Archive | March, 2010

A Welcome Addition to the Neighborhood: Filter Coffeehouse & Espresso Bar

27 Mar

What a week it’s been!  I went to the Palace of Wonders and Taylor Gourmet yesterday evening, both awesome in their own right.  Needless to say, I had a late night.  I’m currently at work here in the Lexis/Westlaw print room.  It’s nice and cool in here; the lights are off.  It’s a pleasant Saturday afternoon outside, on the colder side of cool.  I just polished off a Chipotle burrito and McDonald’s french fries with the help of a McDonald’s iced coffee.  (Whew!)   I’m also listening to the Broken Bells’s new self-titled album.

The Broken Bells are a collaboration between Danger Mouse and James Mercer of the Shins.  Their music features electric beats, disaffected vocals, and atmospheric guitar–basically, hipster music.  Music hipsters could like.

You know what else hipsters like?  Artisanal coffee.

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An Excellent Evening with Ansonia Wines & Friends

26 Mar

I’m a very happy person by disposition, though I’ve been known to have my emo moments.  However, one thing I have learned about myself is that I very rarely like the place I am until it’s time to leave.

For instance, I spent four and a half years in Berkeley, and it wasn’t until my last year that I truly started to enjoy it.  Suddenly, its wonders started presenting themselves to me like a blossom of gastronomic joy.  Where the hell was Gregoire all my life?  Why didn’t I go to Kermit Lynch before?

I am also a native of the Los Angeles region–Alhambra and South Pasadena, to be exact–but I can’t say I truly loved LA until I left for law school here in DC.  Now I love LA; every moment I spend there on break is a little blessing.

You might have heard me railing on DC.  I’ve always had the feeling that it’s trying to be like many different cities but failing.  I hate the crazy humidity of the summer, and I don’t like the absolute lack of tall buildings.  I hate how the Metro closes early–or at all–and how the bars close early.  I also don’t consider myself a very political person, which considering the town is not such a good thing.

However, DC has begun to grow on me.  There are little pockets of DC, a coffee shop here or a restaurant there, an alleyway here or a circle there, that I love.  Of course, one can choose to explain this cynically by pointing out that every city has its charms.  Still, I think I’ll be missing Amsterdam Falafelshop a lot once I leave DC.

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I’m Contributing to the Palate Press!

8 Mar

I’ve come to a sort of crossroads in my wine blogging journey.  The choice as I saw it was between getting more serious about it, or letting it go.  Letting it go would be an attractive option, especially because I’ve been concerned about my health, the quality of my legal scholarship, and my finances.  However, in the end I could not give this up, not after 100 posts and the time and effort I put into maintaining it.

Although my recent lack of posting might indicate that I’m not serious about my resolution, it is more indicative of law school craziness than any lack of discipline.  And, like a patient lover, my wine blog waits for me to return after a few weeks of neglect.

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