The Daily Feed

Those F’n Virginians

Photo courtesy of
‘Profanity1’
courtesy of ‘FunnyBiz’

In what has to be one of the most (sarcasm) academic projects of this time of the year, Business Insider posted the results from their research to identify the most “obscene” city in the country. Their methodology: “To find the most obscene cities in America, we plugged the “seven dirty words you can never say on television” — made popular by George Carlin — into Google Trends. We gave each city a score for each of the seven words, assigning more points to cities ranking higher up on each list.”

DC suburbs out in Virginia made the list not once, but twice, in the top three. Perhaps it’s all the District folks talking online about not wanting to cross the F’n river. Congratulations to America’s third and first most obscene cities, Herndon and Ashburn, respectively. (There’s actually a pretty good reason for this: the nature of the research is looking at the location of Web traffic – and, as the many tech-minded people here at WLDC have discussed – most east coast traffic passes through MAE East in Herndon and Ashburn).

In honor of this news, I immediately went to the vault of YouTube to pull one of favorite vulgar clips, an outtake from ABC’s dead sitcom, Better Off Ted. Seriously, if you are in any way easily (or, perhaps even somewhat easily) offended, just go ahead and skip to the next post:

YouTube Preview Image
The Daily Feed

Live from Nerd Prom, It’ll Be Seth Meyer’s Saturday Night

Photo courtesy of
‘Seth Meyers and Andy Samberg by David Shankbone 2010’
courtesy of ‘david_shankbone’

Seth Meyers better learn from Conan and be careful about following too closely in Jay Leno’s footsteps. It was just announced – even if there is still some lingering thoughts about whether or not the Royal Wedding will impact the date – that Seth Meyers will emcee the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner next April, an event hosted by Leno last spring.

Until April 30 and the 2011 “Nerd Prom” gets here, the questions will continue to be, “What celebrities/personalities will be at Westminster instead of the dinner?” Well, unfortunately for now, it’s still just wait and see.

via Romanesko

The Daily Feed

Food Truck Tracker

Photo courtesy of
‘Rebel Heroes’
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’
Today’s food truck picture is in honor of our fallen friends, the Rebel Heroes. News came through today that Rebel Heroes wouldn’t be making it back on the streets next summer. And don’t keep your hopes up for a soap opera-style reprieve, Rebel Heroes has sold their truck to The Big Cheese, the grilled cheese food truck hitting the streets next week. So pour one out for your banh mi homies today.

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Adventures, Crime & Punishment, Food and Drink

Thief! Silly Things People Steal From Restaurants

Photo courtesy of
‘Day 303/365 – French Twofer (Deux Pour?)’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

A while ago I was sitting at the bar at Stardust (RIP, I miss that place!) and the bartenders were telling my friend and I all about the people who would steal the salt and pepper shakers right off the tables. Stardust was known for quirky condiment containers, like two pigs dancing, or cactus-shaped shakers. You get the idea. And ever since that conversation I’ve been interested in whatall people steal from restaurants.

So I asked around, and behold, dear reader, a list of the ridiculous things that people steal from restaurants around DC.

The scene: Cafe Saint-Ex
Items Stolen: The bust of the Roman God Mercury, an antique three foot tall ash tray, patio plants
Jasmin Quioco, the Director of Community Outreach at Cafe Saint-Ex, reminisces, “A few years ago I was setting up for brunch and saw a guy struggling to bring in a covered object into the restaurant. When I opened the door, he said, ‘I’m really sorry, my friends and I had a few too many drinks last night and this ended up in my apartment. We love Saint-Ex and wanted to bring it back.’ They had stolen the heavy bust of Mercury that sits next to table 4.”

The scene: Whitlow’s on Wilson
Item Stolen: Harry S. Truman
Manny Fliakas, General Manger of Whitlow’s, remembers, “Last year, I received a manila envelope with no return address and inside was a framed picture of Harry S. Truman. We had this picture on the wall by the main bar and it was stolen four years prior. The letter attached stated that the individual who stole it was cleaning out their house and preparing to move when they came across the picture. They apologized for their childish actions and assured me they had become a better person.”

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News, The Daily Feed

Gabe Klein out at DDOT

Photo courtesy of
‘IMG_4618’
courtesy of ‘dbking’

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the popular Director of DDOT, Gabe Klein, is leaving.  It appears that Vince Gray has asked the popular and effective director of the city’s transportation hub not to come back under his administration. Projects that Klein brought to the forefront during his four-year tenure include the DC Circulator, the beginnings of the Streetcar system, expanded bike lanes and counterflow lanes, and the new Capital Bikeshare system.

