Category Archives: Interviews

Interviews
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She Loves DC: Erin Rooney Doland

EDolandWebPhotounclutter-your-life-cover

I’ve always had too much stuff. And not even stuff, but junk. I never know what to get rid of and what to keep. So Erin Rooney Doland is pretty much a superhero in my world. She’s the editor of Unclutterer, a riotous dinner companion, and the only parent I know whose house was not immediately overrun by baby stuff when the child arrived. She has a book out this week, Unclutter Your Life in One Week, and you guys, here’s how serious she is about this: She gave Tom and me an advance copy of her book, and when we asked her to sign it, she said, “Are you sure? If I sign it, you’re going to feel like you have to keep it after you’re done reading it.” Always thinking about purging stuff, even when “stuff” is her own book.  I thought I’d ask her a few questions about uncluttering and why she loves DC.

WLDC: So, how did uncluttering become a way of life? I mean, how did you decide you were so passionate about the topic that you could make a full-time job out of it?

Erin: My husband and I used to live on R Street between 14th and 15th Streets, NW, in an 850 square-foot condo. At the time, I had so much crap — and I’m being honest, most of it was crap — that we had to walk along a pathway to get from the bedroom to the kitchen. We never had people over and we were stressed out all of the time because the physical stuff weighed on us. One day, my husband reached his breaking point, and he asked me if I would consider getting rid of the clutter. I was overwhelmed by all of it too, and agreed that his idea was a good one. I spent the next six months doing research and purging and streamlining — and the stress just went away. I couldn’t believe how much of a difference it made in every aspect of my life. When I started writing for Unclutterer.com it was with the purpose of sharing with other people about my experiences. I never expected that it would become my career, but I am truly thankful it did. I love my job and the readers of the site and helping as many people as I can to discover the joys of an uncluttered life. Continue reading →

Interviews, People, The Features
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He Loves DC: Walker Lamond

Photo courtesy of
Walker Lamond from the “Rules for My Unborn Son” Media Kit
courtesy of ‘K1rkles’

Walker Lamond can be described as the fatherly sage of the masculine aesthetic.  Perhaps you don’t know his name, but it’s more than likely that you’ve at least heard of his blog, “1001 Rules for My Unborn Son.” As the title suggests, Walker doles out practical advice to his son on his popular Tumblr page.  He’s gathered a substantial following over his past year and a half of blogging, including the attention of a few publishers.

Tomorrow, Walker will join the ranks of the bloggers turned authors when Rules for My Unborn Son, a book of his axioms, is released. It turns out that Mr. Lamond is a resident of DC and, on the eve of his literary debut, he graciously agreed to answer a few questions about his book and life in the city.  He even gave some advice while he was at it. So, continue reading to discover Walker’s thoughts on becoming an author, DC’s greatest sartorial misstep, and how to improve our taxi system.

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Interviews, People, The Features
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He Loves DC: Michael Babin

Michael Babin 3

Michael Babin isn’t necessarily a DC household name, but his restaurants sure are. He’s one of the co-owners behind the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, (NRG) the powerhouse behind Buzz, Evening Star Café, EatBar, Planet Wine, Rustico, Columbia Firehouse, Star Catering, Tallula and Vermilion – all Northern Virginia staples that have quickly become community favorites. With Michael opening his first restaurant in DC proper any day now, the beer-focused Birch & Barley and upstairs bar Churchkey, I thought it was high time to talk to him about what he loves about DC.

Katie: How long have you lived in the DC area?
Michael: 18 years.

What is the best thing about DC, in your opinion?
DC is much more manageable and affordable than just about any other city with comparable cultural attractions. Also, the people who live here tend to be well educated, well informed, and passionate about public issues. Because there is more awareness of the inside baseball of how things really work, it can seem to outsiders like a cynical town, but just as much (if not more), it’s a city of idealists and big dreamers.

What would you change about DC if you could?
Lower the pollen levels and eradicate those tiny Asian mosquitoes.

Why did you start NRG, and what do you see for it in the future?
I opened the Evening Star Cafe because I wanted to get a practical education in business by starting and owning one. A few years later, I decided to do this full-time and it turned into NRG. I have too many goals for NRG to mention, but personally I hope to continue to earn the right to work with smart, creative, and committed partners in the kitchens and fronts-of-house to create and operate places that we, and our guests, genuinely love. Continue reading →

Interviews, The Features
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He Loves DC: Luis Colmenares

Luis Colmenares

The authors at this site love DC (oh really? yes. really.) and are often point-people for people’s questions about the city, where to go and what to do. But aside from our 20 authors, there are other roving DC experts in the city, hidden at every turn. Hotel concierges. They know and love DC (maybe more than our authorship), and I’m sure answer more questions about this city than all of us combined. One of the most-loved and well-respected concierges in the city is the Hotel Monaco’s Luis Colmenares. Luis has huge accolades, he’s a Member of the prestigious Les Clefs d’Or USA, and the Vice President, Washington Area Concierge Association. Luis is even a Notary Public, the man is ready to help assist your every whim.

