Passion Fish

C – Seriously, the best salmon in town. I mean look at that thing. Back in August, K and I decided we needed a lunch break and met at Passion Fish in Reston Town Center. We were pleasantly surprised to find out it was Restaurant Week, which meant we both got a 3-course meal for $20.14. (Very sad that it crept up on us. We’re usually so in tune with that stuff! We’ll be better for the winter dates – we swear!)

We both went for the Miso-Glazed Organic Salmon because, as an entree, the cost would have been $23, but the 3-course meal was, obviously, less. Clearly some serious value for the money. K started with the Crab + Corn Soup and I had the Beet Salad.

We finished with the Chocolate Mousse Crunch. All in all, an unexpectedly decadent lunch for a random Wednesday. We loved it.

Passion Fish
11960 Democracy Drive
Reston, VA

2014 Mark Twain Prize at the Kennedy Center

C – Nothing but the best of the cheap seats for me. I’m loving my Kennedy Center membership. I’ve mentioned it previously and I’ve really taken full advantage of the perks, however it paid off big time over the weekend. The hot ticket in town was The 17th Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, and I was there.

A little slice of Hollywood in DC (note that the Kennedy Center conveniently already has red carpeting). Jimmy Fallon, Jerry Seinfeld, Robert Klein, Seth Meyers, Chelsea Handler, Wanda Sykes, Garth Brooks and Kristen Chenowith (I know I’m missing a few) all honored Leno with performances. It was like a comedy fest and, quite honestly, a little painful to laugh uninterrupted for 2 solid hours. But we had a blast. Members get first dibs on tickets so it was pretty much sold out before it went on sale to the public. So, if I haven’t said it enough, let me reiterate: the best $120 ever spent. Membership at the contributor level allowed me to get front row tier 2 seats for $85 each. Once regular seats were sold out, sponsorship packages started at $5k. So, there’s that.

The 17th Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor airs on PBS stations nationwide on Sunday, November 23, 2014 at 8 p.m. ET.

Bug

K- Over the weekend I saw Dominion Stage’s community theater production “Bug.”  The play’s synopsis: “Set in a seedy Oklahoma City motel room, the play centers on Agnes, a divorced waitress with a fondness for cocaine, isolation, and guilt. Agnes hides in her hotel room, in a haze of alcohol and drugs, hoping to avoid her physically abusive ex-husband, Jerry, who was just released from prison. Into her sordid life comes Peter, a soft-spoken Gulf War veteran introduced by her lesbian friend, R.C. As Agnes becomes more involved with Peter, he shares his theories about the war in Iraq, UFOs, the Oklahoma City bombing, cult suicides, and secret government experiments on soldiers. What poses the greater danger to Agnes: Jerry’s violence, Peter’s delusions, or all the creepy bugs infesting her room?”

The play was a bit quirky, which I think you can get from the synopsis and the actors did a wonderful job portraying the characters. It had great reviews from the MD Theatre Guide and DC Metro Theatre Arts. Unfortunately, the auditorium barely had anyone in it.

DC has amazing opportunities to participate in the arts on various levels be it theatre, music, visual arts, etc. I know many people don’t attend community theater shows as they are afraid of paying for something that’s going to be a disaster on stage. But believe me, many of these shows are amazing and quite a few actors are very good at their craft and may be up and coming.

If you get a chance, go see “Bug” and if you miss it, there are plenty of other opportunities to see some great DC actors in various dramas, comedies and musicals.

Bug Performance Dates:
October  F, TH 16, FR 17, and SA 18, 2014

Curtain Time: 
Thursday, Friday, Saturday (8pm)

Buy Tickets

Performances of Bug will be held at:
Gunston Arts Center – Theatre One
2700 S. Lang Street
Arlington, VA 22206

This play contains strong language, sexual situations, depictions of drug and alcohol use and violence.

 

 

 

Mad Fox’s Hoppy Oktoberfest

C – The last Saturday in September saw Mad Fox’s annual Oktoberfest in Falls Church, and this year did not disappoint. The line to get in stretched through the parking lot, but everyone managed to get into the Market Square in good time. It was a family (and pet) friendly event, which made the atmosphere happy and lively.

My favorite pour of the day

There was an impressive selection of the region’s top IPA’s and Oktoberfest beers along with pretzel bites, bratwurst and chili. Admission was technically free, but to eat and drink you had to buy tickets and a souvenir mini-beer stein. $20 for 6, 4 oz. pours worked quite nicely for me, though some in my party opted to mix in some food. The weather was amazing, the music was good and the company was outstanding. I’d recommend it for next year!

Mad Fox Brewing Company
444 West Broad Street, Suite I
Falls Church, VA 22046

Florencia in the Amazon at the Kennedy Center

Photo taken from Kennedy Center website.

K- I confess I do like opera although that hasn’t always been the case. As a kid, when my mother listened to opera I used to think that it sounded like chickens being strangled. However, living in Europe, I could easily attend an opera or classical singing from anywhere such as a church or the street corner. After awhile I learned to appreciate it. So when C asked me to go to Florencia of the Amazon at the Kennedy Center I said “yes, certainly!”

First we started with dinner and a drink at the bar. It actually wasn’t crowded sowe were able to get a table. The mussels were good, but I would say the frites were even better – especially with beer.  After dinner, we dashed to the opera house and went to our seats. As the seats aren’t on a huge incline, being a short person, I asked to sit near the aisle so I could peek around anyone sitting in front of me.  The show was in Spanish and had the subtitles above the stage. The story was interesting, which was basically an opera diva returns to the Amazon to see her true love. Although the actors did a great job and the singing was beautiful, it was much better not knowing what they were singing. Seeing the subtitles saying “Iguana, I don’t like eating Iguana!” or something like that, kind of ruined it for me.  But overall I enjoyed it. I think the show is no longer, but if you get a chance to an opera – La Boheme is coming up – I would recommend it.

C – That’s hilarious. I totally agree with K on the subtitles. And there were a few parts of the opera that made me go, “hmmmmm.” I will say that we got the best of the cheap seats – $25/each – and that’s because this year I became a member of the Kennedy Center. I’m at the second level which is “contributor” for $120/year. Here’s why it’s worth it:

• Ticket priority! Weeks before shows go on sale to the public, members can choose from their pick of seats. In the past few months I’ve seen the Magic Flute, Jerry Seinfeld and Florencia in the Amazon. In the next few months, I’m headed to Evita, the Mark Twain Prize and La Boheme. The cheap seats sell out first, so ticket priority has been key.
• Member lounges. At this level, it’s nothing fancy. But during intermission, do you really want to stand in a concession line? Coffee, lemonade, water M&M’s and cookies are available in the member lounge. I’ll take it!
• $2 parking coupons. OK-So it really only reduces the cost to $21 to park, but still. It’s something.

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The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
2700 F Street, NW
Washington, DC 20566