Yearly Archives: 2010

The Daily Feed
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Spider Kelly’s Reopens

Photo courtesy of
‘Raspberry Mojito’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’

Spider Kelly’s has reopened after a multi-week closing to double the size of the location and, apparently, is now a veritable Bro-topia of epic proportions. From the Thrillist email announcement:

…the formerly sit-down, slim galley bought out the three adjacent storefronts and transformed into a sprawling bastion of athletic boozyness; its all-new massive, wrap-around diamond plate main bar’s ringed by 25 flatscreens, dart boards, pool/shuffleboard tables, and arcade rigs like Golden Tee and Big Buck Hunter…

Also present are is a new menu, thirteen beers on draft (as opposed to the previous bottle-only policy) and all sorts of kitschy cocktails such as “Bourbon Cruiser” and “Sex On Wilson”. They’ve got some specials for you to try out on Thursdays during the Tournament: $2 Miller Lite, $3 Craft beers and $3 margaritas/mojitos.

News, The Daily Feed
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DC EMS Overtime a Problem

Photo courtesy of
‘Party Animals on First Street, SE’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’

Councilman Phil Mendelson will be looking into the nearly $5M in overtime paid out to Fire and EMS workers so far this fiscal years, with several workers taking home substantial amounts of extra cash, in some cases amounts of more than their annual salary, thanks to Overtime abuses. Does DC Fire/EMS need more people? Is it just people abusing the system?

The District, The Features, The Mall, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Josef Albers

Josef Albers, “Homage to the Square: Glow,” (1966). From the Hirshhorn’s collection.

“We must teach each other… education is not first giving answers but giving questions.”  – Josef Albers

Abstract art is void of narrative.  The composition often speaks only through the viewers mind.  A type of understanding through speculation, providing the sort of simple canvas that the imagination needs in order to thrive.

Josef Albers (1888-1976) was a master of the subjective canvas, an explorer of color and an ambassador for the abstract form.

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The Daily Feed
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Now You See It, Now You Don’t

A topic often discussed in photography, especially with regard to buying and selling, is the archival quality of the print.  When you are purchasing a photograph, much like investing in a classic car, you want it to last as long as possible without any colors fading.  Most photographers or dealers will print on “archival” paper using “archival” ink and will frame it using materials such as UV glass, ensuring that the photograph lasts as long as humanly possible after it’s hung on the purchaser’s wall, oftentimes longer then 200 years (or so we hope).

Imagine if this idea were taken to the opposite extreme?  What if I told you that I knew of hundreds of photos that you couldn’t buy, you couldn’t hang on your wall, and that you would only be able to view for one hour before they were never seen again?  Well I do, and they’re part of a new project called One Hour Photo.

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Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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99 Cent Shakes At Tenleytown Z-Burger

Photo courtesy of
‘Shamrock Shake’
courtesy of ‘sarae’

I don’t know about you, but this ridiculously gorgeous weather is making it quite hard to focus on the work at hand today — not to mention it’s St. Patrick’s Day.

Need an excuse to get out of the office? If so, head over to Z-Burger for a 99 cent chocolate mint milkshake in honor of every American’s favorite non-American holiday (or at least, from the amount of green I’ve seen the past few days, I’d say it seems like it is).

All you’ve got to do in order to shell over less than a dollar for the shake is say “Shamrock Shake.”

The shakes are available at the Tenleytown location at 4321 Wisconsin Ave., NW until 10 p.m.

Entertainment, Music, Night Life
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New Venue: U Street Music Hall

photo by Sam Vasfi.

Two of the hardest working DJs in DC, Will Eastman and Jesse Tittsworth, are about to drop a bomb on U Street in the form of their new 300-capacity nightclub, U Street Music Hall. Destined to become one of DC’s best dance destinations, U Street Music Hall is located at 1115 U Street NW in the very cool, basement space vacated by Cue Bar.

Eastman and Tittsworth have taken over the space and cleared everything out to make room for a massive, 60-foot long, wooden dance floor (built over cork for extra bounce and comfort), a gigantic DJ booth that is “larger than some venues in DC”, and a 40,000 Watt sound-system that is designed to “physically compel you to dance”.
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The Daily Feed
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Presidential Picks – Obama Takes Kansas to Win

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

He was right last year with North Carolina, but will he be right again?

