By Don
‘Model’
courtesy of ‘Ludovic Hirlimann’
Today’s government document fun: The Italian Pizza Kitchen is applying for their liquor license for a new location at 2608 Connecticut Ave, NW. As required for all businesses, there’s a public hearing and the announcement includes details about what sort of activities will go on there.
The Italian Pizza Kitchen’s says “Occasional karaoke – No nude performances.”
I think that’s a rule we can all support.
‘Lotus #59’
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’
We did it! For the sixth year in a row, the Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report has deemed DC drivers as the nation’s worst. Of the 193 cities surveyed, Washington motorists were 95.5 percent more likely than the nation’s average driver to have a car accident. Our drivers also average just 5.1 years between collisions. While other cities may lay claim to safer streets and less threatened pedestrians, none can compete with our breathtaking show of consistency in rankings.
As for the country’s second worst drivers, that honor would reside with our fair friends to the north, the Baltimoreans. Way to go, DMV.
By Ashley
‘Good Stuffy Eatery’
courtesy of ‘acaben’
It’s no big secret that many people consider Spike Mendelsohn to be the golden boy of Washington restaurants. Whether or not these people live in Washington is another story. Vanity Fair has just come out with their “Next Establishment” List, a sort of JV list to the Vanity Fair 100, and has named Spike as number twenty-five. He’s among such business superstars as Tory Burch, Bonnie Hammer (President of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment), and Tim Westergren (CEO of Pandora) on a list Vanity Fair bills as full of folks “doing some empire building of their own.”
Do two casual restaurants an empire make? Spike has been saying, essentially since opening the first Good Stuff Eatery two years ago, that he would be expanding all over D.C. and beyond. But after a fair amount of false starts (rumors of Adams Morgan, Georgetown, Dupont Circle and Union Station outposts never came to fruition), he still just has the one Good Stuff Eatery and the new We, The Pizza next door.
Now don’t get this gal wrong, opening two successful restaurants is no easy feat. But is it an empire? And is Spike, as Vanity Fair puts it, “[close] to owning the Hill’s dining scene?”
‘ihop breakfast take two’
courtesy of ‘valakirka’
According to a recent Twitter post, the Columbia Heights IHOP is slated to open in mid-November. This would make me a lot happier if mid-November was, like, tomorrow and not over two months away. But here’s hoping construction remains on schedule, and that our annual Thanksgiving binges can be enhanced with 24/7 pancakes.
The IHOP will be located on the Irving Street side of the DC USA shopping center. It will be the city’s second IHOP location, and the first in Northwest.
By Ashley
Photo Courtesy of eatWonky
No lobster today, and no Sweetflow. Don’t be sad, it’s the perfect opportunity to try the newest fella in town, eatWonky.
‘DC Blues Festival 2010’
courtesy of ‘Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com’
It’s a holiday weekend and while I’m sure many of you have chosen the out of town vacation route, there’s still plenty of opportunities for fun times in the District if you’re sticking around. One of which is the 22nd annual DC Blues Festival.
The festival opens at noon this Saturday with the Big Boy Little Band and a slew of talented blues crooners who’ll be sticking around until 7:30 p.m.
Festival gates located at the Carter Barron Amphitheater located at 4850 Colorado Avenue NW (near 16th street and Colorado Avenue) open at 11:30 a.m.
For a complete listing of all the live acts scheduled to perform visit the DC Blues Festival website.
Admission is free.
By Ashley
Photo Credit: Pressed Magnolia Studio
Were you just thinking what you really wanted for lunch today was a hot dog covered in fries, gravy and “squeaky cheese”? Well, not to worry, today’s the day for you. Hitting the streets today, the eatWonky truck is serving up the Canadian delicacy known as poutine, but making it all-American by serving it on a ‘dog. See, this is why we have NAFTA.
Not only will the truck have poutine, and the Wonky dog (the be-poutined hot dog) but also a pretty great grilled cheese sandwich. Made of the squeaky cheese (a bit like string cheese) mixed with oregano and red pepper flakes and pressed between a hot dog bun, the sandwich is a nice alternative to the other belly-buster options. But no need to stress, you can order a side of gravy to go along with your grilled cheese for dipping, and (shh!) it’s vegetarian.
The truck will also have whoopie pies on board courtesy of Treet Bakery to complete the cholesterol hijinks. They will have regular lunch service, and will be rolling out at night for the post-bar crowd (U St. tonight and H St. NE tomorrow night). As my friend pointed out, if the line outside Ben’s Chili Bowl at 2am has anything to say about what folks want to eat in their drunken haze, these guys will do all right.
