Category Archives: The Features

These are our features. They come back either weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.

Downtown, History, Penn Quarter, Special Events, The Features, We Love Arts
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Spring Offerings From ISM

Photo courtesy of
‘Boundaries’
courtesy of ‘Ghost_Bear’

Every Friday for the next six weeks, the International Spy Museum (ISM) will be debuting a new exhibit within the museum, including the addition of several new rare artifacts from the shadowy world of espionage. These new additions (some for a limited time only) join the already-extensive collection regarding the world’s “second-oldest profession” and the new gallery dedicated to espionage in the 21st Century. Several of these exhibits will tie into special programs occurring at the museum over the next few months, covering not only the secret history of spying but also exploring today’s hottest topics that daily impact the world of intelligence. “Espionage deals with clandestine, hidden information and the best spies make sure their every trace disappears, which makes finding personal pieces of tradecraft very challenging,” says Anna Slafer, ISM’s Director of Exhibitions and Programs. “Many of our new artifacts have to come us from intelligence agencies and the families of these famous spies, giving us a detailed story of these object’s role in history.”

And the lineup, after the jump. Continue reading →

The Features, Tourism
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Gone Hunting (for Photos)

IMG_69269Students at work in Adams Morgan by Corinne Whiting

When you think DC, you don’t typically think “safari.” (Heck, with Tai Shan leaving us yesterday, now even the National Zoo seems far less exotic to explore.) But thanks to local photographer-entrepreneur E. David Luria, locals and visitors alike get the chance to go on a different type of hunt: the pursuit for the perfect photo.

I’ve been lucky enough to tag along on two of David’s tours with Washington Photo Safari. One was on a very sticky day that attracted a lot of map-wielding tourists to must-see spots like the White House, Vietnam Memorial and Lincoln Reflecting Pool. The second, on a morning so cold that a few wayward students kept disappearing inside for long coffee breaks, drew visitors and locals to the lively Adams Morgan zone. I enjoyed both safaris for the spontaneous chats with curious city newcomers as well as longtime residents who gladly shared their shutterbug expertise. I also appreciated David’s kind encouragement, grandfatherly jokes and the way in which he made every member of our slightly ragtag, eclectic photography team feel included.

But my favorite part? The license these tours gave me to screech to a snail’s pace for a few hours, studying the details of my city as if seeing it all for the first time. I pointed my lens at monuments, memorials, doorknobs, tattered murals, cracking sidewalks, shiny car hoods and intricate African weavings, finding beauty in places normally eclipsed by my rushed daily routine. As a pro tip, I recommend you to carry one of these Hiking backpacks, which you can get from weather proof hunting backpack sales shop, to help you take everything you need.

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Essential DC, Food and Drink, The District, The Features
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What Snow? Restaurants & Bars To Stay Open in DC Blizzard

Photo courtesy of
‘Metaphorical lesson’
courtesy of ‘c00lmarie’

[Update 2/8, 11AM] Hey there – if you’re reading this now that the blizzard is over (for now…) maybe you’d like some more topical information, like Katie’s updates on lunch specials available on Monday, Feb 8th.

If you’re like me, the thought of spending an entire 24 hours in your apartment makes you a little batty. In the snowstorms of recent past, my lovely roomie and I have zipped up our boots, slung on our hats and trudged out into the great beyond in the name of burgers and beer, searching for the only place along Wilson and Clarendon to be open. I love the neighborhood-y feel DC gets in the snow; everyone emerging from warm apartments and the air filled with a little buzz of excitement and “we’re all in this together”-ness. So where can you find your neighbors? Here’s a great list to get you started. Some of my favorites are hosting snow specials, so I’ve got an entire section on that, just for you, because I love you. Plus, omg, A MAP! Tom made a map, places with specials are in red, places that are open are blue. Cheers to the snow. Continue reading →

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Ovechkin Racks up 500th Point

Alex Ovechkin is really, really good at Hockey. He’s probably the best skating the ice in the NHL right now, and very possibly the world. Check out his 500th point, scored last night in the waning seconds of the 2nd period at MSG. Ovi flicks the puck, one hand on his stick, right over the goalie’s shoulder and into the Net. Ridiculous. Simply ridiculous.

The Caps picked up their 12th straight win, and head into Sunday’s grudge match hotter than the core of the sun. They go for 13 against the Thrashers tonight, and then 14 against the filthy Penguins on Sunday.

Food and Drink, Interviews, People, The Features, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks: Ivan Iricanin

Photo courtesy of
‘Masa 14 – 7’
courtesy of ‘maxedaperture’

We Love Drinks continues our series where we look behind the bar, profiling the many people – from mixologists to bartenders, sommeliers to publicans – who make your drinks experience happen.

