Washington City Paper (Oct. 22, 2021)

e� -�

Loc �" \"9

l\,STAG��

Ccov--'� ',

THE DISTRICT’S FREE WEEKLY SINCE 1981 VOLUME 41, NO. 11 OCT. 22–NOV. 4, 2021 WASHINGTONCITYPAPER.COM

CHAMBER MUSIC AT THE BARNS

HARLEM 100

FEATURING MWENSO & THE SHAKES

WU HAN AND FRIENDS

PAT McGEE BAND OCT 22 + 23 | 8 PM

WU HAN, PIANO ARNAUD SUSSMANN, VIOLIN PAUL NEUBAUER, VIOLA DAVID FINCKEL, CELLO

OCT 24 | 3 PM

LAURA BENANTI OCT 30 | 3 PM + 8 PM

CELEBRATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE

NOV 4 | 8 PM

CHAMBER MUSIC AT THE BARNS

SPANISH INSPIRATIONS KAYHAN KALHOR

CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER

CALIFORNIA GUITAR TRIO TRACE BUNDY

MASTERS OF HAWAIIAN MUSIC

NOV 10 | 8 PM

NOV 12 | 7:30 PM

NOV 18 | 8 PM

JAN 20 | 8 PM

JOHN LLOYD YOUNG’S BROADWAY! MUSIC DIRECTION BY TOMMY FARAGHER NOV 11

JOAN OSBORNE NOV 20 + 21

NEWMYER FLYER PRESENTS:

TIME LOVES A HERO; A TRIBUTE TO LITTLE FEAT NOV 27

THE SPANISH HOUR SHARON ISBIN, guitar

CHAMBER MUSIC AT THE BARNS

JAN 23

AN EVENING WITH BRANFORD MARSALIS

ANA POPOVIC

ENTER THE HAGGIS

INTERNATIONAL GUITAR NIGHT

BUSH/MARSHALL/ MEYER/MEYER

1964 THE TRIBUTE

JAN 26 + 27 JAN 28

SAM BUSH, MIKE MARSHALL EDGAR MEYER, GEORGE MEYER FEB 2 + 3

FEB 4

FEB 9 + 10

FEB 11 + 12

AND MANY MORE!

VIEW THE FULL SCHEDULE AT

WOLFTRAP.ORG

MANY THANKS FOR VOTING! 2 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

WOLF TRAP’S FILENE CENTER: BEST OUTDOOR VENUE 2021

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 5 As the pandemic rages on, we’re still celebrating the tenacity of Washingtonians. Welcome to Best of D.C. 2021!

FOOD & DRINK 7 A wine bar where you can enjoy fresh air, fresh bread delivered to your door, and an apple fritter for the ages

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 25 The best way to enjoy films during a pandemic, a new museum that will impress locals and tourists, and photos of go-go greats

GOODS & SERVICES 39 Spaces to beautify yourself and your pet, a bookstore that will make you a better cook, and the best way to show off your love of libraries

PEOPLE & PLACES 55 An Instagram account where friends are made and news gets broken, a scenic park along the Potomac, and general chicanery from the D.C. Council

CITY LIGHTS 64 City Lights: Tune in to a lecture from Ann Patchett, welcome a dance company back to D.C., and listen to music from emerging local artists.

DIVERSIONS 53 Crossword 65 Savage Love 66 Classifieds On the cover: Illustration and design by Madelyne Adams

Darrow Montgomery | 1400 Block of Otis Place NW, Oct. 10 Editorial

Advertising and Operations

Interim Editor CAROLINE JONES Managing Editor MITCH RYALS Arts Editor EMMA SARAPPO Food Editor LAURA HAYES Sports Editor KELYN SOONG City Lights Editor SARAH MARLOFF Multimedia Editor WILL WARREN Staff Writers AMBAR CASTILLO, BAILEY VOGT Staff Photographer DARROW MONTGOMERY Creative Director NAYION PERKINS Designer KATY BARRETT-ALLEY Audience Growth and Engagement Editor MICHELLE GOLDCHAIN Copy Editor GAIL O’HARA

Publisher and Chief Development Officer DUC LUU Associate Publisher ERIC NORWOOD Senior Account Executives MARK KULKOSKY, ALICIA MERRITT Account Executive ATHENA FOLTZ Sales Operations Manager HEATHER MCANDREWS Advertising Traffic Director JANE MARTINACHE Publisher Emeritus AMY AUSTIN

Leland Investment Corp.

Owner MARK D. EIN

LOCAL ADVERTISING: (832) 878-9567 FAX: (202) 650-6970 ADS@WASHINGTONCITYPAPER.COM FIND A STAFF DIRECTORY WITH CONTACT INFORMATION AT WASHINGTONCITYPAPER.COM VOL. 41, NO. 11 OCT. 22–NOV. 4, 2021 WASHINGTON CITY PAPER IS PUBLISHED EVERY WEEK AND IS LOCATED AT 734 15TH ST. NW, SUITE 400, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20005. CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS ARE WELCOMED; THEY MUST BE RECEIVED 10 DAYS BEFORE PUBLICATION. U.S. SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR $250 PER YEAR. ISSUE WILL ARRIVE SEVERAL DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION. BACK ISSUES OF THE PAST FIVE WEEKS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE OFFICE FOR $1 ($5 FOR OLDER ISSUES). BACK ISSUES ARE AVAILABLE BY MAIL FOR $5. MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO WASHINGTON CITY PAPER OR CALL FOR MORE OPTIONS. © 2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE EDITOR.

washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 3

Fraud Prevention

When You’re a Military Veteran, You’re Twice as Likely to Be a Target for Fraud.

Here’s How to Better Protect Yourself.

Scam artists use fake veterans charities, service benefit buy-out schemes, bogus job scams, the pandemic, and more. That’s why the AARP Fraud Watch Network and Operation Protect Veterans provide free reports on the latest scams targeting veterans and military families. Protect yourself and your family. AARP is on a mission to support veterans.

Learn more online at aarp.org/veterans 4 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

aarp.org/dc /aarpdc @aarpdc

INTRODUCTION

2021 HERE WE ARE AGAIN, D.C. Pull up a seat. Take a load off. It’s been a while.

Around this time last year, we published an issue featuring the best our region had to offer. Our hope was to shine a little light during a very dark time. Although we’re not completely out of the darkness yet, we must admit that the return to some semblance of normalcy has us cautiously optimistic. The museums are humming again. Live music is back—and so is comedy and theater and dancing. We’re slurping ramen and sipping spicy margaritas and shoving half-smokes in our faces.

In the following pages, you’ll find more than a guide to the place we all call home. It’s a celebration of us, and of you, and of the best people, places, foods, innovations, and shenanigans that make D.C. what it is.

We’ve spent the past year gathering intel, and this issue is the fruit of that labor. We’ve got you covered with the best bars, restaurants, sandwiches, lemonade, and hidden gems across the city. There’s something for travelers and knitters, for swimmers and home cooks, and for sports fans and punky bookworms.

We also added a special category this year and asked you to vote for the best pandemic superstars. These are the pieces of the hellish past 19 months that we’ll take and keep (drive-in movies, working from home) and that we’re missing dearly (RIP, Big Hunt). And then there are some things that don’t change, such as the perpetually delayed start times for D.C. Council meetings, even in a virtual space. That familiar disregard for punctuality brought us a measure of comfort in these otherwise uncertain times. Though annoying, we appreciate that too.

So please take a moment with us to recognize and appreciate the best we’ve got. Cheers!

— Mitch Ryals and Caroline Jones

washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 5

We are owned & operated by Black, local D.C. natives – who were once teachers. Our mission is to help unleash the voice that speaks to the inner kid in you. (Of course you have to be 21 to enter) but who says we can’t release the creativity, curiosity, and imagination we all have within us?

Mention “Best of DC” rs returning custome get a free preroll!

New customers

Get 15% off!

no kids allowed is an Initiative 71-Compliant Store in Washington, D.C. Under DC Weed Laws: Initiative 71, we offer an extensive menu of exotic marijuana gifts only. nka is conveniently located in the center of Capitol Hill – come check out our exclusive high quality clothing and cannabis (THC/CBD) products. Enjoy premium flower strains, pre-rolls, concentrates, and edibles gifts with every purchase of nka gear.

637 Pennsylvania Ave SE STE B Washington, DC 20003

6 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

www.nokidsallowed.club

We thank our staff, customers, the Capitol Hill Community, and anyone who voted for us. We will pay it forward.

202-897-5993

@nka.dc

Darrow Montgomery

FOOD&DRINK

EDITORS’ PICKS

Best Happy Hour for Texas Expats: Republic Cantina

Cheung’s menu is like a tasty trip to Hong Kong. Don’t

cocktail you’ll love, and it’s a conversation worth having

favorite forgoes the Instagram-ready flare of colorful

Best Restaurant for Dog Watching

skip the lo sui duck drumettes ($18), daikon fritters ($18),

because the drink prices are steep. If you want to taste

icings and attractive add-ons that are common thirst

Queen’s English

or cumin lamb ribs ($19). If you want to sip something

your gin, get the “Professional.” The martini ($18) is

traps at Dunkin’ and Krispy Kreme. Instead, the modest

3410 11th St. NW, queensenglishdc.com

new, Queen’s English has a selection of baiju served in

silky thanks to the addition of olive oil and intriguing

pastry comes shrouded in simple glaze, its craggy, crispy

1 oz. portions. When you make a reservation, you can

with its bay leaf-infused vermouth and a hint of orange

crevices hiding caches of aromatic cinnamon and sweet

request to sit indoors or outdoors. —Laura Hayes

flavor. Consider visiting the Wells before dinner at one

apple compote. It’s autumn in one sweet bite, and a good

of the restaurants it’s sandwiched between—the Duck

one is hard to find.

If a paw parade is just the kind of dinner and a show you’re looking for, book a reservation for a patio table at Queen’s English in Columbia Heights. Neighborhood

Best Single Spirit Bar

& the Peach and La Collina. The Wells is currently open

Lucky for fritter fanatics, you don’t have to travel

dogs know a cookie jar of dog treats rests on the outside

The Wells

Wednesdays through Fridays. Proof of vaccination is

to an orchard because Donut Run produces a perfect

host stand. The pups will stubbornly sit down on the side-

727 C St. SE, thewellsdc.com

required for entry and the bar charges a 22 percent ser-

rendition that just so happens to be vegan. Handmade

vice fee. No outdoor seating is available. —Laura Hayes

early in the morning, they’re crafted from the scraps of

walk until their owners oblige. “You have to say you’re a dog lover on your application if you want to work here,” a

You'll feel like the main character in any movie when

server tells me during a recent meal. I believe them even

you cross the threshold to the Wells, located within eye-

Best Fritter

shelves until around 8 a.m. “It’s a no-waste process,”

though they’re joking. Most of the employees manning

sight of Eastern Market. The reservations-only gin den

Donut Run

says Nicole Dao, who co-founded the Takoma shop with

the check-in station know the dogs by name, which is

is an ideal backdrop for a fashion shoot or perhaps a Mad

6904 4th St. NW, (202) 506-3264, donutrundc.com

her husband, Shawn Petersen. “And it’s the most time-

great because there are few things I enjoy more than

Men reboot. But more than looks draw you into Hollis

hearing what humans call their pets. You’ll dig the din-

Silverman’s bar focused on her favorite spirit with more

The apple fritter is not quite a doughnut, but it’s definitely

Before opening, the duo possessed no baking back-

ner part of the dinner and a dog show because Chef Henji

than 40 gins on offer. The staff is eager to steer you to a

doughnut adjacent. Knobby and brown, the farm-stand

ground. All their pastry skills are self-taught. “We’re just

the other doughnuts, so they often don’t hit the display

consuming thing we make.”

washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 7

FOOD&DRINK the challenge of veganizing the food we loved and grew up with.”

Aside from traditional apple, the couple makes blueberry, strawberry, and mixed berry fritters. There’s even

delivery. Pro tip: If you don’t want to commit to a whole

Darrow Montgomery

doughnut lovers,” Dao says. “And, we’ve always loved

tibs pizza, you can go half and half with one of the other flavors such as classic pepperoni for a $2 charge.

—Laura Hayes

Best Post-Speakeasy

a pumpkin option now that it’s sweater weather. The frizzled treats aren’t available every day, so devotees should

O.K.P.B.

check the shop’s Instagram story posted daily around 7

3165 Mount Pleasant St. NW, okpbdc.com

a.m. before heading over. —Nevin Martell For what seemed like a decade of D.C.’s infatuation with

Best Happy Hour for Texas Expats

pseudo-exclusive speakeasies, the Sheppard’s shutter-

Republic Cantina

ing in January 2019 marked something of an end of an

43 N St. NW, (202) 997-4340, republic-cantina.com

era. Fewer and fewer bars required passwords or secret codes. So when David Strauss, who led the Sheppard

Republic Cantina’s “outlaw hour” is one of the most gen-

in its final years, opened O.K.P.B. in late June in Mount

erous happy hours in the city. Offered daily from 4 to 6

Pleasant, he retained some of the speakeasy tropes, but

p.m. throughout the entire Truxton Circle restaurant

none of the pretension or exclusivity. “It’s a little tongue

and to-go, there’s enough to snack on and sip to make a

in cheek, but people love it,” he says. Only a doorbell

festive and filling Tex-Mex meal. Beer and shot combo

marks O.K.P.B.’s entrance. “Yes, the drinks are fancy,

aficionados can take the sting off a shit workday with

at somewhat of a premium price, and there’s a speak-

a Shiner beer and a shot of tequila ($9) before moving

easy vibe, but our biggest focus is really the hospitality.”

on to discounted spicy margaritas ($7). If you’re toast-

O.K.P.B.’s cocktail program favors technique over wild

ing good news with pals, consider a round of pico back

creativity. “The reality is there are only about 11 cock-

shots—the tolerable tequila shooters are only $7 during

tails in the whole world of cocktails,” Strauss notes.

happy hour. Inspired by a pickleback that matches whis-

“Everything we make falls into one of those catego-

key with pickling liquid, the pico back swaps in tequila

ries and everything else is a riff.” This approach is how

and pico de gallo juices. Be sure to line your stomach

patrons can name a few descriptors, flavors, or textures,

if you’re going on an agave adventure. Food specials

and Strauss and his team can plumb an encyclopedic

include $4 chile con queso, $6 Texas-style nachos,

knowledge of cocktails to produce something just famil-

and $7 Frito pie. More of a night owl than an early bird?

iar enough but also new. O.K.P.B. demystifies cocktails in

Republic Cantina takes another swing at happy hour

a way that isn’t pandering, but revelatory and expert in

Fridays and Saturdays from 9 p.m. to midnight when

its execution. It is the anti-speakeasy and one of the best

they play classic outlaw country records. If you pick out

additions to D.C.’s cocktail scene in years. —Brian Oh

a record, you get half off pico back shots while it’s play-

Best Restaurant

ing. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating.

Baan Siam

—Laura Hayes

Best Restaurant: Baan Siam and Chef Jeeraporn "P' Boom" Poksupthong

Best Method to Get Your Bread

425 I St. NW, (202) 588-5889, baansiamdc.com

The Real Breadwives of D.C.

or freeze it, should you order more than you can con-

of Mess Hall in August 2020. Belay had been hosting

Baan Siam is the restaurant we need right now. Chef

therealbreadwivesofdc.com

sume before mold takes hold. Place your order online

pizza parties for years and even sold pizzas to friends

Jeeraporn “P’ Boom” Poksupthong is free to flex her

before 6 p.m. on Sundays and it will arrive the following

out of his home. His circle called the gatherings “Paulos

culinary might now that she commands a much larger

Remember that point in the pandemic where we baked

Wednesday. Proceeds from your carb cravings benefit

Is Making Pizza.”

kitchen than the one she had at Baan Thai. That 14th

bread? Bagels, boules, and many loaves of sourdough

families who struggled with food insecurity throughout

Now Belay is pulling pizza out of the oven for the

Street NW restaurant closed in 2019. While her Thai

came out of our ovens, some looking better than others.

the pandemic. Loving bread is never wrong—just ask

masses. Each Motown Square pizza is cut into eight

dishes dazzle even more than before in her new digs,

That phase might be over, maybe it never started for

Oprah—and in this case, ordering and eating it lets you

squares and serves two to three people. No one will judge

the family that runs Baam Siam hasn’t changed the

you in the first place, or maybe you just deserve some

enjoy yourself and support those in your community. —

you if you don’t want to share the tibs pie ($30). The chef

affordable prices that make it possible to visit the Mount

fancy bread, damn it. The Real Bread Wives of D.C.

Caroline Jones

taps into his Ethiopian roots on his father’s side and tops

Vernon Triangle restaurant regularly.

are here for you. Roxana Hakimi and Elaine del Cerro

a pizza with the ingredients for one of the most popular

The move is to reserve a table on their expansive

Yau started delivering products from Hyattsville’s Lyon

Best Detroit Meets Ethiopian Pizza

dishes in Ethiopia. He doesn’t hold back on the berbere

outdoor seating area that’s poised to get an upgrade

Bakery—a commercial kitchen that traditionally sells its

Motown Square Pizza

seasoning on the grass-fed beef, which is complemented

in 2022, according to managing partner Tom Healy.

products to restaurants and hotels—to homes across the

703 Edgewood St. NE, motownsquaredc.com

by red onion, jalapeños, and fresh herbs.

Heaters make it an attractive dining locale even during

region every week early in the pandemic. Their husbands

Belay’s grandfather started a bakery in Addis Ababa

the approaching colder months. Freshen up first with the

co-own the bakery. Demand was so high that Lyon’s

When Paulos Belay was growing up in Detroit, he didn’t

and one of his uncles has a bakery in Dallas. “I was

house-made lemongrass and eucalyptus hand sanitizer

packers, order processors, and delivery drivers are now

know that his high school job would prove extremely

down there visiting around 2012 when I was in school

found on every table. If you love it as much as I do, ask

part of the operation as well. Delivery is available to all

helpful one day. Like the rest of his pals, he worked

and after visiting there and hanging out at the bakery,

to buy a bottle.

D.C. ZIP codes, as well as 26 ZIP codes in Maryland’s

at Buddy’s Pizza. Some consider it the birthplace of

I was like, ‘Wow this is really cool,’” he says. The expe-

Baan Siam serves one of the best frozen drinks in

Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Howard counties,

Detroit-style pizza that’s thick, square, and studded

rience inspired him to take culinary classes. “My dad’s

D.C., and it’s not their fault it shares its name with an

and 33 ZIP codes in Northern Virginia. Need an English

with Wisconsin brick cheese. “There’s so much I learned

side of the family got me to where I am now with the

easy-to-hate HBO show. To concoct the “White Lotus,”

muffin for your egg sandwich? What about herby rolls to

there that I use today,” Belay says.

pizza. I never envisioned pizza, but this is what I enjoy

the bar team blends soju, sake, yuzu juice, calpico, lime

doing now.”

juice, and Sprite for a buzz worth the brain freeze ($12).

serve with dinner or a slightly funky loaf studded with

After culinary school, Belay relocated to D.C. where

Kalamata olives? They’ve got all of those, plus more tra-

he worked at a number of restaurants and bakeries. He

He has aspirations of opening a brick-and-mor-

They recently rolled out new cocktails, including the

ditional baguettes and Pullman loaves. Eat your fresh

was laid off at the start of the pandemic and capitalized

tar pizzeria in the near future. In the meantime, you

“Banana Blossom,” which stars rye infused with sun-

bread, priced between $4 and $9 a loaf, when it arrives

on the moment by launching Motown Square Pizza out

can order from his virtual restaurant for pickup or

dried, honeyed bananas, plus lemon juice and simple

8 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

syrup ($12). Baan Siam also has ample beer and wine

4P Food Delivery

that tames hot, funky food.

4pfoods.com

Farrah Skeiky

FOOD&DRINK

Healy is preparing to hibernate for the winter by consuming a new seasonal special as often as possible—

After about the third time of nearly hyperventilating as

green curry fried rice with fried chicken ($17). It’s one of

I panic-bought everything in the grocery store during

33 entrees that cost less than $20. The seasonal specials

those dark, early days of the pandemic, a friend intro-

are always the place to start at Baam Siam. That’s where

duced me to 4P Foods. The company not only deliv-

you’ll also find a dry curry lamb with fingeroot, Thai egg-

ers local produce, meat, dairy, and pantry items from

plant, basil, and peppers ($18). This dish is especially rare

around the region year round, it also supports equita-

because lamb is typically only consumed by Southern

ble food access across the city, donates both meals and

Thailand’s Muslim population.

produce, and encourages eco-friendly practices by reus-

Pescatarians can make an excellent meal out of the

ing as much packaging as possible. Naturally, when this

crispy lotus root and grilled shrimp salad ($12) followed

much liberal catnip is dangled before me, I’m all in. Plus,

by the whole fried branzino with its crispy, tender flesh

being able to start, pause, or stop my subscription online

($23). Meanwhile, vegetarian highlights include fried

at any time made it much more appealing than a tradi-

Asian pumpkin ($8) and mushroom curry in a banana

tional CSA. I looked forward to my Friday morning deliv-

leaf ($16).

eries all week and prepared by scouring recipes to find

You should also try the dishes that Poksupthong first

the most creative ways to use my bounty. The result? New

hooked people with at Baan Thai: chicken tapioca dump-

kitchen skills and dishes that pleased my family. The pro-

lings ($8), Thai-style fried chicken wings ($8), tom yum

duce bags ($33 for small; $45.70 for medium; $57.50 for

noodle soup with roasted pork and ground chicken ($16),

large) are customizable, but I would often add an item

don’t bring the heat. When I call Chen’s wife, May Kuang,

(menma), spinach, scallions, and a luscious soft-boiled

khao soi with chicken ($17), and coconut milk griddle

or two that I wasn’t familiar with to encourage experi-

to ask a few questions about my favorite menu item, she

egg (ajitama). Yoo grew up in South Korea where he was

snack for dessert ($9).

mentation. As the seasons progressed, 4P Foods made

invites me to come to the small restaurant she co-owns

so enamored with noodles as a kid that his mother would

General manager and partner Vena Doungchan

sure I was never bored in the kitchen despite the seem-

with her husband to taste all four of their eggplant dishes

yell at him for only consuming empty carbs. When his

makes sure the hospitality far exceeds the price point.

ingly never-ending demands of feeding a family that

straight from the kitchen.

family moved to Baltimore, Yoo helped his parents run

Baam Siam is warm and welcoming, and it won’t

never, ever left the house. Baby bok choy appeared in

While there are many types of eggplant, the Chinese

carry-out restaurants. He studied ramen at Ramen Shack

take long before they remember your favorite order.

chicken ramen. Eggplant transformed into baba gha-

variety is long and skinny with fewer seeds and less of a

in New York City under his mentor, Keizo Shimamoto.

—Laura Hayes

noush. Sweet potatoes made for a rich, healthy break-

spongy feel. Kuang explains that even though the egg-

The restaurant closed in March 2019, but its spirit and

fast hash. The ridiculously good sausages were fried with

plant in Szechuan garlic sauce is on the “Ma La Special”

craftsmanship lives on at Menya Hosaki. Start a meal

Best Place for a Romantic Pasta Date

onions for an easy Friday night meal. At a time when

section of their menu, the pieces of soft purple eggplant

with a fried chicken (karaage) appetizer that comes with

there were few pleasures to be found, unzipping that

swimming in sauce derive their heat not from pepper-

yuzu-laced mayonnaise for dipping ($9.50) and an Orion

Reveler’s Hour

bag and unpacking the treasures inside felt like a lifeline

corns but from the doubanjiang peppers they source

beer ($6). Menya Hosaki has indoor and outdoor seating

1775 Columbia Rd. NW, revelershour.com

providing inspiration, nourishment, and comfort when

from China. They differ from the peppercorns typically

and offers takeout. —Laura Hayes

I needed it most. —Rina Rapuano

associated with ma la cooking. Your tongue will feel it a

If noodles are your love language, make a reservation

Best Bar: Lyman's Tavern

bit, but you’ll also taste the ginger and garlic.

Best Bar

rant from the team behind Tail Up Goat opened on New

Best Way to Fill Up Before a Baseball Game

ways her husband can prepare eggplant, but she is wor-

Year’s Eve 2019 and has been doing its best to perse-

Atlas Brew Works

ried about the future of their restaurant and its ability to

vere in the pandemic without proper outdoor seating.

1201 Half St. SE, (202) 525-2001, atlasbrewworks.com

outlast the pandemic. She says takeout orders are occa-

The best neighborhood bars should feel like an extra

sionally plentiful, but customers aren’t flocking to their

room in your house. You don’t have to change clothes to

at Reveler’s Hour for your next date night. The restau-

Couples will leave well fed if they share an appetizer

Kuang is enthusiastic when describing the many

Lyman’s Tavern 3720 14th St. NW, (202) 723-0502, lymanstaverndc.com

and then each pick a pasta from Chef Jon Sybert’s selec-

The Nats may have fallen short of the playoffs, but the

recently reopened dining room in significant numbers.

go there, the furniture is familiar, and it doesn’t cost $12

tion that changes with the seasons. If the octopus is on

Atlas Brew Works Tap Room outside the center field gate

Kuang says that food ordering and delivery services such

to crack a cold one. In the case of Lyman’s Tavern, that

the menu, make that your starter. Sample pasta dishes

on Half Street SE features a screamin’ deal before week-

as DoorDash take sizable commissions that eat into their

room is probably most comparable to a bachelor’s base-

from early fall include mafalde with duck leg, Marsala

day games and Mondays through Fridays from 3 to 6 p.m.

revenue, and their rent is high. Great Wall may not be for

ment with its dim lighting, 10 pinball machines, jackalo-

ragu, wood roasted mushrooms, and Espelette bread-

year round. Get a pint of beer and two New York-style

sale as it was for a period in 2020, but Kuang says that

pes on the walls, and a crumpled can of PBR in the corner.

crumbs ($26) and casarecce with wood roasted cauli-

slices of Andy’s Pizza for $10. That won’t even cover the

keeping the restaurant open is “so so very hard.” —Steve

flower, pickled cayenne peppers, Parmesan, and fennel

price of one beer inside the park. Only the ones they brew

Kiviat

pollen breadcrumbs ($24).

on site are included in the deal. Other select pints are $5

Couple Kevin Perone and Jess Kleinmann will celebrate their bar’s eighth birthday in June. “It’s super comfortable,” Perone says. “When you walk in, you feel like

There are typically two or three options for vege-

each. Don’t have a ticket to the game? The open-air tap

Best Bowl of Ramen

you should be there. It’s like my home bar and everyone

tarians. Bill Jensen will make sure you find a glass or a

room has several TVs and ample outdoor seating on the

Truffle Shoyu at Menya Hosaki

who comes in, I’m like, ‘You like hanging out at my home

bottle of wine to pair with your meal that’s both excel-

patio. —Mitch Ryals

845 Upshur St. NW, (202) 330-3977, menyahosakidc.com

bar? This is amazing.’” If inside isn’t your vibe, there are

Few dishes announce themselves with such fragrant fer-

The something-for-everyone beer, cider, seltzer, and

19 test results from the previous 48 hours to dine inside

Best Eggplant in Garlic Sauce at a Restaurant That’s Just Hanging On

vor than the truffle shoyu ramen ($18) at Petworth new-

mead selection is mostly local with a few cans and bot-

for diners 12 and older. The Adams Morgan restaurant

Great Wall Szechuan House

comer Menya Hosaki. Eating the heady broth slicked

tles from afar. No suds cost more than $8 and on your

also offers takeout. Customers can order for pickup start-

1527 14th St. NW, (202) 797-8888, greatwallszechuan.com

with truffle oil is like getting an umami steam facial.

birthday you drink free so long as whatever you’re guz-

Beyond the complexity of the soup, chef and owner Eric

zling costs less than $5 (the Champagne of Beers makes the cut).

two large patios where dogs are welcome.

lent and a little outside of your comfort zone. Reveler’s Hour requires proof of vaccination or negative COVID-

ing at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. The menu goes live daily at 3 p.m.

Great Wall is celebrated for its super spicy ma la cook-

Yoo takes great pride in making his own noodles. They

—Laura Hayes

ing that features tongue-numbing Sichuan peppercorns.

have the right amount of chew that can even stand up

During the pandemic, Lyman’s channeled its inner

Chef Yuan Chen is from Chengdu in the Sichuan prov-

to takeout if you’re only traveling a couple miles. Where

beach bar for reasons that are unclear and introduced

ince and also deserves acclaim for his offerings like egg-

Menya Hosaki stands out from its competitors is with its

five flavors of “vacation-style” crushes that use Sprite

plant in Szechuan garlic sauce that mixes the heat from

smoky, tender chashu pork that melts in your mouth.

instead of club soda. “I started drinking crushes when

red peppers, called doubanjiang, with other flavors that

It’s accompanied by other toppings: bamboo shoots

I started going to the beach in Maryland,” Perone says.

Best Inspiration for Endless Pandemic Cooking

washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 9

Farrah Skeiky

FOOD&DRINK a truly wild and heartwarming time, Shi-Queeta-Lee’s

alum drives around the DMV to drop off roughly a thou-

Drag Brunch hosted at H Street Country Club is the place

sand cookies. The flavor is never the same week to week,

to be. Every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. patrons can

and the cookie master has more than 40 recipes in his

settle in for one-of-a-kind entertainment while munch-

repertoire. This fall, expect cozy choices inspired by

ing on delicious food.

s’mores and carrot cake. The latter uses white chocolate

Shi-Queeta-Lee’s roster of performers include Delila

chips instead of the traditional cream cheese frosting and

B. Lee, Kabuki Bukkake, and Capri Bloomingdale. The

positively no raisins! A visit to a coastal coffeehouse in

price of admission is $55 and affords you access to an all-

the Pacific Northwest inspired a cookie featuring coffee,

you-can-eat buffet and your pick at any seat in the bright

sea salt, cardamom, and hazelnut.

room. For an extra $20 you can also indulge in bottomless mimosas.

Though the cottage bakery predates COVID-19, the cookies were a stroke of pandemic genius that struck a

Each queen gives a charming performance or imper-

sweet chord with the lockdown crowd. “People continue

sonation that’s an homage to famous entertainers.

to be grateful, but it should be the other way around,

As these talented artists take on different characters,

because I’m so grateful they’re ordering,” Reponen says.

patrons can expect to see Diana Ross, Tina Turner,

“As much as I like making cookies, I like making people

Whitney Houston, and Jill Scott, among others. The

happy even more.”

troupe mixes new age with old glam, dazzling in various beautiful sequined gowns and vibrant jumpsuits.

The baker travels as far north as Silver Spring, as far south as Mount Vernon, as far east as Hyattsville, and as

When asked why the show has been so successful,

far west as Falls Church. Online orders for the week go

Shi-Queeta-Lee says it’s her more than 30 years of expe-

live Sunday evenings and close out on Wednesdays at

rience that shapes the show into a place where patrons

noon. —Nevin Martell

feel comfortable and loved. She commands the stage and hilarious rhetoric. She often teases fans and brings many

Best Whole Fried Fish to Share With a Friend

to tears with heartfelt advice.

Bammy’s Escovitch

captivates audiences with a tough-as-nails attitude and

The legendary performer has a number of quotes that

301 Water St. SE, (202) 599-4400, bammysdc.com

make her a household name in the city: “Hair and paint makes a man what he ain’t!” —Reesey McElvane

To make the most of a night out at Bammy’s, nab an outdoor table and order a round of Red Stripe beers.

