Monthly Archives: March 2010

capitals hockey, The Daily Feed
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Caps Over Pens in Possible Playoff Preview

Photo courtesy of
‘DSC_6093’
courtesy of ‘Ghost_Bear’

The Washington Capitals hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins last night and for all the noise, excitement, and skill on display on and off the ice, one would think it was the NHL playoffs already.

The Caps won 4-3 in the shootout on Mike Knuble’s fake-out during sudden death. Knuble was a surprise to see come off the bench, as he’s been 0-4 ever since the shootout started in 2005. “I couldn’t believe Bruce was doing it to me,” Knuble said when asked about Coach Bruce Boudreau’s choice. “I didn’t play in overtime at all, so I thought my night was over. I told him when I got off the ice, ‘I don’t like you when you do that. Don’t do that stuff to me.'”

Knuble had a solid night during regulation, tipping in the first goal of the game at the start of the second period. The Penguins’ Maxime Talbot evened-up a little over a minute later, and the Penguins entered the dreaded third period up 2-1. Before last night, the Caps have outscored the Pens 14-1 in the third over the last two years. Alexander Semin and Eric Fehr continued the Caps’ domination and seemed to have the game well in hand until Jordan Staal flipped in the tying goal at 16:54.

The win has given the Caps 108 points on the season, tying the franchise record they set last year. With nine games to go, it’s a sure thing to see that record fall. Especially when six of the last nine are at home – the Caps own the NHL’s best home record at 27-4-4. Next up is a road game versus division rival Carolina tonight at 7 pm, then back home on Sunday against the struggling Calgary Flames at 3 pm. Both games are carried on the Comcast Sports Network.

(Still riding that hockey high? Relive the excitement from last night’s game through my “photo log” on Flickr.)

News, The Daily Feed
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Metro Stops For Fire

Unsuck DC Metro pointed us at this video, which shows an aboveground Metro train stopping for a brush fire…in the middle of the fire. This, right here, is my personal nightmare on the tracks. I figure the driver stopped to report the fire to Control, but couldn’t they have stopped a little further away from the licking flames?

The Daily Feed
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Chain Bridge To Close Friday Evening Until Monday Morning

Photo courtesy of
‘Chain Bridge’
courtesy of ‘NCinDC’

Starting Friday, March 26 at 8pm and weather permitting, Chain Bridge will be closed to all traffic (this includes pedestrians and bikes, and traffic from both the DC and Arlington side) until Monday, March 29 at 5am.  The weekend work hopes to continue the reconstruction work already begun on the bridge deck, approaches and structural steel beams. Crews will be pouring new approach slabs, replacing expansion joints, installing a catcher beam system and upgrading streetlights on the bridge.

Canal Road traffic will not be affected, but motorists will not be able to turn onto Chain Bridge. DDOT advises motorists to use alternate routes and river crossings including the American Legion, Key, Roosevelt , Memorial and 14th Street Bridges.

The proposed 8 month long repair work started in June 2009 and was supposed to be completed this past January.  Unfortunately, the Snowpocalypse, SnOMG, Snoverkill, etc. are to blame for a derailed schedule and, therefore, the weekend work. DDOT now anticipates all of the lanes on the bridge will reopen by May 31.  Additional work beneath the bridge is scheduled to continue through August 2010.

History, The District, The Features
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Behind the Design: National Press Club

Photo courtesy of
‘National Press Club #27’
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

The National Press Club, rich in historical context and paramount in its mission, is best-known as a retreat for the affiliates within the journalism industry. As a Washington, D.C. fixture, the feeling evoked upon entrance into the Club could best be compared to the dilemma that a young child may face as they enter the formal living room of the home – you are in complete awe of its presence and utterly afraid of breaking something, yet, somehow still manage to want to touch everything in sight.

The good thing is that what differs between this presented scenario and that of my first visit to the National Press Club, is that at the Club exploration is not only encouraged – it is celebrated.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang

Photo courtesy of
‘Leaves of Grass’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

I love reading Chelsea Handler‘s books – they never seem to disappoint. I frequently find myself being ‘that person’ who is laughing obnoxiously loud on the airplane, Metro, or any other public mode of transportation while reading them. Handler’s latest book Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang, which I read in about one day, is hilarious and truly might just be the perfect guilty pleasure for lounging around this Spring.