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The Daily Feed

And the Winner is…Fish Tacos.

Photo courtesy of
‘Delicious fish tacos’
courtesy of ‘julesjulesjules m’
Nation’s Restaurant News (consider them the Variety of the food service industry) has come out with a report that 2010 was the year of the fish taco. In a study done by Technomic, a research group out of Chicago, they found that the number of fish tacos on menus around the country rose 22.5% in the first half of 2010, compared to 2009. Now, Restaurant News points to fine establishments such as Long John Silvers and California Pizza Kitchen as new fish taco purveyors, but that’s not my scene. Here are some of my favorite places in D.C. to celebrate the Year of the Fish Taco:

  • Surfside – I’ve been over it before, the tacos here are the best.
  • Tacqueria National – This may be some of the most stressful ordering in town, but well worth it.
  • Tacqueria PoblanoIf I’m willing to go to Virginia for tacos, you know they’re good.
  • Oyamel – A little pricier, but Jose Andres does a great version here.

Where do you get your favorite fish tacos?

News, The Daily Feed

Councilmember Brown proposes Internet Poker, Sports Betting

Photo courtesy of
‘Win win win!’
courtesy of ‘midom’

With slot-machines heading for Anne Arundel County, and the poker tables live in Charles Town, WV, the District may considering joining the surrounding jurisdiction’s more lax approach to gambling.  According to Freeman Klopott of the Examiner, Councilmember Michael A. Brown has a bill ready to allow the DC Lottery to manage an online poker system, as well as permit sports betting in DC.

There’s a big pair of obstacles to Brown’s plan, and they come in the form of two ugly boogeymen:

 

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Entertainment, Fun & Games, Music, We Love Music

The Winning Ticket: George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic

GeorgeClintonF

As a way to say thanks to our loyal readers, We Love DC will be giving away a pair of tickets to a 9:30 Club concert to one lucky reader each week. Check back here every Wednesday morning at 9am to find out what tickets we’re giving away and leave a comment for your chance to be the lucky winner!

This week we are raffling off a pair of tickets to see George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic invade the 9:30 Club on Saturday, December 11th. George and his band of renegades live to get funky; they have been cranking out their intergalactic P-funk for 4 decades! Their concerts are epic marathon jam sessions that simply must be seen to fully comprehend. Experiencing at least one performance by these ambassadors of funk should be on every music fan’s bucket list. All you P-Funk virgins out there – here’s your chance to find out what Parliament/Funkadelic is all about! To the funk veterans who may be reading this – you already know, so win those tickets!

For your chance to win these tickets simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address between 9am and 4pm today. One entry per email address, please. If today doesn’t turn out to be your lucky day, check back here each Wednesday for a chance to win tickets to other great concerts. Tickets for this concert are also available through Ticketfly.

For the rules of this giveaway…
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The Daily Feed

The Easiest Test You’ll Ever Take

Photo courtesy of

courtesy of ‘ellwoodite’
Don’t you hate it when a friend holds a wooden spoon out for you and says, “I don’t think this tastes right, will you try it?” That never ends well. Your taste bud karma is finally paying off, because Central is holding out the proverbial wooden spoon to you for the next two weeks.

Come to the restaurant at 9:30pm every night until the end of the test period on December 21st, and chef de cuisine Arthur Cavilere will have free samples of a new dish each night for you to try. You’ll have to score for your supper though – diners are expected to rate each dish on taste, presentation, marketability and value. At the end of the test period, all the tallies will be put in a hat and one will be drawn for a free dinner for two at Central. Not only do you get free food, but you might just get extra free food for your trouble. Not too shabby.

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed

Elegy for the Brickskeller

Photo courtesy of
‘Brickskeller’
courtesy of ‘needlessspaces’

By now, I’m sure you’ve heard that the Brickskeller is officially closing before the end of the month.  While I lament its departure, the great era of the Brickskeller is long past us, and the feeling I have is the relief of the peaceful passing of a long-suffering relative.

When I moved to DC in 2000, i was a fresh college grad, poor and in need of a good education of beer.  The Brickskeller quickly became that place for me, and under the direction of Beer Guy Dave (whose emails were legendary for their rambling direction and ASCII art) and Bob Tupper, I learned more about what good beer should be, what good beer often isn’t, and the intersection of the two.  The Brickskeller is the fore-runner of RFD, Church Key, Rustico, and the Big Hunt, four killer beer bars that every beerlover in DC should know and love.  For that, they must be thanked, and thanked heartily.

