Tweaked

We stayed one night at the Westin downtown across the street from Busch Stadium. The hotel was fine, it looked pretty from the outside and lobby but the rooms felt a bit dated. We visited the very nice St. Louis Art Museum, which has a good collection of the modern Big Names, but not a lot of depth. The museum is located in the lovely Forest Park, which is kind of like NYC's Central Park. You could spend a good afternoon wandering around. At sunset we walked over to the Gateway Arch, which I'll have to say was surprisingly impressive, and it was pretty cool to watch the setting sun reflecting across the metal surface. We ordered take out from the very good iNDO, which was named to GQ's Best New Restaurants 2020 list. The vibe and food is definitely hipster Southeast Asian. The clear winner was the crispy fried fingerling potatoes with kombu butter and pickled and roasted seaweed, really really good. Another winner was the shrimp toast with mango sweet chili, cellophane noodle, piperade, and LOAFERS bread. We also enjoyed the chili garlic noodles with black garlic, mushrooms, chili oil. The poke bowl was solid but nothing special. The cabbage salad probably suffered somewhat from carryout, I would expect the dressing and salad would be better tossed in-house than arriving in seperate containers (plus most Asian cabbage salads don't hold up to the excellent version at Spices in DC). I would definitely good back here again for a dine-in experience. Not much was open for breakfast near the hotel. The Westin was offering a truncated breakfast menu and it sucked. We should have walked to Starbucks, it would have been better.

Louisville We stayed at the historic Brown Hotel for one night, which was very nice. The lobby and bar area are both decorated with that classic hotel feel. Rooms were nice with a king sized bed. We arrived fairly late (8pm-ish on a Tuesday night) after a 10 hour drive from DC. The hotel bar area was open until 9:30pm. We took a walk around the neighborhood which is near the 4th Street Live entertainment district which looked like it was hurting. The chain restaurants were all open, but lots of the independent looking restaurant spaces in the area were empty and for lease. In a three block walk we passed about 6 or 7 spaces for lease. At the hotel we had an excellent classic caesar salad (made us realize why it's a classic after all), fries, wings and a couple cocktails. They have a long list of bourbon. The next morning we went down the street to the recently opened Riot Cafe. Pretty good coffee, pastries, and breakfast sandwiches. Seriously, this place looked like it was the only newly opened place for blocks.

Agreed. If done right could be something special.

Plans are for an Italian restaurant and market with possible collaboration from Nancy Silverton. Could be interesting. Washingtonian City Paper

I think the good thing with the streaming services is you can pay month-to-month. So if you want to binge the hell out of a show or two, or a sporting event, pay for a month, watch the show(s), and then drop the service. And since most of them are $5.99 or $6.99 for a month, it's cheaper than a beer.

Space to Soar: NMWA's Renovation Plan NMWA Press Release Washington Post story "The National Museum of Women in the Arts will close Aug. 9 for a two-year renovation that will add gallery space and an education studio, improve accessibility and upgrade the mechanical systems in its historic building. The $66 million project is the first renovation since the museum opened in 1987."

Unknown, unknown and unknown. Opening soon in Van Ness.

Signage up: Shemalis is opening in Van Ness at the corner of Connecticut and Albemarle. Pretty much across the street from Bread Furst. That spot used to be a dry cleaner so no idea how long it will take to build out the space. Looks like construction has been going on since early February. "Coming Soon"

My friend had to travel down to Richmond to get his Covid vaccination. The first time down he sent me sad photos from McDonalds...the second time down I was like, dude, go to ZZQ. I then sent him an order to bring back. Even after traveling back from Richmond and then sitting in my fridge overnight, this is some mighty fine bbq. The pulled pork was succulent with smoke and great peppery bite. The beef hot gut sausage was also very tasty. This is a fairly coursely ground sausage with great flavor and a tingle of heat. Their slaw is just ok, esp. by itself, but it was pretty good when add to the pork in sandwich form. Overall, great success. Photo is a bbq plate I made at home. Pickles not included.

Little Sesame hummus at a grocery store soon. They have come a long way since the basement at DGS Deli! Little Sesame is starting out by selling their new packaged hummus with a 90-day shelf life at two Montgomery County farmers markets this weekend. Find it at Pike Central Farm Market in Rockville on Saturday, May 8 and Bethesda Central Farm Market on Sunday, May 9. In mid-May, both D.C. locations of Foxtrot Market (Georgetown and Mount Vernon Triangle) will start selling it, as will regional online grocer 4P Foods. In June, Little Sesame will make its debut at a major grocery store with multiple locations in the region.

