By Tom Bridge
‘Tom Colicchio Visits DC Central Kitchen’
courtesy of ‘DC Central Kitchen’
There had been whisperings for weeks that Tom Colicchio and the Top Chef gang from Bravo would be coming to DC for their next season, and this morning the Washington Post confirmed it. To give credit where credit is due, Amanda from Metrocurean broke the news late yesterday that filming would start on April 5th.
It’s great to see the DC restaurant community get the respect it so richly deserves from the folks at Bravo.
By courtney
‘glass of bokeh, anyone?’
courtesy of ‘Robert S. Donovan’
Last night I had the pleasure of attending this month’s installment of Eatonville’s Food & Folklore series, entitled “Women of the Vine.” The event featured Deborah Brenner, who is not only the author of Women of the Vine, a book chronicling the stories of various women in the wine industry, but also the founder of Women of the Vine Cellars. The event was an entire four-course dinner complete with great food, great conversation, and of course great wine. In fact, for each course, there was a different wine to taste…what more could a girl ask for?!
What I loved is that the dinner was so appropriately scheduled during Women’s History Month, and that it took place in Eatonville, a restaurant dedicated to Zora Neale Hurston, a woman who is known for her own contributions to the literary world and attended DC’s own Howard University. While we ate, Brenner gave us a mini-lesson about recognition of women in the wine industry, or lack thereof, which actually inspired her book and winery. From the asparagus soup with parmesan custard (which was to die for), to the creme brulee, the food definitely got a thumbs up on my end. But of course, we can’t forget the wine. Although I’m usually partial to white wine, the merlot served with the entree did make me briefly consider the red team..so all around it was great.
By Ben H. Rome
Tanya Tagaq, courtesy the artist and the National Geographic Museum
Want to win some free tickets to a NatGeoLive event this month? You’ve got an hour left before we pick our winners, so head on over and put your name in comments. We’ll notify winners around midday. Hurry! Entry window closes at 10 a.m.
By shannon
‘Courthouse’
courtesy of ‘rpongsaj’
After profiling 22 neighborhoods in the District, it’s time Where We Live headed out to the suburbs. This week we’re focusing on Court House, an urban neighborhood in the middle of Arlington’s Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. Sure, it’s technically a ‘suburb’, but with a movie theater, multiple grocery stores, tons of bars and restaurants, and office and government buildings, Court House has more to offer than many neighborhoods in the heart of DC.
History: In 1791, this area used to be part of DC. But Virginia wanted Alexandria County back (mostly due to the sad fact that Alexandria was a big slave port, and talk of abolishing slavery in DC had Virginia scared), and this land was retroceded in 1846. Fort Woodbury was a Civil War fort built in 1861 that stood where the current courthouse stands. In 1852 the City of Alexandria split off, and in 1920 this area was renamed as Arlington County.
By Ben H. Rome
‘DSC_5748’
courtesy of ‘Ghost_Bear’
They didn’t even play last night and still the Caps keep winning. With Atlanta losing to Columbus 2-1 last night, the Washington Capitals clinched as Souheast Division champions for the third year in a row. This is a guaranteed Top 3 playoff seed slot and pretty much a no-brainer. I mean, who didn’t see this coming since November?
Congrats to owner Ted Leonsis, GM George McPhee, Coach Bruce Boudreau and the entire Capitals organization for their success so far this season.
By Tom Bridge
‘Caution’
courtesy of ‘Chris DiGiamo’
Tony Kornheiser is a plague that I wish we could end with some sort of deity sacrifice. I’m not sure what’s appropriate in this particular situation, and I welcome suggestions in the comments. Today on his radio show, Tony had a bit of a beef with the additional bike lanes (sorry, cycle tracks) that the city is putting in through downtown. Specifically, according to a transcript provided by Washcycle, Kornheiser said:
And they all wear…my God…with the little water bottle in the back and their stupid hats and their shiny shorts, they are the same disgusting poseurs that come out in the middle of a snow storm with cross country skiing on your block. Run them down.
Tell us how you really feel, Tony. Just let it all out. Jackass.
By Tom Bridge
‘Dent Capitol Hill Day School’
courtesy of ‘Tony DeFilippo’
Every year, DCPS holds an out-of-boundary lottery to allow families to apply to move from their neighborhood school to another nearby school in the District. This year, over 5,000 families applied for the lottery, and more than 3,300 were able to be placed at schools of their choosing. Chancellor Michelle Rhee expressed some happiness at the increase, saying, “a number of schools have gone from under-enrolled to flourishing,” during the past few years. In addition 14 schools now have waitlists for the first time in recent memory.
