Monthly Archives: February 2011

The Features
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A We Love DC Interview: Lucas Furniture Design

Nathan Lucas of Lucas Furniture Design.

Each piece of furniture tells a story.  Some stories may be more romantic than others, while the majority of stories are never told at all.  I am not saying that my antiqued wooden chest talks to me at night about its feelings, however, I do sometimes find myself wondering about the life it lead before I salvaged it from a junkyard. Furniture plays a much larger role in our lives than we care to notice.  Without it, we feel bare, but with it, we are provided with numerous opportunities to personalize our space – a behavior that all humans, in one way or another, engage in.  We personalize our space as a way to inform outsiders about who we really are (or who we we want you think we are) inside. This is why we are always in the lookout for new furniture pieces. When it comes to nice furniture, I always tend to visit the Furniture & Mattress Store for inspiration.

As society continues to place more emphasis on sustainability, the field of custom furnishings has become a growing facet.  I had the unique opportunity to meet Nathan Lucas of Lucas Furniture Design to find out more about his labor of love in DC.

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Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Food Tweet of the Week: Chef Geoff Tracy

Photo courtesy of
‘shrimp n grits’
courtesy of ‘@heylovedc’
New (and even old-time) Tweeters can learn a thing or two from Chef Geoff Tracy.  With @chegeoffs, Tracy might not hold the record for the most tweets per day, but all the messages he sends out are either informative (specials of the day), enticing (pictures from the kitchen), or funny (as you will see below).

The famed chef from Chef Geoff’s and Lia’s writes on his Twitter profile “Don’t get pissy here.” Love it. Tracy has about 1,700 followers and is constantly telling them what’s on his mind and what’s coming up at his restaurants. His account is unique and personal.

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Food and Drink, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Georgetown Love Potions

Photo courtesy of
‘Cinn City’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

I may not care a fig for Valentine’s Day (of course having said that, I fully expect a boatload of lilies delivered to my door, please) but I do love cocktails! So does the Georgetown BID, which has pulled together a bunch of restaurants to provide you with enough aphrodisiac concoctions to seduce even the hardest of hearts. Starting tonight, these selections (“Love Potions,” natch) will be available through Valentine’s Day all across the Georgetown circuit at 19 spots including Mie N Yu, Neyla, and 1789. Drinks are 2 for $14, for couples or friends.

Now, I rarely get to Georgetown these days but two of the sips I sampled earlier this week were tempting enough to get me to return (that and the cocktail shaker shaped like a dumbbell that I spied in an antiques window – ahem, gift?). The standout was created by Bourbon Steak’s very talented Duane Sylvestre. As you can probably guess from the name – Cinn City – it has the red hot spice of cinnamon as its top note, with the other ingredients being Four Roses bourbon and Peychaud’s bitters (First reaction? “It really does taste like a Red Hot! But not in a candy way.”). Continue reading →

Comedy in DC
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Comedy in DC: Seaton Smith

Seaton standing up

I had the very fortunate opportunity to cruise with Seaton Smith, 29, on Sunday Jan. 30, on his way to do a show over at High Topps in Timonium, MD. We chatted the whole way on the road, which was good, because I didn’t really know the guy and he had no idea who I was, but somehow we were in the same vehicle together. People should get in strangers’ cars more often. I had a blast. I was able to learn a lot about him and caught him at a time when he just changed his career two weeks prior to that day to be a full time comedian. He quoted Bob Dylan about how success is about doing what you want to do in between waking up and going to sleep. “The past two weeks have been the most successful of my life.” Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Hot Ticket: The Postelles @ Red Palace 2/12/11

If you have not been to the Red and the Black lately, you are in for a pleasant surprise. They have combined their space with the upstairs space from the Palace of Wonders and have an attractive and thankfully bigger space now called the Red Palace. The stage is higher off the ground, the PA is larger, the DC9 guy has run the sound when I have been there, and it just has a nice club feeling inside rather than the former cramped space which felt more like an attic than a club, since it basically was an attic.

