Yearly Archives: 2011

Capital Chefs, Food and Drink, The Features
By

Capital Chefs: Jaime Montes de Oca of Zentan (Part 2)

Photo courtesy of
‘Watermelon and feta salad at Zentan 3’
courtesy of ‘bonappetitfoodie’

Some might say there’s nothing better than biting into a sweet, juicy wedge of watermelon in the summertime. So to take that watermelon to the next level, you’ll find chef Jaime Montes de Oca’s recipe for a watermelon salad with mint, feta and a black pepper vinaigrette after the jump. It’s incredibly easy to make, and the soy sauce and black pepper with the sweetness of the watermelon and saltiness of the feta make for a great and refreshing combination. You can make it an hour or so in advance, although this is not a salad that needs time to marinate. Enjoy it on a picnic or underneath the breeze of a fan on a hot summer’s day.

Continue reading →

Entertainment, Food and Drink, Night Life, People, The Daily Feed
By

Congratulations, Duffy’s!

Photo courtesy of
‘Duffy’s’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

Back in late April when I profiled publican Andy Duffy on the challenges of running your own tavern, we talked about the hope that the hours restrictions would be lifted on Duffy’s in a then-upcoming ABC Board vote. The restrictions have been a real hardship over the past five years since Duffy’s opening, causing him to lose out on providing drinks and nosh to the post-concert crowd, and there’s always been the worry that the limited hours might eventually sink the beloved neighborhood pub.

Worry no more. Word from Duffy is that the ABC Board has voted to terminate the “voluntary” agreement, which means the restrictions will be lifted. That gives Duffy’s the same hours benefit as other popular nightlife options in the area he helped to make popular. As a local resident and an unabashed fan of Duffy and his pub, I’m thrilled. The paperwork still has to go through (UPDATE 6:30pm: Official license has been received and new later hours will start this Sunday 7/10), but this is still great news and a sign that sometimes, being a true gentleman who perseveres does work out in the end.

Congratulations!

UPDATE 2pm: For more details on the actual ABC order, read on after the break. Continue reading →

Capital Chefs, Food and Drink, The Features
By

Capital Chefs: Jaime Montes de Oca of Zentan (Part 1)

Photo courtesy of
‘Jaime Montes de Oca of Zentan 4’
courtesy of ‘bonappetitfoodie’

There are a handful of characters in one’s life that can really have a profound affect on the shape of your life and career. For Jaime Montes de Oca, the executive chef at Zentan, there are three women who drove him to cook: his grandmother, a Colombian nanny he had growing up and Nancy, a kitchen manager/chef who worked with him when he was in high school.

“I would stand and watch [our nanny] cook and I would help prepare food with her,” says Jaime. “It was a creative outlet, a creative way to fill mouths and stomachs.” When Jaime grew up and started working in the front of the house at a “turn and burn” restaurant at a Holiday Inn, Nancy was the one who advised him to go to culinary school if he was going to be serious about working in the restaurant industry.

Following years of working kitchens across New York City, Thompson Hotels (the owners of the Donovan House which is home to Zentan) sent Jaime down to DC to try to convince him to take a job in Susur Lee’s restaurant. For someone who grew up in New York and has lived in almost all five boroughs, Jaime was slightly hesitant to pick up and move. “They showed me the brand new kitchen and talked about what I could do here in DC,” he says. “Looking back on it, it was the right decision. DC is having a renaissance with restaurants and hotels. A lot more young people are coming here. If DC continues on the path it’s going, it will become a food capital. We’re getting very close.”

Continue reading →

Adventures, All Politics is Local, Business and Money, Education, Essential DC, Fun & Games, History, Legacy articles, Life in the Capital, People, The District, The Features
By

50 And 50, And Oh Yeah, DC

Society6, an organization that connects artists with unique opportunities and empowers them to make their artwork available for sale without giving up control of their rights, recently completed an innovative project titled “50 And 50.” The idea behind this endeavor was to recruit 50 designers, one per each state, and have them illustrate their state motto using the same color-scheme. The results are modern, yet historical grounded, designs that would make any wall fit for oversized art proud.

