O Street Market to Break Ground Wednesday

Holy mixed-use developments, Batman. One of the city's most long-awaited projects is set to break ground tomorrow.



Via DC Mud, "Citymarket at O" developer Roadside Development will officially break ground on the project, located at O and 9th streets NW in Shaw, tomorrow afternoon. This being election season and all, it seems that a number of city politicos--including mayor Adrian Fenty and mayoral candidate Vincent Gray will be in attendance, along with other neighborhood and community leaders. (Over-under that Fenty and Gray get in a shoving match over the rights to overturn the first spade of dirt?)

We've written in depth about this project before, but here's the quick recap:

Back in 2007, Roadside sought--and received--HPRB approval for their nearly 1 million sf project bounded by 7th, 9th, O and P streets. The project will feature a new 71,000 sf Giant store, over 600 residences, senior housing, a boutique hotel, and other commercial space.

The Giant store is scheduled to close in January 2011, and will reopen in early 2013.

In short, this project is immense and has the potential to be the single greatest catalyst for change in Shaw to date. In the meantime, expect to see a substantial amount of construction going on at the site for the forseeable future.

A Week Later, a Look Back at Dog Days; Plus, Imminent Opening for the Mid-City Caffe

I had hoped to have a brief recap of last week's successful "Dog Days" event up sooner, but family obligations and the always-present "life" continued to get in the way.

Last week's Mid-City "Dog Days" celebration--the annual event showcasing artists, businesses and nonprofits located in the 14th and U street area--was a resounding success, featuring more participating businesses, and attendees, than ever before in the 10 year history of the event. Mr. and Mrs. 14thandyou spent a couple of hours wandering up and down 14th and U, doing some window browsing, enjoying some of the confections from local establishments (Cork's lemonade was a winner) and generally taking in the ambiance of the afternoon.

The attendance at this year's event was of particular importance for local retailers, many of whom could use the boost in sales for what has been, to date, a down year.

"There were more people in/through the store on Saturday of 2009's Dog Days Sale than on any single day of Millennium's 17 year history that we can remember," exclaimed a representative from Millenium Decorative Arts.

Scipio Garling of Big Monkey Comics noted that ""Everything put out -- and we put out a lot -- at the Sidewalk Sale sold. Every single thing. In one day!"


Area restaurants saw a significant uptick in business as well.

"We were so excited to see so many of our regulars out enjoying the day," said Cork's Khalid Pitts. "People even lined up to try Cork's lemonade."

Eric Nelson of ACKC noted that ice cream sales were certainly up at his chocolate shop. ""Dog Days was great for us at ACKC--particularly with sales of ice cream desserts. Given the heat that weekend, [it was] a huge hit."

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A small bit of news to pass along: those of you who participated in Dog Days might have noticed that the MidCity Caffe was up and running that day. Alas, it was but a soft pre-opening.

According to Caffe manager Judith Mandel, an opening for the much -anticipated second-floor purveyor of "fine coffee and pastries" is imminent. "At this time we don't have a firm date, but it is looking to be within [the next] week" she said.

As to the Dog Days experience, Mandel thought that it portends of good things to come for the Caffe. "The customers were so warm and receptive to our business and the weekend setup of Dog Days was a great medium for us to quietly host a pre-opening."

We'll be certain to alert our readers when Mid-City is officially up-and-running.

Get Ready: "Dog Days" This Weekend

This weekend, Logan, Shaw, U Street and other mid-city neighborhoods will spring to life with the arrival of the 10th annual "Dog Days" celebration. Many local business along the U Street and 14 Street corridors will be featuring sidewalk sales and offering special discounts and deals on food, merchandise and services.

In addition to the sidewalk sales, there will be many cultural and entertainment activities ongoing throughout the weekend, such as:

U Street Festival at the 14th & U Farmers' Market
Free treats for your dog at the Shaw dog park (1600 block of 11th St NW)
Music and Arts Open House and National City Christian Church
Studio Theatre's Annual Garage Sale (home accessories, clothing, collectibles and more)
Washington Improv Theater's IMPROV-A-PALOOZA: 10 straight hours of improvisational comedy
Words Beats & Life – Film Screening of Chocolate City Burning

Plus, many of the restaurants in the area will be offering special deals and treats all weekend long (a gazpacho contest at Saint-Ex? Wine and cheese from Cork? We're so there.)

So be sure to make time to stroll our neighborhood, support our local business, enjoy some food from local restaurants, and soak in all of the unique cultural opportunities that our neighborhood presents.

Additional information, including a schedule of events and a list of participating businesses and restaurants, is available at MidCity's website.

Another Furniture Store for 14th Street?

Via DCist, we learn today of the potential arrival of yet another furniture retailer for 14th Street. Reportedly CB2--a less expensive cousin of Crate & Barrel--is in talks with Central Union Mission-building developer Jeffrey Schonberger to move into the as-yet-undeveloped space at 14th and R streets.

