Mario Batali will be cooking for the dinner, which is in honor of the Italian prime minister.

By fashion contributor Rachel Cothran. Find more of her writing and street photography at her web site Project Beltway. In a city where power tends to dictate fashion, instead of the other way around, it is possible to see beyond the power suits and prove that the nation’s capital has a style as fascinating as the people shaping its unique culture. Each week we’re going to take an anthropological approach to style in Washington, presenting…

In all honesty, it’s tough to wholeheartedly recommend going out on New Year’s Eve at all. We love the spirit of the holiday, but paying around $100 a person for a regular night of dancing dressed up with champagne is enough to make anyone feel like a schmuck. It’s a safe bet most of us at DCist will be hitting various house parties to ring in the new year with friends at a more reasonable…

Welcome to the January 2006 edition of Three Stars. Tomorrow, we’ll get up close and personal with Mike Holden, and Thursday we’ll show you the many sides of Chris Richards. Today, we talk to Hello Tokyo, discussing their new EP and an upcoming network television debut. Hello Tokyo No, Gwen Stefani did not already have her baby, and no it did not go through a miraculous rapid aging process, move to DC and form a…

We’re continuing our summer of concert love here at DCist with the tickets you need to be purchasing…so make sure to have your mouse and credit card at the ready! And remember, you can always buy tickets in person at the 9:30 Club, and the Black Cat box office is open from 8 p.m. to midnight. Which tickets do you plan on getting? >> Our favorite star-spangled, big-chested, country crooning lady is coming to D.C….

A legendary figure in the alternative music scene, Bob Mould came to prominence in the 1980s with his group Husker Du, who influenced independent music for years to come. Mould later formed the band Sugar, and now moonlights as a DJ (alongside local producer Richard Morel) at Blowoff, a popular dance night at the 9:30 Club where he spins everything from Depeche Mode to Gwen Stefani to his own material. This Saturday’s Blowoff will…

There are many ways to celebrate the holidays and a favorite DCist tradition is going to the movies on Christmas day. While almost everything else will be shuttered tight for the holiday, area movie theaters are gearing up for this year’s big releases. Coming out Christmas day are the following: The Aviator: Howard Huges biopic staring Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale and Gwen Stefani. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou: A new Wes Anderson…