Chelsea Handler will be signing her book at the Borders on L Street this Saturday at 3:00 PM.

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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New Cereal Restaurant In Cleveland Park

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

Who doesn’t like a good bowl of cereal? Some of my closest friends still eat the stuff for dinner because it’s easy and never a bad idea. You TOO can eat cereal for any meal now with the opening of The Cereal Bowl in Cleveland Park.

Cereal Bowl served its first bowl last Tuesday but is celebrating their success thus far with primary menu items running for $1 from 6 to 10 p.m. tonight.

Their menu includes cold bowls like “The Sweetest Thing” featuring the sugary stuff you had as a good and “The Give Me S’More” which is like your favorite campfire memories shoved into a bowl. There are also healthier items like the “Let it Fly” featuring Life and Wheaties cereal, dried mixed berries, and granola.

Join the latest addition to Cleveland Park this Saturday for its official grand opening from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Cereal Bowl is located at 3420 Connecticut Ave. N.W. and is just one of 3 other east coast locations (the others are in Newark, DE and New Brunswick, NJ).

The Cereal Bowl is open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, with the exception of an 11 p.m. closing time on Fridays.

Food and Drink, Special Events, The Features, We Love Drinks
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Drinks Preview: ARTINI

Erik Holzherr of Wisdom's ARTINI. Photo credit: T. Silva. Courtesy of the Corcoran ARTINI 2010 Committee.

This Saturday the Corcoran Gallery of Art presents ARTINI, and if you’ve been waffling about attending I hear there are roughly less than 100 tickets still left, but going fast and not available at the door. So jump!

ARTINI is a fabulous event mixing two of my favorite things – art and cocktails. Twelve local mixologists have created drinks inspired by works in the current exhibit at Corcoran, A Love of Europe: Highlights from the William A. Clark Collection. Preview events featuring the submissions have been ongoing this month (I know, I know, I should’ve told you earlier, mea culpa, it’s been a crazy time lately). Tonight you can sample Art & Soul and tomorrow try out Rasika from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at the respective restaurants. The Washingtonian is a co-sponsor and handles the voting, with the winning artini announced Saturday. The inspiration works will be on display that night as well.

The cocktail reception runs from 8pm to midnight, with $85 tickets for 1869 Society members and $100 for non-1869 Society members. That includes a cocktail bar, music by DJ Chris Nitti, and tours of both the Clark exhibit and Turner to Cezanne: Masterpieces from the Davies Collection. Proceeds support ArtReach, which provides free high-quality arts education programs to underserved communities in DC.

So many mixologists already take their inspiration from art. It’s a natural collaboration. Here’s a quick rundown of who’s on board and a few teasers to get you in the mood. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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What Tourists Call the Metro Stops

Photo courtesy of
‘Monolith2_2’
courtesy of ‘haddensavix’

Yep, you know it now from your daily commute — it’s springtime for sure, because tourists are in full bloom. And they’re making some funny interpretations of Metro stop names. There’s the Garden Collection — Rose-lyn and National Ar-chives — plus speculation over what “Rockville” must look like.

Yesterday I boarded a train full of schoolkids in matching “DC 2010” t-shirts, with one little boy who just couldn’t get over the name “Foggy Bottom.” He read it off the map, laughing out loud: “Fa-ha! ha! ha!-gy Bottom!”

Let’s face it; he’s got a point. Now that Shannon has busted the myth that DC was built on a swamp, there’s really nothing else to do with that name but reconnect with your inner 10-year-old and laugh.

So what have you heard folks calling the Metro stops?

The Daily Feed
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Somewhere, Teddy DOES win.

Photo courtesy of
‘Teddy Wins!’
courtesy of ‘Hoffmann’

Congrats to We Love DC Flickr Pool contributor Hoffman, whose office has gotten into the Washington Post’s Peep Show semifinals for the second year in a row. This year, their Peep diorama features an alternate Peep universe in which Teddy actually wins the Peepsidents’ Race.

Speaking of which, have you gotten your tickets yet for the WeLoveDC.com/LetTeddyWin.com Night at the Ballpark?

