By 
‘TaKorean Sampler’
courtesy of ‘yostinator’
You’ve made it to Thursday. Which means you should probably treat yourself to lunch from a truck.
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Yearly Archives: 2011
By Tricia Barba
First Look: Watershed
You have to admire people who take a risk. Opening up a brand new restaurant in a brand new hotel in a growing neighborhood is exactly that. However, if successful, you’ll not only reap the rewards, you also might be part of the force that helped reinvent a neighborhood. In this case, it looks like Chef Todd and Ellen Gray, along with their Watershed in NoMa are doing just that.
NoMa, of course, stands for “North of Massachusetts Avenue,” north of Capitol Hill and Union Station. It has one successful BID too; you can check it out on Twitter at @NoMaBID. The Grays are currently calling NoMa and the Hilton Garden Inn home as they work to get their second restaurant up and running. If you don’t know the restaurant is there, you’ll definitely miss it, but it doesn’t seem like that’s hindered anything thus far and there’s still a Grand Opening to come.
In what I found perhaps most interesting, Ellen tells me that Watershed is the only independent restaurant with Hilton. What I found funniest is that Chef Todd is working on controlling his language (typical chef cooking) in the kitchen, as it’s an open kitchen and no one wants to scare away the customers. But now, on to the food.
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By Tom Bridge
Homestand Preview: Marlins & Pirates
‘ballpark crescent’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’
Welcome to the sweet spot of the baseball season in Washington, when the weather is perfect, the team is playing good cohesive ball, and there are enough deals and giveaways to make a night at the ballpark sound absolutely redeeming. The Nats come home this Friday night for a short but sweet five-game homestand. There’s a lot to look forward to, for the dyed-in-the-wool fanatic, and the casual fan. Read on.
By Tom Bridge
WMATA rejoins 21st Century, adds data to Google Maps
To quote my boy Andy Samberg, “Google Maps is the best, true that, double true!“
Finally, you can use Google Maps, on your mobile devices or your computers, to navigate the wilds of WMATA transportation. WMATA flipped the switch this afternoon shortly after they announced a media availability with Google after their board of directors tomorrow. I talked about why google maps matters, especially in the context of tourism, last month, and I’m very glad to see WMATA finally get their act together in bringing their data to Google Maps.
If you used to make the excuse “Well, I don’t how to get there on public transportation,” now you have one less excuse to take transit less and drive more.
By Don
Science Fiction signing bonanza
‘Sign – Science Fiction’
courtesy of ‘Wootang01’
If you’re a science fiction nerd aficionado like me and a fan of getting autographs & rubbing elbows with the pixel-stained wretches then your nerdvana is almost upon you – a crazy large list of SF authors are going to be in town for a conference and they’re going to have an open-to-the-public event at the Washington Hilton up above Dupont on Friday May 20th.
The biggest challenge is going to be getting all the signatures you want in 90 minutes if you’re widely read. The current list – in full below the break or at the SFWA website – was so long that I pasted it into my editor and looked at the line count rather than count them by hand. Forty-two authors total (which is awesome and it’ll break my heart if they add or delete any) and I only recognize a quarter of the names.
Of those I can only pick out a few whose books or work I remember I have read and liked – Paolo Bacigalupi who wrote The Windup Girl, Chris Claremont of X-Men fame, Joe Haldeman who wrote The Forever War and my favorite, coincidentally a former local, John Scalzi and his fantastic Old Man’s War and the follow-up books in that universe.
Personally I’m not much for autographs – most ink rubs off my kindle and their signatures are the least interesting things these folks write in my opinion. But I’ll admit that in my greener youth I did have some very nice conversations with authors when I waited in their signature lines. Vernor Vinge was a particularly nice fellow, and while I’m sure it irked the people behind me I found the conversation we had to be delightful.
Friday, May 20, 2011 from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00p.m
The Washington Hilton,
1919 Connecticut NW
full announcement below the jump
By Don
We knew testifying in front of congress was a dirty job
We just didn’t expect Mike Rowe to show up there. But he did just a short while ago and will be one of the folks testifying at the hearing on Manufacturing Our Way to a Stronger Economy. You can watch the live stream here, but don’t dawdle – he’s one of only 3 folks speaking and they started at 2p.
By Dave Levy
Why the Uniform Change for the Wizards Should Be It
‘It’s been awhile’
courtesy of ‘afagen’
Disclosure: In the following rant, I speak for myself. I have no clue what the rest of the WLDC team has to say on this matter and if they agree with me.
In case you missed it yesterday (it was nearly impossible), the Wizards unveiled new jerseys for the 2011-2012 season, and as we’ve known since, like, September, the color scheme reverted to the thematic-DC red, white and blue.
You may recall that there used to be a basketball team in the DMV region that was called the Bullets, and they wore these new colors and that DC/hands logo with the basketball in the new system is very familiar. The inevitable follow up is the muted chatter that the new jerseys should be followed by one more change – bringing back the Bullets all the way.
