Category Archives: The Features

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

The Features
By

DC Helps Haiti: Earthquake Relief Events

Photo courtesy of
‘Haiti Earthquake’
courtesy of ‘United Nations Development Programme’

Update 1/18: Information about Haiti earthquake relief fundraising has continued to pour in, so we have a new list of events you can attend this week.

By now we’ve all heard the harrowing reports coming from Haiti. And if you’re reading this, it’s highly likely that you’re orders of magnitude better off than the average Haitian even before the earthquake. Maybe you’ve got to wait for your next paycheck, maybe you’re out of work and can only spare a couple of bucks, but donate what you can, even if for no other reason than that you’re grateful live in a country with building codes and soup kitchens where you’ve never had to literally eat mud to fill your empty stomach.

But in addition to donating cash directly, there are a number of ways to help direct money (because that’s what they need now, money rather than a bunch of random goods) to Haiti earthquake relief. (A lot of this is cobbled together from press releases because we wanted to pull this together quickly, thanks for your forbearance.)  Got anything I missed? Leave it in the comments.

Wale will be playing a benefit concert at the 9:30 Club on Monday night. All ticket sales will be donated to the Partners in Health Organization and Yéle Haiti. The artists are donating their performances, the 9:30 Club has donated the use of the venue, club employees are donating their wages and the advance ticket sales service charge also will be donated.

We got a Twitter report that The Passenger is doing a Haiti relief fundraiser today, 5-8pm, but I don’t have any details. (Not that I need much of an excuse to visit The Passenger.)

This weekend, Tryst, the DINER and Open City will be donating 100% of the sales of their in-house drink specials to the UNICEF fund for Haitian earthquake survivors. Drink specials include Sierra Nevada Pale Ale at the DINER, the Creamsicle Cooler Open City and any coffee beverage with a shot of Bailey’s at Tryst.

Tonight, the Cheeky Monkey Sideshow will be having a fundraiser at the Palace of Wonders. $10 door, a portion of which will be donated, as well as all money raised during the event itself.

The Friday night Liberation Dance Party at DC9 will be donating door proceeds to Haiti relief this week.

The Black Cat will be holding a benefit concert on February 6th. Watch for more details.  LiberatedMuse will hold a benefit concert on February 12th.

If you’re looking for volunteer opportunities, the Embassy of Haiti and ServeDC are asking for volunteers to man telephone banks at the Haitian Embassy, 2311 Massachusetts Avenue, NW.  If you are able to offer mental health services and grief counseling, please contact the DC Homeland Security Emergency Management Agency at 202-272-6161.  Additional information on support and volunteerism can obtained by contacting the Haitian Embassy – Greater Washington Haitian Relief Committee is 202-241-3593.

Material donations, clothes, food, toiletry items can be dropped off at the Haitian Embassy, Sunday, 17 January 2010, 11am-4pm, 2311 Massachusetts Avenue, NW.

Additionally, the Sunlight Foundation will be holding “CrisisCamp” this weekend, in which a bunch of developers get together to put together tools for NGOs and relief organizations to use involving geospatial imagery, map data, etc. as well as family locator databases and the like.

The Features, Where We Live
By

Where We Live: Near Southeast/Capitol Riverfront

Photo courtesy of
‘loves it’
courtesy of ‘NCinDC’

Welcome back to Where We Live, your bi-weekly tour of the District’s neighborhoods. This week the focus is Near Southeast, which is also commonly known as Navy Yard or Capitol Riverfront. This neighborhood has been completely transformed over the past several years, and the construction of the Nationals Stadium has redefined the character of the area.  Read on to learn how the area has changed, what’s worth checking out when you’re in the area, and where to see some amazing before-and-after photos.

