Dumbarton Oaks Park

K- Near Georgetown there is a gorgeous, little park called Dumbarton Oaks Park.  Last weekend took Heidi, the dog, for a humid, adventurous walk to see what this park was like. We walked for two hours and didn’t see the whole thing. Part of the reason is we ended up on “Lover’s Lane,” which is kind of part of Rock Creek Park and goes to Dumbarton Oaks Park. However it was a nice path in itself. Despite the recent rains and a bit of mud, quite a few people were walking about and enjoying the scenery.  Everything was pretty and green and the creek made a nice burbling sound as the water rushed through. If you are looking for a place to have a Zen moment, I recommend coming here and having a leisurely walk or picnic.

There are several ways to access Dumbarton Oaks Park. Many or most people take a short stroll downhill along an asphalted pedestrian-only lane, Lovers’ Lane, which descends from R Street NW in Georgetown. Lovers’ Lane is located approximately 200 feet east of R Street and 31st Street NW.  Lovers’ Lane separates Dumbarton Oaks estate from Montrose Park and is signposted by a green-on-white wooden plaque reading,  “Dumbarton Oaks Park, Open Dawn to Dusk.”  The lane descends one-fourth of a mile to the Park entrance at the bottom of the hill. Free, street parking is available on R Street NW.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Natitude Friday!

K- I admit, I’m not big on watching sports, at least not on television, but I am willing and enjoy going to watch sports live.  I’ve gone to see the Wizards (sorry, couldn’t help myself), the Caps and of course the Nats.

Summer is a great time to go to a baseball game, especially with friends.  You can get a ticket anywhere in the range from 30-something dollars to well over a hundred, just depends on what you want. I’ve sat in the “nosebleed” section, which I really don’t like as the players look like ants, to the “Diamond” section that is much closer, people come to take your drink orders and the bathrooms are much nicer. Whatever your budget, you can go watch a game.

I went last Friday night and got to watch a fabulous game, especially since the Nats beat the Pirates – granted it wasn’t the strike out like Saturday night, but still pretty darned good! And of course the Racing Presidents is always fun.

However, if you do go to a game, know that Metro is miserable. Train cars are packed – especially the Green line to and from the stadium – and after the game you have a huge mass of humanity trying to get home by train. This means long lines trying to get through the few turnstiles, get down the escalators and on the train. Just be prepared and patient. If you drive, it can be easier if you are willing to pay the parking fees. I’ve done it a couple of times and preferred it. I haven’t tried taking Uber to the game, but it’s a thought!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Going Native

K-Last week I decided to head to Penn Quarter and grab some lunch. I had passed Native Foods Café a couple of times and really had wanted to try it but was a bit tight on time due to meetings.  However, they have the option to order online and pick it up, so I did.

Native Foods Café claims they make everything fresh daily—from their homemade tempeh and seitan, to their Native Cheese, sauces and drinks, dressings and desserts. Their entire menu is 100% plant-based and they are very eco-friendly.

I ordered the Greek Gyro Bowl that had the sliced Native Peppered Seitan sautéed with shallots on quinoa, steamed vegetables and kale with lemon-garlic sauce and hummus; Native Fries and the lavender lemonade.

Ordering online and picking up my order was pretty easy and no issues. The people at the counter were very friendly and helpful. For the lemonade, they give you a cup and you fill it up at the condiment/drinks bar.

Once back at my desk, I took out the eco-friendly “bowl.”  The portion was huge, definitely enough for two lunches and same with the fries. The vegetables looked and tasted fresh, kale done nicely and the lemon-garlic sauce, which seemed like it was mixed with the hummus was very garlicky and good.  The seitan added a nice flavour and wasn’t too salty, which sometimes happens at other establishments. The fries were crisp and seasoned and the lavender lemonade was good but a bit too sweet for me. It did have the taste of lavender so if you don’t believe you would be too keen on that, I’d say skip it and go for something else.

If you are vegan, vegetarian or someone who just wants to switch it up on occasion I would recommend trying it. I was quite happy with my lunch and am looking forward to returning.

