy hour at the downstairs bar at bread & brew from 5-7 p.m.

Even beer can be made better — made organically, that is. But what is organic beer, really?

This Friday, get the lowdown from Tim Adams, co-owner of Peak Organic. He’ll explain what an organic brew really is and how it’s brewed. And then you can sample its bubbly wonders yourself.

The DC Green Connection and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) are partnering for this special networking event, which will bring together SAIS masters students and alumni and DC-area residents interested in going green.

Come from 5 to 9 p.m. to the Johns Hopkins University Student Auditorium, 1740 Mass Ave, NW.

I hope they save a nut brown ale for me.

The Daily Feed
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Ray’s The Steaks at East River Opens March 1

Photo courtesy of
‘Ray’s Hell Burger’
courtesy of ‘roboppy’

Michael Landrum is nothing if not controversial. In the kitchen, he’s a tour de force, as a manager, he’d make Gordon Ramsey weep. But, his restaurant empire continues to grow, and so do his revenues. Landrum’s latest is Ray’s the Steaks at East River in Northeast, which opens March 1, and adds 45 new local jobs to the District. This is Landrum’s first foray into the District as owner, with two restaurants in Virginia and one in Silver Spring, and he’s got plans for a couple more Virginia eateries before 2010 is done.

Say what you like about the man (and there’s plenty of criticism that would be perfectly legitimate), his success is good for DC’s palate.

Ray’s: The Steaks at East River
3905 Dix St. NE,
Washington, DC 20019

Night Life, Special Events, The Features
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“Gin, Gents, & Gems”: Bringing Valentines Day’s Shopping To The Bar

Photo courtesy of

‘Valentine’s display behind the bar’

courtesy of ‘brokentrinkets’

It’s never easy to buy a significant other a Valentine’s Day gift. A lot of time and effort go into finding the gift that screams, “This is JUUUUUUUSSSSTTTT right. Perfecto!” To make matters worse for women, a lot of men don’t like to shop. But what if the gifts followed the men to the bar? Men like drinking … don’t they?

Jewelry maker Courtney Weiner and Leopold Bros. Lindsay Marsh think so. The pair met through mutual friends a few weeks ago and now they’re hosting a unique Valentine’s Day themed bar event catered toward the opposite sex.

Guys go to bars. It’s that simple. Or at least that’s what Wiener and Marsh keep telling each other. “Guys go to bars, so if you put jewelry in the bar they’re more likely to buy it,” That is what spawned “Gin, Gents, & Gems.”

Continue reading →

News, The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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Gorgeous Comparison of Rail Systems

wmata.png

Good has an incredibly sexy graphic comparing WMATA to other large transit systems including CTA, BART, MBTA and MTA, including length of commute averages and other sweet statistics. This is nothing short of sweet, sweet infoporn. How does Metro compare? Right in the middle of the big five transit systems for average commute length, percent active vehicles, ridership and speed.

Like porn, though, I’m not sure if the graphic is representative of reality: how are there really 1M riders on Metrorail + Metrobus on an average day, when an average day has 1.2M trips (not riders) between the two systems and likely a total passenger total of much less than half that number. But hey, we’re probably still ahead of Boston and SF. That counts for something, right?

Fun & Games, The Daily Feed, The District
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Flash Mob Coming

Photo courtesy of
‘Dancing’
courtesy of ‘pete van vleet’

I feel like DC is on the cusp of mass pranking greatness.  Sure, we’re a few steps behind our NYC brethren, but it doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun with flash mobs and pantsless subway rides.  If you’ve yet to get in on any action of the like, you may have a chance on Feb 24th.  Steve Kemble, some fitness guru that I’ve never heard of, will be leading a dancing flash-mob in an as of yet undisclosed location in DC.  The dance moves will be posted on Youtube so that you can practice up ahead of time.  Register here.

News, The Daily Feed, The Great Outdoors, WTF?!
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Anti-Climaxpacolypse

Photo courtesy of
‘Goodbye, snowman’
courtesy of ‘erin m’

Despite the hype and my most fervent prayers, the District came out on the winning end of its bout with snow. This was due largely to getting considerably less precipitation than was predicted.  Most of the DC area reported less than 3 inches of accumulation, but this was enough to close Montgomery and Fairfax county schools and to put the Fed into unscheduled leave.  Still, the roads were little more than wet, this morning, and my commute wasn’t harried in the least.  It was kind of a let down, to be honest. We’ll see if mother nature throws something more challenging our way, this weekend.  Considering that there won’t be any work to miss, I’m guessing that she will.