History: Pierre L’Enfant came along in 1791 and recognized that Washington’s waterfront retail would be its most valuable asset, and located its commercial center in this area. Then, in 1799, the Navy Yard opened (which happens to be the longest continually-operated Federal facility), and became a major shipbuilding center. This area was the heart of Washington throughout the 1800s, and the wharf was one of the most lively parts of the city. During wartime, the Navy Yard became even more important– it was a key defense of the city during the War of 1812, and during the 1940s, the Navy Yard reached its peak of 26,000 employees (by this point, it wasn’t shipbuilding but production of weapons ammunition that kept the Navy Yard so busy).

But all this production led to one very polluted river. And I-395 cut through the urban fabric of the neighborhood. After the war, the Navy Yard drastically scaled back operations– by that point, the commercial heart of the city had moved downtown. So Near Southeast was left with a polluted river, a terribly ugly highway overpass, and lots of abandoned buildings. It’s no surprise that this combination of factors led to crime, disinvestment, and neglect of buildings.

Continue reading →

News, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
By

Arenas Charged With Felony

Photo courtesy of
‘Felony Franks (#1)’
courtesy of ‘JOE M500’

Gilbert Arenas is now facing felony weapons charges related to the gun events in the Wizards locker room. The Post is reporting that Arenas is also seeking a plea deal related to the case.

Throw the book at ’em, DC.

Update: The max he’s facing is five years and a fine for his trouble, which would indicate it’s just a single charge instead of one charge per gun, which was initially bandied about. The Post has further detail about the incident which was previously not released:

The guns became an issue after Arenas and Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton got into an argument after a card game and Crittenton allegedly said he should shoot Arenas in his surgically repaired left knee, sources have said. Days later on Dec. 21, at Verizon Center, Arenas placed the guns on a chair next to Crittenton’s locker with a note that said “pick one.”

Entertainment, The Features
By

Jammin’ Java: More Than Meets The Eye

DSC00871

I’ve wanted to check out Jammin’ Java for years and last night, the dream was realized. This particular adventure was prompted by both my lack of anything better to do and the fact that there was a battle of the bands being hosted. So I figured, why not go?

My first thought upon reaching the Jammin’ Java parking lot was, “Really? This is it? But it looks so tiny!” That opinion changed as soon as I set foot inside.

The venue features the standard set of concert hall mood lighting mixed with a fully stocked bar, quick eats galore, and minimal seating. Much to my surprise, the place was a lot bigger than I anticipated. Beyond the bar, there was a moderate-sized standing room that, if packed to capacity, could hold quite a few bodies.

Last night was night two of the Mid-Atlantic Battle of the Bands hosted by Jammin’ Java and sponsored by Sucker Punch Recording Studio, so I got to catch Jammin’ Java at its finest aka hosting a nice assortment of local entertainment. The best part about any venue like Jammin’ Java is that their claim of being “run by musicians and music-lovers for musicians and music-lovers alike” is true.

Continue reading →

We Love Weekends
By

We Love Weekends: January 16-17

Photo courtesy of
‘Rainbow Trio’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

Paulo: Gonna head down to the Sackler Gallery to check the Falnama exhibit, a fascinating historical overview of Islamic mysticism and divination among Medieval Persian and Turkish Muslims. Then, across the Garden (or under it) to the African Art Museum for a look at the sculptural work of Yinka
Shonibare MBE.

Jenn: It’s shocking for a former New England girl to admit this, but I’ve never gone skiing. Well, never say never. This weekend I’m off to Wisp Resort, some three hours away, to start slow. I envisioned Sexy Snowbunny but my outfit looks more like a Stay-Puft-Marshmallow. If I weren’t risking my limbs I’d be at the DC Tribal Student Showcase Sunday night to cheer on fellow students studying bellydance. Since this weekend may be my last, I’ll hit Marvin sometime before leaving – they’re tapping their last keg of Leffe Brun tonight… Continue reading →

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
By

D.C. United Trades for Perkins

Photo courtesy of
‘D.C. United vs. New York, 2006 Eastern Conference Semifinals, October 29, 2006’
courtesy of ‘The West End’

D.C. United made a big move yesterday heading into the MLS SuperDraft in Philadelphia: they went after their old keeper, Troy Perkins. With Josh Wicks sidelined until the middle of spring due to an injury, and two much much younger keepers on the roster, United courted a face they knew and managed to get Perkins to come back from Norway to play in the Black and Red again.