Although the deal has not yet been finalized, it would add another furniture retailer to an already crowded market (with places like Mitchell Gold and and Reincarnations to the south, and Vastu, Muleh and the soon-to-come Room and Board to the north, not to mention various antique and secondhand retailers scattered about).

The deal is contingent of course upon the Mission being able to relocate to proposed new quarters downtown in the Gales School building. Though the move was announced last year, complications have arisen stemming from the donation of the school property to the Mission, a religiously supported institution.

So what do you think--is this exciting news? On the one hand, in the current economy the fact that ANY retail tenants are being found to fill vacancies along the 14th Street corridor should be viewed as a net positive. The area on the east side of 14th Street between Q and S is largely a dead zone, and no doubt a national tenant of this caliber will aid that.

On the other hand, one of the positive attributes people frequently cite about 14th street is the unique retail and restaurant offerings. The corridor does have one of the most diverse markets in the city, and practically all of the retailers are independent boutiques. With Room and Board and now, potentially, CB2 entering the mix, there will be two rather significant retail frontages filled by national furniture chains.

We'll try to keep you up to date as plans for this move forward during the coming months.

Neighborhood Comings, Neighborhood Goings

A couple of recent neighborhood business happenings to report on.

First, the race to open the neighborhood's first gelato spot has been won by Baltimore-based "Pitango Gelato", who also has plans to open up a store in Reston. The new gelato shop is located on the 1400 block of P Street, across the street from Complete Foods. What makes Pitango a unique place for gelato? According to their website, it's their use of something called "extreme ingredients" such as grass-fed organic milk. Now, whether that makes the gelato taste better than the sub-par gelato made with plain old non-organic cow's milk is anyone's guess. But for $4.85 for a small gelato, it'd better be.

On the flip-side of the coin, it seems that high-end fashion retailer Circle Boutique has closed its doors and emptied out their storefront. Can't say that the 14thandyous ever spent much time in Circle Boutique, but I will say that this does put a damper on our dreams of 14th Street becoming the next Madison Ave. Hey, maybe there's still hope for Room and Board to swoop in?

NewsFlash: City Paper is Too Cool for Tex-Mex

I'm calling you out, Washington City Paper. I'm pointing the finger squarely at you for tarnishing the image of my fair city. The next time some clueless I-paid-too-much-for-my-broomcloset-of-a-condo NYCer starts running his mouth about the cultural backwater that is the nation's capital, I'm sending him over immediately to talk with you. Why, you may ask? Simple:

The City Paper Best of DC Poll.

Now, I know what you're thinking. "The Best of DC poll? But that's always been rubbish." And I would agree. Raku is the region's best Asian restaurant? The hottest fashions in the District are to be found at Ann Taylor? The list of absurdities could go on and on. But, in their reach for biting irony, we now are blessed with this nugget from a CP staffer:

The Rockville Pike Chili's is the region's second-best Tex-Mex restaurant. According to said City Paper contributor, when it comes to Tex-Mex food:

Lamer is better. Tex-Mex is Mexican food tuned to sloppy, portion-crazed American palates[...]In short, the ideal second-best Tex-Mex place is the Chili’s in Rockville. Both because that’s what we deserve, and because it is reliably so-so-bordering-amazing every single time.

You can almost hear the snickering coming from the CP editor's desk as they reviewed that copy. "Yeah man, Tex-Mex food is so lame, let's demonstrate how lame it is by selecting a bland, freeway-food caliber chain restaurant that doesn't even purport to be a Tex-Mex restaurant as one of the region's best!"

Even in the annals of City Paper snarkiness, this is a new level.

And yes, I get that it's supposed to be ridiculous. I get that the writer was showing his general disdain for Tex-Mex food (and the constant fawning over DC establishment Lauriol Plaza) with his selection. But that ignores two important points: 1) not all Tex-Mex is created equally, and 2) there are a number of fine establishments doing it quite well here in DC. Alternately, skip right past the "Tex" portion altogether and head straight for one of our area's wonderful Mexican-oriented establishments.

For instance, head over to La Plaza or La Loma on Capitol Hill, or head up to La Lomita in Chevy Chase, for some Salvadoran-tinged Tex-Mex done pretty darn well. I'm sure other readers could submit their own, and the list would go on and on.

But no. The CP wasn't actually trying to give us good Tex-Mex recommendations, it was going to show everyone a thing or two about how uncool the whole Tex-Mex thing, and consequently DC's culinary proclivities, is. It's so uncool, in fact, that a nondescript strip mall joint that doesn't even serve Tex-Mex food is the poster child for for this gastronomical abomination. I mean, if that's the angle you're going for, at the very least put forth local chain California Tortilla and keep the recommendation local. But that would indicate that the CP actually cared about such things.

