Category Archives: The Features

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

Featured Photo
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Featured Photo


‘Glitter’
courtesy of ‘yostinator’

Wow; talk about an impressive portrait! There’s very little, if anything, wrong with this shot. Framed nicely and tack sharp, this image is all about the small details it shows: the woman’s two color eye shadow; the sprinkling of assorted paints on her chest and upper lip; and the different feathers of her headdress. Even her expression is one of slight mystery; is she just between breaths from dancing or is something else going on? Or is it something mundane? This is a shot a person could get lost in for hours, and it would not be wasted time. Excellent work yostinator!

If you’ve got photos you want to share, we’ve got a webpage to show the world! Just add them to the We Love DC Flickr group, and they too could show up in one of our stories.

Entertainment, Interviews, People, The Features, We Love Arts
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Theater Spotlight: White Hot Set

If you’ve seen Shakespeare Theatre Company’s excellent production of Old Times, chances are your first impression was of a monochromatic letterbox, as the minimalist all-white set seemed to float against the black proscenium (and if you haven’t seen Old Times, you need to get hopping over to the Lansburgh this week, as closing is July 3. It’s a thought-provoking performance of Pinter’s play, as Don noted in his review). Almost every surface is white, with glass and chrome punctuations.

Not surprisingly, it was the cleanest backstage I’ve ever seen.

An all-white set presents many challenges, from design to execution to maintenance. I spoke with designer Walt Spangler and the STC run crew about their experiences with Old Times, and even learned the secret ingredients to keeping whites bright and cigarette ash in its proper place. And when a set’s this minimal, it’s not a simple process – sometimes a designer has to go through fifty different ashtrays to find the perfect one.

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Sports Fix
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Your Wizards Draft Cheat Sheet

In case you were too busy hating on Jim Riggleman or trying to figure out Ron Artest’s crazy new name, the NBA held their draft this past Thursday and the Washington Wizards added three new players to the team. Coming into last week’s draft, many regarded the draft class as pretty bland. There weren’t any future LeBrons or Walls in this year’s draft, in fact the most exciting moment of the draft was when Wizards’ first-round pick Jan Vesely made out with his hot girlfriend Eva Kodouskova after hearing his name called.

Not gonna lie, it was pretty hot. Jan hears his name, buttons up his suit, his girl rises into the frame, waits a moment, and goes in for the kill. Even Joe House approves (of the kiss at least.)

Anyways if you want more on the kiss just read Kyle Weide’s story and interview over at Truth About It. He’s a great Wizards blogger and struck gold with the story.

For everybody else, here’s the quick and dirty info on the draftees because most likely the last time you heard about the Wiz was when they got those new fangled uniforms.

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Essential DC, The Features, We Love Arts
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Old Lovers Meet at 14th and Swann

Faded, crumbling, unlikely to survive too many more DC winters or 14th Street-area renovations, I love this mural. It raises a million questions.

From the perch of an old row house wall overlooking the Swan Auto parking lot, emerging from a pool? pond? ocean?—two Dr. Seuss-like figures—humans? balding angels? fruit flies?—share a fading yellow apple. Lips locked on the fruit, their eyes are closed passionately. One wears a small bejeweled crown, but otherwise they appear naked. They are LOVERS, says the painting in simple black font, a status reinforced by the word “madreselva” painted in upside-down and backwards letters below. Madreselva means honeysuckle in Spanish, a flower that is supposedly associated with “the bond of love,” or according to other sources, “generosity.” Either way, we are getting a sneak peek at two individuals’ affection through this mustard yellow, circular window….  Or is it a puzzle piece? (What are those little nodes around the frame?)

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Capital Chefs, Food and Drink, The Features
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Capital Chefs: Nick Stefanelli of Bibiana (Part 2)

Photo courtesy of
‘Risotto Frutti di Mare at Bibiana’
courtesy of ‘bonappetitfoodie’

Risotto can be like a wild beast in the kitchen. If you don’t cook it long enough, it’s like eating little rock pellets. If you don’t stir it, you will end up with a gloppy mess. But in reality, risotto is not all that hard to make and make it well. So with that in mind, don’t get hung up on the idea that you have to babysit this pot of rice grains for a while. Besides, you’re cooking with wine…pour yourself a glass.

