January 2009 Archives

Bread and Brew: Eat drink and be green

On occasion, I do actually venture outside the confines of Takoma Park and Silver Spring.  It is, after all, only fair to meet my across the river friends at least half way.  In this case, half way means Dupont Circle and the recently opened DC Bread and Brew.  Located on the corner of 20th and N Streets, NW., Bread and Brew boasts certification by the Green Restaurant Association (www.dinegreen.com), food that is prepared in house, vendors who are local and packaging, plates, cups, utensils and paper goods that are all made from recycled and biodegradable products.  What first drew my attention were the four C's on their signage - Catering, Cafe, Coffeehouse, and Cocktails.  Hmm, I like all of those things.  If there were a fifth C and chocolate was included, this may well be the perfect spot.

Upstairs at street level is the cafe while the bar is located downstairs.  Both have ample tables for seating and the well lit bar has four flat screens so you won't have to decide what sporting event you want to watch.  Of course, chatting with the barkeep is always the preferred option and young Brennan proved up to the task.

The menu offers a myriad of options in vegetarian and vegan fare, not the usual minimalist approach one usually finds elsewhere.  We nibbled (okay, gobbled) from the Daily Specials which included three of the four pizza offerings - the Arugula, Smoked Salmon with Creme Fraiche and the Wild Mushroom pizzas. 

The Roasted Turkey BLT was all the more delicious as it was served on freshly made multi-grain toasted bread.  There was not a crumb to be had on any of our plates. 

The kitchen also serves a selection of four rotating soups and three quiches daily, all of which can be ordered from either the cafe or the bar, which share the same menu.

When I ordered a large (of course) mocha (with homemade chocolate syrup!!) to go at the end of the evening, the milk from Trickling Springs Creamery (www.tricklingspringscreamery.com) came in a glass bottle.  It brought back wonderful memories of childhood summers spent visiting my grandparents back in the day when dairy was delivered by the milkman (if memory serves, Alex was his name).

If you work in the Dupont Circle area or are spending an afternoon visiting the Phillips Collection or Textile Museum, give DC Bread and Brew a try.  You won't be disappointed.

And by the by, speaking with Terry the owner, she mentioned that chocolate is indeed on the way.  Perfection may well be at hand.

DC Bread and Brew - 1247 20th Street, NW - Washington, DC 20036 - 202.466.2676

www.breadandbrew.com  7:00 am - 10:00 pm (bar open until midnight)

 

Dor-Ne Corset Shoppe provides an uplifting experience


When I was ten or eleven years old, my mother took me to Buffum's Department store to be fitted for my first bra. A real bra, mind you, not a training bra. As one who blossomed early and easily rivaled Jane Russell's bosom at a frightfully early age, I never understood the concept of a training bra. What exactly was I supposed to be training for?

Having no idea what to expect I was, needless-to-say, taken unawares when this matronly old woman (at that age, everyone seemed old and matronly) took out her tape measure, told me to undress from the waist up and proceeded to take my measurements. Oh, the indignity of it all!

Like most tweens, I was a wee bit melodramatic, and so it would be almost thirty years before I would get a proper fitting again. In the interim, I went from department store to department store looking for the perfect bra. Perfect, in my estimation, meant pretty colors with no seams, no underwire, narrow straps and a minimal number of hooks. In other words, I wanted what all the petite girls were wearing, NOT my grandmother.

As any full-figured gal will tell you, finding a bra that would meet any one of these criteria is virtually impossible. One department store literally boasted a "wall of bras". It really was an entire wall display of bras in all shapes, sizes, and colors. I went through every single one and found nary a one that was beyond a D cup.

As my 40th birthday loomed, an epiphany was had. Gravity was rearing its ugly head and my lower back was aching. It was time to get real, buck up and go get a professional fitting. Dor-Ne had been suggested to me by my other full figure friends (like sticks with like, after all). If you are willing to pay the price for a pair of shoes with good arch and heel support, then you shouldn't scrimp on paying for a good bra that not only offers you overall support for your back, shoulders and neck, but also makes your clothes fit better. It really does come down to your health and every young lady and woman from size A to DDD and beyond should be fitted annually.

