Category Archives: The Features

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

Food and Drink, The DC 100
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DC Omni 100: #24 Rice and Bean

Photo courtesy of
‘161/365 Rice and Beans’
courtesy of ‘eiratansey’

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.

After all the turkey, potatoes, gravy and stuffing from the past week, let’s take a flavor profile U-turn to explore the popular Latin American and Caribbean dish, rice and beans.

Prepared separately, rice and beans are usually served side by side, not mixed together, and can be both a main and side dish. Traditionally, the rice is usually of the white grain variety, but can be seasoned to take on a more creole or Spanish style flavor. In researching the dish, I was surprised to learn that rice is not a native grain to America, rather it was introduced to the continent by European colonists during the early 16th century. Rice provides an abundance of nutrients, like iron, protein, and vitamin B. As a starch, rice is also an excellent source of energy.

The beans is where you’ll find a lot of variety. Beans can black, red or brown, and can be cooked from in either dried and fresh forms. Like its rice counterpart, beans contain a wealth of iron, protein and other necessary vitamins. Continue reading →

The Features, Weekend Flashback
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Holiday Weekend Flashback: 11/25 – 11/29/2009

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

We here at WeLoveDC hope that you had a fantastic holiday weekend, whether you spent it out on some Pacific island chain or right here in the nation’s capital. Before you get sucked back into the daily grind, why not take a few minutes to relive and reminisce over the extended break?

Enjoy these shots from area and visiting photographers. And try not to think about the Redskins. Continue reading →

Downtown, Essential DC, Life in the Capital, The Features
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We Thank Thee, O DC…

DSC_2512
‘DSC_2512’
courtesy of ‘Ghost_Bear’

Last year, we started a tradition of sorts by telling all of our readers what we’re thankful for in the DC area. We invite our readers to share their own thoughts in comments.

BenR: It’s hard to narrow down what it is about the DC area that I’m thankful for, but I’ll give it a shot…

  • The Washington Capitals, for finding success on the ice – and enthralling an entire city with them.
  • Metro, for being not only a source of transportation but also a weekly source of head-scratching entertainment.
  • The simplistic beauty of our national monuments.
  • Area DC photographers and their openness and willingness to educate, critique, and share.
  • Thought-provoking exhibits such as NMAI’s Brian Jungen and NatGeo’s Terra Cotta Warriors.
  • The Tidal Basin during the blooming of the cherry blossoms.
  • For everyone who works, lives, and plays in one of the greatest cities in the US.
  • Finally, my fellow authors and all our readers – I’m so thankful for all of you; you make this site live up to its name, and then some.

Rachel: There are a few things that I will never cease to love about this city and am thankful for everyday. They include: The view from the Lincoln memorial steps facing the reflecting pool/Washington monument on a Sunday morning, my commute to and from work that consists of a daily tour of embassy row between Ward and Dupont Circle, and President Obama for picking Rahm Emanuel as Chief-of-Staff so that there’s finally a Cubs fan in the White House. Other than that, my friends and family hold the number one spot as far as what I’m actually thankful for this year — but that goes without saying.

Continue reading →

Adventures, Entertainment, Essential DC, Food and Drink, Foodie Roundup, The Features
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We Love Leftovers

Photo courtesy of
‘Turkey cupcake tutorial’
courtesy of ‘kristdin_a’

The turkey is still brining, the potatoes aren’t even peeled and the pies are still cooling, and I’m already thinking about what to do with the leftovers.  Of course, there’s the traditional turkey fixings sandwich, which requires putting every item from the meal between two slices of bread and then prying your mouth open like a boa constrictor and jamming it in there. And however much I love me a leftover sammie, there’s only so much our palates can tolerate, so it’s high time we look into other creative options for the food exploding out of the fridge.