So what does a guy like Luis love about DC? Well I was able to get the skinny from one of DC’s best advocates.

Katie: How long have you lived in DC, and how did you arrive here?
Luis: I grew up in Caracas, Venezuela, and moved to Washington DC purely on a whim nearly 22 years ago. I originally came just for a one-week vacation, but when I got here, I loved it so much that I never went back home! I worked as a travel consultant for 10 years, and have been a concierge for the past 12.

As a hotel concierge, what’s the most frequently asked question you answer about DC?
More than anything, I am asked for hours and directions to tourist hot spots, like the Mall or the monuments. Recently, I’ve had a surge of questions about Georgetown – what to do there, and the best places to eat and shop.

What’s the one place in DC that visitors should not miss?
Just one? I think the White House is the most important place someone can visit, because it represents the center of American democracy. Just remember that I can’t get tickets for you, no matter how nicely you ask! It all needs to be arranged before you get here.
Continue reading →

Essential DC, Interviews, Life in the Capital, Sports Fix, The Features
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Sports Extra: Capitals Hockey 2009-10 Season Preview

Photo courtesy of
‘Net Lit In Red’
courtesy of ‘clydeorama’

Ok DC, ready for a real sport, now that the Redskins have imploded, the United tanked and the Nats…well, they’re the Nats. Anyway, are you ready for some hockey?

The Washington Capitals open up their season tomorrow night in Boston against the Bruins, the first step in their 2009-10 quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup. Last season saw the Caps suffer the most ignominious of falls, crashing in a critical Game 7 against the eventual Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Even more galling to Caps fans was the fact that the Caps led that series 2-0 before running out of gas.

Will this year be any better?

It depends.

While I’m sure a few of you actually care what I think about the Caps this year, most people I’ve talked with casually about hockey are skeptical of my Capitals analysis, considering I’m a Penguins fan at heart. Never mind the fact that last year, I was only two wins off predicting their season record and correctly predicted their playoff exit. So rather than take flak again this year, I turned to ESPN’s John Buccigross for his invaluable insight. (And for the record, Bucci picked the Flyers to win the Cup this year. That’s right, Philly. But we won’t hold that against him.)

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Interviews, The Features
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She Loves DC: Kate Michael

Photo courtesy of
‘Kate Michael, K Street Kate’
courtesy of ‘CathyLovesDC’

Last week I sat down with Kate Michael, also known as K Street Kate and forever known as former Miss DC, at a new, local coffee shop and chatted about why she loves DC. The self-made model, philanthropist, and expert on all things DC (a combination which she perhaps rightfully claims is only possible in the city we all love) hosts or makes appearances at at least three local events and openings a night, where her biggest concern is picking out an outfit that works for all three. Between media appearances, runway fittings, and fundraisers, she wakes up early to blog about her experiences on her website, K Street Kate.

In our chat, the breast cancer and literacy advocate dispelled rumors about DC’s lack of fashion and divulged the fashion brand that DC would be – if it could be one. She told me what name DC should go by – if it could go by any other name, and most interestingly, the limelight-loving, fashionable media queen shared why she picked K Street, aside from the obvious alliteration.

DC hired her once, to represent the city as Miss DC in the Miss America franchise, again to work for the city’s green employment, and she’ll tell us why they should hire her for real as the most qualified pavement-pounding spokesperson around. Continue reading →

Adams Morgan, Food and Drink, Interviews, Life in the Capital, People, The Features
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He Loves DC: Ben Eisendrath

Ben Eisendrath of Grillworks, Inc

Ben Eisendrath (image courtesy of Grillworks, Inc.)

“If you want high-rise, get on the train.”

Tucked away on an Adams Morgan side street, off the alley entrance and past the Harley, lies a secret patio that just happens to be the headquarters of a foodie subculture – Grillworks, Inc.

Local entrepreneur Ben Eisendrath had been introducing friends to the glory of South American-style wood grilling for years before he chucked the daily grind to re-launch his father’s invention and transform it into a viable business. From “grubby greasy shop drawings” to 3D CAD renderings, Ben translated his father’s elegant design for the modern world. Shops in Michigan and Virginia now produce what’s known as the “Maserati of Grills.”

