Higher Education

Famous DC reports that classes are starting today at the hot spot of "higher education" (literally!), the Trapeze School of New York. Last year, I wrote a post about the Trapeze School, back when it was located in Penn Quarter at 9th and H streets, on the old-convention center parking lot. The school has moved since then to a tent located at Navy Yard, at the corner of 4th St SE & Tingey St SE. Classes again are filling up fast, so don't wait too long to take the plunge!

Hello Kushi!

When I lived in Montreal, one of my favourite place to indulge in my sushi cravings was Isakaya, a cute little Japanese bistro located on Avenue du Parc, right on the outskirt of the McGill ghetto. I never thought twice about its name, but I've been hearing the word isakaya thrown around DC a lot lately...

I first investigated this isakaya business when writing about the upcoming opening of Kushi in my neighbourhood. Isakayas, it turns out, are more about drinks than food. They're actually Japanese drinking establishments who happen to serve food too! Thus the word "izakaya": "i" means to sit and "sakaya" means sake shop. Of course, the label "isakaya" gets thrown around a little losely at times. For example, the little sushi counter at the Whole Foods on P Street is called Isakaya despite the fact that it doesn't serve sake or other alcoholic beverages. But two downtwon spots are bringing sake back!

The Source by Wolfpang Puck turned its downstairs lounge into a Japanese isakaya, defined here as a Japanese gastropub. The popular Kobe beef sliders and General Tso’s chicken wings now share the menu spotlight with sushi, dumplings, noodles and mini–bahn mi sandwiches, which can be washed down with shochu (distilled sake), sake (rice alcohol) and other fancy cocktails.

For a spot that aspire to be an isakaya and nothing else, we'll have to be a little more patient. Kushi is coming to a neighbour near you! well, at least to a neighbourhood near me! Brightest Young Things describes the new restaurant as an inexpensive, neighbourhood type of establishment where you can "come in, have a drink, and build a little meal for yourself." Since I live ridiculously close, I have a feeling I'll be doing a lot of that... coming in... having a drink... Kushi will have huge sake casks, japanese macrobrews on tap as well as small-batch sakes and shochus. Kampai!!

Kushi's ♫ bringing sake back... ♫ those other Isayaka don't know how to act! ♪

Alice in Paris... I mean... Wonderland

My special correspondent in Paris and enabler of macarons obsession (also known as my dad) reports that Paris is currently "émerveillé" with Alice au Pays des Merveilles. That would be French for Alice in Wonderland ;-)
Tim Burton's adaptation of Lewis Caroll's tale only comes out on March 24th in France, but Alice's whimsical world has already taken Paris by storm. The Arludik Gallery, for example, is hosting an exhibit of artists selected by Tim Burton himself to define the artistic and graphic universe of the film (March 4-7, 12-14 rue St Louis en L'Ile, 4eme). Paul & Joe imagined a make-up line inspired by the fairy tale and Stella McCartney collaborated with Disney to create a special edition of necklaces and bracelets. Speaking of Disney, my former place of employment, Disneyland® Resort Paris, is also celebrating with special Alice in Wonderland characters meet and greets as well as a special edition Alice t-shirt sold exclusively at the resort.

But the most exciting celebration is happening at Le Printemps. Since February 1st, the department store's windows are displaying select designers' interpretation of Alice's famous dress. Chloe or Alexander McQueen, among others, were given free reigns to fashion Alice, for the enjoyment of passers-by. Meanwhile inside Le Printemps, Paris' most renowned pâtisserie La Durée has transformed the ground store into a re-creation of Mad Hater's tea party with a special salon de thé. In another tribute to the enchanting world down the rabbit-hole, La Durée imagined a special green apple macaron, sold in a limited edition musical box to satisfy children and grownups alike. I wish I could tumble down a rabbit-hole and emerge in the middle of the Printemps right now...

Nanas on New York Avenue

Growing up in Paris, one of my favourite spot in the city was la Fontaine des Automates near Le Centre Pompidou. I mean, what's not to love about the whimsical public fountain when you are a kid? It's colourful and has animated water sprays so it's basically the best thing ever!! La Fontaine des Automates is also known as the Stravinsky Fountain because it is located Place Stravinsky and represents the work of the composer. It was built in 1983 as part of a larger sculptural program by the city of Paris which brought seven contemporary fountains to different locations in Paris and was designed by Swiss sculptor Jean Tinguely and his wife Niki de Saint Phalle, a French sculptor, painter, and film maker.

