Just a few days from now, the critically acclaimed HBO series The Wire will kick off its fifth and final season. Considered one of the best and most realistic portrayals of crime and corruption in a struggling city (Baltimore, in this case), the show traces the thin line that divides the good guys from the bad. Whether cops stealing stacks of cash during drug busts or thieving dockworkers pooling together money for a stained-glass window…

This past Friday night and with little fanfare, Alberto’s in Dupont Circle restarted its ovens and pizza-making operations, less than four months after a fire seriously damaged the P street location and left a pizza shaped hole in many pizza lovers’ hearts. The same fire also forced the closure of the DJ Hut located above Alberto’s and the Subway next door, both of which remain closed. According to Alberto’s staff, renovations to reopen the…

As I rode home last night, I took a quick detour past Eastern Market. Some 22 hours after the fire that ravaged the market’s South Hall had been reported, firefighters remained, hosing down the building and testing the its structural integrity. A crowd had gathered outside, most blankly staring at what would be an empty shell for the months to come. This morning, fencing had been erected around the building, decorated with U.S. and D.C….

The tango is a colorful, fiery display of passion and movement, with ballet being its more classical, astute and refined cousin. Now, imagine the two together, and toss some mariachi music into the mix. The Washington Ballet’s ¡Noche Latina! does just that, combining the classical, floating movements of ballet with the energy and boldness of tango. Not just a dance show, the night includes live music, including Mariachi Los Amigos, who come in through…

Courtesy of our friends over at Fishbowl DC, today we discovered that Time had quietly launched a new blog on national politics. Called Swampland and featuring the online musings of Ana Marie Cox, Joe Klein, Karen Tumulty, and Jay Carney, there really isn’t anything about this blog that sets it apart from the many other notable blogs on national politics, either independent or MSM-run. Except the name. Oh, the name. We thought the myth…

By DCist contributor Mehan Jayasuriya Having never been to a film screening at the Black Cat’s backstage before, I must admit that I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I showed up on Monday night. As I found out, I was in for a night of uncomfortable zebra-print chairs, chain-smokers in linen pants and a seven-year old film on DVD, projected onto a pull-down screen. So yeah, exactly what I should have expected. The…

As I went up the steps to the Dance Party show at the Black Cat, I could hear the noise pouring out of the swinging doors. The stairwell echoed with shrill cheers of teenage girls, like a bygone episode of TRL. Instead of a Carson Daily or hot pop singer, lead singer Mick Coogan stood his ground in a bright lime green shirt. He thrust his guitar to and fro, shaking furiously onstage and delivering…

As I left the beer-soaked but immensely enjoyable Brew at the Zoo festivities last night, I saw several police officers waiting at the top of the roadway leading from the zoo parking lot, providing yet another reason to take Metro or to choose a designated driver. But, I suggest, at least you should let the designated driver eat something. Otherwise, some people may be reluctant to volunteer. Quote of the Week Steak-n-Egg, Tenleytown: Waitress (to…

An artist’s worst nightmare. Not a bad review or lack of sales, but accidental destruction of their work by careless gallery-goers. Art writer Kriston Capps tipped us off to the notice on the Flashpoint Web site, which tells us that Axelle Rioult’s exhibit Non Sans Emoi (As I Lay Myself…) is temporarily closed. Gallery Manager Rebecca Lowery told DCist that a private party held in the Flashpoint theater this past Saturday night escalated from a…

WMATA works in mysterious ways. As I began ironing out whatever bugs had crept into the space between our system and Metro’s, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was none. LastCall’s Metro functionality is back up and running. But as we noted on Friday, this sort of thing could happen again. We’re installing some monitoring systems to get a jump on it next time, and we thank you for your patience. As soon…