C – A friend of mine was surprised recently when she opened my utensil drawer and found a take out menu in place of anything that could possibly be used to cook. I tend to order out quite a bit and when it comes to sushi, there are a lot of choices in the DC area. Koi Koi Sushi and Roll is one of the best. Worth a trip from outside the Falls Church City borders, Koi Koi offers a diverse menu and extraordinarily friendly service.
Bonus: it’s really, really good.
I tend to get takeout, obviously, but I have also eaten in several times. The restaurant is small, but it’s clean, modern, comfortable and casual. On one occasion, a friend of mine brought her toddler. The waitresses were so attentive and genuinely enjoyed teaching the two-year-old how to use chopsticks.
Koi Koi is a neighborhood restaurant that caters to all who enter. Friday and Saturday evenings are packed, so try a weeknight or lunch. I recommend the Rainbow Roll, Alaska Roll, Spicy Tuna Tempura Roll and Gyoza.
Sometimes the budget is a bit tight or maybe even non-existent – but you still want to go out and do something. Fortunately, DC is one of those cities where you can actually get out and do quite a few things for free.
Here we list six things that we like to do and are FREE! And if you have anything add to this list, let us know!
K’s picks:
The Jazz in the Garden Series at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Gallery.
After a long work week what’s better than sitting in the Sculpture Garden drink in hand, or possibly a picnic, and listening to some great music around art sculptures? Every Friday from 5 – 8:30 p.m.
The National Portrait Gallery is a fabulous adventure through history. Here you can see portraits of past U.S. presidents such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. You can also see exhibitions such as “Bound for Freedom’s Light: African Americans and the Civil War,” which is showing until March 2014. In addition, according to their website, they have new acquisitions including a painting of Amerigo Vespucci, a bronze sculpture of Ethel Waters and a patinated plaster sculpture of Dwight Eisenhower, photographs of Marjorie Merriweather Post, Mary Pickford and Muhammad Ali and prints of George Washington, Charles Willson Peale, Helena Rubinstein and Samuel Adams. The museum also offers free gallery talks and tours.
The museum is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Eastern Market is just everything. It’s website says it’s the oldest continually operating fresh food, public market in DC. You can find almost anything here such as antiques, handmade jewelry, arts and crafts, local produce, hats and flowers. You can easily spend a day here looking around, shopping, having lunch and just enjoying the atmosphere. It is open every day except Monday.
C’s picks:
Concerts in the park, Falls Church Feeling disconnected? Grab a chair or blanket and head to the summer Concerts in the Park series at Falls Church’s Cherry Hill Park. Held every Thursday at 7pm from July 20 – August 1, this series attracts families, singles, retirees and a few well-behaved dogs. Bring a picnic or buy snacks there.
Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center I often hear people say they’ve never been to the Kennedy Center because it’s too expensive. Did you know the Kennedy Center stages at least on free performance every day of the year? Check out the Millennium Stage in the Grand Foyer for free, quality entertainment in a spectacular building.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial The FDR Memorial, located on the Tidal Basin, is kind of a hidden gem… in plain sight. It’s no tourist’s first destination, but it’s such a great area to spend a few hours. During Cherry Blossom season, it’s the place to be. A Park Ranger tour of the memorial is free.
K – The other day C and I were in Old Town for a workshop and arrived early. We were going to head to Starbucks for a coffee but I had to go to an ATM first, which is when we came across Uptowner Cafe off of King Street. C suggested that we check it out and I’m always up for something so inside we went to give it a try.
Inside was really cute and it almost looked like someone’s kitchen. They had a display of pastries and offered bagels, sandwiches and different beverages. C had a chocolate brownie coffee, which sounded very decadent and she seemed to enjoy. I had a vanilla, skim latte that was a little sweet (glad I didn’t add sugar!) but was still very good. We didn’t try any of the food so can’t say anything about that but we did enjoy our coffees and the atmosphere. So if ever there isn’t a Starbucks around, don’t fret – be adventurous – try something new!
