Monthly Archives: June 2010

Life in the Capital, People, The Features
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Why I Love DC: Dave Stroup

Photo caourtesy of
‘The District’
courtesy of ‘william couch’

I could write this as a “how I learned to stop hating and love DC” post, but that would be too easy. It’s too easy to simply say you love or hate this city. Some of you may know me from my time over at Why I Hate DC. I never hated DC the way the previous writers had, so it was often a difficult gig. I tried to look at things a different way, focus on how to make those things we hate a little bit better. Eventually, though, the moniker and attitude that came with the site wore me down. I didn’t so much wake up one day and realize I loved DC–rather, I decided to come home to the city I love.

I came to DC eight years ago for school. I went home for the first two summers, but after that I stayed. Compared to some this is a short time, compared to others it’s an eternity. For me, it’s been long enough to realize why I love this city. I don’t love the city for it’s monuments or museums. I don’t love it for the trendy bars and restaurants, or the numerous festivals and events. All of those things are wonderful and add to the city’s charm, but I love DC because it’s where I grew up. I don’t mean in the sense of my childhood, but where I literally grew up.

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The Daily Feed, We Green DC
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Columbia Heights Farmers Market Opens Tomorrow

Photo courtesy of
‘Dreamy Creamy Chocolate’
courtesy of ‘Hoffmann’

Even the mayor will be on hand to welcome a new farmers market to the city tomorrow. The Columbia Heights Community Marketplace kicks off at 9 a.m. and runs until 2 p.m. at 14th and Park, across from Giant, Target, and Tivoli Theater.

At 11 a.m., Mayor Adrian Fenty, Chairman Vincent Gray, and Councilmembers Jim Graham and Kwame Brown will kick off opening ceremonies. Dancers and actors from the Dance Institute and Gala Theatre will perform; live entertainment will take place the first Saturday of each month and include activities like tai chi and cooking demonstrations.

Come every Saturday for fresh veggies and fruit (it’s berry season, you know), meats, breads, cheeses, flowers and beat-the-heat gelato–all grown and raised within 150 miles of DC.

Thrive DC, Miriam’s Kitchen and Christ House, three local homeless services, will be gleaning leftover produce to make meals for the homeless.

The Daily Feed
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BREAKING: Shooting on red line train, Union Station metro closed

UPDATE: Union Station officially re-opened.

Our own Dave Stroup is over at Union Station and is passing on reports that there’s been a shooting on a red line train, resulting in the closing of the Union Station metro. He’s been told it’s two gangs fighting on the train and at the moment the outside escalator entrance is being cordoned off.

Dave sees transit police, capitol police and DCFD conferring inside the mezzanine. He’s not seeing any EMS response. A bystander claims there’s at least one wounded individual.

1:43p: The DCFireEMS twitter account confirms the injured person, singular. WMATA’s release indicates that the shooting was in the station itself, says trains are continuing to pass through – single tracking – but not stopping.

1:45p: Dave says the station has re-opened. DCFireEMS twitter says they are transporting a single teenage male, aprox 16-17, in serious condition to the nearest trauma center.

1:49p: Dave repeats that the station has been re-opened. Reports have shifted to a large group of people fighting, not a shooting. The fight originated on the train, transit police contacted capitol police for backup.

1:52p: Witness report guns were visible but transit police say that no shots were fired. Dr. Gridlock’s update still repeats an MPD claim that shots were fired.  It’s unclear where this reporting disconnect is coming from or which side is accurate. No weapon has been recovered in a station search.

1:55p: The group was reportedly teenagers, over 30 who borded at Ft Totten and began fighting shortly thereafter. A passenger says it was difficult to get out of the way. At least one witness has stated a fear of going on camera.

1:58p: The fighting continued on the train as it progressed from Ft Totten to Union Station, happening right over seated passengers. One witness says she didn’t see a weapon but heard claims (boasts? threats?) of one, states her co-worker did see a handgun.

1:59p: Dave says Union Station officials are telling NBC4 they can’t film at Metro. They’re asking security to remove NBC4 from outside the station.

2:06p: Security apparently knows the law/rules better than the Union Station person demanding NBC4 be removed; an angry facilities person employed by Union Station is complaining about their refusal to remove them. NBC4 and ABC7 continued filming.

Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Mono @ 9:30 Club 6/2/10

Copyright 2010 Randolph A. Smith

I have been tossing around the word “epic” an awful lot in conversation lately when describing concerts that I have attended. I do that on occasion; get stuck on a word or phrase that is an easy descriptor. A verbal short-cut to get to the gist of what the listener missed by not attending a particularly good show. For a long time it was “rules!” and “kicked ass!”. I still fall back on those now and again. It annoys me when I catch myself repeating these things over and over again. It annoys me because it slightly devalues these phrases and robs them of their power when they are truly applicable in writing. Lately my word has been “epic” because I truly feel that I have been lucky enough to recently attend some epic events. Epic in either sound, significance, or both.

Wednesday night’s visit to the 9:30 Club by Japanese post-rockers Mono was EPIC. Note the use of all-capital letters. I use them because there is no other word to describe Mono’s first-ever concert at the 9:30 Club and I want you to really appreciate the magnitude of EPIC-ness I am talking about here. I use all-caps in an attempt to jump-start this word that I have been over-using of late, because I have no other word to describe how huge and impressive it was when Mono performed on Wednesday night.

In 2005, I saw Mono perform in a space no bigger than a living room on a patch of worn carpet as a stage. That show was my pick for best set in-and-around DC in 2005. It was an evening of true music nirvana. The intangible thing that I spend my life in search of. I was so shocked, enlightened, and blown away by that show I couldn’t even bring myself to write about it for months. I was speechless. I have seen Mono perform many times since and they have become one of my favorite bands of all time to watch in concert. However, none of their shows quite matched the greatness of that 2005 set – until now.
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The Daily Feed
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Strasburg Overload: The Strasburg, Va. Edition

Photo courtesy of
‘Strasburg Railroad’
courtesy of ‘jpmueller99’

There’s been a whole lot of talk in this town about welcoming the prodigal son to his baseball kingdom. As much as I love the hustle and bustle of DC getting caught up in the great commotion that is Major League Baseball, I have to say that all the hype over Stephen Strasburg is getting to be a bit much.

We know he’s good. He’s got the numbers. He’s been called up. He’ll start on Tuesday (pending weather, etc.).

With that said, while I’m just as excited as the next DC-area resident to watch a young’n breathe life back into District baseball, I must say the Virginia attempt to re-name Strasburg, Va. in honor of the Nationals’ pitcher is quite an admirable stunt.

The “Rename Strasburg” campaign launched by Virginia residents Justin Ritenour and ESPN Page 2 writer Shane Igoe was mentioned via Twitter by the Sports Bog earlier today. What exactly are they campaigning for?

“1. On June 8, 2010 the town of Strasburg, VA plans honor Stephen with a “Pride of Strasburg Recognition” Award
2. The Strasburg town council will also draft a resolution to rename the town “Stephen Strasburg, Virgina” should Mr. Strasburg decide to visit the town situated less than 90 miles away sometime this year
3. Upon which the newly named town would welcome Stephen into town on the back of a firetruck and honor him with a welcoming parade and police escort
4. We also invite Mr. Strasburg to throw out the first pitch to our new traveling little league team which would henceforth be known as the “Stephen” Strasburgs”

I sure do hope someone asks Stephen what his thoughts on all this are after his first outting on Tuesday. Inquiring minds (mine in particular) would like to know.

The Daily Feed
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The 900 Block of Rhode Island Ave

 

Photo courtesy of
‘Metropolitan Branch Trail-13’
courtesy of ‘TrailVoice’

There’s been a good deal of controversy on some community listserves over the 900 block of Rhode Island Ave NE, which has played host to some interesting developments over the last few years.  An older grove of trees was bulldozed this week to begin the development of a new condo property by Bozzuto right opposite the Metro station there.  In addition, some residents are objecting, in cases both anonymously and strenuously, to the presence of the Metropolis Club, an AA program, as well as the DC Superior Court Center (and its one jail cell), and the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for DC.

It seems to me that a lot of their concerns are largely bullshit nimbyism at its finest. An AA club provides a valuable service, and when placed near to the parole agency, it can become a resource for them to use with prisoners with alcohol issues. It can become an extension of the support network, which all of the community benefits from. Since AA also meets in churches, should we ban churches from hosting AA meetings near schools?