So, thanks for that CP. And thanks for reminding me that Starbucks is the second-best coffee shop in town, that Barnes & Noble is one of our best book stores, and that IKEA is one of our top furniture retailers. I'm so overwhelmed by this torrent of information, that I'm proposing a category of my own: Most Uselessly Bland Collection of Commercial and Culinary Recommendations. I think I might even have a winner.

Valentine's Day Happenings

If you don't have plans for celebrating tomorrow's holiday, here are some ideas:

• Cork is having a champagne tasting at 3 p.m at a cost of $50 per person. Reserve your spot in advance by emailing info@corkdc.com.
  
  
• The Playbill Cafe has a special Valentine's Day dinner menu from $25 to $35 per person. All meals include salad, entree, chocolate cake and a half bottle of champagne.
  
  
• Even jaded anti-Valentine's folks can appreciate the Romeo and Juliet chocolate drinks at ACKC.

If you're looking for a last minute gift, it's easy to find something great without having to leave the neighborhood.

• ACKC is selling its offering heart-shaped gift boxes for their fabulous chocolates. They also have an assortment of gift items such as chocolate body paint and scented candles.
  
  
• Another neighborhood chocolate retailer is Localat on Florida Avenue. Perusing their Valentine's Day offerings online made me drool.
  
  
• Flowers on Fourteenth can put together a gorgeous bouquet far more interesting and fresh than the bundle of roses you were going to grab at Whole Foods.
  
  
• Our area abounds with great wine stores. Some to try: Best Cellars, Modern Liquors, and Bell Wine & Spirits. All of these stores have informed staff who will help you find something you will like. If, however, you're looking for further guidance, the Washington Post published some recommendations recently. See suggestions for sparkling reds here and port suggestions here.
  
  
• Finally, for gifts and cards, Pulp can not be beat. You will find both touching and hilariously crass cards in their selection. Pulp always has gift standbys such as bath products and scented candles. As well, you'll find some cute holiday-specific items such as a book of love poems by Nikki Giovanni, love rats (just go take a look if you're curious), and Boo-Boo Kisses bandages.

If You've Missed Dragonfly . . .

Dragonfly Design and Decor, formerly of the 1400 block of Church Street, has set up temporary shop in Reston through December. Those interested should visit the ARTWORKS Gallery at 11411 Sunset Hills Road between 12 and 5 on Tuesdays through Saturdays. You can also make an appointment with owner Kim Hesller (703) 362-9571. If you missed the shop's closing last month, this is a great opportunity to snatch up Asian antiques at a discount.

2008 Christmas Gifts: Gifts for Your Host

For your shopping pleasure, I present gift ideas for your December party hosts. All suggestions can be found in and around Logan Circle.

Food:
Food, particularly sweets, is a classic gift to one's host. Fortunately, we have an abundance of treats in the neighborhood.

Chocolate lovers like myself rejoiced when ACKC opened a year ago. If you're looking for a host gift, I recommend the traditional box of truffles. The staff there can suggest selections or you can make your own assortment. Also available are baked goods from cookies to cakes, which you can take as a dessert offering at the next dinner party.

Artfully Chocolate Kingsbury Confections
1529 14th Street, NW
http://www.thecocoagallery.com/

More fine chocolate can be had at Locolat, a Belgian chocolatier unfairly located in the same building as the Mint gym. A delectable menu is available on their website.

Locolat
1781 Florida Avenue, NW (near the intersection of 18th Street, U Street, and Florida Avenue)
http://www.belgiumlocolat.com/menu.html

If you prefer your chocolate baked or desserts without any chocolate at all, you may like the ever-popular Cake Love. This bakery has earned cheers and jeers. Cakes and cupcakes are dense -- they even feel heavy when you hold them. The flavor comes out best when they are served at room temperature, but they take almost as long to thaw as the Christmas turkey. The drier cakes are complemented by the butteriest of slightly sweet buttercream frostings that nearly melt as the cakes warm. Cakes are priced from $40 to $175, depending on size. Delivery is available for another $18 to $45 depending on location.

Cake Love
1506 U Street, NW
http://www.cakelove.com

The couture cupcake trend is apparently alive and well. Skip Krispy Kreme and head across Connecticut Avenue at Dupont Circle to the new Hello Cupcake for your holiday desserts. Each day of the week, Monday through Saturday, the available flavors vary, but there are always 12 to 14 options baked daily, including vegetarian and vegan recipes. Cupcakes I am dying to try include chocolate with peppermint frosting, the peanut butter and banana Velvet Elvis, and the Mexican chocolate inspired cupcake with a cinamon and chili kick.

Hello Cupcake
1351 Connecticut Avenue, NW
http://www.hellocupcakeonline.com/index.html

Chocolate Moose, a Dupont resident for an age, has a number of good sweet treats. You can get the classics there, such as Leonidas chocolates, but also some fun candies like swirlie lolipops, Swedish fish, and caramel cubes. Moose will put together a gift bag with your guidance and then ship or courier it wherever you please, a good option if you want to send a gift to your host after an event.

