30 Days. 30 Places.

Day 19/30: Thai tanic II (no relation to the boat or movie :-)

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:44:02 -0400

Located on 14^th street before Columbia heights, this is practically walking distance from our house.

And there’s only one way to describe it. Delicious!!

From their Shrimp spring rolls to their Yellow curry salmon (my Favorite)

They have a beautiful bar and can make a large array of equally delicious cocktails from a ginger martini (amazing) to the toasted Almond (Renee’s favorite). Not looking for anything Alcoholic (haha) try their Thai tea which is basically desert through a straw.

It’s a sexy scene, perfect place for a date ;-)

I love the décor, Adore the Drinks, and am Crazy about the food J.

P.S. always great service.

Love it scale 10 out of 10!

I love the décor, Adore the Drinks, and am Crazy about the food J.

P.S. always great service.

And it wont break your budget.

Day 18/30: National Gallery of Art, Warhol Exhibit

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:36:31 -0400

“I have Social Disease. I have to go out every night. If I stay home one night I start spreading rumors to my dogs.” – Warhol

www.warhol.org

One word. Amazing. This museum is massive. Like a labyrinth filled with treasures from centuries before that will remain for centuries to come.

I love Art.

Everything here was cool. From the stone waterfall to the “star trek” (as Phalan dubbed it) moving sidewalk.

Its like an adventure around every corner, art adventure.

And then there was Warhol.

Though I thought it to be small it was awesome to see his work in person having learned about him for so many years. I think collectively our favorite pieces were the 2 large canvases that were a collaboration between him and Basquiat.

Love it scale. Of course 10 out of 10!

Day 17/30: Ghost tour in Annapolis BOoOoOoOoOoOooOo :-D

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:32:22 -0400

Having never done one of these before we were both exited and weary. Or maybe I was just the weary one ;-)

Can you find the ghost in one of our pictures?

Well my anxiety built as the ghost tour guide informed us that 1/3 tours makes a sighting.

I never realized how much history was right there, always thinking DC is the end all be all (it still sort of is J)

Well in was a spooky night but interesting above all. We stood in front of bars and restaurants that were frequented by our founding fathers. One in particular that George Washington (yes THE GW) is known to have been chased out of for hitting on the owners wife. Scandalous!

Spookiest moments belong to: the light turning off while we were in the cemetery surrounded by crypts covered with skull and bones markings, and when one of the fellow tour members caught something in his camera. Either its light or a ghost. You be the judge.

Love it scale 8 out of 10

Because it was cold and drizzly for too much of the tour. But still enjoyable

Day 16/30: 건배 (cheers!) Korean cuisine at mandu

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:25:01 -0400

Happy Hour!!

Yummy Yummy Yummy.

Happy hour menu include $3 Mandu (dumplings fried or steamed) and delicious$4 Chicken Wings (Bar only)

And $4 Sojutinis that came in a gazillion flavors like Aloe, grape, mango, and more!

Great times, you can eat and drink good for $20.

Great décor and even better atmosphere.

The bartender was friendly and even though Phalan is our expert on Korea he was happy to explain some things to us about the menu.

On our love it scale 9 out of 10

Enjoyed the bar folk, food, and drinks.

Would have been good if the food menu for Happy hour had more options

Day 15/30! : Sequoia’s at the Georgetown Waterfront

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:13:05 -0400

We’ve reached our halfway mark!

What better way to celebrate then with a great view and even better company.

We made our way to the waterfront, completely ready for happy hour. The crowd wasn’t what we’re typically used to, being that they were slightly older, but the bar still had a good vibe.

Sequoia’s is a full restaurant overlooking the water. There are two bar options for enjoying happy hour: an outside terrace bar and a bar located on the top floor inside of the restaurant. We opted for the terrace bar and the view was stunning, day and night.

They had excellent bartenders that had us laughing the whole night with their dancing and jokes. Thanks Nate and Nam!

The music was quite interesting: hardcore hip hop music fused with sped-up techno beats. Hilarious combination.

When the crowd died down a little, one of our favorite bartenders, Nam, put on his iPod and entertained us with some Common, Kanye and Jay-Z.

