uploaded to flickr.com by valkrieh116

The promise of cooler autumn temperatures and slightly less humidity means the good people of DC want to be outside meeting their neighbors and sampling deep-fried foods that may or may not be served on a stick.  That’s right — it’s street festival season in Washington DC!  There are lots of special neighborhood and cultural events scheduled for the coming weeks.  Here’s a smattering of places you can stretch your legs on streets closed to cars, sample unusual and delightful foods, hear live music, and maybe even find a few live animals to admire.

This weekend the grand opening of the Yards Park is sure to entertain.  The park is located at 3rd and Water Streets SW, not far from Nationals Park.  Events are planned for the entire weekend, including performances by the Trapeze School of New York.  More information can be found at http://www.capitolriverfront.org/.

Also this weekend the annual Black Family Reunion Celebration will be held on the National Mall from noon to 8:00 pm both Saturday and Sunday.  Education pavilions, artisans, food, and music are all scheduled.  Find out more at http://www.ncnw.org/.

Sunday, September 12 THIH gives you permission to leave the hill and experience the Adams Morgan Day Festival on 18th Street NW between Columbia Road and Florida Avenue.  The celebration runs from noon to 7:00 pm and includes local and regional vendors, food, live music, a pet pavilion, and much more.  This is honestly one of the most well-attended street fairs in DC, so get there early or plan to people-watch as you wait on a few lines.

Saturday, September 18 from noon to 7:00 pm enjoy all that the Atlas District has to offer at the H Street Festival.  Vendors, live music, dance performances, and lots of food and drinks will be available.  Special events are planned throughout the day including a pie-eating contest (I wonder where the pies will come from?) and a tattoo competition (hopefully NOT speed-inking).  Events like this are a great opportunity to sample local eateries you haven’t been to before so perhaps you’ll get that schnitzel or latke you’ve been thinking about.

The next weekend you just have to walk to a different part of the Hill as the Barracks Row Fall Festival is planned for September 25 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on 8th Street SE.  There’s really something for everyone at this annual event — a petting zoo with llamas, sheep, and bunnies for this kids (okay, and adults), live music from the Marine Band and others, lots of great food, and a military chef cook-off to be judged this year by celebrity chef Paul Prudhomme, Food Network star and Granville Moore’s Teddy Folkman, and Dish Network’s Lauren DeSantis.  The military buff in the family will also be able to enjoy tours of the Marine barracks and the House of the Commandants.  More information can be found at http://www.barracksrow.org/.

September 25 is also the date of the National Book Festival, located on the National Mall and sponsored by the Library of Congress.  Several notable authors are scheduled to attend.  This party starts at 10:00 am, so you can always hit up the book-fest first and then head back to Barracks Row.

On Sunday, October 3 you can head down to Pennsylvania Avenue NW near Metro Center for the Turkish Festival.  Music, dancing, eating, Turkish coffee and kids’ crafts will be available.  Where else can you see someone try to break the world record for the longest ever kabob?

I’m sure there are more events planned, but this list will at least occupy your weekends through early October.

Uploaded to flickr.com by Sue Elias

Woohoo!  Long weekend!  I mean, let’s stop for a moment and be thankful for labor.  And what better way to honor hard work and long hours than by stretching a two-day break into three?  Lots of people will be heading out of town for one more dip at the shore, but if you’re hanging on the Hill here are a few events to keep you occupied.

Thursday

Thursday night is the second installment in “The Dinner Party” series at the Atlas Performing Arts Center.  Artists from various genres will be meeting to “sample” each others’ work, leading up to the Intersections: A New America Arts Festival in February 2011.  Tickets are just $10, and the show starts at 8:00 p.m.

Friday

Haven’t been to Palace of Wonders yet?  Friday night might be a great introduction to this unique venue, with “Moonshine Cabaret” at 9:30 and 11:30 p.m.  The show promises a healthy blend of burlesque, vaudeville, dance, and comedy.  Tickets are just $10.  Additional shows are scheduled for Saturday.

Saturday

Kick off the Jewish New Year at The Star and Shamrock for a rocking Rosh Hashanah.  The party kicks off at 8:00 p.m. and includes music by DJ Kosher Stylee as well as $1 off He’Brew drafts and Manischewitz Sangria, and $6 L’Chaim Vodka mixed drinks.

If you’re looking for a special four-legged friend to add to your home, check out the dog adoption event at Chateau Animaux from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.  The Washington Humane Society will be on-hand with lots of adoptable pooches. (If cats are more your speed, there’s a feline adoption event scheduled for Sunday from 12:00 to 3:00).

