IT MAY HAVE only opened a few weeks ago, but SeventhHill Pizza is already garnering buzz on the D.C. dining scene.
The menu is simple — 11 pizzas with a range of toppings, a daily panino and daily soup. Pizzas are named after Capitol Hill neighborhoods, such as the Navy Yard, with tomato, Toulouse sausage, oregano and pecorino, while a daily soup might include a rich and multi-layered chestnut and bacon.
SeventhHill is the brainchild of Stephane Lezla and Christopher Raynal, co-owners of French bistro Montmartre, which is next door, so it's not surprising to see French influences on the pizzas. On a recent visit, I chatted with Anthony Pilla, a pizzaiolo (male pizza chef), who came to SeventhHill via Cleveland and Chicago.
Continue Reading "Tossing on the Hilltop: SeventhHill Pizza" »
THE SPECTACLE OF a woman portraying a man writhing in shameful arousal could have been ineffectual, or worse, a mere sight gag. But Taffety Punk's all-female production of "Measure for Measure" has Kimberly Gilbert, and it's hard to imagine a man playing the scene with more fervor.
It's a standout role in an oft-times amusing production of Shakespeare's dark comedy. The plot: In sin-addled Vienna, the Duke (Michelle Shupe) can't enforce the city's laws against depravity, so he hands control to the moralistic Lord Angelo. When Angelo sentences Claudio (Rachel Lee Poole) to death for impregnating his fiancee, the condemned's virtuous sister, Isabella (Esther Williamson), comes to Vienna to plead for her brother's life.
Continue Reading "Grrrls Will Be Boys: Taffety Punk's 'Measure for Measure'" »
THIS WEEKEND: Hey there, art lover. Do the standard sterile, hushed art galleries get you down? Then head over to Eastern Market's The Fridge. It's a new 1,000 square foot gallery space featuring edgy works in a graffiti-ed and skylit cinder block building for the energetic creative connoisseur.
Check out street artist DECOY's show, "Memento Mori," exploring religious iconography, and take part in a Q&A with the artist on Saturday at 5 p.m.
» The Fridge, 516 8th St. SE, Rear Alley; through Oct. 10, free; 202-664-4151. (Eastern Market)
Written by Express' Anne Polsky
Photo from Thefridgedc.com
IT'S A RIOT TO WATCH Fido chomp away at his favorite chew toy. But an apartment littered with rubber hedgehogs and ratty dog beds is likely to land you in the "before" category on one of those HGTV makeover shows. But does adopting a dog, cat or, heck, guinea pig mean you have to surrender your pad to paw print-stamped pillows, fusty carpet scratching posts and metal crates that resemble canine jails?
"There's this desire on the part of home-owners to beautify their spaces, but for many years, the pet-product industry didn't take that into account," says Julia Szabo, pet columnist for the New York Post and author of the new book "Pretty Pet Friendly" ($17, Wiley). But luckily for design-conscious pet lovers, a new generation of chic pet companies has moved to the front of the pack.
Getting your paws on hipper, sleeker puppy beds, cool birdcages and haute cat collars is easier than teaching a dog tricks now, thanks to fresh stock at online outlets, indie boutiques and big-box stores such as Petco and PetSmart. What began with a few high-end designers offering handmade wares with a mod sensibility has evolved into an industry-wide phenomenon -- a growing piece of the $45 billion pet-product pie, according to the American Pet Products Association.
"Carpet-covered monstrosities were not cutting it," says Kate Benjamin, a Phoenix blogger who defies the "crazy cat lady" stereotype on her blog, Moderncat.net, where she emphasizes design-forward products -- from "Jetsons"-esque cat pods by Hepper Home (Hepperhome.com) to sleek cat perches and DIY sheepskin-topped acrylic cubes -- and shows how she incorporates her six felines into her swanky, boutique hotel-ish pad.
Continue Reading "Paw & Order: Accessories for the Modern Pet" »
THIS WEEKEND: It's all girls, all Shakespeare, all butt-kicking, gender-bending, skateboarding fun at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop on Friday as Taffety Punk Theatre's "Measure for Measure" opens.
The Bard of Avon's problem play about pregnancy and the role of women in society adapts perfectly to this riot grrrl-driven production.
» Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 7th St. SE; opens Fri., Sept. 18, through Oct. 10, $10; 202-261-6612. (Eastern Market)
Photo by Kirstin Holodak
WANT SOME FREE CHOCOLATE? Sorry, that was probably a dumb question.
Divine Chocolate is a fair-trade company co-owned by Ghanaian cocoa harvesters. President Obama is headed to Ghana, and in celebration Divine is handing out free chocolate samples on Saturday and Sunday, July 11 and 12, at three different locations in D.C.
Get it while it lasts, and definitely before it melts.