By Kirk
‘Stephen’
courtesy of ‘BrianMKA’
There is a movement afoot to bring a demonstration to DC that will actually be awesome. A movement determined to bring Stephen Colbert to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to call America back to it’s core values, namely truthiness. This movement is gaining traction but is still in its infancy. But I’m spreading the word. I want this vision to become a reality. Join your voices with the literally dozens of other patriots calling for Stephen Colbert to call us back to our roots. Maybe if you tweet something awesome, it will end up on the Report.
PS: Colbert Nation, if this rally actually happens, pick up your trash.
By Ashley
‘Lock & Dam #1 closed for renovations’
courtesy of ‘USACE Wilmington District’
Popular Glover Park restaurant Blue Ridge has gone through some growing pains since opening last summer. First celeb chef Barton Seaver left earlier this spring, and then the restaurant changed over their bar focus from wine to beer. Well, more change is coming. The Glover Park Gazette reports that in the next few weeks, Blue Ridge will close down in order to perform some pretty extensive renovations. After a couple months of intense construction and soul searching, the restaurant will reopen with a new name and completely new vibe.
Their plan is to keep the farm-to-table sensibility to their menu, but change the feel of the restaurant with longer hours, all-day breakfast and a coffeehouse vibe. The restaurant has had a lot of success with their neighborhood-focused events (like “stroller happy hours”, free WiFi, beer tastings and cooking classes) and they hope to expand on that success in the future.
In addition, they will open Hero Bar in the near future on the second floor above Blue Ridge, filling the void in Glover Park’s heart for a bar with a trivia night. The bar will be accessible through the alley on the side of the restaurant, as well as through the front door of Blue Ridge.
Fans of the restaurant are asked to email the owners with suggestions and comments on what they would like to see improved by the renovations.
By shannon
‘Happy Shark Week 2010!’
courtesy of ‘~Daniel The Animal Lover Techie.TaiShan4Ever~’
Think the scariest thing about swimming in the Potomac River is the pollution? Think again. An 8-foot shark was caught in the Potomac River on Monday (way out in St. Mary’s County MD– but it’s all the same water, people!), and the fisherman who caught it has the pictures to prove it.
As someone who will be jumping into the Potomac River in a little over a week for the Nation’s Triathlon, I think this is the best motivation imaginable to cut minutes off my swim time.
‘A Different Kind of Blue’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’
Still looking for things to do this holiday weekend? Why not head over to the Hirshhornto check out the uber-successful Yves Klein: With theVoid, Full Powers exhibit. This may be your very last chance to see the work of a creative genius as the exhibit will be closing on September 12th. You won’t want to miss this one.
By Ashley
‘IMG_3820.jpg’
courtesy of ‘www.ShootJoeC.com’
Inching ever-closer to Philadelphia, Taylor Gourmet is opening their third location (7280 Woodmont Ave.) today in downtown Bethesda. Located in the nexus of D.C. restaurant offshoots (right near Georgetown Cupcake, Jaleo, Sweetgreen and Five Guys) the cool kids from H St. will be serving up their signature hoagies for the suburban masses.
Born from the frustration of two Philly natives who couldn’t find a hoagie worthy of the City of Brotherly Love, owners Casey Patten and David Mazza have garnered a cult following for their classic and delicious sandwiches and pastina salads. And not to worry, the Bethesda incarnation of Taylor will still be sourcing their breads from the famous Sarcone’s Bakery in Philadelphia. Now with a shorter commute!
By Ashley
‘happy lobstah customah’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’
New truck alert! I repeat: New Truck Alert! Fry Captain has been around town for the past couple weeks, but they start their regular lunch service today near Union Station. Check ’em out!
By Tom Bridge
‘Nyjer Morgan diving to first’
courtesy of ‘MudflapDC’
If you decided to turn off last night’s Nationals game when they went down 10-3 after just three innings, I wouldn’t blame you in the slightest. However, it turned out to be one of the craziest games the Nationals have ever played, featuring multiple plunkings by the Marlins’ pitching staff, a bench-clearing brawl, and six ejections drawn out over 9 innings. By the end of the seventh inning last night, both managers were sent to the showers, along with four of their players. It was the sort of game that had a performance art feel to it, as if you were just waiting to see what might happen next.
