Wednesday February 08 , 2012

Blog

Tips from A Foodie

Sep 27 |04:48 AM

New to DC and wondering where to eat when in Adams Morgan? Or just looking to try out a new place before heading out on the town? Hear from Arielle, 23, a self-confessed foodie who's taken a break from the party scene to appreciate the many culinary delights that Adams Morgan has to offer


Adams Morgan…Where to begin with Adams Morgan? For me, Adams Morgan can be observed in two different lights. In the daytime, the streets are clean and tranquil, filled with a wide range of restaurants and people enjoying life on the patios.  But as soon as the sun goes down, Adams Morgan turns into a boisterous chaos where inebriated people stumble around from bar to bar with jumbo slices of pizza in their hands.

Although numerous epic drunken nights have taken place there, I sometimes grow weary of the mass of people in the bars and streets, and instead have come to find the daytime Adams Morgan more appealing – but of course, I am more of a foodie than a party animal, which might explain my opinion.  I’ve had a lot of time to explore the culinary offerings of Adams Morgan -- here are some personal favorites.

1. Dinner: Try “Pasta Mia,” a hole in the wall Italian restaurant owned by a cute little Italian couple. This tops my last as my favorite restaurant. The wait for a table is usually long and the service can be slow, but trust me when I say this: it is worth the wait! I highly recommend the gnocchi al Gorgonzola, although I must warn you: the portions are monstrous and this dish is extremely rich, so try to be strong and resist the bread and butter during the wait…

2. Brunch: Adams Morgan also has some great brunch restaurants for the weekend. Café Bonaparte, a charming little French restaurant, is one of them. You can usually get a table with very little wait and they also have an agreeable patio in the summer. The crepes are very good. They also have great cocktails and champagne tastings occasionally.

3. Drinks: The Grill from Ipanema is a Brazilian restaurant with a pleasant patio and great caipirinas. The staff is also very friendly, both times I have been there have been fun and pleasant experiences.

Of course there are plenty of other places you can go to in Adams Morgan but I’ll leave it up to you to experience it on your own. All in all, I like the international feel and the relaxed atmosphere of Adams Morgan.  Vive D.C.!

 

Kolo, 18th St, Love

Aug 22 |00:07 AM
Sure, we here at Adams Morgan: The Movie are naturally bound to love the neighborhood after which the film is named... so instead we asked regular DC folks to talk a little about what Adams Morgan means to them. Check out what Mimi, 23, has to say. Mimi, an Ethiopian-American, works for a well-respected non-profit downtown, but in her free time she heads to Adams Morgan to let loose and blow off some steam.

As a child, I always thought of Adams Morgan as “that place with the really good Ethiopian market that sells the best Kolo,” a favorite snack of mine.

In my late teens, it meant the prospect of deceiving The Rules and partaking in shenanigans typically reserved for the over 21.

Today, it means so much more. To me, Adams Morgan can be summed up by the 18th St strip. The colors, the lights, the sounds, the crowds, the scents; the late night inebriation; the endless options of food, music, and bars. The different cultures, languages, and people sprinkled about, presenting an adequate—albeit particular—picture of D.C diversity and flavor.

JUMBO SLICE FALAFEL NO COVER LIVE MUSIC DRINK SPECIALS OPEN TILL 3AM

The thrill of going out and looking your best, mingled with a sense of frustration at being noticed. But not always is it frustrating. I met my boyfriend at a bar in Adams Morgan. This is quite telling. An adventurous, fun, frivolous affair turned to grow into something consistent, exciting, and dear to me.

Maybe one day I will outgrow the frenzied energy. Maybe it will change into a tame area that attracts older crowds and families. But there is no doubt that Adams Morgan has shaped the experience of living in, and loving, my city.
   

We're Jammin: A Memory of June 12

Aug 04 |17:00 PM
On a muggy Saturday in June, on the corner of 18th and Columbia, a diverse crowd gathered at the BB&T plaza to enjoy a laid-back afternoon at the Adams Morgan Summer Concert Series.

In typical Adams Morgan fashion, a hodgepodge of DC natives braved the sticky, humid weather to hear the featured local reggae band, Lucky Dub. Never mind that the entire DC area felt like a sauna, Lucky Dub provided good vibrations to chill us all out.  Among the crowd was Producer/Writer Paul Deveaux and cast member Blair Bowers, on hand to help promote the movie and while enjoying some relaxing tunes.

Just as an awesome mash-up of Bob Marley's "Stir It Up" and Snoop Dog's "Gin N Juice" hit our ears, fans of the World Cup trickled out of local pubs - still buzzed - to cheer on the band and provide a soundtrack of their own -- was that a vuvuzela we hear? "We should add a horn section," joked the lead singer, who only seemed half serious about the idea.

We were lucky to avoid the eventual rain drops that fell, but it was the chillest calm DC's ever seen before the storm. All in all, a great event that speaks to all the things we love about Adams Morgan.
   

Adams Morgan: The Movie

Oct 29 |00:00 AM

To paraphrase the eventually late Bobby Brown, every little step we take gets us closer to our goal. Four days of shooting last week that left many exhausted but exhilarated and ready to come back for more. I am feeling the effects not mentally but physically. Due to some unforeseen absences, I was forced to "act' as a rugby player last weekend. Before I forget, eternal gratitude to the Towson Women's Rugby Club and Rocky Gorge Rugby. Also, Stefan Hankin, president of PAC Rugby, will be eating and drinking for free the next few times I see him.  My neck is still tweaked, and my knees feel like --- well feel free to insert your must descriptive adjective followed by a curse word or two.

The adrenaline and the Advil always make me forget about the pain while I am playing, but two hours later I'm walking around like Fred Sanford after too many glasses of Ripple. The day began in disastrous fashion, as far less than half of the rugby players/actors who had committed to show up decided to sleep in instead. After running my mouth about how spectacular the turnout would be, I felt like a bit of knucklehead. But thanks to some inventive thinking by Sean, our Director of Photography, creative play design by man Commando and beautiful performances by three delightful young ladies, the day sailed on like that cheesy song sang so long ago by an afro wearing man named Lionel Richie.