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ONGOING: The G40 does not, in fact, refer to all the countries we consider cool enough to be in our club. The U.S. would never let 40 countries into our club. What kind of club would that be, No, it's a collection of work by more than 500 artists, squeezed into a four-story building in Arlington, on the forefront of what the kids call "new-brow" art. Instead of high- or low-, get it?
» 223 23rd St., Arlington; through March 30, free; Artwhino.com. (Crystal City)
Photo courtesy Tom Pipkin
TUESDAY: Basia Bulat's from Canada — and once you know, you'll imagine can sort of tell; you see the parallels with Joni Mitchell — but before you find that out she'll sound somewhat Appalachian to you. It's folk pop, but with that mournful backcountry twinge that's not bluegrass exactly, because it's not so boisterous, but something close to that.
» Iota Club and Cafe, 2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; Tue., March 23, 8:30 p.m., $12; 703-522-8340. (Clarendon)
Photo by Jenne Wakani
YOU COULD SAY Alexandria, Va., was born to shop. After all, British and Scottish merchants founded the town on the banks of the Potomac in 1749 in part to market English silver and tea to colonists. Now, the narrow streets and 18th- to 19th-century buildings where Thomas Jefferson bought furniture and Martha Washington hit the apothecary hold up-to-the-second shops, from Asian decor dens and French cookware stores to art emporiums and enough clothing boutiques to drive a fashionista to her smelling salts. Here are our suggestions on how to hit the brick sidewalks ISO chic clothes, hip housewares and a feast of wines, teas and candy. Just don't be shocked if the combo of old cool and contemporary merch starts a revolution in your shopping habits.
1) Crate & Barrel Outlet Store
The only discount C&B close to D.C. draws bargainistas with way-marked-down furniture (a mirrored coffee table, once $700, was recently $300), a cafeteria's worth of cups and Marimekko fabrics for $5 a yard.
» 1700 Prince St.; 703-739-8800
2) Banana Tree
On upper King Street, this longtime Zen den loads a serene, jute-carpeted space with antique and new pieces from Thailand, India, Burma and Vietnam, including silk pillows, Buddha statues in sizes from tiny to fit-for-a-temple huge, and architectural fragments (from $99 each) that look exotic hung on loft-apartment walls. Don't miss the back bargain section, where recent scores included Indonesian rosewood boxes ($165 and up) ideal for stashing jewelry or other treasures.
» 1223 King St.; 703-836-4317
1) FashionEnvy
This new boutique specializes in cool, well-priced casual wear in sizes 2 to 22, from breezy print sundresses by Analili (shown, $177) to plus-sized jersey tees and other separates from co-owner Fresia Rodriguez's own line, Kingley&Posh.
» 1314 King St.; 703-299-0250
2) Dash's of Old Town
The original incarnation of this menswear shop dressed dapper locals from the 1960s until closing in 1989. Heir Victor Dash resurrected the store in 2005 with a snappy mix of well-crafted suits (starting at a very reasonable $550), and zippy Luigi Bianchi ties ($150 each), plucky plaid shirts from Paul & Shark and eyeglasses, cuff links and even cologne.
» 1114 King St.; 703-299-4015
1) The Butcher's Block
Adjacent to chef Robert Wiedmaier's Brabo restaurant, this European-style grocery carries a mix of gourmet nibbles and sips — fresh-baked bread, homemade pates, handpicked artisanal wines — ideal for grabbing for a party or picnic.
» 1600 King St.; 703-894-5253
2) La Fromagerie
Just check the blackboard for which cheeses this "Are-we-in-Paris?" corner shop has on a given day, from French raw-milk Comte to Virginia feta. Rhone-born co-owner Sebastien Tavel also populates the golden-walled space with cheese boards, wines and haute crackers.
» 1222 King St.; 703-879-2467
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN shopping, guzzling drinks and dancing in Alexandria, Va., since the 18th century. Today, charming signs of the town's tricorn-hatted past mingle with au courant boutiques, cool drinking holes and a hip restaurant scene. But in some ways, the more things change, the more they, well, don't.
