Katie – We Love DC http://www.welovedc.com Your Life Beyond The Capitol Wed, 01 Sep 2021 02:11:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.9.9 Best Picnic Spots in DC http://www.welovedc.com/2013/05/02/best-picnic-spots-in-dc/ http://www.welovedc.com/2013/05/02/best-picnic-spots-in-dc/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 13:00:40 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=91526

It’s getting to be the perfect weather in DC. You know, that fine balance we get maybe a few glorious weeks a year where the thermometer is perfectly positioned between chilly and OVERWHELMINGLY-HUMID-TAKE-ME-TO-ALASKA-WHAT-IS-THIS-PLACE-WE-LIVE-IN hot.

So we must embrace this time, and one of my favorite ways is by putting together a picnic and heading outdoors with the people I love. Here are some of my top picks for picnic spots, along with good places to grab picnic supplies.

Picnic spot: Yards Park. If you haven’t been by now, embrace the season and head on over and soak up the southwest waterfront.
Grab your supplies: If it’s the weekend, try and grab something from one of the vendors at Eastern Market before heading out. If not, I’d recommend either Cornercopia or Spring Mill Bread Company for fresh sandwiches.

Picnic Spot: Founders Park in Old Town, Alexandria
Grab your supplies: Perfect for a brunch picnic, Society Fair offers up plenty of baked goods (try the croissant) housemade yogurt and coffee to go.

Picnic Spot: US National Arboretum
Grab your supplies: Union Market. Grab a sandwich and sides from Red Apron, pick up an adorable turkish towel from Salt and Sundry to use as your blanket, and a cupcake from Curbside Cupcake and you’re good to go.

Picnic Spot: Daingerfield Island (you kinda need bikes or a car for this one.)
Grab your supplies: Since you already need a mode of transportation to get to Daingerfield, the place I’m choosing for you to grab stuff is slightly removed from the actual spot, but it’s worth it. Brabo’s The Butchers Block has amazing charcuterie and a really good wine and beer selection. I’d recommend a sunset picnic while watching the planes and sailboats.

Picnic Spot: US Marine Corps Memorial/Iwo Jima Park
Grab your supplies: Amazing views like the ones this park has to offer up calls for burgers. Head into Ray’s Hellburger and grab some burgers and don’t forget napkins. You’ll need ’em.

Picnic Spot: Dupont Circle
Grab your supplies: Glen’s Garden Market has amazing to-go options (think Whole Foods gone super local). And while you’re at it, pick up two spoons and a pint of Moorenko’s ice cream and I’ll be green with envy at your awesome lunch.

Picnic Spot: Georgetown Waterfront
Grab your supplies: You have lots of choices in Georgetown. Paul, Dean and Deluca, Sweetgreen. The possibilities are practically endless.

Picnic Spot: Meridian Hill Park
Grab your supplies: Sit along the fountain while snacking on local cheeses, crackers and some Capital Kombucha from Smucker’s Farms, a local grocery store on 14th street.

And there are about a million more good picnic spots to choose from. I keep thinking of them! Congressional Cemetery, Rock Creek Park, Hains Point, not to mention the entire National Mall… so please share your favorite spot in the comments!

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On Running and Falling In Love Again http://www.welovedc.com/2013/04/17/on-running-and-falling-in-love-again/ http://www.welovedc.com/2013/04/17/on-running-and-falling-in-love-again/#comments Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:00:25 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=91286

I am a runner. It feels a bit weird to say that, because only 8 months ago, I couldn’t even run a mile.

It started last August. I had been a bridesmaid in a wedding for an entire weekend, you know the drill – bridesmaids luncheon, rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, ceremony, reception. All weekend long I had been wearing the tallest of high heels, and the Sunday after the wedding I set out for a short jog, stepped off a curb and pulled my IT Band. Something about extending it and contracting it, and whatever. It ended in pain. I played tough guy for about a month, but after limping around the office for too long, my boss yelled at me and made me go into the doctor. The doctor prescribed physical therapy and I wound up in the good care of Alyssa White at PhysioTherapy Associates. (She is amazing. So is her colleague Sarah, if you’re looking for a good physical therapist.)

Somewhere in my first few weeks of PT, I got the bright idea that I should enter the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile lottery. Just on a whim. One afternoon at work, I decided that it was a brilliant idea and so I just did it. Everyone asks why, especially when the longest I’d ever run was a 5k, and I had no real explanation.  I wanted a goal. I wanted to show up each week and exercise my discipline. I wanted to do it because I knew I could.

So I set about creating a team of people and DC small businesses who would help, and the first step was Alyssa and getting my ITB back in shape. The second was finding a decent training program.

