June 29, 2006
Blech Bets
Last year we once again perused, dumbfounded, the Post's Best Bets lists, lamenting the way in which they painted our town with the beige brushstrokes of national chain blandness. We fumed a bit, and then we listened to our commenters, who reminded us that the entries were nominated and voted on by Post readers, who tend to be old, suburban, and clueless. This made us feel better, but we still resolved not to forget when voting time came around next year. Which is, of course, this year, right now.
Readers, the nominations have been compiled, and our humble and carefully considered suggestions have been lost in a sea of Applebeesian craptitude. Still, a few worthy names made the ballots, and we ask you to give them your support. Early and often.
Once again, DC9 and the Velvet Lounge don't even make the list of places to hear live music, but several decent options do, so vote and make sure that Nissan Pavilion doesn't walk away with the hardware. And once again, Caribou and Starbucks sit prominently on the list of coffeeshops, waiting for soccer moms to vote, thinking "I do love those lite jazz compilations they play for their customers!" Don't let them have the satisfaction. And look on in disgust as The District Line and Sherman Pickey sit lonely amid nine mind-numbingly omnipresent mall shops and department stores attempting to represent the best in men's clothing for D.C. For shame, nominators.
Voting will remain open until July 28th. Stop by, and do your best to salvage the deserving candidates.
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Although some of the other categories do contain homegrown talent, you're right that the Men's Clothing category is atrocious. my vote is definitely for The District Line--how could people vote for H&M over a great store with cool clothes and an obvious love for the city?
Although some of the other categories do contain homegrown talent, you're right that the Men's Clothing category is atrocious. my vote is definitely for The District Line--how could people vote for H&M over a great store with cool clothes and an obvious love for the city?
Lots of these nominees suck, but got to give locals credit for including Full Kee in their Chinese category. I thought I was the only one who knew about that place.
Has anyone ever been to a DC9 concert in August? It's the most uncomfortable venue for a summer show, there's no A/C in there. If it's a packed house, forget about breathing. And their bottled water smells like poo.
The local band category is equally horrible.
And how do Ann Taylor Loft, Banana Republic, Nordstrom, and H&M qualify as "boutique"s?
Also, none of the happy hours listed are all that good.
I think the local band category wins for absolute worst.
"applebeesian craptitude." I stand in awe of your mad writing skillz.
How is it possible that the Fox and Hounds was overlooked in the neighborhood bar category?
These votes always make me sad - its always the visiting interns that blow the whole curve. They come and visit and only know the places that were in the nifty college dc guides....or are surbabn mainstream franchise joints. sad, sad, sad.
Another snoot cocked at the local band category.
I voted for Gonzo's Nose based upon some fond memories from grad school, but it was like picking the greatest European car ever from a list consisting of the Renault Clio and various mid-80s makes of Yugos and Trabants.
And I can't believe some of the places they dropped from the burger nominees to make room for freakin' Fuddrucker's.
This is why we need DCist to host their own "Best Of."
Woot!
Once again tiny, scrappy Washington Improv Theater (comedy is art, damnit, and I don't mean standup) is in the running - even though their listings won't list any theater without a permanent performing address!
why can't they have a write in category? Jolt N Bolt should be on the list for coffee shops.
Ditto on the men's clothing being a travesty, and the local bands being pathetic. If they're going to do that with the band category, at least put a little more variety into your selection of old-schoolers -- throw us a bone like Fugazi or QandNotU or Tuscadero so we don't have to just skip the category out of disgust.
But I will withold my personal sense of outrage for the Ice Cream category. OK, a little more than half of these were at least local, but why put any craptacular rip-off shacks with garbage ice cream like MaggieMoo's and Coldstone on there when there are real local joints like Nielsen's and the Frozen Dairy Bar not on it?
I mean, I don't care if 1,000 people nominated Starbucks and only one person nominated Sip of Seattle, I don't need the Post's help to find Starbucks.
Ditto on the men's clothing being a travesty, and the local bands being pathetic. If they're going to do that with the band category, at least put a little more variety into your selection of old-schoolers -- throw us a bone like Fugazi or QandNotU or Tuscadero so we don't have to just skip the category out of disgust.
But I will withold my personal sense of outrage for the Ice Cream category. OK, a little more than half of these were at least local, but why put any craptacular rip-off shacks with garbage ice cream like MaggieMoo's and Coldstone on there when there are real local joints like Nielsen's and the Frozen Dairy Bar not on it?
I mean, I don't care if 1,000 people nominated Starbucks and only one person nominated Sip of Seattle, I don't need the Post's help to find Starbucks.
"Post readers, who tend to be old, suburban, and clueless." Okay, so DCist - and DCist readers - don't read the Post? Just checking.
No, we read it. But I suspect we're outnumbered by readers from beyond the beltway.
Post readers are "old, suburban, and clueless?" Okay, whatever you say.
But the contest isn't the brainchild of the dead-tree division; it's a washingtonpost.com contest. I think it's safe to assume the online readers are a little younger and hipper, if the sheer amount of DCist posts that link to washingtonpost.com are any indicator.
Don't blame The Post. Blame Washingtonians: If you didn't know y'all sucked, this should be a wake-up call.
Well, I am happy to be able to give some love to Pop in the women's boutique category...and, seriously, who in their right mind thinks Nordstrom or Banana Republic is a boutique? Or [gag] Talbots???
(I'm a suburban Post reader, but I'm not old. Yet.)
Keep that Post voting just the way it is! Think about it for a minute; I don't want the interns, tourists, and suburbanites crowding up the Tune Inn, do you? Seriously, if you're not from DC you're not supposed to know where to get a drink at 7am on the Hill. I don't want every jerkoff in the Metro area to know that ala lucia has the best Italian food around; nor do I want to share any of my favorite restaurants, bars, or shops with a gaggle of fanny-pack wearing tourists and SUV driving suburbanites.
Let them eat Applebees!!!!
Keep that Post voting just the way it is! Think about it for a minute; I don't want the interns, tourists, and suburbanites crowding up the Tune Inn, do you? Seriously, if you're not from DC you're not supposed to know where to get a drink at 7am on the Hill. I don't want every jerkoff in the Metro area to know that ala lucia has the best Italian food around; nor do I want to share any of my favorite restaurants, bars, or shops with a gaggle of fanny-pack wearing tourists and SUV driving suburbanites.
Let them eat Applebees!!!!
Hill Rat,
Not sure it matters-- people that go to chain restaurant usually don't go to dives or non chain places anyway--its always kind of a leap of faith to go some place that you dont have experience with. Even if they do go to these places, it will affect their experience of the place.
For example: My friends all think Coldstone creamery is the best ice cream place in the world, and I feel if I took them to a local shop they would be like "yeah thats good, but not coldstone good"
The "let them eat Applebees" comment has plenty of merit, but in the local band category, not so much. "Oh you're from DC? I hear you guys have a local scene comprised of a handful of great cover bands." Not to disparage the Legwarmers, but I wouldn't consider them a diamond in the rough, exactly. Plus, one of their singers has another band that would certainly qualify for this category, and is playing at the slighted Velvet Lounge this saturday.