mb palaver

RestaurantPalaver: Rick Eats DC

Since I've been blogging less frequently than Roger Federer wins majors, I thought the least I can do is refer you to my friend Rick's terrific blog on the DC food scene.  Rick Eats DC reviews the latest hot spots, hidden gems, and old favorites, and he has great taste and a thoroughly entertaining style.  His "best of" lists are my go-to resource when I'm trying to think of new places to try.  And he's so thorough and dedicated he once asked me if I wanted to have lunch at a certain pizza place "to see if it's still terrible" (I said yes, obviously).  His reviews are always candid, so he won't steer you wrong.

TheaterPalaver: Little Thing, Big Thing

If you're sticking around DC for Thanksgiving weekend, you have four chances (Friday, twice Saturday, and Sunday) to experience Solas Nua's latest production, Little thing, Big Thing.  Two actors take on a dozen or more roles in this funny, suspenseful, and insightful buddy caper (involving a petty thief and a Scottish nun in Ireland via Nigeria).  The play is staged in a theater in the back of a gallery on G Street near Gallery Place.  These performances are too good not to be given to packed houses.  And the theme is timely, focused on the importance of taking what little steps you can to effect big changes in the face of corruption.  You can find tickets here.

TheaterPalaver: Prince Achmed is Back at Constellation Theatre

Constellation Theater will be presenting, Thursday through Saturday, another production of "The Adventures of Prince Achmed" at The Source on 14th Street.  (Thursday is sold out online, but you can put your name on a waiting list at the box office.)  I loved it when I saw it 3 years ago -- check out my previous rave.  You can also take advantage of the relative quiet in Washington to grab a bite before or after on the patio at Etto, Le Diplomate, Cork, or Doi Moi (or, as my friend Judi calls it, Boy Toy).

SportsPalaver: Bjorkman (and Murray) at Citi Open

 

It's probably safe to assume not too many people were aiming their cameras at Andy Murray's coach Jonas Björkman on the practice court at the Citi Open today. But I was a fan of the former top 10 Swede, and not just for his tennis.  Here he is doing imitations of top players from the '80s.  I found another version with better video, but somehow the French commentary on this one seems like a bonus.

 

 

SportsPalaver: Citi Open 2015

DC's annual lead-up to the US Open started today at the Rock Creek Tennis Center.  Though the major matches in the Citi Open don't get started until Monday, this weekend for $10 online ($15 at the door) you can wander the grounds and see qualifying matches, watch the pros practice, and gawk at players as they go about their business.  Today I saw the temperamental Marinko Matosevic beat USA's Austin Krajicek in a third-set tie-breaker, then saw Matosevic -- after playing for a couple of hours in 90 degree heat and humidity -- jogging around the adjacent soccer field.  (It reminded me of Agassi's complaint that Jim Courier would do that after beating him back in the day.)

You can buy tickets and find information at the tournament website and find practical tips at the Washington Post.  It costs $15 to park on the grounds and the lots there get filled up later in the week.  Neighborhood parking is restricted during the event.  If you haven't used uber before, you can get "up to" $20 off and get dropped off at the back entrance.  Whatever you do, don't try driving up 16th Street during the evening rush and expect to take a left into the parking lot without an excruciating wait.  Pudding Man and I did that once and after all that wait we got shunted to an off-site shuttle lot anyway.

The northeast court is a great (and shady, in the afternoon) place to see top players practice.  Above I'm trying to pick up tips from Sam Groth for how to up my service speed to approach his ATP record-breaking 163.4 MPH serve (hit in a tournament in Busan in 2012).  I've got a ways to go.  Groth was practicing with fellow Aussie Lleyton Hewitt.  I also saw Kei Nishikori and Kevin Anderson hitting today, and ran into friends who saw Grigor Dmitrov and Andy Murray on the practice court (not necessarily together).  I almost accidentally photobombed a kid's selfie with Richard Gasquet.  No sign of Tommy Haas today, but if you're a fan check out the Citi Open's announcement on facebook on Thursday that Denis Kudla and Haas got wild cards -- clearly whoever is running that facebook page is a Haas admirer.

 

Edited to add that tomorrow (Sunday, August 2) is National Parks Kids Day:

National Parks Kids Day

Come out and join us for our National Parks Kids Day, which will include a USTA Play Day, DC Public Library Story Time, Platform Tennis, appearances by local mascots, face painters, and more! All kids 14 and under will receive a complimentary reserved ticket for Session 2 and a lunch voucher courtesy of Guest Services, Inc. 

The complimentary tickets for kids 14 and under and the lunch voucher are only redeemable at the Box Office, which will open at 8am on Sunday, August 2.

 

DCPalaver: Murphy's Irish Pub Closes in Woodley Park

 

I'm glad I read popville on Friday or I would have missed my last chance to hoist a Guinness at Murphy's Irish pub in Woodley Park.  Murphy's Woodley Park location opened on St. Patrick's Day 1986, and closes its doors for good tonight.  In truth, I always wished Murphy's was better than it was.  I hoped it would turn into something like a local version of the old Red Onion in Monroe, Ohio, a neighborhood tavern that happened to serve fantastic food.  But I've spent many enjoyable evenings at Murphy's, and I will miss having an old school bar in the neighborhood, and the cozy fireplace, and the snoozing leprechaun.  I want that snoozing leprechaun!  I hope the staff is able to find new jobs quickly.

