Monthly Archives: August 2012

Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Food
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Summer Restaurant Week

Photo courtesy of bonappetitfoodie
Back Patio at Pound The Hill courtesy of bonappetitfoodie

It’s summa summa time… And the living’s easy. Commute’s are shorter, streets are emptier, and restaurants have open tables, waiting for all you walk-ins. It is also the start of Summer Restaurant Week, in case you needed more motivation to get out, enjoy the weather, and feast with friends.

For the rest of the week, you can enjoy some of the District’s best restaurants at bargain prices. During lunch hours (check the list of participating restaurants to make sure they offer day time deals) $20.12 gets you a 3 course meal, excluding drinks, gratuity and tax. For dinner, it will cost you only $35.12. While the long list of restaurants participating in this year’s Summer Restaurant Week can be overwhelming, some basic rules guide my reserving principles such as when you use the restaurant sanitiser dispenser stand before you eat.

1. Go for the pricey ones. Seriously. An entree at many of these places (think: The Bombay Club, Cafe Milano, Charlie Palmer Steak, Fiola, The Oval Room, Rasika, Tosca) usually goes for no less than $25 bills, so a three course dinner for $35 is a bargain deal.

2. Its summer. Go where the patios are. Some great spots offering summer deals and outdoor seating include Mintwood Place, Bibiana, Birch and Barley, Zaytinya, Floriana,Poste, Neyla.

3. Go explore. Get out of your usually dining zones. Vermillion or The Grille at Morisson House in Alexandria, Trummer’s on Main in Clifton, Tallula in Alexandria, or BlackSalt on MacArthur Blvd.

4. Prolong your deals, expand your tastebuds. Restaurant week isn’t just until Friday. Many restaurants are extending their offer until late August. Here is a handy guide by Dining in DC that tells you who is extending their resto week into a resto month. Your pockets will like it, the waist line maybe not so much.

Photo courtesy of LaTur
Barriga llena, corazón contento courtesy of LaTur

Happy summer, happy stomachs.

The Daily Feed
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Food Truck Tracker (And Free Food Alert!)

Photo courtesy of Mr. T in DC
Pleasant Pops Food Truck
courtesy of Mr. T in DC

No, it hasn’t just been your imagination–it has been one of the hottest summers on record. To help you cool off and get thinking about climate change, Pleasant Pops and Climate Reality Project are offering free pops this week today through August 18th.

Here’s how it works: tweet or post to Facebook about how the extreme weather has impacted your life with the hashtag, #ImTooHot, and you’ll get a free pop. See below for the full list of locations Pleasant Pops will be at this week, and of course, check our handy strEATS-powered map.

– Tuesday, August 14th: 11AM-3PM, Farragut Square (17th and K NW)
– Wednesday, August 15th: 12-2PM, West End (24th and M NW) and 3-7 PM, Foggy Bottom/ George Washington University Farmers’ Market
– Thursday, August 16th: 11AM-2:30PM, push cart and truck at the White House Farmers Market and 3-4PM at Farragut Square
– Friday August 17th: 11AM-3PM, Franklin Park (13th and K NW)
– Saturday August 18th: 9AM-1PM, Mt. Pleasant Farmers’ Market
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Music, The Daily Feed
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Hot Ticket: Marina and the Diamonds, Ms Mr @ 9:30 Club, 8/14/12

Photo courtesy of laviddichterman
Marina & the Diamonds at Showbox at the Market – Seattle on 2012-07-14 – _DSC5364.NEF
courtesy of laviddichterman

What can I say? This show has been sold out for quite some time. But you should definitely see if any of your friends has a spare ticket!

Welsh-born Marina Diamandis is an awesome and attractive presence in the burgeoning new wave scene. She has all of the sophistication and self-awareness of a post-modern Madonna with a healthy infusion of attitude from off-kilter new wave women like Lene Lovich and Toni Basil. The final product is undeniably hot and sounds more exciting to my ears than almost anything else being released right now. Marina’s second album, Electra Heart, dropped last month, bringing with it a fuller sound and an even more intense interest in glam ballads than her simpler albeit totally fun debut.

