Yearly Archives: 2010

The Features, Where We Live
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Where We Live: Chevy Chase

Photo courtesy of

‘Chevy Chase Trolley Turnaround’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Welcome to another installment of Where We Live.  As we’re wrapping up the District’s neighborhoods (if there’s one I haven’t yet covered that you’d like to see, speak now!) before moving onto Maryland and Virginia, this week’s feature tackles a town that sits in both the District and Maryland: Chevy Chase. This neighborhood has a charming residential character, and beautiful tree-lined streets, and it’s tucked away from the hustle and bustle of downtown.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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If You Biked To Work, You’d Be Home By Now

Photo courtesy of
‘Commute’
courtesy of ‘DaveFayram’

We all love to complain about our commutes– by Metro, by car, and by bus— and we all think that we have it worse than most people.   Well, the folks at Bike Arlington think that biking is usually the most efficient way to get around in the city, and they’re willing to put it to the test.

If you start or end your commute in Arlington, tell Bike Arlington about it– where you commute, what mode of transportation you use, and how long it typically takes– and they’ll tell you if it’d be faster to bike to work.  They’ll ride your route on bike, time it, and tell you if it beats your current commute.  How great is that?

I’ve always wondered if biking would be faster than a typical Metro commute, and this is the perfect opportunity to try it out without having to figure out a route for yourself.  Stay tuned for updates on Bike Arlington’s twitter page, and keep an eye out as a WeLoveDC author puts her hellish commute to the test!

Fun & Games, Night Life, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Dance Like Mike For Charity

Photo courtesy of
’15th Anniversary media photos’
courtesy of ‘coconut wireless’

Got the urge to bust a move this weekend? Project Create is throwing the “Rock With You” Dance Party at Darlington House Saturday featuring a night full of legendary tunes by Michael Jackson.

Proceeds go toward at-risk children in the DC area.

So lace up those dancin’ shoes, grab yourselves a sequined glove,  maybe some white patent leather shoes, and get ready to rock it like the smooth criminal you know you are.

Party starts at 7 p.m. and features drink deals all night after the $5 cover.

Tickets are still available.

Entertainment, History, Special Events, The Features, We Love Arts
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Celebrate Lincoln’s Birthday at Ford’s Theatre

Robert Parsons as Abraham Lincoln, Rick Foucheux as Stephen Douglas and Sarah Zimmerman as Adele Douglas in the Ford’s Theatre Society production of Norman Corwin’s The Rivalry, directed by Mark Ramont. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

Robert Parsons as Abraham Lincoln, Rick Foucheux as Stephen Douglas and Sarah Zimmerman as Adele Douglas in the Ford’s Theatre Society production of Norman Corwin’s The Rivalry, directed by Mark Ramont. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

Ford’s Theatre Society and the National Park Service celebrates Abraham Lincoln’s birthday with special February programming. On February 5th, 12th, and 19th, Washington-area youth will present a selection of Lincoln’s greatest speeches as part of the Target Oratory Festival. On February 12th at 8:45 a.m., National Park Service Park Rangers will commemorate President Lincoln’s birthday with a Wreath-laying Ceremony on the historic steps of Ford’s Theatre. On February 13th, 15th, and 20th, visitors are invited to explore the many legends surrounding Abraham Lincoln’s life in Tales of the Lincoln with storyteller Jon Spelman.

Visitors can tour the recently renovated Ford’s Theatre Museum and experience an interpretive program about the events that led up to and include the assassination of President Lincoln. Visitors can also visit the Petersen House (the “House Where Lincoln Died”), dependent upon schedule. Through February 14th, check out a performance of “The Rivalry,” which explores the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates. And to further enhance the visitor experience, park rangers and volunteers will be dressed in Civil War-era period clothing throughout the month of February.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Comedy in a Carpet Store to Benefit Haiti

Photo courtesy of
‘Aside’ photo used by permission
courtesy of ‘Aaron Webb’

Here’s a weird little comedy event that didn’t arrive in my inbox in time for this week’s Comedy in DC column. On Saturday the 30th at 8PM, Mike Blejer, Hampton Yount, Tim Miller, and Matt Hemmerlein will perform a benefit show where the proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross Haiti Relief fund.

The venue is only listed on the Facebook event as 2413 Mount Vernon Avenue, Del Ray. I haven’t heard back from the organizers yet for confirmation, but I Googled that address and came up with a commercial real estate flyer for a vacant property that used to be a carpet store. So… the good news is, it’s not some noisy bar where the TVs will be on in the background. But you’ll have to BYOB (which is not necessarily a negative, in my opinion).

