This Thursday, March 31st, one has two very win-win opportunities: two local organizations will be hosting parties where you can attend, view and purchase fine art by local and international artists, and support positive causes with the proceeds.

At Studio Gallery, the non-profit Acumen Fund is organizing an all-photography auction called DIGNITY DC. This event is curated by the Nuru Project, a group that seeks to leverage photography as an agent for social change in the developing world, and DC is the sixth city in the on-going DIGNITY event series. The beneficiary in DC, Acumen Fund, uses entrepreneurial approaches to fund projects in the developing world and, since their founding in 2001, has invested in water, public health, energy, and agriculture ventures. Each photograph in the DIGNITY DC show was taken in a location where Acumen Fund is working, including Kenya, India, and Pakistan, and the images have been selected to “convey the essence of Acumen Fund’s work and the people its investments reach,” according to event organizers.

The same evening (though running later and not terribly far away) the new Lamont Bishop Gallery hosts RESTORE: Japan – which sees the work of 32 Washington, DC-area artists coming together to raise money for the Japanese Red Cross Society. Many notable names of the local arts community have donated works including Kelly Towles, John Blee, and DECOY, all representing a variety of styles – so in addition to the suggested donation at the door of only $10, you should be able to find a piece that you want to add to your collection and, in so doing, support the recovery efforts in Japan.

Photo Courtesy of J&G Steakhouse

I’ll be the first person to admit that the area around the White House isn’t exactly where I spend my free time. The first time I have to shove a tourist in to a crosswalk when there’s less than twenty seconds left in the little countdown, I lose my mind and hop the Metro for greener pastures. That being said, I feel like I know the area pretty well, so when I headed to J&G Steakhouse the other night, I was shocked to find myself in a bar that I never even knew existed.

I was there to check out their new bar bites (more on that later), but ended up pleasantly surprised by the wine bar. With a subterranean entrance right off the W Hotel patio on Pennsylvania Ave., I must have walked by this tiny 40-ish person bar a handful of times and never even noticed it. With the cool vibe the W has been pushing since they opened, but slightly toned down and butched up with a long wooden table running the length of the restaurant, this secret spot will definitely be a new go-to for only the coolest of my out-of-towner friends.

But the food, of course, is divine. As one would expect from dishes coming out of the J&G kitchen, the small bites are inventive and binge-worthy. Select one dish for $8 or three for $20, and you’ll get oysters, a signature slider, crispy calamari, or my personal favorite — the crab cake. All bites are expertly paired with wine in a way that does this girl and her drinking habits proud. Though the dishes are derived from the upstairs menu, they are nowhere near the size. Be forewarned that this will not be the happy hour to fill up on free nuts or pass appetizers, but it is a great way to get a delicious bite in a cool setting.

The Sips & Bites menu is available in the Wine Bar only, Monday through Friday, from 5pm-7pm.

‘Ballot box used as a donation box’
courtesy of ‘georgeparrilla’

Today is your last chance to register by mail to vote in order to be on the roster for the 4/26 special election.  After today, you’ll have to go down to the offices of DCBOEE to make any changes.  If you’re not sure if you’re registered, or if you want to just check your registration, you can do it online, thanks to the magic of technology.

If you want a say in who will sit on the council to fill Kwame Brown’s old seat, now’s your chance.

‘Bell’s Oberon’
courtesy of ‘@joefoodie’

The calendar may have told us that the end of winter was March 20th, but the official end to winter in my eyes is the return of Oberon to area taps.  The delightful wheat beer that represents warm days listening to baseball on the radio is set to arrive on taps at Big Hunt on Monday afternoon at 4pm, starting my annual return to alcoholism.  If you need me, I’m going to be camping out over at the Hunt until those first beers are pulled.  Send my mail over that way, will you?