After the jump you’ll find Nick Stefanelli’s recipe for risotto frutti di mare. It’s a light risotto with the lemon juice, white wine and seafood–perfect for summertime. Keep in mind Stefanelli’s advice that this recipe (as most do) depends on the freshness of the seafood, and don’t get too hung up on what seafood to include in the risotto if something isn’t available at your grocery store. Again, Stefanelli would remind you that “frutti di mare” means “fruits of the sea,” stick with firm fish and shellfish for the risotto and you can’t go wrong.
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Sports Fix
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Rigglegate: The train wreck at 1500 South Capitol

Photo courtesy of
‘Head in Hands’
courtesy of ‘Alex E. Proimos’

So. That happened.

Everything that came out of Nats Park yesterday wasn’t a fever dream, it actually happened. The Nats won their 11th game out of 12, in the bottom of the 9th, on just one run. They pitched well, they fielded well, they’re on a streak of good baseball and wonderful luck, and sure enough, manager Jim Riggleman quit his job due to a contract dispute.

Details are coming out today as both Jim Riggleman (it is distinctly odd not to type manager in front of that) and General Manager Mike Rizzo have done turns on sports radio to talk about the decision.  Both sides were firm: the other guy had made a grievous mistake in dealing with the situation. Both sides are right, at least in part. This was handled very badly, and the circumstances that we find ourselves, as fans, in now is nothing short of terrible. As Dave Nichols wrote, there were no winners at Nats Park yesterday.

Where to, now?

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Capital Chefs, Food and Drink, The Features
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Capital Chefs: Nick Stefanelli of Bibiana (Part 1)

Photo courtesy of
‘Nick Stefanelli of Bibiana’
courtesy of ‘bonappetitfoodie’

While being a chef wasn’t in Nick Stefanelli’s original career plans, Italy (and it’s food) was and still is a common thread in the arc of his work. Stefanelli, the executive chef at Bibiana Osteria started out studying fashion design in Milan, when his interests switched over to food. “There is a profound food culture in Italy that’s not going on here,” he says. While “food was always in his life,” Stefanelli switched his focus to becoming a chef after traveling through Italy.

During our conversation, Nick put Italian food in a context that rang true for me. “You can’t put a label on what Italian food is. It’s not just pasta and tomato sauce–it’s a culture, ways of doing things, the knowledge of knowing your grower and the relationships that you build around the cuisine,” says Stefanelli. “I try to reproduce that here, rather than import products. I apply techniques and sauces of Italian cookery to the food that’s available here. If a cuisine stands still, it will fall to the wayside. You need evolution.” Continue reading →

Entertainment, The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: The History of Kisses

Photo by Carol Pratt

The ocean is a silent character in David Cale’s The History of Kisses at Studio Theatre, a one-man show that is currently enjoying its world premiere. Cale was inspired to write the semi-based-on-real-life piece after discovering an old photo of an unknown couple kissing on the deck of a boat. He imagines a world behind the photo filling in the details through an interconnected series of vignettes depicting romances between those in the photo, an alter-ego of himself called James, and the guests and staff working at James’ hotel. Connected by the common themes of love and a common element of the sea, Cale finds himself in the role of many characters ranging from a middle-aged divorcee to a retired Navy man-turned composer. The History of Kisses is a boat of mixed company merrily making its way to a brighter destination. The journey isn’t without a few turbulent waves however, and it suffers from a few bumps that slow down the show’s journey.

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We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends – June 25&26

Photo courtesy of
‘W Is for Werth’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

Tom: My weekend starts today, with the matinee of the Nationals and Mariners, followed by Neil Gaiman’s book signing at the Press Club for the tenth anniversary of American Gods. Saturday morning we’re headed out to the Farm before we head up to Baltimore to celebrate a good friend’s birthday at Camden Yards. Don’t worry, we’re scalping the tickets, so Angelos won’t get a cent of my money directly. Sunday should be a day of recovery, and I’m betting we’ll be in a movie theatre for Cars 2, either in Chinatown or Alexandria, followed by dinner at Jaleo or Ted’s Montana.

