Sports this weekend: Loudoun United FC hosts Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC at Segra Field Friday evening. The Nationals visit the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday and Sunday. D.C. United visits FC Cincinnati Sunday. The Washington Spirit visits the Portland Thorns Sunday.

How well do you know the District? Play our new geography game and test your local knowledge. Ike Allen here, filling in for Andrew. You can find my food coverage on Instagram and there’s a link to my email address below. This roundup is available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.

I can’t stop listening to:

Grupo Frontera, “No Se Va.” For my money, still the catchiest song by the wildly popular modern norteño-cumbia band from Texas. They play the EagleBank Arena on the George Mason University campus in Fairfax tonight. 

Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:

The war: JD Vance says the US is investigating the airstrike that hit a wedding party in Iran. (Reuters) The US Central Command says the review will be finalized soon. (Axios) Vance also said he doesn’t know when the Iran War will end, but that it no longer amounts to a war. (Washington Post) An Air Force widow said she was deemed ineligible for benefits after her husband’s death in Operation Epic Fury because Congress had not officially declared war. (NOTUS) Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick apologized for saying that no Americans had died in the conflict—18 service members have—and said he was thinking of Venezuela. (Reuters) The beleaguered USS Abraham Lincoln is covered in a shocking amount of rust after 286 days at sea. (CNN) South Korea may deploy military assets to the Strait of Hormuz. (Reuters) 

Arc de Trump: The Trump administration says excavation work will begin over the next two weeks on the 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery. (NYT) The arch hasn’t received approval from the National Capital Planning Commission yet, but the Supreme Court’s approval of the ballroom project this week set a precedent. (Washington Post)

Administration perambulation: Trump named Adam Telle, the official who oversees the Army Corps of Engineers, to take over as acting Army secretary after Daniel Driscoll’s resignation. (NYT) Trump’s Treasury Department wants to strip tax-exempt status from any school that offers race-based aid programs. (NYT) At a White House briefing, Vance said Tucker Carlson is still his friend, in spite of the commentator’s criticism of Trump and apparent support for Abdul El-Sayed. (The Hill) A group of 50 legal organizations is rallying to free hundreds of children stranded indefinitely in immigration custody. (The Guardian) The ICE officer who shot a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis earlier this year was charged with lying to investigators. (AP) But the federal prosecutor who tried to bring civil rights charges against him was fired. (CBS) An ICE whistleblower says the agency skipped basic vetting in its rush to hire new recruits last summer. (NYT) Billionaire Leon Black sued the House Oversight Committee over its probe of his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, arguing it can’t force him to turn over his nondisclosure agreements with women. (WSJ) Republicans are hoping the ailing Sen. Mitch McConnell will return to work on September 14. (CNN) House Republicans, meanwhile, are cutting their pre-election legislative session short. They’ll leave DC by September 17. Candidates are eager to get back to campaigning ahead of the midterms. (Politico) Trump promised to campaign for vulnerable Republicans and urged them to run on his record, despite his flagging popularity. (AP) Trump commuted the sentence of John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty, a union leader convicted for bribery and embezzlement. (NBC News)

Recently on Washingtonian dot com:

• Northwest Chinese Food, a frequent entry on our 100 Very Best Restaurants list, has reopened inside a cafe called Li Chun. 

• WMATA general manager Randy Clarke tells the story of how he met his wife on the “T” in Boston. 

• Here are our favorite spots around town for Labor Day brunch. 

• Hoping for one last summer road trip over the long weekend? We’ve got ideas.

Local news links:

• Those intense storms last night caused widespread outages and closed Prince George’s County Public Schools. (NBC4)

• Council member Trayon White posted a social media video urging Black Washingtonians to respond to their jury summonses. Now, federal prosecutors are accusing him of tampering with the jury pool ahead of his upcoming bribery trial. (City Cast DC)

• The Maryland Supreme Court allowed Democrats’ redistricting question to appear on ballots in November. (NOTUS)

• A man was killed at Wolf Trap yesterday when a tour bus collapsed on him as he worked underneath it. The show was canceled. (WTOP)

• Apple picking will be scarce around the region this fall because of a devastating overnight frost in April. (Axios)

Weekend event picks:

Friday: Nigerian singer Davido and rapper Lil Baby headline the first day of the Afro Plus Festival, an Afro-Caribbean and hip-hop party that takes over Northwest Stadium all weekend. 

