May 5, 2006
Out and About: Weekend Picks
FRIDAY:
>> Get in your first Friday Art Night while you still can, people. D.C. galleries in the summer can be like ghost towns. Openings of note include Avish Khebrehzadeh at Conner Contemporary (6 to 8 p.m., her work Theater is pictured) and Steven Cushner and John Watson at Hemphill Fine Arts (6:30 to 8:30 p.m.). Also note openings for Jeff Spaulding and Ledelle Moe at G Fine Art are on Saturday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
>> ¡Viva México! It's Cinco de Mayo, the celebration of the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla. We could recommend that you spend the holiday at some god awful pubcrawl designed for the sole purpose of plying young people with cheap, terrible, mix-based margaritas that can only lead to hangover city. But we wouldn't play you like that. We've got too much respect for our readers. But finding authentic margaritas in the District is hard. We think the quality ritas are actually in Arlington: try Guajillo, Taqueria Poblano, or Mexicali Blues. And we're dying for other suggestions -- leave 'em in the comments.
SATURDAY:
>> What goes better with the Kentucky Derby than Bourbon? Both bars (Adams Morgan & Glover Park) will be serving up Mint Julep specials and showing the race on all screens. TV coverage starts at 5 p.m.
>> Last time DCist went to see Phoenix at 9:30 Club, our intrepid reviewer described their set thusly: "An incredibly smooth blend of soul, rock-synth, and chugging guitar pop topped with a dash of hip hop, the act had the normally staid 9:30 Club audience dancing in no time." Plus, despite their name, Phoenix are from France. And any opportunity to both see the good rock and employ the greatest blog comment comeback ever is not to be missed. $15, with La Rocca.
>> We'd be remiss if we didn't mention the Montana-inspired Rocky Mountain Oyster Festival at the American Legion in Arlington. Have a ball!
>> Also, Saturday is Free Comic Book Day. Look out for a guide to local comic book stores participating in the festival tomorrow morning from DCist Matt.
SUNDAY:
>> Satyajit Ray isn't just the first big Indian filmmaker to cross over into Western mainstream consciousness -- he's probably one of the most influential figures in world cinema. Partha Mitter, a friend of Ray's and a professor at the University of Sussex, will be at the National Gallery of Art to celebrate 50th anniversary of Ray’s 1955 film, Pather Panchali (the first in the "Apu Trilogy"), for a screening and lecture called “The Poetic Reality of Satyajit Ray” at 4 p.m. Free.
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Even though they're a ripoff, I have to hand it to Rosa Mexicano for their Pommegranite frozen margs...not too sweet, unique, and with lots of punch for a potentially "girly" drink.
It's not a margarita, but the Ocelotl cocktail at Oyamel in Crystal City is indescribably good...but I'll at least name its components: mango, ginger, tequila, and a sliver of sweetly hot jalapeno.
They also have great margaritas on the rocks at Alero on U St (maybe even more of a ripoff than Rosa, though).
And here's an awesome recipe that was in the Post's Food section a few years back...it's hard to find agave nectar, but if you do it's soooooooooooo worth it. Especially with good blanco/silver tequila like Sauza Tres Generaciones or Patron.
Anyway:
6 parts tequila
4 parts fresh lime juice
1 part agave nectar (or 1-2 parts cane sugar, or other sweetener to taste)
Ice
*Shake and serve up or on the rocks.
Or try a frozen marg from mix, and add Midori or Chambord liquor...and maybe a tiny bit of malibu for more kick and a little smoothness (don't cut back on the tequila to make room for malibu though...that'd just be pussy;)
Didn't DCist post a kickass margarita recipe last year? Dare I link...
http://www.dcist.com/archives/2005/05/04/drinking_in_cin.php
Andale in Penn Quarter has the best margs in town. The real deal, no mix, with lots of different tequila options.
For authentic homey hole-in-the-wall food and extremely strong 'fiesta' margaritas, I suggest Haydee's in Mt. Pleasant.
well... i am one of those less than reputable individuals that is interested in the cheapest booze available when celebrating this holiday. Any suggestions? I want dollar beers and maragaritas people!
>> We'd be remiss if we didn't mention the Montana-inspired Rocky Mountain Oyster Festival at the American Legion in Arlington.Have a ball!
ha ha!
The secret to making a good margarita is to use a decent tequila and a fresh sour mix.
Here's how they make sour mix in Mexico:
Take 3 limes and quarter them. Cut off the white strip thats in the center of the lime. It's bitter and overpowers the rest of the flavors of the lime. Cut your quartered lime wedges in half and toss them into a blender with a cup of water (to help it mix) and two spoons of sugar.
[Yes, we're grinding up the limes including the skin.]
Liquefy the concoction in the blender and then strain the mix into a pitcher. Add more water and sugar to taste. The mix should be refreshing and drinkable on it's own. It's also nice to make it this way so friends who aren't imbibing can get into the spirit of Cinco de Mayo.
Add 2.0 oz of the mix with 1.5 oz of tequila and 1 oz. of orange liquer. Shake well with ice.
Caution: you can't really refrigerate this mix as something about the skin of the lime causes it to turn bitter after one day. So drink up.
Rosa mexicano...Chinatown (Best ever! strongest ever! in town)
You're Trying to say that Jose McFadden's isn't authentic? Pfft.
I recommend heading to Alliance in Silver Spring if you're participating in free comic book day. It's a great store with very nice staff, and is sadly underutilized. I used to have a box there.
excellent julep recipes at www.coolstretchofhighway.com