Monthly Archives: May 2011

The Daily Feed
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Video Game Art Chosen for Future Smithsonian Exhibit

Photo courtesy of
‘DC Meetups – 09-03-22 – Your Move’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

The Smithsonian American Art Museum invited the public to help select the video games that will be included in its upcoming exhibition “The Art of Video Games,” which opens in Washington, D.C., March 16, 2012. The exhibition is one of the first to explore the 40-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium, with a focus on striking visual effects and the creative use of new technologies.

Voting took place between Feb. 14 and April 17 of this year. The website recorded more than 3.7 million votes from 119,000 people in 175 countries. A list of the winning 80 games across 20 gaming systems is available online and is organized by era, game type and platform. The 80 games will be displayed in the exhibition as screen shots and short video clips.

In addition to these 80 games, the exhibition will feature five games for visitors to play for a few minutes, to gain some feel for the interactivity—Pac-Man, Super Mario Brothers, The Secret of Monkey Island, Myst, and World of Warcraft.

The Daily Feed
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This Week in Food

 

Happy Cinco de Mayo. Hopeully by now you know where you’ll be heading tonight for those margaritas.

Happenings

There are so many places recently open or opening soon. Senart’s Oyster and Chop House started off with a bang late last week serving fantastic oysters and a killer lobster roll. Plus there are finally signs up for Nooshi (Noodles & Sushi) and Tash (Kabob, Bread & Rice), which we’ve been hearing about for months. Also coming to Barracks Row is Spring Mill Bread Co. (bread, sandwiches and pastries) and 32 Below (Frozen Yougurt). 32 below is also hiring if you like to swirl, however “mean people need not apply.”

Speaking of that cold stuff…

Starting  today at 6pm you can head Dupont Circle for some free  Pinkberry (just until 10 though!). The yogurt is famous for its healthy ingredients with fruit from local farms, and will even be open until 2 a.m. on weekends.

Opening on Cinco de Mayo?

Is none other than El Centro DF in Logan Circle. Like we’ve told you, the restaurant is all about Mexican comfort food and is brought to us by Richard Sandoval and Kaz Okochi (also behind Masa 14). It opens today at 5pm for a Cinco de Mayo party — hello tequila. Read more from DC Eater.

Ostrich Eggs

And my favorite blog post of the week is an easy pick: “What the Heck Do I Do With . . . Ostrich Eggs?” Best Bites Blog put together a video series where they asked professional chefs “to show us how to use those crazy ingredients we normally shy away from at the grocery store.”

Happy eating!

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Food Truck Tracker

Photo courtesy of
‘Sabora Street’
courtesy of ‘yostinator’

Forgive us, foodies and city dwellers. We’ve been remiss with our Food Truck Tracker. But it’s back and in action. Check out where the food trucks are rollin’ this afternoon. After all, you’ll need something in your stomach to soak up all those margaritas you’ll be drinking tonight in honor of cinco de mayo.
Continue reading →

We Love Music
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We Love Music: Pinback @ Black Cat, 5/1/11

Pinback @BlackCatDC-16
All images courtesy of Paivi Salonen

Bands using video projectors at their live shows can be hit-or-miss. At their best, you can have a band like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, who count their projectionist as a full-on band member. He moves back and forth between four(!) projectors, mixing up a series of dark images to add to the brooding feel of the music. At their worst, you might as well stare at the iTunes visualizer on your laptop.

As I arrived at Pinback’s show on Sunday night at the Black Cat, the first thing I noticed was the projector. I had mixed feelings about how openers Judgement Day used it; it seemed gimmicky to me at first, but I was convinced by one song, where their playing synced perfectly with their video track. It was sick, to say the least; it showcased their skills as virtuosic musicians with creativity beyond musical composition. Pinback, on the other hand, wasted an opportunity to do anything exciting with their visuals. They weren’t very dynamic as performers either, so their use of a projector felt like a crutch, just to try to make their show more visually appealing.

Continue reading →

capitals hockey, The Daily Feed
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Caps Lose Series, Season to Tampa

Photo courtesy of
‘IMG_6554.jpg’
courtesy of ‘bridgetds’

If you haven’t heard by now, there was a complete implosion down in the Tampa Bay area. How is this relevant to DC? Because the implodees were our own Washington Capitals.

