Category Archives: The Daily Feed

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Walk-off Wall Banger From An Unlikely Hero Propels Nats Over Pirates

Photo courtesy of
‘IMG_0682’
courtesy of ‘Lane 4 Imaging’

What is the best thing for a team that has gone through a traumatic week it after having to replace the manager and then suffer through a terrible road trip, culminating in a sweep 3000 miles away?

A win.

That wish was fulfilled in Davey Johnson’s first home game as the manager of the Washington Nationals on Friday night at Nats Park with a 2-1 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Tom Gorzelanny was brilliant for seven innings and an unlikely hero provided some walk-off flair to lifts the spirits of Nats Town.

With the game tied at one in the bottom of the ninth, Johnson called on the oldest player sitting on his bench, 43-year-old Matt Stairs, to pinch hit for shortstop Ian Desmond with runners on first and third. All Stairs need to do was hit it out of the infield, either via pop-fly or a dribbler through the infield. For a guy with a .148 batting average through 54 at bats this season, not only was that a difficult task, but seemingly impossible. First day in front of the home fans, with the critical Washington press corps about to invade his office after the game and Johnson is putting in Matt Freaking Stairs?

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The Daily Feed
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Friday Happy Hour: Mid City Caffe Cappuccino

Do you see that cappuccino in the photo? That is a cappuccino made with love. How, you might ask, do I know it was made with love?

Because I told the kid making it to make it with love.

It helps, of course, that the barista in question is one of my very favorite people/best friends – who just happens to also be the general manager of Mid City Caffe on 14th St. (If you have been following this column, you might recognize him as the cute boy drinking in the background of many of my photos.)
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Food Truck Tracker

Photo courtesy of
‘PORC Mobile’
courtesy of ‘bonappetitfoodie’

And rounding out the week is a food truck trivia tidbit from PORCmobile: Why is their truck called “Murphy?” According to them, it’s named after Murphy’s Law because everything that could go wrong in the build-out did.

Check out their ‘cue or the other trucks that are rollin’ around on this fine afternoon. And enjoy your fourth of July weekend!

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FREE FOOD ALERT: Taylor Gourmet Hoagies and Gardein Food Truck

Photo courtesy of
‘9th Street Italian @ Taylor Gourmet, DC’
courtesy of ‘Plantains & Kimchi’

Today, you’re in luck: there are TWO free food alerts.

If you’re down on H st. NE, DC United is giving out free Taylor Gourmet hoagies today from 12-1 PM. The 6-inch hoagies are in honor of the 4th of July and for DC United’s game against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday at RFK Stadium. Go DC United! Now grab a hoagie and let’s go show Philadelphia what we’re made of on Saturday.

If for some reason meat isn’t your thing, there’s a food truck in town from July 1st through 4th bringing you some free and meatless grub. Gardein Party, a food truck from the frozen-food producer focused on providing protein in meatless meals, will be giving out free samples at the Humane Society on 21st and L NW in Gaithersburg, MD (700 Professional Drive) today from 11 AM til 1 PM. Some of the samples include seven grain crispy tenders, the mandarin orange crispy chick’n and the ultimate beefless burger.

Gardein is doing demonstrations throughout the city, and plans on donating meatless meals to a local nonprofit (no word on which one in DC) for the first 10,000 people that pledge to give up meat one day per week for the summer. If you miss them today, they’ll also be at Freedomfest on July 3rd and 4th. I’m guessing that their twitter account will be your best bet for tracking them down.

The Daily Feed
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Update on Yesterday’s Fire at Hook/Tacklebox

Photo courtesy of
‘Georgetown Fire’
courtesy of ‘brownpau’

As we reported yesterday, a fire broke out at Hook and Tackle Box restaurants in Georgetown in the early afternoon. According to a media release that was circulated last night, the cause of the fire is still undetermined, but it’s believed that the fire started on the loading dock behind Hook.  The owner of the restaurants, Jonatahan Umbel, is waiting for results from the DCFD’s official investigation of the fire.

There is no specific date for when the restaurants might re-open.

