If you’ve ever wanted to run a marathon but worry about whether your beer gut will slow you down, Washington Wine Academy’s DC School of Beer has a perfect solution: the Beer Walk!

The beer walk took place last Saturday and Sunday – a week after the wine walk – in the underground maze of the Crystal City Shops. Both “Beer Walk” and “Wine Walk” are pretty self-explanatory.

After you sign in and show ID, you pick up your race number, t-shirt, glass, and drink tickets. With twenty tickets and generous pours, a $20-$35 ticket (depending on the day/time of the heat you sign up for) will get you feeling pretty good – especially if it’s only 2pm when you start, like it was for me.

Volunteers stand at stations all over the mall ready to pour you anything from Duvel to Sam Adams. Some local and nearby breweries sent their own reps – like Port City, which had a station all to itself and a crowded room of eager fans. Others hoped the free food at their stations – provided by Authentic Memphis Barbeque in Crystal City, Cabot cheese, and The Perfect Pita – would gather crowds to them.

Cabot
courtesy of jcm_DC

(On a side note, did you know people who are lactose intolerant can eat cheddar cheese? I didn’t. Thanks, Cabot!)

Personally, I enjoyed Station Four the most. There I met some other Memphians (the owners of Authentic Memphis Barbeque, of course), tried their pulled pork (not bad), and drank Ommegang and Duvel.

Sadly I missed Synetic Theater’s mini-performances, which took place at Station Six in their lobby every 30 minutes. Hopefully next year they’ll bring that element back (and advertise it better), because a free Synetic performance is another big perk.

If you aren’t familiar with the Crystal City Shops the beer walk makes for a good intro, although the route can get a little confusing. The whole event must help area businesses: by about Station Eight I was deciding whether to buy a marionette puppet from Puppet Heaven or a whale-shaped snuggle pillow from Rite Aid. Plus I left with a plethora of coupons, gift cards, and freebies from shop owners.

Academy faithful
courtesy of jcm_DC

I wish I could tell you more about Station Ten, the last station of the walk and the one containing the most beers (well, “beers,” since it included Pabst and Old Milwaukee). But I don’t really remember Station Ten all that well… I remember really, really, really liking the Leinenkugel Berry Weiss, and then I remember drunk dialing my husband.

Point is, come down to Crystal City next year and try your hand at walking with either wine or beer to slow you down. And just like with any big race, bring some friends to keep you motivated, drink plenty of water, and eat some carbs beforehand.

Like

Unlike

Irakli Kavsadze and Irina Tsikurishvili in Synetic Theater's 2011 production of Macbeth. Photo credit: Graeme B. Shaw

What would you do for absolute power? Could you kill your friend? Murder children? Call it justice? Watch out. On the path to conquering the world, you might lose your soul. “Fair is foul and foul is fair…”

There’s a gasp-inducing moment in Synetic Theater’s production of Macbeth that focuses it as a straight-up morality tale. Lady Macbeth, in the last throes of madness induced by guilt, slides into a hellish hole like blood down a drain. It’s terrifying, as Irina Tsikurishvili’s eyes roll around and the watching witches smile demonically in approval.

It’s hard to remember there once was a time when Synetic seemed to come out of nowhere, with images like this one shaking up the DC theatre scene. Their physically combustive style was almost subversive in its daring. Now that they’re more established, at home in Crystal City, they could easily rest on the accolades gained by their current signature style of Silent Shakespeare, and audiences might not blame them for it. But I doubt there will be much resting by Synetic’s driven artistic team, and I’m interested to see what they come up with in the next phase.

Before they move on with new explorations of world physical theater next year, their Silent Shakespeare Festival Speak No More revives three of their popular wordless adaptations – Macbeth, Othello (my personal favorite) and Romeo & Juliet. Each run will be just about three weeks - Macbeth closes October 2.

This revival of the 2007 production is darkly militaristic. Forget the tartan. Bring on the choke chain.

Irina Tsikurishvili, Mary Werntz and Philip Fletcher in Synetic Theater's 2011 production of Macbeth. Photo credit: Graeme B. Shaw

Director Paata Tsikurishvili dispenses with the fair immediately, as three saintly representatives of the world’s religions are hijacked by three demonic witches (Philip Fletcher, Mary Werntz and Sarah Taurchini) who seethe with foulness. The object of their corruption, fearsome soldier Macbeth (Irakli Kavsadze), already seems destined for hell with his hollow eyes. His wife (Irina Tsikurishvili) is already dripping with metaphorical blood in shocking red gloves. It doesn’t take much to push these two over the edge of ambition into murder and madness.

If there’s a flaw in this production, it’s simply that the Macbeths as portrayed here are already pretty repulsive. In a seductive way, yes, as they slither deeper into depravity, but they don’t have much of a journey from fair to foul. That’s a ponderous atmosphere to hang out in, even for ninety minutes. Perhaps it just more strongly highlights for me the company’s progression to their more psychologically subtle work, like last year’s Othello.