Let’s start with potatoes. These tubers are perhaps the most versatile leftover you have at your disposal. If you’re left with boiled or roasted potatoes, they make the perfect based for Alton Brown’s breakfast hash, or some potatoes au-gratin or the crispy topping of a pot pie.  If you have some whole potatoes left over of the yam variety, then I suggest using them in this simple sweet potato casserole. And should you have an ample portion of mashed potatoes, add some bacon, onions, chives, or if you like seafood some cooked white fish, and mold them into 3″ potato cakes. Pan fry the cakes until they have a golden, crispy exterior on both sides, and garnish with sour cream, applesauce or whatever accompaniment your palate desires. Continue reading →

We Love Weekends
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We Love Holiday Weekends: November 27-29

Photo courtesy of
‘flea_circus’
courtesy of ‘easement’

It’s a holiday weekend, and you may very well be heading out of town (I’m in Hawaii, myself). But if you’re around, here’s what we’re finding to occupy ourselves over the long weekend while everyone else is away.

Max: I’ll be heading out to West Virginia to practice my banjo and to have Thanksgiving dinner with a small group of friends.  I’ll be eager to get back to DC though as it will no doubt be a ghost town like it always is around the holidays.  Parking is abundant and tourists are at home instead of clogging up our escalators.  My plan is to go to some museums, take in a concert, get caught up on some reading, and see as many movies as possible.

Rebecca: I’ll be up in Charm City (aka Baltimore) for the holiday feast and hope to taste some pulled beers at the Wharf Rat. The weekend will find me back in DC and hoping to take advantage of a less populated Capital for a viewing of the Terra Cota Warriors exhibit and a jaunt around the Mall.  Should you be a football fan, like me, there are plenty of quality professional and college games to be had and watching them at the ESPN Zone would be an interesting venue for you and any visiting family. Sunday, I think I’ll recover from the 4 day festivities by drinking a nice glass of Le Beaujolais Noveau that just arrived at Whole Foods. Continue reading →

Talkin' Transit, The Features
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Talkin’ Transit: Holiday Travel Tips

Photo courtesy of Daquella manera
Connecticut Avenue, courtesy of Daquella manera

It’s the day before Thanksgiving, one of the busiest travel days of the year. Here’s some common sense tips to help make your journey a little less stressful – and a whole lot safer.

Chances are if you’re reading this on the day before Thanksgiving, you’re either not going anywhere for the holiday weekend, you’re stuck at work hoping they’ll cut you loose early, or you procrastinated until the last minute and you need to leave five minutes ago. Still, regardless of your situation, I’m fairly sure these tips will come in handy at some point during the next six weeks as the end of the year comes upon us.

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Entertainment, Penn Quarter, The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: As You Like It

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The cast of the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, directed by Maria Aitken. Photo by Scott Suchman.

For the first thirty minutes of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of “As You Like It,” I was entranced. The characters were on a journey through the history of American cinema, and the first scene’s send-up of a silent film had the audience delighted. Director Maria Aitken’s evocation of that era was perfect, from the stylized acting and Basil Rathbone-ish villians to the exquisite design elements. Then, we jumped ahead in time. She still had me with the move from Puritan England to Valley Forge America, the exiled duke and his men becoming George Washington and his ragtag soldiers.

But when we arrived at Tara and saw Scarlett O’Hara, my eyes began to hurt. By the end of some three hours of constant location and time changes through the Reconstruction, Wild West and up to a Busby Berkeley musical, I had a migraine. There was a faux movie director on stage occasionally calling “cut!” – but what this production really needed was a better editor.

I normally don’t object to Shakespeare productions that take sweeping liberties or use radical conceptualizations. After all, these are plays that have been done repeatedly for centuries, and they need a face-lift sometimes. But I do object when concepts don’t serve the purpose of the story. And this one, as beautiful as it is, does not.

It also must’ve cost a bundle, as one audience member muttered under her breath when a large neon sign shone for just one scene.

I don’t fault Aitken’s ambition, merely the execution. It’s a testament to her skill that the acting is top-notch. Continue reading →

Mythbusting DC, The Features
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DC Mythbusting: Metro Map to Scale

Photo courtesy of
‘Metro_Compared’
courtesy of ‘Don Whiteside’

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Mythbusting!  After our last feature busted some misconceptions about the busiest Metro stations and lines, we’ll tackle another Metro myth this week: that the Metro map that you see in stations is proportional.  The official Metro map shows right angles and evenly-spaced stations throughout the system, and all lines look to be generally the same length.  So the real Metro system looks the same when it’s drawn to scale, right?

