The picnic, which fed around 1,200 active military and their families honored those folks with a BBQ that included vegetables prepared by the Brainfood students, shucked corn (I used to love doing that as a kid) and harvested herbs from the White House garden.

Speaking of gardening, Brainfood will begin its very own vegetable garden this summer to encourage its teen participants to get a better understanding of exactly where their food comes from.

Learn more about Brainfood and the good they are doing for kids, food, and the White House (they prepared the recent Congressional Luau and the White House Staff Picnic.).

www.brain-food.org

Michael Jackson has long been the inspiration for artists, musicians, writers, pop culture, fashion and so much more.  Even the company Crooked Monkey took a bit from the King of Pop’s famous moves when they launched in 2007, by having their logo, “The Crooked Monkey” (yes, it’s a hilariously cute mischievous monkey) dancing and doing the moonwalk as well as the robot to the tune of Billie Jean, via a flash video.  You can watch the monkey video on the site - just click on the Speakers to view and get a chuckle.

In honor of the deceased icon, the funky tee shirt company has come up with their homage to MJ.  The special tee shirts are now available for your wearing pleasure.  Buy now at www.crookedmonkey.com - a few retailers have already picked them up, so get yours before everyone else does!

www.thedistrictdish.com

Thanks for watching!

The fun, yet environmentally friendly Green Cup of Polo returns to the Capitol Polo Club on Saturday July 18th, but you can whet your green appetite this Friday at Hudson for the Green Cup’s “Kick Off”.

This launch party has us mixing and mingling with the Green Cup polo players, host committee, sponsors, benefactors, and all who love being eco-friendly (oh and those who love polo!).

Sip “ecotinis” on Hudson’s expansive patio along with other drink specials and a pre-set dinner offered by the restaurant.

Please join us and show your support for the event’s worthy beneficiaries:

EarthEcho International (Philippe Cousteau, co-Founder of EarthEcho will be speaking at the polo event)
Equestrian Partners in Conservation (EPIC)
American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE)

When: Friday, July 10th

Time: 6:30pm-11pm

Where: Hudson Restaurant & Lounge 2030 M Street, NW

Suggested donation: $15

Hope everyone had a beautiful celebration of America’s independence this weekend.  Now we can move on and party for the French, mais oui!

Thanks to Peter Phung for again creating the flyer for the SOphisticated SOcial Hour at the SOfitel “A Bastille Day Celebration”.  With drink specials, beer, complimentary wine tasting (at 7pm) on the two patios of the centrally located hotel, you will not want to miss out.  The entertaining traditional Waiters’ Race is on too.

You can learn all about gossip (who’s dining and staying there?), news, special promos and fun stuff by becoming a FAN on Facebook of Sofitel Washington DC.  They place photos from events there as well, so check out some of the past pictures.

Where: Sofitel Lafayette Square Washington, D.C. 806 15th Street, NW

When: Bastille Day, Tuesday, July 14th

Time: 7pm-9pm (with Complimentary wine tasting at 7pm)

*Cash bar outside but credit cards will be taken at regular prices at le bar inside*

What: Cocktail specials, hors d’oeuvres, Traditional Waiters’ Race, a Celebration of the French independence

Please RSVP (space is limited) to pamelaspunch@aol.com and Viva La France!

Many thought this invasion was bothersome and kind of insulting.  Many said, “They won’t be able to find a good cast here because people here are so private.” Many on the contrary felt the opposite and were brought back to the Californian roots, excited to have the opportunity to be on national television (big fish small pond versus LA, small fish vast pond).   A lot in the PR/hospitality/restaurant industry were chomping (literally) at the bit to get their venues on any show early and often.  I can totally get that. All press is good press, yes?

Supposing we are waiting for the other shoe to drop (Real Wives of DC? rumor is they had to leave town because they couldn’t get a full cast) for the rest of the show, MTV’s The Real World DC is on full swing.  I remember when they came here like 10 years ago and left because DC was just “boring”.  Well, now that we are finally “cool” enough for the network that used to air music videos (what are those?) the cast did their first shot (pun intended) at a venue and it was held at Chi Cha Lounge on U Street, which is one of the Latin Concepts properties.

What does that mean to us? Well, we know now that the cast members are all “of age”.  We also know that this won’t be an entirely Georgetown centric show.  We can also hope that this show will feature a whole host of interesting places in the city that really show the rest of the world how diverse, beautiful, cultural, educated, real, and ahem… cool we are.

I was on the treadmill (because I was working off one glass of the 101 glasses of wine I’d had this week in DC’s Wine Country) watching FOX News and caught Martha MacCallum reciting “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus with the Statue in the background.  I got goosebumps as I heard the words because they are so beautiful.  Here it is for you to read and remember how lucky we are to live in our Freedom.  Happy 4th!

“The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles.
From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“”Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!”” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Coming attractions (and major endorsements for these wines I tasted) will include Breaux Vineyards, Bluemont Vineyard, Sunset Hills Vineyard, Corcoran Vineyards - all of which will be at the DC’s Wine Country Food & Wine Festival - the recently renovated ($50 million worth, baby) Lansdowne Resort, Lightfoot Restaurant, Magnolias at the Mill, Tuscarora Mill (”Tuskie’s” to the locals), Salamander Resort & Spa, Salamander Market, Salamander Touch, and sooooo much more.

In the meantime, I did get a chance to check out Whitehall Manor, where this coming weekend’s DC’s Wine Country’s Food & Wine Festival will take place.  WOW. Now that’s God’s country … so peaceful.  Not that it will be considered “peaceful” when hundreds of foodies and wine lovers take over it during the evenings of July 10th - 12th!

Speaking of the Festival, thought I would share with you this generous offer:

Apply the code: PUNCH at check out when you and your friends purchase your Festival ticket AND transportation (provided by Reston Limo) and $15 will be automatically taken off. Your TICKET & RIDE will be only $35! Now that’s a serious deal.  My friends and I will be there on Saturday the 11th, so hopefully you can make it too.  We want to see you there!

P.S.(I would call this deal “Get Drunk on the Punch” … but that would be just wrong.)

On Tuesday, July 7th at 7pm, the Washington Kastles season kicks off by welcoming Venus Williams and the Philadelphia Freedoms to our burgeoning sports town.  Venus is the current defending Wimbledon Champion, but we have the doubles eight-time Grand Slam Champion Leander Paes, the reigning WTT Women’s and Championship Finals MVP Rennae Stubbs, along with Olga Puchkova and the adorable Scott “Boom Boom” Oudsema.

Then, after we beat Venus and the Freedoms, we take on Anna something or other. She’s just some tennis player that’s known for her beauty, whom she dates, her fashion and ok, fine … on top of that she knows how to throw a racket around.  Some ladies just have it all.  On Wednesday, July 8th at 7pm, you can watch Anna Kournikova and the St. Louis Aces take on our Kastles.

July is tennis season and there’s no better place to watch the fun sport of WTT than at the Kastles Stadium.  This is is made for th whole family and it’s a great venue for group outings, summer dates, and business deals. I plan on being at every match, so if you miss any, you can always read about it on the Punch, Twitter, Facebook and Flickr.

Buy your tickets now: www.washingtonkastles.com

www.thedistrictdish.com - Thanks for watching!