But Macbeth also does succeed, especially when it showcases Synetic’s ability to mix in comedy in a rather startling way – as when the ghost of Banquo (Ryan Sellers) appears at a chillingly hilarious banquet populated by robotic guests, while Lady Macbeth nonchalantly smokes, like a majestic Dietrich in a cowboy saloon. When the witches mime Macbeth’s invincibility to “no man of woman born” with the grotesque leers of nightmare midwives, it has the punch of a sick joke.

The ensemble has reached a point where they telegraph the metaphor and meaning inherent in Irina Tsikurishvili’s choreography with extreme effectiveness, and it still generates a riveting response. That clearly defined aesthetic is equally apparent in the production design, with the cold darkwave world of Anastasia R. Simes’ set/costume design well matched by the industrial electronica of Konstantine Lortkipanidze’s music.

It’s a killer goth club atmosphere against which these devious Macbeths can tango, in a true danse macabre.

Synetic Theater’s production of Macbeth runs now through October 2, located at 1800 South Bell Street, Arlington, VA. Closest Metro stop: Crystal City (Yellow/Blue lines). For more information call 1-800-494-8497.

Interest in gardening is on the rise, from my neighbors growing tomatoes in patio containers to community gardens bursting with multiple produce plots. Increasingly there’s a practical need to provide access to affordable food through growing your own. Early this week I attended an intimate event honoring a local community gardening hero. It was by far one of the more inspiring evenings I’ve spent in a while, whose honoree proves that persistence to a simple idea and dedication to helping others can result in good for all.

For the past three years, Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi has supported Giving Through Growing, a partnership program with the American Community Gardening Association (ACGA). This year they’ve awarded $40,000 to four community gardening ‘Heroes’ who made the grade in a nationwide contest, and Arlington’s Alison Kindler of the Fort Barnard Community Garden is one. Top Chef alum Candice Kumai is the GTG ambassador, and she was also on hand to salute Kindler’s efforts to enrich our community through growing fresh food for urban families. Fort Barnard has been in operation since 1975 – they even have their own bee hives! The garden works closely with the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC), which helps provide groceries to families in need. Some 8% of Arlingtonians live below the poverty line and the percentage is increasing – AFAC distributes to over 1,200 families each week. Fort Barnard dedicates one of their garden plots exclusively to AFAC.

Kindler started gardening at Fort Barnard some twenty years ago, with a plot as a Father’s Day present for her husband. “Here, honey, you can go play in the dirt,” she quipped, but her main motivation at the time was really to grow organic produce and be able to put “healthy, safe food on the table.”

‘Woodbridge Robert Mondavi wines’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

Winning the GTG grant will enable Kindler to help better organize the AFAC plot as they continue utilizing the square footage gardening method, expanding the raised beds, installing a drip water system with a timer so the volunteers can more easily work on their own plots in tandem, and develop better composting. Listening to the obviously passionate Kindler detail her plans inspired me to learn more about community gardening in my neighborhood. For Arlingtonians, Fort Barnard is definitely popular – though about seven plots open up each year, there’s a two year waiting list.

‘Candice Kumai’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

GTG ambassador Candice Kumai noted that the importance of access to farm fresh foods is both healthy for the individual and helpful to communities. Kumai is an enthusiastic advocate of farm-to-table eating habits and how they can bring communities back together in a strong communal spirit – echoing the principles of the late Robert Mondavi. As host of Lifetime’s Cook Yourself Thin and author of the cookbook Pretty Delicious, she’s also proof that eating healthily can give you a gorgeous glow!

‘Zola Wine & Kitchen’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

Zola Wine & Kitchen was the setting for the event, serving up seasonal delicacies like lavender grilled scallops (prompting a discussion with Washington Gardener’s knowledgeable editor Kathy Jentz about a local lavender farm that sounds like a must visit) and lamb chops with a pecan and currant relish. All locally sourced, of course. Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi supplied the wine, offering their pinot grigio, cabernet sauvignon, and sparkling wine. It was all very relaxed and conducive to conversation, and I came away convinced I need to cultivate more gardening in my life, and certainly more community outreach.

‘Chef at Work’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

‘Lamb Chops’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

Taking control of one’s own food source through organic gardening was once seen as a little eccentric. Now with an ever more uncertain economy and many in dire need, it’s become a real practicality. Local ‘Heroes’ like Alison Kindler are proof of that, and a true inspiration.

The half-smoke is a venerable DC institution, dating back to the 1930s when Briggs & Company Meatpackers combined equal mixtures of coarsely ground beef and pork. Locals and tourists alike flock to Ben’s Chili Bowl and various cart vendors around the Mall to experience this glorious bit of Washingtonian foodstuff.

As a big fan of sausage in general, and half-smokes in particular, it was with great joy that I made my way to Domaso in Arlington for the first annual Top Dog Half-Smoke Challenge. Eleven chefs were invited to put their own spin on the half-smoke in an effort to raise money for the DC charity Brainfood: Victor Albisu (BLT Steak), Nathan Anda (Red Apron Butchery), Danny Bortnick (Firefly), John Critchley (Urbana), Scott Drewno, (The Source by Wolfgang Puck), Liam LaCivita (Liberty Tavern/Lyon Hall), Dennis Marron (Jackson 20/The Grille at Morrison House), Peter Smith (PS 7s), Chris Watson (BRABO by Robert Wiedmaier), and Ed Witt (701 Restaurant).

