Art Happenings: Artomatic Returns to Crystal City

Artomatic Returns to Crystal City
Free and Open to the Public: May 18 – June 24, 2012

Opening night is Friday, May 18! Doors open at 6:00PM
Artomatic is well known for transforming empty spaces into vibrant arts communities that celebrate creativity and create a unique and exciting event for tens of thousands of visitors - all free to visit.
Discover new art, listen to music, go on dates, grab a drink, and mingle with the creative community. Artomatic features dozens of daytime art workshops for kids and adults.
Just one block from the Crystal City Metro Station, with free parking, great food and drinks at the event, and plenty of restaurants nearby.
For more information, visit: http://Artomatic.org

Hours
WED & THU: noon – 10:00PMFRI & SAT: noon – 1:00AM
SUN: noon – 5:00PM
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays

Vornado/Charles E. Smith Building
1851 South Bell Street
Crystal City, VA

Restaurant Reviews: Krungthai Street Grill (Hampton, VA)

Last weekend, I went away with the bf for a short getaway to the Virginia Beach area. Unfortunately, the weather did not hold up and it was cold and rainy until Sunday when we left, go figure.  The highlight of our trip revolved around eating two delicious meals at two very different establishments.

Being that I am a self-proclaimed foodie, several weeks prior to our mini-vacay I did some research on restaurants in Virginia Beach, Hampton, Norfolk, and Newport News to find out which ones had the best reviews.  The ones that kept popping up were Krungthai Street Grill and Circa 1918.  

When we arrived down in VA, I thought to check the Yelp Reviews for Krungthai, why I hadn't checked them weeks ago I have no idea.  The Yelp reviews were a mix of high praise declaring it the best Thai restaurant for miles around to people who expressed petty dislikes. 

There were a few recent negative comments, one of the reviewers complained "the food was good but the sauce was too thin" and another said "they kept trying to upsell him".  Hey, it's a restaurant, that's what they do.  Fortunately, for us we ignored the reviews.

So we drove to Krungthai and it was located in a small, strip mall that appeared to be straight from the 1970s.  I expected people with afros and bell-bottoms to walk out of the neighboring establishments at any moment.  We walked in and were instantly greeted by the hosted.  It was a small venue, I'd say there were about 10 tables and it was half full, which was surprising for a Friday night.

We were starving so we ordered your typical spring rolls as soon as we sat down along with some Thai Iced Tea.  I was surprised the iced tea came out in a large glass, guess that's because they didn't offer refills, not that I expected them to.  It was good, never had bad Thai Iced Tea before.  The piping hot spring rolls came out shortly after.  I ordered the shrimp with garlic sauce (because of my newly acquired adult peanut allergy, I can no longer order my favorite Thai dish, Massaman Curry) and the bf ordered the Drunken Noodles with beef.  

Within 5 minutes, both dishes came out and were huge, hearty portions.  My entree had 12 extra large shrimp on it, yes I counted, which is rare these days when everyone is cutting back, with a large helping of steamed broccoli.  I'm a garlic lover so I relished in the fact I could actually see slices of garlic in the sauce.  (Let's just say my bf wasn't too pleased with my breath after dinner, LOL).  

Usually, I'll eat half of my meal and save the rest for later.  That night, I devoured every last morsel and the bf did the same.  Everything was delicious.  As much as I wanted to try their sticky rice for dessert, I was too full to even utter, we can take it to go.

The food was excellent and the service was even better.  For a hole in the wall Thai restaurant in not the most desirable neighborhood in Hampton, VA, I was extremely impressed.  Our waitress was extremely friendly and accommodating.  Our laugh of the night was when she brought back our check with my debit card and said my manager said, "You look like Oprah Winfrey".  Hmm ok, I've never heard that one before but it made for a great laugh.

By the way, our check came out to $40, which wasn't bad at all.  It was maybe more than someone on a college budget could afford (it's about 5 minutes from Hampton Univ), but it was a great deal to us.

If you ever find yourself in the Newport News/Hampton, VA areas, I'd definitely make a visit to Krungthai Street Grill you won't be disappointed.

