Exhibits I saw Saturday that I recommend:
William Eggleston, Democratic Camera Photos and Video 1961 to 2008 at the Corcoran
I didn't like the video. Music fans, his Big Star cover and Alex Chilton Like Flies on Sherbet are included
Jaromir Funke and the Czech Amateur Avante-Garde (photos) at the National Gallery West Wing
Stanley William Hayter: From Surrealism to Abstraction at the National Gallery West Wing
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 12 July 2009 22:27 (fourteen years ago) link
Some of the Eggleston photos are bizarre, others are 'hey I could have done that,' but some are special both due to his eye, technique and choice of subject matter. It's an interesting guide to parts of the American South.
― curmudgeon, Monday, 13 July 2009 15:23 (fourteen years ago) link
http://www.fromkomitomarvin.com/
This woman is eating at all of Washingtonian's 100 best restaurants this year and blogging about her meals.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 21:20 (fourteen years ago) link
not trying to be a hater here but i wish more bloggers would EDIT. she does not need that many words to make her points.
― CAR CHASE!!!!! (daria-g), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 21:38 (fourteen years ago) link
this looks cool (tho i can't picture the location), going to check out standing in the shadows of motown tomorrow night: http://www.nomasummerscreen.com
― W i l l, Wednesday, 15 July 2009 01:22 (fourteen years ago) link
I can't quite picture the location either (and have wanted to go to one of these but have not made it there yet). I got a press copy awhile back of the Shadows of Motown dvd and found it interesting, but am curious how it will work as an outdoors free flick.
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 15 July 2009 14:38 (fourteen years ago) link
Will, what did you think of the movie and the location?
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 16 July 2009 15:59 (fourteen years ago) link
thumbs up on the location. big screen, not a huge space but not too crowded, good mix of people. they sell bbq for $cheap but we picked up sandwiches and beer from taylor on h street--so good.
movie pretty interesting, though about 25% of it was footage of a reunion concert of the surviving funk brothers (uncredited motown backing musicians) playing live w/ like ben harper, bootsy collins, and joan osbourne (!?) singing the tunes, and all that did was make me want to hear the originals (which i'm listening to now). aside from that, the documentary had strange feel, like it was shot and lit in an atypical style for a documentary at least ime--at points i swear actors were playing what were supposed to be people on the street, or the real funk brothers were sitting in a fake car interior pretending to drive around while they reminisced. strange.
― W i l l, Thursday, 16 July 2009 16:41 (fourteen years ago) link
I NEED TO DRINK. Does anyone want to join me?
― phlegm brûlée (j.lu), Friday, 17 July 2009 02:39 (fourteen years ago) link
Damn. I would have done if I'd seen this earlier. I am drinking now, alone. Would pop out for a quick one now though if you're anywhere near Dupont and want to drink with a near-stranger stressed out by tragic events.
― ljubljana, Friday, 17 July 2009 04:04 (fourteen years ago) link
no energy to do anything right now.. none. I went for a pretty long walk earlier when it was still about 85-90 and muggy outside and now I feel just completely drained, which is odd - must be the weather. i am sorry because i've recently been uh, saved from the trouble of dramatically resigning from my job (layoffs!), so it's not like i have to be up early.
watching CNN now but there's not much new news at this hour.
― daria-g, Friday, 17 July 2009 04:31 (fourteen years ago) link
Sorry about your news daria.
― ljubljana, Friday, 17 July 2009 04:45 (fourteen years ago) link
oh, thanks. it's OK, i wanted to leave, was only a matter of time really.
good grief jakarta
― daria-g, Friday, 17 July 2009 05:13 (fourteen years ago) link
This weather is balls, but unfortunately it is just normal for this time of year, after the reprieve of the last few weeks.
Today was my last full time day at my job. wooooooooo! What's up, stack of unread starting-you-own-business books at the end of my desk...
― dramatic, positive, whatever but in an ironic way (I DIED), Friday, 17 July 2009 05:13 (fourteen years ago) link
So I've been by the GAYLORD NATION at "nat'l harbour" a couple of times now, and I've been by the new ATF HQ a few times as well, and I think Maryland REALLY has to go ahead and legalize gambling, because they are sitting on AC Jr. a boat ride from old town, and not even slots to speak of, while the employer of hunter age 7's dad apparently purchased 1/4th of a ballpark just to prove Kenneth Arrow wrong, and having lost the bet, turned the result into offices.
― El Tomboto, Friday, 17 July 2009 06:31 (fourteen years ago) link
they may as well, it goes on all over the state anyhow. was totally unaware that this thing existed, what is it, oxon hill?
