Finally, I went to new wineries!

Late harvest grapes at Breaux Vineyards.

Yeah, I was stuck in a rut. I had been hitting up the wineries down Hwy 9 far too long without venturing elsewhere. Granted, Breaux Vineyards is still my favorite spot to visit, I have a new set of runners-up!

This past weekend Dawn and I made our way out to BFE (read: Haymarket) to grab her some shoes for her Halloween costume from her friend Jax. Since we were already down Hwy. 15 I figured we might as well hit up a couple of wineries around the area.  As such we first

Nearly the entire flight at LaGrange was dellectible.

headed to LaGrange Vineyards near Haymarket. Being Halloween there were decorations out and the entire staff was dressed in costume to celebrate the day. The grounds are very nice and the house where the tastings are done has a very nice setup inside. We decided to have the full flight to taste and we were both surprised to find that Dawn’s palette is FINALLY coming around to something other than ice wine! The most intriguing selection was by far the Port-style Snort which will definitely find its way into my wine rack soon! The knowledge and hospitality of the staff during the tasting was what really set this place firmly behind Breaux as me second favorite vineyard in NOVA.

Next we decided to forgo Quattro Goombas in lieu of Chrysalis and we were not disappointed. Though it was a windy day they still had several tasting stations setup outside. The weather was gorgeous so I didn’t mind, but the wind was really borderline for doing such. Eventually we began the tasting and I was again impressed by the quality of the

The patio wines are something you can enjoy with anyone in the afternoon.

wines here. They’re very proud of their use of the Norton grape, the only indigenous wine grape in VA. It’s actually refreshing to see them take some local pride in this and also that they offer some wines that aren’t at the normal boutique prices. Overall I enjoyed the tasting, especially the two patio wines are not only refreshing, but very well priced for anyone to enjoy.

If you’re planning on heading out for a couple of new wineries then I definitely suggest putting these two on your list! These are two places you will definitely not regret visiting!

Lookin’ Down My Nose At All Of You!

Headed to the island.

Ahhh….what a vacation. I’ve finally returned from a nice vacation on Martha’s Vineyard in the small township of Oak Bluffs. I was invited months ago by my roommate and decided I really couldn’t pass at the chance. I mean, what guy wouldn’t want to stay in a house with six women? And one bathroom… Thank God for alcohol!

We headed north Wednesday evening towards RI for the night. The drive wasn’t too bad as I was able to see NYC and such for the first time, listen to “Washington Washington” on the George Washington bridge, and sniff out the big issue to even traveling through NJ. We finally arrived around 1:30AM. After crashing on the couch for a few hours we picked up two stragglers and headed towards MA to catch a ferry to the Vineyard.

The seats up top were nice and breezy!

After a 45min ride across the choppy waters we finally arrived at Oak Bluffs. We ended up in this nice little house that’s both across the street from a small market and two doors down from a BBQ joint…yeah…it was calling my name… But first things first! Champagne toast with all of my new friends, then wine, then more wine, and finally a chaser of wine. That evening we headed out to the Offshore Ale Co. for dinner and drinks. I’m definitely glad we were vacationing off-season because this place isn’t huge and I could just see waiting 2 hours or better any other time of the summer.

I love burgers...

The food? Excellent. I had my first ACTUAL New England Clam Chowder and it was outstanding. I also grabbed a burger here since it was voted best of the island for 3-4 years running. Although it’s no Ray’s, it’s pretty damn good. The fries are excellent as well, you know the kind with the little bits of batter and such. Mmm…Delicious. Of course, I also had both the Offshore Ale Amber Ale & their Stout, both of which were tasty. The Stout was a bit strange though as it’s 10% ABV and fairly sweet.  After that we started a weekend love-story with the Lampost and had a few drinks on a dead night. Finally, feeling the lack of sleep hitting hard, I headed back to the house and crashed out. The night was…eventful enough for me at the time.

Christian made it all the way through Atlas Shrugged waiting on the bathroom.

