It was all going kinda well.

After the Wizards’ loss to Miami back on the 10th, the team went on a long road trip and managed to win a couple of games against Detroit and Portland. Then they lost three straight to the LA Clippers, Utah Jazz, and Phoenix Suns.

Back in the Verizon Center for one last game before the All-Star break the Wizards took on the Sacramento Kings in what would of been a bounce back game and a way to end the first half of the season on a positive note.

Instead the team couldn’t hold on after leading 68-60 in the first half and let another game slip away as the Kings roared back in the third quarter and ended the night with a 115-107 win. In the loss the Wizards set new standards in futility thanks to another boneheaded play from JaVale McGee.

With 10:12 left in the 3rd quarter, Kings’ guard Francisco Garcia put up a teardrop floater towards the basket that gracefully made its way to the hoop- until McGee used his scientifically measured body to swat the ball into the eighth row of the Verizon Center, a clear goaltending violation.

Here’s the video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The voice of CSN color man Phil Chenier pretty much describes not only the play but the general outlook of the Wizards so far:

“No. No. No.”

No, no, no indeed. Chenier hinted that McGee might get benched for the play and did shortly after. McGee did return to the game later on to and would go on to commit another goaltending violation. Nice to know that he learned his lesson.

Coach Wittman voiced his frustration with McGee after the game.

“What led to the goaltend, what was he supposed to be doing, see that’s the thing that people don’t understand that’s hard to explain ok? What his job in the pick and roll is, alright, is not let the guard get to the rim. Goaltending? That had nothing to do with it.”

The whole line was delivered with a Jim Mora Playoffs level of confusion and frustration that left the press room silent as Wittman tried to collect his thoughts and ultimately brought the post-game presser to an abrupt end.

McGee wasn’t the only Wizards called-out in the conference, Wittman also made note of a failed 360 reverse dunk attempt by Nick Young (6-23 for 17 pts).

Jordan Crawford led the Wizards with 32 points, a season high and the third straight game of at least 20 points. John Wall was one rebound short of a triple-double (21 points, 11 assists).

On the Sacramento side of the ball, Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton both put up 22 points to lead the team while Wall’s former Kentucky teammate DeMarcus Cousins led the team in rebounds with 16.

As the Wizards head into the All-Star break, the team will have to reflect on a first half of the season that has more lowlights than highlights. Tuesday the team travels to Milwaukee and returns Wednesday to face Orlando.

Video: Randy Wittman’s Frustrated Press Conference

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Our cocktail culture has come a long way, baby. The art of crafting drinks is increasingly seen as just that – an art – and national recognition for DC’s bartenders and sommeliers has been catching up to what locals already know: we’re lucky to have some serious libation talent in our city.

As an avid lover of craft cocktails and our local bar scene, it’s an honor for me to serve on the inaugural board of DC’s chapter of the quaintly named Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (LUPEC). We’re a women’s society dedicated to elevating the reputation of the cocktail craft by investigating the history, recipes and traditions of that uniquely American invention. LUPEC DC joins an illustrious list of other chapters including Pittsburgh, New York, Boston, Chicago, Seattle and Portland. And yes, while we’re committed to raising the bar to its highest level of quality, we’ll have a bit of irreverent fun along the way.

In the spirit of that mix of fun and dedication, please join us for our first event: DC BRAS! Sunday, March 4 from 4-7pm, the ladies of LUPEC will be at The Passenger for a special fundraiser to benefit breast cancer research, sponsored by D.C. Brau and Macchu Pisco. With drinks on special and D.C. Brau beer on tap, prepare to watch the ladies mix up a 6.6 gallon Pisco Sour to celebrate the end of Pisco month with Macchu Pisco. Oh, and bra decorating. I said irreverent, didn’t I?

Future events will benefit our friends at the Museum of the American Cocktail, and help subsidize education and advanced certifications for our members, for the greater good of all DC’s drinkers.

LUPEC DC is lead by our Chapter President, The Passenger’s Alexandra Bookless, who calls the organization’s founding roster “some of the most innovative, groundbreaking, and creative cocktail minds in Washington D.C. and beyond.” Our inaugural members are Tabard Inn’s Chantal Tseng, Macchu Pisco’s Melanie Asher, Room 11’s Iris Ho, Mixtress Gina Chersevani, Columbia Room’s Katie Nelson, Jackie’s Sidebar’s Jung-Ah Park (JP), Laughing Cocktail’s Angie Salame, The Passenger’s Jade Aldrighette, Jack Rose’s Rachel Sergi, Estadio’s Alexandra Nichols, Chef Geoff’s Elli Benchimol, and The Passenger’s Julia Hurst.

I’m honored and humbled to be counted among such talented and dedicated women. Stay tuned for future events and calls for new membership, and come meet us at DC BRAS on Sunday, March 4!

As the sun rises on the stage of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company’s “Civilization (all you can eat)”, we are shown a farm full of animals. A group of pigs sleep soundly as dawn breaks. All appears well by the barn.

Except this isn’t any ordinary farm- it’s a slaughterhouse.