There’s an option of about 7 cocktails on the happy hour menu at $5 each, along with a few bites to eat. We didn’t end up eating there but it’s worth mentioning that the food smelled amazing. They make excellent cocktails and their definitely not stingy with the wine. Happy hour ends at 7 pm but it’s still worth going even if you can’t make that time.

Love it scale: 8.5 out of 10

We had a great time, but had hoped for a younger crowd.

Day 14/30: Museum of Un-Natural history

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:51:00 -0400

“Well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you’re free
Look into your heart and you’ll find that the sky is yours” - Jason Mraz

Not quite sure how to start this review.

Not at all what we thought it to be, but a good lead to a great evening

Which is kind of the point, get out the house. There’s a world out there!!

Great place for kids. Everything in here was funny/cute.

Everything in the store was something that made me laugh.

For instance a brick marked “Skipping stone”, with a small description underneath letting you know “It’s all in the wrist”

Or silly things likes unicorn tears which is a Jar of water and Glitter.

A very short trip which landed us in the center of Columbia heights.

We ended up sitting by the fountain for a couple hours watching at the kids laughing their little hearts out playing in the water fountain, people watching, and just enjoying a beautiful day outside.

so if your in columbia heights and have some kids with you, take them. It’s Free!

Love it scale: 8 out of 10

Only because we felt a little duped when we realized it wasn’t a real/full museum.

Still was a great day :-)

Day 13/30: Busboys and Poets – Open Mic Night

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:29:53 -0400

A true open mic night…finally!

We saw some poetry, hip-hop, stand-up and even a crazy incoherent rant lol.

We took the bus for the 1st time so transportation was only $1.70.

We arrived at 8pm and bought our $4 wristbands while waiting for the doors to open at 8:30.

Get there early because this room fills up fast.

The Langston Hughes room was decorated with a “wall of peace” cluttered with pictures and quotes from all of our favorites including: Dr. King, Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Langston Hughes and many many more.

Beautiful.

We felt every emotion! It was an all together, well rounded evening.

A personal favorite was MC Lurch who went on a literal 5 page rant where he said the word sh*t at least 100 times and the word pu$$y an additional 47 times. Out of control!! Nonetheless, I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.

There was a well rounded group of performers including a great stand-up comedian who, for her second time ever doing it, had the whole crowd laughing.

Our favorite moment was the reading of the “community poem”. At the beginning of the night, they pass around a sheet and every audience member contributes a “poetic” line. Pure genius.

Here’s a sample:

“Progression.

Even though it’s hard, it’s better than staying idle.

‘Cause idle muthafuckas die ‘cause they idling too damn much.

Live bitch, live!

…and, make it rain. Make it rain on these hoes while going hard in the muthafuckin’ paint. Because closed mouths don’t get fed on this boulevard. #church”

*snap* *snap* *snap*

Love it Scale: 10 out of 10. (I’d give 11 if I could…)

Price: $4 Entertaining. Engaging. Great crowd and staff. Truly no complaints.

Day 12/30: Galaxy Billiards Café, Monday Night Football: Redskins vs. some other team

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 05:55:55 -0400

Well this started off as a good night. Chose downtown Silver Spring as our destination to watch Monday night football.

Galaxy Billiards Café was standing room only and packed to the brim with Redskins fans… and fans from the less important team.

With drinks flowing and high-fives being thrown left and right, the crowd was in a great mood.

We met some cool people too. It’s amazing how football brings people together.

Overall it was a great night, despite the home team losing.

Food served here is typical bar food (nachos, wings, burgers, etc.) and a couple of restaurant-type meals like salmon.

Drinks were made strong and worth the price.

Love it scale: 8.5 out of 10

Wish we were able to find a seat easier. The large screens were on a time delay from the smaller TV’s which was a little annoying.

Perfect venue for fanatics watching sports.

Touchdown Redskins, not that it matters though

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:15:28 -0400

Touchdown Redskins, not that it matters though

Day 11/30: Soul Food at Eatonville

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:00:14 -0400

Eatonville, a Zora Neale Hurston-inspired restaurant named for her hometown in Florida which was the first African-American incorporated town in the United States.