Assuming the Olympics goes on as planned: Men's Olympic draw (this is primarily a U-23 tournament, because FIFA doesn't want it competing with the World Cup. The USA did not qualify...again) Group A Japan, South Africa, Mexico, France Group B New Zealand, South Korea, Honduras, Romania Group C Egypt, Spain, Argentina, Australia Group D Brazil, Germany, Ivory Coast, Saudi Arabia Women's Olympic draw (This is a full squad tournament. The USA is a favorite for a Gold Medal. Other than Germany (#2) and France (#4) not qualifying this is a stacked tournament) Group E Japan, Canada, Great Britain, Chile Group F China, Brazil, Zambia, Netherlands Group G Sweden, United States, Australia, New Zealand

What started as a Spotify playlist several years ago by legendary British DJ Sasha showcasing music that he liked to listen to at home or in the studio but didn't fit into his club set, has grown into a full blown music project. Sort of perfect for our pandemic times. I think the best way I can describe LUZoSCRUA is a modern take on the progressive atmospheric breaks that Sasha and his music partner John Digweed championed in the mid 1990s via their Northern Exposure 1 and 2 mixes. Regardless, it's one of the best sets I've heard in...years. Sasha LUZoSCURA 001 - OpenLab Radio more in the LUZoSCURA theme Sasha - Live MDL Beast Festival 2020 Sasha - Renaissance Engage 2020

The Kreeger has reopened after a pandemic closure. Admittance is by reservation and timed entry. TRACES The Kreeger Museum is pleased to present TRACES, an exhibition featuring regional artists Billy Friebele, Roxana Alger Geffen, Rania Hassan, Sebastian Martorana, Katherine Tzu-Lan Mann, Antonio McAfee, Brandon Morse, and Johab Silva. Guest curated by Sarah Tanguy, the show explores how the past evokes shifting memories while suggesting new and present narratives. Rich in representation and abstraction, TRACES encompasses painting, photography, mixed media, sculpture, sound, and video, and includes several site-responsive installations. As the artists dialogue with their source materials, they mine the many meanings of “trace” as noun and verb, and engage the themes of displacement, connectivity and transformation. Variously inspired by personal and cultural history, the natural and built environments, and the human condition, they offer an impassioned take on the issues of the day and suggest possible futures to come. "The Kreeger Museum has reopened, with an art exhibition that probes the vestiges of the past" Washington Post

New, French-inspired/focused all day restaurant from the Dabney folks. Opening Fall 2021-ish. Washingtonian with the story. The restaurant won’t be your typical bistro with onion soup and escargots (not to say the classics won’t ever make appearances). Rather, Langhorne describes the place as “more similar to a French restaurant you’d find in France than the ones you’d find in America.” It will focus on fresh-from-the-market cooking with simple plates “really, really well-executed.”

Champions League Quarterfinal draw and bracket: QUARTERFINALS Manchester City vs. Borussia Dortmund FC Porto vs. Chelsea Bayern Munich vs. Paris Saint-Germain Real Madrid vs. Liverpool SEMIFINALS Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain vs. Manchester City or Borussia Dortmund Real Madrid or Liverpool vs. FC Porto or Chelsea The quarterfinal first legs will be played on April 6/7 with the returns on April 13/14, and the first semifinals will be on April 27/28 with second legs to take place on May 4/5. The final will be played in the Turkish city of Istanbul on May 29.

Former Cleveland Park farmer's market stand and now food truck, Cracked Eggery, is opening two brick-and-mortar locations: in Cleveland Park in the old Tino's space and a 24/7 location in Shaw. Apparently the food truck will also continue operation. Washingtonian