Best Reigning Bite at Union Market

It’s a different kind of water view than you’d actually

Neopol Smokery’s Smoked Salmon BLT

get in Jamaica, but take a hit of your vape and roll with

1309 5th St. NE, (202) 543-1864, neopolsmokery.com/

it. You and your dining companion should tackle one

the-shops/union-market-dc

of the restaurant’s signature dishes: whole fried fish escovitch. Chef Chris Morgan says they source either

Best Drag Brunch: Shi-Queeta-Lee’s Drag Brunch at H Street Country Club

A few stalls at Union Market are permanent fixtures

black bass or red snapper and seek out fish that weigh

while others come and go. That means there will inev-

between 1.5 and 4 pounds. They price them accordingly

itably be something new and trendy begging for your

at $45 to $85. Morgan says he scores the fish bone deep

attention at one of D.C.’s first food halls. But don’t get

on both sides before deep frying it and topping it with

distracted. The tried-and-true smoked salmon BLT

Jamaican pickle—a condiment made from sweet and

sandwich ($11.95) at Neopol Smokery is the best bite the

hot peppers, carrots, onions, garlic, allspice (ground

market boasts. German immigrant Barbara Lahnstein

pimento), fresh thyme, vinegar, water, and sugar. The

“We have a bunch of weird ones like watermelon and

to find out when Lyman’s scores a batch of kimchi from

and her son Dorian Brown created the recipe that calls

chefs deviate slightly from the typical preparation on

strawberry.” If you’re also in vacation mode, consider a

Mollie Lee. It makes for a fun hot dog topping.

for their house-made Berkshire bacon, flaked oak-

the Caribbean island that inspires their Navy Yard restau-

Lyman’s also excels as a neighborhood bar because

smoked salmon, and honey dill aioli. We’re not talking

rant. “Typically escovitch is pan fried,” Morgan explains.

it can be many things to many people. I’ve watched

about lox. The sandwich contains a thick salmon filet—

“In someone’s home or restaurant you pan fry the fish

Food at a dive typically tastes best after a few rounds,

awkward first dates, blurry colleague send-offs, loners

sourced from Norway, Iceland, or Scotland—that carries

in a good amount of oil, turn it, and sear both sides to

but you can dig right in at Lyman’s. You want Tom

making life decisions, and winning and losing pinball

enough smoky flavor to make some barbecue pitmasters

get crispy skin. Then you add the pickle into the pan and

White’s golden, griddled quesadillas ($9–$11), pimento

leagues. If the bar ever gets complaints on crappy review

envious. —Laura Hayes

finish cooking the fish in the pickling liquid.” It’s fun to

dip with grilled pretzel bread ($8), the No Way Jose sub

platforms, they’re typically accusations about surly staff.

starring grilled turkey and bacon ($13), or grilled cheese

“All of our staff are our friends,” Perone explains. “Some

with fried pork roll ($10). The hot dogs deserve their own mention. Lyman’s tops them 10 ways and you can sub in

frozen cocktail you’d likely find at an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean like a strawberry banana daiquiri.

a veggie version. Fans of fusion food should get a double nacho dog ($11).

Regulars may have noticed that the popular sliders

tear into the fish with a friend when it hits the table at Bammy’s. The moment when you flip it over and real-

of our friends are more shy. It could be the wrong place

Best Cookies Delivered to Your Doorstep

at the wrong time.”

Dapper Fox

serves it with Duke’s mayonnaise flavored with allspice,

108 E. Linden St., Alexandria, (703) 919-4325,

cassava, vinegar, and salt. —Laura Hayes

Pull up a stool and join the rest of us in debating in which neighborhood this beloved bar is located.

dapperfoxbakery.com How many times during this past year did I yearn for a

Best Update of a Neighborhood Favorite

—Laura Hayes

are dunzo. There’s someone to blame. “We had to take

ize you have a second half to play is precious. Bammy’s

sliders off the menu because our insurance company

Best Drag Brunch

freshly baked cookie but was too lazy to bake one and

Spanish Diner

said we don’t have a hood,” Perone explains. “We pass

Shi-Queeta-Lee’s Drag Brunch at

too snobby to settle for something from the case at the

7271 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda, (301) 284-3700,

health and fire inspections, why can’t we pass insurance

H Street Country Club

supermarket? Too many times to count.

spanishdiner.com

inspection?”

1335 H St. NE, (202) 399-4722, hstcountryclub.com/

At least there’s plenty to munch on. Since the bar

drag-brunch

opens at 11 a.m. daily, their bar food is good enough to pass as a respectable lunch. Pay attention on social media

There are many places to enjoy a show and a meal, but for

10 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

Enter Dapper Fox. Alex Reponen’s home bakery in Alexandria specializes in frozen, ready-to-bake cook-

The Bethesda location of Chef José Andrés’ landmark

ies, which he personally delivers to your doorstep. Every

tapas restaurant Jaleo was the perfect “nice neighbor-

week, usually on Fridays, the Pluma by Bluebird Bakery

hood restaurant.” Spacious enough to accept diners

Fast & reliable — when you need it.

INTERNET starting at:

$19

99

^

/mo for 12 mos.

Equipment excluded.

FREE Month & Install

†

on select offers

Includes FREE standard WiFi Scan here for this exclusive offer or visit rcn.com *Internet download speeds may vary and are not guaranteed. Observed speeds may vary based on device, connection, & other factors outside of RCN’s control. Gig Internet offers speeds up to 940 Mbps. See rcn.com/yourspeed for why speeds may vary. Certain equipment may be required to receive Gigabit speeds up to 940 Mbps and/or, 600Mbps or 300 Mbps. RCN substantiates that the cable modem equipment provided, and the configuration of such cable modem, meets the broadband speeds advertised when attached to a wired connection based on SamKnows testing procedures. All speeds not available in all areas. Offer valid for new residential customers or customers with accounts in good standing who have not had RCN service within the last 60 days. Offer expires 11/30/21. RCN’s promotional offer extends defined, set pricing for the period of 12 months after installation. All sales subject to credit check, applicable surcharges, equipment taxes, activation fees, installation, franchise fees, government imposed charges and fees. †FREE install is a $79.95 value and will be applied to the order when the coupon code, DC100 or DCFREE, is entered online. FREE month is applied to the first month of service. ^Additional services, such as equipment, premium channels and other tiers of service are subject to an additional charge and regular increases and not included as part of the package. Price does not include Network Access Maintenance Fee of $6.97 per month. Network Access and Maintenance Fee helps to defray costs associated with building and maintaining RCN’s fiber rich broadband network, as well as the costs of expanding network capacity to support the continued increase in customers’ average broadband consumption. This fee is neither government-mandated nor a tax, fee or surcharge imposed by the government.

It is a fee and/or cost of service RCN assesses and retains. One-time $9.99 Activation Fee applies and is not included as part of the package or offer. No contract is required to take advantage of the promotional pricing and savings. No early termination fees apply in the event service is terminated in advance of the 12-month duration. Customer is responsible for any accrued service charges in the event service is canceled. **Next day installation is not guaranteed. Availability varies by market and is limited to availability of appointments during normal business hours Monday-Saturday. Other restrictions may apply.

Not all services available in all areas. All names, logos, images and service marks are property of their respective owners. Visit www.rcn.com/hub/about-rcn/policies-and-disclaimers for additional terms and conditions. ©2021 Starpower Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.

NOVPA1021

washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 11

Darrow Montgomery

FOOD&DRINK

Best Lemonade Company Created During the Pandemic: Kill Moe Lemonade Lemonade who’d wander in after a movie or a shopping trip but fes-

Best New Bar

tive enough for a special occasion, it occupied a central

St. Vincent Wine

corner of Bethesda Row for nearly two decades. Andrés’

3212 Georgia Ave. NW, (202) 413-9763, stvincentwine.com

announcement last year that he’d close Jaleo and reopen

hurricane, and sazerac ($14 each) are also available. So

has been a recent influx of Southeast Asian—and spe-

is beer. But it’s OK to not drink beer one night.

cifically Filipino—cooking, Chefs Tom Cunanan and

St. Vincent surprises in the kitchen. The bar could

Paolo Dungca’s Pogiboy located inside the Block food

have gotten away with just cheese and charcuterie,

hall introduced elements of Filipino fast food you’d be

especially because their meats and cheeses are top qual-

hard-pressed to find in D.C. proper. “We didn’t have

ity, but Chef Joel Hatton offers a full-blown food menu

anything like that in terms of Filipino food in the DMV,”

instead. Hits include confit duck croquettes that ooze tri-

Cunanan explains. “In our community, we’ve always

ple cream Mt. Tam cheese ($15), lobster bucatini ($21),

wanted something like Jollibee here.” And while a

and fried chicken ($21). Since the bar is open during the

Jollibee did in fact open in Wheaton this spring, Pogiboy

day on weekends, some brunch dishes such as biscuits

was the first to share the irresistible combination of fried

with sausage gravy ($12) are served from noon to 3 p.m.

chicken and spaghetti to District diners. Cunanan, who

My favorite part about being at St. Vincent is I’m

previously led the kitchen at Bad Saint, has a deep appre-

bound to see a familiar face. I’m also bound to see faces

ciation for Filipino spaghetti that’s characterized by the

that look nothing like mine. The Park View bar draws a

incorporation of sweet banana ketchup in the sauce and

diverse crowd for date nights, ladies’ nights, and a meet-

its typical hot dog topping. His mother used to cook it

ing of the Red Hat Society. There are plenty of magnum

for him. Pogiboy’s menu is rounded out with other riffs

bottles of wine for sale, which beg for larger groups to

on Filipino fast food, like a To “Chino” Burger and pal-

share.

abok fries (think Filipino poutine). Cunanan has mul-

Patrons can look forward to live music inside on

tiple prestigious awards under his belt, including one

Wednesdays and Thursdays later this fall, according to

from James Beard. He thinks he’ll return to fine dining

Sherwood. (He’s the son of City Paper contributor Tom

in some capacity, but he isn’t bailing on Pogiboy. “I see

Sherwood). Here’s hoping they can book St. Vincent, aka

the potential for Pogiboy, but we’re not just trying to win

Annie Clark. —Laura Hayes

awards,” he says. “We just want to make good food and want people to appreciate our food. We’re extremely pas-

Best Way to Drink Your Dinner

sionate chefs, and we’re in this industry to make people

Antipasti Dirty Martini at Caruso’s Grocery

happy. I hope people understand that.” Meanwhile,

914 14th St. SE, (202) 661-0148, carusosgrocery.com

Dungca, who previously helmed the kitchen at Kaliwa

it as Spanish Diner, a concept he’d introduced in New

If there was a business that could open and thrive in the

York, came as a shock. Diners needn’t have worried.

throes in the pandemic, it’s one that keeps the wine flow-

The space, now with a new layout and fresh paint job in

ing under a blanket of stars. St. Vincent Wine debuted

The garnish on the antipasti dirty martini ($10) at

fine dining Filipino restaurant of his own called Hiraya.

shades of yellow, remains open and airy. The refreshed

in November 2020 and has felt like an enchanting gar-

Caruso’s Grocery foreshadows what’s in the glass,

—Brian Oh

menu is full of new delights. A new sandwich selection

den party everyone is invited to ever since. The estab-

as any good garnish should. A skewer pierces three

features the bikini mixto, a ham and cheese concoction

lishment features a sprawling outdoor area, well stocked

orbs: an olive, a mozzarella ball, and a cherry tomato.

with footlong cheese pulls, and comforting favorites such

wine shop, upstairs cocktail lounge, and a balcony with a

Neighborhood Restaurant Group spirits director Nick

Best Lemonade Company Created During the Pandemic

as croquetas and patatas bravas. Dine and you’ll find the

retractable covering for prime sunset viewing.

and cooked at Restaurant Eve, is readying to open a

Farrell had fun making this playful drink for his com-

Kill Moe Lemonade

sort of satisfaction that comes with trying something new

Co-owners Frederick Uku and Peyton Sherwood

pany’s new red sauce Italian restaurant helmed by

(202) 320-8357, killmoelemonade.store

and liking it. If only all changes went down this easily.

were inspired to build St. Vincent Wine after a trip to New

Chef Matt Adler. Farrell starts with Moletto, a tomato-

Proof of vaccination is required for people 12 and older

Orleans where they couldn’t get enough of the convivial

flavored gin, and builds a drinkable antipasti plate from

Kill Moe Lemonade was invented out of necessity. The

who want to dine inside. —Caroline Jones

atmosphere at Bacchanal Wine. They hoped to emulate

there. “It has fun sun-dried tomato notes to it, in addition

brand’s owner, Johnny, was a single father with sole cus-

the service style where customers peruse the shelves of

to the juniper,” Farrell says of the specialty gin. He com-

tody of his son. He had a job working in the food indus-

Best Guava Pastry

a wine shop to pick out a bottle worth savoring at their

bines it with a touch of Garden Party basil liqueur, dry

try but needed to supplement his income. In his youth,

La Famosa

leisure outdoors. When it came time to open, they had

vermouth, olive brine, and mozzarella brine. “With all of

he spent time in correctional facilities for mostly minor

1300 4th St. SE, (202) 921-9882, eatlafamosa.com

to make some tweaks to be compliant with early reopen-

the pizza we make and all of the mozzarella we serve at

offenses, but those days were now long behind him.

ing guidelines. That meant asking customers to use a QR

Caruso’s we have so much mozzarella brine,” Farrell con-

Johnny realized anyone can make lemonade. But if

There are two words in guava pastry, and while neither

code and order off an online menu. With restrictions

tinues, explaining that he waits for the whey to coagulate

he was going to succeed, he had to give customers some-

one is more important than the other, let’s note which

loosened, you can either swing through the shop or use

before straining it away. Using the brine is a good way

thing special. So through taste testing and trial and error,

one comes first. The guava should be the star. Otherwise

the QR code.

to put a byproduct to use that would otherwise go down

he methodically created a beverage that stood out from

Wine is not available by the glass at St. Vincent. Since

the drain. The martini sips so fresh and so clean that one

the competition.

Though this delicacy goes by many names—turnover,

a bottle is more of a commitment, don’t be shy about

is not enough. Caruso’s Grocery only offers indoor din-

pastry, pastelillo—it is, at its core, guava filling encased

asking for Uku or general manager Kerstin Mikalbrown

ing. —Laura Hayes

in flaky dough. There are plenty of excellent options in

before making a choice. Both longtime hospitality pro-

D.C., but in your quest for the best head to the stylish and

fessionals bring warmth and wine knowledge to the

colorful Puerto Rican eatery La Famosa in Navy Yard.

table.

we might as well eat a croissant.

He also came up with a catchy name. “Kill Moe” may sound menacing, but it’s actually a positive affirmation in D.C. street slang. After purchasing bottles in bulk,

Best Fine Dining Turned Fast-Food Chefs

Johnny personally designed the labels. Then the real

Tom Cunanan and Paolo Dungca at Pogiboy

establishments if they would stock his product.

work began. Johnny went door to door asking local retail

This is a restaurant that knows how to make guava sing.

“Our wine program is designed to strip away the pre-

Here you will receive a square turnover dusted with

tension and fussiness that tends to take all the fun outta

powdered sugar ($4), and when you bite into it, a gen-

wine,” Uku says. “It’s a list that covers the full range

erous helping of fruity paste will ooze onto your hand.

of the oenological spectrum—some budget-friendly

With capacity restrictions coming and going through

these spots sold out of the lemonade almost immedi-

It’s perfectly balanced between tangy and sweet, and the

stuff, some Easter eggs for the more wine savvy, some

multiple waves of COVID-19 in D.C., more than a few

ately, Johnny knew he had a hit. His bottles are currently

pastry manages to hold it all together without stealing the

skin-contacts, zero-zeros for the natty kids, and lots and

restaurants and chefs pivoted toward more casual fare

stocked in a total of 10 locations that span every quadrant

show or overwhelming with its own richness. The filling

lots of rosés, which you ought to be drinking year round.

that translates well to takeout to sustain their businesses.

of the District.

to dough ratio is also perfect, so the treat is never dry.

It’s basically just stuff that we love, think is really deli-

While there were plenty of great burgers, pizza, fried

Like most small businesses, Kill Moe Lemonade

cious, and want to share with everyone.”

chicken, and other offerings coming from once exclu-

experienced growing pains. Johnny had some trouble

New Orleans-inspired cocktails from Prodigal

sively fine-dining kitchens, one of the best brought

keeping up with demand. He made some mistakes but

Cocktails’ Andrea Tateosian like a Vieux Carré,

something wholly new to the District. Though there

says he quickly learned the tricks of the trade.

You can wash it all down with coffee, and no one will judge if you order two. —Will Warren

12 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

1100 Vermont Ave. NW, (202) 681-7516, pogiboydc.com

The first stores to give him a chance were Kwik Stop in Petworth and the Circle 7 Market in Ivy City. When

: mers 2021 r 21, Custo e ’s b t h o t h Oc Aa eepes h’s & my d h s o s O e r xp Dear f you s to e tter i to those o & Aahh’s l e l s i u n ’s Th est So ciatio Oohh appre sible for e of the “B ington, n n respo ction as o s” in Wash receive t o distin estauran honored t m R o Food m indeed award fr a g I n i . d C n D nd utsta ent a this o ity Paper. agem new and n C a e m h r T ahh’s reciate ou some e ’s & A p Oohh reatly ap for the aw nt and g staff ustomers r restaura c u loyal rt given o . , our s o supp ng service thout YOU ble. i i i cater ow that w ot be poss n n k d ul We ss wo succe “O”) rely, Since bott (Chef b A ur Oji urate Resta

!

NEWCH! N BRU . @11am

le!

Sun vailab Sat. &ss Mimosas A

mle Botto

HOUR

PY A WEEK HAP DAYS 7

pm 3pm-7

H at and H nly Brunchlocation o GA Ave

THANKS TO GENERATIONS OF C UST OM E R S A heartfelt thanks to our generations of customers who have put their trust in Schneider’s and named us “Best Place to Buy Wine” 13 Years in a Row! We value your loyalty which has made us a success for more than 70 years.

OOHHs & AAHH’s

Soul Food Restaurant

1005 U Street, NW, WDC ~ 202.667.7142 5933 Georgia Avenue, NW, WDC ~ 202.882.2902 Dominique Brooks, Owner & General Manager Oji Abbott, Owner & Executive Chef oohhsnaahhs@verizon.net ~ OohhsnAahhs.com

“This is not fast food….this is food for the soul.”

A TA S T E O F V I E T N A M I N T H E D I S T R I C T. . .

Pho 14 ranked top 10 in the nation for Best Eats for the buck” - Forbes, 2011

THANKS FOR VOTING FOR US! A family-owned restaurant, the inspiration of Pho 14 came thanks to our Mom, who provided all of our traditional recipes. Come visit our two locations and meet the rest of our family.

Too shy to dine with us? No problem! You can also order for pick-up, just call one of our locations near you.

1436 PARK RD, NW ~ 202-986-2326 • 4201 CONNECTICUT AVE, NW ~ 202-686-6275 • PHO14DC.COM washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 13

FOOD&DRINK Darrow Montgomery

cake, diplomat cream, and fresh fruit.

for a month and a half only makes you appreciate the

Bookings for dinners on Thursdays through Sundays

attention paid even more. Rubba changes the menu sea-

in January and February become available through

sonally, which in his mind means more than four times a

their website on Dec. 15. They sell out fast. The couple

year. One of my favorite tricks he employs is drying and

will drive as far north as Baltimore and as far south as

preserving ingredients from past seasons to work into

Purcellville. —Nevin Martell

new dishes. The continuity makes Oyster Oyster feel sentient.

Best Way to Feed a Crowd

Mushrooms, especially oyster mushrooms, find their

Federalist Pig Catering

way onto most menus and so do actual oysters unless

1654 Columbia Rd. NW, federalistpig.com/catering

you specify that you don’t eat them at the start of a meal.

That’s the one deviation the team makes from their

Best New Restaurant: Oyster Oyster

As a frequent party host, I’m sure I’m not unique in being

plant-based point of view. Oyster Oyster is a restaurant

afflicted with anxiety about not having enough food for

that puts the planet first. In fact, its inception was based

hungry guests. Whether I’m cooking or ordering cater-

on a 2017 Saveur article that asked “what dinner might

ing, I always panic that I’ll have to purchase emergency

look like in a future of global warming and rising sea

pizza to make up for my miscalculations. That was until

levels.” They don’t beat diners over the head with their

I started ordering from Federalist Pig. The barbecue

sustainability strategies, but ask, and staff will happily

joint means it when they say the Fed Favorites Family

chat about it.

Pack ($170) serves eight to 10 people with its 1.5 pounds

A highlight from the “harvest menu” that recently

of brisket, 1.5 pounds of jalapeño sausage, 1.5 pounds of

wrapped up featured a bowl of new potatoes that were

rib tips, 20 smoked wings, pan of mac ’n’ cheese, pan of

cooked in stock, glazed in huitlacoche butter, and dusted

Brussels sprouts, a dozen slider rolls, pickles, and BBQ

with crispy potatoes, miso powder, and dried spring

Kill Moe Lemonade is selling better than ever and

spread, and arugula because it tickles almost all of the

sauce. My other favorite catering options are the slider

onions. They were served with a medley of chanterelles,

Johnny is receiving calls every day requesting his prod-

flavor receptors. If you want some extra heat, ask to add

sets ($35 for 12 or $65 for 24). There are several choices

chicken of the woods, and oyster mushrooms cooked

uct. He even used some of the profits to purchase a house

the grab-and-go restaurant’s Calabrian chili relish. The

such as chopped brisket, crispy hot chicken, or sliced

down in a rich sauce. At the table Rubba or one of his

in the city. —Sidney Thomas

Lynne is named after Harris’ aunt who is a pastry chef

turkey with pickles, avocado, and ranch. You can also

colleagues hit the bowl with preserved Virginia truffles

and can’t get enough blue cheese in her life. Sandwiches

build your own meal by ordering barbecue and sides by

or other truffles they foraged.

Best Natural Wine Delivery Service

become available at 11 a.m. Tuesdays through Sundays.

the tray or by the pound and, yes, there are choices for

The latest menu, titled “cornucopia,” ushers in com-

Domestique

You can order them through 2:30 p.m. on weekdays or

people who don’t eat meat. Pitmaster Rob Sonderman

forting fall dishes such as toasted barley with mushrooms

10 Florida Ave. NW, (202) 853-3897, domestiquewine.com

3:30 p.m. on weekends unless they sell out of bread first.

has always taken care of vegetarians. The flavorful “faux

in a pumpkinseed broth, winter squash cooked in cedar

“All of our ingredients and things that go into our ingre-

’que tofu burnt ends” cost $50 for a tray that feeds eight

with a sauce of seeds and spicebush berries, and apple

When you need impressive wine in a hurry, Domestique

dients are like five items or less and there are no recipes,”

people and keeps well for a couple of days. Pair the tofu

cooked in cider with black walnut granola and miso

offers same-day delivery to addresses in D.C. proper so

Harris explains. She goes by feel. “Does it taste right? OK,

burnt ends with chipotle garlic green beans and clas-

caramel.

long as you place your order before 2 p.m. Tuesdays

cool.” —Laura Hayes

sic coleslaw. Ordering through ezcater is simple and

Let beverage director Sarah Horvitz be your wine

deliveries have always landed on time or early. A big

sherpa. Trust her blindly, as I did, when she presented

bonus? They’re open on Sundays for tailgating needs.

me with a zero-proof Riesling that I had to taste to

—Laura Hayes

believe. Her wine pairing ($55) is a worthy accompani-

through Sundays. Wine Enthusiast named the Truxton Massale one of the top five natural wine shops in America

Best Omakase Tasting in Your House

for good reason. The increasingly popular wine cate-

Ama Ami

gory is a little abstract, but generally means winemak-

703 Edgewood St. NE, (202) 422-6558, amaami.com

Circle business from Jeff Segal and importer Selection

ers grow grapes without pesticides or herbicides and

ment to the tasting menu ($75). Oyster Oyster is open

Best New Restaurant

Tuesdays through Saturdays. Make a reservation. Only

Oyster Oyster

indoor dining is available. —Laura Hayes

process them without additives. The yeast does the

Throughout this interminable, soul-devouring pan-

heavy lifting. These wines can sometimes taste a lit-

demic, it’s been difficult to find ways to drown out the

tle more raw than others, and skin-contact wines with

24-7 maelstrom of bad news and celebrate special

To capture the thoughtfulness and ethos of Oyster

Best New Georgia Avenue Cafe for Coffee and Ethiopian Food

their orange hues play well with food. Shopping online

moments. Simply booking dinner at a favorite restau-

Oyster, start with the end of the meal. That’s when your

büna Coffeehouse

at Domestique, which opened in 2018, is fun because

rant can be a labyrinth of anxiety-inducing decisions.

server will present you with the menu describing the

4400 Georgia Ave. NW, (202) 882-2223,

you can explore collections like great finds under $20

Should we sit inside or outside? When is it OK to unmask?

feast you just devoured. It’s printed on plantable paper

bunacoffeehouse.com

or wines from up-and-coming producers. You can also

Maybe we should dine somewhere that requires proof

that contains wildflower seeds. Watch them spring to life

sort by staff picks, price point, country, importer, region,

of vaccination?

1440 8th St. NW, oysteroysterdc.com

on your windowsill. That detail should tell you that the

There’s a coffee shop slash restaurant on Georgia

or environmental certifications. If you need a little guid-

Sushi Taro vets Zach Ramos and Amy Phan of Ama

experience at Chef Rob Rubba’s plant-based restaurant

Avenue NW about half a mile away from the Petworth

ance, consider joining Domestique’s wine club and let

Ami take that torturous process out of the equation by

is a memorable delight from start to finish. It gets a shot

Metro station. There, you’ll find delicious coffee, an

the knowledgeable team choose for you. —Laura Hayes

bringing a custom-designed sushi omakase experience

of whimsy from Rubba’s business partner, Max Kuller,

extensive breakfast and lunch sandwich menu on a

directly to you. The business and romantic partners call

who you’ll find dining in his own restaurant at least once

variety of breads, and delicious Ethiopian offerings.

Best Sandwich

it a “homakase.” They’re both vaccinated and remain

a month.

To be clear, we’re not talking about the celebrated and

Lynne at Little Food Studio

masked throughout dinner service as Ramos presents

You know Rubba from the now-shuttered Hazel, but

longer-tenured Heat da Spot. This is büna Coffeehouse,

849 Upshur St. NW, littlefoodstudio.com

a unique meal designed around diners’ tastes and what-

you’ve never seen how deftly he can manipulate local

north of the station at the corner of Webster Street

ever catches are freshest, including some sourced from

vegetables. “Even as a chef working with so many pro-

and Georgia Avenue NW. Try the relative newcomer’s

What Chef Danielle Harris can do between bread with

Tokyo’s legendary Toyosu Wholesale Fish Market.

teins in the past, this is probably the most technically

brunch platter featuring kinché, fir-fir, and Habesha

only 200 square feet of space at her disposal is a marvel.

Recent menus included blackfoot limpets Ramos

challenging work I’ve done and probably the most excit-

eggs, or opt for a lox bagel with the works (tomato,

Her Petworth business in the former Cuzzin’s & More

brought back from a trip to see his family in Hawaii, aba-

ing flavors I’ve cooked,” Rubba told City Paper when he

capers, onions, cream cheese, and cucumbers.) You can

carry-out space opened this past spring with sought-af-

lone, and locally foraged lion’s mane mushrooms. For an

was menu testing before the pandemic delayed the

also grab espresso drinks and drip coffee—hot or iced—to

ter sausage rolls and a lineup of sandwiches named after

additional fee, dinners can end with pastries by Phan,

restaurant’s full-fledged opening to June 2021.

enjoy on the patio on a nice day. It’s right off the 70 and 79

family members. The best of the bunch is the Lynne

including dainty cream puffs and extravagant melon

The amount of work that goes into each plate shows.

bus lines, so if you want to zip down to Heat da Spot after-

($12.50) with hot capicola, hot honey, Gorgonzola

cakes—a cored cantaloupe stuffed with layers of sponge

And knowing that any dish will likely only stick around

ward to make a day of it, go forth and do so. büna closes at

14 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

OVER 2,500 WINES IN STOCK

Thank You

For Voting us the 2021 Best Liquor Store and Place to Buy Wine!

We are tremendously grateful for your continued support.

To Ensure Your Health & Safety Calvert Woodley offers curbside pick-up and delivery with orders placed online at calvertwoodley.com

BEST SELECTION • BEST SERVICE • BEST VALUE

• Family owned and operated for 50+ years: — Home of #LaCheeserie!

• Experienced staff in all departments • 2,500+ wines at D.C.’s best prices • 300+ unique wines unavailable elsewhere • 150+ 90-point wines under $20 • 1,000+ whiskeys, vodkas and other spirits • 400+ craft and specialty beers

CalvertWoodley.com | Follow us on washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 15

FOOD&DRINK

Best Socially Distanced Brewery

Best Local Spirit To Set Your Cocktail on Fire

Pen Druid

Chacho Spirits

3863 Sperryville Pike, Sperryville, Virginia, pendruid.com

6031 Kansas Ave. NW, (202) 248-2263, chachousa.com

Darrow Montgomery

3 p.m., so its hours are more limited. —Emma Sarappo

In a good year, most Washingtonians feel the need to escape the city every once in a while. In 2020 and 2021,

If you are a spicy cocktail lover, there’s one bottle that

when we have experienced unpredictably vacillating lev-

must be on your home bar. Chacho Spirits, which

els of lockdown and capacity restrictions, it has been a

opened a distillery and tasting room in Manor Park ear-

near constant urge. The Shenandoah Valley has always

lier this year, produces an aguardiente flavored with

been a favorite day or weekend escape, and that expe-

fresh jalapeños for vegetal earthiness and a proprietary

rience has been immeasurably enhanced by the open-

all-natural jalapeño extract that keeps the spice level con-

ing of the Pen Druid Brewery in Sperryville in fall 2020.

sistently intense. The Colombian spirit distilled from

Situated on a large grassy field just outside the entrance

sugarcane typically tastes of anise, so founder Daniel

to Shenandoah National Park with a panoramic view of

Ziegler took some creative liberties when introducing

the mountains, Pen Druid is an ideal space to follow up

his product to the world. A number of bars across the

a hike or apple picking with more than enough space to

District carry Chacho and work it into their cocktails.

maintain social distance. Pen Druid offers two things:

I sub it in for gin to make a fiery negroni or for tequila

silence and some of the best, most interesting beer pro-

to make a spicy margarita. A bloody mary might also

duced in this region. The selection ranges from ambers

benefit from the kind of kick Chacho brings. A bottle

and blonds to multi-year spontaneously fermented

of standard Chacho costs $25 and the barrel-finished

sours. “We’re not trying to give people everything they

version costs $30. You can buy it online or at the distillery that has a cute indoor bar outfitted with a stuffed

Best Place to Get Out of a Brunch Rut

flavor of passion fruit hidden below a creamy foam.

could possibly want—playgrounds, bands, [or] tasting events,” says Van Carney, one of the three brothers who

llama you can mount for a photo if that’s your thing.

Makan

a happy hour offered weekdays from 4 to 6 p.m., but

co-own Pen Druid. “We don’t even pipe music outside.”

—Laura Hayes

3400 11th St. NW, (202) 730-2295, makanrestaurantdc.com

that doesn’t stop me from ordering it every time I come

Best Method to Get Your Bread: The Real Breadwives of D.C.

Unfortunately the drink isn’t included in Pisco Hour,

to José Andrés’ Penn Quarter restaurant. —Michelle

The goal is to provide travelers from D.C. with “the expeChicken and waffles will still be waiting for you if you

rience of being out in the country, rather than being at a

Goldchain

venture into new brunch territory on occasion. Makan,

to serve natural wines by the bottle and Sumac to dish out

Best Local TikTok to Make You Hungry

rustic food from a scratch-made kitchen on the grounds.