So, here’s how this all works. Perkins is coming back from Europe, which means he’s eligible for the SuperDraft. United was to pick 7th overall in the draft, but wanted to ensure that Perkins came home to DC, so they traded for 1st pick in the SuperDraft, which belonged to the Philadelphia expansion team. United sent Fred, allocation cash, and their 7th pick in the draft just up the road so that they could secure Perkins for 2010.

We will miss Fred, and wish him well in Philadelphia, but it’s great to have a winning keeper back on our side.

Update: Via D.C. United’s Kyle Sheldon: “The way in which we acquired Perkins was actually via the allocation order – separate from the SuperDraft. The SuperDraft, which takes place today is only for college players who have made themselves eligible. The allocation order is a separate ranking order used to obtain players who have signed with MLS, but are not yet with a team. It is just coincidence that both Philly’s spot (1st) and our spot (7th) is the same in both the SuperDraft and the allocation order.”

Talkin' Transit, The Features, WMATA
By

Talkin’ Transit: Face to Face With John Catoe

Photo courtesy of
‘WMATA Blogger Roundtable’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’

[Editorial update: We had no idea Catoe would tender his resignation today. And apparently, neither did anyone else at the meeting, except for Mr. Catoe.]

Wednesday afternoon at Metro HQ, we had a chance to sit down with the General Manager, John Catoe, along with ten of our closest blogfriends here in the District. No limits, all on the record, just our recorders and our questions and him. Before we get into the rest, I’d like to thank our contact at Metro, Ron Holzer, for putting this together. Getting direct access to the head of the transit agency is a pretty special thing, and I thank him for the opportunity.

If you’ve ridden Metro in the last few weeks, you’ve experienced the worst that the system has to offer: long delays, packed trains and stations, the system is at a boiling point. Tempers flare from riders and employees, and things are out of hand. We talked a bit about the root causes of the situation we’re in, and much leads back to the Crash of June 22nd. Metro relies on its Automatic Train Operation (ATO) system to operate at its highest efficiency levels. ATO allows for higher speeds, better control in a delayed operation situation, and right now it’s not available to the operations staff. That’s a choice made by Catoe and the Metro Board, until such time as they have the final NTSB report, and until they have the realtime detection system in place and operating. That’s months away at this point, with no clear timetable in place other than “this year.”

Better than that, Catoe admitted that they’re having an engineering problem since they went to mixed-model trains (to move the 1000-series cars to the center of trains) with doors not operating properly and sometimes not accepting the proper signals to close or open, which has lead to some of the platform crowding that we’re seeing on a daily basis. So that’s where we are. And we’re likely facing that sort of delay well into the Spring, when we’re looking at potential fare hikes and service cuts. But what about that shortfall? Continue reading →

The Features
By

We Love DC Does Real World DC: Episode 3

Join us starting at 9:45pm tonight for a live blog with DC’s finest as we discuss the RWDC shenanigans as they happen – with the finest snark and commentary money can buy. Comments from the public are encouraged but are moderated. Not all comments will get displayed during the live blog…but keep the good ones coming!

Farm Fresh, Food and Drink, We Green DC
By

Farm Fresh: AGAINN

PC150389

Here’s another feature where WeLoveDC authors Donna (greenie) and Katie (foodie) have paired up to tell you about local area restaurants that take on the challenge of being green. Donna explains the restaurant’s environmentally friendly efforts and Katie tells you if the food tastes any good. It’s a rough life, but someone has to do it, right?

Donna: I don’t want to go overboard about how much I liked AGAINN, but let’s just say that three days after my first visit, I dragged a friend from out of town over there to try AGAINN again. The restaurant’s said to be a modern twist on traditional British Isles pub cuisine, but that makes me think of greasy fish ‘n’ chips, not the savory ham and apple cider pie steaming under a delicate puff pastry crust that I had for dinner.

