Asia Nine and CoCo Sala: Two Great Tastes

Friday night, four of us met to celebrate Kat's birthday (a couple days after the fact) and hit a couple new places downtown.

Our first stop was Asia Nine, which opened rather recently at 915 E Street, opposite the J. Edgar Hoover Building (aka FBI HQ). The menu is pan-Asian, with elements from various cuisines and cool decor (we liked the black ceiling and dark walls). The prices were very reasonable and we found plenty of great dishes to keep us talking (and eating) for quite awhile.

Our second stop was CoCo Sala (note: the web site appears to be a placeholder), at 929 F Street. It only opened about a week ago (I think). We liked the variety of chocolate dishes; we each chose something from the five-course menu, and two of us tried a chocolate cocktail that was excellent. Coming on the heels of Asia Nine, we were all very stuffed when we left CoCo Sala, but it was a good stuffed.

If you have the time, check them out--both places have a lot to offer, great atmosphere and great food.

Hidden Pleasures: Gravelly Point, Arlington, VA

Most of the locals are familiar with that funny little park at the end of Reagan National's runway, but it doesn't get a lot of fanfare. Still, if you want to find a nice place to picnic, toss a football or hang out riverside, you might check out Gravelly Point.

Accessible from the George Washington Parkway northbound, it is literally just past Reagan National, filling a handful of acres that I guess the airport didn't need. There's a jogging/biking path that will take you there from Crystal City (Kat and I hiked it on Saturday), but it meanders a bit and takes awhile to cover. (You can find the starting point in Crystal City right near the Water Park--it's the Mount Vernon Trail path.)

Kat and I took a bottle of water and spent an hour or so walking, sitting and relaxing at the Point this past weekend. Picked up a nice sunburn (I did, anyway) but had a good time.

The Pope Scope

WASHINGTON DC - We've been overrun. Resistance is useless, and there is no place to hide.

Pope Benedict XVI has come to town and perhaps millions of the faithful have come to see him.


For us Protestants, it offers an intriguing spectacle, to be sure. Emotions are running quite high, with entire families crowding into Metro trains to see the Nationals stadium where he'll lead Mass in about an hour and a half. Kat got a glimpse of the Popemobile yesterday in Washington Circle (near GWU); our friend Roberto, who had a better view got snapshots on his camera. If he sends any around, I'll post them.


In the meantime, we're just glad it's nice weather. Huh... it hasn't been this nice in awhile. You think, maybe...?

New Chocolate Restaurant: A+

Kat and I went to the new Artfully Chocolate Kingsbury Confections restaurant on 14th St yesterday. It was packed when we got in but managed to find a place, then went crazy ordering hot chocolate.
Except this is not your father's hot chocolate--not even if your dad mixes in a little booze for those extra-cold winter nights. No, this place has chocolate-based drinks Starbucks wishes it had.
I ordered the Charo, which is a caramel-based semi-sweet chocolate drink that had Kat swooning; she ordered the Liz (semi-sweet with lavender), which she felt was a shade too delicate for her. Next time, I'll order the Judy (milk chocolate with hazelnut) and she'll order the Charo.
We also sampled the bread pudding, which was really good.
The restaurant is associated with Kingsbury of Old Town Alexandria, a place ideal for Valentine shoppers, so you can find a huge assortment of confections to satisfy your palate.
If you happen to be around 14th anytime soon, drop in. Your diet won't love you but your taste buds will.

Weekend of Purgatory

Bad weekend, folks, health-wise that is.
I had some pain in my lower left back, right around my kidney, last Wednesday. Thought it might be a kidney stone, since I've had them twice before, but Thursday it was okay--then Friday night it resurged with a vengeance.
Agony.
The kind that leaves you sweating, nauseous and unable to rest comfortably in any position, vertical or horizontal.
Couldn't sleep, naturally.
Saturday morning, I thought about dropping out of an editorial meeting for SFRevu but figured I could make it on Advil. Wasn't fun but I was functional.
Sunday was better. Kat and I went into DC and Pentagon City, had a nice day (more in a later post) and came home... and the twinge flared up again. Not nearly as bad as Friday but I still made a doctor's appointment.
So why am I going on about this?
Because:
- I'm a 43-year old man who's seriously overweight and might have health issues I don't suspect;
- My father toughed out feeling bad for a long stretch, only to learn (too late) that he had cancer;
- I'm newly married and don't want to take chances on the years (decades?) I plan to spend with my wife and future children.
So it's better for me to find out now if I have some serious health problems.
I'm getting older and don't take my health for granted the way I used to.

