Tags: Gandhi
The Dupont Circle location of BGR the Burger Joint is set to open September October 22nd, according to founder and co-owner Mark Bucher. (Although he warned me the date could change.) The picture above is a few weeks old; now if you walk by the brown paper in the window is gone and you can peek in to see the store’s progress. Young and Hungry has good coverage of the restaurant in its early stages here. I like burgers but am not a big fan of Five Guys (or fast food-ish burgers generally), so BGR is a welcome addition to the neighborhood.
Now that Sweet Green and BGR have arrived, I hope PNC Bank can get a few more retailers into their space. Empty storefronts in such a prime spot near the Circle are a total waste. The Dupont Circle ANC urged PNC to add locally-owned retail, and the bank has done well so far. I’d love a good independently-owned boutique, a la Proper Topper. Benetton and Ann Taylor Loft? We can do better, Dupont.
Update on Oct. 16: When I initially posted this opening I wrote “September” 22nd (twice!). Obviously, it should be October. Sorry, BGR! That’s what I get for writing a post first thing in the morning.
Update on Oct. 26: BGR still isn’t open, but it looks oh-so-close. It’s coming along nicely! Check out the guitar table tops the next time you walk by.
Tags: BGR the Burger Joint
The new exhibit at the Phillips, “Man Ray, African Art and the Modernist Lens” opened Saturday and I had a chance to stop by. (I recommend joining for this reason– if you’re in the area and have 30 minutes to spare you can just swing through.) My hopes were not especially high for the exhibit since I don’t know much about photography. Knowing a lot about photography isn’t a prerequisite to enjoying most photographs, since they usually feature people or scenes that cause some sort of emotional reaction apart from the technical aspects of the shot (or it’s all intertwined to have an impact). But most of the photographs in the exhibit are of staged objects, which I somehow thought would require an appreciation of lighting, focus, etc. etc.
The great thing about the exhibit, though, was that the Phillips actually had a lot of the objects on display next to the photographs, so it was very clear the effect Man Ray (and the other modernist photographers) wanted the object to have on the viewer. Also, the Phillips displayed other images, like book covers and fashion magazines, that showed the effect the photographs had on pop culture in the 1920’s and 30’s. Ray’s pictures were some of the first (Western) portrayals of African objects as art rather than anthropological artifacts.
This untitled photograph features a statute of a queen from Cameroon:
Predictably, though, my favorites featured people along with objects. This may be one of Ray’s most famous photos, “Noire et blanche.” Interesting contrast between black and white, hard and soft, male and female:
This one is “Mode au Congo (Adrienne Fidelin),” featuring Man Ray’s lover. The checkerboard seems heavy-handed but it does add a nice effect:
Tags: Phillips Collection
The answer is no. No you do not have the time; no one does. Not without a functioning U.S. Naval Observatory master clock. The sight of a blank master clock on a recent walk past the Observatory really unnerved me. The USNO determines the official, precise time in the United States, and is apparently also responsible for managing something called “time dissemination.” (I clicked the link on the USNO’s webpage to try to find out what that was, but my eyes started to cross, so here’s the link. You’ll have to do the legwork yourselves.) It is THE time, people.
So . . . was someone still keeping track of the time, or were we all floating around in a timeless abyss? Is the time correct now, or is it just some naval officer’s best guess after a meltdown? Or, more plausibly, was the sign broken?
The whole thing made me think of “I.Q.,” the 1994 rom com starring Meg Ryan and Tim Robbins. What, you don’t remember it? Well I do, and there is a scene where one of the scientists is doing an experiment where he puts a guy in windowless room all day, leaves the lights on, and feeds him at irregular intervals. The whole thing makes the subject crazy; he screams in a wild panic for hours. Then Albert Einstein (just go with it) slips a watch under the door and the subject is happy as can be. The point is, not knowing what time it is drives people crazy. So let’s hope the USNO resolves the situation promptly so we can all avoid that scenario.
Tags: USNO
About two months ago, I had brunch at Bistro Bistro. It’s at 1727 Connecticut Ave, a few blocks north of the Circle. When I ate there it was relatively new. The seafood crepe was delicious, the server was attentive, and my coffee cup was always full. The whole experience was lovely except . . . there were no other customers in the entire place. (And it’s big!) The manager peered out the door hoping to attract undecided diners. The wait staff anxiously straightened napkins and salt shakers. Everyone looked hopeful and nervous at the same time. And I thought, oh god, I really hope people start eating here, because this is tough to watch.