Some background:
Food Truck Tracker
‘street fryer’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’
Happy hump day! Here’s where the food trucks are today.
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By The Winning Ticket: Infield Fest @ The Preakness
As a way to say thanks to our loyal readers, We Love DC will be giving away a pair of tickets to a 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!
Well it isn’t everyday that you get to attend a music festival and a horse race. Let alone, for FREE! This week we are giving away a pair of tickets to the Infield Festival featuring Bruno Mars, Train, Hotspur, Puddle of Mudd, and many more bands at the 2011 Preakness at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on Saturday, May 21st. This is the perfect chance for you to rock out in the sun all day and then watch horses run really fast until one wins!
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 Ticketmaster.
For the rules of this giveaway…
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By Jenn Larsen
We Love Arts: The Green Bird
Rex Daugherty in Constellation Theatre's production of The Green Bird. Photo credit: Scott Suchman.
With Carlo Gozzi’s The Green Bird, Constellation Theatre has found the perfect medium for their hyper-surrealist style in a play inspired by commedia dell’arte. It’s like a wild Ferrari driven by Max Ernst through a Brothers Grimm forest. Every piece – acting, design, script – is completely committed to the creation of a madcap fairy tale world.
A hilarious translation featuring quips like, “It’s as hard to find a true friend as it is to wipe your ass with a rose” is a strong reason for the success of this production, and it’s also ably adapted and directed by Allison Arkell Stockman. As the company’s artistic director, she’s honed the ensemble’s distinctive vocal and physical gymnastics to the point where now when I think of Constellation, the idea of a majestically plumed green bird bounding across the stage to perch and speak riddles seems absolutely believable.
And what a bird. As the Green Bird of the play’s title, Rex Daugherty manages to combine elegant sensibility with masculine power while looking like a feather-festooned Brazilian dancer at an acid-drenched Carnival. Every flick of his foot like a wink at the audience, and his first frenetic appearance is a signal that this play is going to be one wild romp. Continue reading
DC Brings Home Two James Beard Awards
’15/365: The Line’
courtesy of ‘Amber Wilkie Photography’
Last night the Academy Awards of the food world went down in New York City, and DC took home two James Beard Foundation Awards.
Chef José Andrés won for Outstanding Chef and Tim Carman of The Washington Post (and previously at the City Paper) won for Food-Related Columns and Commentary.
Some of you might have seen the tweets about it, but I’ve included a couple particular charming ones from the two winners after the break. You can find the full list of winners here. Congratulations to José and Tim!
By Patrick Pho
Wizards Dial Back The Clock With New Retro-Inspired Uniforms
Sure Jordan Crawford and John Wall don’t look very excited in this photo, I’m sure they would rather be in the middle of an exciting NBA Playoffs that’s in full swing right now. However I am personally excited for what they are wearing- the new uniforms of the Washington Wizards.
At an unveiling this morning Wizard’s owner Ted Leonsis, Team President Ernie Grunfeld, and Head Coach Flip Saunders were among those on-hand to show-off the new look which both match the existing motif of other DC teams and take us back to the Red, White, and Blue stylings of the franchise’s past when they were better known as the Washington Bullets.
Food Truck Tracker
‘cupcakes’
courtesy of ‘ekelly80’
It’s Tuesday, so keep on truckin’ through the week with some grub from food trucks.
By 
We Love Music: James Blake @ Rock and Roll Hotel, 5/8/11
Courtesy of James Blake
If you want some idea of what James Blake’s show sounded like on Sunday night at the Rock and Roll Hotel, do yourself a favor and listen to this broadcast of his SXSW set while you read.
I was beyond excited to get a chance to see Blake on his first US tour, at a venue as tiny as the Rock and Roll Hotel, at a show that sold out within minutes. He’s one of the rare artists who pushes the boundaries of popular music, creating something familiar but unclassifiable. (I’ll refrain from using the phrase “post-dubstep” in this review.) Blake is preceded by groups like How To Dress Well and The XX, who create dark, atmospheric, slow pop songs that use sparse instrumentation. This emptiness gives the songs enough breathing room that you can fill in the space yourself. After making a name for himself by producing dubstep, a dark, bass-heavy style of dance music from England, Blake mixed in his soul-singer-like vocals to craft his debut album last year.
As a singer/songwriter/producer, James Blake’s set could’ve gone in several different directions. I was wondering if he would stick to solo piano pieces. Or maybe he would eschew his voice in favor of playing straight, rhythm-focused dubstep tracks from his early days. We ended up getting a good mix of songs off his debut and electronic explorations old and new. Oh, and it was one of the best-sounding shows I’ve witnessed at the Rock and Roll Hotel.
