Brad Pitt Has Your Secret Shit: Rolling DC

Metro buses will be running. When the Pope was in town, many feds telecommuted and traffic was light, but there was more notice for that.

Status: Open with Option for Unscheduled Leave or Unscheduled Telework

Federal agencies in the Washington, DC area are OPEN and employees have the OPTION for UNSCHEDULED LEAVE OR UNSCHEDULED TELEWORK.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/i-gave-a-famous-rock-star-a-windshield-tour-of-dc--and-didnt-know-who-she-was/2016/03/18/8124ab28-e488-11e5-bc08-3e03a5b41910_story.html

Wow, if an afternoon of driving through a place suffices to know it well enough to portray it in song....

I hereby volunteer to drive any and all minor or major alt-rock stars through any DC-area neighborhood they choose. I agree to provide half-baked ill-informed observations of the exotic urban environments that we pass, with the proviso that these observations will be henceforth musically immortalized, preferably on vinyl.

Moving Wizards, Caps to a new arena in RFK stadium area seems like a dumb idea

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/rfk-stadium-site-offered-as-home-for-redskins-or-maybe-wizards-and-capitals/2016/04/01/df0c51c8-f757-11e5-8b23-538270a1ca31_story.html

D.C. officials plan to unveil an array of possibilities for the future of the RFK Stadium property Monday night, among them a new 65,000-seat Redskins stadium and a basketball and hockey venue capable of replacing Verizon Center.

All the proposals include a raft of suggested recreation facilities for a city with a booming population, among them playing fields, a field house, a water park and a sports-and-entertainment complex that officials likened to Chelsea Piers in Manhattan.

Two of the six proposals, outlined by Events DC, the District’s sports-and-entertainment arm, lay out a path for the Redskins to return to the District, though serious obstacles remain should Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) and the D.C. Council move to reach a deal with owner Daniel M. Snyder.

Officials also said for the first time that they are considering the 190-acre riverfront property as a possible location for a 20,000-seat arena equipped to serve the Washington Wizards and Capitals.

Does Verizon ctr need replacing? Thought it worked p well actually, and paid for by the teams iirc

No need to do so--the scoreboard screen might not be as big as in some newer arenas but that's all I can see as a problem. They are talking about in the future, and the building will have some wear and tear, but the current location downtown seems more ideal. The late Abe Pollin paid for it, which is more than most sports team owners do (the city later helped out some and gave some breaks, but not as many as the Nats ownership got). Current owner Ted Leonsis seems to be trying to hit up the city for more. He got that that good deal for him but lame deal for city taxpayers on the new Wizards practice space/Mystics arena at St. E's...

This is what they should also be worrying about, after a 29 million investment

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/money-problems-and-no-name-acts-the-howard-theatre-is-struggling-again/2016/04/03/da0e2122-cb71-11e5-ae11-57b6aeab993f_story.html?hpid=hp_local-news2_howardtheatre-1030am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

Fillmore and Hamilton getting some name acts rather than the Howard, plus overpriced food and marketing and security issues all make it hard to pay the bills

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2016/04/13/john-mica-to-metro-leaders-i-am-not-going-to-bail-out-washington-d-c/

Evans pointed to Beijing, Shanghai, Moscow, Paris, and London as cities where the national governments invest majorly in their "world-class" subway systems. "These are all communist countries!" Government Operations Subcommittee Chair Mark Meadows retorted.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/20/realestate/commercial/crystal-city-once-cast-off-by-washington-reboots-itself.html

“Think Brooklyn and Manhattan,” said Mitchell N. Schear, president of Vornado/Charles E. Smith, the dominant property owner and landlord here. “You’re close enough, but you’re not paying higher taxes and utilities. Here, we are a slightly geekier crowd, and we are embracing it.”

Crystal City FAP?

No? Didn't think so.

but more importantly, hi daria-g! Miss you 'round these parts!

hi quincie!! miss you too!

I could do a crystal city FAP, maybe.

prefer Ballston FAP

I just moved next to Braddock Road station and even being that close to Crystal City I don't think I'd bother.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/enjera-restaurant-arlington

In Crystal City I think. Ethiopian Tej wine maybe

One of the weaker Ethiopian joints imo

Just grabbed that one from a google search. I work in Bailey's X-Rds and stick to ones in a strip mall here, or down the road at Meazza.

had a couple beers at Jaleo in Crystal City the other day. Quite possibly the classiest place I've been to down thataway

Solid Filipino next to Enjera. Good Ethiopian at Skyline. Also Cafe Aurora is good, but I have trouble with what makes Eritrean different from Ethiopian (every Ethiopian I know says 'nothing' but you know). They opened a new Dama in Annandale and I've heard good things.

thanks. Just tried a different Ethiopian one at Skyline on George Mason-- in the back, and I've just spaced on the name. They had a sax player and keyboardist playing live during dinner hours. Good enough but not amazing food.

Was it Bati? That place has always been alright without blowing me away.

Enat on Beauregard was incredible once, then a little underwhelming the next time. They've recently only had Ethiopian injera, which is a little too salty and sour for my taste.

I have been to Bati which I used to love and is just alright and does have late night music on weekends I think (but sadly not anymore this great guitarist who is on an Ethiopiques compilation), but a place with its entrance in the back ---Balagger Restaurant & Market

I tried Enat once (admittedly after reading about the Washingtonian food critic taking the Post's Sietsema there) and it was solid but not incredible.

