Photo: Stephen Elliot / mudproductions.com for Crystal Couture

Tonight marks the first public night of the annual Crystal Couture event in Crystal City.

For five nights, a host of local boutiques and lines will gather for a massive trunk show (some offering discounts up to 50%) and to present their wares in a series of runway shows. Pretty People Vintage, Toucan Boutique, and Stella & Dot are among the participating vendors. There will also be hair and make-up consultations and services available for shoppers needing a bit of a refresher.

For those who do not often get a chance to run all over the metro area scoping out all the small local shops and designers, this seems like a great one-stop shop to find something new for spring.

The sophisticated home decor flash-sale site One Kings Lane hosted its first event in Washington, DC last week – a party celebrating their “Tastemaker Tag Sale” collaboration with Thornwillow Press. Guests were invited to Thornwillow’s stationery salon in the lobby of the historic and lovely St Regis Hotel to preview the vintage and exclusive items curated by Thornwillow founder, Luke Ives Pontifell.


We Love DC – Thornwillow – 01-26-12 02
courtesy of mosley.brian

The San Francisco-based One Kings Lane was happy to host a reception in Washington DC to meet guests from the design community who turned out to eye the interesting objects, romantic letterpress paper-goods, and beautifully bound books. This has been a strong market for their site which often skews to sales of modern or globally-influenced takes on classic decor – which seems very DC.

We Love DC – Thornwillow – 01-26-12 03
courtesy of mosley.brian

We Love DC – Thornwillow – 01-26-12 07
courtesy of mosley.brian

We Love DC – Thornwillow – 01-26-12 09
courtesy of mosley.brian

My friend and I were heading more or less home for the night, but it was uncommonly mild and a bit early, so we decided to stroll a few blocks out of the way to get a drink before turning in. The last couple of times we had tried to slip into Tabard Inn, it had been crowded with people seeking the cozy confines on cold nights – but on this warmer evening we were able to easily grab spots at the bar.

It being a Thursday, the super sweet Chantal Tseng was behind the bar – in pigtails and argyle knee socks, no less. She made each of us one of her four featured drinks of the night. I received the Sunburner.

Chantal told us she was on “a blood orange kick,” and the Sunburner certainly was part of that. The citrus purée had a thickness that gave the drink a pleasantly rich and silky mouthfeel. The overall composition was not very sweet, but instead vegetal and dry in a really gratifying and unexpected way.

Stopping in for that one drink quickly slipped into a few more (including more blood orange) – every one of them delightful.

This week we are giving away a pair of tickets to see Augustana at the 9:30 Club on February 4. Tickets for this concert are available on Ticketfly or at the 9:30 Club box office.

For your chance to win these tickets simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address by 5pm today. One entry per email address, please. Comments will be closed at 5pm and a winner will be randomly selected. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must respond to our email within two hours or they will forfeit their tickets and we will pick another winner.

Tickets will be available to the winner at the 9:30 Club Guest List window one hour before doors open on the night of the concert. The tickets must be claimed with a valid ID. The winner must be old enough to attend the specific concert or must have a parent’s permission to enter if they are under 18 years old.

If today does not turn out to be your lucky day, check back here each Wednesday for a chance to win tickets to other great concerts

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Monday marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year, and Natalia has a round-up for us of restaurants offering special menus and events. I was invited along with her to sample the special holiday offerings at Zentan Restaurant in the Donovan House hotel. In addition to the food, I got to try some of their signature Asian-inspried cocktails.

The Hong Kong Empress is the only whiskey-based drink on the list, so naturally my eye went right to it. Rye, specifically, combined with a cinnamon syrup, organic ginger, and served on the rocks with two slices of candied blood orange.

When it first arrived, it seemed pleasant, but on the sweet side for my taste. However, this was one of those times where the pairing really snapped the drink into perfect focus. When a Szechwan hot and sour soup (which was, in fact, both spicy and sour – deliciously so) arrived, the sweet, citrusy drink was the perfect compliment. They really balanced and enhanced each other in a delightful way. Both the soup and the cocktail should be on the menu even after the new year celebration, so drop in and enjoy all winter long.

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Every day on her acclaimed NPR talk show Fresh Air, over four million listeners tune in to hear hostess Terry Gross interview prominent figures in politics, culture, and the arts in an intimate, long-form format that is too rarely heard in the mainstream media. On February 3, the microphone will be flipped around on Ms. Gross for a special event at the Music Center at Strathmore. Head up to Bethesda for an evening with the famed journalist and hear her “behind the mic” stories of her decades on the air and the fascinating brains she has had the unique opportunity to pick.

