Dumbarton House Seersucker and White Dress Garden Soiree

The International Club of DC is hosting yet another one of their lovely events.  Each spring and summer, they host Soirees at the Dumbarton House, a historic mansion in Georgetown, where young professionals gather for live music and entertainment.

I've attended in the past and would highly recommend you try it out for yourself.  It's makes a great date or grab some friends and make an evening out of it.


My advice is to bring a collapsible lawn chair or a blanket as seating is extremely limited and it's nice to just sit outside on the lawn and listen to the music.

See below for all of the details of this week's event.

Georgetown Dumbarton House Seersucker and White Dress Garden Soiree
Friday, May 04, 2012
7:00 PM
Attire: Seer sucker or white requested

Celebrate warm summer days ahead with chic cocktail attire in either seersucker or white!

We cordially request the pleasure of your company at the Historic Dumbarton House Museum and Gardens to experience a night of sophisticated jazz, elegant fashion, and dancing under the stars as we celebrate the warm summer days to come! Your night begins with a jazz performance, as you meet other ICDC members and stroll around the gardens, and culminates in a night of dancing under the stars and in the elegant ballroom to our live orchestra.

This is a wonderful opportunity to discover and explore one of Georgetown's most historic mansions as you make new friends. Come on your own or invite friends for a spring evening of music and dancing to the sounds of our jazz ensemble!  Wine and sumptuous crepes will be available for purchase. Very few tickets are left so reserve your tickets early!

Our last garden soiree at Dumbarton House sold out in advance and we expect this event to be very popular and sell out. Please reserve your tickets soon!

Tickets
Tickets are $25 for a limited time and $35 afterwards.
Reserve your tickets online: http://www.internationalclubdc.com

Dumbarton House 
2715 Q Street NW 
Washington, DC 20007
http://dumbartonhouse.org

Trucko De Mayo - May 5, 2012

For those of you who love DC Food Trucks as much as I do, I am pleased to share with you some great news.  If you enjoyed last year's monthly Truckeroos at the Nationals Stadium, they are back for Trucko De Mayo in celebration of Cinco De Mayo.  


Below is the announcement I received from the event organizer...

In about a week, the Washington, DC Food Trucks Association (DCFTA) is organizing ‘Curbside Cookoff: Trucko De Mayo’ - the largest DC food truck festival yet. Trucko De Mayo will have more than 40 food trucks, two bars, live music, and more. Better yet, there’s a sweepstakes with many prizes including a pass for a free lunch at each of the 45 DCFTA food trucks, a Kindle Fire, and more.

Join us Saturday May 5 from 11:30am to 9pm for ‘Curbside Cookoff: Trucko De Mayo’ at RFK stadium.

As always the event is free. And this year you will have even more choices, because there will be more trucks.

All of us on the food trucks are so excited for this event. We all love festivals like this. And the chance to do it again is so exciting. So I hope you join us at RFK Stadium on the 5th. We’re going to have a good time.

Trucko De Mayo
Saturday, May 5, 2012
11:30AM - 9:00PM
RFK Stadium

Restaurant Review: Blue 44

A few weeks ago, I went to Blue 44 for the first time and then went back again last weekend. That should be a good indication of what I thought about the place, right?

So my boyfriend lives in Friendship Heights, on the border of Upper NW and Chevy Chase, MD, in a very residential part of DC that is definitely not known for their food establishments. From the looks of the places that have popped up over there over the past year, they are trying to change that.

Next to Blue 44 is a great wine shop called Circle Liquors. Their selection is amazing and the staff is incredibly helpful in aiding you to find the perfect pairing for whatever meal you are planning. But I digress, back to Blue 44.

It's a quaint little restaurant that couldn't possibly seat more than 45-50 people, including the few seats at their bar. They have a few tables in the window, perfect for people watching, then several small tables along the outer walls. There are larger tables in the center perfect for groups or families.

For brunch I've had the pumpkin pecan pancakes and the bourbon spiced french toast with sides of home fries and bacon. The french toast was very filling but I loved the taste of the pumpkin pecan pancakes so much more. I liked the fact that the flavors weren't overly pronounced and the pancakes were light and fluffy.

I'd have to say what impressed me the most was their bacon. I'm a bacon aficionado and their bacon is definitely in the top 3 best I've ever had, in life. It's peppery, thick cut and not too oily. If eating bacon daily was healthy, I'd definitely be there every day.

