Yearly Archives: 2010

Food and Drink, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Cocktail Class at The Columbia Room

Photo courtesy of
‘20090120L1000010_640’
courtesy of ‘furcafe’

Now that The Passenger is well embarked with Tom Brown at the helm, brother Derek Brown’s internal cocktail laboratory – the bar-within-the-bar called the Columbia Room – is set to start classes in February. Seminars will be held every other Wednesday at 7pm for $65 each. The current line up through March sounds fascinating. It’s an ambitious program that will be helpful not only for you libation geeks already making your own bitters and eager to learn more, but also for those just delving into the world of craft cocktails.

“A Primer on Orange Liqueur” kicks off February 17, covering the difference between major top-shelf makers and showing participants how to make your own version of triple sec. Derek will demonstrate proper Margarita, Sidecar and Fancy Gin cocktails and help elevate this sometimes over-abused ingredient. Continue reading →

Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Tickets On-Sale For 2nd Annual NatsFest Today

Photo courtesy of
‘Nationals Park – Magic of Summer – 9-20-08’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

Get ready Nats fans! The 2nd annual NatsFest is scheduled for Sunday, January 31st and the team is ready to show their fans and their city some love before taking the field at Spring Traning 2010.

Fans will get the chance to take pictures with their favorite sluggers, fielders, pitchers and catchers and even get a few autographs in the process. And, for the older fans with a few more thoughts on their mind, there’s a Q&A with the Nationals Executives (and few TBA special guests).

NatsFest will be in the Lexus Presidents Club, Red Porch, Stars & Stripes Club and in the Nationals Park Conference.

General sale tickets go on sale TODAY (Wednesday, January 20) at 10 a.m. and are $10 for adults and $5 for kids. There are also ticketing options for season ticket holders here but will need to use a password provided to them via e-mail to redeem or purchase additional tickets.

Food and Drink, Night Life, Penn Quarter, The Daily Feed
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Cuba Libre Coming to DC

Photo courtesy of
‘Mojito’
courtesy of ‘Katayun’

Philadelphia, Atlantic City and Orlando – now DC will get its own taste of Old Havana when Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar opens at 9th & H Streets NW this May. I’m particularly excited by this news as Cuba Libre is known for its large rum selection featuring over 75 Latin American varieties. Will this mean that the naysayers who are calling for the death of the mojito will be proven wrong? We’ll see, as Cuba Libre is also known for this summery cocktail with 15 variations to choose from… at the very least, I’ll be happy to sip a Cafe Cubano after dinner!

The food menu will be overseen by Chef Partner Guillermo Pernot, 2002 winner of the James Beard Award for Best Chef of the Mid-Atlantic Region. Concept chef for the Cuba Libre restaurants since 2006, he’s said to be inspired to create dishes as if Castro had never come to power. Indeed, that pretty much sums up the restaurant’s concept – to celebrate 1950’s Old Havana in every way. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Miriam’s Kitchen Begins Dinner Service

Photo courtesy of
‘090924-G-4159B-936.JPG’
courtesy of ‘aclintonb’

As of yesterday, DC’s homeless can now have a healthy, home made dinner at Miriam’s Kitchen.  Up till now, this local soup kitchen had only served breakfasts but has now expanded its service to include an evening meal, as well.  This is good news for the philanthropically minded late-risers.  If getting up around 5am isn’t your style, you can now volunteer in the evenings from 4pm-6pm. If you’re interested, check out the MK website and sign up. Those that want to be really cool  should sign up for breakfast service on either the 2nd or 4th Thursdays of the month.  That’s when the really awesome people volunteer, if you know what I’m saying.

The Daily Feed
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Beltway 3rd Worst Commute in US. Surprised?

Photo courtesy of
‘Temple Ahead’
courtesy of ‘diskychick’

The Daily Beast has been crunching numbers to come up with a list of America’s 75 Worst Commutes, and surprising exactly no one, our own Capital Beltway came in at #3.

But what actually did kind of surprise me was the “expert’s opinion” quote they came up with to go with it:

“It’s a rough road,” says Adam Tuss, transportation reporter for WTOP 103.5. “It has lots of twists and turns, people speed on it and it’s got a lot of slow points too. It’s certainly not a freeway without its challenges.”

Really? That’s the best explanation anyone could come up with? It has fast-and-slow points? It’s twisty? Not the fact that it’s 5 lanes across in places and the exit patterns are constantly changing? Or that there’s pretty much no useful alternative to it if you’re trying to get between Maryland and Virgina?

