Yearly Archives: 2010

Alexandria, The Great Outdoors, Where We Live, WTF?!
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Nature’s Fury: Braddock Road Edition

IMG_1158
photo by author.

Alexandria got hit hard by yesterday’s freak storm.The worst hit area seemed to be the North/South stretch of Braddock Road between Old Town and Route 7. That stretch looked like it had been hit by a mini-tornado; trees down, roads closed, cars and homes struck. In the several hours it took me to drive home from DC last night, I got a tour of some pretty spectacular storm damage. Here are some shots I took that I think give a pretty good impression of how strong this storm was.

Stare in awe at the aftermath of nature’s fury.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Whole Foods Coming to Foggy Bottom

Photo courtesy of
‘Whole Foods Market on P Street’
courtesy of ‘Maryland Route 5’

Good news for anyone caught in between Georgetown and Shaw who has a hankering for an olive bar. Prince of Petworth caught wind that the large vacancy at 2200 Pennsylvania Ave will be the future home of another District location for Whole Foods. On the southeast side of Washington Circle, the location will likely attract quite a crowd both on weekends and mid-day from George Washington students and K Street professionals.

The downtown location would be the fifth Whole Foods within the District, and that doesn’t even consider other nearby locations in Clarendon, Old Town and Maryland.

News, The Daily Feed
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Individual School Test Results Out

Photo courtesy of
’01-29-08′
courtesy of ‘Fort Worth Squatch’

Individual school test results are now out for DC Public Schools and Charter Schools, so if you want to go check your neighborhood school’s results, you can. Just a warning, they’re not all rosy. The elementary school two blocks up from my house (Burroughs) was static in reading proficiency and saw an 18 percentage point drop in math proficiency, which kinda scares the crap out of me.

How’d your elementary or middle school do this year?

The Features
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Silence in the City: Where To Go To Get Away

Photo courtesy of
‘Have A Seat’
courtesy of ‘Paul Frederiksen’

A lot happens in our great town: art shows, meetups, happy hours, plays, lectures, new exhibits opening, old exhibits closing, book signings, breakfast meetings, brunches, power lunches, fundraisers, forums, playdates, baseball games, midnight movies, networking, tweetups, talks, tours—heck, even our skeeball and kickball games are organized nearly to death. And then you’ve got e-mails, Twitter feeds, friends, half the blogs in the city, Groupon, Goldstar, the Going Out Gurus, and mailing lists from every nonprofit, theater company and neighborhood book store whose website you ever even thought about visiting, all telling you about this Great, Exciting Can’t-Miss Event! going on. So you fill your iCal, shut down your office computer at 6:00, and trudge onto a packed Metro platform, elbowing your way onto a four-car train that’s 20 minutes late and already loaded 1,000 other worker bees and 1,000 tourists and their 1,000 screaming kids, most of whom are way too big for that stroller that just ran over your toe, and you head out to that event, determined to fill your evening hours with something interesting and important. And then you do it again the next night.

DC: Stop. Take a breath. Calm. Down. Put away the smartphone. We’re here to help. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed, We Green DC
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$10 Off at Silver Diner

Silver Diner

When you think about diner food, “fresh” and “local” probably don’t spring to mind. But the fine folks at the Silver Diner are out to change all that – and to let you try some of their new dishes for free.

Starting today, if you “like” Silver Diner on Facebook and enter your e-mail on their form, they’ll send you a coupon for $10 off once they reach 5,000 fans.

Their new Fresh & Local choices mean if you order a salad topped with local blueberries and goat cheese, it’ll taste great.

And you can still order a burger – they’ll just hold the hormones and the long truck ride for your beef, and stack on extra juicy flavor.

News, The Daily Feed
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Storm, Train Derailment Snarl Commute

Photo courtesy of
‘derailed traffic’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

A horrific line of storms has done significant damage to trees and power lines along the GW Parkway in Alexandria, and a coal train derailing on the CSX tracks near Quantico have brought two major avenues out of DC to a screeching halt. Downed trees and crushed cars on the GW Parkway have closed the thoroughfare, in both directions, from 395 down past Slaters Lane. The area near there has no power, though, and most of the traffic lights are out throughout Old Town Alexandria. Just a PSA: A traffic signal with no power is a four way stop. Dominion reports that almost 20,000 customers are without power in that immediate area, and that they are working on the situation.