Friday started off with a great breakfast cooked by several of the girls, and it was delicious! Next up? Lunch. Obviously. We made the walk down to the shore after a bit of a break and to the rooftop patio of Nancy’s. An overpriced burger and beer later we were really on our way, off to the bus stop to check out some other part of the island. Of course, this was never really straight because I was in a group with six women and one other guy. Needless to say, Christian and I decided we’d go it alone and grab mopeds for the day…except the price of two mopeds is the same as a convertible…hrmm…So we cruised around the island in style the rest of the day.

There are some gorgeous views on the island.

That evening I was the man in charge and took my place at the grill. I grilled up some Conecuh Sausage (I had to introduce these yanks to some REAL food) while the women took care of the mac & cheese and corn. After some grub we headed back to the Lampost for drinks, dancing, and debauchery. A good time was had by most, and eventually I again decided the night was ripe for a bit of sleep.

Now, Saturday. Ahhh… Saturday… God how I love Saturdays in the fall. Why? FOOTBAW!!! But, hold up now, I’m in the middle of nowhere and my team is playing only on ESPN Gameplan…crap. Never fear though, i was out of the house quick and in town visiting every single restaurant with a bar and TV that was open. Where did this lead me? Lampost. Thank God for the Lampost! After several misses, I hit it big here and

The Crew

had the game on just in time to see Alabama score their first TD. Beer in hand, happiness abound, I invited all of the roommates down for Alabama Slammers on the house. After 6 beers (Offshore Ale’s IPA) and an Alabama Slammer later, I was off with a smile on my face (we kicked ass) and off with Hawkes to another bar for food and (as added entertainment) harassment of a Tennessee fan bartender. It was a tasty little meal, a decent beer (Green Monsta), but harassing a UT fan always wins my favor.

After a bit of a nap, it was time for food and the last night on the town. I headed next door to grab some of the BBQ at Smoke’n Bones. After ordering my overpriced fare to go I decided to read up on the proprietor.

I roomed with insane people.

It seems the Pit Boss is actually from Florida, so there was some hope that maybe these ribs wouldn’t be terrible. I grabbed the Memphis-style ribs and fries. The ribs were surprisingly good. Better than DC has to offer. There was a lot of smoke to the meat, it was seasoned ok, and the sauce provided had a nice flavor as well. Hell, the most surprising thing was how good the bite was. I honestly was impressed with the degree of tenderness. Not falling apart, but easily “bitten” off the bone. I really only had two major issues: 1.) They didn’t remove the membrane. 2.) The smoke was there, but it wasn’t good. I think they need to alter the types of wood they use to smoke and it’d vastly improve the flavor.

The womens are fun to go out with.

Afterward, the womens had decided we were all going to karaoke. Grrrreeeeeaaaaatttttt… The guy with stage fright issues just LOVES this idea. Nonetheless, the prescription to being a better public speaker is always to put yourself out there, so I started with pregaming. After vodka shots we make out way to the bar (Seaside? I forgot.) where I began pounding the beer. Why? So I could sing. The women thought this was an EXCELLENT idea and I was soon in line to sing. All in all, I really had no issue getting up to sing. (I really wasn’t drunk for the first song, I’m just much better in front of audiences after years of putting myself out there. Go me, right? Sure, whatever, I kept drinking anyway because you just can’t sing Soul music sober. I think that’s a rule somewhere.)

Headed home, awaiting the boat.

Sunday wasn’t exactly my favorite day to see. I wasn’t hungover, as I never am, but we still had to pack, clean, ride a ferry, and then drive 8 hours home. Exciting. Not. Especially after traffic, detours, and arriving VERY late Sunday night. It was definitely nice to sleep in my own bed though.

Needless to say, I’m ready to head back to MV for another vacay. It was relaxing, and fun. The island was akin to going home for me. I grew up on a similar island, except we had

It'll be nice to see these sights again...

condominiums and bridges. Otherwise we have the same year-round population, tourist season, and jobs dependent on good seasons. It was a nice time and I’d highly recommend it to anyone…in season…because I don’t want anyone else where when I visit.

What an experience!

You can't go wrong with crawfish as decoration!

Tonight I headed out to BFE (read: Hillsborough) to pick up a Craigslist purchase with Dawn and I jumped at the chance to try this new little Cajun restaurant I’d heard about in Leesburg. The Cajun Experience is a quaint little spot with street parking and a crawfish hanging above the door. I’d heard good things about this place from a couple of people, including Breaux Vineyards, so you know there’s no way I could pass it up.