Hours: Sun 11:00am–7:00pm

Mon–Sat 11:00am–9:00pm

701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004

202-347-1848

Having a Ball for a Cause

K- As some of you know, I volunteer for the Washington Humane Society however I also volunteer for the National Capital Area Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Leukemia Ball. Last Saturday was the big night of the Ball and it was amazing.

The Leukemia Ball is one of the largest non-political black-tie events in Washington, DC and approximately 2,000 guests attend it each year. It was held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and evening entertainment was provided by Michael Cavanaugh and comedian Howie Mandel.

It was remarkable to see how many companies had donated items for the silent auction as well as what they donated. American Airlines donated trips to Paris and St. Maarten among others; Rose’s Luxury offered a chance to skip the line and a $100 gift certificate towards dinner; executive chef Tom Nicklow gave a lucky winner the chance to have him come to their house and cook for six; there were sports items such as hockey pucks, helmets and a Zimmerman jersey; jewelry, paintings, pet items, wine – just about anything you could imagine! Mercedes-Benz also donated two new cars towards the raffle – which I did not win and am quite sad about. Overall though, the evening raised $3.13 million for the cause.

For me, the opportunity to volunteer is manifold. I get to meet some wonderful people, have new experiences and best of all, and help a cause gain attention and funding to reach their goals. I highly recommend it!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Mango Tree in DC

K-Last night a friend and I went to Mango Tree at DC’s City Center.  According to its website  the restaurant was founded in 1994 and the original Mango Tree is located in a beautiful Thai house in Bangkok built during the reign of King Rama VI, almost 100 years ago. The chain has restaurants in cities including London, Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, Dubai and Manila.

The Mango Tree restaurant group, has partnered up with acclaimed chef / owner Richard Sandoval of Richard Sandoval restaurants for the DC restaurant and per the website “offers contemporary Thai cuisine with a bold new twist, along with authentic essential classics.”

I chose Mango Tree due to Tom Sietsema’s review in the Washington Post.  However, after I made the reservation, I began to read Yelp reviews and became a bit nervous after reading about people not getting their entrees even after a three hour wait, “meh” food, couldn’t find the dining area and other negative comments.  I warned my friend that we could be in for an unpleasant surprise.  Fortunately all that doom and gloom was for nothing.

I arrived a bit early so I sat down at the bar to have an happy hour drink at the bar. During happy hour drinks and snacks are $6.  I asked Tim, the bartender, about the strawberry basil caipirinha and he assured me that it was very good. I looked at him and said, “Ok, but then I’m going to expect it’s going to be amazing.” He said he would make sure of it.  I got my drink and took a sip and it was very good. Thanks Tim!

When my friend arrived he also had a caipirinha and as we were having drinks we asked if there was a way to let the dining room know that we were in the bar so we would be a little late – they said no problem and they would take care of it – mind you, this was around 5:15 p.m.  After about 15 minutes the hostess came down to the bar and asked if we were ready to go to the dining room – yes, we were – and she asked if we would like someone to carry our drinks up for us – nope, we were fine.

Dining room is beautiful. The windows are huge so you can get a great view of outside, yes its streets and buildings but hey, you are in the city.  Daniel, our server, was very knowledgeable about the food and answered all of our questions patiently, including some smart ass ones from my friend.

I ordered the grilled baby octopus salad and the eggplant and mushroom curry and my friend ordered the chili flake calamari and the grilled Portobello mushroom curry.  The salad was very good but if you are one that doesn’t care for spicy heat, I wouldn’t recommend it. I like spicy and didn’t mind that it caused my nose to run. The calamari was nice and crisp but the green apple and wasabi sauce was also spicy.  Both curries were very good but were not very spicy – maybe they were, but just not as spicy as the appetizers! We did have dessert, the mango cheese cake.  The cheesecake was light and tasted more creamy than cheese and the mango slices – one was good and the other must have been cut near the pit as it was a bit tough – made it very decorative. It was a nice dessert. Overall, I would say the meal was good – not amazing but good – and a little pricey.  I’m glad I went there once, but with all of the fabulous restaurants around town I’m unsure if I would return.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Cheers! WHS #Sugar and Champagne

K- Last week I volunteered/attended the Washington Humane Society’s Sugar and Champagne Affair and I must say, what a treat!

