02.05 - aren't we all a little bit famous?
what’s going on in d.c.
If you’re a Port City Brewing fan, the Alexandria-based brewery is celebrating their anniversary this weekend with a special beer available for pickup, delivery, or imbibing on their outdoor beer garden.
It’ll be fierce - NoMa’s Red Bear Brewing is hosting a RuPaul’s Drag Race viewing party tonight at 7 p.m.
In one of the cutest promotions I’ve ever seen, Petworth-based florist She Loves Me is partnering with Lucky Dog Animal Rescue and We The Dogs DC to (omg omg) have a rescue pup deliver your Valentine’s bouquet next weekend (swoon). But don’t delay - the number of puppy-based deliveries are extremely limited.
let’s talk food and drinks
my weekly best bite: Mercy Me’s Crispy Cheese Bites (h/t to Lauren for the rec)
Despite the pandemic, restaurants are still opening in the DMV with a hefty amount of steam. Eater DC compiled 15 exciting additions - personally, I’m craving some of those Takoma-based Donut Run indulgences (they’re vegan!)
lol the Super Bowl is on Sunday - no worries if this is the first you’re hearing of it…I don’t think I realized it until a few days ago either. If you’re more on top of it, or now are just craving some Super Bowl-related food, check out these game day specials.
what’s on our minds?
The Trump Hotel, formerly the see and be seen spot for a very specific type of D.C. denizen and tourist, is now (surprise surprise) described as a ghost town. Former President Trump disclosed a 63% decline in revenue at the D.C. Trump Hotel in 2020 and it sounds like the future of the hotel is in jeopardy. The Trump Org tried to sell the hotel’s lease last year for $500M, but didn’t have any takers at that price. The Old Post Office building is beautiful, so here’s to hoping a new hotelier is able to negotiate for a better price and usher in a new vision (and brand) for the space.
Quick links to other weekly #goodreads:
The Nightmare Share - per The Cut, “She posted an ad for a roommate. What’s the worst that could happen?”
The Shocking Meltdown of Ample Hills — Brooklyn’s Hottest Ice Cream Company - per Marker, “They had $19 million, a deal with Disney, and dreams of becoming the next Ben & Jerry’s. Then everything fell apart.”
The Lousy Tippers of the Trump Administration- per Slate, “They were exhausting, impossible, stingy, and cruel, just like at their day jobs.”
Nextdoor Is Quietly Replacing the Small-Town Paper - per OneZero, “While Facebook and Twitter get the scrutiny, Nextdoor is reshaping politics one neighborhood at a time”
what are we watching/reading?
Fake Famous on HBOMax. This documentary covers a journalist who takes three people who want to be famous and then leverages lots of algorithm tricks (namely buying followers and likes) to achieve their grid-based dreams. To be fair, this is nowhere near the best documentary I’ve seen - it gets a bit sanctimonious at the end and there are a few areas I would have loved a deeper dive on - but, despite that, still recommend. TLDR - there are lots of “famous” people on Instagram that reap the primarily product hawking-based benefits.
@zillowgonewild. If you’re not following this v fun, v clever Instagram account yet, do yourself a favor and hit that follow button. Throughout the pandemic, Zillow’s site views have popped (with the accompanying think pieces galore) as we fantasize about more square feet, an ocean view, a nearby ski slope, whatever. The Instagram account Zillow Gone Wild jumped in on the trend, posting pictures of some of the craziest and most interesting homes for sale. My personal favs are #ZGWMansionMondays…and the Schitt’s Creek OG house listing that popped up last night.
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‘til next time -courtney