The official training program of the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile is run by Potomac River Running Training Programs. I dutifully signed up, met the (DC running world) famous Coach T, and let’s be real. That’s probably why I was able to hop off the PT table and 10 weeks later run 10 miles without even flinching, right there. I’d highly recommend both Coach T and the PR training programs. But that’s not the only thing that got me to the finish line. One of the keys was in the cross training. PR and Coach T recommended swimming, yoga, spin, and Pilates. Alright then, I thought. I can do that.

All summer long I’d become hooked on barre, so the nice owners at Biker Barre set a recurring reservation for me each week. I hoofed into their adorable studio once a week and tucked and plie’d until I couldn’t tuck and plie any longer. (My favorite barre instructors at BB are Jane, Stephen, Kelly W and Kelly H.) I honestly think barre was one of the best cross training activities I could have done. The Pilates-based workout provided lateral muscle movements that balanced out all that running. It also kept my abs in shape and toned up my arms.

Swimming was another must-do cross training activity. DC’s indoor pools are free, and there’s nothing like a good swim early in the morning to clear your head and get you psyched up for work.  I busted out some old suits from swim team in high school (which miraculously fit) and with the purchase of some windbreaker pants to keep out the winter cold I was good to go.

Finally, I knew yoga had to be part of the mix. Obviously, my muscles needed it, but so did my mind. Capitol Hill Yoga is my go-to studio, but I also love Yoga District (Hannah, that’s all I need to say there) and the too-far-away Down Dog (Beth, I miss you!). After my long runs, getting all stretched out, twisted out, and blissed out was essential. Capitol Hill Yoga offers regular workshops on hamstrings, hips and fascial release – all super helpful when your body is taking a beating. Yoga District regularly runs workshops specifically for runners. But CHY became my home, which meant I got a weekly dose of my new favorite yoga instructors, Tara, Joan and Katie.

There were other helpful things – I treated myself to an Extreme Sports Massage at Bliss DC after phase 1 of training was up, and Teaism and Sweetgreen became my go-to restaurants.

But what really wound up happening with all this running, and all this class attendance and community-finding, is that I seriously fell back in love with DC. Not that I had ever really fallen out of love with our fine city, but I had just forgotten about some of my favorite nooks and crannies. I couldn’t remember the last time I was on the National Mall, but I’ve been down there 6 or 7 times in the past few months on runs. Places I once had much affection for when I first moved here suddenly came back into focus. How can you not love a long run across Memorial Bridge? The Capital Crescent trail is amazing. Rock Creek is its own slice of heaven, especially on an early spring morning.

I pounded out 127.2 miles of training for the race, and each of them reminded me why I chose to move here years ago. My training runs are where I can see the sights, drink it all in, take the time, remind myself what makes this city so great.

For me, this is just the beginning. I’m officially and unabashedly hooked, and I have many people to thank for that – but mostly I have the city itself for being so inspiring. Now, I have fall races to think about, lotteries to enter, training programs to consider, and other cross training methods to explore.  (I’m super curious about true Pilates classes, as well as CrossFit.) (I think I could be pretty badass in CrossFit if you lift the safety squat bar.)

They say your first race is the biggest hurdle, and so if I can take the leap of faith and get out there, you certainly can. The DC running community is one of the friendliest, supportive, amazing communities in our city and hopefully if you’re already a runner, you can share some of your favorite cross training in the comments section!

See you out there. I’m not stopping any time soon.

PS – It feels remiss not to mention the Boston Marathon bombings and how they tore my heart out. This blog post says it better than I ever could, so I’ll leave you with it.

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We Love Food: Daikaya http://www.welovedc.com/2013/03/25/we-love-food-daikaya/ Mon, 25 Mar 2013 17:00:37 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=90628 daikaya collage

Let’s be real – the first thing you want to know about Daikaya is “is it as good as Toki Underground?” and so let’s just go ahead and cut to the chase.

YES. It is as good as Toki. But it’s different, so shake loose the picture of ramen you’re carrying around from my favorite H Street eatery. Led by ramen expert Sakae Ishida, Daikaya serves up a different style of ramen than our old friend, so go in without expectation.

I’m a huge fan. In fact, just writing this makes me crave a round of dumplings and a bowl of the miso or shoyu ramen. But out of all of the bowls we ordered, the shio ramen made me the happiest. The very definition of umami.

Located next door to Graffiato, Daikaya’s exterior looks like it’s covered in wifi symbols. It’s walk-in only, and for three on a Friday night we waited a little more than 30 minutes. They’ll text you when your table is ready, so you can grab a drink elsewhere while you wait.

Daikaya is located at 705 6th St NW, accessible from the Chinatown and Judiciary Square metro stations.

