Delightful City

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November 12, 2010 | 2:33 PM | By

A Free Festival, Tomorrow at the Smithsonian

Robert Burdock

If you’re interested in literature, film or South Asian culture, you would probably enjoy the South Asian Literary and Theater Arts Festival (SALTAF), which is happening tomorrow — I love it because it’s an event which is unique to D.C. (and it’s FREE):

This year’s festival will feature panel discussions, readings, and film screenings by internationally acclaimed writers and artists. The literary panel will feature poet Pireeni Sundaralingam, editor of the first anthology of contemporary South Asian poetry, Indivisible; award-winning writer Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, author of One Amazing Thing; and writer and artist Naeem Mohaiemen, whose work has been featured in galleries around the world. The non-fiction/journalism panel includes Rajiv Chandrasekaran, author of the acclaimed Imperial Life in the Emerald City and National Editor at the Washington Post, and writer and activist Canyon Sam, author of The Sky Train.

Date : Saturday, November 13, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. |
Location : Baird Auditorium, National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW |
Metro : Smithsonian or Federal Triangle

FILED UNDER: Culture, Delightful City, Immigrants, Smithsonian, The Arts
November 5, 2010 | 11:57 AM | By

Will John Wall teach Ted Leonsis how to Dougie?

Yesterday, D.C. sports magnate Ted Leonsis made a bold promise to shore up ticket sales for his less popular team, The Wizards:

Remember when I preached that the Washington Capitals were like a growth stock?…Now we are totally sold out with a waiting list. Bad times became good times. The people that believed were rewarded.

I am here to tell you that about the Washington Wizards. Buy your tickets now, please. Sign up for season tickets…Get in early. See our own home grown and developed stars grow up before your very eyes.

Sorry, I had to get up on a soap box. We need your help. We play this Saturday night. We need and want you to be in attendance. The team plays better in front of a sold out building. Come support the team…

When we have a total paid sellout this season, I will do the “Dougie” – I promise.

Leonsis was inspired to embarrass himself in such a unique way because his franchise player, John Wall, infamously did the Dougie during his introduction at the Wizards’ home opener.

Leonsis challenge to the fans spread quickly over Twitter last night (as it should!) but there’s a catch– popular teams don’t count:

Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Culture, Delightful City
November 2, 2010 | 5:59 PM | By

Kojo in Southeast, tomorrow!

Need plans for tomorrow night? How about some Kojo?

WAMU’s Kojo Nnamdi will be hosting a “Kojo in Your Community” event tomorrow, at The Arc in Southeast D.C. Come hang out with the man whom the Washington Post calls “Maybe the best interviewer in town”. The Arc will be open at 5:30 and the event goes until 8pm. I’ve been told that plenty of parking is available.

Address: 1901 Mississippi Avenue Southeast

Metro: Green Line- Southern Avenue Station.

FILED UNDER: Media, Delightful City, Kojo, WAMU
October 25, 2010 | 2:45 PM | By

Soon: Mengestu.

"The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears"

Last week, when I mentioned that I wanted to read something by Georgetown Alum Dinaw Mengestu, DCentric reader Danielle (who–if I have guessed from her profile correctly– is Visual Arts editor of the grassroots publication Liberator Magazine) helpfully pointed me towards the bookstores at Busboys and Poets.

I appreciated Danielle’s suggestion because I prefer the immediacy of walking out of a building with a book in my hands vs. buying online, saving four dollars and waiting a week for a cardboard box to arrive in the mail. And about that cardboard– I’m thrilled my apartment building has started offering more options for recycling, but I still feel guilty, as I break down boxes and dutifully trudge to the trash room to stack them up. That’s a discarded, dead tree…used to convey another dead tree.

Fortunately, I get a kick out of supporting independent Booksellers, so that usually prevents cardboard-induced guilt when it comes to procuring reading material. Last night, I unexpectedly had to run an errand near P Street, so I impulsively ran up to Kramerbooks and asked for some fiction. They had both of Mengestu’s books in stock. Huzzah! I’m excited about starting “The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears”, especially because it takes place right here in D.C. I’d tell you what I think of it so far, but I’m finishing this book, first.

FILED UNDER: Culture, Delightful City, Hoyas, Immigrants, Literature
October 12, 2010 | 1:30 PM | By

How to Track Food Trucks without Twitter

One of you asked me how to find food trucks in D.C. without using Twitter, the micro-blogging service which serves up news, views and naval-gazing over-sharing in 140 characters or less; that’s a fair question. Not everyone wants to deal with Twitter, even if it’s the primary way these trucks communicate their locations.

One option is available via the Best Bites blog from Washingtonian magazine, which says “Every morning, we’ll let you know where the area’s food trucks are rolling.”

