Category Archives: People

Food and Drink, Interviews, People, The Features, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks: Joe Riley

Photo courtesy of
‘Joe Riley, Ace Beverage’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

We Love Drinks continues our series where we look behind the bar, profiling the many people – from mixologists to bartenders, sommeliers to publicans – who make your drinks experience happen.

So far in our profile series we’ve focused on the people bringing your drinks to you – from bartenders crafting cocktails to sommeliers creating a wine list. But who brings the drinks to them? Those ingredients don’t just magically appear, do they? One name kept coming up over and over again – Joe Riley, fine spirits manager at Ace Beverage. I ventured up to leafy Wesley Heights (near AU) to meet him at the small but packed shop in Foxhall Square. We talked about his experiences as a fine spirits manager, and I also canvassed DC craft bartenders Owen Thompson and Derek Brown, along with cocktail enthusiast Marshall Fawley, to find out what it is about Joe that has loyal customers so buzzed.

Joe’s reputation is that he can find anyone anything. Within a few minutes of talking to him, I’d mentioned my nostalgic love for a rose liqueur I tasted one evening in Paris, topping a glass of champagne (the waiter exploded the bottle over me, but that’s another drinks story). “Not rose water, rose liqueur,” I sighed, “but no one has ever been able to – ” Joe’s head had cocked to one side during my reverie, eyes sparkling, and I trailed off as I realized he was about to make magic. “Crispin’s Rose Liqueur, Greenway Distillers. Hand distilled from apples, infused with rose petals. Crispin Cain’s been perfecting the recipe for years. We should be able to get that soon.”

Quest ended. Just like that. I then spent about an hour in the shop listening to him weave tales of liquor lore. Not only can he find anyone anything, he seems to know about everything – a fine spirits encyclopedia, a libation historian, filled with tales of Prohibition and the Washington of old. Continue reading →

Fun & Games, People, Special Events, Sports Fix, The Features
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Washington Hosts Boston In The Nationals Dream Foundation Classic

Dream Foundation Classic
Photo by Rachel Levitin

Some of you might have noticed this increased amount of red t-shirts, caps, and jerseys on the Metro yesterday. If you didn’t, then you didn’t see what I saw. When Red Sox Nation meets NatsTown, the ride from Chinatown to the ballpark is a never ending red sea (Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston pun intended).

As Boston preps to take on the 2009 World Champion New York Yankees in Beantown for Opening Day 2010 tonight, they spent Saturday afternoon in the District playing baseball against the team with the worst record in the Major Leagues last year.

Those standings didn’t deter the ticket buying public-at-large though. A crowd of 37,312 filled the seats of Nationals Park for the final game of the 2010 spring training season to see Craig Stammen take on the veteran force that is Tim Wakefield in this year’s Nationals Dream Foundation Classic. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Fun & Games, News, People, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Newest Wax Statue Elicits “Who The F*^k Is That?”

Photo courtesy of
‘Free S. Gomez’
courtesy of ‘PicturesAllDisney’

Today, Madame Tussauds in Washington DC revealed the newest addition to their wax museum, Selena Gomez. Who’s that? You logically ask. She’s one of those tween Disney Channel stars, like the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Zack Efron, etc., that gets swarmed everywhere she goes by screaming 13 year olds and she likely makes more money than God. Unfortunately, the “actress” was unavailable to attend the unveiling of her statue as she’s on tour promoting her band’s latest album.  So disappointing. I hope they place her right next to the figures of Babe Ruth, Buzz Aldrin and Winston Churchill.

Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, People, Special Events, The Daily Feed, The Mall
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Photos From The Smithsonian Kite Festival

Circle

The National Mall is a place I don’t visit nearly often enough. Today was an exception to that. A childhood friend of mine surprised me with a call Friday afternoon saying she’d be in town for the weekend and wanted to picnic on the Mall — during the KITE FESTIVAL!

Thanks to her, I got to play tourist for a day (something I haven’t done for a very long time). Here are some highlights from the Smithsonian’s Kite Festival and parading about the National Mall after the page break Continue reading →

Crime & Punishment, People, The Daily Feed, The District, WTF?!
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Hizzoner Once Again in Trouble

Photo courtesy of
‘Marion Barry and Mr. Grumpy Pants’
courtesy of ‘ricepeter’

So now the IRS is jumping back into the Marion Barry pool. (And a dirty one that is, too…) The IRS filed a lien against Hizzoner in an attempt to reclaim some of the $15,000 in unpaid taxes that Barry owes. “There is a lien in favor of the United States on all property and rights to property belonging to this taxpayer for the amount of these taxes,” states the lien.

This lien appears to be unrelated with Barry’s earlier IRS troubles, where he admitted he hadn’t paid the bulk of taxes on the $500,000 he earned between 1999 and 2004. The IRS has been taking $1,350 from Barry’s salary since late 2006 to repay that debt.

