See how children re-create Picasso's iconic works at the Fridge on Tuesday. Image courtesy of Albus Cavus.

Monday, February 27

FILM: We finally know who nabbed all the important hardware last night—and while you might have already seen Best Picture winner TK, we’ll bet you haven’t seen all the nominated shorts. Catch all the live-action nominees, including winner TK, at AFI Silver—you’ll get five stories in just under two hours. Tickets ($11.50) are available through AFI’s website. 9 PM.

Tuesday, February 28

ART: Andy Warhol was a visionary, but we bet if we tried hard enough, we could paint a pretty realistic Campbell’s soup can. That simplicity makes his art accessible enough to be re-created. Check out “Warhol Through the Eyes of the Children of Perry Center,” featuring the artist’s seminal works reimagined and repainted by children, at the Fridge. Free. The show runs through March 1.

Wednesday, February 29

FASHION SHOW: Washington has finally shed its image as a place where fashion goes to die. We’re beginning to see fewer pantsuits and white-shirt-and-tie uniforms. To prove it, Fashiontographer, a high-fashion blog that just covered fashion weeks in New York and Berlin, is launching in Washington with a kickoff show tonight at L2 Lounge. You’ll get to live out your runway dreams as photographers from the site give each attendee an editorial photoshoot to be featured online. After you’re done, there’ll be music, drinks, and dancing. Tickets ($20) are available through Eventbrite. 7 to 11 PM.

Thursday, March 1

LECTURE: Maybe those 70-degree days last week helped, but we somehow made it to March unscathed. The same can’t be said of many of the flawed but lovable drug dealers on The Wire, the show that’s more real than real life. David Simon, the man behind both The Wire and Treme and a University of Maryland alum, will be speaking at his alma mater’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, presumably about thuglife. Free; reserve tickets online starting Thursday at 11:30 AM. 5:30 PM.

“Alcohol ruined my life.” Those are the prophetic words of George Huguely in a letter he wrote to Yeardley Love, the woman he is convicted of murdering, a crime for which he will go to prison for a long time. By his own account, Huguely was drunk the night of the murder. Love also had been drinking. Earlier fights they had as a couple, recalled by friends in testimony, also involved alcohol. Consider this haunting question: Is it possible that if neither Huguely nor Love had been drinking that fateful night, she would be alive and he would not be headed for a couple of decades behind bars?

We don’t know when Huguely began drinking alcohol. In 2007 he was charged with underage possession. In 2008 he was arrested for public drunkenness in Lexington, Va. But Huguely is part of an alarming trend of binge drinking and alcohol abuse among young people. According to new research from the Mayo Clinic, of the roughly 40,000 young people in the United States between the ages of 15 and 20 who were hospitalized in 2008, 79 percent were drunk when they got to the hospital. Among all teens, 18 of every 10,000 underage males and 12 of every 10,000 underage females had consumed so much alcohol they required medical attention, either due to alcohol poisoning, an accident or both. The highest incidence of hospitalizations occurred in the Northeast and Midwest.

This is not news to college presidents, high school principals, and, most of all, police. They will tell you that underage drinking in the U.S. is an epidemic. Some blame the drinking age, which was raised from 18 to 21 in 1984. Some blame popular culture, especially films that glorify binge drinking and getting “black out” drunk. Some blame easy access to alcohol, and almost everybody blames parents.

The Artist
It’s set in 1920s France French, so obviously you want to serve a Pernod cocktail. We like to buy our cocktail ingredients at Ace Beverage, and when we’re working with Pernod, we like to make Audrey Saunders’s French Pearl.

Hugo
France again. It’s a movie about a kid in Paris, so the best thing to do is opt for favorite Parisian children’s fare (don’t worry, those kids eat well). Try mini tartes and brioches from Patisserie Poupon, for instance, or jambon-beurre sandwiches on ficelle from Marvelous Market.

Midnight in Paris
And, we’re still in France. Celebrate Paris’s more adult side with late-night French snacks such as funky cheeses from La Fromagerie in Old Town Alexandria, charcuterie from Red Apron Butchery, and baguette from Lyon Bakery, available at Cheesetique.

“There’s no morning-after pill for bad comedy,” said Nick Galifianakis, cartoonist for the Washington Post and host of last night’s Commedia dell Media, where ten Washington journalists tried their hand at standup comedy. Luckily, there weren’t too many regrets from the brave souls who participated. Far from their politically correct day jobs, these esteemed members of the DC press corps weren’t afraid to get down and dirty, tackling everything from the motivations behind anti-American terrorism (possible reasons: butchered pronunciation of foreign names and the popularity of “glamping”) down to the misappropriation of the family jewels (and their fragility) as a symbol of courage.

Life isn’t getting any better for former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who once upon a time hoped to be the next president of France. He continues to be at the center of sex scandals, including reports of “swingers” parties with prostitutes in Paris and at Washington’s W Hotel. This week he was jailed for 32 hours in Lille, France, as part of an investigation into a prostitution ring. He was released Wednesday but will likely have to go before a French magistrate again on March 28. Here in the US, a March 15 court date has been set in New York for the civil lawsuit filed by a housekeeper who accused him of raping her last May at the Sofitel hotel. He was held under house arrest in New York until July, when he was released in advance of the prosecutor dropping charges, which happened in August.

We tried to find out what went on here in Washington, but the W Hotel would not comment. We asked a spokesperson at the French Embassy, who responded, “To be completely honest, I’m not really in a mood to enter into this topic.” We also put in a call to DSK’s criminal lawyer, William W. Taylor III, who is with the DC-based firm Zuckerman Spaeder. He, too, told us, "No comment." We contacted a close personal friend of Strauss-Kahn and his wife, Anne Sinclair, who had dined with them on a number of occasions. The response? “Definitely out of that loop. We had absolutely no idea. The whole thing is tragic on every level.”

