Category Archives: The Features

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

Entertainment, The Daily Feed, We Love Arts
By

2011 Helen Hayes Awards Nominees Announced

The gathering at the Helen Hayes gallery at the National Theatre looked like any other networking event. Wine and appetizers were served as people made introductions and small talk. However a pianist playing soft music and a lit podium revealed that this wasn’t an ordinary reception.

It was the nominations announcement for the 27th Annual Helen Hayes Awards, DC’s premiere theatre awards honoring the past year in local professional theatre.

Helen Hayes was a DC-born actress who became known as the, “First Lady of the American Theatre”. Her legacy includes being one of 12 people who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. Besides having the awards named after her there is also a theatre on Broadway that also shares her name.

Continue reading →

Eat Like Me, Food and Drink, Foodie Roundup, The Features
By

Eat Like Me: February’s Best Dishes

Photo courtesy of
‘3666-33Crop’
courtesy of ‘furcafe’

Some months I go fancy, others I don’t. I definitely erred on the side of casual this month, going so far as having a grilled cheese sandwich at not one, but three restaurants. Take note, fancy restaurants, I don’t find many things more satisfying than butter, bread and cheese cooked to gooey perfection. Did I just call the new burger? Is it the grilled cheese? I sure hope it is.

Continue reading →

capitals hockey, Sports Fix
By

Looking at the Caps’ 2011 Trade Deadline Day

Photo courtesy of
‘IMG_4927.jpg’
courtesy of ‘bridgetds’

So the NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, and the Washington Capitals made the most of it. Truth be told, the Caps started a few days ago, acquiring Marco Sturm off waivers from Los Angeles, and then added two new pieces of the current puzzle yesterday. Dennis Wideman joined the blue line corps early in the day, and the biggest catch came at the buzzer with the Caps announcing the acquisition of center Jason Arnott from New Jersey.

Do the Caps believe they’re ready for the post season with these three players? Caps management seems to think so. Let’s break it all down and see if we agree. Continue reading →

Featured Photo
By

Featured Photo

Photo courtesy of
DC Streets: Beneath the Surface by pnzr242

While it may not have the historical significance and impeccable timing of Cartier-Bresson’s “Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare“, this image captures a beautiful moment in time.  I love it when a photo causes your eye to dance around the frame, first from the obvious action of the puddle, next to the exiting body, then to the broken reflection of the tree, with an unfortunate ending at the ugly bike tire.  The use of black and white here adds to the gloomy, rainy day mood and forces the viewer’s eyes to concentrate on composition and subject matter, two ingredients that can sometimes be clouded by color.  This photo also serves as a reminder that not everything is happening directly in front of you.  Look up, look behind you, look down — you never know what you might be missing while you’re on a date with your camera.

Capital Chefs, Food and Drink, The Features
By

Capital Chefs: Kyle Bailey & Tiffany MacIsaac (Part 2)

Photo courtesy of
‘Birch & Barley’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’

I’m practically drooling at the thought of this pasta dish. Had I been dining in the privacy of my own home, I would have picked up the bowl and proceeded to slurp down the sauce that was on it. And it was heartwarming to see Kyle and Tiffany make this dish together, each executing the part of the dish that they knew best.

Below you’ll find the recipe for homemade ricotta cavatelli with slow-roasted pork, broccoli rabe and pine nuts. Before you go running for the hills, screaming, “Make pasta from scratch?! I caaaan’t!” let me assure you that it’s really easy, will only take about 15 minutes, and will taste far better than the pre-packaged, chemical-laden crap at your local grocery store. I have faith in you, dear reader. And if you’re here, you’re probably not the type of person looking up Rachael Ray recipes for burgers with hotdog bits in them (yes, folks, that happened). Put in a little effort, and you will be rewarded with a savory, memorably delicious meal.

Continue reading →

Capital Chefs, Food and Drink
By

Capital Chefs: Kyle Bailey and Tiffany MacIsaac (Part 1)

Photo courtesy of
‘Birch & Barley’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’

It’s rare to find one person who is doing exactly what they want in life, let alone two. But chefs Kyle Bailey and Tiffany MacIsaac are doing just that: cooking food they love in a restaurant geared towards their tastes and styles. They’re all about serving homemade food, no pretensions and you can tell neither one of them is the type to cut corners in the kitchen.

The married pair came to DC in 2009 after working at the now closed, Allen & Delancey in New York City. Michael Babin, one of the co-owners of the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, approached Bailey about coming to work at Birch & Barley. “He said he wanted to open a beer restaurant, and he was like, ‘I hope that’s not going to be a problem for you.’ Are you kidding? That’s like my dream,” says Bailey. “It wasn’t about dumping Miller Lite on fish. I wanted to cook my food and prepare dishes with awesome beers. I take the long way home every time. It’s about quality and cooking from scratch.”

