Heaven in Two Bites

Two years ago, NPR rather boldly declared that macarons were the next cupcakes.  Since then, I haven't seen any signs that America's love affair with cupcakes is waning.  That's a-ok with me because I love a good cupcake--particularly when the ratio of frosting to cake is sky high.  That said, I was happy to hear about the arrival of macarons on the desert scene, though I didn't have a whole lot of options to develop a love affair with these little confections.

That all changed when The Sweet Lobby arrived on Capitol Hill.  Tucked into a tiny space between Dunkin' Donuts and my go-to place for Thai take-out, The Sweet Lobby offers the most divine macarons.  They are the perfect combination of crunchy, chewy, creamy, and gooey--and, in the case of the hazelnut-praline salted caramel macarons, salty and sweet.  In a word, they are "amazing" (though it would be more accurate to take two words and call them "absolutely amazing").  I have a hard time trying to decide between all of the flavors (raspberry, chocolate, pistachio, lemon--I'll take one of each please!) and the rainbow of colors.  They come beautifully package in a pretty little box so I've been justifying my repeat purchases as gifts to myself.  Since The Sweet Lobby opened, I've been OBSESSED with this place and these little bites of heaven.  If you're in the neighborhood, go now!  And get a box for me!

(Photos courtesy of The Sweet Lobby.)

Great Minds Think Alike

There's a great deli in the Atlas District (they've since expanded to a couple of other locations in the D.C. area), called Taylor Gourmet.  Actually, it's better than a deli because they have risotto balls, fried ravioli, and mozzarella sticks.  (How can you go wrong?!?)  But what I really love about this place is the sandwich names.  Lombard Avenue.  JFK Boulevard. Wharton Street.  Sound like any other little business you know? 

All of the names at Taylor Gourmet refer to Philadelphia streets (and other landmarks), where both of the owners are from.  Yellow House Knits pays obviously pays homage to the streets I drive everyday here in the District, but I still think it's fun that we both took the same approach. 

And, if I do say so myself, we both offer great products!

Out Walking

Since it's freezing cold here in D.C., Bullet and I decided to go for a little evening walk along the Mall (What were we thinking?!?!).  It was too cold to stay out for long, but I did manage to snap this cool picture of the Washington Monument.  I am NOT a good photographer, but every now and then I take one I like.  My night pictures never turn out well, so this was a particularly exciting moment for me!

Singing in the Rain

Last night, I was on my way home from work, absorbed in my own thoughts, when all of a sudden I heard the sounds of Broadway ringing through the air.  Specifically, I heard someone singing "Defying Gravity" from "Wicked," which is one of my favorite songs.  Intrigued, I stopped to investigate and found out that it was courtesy of the Navy Band, which performs every Tuesday at the Navy Memorial.

I was familiar with the Navy Band's Summer Concert Series, but I always assumed that the concerts featured more traditional "band" music.  But last night seemed to feature Broadway numbers exclusively.  Being the Broadway junkie that I am, I was loving it!  They also did a very elaborate medley of Four Seasons songs from the musical "Jersey Boys," which had everyone singing along.

I was having so much fun and was prepared to abandon my walk home altogether to stay for the rest of the concert, but then it started to rain, and they called the show early.  I didn't think it was raining hard enough to cut it short, but I guess it wasn't very pleasant for the performers.

In the limited time I was there, I realized that the concerts are a delightful way to enjoy a summer evening. I hope to get to another one soon!

(photo courtesy of the U.S. Navy Band)

Happy Fourth of July!

The Fourth of July is quickly becoming one of my favorite holidays, probably because I've developed a Fourth of July routine that includes some of my favorite events.

First, I ran the Autism Speaks 5K in Potomac, Maryland.  I've run this race every year for the past five years, and I've watched it grow from a small, community race to a real event.  The course runs through a Potomac neighborhood and, while lovely, is really hilly.  Which means that it kicks my butt every year.  But it's all worth it because the race raises money for a great cause.  And they always have pizza at the finish line.  (Nothing like a slice of pizza at 9am after running three miles!).

After the race, I rushed home to make it in time for the Capitol Hill parade.  The parade is, hands down, my favorite Hill event.  It is not a sophisticated affair (more like festive chaos), but everyone comes out to see the parade and celebrate the holiday.