Everything inside has a connection to Zora’s life, including a huge mural that depicts a scene from her famous book ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’.

There is art on every wall in this restaurant, even the walk to the bathroom is lined with paintings and pictures.

The staff is extremely friendly there and even stopped to talk football with us. Thanks, Drew!

The food can only be described in one word: delicious.

The “must-haves” include the lamb chops and their macaroni and cheese as an extra side (no substituting sides there). Its honestly the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had.

Love it Scale: 8.5 out of 10

The menu is a little pricey and the drinks could be better.

“Women forget all the things they don’t want to remember, and remember everything they don’t want to forget.”

- Zora Neale Hurston

We definitely added a lot of places to the list of things we don’t want to forget

Day 10/30: Wine Tasting Cruise, DC Harbor

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:55:00 -0400

“Wine is bottled poetry” -Robert Louis Stevenson

So our adventure starts off with me assuming the wrong departure time of the cruise. We realized we were 30 mins late while we were still in traffic with 10 more mins before we actually arrived at the boat dock. We decided to try and make it anyway. With no time to get more change for the parking meter, we put 2 quarters in (enough for 15 mins. of parking) and power walked over to the dock. The boat was still there!

The ticket taker informed us that the boat wouldn’t leave until we got there. Good day already :)

We boarded the boat and began the wine sampling, which quickly turned into wine drinking…by the bottle.

There was a nice array of cheeses, fruits, hummus and chips.

The staff was awesome and they even offered to match our groupon price if we wanted to come back for their champagne and mimosa cruise.

There was also a great selection of beers to try if wine doesn’t suit you.

We also met a young couple who kept filling our glasses and kept us highly entertained for most of the cruise.

“Beer is the cause and solution to all of life’s problems” -Homer Simpson

Love it scale: 9 out of 10

Only because the river is gross but the scenery was breathtaking.

Day 9/30: Washington Nationals Vs. Atlanta Braves

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:52:00 -0400

Take us out to the ball game!!!

Skip the peanuts and Cracker Jacks though, I’ll take a 22 ounce frozen margarita

We got a bit scared because it rained all day and that would’ve definitely put a damper on our day. But all our worries went away as soon as we left the house. No rain!

First things first.

Beautiful stadium. The Nationals are a fairly new team and the stadium was built right in DC.

The combination of cheering fans, a strikingly green field and an array of good music made for a great evening.

We bought our tickets on www.groupon.com for $9, which of course were nosebleed seats. However, we chose our own seats with a better view and were never bothered once by security. Great times.

Love it scale: 10 out of 10

Easy metro access, fun and exciting, surprisingly clean bathrooms and an aesthetically pleasing stadium.

Day 8/30: Jin and Ultra Bar

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:24:21 -0400

We’re back on track! Another great evening. We started with happy hour at Jin, an “Asian Caribbean Soul Lounge” located on 14^th and U St. Super sexy :)

www.JinDC.com

Their happy hour menu is great- offering dirty, mango, and peach martinis for $5 and of course the standard rail drinks and any beer for $5. There are also a fair amount of $5 appetizers. I would definitely recommend the jerk wings and the conch fritters. We wanted to try the edamame hummus, which is apparently so delicious that they had ran out of it.



Great service. Good food. Good drinks and an even better atmosphere.
Love it Scale: 9 out of 10. Wasn’t much of a crowd until about 7:30 (30 mins before happy hour ends). FYI- it’s a club on Friday and Saturday nights.    Next up was Ultra Bar on F street. The cover was free before 12 but the line was a bit longer than we had expected for a Thursday night. After 12, it’s a $20 cover. We got in on 10 bucks, courtesy of an old college buddy from FL that we ran into. Small world.

Tip: be in line no later than 11pm for free entry.

The music was a good mix of hip hop, DC go-go music, popular hits and I think I heard some techno. The club is pretty big and has different rooms that, unfortunately, we didn’t get to see. Overall we had a good time and stayed there until the lights went on around 2am.

Price: cover free before 12, $20 after. Drinks moderately priced around $9-$12.

Love it Scale: 8 out of 10. Good music. Full crowd. Good times.

www.ultrabardc.com

Day 7/30: Open Mic Comedy Show

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:11:36 -0400

We want to share our whole experience with you. This includes the good, the bad, and the ugly.

