By Tom Bridge
The Capitals went into Sunday afternoon’s tilt with Ottawa hoping to awake their offense and leave behind their struggles against the Senators they way they broke their losing streak against the squad back in December. They got their wish in the third period, scoring three goals on the Senators and playing strong enough defense to pickup a pair of points.
By Dan Rowinski
‘John Wall and Nick Young’
courtesy of ‘Keith Allison’
For those of you who were busy watching football all day, the Wizards played a game at Verizon Center Saturday night.
And they won.
Washington defeated Toronto 98-95 behind Nick Young who caught fire to the tune of 18 third-period points and were able to hang on at the end for their 11th victory of the season.
It was a better effort for the Wizards than what has been seen out of the team for stretches this season. It was not one of those games that required them to dig in with a lot of heart to pull it out nor did they have to overcome any mountain of adversity. It was just a win, a solid game where they kept themselves in it when they Raptors delivered their blows and execute well enough to come out on top. In the end it was a normal style win for an NBA basketball team.
That is not something the Wizards are used to.
By fedward
‘Town and Country’
courtesy of ‘Don Feduardo’
You might have seen this already. Tonight’s last call will truly be the last for (insert-cliché-here) bar Town & Country at the Mayflower, closing to make room for a relocated Thomas Pink store in what appears to be a complete renovation of the hotel’s ground floor.
The Social Chair and I stopped by last night to have a round and toast the bar’s history, but this was actually my first visit there. I’ll miss it in theory (I love the room) but the cocktails she and I had were underwhelming at best. Have you been? Are you going tonight? Any favorite memories?
And if you need a replacement old-school, wood-paneled room for your drinks, don’t fret! There’s still Blue Bar, the Occidental, Round Robin, Off The Record …
By Dave Levy
‘WE ARE GEORGETOWN!’
courtesy of ‘petesolecki’
The Georgetown/Syracuse rivalry has plenty of history from these last few decades, dating back to the rounds of bouts between John Thompson, Jr. and Jim Boeheim during the 80s. Recent memory has certainly reinvigorated this: both teams have made Final Four appearances in the last decade, and both have been incredibly competitive in the Big East.
As rivals in the 16-team conference, SU and Georgetown are one of the few pairs of teams that will often play twice during the regular season, once at each team’s home court. While Georgetown fans don’t exactly jump at the opportunity to head north every February to cheer on the road at the Carrier Dome, the same can’t be said for the opposite: between the many Syracuse alums who live down here and others who are willing to make the drive from various corners of the northeast, Verizon sometimes feels like some weird version of Syracuse South.
Otto’s Army, a Syracuse fan blog, is suspicious that Georgetown has had enough of this Orange invasion – so they are doing something to try and prevent it for the February 26 match in Chinatown.
By Tom Bridge
‘DSC_6298’
courtesy of ‘bhrome’
The Caps faced off with the best of the NHL on Friday night at the phone booth, knowing exactly how difficult an opponent they faced. The Vancouver Canucks entered Washington with 62 points and the best road record in the NHL. The Caps, though, possess the East’s best home record, and the clash of the titans was on Friday night at the Phone Booth.
Short some inspiration until the third period, by then it was too late to make up the difference, despite skating the ice like demons possessed. Alex Ovechkin tried to single-handedly skate through the fire for the Caps tonight, running four consecutive shifts late in the third to spark something for the struggling offense, and they just couldn’t convert their chances.
By Tom Bridge
‘Iwo Jima at Sunrise’
courtesy of ‘A B Pan’
The sun goes down tonight at 5:08pm, so look out for some sparkly vampires as you head out to Happy Hour. The nine circles of Gay Hell, consequences of the Internet, a mental typo gone public, and the newest National. All here for your edification just before you hit the bricks to enjoy your weekend.
By Jenn Larsen
‘Bloody Mary’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’
It’s time for Friday Happy Hour, highlighting a drink we’ve recently enjoyed, every Friday at 4pm! Please share your favorites as well.
Wait, a Bloody Mary on a Friday? They’re just for brunch, right? Ok, perhaps you won’t be having one this evening, but I happen to harbor a soft spot for the most ubiquitous of hangover helpers. I especially love its history, around since the 1920’s in Paris or 1930’s in New York, depending on the tale – its exact origins are somewhat disputed. Vaudevillian George Jessel claimed to be the first to mix vodka and tomato juice as a morning cure-all, while famous bartender Fernand Petiot added the spice element now considered essential. Petiot worked at Harry’s Bar, frequented by another master of the cocktail, Hemingway. This gives what we usually consider a humble drink a very sexy past.
