You may have noticed that J and I are glass half full people. We'd much rather talk about the good than harp on the bad. For example, an average play might have been a "nice cultural change of pace" or "set in a beautiful historic building."
Sabrina Fair at Ford's Theatre was no average play. Sure it was all of those other things, but the production and the story were also captivating and laugh out loud funny (for the younger readers, I lmao last night). Walking home, J and I couldn't stop talking about how pleasantly entertained we were. The cast was outstanding, especially Sabrina and the more veteran actors, and all possessed excellent comedic timing. While set in the 1950s, the dialogue remained fresh and poignant.
In short, Sabrina Fair is a winner. Speaking of winners, thanks to everyone who entered the drawing. You suggested some great DC hidden gems that we're eager to check out. We're happy to announce that Alix has won two free tickets to a Sunday performance of Sabrina Fair courtesy of Ford's Theatre. Congratulations! Send us an email for more information and enjoy Sabrina Fair.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
ACKC
I'm one of those people who adores all things chocolate and casts a suspicious eye toward anyone who claims not to like it. Months ago, I was giddy with excitement when Deals for Deeds launched their group buying site with a $20 card good for 10 chocolate drinks from ACKC on 14th Street NW. I went out on a bit of a limb buying the card because I didn't even know if I'd like one drink from ACKC, let alone 10 of them. However, I figured that finding a way to use 10 chocolate drinks would be a nice problem to have.
We finally made our way to the chocolate wonderland that is ACKC. The name stands for Artfully Chocolate, Kingsbury Confections, and is the love child of an artist (Eric Nelson) and a chocolatier (Rob Kingsbury). In 2007 they combined their talents to launch ACKC which is part art gallery, part chocolate shop, part cafe, and all awesome.
In addition to loving art and chocolate, the owners have a thing for Hollywood divas. As a result, they named their chocolate drink concoctions after sassy entertainers. You can get any "Diva" drink served hot, as an ice cream dessert, or as an ice cream milk shake. Since it is finally cooling down outside, B and I opted for the hot variety.
We finally made our way to the chocolate wonderland that is ACKC. The name stands for Artfully Chocolate, Kingsbury Confections, and is the love child of an artist (Eric Nelson) and a chocolatier (Rob Kingsbury). In 2007 they combined their talents to launch ACKC which is part art gallery, part chocolate shop, part cafe, and all awesome.
In addition to loving art and chocolate, the owners have a thing for Hollywood divas. As a result, they named their chocolate drink concoctions after sassy entertainers. You can get any "Diva" drink served hot, as an ice cream dessert, or as an ice cream milk shake. Since it is finally cooling down outside, B and I opted for the hot variety.We had a hard time deciding among the 14 different Divas but finally settled on the Charo (semi-sweet chocolate swirled with caramel and topped with whipped cream and Ghirardelli caramel sauce) and the Bette Davis (milk chocolate infused with almond syrup topped with whipped cream and toasted coconut flakes).
This is not your average hot chocolate. Rather than using cocoa powder, ACKC melts down discs of chocolate resulting in a thick and creamy masterpiece. If you're looking to save a couple of fat grams, you can choose skim milk in your drink. We did and the drink did not lack in flavor or consistency. With 2 holes punched in my drink card, I'm already plotting what I'll drink on my next 8 visits!
Second Thoughts from B
I'd be one of those people who has drawn the stink eye from J when admitting that I don't crave chocolate. But not craving it doesn't mean I don't enjoy it (albeit in smaller portions than most).
While we're on the topic of odd-ball things about me that would raise an eyebrow, I've never had a cup of coffee. I'll give you a minute, good reader, to peel yourself from the ceiling. Ready to continue? Good.
My aversion to coffee is partially because I'm a cheapskate (remember the poor grad student story?), partially because of the taste (though I love the smell), and partially because of the inevitable caffeine addiction (I like being able to function in the morning). And since my body is sheltered from the daily caffeine barrage of coffee, a strong cup of hot chocolate often keeps me wired for hours and that was the case Friday night. This is no packet of Swiss Miss. This is the real stuff and it may even taste strange because of it.