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We Love Food: Tash http://www.welovedc.com/2013/02/28/we-love-food-tash/ http://www.welovedc.com/2013/02/28/we-love-food-tash/#comments Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:00:48 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=90371 tash

My newest obsession on 8th street is full of tabbouleh and I just can’t stop going. Tash House of Kabob, located at 524 8th St SE, opened a few weeks ago and I’ve been three times since. (I’m not kidding when I say I can’t stop.)

Completely reasonably priced at around $15 per entree, Tash satisfies. Start your meal with the pirozhki, deep fried little fried pockets of meat, cheese and mushrooms, and then you seriously cannot go wrong with whatever kabob you choose. I’ve had the lamb, the salmon and the chicken and they were all excellent. Happy hour is ridiculously cheap (you can get a glass of wine for $3.50), so I’m really not sure why you’re still here reading this when you could be there drinking.

It’s gorgeous inside, the tile and rustic wood makes for a quick escape from busy Capitol Hill. The golden and ornate tea setup alone is worth ordering tea, and all the plates and flatware are unique (though the knife annoys me every time I go, you’ll see what I mean). So… to summarize. Cheap, obsessively good, and excellent happy hour specials. Is there really any more to say? Nope. You should just go already.

Tash is located at 524 8th Street at Eastern Market Metro stop on the Orange and Blue lines.

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Places To Buy Local Food in DC Year-Round http://www.welovedc.com/2013/02/18/places-to-buy-local-food-in-dc-year-round/ http://www.welovedc.com/2013/02/18/places-to-buy-local-food-in-dc-year-round/#comments Mon, 18 Feb 2013 13:33:52 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=90278

The dregs of winter are upon us. Where does one buy food that aligns with one’s hippie local, organic beliefs in the dead season?

Here are the places I get excited to grocery shop in the winter:

  • Smucker Farms of Lancaster Co. on 14th St. NW: This little grocery store is my idea of heaven. Local everything, including local dried goods, pastas and even some pre-prepped meals for you to grab and go.
  • Union Market on 5th NE: Meat, cheese, veggies, breads, coffee, tea, spices… is there anything you need to whip up a meal you can’t find here?
  • Dupont Circle Farmer’s Market on 20th St. NW on Sundays: Just in case you thought it was summer-only, the city’s best farmer’s market is still kicking in winter. Crab cakes, greens, milk, eggs, you still need these basics.

What did I miss? Leave it in the comments for the greater good!

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How Does Your DC Garden Grow? According to Manchester landscape http://www.welovedc.com/2013/02/14/how-does-your-dc-garden-grow/ Fri, 15 Feb 2013 02:59:17 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=90257

It’s already that time, you guys! That’s how you know spring is almost here…. it’s seed sowing time. I’m so excited to start in on my vegetable garden, I’ve got my grow light out, I’ve got all my books (this and this) on my coffee table and I’ve been madly perusing the Seed Savers Exchange website. Finally, all those tools that I bought from OccupyTheFarm paid off. It only shows that you don’t really need the expensive machineries and tools to get your garden started. But I got a little overwhelmed with where and when, exactly, to start, so last weekend I sat down  to talk a little bit with Meredith Shepherd of the DC-based organic home gardening service Love & Carrots and get her advice for starting your own small home garden.

Here are a few of her tips according to Manchester landscape you ca read more about at https://didsburydriveways.co.uk/blog/manchester-landscape/.

  • Grow herbs. The landscapers Melbourne crew advises the best way to get started gardening is to design and grow a small herb garden, especially if you’re a renter. Her favorites are lavender, sweet woodruff, lemon verbena and chives.
  • Don’t over water or under water. Read up on what you plant and what kind of soil and water level it needs so you don’t waste your time or drown your plants. (She told me I should be keeping my rosemary separate from the rest of my herbs because it likes it a bit drier.)
  • Salad greens can grow in the shade, especially the “cut and come again” varieties. This is handy if you live on a narrow street and don’t have much sunlight.
  • The District proper is a plant hardiness zone warmer than the rest of the surrounding DMV area. This is handy to know when you’re trying to figure out when and what to plant.
  • Get a hose reel. A hose reel can be a great useful garden tool to keep your garden or lawn looking clean and tidy as well as making hose use more convenient. BestofMachinery’s Bob Robinson made a list of the best hose reels on the market today. Visit his reviews on https://BestOfMachinery.com

Overwhelmed? Love & Carrots can help. Meredith’s service offers everything from consulting (a one-time service where she helps you think it all through) to coaching (you set up regular appointments where they teach you everything you need to know, complete with syllabus and notes emailed to you after), or full plant-and-care service done by her staff.

After confessing the way growing a garden makes me feel like I’m sticking it to big agriculture (Monsanto, I’m looking right at you), Meredith agreed. “I feel like I’m bringing back a part of culture,” she said about Love & Carrots. “All our grandparents had gardens, it just makes sense.” If you are interested in doing the same thing, check out this mini rotatory hoe to start giving shape to yourgarden.

