12.17 - jingle bells
what’s going on in d.c.
Catch the iconic Washington Ballet’s Nutcracker through Dec. 26 at the Warner Theatre. Saturday and Sunday both feature matinees and evening performances.
Takoma Park is hosting a Cocoa Crawl on Saturday from 1-4, with many of the area businesses offering hot cocoa and other holiday specials.
Merry TUBACHRISTMAS! is back at the Kennedy Center. At 2 P.M. on Saturday, 200 festive tuba players take the outdoor stage to play Christmas classics.
NoMa’s Wunder Garten is hosting A Night of 1,000 Santas on Saturday, with the outdoor bar encouraging guests to dress up as Santa, Ms. Claus, or Elves.
looking ahead: if you’re planning for NYE, here’s a list of area events, sorted by cost.
let’s talk food and drinks
my weekly best bite: goat/cheese biscuit sammie at my fav d.c. spot - a baked joint
Le Diplomate (D.C.’s “sceniest restaurant” and the site of last week’s infamous dine and dash by Real Housewife Luann de Lesseps) is getting in the Christmas spirit with Mrs. Claus joining brunch on Saturday from 10-5.
There’s a cookie decorating party at Navy Yard’s Jackie Restaurant on Sunday, with the restaurant offering a $45 box that includes pre-made cookies and cocktails.
Puro Gusto, a Milan-inspired all-day cafe, opened downtown this week. The spot offers counter and sit-down service.
what’s on our minds?
Omicron is here, with COVID cases rising dramatically across the county (NYC may have the sloppy SantaCon to thank for its surge). Yesterday, D.C. reported the most COVID-19 cases in single day over the entire pandemic (!) and nationwide, cases have increased over 50% in about two weeks. However, overall pandemic fatigue - perhaps reinforced by the generally milder symptoms reported from omicron (at least for vaccinated individuals) - may leave much of D.C. and American life remaining in a loose state of COVID “normalcy” (per The Atlantic, Gen Z is “done” with the pandemic…take that as you will). Mayor Bowser has not signaled any indication to reinforce a mask mandate, although many area schools and venues are canceling in-person events due to positive cases. Also needless to say, if you’re not boosted yet - it’s definitely time.
If you’re driving in the D.C. area, it might be wise to be extra cautious along I-395, especially if you’re northbound heading into the city. Per a WTOP analysis, this two-mile stretch of freeway has the highest frequency of crashes, with an average of one+ crash reported every day for the past four years.
Quick links to other weekly #goodreads:
The Wellness Real Estate Company Cashing in on Pandemic Fears- per The New Republic, “Delos famously installed vitamin C showers in Leonardo DiCaprio’s condo. Now it’s selling ‘wellness solutions’ for low-income housing and earning millions in public funds to put air purifiers in schools.”
The escalating costs of being single in America - per Vox, “Why is life in this country so hostile to single people?” (ed. note - this is by Anne Helen Petersen, another one of my favorite authors. She also just wrote a great book on the dynamics of working from home, Out of Office)
what are we watching/reading?
Spider-Man: No Way Home is in theatres and receiving strong reviews (99% audience on Rotten Tomatoes) and big crowds (I saw it at AMC Georgetown last night and even the 1 A.M. showtimes were sold out). If you’re planning to see, but not super caught up on the extremely self-referential Marvel Universe, Vulture wrote up a list of the most helpful movies to watch before.
The lazy winter break time could be ideal to start one of NY Times’ Best TV Shows of 2021 (despite feeling like I’ve streamed a lot of shows this year, much of the list is new to me).
I was planning to write something clever about Peloton’s quickly produced ad featuring Mr. Big (played by Chris Noth) after he was killed off last week in the SATC reboot (And Just Like That) after a Peloton ride, but then Noth was credibly accused of sexual assault and Peloton pulled the ad just as quickly. Peloton stock rebound, we hardly knew ya.
we’ll be off the next two weeks for the holidays - happy holidays everyone!