We arrived and were immediately seated by the hostess with a smile a mile wide. There was no wait, but if more people find out about this place there could be a very long one. It’s a small house and can house only a few tables. This place would be perfect to take over for a small reception or large rehearsal dinner. We started out with drinks, and there’s only one thing you can order when you’re in a southern restaurant: Sweet Tea. Sadly, this started the meal a bit on a downer. The tea simply wasn’t sweet. It tasted like it MAYBE had 1/3 cup of sugar per gallon when it is required to have a MINIMUM of 1 cup per gallon, though usually more.

I GOT CRAWFISH!!!!

Now we had to chose appetizers, and in order to cover as much ground as possible I decided to take the gumbo as an appetizer while Dawn chose to go with fried shrimp. The seafood gumbo was quite good and filled with crawfish, shrimp, and crab, but there seemed to be something missing. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but nonetheless it was the best gumbo I’d had outside of the South. Period. The fried shrimp were quite good and neither over-breaded nor too small. They did seem to be a small bit greasier than I prefer, but I’m notoriously difficult to please when it comes to fried shrimp.

For dinner Dawn went for the Red Beans & Rice which came with a side of potato salad. She was in love with the red beans and gobbled it up. It’s not an overly spicy dish, but it was well seasoned (I tasted it too…hehehe).  The tater salad on the other hand was not near chunky enough. It would have done well to have had more chunks and a bit less egg. But enough about that, let’s get on to the most important part of the meal: The Po’ Boy.

I'll always be an awful food writer because is never fails that I forget to take a photo before I dig in!

I ordered the shrimp po’ boy as my true test of this establishment’s fare. I’m very picky when it comes to  po’ boys so when someone puts it on the menu I absolutely have to order it. Before the sandwich came out I asked to taste the remoulade sauce because I thought I might want it more than the normal chipotle sauce. After trying both I definitely went with the chipotle sauce and was quite pleased. When it did arrive I was very pleased by what I think are the two most important parts of a po’ boy: 1.) The correct bread. 2.) An abundance of shrimp. I must say, this is a genuine po’ boy and worth the trip to Leesburg. On top of the first two factors there was the right proportion of lettuce, tomato, and sauce to shrimp. And the side…ohhhhh the side…. I first thought they had served it with Zapps crawtators, but I was wrong. They make their own cajun tater chips and they are delicious! Very well done guys!

Simply irresistible! I'll have to force myself to try the bread pudding next time.

Now on to the final round, dessert. Mmm… Dawn had the banana pudding because she is an absolute connoisseur of banana pudding. She rated is as mediocre with plenty of room for improvement. I went with the classic: beignets. With a true nod to Cafe Du Monde, these lovely French doughnuts arrived freshly cooked and caked in powdered sugar. I was in heaven. They weren’t as large as I remember from NOLA, but they were damn delicious and hit the spot. Just a tip for newbies though: hold your breath when taking a bite or you might regret it!

Overall my experience here was great! The service was excellent, the food was delicious, and I am still stuffed. I will most definitely be back, this is my new po’ boy spot since they left Clare & Don’s menu. Mmm… See you again soon Cajun Experience!

OM! NOM! NOM!

Dress, Drag, Dragon*Con

Yeah, yeah, yeah…yet another cutesy title. Nonetheless, for those of you who don’t know what Dragon*Con is let me explain. Imagine over 30,000 geeks taking over four hotels for four days of total sci-fi and fantasy immersion. It’s pretty intense and the fans at this convention never disappoint…well…some of them don’t.

Holy SHIT the immense amount of time and money that HAD to have gone into this!

One essential part of Dragon*Con is the costuming. Some people work countless hours & a good deal of cash to perfect their costumes of their favorite characters and make some amazing recreations! Then there are others that don’t spend any time or wear things they REALLY shouldn’t.

Now look, I’m not some holier than thou athletic or skinny guy ranting about fat people. I’m fat myself, but I also know I can’t pull off Aragorn or He-Man so there’s no way I’d try. Me? I could do Mario or a Ghostbuster, something of that nature.