Chocolate Moose
1743 L Street, NW
http://www.chocolatemoosedc.com/

The classic baked goods at Firehook, 1909 Q Street, NW, and Marvelous Market, 1511 Connecticut Avenue are also worth a gander.

Serving Ware:
If you're bring food along to a party, consider bringing it on/in a piece of serving ware given as a gift to your host.

Miss Pixie's Furnishings and Whatnot has had some very attractive crystal items in the window lately. Check in weekly and act quickly to buy your favorites as the inventory changes over rapidly.

Miss Pixie's Furnishings and Whatnot
1626 14th Street, NW
http://www.misspixies.com/home/index4.shtml

Reincarnations has fabulous serving ware, decorative plates, and barware. The colors are bright and the patterns are fun.

Reincarnations Furniture
1401 14th Street, NW
http://www.reincarnationsfurnishings.com/

Home Rule's inventory of kitchen and home goods is fun and affordable. Cheese-lovers may like the three-piece satin finish cheese knife set. Elegant serving platters and bowls in neutral colors are always available. If you prefer something more quirky, bring your food contribution on a plate decorated with a robot.

Home Rule
1807 14th Street, NW
http://www.homerule.com/

Go Mama Go has an abundance of glazed ceramic dinner plates and sushi accessories. Finishes and patterns range from crackled glazes, floral designs, and subtle matte solids.

Go Mama Go
1809 14th Street, NW
http://www.gomamago.com/

Flowers:
Flowers on 14th makes fantastic arrangements. You can walk in or call ahead for pick up or delivery. The quality is far far better than what you would get if you allowed FTD to farm out your order.

Flowers on 14th
1718 14th Street, NW
http://www.flowersonfourteenth.com/

Consider a live plant as a gift. Christmas classics include, of course, papperwhite, amaryllis, and poinsettias. If you're an overachiever, grab a small Christmas tree from Garden District and decorate it. (Miss Pixie's has some great glass ornaments in the window.) Plants that will endure past the holidays are also a good idea. Orchids can be easier to keep than you may think and complement many decorating styles. Succulents are as easy to care for as cacti, come in unusual shapes and textures, and look great in a modern home.

Garden District
1520 14th Street, NW
http://www.gardendistrict-dc.com/

Whole Foods and Trader Joe's also sell seasonal live plants.

Clean Up:
At the end of any event comes the ugly clean up. Make it a little more pleasant with Caldrea's wonderful cleaning products from Home Rule. Available are orignal scents that won't overwhelm pleasant cooking smells. Some of the exotic combinations are ginger pomelo, lavender pine, and basil blue sage. All wrapped up in gorgeous packaging are household basics like dishwashing powder, stainless steel cleaner, and home fragrance.

Home Rule
1807 14th Street, NW
http://www.homerule.com/

Logan Hardware carries Mrs. Meyers cleaning products, which are unique and upscale without being quite as expensive as the Caldrea line. Scents include basil, lavender, lemon verbena, and geranium. Gifts to consider are dish soap, counter top spray, surface wipes, hand soap, and lotion.

Logan Hardware
1416 P Street, NW
http://www.acehardwaredc.com/

New Tenant for Dakota Cowgirl Space; Fall Opening for Bang & Olufsen

Here's a couple of tidbits of 14th St.-related business news to pass along.

It seems the revamped restaurant/bar in the works for the old Dakota Cowgirl space will actually be two restaurants--not simply one--and that it will be opening sometime around October, or so reports the Post's Tom Sietsema in this week's WaPo magazine. Some of you may remember that the original plans for the space centered around a Brickskeller-type beer establishment, with over 500 beers--and air conditioning--available. Fortunately, those plans are still in the works, but it seems the new establishment(s) will also be food-focused, with the menus for each designed by the chef at Rustico.

The new restaurants--called Birch & Barley and ChurchKey--will also feature a rooftop deck, something not offered during the site's Cowgirl days.

The inevitable "permitting issues" were cited as the reason why the new ventures have taken so long to get off the ground.

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We're not certain that our neighbors would appreciate us buying what Bang & Olufsen are selling, but the high-end audio components retailer is set to open up their 14th St. location, at 14th and Q, this fall. Within the past couple of weeks, banners have gone up in front of their storefront, indicating that within a few months you'll have the opportunity to fill your swanky condo with an assortment of audio systems and speakers that look like lightsabers.

How do we know Bang & Olufsen are quality? They don't list prices on their website. (If you have to ask, you won't appreciate the quality...)

BTW, for those who are into this type of thing, you can visit their website and sign up to be on the guest list for their fall opening. Be sure to bring your earplugs.

What Happened to Pink November?

In a comment in another thread, this question got asked:

"Sorry for the off topic question, but does anyone know what happened to the store Pink November on 13th and U?"