Saturday: DC Jazz Fest has been going on all week. On Saturday, see Kes, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Bill Frisell, and Nate Smith, among others, at the Wharf.

Sunday: The DC State Fair celebrates pie, mumbo sauce, and other locally made goods at Anthem Row downtown.

See more picks for the weekend from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.

The post The Arc de Trump Will Break Ground Soon, Approved or Not; Schools Targeted Over Race-Based Aid; Commerce Secretary Forgot 18 Americans Have Died in Iran War first appeared on Washingtonian.

A&J Restaurant

1319 Rockville Pike #C, Rockville; 4316 Markham St., Unit B, Annandale

Our favorite dim sum spot in the area serves up thousand-layer pancakes, excellent noodle soups, and porky pan-fried potstickers starting at 11:30 AM every day.

Ambar

523 Eighth St., SE; 2901 Wilson Blvd., Arlington

These Balkan-inspired eateries in Clarendon and Capitol Hill are best known for their all-you-can-eat offerings. At brunch, that means unlimited rounds of cheese-filled phyllo pies, sujuk flatbread, and baklava waffles. It’s $43 per person in Clarendon, and $38 per person on the Hill.

Bouboulina

921 Meeting St., North Bethesda

Smoked-salmon éclairs, caviar-topped deviled eggs, and brioche French toast are a few of the items on this luxe Pike and Rose steakhouse’s brunch menu, which starts at 11 AM. If you’re not into that, it’ll also offer steaks and a smash burger.

The Boundary Stone

116 Rhode Island Ave., NW

This no-reservations Bloomingdale pub turns 15 soon, and it’s shaking up its brunch menu by channeling Dublin. Robert Cain, chef at nearby Italian favorite the Red Hen, is behind strapping plates like a full Irish breakfast and a dry-aged pub burger with mustard sauce, plus housemade cinnamon rolls. To drink, there are Guinness martinis and cold-brew Irish coffees.

Café Unido

908 W St., NW

Weekdays start bright and early (9 AM) at this Panamanian cafe in Shaw. Find all-day breakfast sandwiches with guava mumbo sauce; avocado toast on sourdough; a skillet of eggs, salsa, and queso fresco; and plenty of coffee drinks.

I Egg You

517 Eighth St., SE

Some of DC’s best breakfast sandwiches come out of this Barracks Row spot from the Fried Rice Collective (also behind Chiko and Anju). This is primo hangover fare—think brown-butter-fried eggs on milk bread, French toast with Fruity Pebbles, and smashed, fried potatoes heaped with fontina-cheese sauce, candied jalapeños, and Old Bay aioli. If that doesn’t do the trick, they serve Liquid IV… and a bevy of cocktails.

Le Diplomate

1601 14th St., NW

Logan Circle brasserie Le Diplomate will serve its seafood towers, gruyere omelets, and top-notch pancakes starting at 9:30 AM. A few other Starr restaurants are serving brunch, too: the Occidental (throwback American); El Presidente (theatrical Mexican), and St. Anselm (funky steakhouse). Meanwhile, Union Market French bistro Pastis will be open for lunch, and will send out a few brunch specials.

Matt & Tony’s

1501 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria

This Del Ray kitchen serves brunch all day, everyday. The masa pancakes with mole syrup are a standout, but I’ve got my eye on the chicken and waffles.

Melina

905 Rose Ave., North Bethesda

At Pike and Rose, modern Greek restaurant Melina is putting out tartines, bagel-like koulori rings, and a fried-egg-topped lamb burger. Nearby sister restaurant Julii is open for its French/Med brunch, too.

Mikko

1636 R St., NW

This Scandi cafe in Dupont serves Labor Day brunch from 9 AM to 4 PM. Go for Swedish pancakes, bratwurst and eggs, lingonberry bread pudding, and plenty of mimosas and bloodies.

Republic Cantina

43 N St., NW

Refuel starting at 9 AM with chilaquiles, breakfast enchiladas, and cinnamon-sugar sopes at this Tex-Mex hangout in Truxton Circle. Bloodies stay on-brand with lard-washed tequila and a chicharron garnish.

The Royal

501 Florida Ave., NW

LeDroit Park’s neighborhood bar/cafe, which opens its kitchen at 10 AM on weekdays, is one of our favorite weekday breakfast spots in the city. The main reason: egg-and-avocado-filled arepas, but also the guava pastries and creative coffee drinks.

