Katie Tobin
@ Tattoo
Q:How do you keep your life clean?
A:"I don't own any cars and I do almost all my shopping from farmers markets."
MONDAY: Ever wanted to learn to dance the salsa? Well here's your chance. Every Monday night Lima Restaurant and Lounge will be hosting free beginner and intermediate salsa lessons taught by D.C. salsa guru Earl Rush.
Part of a five-week summer series, these lessons will take you from dance floor klutz to rico suave come summer's end. Though the series is progressive, participants can join at any point during the summer. Feeling a little timid on the dance floor? There is a no-cover open bar for ladies from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. to help loosen the nerves. After the lessons are over, a Latin inspired DJ takes over to let you show off your new skills.
» Lima Restaurant and Lounge, 1401 K St. NW; Mondays, 9 p.m.-10:30 p.m., free; 202-789-2800. (McPherson Square)
Written by Express' Brian Austin
Photo by J. Carrier
SATURDAY: Air in tires? Check. Helmet? Check. Spandex biking shorts...?
Ditch the shorts. This Saturday scores of bicyclists will be leaving the lycra at home and pedaling in their birthday suits as they participate in the 4th annual World Naked Bike Ride.
Part of a grass roots movement to raise oil-dependency awareness, the worldwide event will take place in the District at 4 p.m. sharp at the Vermont Avenue side of the White House. The band of flesh baring pedal pushers will then take a casual one mile spin around the city, hitting such sites as the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument.
How can one ride through the streets of D.C. nude you ask? Well according to the 1986 court case Duvallon v. District of Columbia, as long as your bare essentials are covered there's no foul. So men grab your tube socks and women put on your pasties, get some fresh air and good clean aerobic exercise this Saturday. Just be careful not to get any thing pinched in your spokes.
» Vermont Avenue Side of the White House; Sat., June 13, 4 p.m., free. worldnakedbikeride.com
Written by Express' Brian Austin
Photo Courtesy Olaf Kraak/AFP/Getty Images
SATURDAY: Just when you thought all the "Mr. Blank Goes to Washington" puns had been made, get ready for those pranksters at Planet Washington to give the trope a twist. On Saturday, the satirists (and Washington insiders) present "Mr. Obama Goes to Washington: The First 100 Daze," in which music, parody and political and social satire bring D.C.-ites up to speed on the current administration. Scruffy? Yeah. Dead-on? Definitely.
» Westin Hotel, 1400 M St. NW; Sat., 8 p.m., $20. (McPherson Square)
Written by Express' Arion Berger
Photo by Ron Sachs/Getty Images
WHAT DID YOU do do on your last vacation? At 33 years old, Tom Avery, who trained as an accountant, has trekked the North and South poles on foot, climbed innumerable mountains, got his name into the Guinness Book of World Records and met the queen of England. He's also written a book, "To the End of the Earth," detailing his team's attempt to conquer the North Pole using the same dogs, sleds and specifications used in U.S. Naval Cmdr. Robert Peary and explorer Matthew Henson's 1909 climb, more for Peary's glory than his own. Avery discusses his journey at the National Geographic Society on Friday, and on Monday, the 100th anniversary of Peary and Henson's trek, he will head up a commemorative ceremony for the explorers at their Arlington National Cemetery grave sites.
» EXPRESS: Where does this passion for climbing come from?
» AVERY: I don't know. I mean, for me, it really began when I first read about these great characters from the past, these amazing exploreres in history. I guess I was captivated by their stories, and I wanted to experince a bit of what they had.
» EXPRESS: You couldn't just read about it?
» AVERY: It's a combination of that and my passion for snow. Ever since I was a child, I've been infatuated by snow, and I still am. It's quite sad, really. ... I guess I was an adventurous child who liked climbing up bookshelves and trees.
Continue Reading "To the North Pole And Back: Explorer Tom Avery" »
MISSED THE FILMS nominated for the 2008 best foreign language film Oscar? National Geographic Live has your back. Global Glimpses, this weekend's screenings of all five films, takes off the pressure to pretend you know what "The Baader Meinhof Complex" (Germany, Fri., 7 p.m.) is about — notorious '70s terrorists — or whether "The Class" (France, Sat., 5 p.m.) deserved the Palme d'Or at Cannes (depends on your tolerance for movies about teachers at a rough high school), or whether the hero of "Departures" (Japan, Sat., 8 p.m.) was happier as a cellist or an undertaker. Also screening are the much-buzzed-about "Waltz With Bashir" (Israel, Sun., 6:30 p.m.) and "Revanche" (Austria, Sun.,
2 p.m.), about a couple who plan a bank robbery. There's a reception an hour before each evening screening.
