Yearly Archives: 2011

The Daily Feed
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Hot Ticket: Fern Knight @ Comet Ping Pong, 2/5/11

If you are in the mood for pizza on a weekend evening, Comet Ping Pong on North Connecticut is one of the fine choices you have in our fair city. Most weekends there come with the bonus of live late night music with excellent, mostly local musicians often featured. Coming this Saturday night are two excellent variants of the psychedelic folk world.

Martin Bisi’s music is edgy and exciting with a wide variety of shifts between quiet and loud, spacey and grounded, linear and obtuse. Even if I did not enjoy the music I have sampled from him, I would go just to see his special guest: Brian Viglione of the Dresden Dolls. The last time, I saw the Dolls, Viglione impressed me as one of the finest drummers I had seen that year.

Fern Knight also plays psychedelic folk music and through their several albums have moved their sound around quite a bit. One thing is guaranteed, there will be strings. Cellos, violins, violas, along with percussion and more. No matter what else they dream up, you can be certain it will be an exciting personal journey. They have dazzled DC before at the Velvet Lounge and I can’t wait to see what they will come up with this Saturday.

Martin Bisi & Fern Knight
Comet Ping Pong
Saturday, Feb. 5th
10:30pm

Capital Chefs, Food and Drink, The Features
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Capital Chefs: Tom Marr of Pete’s Apizza (Part 1)

Photo courtesy of


‘Chef Tom Marr, Pete’s Apizza’
courtesy of ‘bonappetitfoodie’

Walking into the Pete’s Apizza location in Tenleytown, I approached the counter and asked for Chef Thomas Marr. “Chef who?” said the cashier. Suddenly I was afraid that I had gotten the location wrong. Was I supposed to go to the one in Columbia Heights? Did I get the time wrong? “Uhh, let me go check for you,” he said. No sooner did the jovial chef come out to greet me, the cashier laughed, “Sorry, when you said ‘chef’ I got confused. He’s known as one of the owners around here.”

Photo courtesy of

Wearing multiple hats is exactly what Marr does–he’s a chef, but he’s also one of the co-founders of Pete’s Apizza and is often busy managing the restaurant and talking with familiar customers. “Restaurant people are restaurant people,” he says, adding that once they start working in the restaurant business, they stay. For Marr, he always enjoyed the hospitality aspect and getting satisfaction out of making customers happy. Now, he’s got a restaurant of his own, and even invested in a POS system, e.g., Revel Systems, so he can have better customer transactions. Marr entered the restaurant world as a dishwasher, graduated to doing prep work and eventually trained at the Culinary Institute of America. He’s worked in restaurants across the world, including DC’s own National Gallery of Art.

‘Pizza at Pete’s Apizza’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

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Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Food Tweet of the Week: Co Co. Sala

coco2

Photo Courtesy Co Co. Sala

I love following restaurants on Twitter so I can hear about everything from what dishes they’re cooking up, to what events they’re hosting, to what specials they might have coming my way soon. Last week I took a look at how DC restaurants use Twitter successfully. Today I’m happy to award We Love DC’s first Food Tweet of the Week award to Co Co. Sala!

The chocolate lounge & boutique serves American cuisine and specializes in espresso and chocolate-based drinks, artisanal chocolates, and exquisite pastries. Co Co. Sala first got on Twitter in June 2009, but started using the social media tool actively in June 2010. The restaurant currently has more than 4,000 followers and sends out about 20 Tweets a day, all actually in conversation with diners.

See the cutest tweet ever after the jump. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Taste of the Nation 2011

Photo courtesy of
courtesy of ‘Sexy Fitsum’

It’s almost time for another DC foodie favorite event, and also one of my favorites.  DC’s strong culinary community will be joining forces yet again to fight childhood hunger with Share Our Strength at the 23rd Annual Taste of the Nation.

More than 75 of Washington’s favorite chefs, mixologists, restaurants and wine bars will come together to raise money and awareness for “No Kid Hungry” Share Our Strength’s campaign to end childhood hunger by 2015.

Always billed as a culinary night to remember, buy a ticket and you’ll have the opportunity to try dishes from the capital’s best eateries, participate in a silent auction, and check out a number of live cooking demonstrations.  Participating chefs include Haidar Karoum of Estadio/ Proof, Nicholas Stefanelli of Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca, Bryan Voltaggio of VOLT and Nick Sharpe of Ba Bay. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, Special Events
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Where to Watch the Super Bowl

Photo courtesy of
‘Five time winners’
courtesy of ‘Ariaski’

As pretty much everyone in the country is aware, this weekend showcases what looks to be a pretty decent game between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. For many people, this annual sporting extravaganza offers an opportunity to show off their new big screen tv and/or cooking skills, watch America’s real national pastime, and catch the Black Eyed Peas at halftime. Or just watch the ads. Even the President is going to be inviting a few of his friends over to watch the game and have some brews. So you weren’t one of the lucky 200 to score an invite to the White House Super Bowl Party (featuring Green Bay’s Hinterland Beer)? Don’t have any friends? No worries, We Love DC is here to help with a list of a few places where you can catch the action. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Will Daniel Snyder’s Lawsuit Go Anywhere?