Fortunately for us, although not part of 50 states, DC was included in the project and represented by Oliver Munday, whose  illustrations and designs have graced bookcovers, TIME, The New York Times, Wired, etc. And for those of us completely naive to DC’s “state” motto, it’s “Justice For All” or as the Romans prefer “Justia Omnibus.” Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
By

Food Truck Tracker

Photo courtesy of
‘Setting up Shop’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’

Happy Friday! You got through the short week, so here’s a bit of food truck trivia from Sauca to kick off your weekend.

Question: What profession did the Ambassador of SAUCA do prior to getting into the food truck business?
Answer: Investment Banking. During his career he lived in Latin America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East where he was influenced by the foods of the international street venders and thus, SAUCA was born.

Continue reading →

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

2011 Capital Fringe Festival

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘erin m’

Last night I got tied up to two people. We were force fed food through a syringe. Several people ate bugs. A couple needed the Heimlich. It blew all our minds.

Welcome to Fringe!

Judging by the happy crowd buzzing through the heat at the Baldacchino Gypsy Tent last night, the 2011 Capital Fringe Festival is off to a great start. Now through July 24 you can enjoy (or not enjoy, that’s part of the experience too!) 18 days of over 100 risky productions by over 2,000 artists performing genres from theater, music, puppetry and dance. It’s chaotic, and it’s meant to be that way – anarchic challenging fun. Venues are spread out from the core in the Mount Vernon Square, with home base at Fort Fringe, 607 New York Avenue NW. Tickets are available in singles of $17 a show or in packs of 4 ($60), 6 ($80), 110 ($120) or all-access ($300). A Fringe Admission Button is required as well, a one-time purchase of $7 (kids 12 and under don’t need one, and yes, though Fringe can be raunchy there are shows for kids too!). There’s also plenty of free events and crazy people-watching at the Baldacchino Gypsy Tent, which serves as the hub with food and drink throughout the festival.

Last year was my first time really diving into Fringe madness, reviewing eight plays over eight days in collaboration with the fantastic folks at DC Theatre Scene. It was exhilarating, because whether I liked a production or not, every one pushed boundaries in that way only Fringe can. This year I’ve got seven plays over fourteen days to tackle. DCTS has assembled a team of 21 crack reviewers (or, we’re all on crack, depending on your view) to ambitiously cover every show, with reviews going up within 24 hours of opening. Fellow WLDC author Patrick Pho is also in on the game, and you’ll see our reviews both here and at DCTS. We’re ready for a fast and furious immersion into the world of experimental performance. So get your button and join us!

Based on what I experienced last night (the futurist food frenzy of the Tactile Dinner Car), it’s going to be one hell of a wild ride.

The Daily Feed
By

DC JCC To Start a ‘Glee’-inspired Dance Class in August

Photo courtesy of
‘pink shoes’
courtesy of ‘ekelly80’

Glee fans in the District who want to get their groove on have the option now. That’s right. The Washington DC JCC (1529 16th Street NW) is hosing Tuesday evening classes, five total, starting August 2 with instructor Alvaro Maldonado.

The class costs $70 for member/seniors/people under 25 and $85 for everyone else. Students will learn Jazz, Broadway and Modern dance moves inspired by performances from the hit television series.

For more information on how to register for the class, visit the DC JCC’s website.

Food and Drink, Music, Night Life, The Daily Feed
By

The Yards Park Summer Concert Series

Photo courtesy of
‘The Footbridge at Yards Park – Gorgeous Evening!’
courtesy of ‘Tony DeFilippo’

There’s not much better than when DC comes alive in the summertime and suddenly all the green lawns and open spaces are filled with people. Though it’s been running for a while now, there are two summer concert series at the Yards Park down at the Capitol Waterfront that if you haven’t already taken advantage of, you should.

The first series brings together food trucks and music during the Wednesday Lunchtime concerts. From 11:30 AM til 1:30 PM, you can get some food truck grub and listen to live music down by N and 3rd Streets SE. You can check out our food truck tracker to see who’s there, or you can check out Capitolriverfront.org to see what trucks will be making an appearance. If you can’t make it down to the riverfront for lunch, Friday nights from 6 PM til 8 PM, there’s more live music along with a beer/sangria garden and food from Devine Foods and Smokin’ Something BBQ.

For the lineup of bands and concert schedule, you can check out The Yards calendar. The lunchtime concerts run until August 17 and the Friday evening concerts run until August 19.

