The Safeway on Wisconsin Ave, also known as “Social Safeway” hasn’t been so social recently since the location has been going through renovations like much of the other area locations (the Spanish Safeway has been sporting bi-lingual “under construction” signs.)

I was happy to recently discover that the store has embraced it’s local nickname, establishing an online home at socialsafeway.com- even though I just ran into it recently, the site was mentioned back in January 2009.

The site has a short history of Safeway in DC as well as an explanation of it’s DC Safeway nickname. You can also check-in on it’s construction progress through a webcam on-site. While the cam just shows your typical cranes and dirt, the time-lapse feature is a really cool visual to watch as compiles all the photos into one quick montage of construction.

Some of the features of the new Social Safeway includes:

• Expanded Wine & Beer Offerings
• Wine Steward with Wine Cellar
• Sushi Bar Island Deli
• Jamba Juice
• Starbuck’s Kiosk
• Huge Organic Produce Section
• Hearth Oven Fresh Brick Oven Store prepared Pizza
• Two Levels of Free Parking

The store will be two stories and include indoor and outdoor seating with a balcony overlooking Wisconsin Ave. The plans sound like it may resemble the design of the Wegmans in Fairfax that I’m a big fan of. If that’s the case, then I have to say that the new Social Safeway will be even more sociable than ever.

According to DCist, Social Safeway is expected to be finished by March 2010.

"Glow In The Dark After Your Visit Kids!" courtesy of Flickr user krossbow

Two television happenings for your perusal today.

First a number of my friends have forwarded an e-mail from the city about a fake explosion that is going to happen Wednesday morning, here’s the text of what I was sent:

Dear System Administrators:

For the filming of a TV pilot, there will be a simulated explosion on Wednesday, March 25 between 9:30 a.m. and noon near Key Bridge in the District. The explosion will produce a 20 to 30′ fireball that will last for approximately 2 minutes.
Please pass along this information to others as appropriate. The Department of Homeland Security and D.C. Police and Fire departments have been notified, along with the Washington Airports Authority. The Virginia State Patrol and Arlington Police Department will be contacted. If you have additional questions, contact Kathy Hollinger or Burt Warner with the DC Film Office at 202-727-6608.

The explosion will take place on the Potomac River just north of the Key Bridge and Jack’s Boathouse (K / Water Street, NW under the Whitehurst Freeway). In the scene to be filmed, there will be six (6) sculling boats on the Potomac River and one of them blows up.

CBS Paramount television is filming a pilot titled “Washington Field.” This is a new television series about the elite Washington field office of the FBI and a team of agents with exceptional and diverse skills who are called together for only the most critical cases.

Jeanne Saddler
Director, Office of Public Affairs
Metropolitan Washington

Sounds kinda rad- I might have to check it out if I have time…

but if explosions aren’t your thing then I ‘d like to turn your attention to the Craigslist posting that Frank shared with me. It’s for what sounds like another terrible dating show- but you can be in it!

Full set is on flickr.

Specifically focusing on the areas of workers rights, healthcare reform and the green economy, the show includes pretty much everything you can think of from sculpture to photography to painting and everything in between. You can see some of the works online here. It’s a massive group show so as to be expected some stands out from the others and some will leave you scratching your head but it’s worth seeing for sure, and you only have a short time to do that. The exhibition runs from today, January 17th through the 19th and is viewable from 10:00am – 6:00pm. It’s in Georgetown at 3333 M Street NW (More info here).

[image top right: Event organizer Yosi Sergant at the opening, introducing Shepard Fairey. Full disclosure, I consider both of those guys friends.]

Other nearby towns and counties have similar alert systems that inform users about traffic and weather but the “D.C. Police Alert” will also include summaries of recent crimes and suspects. Beats reading Police Log in the paper.

I read an article on this new technology in the Washington Post and I have to say that I’m rather impressed with the level of communication the Police are taking with the community. I think it’s a step in the right direction as they work on making the District a safer place. What really caught my eye is that this system was done not through a lawmaker’s bill or internal recommendation- but through Georgetown business owner Ed Solomon who was a victim of a robbery and decided to push the town into distributing information faster. Solomon’s efforts is a real example of what one person can do to contribute to the greater good.

What else does DC need to do to address the crime problem? Technologies like D.C. Police Alert will certainly be helpful but what other steps need to be taken to make our home a safer place?

Courtesy of Lara Gori

Courtesy of Jim Goldston

Pepsi Max is very similar to Coke Zero. Both have no “sugar” and zero calories, though like the Diet lines they contain the artificial sugar aspartame.  It is definitely worth a try. I would call it superior to Coke Zero and the Diet sodas.

Fun fact from the all-knowing Wikipedia: “In the… Borat TV series, a Pepsi Max factory is… responsible for the decrease in Kazakhstan’s Aral Sea.” It’s nice.

As a native Western New Yorker, both hungry for wings and willing to donate to a good cause, I felt uniquely qualified to show up at this event and cast my own judgment on these so called “Buffalo Wings.”  Yes much like the native of Philly who is fond of saying ”that’s not a real cheese steak”, the Chicago transplant who says “ugh! you call this pizza?” and the New York City tourist that can’t wait to tell you just how much ”better the <fill in just about anything> is in New York”-I too become a food snob when wings are brought into the mix.   Especially when someone calls them “Buffalo Wings.”   