This week we are giving away a pair of tickets to see Cowboy Mouth at the 9:30 Club on January 26. Tickets for this concert are available on Ticketfly or at the 9:30 Club box office.

For your chance to win these tickets simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address by 5pm today. One entry per email address, please. Comments will be closed at 5pm and a winner will be randomly selected. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must respond to our email within two hours or they will forfeit their tickets and we will pick another winner.

Tickets will be available to the winner at the 9:30 Club Guest List window one hour before doors open on the night of the concert. The tickets must be claimed with a valid ID. The winner must be old enough to attend the specific concert or must have a parent’s permission to enter if they are under 18 years old.

If today does not turn out to be your lucky day, check back here each Wednesday for a chance to win tickets to other great concerts

Normally, I am not one for frills or added flavors when it comes to my coffee. I like the taste of coffee too much just as it is, thank you – maybe with a swirly kiss of microfoam if a pro is making it for me. Beyond that, I typically avoid white chocolate mochas, cran-banana-hazelnut syrups, or the like. However, this time, I gave in to a fancy, frothy coffee concoction – et je ne regrette rien

At each Peregrine Espresso, they have a monthly signature drink. This is an opportunity for the staff to show a little whimsy behind the bar, applying their top-notch skills and ingredients to make something outside the norm. After reading the description of the Logan Circle location’s current special, The Cheap Date, several times, I was forced to concede that it hit on so many of my favorite flavors I just had to try it.

Served in a small gibralter-style glass, it is a date and anise-infused mocha, topped with a freshly-made orange-scented whipped cream. Having not had a mocha in ages, I was a bit unprepared for just how rich and chocolatey the drink would be, but with the sweetness tempered by the espresso and the delightful date and anise elements which complicated the classic combination just a touch. Floating on top was a cloud of the aromatic orange whipped cream which, as it melted into the drink added just a touch of citrus tang as well as dense creaminess. This was a dessert of a coffee drink, to be sure – something to end a chilly evening rather than jump-start one’s morning.

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This week we are giving away a pair of tickets to see D.R.U.G.S. at the 9:30 Club on January 24. Tickets for this concert are available on Ticketfly or at the 9:30 Club box office.

For your chance to win these tickets simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address by 5pm today. One entry per email address, please. Comments will be closed at 5pm and a winner will be randomly selected. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must respond to our email within two hours or they will forfeit their tickets and we will pick another winner.

Tickets will be available to the winner at the 9:30 Club Guest List window one hour before doors open on the night of the concert. The tickets must be claimed with a valid ID. The winner must be old enough to attend the specific concert or must have a parent’s permission to enter if they are under 18 years old.

If today does not turn out to be your lucky day, check back here each Wednesday for a chance to win tickets to other great concerts

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Barrel-aging was so big in 2011 that it popped up on some contrarians’ year-end lists of most-overdone trends in the dining and drinking world. Personally, I disagree. When done well, that round, woody quality imparted by leaving something to age a bit can really add depth and deliciousness to whatever you put in there and it can give a subtle twist to a classic recipe. The trendiness of house-aging spirits or whole cocktails has just made it possible for even smaller places to get in on a few tiny barrels behind the bar.

While Boundary Stone might not bill itself as a “cocktail place,” they nonetheless keep a very solid collection of spirits around. Normally I have a beer or bourbon when I am there, but I was intrigued when the specials chalkboard boasted of a barrel-aged Negroni made with Bluecoat gin – and was pleased when the brightly colored drink arrived. On the sweeter side for a Negroni, the five weeks spent in a miniature (read: quick-aging) barrel gave the drink a real cohesion and suppleness in the mouth. The oaky flavors hit almost immediately and provided a lovely counterpoint to the bitter Campari.

Due to the capacity of the small barrels, Boundary Stone makes only a limited batch of each aged cocktail at a time. Should you not catch this one, they have a vanilla-infused Manhattan coming out next and other experiments down the line – so keep an eye on the chalkboard for those.

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This week we are giving away a pair of tickets to see JB Smoove at the 9:30 Club on January 14. (Please note: This is a seated comedy performance and does contain material suitable only for mature audiences.) Tickets for this concert are available on Ticketfly or at the 9:30 Club box office.

For your chance to win these tickets simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address by 5pm today. One entry per email address, please. Comments will be closed at 5pm and a winner will be randomly selected. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must respond to our email within two hours or they will forfeit their tickets and we will pick another winner.

Tickets will be available to the winner at the 9:30 Club Guest List window one hour before doors open on the night of the concert. The tickets must be claimed with a valid ID. The winner must be old enough to attend the specific concert or must have a parent’s permission to enter if they are under 18 years old.