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Capital Chefs
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Capital Chefs: Victor Albisu of BLT Steak (Part II)

Photo courtesy of
‘Chef Albisu’s Wild Mushroom Risotto’
courtesy of ‘CathyLovesDC’

As you read this morning in Katie’s Capital Chef’s Part I, we recently endeavored into the kitchen of Chef Victor Albisu of BLT Steak. He sweetened us up with true Basque-region products and later topped off two steaming bowls of wild mushroom risotto with a quail egg and shaved truffles. We were smitten.

But cooking in the kitchen with Chef Albisu was only half the battle. After jotting down quick notes and approximations of his mastery, I returned to my kitchen to recreate the heavenly, buttery, moist-yet-crunchy wild mushroom risotto. All for you, dear reader.

As it turns out, making the risotto was just as easy as the chef had made it seem. Following a few very important pointers, I’m pretty sure you can get through this with me, and end up all the wiser (or maybe you already knew all of this…) And what’s even better, especially in my opinion, is that I was able to recreate his incredible flavor with a bottle of Trader Joe’s wine, a package of button mushrooms, and some extra garlic. Continue reading →

Capital Chefs, The Features
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Capital Chefs: Victor Albisu of BLT Steak (Part I)

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The first thing that you need to know about him is that Chef Victor Albisu has a calm, dry sarcasm that I find highly entertaining. Cathy and I recently stopped by his Farragut restaurant, BLT Steak,  to learn how to cook mushroom risotto.

We walk into his kitchen and Chef Albisu pulls out a pan of mushrooms and a big round of Idiazabal cheese from the Basque Country of Spain. “Spain is my favoritist place in the world,” Chef Albisu deadpans. “I’ve been incorporating elements of Basque cuisine into my cooking recently.”  And as he pours oil and rice into a pan, letting Cathy take the spoon, we launch into a conversation about Chef Albisu’s cooking styles and whether garlic is better than truffles. Continue reading →

The Features
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Why I Love DC: Rachel

Photo courtesy of
‘Spinning Out of Control’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’

I love DC because I get to see my dad everyday. This might sound simple but I assure you it’s not. Dad passed away in January, just days before the historic inauguration of President Obama.

Streets were flooded with tourists while I was attempting to flee the city I’ve grown to love for dear life. But  if it weren’t for my dad, I would’ve never made it to DC in the first place. Continue reading →

Sports Fix, The Features
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Sports Fix: The Five Sport Edition

Photo courtesy of
‘Jim Zorn’
courtesy of ‘Keith Allison’

Redskins

Record: 3-7
Last Two Weeks: 1-1
Place: Last in the NFC East

Tom’s lack of optimism rings true of this week’s crushing loss for the Redskins against division rivals the Dallas Cowboys. Sunday’s match-up against the Dallas Cowboys came to a sudden halt with a 1-point, 7-6 loss. The worst part about it is that the Skins looked like they’d pull through this time.

What’d they do right? Shaun Suisham had the potential to be a game-winning hero. Instead, he gave his best shot, scoring two fields goals (one in the second and one in the third), keeping his team ahead of the opposition for the majority of the game. The Skin’s defense, along with Jason Campbell’s stellar work on third down plays looked promising.

“Two minutes is what we do very well,” Campbell said. “It wasn’t pressure because there’s still a lot of time on the clock. We felt like we could just continue to run our offense, move the ball, do our no-huddle, do two-minute.”