It seems that the large police presence just a few blocks up off Rhode Island would adequately handle any policing issues near the parole office or superior court facility (and its single jail cell) and that the AA club isn’t about to be a source of violent crime.  What do you think? NIMBYism or legitimate concern?

Adventures, Entertainment, Essential DC, Fun & Games, History, Life in the Capital, Music, Night Life, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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2010 Ibero-American Guitar Festival

Photo courtesy of
‘2010:53’
courtesy of ‘::FiZ::’

This evening the 2010 Ibero-American Guitar Festival kicks off at the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian. The festival showcases classical guitarists from the Iberia peninsula, Latin America and South America. You can grab a little taste of what’s in store with the beautiful strumming of Berta Rojas.

Shopping for your first instrument should be the initial step in a lifelong journey of learning and inspiration. It can also be confusing because all musical instruments come in so many different makes and models. If you’re buying your first guitar, you’ll face choices like what size guitar to buy, deciding between an acoustic or electric, or whether to invest in a new or used instrument. While there are many variables that might affect your decision, the most important thing is to find a guitar that sounds good, looks good, and feels good to play, check the next online website, they did a great review of Yamaha c40.

This year’s festival is dedicated to Manuel M. Ponce, the Mexican composer who passed away in 1948, but whose guitar compositions continue to inspire the world of international guitar. Tonight, the Manuel M. Ponce Quartet will give a talk/performance illustrating the influence Ponce has had over three centuries of music and the artist’s relationship with the great Andalusian guitarist Andres Segovia. Saturday at 2pm Leonora Saavedora talks about Ponce’s effect on Mexican traditional song.

If you can’t make it out to the festival, there’s also a live webcast of the events/performance that’s definitely worth tuning into.

Dupont Circle, The Daily Feed
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Dupont Benches Get Facelift

In 1993, the National Park Service took over maintenance of Dupont Circle which is news to me.  As I strolled through the circle this morning I noticed that they were replacing a section of the circular benches that are often the subject of local area photographers.  I stopped to talk to the workers for a while who were at first skeptical when I asked them to take some pictures, but by the end of our talk they said, “Feel free to come back and take more pictures if you want.”

After a few years of exposure to the elements, the wood begins to rot which is when the NPS springs into action.  I often wondered how they got the wooden slats to bend into their arched form.  As you can see they start with one end of the board, anchor it to the concrete bench, and keep working their way down to the end, clamping it as they go.  They use fir wood due to its durability, which is key when a bunch of people are going to be sitting on it every day.

Thank you, National Park Service, for keeping Dupont Circle in tip top shape!

The Daily Feed
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Taylor Gourmet coming to Dupont?

Photo courtesy of
‘Taylor Gourmet’
courtesy of ‘william couch’

Taylor Gourmet, the specialty sub shop with two locations in the District (and one planned in Bethesda), may be opening a third fourth in Dupont Circle. No solid details yet, but a Craigslist post hints more locations are on the way:

Taylor Gourmet Seeing General Manager ((Chinatown & Dupont))

We are a local gourmet deli that is expanding rapidly. We are looking to bring on some new full-time and part-time employees in order to make the transition process a bit easier. We will provide all of the necessary training, but are realistically looking for someone with some sort of retail or restaurant management experience. If you think you would be a good fit for the company, please send a brief email with resume attached to the address listed above.

Location: Chinatown & Dupont

Last Fall, Taylor opened their second location in the City Vista complex, near Chinatown at 5th and K, NW. The first location, on H Street NE opened in 2008 and was featured in Dwell Magazine.

Update: As a commenter points out, Taylor did announce expansion plans in Bethesda back in March.  It remains unclear why the Craigslist post cites Dupont as a possible location, however.

The Features, Where We Live
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Where We Live: Shirlington

Photo courtesy of
‘Village at Shirlington’
courtesy of ‘Arlington County’

Welcome back to Where We Live, your bi-weekly tour through neighborhoods in and around the District. This week: Shirlington and Fairlington! For those of you whose understanding of the DC area relies on a Metro map, you might not be too familiar with this area. But you’re missing out!  While there’s no Metro station nearby, this is a very cool area filled with plenty to do.

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The Daily Feed, We Green DC
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Where Does Your Recycling Go?

YouTube Preview Image

Ever wonder happens to your recycling once it leaves the bin?