Danny Kim

funky, filling brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11

Best Zoom Wine School That’s Sticking Around

You may never return to D.C., pandemic or not.

@eatthecapital

a.m. to 3 p.m. Start with a mimosa that swaps out orange

Tail Up Goat

for soursop juice and an order of warm biscuits served

1827 Adams Mill Rd. NW, tailupgoat.com/wineschool

bar.” Add on that Pen Druid partners with Domestique

—Brian Oh

a Malaysian restaurant in Columbia Heights, serves a

Danny Kim has carved out a name for himself as the

with creamy coconut pandan custard. Then move on

Best Crunchy Snack That Is Sort of Healthy, But Not Really

founder of Eat the Capital. He’s captured the local food

to something that will shock your taste buds out of last

COVID-19 forced all of us to adapt. While driven by

scene and showcased his finds on Instagram, TikTok,

night’s stupor like a Bloody Mary ($8) that folds in shrimp

self-preservation, many of these adaptations benefited

Galaxy Hut’s Eggplant Fries

and YouTube, where he has a collective following of

paste, calamansi, lemongrass, galangal, ginger, turmeric,

both D.C.’s restaurant industry and its patrons, including

2711 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, (703) 525-8646,

more than 257,000.

onion, garlic, and chilies. Pair it with a comforting bowl

one that continues to this day. Tail Up Goat launched its

Kim became passionate about celebrating food on

of nasi goreng—fried rice with Chinese sausage, shrimp,

Zoom wine school early in the pandemic in 2020 as a way

social media while studying mechanical engineering

egg, scallion, and chili ($16)—or an order of dramatically

to “keep people engaged while the restaurant was closed,”

Since the 1990s, Galaxy Hut has offered Clarendon a

at the University of Maryland. He tells City Paper that

red eggs in sambal ($13). Makan takes brunch reserva-

co-owner and beverage director Bill Jensen explains, “and

cozy, cool spot for watching up-and-coming musical

he started Eat the Capital in 2016 because he wanted to

tions on Resy, has outdoor seating, and will also pack up

also keep staff morale up.” The combination of an unex-

acts, gazing at fun and funky artwork, and relishing

promote local businesses “properly” during a time when

brunch orders to go. —Laura Hayes

pected amount of free time and D.C. permitting the sale

vegan and vegetarian delights.

Instagram was still new. The first two years were difficult

galaxyhut.com

of to-go alcohol allowed Tail Up Goat and sister restaurant

As one of the smallest music venues in the area, the

to find clients as a video creator and influencer, and, he

Best Sweet and Sour Cocktail

Reveler’s Hour to offer a weekly wine school complete with

restaurant has been a beacon in the neighborhood for

says, some business owners cursed him and called him

Passion Fruit Pisco Sour at China Chilcano

an online store for attendees to purchase the bottles for that

plant-based options and a lengthy, rotating beer list.

bothersome. But as his page grew, those same business

418 7th St. NW, (202) 783-0941, chinachilcano.com

week’s lesson. Other virtual wine schools and clubs have

The kitchen uses vegan cashew cheese, chicken made

owners asked to be featured. “It’s funny how the world

of seitan, and bacon made of tempeh. They also craft a

goes around like that,” he says.

emerged across the city, but Jensen’s passion for wine and Since January 2015, China Chilcano has graced the

sharing his knowledge has attracted a dedicated fandom.

Kim runs his personal TikTok (@dannygrubs) as well

District with Peruvian flavors influenced by Chinese and

Some have even emblazoned his quotes on T-shirts and

But the eggplant fries are the best thing on the menu.

as Eat the Capital (@eatthecapital). The latter is focused

Japanese cuisines. The Penn Quarter restaurant’s menu,

totes, complete with his profanity laden and highly opinion-

They’re available as a small side to a sandwich ($3) or as

on D.C., including hidden gems and recommendations

under the care of new Executive Chef Will Fung, spans

ated lessons spanning the history, culture, and science of a

a full-size order ($6), just accompany them with smoky

by followers. His personal TikTok is more of a “food

fried rice, noodles, sashimi, dim sum, ceviche, yucca

grape or region. “It’s been overwhelming,” Jensen reflects.

chipotle aioli. An excellent alternative to higher-carb

show” where he challenges chefs to pull off feats such

fries, lomo saltado, marcianos, and push pops. China

“We came into people’s lives at a moment when there was

french fries, the eggplant fries at Galaxy Hut are crispy

as transforming fast-food favorites into gourmet meals.

Chilcano complements its union of Criollo, Chifa, and

a lot of uncertainty. … it’s been an amazing experience in

on the outside and tender on the inside. They’re savory

Think Taco Bell Doritos Loco taco crafted into a Scotch

Nikkei cuisines with a beverage menu that focuses on

the midst of a challenging year.” The TUG Wine School

rather than bitter, acidic, or soggy.

egg or a KFC meal reimagined as chicken cordon bleu.

Latin American and Spanish wines as well as a sizable

has given more than 50 lessons to date, and after covering

selection of pisco—a Peruvian grape brandy.

the basics in the early months, Jensen has been selecting

burger patty out of walnuts and beans.

The space is welcoming with its twinkling string

Kim says that he hopes to bring even bigger, more

lights, blinking arcade tables, and artwork from local car-

well-known talent on his shows, such as Gordon

The passion fruit pisco sour should be your first drink

ever more niche and specialized corners of the wine world.

toonist Ben Claassen III. Look for the blank-faced giraffe

Ramsay. “I really believe that [will happen],” he says.

because it offers a momentary escape from the doldrums

The TUG Wine School continues every Sunday at 4 p.m.

with an astronaut helmet, a flirty mermaid with a sailor

Kim is also hoping to establish Eat the Capital Media,

of everyday life. Both sweet and sour, the drink con-

Participation is free and if you want to catch up on any of

hat, and a series of thin, toothy, wriggling monsters that

a creative agency “bigger clients” and “big brands.”

tains Caravedo pisco with lime, egg white, and Amargo

the 50 previous lessons, Jensen posts them on YouTube at

spell out the word, “BORING.” —Michelle Goldchain

—Michelle Goldchain

Chuncho bitters. What makes it special is the punchy

“Tail Up Goat Wine School.” —Brian Oh

16 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

DO GOOD. FEEL GOOD.

BUY PIES! Buy a Thanksgiving pie from Food & Friends and provide meals for a neighbor in need.

Exclusive Presenting Sponsor:

SliceOfLifeDC.org Delicious FLAVORS !

Official

Homemade Apple Pie Apple Crumble Spiced Pumpkin Pie Classic Pumpkin Nutty Pecan Pie Nutty Pecan Oh So Sweet Sweet PotatoPotato Pie American Airlines Sea Salt Chocolate Sky Pie Chess

Pie Partner

SCAN HERE TO BUY PIES Thank you for voting us BEST OF D.C.!

washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 17

Darrow Montgomery

FOOD&DRINK 2ND PLACE: Great Wall Szechuan House 3RD PLACE: City Lights of China 4TH PLACE: Mr. Chen’s Organic Chinese 5TH PLACE: One1ea Taiwanese Cafe & Tea House

Best Cupcake BAKED & WIRED 1052 Thomas Jefferson St. NW, (703) 663-8727, bakedandwired.com 2ND PLACE: Georgetown Cupcake 3RD PLACE: Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats 4TH PLACE: My Cake Theory 5TH PLACE: The Sweet Lobby

Best Doughnuts DISTRICT DOUGHNUT Multiple locations, districtdoughnut.com 2ND PLACE: Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken 3RD PLACE: Donut Run 4TH PLACE: Duck Donuts 5TH PLACE: Krispy Kreme

READERS’ PICKS Best Bagel CALL YOUR MOTHER DELI Multiple locations, callyourmotherdeli.com 2ND PLACE: Bethesda Bagels 3RD PLACE: Bullfrog Bagels 4TH PLACE: Bagels Etc. 5TH PLACE: Pearl’s Bagels

Best Bakery BREAD FURST BAKERY 4434 Connecticut Ave. NW, (202)765-1200, breadfurst.com 2ND PLACE: Tatte Bakery & Cafe 3RD PLACE: Whisked!

4TH PLACE: Un je ne sais Quoi…

5TH PLACE: My Cake Theory

Best Dumplings

Best New Bar: St. Vincent Wine 3RD PLACE: Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Company 4TH PLACE: 2Fifty Texas BBQ 5TH PLACE: Cinder BBQ

FEDERALIST PIG Multiple locations, federalistpig.com 2ND PLACE: DCity Smokehouse

THAMEE 1320 H St. NE, (202) 750-6529, thamee.com Best Ethiopian Restaurant

Best Brunch

2ND PLACE: Mandalay Restaurant & Cafe 3RD PLACE: Bandoola Bowl 4TH PLACE: A Taste of Burma Restaurant

LE DIPLOMATE 1601 14th St. NW, (202) 332-3333, lediplomatedc.com 2ND PLACE: Founding Farmers 3RD PLACE: Agora 4TH PLACE: Medium Rare 5TH PLACE: Bar Pilar

Best Caribbean Restaurant

Best Burger DUKE’S GROCERY

Best BBQ Restaurant

Best Burmese Restaurant

DUMPLINGS AND BEYOND 2400 Wisconsin Ave. NW, (202) 338-3815, dumplingsbeyond.com 2ND PLACE: Copycat Co. 3RD PLACE: Chiko 4TH PLACE: Bob’s Shanghai 66 5TH PLACE: Laoban Dumplings

Multiple locations, dukesgrocery.com 2ND PLACE: Lucky Buns 3RD PLACE: Five Guys 4TH PLACE: Slash Run 5TH PLACE: Eat Brgz

18 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

CANE 403 H St. NE, (202) 675-2011, cane-dc.com 2ND PLACE: Sunrise Caribbean Restaurant 3RD Place: Jerk@Nite 4TH PLACE: Mad Cow Grill 5TH PLACE: Bammy’s 6TH PLACE: Andrene’s

Best Chinese Restaurant PANDA GOURMET 2700 New York Ave. NE, (202) 534-1620, pandagourmetdc.net

ETHIOPIC RESTAURANT 401 H St. NE, (202) 675-2066, ethiopicrestaurant.com 2ND PLACE: Keren Cafe & Restaurant 3RD PLACE: Zenebech Restaurant 4TH PLACE: Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant & Mart 5TH PLACE: Habesha Market & Carry-out

Best Falafel AMSTERDAM FALAFELSHOP Multiple locations, falafelshop.com 2ND PLACE: Shouk 3RD PLACE: Falafel Inc 4TH PLACE: Taïm 5TH PLACE: Olive Lounge & Grill

Residential and Commercial Full Service Plumbing • Heating and Air Conditioning • Boilers & Water Heaters • Water & Sewer Pipe Replacements • Drain Cleaning & Hydro Jetting • Grease Removal • Remediation of F.O.G. Violations • Grease Trap & Interceptor Installation • Camera Pipe Inspections • Backflow Testing • & More!

2021

24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE 800-882-0914 MARYLAND 301-864-7400 | WASHINGTON, D.C. 202-342-0085 | VIRGINIA 703-821-2301 washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 19

FOOD&DRINK Best Fast Casual Dining CAVA Multiple locations, cava.com 2ND PLACE: &pizza 3RD PLACE: Arepa Zone 4TH PLACE: Chopsmith 5TH PLACE: One1ea Taiwanese Cafe & Tea House

Best Food Nonprofit WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN 655 New York Ave. NW, 6th Floor, (202) 8446330, wck.org 2ND PLACE: DC Central Kitchen 3RD PLACE: Martha’s Table 4TH PLACE: Food & Friends 5TH PLACE: Feed the Fridge

Best Food Truck ROAMING ROOSTER Multiple locations, roamingroosterdc.com 2ND PLACE: Peruvian Brothers 3RD PLACE: Schmaltz Brothers 4TH PLACE: Cracked Eggery 5TH PLACE: &pizza 6TH PLACE: Bowlevard Food Truck

Best French Restaurant LE DIPLOMATE 1601 14th St. NW, (202) 332-3333, lediplomatedc.com 2ND PLACE: Bistrot Du Coin 3RD PLACE: Primrose 4TH PLACE: Convivial 5TH PLACE: Chez Billy Sud

4TH PLACE: The Haymaker Bar 5TH PLACE: One1ea Taiwanese Cafe & Tea House

4TH PLACE: Al Volo Osteria 5TH PLACE: Stellina Pizzeria 6TH PLACE: La Panetteria

3RD PLACE: &pizza 4TH PLACE: Duccini’s Pizza 5TH PLACE: Old Ebbitt Grill

Best Gay Bar/Club/Lounge

Best Japanese Restaurant

Best Latin American Restaurant (TIE)

A LEAGUE OF HER OWN 2319 18th St. NW, (202) 733-2568, alohodc.com 2ND PLACE: Nellie’s Sports Bar 3RD PLACE: Pitchers 4TH PLACE: Uproar Lounge & Restaurant 5TH PLACE: Trade

DAIKAYA 705 6th St. NW, (202) 589-1600, daikaya.com 2ND PLACE: Sushi Taro 3RD PLACE: Izakaya Seki 4TH PLACE: Rakuya 5TH PLACE: O-Ku 6TH PLACE: NaRa-Ya

Best Gelato/Ice Cream

Best Kabob Restaurant

JENI’S SPLENDID ICE CREAMS Multiple locations, jenis.com 2ND PLACE: Ice Cream Jubilee 3RD PLACE: Dolcezza Gelato & Coffee 4TH PLACE: Mount Desert Island Ice Cream 5TH PLACE: Kilwins

MOBY DICK HOUSE OF KABOB Multiple locations, mobyskabob.com 2ND PLACE: Lapis 3RD PLACE: Kabob Palace 4TH PLACE: Rumi’s Kitchen 5TH PLACE: Amoo’s Restaurant

Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant Best Gluten-Free Menu BUSBOYS AND POETS Multiple locations, busboysandpoets.com 2ND PLACE: Arepa Zone 3RD PLACE: Rise Bakery 4TH PLACE: Cielo Rojo 5TH PLACE: Fare Well

SILVER DINER Multiple locations, silverdiner.com 2ND PLACE: Ted’s Bulletin 3RD PLACE: Busboys and Poets 4TH PLACE: Franklins 5TH PLACE: Duke’s Counter

Best Korean Restaurant Best Hangover Breakfast TED’S BULLETIN Multiple locations, tedsbulletin.com 2ND PLACE: Duke’s Grocery 3RD PLACE: Steak ’n Egg 4TH PLACE: The Pretzel Bakery 5TH PLACE: I Egg You

ANJU 1805 18th St. NW, (202) 845-8935, anjurestaurant.com 2ND PLACE: Chiko 3RD PLACE: Seoul Food D.C. 4TH PLACE: Mandu 5TH PLACE: Gogi Yogi

Best Fried Chicken ROAMING ROOSTER Multiple locations, roamingroosterdc.com 2ND PLACE: Hot Chikn Kitchn 3RD PLACE: Hitching Post Restaurant 4TH PLACE: Service Bar DC 5TH PLACE: One1ea Taiwanese Cafe & Tea House

Best Indian Restaurant RASIKA Multiple locations, rasikarestaurant.com 2ND PLACE: Indigo 3RD PLACE: Bombay Club 4TH PLACE: Masala Story

Best Laotian Restaurant THIP KHAO 3462 14th St. NW, (202) 387-5426, thipkhao.com 2ND PLACE: Laos in Town 3RD PLACE: Padaek 4TH PLACE: SABYDEE Thai & Lao Cuisine

SEVEN REASONS 2208 14th St. NW, (202) 417-8563, sevenreasonsdc.com AREPA ZONE Multiple locations, arepazone.com 3RD PLACE: Mi Cuba Cafe 4TH PLACE: Pisco y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar 5TH PLACE: La Buena Empanada

Best Local Soup SOUPERGIRL 314 Carroll St. NW, (202) 609-7177, thesoupergirl.com 2ND PLACE: Pho Viet 3RD PLACE: Prescription Chicken 4TH PLACE: Devon & Blakely 5TH PLACE: One1ea Taiwanese Cafe & Tea House

Best Mexican Restaurant TAQUERIA HABANERO Multiple locations, habanerodc.com 2ND PLACE: Cielo Rojo 3RD PLACE: Taqueria Xochi 4TH PLACE: El Sol Restaurante & Tequileria 5TH PLACE: Mezcalero Cocina Mexicana

Best Middle Eastern Restaurant MAYDAN 1346 Florida Ave. NW, maydandc.com 2ND PLACE: Lapis 3RD PLACE: Lebanese Taverna 4TH PLACE: Albi 5TH PLACE: Rumi’s Kitchen 6TH PLACE: Shababi

Best New Restaurant

Best Italian Restaurant Best Fries FIVE GUYS Multiple locations, fiveguys.com 2ND PLACE: Medium Rare 3RD PLACE: Hot Chikn Kitchn

THE RED HEN 1822 1st St. NW, (202) 525-3021, theredhendc.com 2ND PLACE: Filomena Ristorante 3RD PLACE: Sfoglina Pasta House

20 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

Best Late Night Eats BEN’S CHILI BOWL Multiple locations, benschilibowl.com 2ND PLACE: Amsterdam Falafelshop

CRAZY AUNT HELEN’S 713 8th St. SE, (202) 750-8140, crazyaunthelens.com 2ND PLACE: Pennyroyal Station 3RD PLACE: Hot Chikn Kitchn 4TH PLACE: NaRa-Ya

Live by your own rules With Xfinity Mobile, you make the rules. Enjoy the best coverage, more flexible data, and awesome savings. All on the most reliable network that can save you money on your wireless bill without compromising on coverage.

Plus, Xfinity xFi gives you the speed, coverage, security, and control you need for the ultimate in-home WiFi experience. Can your Internet do that?

Call 1-800-xfinity, go to xfinity.com, or visit your local Xfinity Store today.

Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. Mobile: Xfinity Mobile requires residential post-pay Xfinity Internet. Line limitations vary. For Xfinity Mobile Broadband Disclosures, visit xfinity.com/mobile/policies/ broadband-disclosures. Xfinity Mobile utilizes the highest ranked network from RootMetrics® 1H 2021 U.S. report. WiFi networks not tested. Results may vary. Award is not endorsement. Internet: Actual speeds vary and are not guaranteed. For factors affecting speed visit xfinity.com/networkmanagement. Xfinity xFi is available to Xfinity Internet service customers with a compatible Xfinity Gateway. Call for restrictions and complete details. Subscription required to access HBO®. Programming subject to change. Viewing uses your Internet service and will count against any Xfinity data plan. © 2021 Comcast. All rights reserved. Individual programs and marks are property of their respective owners. NPA233360-0008 NED Own Rules XM Q4 V3

washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 21 141315_NPA233360-0008 Own Rules ad 9.875x11.25 V3.indd 1

8/31/21 4:25 PM

FOOD&DRINK Best Pho Restaurant PHO VIET 3513 14th St. NW, (202) 629-2839, phovietwdc. com 2ND PLACE: Pho 14 3RD PLACE: Pho 75 4TH PLACE: Sprig and Sprout 5TH PLACE: Pho 12

Best Pie PIE SHOP 1339 H St. NE, (202) 398-7437, pieshopdc.com 2ND PLACE: Whisked!

3RD PLACE: Little Red Fox 4TH PLACE: Pie Sisters 5TH PLACE: The Chosen Chef

Best Pizza TIMBER PIZZA COMPANY 809 Upshur St. NW, (202) 853-9746, timberpizza.com 2ND PLACE: 2 Amys 3RD PLACE: &pizza 4TH PLACE: All-Purpose Pizzeria 5TH PLACE: Stellina Pizzeria

Best Place to Buy Candy THE CAPITAL CANDY JAR 201 15th St. NE, (571) 293-0719, capitalcandyjar.com 2ND PLACE: Foxtrot Market 3RD PLACE: Kilwins 4TH PLACE: Franklins 5TH PLACE: The Chocolate House

Best Place to Have Dinner with Live Music THE HAMILTON 600 14th St. NW, (202) 787-1000, thehamiltondc.com 2ND PLACE: Blues Alley 3RD PLACE: Pearl Street Warehouse 4TH PLACE: Mr. Henry’s Restaurant 5TH PLACE: Jojo Restaurant and Bar

Best Pretzel THE PRETZEL BAKERY 257 15th St. SE, (202) 450-6067, thepretzelbakery.com

2ND PLACE: Auntie Anne’s 3RD PLACE: Sauf Haus Bier Hall 4TH PLACE: The Midlands Beer Garden 5TH PLACE: Present Company Public House

Best Ramen DAIKAYA 705 6th St. NW, (202) 589-1600, daikaya.com 2ND PLACE: Toki Underground 3RD PLACE: Sakuramen Ramen Bar 4TH PLACE: JINYA Ramen Bar 5TH PLACE: Chaplin’s Restaurant

Best Raw Bar HANK’S OYSTER BAR Multiple locations, hanksoysterbar.com 2ND PLACE: The Salt Line 3RD PLACE: Rappahannock Oyster Bar 4TH PLACE: Old Ebbitt Grill 5TH PLACE: Brine

Best Restaurant LE DIPLOMATE 1601 14th St. NW, (202) 332-3333, lediplomatedc.com 2ND PLACE: Hot N Juicy Crawfish 3RD PLACE: Medium Rare 4TH PLACE: Bar Pilar 5TH PLACE: One1ea Taiwanese Cafe & Tea House

Best Restaurant with a View FIOLA MARE 3050 K St. NW, (202) 525-1402, fiolamaredc.com 2ND PLACE: All-Purpose Riverfront 3RD PLACE: Officina 4TH PLACE: Del Mar 5TH PLACE: La Vie 6TH PLACE: The Point D.C.

5TH PLACE: La Buena Empanada Best Sandwich BUB AND POP’S 1815 M St. NW, (202) 457-1111, bubandpops.com 2ND PLACE: Roaming Rooster 3RD PLACE: Little Red Fox 4TH PLACE: Grazie Grazie 5TH PLACE: Hot Chikn Kitchn

Best Seafood Restaurant THE SALT LINE Multiple locations, thesaltline.com 2ND PLACE: Fiola Mare 3RD PLACE: Hank’s Oyster Bar 4TH PLACE: Hot N Juicy Crawfish 5TH PLACE: Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab

Best Slice of Pizza WISEGUY PIZZA Multiple locations, wiseguypizza.com 2ND PLACE: We, The Pizza 3RD PLACE: Vace Italian Delicatessen 4TH PLACE: Andy’s Pizza 5TH PLACE: &pizza 6TH PLACE: Slice Joint

22 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

ST. ANSELM 1250 5th St. NE, (202) 864-2199, stanselmdc.com 2ND PLACE: Medium Rare 3RD PLACE: Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse 4TH PLACE: The Capital Grille 5TH PLACE: Mastro’s Steakhouse

Best Taco TAQUERIA HABANERO Multiple locations, habanerodc.com 2ND PLACE: District Taco 3RD PLACE: Taco Bamba 4TH PLACE: Taqueria Xochi 5TH PLACE: The Haymaker Bar

Best Thai Restaurant BEAU THAI Multiple locations, beauthaidc.com 2ND PLACE: Siam House 3RD PLACE: Baan Siam 4TH PLACE: Sanphan Thai Cuisine 5TH PLACE: BKK Cookshop

Best Small Plates ZAYTINYA 701 9th St. NW, (202) 638-0800, zaytinya.com 2ND PLACE: Jaleo 3RD PLACE: Ambar 4TH PLACE: Barcelona Wine Bar 5TH PLACE: One1ea Taiwanese Cafe & Tea House

Best Soul Food Restaurant BEN’S CHILI BOWL Multiple locations, benschilibowl.com 2ND PLACE: Oohh’s & Aahh’s 3RD PLACE: NuVegan Cafe 4TH PLACE: Henry’s Soul Cafe 5TH PLACE: Hitching Post Restaurant

Best Salvadoran Restaurant EL TAMARINDO 1785 Florida Ave. NW, (202) 328-3660, eltamarindodc.com 2ND PLACE: La Casita Pupuseria 3RD PLACE: El Rinconcito Cafe 4TH PLACE: Las Placitas 5TH PLACE: Ercilia’s Restaurant

Best Steakhouse

Best South American Restaurant AREPA ZONE Multiple locations, arepazone.com 2ND PLACE: Seven Reasons 3RD PLACE: Mercy Me 4TH PLACE: Pisco y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar

Best Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurant SHOUK Multiple locations, shouk.com 2ND PLACE: Fancy Radish 3RD PLACE: NuVegan Cafe 4TH PLACE: Fare Well 5TH PLACE: Taïm 6TH PLACE: Pow Pow

Best Vietnamese Restaurant DOI MOI 1800 14th St. NW, (202) 733-5131, doimoidc.com 2ND PLACE: Moon Rabbit DC 3RD PLACE: Pho Viet Restaurant 4TH PLACE: Pho 14 5TH PLACE: Sprig and Sprout

Best Wings DUFFY’S IRISH PUB Multiple locations, dcduffys.com

FOOD&DRINK 2ND PLACE: Wingo’s 3RD PLACE: Cafe Saint-Ex 4TH PLACE: Cinder BBQ 5TH PLACE: The Haymaker Bar

5TH PLACE: Denizens Brewing Co.

Best Cocktail Bar THE GREEN ZONE 2226 18th St. NW, thegreenzonedc.com

READERS' PICKS: DRINKS Best Bar WUNDER GARTEN 1101 First St. NE, wundergartendc.com 2ND PLACE: Service Bar DC 3RD PLACE: The Pub & The People 4TH PLACE: Chacho Spirits 5TH PLACE: The Haymaker Bar

Best Bar with Games/Activities BOARD ROOM Multiple Locations, boardroomdc.com 2ND PLACE: Players Club 3RD PLACE: Lyman’s Tavern 4TH PLACE: Red Bear Brewing Co 5TH PLACE: Wunder Garten 6TH PLACE: Rocket Bar

Best Beer Selection CHURCHKEY 1337 14th St. NW, (202) 567-2576, churchkeydc.com 2ND PLACE: The Midlands Beer Garden 3RD PLACE: Red Bear Brewing Co 4TH PLACE: Wunder Garten 5TH PLACE: Shelter

Best Bloody Mary TABARD INN 1739 N St. NW, (202) 785-1277, tabardinn.com 2ND PLACE: Buffalo & Bergen 3RD PLACE: Chacho Spirits 4TH PLACE: Annie’s Paramount Steak House 5TH PLACE: Wunder Garten 6TH PLACE: Duffy’s Irish Pub

Best Brew Pub RIGHT PROPER Brewing Company 624 T St. NW, (202) 607-2337, rightproperbrewing.com 2ND PLACE: Bluejacket 3RD PLACE: Red Bear Brewing Co 4TH PLACE: Atlas Brew Works

4TH PLACE: Kelly’s Irish Times 5TH PLACE: Irish Channel Restaurant & Pub

2ND PLACE: Columbia Room 3RD PLACE: McClellan’s Retreat 4TH PLACE: Copycat Co. 5TH PLACE: Service Bar DC

Best Coffee Shop COMPASS COFFEE Multiple locations, compasscoffee.com 2ND PLACE: Commonwealth Joe Coffee Roasters 3RD PLACE: La Coop Coffee 4TH PLACE: Lost Sock Roasters 5TH PLACE: Little Red Fox 6TH PLACE: Cafe Georgetown

3333 Georgia Ave. NW, midlandsdc.com Best Kombucha NUMBER 1 SONS 2034 West Virginia Ave. NE, 2nd floor, (202) 570-4453, number1sons.com 2ND PLACE: Craft Kombucha 3RD PLACE: Wunder Garten 4TH PLACE: Bruja Kombucha

Best Local Brewery DC BRAU BREWING 3178 Bladensburg Rd. NE, Suite B, (202) 6218890, dcbrau.com 2ND PLACE: 3 Stars Brewing Company 3RD PLACE: Atlas Brew Works Half Street Brewery & Tap Room 4TH PLACE: Red Bear Brewing Co 5TH PLACE: City-State Brewing

Best Distillery COTTON & REED 1330 5th St. NE, (202) 544-2805, cottonan-

Best Local Winery DISTRICT WINERY 385 Water St. SE, (202) 484-9210, districtwin-

dreed.com

ery.com

2ND PLACE: Republic Restoratives Distillery and Craft Cocktail Bar 3RD PLACE: Chacho Spirits 4TH PLACE: Green Hat Distillery 5TH PLACE: Don Ciccio & Figli

2ND PLACE: Bluemont Vineyard 3RD PLACE: Rocklands Farm Winery 4TH PLACE: Early Mountain Vineyards 5TH PLACE: RdV Vineyards

Best Dive Bar IVY AND CONEY 1537 7th St. NW, (202) 670-9489, ivyandconey.com 2ND PLACE: The Pug 3RD PLACE: Blaguard 4TH PLACE: Solly’s 5TH PLACE: Jackie Lee’s

Best Happy Hour KING STREET Oyster Bar Multiple locations, kingstreetoysterbar.com 2ND PLACE: Wunder Garten 3RD PLACE: Service Bar DC 4TH PLACE: Blaguard 5TH PLACE: Cafe Saint-Ex

Best Irish Pub THE DUBLINER RESTAURANT 4 F St. NW, (202) 737-3773, dublinerdc.com 2ND PLACE: Blaguard 3RD PLACE: Duffy’s Irish Pub

Best Outdoor Bar with TVs THE MIDLANDS BEER GARDEN

Best Margarita MEXICANA OYAMEL COCINA 401 7th St. NW, (202) 628-1005, oyamel.com 2ND PLACE: Lauriol Plaza 3RD PLACE: Chacho Spirits 4TH PLACE: Taqueria El Poblano 5TH PLACE: The Haymaker Bar

Best Neighborhood Bar THE PUB & THE PEOPLE 1648 North Capitol St. NW, (202) 234-1800, thepubandthepeople.com 2ND PLACE: Wunder Garten 3RD PLACE: Exiles Bar 4TH PLACE: The Haymaker Bar 5TH PLACE: Exhale Bar & Lounge

Best New Bar ST. VINCENT WINE 3212 Georgia Ave. NW, (202) 413-9763, stvincentwine.com 2ND PLACE: Electric Cool-Aid 3RD PLACE: Chacho Spirits 4TH PLACE: Neptune Room 5TH PLACE: The Block Foodhall DC

2ND PLACE: The Brig 3RD PLACE: Ivy and Coney 4TH PLACE: Wunder Garten 5TH PLACE: Biergarten Haus

Best Rooftop Bar IVY AND CONEY 1537 7th St. NW, (202) 670-9489, ivyandconey.com 2ND PLACE: El Techo 3RD PLACE: Whiskey Charlie 4TH PLACE: POV Rooftop 5TH PLACE: Uproar Lounge & Restaurant

Best Sports Bar IVY AND CONEY 1537 7th St. NW, (202) 670-9489, ivyandconey.com 2ND PLACE: Walter’s Sports Bar 3RD PLACE: Wunder Garten 4TH PLACE: Lou’s City Bar 5TH PLACE: Blaguard

Best Trivia Bar RED BEAR BREWING CO 209 M St. NE, (202) 849-6130, redbear.beer 2ND PLACE: Wunder Garten 3RD PLACE: 18th & U Duplex Diner 4TH PLACE: Lou’s City Bar 5TH PLACE: Present Company Public House

Best Whiskey Selection JACK ROSE DININA SALOON 2007 18TH St. NW, (202) 588-7388, jackrosediningsaloon.com 2ND PLACE: Barrel 3RD PLACE: McClellan’s Retreat 4TH PLACE: The Haymaker Bar 5TH PLACE: Cinder BBQ

Best Wine Bar ST. VINCENT WINE

3212 Georgia Ave. NW, (202) 413-9763, stvincentwine.com 2ND PLACE: Barcelona Wine Bar 3RD PLACE: The Eastern 4TH PLACE: La Jambe 5TH PLACE: Flight Wine Bar

washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 23

A NEW MUSICAL INSPIRED BY THE MUSIC OF

BRITNEY SPEARS

THE MAGIC BEGINS NOVEMBER 30 Tickets start at $35

ORDER TODAY! ShakespeareTheatre.org | 202.547.1122

L E A D CO R P O R AT E S P O N S O R :

L E A D I N D I V I D UA L S P O N S O R :

2 02 1 /2 2 S E A S O N S P O N S O R S:

Michael Paese

Michael R. Klein and Joan Fabry Harman Family Foundation

THANK YOU FOR NAMING STC ONE OF THE BEST THEATER COMPANIES IN D.C.!

