mb palaver

BookPalaver: Solas Nua's DC Irish Writer's Festival

2010-03-08T23:00:59-05:00

Solas Nua, the Washington-based Irish arts organization, is holding their first Irish writers festival starting this Thursday, March 11, through Monday, March 15. Claire Kilroy, above, author of Tenderwire, All Names Have Been Changed, and All Summer, will appear Saturday, March 13, at 4 pm at the Mount Vernon Square Busboys & Poets. The only thing better than reading Claire's books is hearing her read from them. The full schedule is set out below; all events are free. What a great way to kick of St. Patrick's Week (why limit it to a day?).

Thursday, March 11
6pm - Opening Night Reception
8pm - Nick Laird & Glenn Patterson in conversation with Chris Agee on new writing in Northern Ireland.
Venue: Goethe Institut
Sponsored by the Northern Ireland Bureau

Friday, March 12
7pm - Christine Dwyer Hickey
Venue: The Arts Club of Washington

Saturday, March 13
4pm - Claire Kilroy
Venue: Busboys & Poets
8pm - Screening of the Yellow Bittern: The Life and Times of Liam Clancy
Venue: The Goethe Institut

Sunday, March 14
4pm - Chris Agee
5.30pm - Philip O Ceallaigh
Venue: Busboys & Poets

Monday, March 15
6.30pm - Gerard Donovan
Venue: Busboys & Poets

Venues:

The Goethe Institut, 812 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
The Arts Club of Washington, 2017 I Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006
Busboys & Poets, 1025 5th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001

Photo from solasnua.org.

RestaurantPalaver: Suds & Fine Dining at Birch & Barley

2010-03-03T23:59:06-05:00

A few years ago my brother and his wife were fantasizing about opening a restaurant that just serves beer and bread. I thought of that tonight while sitting at Birch & Barley with a goblet of beer and a board holding pretzel rolls, bacon and sage buns, and raisin cinnamon bread in front of me. That was just the start of an absolutely delicious meal at this newish addition to the dining scene on 14th Street near Logan Circle. The list of beers -- their specialty -- is long, but the dinner menu is short, with half a dozen each of starters, pastas and flatbreads, and main courses, selected with the season in mind. We started with the Arctic char tartare, which was as delicious as it is fun to say, prepared with yuzu gelee, ginger, and basil, and served with light sesame crisps. For main courses, I had a perfect dish of four of five small slices of venison loin served with braised red cabbage, potato puree, and cipollini. My friend's crispy wild striped bass, with baby fennel, artichoke, sunchoke, and olives was also delicious. We rounded out the meal with a side of maple glazed brussels sprouts, which complimented the venison very well, though some might find a bit too sweet. We were sorry to be too full for dessert, because it was very tempting. The dessert menu is not on the website, but from memory the options included some kind of crazy good sounding french toast item with a bacon ice cream or something on the side that the server raved about (and yes, I said bacon), spicy carrot cake, a chocolate and peanut butter tart with malt ice cream, and a platter of (presumably) tiny desserts including their variation on a Hostess cupcake. Birch & Barley is not inexpensive; main courses range from $16 for a "brät burger" to the venison, which clocks in at $30. But worth it.

The restaurant is beautifully decorated and convivial but not loud. We were led toward the back and feared we were being seated in Siberia, but it turned out that on the other side of the copper-colored columns behind the bar, which you can see above, is an open kitchen -- so we had a view of the action behind the scenes, as well as the action in the front of the restaurant. Our server was tremendous. Here's an example: He helped us choose from the lengthy beer list (which includes five cask beers, which are hard to find), and I took his suggestion for a dark Belgian beer (I think it was the Gouden Carolus) to pair with my venison. Just before they brought out the appetizer he swept in and gave me a small glass of a lighter beer, concerned the dark beer would overwhelm the fish. Wow.