‘Statue of Iustitia’
courtesy of ‘ralpe’

In my family, to my mother’s constant disappointment, I’m the one who didn’t go to law school. But I grew up around legalese and learned to argue at the kitchen table, so I like to read legal filings and opinions more than the average non-lawyer.

This is how I came to read the filing in Daniel M. Snyder vs Atalaya Capital Management, LP, et al.  I’m not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice, but here’s a quick analysis of the filing and what it might actually mean. Postscript: TBD has also written about the suit’s merits

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The Daily Feed
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Oscar Watch: How To Watch Every Academy Award Nominee In DC

Photo courtesy of
‘Academy Award for Der Fueher’s Face at the Walt Disney Family Museum’
courtesy of ‘Loren Javier’

Last week I shared with DC my intentions for watching all the Academy Award nominees before this year’s Oscars.

And I mean business.

After years of Oscar Watching I have a few rock solid strategies to try and catch all 50+ films that will be nominated for an Academy Award at any given year. I know that there are a few others out in The District that are also gunning for the gold, so here are my tips for a comprehensive Oscar Watch.

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We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends, February 5-6

Photo courtesy of
’30/365′
courtesy of ‘ekelly80’

Michael: Decisions, decisions. Friday night is stacked with good options. Insane Israeli rockers Monotonix are at Comet Ping Pong at the same time as legendary techno-scientist Tom Middleton is at U Street Music Hall. Both will be a blast so it will probably come down to a coin toss. Definitely hitting Chromeo at 9:30 Club on Sunday night though. These guys completely wowed me at FreeFest and I am curious if they can do the same minus the Dance Forest contact high.

Ben: Friday will be spent taking in a screening of Shared Experience: Telling Our Stories at the National Museum for the American Indian (and next week is much ado about chocolate!). Saturday is a day of writing and rest, and then there’s the big game on Sunday – no, not the one with the Steelers. It’s here at the Verizon Center: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals. Continue reading →

Music, The Daily Feed
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Hot Ticket: Monotonix @ Comet Ping Pong, 2/4/11

Monotonix - [2011] Not Yet

If you’re looking for a “unique” experience on Friday night, you can’t do much better than seeing Israeli garage-rockers Monotonix at Comet. Their debut album was a well-received collection of fuzzy riffs and some barely intelligible shouting. If you like Monotonix but you haven’t seen them live yet, you are a fool. Their music is just background noise for the performance art of their singer Ami Shalev. He jumps off drum sets, asks people to throw garbage at him, and generally causes a ruckus. This man is a tank, taking abuse from the audience (and himself) in show after show. He’s the embodiment of rock ‘n roll excess.

After getting banned from every club in their hometown of Tel Aviv, Monotonix has been touring the world almost nonstop since their debut 4 years ago. Right now, they’re touring in support of their new album “Not Yet”. Oh, and Ami recently broke his arm at a show in Florida (I’m shocked that this is his first show-stopping injury), but I can’t imagine this group turning down their intensity for a stupid reason like that. Comet should be the perfect venue to see these guys, as they’ll be right there on the floor with the audience.

The openers Federation X and Pujol from Nashville bring more garage-rock flavor to the bill. Monotonix probably invited them just to have more people to help clean up after their set.

MONOTONIX
w/ Federation X, Pujol
Comet Ping-Pong
Friday, Feb 4th
$12

Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Robert Plant @ DAR Constitution Hall, 2/1/11


courtesy of RobertPlant.com

Like many people my age, we grew up as big fans of Led Zeppelin. They had the power and the superstar aura about them. They seemed far more mystical and untouchable than many of the other big bands of their day, akin to latter day Beatles perhaps. It has been interesting to follow the individual members since that time, as they have been much more down to earth in accessibility both personally and musically. John Paul Jones worked with Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age members, Jimmy Page plays often and is open for interviews and was even featured in the documentary “It Might Get Loud”. Yet it is Robert Plant who has been most active with album releases. He has released a ten-disc box set covering his career and has since added an award winning duet CD with Alison Krauss. Now he is touring in support of his latest album with another solid group called Band of Joy.
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Adventures, Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Eating the Luther


‘The Luther’
courtesy of Max Cook

A little over a week ago, Endless Simmer ranked America’s Top 10 New Sandwiches. Heading up that prestigious list was Churchkey’s Luther. A new take on the southern classic, a bacon cheeseburger between two Krispy Kreme donuts, the Churchkey version is a piece of buttermilk fried chicken, topped with applewood smoked bacon, stuffed between the two halves of a freshly-made brioche donut, topped with pecans, and drizzled with maple jus. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to sample one, diet be damned and despite some of the disgusted comments local readers had left.