The Marine Corps band is the most polished part of the parade.  But in my opinion, cheering as the local boys' basketball team does its thing and collecting candy from the Girls Scouts is just as much fun.   To me, the parade epitomizes the community and neighborhood spirit that I love about the Hill.

The parade is not Mr. Bullet's favorite event.  I think the heat and noise and crowds are a little too much for him, but he tolerates it.  And he puts with the American flag and parade beads I make him wear at least through the end of the parade.

Later in the evening, Mr. Bullet and I walked to the Library of Congress to watch the fireworks.  It's a great place to see the fireworks without having to brave the crowds and security checks on the Mall.  I think they were better than ever this year!

Hope you had a happy Fourth as well!

Walking Home Along America's Main Street

I try to run or walk home as much as I can after work, and now that I've committed to walk home at least once a week in my 35 Before 36 list, I'm doing it even more.  It's only about 2.5 miles to my house on Capitol Hill, so there's really no excuse not to.

I realize that sometimes I'm in such a rush to get home that I don't appreciate all of the history and tradition, government and policy, and art and culture that I walk past every day.  I can't imagine many other people have that same wondrous walk home (although a walk home along a river or through a small town is remarkable in its own way). 

Obviously the specific view changes with the route I take.  Yesterday, I walked home along America's Main Street--Pennsylvania Avenue.  I took my Blackberry with me so I could share some of the scenery.  Here's only some of what I saw: 

The Old Post Office.  One of my favorite buildings in D.C.  It's hard for me to imagine that so much space was needed to process the mail:

The FBI Building in all of its Form Equals Function gloriousness:

The Navy Memorial:

The National Archives:

The Newseum.  A very cool tribute to what we consider news and how the news is communicated to the public: 

The Canadian Embassy: 

The National Gallery of Art: 

The Federal Trade Commission: 

YOUR U.S. Capitol:

The National Mall looking west: 

The U.S. Botantical Gardens.  Also on my 35 Before 36 list:

Statute of President Garfield.  I never figured out what he did to be recognized in such a prominent position in front of the Capitol:

YOUR U.S. Capitol again.  I think this building it so great that it warrants two a side view in addition to the front view we saw already:

The Cannon House Office Building.  There are two other House Office Buildings, but in the interest of showing some restraint here, I included only one:

The Library of Congress Jefferson Building.  Again, there are two other buildings, but I didn't include them all: 

And, last but not least, the Hawk 'n' Dove, a Hill institution, where Hill interns and staffers have talked politics since 1967.  

Thanks for keeping me company on my walk home!!

Top Chef D.C.

I'm something of a TV-aholic.  If I posted about every inane television show that I'm currently obsessed with (I can't wait for new episodes of Undercover Boss!), this blog would quickly quickly spin out of control.  So I work really hard to limit my TV commentary.

That said, I can't resist telling you how excited I am about the new season of Top Chef, which is set in D.C.  I love Top Chef, no matter the City, and I really love going to the cheftestants' actual restaurants.  Zaytinya and Good Stuff Eatery, here in D.C., where you'll find Mike Isabella and Spike, are two of my favorites.  I also really like Perilla, in New York, which was opened by Harold Dieterle, the very first winner of Top Chef.  And I'm dying to try Volt, which is Bryan Voltaggio's restaurant in Frederick, but I haven't been able to get up there yet. 

But I digress.  I hope this season of Top Chef shows off D.C.'s great culinary scene.  And I hope viewers get a "flavor" for what a dynamic, beautiful city this is.  And I predict that Angelo will take home the win. 

Pups in the Park!

Yesterday, I worked at Pups in the Park at Nationals Stadium.  Pups in the Park is a fundraiser for the Washington Humane Society.  For an extra $5, Washington Nationals fans were allowed to bring their dogs to the game.  The event is wildly popular and sells out every time.

It was so much fun!  There were tons of dogs there, and they all had a great time.  They sniffed and socialized and even had their own seats.  (Seeing the dogs in the stands was absolutely hysterical!)  I think they even had some hot dogs and nachos too . . .

