Archive for the ‘Alexandria’ Category
Evening Star Cafe Remodels and Reopens with New Chef
Evening Star #1
courtesy of Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie
The first restaurant in the Neighborhood Restaurant Group got a major facelift over the last few months and officially reopened last night on December 8th. Evening Star Cafe now has a newly redesigned and refurbished dining room and bar which was led by Hailey Designs, LLC. [...]
Pizzeria Paradiso Celebrates 20 Years
‘Pizzeria Paradiso’
courtesy of ‘afagen’
There’s an old friend in town who’s turning 20 next week: Pizzeria Paradiso.
Back in November 1991, the pizzeria opened its first location in Dupont Circle and over its history has not only revamped the original spot, but expanded to Georgetown and Old Town Alexandria. Not too shabby of an accomplishment for a [...]
We Love Food: Eamonn’s/A Dublin Chipper
‘969 thanks be to cod’
courtesy of ‘apium’
There are plenty of benefits of studying abroad in England — lots of culture, lots of pints and you don’t have to worry about learning that pesky other language. It is not, however, known as a bastion of fine cuisine. There is an exception to every rule though, and [...]
Dance Preview: Bellydance Superstars
The Bellydance Superstars will be at The Birchmere this month for two shows – October 27 and 28 – with a new production called Bombay Bellywood. I last saw BDSS perform at the Lisner in March 2009, and it was an infectiously fun performance that had the audience shimmying in their seats. For those of [...]
More »Nature’s Fury: Braddock Road Edition
photo by author.
Alexandria got hit hard by yesterday’s freak storm.The worst hit area seemed to be the North/South stretch of Braddock Road between Old Town and Route 7. That stretch looked like it had been hit by a mini-tornado; trees down, roads closed, cars and homes struck. In the several hours it took me to [...]
We Love Weekends: July 24-25
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courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’
Rachel: Well, I’m fresh off a stint in Nashville to audition for American Idol. It didn’t go my way but I learned a lot and am ready to rock out harder than ever before after being “cut” from the program before ever seeing any air-time. I’ve got [...]
King Street Closed for PM Rush
‘Water Main Breakage’
courtesy of ‘maxedaperture’
According to the City of Alexandria’s website, the portion of King Street between Janneys Lane and Russell Road will be closed from 3 pm through the evening hours today. Repair crews will be tearing into the street to repair a water main break that happened earlier during the morning rush.
If your [...]
Top Chef DC Heads To Mount Vernon
Any Top Chef fan knows that choosing to make a dessert as your dish often spells doom. The theory has held up with the first two eliminated chefs in the DC season. So what will happen when the chefs are challenged to bake? We’ll have to tune in and see but as you can see [...]
More »We Love Drinks: The Birth of a Brewery
‘Port City Pale Ale’
courtesy of ‘rabid_c’
I obviously think the world of DC, but there’s one thing I’ve always thought the metro area lacked: a brewery. There are a myriad of beer nerd restaurants, places like ChurchKey, Brasserie Beck and Birreria Paradiso, that quench the appetites of a pretty decent sized population [...]
Requiem for a Video Store*
Photo by author.
On April 30th the DC metropolitan area loses one of its truly unique businesses when Video Vault in Old Town closes the door on its astonishing collection of movie rental rarities for the last time. Like so many long-running, specialty businesses in the area, Video Vault has finally succumbed to the perfect storm [...]
Drinks Smackdown! Beer vs. Wine
Thor Cheston is the beer director for Brasserie Beck, while Leah Dedmon is the wine director for BRABO. They may both work for Robert Wiedmaier (Rammy’s Chef of the Year last June), but they are passionate rivals on the merits of beer vs. wine, especially when it comes to which will pair best with food.
Oh, they’re [...]
Fashionable DC: Treat Boutique
One of my favorite pastimes is visiting independent boutiques in the DC area and talking to the owner. I am fascinated by their motivation to take a risk in retail. When Treat in Old Town Alexandria opened in 2007 and was described as a sample sale boutique, I made a special trip to check out [...]
More »In Search of a Decent Bagel
‘JOH_9103′
courtesy of ’star5112′
I’m not a huge breakfast person, but, in my opinion, one of life’s most precious graces is the bagel. I feel like in most major cities, particularly in NYC, decent bagel shops are a dime a dozen. There are enough that there can be significant controversy as to which shop is the best [...]
Friday Happy Hour: Founders’ Dirty Bastard
‘50/365′
courtesy of ‘tinney’
Welcome to the Friday Happy Hour, your single drink primer for the weekend.
On icy weekends, such as the one we’re facing, you can’t stand for a cool, fruity, refreshing drink. It just doesn’t fit. Instead, you need something warm and robust that will ward off the cold; something that you can sip so [...]
Surviving the Next Snowpocalypse
‘South Smithsonian Escalators’
courtesy of ‘william couch’
The DC area, this weekend, was something of a post-apocalyptic landscape. Driving down 395 on Saturday, one would have seen abandoned cars spun out at odd angles and their stranded drivers trudging towards some nameless help. Most residents stayed holed up in their homes, living off of the provisions they [...]
Giving Map
‘Salvation Army Christmas Give Away’
courtesy of ‘docentjoyce’
Continuing with our “Good Samaritan” theme, I now provide you with a means by which you may become said Samaritan. Behold: the WaPo giving map. This handy application maps out charities in the DC area and sorts them by type. The list includes everything from homeless shelters, to non-profits [...]
We Love Food: The Burger Joint
‘DSCF3611.jpg’ courtesy of ‘joelogon’
The Burger Joint (BGR) is the latest in a line of local hamburger shops trying to muscle in on DC-area institution Five Guys by offering a gourmet twist on this American staple. I went to their new Old Town Alexandria location to put these burger peddlers’ wares to the test.
There is no [...]
New Cheese Guy
‘Cheesetique bliss’
courtesy of ‘meanlouise’
Everyone’s favorite Alexandria based, wine and cheese bar has a new chef. Cheesetique announced last week that they have hired Josh Andrus, formerly of Minibar, to head up their kitchen. Chef Andrus brings a presumably more sophisticated palate to Del Ray’s local cheesemonger and has already revamped its menu. New offerings include [...]
Red or White? Win a Personalized Bottle of Each!
‘Veritas’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’
The age old saga: red or white wine? Well, dear reader, you have your chance to weigh in. Do you prefer the hints of oak and honey in your favorite white or the bursts of cedar and cherries in your reds? Does one pair better with your favorite take-out Thai dish than the [...]
