Category Archives: The Features

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

The Features, Where We Live
By

Where We Live: The Palisades

Photo courtesy of
‘dream house, pt. 4’
courtesy of ‘NCinDC’

Welcome to the last Where We Live of 2009!  It’s been a fun year exploring DC’s neighborhoods, and to close out the year I wanted to profile one of the lesser-known neighborhoods in the city: the Palisades.  This neighborhood is beautiful and scenic and has a real sense of community, but because there’s not great transit to the area it is a bit cut off from the rest of the city.  And since it is lesser-known, here’s where it is: it runs along the Potomac River, from the western edge of Georgetown University all the way to the Maryland border.  Read on to see why it’s worth a trip out there!

History: This is another neighborhood that was developed on a streetcar line.  The area was laid out in 1893 by the Palisades Improvement Company, and was developed as a streetcar suburb on the line that connected Georgetown and Glen Echo.  The residential character of the area grew, and by the twentieth century the area was being developed with large homes and estates.  The streetcar line was shut down in 1961, but the prominence of the area grew.  The post-war era attracted developers to fill the area with subdivisions and large homes, and today the Palisades is a mix of houses from many different eras.

Continue reading →

We Love Weekends
By

We Love Weekends: December 19-20

Photo courtesy of
‘Elf Fun’
courtesy of ‘Karon’

Hooray, weekend! For most of us it’s kind of a mad rush getting ready for the holidays. How about you?

Max: The weather is going to be perfect this weekend.  Perfect for staying indoors that is.  The highlight of my weekend will probably be the opening show at Irvine Contemporary for one of my favorite photographers, Kerry Skarbakka.  He uses his stuntman skills to stage some eye catching photos of himself defying death.  And winter is movie season for me, so I might go check out Invictus or maybe catch part of the Irish Film Festival.  In summary, “Brrrrrrrrrr.” Continue reading →

News, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
By

Skins’ Cerrato Resigns

Photo courtesy of
‘FIRE VINNY!’
courtesy of ‘Tony DeFilippo’

I’m sure these two fans are very happy this morning as Vinnie Cerrato has resigned this morning according the ESPN 980. Cerrato was the Executive Vice President in charge of Football Operations and has been calling the plays for the Skins since they moved that responsibility from Jim Zorn several weeks ago shots in the front office for the team.

It’s not immediately clear who will replace Cerrato, but I’m hearing that there will be a press conference at Redskins Park this afternoon to discuss the situation. As soon as we know more, you will, too. Cerrato has been a controversial figure for the Skins this season, and his departure will likely be hailed by many as a long time coming, This season has been very disappointing for the Skins, and likely Vinny’s taking the blame for poor performance on the field. Good choice? That remains to be seen.

Interviews, People, The Features, We Love Drinks
By

We Love Drinks: Jason Robey

Jason Robey, New Heights. Photo courtesy of Pfau Communications.

Jason Robey, New Heights. Photo courtesy of Pfau Communications.

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.

Charred rosemary? Curried pumpkin seeds? Beet juice? Not to mention the bubbling pots behind the bar… what’s going on here?

You might think you were in some mad scientist’s laboratory, except that the guy torching a “lollipop” of tightly wound orange peel is actually extremely laid-back. This is Jason Robey, mixologist at New Heights, a native of southern Maryland back in DC by way of New York and North Carolina. His return is thanks to the recession, and that may be the best thing the economic downturn has done for our city. His drinks have just the proper blend of alcohol and aesthetics, with only as much flash as is absolutely necessary.

Jason strikes me as a perfectionist, but without any uptight vibe. His bar preparation set-up takes two hours. His infusions take anywhere from one to two weeks. There’s an evident amount of care and dedication that goes into the background work before your glass even hits the bar. Not afraid to experiment, Jason still manages to maintain a very practical style in what is after all a warm and inviting bar.

And like the best bartenders, he has a self-deprecating wit. I’m beginning to think that’s part of the job description. He was planning a cocktail riff on the classic Maryland crab boil the night I visited. It took a minute to realize he wasn’t actually joking. If anyone could pull that one off, it would be Jason.

“You know how I think of all these drinks?” he asks.

I shake my head.

