Restaurant Week begins this week
January 11, 2008
Don’t forget that this coming week is the 2008 Winter Restaurant Week. With over 175 restaurants participating in this event, check to see if your favorite restaurant is participating and head on over there for a fixed-price three course meal. Lunch will run you $20.08 per person and dinner for about $30.08. Worried about not having space for you when you get to the restaurant? Book your spot ahead of time by going to OpenTable. Most of the restaurants on the Restaurant Week website have links to the OpenTable page so you’ll be able to make your reservations quickly, easily, and for free.
Now you may think that Restaurant Week is just a bogus holiday that the folks at DC want just to hit up some restaurants…you might want to rethink it. It’s definitely not a holiday, but more a celebration of the cultural diversity in the types of cuisine that exists in the city. Many other cities have Restaurant Week celebrations and it’s just a great excuse to meet up with your friends, have some good food, and enjoy a great time. So make your reservations today and Bon Appetit!
The Embassy Open House is back in 2008 with “Passport DC”
January 10, 2008
Did you know that Washington, DC has a lot of embassies? Did you know that the city is throwing a week-long celebration of these embassies and you get the gift? From May 10 – 17, several embassies in the city will throw open their doors and you can walk right in and get a tour of the offices of foreign government ambassadors. With 15 million visitors to the nation’s capital, don’t you think it’s about time to get away from the National Mall and try something different?
Sure, it is an embassy – technically you would be on foreign soil, but a lot of embassies have public programming that allows you to simply walk in, whether for free or for a small nominal fee, but you’ll be able to check out some musical performances, art, collectables, or even have a fance soiree there.
The folks at Cultural Tourism DC are organizing this little shin-dig and more than 40 embassies and cultural organizations are participating this year in the Passport DC festival. What is Passport DC? It’s a celebration of all the international culture we have in the city and gives local residents and non-residents the chance to explore another part of the city that you never thought truly existed after hours. Between May 10-17, Cultural Tourism DC will put on cultural programming, performances, exhibits, and more from different embassies and international cultural centers.
Visit CulturalTourismDC.org for more information about which embassies are participating.
Celebrate Mardi Gras in Washington, DC
January 10, 2008
Who says that Washington, DC doesn’t have anything to celebrate in February? Sure there’s Valentine’s Day or Presidents’ Day, but you don’t party on those holidays. But why do you need a holiday to celebrate? This February, make sure you head down and take in the Mardi Gras celebrations going on in the nation’s capital. Although the capital of Mardi Gras is in good ol’ New Orleans, if you can’t fly thousands of miles there, why not try something a little closer to home?
Here’s a list of the events taking place in DC between February 5 – March 1, 2008:
Clarendon Mardi Gras Parade
February 5, 2008, 8 p.m.
Veitch Street (by the Court House Metro station)
Arlington, VA
(703) 812-8881.
A local parade with floats, music, beads and fun.
Anacostia Community Museum
Mardi Gras Family Day
2008 Date to be Announced, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
1901 Fort Place SE
Washington, DC
(202) 633-4866
The museum will offer storytelling, musical entertainment, mask making activities and videos of New Orleans Mardi Gras celebrations.
MCCXXIII
Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball
2008 Date to be Announced.
1223 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, DC
Mardi Gras Madness Party
February 2, 2008, 9 p.m. – 2 a.m.
Phillips Flagship Restaurant
900 Water St. SW Washington, DC.
Show Place Arena and Prince George’s Equestrian Center
Mardi Gras Ball
March 1, 2008, 7 p.m.
14900 Pennsylvania Ave.
Upper Marlboro, MD
(202) 397-7328.
Annual fundraiser for the United Way of Calvert County.
R.F.D. Washington
Mardi Gras Party
2008 Date to be Announced.
810 Seventh St. NW
Washington, DC
McFadden’s Restaurant and Saloon
Fat Tuesday Celebration
February 5, 2008, 5 p.m.
2401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC
Beat the clock drink specials in honor of Mardi Gras.
Check the websites for more specific information and dates on what’s going on. Be safe. Don’t Drink & Drive. Have fun!
Washington Auto Show 2008
January 9, 2008
Car lovers will rejoice at this year’s Auto Show, showcasing more than 700 new vehicles from 42 domestic and import automakers at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Keynote speaker Mark R. LaNeve, Vice President of GM, will discuss GM’s transformational performance and the latest technological and eco-friendly advances. Event-goers can test their car knowledge and hang with pro sports stars from the Redskins and Wizards. Adult tickets are $10 during the week, $12 on Saturday and Sunday. All other tickets are $6/seniors; $5/children (6-12); children under 6 are free.
The show, now in its 66th staging, presents the latest breakthroughs in automotive design and engineering, including alternative fuels and pollution-reducing technology, to hundreds of thousands of consumers, as well as to lawmakers, regulatory officials and diplomats.
The excitement begins on Tuesday, Jan. 22, with an International Media Day featuring a full agenda of new model introductions, special announcements and industry symposia. That night, a roster of VIP guests will assemble to take a sneak peek at the vehicles on display and raise money for local health and children’ charities at the 2008 Washington Auto Show Congressional Gala and Charity Preview. The show opens to the public on Wednesday, Jan. 23.
DC Insider Tip: Print a page from AutoTrader.com and bring it to the show Friday to receive $4 off admission!
Buy your tickets here.
Help fight breast cancer in Washington, DC
December 29, 2007
No matter who you are, it’s quite possible that you know of someone that has been affected by breast cancer, maybe even yourself. Join the fight against this terrible disease by walking for a cure on May 3-4, 2008 in Washington, DC. Registration is currently underway and you can register as an individual or as a team. The Avon Walk is a national walk for the cure sponsored by Avon and has or will take place in other places like Boston, Houston, the Rocky Mountains, Los Angeles, Charlotte, New York City, and other places.
So sign up today, start training, and get set for the 39.3 mile walk to help put an end to breast cancer. With the two day walk, you’ll head out for a 26.2 walk one day and 13.1 miles on the second day. Help raise money, fight the disease, and make a difference in your community.
