07.30 - we all scream for ice cream
what’s going on in d.c.
The National Air and Space Museum reopens on the Mall today after an extensive remodel (a large portion of the museum remains under construction).
The Wharf’s Union Stage hosts a Sad and Boujee dance party tonight mixing angsty 2000s playlists with today’s top hits. The show begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are $10. Or, tomorrow night, head to DC9 nightclub for an indie rock inspired dance party, Liberation ($5 tickets in advance).
Flower shop She Loves Me and Milk Bar are combining forces to host a Saturday afternoon “camp” at Milk Bar’s Logan Circle location with flower crown making, tie-dying, ice cream cookies, spin art, and bracelet making. Tickets are $42 if you’d like to make a flower crown and tie-dye, but the majority of the activities are free.
let’s talk food and drinks
my weekly best bite: Two great Italian meals this week - Spaghetti ‘Pomodoro’ at Bloomingdale’s The Red Hen and Lasagna at Barrack Row’s Trattoria Alberto
At least four D.C. bars will start taking bets tonight now that sports betting is legal. The bars, Ben’s Next Door, Lou’s City Bar, Dirty Water, and Takoma Station Tavern installed GambetDC kiosks and will host launch events tonight (as a note, the kiosks will only accept cash).
Yards DC, looking for that social media moment, installed a massive 16-foot ice cream shop installation to celebrate National Ice Cream Day. The first 100 guests on Saturday and Sunday (who also post a pic) will receive a free scoop of Ice Cream Jubilee or Jeni’s Ice Cream.
Restaurants open late night that aren’t jumbo slice can be hard to come by - to help give you some new ideas, Washingtonian compiled a list of ten spots that stay open late. Continue the fun (and the debate over the best pancakes/waffles) into the next morning with “20 essential breakfast spots.”
what’s on our minds?
D.C.’s indoor mask mandate returns tomorrow, with Mayor Bowser citing the updated CDC guidance for areas with high or substantial virus transmission. None of D.C.’s indoor businesses are off-limits, so expect to wear a mask at restaurants, gyms, and the office. Capacity limits are unaffected. After adjusting to a new COVID normal, it’s frustrating to slip back into more stringent COVID precautions - especially as vaccines are so readily available. Personally, I wish more businesses would take restaurateur Danny Meyer’s lead and require indoor diners/employees to show proof of vaccination (the rule applies to his sit down spots, but not the Shake Shack franchise…yet).
What happened to D.C.’s Trumpsters since January 20? Washingtonian’s Jane Recker did a fun deep dive on what’s happened to the former Admin officials - tldr: normal corporate board exits are hard to come by, everyone wants to write a book, and conservative think tank roles are common.
Quick links to other weekly #goodreads:
I just learned I only have months to live. This is what I want to say - per Boston Globe, “I’ve been a journalist for more than 60 years. So after doctors delivered the news, I sat down to do what came naturally, if painfully: Write this story.”
Watching the Watchmen - per Buzzfeed News, “The Michigan kidnapping case is a major test for the Biden administration’s commitment to fighting domestic terrorism — and a crucible for the fierce ideological divisions pulling the country apart.”
‘A lesson in loss, humility and absurdity’: how rhythmic gymnastics took over my childhood - per The Guardian, “When I was six, a chance encounter with rhythmic gymnastics – all ribbons, sequins and smiles – opened up a sublime, sometimes cruel new world. By 12, I had quit. What had it all meant?”
what are we watching/reading?
The Olympics are still in full force, and although ratings are down substantially, there is a slew of events this weekend, from gymnastics event finals, swimming, most team sports, and the start of track and field. If you don’t have cable and are struggling through the Peacock app, I hear a $10 one-month subscription to Sling TV is the way to go.
It could be a good weekend to try something new on Netflix - per Vulture, here are the best 40 movies you probably haven’t seen.
Letter to My Ex - a reader recently started a biweekly podcast called Letter to My Ex. The podcast’s premise is that anonymous writers send in cathartic letters to their ex-partners as a way to find closure or comfort.