Category Archives: Life in the Capital

Food and Drink, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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Bringing Bravo’s Top Chef to DC

Photo courtesy of
‘Paul BOCUSE, French Cook’
courtesy of ‘alainelorza’

The foodies over at DC blog Capital Spice have been intently watching and covering this season of Bravo’s Top Chef, and last week they offered up a fantastic interview with Frederick, Maryland’s own final contest Bryan Voltaggio.

Leading up to this Wednesday’s finale, the site is running a contest that not only gives the winner a Top Chef prize package, but also pitches Washington, DC as the fantastic location for the next season of Top Chef.

So here’s your assignment: Concept a Top Chef elimination challenge that highlights something uniquely Washington. Think: locations, ingredients, events, guest judges who best represent DC, etc.

DC would be an amazing venue for Top Chef. We’ve got a solid culinary community with DC denizens, like Spike Mendelsohn, Carla Hall, and Mike Isabella already showing DC skills on Top Chef, and currently Mr. Voltaggio making a very strong play the Season 6 title.  Additionally, DC offers a fantastic array of high-quality restaurants (with celebrity chefs,) historic eateries, local breweries, gourmet shops, great farmers’ markets, superb area produce, and a solid wine scene.

Capital Spice will take submissions until the beginning of the Top Chef finale this Wednesday night and will announce the winning entry on Thursday. Put your creative hats on! Get to brainstorming! And let’s bring Top Chef to DC!

Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Scrum-a-licious Shopping Spree

Photo courtesy of
‘Rugby Shirts’
courtesy of ‘Joe Shlabotnik’

The head prepsters at Rugby, the Ralph Lauren clothing brand with a shop/restaurant in Georgetown, are having a little Holiday Wardrobe give away.

In exchange for some of your info, you can enter to win the grand prize, a $2000 gift card, to purchase whatever you want from their classic and signature pieces. The bonus is that your purchases can be for anyone you’re shopping for-mom, dad, grandma, the bf, etc. The runner-up receives a $1000 card, not too shabby, and for third place, a $500 card, not too shabby as well.

So start the lineout, get your pack in order and go for the try.

Downtown, Dupont Circle, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, People, The Daily Feed
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Dining with Elites

Photo courtesy of
‘Grant Bar, Old Ebbitt Grill’
courtesy of ‘marialgilbert’

In a city known for it’s power grubbing politicians, it stands to reason that there are certain dining oasis that all of them congregate to.  Most are well known to DC locals, places like Old Ebbitt and the Palm, but CNN helpfully categorizes DC’s power restaurants by who your most likely to see dining in them.  For example, did you know that Sonia Sotomayor is a fan of Lebanese Taverna or than Rahm Emmanuel enjoys Tosca? If you want to rub elbows with our nation’s leaders and don’t quite know where to go, read the article to find out.

Downtown, Essential DC, Life in the Capital, The Features
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We Thank Thee, O DC…

DSC_2512
‘DSC_2512’
courtesy of ‘Ghost_Bear’

Last year, we started a tradition of sorts by telling all of our readers what we’re thankful for in the DC area. We invite our readers to share their own thoughts in comments.

BenR: It’s hard to narrow down what it is about the DC area that I’m thankful for, but I’ll give it a shot…

  • The Washington Capitals, for finding success on the ice – and enthralling an entire city with them.
  • Metro, for being not only a source of transportation but also a weekly source of head-scratching entertainment.
  • The simplistic beauty of our national monuments.
  • Area DC photographers and their openness and willingness to educate, critique, and share.
  • Thought-provoking exhibits such as NMAI’s Brian Jungen and NatGeo’s Terra Cotta Warriors.
  • The Tidal Basin during the blooming of the cherry blossoms.
  • For everyone who works, lives, and plays in one of the greatest cities in the US.
  • Finally, my fellow authors and all our readers – I’m so thankful for all of you; you make this site live up to its name, and then some.

Rachel: There are a few things that I will never cease to love about this city and am thankful for everyday. They include: The view from the Lincoln memorial steps facing the reflecting pool/Washington monument on a Sunday morning, my commute to and from work that consists of a daily tour of embassy row between Ward and Dupont Circle, and President Obama for picking Rahm Emanuel as Chief-of-Staff so that there’s finally a Cubs fan in the White House. Other than that, my friends and family hold the number one spot as far as what I’m actually thankful for this year — but that goes without saying.