I think I might be able to shed some light on that one. A few weeks ago, I was dropping off a pair of shoes at George's at 13th and U, which shares the building with Pink November. While chatting with George, he mentioned that his shop would soon be moving--to the corner of 16th and U. The reason being, a developer has purchased the building at 13th and U and has plans to redevelop the property. George mentioned at the time that he had approached the owners of Pink November and inquired about partnering with them to purchase the building, but they were not interested.

So while I can't say for certain what has happened to the store--whether or not they plan to reopen elsewhere, or whether they're gone for good--what I can say is that they won't continue to exist at their current location.

And I would be remiss if I didn't throw out a plug for our favorite neighborhood shoe repair guy, George. He does great work at reasonable rates, and he's been a neighborhood fixture for years. He was still in business at 13th and U the last time I checked (about a week ago), but he should be moving to his new digs shortly.

Neighborhood Businesses I Like

One of the elements of city life that Mr 14th & You and I like are the locally-owned businesses. It's not that we're particularly anti-chain or anti-corporate nuts, we just like getting to know people and the advantage of having an interesting streetscape rather than strip mall homogeneity. In that vein, I have to recommend George's shoe repair on the northwest corner of 13th and U, J.C. Loftons tailoring on the north side of the 1000 block of U, and Mimosa Day Spa at Connecticut and R.

I went to George's upon the recommendation of a complete stranger who overheard me talking about my need for shoe repair. George's shop is tiny and no-frills, but he does a great job. No only are my new soles and heels holding up, he polished my shoes to near perfection despite my subjecting them to months of DC sidewalk punishment. Kindly, he didn't admonish me for the condition of my shoes either. Turn-around is fast, and George will give you advice, such as recommending heel plates to even sole wear.

Some of you may remember J.C. Lofton's from it's previous location on 14th St. The tailor shop has been relocated to the second floor of a small building on U Street. If you don't look for the sandwich board, you won't know to enter through the shoe repair shop and go upstairs. Alterations start around $15 for hemming, and the turn-around time has been about four business days whenever I've dropped clothes off. He'll custom tailor women's pants for $125 and up, depending on fabric, and he'll do women's suits for between $300 and 400. Unfortunately for you gents, men's suits run considerably higher. Most importantly, Lofton's stays open until 7 and keeps Saturday hours for those of you who can't attend to your wardrobe during work hours.

Mimosa Day spa sounded to my ear like a cheesy hair and nail salon. Yet, desperately needing someone to fix a few broken nails and ragged cuticles, I stopped in there one evening on the way home from work. I can say that they have given me the best inexpensive manicures I have ever had, and I keep going back. The polish is very carefully applied and re-checked; my skin and cuticles are always unstained no matter how dark the color. The ladies there will not allow you to smudge your polish on the way out either. After resting my hands under a heated fan, I was sprayed with a moisturizing drying spray and returned to the fan before being treated to cuticle oil a couple of minutes later. I was then helped into my coat and my purse was placed on my shoulder for me. What I really enjoy, however, is the extended hand massage complete with hot towel. You can find the somewhat hidden entrance to the second floor salon next to Secondi. Look for their shingle on the sidewalk next to the perpetually propped open door.

Speaking of neighborhood businesses, I walked by AYT at 14th and R this morning and saw a bunch of cute furniture in the window. Have I been checked out or is this a spanking new storefront?

An update on the last post: In response to commenter, lynne, I wrote a bunch about our Mac experience. If anyone wants more information, feel free to email me at 14thandyou{at}gmail{dot}com. I've now used both PCs and Macs for work and PCs and Macs at home. I'm also the world's most uptight comparison shopper if you want my notes .

Fifth Day of Christmas (Shopping): Travel Gifts

I'm going to have to speed up my gift ideas postings before Christmas is upon us. Accordingly, gifts for the travelers in your life:

Little Luxuries
Go Mama Go (1809 14th St.) has a bunch of small items that make trips a little easier and more pleasant. Consider subtly scented luggage refreshers in fun patterns. For tired eyes, silk covered eye pillows and eye shades may help. Find all three of the above on a table in the center section of the store. Go Mama Go also stocks mini Archipelago Botanicals face and body products small enough to make it though airport security. For a little on-the-road soothing for mind a tummy, you can also pick up travel tins of five tea bags each. Flavors range from fruit-infused black teas to holiday spice, and a variety of greens.

To freshen the guest bedroom or hotel room, Candleman (1745 Connecticut Ave.) has Botanicus candles in mini tins. For Yankee Candle haters these are strong but not cloying candles scented with essentials oils -- from a Maryland company to boot.

We would all love to have the cashmere hoodie and travel blanket from Horchow. If you can't justify breaking the bank on a blankie for big kids, West Elm (1020 G St.) has very soft cotton bamboo blend throws. Weird, bamboo.