‘The National Marathon: the only good fight there is’
courtesy of ‘iván.sciupac’

I may not understand marathon runners, but I absolutely admire them.  As a middle- and long-distance swimmer in high school and college I know what it is to move and move and move and move, granted I never had a course such as this to swim.  The race begins at RFK Stadium, proceeds to the Capitol, Union Station and the Ellipse before turning north through downtown, up Connecticut Ave, then through Adams Morgan and thence east to Columbia Heights, down past McMillan Reservoir, down North Capitol and then through the Atlas District and then finishes back at RFK.

Expect rolling road closures in the area starting at 7am, and if you’re planning on driving through town tomorrow morning, be sure to check out the full course map PDF, as well as the street closure PDFs.  If you’re heading down to the start or finish line at RFK, Metro is opening up early on Saturday at 6am to accommodate those going through town early, but if you’re coming in from the sticks, you may want to drive in, since Metro’s about as reliable as that kid you knew in high school that did “graffiti” for the paint high.

I have to wonder, though, why the organizers put the brutally bumpy and under construction H Street NE so late in the race.  That seems to be throwing up another obstacle to the already difficult course.

Glassjaw. Have you heard of this band? If so, you probably haven’t thought much about them in the last eight years, which is how long I’ve been waiting for them to release new material since their album Worship and Tribute. Their singer Daryl Palumbo has been off playing with various side projects, such as electro-pop group Head Automatica and, um, disco revival group Men Women & Children. Glassjaw never really disbanded, though. Because of various legal issues with various record labels, all I’ve heard over the years are a couple live recordings of the new songs they’ve written.

Until now. Touring in support of their new Coloring Book EP, their first studio recordings since 2003, the closest Glassjaw is coming to DC is their show at Ram’s Head Live in Baltimore this Sunday. Of course I’ll be there –they’re one of my favorite post-hardcore bands. I always felt like these guys were supposed to join bands like Deftones in bringing heavy, catchy music to the masses. If you could hear anything heavier than Nickelback on the radio these days, maybe you’d hear amazing new tracks like this. Or maybe you’d already know that Daryl is one of the most dynamic, passionate, reckless frontmen out there. Instead, you’re lucky I’m here to tell you not to miss out on this show.

Glassjaw
w/ Tidal Arms, These People
Ram’s Heard Live (Baltimore)
Sunday, March 27th
$22 adv/$25 day of

‘DC Streets: Fojol Noms’
courtesy of ‘pnzr242’

Ready for the weekend, DC? Take a long lunch and get a jump start on the weekend

Click on through for our ThestrEATS-powered lunch map to find where your favorite food trucks are cooking today!
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Spotted along Rock Creek Parkway at Virginia Ave NW in Foggy Bottom, this electronic sign warns of impending Constitution Ave. road work, adding “OH JOY” to the projected start date of April 11th. Is this a hacker at work, or just a sarcastic DDOT/NPS electronic road sign copywriter? Either way, it was funny.

Update: No joy. :’-(

‘Penn Quarter Farmer’s Market #2’
courtesy of ‘[F]oxymoron’
Today may not seem like a good day to wander around outside, but sometimes the draw of tables full of vegetables and homemade goodies is just too much to pass up. After their winter hiatus, the Penn Quarter Farmers Market opens back up today and will be open until December 22nd. Operating from 3pm until 7pm on Thursdays, the market will be in the same location as in years past — 8th St. NW between D St. and E St.

A favorite of area chefs, the PQ Farmers Market has hosted plenty of chefs over the years, including that time Jose Andres led Anthony Bourdain around and made him eat weird raw things on No Reservations. There probably won’t be a TV crew today, but Rob Weland of Poste will be performing a cooking demonstration from 4pm-5pm for your viewing and tasting pleasure.

So head down and check out what 8th St. has to offer this year, rumor is that ramps are coming…

‘Lunch from Korean Food Truck’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

April showers bring may flowers, but what about March showers? Grab an umbrella and brave the rain to grab something tasty on the streets of DC

Click on through for our ThestrEATS-powered lunch map to find where your favorite food trucks are cooking today!
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