» National Geographic, 1600 M St. NW; Fri., Feb. 13-Sun., Feb. 15, $8/screening, $35/series; 202-857-7700. (Farragut North/McPherson Square)
Written by Express contributor Amy Cavanaugh
Photo courtesy Constantin Film Development
IF ANYONE IS suited to the lofty title of the Banff Mountain Centre's World Tour Manager, it's Jim Baker, a "dedicated skier, hiker, biker" and climber who wakes up to the sight of the majestic Banff mountains of Alberta, Canada.
So worthy is the region of celebration that the center hosts, in addition to festivals, events and symposia throughout the year, the annual Banff Mountain Film Festival, a popular export coming to the National Geographic Museum.
According to Baker, the purpose of the festival and ensuing tour is to "bring together people who are interested in the outdoors, in adventure, in the exploration of remote cultures and a whole range of topics having to do with the natural environment." According to the introductory video the center posted on YouTube, the festival's purpose is to blow your ever-lovin' mind.
Continue Reading "Higher and Higher: Banff Mountain Film Festival" »
V-Day Cooking Class
Do you and your boo like to get hot and heavy in the kitchen? The Oz in the Doubletree Inn in Bethesda is featuring a couples cooking class taught by executive chef Timothy Jones this weekend, with a focus on preparing healthy, simple foods using local ingredients. Learn how to work with aphrodisiacs like oysters, figs, asparagus and chocolate. The class includes complimentary refreshments, recipe cards and a special gift.
» 8120 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda; Sat., Feb. 7, 2-5 p.m., $50; 301-652-2000. (Bethesda)
Continue Reading "Eat It Up for Valentine's: Feast On Flirting" »
OF THE FOUR renowned bird painters whose works are on display at the National Geographic Museum, only one is contemporary.
D.C. native Jonathan Alderfer stands in the illustrious company of Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1874-1927), Allan Brooks (1869-1946) and Walter Weber (1906-1979) because he's a field guide favorite; his detailed paintings have been directing birders to their quarry for more than 20 years.
"Birds of North America" showcases the four painters' works and points up their differences as well as the subjects'.
Continue Reading "Look to the Skies, Birders: Jonathan Alderfer" »
HERE'S AN EASY WAY to stick to a New Year's resolution to eat better: Swap your usual lunch for good-for-you grub from the Juice Joint Cafe (1025 Vermont Ave NW; 202-347-6783), a McPherson Square eatery that lures in downtown workers with smoothies, veggie-packed wraps, organic omelets and more.
You'll be joining a roster of regulars who visit multiple times per week, including Robin Halsband, 38, who works around the corner from the cafe and has been a fixture for three years. "I feel good about the food I get here," she says.
Such devoted customers are a testament to the plan Tom Holland and his brother Jim cooked up 11 years ago when they opened the place as an alternative to fast food counters. "Originally when I started this concept, I wanted to be next to every McDonalds in the country," Tom Holland says.
They haven't served billions quite yet, but the cramped kitchen, long lines (often out the door) and steady growth (even in this rotten economy), has convinced Holland it's time for more Joints. Plans are in the works to expand to two new locations, one along Pennsylvania Avenue and another in Crystal City.
The secret to his success is no secret at all: Holland says it comes down to quality and consistency.
Continue Reading "Juiced for the New Year: Juice Joint Cafe" »
CELEBRATE PRESIDENT OBAMA'S inauguration in style at Ici Urban Bistro, where you'll be treated to toasts and toast.
The drinks will flow and the dancing will commence on the eve of the regime change, and from Jan. 18 through 20, the joint will also serve a hot breakfast at the trendy Le Bar from 11:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Try the omelets or morning sandwiches if you're feeling like a fast break for breakfast.
Ici's Franco-focused menu also offers some clever spins on traditional American classics like cheeseburgers and grilled New York strip steaks.
» Ici Urban Bistro, 806 15th St. NW; 202-730-8700. (McPherson Square)
Written by Express contributor Christopher Correa
Addison Road