President Obama unveiled his winning pick for the Men’s NCAA 2010 Tournament earlier today.  And surprise, surprise it’s Kansas.

No Cinderella stories here. Kentucky, Kansas State, and Villanova round out the Presidential Bracket’s final four.

How does your bracket match up?

Essential DC, Interviews, Life in the Capital, People, The Features
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She Loves DC: Meredith Peruzzi

Photo courtesy of
‘Gallaudet Chapel Hall’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Reader Meredith Peruzzi, a lifelong area resident and a current Gallaudet student, approached We Love DC eager to share her perspective on the city. Here she explains why she loves DC…

I always thought that people who weren’t native to a place didn’t really identify with it – that if you asked somebody where they were from, they’d name their hometown.  I grew up in the DC area, so whenever someone asked where I was from, I’d always say “here” – this has always been my home, and I can’t consider myself “from” anywhere else.  I’m a Washingtonian because I’ve always been one.

So I assumed that DC was “my city” and that people who moved here didn’t necessarily feel that they were Washingtonians.  Until I started reading We Love DC, and realized that even transplants love this town and feel a connection to it.  People who like to move from city to city may not identify with DC, but anyone who makes their home here is a Washingtonian.

So DC is my city, but it’s also your city, our city, and everyone’s city.  Tourists flock to DC every spring and summer because they want to see where their tax dollars are going, where their senators and representatives live, and all the famous monuments and buildings that grace their money and their history books.  Across the nation, civic pride is personal – the Statue of Liberty belongs to New Yorkers, and the Golden Gate Bridge belongs to San Franciscans.  But the Washington Monument and the White House belong to all Americans, and I love that they come to experience DC because America means something to them.  It’s not so much “welcome to my home” as it is “welcome home.” Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Extended Final Hours for Terra Cotta Warriors

Photo courtesy of
‘Assembly Line’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’

The National Geographic Museum has announced it will extend hours for the closing weeks of “Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor” from March 19-31, making an additional 16,800 tickets available. These tickets go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. on Friday.

The exhibit will be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. March 19 – 25, and from 9 a.m. – Midnight from March 26 – 31. The new exhibit “Sacred Waters: Photography by John Stanmeyer” will also be open during the extended hours in the M Street Gallery.

Tickets are available for purchase online, by phone at 202-857-7700, or in person at the box office. Anyone purchasing day-of tickets must do so at the box office or over the phone, as they will not be available online.

Don’t miss this excellent exhibit before it packs up and heads back to China!

The Daily Feed
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BREAKING: Rex Grossman Signs with ‘Skins

Photo courtesy of
‘Rex Grossman at Bourobonnais’
courtesy of ‘back_garage’

Jason Reid just filed a report that Mike Shanahan has made another addition to his off-season collection of free agents. Rex Grossman, who quarterbacked the Chicago Bears to Super Bowl XLI before losing to Indianapolis in the big game during the 2006 season, has signed on with the ‘skins. Last season, Rex got in one game as the back-up to Matt Schaub in Houston, in which he threw nine passes: three caught by Texans, one caught by the defense. Washington’s offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, had been the OC in Houston at the time.

Go ahead and forget about picking up that Jimmy Clausen jersey, while many more developments are to come, this most likely means the hometown team will not be picking up a QB with their top ten pick in next month’s draft.

The Daily Feed
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Nats Unconditionally Release OF Elijah Dukes

Photo courtesy of
‘Elijah Dukes’
courtesy of ‘Keith Allison’

It was just announced that the Nationals have unconditionally released OF Elijah Dukes. If you’re unsure as to what “unconditionally” means, here’s the gist — the Nats couldn’t find a trade partner for Dukes and he can go to whatever team wants him should he want to sign with the club when approached.

Dukes has been an outfielder for the Nationals since 2008.

