ADD A DROP OF "TOP CHEF" PERSONALITY WITH a dash of "Iron Chef" moxie. Simmer, slowly stir in 40 D.C.-area restaurants. Reduce quickly to five rising culinary stars before sprinkling with hosts Ted Allen and Chef Jose Andres. Voila! You've got a delectable and delightful Capital Food Fight on your hands.
Served up at the Ronald Reagan Building, the 6 p.m. event is a fundraiser for D.C. Central Kitchen, a non-profit that aims to get the homeless back on their feet through training in the culinary arts.
They're not the only beneficiaries -- so is your stomach. As Barton Seaver (Jaleo, Hook, TackleBox) defends his title on the main stage against appetizing adversaries such as David Deshaies (Michel Richard Citronelle) and Tony Conte (The Oval Room), local eateries will dish up goodies fit for even the most discerning foodie's palate.
» Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW; 202-312-1399. (Federal Triangle)
Photo by James M. Thresher/The Washington Post
IN MOST MOVIES — well, in "The Dark Knight," which was so awesome that it erased the memory of all other movies from my brain — when the writer introduces a mystery, he'll resolve it. Or at least try.
In "L'Avventura," the 1960 masterpiece of Italian film that won Michelangelo Antonioni the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, there's a mystery all right. But then everyone just stops caring.
The cinematography is gorgeous, the pacing is slow to the point that it will make you uneasy, and if you haven't seen this movie, you should probably give up your Sunday to it. The National Gallery is holding a free screening.
» National Gallery of Art, 600 Constitution Ave. NW; Sun., Aug. 10, 4:30 p.m., free; 202-737-4215. (Federal Triangle)
Photo courtesy National Gallery of Art
TELL ANY LOCAL you're off to "the aquarium," and you'll get a big, fond smile and an enthusiastic endorsement along the lines, of, "That's cool." Clarify that it's D.C.'s National Aquarium on your itinerary, and the response is a little ... muted.
As waterworlds go, the Natty Aqua, tucked into the basement of the Department of Commerce building, has always been the manatee to the Baltimore Aquarium's mermaid. But the place had a makeover earlier this year, and the Cinderella that emerged is a sight to behold.
"Rather than competing with Baltimore, we complement each other," said executive director Robert Ramin, who would know — he was hired away from the Maryland site to help turn D.C.'s aquarium into a world-class destination. The focus now is on America's aquatic treasures, and as such, the aquarium slides into position as a stop on a patriotic toursity itinerary — a particularly cooling, educational one, with less marble and more gills.
Continue Reading "Cinderella of the Deep: D.C.'s National Aquarium" »
WHEN THE FLAG GALLERY at the renovated National Museum of American History opens to the public, it'll look something like what's depicted in the rendering at right.
But you'll have to wait a little longer to catch a glimpse of the state-of-the-art gallery — and the new museum. As The Post's Jacqueline Trescott reports, the Smithsonian is delaying the museum's reopening from the summer to the fall. The museum closed in fall 2006 and is undergoing $85 million worth of renovations and upgrades.
» "National Museum of American History" [Smithsonian]
» EARLIER: "Around Town: Farewell to a Museum" [Free Ride/Express]
Rendering courtesy National Museum of American History
ACCORDING TO local jazz drummer and vibraphonist Chuck Redd, D.C. is absolutely a jazz town. "No doubt about it, and I've played in a lot of towns," Redd says. "There have always been a handful of nationally and internationally known players based here."
Most people are aware of early jazz icon Duke Ellington's association with the city, but the District was also once home to guitarist Charlie Byrd and the late double bassist Keter Betts, among other jazz notables.
Redd joined Byrd's trio in 1980 at the age of 21. He notes he still plays drums but has since become an acclaimed jazz vibes man. His vibraphonist skills have assisted such legendary figures as Tommy Flanagan, Mel Torme and Dizzy Gillespie. "When you look up and see those cheeks with that trumpet attached to it, it's a surreal feeling," says Redd.
Today, Redd balances regular for-hire gigs with occasional academic jazz clinics and his residency at the Smithsonian Jazz Cafe.
THINK THE NATIONAL MALL is rough around the edges or is in need of major upgrades? In the coming years and decades, the Mall and its adjacent federal parkland, including West Potomac Park and East Potomac Park, are slated to see improvements, as will the Pennsylvania Avenue corridor downtown. But it'll take a few years to finalize the grand vision for the city's monumental core.
This week, there's a series of meetings hosted by the National Park Service aimed to get public input on the planning process. The first one is scheduled for tonight. All the meetings will be in room M09 at the Old Post Office Pavilion located at Pennsylvania Avenue and 12th Street NW in Federal Triangle.
The ideas previously outlined in planning reports are endless, but generally address how to improve pedestrian access, visitor services and water and landscape features.