Umbel gave a statement in the media release: “The most important thing to me is that our patrons and staff are safe and no one was harmed. We want to thank the DC fire department, which was quick and responsive to prevent any injuries to our staff, neighbors and diners. Unfortunately, both Hook and Tackle Box Georgetown are going to be closed for repairs indefinitely. We will be working feverishly to repair the buildings to have them open for business for our loyal patrons. During this difficult time, Tackle Box’s Cleveland Park location will be open for business and we ask our fans to support our brand so that we may be back on our feet in Georgetown soon.”

On behalf of We Love DC, our thoughts go out to Umbel and his staff at Hook and Tackle Box.

Downtown, News, The Daily Feed
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Woman Falls To Her Death At W Hotel’s POV Bar

Horrible news this morning of a woman falling from the 10 story W Hotel POV rooftop bar last night to her death. Eyewitnesses report that the not yet identified woman had been drinking at the bar and that she climbed over the rooftop patio’s fence.

Secret Service was on hand last night and all lanes of 15th St. NW were shut down from New York Avenue south to Pennsylvania Avenue. These roads have since reopened.

Just awful news.

The Daily Feed
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Get some damned insurance

It’s open enrollment for Blue Cross/Blue Shield for DC residents. So if you don’t have access to insurance where you work this is a deal for you, bub. Price-wise it’s a big winner too, with pretty low copays.

This isn’t the sort of thing we’d normally post about here, but this is a subject near and dear to my heart. I know our readership trends young – at least compared to me – and it’s a time in your life where you’re really tempted to think you don’t need insurance. And statistically you may not… unless you do.

About ten years ago a good friend of mine was in good health and around 23. In good health till he had appendicitis and ended up needing surgery on very short notice, anyway. Lacking insurance he found himself with a hefty bill that he was paying off for years, long after he had gotten insurance through other avenues. What it ended up costing him would have covered fifty years worth of premiums.

So please, get covered if it’s within your ability and don’t dawdle – they’re capping enrollment at 2,500 folks. You can also check out market review and read a ton of articles on insurances and finances. 

The Daily Feed
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Fire Breaks out at Hook in Georgetown

Photo courtesy of
‘IMG_1696’
courtesy of ‘brownpau’

A fire broke out at Hook in Georgetown this afternoon. DC firefighters have already extinguished the blaze and reported no injuries. According the DCfireems Twitter account, there is smoke and water damage to Hook’s sister restaurant, Tacklebox and the Saloun.

The Georgetowner tweeted earlier, “According to sources, Fire behind Tackle Box and Hook started from still lit cigarette butt… #georgetown DC.” The source of the fire has not been confirmed.

When stress builds up to a critical level, a very small additional amount of stress can trigger panic. As a result, the person may experience the event as coming out of the blue. Some people may have a genetic predisposition toward panic, as psychologist Regina A says. In case this makes you afraid, here are Five Critical Things To Do After A Fire.

You must  use your pre-planned escape route to get everyone out of the building as quickly as possible. smoke rises, so stay low or crawl on the floor in the cleaner air where it’s easier to breathe. do not stop to collect any valuables or possessions.

UPDATED:
According to Paulo Ordoveza, a photographer for We Love DC, when he arrived on the scene “DCFD was breaking the upstairs windows at Hook to let smoke out.” He spoke with some of the Hook and Tacklebox staff who said that the fire didn’t start in Hook, rather it started in the structure directly behind the restaurant. Both Tacklebox and Hook were damaged in the fire.

As of 1:40 PM, M street NW remains closed from the Key bridge down Wisconsin Avenue.

The Daily Feed
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Food Truck Tracker

Photo courtesy of
‘Pleasant Pops Food Truck’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Today you’re getting multiple food truck trivia tidbits from Pleasant Pops. First off, the owners of the truck, Brian and Roger met in college freshman year at UNC all because they were both on the rowing team. The pair came up with the name for their truck because they started in Mt. Pleasant.

And, in case you were wondering about how they make their pops, they try to use fresh fruit from local farmers markets whenever possible and use locally sourced, organic milk from Trickling Springs Creamery in PA.

Cool down with one of their pops today and check out where the other trucks are rollin’.
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The Daily Feed
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An Old Times deal

Steven Culp, Holly Twyford and Tracy Lynn Middendorf on the set of the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of Old Times, directed by Michael Kahn. Photo by Scott Suchman.