‘Judges Choice – Firefly’
courtesy of ‘Hans Bruesch-Olsen’

Brainfood, a nonprofit youth development organization that uses food and cooking as tools to teach life skills and healthy living to teenagers in a safe, healthy and positive environment, has locations in Columbia Heights and Chinatown. Local high school students participate in activities that include hands-on cooking classes, lectures, field trips and community service projects. Brainfood graduates are equipped with practical cooking skills, an introduction to the food industry, a framework for nutritious eating, and leadership and life experiences that prepare them to make a difference in their communities.

After getting stuffed with meat for two hours, I was impressed with both the width of the offerings being presented and the amount of creativity the chefs displayed in creating their half-smokes. One of the most creative takes was BLT Steak’s half-smoke crostini – a thin slice of half-smoke on a crostini with chimichurri sauce, charred onions, and pickled peppers. My vote for the boldest half-smoke creation was Red Apron’s triple meat half-smoke. Stacked three slices high, Red Apron’s combination of three half-smoke variants (one pickled), took up most of the toothpick holding it together and filled my mouth with meaty goodness – and none of that silly bread distraction. The most decedent option of the afternoon was Urbana: a smoked pork and foie gras sausage, served on a salt bun, with charred onion relish and cognac mustard.

‘Top Dog – PS7′
courtesy of ‘Hans Bruesch-Olsen’

The creations were judged by a panel of experts, including Mike Isabella (Chef/Owner Graffiato and Runner-up on Top Chef All-Stars), Robert Rollins (Ben’s Chili Bowl and Ben’s Next Door), Tim Carman (The Washington Post) and Nycci Nellis (TheListAreYouOnIt.com). Votes were also cast by the event’s several hundred attendees. The judges selected Firefly – a fennel sausage smothered in half-smoke chili, topped with ramps, and served on a challa roll; the people, apparently also enamored with chili dogs, chose PS 7s – a true half-smoke topped with white veal chili and Midnight Moon cheese (all local ingredients).

All told, there were really no losers on the day. Everyone who braved the rainy afternoon was treated to a wonderful sampling of creative half-smoke options from a variety of local chefs. And the lowly sausage was elevated to the spotlight (and hopefully just for more than the day – I would love to see some of these creations as menu offerings). The event raised over $7,800 for Brainfood.

‘Top Dog – Firefly’
courtesy of ‘Hans Bruesch-Olsen’

Beer dinners have been growing in prevalence and popularity in the area as the number of beer-inspired restaurants and bars continue to build. Pizzeria Paradiso, Birch and Barley, and Meridian Pint have all played host to beer-pairing dinners, and you may now add Lyon Hall of Clarendon to the mix.

Tuesday saw their first beer dinner since opening just under a year ago, and I was lucky to attend as a guest of the restaurant’s beer director, David McGregor. He’s long planned to do the pairings, which will occur on the first Tuesday of every month, and finally had the opportunity to start this week. Talk with David and you’ll sense his sincere passion towards all things malt and mash, and a genuine excitement to share in his explorations of their interplay with deftly prepared dishes.

For the inaugural dinner, David invited in Brewery Ommegang’s local director, Steve Cardello, and together with Lyon Hall’s chef de cuisine, Andy Bennett, put on a four-course meal catered to and built around the flavors and textures of Ommegang’s classic and unique offerings.

David and Steve walked the beer enthusiasts through four courses: a scallop ceviche, grilled pork belly over house-made kimchi, roasted duck breast with crispy leg, and soft chocolate covered with whipped Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence.

Steve introduced the scallop ceviche with Hennepin, a 7.7% golden farmhouse saison ale and one of Ommegang’s staple brews. The ceviche was prepared with a citrus salad which comprised of blood oranges, fennel, and poppy seed, which collectively accented the Hennepin’s notes of orange peel, coriander, and ginger, while also adding a bit of coarse texture with the seeds. The scallops were wonderfully fresh and light and pressed into a flat, round shape that played host to the salad. A fine start to the meal, and all those dining were in full agreement.

The second course, the grilled pork belly with house-made kimchi topped with a fried oyster, was served in conjunction with Rare Vos, a spicy Belgian amber ale (and appropriately so). The spice of the kimchi beautifully complimented the peppercorn and Grains of Paradise with which the Rare Vos is brewed; each built on the spice of one another, and together with the fatty pork belly (which was also braised in Rare Vos) that fell apart when met with a fork and the cool relief of celery leaf, this pairing was my favorite of the evening. That said, I was a little dismayed by the kimchi as an example of the dish. On its own, it wasn’t as spicy or fleshy as the authentic Korean preparation, and the vinegar from the pickling was a bit overpowering. Lyon Hall models itself after a French brasserie with German influences, so while it was still delicious, preparing kimchi was a bit of an experiment for Bennett.

