The Passenger has a new bar. Or is it an old bar? more ›

The District needs ethics reform, but it also has an election coming up. It was only a matter of time before the two started to mix. more ›

With less than a month left to go until the April 26 At-Large Special Election, the nine candidates vying for the seat vacated by D.C. Council Chair Kwame Brown are struggling to win over what are likely to be a small number of voters that will decide the contest. more ›

This much is finally clear -- nine candidates will appear on the ballot for the April 26 At-Large Special Election. Yesterday, the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics announced that Jacque Patterson would be denied a spot on the ballot, while ruling that Republican Patrick Mara had gotten just enough signatures to remain on. Bryan Weaver, who had originally fallen 52 signatures below the 3,000-signature threshold to get on the ballot, was able to collect enough forms attesting to the validity of the people who signed his nominating petitions to stay on. more ›

D.C. has always had a reputation as a drinking town. Maybe it's because of all the lobbyists, lawyers, and politicians, but in the heyday of the cocktail, before Prohibition, residents of the District supposedly out-drank their counterparts in other areas of the country several times over. We even have our own cocktail that was named after a lobbyist. These days, many of the top restaurants in the city now have extensive cocktail programs to match their ample wine lists, and a number of places focused solely on making a truly great cocktail have opened in the last few years. more ›

It's a very good time to be a wine drinker in D.C. With spring not too far away, wine bars have been popping up like daisies around town. Newcomers include Proof in Chinatown, Vinoteca at 11th/U, and Veritas in Dupont Circle. Just last night, another contender entered the fray: Cork officially opened its doors on 14th between R and S. The wine list is 40 strong by the glass, and around 130 by the bottle. Prices are generally in the $8-$11 range for glasses, although there are a few outliers at $6 and $14. Cork also offers flights of three wines for $9-$13 - my chenin blanc flight was an interesting tour through the grape's intricacies, with sugar and acidity levels varying between glasses. At the moment, the beer list has only five bottles, but it includes standouts such as the Smuttynose IPA and Floris Wit-Blanche. As for the food, I arrived as the kitchen was closing so I missed out on a chance to try the menu, but the presence of Chef Ron Tonaka, former sous chef of CityZen and Citronelle, makes me confident that the food will be an attraction here. The menu is small, but includes some typical wine bar fare such as charcuterie and duck confit, as well as more adventurous selections, each notated with wine recommendations. more ›