― because i hate us and want us to fail (daria-g), Friday, 17 July 2009 06:54 (fourteen years ago) link
I went to the dueling piano bar there.
― dramatic, positive, whatever but in an ironic way (I DIED), Friday, 17 July 2009 07:01 (fourteen years ago) link
you can cab to national harbor for a lot less than you'd think, and if you plan an exit strategy involving the water taxi to alexandria, you get to catch a nap between drunkenings. we did it backwards while the parents were in town, but I'm not losing any sleep.
― El Tomboto, Friday, 17 July 2009 07:15 (fourteen years ago) link
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&view=map&q=Waterfront+St+%26+Waterman+Passage,+Fort+Washington,+Prince+George%27s,+Maryland+20745
― El Tomboto, Friday, 17 July 2009 07:23 (fourteen years ago) link
lol dirt
dueling piano bar?!
― because i hate us and want us to fail (daria-g), Friday, 17 July 2009 08:23 (fourteen years ago) link
Yea, Bobby Mckeys, Fritz Hahn wrote about it in the Post. They take requests from the crowd and sing them (and if someone shows up later and requests the same song, they'll sing it again.). I think I will stick with old soul groups at Lamont's in Pomonkey, Maryland (not too far away from National Harbor) but it might be worth it once.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/profile/bobby-mckeys-dueling-piano-bar,1154537/critic-review.html
― curmudgeon, Friday, 17 July 2009 17:23 (fourteen years ago) link
it is totally worth it if you want the opportunity to be like O_o
― dramatic, positive, whatever but in an ironic way (I DIED), Friday, 17 July 2009 19:23 (fourteen years ago) link
Not sure how they're working out all the code issues w/ the diner - it it possible to get a building relocated from another state grandfathered? What about accessibility/emergency egress path requirements? I have enough trouble getting regular construction to meet the latest codes so it's hard to imagine how an old diner will.― sussing out the Slick Hustler (I DIED), Thursday, May 21, 2009 10:39 AM (1 month ago) Bookmark
― sussing out the Slick Hustler (I DIED), Thursday, May 21, 2009 10:39 AM (1 month ago) Bookmark
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/youngandhungry/2009/07/14/capital-city-diner-hopes-to-open-for-service-in-september/
Most of the DCRA comments are in, says co-owner Matt Ashburn, and so far the biggest change comes from the folks in plumbing, who want Cap City to add two handicapped-accessible bathrooms.
The only problem with that, Ashburn figures, is that the vintage 1940s-era diner has only about 560 square feet — total. The two bathrooms would take up about 70 square feet alone. “That’s a large chunk of our restaurant, and we can’t do that,” Ashburn says.
I would just like to point out that I have been OTM in this thread.
― dramatic, positive, whatever but in an ironic way (I DIED), Saturday, 18 July 2009 19:23 (fourteen years ago) link
May that knowledge help you establish your own business...
In more mundane foodie news...Obama in DelRay (Alexandria)
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/youngandhungry/2009/06/24/dairy-godmothers-owner-doesnt-want-the-obama-bump-that-rays-hell-burger-got/
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 18 July 2009 21:37 (fourteen years ago) link
Oops, that was back in June. The blog post is just getting more comments
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 18 July 2009 21:38 (fourteen years ago) link
two bathrooms? i mean i know this shit probably isn't up for discussion but...really?
― W i l l, Sunday, 19 July 2009 01:05 (fourteen years ago) link
Separate men's and women's accessible restrooms required for new construction or substantial renovation of a business serving the public with an occupancy of over 15 persons. That's building code nationwide. Some places choose not to enforce it. DC isn't one of them.
I spend a lot of my time getting new projects to meet code and dealing with getting them through the code review office, so I don't have much sympathy for business owners who are too naive, stupid, or shady to follow building regulations.
― dramatic, positive, whatever but in an ironic way (I DIED), Tuesday, 21 July 2009 08:07 (fourteen years ago) link
Observation: Staying home and not drinking (well, not very much) has not been very satisfactory.
Theory: It's worth trying going out and drinking. If anyone wants to join me I'll be at the Black Cat's Red Room after 9pm.
Related question: Is anyone else planning on going to Run For Cover this Saturday night at the Cat?
― phlegm brûlée (j.lu), Wednesday, 29 July 2009 16:29 (fourteen years ago) link
Might be up for Run For Cover if you decide to go...
― ljubljana, Thursday, 30 July 2009 03:53 (fourteen years ago) link
today i was on the metro and we got delayed at dalston because we were going to cross the presidential motorcade
― heave imho (J0rdan S.), Monday, 3 August 2009 21:32 (fourteen years ago) link
do you mean ballston
― Mr. Que, Monday, 3 August 2009 21:35 (fourteen years ago) link
really needed that nasal-passage-destroying humidity this weekend. And the Nationals weren't home, so they bused us to Camden Yards -- at 5pm on a Friday, 10 mph much of the way. I got to my seat in time for the game's fourth batter.