Part of the idea behind the Parisian public art project was to re-animate pedestrian streets and squares with works of art. The same concept is being developed in Washington D.C. through a collaborative effort between the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Downtown D.C. Business Improvement District, the D.C. Office of Planning and other agencies. Coincidentally, the New York Avenue Scultpure Project will also feature sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle whose bold statues will once again bring life and colour to a drab urban area, in this case New York Avenue between 13th and 9th Street, NW.

Artist's rendering of New York Avenue Sculptures Project, organized by the National 

Museum of Women in the Arts. (PRNewsFoto/National Museum of Women in the Arts)

Niki's statues will be officially dedicated on April 28 and include Nana on a Dolphin (pictured at the top), which recently graced the Missouri Botanical Garden with its presence. Mayor Fenty describes this new venture as a "wonderful testament to the contribution of women in the arts. And it is. But I also see it as another example of the strong impact the French have had on the visual identity of Washington, D.C. From L'Enfant to Niki, Washington is clinging to its nickname of Paris on the Potomac and you won't hear this French Ex-Pat complain! On the downside, Niki de Saint Phalle's sculptures will only be the first in a series of rotating installations and will eventually be replaced by works of other women sculptors. Oh well... we'll always have l'Enfant.

Party like it's 4708!!

It was a beautiful day in Washington, D.C. and while Chinese New Year was technically last week, thousands of revellers came out to Chinatown to help the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association ring in the year of the Tiger with its usual parade and dragon dances.

Girl Meets Curl: a Miracle on Ice

To quote Homer Simpson: "Let's give the Olympics a miracle, except this time on ice!" Every four years, a miracle takes place on the Olympic ice: our favourite guilty pleasure, curling, comes out of its mediatic hybernation and lands at the center of all our conversations! This year, curling "rocked" the media with a doodle from Google, fashion reports on the Norwegian team's pants and a Simpsons episode.

Another miracle on ice happened on Friday, February 19th. No, it wasn't me lifting a 13 lbs curling stone during the Capital Curling Expo at the Hilton Garden Inn (though for me that was quite an impressive feat!) The miracle happened for the USA Men Curling team, which after losing its first four matches in Vancouver finally won its first game!!

Against the French ;-(

Friday and Saturday, the Hilton Garden Inn turned one of its ballroom into a curling arena to help Washingtonians like myself understand what this fascinating niche sport is all about. I dropped by after work Friday to check it out. The Hilton went all out! The entire hotel staff was decked out in US team attire and every TV was tuned in to the ongoing curling game: France-USA. Unfortunately, at that time, France was leading the US 1-0 making me the least popular person in the room. Nonetheless, I tried my hand at sliding a couple of stones and sweeping them as close to the target as I could. Unlike Marge Simpson who turns out to be quite a natural at the sport during the "Boy Meet Curl" Simpsons episode, I'm not sure I have much of a future in curling.

Catch that Oscar Nominee if You can

Avatar was released in a total of 3,457 theatres in the US, which means that if you're like me and you haven't managed to see it yet... well, you probably just didn't try! Of course, now that Avatar has been nominated for 9 Oscars® including Best Picture and Best Directing, I'm thinking I should probably have given it a chance. Not every movie is backed by a big studio and most don't have the luxury of coming out on as many screens nationwide as Avatar or The Blind Side (3,110 theaters). Nominees in the best foreign picture categorie or best documentary are typically harder to catch even if you try. Luckily, there are a number of local opportunities to catch up on your Oscars®-nominees before the golden statuettes are handed out on March 7th.

The National Archives
For the 6th consecutive year, the National Archives will present free screenings of the 82nd Academy Award® nominees in 4 categories: Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Live Action Short Film, and Animated Short Film, in its William G. McGowan Theater from Wednesday, March 3, through Sunday, March 7, 2010. Get there early! This event is very popular (duh, it's free!) and lines form outside of the National Archives WAY early. Tickets are distributed at the Special Events entrance on Constitution beginning 60 minutes prior to the start time. For a complete schedule of the screenings, head to the National Archives' website.