Kat's Updated!

Kat's blog, Stealth Shopper DC, is updated with all kinds of new stuff for this weekend. Check it out!

Avenue Q

What a great show!

When it won the Tony in... um... a couple years ago, I thought this was a soundtrack I'd want to hear. So I bought it to hear on a ride from DC down to Williamsburg.

I laughed my ass off on every song.

Now Kat and I have gone to see the show (it's playing in DC 'only for now' at the National Theatre) and we had a blast. We were both humming along with the songs, applauding at the punchlines and generally enjoying every minute. Kat was surprised by how graphic the sexual content is, while I liked how they integrated a lot of Sesame Street elements through flyaway TV screens.

The cast was fantastic and I was not surprised that many of them have been on the Broadway and/or Las Vegas casts. In particular, we loved Minglie Chen (who played Kate and a bunch of other folks)--she brought real heart to "There's A Fine, Fine Line" and "Mix Tape." We also loved (oh great, I don't have the cast from last night handy-- I'll have to add names later) the actress who played Christmas Eve, the actor who played Princeton and the Bad Idea Bears--they were absolutely adorable little "friends from Hell." But *everyone* in the cast was terrific, well deserving of the ovation they got last night.

If you have the chance, catch the show. We think you'll enjoy it-- but leave the kids at home. This ain't Sesame Street, friends.

Official site.
Artwork copyright Avenue Q, all rights reserved.

Taming of the Shrew, Washington DC

Kat and I met our friend Sherin (familiar to all you readers of BPD) on Saturday to see "The Taming of the Shrew" at the Harman Center for the Arts in downtown DC (7th St NW, y'all). I'd been in a production (as Biondello, the hapless younger servant of Lucentio) many years ago and figured it'd be fun to watch the show instead of being in it.

We were floored. What a great production! We loved Charlayne Woodard as Katherina and Christopher Innvar as Petruchio especially; their chemistry was brawling, physical, lusty and exciting to see develop. Truly a very well-chosen pair for this role.

We also liked: Nicholas Hormann as the beset-but-enterprising father Baptista; Lisa Birnbaum as the much-desired (but ultimately less pleasing) Bianca; Aubrey Deeker as Hortensio (who plays the character as a '70s-era slicked-back caricature- well done!); Michael Milligan as Lucentio/Cambio, who wins a prize that may not be all he'd hoped; and the diverse cast of disowned fathers, cunning servants (Louis Butelli as Grumio was superb and Bruce Nelson as Tranio a pleasure to watch) and impostors (several of the men adopt aliases, which can become dizzying). In all, the cast was fantastic.

But the cast was fortunate enough to have a setting that matches their artistry. The blog wants to pay special compliments to director Rebecca Bayla Taichman and set designer Narelle Sissons for going above and beyond. The staging was ingenious.

As a side note, Kat and I have discussed at length the outcome of the play. Not to spoil anything but Katherina's final speech may strike many as the product of a monstrously chauvinistic and un-PC society. But I think:

• Petruchio shared all of the deprivations he inflicted on Katherina-- he didn't feast while she starved or slept while she remained awake;
• as staged, there is absolutely no doubt of his love for her--he simply needs to get her attention and does so in the most efficient way possible, and he earns her love by the end;
• Katherina "gets" Petruchio-- this is their game, their way of understanding each other, and her willingness to submit is more an acknowledgement of their partnership than of her spirit being broken

That's my take, anyway.

If you're looking for an outstanding trip to the theater, check out "Shrew" while you can. It's been extended through this week, so go see it! Now!