As the pigs sleep and play, unaware of their impending doom, one pig rises above the rest. Known as Big Hog (Sarah Marshall), this not so little piggy demonstrates an awareness above the rest of the herd and has a plan for freedom.

And thus starts Jason Grote’s world premiere of “Civilization”- his take on the values of America prior to the 2008 election. Grote examines the ideas of consumption, commercialization, and the inner struggle to succeed through several interconnected characters.

David (Daniel Escobar), is a struggling actor who gains notoriety after starring in a funny but crude Twix ad campaign. The commercials were directed by his friend Zoe (Tia James) who hopes to make the leap from ad work to feature films. Also working to make a name for herself is David’s friend Karen (Jenna Sokolowski), who dreams of becoming a reality TV star. Zoe’s husband Mike (Sean Meehan) is an aspiring motivational speaker who hopes to find the answer to the universe through chaos theory. Mike’s sister Carol (Naomi Jacobson) is struggling to make ends meet which has forced her daughter Jade (Casie Platt) to try her hand in amateur porn.

Their stories are intertwined along with Big Hog’s escape from the slaughterhouse in a series of scenes that are broken up with interludes of choreographed movement that depict a society that is always moving, yet the individuals inside it sometimes struggle to keep up.

Grote’s collection of stories come together to form a view of a lost America that knows that they want to make a difference in the world- but are having difficulty trying to find the way to do that. While entertaining and striking, the impact of Grote’s message is loss through a narrative that is a mixed bag in regards to impact.

Described as a vaudevillian romp, Civilization draws laughs throughout the play but after you stop laughing you are then left wondering what the point was. Central to the entire story is the journey of Big Hog from slaughterhouse fodder to a metamorphosis into something bigger. The lines “one day Big Hog will sit at the head of your table” are chilling yet seem somewhat forced. The animal allegory falls somewhere between Charlotte’s Web and Animal Farm.

In the end Grote wants us to know that our values have suffered and that we all aspire for to have a purpose and are trying every which way to achieve it. We are willing to beg, sell, cheat, and steal in order to reach that goal. America was ready for “change” and “hope” and Barack Obama came in at the right time to offer that.

So what? Is Grote trying to offer a warning for the future or an observation on how things were? Today we are still feeling the effects of 2008 and I think it’s too soon to make a point either way.

The play ends by flashing forward to 2012 in a moment that is suppose to hit a climax in Big Hog’s big journey but in the end falls flat. It maybe true that Big Hog will eat us one day, but this show has left me hungry and unsatisfied. Perhaps they should of tried featuring Snickers instead of Twix.

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company’s production of Civilization (all you can eat), performs through March 11, 2012. Woolly Mammoth Theatre is located at 641 D Street NW Washington, DC 20004. Closest Metro stop: Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter (Yellow/Green line). For more information call 202-393-3939.

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Clearly I’ve been on a bit of an Italian food kick lately. As well as a ragu binge. But is there anything better than a huge, warm pot of zesty, savory tomato sauce cooking away while it’s cold outside? Chef Ari Gejdenson’s recipe for beef ragu at Acqua al 2 is simple and delicious. Click through for the full recipe.

Chef Ari Gejdenson of Acqua al 2
courtesy of bonappetitfoodie

Chef Ari Gejdenson’s Recipe for Beef Ragu
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
2 normal-sized carrots
1 stalk of celery
4 red onions
1/2 bunch Italian parsley
1/2 bunch fresh basil
2 sprigs rosemary
2 lbs. ground beef
16 oz. canned peeled Italian tomatoes
3 cups red wine
3 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoon black pepper
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Pasta on the line at Acqua al 2
courtesy of bonappetitfoodie

Instructions:
1. Cut fresh vegetables and herbs into small pieces, ready to be put in food processor.
2. Beginning with carrots, put all vegetables into food processor. Once vegetables have been processed into small pieces, move vegetable mix to sauce pot.
3. Saute vegetables in olive oil until browned.
4. Once vegetables have browned, add ground beef, stirring frequently.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Cook covered over low flame until fat has risen to the top and begun to decrease.
8. Add red wine and allow to simmer until wine has reduced.
9. Puree canned tomatoes.
10. Once wine has reduced, add canned peeled tomatoes and allow to simmer for 1 hour.
11. Serve sauce over pasta of choice, adding parmesan to taste.

Watching executive chef Ari Gejdenson swiftly expedite plates at Acqua al 2, you’d never guess that he was previously an international soccer player and that the sport was what got him into the restaurant industry. For starters, playing soccer allowed the young chef to travel and be exposed to all different kinds of cuisines in foreign countries. And it was soccer that took Ari to Florence where he began his unorthodox journey to the kitchen. Not long after moving to Italy, he wound up opening Ari’s Diner, an American-style eatery. “I saw a gap and that it was something that was needed in Florence,” he says, adding that a lot of the clientele were American students who were studying abroad.