24 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

Darrow Montgomery/File

ARTS& ENTERTAINMENT

EDITORS’ PICKS Best Example That Good Things Come in Small Packages Free Little Art Gallery 300 block of East Capitol Street SE, @free_little_art_gallery_dc

The self-proclaimed “smallest, free-est art gallery East of the Capitol” debuted in May of this year on East Capitol Street SE between 3rd and 4th streets SE. The concept is as simple and effective as a Little Free Library: Members of the public can take or add their own pint-size artworks in the box, with any medium accepted. According to the gallery’s Instagram FAQ, two-dimensional works must be 8-by-10 inches or smaller, while three-dimensional works must be smaller than 12 inches in height and 8 inches in depth. This local gallery was created by architect Allyson Klinner. It’s a part of a network of tiny art galleries that Seattle-based artist Stacy Milrany founded. On Milrany’s website, she writes that she first became inspired to create FLAG after her mother started a four-month chemo treatment in March 2019.

“Living three hours away, I knew I couldn’t be with her most days. So, I decided to mail her a little postcard-size piece of art every single day of her treatment,” Milrany writes. Members of the public joined Milrany in her art project until her mother eventually collected a total of 145 4-by-6-inch artworks. A year later, when the pandemic began, Milrany says that she wanted to offer

the same experience to more people. At first, she mailed small works to friends and family before offering pieces to followers on Instagram.

“It was an attempt to bring some light and levity to others during such an uncertain time,” she writes. Her first FLAG debuted in Dec. 2020 in Seattle and has since expanded to several cities around the nation, including Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Evanston, Illinois.

—Michelle Goldchain

Best Way to Make Go-Go History Public Chip Py’s Photo Donation digdc.dclibrary.org

In August, the DC Public Library announced that photographer Chip Py had donated an archive of almost 2,000 photographs to its go-go archive. This was a big deal: Before the Py images, the archive only had 10 photographs. But the even bigger deal was the library’s digitization of Py’s images, making it possible for interested individuals to flip through the photos at home on demand. In DCPL’s online DigDC archive, you can see shots, most taken between 2010 and 2014, of Backyard Band, Suttle Thoughts, Rare Essence, Be’La Dona, and of course Chuck Brown in action: singing, grinning, lounging, laughing. Where possible, they’re categorized by venue and subject, making it easy for longtime go-go

Best Way to Get Into Glenstone Without an Appointment: Ride On Route 301 fans to find what they’re looking for—and for newbies to get a sense, even through a still, silent image—of the energy and community of D.C.’s official music.

—Emma Sarappo

Best Reminder D.C. Still Produces Great Musical Theater Come From Away anniversary concert and Apple TV+ production appletv.com

D.C.’s legacy as a testing ground for stage musicals is well documented: Classics such as Annie, West Side Story, and Fiddler on the Roof were all staged here before they moved to Broadway. In recent years, Mean Girls and Dear Evan Hansen took pre-Broadway bows at the National Theatre and Arena Stage, respectively. With Mean Girls closing for good during the pandemic and Dear Evan Hansen’s recent film adaptation sufficiently creeping out viewers, D.C.’s star could have faded were it not for a short musical about the aftermath of a terrorist attack. Come From Away, a musical about passengers whose flights were diverted to Newfoundland when U.S. airspace closed on Sept. 11, 2001, and the community that supported them while they were stranded, played at Ford’s Theatre in the fall of 2016 before landing in New York and picking up a Tony Award the next spring. Five years later, and 20 years after the events of the show,

cast members reunited to sing through the show in a free concert Ford’s presented on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, giving old and new fans alike the opportunity to hear songs about leaning on one another during confusing and uncertain times just a few miles from where D.C. audiences first heard them. A filmed version of the Broadway production released on Apple TV+ in September spread the gospel of Come From Away even further. It’s not an extravagant show—set pieces consist mainly of tables and chairs, and cast members wear everyday clothing—but it will make you feel things and build anticipation for when gathering in a theater is safe again. —Caroline Jones

Best Way to Get Into Glenstone Without an Appointment Ride On Route 301

As of this writing, tickets for the expansive contemporary art museum Glenstone are booked through December. Released in batches, the reserved entry slots (admission is free) tend to go incredibly fast. But for those who can’t quite click quick enough or get their friends to let them borrow the car for a 45-minute odyssey into the ’burbs, there’s a better way: Take the Ride On Route 301 bus, which drops you off at Glenstone, and you’ll get guaranteed entry to the museum. It’s literally that easy. The partnership with Montgomery County Ride On was implemented in April 2019; before then,

washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 25

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT Darrow Montgomery

there were no transit stops at or around Glenstone. One terminus of the 301’s route is the Rockville Metro station, making it easy (if not all that fast) for D.C. residents to take public transportation to Glenstone. The museum tells City Paper it hopes the guaranteed entry benefit will encourage visitors to arrive via bus. The bus runs to the museum at least 10 times a day, adding some flexibility to your plans. While you’re there, make sure to admire Glenstone’s impressive collection of modern art, which is stacked with heavy hitters and stands up to the Smithsonian’s art museums and the National Gallery of Art. —Emma Sarappo

Best Photographer Over Age 83 Roy Lewis

Roy Lewis is a legendary 84-year-old photographer, journalist, and activist. But don’t be fooled by his age: He has the vigor and vitality of a teenager. He covers various local events every week, and his photographs are often published in the Washington Informer or other media outlets. Lewis was born and raised in Natchez, Mississippi. He fell in love with photography in high school while working for a Black-owned newspaper. The editor let Lewis use his Kodak Brownie box camera, and he was instantly hooked. After graduating from high school and spending a few years in the Army, Lewis began his professional career at Johnson Publishing Company in Chicago. His first published photo, of jazz great Thelonious Monk, appeared in Jet in 1964. He would go on to capture iconic images of prominent African Americans like Jesse Jackson, Muhammad Ali, Martin Luther King Jr., Miles Davis, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and President Barack Obama. Lewis moved to D.C. in 1973 to work on the PBS program Black Journal. He also taught photography at the Howard University School of Fine Arts, and worked for WHMM (now WHUT-TV), the campus television station. Lewis would often attend shows at jazz and go-go clubs. He photographed and established friendships with local musicians including Chuck Brown and E.U.’s Sugar Bear. He also captured the big moments: In 1995, Lewis published The Million Man March, a book documenting the events of that phenomenal day. When I asked him the secret to his success and longevity, his response was loud and clear: “Be true to yourself and to your community!” —Sidney Thomas

Best DJ Night at a Skate Shop

Wednesday Nights at sPACYcLOUd Lounge 2309 18th St. NW, (703) 403-4134, spacycloud.com

Best Photographer Over Age 83: Roy Lewis 26 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

The Wednesday night DJ nights at sPACYcLOUd Lounge in Adams Morgan put together by rapper Sir E.U are not your typical DJ events. They’re more like a small house party, attended by about 10 to 15 people, albeit one where Sir E.U will suddenly grab a mic and rap, or his pal Raven Jones will do a karaoke take on the old Minnie Riperton ballad “Lovin’ You.” sPACYcLOUd is a skate shop, art gallery, and small, narrow restaurant where you can learn how to skateboard out back, eat Eastern European vegan and vegetarian dumplings, drink Russian beers or Georgian wines, and hang out and listen to tunes. Tatiana Kolina, a Russian immigrant, opened the space in 2018, and the sometimes eccentric Sir E.U, who has a huge catalog of releases on Bandcamp, has been working there as a bartender since July 2021. On Wednesdays, he can be found DJing some recent hits. Per his collaborator, DJ Homie Salazar, he often plays them, or parts of them, in a stream-ofconsciousness type performance directly from YouTube on his laptop. Sometimes he slows down Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You’ve Been Gone” and then speeds it up.

If he’s in the mood, he might rap live some of the latest material he’s recorded with D.C.-based musician and producer Tooth Choir. Their most recent album, Bop 3, was released by Future Times on cassette and digitally in late August via Bandcamp. When he’s there, Salazar

ARTS& ENTERTAINMENT Farrah Skeiky

plays a mix of newer music he finds every week. Salazar was previously best known as a member of the D.C. dream-pop band Go Cozy and first met Sir E.U when they shared a bill at Black Cat in 2017. (Salazar also shares a home with Tooth Choir, who sometimes played bass with Go Cozy.) “When the pandemic hit, Sir E.U moved in with us to quarantine,” Salazar says. “During that time we started having our own bohemian nights at the house, which is basically what we do now at sPACYcLOUd every Wednesday.” Salazar says his DJ offerings can range from chill-wave and jungle to hyperpop and trap, but no matter the genre he says he always tries to keep a “spacy” vibe in order for people to either lounge or dance. There hasn’t been much promotion, though Sir E.U has begun mentioning the Wednesday night event in his Instagram stories. He says his new event has been “rejuvenating,” and has offered him “reclamatory energy.” —Steve Kiviat

Best New Location for an Established Venue

Songbyrd 540 Penn St. NE, (202) 544-5500, songbyrddc.com

Best Place for the “Emily in Paris” style “Immersive” Art That’s All the Rage ARTECHOUSE 1238 Maryland Ave. SW, artechouse.com

Back in October 2020, when there was nothing to do but hate-watch Netflix’s most recent warmed-over offerings, the grand hall of projected Van Gogh paintings that the title character of Emily in Paris goes on a romantic tension-filled visit to looked like the coolest thing ever. Forget the Louvre, forget the Musée d’Orsay—her immersion in a gigantic, bright, swirling rendition of “The Starry Night” appeared to be the perfect escape from our home confinement. The phenomenon took off: There are copycats across the country sending millennials targeted Instagram ads for Immersive Van Gogh and Imagine Van Gogh and D.C’s very own Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience in an old Save-a-Lot building off of Rhode Island Avenue and 4th Street NE. But let’s be frank: These are not “immersive,” they’re

Best New Location for an Established Venue: Songbyrd just big, colorful images, produced cheaply, and popular mostly because they look cool on Instagram. If you want immersive production with a side of actual innovation at—dare I say it?—the intersection of art and technology, ARTECHOUSE is your venue. For years, the influencers have been gathering on Maryland Avenue SW for explorations of color, light, and the human brain (this fall’s exhibition is called Life of a Neuron). Even when the exhibitions lean a bit more on spectacle than they do on substance, they’re at least more creative than projecting a high-resolution image of a painting that’s in the public domain—and their work still looks sick as hell on your Instagram story. —Emma Sarappo

Farrah Skeiky

If the original Songbyrd location felt like watching a show in your father’s basement, then the new space is like seeing a show in your first adult home. That is to say: It’s still funky and eclectic, but a little more spruced up and perhaps a little more modern. There are definitely more windows—one face of the building is enclosed with glass garage doors that retract overhead, opening to let fresh air in during the day (and sometimes at shows, too; better air flow is one of the new spot’s improved COVID precautions). Of course, the new venue has only been up and running for just over a month, so it’s still getting settled. Decorating a home takes time. Located in the former Coconut Club, just behind Union Market, new Songbyrd does away with navigating various levels and hallways. Here, you walk in and the bar is to your right while the (bigger) stage is to your left. Once inside, it’s clear the space was designed to ensure no one was ever more than 25 feet from the stage, which means even us shorties can likely see the actual acts. The pandemic, which kept Songbyrd shuttered from March 2020 until August 2021, gave the venue’s co-owners Alisha Edmonson and Joe Lapan time to think about what type of space would feel most welcoming in a (“post”) pandemic world. While they loved their original Adams Morgan location, a basement with low ceilings didn’t feel quite right. Enter the Northeast spot. Though Instagram’s location tag will tell you it’s in northern Canada, the new space feels right at home just a block from its sister business Byrdland Records. And while it still gives you that intimate, I-can-almost-touch-the-band feel, the wall of windows and tall ceilings give the space a well-ventilated and spacious air. Songbyrd makes growing up look good. —Sarah Marloff

Best Compilation of D.C. R&B From a German Label and a Local Music Historian R&B in DC 1940–1960

R&B in DC 1940–1960, a recently released, gorgeously produced box set on the German Bear Family label, is massive. It contains 16 CDs and a 352-page coffee-table book and was produced by local music historian Jay Bruder and Bear Family’s Richard Weize. While a few artists here—Billy Eckstine, the Clovers, and Marvin Gaye (here as a member of two groups)—resonate with listeners beyond record collectors decades later, many of the performers on the 472 songs included were previously only known by music fanatics and those who were around in the historically Black D.C. neighborhoods of those decades. The songs represent some of the predominant Black music styles of those periods, including 1940s swing and ballads and 1950s street-corner harmonies, up-tempo R&B, and proto-soul. Decades after their original release, many of these songs still impress with their passion and craft. Bruder provides bios of all of the artists, and, via use of old issues of the Washington Afro-American, interviews he conducted, a handful of books, studies of segregation, plus old documents and photos he acquired, we learn of the importance of these performers. The box includes stride pianist Claude

Songbyrd washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 27

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT Darrow Montgomery

Hopkins, vocalist Baby Dee, New Orleans star Lloyd Price’s D.C. era, and the story of how members of the girl group Impalas became the Jewels and continued to perform in the area until very recently. The music is far from staid. Pat Patterson’s “Boppin at Mid-Nite” from 1958 rocks hard. The church roots of singers like Eddie Daye are on display. The book includes numerous photos of clubs and restaurants of pre-gentrification D.C. and traces how the venue once known as the Music Hall later became WUST Radio Music Hall and now is 9:30 Club. Bruder’s interest in the music and history of those decades began in his high school in 1970s suburban Virginia, when he got sick of Top 40 and discovered radio DJs Alan Lee and Dick Lillard, who were playing and showcasing R&B of that earlier era. Bear Family first approached him for this effort in 2014. “I did this for recognition of these artists and for the record label people in Washington who tried to do something for them in the ’40s and ’50s,” Bruder says. “They were working with disadvantages, but they produced some great music.” Bruder, a White man, acknowledges that he had to work to get the trust of many of the people he spoke with. “This set is in many ways a celebration of Washington as a whole and the African American community and the music community in particular beyond that. In many respects, what I am trying to show is the best of Washington.” —Steve Kiviat

Best Place to Connect With Queer Writers

OutWrite 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105, thedccenter.org/outwrite For 11 years—and 11 festivals—OutWrite has built a thriving space for queer and trans writers to connect and grow among colleagues, peers, and mentors. Taking place in August, D.C’s annual LGBTQ literary festival showcases and promotes writers from the District and well beyond. In 2021, OutWrite united more than 80 queer authors for two dozen readings, panels, and workshops. But what truly makes OutWrite stand out is the festival’s ongoing effort to include writers of all experience levels, from fledgling poets to best-selling authors. The melding of experiences among participants (and attendees) does away with typical lit-world gatekeeping, where only published writers are welcome or respected. Run almost exclusively by volunteers, the multiday festival, which has put on not one but two of its annual events virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, remains free and open to anyone who wishes to attend.

By removing barriers such as cost, status, and, recently, location requirements, OutWrite aims to make participants feel welcome, seen, and respected as queer writers. In doing so, the festival has created an enviroment where LGBTQ poets, authors, and memoirists can find a community that inspires and supports them as creators.

D.C. is lucky we can call it ours. —Sarah Marloff

Best Venue for Live Music in a Respiratory Pandemic

Merriweather Post Pavilion 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia, (410) 715-5550, merriweathermusic.com Maybe you love when the walls in a tiny, packed club or basement begin to sweat. Maybe you need to feel the bass vibrating the drink in your hand. Maybe the hot breath and loud singing under a lighting rig on the ceiling felt essential to your experience of live music. But if you’re anything like me, those scenarios now conjure up alarming mental images of billions of spiky little coronavirus droplets swirling around and looking for nasal passages to colonize. Even with two jabs of Moderna’s finest running around my system, it’s stressful to imagine being indoors in a large crowd, and when I do it, there’s a whole list of community responsibility I try to check off afterward—not coming into close contact with my most vulnerable friends and neighbors, getting

Best Selection of Pandemic Film Programming: AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center

tested, etc. Thankfully, we know two things: First, that outdoor transmission of the coronavirus is much less likely than indoor transmission. Second, that there’s a world-class venue with a huge lawn waiting for us out U.S. Route 29. Merriweather Post Pavilion wasn’t built for a pandemic, per se, but it’s the best option for conscientious concertgoers who don’t want to miss out on national touring acts. I sang my heart out with a choir of Gen X women at Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill concert, thrilled by the wind whipping any aerosols away, plus the venue’s vaccination requirement. I did the same at All Things Go earlier this month. When it comes to size, price, notoriety of acts, and general safety, you really can’t beat MPP’s lawn. —Emma Sarappo

Fastest Way to Get a Beer at Merriweather Post Pavilion

28 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

The Cheesesteak Stand 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia, (410) 715-5550, merriweathermusic.com When you crash through the gates of the Merriweather Post Pavilion to see a show, you and thousands of other concertgoers probably want a beer in a hurry. Lines double back on themselves at stands selling pit beef, cheeseburgers, falafel, and pizza. But look hard enough and you’ll see one abandoned concession area. It’s the stall advertising “Philly Cheese Steaks.” First of all, cheesesteak is one word. Second of all, why the hell doesn’t anyone dig the City of Brotherly Love’s signature sandwich? Take advantage of this tomfoolery by heading there to score your first liquid refreshments of the evening and you’ll get a head start at picking a place to spread out on the lawn. —Laura Hayes

Best Selection of Pandemic Film Programming

AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, (301) 495-6700, afisilver. afi.com If this nomination seems like an obvious choice, that should emphasize that it’s the correct one. Especially during the most isolated pandemic months, the American Film Institute’s outpost in Silver Spring provided us with a truly impressive selection of films, foreign, domestic, new, and old via its Virtual Screening Room.

They weren’t the only theater to do it—we’ve also covered streaming options at places like Suns Cinema and the Avalon Theatre—but, possibly owing to the sheer size of the institution, AFI Silver was able to run some of its beloved film festivals (Noir City, the Latin American

Programs & activities still online. Keep safe!

IS 2021

Merci for your vote!

Tomorrow Leaders Learn French at AFDC: Enroll Your Child! www.francedc.org • 202-234-7911 washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 29

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT Darrow Montgomery

transmission of the coronavirus is rare. Alongside a grove of 35 newly planted ginkgo trees, Steven Holl Architects designed the REACH with 72,000 square feet of open studios, rehearsal and performance spaces, and dedicated arts learning areas across three pavilions.

There is the “welcome pavilion,” which includes a small cafe, the “skylight pavilion,” which towers with 36-foottall ceilings, and a “river pavilion,” which was initially proposed as a floating performance barge, but ended up being flexible performance spaces and an additional cafe overlooking the Potomac River. When it opened, the Kennedy Center hosted a two-week celebration that featured free campus-wide activities, as well as indoor and outdoor performances and events. This year, the REACH has hosted celebrations for the KenCen’s 50th anniversary and a drastically different Kennedy Center Honors concert and broadcast. For the COVID cautious, it’s a relief to know you can enjoy programming in the fresh air; plus, it’s a genuinely nice space to hang out. —Michelle Goldchain

Best U Street Run

Velvet Lounge and Dodge City If we poured one out for all the great places we loved and lost during the pandemic, we’d be empty and dehydrated, but none of the sudden, goodbye forever news hit quite like the double loss of sister bars/venues Velvet Lounge and Dodge City. The neighboring drinking holes called U Street NW home long before the stretch was a trendy bottomless brunch spot: Velvet originally opened in 1997, but in 2008 it was bought by new owners who helped open Dodge in 2010. They were dive bars in all the right ways, with bartenders who moonlighted in local bands, and just enough lighting to make everyone look a little sexy … or a little dirty.

They were great for drinking no-frills beers and mixed drinks on the weekdays and better for moving on the packed, cramped, and often sweaty dance floors on the weekends. A home for fledgling bands, burgeoning DJs, and queer dance parties, Dodge and Velvet had a way of making every local feel at home, but especially the weirdos. —Sarah Marloff

Best New Museum So Your Visitors Don’t Drag You to Air and Space Again

Planet Word 925 13th St. NW, (202) 931-3139, planetwordmuseum.org

Best Example That Good Thinigs Come in Small Packages: Free Little Art Gallery

Film Festival, the European Union Film Showcase, and headliner AFI Docs) online via Eventive. We have also directed readers to a wide range of films in the Virtual Screening Room over the past year and a half: Danish drinking comedy drama Another Round, the newest installment of Antoni Muntadas and Marshall Reese’s art project slash film Political Advertisement X, Chinese neo-noir The Wild Goose Lake, immigration documentary The Infiltrators, and a look at a holistic veterinarian, The Dog Doc, just to name a few. After all this time living under the reign of the virus, streaming programs are a bit par for the course—and these days, the theater itself is open again for patrons with proof of vaccination (or a negative PCR test)—but it’s worth remembering all the films that the Silver brought to the small screen.

—Emma Sarappo

Best (Don’t Call It a) Comeback Donna Slash Returns @donnaslash

With a year of sobriety under her belt, D.C.’s darkest drag queen and music maker is back. Though she calls Baltimore home these days, Donna Slash has returned to the public eye with a debut album, The Dead Queen Rises, released on Oct. 1, her one-year sober-versary.

The goth meets industrial album takes on what Slash describes in a press release as “the puritanical, patriarchal, and consciously ignorant forces that hold us back from tangible progress.” According to Slash’s alter ego Josh Vogelsong, Donna last performed in D.C. at Vogelsong’s Gay Bash, just before the pandemic hit, but neither remembers it because they were drunk. Vogelsong took a much-needed break from drag, packing away Slash’s supplies and refusing to revisit them for months.

Vogelsong returned to music after completing an intensive outpatient treatment program following time at a detox facility. Without using any substance “that has, or will, ruin my life,” Vogelsong began a solo noise project, but as the drag queen/musician rediscovered her musical roots, she began writing The Dead Queen Rises. “I couldn’t pull myself away from my computer

30 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

and midi controller for days at a time,” she says. “It was such a relief, and it was so exciting, and I didn’t stop until I had a full album nearly two months later.” Now Donna Slash is back with a renewed focus for her anger: “I’m living to destroy those which make so many of my queer siblings miserable,” Slash says. Can we get an amen?

—Sarah Marloff

Best Pre-Pandemic Investment The REACH 2700 F St. NW, (202) 416-8000, kennedy-center.org

Before the pandemic hit, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts reached for the stars by opening a brand-new space with the goal to “renew, experience, activate, create, and honor” the memory of the 35th president. The REACH, an acronym that encompasses all these things, opened in September 2019 as an interactive arts and culture destination in D.C. It was great timing: An open-air space would very soon become a huge asset for arts organizations, since outdoor

Have you gone to the National Air and Space Museum with out-of-town friends and family so many times you now roll your eyes at the Wright Flyer and the Lunar Module? When your little cousin drags you to see the rockets for the 12th time this year, do you want to hop into one of those rockets and take off into the sun?

There’s got to be a better way. Planet Word, one of D.C.’s newest museums, brings language to life in the historic Franklin School on the corner of 13th and K streets NW. This isn’t a stuffy, normal museum either. It uses playful, interactive galleries and exhibits to explore the wonder of language. You can learn metaphors while performing karaoke or understand how wordplay makes a good or so-bad-it’s-good joke. Arguably the best exhibit is in a giant room where you can go from iPad to iPad learning how languages around the world work. I first went to Planet Word to report on its renowned bathrooms. I came back 24 hours later to explore off the clock and had an absolute blast. I haven’t had fun learning like that since Ms. Frizzle drove the Magic School Bus and Gwen Stefani spelled bananas. Planet Word is full of new fun.

Or you can choke down astronaut ice cream again. Your choice. —Bailey Vogt

Best Birthday

The Phillips Collection’s Centennial 1600 21st St. NW, (202) 387-2151, phillipscollection.org 1921 marked the debut of America’s first modern art

Dr. Cornel West

Arturo O’Farrill

and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra with Dr. Cornel West Saturday, October 30 at 7 & 9 p.m. | Terrace Theater Kennedy-Center.org (202) 467-4600

Groups call (202) 416-8400

For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540

Support provided by the Buffy and William Cafritz Family Foundation

Tickets at theaterj.org/CityPaper21

FROM THE BESTSELLING MEMOIR NOVEMBER 10–DECEMBER 5

A SPECIAL HOLIDAY ENGAGEMENT DECEMBER 17–25 Four and Five-Play Subscriptions Available Now

washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 31

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT Darrow Montgomery/File

museum, the Phillips Collection. Collector and philanthropist Duncan Phillips founded the museum with a vision for “an intimate museum combined with an experiment station.” To celebrate its 100th birthday, the Phillips Collection put on a host of programs, including a juried exhibition this year for artists in the greater D.C. region. Drawing on the theme Inside Outside, Upside Down, artists submitted works that spoke to the struggle and resiliency of the human spirit during the pandemic.

The centerpiece of the centennial celebrations was the exhibition Seeing Differently: The Phillips Collects for a New Century, which highlighted over 200 diverse artistic expressions by artists from the 19th century to the present.

The Phillips Collection’s recent initiatives also included paid internships and fellowships and partnering with a broad range of organizations, including THEARC and the University of Maryland. To further promote a diverse collection, the museum’s acquired works by artists such as John Akomfrah, Renée Stout, Benny Andrews, Simone Leigh, Nara Park, and Aimé Mpane, among others. We’re lucky to have had the Phillips for a century; here’s to the next hundred years. —Michelle Goldchain

Best Way to Learn About the American Theater Industry Nothing for the Group nothingforthegroup.substack.com

Theater, as an industry, has not had a great 18 months.

The pandemic forced many theaters to go dark for more than a year, and as the nation reckoned with systemic racism, theater practitioners asked institutions probing questions about whose work gets included and whose work gets left out. (The answers weren’t always inspiring.) Add a few grifters and goons into the mix and you’ve got plenty of thought-provoking material. But how do you process all of it? Enter Nothing for the Group, a Substack newsletter from D.C.-based dramaturg Lauren Halvorsen. Every Friday, Halvorsen breaks down the week’s news with wit and context, while also pointing out the economic realities those working in the theater face. (The “This Is Not a Living Wage” feature, comparing listed salaries for positions with theater companies to that area’s living wage, is so depressing you can only laugh when you see the contrasts, which often exceed $10,000.) As theaters reopen and audience members decide when to return and to whom they’ll give their ticket money, they’ll need to make informed decisions. Let Nothing for the Group guide those choices.

—Caroline Jones

Best Rebrand

National Gallery of Art 6th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, (202) 842-6997, nga.gov

Glenstone 32 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

Regular visitors to the National Gallery of Art’s website before May of this year, like this City Paper correspondent who spent a fair amount of her week on it, may remember a rather drab government webpage. There was a lot of gray, and a tiny and dignified eagle logo, and the whole thing was outfitted with some very boring serifs. It didn’t quite sell the multihued excitement of a museum with impressive amounts of Impressionism, a whole Alexander Calder room, and an assertive selection from the Washington Color School. But midway through 2021, the NGA got a welcome face-lift, one that includes jaunty serif fonts and—gasp—sans serifs, plus bright colors and inviting design. The rebrand isn’t limited to the gallery’s online presence; when you roll up to the buildings, you’re greeted by bright colors announcing what’s inside (no, this dome is not the one on top of the National Museum of Natural History). It has also improved its collections search tool and made its excellent streaming film programming easier to find.

—Emma Sarappo

FEATURING Canadian Brass

Jerusalem Quartet

Making Spirits Bright

Featuring Pinchas Zukerman, violin/viola and Amanda Forsyth, cello

Sunday, Nov. 7 at 4 p.m.

Performing Romantic-era works by Bruckner, Dvorák, and Brahms

Your seats are waiting.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

Saturday, Nov. 27 at 8 p.m.

Impeccable music and witty repartee that’s perfect for the whole family

Virginia Opera

La Bohème: Rodolfo Remembers

Tickets to Kristin Chenoweth and more on sale now!

Saturday, Nov. 13 at 8 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 14 at 2 p.m.

A stunning condensed version of Puccini’s masterpiece

Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel

The Glorious Music of Chopin

Sunday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m.

An evening of dynamic performances and fascinating stories

TICKETS | cfa.gmu.edu or 703-993-2787 Located on the Fairfax campus of George Mason University. For information on health and safety protocols, visit cfa.gmu.edu/vaccination.

DIRECT FROM RIO DE JANEIRO

THE BRAZILIAN ALL STARS BRAZILIAN NIGHTS: THE GREATEST HITS OCT 22 AT 8 P.M.

TICKETS ARE $45

NOV 6 AT 8 P.M. WITH SPECIAL GUEST

ROYSTON LANGDON The Furs will perform new music from Made of Rain, their first album in 29 years as well as their classic hits such as “Love My Way,” “Pretty In Pink,” “Heaven,” “The Ghost In You,” and “Heartbreak Beat.”

Performed by some of the most renowned Brazilian musicians in the world.

TICKETS ARE $75 REGULAR $60 STUDENTS

Featuring Brazil’s most famous songs, Sambas, Bossa Novas, Ballads, Choro, Fado, Virtuoso Instrumental tracks and more.

Performed by some of the most renowned Brazilian musicians in the world.