News, Talkin' Transit, The Daily Feed, WMATA
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Metro Board Votes to Raise Fares $0.10

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘mollie emm’

The Metro Board voted early this afternoon to use fare hikes, and not rail service cuts, to cover a $40M budget gap for the rest of FY 2010, which ends in June. The fare increase will go into effect on 1 March 2010, raising the minimum fare on Metro to $1.75 during rush, and $1.45 during offpeak. The move is just one of a group of measures that will cover the budget gap, and was said by GM John Catoe to potentially raise $9-11M in extra fares.

Also included the measures adopted by the Metro Board were staff cutbacks at the transit agency (mostly open positions) and other measures, but significantly absent from them was a transfer from the capital budget to operating funds, which could have jeopardized future purchasing for Metro.

In addition to the fare hike, the council also elected Peter Benjamin from Maryland to the chairman’s position, replacing Ward One councilman Jim Graham who is cycling off the chairmanship.

We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends, January 30-31

Photo courtesy of
‘Eastern Market’
courtesy of ‘ep_jhu’

Kirkles: I’mma be taking some friends that recently moved to the area around to a few of my favorite haunts on U St., which means the Saloon, Gibson, and Ben’s Chili Bowl.  I might try to convince them that we need to go to Wisdom, as I’ve never been and have been meaning to get over there for some time.  On Saturday, provided we’re not snowed in, I’m going to Mr. P’s Ribs and Fish in Brentwood, for some good, southern BBQ out of the back of an old school bus.  Supposedly, the ribs are to die for.  Sunday will be my recovery day, but I plan on going to the Eden Center for some sweet, sweet Vietnamese food.

Rachel: Friday night is going to be AWESOME! Why? Back to the Future is playing at E Street Cinema as part of their Midnight Madness series (which, in case you couldn’t figure out, means that they’re rolling the movie at the stroke of midnight). Saturday I’m making my first trip to Cedar to meet up with some of the folks from Leopold Brothers distillery to sample a whiskey I hadn’t heard of until this week — New York APPLE Whiskey — and then wrapping out the night rehearsing for my upcoming gig at Chief Ike’s Mambo Room. Sunday I’ll be spending some quality time with Madeleine Albright at the Newseum hearing all about her new book “Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat’s Jewel Box.” Then MAYBE I’ll grab a few winks and Z’s … but that’s a giant maybe. Continue reading →

News, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Leonsis Offer for Wizards May Be In Trouble

Photo courtesy of
‘DC Chamber of Commerce Gala oct 17 2009’
courtesy of ‘ShashiBellamkonda’

…but it’s not a fault of the offer or the team, it seems. The threat to the peaceful transfer of the Wizards is coming from Washington Sports & Entertainment, who insist they should have the right to accept outside public offers for the Wizards as part of the sale. Negotiations have been (publicly) civil between Leonsis and the Pollin family, who’ve both retained investment banks to assist in the valuation of the Wizards franchise (right now? I’d give ’em a nickel.) and the Verizon Center.

What had previously been released was that Leonsis, and his company Lincoln Holdings, had an exclusive period in which to make an offer for the team and the Verizon Center, after which things could be opened to the public. The President of WS&E, though, believes that not to be the case, and he’s gone public with a memo sent to the Pollin estate and Leonsis.

What had been a peaceful process just got a whole lot of potential to get ugly. Thanks, jackass.

Food and Drink, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Meat Week in DC

Photo courtesy of
‘Meat Case’
courtesy of ‘easement’

Um, no. That is not a thinly veiled reference to… whatever you were thinking it was a thinly veiled reference to. (PSH, you thought I was going to fill in that blank? No way. I am an adult. And mature. And stuff. At least that’s what I tell my Mom.) Anyways, Meat Week. I found out about this via Twitter (which is where ALL the good information is these days) – so hat tip to Capital Spice for being awesome with all the details.

So what is meat week? A celebration of DC carnivores, basically, where you just eat a ton of meat and feel fat, happy and protein’d. Restaurants like Red Hot ‘n Blue, Rocklands and Pork Barrel BBQ are site to meat-lovers dinners, and you better be there. The dudes from Pork Barrel BBQ are putting together a buffet (of meat!) on Wednesday, February 3rd, from 5-9 p.m. at Mango Mike’s in Alexandria. (Mango Mikes is the brother restaurant of Pork Barrel’s upcoming joint, don’t be thrown off by the tropical name.) The southern-style menu sounds redonkulous, with ribs and cornbread and other delectables.