Fernet Branca is an herbaceous amaro from Italy that has become something of a symbol among craft bartenders. Think of it as the quaffable equivalent of wearing an arm band and curling your mustache. It also is rumored to have magical hangover-curing properties.

A couple of bars in San Francisco have a Fernet tap—Fernet is huge there; watch this video if you don’t believe it, (but don’t blame us if the song becomes irrevocably lodged in your brain)—and there’s at least one place in Boston that has one. In Seattle, star-tender Jamie Boudreau has toyed with the idea of a Fernet tap at his bar Canon. But as far as we and Passenger owner Derek Brown know, the Fernet tap recently installed at the bar he owns with his brother Tom is the first in the Washington area.

Enjoy, but do so with restraint. Fernet’s other magical power is that it can make the world start spinning very suddenly.

Could this be any cuter? Photograph by Rebekah J. Murray Photography

Earlier this week, we featured the wedding of Vanessa and Jon at the Lodge at Little Seneca Creek in Boyds, Maryland. So we were so excited to see another wedding at the same venue featured on Bayside Bride—it’s always neat to see how different couples interpret the same venue. Vanessa and Jon used bright, lively colors, while Tiffany and Jimmy (shown above, photographed by Rebekah J. Murray), took a more vintage-inspired approach. And we couldn’t be more obsessed with the bride’s dress.
—Bayside Bride

Todd Kliman, food and wine editor

• A restaurant where the fish is so fresh, it literally jumps off the plate. A Ten-Course Tempura-Only Meal at Tsunahachi in Tokyo, Japan

• Tony Bourdain announces the first three titles in his new Ecco imprint. This is a smart move by Ecco editor Daniel Halpern, and I expect Tony will flourish in this role as a sort of foodie Barney Rosset (RIP, Barney). The Lineup For Anthony Bourdain’s Ecco Imprint: Roy Choi, Texas Barbecue, Kickboxing

• A dossier on suspected terrorists—or a guidebook to Newark’s best Muslim restaurants? Pretty hilarious. Kudos to dogged AP correspondent and big-time food lover Adam Goldman for writing this. The NYPD Zagat Guide to Newark’s Best (and Most Threatening) Muslim Restaurants 

 • Ann Limpert, food and wine editor

What’s it like to have José Andrés pop over to make a quick dinner? Leave it to Gwynnie to find out. Dinner With José Andrés

Allie Mann nursery bathroom design board (left). Before shot of the nursery bathroom (right). Photographs courtesy of DC Design House.

If the DC interior design world had an equivalent of fashion week, the DC Design House—an annual fundraiser for Children’s National Medical Center showcasing the work of the area’s top designers—might be it.

What began in 2008 as a show-house renovation project to benefit CNMC is now in its fifth year and has raised nearly $600,000. This year, 23 designers will work together to renovate a seven-bedroom, seven-bath red-brick colonial in Spring Valley.

Curious design-inclined members of the public can sneak a peek at the house before the redesign during the Bare Bones Tour on Saturday from 10 to 3. Tickets are $5, but for $20 you’ll also receive a ticket to the DC Design House main tour, from April 14 to May 13. The chosen designers will be on hand with their presentation boards to explain their vision for the room.

We recently caught up with Susan Hayes Long, a DC Design House Committee member, to get all the details.

If your idea of the perfect makeup look involves the same bottle of foundation you’ve had since high school and some cherry-flavored Chapstick, you’re probably dreading the thought of wedding-day makeup. But if you play it right, you can still look like yourself (and not a Lady Gaga impersonator) as you walk down the aisle—you do want your groom to recognize you, after all.

We asked makeup artist and esthetician Adrian Avila of Nectar Skin Bar in Georgetown to share his tips on how to prep for your wedding-day look.

Start researching

Adrian suggests creating a Pinterest board with your favorite hair and makeup ideas. That way, you’ll be able to provide your hair stylist and makeup artist with lots of inspiration.

“You should have at least three different photos of looks you like to choose from,” says Avila. “And make sure your makeup will fit your venue—don’t pick out dramatic looks if you’re getting married on the beach.”

Meet early

As soon as you have your wedding gown and venue chosen, schedule a makeup consultation—as early as nine months before your wedding. Print out your inspiration photos (showing your makeup artist tiny shots on your iPhone isn’t helpful), and be clear with your makeup artist about what you’re looking for—especially if you feel uncomfortable wearing a ton of product.

Image courtesy of Sony Pictures.

Game-show fans and general knowledge buffs, get ready—Jeopardy! is coming to Washington April 20 and 21 for “Power Players Week,” a series of five special episodes challenging 15 influential Washingtonians on their general knowledge skills. This is the third time the show’s hosted Power Players Week—past contestants have included US senator Al Franken, journalist Bob Woodward, and former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer.

Applications for free tickets to the tapings at DAR Constitution Hall are available starting today at area branches of My Eye Dr and Passport Auto. Host Alex Trebek promises, “The Power Players show will not only be incredibly entertaining to watch, but also enlightening.” But rest assured there are no improper campaign finance violations on the table—the contestants will be competing for a $50,000 donation to the charity of their choice.

For more information on Jeopardy!’s Washington taping and how to get tickets, click here.

Ashok Bajaj could have lunch brought to his office from the nearby Rasika, so it was surprising to spot an Amy’s Indian frozen meal box on his desk. Turns out one of Washington’s most prominent restaurateurs doesn’t have a taste for microwavable mattar paneer, but instead is in the early stages of planning a line of frozen dinners inspired by chef Vikram Sunderam’s dishes at Rasika.