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The Daily Feed

“Hide/Seek” Activists Banned from Smithsonian

Two activists were detained on Saturday when they attempted to reinstate the video that was pulled from the “Hide/Seek” exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery. Mike Blasenstein stood by the entrance to the exhibit and distributed literature while playing the video on an iPad he had strapped around his neck. Michael Dax Iacovone filmed the experience, which can be viewed above. This is protest in the digital age.

The two men were escorted from the premises after about 10 minutes of broadcasting “A Fire in My Belly” by David Wojnarowicz, which was removed from the exhibit last week after protest from conservative groups. Though the exhibit has proven incendiary for its focus on LGBT issues, the video drew particular ire for showing a brief clip of ants crawling over an image of Jesus Christ.

According to TBD, Iacovone and Blasenstein have been banned from all Smithsonian institutions, the former for one year and the latter indefinitely. As TBD points out however, the sheer logistics of enforcing such a ban throughout the Smithsonian will be difficult.

Downtown, Entertainment, Special Events, The Features, We Love Arts

We Love Arts: The Nutcracker

Students of The Washington School of Ballet in Septime Webre's The Nutcracker. Photo by Stephen Baranovics (2009).

I’ve always thought of The Nutcracker as the gateway drug for ballet. It hooks you when you’re young, all candy confection and delicacy, with just enough undercurrent of budding sensuality and danger to appeal. Once smitten by the Sugar Plum Fairy and her tasty treats, it’s only a matter of time before The Red Shoes are dancing you unwillingly to the train tracks, or the Black Swan is bewitching you to your doom.

Okay, that’s a bit much! But I was reared on the filmed version of Baryshnikov’s magical American Ballet Theatre production, before I knew the sad backstory of Gelsey Kirkland, before my beloved ballet teacher damned my dreams of being a baby ballerina with the exasperated sigh, “She simply has no turnout.” I can still hum Tchaikovsky’s score almost in entirety. So yes, even a lovely children’s dream ballet like The Nutcracker can bring me to tears.

Septime Webre’s version for the Washington Ballet and its school, playing at the Warner Theater now through December 26, is a local holiday tradition that I experienced for the first time this year. The audience was a mix of nostalgic adults like me, and children brought to experience that heady gateway drug. The visual aspect of the production is perfect – the traditional story of Clara and her Nutcracker Prince, their battle against the wicked Rat King and their trip to the fairy kingdom, lovingly portrayed against the backdrop of Victorian Washington with relatively uncomplicated choreography well executed by a multigenerational cast of talented dancers. It’s a great introduction to the joys of ballet.

Except for one flaw. A flaw that breaks my heart, for what is says about the future of live performance and an art form that struggles to survive in economic distress.

Taped music. Continue reading

The Daily Feed, We Love Food

Cleveland Park’s Ardeo+Bardeo Gets A Facelift

ArdeoBardeo

Ashok Bajaj is one of my favorite restaurateurs in DC, and his more casual neighborhood spot of Ardeo/Bardeo has always been one of my choice picks within his delicious empire. So when I heard that the Cleveland Park eat place and wine bar were merging to get a new look, I was excited to see what it was all about.

Last night, Ashley and I attended a media unveiling of the new merged space “Ardeo+Bardeo”. The most noticeable change is the GIANT zinc bar floating in the middle of the space. For visuals, POP has a good peek into the space. What was once a wall is now a gorgeously-lit bar space with 24 seats, and the walls are decorated with blown-up black and white photographs from the early 1900s.

The concrete floors keep the feel modern, and an addition of a woodfire pizza grill makes flatbreads possible (I recommend the olive, onion and goat cheese flatbread, delicious). Small plates and savory snacks are priced between $3-$15 and entrées are offered between $12-$25. Check out the new Ardeo+Bardeo at 3311 Connecticut Ave, right down the block from the Cleveland Park metro station.

The Daily Feed

Ladies: It’s Time to Get Gay

Photo courtesy of
‘Lady Gaga’
courtesy of ‘gerdaindc’

Sequins and feathers and butt pads, oh my. Ladies, if you’ve ever envied the glitz and glamor of a good drag show, here’s your chance to shine. On Jan. 30, the Miss Faux Queen National/International will take place at Ziegfields/Secrets. Billed as “a pageant for bio-females with a drag queen caught in their body,” the event is a way to say thanks for those women who help fight the good fight. According to a statement, “So many women help out with events for the gay community and rarely have a fun event tailored just for them.”

The pageant won’t just be a simple shimmy down the catwalk however. Each contestant will be assigned a drag mother, and will be scored in four categories: female interview, on-stage interview, talent and costume. Wigs, it would seem, are a must.

Admission is $20 and doors open at 2:00 p.m. The contest itself will start at 3:00 p.m. Interested in competing? Contact emperorjohnrichard@gmail.com for more information.