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

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New Year’s Eve can be a trying holiday. There is so much pressure put on this one night – one moment really – that builds up for weeks prior. You can start to feel so much like you must go out and you absolutely must have fun that you panic and fork over $200 for a ticket to an awful party just to have something to do – and then end up sipping from flimsy plastic cups of regret all night long.

It is our goal here to help you avoid this fate. To that end, I will begin this going-out guide by saying you have my permission and support to not go out. Or, better yet, just go to a small house party at your friend’s place. Maybe go out for brunch the next day or, you know, do something else. Whatever. The point is: no pressure.

If you do decide to go out, here are some suggestions – but before we get started I just want to suggest you consider wearing sensible shoes? Bars are open until 4am by special DC Council authorization and I do not want you breaking an ankle (this actually happened to a friend of mine after a holiday party this month.) Speaking of which, I know you probably do not want to hear this, but think about how you are getting home before you go out. Drunk walking home in cities leads to no-joke fatalities and can make you more vulnerable to crime.

Now, watch this cuteness and we will move along.

Parties, Dancing, & Revelry

For those who want to have a high-fun, high-energy New Years Eve, I have to suggest U Street Music Hall’s Moombahton Massive X. Expect lots of local love, all the dancing you can stand, and a half-dozen pho dogs on the new food menu.

Down the block from U Hall, DC9 is throwing NYE-aid 2012 – a party which will finally end your search for a charity benefit that includes confetti canons. Music by their Liberation Dance Party team, open bar until 1am (bar stays open to 4am), and a portion of the proceeds going to the Coalition for the Homeless.

If you have the fortitude to brave Adams Morgan, the Fatback Time Travelers Ball seems like your best reward. The Fatback team throw a good party and the promoters of this party, One Love Massive, make a special point of saying they will not oversell the venue, so that bodes pretty well for a good time. The reasonable $30 tickets seem good, too. Historic costumes are encouraged.

Over on H Street, Rock & Roll Hotel is having a party with at least nine different (totally solid) DJs plus a band. The $50 tickets include access to the entire club including the heated rooftop which sounds like a pretty sweet spot for midnight kisses – or upgrade to the $80 tickets which include an open bar for the night.

The mainstage at the 9:30 has The Alabama Shakes (who I would like to thank for writing a song called “Come On, Brittany” which I have, yes, now been told about one hundred times) but they are sold out. The Backbar, however, has Blisspop featuring Volta Bureau for $10.

New Years Eve
courtesy of InspirationDC

Fancy Events, Special Dining, & Excuses to Dress Up

New Year’s seems like a good excuse to go out to a nice meal, whether it is with a group before going out, or just with one other person, and special options abound. Richard Sandoval properties La Sandia and ZENGO both look to have great options for the night. For something even fancier, Zola is looking good, particularly winning my favor for offering a vegetarian main on their set menu – and one that looks amazing at that.

One of my favorite spots, Estadio, will be open and giving diners a rare choice of either a special tasting menu – four courses and a glass of high-end cava for $75 – or their regular a la carte menu. The same option is also offered at their sister restaurant Proof where the $95 set menu will include all the luxuries one wants on NYE – caviar, lobster, very fancy Champagne – but all of their usual fare will be available as well. If you can snag a reservation at either, it might be your best option for something fancy without breaking the bank. Or, at least, affordable unless you pick that 2002 bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal off of Proof’s list – ringing in at $900. (Note, if you do, that is an oversized 1500mL bottle – and I want you to call me to share it.)

Bourbon Steak has two slightly different menus for the early versus late seatings ($90 and $175, respectively), but both are as luxurious as you would expect and seem like a way to slip very poshly into the new year, totally insulated from the craziness outside.

Combining fine dining with a fancy party, The Headliner’s Ball at the Newseum offers food and cocktails by Wolfgang Puck’s The Source – and certainly the largest screen on which you could ever want to watch a ball drop. Tickets are $150, though a $225 ticket also includes an elegant five-course dinner at The Source.

“Black tie welcome, costumes encouraged” is the dress code for Heaven & Hell 2012 at The Gibson. For $150 the party includes “anything goes open bar” – with anything off The Gibson’s well-stocked shelves on offer, which might make this your best value of the night. The whole space will be, as you might guess, heaven-versus-hell themed, with the first floor decked out in satanic style and the upstairs more saintly, including a Vatican-themed space and some private confessional booths. Cheeky!