“We want to do it right,” says Bajaj, who’s also known for such polished spots as Bibiana, the Bombay Club, and Ardeo + Bardeo. The Amy’s dinner was just a sample to check out the competition—when it comes to inspiration, Bajaj is looking to British companies like Sainsbury’s, which has a highly popular line of prepared foods.

It wasn’t too long ago that shoppers at Whole Foods could pick up Rasika-brand base sauces for cooking curries at home. They’ve since been discontinued—sales were steady, but Bajaj wanted more control over the production—and the new project will up the convenience level to unwrap-and-zap. Don’t expect the restaurant’s signature black cod, though—the duo will most likely stick to easily replicable classics such as chicken makhani and dal.

It may be some time until Rasika dinners hit the market. With Rasika West End opening in March, Bajaj and Sunderam have their plates full finalizing menu details and supervising the build-out. A producer for the frozen meals has yet to be chosen, and once one is picked, there’ll be a back-and-forth period for testing recipes to get the formula right. Stay tuned.

Happy Friday, food truck followers! It's a warm day out there, so get outside for peanut butter brownies (free when you buy a sandwich or plate) from BBQ Bus, chorizo empanadas aboard DC Empanadas, chocolate-banana bread at Sweetbites Truck, and more delicious treats! 

There’s nothing better than getting a good night’s rest. But in this high-stress, high-power city, it can be pretty tough to actually get yourself to fall asleep. Fortunately, these apps for your smartphone are here to help.

1. Proactive Sleep

This popular app not only tracks your sleeping pattern, but it also helps pinpoint certain behaviors that might be preventing you from getting enough sleep. By keeping a daily sleep diary, you’re able to keep track of how much sleep you get every day, how difficult it was for you to fall asleep, and your average bedtime and sleep amount.

The app also asks you to track your daily habits, including exercise, diet, productivity, mood, caffeine intake, and medication use—all behaviors that sleep clinicians typically ask patients to track. As a bonus, there’s a selection of sounds that will help you fall asleep, such as crickets chirping or wind howling.

Available for: iPhone and Android
Price: $0.99

All photographs by Katie Warren.

When it comes to fashion, Washington has a serious case of split personality disorder. From the flannel-wearing hipsters in Columbia Heights to the slick suits on K Street, each neighborhood has its own look. And where would we be if we didn’t mention the pastel-wearing prepsters of Georgetown? With this style, there’s a fine line between fabulous and costumey—and no one walks it as impeccably as law students/platonic lifemates Lauren Wynns and Van Bloys, the duo behind the fashion and lifestyle blog Necessary & Proper. Read on for their ace tips for mastering the aesthetic without looking like a popped-collar tool.

The ranks of female spy novelists are about to get some competition from a woman with a notorious spy past: former CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson. Blue Rider Press announced this week that early next year it will publish Blowback, the “first in a series of world-stage thrillers,” featuring a character named Vanessa Pierson. Pierson is described as a CIA operative with a “clandestine lover,” also in the CIA.

Wilson earlier wrote the nonfiction Fair Game, which told of her CIA career and having her cover blown by the late columnist Robert Novak, in an episode that became a scandal of the Bush administration. The book, for which she was reportedly paid a $2.5 million advance, was heavily redacted by the CIA, but still became a movie in 2010, starring Naomi Watts as Wilson and Sean Penn as her husband, former diplomat Joseph Wilson.

After the federal investigation into the leak of her identity, and a number of lawsuits, the Wilsons moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where they still reside. Wilson’s co-author will be writer Sarah Lovett, who also lives in Santa Fe.

The catalogue from Blue Rider exclaims emphatically that the Valerie Plame Wilson spy novels will be “the inside story as only fiction can tell! She knows how the games are played.”

Photographs by Chris Zimmer Photography.

Address: 1618 Corcoran Street, NW

Price: $1,699,900

Details: Approximately 3,000 square feet. 3 BR, 3 BA in main house; 1 BR, 1 BA rental unit on lower level.

Listing Agent: Jennifer Myers, RE/MAX Allegiance

Maybe it’s the lure of a floor-to-roof renovation. Perhaps it’s the prime location just a few blocks off Dupont Circle. Or maybe it’s because we’re currently crushing on designer Lori Graham, who helped outfit the interior of this swanky three-story space. In any case, we were chomping at the bit to get a peek inside.

“It was completely gutted—from the floorboards to the walls to the ceilings,” says Myers. “It is like-new construction, but still keeps those period details. That’s hard to find in Dupont.” The home’s 127-year-old facade was kept intact, and the moldings, staircase, and fireplaces within were modeled after the originals. “The owner wanted to modernize the space while still remaining faithful to its 1880s style,” she says.

We think it worked.

Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston in Wanderlust, opening tomorrow. Photograph courtesy of Universal Pictures.

Wanderlust

While fans of Wet Hot American Summer wait to find out if the long rumored sequel/prequel is really happening, they can take solace in the latest film from Summer writer/director David Wain. In Wanderlust, Wain regular Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston star as a fast-paced, high-powered New York City couple who are forced to move in with Rudd’s character’s Atlanta-based family after he loses his job. Unwilling to deal with his racist boor of a brother, they decide to turn on, tune in, and drop out at a local hippie commune populated by a cast that includes Justin Theroux, Alan Alda, Malin Akerman, and Lauren Ambrose.

View the trailer. Opens tomorrow at theaters across the area.

Thursday, February 23, through Monday, February 26
Are you a fan of Romona Keveza’s fresh and feminine wedding dresses? Check out her trunk show at Rizik’s in DC, where you can receive 10 percent off her gowns. Call 202-223-4050 to schedule your appointment.