Also, in attendance were a bunch of dogs who are available for adoption, who got lots of love and attention and a couple of solid adoption applications, which was exciting.  People also donated a lot of money, which is always good.

Perhaps the highlight for me was getting my picture taken with Abe Lincoln, one of the Racing Presidents (the Nationals' mascots).

I hope the Nats will do Pups in the Park more often (and offer more dog tickets at each event).  It raised money and awareness for a GREAT cause, and it's a really good time!

Dash & Albert Rugs Take D.C.!

I have always loved Dash & Albert rugs, particularly the striped ones in funky colors.  Come to think of it, they're not unlike my striped sweaters in funky colors. . . .

Anyway, I was helping a friend pick out a rug for her nursery (I love that she is thinking bigger than a traditional "baby's" room) and noticed that mousing over some of the rugs on the D&A website reveals shots of the rugs in my own Washington, D.C.  When I poked a little closer, I noticed that the 2010 catalog seems to have a D.C. theme (and a dog theme!). 

I think the pictures of the rugs out about town are super clever. I particularly like the ones of the rugs "at" the FDR Memorial and "at" the Federal Triangle metro stop, which is my work stop.  I think the rugs themselves are really fun, but I love that the company has a sense of humor as well.  Now I just need to find a use for a cool new Dash & Albert rug. . . .

I Want One

The National Zoo has just released a series of photos of the two clouded leopard cubs born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, on Valentine’s Day.  Apparently, the zoo staff has only recently been able to determine that both cubs, which are considered to be quite valuable from a genetic perspective, are male. 

From the Zoo's Flickr feed: "The cubs are now eating up to 88 grams of feline diet, two times per day, in addition to formula. The cubs are growing at a steady and healthy rate—the larger cub weighs 4 pounds and 9 ounces and the smaller cub weighs 4 pounds and 7 ounces. In addition, the cubs now 'chuff,' which can be described as a puffing sound and is considered a sign of recognition.  They are very playful—rolling around and chasing each other—after each feeding."

Too bad they aren't on display at the actual zoo in D.C.  So instead, I'll have to make do with these pictures. Wow, they're cute!!

My Kind of Town

Yesterday, I indulged a long-time desire to take the double-decker bus tour around D.C.  I've wanted to do it forever now, but the time and weather were never quite right.  But since I'm still not feeling particularly great, the tour seemed to be a perfect way for me to enjoy this weekend's beautiful weather while still taking it easy.

I had a great time!  The tour was about two and a half hours, but I stopped in Georgetown for some water and chocolate ice cream.  The narration was a little lame, but the bus ride itself was really pleasant.  It was a fun day.  Here's what we saw.

Taxation Without Representation

I promise to use this blog platform to air my political grievances only on the rarest of occasions, but this time I feel compelled to point out how disappointed I am that the D.C. Voting Rights Act is dead.  Again. 

It just seems fundamentally wrong to me that I live in a country governed by elected leaders, pay taxes, am an upstanding American citizen, etc., etc.  And I--like everyone else in the District of Columbia--have no representation in Congress.  I've read the arguments for and against D.C. voting rights, and I just don't find the reasons for not granting voting rights for D.C. residents to be compelling.  At all.  I'm not saying I think D.C. should be a state (I don't)--just that I think we should be able to vote for someone in Congress to represent our interests.  Just like everyone else in this country gets to do.  

Stepping off my soap box now.  But still really, really bummed.  

 

Don't Pity Shelter Dogs

From a Pedigree adoption commercial:

"Shelter dogs aren’t broken. They’ve simply experienced more life. If they were human, we would call them wise. They would be the ones with tales to tell and stories to write. The ones dealt a bad hand and responded with courage. Do not pity a shelter dog. Adopt one."

Those Pedigree commercials get me every time.  They're worse than Hallmark, Kodak, or long-distance phone company commercials (at least, back when there were long-distance phone company commercials).  I saw one this morning that really got to me because Mr. Bullet is a two-time shelter dog.  By the time I adopted him, he had been a stray, then in the shelter, then adopted, then returned to the shelter.  All before he was six-months old!

[Cue my tears.]  If you want to see the commercial yourself, you can find it here.  In the meantime, in keeping with my promise to feature dogs looking for forever homes, here are some lost souls with tales to tell, currently living at the Washington Humane Society.  Please consider opening your heart and home to a shelter dog. 