The main dish of the evening was a roasted duck breast, prepared exquisitely medium rare, with crispy leg, cabbage, turnips, and a Three Philosopher’s cherry gingerbread jus. As a surprise, Steve brought out a tiny sampler of Three Philosopher’s, a 9.8% Belgian quadruple brewed with 2% Liefmans Kriekbier, a beer wildly fermented with cherries. The quad has strong notes of toffee and caramel paired with a subtler taste of tart cherries and fruit from the kriek. This sampler appropriately complimented the cherries served as part of the full dish, but otherwise felt a bit misplaced. The primary beer for this course was the classic Ommegang Abbey Ale, a Belgian-style dubbel brewed with star anise, cumin, and licorice root. This, this was the beer to go with the duck, and it did so wonderfully. The tissue of the crispy leg, crunch of the cabbage, sweet peels of turnips accented the dark but approachable Abbey and together formed a very satisfying conclusion to the savory portion of the dinner.

The final preparation of the evening piqued the curiosity of those in attendance as plates of what appeared to be the fanciest Hostess cake you’d ever seen topped with a delicate caramel-colored foam was placed at everyone’s setting. This dessert was nothing near anything from Hostess though. It comprised of a smooth but reasonably firm chocolate base—imagine a thick pudding that could hold its shape—that tasted of the perfect cup of hot chocolate, coated on top with a hard chocolate shell, a dollop of mocha ice cream and finished with foamy, whipped Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence, which not coincidentally was the beer to top off the night. This seemed like the least difficult of pairings with so many shared flavors—Chocolate Indulgence is a 7% Belgian dark ale brewed with chocolate nibs, a sort of unprocessed form of cocoa beans, and cocoa powder—but was expertly executed.

By the end of the night, it seemed as though everyone in attendance was quite content, convivial, a wee bit tipsy, and would soon be ready for the next month’s dinner — and you can count me among them. While Lyon Hall may not be the first place on your list of beer venues (especially if you consider Virginia a separate continent), I’d caution you not to write off it, or its very promising future. It’s worth the trip over the river.

Lyon Hall’s next beer dinner will focus on lighter spring beers including saisons, and should land on April 8. Watch on Twitter and Facebook for announcements.

All photos by the author.

ARLNOW is reporting that the BBT branch in Rosslyn was robbed this afternoon by two men, one of them supposedly armed with a gun. The men fled the scene and dropped the money when a marking dye exploded in the bag as they passed the Holiday Inn parking lot.

Like

Unlike

Finding a place to lounge and sip coffee in this city is easier said than done. But for those of you in Clarendon, that quest just got a little easier. Iota Club & Cafe has now launched iotaday, a sandwich and coffee lounge with a new walk-up counter.

The music venue has expanded their food selection to include light breakfast, lunch and dinner options. You can grab brunch there up until 3:00 PM on weekends. Locavores, you’ll be happy to see that Iota’s coffee options come from the Annapolis-based roasting company, Caffe Pronto and the pastries are from Chef Jessica Knudson of Hawthorne’s Fine Breakfast Pastry. While I can’t speak from experience (yet), the descriptions of their “smasher” panini sandwiches are enough to make me want to metro out to Arlington for some mid-day noshing.

The newly renovated bars and seating areas will have free Wi-Fi, so you can sip and lounge and maybe even get a little work done. Iota is open from 6:30 AM on weekdays and from 8:00 AM on weekends and holidays.

Ballston is popping these days with some of my favorite restaurants. Since the new Sweetgreen location started dishing up salads, and Buzz promises to open thier doors soon, what I once considered a foodie dead spot (minus Willow) is now on my radar. Especially with the news that the Ballston location of Rustico has launched Sunday brunch, which they began serving on Jan. 2.

Rustico now serves brunch from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. to hungry Arlingtonians. Since doughnuts are all the rage (nod to Birch and Barley), Executive Chef Steve Mannino is serving shared treats such as Mama Mannino’s ricotta doughnuts or Grilled pineapple skewers with cheesecake dip.

Main dishes sound pretty tasty, they boast Peanut Butter-stuffed French Toast with bacon-studded maple syrup, Garlic Shrimp and “Grits” with roasted peppers, onions and soft semolina polenta and Smoked Salmon Tart with spicy cabbage slaw and crispy capers, as well as traditional favorites including Eggs Benedict with Virginia ham, spinach and crab hollandaise, Breakfast Egg Sandwich with thick-cut bacon on a croissant and the Frittata of the day.

And of course no meal at Rustico is complete without the beer, so they assure us that they will feature a number of special morning-appropriate brews like Beer Geek Breakfast, a Stout rich in oatmeal and coffee, from Danish gypsy brewer Mikkeller.

Rustico is located at 4075 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA and is Metro accessible at the Ballston station on the Orange line. For reservations or more information, please call 571-384-1820 or visit the website at www.rusticorestaurant.com.

Like

Unlike

The DC area is no stranger to food shows all around cable, and today Food Network makes a visit to Arlington’s Liberty Tavern where crews will be filming in Clarendon this morning and evening for the show, “Meat & Potatoes.” The show features chef Rahm Fama as he travels country talking about, what else, meat.

Liberty Tavern, known for curing and preparing cuts of meats in house, features a meat-heavy menu according to General Manager Sean Lowder. I had the opportunity to talk with him over the phone and he sounded excited for Liberty’s first appearance on National television.  The crew worked all weekend cleaning everything up for their big moment on TV.