Pack It
Stop using those paper luggage tags from the airline flight desk. Now that you're an adult, try durable and more attractive alternatives. Go Mama Go stocks plain and elegant leather tags in neutrals and soft contemporary tones. Home Rule (1807 14th St.) stocks vinyl tags in bright colors and psychedelic patterns. Candida's World of Books (1541 14th Street) has super durable hard plastic and nylon webbing ArtTags with attractive photos of world landmarks encapsulated within. At Go Mamma Go and Pulp (1803 14th St.) find passport covers to coordinate with you new luggage tags.

Go Mamma Go also carries every size zip pouch and reusable shopping tote. Designs here are modern, not froo-froo, and include small metal mesh zippered bags on keychains, leather pencil cases, and bags made of woven plastic.

Stay Fresh and Clean
Germ phobes will appreciate adorably packaged Cheeky Monkey hand wipes from Pulp. Whole Foods has some less adorably packaged but nicely scented antibacterial hand gels. Fight travel breath with mints in novelty tins from Pulp. High maintenance travelers will like beauty products from Blue Mercury (Kiehls, Bliss, Dermalogica, Acqua di Parma). With a rotating stock of special holiday gift sets, it may be easier than usual to find travel-appropriate sizes.

Travel Books and Maps
Travel narratives will get your giftee in the mood for the journey ahead. I particularly like Bill Byson's yarns. In a Sunburned Country should be required reading for anyone going to Australia. Find numerous other travel stories at Candida's World of Books

In a twist on the traditional guide book, Go Mama Go has pocket size guide books to major US and international cities. The guides are bound in durable vinyl and even include a useful compass on the spine. Candida's stocks guides from the major publishers as well as maps. For your relatives who always get lost in DC, pick them up a full or pocket size local map.

One of my favorite romantic ideas for travelers is Places to Check Out: A Do-It-Yourself Travel Guide, a spiral-bound notebook decorated after the design of US passport pages for your travel thoughts. Any sort of travel journal is well suited for the introspective globetrotter. Try Written Word or Pulp for some nice ones.

For anyone who's ever griped about travel, there are books for the surly adventurer. At Kramer's or Candida' have a look for the following: Jon Krakaeuer gives us a ton or reasons never to go into the back country from Into the Wild to Into Thin Air and Under the Banner of Heaven, a story of fundamentalist nuts holed up in the desert southwest. Stephen Clarke indulges in a favorite pastime of Americans in Europe -- poking fun of the French-- in his book A Year in the Merde. The paranoid will like Worst Case Scenario Handbook: Travel. Folks who have had a State Department assignment or leisure travel experience in the developing world might like the Jetlag Travel Guides. Countries explored in the Jetlag series include Phaic Tan, San Sombrero, and Molvania.

Nostalgic Traveler or Homesick Ex-Pat
Candida's carries travel books that are more than just guides to other locales. To get in the cultural spirit of your favorite places, you can find poetry, travel narratives, fiction, and cookbooks from around the world.

Remind your giftee of his favorite place(s) on the globe with a photo from Claude Taylor’s Gallery (1627 Connecticut Ave.) A great coffee table book is Transit Maps of the World from Proper Topper in Dupont or Georgeotwn; some of the maps themselves are art and others will help you figure out where you took a wrong turn in Rome. Food can be another happy reminder of time spent abroad. Try some sweets and treats from World Market or pre-fab international cooking kits from Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.

The Fourth Day of Christmas (Shopping): For Arts Lovers

Logan and Dupont are perfect for finding gifts for your artsy and arts-loving giftees. So if you didn't get all of your holiday gift buying done on cyber Monday, I have a few suggestions for you. I'll keep rolling them out by category over the next few days or so. For the most part gift suggestions are ordered by approximate cost.

Gifts for Artists
Help your favorite starving artist with a gift of high-end supplies from Utrecht at 1250 I St. My personal favorite are the uber-creamy Prismacolor pencils.

Surprise a musically inclined giftee by refurbishing his college guitar. Sophocles Pappas’ Guitar Shop (1216 Connecticut Ave.) provides repairs and restringing. They also offer lessons if your favorite musician also needs retuning.

Visual artists may also appreciate having their opus framed. Gallery 2000 (1601 Connecticut Ave.) can help to dress up and preserve most flat compositions.

Classes for Arts ‘n’ Craftsy Types
Crafty folks may enjoy offerings from G Street Fabrics (11854 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD). Though the sewing class options are certainly plentiful and diverse, one can also take crochet and knitting courses, some jewelry making classes, bookbinding workshops, and home design instruction.

This area has two institutions offering professional level instruction in a variety of media – the Arts League of Washington at the Torpedo Factory (10 North Union St., Alexandria, VA) and Glen Echo Park (7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD). Classes range from darkroom photography to silver jewelry making and glass blowing. Some courses are one or two day weekend seminars and others meet once a week over a two month session.