Montgomery College | 51 Mannakee Street | Rockville, MD 20850 | www.montgomerycollege.edu/pac | 240-567-5301 washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 33

Darrow Montgomery/File

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

READERS’ PICKS Arts and Culture Festival We Missed Most SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL festival.si.edu 2ND PLACE: H Street Festival 3RD PLACE: Capital Fringe Festival 4TH PLACE: Takoma Park Street Festival 5TH PLACE: National Cannabis Festival

Best Art Class ART ENABLES 2204 Rhode Island Ave. NE, (202) 554-9455, art-enables.org 2ND PLACE: Washington Improv Theater 3RD PLACE: Three Little Birds Sewing Co. 4TH PLACE: Painted Palettes 5TH PLACE: District Dabble Lab

Best Art Collective ART ENABLES 2204 Rhode Island Ave. NE, (202) 554-9455, art-enables.org 2ND PLACE: Washington Improv Theater 3RD PLACE: National Bonsai Foundation 4TH PLACE: Touchstone Gallery 5TH PLACE: Zenith Gallery

Best Arts and Culture Nonprofit ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE 2142 Wyoming Ave. NW, (202) 234-7911, francedc.org 2ND PLACE: Art Enables 3RD PLACE: Washington Improv Theater 4TH PLACE: National Bonsai Foundation 5TH PLACE: The Swaliga Foundation

Best Commercial Art Gallery ART ENABLES 2204 Rhode Island Ave. NE, (202) 554-9455, art-enables.org 2ND PLACE: Touchstone Gallery 3RD PLACE: Long View Gallery 4TH PLACE: Latela Curatorial 5TH PLACE: Zenith Gallery 6TH PLACE: Morton Fine Art

Best Dance Company WASHINGTON BALLET 3515 Wisconsin Avenue NW, (202) 362-3606, washingtonballet.org 2ND PLACE: CityDance 3RD PLACE: Freestyle Dansfit

34 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

Best Theater Company: Arena Stage 4TH PLACE: The Davis Center 5TH PLACE: VXN Workout

Best Film Festival DC ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL dceff.org 2ND PLACE: AFI Docs 3RD PLACE: DC International Film Fest 4TH PLACE: FilmFest DC 5TH PLACE: DC Shorts 6TH PLACE: JxJ

Best First Date Activity NATIONAL ARBORETUM 3501 New York Ave. NE, (202) 245-2726, usna.usda.gov 2ND PLACE: Swingers 3RD PLACE: Washington Improv Theater 4TH PLACE: Bobby McKey’s Dueling Piano Bar 5TH PLACE: National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Best Go-Go Band RARE ESSENCE rareessence.com

2ND PLACE: Backyard Band 3RD PLACE: Trouble Funk 4TH PLACE: Black Alley 5TH PLACE: UCB

Best Karaoke MUZETTE 2305 18th St. NW, (202) 758-2971, muzette.com 2ND PLACE: Wok and Roll 3RD PLACE: Hill Country BBQ 4TH PLACE: District Karaoke 5TH PLACE: Freddie’s Beach Bar

Best Local Choral Group GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF WASHINGTON, DC gmcw.org 2ND PLACE: Thomas Circle Singers 3RD PLACE: Choral Arts Society 4TH PLACE: 18th Street Singers 5TH PLACE: Georgetown Chorale

Best Local Cover Band WHITE FORD BRONCO whitefordbronco.com

THANKS FOR VOTING US BEST LOCAL CHORAL GROUP!

Nov 5 - 14 OUR ANNUAL HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA RETURNS!

DECEMBER 4, 11, & 12 LINCOLN THEATRE 1215 U ST NW TICKETS ON SALE NOVEMBER 1!

For more info or tickets: Visit GMCW.org or call 202-888-0050.

ASL tickets & groups of 10 or more, call 202-293-1548.

SALVADOR

* Shows subject to change

Nov 5 - 7

Flamenco Aparicio Dance Co. (USA)

DE PASO

Sara Pérez Dance Co. (Spain)

Nov 11 - 14

On View October 22, 2021 through March 6, 2022 Discover more at s.si.edu/newglassnow

Powerful & innovative films by emerging female filmmakers who touch on issues that resonate with all

Dec 1 - 5 All films in Spanish with English subtitles New Glass Now has been organized by The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York.

The presentation at the Renwick Gallery is made possible by generous support from the Alturas Foundation, Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass, Crown Equipment Exhibitions Endowment, and Jacqueline B. Mars.

Deborah Czeresko, Meat Chandelier, 2018, blown glass, metal armature, 244 x 152 x 152 cm, The Corning Museum of Glass, 2019.4.165. Photo courtesy of The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York.

202-234-7174 | galatheatre.org 3333 14th St NW, WDC 20010 @teatrogala washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 35

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT 2ND PLACE: Wild Anacostias 3RD PLACE: LUSH 4TH PLACE: The Reflex 5TH PLACE: Herr Metal

Best Local Original Band THE NORTH COUNTRY thenorthcountrymusic.com 2ND PLACE: Justin Trawick and the Common Good 3RD PLACE: Batalá Washington 4TH PLACE: Mystery Friends 5TH PLACE: Broke Royals

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE 1400 Constitution Ave. NW, (844) 750-3012, nmaahc.si.edu 2ND PLACE: National Gallery of Art 3RD PLACE: Phillips Collection Centennial Exhibit 4TH PLACE: National Bonsai & Penjing Museum 5TH PLACE: National Museum of Women in the Arts/ “Sonya Clark: Tatter, Bristle, and Mend”

Best Music Venue 9:30 CLUB Best Movie Theater LANDMARK’S E STREET CINEMA 555 11th St. NW, (202) 783-9494, landmarktheatres.comwashington-d-c/e-street-cinema 2ND PLACE: AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center 3RD PLACE: Landmark’s Atlantic Plumbing Cinema 4TH PLACE: The Avalon Theatre 5TH PLACE: AMC Georgetown 14

Best Outdoor Movie Series UNION MARKET unionmarketdc.com/events/ the-drive-in-at-union-market 2ND PLACE: Library of Congress

Darrow Montgomery/File

Best Museum Tour/Exhibit

815 V St. NW, (202) 265-0930, 930.com 2ND PLACE: The Anthem 3RD PLACE: Black Cat 4TH PLACE: Pie Shop 5TH PLACE: Bobby McKey’s Dueling Piano Bar

3RD PLACE: Adams Morgan Movie Nights 4TH PLACE: The Wharf 5TH PLACE: CAN I KICK IT? Downtown DC Summer Flicks Series

Best Outdoor Venue WOLF TRAP NATIONAL PARK FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS 1551 Trap Rd., Vienna, (703) 255-1800, wolftrap.org 2ND PLACE: Merriweather Post Pavilion 3RD PLACE: Fort Reno 4TH PLACE: National Bonsai & Penjing Museum 5TH PLACE: Fathom Gallery

Best Performance Artist BOMBALICIOUS EKLAVER facebook.com/BombaliciousEklaver 2ND PLACE: Killa Cal 3RD PLACE: Ruby Garnet Singleton 4TH PLACE: Brian Feldman 5TH PLACE: Jared Stern

Best Place for Adult Entertainment

CLOAKROOM GENTLEMEN’S CLUB 476 K St. NW, (202) 909-5600, cloakroomdc.com 2ND PLACE: Stadium Club 3RD PLACE: Assets 4TH PLACE: Smut Slam DC 5TH PLACE: Club Zō in Archibald’s

Best Place for Tearing Up the Dance Floor Now That We Are Vaccinated BLACK CAT 1811 14th St. NW, (202) 667-4490, blackcatdc. com 2ND PLACE: The Wonderland Ballroom 3RD PLACE: Decades DC 4TH PLACE: Flash 5TH PLACE: Tropicalia Lounge

Best Recording Studio TRILOGY SOUND STUDIO 9293 Old Keene Mill Rd., Burke, (571) 521-2021, trilogysoundstudio.com 2ND PLACE: Inner Ear Sound Studio 3RD PLACE: Ivakota 4TH PLACE: Tonal Park 5TH PLACE: Exhale Recording 6TH PLACE: Fairhill Studios

Best Theater Company ARENA STAGE 1101 6th St. SW, (202) 488-3300, arenastage.org 2ND PLACE: Shakespeare Theatre Company 3RD PLACE: Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company 4TH PLACE: We Happy Few 5TH PLACE: GALA Hispanic Theatre 6TH PLACE: Washington Improv Theater

Best Twitch DJ DJ MISS H.E.R. iammissher.com 2ND PLACE: Les Talusan 3RD PLACE: Dirty Rico 4TH PLACE: DJ Kangal 5TH PLACE: DJ Gemini

Best Visual Artist ERIN FRIEDMAN ART erinfriedmanart.com 2ND PLACE: Matt Corrado 3RD PLACE: Painted Palettes 4TH PLACE: Chalk Riot 5TH PLACE: NuNu Paris

Best Museum Tour/Exhibit: National Museum of African American History and Culture 36 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

Comedy Venue We Missed Most

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT DC IMPROV COMEDY CLUB 1140 Connecticut Ave. NW, (202) 296-7008, dcimprov.com

2021/22 SEASON

2ND PLACE: Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse 3RD PLACE: Washington Improv Theater 4TH PLACE: DC Comedy Loft and Bier Baron Tavern 5TH PLACE: Comedy Club DC

Jazz/Blues Venue We Missed Most BLUES ALLEY CLUB 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, (202) 337-4141, bluesalley.com 2ND PLACE: Mr. Henry’s Restaurant 3RD PLACE: Twins Jazz 4TH PLACE: Jojo Restaurant and Bar 5TH PLACE: Westminster Presbyterian Church 6TH PLACE: Vegas Lounge

Museum Art Gallery We Missed Most NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART 6th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, (202) 737-4215, nga.gov 2ND PLACE: National Portrait Gallery 3RD PLACE: Hirshhorn Museum 4TH PLACE: Phillips Collection 5TH PLACE: Art Enables

Music Festival We Missed Most DC JAZZ FESTIVAL dcjazzfest.org 2ND PLACE: Kingman Island Bluegrass Festival 3RD PLACE: Broccoli City Festival 4TH PLACE: All Things Go 5TH PLACE: National Cannabis Festival

Neighborhood Festival We Missed Most CAPITAL PRIDE FESTIVAL capitalpride.org

Tomorrow I May Be Far Away Washington LARA DOWNES, pianoCity Paper RITA DOVE, poet & THALEA QUARTET has been a part of your community for forty years. with special guests

WED, NOV 3, 8pm • SIXTH & I

Hailed for her “luscious, moody, and dreamy” playing by the New York Times, pianist Lara Downes is equally celebrated as a musical innovator and cultural investigator—as heard on her NPR interview series, Amplify with Lara Downes. In this performance, she presents a kaleidoscopic evening of music and poetry inspired by stories of migration and transformation, joined by Pulitzer-winning poet Rita Dove and by the vibrant and innovative Thalea Quartet.

Will you join our community by becoming a member?

Program includes works by DUKE ELLINGTON, QUINN MASON, FLORENCE PRICE, CARLOS SIMON, NINA SIMONE, ALVIN SINGLETON, and WILLIAM GRANT STILL This performance is made possible through the generous support of Susan S. Angell.

Performances at Sixth & I are made possible in part through the generous support of the Galena-Yorktown Foundation.

TICKETS & INFO: WashingtonPerformingArts.org • (202) 785-9727

Visit washingtoncitypaper.com/membership

Washington City Paper has been a part of your Washingtoncommunity City Paperfor forty years.

has been a part of your join our community communityWill for you forty years.

2ND PLACE: H Street Festival 3RD PLACE: Adams Morgan Day 4TH PLACE: Art All Night 5TH PLACE: Takoma Park Folk Festival 6TH PLACE: Petworth Porchfest

by becoming a member?

Washington City Paper Visit washingtoncitypaper.com/membership has part of your Willbeen you ajoin our community community foraforty years. by becoming member?

Performing Arts Venue We Missed Most 9:30 CLUB 815 V St. NW, (202) 265-0930, 930.com

Visit washingtoncitypaper.com/membership Will you join our community by becoming a member?

2ND PLACE: Kennedy Center 3RD PLACE: Arena Stage 4TH PLACE: Pie Shop 5TH PLACE: Washington Improv Theater

Visit washingtoncitypaper.com/membership

washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 37

38 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

GOODS & SERVICES

Darrow Montgomery

EDITORS’ PICKS

Best Fuel for Your Home Cooking: Bold Fork Books

Best Salon for Rock Star—or Dream Pop—Hair

The Shop at Shaw 1924 8th St. NW #145, (301) 913-5955, theshopatshaw.com Craving a cut—or dye job—that screams “I don’t work on the Hill”? Then look no further than the Shop at Shaw. Co-owned by hair savant Jamie Lynn, the Shaw location of the Shop (which also has outposts in Union Market and Bethesda) knows a thing or two about styling hair that feels anything but boring. Sure, you can go here for a lob and balayage—and you’ll leave looking for the paparazzi behind you—but you can trust this genderless, receptionless salon when you’re longing for locks with an edge or fresh feel. (By genderless, I mean cuts are charged by length and

thickness of hair—from pixie to long and thick; good riddance to the days of oddly gendered “women’s” and “men’s” cuts.) An expert on blond—we’re talking Goldy Locks to Gwen Stefani—Lynn is the rare type of stylist you can trust when saying, “I don’t know what I want, but I need something new.” I’ve been saying this to her for the better part of a decade. The Shop also has no shortage of unnatural color experts—just look at its Instagram account—hello purple balayage, deep blues, bright pinks, and Cruella-inspired peekaboos. In a city that can sometimes feel like it’s drowning in khakis and office-friendly highlights, the Shop offers an alternative. And, if you’re lucky, you’ll visit the salon on a day when Frida is working! Dubbed the salon’s receptionist, she’s more of a wiggly greeter in the shape of a well-dressed French bulldog than

someone who answers the phones, but I like it better this way. —Sarah Marloff

Best Fuel for Your Home Cooking

Bold Fork Books 3064 Mount Pleasant St. NW, boldforkbooks.com

Some people were already fermenting their own kimchi and breaking down whole chickens when the pandemic came. Others idly wondered what the knobs on that metal box in the kitchen did. Whether we were ready or not, the pandemic turned us all into home cooks. Some took to it like a moth to a flame, adding a sourdough starter to their list of dependents. Others wondered if mac ’n’ cheese provided all the nutrients a human being needs.

No matter your skill level, Bold Fork Books came when we needed it, serving as an inspiration and guide for our home cooking adventures.

This Mount Pleasant bookshop specializes in cookbooks and food writing. It’s the perfect place to stock up on classics such as The Food Lab and Salt Fat Acid Heat or find a new release or new-to-you title. You’re in good hands with owner Clementine Thomas, who will help you find a book that meets your comfort level. If you’re just there to browse, you’re in luck. The shop is extremely cute, and its selection is wide.

My suggestion, even though you didn’t ask, is to get two books. One that you could cook from any night, even after the gnarliest, most defeating day of work, and one that will push you. Bold Fork Books can help you grow. —Will Warren

washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 39

GOODS &SERVICES convenient excuse to visit Steadfast Supply in the Yards, D.C.’s best pop-up turned brick-and-mortar shop for when you’re feeling especially drawn to collecting a bunch of silly, shiny, or sweet objects for your own personal nest. Inside, there’s a veritable smorgasbord of items to beautify your, or a friend’s, home—candles, lotions, cookbooks, other books, oven mitts, greeting cards, prints, plants, mugs, masks. If you can’t make it down to the shop, there’s also an online store with plenty of goods, but we recommend the full experience. Being inside some days makes me feel like a magpie drawn to shiny objects; some days I feel like a dragon adding to her treasure hoard. —Emma Sarappo

Best Cider Merchandise: Capitol Cider House

The branding on the side of Capitol Cider House’s Georgia Avenue NW storefront is a lot like the ciders inside: distinct, bold, and a bit funky. If you don’t have time to walk by, try the website, where you’ll be greeted by red and blue shapes on fresh, modern white space, with an assertive, unique semi-serif font letting you know where you are.

I’m enamored with their branding as well as their cider, and as a result my home has a T-shirt, a bandanna, and multiple bottles of their hand sanitizer (an early pandemic relic from before I knew what the word “fomite” meant). The bandanna shows a stylized Capitol in red and blue, plus branded tulip glasses and barrels; on my shirt, the words “Capitol Cider House” wave across my chest in red and blue lowercase letters like a flag flapping in the wind. There’s also a hat, a long-sleeved shirt that has an eagle and the Washington Monument, a basic tee with just the logo, and, if you’re less interested in merch, dozens and dozens of beautifully designed cans for you to try. —Emma Sarappo

Best Way to Party at a Pool That Isn’t Yours

Swimply swimply.com

Darrow Montgomery

Best Store to Indulge Your Pandemic Hobby

Looped Yarn Works 1732 Connecticut Ave. NW, (202) 714-5667, loopedyarnworks.com

As someone who’s gotten really into tapestry weaving during the pandemic, I’ve been trying to stick to local craft stores when I’m buying yarn.

Looped Yarnworks, located in Dupont Circle, fits the bill perfectly. Tucked away on the second floor of a two-story building, it’s a kind of sanctuary for fiber-arts lovers. There are shelves upon shelves of yarn for every kind of project: chunky merino wool for bulky scarves and sweaters, medium (or worsted, for those who know their yarn) weight acrylic blends for hats and mittens, and impossibly soft and superfine yarn made from alpaca wool. (My personal favorite: the cobalt-blue merino blend that I picked out a few weeks ago, which is going to feature prominently in a tapestry of ocean waves.)

Their selection is definitely more expensive than what you’d find at a chain store—ranging from $10 to $40-ish—but the quality is worth the splurge.

(Caution: If you’re anything like me, you’ll have to fight the urge to spend an entire paycheck here.)

The store’s selection is particularly suited for knitters and crocheters, who can find all the supplies they might need: needles in a variety of sizes, stitch-counters and other notions. For those who prefer that kind of crafting and are in the market for a new project, there’s lots of patterns for cute sweaters, hats, and scarves. There’s also a series of knitting and crocheting classes offered in-store, perfect for beginners or those who want to brush up on their skills.

I’m not a knitter (yet), but I still can find everything I need for my own fiber art—yarn, thin waxy thread for fringe, embroidery scissors—as well as inspiration for future projects. —Natalie Escobar

Best Tool for Stashing Your Stuff

StoreMe getstoreme.com

Regardless of how chic or sturdy your luggage is, no one wants to wheel 25 pounds of it through the streets of D.C. The easy solution to this problem—stashing your stuff at the office on your

way to or from the airport—doesn’t apply if you, like so many of us, are working from home. Enter StoreMe, an app that allows you to rent a secure space for your stuff for hours at a time. Using it is simple: Enter your location, the time you want to drop your stuff off, and how long you plan to leave it, and a map of possible locations—many of them hotels and small businesses—pops up. Select one, upload a photo of your bag, save your reservation, then just drop your bag off. The person checking you in will check the bag against the photo and store it safely (reservations come with $3,000 worth of insurance). You’re free to go about your day until you’re ready to grab your bag, at which point you’re charged. For roughly $10, depending on the size of your bag and how long you’ll store it, life becomes infinitely easier. —Caroline Jones

ly, Doggy Style gives you a report card, indicating whether or not your dog was a “pawfect angel.”

Doggy Style is also a pet store, so stock up on treats, food toys, or whatever your furry friend needs while you wait. —Will Warren

Best Store for Your Inner Magpie

Steadfast Supply 301 Tingey St. SE #120, (202) 308-4441, steadfastsupplydc.com

With the supply chain that brings goods from Asia to the U.S. hopelessly snared, October isn’t too early to start thinking about end-of-the-year shopping—and you might end up needing to do some of that shopping in person. Of course, that’s just one

Over the past decade we’ve used technology to share a whole lot. There are the private cars we hop in through ride-sharing services such as Uber, the houses and vacation homes we sleep in through companies like Airbnb, and scooters and bikes we ride one after another on city streets.

When Swimply joined the sharing economy in 2018, it allowed people to swim in others’ pools.

Founder Bunim Laskin was 20 years old at the time. He told TechCrunch his team used Google Earth to find houses with pools and knocked on 80 doors. Not long after they raised $10 million.

The pool-sharing service lets you book nearby escapes by the hour. Most are in the $40 to $75 range, though there are some real movie-set stunners in the region, such as the “The Modern Meadow House” in Rockville, that cost more. Most pools are concentrated in the inner suburbs of D.C. like Silver Spring, Bethesda, and Alexandria. It helps to have a car so you can reach real gems that are further out like a pool with a cigar lounge in Clinton.

Some pools come with amenities that can be used for free or for an extra charge such as grills, outdoor televisions, or those ubiquitous unicorn rafts. They also each carry their own set of rules. Check to see the party size limit and whether they allow kids, pets, alcohol, glass, music, and the like so there are no surprises. Most importantly, read the fine print to see if hosts can make a bathroom available. It certainly behooves them to do so. —Laura Hayes

Best Place to Get Your Dog Groomed

Doggy Style Barkery, Boutique & Pet Spa 1642 R St. NW, (202) 667-0595, doggystylebakery.com Whether you got a pandemic pup or you’re a lifelong dog owner, there’s a good chance you need to get your pet groomed. When the time comes, look no further than Doggy Style Barkery, Boutique & Pet Spa in Dupont Circle.

First, a word about the name. It’s not the reason this place is the best. If they gave crap cuts the fact that they, like Snoop Dogg, value a good pun, wouldn’t mean much. But they do give good cuts, so the fact that this basement shop has an iconic name is immensely fun.

Your pet will be in caring hands and emerge looking more handsome than ever. Doggy Style also offers add-on services, such as nail clipping and “anal glands” (the latter of which I’ve never been more glad to pay someone to do).

Grooming can be a bit of a black box: You see your dog go in, and you see them come out, but what goes on inside remains a mystery. Fortunate-

40 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

Best Place to Get Your Dog Groomed: Doggy Style Barkery, Boutique & Pet Spa

Darrow Montgomery

Best Cider Merchandise

Capitol Cider House 3930 Georgia Ave. NW, (202) 621-0982, capitolciderhouse.com

Best Shirt to Wear to Dunk on the New York Times

“There’s Only One Silver Spring” T-shirt Taking to Twitter when the New York Times recommends a neighborhood local Washingtonians deem uncool or suggests we make travel plans based on the federal government’s recess schedule has become a local pastime. While that dunking may be warranted, what the Times really deserves to be shamed for is its treatment of D.C.’s neighbor to the north. Despite the fact that Silver Spring is a single census-designated place, the Times regularly insists on adding an “s” to the end of it and turning it into “Silver Springs,” then adding a clunky correction to the story days later. “The article ... misspelled the name of a city. It is Silver Spring, not Silver Springs,” one such correction from a Feb. 9 article about coronavirus vaccines reads. Siblings Pete and Rhena Tantisunthorn decided to take a stand against the atrocities committed by major news organizations and classic rock bands and designed a limitededition apparel line featuring the phrase “There’s Only One Silver Spring” earlier this year. Proceeds— nearly $2,700 in total—went to Shepherd’s Table, an organization fighting hunger and homelessness in Montgomery County. Showcasing hometown pride and outsmarting fact-checkers has rarely felt— or looked—this good. —Caroline Jones

Best Plant Shop That Also Teaches You How To Keep Them Alive

Little Leaf 1401 S St. NW, (202) 506-2131, littleleafshop.com I have bought so many plants during the pandemic that didn’t live to see the light of the next month.

If there’s a way to kill a plant—overwatering, underwatering, too much or too little light, improper drainage—I’ve likely done it. Luckily, there are people who know a lot more about taking care of my leafy friends than I do, particularly the folks at the Logan Circle shop Little Leaf. It’s a plant shop that calls itself a “mini jungle,” which feels apt, given the greenery lining the walls and shelves and planters dangling from the ceiling. Plant-wise, you can find a wide range of options depending on how much care you want to devote to your purchase. There’s the basic pothos, starting at $12, which is a pretty easygoing species that’s forgiving of watering mistakes.

On the upper end, there’s the more expensive (and bulky) dracaena, some varieties of which can cost upward of $180 and whose roots prefer distilled or non-fluoridated water (I mean, same). When you make your purchase, you also get a small card detailing the care regimen: when to water, how much light it wants, even where to pour the water (I didn’t know that was a thing before). Thanks to their helpful tips, my pink quill plant is thriving—and looking quite beautiful in its colorful planter, which I bought during the same visit. The next time I drop by, I might also grab a candle, birthday card, or one of their many hanging planters. And now, with my new green thumb, I’ll also probably pick out a more finicky plant to bring home, equipped with all the knowledge to make it thrive—or, at least, not die immediately. —Natalie Escobar

Best Way to Get Good Wood in a Hurry

Capitol Hill Firewood (202) 997-6776 capitol-hill-firewood.business.site Brent Sullivan rolls up in a truck containing kiln-

dried firewood with his sidekick, a Boston terrier, in the passenger seat. I called the Capitol Hill Firewood founder mere hours before to place an order to get ready for firepit season. He’s extremely picky when it comes to sourcing wood for his successful side hustle.

“It is incredibly important that the wood is dry, and it is also important that you select the proper species,” Sullivan says. Oak, hickory, birch, and ash make the cut. “Have you seen Jiro Dreams of Sushi?” he asks, not knowing about my Japanophile status. “You know how they go to the fish market and aggressively review the fish? That’s almost what you need to do. You have to deeply care about what you’re trying to do.”

The quality of the wood and the swift delivery explains the pricing. A four-by-five-foot stack runs $295 and a four-by-eight stack runs $395. You don’t pay until the stacking is complete, and delivery, stacking, and kindling are all free. Sullivan says he’ll deliver anywhere within a 15- to 20-mile radius of the U.S. Capitol. The smaller size might last me through winter 2023 and doubles as beautiful outdoor decor.

Sullivan started Capitol Hill Firewood in 2017.

For the first two years, his clients were predominantly restaurants with wood-fired ovens or cozy fireplaces. His residential clientele picked up, predominantly through word of mouth, and then took off during the pandemic when a backyard firepit was a passport to gathering more safely with friends and family. “To enjoy an evening with your family and have a glass of wine and enjoy a fire in a firepit was drastically more popular because everybody was at home,” Sullivan says. —Laura Hayes

Best Accessory for Latter-Day Punks

“What’s More Punk Than the Public Library?” tote You’ve seen it at the Mount Pleasant farmers market, on a surprisingly still-active Tumblr, up and down 14th Street NW, and in a Smithsonian or two. Well, “you” is actually me, but there’s no debate that the Mount Pleasant Library Friends struck gold with their beloved T-shirt and tote that reads “What’s More Punk Than the Public Library?” in an endearing, handwritten font. They struck literal gold, that is: Sales of the merch raised more than $100,000 for the group, as the Washington Post reported in September. It’s hard to argue with the sentiment expressed by the shirt. Libraries encourage free sharing of resources based on need, open-ended access not just to books but to periodicals, journals, and online resources, and the storage and display of important community resources (such as, for instance, DCPL’s punk archive). The shirt, and the story, traveled far. (The Post write-up by Justin Wm. Moyer was republished in, of all places, the Guam Daily Post. As the bottom of the tote says, “????????”)

We hope to find them in 20 years at the Punk Rock Flea Markets of the future. —Emma Sarappo

Best Place to Find a $6 Suit Jacket for a Friend Who’s Got an Unexpected Meeting at a Federal Building the Next Morning

Prime Thrift 6101 Georgia Ave. NW, (202) 291-4013, primethrift.com/pages/washington-dc

How best to support a pal who just moved in and is in a wardrobe jam? Your friend, a journalist

Best Tools for Moving Out of Your House: Next Day Dumpsters

(surprise, surprise, it’s D.C.), is supposed to cover a government press event the next morning, but they don’t have formal wear, and their budget is on a diet. No fear, Prime Thrift is near. Up Georgia Avenue NW, a block or two from local capitalism central (Walmart, McDonald’s), and flanked by a church and MPD’s Fourth District headquarters, multiple worlds and vibes collide near this corner of the city. The thrift shop trip can double as a neighborhood tour—it’s about a 45-minute trek from the heart of Ward 1 to the shop, and one route takes you from bustling streets to quieter, greener roads and a former Civil War defense just before spotting the Brightwood store’s funky sign that looks like it came straight out of the 1980s. Prime Thrift is a treasure trove with laid-back vibes, though it does lack organization. (Your friend scouring the men’s formal wear aisle finds that blazers get progressively bigger, then encounters four super-small sizes, a phenomenon you find is pretty pervasive in other clothing sections.) But the sizing confusion serves only to make a find here all the more exciting, especially when you check out a price tag and realize you’re getting 50 percent off a particular tag color. Just like that, your friend gets a much-discounted $12 Marc Tulio blazer for $6, and you both get a friendship treasure hunt you haven’t seen since The Goonies. —Ambar Castillo

Best Tools for Moving Out of Your House Next Day Dumpsters (888) 919-5406, nextdaydumpsters.com Bookstore Movers (202) 570-4697, bookstoremovers.com

Darrow Montgomery

GOODS & SERVICES

You acquire plenty of stuff when you live in a house for more than two decades. But when it’s time to downsize and move out, you need some very specific services. First, you’ll need a dumpster for the items that won’t come with you, and Next Day Dumpsters will, as advertised, drop off a bright orange bin the day after you call. (It helps if you’re home when they place it to ensure you can toss your stuff right out the window.) When you’ve filled the first one and are ready for a replacement, your dumpster driver will perform a choreographed movement piece, swapping out the full receptacle for the fresh one with balletic precision. That one person is able to maneuver these objects on D.C. streets is impressive, to say the least. NDD’s staff will even rearrange their schedule so the dumpster arrives before the movers.

Speaking of movers, whether you’re a disorganized group of workers relocating your office or a harried seller trying to empty your home before new tenants arrive, you can’t go wrong with Bookstore Movers. They’ll give you an accurate quote via email based on the number of items and distance you need them moved. The team of movers is friendly, arrives on time, and finishes the job, even if that means carrying the big pieces of furniture by hand. They are also skilled drivers, maneuvering a 26-foot truck down a narrow alley.

You can’t change the fact that moving is emotionally and physically exhausting, but at least these businesses are here to lighten your load. —Darrow Montgomery, as told to Caroline Jones

washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 41

GOODS &SERVICES

READERS’ PICKS

Best Comic Book Store FANTOM COMICS 2010 P St. NW, (202) 241-6498 2ND PLACE: Big Planet Comics 3RD PLACE: Third Eye Comics 4TH PLACE: Alliance Comics 5TH PLACE: Victory Comics

Best Consignment Shop MISS PIXIE’S 1626 14th St. NW, (202) 232-8171, misspixies.com 2ND PLACE: Secondi Inc 3RD PLACE: Pretty Chic DC - New, Vintage, Consignment Women’s Clothing 4TH PLACE: Clothes Encounters DC 5TH PLACE: Current Boutique 6TH PLACE: Reddz Trading

Best Flower Shop LEE’S FLOWER AND CARD SHOP

Farrah Skeiky

1026 U St. NW, (202) 265-4965, leesflowerandcard.com 2ND PLACE: Little Shop of Flowers 3RD PLACE: She Loves Me 4TH PLACE: Allan Woods Flowers 5TH PLACE: Blue Iris Flowers

Best Store for Your Inner Magpie: Steadfast Supply

Best “Gifting” Service NO KIDS ALLOWED 637 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Suite B, (202) 897-5993, nokidsallowed.club 2ND PLACE: The Garden 3RD PLACE: District Derp 4TH PLACE: Top Level 5TH PLACE: Pink Fox

Best Adult Toy Store BITE THE FRUIT 1723 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Second floor (202) 299-0440, btfonline.store 2ND PLACE: Lotus Blooms 3RD PLACE: Hart’s Desires

Best Arts & Crafts Supply Store BLICK ART MATERIALS Multiple locations, dickblick.com 2ND PLACE: Artist & Craftsman Supply 3RD PLACE: Michaels 4TH PLACE: Plaza Artist Materials & Picture Framing 5TH PLACE: Three Little Birds Sewing Co

Best Bike Shop CONTE’S BIKE SHOP Multiple locations, contebikes.com 2ND PLACE: City Bikes 3RD PLACE: The Daily Rider 4TH PLACE: BicycleSPACE 5TH PLACE: Proteus Bicycles

42 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

Best Bookstore POLITICS AND PROSE BOOKSTORE Multiple locations, politics-prose.com 2ND PLACE: Capitol Hill Books 3RD PLACE: Kramers 4TH PLACE: Solid State Books 5TH PLACE: East City Bookshop

Best Clothing Boutique SECONDI 1702 Connecticut Ave. NW, (202) 667-1122, secondi.com 2ND PLACE: Willow 3RD PLACE: Park Story 4TH PLACE: “Im So DC” 5TH PLACE: Maison Soleil

Best Food Market EASTERN MARKET 225 7th St. SE, (202) 698-5253, easternmarket-dc.org 2ND PLACE: Union Market 3RD PLACE: MOM’s Organic Market 4TH PLACE: Dawson’s Market 5TH PLACE: Mason & Greens

Best Garden Store GINKGO GARDENS 911 11th St. SE, (202) 543-5172, ginkgogardens.com 2ND PLACE: Frager’s Garden Center 3RD PLACE: Merrifield Garden Center 4TH PLACE: American Plant 5TH PLACE: REWILD

Best Green Business COMMUNITY FORKLIFT NONPROFIT REUSE

MORTGAGE LOANS SSB-107 Mortgage Print_9.875x5.5416_WashCityPaper.indd 1

WE WERE THERE WHEN THE OLD HOUSE GOT TOO SMALL. WE’LL BE THERE WHEN THIS ONE GETS TOO BIG. Let’s talk about your options. Call us at 800.399.5919 or visit sandyspringbank.com/mortgage.