Here’s a couple of things you shouldn’t do:

Corsets should fit. If you're fat, don't pull them so tight that they're the Hoover Dam up top, or avalanching. There is a proper way to wear this! These are MINOR violators, it gets exponentially worse. --Photo by Meggrs (CC)

YOU ARE NEITHER SCI-FI, NOR ARE YOU FANTASY!

Just, for the love of God, put some thought into WHO you’re going to dress as before you actually do. Sure, everyone wants to be the hot sexy woman or the badass guy, but some of us just are NOT built for that. This is just a public service announcement for 2010…

For the rest of my Dragon*Con photos go here.

Flights, Friends, Freaks, and Football!

Dragon*Con: Where geek women are not afraid to show copious amounts of skin.

Holy mother of God, what a weekend! I decided to go balls to the wall and take a 5-day Labor Day weekend. Hells to the yes! I definitely did my best to make the most of every moment I had free, and still slept in.

It all started Thursday when I woke up at 3AM to catch a 6AM flight out of DCA. Dear Airtran, please never move my flight to 6AM again. Nonetheless, everything was on time and I made it to ATL by 8AM. There I met up with my very good friend Allison and we headed back to her place before swinging by Dreamland for some outstanding ribs and white bread. Mmmm… It wasn’t the original, but still damn good compared to DC-area BBQ.

Next up was some hanging out before we headed out to Taco Mac to open up the 2009 College Football Season with the viewing of South Carolina vs NC State. It wasn’t the most exciting game, but it was great to finally see football on TV again. Later on my good friend Daniel showed up and we made headway on both the beer list and football by watching Boise St. vs Oregon. I eventually made it back to the house and hit the sack hard.

Malleteers just hanging out on random street corners is not unsual behavior.

Friday I MARTA’d into the city to grab grub with Dave from Mallet, but I ended up late and met up with him after his Farscape session. That’s right. Farscape. Wondering WTF? Dave and 100,000 of our friends were at Dragon*Con. I ended up meeting up with Dave and several other Malleteers to hang out the rest of the day, but not after taking several photos of some excellent and not-so-excellent outfits, but that’s another blog entry. We ended up grabbing grub at some 24hr dive that served up rolly chairs and a penis-shaped sandwich. I called it a night and MARTA’d back home after that.

Alabama vs Virginia Tech 2009 Baby!

Ahhh, then Saturday rolled around. GAMEDAY. I headed into the city late and missed the Dragon*Con parade, but I was able to get a few more photos before David arrived to head toward the Dome.

I chatted with Laura Croft while awaiting David's arrival & charging my iPhone.

Once he arrived we made our way to Centennial Park and found all of nothing happening there since the concert had yet to start. We then decided to find a bar that had both beer and televisions. Somehow we ended up down a side-street at Sidebar. We started knocking back a few beers while watching football but then we realized something quite strange. 1.) We were outnumbered by castrated turkeys a good 5:1. 2.) This was a Florida Gators bar. Sonofabitch. There was no way in hell I could stay after both of those realizations, much less one.

Do not get int he face of and shove a rival fan or you will get hit. Twice. In the face.

From there we headed back out and made our way to the CNN Center for some huge, cold draft beer with Daniel and his friend. After a couple of those we made yet another trek on down to Matt’s tailgate across from the Dome. They grilled me up a tasty deerburger before David and I finally made out way into the Dome about and hour prior to kickoff. Our seats were five rows from the top of the upper deck on the 15yd line. No complaints here, we had an AWESOME time inside. Alabama’s band AND football team took care of business. That’s just how we roll. I was exhausted by the time I hit the couch around 1AM, and I had lost most of my voice as well.

We were SARDINES on the way home from the game.