For Ari, playing soccer and running a restaurant aren’t so different, as he explains that in both arenas your job is to entertain people. “These homesick kids would come in[to the diner] upset. And they would come to this place that reminded them of home and they’d leave happy,” he says. “The whole idea of bringing people into a moment by heightening their tastes was what made me want to become a chef.” At Acqua al 2, you can see him work the room with ease, transitioning from calling out food orders to the kitchen to shaking hands and hugging regular customers.

After running Ari’s Diner with his childhood friend, Ralph Lee, who is a co-owner of Acqua al 2 in Eastern Market, Ari started working at the original Acqua al 2 in Florence and eventually served as the chef for several years there. Gejdenson says it’s hard to be in Italy and not get swept up in the incredibly rich food culture. “The passion for food in Italy is a different thing. You’d have to have a blindfold on not to notice,” he says. After years of living and working in Florence, the Washington native returned home to open the second U.S. location of Acqua al 2.

Chef Ari Gejdenson of Acqua al 2
courtesy of bonappetitfoodie

“I always knew I would be coming back to DC. My journey in Italy unfolded a little longer than I expected,” the chef says with a little laugh. Born and raised in Northeast DC, Ari describes the city as have an “exciting engergy” and as an “ever-changing place.” Ari talks about growing up listening to Fugazi and being part of the DC punk rock scene, and adds that one of his favorite things about DC are the little subcultures. Though he admits the city saw some rough times in the 1980s and 1990s, he says that he loves everything about DC, even the bad things.

In regards to the restaurant scene, Ari can certainly attest to how it’s changed from the time he was growing up to now. Whereas DC used to have not many places to eat or little isolated strips, now the city is “thriving and there are so many possibilities to contribute and opportunities to open unique places,” says Ari. From here, the young chef would like to see more independent, chef-driven restaurants open–the kind of places where the focus is on the food and not the volume or turning a massive profit. “The city is headed in the right direction,” he says.

Chef Ari Gejdenson of Acqua al 2
courtesy of bonappetitfoodie

In the kitchen, Ari describes his style as “calm, fun and organized.” I listened to him switch easily between English, Spanish and Italian as he moved about the place interacting with different staff members. “My favorite part of the job is the cooking, combined with being able to employ good people,” he says. On the flip side, the most challenging aspect is seeking perfection–those “seamless nights” where everything goes right, he says. “We come pretty close,” he adds with a smile.

Drawing on his experience in Florence and memories of foods and flavors he had there, Ari’s menu closely mirrors that of the original Acqua al 2. As a side note, you can’t go wrong with any of the pastas on the menu, the steak with blueberry sauce (don’t you scoff at that combination, readers) and the burrata with honey and grapefruit. DC, this is the neighborhood Italian place I’ve been searching high and low for. “I like the simplicity of Tuscan food,” he says, adding that he also draws inspiration from the nearby produce in Eastern Market. The chef and his team are planning on adding a communal dining option in their upstairs private dining room, where they’ll have one 24-foot table that seats up to 26 guests. Ari says that the goal of the communal dining table will be to get Washingtonians talking to one another and meeting the unique and interesting characters the city has to offer.

Check back at 1 PM for Ari’s recipe for beef ragu that would knock the socks off your Italian grandmother.

Food trucks. Go find ‘em.

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Well, look at you, DC. Getting nominated for a bunch of James Beard Foundation awards. Now I know we’re not in the home stretch yet, but a fantastic line up of chefs and restaurants from the DC area have made it to the JBF semi-finals. Click through for the full list.
Best New Restaurant:
Fiola, Washington, D.C.
Little Serow, Washington, D.C.

Outstanding Bar Program:
The Columbia Room, Washington, D.C.
PX, Alexandria, VA

Outstanding Chef:
Frank Ruta, Palena, Washington, D.C.

Outstanding Pastry Chef:
Tiffany MacIsaac, Birch & Barley, Washington, D.C.

Outstanding Restaurant:
Marcel’s, Washington, D.C.

Outstanding Restaurateur:
Ashok Bajaj, Knightsbridge Restaurant Group, Washington, D.C.

Outstanding Service:
Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA

Outstanding Wine Program:
CityZen at Mandarin Oriental, Washington, D.C.
Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA

Outstanding Wine & Spirits Professional:
Greg Engert, Neighborhood Restaurant Group, Alexandria, VA

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic:
Cathal Armstrong, Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA
Tony Conte, The Oval Room, Washington, D.C.
Scott Drewno, The Source, Washington, D.C.
Johnny Monis, Komi, Washington, D.C.
Peter Pastan, Obelisk, Washington, D.C.
Vikram Sunderam, Rasika, Washington, D.C.
Bryan Voltaggio, Volt, Frederick, MD

ArtBar at the Liaison Capitol Hotel is one of those places I wish I could get to more often. Helmed by 2011 ARTINI champion Ronald Flores, it has a quirky vibe at the intersection of tourist and Hill trades, with the added benefit of Art and Soul’s nouveau country menu. Fellow WLDC author Tricia Barba (disclosure: Tricia also works at the hotel’s administrative office), convinced me to stop in and sample their new seasonal bar program, highlighting “modern moonshine.” We sat down with general manager Patrick Chiappetta as Flores walked us through the crafting of three cocktails, mixed and served in jelly jars.