For a full schedule of events, check out Capital Spice’s round-up and the full schedule is available at the Meat Week web site (no, for real, there is an official site for this). There are no fussy prix-fixe menus at any of the places hosting meat week, so order however much you want and dig in. So, forks up. Let’s go.

The Daily Feed
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DC Loves Labs … And Yorkies Too!

Photo courtesy of
‘P3200070’
courtesy of ‘jarapet’

American Kennel Club announced their 2009 list of the country’s most popular dogs. Lucky for us, they broke down their lists for each particular state (or in our case, the District).

DC’s most popular breeds include:

  1. Labrador Retriever
  2. Yorkshire Terrier
  3. Golden Retriever
  4. Poodle
  5. Bulldog/Dachshund/Shih Tzu (These dogs tied for fifth.)

What do you think? Does this list hold true? Is your dog not represented in this top 5? Shout it out in the comments and give your pup credit where credit is due (aka mad love for being super cute)!

Business and Money, Essential DC, Life in the Capital, News, The Daily Feed, The District
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Up Against The Wall Follows Commander Salamander

Photo courtesy of
‘Mystery man #1’
courtesy of ‘Ed Yourdon’

Exactly one week ago, I posted the sad news that long time Georgetown staple Commander Salamander would be shortly shutting its doors. The only glimmer of hope was that sister shop, Up Against The Wall, was still opened and right around the corner. Unfortunately, today’s posting by local DC-Georgetown blogger Carol Joynt, announces that Up Against The Wall will be closing as well.

No word yet on if this means the entire chain is going under.  I’m planning on swinging by the shop today and seeing if I can find out further details.

The Daily Feed, We Green DC
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DC Environmental Film Festival Needs Volunteers!

Photo courtesy of
‘1930s Movie Projector’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

Want to help out in a green way, but can’t afford solar panels? How about volunteering for the DC Environmental Film Festival? They need help running their evaluation screenings, as well as hosting parties, hosting filmmakers when they come to show their works, or better yet, bring out your camera and help them document the festival!

The Festival runs March 16-28 at venues all across the city, so there’s plenty of time to assess your schedule and make some plans to help out a good green cause!

News, The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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Metro Board Hears All The Options

Photo courtesy of
‘Metro HQ’
courtesy of ‘tbridge’

Last night was your turn to talk back to the Metro board, and talk back DC did. The meeting was a standing room only affair, with many turned away who hadn’t signed up to come to the meeting, and more still turned away to the satellite viewing center. It wasn’t always the politest of audiences, we’re told that the loudest cheers and applause came from the commenter who suggested the whole board resign, but it was mostly a civil discourse at Metro HQ.

The best roundup we’ve seen so far has come from Unsuck DC Metro’s coverage, which said that though all choices were bad, but unequally so. Metro has a hard road ahead, and last night was just a preview before the budget for FY 2011 comes. Were you there? What did you see?

Sports Fix, The Features
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Where to Watch the Super Bowl

Photo courtesy of
‘Acadiana Restaurant’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

One of the great things about DC is that, unlike many cities, there’s a place for just about every sports team in the US here. You want Steelers football? The Pour House on Capitol Hill. You want Red Sox baseball? Rhino Bar. You want Penguins Hockey? …Okay, maybe not every sports team in the US. But, DC has some really great spots to watch the Colts take on the Saints next weekend, and we reached out to some of our favorites to get all the details for Super Sunday.

Why are we telling you now? Well, this weekend’s the Pro Bowl (yeah, I know, it’s weird to see it before the Super Bowl) and you might as well go out and try some of the places out this weekend to find just the right spot for the big day. So click on through and see what DC’s got to offer for Super Sunday. These are just a couple options for the dedicated fan that don’t involve the traditional sportsbar. Where are you watching the game?
Continue reading →

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Caps Clip Ducks 5-1

Photo courtesy of
‘IMG_0371’
courtesy of ‘jsmjr’

Settling into one’s seat last night at the Verizon Center, one would wonder what roller coaster the Washington Capitals had planned next? Visiting the seven-game-streaking Caps were the Anaheim Ducks on a six game road trip. The Caps, fresh off a 7-2 blowout of the New York Islanders on Tuesday where seemingly everyone grabbed a point except captain Alex Ovechkin, were looking to lengthen their 19 point lead in the Southeast Conference and remain atop the East as the NHL drove towards the Olympic break.

Ovie had to have felt left out of the fun on Long Island and let it show early by burying the puck only 36 seconds into the game. A solid twelve minute run through the first period saw the Caps dominating in the Duck’s zone, racking up a 13-3 shots on goal advantage before Anaheim’s offense settled down. The Caps ended the period with a season-high matching 19 shots on goal, peppering Jean-Sebastien Giguere in spurts during his first game back in over two weeks.