Remember the Steve Martin movie called "L.A. Story" with a young Sara Jessica Parker? During a scene where Martin's character advances to second base with Parker he says, "Your breasts feel weird." Without missing a beat she replies, "Oh, that's 'cause they're real." The point is that many of us who grew up with powder hot chocolate have grown to love it and this makes actual hot chocolate - like the stuff at ACKC - taste odd. But if you can get past your own expectations of what it should taste like, you'll notice that the grown up version of this childhood delight is oddly complex, oddly sweet yet still bitter and even savory, and oddly wonderful.
As the local, fresh, organic food craze has taught us, things are better when they are real. After all, I wouldn't want to dispute the great sage Sir Mix-a-lot who said, "silicone parts are made for toys."
P.S. Last chance to enter the drawing for two free Ford's Theatre tickets! See this post.
This is not your average hot chocolate. Rather than using cocoa powder, ACKC melts down discs of chocolate resulting in a thick and creamy masterpiece. If you're looking to save a couple of fat grams, you can choose skim milk in your drink. We did and the drink did not lack in flavor or consistency. With 2 holes punched in my drink card, I'm already plotting what I'll drink on my next 8 visits!Second Thoughts from B
I'd be one of those people who has drawn the stink eye from J when admitting that I don't crave chocolate. But not craving it doesn't mean I don't enjoy it (albeit in smaller portions than most).
While we're on the topic of odd-ball things about me that would raise an eyebrow, I've never had a cup of coffee. I'll give you a minute, good reader, to peel yourself from the ceiling. Ready to continue? Good.
My aversion to coffee is partially because I'm a cheapskate (remember the poor grad student story?), partially because of the taste (though I love the smell), and partially because of the inevitable caffeine addiction (I like being able to function in the morning). And since my body is sheltered from the daily caffeine barrage of coffee, a strong cup of hot chocolate often keeps me wired for hours and that was the case Friday night. This is no packet of Swiss Miss. This is the real stuff and it may even taste strange because of it.
Remember the Steve Martin movie called "L.A. Story" with a young Sara Jessica Parker? During a scene where Martin's character advances to second base with Parker he says, "Your breasts feel weird." Without missing a beat she replies, "Oh, that's 'cause they're real." The point is that many of us who grew up with powder hot chocolate have grown to love it and this makes actual hot chocolate - like the stuff at ACKC - taste odd. But if you can get past your own expectations of what it should taste like, you'll notice that the grown up version of this childhood delight is oddly complex, oddly sweet yet still bitter and even savory, and oddly wonderful.
As the local, fresh, organic food craze has taught us, things are better when they are real. After all, I wouldn't want to dispute the great sage Sir Mix-a-lot who said, "silicone parts are made for toys."
P.S. Last chance to enter the drawing for two free Ford's Theatre tickets! See this post.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Cuba Libre
After pushing back its opening date several times over the past few months, Cuba Libre finally threw open its doors on Friday to reveal the Cuban wonderland that had been hidden behind paper-covered windows. Taking up a sizeable space at the corner of 9th and H NW, Cuba Libre (a mini chain with locations in Atlantic City, Philadelphia, and Orlando) is bringing its blend of traditional and modern Cuban food to DC.
Realizing that it takes a few weeks to iron out the kinks, Cuba Libre is offering diners 50% off during the first week (October 1-7) and 25% off during the second week (October 8-13). The deal is good on food only from 4pm until 11pm nightly. We jumped at the chance to check it out for 50% off during the first weekend.
As soon as you enter, you'll notice the soaring facades that are meant to bring you back to Cuba of the 1950's. Since I didn't exist in the 1950's and I've never been to Cuba, all I could think was that this place would fit in great in Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. It wasn't overwhelmingly cheesy, but any place that does the fake courtyard/outdoor dining thing screams "Vegas!" to me.