Handy! The feature even tells you which trucks are taking the day off from slinging treats– today, those would include EatWonky (sure to be beloved at American U), Fry Captain and TaKorean.

Me? I’ll just be happy when the trucks show up near Columbia Heights or Tenleytown, since I tend to miss them because they go everywhere else. Sigh. If only Curbside Cookoff happened monthly. A hungry blogger can dream, can’t she?

FILED UNDER: Culture, Delightful City, Food, Food Trucks
October 8, 2010 | 1:35 PM | By

Food Truck-palooza ends today, at 8pm.

Gautham Nagesh

You don't even need cutlery for most Curbside noms.

If you were looking for something fun to do today, you may want to head to the Curbside Cookoff at 11th and H Streets NW. Although the “most popular Food Trucks in D.C.” have been serving everything from sandwiches to sweets since 11 am, this evening, from 5-8pm there will be live dance performances and music.

Trust me when I say that you will be grateful for the distraction, as your food is prepared. That’s how I felt yesterday, when I waited for a delicious District Taco.

I was in line for about thirty minutes, which flew by because of all the people watching– the event was packed. Once at the front, I  was told that our tacos would be made to order and considering how slammed they were, that might take a little while. It all seemed so festive, I barely cared. I took my number and wandered over to the stage and watched hand-dancing, break-dancing and finally line-dancing.

The best thing about Curbside Cookoff is how it took on the feeling of a neighborhood block party– in the middle of buttoned-up, downtown D.C. By the time the dancing was over, my tacos were ready– and well-worth the almost year-long wait. I have seen some complaints on Twitter about the lines (true) and the lack of vegetarian options (not true– I could’ve had pizza, Sauca, Indian food and more if I didn’t want tacos). The lines are long; there’s no denying that. But this is a one-off event meant to celebrate Food Trucks, so it’s not comparable to trudging out of your office during a regular work day to grab something portable, to go.
Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Culture, DCRA, Delightful City, Food, Food Trucks
October 7, 2010 | 6:46 PM | By

Curbside Cookoff is a hit.

image

Several hundred people are still happily waiting in very long lines for grub from D.C.’s 20 best food trucks, as of 6:45. Though some trucks are already out of treats, the event will continue until 9pm, at 11th and H streets nw. If you are busy today, it resumes tomorrow, at 11am.

p.s. Check out our review of the event, here!

FILED UNDER: Culture, DCRA, Delightful City, Food, Food Trucks
October 5, 2010 | 6:01 PM | By

Ben’s Chili Bowl Loves Vegetarians

What I used to get at Ben's: Chili Cheese Fries

One of you emailed me this link to DCist with the subject line, “Good news for you!”. Thank you for that! As for the “news”, it turns out that Ben’s Chili Bowl just started serving vegetarian hot dogs; now I can finally eat something at Ben’s which looks like what the rest of you order. From Ben’s Big Blog:

For a few years now customers have been calling and emailing Ben’s requesting that they offer veggie hot dogs. Though it took some time to find the one that lives up to the quality and reputation of Ben’s, a veggie dog is now on the menu! Get yours with mustard, onions and Ben’s famous veggie chili. Don’t forget, for years Ben’s has offered Veggie Burgers, Veggie Chili, Veggie Chili Fries and Veggie Chili-Cheese Fries.

I’m a vegetarian and I love Ben’s…mostly because I have happy memories of the instances when it’s almost empty and the staff and I sing along to “My Girl” or similar. Everyone who works there is so kind. And the chocolate milkshakes are yummy.

Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Delightful City, Restaurants, Delightful City, Food, Small Business, U Street
September 30, 2010 | 4:31 PM | By

With a Bolt of Blue

Smithsonian's National Zoo

This gray afternoon calls for something bright and cute, don’t you think? How about a Black-Footed Ferret Kit? Yup, that’s what Ferret babies are called: “kits”. This kit’s pic is from our National Zoo’s Flickr stream. Here’s another interesting,  zoo-related fact– 25 years ago, they were almost extinct: Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Delightful City, Delightful City, Smithsonian
September 23, 2010 | 6:15 PM | By

Want to be on the wall at Ben’s? There’s an app for that.

This is so cute, and such a fun way to delight customers. Go Ben’s! Via WeLoveDC:

During lunch today at Ben’s, I saw Nizam Ali with an iPad, a picture frame, and a whole lot of velcro.  He was building a picture frame so that just about anyone can end up on the wall at Ben’s.  Mo, the manager, showed me how it works. Grab the app (iTunes, Free) for your iPhone, and snap a photo of yourself.  After it uploads to the service, after a few minutes’ time, your smiling face ends up in the picture frame on their wall!

FILED UNDER: Delightful City, Delightful City, U Street