Jelly jars? Very pantry to table.

“Modern moonshine” is just a sexy moniker for un-aged corn or rye whiskey, also known as white or silver whiskey, prepared legally by micro distillers now legitimizing a craft most often associated with bootleggers operating under the cover of darkness. ArtBar is featuring un-aged whiskey like Prichard’s Lincoln County Lightning, infused with fruits and herbs, then mixed up into cocktails highlighting tastes of the transition from winter to spring.

Ronald Flores, Art and Soul
courtesy of Jenn Larsen

Flores strongly believes the best way to create drinks is to start with seasonal ingredients. He’s attracted to using fruits and herbs, and to better understanding their combinations – always in tandem with the kitchen. “It comes down to creativity,” he says. He relishes the challenge of crafting cocktails that are both artistic and drinkable. It was a pleasure to watch him mix up drinks at an impromptu bar – our dining table – with unexpected tools of the trade, such as a salt shaker used to sprinkle liqueur.

Tools of the Trade
courtesy of Jenn Larsen

Canning jars filled with fruits like kumquats and figs aren’t just a homey touch. Using them is a practical technique. Flores infuses the white whiskey for a few days to weeks, combining herbs and fruits before mixing the final product up with select liqueurs.

White whiskey infusions, Art and Soul
courtesy of Jenn Larsen

The three cocktails I tried – Mark Up, Baseline, and Mistress – use Smooth Ambler, Prichard’s Lincoln County Lightning and Death’s Door white whiskeys, respectively, as the base for their infusions. Mark Up is like a spring tease, incorporating fresh muddled lime, yuzu juice and simple syrup for a total refreshing effect with a nice sourness at the end. Baseline features an infusion with roasted kumquats and star anise, to which Flores added lime, St. Germain liqueur, ginger beer and a sprinkle or two of Hum liqueur. The combination of the hibiscus in Hum and ginger is killer, with the kumquats giving it all an autumnal depth.

The third drink, inexplicably (perhaps) named Mistress, turned out to be my favorite. I’m a sucker for pyrotechnical garnishes, and this one features a torched dried fig. Here the white whiskey is infused with dried figs and rosemary, an interesting combination that seems to have a special significance to Flores. “Rosemary lives through the winter” he says, “it’s hardy.” Combined with lemon, simple syrup and Angostura bitters, it has a beautiful winter spice flavor. And that garnish has such a fragrant smokiness, like grilling in the snow around pine trees.

Cocktail, Art and Soul
courtesy of Jenn Larsen

Seasonally infused white whiskey cocktails will be featured at ArtBar now and throughout the month of March. Afterwards, a new bar program will debut for the spring highlighting tequila, giving Flores another opportunity to work some creative cocktail magic.

ArtBar is located inside Art and Soul at the Liaison Capitol Hotel, 415 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001. Closest Metro stop: Union Station (Red line). For more information call 202-393-7777.

(Photo: Melissa Blackall)

What we have here with Julia Cho’s “The Language Archive” is a failure to communicate. George (Mitchell Hébert) is a master linguist yet doesn’t have the words to convey the thoughts that swirl around in his head and the emotions inside his heart. His wife Mary (Nanna Ingvarsson) has been driven to tears (lots of tears) with their marriage and has resorted to hiding passive aggressive notes of “bad poetry” lamenting about the situation. Meanwhile George’s lab assistant Emma (Katie Atkinson) has feelings for her boss and struggles with the decision to tell George how she feels about him. At the center of it all are Resten (Edward Christian) and Alta (Kerri Rambow), a married couple that are the last two speakers of a dying language. George and Emma are tasked with the job of documenting the language for posterity- better said than done when the long-married couple decide to stop talking to each other.

Forum Theatre’s production of The Language Archive has a sitcom premise, but the comedy is smarter than most Heigl-esque dreck.

A part of Forum’s female voices festival, The Language Archive is anchored by talented ensemble cast led by Hébert as George, whose academic look reminded me of JK Simmons from those Farmers Insurance commercials. Hébert takes us inside George’s inner monologue with Zach Morris-like audience asides. His character is an absolute language nerd and Hébert demonstrates a true command of language whether it is English or Esperanto.

However the real show stealers of the production are the duo of Rambow and Christian. Not only are they electric as the bickering Resten and Alta, but infuse life into smaller roles as well. As Emma’s language instructor, Rambow has the opportunity to use foreign accents to drive up the laughs and does so with great amusement. Rambow even knows when to throw in a little physical comedy she sells a line about cooking and womanhood with an embrace of her bosoms.

Costume designer Debra Kim Sivigny gives the Resten and Alta the perfect third-world Mediterranean European look that would of been a perfect fit on an episode of Perfect Strangers.

Director Jessica Burgess brings the show to life with the proper balance between light and serious but the show suffers a bit of what I call “Return of the King” syndrome, where the show feels like it has too many “endings”. I feel like a good 20 minutes could be chopped from the script including an oddly placed epilogue at the end of the curtain call. The uneven flow muddles the overall message of the show.