Arlington County recently released a video that takes you inside a recycling facility. It shows how items are sorted, where they go, and what’s made from them.

Your host? A bathrobe-clad man carrying a coffee cup labeled “dork.” Check it out for good info and good cheesy fun.

The Daily Feed
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Can You Name A Supreme Court Justice? Two-Thirds of Americans Can’t

Photo courtesy of
‘U.S. Supreme Court’
courtesy of ‘brianmka’

Earlier today, we learned about some of the history of the Hill and the former home of President John Adams. How about some more current events regarding the Capitol and surrounding area? Don noted that the Tunnicliffe’s mentioned in the History Channel report was not in fact the bar, but a building just about on the site of the current Supreme Court building. So, while we’re on the topic, can you name the nine current Supreme Court justices?

Recently, Findlaw.com wanted to find out just how many Americans knew the answer to that question. The results weren’t pretty: only 35 percent correctly identified even one, and less than one percent could name all nine. Generally speaking, it’s a political crowd here in the District, so if you stacked us up against the field, you’d hope that we’d fair better than the entire country. Conspiracy theory: perhaps a lot of the folks asked were still scarred from a certain chapter in Jon Stewart’s America (The Book) to get their thoughts together when asked point blank…?

Finally, let the record show that I have no prize for whomever comments first with the full list of justices.

News, The Daily Feed
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A Super Bowl in Washington? Hey, it could happen.

Photo courtesy of
‘Walking’
courtesy of ‘brianmka’

The first Super Bowl to be played outdoors in a cold-weather city is slated for 2014 in East Rutherford, N.J., which is an exception to the usual preference of choosing a warmer climate to play the game.

Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder is pleased with this decision. In fact, he is so pleased with New York/New Jersey hosting the Super Bowl that he’s going to try and bring the NFL’s biggest game to DC.

The Washington Times reports that Snyder went on the record yesterday when he said he’s anticipating a “great experience” for the NFL at the Meadowlands in 2014. Why? He thinks it will generate positive feedback, providing more of a reason to host the big game in other cold winter temperature cities.

The Redskins tried to secure a spot to host the 2003 Super Bowl and were left with an unsuccessful bid.

“We’re ripe to get one,” Snyder told the Times. We’ll see.

Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks: Columbia Room

The Columbia Room. Photo credit: Max Cook.

Imagine a little room removed from the crazy world outside – an oasis of peace entered through a busy bar. Jars of spices line the walls, while chunks of the most pristine ice you’ve ever seen are gently melting in a wooden hangiri bowl, waiting to be carved up. Bottles stand neatly at the ready, watched over by a dapper gentleman sporting a perfect bowtie. This is the Columbia Room, and for a few blissful hours prepare to be transported to drinks nirvana, as Derek Brown brings you a “cocktail club” nestled inside The Passenger. It’s like a spa for spirit lovers, evoking a true intimacy almost lost to us in these hectic times.

I’ve been eager to try out the Columbia Room since I first heard whispers of its concept, unintentionally eavesdropping on co-owners and brothers Tom and Derek Brown before The Passenger ever opened, and it’s no secret that later The Passenger quickly became one of my favorite bars. So it was with much anticipation that I finally entered this gentle yet meticulous environment on two occasions last week – once for a class and once for service – and I can’t think why I wouldn’t be back again and again.

As with The Passenger, there’s no attitude here. All you need to get in is to find a open slot on the online reservation system and hold it with a card. You’ll be called ahead of time to confirm and review any preferences. There’s a four person maximum to each reservation, and the prixe fixe menu of $49 (tax and tip inclusive) includes a welcoming glass of champagne, the nightly cocktail paired with a small plate, and a customized cocktail. There are also weekly classes by Derek Brown and Kat Bangs for $65 covering all aspects of crafting cocktails. I had a wonderful time at Kat’s recent champagne cocktail class, learning how to make my own blackberry liqueur and sugar cubes. Both service and class are well worth it.

So, let’s decompress into cocktail transcendence…

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The Daily Feed
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210 years ago the President moved into a bar

As the joke goes – you’d think he’da seen it.

More accurately, as the History channel reports, President John Adams arrived in our town on June 3rd, 1800, to find the President’s House not yet done. This document from the historical society reveals that he had to pack up and get out of the President’s House in Philadelphia because the lease expired. While the unfinished structure could safely store his furniture, it wasn’t habitable for people, much less a President.

