Some overdue buzz—Oprah and Top Chef and DSS, oh my!

She's got the whole world in her hands...

Some long overdue news/link roundups:

In case you've missed the crumb that's got the city all atwitter: Top Chef is reportedly coming to DC (via Metrocurean). According to sev sources, filming begins on April 5.

And not to be outdone, Oprah marks her own footprint on owning the DC reality market. DC Fab dishes O's casting call for a new series to air on her upcoming network OWN.

And off the boob tube and back to the 'real world,' shop 'til you drop Tuesday for District Sample Sale to benefit CityDance Early Arts.  Now you can look good and do good while on your "haute pursuit." Tickets on sale now, 5:30-6:30p VIP, Reg admin 6:30-9:30p.

More reasons and places to drink green beer

Wanna paint your liver green and get wrecked on car bombs? While there's a ton o' places all over the city to get locked, loaded and lucky for hump, er..., Patty's day, here's a few worth mentioning:

Public Bar: all day long "Shenanigans" & specials. $3 green Bud Light bottles; $5 Red Bull/vodka; $5 steak burgers. Happy hour host VitaminWater to include costumed run/parade in Dupont Circle to benefit Luke's Wings, 4:30-7:30p. Leprechaun costume contest 7:30-9p, etc.  Party from 11a til 2.

Modern: $4 Guiness, Jameson shots, Baileys; $7 Jaeger bombs; $15 Heine buckets; $8 Pot of Gold; $11 "green bull" drink specials. DJ Vicious spins Top 40 and hip-hop. Doors open at 8p.

Uptown Bar & Grill: $1 green beer; $4 Patty's shooters; $6 car bombs; $16 buckets o' bud light. Live music on 2 floors. Live music starts 8p, but party all day starting at 2p.

Tattoo: $5 Jameson shots, Baileys bangers, Guiness, car bombs; Happy hour until 10p. Free entry for rsvp-ers. 5:30p until.

Rumors: for some serious "Shamrock Shenanigans" and beat the clock specails: 17cent Coors Lights 4-5p; $1.17CLs and $2.17Moons 5-6p; $2.17CLs and $3.17Moons 6-8p; $3.17CLs & $4.17Moons 8-midnight.  $5 Jameson and Absolut drinks all night, DJ and prizes.

Or sip on free beer and get arty at Craicdown 2010's "Rise of the Leprechauns," Source Theatre, $20 show tix, 8p.

More listings to come.

The Brixton coming to U Street

Word on the street is: The peeps of Patty Boom Boom (and Marvin & The Gibson) are in the process of opening at least three new spots in and around the District.  Look for The Brixton in the long vacant 901 U Street NW. Tattles tell of an English theme, roof deck, a patio to park your rump n grub and American/English eats at prices that won’t break the bank.  No word on the timeline yet, but I’ll see what I can find out.
Additionally, a yet-to-be-named spot looks to be taking shape at 3815 George Ave. NW in the old Billy Simpson’s. Rumors suggest this one could open within six months.
Info to come on the third… stay tuned.

Image from thegibsondc.com

Kiss me I'm Irish—and other reasons to hang out, hooch and smooch this weekend

Feeling the luck of the Irish? "Dust off your Shamrocks and get your green on" Friday at Bottom Line and get stewed on $1 ML bottles, $5 car bombs and $4 baby Guinesses; then sop it up with some corn beef, cabbage and Irish lamb stew.

Not feeling like getting pinched and polluted? Take a taste of the more refined and tipple some wine at The Washington Ballet's Women's Committee Wine Tasting and Auction. Just don't bid your liver. Meridian International Center.

Spending Saturday night in Baltimore? Get slammed at the 2nd annual Slamrock fest at Mist. Ladies in green in free. Open bar til 11. Dress to impress, 9p-3a.

Back in the District, "May your troubles neglect you... and your neighbors [still] respect you" after Shamrock Fest 2010's 1000-feet of bars. Shenanigans include 40+bands & djs, 10 stages, massive tented areas (where you can even find tourney games), beer trucks, vendors and just a ton o' magically delicious fun. Tix start at $24.99, main gate opens at noon.

Not feelin' the lush-luck? You can still throw a nod to the Irish blessing and "dance like no one's watching" while fundraising to fight poverty, Cherry Blossom Banquet Hall, 8p. or just kick it and watch others dance at CityDance's season-concluding performance with  Catalyst, Lansburgh Theater, Harman Center for the Arts, $35 and up, 8p.

Free your mind—The Liberty Tree open on H St. NE

Don your best blue coat and belly up to H St. corridor's new Liberty Tree tavern, open last week.  A throwback to the Am-Revolution's Sons of Liberty, toast your allegiance with your fav tipple—and better, that you get to spell favorite with out that pesky "u."

Photo from The Liberty Tree's facebook

Did someone say *free* drinks? Let's go flogging. Tonight.

Sign of the Whale—the much missed midtown landmark—raises its flipper tonight for some good ole grand re-opening revelry.