More serious is the overturned coal train on the CSX tracks near Quantico, VA. VRE has suspended all southbound trains at Crystal City and will be busing customers from there to their final destinations. There will not be recovery equipment available until after 10pm tonight, so if you’re planning to come in on the train tomorrow morning, you’re going to want to spend time on VRE’s website to check to see what the current situation is.

Be careful out there, as there’s still one more line of storms due to hit the area before nightfall.

Entertainment, Food and Drink, Special Events, The Daily Feed, We Love Drinks
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Wrapping Up the Rickey

Alex Bookless wins the Rickey Contest. Photo: Scott Wolfson.

The Third Annual Rickey Month Celebration was Monday night, and I’m only now getting around to recap it after being honored to participate in the final judging. That should give you a better idea of what kind of wild fun party it was than anything I could possibly write, but…

The five final contestants presented a quintet of Rickey riffs highlighting the enormous talent we have on hand here in DC mixology. None were derivative, all were inventive, and it was a very tough call. That’s the sign of an excellent field of contestants – congratulations to the DC Craft Bartenders Guild!

But there has to be a winner, and it was Alex Bookless (The Passenger) with her The Root of All Rickey, a complex mix of both event sponsors Woodford Reserve Bourbon and Hendrick’s Gin. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Beer, Music & Art

Photo courtesy of
‘The Phillips Collection’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

Phillips After 5 tonight will feature ChurchKey’s Greg Engert, who will be pouring up some delicious white beers, and DJ Danny Harris, likely to be spinning tunes from the Beatles’ White Album.  And of course, you can enjoy all of this while also taking in The Phillips Collection’s incredible exhibits.

If you have never been to this fun D.C. event, I recommend you battle the severe thunderstorms and kick off the weekend right!

The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Small Works on Paper

Vonn Sumner, 'Totem', 13.5"x11", watercolor on paper

The art galleries I love most are inviting and unintimidating, highlighting a thoughtful curator’s focus and giving you a intimate view into the artist’s world. Stepping into Morton Fine Art’s new space on Florida Avenue off U Street felt instantly relaxing as curator Amy Morton welcomed me with a warm smile. I was eager to take a look.

MFA is housed in an airy white room on the street level of the MINT building, billed as an “innovative arts lab.” Really several concepts rolled into one – studio, arts consulting, gallery, artist advocacy – it’s conceived as a way to serve the changing contemporary arts scene by collaborating with multiple artists as opposed to maintaining a “static stable.” In addition to shows at the studio space itself, MFA hosts the bi-annual exhibit known as *a pop-up project which “pops-up” at various temporary locations around the city.

The opening exhibit is Small Works on Paper, on display now through August 26. It’s completely manageable for an afternoon pop-in with a carefully chosen selection from three artists – Vonn Sumner, Rosemary Feit Covey, and Laurel Hausler – working in mediums ranging from watercolor, wood engravings and mixed media. Strongly dedicated to the belief that anyone can be an art collector, Morton took the time to walk me through the current exhibit and shared her enthusiasm for the artists. It works. After a few minutes I felt the itch to take home one of Rosemary Feit Covey’s subversive wood engravings. It might happen to you as well. Or you can simply linger, wondering over some quietly powerful images. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Where You Live

Photo courtesy of
‘Dupont Circle Storefronts’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Love where you live?  We want to hear about it!  After a year and a half and 32 neighborhoods, our Where We Live feature is nearing retirement.  But before it goes we want to make sure we’ve covered all the neighborhoods in the DC region that meet the following criteria:

  1. have both a commercial and residential component (what makes it worth a visit, and why is it a great place to live?),
  2. are within the Metro-served area of DC/MD/VA and/or inside the Beltway, and
  3. have someone that would like to talk to us about what it’s like to live there.

We’ve profiled 21 District neighborhoods, 7 Virginia neighborhoods, and 4 Maryland neighborhoods already, so check out what we’ve covered so far.  If your neighborhood hasn’t been covered and you want to talk to me about where you live, leave a comment here and I’ll get in touch with you.  Thanks!