Peeps Show

Easter in D.C. means the Washington Post Peeps Diorama Contest.  Every year, I eagerly wait to see the submissions, which are always amazingly clever.  Here's this year's winner, based on the movie, "Up."  The house is actually floating above the ground.

There are also some semi-finalists that particularly appeal to me--one recreating the famous Dupont Circle snowball fight, which got national attention during the Snowpocalypse.  Another depicts the recently rebuilt Eastern Market, which is truly the centerpiece of my Capitol Hill neighborhood.  There are also literary references ("Goodnight Moon," Jane Austen, and "Madeline"), pop culture (the balloon boy, Super Mario Brothers), and semi-political (Bo Obama and the White House party crashers).

Check out all of the finalists and semi-finalists here.

Cherry Blossoms are Here

Well, it looks like that annual spring rite is underway in Washington, D.C. According to the Bloom Watch, the peak blooming dates are April 1 and 2, but I was down at the Tidal Basin yesterday, and the trees are resplendent in white and pink blossoms.  In the picture on the right, you can just make out the Jefferson Memorial behind all of the flowers. 

I have to admit that, like most people who live in D.C., I think the trees are absolutely lovely, but I find the way they take over the city for two weeks every spring to be pretty frustrating.  People and tour buses just swarm all over the area between the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and Jefferson Memorial, which makes it really hard to get around that area.  Really, they're just trees, and it's hard to understand how a bunch of trees can have such a crippling effect on a city.

But I supposed that's one of the liabilties of living here.  At the end of the day, it's great that people can--and do--enjoy and appreciate the beauty of D.C. and its famed cherry blossoms. 

Overheard in D.C.

DCist has a great feature called "Overheard in D.C.," which consistently makes me laugh out loud.  Here are some of my favorites.  (My friend actually submitted the first one.  I'm so proud of her . . .)

At the corner of 13th and E Streets NW:
Group of tourists: "Do you know where the monument is?"
Passerby: "Which monument?"
Tourist: "The pencil-y one."

At the National Zoo:
Young Son: "Mom, I want to go see the lions." (heads towards Great Cats exhibit)
Mom: "But that says 'Great Cats.'"
Young Son: "Mom, lions are cats..."

Line for the Megabus in New York leaving for D.C.:
20-something Woman: "Which bus are you waiting for?"
Man: "This line is for the bus going to Washington, D.C."
Woman: "Do you think it stops in Boston?"
Man: "Probably not."

At Pentagon City Metro around 4 p.m. on Friday:
Woman 1 (on her phone, texting): "Is 'trynda' a word?"
Woman 2: "What?"
Woman 1: "You know, like, 'I'm trynda do somethin'"

Headed toward Franconia-Springfield during an evening commute:
Older woman on the phone: "Hi Steve, it's Beth. The wedding is off tomorrow... yeah... Mary's water just broke."

Nighttime at the Giant at 9th and O NW:
Giant employee to homeless man: "Sir! Sir, you can't sleep in the frozen food section."

Around noon on a Wednesday:
A family of tourists is admiring the Dept. of Treasury.
Daughter (around 14): "Wow, that's a cool house!"
Son (around 10): "That's not a house, that's the castle where the king of the United States lives!"

At the National Menorah on the seventh night of Hanukkah:
Guy: "That last light bulb must have burned out."

In the guestbook at the Smithsonian American Art Museum:
One entry: "This museum is great, but the overemphasis on American artists is self-detrimental. In order for this museum to be credible it needs to have more representation from European artists."
Next entry: "That's because its the AMERICAN art gallery, douche-face."

Cupcake Success!

Because I know you're all dying to know the outcome of today's cupcake mission: We found the Cupcake Truck!  It was touch and go for a while, first because a client threatened to call during that time (she was early).  Then the driver didn't update his Facebook status when he got to our stop, so we were waiting around wondering if he was going to show.  Finally, we decided to venture out to see if it had arrived--and there was the pink truck, shining like a beacon on what had become a frustrating day. 