Ms Mr, visiting from Brooklyn, bring with them a newly released dreampop song “Hurricane” — an initial listen to which pleasantly places them alongside contemporaries like The Hundred in the Hands. The unnamed female vocalist (Ms) and unnamed male synthesizer player (Mr) have preferred to remain mysterious to the press so far, but their talents will be on display Tuesday night as Marina’s opening act.

If you had them, tickets to this all ages show would have cost you $22 plus fees. If you don’t have them, check with those aforementioned friends for extra tickets, search Craigslist, or go stand in front of the 9:30 Club begging for them. You won’t regret it. Doors at 7pm; Marina at 9:30pm.

The Daily Feed
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Jack White, ZZ Top and Skrillex headline Virgin Free Fest

Virgin Freefest, October 6th, 2012

Tickets for the massively huge – and massively free – fall music festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion put on by Virgin Mobile, go on “sale” (er, go on free) Friday the 24th at 12pm. Headlining the main stage this year are Jack White, Santigold, Das Racist, Ben Folds Five and Portgual. The Man.  Also showing up are Skrillex, ZZ Top, Nas, Alabama Shakes, Future Islands and Justin Jones.  DC favorites The Dismemberment Plan are also on the bill, and given the reports of new material, that’s one that D-Plan fans are going to want to hit. 

If you follow the @virginmlive twitter account, you’ll be able to access the pre-sale on the 23rd. See the sweet announcement starring fans of the festival online, too.

The Daily Feed
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Washington of 80 years ago

A friend passed along this wonderful piece of Americana from the Works Progress Administration that shows Washington D.C. (mostly the federal city) from 1936. There’s a saddlery still in the city at this point, as well as a number of new and fancy automobiles on the streets of the District. Amazingly, it’s far enough in the past that Columbus Circle isn’t under construction! The film’s originating point makes it largely a rah-rah nation-on-the-move sort of feel, but it’s still worth watching.

Entertainment, Music, The Features, We Love Music
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Hot Ticket: Linkin Park, the Honda Civic Tour @ Jiffy Lube Live, 8/11/2012

photo courtesy of Linkin Park

This post is contributed by our guest writer/photographer Andrew Markowitz.

Formed in 1996, Linkin Park has been producing hit hard rock songs for over a decade.  Easily distinguishable due to their vocal tandem of Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda, they have released critically acclaimed albums such as Hybrid Theory and Meteora and sold over 50 million albums worldwide.

Now they bring their eclectic blend of metal and rap to Jiffy Lube Live on Saturday night, touring on the strength of their recently released fifth album “Living Things,” which debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts earlier this summer.    This is sure to be one of the hottest shows of the summer and tickets are still on sale.  If you grew up in the late 90’s banging your head to Linkin Park, this is surely a concert you won’t want to miss! Get there early to catch openers Mutemath, who put on a great show.

Linkin Park

w/ Mutemath

Jiffy Lube Live

Saturday, August 11/8pm/$40 & up. Find tickets here!

Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Food
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DC Chefs Head to the James Beard House

Photo courtesy of bonappetitfoodie
Chef Logan Cox at the James Beard House
courtesy of bonappetitfoodie

One of the greatest honors a chef can have is cooking at the James Beard House. Each year an extremely talented group from DC heads up to New York City with the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington to prepare a meal for 60 or so people who get to dine in the late James Beard’s bedroom.

Is it a little weird to be eating in what used to be someone’s bedroom? Not unless you’re seated under the mirrored ceiling. That used be over his bed. The Beard House is full of lore, to say the least. After the jump, you’ll find a slideshow of all the photos from this year’s “The Best of DC” dinner that took place this past Monday evening, along with a little history lesson on the man behind the foundation.

Kudos to this year’s lineup at the “Best of DC” dinner, featuring Justin Bittner of Bar Pilar, Logan Cox and pastry chef Alison Reed of Ripple, Claudio Pirollo of Et Voila and Vikram Sunderam of Rasika. Also on hand were Todd Thrasher of Virtue Feed & Grain and Dan Searing from Room 11 for cocktails, along with Greg Engert, the beer connoisseur of Neighborhood Restaurant Group.
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We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends – Aug 10 – 12

Photo courtesy of Pianoman75
Feet
courtesy of Pianoman75

Marissa: August is just running away from me, and I’m doing everything I can to keep up and make the most of these fleeting summer weekends. Friday it’s time for a little jazz in the garden as the season winds down. Come Saturday, I’m taking an inaugural trip to Ray’s the Steaks for a giant steak that has had my mouth watering since Tuesday. Then Sunday afternoon, I’ll be heading out to FedEx Field for the Brothers of the Sun Tour with Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw. Cannot wait for all the country music that will be pouring into my ears!