The last of the Summer Film Series movies will be screened at the Atlas on Saturday night.  Catch “The Wiz” at 5:00 p.m. and “Roman Holiday” at 8:00 p.m.  Tickets for each are just $6.00 each.

Sunday

Take in the annual Labor Day Concert on the West Lawn of the Capitol with a few thousand of your closest new friends.  The concert is free.  Gates open at 5:00 p.m., and the concert starts at 8:00.

Monday

If you’ve got the day off, or just want to play hooky, catch the Washington Nationals as they take on the New York Mets at 1:05 p.m.

uploaded to flickr.com by Bernt Rostad

Ah the quiet days of August.  Congress is out, the last family vacations are under way before the start of school, and it’s hot and muggy so few people want to be outdoors.  Oh, are you still here too?  If you plan on hanging around the Hill this coming weekend, here are few fun things to consider taking up your time.  Don’t forget DC Restaurant Week and Celebrate H Street Eats wrap up this Sunday.  Plus, DC Beer Week starts on Friday with events around the Hill and greater DC.  So go get your drink on and your snack on and then head out to some of these local fun events.

Thursday

Why not join Joel Grey and Liza Minnelli in “Cabaret” at the Atlas Performing Arts Center?  The movie version of the musical is playing at 8:00 p.m. and tickets are just $6.00.

Or see the latest and greatest in strip-tease talent (their words, not mine) at Shimmy & Sweet’s Burlesque Revue at the Palace of Wonders.  Tickets are $10, doors open at 6:00 pm and the show starts at 9:00.

Friday

The Dance DC Festival arrives at the Atlas Performing Arts center this weekend.  Starting Friday evening, enjoy free performances and workshops.  Admission is first-come, first-served, so check the schedule and arrive early.

Saturday

Tours of the Elizabethan Garden are scheduled for 10:00 and 11:00 am on Saturday at the Folger Shakespeare Library.  The tours are free and are only offered twice a month.  After the tour spend some time in the permanent and temporary galleries, including “Lost at Sea: The Ocean in the English Imagination.”

Got a history buff in the family?  Take him or her to the Civil War Tour at Congressional Cemetery at 1:00 pm.  Tours meet at the chapel and are free.

Two more movies are scheduled at the Atlas on Saturday: catch “The Call of the Wild” with the family at 5:00 pm, or leave the kids with a sitter and enjoy “Three Coins in the Fountain” at 8:00 p.m.  Tickets are still just $6.00 and can be purchased online.

Sunday

Of course you’ll want to start your Sunday off with brunch and your favorite Hill bloggers at Biergarten Haus from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.  Don’t forget the coupon we posted to THIH, which gets you 15% off your food and beverages.  Several of THIH writers will be there so come on by!

Uploaded to flickr.com by DistractedMind

“Ordering out” is a common occurrence in many households.  In our home we find ourselves phoning in an order at the end of a long week (especially during the school year) or Saturdays at lunch, though there are exceptions to those patterns.  As I reached for a helping of moo shu pork a week or so ago I noticed the container wasn’t what I was expecting.  It was reusable and recyclable.  I made a mental note to start compiling a short-list of restaurants that offer to-go or delivery containers that are better for the environment than the old stand-bys of Styrofoam, wax paper, and the like.  My criteria were simple: give me packaging I can easily reuse, recycle, or that is biodegradable; bonus points for using organic or locally-sourced products and using other green strategies within the restaurant.  I’ve often read to vote with your wallet (or purse) and let establishments know you appreciate the lengths they go to in an effort to be socially or ecologically responsible.  Of course, it helps if you like the product the packaging holds. 

Here’s the start of my list—not in any way meant to be exhaustive or complete.  Please fee free to leave a comment adding information about other restaurants or take-out places on the Hill.  I imagine there will be a “part two” to this post in the near future.

I enjoy a good sandwich, and why not a side of deep-fried thingies too?  Taylor Gourmet packages their hot subs in aluminum foil, cradles the risotto balls and ravioli in biodegradable paperboard that is then wrapped in foil, and offers paper bags for carry-out.  (Aluminum foil is recyclable in DC, by the way.)  The H Street location also employs low-energy lighting and green cleaning products.  These guys even devote a part of their website to their green efforts and recycle their fryer oil.

The almost-new Ted’s Bulletin does a good job in providing greener doggie bags.  Food can be taken home in a paperboard container, which is recyclable, maybe even compostable.  A single pop-tart is provided in a paper sleeve.  Much of the inside of the restaurant was salvaged and reused from a site in Philadelphia, which kept the stuff out of a landfill somewhere.