Member FDIC. Sandy Spring Bank NMLS # 406382. Sandy Spring Bank and the SSB logo are registered trademarks of Sandy Spring Bank. © 2021 Sandy Spring Bank. All rights reserved.

10/5/2021 4:07:45 PM

ANACOSTIA ORGANICS extends our gratitude to our patients, families, friends, and the City Paper family for the honor of naming “Anacostia Organics” as a finalist for the Best of D.C.

Anacostia Organics @AnacostiaO Anacostia Organics 2022 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE Washington, DC. 20020

DC INNO awarded Anacostia Organics The Most Innovative Cannabis Business in Washington, DC 2020

(202) 845-8574 washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 43

GOODS &SERVICES WAREHOUSE 4671 Tanglewood Dr., Hyattsville, (301) 985-5180, communityforklift.org 2ND PLACE: Dawson’s Market 3RD PLACE: Mason & Greens 4TH PLACE: Green Maidworks 5TH PLACE: Crown Pawnbrokers

Best Grocer TRADER JOE’S Multiple locations, traderjoes.com 2ND PLACE: MOM’s Organic Market 3RD PLACE: Dawson’s Market 4TH PLACE: Yes! Organic Market 5TH PLACE: Mason & Greens

Best Handmade Apparel/Accessories SHOP MADE IN DC Multiple locations, shopmadeindc.com 2ND PLACE: Steadfast Supply 3RD PLACE: Maison Soleil 4TH PLACE: All Things B. Alexis 5TH PLACE: Witchie Wicks

Best Hardware Store LOGAN HARDWARE 1734 14th St. NW, (202) 265-8900, acehardware.comstore-details/11410 2ND PLACE: Frager’s Hardware 3RD PLACE: Strosniders Hardware 4TH PLACE: Annie’s Ace Hardware 5TH PLACE: W.S. Jenks & Son

Best Home Goods Store SALT & SUNDRY Multiple locations, shopsaltandsundry.com 2ND PLACE: Hill’s Kitchen 3RD PLACE: Urban Dwell 4TH PLACE: Steadfast Supply 5TH PLACE: Pillar & Post

Best Liquor Store CALVERT WOODLEY FINE WINES & SPIRITS 4339 Connecticut Ave. NW, (202) 966-4400, calvertwoodley.com 2ND PLACE: Schneider’s of Capitol Hill 3RD PLACE: Irving Wine and Spirits 4TH PLACE: Chat’s Liquors on Capitol Hill 5TH PLACE: Harry’s Reserve 6TH PLACE: LAX Wine and Spirits

Best Pet Shop HOWL TO THE CHIEF 733 8th St. SE, (202) 544-8710, howltothechief.com 2ND PLACE: The Big Bad Woof 3RD PLACE: PetMAC 4TH PLACE: Doggy Style Bakery, Boutique & Pet Spa 5TH PLACE: Loyal Companion

Best Place to Buy a Suit SUITSUPPLY 2828 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, (844) 328-9234, suitsupply.com 2ND PLACE: Ezra Paul Clothing 3RD PLACE: Enzo Custom 4TH PLACE: Brimble and Clark DC 5TH PLACE: Suitability of McLean

Best Place to Buy Beer CRAFT BEER CELLAR DC 301 H St. NE, (202) 846-7585, dc.craftbeercellar.com 2ND PLACE: Schneider’s of Capitol Hill 3RD PLACE: Dawson’s Market 4TH PLACE: Fenwick Beer & Wine 5TH PLACE: Foxtrot Market

Best Place to Buy Eyeglasses WARBY PARKER Multiple locations, warbyparker.com 2ND PLACE: Costco Wholesale 3RD PLACE: Georgetown Optician 4TH PLACE: All Eyes On Rockville - Dr. Hannah Yecheskel 5TH PLACE: Prospect Optika

CHUCK LEVIN’S WASHINGTON MUSIC CENTER 11151 Veirs Mill Rd., Wheaton, (301) 946-8808, chucklevins.com 2ND PLACE: House of Musical Traditions 3RD PLACE: Middle C Music 4TH PLACE: Music on the Hill 5TH PLACE: Foxes Music Co. 6TH PLACE: King Pawn Inc.

Best Place to Buy Jewelry TINY JEWEL BOX 1155 Connecticut Ave. NW, (202) 393-2747, tinyjewelbox.com 2ND PLACE: SHELTER 3RD PLACE: Diament Jewelry 4TH PLACE: Boone & Sons Jewelers 5TH PLACE: Secrète Fine Jewelry

Best Place to Buy Wine CALVERT WOODLEY FINE WINES & SPIRITS 4339 Connecticut Ave. NW, (202) 966-4400, calvertwoodley.com 2ND PLACE: Schneider’s of Capitol Hill 3RD PLACE: DCanter - A Wine Boutique 4TH PLACE: Domestique Wine 5TH PLACE: Grand Cata

Best Place to Get CBD Products TAKOMA WELLNESS CENTER 6925 Blair Rd. NW, (202) 465-4260, takomawellness.com 2ND PLACE: No Kids Allowed 3RD PLACE: Embers 4TH PLACE: FunkyPiece Smoke Shop & Glass Gallery 5TH PLACE: Up N Down Smoke Shop

Best Place to Buy Home Furnishings

Best Record Store

MISS PIXIE’S

1264 5th St. NE, (202) 481-0424, byrdlandrecords.com 2ND PLACE: Smash Records 3RD PLACE: Joe’s Record Paradise 4TH PLACE: Joint Custody 5TH PLACE: Red Onion Records

1626 14th St. NW, (202) 232-8171, misspixies.com 2ND PLACE: West Elm 3RD PLACE: GoodWood 4TH PLACE: Salt & Sundry 5TH PLACE: Pillar & Post

Best Place to Buy Instruments

44 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

BYRDLAND RECORDS

Best Running Store PACERS RUNNING

Multiple locations, runpacers.com 2ND PLACE: Fleet Feet Sports 3RD PLACE: Potomac River Running 4TH PLACE: Georgetown Running Company 5TH PLACE: Road Runner Sports

Best Smoke Shop TAKOMA WELLNESS CENTER 6925 Blair Rd. NW, (202) 465-4260, takomawellness.com 2ND PLACE: Embers 3RD PLACE: Up N Down Smoke Shop 4TH PLACE: FunkyPiece Smoke Shop & Glass Gallery 5TH PLACE: Pink Fox

Best Specialty Food Store RODMAN’S Multiple locations, rodmans.com 2ND PLACE: Hana Market 3RD PLACE: Each Peach Market 4TH PLACE: Odd Provisions 5TH PLACE: Dawson’s Market 6TH PLACE: Foxtrot Market

Best Tea Shop TEAISM PENN QUARTER 400 8th St. NW, (202) 638-6010, teaism.com 2ND PLACE: Ching Ching Cha 3RD PLACE: Valley Brook Tea 4TH PLACE: Mason & Greens 5TH PLACE: Pearl Fine Teas

Best Toy/Hobby/Game Store LABYRINTH GAMES & PUZZLES 645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, (202) 544-105 9, labyrinthdc.com 2ND PLACE: Community Forklift Nonprofit Reuse Warehouse

Best Vintage Clothing Store SECONDI 1702 Connecticut Ave. NW, (202) 667-1122, secondi.com 2ND PLACE: Meeps Vintage 3RD PLACE: Fia’s Fabulous Finds 4TH PLACE: Joint Custody 5TH PLACE: Amalgamated Costume & Design Studio

Where Natural & Refreshed is the ONLY outcome

AtlasVet would like to thank all our #AVFaithful for their unwavering support over the past 10 years!

We are ecstatic to see our clients and patients back inside AtlasVet’s exam rooms once again. AtlasVet commends every member of our staff who has adapted and strived to do their

Sincere thanks to our loyal patients in voting us among the Best of DC! 2019

best despite many obstacles this past year. Thank you all for this honor, we look forward to serving our inclusive and diverse community for many years to come!

2021

BEST PLASTIC SURGEON 2019

Call now for your consultation 202.785.3175

1326 H ST NE 202 552 8600 washington dc 20002 w w w. a t l a s v e t d c . c o m

C E N T E R F O R C O S M E T I C S U R G E RY . C O M

/atlasvetdc 2311 M S T R E E T N.W. S U I T E #503 | W A S H I N G TO N , D.C. 20037

@atlasvetdc

washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 45

GOODS &SERVICES Farrah Skeiky

SERVICES

Best Store to Indulge Your Pandemic Hobby: Looped Yarn Works

Best Architecture Firm

Best Bank/Credit Union

Best Cable Provider

Best Contractor

KARMA CONSTRUCTION GROUP

NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

VERIZON

Multiple locations, navyfederal.org 2ND PLACE: United States Senate Federal Credit Union 3RD PLACE: Industrial Bank 4TH PLACE: Wells Fargo Bank 5TH PLACE: National Capital Bank 6TH PLACE: SunTrust

verizon.com

KARMA CONSTRUCTION GROUP

1990 M St. NW #250, (202) 798-7663, karmaconstructiongroup.com 2ND PLACE: Ileana Schinder, PLLC 3RD PLACE: AMAR Group LLC 4TH PLACE: FOX Architects LLC

Best Auto Repair DISTAD’S AUTO CLINIC 823 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, (202) 543-0200 2ND PLACE: Capitol Hill Auto Service 3RD PLACE: Auto Tech Service 4TH PLACE: DP Auto 5TH PLACE: Commonwealth Garage Inc

Best Bike/Scooter Share CAPITAL BIKESHARE capitalbikeshare.com 2ND PLACE: Lyft 3RD PLACE: Lime Scooters 4TH PLACE: Bird 5TH PLACE: Spin

46 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

2ND PLACE: RCN

3RD PLACE: Comcast

4TH PLACE: Antenna on Roof 5TH PLACE: DIRECTV

Best Cellular Service Provider VERIZON verizon.com

2ND PLACE: T-Mobile 3RD PLACE: AT&T

4TH PLACE: Google Fi 5TH PLACE: Comcast

1990 M St. NW #250, (202) 798-7663, karmaconstructiongroup.com 2ND PLACE: Blue Star 3RD PLACE: Saint Construction 4TH PLACE: Renaissance Development LLC 5TH PLACE: Akbar Contracting 6TH PLACE: TriVista Design + Build

Best Dog Trainer DISTRICT DOGS Multiple locations, districtdogs.com 2ND PLACE: Patrick’s Pet Care 3RD PLACE: Atlas Doghouse 4TH PLACE: Behavior United LLC 5TH PLACE: Semper K9 Assistance Dogs

100% BLACK OWNED & OPERATED

THANKS FOR VOTING US A WINNER AGAIN!!!!!

HIGHEST 5 star RATED Dispensary in the DMV

2021 15 Mins From Fed Ex Field 4721 Sheriff Road Northeast, Washington, DC 20019, USA | (202) 388-3000 Medical Dispensary Only. For more info www.shopcannabliss.com/medicalcard

@shop_cannabliss

WWW.SHOPCANNABLISS.COM

Come see why: LOWEST POSSIBLE PRICES FREE PARKING FREE CURBSIDE PICK-UP FREE DELIVERIES IN DC ON ORDERS OVER $100 25% OFF* TO NEW & RED BOX PATIENTS & 20% OFF* FOR EXISTING PATIENTS *one time use DISCOUNT NOW through NOVEMBER 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 47

GOODS &SERVICES Best Dog Walk Service PATRICK’S PET CARE Multiple locations, patrickspetcare.com 2ND PLACE: District Dogs 3RD PLACE: Atlas Doghouse 4TH PLACE: Wanderpups 5TH PLACE: Metro Mutts 6TH PLACE: Pet Peeps

Best Doggie Daycare DISTRICT DOGS Multiple locations, districtdogs.com 2ND PLACE: Patrick’s Pet Care 3RD PLACE: City Dogs 4TH PLACE:ATLAS Doghouse 5TH PLACE: Dog-Ma

Best Dry Cleaner ZIPS DRY CLEANERS Multiple locations, 321zips.com 2ND PLACE: Capitol Hill Cleaning Emporium 3RD PLACE: The Press Dry Cleaning & Laundry 4TH PLACE: Riggs Dry Cleaner 5TH PLACE: Town Cleaners

Best Home Repair Contractor KARMA CONSTRUCTION GROUP 1990 M St. NW #250, (202) 798-7663, karmaconstructiongroup.com 2ND PLACE: Renaissance Development LLC 3RD PLACE: Saint Construction 4TH PLACE: Carpenters of Georgetown 5TH PLACE: Az Razo Construction

Best Internet Provider VERIZON

3RD PLACE: Strawberry Fields Garden Design

2ND PLACE: District Dogs

5TH PLACE: Hawthorne Garden Design

4TH PLACE: Sit-A-Pet

4TH PLACE: Oasis Urban Gardening LLC

Best Lawyer DAVID BENOWITZ pricebenowitz.com/our-team/david-benowitz 2ND PLACE: Lucrecia Johnson 3RD PLACE: Jordan Nye 4TH PLACE: Arren Waldrep 5TH PLACE: John Yannone

Best Maid Service WELL PAID MAIDS wellpaidmaids.com 2ND PLACE: M&D Cleaning Service 3RD PLACE: Green Maidworks 4TH PLACE: Complete Green Cleaning 5TH PLACE: Clean Green and Professional, LLC

Best Money Management Services ILLUMINT BY KEVIN MAHONEY, CFP® 641 S St. NW, (202) 780-6565, illumintfc.com 2ND PLACE: Phillips Financial Strategies 3RD PLACE: Rembert Pendleton Jackson 4TH PLACE: Greenspring Advisors 5TH PLACE: Strategic Bonds

Best Movers BOOKSTORE MOVERS bookstoremovers.com 2ND PLACE: Two Marines Moving & Storage 3RD PLACE: Town & Country Movers, Inc. 4TH PLACE: Dolly Queens Moving 5TH PLACE: VKH Movers - Residential & Commercial Movers

verizon.com

Best Pet Groomer

3RD PLACE: Comcast Xfinity

PATRICK’S PET CARE

2ND PLACE: RCN

4TH PLACE: Starry

5TH PLACE: DC Access

Best Landscape/Garden Designer GINKGO GARDENS 911 11th St. SE, (202) 543-5172, ginkgogardens.com 2ND PLACE: Hal the Gardener Seitz

Multiple locations, patrickspetcare.com 2ND PLACE: District Dogs 3RD PLACE: Masterpiece Canine Spa 4TH PLACE: Bonnie’s Dog & Cat Grooming 5TH PLACE: Life of Riley

Best Pet Services PATRICK’S PET CARE Multiple locations, patrickspetcare.com

48 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

3RD PLACE: City Dogs

5TH PLACE: J. D’Ann Melnick

5TH PLACE: Atlas Doghouse

Best Real Estate Group

Best Photography Services

MARK RUTSTEIN, RUTSTEIN GROUP OF COMPASS

LEXI TRUESDALE PHOTOGRAPHY lexitruesdalephotos.com 2ND PLACE: Farrah Skeiky Photography 3RD PLACE: Ivan Edgardo Photography 4TH PLACE: Jon Fleming Photography 4TH PLACE: Washington DC Portraits and Headshots by Elliott O’Donovan

1313 14th St. NW, (202) 524-1676, compass.comagents/mark-rutstein-dc 2ND PLACE: City Chic Real Estate, Metro DC Office 3RD PLACE: The Washingtonian Group 4TH PLACE: Best Address Group 5TH PLACE: The J.Parker Group 6TH PLACE: Coalition Properties Group Keller Williams Realty

Best Place to Get Your Bike Fixed

Best Ride Share

GEARIN’ UP BICYCLES

lyft.com

1811 Rhode Island Ave. NE, (202) 780-5174, gearinupbicycles.org 2ND PLACE: Conte’s Bike Shop 3RD PLACE: City Bikes 4TH PLACE: The Daily Rider 5TH PLACE: BicycleSPACE 6TH PLACE: Spokes Etc.

Best Place to Get Your Cracked Phone Screen Fixed UBREAKIFIX Multiple locations, ubreakifix.com 2ND PLACE: DMV Unlocked Wireless 3RD PLACE: Mobile2Mobile 4TH PLACE: Mobile X 5TH PLACE: Real Mobile Repair

Best Plumber SPARTAN PLUMBING, HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING 3708 Bladensburg Rd., Cottage City, (800) 882-0194, spartanman.com 2ND PLACE: Joseph C Bauer Inc Plumbing 3RD PLACE: Aspen Hill Plumbing, LLC 4TH PLACE: Jiffy Plumbing & Heating, Inc. 5TH PLACE: Karma Construction Group

Best Real Estate Agent SARAH BRAZELL citychicrealestate.comsarah-brazell-realtor 2ND PLACE: Arynne Crane 3RD PLACE: Brittnee Sellers 4TH PLACE: Emily Attwood

LYFT 2ND PLACE: Capital Bikeshare 3RD PLACE: Uber 4TH PLACE: Via

5TH PLACE: Zipcar

Best Roofers ROOF SOLUTIONS, INC. roofsolution.com 2ND PLACE: CJ Roofing, LLC 3RD PLACE: Saint Construction 4TH PLACE: Karma Construction Group 5TH PLACE: PJ McTavish & Co Inc. 6TH PLACE: Perma-Roof Systems Inc

Best Shared Work Space WEWORK Multiple locations, wework.com 2ND PLACE: Cove 3RD PLACE: Industrious 4TH PLACE: Hera Hub DC 5TH PLACE: Pitch

Best Vet ATLASVET 1326 H St. NE, (202) 552-8600, atlasvetdc.com 2ND PLACE: District Veterinary Hospital Eastern Market 3RD PLACE: Friendship Hospital For Animals 4TH PLACE: CityPaws Animal Hospital 5TH PLACE: Union Veterinary Clinic

THANK YOU

FOR VOTING ROOF SOLUTIONS ONE OF D.C.’S BEST ROOFERS!

AGAIN!

• • • • •

Commercial & Residential Roof Replacement & Repair Gutters & Downspouts Skylights Serving D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia

VOTED D.C.’S #1 ROOFER 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, & 2021 BEST OF D.C. AWARDS 301.565.2600 • 9325 FRASER AVE, SILVER SPRING, MD 20910

D C u o y k n a h t Takoma Wellness Center for naming

Best Dispensary Best smoke Shop Best place to buy CBD

6925 Blair Rd, NW Washington DC 20012 info@takomawellness.com 202.465.4260 @takomawellness washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 49

GOODS &SERVICES

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Farrah Skeiky

Best Salon for Rock Star—or Dream-Pop—Hair: The Shop at Shaw

Best Barre Studio

Best Childbirth Services

Best Dance Class

Best Eye Doctor

BARRE3

NATIONAL BLACK DOULA ASSOCIATION

305 FITNESS

DR. ALI MATINI

blackdoulas.org 2ND PLACE: Doulas of Capitol Hill 3RD PLACE: DC Birth Doulas 4TH PLACE: District Doulas 5TH PLACE: Balanced Bellies LLC

1328 Florida Ave. NW, (202) 885-9606, 305fitness.com 2ND PLACE: and8 Fitness 3RD PLACE: Studio One Dance 4TH PLACE: Christie Horan 5TH PLACE: Freestyle DansFit

1307 Wisconsin Ave. NW, (202) 337-8237, georgetownoptician.com 2ND PLACE: Eye Central 3RD PLACE: Dr. Stephen Glasser 4TH PLACE: Dr. Reginald Barnes 5TH PLACE: Dr. Hannah Yecheskel - All Eyes on Rockville

Best Chiropractor

Best Dentist

AGAPE FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC

WATER BROOK DENTAL

1010 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Suite 345, (202) 743-4104, agapefamilychiropractic.com 2ND PLACE: Dr. Miya Bazley 3RD PLACE: Paradigm Chiropractic 4TH PLACE: Dr. Jason Rosenberg 5TH PLACE: Stephanie Johnson

waterbrookdental.com 2ND PLACE: The DC Dentist 3RD PLACE: DC Dental Spa 4TH PLACE: Dr. Dennis Miliron 5TH PLACE: Eugenia Walsh

Multiple locations, barre3.com 2ND PLACE: Biker Barre 3RD PLACE: Pure Barre 4TH PLACE: The Bar Method 5TH PLACE: B. Fit Barre

Best Beauty Store SEPHORA Multiple locations, sephora.com 2ND PLACE: Bluemercury 3RD PLACE: Take Care 4TH PLACE: The Brown Beauty Co-op 5TH PLACE: Spa Logic

Best Cannabis Dispensary TAKOMA WELLNESS CENTER 6925 Blair Rd. NW, (202) 465-4260, takomawellness.com 2ND PLACE: Anacostia Organics 3RD PLACE: National Holistic Healing Center 4TH PLACE: CANNABLISS 5TH PLACE: Up N Down Smoke Shop

Best CrossFit Gym BALANCE GYM Multiple locations, balancegym.com 2ND PLACE: CrossFit DC 3RD PLACE: Old City CrossFit 4TH PLACE: Urban Boxing 5TH PLACE: Bodymass Gym 6TH PLACE: Petworth Fitness

50 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

Best Doctor ONE MEDICAL Multiple locations, onemedical.com 2ND PLACE: Dr. Steven Hopping 3RD PLACE: Dr. Steven Davison 4TH PLACE: Dr. Ama Tyus 5TH PLACE: Jules Feledy

Best Facial DUPONT THREADING Multiple locations, dupontthreading.com 2ND PLACE: Jenny Luu Skin Care 3RD PLACE: Spa Logic 4TH PLACE: Take Care 5TH PLACE: Silky Smooth

Best Gym MADABOLIC Multiple locations, madabolic.com 2ND PLACE: VIDA Fitness 3RD PLACE: Balance Gym 4TH PLACE: Urban Boxing 5TH PLACE: Bodymass Gym

DCHFA, Your Homeownership Resource in the District.

DC Open Doors DCHFA, Your Homeownership Resource in the District.

Do you need mortgage assistance due to the effects of Resource COVID-19? in the District.

DCHFA, Your Homeownership DC Open Doors

DC MAP (Mortgage Assistance Program) COVID-19 is here to help

The District of Columbia Housing Finance isin your homeownership resource in the District homeowners stay in Agency their homes during this pandemic.

DCHFA, Your Homeownership Resource the District.

District from buying a home to retaining your home; we have a homeownership DCHFA, Your Homeownership Resource in the District. program to assist you.

DC MAP COVID-19 assistance loans up DC4ME DC4ME provides mortgage assistance DC Open Doors DC Open Doors is your key to provides zero- interest monthly DC Open Doors to $5,000 foroff up with optional down payment assistance to D.C. homeownership in the city. This program ersto six months for qualified homeowners. government employees. DC4ME is offered to competitive interest rates and lower mortgage DC Open Doors current full-time District government employees, insurance costs on first trust mortgages. You are including employees of District government-based not required to be a fiQualifications: rst-time homebuyer or a D.C. Borrower instrumentalities, independent agencies, D.C. Public resident to •qualify DCOD. primary You must, however, Must befor borrower’s residence and must be located in Charter Schools, and organizations, provided the be purchasing homeofinColumbia the District of Columbia. theaDistrict applicant/borrower’s employer falls under the DC Open Doors• Must have been current as of the March 1st payment (prior to oversight of the Council of the District of Columbia. being affected by COVID-19)

DCHFA, Your Homeownership Resource in the District.

Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP) • Must be able to document income affected due to COVID-19 HPAP provides interest free deferred loans for • Borrower must be the borrower on the home loan, not just a down payment and closing cost assistance up member of the household to $84,000•combined.

DCHFA serves as a iscoMust show proof that the borrower not eligible for administratorforbearance of this DCorDepartment Housing other types of of relief offered through the and Community Development’s servicer and/or Hardest(DHCD) Hit Fundsfirst-time home buyer • program.

If borrower is still affected after the CARES Act ends, then relief may be offered at that time (See additional terms)

DC MAP (Mortgage Assistance Program) COVID-19 DC MAP COVID-19 provides financial assistance

Visit www.DCHFA.org to those affected by the impacts of the COVID-19 how to apply to any of DCHFA’s homeownership programs.

pandemic. Qualified borrowers can receive a loan of up to $5,000 per month to put toward their Visit www.DCHFA.org how to apply any mortgage fortoup toof sixDCHFA’s months.homeownership programs.

Reverse Mortgage Insurance & Tax Payment Program (ReMIT) ReMIT financial For aprovides full list of borrower qualifications and loan terms, visit

assistance to seniors 62 years or older who have fallen behind on insurance and tax payments as a result of their reverse mortgage. Qualified District homeowners can receive up to $25,000 in assistance.

www.dchfa.org/homeownership

Visit www.DCHFA.org for full qualification guidelines and information on how to apply to any of DCHFA’s homeownership programs.

DC MAP COVID-19 financial assistance will be granted on a first come, first served basis until the program allocation has been exhausted. Homeowners seeking assistance through

DC MAP COVID-19 and financial assistance will be granted on aDC firstMAP come, first served basiscall until the program allocation been of exhausted. seeking assistance throughmay DC also MAP should call 202-667-7706 or DCMAP@housingetc.org to begin the process of applying.

COVID-19 should 1-833-429-0537 to begin thehas process applying.Homeowners Questions regarding DC MAP COVID-19 beCOVID-19 emailed to DCMAP@dchfa.org.

washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 51

Visit www.DCHFA.org how to apply to any of DCHFA’s homeownership programs.

Visitwww.DCHFA.org www.DCHFA.org Visit

GOODS &SERVICES Best Hair Salon GLYNN JONES SALON Multiple locations, glynnjonessalon.com 2ND PLACE: Michael Anthony Salon 3RD PLACE: Blackbird Salon 4TH PLACE: Spa Logic 5TH PLACE: First Avenue HAIR DESIGN

Best Hairstylist GLYNN JONES Multiple locations, glynnjonessalon.com 2ND PLACE: Mickey Bolek 3RD PLACE: Annette Lane 4TH PLACE: Devin Cook 5TH PLACE: Justine Carlisle

Best HIIT Studio MADABOLIC Multiple locations, madabolic.com 2ND PLACE: F45 Training 3RD PLACE: Orangetheory Fitness 4TH PLACE: Elevate Interval Fitness 5TH PLACE: Urban Boxing

Best Hospital SIBLEY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL 5255 Loughboro Rd. NW, (202) 537-4000, hopkinsmedicine.org/sibley-memorial-hospital 2ND PLACE: Children’s National Hospital 3RD PLACE: George Washington University Hospital 4TH PLACE: MedStar Washington Hospital Center 5TH PLACE: Virginia Hospital Center 6TH PLACE: Inova Alexandria Hospital

Best Hot Yoga BIKRAM YOGA WORKS Multiple locations, bikramyogawellnessworks.com 2ND PLACE: CorePower Yoga 3RD PLACE: Flow Yoga Center 4TH PLACE: Down Dog Yoga 5TH PLACE: Hot Yoga Capitol Hill 6TH PLACE: Haute Bodhi

Best Indoor Cycling Studio SOULCYCLE Multiple locations, soul-cycle.com 2ND PLACE: Biker Barre 3RD PLACE: CYCLEBAR

4TH PLACE: CYCLED!

5TH PLACE: Wired Cycling Fitness Studio

Best Makeup Artist CONCEPTUAL BEAUTY 1400 Irving St. NW, (202) 412-9628, conceptualbeauty.com 2ND PLACE: Erwin Gomez 3RD PLACE: Beauty By Ruben Bermudez 4TH PLACE: Spa Logic 5TH PLACE: Silky Kapoor

Best Mani/Pedi LUSH NAIL BAR DC 1406 14th St. NW, Suite 200, (202) 888-6146, lushnailbardc.com 2ND PLACE: nailsaloon 3RD PLACE: Varnish Lane 4TH PLACE: Spa Logic 5TH PLACE: Nailbed & Bar

Best Martial Arts Classes URBAN BOXING Multiple locations, urbanboxingdc.com 2ND PLACE: Seichou Karate 3RD PLACE: The Capoeira Spot 4TH PLACE: WDC BJJ (GFTeam DC) 5TH PLACE: Yong Studios

Best Med Spa JAVAN WELLNESS Multiple locations, javanwellness.com 2ND PLACE: Unwind Wellness Center 3RD PLACE: Jenny Luu Skin Care 4TH PLACE: Cultura Dermatology & Plastic Surgery Center 5TH PLACE: Hela Medical Spa

Best Personal Trainer (Gym) MADABOLIC Multiple locations, madabolic.com 2ND PLACE: Balance Gym 3RD PLACE: Bodymass Gym 4TH PLACE: Urban Boxing 5TH PLACE: F45 Training

Best Personal Trainer (Non-Gym Individual Person) JACOB SIWICKI siwickifitness.comabout 2ND PLACE: Bailey Rizer

52 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

3RD PLACE: Raffi Umanzor

4TH PLACE: Bianca Russo Fitness 5TH PLACE: Amine Ballafrikh

Best Physical Therapy ELITE PHYSICAL THERAPY & WELLNESS CENTER 2233 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Suite 300, (202) 965-8901, eliteptandwellness.com 2ND PLACE: Big League Performance and Rehabilitation 3RD PLACE: Release Physical Therapy Washington DC 4TH PLACE: Elements Fitness & Wellness Center 5TH PLACE: Set Physical Therapy

Best Pilates Studio DISTRICT PILATES Multiple locations, districtpilatesdc.com 2ND PLACE: Fuse Pilates 3RD PLACE: Elements Fitness & Wellness Center 4TH PLACE: Rooted Pilates 5TH PLACE: Club Pilates

Best Place for Adventure Sports EARTH TREKS Multiple locations, el-cap.com 2ND PLACE: The Adventure Park at Sandy Spring 3RD PLACE: Blue Planet Scuba 4TH PLACE: Axes and O’s 5TH PLACE: ZAVA ZONE

Best Place for Hair Removal DUPONT THREADING Multiple locations, dupontthreading.com 2ND PLACE: PRMP Brow & Beauty Studio 3RD PLACE: Spa Logic 4TH PLACE: Laurie’s Personal Touch 5TH PLACE: Brow Contour

Best Plastic Surgeon DR. ARMANDO RETANA 2311 M St. NW, Suite 200, (202) 875-5369, ccomfs.com 2ND PLACE: Dr. Steven Hopping 3RD PLACE: DaVinci Plastic Surgery 4TH PLACE: Dr. Houtan Chaboki 5TH PLACE: Dr. Jules Feledy

Best Spa

UNWIND WELLNESS CENTER 1054 Thomas Jefferson St. NW, (202) 3333334, unwindwellness.com 2ND PLACE: Jenny Luu Skin Care 3RD PLACE: Spa Logic 4TH PLACE: SOULEX Float Spa 5TH PLACE: Brow Contour

Best Tattoo Parlor FATTY’S TATTOOS & PIERCINGS Multiple locations, fattystattoos.com 2ND PLACE: Tattoo Paradise 3RD PLACE: Jinx Proof Tattoos 4TH PLACE: Embassy Tattoo 5TH PLACE: Globe Electric Tattoo

Best Therapeutic Massage UNWIND WELLNESS CENTER 1990 18th St. NW, (202) 232-2232, unwindwellness.com 2ND PLACE: Freed Bodyworks 3RD PLACE: Jenny Luu Skin Care 4TH PLACE: Spa Logic 5TH PLACE: Deluca Massage & Bodywork

Best Threading DUPONT THREADING Multiple locations, dupontthreading.com 2ND PLACE: Spa Logic 3RD PLACE: Brow Contour Capitol Hill Organic Hair Removal Boutique 4TH PLACE: Silky Smooth 5TH PLACE: Aparnaz Lash & Brow Boutique

Best Yoga Instructor MIMI RIEGER mimiriegeryoga.com 2ND PLACE: Andrea Diraddo 3RD PLACE: Kendra Blackett-Dibinga 4TH PLACE: Mana Takai 5TH PLACE: Rajiv Dhar 6TH PLACE: Denesia Rodgers

Best Yoga Studio YOGA DISTRICT Multiple locations, yogadistrict.com 2ND PLACE: Flow Yoga Center 3RD PLACE: Bluebird Sky Yoga 4TH PLACE: Yoga Heights 5TH PLACE: St. Mark’s Yoga Center 6TH PLACE: Lighthouse Yoga Center

DIVERSIONS CROSSWORD

ARMY BASE

By Brendan Emmett Quigley

Across 1. Country that is more than 80% Saharan desert 6. Evil villain’s laugh 13. Resident on the Persian Gulf 14. Inspected, as a worksite 15. Martin Sheen’s real first name 16. Two things needed to review for 57 across?