The general consensus in the clubhouse is shock. Updates after the page break. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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The Eagles Announce June Tour Stop At Nationals Park

Photo courtesy of
‘03106-17Crop’
courtesy of ‘furcafe’

Dave Matthews Band aren’t the only headliner’s planning to rock out at Nationals Park this summer.

Satisfy your craving to bust out into random song (i.e. scream classic karaoke tunes like “Hotel California” at the top of your lungs … in public … without shame) when The Eagles  stomp through town during their upcoming tour on Tuesday, June 15.

Tickets go on sale next Monday, March 29 at 10 a.m.

The Dixie Chicks and Keith Urban will join The Eagles as special guests on this tour stop.

The Daily Feed
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Local Girl from “The Bachelor” Up for Auction

Photo courtesy of
‘in a taxi window*’
courtesy of ‘mofo’

In case you missed her from the most recent season of The Bachelor, Ashley Elmore, a high school teacher in Fairfax, made it to the second round of the huge hit dating show just a few months ago (I admit, I watched most of it, but please don’t tell anyone that, seriously). She grabbed TV land’s attention when she put on her sexy classic flight attendant’s costume for Jake. Unfortunately, the costume didn’t quite get the job done for her. No worries Ashley fans, she’s not done trying to find love. Ashley is putting herself out there one more time and going up for bid at what has become DC’s hot trendy way to raise dollah dollah bills – a date auction! Not that I…um…have any experience with such things, but I hear they are lots of fun.

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Talkin' Transit
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Talkin’ Transit: Snow Blower Edition

Photo courtesy of
‘South Smithsonian Escalators’
courtesy of ‘william couch’

It’s going to be in the sixties and sunny for the next few days, and memories of record snowfall and Metro closures are quickly fading. But I want to take you back a month, to twenty-inch snowfalls and closed federal offices. Every time that we’ve had a massive snowfall in the area over the last 22 years that I’ve been here, someone suggests that Metro should buy equipment to deal with big snow falls. And every time the idea gets shot down with an argument about how we can’t afford to be prepared for once every seven years/decade/lifetime storms.

With each mounting inch of snow, and each dollar that it costs to dig out, I began to doubt that, and I decided to see how much it costs to buy equipment that might help Metro fight the snow. I contacted the friendly folks at the Chicago Transit Authority and asked them about their equipment and what they do to handle the snow.

Metro closes all above ground stations when snow reaches between six and eight inches. They do this to protect the undercarriage of the trains and for fear that trains won’t be able to get power from the electrified third rail. In contrast, CTA has no such predetermined parameters and try and maintain normal service until it is unsafe to do so.
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Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, News, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Social Safeway: The Supermarket Superstar

Photo courtesy of
‘Shopping – Race to the Checkout’
courtesy of ‘David Blackwell.’

Great googlie mooglie!  With all the interwebz chatter about the grand reopening of the Social Safeway at 1855 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, one would think this was the greatest development in DC since sliced bread, and as one of those local residents, who has been supermarket less for almost a year, and therefore semi-breadless, it is indeed a long awaited event! And no, Whole Paycheck (aka Whole Foods) does not count as a supermarket, even though I do love their produce and two-for-one pizza Tuesdays.

This Safeway is going to be, quite frankly, TheBomb.com. Not only will it be  Safeway’s most state-of-the-art, greenest, opened 24 hours, full-service grocery store to date, but it will also feature: a wine cellar complete with a wine steward, a specialty cheese department with certain varieties flown in fresh daily from Europe; a sit-down sushi bar; brick-oven pizza; Italian-style gelato bar; an upgraded Starbucks coffee bar; indoor/outdoor seating area featuring a fireplace, HD televisions, complimentary WiFi, and open balcony overlooking Wisconsin Avenue; a SunTrust Bank; a Bergmann’s Dry Cleaners; and wait for it……..A NUTBAR!!!!! offering a wide selection of warm, ready-to-eat nuts that can be flavored or ground on site to create spreads and butter. OMG!!!!

Social Safeway 2.0 is set to open its brand spanking new, glorious, long awaited doors May 6th.  From the looks of the construction site’s live webcams, there’s a fair amount of fixing up to do in the next month and a half month. Giddy up Safeway! Giddy Up!