To-go containers at Le Pain Quotidien take on a variety of shapes and sizes depending on what you plan to eat, but similar paperboard containers are offered when you can’t finish your sit-down meal.  They also bake with organic ingredients and their communal tables are reclaimed wood, which means trees weren’t annihilated to create them.

Pizza has always been the ecological front-runner in delivery foods.  The flat cardboard box is recyclable and has been for decades.  So we must stop and salute places like Al’s Gourmet Pizza, New York Pizza, and even Domino’s.  We don’t really do delivery pizza all that often as I’m originally from New York and, well don’t get THIH started on pizza pickiness again.  Now if we can just limit the grease that saturates our recyclable cardboard boxes…Pies come in all types, though, and Dangerously Delicious uses the same pizzeria-esque cardboard transport containers for its decadent desserts.  Individual slices also come in recyclable boxes.

Oh yes, and that moo shu pork.  Hunan Dynasty has been serving the Hill for years and when you get delivery from them, many of their dishes come in reusable plastic containers.  We’ve found the vessels to be dishwasher and microwave safe.  The rice still comes in the traditional Chinese food containers, but the cardboard is recyclable (just toss the little metal handle).

Yes, delivery often arrives in a plastic bag.  Horrible, horrible plastic…which is recyclable, and reusable.

So what did your take-out arrive in last Friday night?

No styrofoam was accepted in the making of this post.

Uploaded to Flickr.com by M.V. Jantzen

Barracks Row Main Street has received the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s National Main Street Program accreditation for 2010.  The program was set up to recognize business groups and local revitalization organizations that have strengthened the neighborhood economy and protected historic buildings.

Barracks Row Main Street is evaluated annually by DC Main Streets, an organization that works in partnership with the National Trust to identify programs that meet the requirements of the National Main Street Program.  There are ten performance standards that are evaluated to determine if the work of the local organization is sustainable and keeping the neighborhood’s best interests in mind.    These standards include preserving historic buildings, fostering public-private partnerships, and tracking economic progress.

Barracks Row joins 4 other programs in the District that have received the accreditation this year.  The others are H Street Main Street, Historic Dupont Circle Main Streets, Deanwood Heights Main Streets Inc., and Shaw Main Streets Inc.

image uploaded by oskay on Flickr

When I hear about the temperatures my friends who live in India endure, first I thank God for the prevalence of air conditioning and toilets here in the US. Then, turning my thoughts to the country’s gustatory gifts, I marvel at the powers of the diverse country’s food. The way the flavors that dance on your tongue miraculously cool the body; the sweet, salty and chilly lassis and cold sweet rice treats; and the delicious simplicity of a good cucumber and yogurt raita. And, just a few blocks from my house, there’s an inexpensive spot to enjoy all three: Capitol Hill Tandoor & Grill.

The city is filled with high profile, posh and spendy Indian fare that show off the variety of foods the culture offers, and while CHTG offers a full menu of curries, tandoor items, and vegetarian options, it’s the simplicity, ease and kindness of the place and it’s owners that keeps us going back. Sure, it’s unassuming and lacks any of the buzz of the newer venues on 8^th Street, but you can always get a table, have your food within minutes, and can linger as long as you like. The prices at the weekday and weekend lunch buffets help too – filling up plates for $10.95 and $11.95 makes sure you’re fortified for a busy afternoon weekend, or primed, as I was last Sunday, for an afternoon of movies on the couch.

Were I a truly helpful reviewer, I’d sample a broad variety of the menu and report back. The buffet is a good way to do that, and the chef switches up the menu regularly (and, beware, also the spicy-factor) but when I order entrees, I’m predictable if not boring. With many visits under my belt, I can heartily recommend the chicken tikka masala for it’s lovely combo of cinnamon, cumin and ginger, the tasty and tomato-y chicken makhani and the savory coriander and turmeric flavors of the lamb roganjosh. The bright flavors bounce all over my mouth, the portion sizes are generous and the chef does actually seem to listen if you request a milder version of the dish. While the saag paneer isn’t nearly as tasty as the one served up at the Bombay Club, and I’m a sucker for Trader Joe’s product slathered on piping hot garlicky naan, it’s our preferred appetizer at CHTG.

Ok, now I’m hungry. And it’s time to turn the AC back on high and avoid cooking anything. I’m not looking to be wowed, but I want a reliable and quick dinner. It might be time for another stroll over to see the guys at the CHTG and see if the medium spice level makes the little bugger in my belly dance like the kids in Slumdog Millionaire. And look, their website has a copy of the coupon for half off a second entrée on weeknights. Mmmmm….mango lassi here I come.

photo uploaded to flickr by Beechwood Photography

Hey! You! Yeah, you! That’s right, I know you’re flipping through your bookmarks, checking Facebook, clicking on your Twitter feed, desperate for something to amuse you.