“In the shower.”
Continue reading →

Night Life, The Features, The Mall
By

National Sculpture Garden: Skate At Your Own Risk

DSC00715

I thought ice skating on the National Mall was supposed to be fun. Funny is more like it. Real funny. Why? Because everything that could’ve gone wrong did.

My friend had entrusted me with the plan making for the evening. It was Saturday night. During the winter. “What could be better than ice skating in the National Sculpture Garden?” I thought. I quickly learned — anything else is apparently BETTER — but I wouldn’t have traded the night for anything else.

Continue reading →

Alexandria, Dupont Circle, Food and Drink, We Love Food
By

We Love Food: The Burger Joint


‘DSCF3611.jpg’ courtesy of ‘joelogon’

The Burger Joint (BGR) is the latest in a line of local hamburger shops trying to muscle in on DC-area institution Five Guys by offering a gourmet twist on this American staple. I went to their new Old Town Alexandria location to put these burger peddlers’ wares to the test.

There is no better food than a hamburger. A good steak comes close but really hamburgers take the title with their myriad of configurations. Easily a sit-down meal or a perfect eat-on-the-go, with a few toppings tweaks the hamburger offers all things to all comers (except maybe vegetarians). I have long been a fan of DC hamburger establishments and have been putting new offerings to the test for many years. I guess it all began back when I was accepted to George Washington University back in 1993. While quite happy to have got in, I was secretly celebrating the fact that I would soon be living less than a block from burger heaven, Lindy’s the Bone. Back in those days DC was a tale of two burger shops; Lindy’s Bon Appetit and Five Guys pretty much had you covered. For specialty burger creations it was Lindy’s and for the purist burger experience there was none better than (the now overly-franchised) Five Guys.

In the time I have lived here there have been many new burger contenders. Most notably Hamburger Mary’s (now defunct), ZBurger (not bad), Elevation Burger (yuck), and Ray’s Hell Burger (omfg!). Of those four, really only Hamburger Mary’s and Ray’s Hell Burger stand out and for good reason; Hamburger Mary’s offered truly excellent specialty burgers in a fun and funky sit-down dinner environment; while Ray’s continues to serve-up over-the-top, gourmet burgers in a real, walk-up-order, ‘burger joint’ setting.

The Burger Joint now enters into a field beginning to feel a tad cluttered. After all, Five Guys has expanded all over the city like a fungus, Lindy’s is still quietly rocking the Red Lion basement, and Ray’s is all the rage after the Obama/William’s visit. So how does a new burger shop stand-out amongst such stiff and varied competition? By offering the best pure burger in town, that’s how.
Continue reading →

Comedy in DC
By

Comedy in DC: The Last of the Christmas Cookies

Photo courtesy of
‘Jason Saenz Stand-up 4’
courtesy of ‘Aaron Webb’

Much like the last Christmas cookies rattling around in the tin your grandma sent you, the last comedy shows of the year are kind of an odd, mismatched bunch. And yet still delicious.

I usually leave theater to Jenn and Don to talk about, but comedian Judy Gold will be at Theater J starting tonight for her one-woman musical show Mommy Queerest. The show runs through January 3rd, and is a memoir of Gold’s life as a Jewish, lesbian mother. Gold is a damn funny standup comic, so I expect her show to be pretty entertaining as well.

Don’t forget that Matt Kazam will be at the DC Improv on December 26th and 27th. We’ll be heading back from our holiday specifically to get back in time to catch this show- Kazam does most of his headlining in other cities, so it’ll be nice to see him on home turf. Continue reading →

Penn Quarter, The Features, We Love Arts
By

We Love Arts: Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind

The Neo-Futurists in "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind" at Woolly Mammoth. Photo credit: Colin Hovde

The Neo-Futurists in "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind" at Woolly Mammoth. Photo credit: Colin Hovde

Thirty plays in sixty minutes. That’s the goal, anyway – a race against the onstage clock for five performers to present pieces based on their own life experiences. The catch? They have no idea what order the mini-plays will be performed. A long clothesline of hanging numbers lines the stage, and it’s up to the audience to determine the order by calling out the number on the spot. Frantically running into place, the actors launch into piece after piece as the clock ticks on. Some nights they make it, some they don’t. And at the end of every night, an audience member rolls a die to see how many plays get subbed out for new ones the next night.