Continue reading →

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
By

Nationals Announce New Radio Partner, Spring Schedule

Photo courtesy of
‘Radio AM/FM/Short Wave, Datsun Cedric’
courtesy of ‘johnrobertshepherd’

The Nationals this morning announced an agreement with WJFK 106.7 “The Fan” to broadcast Nationals Games on the station, as well as on 1500AM, WFED.  The Fan will operate a studio behind (natch) Section 106 during home games, as well as a spot in the Nationals’ Shirley Povich Media Center high atop the Park. The team’s broadcasters, Charlie Slowes and Dave Jageler, will be returning to their microphones for the Nationals as the voice of the team. Below the break are the first spring training games and their respective outlets.

The move to add an FM station as flagship will significantly bolster the service radius for the Nationals broadcast, as WFED’s broadcast range isn’t nearly as broad as WJFK’s broadcast range. The spring schedule indicates that they’ll be running daytime games (after the WJFK debut on March 6th) on 1580AM WHFS, which has a slightly different broadcast range.

Continue reading →

We Love Music
By

We Love Music: Darkest Hour @ 9:30 Club, 2/25/11

Atticus Tour @ 9:30 Club
All photos by Erin McCann

How was your weekend? Mine started off with a bang – as soon as I got off work, I headed straight for the 9:30 Club to check out a handful of metal bands on the Atticus Metal Tour. This was an early show, running only until 9pm, since rockabilly queen Wanda Jackson had a later that night. So who shows up for a metal show at 5pm? High school kids. Drunk people. And me. I got my dose of metal that left me pumped for the rest of the weekend.

DC’s own Darkest Hour headlined this tour, along with younger metalcore groups Born of Osiris, As Blood Runs Black, and The Human Abstract. Four bands in four hours meant the show moved at a brisk pace – it felt like every band could’ve played a few more tracks, especially the headliners. I enjoyed all of these bands, but with 15 years of experience under their belt, Darkest Hour stole the show.
Continue reading →

Education, Music, People, The Features
By

A Look From The Inside: Duke Ellington School for the Arts

Photo courtesy of


‘Clouds rise from Duke Ellington School’
courtesy of ‘randomduck’

The Duke Ellington School for the Arts in Washington, D.C. boasts a 98 percent graduation rate in a public school district that only graduates 56 percent of its students on time. It is also the only dual curriculum program on the public high school level that attracts students from the entire D.C. metro area.

The school, founded in 1974, provides professional arts training and college preparation to talented D.C. public school students. Each student takes a full academic course-load and, additionally, majors in one of eight arts disciplines (Dance, Literary Media, Museum Studies, Instrumental or Vocal Music, Theater, Technical Design and Production, and Visual Arts), according to its website.

What makes this igcse tuition centre a success is its ability to fulfill the school’s proposed mission, to “give an artistic and academic opportunity to students who otherwise wouldn’t have this kind of unique opportunity.”

An Ellington education is no easy feat. Students have longer school days than the average D.C.P.S. student. Ellington holds classes until 5 p.m. every day. Ellington has two staffs: arts and academics. The respective faculties engage Ellington’s creative students with a curriculum that requires 34 percent more credits than other D.C. high schools.

If you want that your facilities look like this you should look for furniture for schools that will help them to be comfortable while they are in classes.

Continue reading →
Entertainment, Music, The Features, We Love Music
By

Living the Dream … Singing the Dream: Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Song

Photo courtesy of
‘Martin Luther King Memorial – The Eyes – 12-04-10’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

It took 22 years of celebratory performances in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. before the grandest of vocal collaborations took place, but it was well worth the wait. This year’s Living the Dream … Singing the Dream took place on February 20 at the Kennedy Center and was the first-ever on-stage collaboration between the Washington Performing Arts Men, Women and Children of the Gospel Choir and The Choral Arts Society of Washington Choir.

Choral Arts has produced this annual musical tribute to Dr. King for over two decades with The Choral Arts Society Choir as the main attraction.

“It is a joyful and inspiring experience each year to celebrate [King’s] legacy with the great songs that were so central to his timeless message of peace and love among all peoples,” Choral Arts Founder and Artistic Director Norman Scribner said.

“We are especially happy this year to be joining with the Washington Performing Arts Society and their outstanding chorus of Men, Women and Children of the Gospel for an unforgettable remembrance of all that has been accomplished so far, and a re-dedication to an even brighter future for us all.” Continue reading →

The Daily Feed, We Love Arts
By

We Love Arts: The Seagull

For a play written over 100 years prior, Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull has elements that could would of made for a great MTV Reality Show. Complicated love triangles, affluent families, and a setting that could be described as Russia’s version of The Hills, the Seagull is a story decades before its time.

