Mark your calendars: WMATA put out a release earlier today announcing the dates of a series of six public meetings at which you can voice your opinions about the proposed Metro fare hikes, which would go into effect in January. The full set of proposed increases is here, but the basics include raising the base fare of Metrorail from $1.35 to $1.65, keep bus fares the same as long as you use SmarTrip cards (add…

We were alerted yesterday by Jon at the DC Traveler that the mighty Titan Arum has begun blooming at the US Botanic Garden. He was, no doubt, tipped off by the oh-so-lovely smell of rotting corpse wafting through his window, which the flower uses to attract meat-loving (at least, meat-stench-loving) bugs to pollinate it. The giant, odorous plant seems to be falling into habit, blooming every two years since 2003 — before that it hadn’t…

By DCist food contributor Melissa McCart. Pretend you’re visiting a good New York restaurant. You slip into your “black is the new black” fall attire. You ratchet up the attitude. You reach deeper into your wallet to pay the bill. You sit back and admire the beautiful people. You may choose to embrace these rituals when visiting Washington’s CityZen in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Despite that it’s off the beaten path, CityZen is where it’s…

The Post’s staff has determined the best barbecue in the area. If you trust their tastes, then Rockland’s in Glover Park is the place to go. Though the Post likes Rockland’s BBQ, it wasn’t a fan of the choice and quality of its side offerings. The Post also picked The Rib Pit on upper 14th Street (at Randolph Street) in Petworth as “the real thing” with top notch BBQ (dry, overcooked but not mushy,…