So why head out there this Saturday? Well, the Postelles bring some of their New York pop/garage rock to the new stage. Could they be the heirs to the Fleshtones? No, I think they have a little more indie rock to their sound than flat out garage pop, but boy can they do pop harmonies. I will be interested to see how harmonize live and in person over the course of a full set. And with sets from New York’s Snowmine and Toronto’s Dinosaur Bones, there will likely be some great sounds emanating from these three touring bands.

The Postelles
w/Snowmine, Dinosaur Bones
The Red Palace
Saturday, Feb 12th
$10 Advance, $12 Day of Show

Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Gang of Four @ 9:30 Club, 2/9/11


courtesy of Gang of Four.

In 2005, the return of Gang of Four felt vital. Playing to a packed 9:30 Club, touring in support of ‘Return the Gift’ on which they re-recorded most of their greats, the original Gang of Four roster played a blistering set that left us breathless and neck-sore from the sudden aural thrashing they gave us. The surprising vigor and fury that this 25-year old band played with in 2005 seemed to deliver a message to the droves of post-millennial-shift, post-punk pop revivalists that said “This is how its done”. Danceable rhythm and angular guitars amount to little substance without the spit and anger, the passion and snarl, the political outrage and razor sharp criticism. It was one of the best shows of the year.

In 2011, the return of Gang of Four feels somewhat unnecessary and yet it is welcome. Playing to a 3/4 full 9:30 Club on Wednesday night, touring in support of a strong new album ‘Content’, the reconstituted Gang of Four (featuring Jon King and Andy Gill with a new rhythm section) played an uneven set that entertained us and occasionally thrilled us but did not come close to the impact of their last reunion run. Part of the reason for this was the uneven mix of new songs and classics, part of it was the slightly off chemistry of the new line-up, and part of it was the fast and loose nature of the performance which lacked the ruthless reclaiming-the-title motivation of their 2005 shows. Even with the lumps though, this show was a fun one that offered enough highlights to make for a fine night of music and ended with a fantastic finale that finally tapped into some of that 2005 tour magic.

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The Daily Feed
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Food Truck Tracker

Photo courtesy of
‘Curbside Cupcake Van’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Have you thought of Valentine’s Day plans yet? If not, don’t worry, you still have the weekend to impress your significant other. Until then, why don’t you invite him or her out to your favorite food truck? Lame, but fun nonetheless.

Click on through for our ThestrEATS-powered lunch map to find your favorite food truck and have a fantastic food-filled weekend!
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The Daily Feed
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Hot Ticket: Baths @ Rock & Roll Hotel, TONIGHT!

“Cerulean” by Baths is my favorite album of 2010 that I discoverd in 2011. This week the internet is ablaze with hype for James Blake’s debut album, which granted is an emotional, electronic tour de force; but so is “Cerulean” by this 21-year old producer from Los Angeles. While James Blake continues building hype in the US behind a veil of secrecy (he’ll make his live US debut at SXSW soon), Baths aka Will Wiesenfeld is currently in the middle of a national tour spreading his off-kilter electro sounds and surprisingly emotional message city by city. Baths is playing at Rock & Roll Hotel tonight and the I expect the show to be a rare combination of massive, cutting edge beats and vulnerable vocals as Wiesenfeld croons through a crazy array of voice modulation and live mixes some sonic science. I highly recommend checking this one out!

Baths
w/ Braids and Blackbird Blackbird
@ Rock & Roll Hotel
2/11/11 – 8:30pm
$12

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Thursday Bonus Happy Hour: The Bitter End


‘Campari’
courtesy of ‘bionicteaching’

I consider Jeff Faile, bar manager at Palena, a friend. This Modern Luxury article on the expanded restaurant is great on the food, but does some injustice to one of Jeff’s brilliant cocktails (vodka?!). And since he has shared the recipe with me, I can now both correct the record and share it with you.

