Black Prairie

My next entry was going to be about the weekend's camping trip, but I am too excited about last night's fantastic performance by the band Black Prairie at Iota Club in Arlington.

On the one hand, I was somewhat disappointed and surprised that the small club was not packed, since three of the five members are also part of the popular band The Decemberists. But the small crowd of less than 80 people made the performance that much more intimate.

I would describe the music as folk/bluegrass meets old world European (think Amalie soundtrack but not so Parisian). That's the extent of my music review vernacular, but you can get a taste of their songs on their website.

I had the opportunity to chat with accordionist Jenny Conlee who was sitting at the door upon my entry. No pretentious, too cool for school Indie rockers here. Just a group of talented musicians playing original, eclectic music.

The highlight of the show was the encore. After playing an amazing set they had the sound guy shut everything off, came down onto the floor and played a couple of songs with the crowd surrounding them. I could have practically touched the violinist, Annalisa Tornfelt, if I felt so inclined. Well after soaking up her haunting vocals, I did feel so inclined but resisted the urge.

The show was honestly one of the best live music experiences I've had. Ever. If Black Prairie is coming to a town near you. GO! I mean it. GO!

Right to the Moonshine, Alice!

Before heading to the 9:30 Club to see Jamie Lidell last week, my friend Holly and I hit up Eatonville in the historic U Street corridor for some Southern Grub. I had passed this place numerous times, always intrigued by the ornate typography on the sign and the huge glass windows.

Upon my arrival, I was impressed by the high ceilings painted with colorful murals, and gorgeous chandeliers. The interior is a sight to see, but it was such a lovely evening we decided to sit outside.

What I ate:

Corn bread - can't go wrong with that.
Vegan Gumbo - a tasty way to eat your veggies.
Side of Sweet Potato & Andouille Sausage Hash - the sausage was SO good, and the lightly oiled diced sweet potatoes were an excellent compliment.

The highlight of the meal was the Peach Moonshine cocktail. Served in a mason jar, I could not get enough! Fortunately, we had a show to attend so I was able to resist the urge to order a third.

I can't wait to go back to try some of their other creative, southern inspired cocktails, perhaps with a side of chicken…

Dogs, Boots and Football.

Saturday we went to a bbq at a friend Jeff's place. He has the perfect little house in Falls Church with a nice yard the sweetest dog, Gala. Don't you think Mike and I should get a dog?

Then we headed to Holly's birthday party. Her husband Jeremy makes the most amazing cocktails. The Rum punch was the perfect beverage for the summer to fall transition. Light and sweet with a bit of spice. The "Steel Curtain" was his own creation inspired by the Steelers Super Bowl win a couple years ago. Yumm.

Today Mike wanted to watch the game so I dropped him off at Icons sports bar in Old Town Fairfax. I was NOT ready for some football, so I headed to TJ Maxx and picked up these snazzy boots. As much as I'll miss my summer sandals, these babies will be a staple to my fall wardrobe.

Mad Fox Brewing Company Review

Mad Fox  and I got off on the wrong foot: there was a bit of a snafu with our reservation so we had to wait an extra 30 minutes before we were finally seated. Hungry and mildly irritated, we perused the menu and were greeted by our waitress. She was friendly, knowledgeable and provided us with beer recommendations. It was all uphill from there.

What I ordered:

80 Shilling – Although the menu compares this beer to Guinness (which I normally wouldn’t order) this beer was not too heavy, with complex flavors and a smooth finish. Try it!

Frickles – aka fried pickles. If you like pickles and you like fried food, check em out. Not too greasy and seasoned just right.

Soft Pretzels – These aren’t your store bought pretzels. Soft with a little bit of crispiness, these are the perfect compliment to any beer.

Sausage Sandwich – If you like a little kick to your meal, give this sandwich a try. Normally I opt for lighter fare, but the fact that they make their sausage (and everything else for that matter) in house had me interested. It was the perfect portion, served open faced on toasted bread. DE-LISH!

Bread Pudding – What can I say, they had me at bread pudding. The perfect way to end a great meal.

To sum it up, the food was fantastic and the beer was tasty and unique! Even though it would have been nice to have been compensated for their mistake (free app perhaps?), I can’t wait to go back! If you haven't been yet - GO! And don't forget to make a reservation!

I Heart DC

For the past year or so I've been wanting to move into "The City" REAL bad. As much I love Virginia, being in DC is so much different. The people, restaurants, bars, music, art... it just has a different "vibe". The flip side is, we would be living in a shoe box for the same price as we're paying for our somewhat roomy condo in VA. Luckily, it's a hop skip and a jump on 66 to get a taste of city livin'.

Last night we tried this really yummy restaurant called panas gourmet empanadas in Dupont Circle. It's one of those places where you just walk up to counter, order your food and you're good to go. No bells and whistles here, just tasty empanadas. My favorite - The Popeye. Mmmm spinach!

After gorging on empanadas, we walked over to Velvet Lounge (which is a little bit of a hike but it was a lovely evening) to see a friends' band called Benny.

A couple beers, a shot of Whiskey (yuk!) and some good tunes later, we called it a night. A GOOD night.