The pageant is sponsored by the newly-formed Imperial Court of Washington, DC, the latest branch of The Imperial Court International. Despite its whimsical name, the organization does some serious work for the LGBT community, raising funds and promoting awareness for HIV/AIDS, social services and youth enrichment.

The Daily Feed

Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Tonight

Photo courtesy of
‘Capitol Christmas 11’
courtesy of ‘afagen’
Didn’t luck out in the White House Christmas Tree Lighting lottery? You aren’t completely out of luck, because tonight is the official lighting of the Capitol Christmas Tree. You’ve still got a big ol’ tree, a lot of lights and a pretty nice government building in the background. The ceremony will begin at 5pm on the West Front of the Capitol with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi throwing the switch, and will include performances by the U.S. Navy Band Ceremonial Brass.

This year’s tree comes from the Briger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming, with 5,000 ornaments were made by Wyoming schoolchildren to reflect the theme “Wyoming-Forever West.” The tree will be lit every evening at dusk from now until January 1st.

Mythbusting DC, The Features

DC Mythbusting: A Bus By Any Other Name

Photo courtesy of

courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

Welcome to another edition of DC Mythbusting.  This week we’re looking into the Metrobus system.  The rail system is easy enough to understand– it is organized by color, with five lines in total.  But there are over 300 bus routes serving the DC area, so the color system wouldn’t work (though I would love to ride the Burnt Sienna line or the Dandelion line).  So how are the Metrobus routes named?  Why do some have a letter and a number, some a number and a letter,  and others just have a number?  Read on for the answer!

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The Daily Feed

Redskins Suspend Albert Haynesworth For Rest of Season

Photo courtesy of
‘00207256’
courtesy of ‘Keith Allison’

Turning his back on the team, falling on the ground instead of pursuing Mike Vick and a general inability to follow defensive directions have left the Redskins no choice but to suspend Albert Haynesworth for the final four games of the 2010 season. The club released the following statement from Coach Mike Shanahan:

Yesterday, when Albert was at Redskin Park, he told our General Manager Bruce Allen that he [Haynesworth] would no longer speak with me.  Although suspending any player is not a decision that a head coach enters into lightly, I believe the situation has reached the point where the club clearly has no alternative.

Has there been a worse contract in Washington sporting history than Haynesworth’s?

The Daily Feed

EatBar Encourages You to Dress Poorly

Photo courtesy of
‘Ugly Christmas Sweater Party’
courtesy of ‘TheUglySweaterShop’
Ugly holiday sweaters: not just for house parties anymore. On Sunday, December 19th from 6pm-1am, EatBar invites you to a traditional Ugly Sweater Party, where you can wear whatever ridiculous light up, singing, teddy bear-encrusted holiday sweater your grandma ordered on QVC that you’ve never taken out of the package.

For your humiliation, EatBar will be screening the holiday classic, “A Christmas Story” and whipping up holiday cocktails such as a spiked peppermint patty cocoa and a housemade apple-infused bourbon. If you prefer to eat your embarrassment instead of drink it away, there will also be plenty of snacks like popcorn and candy canes passed around.

Make sure to dress to impress though, the “best” (worst?) sweater and its owner will win a classy Leg Lamp, just like the one from “A Christmas Story.” Because nothing says Christmas cheer like body part electronics.

The Features

We Love Arts: Wife Swappers

Clockwise from top: Mac (Michael Miyazaki), Shirl (Lucrezia Blozia), Karen (Judith Baicich), and Jake (Tony Greenberg). All photos by MV Jantzen.

This is not the feel-good show of the holiday season. If that’s your thing, maybe Ford’s Theater still has some seats for Christmas Carol.

Where Hannah Arendt’s 1963 book Eichmann in Jerusalem was about the banality of evil, playwright Justin Tanner’s Wife Swappers is devoted to the banality of perversion. The characters are not mass murderers – they’re rigidly, traditionally moralistic in any matters beyond group sex – but they’re still hard to empathize with, and watching them is more highway accident rubbernecking than connecting.

Wife Swappers tells a story that unfolds in a single evening in the home of Jake and Lorette, hosts to a recurring sex party attended by folks who are delighted to swap partners but are exceedingly uptight in pretty much every other way. When newcomer Karen wonders whether the boys ever touch each other during the lubetacular extravaganza the others recoil in horror and disgust. It’s a theme repeated several times in the work – these folks who wish they didn’t have to keep their alternative lifestyle on the down-low are completely unaware of the hypocrisy as they point their scorn and judgment at plenty of other marginalized groups.

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