Crews have been around since this morning filming assorted background,  B-roll shots, and have been spending a lot of time with Chef Liam LaCivita. Cameras will be present through Happy Hour to get those much needed crowd shots.

So if you are over in Arlington tonight stop on by to see if you can get your likeness to appear in one of those three-second cutaways.

This piece was updated after posting to include additional information I got from Liberty’s GM.

Sometimes I think that Courthouse is a dead zone for food. If I want actual chef-driven food I go to Ray’s, or I walk up to Clarendon. No longer! David Guas is here to save Courthouse and his new place Bayou Bakery is my new neighborhood gem for the area.

The New Orleans themed eat place serves up beingets, chicory coffee, and delicious sandwiches on fluffy hoagie rolls made from local ingredients. In the morning, people stop in for coffee and breakfast; Guas recommends the yogurt made from a Pennsylvania dairy topped with homemade granola. The lunch crowd rushes in for sandwiches and savory fare, sitting up front in booths and stand-alone tables. Settle down and sip some cider or hot chocolate in the back section with overstuffed chairs and couches and wireless internet. At night, Bayou turns into a date spot, with a good selection of beers and wines by the glass.

The feeling is super-relaxed, easy going and comfortable. And like most of my favorite restaurants, the delight is in the details – from hand-painted window panes to real Louisana hot sauce on each table, you can tell Guas poured his life into the concept.

Stop by the Arlington hot spot at 1515 N. Courthouse Road a block from the Courthouse Metro Station.

If you live in the DC Metro Area, or if you have been a pedestrian any time of your life, then you probably have crossed the street when you weren’t supposed to. Maybe you were impatient for the lights to change and there weren’t any cars in the street. Perhaps you enjoy living a real-life game of frogger on your way to Starbucks. We all know it’s technically illegal but who’s going to get a ticket for jaywalking?

Well if you work or live in Rosslyn you might end up with a ticket if you don’t follow the pedestrian rules of the road this morning.

According to TBD, Arlington County Police will be out during the rush hours of 7AM – 9AM and 12PM – 1PM to enforce jaywalking and other traffic violations around the busy intersections of North Moore, North Lynn, and Wilson Boulevard. The intersections are located outside the 1100 Wilson building (home of WJLA-TV/TBD and my office) and the Rosslyn metro station. The intersections there are often busy with foot traffic and is just ripe for police to start handing out jaywalking tickets to those that can’t wait for the “walk” sign.

The show of force is coordinated in conjuction with the StreetSmart program, a campaign to inform local citizens on pedestrian and bicyclist safety through safe habits and obeying traffic laws.

So for those walking through Rosslyn make sure you use those crosswalks and wait for the light, or else you could be walking away with a pricey ticket.

I consider myself a very lucky person.

Theatre was never in the cards for me when I signed up to produce the high school production of “Noises Off!” as an after-school activity. Now eight years later I recently completed stage managing a production of “Noises Off!“ as my first gig with a professional theatre company.

After signing up for that high school production I went on to produce over 12 shows in high school and college- then I stopped. I moved to the DC area and I walked away from theatre.

Until a community theatre in Arlington pulled me back onto the stage two years ago. Thanks to that theatre I started to stage manage and now theatre is back in my life.

Unlike other shows I’ve reviewed, the players in this group perform not for money or recognition but for the love of the performing arts. Like other community theatres they rehearse long hours after their day jobs, scavenge for costumes and set pieces, and work just as hard as any equity actor at the Kennedy Center.

This month the place where I got my theatre reboot opened their 60th season with “Cabaret,” the 1960’s Broadway classic that won three Tony awards including Best Musical. The musical has been revived twice (with the 1998 revival winning a Best Revival Tony) and has also been adapted in a well known film staring Liza Minnelli. The show takes place in 1930’s Germany and paints the coming of the Third Reich through two stories: one of an American writer who falls in love with a Cabaret dancer, and another romance between the writer’s landlord and a Jewish shopkeeper.

The production is polished and flawless on the technical side. Dave Means and Amanda Acker created a suburb set that works well with the expansive space in the Thomas Jefferson Theatre. I was most impressed with the red Cabaret sign that looked too good to be hand built. The pacing of the show was quick and snappy with silky smooth scene transitions, something I always appreciate as a stage manager.

Andy Izquierdo had a challenging role as the Emcee. He not only has to hold the show together, but perform the most recognizable number in the whole show in “Willkommen.” I can’t count how many times I’ve seen it done in showcases and karaoke nights. Izquierdo accomplishes it all, with a charm that the audience expects from any Master of Cermonies.

Between the dueling storylines of writer/cabaret girl & land lord/shopkeeper, I felt more satisfied with the latter of the two. Jennifer Strand and Bill Karukas are fabulous as Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz. The moment they share in “It Couldn’t Please Me More (Pineapple Song)” is too cute for words. At the same time I felt more invested in their relationship as it takes a dramatic turn in the second act.