17. “Smells delicious” 18. Japanese electronics manufacturer 20. Darth Vader, in his youth 21. The Godfather actor 23. Tending to be moody and covered in eyeliner 24. Be a super fan 25. English prog rock band that provides the soundtrack for 57 across?

30. Get to 31. Plastic duck, e.g.

32. Ice cream maker 33. “That’s ...

strange” 36. Person who grew up with a dot matrix printer, maybe 37. Crossword construction, for me 40. Deplete 42. Sweetie 44. Scalp during 57 across?

48. Denon rival 49. “Personally,” initially 50. Dumbbell front raise target 51. Scrap of food 52. “No, really, my treat” 56. Hair application 57. 2021 Netflix series whose players hope to win won 59. Mazda best seller 61. Excel in every way 62. Up position?

63. Most humble 64. Stereo part

Down 1. Unpretentious unisex fashion trend 2. “Wow, just ... wow!”

3. Radioactive decay

emission 4. Capital One’s online assistant (presumably whoever named it is a fan of Brian’s) 5. Coyotes prowl on it 6. The “B” in “N.B.” 7. Put on 8. PEN15 co-creator Konkle 9. Brick porter 10. Fly 11. Some temporary tattoo dyes 12. Actor Adam of Pig

' , 6 & 6 . ( 7 ( / ) 7 '

, 1 ( 5 7

$ / / 2 <

/ $ 0 3

6 : $ 3 6 ( 3 , & . , * 5 ( 7 , ( 6 ) 9 $ ( 0 1 2 3 $ 3 $ 8 1 7 ) 1 ( ) <

14. Fast-moving hand 16. Apple, e.g.

19. Even so 22. Actor Cage of Pig, for short 24. Underhanded 26. Selected 27. Nickname for an El Paso pal 28. Big heart?

29. One of the Ionian Islands 34. ___ Comedy Jam 35. Bridge partnership, e.g.

37. Senator on the Space Shuttle Discovery 38. Fluffy breakfast 39. The Wizard of Oz star 40. Strummed instrument 41. Light refractors 43. ___ Soundsystem 44. Turning force 45. Observant 46. Tours girlfriend 47. Desperate code message 48. Chest 52. In neutral 53. Some grocery stores 54. GOP elephant cartoonist 55. Grp. named after Renaissance painters 58. “Yuck!”

60. Debtor’s paper

% , ' & 2 ' ( & 5 , % , 1 * * 8 $ 5 < 7 5 $ : 2 / ) 1 * $ 3 3 ( 5 5 9 % $ % < . , 8 5 < 2 1 6 ( 1 ' 3 < 0 $ * $ $ 0 ( 6 / 6 & 2 7 2 6 $ : 2

, 0 $ 5 ,

+ $ 1 ' 6 7 : $ , 0 3 3 ( ' = , ( 1 5 $ 2 +

2 3 ; , 2 1 + , 5 ( (

$ 1 ' 2 5

7 1 2 7 (

6 ( ; ( '

PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIES

TOGETHER REPORT HATE CRIMES 1-800-CALL-FBI

tips.fbi.gov

FBI

CITYPAPER WASHINGTON

@washingtoncitypaper

Stay tuned with local news.

Follow City Paper on social media.

@washingtoncitypaper

@wcp

washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 53

Vacuum Leaf Collection Program How to Prepare for Leaf Vacuum Collection: Scan here to view your collection date!

• Check the DPW website to confirm your area’s leaf collection dates; • Move vehicles from curb lanes to help ease the leaf vacuum collection process; • Rake leaves to the curbside or tree box at the front of the residence the Sunday before the scheduled leaf collection date; • Remove all cans, bottles, sticks, toys and debris from your piles of leaves—these items can damage equipment and prevent safe and proper collection;

For more information, please visit dpw.dc.gov/service/leaf-collection.

54 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

Darrow Montgomery

PEOPLE & PLACES

EDITORS’ PICKS Best Way to Beat the Heat Banneker Pool 2500 Georgia Ave. NW, (202) 673-2121, dpr.dc.gov/page/banneker-pool OK, yes, it’s incorrect to say that somewhere as perpetually crowded as Banneker Pool is underrated. On nice summer days, it can be hard to find a chair or lounger, and sometimes real estate on the pool deck itself is scarce.

The pool is full of lap swimmers, belly-flopping teens, water-winged toddlers, and preening millennials. At least, the preening millennials that aren’t baking in the sun. Despite all of that, until all 700,000 D.C. residents try to fit into this public pool at once, it will be underrated. It’s that good. First of all, it’s free to all D.C. residents. That alone should sell you on the place. We have no need for luxury buildings’ rooftop pools when we have this gem (and the other 21 outdoor pools the Department of Parks and Recreation runs).

Then there is, for lack of a better word, the vibe. It’s not vibey in an Instagram way. There are no succulents or accent walls to be found here. No. It’s the vibe of people who share

freeze pops the staff hands out. It’s the vibe of people who secretly don’t mind the hokey line dances that blare over the loudspeaker. It’s the vibe of people who put together their best and/or bravest to swim against the lifeguards in a relay race. It’s the vibe of people who may have nothing in common other than that they all live in the same city, and that city is hot as fuck. —Will Warren Best Environmental Reporting Trend Local Journalists Discover Birds People around the world have taken up bird-watching during the pandemic to combat boredom and find new ways to appreciate their immediate surroundings. If we’ve got to stay near our homes, the thinking goes, at least we can try to see the neighborhood in a new way. Accordingly, and thanks to some rare avian visitors, local reporters ended up on the bird beat as well. When a painted bunting—a brightly colored songbird more commonly found in the southeastern U.S.—ventured further north and ended up at Great Falls at the start of 2021, nearly a dozen

Best Scenic Hike Near the City: Turkey Run Park

reporters filed stories about its visit. The CBC weighed in, as did the Guardian. The Post devoted more than a thousand words to it and Washingtonian weighed in with an interview of Switzerland’s ambassador to the U.S.; his photograph of the bunting accompanied the Post story. The arrival of a Rufous hummingbird and Roseate Spoonbills garnered media coverage as well. Hell, the saga of a loon that landed in a Fairfax pond generated two lengthy features. Regular bird-watchers, yours truly among them, might suggest that the energy we spend reading about bird-watching could be better spent actually birdwatching, but hey, at least our hobby is garnering attention and seeming less weird.

If only there could be a blanket ban on Pokémon GO references. —Caroline Jones Best Rule Wear a Mask Indoors, Version 2.0 On July 29, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced an executive order that would require everyone in D.C. to once again wear masks inside public places, including restaurants and bars.

The Delta variant was causing COVID-19 case numbers to rise, and masks are an effective way to reduce the chance of spreading the virus. The rule did not go into effect until Saturday, July 31, the same day Bowser was scheduled to officiate a wedding at the LINE DC hotel in Adams Morgan. At the reception, a Washington Examiner commentator spotted Bowser sitting at a table inside without a mask, in violation of the rule she’d imposed on the rest of the city just 24 hours earlier.

Asked about the obvious violation of her own rule, Bowser said, “We all know what the rule says about sitting at a dining table and dining. Don’t be ridiculous. What’s the next question?” In fact, her rule says masks are required except when a person is “actively eating or drinking,” not “sitting at a dining table and dining.” Nice try, though. The second iteration of the indoor mask rule is not our pick for Best Rule because of its potential to keep you safe while also enjoying bars and restaurants. Nor is it the best because the Washington Post fact-checker gave Bowser four Pinocchios and dubbed her explanation “partisan-laced spin and innuendo.” Rather, this rule is the best because the irony that it was broken, and by its own promulgator to

washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 55

Darrow Montgomery

PEOPLE &PLACES

Turkey Run Park

boot, is just too perfect. —Mitch Ryals

Best Clapback to Howard University’s Phylicia Rashad The Flood of Donations to the Black Survivors Healing Fund gofundme.com/f/ rx2bn-black-survivors-healing-fund The Black Survivors Healing Fund nearly doubled its donations at the end of June.

Created in the summer of 2020 to provide financial assistance to current and former Howard University students who’ve sur-

vived sexual assault, the fund had already begun assisting 20 survivors, but donations slowed over the course of the year. That all changed, however, after Cosby Show star Phylicia Rashad, a Howard alum and recently instated dean of the university’s College of Fine Arts, tweeted her support of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturning Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction.

Though the conviction was overturned on technical grounds and Cosby was not declared innocent of sexually assaulting dozens of women, Rashad tweeted, “FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is being righted—a miscarriage of justice is corrected!”

As Twitter is wont to do, users responded in force, with many of them putting their mon-

56 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

ey where Rashad’s mouth wasn’t: in support of survivors of rape and sexual assault.

—Sarah Marloff Best Name for a Football Team Not the Red Wolves This summer, eight finalists emerged for the Washington Football Team’s new name.

They’re all bad.

The team is considering the Red Hogs and the Red Wolves. Those are perfectly fine names for teams without a history of resisting removal of a racist name and insignia. Both are reminders of what Dan Snyder would rather his team be called. Four of the

finalists—Armada, Defenders, Brigade, and Commanders—are military references and said to be a favorite of head coach Ron Rivera, who grew up in a military family. “I look forward to working closely with Dan Snyder to make sure we continue the mission of honoring and supporting Native Americans and our military,” Rivera told Sporting News.

Supporting the military and Native Americans. With those names? Yikes, Ron. The Presidents is the seventh finalist. Name the team after the monuments, or the Tidal Basin or the freakin’ cherry blossoms. But for the love of god, don’t name them the Washington Presidents. Those guys are already busy at another stadium.

A ridiculous team with a ridiculous owner

PEOPLE &PLACES Darrow Montgomery

deserves a ridiculous name. This team always was, and should remain, the Washington Football Team—either that or the Half- smokes. —Mitch Ryals Best Mind Game The Start Time of D.C. Council Meetings Call it masochism, call it naivete, call it insanity. Call it whatever you want, but every time a D.C. Council meeting rolls around, I arrive with the same optimistic expectation: that the damn thing will start on time. And nearly every time, I’m disappointed. I’m not the only one. From 2017 through 2018, Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau tracked start times of every meeting of the full Council. Her colleagues’ tardiness ranged from 11 up to 70 minutes for a total of 18 hours of our collective time wasted.

Even with the Council moving to an all-virtual gathering during the pandemic, councilmembers couldn’t get themselves together enough to respect the time of constituents who elected them (though Nadeau concedes start times have gotten a little better). While I wait, my mind spins with thoughts of what could possibly be more important for the electeds. Scheming and plotting? Perhaps. Wheelin’ and dealin’?

Of course. Maybe even a bit of lollygagging?

You betcha. Whatever the delay, it would be nice if we could get a little heads-up. You’re handling the people’s business after all. And the people have things to do! —Mitch Ryals

Best New Media Union Washingtonian Guild This year, Washingtonian owner Cathy Merrill wrote an op-ed bad enough that it appeared to push her employees to form a labor union with the Washington-Baltimore News Guild. (Disclaimer: This writer was a Washingtonian fellow, which means intern, in 2018, like many other young journalists in the D.C. media ecosystem once were.) In early May, Merrill published an op-ed in the Washington Post essentially threatening her employees to return to work that was widely mocked, discussed, and derided on social media. Contributing ill-advised op-eds to the Post wasn’t new for her: On March 18, 2020, Merrill wrote a similarly unpopular op-ed calling the CDC’s initial 60-day stay-at-home order a “death sentence” for small businesses. The “return to work” op-ed appeared to be the last straw. The staff engaged in a one-day work stoppage in response, and soon the Washingtonian Guild was announced. In Huffington Post, Dave Jamieson reported that Merrill personally urged staffers to vote against the union

Best Lively Picnic Spot: Columbia Island Marina washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 57

PEOPLE & PLACES Darrow Montgomery

Best Old-School Patronage Phil Mendelson’s Illegal Alley Parking for a Friend There are certain perks that come with being the chair of the D.C. Council. One of them, apparently, is securing an illegal alley parking spot for an old friend, the fire marshall’s recommendation be damned.

For decades, Phyllis Klein and her family have parked outside their alley dwelling near Dupont Circle until the D.C. Department of Transportation told her to stop. (It’s illegal to park in an alley in D.C. except in rare circumstances.) Klein fought DDOT, her Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, and her neighbors, who said her parking interfered with their own. She lost at every turn. But then the issue reached Council Chairman Phil Mendelson’s desk. Soon enough, the chairman, who has referred to Klein as a friend, personally emailed DDOT Director Everett Lott to ask that the agency reverse its decision and allow Klein to park in the alley—a reversal that would go against a fire marshall’s determination that the alley remain unobstructed so fire trucks can get through. The agency caved. Klein has her parking spot. The chairman won. —Mitch Ryals

Best Scenic Hike Near the City Turkey Run Park George Washington Memorial Parkway, McLean, nps.gov/gwmp/planyourvisit/turkeyrun.htm

Best Place to Overhear Lovers’ Night Quarrels Coming from the Streets: 14th Street and Parkwood Place NW and hosted anti-union meetings with her brother Doug. Unswayed, staffers voted 15-2 to form a union in an NLRB election. After the election, the Guild tweeted it would “begin negotiating for fairer compensation, a more diverse and inclusive newsroom, a healthier office culture, improved transparency, and other objectives,” all of which would be real, though unforeseen, upsides of your boss subtweeting you in a national newspaper. —Emma Sarappo

Best Local Instagram Account for Venting (and Staying Aware of All Things Local)

Washingtonian Problems instagram.com/washingtonianprobs Sure, we at Washington City Paper would love to toot our own horn and say that our Instagram account is the fairest in all the District, but there is another Instagram account that truly deserves all the fanfare it gets: Washingtonian Problems (@washingtonianprobs).

This account, which had more than 226,000 followers at press time, is one of the best local social media accounts for discussing all things related to the District, whether you’re new to town or have lived here all your life. Not only does the account aggregate local news and funny witticisms, but it also allows the public to find ways to interact

58 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

with one another through campaigns like “DC Dates” and “WP Besties.” Members of the public are able to sign up to share a selfie with some biographical information of themselves in the hopes of fostering new connections in a city that is so often billed as transient.

In recent weeks, it’s also been a source of breaking news: Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White announced his plan to run for mayor by replying to a comment on one post.

With Washingtonian Problems, you can expect to learn and laugh along the way to staying up-to-date on news headlines, general questions, and even trivia and quizzes.

Just remember to read the comments! — Michelle Goldchain

Like many people throughout the pandemic, I’ve picked up a few new hobbies in an effort to keep my mind and body active while adhering to public safety protocols. I’ve tried to improve my chess skills (with very marginal success), teach myself how to solve a Rubik’s cube (with zero success), and I started hiking trails around the D.C. area. As a long distance runner, I’m used to spending hours a week exercising outside, but hiking has allowed me to slow down and appreciate the nature that surrounds us in ways that I don’t get to experience while marathon training.

All year I’ve been searching for scenic hikes, and one of my favorites has been at Turkey Run Park. The park, part of the Potomac Gorge ecosystem, may not boast the biggest waterfalls or have the most trails, but it’s a beautiful slice of forested nature, full of creeks, cascading waterfalls, and a serene view of the Potomac River located right off the George Washington Memorial Parkway in McLean and a universe away from the noise that surrounds us each day. —Kelyn Soong

PEOPLE &PLACES

Lou’s City Bar’s Reply to District Line Daily The tweet was innocent enough. In early July, Lou’s City Bar asked their followers for some love in Washington City Paper’s Best of D.C. reader poll, the results of which are printed in the very issue you’re reading right now.

But the entirely appropriate request was followed by an entirely inappropriate note to WCP’s staff from none other than Lou’s managing partner, Mark Helliwell. Responding to our daily newsletter, Helliwell wrote a rambling, nonsensical email in which he referred to the publication from which his bar was looking for some positive ink as “left wing Fox” and accused us of writing “one sided hacker jobs.”

“You people have some fucking nerve,” Helliwell wrote in his email before going on to accuse us of “a clear jouranlistic ethics violation” and admonishing us for “acting in this manor [sic].” Helliwell’s love note is a head-scratcher considering the newsletter he responded to was a straightforward description of the end of D.C.’s eviction moratorium. It even had a graphic.

In the end, Lou’s placed fourth in two reader-voted categories this year, proving to WCP staff, once again, that there is no justice in this world. The people have spoken, but consider this blurb an asterisk on Lou’s extremely mediocre showing. Fourth place?

Psh, I’d rather be dead. —Mitch Ryals Best Hypothetical Transportation Project (That Might Actually Maybe Become Reality One Day) The Georgetown-Rosslyn Gondola Don’t hold your breath, but the planned gondola that could stretch across the Potomac River might, maybe, possibly become an actual thing one day at some point, perhaps.

In August 2021, the Washington Business Journal was the first to report that the D.C. government allocated $10 million to acquire a half-acre site in Georgetown that currently houses a closed gas station, but may end up being a landing point for the gondola.

This decision came years after the Arlington County Board sent a letter in 2017 saying it was no longer in favor of funding the project.

To be clear, the gondola is still a hypothetical rather than a sure thing, but if it ends up getting built, folks may be able to zip across the Potomac River in as little as four minutes. The commuter method is slated to carry as many as 6,500 passengers a day, but before that can happen, there are still several hurdles that could thwart the project.

The Georgetowner suspects that the aforementioned half-acre site will be used as an electric vehicle charging station. It could be an ideal location for a new Georgetown Metro station, or maybe, more realistically, it could end up becoming a Metrobus stop.

In an interview with the Georgetowner, Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto said she would prefer the first option; it would be the first major EV charging station in the city.

Sure, that would be nice but what about a new car-free method to traveling in D.C.?

Bring on the gondola! —Michelle Goldchain

Darrow Montgomery

Best Hate Mail

Best News for Disgruntled Wizards Fans Scott Brooks Is Gone It happened after every Wizards’ loss and even after many of the team’s wins last season. Fans would take to Twitter and direct their ire to the man in charge: head coach Scott Brooks. It wouldn’t be a Wizards game without someone tweeting the hashtag #FireScottBrooks after some questionable decision making or another poor defensive performance from the team. And even though the Wizards reached the NBA playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s eighth seed after winning a game in the play-in tournament, the five-game first-round series loss to the Philadelphia 76ers left the perpetually disgruntled fan base as cynical as ever. The Wizards finished the 2020-2021 regular season ranked 20th out of 30 teams in defensive rating, a stat that measures the number of points allowed per 100 possessions by a team. And so it was welcome news for many fans when the team chose not to bring back Brooks after his five-year contract expired. In his place, the Wizards hired Wes Unseld Jr., the former associate head coach for the Denver Nuggets and the son of Bullets legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Wes Unseld, to lead the team. The younger Unseld was credited with improving the Nuggets’ defense during his six-season tenure with the team, and he makes his head coaching debut with the franchise that hangs his father’s name in its home arena’s rafters.

To fans’ delight, Unseld said the team’s first practice during training camp focused “80/20” on defense compared to offense.

It may still be the honeymoon period, but it feels better than before. —Kelyn Soong Best Answer Chairman Phil Mendelson on the Difference Between a “Yes” and “No” Vote During a protracted budget debate this

Columbia Island Marina

summer, Ward 7 Councilmember Vince Gray attempted to resurrect three health care related contracts. The D.C. Council had already shot down a similar proposal from Mayor Muriel Bowser that would essentially sidestep a judge’s ruling. The discussion meandered from accusations of contract steering to jargony descriptions of contracting procedure to claims that 65,000 people could lose their medical coverage.

At-Large Councilmember Robert White called it a “manufactured crisis.” At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman described the whole thing as the “Freddy Kruger of contracting.”

By the end, Gray apparently was so confused that he asked Council Chairman Phil Mendelson to explain what a “yes” vote and what a “no” vote on his own amendment would result in. Ever the pragmatist, Mendelson provided a simple definition.

“I’m going to give a technical answer instead of speaking to the arguments,” Mendelson said. “A ‘yes’ vote is a vote in support of your amendment. A ‘no’ vote is a vote against your amendment.”

Got it. Thanks, Mendo. —Mitch Ryals

Best Local Olympics Moment Torri Huske’s Breakout During every Olympic cycle, it seems like a new swimming star arrives, and the chances that the swimming star is from the D.C. area is relatively high. D.C. native and Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart graduate Katie Ledecky won her first gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, and then became one of the faces of Team USA at the 2016 Rio Games. This summer, Arlington resident and Yorktown High School alum Torri Huske turned her surprise victory at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, where she set the American record in the women’s 100-meter butterfly, as a launch pad for her young career. At the Tokyo Games, which were delayed one year due to the pandemic, Huske missed the podium in the 100-meter butterfly by .01 seconds, finishing fourth.

She did, however, take home a silver medal as part of the 4x100 medley relay, in which she swam the butterfly leg and gave the Americans a slight lead heading into the

washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 59

PEOPLE &PLACES final leg. Huske is now a freshman at Stanford University and swims for the varsity team, just like Ledecky did. In August, Huske signed a deal with the competitive swim apparel company TYR, becoming one of the first swimmers in the country to take advantage of the new NCAA rules allowing athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness. —Kelyn Soong Best Lively Picnic Spot Columbia Island Marina George Washington Memorial Parkway, Arlington, (202) 347-0174 nps.gov/places/000/ columbia-island-marina.htm When you think of a picnic, there’s a good chance you’re picturing something secluded.

It’s just you and your fellow diners, huddled together on a too-small blanket. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had about as much seclusion as I can handle. But dining outdoors is still nice. What to do, what to do…

Go to Columbia Island Marina and exchange quiet and solitude for a lively picnic atmosphere. If you own a boat, you may already know about this place. If you’re everyone else, you probably don’t. It’s located on Columbia Island in the Potomac, and while it is a place for people to keep their boats, it’s much more than that. It has plenty of picnic benches and ample green space to throw down a blanket. Fortunately for us landlubbers, you can get here by car or by bike as well.

As you eat, enjoy top-tier people watching as folks disembark their boats and parties rage. Oh, did I forget to mention there’s a bar? You can supplement your picnic food with offerings from Island Time Bar & Grill.

Or you can completely forgo the bringing your own food part of a picnic, if that’s not really your bag. The bar also provides occasional live music, a bathroom, and a whole lot of ambience sure to make this picnic your liveliest one yet. —Will Warren Best Lie Told to Visitors Woodley Park Being Considered the Zoo Stop Listen here, Metro. I want to see lions … not you to be lying. Why is Woodley Park the listed National Zoo stop when Cleveland Park is clearly the superior stop?

Anyway you shake it, the station is a terrible starting point for a trip to the zoo.

You can only exit the station on the east side of Connecticut Avenue NW, so you have to cross six lanes of traffic to enter the zoo.

Regardless of where you cross, you have to walk along this crowded thoroughfare, dodging buses and cars, and you have to do

it uphill!

Every negative for Woodley Park in this regard is a positive for Cleveland Park.

There are Metro exits on both sides of the street, the walk is mostly flat and, while you still have to walk a ways down Connecticut, the service road can be a buffer from the automotive chaos.

Don’t let Metro tell you what to do. Defy the system. Next stop, Cleveland Park. — Bailey Vogt Best Place to Relax Before a Flight

college campuses, and downtown office areas. His recommended areas include Theodore Roosevelt Island, for its “charming” ambience, and the Meridian Hill Park drum circle, for offering a “place of community, of coming together.”

While the self-proclaimed “guide to weed that doesn’t suck” is full of handy hints like those mentioned above, the blog also recommends readers consult a physician for all medical advice and a lawyer for all legal advice. Also, according to founder Joe Tierney, “Don’t roll cigarette tobacco into the joint. That’s gross, dude.” —Michelle Goldchain

New National Airport Terminal Flying can cause stress even without the looming threat of a global pandemic. Add in COVID-related rules and worries and visiting an airport becomes even more complicated. At National, the combination bus station hellhole known as Gate 35X is gone, replaced with a gleaming, glass-walled terminal serving smaller planes that offers at least the possibility of relaxation. Roomy chairs and footrests face the windows, through which you can see incoming planes and catch glimpses of the Mall. Masks, still required by federal law in airports, muffle the sounds of your fellow passengers’ conversations. And since the terminal is so new, the bar that will eventually operate there has yet to open. So put your feet up, grab something to read, or watch planes and people pass by. Calm is just a state of mind.

—Caroline Jones Best Revamped/Rekindled Local Blog The Gentleman Toker For those who are 420-friendly and 21 years or older, the Gentleman Toker is an all-around great resource for learning about the District’s cannabis market. The blog shut down in October of 2019, but returned in July of 2021 with a redesign.

The snarky tone remained intact.

The Gentleman Toker offers everything from guides on where to find flowers and edibles to reviews on which strains or delivery services are worth trying. There’s a little bit of humor included in every post, as well as serious facts about the laws surrounding weed locally and abroad. In one article about which public locations in the District are worth exploring while stoned, the GToker pointed out areas to avoid if you don’t want to be hassled, among them federal land, high foot traffic areas, churches and other religious buildings,

60 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

Best Development for Local News Lovers Street Sense Media Adds Weekly Publishing, Podcast streetsensemedia.org The pandemic has shown readers the value of local news—everyone wants to know about case rates, vaccination opportunities, and support for those in need—but due to the sudden economic downturn, many organizations had to cut back on how frequently they published. Luckily for D.C. area readers, one reliable news source began publishing more frequently. Despite suspending print operations for the first several months of the pandemic, Street Sense, which previously came out every other week, came back strong and began printing weekly in April 2021. It also expanded its editorial team to include a paid intern, a deputy editor, and a staff writer, all of whom work alongside longtime editorial director Eric Falquero, and developed a six-episode podcast series featuring stories from their vendors. Grants made the growth possible, even as the pandemic forced those producing the paper and the vendors to change the way they worked.

Employment and health care became bigger coverage areas and vendors have had to find new places to sell issues since downtown remains relatively vacant. It’s up to readers to keep the good work coming. Even if you can’t find a vendor on the street, you can always donate using their app. —Caroline Jones Best Spin D.C. Police Union Chair’s Op-Ed Gregg Pemberton’s Aug. 20 op-ed in the Washington Post is an impressive display of mental acrobatics. In it, the chair of the D.C. police union cautions readers not to jump to conclusions about the actions of an

officer, who is seen in a viral video repeatedly punching a man in the face. The man was restrained by two other officers and was suspected of a crime.

Pemberton claims the officer’s assault on the man is allowed under MPD’s General Orders and trots out the tired law enforcement argument that police work is not always pretty, but at least they got a gun off the street. Contrary to Chief Robert Contee’s public statements, Pemberton states the man’s rights were not violated, and he only suffered a few bruises to his face.

In fact, the man’s attorney said he suffered facial fractures, and Contee referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for potential criminal charges against his own cops.

Pemberton’s urging against second-guessing the actions of police officers and his attempts to shift the blame from officers to pretty much everyone else (aggravated onlookers, the D.C. Council, Mayor Muriel Bowser, “politics,” the media) show a myopic view of policing. His claim that the assault was a “nearly ideal resolution” shows lack of recognition of the damage that excessive force causes to the relationship between police and the community they serve.

Officers might be getting discouraged, as Pemberton points out. But if they’re disappointed they can’t punch a man in the face while his arms are restrained with impunity, maybe we don’t want them to give them a gun and a badge in the first place. —Mitch Ryals Best Place to Overhear Lovers’ Quarrels Coming From the Streets at Night 14th Street and Parkwood Place NW Your mom is here for a weeklong visit and wants an authentic taste of D.C. life.

Forget the budget Mandarin Orientals of us common folk, the striving for luxury hotel knockoffs, and opt for an unsanitized stay in the center of Columbia Heights. An Airbnb a block or two from the Exxon on 14th Street NW in Columbia Heights, with Taquería Habanero, Pho Viet, a liquor store, and an abundance of other bars and restaurants nearby, makes it the best place to overhear lovers’ quarrels in another language coming from the streets at night. Yes, the person who gave you life might lose some sleep on consecutive nights, but mom’s the word and YOLO’s the acronym when you want to introduce her to the quirkiest parts of the city. The things that make D.C. can often be captured in things eavesdropped (am I right, @overhearddistrict?), and Columbia Heights has some of the best multilingual, multicultural eaves for picking. —Ambar Castillo

Darrow Montgomery/File

PEOPLE &PLACES Best Lockdown Takeout/Delivery Experience CHIKO Multiple locations, chikodc.com 2ND PLACE: Little Red Fox 3RD PLACE: Taqueria Xochi 4TH PLACE: One1ea Taiwanese Cafe & Tea House 5TH PLACE: Shababi

Best Pandemic Restaurant Pick-up Kit TAIL UP GOAT 1827 Adams Mill Rd. NW, (202) 986-9600, tailupgoat.com

PANDEMIC SUPERSTARS

2ND PLACE: Taqueria Xochi 3RD PLACE: Stellina Pizzeria 4TH PLACE: Fiola Mare 5TH PLACE: Shababi

Best Place to Take an Out-of-Towner: National Mall Best COVID-19 Business Pivot/ Innovation BOWL KITS by SOUTHBLOCK southblockjuice.combowl-kits 2ND PLACE: Lucky Dog Animal Rescue 3RD PLACE: Districtly Local 4TH PLACE: Bobby McKey’s Dueling Piano Bar 5TH PLACE: Brow Contour

Best COVID-19 Silver Lining WORKING FROM HOME 2ND PLACE: U.S. National Arboretum 3RD PLACE: City Dogs & City Kitties Rescue 4TH PLACE: Operation Paws for Homes 5TH PLACE: Prospect Optika

Best COVID-19 Support Service MARTHA’S TABLE 2375 Elvans Rd. SE, (202) 328-6608, marthastable.org 2ND PLACE: D.C. Mutual Aid 3RD PLACE: Food & Friends 4TH PLACE: Miriam’s Kitchen 5TH PLACE: Petal Share

Best Drive-In Theater UNION MARKET 1309 5th St. NE, (301) 347-3998, unionmarketdc.com 2ND PLACE: Library of Congress Outdoor

Movie Series 3RD PLACE: Park Up DC RFK Stadium 4TH PLACE: Bengies Drive-In Theatre 5TH PLACE: Alamo Drafthouse Ashburn

Calls 4TH PLACE: SOULEX float spa 5TH PLACE: Ivan Edgardo Photography 6TH PLACE: District Lab DabbleBox

Best Drive-Through Experience KAISER PERMANENTE CAPITOL HILL MEDICAL CDENTER 700 2nd St. NE, (202) 346-3000 2ND PLACE: Jurassic Quest 3RD PLACE: Virginia Safari Park 4TH PLACE: RFK Auxiliary Turf Field 5TH PLACE: Petal Share

Best Local Virtual Workout YOGA DISTRICT Multiple locations, yogadistrict.com 2ND PLACE: and8 Fitness 3RD PLACE: Christie Horan 4TH PLACE: The Capoeira Spot 5TH PLACE: Yong Studios

Best Local Lockdown Product FAUCI POUCHY AT CAPO DELI 715 A Florida Ave. NW (202) 827-8012, capodc.com 2ND PLACE: Republic Restoratives’ Borough Bourbon 3RD PLACE: Red Bear Brewing Pandemic Pilsner 4TH PLACE: Zenit Journals!

