Monthly Archives: February 2010

Adams Morgan, Arlington, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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In Search of a Decent Bagel 2: The Consensus

Photo courtesy of
‘bagel – before’
courtesy of ‘staceyviera’

Did you see how good I was? I almost made an “Electric Boogaloo” reference in the header, but I restrained myself.

Anyways, the bagel question really brought out the comments, so I thought it would be worthwhile to share the reader’s consensus.  Brooklyn Bagels in Courthouse seems to be the almost universal favorite, but So’s Your Mom and Bethesda Bagels also got some significant love. I think that fairly settles it: the best bagels in DC are actually in Arlington.  Now I’ve got to get over to Brooklyn Bagels to see for myself.  I feel that this has been a useful exercise and one that I must repeat for all of the other major food groups.  Well done, readers!

The Daily Feed
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Getting From A to B by Bike

Ride the City

Ride the City

DC residents, are you feeling bad that you can’t get the folks at Bike Arlington to map our your commute for you by bike because you’re not an Arlingtonian?  Well here’s a new cool little biking tool that will help you get around the District: Ride the City.  Enter your starting location, your ending location, and whether you want a “safer” ride, a “safe” ride, or the most direct route, and Ride the City will chart a course for you.  They’ll also tell you the elevation gain, approximately how long it will take, and which parts of your ride include bike lanes– and you can rate the route to provide feedback.  This just made biking around the city a lot easier.  Now, if only they could show the nearest bike racks to your ending location!

Adams Morgan, Entertainment, Night Life, The Daily Feed
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Rachel Levitin Live At Chief Ike’s Mambo Room Wednesday Night

up close

Chief Ike’s Mambo Room in Adams Morgan hosts live local musicians all night for your viewing and listening pleasure. This Wednesday just so happens to be the night that yours truly (Rachel Levitin) will be playing a full 30 minute set, along with Producer/Musician Paul Derlunas. What makes this EVEN BETTER is that we’ll be debuting three new songs never before played live on-stage!

There’s no cover charge and drink deals are available depending on Chief Ike’s day-to-day specials.

But — here’s the kicker — show starts at 11:30 p.m. So if you like good music (you can check out some tracks here and be the judge), good atmosphere, and good Wednesday night drinking (and don’t have a Cinderella complex that keeps you from staying out past midnight) you have no excuse to not come out and show your love!

CD’s will be available for purchase.

Come early. Hear the other acts. Mix and mingle. I know I’ll be there.

Chief Ike’s Mambo room is located at:

1725 Columbia Road Northwest
Washington, DC 20009-2803

Adventures, The Daily Feed
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PG County Boy Rescued From Ravine

Photo courtesy of
‘ACC Mountaineering Course: Gummi Bear Crevasse Rescue’
courtesy of ‘iwona_kellie’

According to WBAL and WTOP, last night a PG County teenager slipped down a snow covered hill, near Marlton Center Drive, and landed 100ft down the ravine. Fortunately, the boy managed to keep himself out of the nearby creek and was unharmed after the fall.  The boy then struggled to get a little more than half way back up the steep incline. Exhausted, he secured himself to a stable tree branch and began calling for help.  After about two hours, local residents heard his cries and directed rescue crews to his location.  Emergency services rescued him from the ravine and transported him to the nearby hospital, where last night he was being evaluated and treated for hypothermia.

Downtown, Food and Drink, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Try Barley Wine at AGAINN

Photo courtesy of
‘Barely Wine’
courtesy of ‘tswicegood’

When I profiled Elli Benchimol at AGAINN a few weeks ago, she mentioned a barley wine dinner was in the works. It’s now set for Monday, February 22 at 7pm. Reservations are required at $75 per person, which will get you four courses paired to this storied ale. The food alone sounds pretty tempting – Shallow Poached Loch Duart Salmon, Braised Hereford Beef Cheeks, Lincolnshire Poacher Cheddar Cheese, and Gianduja Chocolate Tart. Um, yes to rich deliciousness on a chilly night.

But wait, barley wine = ale? Indeed, this is one of those confusing situations like when vegetables are really fruit. Barley wine, also sometimes known as old ale, originated in nineteenth century England and can reach an alcohol strength of 8 to 12%. So it can be as strong as wine, but because it’s made from grain instead of fruit, it’s really an ale.

But don’t worry, Jeff Wells from DOPS Distributors (DC’s beer guru) will be on hand that night to help explain the pairings and the history of barley wine. Call AGAINN for reservations at 202.639.9830.

Featured Photo
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Feature Photo

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘erin m’

The Shadow started with the immortal question, “who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?” Who knows? Well, only the Shadow, it would seem.