Friday, February 24, and Saturday, February 25
Whether you’re scouting for your dream engagement ring or looking for wedding bands for you and your groom, you’ll want to stop by the Ultimate Ring Event at I. Gorman Jewelers in DC, where the creations of 12 world-renowned jewelry designers, including Todd Reed, Etienne Perret, and Alishan, will be featured. You’ll also be able to check out I. Gorman’s selection of loose diamonds to pick out your perfect stone. Visit I. Gorman’s website for more information.

Friday, February 24, and Saturday, February 25
Stylish and elegant wedding dresses by Alfred Angelo will be featured at a trunk show at I Do I Do Wedding Gowns in Gaithersburg. Call 240-243-0050 to schedule your appointment.

Friday, February 24, and Saturday, February 25
The Anna Maier/Ulla-Maija Couture collection is known for impeccable fit and draping. Try on one (or more!) of these wedding gowns at the Hitched trunk show. Call 202-333-6162 to schedule your appointment.

Friday, February 24, through Sunday, February 26
We’re fans of Victoria Nicole’s flattering wedding gowns. Her collection will be featured at Betsy Robinson’s Bridal Collection in Baltimore. Call 410-484-4600 to schedule an appointment.

Ed Harris as John McCain and Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin in Game Change. Photograph courtesy of HBO.

Loyalists from the Sarah Palin camp, including current and former aides, have complained about the upcoming HBO film Game Change, because they say it is not an accurate or flattering portrayal of the former GOP vice presidential candidate. Reportedly not one has seen the film. I have, and I think they should see it before commenting further. In the capable hands of Julianne Moore, Palin becomes more than the caricature often painted of her; she is given flesh and bone dimension. Whether it’s flattering is not the issue, really, but it is sympathetic in the context of an altogether engaging political film about a landmark race for the White House.

It should be noted early that for fans of the John Heilemann and Mark Halperin bestseller about the 2008 presidential race, this is not that Game Change. In fact, this film could be called, or at least subtitled, The Sarah Palin Story. It is the campaign through the arc of the Alaska governor’s selection, seemingly out of nowhere, as the running mate for John McCain, through to the end of the race and their loss to Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The film has no Hillary or Bill Clinton, for example, and no Democrats really, except for Obama in news footage. Moore is onscreen for most of the two-hour film, which debuts on HBO Saturday, March 10.

Photograph courtesy of John Matthew Moore.

With the 2012 DC Design House’s Bare Bones Tour this weekend and the big reveal only six weeks away, we’re excited to bring you a sneak peak of one designer’s plans for the space. Well-known artist John Matthew Moore will be overhauling the stately home’s foyer, reception hall, and sweeping staircase with two upper landings. Moore is one of 23 designers who will transform this home at 4951 Rockwood Parkway, Northwest, to benefit the Children’s National Medical Center.

Rick Ross the Bawse performs at DAR tonight. Photograph by Flickr user thecomeupshow.

Thursday, February 23

Rick Ross, the Bawse himself, brings his larger-than-life persona to DAR Constitution Hall tonight. The former corrections officer has somehow rebranded himself as one of the hardest rappers in the game, and is head of the Maybach Music Group, which has taken Wale under its wing. I’d bet my oversize chain Wale shows up to perform “That Way” with Ross.

Doors at 7 PM at DAR Constitution Hall, $50 to $120.

Speaking of guys with big egos, Guns N’ Roses have decided to do a small club tour in advance of their April induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Don’t expect the lineup that brought you Appetite for Destruction at the Fillmore tonight, but you might get a little November Rain if you sit through some cuts from the finally released Chinese Democracy. Tickets are sold out but are selling for face value on StubHub.

Doors at 10 PM at the Fillmore, sold out.

Friday, February 24

We’re still a few weeks from St. Patty’s Day, but you can celebrate a little early with Flogging Molly—a Celtic punk band who’ve always been more authentic than the Dropkick Murphys but less appreciated, maybe because they’re from Los Angeles and not Boston. They’ll bring their tin whistles, accordions, and fiddles to the Fillmore.

Doors at 8 PM at the Fillmore, $30.

It’s not surprising that Ra Ra Rasputin have gotten pretty big in the Washington scene—they play infectious dance numbers and show up on the bills at some of the best local shows around town. If you don’t know what the fuss is about, catch them at Red Palace for eight bucks.

Doors at 8 PM at Red Palace, $8.

Meet the main reason for all the Nats buzz: Bryce Harper. Photograph by Flickr user MissChatter.

For the first time in a few generations, Washington is starting to feel like an actual baseball town. Wherever I go, it seems as if somebody is talking about spring training, which is a nice departure from the horror of NFL Combine chatter.

From restaurant tables to talk radio, people are getting excited about our Nationals. It’s the kind of wide-eyed enthusiasm that’s usually reserved for the Redskins, or the Chipotle Burrito Dash at Verizon Center.

The Nationals have built a team that’s quickly becoming the envy of other local franchises. They enter spring training with the most promise they’ve had since arriving in Washington, and their timing couldn’t be better. Everyone else in town is struggling, while the Nats are just coming into their own behind a strong young core. They now have the veterans in place to make things seriously interesting on the waterfront this summer.

When it comes to established guys like Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth,and Jordan Zimmermann, you basically know what you’re going to get. However there are a number of guys worth watching closely throughout spring training, from the promising crop of rookies to some veterans coming off of injury.

A survey conducted by the American College of Surgeons found that surgeons have a higher drinking rate than the rest of the US population. Photograph courtesy of Flickr user libertygrace0.

We already know Americans—Washingtonians in particular—like to drink. But it turns out that surgeons tend to hit the bottle even more than the rest of us.

A recent survey released by the Archives of Surgery found that the rate of alcohol abuse among US surgeons—15 percent—is higher than the general public’s rate, which hovers around 6 to 8 percent, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Perry's is opening its twinkly rooftop bar tonight. Photograph courtesy of Perry's via Facebook.