Kat Home Sick (and Homesick) Today

My wife woke up yesterday with a scratchy throat, but went to work anyway.
Not today.
She's stayed home with the kittens, tending to what could blossom into a nasty cold or sore throat (which I think is prudent and helps her office more than slogging ahead).
She's also feeling kind of down about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. This is the first time she'll be away from family and it's hard on her.
We're going to shop for and make Thanksgiving dinner together-- we have a rough menu plotted out and are heading to Whole Foods soon-- and hope it'll be a nice occasion for the both of us.
Still... I think we'll be setting up our webcam so we can Skype our families and friends. It'd be nice to see them, if we can't be there with them.
What are you doing for the holidays?

BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCE!

Kat and I had an unbelievable time at the Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concert at the Verizon Center in DC last night.
I've seen Bruce live about... maybe eight times? Last night was definitely in the top two concerts. The band sounds incredible, and if Bruce is talking a bit less than usual, there's no shortage of sheer musical power up on the stage.
Lots of Bruce-and-Steven nose to nose on microphones (he called out "C'mon, Steven!" about five times during the show), and did the same with Patti on one or two songs (their duet on "Tunnel of Love" was fantastic).
Here's the set list:

• Radio Nowhere
• No Retreat, No Surrender
• Lonesome Day
• Gypsy Rider
• Magic (introduced with a few words about Washington DC and spin)
• extended harmonica solo by Bruce, leading into...
• Reason to Believe
• Night
• She's the One
• Living in the Future
• Promised Land
• I Work for Your Love
• Tunnel of Love
• Workin' on the Highway
• Devil's Arcade
• The Rising
• Last to Die
• Long Walk Home
• Badlands (absolutely the most high-energy song of the concert to that point)
• Girls in Their Summer Clothes
• Growing Up
• Kitty's Back
• Born to Run
• Dancing in the Dark
• American Land

A little surprise on the way out: we were making our way out of our row and reached the steps when we saw Tim Russert and his wife. He's really youthful in person! Had on glasses and a huge grin. I asked him (probably shouted, 'cause my ears were ringing) how he liked the show and he said "Amazing!" I said this was Kat's first Bruce concert and he said, "My first was in '73!" I added she was first in line for this concert and they said it was a great show to have as a first. Could not have been a better way to say "Hi!" to someone we watch nearly every Sunday morning. Gonna have to send a fan letter...

(Note: the Wikipedia entry above has an interesting paragraph about Mr. Russert's Bruce connection.)

Anyway, Kat's off at work this morning and I'm home, enjoying Veterans Day off. I'll post on Veterans Day later, as my dad and two of my uncles were WW2 vets, but for now... Bruce absolutely rules.

Great article on Bruce's show here.

Loudoun County VA Farm Tour

Yesterday Kat and I did a bit of driving around Loudoun County. This weekend was the annual Farm Color Tour, wherein a bunch of local farmers open their properties to agritourists like us. We had a real good time visiting the Heritage Farm Museum, Crooked Run Orchards and Temple Hall Farm Regional Park.

We also had lunch at a nice place on West Colonial Highway in Hamilton, VA (just off Rt 287). It's Lowrys Crab Shack, and we can definitely say that the portions are ample and the prices very reasonable. We liked the place quite a bit (as did their many customers) and plan to visit again if we're out that way.

We have a few pictures on our second-best camera and will update this post when we unload the chip. Kat took some pictures of sheep, chickens and so on, while I snapped some landscapes. You'll see them here soon.

National Book Festival: Dining With Authors

Absolutely fantastic time -- we spent Saturday evening having dinner with three authors featured at the National Book Festival in Washington DC. Here's a pic of Kat and me with Holly Black (who's really one of the nicest people around):

Check out my review of Holly's new book in this month's SFRevu.

later!

Stuff to See and Do

Kat and I had a busy afternoon yesterday (Sunday) here in DC.

We got out the door bright and early (and it was bright- hardly a cloud in the sky), went to town and hit the Farmers Market. If you haven't gone to the Dupont Circle mainstay, it's a must-see. Apparently it's doing very well; we could barely walk around at all. The highlight was Chef Cathal Armstrong of Restaurant Eve, who made pork pate. Absolutely terrific.