The Caps dropped Game 4-and the series-with a lackluster, passion-less filled “do or die”contest to the Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-3.

Our own Dan Rowinski will conduct a WeLoveDC postmortem tomorrow. Meanwhile, the gnashing of teeth, calling for heads, and fan deconstruction has already started. If you’re looking for answers to sooth the depressing rage, look no further than On Frozen Blog today and swing back here tomorrow for our own analysis.

The Daily Feed
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In the wake of more protest arrests, a question

2011 04 11 - 7844 - Washington DC - DC Rights Protest - Corryn Freeman
Photo by Andrew Bossi

This evening, a group of four eight women protestors, lead by Mary Cheh, were arrested near the Capitol for blocking traffic as part of a protest against the 251-175 vote to prohibit local tax dollars being used for abortions.

While it’s clear that the District’s rights to self-governance are being deeply abridged, pointless protests like the one today, and the one scheduled for next week, same time/same place, do nothing to advance the cause of self-determination for the District. Instead, they’re just a sideshow that demonstrate that we understand the theatrical part of politics, but we’re failing categorically at its other half: policy.

I’d like to ask public figures in DC a favor: Until you can come up with a solution to the problem, if you’re going to get arrested, do us all a favor and stay in jail until you think of something that will work.

So that begs the question, DC: Who would you like to see locked up for good for protesting? A set of options, and a write-in field, after the jump. Continue reading →

Arlington, Food and Drink
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Top Dog Half-Smoke Challenge

Photo courtesy of
‘Top Dog – Jackson 20 & The Grille’
courtesy of ‘Hans Bruesch-Olsen’

The half-smoke is a venerable DC institution, dating back to the 1930s when Briggs & Company Meatpackers combined equal mixtures of coarsely ground beef and pork. Locals and tourists alike flock to Ben’s Chili Bowl and various cart vendors around the Mall to experience this glorious bit of Washingtonian foodstuff.
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History, News, People, The Daily Feed
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Inside Operation Dark Heart

Photo courtesy of
‘Nada News by Pepe Medina’
courtesy of ‘Newspaper Club’

On Thursday evening, May 12, join Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer at the International Spy Museum as he discusses his book “Operation Dark Heart” and the controversy it stirred up. Shaffer was a Defense Intelligence Agency senior intelligence officer who returned to active duty after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. During that 30 month period, Shaffer commanded a DIA operating base and conducted two successful undercover combat tours in Afghanistan. The objective of those tours? Searching for senior al-Qaeda leadership figures by recruiting informants and gathering intel.

His appearance at ISM so shortly after the events on May 1 is purely coincidental but timely. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Lightning Fans ‘Blue’ Themselves for Game 3 And the 5/4 Sports Ticker

Photo courtesy of
‘IMG_6500.jpg’
courtesy of ‘bridgetds’

The Lead Item: I really want to avoid going to in depth on the current woes of the Caps. Another loss last night at the hands of Vinny Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis (cathartic aside: Google auto complete brings up “Martin St. Louis Height” as one of the most common searches, haha, hockey midget), and the Solid-as-a-Rock Lightning PK unit have really cornballed every chance that the Caps have had.

Last night gave us a very interesting glimpse of the hockey fan life in Florida. The convenient excuse could be the 6:30 start time, but as the puck dropped, there were more seats dressed as Tampa fans than actual people dressed as Tampa fans (or at least the screen caps tell us). This is even after the Lightning’s front office dropped a weekend release to its fans to Blue themselves for the game. At least the chairs got the memo, but when you win, I guess you can ignore the criticism.

With Game 4 set tonight and the Caps facing the dreaded 3-0 series hole, this really is the Final Countdown for the 2010-11 Capitals. The glisten of the Stanley Cup seems really far away this Wednesday, and now would be as good as anytime to find the money in the banana stand. Otherwise, everything built this season going to be completely burned to the ground.

COME ON Caps. Get it going in Tampa tonight!

Footnote, I promised my editor six Arrested Development references as payment to use the headline. The last one was cheating.