Unconventional Diner

1207 Ninth St., NW

You can get daily brunch all year long at this fun-loving French/American dining room in Shaw. I’m a big fan of the “Greek-full Dead” salad, but if you’re hankering for something breakfast-y, there’s sweet potato shakshuka and creme brûlée French toast.

Vagabond

1836 18th St., NW

Want to keep the party going? Bottomless bloodies plus an entree are $48 per person at this surf-shack-inspired bar in Dupont. Its laidback morning spread includes housemade doughnuts, classic homefries-and-egg plates, and sliders on King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls.

The post Where to Get Labor Day 2026 Brunch Around DC first appeared on Washingtonian.

Celebration of Textiles: Andean Traditions

You can pet a llama at this museum celebration. Discover 15th-century dress from the Inka empire in the exhibit “Weaving an Empire,” go on a scavenger hunt, and watch dance performances in homage to Andean traditions (free).

Hispanic Heritage Month Kick-Off Celebration

Stop by the Prince George’s Publik Playhouse this month to view mixed media and paintings by artist Catherine Rupan Mapp and the 2026 Hispanic Heritage Month exhibit designed by local high school students. The family-friendly event features face painting, food truck eats, salsa dancing, and live music by Pablo Antonio y La Firma and DJ Suelto (free).

Create Your Own Piñata

Craft and design your own colorful mini pig or star piñata while learning about the cultural significance of the celebratory practice. The hands-on workshop led by Del Ray Artisans Gallery is for ages 12 and older; all supplies are included ($15 for children, $30 for adults).

AFI Latin American Film Festival

Explore Latin American movies with a pass to this multi-week film fest. AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center is screening 43 movies such as World Cup documentary The Match and the US premiere of São Paulo dramedy Isabel. The theater is also hosting filmmaker talks and throwing parties with embassies ($15 for general admission, $200 for festival pass).

NaLa Noches music series

On Thursday evenings from September 17 through October 15, lively concerts at Met Park feature performances from Latin jazz band René Ibáñez & Cubano Groove, salsa and merengue group Punto i Aparte, and other musicians in between hip-swaying dance lessons guided by Inspira Dance. In addition to the music, there’s pottery, painting, and flower craft workshops  (free).

Latinas in Aviation Global Festival

Acknowledge Latinas in aviation with flight demos, bilingual story time, art, author meet-and-greets, kid-friendly entertainment, and a live concert featuring Latin Nine Orchestra (free).

Fiesta DC

Fiesta DC started during the ’70s in Mount Pleasant to express the richness of Latino culture. Now the tradition fills the streets of downtown DC every year with ancestral fashions, Latin music, folk dance, and a lively parade on Constitution Avenue. This year’s jamboree is in honor of Brazil (free).

“¡Puro Ritmo!” exhibit

Salsa dancing dates back to the 1500s. You can learn the history and heritage of the Latin dance tradition through music, photos, and memorabilia—such as the red heels worn by salsa queen Celia Cruz—at the Smithsonian’s “¡Puro Ritmo!” exhibit  (free).

The post 8 Ways to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in the DC Area first appeared on Washingtonian.

Set Sail and Crack Crabs

Annapolis, Maryland

Finish off your summer bucket list with a day of sailing and crabs in nautical Annapolis. Climb aboard a two-hour cruise on the Woodwind or Woodwind II, 74-foot schooners that glide through the bay. Then head to longtime favorite Cantler’s Riverside Inn for steamers on a dock overlooking Mills Creek.

Read the full itinerary.

Find Fossils at the Beach

Calvert County, Maryland

Channel your inner paleontologist at two sandy shores: Calvert Cliffs State Park and Flag Ponds Nature Park. Both are a destination for Miocene-era finds, from shark teeth to cool shells. Once you’ve worked up a sweat, take a dip in the water for an easy cooldown.

Read the full itinerary.

Go River Tubing

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

Looking for a lazy river experience on an actual river? Head to Harpers Ferry, where outdoor adventure groups River Riders and River and Trail Outfitter offer opportunities for a leisurely float on the Shenandoah River. You can even get a floating cooler for refreshments.

Read the full itinerary.