Photo courtesy of calix
Free Pussy Riot
courtesy of calix

Alexia: Friday two important events are happening, and you can go to both! First, a Solidarity Concert for Pussy Riot is happening outside of the Russian Embassy, starting at 5:15pm, featuring the music of Brenda, Mobius Strip, Sad Bones, and War on Women. Then, at 10pm Shark Week is having an EP release party, sure to be epic, at Montserrat House. Joining them for the fun will be Jeremy Teter and BROS (formerly BROADS). I suggest getting tickets in advance for this one, it’s gonna sell out. Saturday I’ll be doing some time in the recording studio, working on a fun project, but if I get out in time you may find me shaking it at Hot In Herre, a dance party at the 930 club hosted by Will Eastman, featuring jams from the 2000s.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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DC Food poster part of Kickstarter campaign

DeliciousCity WashingtonDC 240px

Yesterday, a friend reached out to me to tell me about a beautiful Kickstarter project for various cities called Delicious City Prints. I talked with its creator Roni Lagin, about working on a DC version. He’d been thinking of doing just that, and this pushed him over the line.  You can back the project (which is already funded!) for as little as a buck (and get iPhone wallpaper) or get postcards for $10, or a lovely 18″x24″ print for $25.

Get on this, DC.

Entertainment, Music, Night Life, The Features, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Millie Jackson @ Howard Theatre, 8/3/12.

all photos by Jason Coile

There couldn’t have been a better venue than the Howard Theatre to experience a Millie Jackson show, circa 2012. The renewed and revitalized room, shiny and clean, big and bright with lights and giant screens, was abuzz last Friday evening as the mostly middle-aged patrons took their tables and finished their drinks and meals. When the curtain came up to reveal a ten-piece band, I know I was relieved, since the opener had sung solo to a music track. And when Millie made her entrance as the band went into “Breakin’ Up Somebody Else’s Home” I was also relieved, as I could tell she was fierce and ready for her first DC show in many years.

Millie Jackson is a 68-year-old R&B legend, whose biggest hits were in the 70s, but who never really disappeared, releasing recordings herself when no one else would. She is known as a comedienne as well as a singer – her albums and shows are filled with hilarious monologues about gender wars and politics, as on 1979’s Live and Uncensored, that round out her expressive vocals. Friday night’s show was no exception. Her banter and rapport with the audience was pointed and personal, by turns dirty and sharp. She has figured out how to undergird her comedy and great singing with an occasional seriousness which lends a layer of integrity to the whole shebang.

And it’s her smokey singing that still shows an incredible range.   Her set falls into four kinds of songs: her original 70s hits (“If Loving You is Wrong”, “Hurts So Good”, “Put Something Down on It”), latter day songs culled from her 90s output and 2001’s Not for Church Folk (“The Lies that We Live”, “Leave Me Alone”, “I Wish It Would Rain Down”), and a truly interesting choice of cover songs (Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me”, “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy”, and her opener “Breakin’ Up Somebody Else’s Home”). And then there’s the comedic ones (“Phuck You Symphony”, “Old Bitches Got it Goin On”)

Just based on her encore alone, where the crowd got up from their seats and rushed the stage as she came back on, barefoot, and closed with the torchy and climactic “I Wish It Would Rain Down”, it’s hard not to feel a performer like this, who breathlessly throws such a generous show, needs to be seen by more people. She told me in our interview that it’s getting harder and harder to book shows, since it’s hard to find openers, and her contemporaries have slowed down or stopped. It would be great for her to expand her audience somehow. The whole night, I kept thinking how wonderful it would be for a younger performer, either a hip-hop star or an R&B star, to just hire her as an opener, and take Millie around the country to perform for their younger demographic, so more people can see what this original can still do.