News, The Daily Feed
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Creepy Pervert Warning on the W&OD Trail

Photo courtesy of
‘DSCF1771’
courtesy of ‘Kingfox’

Arlington Police are currently investigating a pervert who is exposing himself to women on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail in the county. He has exposed himself to five different women in the past week. ACPD said today: “A white male subject exposed himself to woman at various sections of the bike trail. Detectives are looking for more information from the public regarding these exposures.”

If you know anything about this pervert and his tiny winky, please contact Detective Comer at (703) 228-4243 or Detective Austin at (703) 228-4241.

We Green DC
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New Twists on Green Events

Photo courtesy of
‘Day 7 – Duck Shoot’
courtesy of ‘DaGoaty’

From the deep, dark motives of rubber duckies to shivering dips in the chilly Chesapeake Bay to free tickets to the Washington Auto Show, there’s some creativity in the next couple of weeks’ green events. Without further ado, here are some new ways to save the planet.

Learn If a Duck Is Plotting to Kill You
Wednesday, Jan. 20
6:30 p.m.

Slow Death by Rubber Duck – Discussion and Book Signing
Downtown/U Street Corridor
Busboys & Poets, 2021 14th St., NW

To research their new book, authors Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie spent a week eating and breathing things that are abundant in our homes and offices, from dust to shampoos and toothpaste.

Slow Death by Rubber Duck: The Secret Danger of Everyday Things tells the story of the toxins that accumulated in their bodies during that short time and jumps from there to the corporations that make these toxins, the governments that stand by and watch, and the effect it has on people worldwide.

Come for a talk and signing. The book is said to be hopeful, empowering readers with simple ideas for protecting themselves and bringing positive change.
Continue reading →

Food and Drink, News, The Daily Feed
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Coming Soon: Taco Bell in Union Station

Photo courtesy of
‘Taco Bell’
courtesy of ‘Javier Aroche’

To all of our dear Taco Bell lovers out there — we’ve got some good news and we’ve got some bad news.

Bad news first … Taco Bell founder Glen Bell, Jr. passed away on Sunday.

Now the good news … A Taco Bell is opening its registers at Union Station soon now open in the Union Station food court!

So go satisfy that craving you have for “cheap taco-y goodness” in memory of Mr. Bell. I’m sure he’d apprecaite it.

Mythbusting DC, The Features
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DC Mythbusting: International City

Photo courtesy of
‘Flagged entry’
courtesy of ‘afagen’

Hi, and welcome to a new year of Mythbusting!   We’re going to start out the year off with a myth about the character of the District.  When I first moved to DC, I always thought it was such an international city– walking down the street, you hear people speaking foreign languages,  and with all the embassies it seemed like it was home to people from many different nations.  And I’m not alone– there are clubs in the city focused on bringing international professionals together, and DC is known as a major global city.  But is the District home to more people from foreign countries, and more foreign speaker, than other peer cities?

Continue reading →

Life in the Capital, News, The Daily Feed
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Drivers Beware! The Parking Meter Conversion Is Complete.

Photo courtesy of
‘me limit 0:00’
courtesy of ‘theilr’

The parking meter conversion is scheduled to reach its completion today and DC residents must now be aware that  new enforcement hours and higher rates – including  Saturday enforcement and some meters running to 10 pm  — are in effect.

Not sure if these changes have anything to do with you? WTOP has the low-down on what you need to know.

But one thing’s for sure, it’s probably a good idea to start paying attention when parking on the street. You don’t want to go and get a ticket for forgetting to read a sign.

News, The Daily Feed, The Mall
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The “Nuns Impact On History” Comes To The Smithsonian

Photo courtesy of
‘These look like nice nuns’
courtesy of ‘Valerie Everett’

Ever wonder what nun’s do in their spare time? Wonder no more! The International Gallery at the Smithsonian opened a new exhibit on Friday featuring the stories of 12 Catholic sisters who arrived in New Orleans in 1727.

The exhibit demonstrates the overall impact of Catholic nuns had in the shaping of our nation’s culture and the evolution of social service over the past 300 years.

A wide-range of displays are featured, including: a letter from President Thomas Jefferson assuring the women that their work could continue following the Louisiana Purchase, the role of the sisters in treating soldiers on the front lines in the Civil War, the founding of the Mayo Clinic and other historically documented events.

“Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America,” is on a three-year tour and will be open to the public until April 25.

The Daily Feed
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Nickles’ War on the Judiciary

Photo courtesy of
‘DC Court of Appeals and Lincoln’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

The City Paper has a fascinating read today on what it considers DC Attorney General Peter Nickles’ War on the Judiciary. Right now, AG Nickles is in major conflicts with a number of different judges for attempting to short circuit judicial oversight of a number of city agencies. In a town that has been so fiercely against the unitary executive, it seems odd to see the Mayor try to emulate the former President in his quest to free the executive branch from both legislative and judicial oversight.