We then headed out to church, then to the National Mall. Kat was inclined to see La Boheme, but I was less enthusiastic. We compromised; instead of me heading home, I stayed with her and we went to the Freer Gallery. Going upstairs for the first time, we saw a really great collection of ancient Asian art. If you have the chance, visit the Freer. We also went to the Smithsonian Castle-- there's some interesting stuff on display if you look beyond the visitors info desk-- and then fed a mixed flock of birds with the remnants of Kat's almond croissant.

By about 4:30, we were worn out and ready for home. Caught Simpsons and the Family Guy Star Wars shows, then crashed. Got a long night's sleep for the first time in ages (I usually wake up two or three times a night then go back to sleep, but not last night).

And now... it's Monday.

Kat Scores Bruce Tickets!

Hey gang! Katherine won huge today. She went to the Verizon Center to get tickets for Bruce's November 11 show-- and they were doing a ticket lottery. She chose a number... which happened to be #1! Can you believe it? First in line, she had a prime pick on where to go.

The seats in the very-closest sections were sold out but she got A-row seats in the next section over (section 121 for those of you looking at the VC map). We'll have a fantastic view of one of the rock world's best performers doing his thing.

I am so proud of Kat. She did great and scored us some unbelievable tickets. I have to take her to dinner to celebrate.

We plan to see Bruce and the E Street Band in NJ when he comes back, but his tour dates now are weeknights--hard to manage from here in DC. Still, we hope that there'll be plenty of dates to choose from when he returns to the Garden State. Gotta see him in the Meadowlands or Madison Square Garden.

Very excited, y'all.

...and Have Fun!

Hey, it was a great Fourth of July this year.

First up for me was seeing "Live Free or Die Hard." Despite being encumbered with the worst, clunkiest title for a movie I've seen in ages, the movie rocks pretty hard. The pitch sounds silly-- John McClane vs. cyberterrorists--but they pull it off. And the premise is not-so-silly when you think about it. Wonder if Roderick Thorp ever thought his character would be taken to this extreme?

Strong points: Bruce Willis still kicking butt in his fifties, Justin Long being *far* less annoying than he is as Mac-guy, Mary Elizabeth Winstead showing she's more than just a pretty face (along with having one of the three or four best lines) and Timothy Olyphant (why can't I get past "Girl Next Door" with this guy?) who makes the mastermind a bundle of frustrated rage and misplaced aggression.

Weak points: the fighter jet chewing up an overpass with rockets and machine gun fire was not exactly, ahem, believable. It was a glaring "what the F?" moment in a movie (in a series) that prides itself on being *somewhat* in the real world.

Then I hiked from the AMC Hoffman to Old Town, where Brooke and Matt found me in a Starbucks, reading Mike Carey's new novel. (It's good, folks.)

We went and met Kat for dinner at O'Connells (located on lovely King Street, near the waterfront), then wandered down to said waterfront and walked. And walked. Heck, we walked up as far as Braddock Metro. We found a good spot with a view of the DC skyline, noticed it was about 8:15, and figured what the heck, we'd watch some fireworks. Kat and Brooke both had to call the restaurant to ask about items they'd forgotten but all was well-- the staff was on the ball.

Cue the fireworks. Kat had her MP3 player with her, so we could listen to the Capitol Fourth broadcast on radio, which was pretty nice. After the show, we wandered back to King Street, sharing tales of Fourths gone awry, and reclaimed our stuff from the restaurant. Then we had ice cream, and Matt gave us a lift home. (Thanks again!)

All in all, a great day. Hope you all had as much fun as we did. Write a comment and let me know!

Go Fourth...

Not sure if I'll be blogging tomorrow-- I'm hoping to get some writing done on my novel (that November deadline isn't nearly as far away as it used to be)-- but I might break long enough to visit the Mall and see the Folklife Festival. Not sure if we'll stay for the fireworks (Kat hates crowds more than I do) but should be a fun day.

Be good, have a great Fourth of July, and see you back here soon!