Sharing a caterer with The Gibson – that being the super-hip new “post-modern Filipino” operation Tarsier – The Dunes is putting on A Carnaval de Trahison. Tarsier will have an “indoor food truck” for their fantastic snacks, sophisticated cocktails will be crafted at the bar, and very popular local DJs like Sam Burns will soundtrack this intimate party. Oh, and you can play huge video games projected on a vacant building next door, of course. This would be the pick to most closely simulate the chic, cool New Year’s loft party you wish your friend invited you to, along with 148 other close friends.

Remember New Year’s is your most formal-dress holiday. Take full, glittery advantage of the situation.

Low-Key Bars & Other Options

Drinks Team fave The Passenger is hosting a “Lo-Fi Party” – keeping it simple with a DJ in the back, Champagne at midnight, and a $10 cover after 9pm.

If you are going to pregame for NYE, what better than tacos? Thus, Mama Chuy’s NYT Taco Pregame Party. Come by between 3 and 10pm for all-you-can eat tacos and a glass of sparkling sangria for $15 (reservations required, see Facebook for details.) There are also cheap prices on tequila and Mexican beers, but remember to pace yourself. Well-known local DJ Jackie O will provide the background music to your taco supper.

For an interesting spin on cover charges, starting at 11pm, Cork Wine Bar requests guests show up with a bottle of good sparkling wine, and they will supply the rest of the party. Not entirely clear what they consider “good” enough – but if you stop by their wine shop they can probably make some suggestions.

Jack Rose Dining Saloon in AdMo is actually throwing three different events in different spaces, but I would suggest buying the $35 “Punch, Pints, & Pork” option. There will be a pig roast on the heated rooftop and lots of casual party action.

The always-delightful Room 11 will have a sparkling, St-Germain-heavy cocktail menu for NYE, but otherwise will be business as usual. Sunday, they will be doing a modified version of their new brunch serving hangover-helper themed plates from noon to 9pm.

Out in Arlington, Galaxy Hut will be open with “no cover, nothing stupid” – and I do love them for that.

This week we are giving away a pair of tickets to see The Dance Party at the 9:30 Club on December 23. Tickets for this concert are available on Ticketfly or at the 9:30 Club box office.

For your chance to win these tickets simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address by 5pm today. One entry per email address, please. Comments will be closed at 5pm and a winner will be randomly selected. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must respond to our email within two hours or they will forfeit their tickets and we will pick another winner.

Tickets will be available to the winner at the 9:30 Club Guest List window one hour before doors open on the night of the concert. The tickets must be claimed with a valid ID. The winner must be old enough to attend the specific concert or must have a parent’s permission to enter if they are under 18 years old.

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

This week we are giving away a pair of tickets to see The Pie Tasters & The Slackers at the 9:30 Club on December 16th. Tickets for this concert are available on Ticketfly or at the 9:30 Club box office.

For your chance to win these tickets simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address between 9am and 5pm today. One entry per email address, please. Comments will be closed at 5pm and a winner will be randomly selected. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must respond to our email within two hours or they will forfeit their tickets and we will pick another winner.

Tickets will be available to the winner at the 9:30 Club Guest List window one hour before doors open on the night of the concert. The tickets must be claimed with a valid ID. The winner must be old enough to attend the specific concert or must have a parent’s permission to enter if they are under 18 years old.

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.

As Americans, I feel like we very often describe something as “European Style” as a euphemism. It either means that thing is classy and refined or, as in the case of my apartment’s “European Sized” washer-dryer, simply small. The hot chocolate at Dolcezza is certainly the former – but served in a rather American-sized portion.

The dark, glossy chocolate arrives spilling just over the edges of the cappuccino-sized mug, dribbling little trails down the outside, pooling in the saucer. It is aromatic with cinnamon and spices and has a substantial, silky mouthfeel without being quite as thick as the more shot-glass sized portions one sometimes gets. Accompanied by a warm, crispy churro, it is completely decadent without being overwhelmingly sugary. Though less-dense than some, the full six ounces was a bit too much for me to finish, I must admit, and could almost be split between two people.

Some fancy hot chocolates in town distinguish themselves by the addition of spicy elements or interesting “adult” ingredients (both of which I like) or piles of whipped cream and other toppings (which I generally could do without), but the Dolcezza version is simple and avoids taking the treat over-the-top.

It more clearly reminds me of the hot chocolates of my childhood, typically served from silver pots on trays of hotel room-service breakfasts in various now blurred-together Continental locales – and when it comes to hot chocolate, more like one’s childhood memories is generally better. Like cupcakes and grilled cheese sandwiches, hot chocolate is one of those nostalgia foods I waver on if adults should even consume at all – but when you make the nostalgia this appealing and delicious, it is certainly hard to write it off.

This week we are giving away a pair of tickets to see Jane Birkin at the 9:30 Club on December 9th. Tickets for this concert are available on Ticketfly or at the 9:30 Club box office.