The Daily Feed, WMATA
By

Metro shows off new 7000-series cars

Blog newCars61

Rendering released by Metro

2013 doesn’t feel all that far off, and for those of us who were born in the 1970s, it certainly sounds an awful lot like we’re living in the future. The new 7000-series cars that Metro released concept drawings for today will debut in 2013. WMATA ordered 364 of the cars to replace their aging 1000-series cars, and to run on the airport extension line.  The Post got a tour of the plywood mockup, and have posted a video of the mockup, including the fancy new displays which indicate the car’s location on the various lines.

We Love Weekends
By

We Love Weekends – July 9 & 10

Photo courtesy of
‘Army Photography Contest – 2007 – FMWRC – Arts and Crafts – The Colors Emerge’
courtesy of ‘familymwr’

In the real of complaints I have to say “jeez, the weekend again already?” might be my favorite. If you’ve only now started to recover from your own “day of food and fire,” as my friend Suzanne calls the 4th of July, maybe you don’t have plans yet. Well, steal ours. If you see us there please don’t look us in the eye – we’re shy like that.

Photo courtesy of
‘Fort Reno, July 16, 2009’
courtesy of ‘sarawithoutanh001’

Brittany: The big thing this weekend (where I think I will be seeing everybody I know) is definitely C.L.I.T.fest (that stands for Combating Latent Inequality Together, by the way – nothing else you might be thinking). The three day event – “combining music and education to both challenge patriarchal oppression and promote involvement in DIY” – kicks off on Friday at St Stephen’s church in Columbia Heights with an impressive, feministy musical line-up headlined by Lemuria and also featuring super-good DC girls Trophy Wife. Come back throughout the weekend for classes on screen printing, self-defense, and everything else a modern kid needs to know to “undermine patriarchy, homophobia, and transphobia in punk and DIY” including more music at St Stephens and the Black Cat. For just a bit more music and DC love, I will wrap up my weekend on Monday by seeing my friends Title Tracks at Fort Reno.

Mosley: It’s the second weekend of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival; I went last weekend and enjoyed myself.  I’m looking forward to seeing more of Peace Corps and Columbia cultures.  I’m particularly looking forward to going to one of the late night concerts of the Rhythm and Blues culture (here’s the schedule for the musical acts).  I don’t normally go to the night concerts, so this will be an experience.  Other than that, I’m looking forward to some relaxation.  I’m thinking either a lazy day walk to the Dumbarton Oaks Museum.  Or an even lazier walk to find a good milk shake.  I’ve tried Shake Shack and Goodstuff, so something else is in order…suggestions welcomed!

Continue reading →

Entertainment, Fun & Games, Music
By

The Winning Ticket: Gomez

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.

This week we are giving away a pair of tickets to see Gomez perform at the 9:30 Club on Monday, July 18th. These guys debuted at the tail end of the Brit-Pop explosion and have kept their sound upbeat and eclectic over the years thanks to their multiple songwriter approach and rotating vocal duties. Gomez are touring behind their terrific new album “Whatever’s On Your Mind” but you’ve also got to hope they play this one…

Airstream Driver from Gomez on Vimeo.

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…
Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
By

Suicide Squeeze Wins it for Washington

Photo courtesy of
‘the ump dance’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Would you believe me if I said the Nats secured their tenth consecutive win by one run or in extra innings on Wednesday night? It’s true. Washington is now 13-3 in one-run games since June 1. They’ve won three out of four games against the Chicago Cubs and are going for the sweep tonight.

Manager Davey Johnson found success and victory with a well-executed suicide squeeze bunt in the seventh inning off the bat of Wilson Ramos to score the game winning run in a 5-4 victory. The game went back and forth between the two clubs for most of the game, but Johnson’s decision to go for the squeeze was a direct result of Cubs reliever Kerry Wood being a bit wild in the first game of the series. Continue reading →

News, Special Events, The Daily Feed
By

LLS To Host Bobby Mitchell Hall of Fame Golf Classic in Leesburg This Weekend

Photo courtesy of
‘170/365’
courtesy of ‘Danilo.Lewis|Fotography’

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is hosting the Bobby Mitchell Autotrader.com Hall of Fame Golf Classic this weekend at Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Va. from July 8 through the 10. Over $7 million have been raised in support of this annual event since 1988. Now, 21 years into the effort, its purpose remains strong — find a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

This year’s tournament honors two young locals affected by blood cancer.  11-year-old Taylor Law of Olney, Md. is now cancer free after two and a half years of chemotherapy and will enter middle school this fall where her goal is to stay active as a member of the dance team. 20-year-old Alex Nieves of Centreville, Va. is a Salisbury University lacrosse player who was recently diagnosed with leukemia and is currently undergoing treatment.

