I don’t know what it is about Marvin that makes me so happy. It could be the delicious dressed up country dishes, the attractive people, the Marvin Gaye soundtrack or the stylish ambiance. I think what I like most about dinner at Marvin (because the bar upstairs is a whole other story–ritzy and fabulous) is chef…
Category: best ever
High Rustic at Birch and Barley
As a beer fan, I feel a little sheepish to say that I only just recently ate at Birch and Barley. Maybe I was put off by the long lines to get into Churchkey, the restaurant’s upstairs bar. Maybe I was afraid it wouldn’t live up to expectations. Maybe Logan Circle just has a…
Nothing Is As Good As Dumplings
Happy New Year, everyone. I woke up this morning thinking that the day, no, the year, was spread out ahead of me, full of possibility. And what I most wanted were dumplings. Dumplings might be the perfect food. They are packaged like little presents, saying Hey, you know I’ll be delicious, but you don’t know…
The King’s Speech: Grandeloquent with a Stutter
In this life, something (in this earthly realm, not a Platonic ideal, philosophy majors) cannot be entirely perfect unless it also has a minor flaw. Like Michaelangelo’s David, The King’s Speech has a flaw in its marble, preventing it from being my perfect see-it-with-the-family holiday movie. But this thing, this scene, is so much a…
Capitol Hill Books Is Perfect
I have found my Platonic ideal in Capitol Hill Books. This bookstore is everything a used bookstore should be. It has mounds and stacks and piles of semi-organized books filling up its two stories in Eastern Market. It has an amiable yet prickly proprietor. It is filled with bookish customers discussing deep thoughts. It is perfect….
The Happy Hour Chronicles: Jaleo
Since I have a soft spot in my heart for Spanish food, I purposefully do not go to Spanish restaurants in DC. I felt sure that anything falling short of expectations would just be a disappointment. Case in point: La Tasca. But I was pleasantly surprised with Jaleo. Not only was the food delicious and…
Let’s Get Down to the Balvenie Nitty Gritty
I almost don’t want to tell you about the Scotch tasting I attended at Againn last night. It would be like telling someone about something spectacular, then telling them that it’s already over and very unlikely it will ever be the same. Wait, ok, this is just like that. In any case, the Scotch tasting…
Holiday Market in Chinatown: With Donuts
If you find yourself down by the Portrait Gallery in Chinatown before Christmas, you will come face to face with holiday commerce in a recession. The Holiday Market, a veritable tent city along F Street, has all manner of handmade gifts for sale at reasonable-esque prices. From December 3-23, the white-top tents will house many…
Irish Film Festival Lands in DC
Film festivals always seemed to be a hidden paradise, a holy grail of coolness. Going to Tribeca or Sundance was always something I wanted to do one day, but only one day. What I didn’t know was that the perfect film festival is right here in DC. And happening this week! The Irish Film Festival…
DC Style Is Real 