With the high nearing 70 degrees today, we have one thought on our minds: Where can we get a drink outside? Unfortunately, plenty of patios and roof decks are still locked tight for winter, while newbies like Irish Whiskey, William Jeffrey’s Tavern, and Sixth Engine are still working on their outdoor areas. Fear not: We have the intel on three recently opened al fresco spots for a sneak peak of where to sip this spring, plus 11 more of our favorites that are embracing the unseasonably warm weather with outdoor specials.

The newlyweds pose post-ceremony. All photographs by Alexandra Friendly Photography

Silver Spring couple Vanessa and Jon married on November 5, 2011, at the Saint Rose of Lima Historic Chapel in Gaithersburg, with a reception at the Lodge at Little Seneca Creek in Boyds, Maryland. The pair, who met at while watching football at a Baltimore bar, wanted to celebrate the fall season and thought the lodge was a perfect rustic site.

“There was something very romantic about a log cabin in the woods,” says Vanessa.

They chose a red, white, and black color scheme, and included lots of candles in the decor.

At the ceremony, the bride, in a San Patrick gown, walked down the aisle to Pachelbel’s Canon in D carrying a bouquet of roses, anemones, hydrangeas, and hypericum berries.

Dear Harry and Louise:

I’ve been with my SO for a couple years, and I want him to be the one. But lately he’s been sort of pressuring me into having sex in a historic place in Washington where one of us works. We could probably do this after hours and not get caught, though that poses a real risk—but I’m not sure if that risk is why I keep putting my guy off. I don’t think I’m a prude or uptight, and one thing I like about him is his unorthodox side (he’s more adventurous and has a higher erotic charge, but that just might be a guy thing).

As a point of persuasion, he brought up a story about a congressman and his wife who had sex at the Capitol Building, so I Googled it and found out it was about 30 years ago, and now the wife says it never happened. He also brought up some news story about Newt Gingrich having an affair in his car, but that was also adultery, and I flat-out refuse any link to something like that.

I don’t think this public icon sex adventure is a “get it or go” issue for him, but what troubles me most about it is how our future relationship will proceed, whatever I do.

What do you think, and what should I do?

Covered Up in the Capitol

Carlos Cruz-Diez’s “Chromosaturation.”

“Suprasensorial: Experiments in Light, Color, and Space,” the Hirshhorn Museum’s new exhibition of five groundbreaking Latin American artists, starts in a deceptively understated manner. Walking into the gallery, visitors see four works adorning the walls: two by Lucio Fontana and two by Jesús Rafael Soto. This is your standard gallery experience—stand, stare, observe—and it’s pretty benign compared with the rest of the show.

What follows are five completely immersive installations, so utterly removed from their preceding works that they’re an almost visceral surprise. The exhibition brings together five visionaries still relatively under the radar here: Fontana, Soto, Julio Le Parc, Carlos Cruz-Diez, and Hélio Oiticica. Between the ’50s and the ’70s, each explored a new, more democratic form of art that paved the way for the Light and Space movement in the US. By forcing viewers to experience art rather than just think about it, art becomes more democratic, more accessible—and unique to each person perceiving it.

It's a beautiful day out there, food truck followers! Get thee to Farragut, L'Enfant, Metro Center, and more food truck gathering spots around Washington! 

After hitting up Neiman Marcus’s Beauty Event last week, we were left with a serious hankering for some of the fantastic new products hitting the store this spring. Wondering what’ll be big this season? Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown, and Chantecaille all seemed to be advocating a return to romance, with blush colors, rose-gold tones, and occasional pops of color on the lip. Mercier themed her spring collection around antique lingerie, while Brown drew inspiration from a wedding ring in her new Rose Gold collection. Here are our favorite items from the event, some of which haven’t even hit stores yet.

To see them for yourselves, head to Neiman Marcus at Mazza Gallerie for Beauty Week, which runs February 23 through March 4. The Beauty Bag is free with any purchase over $100, and is loaded with goodies for beauty addicts.

Peggy Mulqueen
Peg Mulqueen

Why you should read her blog: You’ll be inspired by Mulqueen’s posts, which cover her own trials and tribulations, lessons, and aspirations. She’s been writing about yoga for about ten years, and is often a guest blogger and writer for Yoga Journal.

Her favorite yoga pose: “Hands down—handstands! There are those who say that’s just gymnastics, but for a gal who came to the mat struggling to stand on her own two feet, to find the strength to lift myself up . . . well, that’s just cool. That’s the kind of discovery and possibility you can find on a yoga mat.”

How many times she does yoga in a day: “I practice five days a week, two hours a day, starting at 5 AM.”

Where you’ll find her teaching: Little River Yoga

• • •

Forget crowdsourcing. It seems the social networking marketplace itself is becoming crowded, causing competitors to amp up their efforts to get noticed. Look at the way LivingSocial opened its new event space by offering a sampling of Top Chef contestant Mike Isabella’s soon-to-open Georgetown restaurant, Bandolero. Michael Saylor and his company, the Tysons Corner–based MicroStrategy, are trying to be equally inventive with the launch of their new social marketplace site, EMMA, by offering a chance to party with Elton John on Oscar night this Sunday, airfare and hotel included.

EMMA stands for electronic marketplace for merchandise and activities—but, unsurprisingly, “We liked EMMA better,” says Glen Goldstein, the company’s vice president for social media.

Duane Sylvestre mixes it up in his basement bar. Photographs by Dakota Fine.

For those of us who dream of one day building a tricked-out wet bar in our own home, Duane Sylvestre is a source of considerable inspiration. The Bourbon Steak head bartender has built a fully equipped mixology lab in his finished basement, complete with two fridges, a drainage system, a well, an ice machine, refrigerated wine storage, and a kegerator. And he didn’t even spend very much to do it. Here are his tips for scoring the home bar of your dreams.