Katie: I haven’t exactly been subtle about my enthusiasm for DC’s newest gastropub, either. I love the space, the details are impeccable, the drinks, the food, everything. So when I visited and found out that Chef Wesley Morton had constructed a VERY local menu and put a ton of thought into his sourcing, it made me love AGAINN that much more.

Donna: Executive Chef Wesley Morton is from Louisiana, and he grew up on a farm surrounded by cows, figs, oranges, and all sorts of goodness. His family didn’t buy meat at the store; they raised their own food. He’s now continuing that tradition, using food that’s grown and processed locally and animals that are treated humanely. An example is the smoked country ham, cured in Allan Benton’s small family shop in Tennessee. You can order it as a charcuterie, or get a taste of its salty deliciousness atop the soft russet potato dumplings as they melt in your mouth. Continue reading →

Comedy in DC
By

Comedy in DC: Laughing the Cold Away

Photo courtesy of
‘The LPs in the Window’
courtesy of ‘andertho’

First, do I need to remind you that Hampton is recording a CD tomorrow night at the Comedy Spot in Ballston? The show is planned for the 95-seat black box theater, but if enough people show up, there’s the possibility of moving to the main stage. If The People demand it. So go demand it, people. It’s free, and when Hampton has enough time to really get going, it’s quite an entertaining evening.

Three Chord Comedy is going to be back at the Velvet Lounge this Friday night. Former-DC-Now-NYC-comic and SNL contributing writer Ryan Conner (video after the jump) is going to headline. The show also features Courtney Fearrington, Will Hessler, Jason Weems, Elis Sairs, and (unlisted but he told me he’d be appearing) Jimmy Meritt. $4 for lots of good comedy- I only recently became familiar with Fearrington, but he’s quickly become a personal favorite, and I think I’ve been quite clear that Meritt makes me laugh until I pee.  A ringing endorsement, no? So go already. Continue reading →

The Features
By

2010 Readers Survey

Photo courtesy of
‘Wisconsin Pump Station Survey Pics 005’
courtesy of ‘Sunburned Surveyor’

So, we’re coming up on our one-and-a-halfth birthday, and to celebrate, we’re giving away some awesome prizes. We’ve got dinner for two at Jackson 20 at the Hotel Monaco in Alexandria, a trip to the Spy Museum for two and a nice swag pack, and a DC United T-shirt.

It’s just a quick thirteen questions, and your feedback would be absolutely invaluable. It’ll take five minutes, and we promise, we won’t sell your email address to anyone, for anything.

Take our quick survey, and leave us your email address at the end to enter the drawing for our great prizes. Click through for our privacy policy and the Rules.

Continue reading →

Dupont Circle, The Features, We Love Arts
By

We Love Arts: Object as Subject

Wiskovksy(pf86332)

Eugen Wiškovský, "Šrouby (Bolts)" Gelatin silver print, printed c.1932. Courtesy of Kicken Berlin OHG, Berlin / Howard Greenberg Gallery, NYC

I’ve never been a particular fan of still lifes. But The Phillips Collection’s current exhibit Object as Subject: Photographs of the Czech Avant-Garde might just change my mind. It’s a small showing, highlighting some thirty photographs from the 1920’s and ’30’s. Apparently Prague was second only to Paris as a major center of surrealism, and that movement’s influence is strong in the exhibit. Heavy on striking geometric shapes, these photographs provide mini-lessons in composition and light.