In our first week we had a blast. We’ve done things, met people and gone places that we never would have otherwise. But there are always exceptions…

Bad experience #1 – RiRa’s Open Mic Comedy Show.

1^st Mistake – Leaving DC to go to VA.

We were the only 3 black people in the crowd, which has never bothered us before. That was until the only other black person (the comedian) started making all these black jokes to make the majority white crowd laugh.

Including: “that black guy can climb trees well like a monkey with a banana in his pocket.” Also, making fun of black women named “Shaniqua” and his overuse of the N word to a laughing crowd (who would have laughed harder if we weren’t there). Not to forget the one at our expense: “Hey, we got some black people here, standing up in the back of course because they were late.” We were actually early. That crowd had just been there since 5pm taking advantage of happy hour.

When including the strange looks, weird treatment and awkward jokes, we can safely say this was an awful experience.

Love it scale: 2 out of 10. Those 2 points are solely based on the fact that it was free and they had ½ priced burgers.

Not a black joke, still not a knee slapper

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 11:59:56 -0400

Not a black joke, still not a knee slapper

Day 6/30: Lincoln Memorial and Fro-Zen-Yo

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:42:30 -0400

“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” -Abraham Lincoln

We live in an amazing city. Our original plan was to watch a movie on the lawn by U Street, but when that was cancelled we had to think of another plan fast.

Luckily in D.C. there’s always something to do, so we headed downtown to visit the Lincoln Memorial. One word: amazing. We stood where Dr. King stood during his I have a dream speech, we walked where he and so many other great men walked before us and we walked into this great room humbled by the history and beauty of everything around us.

“I never lie!” - Abraham Lincoln, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

This was a great choice.

Love it Scale : Of course a 10 out of 10!

On the way home we stopped in Columbia Heights for some delicious frozen yogurt. Definetly the best I’ve ever had.

Amazing flavors and a large array of toppings from kiwi and coconut to pecans and Reese’s Peanut cups.

On the Love it Scale another 10 out of 10!

It was really just that good.

Day 5/30: African Continuum Theatre Play Reading

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:36:52 -0400

My Favorite Combination: Free and Fun

The Rest of Me by Eugene Lee; directed by Shirley Basfield Dunlap; dramaturgy by Sybil Roberts & J.E. Lawton

Never been to a play reading but it’s basically a narrator and a set of actors/actresses speaking their parts of a play, minus the props and set.

We went to the Atlas Theater on H street and sat in a medium-sized room with a spotlighted stage. The play was entitled The Best of Me. It started off pretty funny but got really intense, really fast. The story was formed around twins who lead two very different lives but were always connected through the good and horrible times.

Price: Free! Thanks to African Continuum Theatre

http://africancontinuumtheatre.com/ - Support Them

Love it Scale: 10 out of 10! Great story. Great performance. Great evening :-).

Day 4/30: Madam's Organ Blues Bar / Karaoke

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:35:48 -0400

“Madam’s Organ: where the beautiful people go to get ugly!”

http://www.madamsorgan.com/

Just sitting inside and looking at the various wall art was interesting. Didn’t notice this one until I took the picture.

What a great time! Seriously. Madam’s Organ has a live band every night. After checking them out for a while, we made our way to the karaoke room upstairs for some Beyonce style vocals :-)

Our favorite vocalist pictured above sung “Do Me” by Bell Biv Devoe and knew every word without looking at the screen. Amazing. lol

We entertained the crowd with hits like My Humps by Black Eyed Peas, Shoop Shoop by Salt and Pepa and lastly, In The Club by 50 cent for the birthday girl in attendance.

Price: Parking was free on Sunday, Entrance $2, Drinks: Long Island $9 (You Dont need more then 2 :-)

Good crowd. Great talent.

Love it Scale: 10 out of 10!

Now That’s a crowd :-), Ibiza 9/17

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:35:00 -0400

Now That’s a crowd :-), Ibiza 9/17

Greek Festival Performance. Opa!!

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:32:43 -0400

Greek Festival Performance. Opa!!