So on this, the alleged anniversary of the Buffalo Wing (Happy 44^th!) allow me to share my thoughts with you:

Old Glory showed off their BBQ skills via the chicken wing-their classic wings literally fell of the bone with an almost “smoked” flavor to them. Their signature wings took the Buffalo bitter flavor and mixed it with their own BBQ sauce that was truly awe inspiring-winning both of those rounds. 

J Paul’s went for a much lighter approach.  Their classic wings were the most “Buffalo” tasting of the group-but it was so incredibly light it was almost as if you were just remembering the taste rather than tasting it.  My only thought was “go strong or go home.”  The Signature wings, however, were a tremendous step up.  Jerk Chicken with Mango which, contrary to the actual judging panel, I thought stole the show.   

Throw in a couple of couches, a bean bag toss game and a big screen TV to watch football on and the event was a lot of fun.

The only thing missing from the Buffalo Battle of Wings?  Actual Buffalo Wings.  Yes, as good as these wings all were and as many as I ate (and I ate a LOT) not one of them actually passed the “I would call this a Buffalo Wing” test.  Much the way cupcakes can be great without being birthday cake or a hamburger can taste great without it being a steak-these wings, despite their awesomeness, just weren’t descendents of the original Bellisimo family recipe.

Washington DC is great because it creates an opportunity to share the best parts of this country with people from all over in one place.  So next year (and I hope they do this again next year) it would be great to open this up to more restaurants and make at least one of the rounds about being the best “Buffalo Wing.”  There are plenty of area restaurants and bars that, in my humble opinion, get it right.  More restaurants=more wings and more people which should, in turn, mean more money for DC Central kitchen and more fun.  Can’t argue with that logic!

Any thoughts DC?  What makes a good wing, or where to get one?   I’m partial to Garrett’s, Clydes and 51^st State myself.  Do you have a favorite regional food you’d like to see a competition for?  Comments, as always, are welcome-particularly when they come with a side of blue cheese. 

When he invited us to join them in the tap room of the City Tavern Club on M Street, we accepted. I knew that it was not a place I could show up in jeans and sneakers, but I was surprised tonight when I was asked to leave when I merely wasn’t wearing a collar. Sure I had $140 tailored slacks, and a $130 cashmere sweater from Lands End on, in addition to my black Italian-made wool great coat that was a gift from my father at Christmas two years ago. But all I was missing was a $7.50 Polo Shirt from Wal-Mart, as the Tavern Club doesn’t allow patrons without collars.

So, instead of being able to toast our friends on the day of their engagement, we had to settle for a hug and an embarrassed trip back through the club to the street like so much riff-raff.

Never mind that we were guests of a member.

Never mind that we certainly were not shabbily dressed.

But all because I hadn’t had the foresight to wear a cheap-ass polo shirt from Wal-Mart under my sweater… out on the street, riff raff!

So, we will have to take Mike and Monica to dinner some place in the near future, but all of this leaves me wondering: What the hell is the purpose of a place like that in this day and age? Sure there was a time for that, but what purpose is there for me in a club like that? If I can’t go in dressed as I normally do (my winter attire is a nice sweater and jeans or khakis) then what’s the freakin’ point? Surely if they can’t pitch themselves to members of the younger generations (and I don’t just mean Thad, Chad, Lad, Cad and Brad) then they will go the way of the dinosaur. And if they can’t figure out someone who’s dressed appropriately from someone who’s not, then I’ll vote with my feet.

Georgetown Yoga is offering you the opportunity to accomplish three goals in a single Sunday afternoon: take a yoga class, make a donation to a worthwhile charity, and help someone move forward in their career. A reasonably productive hour!

The charity yoga classes offer students who are working through the Yoga Works yoga teacher training program an opportunity to work with members of the public. You get an hour-long mixed-level class at the popular Georgetown studio, for a donation of $5 or more.

Money raised from the donations will be given to a charity selected by the students, The Wendt Center for Loss & Healing and Pediatric AIDS/HIV Care. The Wendt Center says it “is a premier resource for addressing grief in adults and children. Pediatric AIDS/HIV Care works to preserve, assist and strengthen the well-being of children ages 5-18 infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in metropolitan Washington, DC.”

Charity-slash-training yoga classes will be held on Sundays, from 5:30-6:30 on February 24th, March 30th, April 27th, May 25th, June 15th, and June 29th.

For those who have been thinking about trying yoga for the first time this seems like an especially great opportunity – no commitment, and if you decide it is not for you, at least you made a difference for the student and for the charity.

The Washington Academy, which serves 250 area children, is set to close in 30 days. It’s not clear how those kids are supposed to be absorbed into the schools system, as many neighborhood schools in that region are set to close if the chancellor’s plan is completed.

Georgetown Student/Staff Data Missing

If you’re currently a Georgetown Student, or work there, your identity may have been stolen yesterday, when a disk containing the records of the 38,000 students and staff of the University was taken from an office on campus. Georgetown is offering free credit monitoring for those affected. Give the University a call at 866-740-2458 or visit their identity site for more info.

More Rail News

Here starts the blame game. Rep. Jim Moran comes out swinging like it’s a little black boy near his car. Moran insists that this is clearly a political ploy to thwart democrats in Northern Virginia, and has nothing to do with potential risk. Meanwhile, the Examiner points out it could be about failing to resolve a series of technical problems in the proposal, that would have resulted in the failure to operate the proposed line.