The Daily Feed
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Spring Dream


‘DSC_0175’
courtesy of ‘Just a Prairie Boy’

After spending so much time indoors this winter, you might be contemplating a home or apartment makeover.  But WAIT!  Why attempt this alone when you can get some professional expertise at a promotional rate?  Save your walls from unnecessary holes and register by February 8th for ASID Washington Metro’s Spring Spruce Up 2010.

Fill out the about your home questionnaire and within three weeks you could be on your way to domestic heaven.  Applications will be accepted until all available slots are filled so there is no more time to waste.  Your home will be forever grateful.

News, The Daily Feed
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Council Approves Elected AG Measure

Photo courtesy of
‘District Door’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’

Starting in 2014, DC voters will elect the attorney general to go along with the Mayor. Currently, the position is appointed, which was the subject of a recent poll by the Post. 55% of those questioned said the AG’s position should be elected and not appointed. The mayor is less than thrilled by the proposition, the Post says, citing the fact that the Mayor would now have to hire his own attorneys going forward. He could veto the bill, which would require 9 council votes to overturn. The initial bill, passing 12-1, heads to his desk and thence to Congress for approval.

Any idea if Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) wants to stick his nose in this? Why not give him a call at (202) 225-7751 and ask?

Talkin' Transit
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Talkin’ Transit

Photo courtesy of
‘Horton #23’
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

Some of you might know me from my photo posts here, and I hope you’ll humor me as I branch out to talk about a subject I love. Or, well, more accurately, a subject I love to hate. As anyone who follows my Twitter stream can attest, I’m not exactly happy with the state of Metro Rail at the moment. But I thought I’d start my new contribution to Talkin’ Transit on a more positive note.

Many times, you’re on the platform waiting for a train and it breaks down. You’re headed home, tired, impatient. The big board was saying ten minutes until your train; now it says “No Passengers,” instead. The announcer makes some vague pronouncement of a problem that is now cleared, “and all trains are moving normally.” When the next train arrives, though, you see it is jam packed — a Caps or Nationals game was just wrapping up, or worse, it’s still rush hour.

A few years ago, Metro installed big expensive signs in every station. They were there to tell you a few bits of information: which elevators were out, when the next train was coming, and so on. On the screen that displays the trains, it also told you what color line the train was servicing and how many cars made up that train.
Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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It Goes to Eleven!

Photo courtesy of
‘Amplifer Knobs’
courtesy of ‘Koonisutra’

Congratulations to the Washington Capitals for setting a franchise record last night! With their 4-1 whipping of the Boston Bruins, the Caps are sitting on an amazing 11 game win streak, stemming back from Ovechkin’s anointing as team captain.

It wasn’t a sure thing until the third period, however. Both teams fought a solid game through two periods, and the 1-1 score going into the last 20 minutes reflected it. But, as seems to be standard Caps operating procedure lately, around five minutes in the Caps just exploded. Brooks Laich and Alexander Semin made Boston’s Matt Hunwick pay on a turnover to gain the Caps’ first lead of the game. Boyd Gordon dropped in his second of the season and then Ovie capped it with an empty netter. Mike Knuble continued his strong play of late with the tying goal early in the second period.

The Caps are sitting pretty at the top of the Eastern Conference with a 10 point lead over New Jersey and face the New York Rangers tomorrow at Madison Square Garden.

The Daily Feed
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WASA Wants A New Name

Photo courtesy of
‘Artomatic 1905 WASA Pumping Station’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Generally, I’m against rebranding contests, as you tend to end up with a bunch of elementary school kids’ drawings, and a few desperate hacks, instead of a good new logo/name/brand, but since it’s DC WASA that’s asking? I don’t think you could get much worse. Though DC WASA can’t legally change their name, they’re asking for a new name, logo and tagline, or some combination thereof, and the winner will come away with $2,000.

If you’re creative and like working on spec, fire up Illustrator, it’s time to make a logo! (Don’t forget to make the logo bigger.)

The Daily Feed, The Hill, WMATA, WTF?!
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Metro to Boost Bike Locker Fees 185%

Photo courtesy of
‘Bikestation’
courtesy of ‘Dendroica cerulea’

The news came this afternoon from Wash Cycle that Metro is considering a proposal to increase fees by 185% for its bicycle lockers at various Metro stations from $70 a year to $200 a year. The increase would make it, per square foot, more expensive to store a bicycle than it would be to store a car in one of the WMATA garages.