And now I just feel like putting in more vegetable garden pictures into the post, because I can. So I will. Here you go:

If that wasn’t inspirational, I don’t know what to say.

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Prepped Meals Delivered to Your Door http://www.welovedc.com/2013/02/08/prepped-meals-delivered-to-your-door/ http://www.welovedc.com/2013/02/08/prepped-meals-delivered-to-your-door/#comments Fri, 08 Feb 2013 14:00:32 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=90067

The worst thing about cooking for one (or even two) is that if you’re trying to cook something original and interesting, you wind up with a ton of leftover ingredients. Right now, for example, in my fridge (and I just went to look, I promise) I have: half a red onion, half a lemon, a bunch of cilantro, the end of a bag of arugula and some tahini-lemon dressing. All of this is leftover from a week’s worth of cooking. All of which I have no plans to do anything with between now and when they go bad.

So when I heard about Scratch DC, I thought it was a very awesome solution to all my very first world problems: ingredient overload, very little time to grocery shop, and my need for fresh and local food.

Scratch DC is a cooking delivery service that will drive prepped-but-not-yet-cooked meals straight to your door. They do all the prep, include all the wacky ingredients (or your basics: even salt and pepper!), and then provide friendly detailed instructions on preparing it. It’s kind of the best thing ever. And if the two meals I tried (enchiladas in a jalapeno cream sauce and feta/basil tilapia) were any indication of the daily quality, they have my sad whole wheat pasta in marinara sauce trumped any day.

Go to their website. Order the meals you want. They source most of the ingredients organically and locally. They’ll prep it and bring it to you at the time of your choice. You will cook it and look like the hero, and you didn’t even have to go to the grocery store. Prices stay in the range of about $30 or less for two servings, depending on the meal.

It’s easy as pie. Actually, it’s way, way easier than pie.

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Where to Get Those Knives of Yours Sharpened http://www.welovedc.com/2013/02/01/where-to-get-those-knives-of-yours-sharpened/ http://www.welovedc.com/2013/02/01/where-to-get-those-knives-of-yours-sharpened/#comments Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:00:12 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=90014

Ok, so here’s the deal. Sharp knives are awesome, safer than dull knives and way more fun to cook with. So you should stop procrastinating and just go to https://viebelles.com/ and buy new knives.

1) Union Market. DC Mobile Sharpening has a pop up in Union Market and I dropped off my knives while I gallivanted around and drank lots of cocktails at Buffalo & Bergen, ate lots of cheese at Righteous Cheese and got my beef jerky fix at Red Apron Butchery. They were fast, good and reasonably priced. I do, though, feel compelled to say that I did feel a little judgement when I turned over my crappy Ikea knives. (Which, let’s be real, I’m judging myself for them, too.) (Bad foodie! Bad!)

2) Eastern Market, technically, Union Meat, a stand towards the middle of the building, will take those bad boys and shape them right up. If you go on the weekend, you can also pick yourself up some some fresh pasta, a new necklace, a hipster tee shirt and some artisan soaps. I’m pretty sure if Eastern Market doesn’t have it, you don’t need it.

3) Sur La Table. Far, far on the other side of the city, Sur La Table sharpens up some WASP-y knives in Chevy Chase. And Google says there’s one in Friendship Heights. Or is that the same place? I don’t know, and since I never go that far up the red line, I’m too lazy to figure it out. I think there’s one in Pentagon City, maybe, too. Sorry, I’m being bad about this blurb. I feel very meh about giving a chain my business when I can support local DC businesses! But, you know, I also like you enough to give you options.

So, there you have it. No excuses! Sharpen like a champion.

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Little Heart Reminders http://www.welovedc.com/2012/11/12/little-heart-reminders/ http://www.welovedc.com/2012/11/12/little-heart-reminders/#comments Mon, 12 Nov 2012 16:00:35 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=88843 enjoy the little things

I came across this little guy at Eastern Market (…

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enjoy the little things

I came across this little guy at Eastern Market (apparently a part of the Little Heart Man project)  and loved him so much that I snapped this picture. When I added him to the We Love DC pool, I discovered lots of other pictures snapped of similar pipecleaner people across the city with reminders on them. They’re so charming I just had to share. Most of these are from Number7Cloud on Flickr. Little Heart Man is also on Facebook.

in case you forgot

a worthy goal

dog park

repeat

more love, less war

love knot
(c/o ekelly80)

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Reminder: We Love DC Hates Cancer TONIGHT! http://www.welovedc.com/2012/11/05/reminder-we-love-dc-hates-cancer-tonight/ Mon, 05 Nov 2012 14:00:53 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=88617

We love this city but we hate cancer! Please join …

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We love this city but we hate cancer! Please join us tonight to raise money to cure neuroendicrine cancer. For background on why we’re rallying around this cause, read the back story about former We Love DC author Cathy Cooling and her determination to find a cure.

