FRIDAY: This year's Beaujolais nouveau will be released on Thursday, so by Friday we know you'll be jonesing for some. You could drink it alone on your couch, or at a divey bar with your friends, but you do that every year.
If you're looking for a somewhat stately, grown-up party that celebrates an alcoholic beverage, try the Alliance Francaise's wine and cheese party. A mix of French music — some dancey, some Piaf-y — will accompany the boozing, and your $35 ticket gets you three glasses of Beaujolais.
» Alliance Francaise de Washington, 2142 Wyoming Ave. NW; Fri., Nov. 20, 6:30 p.m., $35; 202-234-7911.
Photo by James M. Thresher/The Washington Post
GEORGETOWN RESIDENT Walker Lamond wasn't yet a parent when he launched his blog, 1,001 Rules for My Unborn Son (Rulesformyunbornson.tumblr.com) a couple years ago. But his pearls of fatherly advice — "There is never an excuse for stealing someone's cab," "Don't date the bartender"— found an instant following. Now, the father of two has compiled a selection of his charming snippets into a book, "Rules for My Unborn Son" ($15, St. Martin's Griffin).
» EXPRESS: The book was born from your blog, but how did the blog start?
» LAMOND: The whole thing began as a personal project of sorts, long before I was even online. I was just trying to keep track of all the things my dad had taught me growing up. It was as simple as that. I compiled them on the back of bar napkins and in a notebook, and then one day, decided to put them online. It grew from there.
Continue Reading "Filmmaker, Author, Dapper Dad: Walker Lamond" »
STAYING INJURY-FREE through an entire 82-game NBA season is no slam-dunk. That's why Steve Kostorowski, owner of Georgetown's Water Street Gym (3401 K St. NW; 202-338-2711), is called into service every off-season to teach the best ballers in the country how to survive. His project this year: New Orleans Hornet's All-Star guard Chris Paul (that's them together at left).
"It's crazy how long they're on the road. After a game, you shower, get on the bus and go to the next place," he says. It's a routine that can do a number on their range of motion and aggravate imbalances.
A lot of what he does with the stars isn't so different from what he'd put any personal training client through. "The foundation of human movement is the same for all of us — core strength, lateral stability, pelvic floor stabilization," Kostorowski explains. But, as athletes in a demanding sport, they also need to address the specific challenges of their position. And the hours are pretty brutal — Kostorowski expected Paul to be ready to go at the gym every day at 6 a.m. for a three-hour workout. Every night, they spent another two hours together stretching.
It'll pay off, though, he promises. The past two years, the top players spent their summers focused on Team USA and the Olympics. "So, this is the first year the guys from that medal team had a chance to take care of themselves," he says. We're expecting to see some net gain.
Photo courtesy Layne Murdoch
WHETHER YOU'RE A DEWY-EYED romantic — or you just have dollar signs in your eyes — setting your sights on wedding photography can be a sweet way to marry talent and extra cash. You can flirt with the prospect at the Washington School of Photography's daylong workshop on how to shoot high-quality, unique engagement photos and couples portraits.
Everyone from newbies to seasoned photographers tag along with professional photographer Duane Heaton to photograph a real, live, smitten couple. Along the way, the group navigates the secret nooks of Georgetown as well as the quirks of portrait photography. "It's really simple to take a photo of somebody, but I try to teach my students to create something that's 'about' the subject," Heaton explains, which means capturing the dynamic and personality of the couple in each frame.
» The Basics: A maximum of 10 students, instructor and couple meet near the waterfront for "Georgetown Walk," Heaton's twist on the traditional engagement photo session. The 6.5-hour workshop (which includes a break for lunch) is crammed with hands-on opportunities to snap photos of the subjects in a string of unusual settings, from alley crannies to a boarded-up loading dock, with each location presenting a different lighting challenge. Students are to bring extra memory cards and a long telephoto lens, which gives the couple space to act more naturally.