Continue reading →

Essential DC, Food and Drink, The Features
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Thanksgiving In The District: Katie’s Picks

Photo courtesy of
‘Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Turkey on Cooking With Kat 02.jpg’
courtesy of ‘davecurlee’

If you’re going to be here for Thanksgiving, and you’re not up to the task of brining, and cooking, and all that, then you’ve got a lot of choices as to where to eat. The lovely Alex over at Brightest Young Things has a super-comprehensive list of all the choices that you’ve got, organized by date, and there’s absolutely no need for me to reinvent the wheel, especially when her wheel was awesome to begin with. So, I’m going to do a different take – I’m going to tell you what sounds the best to me, and where I’d go if I were here. My priorities are going to a place that I know I like, since then it’ll feel more homey, and somewhere where I really trust the chef not to screw up my favorite dishes. So here are my top five, in no particular order.

(Side note: these menus are expensive. Dining out in DC on Thankgiving isn’t cheap. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. This is why your parents are in town.)

INOX Restaurant – Chef Jon Mathieson knows meat. And I would be a happy girl to have his turkey. He’s offering it up either smoked or Heritage turkey in a a three-course menu. Highlights include Butternut Squash Potage with Spiced Creme Fraiche and Corn Bread-Andouille Sausage Stuffing. The four course menu is $62 per person. Continue reading →

Downtown, Special Events, The Features, We Love Arts
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First Look: the Terra Cotta Warrior Invasion

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Yesterday was the opening of “Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor” at the National Geographic Museum. A rare treat, the exhibit is on the final stop of a four-city US tour and closes on March 31, 2010.

Promotion for this visit has been going on since spring of this year. The hype is justifiable, however. This particular exhibit features the largest number of terra cotta figures to ever visit the US. Fifteen figures from the tomb of China’s First Emperor Qin Shihuangdi (221 B.C. – 210 B.C.) are in a magnificent display that spans two galleries ans 12,000 square feet.

I only had an hour this past Wednesday to visit – SmithGifford and NatGeo had a special invitation-only event for local bloggers and photographers. I was too busy shooting photographs to really absorb the whole experience, but I definitely will be heading back to soak it all in. It’s well worth the cost. And there’s a special offer for WeLoveDC readers as well – I’ll spill the beans after you browse some photos from that evening; you can decide for yourself if you want to go. Continue reading →

The Features, Where We Live
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Where We Live: Cleveland Park

Photo courtesy of
‘ladybridgev1c’
courtesy of ‘melody.a.thomas’

Cleveland Park is the focus of this week’s Where We Live.  This neighborhood has so much to offer, including great Metro access, proximity to major attractions, charming residential character, and some very cool neighborhood hangouts.  It’s one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the city, with its views of Rock Creek Park and tree-lined streets, and it is a bit removed from the urban grit of downtown.  Read on for more information on Cleveland Park, including how it got its name and what to check out when you’re there.

History: Back in 1793, an aide of George Washington named Uriah Forrest built an estate called Rosedale.  More estates were constructed in the area, a suburb of Washington City, throughout the nineteenth century.  This was considered an upscale suburb in that era, as the higher elevation and breezes were an escape from the hot, humid air of the city.  In 1886, President Glover Cleveland purchased a house in the area and remodeled it as a summer estate.  Even though Cleveland lost his bid for reelection in 1888, the name Cleveland Park stuck with the neighborhood.

Continue reading →

Entertainment, Music, Night Life, The Features
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Got A Song Request? Jacqui Naylor’s Got You Covered. Literally.

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I’ve seen a lot of cover bands in my day. You know the types: 40-something guys who need something to do when craving time away from the wife/family or a hobby after work to share with “the boys.” Jacqui Naylor is nothing like that.

Naylor has made a career that spans over a decade out of covering American popular songs from The 20th Century Songbook. From Gershwin’s “Summertime” to Fitzgerald’s “Black Coffee” and even REM’s “Losing My Religion”. Each song is sung with strength and valor in honor of the Great American Jazz Standard.

Naylor came back to DC for two reasons, she said. “There’s a real history here [at Blues Alley] but there’s also a sweetness in DC. There’s just something about it.”

DC would have to agree with you Miss Naylor, seeing as your fans packed the house.

