Category Archives: The Features

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

Penn Quarter, The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Full Circle

FULL_CIRCLE_-_M_Russotto,_S_Marshall,_D_Escobar,_J_Dukes,_credit_S_Barouh_8363

Michael Russotto, Sarah Marshall, Daniel Escobar, Jessica Frances Dukes in Woolly Mammoth's "Full Circle." Photo credit: Stan Barouh

Twenty years ago this week, the Berlin Wall fell. It seemed proof positive that an overwhelming force of people could make a change for good, a stand against government oppression, by sheer numbers and tenacity, forever dispelling the myth of public apathy. Still true?

Woolly Mammoth’s production of Charles L. Mee’s rather chaotic “Full Circle” pushes and pulls the audience, moving around multiple physical settings in an attempt to put you in that head space of the crowd at the falling of the Berlin Wall. Are we meant to be spectators or participants? Maybe both.

The play is a riff on the original Chinese myth of the chalk circle, which in turn inspired Bertolt Brecht’s “Caucausian Chalk Circle.” There are certainly Brechtian moments in this production. Brecht’s own Berliner Ensemble features in the play, with its later director Heiner Muller even a character. He’s performed by Woolly’s Artistic Director Howard Shalwitz. How’s that for full circle? It’s a classic piece of Brechtian detachment.

Do you need to know any of this deeper theatrical knowledge to enjoy the play? I’m not sure, because as I have that knowledge, it completely informed my experience. I have a feeling just as a participant in a crowd experiences different aspects, so will audience members here. Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Artist  – they’re all here. Every character is an archetype – we’ve even got Warren Buffet making a deus ex machina appearance!

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Mythbusting DC, The Features, WMATA
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DC Mythbusting: Metro’s Most Crowded

Photo courtesy of
‘good morning.’
courtesy of ‘volcanojw’

DC has a great Metro system: it’s (generally) reliable, clean, fast, and connects many major destinations in the city.  But we love to complain about our commutes– being crammed like sardines on the train, being stuck in Metro stations so full that you can’t even get down the escalator to the platform, and having buses pass right by your stop because they’re already packed to the brim with riders.  Experiences like these make many people think that they’ve got it worse than anyone else in the area– that they’re stuck riding the busiest line, getting off at the busiest station, or riding the busiest bus.  But there’s a lot of misinformation out there about Metro’s most crowded lines, stations, and buses, so I’m going to set things straight this week.

Most Crowded Metro Line: I can’t tell you how many times I’ve overheard Orange line riders complain that they’re stuck riding the busiest line.  Most of these Metro riders are on the train between Ballston and L’Enfant Plaza, which definitely is the busiest section of the Orange line, with people packed into Metro trains that are sometimes too full to even board.  But does the Orange line really have it the worst? Continue reading →

Special Events, The Daily Feed, Tourism
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National Geographic Museum: Terra Cotta Warriors

Photo courtesy of
‘Terracotta-29’
courtesy of ‘akiwitz’

You’ve probably heard of Emperor Qin Shihuangdi’s terra cotta warriors, the thousands of life-sized statues buried with him in his tomb, intended to escort the Emperor to the afterlife. Discovered in 1974, they were one of the biggest archeological finds of the 20th century.

They’re making their last US appearance right here in DC, at the National Geographic Museum. Admission is $12, and the exhibition runs November 19th through March 31. The exhibit will showcase 15 terra cotta figures from Emperor  Shihuangdi’s tomb, including nine terra cotta warriors, two musicians, a strongman, a court official, a stable attendant and a horse. Also on display will be weapons, stone armor jade ornaments, roof tiles and decorative bricks, a bronze crane and swan, and a gold coins pièce collection. According to a rare coin dealer, this gold coin collection is highly valuable and costs millions of dollars.

We’re getting a full preview of the exhibit on the 18th, so look for our review shortly thereafter. In the meantime, here’s two ‘sneak preview’ photos provided to us by National Geographic… Continue reading →

Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, The Features
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First Look: Masa 14

Masa Interior

Unless you live under a foodie rock, you’ve noticed that 14th street has exploded lately. Eatonville, Policy (though Jenn says don’t go there), Birch and Barley, and, of course, Masa 14. Masa 14 is the new small plate concept by Kaz Okochi (Kaz Sushi Bistro) and Richard Sandoval (Zengo). The kitchen is led by Chef de Cuisine Antonio Burrell, who used to be at CommonWealth Gastropub.