» THEN Colonial dudes — George Washington included — drank at Gadsby's Tavern (now a museum/restaurant, 134 and 138 N. Royal St.; 703-746-4242 or 703-548-1288).
» NOW: Hipsters sip single malt scotch or wine at Vermillion Restaurant (1120 King St.; 703-684-9669).
» THEN Nineteenth-century firemen from the Friendship Firehouse (now a museum, 107 S. Alfred St.; 703-746-3891) fought blazes with horse-drawn engines.
» NOW: Hopheads fight thirst with microbrews at Columbia Firehouse (109 S. St. Asaph St.; 703-683-1776), a pub in a restored 1871 fire station.
Continue Reading "Everything Old Is Sort of New Again: Old Town Alexandria, Then and Now" »
WHEN HE OPENED lush, locavore temple Restaurant Eve (110 S. Pitt St., Alexandria; 703-706-0450) in 2004, Irish-born chef Cathal (the T is silent) Armstrong put Old Town Alexandria on the culinary map. Not one to rest on his reductions, the 2006 Food and Wine best new chef has since become the force behind three other neighborhood foodie destinations: the Majestic Cafe (911 King St., Alexandria; 703-837-9117), Eamonn's Dublin Chipper and speakeasy P/X (both at 728 King St., Alexandria; 703 299-8384). We caught up with the busy cook about what he digs in his adopted hometown.
» EXPRESS: Why'd you choose Old Town for your restaurants?
» ARMSTRONG: We were looking to open an Irish country inn. [My wife] Meshelle has lived in Alexandria since she was about 6 years old, but we initially discounted it, because we assumed we wouldn't be able to afford the rent. We were fortunate to find this location. It has the mood we were trying to achieve and a long, interesting history.
Continue Reading "Irish Import: Restaurant Eve Chef Cathal Armstrong" »
1) Lips Serviced
Winter weather might finally be — fingers crossed! — in the rearview mirror. But we're still suffering the beauty roadblocks of the interminably cold season. Itchy skin. Dry hair. And, please, do not call attention to our cracked, chapped lips. Enter Shiseido's new Perfect Rouge lipstick collection ($25, department stores), which boasts a light-yet-moisturizing formula that feels as pucker-replenishing as ChapStick but — in a range of 20 rich, perfect-for-spring shades — slides on much, much prettier.
2) Dude, Step it Up
Baggy suits, blousy button-downs and mile-wide power ties came under attack in fashion expert Tom Julian's first book with Nordstrom on men's style, out last year. Now, Julian takes on puffy khakis, fraying fleeces and other out-of-date casual wear in the "Nordstrom Guide to Men's Everyday Dressing" ($18, Chronicle Books), out Saturday in Nordstrom stores and online. The savvy handbook offers stylish-but-wearable ideas — like classic-cool penny loafers, a vast improvement from the holey sneaks you've been sporting since college.
THE EARLY BIRD gets the free tips on spiffing up houses and apartments at Arhaus' basic decor class Sunday from 9 to 11 a.m. The event includes advice on placing furniture, skillfully using color and setting a mood (perhaps a wakeful one) with lighting.
» Tysons Corner Center, McLean, Va.; free, but reserve a spot by calling 703-734-9001.
IT HAS ALL the potential for a campy affair: flowing blood, human meat pies and a supposedly expert barber with incredibly tragic hair.
But "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is nothing if not a full-fledged tragedy at its very core, especially in the hands of Signature Theatre and Eric Schaeffer, whose production of Sondheim's classic celebrates the company's 20th anniversary.
"We try to go for the dark side of the play," said Edward Gero, the D.C. stage veteran who portrays the titular antihero. "We try to find a new way to tell the story."
It's a dark musical, indeed, whose titular protagonist is an insane, vengeful murderer who (with his landlady) converts his victims into meat pies. But such is the world of 19th-century London and "Sweeney Todd."
Continue Reading "Bloody Good Fun: 'Sweeny Todd,' Signature Theatre" »
Addison Road