According to the lien, Barry also owes $649 for 2005; $4,907 for 2006; $8,679 for 2007; and $1,022 for 2008. Fred Cooke, Barry’s attorney, believes Hizzoner paid his 2008 taxes in full.

People, The Features, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks: Thor Cheston

Photo courtesy of
‘Thor, Over Processed’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’

We Love Drinks continues our series where we look behind the bar, profiling the many people – from mixologists to bartenders, sommeliers to publicans – who make your drinks experience happen.

When I sat down with Thor Cheston, the beer director at Brasserie Beck, our conversation centered on the future.  Not that I necessarily meant for this to happen, it just did.  Frankly, the future’s an exciting place.  The future is place where beer is wine’s equal (almost).  The future is a place where beer de cuisine is an art form.  The future is a place in which DC has a local brewery (!!!). Thor wants to be at the center of this future, making sure that everything happens according to plan.

Continue reading →

News, People, The Daily Feed, The District
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Home-Grown Pot May Become An Option In DC

Photo courtesy of
‘Reefer Madness/The Burning Question (1936)’
courtesy of ‘Caveman (Kickin’ 66 with Pete Zarria)’

It’s Congress approved … now the next step in upholding the legalization of medical marijuana in the District is figuring out how to get the green stuff into the city itself.

D.C. Council is considering a “home cultivation” option in which individuals requiring medical marijuana could grow up to two plants at a time in their own privacy via a city-issued licensing process.

Complete legalization of medical marijuana usage is on hold until the D.C. Council approves and passes a new law in its name.

The Washington Examiner reports the District’s biggest concern  at the moment, according to D.C. Judiciary Committee Chairman Phil Mendelson, is how to not make D.C. a mistake like Los Angeles, “who opened the door so wide it was tantamount to legalized pot” in their city.

Food and Drink, People, The Features, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks: The St. Regis Bar

Photo courtesy of
‘Adour 11’
courtesy of ‘maxedaperture’

Of all the venerable hotel bars that this city offers, the one that never really spoke to me was the St. Regis Library Lounge. With an air that screamed lobbyist power broker, it just never provided the quirky elegance that I find essential in a grand old hotel. That changed for me this past autumn when I popped in for a look before the most scrumptious Thanksgiving meal ever (if you have a serious special occasion coming up, go to Adour, it’s incredible). I knew the hotel had been renovated but I assumed it would be more of the same. Wrong.

The Bar at the St. Regis (its official name) is soothingly decorated now in shades of violet and grey, adding Art Deco touches like crazy 1960’s biomorphic light fixtures to a 40-seat room dominated by an intensely elaborate Italianate ceiling. Lacquered, metallic, mirrored surfaces abound. It’s simply gorgeous, but not overwhelming. You can easily tuck into a soft corner and broker your deal or impress your date. As for the drinks, they’ve undergone a change too. Sure, there’s the high-end madness one might expect (Remy Martin’s Black Pearl Magnum, anyone? $1,926 – the year the hotel opened – for a two ounce pour out of the only bottle in DC…).

But you can also have a little luxury for less, and enjoy some wacky molecular mixology too! Continue reading →

Essential DC, Interviews, Life in the Capital, People, The Features
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She Loves DC: Meredith Peruzzi

Photo courtesy of
‘Gallaudet Chapel Hall’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Reader Meredith Peruzzi, a lifelong area resident and a current Gallaudet student, approached We Love DC eager to share her perspective on the city. Here she explains why she loves DC…

I always thought that people who weren’t native to a place didn’t really identify with it – that if you asked somebody where they were from, they’d name their hometown.  I grew up in the DC area, so whenever someone asked where I was from, I’d always say “here” – this has always been my home, and I can’t consider myself “from” anywhere else.  I’m a Washingtonian because I’ve always been one.

So I assumed that DC was “my city” and that people who moved here didn’t necessarily feel that they were Washingtonians.  Until I started reading We Love DC, and realized that even transplants love this town and feel a connection to it.  People who like to move from city to city may not identify with DC, but anyone who makes their home here is a Washingtonian.

So DC is my city, but it’s also your city, our city, and everyone’s city.  Tourists flock to DC every spring and summer because they want to see where their tax dollars are going, where their senators and representatives live, and all the famous monuments and buildings that grace their money and their history books.  Across the nation, civic pride is personal – the Statue of Liberty belongs to New Yorkers, and the Golden Gate Bridge belongs to San Franciscans.  But the Washington Monument and the White House belong to all Americans, and I love that they come to experience DC because America means something to them.  It’s not so much “welcome to my home” as it is “welcome home.” Continue reading →

People, The Features
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Why I Love DC: Courtney


‘IMG_0650’
courtesy of ‘mkuhnert’

It’s funny, because when I sat down to write this, I was reminded again that DC was definitely not the plan when I was making decisions about college, and yet, here I am. Rewind to my senior year in high school. I was set on a school in the midwest, and even though I had applied to Howard, I have to admit I was petrified of moving so far away from home. What I didn’t know then is that, five years later, I wouldn’t regret that application at all.