Take your Dog for a Swim

Stevensville, Maryland

You’ll have to cross the Bay Bridge to get to Matapeake Clubhouse and Beach, but it’s worth it for the stretch of dedicated dog beach. Pets can frolic in and out of the water without a leash, playing fetch and rolling in the sand with new furry friends.

Read the full itinerary.

Enjoy a Picnic on the Water

Washington, DC

The Wharf’s waterfront location makes it a natural destination for boat rentals. If you want to drive an electric boat—no special license required—Sea Suite Cruises has two options. For a mod vibe, a fleet of vintage vessels with up-to-date motors accommodate up to four passengers. Meanwhile, the larger Duffy boats fit up to 10 people and have a shady cover.

Read the full itinerary.

Kayak Through Spooky Shipwrecks

Nanjemoy, Maryland

Paddle around 200 World War I-era shipwrecks known as the Ghost Fleet in Mallows Bay. There are no paddle rentals by the water, so you’ll either need to bring your own equipment or sign up for a tour with Atlantic Kayak. Guides provide some additional context on the spooky site as well as the birds that are drawn to the rusted wreckage.

The post 6 End-of-Summer Day Trips a Drive Away From DC first appeared on Washingtonian.

1. Start with the basics.

Before staging the house with furniture and decor, address any repairs and consider fresh paint. “Staging cannot compensate for deferred maintenance,” says Monica Murphy of Preferred Staging. (For more suggestions on repairs, see opposite page.) Kelly Marino of Kelly Marino Designs recommends a deep clean, including easy-to-miss spots like vents, kitchen cabinet doors, and grout and caulking in bathrooms. “A clean house sends the message that this home has been loved and cared for,” she says.

2. Move furniture away from walls.

“One of the biggest myths in decorating is that pushing every piece of furniture against the wall makes a room feel larger,” says Michael Fowler of Michael Fowler Creative. “In reality, it often has the opposite effect: Rooms don’t feel bigger because the furniture hugs the walls—they feel bigger because they have room to breathe.” He suggests “floating” furniture whenever possible and creating conversation areas. Moving a sofa from against the wall by even a foot or two, he says, creates a better flow and gives the space a polished, designer feel. CC Staging & Design’s Cristina Perkins recommends arranging seating to pull eyes toward the room’s best architectural asset, such as a fireplace or large window.

3. Declutter and depersonalize.

“The goal,” says Andrea Cropp-Arguin of Staging Boutique, “isn’t to make your home feel empty—it’s to make it easy for buyers to imagine living there.” For her, a good rule of thumb is to remove 30 to 50 percent of what’s in your home, starting with family photos and other personal decor, refrigerator magnets, calendars, papers, excess countertop appliances, collections and knickknacks, extra furniture, and—during showings—pets’ beds, toys, and bowls.

Because buyers almost always open closets to check for space, Cropp-Arguin advises aiming for closets to be organized and no more than two-thirds full. Packed ones, Perkins says, give the impression that the home lacks storage. Don’t forget to organize, says Cropp-Arguin—laundry rooms, pantries, linen closets, mudrooms, garages, storage areas, even under sinks.

Potential buyers don’t usually open every drawer, she says, but some in the kitchen and bathrooms may get a quick look, so it’s best to keep them tidy just in case. And be ruthless, says Perkins—clear off 70 percent of flat surfaces, including counters, mantels, and side tables. “Buyers buy space and potential, not stuff. If it isn’t elevating the room’s aesthetic, box it up.”

4. Pay attention to lighting.

“The fastest way to make a home feel expensive, warm, and inviting is to get the lighting right,” says Fowler. He follows a “light the room, not the ceiling” philosophy, which for him means two things: Using 2700K warm white bulbs throughout the home (at the very least, in the living room and bedrooms) and layering the lighting with floor lamps, table lamps, and accent lighting. “I recommend at least three light sources in every room,” Fowler says, “and ideally none of them are the overhead fixture.”

Perkins follows a slightly more maximalist approach, using 2700K-to-3000K bulbs and turning on every light before a showing, including overhead. She also recommends maximizing natural light by pulling back drapes, raising blinds, washing windows, and trimming bushes that block windows.

5. Give each room one clear purpose—with thoughtfully sized furniture.

Christian Salinas of Staging Design DC points out that buyers are buying a vision—so make it a clear one by defining each space and a room’s flow. Though you don’t need to fill every wall or corner with furniture and decor, Murphy says, good staging should allow someone to immediately understand how a space functions and how they might live there.