I’ve known Ben for over a decade, and in the majority of those years the highly coveted grill party invites have seen quite the menu range. From regular ol’ burgers to caribou sausage, from butterflied salmon on a bed of dill to goat leg – and those are just the protein options!  The simple beauty of the grill’s design enables it to weather all seasons, and it’s slowly expanded from just a quiet secret amongst locals to celebrity chefs and newscasters. And honestly – there’s just nothing like the hypnotic dance of the wood burning flames as they light the night.

Ben could easily pick up and move to another city. A Michigan native, he came to DC in 1993; his grandparents have lived here for a long time, and it seemed a manageable starter city for someone who’d never lived in a metropolis before. But somehow, as with so many of us, the city sucked him in. Ben’s a Washingtonian now. I asked him to talk about why he loves DC, the challenges of being a local entrepreneur, and where he goes to get his grub. Continue reading →

Interviews, The Features
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Why I Love DC: Corinne

Meridian Hill Drum Circle IMG_9449

Meridian Hill Drum Circle by Corinne Whiting

I admittedly love DC, first and foremost, because it feels partly mine. I picnicked in its triangular parks as a wee one (our downtown visits allowing my dad an excuse for an office reprieve); I’ve played tourist around its sites on countless field trips with classmates and relatives; I’ve frolicked along its brick sidewalks as a college student for the first time unleashed, unsupervised, in a big urban world. So, yes, it is familiar and yes, some of my favorite people of all time still call this place home. DC is indelibly etched into the story of what makes me me.

But sweep all that personal history to the side, and I can see this magnificent city as if through the eyes of a visitor (in fact, my job insists that I do). I recognize its allure for tourists and locals alike, and I’m grateful to have roots in a city that keeps me coming back for more.

Perhaps, more than anything, I love that a city stroll can take me on a global walkabout. A challenging game of name-that-flag along Embassy Row sends me past an exquisite tiled mosque, distinctive ambassadorial residences and multilingual, wide-eyed diplomats exploring their new ‘hood. In Mount Pleasant, with Mana playing on my iPod, I pass chatting men on overturned crates as impromptu vendors sell tamales nearby, and the sights, sounds and smells temporarily transport me to Latin America. Within a fifteen-minute bubble of my home, I can eat amazing Ethiopian food cooked by Ethiopian chefs, Thai cooked by the Thai, Peruvian cooked by Peruvians. Authenticity rules our culinary scene. And I love that, at certain dinner parties, I might meet new friends who’ve come from or lived in countries like Bulgaria and Brazil, Martinique and Morocco.

Continue reading →

History, Interviews, People, Scribblings
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Scribblings: Haynes & Klehr

Photo courtesy of
‘Soviet Unterzoegersdorf’
courtesy of ‘boklm’

In 1993, former KGB officer Alexander Vassiliev was permitted unique access to Stalin-era records of Soviet intelligence operations against the United States. Vassiliev subsequently shared the notes he took with Library of Congress historian John Earl Haynes and Emory University professor Harvey Klehr. Together they have written an extraordinarily detailed and shocking account of the KGB’s espionage successes in America, including penetrations of American government and industry at the highest levels. The authors expose Soviet spy tactics and techniques and shed new light on many controversial issues, including Alger Hiss’s cooperation with Soviet intelligence, KGB recruitment of muckraking journalist I.F. Stone, and Ernest Hemingway’s meetings with KGB agents. Join John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, authors of Spies: The Rise and Fall of the KGB in America, at a special free lunchtime chat and booksigning event at the International Spy Museum on Thursday, August 20 from noon to 1 p.m. (No tickets required.)

A special Q&A with the authors after the jump. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Interviews, People
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She Loves DC: Meg from 2birds1blog

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Meg (Music) Photo Courtesy of Laura Warman

I have a huge, festering blog crush on total internet sensation 2birds1blog. Written by two friends and ex-roommates, Chris and Meg, the blog has me snickering all day long. Snarky, irreverent, honest and totally hilarious, co-author Meg, lives here in DC. Her witty commentary about all things in our city regularly keeps me entertained, I can always relate to posts about the metro, her gym crush (me, thinking: zomg I totes have a gym crush too1!!), and other DC-centric things. Not only is DC mentioned in random posts, Meg has penned a few blog posts solely on the topic of DC, one of my favorites is 6 Reasons You Should Love DC. This post, plus her winning personality? All make her perfect for a She Loves DC nod here on We Love DC. So, as a gift to you, dear reader, I give you Meg, from 2birds1blog.

