06.18 - Juneteenth weekend
what’s going on in d.c.
Dupont Circle’s newest attraction, an indoor mini golf course named Swingers, opens today. Make reservations to play one of the two funky 9 hole courses for $19 or $24/round.
There’s a Royal Ascot Garden Party at West End’s The Fairmont this afternoon featuring tea fare, Pimm’s Cups, and picnic baskets.
Washingtonian compiled Juneteenth events around the region, including service opportunities, concerts, and a celebration by Black Techno Matters that makes it way from Malcom X Park (16th and W St NW) to the Eaton Hotel (12th and K St NW). DCist also put together their own list of events here.
Father’s Day is Sunday - here are some options for activities across the region.
If you’re a Schitt’s Creek fan (Ew, David!), NE DC’s Mess Hall is hosting a themed trivia on Monday night at 7 PM.
looking ahead: The All Things Go Music Festival returns this fall in a new location - Columbia’s Merriweather Post Pavilion. Haim, St. Vincent, Charli XCX, and Lauv headline the October 16 festival. Tickets are on sale now.
let’s talk food and drinks
my weekly best bite: A custom Sweet n Spicy Tofu salad from The Little Beet
All Dolcezza locations are offering a free scoop of their pride flavored gelato, rainbow cake, today from 12-5.
It can be hard to find a good sandwich sometimes - Washington Post is hoping to help with a list of 25 of the best D.C. area options.
On Saturday afternoon, Goodies and Historic America tours are hosting a food-focused walking tour in Alexandria focused on African American culinary innovation.
looking ahead: Tatte is opening its third D.C. location in CityCenterDC (the former Momofuku spot) in the first quarter of 2022, giving downtown residents/workers a few more months before spending large chunks of their paychecks on croissants, morning buns, and shakshukas.
what’s on our minds?
Joel Castón won an election to become a Ward 7 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, likely making him the District’s first currently incarcerated individual to hold public office. Castón, who has served 26 years for his role in a murder when he was an 18-year-old, hopes to reach out to his constituents in the DC Jail and in the broader Hill East neighborhood. Also in D.C. Jail news - a federal judge ordered this week that the jail must resume providing special education services to its incarcerated students that it suspended at the onset of COVID.
A Black woman was dragged down the steps of Nellie’s Sports Bar by her hair last weekend by Nellie’s security, leading to a boycott and a civil claim against the gay bar. Following significant protests at the bar and the owner’s house, Nellie’s is closed for the week.
A good news watch - a Fairfax family reunites with their dog that has been missing for 10 months.
Quick links to other weekly #goodreads:
Airbnb Is Spending Millions of Dollars to Make Nightmares Go Away - per Bloomberg Businessweek, “When things go horribly wrong during a stay, the company’s secretive safety team jumps in to soothe guests and hosts, help families—and prevent PR disasters.”
The Amazon That Customers Don’t See - per The New York Times, “When the coronavirus shut down New York last spring, many residents came to rely on a colossal building they had never heard of: JFK8, Amazon’s only fulfillment center in America’s largest city. What happened inside shows how Jeff Bezos created the workplace of the future and pulled off the impossible during the pandemic — but also reveals what’s standing in the way of his promise to do better by his employees.”
The Rise and Fall of Planet Hollywood- per Esquire, “Thirty years ago, the biggest celebrities on earth opened a chain restaurant. For a few years, it was the hottest ticket in town. Then it went bankrupt. Twice. The brains behind this pop-culture phenomenon explain how it happened.”
what are we watching/reading?
The Housewife and the Hustler on Hulu. Even if you’re not a Real Housewives fan, you may be vaguely familiar with Erika Jayne, a wannabe pop star whose floundering career was bankrolled by her elderly husband’s legal career. There was more to their high-flying wealth though…namely via theft of her husband’s clients - clients who sought legal recourse after suffering terrible tragedies. The engrossing documentary is well worth the watch.
If you’re a Seinfeld fan, this is your last weekend to catch the show via streaming service for a while. Seinfeld leaves Hulu on June 23 before heading to Netflix at a still unnamed date (likely not until later in the fall).