If you’d like to get out to see what the big deal is all about, whether you’re curious about the show or the set, Travelzoo has a pretty sweet deal on tickets for Old Times before the sun ends on July 3rd. It’s a good show at any price. At $19 it’s a steal.

capitals hockey, The Daily Feed
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Caps Re-sign Laich to Six-Year Deal

DSC_9400

The Caps have announced this morning that they have re-signed centerman Brooks Laich to a six-year contract worth an estimated $27 million. Laich would have been an unrestricted free agent if a deal hadn’t been struck by Friday, July 1; letting Laich go could’ve been a step backwards for the team.

Fortunately, the Caps stepped up and held on to one of their more dynamic on-ice leaders. The center had made it known that he preferred to stick around the DC area, fully intending to return to the Caps locker room in the fall. Today, that’s a surety for at least the next six years.

“My intent the whole time was to return. That was the only option. We got to a point where it got very close to the draft and I really wanted to get the deal done so I knew for sure I’d be going back to Washington,” Laich told Caps media senior writer Mike Vogel. “You never know could happen at the draft; they could have made trades or gone in another direction. I didn’t want to lose Washington.”

“He was important to our team,” said General Manager George McPhee in the Caps press release. “We had to sort out what kind of commitment he wanted to make and what kind of commitment we wanted to make. But as we got further along in the process and really got a more comprehensive view of contracts in the league and where he fits with those players and those contracts, it seemed like he was right in line with a lot of them.”

Laich’s continued presence will keep the Caps’ veteran center line intact, joining Niklas Backstrom and Marcus Johansson up the middle.

History, The Daily Feed
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Smithsonian Snapshot: Nakhla Meteorite

Nakhla metorite; photo courtesy Smithsonian Institution

On June 28, 1911, the Nakhla meteorite fell to Earth at approximately 9 a.m. in the Nakhla region of Alexandria, Egypt. Many people witnessed its explosion in the upper atmosphere before the meteorite dropped in about 40 pieces totaling 22 pounds; the fragments were buried in the ground up to a meter deep.

In August 1911, the Smithsonian received two samples of Nakhla; in 1962, it received the 480-gram piece of the meteorite shown in this photograph. By the 1970s, the Smithsonian had acquired a total of 650 grams of Nakhla’s fragments.

Nakhlites, Martian meteorites named for Nakhla, are igneous rocks that are rich in augite and were formed from basaltic magma about 1.3 billion years ago. Their crystallization ages, compared to a crater-count chronology of different regions on Mars, suggest the Nakhlites formed on the large volcanic regions of Tharsis, Elysium or Syrtis Major Planum.

It has been shown that the Nakhlites were suffused with liquid water around 620 million years ago and that they were ejected from Mars around 10.75 million years ago by an asteroid impact. They fell to Earth within the past 10,000 years.

This item is one of 137 million artifacts, works of art and specimens in the Smithsonian’s collection. It is on display at the National Museum of Natural History.

The Daily Feed
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Food Truck Tracker

Photo courtesy of
‘lobster being served’
courtesy of ‘ekelly80’

This week’s FTT theme is going to be food truck trivia.

Today’s trivia tidbit comes from LobsterTruckDC: the most frequently asked question they get is “What’s the difference between a Maine roll and a Connecticut roll?” And they usually shout out the answer from one of their truck’s PA systems.

I could tell you the answer, but I’d suggest heading over for a roll and finding out for yourself.
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Nationals tap Johnson to lead team through 2011

Photo courtesy of
‘Davey Johnson’s Mets Hall of Fame Plaque Revealed’
courtesy of ‘slgckgc’

The Nationals announced late yesterday that they have come to an agreement with Davey Johnson to manage the club through the rest of the 2011 season, and is on contract with the team to serve in some capacity through 2013. Johnson’s career is fairly storied, and includes a World Series trophy (1986, with the Mets. Sorry, Dave Levy) and 1st or 2nd place finishes in 11 of 14 seasons. If there’s someone who knows and understands the concepts of winning baseball, it’s Johnson, who carries a lifetime .564 record with 1,148 wins and 888 losses.