Hoffman and his coworkers made the Peep Show semifinals last year with Peep to the Right, which I know has appeared on our site more than once…

Food and Drink, News, The Daily Feed
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RAMMY nominees announced

Photo courtesy of
‘chef mike isabella’
courtesy of ‘aliciagriffin’

Every year, DC’s Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMMY) awards garners a lot of attention, and deservedly so.  This is a town that loves its restaurants, and loves its food.  The nominees for this year’s events are below the cut, but I’ll give you a quick summary here. The Fine Dining and Upscale Casual categories were no great surprise to anyone who’s been to the establishments, and the usual restauranteurs are making their presence felt: José Andrés, Michel Richard, Robert Wiedmaier and the NRG. Top Chef’s Mike Isabella is likely a shoo-in for Rising Star. I was deeply gratified to see Birch & Barley/ChurchKey get so much attention.

DC has such an abundance of great food, that I certainly don’t envy anyone their ballot here!

Continue reading →

Comedy in DC
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Comedy in DC: She-Ha 2

On the heels of the very successful Girls’ Night Out at the Eleventh Street Lounge at the beginning of March, it’s time for She-Ha 2: When Laughter Attacks, the follow up to last year’s sellout She-Ha: Princesses of Power, featuring DC’s funniest women.

She-Ha will rock your socks off on April 9th at 8PM in the DC Improv Comedy Lounge. Tickets are $10, and get there early because this show will probably sell out as well.

This year’s lineup is full of some new faces you may be unfamiliar with. Click through for the listing, along with videos for all the comics who have posted it. Continue reading →

News, People, The Daily Feed, The District
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Home-Grown Pot May Become An Option In DC

Photo courtesy of
‘Reefer Madness/The Burning Question (1936)’
courtesy of ‘Caveman (Kickin’ 66 with Pete Zarria)’

It’s Congress approved … now the next step in upholding the legalization of medical marijuana in the District is figuring out how to get the green stuff into the city itself.

D.C. Council is considering a “home cultivation” option in which individuals requiring medical marijuana could grow up to two plants at a time in their own privacy via a city-issued licensing process.

Complete legalization of medical marijuana usage is on hold until the D.C. Council approves and passes a new law in its name.

The Washington Examiner reports the District’s biggest concern  at the moment, according to D.C. Judiciary Committee Chairman Phil Mendelson, is how to not make D.C. a mistake like Los Angeles, “who opened the door so wide it was tantamount to legalized pot” in their city.

Crime & Punishment, News, The Daily Feed
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Serial Flasher at Work in Arlington

Photo courtesy of
‘W&OD sign’
courtesy of ‘A.M. Kuchling’

The Arlington Police are warning female joggers on the W&OD Trail that the serial flasher we warned you about in January is still operating along the trail and has now exposed himself to eleven women in the last two months. Anyone with information about this creep is encouraged to talk to the Arlington Police, talk with Detective Comer at (703) 228-4243 or Detective Austin at (703) 228-4241. Don’t approach flashers, keep your distance and call the police. Be careful using headphones that don’t allow you to hear others approaching you, and be watchful on the trail.

Business and Money, News, The Daily Feed
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Coming to DC, Hold Your Applause, It’s UGG!

Photo courtesy of
‘Missing’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’

OK, yeah, UGGs may be a bit of an eyesore, but gosh darnit if they aren’t the most  comfortable and warm shoe ever! And fashion be damned (sorry fellow WLDC blogger Kelly Collis Frederick) because this year’s rash of snowstorms really made owning a pair uber practical. So love ’em or hate ’em, DC will be getting its very own UGG Flagship store.  According to the Georgetown Metropolitan, the shop will be taking up residency in the prime UGG territory of 1249 Wisconsin Avenue NW in Georgetown.

News, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Reston Chiropractor Linked to Steroids, Sports Franchises

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

A Reston Chiropractor today was arrested on drug charges today after being accused by a co-defendant of conspiring to deliver control substances by Florida authorities. According to Florida authorities, Douglas Nagel of Reston received regular shipments of steroids from his co-defendent “Andy” Thomas of Florida. Thomas has told Police that Nagel was supplying both the Washington Nationals and the Washington Capitals with the substances.

The Capitals released a statement this afternoon denying that Nagel or Thomas had any contact with the Capitals, saying: “This has been a thorough investigation, and we are satisfied that law enforcement, the NHL and our own internal investigation have not led to any link of steroid use by Capitals players… Dr. Douglas Owen Nagel, a Virginia chiropractor who was arrested today, is not affiliated with the Washington Capitals and is not the “team chiropractor,” as he has stated. Dr. Nagel’s office, however, has seen some of our players for standard, routine chiropractic services.”