I’m partial to my Bloody Mary with a Bull Shot, that is, adding beef broth which gives it a lot more depth. This is probably due to my hating tomato juice with a passion as a child. It was only as an adult that I grew to tolerate it, spurred by a friend who swore by tomato juices’s healthy and healing qualities. Slowly I saw the light. Continue reading
Former area comic Brian Kerns will be stepping into the spotlight at Magooby’s Joke House in Timonium on Jan. 20 from 2:00 PM till 3:00, one of the 81 hours of comedy that the club needs in its attempt to. break the Guinness World Record for the longest comedy show ever. The event kicks off Jan. 17 at 2:30 PM, and the club must maintain a minimum of 10 audience members at all times in order for the record to be valid.
The usual two-item minimum has been lifted for this event, and you can show up at any time during the 81 hours and donate whatever you can at the door. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Special Olympics Maryland. You can find more information at the Magooby’s website.
By Tom Bridge
‘Fall Foreclosures, Westwood Gardens Wheaton MD’
courtesy of ‘Photos by Chip Py’
The DC Housing Finance Agency is piloting a program in Wards 5, 7 and 8 starting this week that will help the underemployed keep their houses while they find new employment. Through a $20M grant from the government, if you lost your job and have fallen behind on your mortgage payments, but are not yet in foreclosure or bankruptcy, you can receive up to 15 months of assistance from the HFA to help keep your home. It may be best also to look at other methods of getting out of a mortgage.
You have a variety of loan products to choose from and one of the most popular methods today is “streamline refinance”. This is because it’s a simple way to refinance with reduced documentation required. The loan process is more efficient, and the approval process is much faster.
The program will spread to the rest of the District in April, but the pilot is available now for the hardest hit areas of the city. if you’re currently out of work, and are struggling to keep your home, give the DCHFA a call at 202.777.1690 and ask about the HomeSaver Program. You’ll need to stay in your home for five years after receiving the assistance in most cases, as a lien is place against the property, but the loan will be totally forgiven after five years. There’s a PDF flyer on the HFA website if you’re interested, as well.
By Alexia
All photos by Santiago Gamboa.
Guest reviewer Alexia Kauffman attended the show at Iota on Tuesday. Here are some of her thoughts about it.*
The blustery wind and threatening snow didn’t discourage the crowd from assembling at Arlington’s Iota Club & Cafe on Tuesday night for the unusual pairing of NYC’s The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger and solo experimental vocalist Julianna Barwick. The GOASTT is Sean Lennon’s latest musical project, a collaboration with his model girlfriend Charlotte Kemp Muhl. They are on their first US tour in support of their debut album, “Acoustic Sessions”. Fresh from appearing on the Jimmy Fallon show in New York last week, the GOASTT seemed at home on Iota’s small, Christmas-light-adorned stage.
‘(heart) D.C.’
courtesy of ‘rockcreek’
It’s no secret that I think Mt. Pleasant is the greatest thing since Atari. I write about it a lot, talk about it more, and try and convince people that beer tastes better here and the sun shines more brightly (both are facts, look them up). But just when I thought my lovefest had reached its saturation point, a new Temporium goes and ups the awesome ante.
By Don
‘Grift’
courtesy of ‘dickobrien’
As has been widely reported, members of the Westboro Baptist Church will be spewing their nonsense at American University at 4pm today. Most reports make mention of the group’s brand of speed-protesting and how they’ll be in and out in under an hour. This generates a lot of head scratching in the public and the media because everyone wonders why someone who wants to get their message out wouldn’t do it longer and allow more people to see it.
Simple: because their mission isn’t to communicate or convince anyone, it’s to incite someone into doing something that they can turn into profit. If they can’t manage that almost immediately then there’s no reason to stick around. They’re grifters. Con artists. Profiteering litigants.
Phelps intentionally targets people that are being victimized, or good people doing their jobs to create more outrage. He kicks people when they’re down. He does that so someone will come up and defend them. Then he will sue you.
You can be sure that there’s nothing these bozos love more than the counter-protests because it gathers larger groups and increases the odds someone will do something stupid. Don’t engage, don’t get mad. Our legal system has enough to do without being a profit center for folks who peddle hate… even if they just use it as a tool to indirectly make money.
Update at 3:35p: Note this tweet from TBD’s Amanda Hess at the WBC’s Islamic center protest: “protesters and counterprotesters now filming each other. counterpro taps protester on shoulder with scripture. protester accuses assault.”
By Ashley
‘Tim and the Sweetflow Mobile!’
courtesy of ‘Carly & Art’
It’s been a while, but the Sweetgreen truck is finally back after some technical difficulties. Welcome them back to the street at L’Enfant today. Because nothing hits the mid-January spot like a little frozen yogurt.
