01.07 - northern snow, southern removal
what’s going on in d.c.
Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin is discussing his memoir, “Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy,” virtually tonight at 8 via a Politics and Prose event. The book focuses on his first 45 days of 2021 - a period in which Raskin’s son died by suicide, he and members of his family were trapped in the Capitol during the insurrection, and he led the impeachment effort against former president Trump.
Take your pick of two lighthearted musicals this weekend - at The Kennedy Center is The Prom, in which former Broadway stars who travel to a conservative town to put on an inclusive prom to support a lesbian student. At the Shakespeare Theatre is the final weekend of Once Upon a One More Time, the Britney Spears-inspired fantasy.
It’s the final weekend of an outdoor art installation at NW D.C.’s Hillwood Estate. Kristine Mays, the artist, created dancing wire sculptures that peek out from the garden.
If the snow has you inspired to hit the slopes, here are eight area options.
let’s talk food and drinks
my weekly best bite: paneer makhani at Indigo, D.C.’s best spot for comfort Indian food.
For the snow, some options for comfort food; for COVID, some creative takeout options.
looking ahead: a number of restaurants are expected to open in the next month or two, including a new Tex-Mex spot, Salazar, that will replace 14th St.’s El Centro, and a downtown Greek restaurant, Philtomio, by the owner of Officina and Masseria.
a reminder: as of January 15, proof of vaccination will be required to enter D.C.’s restaurants, bars, and indoor events.
what’s on our minds?
It’s been a doozy of snow-related chaos this week - thousands of drivers (including Senator Tim Kaine) were stuck for 24+ hours on I-95 just south of D.C., thousands of flights were canceled or affected as DCA and Baltimore’s airports issued lengthy ground stops (affecting 85% of DCA’s outbound flights on Monday), and students in D.C. public schools, also part of a “test-to-return” program for COVID, ended up with two fewer days of school this week than expected.
Quick links to other weekly #goodreads:
The Boy King of YouTube- per The New York Times Magazine, “Ten-year-old Ryan Kaji and his family have turned videos of him playing with toys into a multimillion-dollar empire. Why do so many other kids want to watch?”
The exhausting concept of the “2022 rebrand”- per Vox, “Young women on TikTok are eschewing New Year’s resolutions for a ‘2022 rebrand.’ But the rest of the world seems ready to give up entirely.”
what are we watching/reading?
Search Party on HBO Max. This irreverent and hilariously dark comedy releases its fifth and final season tonight. The show has taken so many directions throughout its run, but essentially features a group of four millennials in New York City who after becoming obsessed with a former classmates disappearance (for entirely selfish reasons, of course) spiral into all sorts of self-inflicted hijinks. It is easily one of the funniest and best shows I’ve ever seen.
Stay Close on Netflix. This U.K. adaptation of a Harlan Coben novel dropped on Netflix last week. Is it the best show about a suburban mom with a dark secret I’ve ever seen? Probably not. Is it still worth binging and getting sucked in? Probably.