Our Cuban adventure got off to a bit of a bumpy start when the hostess grabbed B's umbrella from him as soon as he walked in the door, and then there was a mixup with the price of the mojito I ordered while we waited at the bar for our table. Because it's their first week, we're going to overlook the other service oddities and just say that they appear to be working hard to smooth things out.
The bar area is impressively large and serves up 14 varieties of mojitos (all with fresh-pressed sugarcane juice) and a full array of other tropical beverages, such as caipirinhas and the namesake cuba libres (rum and coke). If you're a rum fan, you'll have fun working your way through the restaurant's list of 75 rum varieties. I loved my grilled pineapple mojito and B made quick work of his passion fruit mojito. Be careful as these fruity concoctions go down almost too easily.
The menu is divided into small plates called piqueos (which is Spanish for "overdone culinary trend"), larger appetizers, and entrees. We were told that the chain's "Concept Chef" and two-time James Beard Award winner, Guillermo Pernot, is famous for his ceviche. To properly pay our respects to his art, we ordered a tasting flight of all 5 ceviches. Our overall assessment was that 2 out of the 5 were "hits" while the others missed the mark. One, that featured shrimp, red peppers, and popcorn left us scratching our heads.
From the vegetable section of the piqueo menu, we ordered Bunuelos de Espinaca which were tasty little fried balls of cheese and spinach. They were good but if you mess up fried spinach and cheese, we've got serious problems.
Oh, and I promise those are spinach and cheese balls in the photo. It was so dark in the restaurant that photography was hopeless. Might be a good spot for a blind date...
We also shared the Guava BBQ Ribs. While listed on the appetizer section of the menu, the portion was definitely large enough to be shared or eaten by one light eater as a main course. The ribs were tender and the BBQ sauce had a nice tang, but no matter how hard we tried, we could not detect any guava in the sauce.
From the entree section of the menu we sampled the Cuban classic dish Ropa Vieja, which is much tastier than its literal Spanish translation of "old clothes." For the uninitiated, Ropa Vieja is shredded beef in a tomato-based sauce served over rice, and usually served with plantains. Cuba Libre's version was hearty and flavorful but was foiled by under-cooked peas. I think it would have benefitted from turning up the heat by adding peppers or hot sauce.
Though stuffed, I didn't want to turn down dessert (especially at 50% off!) so I ordered the rice pudding. The menu said the pudding was Mami Totty's recipe, and while I have no idea who Mami Totty is, the lady can cook up a mean rice pudding. There are people who love rice pudding (me) and people who only tolerate it because their spouse likes it (B). If you're in the former category, check out Cuba Libre's version and let me know what you think.
Second Thoughts From B
I applaud Cuba Libre for joining a downtown dining scene that seems saturated with restaurants that all have the same uber-chic, clean, minimalist interiors. I also welcome an option that seems to fit the middle ground between the Five Guys/Nando's of the neighborhood and the more upscale dining of Zengo/Oya/etc.
The problem I have is that a night at Cuba Libre would cost the same (when paying full price) as any of the more "foodie" options. The small plates were mostly $5-10, the appetizers $10-15, and the entrees were in the $20-$30 range.
The atmosphere is lively and unique, which makes me think it will become a happy hour favorite and destination for large groups. But for people looking for a nice night out with some great food, I think you could do better elsewhere at that price point. Nothing was particularly memorable. The flavors of several of the ceviches seemed to be muddled, the bunuelos de espinaca were rather ordinary wedding cocktail hour food, the ribs were very good but not unique, and the ropa vieja was far too similar to something we make at home in the crock pot.
In short, it seems like Cuba Libre fills the same role as lower-priced options such as the Cheesecake Factory or Buca di Beppo; a fun place to go with friends with a diverse menu of good, but not particularly noteworthy food. So the question remains, are the tropical drinks and Vegas-style facades worth the premium?