Join the We Love DC crew at Pound the Hill (621 Pennsylvania Ave SE) TONIGHT from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.

If curing cancer isn’t moving you to come (seriously?), well, we’ve got $4 happy hour (beer, wine, appetizers) running all night, and mixologist Erik Holzherr (Wisdom, Church and State) has whipped up a special punch as well.

$10 suggested donation at the door. Let’s show cancer how powerful we are! See you tonight.

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How to Vote For Your ANC (even if you don’t know what an ANC is). http://www.welovedc.com/2012/10/31/how-to-vote-for-your-anc-even-if-you-dont-know-what-an-anc-is/ http://www.welovedc.com/2012/10/31/how-to-vote-for-your-anc-even-if-you-dont-know-what-an-anc-is/#comments Wed, 31 Oct 2012 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=88538 Precinct Eighty-Eight (Day three hundred and six)

Voting! It’s so patriotic! I’ve never missed an election (even when I was studying abroad in Australia and generally tipsy the entire time). I get really into voting. Not so much into politics, what with the big bird, and the binders and all the yelling, but I feel extremely strongly about exercising my right to vote. And this, my friends, is my first big DC election.

Having resided in Arlington for most of my post-college twenties, I was used to um… normal politics.  You know, senate races that aren’t prefaced with the term “shadow” and local county elections. But DC is not… normal.  That’s why we love her. We have all kinds of whackadoo local representation, and earlier this month I decided it was time to buckle down and be a responsible citizen and figure it all out. So one day in early October, I sat down do ALL THE VOTING RESEARCH! And I came upon this weird thing called the ANC, and got rull, rull confused.

I’m a relatively smart person, and I pay attention, but I was seriously confused about my ANC.  There were letters, and numbers and oh my.  Was I voting for 4C? 7D? Why are there numbers? What does it do? Why is it there? WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE? (Oh. Well, that I know. 42.)

Anyways,  I got around to asking my smart, competent friends who live in DC about their ANC commissioner, and none of them really knew what an ANC was. Well, okay then. I vaguely recollected the ANC thing from a post Dave Stroup wrote for WLDC a while ago, so I started there. That was helpful. But I still had questions. So I did a whole lot of grilling of the WLDC staff, and a whole lot of googling. And the rest of this post is what I figured out, so that you, too, can be an informed DC voter.

ARE YOU READY?

PART ONE: What the crap do they do?

Representatives from ANCs are elected to advise the District government on issues relating to:

  • zoning
  • social service programs
  • health
  • police protection
  • sanitation
  • recreation

The DC Gov website says: “The Advisory Neighborhood Commissions consider a wide range of policies and programs affecting their neighborhoods, including traffic, parking, recreation, street improvements, liquor licenses, zoning, economic development, police protection, sanitation and trash collection, and the District’s annual budget.”

Think: rats, sidewalks, building permits, parking, alcohol licenses, stop signs, crosswalks. The things that you live with on a daily basis.

DC Gov goes on to say, “In each of these areas, the intent of the ANC legislation is to ensure input from an advisory board that is made up of the residents of the neighborhoods that are directly affected by government action. The ANCs are the body of government with the closest official ties to the people in a neighborhood. The ANCs present their positions and recommendations on issues to various District government agencies, the Executive Branch, and the Council. They also present testimony to independent agencies, boards, and commissions, usually under the rules of procedure specific to those entities. By law, the ANCs may also present their positions to Federal agencies.”

So the ANC deals with things that are practical about where you live. These are things that are important to you, the little things that makes you love or hate your neighborhood. The rat problem 311 isn’t fixing? You could totally be complaining to your ANC rep right now. You want a playground put in near you? Call your ANC rep! They are just so handy, those ANC peeps. They are your voice in the community, and ANCs represent neighborhood opinions to the City Council. They also have some local grant money that they can use at their discretion, and they work with city departments, like DCPS, DC Water, DDOT and more. They bring your concerns to the people who can help.

So now that you know why you should care, let’s figure out which ANC you are in, shall we?

PART TWO: Figuring out which ANC you are a part of.

Use the Citizens Atlas right now, and meet me back here. I’ll wait.

Ok, good job. Now you know which ANC you are in, the ANC will probably listed something like 6C05. That number is confusing. Here’s the breakdown;

– There are eight wards in DC. That’s that first number, your ward. I’m silently judging you right now if you didn’t already know what ward you live in.

– Each of the eight wards are broken down subdivisions, represented by letters (A,B,C, etc.). This is your ANC. In our example, ANC 6C.

