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What's cool in DC this week - and what's coming up

10/27/2014

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It's been perfect weather this week (well, if we gloss over last Wednesday), and my parents have been in town: our first Level 3 visitors: 

We see Level 1 as the first-time Washington visitor - take them to the Mall and enjoy some of the Smithsonian museums, look at some monuments, brunch at Eastern Market, admire the White House, go up to the W Hotel balcony, stroll in Georgetown, and see something on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center.

Level 2 is the returning Washington visitor - they've done the Level 1 stuff, so they advance to museums beyond the Smithsonian (eg the Newseum), perhaps take a walk round Roosevelt Island, explore 14th Street and Adams Morgan dining, go to a storytelling show like Perfect Liars Club or Speakeasy DC... 

Level 3 is the been-to-visit-you-in-DC-several-times visitor. And this blog is dedicated to what I did with these seasoned visitors last week... 

As I've confessed in the past, it took me over two years of Washington living before I visited Dumbarton Oaks Gardens, despite it being named one of National Geographic's top 10 gardens in the world - and it being at the top of my street! My parents were dazzled by its prettiness and we spent a delightful two hours strolling around the grounds. There are still lots of flowers, and great views. But not satisfied, we sought further and more obscure horticultural delight in Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. These Gardens are not only free, they are absolutely beautiful at this time of year, and we had a spectacular stroll down the paths and boardwalk. 

It's always lovely to sample some of DC's arts scene with visitors but my parents' visit fell during an unusual theatrical lull. So it was with some trepidation that we ventured to Ford's Theater to see Driving Miss Daisy. I have never seen a show I enjoyed at Ford's Theatre. Until now. I stand corrected. Driving Miss Daisy was a quiet delight - excellent script, set, direction and acting combined for a really charming, compelling show. Sorry - it closed yesterday. But I'll be keeping a better eye on Ford's Theater from now on.

For spoken word, we went to the National Geographic for what turned out to be an excellent panel of some of DC's top chefs, talking entertainingly about some of the challenges of the restaurant industry - and debating these thoughtfully too. There was a reception afterwards catered by DC Central Kitchen, and given we'd all been shown a documentary about their work, this was an evening that was interesting, entertaining and feel-good. I love National Geographic Live events. Here's what's coming up. I also sent them to an event at the Jewish Literary Festival while I was at work and by all accounts it was a success - the festival is on til Wednesday.

In terms of dining, we of course managed two brunches. One at the always-excellent Bombay Club, as a visit there has become a family tradition. But the following Sunday we started a new tradition at the probably-best-Sunday-brunch-buffet-in-town delight of Farmers Fishers Bakers. Though my favorite dining-with-parents experience this week was also the fulfillment of a recent dream: ordering the spectacular 10-cheese platter at Sona Creamery. It did not disappoint. What else did we eat? We had excellent grilled cheese sandwiches from Righteous Cheese at Union Market and went on a veritable gelato crawl around DC - the declared winner was the lovely Dolcezza factory just behind Union Market, where we enjoyed a 'tasting menu' of four amazing freshly made gelato flavors. We tried to check out the new Georgetown restaurant Mama Rouge, which, it turns out, is not for vegetarians (we had to leave as there was nothing for us to eat but cold noodles). And we had a drink at the new Georgetown Piano Bar which was quite pleasant on an early weeknight (except for the 100% unnecessary, ambience-killing televisions), but a bit too party for us at the weekends... NB I did not lose weight during my parents' visit... 

And we even managed to fit in bowling at Pinstripes (lots of fun), re-seeing Pride at the cinema (my favorite film this year), beer tasting at Glenn's Garden Market, and spicy cocktails at Harold Black. 