Tuesday's meeting, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., will focus on how to best unify design elements, visitor facilities and relocation of the Washington Monument's concessions and souvenir facilities. Wednesday's meeting, from noon to 4 p.m., will deal with historic preservation, landscaping and the preservation of key vistas, among other related issues. Saturday's meeting, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will address recreation, events and circulation concerns.
» "National Mall Plan" [NPS]
Photo by Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty Images
IT'S SAID THAT MUCH of the nation's capital was built on a swamp. While that assertion is for the most part a popular myth, it's true that part of the federal parkland containing many of the city's monuments and memorials was built on reclaimed Potomac River tidal flats. And according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, if a catastrophic flood should strike the area — for example, a hurricane storm surge coming upriver from the Chesapeake Bay — floodwaters could overtake those monuments, plus Federal Triangle, the foot of Capitol Hill and much of the city's Southwest quadrant.
As The Post's Michael E. Ruane reports, the FEMA has redrawn its flood maps for D.C., a move that "could result in mandatory flood insurance and stricter building codes for a huge swath of downtown Washington."
The key weakness in the city's flood defenses, according to FEMA, is 17th Street NW near the World War II Memorial. A levee runs through much of West Potomac Park between the Lincoln and World War II memorials, but there's a gap at 17th Street. Unless the barrier is reinforced, flood waters from the Tidal Basin could seep into Federal Triangle if water levels climb high enough.
In June 2006, an intense storm flooded parts of Federal Triangle, closing some government office buildings, including the Internal Revenue Service, for months.
» "Flood Zone Change in D.C. Could Be Costly" [WaPo]
EARLIER:
» "Before the Flood" [Washingtonian]
» "The Morning News: A Swamped City" [Free Ride/Express]
Photo of the June 2006 flooding by Express' Ian Herbert
METROBUS' CROWDED 30-SERIES BUS LINE, which currently is comprised of the 30, 32, 34, 35 and 36 routes, is poised to get some new numbers: 31, 37 and 39. Those would be local and express routes designed to alleviate congestion and quicken the ride along one of Metrobus' most crowded and delay-plagued corridors. The plan came out of a series of public hearings held in recent months on the future of the bus line.
The proposed changes, which could go into effect by summer, are subject to public hearings, modifications and approval by Metro's board in the coming months, according to a timetable laid out in recent public presentations.
Here's what may be in store:
Continue Reading "Express Buses Eyed for Metro's Crowded 30 Line" »
"A LOT OF INJUSTICE is being done to the black race, white race, green race, whatever. We need to pull together. I think that the Justice Department has fallen down. I think that they're closing their eyes and they're forgetting about the poor people."
— Ruth Blackwell-Rufus, a 52-year-old nurse from Temple Hills, talking about Friday's hate crimes justice march downtown, as reported by The Post's Michael E. Ruane and Debbi Wilgoren. Civil rights activists and thousands of their supporters have been marching on the Justice Department demanding that the federal government do more to prosecute hate crimes.» "Thousands Rally in D.C. to Urge Hate Crime Prosecution" [WaPo]In other marching news, on Saturday thousands of people are expected to turn out for the Help the Homeless Walkathon, which starts at 9 a.m. on the National Mall between 7th and 14th streets. Metro will open an hour earlier, at 6 a.m., to accommodate crowds.
» "Metrorail to Open at 6 a.m. Saturday for Help the Homeless Walkathon" [WMATA]
M.C. HERMIT? Before heading to see Daniel Tosh perform at the D.C. Improv last night, we decided to pop by Woodrow Wilson Plaza to see M.C. Hammer live. When we got there at 7:25 p.m. the opening act, No Label, were just wrapping up, and Hammer himself said in an earlier interview yesterday that we should expect to see him at 7:30. The air was filled with excited anticipation, the plaza was packed ... Well, 7:30 came and went. Then we started to wonder exactly when "Hammer Time" is:
7:35 p.m., Not Hammer Time: Instead we saw a very brave woman gyrate to the Pussycat Dolls' "Buttons" on stage by herself.
7:40 p.m., Not Hammer Time: No Label, however, return to the stage (even though they just said good night) and perform "Buttons" (even though we just heard it).
7:45 p.m., Not Hammer Time: An emcee tries his best to entertain the crowd. He points to a food tent: "Don't forget they got food back there."
7:55 p.m., Not Hammer Time: The emcee is valiantly trying his best, but man it's a bad sign when he resorts to yelling: "Everyone from D.C. make some noise! Everyone from Maryland make some noise! Everyone from Virginia — including Northern Virginia — make some noise!" Once is plenty, we cringe when he does this twice.
7:57 p.m., Not Hammer Time: The crowd starts chanting "Hammer! Hammer!" but it quickly dies down.
Addison Road