Masa 14 has a large, industrial feel. Sleek and trendy, noisy, and totally packed. Fritz Hahn was right when he said it is the new thirty-something destination on 14th street. The crowd wasn’t the typical young quasi-hipster crowd I’ve grown accustom to at places like Eatonville or Saint Ex. But don’t for a second think this isn’t a stylish crowd – red lipstick, cuff links and afros all made statements there Friday night when Jenn and I stopped by to check it out. Continue reading →

The Features, We Love Music
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Album Review: The Sun & Earth

Photo courtesy of
‘PB080006’
courtesy of ‘dcjasmine’

Middle Distance Runner, hailing from our very own District of Columbia, released their first[edit: second] full-length album a few weeks ago, so I decided to check it out. MDR has been touring like mad for quite some time, so by the time I listened to The Sun & Earth, I had already heard many of the songs before.

The thing is, I’ve gone to a lot of shows. And heard a lot of songs. But I have to say, these songs stick out in my mind because they are just so darn catchy. And what better test of an album than listening to it in your car and being unable to stop yourself from reaching over and cranking the CRAP out of that volume knob? I almost sprained my wrist, I tell you. Continue reading →

Sports Fix
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Sports Fix: No Ovechkin Yet Edition

Photo courtesy of
‘Randle El’
courtesy of ‘headsoak’

Redskins
Record: 2-6
Last Two Weeks: 0-1
Place: Last in the NFC East

I think by now it’s pretty safe to say it wasn’t Jim Zorn’s playcalling that was the problem with the Redskins Offense. What is the problem? This week against the Falcons, the Skins controlled the ball longer, had more total yards, gave up just one turnover and yet came up two touchdowns short. Sure, the one Redskins’ turnover was a touchdown, and the Skins did amass 10 penalties for 89 yards, which looks to be the difference in this bout. The Skins were definitely missing Chris Cooley, who suffered a leg fracture in the game against Philly two weeks ago. Todd Yoder and Fred Davis filled in for Cooley this week, but neither were the same caliber player against the Falcons. Davis’ bauble resulted in the interception that put the Skins at such a disadvantage, but Yoder came up with a TD in the corner of the end zone, so you win some and lose some. Cooley’s not likely to be back this season, though the surgery to repair the break in his ankle was successful.

Next week, the Broncos show up at FedEx field, with their 6-1 record (plus whatever happens tonight against the Steelers) and an offense that is, by comparison, fairly potent. The Skins defense may have failed them this week, but I suspect next week, they’re the best chance to keep the game close. After that, it’s week-of-weeks: the Cowboys in Dallas. Somehow, I’m not as optimistic about the pre-Thanksgiving battle as I was last year.

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Life in the Capital, The Features, Weekend Flashback
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Weekend Flashback: 11/6 – 11/8/2009

Photo courtesy of
‘Chinatown Arch #2’
courtesy of ‘Frank Hale’

Did someone switch a weekend in April with this past weekend? Because seriously, this was an awesome weekend. And many, many of our wonderful local photographers captured all kinds of views.

Aside from Fotoweek, cheering on deer, pretending the Redskins didn’t exist, thanking heaven for the Capitals, reminiscing about the fall of the Berlin Wall, wandering nature and general lazing about, what did you do this weekend?

Check out some views after the jump.

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Food and Drink, People, The Features
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Women Chefs in DC Area Win in a Landslide

Nora Pouillon

This past Sunday was the Women Chefs and Restaurateur’s awards dinner titled “Women who Inspire.” Emceed by Top Chef finalist (and stand-up comedian – or at least she should be) Carla Hall, the dinner honored many DC women chefs. Often teetering between an association dinner and the Oscars, dozens of women chefs, including those who were being honored and even more, were back in the kitchen preparing 6 courses to interlude each of the award-winner announcements.

Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR) recognizes women who have demonstrated excellence and innovation in: the dining room, kitchen, baking and pastry arts, beverage profession, farming and food production, community affairs, as well as for a lifetime of culinary excellence.

Local Nora Pouillon, of Restaurant Nora in Dupont Circle, prepared the first course (paired with a non-local chef, Gabrielle Hamilton of Prune) and last but not least, accepted the final award of the night and the most honorable. She was awarded the Genesis prize, which recognizes a woman who has achieved a true “first” in the culinary profession – a clear win for the originality of her all organic restaurant. Nora was pioneer in the organic food movement, having the first and only organic restaurant in DC, Resaurant Nora, for a long time.