However even as is, The Language Archive is an entertaining comedy that shows that in the world of languages it isn’t what’s spoken that’s important- but the connection between one another that isn’t.

Forum Theatre presents The Language Archive playing now through March 10th at the Round House Theater Silver Spring, located at 8641 Colesville Road Silver Spring, MD 20910. Closest Metro: Silver Spring (Red Line). For more information call (240) 644-1390.

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The Dead Milkmen, Philadelphia’s top punk export, stunned a sold-out crowd at U Street Music Hall with the nervy verve of their declarations against mainstream America along with an amazingly acute understanding of their musical niche and a nod to DC hardcore punkers Fugazi.

Rodney Anonymous and crew tore through about 30 3-minute musical selections in a show at U Street Music Hall on Saturday, Feb. 18, to a largely respectful crowd who formed perhaps the most civil mosh pit in history at the front of the stage as the show reached its halfway point. By its halfway point, the Dead Milkmen had dispensed with some of their comparatively polite standards like “Punk Rock Girl” and “Methodist Coloring Book,” which thumb their nose as social acceptance, as well as new song “Fauxhemia,” which rails gently against things people are “supposed” to like, such as NPR. These songs, while rooted firmly in the Dead Milkmen catalog, hit their targets with a bit more of a slap upside the head than a kick in the ass.

The first part of the show culminated in a surprisingly catchy cover of Gary Numan’s “Cars,” demonstrating the underrated synth prowess of the Milkmen and Mr. Anonymous as well as a deep understanding of how jangly guitars, a specialty of second vocalist Joe Jack Talcum, paired with melodic keyboards make for extremely danceable new wave music. Although critics of the Dead Milkmen may dismiss them as one-trick ponies with off-kilter vocals and a ready contempt for conformity, the segue into “Cars” and other synth selections showcased an incredibly smart band that understands the glue that cuts across the interlocking genres of punk and new wave.

After a rambling mid-set discussion with the audience on the merits of dark wave princess Zola Jesus (another smart acknowledgement to musical genre consciousness) and the perils of public bathrooms, the Dead Milkmen truly kicked it up a notch, leaping into politically incorrect numbers favored by their steadfast fans to include “Rightwing Pigeons from Outer Space,” “Stuart,” and “Beach Party Vietnam,” which have a few choice things to say against small-minded people, walking the line, and going to war. These selections positively had the otherwise demur but crowded concert hall dancing and thrashing in place with the mosh pit, again politely, floating one bald punk rocker up before the stage in his attempt at crowd surfing.

I cannot underscore enough how the sound of the show kept from being abrasive despite the scathing lyrics of the Dead Milkmen’s most popular songs. A lot of this has to do with Talcum’s penchant for upbeat guitar riffs that I categorize as “surf punk” — utterly melodic danceable beats you easily may have found on any early recording by The Go-Go’s. Talcum is a surf punk champion and his guitar can make even the most blistering songs sound pleasing and upbeat.

In their encore, the Dead Milkmen pleasantly surprised the crowd with a rendition of Fugazi’s “Waiting Room,” which was well performed and well received despite Anonymous’ joking appeal that no one should tell the guys in Fugazi about it. The instrumental mix of the Dead Milkmen automatically put them outside of the hardcore punk scene that thrived in New York and DC, but their Fugazi cover highlighted how perfectly comfortable they sitting right in the middle of the hardcore scene, much as their hometown of Philadelphia literally did. Again, it was an intelligent selection as the song fit the Milkmen’s philosophy well and it carries a rolling guitar refrain easily adaptable by the band’s signature sound.

Not content to merely stick with what they do best by poking society in the eye, Anonymous and crew deftly dove into an actual dark wave number by winding into a cover of VNV Nation — a song called “Control” from their latest album Automatic. They added their own jangly spin to the song, making it feel perfectly at home with their other numbers, particularly as they sought to bring the tempo down a little bit again for the end of the show.

Their covers go a long way to suggest that the Dead Milkmen could gather a lot more mass appeal, if they were so interested, perhaps abandoning satirical lyrical hi-jinks and following the path blazed by their brethren in Devo, who also have made a career of satirical punk and new wave but somehow did so with less alienation. But the Milkmen seem pretty happy with themselves, and perhaps rightly so given the appreciation they received from the at least 300-strong capacity that filled U Street Music Hall last weekend.

The sting of returning to work after a three-day weekend. Ease the pain with lunch from a food truck.

Via Jalopnik and the Washington Examiner, Virginia residents don’t need to sweat the dreaded “speeding ticket via plane” in Virginia, mostly because the state doesn’t think it’s worth the $150/hr cost of keeping spotter planes in the air. Instead, they’re just going to keep nabbing you via squad car, and in some parts of the state, speed camera.

I always thought it would be hilarious/awesome to see the Air National Guard field a couple of A-10 Warthogs as speeding spotter aircraft. A few barrages from the Avenger 30mm cannon would pretty much stop all speed limit violation in the entire state.