Select AMC Theaters
With 10 of them this year, it's a little bit harder to catch all of the Best Picture nominees! If you missed one or two (or ten!) AMC's got you covered. Loews Rio Cinemas 18, Hoffman Center 22, Potomac Mills 18 and Shirlington 7 will be showing all of the Best Picture nominees over two days: February 27 and March 6, with a five movie marathon on each day ($30 one day, $50 both days, includes unlimited popcorn).  You can also spend 24 hours in Georgetown's AMC theater and watch all 10 nominees starting at midnight on March 6 in a 24 hours cinematic marathon while surviving on all the popcorn you can eat! That's Oscar®-hard core if you ask me!

National Geographic
National Geographic's Global Glimpse Series offers foreign movie buffs the opportunity to see all the nominees in the Best Foreign Film category. As a bonus, a reception sponsored by Anheuser Busch Unique Craft Beers takes place before or after each screening. Hum... that might make reading substitles a little tricky!  Tickets are available individually for each screenings ($8 a movie... popular ones like Cannes Palme d'Or Winner The White Ribbon will probably sell out so act fast) or for all five screenings ($35). A complete's schedule is available on National Geographic's website.

Landmark Theatres
Landmark Theatres is the nation's largest theater chain dedicated to independent film so it's not surprising to find many of indie flicks nominated shown on its screens. Between Bethesda Row and E Street you can basically catch Crazy Heart, A Single Man, The Last Station (Helen Miren is excellent as always!), The White Ribbon, The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, The Young Victoria, An Education, The Hurt Locker (which is tied with Avatar for the most nominations), Up in the Air and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. In addition, E Street Cinema is also showcasing the Oscar Nominated Short films of 2010, both live action and animated. 


Other Movie Theaters
A number of nominees are still showing at Regal Gallery Place or Georgetown's AMC. Regal Ballston Common 12 is the only theater still playing Sherlock Holmes. The Avalon Theater is playing Best Foreign Picture nominee Ajami and The Messenger while Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse is still running Nine, The Fantastic Mr. Fox and Precious: based On the Novel Push By Sapphire. Please consult listing for more details and showtimes.


Netflix
Finally, some Oscar® nominated movies are already out of DVD and can be watched in the confort of your own home. These include: The Cove, Food inc, UP, Inglourious Basterds, Bright Star, Coco Before Chanel, Paris 36, Coraline, District 9, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (why yes, the British wizard is nominated for best cinematography!), The Hurt Locker , Il Divo, In the Loop, Julie and Julia, A Serious Man, Star Strek (didn't expect to see that one on the list? Little did you know Star Trek has 4 nominations!) and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (sound mixing).

Ready? Set? Go... catch that Oscar® nominee while you still can! 

Glitter and be gay: Candide, the musical, comes to D.C.!

The Shakespeare Theatre Company unveiled its line-up for the 2010-2011 season and the highlight, for once, will not be a Shakespeare play! Instead, the most anticipated production will be the musical adaptation of Voltaire's classic satire Candide. The rarely produced operetta by Leonard Bernstein will become the first musical ever staged in Sidney Harman Hall. It will  be directed by Tony Award winner Mary Zimmerman and will run from November 30 to January 2 at Sidney Harman Hall.

The 2010-2011 season will kick off at the end of the summer on a more traditional note with a revival of the wildly popular Twelfth Night, which will mark the second year of Free For All at Sidney Harman Hall. And I hope I can get in this time! I got so close last year! It will be followed by two more Shakespeare productions: All's Well That Ends Well (September 7-October 24 at the Lansburgh) and Cymbeline (January 18-March 6 also at the Lansburgh). The last play by Sir William will be The Merchant of Venice (March 8-April 12 at Sidney Harman Hall) which will run in conjunction with the National Gallery of Art's exhibit Views of Venice: Canaletto and His Rivals. The exhibit should be worth marking on your calendars already! It's been making the rounds and will be arriving in D.C. after a stint at London’s The National Gallery. The last two productions of the 2010-2011 season will be Enrico IV (May 17-July 3, 2011 in the Lansburgh) and Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband (June 21-July 24, 2011 in Harman Hall).