I struggled to decide which flavor I wanted and finally settled on the classic chocolate.  And WOW, was it good--a highly satisfying chocolate experience.  The cake was moist and fudgy (and that's really high praise coming from someone who doesn't like cake that much), and there was a generous amount of rich, decadent icing on top.  Chocolate was coursing through my veins all afternoon.

I will be following the Cupcake Truck more closely in the future and will definitely be a repeat customer. 

Tracking the Elusive Cupcake Truck

I am a big fan of cupcakes.  Cake not so much, but cupcakes yes!  It's related to the ratio of cake to frosting.  In my view, the cake is really just a vehicle for the frosting. 

Anyway, I first heard about Curbside Cupcakes (which I call the Cupcake Truck) a few months ago.  The pink truck trolls downtown D.C. and Capitol Hill, selling (surprise) cupcakes.  As far as I'm concerned, what's not to like: cupcakes in a pink truck?!?!

They post a schedule on their website of where they'll be and Twitter about their whereabouts in real time.  They only stay in each location for a short time, so you have to get there on schedule.  Despite the fact that I have been obsessively tracking the movements of the Cupcake Truck, I keep missing it--much to my extreme disappointment. 

Well, I just checked the calendar, and the Cupcake Truck is scheduled to be a block away from my office tomorrow, and for a change, I have no meetings or calls scheduled for the time the truck is supposed to arrive.  So the Cupcake Truck is On My Calendar.  I can taste the cupcake goodness already!

State Avenues

I'm about to confess something that I probably shouldn't because it's a little bit embarrassing, but hey, people confess all sorts of things on their blogs.  So here goes: I have a secret fascination with the streets in D.C. that are named after states.  I have been actively trying to find them, and I know all sorts of interesting little facts about them.  Not to bore you, but here are some examples:
--All but two are Avenues.  Ohio Drive and California Street are the exceptions.
--Georgia Avenue used to be a little street in Southeast D.C. (which is now Potomac Avenue).  It was relocated to Northwest when a Congressman from Georgia lobbied for a more impressive street for Georgia.
--Florida Avenue used to be called Boundary Street because it was the northern boundary of the City of Washington back when the City and the rest of the District, Washington County, were distinct.

Not too long ago, I decided to document my search for the state streets by taking pictures of all of them.  (I told you it was weird . . . )  I obviously want to have a set of 50 when I'm all finished.  I've got about 10 already, most of which are pretty close to my house.  Tennessee was this morning's accomplishment.  Of the others, I know where most of the streets are; it's just a matter of being in the right place with a camera and traffic conditions being such that trying to get the picture won't cause an accident.

But for a few states, I don't know where the corresponding streets are.  If you know where I can find any of these, please let me know!
--Arkansas Avenue
--Illinois Avenue
--Iowa Avenue
--Mississippi Avenue
--Montana Avenue
--North Dakota Avenue
--Oklahoma Avenue
--Oregon Avenue
--Texas Avenue
--Utah Avenue

My Unexpected Saturday!

The inspection for my car expires tomorrow, so I had blocked off the better part of the afternoon to take care of the inspection. In my experience, the inspection station in Southwest D.C. is one heck of a cluster. Typically, the line snakes for blocks before cars are funneled into a parking lot of lanes for inspection leading to the inspection bays. No joke, the past two years, I've had to wait for more than two hours. So, figuring that today is the last Saturday in February, I guessed that the back-up was going to be particularly bad. I steeled myself for a long wait and even brought a knitting project to keep me busy.

So imagine my surprise when I pulled up and there was no line at all! At first, I actually thought maybe the inspection station was closed because the place was so deserted. But, it was open, and I pulled right up to the inspection bay. Start to finish, the whole thing took 8 minutes. What a nice surprise!

Finding myself with a whole lot of extra time on my hands, I went to the Fish Market at the D.C. waterfront. I just love the waterfront area. To me, it's one of D.C.'s hidden gems. It's one of the few places in the city where you don't feel like you're in The Nation's Capital but rather in some little port town. The fact that many tourists don't find their way down there doesn't hurt either. So I got a cup of seafood chowder and some fried clams and sat in the sun and watched the sea gulls. It was a lovely way to spend my Saturday afternoon.

Much better than sitting in line waiting for my car to be inspected.