For some reason, that line popped right into my head as I looked at this almost sinister shot. Here is where the beloved Zamboni goes to plot its eventual smoothing of the ice. A place of rest, mostly dark and gloomy.

It took some plotting to get this shot: erin_m waited until everyone was distracted by the snow and snuck her way into the Zamboni shed at the National Gallery of Art sculpture garden skating rink. I think the effort and uniqueness, not to mention the sinister moodiness, qualifies this as a damn good photo.

The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Arenas: “I am trying hard to right my wrongs”

Photo courtesy of
‘Role Models are Very important’
courtesy of ‘crazyapplefangirl’

This morning’s Washington Post features an editorial from Gilbert Arenas concerning his recent behavior, including his felony conviction for firearms possession. It’s hard to see sincerity in Arenas’ words, when he was so glib before about his prospects and about the story itself. Arenas pledges to work with youth non-violence efforts in DC as part of his penance, but it all seems to ring hollow to me. Just another athlete giving proper lip service to community service and being a role model.

I’d love to be wrong.

The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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Don’t Freak Out: It’s Just a Drill

Photo courtesy of
‘Lotus #37’
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

Tomorrow morning between 7:30 and 8:30, or, as we know it the heart of rush hour, WMATA will be conducting a terrorism drill in a crowded Metro station. So, don’t freak out if you see the bomb squad or a series of K-9 officers in your Metro station tomorrow morning.

Now, I understand it’s not really a good drill if you announce all the particulars ahead of time, but is needlessly burdening an already overburdened system in the name of preparedness a good idea? Why can’t you do this sort of drill at 10am instead of right in the middle of rush? Is rush hour a real necessity here?

The Daily Feed
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Rush Hour May Suck


Evening Rush Hour by Rolenz

According to another beautifully written text message from Alert DC, your evening rush hour may be less than pleasant.  I quote:

SUBJ:1/1

MSG: 15th & R Sts will remain closed for rush hour. Please avoid both streets! Big backup anticipated.e

So if you usually take 15th street to get home, you might rethink that strategy.

Essential DC, Special Events, Sports Fix, The Features
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NatsFest 2010: If You Build It, They Will Come

DSC01023

Imagine a quiet Sunday morning. The city is silent from the few inches of snow that stuck to the ground yesterday. Most everyone’s either still asleep or in the comfort of their own homes trying to keep warm. It’s the last day of the first month of 2010. So, you choose to lounge around. Huge mistake. Why? You’re missing out on the most pristine, once in a lifetime moment baseball fans in DC have had since the game’s big move back to town.

NatsFest 2010 was — in a word — awesome. Although it’s easy to doubt their dedication during the season, fans turned out in the hundreds (and early!) for a fun-filled fan fest hosted by their favorite men in red. Nationals fans of all-ages wrapped themselves around the park entrance for close to an hour before the 11 a.m. start time of NatsFest. Their devotion was somewhat shocking considering their team’s losing for the past five years, but let us all  remember that the Nationals are still teenagers by baseball standards. They’re new. They’re in their awkward, “growing-up” phase. Can you really blame them for trying to find out who they are among all of the other big kids playing the game?

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Crystal City photo grab

Photo courtesy of
‘Bright Bike STOLEN!’
courtesy of ‘mandiberg’

Well so much for any chance of my attending any of the Crystal Couture events in Crystal City this week. If I want someone to mug me for my art I’m sure I can find a way to do it that doesn’t demand I help by bundling up my stuff and handing it over.

It’s a shame, really. I enjoyed it last year and got some fun shots. I guess the Crystal City BID liked some of the pictures taken last year as well, given their mass-grab strategy. The linked page above says the following:

Outside photographers are welcome at the event.  Please see a staff member to fill out a photographer waiver.

What’s on the waiver? A pretty reasonable request that you give priority to official staff photographers, then some pretty unreasonable stuff. “Photographer must: Supply the Crystal City BID with a copy of high resolution images taken during event at no charge on CD within two weeks of event” and “The Crystal City BID is: Free to use images for advertising and media.”

They don’t give themselves the right to reproduce the images “for resale or profit,” though I wonder how comforting that would be if they decided to put your work in advertising without paying you a dime.

Almost as offensive as this blatant grab is the opening paragraph claiming the justification for stealing your work. “To ensure the privacy and safety of the Crystal Couture Designers and Models,” is silly on its face. The models, having not signed any over-reaching waivers granting me free reign to use their likeness, continue to be protected under the law. Were I to use images of them in advertising without a release I could be sued into next week.

If you were thinking of going to the events to take some pictures, stay home.

Sports Fix
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Sports Fix: The Heat Is On

Photo courtesy of
‘DSC_4085’
courtesy of ‘Ghost_Bear’

It’s been a busy and eventful last two weeks in the Washington DC sports world.   The Caps are ON FIRE!!!  The Wizards might be getting there. And we’ve had  some solid developments for those out-of-season teams, some expected, some not so much.