Looking forward to the upcoming Shakespeare Theatre Company season? Oui! But there’s still plenty of good stuff to see this year including one more French classic: Corneille's joyous farce The Liar which opens on April 6th.

French haute couture... American petits prices!

I still lived in the fashion's capital when Karl Lagerfeld, the ultimate name in French high fashion, released an exclusive line of clothes for H&M. His collection of 30 pieces, including a little black dress, had parisiennes in a frenzy and sold out in less then 30 minutes. The genius behind Chanel explained that the idea was "quite modern" and thus appealing to him. It was the first such collaboration for the Swedish retail giant but it was certainly not the last. Since 2004, Hennes & Mauritz has collaborated with several international designers and fashion icons, from Stella McCartney to Madonna or Jimmy Choo and Comme des Garçons.  

The latest  French fashion designer to lend her talent to H&M is Sonia Rykiel, known to Americans as the Queen of Knits for her beautiful sweaters. In December 2009, she introduced a lingerie line for H&M and is following up with an affordable collection of her signature knitwear. It will premiere in the District's downtown H&M store (1025 F St. NW) on February 20th and feature lots of great pieces including a colorful dresses, bows, sweaters and graphic stripes. A new first for H&M, some of Sonia Rykiel's pieces will also be available for girls.

Around the same time as Sonia Rykiel's line, l'enfant terrible of French fashion, Jean-Paul Gaultier himself, will also have a collection of affordable clothes, available from March 7 to April 11 online and at 250 Targets across the USA (the Columbia Heights Target was unable to confirm whether they will be carrying the collection...stay tuned for updates!). The Gaultier line will be the third one in Target's series of Designer Collaborations, following on the footsteps of Alexander McQueen and Anna Sui, and feature his signature Breton-inspired navy stripes as well as a few bathing suits pieces.

French Haute couture at petits prices? Who doesn't love a bargain? I know I have my eyes on Gaultier's ($59.99) cute yellow alter dress and will be certain to get to H&M early on the 20th to grab a black $39.95 Mon Pull Rykiel sweater.

Mardi Gras, t'en va pas!

Being French and having a husband who hails from Louisiana, the question in our house isn't so much whether to celebrate Mardi Gras but how! Last year, we stuffed ourselves with Acadiana's jambalaya and king cake beignets and given how close we live to the Louisiana-themed restaurant, it's still a good option for this year. Acadiana is offering a special $45 four-course menu as well as bar specials including $2 Southern Sliders or $5 Cajun Pop Corn Shrimp.  

Eatonville is inviting diners to learn more about the meaning and history behind the celebration with a 6:30pm reception followed by a three-course dinner ($45 per person, call 202.332.6432 for reservations). John Franklin, Director of Partnerships and International Programs at the National Museum of African American History and Culture will explore the African and European roots of Fat Tuesday while Nona Martin, a native of New Orleans and public programs manager at the Smithsonian American Art Museum will present the history behind the New Orleans folklore and traditions of the Mardi Gras week. And if you just want to grab a quick drink, Central Michel Richard will be serving Abita on tap throughout the evening. 

Now if you're looking for raucous party more along the lines of what you would find on Bourbon Street, Rumors is featuring live music, beads, drink specials etc. and McFadden's is throwing what they are calling the biggest Fat Tuesday College Party in town which means I wouldn't be caught dead anywhere near there ;-) More up my alley is L'Enfant Cafe and Bar's 1st annual Mardi-Gras Crepe Flipping Race and Belgian Happy Hour. Starting at 4:30pm, you can enjoy half-price Belgian beers which are bound to put you in good spirit as you prepare for the crepe flipping races, starting at 8pm. Mardi Gras, t'en va pas... j'fais des crepes et t'en auras!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Celebrating the Olympics, eh.

D.C. probably has more snow on the ground than Vancouver does right now. Nonetheless, the Canadian city will kick off the 2010 Winter Olympics tonight. In honour of the games, Montreal native and former Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn is adding a few special items to his Good Stuff Eatery menu. The most exciting item? Poutine!!