Keep in mind, though: It’s important to get the scale right. While many sellers are mindful of the way oversize furniture can make a room look small, Marino believes the inverse should be of equal concern. Particularly in large homes with large rooms, she says, “furniture that’s too small for the space tends to look odd and unwelcoming.”

6. Make them fall in love at first sight.

“Buyers start forming opinions before they walk through the door,” says Cropp-Arguin, who recommends power-washing walkways and siding, keeping the lawn mowed and the landscaping trimmed, adding fresh mulch or seasonal flowers, painting or refreshing the front door, replacing worn welcome mats, cleaning windows and the front porch, and updating exterior accessories, including house numbers, the mailbox, and light fixtures. “Buyers decide within the first few minutes whether a home feels right,” says Cropp-Arguin. “Give them every reason to fall in love immediately.”

7. Leave a lasting impression.

With people sometimes touring five or more homes in a weekend, Fowler says, it’s a mistake to stage a home so safely—the same gray sofa, blue pillows, and predictable accessories—that it disappears into the crowd. “Your goal isn’t to create a home anyone could live in. Your goal is to create the home everyone wants to live in. Great staging isn’t about neutrality, it’s about aspiration.” Furniture, art, accessories, lighting, and other details, Murphy notes, help buyers form an emotional connection to a property. And, adds Fowler, “people remember how a home made them feel long after they’ve forgotten the floor plan.”

The post 7 Ways to Make Your Home More Appealing to Buyers first appeared on Washingtonian.

All the aforementioned boating experiences are bring-your-own food and drink so you can enjoy a picnic on the water. The Wharf offers a buffet of nearby options for takeout. Grab deli sandwiches and cheesesteaks from Grazie Grazie, thin crust pizza from Union Pie, or hit Colada Shop for a spread of empanadas and croquetas. If you prefer to dine on land, keep the nautical theme going at shucking spots such as Hank’s Oyster Bar and Rappahannock Oyster Bar. 

The post These Easy-to-Drive Electric Boats Are a Fun Way to Explore the DC Waterfront first appeared on Washingtonian.

“It was May 2003. I had a job in Cambridge and lived in [Somerville’s] Davis Square with roommates. [While I was at work] these guys were having a few drinks during the afternoon. I get back to the apartment, and we’re going to the Red Sox game.

“Halfway to the T, one of the guys forgot something, so we had to go back. We [then] got back on the T, and I kind of separated myself from the guys because they’d had a couple [drinks]. I see two women standing, so I go, ‘Do you want my seat?’ That was to my now-wife. She’s like, ‘No.’ Totally dismissive, because a couple of the guys were probably being annoying. I complimented her on her Doc Martens. She was like, ‘Dude, this isn’t working.’

“[To get to Fenway Park] we get on the Green Line and I’m like, ‘I wonder if I’ll see her,’ and I don’t. We get off and one of my buddies goes, ‘Randy, there’s your girlfriend!’ She and her friend are walking in front of us. She turns around and I say, ‘Are you going to Copperfield’s?’—a Boston dive bar. She says, ‘No.’ Dismissive again. I’m like, ‘All right, well, see you later.’ And she laughs. [My friends and I] go to the bar, then the game, and when we leave, we walk into a sports bar. One of my buddies is like, ‘Hey, there’s your girlfriend!’ She looks over, and this time she’s like, ‘What the hell? Where have you guys been?’ We actually were leaving to go to this other bar, and she and her friend walked with us. As the Seinfeld episode says, ‘Yada yada yada’—I got the digits, and a couple weeks later we went out.

“It took meeting on the train, [then] meeting walking off the second train we’d just gotten off together, to the next bar, to the next to get the dig-its. And remember, we had to go back to the house to get something, and she said she and her friend [also] got delayed. So the fact that we both got on the same car at the exact same time—both actually got our plans mixed up to get to that car—to transfer to the other train, and with a huge crowd in Fenway. There’s such a statistical improbability.

“Without meeting her, I probably would have moved back to Canada. I could never be an all-in general manager here without her. Every once in a while, I get a text [from her]: ‘Hey, this escalator’s out,’ or ‘This announcement was muffled.’ ” So I go out of my way to make sure my biggest critical customer has good trips.”