Finally, Sunday rolled around. Not a moment too soon because this weekend was killin’ me. It was time for a vacation during my vacation. Allison and I decided to make cinnamon rolls from scratch. It was a fun experience since she has no bread machine for the dough, no rolling pin, no bread hook, and no experience baking. Nonetheless, we both prevailed and ended up with some extremely tasty rolls! It was find to also spend the day hanging out with her all day. I do miss my good friends being close by these days. Nonetheless, the evening rolled around and I was due back to the airport for my 10PM flight. I made it back into my cozy bed around midnight and was quite glad to be there. Of course, I could have made it faster if we didn’t have to park the plane in BFE at IAD and use those godforsaken shuttles back to to baggage claim. Since it was a late flight we had to wait for the entire crew to load up before leaving. Of course, things could have gone much quicker if these IDIOTS didn’t stop to sit in the first seat on the shuttle and park their baby carriages right in front of them so no one can get by. Not to mention the others that just HAD to roll their small suitcases behind them no matter how crowded the aisle was. I’ll be damned if they could pick the thing up and just carry it in order to navigate easily. What in God’s name is so difficult about that?

At any rate, I decided to take it easy today. Look forward to another post on Dragon*Con later on.

The Life & Times of a Red-Armed Bandit

Mmmm....Crappy Sbux coffee...

Greetings! Once again I come to you from my soon-to-be-former Starbucks. I think that may be the biggest downside to my moving to Herndon. I’ve looked around and my Starbucks card will be mostly useless unless I find a non-packed nearby Starbucks. I’m not sure what it is, but I do enjoy writing my blogs from a place in which I do not reside. Strange? Possibly. Nonetheless, since I am here I’ve decided to throw out a few things that aren’t quite long enough for their own posts.

Julie & Julia was on the agenda yesterday and it did not disappoint. Though the movie didn’t engulf my entire conscience, it was thoroughly entertaining. I definitely felt a connection to Julie in my love of cooking and use of it as an escape from the stress of real life. Honestly, I’m a bit ashamed that I don’t yet own Julia Child’s book Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I’m a bit curious on how this, combined with my love of Alton Brown and the cooking knowledge imparted by both my mother & mamaw would leave me. I know the French already heavily influenced some of my Southern cooking roots via NOLA, but I think this might leave me a fairly interesting home cook. Maybe one day we will see…

ROLL TIDE!

FOOTBAW!!!! AW YAW! YAW! YAW! Yeah, it’s that time of year. I’ll be headed to Atlanta for the Alabama vs Virginia Tech game early Thursday morning. Finally in the South again, I’m sure I’ll partake of the Awful Waffle, Chick-Fil-A, and Co-cola.If you want to see what football means to me and most people in the South then please refer to this previous post for an idea… Yes, I am crazy.

The DC Improv is a MUST-SEE. We took a trip into DC the other weekend to catch Michael McDonald (of MadTV fame) perform. The Improv is a very intimate space as they have a ton of people crammed into a very small space. Nevertheless, the show was excellent, the service was superb, and the trip was easily worth it. If you’re in DC and you’re remotely interested in the headlining comedian then I highly recommend checking them out here. Make it a night as there are plenty of hotspots to grab a few at before and after the show in nearby Dupont Circle.

I’ve discovered a few new recipes that were a hit! First and foremost was Red Snapper w/ Leeks & Green Onions. I’d never had leeks prior to this, but I picked some up at the Falls Church Farmer’s Market to force myself to deal with the issue. This recipe turned out excellently and we devoured everything in the pan! As a side I whipped up some Squash Pasta with a simple white wine tomato ragout. This is a phenomenal replacement for pasta. It’s delicious, noodly fulfilling, and very healthy! Both of these dishes are permanent additions to my repertoire. I wonder if this would work for a sketty sandwich replacement…oh the possibilities! Of course, I’m going to end this post on one final delicious dish I had last night. My friend @nikkidecoy dropped by with her family recipe crab cakes that were DIVINE! I’m not well versed on MD-style crab cakes, but these were the best I’ve had thus far. Ok, I’m now hungry and I’m headed to find some grub….

Interns, Lightning & a Show…mostly…

The view of the screen, not too shabby.

Screen on the Green always sounded like a fun little time to have on the Mall in DC. It was nearly canceled this year, but Comcast & the Trust for the National Mall stepped up to sponsor the event and four movies were scheduled. As such, some friends and I decided to go out and catch the last film of the year (and possibly for good) this past Monday. The movie? Rebel Without A Cause. The place? Near the Capitol building on the Mall. The scene? 5000 interns, college students, and residents on blankets with (prohibited) alcohol . The temp? 90 degrees.