President Obama speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Smithsonian's National Museum for African American History and Culture. Photograph courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution website.

Dr. Lonnie Bunch, director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum for African American History and Culture, says there are two people he thinks of while working towards the museum’s opening in 2015. “There’s the man who shines shoes in a Texas airport, who said it may be the only place where his grandchildren can learn what life did to him and what he did to life,” he said. “And there’s the cleaner at the Smithsonian, who says she’s tired and able to retire, but who told me, ‘I want to continue to work until I can clean our museum.’”

Bunch’s museum came a step closer to its inauguration Wednesday morning at a groundbreaking ceremony at its site on the Mall. In a ceremony hosted by actor Phylicia Rashad and attended by President and Mrs. Obama, former first lady Laura Bush, Smithsonian secretary Wayne Clough, Mayor Vincent Gray, Representative John Lewis, Colin Powell, and many others, a host of speakers talked about what the museum means to them. “This is a milestone not only for the Smithsonian, but for the United States,” said Rashad. “Today we take the first step.”

During the ceremony, Reverend Dr. Calvin O. Butts from the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York recited poetry by Countée Cullen and Langston Hughes. “What is America to me?” he said. “Copper sun or scarlet sea?” Butts also pointed to landmark achievements for African Americans in recent years, including the election of President Obama, who was seated just behind him, and the new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the Mall.

The Washington National Opera stages Così Fan Tutte. Photograph by Richard H. Smith for Royal Opera House.

Thursday, February 23

ART: “Frida Kahlo: Her Photos” opens tonight at the Artisphere. The first and only showing in the US will feature more than 250 intimate photographs from the artist’s personal collection. There will be a public opening reception tonight from 7 to 10. Free. The show runs through March 25.

FUNDRAISER: Rock band Farewell Republic and alt-rock group Head on Sticks perform at DC9. Proceeds will benefit DC Vote, an organization dedicated to securing full voting representation for DC residents. Tickets ($10) can be purchased at the door or through the venue’s website. Doors open at 8 PM.

BOOKS: Elizabeth Dowling Taylor signs copies of her new book, A Slave in the White House: Paul Jennings and the Madisons, at the Woman’s National Democratic Club. Taylor served as the director of interpretation at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and as a fellow at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. The signing includes a lunch, a presentation, and a Q&A session. Tickets ($30) can be purchased through the event’s website. 2 PM.

KID-FRIENDLY: The Kennedy Center’s production of The Wings of Ikarus Jackson ends today. Adapted from the children’s book Wings, the uplifting story is about a young boy who can fly. Tickets ($18) can be purchased through the KenCen’s website. 12:30 PM.

If you were to become a DC heavyweight whose life merited a novelist’s attention, you’d be lucky to have Thomas Mallon pick you for a muse. Unlike Gore Vidal, whose Washington historical novels have a crotchety polemical undertone, Mallon is an equitable storyteller who likes the Beltway, understands the city’s currency, and generally refuses to disparage the denizens in charge. In other words, those expecting to see Richard Nixon burned in effigy in Mallon’s novel Watergate will be disappointed, as will those hoping for a stringent recreation of the eponymous burglary. What Mallon offers is a series of diverting, occasionally out-there character sketches that chart the debacle’s toll on the bit players, among them Fred LaRue—a hard-drinking aide to President Nixon who’s haunted by the memory of a hunting accident that took his father’s life—and Rose Mary Woods, Nixon’s secretary who may have been responsible for the infamous elisions in the White House tapes.

Watergate seems to beg for a big climax that never comes, yet there’s so much to like. The dialogue is smart, the description ebullient, and the variegated narrative gives luster to a real-life American tragicomedy.

This article appears in the February 2012 issue of The Washingtonian.

Talk about the assignment of the century: For his previous book, The Geography of Bliss, former NPR correspondent Eric Weiner hotfooted the globe in search of true happiness. In Man Seeks God, Weiner—a witty writer with the insatiable curiosity of a child—embarks on a less hedonistic journey for spiritual revelation after a nurse in a hospital asks him, “Have you found your God yet?”

Find God Weiner doesn’t. Whether twirling with dervishes in Turkey, shaving his legs with Raëlians in Las Vegas, or conjuring animal spirits with a shaman in Beltsville, his interests lie more in what religion offers (“I am fascinated by Tantra”) and requires (“Yes, the Franciscans are tremendous moochers”) than in putting faith in dogmas: “The cold fact is I don’t believe any of these gods or goddesses actually exist.” It’s an approach that feels borderline inappropriate, given that Weiner is dealing with matters of the soul, not the stock market.

Weiner’s search, come to find out, has been hamstrung by his own cynicism. It makes you wonder what he might have discovered had he arrived at his conclusion at the start rather than the tail end of his journey.

This article appears in the February 2012 issue of The Washingtonian.

Word has just come from a rep at the Howard Theatre that Marcus Samuelsson’s New York–based hospitality group, the aptly named Marcus Samuelsson Group, is consulting on the menu for the supper club concept at the restored Howard Theatre on T Street, opening in April. Samuelsson, who owns Harlem’s Red Rooster, among other restaurants, has been a lauded chef among foodies for years, but became a nationally recognized name during his stint on Top Chef Masters.

Samuelsson’s group is currently in the process of hiring an executive chef and designing menus for the project, and will train the staff. A company rep said the food will reflect “Samuelsson’s unique culinary journey” (he is Ethiopian, but was adopted by Swedish parents and grew up in Sweden before moving to the States), but wouldn’t disclose any other dish details, saying the menu was still in its “early stages.” According to press materials, “The theatre will open its doors two hours prior to all seated shows, with first-come, first-serve basis seating. For standing-room-only shows, a streamlined menu will be offered.” Also in the plans: a weekly Sunday brunch featuring the Harlem Gospel Choir.