– Each of the subdivisions are broken down into single member districts (that’s a number at the end). SMD are made up of about 2,000 people. So in neighborhoods that are rowhomes, like our example of Capitol Hill, that’s probably somewhere about 10 blocks long and three blocks wide. They re-jigger them with the census, so double check and make sure your SMD is still the same as it was last election.

SO: What you are going to be voting for is the representative from your 2,000 person SMD to your ANC. They will be your voice whenever something like tree trimming, new stoplight installation, a robbery or a new coffee shop happens around you and you have something to say about it.

PART THREE: Finding out who your commissioner is or could be.

Now it’s time to get informed about who is running for your ANC spot (if anyone, sometimes no one steps up, and that’s lame).  You can do that on the DC Board of Elections and Ethics website. (Sidenote: We Love DC’s own Tiffany Bridge is running unopposed in 5B03. Yay, Tiff!) Anyways, go look at that and I’ll be right here when you get back.

Nice work, you are really good at that clicking-between-tabs thing, stud.

So now, you have either found one of three things:

1) There is no one running for your ANC. That is lame. You should totally consider running. Especially since you’re so good at the internet, and all.

2) There is one candidate. Well, slightly less exciting for you, but you should google around and see if you can find their website. Some ANC reps have really handy blogs or email listserves that keep you informed of all kinds of things that you didn’t know you care about, but actually do. I’m currently mildly worked up about a stoplight going in near me that I found out from my handy ANC listserve emails.

3) You have a race! Lucky you! Now it’s time to make some decisions.

PART FOUR: Figuring out who to vote for.

This can be done with some good internet skills. First, I’d suggest typing in their name and ANC into google. Try that and see where that gets you. If it gets you a website, that’s helpful. If you get an email address, that’s even more helpful. I live on Capitol Hill, so I had some pretty specific questions about the Hine redevelopment, as well as safety on the Hill after TC Maslin was beaten in the heart of our neighborhood, shaking me to the core. Both candidates were super helpful and explained their plans to me.

Now, if that isn’t so useful, and google isn’t getting you much, like a website or an email address (your ANC commissioner candidate is bad at the internet and they should feel bad), then try other sources. The League of Women Voters in DC has invited all of the ANC candidates to post positions on their voter guide. So check that out. Local blog Hill is Home has been posting Ward 6 candidate statements for weeks now, so they’re helpful as well, if you’re in 6. New Columbia Heights is doing the same type thing, so you can head there. If you know of other blogs/websites with collections of position statements, please leave them in the comments. Kthanks.

So now you’re informed. You’ve figured out what an ANC does, what SMD you live in, who is running for your SMD and who you’re going to vote for. Now, you must vote.

PART FIVE: Going to vote. Like a champion. Go you!

But where, you ask?

Seriously? Do I have to help you do ALL the steps? Fine.

Find your polling place on the DC BoEE site. Or, find an early voting location. You can learn more about early voting in this press release. (Warning, that link opens a PDF.)

And now you’re all ready to vote for your ANC! I’m so proud of you, you fantastic person, you. Have I told you that you have nice hair? Well you do. Now go vote.

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We Love DC Hates Cancer – Join Us http://www.welovedc.com/2012/10/17/we-love-dc-hates-cancer-join-us/ Wed, 17 Oct 2012 15:00:31 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=88264

When I think about Cathy, I picture her tending a …

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When I think about Cathy, I picture her tending a sauté pan of scallops over an open flame. She is attentive, determined, fearless, and holding her own alongside one of our city’s best chefs.

In this memory, it’s early on a Saturday morning; I am the food editor here at We Love DC (a position I gave up in 2010), and she’s the cooking writer. We are conquering yet another recipe for the Capital Chefs series, a series we invented together where I would casually interview a local chef and they would teach Cathy how to cook a recipe from the restaurant.

We won over some of DC’s most bullish perfectionists this way, getting them to give us the scoop on what they love about cooking in the nation’s capital. In retrospect, I chalk most of that up to Cathy’s prowess behind a stove, and her appreciation for learning new techniques. Because of that charm, she and I were able to bring you recipes and stories straight from chefs across the city.

Outside the kitchen, Cathy is a great friend; one of those genuinely good people that you can’t help but like. She’s recently married and is attending Georgetown for her MBA. When I think of her, I think of a smart, fun, easy-going woman who can make a mean risotto.

I do not think of cancer.

Well, that is, until recently. I do now. After a single stunning email, the kind that assaults you on an average Wednesday morning, changing everything. It was then that we learned about her recent diagnosis of neuroendocrine cancer, the same kind that killed Steve Jobs. The cancer without a cure. The cancer that has a five year survival rate.

Except, it doesn’t actually add up, you know? Cancer? In this twentysomething, just-married, scallop-browning wonder woman? You have the wrong girl, sir. Not Cathy. Cathy doesn’t have cancer.