There really is nothing uncomfortable or embarassing about it. The women of Dor-Ne are experts in their field. In fact, there is something very comforting about being taken care of in such a personal manner. Part of my evolutionary journey into adulthood has not only been the acceptance, but the embracing, of my size and yes, of underwire. The joy of shopping at Dor-Ne is FINALLY finding a good bra that truly fits and yet is as pretty, dare I say sexy, as what the petite girls wear.

Dor-Ne Corset Shoppe
8126 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910 301.589.5151

Photo: Dor-Ne owner Zina Leschchiner.
Photo by Julie Wiatt

Olive Lounge expands hours while Big Bad Woof expands services

Proving Sheryl Crow's point that a "change will do you good," two local businesses are tweaking their current business models to meet the demands of the marketplace.

As of Sunday, February 15, The Olive Lounge will be pulling drafts six days a week.  They will close on Sundays and open Monday through Saturday with regular hours from 4:30 pm - 11:00 pm.  Happy Hour is weekdays only from 4:30 pm - 7:00 pm with accompanying appetizer and drink specials. 

Beginning Monday, February 16, The Olive Lounge will debut a new menu that features the best of the current bar menu while incorporating a few favorites from the restaurant, including appetizers, salads, and pita pizzas.  With the expanded bar menu, crossover service between the two establishments will no longer be available, but should not be missed. 

Don't forget to wear your community spirit by picking up a "Think Local, Drink Local" Olive Lounge t-shirt for only $12.00.

The Olive Lounge - 7006 Carroll Avenue (behind Middle East Cuisine) - Takoma Park, MD  20912 - 301.270.5154.

Photo: Nadol and Chris Hishmeh toast the town.
Photo by Eric Bond

*****

"In October of 2008, The Big Bad Woof flagship store assisted with the Washington Animal Rescue League to help them open a small store inside their shelter called Warl-Mart.  All net profits from the shelter store go to benefit the Washington Animal Rescue League," according to the Woof's website. 

In helping WARL develop the concept for their store, Penny Jones-Napier, co-owner and Alpha Woof of The Big Bad Woof, noted it was important it reflect the shared principles and ideals of both WARL and BBW.  You will find many of the same green, organic, and sustainable products you have come to know and expect in the flagship store, plus a variety of other items special to the WARL location.

In November of 2008, responding to online retailers (who still contribute zero tax dollars to our community) and to the needs of their customers, The Big Bad Woof began a delivery service.  Details of this service, delivery areas, etc. are available on their website.  As an added convenience, this past December they partnered with Little Rascals Doggie Day Care by providing delivery to their location so you can pick up your order at the same time you pick up your pooch.

The Big Bad Woof - 117 Carroll Street, NW - Washington, DC 20011 - 202.291.2404 202.595.1988 (for deliveries) - www.thebigbadwoof.com.

Photo: Big Bad Woofs: Julie Paez, Bodhi, and Penny Jones-Napier.
Photo by Julie Wiatt

*****

Washington Animal Rescue League - 71 Oglethorpe Street, NW - Washington, DC  20011 202.726.2556 - www.warl.org

*****

Little Rascals Doggie Day Care and Boarding - 5917 Georgia Avenue, NW - Washington, DC  20011 - 202.669.0170 - www.littlerascalsdogpark.com

 

Warm up with Mariscada

My sister-in-law, Linda, flew in from Wichita for the Inauguration.  Needless-to-say, Kansas being a red state, tickets were not hard to come by. 

She had a craving for good Tex-Mex and, having lived in Takoma Park for almost thirty years, knew that only Mi Rancho in Silver Spring would do. 

While Wichita and its environs may be chock full of Mexican fare, she has found that none have satisfied as Mi Rancho always had.  I, of course, protested not one whit as this is one of my favorite go to spots when I want to go out for great food, festive ambience and a refreshing glass (or two) of Sangria. 

Family owned and operated since 1996, one is instantly bathed in their warmth and hospitality upon entering.  My favorite dish is their best kept secret.  The Mariscada, or seafood soup, is not on the menu but is freshly prepared for the asking.  Virtually overflowing with scallops, clams, shrimp and lobster swimming in a sweet, yet spicy tomato broth with a generous sprinkling of chopped scallions and tomatoes, this hearty soup will warm you from the tip of your toes right up to a special place in your heart. 

A perfect antidote to these frigid winter days!