― Indiana Morbs and the Curse of the Ivy League Chorister (Dr Morbius), Monday, 3 August 2009 21:59 (fourteen years ago) link
isn't the orange line underground at ballston?
― W i l l, Tuesday, 4 August 2009 02:28 (fourteen years ago) link
I think so.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 6 August 2009 03:44 (fourteen years ago) link
I believe it comes up for air starting at EFC so if he was heading westbound that kind of makes sense
― El Tomboto, Thursday, 6 August 2009 05:54 (fourteen years ago) link
restaurant week and the annual discussion of whether one should skip it because restaurants taking part allegedly do hurried, watered down meals this week has begun...
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 25 August 2009 03:18 (fourteen years ago) link
skip it, especially since it went up to $35.
― Britain's Favourite Carp (I DIED), Tuesday, 25 August 2009 03:43 (fourteen years ago) link
Is Rosa Mexicanos any good?
― ljubljana, Tuesday, 25 August 2009 11:16 (fourteen years ago) link
barbecue
― El Tomboto, Tuesday, 25 August 2009 13:28 (fourteen years ago) link
this weekend is the last one before we go to scotland and then summer's over on labor day
Rosa Mexicano sucks
― Britain's Favourite Carp (I DIED), Tuesday, 25 August 2009 14:55 (fourteen years ago) link
Is there any great Mexican food in this area? Fans of California and Texas Mexican food always seem to say there is not anything here that compares (I have never eaten Cali or Texas Mexican so I do not know). I tried that place on Kenilworth Avenue near the Surf Club in Hyattsville/Bladensburg (whose name I have just forgotten) and it was good but not great.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 25 August 2009 15:12 (fourteen years ago) link
re: restaurant week
I managed to have a nice meal at Ceiba last night (satisfying portions and not rushed at all).
― lou, Tuesday, 25 August 2009 15:18 (fourteen years ago) link
There are always good new mexican places popping up/closing in Baldensburg, I haven't been there in a while. Not easy without a car.
― Britain's Favourite Carp (I DIED), Tuesday, 25 August 2009 16:01 (fourteen years ago) link
Lou, the group that owns Ceiba does a good job with Restaurant Week generally. There are several places that do well, but especially this year it seems like almost all those places have great deals that run during normal times, too, when it will be less crowded and you may be getting a better effort from the kitchen/servers. Not that good experiences aren't possible during Restaurant Week, the odds just aren't great.
That said, the $20 lunches can be a great deal.
Ceiba's normal happy hour promotions are pretty great...
Happy Hour Specials
$5 Signature Cocktails
11:30am - Close
Monday - Mojitos (Cuba)Tuesday - Caipirinhas (Brazil)Wednesday - Pisco Sours (Peru)Thursday - Sangrias (Spain)Friday - House Margaritas (Mexico)EVERYDAY - Dark and Stormy (Carribean)*Available Throughout the Restuarant*
Monday – Saturday3pm - 6pm & 9:30pm - Close
$5 Signature Cocktails (Listed Above)and Half-Priced Bar Food Menu!!!*Served in the Bar & Lounge Only*
Complimentary Bocaditos
Monday – Friday4pm - 7pm & 9:30pm - 11pm*Served in the Bar & Lounge Only*
(Happy Hour specials not available on holidays)
― Britain's Favourite Carp (I DIED), Tuesday, 25 August 2009 16:11 (fourteen years ago) link
Their mojitos were excellent. :)
― lou, Tuesday, 25 August 2009 16:14 (fourteen years ago) link
Got in line at 5:15 Friday for the 6 p.m. giveaway of free Shakespeare at the Harman tickets for the 8 p.m. show. Alas, that wasn't early enough as they ran out of tickets about 30 people ahead of me (and hundreds behind me). Since they moved this from the Carter Barron it's harder to get tickets it appears.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 8 September 2009 15:36 (fourteen years ago) link
their website says the line starts forming 4 hours before showtime (2 hours before tickets are handed out). pity. was thinking of trying to go.
― W i l l, Tuesday, 8 September 2009 18:16 (fourteen years ago) link
An employee told those of us in line that on weeknights if you get there by 5, you can "usually" get in. I think the Harman holds less seats than Carter Barron plus season ticket holders get priority and the downtown location is more accessible than Carter Barron, thus it is tough to get in.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 8 September 2009 20:03 (fourteen years ago) link