When it came to Clifford Bradshaw (Scott Harrison) and Sally Bowles (Lauren Palmer Kiesling) there just wasn’t any chemistry. Bradshaw was well performed, he just came off a bit too milquetoast for my tastes. There wasn’t any problem with Bowles as the attention-seeking Cabaret girl.

Cabaret is just more than can’t miss numbers (however I recommend the “Two Ladies” and “Kick Line” numbers), it is more than two romances that go through a maze of political and social tensions. It is a commentary on a dying age which gave way to a movement that would later change the world.

If you don’t have plans, I recommend catching tonight’s closing performance- you won’t pay DC prices but you’ll get a well done show that rivals the big boys across the river can muster.

Cabaret
The Arlington Players
Running through October 23, 2010
Thomas Jefferson Community Center
125 S. Old Glebe Road
Arlington, VA, 22204
(703) 549-1063
http://www.thearlingtonplayers.org

Like

Unlike

Last year, Vermont Avenue because the first street in DC to sport a fancy asphalt tramp stamp, and now Crystal City’s 18th Street in Arlington is joining the club, with a Steed Taylor-created “Labor Line”, as pictured above.  The design appears to be an evolution of an earlier Taylor piece called Evelyn’s Knot.

Personally, I’m not sure I understand the value of the road tattoos, and the coloring of the asphalt, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose.

There’s no shortage of Sub shops in Clarendon/Courthouse. Between Earl’s and the chain options of Subway & Cosi, there’s more than enough options if you want lunch meats in between two slices of bread.

However, I became interested with the arrival of a new sub shop on Washington Blvd. The former Quizno’s location was now draped with banners reading, “Ganges Grill and Ice Cream.” I decided to walk across the street from the Subway (where I am currently mayor on foursquare) to find out more.

Talking with the current Ganges owner, I found out that he was friends with the former Quizno’s franchisee and inherited the storefront after the former Quizno’s owner decided to shut down operations. The decision from closing Quizno’s to opening Ganges happened in a matter of a weeks.

The sudden and rough transition was apparent when I first walked in. The storefront still had a lot of the old Quizno’s equipment and furniture, now covered up with computer-printed signage that was in bad need of a copy editor. The plethora of signs made the front-end look busy- and not in a good way. The store was actually empty (as it was when it was a Quizno’s) when I visited. The staff also appeared green and inexperienced, when I ordered a roast beef sub the help had to refer to the menus hanging above them in assembling the sub.

Clearly the shop was going through some big growing pains.

However, there’s hope in food they produce, which was certainly not that bad. The saving grace for Ganges was the “Famous” Ice Cream, which is supply by nearby Thomas Sweets. While the sandwich scene is crowded, the store can make in-roads as a local ice cream stop.

But the final verdict on this store is still up in the air.

Ganges Grill and Ice Cream
3434 N. Washington Blvd
Arlington, VA 22201

Like

Unlike

chesapeake cookie

I’m all about dark chocolate. I’m all about pecans. I’m all about putting them together with cookie dough.  Therefore, I’m all about Pepperidge Farm’s Chesapeake Dark Chocolate Pecan cookies. However, I’m confused about why this cookie carries the “Chesapeake” name.

According to the National Pecan Shellers Association, most pecans are grown and shelled in the southeastern and southwestern United States, with Alabama leading the way as the state with the largest amount of pecan production; the closest the DC area gets on this list is the #12 spot occupied by North Carolina.

OK, so maybe the Chesapeake region isn’t the epicenter for pecans. What about dark chocolate? Maybe, unbeknownst to me,  the Chesapeake area is known for its dark chocolate. The answer is no. Approximately 70% of the world’s cacao, the nut that is used to make chocolate, comes from West Africa with Oceania, Asia, and Central and South America rounding out the pack. And when it comes to turning the cacao beans into chocolate, the Chesapeake region comes up pretty much empty handed, unless you’re talking about the chocolate coloring of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever.

So, I’m still pretty stumped as to why Pepperidge Farm gave this cookie its name. Perhaps there’s some secret dark chocolate, pecan Freemasons society sending secret messages through these seemingly innocuous and delicious cookies? Or perhaps maybe I’m just missing the connection? Anyone got the answer?

Like

Unlike

Now is that time of year when you wake up a little late Saturday morning and have that mental debate with yourself over whether to get up or roll over and sleep until it’s sunny again. Last year around this time I was having that very same fight, when I bribed myself to get out of bed by heading to the local farmers market…just to find out it had closed the weekend before. It’s tough to keep all the closing dates straight, so read on and find your local market and its closing date, or check out the ones that stay open even when it’s frigid outside. Everyone loves shivering in front of their veggie purveyor.