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Food and Drink, Night Life, People, The Features, We Love Drinks
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Drinks Preview: The Passenger

Photo courtesy of
‘The Passenger 7’
courtesy of ‘maxedaperture’

Let’s say you love hand-crafted cocktails, but your friend is all about Miller High Life. Up until this point, I’d be hard-pressed to recommend a place where you both would feel comfortable. Thankfully, brothers Derek and Tom Brown have created a bar where the two of you can happily cosy up in a booth together.

Last night, The Passenger opened its doors to the public. The night before, I was lucky to attend a preview of the new bar and sample the atmosphere. It’s still a work in progress, the rough-and-ready quality mimicking the surrounding neighborhood. If you were familiar with the Warehouse, the space revamps the front bar and the back area near the theater. It’s got a black diamond quality, with exposed brick, hardwood floors and a long photographic mural that’s meant to remind you of the view from a train’s windows. Booths line the walls and by this weekend the back section will be finished to resemble a mirrored dining car.

If you’re expecting an upscale exclusive club atmosphere with pinkies raised over clinkety-clink glasses, well, you’ll be disappointed. What we have here is a funky, eclectic neighborhood bar that’s set to evolve organically. And I’m not kidding, in addition to those famous made-to-taste cocktails you can also get Miller High Life and a chili half-smoke.

This is a bar where both mods and rockers are easily at home. Continue reading →

We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends, November 21-22

Photo courtesy of
‘Reflections in the water’
courtesy of ‘brianmka’

This is a tough weekend. Either you’re on the treadmill running a mini-marathon trying to offset the impending turkey day feeding frenzy or you’re trying to figure out what to pack for the trip. Some of us oh-so-fortunate folks are hosting out families.

What’s the appropriate font to use for excessive sarcasm?

That aside, some of us are finding time to squeeze some fun in. Here’s what we’ve got going on this weekend. Share your plans with us in the comments.

Cathy: This Saturday, while the weather’s still great, I’m going to tear up some trails in VA. I’ll do double duty in Luray by checking out the Luray Caverns as well as hiking in the Shenandoah National Park. I’m aiming for the Big Devils Stairs. Hope they live up the hype (well, just that they actually resemble large satanic-looking rock-formed steps). Sunday will be spent watching football through my eyelids, cooking Kirk’s almost-famous chili, and going on a long run around the Mall to stave off what I can already tell is going to be a jolly (and artery-clogging) holiday season.

Photo courtesy of
‘Rehoboth Beach = Outlet Heaven’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’

Katie: This weekend I’m going on a staycation. Heck yeah I am, because I, Katie Food Blogger, deserve a vacation yet cannot afford it or get the time off work for it. So I’m going to staycation my tookus off by doing what I do best – going out 66. A friend and I are going to the outlets in Leesburg on a shopapalooza since my obsession with Ann Taylor has reached a new high, and who doesn’t need more J.Crew? Everyone needs more J. Crew. We’ll also probably stop by a few wineries, because you guys know that’s basically all I do on the weekends. Sunday I’m hosting a pre-thanksgiving thanksgiving for my friends and cooking the hell out of a Smith Meadows Farm turkey. I’ve been giving it evil looks daily just so it knows who’s boss.

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Fashionable DC, The District, The Features
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Fashionable DC: MidCity


Photo courtesy of Kelly Collis Fredrick

I recently attended two events held in what I knew as the 14th and U Streets corridor – the Dog Days of Summer in August and about a month later, Fashion’s Night Out. The vibe of these events, the display of unique items from both clothing and home décor boutiques, made these memorable shopping excursions.

Who was organizing these popular events? I traced it back to the MidCity Business Association (BA). MidCity BA represents businesses on the commercial corridors that stretch down 14th Street from Florida Avenue to Thomas Circle and along U from 9th to 17th as well as several side streets way beyond the 14th and U district. Many don’t know that MidCity is actually a historical term for this collection of neighborhoods dating decades back.

Over the past few weeks, I spent time with a few of the boutique owners, as well as Natalie Avery from the MidCity BA, to better understand the neighborhood and community (and was able to sneak in some shopping too!).  As a life long Washingtonian, it was a great experience to learn about the rich history of this neighborhood and the strong sense of community that still exists there today.

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