Thank goodness Birch & Barley takes reservations, because it's already very popular, and Tom Sietsema said on a recent chat that the Washington Post will be running a review of it next Sunday. Make a reservation now (you can do so on opentable) if you want to try it out. If you just want to drop in, you might get lucky and get a seat at the small bar downstairs. (We're already plotting to do that for dessert one night.) Or, if it's really beer on your mind, and you'd like a more casual (and less expensive) experience, head upstairs to Churchkey, where the emphasis on quality and quantity of beers remains the same, but the menu includes small bites, flatbreads, sandwiches, and salads. I took a peek tonight about 6:30 and it looked like every seat in the spacious room was taken -- I can't imagine how crowded it is on weekends. But my friend, who's been many times, said they've always managed to find a seat with a little patience.

Two unrelated bonus points: the restaurant is only a couple of blocks from the Studio Theater, and they serve brunch all day Sunday.

Birch & Barley/Churchkey
1337 14th Street, NW
(between N St. and Rhode Island Ave.)
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 567-2576

Image from opentable.com.

MoviePalaver: Oscar Shorts

2010-02-19T00:38:10-05:00

The Oscar-nominated live action and animated (including "Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty") short films will be playing at the E Street Cinema in DC starting tonight. For locations and dates in other areas, look for your city here. Here's your chance to study up for Oscar night (March 7). It's better than watching all 10 of the best picture nominees.

RandomPalaver: Snowy Sunday Morning in Woodley Park

2010-02-07T19:28:27-05:00

TheaterPalaver: Last Call for the Last Cargo Cult at Woolly Mammoth

2010-02-05T20:06:48-05:00

At some point during Mike Daisey's two-hour monologue at Woolly Mammoth last night about a trip to the South Pacific island of Tanna for their annual John Frum celebration, the American banking crisis, the concept of currency and trust, and assorted other things, he poked fun at the audience's dither over the coming blizzard: "'We're lucky we're here tonight. The people tomorrow night are f#%ed.'" (I'm paraphrasing. Except I'm sure of the last word.) Turns out the people tonight and tomorrow night are, indeed, . . . unlucky, because the show is snowed out. And it is sold out on Sunday, which was due to be its last night. Because of the snow-outs, though, they've added a show on Monday night, and tickets are still available.

Though "The Last Cargo Cult" deals with serious themes, it is frequently laugh-out-loud funny. (I'm not proud to say I split my side when he talked about the way the celebrating islanders wove tinsel through their hair and clothes, and said something like "If Martha Stewart saw what they did with tinsel, she'd s@!& herself." Note: this show is not for those who don't care for cursing.) Daisey tells his story seated at a table with a glass of water, Spalding Gray style, but his delivery is a combination of Lewis Black, Jack Black, and Chris Farley. Check out the Washington Post review here.

"The Last Cargo Cult"
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
641 D Street, NW 20004
Washington, DC
Box office: (202) 393-3939

Photo from www.woollymammoth.net.

SportsPalaver: Australian Open 2010

2010-01-28T23:59:39-05:00

Baby, it's cold outside, but it's summery warm Down Under, and the Australian Open is nearing its finish. Today Andy Murray, left (doing an impersonation of an emu), defeated Marin Cilic in four sets to reach one men's semi. The other -- pitting Roger Federer against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga -- will air live on Friday at 3:30 am EST on ESPN2. The men's final will air Sunday at 3:30 am EST.

On the women's side, Serena Williams will play the newly un-retired Justine Henin for the championship Saturday at 3:30 am EST. In her last two matches I thought Serena was on her way out. I'm not a big fan of her behavior at times, but she is one remarkable competitor.

In addition to the live match times given above, the matches will be rerun on both ESPN2 and the Tennis Channel at various times. You can find the full schedule (including doubles) at tennis.com.

Photo from www.australianopen.com.