For your chance to win these tickets simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address between 9am and 5pm today. One entry per email address, please. Comments will be closed at 5pm and a winner will be randomly selected. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must respond to our email within two hours or they will forfeit their tickets and we will pick another winner.

Tickets will be available to the winner at the 9:30 Club Guest List window one hour before doors open on the night of the concert. The tickets must be claimed with a valid ID. The winner must be old enough to attend the specific concert or must have a parent’s permission to enter if they are under 18 years old.

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.

The strongest of all Port City’s offerings at 7.8%, Tidings is a Belgian Pale Ale with the addition of honey and seasonal spices. The honey was especially prominent in the glass I had at Rustico in Alexandria, tasting as if it might not have completely fermented out leaving a fair dose of residual sweetness and honey flavor. There are lots of flavors of coriander, clove, and pepper.

Tidings is not quite the super-high-ABV, syrupy wallop of a winter warmer like some breweries come out with around this time of year – more of a subtle toast to the season and one which seems like it would work well as a party tipple or paired with a holiday dinner.

Did you miss out on the lottery for tickets to this year’s National Christmas Tree lighting, held last night? Even if you did, it is not too late to take home a little piece of the celebration. All of the performers at the event have participated in creating Ornaments for the Parks.

Here at We Love DC, we love opportunities to incorporate a little bit of giving back into our holidays. The proceeds from the upcoming auction of the exclusive ornaments designed by local jewelers Tiny Jewel Box and autographed by the likes of Ellie Goulding and Carson Daly will go to benefit the National Park Federation.

Between now and December 11th, you can take a look at the special ornaments on display in the lobby “living room” of the W Hotel – and enjoy a tasty hot cocktail while you peruse.

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This week we are giving away a pair of tickets to see [your blogger's ole' college chums] Jukebox the Ghost at the 9:30 Club on December 1st. Tickets for this concert are available on Ticketfly or at the 9:30 Club box office.

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.

For your chance to win these tickets simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address between 9am and 5pm today. One entry per email address, please. Comments will be closed at 5pm and a winner will be randomly selected. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must respond to our email within two hours or they will forfeit their tickets and we will pick another winner.

Tickets will be available to the winner at the 9:30 Club Guest List window one hour before doors open on the night of the concert. The tickets must be claimed with a valid ID. The winner must be old enough to attend the specific concert or must have a parent’s permission to enter if they are under 18 years old.

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Recently, users of the smart phone app from daily-deal site LivingSocial might have seen an usual instant deal pop up: A “Secret Mixology Event” with no further details given. Daring buyers who bought the deal later received instructions on the time, place, and details. They were told to arrive at Jack Rose in Adams Morgan at 9:00, look for a man with a rose in his lapel.

Tucked in one of the lovely little private rooms off the upstairs bar, complete with cozy fireplace and lovely view over the slightly-drizzly night, the small group assembled around the bar to learn from noted cocktail-mixer and Jack Rose beverage director Rachel Sergi about how to make festive holiday cocktails for their own gatherings this season. Being greeted with a flotilla of Bulleit Rye bottles arranged in a line across the bar upon arrival, things were off to a good start.

Sergi taught the group how to make classic Old Fashioned cocktails and got a few of the attendees behind the bar swirling a bar spoon for themselves. She explained about how this simple drink has come back into vogue of late and, while it only requires a few ingredients and a bit of stirring, it always seems sophisticated.

Next it was on to the perfect party libation, punch. Whipped up in advance and set out for guests to serve themselves, nothing is more helpful to the harried hostess who does not want to spend all night behind the bar. Sergi’s version also looked appealing – floating with cinnamon and star anise, wafting that classic holiday aroma from the bowl. (Recipe for the punch she made for us is below.)

This event was the first of a series of interesting instant events LivingSocial has in the works – so keep an eye on your deals app for more than discount manicures. If you see any kind of secret food or drink event, you might want to hop on it for a fun, out-of-the-ordinary experience – and you might even find yourself learning something useful in the process.

Punch Recipe: “#5 with a Bulleit” by Rachel Sergi
Republished here with permission.
(20-30 servings)

1 liter of Bulleit Rye
32 oz. of purified water
32 oz. of fresh squeezed lemon juice
32 oz. of simple syrup
10 dashes of Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters
Star anise pods
Cinnamon sticks
Garnished with your choice of fruit (she suggests cranberries and lemon slices)

Combine these items in a punch bowl, stir, add ice ring, garnish with fruit.

Disclosure: Not only was I invited to attend this event as media, but We Love DC site designer/architect John Athayde is also an employee of LivingSocial.