SATURDAY: Ah yes, Georgetown. We've all drunkenly stumbled out of Mr. Smith's after a night full of cheap beer and Billy Joel sing-a-longs, wolfed down a shoddy burger and maxed out our credit cards on a single pair of boots — but there has to be something more, right? Nestled snugly between the college-infested bars, commercial dining and nauseatingly overpriced retail, there lies an often over-looked and rather exquisite culinary world worth exploring.
This month, Georgetown will be holding its annual "Taste of Georgetown," featuring nearly 60 delicious dishes from Georgetown's best restaurants to sample and jazz music from Blues Alley to boogie down to. The festival itself is free but if you aren't feeling stingy, be sure to buy a few tasting tickets so you can gorge yourself on samples! Snag a tasty treat from Georgetown Cupcake or feast on some slow-cooked, fall-off-the-bone BBQ from Old Glory.
Feeling a little thirsty? Why not take a stroll through the Wine Pavilion and sip on a velvety Merlot from Tarara Winery or Potomac Wine and Spirits? Kick back with a multi-award winning "Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale" from Flying Dog Ales or a Sam Adams smooth, honey-gold Oktoberfest with hints of caramel and toffee. All proceeds benefit the Georgetown Ministry Center's services. So, if you're in the mood for some good grub and hip tunes, be sure to stop by this festival — you won't be disappointed.
» "Taste of Georgetown," Wisconsin Avenue and M Street NW; Sat., Oct. 10, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., free.
Written by Express' Erika Kauder
Photo by Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
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" »
THURSDAY: New Orleans musician Henry Butler can play it all on his magic piano — blues, gospel, rock, funk and that indefinable Big Easy stew of bad women and good times that has no name. He shakes the roof at Blues Alley on Thursday night. Wear a sturdy hat.
» Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW; Thu., Aug. 20, 8 and 10 p.m., $25; 202-337-4141.
Photo courtesy Shannon Brinkman
Break from Boring
Raise a toast to diversity as Georgetown's sustainable-seafood restaurant, Hook, is offering a warm-weather menu that changes daily, to offer more than a dozen varieties of fresh fish — alongside new arrivals like sea urchin, sturgeon caviar and moonfish toro. More than the food on plates are changing as guests have the option of pairing their orders with a new drink menu offering more than 100 choices of red, white, and bubbling wines, all priced less than $100.
» Hook Restaurant, 3241 M St. NW; 202-625-4488.
Eat Good, Move Fast
Inox Restaurant shows that fast food doesn't have to mean bad food. Chefs Jon Mathieson and Jonathan Krinn have extended the restaurant's sit-down menu to include new "Bar Bites," which build on their commitment to culinary creativity and refinement while the new complimentary Wi-Fi enabled lounge provides a nice justification for mixing a little business with pleasure.
» Inox Restaurant, 1800 Tysons Blvd., McLean; 703-790-4669.
Written by Express' Catherine Ahearn
Photo courtesy Moshe Zusman
SATURDAY: Looking for the perfect way to spend a spring afternoon? Well, spring has sprung, folks, and there's nothing like nice day in the garden.
The Georgetown Garden Tour will open up a collection of eight Georgetown gardens, all within an easy walking distance from one another. Environmentally friendly "Georgetown Garden Club" shopping bags will be available to purchase. Be sure to grab a cup of tea at the Christ Church from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m..
» Christ Church Georgetown, 3116 O St. NW; Sat., May 9, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., $30, $35 day of event; 202-965-1950. (Foggy Bottom)
Written by Express' Nicole Ocran
Photo by Larry Morris/The Washington Post
BEEN ITCHING TO check out the Arabesque festival at the Kennedy Center? Time is running out, but you live in a veritable garden of earthly delights. Make a night of it with an old friend or that roommate you haven't seen in a week because you've been working so hard.
The festival includes a slate of performances and exhibits, but we're particularly excited about Thursday night's "The One Man Village," an Arabic-language film about the Lebanese village of Ain El Hazaroun, whose inhabitants fled — except for one man, the filmmaker's uncle, who stubbornly stayed.
Addison Road