Maureen Andary of The Sweater Set
@ Fort Reno
Q:What's your song for summer?
A:"Our song about summer love. The lyrics are 'Oh, you're just for fun, don't you know. I only want you for summer months.'"
IN RESPONSE to America's fight against obesity and push toward healthy food, Kentucky Fried Chicken is rolling out a new initialism: KGC. Kentucky Grilled Chicken is their answer to McDonald's salads: a dish with significantly fewer calories than their traditional fried fare.
If you're skeptical, you can try out the grilled stuff for free on April 27, now to be known as "UNFry Day." So, satisfy your curiosity — or your love of free munchies — with a complimentary piece of grilled chicken.
» Kentucky Fried Chicken, 4221 Connecticut Ave. NW; 202-237-6668. (Van Ness)
» Kentucky Fried Chicken, 1934B 14th St. NW; 202-319-8688. (U St.-Cardozo)
Photo courtesy KFC
GAME DAY: It's tough to be a member of Congress. All that responsibility, all that campaigning, all that reading of long, boring bills that will grow up to become long, boring laws.
Way back in 1987, someone took pity on these poor, besuited civil servants and dreamed up the Home Court Fundraiser — in which congresspeople get together and play a charity basketball game against some other team. Tonight, our legislative branch will unleash their inner athletes during the 22nd annual Home Court game.
Their opponents this year are members of the Georgetown Law faculty, so you needn't worry about some poor congressman dropping dead of a coronary while trying to keep up with a 22-year-old basketball superstar. A host of legislative types are participating, including senators Bob Casey, D-Penn., and Kay Hagan, D-N.C.
Continue Reading "Legislators Represent: Congress' Charity B-Ball" »
Canned Goodness: A Worthy Trip Up the Road
Inspired by the soon-to-be-released film"The Soloist," about a columinist who befriends a homeless musical prodigy, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra joins Orchestras Feeding America in a national effort to collect canned goods for those in need at the BSO box office before, during and after perfomances.
» Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore; through March 28; 410-783-8000.
Stacking Chips: Ladies-Only Poker Night
So you've got the gambling itch but those pesky morals won't let you head straight to the slots? Well, swing by Restaurant 3's first "Chicks With Chips" poker tournament. Scratch your itch, enjoy a few cocktails and feel good knowing that all proceeds go to charity.
» Restaurant 3, 2950 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington; Sun., Mar. 22, 2-6 p.m. $65; 703-524-4440. (Clarendon)
Mushy Feast: Homemade Baby Treats
If recent food scares have you avoiding the bottled stuff and mashed-pea-green isn't exactly the color you were going for on the kitchen walls, then learn to blend foods that a baby will actually eat at Art and Soul's Baby Food for the Soul class.
» Art and Soul, 415 New Jersey Ave. NW; Sat., Mar. 21, 11 a.m., $35; 202-393-7777. (Union Station)
Written by Express' Eric Anderson
Photo by iStock
THE THING ABOUT St. Patrick's Day is that the term "happy hour" almost ceases to apply. It's more like "happy several hours" or "happy day." Or possibly "happy worst Wednesday of your working life."
Nevertheless, D.C. loves St. Patrick's Day, and since all the parade festivities took place over the weekend, all you can really do now to celebrate is drink. Here are a few places you can go after work to get in on the spirit.
First of all, you want an authentic Irish pub. But if you can't afford a plane ticket, you'll have to settle for the Dubliner, which we were once told "smells just like the pubs in Ireland." Good enough for us. There will be Irish music and general rowdiness from 10 a.m. onward — but there's also a $10 cover charge, so make sure you have cash.
Continue Reading "Liquor of the Irish: St. Patrick's Day Bar Guide" »
MONDAY: Film festivals can be overwhelming, so to combat that the D.C. Independent Film Festival assigns each day a manageable theme, buttressed by a musical performance and a happy hour at Union Station.