Mi Rancho --8701 Ramsey Road - Silver Spring - 301.588.4872

www.miranchotexmexrestaurant.com

The seemingly never ending work on Carroll Avenue continues as it inches toward Laurel Avenue.  In addition, the limestone facade at 7001-7003 Carroll Avenue is in the midst of being repaired and revitalized. 

No doubt this is all good and much needed work, but businesses in the construction zone are now being dealt an additional blow (beyond the current economic crisis) as they see their traffic flow further ebb.  While trying to navigate Carroll and Westmoreland Avenues by car and the accompanying sidewalks on foot may prove a daunting task, do not be discouraged or put off. 

EVERYONE IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS so make time to get in tune at HMT, bust a move at Contradiction Dance and Roda Movements, get a new 'do at The Shampoo and a new outfit to match at Rerun, pamper your spirit at The Tranquil Soul and pamper your body at The Still Point!  

Kirsten's Cafe closes its doors, but Red Dog is still wagging

by Elizabeth Brinkama

As the New Year begins, one of the first casualties of Shrub's economic stimulus package has come to fruition. Kirsten's Café, the venerable coffeehouse and bakery located on Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, has sadly served its last cup of coffee.

As with most small businesses, there is never much wiggle room when it comes to profit and loss, but the devastating reality of the economic crunch of 2008 and beyond is finally hitting home as we, neighborhood merchants and customers alike, begin to feel its effects.

Zoe Stern, manager of S & A Beads, thanks the community for supporting local businesses during the holiday season. Photo by Sam Kittner


"Most merchants will be in a bunker mentality.  It's about survivability.  Retailers have to really fight to live another day and do what they can to get through to 2010."


For most retail establishments, revenue in the all important 4th quarter can account for upwards of 25% to a high of almost 40% of their entire yearly income. This year promised to be a white knuckle, down to the wire, your guess is as good as mine holiday sales season.  Would a call to arms to "shop local first" led by area merchants, the Old Takoma Business Association, LEDC (Latino Economic Development Corporation), Buy Local Silver Spring, and this newspaper make a tangible difference?  With the final results of the season and the lasting effects of the current recession as yet to be determined, i.e. who survives, who is closing, how businesses are adapting to the changing economy; anecdotal information indicates that the rallying cry was indeed heard and, more importantly, heeded.


"Retailers across the board, from chain stores to mom-and-pop stores on Main Street, are feeling a gigantic consumer spending freeze from people's perceived and actual loss of wealth."



The holiday shopping season got off to a late start this year, in equal parts because of election jitters, a spiraling Wall Street and a calendar that had Thanksgiving fall just two days before the end of the month. While merchants cautiously stocked their shelves in anticipation of the hoped for sales surge, customers remained tentative. And yet, virtually every day beginning in early Fall, merchants noticed a perceptible shift in shopping attitudes.


"If they were going to shop, they were going to shop local. Customers came in generally concerned about the businesses and the staff, inquiring very earnestly how they were doing."


Battle cries were being sent out on neighborhood list serves imploring all to shop local.  Bloggers chronicled their shopping trips in Old Town Takoma and Fenton Village to fulfill their holiday wish lists (as did several writers in last month's issue, including yours truly). There was a sense of kinship and camaraderie in shared hardship and a genuine concern for the future.  While some noted the frustration of driving to and parking in area shopping malls, the increased traffic and an overall lack of security as evidenced by the recent shooting at Wheaton Plaza, the greater motivation for keeping their dollars local was to prevent, as one customer put it, "losing our Main Street."


"We had a great many customers in the store on Christmas Eve and they were very happy that we were open - several voiced a strong preference to supporting local stores.  All in all, a large majority of our customer base is extremely 'shop local' focused which helps us tremendously in competing with the big box stores. Also, at our neighborhood pot luck held the weekend before Christmas many neighbors were very emphatic about supporting the local businesses and were committed to helping local merchants." 



With the holiday season finally at an end, the concern for survivability is far from over. However, one positive outcome that has come from all of this upheaval is the realization that the residents of Takoma Park and Silver Spring don't view the local businesses as merely a collection of commercial properties.  They feel a true sense of ownership, of partnership, in "their" stores.  Many have spoken of literally growing up with these shops. There is a very real sense of family between merchant and patron, and a very supportive one at that.