Gifts of art
We have quite a few galleries and other retailers selling art in our neighborhood. Photography is usually the least expensive type of artwork to buy, but if you want to splurge you can buy one of Tipper Gore's masterpieces at Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams (1526 14th Street NW) for about $800 to $2200. But there are plenty of stores in the more affordable range. My favorite are the color photographs at Claude Taylor’s gallery (1627 Connecticut Avenue). His prints range in price from a very reasonable $20 for an unframed 5”x7” photo to $200 for a framed 14”x20”image. The gallery is also holding a five for the price of four sale. Taylor’s images capture iconic and prototypical scenes from famous sites around the world – a perfect gift for the traveler or former foreign exchange student. His palette tends to skew toward saturated reds, blues, greens and oranges, a lively complement to minimalist neutral home interiors.

If black and white photography is more your style, and Tipper is beyond your desired price point, Pulp (1801 14^th St.) is currently featuring works by Frank Muzzy. Many of his photos feature architecture and stone sculpture rendered in black and white in medium contrast. Relatively large framed pictures are selling in the $400-ish range.

We also have a few galleries in the area featuring gorgeous paintings. My mostest favoritest artist, Chris Stephens is current exhibiting at Longview (1302 9th Street). His works are primarily slightly abstracted landscapes and stark representations of buildings. One of the pieces currently hanging reminds me of Van Gogh in both palette, brush stroke, and starkness. A serene composition of depicting a landscape along a river looks like a contemporary interpretation of the impressionist style. The prices range from $250 for his studies on board to thousands for his larger framed compositions. If his work is within your price range, I think it’s a fabulous value.

Also at Longview are some some more affordable gift items including wooden bowls and ceramic gift bags that look exactly like the paper versions — very wild.

For art lovers whose pockets aren’t as deep, Plan B (1530 14th Street) has a December show of art priced at $500 and under. I haven’t seen the exhibit yet so I can’t really say what types of art are hanging, but I can say that I’ve liked past shows there – everything from non representational abstract art to more traditional landscapes.

I will also recommend the Nevin Kelly Gallery at 1517 U Street. This month’s show is “Attainable Art” featuring works under $1500. The show includes artworks from a number of the gallery’s regular artists. Subject matter ranges from non-representational color block compositions to still lives and abstract works depicting people.

The Third Day of Christmas (Shopping): Gifts for the Working Stiff

Unfortunately, I can't picture the gifts I talk about without potentially violating the copyrights of manufacturers and policies of some stores. I've linked to the websites of the various stores mentioned below so that you can preview some their merchandise and get a sense for their respective styles. Many of the sites also have online ordering.

By the by, I hope that everyone understands that "Christmas gifts" are also suitable for Hanukkah, Kwanza, Yule, Saturnalia, Pagan Winterfest, or any winter solstice holiday you prefer. That said, here are some gift ideas for the desk-bound in your life:

Unusual and Classy Office Supplies
Fahrney's Pens (1317 F ST.) has elegant pen and pencil sets, a huge improvement over the Bics that your giftee is presently using. Prices range from $30 for basic roller balls to over $600 for a limited edition Parker fountain pen.

Bring some individuality to your giftee's office supplies. Letterpress 4"x4" note sheets from Go Mama Go (1809 14th St.) are an attractive alternative to Post-Its. Next door at Home Rule (1807 14th St.) check out the brightly colored contemporary desk accessories from painted binder clips to scissors shaped like rabbits. Just a hair down the block Pulp (1803 14th St.) stocks fun graphic attache folders from Roger La Bourde.

Anyone who is interviewing, working directly with clients, or thanking donors needs to have attractive thank you cards. A short walk from Go Mama Go, Home Rule, and Pulp is The Written Word at 1427 P St. which stocks lovely paper goods. There you can find all manner of cards as well as address books and day planners that the Palm averse still use.

Caffeine Dependent
Instead of supporting Starbucks or Caribou by buying their gift cards, get a Firehook "DC Born and Bread" gift card. Your giftee need not live or work in Dupont to redeem the card; Firehook now has locations in Alexandra, Tysons, and all over DC.

Tea drinkers will appreciate loose leaf teas from Teaism (2009 R St.) or the unique Tea Forte pyramid tea bags from Sweet Magnolia (1534 U St.).

We caffeine junkies also need desk mugs and travel mugs. Sweet Magnolia has especially beautiful ceramic mugs with brightly colored designs combining floral and stripe patterns for about $9. They also have more masculine designs including chili peppers and mostly solid colored mugs accented with subtle stripes in earthy tones. Pulp has really fun ceramic mugs including "Bush's last day" and designs from Anne Taintor , "the original vintage humor company." Great durable travel mugs from Bodum can be found at Home Rule (1807 14th St.).

If you know someone who insists on Starbucks, consider buying him a day or week wireless access pass. Passes are available from T-Mobile here. The passes can also be used at T-Mobile HotSpots at airports, Hyatts, Borders, etc.