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With the reflective surface of the Potomac, Victoria was able to get the colors of the Wilson Bridge’s lights in the river. And since it’s a long exposure, the movement of the Potomac gives the reflection a fascinating blurred look which draws the eye upward to the structure; all those vertical lines in the water point to the horizontal line of the bridge. Truly a fascinating shot, of a relatively simple form.

Synth-chamber-electronic songstress Zola Jesus and her band performed to an enthusiastic crowd at U Street Music Hall Thursday night. They were supported by openers Talk Normal, a female experimental rock duo from Brooklyn who are accompanying them on much of their tour. They are in the midst of a US tour before heading over to Europe at the end of March.

This was the third time singer Nika Roza Danilova, who performs as Zola Jesus, had played in DC. Previously she has toured as on opener for acts including The XX and in Europe toured with Fever Ray. Her music is dark, moody, heavily electronic, with some piano and strings mixed in, with dramatic vocals. At times it brings to mind Massive Attack, other times Fever Ray, even hints of Kate Bush, but Danilova’s vocals are the unique element of her music.

At Thursday night’s show her backing band of drums, synth/keys, and electric violin were all clearly talented musicians, who added energy and depth to the performance, but it was really the vocals that stood out and elevated the sound. Danilova’s stage antics and voice took music that could have been kind of generic, slow-industrial synthpop to an interesting and compelling place.

The stage was set with four glowing white cubes (which could have served well as platforms for the tiny Danilova, who I could see from the second row, but was probably much less visible from farther back in the crowd.), flooded with blue light, and even hazy with fog from a fog/smoke machine. It set a kind of 80s vision of the future ambience, which worked well with the music.

One stand-out track of the evening was ”Night” from her 2010 album Stridulum II. The song, dark and slow, was driven by mesmerizing drums, and chilling tremelo from the violin. Another high point was the crunchy, almost industrial, moody “Vessel“, from her latest album, Conatus. Danilova danced around the stage throughout the night, striking sharp poses, even sitting/lying on the stage for most of one song. At one point she even came into the audience, moving amongst the crowd, who were clearly excited by her presence, though no one was really dancing. (The music itself isn’t really danceable unless you do the slow goth lurch.) The set, along with a short encore, was a captivating hour.

Photo Courtesy Justin Cook

Like most people, I was excited to try out Sixth Engine, with a lot of the appeal coming from its setting: a historic firehouse house built in 1855 and the oldest in Washington, DC. Located north of Chinatown in the Mount Vernon Square neighborhood, Sixth Engine serves modern American cuisine and comes to us from the team behind Capitol Hill’s The Dubliner Irish Pub.

I went there last week and even though it was freezing outside, the place was packed. Owner Gavin Coleman and team did a great job with the decor, though I wish the second floor didn’t feel so separate from the first: think doors, steps, and more doors. The industrial feel was appreciated albeit expected, and the furnishings and fixtures added to that historic appeal.

The food different story. Before I get to the negatives, the wine menu was uninspired and pricey, so I went for a regular cocktail instead and everything I tried was pretty good, so maybe the trick is to treat Sixth Engine more like a bar. The menu had many different options — it isn’t often that you see spaetzle on the same menu as a linguine. The prices were average (still on the high side) for the neighborhood, though more than worth it if the food turned out to be stellar. Unfortunately, that was far from the case.

Photo Courtesy Justin Cook

A tip: I had the complimentary chips and dip  - skip that and ask nicely for bread instead.

I’m a lover of pork belly. It’s supposed to be a cut of fatty meat, which is not what I had on my plate. Instead of a juicy piece of pork, I was presented with a hunk of meat difficult to tear apart, overcooked, and bland. There was no sauce from the cut, and just this cream cheese based topping that didn’t help much.The Spaetzle appetizer suffered the exact same trouble. While perhaps a good effort, I could barely taste the ricotta on the dish, and it was saved only by the salt shaker on the table. The dish was, again, bland and flavorless. The almonds were the highlight.

I order scallops wherever I go, and thought I set myself up for disappointment based on how the appetizers held up. I was actually very pleased. They were plump and grilled perfectly. The problem was that they were served with nothing save a small puree and a few mushrooms on top. For that, the dish was not worth more than $20. Still, I would be happy to go back and order this dish again.

What I had noticed by this point is that all the dishes looked beautiful, garnering a wonderful grade in presentation, but the taste never truly matched the look. The Pot Roast looked quite appetizing, but was again bland and dry. The carrots were actually more flavorful than the beef, which was again severely overcooked.

Photo Courtesy Justin Cook

Being that I always have to try everything, I also had the Apple Fritters. The dessert was the best part of the meal. But, to be fair, I went to the restaurant on the second day that it had officially been open. I’m a fan of Chef Paul Madrid’s and hopefully some dishes will be improved soon.

I can’t end this without mentioning the service. It was impeccable. Keep that up and you will have me there.

Sixth Engine is located at 438 Massachusetts Ave NW. The closest metro station is Gallery Place-Chinatown (Green, Yellow, Red Lines). For more information, call 202-506-2455.

If you’re one of the unfortunate ones to be back in the office today, maybe there are some food trucks roaming that could cheer you up.