Krungthai Street Grill
1109 North King Street
Hampton, VA 23669
757.728.9788
http://krungthaistreetgrill.com




Next post: Circa 1918

Things to Do: 1K Wine Walk

Just came across a weekend event called the 1K Wine & Beer Walk and had to share. Unfortunately, I'll be away on a ski trip for the wine walk, so please have a glass, or two, in my honor. Cheers! See below for more information.

1K Wine & Beer Walk

January 14 & 15 (Wine) - $40
January 21 & 22 (Beer) - $35

Calling all athletes and couch-potatoes alike! Cross the start line into the shops of Crystal City and rest your weary legs periodically at our hydration stations along the race course- but you won’t find any sports drinks or bananas here- just beer and wine! With 30 + beers & wines to choose from before the finish line, spend your Saturday or Sunday walking with friends along the indoor, shops of Crystal City.

Choose heats starting every half hour from 2:00 to 5:30 PM and make your way through the race course in the Shops at Crystal City with your 20 tasting tickets while snacking on cheese, bread and more to keep those muscles working. Best part, each racer receives a1K Race Tee Shirt! Remember...no running please

To learn more about this event and to purchase your tickets, click here.
***Note several of the times are already sold out so if you're interested, you should act fast.

Crystal City Shops
http://thecrystalcityshops.com/

Things to Do: Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

I know it's been a while since I posted anything, please forgive my absence. What can I say, life has been hectic but I promise to get back into the swing of things in the new year.

But anywho, last weekend I went to and participated in my very first Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. I'd heard people joke about them but didn't know anyone who had gone to one. When my friend invited me to one that a group of his friends were hosting, I had no idea what to expect.

Prior to the night's festivities, I have to say it was quite challenging to find an ugly sweater. If I would've had more notice, I definitely would have scoured eBay for their worst offenders. Instead, I figured I'd try my luck looking at places like Ross, TJ Maxx, Old Navy, and Burlington Coat Factory, you would think they would have some ugly Christmas sweaters, but they didn't. Finally, I gave in and went to a local thrift store. Within a matter of minutes of browsing the sweater selection I found my perfect ugly sweater.

When I met up with the group, there were nothing but laughs. They began the evening with a White Elephant exchange, then headed to Clarendon for dinner and ended the night in the basement of Eleventh Street Lounge where they played mainly old school rap and hip-hop, who knew? Our ugly sweater crew definitely made us stand out among the crowd and everyone was so amused by our outfits. Mission accomplished!

Check out the photos we took over the course of an evening while wearing our collectively ugly sweaters. A great time was had by all and I look forward to stepping up my ugly sweater game next year.

Things To Do: Carafe Wine Makers

Being the busybody that I am, I've signed on for year number two of helping the March of Dimes with their Annual Signature Chefs event and more specifically serving on the Silent Auction committee.

Recently, I was looking for some unique businesses to approach that were different from the usual like your restaurants, spas, sporting events, hotel stays, etc. I came across what I think is an amazing concept. There's a place in Old Towne Alexandria where you can go make your own wine, bottle it, and custom label it. Being the new wine connoisseur that I am, I immediately called the store to learn more.

So the place is called Carafe Wine Makers, apparently it's a franchise. Who knew? Not only was I excited about the concept, I was surprised to find out the Old Towne Alexandria location is Black-owned and the owner, Lamar Brown, is quite pleasant to look at. If you have five minutes, I'd suggest watching watching the video on the company's website to see Lamar, I mean to see the wine making process.

In addition to being able to bottle your own wine you can purchase from a nice selection of already bottled wines or sit-in for wine tastings. I think having an event at Carafe Wine Makers would make a wonderful and unique girls night, birthday celebration, or any special occasion for that matter. It would definitely be something that people would remember. It's good for couples or groups. The pricing is very reasonable if you have a group. I can't wait to schedule my visit.

For more information see below.

Carafe Wine Makers
111 S Alfred St
Alexandria, VA 22314-3001
703.739.5850
http://www.carafewines.com/