5TH PLACE: District DabbleBox 6TH PLACE: HöN Magazine

Best Local Lockdown Service CAPITOL HILL BOOKS GRAB BAG 657 C St. SE, (202) 544-1621, capitolhillbooks-dc.com 2ND PLACE: DC To-GoGo 3RD PLACE: Billy Maloy Hairstylist House

Best Lockdown Cook-at-Home Meal ROSE’S LUXURY 717 8th St. SE, (202) 742-3570, rosesluxury. com 2ND PLACE: Chinese Street Market 3RD PLACE: Haikan 4TH PLACE: Fiola Mare 5TH PLACE: Ratatouille

Best Lockdown Takeout/Delivery Discovery CHIKO Multiple locations, chikodc.com 2ND PLACE: Bombay Street Food 3RD PLACE: Taqueria Xochi 4TH PLACE: One1ea Taiwanese Cafe & Tea House

Best Prepared Cocktail To-Go FAUCI POUCHY at CAPO DELI 715A Florida Ave. NW, (202) 827-8012, capodc.com 2ND PLACE: Columbia Room 3RD PLACE: Service Bar 4TH PLACE: Reliable Tavern

Best Socially Distanced Event Series DOWNTOWN HOLIDAY MARKET 8th and F streets NW, downtownholidaymarket.com 2ND PLACE: DC Is Blind 3RD PLACE: Smut Slam DC 4TH PLACE: Distance Frequencies 5TH PLACE: #txtshow

Best Virtual Fundraiser During COVID-19 DC CENTRAL Kitchen/Capital Food Fight 425 2nd St. NW, capitalfoodfight.org 2ND PLACE: City Dogs & City Kitties Rescue 3RD PLACE: Sixth & I Historic Synagogue 4TH PLACE: Miriam’s Kitchen 5TH PLACE: Operation Paws for Homes

Most Missed Closed Restaurant THE BIG HUNT 2ND PLACE: Acqua al 2 3RD PLACE: Montmartre 4TH PLACE: Coconut Club 5TH PLACE: Capitol Lounge 6TH PLACE: Hank’s on the Hill

washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 61

Darrow Montgomery/File

PEOPLE &PLACES

READERS’ PICKS Best Local Sports Team: Washington Nationals

Best BID/Main Street

Best Community Blog

EASTERN MARKET MAIN STREET

POPVILLE

700 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, (202) 853-9810, easternmarketmainstreet.org 2ND PLACE: Barracks Row Main Street 3RD PLACE: NoMa Business Improvement District 4TH PLACE: Georgetown Business Improvement District 5TH PLACE: Capitol Hill Business Improvement District

popville.com

Best Charity Event CITY DOGS & CITY KITTIES RESCUE AUCTION (202) 567-7364, citydogsrescuedc.org 2ND PLACE: Capital Food Fight 3RD PLACE: Lucky Dog Animal Rescue’s Casino Night Gala 4TH PLACE: Taste of the South 5TH PLACE: Operation Paws for Homes

2ND PLACE: Clockout DC

CHARTER SCHOOL 1227 4th St. NE, tworiverspcs.org 2ND PLACE: Maury Elementary School 3RD PLACE: Brent Elementary School 4TH PLACE: Janney Elementary School 5TH PLACE: Sela Public Charter School

3RD PLACE: Barred In DC

Best Graduate Program

5TH PLACE: Congress Heights on the Rise

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

4TH PLACE: DC REALTIME NEWS

Best D.C. Marathon MARINE CORPS marinemarathon.com 2ND PLACE: Rock & Roll Marathon 3RD PLACE: Cupid’s Undie Run 4TH PLACE: Race for Hope 5TH PLACE: Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon

Best Elementary School TWO RIVERS PUBLIC

62 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

3700 O St. NW, (202) 687-0100, georgetown.edu 2ND PLACE: American University 3RD PLACE: Johns Hopkins University 4TH PLACE: University of Maryland, College Park 5TH PLACE: George Mason University

Best High School DUKE ELLINGTON SCHOOL OF THE ARTS 3500 R St. NW, (202) 282-0123, ellingtonschool.org 2ND PLACE: School Without Walls High

School

3RD PLACE: Woodrow Wilson High School 4TH PLACE: Gonzaga College High School 5TH PLACE: Woodson, H.D. High School

Best House of Worship SIXTH & I HISTORIC SYNAGOGUE 600 I St. NW, (202) 408-3100, sixthandi.org 2ND PLACE: Waterfront Church DC 3RD PLACE: Capitol Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church 4TH PLACE: St. Thomas’ Parish 5TH PLACE: Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church

Best Life Coach BONNY KING-TAYLOR bonnyking-taylor.com 2ND PLACE: Sara Oliveri 3RD PLACE: Kitty Waldorf 4TH PLACE: Raven Bonniwell 5TH PLACE: Aaron Hunt

PEOPLE &PLACES Darrow Montgomery/File

3RD PLACE: Washington National Cathedral 4TH PLACE: Great Falls

5TH PLACE: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

Best Place to Take an Out-of-Towner NATIONAL MALL nps.gov/nama/index.htm 2ND PLACE: National Museum of African American History and Culture 3RD PLACE: Union Market 4TH PLACE: Lincoln Memorial 5TH PLACE: National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Best Place to Volunteer FOOD & FRIENDS 219 Riggs Rd. NE, (202) 269-2277, foodandfriends.org 2ND PLACE: Reading Partners DC 3RD PLACE: City Dog & City Kitties Rescue 4TH PLACE: Lucky Dog Animal Rescue 5TH PLACE: Operation Paws for Homes

Best House of Worship: Sixth and I Historic Synagogue

@OVERHEARDDISTRICT 2ND PLACE: @clockoutdc

3RD PLACE: @killmoenewsllc 4TH PLACE: @ronathepuff 5TH PLACE: @sgneseeats

Best Local Sports Team WASHINGTON NATIONALS mlb.com/nationals 2ND PLACE: Washington Capitals 3RD PLACE: Washington Mystics 4TH PLACE: DC United 5TH PLACE: Washington Spirit

Best Middle School ALICE DEAL MIDDLE SCHOOL 3815 Fort Dr. NW, (202) 939-2010, alicedealmiddleschool.org 2ND PLACE: The Social Justice School 3RD PLACE: The Sojourner Truth School 4TH PLACE: Hart Middle School 5TH PLACE: Two Rivers Public Charter School

EASTERN MARKET 225 7th St. SE, (202) 698-5253, easternmarket-dc.org 2ND PLACE: Union Market 3RD PLACE: Tysons Corner Center 4TH PLACE: Eden Center 5TH PLACE: Mosaic District

Best Summer Camp CAMP LEVINE 2801 Upton St. NW, (202) 686-8000, levinemusic.org 2ND PLACE: Camp Arena Stage 3RD PLACE: Young Artists of America’s Summer Performing Arts Intensives 4TH PLACE: Studio One Dance 5TH PLACE: Overtime Athletics

Best Tour for Out-of-Towners BIG BUS TOURS

Best Preschool

Best Nonprofit

TOTH MONTESSORI

CITY DOGS & CITY KITTIES RESCUE

800 11th St. NE, (202) 748-5930, toddlersonthehill.org 2ND PLACE: STEM Preschool 3RD PLACE: National Child Research Center (NCRC Preschool) 4TH PLACE: CommuniKids

(202) 567-7364, citydogsrescuedc.org 2ND PLACE: Lucky Dog Animal Rescue 3RD PLACE: Everyone Home DC 4TH PLACE: Operation Paws For Homes 5TH PLACE: International Economic Development Council (IEDC)

Best Shopping Center

610 10th St. NW, (877) 332-8689, bigbustours. com 2ND PLACE: National Bonsai & Penjing Museum 3RD PLACE: DC by Foot-Historic Georgetown 4TH PLACE: Bike the Sites 5TH PLACE: Off the Mall Tours 6TH PLACE: Walking Backward: Presidential

Tours Darrow Montgomery/File

Best Local Instagram Account

5TH PLACE: David’s Stars Child Development Center

Best Place to Day Trip SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK nps.gov/shen/index.htm 2ND PLACE: Annapolis 3RD PLACE: Harpers Ferry 4TH PLACE: Great Falls 5TH PLACE: National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Best Place to Meditate ROCK CREEK PARK nps.gov/rocr/index.htm 2ND PLACE: National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Best Place to Meditate: Rock Creek Park washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 63

CITY LIGHTS Hear it on the Rooftop: Winning Artists’ Showcase In September, NPR named Neffy, an emerging singer-songwriter from Arlington, the 2021 Tiny Desk Contest winner.

Her soulful crooning and soothing guitar strumming is reminiscent of her musical influences (such as Tracy Chapman and Adele), but her growing success as an artist has been supported by local ties. “I see her Tiny Desk win as a win for the region and testament to how creatively rich the D.C. metro area is,” says Adrianna Smith, the founder and executive director of Emergent Seed, a local organization that supports, spotlights, and nurtures emerging creatives in the D.C. region. To date, Emergent Seed has supported more than 60 musical artists via four rounds of grants totaling more than $20,000. With numbers like that, it’s hard to believe that the organization formed in April 2020, but that’s exactly what happened. “We’ve worked to respond quickly to the need in the local performing arts industry due to the pandemic,” Smith explains. Neffy was one of 11 winners in the first round of grants. Emergent Seed offers winners $500 to use however it is needed, mentorship, and a professionally recorded video of their winning performance in a music studio. The organization also offers runner up grants to “honorees,” who receive $150. But it’s not just the money that helps winners hone their craft and grow their audience: The mentorship from established

artists, Smith says, is arguably more valuable. She believes the work of the organization is especially crucial now, as the performing arts industry has been crippled by COVID. To celebrate Emergent Seed’s artists, the organization is hosting its first official showcase of award-winning artists on Oct. 24 on the Wild Days rooftop. The event will kick off with performances from the round four grant winners before highlighting other grantees. A jam session and open mic will follow. The event begins at 5 p.m. on Oct. 24, at Eaton DC’s Wild Days rooftop, 1201 K St. NW. emergent-seed.org. Free, but registration is requested. —Sarah Marloff

City Lights

Ron K. Brown/ EVIDENCE

Ernesto Mancebo

City Lights

Better late than completely canceled by the coronavirus. Washington finally welcomes back Ron K. Brown/EVIDENCE this week, nearly two years after the dance company was scheduled to perform the new work co-commissioned by the Kennedy Center. Mercy, Brown’s collaboration with singer Meshell Ndegeocello, premiered at the 2019 Bard College SummerScape Festival and was sched-

uled to tour during the pandemic-thwarted 2019-2020 season. A lot has happened since then, making Brown and Ndegeocello’s soulful song-and-dance exploration of Black life in America feel even more urgent. “You’re ashamed to ask for mercy, and it is a shame that you have to ask for mercy,” the choreographer has said, explaining his views on the concept. Although not conventionally Christian, Brown’s works are deeply spiritual. Mercy was conceived as a companion work to Grace, his groovy 1999 classic set to Fela Kuti, Roy Davis’ “Gabriel,” and Duke Ellington’s “Come Sunday.” The original program featured Grace and Mercy, but Brown is adding what the Kennedy Center calls a “first glimpse” of a new work.

Thanks to the Mellon Foundation, which distributed more than $4 million to dance artists during the pandemic, Brown is midway through creating The Equality of Night and Day, with a score by Jason Moran, the Kennedy Center’s artistic director for jazz. Hopefully that means EVIDENCE will be back when the dance is done and, likely, Brown is praying to whatever god is out there for mercy, and a better world beyond the pandemic. The performance starts at 8 p.m. on Oct. 21, 22, and 23 at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW. kennedycenter.org. $29–$59.

—Rebecca J. Ritzel

City Lights

Eudora Welty Lecture: Ann Patchett Sponsored by the Eudora Welty Foundation, the annual Eudora Welty Lecture is held at the Folger Shakespeare Library, where authors present an original talk on their liter-

ary background as a tribute to Welty’s classic One Writer’s Beginnings. Previous featured authors include Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Salman Rushdie, and Jesmyn Ward. Now, as one of the foremost contemporary American authors based in the South, Ann Patchett is a natural choice for this year’s Eudora Welty Lecture. After the March 2020 edition was postponed due to COVID-19, the annual lecture returns this month. But, instead of taking place in person, the library has improvised to create an on-demand recording of the lecture, which can be watched at the viewer’s convenience. Recorded in June, Patchett’s virtual lecture, titled The Nightstand, takes place in what is now Welty’s home museum in Jackson, Mississippi. A key figure in American letters since the early 1990s, Patchett has published eight novels and nonfiction books that have been popular and critically acclaimed. A champion of independent bookstores, the writer co-founded Parnassus Books in Nashville in 2011. These Precious Days, a compilation of Patchett’s essays—including her Welty lecture—will be released by HarperCollins in November. Similar to Welty’s short stories, Patchett takes her readers through a myriad of different scenarios. However, from the Catholic home for unwed Southern mothers featured in The Patron Saint of Liars to the high-stakes hostage crisis in Bel Canto and the complex family drama of Commonwealth, all her works contain strikingly written episodes of human connection. Patchett again returns to this theme in her lecture as she explores her family background and writing career.

The lecture is available on demand through June 30, 2022, via the Folger Shakespeare Library’s website. folger.edu. $15.

—Tristan Jung

HOME OF THE DMV’S FINEST DANCERS

LUXURY VIP ROOMS • All Major UFC/Boxing Events • #1 Lap Dance Club in the DMV • Discreet VIP Parking

PRIVATE PARTY BOOKINGS AVAILABLE 11313 MARYLAND AVE. BELTSVILLE, MD, 20705 | THEBODYSHOPCLUB.COM | 240.297.9801 64 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

Find us on Instagram @thebodyshopclub MON-SAT 8:30PM-2:00AM SUN 8:00PM-1:00AM

SCAN ME FOR

$5 OFF ENTRY

DIVERSIONS SAVAGE LOVE

City Lights

Workhouse

Workhouse Haunt: The Collection

Do you like scary movies? If so, book tickets now for Workhouse Haunt. Returning for its seventh year and running through Nov. 6, the haunt beckons with glowing lights and an oddly alluring carnival where workers invite those passing by to get lost in the fun. Hosted by Workhouse Performing Arts, this annual spook-fest has become a fall tradition in the DMV, but this season, to keep the scares unrelated to the real-life pandemic, the haunt takes place outdoors for a frightful 30-minute walk across the grounds of D.C.’s former correctional facility. Local youth actors will provide countless (and contactless) bumps in the night by transforming into monstrous ghouls and eerie beings against terrifying backdrops as visitors journey through abandoned buildings and dark woods. Not only does the fright-fest deliver chills to all who dare to enter, but it’s also a fundraiser and program extension for participating teens to perfect their theatrical skills. The cultural arts center has called the grounds home since 2004—three years after the prison, which operated from 1910 to 2001, shuttered. During its 91 years, the correctional complex housed pastures, orchards, a poultry farm and slaughterhouse, a sawmill, and much more. What remains makes for an absolutely chilling experience for anyone who ever wondered what it might feel like to be in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

In the spirit of health and social distancing, tickets are sold for timed entry; beer, wine, snacks, and more will be available for purchase. The walk is wheelchair accessible, but it’s not recommended for kids under 13. So channel your inner Final Girl and see if you have what it takes to make it to the sequel. But don’t be a trope, wear shoes that are appropriate for an outdoor jaunt. Workhouse Haunt runs Fridays through Sundays until Nov. 6 at Workhouse Performing Arts campus, 9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton. workhousearts.org. $25-$35. —Sarah Marloff

I’m a woman in her 40s in a relationship with a man, and I have my first STI with symptoms: genital warts (yay!). I noticed them about two months ago (near my b-hole) and went to the gynecologist today and had them treated.

My question is, do I need to tell my boyfriend?

We’ve been dating for about five months, and we don’t use protection because I have an IUD. More background info: My BF hasn’t gone down on me. He wants to, but I’m very subby and it’s hard for me to get off that way, so I’ve been putting him off. And now that I want him to try, I have warts. I don’t know if he’s seen them.

Maybe? We haven’t had sex from behind in months and I think that may be why. Maybe he saw them before I did and stopped wanting to have sex in that position? He did want to fuck me from behind a couple of days ago, but I said no because I was embarrassed. Do I need to tell him I have HPV/genital warts? We’ve been having unprotected sex about five times a week for the last five months. —Worrying About Really Terribly Situation “Yes, WARTS should disclose this to her partner,” says Dr. Ina Park, a professor of family and community medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. “Hopefully he will be calm and supportive about it, and it won’t be a big deal for the two of them.”

What you’re facing, WARTS, is what I’ve long described as a “one thing/everything” disclosure scenario. Meaning, you’ll be telling your boyfriend one thing he needs to know about you when you make this disclosure—that you have a very common and easily transmissible STI—but his reaction will tell everything you need to know about him.

If he isn’t calm and supportive out of the gate, WARTS, or can’t pivot to calm and supportive quickly, you’ll know he’s not anyone you want in your bed or up your butt.

“And while I usually don’t try to pinpoint where HPV comes from in terms of ‘blaming’ a specific partner,” says Dr. Park, “if the boyfriend does freak out, I would make this next point: Given that the warts showed up for the first time so soon after starting this new relationship, it’s likely that WARTS’ current partner gave her the HPV that’s causing these warts.”

Dr. Park, who is also an STI prevention consultant to the Centers for Disease Control (and so knows what the fuck she’s talking about), points out that the strains of HPV most likely to cause genital warts—types 6 and 11, for those keeping score—will typically start showing symptoms a few months after someone starts sleeping with a new partner who has undisclosed or undiagnosed HPV. “In some cases, it can be longer, and some folks won’t manifest warts for two years

after exposure,” adds Dr. Park. “But there have been several studies in U.S. women showing the average time to development of warts after HPV exposure is 3 to 6 months. So while we can’t prove which of WARTS’ partners gave her HPV, she is in the perfect window timewise with the current relationship.”

Which is not to suggest your boyfriend knew he had HPV and didn’t disclose or take proactive steps to protect you, WARTS, like wearing a condom, which would have provided you with a significant degree of protection. Like most people with HPV, assuming he has HPV, your boyfriend most likely wasn’t aware he had it. (And he may not have it, but he probably does; most sexually active adults do.)

Now there’s a safe and effective HPV vaccine—a vaccine that protects people against HPV-related cervical cancers, penile cancers, rectal cancers, and throat cancers—and ideally people should get their children vaccinated against HPV before they’re sexually active.

But even sexually active adults up to age 45, including adults who’ve already had HPV, can benefit from getting the HPV vaccine.

“Since we know that WARTS’ immune system didn’t clear HPV very easily— because she had warts—it’s a great idea for her to get the HPV vaccine,” says Dr. Park.

“It will protect her from the strains of HPV that she hasn’t already been exposed to, including other strains that cause warts and cancer. And WARTS should bear in mind that it often takes multiple treatments to get rid of warts. So, if they don’t go away immediately or appear to go away and come back, she needs to know that can be a normal part of the process.” —Dan Savage My brother has been submitting to a “FinDom,” something I didn’t need to know and only found out after our mother “accidentally” read his emails during a visit. (No accident. Our mother snoops.) I spoke to him about it because I was worried my brother—who has a well-paying job but has never been good with money—was being exploited. Well, as it turns out, this woman put my brother on a budget. She accepts his $200 “tributes” on the condition that he sends proof of having put $500 into a retirement savings account. So, my brother went from having zero savings to having nearly $120,000 in a retirement account. (This has been going on for a while.) I wanted to send this woman a thankyou note (I have her email, thanks to Mom), but I thought that would be intrusive, so I’m writing to you instead in the hope that she reads you: Thank you for being an ethical person and getting my brother to do what I never could—save for his future—and I’m sorry about that crazed email from our mom. —Intrusion Reveals A Sincerely Ethical Person

I’m glad your brother found a goodie when he went looking for a FinDom, IRASEP. That said, I’m sure there are unscrupulous FinDoms out there—just like there are unscrupulous financial advisers and real estate developers and megachurch pastors. But while some FinDoms presumably take more than their subs/clients can afford to give, I think abusive FinDoms are rare. You don’t have to take my word for that: A lot of FinDoms share their receipts on Twitter, and it’s rare to see one accepting more than $100 from a client/sub during a single “draining” session. —DS I’ll keep the background brief: I’m a woman in a nearly 20-year monogamous marriage. Before we were married, my husband was involved with a particular woman. She left him, but they stayed friends. Early on, I was jealous and more than a little insecure. He ultimately married me, but she never got married. Since then, he and I have gone through the ups and downs of raising two kids together, but we’re in a really solid place, and this woman and I became friends long ago. She was recently diagnosed with an aggressive, early-onset breast cancer. It had already spread before she found the lump.

They’ve given her a year. My husband went with her to her first chemo treatment. That night, he told me she was nervous, and he wanted to make her feel better, so he kissed her “to distract her.”

I asked if he also slept with her “to distract her.”

He said of course not and apologized and said it wouldn’t happen again. I’ve had a couple of weeks to think it over, and now I’m thinking I should give him my blessing to sleep with his ex. My 20-year-old self would be horrified, but honestly, Dan, if I had only one good year left, I would want some hot sex with someone who cared about me before I went. If he can give her some pleasure in what little time she has left, I wouldn’t hold that against him. Bad idea?

Crazy idea? —Sharing Is Caring, Kapiche?

It’s not a crazy idea, SICK. It’s a beautiful, complicated, generous, fraught, and compassionate idea. You want this woman, this rival who became your friend, to feel loved and to feel physical pleasure at this terrifying and heartbreaking time. We should all be so lucky to have rivals in our lives like you, SICK. Talk with your husband about it. It may not be something he wants, and it may not be something his ex wants or needs right now. But if they both want it, and sex would come as a comfort to the rival who became your friend, giving them the gift of your blessing would be a mitzvah to top all mitzvahs. —DS Email your Savage Love questions to mail@savagelove.net.

washingtoncitypaper.com october 21, 2021 65

CLASSIFIEDS Employment FINANCIAL ANALYST: Analyze current/past trends in key performance indicators, evaluate �inancial health of new and existing clients, prepare plans of action for investment using �inancial analysis. Req. Bachelor’s degree in Finance. 40 hrs/ wk. Resume to Benchmark Management Inc. to 10341-B Democracy Lane, Suite 208, Fairfax, VA 22030.

MCDOOGALS NIGHTCLUB seeking female dancers Want to have fun while earning Big $$$ Text 443-540-6119

Legal EARLY CHILDHOOD ACADEMY PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL (ECA) Requests for Proposals ECA will receive bids for janitorial services from vendors licensed to provide daily evening janitorial services. A virtual information session we be held on Wednesday, October 27, 2021 at 3:30 pm (see link). Walkthroughs will be held at 885 Barnaby Street, SE, Washington DC 20032 on Wednesday, October 27 th at 5:30 pm and Saturday, October 30, 2021 at 10:00 am. Bids can be submitted online or in-person until 4:30 pm on Friday, November 12, 2021; to begin the contract on the week of December 12th 2021.

Email bids@ecapcs.org to RSVP for a walk-through, and to request a bid package. Use zoom link to join https://us02web.zoom.us/j /86076882305?pwd=NjRxZ 3JIc0xNWDg0VEl1cFlZZ25 Ldz09. Bids will be opened Friday, November 19, 2021.

Services PHOTO/VIDEO PRODUCTION STUDIO With In�initi Wall, Book NOW! www.PhotoAndVideoHut.com SAVE MONEY ON EXPENSIVE AUTO REPAIRS! Our vehicle service program can save you up to 60% off dealer prices and provides you excellent coverage! Call for a free quote: 866-915-2263 (MonFri :9am-4pm PST)

66 october 21, 2021 washingtoncitypaper.com

NEVER PAY FOR COVERED HOME REPAIRS AGAIN! Complete Care Home Warranty COVERS ALL MAJOR SYSTEMS AND APPLIANCES. 30 DAY RISK FREE. $200.00 OFF + 2 FREE Months! 1-877673-0511. Hours Mon-Thu, Sun : 9:30 am to 8:00 pm Fri : 9:30 am to 2:00 pm (all times Eastern) LEARN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE AMERICAN SIGN LANGuage (ASL) is an invaluable skill for everyone and fun to learn. Learning this unique language brings you to a new cultural awareness about the Deaf Community.

You open up a new world �illed with new people to meet and to develop different types of relationships.

Sign up for a online class today! Visuallyspeaking. info COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM! Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now! Grants and Scholarships available for certain programs for quali�ied applicants. Call CTI for details! 1-855-554-4616 The Mission, Program Information and Tuition is located at CareerTechnical.edu/ consumer-information.

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs.

Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 1-877-6495043 CABLE PRICE INCREASE AGAIN? Switch To DIRECTV & Save + get a $100 visa gift card! Get More Channels For Less Money. Restrictions apply. Call Now! 877-6930625 STILL PAYING TOO MUCH FOR YOUR MEDICATION? Save up to 90% on RX re�ill! Order today and receive free shipping on 1st order - prescription required.

Call 1-855-750-1612 DISH TV $64.99 FOR 190 CHANNELS + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote.

Some restrictions apply.

Promo Expires 7/21/21. 1-855380-2501"

4G LTE Home Internet Now Available! Get GotW3 with lightning fast speeds plus take your service with you when you travel! As low as $109.99/mo! 1-888-519-0171 HUGHESNET SATELLITE INTERNET – Finally, no hard data limits! Call Today for speeds up to 25mbps as low as $59.99/mo! $75 gift card, terms apply. 1-844-416-7147 BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR! We edit, print and distribute your work internationally. We do the work…

You reap the Rewards! Call for a FREE Author’s Submission Kit: 844-511-1836.

Music PANDEMIC BLUES? Learn to play blues guitar and bass from brian Gross, award winning guitar instructor/blues guitarist/band leader of BG and the Mojo Hands. Free lesson �irst month. Bgmojo. com 301-332-4242 ALWAYS LOOKING TO BUY RECORD COLLECTIONS, cash in hand. Interested in any kind of music, condition does not always matter, all formats considered. We buy record record albums, LPs, sets, 45s, 7", 78s, DJ 12", anything ! Will travel. All styles of music are welcomed, rock, hip hop, reggae, soul, r&b, heavy metal, alternative, house, punk rock, hardcore, industrial, jazz, indie rock, classic, rock, etc.

Call our record hotline at: (240)242-3565.

Buy Sell Trade DONATE YOUR CAR TO KIDS. Your donation helps fund the search for missing children.

Accepting Trucks, Motorcycles & RV’s , too! Fast Free Pickup – Running or Not - 24 Hour Response - Maximum Tax Donation – Call 877266-0681 CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, high-end, totaled – it doesn’t matter! Get free towing and same day cash!

NEWER MODELS too! Call 866-535-9689

Community DRIVE-THROUGH ELECTRONICS RECYCLE EVENT at Audi Field, Proceeds Plant Trees Sun, October 24, 2021, 12:00

PM – 4:00 PM. Properly dispose of used electronics, save 10% off the already low fees, get discounts for cool companies... and help plant 10,000 trees!

About this event Join us for our safe, drivethrough electronics recycling event, and be part of a 'double-green' community effort! ForestPlanet is working with eRecyc, an R2 certi�ied recycling �irm that has years of experience in the proper disposal of electronic devices, including computers, monitors, scanners, printers, cell phones, fax machines, CDs, VCR/DVD players, and so on.

Regarding data security, our vendor eRecyc guarantees that all hard-drives will undergo physical destruction (shredding), or a three-pass data wipe using Department of Defense certi�ied software. eRecyc normally charges a modest per-piece disposal fee, e.g. $5 per laptop computer, but for this event all prices are reduced by 10%!

A full price listis available online ForestPlanet, Inc. is a registered 501(c)3 organization that focuses on supporting reforestation projects all over the world, and... We will plant 10 trees for each load of electronics items received!

Here are the top four reasons to RSVP for this event: Receive special offers and discounts from companies, like six months' free delivery from The Rounds It's safe! Stay in your car, hand over your items, settle up, and go!

We'll keep you informed with weather forecasts and other updates It's very helpful for us to know who's coming and what you're bringing!

Stop by on Sunday, October 24th from 12PM until 4PM! https://bit.ly/3lEBMMZ MARCH FOR THE ARTS! Who Let the Villains out? To support marchfordesa.flipcause. com ellingtonschool.com Join us for a frightfully fun day of petrifying performances, terrifying treats, ghoulish games, and a manic march through Georgetown haunted by... I mean hosted by your favorite movie villains! Play croquet with the Queen of Hearts, jump on a moonbounce with Starro or eat delectable treats with Hannibal. Experience the shock of your life....or

show of your life at 10:30 or 11:30. All proceeds support the Duke Ellington School of the Arts Theatre Department.

Come play with us on October 23 at 10-1. We can’t wait to eat you..... I mean greet you!

LOOKING FOR INDIVIDUALS TO DISCUSS FRITZ LANG and other classic black and white �ilms and TV series. Contact Stevenstvn9@aol.com LOOKING FOR INDIVIDUALS to discuss American foreign policy. Contact Stevenstvn9@aol.com.

Health & Wellness VIAGRA AND CIALIS USERS! 50 Pills SPECIAL $99.00 FREE Shipping! 100% guaranteed.

CALL NOW! 888-531-1192 Ischyra Soma Fitness Comes to Mazza Galleria, Sept. 2021!

Fitness for YOU!!

What’s What’s What’s your your your #City #City #City Paper Paper Paper Story?

Story?

Story?

Visit washington citypaper.com/ wcp40 or use the Visit washington Visit washington #CityPaperStory citypaper.com/ citypaper.com/ hashtag on social wcp40 or use the wcp40 orsubmit use the media to #CityPaperStory your story! #CityPaperStory

hashtag on social hashtag on social media to submit media to submit your story! your story!

Investigative journalism is scary expensive.

Become a member.

Membership washingtoncitypaper.com/membership

CAPITOL HILL AUTO SERVICE

6 1 5 I N D E P E N D E N C E AV E S E | WA S H I N G T O N , D . C . 2 0 0 0 3 | 2 0 2 - 5 4 3 - 5 1 5 5 | C A P I T O L H I L L A U T O S E R V I C E . C O M

OCTOBER IS NATIONAL FALL CAR CARE MONTH This is an important time of year to stay ahead of the game and get your car serviced before the temperature drops.

ANTIFREEZE/COOLANT WINDSHIELD WIPERS TIRES BATTERY ALIGNMENT We want your family to be safe this season as the holiday season draws closer and temperatures continue to drop.

Don’t procrastinate getting your vehicle serviced—bring it on by!

Call or email us today!

202-543-5155 | CAPITOLHILLAUTO@GMAIL.COM MONDAY-FRIDAY, 8:00AM-6:00PM CERTIFIED REPAIR SHOP

VOTED A BEST PLACE TO GET YOUR CAR SERVICED: 2021 2020

2019

2017

2016