Rebecca J: Friday fun starts off with hoping on the Acela to head back to DC. Luckily, the bar car serves Dogfish so that should get me through the journey. Once off the train, I’m going to DC dive bar extraordinaire Bobby Lew’s Saloon to celebrate a friend’s birthday. I imagine a late night stop at the Amsterdam Falafel Shop on 18th will be in order. Saturday, I’ve got some gardening to attend to but after that it’s off to the Safeway Barbecue Battle, where scores of BBQ Masters will compete to win the hearts of BBQ lovers, $40,000 in cash/prizes and the coveted title of National Pork Barbecue Champion; the contest benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington. Sunday after all that pork goodness, I should probably do some sort of physical activity. With the weekend weather primed for heat and sun, I’ll combine my need for exercise with my need to stay cool by finally trying out Potomac Paddlessports’ Stand Up Paddling. I did it when I went to Hawaii, so I think I can handle the treacherous waters of the Potomac.

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Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Jeremy Messersmith @ DC9, 6/19/11


courtesy of J. Messesmith.

It is unusual for me to go to a show of a band I’ve never heard before and be swept off my feet. That happened Sunday night when Jeremy Messersmith and his band played DC9.

From the first song, “Novocain,” off of his first album Alcatraz Kid, it was clear there was something special happening. This song, like much of his music, has a dichotomy of upbeat music paired with melancholic lyrics or morose subject matter. Listening to “Novocain” makes you want to bop your head and maybe even dance, while Messersmith sings of his heartbreak “There ain’t enough Novocain to numb my broken heart.” I love that.

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Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
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The Winning Ticket: Grupo Fantasma



As a way to say thanks to our loyal readers, We Love DC will be giving away a pair of tickets to a 9:30 Club concert to one lucky reader each week. Check back here every Wednesday morning at 9am to find out what tickets we’re giving away and leave a comment for your chance to be the lucky winner!

This week we are raffling off a pair of tickets to see Grupo Fantasma perform at the 9:30 Club tomorrow night! This Latin funk super-group has been cranking out quality tunes for ten years and are taking a victory lap tour after winning the Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album Grammy for their album “El Existential” last year. Check out one of their Grammy winning songs in this video and if you like what you hear, enter to win these tix!

For your chance to win these tickets simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address between 9am and 4pm today. One entry per email address, please. If today doesn’t turn out to be your lucky day, check back here each Wednesday for a chance to win tickets to other great concerts. Tickets for this concert are available on Ticketfly.

For the rules of this giveaway…
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Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Nats mount historic rally, beat Mariners 6-5 in the 9th

Photo courtesy of
‘Bang! Zoom!’
courtesy of ‘John C Abell’

The biggest deficit that the Nationals have ever overcome in the 9th inning, going into tonight’s game, was 2 runs. Tonight they battled back from 4 runs behind, and with two outs in the ninth inning, mounted a 5-run rally capped by a monster home run off the bat of rookie Wilson Ramos into the left field stands.

After being limited to just a single run against the Mariners’ Doug Fister, the Nationals came into the ninth inning down 5-1.  Jayson Werth, now sporting just a soul patch, having earlier shaved his beard, confounded Justin Smoak with a hard hit ball to first.  It deflected right off the glove of Smoak and Werth was at 2nd with no one out. Roger Bernadina drew a 7-pitch walk, the Nats were suddenly threatening.  Ryan Zimmerman grounded into a 6-4-3 double play just three pitches later, and it looked very much like Brandon League would be getting himself out of another jam.  Jerry Hairston Jr., who entered the game when Laynce Nix aggravated his right Achilles tendon, struck a single up the middle, plating Werth for the first run of the ninth.

The Nationals were now threatening in earnest, having been limited to just three more batters than the minimum by Fister through eight full.  Morse made strong contact off a slide from League, and hit it into the Mariners’ closer, ricocheting the ball back toward the 3rd base-line, and injuring League.  With the trainers coming out, it looked like the Mariners might add injury to insult.  With two down in the 9th, the Nationals had the tying run at the plate in Danny Espinosa, ratching the crowd of 21,502 into action.  Hungry for a rally, Espinosa hit the very first pitch from Danny Pauley up the middle, scoring Hairston, making it 5-3.  Wilson Ramos came to the plate as the winning run, and he just pounded an 84-mph changeup from Pauley into the left field seats to bring the house down on the Mariners.

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Sports Fix
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A Look inside the Nationals Win Streak

Photo courtesy of
‘189/365’
courtesy of ‘Danilo.Lewis|Fotography’

The winning streak that ended on Sunday was the Nationals’ longest since 2009, and is tied for the second longest since their return to Washington. As I said on Sunday, streaks are difficult things, and they take you out of the big picture, and you start to live for the microcosm of the streak and not for the reality of the season.  I pulled a lot of the numbers for the streak, and for the season as a whole, and the conclusions are pretty interesting.