Get washed Wednesday for Ladies Night from 7-12 with $5 tinis and half-price wine bottles; and if you're not a beached whale by midnight, drench your liver with $3 Moons, Chucks & other flave brews from 'til close.

Still afloat? Free Willy Thursday when On Tap & the Whale pool forces to re-launch and release. Get railed on FREE rail drinks, domestics and house wine from 6-7 for On Tap's March Issue release party. After 7, take a dip with $2 domestics and $5 Red Bull vodkas. (RSVP has been extended until today by 3p). Email your name (and your tagalongs) to rsvp@ontaponline.com. If you didn't get a chance to RSVP - just drop by. The more the merrier...

Then get flogged Friday while you hang out with Heff's "girl next door" Bridget.

Smoke 'em if you got 'em

To answer the crooned call of Marvin Gaye's "It takes two," whiskey and cigars should certainly do.  So, mosey on over to Marvin tonight to cop a squat in the lap of luxury—and its most lavish pairings—for their first SIP 'N SMOKE with gratis grazings and single malts (x4) tasting.  Then step up on the roof for a stogie, 7-9p. RSVP still open.

Bike the city—ready to roll.

Bike lanes be damned. Now—thanks to Vaidila Kungys and Jordan Anderson—you can route your best bet for not becoming a hood ornament.  So say salaam to the springy sunshine, roll out the roadster and hit the dusty trail.


3.10 update: Sickly timed and not a moment too soon, Google maps now has intelligent bike routes: http://bit.ly/a5KG3i

Image from thepostalservice

Think thin. That's Amore—Crêpe Amour open on M

Batter-ing up to the pastry-plate and giving cupcakes a dash for their dough... comes crepes. Simply spitting distance from G'town's fav cake fix, Crêpe Amour hopes to steal some of those street-lined cravers for a doughy revolution.  Now open on M, you can get scrambled with the Georgetowner, go nutty for Nutella or get jacked on the good juice at the espresso bar, daily. And stay tuned.  With plans to soon add vampire hours for post-decadence delicacies, looks like you can have your cake and eat it, too. 3291 M St. NW.

Photo from Crepe Amour's facebook.

Art smart—Opera in Cinema Series, March 10-May15

If pants roles, props or loud women at poetic high octaves is your thing, then belt on over to the Atlas on H, where for the next ten weeks, they'll be takin' it high-def for the Opera in Cinema series. Screening operas filmed at Europe's greatest houses—from Verdi to Mozart—the series is kicking off with La Traviata from Milan's La Scala this Wednesday, March 10, and keepin' tempo through May 15, $20, some discounts available.

Fuel for the soul—Filter Coffeehouse opens in Dupont.

Arguably less filtered than the seven strangers who promise to "start getting real" comes the single-cup siphon brewer pour-over method @ Filter Coffeehouse.  Keepin' joe jonesers juiced one cup at a time, the Dupont java joint opens this week next to the Real World DC house, 1726 20th St. NW.

Image from Filter's facebook.

Cupcakes and... cocktails? The fix is in.

For a cupcake-crazed city, the coupling of these nibbles and tipples is icing on the cake...  

So, get frosted at Fly's cupcake and cocktails coupling tonight and future Friday's—where with sig 'tinis and crafty cakes, sugar n' spice can get you sauced, 10p-12a, Free admission.  [Dames dip in to one duo free].

Image from impeccableplanning.com

Bar 7 soft opening today in Mount Vernon Square

Whether you're a Friday freakster, a Saturday sportster, a Sunday funster or just your everyday alcoholic who prefers manic Mondays—or all of the above—Bar 7 hopes to serve up all your sordid schizo sluggin' needs.  So stroll over to 7 on 7th for 7 personalities, a 7-bottle variety and a swath of sweet sips. 
A bifold bar, this hooch-slingin' two-story saloon serves it all up from sports to shagging (keep it classy, we mean dancing),   swearing to keep you and your string of alter-egos swanked, sported, swilled and sozzled.  Soft opening today in the old Warehouse Next Door next to The Passenger, 1015 1/2 7th St. NW, bar7dc.com.

Play NAKID

A rousing throwback to those days on the playground of kiddy kickball and "I'll show you mine if you show me yours" comes NAKID kickball and social club—giving adults a playing field for getting sweaty and sauced.
Keep your pants on while you run the bases - then go get social, sloppy and maybe, if the mood strikes, you can play your hand at "naked" base running.  Then if the pants come off, it's your business.
Kick off the fun with beerlympics flip cup, pong and other beertastic sports this Saturday ($5 Nakids, $10 Nons).

 Image from brooklynpaper.com

Get twisted

Word on the tweet is Twisted Vines Bottleshop and Bistro soft opened this week and is prepping for a Grand Opening Saturday—wine and menu tasting, plus raffle goodies.  So come on over, uncork and get screwed up, 4-7p, $10-pre ($15 at door). 2803 Columbia Pike, Arlington.

Photo from Vine's facebook.