But she does have cancer, it’s one of those injustices. And for a while, the team here at We Love DC was sad, stunned by her mortality and the unfairness of it all. But we can’t sit here stunned, first of all because she’s not having any of that, but second, because there’s a cure out there and she’s determined to get it funded. We can help. YOU can help.

A potential cure for neuroendocrine cancer is sitting idle in a freezer at Sweden’s Uppsala University. Sounds very science-fiction, right? The biotech industry has abandoned it because it cannot be patented (ie., no profit). But we don’t need them! As a community, we can raise the funds to potentially cure neuroendocrine cancer and help people like Cathy everywhere.

Here’s what you can do: We Love DC is hosting a happy hour at Pound The Hill on November 5th to raise money for the cure of neuroendocrine cancer. We’re calling it We Love DC Hates Cancer. Because we do. We love a lot of things, but not cancer. Fuck cancer. Cancer is the absolute worst.

So help us. Come, drink, be merry (Cathy does not think this is a time to be sorry or sad) but also learn about neuroendicrine cancer and help a strong, awesome woman, fund a cure. Everyone has a story of someone that’s been affected by cancer and a lot of us feel helpless. So here’s a way you can help. Join us, won’t you?

We Love DC Hates Cancer

Monday, November 5th at Pound the Hill, 621 Pennsylvania Ave SE, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.

$4 happy hour (beer, wine, appetizers) all night

$10 suggested donation at the door. Let’s show cancer how powerful we are!

If you cannot attend, please consider donating to Cathy’s cause. Visit Unite Against to learn more.

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Farm Fresh: New Tuesday Market at Eastern Market http://www.welovedc.com/2012/07/10/farm-fresh-new-tuesday-market-at-eastern-market/ http://www.welovedc.com/2012/07/10/farm-fresh-new-tuesday-market-at-eastern-market/#comments Tue, 10 Jul 2012 17:00:21 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=85885 Photo courtesy of ep_jhu
Eastern Market on a Hot Day
courtesy of ep_jhu

So I have to admit, I really do not love the outdoor farmer’s market at Eastern Market on the weekends. I’m not talking about the flea market with all the mirrors, animal hats and necklaces, I’m talking about the food part. Maybe I’m spoiled, but I don’t think repackaged baby carrots or oranges and bananas (clearly not grown in the Mid-Atlantic region) count as a farmer’s market. See, in the picture above, you see strawberries right next to apples. If you’re growing locally, the strawberries would happen for a few glorious short weeks in early spring and the apples arrive much later in fall.

When I go to a market, I want 100% local. And I want fresh, as in, vine to me in less than 24 hours. And sadly, I don’t see a ton of that at Eastern Market normally. But all this might change today with the announcement of the new “Fresh Tuesdays” farmer’s market at Eastern Market.

Photo courtesy of ekelly80
nectarines
courtesy of ekelly80

The new market Tuesday afternoon/evening market boasts vendors with names like Shyla and Steven “Heirloom” Kennedy and Ben Hertzler, “The Watermelon King”, so I’m super hopeful that we’re in for some true local-grown, organic produce. I did a bit of Google-stalking some of the market newcomers and found Groff’s Content Farm in Maryland, whose website explains they sell pasture-raised, grass-finished beef, lamb, pork, goat, eggs, broiler chickens, turkeys, and duck. New vendor Walnut Hill Farm from Virginia seems to be equally as thoughtful about their products. Returning weekend vendors such as Ashton Farms seem to grow conventionally (or at least the website makes no organic claims), but look to have a big variety ranging from peaches to corn. And from West Virginia, sometimes buying local can outweigh buying organic if you’re focused on environmental impact.

Now we’re talking. I can’t wait to grab a tote and check out the newest addition to DC’s farmer’s market scene. The new Tuesday market run from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. beginning today, July 10.

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We Love Food: Willard’s BBQ http://www.welovedc.com/2011/08/15/we-love-food-willards-bbq/ http://www.welovedc.com/2011/08/15/we-love-food-willards-bbq/#comments Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:00:20 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=74330 Willard's

“You just can’t get barbecue up he…

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Willard's

“You just can’t get barbecue up here like you can down there,” I used to tell all my friends back home in North Carolina. That was before I met Willard’s. Way, way the hell out there in the suburbs near Dulles, Willard’s BBQ is what happens when Lexington, North Carolina transports itself right to Virginia. And for a Carolina Girl, that means Willard’s tastes just like home.

Ya’ll, they’ve got the pulled pork. They have the ribs, the brisket, the chicken, the catfish. Everything you’ve been craving, Willard’s has it all. And lord, is it done right.
order here sign

When you roll up to Willard’s, you’ll be in a weird little strip mall. Right near a Hooter’s, and a lazer tag place, Willard’s is nothing special looking, and you certainly wouldn’t expect such big taste out of such a small place. But you’d be mistaken.