By Ben H. Rome
Smithsonian Snapshot: Joe Louis’ Boxing Gloves
Photo courtesy of Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History
For this week’s Smithsonian Snapshot, we take a look at the sport of boxing. Worn in his first historic bout with German boxer Max Schmeling in 1936, Joe Louis’ boxing gloves represent a very special chapter in American sports and social history.
While the 1936 match was a heartbreaking loss for Louis, the two boxers met again in 1938 in Yankee Stadium. After that match, Louis was declared the victor in what is considered one of the greatest sporting moments of the 20th century. The historic win cemented Louis’ place in the country’s collective memory, seen as a symbolic contest of American ideals versus those of the Nazis. By easily defeating Schmeling in the first round, Louis became a national hero.
This object is one of more than 1,000 artifacts, works of art and specimens that are on view at Smithsonian Affiliates across the country, and one of 137 million in the Smithsonian’s collection. It is on public display at the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh through October 2011 in the exhibition “America’s Best Weekly: A Century of the Pittsburgh Courier.”
By Brian Mosley
Featured Photo
‘your turn’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’
Wildlife photography: the art of taking photographs of wildlife. I’ve had the impression that it is generally underappeciated in the digital age of photography. But when you really look at it, this is an incredibly difficult art form. You not only have to find fascinating subjects, but you also have to learn how a specific species will behave. This is important so that you have an idea on what they will do next, unlike with humans.
Phil demonstates many of the key skills of a good wildlife photographer with this shot. He’s been following the osprey, which take up residence at this nest in Belle Haven VA, for years. He also patientally waits for the bird to get into a dramtic, noble pose. And lastly, he aims for the eyes. This last point is most key for wildlife shots, for the same reason it’s important for human shots: we’re drawn to the eyes and it’s a window into the soul of the animal.
Second Buzz Bakery Opens Today in Ballston
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’
There’s a new bakery on the block in Ballston. Buzz Bakery is opening its second location today, and is offering samples of baked goods and MadCap Coffee at the new location.
While some of the offerings will be the same, there are several noteworthy changes and additions at the new location. For starters, there will be new breakfast pop-tarts, waffles, quiches, house-made ice creams and popsicles. Plus, you’ll be able to satisfy your sweet tooth at home with Buzz’s take-and-bake options of frozen cookies, scones, as well as sausage and cheese biscuits, that you can bake at home. Additionally, the bakery has a new and exclusive coffee supplier, MadCap Coffee, a small company based out of Michigan.
Hot Ticket: J Roddy Walston & The Business @ Rock & Roll Hotel, 5/12/11
On Wednesday night, Baltimore rockers J Roddy Walston & The Business play the final date of their 4-week residency at Rock & Roll Hotel. Former We Love DC music critic and founder of DC Rock Live, David Hintz describes J Roddy Walston & The Business’ sound as “real honky-tonk fun that is hard not to enjoy…for Americana/rock’n’roll fans”.
Live music residencies can be tricky things for bands to pull off successfully. A string of shows in the same venue can be an endurance test for a band and an audience. For the band the test is making each performance unique enough to rise above appearing as a simple house band. For the audience it is a question of how much exposure to the same band is too much. Residencies are usually either triumphs or abject failures, there is minimal middle ground for a band to play it safe on.
It is a showing of confidence for J Roddy Walston & The Business to book this residency. Even more so when research online reveals that they are doing similar residencies in other cities too. Everything I have heard about this band is that they are straight ahead rockers that bring the party like nobody’s business. Word on the street about their shows over the past 3-weeks at the Hotel is that they are tearing the place apart every time. I highly recommend checking this one out. J Roddy Walston & The Business’ final residency show is going to be a blow-out bash.
J Roddy Walston & The Business
@ Rock & Roll Hotel
5/11/11 – 8pm
$15
By Tom Bridge
A chance to tell the White House what you think
‘White House’
courtesy of ‘giantminispacegoat’
This Wednesday, the White House wants to know what you think. They’re sending Michael Blake from the Office of Public Engagement to lead a Town Hall event at All Souls Church in Columbia Heights for two and a half hours this Wednesday. If you want to go, the event is free, but requires an RSVP. Want to know if President Obama is going to barter away any more of your freedoms to avoid further concessions to the Republicans? This would be a great place to ask. Want to know if the President actually supports local autonomy for the District? This would be a great place to ask.
See you Wednesday at All Souls!
By Michael R
We Love Music: Toh Kay/Timothy Bracken @ Iota, 5/7/11
‘Streetlight Manifesto – Tomas Kalnoky’
courtesy of ‘Evan Wohrman’
On Saturday evening Toh Kay rolled into the Iota Club in Clarendon for a show with Timothy Bracken. The small audience of loyal Toh Kay fans waited patiently for the one man band and his 6-string. The show started about a half hour late – the bartender said they were waiting for the place to fill up. It didn’t. But this space added to the intimacy of this already homey venue, with only 40 or so people scattered about the room. Continue reading