—As told to Kate Corliss

The post WMATA’s Randy Clarke Is Passionate About Subways—He Met His Wife on One first appeared on Washingtonian.

It wasn’t her first experience in the restaurant world. Ling’s family had moved from Shenyang, a city of 9 million people northeast of Beijing, when she was in high school, and several years later her parents opened Northwest Chinese Food in College Park. Hua Wang, Ling’s mother, picked the location near the University of Maryland in part to cater to Chinese students hankering for knife-cut noodles, spicy cold salads, and Xi’an-style pork “burgers.” Over time, the place acquired devotees well beyond that community—Northwest has landed on this magazine’s 100 Very Best Restaurants list six times.

The pandemic forced Ling to close her NYC cafe and move back to Maryland, where she helped out with the family restaurant, giving the place a cool new look without changing her mom’s traditional recipes.

Last year, Ling branched out with Li Chun Cafe, a tea-centric cafe with Noguchi-style lamps and a modern pink terrazzo counter in a new mixed-use building a stone’s throw from her parents’ restaurant.

Tea drinks here are vivid and often multilayered, with eye-catching stripes of scarlet plum juice, verdant matcha, and lemon tea dyed aquamarine with butterfly pea flower. “Li Chun” refers to the first day of spring on the Chinese calendar, and from its opening, the cafe has specialized in bing, a savory pancake traditionally eaten on that day for good luck.

Li Chun’s bings, which look like deeply browned flour tortillas, can be wrapped around various proteins and dressed with condiments such as spicy sesame sauce, burned eggplant and chili oil, or northeast-style fermented cabbage. The signature bing comes with a sweet black-bean-sauce-and-slivered-vegetable medley that might remind you of scooping up moo shu pork with pancakes and plum sauce at your favorite Chinese-American restaurant.

“We had this idea of evolving traditions,” Ling says. “We take the dishes we grew up with and we reimagine them for today’s lifestyle. We want to make the new Chinese food more approachable.”

There are more elaborate dishes, too. A “bento” allows you to endlessly configure little compartments with a selection of tea-smoked chicken, tofu, black-bean pork, a briny bean-sprout-and-kelp salad, and various other salads and side dishes. There’s a refreshing mung-bean-noodle salad with sesame dressing and a standout Shanxi triple noodle—a soulful and satisfying tangle of chewy knife-cut noodles topped with three neat piles of braised pork, scrambled eggs with tomato, and tender potatoes in black-bean sauce.

Earlier this year, a planned redevelopment forced Northwest Chinese Food to close, while Li Chun stayed open. Now the cafe alternates between the two concepts, with counter service during the day and table service at dinner. The daytime offerings center around tea and bings. After 5, you can find nearly every dish from Northwest Chinese Food: thick ribbons of noodle dressed all kinds of ways and specials like a summery bowl of cold Yunnan-style rice noodles topped with crushed tomatoes. Ling loves her cafe enough to keep the two concepts separate. But she’s been able to give her mother’s northwestern recipes a new, permanent home.

Says Ling: “This is going to complete the story of Li Chun.”

Li Chun Cafe, 7401 Baltimore Ave., College Park

The post Northwest Chinese Food Is Back— Inside a Hip Cafe first appeared on Washingtonian.

Just over a year later, the couple married in a “spring romance”-themed wedding decorated in seasonal pastels. The florals were among the bride’s favorite parts: light pink peonies are her favorite flower, and the cherry blossoms she loves—including branches incorporated into the archway—were perfectly timed, with the wedding date coinciding with peak bloom. Another highlight: a fortune cookie escort display paid homage to their Chinese American heritage, as did a hidden “double happiness” Chinese character in the photo booth strip design. 

As guests left, they took with them bouquets that the couple’s planner had made out of the wedding flowers, ensuring, Irena says, that their “beautiful florals didn’t go to waste.” The next day, the couple invited guests for an authentic Chinese meal and bubble tea at China Garden in Rockville. Then, they honeymooned in Japan.

Wedding Details

The post A Fortune Cookie Escort Display Was a Highlight of This Spring Wedding first appeared on Washingtonian.

How well do you know the District? Play our new geography game and test your local knowledge. Ike Allen here, filling in for Andrew. You can find my food coverage on Instagram and there’s a link to my email address below. This roundup is available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.

