THIS SPRING, THE past seems to be alive and well as several museums are offering shows with a historical slant. Galleries are keeping things more current, with artists exploring generic spaces of the contemporary world and the impact of the natural one. Taken together, this art season promises to be one of reflection and inspiration.
MATTHEW SUTTON: IT'S ART, BUT IS IT TMI?
At Conner Contemporary Art right now, Matthew Sutton plays with sound in "Sounds a Grown Man Shouldn't Make." An artist with Conner independent venture Gogo Emerging Art Projects Sutton offers a selection of sounds he makes on a regular basis that meet with disapproval from friends, family members and co-workers.
» Conner Contemporary Art, 1358 Florida Ave. NE, through March 6, free; 202-588-8750.
SUNDAY: We had high hopes for the National Christmas Tree this year. The last few years, it's been a very brightly-lit mess, but we thought "Michelle has taste! Michelle can fix it!"
Except Michelle cares about the planet or something and wanted to re-use last year's ornaments —so we'll stick our lot in with the National Menorah, which will have its first candle lit Sunday afternoon. Show up for the pretty lights, stay for the live music and hot latkes that will be on hand.
» The Ellipse, Sun., Dec. 13, 4 p.m., free but tickets required; 202-332-5600. (McPherson Square)
Photo by Israel Bardugo
ONGOING: Phil Nesmith is here to remind us that simply owning a digital camera does not make you a professional photographer.
The "Flight Patterns" exhibition at Irvine Contemporary shows off his photograms — images he created without a camera. These photograms do not necessarily show what Nesmith chose to capture, just whatever interrupted the light shining on his glass plates (his form of photo paper). Now that's what we call old school.
» Irvine Contemporary, 1412 14th St. NW; through Dec. 12, free; 202-332-8767. (McPherson Square)
Written by Express' Janice Leary
Photo courtesy Phil Nesmith
A NEW RESTAURANT, wine bar and lounge on L Street NW hopes to take diners around the world with "international tapas." The Reserve, which opened a month ago, is the brainchild of owner Moe Hamdan, who worked as a promoter in D.C. for years.
"I recently got married and had a little boy," he says. "I got tired of not being able to have a place to take my wife out and have dinner, a cocktail and relax."
He also wanted something with a lounge feel.
"In Los Angeles, New York, Miami, lounges are more a sit down, have conversations with friends over food and stay for drinks kind of thing," he says. "Here, every place describes itself as a lounge, but it isn't that."
Frederik De Pue, a chef from Belgium who also runs 42 Degrees Catering Services, is helming the kitchen. "I've reworked classics and have a number of vegetarian options," De Pue says. "The entire menu will change seasonally, but I'll keep a couple classic dishes."
Continue Reading "Make a Reservation for Cool: The Reserve" »
NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT GROUP co-owner Michael Babin believed that Washingtonians needed more places to sample the ever-growing array of craft beers, without any more ubiquitous flat-screen TVs, dingy lighting, chicken fingers or frites. So he and his partners dreamed up such a place — a pair of them, actually.
This new, two-part endeavor opened last week in the former Dakota Cowgirl space in Logan Circle. The ground floor houses the fine-dining Birch & Barley (exposed brick, bamboo floors, earthy hues), while the upstairs offers a hip bar and lounge, ChurchKey (D.C.'s longest bar, decadent accents). Both floors will feature executive chef Kyle Bailey's contemporary American cuisine and beer director Greg Engert's formidable beer list: 500 bottled brews, 50 drafts and five cask-conditioned ales.
Continue Reading "Why So Serious?: Sexy New Two-in-One Craft Beer Hot Spots" »
WE HAVE TO ADMIT, it was a little bit shocking. Even in our fair and security-minded city, we'd never been asked to go through a metal detector at a farmers market before. And are those snipers perched atop a farm truck? We were excited for the opening of a White House Farmers Market, but this was definitely not organic as usual.
But it turns out that the intense security is only present today — and it makes sense, since Michelle Obama and Adrian Fenty were on hand to talk about the importance of local food. We're going to predict that you won't have to wait in lines or get patted down next week.
You'll see the same vendors here that you see at every other farmers market in D.C. — they're all run by the FreshFarm collective, after all. Try the Keswick Creamery chocolate pudding and the bread for the Ovens at Quail Creek Farm, then go crazy with the produce before peaches go out of season and our lives are cold and dark once more.