Seated with one of six tea sommeliers in the world, the founder of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, a restaurant owner, and the chef of her family’s bed and breakfast, it really became apparent that we were surrounded by foodies when our table began to debate over the true ingredients of a “Mirepoix.” Between a “Garbure” with Stone and Thistle Farm Braised Pork Belly (by Nora and Gabrielle) and a Ballotine of Pheasant with Confit of Idaho Fingerling Potatoes (by Barbara Lynch, No. 9 Park and Kate Jansen & Tracy O’Grady of Willow), I fumbled with how to eat, pronounce and appear cultured, all at the same time, while enjoying the award presentations and acceptances for a variety of categories.

Just the tip of the iceberg for DC women chefs and restaurateurs, Ellen Kassof-Gray, whose excellent management and hard-efforts in the front of the house at Equinox Continue reading →

Essential DC, Life in the Capital, The District, We Love Arts
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FotoWeek DC 2009: What to See


FotoWeek Projections by coolmarie

Before last year there was a huge void in DC’s photography world.  Despite being the home of National Geographic, the Newseum, the Washington Post, and many award winning photographers, we were missing an event to bring everyone together, to celebrate photography.  Sure, some of the galleries in town would have a photography exhibit or two, Magnum and Pulitzer Prize winning photographers would occasionally talk about their work, and local photographers would dork out hold meetups and go on photowalks throughout the year.  What we needed though was something big and annual like other major cities have.  Something pros, amateurs, and students could all participate in.  Basically we needed a big photography party.  Hell, if our neighbors in little ol’ Charlottesville could put together an international photography festival, why couldn’t DC?  In came FotoWeek DC.

But what exactly is FotoWeek you ask?  That is a very good question.  In fact if you asked ten different people you would probably get ten different answers.  Is it a contest?  Yes.  Is it a city wide festival celebrating photography?  Yes.  Does it celebrate only photography?  No, in fact two of this year’s contest categories were called “Storytelling” and “Experimental” that included works in multimedia, video, sound and graphics.  Why does FotoWeek spell the word “photo” with an F?  Your guess is as good as mine, my friend.  Why is FotoWeek held in November rather than in a pleasant time of year, say in June?  Because you must suffer for photography.

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Talkin' Transit
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A look at WMATA’s plans to challenge arbitration

Photo courtesy of
‘HDR Union Station Metro’
courtesy of ‘Cazimiro’

WMATA has a press release out announcing their intention to appeal the labor arbitration that has returned a 9% pay increase for Metro employees. I haven’t gotten my hands on the arbitration findings yet but I have looked at the law WMATA is referencing.

They assert in the press release that the arbitration report fails to meet certain standards required by law, primarily relating to examining the agency’s funding ability and whether it will “affect the public welfare.” I don’t think they’re being deliberately sneaky – that’s the way it’s phrased in the law – but it might not mean what it looks like on its face. C’mon in and let’s take a look at their three issues one by one, as well as their closing assertion that the resulting pay increase would top 9%.

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The Features, Where We Live
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Where We Live: Petworth

Photo courtesy of
‘1304 Monroe Street NW’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Welcome to this week’s Where We Live!  So far, this feature has taken us to every quadrant of the District, and soon, we’ll be expanding to include Maryland and Virginia suburbs.  But first, let’s look at a DC neighborhood that has a real sense of community: Petworth.  Read on to explore this fantastic community in Northwest DC.

History: Petworth was originally two country estates in Washington County, DC (not part of L’Enfant’s original city) owned by John Tayloe.  The city eventually expanded up to this area, and in the 1880s these two estates were purchased for development.  Seemingly overnight, a neighborhood popped up, with thousands of similar-looking brick rowhouses developed in the 1920s and 1930s.  This area was promoted as an ideal place to live, with the convenience of a streetcar (which ran from downtown up through Silver Spring and stopped in Petworth) but the parks and quiet residential nature of the suburbs. Continue reading →

The Features, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks: Fall Cocktails

Monaco

"Monaco" by Jenn Larsen, on Flickr

Fall cocktails… Once upon a time, that just meant drinks with heavy cream. No more, thanks to some brilliant mixology (my waistline is thankful too).

I’ve been sampling some luscious fall drinks. Everyone is rolling out menus featuring autumnal tastes – apple, pear, cinnamon, pepper, rosemary, cardamom – oh my. Spice has cream beat! Mulling and infusion are everywhere. It’s a good season for sipping slowly, admiring how flavors change and deepen over the course of your evening. Sigh.

