TUESDAY: Journalist and author Ron Suskind wrote "The Way of the World," one of the finest books so far about the lead-up to the Iraq war. Want to ask him about it? You can go to dinner with him at Rock Creek Restaurant and discuss it to your heart's content. Or at least till he wants to go home.
» Rock Creek Restaurant at Mazza Gallerie, 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW; Tues., Sept. 22, 6:30 p.m., $65 per person or $115 per couple; 202-364-1919, Politics-prose.com. (Friendship Heights)
Photo by Marion Ettlinger
MONDAY: Filmfest D.C. is bringing plenty of worthy films to the District this week, but if you've only got time for one, make sure you check out "Seraphine."
It's a French flick about post-modernist painter Seraphine de Senlis, who went to great lengths to continue painting in the face of financial difficulties -- she even worked as a maid.
» Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW; 6:15 p.m., $10; 202-966-6000. (Friendship Heights)
Photo courtesy Magic Box Media
MONDAY: When living in D.C., it's difficult to stop thinking about politics. Everything from your walk to work to the movies you watch tends to come back around to the weighty issues of the day.
In a discussion at the Avalon Theatre, various NPR luminaries, including Susan Stamberg and Linda Wertheimer (pictured), will host a discussion about film and politics — political movies, movies that affect policy or movies that make you think about the state of the world and how we could change it.
The event is free, but donations are encouraged.
» Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW; Mon. April 6, 8 p.m., free; 202-966-6000. (Friendship Heights)
Photo courtesy NPR
SATURDAY: Performer Morgan Taylor serves as singer-illustrator for Gustafer Yellowgold, an alien creature with some crazy companions. Kids will be entranced by this extraterrestrial that lives in Minnesota, while adults will wonder which drug they need to take to understand this perplexing space invader.
» Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW; Sat., Feb. 14, $8.50 general public, $5.50 Avalon Theatre members; 202-966-6000. (Friendship Heights)
Written by Express' Eric Anderson
Image courtesy Apple Eye Productions
MONDAY: Ah, the Purple Line. Have you still not decided what your stance is on the would-be Metro connector in the 'burbs? Well it's time to stop straddling the issues and asking for the insight of an unbiased third party: Your taste buds.
How? Take advantage of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Restaurant Week, which kicks off Monday and will tantalize your palate through Sunday, Feb. 1. Restaurants such as the oenophile-friendly Grapeseed to the tapas hot-spot Jaleo, will serve up two course-lunches ($12-15) and three-course dinners ($30). Then, just go with your gut instinct.
» Various locations, Mon., Jan. 26-Sun., Feb. 1.
Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post
Developing Dining
White tablecloths, meet Petworth; Petworth, meet your new Indian restaurant. When choosing a location for Fusion, chef and owner Barry Dindyal chose his own neighborhood. Besides wanting a short commute, Dindyal opened shop here because of the "development coming to the area." While the liquor license is still pending (he's banking on the end of January) Dindyal did offer an alcoholic teaser: Avenue Spice Queen, a house blend of Ketel One vodka infused with the Caribbean chili, bird pepper, homemade mango syrup and a splash of cranberry. As for the food , the palak paneer is creamy and spicy and should be scooped up with puffy puri bread.
» Fusion, 4815 Georgia Ave. NW; 202-726-2210.
IT'S WELL AND truly winter, and short of free cupcakes, nothing will get you to venture outside. These days, rather than tromping from bar to bar seeking a clientele not composed of Republican staffers crying into their $2 beers, you want to go somewhere warm and stay there for a few hours. There are reasons Oscar-winning movies tend to come out at the end of the year, and one of them is that people want to curl up in a dark theater and forget that the weather outside is frightful.
But sometimes popcorn isn't enough. There are few D.C. theaters where you can get a stiff drink before your friend drags you to "Twilight," but here are some nearby watering holes where you can snag a cheap drink and maybe a snack before embarking on your cinematic adventure.
If you're catching a show at Gallery Place, take a tiny stroll down H Street to Matchbox, the claustrophobic upscale pizza joint. On weekdays between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., sit at the bar for $4 martinis, $2.75 pints of Yuengling and $2 off small pizzas. Yes, it's dark and cramped, but it'll get you in the mood for a movie theater.
Continue Reading "Cheap Drink and a Movie: Pre-Movie Happy Hours" »
DO YOU LIKE wine? How about Australian wine? Yeah, they make wine there. Also kangaroos.
Lia's is hosting an Australian Wine Dinner to familiarize you with wines of the continent. And nothing impresses the ladies like a man who has a lot of opinions about wine! Just another dating tip from me to you. No need to thank me.
The dinner includes six courses, six wines and guest speaker Nick Stacy.
» Lia's, 4445 Willard Ave., Chevy Chase; Mon., Sept. 22., 7 p.m., $69; 240-223-5427. (Friendship Heights)
AS THE FIRST sushi restaurant in D.C. in the 1970s, Sushi-Ko created a standard of raw fish excellence. Thirty years later, it's duplicating its efforts.
The new Sushi-Ko, tucked in the new shopping center above the Friendship Heights Metro, presents the same menu in a bigger, sleeker space. While fusion sushi adorned with jalapeños might lure holdouts to the raw side, remember the small plates, especially the marinated crispy-fried eel, sweet yet tangy with a balsamic flair.
» Sushi-Ko, 5455 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase; 301-961-1644. (Friendship Heights)
Written by Express contributor Stefanie Gans
LEARN TO MAKE frozen treats and snack on cakes and cookies at Rock Creek at Mazza in Friendship Heights.
Students in the two-hour class this Wednesday at the "mindful dining" restaurant will learn from Rock Creek pastry chef Yasmine Sandhu to make (healthy) sorbets and granitas with seasonal fruit and (less healthy) vanilla ice cream with the alternative sweetener Whey-Low. (Note to serious calorie counters: 1. Ice cream, yummy! 2. Whey-Low is made of three kinds of sugar and the company isn't clear how eating sugar is, in fact, low calorie.)
After class, dine on a three-course lunch, including the fresh-made, frozen creations for dessert, on a menu that totals under 1,000 calories. $100 gets you the class, the lunch, wine and a cookbook to keep.
» Rock Creek Mazza, 5300 Wisconsin Ave, Washington; Wed., Aug. 20, 10 a.m., $100, (202) 966-ROCK. (Friendship Heights)
Written by Express contributor Rachel Kaufman
Photo by Larry Crowe
Addison Road