MoviePalaver: Irish Popcorn -- Free Monthly Screenings of Irish Films

2010-01-24T15:50:18-05:00

Solas Nua, the DC-based Irish arts organization, is screening Irish films for free every fourth Monday in their "Irish Popcorn" series. This Monday, January 25, they offer "Short Order" (pictured above), directed by Anthony Byrne, with John Hurt and Vanessa Redgrave (among others). You can see a trailer at Solas Nua's website. Screenings take place at Flashpoint, 916 G Street, NW, Washington, DC, at 7 pm. Doors open at 6:30, and they don't take reservations, so you can just show up. Upcoming screenings include:

February 22: "Breakfast on Pluto"

March 22: "The Tiger's Tail"

April 26: "Cinegael Paradiso"

May 24: "A Song for Rebecca"

June 28: "Tara Road"

July 26: "When Brendan Met Trudy"

ShoppingPalaver: Cheers!

2009-12-30T23:16:44-05:00

If you want to class up your small New Year's celebration "Mad Men" style, check out The Hour in Old Town, Alexandria. Most -- approximately 70% -- of the store's stock is vintage glassware. For those of us of a certain age, a walk through the store is like a walk through one's childhood. I could swear we had that chip 'n' dip behind the red and white clutch, above left. (It's a glass bowl with an inset bowl for dip and an attached toothpick holder.) It's the perfect thing to serve when Pete and Trudy drop by.

I say "small" New Year's celebration because the vintage items don't come cheap. The Hour closes tomorrow at 3, so if your celebration is tomorrow night this is awfully late notice. But it's good to know about anyway. Unlike a typical second-hand store, everything here is pristine and shiny and beckons to be taken home. Check out the collection in more detail here. And happy New Year!

The Hour
1015 King Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
703-224-4687

MusicPalaver: A Newish Take on Christmas Tunes

2009-12-23T16:13:14-05:00

There's no shortage of Christmas songs to be heard on the radio this week, but if you're sick of Paul McCartney simply having a wonderful Christmas time and you like dreamy and slightly melancholic women's vocals (who doesn't?!), I recommend Winter Songs, a compilation by the Hotel Cafe. Released last year, it's a mix of classics, such as KT Tunstall singing "Sleigh "Ride" and Fiona Apple's tremulous version of "Frosty the Snowman," and new songs by female singer-songwriters.

You can find an animated video version of the title track by Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson here (I warned you about the melancholy part). They're not all sad, though. You can listen to samples of the tracks (or buy from iTunes) here -- the third song, Lenka's "All My Bells Are Ringing," is downright cheerful. And did I mention Fiona Apple singing "Frosty the Snowman"?

WinePalaver: Sneak Peek at Cork Market & Tasting Room

2009-11-24T01:25:18-05:00

Diane Gross and Khalid Pitts, the husband-and-wife team who brought us Cork Wine Bar, will soon open Cork Market & Tasting Room just up the street at 1805 14th Street, NW. According to Metrocurean, the market will sell wine, beer, specialty items such as cheese and charcuterie, sandwiches, salads, and some items from Cork Wine Bar's menu. They'll also hold wine tastings and private events upstairs.

Cork Market is getting ready to open any day now, and is offering a sneak peek and a chance to order wines to complement your Thanksgiving meal. Just pick out the wines you like from the list below, call (202-265-2674) or email (info@corkdc.com) your order, and either pick them up this Wednesday or ask them to deliver if you live nearby (and are of age and can prove it). Though if you have them delivered you won't have a chance to go poke around the new digs.

Bartolomiol, Prosecco di Valdobbiadene, "Gemin," Spumante Brut NV $ 14
R. Dumont Père et Fils, Brut Rosé Champagne NV $ 33
Domaine Saint-Anthelme, Viognier, "Les Petits Cailloux" 2007 $ 15
Domaine Paul Garaudet, Bourgogne Blanc 2007 $ 19
Zilliken, Butterfly Riesling 2008 $ 21
Pascal Lambert, Chinon, "Tradition Graves" 2007 $ 17
Marchesi di Gresy, Barbera d'Asti 2006 $ 22
Vietti, Dolcetto d'Alba, "Tre Vigne" 2008 $ 25
Domaine Gérard Charvet, Moulin A Vent, "Vieilles Vignes" 2006 $ 17
Domaine Monpertuis, Vin de Pays du Gard, "Cuvée Counoise" 2006 $ 15
Ludovicus, Terra Alta 2007 $10