Lewes, DE We did a change of scenery escape half week in Lewes, DE, renting a super cute Airbnb situated along the main drag of Lewes. It had its own entrance with a key pad entry, second floor walk up, with a large bedroom on the third floor. One of the owners of the apartment also owns the store on the ground floor. Basically, zero contact. Lewes has a mandatory mask wearing policy throughout the historic district and the vast majority of people were in compliance. It was also March midweek, so there weren't that many people around....quiet. Most businesses were open with varying hours so make sure you check business websites for the lastest info. That said, pretty much everything was closed by 8 or 9pm. So plan accordingly! Did I mention...quiet. The restaurants were objectively...ok. Solid for a small beach town and you will be able to eat decently, but perhaps not great. Agave Mexican: One of the few places open everyday of the week. The queso and chips was good, weirdly very good tortilla chips. We ended up with three bags and they stayed good all week. They speacialize in off-the-wall guac combinations. We went with shrimp and garlic, think guac mixed with diced up shrimp. Unfortunately, the guac needed a hit of salt and lime. The veg quesadilla was fine and the fish tacos were nice, except for the underseasoned fish. The to-go margaritas hit the spot. I wouldn't say Agave is great Mexican or authentic (despite what their website claims) but it did the trick. Jerry's Seafood: Almost directly across the street for our Airbnb, so we went for it. Overall, pretty mediocre. The fried calamari suffered from steaming in the to-go container, but was otherwise nicely fried. The crab bomb was disappointing, lots of mayo involved, served with half cooked "seasonal" vegetables and stiff, leaden mash potatoes. Half Full Pizza: Our take was fancy &Pizza style pizza. Not great but not terrible. Nectar Cafe and Juice Bar: Decor is beach cottage hip. Good freshly made juices. Perfect for grab and go for the beach. We ordered a juice every day. Notting Hill Coffee: These guys make a good cup. Nice selection of rotating pastries. Picked up some roasted coffee beans to go. The Station on Kings: Super cute cafe, home goods, and gardening store just outside of town. Good sized patio and outdoor area for dining. Order at the counter and they bring your food out. Good fried chicken sandwich, veg quiche, and baked goods. Definitely our favorite place to eat while in Lewes. Big Oyster Brewery: Good sized brewery/brew pub with a well stocked grab-and-go beer case by the front door. I picked up their Dang! and Hammerhead IPA. Neither are outstanding but both are solid beers that I would be happy to drink while in Lewes. Other stuff Lewes Beach - Lewes has a nice public beach for walking along. It's not a particularly wide beach, from dune to waterline, but it is a long crescent shaped beach, over a mile and half long. Low tide was nice with lots of sand bars and tidal areas. It was the middle of March so the beach was empty. Can't beat sitting out and eating lunch, with the beach to yourself on a 65 degree day. Prime Hook State Wildlife Preserve: About 20 minutes back up the bay. A nice wildlife preserve with several walking paths. A good way to spend a couple of hours out in nature. Cape Henlopen State Park: Very nice state park. Head north to The Point for beaches on either the bay side or the ocean side. The ocean side beach is lovely. Head south for the excellent Gordon Pond nature trail. It's our understanding that during the summer weekends/holidays the beaches get crowded, especially the surf fishing beaches where people drive their trucks on to the beach. Waves Car Wash: Yeah, a weird recommendation but damn my car needed a bath. $10 for a no contact exterior wash: you pay at a drive thru kiosk and stay in your car the whole time.

Obit for Wilhelmina Cole Holladay (Wash Post) New York Times article National Museum of Women in the Arts - In Memoriam

Opening Saturday March 6, The Phillips Collection will launch a special exhibition celebrating its cenntennial. Seeing Differently: The Phillips Collects for a New Century "In 2021, The Phillips Collection, America’s first museum of modern art, celebrates its centennial. The museum opened its doors 100 years ago as a memorial to founder Duncan Phillips’s father, Duncan Clinch Phillips, and brother, James, who died in the 1918 flu epidemic. Recognizing the healing power of art, Phillips sought to share his “living” collection in a welcoming space and to inspire others to find beauty in the artist’s unique way of seeing the world. Building on this founding principle, Seeing Differently: The Phillips Collects for a New Century at once commemorates the museum’s centennial and launches its next vibrant chapter. Drawn from its growing collection of nearly 6,000 works, Seeing Differently will highlight over 200 works by artists from the 19th century to the present, including paintings, works on paper, prints, photographs, sculptures, quilts, and videos. Spread throughout the entire museum, the exhibition will explore the complexities of our ever-changing world through themes of identity, history, place, and the senses—with special focus on recent acquisitions that showcase how the museum’s dynamic collection continues to evolve. Seeing Differently marks the first major celebration of the museum’s permanent collection in over 10 years. Guided by Duncan Phillips’s belief in the universal language of art as a unifying force for social change, the exhibition will present dynamic, engaging juxtapositions that connect artists past and present across national, racial, and gender lines."