Capitals
Record: 37-12
Last Two Weeks: 7-0
Place:1st in the Eastern Conference

With yesterday’s win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Capitals are on a 10 game wining streak tying their 1984 franchise record.

Defender Mike Green will be out for the next two games for an elbow to the head of Michael Frolik during Friday night’s game. Green’s absence yesterday was a huge disadvantage for Washington, as Green is the league’s leading defensive scorer. However, with Ovechkin’s third period goal, they managed to pull out the victory.

Over the next two weeks, the Caps are out of town quite a bit, traveling to Boston, Ottawa and Atlanta. Look for a solid match against the Penguins at the Verizon Center on February 7th.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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New tin cups & string at AT&T Fairfax

Photo courtesy of
‘St Elisabeth’s Hospital – Communications’
courtesy of ‘spiggycat’

I got a press release with Friday’s date claiming “AT&T today announced the activation of 12 new 3G cell sites in Fairfax County that will enhance coverage for area residents and businesses.” Well, okay. I suppose that’s good news, though it doesn’t address the areas closer in to the city where I see more dramatic problems – huge sections where for whatever reason I only see an E on my iPhone, or when I get no data service at all if there’s large crowds on the mall.

Honestly, my reaction as a customer is sort of in line with Chris Rock’s routine about men wanting credit for doing things they should be doing anyway. Yeah, you upgraded some towers so you might show some sign of earning the $100 a month you suck out of me. Feel free to use $1 of that to buy yourself a pack of gold stars.

In differently odd wireless news, I keep seeing advertisements from Sprint touting their new 4G service speeds available… in Baltimore. Nothing against Charm City, but exactly what about Baltimore seemed more compellingly in need of high speed wireless access than DC?

Alexandria, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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In Search of a Decent Bagel

Photo courtesy of
‘JOH_9103’
courtesy of ‘star5112’

I’m not a huge breakfast person, but, in my opinion, one of life’s most precious graces is the bagel. I feel like in most major cities, particularly in NYC, decent bagel shops are a dime a dozen.  There are enough that there can be significant controversy as to which shop is the best in the city, or even the best in a particular neighborhood.  Unfortunately, this is not the case in DC.  I’ve got my regular bagel shop, but my choosing it was more based on scarcity than on it actually being the best.  So, readers, am I missing something, or are decent bagels a rarity in DC?  Thus far, I’ve only found one shop that I’d call “good” and that’s Best Buns in Shirlington.  What are your favorites?

Life in the Capital, News, The Daily Feed
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Fenty Needs To Work On His Social Skills

Photo courtesy of
‘Fenty Oops’
courtesy of ‘Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com’

The Washington Examiner reports that Mayor Fenty’s numbers are down. Way down. Fenty’s approval rating is at a mediocre 42 percent. When compared to his 72 percent approval rating in January 2008, his current ratings look quite miserable.

Where does the real problem lie? DC residents  feel like Fenty isn’t spending enough time around the wards.

“He hasn’t spent much time in this ward, and the time he’s spent has not been quality time,” Philip Pannell, an active Democrat in Ward 8, told the Examiner. “That’s not the way you cultivate a base of admirers.”

The real answer to Fenty’s problems is that he needs to “polish up his people skills.” Otherwise, he runs the risk of losing to his speculated running mate D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray in the upcoming November election.

Essential DC, Penn Quarter, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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The Best of DC Shorts At The Navy Memorial

Photo courtesy of
‘Roll Film!’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

The best of the DC Shorts Film Festival in 2009 are being presented in a special double feature format this weekend at the U.S. Navy Memorial‘s Burke Theater (located at 701 Pennsylvania Ave, NW above the Archives Metro). There will be 90 minutes of film screened at a time, with a brief intermission, then 90 more minutes of shorts to watch following the intermission.

Tickets sold online are $15 for the night (which comes out to 88 cents per movie shown … not bad). Ticket sales at the door are CASH ONLY.

$3 Stella Artois will we available for purchase, all proceeds go to the DC Shorts Film Festival.

Don’t worry if you can’t make the Friday night showing, both nights will feature the same films. Tickets for Friday and Saturday are still available.

The event goes from 7:00 to 10:30 p.m. each night.

The Features, Weekend Flashback
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Weekend Flashback: 1/29 – 1/31/2010

Photo courtesy of
‘single snowman’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

While Saturday proved to be more than just a ‘dusting,’ it was still less than our Snowpocalypse of December. And when there’s light, fluffy snow and a sunny day afterward, it’s just natural to have photographers out in droves to capture the beauty created around the capital area.

Enjoy. Continue reading →