Last Thursday, I was in the midst of my blissful daily blog prowl when I stumbled upon a series of whimsical fashion illustrations that stopped me in my tracks. After snooping around for more information on their provenance, I was surprised to discover that the illustrator behind the series was Washingtonian Inslee Haynes. When I caught up with the talented artist over coffee (turns out she’s a neighbor of mine in Glover Park!), I was even more enchanted: the 20-something “greater DC area” native is not only incredibly gifted — she’s also sharp and ambitious, having launched, maintained, and grown her own fashion illustration business since 2005. Continue reading
‘leave the gun…………’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’
I used to go blindly into Restaurant Week. All willy-nilly about where I wanted to eat, randomly picking places that had open reservations and were on my list of restaurants to try. And while this strategy served me well, I feel compelled to advise you all to form a calculated and informed plan for this upcoming winter 2011 DC Restaurant Week. Continue reading
Something happened at Black Cat on Tuesday night that I was completely unprepared for.
I thought I was set. I took one look at Jucifer and their wall of speakers, and I knew it was my kind of music. I’ve seen drone-metal bands like Sunn O))) before. I listened to Jucifer’s latest album and knew I’d enjoy that sort of American black metal in person. I brought my nice earplugs, designed for drummers who play for hours straight. But, my God, I was not expecting to have such an amazing metal night.
This band Jucifer already intimidated me with their wall of white speakers. Even their first note was super-loud, enough to make me desperately shove in my earplugs and cease any coherent conversation with my friends who had invited me. Once their set began, I was completely enthralled with the noise they created.
Continue reading
By Tom Bridge
‘Snow’
courtesy of ‘a digital cure’
Today, we’ve got stripper on stripper violence, an all-hands piece from TBD on the violence in Prince George’s County, Arlington throws out a textbook, and Mayor Fenty’s got a new job. The Sun sets today at 5:07pm. We’re picking up a minute of daylight a day, and it can’t come fast enough. Here’s some light reading for your evening.
By Tom Bridge
‘Metro Fail’
courtesy of ‘Karon’
Get ready for an ugly weekend of transportation. Starting at 10pm on Friday night, Metro will stop all Blue and Orange trains at Rosslyn and Farragut West and turn them around, meaning the only line across the Potomac this weekend is the Yellow line. Hanging at Metro Center and going to Court House or vice versa?That’ll be Metro Center to L’Enfant, to Pentagon, to Rosslyn, to Court House. Sure, there’s a shuttle between Farragut West and Rosslyn, too, but will it save you any time? Not so sure about that.
Yeah, that’s going to be awesome.
On top of that, add in red-line single tracking between Friendship Heights and Van Ness, and New York Avenue and Rhode Island Avenue, and your Red Line trip is going to be a lot longer this weekend, too.
Couple all this delightful convenience with the fact that Metro drivers are pooping and peeing in their traincars, and you’ve got some warm fuzzy feelings for Metro, I’m sure.
By Jenn Larsen
‘Mocha, Chinatown Coffee Company’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’
I have a confession. I can’t make a cup of coffee to save my life. In fact, I make really horrible coffee, sludge coffee, gritty coffee. I make worse espresso. Crema? Ha! You’d be lucky.
That must be why I love baristas so much. I watch them like some people watch priests turning water into wine. Hushed, respectful, full of wonder. And I love a hot tattoo. Plus an extra shot of sass with my caffeine always helps.
Which brings us to Chinatown Coffee Company…
“I’ll have a mocha, I think,” I blearily requested one Monday morning.
“I would never have guessed,” the barista coldly replied. I looked up, blinking in surprise. He held his deadpan for what seemed like an eternity and then cracked a wide smile.
“It’s Mocha Mondays, girl!” he laughed, pointing at the blackboard where the notice danced in happy pastel chalk.
Just like that, I fell in love.
By Ashley
‘A Matched Set’
courtesy of ‘Tobyotter’
It’s about time someone started respecting the belly instead of claiming it has something to do with “poor health” or “bad eating habits.” So thank you Kyle Bailey and the rest of the Birch & Barley team, for not pointing out our botched New Year’s resolutions and instead just feeding our, well…bellies. But Bailey and his kitchen are not exactly potato chip and frozen pizza people, so they’ve uped the fancy pants ante.
On Monday, January 31st at 7pm, he will be hosting his Beer Belly Dinner. The dinner will consist of five courses that feature the best bellies money can buy. No, not J-Lo’s belly, we’re talking about anything from goat to lamb to fish. Beer Director Greg Engert obviously wants to keep things traditional, because he’ll be adding to your belly with a expert beer pairing for each course.
The dinner will run you $76 per person and includes the beer pairings as well as a belly friendly dessert prepared by their wonderful pastry chef, Tiffany MacIsaac. Reservations can be made by calling 202-567-2576.
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