The Baby Wale is kind of totally overpriced but they're playing 100% go-go, huge space, and very decent beverage selection. Definitely going to be my new HH spot after I have shit to do at the convention center in the afternoon.

toxic leak from freight train

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/CSX-Train-Derails-Hazardous-Material-Leaking-377725691.html

tho not as toxic as the WH correspondents' dinner, amirite

Morbs, thought you would like the Larry Wilmore joke at the WH C Dinner that Obama was busy hanging out and having fun with Golden State Warrior Steph Curry because they both like raining down bombs from long distances

not bad

i saw/heard Larry Wilmore emcee a screening of The Parallax View a few months ago, and there are limits to his expertise.

http://www.washingtonian.com/2016/05/05/best-cheap-restaurants-in-washington-dc/

$25 or under places to take metro buses or uber to

They still like Ethiopian joints Enat and Ethiopic, plus a number of other places have been on their list for years. All still good? Or is Washingtonian getting lazy?

Finally made it to The Sovereign, for brunch. It was fantastic. Get the loaded fries.

https://www.washingtonian.com/2016/05/12/fort-reno-not-happening-2016-national-park-service-amanda-mackaye/

It looks like Fort Reno is NOT happening this year. I for one am bummed.

I know they've had logistical troubles before, but that is legitimately sad.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/washington-d-c-s-metro-catches-fire-more-than-four-times-a-week/

Hilarious

Sad.

Ft. Reno may happen per Bandwidth article that came out after Washingtonian one. Organizer Amanda just likes to take her time. Link is on the Capital Swamp thread on ilm

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CjPisDMWEAAvScp.jpg

noooooooo

nooooooooo

I'm still annoyed at how badly Shallal has fucked up Eatonville. There was a time when that place was our go-to brunch spot and we'd drag the in-laws there for dinner every time they came to town. The service and food quality had declined so much that we had high hopes for Mulebone but it's practically a self-parody, all the bad dumb ideas in one place. "Hey, what if we did chicken and waffles with a PANCAKE instead of the waffles?!?"

Maybe the chef that Shallal hired is to blame. I'm not a fan of W. Post reviewer Tom Sietsema, but back in March here's what he says in part, in his praise for the the new place--
he has hired Joseph Paire to take over the kitchen? An alumnus of Todd Gray’s Watershed in NoMa and Farmers Fishers Bakers in Georgetown, the chef, 33 and a District native, is cooking notches better than his résumé suggests.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/mulebone-review-with-a-new-chefs-help-andy-shallal-steps-up-his-game/2016/03/22/3797a6cc-e9f6-11e5-bc08-3e03a5b41910_story.html

It's not just that. The clothes for sale = weird. The dinner menu = buttered to death. The service: as bad as it ever was during the twilight of Eatonville. And this is a pet peeve, but Shallal needs to fire whomever is in charge of the beer sections of his menus. Busboys and Mulebone have taken to just listing the name of the brewery as if that tells you what you're getting, letting stuff get 86'd with no replacement, and suggesting the existence of a "seasonal" when there is actually no seasonal, just something that they don't have anymore. Seasonal empty tap. GTFOWTS,A

At least the Neal brothers can be bothered with the logistics, even if the tap menu kind of sucks (compared to the glory days of 2014) and keeps getting worse.

Sietsema slams Founding Farmers Restaurant and gives it zero stars, a rare thing for him.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/founding-farmers-review-where-the-biggest-temptation-is-to-leave/2016/06/01/76b2c844-204e-11e6-9e7f-57890b612299_story.html?platform=hootsuite&tid=a_inl

That was pretty savage. I assume their food is in fact edible, but Sietsema generally grades on performance relative to expectations - whether those expectations come from hype, reputation, popularity, or chef resume.

Architecture / DC code question: The building height restriction is the width of the facing street plus 20 feet, correct? So why is nobody building anything higher than 4 stories along Rhode Island Avenue NW? Went for a stroll this morning to check out what might be our future neighborhood and noticed that new construction seems to not be taking advantage.

street +20' is the maximum citywide but neighborhood zoning often further restricts this through FAR caps, additional height restrictions, etc.

Was going to post that Sietsema review - have always slightly amazed by the clueless raves that place gets

the Rinzler concert is pretty tempting this year. need to clone self.

Another Post food reviewer Tim Carman has the carryout and international ethnic beat. I loved the roti I had recently at Caribbean Palace (New Hampshire Ave on the Langly Park & Takoma Park , MD border) and have had in the past a few times; I see that Tim Carman liked it last year (although he seems to like Teddy's Roti Shop in DC more).

Sietsema only goes to places like this when Todd Kliman brings him there in an uber (read this awhile back in either Post or Washingtonian). Kliman is leaving Washingtonian but hasn't announced where he is going to.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/restaurants/at-caribbean-palace-a-no-frills-tour-of-west-indian-cuisine/2015/02/19/1c801fec-b390-11e4-886b-c22184f27c35_story.html

http://bandwidth.wamu.org/empty-seats-quiet-hearing-fight-over-union-arts-dissipates-as-artists-negotiate-exit/

hey DC people, this is super last minute but my brother's band Thaylobleu is having a CD release party at The Velvet Lounge tonight:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1091981960875283/

Also playing will be:

The Cornel West Theory
Laughing Man
Leftist

El Tomboto, Mulebone just fired the chef and the mixologist.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/going-out-guide/wp/2016/06/14/a-few-months-after-opening-mulebone-lays-off-its-chef/