 

 

 

CommunityPalaver: Annual Clothing Drive at Annunciation Church

As long as I'm cleaning out my closets, I figured I might as well get mbpalaver out of mothballs.  The annual Annunciation/Holy Trinity clothing drive is this weekend.  You can drop off "gently used clothing for men, women and children, coats, blankets and small useful household items that are in working order" this Saturday, November 8, from 9 am to 5 pm, in the parking lot at Annunciation Church at 3810 Massachusetts Ave.  What's in your closet?  I found the scents of the '70s in mine.

 

RestaurantPalaver: Mintwood Place Goes Green

Mintwood Place was already the best good food/good wine/neighborhoody/snow refuge/cozy dining spot in DC, but tonight they added an Irish menu and a guitarist singing not just trad but also U2 and the Stones. Did they read my diary?

CommunityPalaver: What's in Your Closet?

It's that time of year again:  time to clean our your closets and bring a bag or two to the annual clothing drive hosted by Holy Trinity and Annunciation churches.  It's very easy to donate -- just pull into Annunciation's lot on Mass. Ave. and a volunteer will grab your loot and give you a tax form.  Here are the details from HT's bulletin (this has dropped out of the most recent bulletin, but I'm assured it's still on):

Holy Trinity and Annunciation Clothing Drive
Saturday, November 9, 9am-5pm
Sunday, November 10, 9am-1pm
Annunciation Catholic Church
3810 Massachusetts Ave, NW DC

Every year we partner with Annunciation Church for a drive that benefits agencies serving the homeless in DC, including many of the agencies who receive support from the Holy Trinity Tithe. The drive collects clothing, blankets and linens, small and useful household items (like kitchen utensils and appliances, not things like flower vases) and small furniture items that would fit in a regular size sedan. Please drop off new and gently used items in the Annunciation parking lot. 

We have a special need for volunteers this year! Get in the holiday spirit a little early this year by volunteering for a shift from 9am - 1pm or 1pm - 5pm. Contact Judy Gyllensvaan at 703-535-3360 or [email protected].

 

Photo:  Leaf on windshield this morning in Georgetown.

DCPalaver: Shred This, DPW!

I finally got around to cleaning out my closets back in March in time to bring a millennium's worth of bank statements (too much for my little shredder) and an old hard drive to the District's monthly shredding and e-cycling drop-off.  (Some of the detritus was so worthless it just went in the trash. See above.)  The Department of Public Works made it so easy:  I drove up, a nice woman directed me to the lane for e-cycling, I proceeded there and motioned that I just had a hard drive, so the nice guy came to the driver's side window to get it, then I drove up the lane for shredding and flipped the back door lock and some nice folks grabbed the bags of shreddables.  I don't know what these nice people are drinking, but I want some!  I felt 50 pounds lighter after the experience. And I can actually walk in my walk-in closet now.  They do this every first Saturday of the month, so they'll be out there this Saturday morning.

DPW Holds Monthly HHW/E-Cycling/Shredding Drop-Off Sat., June 1

There Is A Thursday Afternoon Drop-Off For HHW and E-Cycling only on May 30

The DC Department of Public Works will hold its next monthly Household Hazardous Waste/E-cycling/Personal Document Shredding drop-off Saturday, June 1, 8 am to 3 pm, at the Ft. Totten Transfer Station*.  The monthly drop-off is held the first Saturday, except holidays, at Ft. Totten, between 8 am and 3 pm.

During the monthly HHW/E-cycling/Personal Document Shredding event, District residents may bring toxic items, such as pesticides, batteries and cleaning fluids to Ft. Totten, along with computers, televisions and other unwanted electronic equipment.  Personal document shredding also is available that day and residents may bring up to five boxes of materials to be shredded.  No business or commercial material will be accepted. 

To accommodate residents whose religious beliefs prohibit them from using the Saturday drop-off, DPW will accept household hazardous waste and e-cyclables only on the Thursday before the first Saturday of the month (May 30, from 1 pm to 5 pm).  While DPW normally offers personal document shredding during the Saturday event, items for shredding cannot be accepted on Thursdays because these documents cannot be protected until the shredding contractor arrives on Saturday.  For a list of all household hazardous waste and e-cyclables accepted by DPW, please click on the HHW link at www.dpw.dc.gov.

DPW reminds residents that certain batteries (lithium-based and batteries greater than 9 volts) should be taped before being brought to Ft. Totten.  Lithium-based batteries are most commonly found in cell phones, digital cameras and laptops.  Also, hearing aids, watches and keyless remotes typically use button cells, containing lithium.  To safely dispose of batteries with lithium or batteries of greater than 9 volts, put clear, masking or electrical tape on the batteries’ terminals.  Flat button batteries can be sandwiched between two layers of tape.  Examples are pictured on the next page.  Place these batteries in a separate container from other batteries that don’t require being taped, e.g., A, AAA, C, D, 6-volt and 9-volt batteries.

*Directions to Ft. Totten:  Travel east on Irving Street, NW, turn left on Michigan Avenue, turn left on John F. McCormack Drive, NE and continue to the end of the street.  Directions from additional locations can be found at http://dpw.dc.gov/node/414922.