The game settled down in the second; both Giguere and Michal Neuvirth had some terrific saves as both teams hammered into the zones. Dan Sexton managed to finally get one past Neuvirth and it looked as if the game would settle into a classic low-scoring goalie duel. But everything flipped in the span of less than three minutes as the third period unfolded.

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The Daily Feed, We Green DC
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Extra Swampy on Roosevelt Island

Boardwalk on Roosevelt Island

Boardwalk on Roosevelt Island

If you’re a fan of Theodore Roosevelt Island, you know it doesn’t normally look this wet. Ye olde Potomac has flooded in, raising water levels to within about a foot of the boardwalk in places.

Lots of ducks and geese are paddling around on the island, and a flock of seagulls is picking snacks out of the river near the Key Bridge.

I ran through on a late lunch break today, when the tide was rising, and it felt a bit like running on a lake. After a plane passed overhead, I heard that cool swishing, zipping sound of wind high up, above the flooded swamp. It was a cool moment indeed. If you missed ’em earlier, check out our morning flood pics around town, or see more of the island after the break.
Continue reading →

News, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Gilbert Arenas Suspended for Rest of 2010 Season

Photo courtesy of
‘Introducing Gilbert Arenas’
courtesy of ‘afagen’

The news has just about come down from NBA Commissioner David Stern, Gilbert Arenas has been suspended for the rest of the season after pleading guilty to felony firearms charges. The official word from the Wizards isn’t expected for a while yet, but David Stern expected to face the press soon.

Here’s hoping the Wizards cut this joker loose.

Capital Chefs, Food and Drink, The Features
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Capital Chefs: Jon Mathieson of Inox (Part II)

Photo courtesy of
‘INOX #46’
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

As you read earlier in Katie’s Capital Chefs Part I, we trekked out to Tyson’s corner (on a Saturday) to catch some peace, quiet and scallops with Inox Restaurant’s co-owner Chef Jon Mathieson. After ooo-ing and ahh-ing over his adorable two little kids playing tag and harmlessly tackling each other around the empty restaurant, Katie and I were not disappointed by the no-nonsense cooking style of Chef Mathieson, who had clearly spent some time in the kitchen with his other two (actual) children.

“Which one of you cooks?” I raised my hand. “Alright, then if you’re making this at home, you can start practicing now.” And we were off to a running start. “Stand over here. See this cabbage? See this color? Here, here’s a towel for you to hold the pot handle. Stir it. Now pull it off the heat.” Chef Mathieson coaxed me through the process of emulsifying the butter sauce while perfectly coating and braising the cabbage.

He made it seem so easy. He showed me, in multiple ways, where it could all go wrong, and the lesson was over in half an hour. Could it really be that easy?

Continue reading →

Fun & Games, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Washington Auto Show Opens At Convention Center

Photo courtesy of
‘Lines and Circles’
courtesy of ‘CowCopTim’

The Walter E. Washington Convention Center opened its doors to the annual Washington Auto Show today.

This year’s show features 700 new vehicles from over 42 domestic and import automakers including the newest sports cars, green cars and high-tech rides. NBC Washington’s got a nice slide show preview up of the spread, just in case you want to check out the goods before dropping a few dollars for the real thing.

The show runs every day through Sunday and is open during the following hours:

Wed. January 27, 2010 – 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Thur. January 28, 2010 – 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Fri. January 29, 2010 – 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sat. January 30, 2010 – 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sun. January 31, 2010 – 10:00 am – 7:00 pm

Tickets are still available.

Crime & Punishment, Downtown, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Mr. Jefferson Frowns on your Shenanigans!

Photo courtesy of
‘Thomas from Across the River’
courtesy of ‘marc.benton’

Fox 5 reports that the US District Court has dismissed the lawsuit of a woman who was arrested for dancing in the Jefferson Memorial.  Mary Oberwetter, the dancer in question, was arrested two years ago when she failed to stop dancing at a Park Police officer’s request.  The Park Police dictate that an air of tranquility and reverence should be maintained by visitors when in national monuments.  Ms. Oberwetter’s impromptu dance party was deemed a violation of this, and like an idiot, she decided not to obey the man with the gun and was arrested. Charges were  eventually dropped, but Oberwetter sued the Park Police for violating her first amendment rights. The District Court, however, felt differently and ruled in favor of the police.  So, if you’re a dancer, keep out of the monuments.