I can’t stop listening to:

Squeeze, “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell).” The English new wave band plays alongside fellow ‘80s acts Adam Ant and Haircut 100 at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center tonight.

Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:

The war: Iran reported 18 people killed in the latest round of US strikes, and the UN said it was “deeply alarmed by reports of civilian casualties.” (Reuters) That included the wedding struck by an American bomb in the town of Kuhestak, which killed five, including a six-year-old boy, and injured 67. (NYT) Trump suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz after himself. (CNBC)

Hegseth headache: Army sources say they think Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s culture war fixations and firings of officials are holding back the modernization of the military. (CNN) House Republicans are starting to get sick of his approach. (MS Now) Hegseth is quietly extending troop deployments into next year. (WSJ) Outgoing North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis called for Hegseth’s ouster. (Politico)

The White Fortress: Lafayette Square could be permanently fenced off, and more fences are coming to Pennsylvania Avenue. The Secret Service is also making plans for a new visitor screening center. The “People’s House” is becoming more barricaded than it has been during any other administration. (Washington Post)

Pro-bot: The Trump administration sided with OpenAI in a lawsuit brought by the New York Times. DOJ attorneys wrote that it would be in the national interest for a judge to find that the company behind ChatGPT did not violate copyright law by harvesting Times articles to train its chatbot. (AP) It was a stunning departure: previous administrations’ Justice Departments have generally favored copyright holders. (NOTUS)

Administration perambulation: US Postal Service officials worried that the new mail-in voting rules pushed by the Trump administration could cause mass disenfranchisement. They’re moving forward anyway. (ProPublica) ICE is creating a national voter database. (Wired) Republicans fear Trump will keep all his super PAC money for himself and not spend it on them in the midterms. (Washington Post) A lot of them are skipping his big midterm convention in Dallas. (Politico) Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent blamed Ukraine for high gas prices. (Bloomberg) A Coast Guard plane carrying DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin made an emergency landing at Reagan National Airport after one of its engines failed. (Washington Post) The US Mint launched a dollar coin featuring Trump’s face. (The Hill) The DOJ quashed a federal prosecutor’s civil rights charges against an ICE agent who shot a Venezuelan immigrant in the leg in Minneapolis in January and then lied about it. (ProPublica) ICE hasn’t paid for medical care for its detainees since last October. (SF Chronicle) A staffer for a New York GOP representative was struck by lightning on Staten Island. (The Hill)

Hidden Eats

Abstracted images of the Istanbul skyline adorn the walls and menus of Anatolian Bistro, a white-tablecloth place in a Herndon mini-mall. The menu consists of well-rendered Turkish classics, like Iskender kebap, a pile of thinly shaved grilled lamb dunked in tomato sauce and topped with garlicky yogurt, grilled tomato, and green bell pepper. Don’t skip the beyti kebap either: dainty portions of ground lamb rolled in lavash bread and grilled, then arranged on a base of yogurt and topped with slivers of pistachio. (13029 Worldgate Dr., Herndon)

Take Hidden Eats with you! This helpful map will show you which Hidden Eats—the out-of-the-way mom-and-pop eateries I highlight in this newsletter and in our print magazine—are nearby.

Recently on Washingtonian dot com:

• The immersive digital art space Artechouse is reopening in Southwest after a year.

• Meet DC’s most stylish people of 2026.

• The parking garage where Woodward and Bernstein met Deep Throat is set to be razed. Here’s a look back at Washingtonian’s coverage of it over the years.

Local news links:

• DC is getting new and improved dog parks. (Axios)

• The Maryland Renaissance Festival has banned furries after some patrons complained the costumes made them feel uncomfortable. (City Cast DC)

• DC and Arlington had the worst job losses in the country last year. (City Cast DC)

• America 250 events drove a tourism rebound in DC this year. (NBC4)

• Mayor Muriel Bowser says she opposes a $300 million plan to put a roof on Audi Field. (Washington Business Journal)

Thursday’s event picks:

• Get a flash tattoo at the $20 Phillips after 5 event at the Phillips Collection.

• Hear Sarah Longwell, founder of The Bulwark, unpack her book How to Eat an Elephant at Sixth & I.

See more picks from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.

The post Trump Administration Backs OpenAI Against the Times; Lafayette Park Will Be Permanently Fenced; GOP Staffer Struck by Lightning first appeared on Washingtonian.