Reading some of the history of the six consent decrees that currently affect the District, and their origins, certainly gives one perspective on why Nickles might want to be free of oversight. It’s hard to see, though, why the District shouldn’t abide by prior decisions of the Court.

Featured Photo, WMATA
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Featured Photo


‘B&W Train Tunnel’
courtesy of ‘MikaAltskan’

What a year it has been for Metro, and the first month isn’t over yet. Service on the rails has been particularly messy this January, and just when it looked like Metro had decided to take the fight to the people, its general manager calls it quits. Despite last year’s tragedies and this year’s very rocky start, there’s still a magic about the system. Architect Harry Weese‘s vision for the Metrorail stations is iconic, modern, and yet still brutalist in nature.

For me, the best part of the system is the interface between the public parts of the station — the platforms, mezzanines, and escalators — and the inaccessible areas, especially the tunnels and the rail bed. Teenage photographer MikaAltskan managed to snap this shot looking into the tunnel from one of the stations. It shows off the curves of the concrete and rails, and the lights punctuating the distance before veering into an unknown, yet familiar place.

The next time you are waiting for the train that seems to never want to arrive, take a look around you and notice the cathedral-like look of the station where you happen to be waiting.

Fun & Games, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Operation: SNOW PEA

Photo courtesy of
‘DSC_4606’
courtesy of ‘Ghost_Bear’

So you’ve watched 24 and are hankering for some personal spy action, right? Or perhaps you’re in the mood for something a little different during the cold, dreary days of winter. Well, for a limited time, you can be a double agent right here in the “City of Spies.”

The International Spy Museum is running Operation: Snow Pea through the end of February, giving you and your friends the chance to experience the museum and a special operation for the price of one admission. Simply provide the secret password (SNOW PEA) to one of the museum’s operatives or on the online order form and receive admission to the museum PLUS one of the following for only $20.10:

  • Be an intelligence officer on an international mission in Operation Spy.
  • Thwart a cyberterrorist attack on the nation’s capital! Play Polar Bear Spy in the City.
  • Enjoy creative cocktails and clandestine conversation at Spy at Night.

Offer isn’t valid between 2/12 – 2/15 and expires February 28. Get your spy on before the tourists come back…

Talkin' Transit, The District, The Features, WMATA
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Quo Vadimus, Metro?

Photo courtesy of
‘bumpy concourse’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Thursday afternoon’s resignation of Metro’s John Catoe came as a shock. Having been in a room with Catoe not 24 hours before, I was especially surprised. Catoe did not look like a man defeated by the challenge. Instead, I felt he had likely thought of a plan of action, and stood ready to implement it.

Instead, we are here, rudderless, facing a transit system in its biggest crisis moment. Metro has four very large looming problems that need to be solved in the next calendar year:

  • Finish the Realtime Train Detection System

  • Receive the NTSB Recommendations and fix what hasn’t yet been fixed

  • Deal with a $40M shortfall this FY, and a $160M deficit for 2010-2011

  • Figure out how to fund 300+ new 1000-series cars

And that’s just the subway side of things. Add to that the (largely in good shape, but congested) bus system, and you have a job that should be roughly on par with the Augean Stables. There’s a lot to get done, resources are at a premium, and they’re likely not to expand. So, where do we go from here? Continue reading →

Sports Fix, The Features
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Sports Fix: The Dark Times

Photo courtesy of
‘Ovechkin Tosses First Star Puck to Crowd’
courtesy of ‘clydeorama’

With the Skins done for the year, and the Nats and United not due to report for weeks yet, and the horrific season for the Wizards, our only highlight this year is the Caps. In fact, with things as dismal as they are, I’d venture to say unless the Caps can press hard for Lord Stanley’s Cup, this would be as dire a year in Washington Sports as we’ve seen in some time.

Capitals
Record: 30-12-6
Last Two Weeks: 6-1
Place: 1st in the Eastern Conference

The Capitals averaged more than 5 goals a game for the last two weeks. Five! Hell, that’s practically more runs than the Nationals were scoring for long periods of last season. Part of that is Ovie/Semin/Backstrom, but the trade for Jason Chimera has paid off, as he is gelling well into the third line, picking up 5 points in the last two weeks. His pickup has made some of the difference for the Caps in both a physical, and an offensive sense.