Katie: Why DC? What made you decide to take up residence in our fair city?
Meg: I’m originally from the area and then went to school at American University. After graduation I decided I needed a little break from DC and moved to New York. I came crawlin’ back a year later. What can I say? DC’s got her hooks in me.

What is your favorite place in DC?
On my roof, poolside, Miller High Life in hand, magazine in my lap. Given that, you wouldn’t think I’d be so offensively pale, and yet, here we are.

What would you change about DC if you could?
Sweet mother of God, the weather. All I have to say is T-minus 34 days until the Fall equinox.

If DC were to go on a date with another city, what city would DC be best with?
Here’s how I see it: DC is a lot like Rachel Leigh Cooke’s character in the movie She’s All That—seemingly shy, nerdy, smug and a little stand-offish. We need someone who’s going to take the time to get to know the real DC. Because on the inside, we’re actually not shy and nerdy at all; we’re interesting and creative and any city would be lucky to date us. We need to find the city equivalent of Freddie Prinz, Junior. So I guess what I’m trying to say is Boston. Continue reading →

Interviews, People, The Features
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He Loves DC: Alex Capece

Studio shot

You know how there are people whose enthusiasm for things is contagious? Alex Capece is one of those people. We Love DC’s Editor man, Tom, stumbled across Alex’s blog, Raising Ladders, a detailed account of his experience as an EMT/firefighter in the DC Fire Department. His eye for photography, paired with his knack for great storytelling makes for a compelling blog read, but also exposes a side of DC that most are unfamiliar with. We sat down at Commonwealth recently, and I grilled him all about his job, his love of DC, and his favorite places to take photographs.

Katie: What’s your favorite place in DC?

Alex: The National Portrait Gallery. The first time I went, I was lost for six hours – it was the first time I had been out on my own exploring the city.

What would you change about DC if you could? Don’t say traffic. Everyone says traffic.

Traffic. No, the humidity. There are days here where you feel like you’re stuck to the sidewalk.

So you write all about your experiences as a rookie firefighter. What do you enjoy about blogging?

When I first started Raising Ladders, I was writing it for friends and family, just so I could tell them about what I was doing. Now it’s more of a challenge to come up with interesting things. I try to write a post for every shift. I never really thought it would be so popular, now I try and think of what people would want to read. It’s like my dad says, if you do good work, someone will notice. I’m always impressed when people email me now, mostly asking about the DCFD. Continue reading →

Interviews, People, Special Events, The Features
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Scribblings: Matthew Alexander

Photo courtesy of
‘Polygraph Integrator’
courtesy of ‘pauldwaite’

Interrogation is the ultimate battle of wills; the most expert interrogators have an arsenal of tactics ready to go. Gauging their “target,” they must quickly assess which psychological strategies will work to gain the most reliable results. Matthew Alexander, who spent 14 years in the US Air Force and Air Force Reserves, is part of a small group of military interrogators who were sent to Iraq in 2006, trained to get information without using harsh methods. He sat face-to-face with hardened members of Al Qaeda and convinced them to talk. Alexander, author of How to Break a Terrorist: The U.S. Interrogators Who Used Brains, Not Brutality, to Take Down the Deadliest Man in Iraq, will describe the true story of the critical interrogation he conducted that led to the targeted killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq. Alexander will share his riveting experiences and reveal what it takes to be an effective interrogator in a special event hosted by the International Spy Museum on Monday, August 10 at 6:30 p.m.

Continue reading →

Food and Drink, Interviews, Life in the Capital, Penn Quarter, People, The Features
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She Loves DC: Jill Zimorski

jill and wine

Jill rushes up to greet me wearing a bright green cardigan and a cute black Ann Taylor dress. (I know, because I have it in pink!) She’s not what you expect in someone whose credentials boast “Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers” and “has completed the Advanced Certificate Course offered through the Wine Spirits and Education Trust.” Jill just looks like she could be any of my girlfriends, but with a totally rockin’ day job – beverage director for Café Atlantico, the popular Penn Quarter eat place that hides Minibar. She’s been with Jose Andres since 2006, and seen Cafe Atlantico through quite a bit. We sat down to talk about my favorite subject – DC, paired with my other favorite subject – food and wine. (Heavy on the wine, given Jill’s passion!)