A recipe for chaos? That’s the Neo-Futurists. Continue reading →

Featured Photo
By

Feature Photo


Kent 03 by Yospyn

As much as we try to fight it every year, winter has finally settled in upon us.  The days of patio dining and trips to the shore are over, replaced by more home cooked meals and vacations to warm destinations.  The time has come when we must find where we stored our winter hats, heavy coats, and the mental strength to make it through to spring.  I don’t know about you, but my mind switches gears when it realizes that there are months of dismal weather to come.  The world slows down, giving me time to reflect, rejuvenate, and renew.

The photo above by local photographer, Joshua Yospyn, depicts a man who has been through many winters of reflection.  You can see the accrued wisdom in his eyes and peace in his soul.  The dark shades of his coat, hat, and umbrella accentuate the intense color of his eyes, the ghostly paleness of his skin, and the frosty red tip of his nose.  What appears to be a window reflection in the lower right is an enigma according to the photographer – he has no idea what it is or how it got there.  This leads me to wonder, does Old Man Winter actually exist or is he an apparition?  I’ll ponder that as I sip on an Irish coffee under the comfort of my warm blanket.  Wake me up when the cherry blossoms start blooming.

Food and Drink, The Features
By

Scotch: It’s More Than Ron Burgundy’s Drink Of Choice

DSC00695

When I told the folks at Chevy Chase Wine & Spirits I was there for the Balvenie scotch tasting, they didn’t believe me. I think it was the combined fact that I was 1 – a woman and 2 – actually knew what a single malt scotch was. (I blame my father for both of those things by the way.)

“I don’t meet too many women who are into scotch,” event artist Dave Walz told me. Well guess what bud, you just did.

Before Saturday, I had never heard of Balvenie — let alone Chevy Chase Wine & Spirits. So I killed two alcohol induced birds with one stone while taking up the offer to visit for a free tasting. The event’s menu included two of the store’s top-shelf single malts: 12 year Doublewood and 15 year single barrel.

Continue reading →

The DC 100, The Features
By

DC Omni 100: #80 Bellini

Photo courtesy of
‘Bellini’
courtesy of ‘quinn.anya’

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.

As a huge fan of champagne based drinks, I was super pumped to take on the Bellini for this week’s DC Omni 100. Invented by Giuseppe Cipriani in Venice Italy, the Bellini is a refined take on the brunch staple Mimosa (orange juice and champagne) whose main difference is swapping out the OJ for peach puree/juice. This sweet, but slightly acidic cocktail can be both a fantastic addition to brunch (and can help ease Friday night’s hangover) or can be a great night/dinner starter.

Originally the Bellini was a seasonal beverage of puréed white peaches and Prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine similar to France’s Champagne or Spain’s Cava. According to Cipriani sources, the original version could also include bits of raspberry or cherry in replacement of the seasonal peaches giving the drink a pink glow and making it a year round favorite.

When ordering a Bellini at a restaurant, it’s important to ask your server about the ingredients available behind the bar. If they have both Prosecco and peach puree, amazing! Order away. However, it can be a little difficult to find both ingredients at your local DC neighborhood bar. If you’re looking to enjoy a quality Bellini with the proper ingredients, then I suggest you try the bars at Urbana in Dupont, or Sonoma on Capitol Hill or Two Amy’s near the Washington Cathedral. At all these locations, they serve a fantastic Bellini made from top notch peaches and a high quality sparkling wine. Continue reading →

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
By

Congratulations DC Hornets!

Congratulations go out to the DC Hornets, a DPR Pop Warner Football team from the Watkins Rec Center, on their victory in Saturday’s Pop Warner Super Bowl! They defeated the Florida City Razorbacks 22-8 and earned a heroes’ welcome yesterday, with a salute from the Mayor. Coach Delante Williams will be given the key to the city at a future city council meeting. You can see a post-game interview with Coach Williams courtesy of Pop Warner. “They played a very physical game,” he said, and attributed their success to hard work. The Hornets only gave up one touchdown, and it was on the very first play, with the Razorbacks returning the kickoff for a touchdown. After that, it was lights-out defense and strong offense that lead to a win for the Hornets.