The Nationals did not immediately respond for a request for comment.

The Daily Feed
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Social Media primer for employers

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘erin m’

Local first amendment lawyer Kevin Goldberg was nice enough to give us an interview about defamation issues shortly after Meg of 2Birds1Blog was fired for blogging. He’s since written a piece at his firm’s blog about the issues from the other side of the desk called coping with social media in the workplace.

How many of your employees do you think are looking at their Facebook pages right now?  Good guess. Now walk down the hallways and see if you can catch any of them in the act. Go ahead, we’ll wait. We expect that, unless your guess was “probably all of them”, you were way off.

As you can see, it’s written more with a mind for the employer but it’s good reading for any employee as well, I think. It’s useful to know what kind of mindset your bosses probably have and the things they worry about. Particularly so if your bosses don’t have any policy in place because it might give you some idea of how shocked they’d be if they were confronted with your personal activities.

The Daily Feed
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DCPS taps restauranteur for school lunch director

Photo courtesy of
‘Peanut Butter & Jelly’
courtesy of ‘spcbrass’

DC Public Schools has hired New York restauranteur Jeff Mills to run its school lunch program. Formerly of the Biltmore Room, Mills has been tasked with turning a money-losing function that serves crappy processed food that drives students to turn to pizza and french fries for lunch into a profitable program that serves appealing whole foods to students.

Some critics argue that Mills’ lack of background in school lunch programs is a liability, but DCPS asserts that’s a strength, not a weakness. Personally, I think people with backgrounds in school food haven’t done nearly enough to fix it, so I don’t see how bringing someone in who has actually run a profitable business based on tasty food could possibly make the situation any worse.

We Green DC
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Cheers to the Planet: 5 Green Happy Hours

Photo courtesy of
‘Black Thai’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’

Spring has sprung, and with it a plethora of green-focused events — all involving drinks. So check out this list, and plan to attend a happy hour, or two or three. And make a toast to spring, and Mother Earth!

Have a Good, Clean Drink
Bartending For Change – World Water Day

Wednesday, March 24
6 – 9 p.m.
Downtown/U Street
Ulah Bistro, 1214 U St., NW

To celebrate World Water Day, Salim Bhabhrawala, an experienced bartender and one of the founders of Bartending4Change, will serve as guest bartender. Sam’s tips, as well as 10 percent of Ulah Bistro’s proceeds, will be donated to Water For People, which supports sustainable drinking water, sanitation and hygiene projects for impoverished people worldwide. Drink up!

Beer for the Common Good
Drink Beer and Save the World

Thursday, March 25
6:30 – 8 p.m.
Downtown
District Chophouse, The Vault Room, 509 7th St., NW

Brewer Barrett Lauer presents seven hand-crafted ales with appetizers as beer activist Chris O’Brien discusses how drinking slow beer builds community and a more sustainable world. O’Brien, co-owner of the Seven Bridges Organic Brewing Supply Cooperative and Director of Sustainability at American University, will sign copies of his award-winning book Fermenting Revolution: How to Drink Beer and Save the World and answer all your questions about beer. This sounds so selfless, doesn’t it?
Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Food
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First Look: Kushi Izakaya & Sushi

KushiExteriorPhoto1

There’s something wrong with me (maybe). I can’t get enough sushi! I just crave it – spicy tuna, firecracker, flying fish roe, fatty tuna, I WANT IT ALL. So when I was invited to check out the new Japanese gastropub in Mount Vernon Square, I jumped at the chance.

Sleek, modern and minimalist, the best Kushi experience you can have is at one of their three (!) bars – the sake bar, the sushi bar or what I call the grill bar – what is technically supposed to be called the robata counter. I sat at the robata counter – the bar surrounding Kushi’s kitchen. There is literally no back kitchen at Kushi, everything is prepared out front under the watchful eye of diners. With charcoal and wood burning grills, a sous-vide machine and a few tiny stoves, eating at Kushi is cooking theater. Chefs slice, dice, grill, plate and prep right in front of you. It gives the diner a perfect vantage point for the evening, and also keeps you craving more. Continue reading →