C – On the grounds of what used to be the Merrifield Multiplex in Fairfax, anchoring the newly developed Mosaic Center and standing directly across from the new and super awesome Super Target, there is a new way to enjoy film. The Angelika Mosaic Film Center & Café opened late last year and it has quickly become the place to be. With only three other locations — two in Texas and one in New York — the Angelika Film Center isn’t a big chain. The concept, according to the website, is a state-of-the-art boutique cinema that exhibits “the highest quality art, independent and specialty films in a cutting edge theatrical environment.” IT IS GORGEOUS. Everything is new, modern and spotless. There’s a café/lounge you can relax in or you can take your meal to-go… right into the theater. They also offer, wine, beer and expresso drinks. At $13 for an adult ticket you might think it’s extraordinarily expensive, however, most other theaters in the area are about $12 for evening shows. If you catch a show before 4pm at Angelika it’s $11, and if you decide on a morning movie it very economical at $6 (M-Th only).
One might think the Angelika is all about the art house films, but Man of Steel, The Great Gatsby and Star Trek Into Darkness are all playing there right now (June 2013). It’s a nice mix that also includes Mud, Quartet and Before Midnight. I chose Before Midnight as I was a fan of the first and second movies Before Sunrise in 1995, and Before Sunset in 2004. These are not my usual kind of movies… talky, talk, talk, blahdy, blah, blah. But they work for me, somehow. Perhaps partly because the characters are my age. I grew up with them and I’ve been so interested to see what happens to them over the years. I was literally the only person in the theater — at 2pm on a Monday — which felt a bit weird, but I got over it as I was absorbed into the long scenes of continuous dialogue. (For some reason, I sat in the pre-assigned seat I chose at the ticket desk. That might be something to analyze later). If you haven’t seen the first two in the series, I’m not sure how Before Midnight would go down for you. If you have seen them and you want to continue the journey with Celine and Jesse, I’d highly recommend a trip to the theater.
DC Scout is an email newsletter from the Washington Post about shopping in the DC metro area. The newsletter has articles about shopping sales and events, DC Scout exclusive deals, plus style, decor, and beauty tips.
Recently, DC Scout had a 5th Anniversary party at the Renaissance Dupont Hotel and a friend invited me to attend with her. I wasn’t sure what to expect but was up to the adventure.
When I got there I received a couple of tickets for cocktails, quite a few “gift” tickets and a stamp on my hand that got me a “goody” bag filled with different samples,coupons and a recipe book from Little Black Dress Vodka. The cocktails that were supplied by Little Black Dress Vodka included Pineapple Splash, Soda Shop and Blueberry Lemonade. I tried the Soda Shop cocktail that had black cherry vanilla vodka and diet coke – I liked it!
As I had the VIP ticket, I entered the event at the earlier hour of the event, which included a “buffet” of hors d’oeuvres including cheeses, crackers, hummus and pita. And the best part…..Georgetown Cupcakes!! I had the chocolate mint one and well, it was heavenly!
I also had a chance to visit the booths before the general admission. I had the opportunity to chat with Ryan Hansan from Scratch DC; the gals from South Moon Under who had a table of beautifully scented candles that I was able to exchange a gift ticket for; Gossip on 23rd where I picked up a pretty Murano glass ring; Queen Bee Designs that had a display of gorgeous earrings and James Majewski from Hugh and Crye that was a bit of a change of pace with tailored men’s shirts and pocket squares. Those were just a few of the cool booths that were there.
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One of the things at the event I didn’t experience was the photo booth where you could go in with friends and wear goofy glasses and such and have your photo taken.
If you ever wondered what happens at events like this – now you have an idea! – K
C – I’m embarrassed to admit I didn’t know E Street Cinema existed. I mean, I knew it was technically there, I just thought it was a small one-theater operation. Kind of boutique-y and possibly a bit shabby. I was so wrong. There are eight theaters running underground and, according to the website, they screen first-run independent and foreign language films, documentary features and classic revivals. Here’s the best part: there’s beer. There’s also an espresso bar with fresh, locally-baked pastries, cookies and gourmet chocolates. But, I’m all about the beer.