When Ivan Iricanin first tells me his favorite drink is tequila, I don’t quite believe him. After all, as beverage manager for Masa 14 with its 100+ tequila collection, doesn’t he have to say that? But the care is evident as he lines up a flight showcasing some exquisite ultra-aged tequila. And once I sample his simple margarita, I definitely believe him.

Ivan’s originally from Serbia, spending the past five years in DC and previously working with Richard Sandoval at Zengo. When I ask how a Serbian came to love a Mexican liquor, he mentions rakija, a fruit brandy usually made with plums. The best varieties are homemade and difficult to get. Traveling to Mexico as part of his stint with Washington Wholesale, he was reminded of his national liquor when trying the micro-tequilas – and of course Sandoval’s Mexican heritage was a huge influence as well.

Most Americans never get past mixto tequila, artificially colored and only 50% or so of it actual agave – the remainder coming from other sugar sources. “You’ll get a headache if it’s mixto,” Ivan says strongly, “all our tequilas served here are 100% agave.” This is serious stuff, with a regulatory council and bottle identifiers similiar to wine regulation. Ivan suggests starting your exploration with a flight – and what better way to completely wipe all memory of previous bad tequila choices than to go with a micro-tequila flight. Masa has six on the menu, and you won’t find them anywhere else.

As he lines up the gorgeous bottles with a card explaining each one, I’m thinking this could be dangerous, even though Ivan says the quality is flawless. I’m still relieved that fellow WLDC author Max is also along for the ride to help me with the tasting! Continue reading →

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Win Tickets to the Georgetown/’Nova Game Saturday!

Photo courtesy of
‘Marquette at Georgetown’
courtesy of ‘bhenak’

Not afraid of a little snow? Love yourself some Hoyas Basketball? Us too! We’ve got a great contest to give away five pairs of awesome tickets to Saturday’s game courtesy of DC Lottery (Hey, Powerball’s up to $140M! That buys a LOT of snow removal!) and all you have to do is leave a comment to enter! We’ll pick five lucky winners tomorrow morning at 10am and coordinate tickets with DC Lottery.

See you at the game! Thanks DC Lottery!

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We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends: February 6-7, SNOPOCALYPSE II!

Photo courtesy of
‘354:365’
courtesy of ‘::FiZ::’

Kirk: On Friday, I’m going to the Dogfish Head Alehouse in Falls Church to celebrate my tax return. My plans for Saturday are tenuous, at this point. Provided it doesn’t snow, I’m going to make another attempt at Mr. P’s Ribs and Fish, as my plans were foiled last weekend.  Sunday is, of course, Super Bowl time.  Hopefully I’ll be sitting at a friend’s house in front of a 60″ HD TV with my mouth agape.  Do I care who wins?  No. I hate the Colts and I think that the Saints are overrated. After the game, I’ll mourn the end of the football season and being preparing for fantasy baseball.

John: Friday night I’m going to grab a quick bite somewhere along U street (maybe Marvin) and then run over to play an early show with No Second Troy at the 9:30 Club (Hotspur is headlining, doors at 6, show over by 10:30). After that some drinking at Duffy’s and possibly a late night dance off at find somewhere to watch the SuperBowl and get my drink on. Without a dog in the fight, it’s probably going to see what I can do to start and yet avoid a fist fight. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Features
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WeLoveDC Presents: Cocktails at Wisdom

WeLoveDCDrinks

Looking to take your understanding of drinks to the next level? Experience the handcrafted cocktail revolution firsthand at Wisdom Cocktail Parlour on February 23 from 6-8 p.m. with the WeLoveDC Crew.

Wisdom’s Erik Holzherr will be dishing on the art of the cocktail, suggesting what you might enjoy in one, and offering up some amazing libations poured especially for you.

Tickets, which include your first craft cocktail, are $15 ahead of time or $20 at the door (space permitting). Food and happy hour specials will also be available.

To sweeten the deal:

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Special Events, The Features
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The Un-Valentines Day Round-Up

Photo courtesy of
‘Anti-Valentines’
courtesy of ‘septuagesima’

So when you’re not dating someone on Valentine’s Day you pretty much just want the day to disappear.  So there’s no graceful way to start this post, I’m going to just dive right into all things that you should do on Valentine’s Day when you’re not really celebrating it. I don’t call it the anti-Valentine’s Day, because it’s not exactly. I’ve got advice for the ladies who like to go out with their friends, for those of you who need dinner but don’t want to be around goopy couples all over each other, for people thinking they’ll get lucky in love on the day made for love, and for guys who want to go out with their friends. So read on, romancer, and let’s start forgetting this holiday ever existed.

Go Somewhere That Doesn’t Have a Menu For Couples (cause that makes us want to vom).