Now, it would seem I’m setting this up for an epic drunkfest party fail. Not quite. The crowd was relativly quiet, all considering. There was a low rumble of chit-chat here and there, food grabbing, and the like, but it wasn’t too bad. People start arriving around 5 for the 8:30 film, but there’s no real bad seat and us showing up at 6:30 wasn’t an issue.

The real downside is having to sit on the hardassed turf of the Mall. I definitely suggest taking a chair or cushion to save your back from a bit of pain. Also take some food, drinks, and the like or you’ll have to rely on the permanent concession stand on hand. (It’s always cheaper to bring when you can.)

Now, the movie was ok. All considering, it was a great film for its time, but I have no idea how it ended. Why? Stray thunderstorms. Around 10:30 the sky broke open and let out a small can of whoop-ass on the crowd sending us scattering and soaked. Of course, the Mall entrance to the Smithsonian Station was closed by that time sending us a bit farther before finally reaching a jam-packed tunnel. Needless to say, thousands of soaked, hot, disgruntled people don’t make for a lively ride home.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’d probably do it again…next year… but it wasn’t something I’d do often…at all. Let’s face it:

• It’s a hell of a drive/metro into town.
• Weather prediction sucks in the DMV.
• Lugging food in can be a pain.
• The 120min+ movie starts at 8:30…then you gotta go home after…
• Did I mention it’s on Monday?
• Ground HAAARRRRDDDDD.
• Hi, my name is Cpt. Obvious.

Needless to say, not exactly the best activity for a Monday evening if you don’t live in DC. I think I’ll head elsewhere next time…like…a theater.

Sweet Home Fourth of July

Random candid of my cousin Amanda. When I get bored, I just shoot.

Wow, what a week! I decided to take a bit of vacay and head down south for the Fourth. I was going to hit up Airtran, but at the last moment my good friend Dawn had her plans canceled and we decided to make it a road trip instead! After pushing my flight to credit we loaded up her SUV and made some headway on Wednesday evening. We scored a sweet hotel room at the Marriott in Chattanooga on Priceline at less than a 1/3 of the advertised price…I shit you not.

The next day we made our way down to Montgomery for a little lunch at Sinclair’s with my best friend Annie. Not only did she treat us to a killer burger, but also gave us a tour of her mother’s gorgeous antebellum house that’s being remodeled (I plan on shooting it when done! Oh hells yes!) and me a bag full of venison! Tough to top that! The last little stop on the way was in Loxley where we grabbed strawberry milkshakes at Burris Farm Market. They are phenomenal! We finally hit up the beach around 6:30PM and made good with the folks before heading down to catch a glimpse of the sand and waves at night on Florida Pointe.

Friday was spent running around all of tarnation. We hit up the store since I was cooking later that evening and eventually made it up to Oysterella’s on the Causeway. We dined in for lunch with my Mom overlooking the U.S.S. Alabama.  The food was average for a similar sort of restaurant, and thus nothing to write home about. From there it was a haul back to the beach, stopping both to pick up Dawn a houndstooth U. of  Alabama hat and to pick up 5lbs of royal reds from Blalock’s Seafood. It was definitely a welcome feast when I steamed those up later that evening. Mmm… Prior to that though, I had to introduce Dawn to Dippin’ Dots (how has anyone not had them!?) and grab a beach dress for her at some local beach shop. All went well, dinner was delicious, and we ended the night by going to see the Orange Beach fireworks. Sadly, they were cut to around half the normal length, but they were nice nonetheless.

Beginning of the finale.

The Fourth came along the next day and we headed for a morning on the beach. It was gorgeous weather and hot as tarnation! Nonetheless, we had a great time walking up and down the beach, wading into the waves, and getting the powder white sand EVERYWHERE. From there we headed home for the huge party my family puts on every year. With over 30 friends and relatives over, we had a huge meal of steaks, ribs, burgers, and all of the essential side-dishes.

Sunday we decided to start the trip back to VA. We headed out early and started the trip with a delicious brunch at Spot of Tea in Mobile with a close friend of mine. The bananas foster french toast was outstanding! Paired with the strawberry sweet tea out on the patio, it all made for a great start to the day. We continued on our trip up the back-roads of Alabama, making our way through 43, 5, 25, and 69 right into God’s Country: Tuscaloosa, AL.