Already Closed:

• New Morning Farmers Market
  36th St. NW & Alton Pl. NW (Sheridan School)

Early October:

• Ballston Farmers Market (10/14)
  Welburn Square, Arlington
  Open: 3pm-7pm, Thursdays

’squash’
courtesy of ‘ekelly80′

Late October:

• Crystal City Farmers Market (10/26)
  Crystal Dr. & S. 18th St., Arlington
  Open: 3pm-7pm, Tuesdays
• Georgetown Farmers Market (10/27)
  26th St. NW & O St. NW (Rose Park)
  Open: 3pm-7pm, Wednesdays
• Brookland Farmers Market (10/27)
  10th St. NE & Otis St. NE
  Open; 4pm-7pm, Tuesdays
• HHS FreshFarm Market (10/27)
  200 Independence Ave. SW
  Open: 2:30pm-6:30pm, Wednesdays
• USDA Farmers Market (10/29)
  12th St. SW & Independence Ave. NW
  Open: 10am-2pm, Fridays
• Columbia Heights Community Market Place (10/30)
  14th St. NW & Kenyon St. NW
  Open: 9am-2pm, Saturdays
• Glover Park-Burleith Farmers Market (10/30)
  Wisconsin Ave. NW & 34th St. NW
  Open: 9am-1pm, Saturdays
• H St. FreshFarm Market (10/30)
  625 H St. NE
  Open: 9am-1pm, Saturdays

‘DSC_0194′
courtesy of ‘New Amsterdam Market’

Early November:

• UDC Consumer Coop (11/14)
  4200 Connecticut Ave. NW
  Open: 9am-2pm, Saturdays
• USDOT Farmers Market (11/16)
  1200 New Jersey Ave. SE
  Open: 10am-2pm, Tuesdays
• Vermont Ave. FreshFarm Market (11/18)
  Vermont Ave. NW and H St. NW
  Open: 3pm-7pm, Thursdays

‘Scallions’
courtesy of ‘Rosa Say’

Late November:

• Chevy Chase Farmers Market (11/20)
  5701 Broad Brand Rd. (Lafayette Elementary School)
  Open: 9am-1pm, Saturdays
• 14th & U Farmers Market (11/20)
  14th St. NW & U St. NW
  Open: 9am-1pm, Saturdays
• Bloomingdale Farmers Market (11/21)
  1st St. NW & R St. NW
  Open: 10am-2pm, Sundays
• Mt. Pleasant Farmers Market (11/21)
  3200 Mt. Pleasant St. NW
  Open: 9am-1pm, Saturdays
• Foggy Bottom FreshFarm Market (11/24)
  I St. NW and New Hampshire Ave. NW
  Open: 3pm-7pm, Wednesdays
• Friendship Heights Village Center Farm Market (11/27)
  4433 S. Park Ave., Chevy Chase, MD
  Open: 9am-1pm, Saturdays

December:

• Adams Morgan Farmers Market (12/18)
  Columbia Rd. NW & 18th St. NW
  Open: 8am-1pm, Saturdays
• Penn Quarter Farmers Market (12/23)
  8th St. NW & D St. NW
  Open: 3pm-7pm, Thursdays
• All Souls Memorial Episcopal Church (12/25)
  Woodley Pl. NW & Cathedral Ave. NW
  Open: 8:30am-12:30am, Saturdays

‘Farmers’ Market 2′
courtesy of ‘cruffo’

Year-Round:

• Dupont Circle FreshFarm Market
  20th St. NW & Q St. NW
  Open: 9am-1pm, Sundays
• Eastern Market Farm Stands
  225 7th St. SE
  Open: 7am-4pm, Saturdays and Sundays
• Columbia Pike Farmers Market
  S. Walter Reed Dr. & Columbia Pike, Arlington
  Open: 3pm-7pm, Tuesdays
• Arlington Farmers Market
  N. Courthouse Rd. & 14th St., Arlington
  Open: 8am-12pm, Saturdays
• Clarendon Farmers Market
  Wilson Blvd. & N. Highland St., Arlington
  Open: 2pm-7pm, Wednesdays
• Montgomery Farm Women’s Coop
  7155 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, MD
  Open: 7am-4pm, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday
• Takoma Park Farmers Market
  Laurel Ave. & Eastern Ave., Takoma Park, MD
  Open: 10am-2pm, Sundays
• Palisades Farmers Market
  48th Pl. NW & MacArthur Blvd. NW
  Open: 9am-1pm, Sundays

Like

Unlike

But don’t worry, what I’m about to say is something that is good for everyone if we can pull it off.

District Taco currently has around 1,800 followers on Twitter. They want to up that number significantly- say to about 10,000.

A very daunting task. But the rewards? Free tacos for a day.

That’s right. Free tacos, chips & salsa for a day if District Tacos gain the 8,000+ followers it needs to reach 10K.

Now who doesn’t love tacos? Who doesn’t love free tacos? And for those that have had the pleasure to have dined there, who doesn’t love a District Taco?

So round up your Tweeps- District Taco is looking for some followers and if you decided to help them out you could be enjoying free tacos.

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 a gig booked for Saturday night at the Tonic Lounge (located at 2036 G Street NW, near the Foggy Bottom Metro). I’m not the only entertainment on tap, several artists from the DC area will take the stage too. So grab a drink at the bar, stay for the tunes, and if you’re a Glee fan I guarantee a solid new cover added to my repertoire from the second half of last season’s show. Not gonna tell you what it is, you’ll have to stop by to hear it. Show starts at 8 p.m. with a $5 cover. I’ll also have albums on sale with proceeds going to the National Kidney Foundation in honor of my late father who received a heart transplant in 1999. Hope to see you there! It should be a rockin’ good time.