I promise this won’t be completely about Howard, but what I do have to mention is that attending Howard University was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I am extremely proud that I had the opportunity to study at a school with so much history and so much culture. Ok, that’s that. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Fun & Games, Night Life, People, The Daily Feed
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H Street Country Club Offers Competitive Skeeball – Sign Up Now!

Photo courtesy of
‘Skeeball League – Score! – 01-10-10’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

Registration for the spring “skeeson” of competitive Skeeball at H Street Country Club is now open! Rally the troops (aka your closest pals and drinking buddies) or sign up on your own (the Skeeball folks are happy to place you with a group that has an open spot) for a rousing 8 week round of  head-to-head Skeeball combat in NE DC.

What better way to bring you back to the glory days of your youth than with Sunday and Tuesday night Skeeball challenges starting April 11? Dave & Buster’s might be a close second, but really … come on … SKEEBALL? Sounds awesome.

Plus – there’s $3 Bud Lights, $5 Margaritas and discounted food!

8-12 players make a team, but 12-15 is recommended.

Visit the United Skeeball Association (yes, there is such a thing) webpage for more details.

People, Scribblings, Special Events
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Scribblings: Gail Harris

Photo courtesy of
‘Missile Exercise’
courtesy of ‘mashleymorgan’

Gail Harris was assigned by the U.S. Navy to a combat intelligence job in 1973, becoming the first woman to hold such a position. When she retired at the end of 2001, she was the highest ranking African American female in the Navy; her career spanned 28 years of leadership in the intelligence community, from the Cold War to Desert Storm to Kosovo. Her last challenge was in developing policy for the Computer Network Defense and Computer Network Attack for the Department of Defense. She recently authored A Woman’s War: The Professional and Personal Journey of the Navy’s First African American Female Intelligence Officer and will be at a special program at the International Spy Museum tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. She’ll share her unique experience and perspective in providing intelligence support to military operations while also battling the status quo, office bullies, and politics.

After the jump, a brief Q&A between the International Spy Museum and Gail Harris. Continue reading →

Crime & Punishment, Fun & Games, News, People, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Snowballer Cop Keeps his Badge

Photo courtesy of
‘IMG_2384’
courtesy of ‘AJ Ashton’

It appears that in the MPD, pulling your gun on innocent citizens isn’t a fireable offense.  This is lucky for Detective Mike Baylor, who, you’ll remember, didn’t take kindly to his hummer being hit by snowballs and waved his gun at some people involved in a U St. snowball fight. A few months have passed, and after some measure of deliberation, MPD decided Baylor could keep his badge. DC Police Chief Lanier stated that Baylor did violate department protocol but that his offense didn’t merit termination.  So, be wary of red hummers and keep your snowballs hidden away.  You never know when Baylor might roll up to inflict some justice on your ass.

Dupont Circle, Entertainment, Fun & Games, Media, People, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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RWDC Live Blog Resumes

Photo courtesy of
‘The Real World DC House’
courtesy of ‘alifayre’

Well, the Olympics are over and I have no excuse: the RWDC Live Blog will resume again, tonight.  Be here at 9:45 with a drink in hand to mock the strangeness of those real folks that drank and grinded (ground?) their way around or city this summer.  Is this voyeuristic? Yes.  Can I wait for it to end? No.

Life in the Capital, People, Special Events, The Daily Feed, The District
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The Art of the Blog

Photo courtesy of
‘2010:57’
courtesy of ‘::FiZ::’

Friday night I had the opportunity to attend The Art of the Blog at District in Adams Morgan.  Hosted by Ready Set DC, The Art of the Blog is a new, monthly get together for bloggers across the nation’s capital.  With a focus on ‘neighborhood blogs’ this month, the special guest speakers – Dan Silverman of Prince of Petworth & David Garber of And Now, Anacostia – both shared candid interpretations of what it’s like to be a DC blogger.   Continue reading →

All Politics is Local, News, People, The Daily Feed
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White House Social Secretary Stepping Down

Photo courtesy of
‘Down to the Oubliette’
courtesy of ‘Karon’

According to an Obama administration official, Desiree Rogers will be leaving her post as the White House social secretary. Rogers was a much hyped hire for the Obama Administration, and was even featured in the February 2009 issue of Vogue.

However, recently Rogers had faced a wealth of criticism for the handling of the Salahi-Dinnergate kerfuffle that took place during a November 24 state dinner for the Prime Minister of Indian. Whether or not this debacle factors into her departure is unknown.