Realizing that it takes a few weeks to iron out the kinks, Cuba Libre is offering diners 50% off during the first week (October 1-7) and 25% off during the second week (October 8-13). The deal is good on food only from 4pm until 11pm nightly. We jumped at the chance to check it out for 50% off during the first weekend.As soon as you enter, you'll notice the soaring facades that are meant to bring you back to Cuba of the 1950's. Since I didn't exist in the 1950's and I've never been to Cuba, all I could think was that this place would fit in great in Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. It wasn't overwhelmingly cheesy, but any place that does the fake courtyard/outdoor dining thing screams "Vegas!" to me.
Our Cuban adventure got off to a bit of a bumpy start when the hostess grabbed B's umbrella from him as soon as he walked in the door, and then there was a mixup with the price of the mojito I ordered while we waited at the bar for our table. Because it's their first week, we're going to overlook the other service oddities and just say that they appear to be working hard to smooth things out.The bar area is impressively large and serves up 14 varieties of mojitos (all with fresh-pressed sugarcane juice) and a full array of other tropical beverages, such as caipirinhas and the namesake cuba libres (rum and coke). If you're a rum fan, you'll have fun working your way through the restaurant's list of 75 rum varieties. I loved my grilled pineapple mojito and B made quick work of his passion fruit mojito. Be careful as these fruity concoctions go down almost too easily.
The menu is divided into small plates called piqueos (which is Spanish for "overdone culinary trend"), larger appetizers, and entrees. We were told that the chain's "Concept Chef" and two-time James Beard Award winner, Guillermo Pernot, is famous for his ceviche. To properly pay our respects to his art, we ordered a tasting flight of all 5 ceviches. Our overall assessment was that 2 out of the 5 were "hits" while the others missed the mark. One, that featured shrimp, red peppers, and popcorn left us scratching our heads.
From the vegetable section of the piqueo menu, we ordered Bunuelos de Espinaca which were tasty little fried balls of cheese and spinach. They were good but if you mess up fried spinach and cheese, we've got serious problems.Oh, and I promise those are spinach and cheese balls in the photo. It was so dark in the restaurant that photography was hopeless. Might be a good spot for a blind date...
We also shared the Guava BBQ Ribs. While listed on the appetizer section of the menu, the portion was definitely large enough to be shared or eaten by one light eater as a main course. The ribs were tender and the BBQ sauce had a nice tang, but no matter how hard we tried, we could not detect any guava in the sauce.
From the entree section of the menu we sampled the Cuban classic dish Ropa Vieja, which is much tastier than its literal Spanish translation of "old clothes." For the uninitiated, Ropa Vieja is shredded beef in a tomato-based sauce served over rice, and usually served with plantains. Cuba Libre's version was hearty and flavorful but was foiled by under-cooked peas. I think it would have benefitted from turning up the heat by adding peppers or hot sauce.
Though stuffed, I didn't want to turn down dessert (especially at 50% off!) so I ordered the rice pudding. The menu said the pudding was Mami Totty's recipe, and while I have no idea who Mami Totty is, the lady can cook up a mean rice pudding. There are people who love rice pudding (me) and people who only tolerate it because their spouse likes it (B). If you're in the former category, check out Cuba Libre's version and let me know what you think.
Second Thoughts From B
I applaud Cuba Libre for joining a downtown dining scene that seems saturated with restaurants that all have the same uber-chic, clean, minimalist interiors. I also welcome an option that seems to fit the middle ground between the Five Guys/Nando's of the neighborhood and the more upscale dining of Zengo/Oya/etc.
The problem I have is that a night at Cuba Libre would cost the same (when paying full price) as any of the more "foodie" options. The small plates were mostly $5-10, the appetizers $10-15, and the entrees were in the $20-$30 range.
The atmosphere is lively and unique, which makes me think it will become a happy hour favorite and destination for large groups. But for people looking for a nice night out with some great food, I think you could do better elsewhere at that price point. Nothing was particularly memorable. The flavors of several of the ceviches seemed to be muddled, the bunuelos de espinaca were rather ordinary wedding cocktail hour food, the ribs were very good but not unique, and the ropa vieja was far too similar to something we make at home in the crock pot.