Operated by the Blue Note Entertainment Group, the Howard Theatre reopens the week of April 9, with an opening gala on the 12th. Booked acts include Taj Mahal, Yasiin Bey (also known as Mos Def), Boyz II Men, Chuck Brown, and the comedienne Wanda Sykes. The theater, a historic landmark, was built in 1910 and has hosted such musical luminaries as Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and Smokey Robinson. More details to come.

Mayer Hawthorne plays the 9:30 Club on Tuesday, April 17. Image courtesy of the artist.

Alternative singer-songwriter and pianist Fiona Apple comes to the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue on Wednesday, March 21. Her last album, Extraordinary Machine, released in 2005, was described by the New Yorker as “a record that makes converts out of doubters.” Tickets ($45) go on sale Friday, February 24, at 10 AM through Ticketmaster.

Hip-hop legends Public Enemy, Epmd, Doug E. Fresh, Black Sheep, and Kool Moe D take the stage at DAR Constitution Hall as part of the Hip Hop Gods Tour on Friday, March 23. Tickets ($49 to $75) are on sale now through Ticketmaster.

Mayer Hawthorne and the County, the neo-soul creation of DJ Andrew Cohen, come to the 9:30 Club on Tuesday, April 17. Cohen’s studio album A Strange Arrangement was acclaimed for its covers of obscure midcentury motion singles and soul-infused original work. Tickets ($20) are on sale now through Ticketfly.

Terius Youngdell Nash, a.k.a. The-Dream, performs at the Fillmore Silver Spring on Saturday, March 17. He has co-written hits including Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies,” while also singing and producing his own hip-hop. Tickets ($25) go on sale Friday, February 24, at 10 AM through Live Nation. 

Punk rockers Less Than Jake play the Rock & Roll Hotel Friday, May 18. The group, which formed in Gainesville, Florida, in 1992, have made regular appearances on the Warped Tour. Their 2003 album, Anthem, had angsty teens across the nation thronging local independent record stores. Tickets ($18) go on sale Friday, February 24, at 10 AM, through Rock & Roll Hotel.

In an athletic training room, it’s a common sight to see college and professional athletes shivering as they sit in a tub of ice after a tough practice. Though extremely unpleasant, this cold-water immersion technique is the go-to treatment to reduce the pain of sore muscles and inflammation, or delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

But do those mind-numbing, painfully cold 20 minutes or so really soothe sore muscles? According to a study published in the Cochrane Library, the answer is yes.

Researchers had 366 people get into a bath or container of about 50-degree water after running, cycling, or resistance training. They spent 5 to 24 minutes immersed in the water.

Turns out the cold water technique, also called cryotherapy, helped reduce soreness by 20 percent after one to four days, compared with simply resting or no intervention at all.

Ginny, a Potomac native, and Chris, who grew up in New York, first met at work. One evening, Chris asked Ginny to get a drink at his favorite bar, and they started dating from there. He proposed on a seemingly average Sunday morning—he made Ginny her favorite breakfast sandwich and popped the question in their living room.

The couple decided to marry at Woodend Sanctuary in Chevy Chase on September 10, 2011.

“My main hope for the wedding was just for it to be fun,” says Ginny. “I wanted everyone, including myself and Chris, to be relaxed, feel at home, and have a great time.”

The pair chose bright colors—yellow, orange, and turquoise—to play up the lively vibe they hoped to convey.

The ceremony was held on the lawn at Woodend. Ginny’s uncle officiated, and her aunt performed a reading called “He Never Leaves the Toilet Seat Up.” The bride walked down the aisle to the Vitamin String Quartet’s version of “Falling Slowly,” carrying a bouquet of dahlias, zinnias, craspedia, and yarrow.

The ceremony programs had a humorous touch that tied in with Chris’s love of comic books. “Instead of doing a traditional program, we listed each of our attendants and a super power that we felt fit them,” says Ginny.

Yesterday, the James Beard Foundation announced its list of semifinalists for the 2012 Restaurant and Chef awards. Janie Snyder, a rep for the James Beard Foundation, says the list was whittled from more than 56,000 nominations this year. Snyder says the 17-member restaurant committee made up of critics, editors, and writers deliberated for two full days in January to come up with the final semifinalist list, and Washington did well—find the full list of local restaurants and chefs chosen at the end of this post. Among the 2012 committee members are local scribes Tom Sietsema of the Washington Post and Corby Kummer of The Atlantic.

Photograph courtesy of Flickr user sergis blog.

While thick socks and boots can keep your toes warm during the winter, once spring arrives and the sandals come out, you may sometime see an unlovely sight—nail fungus.

About 20 percent of people suffer from onychomycosis, or as Drs. Dale H. Isaacson and Marilyn Berzin of DC Derm Docs call it, “ugly-nail syndrome.” In people who have a genetic propensity to the fungus, it’s brought out by sweaty feet, poor sock or shoe ventilation, and walking barefoot in damp areas such as gym locker rooms.

An FDA-approved laser therapy is now available to treat brittle and yellow toenails painlessly. It takes only one ten-minute treatment to start seeing results within two to four months, depending on how quickly your nails grow, Berzin says.

What a week, right? President’s Day, followed by Fat Tuesday, followed by National Margarita Day. Yup, today is National Margarita Day, a time to celebrate a drink with a mysterious history.

At its purest, a margarita is just tequila, lime juice, and Cointreau (or, yes, Triple Sec, but if there’s Cointreau, get that). Any cocktail bar worth its salt rim will make you one of those, but if you’re a fan of fruity, frozen, and/or swirled, you’re in luck: Washington is awash in Mexican and Tex-Mex-themed bars specializing in such drinks.