Another fantastic benefit of all these freshly squeezed juices and housemade sodas and herbal infusions is that many bars are now offering non-alcoholic versions of their cocktails. With lots of parties and events in the fall, if you don’t feel like imbibing or are not able, you should always feel unabashed to ask. A good bartender should be able to respond without making you feel like a second-class citizen.

So let’s get down to it, shall we? Some of my favorite fall cocktails, with the usual quirky candlelit odd-angle photographs…
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We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends, November 7-8

Photo courtesy of
‘Hard at Work’
courtesy of ‘knascar’

Does anyone else feel like this is the longest week ever? I’m so relieved the weekend is almost here. Here’s what we’ve got going on this weekend. Share your plans with us in the comments.

Tiff: My birthday is next week, so I’m kicking off the celebration a little early. On Friday, I’ll be catching dj lil’e and Super Diamond at the 9:30. On Saturday, I think sleeping off the exhaustion of the last couple of weeks is in order, followed by Dhoonya Dance’s Bollyb!end. Sunday is still up in the air, though it’s possible I may get out the camera since I had to miss last night’s photowalk.

Corinne: I’m excited to delve into FotoWeek this weekend with its many activities scattered around the city. Saturday, if I can find any takers-with-vehicle, I’d love to head out of the city to soak in autumn in all its glory, perhaps at some vineyards or on a nearby hiking trail. Sunday I hope to pick up some much needed tips at The Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show at the Convention Center. Sunday night I’ll be cheering on those Globetrotters, hoping they do some more Dutch dancing…or at least arrive first at the Amazing Race Pit Stop.   Continue reading →

Penn Quarter, The District, The Features
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Photowalking: Chinatown/Penn Quarter

Photo courtesy of
‘Scooter’
courtesy of ‘The Digital Story’

An intrepid group of 25 photographers met last night at the Friendship Arch in Chinatown to explore the neighborhood, take photos, and talk with visiting photo guru Derrick Story. It was a cool fall evening, but the light was good, and the company better still. Dig on deeper for the best of the bunch, or browse the whole tag at Flickr.

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Downtown, Food and Drink, Penn Quarter, Special Events, The Features
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Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show: Paula Deen Brings the Butter

Paula Deen and Jon Ashton in LOL Theater

courtesy of The Tiny Kitchen

You thought I was kidding about the butter until you saw this picture…

Things have been a little crazy this fall, and I’ve been missing out on my usual weeknight and weekend HEAVY dosage of the Food Network. Alas, this weekend, I am excited to get some face time with my favorite stars, in addition to some DC super-chefs.

This Saturday and Sunday (November 7-8), the 2009 Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show is coming to the downtown convention center. For a $20 admission ticket, you can visit the showroom floor, a cooking demonstration or a knife skills class.

The show room floor will feature over 200 caterers, personal chefs, appliance manufacturers and party planners, but one of the true benefits of your General Admission ticket is access to the Tasting and Entertaining Workshops. Continue reading →

Five Favorites, The Features
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Five Favorites: Circles, Triangles, and Squares

Photo courtesy of
‘Budding Tree’
courtesy of ‘FredoAlvarez’

DC has all sorts of weird land left over where the grid of street meets up with diagonal avenues. In many places, these intersections have been altered to create circles, triangles, and squares. Pierre L’Enfant originally envisioned these squares to be focal points of nearby neighborhoods, providing a place for residents of a particular state to set up shop in the Nation’s Capital. Today, many of these circles and squares fulfill L’Enfant’s vision of neighborhood focal points. Here are our five favorites:

Number 5: Stanton Park. Stanton Park is located in the Near Northeast part of town, at the intersection of Maryland Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue NE. It was another original L’Enfant creation and was originally called Reservation 5. The park was named after Lincoln’s Secretary of War, Edward Stanton, after the Civil War (though interestingly, the statue in the center is not Stanton but Nathanael Greene, a Revolutionary War hero).
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Interviews
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She Loves DC: Erin Rooney Doland

EDolandWebPhotounclutter-your-life-cover

I’ve always had too much stuff. And not even stuff, but junk. I never know what to get rid of and what to keep. So Erin Rooney Doland is pretty much a superhero in my world. She’s the editor of Unclutterer, a riotous dinner companion, and the only parent I know whose house was not immediately overrun by baby stuff when the child arrived. She has a book out this week, Unclutter Your Life in One Week, and you guys, here’s how serious she is about this: She gave Tom and me an advance copy of her book, and when we asked her to sign it, she said, “Are you sure? If I sign it, you’re going to feel like you have to keep it after you’re done reading it.” Always thinking about purging stuff, even when “stuff” is her own book.  I thought I’d ask her a few questions about uncluttering and why she loves DC.