No Level 3 visit is complete without a day trip, and ours was to Baltimore. A speedy 45 minute-ish train trip brought us to the city, and soon afterwards, we were sipping coffee in a cool Italian coffeeshop in Little Italy (the nicest Little Italy I've seen in the US, incidentally), before stepping onto Segways for a tourist-tastic but embarrassingly delightful tour around the city. I can't think of a better way to see Baltimore on a sunny day and my parents were duly charmed by the Harbor, Federal Hill, and Fell's Point. We then lunched in Little Italy, and walked over the Everyman Theatre to see a matinee of Grounded, which was excellent and is on til November 16th. A successful day out!

And finally, of course, DC has so much great stuff to offer that there's no shame in reverting to Level 1. With the Washington Monument reopening, we'd been waiting for my parents' visit to go up to the top. Sunday was the day. My lovely wife went down to join the line for the same-day ticket office that opens at 8:30am each day, and got tickets (free) for that afternoon. We walked there via the Lincoln Memorial, then ascended in a charming old elevator right to the top, where we got a chance to peek out the windows that you can see as little slits from afar - amazing, exciting 360 degree views of Washington and much further. Definitely the best views to be had in the city, and not busy or unpleasant at all due to their ticketing system. We were particularly entertained to see the sand portrait on the Mall that was commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery and can only be viewed from the Monument (or from a plane flying into National!) Absolutely worth a look. And of course, where did we have champagne afterwards? The rooftop patio at the W. Because why not. 

Aside from all the parent fun, my lovely wife and I also got to the HRC National Dinner, an extravaganza of 3200 people eating, drinking, and fundraising - while listening to Bill Clinton, Elton John, Yeardley Smith, Jennifer Hudson, and others - and then dancing the night away. I had a really excellent time. And kudos to my lovely wife for getting up early the following morning for her heroic cycle to the Washington Monument the following morning to get tickets while I went back to sleep. Ahem. 


What's coming up that sounds cool this week?

Mon 27 Oct - Ri Ra has a free book reading by Irish Author Eimear McBride and there's a free rehearsed reading of play Should've about science, ethics, and whodunnit... worth attending for the cool venue alone. I love the theatre at the National Academy of Sciences. The reading is a collaboration with Studio Theatre.

Tue 28th Oct - Has this week's blog put you in the mood for gelato tasting, or made you want to visit the Dolcezza factory? Do both, plus learn the science of gelato and sip cocktails at this cool Periodic Table tasting event.

Wed 29th Oct - Story League has assembled some of DC's funniest stories for a storytelling evening with lots of laughs at the Bier Baron.

Thu 30th Oct - Also at the Bier Baron, check out Ha!lloween comedy.


Wed 5th Nov - Remember to get tickets now: Perfect Liars Club is coming on the 5th November and as ever, it's going to be fantastic.
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What's cool this week and what's coming up

10/19/2014

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October in DC has been delightful so far.


Kicking it off, we enjoyed two shows at the Bentzen Ball comedy festival - most entertaining, and my first time in the lovely-but-freezing Lincoln Theatre. I notice SpeakeasyDC is having their annual
Top Shelf event there in January - a selection of their top stories of the year. Tickets are on sale now. Anyway, I really enjoyed lots of the Bentzen Ball comedians and considered it an excellent start to the month. DC is getting increasingly good at comedy.


Another excellent start was the Australian Embassy's winemakers event, which I was lucky to be invited to. Many excellent Australian wines were enjoyed.


We also made it to the first night of
Absolutely (perhaps) at the Source Theatre - the first time I've seen that space fully decked out with an elaborate set. I think I'm the wrong person to review farce-style plays as I'm not generally a fan. I will say this play, about extracting truth from gossip was entertaining, in a silly sort of way. On the other hand, A Streetcar Named Desire was more substantial and high quality, though less cheerful. We really love National Theatre Live, screened from London. Look out for Frankenstein, Skylight and Of Mice And Men showing soon - they all got great reviews in London and the DC experience is delightful. And I enjoyed the British movie One Chance, about a boy from a poor family who becomes an oprah singer. Heartwarming and amusing too.