On Saturday, February 13th, AGAINN will feature an anti-Valentine’s Day menu for singles with a three-course menu inspired by the cuisine of the British Isles, priced at $39 per person. Prepared by Executive Chef Wesley Morton, the menu begins with a choice of Celery Root Soup served with Stilton Mousse and Grated Apples or House-made Black Pudding served with a Fried Egg, Petite Mustard Greens and Toast followed by a choice of Grilled Salmon Served with King Richard Leeks, Olive Oil Crusted Butterball Potatoes and Watercress Broth or Mixed Grill of Tamworth Pork with 10-Hour Roast Shoulder, Crispy Belly, House-Made Sausage and Sage Dumplings Served with Brussels Sprouts and Heirloom Apple Sauce. For the perfect ending, guests will dine on Spotted Dick Served with Maple Rum Custard. I am going to refrain from jokes about dicks.** Continue reading →

Alexandria, Fashionable DC, Interviews, People, The Features
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Fashionable DC: Treat Boutique

treat_lawrence-luk-for-express-450

Jen Donohue of Treat Boutique. Photo credit: Lawrence Luk

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 this unique shop. I was greeted by a warm, friendly smile from the store’s owner, Jen Donohue.

I am fortunate to have spent time with Jen through the years and I am inspired by her entrepreneurial spirit, fabulous sense of style combined with hard work that has made Treat one of the best boutiques in the DC area.

Jen is a copyright attorney at a large law firm in downtown DC and my type of girl as both a lover of fashion and great bargains. She first got the idea to open Treat in 2005 when she was visiting New York City and waiting in line at a sample sale. The pure madness of the lines with their pushing and shoving was not her favorite thing but a great deal on designer labels was – she came home with a coveted pair of Manolo heels. Continue reading →

Night Life, Special Events, The Features
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“Gin, Gents, & Gems”: Bringing Valentines Day’s Shopping To The Bar

Photo courtesy of

‘Valentine’s display behind the bar’

courtesy of ‘brokentrinkets’

It’s never easy to buy a significant other a Valentine’s Day gift. A lot of time and effort go into finding the gift that screams, “This is JUUUUUUUSSSSTTTT right. Perfecto!” To make matters worse for women, a lot of men don’t like to shop. But what if the gifts followed the men to the bar? Men like drinking … don’t they?

Jewelry maker Courtney Weiner and Leopold Bros. Lindsay Marsh think so. The pair met through mutual friends a few weeks ago and now they’re hosting a unique Valentine’s Day themed bar event catered toward the opposite sex.

Guys go to bars. It’s that simple. Or at least that’s what Wiener and Marsh keep telling each other. “Guys go to bars, so if you put jewelry in the bar they’re more likely to buy it,” That is what spawned “Gin, Gents, & Gems.”

Continue reading →

Talkin' Transit
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Talkin’ Transit

Photo courtesy of
‘Horton #23’
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

Some of you might know me from my photo posts here, and I hope you’ll humor me as I branch out to talk about a subject I love. Or, well, more accurately, a subject I love to hate. As anyone who follows my Twitter stream can attest, I’m not exactly happy with the state of Metro Rail at the moment. But I thought I’d start my new contribution to Talkin’ Transit on a more positive note.

Many times, you’re on the platform waiting for a train and it breaks down. You’re headed home, tired, impatient. The big board was saying ten minutes until your train; now it says “No Passengers,” instead. The announcer makes some vague pronouncement of a problem that is now cleared, “and all trains are moving normally.” When the next train arrives, though, you see it is jam packed — a Caps or Nationals game was just wrapping up, or worse, it’s still rush hour.

A few years ago, Metro installed big expensive signs in every station. They were there to tell you a few bits of information: which elevators were out, when the next train was coming, and so on. On the screen that displays the trains, it also told you what color line the train was servicing and how many cars made up that train.
Continue reading →

Penn Quarter, The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Antony & Cleopatra

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Ben Cunis and Irina Tsikurishvili in Synetic Theater's "Antony & Cleopatra." Photo credit: Graeme B. Shaw.

If you want to know why Synetic Theater has been nominated for 13 Helen Hayes awards for its productions last year, go see Antony & Cleopatra. Now. Everything this robust and vibrant company is beloved for is here on stage at the Lansburgh’s beautiful proscenium, as part of an alliance with Shakespeare Theatre that I hope means more Synetic productions at the Penn Quarter space. Their glorious athleticism, sensual energy and biting humor are all here, framed by what founding artistic director Paata Tsikurishvili calls their “art of silence.”

The characters of Antony and Cleopatra are full of lust – for life, for power, for each other. It’s a play highlighting the contradictory battle between masculine and feminine desires inherent in both sexes, and at its heart is the human ambition to seize the moment even at the risk of total loss.