For some of us, the weekend isn’t over. For others, it’s done. For all those who are celebrating George Washington’s and Abe Lincoln’s birthday, either at home or in the office, we salute you! Here’s what people saw over the weekend; enjoy!

underneath
courtesy of ekelly80

Metro Police in Dupont
courtesy of ep_jhu

hot pink acid green mexicali blues
courtesy of christaki

It’s beer o’clock
courtesy of Joe in DC

DC People and Places 9381
courtesy of tedeytan

trail eagle
courtesy of philliefan99

Pass the Dutchie
courtesy of andradeXcobain

Free Tibet
courtesy of Chris Wieland

Instant scan
courtesy of Néstor Sánchez Cordero

It’s weird when my friends and co-workers walk up to me eager to talk about basketball and the Washington Wizards, because two years ago I didn’t really pay much attention to the team.

Now my interest in basketball has risen faster than Jeremy Lin’s jersey sales.

In a city where the Hockey, Football, and Baseball teams reign supreme, the Washington Professional Basketball Team has been an afterthought among the locals. Now in their fourth straight year of sub .400 play, the only memorable item that pops in most minds is the never ending argument that the team should change their name back to the Bullets. When WeLoveDC’s fearless leader gave me the assignment to provide coverage of the team for WLDC, I took it on as an opportunity to learn about the game and a team that doesn’t get as much attention in the D.C. Sports Scene. The beat was also another hat to wear among many. Besides holding down a 9-5 to pay the bills, I also cover theatre for the site as well.

Blogging isn’t as glamorous  you would think. Unless it is a full-time gig, it is often a job of passion.

This week I was catching up on my blogs, which include many Wizards blogs that do a much better job covering the team than I. Also on the list is Ted Leonsis’ personal blog, where he wrote a post praising the local media for their coverage of a road game in Portland. In it he said how johnny-on-the-spot the newspapers and TV stations were and how many bloggers weren’t:

“NBC local news had a running scroll with the score; that was a nice way to wake up and have a cup of coffee. I then went online and read the Washington Post. It covered the game well as the writer was at the game. I then went to several of my favorite Wizards blogs; and what did I see? Previews of the game. A story about Portland and their plans. One had an article about the Miami Heat game from Friday.”

It must suck to be that blogger that hasn’t written about the team since their last home game.

Unfortunately that blogger is me.

I don’t pretend to be up to the caliber of Kyle Weidie, Mike Prada, or Asad Naqvi. I simply share with We Love DC’s audience stories that they may not be paying attention to. Like what Tom wrote in his response to the article I hope to be, “reaching audiences that would nominally ignore the sports section, and exposing new potential fans.” So I cover the larger stories, including games that take place at home in the Verizon Center. I’m also active on Twitter, where I usually tweet about the team on a daily basis.

“But Patrick, what if we wanted to know the score of last night’s game?”

Well honestly, we aren’t here for that- if you want the scores you probably would have checked your phone or this little website designed to tell you if the Wizards won their last game.

This is where Ted is wrong with his thinking: that blogs are here to replace NBC’s news crawl or the AP wires that will have stories recapping the game minutes after it ended.

Also Ted was wrong in thinking no blogs covered the game immediately after- he failed to check all the blogs before making a sweeping statement that old school media beat new media. Let’s also not forget Twitter, the true real-team news medium. I bet there were a few tweets out about the game before, during, and after it happened.

The point is that it’s not a Blogger vs. Newsman war out there. As much as some want to talk about the downfall of news- we still need newspapers and reporters. They are the ones that actually get paid to do this full-time. They have the time, resources, and ability to cover the team non-stop. Us Wizards bloggers? We are essentially working two jobs. Kelly Dwyer over at Yahoo! Sports sums it up well:

“They have jobs, and they’re essentially working double shifts to cover your team. And we don’t know if this was some sort of misguided attempt to get us to remember what a great job ‘professional media’ does when they’re acting all ‘professional’ (that is to say, getting paid to do something, and doing it), but it came off pretty crummy. It came off as Ted Leonsis, who couldn’t make it past halftime of his own team’s West Coast game, ripping on his team’s bloggers (who more often than not work for free or a small stipend) for not staying up to watch and report on the same game.”

There are many different places to get game recaps, scores, and news. That’s not where bloggers fit in. Bloggers are here to provide viewpoints and ideas as members of the fanbase. I look at the guys at Truth About It, Wizards Extreme, and Bullets Forever and I don’t see them as members of the media- but people that are more passionate about the Wizards than most people in the stands. They can break down games, provide commentary, and introduce ideas that are top notch.

There are some out there that have taken offense to Ted’s comments. They feel that in Ted’s eyes, they are should not be taken seriously as the “big dogs” of media. What I’m disappointed about Ted’s latest take is his choice to alienate his team’s biggest fans. While Ted has taken some great strides in giving bloggers better access to the team so that they can write more stories (for free), he has held them up to a “professional” bar that is totally unrealistic. Comparing a blogger to the Washington Post is like comparing Oranges and Bananas.