We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends, August 8-9

Photo courtesy of
‘Americana’
courtesy of ‘ekelly80’

Jenn: This weekend is all about the Dog Days of August in my ‘hood, sponsored by the MidCity Business Association and taking place all along the 14th and U Street corridors. From the Studio Theatre Prop & Costume Sale, to boutique fashion sidewalk sales including Redeem, Nana, Lettie Gooch and Treasury, this is always a fun event to wander up and down featuring sales of 70-80%. Many of the local restaurants will have specials too – like Marvin’s rooftop posicles, Cork Market’s donut and lemonade stand, and ACKC’s tropical beach party. Show the love to one of DC’s most vibrant communities, and get some sweet sale action for yourself too!

John: I’m taking a much-needed break this weekend and going somewhere (really, I don’t know) with my girlfriend on a trip planned by Magical Mystery Tours. All we know is that there will be a beach and that we show up at DCA at oh dark thirty on Friday morning. If I wasn’t mystery vagabonding, I’d be heading to DJ Lil’e’s 80s Prom Night at the Black Cat Mainstage on Friday night, with a bite to eat at Bar Pilar. Sunday Brunch would probably involve Bacon at Eola or a Cowboy Breakfast with a live bluegrass band at Fireflies in Del Ray. Something awesome about bluegrass and breakfast.   Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Lack of Consistency Plagues the Nats

Photo courtesy of
‘6TH’
courtesy of ‘MissChatter’

There are two merry-go-rounds currently circulating in NatsTown: the starting rotation and the outfield player selection. This of course has been a theme throughout the season dating back to Spring Training.

Any time either of these run-around situations appears to be settling, it flares up again like bone chips in Jason Marquis’ elbow.

The outfield conundrum is one issue that is a little easier to settle since there are less chips being played. Let’s start with who’s in the field. Continue reading →

All Politics is Local, The Daily Feed
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Now’s the time: Run for ANC

Photo courtesy of
‘Clipboard and Pens’
courtesy of ‘robnguyen01’

You’re just 25 signatures away from running for Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner.  That’s it.  25 people in your Single Member District are all you need to get on this November’s ballot.  Last week we talked about how few seats are contested each election, now it’s your turn to do something about it.  74 people picked up petitions to run for ANC yesterday, and only one race is currently opposed.

The ANCs serve a crucial role in working with local businesses and with neighborhood planning, so if you care about jobs in your community, this is a great way to participate in that process. Time to pick up that petition and get to work, folks. Change starts at home, and this is the most granular part of the process. Get involved.

The Daily Feed
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Dan Snyder Works Around Maryland Smoking Ban at FedEx Field

Photo courtesy of
‘IMG_0758’
courtesy of ‘dbking’

Thanks to several laws in the last few years, the DMV area is a smoke-free region in public places. For non-smoking patrons, public smoking bans are a beautiful thing. No more worries about second-hand smoke after going to a bar, no more worrying about your family being around smoke unnecessarily. And generally, just a little bit more fresh air in a crowded restaurant can’t be a bad thing, right? Continue reading →

Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Robyn & Kelis @ 9:30 Club 8/2/10

Robyn @ 9:30 Club 8/2/10
photo by author.

Robyn and Kelis announced their unlikely tour pairing via (a staged?) Twitter conversation back in May.

Kelis: Love to. Thinking it’d be fun 2 hit the road together?

Robyn: That’s what I’M thinking. I got my strobes ready & some new dancing shoes as well. We could do this!

Dubbing their team-up the “All Hearts” tour, the soulful, hip-hop, songstress and the Swedish, former teen pop star set out across the country to introduce America to their re-invented selves. On Monday night “All Hearts” converted the 9:30 Club into a glitter-drenched, sweaty, pop-disco as the two very different divas delivered two very different sets. Kelis, up first, provided the evening with a heavy dose of glitz, glimmer, and confetti with a set that was musically uneven but enough fun to forgive its shortfalls. Robyn ditched the glam and opted instead to kick some serious tail by hitting the stage with more energy than I’ve seen on-stage in maybe forever. Musically Robyn’s set reigned supreme over the adoring crowd by mixing electro force, positive attitude, and an awesome voice.