More of the ticker after the jump.

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Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Sweetlife Festival 2011


all photos by author.

Sweetgreen is a locally established restaurant chain that was founded in 2007 by three former Georgetown students, Nicolas Jammet, Jonathan Neman, and Nathaniel Ru. In four short years, they have spread their environmentally conscious and healthy living message through the DMV area as well as into Pennsylvania. With a focus on sourcing locally grown and organic foods, Sweetgreen also provides a casual and relaxed dining experience. The three founders believe in leaving a the smallest carbon footprint possible and providing their customers with healthy food choices.

They also believe in throwing a kick ass music festival every year.

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Entertainment, Fun & Games, Music
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The Winning Ticket: The Twilight Singers

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!

We are very pleased to be giving away two tickets to see The Twilight Singers perform at the 9:30 Club on Monday, May 9th. The Twilight Singers consistently deliver great live shows and their lead singer Greg Dulli is in a class all by himself. Dulli has been knock ’em dead since his days with the amazing Afghan Whigs and with The Twilight Singers has somehow managed to craft five incredible albums that started where the Whigs left off and evolved into an even more mature and emotional sound.

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 available on Ticketfly.

For the rules of this giveaway…
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The Daily Feed, We Love Drinks
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We Love Books About Drinks

Photo courtesy of
‘Temperance Fountain’
courtesy of ‘NCinDC’

It may come as a surprise to you that I have time to read in between all those trips to the Passenger for brunch, but it’s true. It probably won’t come as a surprise, though, that I’ve been reading a lot about drinking and prohibition lately. Two DC area authors have new books on those subjects.

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Food and Drink
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First Look: Lincoln Restaurant

Photo courtesy of
‘Hallway mural, Lincoln’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’
Lincoln Restaurant in McPherson Square is one of those places you could almost walk by without even stopping to take a glimpse inside…for now. Something tells me that in a few months the exterior of the Lincoln will stand out as much as the interior.

I always think it’s a tad unfair to judge a place based on its opening week, so I went to Lincoln three times in a three week period. The drinks are solid, the service is still inconsistent, the decor is amazing, and most dishes suffer from the “presentation beats taste” syndrome. No dish left me disappointed, per se, I just had high hopes because they all looked beautiful. My guess is that in one month or so this will all be resolved as happens with most restaurants.
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Special Events, The Daily Feed, We Love Drinks, We Love Food
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Upcoming: Operation Smile’s Grin Gala

Photo courtesy of
‘Lauren Graham and Peter Krause’
courtesy of ‘greginhollywood’

Got plans Saturday night?

The Grin Gala, now in its fourth year, is a benefit for Operation Smile. It is described as “an evening of cocktails, dancing and silent auction.” Lauren Graham, pictured above, is this year’s honorary host. Tickets come in two varieties: general admission ($120, of which $95 is tax deductible), and VIP ($240, of which $215 is tax deductible).

VIP access includes an early reception on the Chamber of Commerce rooftop with top DC chefs and mixologists including Chef Todd Gray and Mixologist Simo Ahmadi from Equinox; Chef Peter Smith from PS 7; Chef Victor Albisu and Mixologist Troy Bock from BLT Steakhouse; and Mixologist Stephen Warner from Columbia Firehouse.

The Social Chair and I will be there as invited guests. Look for us there Saturday night, and a wrap-up of the cocktails and food here next week!

Entertainment, The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Ruined

Jenny Jules as Mama Nadi and Rachael Holmes as Sophie in Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater’s production of Ruined April 22-June 5, 2011. Photo by Joan Marcus

There are 683 seats in the Fichandler theater at Arena Stage. The house was packed for Ruined, playwright Lynn Nottage’s 2009 Pulitzer Prize winning play about the atrocities inflicted on women during the Second Congo War (1998-2003). They laughed, they cried, they applauded. They applauded a lot. And then they left. I heard many say “phenomenal” as they exited the theater.

683 seats. In the program, production dramaturg Amrita Mangus notes that “in some villages, as many as 90 percent of the women have been raped.” Eight organizations are listed in the program, including CARE and V-Day, to encourage the audience to act upon what they’ve seen.