By Tom Bridge
‘Spying on Renoir’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’
DC Fire & EMS is reporting that there was a fire at the Phillips Collection at 21st & Q in Dupont Circle this morning, confined to the roof and upper level of the gallery. The sprinkler system was activated and that kept the fire in check. It’s not known yet the extent of the damage at the Phillips, or whether any art was damaged or destroyed in the fire, or by the fighting of the fire.
Probably best to call before going over if you had plans to check out any of their exhibits today or tomorrow.
By Patrick Pho
Photo from Bravo TV
As Top Chef DC winds down, dedicated viewers and fans continue to watch as Top Chef DC will eventually turn into Top Chef Singapore. Will DC continue to watch once Padma and crew fly on out of the Nation’s capital?
We’ll find out, but first we will see if Bravo can pull out an episode that does Washington DC justice after a series of mediocre hits and complete misses.
This week: a trip to NASA but first we start back at the apartment…
10:02: Kevin tries not to knick himself shaving while Kelly misses her husband. We learn that Angelo not only has a kid but is freshly divorced. Good to see he’s rebounding with that Russian Mail Order Bride.
10:03: Dana Cowin from Food & Wine Magazine is a guest judge and Ed feels that he has an edge since he’s Facebook friends with her. Do you follow her on Twitter as well? The quickfire challenge: create a meal that pairs with a chosen wine. The prize? A trip to London.
By Katie
‘Day 309, Project 365 – 8.29.10’
courtesy of ‘@thewtb’
At first I can only hear a faint scratchy sound, while I’m perusing my morning Express, peacefully on my way to work. Then it becomes a louder sound. One that registers… it sounds vaguely familiar…is that…no…it can’t be… Miley Cyrus? I look around, expecting to see a tourist teenage girl, and see you, Mr. Metro Music Lover, blasting your “Party in the USA” through your headphones so loud that the entire train can sing along to your dream and cardigan. Folks on the train look up, glancing at you, hoping that you’ll notice that the ENTIRE CAR is now unwillingly subjected to your pre-8 a.m. dance party.
And after a fade out, I hear glorious silence. I don’t really care that you don’t value your eardrums while you punish it with $50 quality headphones, this is your own choice, but I do value my sound space on a silent metro car in the morning. Surely a little bit more time of calm helps as we combat the stressful hours of the day. As I relax into the white noise of a typical metro trip, it happens again. The song switches, this time to some rhythm-based electronic. More folks get off the car. You’re bopping along now, oblivious to the evil eyes of strangers. And while you, Mr. Music Lover, may need some Jersey-Shore style house music to get you pumped for a long day of coffee sipping and Excel spreadsheets, I prefer the calming lull of the trains and the inane tourist babble.
So my note to you, sir, is this: TURN IT DOWN.
PLEASE.
FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS GOOD AND RIGHT IN THE WORLD.
TURN IT DOWN.
Respectfully yours,
Katie
‘Capitol – Cloud City’s Cousin – 07-09-10’ courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’
The Italian Renaissance master Andrea Palladio was, and remains to be, incredibly influential for many architects and designers. Although he is best known for his publications, and was highly coveted in the Architecture scene throughout Europe, Palladio did manage to make a strong impression on a certain famous American. Thomas Jefferson loved Palladianism and found his inspiration there for Monticello, the Virginia State Capitol. Our beautiful U.S. Capitol building is also an example of a Palladian format.
Palladio and His Legacy: A Transatlantic Journey opens today at the National Building Museum and will share “31 rare drawings” from the collection of the Royal Institute of British Architects Trust.
The National Building Museum is located at 401 F Street NW.
‘Chuck Close 01’
courtesy of ‘Max Cook’
When a great exhibit is in town, I am always sad to see it go. So finding out that Chuck Close Prints: Process and Collaboration at The Corcoran Gallery of Art has been extended till September 26 makes me all giddy and happy inside.
And if that wasn’t exciting enough, Corcoran’s Free Summer Saturdays will run through Labor Day weekend. What a fantastic and FREE way to spend your lovely holiday here in D.C.!
The Corcoran Gallery of Art is located 500 Seventeenth St NW.
By Tom Bridge
‘MASN Blogger Day’
courtesy of ‘MissChatter’
It was announced this afternoon, and reported by beat writers Mark Zuckerman and Adam Kilgore, that embattled broadcaster Rob Dibble will no longer be calling Nationals games on the cable sports network. It is expected that Ray Knight will continue as the color commentator for the network, but no plans have been announced.
Dibble has been in the spotlight recently for some sexist comments made about female fans, and some controversial remarks concerning Stephen Strasburg, and his relationship with the franchise has been a bit strained of late.
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