So he took up lodging in what they describe as “Tunnicliffe’s City Hotel near the also half-finished Capitol building.”

If you wonder, as I did, whether the current Tunnicliffe’s over at Eastern Market could be close enough to be the same space, well The Hill is Home has the answer: no. In part two of their piece last year about William Tunnicliff they talk about this space and Adams’ stay there and identify it as being at the south-east corner of 1st and A, NE.

If that doesn’t immediately jump out at you, that’s where the Supreme Court currently resides.

The Daily Feed
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Win a Date with Drew Storen

Storen.jpg
Drew Storen photo by Ian Koski, Nationals Daily News

Ladies, meet Stanford graduate and Nationals reliever Drew Storen. He’s quite a catch. Likely the #2 prospect in an organization with a lot of young talent, you can take him out to lunch or dinner if you win the auction that Stand Up and Take Notice is putting on next Monday. Tickets are $52 ahead of time and include open bar (wine/beer/champagne) at 19th on Penn Ave. For the fellas, you can go golfing with Tyler Clippard (Clipp, of power bullpen combo Clipp and Save), professional photo shoot with Ryan Zimmerman, and lunch for four with John Lannan and Craig Stammen at ESPN Zone downtown. Tickets are $60 at the door on Monday.

Do a good turn for the Leukemia & Lymphoma society, go check it out.

We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends, June 5-6

Photo courtesy of
‘SW DC Lightning’
courtesy of ‘MudflapDC’

Kirkles: I’m going to live out my shame by attending Friday evening’s Nats game against the Reds and sitting in $30 seats that I bought a few weeks ago. Later that evening I’ll be taking a beer loving Friend from out of town to visit Churchkey, which I think will blow his mind.  On Saturday, I’m going to host a grill brunch with some homies where, you guessed it, I’ll grill breakfast foods.  Should be interesting.  Sunday will feature church, followed by more drinking with said out of town friend. I’m not sure where yet.

Shannon: This weekend I’ll be running the Race for the Cure out on the Mall on Saturday morning (just a heads up that Metro opens at 5 AM for the event, and traffic downtown is likely to be crazy).  After the run, I’ll head to Dupont for brunch and unlimited mimosas at Madhatter, then stroll around the neighborhood for the Dupont-Kalorama Museum Walk.  Sunday I’m heading down to Hains Point for a bike ride and some swimming, because the DC Triathlon is just 2 short weeks away! Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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DC Rapper Wale Admits Gay People Run Companies

Photo courtesy of
‘From Capital Pride Parade’
courtesy of ‘spiggycat’

“It’s 2010,“ and gay people “…are, like, tops, like, heads of companies,” says Wale, DC rapper after he finished chilln’ in DC AND PG the other day. In fact, he was at DC Black Pride on Sunday when he made these well intentioned yet perhaps ever-so-slightly ill-crafted statements about homophobia. He previously caught flack for pulling out (sometimes it happens) of the event, but then quickly got right back up in there (that happens too) to show that gays are…ya know…kinda normal. Below you can watch his 6 minute interview at DC Black Pride, which is very revealing…of his stance as well as the fact that a spokesperson is worth their weight in gold in this town. Let it go on the record however, he doesn’t know any gay people personally, which he states in the interview.

WCP wrote about it yesterday in a post that caused a little anger over their initially incorrect quotation, which inserted a “like” before his statement that gay people “are functioning human beings.” In other words, implying that Mr. Wale was saying gay people are like humans, only different. The mistake was corrected on the site, so I think Wale is cool with getting back to chillin’ now.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Ultimate Underdog Film Fest Premieres Tonight

Photo courtesy of
‘Navy Yard Station’
courtesy of ‘spiggycat’

Day got you feeling down? Commiserate with cinema’s greatest schlubs at the Ultimate Underdogs Outdoor Movie festival. The free event kicks off tonight at sundown with Hoosiers, and continues every Thursday through August 5th. All movies will be shown at Canal Park, located just two blocks from the Navy Yard Metro station at M and 2nd Streets SE. Get there early for trivia and Wii, or just roll out your blanket, lie back, and cheer on your favorite lovable losers.