Interviews, Music, Night Life, People, The District, The Features, We Love Music
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Q&A with Ryan Mitchell of Shark Week

photo courtesy of Shark Week

DC-based rockers Shark Week have energy, sexiness, style and swagger to spare. Their sound blends garage-rock/psychedelia/blues & surf, with a punk-rock attitude. Check out their surfy-bluesy jam “If You Want Me To Stay (for a while)” from their new EP. You can experience the awesomeness that is Shark Week live for yourself this Friday, August 10th at their EP release party at Montserrat House. This week WLDC’s Alexia Kauffman got the chance to ask frontman Ryan Mitchell a few questions, and here’s what he had to say.

Alexia: How did you first start playing music?

Ryan: Motley Crue. My neighbor when I was thirteen was John Corabi, the second singer of Motley Crue. His son was pretty close to the same age, and happened to be an amazing drummer. Still is, actually. I guess it was worth it to let me borrow his fender and a practice amp so his son could have someone to jam with…
 
Alexia: Was there any artist or album or song in particular that first made you fall in love with rock music?

Ryan: Hard to say, I mean, I remember really liking the Offspring when I was eleven. But we never had cable so I was always way behind my highly cultured cousins at the time who were educated by Beavis and Butthead and MTV. I remember my county’s NPR station would play blues roots all day on Sundays and I would press record on a blank tape and get these great early American folk and blues gems which fit in really well with the punk music I was getting into at the time. It was easy for me to tie Woody to The Clash or something like that. So I really think I benefitted from having over-sheltering Christian parents in my youth. They shielded me from terrible pop and somehow I was still able to get punk tapes from my friends.  Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Porc it Out People

Photo courtesy of pablo.raw
PTL! courtesy of pablo.raw

By now, you are probably familiar with my absolute love of all things Pork. I just can’t quit the bacon, man. So when I saw that Bourbon Steak, the upscale Georgetown meat haven, was having a PORC OUT I obviously had to share, so you and I can bond over the piggy together. On Sunday, August 19, 2012 from 12 – 3 PM, Bourbon Steak will host a pig roast on the restaurant’s patio, featuring a range of pig-centric dishes, including slow-roasted pork shoulder tacos, assorted pork sausages from Red Apron and crispy Thai style pork ribs. The side dishes are worth the trip alone: think grilled corn on the cob with lime butter, baked beans, jalapeno-cheddar cornbread, and seasonal salads. In case you don’t go pig (I don’t know you) there is also an entire oyster bar courtesy of the War Shore Oyster Company you can indulge in. No good pig roast goes without some sugar. The restaurant will also be featuring a dessert table that will include housemade soft serve sundaes, cookies and spiked watermelon (ah, for the love of booze).

Tickets to this lardy affair are priced at $50 for food, $60 for food and drink and $40 for children 12 and under, inclusive of tax and gratuity. Get your Pork on here.

Oh, and one more thing. Because you can never have enough pork, or beer, or patios, Bourbon Steak will be again debuting their “Dog Days of Summer” special — an off-menu Red Apron Butchery hot dog and pint of Port City beer for just $9 bucks. This Dog Day offer is available at the bar and lounge Monday-Thursday from 11:30 AM – 11:00 PM and Sunday from 5:30 PM – 11:00 throughout the month of August.

Now, get with the pork-gram.

Featured Photo
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Featured Photo

Photo courtesy of TheRobbStory
Sweet Land of Liberty
courtesy of TheRobbStory

Normally an overexposed picture is not something a photographer wants. Washed out details and weird plays of light can ruin a shot. But, if done just right, an overexposed photo can add a fascinating depth too.

Take Robb’s photo above. It is a noticeably long shot; clocking in at an 8 minute exposure, it’s long even for a long exposure. With the shutter open for so long it allows the camera to pick up the entire light beams from the Capitol’s spotlights, creating a nice framing effect. Also, if you were to only take a quick glance, you’d think there were no people in the shot; but if you look closer, you’ll see the blurring effect of people’s movement at the base of the building. (Added bonus: Look really closely and you’ll see the distinct out line of a family portrait being taken.) The black and white film (yes, it is an analog shot) allows the viewer to focus more on the composition of the photo and not be distracted by any off colors. Yes, overexposed but not ruined, the shot is definitely a keeper.