Call it the Dan Brown effect... Following the success of "The Da Vinci Code" readers flocked to the Louvre and went on organized Da Vinci Code tours of Paris after the book became a bestseller and movie. With Brown's latest book, The Lost Symbol set entirely in Washington, the district's tourism agencies are bracing for the influx of Lost Symbol fans. Destination DC has launched a web page to highlight the various sites and themes expected to receive attention. One such site happens to be located near my office and so I took the opportunity of a long lunch break last week to visit The House of the Temple, before what my tour guide Colin expects to be a 500% increase in visitors.500% ...
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D.C. Film Festivals
They may not have the clout of Sundance or the star power of Cannes but D.C. has a slate of interesting film festivals lined up for the next few months. D.C. Shorts Film Festival At 5” tall, I’ve always been a firm believer that good things can come in small packages. Let’s face it, in these days of 140 character tweets, not everyone has the attention span to sit through the 234 minutes of Gone with the Wind. For those people, D.C. Shorts Film Festival offers 100 films, short and sweet, from 16 countries, including two films from France. Now in its 6th year, the festival is expending to two venues: E Street Theater and the US Navy Memorial’s Burke Theater. Films are shown in a showcase ...
I <3 Colombia
For many French people like myself, coverage of Colombia on the news has been dominated by crime, drugs, the FARC and the kidnapping (then rescuing) of Ingrid Betancourt. The sort of publicity that does not make you want to book your next holiday to the South American nation. Well, Colombia's Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism Luis Guillermo Plata wants you heart Colombia now. And to help you start feeling the love, he launched "Colombia es pasion," a PR campaign to help you forget about those pesky kidnappings and focus on other aspects of the country like its music, food and culture. To do so, he is dispatching a traveling exhibits of colorful hearts to Washington, D.C. If you live ...
Mm oh yeah, what a night… Oh yes it’s ladies night!
Did D.C. United officials think that the simple hope of taking a peak at a shirtless Beckham wasn't even to bring the ladies running to RFK this Saturday? Apparently not... To give us an additional incentive to attend the match, they paired up with DC HOT 99.5 to organize a Girls Night Out where you can enjoy light food and complimentary beverages (provided by Michelob Ultra and Bud Light Lime... it is a soccer match afterall!) in a private pre-game area before cheering on the D.C. United boys as they take on Golden Balls and his team mates!Tickets are $42 and include the ladies' night plus tickets for the match in the lower bowl seating in sections 301-303, which is actually not a bad deal ...
Arts First on First Art Walk
If you are not familiar with Bloomingdale, North Capitol Main Street and The Pink Line Project are putting on First Art Walk, an artistic way to discover the neighbourhood. From 1-4 pm, head to Big bear Cafe or Windows Cafe and Market to pick up a map and wonder through the streets of the area looking for sculptures and wall art specially installed for the event, plus new exhibitions. Artists featured include Seth Adelsberger, Nick Carr, Anthony Dihle, Carole Wagner Greenwood, Ryan Hill, Erick Jackson, Amanda Kleinman, Kate MacDonnell, and Cara Ober. Discovering a new neighbourhood through arts is a great idea, but even better, is rewarding those who do complete the art walk with a free ...
Taste of Embassy Row
I better watch out... soon my friends are going to ditch my Wine Wednesdays and attend Pierre Yves Robin's instead! Pierre Yves and I can compete on a few things. We're both French for one and we both love wine. But he's a sommelier and just introduced a new fun Wine Wednesday happy Hour: Taste of Embassy Row in the Fairfax Room of The Jockey Club at the Fairfax at Embassy Row near Dupont Circle. Each Wednesday from 5:30pm-6:30pm Pierre Yves selects four to six wines from a particular region and Chef McCreadie creates small plates that complement the wines and give you a taste of the region’s cuisine. All this for just $25... my friends are never coming back to my place for Wine Wednesday! ...
I spy success
D.C. residents and tourists alike now have one more option besides kosher dogs for fast and easy on the go lunch. Yep, there’s a new sidewalk food cart in town! Located across the street from the Spy Museum at one of the corners of the National Gallery, Spy Diner is a joint venture between Stir Food Group, the International Spy Museum and DC Central Kitchen. Aside from serving fresh made coffee and delicious sliders (the lamb meatball with goat cheese aioli was my personal favourite), the tiny food cart will be used as an educational tool for graduates of DC Central Kitchen’s Culinary Job Training. Welcome to the neighbourhood Spy Diner!Spy Diner is located on the corner of 9th and F ...
Top Chef Masters Viewing Party
His ties to the District may not be obvious at first, but Art Smith is the closest thing to a local contender battling it out for charity on Bravo's Top Chef Masters. Art is a native Floridian who graduated from Walt Disney Magic Kingdom College Culinary program. Though he only got in the restaurant business a few years ago, he is an important fixture of the Chicago dining scene where he runs Table Fifty Two and worked as Oprah Winfrey's personnal chef. So when do these D.C. ties come in exactly...?Well, Art has cooked a meal the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and he also served as the executive chef at the Florida Governor's mansion, where he cooked for former governor and now ...