Continue reading →

Adventures, Entertainment, Essential DC, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Share Your Thanksgiving Mishaps

Photo courtesy of
‘OH GOD TURKEY.’
courtesy of ‘ibroadfo’

I’m sure we all have them, or have at least been a party to them. My story involves our next door neighbors nearly setting our apartment building on fire by leaving their bird in the oven a tad too long. There we were, just sitting down to our meal, when the sirens sounded and the firemen were knocking on our door. Luckily, the building didn’t go up in flames, and I believe our neighbors celebrated by hitting up the Chinese restaurant around the corner.

Have any really good Thanksgiving mishap stories? Share them and we can all hopefully learn from our mistakes.

Adventures, Entertainment, Essential DC, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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National Parks Not National Parties

Photo courtesy of
‘B’day party at the park’
courtesy of ’emrank’

Today’s Georgetown Metropolitan covered the growing incidence of kids’ parties staged at Montrose Park, part of Rock Creek National Park,  in Northwest DC.

Apparently, some of these parties have gotten “a little crazy” with parents trucking in pony rides, miniature petting zoos and moon bounces.

From the GM article, it appears the parties aren’t causing the neighborhood any trouble, but word seems to spreading, so my suggestion to neighborhood parents is to stick with the classic pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey and pinata. You can’t go wrong with those classics.

Entertainment, Essential DC, Food and Drink, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, Night Life, The Daily Feed
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Saving The Planet One Drinking Game At A Time

Photo courtesy of
‘Max’s Cup Tower’
courtesy of ‘Kevin Lawver’

I’m all about enjoying a good alcoholic beverage, playing games and being environmentally responsible, so when VAT19 gave me the option to embody these principles in one amazing product, I jumped on it.

This set of  Reusable “Plastic” Cups allows us drinking game players to play pong, flip cup, beer die, etc. to our hearts content, all while knowing we’re saving local landfills from hundred of the classic, red Solo cups.

And no, users of these cups will not throw out these melamine, dishwasher safe cup; they’re much more substantial then the cheap, plastic version.

Essential DC, Featured Photo, Life in the Capital, The District
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Feature Photo


I’d Very Much Enjoy a Cup of Tea by M.V. Jantzen

It was difficult to decide which photo to write about this week, but in the end I decided to go with one that captures an amazing event that is still fresh in my mind, the DC Tweed Ride.  I don’t think anyone expected DC’s first tweed ride to be such a phenomenal success, yielding hundreds of dandy bicyclists in every imaginable form of old timey garb.  On a perfect sunny day in DC, in a small alley at 8th & H street NE, I was transported to a time when people actually knew how to dress well and behave in a courteous manner.  In fact people were even smoking tobacco in their pipes, not the usual pipe-smoking material DC is known for!  As I rode through the city alongside the last group of cyclists, everyone was full of cheer and good spirit, smiling from ear to ear.

While there were many great tweed ride photos in our pool and elsewhere on Flickr, M.V. Jantzen’s photo really caught my eye.  I love the angle from which this shot was taken, the sophisticated and content look beaming from his subject, and the great use of fill flash to balance the exposure of the dark foreground with the bright background.

I say, old chap, is it possible to do another tweed ride again sometime soon?

Essential DC, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, News, The Daily Feed, The District
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Five Guys Makes Ad Age’s “America’s Hottest Brands” List

Photo courtesy of
‘Five Guys’
courtesy of ‘SWP Moblog’

Well, lookie here, Lorton-Baltimorebased chain Five Guys has made it on to Advertising Age’s “America’s Hottest Brands” List. Long heralded by DCites for its juicy, meaty burgers and specially spiced cajun fries, the Five Guys chain is exploding, opening shops along the Northeast corridor and infiltrating the Midwest.

The secret to Five Guys success, apart from their menu offerings, is good old fashioned customer service. You really can’t beat a good burger, some spicy fries and a smile.

*Rob C and Billy are correct. Five Guys is currently headquatered in Lorton, VA. The first Five Guys location, now closed, opened in 1986 at South Glebe Road and Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA.

Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, The District
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Ted Kennedy’s DC Residence Goes On The Market

Photo courtesy of
‘gone, but always remembered’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Vikki Kennedy, Ted Kennedy’s widow, has put their 7-bedroom Kalorama house on the market according to the Washington Post. The property features 5 fireplaces, 7 bathrooms, a lap pool and in-home gym personally outfitted by Arnold Schwarzennegger.

The couple moved into the Kalorama estate in 1998, and occupied the residence until Senator Kennedy’s death from brain cancer on August 25, 2009.

Essential DC, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, Technology, The Daily Feed
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Office Fridge Lockdown

Photo courtesy of
‘Postit on the shared office fridge’
courtesy of ‘Kai Hendry’

Yesterday’s Thrillist email featured an item I have a feeling many DC office workers need. The Fridge Locker Personal Food Security System keeps your lunch, yogurts, apples, etc. under lock and key and prevents that office fridge raider from making away with that leftover slice of pizza you’d been dreaming about during that 11am meeting.

The most ridiculous item I ever had stolen out of an office fridge was a half eaten scoop of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream with the spoon in it. Gross!

I’m sure there are plenty of good fridge raider stories out there. Let’s hear them.

Essential DC, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, The Great Outdoors
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Happy Birthday USMC, Ooh Rah!

Photo courtesy of
‘Iwo Jima at night’
courtesy of ‘brianmka’

Today commemorates the 234th birthday of the U.S. Marine Corp.  On November 10, 1775, a Committee of the Continental Congress met at the Tun Tavern in Philadelphia and authorized two battalions of Marines to fight against the British in the war for independence.

A very happy birthday and a special thank you to all who have and continue to serve in the USMC.  Ooh Rah!

Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, The Features
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First Look: Masa 14

Masa Interior

Unless you live under a foodie rock, you’ve noticed that 14th street has exploded lately. Eatonville, Policy (though Jenn says don’t go there), Birch and Barley, and, of course, Masa 14. Masa 14 is the new small plate concept by Kaz Okochi (Kaz Sushi Bistro) and Richard Sandoval (Zengo). The kitchen is led by Chef de Cuisine Antonio Burrell, who used to be at CommonWealth Gastropub.

Masa 14 has a large, industrial feel. Sleek and trendy, noisy, and totally packed. Fritz Hahn was right when he said it is the new thirty-something destination on 14th street. The crowd wasn’t the typical young quasi-hipster crowd I’ve grown accustom to at places like Eatonville or Saint Ex. But don’t for a second think this isn’t a stylish crowd – red lipstick, cuff links and afros all made statements there Friday night when Jenn and I stopped by to check it out. Continue reading →

Life in the Capital, The Features, Weekend Flashback
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Weekend Flashback: 11/6 – 11/8/2009

Photo courtesy of
‘Chinatown Arch #2’
courtesy of ‘Frank Hale’

Did someone switch a weekend in April with this past weekend? Because seriously, this was an awesome weekend. And many, many of our wonderful local photographers captured all kinds of views.

Aside from Fotoweek, cheering on deer, pretending the Redskins didn’t exist, thanking heaven for the Capitals, reminiscing about the fall of the Berlin Wall, wandering nature and general lazing about, what did you do this weekend?

Check out some views after the jump.

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Essential DC, Life in the Capital, The District, We Love Arts
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FotoWeek DC 2009: What to See


FotoWeek Projections by coolmarie

Before last year there was a huge void in DC’s photography world.  Despite being the home of National Geographic, the Newseum, the Washington Post, and many award winning photographers, we were missing an event to bring everyone together, to celebrate photography.  Sure, some of the galleries in town would have a photography exhibit or two, Magnum and Pulitzer Prize winning photographers would occasionally talk about their work, and local photographers would dork out hold meetups and go on photowalks throughout the year.  What we needed though was something big and annual like other major cities have.  Something pros, amateurs, and students could all participate in.  Basically we needed a big photography party.  Hell, if our neighbors in little ol’ Charlottesville could put together an international photography festival, why couldn’t DC?  In came FotoWeek DC.