While Metro’s certainly in a hard place financially, is almost tripling the fees of cyclists who ride to Metro the way to handle things? Surely $70 was too low, but trebling the cost? We’ve asked Metro what their argument was for such a dramatic hike. We’ll let you know what they say.

Update: Metro’s Doug Karas sent on the budget for FY2011 (which did confirm the hike), but wrote: Ultimately, the Board will decide what will go on the docket for public hearing. So any changes will be announced officially. I am sure if such a change is being considered it will be discussed at a Board or Committee meeting.

The Daily Feed
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Got Snow?

Photo courtesy of
‘monumental snow’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

It’s been snowing a lot lately. The DC Snowpocalypse, or snOMG if you will, was just the start. Even with the three or four storms we’ve had already, Mrs. Nature (she’s the mother) is not done with us yet. With a few more storms already in the forecast, we had to call on our National Weather Service Senior Forecaster Logan Johnson once again. Logan’s WeLoveDC forecast and description of thunder snow was a big hit in December and he’s done it again.

So, Logan…give it to us straight. What does the next few days hold for us?

Continue reading →

Penn Quarter, The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Antony & Cleopatra

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Ben Cunis and Irina Tsikurishvili in Synetic Theater's "Antony & Cleopatra." Photo credit: Graeme B. Shaw.

If you want to know why Synetic Theater has been nominated for 13 Helen Hayes awards for its productions last year, go see Antony & Cleopatra. Now. Everything this robust and vibrant company is beloved for is here on stage at the Lansburgh’s beautiful proscenium, as part of an alliance with Shakespeare Theatre that I hope means more Synetic productions at the Penn Quarter space. Their glorious athleticism, sensual energy and biting humor are all here, framed by what founding artistic director Paata Tsikurishvili calls their “art of silence.”

The characters of Antony and Cleopatra are full of lust – for life, for power, for each other. It’s a play highlighting the contradictory battle between masculine and feminine desires inherent in both sexes, and at its heart is the human ambition to seize the moment even at the risk of total loss.

Stakes are pretty high here, as director Paata Tsikurishvili makes clear by adding a prologue to the actual Shakespearean plot – the meeting of Caesar and Cleopatra, their ambition no less than to rule the entire known world together, uniting East and West. As they stand together, a map of the world splits up and swirls about them in an orgy of power. This is the ultimate gamble, player beware.
Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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DC’s ABC thinks you’re stupid

Photo courtesy of
‘Vet’s Liquor’
courtesy of ‘Rolenz’

That’s the only conclusion I can come to, anyway. Why else would they have a proposed rule to make alcohol retailers put up a sign stating that:

  • Drinking and driving is dangerous
  • Drinking alcohol when pregnant is dangerous
  • Drinking and driving is illegal in the District

The rules are in comment period now, so if you really have a problem with this you can send your observations to the board in the next thirty days. I imagine nobody’s going to complain – aside from the pointless cost of making these signs and retailers having a little less wall space for neon Corona signs, this isn’t the kind of government action that whips people into a froth.

I’m considering sending in an suggestion that they add “Fire hot, water wet.”

The Daily Feed
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DC is Ridiculously Good Looking

Photo courtesy of
‘masked’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Move over you sun tanned beauties from Hawaii (2) and California (3) who spend all day working out, surfing and just being hot. Despite the fact that we spend all of our time stuck in cubicles, in underground Metro and Hill tunnels and freezing what little assets we have off in the 15 degree snow, DC IS WHERE IT’S AT. I cannot lie and I do not lie. The Daily Beast is now claiming that, based on their rather crazy and somewhat absurd, albeit somehow slightly practical, calculations, the District of Columbia is the “state” with the most attractive people in the United States.

No longer will we stand for that ridiculous term “Hollywood for the ugly.” No longer will we sit back and take the abuse dished out at us by the 50 states who wish they could be a district instead of a state but who still love their Congressional representation (but actually always hate their Reps. yet always vote them back in, just be happy you have some mmkay?), and there’s even Guam and American Samoa who probably say crap about us too! NO MORE I SAY!

Continue reading →

Mythbusting DC, The Features
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DC Mythbusting: To Rent or To Own

Photo courtesy of
‘Real Estate For Sale Signs’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Welcome to another edition of Mythbusting!  A while back, we tackled the myth of DC being home to a transient population, and found out that the District doesn’t really deserve its reputation for no one being from here.  But this month, as I’m moving out of the home that I own and into a larger house that I will rent, it got me thinking: does DC have more renters than the average American city?  Can people just not afford the high property values here?  And which neighborhoods have the most renters?

Continue reading →