Hopefully, I'll go back soon to try their dinner. I've heard great things about their Monday Night Special. It's a 3 course meal including a salad, fried chicken "with all the fixins'", and house-made dessert for only $19. Not bad right?

Blue 44 is a one of those neighborhood gems, you only hear about via word of mouth or from a food blogger. Also, Washington Post Food Critic Tom Sietsema, wrote a review about them recently. He didn't give them a great score, but don't let that deter you.

Again, I've only been there for brunch but I'd recommend it solely based on that. It's great for small groups and families and those who want a great brunch experience without the hassle of a long wait. The staff is extremely friendly and does their part to ensure everything is to your liking.

Blue 44
5507 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20015
202.362.2583
http://www.blue44dc.com

Things to Do: Patriotic Arts Fête

Join the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative for a Patriotic Arts Fête

Wednesday, April 25, 2012
6:30 to 9:00 PM

Enjoy a night celebrating arts education with music, wine and Lincoln’s signature hors d’oeuvres. The DC Collaborative is committed to providing all DC public and charter public school students with equal access to the region’s rich artistic and cultural opportunities. Working with their members, they provide free arts and humanities events for 30,000 DC students at no cost to schools each year.

Featuring:
Music soundscapes by DJ Jahsonic
Live student performances
Guest Raffle with Gift Certificates, Fine Art, Wine and Travel Excursions

To purchase tickets, visit: http://bitly.com/Aq8HiB
$25 in advance ($30 at the door)
Includes: 1 raffle ticket, beverages and passed hors d'oeuvres.

Lincoln
1110 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20005
202.386.9200
www.lincolnrestaurant-dc.com

Things to Do: NIH Children's Inn Gala

“A Night for the Children” Gala to Benefit the Children’s Inn at NIH

Saturday, April 14, 2012
Ritz Carlton - Tyson's Corner
6:30 - UNTIL

The NIH Children Inn was founded in 1990, and has helped more than 10,000 children and their families who are dealing with serious illnesses. Their services are provided free of charge.

Every year, the Bethesda Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA Bethesda) The Children's Inns largest annual fundraiser, “A Night for the Children” Gala. The event brings together nearly 1,000 attendees, including senior executives of leading government contractors, high-level government officials and local philanthropists.

A little about The Children’s Inn at NIH...
It's a non-profit “Place Like Home” on the campus of NIH in Bethesda, MD. The Inn’s mission is to facilitate research at the world’s leading biomedical research center while offering families comfort and support. AFCEA Bethesda’s Children’s Inn Gala has raised more than $4.1 million since its inception in 1999.

“The Inn continuously operates – 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year – to serve the emotional and spiritual needs of children and their families at no cost to families, “ said Robert Guerra, chair of The Children's Inn Gala. “In these difficult economic times, this Gala has become the Inn’s single largest fundraiser; therefore, the Gala’s contributions are absolutely essential for the Inn’s continuing ability to serve these children and their families in the future.“

For information, visit the event website at http://www.childrensinngala.org/.

Things to Do: Frida Kahlo Exhibit @ Artisphere

Recently, I was excited to learn a exhibit featuring the work of Mexican artist Frida was on display at the Artisphere in Arlington.  The FREE exhibition runs through March 25, 2012. 

I first fell in love with Frida and her work after watching the movie based on her life that came out ten years ago and starred the beautiful Salma Hayek.  She was quite a controversial figure in her day and it's reflected in her art.

According to Artisphere's website: Artisphere is the first and only venue in the United States of America to present this exhibition of photographs revealing moments of this extraordinary figure's private life. 

For more information about this exhibit as taken from Artisphere's website, see below.

Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)'s extraordinary life and iconic biographical paintings have earned her international renown in the world of modern art. Upon Kahlo’s death in 1954, more than 6,500 personal photographs and items belonging to her and husband/artist Diego Rivera were sealed and put in storage. For more than half a century this great collection of personal memorabilia remained hidden from the public. In 2007 this collection was opened and Mexican photographer and curator Pablo Ortiz Monasterio inventoried and catalogued 240 images to create the Frida Kahlo: Her Photos exhibition. To read more, click here

Another interesting fact, although Frida's work is on display in Virginia.  According to Diego Rivera's will, he specified that the original images belonging to him and Frida Kahlo should never leave Mexico. As such, the images on view in this exhibition are carefully crafted reproductions.

Make sure to check out this FREE exhibit before it's too late!
Artisphere1101 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, Virginia 22209
703.875.1100http://www.artsphere.com