The Caps have also recalled defenseman John Carlson to the bench, fresh off leading the US National Junior Team to the World Junior Championship gold-medal game, where he picked up a pair of goals, including the game winner.

I’m looking forward, though, to the return of Semyon Varlamov to the goal, as Jose Theodore is a rough stand-in for the far more agile young Russian. Varlamov aggravated a groin injury in a rehab game at Hershey, but he should return to the squad this week or next. The Caps face the Red Wings on Tuesday, look for Ben Rome’s very first behind the scenes game report on Wednesday.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Twentieth Anniversary of “Goddamn Bitch Set Me Up!”

Photo courtesy of
‘DC Chamber of Commerce Gala oct 17 2009’
courtesy of ‘ShashiBellamkonda’
Twenty years ago tonight, Marion Barry was caught smoking crack with a prostitute in the Vista Hotel. Here’s what the Post said the next morning:

D.C. Mayor Marion Barry was arrested on charges of possession of cocaine last night at the downtown Vista International Hotel after a fast-moving undercover investigation by the FBI and D.C. police that began several weeks ago, according to law enforcement officials and sources familiar with the arrest.

The Daily Feed
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Twitter Contest: Nissan Leaf Tour

nissanleaftour_la1

The Nissan Leaf Tour is coming to DC next week so Nissan can show off their new, all-electric, zero-emission* car to one of the most traffic-choked regions in the country during the DC Auto Show. To celebrate, they’ve given us an eco-auto prize pack to give away via Twitter. You can win:

1 – Nissan Leaf tour t-shirt
1 – $150 TerraPass.com gift certificate
1 – Eco Touch car cleaning kit ($49.99 value)

Here’s how to enter:

You have to follow We Love DC on Twitter (so we can DM you for details on shipping your prize).  Then tweet something that mentions @welovedc, @nissanevs, and the #leaftour hashtag.

The winner will be chosen on January 25th.

*Zero-emission, unless the power plant the electricity comes from is coal-based, which most of them around here are.

The Features
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A Week of DC Helping Haiti

Photo courtesy of
’20_16A’ Donation Drive at the Haitian Embassy
courtesy of ‘m hoek’

Since posting about local Haiti relief efforts, I’ve gotten a bunch more info via email and blog comment that I wanted to share with you. Please note that I’m erring on the side of getting the information out there; I haven’t vetted any of the organizations putting these things together or receiving the donations, so please check them out and use your best judgment before donating. So pick the event that works for you and plan to spend time with your friends and neighbors around the cause of helping our fellow people.

Tonight, Monday the 18th:

Nanny O’Brien’s Irish Pub 8:00 PM- Irish music, fundraiser, raffle to benefit earthquake victims. Donations collected and a portion of the day’s proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross.

PUBLIC 5:00-8:00PM- Happy Hour fundraiser to benefit the Red Cross Haiti Earthquake Victims fund. Suggested donation is $40, and people making donations get $3 Miller Light specials.

Tuesday the 19th:

Recess Lounge – Will donate a portion of each drink purchased Tuesday evening, and will be soliciting free will donations (suggested amount: $20) to be sent to Yele Haiti and Partners in Health.

Wednesday the 20th:

Madam’s Organ 6:00-9:00PM – Party for Haiti: $1 from every drink and 10% of food sales donated to the Red Cross. At 8:30PM, organizers will ask attendees to pull out their cell phones and text donations, in unison, to the charities of their choice.

Thursday the 21st:

Bread & Brew – DC Vegan Drinks will be taking donations at their event, as well as holding vegan bake sales through the weekend to raise money for Mercy Corps and Food for Life Global.

Friday the 22nd:

Local 16 6:00-10:30PM – Fundraiser event to benefit Oxfam’s Haiti relief efforts. Donate $25, at the door or in advance, and the party will feature drink specials, “free beer until the keg runs out,” and a buffet of Local 16’s appetizers.

BrightestYoungThings also has a list of Haiti fundraising events they’ve compiled that you should check out.

News, The Daily Feed, WMATA
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Metro To Issue Rider Refunds To Those Experiencing Lengthy Delays

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

Frequent Metro riders have reason to jump for joy today. Metro Deputy General Manager for Finance and Administration Carol Kissal told the Washington Examiner that “it is time for the agency to give something back.”

(This of course being the time where the happy dance starts…)

With price hikes in the works for Metro this upcoming fiscal year (Kissal says any permanent fare increase will take place on or around July 1), it only seems fair that talks about refunding loyal riders take place.

There is no official course of action at the moment, but  in the mean time, refunds for those experiencing long wait times on Metrorail and Metrobus can browse the other options available on the Metro website.