Next week...New opening! Tickets by reservation. Sonya Clark: Tatter, Bristle, and Mend Mar 03 to May 31, 2021 "Textile and social practice artist Sonya Clark (b. 1967) is renowned for her mixed-media works that address race and visibility, explore Blackness, and redress history. This exhibition—the first survey of Clark’s 25-year career—includes the artist’s well-known sculptures made from black pocket combs, human hair, and thread as well as works created from flags, currency, beads, cotton plants, pencils, books, a typewriter, and a hair salon chair. The artist transmutes each of these everyday objects through her application of a vast range of fiber-art techniques: Clark weaves, stitches, folds, braids, dyes, pulls, twists, presses, snips, or ties within each object. Featuring 100 works of art, Tatter, Bristle, and Mend spans the breadth of the artist’s career to date. Early beaded and stitched pieces are paired with Clark’s more recent forays into mediums such as sugar and neon. The exhibition focuses on central themes—heritage, labor, language, and visibility—and emphasizes Clark’s astute ability to rework concepts and materials over time, pulling apart threads of ideas and mending them back together to create new layers of meaning. By stitching black thread cornrows and Bantu knots onto fabrics, rolling hair into necklaces, and stringing a violin bow with a dreadlock, Clark manifests ancestral bonds and reasserts the Black presence in histories from which it has been pointedly omitted."

I have asked for a refund on my remaining Saveur subscription, which was one of the options given.

Saveur as a print magazine has folded. I received a postcard today saying my Saveur magazine subscription would be transfered to Magnolia Journal, part of the Magnolia brand run by Joanna and Chip Gaines of some fixer upper type TV show. They are launching a new TV network also called Magnolia. Saveur is pivoting with a renewed focus on their digital platforms (which frankly suck, their website is awful). During its prime Saveur was one of the top cooking magazine (the top imo). I'd been a constant subscriber since 1997. Sigh. NY Post with the details.

Champions League knockout round kicks off this week: Feb. 16 RB Leipzig v. Liverpool 3pm Barcelona v. PSG 3pm Feb. 17 Sevilla v. Dortmund 3pm Porto v. Juventus 3pm Feb. 23 Atletico Madrid v. Chelsea 3pm Lazio v. Bayern 3pm Feb. 24 Atalanta v. Real Madrid 3pm Monchengladbach v. Manchester City 3pm Streaming via CBS All Access ($5.99 per monthly is totally worth it for watching Champions League)

Maria Guarnaschelli, influential cookbook editor, who oversaw the 1997 revamp of the "Joy of Cooking". Also worked with Rose Levy Beranbaum "The Cake Bible", Judy Rodgers, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, Julie Sahni, Rick Bayless, and Fuchsia Dunlop, among many others.

My neighbor and I have continued our monthly 2 Amy's dinners. Instead of saddling up to the back bar, we now bundle up and eat out on our building's patio. The 2 Amy's online ordering system is easy to use and most orders are ready within about 20 minutes. 2 Amy's has a table set up in their front door vestibule, a staff member takes your name and then hands you your order. You don't enter the restaurant space. All easy, low contact, and streamlined. Unfortunately, their menu is also more streamlined these days and understandibly many of the wine bar daily specials are no longer offered. However, there is still plenty of good eating to be had. We almost always go with an order of the Suppli a Telefono (fried risotto balls). These stay crisp and warm, even after a 20 minute walk home. Last night they offered their excellent Piggy Croquettes. Another good order is the Caponata. Finally we always get the Sicilian Anchovies (one note here: the butter they provide is always rock hard and doesn't have a chance to soften in the cold weather, so we now use our own butter). We always order an extra container of the Green Sauce. We have experimented with various pizzas and stuffed pizzas. The Etna 2.0 has worked the best for take out. We now order the NoAmys and add toppings. Last night's combo was onion, rapini, olives, grana, smoked mozzerella, red pepper flakes. Pretty darn tasty. But, the pizzas suffer the most from not coming straight out of the oven, we might have to try re-heating. Finally, a shout out to the cannoli (2 per order). The shell is crisp and airy and the ricotta zippy with candied grapefruit. If I was going to whack someone, I'd defintely remember to take the cannoli (Sorry Paulie).