And of all people, a New Media pioneer like Ted Leonsis should know that and honestly, should know better than to chastise your biggest supporters for not staying up until 1 AM to write about your team. Right now the Wizards are far from being the number one team in DC and frankly, they need all the support they can get.

The Dead Milkmen, enduring critics of the status quo, bring their jangly punk rock to U Street Music Hall Saturday for an early show. Best known for their 1988 single “Punk Rock Girl,” which epitomizes their irreverence for societal norms, the group likely will present their classics and new material from last year’s self-published The King in Yellow.

Shows like this don’t come around too often, especially if you’re someone who grew up listening to various punk and new wave acts in the mid-1980s. The Dead Milkmen are not in the midst of a full-scale tour, so it’s a great one-time opportunity to relive the contributions the mid-Atlantic region, including DC and the Milkmen’s hometown of Philadelphia, made to the vibrant punk scene.

Tickets to this all-ages early show are still available online for $18. Philadelphia-based psych-poppers Bleeding Rainbow open.

It is pretty dificult to put in words the various things that make me absolutely Love DC, and really an image of this picturesque place speaks volumes for itself. As cheesy as it may sound, this city and I have had quite the love affair. At first I was hesitant, restrained, even judgmental (being a third culture kid will do that to you). But it took very little time to start falling for it. And when I fell for it, I fell hard.

I was lucky enough to go to Georgetown, where a break from studying took us down historic cobblestone streets, past movie-set ready houses, to a buzzing M street with a range of bars, restaurants and shops to choose where to go broke from. But that was still the infancy of my relationship with DC, and we did have some great first dates. It was once I started exploring life outside my student bubble and into the real world that I truly began to appreciate the range of love this city had to give, and gave it back in return. As I have said before, Georgetown brought me here, but the city kept me here.  

fountain in fall courtesy of ekelly80

Good Morning DC courtesy of pablo.raw

I guess the longer you have been in this city, the more enamored with it you become. Finding a routine is easy, but exploring new places and meeting new people is even easier, which is why this place is so unique. Your perception, like you, begin to change in unexpected ways. 

One thing has always remained consistent. The people. Whether you work on the Hill, on K street or H street, there is an understated kindness. People are friendly, open, intelligent. People are aware of the world that exists around them and continously thinking of ways to give back to it. They are curious, hungry for knowledge, interested in other cultures and ideas. They hold on to their beliefs and do something with them. It is the perfect combination of a small town, big city. All meme aside, its an international city where people come from various backgrounds, making the District vibrant, dynamic, and ever changing.

Barefoot Meditation II courtesy of pablo.raw

The ability to walk and bike everywhere and be surrounded by some of the most beautiful man-made structures is something I will never take for granted. There are moments when I think I am looking at a poster, not with my own eyes. I will never get sick of the Mall, or of the drive back from National Airport that welcomes me home again.  And whenever we are celebrating a federal holiday, that patriotic punch just comes in stronger than ever. 

father & son courtesy of ekelly80

This is also a creative, artistic city. Whether it is graffiti on the wall or the countless art museums and galleries in the city- from the Phillips Collection to the Hirshhorn, from the National Portrait Gallery to Long View Gallery- your eyes will never be bored. And your ears have their fair share of venues too, from the epic 930 club to U Street Music Hall, to dance fests at Rock n Roll Hotel and Bossa.

I love DC and the various neighborhoords that each have their own distinct feel. From H street to Logan Circle, to Cleveland Park and Columbia Heights, each little hood has its own charm, and with time becomes your own.  And, if ever you want to escape the city and get back to nature, DC has lots of green to quench your outdoors thirst. Rock Creek Park, Billy Goat Trail, Great Falls, Harper’s Ferry- all a short distance away and serioulys rewarding.

onions courtesy of ekelly80

272/365 courtesy of ekelly80

But, ultimately, food is the way to my heart and DC made a grand entrance. From the various farmer’s markets across the city, to the pop-up dinners and supper clubs, to the food trucks and coffee shops, DC is climbing seriously up the food chain, and fast.

So I love DC, but I love lists as well. These are some of the few places that add color to the various reasons why I love this urban playground. For coffee fixes  to start the perfect morning:  Big Bear Cafe, Baked and Wired, Dolcezza, Filter, Peregrine, Yola. For top quality ingredients: Freshfarm Markets at Dupont Circle, Eastern Market, Maine Avenue Fish Market.

making coffee courtesy of Joe in DC

For dinners you never want to end: Tabard Inn, Toki Underground, Estadio, Cork, 2 Amys, Floriana, Komi, Seasonal Pantry, Obelisk, Vinoteca, Blue Duck Tavern, The Atlas Room, Dickson Wine Bar, Rogue 24, Birch and Barley. And for drinks you want to keep on coming: Bar Pilar, The Gibson, American Ice Co, Boundary Stone, 18th Street Lounge, Marvin, The Passenger, Jack Rose.

Capitol Sunrise courtesy of Tony DeFilippo

But what I love most about this city, is that it is a place I can call my own, even though thousands of other people share it with me, we all get to have it in our own way.