Well, nothing is happening. Nothing is going to happen. No matter how many times you click refresh. So why don’t you hook me up and fill out this survey the DC Circulator folks have put together?

Why, you ask? Because I’m sick of hoofing it from the Union Station garage to the Metro stop. It’s a pain.

And hey, it’s possible you may want to chime in as well. Which is fine, so long as you remember to mention the whole Union Station garage thing. DDOT is trying to figure out what direction the Circulator is going in the next 5 to 10 years and wants to solicit your feedback on possible service improvement and expansion, with a specific focus on which routes get attention in the next three years (hint: your answer should be Union Station-Navy Yard via Capitol Hill).

Look, you’re not going to go to the public hearings. I know it. You know it. So take a few minutes and fill out the survey. Maybe while you’re doing it another celebrity will go to jail or something and you’ll be that much closer to the end of the day.

And if I end up having to go to public meetings because you were too lazy to fill out a survey, well, no one wants that…

Photo by María Helena Carey

Do you have $20 burning in your pocket, a bike, and an earnest desire to make life a little better for many?  Then Hill and Go Seek is the event for you!

On Saturday, August 28th from 5-8 pm, two-person teams will go around Capitol Hill, trying to complete the fastest route between ten points of interest around the neighborhood, from Barracks Row to H Street, and from RFK to Eastern Market.  Throughout the race there will be challenges and tasks the riders must complete to accrue points. Afterwards, there will be a party at H Street Country Club to close the event and announce the winners — which non-riders can attend for $5! The event is being hosted by Capitol Hill Business Improvement District and CHAMPS — Capitol Hill’s Chamber of Commerce — in partnership with Capitol Hill Bikes, The Office of Tommy Wells, DDOT’s Capital Bikeshare and the Washington Area Bicycle Association (WABA).  The proceeds will go to Ready, Willing & Working a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that empowers men to break the cycles of homelessness, welfare dependency and criminal recidivism through a paid-work rehabilitation program offering supportive services that allow individuals to achieve permanent self-sufficiency.

Want to be part of it?  Then you can preregister through the race’s Eventbrite site, or at Capitol Hill Bikes, 718 8th Street, SE; or you can just show up the day of the event and hope there is still room for you and a buddy!

Photo by María Helena Carey

You may remember my post from a couple of weeks ago, on the experience of getting a haircut (vicariously) at Brice’s Barbershop.  Today, I will tell you about Sneed’s Barbershop, at 8th and I Streets, SE.

Where Brice’s is a loud, colorful affair, Sneed’s is a subdued one.  The space is tidy and stark, with just the right amount of chairs for waiting one’s turn and the right amount of barber chairs to handle a lunchtime crush.  The brightest item in the room, besides the American flag, is one of those red contraptions that allow you to take a number so you can wait your turn in an orderly fashion; otherwise, Sneed’s is a little island in black and white.  Seemingly the number one choice of most of the Marine boys holed up at the Barracks, there is a steady stream of very young, bright-eyed testosterone lining up at almost all times of day at Sneed’s– hence the need for the number-taker.  As a matter of fact, if you do not want to wait a long time for a haircut, I would strongly suggest you skip lunchtime and aim for earlier in the morning or swing by after the noontime crush, when you are likely to find the barbers more calm and filled with patience to tackle four-year-old heads, for instance.

The cadre of elders who have been cutting hair at Sneed’s are all very taciturn: at our last visit, most of the talking consisted in directions for holding my son’s unruly head as steady as possible, so I can only imagine that if you can sit still in your seat, you could end up having a wordless haircut.  I asked our barber how long he’d been cutting hair and he coyly announced that he’d been doing it his whole life.  No amount of sweet-talk made him bring down his guard and tell me how long that would be, but he did make it clear that he is not a young whippersnapper anymore, and hair cutting has been and continues to be his life.

Photo by María Helena Carey

So then, the charm at Sneed’s comes from watching those silent, expert men cut hair.  They approach every head with reverence and cut slowly and efficiently, even as little heads refuse to cooperate and a ten-minute haircut becomes a twenty-minute torture by whining– but I digress.  The haircuts take just long enough, and the price is right– especially if you are part of the Armed Forces, Police or Fire.

(Or a child)

Now, who is ready for a haircut?  My scalp is getting all itchy.