Here’s hoping they can continue to boost enrollment, which will increase funding for the District, as well as, hopefully, allow for the recruitment of better teachers, allow for more professional development of staff, and increase test scores and learning in the District’s public school system.
By Dave Levy
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courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’
Quarterfinal action in the Big East men’s basketball tournament is underway in the Big Apple, and the Hoyas just picked up their second win of the tournament with an upset against the top-seed in Big East and national #3, Syracuse Orange. Some nice revenge for two defeats earlier this year, one up in the Carrier Dome and one back in late February over at Verizon.
The 91-84 win by Georgetown may deprive Syracuse of a one seed in the big dance when the brackets come out on Sunday and keeps the Hoyas alive in the hunt for a Big East crown. Syracuse must wait out the week in New York City, but Georgetown will lace back up and hit the court at 7 p.m. on Friday against the winner of Marquette and #10 Villanova, happening right now.
Robert Rodriguez fur and cashmere stole on sale for $42.50. Photo credit: Kelly Collis Fredrick
I started a mental list of luxury items that will, at least in theory, forever be staples in my closet – Chanel quilted purse, couture leather jacket, Hermes scarf, vintage fur stole, perfect pair black Manolo’s heels – just to name a few. Being an avid shopper, the treasure hunt to find these items at a deep discount is part of the fun. We are lucky in DC to have a plethora of consignment stores and I visited several to see if I could find the luxury items I was looking for… though I’m still saving for these items so I left my credit cards at home.
All the consignment stores I visited carried J. Crew, Banana Republic, Nanette Lepore, Tory Burch, etc. – which is great for staples, but I was looking for the “Fifth Avenue” brands. After several stops, it came down to these three consignment shops that had the best selection of luxury items. Continue reading
By Kirk
Max: I’m headed up to NY this weekend to eat amazing food and check out some arty things like the Whitney Biennial. However if I were staying in DC, I’d take advantage of the rainy forecast by watching some Oscar-winning movies and checking out Amy Lin’s work at Addison/Ripley in Georgetown.
Paulo: This Saturday is designated “DO TAXES ALREADY DAY” but after the taxes are done we will reward ourselves with a Japanese all-you-can-eat buffet at Matsutake in Ballston, followed by a trip to the National Gallery to see The Sacred Made Real and The Chester Dale Collection.
Samantha: This weekend I will be attending a wedding in Philly on Friday and then heading to Scranton for their St. Paddy’s Parade on Saturday. But — if I were to be in DC this weekend, I would most definitely be heading to E Street Cinema to catch a showing of An Education (I hear it is amazing). I also would love to catch the photography exhibit of William Christenberry at the Hemphill Fine Arts Gallery on 14th Street.
‘FoodSign’
courtesy of ‘brownpau’
A few well-known restaurants in the DC area (I am not one to name names, but they are listed in the article) seem to be violating health codes according to an article released by the Examiner today. Although I am still not sure if I am utterly offended by the thought of ‘”slime”-covered water spigots” or not, I definitely may think twice before my next restaurant rendezvous.
I guess it is your prerogative, but diner beware.
‘Nats pitcher Jordan Zimmerman’
courtesy of ‘afagen’
The Nats have kept their word as far as cutting the dead-weight on their current pitching staff loose. Senior Vice President and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement today that LHP Victor Garate and RHP’s Logan Kensing and Joel Peralta were sent back to the minors. Lefty’s Shawn Estes and Eddie Guardado were also released.
Now Riggleman & pitching coach Steve McCatty can focus on grooming the guys who are still around for the regular season.
The head count in Viera, Fla. is now 53.
By Tom Bridge
Team Coco is coming to DC on June 8th! He’ll be doing a live show at DAR Constitution Hall that night called, “A night of music, comedy, hugging, and the occasional awkward silence.” Here at We Love DC, we’re strong proponents of Team Coco, so we’ll probably be there that night, look for us screaming like girls at the Beatles on Ed Sullivan.
By Tom Bridge
Weeks have passed since the horrific earthquake in Haiti leveled much of their capital city, and caused significant strike for an entire nation. There was a lot of work done in the immediate aftermath of the quake, but attention has waned significantly, with an 8+ quake in Chile, with the Oscars, with the start of Spring, and I fear that much of DC’s attention has drifted away with the rising temperatures.
Tonight, Roots of Development is holding their annual fundraiser to help raise money for their efforts in Haiti after the quake. They’ll be working in concert with the Inter American Development Bank to deliver significant aid and structural assistance to the beleaguered nation this year. It’s not too late to RSVP, so think about doing some good this evening, as well as getting ready for the Cherry Blossoms. It may be warm outside, but it’s good to feel warm inside, too.