Congratulations, boys, you’ve done your city proud!

The Features, Tourism
By

Ice Ice Baby

IMG_1498ICE! penguins by Corinne Whiting

I’ll be the first to admit that planned communities and “town center” mini-metropolises aren’t really my thing. I find them rather soulless and frankly a little creepy, so I tend to steer clear. But on a recent snowy Saturday, I was lured over to Maryland’s National Harbor—that relatively new complex of colossal convention centers and hotels, shops, eateries and a man-made “beach,” site of the relocated Awakening sculpture that I loved to crawl atop as a kid (at its former Hains Point home).

The draw this past visit? A mini-city of ice created by forty Chinese artisans flown over to sculpt 5,000 blocks that cumulatively weigh two million pounds. I was intrigued. Despite fears of rambunctious tots dominating this surreal ice world, the experience was a pleasant one. Visitors purchase timed tickets to enter Gaylord National’s ICE!, housed in a tent on the resort’s property that contains a 15,000-square-foot “cold room.” To combat the nine degree inside temps, guests borrow XXL blue parkas before entering, turning the masses into a sea of super-size Smurfs (wee ones shriek in horror as they attempt to wiggle free; adults belly laugh, delighted by the silly scene). Groups then get their photo snapped by staff as if about to board a cruise ship, before slipping beyond the warmth into the winter wonderland. The vibe’s a bit cheesy, but charming all the same.

Continue reading →

Entertainment, Music, Night Life, The Features, We Love Music
By

We Love Music: Arctic Monkeys @ 9:30 Club 12/8/09*

Arctic Monkeys Tickets
“My Arctic Monkeys Tickets” courtesy Greta Kauffman

Arctic Monkeys made their return to the 9:30 club in a rip-roaring fashion on Tuesday night with a set-list that mixed their trademark hyper-pop with their new album’s dedication to song-craft and musical exploration. The effect was at times lost on the sold-out crowd but the combination of their good-will towards these Brit-pop phenoms and the lads’ savvy use of radio hits peppered through-out kept the good times going for all. I was extremely pleased to see this young band so committed to their artistic development in a live show when so many other young acts fall back on crowd-pleasing when faced with sudden global levels of success.

I last saw Arctic Monkeys at the Coachella Music Festival in 2007 on the “Favourite Worst Nightmare” tour. The band in ’07 was confident and beaming, clean-cut in hair and dress. Their set then was a barn-burning bit of guitar-driven Brit-pop that left everyone smiling. A great time but somewhat disposable on an artistic level; really a reflection on their sophomore album which to this day feels like a minor offering compared to their blisteringly awesome debut. Since I last saw them play, Arctic Monkeys have gone on to become one of the biggest bands in Brit-pop and have toured the world several times over; lead singer and songwriter Alex Turner put out an excellent 60’s pop-inspired side-project (The Last of the Shadow Puppets); and the band has produced “Humbug“, easily their most adventurous and daring music yet. The lyrical risk-taking and musical development on “Humbug” is a breath-taking statement by the band that they are serious craftsmen and represents their evolution from being the latest Brit craze to being vital musicians in a landscape full of one-n-done, Ipod commercial composers.
Continue reading →

The Features
By

Holiday Gifts: In Your Community

Photo courtesy of
‘Our finest gifts we bring’
courtesy of ‘christaki’

Having spent some time in the last week coming up with ways for you use your gift-giving dollars to support local artists and businesses right here in your community, I wanted to take some more time to call attention to our neighbors who are also in need of some generosity this holiday season. I don’t need to remind you that this has been a terrible year, with the recession straining charity organizations’ resources on both sides in the form of reduced donations and increased demand for services.

So while you’re choosing that perfect gift for your mom or your brother or your spouse, I encourage you to leave some room in your gifting budget to donate to a worthy cause that’s close to your heart. The problem with writing a list like this is that there are far more worthy organizations who need help than I have time to track them all down. So this list is short and not even close to inclusive. If your favorite charity isn’t listed here, it wasn’t on purpose; so please add it to the list and give us all the widest range of organizations to choose from possible. Continue reading →

Special Events, The Features
By

Gonzaga DC Classic

Gonzaga Basketball courtesy of Gonzaga

This Thursday through Saturday, local basketball powerhouse Gonzaga College High School hosts the 21st annual Gonzaga DC Classic basketball tournament, bringing the best in boys high school basketball to Washington, D.C.