Monday's theme is "Middle East," and the lineup includes "Demons of Cairo," an expose of the lives of homeless kids in Egypt's largest city, as well as some short films. "Cino Latino" and "The Environment" are some of the other themes on the docket for this week.
» Phoenix Theatres, Union Station 9, 50 Massachusetts Ave., NE; through March 15, $11; 202-842-4455. (Union Station)
Photo courtesy D.C. Independent Film Festival
MONDAY: You're barely awake, aren't you? Were those same old dreams of being chased or flying or marrying Leonardo DiCaprio keeping you from sleeping soundly? And what do all of those mental wanderings mean, anyway?
You might find some answers at "To Sleep, Perchance to Dream," a new exhibit at the Folger Shakespeare Library that examines early perceptions of sleeping and dreaming. You'll probably want to keep quiet about that DiCaprio thing, though.
» Folger Shakespeare Library , 201 East Capitol St. SE; through May 23, free, 202-544-4600. (Capitol South/ Union Station)
Written by Express' Tahirah Hairston
Photo courtesy Folger Shakespeare Library
IF THE ALLEN WRENCH enthusiasts at IKEA get their way, the Oval Office could start to look a lot like most twenty-somethings' apartments.
Says a press release surprisingly free of umlauts:
While the White House and Oval Office are off limits to tours during the next two weeks, D.C. residents and visitors alike can see a modern day rendition of the iconic round room at Washington, D.C.'s Union Station. IKEA is creating a replica of the Oval Office in the heart of the nation's capital commuter hub, designed with IKEA furniture to allow commuters to experience real change firsthand.
The exhibit will be up through Wednesday. Get more IKEA inaugural goodness at Embracechange09.com. Or use a stubby pencil to write down Embracechange09.com and search for it in the self-serve section.
Photo courtesy IKEA
IN CASE YOU hadn't heard, the Obamas are getting a dog. Also, if you hadn't heard about that, you are living under a rock, and you could probably rent out your rock for $700 a night during Inauguration Week.
So when you and the new president go out for a beer or two (he's a man of the people, you know), you'll have to find a bar that's dog friendly. Luckily, D.C. has a few spots where you and Barry can bring the pooches.
The patio at Union Pub on Capitol Hill is a dog haven. But even better, it has drink specials from 5-11 p.m., varying according to the day of the week. Our favorites are the $14 margarita pitchers (on Thursdays) and the $5 BBQ quesadillas (on Mondays).
KICK OFF CHRISTMAS with this year's lighting of the Capitol Christmas Tree. Join members of Congress, senators and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in the traditional ceremony of lighting up the "People's Tree" -- one that's of the people, for the people and by the people, of course.
Hailing from Montana, this 144 year-old, 78-foot fir tree will be decorated with more than 5,000 handmade ornaments and 10,000 LED lights. Chris Gabrielsen, a 4th grader from Montana, won a statewide drawing and will have the honor of flipping the switch to light the tree.
» West Lawn of the U S. Capitol, Tue., Dec. 2, 5 p.m., free; 202-265-0930. (Union Station, Federal Center SW)
Photo courtesy Office of the Architect of the Capitol
WE'VE ALL GOT OUR HOLIDAY TRADITIONS. For some, it might be watching Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" on Christmas Eve for, oh, the 27th time — while stuffing our bellies full of homemade cranberry meatballs and empanadas. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try fitting in something new this season — between your caroling practice and sugar cookie gorging, of course.
Add a little Nordic to your noel on Tuesday by stopping the 12th Annual Norwegian Christmas at Union Station. Bring a gift for the Toys for Tots campaign and feel free to let your inner child marvel at one of the world's largest model train exhibits, which will be unveiled at 9 a.m.
Make sure to pop by at 6 p.m., though, for the lighting of a 32-foot tall Christmas tree in the station's main hall. Too good to be true? Sorry, no lutefisk will be served.
» Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave. NE; Tue., Nov 25, free; 202-333-6000. (Union Station)
Photo by Robert A. Reeder/The Washington Post
Addison Road