I recently attended a production done by The Arlington Players and I could see those elements come to life on the stage. An ensemble of tortured souls, yearning to satisfied their unrequited love. It’s so emo I expected Death Cab for Cutie to chime in between the many acts.  While the Chekhov piece has endured the test of time with a vibrant display of human struggle, there are some aspects of the show I would of been better off without, most notably the four act length of the play. The show lasted well over three hours, something I would have cut down like other modern adaptations of the show. However I do respect to homage to the original work in this case.

Continue reading →

Special Events, We Love Arts
By

NatGeoLive: March 2011

The Eagle Hunter's Son, ©Eden Film Stromberg Productions, used with permission by National Geographic

First of all, a very big “thank you!” to all our readers. National Geographic took a chance last year with WeLoveDC in letting us give away event tickets through our site and WOW did you guys exceed expectations! So on behalf of WeLoveDC and National Geographic, thank you for supporting the NatGeo Live program.

With that kind of preamble, it’s probably apparent that yes, once again we’ll be doing random drawings every month for our readers to attend a NatGeoLive event of their choice (with exceptions). The 2011 season is packing quite the wallop from what my sources tell me, so get ready for another great lineup of screenings, talks, tastings, and more. (For ticket information, visit online or call the box office at (800) 647-5463.)

To enter the drawing, simply comment below using your first name and a legit email address, listing the two events from the following program list you’d like to attend. (Note that there are a few events not eligible and we’ve noted them for you.) Sometime Monday (Feb 28) in the afternoon we’ll randomly select two winners to receive a pair of tickets (each) to one of their selections. You’ve got until noon on Monday to enter!

Continue reading →

Comedy in DC, Entertainment
By

Storytelling In DC: Story League

_JH36783-2
Photo by Abby Greenawalt

I was almost swept away by the wind on Saturday as I trekked down the curvy streets of Adam’s Morgan to meet up with SM Shrake , one of the founders of Story League, and attend their second workshop.  I had a flash of the opening scene to Shutter Island when I was walking up the driveway of the mental institution-like structure. As I got closer and closer to the front door, I heard heavy strings getting louder and louder with each step I took. Fear was trying to take control, but I knew I had to get in there. There was a question that infected my brain with obsession. “What is Story League?”

To get to that answer I first had to learn about the man with the idea of Story League. I had a nice chat with SM who has been a Washingtonian for four years. He grew up in Detroit and lived in Philadelphia before making his way to the District.  He would visit the nation’s capital to hang out with a friend while living in the City of Brotherly Love. (I googled that nickname about Philadelphia. I can’t confirm if people say that, but it sounds nice.) Anyway, he realized that he had so much fun here that he wanted to make it his new home. “What I find fun about it is there’s a camaraderie. The transitiveness of the people. To me that gives it a different feel. It’s almost like hotel bars are sexy. People are passing through.” I totally understand what he means by this. D.C. is a place where people relate instantly, because they are not from here. Fortunately for SM, he was able to bond with people that are not only not from here, but have a passion for live storytelling. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
By

We Love Music: Thursday & Underoath @ 9:30 Club, 2/22/11

IMG_4196-2.jpg
All photos by Andrew Markowitz

I was not expecting such a great night of metal at 9:30 Club on Tuesday night. To my surprise, the show was sold out by the time I arrived. Animals as Leaders, a local progressive metal outfit, blazed through a set that left everyone at the show talking about them for the rest of the night. Plus, the headliners Underoath, a metalcore group I’ve been writing off for years, wowed me with their flashy stage show.

So that was a nice surprise, but really I was there for emo / post-hardcore group Thursday. To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of its release, Thursday played their debut album “Full Collapse” in its entirety. Let’s just say I’m pretty familiar with it. It comes up pretty frequently when I want to scream alone in my bedroom. The words to all the songs are permanently engraved in my head, or at least in my diary.* Confession time: Thursday is the band I’ve seen most live. I lose a ton of cred in the ‘metal scene’ for this, but you know what? Every time I see them, I walk away thinking about how Geoff Rickly is a grade-A frontman, who brings undeniable energy to every performance. I just can’t pass up a chance to see him.
Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Drinks
By

We Love Drinks: Homebrew Your Own Hard Cider

Start your fermenting!

February may seem like a strange time to think about cider, or even autumn. But when Mother Nature seduces us on a Friday with the sweet smell of spring, then turns her back days later with a sick smack of sleet, I’m happy to exercise a flagrant disregard for the season. More importantly however, we’re about 8 months out from the peak of autumn, the same amount of time it takes to make a seriously strong batch of hard cider, which makes this the perfect time to start brewing.