Patrick: Weeks of no social life ends this weekend. Noises Off! opens this Saturday at Keegan Theatre in Dupont Circle. As the stage manager I’ll be in the booth playing the role of incompetent sound technician #1. No seriously, come see the show and watch the actors freak out at me during Act III. The show will run through August so I hope to see everybody there eventually. While I’m running the show I’ll also be trying to figure out where to eat and drink before and after performances- anybody have any suggestions for places I should check out around 17th Street?

Max: Friday night I’ll be killing two birds with one museum at the Hirshhorn After Hours – drinking alcohol and viewing the Yves Klein exhibit that I’ve heard great things about.  I’ll also be swinging by the opening for PORTRAY, a photography exhibit curated by Frank Hallam Day at Addison Ripley in Georgetown. Saturday night I’l be attending the closing party for Mixology II at Curator’s Office, a photography show that benefits Doctors Without Borders, and then checking out work by the new 2010 Hamiltonian Fellows.  Sunday I’ll be sleeping as much as possible, but I’d like to go see Inception since everyone seems to be freaking out about it.

”
courtesy of ‘julianne’s’

Dave L.: To commemorate a personal milestone of reaching my late 20s (trust me, that’s impressive if we’ve met), I’ll be ringing in the celebrations with my good friends Dave Matthews and Zac Brown at Nationals Park. After the show, it’s a whirlwind weekend of the normal activities: alumni league softball with a chance to win the division, a little bit of a cookout/pool party, some craziness at Little Miss Whiskey’s, and then practicing for four upcoming gigs: one next week and three in August.

Rebecca: Sometimes there’s nothing grander than keeping one of your weekend nights completely open, so that’s what I’m doing with my Friday night. I may go down to the Waterfront. I may go check out Inception. I may check out Drive-By Truckers at the 930 Club. I don’t know. I’ll go where the mood takes me. Saturday: I’m desperate for some farmers market produce, so the Georgetown Farmers Market is calling my name. Depending on the level of hotness and humidity, I’d like to bike down to the Mall and tour around. Haven’t gone down there in a while. Sunday: Relazing by the Volta Park pool sounds like a good idea. I hope I can catch some sort of a tan for my pasty whiteness.

Jenn: I’m breathing a deep sigh of relief as I face off a weekend not as crazily jam-packed as usual. Tonight I’m off to see my last Fringe show, Terre Haute, about the correspondence between Timothy McVeigh and Gore Vidal. Should be a barrel of laughs (just kidding, I think it will be a deeply philosophical debate). Friday sees me out on 17th Street to slurp some oysters at Hank’s and then sip some raki at Agora (hmm, dangerous combo?). I’m sure I can slip some Rickey’s in there somewhere, the contest ends soon so get out there and enjoy. The rest of the weekend is devoted to the zen of house chores. They have to be done sometime!

‘Silver Strollers’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

Tom: Given the horrific weekend forecast, I’m moving all my activities to the early morning: a quick trip to the farm and the farm markets in the morning on Saturday, and light yard maintenance on Sunday.  Of course, there are a lot of great places to hide in the shade and from the heat in this kind of weather, and I may let my air conditioning off the hook for the weekend.  I was thinking I might go down to the Sculpture Garden and put my feet in the fountain, or go see Toy Story 3, finally.  I’m also thinking that in that kind of heat, there’s no way I’m cooking. I’m thinking Ray’s River East.

Kirk: This weekend is my first in town in two weeks, so I’m thinking I’ll stick with some of my classic activities.  Like Rebecca, I’m keeping my Friday open to see where the winds of fortune direct me.  I’m guessing it will be to Red Derby, but who knows.  I’ve had this urge to cook all week and I’m planning on using Saturday morning and afternoon to satiate it, and then some.  On Saturday night I might cruise over to HR-57 to catch some jazz, and then on Sunday I’ll probably take a contemplative stroll through the National Cathedral, listening to whatever guest choir happens to be signing.

Michael: This Saturday I am going to see these guys and I can’t wait!

Like

Unlike

Remember those red light cameras that Arlington installed for your safety, last month?  Well, today is the day of reckoning. Arlington PD will start issuing $50 infractions to drivers the cameras catch blowing red lights.  To be fair, this is a significantly lighter fine than would be issue by a cop catching you doing the same, and you won’t get any points on your license.  Remember, citizens, these cameras are there for your safety, and are in no way a revenue generator for the city’s budget.

And, in case you’re wondering, the cameras are at the intersections of Lee Highway – Fort Myer Dr, and  Lee Highway – North Lynn St.

Like

Unlike

I was waiting on a friend in Shirlington the other day when I saw this contraption. Anybody have an idea what it is? It is rather reminiscent of things I remember from history class, like stocks and pillories. In fact, the first thing I thought when I saw it was a photo I recalled from the Boxer Rebellion. No joke.

Anyway, hopefully this is some sort of useful device under construction, and not a form of public humiliation for lawbreakers, although honestly I don’t think that would be so bad. Any thoughts?

Like

Unlike