In short, it seems like Cuba Libre fills the same role as lower-priced options such as the Cheesecake Factory or Buca di Beppo; a fun place to go with friends with a diverse menu of good, but not particularly noteworthy food. So the question remains, are the tropical drinks and Vegas-style facades worth the premium?
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Ford's Theatre - Sabrina Fair
If you think that Ford's Theatre is just for 8th grade tourists and Lincoln buffs, think again. Ford's is an active theater year-round and offers much more than just A Christmas Carol (though seeing the Christmas classic at Ford's should be required for all Washington residents). Under the direction of Paul Tetreault, Ford's is branching out beyond all things Lincoln and bringing uniquely-American theater productions to DC.
After seeing our post on Little Shop of Horrors, the friendly PR team at Ford's invited us to take a sneak peek at a rehearsal for the upcoming play Sabrina Fair. You might be familiar with the story line from the 1954 Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart movie Sabrina or the 1995 re-make of the same name starring Harrison Ford and Julia Ormond.
While we only caught a glimpse of the play, I was immediately struck by the beauty of the set and costuming. The massive set transports you to the courtyard of a stately mansion. Just as I found myself getting swept away, the sight of the Lincoln balcony snapped me back to the reality of what happened in this historic place. With the combo of historical significance and top-notch plays, Ford's Theatre has become my favorite venue in DC.
It was a special treat to get an inside look at Sabrina Fair and to learn random facts about the production and Ford's Theatre itself. Bet you didn't know that Sabrina's pet bird is played by two birds (one lead and one understudy) named Frank and Stein (get it?) and that they have their own dressing room. You never know what else you'll learn on an outing at Ford's. Second Thoughts From B
My mom's favorite Beatle was George. Not because she liked the quiet type or that she had anything against the witty John, cute Paul, or goofy Ringo. Rather, she liked George because everyone else adored the others (this is probably the extent of any childhood rebelliousness). In a way, that's how I feel about Ford's Theatre.
I feel like Ford's is the underground band that you discover before they make it big and are played out on every tween's iPod. Just as good as the big boys but without the hype. There's an insider cool about being a fan, and having a personal connection to the little theater that could.
I won't rehash my thoughts on interracial relationships since I did so here, but I will tell you that I look forward to seeing Sabrina Fair. From the little bit that I saw last night, I'm intrigued. Then again, I am a sucker for anything that puts a modern twist on an old favorite (how many times have I used that line when describing food?).
If you've read this far, perhaps you're intrigued by Ford's or their production of Sabrina Fair. In that case, we've got a little surprise for you. We'll be giving away two free tickets to a Sunday performance (October 10 at 2:30pm or 7:30pm, or October 17 at 2:30pm). To enter the random drawing, leave a comment with your favorite DC hidden gem by Wednesday, October 6th. We'll announce the winner in the next day's post. Good luck and see you at the theater!
I feel like Ford's is the underground band that you discover before they make it big and are played out on every tween's iPod. Just as good as the big boys but without the hype. There's an insider cool about being a fan, and having a personal connection to the little theater that could.
I won't rehash my thoughts on interracial relationships since I did so here, but I will tell you that I look forward to seeing Sabrina Fair. From the little bit that I saw last night, I'm intrigued. Then again, I am a sucker for anything that puts a modern twist on an old favorite (how many times have I used that line when describing food?).
If you've read this far, perhaps you're intrigued by Ford's or their production of Sabrina Fair. In that case, we've got a little surprise for you. We'll be giving away two free tickets to a Sunday performance (October 10 at 2:30pm or 7:30pm, or October 17 at 2:30pm). To enter the random drawing, leave a comment with your favorite DC hidden gem by Wednesday, October 6th. We'll announce the winner in the next day's post. Good luck and see you at the theater!
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