Fearing an imminent coronary episode if I attempted to eat the entire thing by myself in one sitting, I was joined by several friends at Churchkey to share the delight (and caloric load). We quickly ordered the Luther, and it seemed many other patrons had heard of the secret sandwich and were doing the same, strangers united in gastronomy and love of superfluous food. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
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We Love Music: The Radio Dept. @ Rock & Roll Hotel, 2/1/11

Radio Dept.
all photos by Erin McCann.

On Tuesday night, bodies were packed like sweaty sardines into a very sold-out Rock & Roll Hotel to see the Swedish dream-pop trio The Radio Dept. This much anticipated show was an early date on their current U.S. tour in support of their career-spanning retrospective “Passive Aggresive”. But for most of the young audience the show was really the first chance to see The Radio Dept. since they released their excellent 2010 album “Clinging to a Scheme”. This is easily their most mainstream accessible work and it was obvious that a lot of the chatty crowd were only there to hear songs from that album. The set list featured a lot of non-album singles, a few older album tracks, and the highlights from “Clinging to a Scheme”. Unfortunately a combination of the sell-out crowd making the room very uncomfortable, early technical difficulties, audience rudeness, and a complete lack of showmanship from the band made this concert much less than the stellar, atmospheric-pop display that I was expecting.

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The Daily Feed
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How to boycott Daniel Snyder, professional douchebag

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

By now, I’m certain, you’ve heard that Dan Snyder, pursuant to yesterday’s threats, has sued the Washington City Paper for defamation.  I generally think these are the craven actions of a coward who can’t handle criticism with honor, and you might well side with me.  Since the announcements yesterday, I haven’t seen a single person backing up Dan Snyder’s vendetta against Dave McKenna and the City Paper.  If there any backing Mr. Snyder, and their name isn’t Tony Kornheiser, perhaps you can kindly point them out, so I can study these bizarre sociological phenomena?

In the meantime, if you’d like to express your displeasure with Mr. Snyder’s intimidation tactics, might I suggest hitting him where it hurts? That’s right: the only place Danny ever feels pain: his wallet. Here’s a good guide to avoiding enriching Dan Snyder

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The Daily Feed
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Just What Georgetown Needed, The “OC” Treatment

Photo courtesy of
‘kayak, anyone?’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Be ready for a fictional, Washington outsider to mutter the phrase, “Welcome to M Street, Bitch.”

I’m not proud of having watched “OC” while in college in a town that is possibly the furthest thing from Southern California. That’s not to say I didn’t watch it. I’ll admit it. I have also come to grow to love another show by creator Josh Schwartz, the extremely entertaining “Chuck.”

This does not mean I’m necessarily supportive of the following news coming in from Lisa de Moraes:

Add “OC” creator Josh Schwartz to the list of Hollywood producers looking for a way to do a scripted drama that taps into the Washington political scene. ABC has ordered from Schwartz a pilot episode to be made for a possible TV series for next season, called “Georgetown.”

Yikes. I can’t wait for the stereotypes of collar-poppers (likely unfair) alongside some contrived storylines around outsiders trying to break into the DC scene through M Street. Don’t forget: “The OC” was the show that popularized that California song by Phantom Planet that is now stuck in your head as well as invented Chrismukkuh. How will this version be anything other than “Gossip Girl” set between Smith Point, the Tombs and Wisconsin Ave?

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Ba Bay Kicks-Off Its Guest-Chef Dinner Series

bb

Photo Courtesy Ba Bay

The Vietnamese restaurant Ba Bay just opened late last year, and it’s already doing one of my favorite things — interacting with the restaurant industry, even highlighting other chefs. On February 27 Ba Bay will hold its first of monthly Guest Chef Dinners, and the restaurant wants you there!

The first chef to make an appearance in the Capitol Hill kitchen alongside Ba Bay Chef Nick Sharpe is Chef R.J. Cooper of Rogue 24, the Mount Vernon Square restaurant set to open in May. Together the chefs will put make a five-course meal dinner highlighting their interpretations of Vietnamese flavors and dishes. DC foodies will remember that Cooper was Sharpe’s mentor  while both worked at Vidalia.