Continue reading →

Entertainment, The Daily Feed
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We Love DC Does Top Chef DC: Episode 8

Photo from Bravo TV

Welcome back faithful Washingtonians to another episode of Top Chef DC. I thought I’d try and mix things up with a running diary of tonight’s episode, ala Bill Simmons.

9:00 PM: Recaps are on, almost forgot about all that pea puree drama. As petty as the act sounds, it’s about time things got a little bit dramatic.

9:01 PM: Token shot of an empty bed and cut to a chef lamenting about the latest departure. Did it really take eight eliminations to make the competition “real” all of a sudden?

9:03 PM: Marcus Samuelsson, winner of Top Chef Masters season 2, is on hand to talk about the global food scene in DC, highlighting Ethiopian Cuisine. It is about time they dived deeper into the local scene besides politics and interns. The quickfire challenge is to create an Ethiopian dish.

9:05 PM: Amanda goes wild over goat leg while the other Chefs rag on Alex him like’s he’s the A-Rod of Top Chef. Can’t blame them, he shouldn’t be well liked with those kinds of rumors about. Meanwhile Angelo says he’s an expert on Ethiopian flavors- good thing he’s clearly been using them in his dishes up until this point. The best I’m going to expect from him is an Ethiopian egg roll.

Continue reading →

The Features
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Nats Fans Are People Too: Mark Strattner


Photo Courtesy of MLB.com’s “Notes From NatsTown” blog

“Nats Fans Are People Too” is a new series taking you inside the minds and lives of the District’s biggest Nationals fans. Do you know somebody who should be featured? Are you one of the many die-hard Nats fans in town? Get in touch by sending a message to rachel@welovedc.com!

Some District residents might recognize Mark Strattner on the Metro or in the stands on game day. He was named the Nationals’ 10 millionth fan at a Nationals-Red Sox game in 2009 at Nationals Park. By day, Strattner is the the Chief of Collection Services Division at the Law Library of Congress. After hours, it’s all about the Washington Nationals.

Mark Strattner has been a Nationals season ticket holder since 2005 and a National League baseball fan his entire life. He grew up the son of baseball fans from Dayton, Ohio, whose parents were from Cincinnati. The family’s blood runs deep with a love for the Reds, but mostly for the National League. This was a consequence of where he was raised. Young Mark was born not too far from the District in Norfolk, Va., home to a Mets triple-A team, but Mark says that didn’t count. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Want A Piece Of Michaele Salahi?

Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton

It’s not quite Monica’s blue dress, but Michaele Salahi’s red sari certainly has a place in the wardrobe lore of Washington. After all, this was the garment she wore when she allegedly crashed the White House state dinner in November.

If you just can’t get enough of Michaele (and who can?), you’ll be happy to know that she will be auctioning off said sari in the coming weeks. The exact date of the auction hasn’t been announced, but it will coincide with the party crashing episode of Real Housewives. Is it just me, or does this say Smithsonian purchase all over it?

Proceeds from the sale will benefit Haiti’s earthquake victims and people suffering from Multiple Sclerosis.

The Daily Feed
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New York Finally Thinks We’re Cool

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’
I’m a big fan of New York Magazine. In fact, I actually subscribe to the print version. But they came out yesterday with an article titled, “Is D.C. the Next Big Food City?” and I honestly wasn’t thrilled. I expected the standard argument that D.C. is cool now that we have Spike, and Top Chef and Eric Ripert, but instead it essentially says that D.C. is cool because it’s finally becoming more like New York.

They cite the introduction of New York chains like Seredipity 3 (opening later this summer) and Carmine’s, and the embrace of New York food trends like cupcakes and food trucks as the impetus for this elevation in the food city caste system.

Though they point out that D.C. has a diverse and vibrant ethnic food scene and seem to be especially in love with Five Guys, they are pretty harsh on the finer dining options in town. And in an explanation I still can’t quite connect, they seem to blame this on the fact that D.C. residents dine out less on average than the rest of America and on the fact that there is “a lack of good bread.”

So what do you think? Is D.C. finally becoming a “food city”? Or have we been one all along?