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Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks: Todd Thrasher’s Preserved Cherries

Prepared Jars
Prepared Jars by Don Feduardo
All photos courtesy of the author

We Love Drinks embarks on a series where we attempt to make our favorite cocktails and essential drinks ingredients from around town. If there’s something you’d like us to feature, please let us know!

The proper garnish is a critical part of some cocktails. DC has no shortage of bars where you can get a craft cocktail, and if you watch the bartenders at work at one of these establishments (and I have) you can see (and taste) how the garnish really can finish a drink, either emphasizing or complementing certain flavors in the liquid ingredients.

My first craft cocktail experience in the area came at PX, where the craft most definitely extends to the garnish. One of the cocktails I had on my first visit was listed on the menu as not just a Manhattan, but “My Wife’s Manhattan.” How could I pass that up? So I was very pleased when the Washington Post ran the recipe for Todd Thrasher’s preserved cherries. I made my first batch of them as soon as I could round up a cherry pitter and some cherries, based on the vagaries of supply and demand at Giant. And they were good, but they were salty. I had done something wrong.

It didn’t matter that they were too salty, though, because the Social Chair and I polished them off with some dispatch. We had three problems, really: 1) that first batch was too salty; 2) supply is unpredictable and the cherry season is short; 3) the recipe says they’ll last for two weeks in the fridge, nowhere near as long as our own Manhattan season. So I decided the next batch would solve all three of those problems. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Looking Back: The Arlington Nationals?


From StadiumPage.com Concepts

There is a small – yet fascinating – history of professional baseball stadiums that never made it past the concept stage. This came to light yesterday again when a link started flying around the Sports blogosphere (initiated by Jonah Keri, I picked up the bandwagon at SB Nation), documenting the great history of could-have-beesn for major league spectators. It’s been so popular that the site has been going in and out of service since discovered by baseball fanatics coming out of their long winter of offseason hibernation.

While it was fun to play around with some concepts for my hometown team (the Fenway Dome seems like a horrifying idea, and I vividly remember the new Fenway concepts because it was around the time I put a “Save Fenway Park” bumper sticker on the 1997 Ford Explorer I drove to high school in downtown Phoenix), I got quickly distracted by the 2004 look back to a concept designed to lure the Montreal Expos to the Washington area, yet not in DC: Northern Virginia Stadium.

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The Daily Feed
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A very Speakeasy Valentine’s Day

LLLForSpeakeasy edit

I’m not generally a Valentine’s Day fan. I don’t need a special day to tell my wife I love her; frankly speaking Valentine’s Day is in many ways “Amateur Night” for all the folks out on the town. So, I tend to be averse to V-day and all the trouble it brings.  Finally, there seems to be something for me on Valentine’s Day.  Logic, Luck and Love lays out the good and the bad of the matters of the heart, and you don’t even need to worry about a diamond, or fancy chocolates, or even a difficult-to-get reservation at a place that you can’t afford anyway.

It’s not that I’m cynical about love, but I am cynical about its artifice.  This seems to be an easy antidote that, and Speakeasy is known for those quality productions.  That’s where we come in.

Speakeasy DC is reprising the Two Pear Productions 2010 Fringe show Logic, Luck and Love at the Atlas Performing Arts Center on Monday night, and we’ve got a pair of tickets to giveaway.  To enter, leave a comment with your name and email address, and we’ll pick one at random for a pair of tickets to see the show on Monday night.

We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends, February 12-13

Photo courtesy of
‘Cupcakes’
courtesy of ‘spiggycat’

John: This weekend I’ll be starting off with a nice quiet dinner at home here at the WLDC DirtLab. Saturday (and Friday as well) my old bandmates in Honor By August will be doing a double-header at the recently renovated IOTA Club and Café in Clarendon. Sunday, I think that the Lyon Hall Local Pork dinner and wine pairing is hard to beat and delicious to boot.

Addison: Friday, I’m heading to the Zoo for a little bit of educational fun (ok, and cute baby animals) at the Woo at the Zoo event. Saturday, I plan on taking a quick day trip into Virginia horse country to sample the wares at Horton Vineyards and Blue Mountain Brewery, since I really felt the urge to get out of the city. Saturday night, I’m headed to a friend’s house to tap his first batch of homebrew. Sunday is family time, since my mom will be in town. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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CANCELED: Linkin Park @ Verizon Center, Tonight!