I spent four years in Montreal attending McGill University and while I didn't quite minor in poutine, I did enjoy my fair share of the traditional Quebecois dish. Poutine is basically a caloric layering of French fries, fresh cheese curd and brown gravy. It is so popular in Quebec that you can order it at McDonald's there. In the US, it's a little bit harder to come across poutine. Three New York City establishments have it on their menu (the Inn LW12, tPoutine and Pommes Frites). In D.C., newly opened ChurchKey has a roasted potato poutine made with local cheddar curds and sausage gravy that feels pretty good after a couple of pints and is about as close to poutine as you'll get in this town. Until now. Throughout the Olympics (February 12-28) you can enjoy canadian classics such as poutine and other Canadian-inspired menu items (Canadian maple syrup shake, or cheeseburger with Canadian bacon) while watching the games at Good Stuff Eatery. Music to my (former) Montreal-ears. Or stomach...

An Ex-fan des Sixties at La Maison Française

While her daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg canceled her January 25th concert at the 9:30 Club, it seems a little bit of snow was not going to scare Jane Birkin! Nor her fans. Despite the 25 or so inches that are still crippling the district, the British chanteuse still performed to a dedicated (and rather large given the circumstances) crowd at La Maison de la France last night.

Though she is British, Jane Birkin is a French icon who rose to fame in the 60s as the woman who not only inspired Serge Gainsbourg but also the designers at Hermès who named one of their bag (le Birkin) after her. Her best known song remains the explicitly erotic duet Je t'aime...moi non plus  performed with then lover Serge Gainsbourg, a song which culminates in simulated orgasm sounds by Birkin.

No simulated orgasm at the French Embassy last night but her former lover was very present nonetheless. I grew up with Serge's music. My parents were such fans of the late singer-writer-composer that they named me after a song he wrote. I will never have the chance to see him perform live but felt privileged to hear Birkin's renditions of some of his most classic songs, some of which (Ex-Fan des Sixties for example) were written for her at the time. Jane opened and closed her show with well-known Gainsbourg tunes, and sang a few more throughout: L'Anamour, Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais, L'Eau a La Bouche...

She also managed to sing some of her own songs as well, some that she wrote herself from her album Enfants d'Hiver and some that Alain Souchon had a hand at. As she has for the past four years, she sang a song for Aung San Suu Ky whose cause she has espoused, giving the concert in the United States' capital a slight but fitting political undertone. Throughout the performance, Jane Birkin addressed the intimate gathering of francophones and francophiles in a mix of English and French, sharing stories about her determination to sight-see despite the weather conditions or reminiscing about the talented men she has had the opportunity to work with. If she can get out of D.C. in the middle of this blizzard, she will also be performing two sold out concerts in at the Alliance Française's Florence Gould Hall in New York on Thursday and Friday. Travel safe Jane!

New Truck on the Block

Normally I wouldn't cover the launch of a new food truck in D.C. But the folks at Eat Sâuçá made it very difficult for me not to. First, they chose to stop a few blocks away from my office on their inaugural day. Secondly, the menu features merguez-frites and toffles. Merguez are basically French hot dogs, they're our street food par excellence and toffles... well... that's just a fancy word for waffles and Eat Sâuçá serves them with Nutella so I just had to order one!
 

 

Food truck fever hasn't quite reached the same level in D.C. as it has in New York or Los Angeles, but the city is trying to catch up. No, don't except D.C. Restaurant Week Truck anytime soon (though there's still time to catch New York's... it ends on the 5th) but do expect more food trucks roaming the streets of D.C. And don't expect me to complain ;-) 

Sâuçá is the new truck on the block and the brainchild of Farhad Assari, an Iranian restauranteur who arrived in D.C. a few years ago by way of Geneva. The menu offers global food from merguez to croque-monsieur and Mumbai butter chicken, all served in sâuçás, a hand held warm, griddled flatbread. Lunchers can chose from a wide selection of sauces then top off their meal with a small but tasty waffle. Sâuçá has a couple of marketing tricks up its sleeves, from the web-cam to the catchy world music. They also have a phone on the side of the truck. Buy two sâuçás and you get a token valid for 1 minutes of international communication!