But people did start eating there! I’ve walked by a few times recently and it has been full. Full! Way to go, Bistro Bistro. If you haven’t been there yet, try it. It’s a solid option and the prices are good. Also, I remember seeing the happy hour specials and they were super cheap. So go already.
Tags: Bistro Bistro
I saw dozens of flowers piled around this memorial over the weekend, located on the outside of Sheridan Circle (between Mass Ave and 23rd St.) near the Irish Embassy. I’ve walked by the spot many times before but somehow never noticed the monument. It is dedicated to Orlando Letelier, a Chilean politician who was a leader of the resistance against Augusto Pinochet (Letelier moved to D.C. after being tortured by Pinochet), and his American assistant, Ronni Moffitt. On September 21, 1976, Letelier and Moffitt were driving together when a bomb exploded under the car, killing them both. The explosion happened on the spot of the memorial. Among other people, a member of the Chilean secret police was convicted in the attack.
My google search about the incident revealed multiple conspiracy theories, but, surprisingly, it also uncovered the original 1976 Washington Post article. The most recent article I found is here, from the Washington Examiner. The Wikipedia entries on Letelier and Moffitt are also illuminating. September 21 would have been the 33rd anniversary of the attack, which I assume is the occasion for the flowers.
Earlier this summer, the Dupont Circle ANC and Historic Dupont Circle Main Streets encouraged more local businesses to adopt the tree boxes outside their establishments and plant gardens. (HDCMS gives grants for this purpose.) I’ve been meaning to do a post on the tree boxes for a while now, but as I was walking around this weekend I realized that the flowers are starting to wither so now’s the time. I think the results have been good overall, and I especially like the variety that comes with each business picking what it will plant. Here are my favorites.
This tree box is outside Sette on R and Connecticut. What are those plants that look like cabbage? Not cabbage, I would guess.
These wildflowers are by the Church of Scientology, and have been tended by the Church for years now:
This may be my favorite; what the heck is it? It looks wild. Outside of Firehook on 19th and Q:
These flowers looked a lot better a few weeks ago; I’m sorry I missed them in their prime. They look like some sort of mini sunflowers. Outside the Argentinean Embassy on Q St. and New Hampshire:
Tags: Flowers, Tree Boxes
No, “off the market” does not mean “sold,” or even “under contract.” The condo, at 18th and S, is simply no longer for sale. I happen to know they got at least one good offer, so my guess is Rod and Patti decided this wasn’t the best time to be transferring assets, given his precarious legal position. I wonder if they’ll try to find tenants. Take it from me, potential Blago lessees, it’s not so bad.
Tags: Blago Condo
Over the past few weeks I’ve noticed that several businesses have spruced up exterior walls with murals. Wall art generally isn’t a new trend. D.C. saw several Shepard Fairey Obama portraits last year and there are other random murals all over the city (e.g. alley by Logan Hardware, the cowboy in Adams Morgan, Alice in Wonderland Wizard of Oz on P St., guys putting up wallpaper on 14th St.). I’m sure there are dozens that I have never even seen. But the new murals seem to be business-related, rather than works of art separate from the store or restaurant inside. I can’t think of other murals like these, except the Madam’s Organ Mural (a classic).
For example, la Madeleine, on 30th and M St. in Georgetown, recently added this:
Here’s the north exterior wall of Luigi’s Restaurant, on 19th St. between L and M:
City Dogs on 18th St. near T added this little guy (dreaming of dog bones and fire hydrants?):
I have really been enjoying the wall art. The murals are well done and it’s fun walking around and noticing new art popping up in unexpected places. The murals express a certain playfulness. Or, as la Madeleine puts it, a certain:
Tags: City Dogs, le Madeleine, Luigi's, Murals
POSH Consignment is opening soon on 18th St. between S and T. I’m glad to see some retail go into the area, which up until now has been mostly restaurants and hair salons. There are a number of empty retail spaces along that stretch so I hope POSH’s arrival starts a trend. I have high hopes for POSH. It’s list of acceptable and unacceptable items matches my own. Diane Von Furstenberg, yes, Jessica McClintock, absolutely not. Saks is in, JC Penny is a no-go. Well done, POSH.
Apparently the owners are opening a few stores at once. Prince of Petworth posted that one is opening at 9th and U. Although, the POSH website only mentions a Dupont Circle/Adams Morgan location, which I assume is the 18th St. store. Are there more?
Update: apparently Prince of Petworth got the location wrong and has since updated the post to give the correct location. There’s only one POSH. For now, at least.
Tags: POSH