Well I’m sure this news is going to disappoint a lot of people…

“Linkin Park has been forced to cancel their February 10th show in Washington DC at the Verizon Center. Lead vocalist Chester Bennington is ill and under doctor’s orders to refrain from performing. The band sincerely regrets this unavoidable cancellation and apologizes to fans for any disappointment caused. Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase beginning February 11th.”

Entertainment, Interviews, Music, People
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Q&A with Henry Rollins


courtesy of Henry Rollins.

At this point does Henry Rollins really require an introduction? Since the hardcore punk era Rollins has been a jack-of-all-trades entertainer and thought-provoker with his bands, books, acting gigs, radio shows, spoken word tours, stand-up comedy, and most recently two National Geographic television specials about ‘the warrior gene’ and about snakes! Rollins grew-up in DC and to celebrate his 50th birthday on Sunday (50th!? We’re getting old!) he is coming home to put on two sold out shows at National Geographic’s Grosvenor Auditorium. I recently caught up with the notoriously tight-lipped Rollins and wrestled a few answers out of him.

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Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Calling All Chocolate Lovers

Photo courtesy of
‘Chocolate Molleaux – Koko Black Carlton AUD13’
courtesy of ‘avlxyz’
Do you like chocolate and champagne? If so, February might just be the right month for you to head to the city’s Ritz-Carlton because the Chocolate Decadence Buffet is back.

Executive Chef David Serus is turning the Lobby Lounge into a chocolate paradise with candy, cakes and tarts. You will also find a “Champagne Sommelier” if you fancy a flight of champagne.

All you chocolate connoisseurs can get 5 items for $35: Tiramisu cheese cake, Cherry jubilee, Chocolate raspberry tart, Chocolate Panacotta, White chocolate macaroons thanks to the macaroons UK delivery, Brownie Sunday martini, Vanilla Chocolate Pudding, Strawberry Champagne, and more. Additional pieces are $5, and the Champagne Flights of Fancy is priced at $38 per flight.

Chocoholics can also enjoy The Ultimate Indulgence, a blend of Crème de Cocoa, Godiva dark chocolate liqueur, vanilla vodka, Bailey’s Irish crème, and a splash of heavy cream.

So, trying to impress a first date or just looking to gorge on treats with best friends? The Chocolate Decadence Buffet and Champagne Flights are available February 11 through the 14th.  Reservations are required for seatings at 6, 8, and 10 p.m.

The Lobby Lounge is located in The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. at 1150 22nd Street, NW. The closest metro is Foggy Bottom-GWU (blue/orange lines). For more information, contact 202-835-0500.

Food and Drink, Special Events
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Valentine’s Day Options for Singles

Photo courtesy of
‘Valentine’
courtesy of ‘erin m’

Yep, it’s that time a year again: Valentine’s Day. And if you’re single, you might be moping about wondering why there’s no one to take you to a nice pre-fixe, four course dinner with truffles and free champagne. So in order to prevent yourself from being a shut-in, listening to sad Fiona Apple songs while you down a bottle of red wine, let’s buck up and get out there. Sure, it can be a tough holiday if you’re not in a relationship, but I am a firm believer that just because you’re single on Valentine’s day does not mean you have to be morbidly bitter or that you have to eat frozen pizza while all the couples in the city enjoy their fancy dinners.
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Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Lamb: The Other Red Meat

Photo courtesy of
‘Rack of lamb’
courtesy of ‘bonappetitfoodie’

My dinner routine at home can get a little boring every now and then as I rotate between steak and chicken with the occasional pork chop thrown into the mix. So last week I expanded my palate a little and went to a lamb dinner at Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca, where I learned some basics about butchering a lamb (not that I’m trying that at home anytime soon…) and tried some great lamb dishes.

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