 

Eat Sâuçá's first customer posing by the food truck.

To find out if the Sâuçá truck is coming soon to a neighbourhood near you, check out their website, follow them on twitter or fan them on facebook. Bon appetit!

Roar! It's the year of the Tiger!

It may not feel so to the golfer but 2010 is the year of the Tiger! According to the Chinese Zodiac, February 14th, 2010 is more than Valentine's day this year. It's also the beginning of the year of the tiger, a time of strength, determination and persistence, as well as stability and growth. As a Chinatown resident for the past 5 years, I always look forward to the limelight being on my neighbourhood!

Ping Pong Dim Sum kicked off the celebration in grand style last night. Executives flew in from London to welcome in the Year of the Tiger with a dragon dance, live music, dancers and gifts. A diverse crowd of guests and Penn Quarter residents gathered despite the snow to enjoy complementary cocktails from Ping Pong's long list of original creations (my favourite: the wasabi amaretto sour!) and small steamed bites. Caligraphers were at hand to show you how to write your name in Chinese characters and you could also watch he chefs carefully prepare the dim sums in front of you! Since there are very few places to go for dim sums in Washington D.C., the first US location of the British chain has quickly become a favourite of mine, and not just because I live two blocks away. I certainly wish them stability and growth for this coming year ;-)

The National Geographic is also helping joining in the celebration this year, which makes sense given that they are currently playing host to an "army" of Chinese clay soldiers. On February 6th, they are hosting a family friendly event, presented by P.F. Chang China Bistro. The free (yes, you read right) festival will include food from P.F. Chang (while supplies last... so you might want to get there right at 11am), film screening, activities for kids and live demonstrations of ping pong and martial arts. 150 tickets to the 12pm viewing of the Terra Cotta Warriors exhibit will also be distributed on a first come, first serve basis.

If crowds don't phase you, the main event to attend is of course the Lunar New Year Festival in Chinatown. Head to H street between 6th and 8th where the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association hosts a parade with Chinese Lion and Dragon Dances. Perhaps in order not to compete with Valentine's day, the celebrations will be held on February 21st starting at 2pm, with the giant firecracker lighting happening at 3:45pm. Book your table now at Tony Cheng for traditional dim sum or at visit the folks at Ping Pong to warm up with some blossoming hot tea.

As usual, a variety of Chinese or pan-Asian restaurants will be offering special menus throughout the two weeks that the Lunar New Year festival lasts, though most restaurants it seems are lumping that special menu together with their Valentine's day offerings. Nonetheless, from February 15-21, Ten Penh will be serving a $45 four-course ($65 with wine pairing) tiger-inspired menu and a Tiger Eye featured cocktail and the Mandarin Oriental is offering a special "Tale of the Tiger" package to its guests throughout February. 

Happy Crêpe Day!

Bring out the crêpe maker!! Today is la Chandeleur or Candlemas in English but more commonly known as Crêpe Day. This Catholic holiday commemorates the purification of the Virgin Mary and the presentation of baby Jesus to the Temple. I don't think a lot of French people know that though... Today, La Chandeleur is synonymous with crêpes. Their circular shape and golden color is reminiscent of the sun, which itself makes people think of the springtime coming after a long winter. Or something like that... really, it's an excuse to eat crêpes!

If you are not the lucky owner of a crêpe maker (available on Williams and Sonoma's website) you can always use the old frying pan method to make your own at home. Or, you can head out and grab a crêpe at one of the many D.C. restaurants that serves them. Some of my favourite include Napoleon Bistro and Lounge (there, I always order the Dulce for dessert) and Café Bonaparte (I highly recommend the Lisbon or the Martinique), Crepe Away and Crepes a-go-go for more casual locations (the Fresh Aple, Brown Sugar and cinnamon crêpe is delicious... order it to go at their new crepes-on-the-walk location in Chinatown). Another favourite of mine is Snap in Georgetown. Though bubble tea and crêpes may not seem like a natural match, they actually work surprisingly well together, especially when enjoyed on their quaint back patio (perhaps you'll want to skip the patio tonight).

So what would you rather do tonight? Mull over the fact that Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow or stuff yourself with crêpes? I'm going to go with the crêpes bien sûr!