Alero—U Street 
Alero on U Street has 15 types of margarita available by the glass, half pitcher, and pitcher. During happy hour, a house marg with Jose Cuervo is $5.50.

Cactus Cantina
This large Tex-Mex restaurant by the Cathedral has margaritas flavored with mango, peach, and strawberry. Combine them—Slurpee style—to create a margarita “swirl.” These creations are available by the glass, half pitcher, or whole pitcher; see the full menu here.

Casa Oaxaca
This Adams Morgan Mexican spot is recognizing National Margarita Day by extending its $4.50 happy hour special on flavored ’ritas through 9 PM. It’s also debuting two new flavors tonight: ginger-mango and jicama-cucumber.

Update (02/23): It seems as though George Huguely will spend the next 24 years behind bars in a Virginia state prison. Late Wednesday, a Charlottesville jury found the Chevy Chase native guilty of second-degree murder in the death of his on again, off again, girlfriend, Yeardley Love. Huguely broke into her apartment and battered her in a drunken rage in May 2010,  and left her bleeding on her pillow. Both were 22 and days away from graduating from the University of Virginia. The jury took three hours to sentence Huguely to 26 years. He has already been jailed for two, and Virginia does not allow parole, so it's likely he will serve 24 more.

What has become known as the “lacrosse murder,” since both Huguely and Love played for the university's championship teams, is a tragedy for both families, their friends, and the university. But there’s plenty of guilt weaved in amid the sadness. Keep in mind that on the Sunday before he smashed through Yeardley Love’s door, George V spent the entire day drinking—starting with beer in the morning, then wine at dinner, and more beer into the night. Who was by his side from breakfast through drunken swings at golf balls and that wine at dinner? His father, George Huguely IV. Not one of the teammates or roommates who testified in court mentioned the father admonishing the son. George V was unrestrained—by his father, his friends, his university.

Happy hump day, food truck followers! You favorite trucks are out and about with edible delights to help you get through the mid-week blues. There's Bratwurst King, with its brats and schnitzels; pulled pork and smoked baked beans aboard Carnivore BBQ; shrimp and roast beef po' boys from Cajunators; free mango sticky rice for the first ten customers in line for Sang on Wheels, and much more.

What is the best time to workout during the day? The jury may still be out. Photograph courtesy of Flickr user Abdullah AL-Naser.

Here in Washington, we’re busy people. For many of us, a typical day could include waking up around 6 AM, working a 9 to 5 (or 7 or 8) job, then meeting friends for dinner, or attending a work event, or helping the kids finish that science project . . . you get the idea.

So with such crazy schedules, how are we supposed to fit in a workout at the ideal time of the day—and is there even such a thing? While the official verdict is still out on the best time of day to exercise, local health and life coach Sara Oliveri says what’s most important is just making sure you get in a workout, no matter when it happens.

“Any time is the best time,” she says. “If for some reason you can’t work out when it’s ideal, it’s still not a good idea to skip a workout entirely.”

However, with a little testing and commitment, local trainer Doug Murphy says it is possible to find a time that best works for each individual.

“Everybody is different,” he says, so listen to your body and experiment to see what suits your lifestyle and preferences best.

Read on to find out which time of day might be best for you to work out.

R&B singer Estelle performs at the Birchmere tonight. Photograph courtesy of the artist’s Facebook page.

Wednesday, February 22

BALLET: The Washington Ballet presents Twyla Tharp: AllAmerican at the Kennedy Center. The program features some of Tharp’s most famous works, including “Push Comes to Shove,” “Surfer at the Styx River,” and “Nice Sinatra Songs.” Tickets ($20 to $125) can be purchased through the KenCen’s website. 8 PM. The show runs though February 26.

MUSIC: South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo perform at Ram's Head Tavern. The Grammy Award–winning artists have collaborated with everyone from Paul Simon and Dolly Parton to Josh Groban and Stevie Wonder. Tickets ($35) can be purchased through the venue’s website. 8 PM.

R&B singer Estelle brings her tour to the Birchmere. The London native is known for her 2008 hit “American Boy.” Tickets ($29.50) can be purchased through Ticketmaster. 7:30 PM.

KID-FRIENDLY: Olney Theatre Center’s production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown opens tonight. In this delightful musical, the Peanuts gang comes to life through song and dance. Tickets ($26 to $39) can be purchased through the theater’s website. 8 PM. The play runs though March 18.

This chicken and broccoli casserole is surprisingly low-fat and high in fiber. Photograph courtesy of Colleen Gerg.

From meatless chili to chunky vegetable soup, we’ve given you oodles of comforting healthy recipes that even the strictest dieter couldn’t quibble with. This week, nutrition adviser and consultant Colleen Gerg tackles a different kind of recipe challenge: lightening up her mom’s rich, cheesy chicken-and-broccoli casserole.

Photograph by Flickr user thetejon.

If you park on DC streets, does it sometimes feel like the city slaps a ticket on some poor soul’s windshield every minute? Well, the truth is even more extreme. On average, 2.9 tickets are issued every minute, with more than 29,000 issued each week. Parking tickets rang up $11 million in revenue for the city in 2011, more than in much larger cities such as Atlanta and Baltimore. Two parking enforcement beats, both in Ward 2, each produced more than $1 million in tickets. A Ward 6 beat was also in the million-dollar club.

These and other startling parking enforcement facts were made available to The Washingtonian by the Department of Public Works after we submitted a Freedom of Information Act request. The details appear in a graphic in the March issue of the magazine. Our interest was piqued in December when AAA Mid-Atlantic put out a press release stating that in the fiscal year that ended October 2011, the District’s “trigger-happy enforcers” exceeded the number of 2010 tickets by close to 100,000. We wanted to know the truth about parking tickets: where the most are issued, the busiest times of the day, week, and year, and how much money is made.