The five-­course will cost $65  per  person, and for an extra $35, wine pairings are also  available. The menu looks delish. Continue reading →

Entertainment, The Daily Feed, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: The Carpetbagger’s Children

(Seated) Kimberly Schraf as Cornelia, Holly Twyford as Sissie, and Nancy Robinette as Grace Ann in the Ford’s Theatre Society production of Horton Foote’s “The Carpetbagger’s Children,” directed by Mark Ramont. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

It’s no surprise.

Much like everybody else around Washington, I am not locally born and raised. I was born in Lowell, Massachusetts and grew up in the neighboring town of Chelmsford. Before the city gained attention as the setting of The Fighter, it was known as a historic mill city  and one of the centers of the Industrial Revolution. Everything from canal tours to textile museum visits were regular rites of passage for the local school-aged children. While it was fun to ride in a boat through locks, learning about the finer points of looms and wooden dynamos were not the most entertaining of topics.

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The Features
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Photos: Old Washington in the Winter

Taft Inauguration

Photo courtesy of the DC Public Library

I love Flickr. Here at We Love DC, we all love Flickr. Without your contributions to our pool, the site would be a lot less colorful. But one of my favorite things about Flickr is The Commons, where museums of the world post selections of their historic photography collections. It can be fun sometimes to spend an hour or two lost in a long-ago world, made all the more enlightening because so many of those photos show scenes of our very city: Washington. As we recover from last week’s snowstorm and as we’re currently dealing with another mess of a weather pattern, it seems like the right time to take a look back at how Washingtonians of the past dealt with winter.

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The Daily Feed
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Storm Fizzle means free travel guides? Well, okay

Photo courtesy of
’15 Jan 2011 – No 037: Wikileaks Supporter in DuPont Circle’
courtesy of ‘B Jones Jr’

While we hear stories of woe from Chicago, the Midwest and the Northeast thanks to the storm that missed DC and left us with 50°F weather, there’s good news about free travel guides for your iPhone or iPod touch. Lonely Planet is making many of their US travel guide applications free for download until 9pm Eastern tonight.

The DC app has a pretty good offline map, which is a no-brainer to pickup, especially as it’s free until tonight.

The Daily Feed
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WLDC Sports Ticker – February 2

Photo courtesy of
‘davies tribute’
courtesy of ‘marc_tacoma’

The DC United get the lead item in the Ticker today – who saw that coming? Here’s a wrap-up of local sports news that is worth knowing, but maybe not worthy of a full post. It’s the WLDC Sports Ticker!

SB Nation reported yesterday that United are in serious talks to acquire one of the leading American strikers, Charlie Davies, for a one-year loan from his French club.  Beyond adding a fresh, young striker to the 2011 squad, there is a back story: Davies was unable to play in last summer’s World Cup after sustaining injuries in a brutal car crash on the GW Parkway while the US Men’s National Team was in town to play a qualifying match against Costa Rica in October of 2009…United also unveiled a stellar third jersey last week, and you better believe I’ll rock that red with Davies on the back if the first point comes through.

Want to be a Racing President at Nationals Park? You can apply for an invitation to the private auditions with the club by getting your mascot CV and other particulars in by Friday, February 11…I don’t think anyone had more fun at All-Star Weekend than the Caps’ Alexander Ovechkin; first, taking a picture of last pick Phil Kessel during the draft with a goofy smile on his face, then winning the Breakway Challenge and wrapping it up with a little stick throw interference during the game itself. Awesome…Whether or not the fan dunk was a “fan” dunk, it was still a sweet moment at a recent Wizards game.

Final Number(s): 299, 66 – the respective number of days since the Wizards last won on the road (April 9 of last season, in Boston) and the Caps won past regulation (a shootout victory over Carolina on November 28).

Comedy in DC, Entertainment, Night Life
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Comedy in DC: Chris Barylick

Chris Barylick yellow

Chris Barylick, founder of the Geek Comedy Tour, met up with me at the very crowded Tynan coffee house in Columbia Heights this past weekend. We were fortunate to find two seats by the coffee machine. For a minute we stared at this knitting club that was hanging out right next to us. That was the first knitting club I have ever seen. It looked like they were having fun, but come on! I don’t get how people can just plant themselves at a coffeshop for hours and hours like it’s their den and think that it’s cool.

Anyway, Chris, 33, is from Providence, Rhode Island and moved to DC in 1996 and has been performing stand up for the past six years. Additionally, he runs an open mic at the Eleventh Street Lounge in Clarendon, VA every Monday. The first time I met Chris was at his open mic there. The weather that night was a little brutal, but a lot of comics showed up to do their thing. Chris announced the lineup of comics that were going to perform and then we moved down to the basement.  Continue reading →