October of course brings the fun of walking along the streets of Georgetown to admire the impressive Halloween house decor (I particularly recommend N and O between Rose Park and Wisconsin... And the house at 31st and Q).


And your post-Halloween-decor-admiring jaunt is about to be enhanced by coffeeshops -
After Peacock is due to reopen any day now, and so is the brand new social good business, Dog Tag Bakery, which looks (from me pressing my nose against the window last weekend) like it could become one of my favorite local spots in Georgetown.


In terms of walks, we've been venturing further afield. We did more of the Rock Creek Valley Trail which is a truly beautiful 5 mile-ish trail and a great way to enjoy the fall leaves. Again, we took an Uber up to Boundary Bridge, then walked down to Tryst in Adams Morgan for a well-earned and delightful lunch. We also got a friend to drive us to the slightly obscure Mason Neck State Park. Not only can you kayak (which we didn't), you can do an easy and charming few miles of hiking, including around the extremely scenic peninsula jutting into the Potomac, including a lovely boardwalk area. We had a very pleasant 90 minute walk. And Dumbarton Oaks is looking particularly beautiful with some amazing flowers, and the Lovers Lane pond has a new sound installation.


What's coming up and sounds cool this week


Sat 18 and Sun 19th Oct - it's the
Decade of Docs in Our City film festival.

Tue 21st Oct - You're spoilt for choice tonight. See Art Spiegelman's
Wordless at the Lisner Auditorium which sounds quirky and fascinating. Or hear DC's top chefs tell stories at National Geographic. Or head to Ice Cream Jubilee at Navy Yard for ice cream tasting and a talk on the science of ice cream.

Wed 22nd Oct - There's gypsy jazz, storytelling, fiction and painting at this month's
Little Salon, or else  Meg Wolitzer, who wrote The Interestings, which I really enjoyed, is talking books at the Jewish Literature Festival.

Sat 25th Oct - If you're looking for a genuinely hipster-pretentious/arthouse-cool Halloween-esque entertainment you could do worse than Not So Silent Cinema with their classic German-Expressionist horror film, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, complete with new score.

Mon 27th Oct - Ri Ra in Georgetown has started doing free Irish-themed book events. Tonight it's Eimear McBride.
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What's cool in DC this week - and the top picks for October

10/3/2014

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Other than a few trips out of town, we have been delighting in DC's lovely autumn. Of course Perfect Liars Club on 1st October was brilliant (see a couple of pics here) and tickets are available for November 5th here. But what else have we been up to?


Our fall fun included a charming cycle along the Capital Crescent trail from Georgetown to Bethesda, to see a matinee of Fool for Love at Bethesda. My lovely wife thought it was excelllent. I was frankly a bit bored and uninspired. But no need to worry either way - the run has finished. It is worth keeping an eye on Round House though - not only does it make for a really delightful bike trip, they keep winning Helen Hayes awards. Here's the rest of the season. It kicks off again on October 10th. 


We also enjoyed Don't Block The Box comedy show at the Wonderland Ballroom. It's on the last Friday of the month for a mere $3, and is probably one of the best comedy nights I've been to in Washington. And it had something for everyone. When one comic said "Who doesn't love Elizabeth I", my dear wife clapped with joy. Natalie McGill, one of our favorite DC comics, was particularly funny. But it was a really solid group with some intelligent repartee. Recommend. 


And speaking of recommend, as soon as you get the chance, go see the movie Pride. It may be a bit of a hassle to sign up for Gofobo but it got us in free to a preview screening at the Regal Cinemas. Pride takes place in 1984 Britain, where lesbians, gays and striking miners form an unlikely bond. It's a true story, it's hilarious, it had me in tears, it is compelling, charming, and altogether I loved it. Go see.