I had never seriously considered brewing my own hard cider, let alone any sort of alcohol, until last September on a trip to Denver. I visited with my buddy, Nick, who is an avid homebrewer and we spent a day-hike discussing the ins-and-outs of brewing; I became very excited by the idea. He suggested cider as a good first step. Before I was on my way back to DC, I’d already ordered some supplies to get started.
Continue reading →

We Love Weekends
By

We Love Weekends, February 26-27

Photo courtesy of
‘Let’s Have Some Fun’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

Rebecca J.: Friday I’m headed to the Black Cat to catch Fred Armisen perform where I’m hoping for some salutes to his Gov. Paterson and Barrack impressions. After that we’ll head to the basement of Cafe St. Exwhich always gets crazy. On Saturday, as I’m headed to a “Look At This Fucking Hipster” party in the evening, the day will be spent scavenging thrifts shops for the most absurd hipster get up imaginable. I’m already scared to see the bf in skin tight tapered pants. Yowsa! After the wild and craziness of Friday and Saturday, Sunday will be all about relaxing, recovering and watching all things Oscar.

Jenn: It could be an art-filled weekend, starting tonight with ARTventures on H where from 5:30-8pm you can wander through 13 galleries on H Street NE for an art walk that not only gets you culture but also gets you fed – for every gallery you enter, your “passport” is stamped to get you 12% off participating H Street hotspots from 7-9:30pm. Total happiness. Also worth a stop at some point is Rosemary Feit Covey’s exhibit “Death of the Fine Art Print” at Morton Fine Art, where you can see how this provocative artist is stepping out of her comfort zone in a fascinating way. Continue combining art with food by hitting Locolat next door for an evil waffle-burger (yes, it’s a burger with waffles for a bun, topped with beer-saturated cheese. I told you, evil!). Ok, you could also just have a regular Belgian waffle but either way, go for the decadence this weekend. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
By

We Love Music: Weedeater @ SONAR (Baltimore), 2/23/11

IMG_7684
all photos by author.

Step right up folks. Here we have the genuine article. A regular nine-toed, Jim Beam soused, hard working, son of the South. Brought straight out of the backwaters of North Carolina and direct to SONAR Baltimore’s side stage to both bewilder and terrify you with his gravel voiced howls and suffocating sludge bass guitar. The wild man reputation of “Dixie” Dave Collins has preceded him for a decade and on Tuesday night I finally got to experience this force of nature front man for myself.

“Dixie” Dave fronts Weedeater, a Stoner Doom metal band with a sound that is a little more Southern-fried than most of their peers. Accompanying Collins on drums is Keith “Keko” Kirkum, an imposing mountain of a man who would look equally at home guarding the gates to Mordor with a giant war-hammer or roughing you up for the change in your pockets. On guitar is Dave Sheperd; tall, slender, eyes hidden beneath the brim of his camouflage cap; lurking in the background like your uncle’s weird hunting buddy or that unassuming neighbor that turns out to be a serial killer. All three of these guys look like they could deliver some serious damage with any assortment of WalMart supplied bows, shotguns, and lawn darts. Weedeater trade in their firearms for instruments every couple of years to cut an album and tour behind it, unleashing an entirely different type of punishment than the kind they delivered to Ned Beatty’s ass in “Deliverance”.

Continue reading →

Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
By

We Love Music: Los Lobos / Taj Mahal @ 9:30 Club, 2/21/2011

IMG_3329.jpg
all photos by Andrew Markowitz.

I always enjoy double headliner billings and this one was one of the finest I have seen since The Zombies were paired with Love some 6 years ago. Tonight we had the legendary, world-wide blues of Taj Mahal matched with the multi-genred, Grammy winning veterans, Los Lobos. It was a large crowd at the 9:30 Club looking for a rootsy, danceable, swinging good time on a cold Monday night. With musicians like this, it was sure to be a successful night for all.

Continue reading →

Food and Drink, Foodie Roundup, The Features
By

Where to Eat Breakfast When You’re Up With the Sun

Photo courtesy of
‘new morning ritual’
courtesy of ‘ekelly80’
So I know this might not be the coolest thing to admit, but it’s high time I got something off my chest — I’m an early riser. And not just in a I-go-to-the-gym-before-work way. (Because I don’t!) I am usually up and ready to rock before 8am on the weekends, and let’s be honest, I’m usually hungry. Herein lies an issue — most restaurants don’t open for weekend brunch until 11am or later, which is way past the point of a low blood sugar induced meltdown. I always have a hard time coming up with restaurants that serve actual breakfast (not brunch), especially in my pre-coffee, early morning haze. So for me and my early morning brethren, I have compiled a list of all the worthy restaurants in town that serve you coffee when you really, really need it.

Continue reading →