News, The Features
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Major Fire at 19th & Sunderland in Dupont

fire in dupont photo credit Angelica Bailey
Photo by Angelica Bailey, special to We Love DC

The office building above the Levante’s restaurant on 19th Street near Dupont Circle is currently in the midst of a serious fire. It started shortly after the lunch hour today, and is currently being fought by a number of DC’s Bravest. Engine 4 (Hornet’s Nest) Ladder 9 and Ladder 14, and an EMS and Fire command units and several ambulances. They’re moving trucks onto New Hampshire Avenue, as well, to fight the fire from all sides. According to EMS scanner reports, the fires are in the ductwork now, probably starting from Levante’s kitchen. They’re venting the roof with an axe and a chain saw right now.

Updates as they come.

And, to add insult to injury, those cars stuck at meters on 19th and elsewhere, trapped by the fire trucks, are all being ticketed. Way to go, DC DPW. (apologies to DDOT who I initially and incorrectly identified as issuing tickets.)

Video and more pictures below the cut

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The Daily Feed
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Nats Notch First Spring Training Victories In Florida

Photo courtesy of
‘Let Your Fan Flag Fly!’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

After going 0-11 in Spring Training so far, the Nationals get their first win by frying those Florida fish (aka the Marlins) with a 12-3  victory  on a split squad day in Viera, Fla. (via NatsJournal Twitter account) The rest of the squad is currently up 4-2 after 9 innings in Jupiter, Fla. and are have Jesse English on the mound trying to close it out as we speak.
Update 3:48 p.m. – Make that TWO victories for the Nats today. Final score in Jupiter is 4-2 vs. the Cardinals. RHP  John Lannan went 4 scoreless innings on this outing.
The Daily Feed
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Bollywood/Hip Hop Fusion Workshop This Weekend

Photo courtesy of
‘Dhoonya’
courtesy of ‘erin m’

Dhoonya Dance is hosting their popular BollyHipHop workshop this weekend in the Chevy Chase Athletic Club at 1:30. It’s 2 hours, $30 in advance/$35 at the door, and a really accessible way to try out Bollywood dancing in a context that won’t feel so unfamiliar before committing to a longer class. Also, it’s highly aerobic and a great way to shake off the winter hibernation mode, so I recommend you check it out if you’ve been looking to find some alternate forms of exercise.

The Features, We Love Drinks, We Love Food, We Love Music
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St. Patrick’s Day: What’s the craic?

Irish banneSign of the times at Bottom Line by Corinne Whiting

St. Patrick’s Day seems to fall at a good time of year—just after we’ve groggily “sprung forward” and just as we’ve been teased out of our winter hermit holes by the sweet promise of spring. Winter vacation seems a lifetime ago; Memorial Day beach treks couldn’t feel farther out of reach. Truth be told, we’re ready for some good craic.

This holiday always seems an ideal time to check in with Irish mates I haven’t properly caught up with since my last trip to Éire. I write friends based in happenin’ Dublin and off “busy” getting sunburned in fabulous places around the globe to wish them a happy Paddy’s Day. (Note: if you accidentally let slip “St. Patty’s Day,” prepare to be scolded for incorrectly feminizing the legendary saint!) This year I surveyed my friends’ March 17 plans, knowing that the night before would be the big night out thanks to a national holiday on St. Patrick’s Day. Over there March 17 seems a day, at least for my friends, to take it easy—catching up over pints and coffees, cycling into the country and, most importantly, avoiding the chaos of city centre. The downtown Dublin parade, it seems, can be saved for the kids and tourists.

So what then does March 17 (unfortunately not a holiday here) mean for Washingtonians? Perhaps the Obamas will dye the White House fountain green again (touch wood). And while the holiday will no doubt give venues an excuse to charge covers to droves of bar goers on a random Wednesday night, it will also give bar goers an excuse to spend a Wednesday night clinking glasses of green beer, downing Irish car bombs and flaunting real or feigned ancestry (“Kiss Me, I’m Irish” buttons, anyone?). It’s also a day when cultural traditions get a wee bit muddled here in the “melting pot” of America—Scottish and English customs become Irish; anything Celtic goes….

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