Happy 4th of July!

I usually watch the fireworks from DC, but decided to check them out from the river in Virginia this year.  A few friends and I walked down the bike path from Rosslyn to a great spot just past Roosevelt Island – the view was gorgeous and definitely worth the hike.  I love fireworks and seeing them reflected off the water just made them that much more beautiful.  The full set of pictures can be found on my Flickr page, but here are a few highlights.

4th of July favorite: concert rehearsal at the Capitol

When I was a kid, we would go to the Capitol to watch the fireworks and listen to the concert held on the west lawn.  That was “back in the day” when security was not such an issue and you could get in and out pretty quickly and easily.  Today, with the security check points causing longer lines, I am not so inclined to deal with the holiday crowds.  But a free concert with a gorgeous view is always nice, which is why the July 3rd dress rehearsal for the Capitol Fourth Concert at the Capitol is so ideal.  There were lines when we showed up at 7:40 (for an 8pm start) but they were not too long and moved pretty quickly.  We were there too late for a great view of the stage so we went to the top of the hill where we could see just enough of the stage, and have a good view of the big screens and the Washington Monument.  We pulled out our wine grape juice that was in a thermos, some dinner that we packed up as our picnic, and spent the evening listening to music and watching a gorgeous sunset in the Nation’s capital.  What more patriotic way can you kick off your 4th of July holiday?

See more pictures here.

Crepes at the Market

When I arrived at Eastern Market last weekend for the grand reopening, I scoped out the lines at my favorite food vendors to decide where to get lunch.  I wouldn’t have time to wait in line for something like Market Lunch (mmm blue bucks…) but knew I would need to take a break from volunteering at some point for food. And then I got a craving for one of my favorite treats: crepes.  If you have never stopped by the Crepes at the Market stand, put it on your list for one weekend soon.

The line moves a bit slow, but only because they make the crepes to order, and they have a mouth-watering list of fillings to choose from.  My savory favorites include asiago with mushrooms and spinach, or ham with muenster, apple and maple syrup.  You can also order a sweet crepe with any number of delicious toppings.  Sweet crepes start at $4 and savory start at $5 but most of the best ones are in the $7 and $8 range.  I say that they are worth every penny!

I have heard from some people that they do not love how these are severed, but I am a big fan.  They crepes are rolled into a cone and placed in paper so you can eat them while walking.  It can get a little messy, but aren’t the best foods the ones that are the messiest to eat?

Crepes at the Market sets up their stand in front of the Aquatic Center on North Carolina Avenue, right behind Eastern Market.  (They used to be on 7th Street but all weekend vendors selling prepared food are now setting up on the North Carolina plaza.)  Their website says that they are only at Eastern Market on Saturdays from 8am-4pm, but I heard them telling customers that they are coming on Sundays as well, at least through the fall.

recessionista favorite: Artomatic – only 5 days left!

First, let me say I had NO idea that Artomatic has been around for 10 years.  I remember hearing a lot about it last year, but before then? Maybe I was living under a rock.  Or maybe they have only just gotten better at their marketing.  Either way, I’m glad to see an event bring so much light to the art scene in DC.

The expansion to larger venues does mean that there is a lot more, well, medicore art displayed. However, mixed in with the stuff that makes you feel like you are in a grade-school art show there are some impressive exhibits.  Few of them would get me to pull out my wallet, but an afternoon browsing the 9 floors of 55 M Street hardley felt like a waste.

Artomatic is only open until July 5, so clear some time in your schedule to head over.  It’s open until 10pm on Wednesday and Thursday, and open until 1am on Friday and Saturday.

Eastern Market Reopens Today!

More than two years after a fire destroyed Eastern Market, the big reopening is finally here!  The fire was devastating to Hill residents – the market was the heart of the neighborhood, and losing it was like losing part of our homes.  My mom owned a toy store across from it when I was growing up, so my earliest memories include the old market.  Needless to say, waking up to live footage of the flames was heartbreaking.  Thankfully, the community and city rallied around the historic site and renovated it to something more beautiful than any of us remember.

The Market officially opens today, with a ribbon cutting at 10:30.   The official celebration will be tomorrow, so come on by!  I was asked to volunteer as a docent and will be giving tours of the Market from 2pm until 4pm.

In training to be a docent, I learned more about the history of the market than I ever imagined existed.  If you’re interested in it’s impressive and long history, read my post at TheHillIsHome.com.  And then come get a tour tomorrow to find out even more!

we now return you to your regularly scheduled programming…

Writers block, internet issues at home, traveling, job hunting, work, volunteering, etc…yep, I’ve been busy! And in the midst of that, I’m working with some fellow Hill residents to start up a Hill-focused blog that we want to make a place for all news, gossip, and entertainment about our little neighborhood.  I think it’s coming along quite well!  Check it out, bookmark and subscribe, and please let us know if you have any story ideas!  It’s TheHillIsHome.com.  Don’t worry, I will continue with my brunch obsession over here as well.

I realized that I hadn’t been to the beaches around here in, well, longer than I can remember.  So when a friend said he was driving out the next morning, and offered me a ride and a free place to stay I jumped at the chance.  Instead of taking pictures and writing up some great review of the weekend getaway that is the DelMarVa shore, I decided to read, sleep, and recharge.  So no great pictures or reviews, sorry!

The next weekend, I drove to Pittsburgh with a couple of friends.  A good friend of mine that is from there had been wanting to show us her home town.  We arrived just as the Penguins won the Stanley Cup…I’m sure you can imagine how crazy that was.  Pittsburgh fans are pretty enthusiastic about their teams, and after the Steelers’ winning the Super Bowl, they feel like they are on quite a roll.  My friend took us on a marathon tour of the city, and in the evening we caught a Pirates’ game (against Detroit…their fans seemed pretty blue after their hickey loss the night before).  I got a Primanti Brother’s cheesestake sandwich, which I would not really ever go back for.  There’s just something about putting french fries ON the sandwich that I will never understand.  But it was a fun time, good to get away with the girls, and fun to see a city I’ve never been to before.

Plenty of other things have been keeping me busy and way from brunch and the city as well, but it’s stuff I’m not sure others would be interested in so instead I’ll just get back to my regular stuff – brunch, food, etc.

Support Your Farmers Market!

It’s that time of year when everyone is abuzz about their local farmers market.  And what’s not to be excited about?  Walking through the farmers market always inspires me to try new recipes with the wide array of fruits and vegetables.  It also brings me back to my young childhood aspirations to be a farmer…I apparently moved onto new dreams after pre-K, growing out of my little farm set, becoming a through-and-through city girl.

Screen on the Green is Saved!

It looks like the efforts to save Screen on the Green actually worked!  I just got this press release from HBO:

a defense of brunch from I Heart Brunch

Shortly after I shared my own defense of brunch in response to news that Mark Bittman is part of the anti-brunch crowd, I noticed this piece from I Heart Brunch.  This New York brunch lover did a great job of breaking down Micheal Musto’s rant against our favorite meal.  So if you love brunch, please click through to read, it should put a good smile on your face.

For the love of bacon

Last week, Endless Simmer posted The Top 10 Top 10 Food Lists.  And what top 10 list that relates to food would be complete without bacon?  Sure enough, at #2 was The Top 10 Creative Ways to Enjoy Bacon.   Read, drool, and go find yourself a good BLT for lunch.