Not to mention, everything looks kind of like a crazy industrial album cover. I kept thinking – I really need to visit Prague someday!
Continue reading →

Featured Photo
By

Featured Photo


DCA by brokensquare

Ah, the airport.  Is it strange that I find it to be a magical place?  It’s where people come together, some sharing the same flight, others departing to different destinations, but all part of a worldwide system that just somehow works.  You make your reservation online, pack your tiny tube of toothpaste, roll in with your luggage, wait in line to check in, take your shoes off, watch as your cigarette lighter passes right through security, get to the gate and scope out your fellow passengers, grab some food to bring on the plane with you (since the days of free meals are long gone), turn your portable electronics off so as not to interfere with the plane that was built in the 1970’s, sit back, relax, help the person next to you with their oxygen mask before placing yours firmly around your nose, resist tampering with the smoke alarm in the lavatory, read SkyMall and wonder who actually buys this stuff.  You gaze out the window and admire the polished wings, held together with rivets as they pierce through wispy clouds at speeds of over 400 miles per hour.  Oh but wait – what’s that?  Before you know it you’re placing your tray and seat back in their full upright position and the stewarde – um, flight attendant is welcoming you to Los Angeles.  It’s magic I tell you.  Without breaking a sweat, you’ve flown, through the air mind you, to the opposite side of the country.

But like most magic tricks, there’s more than meets the eye.  While you were begging for an exit row seat and anxiously waiting for the gate attendant to call Seating Area 3, the ground crew was loading your luggage, stocking those $10 boxes of airplane food, fueling the plane, de-icing the wings, pushing it away from the gate, oh, and taking photos of the spectacular sunrises that bath the runways in deep hues of purple, orange, and yellow.  Magic, I tell you.

The DC 100, The Features
By

DC Omni 100: #6 Black Pudding

Photo courtesy of
‘Black Pudding with kidney – The Botanical Breakfast – The Botanical AU19.50’
courtesy of ‘avlxyz’

It’s time for another item from the DC Omnivore 100 list of the top one hundred foods every good omnivore should try at least once in their lives.

Let’s get over the squeamishness now, and call a spade a spade. Black pudding is blood sausage. Ahhhh…I said BLOOD! Now we know what we’re eating and we can directly correlate it to a real live animal,  not some amorphous substance. So now that we’ve established that, freaked out a tad and gotten over it, let’s talk about how delicious black pudding is.

In its simplest form, black pudding is a combination of onions, a few herbs, barley, bread crumbs, meat, seasonal vegetables, or heavy spices and, typically, pork or cow blood. I supposed for some it’s the incorrect assumption that the only ingredient in black pudding is blood that makes it SO unappealing. However, the best black pudding does not use too much blood, and has an even mixture of the other ingredients. It’s this perfect combination that makes the flavor of black pudding to be so rich, complex and delicious.

Traditionally, black pudding is served as part of a full English breakfast, such as the one I recently enjoyed at Ireland’s Four Courts in Arlington, VA. A full English breakfast gets you a few slices of black pudding, eggs (cooked to your liking,) baked beans, fried tomatoes, hash browns, toast, bacon, white pudding (a relative of black pudding but sans blood) and perhaps a few other odds and ends depending on the cook and restaurant you’re at. If you’re new to black pudding, the small amount provided as part of the meal will be an excellent way to sample this iron rich, savory treat. And if you don’t like it, at least you’re left with plenty of “friendly” food. Continue reading →

The Features
By

Poker, Blackjack and More Coming This Summer

Photo courtesy of
‘Game over’
courtesy of ‘banspy’

Save on the flight to Vegas and skip the traffic-ridden drive to scary Atlantic City – table games are right around the corner. Few DC area residents know it, but legit and legal table game gambling will soon be just a 75 minute car trip away. Roll the dice, try your luck at 21, bet on red over black or even go all in – pick your poison. It’s coming this summer. In addition to betting on horse races or applying your skillful strategies at one of the thousands of slot machines, Charles Town Races and Slots is just 6 months away from offering all of your favorite table games right here in the DC metro area. There is nowhere else even remotely this close to DC where you can go and gamble away the days and nights.