» Hill's Kitchen, 713 D Street SE; 202-543-1997. (Eastern Market)
» Greenworks, Capitol Hill Location, 660 Pennsylvania Ave SE; 202-548-0011. (Eastern Market)
» Biagio's Fine Chocolate, 1904 18th St. NW; 202-328-1506. (Dupont Circle)
FOODIES AND CRAFTERS rejoice, because Eastern Market, which was damaged in April 2007 in a fire, reopens in a newly renovated space this weekend.
Built in 1873, Eastern Market is a spot to find daily produce, meat, cheese, bakery vendors and craft vendors, as well as a weekend farmers market. During the $22 million renovation, many vendors continued to set up shop outside the building, but displaced vendors are eager to move back inside during this weekend's opening celebrations.
Kim Downes of Aurora Bath and Jewels has been a vendor at Eastern Market for 15 years. She sells a variety of items, from bath products and jewelry to Capital Cherry Blossom soaps and candles. "The windows were plastic and melted in the fire, so now there are beautiful huge new windows," she said. "And the streetscape is all cobblestone. It still looks like Eastern Market, but Eastern Market with a face-lift."
This Friday, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will officially open the new space, and Saturday will feature an opening celebration. Activities on Saturday will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and there will be four musical groups playing over the course of the day, along with regular vendors, face painting and mehndi artists. The North Hall will feature an exhibit tracing the market's history and highlighting the impact of the fire and the reconstruction.
Other renovations included adding modern heating and air conditioning, new restrooms, sprinklers and access ramps. In the North Hall, there will be a movable stage and gallery walls.
Besides work on the buildings, renovations included the construction of a new streetscape in front of the market with upgrades of the roadway and roadbed, new brick sidewalks and granite curbs.
» 7th Street & North Carolina Avenue SE. (Eastern Market)
Written by Express contributor Amy Cavanaugh
Photo by Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post
PENNY PINCHING FOODIES have always flocked to the District's top restaurants for restaurant week. The week long opportunity for gastronomic extravagance allows the inner bargain hunter in each of us to enjoy a reasonably priced prix-fix meal at traditionally not-so-reasonably priced eateries. Now, Cookie and Gourmet Magazine's Kids Restaurant Week provides the chance for foodies in training to join in on the feasting fun.
From the 13th to the 21st, participating restaurants will provide a kid-friendly, gourmet set menu from 5-7 p.m. Adults pay $29 for the three course menu, while kids 11 and under pay their age. Proceeds go towards Miriam's Kitchen as well as the reconstruction of Eastern Market.
Participating restaurant's include Art & Soul, Cafe du Parc, Mie N Yu, Zola as well as dozens of other food-lover's hot spots. It is the perfect way to expose little Johnny to the world of fine dining without dipping deep into the college savings account.
On Saturday at Eastern Market from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., top D.C. chefs will be holding tastings, demonstrations and kid-friendly activities.
» For more information visit kidsrestaurantweek.com
Written by Express' Brian Austin
Photo courtesy Cookie Magazine
IT'S SPRING NOW! But it looks like Mother Nature didn't get the memo: Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be downright chilly.
This season's bipolar weather disorder can be difficult to maneuver — for post-work drinks, do you hit up a warm patio or a bar with a cozy interior?
The answer is clear: you need both. It's a good thing you live in a city that will cater to the whims of weather and the realities of the recession. So, where should you take your crowd that will be both cheap and versatile?
If you've ever used the word "bro" unironically, check in to 51st State. Populated by frat boys and those who were once frat boys, this tavern near GWU's campus has a frankly unbeatable happy hour that lasts every day (including weekends) from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Beer and rail drinks range from $2.50 to $3 and pretty much anything with Smirnoff in it is ridiculously cheap. Tuesday is ten cent buffalo wing night — it lasts from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., so pace yourself.
Continue Reading "Drink In, Drink Out: Bars For Weather Changes" »
IMAGINE A SHOW about an atheistic superhero whose mission is to "cure" religious extremism, which has been discovered by scientists as a genetic flaw.
It's hard to see that one getting past the network executives, but that's exactly what happens in Gwydion Suilebhan's "The Faithkiller," Taffety Punk Theatre Company's latest offering. Using a dizzying array of media and a talented cast, director Marcus Kyd weaves together a production that's both amusing and thought-provoking.
The play contains a half-dozen story lines, but at its center is a young TV producer, Mary (Kimberly Gilbert), who resurrects her recently discovered grandfather Henry's (Steve Beall) 1940s radio character, the Faithkiller. Instead of Henry's World War II Nazi-fighting soldier, however, Mary's slightly futuristic Faithkiller is an atheistic superhero.
Continue Reading "A Crusade Against Religion: 'The Faithkiller'" »
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