Me: Name the best part of DC in your opinion?
Jill: I think it would have to be the endless variety of people who you can meet, and what you can do here. My list of things I want to do is long, and some of it you can do on your own and other things with friends. Continue reading →

Interviews, People, Sports Fix, The District, The Features
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He Loves DC: Devon McTavish

devon headshot

Hailing from Winchester, Virginia, Devon McTavish grew up watching DC United play soccer, and has early memories of his Dad getting lost in the twisted DC streets near the White House. So if any DC United player loves DC, it would be Devon, our quasi-hometown boy. He and I grabbed drinks at Whitlows, and I grilled him on his favorite places around DC, his toughest game this season, and what he does in the community. Continue reading →

Interviews, Music, People, The Features
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Interview: Jukebox the Ghost

Jukebox the Ghost, courtesy of This Side Up Sounds

Jukebox the Ghost, courtesy of This Side Up Sounds

Indie pop/rockers Jukebox the Ghost formed in DC, but didn’t stick around long. After a few years in the area, they headed up to Philadelphia but still have love in their hearts for Ben’s Chili Bowl, among other things.

Admist their non-stop touring, I was able to grab guitarist/vocalist Tommy Siegel for some quick questions about the band, their kooky name, and their favorite things about DC. Continue reading →

Foggy Bottom, Interviews, People, Special Events, The Features
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He Loves DC: Antonio Burrell

Antonio from Commonwealth

It’s been a wild ride for Antonio Burrell, the Chef de Cuisine at CommonWealth Gastropub. Since the opening in August of 2008, the British food joint CommonWealth has fast been popular with foodies and Columbia Heights regulars. I was able to catch up with Burrell, talk through his opinions on the DC food scene, find out what he does in the city on his days off, and discuss what his ideal food day in the city would be composed of.

Katie: How long have you lived in DC?

Antonio: I moved to DC in October of 2000. I actually took two months off and took a nice vacation, stayed in North Carolina played a lot of golf and fished a lot with my Dad. For the first year and a half I lived in Alexandria, but have lived in DC since then.

Name the best part of DC, in your opinion?

I like a great many things about DC, chief among them are the people I have met and its central location to Manhattan and my extended family, who live in North Carolina. However, the best part of DC is all the great cultural things you can do. The Smithsonian Institute Museums are a great way to spend a day, topped off by a nice stroll down the Mall, taking many stops along the way, especially to dip your feet in the fountain at the Korean Memorial.

Continue reading →

History, Interviews, People, The Features
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Scribblings: Paul Chaat Smith

Paul Chaat Smith 4/18/09

On one of the first springtime Saturdays in April, I managed to slip down to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian to catch its associate curator, Paul Chaat Smith, read from his latest book Everything You Know about Indians Is Wrong. Not exactly an event to herald the death of a wet, extended winter, but the book title and press release had my attention. I wanted to know more about the book – and the man behind it. Spring, for the moment, could wait.

I wasn’t disappointed.

To understand the author is to understand the book that much more. It’s less a cohesive treatise on any particular point – and if you’re looking for a “top ten” list based on the title, you’ll be sorely disappointed. As Paul stated, “It’s a book title, folks, not to be taken literally. Of course I don’t mean everything, just most things. And ‘you’ really means we, as in all of us.”

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Interviews, People, The Features
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I Love DC: An Ode

Frame 10

As is the task of all the We Love DC bloggers, I set down to put what I love about this place into words. However, as I’m the upteenth member of the team, I had a feeling that much of what I could contribute would have been well-tred soil. So, instead, I have composed an Ode in three parts.

Continue reading →

24 in DC, Interviews, People, The Features
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He Loves DC: Jack Bauer

Photo courtesy of tbridge
Jack and the Capitol 2, courtesy of tbridge

Got this in the email inbox late last night. Thought I should share it with everyone – seems Jack Bauer reads WLDC! Leave him your comments; he said he’ll be watching… -BHR

After innumerable years as a government employee trotting the globe, I’m finally back in the center of it all, beautiful Washington, DC. And I love it here.

There are lots of reasons why; I thought, since everyone’s been ragging on me this week, why not ‘fess up and tell you? Continue reading →

Interviews, Music, People, The Features
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He Loves DC: Stephen Kilroy

 

Middle Distance Runner loves Ben's Chili Bowl.

Middle Distance Runner loves Ben's Chili Bowl. Photo by Susan Pleiman

I’m personally a big fan of local band Middle Distance Runner–their shows are fun, the songs are catchy, and they seem to have a pretty good sense of humor about it all. They’re on tour right now, and they will be coming to Iota Saturday, March 28. I got a chance to ask lead singer Stephen Kilroy a few questions about DC, the new album, and their Celebrity Deathmatch-style video.

How long have you lived in DC?

I’ve lived in the DC area for about 16 years.

What are your favorite things about the area?

I like the feeling of being at the center of what’s going on in the world. Not just by being in the nation’s capitol, but being on the east coast, close to so many other big cities. I also like chili smokes. Continue reading →