Johnson takes over the club while they’re on a hot-streak, having won 13 of their last 15 games, including 5 of 6 on the road, and there are rumblings about the NL East Wild Card. Sure, the Nats are 3.5 games back of the Braves for the Wild Card, but I don’t think it’s wise to get your long-term hopes up for a playoff spot.

None of that changes the fact that the Nationals are having their hottest June in six years, and the best record in the month of June across either league. We’ll have a homestand preview later this week, with more results from the road trip and previews of the homestand, but the addition of Davey Johnson to the team’s day to day staff is certainly a good thing for a club who could use a shot in the arm from someone who understands what it is to manage baseball teams at the highest level.

The Daily Feed
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Yards to add 7 restaurants

Photo courtesy of
‘Sunrise @ the Boilermaker Shop 3’
courtesy of ‘Tony DeFilippo’

Yep, you read that right, 7 restaurants. The Boilermaker Shops near the Navy Yard, sort-of kind-of close to Nationals Park just got a lot more interesting. They’ll play host to two Neighborhood Restaurant Group spots: a Buzz Bakery, which has two locations now, and an as-of-yet-unnamed brewery concept (??!!!!!). In addition, a burger joint called “brb Burger” and an Austin Grill Express, and nearby Foundry Lofts will add a Potbelly and Kruba Thai Sushi.  Good day for the neighborhood in Near Southeast!

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Friday Happy Hour: Avery India Pale Ale

Thursday night was an evening of my favorite things. My favorite DC food truck, TaKorean parked outside one of my favorite coffee shops, Chinatown Coffee Co. for one of Chinatown’s brilliant “Food Truck Happy Hours.” With my delicious Korean-inspired tofu tacos, I enjoyed another of my favorite things: Imbibing a tasty beer.

The beer/wine/absinthe alcohol program at Chinatown Coffee is a bit quirky and easy to forget about if you mostly come in for a morning caffeine burst in the form of their expertly-executed espressos. Stop by in the evening, though, and it is a charming place to have a drink from their seasonally-curated menu of choices, away from the crazy happy hour crush of many other bars in the neighborhood. Also, with several beers usually available for $3 and most options under $6, the prices really cannot be beat. Add delicious tacos and what more do you really want in life?
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Hot Ticket: Fucked Up @ Rock & Roll Hotel, 6/27/11

IMG_3660
photo by Michael Darpino

First, it’s worth noting that, given their band name, Fucked Up never would have made it 20 years ago. You know, back when you discovered music by listening to corporate radio. I can just imagine all the record execs sitting around, begging Fucked Up to change their name. “Wal-Mart will never carry it!”, they’d say. Nowadays, perhaps due to the internet’s outsized role in music distribution and promotion, it’s barely even remarkable to curse in your band name. Maybe Cee-lo Green cleared the way for profanity-laden band names everywhere? Hell, even artists like Britney Spears and Katy Perry can get away with using single entendres these days without pissing off the censorship crew.

Also without the internet, maybe you wouldn’t know about Fucked Up‘s show on Monday night at the Rock and Roll Hotel. (You’re welcome.) Fucked Up has gotten a lot of buzz, from winning Canadian music awards to scoring a glowing review in Pitchfork for their new album “David Comes to Life”. Said album is a sprawling rock opera, if you will. I’m not really prone to dig into ‘concept albums’, but I’ll tell you this: Fucked Up bring a fistful of punk attitude to what are essentially upbeat rock songs. The massive, noisy guitar melodies are so pleasant that they counterbalance the singer’s growly demeanor, producing something that sounds like the bastard child of The Hold Steady and Black Flag. Mix in a female vocalist, and there’s something for everyone to appreciate.

Garage rockers Jeff the Brotherhood (check this trippy video for a taste) and psychedelic punks Regents open the show. Will people get rowdy and mosh? Or will they sing along with huge grins? Find out Monday.

(Editor’s note: I caught Fucked Up at ATP 2010 and based on what I saw there, I vehemently endorse this show!)

Fucked Up
w/ Jeff the Brotherhood, Regents
Monday, June 27, 2011
Rock and Roll Hotel
$15