WLDC: So, how did uncluttering become a way of life? I mean, how did you decide you were so passionate about the topic that you could make a full-time job out of it?

Erin: My husband and I used to live on R Street between 14th and 15th Streets, NW, in an 850 square-foot condo. At the time, I had so much crap — and I’m being honest, most of it was crap — that we had to walk along a pathway to get from the bedroom to the kitchen. We never had people over and we were stressed out all of the time because the physical stuff weighed on us. One day, my husband reached his breaking point, and he asked me if I would consider getting rid of the clutter. I was overwhelmed by all of it too, and agreed that his idea was a good one. I spent the next six months doing research and purging and streamlining — and the stress just went away. I couldn’t believe how much of a difference it made in every aspect of my life. When I started writing for Unclutterer.com it was with the purpose of sharing with other people about my experiences. I never expected that it would become my career, but I am truly thankful it did. I love my job and the readers of the site and helping as many people as I can to discover the joys of an uncluttered life. Continue reading →

Anatomy of a Scandal
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Anatomy of a Scandal: Parks Department

Photo courtesy of
‘Green. Very Green.’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’

Hi there, and welcome to the first of an occasional series called Anatomy of a Scandal. There’s always something to fight about when it comes to DC politics, and that’s just the local stuff, not what happens over at the Capitol. Unlike national politics, though, not every local political adventure has a clear set of sides and players. We’re here to help figure some of this stuff out. First up? Department of Parks and Recreation. It’s been sort of a long drawn out cluster of scandals, and you should probably know some of the people involved.

Dramatis Personae
Adrian Fenty, Mayor of the District of Columbia
Peter Nickles, His Attorney General
Vincent Gray, Chairman of the City Council, rival to Fenty
Kwame Brown, At-Large Councilman
Marion Barry, Hizzoner Emeritus
Ximena Hartsock, Interim/Acting Director of the Department of Parks & Recreation, appointed by Mayor Fenty (twice…)
DC Housing Authority, a quasi-governmental entity
Omar Karim, friend of the Mayor, fraternity brother to Adrian Fenty.

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The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Much Ado About Nothing

Much_Ado_-_Benedick_&_Beatrice

Howard W. Overshown and Rachel Leslie as Beatrice and Benedick in Folger Theatre’s Much Ado About Nothing. Photo Credit: Carol Pratt.

I can’t think of a better antidote to losing the sunshine when you leave work than to head to the Folger to see its vibrant production of “Much Ado About Nothing.” Once inside the theater you’ll feel instantly transported back to summer.

Setting Shakespeare’s “Much Ado” during our own DC Caribbean Carnival may at first seem like a random decision, but it’s hardly that. The play’s core theme revolves around masking and unmasking identity. Characters intentionally hide their true selves and motives from others, mistaking the identity of others both figuratively and literally. Perhaps not in such an obvious way as other Shakespeare plays – but “Much Ado” is more mature, tackling the complexities of relationships. Despite plumbing these depths, it also manages to have some hysterical fun.

Former lovers Benedick and Beatrice fight out their mistrust and pain with biting sarcasm and wit. Their knowledge of each other’s faults is stronger at first than of each other’s strengths, and it’s their journey of mutual discovery to love and respect that makes this one of the most loved Shakespearean comedies. Contrast their relationship with the callow puppy love of the younger Claudio, Benedick’s protege, and Hero, Beatrice’s cousin – two lovers whose lack of knowledge about each other’s natures is the catalyst for some dirty dealing by villian Don John. Add in some well-meaning friends and relatives who manage to stir the pot for both good and bad, and you have a journey to teach everyone a little bit about love.

But does the setting work? Absolutely. The minute Claudio came in as a DC bike cop, I was sold.

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Featured Photo
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Featured Photos


‘Laaaaaaaa!’ by spoffy

While Halloween has come and gone, I thought it would be fun to do a roundup of some the spookiest photos in our pool (which by the way is full of some amazing photos, fellow Flickrites – keep it up!).  I personally don’t get too excited about putting a costume together for the holiday but I love seeing what other people come up with.  Between trick-or-treating, the Dupont High Heel Race,  spiderwebs spun across front yards, and skeletons hanging from doorways, it’s a scary time of the year.  Not quite as scary as the arrival of the summer interns, but nonetheless, scary.  More photos after the jump!

 
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