People, The Features
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A We Love DC Interview: Author Stephen Salny

62-5

Image Credit: Stephen Salny via Michael Taylor Design

Last night at the Corcoran, author and design expert Stephen Salny provided a comprehensive look into the legendary designer Michael Taylor.  One of Architectural Digest’s “20 Greatest Designers of All Time” and best known for his popularization of the “California Look”, Taylor continues to revolutionize the industry 25 years since his passing.

I had the unique opportunity to chat with Salny about his book Michael Taylor Interior Design.

Continue reading →

Food and Drink, Interviews, People, The Features, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks: Chantal Tseng

Chantal Tseng at Tabard Inn. Photo courtesy Chantal Tseng/Tabard Inn.

Chantal Tseng at Tabard Inn. Photo courtesy Chantal Tseng/Tabard Inn.

We Love Drinks continues our series where we look behind the bar, profiling the many people – from mixologists to bartenders, sommeliers to publicans – who make your drinks experience happen.

It’s no secret that one of my favorite bars in the city is Tabard Inn. The creaky lounge – a Victorian Medievalist’s fantasy, with its eccentric patrons circling the fireplace – seems somehow out of time and place, a bit dreamy really. Thankfully its mixologist’s first reaction to the bar’s collection of quirky old ingredients wasn’t to throw them all away, but to find a way to incorporate and celebrate them. It makes perfect sense.

Because Chantal Tseng sees stories everywhere. Stories for cocktails, that is.

As she describes for me her foray into the great old stock of the hotel, I have a vision of her browsing through dusty bottles in search of new worlds to uncover – like some cocktail archeologist. “Wait, what’s that? Don’t get rid of it, that could be fun to play with…” Her enthusiasm pulls me along, for mixing drinks is obviously Chantal’s love, an artistic outlet fueled by the history behind a drink and the stories it weaves afterwards.

Take the tale she spins for Odette’s Curse. It begins with her standing in front of a painting of a man ice-skating. “In a silly pose,” she says, “like a dandy on ice.” Continue reading →

Food and Drink, People, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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DC Holds Our Own in James Beard Award Nominees

HIGH minibar-large-dzagar
Minibar by Maxwell MacKenzie

DC cleaned UP in the James Beard Award nominations this year with some great restaurants being recognized. I don’t agree with every single nomination, but when does that happen with awards? Winners will be announced at the highly-anticipated James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony and Gala Reception, taking place on Monday, May 3, 2010 at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York City. Here’s who you’re rooting for, DC:

OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR:
Ashok Bajaj, 701, Ardeo, Bardeo, Bibiana Osteria-Entoteca, The Bombay Club, The Oval Room, and Rasika, Washington, D.C.

OUTSTANDING CHEF:
Jose Andres (Minibar, Washington, D.C.)

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT:
Vidalia, Washington, D.C.

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR:
Johnny Monis, Komi, Washington, D.C.

BEST NEW RESTAURANT:
Trummer’s on Main, Clifton, VA
Eventide, Arlington, VA
J & G Steakhouse, Washington, D.C.

OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF:
Amanda Cook, CityZen at Mandarin Oriental, Washington, D.C.

OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL:
Derek Brown, The Passenger, Washington, D.C.

OUTSTANDING SERVICE:
Marcel’s, Washington, D.C.

BEST CHEF MID-ATLANTIC:
Cathal Armstrong, Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA
Tony Conte, The Oval Room, Washington, D.C.
Peter Pastan, Obelisk, Washington, D.C.
Vikram Sunderam, Rasika, Washington, D.C.

Entertainment, People, Special Events, Sports Fix
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Capitals Hockey, 2010 Vancouver Games, and You

Photo courtesy of
‘Hockey Helmet from 1980 Olympics’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

As you read this, Olympic hockey has begun for the 2010 games in Vancouver. So what does it have to do with DC?

For Caps fans, everything. Think of these next two weeks as less an NHL break and more of an intermission show that has the makings of an epic Game 7 Stanley Cup Final every night during the playoff round. The Capitals have five players in the tournament, scattered across three national teams. And depending on how they do and where they place, the Caps may have quite the motivator when these players return the first week in March.

Tomas Fleischmann: Czech Republic (CZE) In the middle of a breakthrough season with 17 goals and 41 points through 48 games, “Flash” will most likely end up on the second line working with the likes of Martin Havlat, Tomas Plekanec, or Jaromir Jagr. However, with several capable forwards on the Czech team this year, Fleischmann will have no problems slipping into a groove on any of the scoring lines. The Czech team is not expected to medal this Olympics, but if goalie Tomas Vokoun stands on his head and gets into a zone, they have a good shot at a medal upset. Continue reading →