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Entertainment, Music, The Features, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Ryan Bingham at the 9:30 Club

Ryan Bingham at the 9:30 Club
Photo by Rachel Levitin

It’s been said countless different ways, but according to folks who’ve lived around these parts, the District is “a northern city with southern charm.” As a daughter of two midwesterner’s, I never knew whether or not the whole “D.C. as a northern city with southern charm thing” was true or not. Then, I saw Texan singer-songwriter Ryan Bingham at the 9:30 Club. In the span of 24 hour hours, I found myself splitting my time between a colossal audience at the Verizon Center for Glee Live and a rock club turned honky tonk show at 9:30 Club for Bingham on June 10. Bingham brought the south with him. Continue reading →

Featured Photo
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Featured Photo


‘tiny eyes are watching you’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

For me, the only thing more fascinating than interesting pictures, are interesting pictures of very small things. Macrophotography, or close-up photography of small objects, can reveal a world of amazing detail. Really, such photography is limited only by the tools of the photographer.

Take the above picture from philliefan99. Clearly the four eyes of the spider are visible, along with their unique size and shape. You’re even capable of seeing the individual hairs on the legs and body of the creepy crawly. Would you notice such details if this were to scurry onto your leg right now?

The Features
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First Look: Fiola

fiola 001
The weekends in DC can be an interesting phenomenon. Once the work crowd leaves on Friday afternoon, downtown can seem tired and desolate without the weekday foodie crowd. I almost thought I saw that at Fiola on Saturday, then I realized I was there at an off hour. Once it was closer to dinner, couples and parties kept coming in.

The restaurant is the a brain child of Fabio Trabocchi, who a few years ago worked the kitchen at Maestro in the Ritz Carlton Tyson.

They’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Welcome back to DC, Fabio.

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Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Earth @ Ottobar, 6/17/11

IMG_1523
all photos by author.

I almost did not go to this concert. A big deadline at my day job had me completely exhausted and the thought of a round-trip drive to Baltimore weighed heavily on me all afternoon. The tiredness and sense of drive-dread continued into the early evening. In fact at about 8:30, I posted this on twitter: “My day job killed me today. Trying to dig deep to make the drive to B’More for the EARTH concert but…#AllSignsPointToNo”.

Then a response tweet from MetalChris of DC Heavy Metal intervened a few seconds later to gave me the motivation I needed to drag my weary self out to my car. “You can do it man! I’ll be up there too, how often does Earth come around ya know?” Little did I know that my drive up would soon be extended by an extra hour thanks to some single lane action on 295N. By the time I got to Baltimore I was in pretty bad shape and felt like I was about to pass out.

The opening band didn’t help me feel any better. O Paon is a single woman playing guitar loops and singing so quietly that the bouncers were making audience members leave the room if they talked. Normally I would applaud this kind of enforcement, but I soon found myself and MetalChris being chastised for simply saying hello. Did I mention that O Paon’s music did nothing for me? Normally I try to be an enlightened listener, open to just about anything; but the tiredness, the crappy drive, and the fascist bouncer did not put me in a happy receptive place for O Paon’s Quebecoise mewling.

But I wasn’t there for this French-language, musical stage version of Jodie Foster’s film “Nell”; I was there to hear Dylan Carlson’s legendary instrumental metal band EARTH shake some internal organs. So after some conversation in the other room, we all returned to the main room and took up places for one of the best shows of the year.

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Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Yeasayer @ 9:30 Club, 6/16/2011

Yeasayer: 9:30 Club, 6/16/2011 [2]
All photos by author

It’s been a year since Yeasayer last visited the 930 Club, in promotion of their latest album Odd Blood. Since then, word spread about their solid live show, and tickets for Thursday night’s show sold out months in advance. They came to DC as part of a short tour to road-test some new songs for their next album – another batch of funky, 80s-pop-influenced tracks with catchy melodies and weird instrumentation. Also new: their fantastic lighting setup, involving huge LCD displays that illuminated the entire club.

By the end of the show, I realized that only a couple Yeasayer tracks really do it for me – even “Ambling Alps” is wearing thin after hearing it a million times last summer. Yet their show was undeniably professional, and their visual appeal kept me interested even during the less exciting songs. Plus, as an experimental pop band, each song was different enough from the last, and short enough that I never got bored of watching them.

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