I couldn’t help wondering how many audience members would get involved afterwards. There was so much laughter, some of it perhaps nervous, through the first act of the play. So much applause at the end. Would they leave and go back to their comfortable lives, telling others “go see this play!” but not “go get involved!” Would I? There’s a danger with political theater. It allows us to feel involved by the mere act of watching.

Lynn Nottage conducted extensive interviews throughout the Congo with survivors of the brutality of mass rape. Their voices come through authentically in Ruined, and it’s in these moments – especially the monologue by Salima (a riveting Donnetta Lavinia Grays) that opens the second act – that the play is at its most powerful. Continue reading →

History, The Daily Feed
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Smithsonian Snapshot: Lexington Racehorse

Lexington Racehorse, 1878; Photo courtesy of the International Museum of the Horse

This week’s Smithsonian Snapshot looks at the skeleton of Lexington, the “Official Horse of Bluegrass Country.” Known as one of the greatest racehorses of his day and sire to more winning horses than any other American thoroughbred before or since, Lexington (1850-1875) is a symbol of the town of Lexington, KY.

Originally exhibited in the Osteology Hall at the National Museum of Natural History, Lexington was moved to the National Museum of American History in 1999 to be included in the exhibition “On Time.” His skeleton provided context to the story of the first mass-produced stopwatch that split time into fractions of seconds, allegedly developed to time Lexington’s feats on the racetrack.

In 2010 a team of conservators and specialists at NMNH prepared to return Lexington’s skeleton to his birthplace. They cleaned the bones, made minor repairs, and prepared the skeleton for travel to the International Museum of the Horse, where the skeleton had been approved for loan just in time for the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky—the first time these games had ever been held outside Europe.

We Love Music
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We Love Music: Appleseed Cast @ Rock and Roll Hotel, 4/30/11

appleseed_1
All photos courtesy of The Appleseed Cast

Over their 15-year career, The Appleseed Cast have slowly morphed from their emo roots into a dynamic and powerful post-rock group. I must say, I haven’t paid too much attention to the band since 2003’s Two Conversations. But Saturday night’s show at the Rock and Roll Hotel impressed me – I felt like I was discovering a new band. Their current sound has only sparse vocals, and rarely anything resembling a catchy chorus. It’s all about the swelling guitar lines – with three guitarists, they have plenty of flexibility to create intricate harmonies.

Post-rock shows like this are hands-down my favorite shows to see. I like my music LOUD. But post-rock brings a certain kind of intensity that goes beyond volume. I imagine the creative process for The Appleseed Cast goes like this: “that’s a nice melody you wrote there. Wouldn’t it sound better if we nearly drowned it out with slow, droning riffs?” And it does. It takes a little extra work to hear the melody, but the melody’s more powerful because you had to work to find it. It’s a diamond in the desert.

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All Politics is Local, The District, The Features
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A Conversation with Eleanor Holmes Norton

Photo courtesy of
‘EHN @ Artomatic’
courtesy of ‘tbridge’

Last weekend Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) sat down with We Love DC for conversation over a number of topics particularly  focusing on the recent federal budget negotiations and the resulting protests.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton is still angry.  After weeks of negotiations between the White House and both Congressional Republicans and Democrats over the federal government budget narrowly averted a shutdown, Norton believes the District became a pawn in the negotiations with the inclusion of two policy riders in the budget agreement.  These riders banned the District from using local funds to provide abortions primarily for low-income residents and authorized the continuation of the school voucher program which helps pay for private school tuition.  “Congress is too busy messing with the DC code,” said Norton.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Collection Drive for Alabama Tornado Victims

Photo courtesy of
’20_16A’
courtesy of ‘m hoek’

In the wake of last week’s horrendous storms with EF-5 tornadoes that tore through central Alabama, many people have been looking for ways to help.  A group of University of Alabama alumni in the DC area are working to promote various supply drives to help provide needed items for the devastated reasons.  There’s a drive Tuesday, collecting at Fairlington United Methodist looking for a long a list of supplies, from clothes to non-perishables to toiletries to baby supplies.  Collections start at 8am tomorrow (Tuesday), and will run into the evening.  if you can, lend a hand?