‘Smoke, Farragut Park Washington DC’
courtesy of ‘Photos by Chip Py’
And for the 17th day of March, Mayor Fenty said, “Let there be light on the tips of all cigars in closed quarters for two and ONLY two events in the District of Columbia on St. Patrick’s Day,” …or something close to that affect.
Fenty has signed legislation allowing an exception to the District’s smoke-free law for the annual Irish holiday due to a bill sponsored by D.C. Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), member of the all-male Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. Which, when you think about it, is pretty shocking considering Fenty introduced and championed the workplace smoking ban in 2006.
The two events allowing lit cigars include the Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick’s annual gathering of Washington’s business and government elite as well as the Fight for Children event in which a professional boxing fundraiser takes place.
It takes two words to describe Here We Go Magic – an experience.
The second their melodies creep into your ear, a musical journey begins and there’s no stopping it until you’ve arrived at the final destination. Their sound is a lot like the freaky tunnel scene in the original Willy Wonka movie. You don’t know where you’re going until you get there.
Where do they take you? A layered, hypnotic trance of swirling nirvana featuring an acoustic guitar pulse paired with Luke Temple’s high-pitched voice. Sound’s confusing, doesn’t it? Here’s a suggestion: don’t get bogged down in the details. Just listen. Continue reading
By Ben H. Rome
‘Semin Scores!’
courtesy of ‘Ghost_Bear’
A healthy scratch in Monday’s loss against the Stars, Tomas Fleischmann made quite the impact when he returned to the lineup in last night’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Banging home a ripping shot from the right circle in overtime, Flash scored the game-winner and brought the Caps within one game of clinching the Southeast Division.
The Caps had quite the list of scratches for last night’s contest, no thanks to the very full roster of talent now on hand as team prepares for the playoffs. Boudreau has been rotating players through the scratch list in a delicate juggling act to work in new players and keep the team as rested as possible for the playoff run a little over five weeks from now. “I don’t like doing it but as long as we can, we’ll keep rotating guys in and out of the lineup to keep them fresh and sharp,” commented Boudreau after the 4-3 OT win. “The players don’t like it, but they understand it. They know what the common goal is, so they’re doing it for the common goal.”
Jose Theodore knocked away 28 shots against a struggling Hurricane team that showed some fight in fits and starts. Defenseman Mike Green had two power play goals, increasing his season total (and league lead for defenseman) to 17. Alex Ovechkin added two assists in his points race and Alexander Semin opened the scoring with his 31st of the season on a great backhand shot, fed by Brendan Morrison.
It was a reunion of sorts on the ice as well; former Caps defenseman Brian Pothier was on the ice for the Canes, and former Canes Joe Corvo and Scott Walker suited up for the Caps. The players were exchanged in a last-minute trade deadline rush only a week ago.
The Capitals can clinch the Southeast Division with either a loss by Atlanta tonight or garnering a point in Friday’s home contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
By Tom Bridge
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courtesy of ‘strangelv’
The news came quickly this afternoon when Councilman Tommy Wells tweeted that a new grocery store would be coming to Northeast DC, near the Safeway at the corner of Benning and Bladensburg Road in the Hechinger Mall. The new addition will be a first for DC: an Aldi’s store. It is worth noting that Aldi’s and Trader Joe’s are kissing cousins, both owned by the same parent company, the Albrecht Trust. We’re still trying to get word direct from Aldi’s itself, but if true, this represents a significant improvement for the nearby Atlas and Trinidad neighborhoods.
By Ben H. Rome
America's Endangered Species, ©Joel Sartore; courtesy of the National Geographic Museum
The spring season of National Geographic Live – a series of dynamic lectures, concerts, films and more – continues this month, with more great offerings.
Thanks to the awesome response from last month, the National Geographic Museum is offering up two pairs of tickets to our readers for any of the following events. Simply comment below (PLEASE use a legit email address and your first name) with what two events – in preferred order – you’d like to attend. We’ll do a random drawing on Friday (March 12) at 10 a.m. and get the winners set up with their first (or second, if your first choice is full) selection. Keep in mind that tickets are for single events only.
Note that the photography exhibitions that open this month do not require tickets and are free for visitors to enjoy.
Okay, enough about rules. Check out the March offerings after the jump.
By Donna C.
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courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’
Today at the National Bike Summit going on at the Reagan Building, Google Maps announced it is now giving directions by bike.
The new feature includes step-by-step bicycling directions; bike trails outlined directly on the map; and a new “Bicycling” layer that indicates bike trails, bike lanes, and bike-friendly roads.
Time estimates for routes are based on an algorithm that takes into account variables such as the length of the route, the number of hills, and fatigue over time…maybe doughnuts eaten over the winter, too?
You can find it at http://maps.google.com/biking, or from the “get directions” drop-down menu.
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