Their courage serves as an example for others who are affected. District area residents are encouraged to attend the weekend’s activities not only to support these two young, spirited individuals but to also raise funds for the countless others still seeking a cure. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, Foodie Roundup, The Features
By

We Love Food: Eat Local First Week

Photo courtesy of
‘Biutiful’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’

It goes without saying that all of us on this site love DC–the people, the culture, the history, and yes, the food. Eat Local First, a local food campaign started by Think Local First, showcases local restaurants and locally grown food. From July 9 – 16, locavores can take advantage of various food events and specials at restaurants participating in farm-to-table restaurant week. After the jump, you’ll find more information about the events and restaurants.
Continue reading →

Adventures, Downtown, Entertainment, Essential DC, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, The District
By

Planking with G-Wiz

“Planking,” the ridiculous, yet popular practice of lying face down with arms to the side in an unusual or incongruous location, taking a photo of it and posting it online has reach the upper ranks of the Washington DC sports scene. Pictured to above, you see G-Wiz, the beloved Wizards blue thingy, planking on Ted Leonsis desk. No respect, no respect. G-Wiz was also seen planking across The Nats’ Abe Lincoln, the nearby Chipotle and some WMATA turnstiles.

Sports Illustrated has a solid collection of famous athletes, namely former Wizards player Gilbert Arenas and Dwight Howard, who apparently have PLENTY of free time and nothing better to do than take pictures of themselves planking all over their expensive cars, pool tables, exercise equipment, etc. There’s also a planking example courtesy of Redskins rookie receiver Niles Paul.

The Daily Feed
By

Detwiler’s Quality Start Results in Another One-Run Nats Victory

Photo courtesy of
‘DSC_3788’
courtesy of ‘photopete’

The Chicago Cubs didn’t really have a chance of beating the Washington Nationals Tuesday night. If they did, it wasn’t because of Aramis Ramirez’ two-run homer in the sixth but rather the Nats’ ability to stay sharp on defense.

Left-handed pitcher Ross Detwiler made his first Major League start of the season against former Nationals pitcher Ramon Ortiz. Both men made their season debuts Tuesday, which made for an interesting start to the game. Folks were left wondering: if someone implodes, who will do it first? Continue reading →

All Politics is Local
By

A Tragic Charge

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Helernn’

WUSA reports that prosecutors in Bristow, VA have indicted Karen Murphy on felony murder and felony child neglect after her son died June 17 as a result of being left in a vehicle. It’s not terribly surprising that the grand jury would agree to the charges but it’s disappointing that the prosecutor would ask for them.

Gene Weingarten wrote on this subject two years ago in his excellent piece Fatal Distraction. It’s so good that if I had to choose between you finishing this article and you clicking away to read it and not coming back… I’d have to pick that you go. It’s a moving and difficult read and worth every second.

I suspect that if anyone on that grand jury had read it they’d have refused to indict on a murder charge and possibly on child abuse. Without that empathetic insight into what these cases typically involve it’s not too surprising they’d choose to indict. The death of a child works us into a rage that rivals any other and the instinct to find someone to blame is hard to resist.

Not impossible, though. Weingarten’s piece quotes a Virginia prosecutor from another area of the state who describes why, in a case tragically similar, he opted not to seek any convictions.

In Portsmouth, the decision not to charge Culpepper, 40, was made by Commonwealth’s Attorney Earle Mobley. As tragic as the child’s death was, Mobley says, a police investigation showed that there was no crime because there was no intent; Culpepper wasn’t callously gambling with the child’s life — he had forgotten the child was there.

“The easy thing in a case like this is to dump it on a jury, but that is not the right thing to do,” Mobley says. A prosecutor’s responsibility, he says, is to achieve justice, not to settle some sort of score.

“I’m not pretty sure I made the right decision,” he says. “I’m positive I made the right decision.”

I’m sad that Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul Ebert lacks the same certainty. Absent any new information – which doesn’t seem to be forthcoming – it looks like this case is just going to drag another already suffering soul in front of a court for nothing.