I gave Dawn a nice crash course in the glory that is Alabama’s campus, pointing out the important spots (including the current home of the Mallet Assembly. MUA bitches!). After chillin’ again with my best friend for a bit we all headed over to Dreamland for the best damned ribs anywhere. I treated everyone to a couple racks of ribs and delicious banana pudding. Mmm… Sadly, all good must end and we headed towards B-ham for the night to stay at my bro’s.

Sadly, this was the end of the fun for the most part. Monday was spent driving the final twelve hours to NoVa. Tuesday was spent recovering from the vacation, and Wednesday was a full day of work. Exciting, right? Exactly. So, I’m back up north and back to discovering good food, good fun, and good people. I cannot wait to fire up the grill and throw on some venison and sausage! Looking forward to making y’all jealous soon!

More images on my flickr: Family & Fireworks

Marvin, Soul Food Done Pretentiously

I headed out to U St. to meet up with a friend, Lady Glock, for brunch and a second round at Artomatic. We finally decided on hitting up Marvin for some tasty fare.

There wasn’t much traffic when we arrived for Sunday Brunch so there was an abundance of seating. Nonetheless, the hostess refused to seat us on a four-top and forced us into a two-top. Normally I wouldn’t mind a two-top so much, but the positioning of these made them feel very crowded and small. We were seated towards the back along the wall. Down the wall there was a few sections formed by 3′ high dividers that each boast a light on the end. Each compartment was set up with a two-top (along the divider), a four-top, and a final two-top. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue except that 1.) I was hot from walking from Farragut West and wanted some room, 2.) there was an ABUNDANCE of open seating, and 3.) the light on the divider burned my arm.

So, having already been given the impression that this place was very pretentious (sorry I’m not good enough for your four-top guys), I decided the restaurant desired to be held to a higher standard (which is why, I presume, they have unlamenated card-stock menus). After waiting a fairly lengthy amount of time to put in our drink order we had by then decided on our meal as well. All of the food available sounded delicious, and I finally settled on the Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Waffle with a side of fruit. The food arrived and looked amazing. The waffle was excellent and exceeded all of my expectations (good call on the sharp cheese!). The fruit side, however, had a couple of issues. The sous-chef needs to learn two very basic skills: removing the green rind from cantaloupe & removing the entire green stem from sliced strawberries.

Of course, my determination that this place is overly-pretentious was further confirmed once the check was brought…on a chrome saucer…yeah. It’s my opinion that if you want to act like a pretentious restaurant then you need to learn to get the details right. I hope to visit again sometime as the food was excellent, but I hope these small details can be ironed out in the meantime.

Artomatic is a MUST SEE event in DC!

The rubber duckie reminds me of one of my best friends, Marmar...Miss her.

I know, a normal post title. Lame? Maybe, but it took something amazing to convince me to do so. Artomatic is a local DC art show that’s in its 10th year and showcasing the work of over 1600 visual & performing artists. Needless to say, this is nine floors of awesome.

I first heard of Artomatic via twitter since a couple of people I follow(ed) actually have displays in the show. I’ve been excited about getting down to see it and I was blown away by the entire thing. I headed straight for Lady Glock’s display to admire her photography. It wasn’t long before I was able to hook up with her and hang out for awhile. She’s a cool cat and a lot of fun to harass/talk to.

From there I decided to venture around as much of the space as I could before they closed (at 1AM no less). Since I only had an hour I didn’t get a chance to study too much, though I was caught several times by many works that were simply amazing. I’ll most definitely be heading back in the coming weeks to take more time exploring all of the unique, interesting, and at times hysterical work.

Me? A geek for liking this?...neeeevveeerrrr...

While many of you might not be huge on seeing art, I think this is a worthwhile trip for anyone to make. There is every type of art imaginable in this show, including a huge peeps diorama collection! How crazy is that? There’s just enough of a variety to entertain anyone at some point and make the trip worth it for everyone.

Oh, and did I mention there’s a Hard Time Cafe & Bar? Yeah, and art show with alcohol. How badass is that?

For kicks, here’s a few artist’s websites that had work I loved:

Lady Glock
Candace Keegan
Matt Dunn