I was first pointed to Willard’s by Naomi of the DC-based style blog Rockstar Diaries, who called Willard’s her favorite BBQ. It just happened to be out near my boyfriend’s place in Herndon, so we decided to drop on by. It was, in all likelihood, the most valuable food recommendation I’ve gotten in years.

willard's specials menu

You stroll on up, order your meat choice (they’ve got Kansas, NC, Texas, Jerk, all the BBQ styles you could want), and then pick your fixins. You can get a platter, you can get a sandwich, you can get to-go tubs. They’ve got it all. I highly recommend the NC pulled pork (mm, vinegar) with mashed potatoes and collard greens. The platters come with cornbread. I wouldn’t go out of my way for the cornbread, but the BF feels differently. I just think it takes up valuable BBQ real estate in my stomach.

eat here

sauces

Then grab yourself your food, get some of their sweet tea (this experience would not be complete without it) and enjoy.

pulled pork & bbq

I’d recommend a pilgrimage to Willard’s to be paired with some other suburban activity. I’d suggest a hike at Great Falls, shopping at Reston Town Center, a visit to the Dulles part of the air and space museum, or an afternoon petting and feeding the baby animals at Reston Zoo.

But really, it’s probably worth the drive all on it’s own.

Willards BBQ is located in Chantilly, Virginia, at 4300 Chantilly Shopping Center
Unit #1A
. It’s Metro-inaccessible, and I’d guess that it’s pretty bus-challenged as well. For those of you car-less, this is probably a time to investigate Zip Car.

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Food Truck Tracker http://www.welovedc.com/2011/04/08/food-truck-tracker-163/ Fri, 08 Apr 2011 15:00:18 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=67741 Photo courtesy of
‘cupcakes’
courtesy of ‘e

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Photo courtesy of
‘cupcakes’
courtesy of ‘ekelly80’

It’s Friday. You ain’t got no job, and you ain’t got anthing to do but go find a food truck. Or maybe you do have a job. Either way, you should find a food truck. GO!

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Food Truck Tracker http://www.welovedc.com/2011/04/07/food-truck-tracker-162/ Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:00:19 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=67739 Photo courtesy of
‘Pan con lechon’
courtesy of R

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Photo courtesy of
‘Pan con lechon’
courtesy of ‘yostinator’

Find yourself a food truck for your happy lunchytimes.

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Food Truck Tracker http://www.welovedc.com/2011/04/06/food-truck-tracker-161/ Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:00:05 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=67736 Photo courtesy of
‘DC Empanadas Truck’
courtesy of

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Photo courtesy of
‘DC Empanadas Truck’
courtesy of ‘bonappetitfoodie’

It’s lunchtime, people! Get yourself outside and take a well-deserved break in the sunshine.

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Weekend Flashback: March 11-13 http://www.welovedc.com/2011/03/14/weekend-flashback-march-11-13/ Mon, 14 Mar 2011 13:00:55 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=65767 Photo courtesy of
‘Death of a day (II)’
courtesy of &

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Photo courtesy of
‘Death of a day (II)’
courtesy of ‘specimenlife’

Could you feel it? As the clocks turned back on Sunday, little whispers of spring. I soaked up the sun, as did a lot of our photographers. Read on for a glimpse into this past weekend in DC.

Photo courtesy of
‘Pleasure Binge Before Lent’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’

Photo courtesy of
‘(069/365)’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’

Photo courtesy of
‘Starry Starry Night’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’

Photo courtesy of
‘Six Wild Irish Women’
courtesy of ‘tedeytan’

Photo courtesy of
‘TR Island Muddy Trail’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Photo courtesy of
‘Dixie Liquors’
courtesy of ‘@jbtaylor’

Photo courtesy of
‘illuminated cherry blossom’
courtesy of ‘martha_jean’

Photo courtesy of
‘Heart Shaped Egg’
courtesy of ‘[F]oxymoron’

Photo courtesy of
‘awaiting spring colors’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

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Food Truck Tracker http://www.welovedc.com/2011/03/04/food-truck-tracker-144/ Fri, 04 Mar 2011 16:00:57 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=64355 Photo courtesy of
‘Food Trucks at NMAH’
courtesy of

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Photo courtesy of
‘Food Trucks at NMAH’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

It’s Friday. The Lean Cuisine won’t cut it. Get yourself some food truck action.

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Food Truck Tracker http://www.welovedc.com/2011/03/03/food-truck-tracker-143/ Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:00:20 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=64353 Photo courtesy of
‘Tom 10’
courtesy of ‘yosp

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Photo courtesy of
‘Tom 10’
courtesy of ‘yospyn’

It’s Thursday. You know you want a little bahn mi from Sauca or a piece of pizza from DC slices! You know you do.

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