Many fabulous chefs from restaurants such as Black Salt, Hanks Oyster Bar, Trummer’s on Main, Bastille and Equinox were represented at the event and it was difficult to decide what delightful pastries I would relish for the evening.

I tasted a mouth-watering tiramisu, champagne cake, a macaroon interestingly frozen, a boozy vegan shake, a profiterole oozing with a fruit jam, among a few other tantalizing sweets. I did get some non-sweet delectables such as a lovely, fresh ceviche and sweet potato soup.  I also picked up some cute little dog biscuits for my pup – who went crazy for the treats. Oh and did I mention the champagne? It went delightfully with everything! Although if you would rather something other than champagne there were some mixed drinks.

The reception was at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center and honored local animal crusaders while raising critical funds to help care for the homeless pet population in our nation’s capital. The hosts of the affair were Chef Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray.

I would highly recommend going to this event with your friends  next year. Besides raising money for a fabulous cause, it’s also a great way to taste some scrumptious treats with a glass of bubbly and well-dressed pups!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Luncheon with a purpose

K- In DC, there are many opportunities to volunteer your time to help a worthy cause or two. I volunteer for the Washington Humane Society and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Annual Ball.  I enjoy helping out these commendable causes but I’ll admit that it can sometimes be a challenge as far as time management as I also have a full-time job as well as this blog.  However I have found that the people who run these non-profits are appreciative when people volunteer, completely understand time constraints and will work around them so you can still help out where you are able.

Last Thursday the Leukemia Ball had its Holiday Luncheon sponsored by BB&T at the Army Navy Country Club, to talk about the upcoming ball. An huge annual event that takes months of planning.

The 2015 Leukemia Ball, sponsored by Pharma, is a massive event and since 1988 has raised nearly $52 million for the fight against leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma. One of the ways the Ball raises money is through a raffle. This year Mercedes-Benz donated two cars to be raffled off: grand prize, C400 4MATIC Sedan and first prize GLA250 4MATIC SUV at $100 a ticket.

The black-tie event, held each year, hosts approximately 2,000 guests and entertains them with various artists; this year’s entertainment is Jim Gaffigan, the comedian, and Michael Cavanaugh.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

If you’re interested in the event click here.

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.

 

 

 

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.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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

Walking in DC

K- I am a walker. I love to walk the city be it NYC, London, Paris, wherever because I find that’s the best way to find the most interesting places. DC is such a “walkable” city. Yeah, you got Metro, Uber, taxis and buses but why when you can easily walk from Georgetown to Penn Quarter or Dupont Circle to the Smithsonian?

Through walking I’ve found places like Firefly – a restaurant off New Hampshire that has a great happy hour, Propper Topper – a cute little shop that carries the coolest hats for women and men among other items, Tiny Jewel Box – an amazing jewelry store with a very knowledgeable owner and Petersen House – where President Lincoln took his final breath.

These are places I may have heard about, seen on the Internet or some other place but may not have necessarily visited. But walking around the city and coming upon them made me want to go inside, if not that day then another. I admit I walked past them quite a few times before I went inside but I know that I never would have if I hadn’t.

Besides coming upon interesting places the other great thing about walking is looking at the architecture. There are some amazing buildings and old houses in the area. There is the Old Stone House in Georgetown built in 1765; the Willard Hotel built in 1816; Carnegie Library on 801 K St. NW built in 1902 and the Patterson Mansion (the Washington Club) at Dupont Circle was built in 1903 and that’s not including all of the other old houses in that area.

So next time you’re thinking of taking the bus to Foggy Bottom, taxi to U Street or Metro to Penn Quarter, take a walk. You’ll never know what you’ll find!