But what exactly is FotoWeek you ask?  That is a very good question.  In fact if you asked ten different people you would probably get ten different answers.  Is it a contest?  Yes.  Is it a city wide festival celebrating photography?  Yes.  Does it celebrate only photography?  No, in fact two of this year’s contest categories were called “Storytelling” and “Experimental” that included works in multimedia, video, sound and graphics.  Why does FotoWeek spell the word “photo” with an F?  Your guess is as good as mine, my friend.  Why is FotoWeek held in November rather than in a pleasant time of year, say in June?  Because you must suffer for photography.

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Essential DC, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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Food Aromas of DC

Photo courtesy of
’02 pan frying bacon’
courtesy of ‘jasonlam’

What is it about walking cities and the various food aromas wafting around?

Growing up on the Upper West Side of New York City, it was the smell of freshly baked and doughy H&H Bagels. In highschool at soccer practice, the ladyfingers and swiss fudge cookies of nearby Stella D’oro made my mouth water during drills.  In Baltimore’s Fells Points area, it’s the bread baking at H&S Bakery.

And in DC, for me it’s the smell of bacon cooking in the early morning along M Street.

What are the food aromas you associated with our Nation’s Capital?

Entertainment, Essential DC, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, Night Life, People, Special Events, The District, The Features
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Georgetown Halloween 2009

Photo courtesy of
‘Halloween in Georgetown’
courtesy of ‘ep_jhu’

Ever since moving to DC in 2006, I have managed to miss out on the Georgetown Halloween scene for one reason or another, so this year I vowed to check out the madness and see what all the hubbub was about.

Our method of event transportation from Glover Park was on foot, which was a wise decision give the street closures. We arrived on the scene at around 11pm, and found the M Street inundated with costumers.  The DCPD had temporarily fenced in the sidewalks for crowd control purposes, which created a nice parade-like crowd movement along the M Street corridor.  The bars were jammed packed with waiting lines, and picture takers were everywhere. Continue reading →

All Politics is Local, Life in the Capital, News, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Dan Snyder and the Gestapo

Photo courtesy of
‘Under the lights’
courtesy of ‘brianmka’

Not to keep rubbing salt into the “Redskins are the worst” wound, but Dan Snyder seems more and more like a fascist dictator every day.  There have been several accounts, including two from last night alone, of people being kicked out of FedEx Field for expressing their true feelings for Mr. Snyder.  Apparently, he sicked a couple of security guards on critical fans, confiscating a banner and kicking them out of the stadium.  Nice.  Glad to hear he’s so confident in himself.  Let this be a lesson to the rest of you.  If you’re going to tell Mr. Musolli… I mean, “Mr. Snyder” that he sucks, don’t do it in his stadium.  He really doesn’t like it. But seriously, Dan, you do suck.

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Fun & Games, Life in the Capital
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Halloween Costume Ideas, DC Style

Photo courtesy of
‘Jack-O-Lantern wall’
courtesy of ‘E V Peters’

There’s one thing on everyone’s mind in DC this week. Health care, taxi cab fraud, economic recession…they’re all taking a back seat for now. I mean, they’re important and stuff. But the one and only thing you should be worried about right now is what you’re going to be for Halloween! You have exactly 8 days to come up with something extremely clever and amazing, figure out what you need to make it happen and then find a way to actually pull it off. We in DC hold each other to a higher standard when it comes to dressing up for this love-it or hate-it holiday. Dracula, a sheet over-your-head ghost or a cape and mask batman just won’t cut it around here. You need to be smart and unique with your costume.

Do not fear, my fellow “I was going to be a goblin until I read this post and realized that’s just not cool and I need to try much, much harder” friends. We Love DC is here to save the day yet again. Today I present to you: DC appropriate costume ideas. Some of them would only fly here in DC while some could make it elsewhere. But if there is one place in the country where these outfits would be considered a good choice on the night of October 31st (definitely don’t wear them during the day)…it’s right here in the glorious and splendid Nation’s Capitol. Now, let’s take a look at your options.

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Life in the Capital, News, The Daily Feed, The Great Outdoors
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The Return of the Sun

Photo courtesy of
‘Looking Up’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’

On your way into work this morning, you might have noticed a giant blue expanse and a shining orb in the place of the gray ceiling that you had grown accustomed to.  This is called “clear sky” and it should be the norm for the rest of the week.  Warm temperatures and dry air are finally returning to the DC area and it is good to see them back.  Unfortunately, we do have some more rain in our forecast, just in time for next weekend.  Let’s hope the weatherman is lying.