Since 1989, this tournament has played host to future college stars such as Robert Churchwell, Duane Simpkins, Vaughn Jones, Donta Bright, Keith Boothe and numerous other All Americans.  It’s prime recruiting ground for college coaches and scouts, with a fair amount of the players already committed, and is considered one of the most prestigious holiday tournaments in the country. So simply put, this is a high level of play and super fun to watch.

The pre-holiday tournament features elite teams from across the country and has consistently pulled in some of the  nation’s top boys high school basketball programs including: NY’s Christ the King and LaSalle Academy, Philly’s Roman Catholic, Lousiana’s South Lafourche, and many, many more.

For local area basketball enthusiasts, the tournament has also included strong representation from the top local programs of DeMatha, St. John’s Prospect Hall, Good Counsel and tournament host, Gonzaga, currently ranked 17th in the nation.

Continue reading →

We Love Weekends
By

We Love Weekends: Dec 11-13

Photo courtesy of
‘(338/365)’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’

Corinne: This weekend I am SUPER excited to reunite with some folks in the windy city for the Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival. (Check out these two awesome bands I’ll be hearing—that of my dear friend Todd, The Giving Tree Band, as well as DC-based Junior League Band.) But if I planned to stick around here, I’d kick off the weekend by hearing A Sunny Day in Glasgow at The Red and the Black tonight, watching the Andean Film Project at the Rosslyn Spectrum Theatre later in the weekend and taking one final peek at Edward Burtynsky’s Oil exhibit at the Corcoran (it closes Sunday). I’d also be very tempted to check out what all this Santarchy buzz is about!

Rachel: Another weekend? Thank god! I still haven’t completely unpacked from my move but that’s of no consequence — there’s life to be lived after all! What’s on the plate for this 2-day break from work? A pit stop at Don & Susan’s holiday party in Virginia and some Balvenie scotch tasting at Chevy Chase Liquors (5544 Connecticut Ave, NW) from 2-5 pm on Saturday (come one, come all?!?!). Other than that, I’m hoping to catch some cozy time by a friends fireplace in NoVa and try to start figuring out where the heck all my stuff is after my move. All I can say is … cheers!

Jenn: Well, it’s finally here. My first bellydance performance (cue shameless self-promotion music!) is this Saturday as part of Saffron Dance’s Spice of Life winter gala. The longest 3 minutes 53 seconds of my life. Kidding, I think I’ll be ok. That does mean my entire Friday and Saturday are sucked up in tech rehearsals, so there won’t be much time for fun until after the performance. Sunday I’ll definitely need a huge brunch (maybe it’s time to check out 1905’s revamped menu and rehauled wait staff?), and that night perhaps curl up in front of the fireplace at Tabard Inn for a hot toddy and listen to Victor Dvoskin play amazing bass.

Continue reading →

The Features, Tourism
By

Tourism: Union Station

Photo courtesy of
‘Color Photo – Arriving at Union Station’
courtesy of ‘CathyLovesDC’

Despite the history, the sculptures, the uniqueness, it’s still kind of hard to wax poetic about Union Station. You see, when Union Station was built, residents lauded the civic project for finally bringing an impressive and worthy gateway for visitors into the nation’s capital. But today, people run in and out of Union Station faster than… well, faster than a speeding train.

Continue reading →

The Features, We Love Music
By

We Love Music: The Very Small

185

Boys start bands in high school. It’s one of the great American clichés. But — every once in awhile — the guys that truly love  music end up making a name for themselves, and it’s all because of their dedication to the game.

DC’s most dedicated award in rock music goes to — The Very Small.

Never heard of ’em? That’s okay. They’re not big yet. They’re not signed to a label. They practice in a make shift rehearsal space in their basement, all while cracking jokes and keeping it real. And — they’re kicking-off their first tour this Thursday at The Rock & Roll Hotel on H Street.

Remember those guys who decided to make a rock band and played every single “battle of the bands” possible back when the captain of the football team ruled the school while dating the head cheerleader? These are those guys.

Continue reading →