Stakes are pretty high here, as director Paata Tsikurishvili makes clear by adding a prologue to the actual Shakespearean plot – the meeting of Caesar and Cleopatra, their ambition no less than to rule the entire known world together, uniting East and West. As they stand together, a map of the world splits up and swirls about them in an orgy of power. This is the ultimate gamble, player beware.
Continue reading →

Mythbusting DC, The Features
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DC Mythbusting: To Rent or To Own

Photo courtesy of
‘Real Estate For Sale Signs’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Welcome to another edition of Mythbusting!  A while back, we tackled the myth of DC being home to a transient population, and found out that the District doesn’t really deserve its reputation for no one being from here.  But this month, as I’m moving out of the home that I own and into a larger house that I will rent, it got me thinking: does DC have more renters than the average American city?  Can people just not afford the high property values here?  And which neighborhoods have the most renters?

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Featured Photo
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Feature Photo

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘erin m’

The Shadow started with the immortal question, “who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?” Who knows? Well, only the Shadow, it would seem.

For some reason, that line popped right into my head as I looked at this almost sinister shot. Here is where the beloved Zamboni goes to plot its eventual smoothing of the ice. A place of rest, mostly dark and gloomy.

It took some plotting to get this shot: erin_m waited until everyone was distracted by the snow and snuck her way into the Zamboni shed at the National Gallery of Art sculpture garden skating rink. I think the effort and uniqueness, not to mention the sinister moodiness, qualifies this as a damn good photo.

Essential DC, Special Events, Sports Fix, The Features
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NatsFest 2010: If You Build It, They Will Come

DSC01023

Imagine a quiet Sunday morning. The city is silent from the few inches of snow that stuck to the ground yesterday. Most everyone’s either still asleep or in the comfort of their own homes trying to keep warm. It’s the last day of the first month of 2010. So, you choose to lounge around. Huge mistake. Why? You’re missing out on the most pristine, once in a lifetime moment baseball fans in DC have had since the game’s big move back to town.

NatsFest 2010 was — in a word — awesome. Although it’s easy to doubt their dedication during the season, fans turned out in the hundreds (and early!) for a fun-filled fan fest hosted by their favorite men in red. Nationals fans of all-ages wrapped themselves around the park entrance for close to an hour before the 11 a.m. start time of NatsFest. Their devotion was somewhat shocking considering their team’s losing for the past five years, but let us all  remember that the Nationals are still teenagers by baseball standards. They’re new. They’re in their awkward, “growing-up” phase. Can you really blame them for trying to find out who they are among all of the other big kids playing the game?

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Sports Fix
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Sports Fix: The Heat Is On

Photo courtesy of
‘DSC_4085’
courtesy of ‘Ghost_Bear’

It’s been a busy and eventful last two weeks in the Washington DC sports world.   The Caps are ON FIRE!!!  The Wizards might be getting there. And we’ve had  some solid developments for those out-of-season teams, some expected, some not so much.

Capitals
Record: 37-12
Last Two Weeks: 7-0
Place:1st in the Eastern Conference

With yesterday’s win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Capitals are on a 10 game wining streak tying their 1984 franchise record.

Defender Mike Green will be out for the next two games for an elbow to the head of Michael Frolik during Friday night’s game. Green’s absence yesterday was a huge disadvantage for Washington, as Green is the league’s leading defensive scorer. However, with Ovechkin’s third period goal, they managed to pull out the victory.

Over the next two weeks, the Caps are out of town quite a bit, traveling to Boston, Ottawa and Atlanta. Look for a solid match against the Penguins at the Verizon Center on February 7th.

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The Features, Weekend Flashback
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Weekend Flashback: 1/29 – 1/31/2010

Photo courtesy of
‘single snowman’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

While Saturday proved to be more than just a ‘dusting,’ it was still less than our Snowpocalypse of December. And when there’s light, fluffy snow and a sunny day afterward, it’s just natural to have photographers out in droves to capture the beauty created around the capital area.

Enjoy. Continue reading →

Adventures, Downtown, Entertainment, Fun & Games, Special Events, The Features, We Love Arts
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National Geographic Live: February 2010

Photo courtesy National Geographic Society

Chimps of Goualougo; Photo courtesy National Geographic Society

The spring season of National Geographic Live – a series of dynamic lectures, concerts, films and more – kicks off next week.

This year, the National Geographic Society has graciously offered some event tickets to our readers. If you’re interested in winning a pair of tickets to any of the events below, simply remark in comments which two events – in preferred order – you’d like to attend. We’ll do a random drawing on Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 2nd) after 1pm and we’ll get the winners set up with their first (or second, if your first choice is full) selection. Keep in mind that tickets are for single events only, not multi-part series or showings, unless otherwise indicated. (The kung-fu film festival is an exception; you can win tickets for all three movies!)

Okay, enough about rules. Check out the February offerings after the jump. Continue reading →