On Saturday, I went to see the DC premiere of Dirty Wars. Written by Jeremy Scahill, the guy who wrote the book on Blackwater, Dirty Wars examines America’s covert war operations. The film is controversial and is worth a watch especially if you want to understand this side of the debate. That said, I felt the film relied too much on dramatic devices and, actually, Scahill himself. At the end of the film, Scahill casually stepped to the front of the theater with a microphone and announced he would be taking questions, comments and, if you wanted to yell at him, that was cool too. I love that. The film was incredibly thought-provoking and it certainly invites discussion no matter what your own views are. Having the writer and, for lack of a better term, star there to respond to audience feedback provided additional context around his thesis. And Washington, DC isn’t the easiest place to stand up and do this. Props to Scahill for having serious cojones.
You’re going to have to trust us… that’s Jeremy Scahill. Someday C will get an iPhone!
The National Press Club, a private club for journalists and communications professionals, has been a Washington institution for more than a century. It was founded as a haven for Washington reporters to relax, enjoy a drink and play cards.
Presidents, premiers, kings and queens, Cabinet secretaries, senators and House members, movie stars and sports heroes, titans of business and finance – just a who’s who of the 20th and the 21st centuries have walked through the Press Club’s door. Here they have found an enthusiastic audience of journalists waiting to grill them with questions and get the news out around the world.
I’ve gone to various events at the Press Club and have heard various people speak including Depak Chopra, Alec Baldwin, Rep. Barney Frank and Dr. Lobsang Sangay, the prime minister of Tibet.
Although many of the events are for members only, there are quite a few events for non-members as well. Many of the luncheons – which are a great opportunity to hear some very, interesting and high profile people speak on a topic they are passionate about and get a fantastic lunch – are open to non-members for a reasonably priced ticket.
I recently went to the 2013 Gerald Ford Journalism Awards. I had a delicious lunch and got to hear Congressman Fred Upton, a Michigan Republican, and David Gergen, senior political analyst for CNN recount some interesting stories about reporters and President Gerald Ford. I also heard childhood stories from Steven Ford about his father. The recipients of the awards were John Dickerson, chief political correspondent for Slate and political director for CBS News and winner of the 2013 prize for distinguished reporting on the presidency; and Hal Bernton, reporter for the Seattle Times and winner of the 2013 prize for coverage of national defense issues.
If listening to people who make the news is interesting to you check out the events at the Club, you never know what kind of story you’ll hear or what kind of people you will meet – either way, you will have an opportunity for a great lunch!
C – Don’t you just love Wolf Trap? It’s a National Park that happens to be a first class performing arts venue. And on a gorgeous night, it’s the best place to enjoy a picnic in the Metro DC area. I’ve been attending Wolf Trap performances since I was a child. My mother used to buy lawn tickets, set up a blanket with a picnic and let me run around while she sipped her chardonnay out of a plastic wine glass. One of the things you notice at Wolf Trap is the diverse crowd. Children playing, mixed in with couples, singles, friends, families and grandparents — the demographics would confuse any market researcher. It truly is a venue all can enjoy.
On Friday, I went to see The Mikado (or, The Town of Titipu) — a satirical operetta set in Japan. With characters like Nanki Poo, Pooh-Bah, and Yum-Yum, you are primed for giggles from the start. The Mikado is one of those things everyone has seen, or has seen a part of, and each incarnation offers a slightly different interpretation. The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players have been performing The Mikado every year at Wolf Trap since 1985. Sticking mostly true to the original intent of the work, they veered into some modern territory. References to the Department of Homeland Security, DC101 and the IRS added a little bit of local and topical flavor. In the list of those who “never would be missed” were obsessive Facebookers, texters who used ROFL and LMFAO, and Michelle Bachman. I felt like they overdid the current references slightly, but the audience loved it (they were ROFL) and since Gilbert & Sullivan is really opera for people who aren’t into opera, it all worked really well.
A quick note on Wolf Trap: you can bring in your own picnic (alcohol too!) but you can’t eat or drink anything but water in the covered theatre area. Water is essential during hot summer performances, so bring your own. Buying a bottle there will run you $4.50.
C – A friend of mine was surprised recently when she opened my utensil drawer and found a take out menu in place of anything that could possibly be used to cook. I tend to order out quite a bit and when it comes to sushi, there are a lot of choices in the DC area. Koi Koi Sushi and Roll is one of the best. Worth a trip from outside the Falls Church City borders, Koi Koi offers a diverse menu and extraordinarily friendly service.
2GirlsinDC 