There is much money to be made if one does it the right way when gaming at 메리트카지노. Unfortunately not everyone operate their business as they should and this is why many of them disappear every week and new ones are launched instead. There are over 1000 of online casinos to choose from at this very moment. Picking the right one is by no means an easy task. You have to take into account all the variables to be sure that the money you deposit is in safe hands and that your winnings will be paid out fully.

So many people from the metro area head to Vegas and Atlantic City to get their gambling fix – and many more head underground for poker – that I predict the popularity of these table games will exceed even what Penn National Gaming, the parent company, is counting on, If you want to gamble with out the need to make a travel, visit https://super88bet.com/. I’m pretty sure that later this year, you and your buds will be heading up to West Virginia for a little fun at the tables. It’s going to happen. It will become the local place for bachelor parties and birthday trips, a quick weekend away with the spouse, and even where you take your out-of-town friends who’ve never been to a real casino before. It’s going to be huge and DC area residents benefit from the locals’ decision to allow table games. Well, Penn National benefits anyway (unless you’re Rain Man). But at least you’ll be entertained!

Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed, We Love Drinks
By

Friday Happy Hour

Photo courtesy of
‘Elmer T Lee Bottles’
courtesy of ‘SauceSupreme’

Hello, and welcome to another edition of Friday Happy Hour, your single drink  primer for the weekend.

Couple being gone for the holidays with a busy week at work and I feel like I haven’t been home in ages.  Add in the cold and I’ve got a great incentive to stay at my house for most of the weekend.  Accompanying me will be my favorite bourbon, Elmer T. Lee.  This little known distillation from from small, Kentucky establishment has won accolades from many connoisseurs who’ve sampled it.  It’s a sweeter, mellower bourbon, with a distinct, candied overtone.  Some call it toffee, some call it caramel, some call it honey.  It bears an understated complexity that reveals a new flavor with every sip.  It’s an extremely pleasant and drinkable bourbon.  Have it neat.  You can buy Elmer T. Lee at Schneider’s of Capitol Hill.

Music, The Features, We Love Music
By

We Love Music: Adam Franklin & The Bolts of Melody @ DC9 1/6/10


courtesy of Adam Franklin

On Wednesday night, DC9 played host to Adam Franklin & The Bolts of Melody as they made DC the second stop of their month-long American tour. The small venue proved the ideal spot to observe and enjoy Franklin’s guitar alchemy and emotional vocal delivery up close and personal. The band put on a really special set for the modest-sized crowd of Swervedriver fan-boys and guitar-geeks who braved the winter’s chill to catch this mid-week show.

This is where every review and article on the planet about The Bolts of Melody offers a quick rundown of Adam Franklin‘s prolific career. If you don’t know the man you can read about Swervedriver (personal favs of mine), the interesting Toshack Highway project, and Magnetic Morning on your own dime. For our purposes what is really important is that after many years of self-imposed exile from effects-pedal, guitar work Adam Franklin, one of the very best, has returned.
Continue reading →

Food and Drink, People, The Features, We Love Drinks
By

We Love Drinks: Greg Engert

Photo courtesy of
‘Beer Master Greg Engert’
courtesy of ‘snapzdc’

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.

Greg Engert views the world through the bottom of a beer glass. This is not a statement on his sobriety, but rather the lens through which he has chosen to focus his profession and personal interest. Greg is the beer director for the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, owners of Rustico and the new, wildly popular ChurchKey and Birch and Barley restaurants near Thomas Circle. He researches beers, meets with brewers, manages his stock of beverages, and has the final say on anything beer related at Neighborhood restaurants. Sounds like a dream job, right? Well, I’m not going to lie. It is a dream job, but that doesn’t make it easy, and Greg certainly isn’t one to rest on the laurels of his title.

Continue reading →

News, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
By

Verizon Center Takes Down Arenas Banner

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcwashington.com/video.

NBC Washington has the video of Verizon Center personnel removing Arenas banner from the side of the building this afternoon. It’s not clear if this is a deliberate move by the Wizards, or by the Verizon Center management, but either way, Agent Zero’s profile is a bit smaller right now.