Working for the Weekend
We've all had the friend or coworker who reliably suffers from a Friday morning hangover. Support their Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights with fun cocktail accessories including flamingo-topped picks and mini umbrellas from Go Mama Go at 1809 14th St. Add to the festive atmosphere at holiday parties with bubble soap packaged in mini champagne bottles from Pulp (1803 14th St.) . For the party aftermath consider an elegant silk eye pillow from Go Mama Go and a Mr. Bump gel ice pack from Pulp, which you may want to wrap up with some Advil and Gatorade.

Politically Themed Stuff
We all know that the Federal Government is the largest employer in the area. Lobbying firms and political think tanks can't be that far behind. If your politically-oriented giftee has a sense of humor, get him a Quotable Notable card from The Written Word at 1427 P St. Cards feature die cut full body photos of politicians as well as stickers with "quotes" from that person. For example, stickers with the George W. Bush card include "Rove made me do it" and "WWJD". If your political junkie giftee is not in the mood for poking fun of politics, head over to AMERICA!'s Spirit in the West Hall of Union Station for more serious gifts such as campaign memorabilia.

The democratically aligned among your friends and family may appreciate the numerous anti-Bush offerings from local stores including magnets, mugs, and stickers from Pulp (1803 14th St.) and Wake Up Little Suzie (3409 Connecticut Ave.).

12 Days of Christmas (Shopping)

It's about that time when DC residents will wander zombie-like down to Gallery Place, Metro Center, and, worse, suburban malls to buy generic holiday gifts from chain stores. No one wants to receive another faux cashmere scarf, slippers, or coffee table book. In this post and subsequent entries I will highlight more original gifts available from DC businesses, most of them in Logan Circle and Dupont.

Disclosure: I do dislike the early holiday shopping ads, but I feel the need to counter their influence before Black Friday 2007 arrives.

Take Me Out
Your friends and family may already own much of what you could afford to buy them. Give them the gift of time with you and encourage them to try something fun that they may not have done on their own. I've tried to order the following by approximate cost.

Guided Walking tour
Washington Walks offers some really interesting walks on a regular basis including Moveable Feast: A Taste of DC, described as a "snack-a-thon". Take a walk with your giftee for $10 per person or give them a $40 Walkabout Card good for five walks.

House Tour
The Logan Circle Community Association will be holding their annual LCCA House Tour on Sunday, December 2. Enjoy a little house porn and an early holiday gift for only $15 per ticket.

Dinner and Gallery Hop
Dupont has quite a few commercial art galleries. On the first Friday of every month galleries stay open late and often have a unique feature of the night such as food and wine or live music. For more information go here. Before you begin your art stroll have dinner at any one of Dupont's great restaurants. (I recommend Heritage India at 1337 Connecticut Ave.) Similar gallery events also occur in Gallery place on the third Thursday of the month and in Georgetown on third Fridays.

Dance and Dine
You and your giftee want to dance, but you feel awkward about it, and Arthur Murray just isn't your thing. So learn salsa in a casual setting at 14U (1939 14th St.) on the first Friday of the month. For an exotic experience, grab some mezze and free belly dancing lessons at Mezze in Adams Morgan (2437 18 St.) on Sunday nights at 10.

Or combine your dancing with some embassy hopping. The International Club of DC hosts a number of dance lessons and some balls at fantastic locations around the city. Upcoming are waltz and salsa lessons at the French embassy on December 19th for $20-$35 per ticket. They will also be hosting a New Year's Eve gala at the Wardman Park Marriott ($155 per ticket or $215 for VIP tickets), and a Viennese ball at the National Museum of Women and the Arts on February 23rd.

Bar Hopping
Pick up the tab for a night of bar hopping in the neighborhood. Some places I love are Bar Pilar (1833 14th), Saint Ex (1847 14th St.), and Chi-Cha Lounge (1624 U St.). Top off the evening with a Nutella calzone at Coppi's (1414 U St.). Remind new parents what it's like to get out at night by also securing a baby sitter.

Jazz Night
Try HR-57 (1610 14th St.), Bohemian Caverns (2001 11th St.), or Twins (1344 U St.) for a night out. HR has a BYOB policy, very low cover charge, and a really relaxed atmosphere. At Twins you can enjoy two great neighborhood traditions — Jazz and Ethiopian food. Bohemian is arguably the most famous area club with the most unique atmosphere.

Fine Dining
Use this gift as an excuse to treat yourself as well as your giftee to a great dinner. Swanky neighborhood establishments include Komi (1509 17th St.), Restaurant Nora (2132 Florida Ave.), and Viridian (1515 14th St.).

Wine Tour
Tour the wineries of Virginia in a limo. Virginia Wine Country Tours will chauffeur you around in a luxury sedan for $70 per hour or $35 per person (based on a minimum number of people and the reservation of certain type of car). They also have options ranging from hiring a chauffeur to drive you in your own car to renting a luxury yacht. Alternatively you can tour on the cheap by offering to be a designated driver on a self-guided wine tour. See the Virginia Wines website for more information.