It's nearly but not quite the end of paddling season - and at the weekend we fulfilled our lifelong dream of paddle boarding from Key Bridge Boathouse to Fletcher's Boathouse. It took us two and a half hours to do the round trip (we are slow) and it was beautifully scenic, other than all the shouty regatta rowers. And it was hot - if you're going, wear sunscreen and balance some water on your board!


So what are the coolest things to do in DC in October, you ask?

NB I'll update this as and when more cool stuff crosses my radar, so keep an eye on it!

Fri 3 - Sun 5th Oct - It's the annual Bentzen Ball comedy festival and the line-up is fab. If you like comedy, check out their website - there are plenty of shows to see! I'm going tonight and Sunday.

Mon 6th - Fri 17th - It's the Jewish Literary Festival and they have some cool events over the next couple of weeks. Check it out.

Tue 7th Oct - Of course you want to celebrate World Space Week and you can do it at the Science Club's monthly space cafe where NASA will be talking about GPS for space users.

Thu 9th - Sat 11 Oct - In the mood for a bit of dance? It's the VelocityDC Dance Festival at Sidney Harman Hall with cool visiting dance companies.

Fri 10th Oct - I've told you before about how you can sign up for a trapeze class and fly through the air any time you like at TSNY, but while their website could not be more cryptic about it, tonight you can go watch others doing a flying trapeze show, which sounds really cool. Go to this TSNY link, select 10th October classes, and it's the IFW show. You can make a night of it with all the cool eateries and bars springing up in Navy Yard. Alternatively, go hear Arctic-inspired hip hop at National Geographic.

Tue 14th Oct - The theme of SpeakeasyDC's storytelling show this month is Do-gooders gone bad... 

Wed 15th Oct - And then it's Story League, with a Halloween-inspired story theme: Terrifying. Or head up to Politics and Prose for a book reading by Colm Toibin. 

Thu 16th Oct - It's the return of the art-science mashup DASER and this month it's based around the exhibition Every AlgoRiThm has ART in it. Love it. 

Fri 17th Oct - The Hirshhorn celebrates 40 years with an after hours event with film screenings and a Zola Jesus performance.

Sat 18th Oct - Head down to the National Gallery of Art for a free afternoon screening of delightful 1944 British film On Approval.

Sat 18 and Sun 19th Oct - It's the Decade of Docs in Our City film festival - celebrate the stories that make up DC at a range of cool-sounding screenings, workshops and parties.

Tue 21st Oct - One of the events in October I'm looking forward to most is chefs and storytelling - An Evening With Top Chefs at National Geographic. Otherwise tonight, Art Spiegelman's show is a hybrid of slides, talk, and musical performance at the Lisner Auditorium - sounds intriguing. 

Wed 22nd Oct - Meg Wolitzer, who wrote The Interestings, which I really enjoyed, is talking books at the Jewish Literature Festival.


Sat 25th Oct - If you're looking for a genuinely hipster-pretentious/arthouse-cool Halloween-esque entertainment you could do worse than Not So Silent Cinema with their classic German-Expressionist horror film, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, complete with new score.

Mon 27th Oct - Ri Ra in Georgetown has started doing free Irish-themed book events. Tonight it's Eimear McBride. 

Wed 29th Oct - Story League has assembled some of DC's funniest stories for a storytelling evening with lots of laughs at the Bier Baron.

Thu 30th Oct - Also at the Bier Baron, check out Ha!lloween comedy.
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    What is this blog?

    Every Friday, Perfect Liars Club MC Layla laboriously curates a list of all the coolest English-accessible things happening in Tokyo for the next week for your delight and entertainment. If you live in Tokyo and like attending great events, you had better sign up.

    How to suggest an event to be included

    Tweet @perfectliarstky or email Layla with details and a link.

    What sort of events does this listings guide include?

    ​Recommendations are biased towards things Layla personally enjoys, like theatre, cinema, sciencey talks, book things, storytelling, comedy, art and random quirky activities.

    Come to my event, Layla!

    You can email Layla to invite her to something cool.

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