» White House Farmers Market, Vermont Ave. and I Street NW; Thursdays through Oct. 29, 3 p.m.-7 p.m.; 202-362-8889. (McPherson Square)
Photo by James M. Thresher/The Washington Post
IF YOU'RE SEARCHING for tasty Korean food, the logical place to go would be Koreatown.
For more than a decade, Annandale in Northern Virginia maintained a stronghold on local Seoul food (sorry, we had to go there). But with Korean food gaining popularity, restaurants have appeared throughout other parts of NoVa and D.C. The range in style of these eateries caters to a range of patrons. Whether you grew up with Mom or Dad pickling baechu (napa cabbage) or you're completely new to Korean fare, something is bound to strike your fancy.
Our kimchi trail begins in Annandale at the 24-hour Korean barbecue joint Ye Chon. Whether it's noon or 3 a.m., this place is always full of hungry customers and fantastic fragrances. The kalbi, beef short ribs, is soaked in a sweet, smokey marinade and grilled right on your table. The finger-licking-good beef is lean, making for the perfect texture — you can chew freely without worrying about unnervingly bulbous chunks of fat in your teeth.
Continue Reading "Trip on the Korean Side: Korean Restaurants Attract Spice-Craving Diners" »
THIS WEEK: Documentary films might offer a glimpse at the squalid living conditions of children in some developing countries, but an exhibit at the National Press Club presents their struggles as tangible reality. "The Power to Play: From Trash to Treasure" features individual toys created by children out of the only materials available to them. Their work is unfailingly creative, often beautiful and always heart-rending.
» National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW; through Aug. 28, free; 202-662-7500. (Metro Center)
Photo courtesy ChildFund
SATURDAY: It's been two months since Remy Munasifi unleashed his rhymin' send-up of the tiny-dog-walking, Starbucks-laden 'hood that is Arlington, Va. Remember?
If you haven't run into him on the Metro already, now's your chance to meet the star of "Arlington: The Rap." D.C. Impulse is hosting a Saturday soiree at K Street Lounge in the 28-year-old's honor — aptly titled the "Go Remy Party." Doors open at 10 p.m., and it's free drinks for gals until midnight. There won't be a live performance of the Arlington anthem, but the video will be played on a projector. We also hear a DJ might just try to do a dance remix of Munasifi's rhymes.
So pop by and celebrate the "Clizz Dizzle." But please, no brown flip-flops.
» K Street Lounge, 1301 K St. NW; Sat., Aug. 8, 10 p.m., free for men until midnight, free for women until 1 a.m., $20 after; RSVP to Impulsenights.com. (McPherson Square)
» School of Starbucks: Read our Q&A with Remy Munasifi.
Photo courtesy Remy Munasifi
EVERYBODY KNOWS by now that Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Cambridge police officer James Crowley and President Barack Obama are planning to share a beer at the White House on Thursday, in what is perhaps the most over-reported male bonding session in recent memory. You know when and where it will happen, and you probably know that Obama will drink a Budweiser.
But if the president, Gates and Crowley wanted to take their meeting away from that picnic table and outside the White House walls, they might try these nearby, low-key locales. And hey, next time you need to patch things up — say, because you arrested your friend accidentally when he wasn't doing anything, or just because you need someplace to talk and share a brew — you can try them too.
» R.F.D. (810 7th St. NW; 202-289-2030, lovethebeer.com)
This place is a cavern. It's so big that no matter how many people come, it never feels full. You may have to talk quietly to keep your voice from echoing — so don't come here if you're imparting top-secret information — but the beer selection is spectacular and the location is unbeatable for Metro-takers. Of course, Obama's Secret Service men would have to circle for days before they could find a parking spot.
» Brasserie Beck (1101 K St. NW; 202-408-1717, beckdc.com)
A mecca for Belgian beer lovers, this bistro might tempt Obama to try something a little more extravagant than a Bud. The servers are cheerful and discreet, and the prez and his pals can sit outside. Although they might get interrupted by shrieking Obamamaniacs, so perhaps they'd better stick with the more private indoor seating.
Continue Reading "The Audacity of Hops: Bars for Long, Serious Talks Over Beer" »
Addison Road